#woven vs non-woven

[priyasinghi]

Choosing the Right Interlining Fabric

Level up your sewing skills! This guide unlocks the secrets of interlining fabric - woven vs non-woven, fusible vs sew-in, & more. Discover perfect interlining for jackets, dresses, bags & more! Easy to understand, for all skill levels.

[shankar2023]

Is Geotextile Fabric the Same as Landscape Fabric?

Shankar Packaging provides details on Geotextile Fabric vs Landscape Fabric. Geotextile fabric and landscape fabric have similar properties but both are different. Geotextile is used in various construction and engineering applications. For More Information visit our blog!

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

[Series]: Man is a Blazing Star

cw. manga spoilers!!!, canon divergent, fem reader (afab), strangers to lovers, character death, reincarnation pairing. makima x reader series summary. You were an unlikely pair, you and your partner with the Devil Hunters. You likened yourselves work associates, ones who could work with each other well enough to get the job done. As it turns out, you were Hikoboshi and Orihime and your fates were woven tightly in the Weaver Princess' dress. notes. dividers by @/cafekitsune

Man is the Breast, Heaven is the Playground

cw. 18+, pre-canon, manga spoilers, loss of virginity, top!reader, bottom!makima

summary. You might be the only one in your division not utterly smitten with your partner, Makima. Call it disinterest, call it being observant that her smiles never reach her eyes. Either way, you have no interest in bridging the gap between you both. But one day, an attempt is made, and it isn’t by you.

A Blazing Star Sought Refuge in my Chest

cw. established relationship, manga spoilers, canon-typical violence, character death, reincarnation

summary. Your contract was simpleー the Control Devil would not use her powers on you, you just needed to stay with her forever.

織姫

cw. established relationship, manga spoilers, canon-typical violence, reincarnation, dissociation, aged-up characters, non-linear storytelling

summary. “Do you want to protect Nayuta? Then follow two rules ーStay away from major cities and don’t join the Public Safety Devil Hunters.” You're 19 years old when you technically break only one of Kishibe's rules.

Misc.

Makima's Perception of OG!Reader: Strong Emotions vs Control

Makima's jealousy of Himeno

Makima Character Study

Makima's POV: MitB,HitP

Makima and OG!Reader's marriage

What happened to Makima post-OG!Reader's death

Nayuta's Possessiveness

How Re!Reader and Nayuta learn of their previous lives

What if Denji raised Re!Reader and Nayuta

OG!Reader & Makima vs Re!Reader & Nayuta

Why Re!Reader kills Moe

Chainsaw Man Masterlist // Fandom Masterlist

[twig-tea]

Grand Guignol

Wanted to write down my thoughts on this movie because it was AWESOME and I don't want to forget lol. Non-spoilery thoughts above the cut and spoilers below it.

First of all, the colouring of this film is gorgeous. Everything is in dull greys and navy blues and cream, except for the red, and the red is throughout. There's red roses, red lighting, red ties, red viscera, and so, so, so much blood. It makes for a really stunning watch, to see this heightened red spurt and colour the white clothing of the protagonists, and on their faces.

The cinematography is also a lot of fun. So many dirty shots, where the creepy decorations of this school sit in the foreground and the characters having a conversation are left blurred in the background. Quick, hard cuts, so it's not clear whether something was real or not.

And I love the tension being around what is real vs what is fake rather than jump scares. The way cinema and pranks and voyeurism is woven into this plot to make everything more confusing is so well done; it puts us in the same situation as the characters stuck in this school with no clear sense of what's happening or why.

Most of all this was just fun. It was a wild ride where gross, gory, discomforting, messy, and generally weird shit happened constantly lol and I really, really enjoyed the experience.

Cutting here because I couldn't help but spoil from here on out.

I also really love the subtext of the show re: queer as monstrous. There is a suggestion that at least two of these characters were sent to this school abandoned by their families in order to be sacrificed because they are gay, or queer in some sense. The other characters have stories about doing physical harm to those around them, but at the least for Kenta, it's implied that whatever is going on with him and dressing femme--i won't assume--is what got him sent here (this is early in the film so I'm not counting it as a spoiler).

I had to laugh at the excessive lube; Japan's lube game is always incredible. We never get a normal amount of lube in a Japanese BL, and I live for it.

Also really enjoyed the cannibalism subtext! Cannibalism is always such an interesting theme in horror because it's such a taboo. This felt very Rocky Horror-like with the constant viscera shots and the open questions on characters' faces about where it came from.

The message in this film was so fascinating. Normally we get the trope of 'you have to defeat yourself ' as a hero's journey to get past self-doubt in order to win. In this case, Itsuki tells us he was forced to participate in...it's not entirely clear, bullying and mutilation at the least. He seems traumatized by the experience, and it's not clear how much damage he did on his own. But by the end of the film, after the teacher gave him the gun and told him to defeat himself, he manages to move through whatever was holding him back, and he fully embraces doing violence to others. He kisses Teshio, when he was surprised by/recoils from the kiss from Kenta. He laughs, glories in, is freed by the way he mutilated Teshio's corpse, and flashes back to his memory of when he was "forced" to hurt his classmate in his old school, but this time he's similarly elated. He had some initial reaction to seeing Kenta in a dress and wig--Shinji wondered if he wanted to wear it himself--and after the cult dresses him in heels, a dress, and wig, he does not remove them even after he's free and limping in the heels to drag along that sledgehammer. In this case, the hero's journey is one to freedom from moral constraints, allowing in the monstrous--both murderous and queer--parts of Itsuki to overcome any fear or self-hate or physical limitations, and to be victorious. And then we get the final scene, with the uncertainty as to whether the entire film has been a play, whether the play is in Itsuki's mind, or whether it's a metaphor for the audience to represent what happens. I think the uncertainty is the point. The entire film has been messing with our ability to tell what's real and what's fake, and maybe in the end it doesn't matter. Itsuki is dead; whether metaphorically because he's mentally snapped, or literally because he's killed himself, or because the whole thing was a metaphor and he's embraced his weirdness and joined this weird club and found acceptance in this group that puts on horror plays...the Itsuki who was traumatized and terrified of himself is gone by the end of the film, he's defeated the enemy within. I loved that.

And there's something in this film about how it gets us to be interested in this weird friend group before it starts killing them off for the sake of... entertainment, a ritual, to free their parents of the embarrassment, it's not entirely clear which. But there's something implicit in the morality here that these characters are humanized before they're demonized, and that we are set up to see the ritual as cruel and the level of violence as undeserved. This part reminded me of Gang of Cherry; these kids are fucked up, and cruel, and weird, but don't deserve the even more fucked up and cruel situation they're in, which in turn makes them even more fucked up and cruel, until it's a twisted version of enlightenment, when all you are is cruel and fucked up, and delighting in the purity of the emotion.

Anyway that's way too much navel-gazing for what is essentially 1.5 hours of intentionally bad blood-spraying camp and actors who didn't kiss in their BLs kissing in this. Big fan.

If you want realism, sexiness (there is a sex scene but it is not what I would call sexy; it's intentionally discomforting/edged with tension), romance, or a happy ending in the traditional sense this is not for you. If you like campy horror, strategic cinematography, gratuitous gore, gratuitous tongues, being discomforted, psychological horror, and metaphors on metaphors, I think you'll enjoy.

[dotieeee]

The Dream That Got Away

Chapter 9

Pairing: Dark!Morpheus x You (no Y/N!)

This is a multi-chapter fic — Weekly updates (either Saturday or Sunday) because I found a rhythm of sorts lol

(The entire fic has been outlined, so I will see this to the end, you have my word)

**********************************************************

Link to the Masterlist

Overall Warnings!! Take heed:

Morpheus is DARK – in canon, he changes for the better (or at least, tries to – but we don’t do canon lol, so he goes even more batshit crazy) cue obsession, manipulation, possessiveness, powerplay

18+ ONLY – explicit scenes will be present, some explicit language

DUB-CON and NON-CON scenes

Character death (sort of)

Creator vs Creation drama

And other dark stuff that may be added in the future

This chapter’s warnings:

non-consensual kissing and touching

touch-starved Morpheus should be a warning of its own

mentions of gore

mentions of drug abuse

You have been warned!! Proceed with caution!!!

