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dnalt-d2 · 8 months ago

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(Please note: I am only going to speak about things that are verifiable, either by Lea, who we know for a fact at this point was an admin, or by our own observations, like hearing what's happening on certain streams, or other verifiable announcements. I don't want to talk too much on things outside of that because it could technically be speculation, and I don't want to mislead anyone. I will do my best to state what is and isn't speculation in order to keep confusion to a minimum. I'm also going to remain as impartial as possible, and only provide facts as they've been presented to us. This is basically just meant to be to organize some of the things going on into one post so that people who aren't on Twitter can get a good idea of what's going on instead of just hearing it from people who keep vaguely doom-posting)

So as has been the case for the last couple weeks, the Admin Situation continues to unfold. In a manner of speaking, at least

Since Quackity made his initial statements, we haven't gotten any sort of concrete news from him, or even an acknowledgement that things are still developing. Like I've said in my previous post, I haven't been expecting any concrete updates, since that sort of thing would most likely be sensitive information that he legally can't share. However, I do find it disheartening that he has continued moving forward without so much as acknowledging the situation

I do understand that a lot of current plans have been in the works for a while now, and couldn't be pushed back that far without detrimentally affecting other people, including the new streamers who likely carved out large chunks of their schedule out specifically for QSMP. So keeping the server closed for too long could have easily had negative effects on many people, including the Admins. But I want to say that I just don't know everything going on behind the scenes, and this isn't fact. It's just what I understand to be happening

And while we still haven't gotten any official statements regarding the Admins since Quackity's statement, things have still been happening, most of which we are probably never going to hear about. Some of which though, we are hearing, and it's not sounding that great, unfortunately

Do keep in mind however, that the following is just what we're hearing about, and because of the NDAs in place, we likely CAN'T hear about anything else, including any potential positive changes that might be taking place. We still aren't going to hear about any changes until they're concrete. This has only been taking place for a couple of weeks, and none of the changes can be made immediately. With that in mind, here's some of the verifiable information that has been making the rounds recently

As I've stated before, the French Union has gotten involved, and by this point, has stated that the Admins CAN potentially pursue legal action if they so choose. However, I want to emphasize that this doesn't mean legal action is guaranteed. This just means they have the OPTION to do so. Which by the sounds of things, it doesn't seem like anyone wants to do that as of right now. This is essentially just one more thing to give leverage to the Admins, letting them and Quackity know that they have that right. But if things can improve, they don't need to take them

(Link to their English post here)

As of now, one of the higher-ups in Quackity Studios, Jose, has been tweeting out that he is speaking with other Admins/Ex-Admins about everything going on, and gathering testimony in a document to present to Quackity. Last we heard, he was still gathering testimony and speaking to lawyers to ensure that everything he was doing was legal. And that as of now, organizing a meeting with Quackity himself has been a little difficult, I believe for scheduling reasons, as well as the fact that he's still gathering information (I was actually hoping to wait until this document was out to make another post about all this, but people keep acting like things are only going downhill, and I wanted to go ahead and give my two cents)

(Links to his posts can be found here and here)

We have also heard about 2 Admins quitting in the last couple days. Pancks, who was the roleplayer behind Agent 18 and Xaninho the Capybara, as well as other Portuguese-speaking NPCs. He has not given a clear reason for quitting aside from the fact that he feels he is done with this chapter of his career and wants to do other things. He has also asked us not to speculate his reason for leaving, which I am going to respect

(Link to his post here)

The other Admin who quit is a writer named Ana, who put out a statement saying that she was removed from most of her roles without being given a clear reason, while other writers still retain theirs. She states that her main reason for leaving is the lack of communication since things have gone down, which is not a great sign

(Link to her post here and her document here)

Lastly, we know that merch is currently being announced. So far we have 4 standees of the Eggs, Dapper, Trump, Leo(?), and Pomme, and will probably get more in the next few days. I want to point out that it's incredibly unlikely for this to have ONLY been started for the current situation. I'm personally assuming it was originally meant to be for the 1-Year Anniversary of QSMP starting, but has been pushed forward slightly to help raise funds for everything going on. Organizing merch production usually takes a while, which is the only reason I'm assuming that this isn't just coming out of nowhere

To wrap up, things haven't resolved yet. And that makes sense

Reorganizing an entire business takes time, even for people who are experienced in that sort of thing. But from what I understand, Quackity is not, and that's likely what led to this situation in the first place. Anyone trying something this big is bound to mess up, and unfortunately, this just happens to be a VERY big mess-up. Not too big to fix, but big enough to be difficult. And while we are hearing about some negative things happening, I want to remind everyone ONCE AGAIN, that we will not know anything until it's concrete, good or bad. The people speaking up don't seem to be doing so with any ill will, and many of them still seem to see QSMP as a positive experience overall. Just one that needs to be improved upon for the better of everyone involved. Right now, I'd say the main problem is, once again, communication. It's unfortunate that people keep bringing up how they haven't heard about anything going on, and that is very understandable. It's hard being kept in the dark on something like this, especially for people who were actually personally involved prior to this

The Admins/Ex-Admins have every right to be impatient on this because they're the ones being impacted the most. Because they've likely been patient for far longer than we have, and know a lot more about what's happening. That's why Lea has been doing her best to be vocal and support the current Admins and pressure Quackity Studios, even with the harassment she's apparently getting for doing so

But for us, who are simply viewers, just doom-posting and assuming the worst won't help. (AND NEITHER WILL HARASSING PEOPLE) Yes, we should be vocal in our support for the people affected, but there will be a point where shouting into the void is gonna be more detrimental than helpful. I believe that by now, we've gotten our point across. That Quackity and Quackity Studios know that we don't want to support a project that has to take advantage of people to keep it running. I'm not saying to let everything go completely. I would personally advise that people who want to should stay as educated as possible, and help educate anyone who wants to know what's going on

But if this is still affecting your mental and emotional well-being, stepping back and waiting to see what happens is probably the best move you can make. Spreading outright negativity won't help you, and it won't help the other people involved. I know that sometimes not knowing things can cause a lot of anxiety. Heck, that's why I make these posts, so I can help other people know what's going on. But other times, it can be entirely counterproductive. It's why I try not to doom-scroll through most social media in general, because I know that sometimes knowing more just means having more to worry about. It's up to you guys to find the balance that helps you, and I hope you all take care of yourselves in spite of everything going on

#qsmp #qsmp admin situation #admin situation #qsmp quackity #quackity

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lil--nuggett · 9 months ago

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Hey guys, so if you know Baldur's Gate 3 this is an AU for that with Hardenshipping but it's really fucked up. I will explain why it's fucked up below the cut.

Maxie is a High Half-Elf Warlock (his patron is Groudon), and Archie's a Human Fighter <3

Also I just realized this is the first time you have seen me draw Archie seriously lmao my bad guys I'll try to draw him again soon

I took a ton of inspiration for various things for these designs, including Guile for Archie's armor bc I love Guile sm!!

(More info and our dumb AU lore under here - No BG3 Spoilers I promise <3)

I'm going to tell you this now... this gets really fucking crazy and honest to god I know I'm going to have a hard time explaining this. It WILL be quite long and I WILL be yapping.

This AU is really just something we did on impulse and it's really fun to mess around with, so I'm hoping you all will enjoy the concept as well :)

I'll try to explain it simply as I can. I thank you in advance to all who sit here and read this ily sm if you read it all <3333

Anyways, okay so imagine how one could do a bg3 AU for these two fuckers...

And throw it right out the window because you'll never guess how me and my friend have done it.

The Backstory:

This all started when my friend decided to play BG3 for the first time, and he jokingly said to me "Should I make Maxie our main character??" and I replied "I you want, but I won't force you" and thus BG3 Maxie was created, and his misadventures began.

Now your probably wondering (if you've played the game) what about the guardian?? Who did we make the guardian?? Well, we made Archie the guardian. However, I did not know just how wild this idea would get within the next few days.

So, eventually we realized how crazy the BG3 lore actually is (it's a like fucking DnD campaign idk how we didn't realize this beforehand), and so, we jokingly started our own "AU Lore" that ties in with the BG3 Lore.

If you really want to know, I have an entire note in my notes app dedicated to keeping track of what happens. It is very long.

The Parasite:

Now, if you've played the game or know anything about it, you know about the Mindflayer parasites. Well, one fateful day, me and my friend joked that the Parasite in Maxie's head was this little freak who looks like Archie.

The two have no correlation other than looks, its completely coincidence and it's not a mimic situation. The Parasite "Archie" does nothing but talk nonsense to Maxie all the time, and initially the bit was that he only talked about Fortnite. All because I made the joke that the dream realm in game looked like a fortnite update. By now, that bit has fallen off (thank god), replaced by just general nonsense and lies.

Also he fucking looks like this:

Weird little freak. This is just one of his talk sprites I have, this is just his neutral expression.

So basically it's:

- Maxie was supposed to be on a Geology research trip, but instead he got dragged into the Parasite issue with the rest of the companions. He really just wants to get home to Archie.

I am the one who handles everything for Maxie in this AU, I do his voice, I handle his lore, etc.

- Parasite Archie is this 1 foot tall, neco arc-esque version of Archie that sits on Maxie's shoulder and tells him nonsensical things. He also says Maxie's name wrong, he says Maxie's full first name and pronounces it as "Maximilliam" instead of the "N" at the end. For Maxie it's like handling a toddler but the toddler fights back, doesn't shut up, and threatens your life. He also has a ton of his own lore that my friend continously adds on to, so I can make another post with just the parasite's part of things.

My friend handles everything with the Parasite himself, comes up with the lore, does the voice, etc. I simply keep track of it.

- The "dream visitor" version of Archie is not real either. It's linked to the Parasite in ways that if I get into it, I will spoil a good chunk of the game. Sorry. Just know you can consider this and Parasite Archie kind of as one in the same almost.

- The REAL Archie is still at home, completely unaware of what's happening, while Maxie is fighting for his life. He does miss him, though, and hopes he gets home soon. He and Maxie are only boyfriends, they haven't gotten married yet. (They also haven't been through their rivalry yet, as this all takes place before that happens.)

Sorry for the convoluted yap sesh, I just have more art planned for this stupid AU and- God I cannot possibly just post this shit with no context. Like, I'd have to explain it eventually so I might as well do it now beforehand yk 😭😭

I might do separate posts with our HCs and some silly conversations that have happened between Parasite Archie and Maxie if you guys would want that :)

Also, I do have all of the sessions from where my friend plays the game recorded and I'll be sure to post some clips of what Parasite Archie sounds like eventually, possibly with snippets of my shitty Maxie voice in there as well. You'll get to see the talk sprites in action with that, too.

#nugget's yapping again #apologies in advance to all the bg3 fans who end up seeing this shit im so sorry guys #nugget art!!#GOD THIS IS SO LONH IM SO SORRY GUYS #Parasite Archie #its official #he has his own tag now. god help us.#like i said ill make a separate post about Maxie and Parasite Archie so you can know more about them and their dynamic #hardenshipping #magma leader maxie #aqua leader archie #bg3 #bg3 au

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not-the-conversation-starter · 2 months ago

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The Death Of A Website.

tl;dr click source to see an AU of my blog.

