#this game and this song are both my Roman Empire

[thespaceyace]

not in faraway town 🪦

[highhhfiveee]

okay, this has been my literal roman empire. what if gf!y/n and abby are having a little karaoke moment to a song and mike walks in and sees both of them together, and you can write the rest.

i don’t know why but i can’t stop thinking about it.

remember to take care of yourself 🫶🫶

karaoke therapy

a "to crumble" ficlet.

original fic: 🩹 / additional ficlet, facetime: 🤳🏽

wc: 2k tags: "to crumble" mike and reader, foreshadowy fluff (: pretty cute stuff that hurts in retrospect 💔 a/n: this is so very cute (,: but alas, for "to crumble" mike and reader, this is but a thing of the past.

you come over to watch abby on a friday night so you're able to stay with her and mike for the entirety of saturday. your weekends are usually occupied by grading since you're nearing the end of the fall semester, but you're forcing time with abby and mike into your schedule because it's what you really want. life wasn't all about work and bills and adulting; you could do the things you enjoyed if you planned for it and so you did.

you'd driven over with enough haste to get you pulled over, toting enough stuff to last you a day and your excitement, large and beaming brightly in your demeanor. you were jittery walking up the drive, shaking out the anxiety in your body as you knock on the door.

abby answers the door, causing you to shift your gaze downward. she's already in her pajamas, the cute, pink bunny slippers you got her for her birthday donned on her feet. she smiles at you, opening the door further so you can step inside. "hi, y/n. you're just in time, mike made lasagna."

"yeah, it's on the stove. it's slightly burnt," mike calls from down the hall, walking into the living room as he slips his arms through the holes of his security vest. "but we'll say crispy on top instead. hi, baby." he grabs your face, pulling you into a couple small pecks, ones he backs away from with a lazy smile. you twist your lips, butterflies fluttering in your stomach. you and mike hadn't been dating for long, a short but serious four months, and you always felt so dizzy when you saw him, bewildered at the fact that he was your boyfriend. he was so sweet, so caring, hard-working, and unlike anyone you'd dated before. he worked so hard to provide for abby and change his future, and it made your attraction to him greater. he wanted you in that future, and it excited you for what was to come.

"gotta leave so soon?" you pout. mike's eyes soften as you caress his cheek, sighing as he reaches down for his bag.

"unfortunately. traffic's bad tonight, there was a huge crash and i gotta take backroads, howeverrrrr," mike ruffles abby's hair, causing her to grumble and gives you one last kiss, the dreamy, far-off look in his eyes accompanied with a lip bite, "i will see you both tomorrow morning, bright and early. have fun, and goodnight."

mike gives abby a kiss on the top of her head before he exits to his car, and you close the door behind you, dropping your duffle onto the floor. "okay," you announce, placing your hands on your bent knees as you turn to abby. "lasagna while we play board games or do karaoke?"

karaoke wins by a landslide. abby's been loving to sing recently, starting to get more comfortable with her growing vocals. she really only shows it to you, and ever since you've showed her karaoke, you've encouraged her to have fun and try different things; different inflections, tones, anything else she feels like she could do to make it her own. you loved to see her blossom singing in front of the brightly colored, ever-changing lyrics, using her hairbrush as a microphone.

you use your own too, setting it down on the coffee table to take a bite of lasagna and garlic bread while you watch abby sing along to call me maybe. she rocks on her heels in front of the tv, eyes tracking alongside the moving text.

you encourage her between forkfuls, providing her with background vocals and hype, giving her an "okay!" once she gets to the prechorus. she begins to dance, bouncing around the space between the coffee table and the tv. she gives her all to the chorus, making a good attempt at belting the notes.

"you sound so good, abs," you praise, wiping your mouth off on a napkin before grabbing the remote to change the karaoke video. "here, let's try some other ones. eat some food while i find them, 'kay?"

meanwhile, mike is sat in his car, idling behind others on the backroad he decided to take. traffic on these roads had increased because of the crash on the freeway, and there was no way he was getting to work any time soon. he'd been sitting bumper to bumper with these cars for about ten minutes, and he feels irritation creeping up into him, tapping his fingers against the wheel and leaning his head into the palm of his hand, elbow resting on the window. not even listening to the radio helps him, and eventually he just turns it off, succumbing to the sound of bad brakes and purring engines.

his mind floats away with thoughts of you, and how happy you looked he saw you at the house, all giddy and excited to be there. he loved you, loved when you were around. abby did too. you'd both agreed that your presence made the house feel complete, and that's all mike could think about, wondering how to bring up the question he'd been dwelling on for the past few weeks.

he should be home, on the couch watching tv with you and abby, or eating dinner, sat at the table and talking about your days and what hopes you had for the future. what things you found interesting. interacting like humans, having real moments; being present. mike had trouble with that, sleeping so much to keep up with the demand of working overnight. he tried to be there for abby as much as he could, helping her with her homework and making sure she was fed and feeling okay after her school days, but sometimes he felt like it was just an autonomous thing he did, moving on autopilot. the days blended together until you entered the equation, completely breaking up the monotony in his life with your being.

he should be home, not sitting in between all these aluminum machines, breathing in the acrid smells of oil and gasoline.

"fuck it," mike mutters, checking his blinds before pulling a turn off the main road and making his way around all the traffic, heading back towards the house.

freddy's was locked. no one would be around to do anything, no one ever was, and he was sure that it would be fine if he missed one night. he speeds back home, gripping the steering wheel with intent. he has people to get to, time to spend with the ones he loves. life's too short, he ruminates, and there's never enough time for moments of happiness like the ones he gets from you and abby.

he pulls into the driveway, exiting the car with the same jaunty energy you had earlier and unlocking the door with zeal. "decided to come back home. traffic wa---"

"my loneliness...is killing me,"

"and i...."

"i must confess, i still believe..."