Link to the previous chapter

Chapter 9: Courtships with Deadlines

5 Days Until Deadline

You drape a thick, velvet blanket over your shoulders before you go out to the balcony and watch the night give birth to one of the most beautiful sunrises any creature could ever see in their lifetime.

But something has changed: not the beauty of the sunset, but the way you feel about it. You had for so many times looked at it with wonder in your eyes. Now, all it reminds you of is another day in the Kingdom with him: the all-powerful being who had woven your strings of fate and tied it with himself, not caring whether he suffocated you in the process. After he left the room, you never got a wink of sleep; you never even dared close your eyes, fearing he might suddenly pop into your room and force you once more into a vulnerable position. Not wanting to remember your master’s visit last night, you rub your face with your hands to force these thoughts away, suddenly wanting a cup or two of steaming hot coffee with loads of milk dumped in them.

Your mind wanders to the Sleep Doctor you had left in his dreams after a quick, impulsive kiss. Despite liking to take a lot of naps, he actually is an early riser, as you had discovered in your short time in the Waking with him. By now, he should be having the same milky cup of coffee, scrolling through the daily science bulletin on his iPad and muttering to himself as he read the articles, while his favorite cinnamon buns you had popped in the oven happily baked away.

You don’t want to admit it, but you sorely miss Ollie and his cheerful demeanor.

The sun has fully risen in the realm when Morwyn knocks on your door, bringing you a tray of breakfast consisting of your favorite pastries and coffee, prepared just the way you like it. You’re not particularly hungry, but after spotting a cinnamon roll, you contentedly dig in, wondering if Ollie had the same. You share the rest of the generous fare with her and use the opportunity to catch up with her after all these years. When the meal is over, she draws you a bath, then excuses herself, mumbling about preparing your outfit to “his liking.” You ignore the last thing she said, focusing instead on the sea of bubbles that relaxed every tense muscle in your body, savoring every time you have without the Dream Lord hounding your time and attention. Once you’ve dried yourself, you step out of the bathroom in a silken robe, thinking of donning your usual dress. To your surprise and consternation, you find Morwyn in the middle of admiring a blood-red, long-sleeved gown of the finest silk satin, decorated with tiny chunks of ruby around the waist. It’s a dress worthy of a princess.

Except you’re no princess.

“Morwyn, please tell me I’m not wearing that,” You say as you walk to the closet and yank the doors open, expecting to find the clothes you had seen the other day and hoping you get to choose the simplest garb you could find – the closet is empty.

Great. You can’t even choose your own clothes, now.

Unconsciously, you take a leaf after Ollie’s book and rub the back of your head.

“M’lady,” Morwyn calls, her voice slightly trembling, “The Dream King had instructed me to empty your closet and give you this,” she says holding the luxurious dress out. “He says he’d like to see you in it when you meet him later.”

Releasing a defeated sigh, you nod quietly at her and put it on, letting her fasten the ribbon at the back in front of the mirror. The dress feels stifling, and not just because it hugged every curve on your body.

Morwyn gives you a wide, encouraging smile, complimenting, “You look beautiful, m’lady.”

You look just as he intended, you tell yourself. You try to return the smile, hoping it didn’t come out as a constipated grimace.

“Thank you, Morwyn. Has Matthew come around, yet?” The Dream Lord’s words last night were anything but comforting, but he mentioned having his raven come to tell you when it’s time. But for what, exactly?

“Not yet, m’lady. Are you…okay? You look a little pale,” says Morwyn worriedly with her hand on her chin. “If you’d like, I can apply some rouge on your cheeks, doll you up even more?” she innocently suggests, muttering something about “a date” and “looking pretty for the King.”

You shake your head adamantly at the suggestion. No, you don’t want that spurring him on. Wanting to be alone, you say your ‘thank you’ to her and bid her farewell before proceeding to the uppermost part of the palace where your master had said he’ll meet you, hoping for at least a few moments of peace by yourself watching the view from up above.

Thankfully, the balcony is void of the Endless the moment you arrive, giving you time alone to admire the Dreaming Realm in a panoramic view you have never seen before. Your eyes can spot endless, unfamiliar territory and islands you’ve never been in from miles and miles away. Down below you could see the town square, busy as ever, with its tiny residents going about their morning tasks; everything in the Dreaming, right before your eyes – and all you could think of is Ollie.

Due to the events that followed your return, you had not had the opportunity to visit him in his dreams since you left. Your Dream Lord had just complicated things further by forbidding you to step out of his kingdom, making it even more difficult to sneak out and check Ollie's progress. How is he doing, you wonder? Is he sleeping too much due to his eagerness to find you a safe sanctuary away from your master? While you selfishly want him to continue doing so until he finds a solution, you don't want to keep him away from the Waking and living his own life - after all, he has his own dreams to fulfill, and you wouldn’t want to inconvenience him any further.

You need to help him find a way to free you so he can get his own life back, and you need to move faster.

With that in mind, you make a mental promise to visit his dreams as soon as the Dream King has gone away to attend to his duties.

A loud caw, followed by a shout of 'Lady Mera,' interrupts you from your musings. Matthew, the new raven, lands on the balcony railing, flapping his wings before tucking them in.

"I wish you'd stop calling me that," you chide him with a pout.

"I can't, you know how the boss is. He's a stickler to his rules," Matthew replies with a tilt of his head.

"Maybe you can drop the fancy title when he's not around, at least?" you suggest with an innocent smile, patting his head several times.

Leaning into your petting, he acquiesces, "Oh, alright. I never thought I'd enjoy being pet as a bird, you know. Why are you early, by the way? I was supposed to come get you as soon as he says so. Eager for the date, much?"

"This isn't a date," you're quick to correct him with a flat tone.

"Uh, it kind of is? I told him yesterday he needed to spend more time with you so he doesn't uh, intimidate you."

Might be too late for that, you note inwardly.

"You shouldn't have," you find yourself commenting with some truth behind your jesting tone, which earns a nervous chuckle from the raven.

"No, but, seriously though, aren't you and the boss, uh...a thing? You see, I've been meaning to ask, but he's mum about, you know,” he starts, obvious in his tone he’s hesitant to approach the matter. “Except he did tell me you’re his consort. Are you and him –”

“No,” you sharply reply, not liking his line of questioning. “Not yet, anyway,” you mumble.

“Ah, so that’s what the date is for, then,” he says, nodding to himself. “Can I ask you something else?”

“Yeah, sure. It wouldn’t hurt.”

“Do you… like it? Him, I mean?”

You bite your lip, not expecting Matthew’s question – for him, it was a telling gesture. “I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable. How come you don’t tell him?”

Chuckling humourlessly at his question, you answer, “We’re talking about your boss, here, Matthew. To him, any dissent warrants either an unmaking, a banishment, or a lifetime of nightmares: you take your pick.”

“Tell me about it! Did you know, he had an ex that he sent to – uh-oh .”

‘What is it?” you ask, recognizing the slight alarm in his tone.

“He’s calling for me, I think. I have to go. See you, my La – I mean, Mera!”

Before you could say your farewell, Matthew goes flying off into the horizon and dips below into one of the palace rooms and out of your line of sight. Just as he disappears, your hairs stand on end and a cold feeling washes over you like icy water being dumped over your head.

He’s here, the Voice warns.

From behind you, arms snake up and wrap around your waist, pulling you closer until your back hits a taut chest. Your entire body goes rigid and your breathing turns shallow as you feel a warm breath tickle your earlobe, followed by a whisper:

“You’re early, my dream.”