As many of you may not have heard, Cohost has gone read only. The website infamous for "Zero Discoverability" and its users "Not Being Funny." Servers will close down at the end of 2024, if not earlier, being backed up on the Internet Archive before that. Since their user counts were still low after 2 years (about half of all sign ups ever were from people evacuating twitter, which then didn't know how to use the site so most left almost immediately. Kind of hilarious) they didn't feel like anymore money bleeding OR the fact that a staff of only four people being on call 24/7 was worth it anymore.

However,

the people who DID use the site loved it. And they did some genuinely cool things on it, far cooler than anything I ever saw even in the glory days of Tumblr. You know, like Finn and Jake hi-fiving between 2 posts. Stuff like a playable maze, or a fully navigable 3d room you move around in with your mouse entirely within a post. They really did some cool stuff.

There were also a ton of really talented people, people like the composer Lena Raine(Celeste/Minecraft) who loved the site because you could just. Actually talk to people on it! Without an algorithm to boost their posts, the only people who saw it were genuinely looking for it.

Also some of them were just good posters, we did get Pikmin 18 billion and eleven from Cohost after all.

The point is, I think if anyone outside of Cohost actually knew what was being done on Cohost, it would of succeeded. There would of been enough active users for them to invest more. If I knew about all of this I would of been there way more!

But rather than just you blindly believing me, I decided to spend (almost) every hour I would of on Tumblr, on Cohost instead. Clicking that link, or the source, or the link on the source above in the tl;dr, will take you to my Cohost blog. At least while it's still read-only.

You should check it out. I reblogged a lot, but the first page or 2 (every 20 posts, I kept trying to stop but I got sentimental and reblogged more) is pretty much just people's last posts. I'd say give it 3 pages to see if you're interested or not in exploring more of what the website has to offer.

If you've ever wondered what people would post on a dying website,

If you ever wondered what some of the best posts people were making on Cohost that got shared again in its last dying moments were,

If you want some reference for what inside jokes would look like to an outsider,

If you're just bored and need something to scroll through,

if you ever wondered what I would of reblogged on that website if I remembered my password easily enough to log back in easily...

You could think of my blog as a small encapsulation of a small website. There's only 60 pages, including the ones from before the announcement from me just rarely using the site!

I reblogged all kinds of posts. Goodbyes, sarcastic hellos, mourning, long speeches about the spirit of Cohost set to sad music, nothing burgers, inside jokes I didn't understand, The New Garfield, posts I flat out didn't read past the title because they were too long and I just wanted to move on really there's a lot of posts to archive, CSS crimes, stuff I found funny, "Where to find me" and webrings and website posts for people I never knew, Love Honk, reviews for movies and games I never intend to play or watch, 88x31 buttons, music recommendations and history, entire games, signing up for RSS feeds, asks and answers related to other stuff I didn't share on accident, regular memes, Intern Secretary Eggbug, a post that's just an image hosted off-site so it'll update even after readonly, and so on.

(Nothing overtly NSFW. Tag search still works if you want that)

One that I, personally, am sad is gone. That I'm glad I got to see at least in its dying days. That I genuinely hope someone makes another attempt at creating.

#Cohost #The Death Of A Website #The Global Cohost Feed #<- there was no algorithm or 'new' section so a lot of people just tagged everything with this to do that. Kind of funny tbh #yes btw the 4 people also handled all of the site moderation. This did in fact cause: problems sometimes #if it's not read only by the time this scheduled post goes up uhhhh. Go Hog Wild I Guess.#I would go through people's blogs and random tags whenever my following tab dried up #so post type can get kind of clumpy sometimes. Feel free to skip forward or back pages if that ever gets annoying.#If you genuinely want to buy Cohost go make them an offer it is absolutely for sale btw.#The Cohost Global Feed #I definitely did not mix it up and am just being thorough

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buggywiththefolkmagic · 2 years ago

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Personal Do Not Read Witchy Author List

There will be a google doc with updates as I find more authors to avoid. These are all my own personal opinion and I do take the author's actions into account when judging their ability to write legitimate information.

TW: Slavery, serial killers, racism, TERFs, creeps, neonazis, asylums, and a slew of other super unsavory things. I tried to make this list as PG as possible while highlighting the issues with these individual people.

*Alestier Crowley. *

He's a literal piece of garbage. Misogynistic, thief of a toooon of closed practices, has entire cults still dedicated to him, called himself a voice of God (both Abrahamic and apparently like 5 Egyptian deities??? I mean excuse me sir how about no??) He also declared himself ‘above’ Gods back in 1922 calling himself Ipssissimus. I hate Crowley so much I have literally stuck a picture of him to a dartboard before. He can suck an egg in the afterlife. He also put his own wife in an asylum for 'alcoholism’ because she wanted a divorce. The only thing he ever did right was get kicked down a flight of stairs at a temple once by a poet.

*Anastasia Greywolf*

Appropriates at least Jewish practices if not every Indigenous practice there is. Wholeheartedly encourages people to use magic instead of going to a doctor for things like oh I dunno EPILEPSY And claims she has spells for like Marvel-level super powers which uh no Ana. You don't. Lots of Christianity for a supposedly FULL pagan and wiccan author. Her spells are all controlled like...so wrong. So, so wrong. Don't ask please. I can't begin to describe it. Advocates for smudging and uses phrases like "Cherokee Rituals", and the Romani G-slur.

*Gerald Gardner*

Made his own branch of wicca, the first technically, and his own coven had to make rules just so he wouldn't spill everything to any reporter that asked. Used Crowley as a main resource.

*Jason Miller*

Claims to do Hoodoo. A horrible formatter, and generally super dismissive of being a rootworker and other potentially closed practices, has not been initiated. Has claimed that anyone can petition/pray to Papa Legba without initiation because "Vodou is a congregational religion/practice". From the Vodou and Haitian Vodou practitioners I have talked to that is VERY incorrect, it may be congregational but you still have to be involved in the community to be trusted with those practices because so much of it has been bastardized for media and racism purposes. He is also a student of Catherine Yronwode, who is another SUPER problematic figure in the Hoodoo/Rootwork community.

A link of his own words on culture appropriation which includes mild inaccuracy towards Indiginous Peoples and that they don’t ‘own’ certain practices when it’s very clear the wording of those practices DOES in fact come from those peoples. He’s fine with people being Yogis, or Shamans, or calling satchel spells mojo bags, and other such phrases and won’t correct people if they use such words out of context because “language changes”. Also says if someone within a practice says it’s closed to go to ANOTHER AND ANOTHER until you find someone willing to teach you??? That’s not how it works sir.

Source: https://www.strategicsorcery.net/on-cultural-misappropriation/

*Lisa Chamberlain*

Not an actual person. This is a ghost writer name for a bunch of garbage literally copy and pasted from wikipedia into books. I wish I was kidding.

*Lisa Leister/Lester/whatever other spelling she's used.*

Such a major TERF. Like JK Rowling level TERF. Claims magic comes from a womb so anybody that doesn't have one isn't a real witch. Like WTF lady.

*Raymond Buckland*

Where to start...uses the G-slur often. (His grandfather was romani so it blurs the line of blood quantum.) Very sexist and obsessed with the idea of a woman getting uh...undressed for rituals while men stay dressed and more things I cannot say ina PG space??? As magic?? VERY anti-minor and LGBTQA+. Toxic, just plain toxic. Can't do it. I have read his Blue Book and it's the least problematic thing he wrote. I'm alright with it.

*Silver Ravenwolf* WhOOO boy. So super anti-christian, which is fine and dandy...if you didn't claim to be in a lineage of braucherei/hexerei. Wiccan, like the type of wiccan that says no other witchcraft exists and yet has written folk magic books??? She really needs to make up her mind. Claims Satanists don't actually exist. Claims most Jewish powers worshiped "the Goddess" (whoever that is)??? Very cult-like language about "not telling friends and family about your new life/reality/experience/whatever". Also SO MUCH APPROPRIATION. SO SO MUCH. She also gets her history wrong, on a lot of basic information that most non-witches know about like say the Salem Witch Trials.

*Catherine Yronwode* Ooh man. So Catherine Yronwode’s career started as a comic book artist. She’s worked on such things like the Elvira comic, DNAgents, and a gaggle of super controversial trading cards which included the Kennedy Assasination, a serial killer collection, and the AIDS epidemic. Of which she was sued for using one half of the Hillside Stranglers duo in said killer trading cards without his permission, the judge sadly threw the case out because and this is a quote, “ If Bianchi had been using his face as a trademark when he was killing women, he would not have tried to hide it from the police.” There were two more from her comic days, but those aren’t super relevant besides the one that pushed the envelope of what sort of trading cards should be sold to children. On the magical side of things, I will be blunt here: As one of the ‘big bads’ of the Rootwork/Folk/Hoodoo community? I really REALLY dislike her. She has made numerous false claims about New Orleans/Haitian Vodou and that it’s only a very recent practice, non-religious, and slaves never used it because it didn’t exist yet??? History books and entire generations will disagree. An example would be this link of an open letter to her written by a New Orleans Voodoo practitioner and someone she wrote a whole article about: https://conjureart.blogspot.com/2013/10/open-letter-to-cat-yronwode-and-lucky.html

She owns a few different websites namely https://www.luckymojo.com/, has written numerous Hoodoo based books, and actively has accused numerous people who have asked her for sources and or disagreed with her of plagiarism and has slung more mud that you can shake a stick at.

She also praises a book on Marie Laveau and yet discredits herself by calling New Orleans Voodoo a new religion/neopractice??? She’s just confusing as all heck to me.

*Christian Day* This guy’s just a creep. One stuck in the early 2000s mall goth phase even though he’s over 50. He also appropriates Hoodoo and owns two Hoodoo shops as well as multiple other witch shops in Salem and recently New Orleans on the French Quarter (Which is pure tourist fodder and not a reflection of true New Orleans Voodoo/Vodun/Rootwork). He has also harassed ex-employees so badly it’s landed him in court. His book The Witch’s Book of the Dead also reads very much like a list of accomplishments rather than anything useful. All about his television spots and experiences doing that. (Did I mention he was in an episode of Ghost Adventures? Yes, that one with Zac Bagans??? And it did not make us witches look too great, honestly speaking.)

Sources for Harassment Claims: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/salem-witch-gets-protective-order-against-warlock/

https://www.wcvb.com/article/warlock-christian-day-ordered-to-stay-away-from-salem-witch/8228072

*Yvonne and Gavin Frost* I dunno how else to say this, I really don’t. These two? Pedophiles. Multiple writings of theirs included not-safe-for-work-or-children rituals that must include minors. Avoid. AVOID AVOID. AVOID ANYONE WHO USES THEM AS A RESOURCE! This should NOT be okay in any circle. They are VERY used within the Wicca religion so please be careful!!

