#wise quote wednesday

[conjcosby]

Stardate: 2024.4.24 ▫ Need I say more? I don't think so. 😊🙏 #Wise #Quote #Wednesday #Words #Letters #Font #WiseQuote #WiseWednesday #WiseQuoteWednesday #QuoteOfTheDay #QOTD #DailyQuote #Galaxy #Text #Sky #Star #Space #Astronomy #Night #ScenicsNature #Nature

[beccawise7]

Wednesday Wisdom...

Absolutely Love This ~ 1000x yes.

💜🖤

"Passion creates progress."

[enchantingepics]

Note #13

Reasons to Stay Alive

Dear Person,

I want you to know that you are valued, cherished, and loved. Life may seem overwhelming at times, but there are countless reasons to keep going, to keep fighting, and to keep living. I've compiled a list of reasons, big and small, to remind you of the beauty and wonder that surrounds us each day.

We Would Miss You: Your presence in this world matters. Your absence would leave a void in the lives of those who care about you.

Regret is Not Worth It: No matter how difficult life may seem, the regret of giving up is far greater than the challenges you face. Your resilience will inspire others.

It Gets Better: Even in the darkest of moments, there is hope for a brighter tomorrow. Storms eventually pass, and rainbows appear.

Don't Miss Out: Life is full of experiences waiting to be had. From small joys to monumental milestones, there's so much you would miss out on.

There's Always a Reason: Even when it's hard to see, there is always a reason to keep going. Your journey is unique, and your purpose is waiting to be discovered.

You Are Cared For: You are not alone. People care about you deeply, and your well-being matters to them.

You Are Worth It: You are inherently valuable and deserving of love and happiness. Don't let anyone, including yourself, convince you otherwise.

You Are Amazing: Embrace your strengths, your quirks, and your uniqueness. You are capable of achieving incredible things.

Emerging Stronger: Tough times may test your resilience, but they also provide opportunities for growth. You will emerge from challenges stronger and more resilient than ever before.

Unfulfilled Dreams: Think of all the dreams and goals you've yet to accomplish. Your potential is limitless, and your future holds endless possibilities.

Love: Even if it's from just one person, love is a powerful reason to stay. You are worthy of love and capable of giving and receiving it.

Music: Imagine a world without the melodies that move your soul. Your presence adds harmony to the symphony of life.

Impact on Others: Your actions have a ripple effect on those around you. Ending your life would cause immeasurable pain to those who care about you.

Missed Opportunities: You'll miss out on future experiences, from the mundane to the extraordinary.

Future Generations: Your existence shapes the future, including the possibility of having a family of your own.

Family's Feelings: Consider the impact your absence would have on your family. Your life is intertwined with theirs in profound ways.

You Are Perfect: To someone out there, you are perfect just as you are. Your imperfections make you uniquely beautiful.

Favorite Things: Think of all the little pleasures in life, from favorite foods to cherished activities. These simple joys are worth living for.

Unique Experiences: Life is full of unique experiences waiting to be had, from traveling the world to meeting new people.

Laughter and Joy: The world is full of laughter, joy, and moments of pure happiness. These moments are worth living for.

Hope for the Future: Your survival holds the potential to make the world a better place, even in small ways.

Inspiration for Others: Your journey can inspire others to persevere through their own struggles.

Soulmates and Connections: You have yet to meet the people who will profoundly impact your life and bring you joy.

Purpose: Your life has purpose, and it's up to you to discover it. Each day is an opportunity to uncover your passions and fulfill your potential.

Changed Lives: You've already made a difference in someone's life. Your presence has touched others in meaningful ways.

Potential to Change the World: Your actions have the power to change the world for the better.

Every Day is a Gift: No matter how challenging life may be, each day is a precious gift to be treasured.

Talent and Potential: You possess unique talents and abilities that have yet to be fully realized.

Embracing Imperfection: Happiness comes from embracing life's imperfections and finding beauty in the journey.

Be Your Own Hero: You have the power to overcome obstacles and become the hero of your own story.

Remember, dear person, you are not alone in this journey. There is hope, there is love, and there is a future waiting to be discovered. Keep fighting, keep believing, and keep living. You are worthy of every happiness this life has to offer.

[sarahboyerdigiexpert]

This witty quote reminds us that wisdom isn't just about what we know, but how we apply that knowledge in our daily lives. Wisdom is the practical application of knowledge, helping us make decisions that are not only informed but also appropriate and effective.

[starksvinyls]

Title: And It's Valentine's Day Rating: Teen+ Pairing: Peter Parker/Tony Stark Tags/Warnings: Getting Together, Fluff, First Date, Valentine's Day, Happy Ending, Age Difference, also peter is a lil anxious bean but it's fine Summary: Tony invites Peter to hang out not realizing it’s Valentine’s Day. Meanwhile, Peter is freaking out trying to figure out if Tony asked him to hang out on Valentine’s Day for a reason. Notes: for @starkly for the @starkerfestivals valentine's exchange <3 the prompt used was 'tony finding out peter’s had a huge crush on him since childhood'. i hope you like it, happy (belated) valentine's day <333333

AO3 Link

“Wait, you’re hanging out with him on Wednesday?” Ned’s voice said through Peter’s headphones. 

“Yeah, why?” Peter erased the last part of the equation he had been working on and flipped his pencil back over to try again. 

“Wednesday is Valentine’s Day.” MJ sounded amused. 

Peter’s head shot up to stare at his best friends on his computer screen. There was no way…he looked up at the calendar hanging on the wall above his desk and stared. Wednesday was indeed Valentine’s Day. Oh. 

“Why would he invite me to hang out on Valentine’s Day?” Peter blinked. “Oh my god, what if he asked me to hang out because he knows I’m a single loser who would be all alone and he felt bad for me?” His voice raised an octave as he rambled on, anxiety flaring. 

“Calm down, dude,” MJ rolled her eyes. “He probably doesn’t even remember the day of the week, let alone what stupid commercialized holiday it is.” She did air quotes around the word holiday. 

“No, you’re right, yeah. Yeah.” Peter nodded. 

“Still haven’t told him about your massive crush, huh?” Ned shoved a handful of chips into his mouth. 