"still believe!" you point your index finger to the sky as you hit the note, giggling along with abby as she attempts it too. "when i'm not with you, i lose my mind...give me a signnnnnnnnn," you're spinning around with your brush clutched in both hands, eyes closed and body fully invested in the music. mike doesn't think he's heard you sing before, not so solemnly like this. your voice is beautiful.

"hit me baby---oh jeez, mike!" you squeal in time to the music as abby finishes out the chorus, turning to face her brother as well. he's just staring at you two, jovially twisted lips and crossed arms and this twinkling look in his eye that makes you squirm. no one's ever looked at you like that, and you replace your hairbrush with the remote, stopping the video.

"sorry, i'm just...helping abby expand her iconic pop song repertoire. gotta start with one of the classics." abby nods as mike waves off your apology, setting his bag next to yours on the floor. "yeah, y/n is introducing me to such great songs. i'm really enjoying britney spears. what was that other song we did?"

"toxic," you reply, tucking your hair behind your ear. "that was a really fun one."

"uh huh, it was! it was all---" abby mimics the whiny synth strings, causing mike to laugh, coming around to the front of the couch. he wraps his arm around your waist, twirling you to face him. you place both of your hands on his shoulders, gazing deeply into his content eyes. "let me hear more of your singing, abs," he asks, and she starts the video up again, pretending the small sliver of space where she stands is a professional stage.

mike begins to sway your bodies, slowly waltzing you around as abby's untrained voice soundtracks your dance. "don't know why you were apologizing. hearing and watching you two have fun is the greatest thing ever, baby. love seeing you spend time together."

you blush, ducking your head into his collarbone. "it's just a silly thing i do by myself at home. guess i kinda got abby super interested in it...lots of fun though. lots of fun."

mike is quiet for a while, spinning you around gently. you can feel his heartbeat through his clothes, speed up-ticking with every second. he's looking down on you, watching your eyelash flutter with each serene blink you take, then looking at abby, who's searching through other karaoke videos and humming the melody of baby one more time with a bob of her head.

all mike can feel right now is this moment. he feels every second pass, overly-conscious to the fact that he's living and breathing in this instant. this was the present he'd always wanted to be in, and he doesn't want to let go of it. he wants this forever. his question gnaws at him, chewing away at his stomach, and he finally just blurts it out.

you're about to pull away from him to ask him if he's okay when he whispers, "move in with us." you're taken aback, raising from his chest and staring at him, eyebrows furrowed and lips wrinkled.

"mike.."

"you don't have to answer right now," he clarifies, sighing as he shakes his head. "i meant to ask it as a question, i'm sorry." you chuckle, reaching your fingers up into the hair at the nape of his neck. "just...let me know if you want to. i love having you here, abby loves having you here. i know it's still pretty early for us but...we could be a bona fide family, the three of us."

you squeeze mike a little tighter, a sort of answer to his question. there wasn't anything stopping you, truly. his house was closer to the school you worked at, and you could drop abby off at her school in the mornings so mike could get enough rest to pick her up in the afternoons. you could have home-cooked dinners, and spend the weekends together, taking abby to art museums and libraries, theme parks and other attractions.

you really could be a family. you were still young, your relationship with mike moderately fresh, but...the idea sounded nice.

"think about it," mike instructs, pulling away from you and ducking down to look at your obscured face. "no rush, okay?" he steps away from you after giving you a kiss to the forehead, grabbing for your hairbrush. a video for i'm like a bird by nelly furtado has started playing, and mike saddles up to abby, hip bumping her as he prepares to sing. "gonna be your backup singer, that okay?"

"yeah, yeah, just do it well! c'mon, c'mon it's starting! you're beautiful, that's for sure..." you take a seat on the couch, hugging your knees to your chest as you watch and listen, giggling along to mike's off-pitch ad-libs and timing mistakes. abby squeals at him, bursting into a fit of laughter and incorrect lyrics as he tickles at her torso.

you could get used to this, you think. maybe moving wouldn't be so bad.

how cute for it to all just go ka-blammy (,: going to write a part 2 for "to crumble" and i know y'all said y'all wanted it sweet but hmmmm...i think we need some angst. just stay tuned 🤞🏽

faire's seedlings ✿

@leahdhopkins4321-@pyr0-kai-@angstywhore-@sunazroo-@nyxthoughtss-@mirophobic-@fayethor-@marixsimps-@regretfulme-@ithinkitszeph-@707xn-@cattt777-@violetta-ximena-@amnesia33-@topnerd03-@fastnights-@laprvphette-@savage-aespa-@mfdxz-@0-tatiana-0-@dusstory-@delwrites

[captainimfangirling]

Finally got to watch the entire movie and not just clips and I enjoyed it. I'm not judging anyone who ships Noa and Mae but I just don't see it. I mean I do think Noa and Mae are very fascinated with each other (especially Noa because he's never seen a human like her) and felt the need to protect her (like Elliot protecting ET) and learned to care for her but that's the only thing I see between them. I also didn't see any chemistry between Noa and Soona either so I feel like if Noa didn't feel responsible for his clan he would be out exploring with Raka and Mae instead of marrying Soona becoming leaders of the clan.

Raka was my favorite and I'm sad he died (hopefully not really) halfway through the movie. I wanted to see his reaction of Mae saying how humans were the dominant species and the apes were silent dumb ones but at the same time I'm glad he didn't learn the truth because he'll be very disappointed about how apes were kept in cages. It's possible he would be ok with it if he knew about the humans who fought for animal rights. By the way if Raka comes back in the second movie I really hope a human sings him a song. He deserves it.