*Orion Foxwood* Some of his information is very sound! I can’t fault him there. He does have a tendency to blend different traditions without actively TELLING you he’s blending them though. He’s and this is a direct quote, “He is a witch and Elder in Romano Celtic-Traditional Craft, High Priest in Alexandrian Wicca and teacher of the Faery Seership tradition. He is also the founding Elder of Foxwood Temple and a primary founder of the Alliance of the Old Religion, a national network of covens in his line that have united to preserve the ways of his Elders. He was the co-director of Moonridge, a center for metaphysical, Craft and Faery studies in Maryland” That’s an awful lot of traditions to juggle and not only write on but actively teach. He also performs conjure, which in of itself might not be an issue but Conjure usually blends into Hoodoo really quickly if one isn’t careful! A lot of the traditions he talks about from his family sound quite familiar, he’s clearly from Appalachia but his books on the subject blend in his other practices instead of keeping them separate.

*Starr Casas* She’s in the same category as Orion, only she doesn’t necessarily give her credentials to be teaching Hoodoo, and even wrote a whole book filled with Hoodoo love spells. She also co-owns a French Quarter Conjure Shop, which if you ask any practitioners from New Orleans...is catered to pure tourists and not a true example of the crafts from the area.

*Shawn Engel* I’m gonna be blunt here. More appropriation of the Jewish practices, Hoodoo, and other information that is just plain UPG without saying it’s UPG and encourages throwing hexes at political party members solo. I read The Power of Hex and had to put it down numerous times just to gather myself and not throw it away, I don’t know if it was tone or sheer level of appropriation...likely both.

*Kate Freuler* Of Blood and Bones is chock full of Hoodoo, full stop. Only acknowledges that something comes from Hoodoo once and also gets basic mythology information on the Deities she mentions wrong in some cases. Also a lot of the book seems to be UPG because the bibliography is super small for a 300 page book.

*Dorothy Morrison* I picked up Utterly Wicked once. A very odd book full of Hoodoo and Vodun spellwork and misinformation, the author is also Garderian Wiccan so even the writing of a book full of hexes is slightly...concerning compared to the Wiccan traditions and redes. Odd is the best I have to describe how I personally feel. I will say this again: Voodoo Dolls are not used to cause pain, stop bastardizing that single aspect of the practice. Thank you.

*Helena Blavatsky*

I dunno how else to say this either, her philosophy and occult knowledge, called Theosophy is a portion of what inspired Hitler. Pure unadulterated racism veiled in a ‘Atlantian Race Theory”. Horrible stuff, read for a class project once and felt disgusting.

*Christopher Penczak*Whoo boy. On the surface he seems alright, one of the first ‘male’ witches I had ever heard of except for Scott Cunningham. But the more you dig into his work the more inaccuracies and Christian bashing you see. For example: Christianty was the first patriarchal society. Uhm...I believe you’re kinda forgetting the men who ran Rome and Greece there sir. He also fully proposes the ‘burning times’ were like a ‘witch holocaust’. NO! NO IT WAS NOT. You can’t compare the hundreds of years and MAYBE a thousand-ish people dying to the millions that died in the short timespan the Holocaust was a thing. Fuck Christopher for that comparison and also for claiming it was a ‘burning time’ to begin with. (History says that most were hung...or tortured. Burning is a very small number of that list in general.

He makes a lot of sweeping statements and sees witchcraft as a religion and NOT a practice. He whitewashes, fully harps on the Wicca = witchcraft = religion thing and THEN hones in on the difference between “white and black” magic and how cursing is evil and yet highlights certain practices that actively practice...cursing...as they have for generations??? He (atleast) doesn’t demonize Satanism but does still backhand the idea anyway, that they CAN’T be witches because witches only ‘heal’. Cultural appropriation and fetishization of ‘Native’ practices while calling them primitive all in the same breath, I just can’t with this guy. I really can’t.

*Amy Blackthorn*

Owns a tea brand called ‘Blackthorn Hoodoo Blends’ she is white. When questioned by BIPOC individuals she complains and blocks them instead of explaining why she chose the name Hoodoo for just teas. TEA. She is also the author of Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic, Sacred Smoke (A book on smudging yikes on trikes), and Blackthorn’s Protection Magic.

Proof of blocking: https://thisblackwitch.com/2016/04/01/blackthorn-teas-whose-culture-is-it-anyways/

*Tarl Warwick *

Is more commonly known as Styxhexenhammer666 on youtube and other social media sites. Has written a pile and I mean a PILE of occult based books including ones on Hermetic magic, ritualistic magic, demons, solomon, folk plants and healing, Kabbalah, and many MANY more.

He makes no claim to being Jewish, and given his political wishy washiness, and multitude of controversies which includes claiming the Holocaust wasn’t ‘that many dead’, Charles Manson deserved release because he was ‘extremely innocent and didn’t kill anyone’, and fairly recently also wrote and published a book on Critical Race Theory and why it’s ‘garbage’. I can’t support him no matter how accurate some of his information may be (if any at all).

*Temperance Alden* This really pains me to say, Temperance in her Wheel of the Year book made a claim that birth control “stunted her magical abilities” because it affected her hormones…in OTHER words unless you are a perfectly hormone producing WOMAN you don’t have great magical power. AVOID. AVOID. AVOID. That is a slippery slope to claiming medication will harm you, not to mention how TERF-y it is AND completely disregards that magic is for well…everyone. Such a stupid gatekeep-y concept.

*Sarah Kate Istra/Dver*

Advocates for using ‘spirit animals’ regardless of Indigenous beliefs and concerns. Is also a known ally with the Piety Posse, a neo-nazi group of pagans who claim the term polytheist can only apply to them and if you aren’t a Hellenistic pagan…you aren’t pagan at all. They also advocate for animal sacrifices, blood tests to prove purity, and other horrible HORRIBLE stuff.

*Sannion/H. Jeremiah Lewis*

Obvious Neo-nazi, keeps images of swastikas on his personal blog, and not the ones that the nazis stole from, the nazi one. And super SUPER transphobic.

*Edward P. Butler*

Major persecution complex, spends half his twitter complaining about how monotheists are destroying…I dunno…everything? Also defends Krasskova quite heavily. Antisemetic as well.

*Galina Krasskova*

Hellenic pagans watch out. Defends the AFA. A ringleader of the Piety Posse. There’s a lot more horrific stuff about her and I won’t go into extreme details. But TW: Romanticizes SA with deities, human sacrifice, animal sacrifice. Compares debating to the holocaust, lots of victim blaming, gatekeeping, and screams folkish.

*Diana Cooper*

Racist. Hard stop. Also appropriates chakras. Has a weird belief that food controls skin color and that Africa will never be a good country because it’s the solar plexus of the universe…or something like that. I got 20 pages into the book and literally couldn’t go any farther. Did I mention this book was supposedly on dragons???

*Judika Iiles* So much appropriation, advocates for making altars and working with closed deities. Lots of incorrect information including dangerous spellwork like obsession spells. And one in particular that has roots in a racist stereotypes. Avoid please!

#witchblr #witchcraft #Authors to avoid #Will update in the future #If anyone has any questions about any of these please feel free to ask

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shinesurge · 5 months ago

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in a fit of minor despair i blazed TWO (2) comic posts, and by chance a very kind reader ALSO blazed a completely different post the next day. Some insights from the new dashboard (assuming they're accurate lmfao), in case it helps anybody:

The major takeaway here is, as much as we all hate booktok ads and despite what people insist, nobody actually wants a real synopsis of your thing, they want zero-context clickbait.

All three of these were for 2500 views, mine were both targeted towards identical tag audiences and the Kind Follower's was ALSO for 2500 but they chose some different (still applicable) tags.

The pinned post, with some actual comic pages, the elevator pitch, and some basic info about the comic gained around 37 engagements, including 6 reblogs. Worth noting that I formatted this post specifically to be clear and painlessly sharable, it doesn't stretch the page or have clickable links and has all the info about the thing right out front, the sort of thing I respond to.

The softer world edit I originally made because I like making them, with no intention of using it for advertising and which includes zero context for the characters, also no links, got 80 engagements, 6 reblogs and one new follower.

And finally, the follower's blazed post was an actual comic update that differed from the usual for Reasons; instead of a real comic panel it ALSO had a softer world edit attached. None of the text was formatted well for an ad at all, just being the usual links to the comic's website. It gained 36 engagements overall, with 4 reblogs.

And no matter WHAT the post looks like: nobody clicks links.

I'll also mention that pinned post has been there since February, and before I blazed it it had gained around 175 notes in five months. A lot of my static character posts will get 70 or 80 notes without me tagging or trying or really doing anything to promote them, because. They're not meant to be used like that lol

Granted: tumblr as a website is a mess, these numbers could be wildly inaccurate, this is not a super scientific study, but Man.

Personally, I do not respond to this sort of clickbaity booktok shit very well when it's INTENDED for advertising, specifically because I feel like it disrespects the audience and, worse, imitates genuine art to exploit peoples' genuine feelings. It feels VERY close to those covert influencer ads, it honestly makes me kinda sick. But I have talked about this phenomenon before, and the numbers here do back it up. I do think there's some nuance here, but it would take a whole other post to get into it I think.

And I mean, when I make stuff about my own comic it IS always genuine. The audience for "fanwork" I make of my own stuff is extremely small (mostly Me) so it's not like it would be lucrative to crank out a ton of random fake fandom posts; they're not any less earnest if I use them for ads now and then. So I dunno, I guess it's not EXACTLY the same as those gross publisher ads pretending to be teen girls, but it's irritating to be here. I know what I'm looking for wrt ads and getting into new things and I try to treat others the same way. It would be cool to get some traction while treating my audience like Real People, but clearly that route doesn't work seeing as my comic career now has a very real expiration date lmfao. Get out there and make some memes I guess?

#I'm gonna add to this later probably when I go back and blaze that one I made LAST time I was feeling fuckin hopeless #that super imitated those disgusting webtoon ads #and did. Better than all three of these lmfaoooo #god you shouldn't have to treat your audience like morons just to be capable of making things

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murruspins · 9 months ago

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Welcome to my blog!

Hello!! Welcome to murruspins :3!

This is a special interest blog, however it also kind of acts like a diary. I write down what I’m thinking or hyperfixating on, same goes with my regular interests! This blog will also have alot of alterhuman content, as it’s a big part of my identity!

About the owner of this blog…

My name is Murruyu! I’m a transfem enby, and would prefer if you used they/it/xe on me aswell as fem + neutral terms! If you don’t respect my pronouns, I’ll simply block you, no biggie! 🤍

My special interests are mcyt (hermitcraft & life series specifically), horror, metal music and bio! When I say bio and horror, I mean all aspects. I love horror games, movies, shows, etc. And I love all biology paths/subtypes! (Eg: wildlife bio, botany, palaeontology, and more!)

I’m the host of a minor bodied DID system, however I won’t get into that much on this blog, as this is my personal blog! However, I will talk about our physical disabilities because they impact my everyday life, and this is a diary blog after all! [I will mainly talk about my EDS and CFS]

As I said before.. I am an alterhuman! More specifically, here is a link to all my kintypes!

This list may be updated/edited in the future, but for now, these are all of my (known) kintypes! Some stronger than others. More specifically, I have a super strong connection to the feline clade, more so than my other kintypes. Obviously, due to being alterhuman, I do not identify as human. I instead identify as my kintypes, I may post about my alter-humanity frequently 🫶

I am ALWAYS looking for moots/friends!! Click here to see my interests + adult mutuals are okay, just no dms!