“Of course not!” Peter squeaked. “He does not need to know about that. Oh god, what if he knows about that? And that’s why he invited me over? What if he’s going to make fun of me? Or worse, what if he likes me back?!” 

“Peter!” MJ yelled. “Breathe. Tony would not invite you over just to humiliate you. I might have a lot of issues with the man and his hoarding of wealth, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t see how much you mean to him.” 

“Wait,” Ned cut in. “How would him liking you back be worse?” 

Peter groaned and dropped his head to his desk with a painful thud.

—-

By Wednesday, Peter had worked himself up, back down, and then back up several times. He spent the rest of Saturday night on the call with Ned and MJ, the only way they could hang out now, being at three different colleges. On Sunday, Peter took his laundry to May’s and had dinner with her before swinging around Queens for a bit. He tried to get out and patrol his old neighborhood, but with his dorm closer to campus in Manhattan, it didn’t always happen. 

Classes were normal, which was nice, but it gave Peter too much time to think about seeing Tony on Valentine’s Day. He kept up a constant stream of messages in the group chat, eventually causing MJ to send the rolling eyes emoji and put on Do Not Disturb. MJ was probably right, Tony probably didn’t even remember what day it was when he asked Peter to hang out. Wednesdays were Peter’s easiest days, schedule wise, and Tony more than likely remembered and that was why he picked Wednesday to hang out. 

Peter had himself convinced of that when he finally activated the suit and took off towards the tower on Wednesday afternoon. It was nothing, just friends and superhero colleagues hanging out, like they did all the time. There was no reason to think anything deeper was happening, pfft why did he even get so worked up? That was dumb. 

Launching himself higher on his next upswing, Peter let go of the web and sailed through the air towards the landing deck of the tower. He landed in a crouch, popping back up quickly, mask retracting as he skipped towards the sliding glass doors. 

“Welcome, Peter!” Friday greeted him. 

“Hi, Fri!” The rest of the suit retracted into his web shooters once Peter had removed his backpack. He flung it onto the couch and headed to the kitchen for a drink before going to find Tony, as was his routine now when coming to the tower. Peter stabbed the straw into the top of the juice box and wandered down to the workshop, slurping happily. 

Tony was where he usually was when Peter came to find him, hunched over a worktable. This time he was soldering something, so Peter came in quietly. Nothing worse than being startled while doing something delicate, he knew. It didn’t seem to matter, though, because before the door even finished sliding shut behind him, Tony was looking up, his smile already forming. 

“Hey, Pete.” He pulled off his goggles and set the soldering pen back in its holder. “How was class?” 

Peter told Tony about the lecture, his only class on Wednesdays, as he finished up his juice, suction noises included, which made the older man roll his eyes. Peter laughed and tossed it towards the can, landing it without even looking. 

Tony shook his head. “Show off.” 

Peter grinned, heading over to his own station to check on the latest batch of web fluid. 

—-

Peter could feel Tony come up next to the table, his arm hairs picking up the slight change in air flow as Tony moved. He looked up from his notes and noticed the sky outside was dark. “How long have we been working?” 

“About three hours, but Friday says it’s time for dinner, so,” Tony shrugged in a what can you do? kind of way, as if he didn’t have the power to tell his own AI no. “What are you in the mood for? Your pick tonight.” 

That gave Peter pause, and he swallowed. All the thoughts of “was this or wasn’t it?” that had quieted while he worked, came flooding back to him. Normally, Tony just had Friday order them whatever was fastest (usually because they got caught up in their work and were starving by the time they called it quits in the lab), but letting him pick sounded almost…date-like. No. He had already gone over this with himself, they were just friends hanging out. 

“Uhm, Italian?” Peter inwardly winced. That was such a romantic Valentine’s cliche. Ugh. 

“Sure,” Tony turned his attention to Friday. “Order us up some chicken alfredo, and stuffed shells, baby girl. Oh, and some cannoli, from the usual place.” 

Dessert, too? And Tony remembered that the stuffed shells were his favorite. Oh, man…

They headed back up to the penthouse and got comfortable on the couch, Friday pulling up the movie list for them to browse. Dinner and a movie wasn’t unheard of for them, so Peter forced himself to calm down. There was no way this meant anything more than their hang outs usually did. 

“You okay, Pete?” 

Tony’s voice cut through Peter’s internal panic and he turned wide eyes on his mentor. 

“What? Yeah, of course.” 

“You sure? You look like you’re gonna hurl.” The man’s brow was furrowed in concern. 

Peter wanted to bury his head under the cushions and never come out. How embarrassing for Tony to have noticed he was freaking out. And how embarrassing to be freaking out over nothing. Tony was a straight-forward guy, he does what he wants and doesn’t do what he doesn’t want to. If he wanted this to be a date, he would have asked Peter on a date. It probably would have been way fancier than lab time and ordering in, anyway. 

“I’m all ears if you need to talk about anything,” Tony offered. “I was in college once, I know it can be a weird time,” he joked.

“No, it’s not that,” Peter assured him. “I just, uh, sorry. I’m being weird. Ignore me.” 

“Something is obviously on your mind, so spill.” 

Peter wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole. God, his face must be a tomato by now. “No, it’s fine- it’s nothing.” He bit his lip, physically trying to keep the words in. He tended to word vomit when he was nervous, and Tony tended to make him nervous. Peter seemed to always be word vomiting around the man. 

Tony was quiet, just looking at Peter. The younger man finally cracked. 

“I just…it’s Valentine’s Day and I wasn’t sure if this was just us hanging out like normal or it was supposed to be more, but of course it wouldn’t be more, I mean. You’re you and I’m me, there’s no way it would be more. And I told myself that, and MJ told me that, but my stupid brain has not let me not obsess over it since Saturday!” Peter rushed out. “And now you let me pick dinner and you got dessert and it’s Valentine’s Day. 

“And I know it’s so stupid to assume, but then this stupid crush goes and convinces me that everything you do is a sign that you like me, too, when in reality it’s probably such the opposite because you have never given any indication that what you feel for me is anything but platonic, and Valentine’s Day is just a made up commercialized holiday so-” He glanced over at Tony and the man was staring, wide-eyed. Peter’s mouth snapped shut and he sunk further down into the couch. “Maybe I should go,” he mumbled. 