“I just wanted to admire the view –” your sentence is cut off with your breath hitching; your Dream Lord just dragged his nose down the side of your neck before planting a heated, wet kiss at the base – his lips linger, then suckles on the skin, holding you tighter to himself to keep you from struggling. From your ruby-bedazzled waist, he drags his left hand slowly upwards across your chest, grasping your throat gently and angling your head so his mouth could get better access to the base of your throat, intent on leaving small, angry welts. You close your eyes with a whimper to endure this, repeating Ollie’s name over and over in your head.

“And yet these views are no match to what you offer me in this dress. You are a sight to behold.”

The low rumble of his voice makes you close your eyes tighter, biting your lip to prevent yourself from making any more noise that could excite him further. He seems undeterred by your silence – he spins you around, and, pushing you against the balcony railing, he captures your mouth with his in a fiery lip lock. His hand nestles on the small of your back, while the other grips the back of your neck as his insistent tongue pries your lips apart and tastes your hot cavern. You had tried your best to hold it all in, but treacherous tears escape the corner of your eyes. Your master seems to feel this, for he surprisingly lightens the kiss, his lips stilling over your swollen ones. You turn your head away to will the tears away, afraid that he might see this as another sign of your defiance.

Instead, he plants a gentle kiss on your temple, before saying softly,  “I admit my past courtship of you was hurried and rough. I worry that I may have pushed you further away in my haste. I should like to court you once more. This time, I will endeavor to be more patient and earn your affections.”

He kisses your exposed cheek. Sniffling, you open your eyes, but your head remains turned away from his, refusing to meet his gaze. You feel him pull his head away in your silence.

“Will you not look me in the eyes, little dream? Do you fear me?”  he asks with a slight edge to his voice, rubbing his thumb back and forth on the skin beneath your ear in an attempt to comfort you.

Is that remorse you detect? It couldn’t be, you remark, but you couldn’t help but meet his blue eyes to try to gauge what he’s truly feeling. Not wanting to give him a reason to further punish you, you say, “My apologies, my Lord, I am just coming to terms still, with…with what you’re asking of me.”

Yet, his darkened gaze tells you that what you just said to try and placate him was a huge mistake.

“What I’m ‘asking?’”  he narrows his eyes on you, his voice laced with impatience. “ I’m afraid I’m not ‘asking’ this of you, my Mera. This is the function to which I, your King, have assigned you. This courtship is for your sake alone, that you may grow accustomed to it. We will be united. I will give you five days, after which, we will consummate our bond.”

His final sentence sparks terror in the pit of your stomach. He’s giving you a deadline. Stifling the urge to retch, you swallow thickly before you try to beg, “Sir, I –”

“Enough. I will not have my will questioned,”  he interrupts you as he tightens his grip on the back of your neck.  “You will be here, in the palace, at all times. You will await my call and come to me when I summon you. I do not mean to be harsh, my dream, but time is of the essence – I was cruelly robbed of mine with you, after all. I shall amend that once I have dealt with the damage left by the Vortex. Is that understood?”

“My Lord, please –”

“Is. That. Understood?”  he repeats his question through gritted teeth, clearly unwilling to listen to any more of your pleas.

You look into his hardened, now-silver eyes, attempting to look for any trace of empathy at the situation he’s forcing you into. There isn’t any.  Wanting to end your argument so you could be relieved from his presence, you respond with a whisper, “Yes, my Lord.”

Your creator releases a hum of satisfaction as he places a lingering kiss on your cheek, before praising,  “That’s a good dream.”

You feel immense relief the moment he lets you go and steps away. You expect him to vanish with a swirl of his sand, but he lingers, standing a few feet before you with his hands behind his back.

“I will call you for tea tomorrow afternoon.”

You could only nod quietly. He takes a small amount of sand from his pouch, presumably to leave, but a sudden question crosses your mind inspired by his previous words. “My Lord, the Vortex…is she…?” you blurt out, slightly hesitating.

“Dead? Yes.”

You bow your head, not knowing how to process the fact. Rose Walker seemed so young and she had so many dreams she wanted to fulfill that you felt them, despite your fleeting interaction with her. You feel your heart clench at the thought of her life being cut short.

“Do not grieve of Unity Kincaid, my dream. Hers is a noble yet necessary sacrifice for the sake of the Dreaming, and of her great-granddaughter, Rose.”

“Unity?” you ask, confused. Wasn’t Rose the Vortex? “Rose is alive?”

Shut up, shut up, NOW, comes the Voice’s sudden warning.

“Yes, she is. You know of her?”  He asks, stepping forward, suspicion marring his dark features.

You shake your head, realizing your error; if he finds out you had met with her, he’ll discover your little tryst in the Waking, and if he does, he’ll surely uncover the connection which led to it. That was a stupid, stupid thing to say, you inwardly scold yourself.

“I heard from Lucienne, sir,” you say, mentally crossing your fingers that he doesn’t press any further.

Putting on a blank expression, the Dream King purses his lips, as he releases the sand in his palm.

“I will call for you tomorrow. Do not be late.”

As soon as his form is engulfed in his sand and he vanishes, you make a wild run for the Library. Hidden in one, or two, of those books, are incriminating passages that detail your meeting, and subsequent stay with Ollie, and once the Dream King sees those pages, you could definitely say goodbye to your plans of staying in Ollie’s dreams for good. If he even so much as gets a whiff of your affections of anyone else besides him, there’s no telling what he won’t do to you, and more importantly, to Ollie.

You push the heavy doors to the library quietly to avoid drawing attention to yourself. As noiselessly as you can, you dash through the shelves, skimming through the books in a mad rush. To your alarm, there was no ‘Oliver Chapman,’ not in the ‘O’ or even in the ‘C’ wings. Cursing mentally, you wonder: has Lucienne read them? Worse, has your Dream Lord gotten ahold of them? Are they hiding it from you, knowing you’d try to tamper with them? Letting out a huff of frustration, you sit on the floor, wondering where else they may have kept Ollie’s books of dreams.

The office, whispers the Voice.

Of course. The Dream Lord has an office in the Library, separate from the rest of the space. Not that he needed it, of course; he just usually asks for books to be brought to his throne room where he normally reads them. But why would the books be kept there?

You try to strain your ears for any signs of Lucienne; thankfully, it looks as if she’s out on an errand, so you sprint in the direction of the Dream Lord’s office.

Located at the farthest end of the Library, you’re panting heavily by the time you get there. You push your ear against the doorframe to listen for any sign of life inside. When you hear nothing, you turn the doorknob and push.

Locked.

“Fuck,” you mutter under your breath. There is only one person – or being, for that matter – that has the key, save for the Dream Lord and his Royal Librarian.

You run out of the Library in search of the said being. You find him tending to your favorite garden in the palace grounds, his hands deep in the dirt, planting more of those accursed red flowers – Mervyn the Pumpkinhead.

The keys, attached to his toolbelt, lie discarded beside him, along with his other gardening tools. You know full well you couldn’t just walk up to him and ask for a key to the boss’s office in the library – or is it that easy?

You don’t really have the luxury of planning an elaborate heist for his set of keys, so it’s now or never. Steeling your resolve, you walk up to where Merv is, opting for a much simpler plan.

“Hello, Merv!” you call as you approach.

He stops digging into the flowerbed and turns to you, giving a mock salute. “Hello, kid! What can I help ya with?”

“I’m looking for Morwyn. Have you seen her?” you ask, hoping to put up a convincing act.

He scratches his pumpkin head and replies, “No, I haven’t. Whatcha need her for?”

“I kind of locked myself out of my room, and I need to get something from there,” you say sheepishly, rubbing the back of your head to make it look believable.

“Uh, I have the key in there somewhere, but I’m in the middle o’ something, see? Why don’t you take ‘em keys instead? It’s the gold one with the tiny ruby at the bow.”

Bingo.

“Really, are you sure?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he waves you off, continuing his digging on the flowerbed.

 You grab the keys and take off as Merv calls out from behind you, “Give ‘em back, ya hear?”

“Sure thing!”

It takes you a few good minutes to find the key that fit the doorknob. Once you do, you wildly look around you to make sure you weren’t being watched, before you turn the knob and push the door open.