Mae was my second favorite. I don't get why she's so hated. I mean yeah she had the gun hidden in her hand at the end when she confronted Noa but I don't blame her. At least she went to say goodbye to Noa instead of just leaving. I also don't think she was lying to Noa intentionally when she said something about a book helping humans speak again. That's probably what she thought the satellite key was and also it's how to describe it to apes who know nothing about technology. I have a theory her mother and the group of humans she was with were originally from the bunker and they left (knowing they're immune to the virus of course) to save humanity. That's how she knew how to work the gun and how to open the vault. I also think she's not very trusting of Noa and Raka because that's what she was taught. Never trust the apes and everything belong to the humans. At the end she learned that she can trust them. Like Noa, her elders didn't tell her everything.

Proximus was my third favorite. I honestly think he's just a scared ape who doesn't want to go back to the silent. He also obsessed with the Roman Empire probably thinking it's the best time in human history. His elders probably taught him that he shouldn't trust humans like Mae's elders told her not to trust apes.

Noa is my fourth favorite. Please don't hate my for my opinion. I did like him a lot and he was funny but I don't really see anything deep about him besides him and his clan being sheltered from the outside world and being fascinated by Mae.

I personally think the apes in Cesar's clan split up and started forming their own beliefs and ideas. I think humans would naturally do that like in the video game Horizon Zero Dawn (look it up it's a fun interesting game).

I do hope there's second movie with Mae, Noa, and Raka because I loved seeing the trio explore and interact. I also hope Proximus isn't dead because I would love to see him and Raka interact because they both follow Caesar.

[candymay]

My crazy roman empire is Lana and Armie's work and life parallel like in that it's always sunny in philadelphia conspiracy theory meme way

2010: Lana's debut studio album as Lana Del Ray, a.k.a Lizzy Grant // Armie's breakout role in The Social Network. Fun fact: one of the songs is titled "Put Me In A Movie." Armie also tied the knot that year.

2012-2013: Marked Lana's major-label debut with "Born To Die," a divisive album that jumpstarted her career but also faced enduring criticism from media and critics. // Armie experienced his first "flop" with big studio films in "Mirror Mirror" and "The Lone Ranger," but the real ones know they're actually golden lol.

2017: marked a pivotal moment for both Lana and Armie. Lana unveiled her first SMILE on her album titled LUST FOR LIFE (the antithesis of her pessimistic Born To Die), sounds like a stupid insignificant detail yet it resonated deeply with the fans, marking a departure from her "sad girl" persona. It's her summer bop album. Very Timothee's Elio. // Obvi, Armie delivered his standout summer love performance in CMBYN, solidifying his position in Hollywood. It was a momentous occasion for Lana, particularly with the release of her song "Get Free" — you literally just had to be there it changed her history forever lol. Finally, I'm crossing the threshold From the ordinary world To the reveal of my heart I never really noticed that I had to decide To play someone's game or to live my own life But now I do I want to move Out of the black Into the blue

2020-2021: Lana faced major backlash for her infamous Instagram post "Question for the Culture" and later for wearing a mesh-looking mask during COVID. // Armie's divorce and scandal lol. Interestingly, the year before, Lana released the masterpiece "Norman Fucking Rockwell!" featuring the song "The Greatest." And I'm wasted Don't leave, I just need a wake-up call I'm facin' the greatest The greatest loss of them all The culture is lit and I had a ball I guess I'm signin' off after all

2023: Lana Del Rey released a diaristic masterpiece with "Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd," transitioning from her self-indulgent, character-driven songwriting to a more personal and introspective exploration of her family and personal life. // After a period of silence, Armie's interview was published in AirMail as a full-length article. One of the songs, "Kintsugi," reflects on the recent deaths of three of her relatives, including her grandmother. Similarly, Armie had recently experienced loss; his father, his grandmother, and Florence.

Daddy, I miss them I'm in the mountains Probably running away, I've been meaning to say That there's nothing to do except know that this is How the light gets in Like cracking, the light gets in Then you're golden Just another folk song, but anyway I try so hard, but that's okay It's how the light gets in Armie opened up about his experience of sexual abuse by his youth pastor, marking the first time he publicly discussed it. Lana addressed a similar theme for the first time in her Grammy-nominated song "A&W". If I told you that I was raped Do you really think that anybody would think I didn't ask for it? I didn't ask for it I won't testify, I already fucked up my story On top of this, so many other things you can't believe

2024: Both are now living their best sober lives, with Lana having been sober for 20 years after her early struggles with alcohol and Armie has been sober for three years. They are now thriving, embracing new habits like vaping (lol), learning more about spirituality, and hanging with their family, and it seems like it's only up, up, up from here.

[caeli0306]

20 questions for writers tag game!

tagged by @widebrimmedhatsblog and @hockeyspiral23

Total number of AO3 works

Nine!

2. Total AO3 word count

287,489

3. Fandoms I've written for

Empyrean and that's literally it lol

4. Top 5 fics by kudos

Violet Sorrengail's Guide to Spinning a Scandal, castles crumbling, Tales from the Airport Bathroom, Did Someone Say Shots?, and Did Someone Say Vacation?

5. Do I respond to comments?

Yes! Sometimes it takes me longer to get to them, especially if I get a lot within a short period of time, but I always respond to comments.

6. What has the angstiest ending?

definitely the present, the past, and you in between. That was the first one shot I ever wrote and I still get comments of people being iike "bro why did you do that???"

7. What has the happiest ending?

All of my fics (except for the one mentioned above) have happy endings if they're done, more or less! If I had to choose one, I think it would be VSGTSAS.

8. Have I received hate?

Yes, once, but honestly in my line of work I get so much online hate that I just find it funny. I wrote a very sarcastic response and moved on. One of the reasons I love this fandom is because its super positive and accepting, so why dwell on the single outlier I've come across?

9. Do I write smut? And what kind?

Yes, and as of now just Riorgail

10. Do I write crossovers?

Unless you count the Top Gun AU I've been working on a crossover, then no. I think trying to mix worlds and characters would get too confusing for me, so doing an AU based on another world is about the extent for me.

11. Have I ever had a fic stolen?

As far as I know I have not! Hopefully it stays that way.