“Well…first off, I didn’t realize it was Valentine’s Day,” Tony said slowly, before Peter could get up. 

Peter nearly facepalmed, because of course. He had worked himself up over nothing and now he’s spilled his guts all over the place and there’s no way to shove those back inside. 

“And second, that was a lot. How long have you been holding that in?” 

Peter bit his lip. “A…while.” Tony looked expectant. “I mean, I always had like a celebrity hero-worship crush on you after Iron Man came to be. And then I met you and it sort of became more than a crush, but I knew nothing would ever happen because of Miss Potts and my age, so I tried to ignore it. That obviously has not worked well,” Peter said self-deprecatingly, looking down at his hands where they twisted in his lap. “And then after you and Miss Potts ended things, and I got older, well.” 

The older man studied Peter for a minute. “What if I told you there were some not so platonic feelings on my end?” 

“What?” Peter’s head snapped up, eyes wide with shock. He was sure he heard that wrong. There was absolutely no way that someone like Tony Stark would ever like him…

“Kid, fuck, Pete,” Tony sighed. “I’m, what, 30 years older than you? I had to keep that as buried deep as I possibly could. There are so many potential ramifications with just our ages alone, let alone the whole mentor-mentee situation. I wasn’t quite ready to admit to myself that I had any feelings or attraction towards you, especially when you were 17 or 18. It made me feel like a dirty old man, and I never wanted to pressure you into anything. Which it felt like it would be no matter what,” Tony explained. “But, you brought it up first.”

Peter blinked several times before looking over at Tony. “I mean, I’m clearly not all that opposed to the age thing…” 

Tony stared before snorting. “How do you go from a rambly nervous mess to a cheeky little shit in the span of three minutes?” 

A shrug. “Natural gift, I suppose.” 

“C’mere,” Tony held open his arms.

Peter hesitated for just a moment. Tony didn’t move, though, just waited for what decision Peter would make. Finally, the younger man scooted over on the couch and let himself be enveloped into Tony’s warmth. The embrace was comforting, and felt so familiar despite this being the first time they’d been like this. 

“I’m willing to try if you are,” Tony whispered. 

Taking a moment to think about it (something that MJ would be proud of him for, he was sure), Peter nodded. “I really like you, Tony, more than I probably should.” He rubbed his finger over the stitching of the pocket opening on Tony’s jeans. 

“You said you’d had a crush on me as a kid, yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Peter agreed. “I didn’t really know or understand who you were when you were just Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries. I heard about you from time to time, mostly Ben or May shaking their heads about some new weapon or scandal. Sorry,” he added. 

Tony snorted. “They weren’t wrong.” 

Peter hummed. “But once Iron Man existed, well, you were a real life superhero. I was eight, that was the coolest thing ever for me.” 

“Jesus, eight,” Tony groaned. 

“Don’t make it weird!” Peter gently shoved his elbow into Tony’s ribs in warning. 

“It’s already weird.” 

“True.” 

There was silence for a few moments. “So, how did it feel to come home and find me sitting in your living room? 

“Oh, man,” Peter giggled. “Pretty sure my stomach dropped to the floor, and then you took me to my room and shut the door,” Peter turned to look at the man. “My fourteen year old, recently-discovered-pornhub brain nearly exploded.” 

Peter shook with Tony’s laughter, smiling at the reaction to what was once such an embarrassing memory for him. He snuggled further into Tony, still a little stunned that he could. They both sat there, content in the quiet of the penthouse. After a while, Tony finally spoke. 

“We should go on a second date,” 

“We haven’t even gone on our first,” Peter laughed. 

Tony laughed, too. “First dates are always full of nervous energy and awkward conversations, but if we count tonight as our first date, then I can take you out and spoil you the way I want and we can call it our second date,” the man explained. “Then, all the first date jitters are solved! Plus, as you pointed out, it is Valentine’s Day and I got dessert.” 

Peter had to admit that was pretty sound logic, and Peter knew he was going to need all the help he could get on a date with Tony Stark. He would be awkward no matter what they called it, but thinking of it as a second date was helping to ease Peter’s mind already. Also, a first date of take out and a movie snuggled on the couch sounded perfect to him. “Okay, now hurry up and pick a movie.” 

Tony picked Empire Strikes Back. He wasn’t a genius for nothing, after all.

[nataliescatorccio]

A YEAR IN REVIEW: 2023 CREATIONS

Post your favorite and most popular post from each month this year (it’s okay to skip months).

Tagged by @katherines, @laylakeating, @crowley-anthony, @capinejghafa & @mangeur-detoiles thank you all for tagging me, this is one of my favourite end-of-year tag games as it's so nice to be able to reflect on everything for the year!

Also yes, I will be cheating because I am indecisive, so I'm doing more of a 'top 3' than one favorite.

JANUARY MOST POPULAR: technically: polls shitpost edit (7.1k) but gifset wise: wednesday + gay text posts (2.7k) FAVORITE(S): celebration: morgana pendragon, celebration: stranger things, celebration: kanthony

FEBRUARY MOST POPULAR: sure joel (5.2k) FAVORITE(S): bill and frank, celebration: yennefer, celebration: isabelle lightwood

MARCH MOST POPULAR: kanej and their armour (11.7k) FAVORITE(S): celebration: ronance, celebration: wednesday, ellie & riley

APRIL MOST POPULAR: jesper and inej deleted scene (3.8k )FAVORITE(S): select a crow, kanej: favorite quotes, kanej: favorite object

MAY MOST POPULAR: sideblog: danielle & calahan (3.3k) main: yellowjackets pilot vs s2 finale (2.8k) FAVORITE(S): crows as crows, yellowjackets: then and now, yellowjackets: the wilderness chose

JUNE MOST POPULAR: ciri and jaskier watch yenralt (4.7k) FAVORITE(S): yennefer the enchantress, the witcher: volume i, yennefer in 'turn your back'