No one has been in the office for quite some time if the dust on the desk in the middle is anything to go about. The room is larger than you expected, and the natural light streaming through the stained glass windows illuminates the numerous towering shelves of books untouched for many years. Wanting to waste no time, you skim through the many bookshelves. They’re thankfully arranged in alphabetical order, so you find an entire shelf dedicated to the name ‘Chapman’ in no time, with Ollie’s name placed at the farthest end.

Curiously, you pick up the book a few places before Ollie’s name first, and with it, you make a startling discovery: the books of dreams on the shelf not only belonged to random ‘Chapmans,’ but to the males in Ollie’s entire lineage. You just picked the book of dreams belonging to Ollie’s great-great-grandfather.

But, why? Why is Ollie’s book of dreams, as well as his male ancestors’, singled out among the infinite number of dreamers?

“Have I told you before that the Chapmans were cursed? Well, the males, at least,”  Ollie’s words from almost a year ago echo in your head.

This isn’t the time to unearth Ollie’s family mystery, though, so you make a mental note to do more research in the future and set those thoughts aside. You carefully leaf through the pages to find the section where you made your appearance – your meeting with him, spanning a year, detailed in twenty-full pages. Setting the book on the floor, you get to work.

Hardbound books were tricky to manipulate, with the pages stitched to a section of the book’s spine, so you use your fingers to remove the stitching of the last twenty pages with care – simply tearing the pages away would leave a sign of the book being tampered with. Once you’re sure there were no traces of your crime, you put the book back in place, and scramble out of the office, locking it behind you. You hand the keys back to Mervyn (“What took you so long, kid? Couldn’t be hard to spot a key with a damn ruby, innit?”) and rush to your room. Barricading yourself inside the bathroom, you set the pages alight with a matchbox you stole from the kitchens before washing the ash away with water.

Look how you’ve turned into a cold-blooded criminal mastermind, you inwardly deadpan.

***

4 Days Until Deadline

Afternoon tea with your Dream Lord isn’t as bad of an experience as you thought it would be.

Matthew had fetched you from your room, and you had followed him to the same balcony you had met him with the morning before. You found your master, already sitting beside a table full of your favorite sweets, drinking tea from his cup. He had stood up to greet you, taking your hand in his and kissing it, before leading you to sit across from him. You both sit in somewhat companionable silence while you munch on a cinnamon bun, with him just sipping his tea and watching you with blue, ever-observant eyes.

Until…

“May I ask a question, my Lord?” you shyly break the stillness, setting down the pastry you’re nibbling back on your plate.

You watch a corner of his mouth turn upwards as he sets his cup on a saucer. “Ask away, my dream.”

“I was wondering,” you say slowly, choosing your words carefully. “If you would allow me to continue forming dreams along with my new…role?”

Just then, you could feel the atmosphere change to one of palpable tension, the small grin vanishing from his face.

Tentatively, you add, “Please?”

“I think not. Your duty is to me, alone,” he declares flatly, his cold stare making you squirm in your seat.

You bite your lip and break eye contact with him.

“It’s what I’ve been doing all my life, your majesty,” you whisper dejectedly.

“And that will change in four days’ time.”

“Will you take away my ability to form dreams, too?”

The Dream King seems to contemplate this. The pause is long, before he responds, his tone slightly softening, “I could never bring myself to take that ability away, my little dream. It is part of who you are. I intend for you to keep it.”

But what good is keeping it if he forbids its use, you ask yourself. Still, you give him a subtle nod and a small ‘thank you’ to end the topic. You leave the cinnamon bun untouched, suddenly not feeling very hungry anymore.

The quiet that follows your conversation becomes heavier, so you’re thankful to Matthew for interrupting, quietly delivering news that you couldn’t quite hear. When your King gets to his feet, you swiftly follow his example out of politeness.

“I’m afraid I must cut our date short, my dream. I have matters to attend to.”

You bow your head in response but he takes your chin in his hands and promptly gives you a single, prolonged kiss on the mouth. You close your eyes until he lets go of you, and bids you to ‘stay here.’

Noticing fine grains of sand in the air, you realize he has transported you to your chambers – you turn to him with a protest bubbling in your throat, but you find that he’s gone, and to your irritation, the door locked from the outside.

***

3 Days Until Deadline

Clear as day, Dream of the Endless recalls his first visit to the first Chapman who had crossed his path many centuries ago.

He had not paid him, or any of the other Chapmans, much attention since he had placed a curse on the males of his lineage (except for that one occasion), a curse that felt righteous and just after a slight he had committed against him and his Realm.

Now, as he faces the dream of his only living descendant, he finds himself wanting very much to place another, more potent curse on Oliver Chapman, the mortal whose embrace now cradles the dream he so deeply cherished and ardently pursued.

Or Oliver’s dream-version of you, more accurately.

Morpheus knows this, but he couldn’t help the bitter jealousy burning in his heart as he watches the mortal lavish the lips of your dream-version with his own. He has not felt the urge to smite anyone for dreaming of his creations so lasciviously in a long time – this is an image of you he’s disrespecting, and he refuses to sit idly while this human corrupts you.

An image of you, he corrects.

With a lazy flick of his fingers, the dream-version of you taking Oliver’s shirt off melts before the human’s eyes. He ensures it’s the most gruesome sight this errant dreamer has ever seen: the dream-Mera’s skin peels off starting from her head down to her feet, followed by her flesh boiling and steaming away in an amalgamation of blood and gore, and with a final flair, he makes her bones disintegrate into dust. Oliver’s screams of horror permeate the dream-space – he couldn’t deny the screams gave him utmost satisfaction.

Dream watches curiously as Oliver attempts vainly to regain lucidity by counting his fingers aloud. It’s a trick that could’ve worked, but curiously, the dream remains volatile in his favor.

Morpheus decides to twist the knife, taunting him,  “You’ve lost control, lucid dreamer.”

The mortal snaps his head in the Endless’ direction, looking confused, possibly wondering why he couldn’t take over the dream. Medication, perhaps? But Morpheus has not the slightest interest in why a lucid dreamer has lost their ability. He is, however, greatly invested in finding out how such a mortal might develop a certain fascination with you.

“Tell me: what is my dream doing in yours?”

“Who the fuck are you?” Oliver replies, growing more confused. “And who the fuck are you talking about?”

In his fury, Dream could feel himself transforming into a nightmarish image he rarely ever shows his dreamers. No one has ever woken up seeing this form of his with their sanity intact, so he tries to rein in this metamorphosis.

“The dream you were defiling,” he spits out, his bellowing voice echoing the dream-space, “Belongs to me. Explain yourself, Oliver Chapman. My patience is waning.”

Oliver rubs his head in frustration. “I don’t know…I don’t remember.” He looks at both his hands, now coated in blood that isn’t his. “Fuck, there’s so much blood… where is she? She’s injured, I need to help her. I just wanna help her, man. I have to find her…”

Dream narrows his eyes at the mumbling man before him, somewhat disappointed that he could no longer extract reliable information from him in such a state. Recognizing that his fun is over, he transports himself with a pinch of his sand back to his Kingdom. He thinks it’s best that he confront the only other being in existence who had the answers he seeks.

***

When Matthew came flying into the balcony of your room, delivering the message that your King has summoned you to the library, your heart leaped to your chest at the suddenness; your little tea date, as the bird has taken to calling it, hadn’t been due until a few hours after midday. You hastened to dress out of your pajamas and rushed to the said meeting place, your heart beating so fast you could hardly breathe. Had he found out, you wondered?

You find your Dream Lord pacing restlessly to and fro near your favourite reading spot. He stills, looking at you with hardened eyes and clenched jaw, seemingly trying to control the fury you could feel emanating from him. It’s a look that was almost enough to curdle your blood.

He doesn’t even wait for you to get close – immediately he’s upon you, cornering you to one of the bookshelves, making you yelp instinctively. He grabs hold of your wrists and pins them above your head as his body covers your own.