12. Have I ever had a fic translated?

Nope!

13. Have I ever co written a fic?

I have not! I feel like it would be fun though

14. What is my all time favorite ship?

Riorgail. They are my Roman Empire.

15. A WIP I'll never finish?

So I will always maintain that I will finish everything I start, but if there is any story that I think has a chance of not getting finished, it's Swan Song. I haven't had the inspiration to write it for a while, and my backlog just keeps getting longer. I hope I'll get around to finishing it eventually, but it won't be for a long time.

16. Writing strengths?

I've been told that I write angst well, and that I'm good at writing tension between characters. Personally, I think my ability to research (thank you journalism) and write things as close to realistically as I possibly can is my greatest strength. Not kidding when I say I had a 15 page document of job descriptions for senate office staffers that I got from a friend who works on the Hill back when I was working on VSGTSAS and that bad boy was open the entire time I was writing chapter 4.

17. Writing weaknesses?

I think I struggle to describe movement and action in a way that isn't repetitive, and sometimes my writing sounds a bit robotic (thank you journalism). I also think sometimes my sentences can get a bit convoluted.

18. Do I like foreign language dialogue?

I'm not sure - I don't think I've read any fics with that.

19. First fandom I wrote for?

Empyrean!

20. Favorite fic I've written?

This is like asking me to pick a favorite child. I'm going to include Violet Sorrengail's Guide to Spinning a Scandal and castles crumbling because I love them both and they are both my favorite.

I'm tagging @skyfallscotland, @suebswrites, and @witch-and-her-witcher (unsure if any of you have already been tagged!)

[contritecactite]

As ever, it takes the tiniest hint of encouragement (thanks @grimboigio ) to goad me into generating a wall of text. Well, actually, the wall was already there. Big big Hades II spoilers below in the form of messy half-baked notes I've been jotting down as I play. Some are just things that I got excited about, but there's a tiny sliver or two of theories and expectations.

I think we're headed for no happy ending, just acceptance—the battle is against Chronos, but it's really about *time* as a concept; for these gods, time really did take its toll and change the way mortals relate to them. Supergiant will never make another sequel for the same reason: things belong in their own time.

The lycaons *could* just be heralding Cerberus, but they somehow give me a sense of the trappings of Roman the Empire creeping in (in an intentional, storytelling way). Same with the emptiness of Ephyra and the hints of war in the mortal aspect. It feels like this is the fall of the cultures we now call "ancient Greece" as told through the eyes of the gods who get left behind or changed.

Apollo is giving me traitor vibes. He had a line about how we "have all the time in the world," and there's just something too carefree about him.

This feels like a lovely little patchwork quilt of Supergiant games. Homer is more reactive like the Bastion narrator. The music, the social bonding opportunities, and the inventory and lore screens feel a bit like Pyre. Some upgrade systems remind me of Transistor, and the mood reminds me very much of it as well. The writing and combat are still very Hades, and there are new aspects that speak of a team that has taken the time to understand what works, what doesn't, and what improvement and innovation should look like within their existing framework.

Echo's whole thing is fucking clever. Those gifts: Either repeats or diminishing returns—just like an echo. Holy fucking shit the way I vibrated when I met Echo the first time.

I love my randomly assigned college roommate who never goes to her classes and moves all my shit for no reason (Dora). If she were my actual roommate, I would feel a very different way about this.

Eris is perfect. I love her being mean-spirited mischief rather than brute force or accidental mischief; it feels like a unique character composition. She's awful. I can't stand her. She's perfect. She also reminds me of Spoiler from Pixie Tricks, a series I read as a kid (both in personality and, vaguely, design).

Nemesis and Artemis sound like they have a no-strings on-again off-again kind of thing going on and I love that for them. Also hope Charon and Hermes get to see each other again soon bc I'm rooting for them so hard.

I literally shrieked when taking out one of the sirens *actually impacted their contribution to the song*. I shouldn't have been surprised, but it was so much fun to hear it happen anyway. Very immersive! I'm also in love with Scylla. She reminds me very specifically of Ryan Stiles' Carol Channing impression and a little of Dolly Parton. Also. Her fucking hood. Jesus.

One of my favorite things about Hades is that there was nothing that an enemy or boss could do that you couldn't do through some combination of boons, weapons, and upgrades. The same seems to hold true here so far, and I just can't say enough how *cool* that is. The worst part of any combat-heavy game to me is the realization that the boss or even the cutscene of your character can do things that you, the player, can't initiate or control during a regular battle. Hades says "yeah, fuck that. It'll look different when you do it vs. when that sea serpent does it, but you can accomplish the same action/effect." Likewise, there's practically nothing your character can do that isn't also usable by at least one enemy. That keeps things balanced and combats the sense of "ah yes, you are the Most Special Chosen One" that's often inherent to RPGs. It gives the sense that skill matters a lot and makes me as a player feel skilled—I'm not visually doing anything that my enemies can't do, so... maybe I'm actually kinda good at this? (I am mediocre at best, but the game lets me *feel* skilled).

Additionally, just as in Hades, the enemies in an area are very informative about how upcoming bosses will behave. It rewards a player for paying attention and makes each enemy populating an area make *sense*.

After beating the sirens, ALL I wanted was for Melinoë to be able to have one single fan among the shades like Zagreus in the Theseus map. What I got was even *better*; the same type of interaction, but in a way that takes into account *her* task-focused, serious personality while still giving a little bit of levity. She is *done* with being here and ready for everyone to clear out, and that grumpy shade is not having it. He even makes a new little face! Love you, purple shade in the corner.

Oh, hey, charybdis, there you are

THE 2 IS IN *ROMAN* NUMERALS I'm having a moment

yeah that's it that's what I got. For now. My gaming buddy keeps falling asleep when I try to gush and talk through things, so Tumblr gets it instead.