JULY MOST POPULAR: jaskier and ciri's cut scene (4.1k) FAVORITE(S): celebration: yenralt, jackie and shauna, damon and rhaneyra parallels

AUGUST MOST POPULAR: red white and loyal blue letterboxd reviews (10.8k) FAVORITE(S): heartstopper representation, celebration: yennefer, an angel and a demon

SEPTEMBER MOST POPULAR: sideblog: barbie as barbies (2.5k) main: geraskefer incorrect quote (2.2k) FAVORITE(S): choose a yellowjacket, natalie scatorccio, yennefer in shaerrawedd

OCTOBER MOST POPULAR: ed and stede: dream become reality (6.9k) FAVORITE(S): celebration: bridgerton, yennefer in reunion, ed and stede: i love

NOVEMBER MOST POPULAR: sideblog: lucy gray baird (1k) main: jaskier incorrect quote (0.7k) FAVORITE(S): celebration: ed and stede, celebration: yennefer and tissaia, edward 'babygirl' teach

DECEMBER MOST POPULAR: persassy jackson (12.7k) FAVORITE(S): netflix's six of crows, celebration: kanej, favorite crows scene

tagging (if you feel up for it!): @ughmerlin, @usershelby, @ivashkovadrian, @zoya-nazyalenskys, @seance, @natscatorrcio @fadeintoyou1993, @ayoedebiris, @saws2004, @morgana-pendragon

[jtl-fics]

Pretty boy please!

WIP Wednesday 12-27-23 (Closed) | Pretty Boy

"Neil said that I could get some practice in." Aaron says before Andrew could develop the headache he felt coming from Neil's logic. "He said 'It didn't matter if I messed up on him'." Aaron holds his hands up to do air quotes around the statement.

"And you agreed?" Andrew asks angriliy.

"Andrew, why are you mad?" Neil asks and the confusion only makes Andrew feel more angry. "It's better if he messes up on me than when it actually matters." he says.

"Why wouldn't it matter?" Andrew hisses and Aaron, wisely, slinks away in this moment.

< PREV | FIRST | NEXT >

[gladstones-corner]

Charms, Talismans, and Amulets

I mentioned in a recent post that I'm putting together a ritual. It's mostly finished now, and will probably take close to an hour in its entirety. Half that time will be spent constructing a charm--specifically, a talisman plus an amulet.

Given that charms as a topic are extremely variable and highly personal, I figured I'd keep it simple and discuss just talismans and amulets.

Let's start with some definitions. Everyone will have a different opinion. Personally, I'll quote David Rankine to start with:

"An amulet is a protective charm and works through repulsion to protect the bearer from specific forces or events. A talisman is a charm of attraction used to attract specific energies to enhance a specific aspect of the bearer’s situation."

I like to think of it in very simple terms: amulets repel, talismans attract.

Despite their fundamental difference, both construction processes are usually close to identical--and if we're being honest, it's a general pattern for most spell craft.

Those of you familiar with my blog know that I love rituals with verbal, somatic, and material components. In the case of the amulet or talisman, these are all self-contained in the intention, creation, and physical item.

Creating an intention is another post, so I'll skip directly to the process of making a talisman. This particular method is loosely based on the process detailed in Modern Magick by Donald Kraig.

You should start with a fresh sheet of paper of some kind. Some will tell you it needs to be certain types of paper; if you're really worried about residual energies then go for un-recycled paper. That's all you need to do.

From this, cut a 2x4 inch rectangle and fold it in half width-wise to get four squares. These are the faces of your talisman.

Now, what goes on it? I like to start with a sigil made from the intention that I set. That's typically on an inner face.

On the other inner face are symbols chosen that represent the intention, or even names of deities that could help achieve the intention.

On the front outer face, I'll usually put the planetary seal that's most closely associated with that intention.

On the back outer face, I typically write "As is my will, So mote it be" in Spanish (because I'm part Mexican), Greek (because I'm Hellenic Polytheist) or Latin (because I just think it's neat).

Of course, this isn't set in stone. Sometimes I put the sigils on the outer faces and the planetary seals on the inner ones. Sometimes I have two planetary seals. It all depends.

Here's where it really becomes personal opinion. I like to plan talismans and amulets whenever, but I like to create and charge them during specific planetary days, planetary hours, and moon phases.

For example, an amulet to protect me while driving would have the Seal of Mercury, a sigil with the correct intention, some symbols representing safe travel, and the magical phrase.

I'd create it during the first waning phase after a full moon on a Wednesday during the first or eighth planetary hour. I'd then hang it by a orange cord on my rearview mirror.

Complicated, right? It certainly can be. But you can really put whatever you choose on the amulet or talisman, and charge it whenever. I just like having the rules.

Hope this helps! Blessed be~

[pb-dot]

WIP Wednesday: Meet my new protagonist

So, in these days leading up to November I've spent some time trying to capture my vague and ephemeral plans for the unnamed horror project I really should settle on a title for one of these days. I still have a ways to go, but I figured it was time to talk a little bit about the poor sap who's going to go through my made-to-order horrors. Well, I say poor sap, but the fact of the matter is that our hero is a bit of a bastard in some respects.

Oscar H. Skerry would never dare to call himself an expert on art, but he will also be dead in the ground before he concedes that anyone on god's green earth knows more about art he likes than he does. From his home in San Franscisco, he has made a modest but sustained success as an art critic, paying the bills by a series of freelance consultant gigs, mostly for "particularly daft multi-millionaires looking to get some art into their portfolios," to quote the man himself.

While he may make a living advising people he has nothing but contempt for make what could be argued to be wise investment decisions, it is far from Oscar's passion. You're unlikely to hear him talk about his true passion unless he deems you to be of considerable intellect or in a position to further his goals, though. It's not a secret, exactly, but Oscar considers it "need-to-know information."

In short, Oscar is captivated by the work of one Tomasz Gildebrant, a reclusive artist who made his name with his unique visual style, other art critics than Oscar has called it "pleasantly unpleasant" or "containing angles and strokes evocative of the nightmare," and an unflinching dedication to his reclusivity that has him placed in the category of "outsider art" because nobody can figure out enough about him to put him anywhere else. Oscar believes himself to be the one to write the definitive, defining work on Gildebrant and form a thesis that'll open the art world's eyes fully to his beloved artist. So far it's not going very well, and Oscar is struggling to even explain why he likes the paintings.