“You will tell me everything, my dream, and I might be inclined to spare Oliver Chapman: why is he dreaming of you?”  He growls, his face, inches from yours, contorted in pure rage.

Fighting inwardly to maintain your composure, you respond with another half-truth. “I was injured, my Lord, from a battle I enacted in a dream. I got in his dreams somehow, and he helped me, he nursed me back to health. I stayed there for a while so I could recuperate.”

“Is this the truth, my Mera, or are you keeping anything else from me?”

You wince at the way his grip closes on your wrist further, cutting off the circulation.

“Please, my Lord, you can check for yourself,” you dare meet his eye with your own fearful ones, trying to drive your point.  “The dreamer’s name is Belladonna San Mateo – I reenacted a medieval battle for her. It’s the truth, sir, please…”

He pulls his head away as one of his hands releases your wrist and grasps your chin, so you had nowhere else to look but those silvery swirls of galaxies in his cruel eyes. After a few agonizing moments he dips his head, giving you a warning:

“If I find you in the embrace of any other, mortal or otherwise, I shall personally see to their torment in their waking, their dreaming, and their afterlife.”

When he lets you go, you couldn’t help but let out a gasp of relief, clutching your chest to calm your rapid heartbeat.

“There are matters I must attend to. As such, I must regrettably cancel our meeting for this afternoon,” he says, his face once again the stony mask that spelled no room for negotiation.  “Stay in your chambers. You are dismissed.”

You turn on your heels and dash away from Library, glad to give the place a wide berth. He had met with Ollie, visited him in his dreams, and didn’t like what he saw. You don’t like the sound of your creator potentially bringing harm to your doctor, so a visit may be long overdue, and it has to be soon.

***

2 Days Until Deadline

As discreetly as you can, you take a plunge into the sea of dreams and navigate your way into your doctor’s dreams, praying to the Fates that he’s asleep at the very moment.

Once you land in the space, Ollie greets you with a tight embrace, one which you return with as much enthusiasm. You had missed him terribly and had been worried out of your wits upon learning of his meeting with your Dream King, so when you let go, you make a fuss over him, checking him and his form for any sign of injury.

“Hey, I know you find me irresistible, but I didn’t know you were bold enough to cop a feel,” he jokes, earning him a half-hearted shove and a slap on the bicep from you.

“This is no laughing matter, you idiot!” you chide him with your arms crossed, relieved on the inside that he was unharmed.

In response, he grins coyly from ear to ear. “You were worried about me. I kinda like that,”

Pouting, you say, “Yes, I was bloody worried. I’m sorry I couldn't visit sooner.”

Ollie turns away from you, scratching the back of his head. “No, it’s quite alright,” he mumbles. “I'm sorry, too. I couldn't do much work on the runes the last few days, Mera. I've been, uh... shit, I... don't know how to say this…”

“What’s wrong?” you get right in front of him to press him, worried at his guilty tone.

With the most apologetic expression you’ve seen in him since the dreamcatcher incident, he replies, “It's the sleeping pills. I've been on them and I think they might've hampered my hypnagogia.”

His revelation makes you drop your jaw in surprise. “Wha-fuck, why are you taking them? And how come you've never told me about this?” You grab hold of his arms to demand answers.

With a placating look, he responds, “I swear, I've been taking them sparingly, but I've been needing a lot of sleep because of... you know. But it's okay now, honest! I didn't take them today, and I'm in full control.”

You place your palms on his cheeks, putting on a serious expression. “You have to get off those. I'm being serious, Ollie.”

“I am! I’ll keep it that way, I promise.”

Not letting go of him yet, you look into those gentle, green eyes, trying to detect signs that he may be hiding something.  But this is Ollie, too, you think to yourself. You know him to be bad at keeping secrets. Satisfied with what you saw in his eyes, you let him go, offering a soft apology: “This is my fault. I'm sorry I pushed you into this.”

“No! Hey, no, Mera, you didn’t,” he corrects you with a firm tone. “I've been prescribed these since I was little. You know, the Chapman curse and all that. Oh, and I’ve finally figured out a fitting name for the invention.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“I’ll call it MiraSleep. It’s a sort of, play with your name and the word ‘miracle.’ That’s what you are to me, you know. Everything I do now, I do for you.”

Not knowing what to say to his heartfelt admission, you stare into those forest-green eyes of his, a look of agreement passing between you two. Finally, you flash him a grateful smile, which he returns with his own sheepish grin.

“So, Ollie,” you start with a slightly more cheerful tone, fighting back a blush creeping on your cheeks without much success. “Mind telling me what it was you dreamed about that involved me?”

He breaks into fits of nervous laughter while rubbing the back of his hair. You already know you don’t like what he’s about to say.

“You’ll never believe it if I told you.”

***

You walk back into the palace grounds with high spirits after you visit Ollie’s dreams. He had immensely cheered you up despite his retelling of a rather salacious dream he had engaged with a dream-version you at that moment he lost his lucidity – the dream with which the Dream Lord had walked in on and had taken absolute offense to. He had assured you that the momentary lapse in his dreaming abilities would never happen again, and with that, you’re confident that by your next visit, you could finally stay in there with him without having to worry about being chased after by a certain Endless.

It's this thought that helps you endure your master’s company and his not-so-subtle touches during your morning ‘date’: as soon as the sun had risen in the Realm, he had summoned you through Matthew to accompany him in a morning walk around his Kingdom.

He smugly parades you around the busy town square with your fingers intertwined in his; on occasion, wrapping an arm around your waist as he rubs circles over your clothed skin; at times, even kissing your hand while not breaking heated eye-contact; all these gestures of his affections for the entire Dreaming to see. To the townsfolk, he introduces you as his princess-consort, much to the Dreaming residents’ delight – they had not had a princess-consort to dote on for eons, and so they lavish the both of you with promises of gifts that they are to send to the palace to congratulate their King and to his ‘pretty little dream-bride.’

Just grin and bear with it, as the Voice comments.

Touching as it was, the Dreamfolk’s welcome of you as Dream of the Endless’ new princess-consort breaks your heart even more, knowing that you’ll eventually disappoint them by running away as soon as you have the chance to. Breaking your previously-cheerful outlook further, you walk past the sea of dreams with the thought of never coming back to form the dreams of the mortals forever once you’re free with Ollie.

Before you left his dream at dawn, Ollie had asked you whether you were actually ready to leave your job for good. He knows there was nothing else you loved more than forming dreams for humans and inspiring them. You had never given it much thought before, but your brief stay with him had also made you realize one thing: while you were planning to abandon the role you had loved with all your heart, he had a device that would do the same for millions of other dreamers. While not under your name, the device Ollie had invented would be his and your legacy, and perhaps you could make peace with that. This comment of yours earns you a proud smile from Ollie that rivaled the brightness of the sun – it’s a smile you’re sure you’ve burned into your memory.

***

1 Day Until Deadline

When you wake, you’re greeted with a massive headache – it’s an ominous warning of your days closing in on you. Only one more day until your King’s imposed deadline, and you could only hope Ollie makes a breakthrough with the runes by tomorrow, or all will be lost.

After you had been dressed up by Morwyn, who as usual, gushed over the gown your Dream Lord has selected for you to wear for the day, Matthew delivers the news of your morning activities. According to him, they will consist of morning tea and brunch with his boss in your favourite spot in the Royal Library. When you arrive in the garb he had chosen for you to wear for the day, he gives your red-satin-clad figure an appreciative look before he greets you with a soft kiss on your lips and leads you by the hand to the leather couch you had fallen asleep in so many times.

You engage in light, minimal conversation during tea. You find yourself almost enjoying your time together, discussing your past dreamers with a sense of nostalgia.

That is until an attendant brings a trolley full of books to his side and you inspect the names printed on the books: each containing the name of every dreamer you had visited in his absence.