DNI/BYI

DNI:

• People who hate on ANY of my special interests. No offence, but you’re not welcome here, this is my safe space! [PS: being afraid of horror or animals is not the same as hating on them, if you have a phobia of something that’s completely fine! Just don’t insult my spintrest on my page 🤍]

• Anti alterhuman, Anti Age regression, Anti pet regression

• Endogenic systems, Profic/Proship/Darkship/anything that fits into that category.

• FURBY BLOGS!!!!! Furby centred blogs/Blogs with furbys as their theme/pfp dni. Moots r okay but please add a warning whenever you post them 😭🫶. I’m terrified of those little things.

BYI:

• I’m autistic, I need tonetags! If you’re going to ask anything, I’d appreciate you using tonetags so I can understand you better! :3

• Adults may not ask to be my friends, No offence, just for boundary and comfort reasons, I am a minor after all. Mutuals are fine!

• I generally do not engage in discourse, if that’s something you’d like to know before following! This blog is focused on being diary, alterhuman and interest themed!!

• This is my main blog! If I’m active, it’s probably here. But my side blogs are…

> @liostims , my stim blog

> @lovesicksyndicate , our sys blog

> @faunafeature , my animal info dump blog

… Please keep in mind many of these blogs may be inactive, as this is my main!

MOOT SPECIFIC:

• I would appreciate if you tag your posts to do with war, guns & etc to do with tw war or war. I grew up in a situation that causes these to be big triggers for me. Thank you 🫶

• If you post dead animal imagery PLEASE add a tw or cut off or SOMETHING. I know this is specific but I’ve had a moot do this before and it was actually insane. I admit I’m a bit sensitive but I still don’t want to see that

Finishing up/Extras…

. . . Emoji games!

How these games work; ask via the ask option, and write an emoji + any other info you’d like, and I’ll answer! Just a small game for fun!

🐾 , info dump about a random animal I’m fixating on at the time! (Please include if you don’t want a specific animal due to a fear, for example: bugs).

🐈 , song of the day! ask and I’ll give you a song that’s been stuck in my mind recently, or just a random song off my playlist!

🐍 , daily check in! I’ll give you a small rant about my day so far, and tell you how I’ve been recently! (I’ll try to keep it positive.)

"(Therian/biology/metal/anything related to my blog) culture is…" asks are also always appreciated!! I love seeing them, and I love interacting with people!!

Blog tags . . . !!

#murru mews 🐾 | my general tag! Diary entries!

#murru hisses 🐍 | vent posts

#murru’s asks : replies to my asks!

#murru’s rants : rants!! Either in response to the emoji games, or just to infodump :]

#murru’s playlist : anything to do with music!

#murru’s toybox : anything to do with my collections!! I collect a lot of things, so this tag will be full of things in my collection :]

#murru’s games : an additional tag, just for my emoji games!

PS: blog creation date.. Jan 30th 2024!

Thank you for reading !

. . . Enjoy your travels, dear friend!

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randomahhbrainrot · 1 month ago

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Why I Hate Teddie and How I’d Fix This Idiot (Yes, spoilers)

Yes, I know the image is low quality. In all honesty, he deserves it.

Teddie is honestly one of the worst characters I’ve ever experienced. I genuinely have no clue how people prefer this walking garbage bin to Morgana. I might be a bit biased to Morgana because I genuinely love him, but I can understand what turns people off of him.

Morgana has a nice story and relationship to Joker, but his relationship with Ryuji is painfully unchanging and grating to experience, especially during the break-up arc. Speaking of that arc, Morgana DOES steal away the spotlight from Haru in both the introduction AND the ending where he was the one to get the last word against Okumura before the battle instead of, I dunno, his actual daughter.

BUT NONE OF THAT IS WORSE THAN TEDDIE’S FLAWS.

When first playing P4G (great game btw, loved it all the way through except when I realized that I accidentally locked myself out of the true ending and got so mad I had to take a break from the game), I was fine with Teddie. In fact, he was pretty neat, being so innocently supportive of the protag after the first awakening. I was perfectly fine with having him around as an innocent otherworldly being who gets eased into the ‘real’ world and grows attached to it and wants to be a part of it.

The big fuckin’ issue is that he STOPS being that at Yukiko’s palace. At first, when he got introduced to the ‘hot stud’ thing, it was a fine joke. Innocent character gets introduced to saucy talk and doesn’t know what exactly it means. But then suddenly????

Suddenly, Teddie starts acting exactly like some suave pick-up artist??? Why??? Wasn’t the point that he had no idea what any of it was, so why was he suddenly acting like yet another pervert added to the team? We already had Yosuke and he’s enough pervert for the whole game. I love that guy, wish he was gay, but I only had enough patience for ONE pervert.

And the worst part is, Teddie continues to play the role of “I don’t know anything and I want someone to help guide me through it all so I can be useful”, while still clinging onto the “charismatic” (in HEAVY quotation marks) perv who tries to sweet talk any girl within his range.

INCLUDING THE MOTHERFUCKING 6-7 YEAR OLD NANAKO. AND THE WRITERS STILL HAD THE AUDACITY TO CREATE A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TWO. YOU HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO WATCH THE LITTLE GIRL YOU’VE CREATE A BROTHER-SISTER TYPE RELATIONSHIP OVER THE COURSE OF THE GAME START LIKING THE PERVERT WHO HIT ON HER.

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.

THIS ISN’T A MAIKO “Let’s get married when I grow up! :D” SITUATION. THE OLDER PERSON IS THE ONE WHO INITIATED IT AND IN THE SAME PERVERTED TONE HE USED ON EVERY OTHER GIRL HE HIT ON.

TLDR: Teddie is presented as an otherworldly being who wants your help to navigate through the new world he’s found himself in, just as you needed his help in the Midnight Channel at first. In reality, he’s another fucking pedophilic pervert who’s somehow worse than the hormone addled Yosuke AND allowed to have a deeper connection to the fucking CHILD he hit on.

If I were to fix him, I’d want Teddie to actually be that innocent and naive person who’s completely clueless to social situations.

First off, his SL is fucking trash. Why is every single rank up dependent mostly on what the investigation team’s doing? You can just call his link “Investigation Team 2” or hell, fucking 1.5, because it’s literally just spaced BETWEEN the ranks of the actual investigation team SL. His SL needed to be quiet one on one moments with the protagonist, updating him on all the new things he’s learned ever since coming to the real world and adapting to it. You could BE the sensei he keeps calling you. He’d come to you on advice on how things really are, admiring you for your leadership and guidance. He’d open up about how out of place he’s felt since becoming a part of the team and how his lack of memories frustrates him.

And you know what that’d make him?

Childlike.

Teddie should’ve been legitimately more childlike. In wonder, in discovery, and in social situations. And THAT would honestly make his relationship with Nanako much more warranted, AND much sweeter too! They’d both essentially the same; with Teddie being the one that Nanako could lead with her own experiences. Nanako would have a friend who thinks just as childishly and innocently as she does, with Teddie having a genuine friendship with her. Not that his relationship with you isn’t, but you’re more his mentor and superior that he respects. Nanako would be the friend at an equal level.

But alas, instead we have Persona’s own Pedobear. What a joke.

#persona series #persona 4 golden #persona 4 #p4 #p4g #teddie #persona Teddie #persona 4 Teddie #persona 4 golden Teddie #p4 Teddie #p4g Teddie

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crispyjenkins · 4 months ago

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dha kar'ta edits and retcons

hey y'all! no excuse for not making this post earlier except that i'm a flake when not on my laptop, but i did some massive edits on dha kar'ta on July 23rd, which was after my last update on July 15th, which was a little silly of me because then tons of people went and reread from the beginning and didn't get to read it with all the edits.

most were just formatting and adjusting sentence flow, fixing bits that have always bothered me, fixing some formatting issues, removing the bolding on the old retcons, adding chapter titles (Mando’a numerals), changing the formatting of the Mando'a glossaries, and all links are now fixed!

Unfortunately, these edits DID include some new retcons/clarifications, but here’s a quick rundown of them so you don't have to go looking for them:

clarified why Obi-Wan killed Rret So instead of capturing him on Dagobah (Dha/the Force assured him they wouldn’t be able to get information out of him, nor would he allow himself to be brought back to the light);

changed how Obi-Wan addresses a few people, last name vs first name (this will be a minor plot point later on, but i needed to backdate it so to speak. also Ki-Adi-Mundi is now one name and does not have a first and last name);

removed “Maker” as an oath/swear (I’ve never liked how it sounded, but only recently actually liked “Force” and “Stars” and “Manda” in place of “God” or “Jesus” as like. an invective? is that the word? there’s a word but i don’t know what it is. expletive isn't quite right);

the inclusion of the term ba’ji/ba’ju’alor, as created (to my knowledge) by cjwritesfanficnow and discussed here (there’s only like three spots i’ve added it to, i just like it a lot and it helped those scenes flow better);

some clarification about Qui-Gon discouraging Obi-Wan’s visions in chapter 4 (just clarifying that the council thought Qui-Gon had worked with Obi-Wan to balance his Unifying Force with the Living Force, not stifled his visions);

changed Dha from being made of durasteel to coruscanthium (this will be plot-relevant at some point);

Obi-Wan is given a bodyglove/kute for under his armour (instead of his Jedi undertunics; it’s a dark blue almost black, but only because he couldn’t find a black one);

one line clarifies all Haat’ade helmets have some level of beskar, for cultural and protective reasons;

added a line from Dooku while discussing Lom in chapter 9 to fix a plothole later (basically just acknowledging they would have immediately suspected the second darksider as the one to have been hired to take the holo of Obi and Dha);

added a few lines mostly in chapter 3 about how Qui-Gon’s fear of Obi-Wan Falling in their early padawanship would influence/exacerbate Obi-Wan’s own feelings regarding killing Maul and Rret So (I’d already set this idea up, just made it a little more explicit that Qui-Gon has absolutely given Obi-Wan a complex(?) about always being worried of Falling);

i think that's all the big ones! a version of this note will be included in the next chapter update, and most of these changes will be expanded on as we go on! am especially eager to talk about why dha's hilt material is important and why i didn't choose beskar 👀

#love y'all thank you so much for stickin with me and this story #dhakarta #cj updates #i read and cherish every comment btw i wish i could respond to every single one #but i can't so just know i screenshot and reread them whenever i need a pick-me-up

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web-novel-polls · 9 months ago

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Trans WN Character Tournament

Last Checked: October 30th, 2024 - Please check the original post for updates

Submissions End: TBD

Rules:

The character must be from a web novel or an adaptation of a WN (common adaptations like manhwa/manhua may be accepted, just within reason)

They don't have to be canonically transgender. The reasoning can be anything from them explicitly wanting to be a different gender/sex or just vibes

Just stay away from offensive gender stereotypes in propaganda, especially Western gender stereotypes on Asian characters (Ex: Nie Huaisang being more interested in art and fans than fighting might be a more "feminine trait" to Western readers, but Chinese fans have explained that it actually fits with the male scholars of the time period).