Leaving the topic of Oscar's fascination for more biographical details. Oscar Henry Skerry was born to Linda and Harold Skerry in Rochester, MN on September 12th 1989. Oscar, named after his great-grandfather, had a childhood that was considered normal at the time, but that in retrospect probably contained more bullying than what's healthy. This bullying came to a peak in Oscar's early teens, around the time Oscar realized he was queer. Unfortunately for Oscar's tormentors, he also realized he wasn't going to take it on the chin anymore. Oscar grew into somewhat of a problem child as his many fights and waning interest in academia saw his grades decline.

Art became somewhat of a salvation for young mr. Skerry, as his sympathetic if not somewhat willfully ignorant parents, encouraged him to explore his artistic side as a possible outlet for what they percieved to be baseless aggression. Although Oscar did take to the creation of art, he seemed to rapidly change his mind through high school and towards college. Oscar is tight-lipped on this part of his life, but may be plied to confess that this was the time he saw his first Gildebrant painting, and have since been striving to understand the experience and the feelings this awoke in him.

So that's Oscar in a nutshell. He's not as fleshed out as I want him to be when all of this is done, but then again I'm planning to pants a lot of the finer detail since that worked pretty well with Clockwork Boy. Expect many ask prompts and tag your OC posts about this boy, the target of his obsession, and Mara, his bitchy-but-wise frenemy with benefits.

[conjcosby]

Stardate: 2023.5.17 ▫ This one was said by me. Hope it's good. 😊🙏

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsWCv10sv3H/?igshid=YzcyNDA0Yzg3NA==

[vlad-theimplier]

WIP Wednesday: Custos Custodium

Have some Jensen-Pritchard snark! I ripped ShadowChild's entrance out of the events of Breach because a) she's cool, and I wanted her to pop up more than once; b) I needed to set up an augmentation trick anyway; c) I was already repurposing Breach; and d) see above Jensen¬Pritchard vibes. (That's the formal-logic NOT operator, FYI--seems more apropos than an ampersand.) Read the whole thing at https://archiveofourown.org/works/55686901/chapters/141357007

“Francis. What’ve I done to deserve this?”

“Good evening, Jensen. How’s Prague? I hope I’m not interrupting your busy schedule of brooding and kicking down doors.”

He took a slug of the new beer before responding. “How’d you know where I am?”

“I know you like to think you’re off the grid these days, but you do realize there’s a record when you use your credit chip or have a package sent to your apartment—nice slippers, I must say—and Interpol’s HR database is not their best-kept secret. Plus, I calibrated your systems. Every time you call or text, your infolink is broadcasting your position as well as your words. To me, at least.”

Jensen felt a muscle jump in his jaw. “So, you call just to chat, or…?”

“Six months ago, when the rest of the world thought you were dead and I helped you get back on your feet, I seemed to recall you saying, and I quote here, ‘I really owe you one, Pritchard.’” He forced his voice low and raspy.

Jensen rolled his eyes at the caricature. “I don’t recall saying it quite like that.” But he couldn’t deny that Pritchard had come through for him in a tight spot—and not just logistically. His chat with Sarif could have gone much worse without Pritchard’s righteous anger backing him up, and he might not have ever gotten mixed up with the Task Force or the Collective without that clearing of the air. Plus, almost anything would be better than stewing in his own aimless misery for a week. So he listened.

“Well, it just so happens there’s something in Prague that I need your help with. Tonight.”

No surprise. He took another swallow of beer. “Kinda busy.”

“Investigating TF29, I know. But if you help me with this, we’re even, I promise.”

“Fascinating. Still busy.”

“Come on, Jensen. You dropped in on me out of the blue with a depressed stranger, and I fed you, clothed you, put you up, patched things up with Sarif—”

“Sort of.”

“Okay, well, he paid you without making you sign anything. How much more did you want? Anyway, then I got you in the Collective’s good graces and helped you save your new cop buddies from a grisly and embarrassing death on that train. And let us not forget that, if not for my wise and thoughtful counsel, Faridah would have found out from someone else that you were back from the dead and promptly re-interred you.”

Jensen grunted.

“And through all of that, did I ever complain?”

“Yes. Loudly, if I recall.”

“Ugh. Well, be that as it may, I really think you’re overlooking a prime opportunity to do your two favorite things.”

He wondered what Pritchard thought those were. He wondered what he thought, himself. “Do tell.”

“Brooding and kicking in doors, of course. You get to brood over my onerous request, clearly so out-of-proportion to helping you extricate yourself from the rubble of your old life and get started on a new one.”

“Hah. What about the doors?”

“To a police station—a satellite location in Ver—uh, Verso-vise.”

Jensen sighed. “It’s pronounced Vr-sho-vi-tse, and we call them ‘precincts.’ You forget I’m a cop myself? I can’t just go busting down the door of the station.”

“I seem to recall you doing exactly that, back in Detroit. And besides, it’s for a good cause.”

Pritchard had him there, damn him. “Christ. Fine. What’s the cause?”

“A friend of mine was helping me with some research when she went dark. Based on what I’ve managed to access of the police files—surprisingly well-encrypted, by the by—they picked her up and took her to this ‘precinct’ of yours. But not officially.”

“No booking records? No charges filed?”

“Yes, those things. None of those. So you see why I’m worried.”

“This friend of yours.” Jensen put his credit chip down on the bar and twitched his head at the bartender. “She Augmented?”

“Precisely.”

“A hacker?”

“One of the best. Not as good as I am, of course, but very much in my league.”

“Of course. She got a name?”

“On the darknet, she goes by ‘ShadowChild.’ I don’t know her real name, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Jensen paid, stood, and collected his coat. “‘ShadowChild’? Jesus. So you want me to cross town, break into a police station, and break out an Augmented woman whose real name I don’t know before she gets disappeared by the PČR into Golem City?”

“Pretty much.”

“You know what she looks like, at least?”

“Um… her avatar is a stylized domino mask. Here.”