Perhaps your face had paled when you noticed the books, for he flashes you a small smirk, before assuring you,  “It is only procedure, my little Dream. Lucienne told me that you had insisted on finding me in the dreams of mortals even after it proved fatally dangerous for you. I should like to read of your unwavering loyalty with my own eyes.”

His words only made you fidget in your seat, abandoning the cinnamon swirl you had started to dig into a few moments ago.

Your discomfort does not seem to escape his watchful eyes.  “Unless, you had something to hide from me, my Mera?”

From the rim of your teacup, you smile wanly, sipping your tea before quietly shaking your head. Inside, however, your heart is practically threatening to escape your ribcage, sending bile to your throat and souring your tastebuds.

“I imagine this will occupy the rest of my day. Stay and read with me.”

Having no choice but to comply, you excuse yourself to pick out a book, choosing one you had read from cover to cover so many times in Ollie’s study.

Choosing a book was the easy part; concentrating on the pages proves a lot more of a challenge, especially when you have your master inspecting your work right in front of you. His occasional praise of your handicraft almost always makes you jump on your seat, thinking that anytime, now, he could be going through Ollie’s book of dreams, potentially exposing you. It takes all your energy to remain composed before him lest he notices your odd behaviour and decides to investigate the source of your restlessness further. The day goes on agonizingly slow, but thankfully, he only goes through the first half of the pile on the trolley.

With a loud pouf, he closes the final book shut and places them on top of the growing pile on the coffee table. Getting up to his feet, you copy his movement, inwardly glad for a dismissal and looking forward to your time alone, stewing in your own worries. You brace yourself as he steps closer and takes your chin in his thumb and forefinger before dipping his head downwards to plant an openmouthed kiss on your lips, one that you now know you’re obliged to kiss back. You expect the kiss to be brief, but he apparently has other ideas: he wraps his arms around your body and maneuvers you. You both end up on the couch, with you straddling his lap. As if predicting your actions, one hand grips the back of your neck and the other holds your hip in place, preventing you from getting away.

He drags his lips away from yours to the groove of your neck while his hand pulls the sleeve of your gown downwards to expose more of the flesh he had longed to mark for a long time. You let out a whimper in protest, before softly pleading, “My Lord, please, we’re in the library…”

Against your skin, you feel him chuckle deeply.  “Would my little dream prefer the privacy of her chambers, then?”

He does not wait for your response. Instead, he continues licking and sucking on the exposed skin below your clavicle, dangerously close to your right breast. You let out a startled gasp as you feel his hand go under your gown and start stroking your inner thigh. Your body seems to betray you at that moment: you start feeling heat pooling in your belly, indicating your arousal, no matter how unwilling.

From a short distance, a door in the library creaks open, and a pair of footfalls you recognize start making their way to Lucienne’s desk.

You feel your King let out a growl of displeasure at the disturbance; a second time his librarian has interrupted you – a second time you owe Lucienne one for deterring him from any further actions.

Against your ear, he then whispers,  “Tomorrow could not come any faster, little dream. It will be a union you will remember for eternity.”

With unexpected gentleness, he spins you around and sets you down on the couch beside him, and without a word, walks away as if nothing happened.

You clutch your heart and adjust the sleeves of your dress, willing the tears threatening to spill to go away. Tomorrow, you’ll be gone for good, and well away from him – it’s a small reprieve that allows you to clear your head and quickly lock yourself inside your chambers, holding Ollie’s dreamcatcher like a lifeline.

***

0 Days Until Deadline

My little dream,

Proceed to Fiddler’s Green

…Reads the note that Morwyn delivers to you along with your morning coffee. You hope this visit wouldn’t last long; after this, you had every intention of going back to Ollie’s dream. It’s the day of the deadline your King has given after all, and you’d have no other opportunity to escape if you let this day pass.

Don’t go, the Voice warns in your head; but what choice have you, other than comply? After all, it could just be one of the last commands you’d ever obey from him. Not wanting time wasted, you refuse breakfast and begin the long tread to the heart of the Dreaming, and into Gilbert’s sanctuary.

You had been so close to meeting each other in the Waking, during your stay in Hal’s Bed and Breakfast. It’s perhaps pure luck that your paths did not cross, for you’re not sure how Gilbert would’ve reacted, or what he would’ve revealed to the Dream King once he went back.

After your walk for what seemed like hours, the grassy patch of land full of lush, blooming bushes and thick, tall trees greets you with what feels like an urgent breeze, almost making you stumble.

In your head comes Gilbert’s grave tone: “Mera, what are you still doing here?”

Feigning hurt at his words, you reply, “Hello, Gilbert. Am I no longer welcome in your lands?”

“Why, but of course you are, my dear,”  he amends. “But, given how dire your situation is, I hardly think this is the best time for a leisurely visit.”

“What do you mean, ‘my situation?’” you ask, your brows furrowing in confusion.

His breeze blows more insistently against you, making your dress billow along. “The Dream Lord has come to me about two days ago asking about you and a man called Oliver Chapman.”

Shit.

Every part of your body stills at the news, your heart sinking to your stomach.

“Now, if your relationship is anything as close as he had implied, this mortal is in danger, as are you. He has instructed me just this very morning to keep you here for as long as I could while he deals with this Chapman fellow, but I could not bring myself to keep you in the dark, especially as it sounded like you care much about him.”

Fiddler’s Green was just a diversion, the Voice concludes.

“You must go, Mera,” Gilbert says with another strong gust of wind as if trying to get you running.

Turning back to him one last time, you start, “Thank you, Gilbert –”

“Go!”

You need not be told further. With all the strength you could muster, you run as fast as your legs could carry you, not caring who or what you bumped into or if you tripped. With breakneck speed, you make your way to the sea of dreams, and will yourself to land in the dream of the man you love, your only remaining refuge, hoping against hope you weren’t too late to save him.

Ollie, startled by your sudden appearance, runs to your side at once. You gasp greedily for air, clutching a stitch on your side from all the effort.

“Mera, fuck... are you okay? What’s all this rush?” he asks, holding you by the shoulders to support you.

Tears of relief gather in your eyes as you take his unharmed form. You’re not late; you still had time.

Letting the tears cascade down your cheeks, you break the news to him:

“He’s coming. He’s coming for us.”

Author notes on the Chapter:

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Link to the next chapter

Oh my god this went out of hand!! I'm sure I had mentioned on a tumblr comment that Ollie would only be around for around two chapters, but sorry, things and plot points seemed to have a mind of their own lol. Dream seems to have found them out!! How will their confrontation go?! Aghhhkk

As usual, thank you for sticking with me in this!! Love lots!!!

******************************

Author's notes in general:

Thank you, THANK YOU for reading!!

Please engage, comment and reblog!! I love feedback from you guys :) This is my first ever fic, so kindness is truly appreciated!

Thank you to my queen @queenshelby@endlessdreamqueen3 for encouraging me to pen this, as well as to my fellow Dark!Morpheus writers whose work I have thoroughly enjoyed and keep rereading :)

Post date: 12/19/22

Edit date: 12/19/22

Taglist: Just lemme know please if you want to be added, too!

Tagging the following:

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[whatkatiediduk]

The Corselette vs The Merry Widow

Step into the glamorous world of 1950s lingerie, where two enchanting creations, the Corselette (known as the Body Briefer in the US) and the Merry Widow, reign supreme. At first glance, they may appear similar, but don't be fooled - they each have their own distinctive allure and purpose.

The Corselette: Sculpting Elegance 

Picture a fusion of a longline bra and a girdle, seamlessly woven into a single garment. The Corselette was designed to sculpt your silhouette, creating a flawlessly smooth canvas beneath those figure-hugging outfits. In its vintage form, it was a challenge to put on – a pull-on style with a low back, which often compromised the bra fit. But fear not, our modern version boasts a higher back and a convenient hook-and-eye front fastening, ensuring an impeccable fit without the struggles of yesteryears. To add a touch of allure, we've woven an internal elastic waist tape for a subtle cinch, avoiding the tube-like silhouette of vintage corselettes. A staple under both daytime and evening dresses, the Corselette was the secret to 1950s elegance.