[liminalmemories21]

Get to Know Me Better Tag Game

tagged by @lemonlyman-dotcom, @ladytessa74, and @bonheur-cafe. Thank you!

favourite colour — blue-purples

last song — "I'm the Last of My Kind" Shaboozey

currently reading — The States by Norah Woodsey. Modern Persuasion adaptation! Cross your fingers for me, this is my Roman Empire.

currently watching — Reacher - better than I thought it would be.

currently craving — cold corona with lime - it's hot here y'all

coffee or tea - Both. Coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon. Hot in the winter, iced in the summer.

hobby to try — I keep wanting to try yoga, but I can't find a class that is remotely convenient for my schedule

current au — reading? Loaded March (Merlin AU - I reread all 1.2 million words of this about once a year). writing? very very slowly Knave-verse 5 (Paris caper)

Spicy/sweet/savory - depends on my mood - not usually spicy though

Current obsession — ummm, sleep? having my feet not hurt? (the steps could double if I did them in 3" heels, right?)

Relationship status - umm, technically single, practically speaking not.

tagging @alchemistc, @rmd-writes, @three-drink-amy, @cecilyv (are there any parts of this she doesn't already know? probably not), and @fifthrideroftheapocalypse

[darkfictionjude]

There's definitely a misconception nowadays where people think the stars in old Hollywood were so innocent and wholesome. I used to be like that until I saw the vintage blooper reels on youtube lol. They swore just like anyone else and that transatlantic accent was exaggerated a bit for the films.

Nevermind the dirty blues genre of music. It was popularised by black artists and there were so many obvious sexual innuendos in a lot of those songs and artists like Lucille Bogan were even explicit with their words. Check out her song that was recorded on the downlow back in the day called "Shave 'Em Dry"... I listened to it on Spotify and it changed my entire perception of that decade 😆

Oh yeah golden age of Hollywood is one of my (too many) Roman Empires so I know all about how horny and deviant those people were 😭 if you were married either you were cheating, your spouse was cheating or both of you were 😭 you just read one biography of a star and I’ll tell you all you need to know

And thank you for the song rec I’ll add it to the game playlist 😌

[philosophika]

Hi Ginny! (@hippiewrites) Thank you for tagging my writeblr (@thesorcerersapprentice) in this super fun Get To Know Me Tag Game! Since this is a more personal set of questions (as opposed to writing-related ones), I'm going to be answering with my main, @philosophika. Hope that's ok! By the way, to my moots: do you like stories influenced by the ancient Greco-Roman world? Do you like - no, love - fantasy? Are you ready to have your mind blown? If the answer is yes, then please go check out Ginny's WIP, Echoes of the Etan!! Ok, ok onto the tag game. The rules are to tag 9 people you want to get to know better. I'm (no pressure) tagging: @inkovert @that-chibi-writer @songsofsomnia @violetboy @outpost51 @aquadestinyswriting @merlina87 @sarah-sandwich @lucianinsanity @winterandwords @d3mon-ology @threeking @avrablake @the-finch-address @thawinoakenshield @the-down-upside-finch @lunarmoment @sodaliteskull @kingkendrick7 @harps-for-days @cee-grice @tate-lin and anyone else who would like to participate!

✦ The Last Song I Listened to

"Can You Hear The Music" by Ludwig Göransson (I hated the Oppenheimer film for multiple reasons, but I loved the soundtrack).

✦ Favourite Colour Or Colours

All the shades of blue, especially those deep blues touched with red. I also quite like green.

✦ Last TV Show Or Film I Watched

Priscilla, directed by Sophia Coppola. And let me tell you, it was excruciating, not because the film was bad - actually, the film was very, very good - but because it hurts to watch Elvis Presley groom and control Priscilla. #NoMoreSaintedMonsters

✦ Currently Watching:

Slow Horses, a spy drama on Apple TV, with my dad. The boss, Lamb (played by Gary Oldman), is absolutely disgusting lol I love it.

✦ Currently Reading:

"The Will of The Many" by James Islington. It's fun, but the main character is 100% overpowered, and the inlaid criticisms of both democratic and monarchical systems of government are tepid at best. Still, it's entertaining.

✦ Sweet, Spicy, or Savoury:

Savoury, then spicy, then sweet. Speaking of savoury, have you guys heard of Ajiaco? It's the soup the Mirabel family sits down to eat in Encanto and it's one of my favourite dishes of all time! Just look at it:

✦ Last Thing I Searched Online:

Metis, the underrated Ancient Greek Goddess of Cunning (and mother of Athena). You can find what came of this research here:

✦ Last Thing I Searched For Writing Purposes:

Same as above!

✦ Current Obsession:

As always my current obsession is my WIP, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, a fantasy novel that explores the interplay between colonialism, capitalism, and environmental catastrophe through the fraught relationship between a mysterious sorcerer and his protogé. Check out the project at my dedicated writeblr:

✦ ✦ Question Template Under the Cut ✦ ✦

Last Song:

Favourite Colour or Colours:

Last TV Show or Film:

Currently Watching:

Currently Reading:

Sweet, Spicy, or Savoury:

Last Thing I Searched Online:

Last Thing I Searched For Writing Purposes:

Current Obsession:

[keftiu]

my last two+ years of mecha roleplaying

a little over two years ago, my friend group got together for a game of Microscope, intent on creating a setting for ourselves that could host at least one (and potentially more!) Beam Saber campaigns. seven hours later, we emerged from a feverish haze with the bones of an indulgent sci-fi mecha world perfectly tailored to our niche tastes: the Pearlescent Expanse, a former frontier province of a fallen Coalition between seven interstellar empires who now feuded over the ashes.