An image popped up in Jensen’s link of two blocky chevrons connected at the tips, like a pair of arrowheads. The left was black; the right, white. It didn’t look much like a mask to him. It was captioned “Shadow(hild,” with a parenthesis. Of course. “And this is supposed to help me… how?” he asked. He shouldered his way out the door as Pritchard stammered a non-reply.

Jensen exhaled in frustration and dug out a cigarette, shielding it from the wind that skirled between the old buildings and whipped his coat around his knees. “Fine. Forget it. Who needs intel anyway?” He cut the call on Pritchard’s indignant sputters and stalked into the night, trailing a plume of smoke.

[enchantingepics]

Note #2

It's truly a comforting experience to connect with someone who resonates with the shared journey of navigating the complexities of one's twenties. The understanding that there are others grappling with similar thoughts about life creates a sense of camaraderie that transcends the challenges of this transformative period. I genuinely wish for your day to be filled with positivity and moments of joy. It's crucial to acknowledge and internalize that your presence and efforts are genuinely appreciated. In the midst of life's twists and turns, having this connection serves as a reminder that you're not alone on this path. May you find strength in the shared experiences and continue to embrace the growth and learning that this phase offers. Your journey is unique, yet the threads of commonality woven through our stories make the tapestry of life all the more beautiful. Here's to navigating the exciting and sometimes daunting adventure that is the twenties – with shared understanding and heartfelt appreciation.

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (19-25 Nov 2023)

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

🥰 Old Town Road (Singles series) (Chris Molanphy) - Part of Duke University Press' series Singles, chart geek/music historian Chris Molanphy dives deep into "Old Town Road" which he describes as a 'one of one' phenomenon. To quote the book blub, which sums it up nicely: Molanphy shows how “Old Town Road” channeled decades of Americana to point the way toward our cultural future. Fairly short and incredibly readable.

🥰 Ordinary Numbers (BootsnBlossoms, Kryptaria) - 44K, canon-divergent meeting for 00Q

🥰 The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh (Society of Gentlemen #0.5) (KJ Charles, author; , narrator) - short story, kicking off KJC's incredible romance series set in during the Regency and political unrest around the time of the Peterloo massacre

😍 [Podfic] Mr Webster's Wager (fahye, author; HowOldAreWe, narrator) - 29K, very slight canon-divergent expansion of The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh, expanding on Francis & Ash getting together - so well done I almost consider it a part of the series, at least for my own rereads - this is a really great podfic of it!

😍 A Fashionable Indulgence (Society of Gentlemen #1) (KJ Charles, author; Matthew Lloyd Davies, narrator) - exquisite Julian finds purpose and love transforming young radical Harry into a gentleman. Plus there's the Peterloo massacre and personal murder plots

😍 A Seditious Affair (Society of Gentlemen #2) (KJ Charles, author; Matthew Lloyd Davies, narrator) - Tory/Radical romance with some incredible digging in to what it means to be a man of principle ('Wednesday by Wednesday, I have loved you')

💖💖 +75K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

Art Nouveau (voluptuous_panic) - MCU: shrunkyclunks, 12K - reread, forever fave - Cap!Steve has a disastrous first date at a hipster cider bar but luckily the hot, tattooed bartender is there to distract him. Short & very, very hot.

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Hot Ones - Melissa McCarthy

Screen Rant - Siobhan Thompson Talks Dimension 20 Burrow's End & Fantasy High Junior Year

Screen Rant - Brennan Lee Mulligan Talks Dimension 20 Burrow's End & Fantasy High: Junior Year

QI - series S, ep 1

Dirty Laundry - s3, e6

D20: Burrow's End - "Five" (s20, e8)

D20: Adventuring Party - "Everything, Every Stoat, All at Once" (s15, e8)

D20: Fantasy High: Freshman Year - e1-10

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

What Next: TBD - Bedbugs Are Back, Baby!

⭐ Endless Thread - The Grand Can-Spiracy

Song Exploder - Paramore "Liar"

⭐ Hit Parade - Ride ’til I Can’t No More Edition

⭐ Hit Parade - The Bridge: Can’t Tell Me Nothin’

Shedunnit - Death at the Club

You're Dead to Me - Shakespeare

Desert Island Discs - Patrick Grant, designer and broadcaster

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - A Gaga Tour of the Town

Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Julia Gets Wise with Carol Burnett

NPR's Book of the Day - Jamie Loftus' 'Raw Dog' investigates the social and culinary history of the hot dog

Cautionary Tales - Photographing Fairies

Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Julia Gets Wise with Isabel Allende

What Next: TBD - Inside OpenAI's Implosion

The Allusionist - 185. Gems and Patties

Cautionary Tales - The Art Forger, the Nazi, and "The Pope"

Today, Explained - How Cassie sued Diddy

99% Invisible #561 - Long Strange Tape

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

One Year - 1990: Pizzastroika

Ologies with Alie Ward - Abstract Mathematology (UH, IS MATH REAL?) with Eugenia Cheng

⭐ Off Menu - Ep 215: Paul Rudd

⭐ Pop Culture Happy Hour - Rethinking Killers Of The Flower Moon

NPR's Book of the Day - In 'Blackouts,' Justin Torres shines a light on silenced LGBTQ history

What Next: TBD - Where Scams Are Born

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

Rockstar [Dolly Parton] {2023}

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Vols 1 & 2 [Ray Charles] {1962}

Presenting Massive Attack

Presenting Nine Inch Nails

New Blue Sun [André 3000] {2023}

[depressedstressedlemonzest]

Weekly Tag Wednesday! (actually on Wednesday)

It's that time again! Time for another round of Weekly tag Wednesday!! Today is all about music, food and fics!

Thank you @rayrayor @ian-galagher @mybrainismelted @lingy910y @energievie @creepkinginc@jrooc for the tags!

🔤 Name: Lem

🎶 Last song you listened to: La Vie En Rose sung by Emily Watts

🎵 Artist on Spotify giving you the feels : Can't really think of one.

👯‍♂️ Fave Blorbo Moment:

Sidenote when I googled "mickey getting franny a gun I got half shameless half disney results

🍟 Your guilty pleasure snack: Brownie batter. Everything all mixed in, then just not baking it.