The Merry Widow: Cinch and Support

In the enchanting world of 1950s fashion, the Merry Widow was the epitome of timeless glamour. It's more than just a strapless bra; it's a waist cincher too. These exquisite pieces were the perfect complement to evening dresses, often adorned with off-shoulder designs and tightly cinched waists, flowing into full skirts. While the vintage version featured a non-stretch waist tape, we've added a touch of modern comfort with elastic tape. Versatility reigns in our rendition – we've equipped it with detachable shoulder straps and made the suspenders removable. No more fumbling at the back with hook-and-eye fastenings; we've moved them to the front for ease and convenience. And, just like the original, we've faithfully maintained the classic spiral steel boning.

[physalian]

9 Years Yearning: A Gay Fantasy Romance | Review

By @topazadine!

This was such a fun departure from my usual reads. A fantasy story with a war backdrop and child soldiers sets you up for an action-heavy drama with a romantic subplot, but so much of the details surrounding the greater conflict at large are the background. What’s left is a series of insights across nine years of a relationship and for what I thought would be a standard enemies/rivals to lovers ended up being so much more.

If you’re a fan of high fantasy, 9 Years Yearning drops you into the world immediately, serving up a steady stream of little immersive details and fantastical terms without heavy exposition dumps, letting the reader marinate and draw their own conclusions without everything being spelled out for them.

The character descriptions and names are fun, too, if not intentionally inspired by anime. It’s so distinct from the usual western-based British fantasy with standard features for the human characters. For example, the hair colors of the main duo fit the classic “blond/brunet” dichotomy, except it’s the inverse of green and red, which I thought was a nice touch paying homage to a very old trope without making anything too foreign to alienate readers who might have not read too much fantasy before this. While the names are just a touch outside something easily pronounceable, I leaned completely into it to embrace something unique and not “Americanized”.

As a writer and reader who adores fast pacing, the framing style of this already short story cuts out a lot of the fat that might be spent on superfluous fluff and redundant introspection, skipping ahead one year at a time per chapter and picking, what I think, are solid moments from their lives to focus on without leaving readers feeling like there’s a crucial deleted scene somewhere. The framing also means that the plot doesn’t rely on “if” something will happen but “how” without wasting time trying to fool the audience, which was fantastic to experience.

The main duo themselves, particularly early on, reminded me of Mike and Sully in Monsters University—which was such a cute movie! Their dynamic of the “shorter non-gifted student who has to work extremely hard to gain clout and recognition and who wants very badly to graduate with acclaim and the job of his dreams” vs “taller gifted entitled student who can succeed effortlessly and is all the teacher’s favorite and the ‘cool’ one everyone else looks up to and aspires to be, but also has his own demons to fight when having the world handed to you on a silver platter isn’t quite the blessing it looks like.” But, you know, gayer.

Despite having such fast pacing, little character nuances and behavioral ticks are packed in to make them feel like real people and not cardboard cutouts. It still flies by without feeling rushed, deliberate but not pedantic.

Nor is that to say that while the action is in the background, it’s not at all lacking. The variety of action scenes, from fistfights to bigger engagements, all perfectly stay their welcome if action isn’t your genre, and are vivid enough to hold your attention and not get lost if fantasy wartime is your bread and butter.

The poetry, too, the perfect amount and complexity that fits right in with the rest of the narrative. When I read that the sister would be a poet, I fully expected the prose to dance around the inclusion of any actual poems, but there’s a couple and they do feel like they were written by different people for different audiences and they were great, and not just there to be there. The whole concept of poetry is woven into the very lore of the world.

Uileac himself is not without flaws, and while they sure are frustrating, they’re realistic as he goes through his teenage years, fraught with teenage drama, making teenage mistakes. The story doesn’t waste pages on forced miscommunication or manufactured drama—the drama is realistic and makes sense when it takes place and is fitting for their characters.

—

I read the whole thing in just a couple hours. It’s a short, sweet read about two queers spending nine years pining, both assuming their feelings are unrequited, in a fantastical setting that gladly lets them have a happy ending presented to you in the very first chapter.

[cats-of-eden-valley]

I absolutely adore this project and since I've been thinking about my own xenomoggy WIP a lot recently, I now have a bunch of very niche questions.

1) How similar to real-world felines are these guys? Like, what things can they eat? Are citrus-like fruits poisonous to them? Are things like mint poisonous?

2) Are they obligate carnivores or do they lean a bit more omnivorous, like canines?

3) Can they taste sweetness? If so, what kind of sweet food do they eat?

4) How technologically advanced are they? Do they cook their food? If they do, what foods are different in each pride? Do they use spices?

5) Can they make tea? Because the idea of someone's mother or friends making them tea when they're upset/sad is absolutely adorable.

Sorry for the obnoxious amount of questions, this project is giving me major brainworms 😅

Don't feel pressured to answer if you don't want to, or the questions are too spoiler-y!

Hope you have a good day/night!

-🦇 (can I sign off as bat anon? I've seen that done on other blogs, but I'm not sure is it okay here)

THANK YOU you're so sweet!! (and yes please join the xenomoggies)

I kinda just dumped these thoughts into point form in the notes app so I'm giving you these answers fresh and unadulterated

There's a solid mix of fantasy and realism. For instance, their colour vision is roughly equal to ours, but they still have good night vision (or maybe it's just that two moons means the night vision isn't actually as good). Overall anatomy and function is otherwise p similar (which some exceptions) and I do have thoughts on what they eat.

Their diet relies heavily on meat, but fruits and mushrooms frequently end up in the mix. Canines are a good comparison!

The acidic aspect of citrus-like fruits wouldn't appeal to them, and they still can't taste sweet, but other more mild fruits have high water content that make them an important addition to the diet even if the taste doesn't appeal.

Mushrooms are important because they are the only thing that really actively grows during the Sleeping Year, but they don't contain much water.  Still, nutrients is nutrients.

There's also a number of plants that can be safely ingested and which can provide medicinal value, but here's something most people don't realize: medicine is usually just poison, but in small enough amounts to help you instead of kill you.

Regardless, most of the plants are made-up (the ones that aren't, still have different names (what im saying is most ppl wouldn't realize they are real)) so the I Do What I Want rule applies to poison vs medicine vs edible uwu

Unsure of the specifics of cooking yet, though it's a tentative yes. Strongly considering giving Goldspring a sort of endless stew situation that they just keep adding to and maintain for the course of a year. Fire is risky business in this setting, but given the fact they live in a volcanic region, there are other ways to cook one's food. Hell, maybe that's what allowed these cat societies to exist in the first place

spices is an interesting question, like I'd guess they would mix foods for the sake of taste so it doesn't seem too much a stretch that they would add in normally non-edible plants to enhance flavour. So yeah, it prolly happens.

Teas would mostly be medicinal, and probably frequently mixed with animal blood.  Everyone complains about it but at least it does what the healers say it does.  Plus, the inability to taste sweet I think would take most of the pleasure out of it??? Listen I don't drink tea but if someone who does has a better take, I'm all ears lol

As for their technological advancement, think of humans around mid ice age era. They have elegantly designed tools (ranging from knives to sewing needles to hammers), impressive leatherworking (tanning, cleaning, sewing), some textiles (associated dyes included), and limited infrastructure (consisting largely of living infrastructure woven from milksap aerial roots and occasional supports and modifications to existing natural shelters, also natural paths are maintained throughout the area)

But they lack weaponry (hard-baked into honour code systems that are enforced by the prides) and anything requiring multiple bodies to build/maintain (can't sustain population density). No farming (though I'm itching for some Weird Bird Domestication taking its first shaky steps in one of the prides, prolly Bogden)

[becauseimanicequeen]

Who Will Survive vs Die in DFF

I thought I would make a post about my predictions of who’s going to survive vs die in the final episode of DFF.