You can still submit any character, but remember to be respectful & conscientious

Tournament Tag: #trans wn character tournament

Jang Hayoung / Jang Hayeong from Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint

Gender Identity: Transfem / MTF

Canon Pronouns: she/her (she gets misgendered for a big part of the novel in the unofficial english translation, but when we're in her pov it's she/her)

Submission 2: a woman that got isekai'd into a boy body. learns female swordsmanship, is always correcting people about her gender

Submission 3: She's so fun and silly, unfortunately doesnt get as much time in novel as the main cast, but shes genuinely so funny

Wiki Link

Ling Fengxiao from The #1 Pretty Boy of the Immortal Path

Gender Identity: transfem & nonbinary

Submission:

(tw: transphobia) i am not claiming that this a good novel by any means & this is kind of nonsense but hear me out: main romance lead of this novel spends like 90% of the time happily presenting as a woman, and this is a vague spoiler but at one point mc and his wife are both "pretending" to be women (ngl i could also submit mc here. much gender to be had but it really has to be unintentional bc of later transphobic plot points) and come across a plant that only blooms valuable flowers when attended to by two beautiful women (ok. whatever) and they're both like "well IM pretending to be a woman but lin shu/ling fengxiao ISNT so she'll carry me across this finish line" and it does bloom! like, it does! the author is like "ohhhh its sickly and this is forcedddd" <- but it does bloom. and the flower spirit that comes of it is fairly explicitly a trans woman, even if she's an object of ridicule. my grasping at scraps theory here is that all of the "you're actually a boy. accept it" said to the spirit is a projection of internalized transphobia. there are three women here but only one of them is willing to say so. if the author was willing to write where the previous characterization led we would have a different story.

Luo Binghe from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System

Gender Identity: Transfem / MTF

Canon Pronouns/Gender: He/Him, Male

Submission: Scum Villain is a satirical transmigration novel where the protagonist transmigrates into the in-universe novel Proud Immortal Demon Way, which is a male-fantasy novel. Some themes/topics include toxic masculinity, not putting people in boxes and the harm thereof, abandonment, motherhood, identity, and there are several instamces of body snatching/changing. During the plot, due to both the toxic masculinity themes and the author poking at gendering in danmei novels, both the protagonist and binghe are described very femininely. Instead of a usually anti-toxic masculinity plotline where instead it talks about healthy masculinity, scum villain basically just says that the mc and ml should instead stop repressing their natural feminity so they can be happy. Also the novel has transphobic parts but somehow they even wrap around to implying that these two are trans women. Binghe is indirectly described as a trans woman (in a transphobic way) dont get me wrong the transphobic parts are transphobic and shouldnt be in there but its still pertinent. After a certain point, binghe is constantly called maiden-hearted, described as a younger sister reaching out to her elder sister pleading for help (the elder sister here is the protagonist) and is described as being very much like his biological mother in appearance and personality, and as a pretty boy. (His mother su xiyan is described as having the aura of a tyrant, cold and ruthless, as well as masculine, especially in comparison to his biological father, who is described as the runaway young miss in comprison to su xiyans wealthy young master. Also binghe is described as physically similar to her, including her tall height, except for his fathers eyes which makes him not too feminine.) Binghes bio father is described as maidenhearted like binghe. Uses his special blood, which is compared to menstration, in text, for many purposes. When asked his gender he refuses to answer (intext the unreliable narrator says that its due to it being a simple and obvious question but unreliable narrator so who knows for sure) and he is also called bingmei, or younger sister binghe to distingiush him from the original timelines toxically masculine, unhappy bingge, or elder brother binghe.

Wiki Link

Mui Lysander from Unlucky Clover

Canon Pronouns: they/them

Submission: Mui is a canonically nonbinary character in Unlucky Clover. Their existence as a nonbinary person is never a focus of the narrative, but rather just an accepted fact about them. They have a complicated relationship with their family but it doesn't have anything to do with being trans but rather to do with their family having unreasonable expectations of them. Mui lives their life happily as a librarian and lends their strength either in defense of books or for their friends. They appear to be feminine presenting but it is never established what their assigned gender at birth was. It is also unclear whether they always present in a feminine way as there is limited art of their character and limited descriptions of their clothes.

Image Link

Nirvana Moebius from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint / ORV

Gender Identity: Nonbinary, agender

Canon: pronouns indifferent in canon, agender

Submission Propaganda: a reincarnator that had incarnations of so many genders and entities that identity isn't real to them anymore.

Ruan Nanzhu (阮南烛) from Kaleidoscope of Death

Gender Identity: transfem & nonbinary

Canon Pronouns: he/him outside of the doors, she/her in drag

Submission:

This might be considered spoiler-y, but I can't think of another way to bring up important details here. It's part of the premise of the novel if that helps: there are other worlds that the protagonists have to survive for [REDACTED] reasons, and in these worlds there's a certain amount of identity obfuscation—basically, you'll look a little different from your real appearance no matter what you do, but the way that you dress will also affect the appearance that you end up with. Ruan Nanzhu takes every opportunity to dress in feminine ways when they go to these worlds. Yes, there is a secret identity reason behind it, but there's also this clear difference in how Ruan Nanzhu acts as a "man" and a "woman" that it just reads like a form of gender euphoria to me. The novel itself isn't always kind about it (could be that it just depends on the translation you're reading! I couldn't tell you what connotations the original Chinese wording has) but I think it's fairly undeniable that it's a freeing experience for her. So it's not exaaactly canon, but Lin Qiushi (林秋石) uses the right pronouns out loud and in his thoughts as it is signalled to him at the time, so that's nice.

Carrd Link

Shen Qingqiu from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System

Gender Identity: transmasc / FTM

Canon Pronouns: he/him

Submission:

he invented xianxia panty liners also he was literally obsessed with a stallion novel that was supposed to be like. be a power fantasy about a cool strong man. I'm not saying he liked pidw I'm just saying he did make the choice to read a stallion novel and was obsessed with Luo Binghe. Sometimes gay thoughts can also be gender envy. SVSSS also looks a lot at like. masculinity and its performance and perception in a way that really slaps if you, like me, think Shen Qingqiu is the Worstest trans guy ever of all time. I'd like to be clear that he is not good representation. He is literally the most dogshit rep. He's homophobic and gay hes transphobic and trans hes the most insufferable trans person youve ever met. He's probably definitely a transmed. Instead of medical transition, sqq got that transmigration transition, and he is absolutely has a weird ass superiority complex about it. also he's a TRANSmigrator its literally right there in the name. Do u see my vision.

Shi Qingxuan from Heaven Official’s Blessing / TGCF

Gender Identity: Transfem / MTF, Nonbinary, Genderfluid

Canon Pronouns: She/Her and He/Him

Submission 1: Canonically switches between female and male forms due to personal preference. Also theres alot of gothic doubling on her plotline as well.

Submission 2:

Genderfluid rep Goes by any pronouns depending on form

Trissy from Lord of the Mysteries

Gender Identity: Transfem / MTF

Submission: #1 canon trans character (her class of powers forcefems the user) and war criminal she’s my beautiful blorbo and can do no wrong she should be allowed to kill anyone she wants

Wiki Link

Wu Xie from Lord Seventh (Qi Ye)

Canon Pronouns: he/him

Gender Identity: Transmasc / FTM

Submission: I just think he's neat

Xie Lian from Heaven Official’s Blessing / TGCF

Canon Pronouns: he/him

Gender Identity: Transmasc / FTM

Submission: He's been trans in my head for so long that it's just kind of part of his character now.

Yoo Joonghyuk (The Punisher) from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

Canon Pronouns: he/him

Gender Identity: Transfem / MTF

Submission 1:

1. inexplicably fights with the strictly girl-only sword fighting technique. is the only 'guy' to ever learn it and the only other person who is a discipline is a canon trans girl so 2. has an ability where he can become a woman and when he uses it it's said 'it was still Yoo Joonghyuk. No, it was even more than before' ??? there's no cis explanation for that. also he's canonically the hottest person in the entire universe as a woman based on MC's attractiveness rating 2.5 described as feeling 'conflicted' over the gender changing thing when thinking back on it. I THINK he's conflicted bc he likeeeeed ittt 3. whole arc is about breaking free from her chains and gaining autonomy over her own life and story despite what other people think she should be (trans narrative) 4. there's a binary in the universe (incarnation/constellation) to which everyone is forced to confirm to, but there's a special category of people who refuse to be a part of this and carve their own path in life (transcenders). guess what Yoo Joonghyuk is. thats all i remember shjfjsk she's just in general VERY transfem coded story wise

Submission 2: his girlification canonically allows him to access a level of power he can't as a man (this form is called The Punisher). brokers a deal at one point where he must undergo transformation into a girl for a certain amount of time every day for a week. goes out of this way to hide said girlification from the main character (Kim Dokja)

Wiki Link

Rejected

Nimona from Nimona

Reason: Not from a web novel

Honeypaw from The Exiled

Reason: Not from a web novel (fancomic)

#not a poll #submissions #trans wn character tournament #my submissions #submissions open

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littlemisspascal · 1 year ago

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Part 2: Take What Comes

Summary:

Once Javi learns about the hour of free time you have after media training he starts seeking you out every day. Sometimes you both just play on your phones, scrolling through social media, showing each other memes and videos, but mostly you spend the hour talking, chatting about anything that comes to mind, growing more comfortable in each other’s company.

And Javi, he’s unlike anyone you’ve ever met before.

Pairing: eventual Javi/Fem!Reader "Oddball" (OFC)*

Word Count: 5000+

Warnings: Formula One AU ft. multiple Pedro Pascal Cinematic Universe characters, Human AU, Canon Divergence, Worldbuilding, Social Media Fic, Headlines inspired by true events but edited for this plot, Slowest of Slow Burn, Language, Food, Holiday party--reader wears reindeer headband, Reader's Mom included

Author Note: Been a year since last update and it's still just as super self-indulgent as ever �� Thank you anyone who gives it a read!

Winter Dividers credit here!

A03 Link | Series Masterlist

*see series masterlist for more info

And Javi, he’s unlike anyone you’ve ever met before.

You start collecting facts about him throughout the conversations, little tidbits filed away neatly in a box you’ve labeled Javi in your mind. His mom died when he was young, leaving his father to fill the void while also successfully running his multimillion olive empire. He’s an only child, but his cousin’s a year older and they were practically raised as brothers. (“Butt heads like brothers too,” Javi chuckled, but you didn’t miss how hollow it sounded.) He likes brightly colored shirts, oranges and greens and blues, the kind that only 1% of the world population can actually pull off. Besides racing and swimming, his third passion is life in script writing, but no matter how much you poke and plead at him he refuses to share any of his potential plots, nerves getting the better of him.

He started his career in karting a year before you did. Javi admitted he hadn’t been interested in racing until his father took him to the final Formula 1 race of the 2007 season where he witnessed Pietro Alvarez win his first of three championships. The older Spaniard became his idol, inspiring Javi to follow in his footsteps.

“You have no idea how jealous I was when I heard you were partners at the Ando Overland,” Javi told you, followed by a nudge against your side with his elbow. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, getting to race against him on the grid was…”

He’d trailed off, a soft smile brightening his face. And even without words, you’d understood. The opportunity to race alongside your heroes, some of the best drivers in the world—it’s like something out of a dream, one of those pinch me moments you pray you don’t wake up from.