following that, some of us branched out into our own corners of this Expanse. i claimed Aureate, the world of golden deserts and briny seas that had once been the region's capital, now scarred by war and tyranny, and wound up running a Beam Saber campaign of my own, Gilded Sands! we told the story of a revolution being built out of criminals and the oppressed, rising up against both fascist Hellenistic technocrats and the slave-owning exiles of an avian faux-Holy Roman Empire, and had an absolute blast with it - some of my proudest GMing ever, with an incredible crew of players.

i experimented with one-shots that jumped around the timeline: a Scum & Villainy game (Gilded Sands: Cobalt Revolt) about a doomed anti-Coalition rebellion centuries before GS, and an Armour Astir: Advent game (Gilded Sands: A Sign of Zeta) set fifteen years later, as the next war for liberation left Aureate behind for her wider solar system.

eventually, i managed to get together folks for a truly brilliant 4-session run of Kingdom 2e (Gilded Sands: Broken Promise) that played out that next war from the perspective of our fragile young republic's leaders - ending on a bittersweet note, as we won freedom for all in our sun's orbit, but saw our nation dissolved in the hopes of building something less flawed in a time of peace.

getting to explore ~300 years of this planet's history has been an absolute joy, and given it a sense of depth that's made it incredibly real for us.

there's notes on my computer for what the world looks like a century later, where the weight of history and the intrusion of psychic alien energies have made Aureate into a Songs for the Dusk setting, about as far as can be from the militant grit of Beam Saber so long ago.

while i've been busy, my friends have not sat dormant: a Beam Saber campaign on the world of Garden happened largely outside our sight on another Discord server, while a friend had a really good run at Armour Astir last year on the planet Teter. several recent additions are about to try out Mobile Frame Zero: Firebrands on troubled Makesh, while (with luck!) i'm playing Mothership out in the turbulent Keshi Rim very soon. Veranova is looking to host some 2400: Inner System Blues in the coming weeks. folks have spilled tons of digital ink on worldbuilding with nothing to do with actual play, creating for the sheer joy of it and for the excitement it brings everyone else on the project.

in short - we're a bunch of autistic nerds who all like mechs and love sharing things with one another, and it's led to a golden age of both collaborative creativity and getting to play obscure indie tabletop systems.

this post is a lot of rambling, but more than that, it's me shouting from the rooftops: find cool friends, make cool shit together, and play games that aren't made by giant corporations!! the Pearlescent Expanse as been an absolute gift for all of us, and we don't intend to stop any time soon - you could do the same!!

[birdylion]

tag game

@the-moon-loves-the-sea shared this :)

Current time: 20:47

Current activity: writing

Currently thinking about: how to end the scene I’m currently writing

Current favorite song: Rachmaninov, Isle of the Dead

Currently reading on ao3: I’m keeping up with hermitknut​‘s The Michen Emperor, a Goblin Emperor AU in which Maia is made Emperor at age 8 instead of 18. I'm not reading much on ao3 at the moment, I'm working my way through my library stash (atm it's a big nonfiction book about cults in the late Roman Empire).

Currently watching: uh, nothing. My brain is full enough with stuff as it is, I can't seem to keep up with visual format these days. If it counts, the video game I'm playing (that I have already seen as a stream) is Life is Strange: True Colors, a truly beautiful game in which a girl who has empathy superpowers comes to a small mountain village in Colorado and ... things happen. It has stunningly warm and colorful visuals (for the most part), very likeable characters, a heartbreaking and tragic yet comforting storyline, and the only fault I can find is that you can't romance both of the romantic leads at the same time.

Current fav character: the OC I'm writing right now (for a rpg) :D a formerly very conservative and traditional young woman who I'm writing finding her way out of that mindset. She's come far already! and currently very happy with her girlfriend. They're thinking about getting a dog.

Current WIPS: in German: two fanfics for one of the many German cop shows, the one that makes it #1 trending once a year when a new episode comes out. The one in which two traumatised and barely functional cops who knew each other as teenagers meet again after 15 years of separation, pine horribly for each other while failing to communicate or even know their needs. Both are AUs, one is "what if they spent a few weeks together on a horse farm as teenagers and one realised by looking at those skin-tight riding pants that he's into dudes while the other learned some self worth through being chosen by a difficult horse". The other is "what if all their pent up tension exploded in a very badly communicated but mutually consensual and wanted SM one night stand".

in English: still thinking about finishing that The Old Guard x Rivers of London crossover in which Peter becomes immortal and has a chat with Nile

I’m tagging: @hermitknut, @shakespearerants, @evolutionsbedingt, @caffeespresso, @thelightinthesky @freizusein, @bumblebee-and-tea

[unsettlingcreature]

5, 7, 9, 13, 25 for the oc ask for Perseus 🫡 💖

5) how far is your oc willing to go yo get what they want?

So Perseus tends to make impulsive decisions that have large consequences. Typically his first reaction is self-sacrifice (like his life or his soul That One Time) but it's always something that only he's giving up. While he would rather find options other than violence, killing or the sacrifice of someone other than himself, that's probably where he draws the line - at least in pursuit of a bigger cause or to help someone else. For his own ambitions, he won't go very far at all partially because he is a very unambitious character overall.

7) what's one way your oc has changed since you first came up with them?

Honestly so much addjdhsksjddd. When I first made him, he was actually pretty bare bones because I was nervous about the (new) group I'd be playing with and wasn't sure how much backstory to give. A lot of the stuff that's now core to his character were things that were discovered through playing him.

If I had to pick one thing, it'd probably be his love life/sex life LMAO. Originally, I had him envisioned as a disaster bisexual and yeah, he definitely was in the end LMAO but I kind of viewed him as the kind of person to just end up stalling when it came to romance or sex. He was definitely awkward when flirted with and he was going to just pine uselessly when he realised Oh No I Have Feelings For An Idiot. And yet? The PPZG threesome happened so easily?? Good for him. Was a ménage-à-trois a sexual awakening for Persy? Yeagh. Good for him.

9) do you have a specific lyric or quote which you associate with your oc?