🌮 What food are you craving today: charlies. Basically chili cheese fries from this drive thru from my mom's home town called Dairy King. We were able to try them before the place closed, but it's been a few years, and the family's recipe isn't the one the new restaurant has.

📖 Last fanfic tab you opened

If He's The Moon, I'm Eclipsed by Myfavoritesweater

🖌️ Favorite fic project you've created: God that's hard. Maybe The Upside? It's pretty challenging accuracy wise because I want proper disability rep and I have to be careful and consult people with the same abilities and limitations that Ian has.

👩🏼‍🎤 Next tattoo you want (or would consider if you're not a tattoo person): Different pansies and plants representing Good Omens and alpha centuri plus the "To The World" quote. Is the first one I have planned, and an appointment in January (@suzy-queued I keep meaning to update you with the appointment lol)

But since seeing the finale of OFMD I want to get a quote from Izzy, plus something significant botanical wise to fit my theme. But the quote it: It’s about belonging to something when the world has told you you’re nothing. It’s about finding the family to kill for when yours are long dead. 

🧐🆓 What's living in your head rent free this week

That this will be my third weekend in a row off and how fucking nice it is and i need to enjoy it because the next weekend is back to work every other. LAAAMe

Tagging @witchboywitchboywitchboy @suzy-queued @scurvgirl @m4ndysk4nkovich @flamingbluepanda and @mikhailoisbaby

[thequeenofthewinter]

Work-In-Progress Wednesday

Hi, it's me. I wrote some words, and I would like to share them with you.

This is a bit of a longer WIP Wednesday because I couldn't resist sharing just a bit more of what is happening here. @oblivions-dawn @blossom-adventures @sneaksandsweets @rose-like-the-phoenix @skyrim-forever @tallmatcha @nerevar-quote-and-star. As always, no pressure to share, and if I didn't tag you, it isn't because I don't love you, but rather I probably don't want to "bother" you by relentlessly tagging you every week when I do this . <3

“I think I have a plan which would benefit all of us.” Ulfric states as he picks up a cup of Black-Briar Reserve and sniffs at it carefully before putting it back down in favor of regular Nord mead. He wouldn’t be caught dead drinking anything that backstabbing Imperial sympathizer produced even while she is currently rotting away in a jail cell.

“And that would be?” Laila has known Ulfric for a long time and is aware of his love of the dramatic. He won’t tell her anything if she doesn’t prompt him further. Some call it charming—she thinks it’s irritating.

“We would like to rebuild Helgen.” He states with perfectly-practiced nonchalance. He doesn’t even offer up any additional details. That will all come in good time, and this is just another day at work for him. 

Laila’s eyes widen, and she lays her utensils on the table, forgetting her meal. This is not at all what she had expected from him. “Rebuild Helgen? How are you doing to manage that? Especially with all the septims it will take to rebuild what was lost in the Civil War and what will eventually come with—”

“You misunderstand me, Laila. We are going to rebuild Helgen. Together.”

Dahlia pats a cloth napkin to her lips before taking a sip of her watered-down wine. “That’s what I told him when he first told me what he was thinking of doing.” She laughs and throws Ulfric a teasing smile. “I still have some trinkets and treasures stashed away from when I was crawling through Nordic ruins on my quest to defeat Alduin. I believe that should at least get things started.”

Ulfric nods at her to continue. They practiced this all the way during their journey to Riften. She knows what part she plays here. After all, she was the one who had the idea in the first place.

Dahlia leans forward on one elbow, taking a relaxed position—as if she were talking to a friend and not the governor of one of Skyrim’s Holds. “This won’t only benefit us, but rather the whole of the country. The first part of our plan is to move supplies to Riften and through Lake Honrich. It will bring tradesmen and skilled workers through the city, and perhaps we might even be able to spare some of the labor to fix up the Docks. Maybe get them running again at full capacity? It would be as good for you as it would be for us.”

“I’m listening.” Laila chews on the lip in thought. She isn’t as dumb as people would believe her to be, and she doesn’t follow anyone blindly; however, she can see where they’re going with this. And what they’re going to want in return. It’s actually a brilliant plan.

“Rebuilding Helgen would not only bring in those workers, but also reestablish lost trade routes.” Ulfric finishes. “It would make the Rift a more desirable location to live in and work from. Not only that, but it would also provide new homes for those who have been affected by the dragon attacks or lost their properties and lands. It’s about hope. Skyrim will be rebuilt from the ashes, and a new dawn is upon us. Don't you wish to be a part of that?”

It doesn’t escape Laila that those ashes are partially of his own creation, but she bites her tongue. It wouldn’t be wise to bring that up now no matter how true that statement is. “And I suppose in return for all of this, you get an endorsement for the Moot?”

Ulfric leans back in his chair, his face sculpted into careful neutrality. “If that is what you think, we would gladly accept.”

And just like that, Laila has been caught in their plan. What is she going to tell them? No? She looks between the two of them, impressed with what they have accomplished together in such a short time. Perhaps she should let the rest of her reservations go. 

Turning her head to the Dragonborn, Laila takes the measure of her. If there would be anyone that could temper Ulfric’s bearlike fire, it would be a dragon, of course. As much as she has heard of the legends, rumors, and myths surrounding the Dragonborn, she has not had the pleasure of meeting her face-to-face until now.

At a first glance, she appears unassuming. Dressed in a deep azure velvet, she would seem to be as any other wife of any other Jarl: polished, pampered, and privileged. However, there is a sharpness behind her gaze, glinting steel and modest intelligence. It hides underneath her exterior, making her seem wholly ordinary—disarming even, which is probably their intention. Ulfric is the sword; Dahlia is the honey. Perhaps, they would make good rulers for Skyrim after all. At the very least, they would be better than Elisif.

Her decision has been made for her.

[zmediaoutlet]

hello liz!! happy wincest wednesday!! can you do a director's commentary on the constant vow? like what inspired it, how the story changed along the way, what you had to leave out, stuff like that?

helloooooo happy wincest wednesday, and we shall all politely ignore how many wednesdays ago this was sent [ 😓 ]. To slightly fuck up my most-quoted line from the West Wing: let's forget about the fact that I'm late to the party, and embrace the fact that I showed up at all!