You briefly entertained the thought of telling Javi he was one of your idols. That he’d been a part of the collage of driver posters adorning your childhood bedroom walls. But your fear and embarrassment of his reaction—whether flattered or weirded out—perished the idea as quick as it came.

“Yeah, he’s pretty great,” you said instead with a matching grin. “A bit of a coffee addict, but you didn’t hear that from me.”

“Says the lemonade addict,” Javi said, laughing when you kicked at his shin. “What’s that saying about the pot and kettle?”

“Oh, shut up,” you grumbled, but the smile on your face hadn’t dimmed. If anything, it’d stretched even wider.

“Don’t worry.” He squeezed your shoulder in a reassuring manner. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

You learn Javi has a love-hate relationship with social media. Well, maybe not love-hate but rather love-indifferent. Unlike you who likes to tweet or post a photo at least every other day, he’ll go weeks without an update, then either go on a short spree of liking and commenting on stuff or just post a random photo of his food before bailing again for another month. Still, he never makes fun of you when he catches you live streaming or angling your phone for the perfect selfie, simply dodges out of the way until you’re finished.

“Did you suddenly become camera-shy or are you trying to be all mysterious and cool like Bigfoot?” you asked him once and he merely shrugged.

“I appreciate the fans, but it’s nice having this time out of the spotlight,” he’d answered. You were content to leave it at that, but then he smirked and added, “Also, everyone knows the only reason Bigfoot doesn’t show up on camera is because he’s naturally blurry.”

Bantering with Javi is easy. More than that, you enjoy it. You don’t have to worry about him not understanding the obscure film references you make or mistaking your sarcasm for sincerity. He even laughs at your stupidest jokes which spurs you on to make more stupid jokes, the sound of his laughter contagious and the crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes oddly endearing.

Javi can quote any Nicolas Cage film from memory, line for line, a talent which comes in handy winning bets against Melshi and some of the pit crew boys who underestimate Javi’s skills. He happily shows you some more photos of his memorabilia collection after you mention seeing the ones on his Instagram.

“When we’re in Spain for the race next season, come with me to Majorca and I’ll give you a tour,” Javi says decisively, looking like he’s already planning the trip right then and there. “You can stay at our house. There’s lots of spare bedrooms. I’ll take you to all my favorite places.”

Your head spins a little at that. You haven't even known each other a whole month and here he is inviting you to stay at his family’s home. Maybe it shouldn’t have come as a surprise though. Between the daily hanging out after media training and challenging each other in the simulator, Javi had inserted himself seamlessly into the narrative of your life like he was always meant to be there.

“Okay,” you say, smiling. “Sounds like fun.”

“We’ll have a great time,” Javi agrees, and it sounds like a promise.

From: Barbara Minerva ([email protected]) To: you ([email protected]) Subject: Upcoming Interview w/ Speed Beasts

Oddball,

I’ve just finished confirming a future interview for you with Speed Beasts magazine at their head office in January. Their questions should be similar to what you experienced last time, mainly discussing your hopes and goals for the 2023 season, but regardless I’ll help you prepare as the date draws nearer so no need to worry too much.

However, they have expressed interest in potentially including Ben Miller and making it a joint article and cover shoot. Given your close friendship with each other, I don’t imagine you being opposed to the idea but I wouldn’t be a good PR manager if I didn’t check in and listen to your opinion on the matter.

Give it a thought and get back to me once your mind’s made up.

Barb

To: Benny (5:10pm)

I said yes to us doing an interview together

To: Benny (5:10pm)

Don’t make me regret this, young man

From: Benny (5:12pm)

Relax, O. I’ll only say nice things about you ;)

To: Benny (5:13pm)

And there it is. Instant regret

“That new teammate of yours certainly grew up cute, didn’t he?”

It’s only thanks to your quick reflexes that you don’t accidentally cut off a finger.

“ Mom.” Setting down the knife, you glare at the half-finished pile of chopped carrot pieces for your salad. They didn’t do anything wrong, but seeing as your mother is on a whole other continent they’re the unfortunate victim of your irritation.

“I’m just saying I have eyes, dear,” she laughs. “The hair, the muscles, those dimples—he’s quite the package.”

You make a strangled sound not unlike a choking cat, unable to believe her lack of filter sometimes. Your mother lets out another peal of laughter that has your thumb itching to press the hang up button.

“Mom…”

“Alright, alright,” she says, sobering. In the background you can hear the faint sounds of a television show with a laugh track. It makes your heart twinge a bit, recalling days the two of you spent lounging around the house binge marathoning sitcoms with a bowl of popcorn.

“I remember seeing him in those magazines you used to buy,” Mom continues, a soft smile in her voice. “Now you’re going to be right there beside him in the pictures. Funny how life works out sometimes.”

You hum. “Yeah, it is.”

Outside your kitchen window the sky’s a dark wintery gray, promising a dropping temperature as night gradually approaches. Your socked feet shuffle against the tile floor, already dreading the cold walk to your car in the morning.

“Are you getting along with him?” she asks.

“We had lunch together.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“He’s…”

You rack your head for a word that can encompass everything that Javi is. Nice, intelligent, funny as hell and so genuine it’s almost unbelievable someone like him can exist in the world of F1. You don’t know what his personality is like during a real race when the pressure can make tempers ignite, but if he’s anything like the glimpses you’ve seen during shared simulator practices though—competitive and serious, determined to do whatever he can to achieve good results, but also fair, congratulating you on the rare, yet slowly increasing occasions when you do better than him with a smile and pat on the shoulder—then you have hope your partnership will be a positive experience this season.

“He’s Javi,” you end up saying with a tiny shrug. “He’s my teammate.”

“I see,” Mom replies in a tone you can’t quite identify.

Your brow scrunches, mouth opening to ask but before you can get the question out she’s already speaking again, beating you to the punch.

“Is Javi doing anything for the holidays?” The lightness of her tone is just a hair too innocent.

“He’s going home to his family,” you say, bursting her hopeful bubble of inviting him to Sorgan. She’s about as subtle as a bantha. “You’ll just be getting me.”

“The best present of all,” she declares, and the words warm you from the inside out as if she’s hugging you across the distance. “I haven’t seen you in so long, I’m starting to forget what you look like.”

“Same as always,” your mouth turns up at the corners with a teasing smirk, “plus a couple of new tattoos.”

“For your sake I hope you’re kidding.”

“Guess you’ll just have to watch me on the Drive Awards to know for sure.”

She exhales a quiet huff, and you imagine her shaking her head, eyes lifted towards the ceiling. “You say that like there’s any chance I’m gonna miss my one and only daughter appearing at the most prestigious award ceremony for motorsports. Don’t be foolish.”

“Me? Never.” Your stomach growls, reminding you of your interrupted lunch preparations. “I’ll talk to you later, Mom, food is calling me.”

“Be sure to text me as soon as you’ve got your flight home booked.”

“Will do.”

From: Vivian Etten ([email protected]) To: you ([email protected]); Javi Gutierrez ([email protected]); Vulpecula Staff ([email protected]) Subject: Mark Your Calendars Attached: Upcoming Dates to Remember for Vulpecula F1 (pdf)

Hello,

Attached is a list of upcoming important events for the F1 team. January dates are still in the process of being scheduled and a follow up email will be sent in the upcoming weeks once everything’s properly organized and settled.

Please note this year’s Drive Awards will be held in London. Formal attire is a necessity and a gourmet meal will be served prior to the ceremony. If you plan to invite a guest you must register them with me beforehand. Swing by my office or respond to this email ASAP with their name if you plan on bringing someone.

Happy holidays to all!

Vivian Etten

CEO of Vulpecula Racing

You blink sluggishly, trying to stay awake. Stuck in a meeting room listening to Vivian and her top executives sweet talk investors to secure additional funding from them isn’t the most riveting way to spend your morning, but what Vivian wants Vivian usually gets. And this time she wanted you and Javi to be present so the investors could personally meet the new faces of the team.

A glance across the table shows Javi leaning back in his chair, fingers tapping a silent beat against the armrest. You wonder what it means, if it’s a trick to keep him alert or a subconscious tick like the way your leg bounces when you’re nervous. He’s probably attended several meetings just like this in the past. Knows when it’s necessary to listen and when he can get by merely pretending he has an inkling of what's going on.

Dressed in entirely black with a cobalt blue pocket square and tousled curls, Javi looks like a different person compared to the rest of your interactions. Less like a racing driver, more like royalty. You’re certainly not the only one who’s noticed his handsome looks. Of the dozen investors, at least three have eyed Javi with such blatant interest they might as well be waving neon signs.

Javi catches you staring, fingers halting their drumming. There’s a second or two where you simply stare at each other, neither willing to be the first to turn away. Then he sticks his tongue out childishly, brown eyes crossing. It’s neither the time nor place for such an expression—you’re pretty sure Vivian’s talking about inflation or something else equally important and serious—and yet you find yourself stifling a giggle into the palm of your hand before your tired brain can summon enough energy to stop it from forming.

“Of course that’s all subject to change depending on the results of the season,” Vivian’s saying at the head of the table, flipping closed her folder. “Any final words you’d like to contribute, Odds?”

Every pair of eyes in the room turns to look at you, and your blood runs cold. You hadn’t spoken throughout the meeting, content to just smile and shake hands at the beginning and then let Vivian take the lead for the rest. You rack your head for a response that doesn’t sound completely stupid.

“Uh, well,” you straighten your spine, projecting as much of an aura of confidence as you can muster, “I’m extremely grateful to have been given the chance to be one of Vupecula’s drivers. I’m also proud to be a part of a team with such a long history, too. And I think I speak for both myself and Javi when I say that we’re determined to win as many points as we can to increase Vulpecula’s ranking.”

“We’ll keep fighting from the beginning to the end,” Javi agrees with a firm nod. “No giving up. No surrendering.”

“Fantastic,” Vivian says, beaming at you both with pride. “I think that about wraps everything up for the time being. Anyone up for some lunch?”

The investors all eagerly agree, neatly filing out of the room to be the first ones in the cafeteria line.

Javi waits for you by the door, walking out into the hallway close enough his arm brushes against yours. “What do you think about leaving headquarters for our lunch break?”

“Works for me,” you say, absently pulling at the sleeve of your sweater. It’s one of your nicest ones you own but it never fails to make your skin feel itchy. “Where were you planning?”

“Somewhere close by,” is his cryptic, grinning reply.

Somewhere close by winds up being Javi’s apartment, a quiet and private spot on the edge of town about fifteen minutes from your own place. The drive is pleasant, if not more than a little confusing for you, sitting in the passenger seat without a clue about the final destination until Javi’s suddenly parking and waving a hand towards an apartment complex as if to say ta-da!

“You like salmon?” Javi asks you as he unlocks his door, standing to the side to let you enter first. Apparently chivalry isn’t totally dead.

Still, you can’t help the teasing smirk pulling at your mouth. “They’re alright. Not as cute as clown fish though.”

“Well, duh, nobody can take away Nemo’s crown.” Javi rolls his eyes playfully before heading for the kitchen. He opens the fridge, poking his head inside as he calls out, “How about salmon skewers for lunch?”