Lyrics are hard because I have a full playlist of songs that I think are Perseus coded and ordered according to his character arc/the campaign plot. Am I allowed to use a quote from my own writing?? Because I'm gonna. Also it's kind of long 😳

Once, he would have questioned where he fit in and what his value was. The templars would have made him a bishop. Caedis, a pawn. But Perseus knew who he was now, with his family - because that's what the Last Flame were - fighting alongside him. He was a Rook, one of the strongest pieces on the board and he’d stand between them and Unity for as long as he could.

13) if you met your oc, would the two of you get along?

I like to think so! Perseus is definitely one of my least abrasive characters despite his low Charisma and I think we could at least be on friendly terms if not become actual friends.

25) what is your favourite thing about your oc?

I think maybe his growth or just how through him, I've made some wonderful friends and created wonderful things with them. With Perseus, I got to meet all the players in the Last Flame and I think it helped me become good friends with Jojo (who played Aegis, Persy's brother, and is overall a really cool dude) and Rachel (who played Yesriel, aka the third honorary Rook sibling, and is really fun to play with at Empire) in particular. All of the players were awesome for that game tbh! Last Flame i miss u. Reunion tour when.

Not just that, but he really became a creative outlet for me - I drew and wrote so many things that I'm really proud of. I'll always throw Rook, Bishop, Pawn at people wanting to understand more about Perseus as a character because I think it's really well written (to toot my own horn) but having that fic be referenced in-game before the final fight was... it legit brought my to tears, I love my DM/brother so much sometimes.

It didn't even end once the campaign came to a close. Me and Lotus endlessly spawned AUs for that campaign, including the Velseus AU which we both loved so much (and that one day will definitely become more than scattered notes). There was the Modern/High School/Coffee Shop AU that became such a big point of collaboration between everyone and that is now the setting for my current big fic I'm working on!

I just ooouuurrgghhhhhhhhhh I love Perseus so much. He might be my roman empire.

[daily-rayless]

13, 17, 18 for the writing asks!

Thank you!

13. How much planning do you do before writing?

This one really varies. If I'm writing a oneshot, I might start off with just a few ideas or lines of dialogue. ("What if these characters kissed for the first time? I've already written that, but what if they kissed in this place, at this moment in the game? Totally new oneshot.") And from there I'll start writing and hope it comes together.

A lot of the time, I'll start writing, and as ideas emerge, I'll make little notes to myself, just enough to jog my memory for where I'm planning on going. This works for both oneshots and longfics.

With Elysion and The Stars Are Fire, I started out with only ideas for the first chapter, and then I blindly felt things out for a while and just wrote whatever came into my head. But even there, I eventually reached a point where I started writing out notes.

For my current original project, I've done the most research and outlining I think I've ever done on a writing project. It's an intricate story with a lot of characters, so I'm doing pretty detailed outlines, though I didn't fill everything in before I started. I'm just making sure I keep it ahead of what I'm writing. I have to make sure I signpost key plot points so they feel like they build naturally and not come out of nowhere. I have to keep reminding the reader of things that will be significant later. And I have to keep track of everything I want to say. It's also set in the Roman Empire, which I only had fairly cursory knowledge of ahead of this, so I had to do lots of reading and take down pages and pages of notes. So this one, this one is intense. But I wouldn't say it's typical.

17. What’s something you’ve learned about while doing research for a fic?

A lot about the Roman Empire! But going back specifically to fic, I wrote a long series set in the Fate universe a while back. Fate incorporates a lot of historical figures from all different countries and different periods, and I ended up introducing more, so I did some research for that. I picked up a lot of trivia, but I'll highlight that I learned more about the Elizabethan Irish pirate queen Grace O'Malley. She's extremely colorful and warlike and, along with being called a pirate queen, she was also called the Dark Lady of Doona and the Hen of Castlekirk.

18. What’s one of your favorite lines you’ve written in a fic?

I'm going to cheat and do more than a line, but I've always liked this quick passage from my Transistor fic, The Muse of Last Songs, one of the few sections from the Boxer's viewpoint:

That's the moment.

That's when a man who had a little too much to drink a few hours earlier leaves off watching the bay and turns to head home. He walks past Cantu Hall, sees the marquee, and thinks, Oh. That mopey singer everyone's talking about.

For a moment he lingers and lets the posters dazzle his tired eyes. Then he moves on.

Thanks again for the asks!

[dilesxpressions]

Brendan Lin

1. Name, Year, Major, and Hometown

Brendan Lin, 2nd year Cinema and Digital Media Major from Foster City

2. What’s your roman empire?

KN95 Masks in black specifically from the korean super markets

3. What is the best compliment you have ever received?

Someone told me I give good advice :)

4. If your life was a movie what genre would it be (comedy, horror, drama, etc.) and what actor would play you?

Horror. Let me be the dumbass character that gets killed first

5. What is something on your college bucket list?

Tattoo even though I am probably getting one soon.

6. What’s your guilty pleasure? (song, movie, food etc.)

Smart food white chedder popcorn and skipping class

7. What are your bad habits?

Playing games and losing track of time with Edwin Wu :)

8. What are your favorite song lyrics?

学雪花飘飘北风啸啸，天地一片苍茫， 一剪寒梅傲立雪中，只为伊人飘香

9. Defend your unpopular opinion/ hot take

Sonny Angels are overrated and midparts blow

10. Describe a time where you had to step up and be a leader?

In my junior year of high school, I found myself in a situation that demanded my leadership skills. Our school's annual science fair, a highlight for both students and faculty, was facing a potential cancellation due to a lack of organization within the planning committee. Recognizing the importance of the event and the disappointment it would cause, I decided to take the initiative. I called an emergency meeting with the committee members, addressing the challenges we were facing and the implications of canceling such a cherished tradition. Through diplomatic communication, I facilitated a discussion that allowed everyone to express their concerns and ideas. As a leader, I proposed a revised plan, outlining clear responsibilities for each member and establishing a timeline for implementation. I motivated the team by emphasizing the positive impact the science fair had on our school community. Taking on the role of coordinator, I worked closely with each member, ensuring that tasks were completed efficiently. Despite the tight timeline, we successfully revamped the event, adding new elements to make it even more engaging. The science fair not only took place as scheduled but also garnered increased participation and enthusiasm from both students and teachers, highlighting the positive outcomes of effective leadership in navigating challenges.