Tricky q, though! It's a lot of just like... sheer volume of fic to comment on, haha. But I'll use your questions as a starting-off guide, and given that it is wincest wednesday (wincest week, wincest life), I'll keep that in mind. So --

what inspired it?

What inspired it was how I was reading like every single genderswap/sex curse/etc etc fic that had been written in fandom at the time -- the time being roughly when s8/9 was airing, so... like ten years ago, lol -- and noticing a trend, and also getting kind of increasingly annoyed at that trend. To wit: isn't Dean Winchester just the most terrible womanizing horndog, and doesn't he just really need to be narratively punished for his Crimes? The answer to both is... uh, no. Not at all. So: a fic, haha.

Fandom takes Dean's whole womanizing naughty boy thing as received wisdom a lot of the time and I find it completely bewildering. It's subverted in episode 2 (if you didn't notice it was a total act in episode 1). Like... hello. Use your eyes and ears, friends. But what's more interesting to me on that level is that Sam takes it as received wisdom, and while it's also tempting to ask Sam to use his eyes and ears it's a lot more excusable for him to be confused about that whole... thing. Dean performs it very well in public -- and tbf, he does fuck! Not like he's not getting tail -- but womanizer is a very particular kind of pejorative and one I pretty roundly reject (for interesting and good reasons I'm right about that I've gone into elsewhere). But so many of those fics had both the flawed womanizer assumption at the heart and also a Sam who tended to buy it, even if justice was asserted by the end, and it was just driving me slightly nuts, lol. And because the only reason I ever write a fic is because I want to read the one I actually want, it went on the list. To be very eventually written, haha.

(more babbling below the cut)

how the story changed along the way

Things I always knew: I wanted the witch to be stupid/bad at magic, because I was also getting tired of Oh So Wise Arch Bitch Witches who somehow manage to laser-focus a punishment spell. (Can you guess that I found Rowena tiresome, lol.) I always knew I wanted it to be a reset every day for a month for the iterative game of 'there's no getting away from this, we have to keep having sex, and how will the relationship evolve as we do?' I always knew I wanted it to be a True Love game, a) because it's a classic of the genre but also b) because it'd be fun to see them circling that inevitable conclusion, especially given that c) I wanted Bobby to have to try. Just to be mean to Dean, basically. :)

That said: in the ten years of contemplation I really went back and forth on the setting being s2 or s7. I knew all along that I wanted it to be true first time, i.e. neither of them had any secretly pining wincest wants (beyond what's true of their codependency in canon), and for it to be a slow coming together over the course of the curse. s2 first time is one of my favorites because of the seismic effect John's loss has on their relationship; s7 is one of my favorites because of the weird sense of true freedom they've got, when Sam's mind is back in place and he's all whole and he's still standing right next to Dean, exactly where he wants to be. (Gah!) But what I realized is that s2 was just... too early. They're babies, still untested. If the story's about True Love then... I'm just not interested in their early-seasons True Love, frankly. It's nice, it's intense, but it lacks the tempering of real tests that'll come in s4/5/6. There's a reason I'm a mid-seasons girlie.

Of course, then I realized it was better to shift it back a little more to the second half of s6. You still get most of the revelatory pleasure of s7's unspoken We Choose To Stay vibes, but without the added complication of Lucifer talking to Sam throughout (did not want his color commentary on Dean's pussy of the day), or the Leviathan plot ramping up. Eve's just out there doing her thing in late s6; it provides a nice narrative breather. Not that they realize it, haha.

what i had to leave out

Very little, actually. Over 120k of decompressed sexy navel gazing you can cram in a lot of stuff, lol. But one thing that did keep coming up and I kept very deliberately cutting right up to the edge of it so you could see the shape but not the thing itself: gay/bi Dean.

Obviously it does come up, with Sam's very careful questioning that starts in the cabin -- Dean dropping hints himself; Sam having little fireworks going off in his brain. I think in those OKC conversations it's a little more bald, in a way that I think/hope was appropriate for that stage in the relationship -- once you've slept with someone like 28 times it's reasonable to ask more about their background, I guess.

Given, though, that a lot of the fic is circling around the concept of Dean-as-object, I really wanted to keep some opacity in him. Some little bit of mental privacy, especially with how he's being cracked open physically. I hope that in all that's not being said there's a lot of room for all kinds of history, stuff Sam might learn more about (or not!) as they continue. Obviously prostitution was part of it, but to what extent? Did he hook up with guys just because he wanted to? (Was Dean/John ever a thing?) All stuff that the fic needs to be aware of, e.g. in how it informs how he does not want to open that door with Cas, but that doesn't need to actually be on screen.

Oh, I also left out period sex and pregnancy kink. Both wildly tempting but would've dragged the fic to yet another place.

random this-fic trivia

I had no idea how the curse was going to get solved until the day I wrote that it was going to be solved in 'two parts' and went, oh fuck. Now I gotta come up with the two parts.

I initially hated Denise and then she became my bestie. She makes really good lasagna. :/

In a lot of ways the most important part of the whole 120k is the line Dean has about saying that even the cure is stupid -- because he loves Sam, and loves making him feel good, and so what's good for Sam is good for Dean, so how do you differentiate? Sam and Dean are both bibros, news at 11.

For me the sexiest part of the fic by far is one of the middle nights at the cabin where Sam wakes Dean up in the early morning to be fucked and then is just playing with his body after, wide-awake while Dean's sleepy, vaguely possessive and smug. It's just a good look on them both.

Not-on-screen headcanon from me: Dean was treating it like prostitution even through the first 'date' where Sam asked him not to, and it wasn't until Sam tried to kiss him at the beginning of ch5 that the careful mental shield of it being a 'job' cracked, and never repaired. No going back, at that point (even if he had another mini-crisis over the blowjob, later).

Future headcanon for the fic: Dean is way less shy about showing Sam his lingerie kink. In contrast, Sam develops an almost-crippling breeding kink. (Dean is delighted when he finally figures out why Sam's acting so weird.)