“Sounds delicious. Do you need help with anything?”

“No, I’ve got it all under control. Just make yourself comfortable.”

Despite only recently moving here, Javi’s created a warm and cozy home with bright pops of colors and personal touches, like the impressive collection of DVDs next to the television and numerous hanging plants in front of the windows. There’s a pair of checkered vans kicked off in the entryway, a dog-eared book about script writing on the coffee table, and a box of fruit loops left on the kitchen bar counter—a cheat meal that has you biting back a snicker, thinking of your own guilty pleasures stashed back home.

Javi hums as he moves around the kitchen, piercing chunks of salmon and onions on bamboo skewers to be grilled on a skillet. His actions are smooth, confident, same as the way he handles the sim’s steering wheel back at headquarters.

When he sets the plates down on the table, your mouth instantly salivates from the delicious smell as you lean in for a sniff. Fuck that’s good. Eggsy might have a rival for being the best cook amongst the drivers.

“Go on, I promise it isn’t poisoned,” Javi says before sinking his teeth into a massive bite of fish.

You snort quietly, taking a bite of your own.

And well, if you have to sink your fingernails into your palm to hold back a moan then that’s between you and your stinging hand.

Still, something must flash across your face because there’s a glint of amusement in Javi’s brown eyes. “You like it, no? Best meal you’ve ever had? C’mon, let me hear it.”

Swallowing, you hum a long note, pretending to think. “Top ten for sure.”

“Top ten? Ugh, you wound me, Odds.” Javi groans, throwing a hand over his heart as if your words had been a dagger. “First guest I cook for in my new place and I barely earned an honorable mention. Unacceptable.”

You laugh. “Just means you’ll have to cook for me more often.”

“Mm.” He nibbles on one of the onions, eyes narrowing. “Challenge accepted. I’m coming for the gold.”

After finishing your meals Javi grabs a couple of pomegranate popsicles out of the freezer for dessert. He stretches out his legs beneath the table, knocking the side of his shoe against your ankle. Smirks when you immediately nudge him back. And to think he’s supposed to be the older, more mature one. Vivian would be rolling her eyes if she saw you two right now.

“I like your place,” you say in-between licks. “You settling in alright?”

“Hmm?” Javi blinks, as if startled out of his thoughts. “Oh, thanks. Yeah, it was a smooth move all things considered. Nothing got lost in transit this time, gracias a Dios.”

Right, this isn’t Javi’s first rodeo when it comes to packing up all his belongings and moving to a whole new place. You’d faced a difficult enough struggle moving from Sorgan to Altair, you can’t imagine doing it again and again. Fingers crossed Vulpecula keeps you around for a long, long time.

“And what about Vulpecula? Good so far?”

“Everyone’s been very welcoming,” he answers, biting off a piece of his popsicle with a slight crunch. He offers a grin once he swallows. “I’m happy to be here. I think it will be a fun time for us. Hard as hell, but fun.”

“One for the history books,” you murmur, imagining the potential of putting Vulpecula back on top again. Where it belongs. “It’d be amazing, wouldn’t it? You and me on the podium.”

Javi laughs. “It would be pretty entertaining pouring my bottle of champagne over your head.”

“Oi!” You swat at his arm, but you’re unable to stifle your own laughter. “Forget it. You’ll be down in the crowd, looking up at me and my trophy in total envy.”

“You got it all wrong, Oddball. I’d be front and center, cheering your name louder than anyone.”

You feel a pulse of warmth bloom in your chest, and you look back to your popsicle, sticking it into your mouth before you say or do something embarrassing.

From: Eggsy (3:05pm)

Hey! My turn to host the holiday party this year so stick around London on the 19th. Better bring a good gift this time >:(

To: Eggsy (3:07pm)

Kk. You make it sound like what I brought last year was terrible tho

From: Eggsy (3:08pm)

You brought an empty tin of cookies and said you’d been swarmed by raccoons

To: Eggsy (3:09pm)

Those trash pandas are vicious beasts

From: Eggsy (3:09pm)

You had chocolate stains all over your face

To: Eggsy (3:09pm)(unsent)

I don’t know what you’re talking about

To: Eggsy (3:09pm)(unsent)

It was a longer driver than I anticipated, alright?

To: Eggsy (3:09pm)(unsent)

You’re one to talk Mr. Hoverboard. At least I didn’t set anyone on fire :P

To: Eggsy (3:13pm)

What time should I come with my great gift?

From: Eggsy (3:14pm)

See you at 7 :D

“A lot of famous faces from the motorsport community are coming to this ceremony tonight. Is there anyone in particular you’re excited about seeing, Javi?” asks the interviewer.

Javi offers a dimpled grin, a hand reaching up to adjust his glasses as a ripple of flashing cameras erupts at the arrival of another guest. “To be honest, if I named everyone I’m excited to see we’d be here all night,” he answers with a chuckle. “There are so many big names appearing on stage. True legends of motorsport I’ve looked up to since I was a kid. And then there’s also so much rising talent too, like rarita here.”

The interviewer, you think her name is Shelley, blonde haired with a beaming smile, turns the microphone to you. Your dress suddenly feels two times too tight, constricting air flow. God, you wish you had even a smidge of Javi’s confidence, charming everyone he talks to, looking like he stepped right out of a fashion magazine in his black suit. Even his glasses manage to come across as elegant rather than boring.

Focus, you tell yourself, remembering your lessons with Barbara. No slouching. No pineapple face. And absolutely no public displays of vomiting regardless of your level of anxiety.

“That’s right. You’ll be a full-time driver in F1 next season. Things can’t get much better for you at the moment Oddball, can they?”

You stand up straighter, imagining your parents watching back home, no doubt having bragged to everybody in the village about their daughter appearing on tv, on a red carpet no less. Thinking of them, of their pride and love, of their support and sacrifices, makes the smile stretching across your face feel a little less forced.

“It’s been an unbelievably great year,” you say, using every bit of self-control to keep your voice level. “I didn’t expect a second-place finish for the season. It was a very competitive bunch, including some of my best friends who I’m thrilled are going to join me on the grid. To finish 2022 with that ranking and gain a seat with Vulpecula is just amazing.”

Shelley nods, then proceeds to make an exaggerated show of looking you over head to toe. “Well, I’d bet all the money in my wallet that if you turned up to the paddock looking as stunning as you do right now you’d win the race by a landslide.”

You bite the inside of your cheek, refraining from grimacing. She’s the third interviewer tonight to make a comment about your appearance, meanwhile Javi and the other male drivers have been asked questions about racing and their preparation for the upcoming season.

“I don’t think the FIA would approve of these heels,” you reply, adding a chuckle even though it sounds hollow to your own ears. You feel Javi’s hand on your lower back, a grounding touch. A silent message of reassurance that he’s on your side. An ally in this sea of fancy clothes and flashbulbs.

Stay together, Gabriella had said before you and Javi got in the limo to the event, a command echoed by an equally-stern looking Barbara. You’re not just teammates at headquarters and during grand prix weekends. As long as you race for Vulpecula, you’re partners through thick and thin. Even if one of you makes a mistake, no matter what, stay together.

“You want me to cough or something next time?” Javi murmurs in your ear as you scoot along the red carpet a couple more steps.

“What?” you ask distractedly, barely avoiding stepping on the extravagant train of Lauren Van Chance’s dress. The mauve fabric probably costs more than the budget of the whole award show. No way you would have left here alive if you’d torn a hole in it.

“If another interviewer makes an objectifying comment, I could have a coughing fit. Or try to trip them. Or stare down the camera like we’re on The Office —”

“As hilarious as that would be,” you say through a snort of laughter, genuine this time, “nah, that’s alright.”

“You sure?” Javi checks.

“I’m sure. Thanks, curls.”

Busy Bee Blog (BBB) - Style Post #37 Sunday December 18 2022

Summary: See the best dressed at the most prestigious award event for the motorsport industry.

FOURTEEN BIGGEST MOMENTS AT THE 2022 DRIVE AWARDS

By Pippa Vitalis, Bubblefeed Updated 19 December 2022

Ricky Hauk wins Rookie of the Year Award

Robert McCall’s selfie with Eggsy Unwin, Oddball, and Ben Miller

Marcus Moreno dedicates his Racing Driver of the Year Award to his mother, Anita Moreno

Pero Tovar’s priceless facial expressions the whole night long

Javi Gutierrez calls his teammate Oddball “Rarita” on the red carpet

The night after the Drive Awards, you arrive at Eggsy’s place right on time wearing a reindeer antler headband and a present tucked under your arm. Eggsy immediately steals the gift away when you enter, shaking it for suspicious noises as he takes it to the small pile in the corner. Ben flicks one of the plush antlers because every party needs an asshole, and Ricky brings you a glass of his famous sparkling punch with a happy grin.

You’ve got a flight to catch tomorrow taking you back home with Sorgan. This is the last night you’ll spend with your friends for a long while, too busy and too spread out in the upcoming weeks to see each other. You hope you’ll see at least one of them at the start of the new year before the pre-season testing begins in February, but you also remember how virtually impossible it was for Ricky to carve out a spare day in his schedule before his rookie debut. For as hectic and rushed as things already seem, it’s only going to get worse for all of you.

“Benny brought his brother. You remember Will, yeah?” Eggsy says, gesturing with a nod of his chin to the blond chuckling at a wildly gesticulating Ben recounting a story. “He’s gonna be Benny’s new trainer, got a degree for it ‘n everything.”

William Miller. Of course you remember him. Can’t ever forget the boy who was your first crush once upon a time, heart beating a little faster whenever you saw him and his bright blue eyes at the karting races—not that you let anyone else know about your pining. Oh no, you had rather run over your own foot with your go-kart than let it slip you thought your friend’s older brother was cute.

And he’s only become cuter since you last saw him several years ago, growing up into a tall, ruggedly handsome man with a scruffy beard and arm muscles bulging beneath the sleeves of his snowflake-patterned sweater when he crosses them over his chest.

Cheerful notes of a Christmas song blast out from the speakers on Eggsy’s stereo system, adding to the festive atmosphere as more drinks are poured and conversations continue to flow. JB the pug darts about the room, body wiggling madly with every friendly scritch to his ears he receives, dressed for the holiday in a collar adorned with a little green-and-red plaid bowtie. Spoiled, critics might say, those who don’t know the story of how and when JB came into Eggsy’s life. Cherished, you say instead, because you do know.

Ben tells you what a great teammate Frankie’s been so far, taking him to The Chill Zone for the first time. The local snow cone stand in Altair has closed for the winter season, but you make a mental promise to take Javi to it as soon as the temperature warms up. You’d invited your teammate to come along to the party, certain none of your friends would mind, but he’d had an early morning flight back to Spain. Hopefully the trip soothes some of his homesickness.

“Just do yourself a favor and avoid lavender bubblegum at all costs.” Ben sticks his tongue out, face scrunching with disgust. “Frankie’s got a shit sense of taste.”