[georgewfmpyear2]

The Wedding Of River Song - Tone and Atmosphere

Despite its many narrative flaws the Wedding of River song (the 13th episode of the 6th series of the doctor who revival) is one of my favorite episodes of anything. It has a plethora of problems like having way too much crammed into its 45-minute runtime and having a completely nonsensical resolution but despite those flaws, I think it has an entirely unique and fascinating atmosphere and vibe created by the unique makeshift sets with different time periods merging together like the steampunk train running through London along with some interesting outer space settings like the quite literally live chess match and the perfect soundtrack.

I think this kind of makeshift miss matched setting is the perfect inspiration for the kind of word and setting I want to create for this project with so much unlimited potential for unique visuals to be created out of mixing things that don't instinctively fit together like the flying cars held up by balloons or 10 downing street being replaced by a roman building with Winston Churchill as roman empire. This kind of visual motif appeals to me greatly and I think I could create some very cool things with it serving as an inspiration to help make the world of my game feel more magical and fairytale-like.

The music of the episode always contributes greatly to its fairytale vibe, helping to create the unique settings which I think was the goal of the episode rather than just creating a traditional straightforward episode. In many of my previous projects I've used pieces of music to help inform the tone I go for with the game and I think I can use many of the pieces from this episode to help me decide what visuals or ideas fit well within the mix sci-fi fairy tale setting while also merging well with both the core gameplay and the moments between the wizard and the author.

[kngcrms]

La Squadra on a road trip

(GN! Reader, SFW)

Risotto

The one who has to drive all night.

Falls asleep most of the ride then at night he's wide awake.

Probably looks at the trees if he's awake.

Q u I e t.

Makes sure everyone is hydrated.

Sarcasm awakens in him if he's really tired.

When he's not tired he's holding your hand.

Forehead kisses.

"Keep sticking your head out the window and maybe you'll see the world from a bug's perspective, Melone."

Prosciutto

He's always in the passenger's seat.

Drives during the day.

Has a huge map for every single city and place.

Brings snacks, mainly for you, Pesci, Risotto, and himself.

Yells at the others.

Emporio Armani sunglasses.

Pays for everyone at the gas station because "the cashier looks suspicious".

Makes sure everyone is still alive every one hour.

Please massage his shoulders he'll love you forever.

"I'm never going on road trips with Formaggio ever again I swear on my life."

"Y/N do you want those snacks? I'll get them for you."

Formaggio

Gets yelled at by Prosciutto.

Spilled soda on himself.

Makes deez nuts jokes every 3 seconds.

Binge eating everything he bought then complaints.

"Are we there yet?""How much more?" type of guy.

Hyperactive.

A blessing when he falls asleep or gets knocked out for a few hours (by Ghiaccio).

Hugs you whilst sleeping.

"Y/N?Do you think Prosciutto will make Risotto take wrong turns?"

Illuso

He's smug everywhere.

Teases Ghiaccio and Prosciutto.

And you.

Let's you play with his hair.

Lays his head on your shoulder when sleeping.

Refuses to use the bathroom at the gas station.

Opens the window wide open when you're sleeping so the air hits you right in the face.

Occasionally holds you close to him.

"What is it Y/N?Is the air bothering you?"

Pesci

Minds his business and plays games on his phone or draws.

Chats with you about random topics.

You two are the only people in the minivan that don't get yelled at by Prosciutto.

Shares gummies with you.

The best shoulder to sleep on 10/10.

For the first time, you see him annoyed by Formaggio and it's hilarious.

Tells you how much he loves you when Prosciutto happens to drive too fast because he's quite scared when someone drives too fast.

"I think I'm going to listen to some music, do you want to listen too?"

Melone

Surprisingly doesn't wear his everyday outfit but looks like he came straight out of Jumanji.

Prepared to spit some random facts at 2 am, even though Risotto is so tired of everything.

You got bitten by a snake? He's got just the right thing for you.

Walking pharmacy.

Sings road trip songs at the worst moments.

Sticks his head out of the window like a dog.

Also, a good shoulder to sleep on.

Tickles you.

"Did you guys know that back in the Roman empire, people used to use piss as mouthwash?"

"Dude shut the hell up already IT'S 1 AM!"

Ghiaccio

Headphones at full volume with white noises because he doesn't want to hear anyone say something dumb.

Sleeping mask because he doesn't want to see someone do something dumb.

Only you are allowed next to him.

Play with his hands please they're so cold.

Once 8 pm strikes he takes a dose of melatonin and he's knocked out cold.

Doesn't really talk, but occasionally has small conversations with you.

If he hears Formaggio say something dumb he'll snap right there and then.

Sleeps in your lap.

"Y/N, can you please pass me a bottle of water?"

"ILLUSO YOU BUFFOON HOW CAN YOU SAY A POUND OF LEAD IS HEAVIER THAN A POUND OF FEATHERS HAVE YOU BEEN TO SCHOOL, YOU IDIOT?!?"

Sorlato

In the very back of the car, where the three seats are.

You're between them for safety measures.

They both tease you but not as much as Illuso.

Play a movie and they shut up instantly.

Gelato munches on his snacks meanwhile Sorbet munches on yours.

Buys you more once the minivan stops at a gas station.

They think the cashier is a mafia member so they act tough.

Both sleep on your shoulders.

"Hey, what would happen if we jumped out of the car right now?"

"Well, you'd die first of all."