You congratulate Ricky again on his Rookie of the Year Award, surprised when he confesses how nervous he was standing up on stage in front of the crowd because he looked so professional in his suit and tie, thanking a long list of people who helped him on his journey. Will smoothly cuts into the conversation to offer some tips to improve self-confidence, saying he worked as a motivational speaker in order to pay for his classes. And you can picture it, him easily capturing an audience’s attention with his honeyed voice.

Ricky makes a hasty exit to fight Eggsy over the last sugar cookie, claiming he already called dibs, leaving you and Will alone in silence. It’s not uncomfortable, per se, but there’s a noticeable weight to it, neither one of you knowing what to say to alleviate the tension.

“You look like you’re enjoying the holiday spirit,” Will says finally with a crooked smile, glancing up at your antlers with amusement.

“I love it,” you answer with a wide grin, bells on your headband jingling lightly. “Are you looking forward to next season? I heard you’re gonna be Benny’s trainer. Good luck with that.”

“Thanks, I’ll definitely need it,” he chuckles and then shrugs his shoulders. “It’s going to be interesting—working with family always has its own unique challenges. But there’s no one else I’d like to help accomplish their dream more than my brother.”

You blink, watching as his eyebrows climb up his forehead, abruptly looking like a deer paralyzed by headlights.

“Not that I wouldn’t be excited for you if you became champion—or Eggsy or Ricky either!” He’s full-on babbling now, cheeks going pink. “We’re on opposite teams, but that doesn’t mean we’re archenemies, right? Right. I mean, I could-I could still take you out to dinner to, uh, catch up. Or a cup of coffee at least? Maybe?”

And suddenly you’re hit with the realization of what's happening. Will is asking you out. Your childhood crush is asking you out on a date. Wow. That’s—that’s hard to process. You feel as if your entire brain has forgotten words.

“Huh?” you say, more of a strangled noise than anything intelligible.

“Sorry, I’m not usually like this. I must sound like an idiot.” Will’s expression turns sheepish. “It’s been a while since we last saw each other, in person at least. You probably have a boyfriend or—”

“No, no! No boyfriends for me,” you quickly interject, then internally cringe because now look who sounds like an idiot. You avert your gaze to the snowflake pattern, unable to meet his blue eyes. “Dinner sounds great. I’d like that. When were you thinking?”

Will chuckles again, a little shaky and relieved sound that has some of the tension draining from your shoulders. It gives you the courage to look up and see the gentle smile playing on his lips. “Ben said you two are doing an interview together for Speed Beasts in January. I could tag along, bet you and me could find something we both like.”

You smile, heartbeat fluttering as you raise your cup in a mock-toast. “I bet we could.”

#javi gutierrez #javi g x reader #javi gutierrez x reader #javi g x you #javi gutierrez x ofc #pedrostories #my fic #my writing #pedro pascal character fanfiction

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snek-panini · 1 year ago

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It's been a few weeks since I had new books to share, but I finally got photos taken of the newest ones so today's the day. Here, have a book:

This is Across Tides and Currents, a Good Omens siren AU by Sodium_Azide and @doorwaytoparadise (hi. I hope I tagged you right). My favorite thing about this AU is that, at its heart, it's about learning to communicate with someone who is so different from you that you can't even physically speak each other's language, and yet you've still got so much common ground that you find a way. It's way lighter and more fun than that description makes it sound, though, so go read it if that's your thing.

The cover on this is Lineco book cloth, scrapbook paper printed to look like leather, and blue foil htv. The foil was actually a nightmare to do. The first time I applied it, it wouldn't stick no matter what I did, and the bits that did stick peeled off as soon as I touched them. I had to peel them up very carefully, cut a new image, and try again. Thankfully it worked the second time but I don't know that I'll be using the foil type again unless there's no other way to get the color I want. The non-foil metallic was so much easier to work with.

More book photos under the cut!

I went with a coptic bind for this one for a few reasons. The first was that I wanted to try one on a quarto-size book to see if I could. I also wanted to try the mitered corners thing I did when I bound Strange Moons, and see if I could have the same effect on the interior. (That bit didn't work out so well; the front is fine but I mismeasured the inside and the lines didn't match up, so I trimmed some pieces of cardstock to cover that up. I really like the layered look though, so that's fine. It's quirky.) The third reason is that not long before I decided to bind this one, the authors published a new chapter after two years of no updates. That's the best possible reason to have to change plans, and the glueless bind means that if they ever do that again I can just redo the stitching to add more pages. Win-win.

Getting whimsical with title pages here. This took way longer than I thought it would, probably because I don't like graphic design and I did it in Word where I do the rest of my typesetting. Usually what I do is grab an image and put text around it or on top of it and then just play with fonts and sizes, but this time I drew the lines and then made the text follow them. This is the first time I've used the word art feature since...probably 2009? I'd forgotten how. I have no doubt there are better ways to do this but if I'd had to learn a new program at that point I'd have quit. And I do think it was worth it--it's cute and fun and looks about how I imagined it.

Couple of photos of the inside. Sorry the first one's blurry, I had someone trying to get my attention when I took these. The section break image came from rawpixel, I just made it gray instead of black so it's more subtle. The fic has very nice illustrations that I specifically got the artist's permission to print and then I failed to get any photos of them when I did my little photo shoot. They look very nice, though. I swear.

The last image is something I've started including in my latest books. I'm calling them "A Note from the Bookbinder" and it's basically just me talking about why I chose that story, the experience of reading it for the first time, stuff that's going on in the fandom, stuff about the process like the new chapter coming out as I was preparing to print. It's kind of...like marginalia? Part of fanbinding is preservation and that's linked to archival work, and something I know archivists love is marginalia and diaries. I don't like writing in my books and I've never found any fun in journaling, but sometimes that kind of context is important so I'm trying to add it. Someday, decades from now, I may not remember all the details, so I'm trying to preserve them. IDK, this got philosophical on me. Go read about mermaids now. Promise it's a good time.

#bookbinding #fanbinding #snek makes books #good omens #fic rec #i wanted to do this as a mermay project #that did not happen #i finished it in october #happy mertober

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directactionforhope · 10 months ago

Text

Go Here for Instructions on How to Submit Posts!

And go here for an example.

Submissions limit of 5 posts per person each week, please!

Otherwise, unfortunately, I'll get too overwhelmed by the submissions volume to post anything. Thank you for your understanding!

Me and the Basics

Call me Cactus! They/them, late twenties.

I'm the person who runs the Reasons for Hope tumblr.

This is a sideblog-to-a-sideblog for Reasons for Hope, because I want to promote actions and spread awareness for things that don't always fit on a good news blog specifically

For context: Queer, trans, disabled, white, USian, for context.

Let me know if I post something offensive, I promise I have practice fixing things when I mess up instead of lashing out at the person who told me. I don't want to post hurtful things, so I genuinely want to always learn more about how to not do that, even when it's uncomfortable.

This is all very long because I'm still incapable of being concise.

About This Blog

Made this blog because I keep wanting to reblog or post about actions people can take, but didn't want to put them on Reasons for Hope unless they were actually mostly good news.

As a person who's Been There with spiraling, I really get the need to have access to a space that you know will contain good news and ONLY good news, in this day and age.

Also made it because I have Opinions and want to talk about Issues and activism and I'm committed to not doing that on my good news blog unless it involves, again, actual good news.

So, follow if you want! I definitely invite people to send in actions (links to campaigns/petitions/major protests/letter writing campaigns/etc.) specifically as submissions. I'll put up a how-to and link it here at some point, bc I've learned from Reasons for Hope that if they're in ask format I won't usually have the time/energy to reformat that/make it into a post.

(Sorry to people who've sent asks in on there, you're great. I'll switch to a submissions-based attempted system there too once I get the chance. May be a minute, I'm about to start a new job(!!).

My Editorial Standards

My usual editorial standards from Reasons for Hope apply, modified for this sort of blog:

Any donation-related posts/submissions need to be from some kind of established organization. It can be super grassroots etc. but I need to be able to verify that it's not a scam.

For that reason, no personal fundraisers/gofundmes. I'm genuinely sorry about this because I know a lot of people need the help but like I say on Reasons for Hope, there's no way to truly vet the vast majority of those posts, and I really don't have the time to try.

I'll come up with some sort of tag to put on all the particularly upsetting/fucked content so people can filter it and just see the action posts. Preferably something unique so it doesn't screen out other people's posts if you want to filter

More below:

I'll also have a tag for any particularly upsetting/fucked informational/educational things I post, because I do want to help spread awareness about a number of things, some of which will be pretty upsetting.

That said, I'll try to keep those informational posts only to things that are solutions-focused and/or have an element of good news or hopeful updates, where possible.

I'll also keep most of those posts behind a read-more where possible.

For more info about why I'm including that stuff, see the bottom of this post.

I will not post any campaigns or actions for reelecting Joe Biden until either the genocide in Gaza ends, or until September 1, 2024 (the month early voting starts).

Why do I have that policy? Because Joe Biden is absolutely committing war crimes, but Donald Trump would still, in fact be worse, for the US in general, for BIPOC in the US in particular, and for Palestinians/Gaza. I made a post about this with more details that I'll link here at some point.

Everything is going to be labeled with the link's source, the organization running it, the date posted (if identifiable), and the dates of the campaign/campaign deadline.

Re: Posting bad news here

I've been thinking about starting this sideblog-to-a-sideblog for a while now, because there are a lot of actions/campaigns/etc. that I really wanted to help promote, but did not want to put on Reasons for Hope, because I'm trying really hard to keep that limited to actual, you know, reasons for hope.

That said, I will be including upsetting stuff here. It will have its own tag for people to filter if they only want to see the links to actions. But I am committed to including it.

More below the read more, because this got longwinded and a bit personal:

That's partly because there are a lot of issues that very people know about, and I believe a lot in the power of spreading knowledge/awareness.

It's also because of the reason I finally stopped pondering and decided to start this blog: I just found out tonight that my grandfather died young because of toxic radiation from a nuclear meltdown at a super dangerous and experimental nuclear reactor, which the US government covered up completely and continued operating for decades. Right next to Los Angeles. btw.

If you live in or near Simi Valley, Chatsworth, or the West San Fernando Valley, or your parents did, get high-risk-level-appropriate cancer screenings. And if you're in Simi or within like 5 miles of it...probably don't drink the tap water. Also maybe try to move. (Consulting with a public health scientist/activist friend about this, will report back.)

I was already anti-nuclear, including anti-nuclear power, because of the absolute devastation it's done, especially to Indigenous communities and Japanese civilians. I didn't want to get into it on Reasons for Hope because of the whole "urgency of climate change" thing. But suffice to say that being anti-nuclear just shot very far up my "activism priorities" list.

None of this, or any other horrific things I may post about, conflict with or ruin my faith in humanity. I've definitely been incredibly pessimistic and misanthropic in my life.

But I believe that, for all the bad and evil things humans do, there is equal or greater potential for good. I believe it's like they say: "Hurt people hurt people." That's not the case always, but it is very often. Now, for the first time in history, we have the physical ability to end starvation and scarcity and a lot of death and suffering. We're still getting there, though we still have a long way to go.

I believe in a future where we can all hurt each other (and the other life around us) far less. I believe in a future where we have beaten and reserved at climate change.

I want to live to see that future, and I want all of you to get the chance to see it with me.

#blog business #me #admin

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