I don’t know about you, but speculating about character deaths takes me back to GOT times, which were, mostly, glorious (except for some parts of the last season. But, ah well… moving on…)

First and foremost:

Let’s just start with a theory I have that I’ll base my predictions on.

To me, there is a constant theme of morals in DFF. The moral complexities of these characters and their actions (or lack thereof) are woven throughout the whole series. Whenever moral complexity gets this much space in a story, there’s (usually) a focus on both the flaws and mistakes and on redemption and taking responsibility throughout those stories.

Obviously, this is not a must and there’s always the possibility that one weighs heavier than the other. Considering that 99% of the characters are morally complex in DFF, there’s no way it’s balanced anyway. Someone is going to be more redeemable than the others and vice versa (it would be too flat and boring otherwise).

But it does make me wonder whether the characters who show remorse, take responsibility for their actions, or even redeem themselves in some way have a bigger likelihood of surviving the chaos at the house.

Por is an example of someone who didn’t redeem himself (since I don’t see how his one sentence about Keng using Non could’ve redeemed him from the way he treated Non himself) and so, he ended up dying.

I’ll be coming back to this theory throughout this post. But let’s get to the good stuff, starting with Non.

Non is alive and has a chance of surviving.

I’ve mentioned this in previous posts as well (like this one), but let me make a somewhat more serious and logical case for it here.

Like it or not, Non is the sun in the solar system that is DFF, and all the other characters revolve around him and what happened to him. Therefore, it doesn’t make sense that his death was so quick and easy. Not to mention, happening off-screen.

Could the writers have chosen to actually kill Non? Sure. But if that was their aim with this character, they would’ve shown him die rather than just showing him being in pain and coughing in some scenes before his supposed death. Showing him die would’ve given more emotional weight to the series, instead what we got was Non being carried off like a meaningless sack of potatoes.

You could argue that the lack of emotional weight of his death was purposeful if DFF is supposed to be a tragic story where everyone dies tragic and meaningless deaths. But I don’t feel like that’s what DFF is. (I’m sure the uncle on the scooter will forgive me for saying that. But he’s headless, so he can’t even think. Anyway…)

Non has definitely made mistakes in the past (getting involved with the group, opening the horse accounts, threatening the others when he was at the end of his rope, etc.) (this is not a post about whether or not Non was manipulated or forced into doing this by other people or by his circumstances, I’m merely summarizing some aspects of his past that could’ve gone differently if he’d made other choices) and now he’s taking responsibility for his shitty situation (even though he does blame Tee at the beginning, which is understandable).

Non is clearly working off his debt so that he can become free (given the note Tee found by Non’s body). Getting out of there was always his aim. And he needed to work off his debt to do that. So he took responsibility for his situation and tried to make it happen.

There’s no way Non is dead, and this is based solely on the fact that he took responsibility for his actions and situation (compared to Por who didn’t and is now dead).

Besides, that note Non had written clearly stated that he wasn’t a loser and would make it out of there (and I choose to take the contents of that note literally).

What really happened to Non, though? I’ve already written a bit about that in a short post about my thoughts on White being Non, which you can read if you want some serious (and some delulu) thoughts on this possibility.

And will Non still be alive at the end of all this? Well, that’s the question, isn’t it?

I think he’ll survive.

If he is White, like I speculated about in that post, and even if his choice to infiltrate the group was to get revenge on everyone, I still believe he will survive. Mainly because I don’t think he would go through all this to get his hands “dirty”.

Besides, based on how White is portrayed and his actions so far, I don’t necessarily think he would kill anyone. Obviously, he could’ve chosen to do something similar to Tan and Phee (getting the others to confess their sins) since White has also been a driving force in finding out what happened to Non, but his aim might’ve been for them to self-destruct instead of acting out the role of executioner himself. Perhaps he wanted to get them to a point where someone cracked and chose to come clean to the authorities, leading them to (hopefully) be properly tried for their sins.

Either way, all this is better than murder, right?

If Non isn’t White, however, but perhaps the masked ninth person at the house, and he was the one who lured Por out into the woods (and perhaps putting up that line that killed the uncle on the scooter) and then sat back and observed from the shadows, he might actually die in the end since one person (possibly two) died as a result of his actions.

But I feel like this outcome can be based on what Tan decides to do now that everyone is knocked out (perhaps burn the whole house down with all of them in it), and if Non never exposes himself and just decides to leave. Because, right now, there’s no immediate threat to the masked person (they all believe it’s just a curse/hallucination anyway).

But, Non is definitely not dead. I refuse to believe that.

After this long ramble, let’s move on…

White will survive.

As I mentioned before, I’ve written a short post about my thoughts on White being Non, and based on this (assuming that White is Non), there are two main reasons I believe he will survive:

Non’s death and resurrection have transformed him into a new person with a clean sheet. His old sins have been burned away so he could rise from the ashes like a phoenix. (Too dramatic? Okay, I’ll stop).

White has literally done nothing wrong. Nothing. Well, he might be a master manipulator who has manipulated us all into believing he has nothing to do with this. But, since it’s White, I don’t mind. He’ll still survive.

If it turns out White isn’t Non, he would still survive based on No.2 above.

Since he’s done nothing wrong, there’s nothing he has to redeem himself for either. His conscious is clean and he will, therefore, survive.

Tan/New will die.

He personally signed, sealed, and delivered his own demise to the executioner as soon as he said he didn’t care what Non would want him to do.

There’s no remorse in sight or no sign of him wanting to take responsibility either. I mean, it’s understandable considering he’s lost everything, and learning about Non’s death sent him over the edge. Just look at how unbothered he is when a gun is pointed directly at him. Sure, he knows Phee won’t shoot, but it’s like he’s been ready to die for a long time.

However, without that remorse and/or taking responsibility, there’s no way I believe he will survive. So, goodbye my reliable puppet master. I will miss your twisted plans.

Phee will survive.

One of Phee’s biggest mistakes was to tell Non to get lost and die (that was the only way for Phee to forgive Non). Based on the preview for the last episode, his biggest fear is being responsible for/chasing Non to his death. That guilt has been eating him up, to the point of staying “friends” with these assholes for so long (I know I could never have that tolerance, so props to him).

Phee’s redemption has been in finding out what happened to Non (even though he had to do some dubious shit to accomplish it). And as soon as Tee told them that Non was dead, Phee’s mission was done and he turned on Tan.

Now, I can’t stand disloyal bitches… but. BUT. His loyalty was never really with Tan. It was always with Non. It showed when Phee asked Tan what Non would’ve wanted. That’s why he’ll survive.

Jin will survive.

I believe he’ll survive on the fact that he confessed to Phee about taking the video. He acknowledged that he made the whole situation worse for Non. And he felt guilty for it.

He even confessed to having posted the video online (which may or may not be the truth, and I’m pretty sure he only thinks he did). If Jin did post it, then he acknowledged the fact that he made things worse for Non. If he didn’t (but still thought he did), he took responsibility for someone else’s mistakes without knowing it.

Either way, he felt remorse and took responsibility for his part in what happened to Non, and that’s why he’ll survive.

Tee will survive.

This is probably the one I mostly hope I’ll be wrong about, because, I would love to see him sacrifice himself to save White. But I’m pretty sure I won’t get that because then the whole show would turn out to be solely about Tee’s redemption arc and untimely demise (and I’ve already said that Non is the sun in the DFF solar system, so… no, this won’t happen).

Anyway, based on what I wrote above about remorse, redemption, and responsibility, I feel like Tee actually showed two (if not all three) of them in the 11th episode.

He definitely felt remorse for what he’d done to Non. The fact that he was crying when Non (understandably and rightfully) asked what the fuck he’d done to deserve Tee’s treatment of him showed his remorse.

He definitely took responsibility for his part in Non ending up in debt and in uncle Joe’s clutches as well, and he did so by getting another job so he could help Non pay off the debt faster.

Tee is also the character I feel has the biggest (if not the only) redemption arc in this series (and I love redemption arcs). He started as an arrogant asshole and slowly (very slowly) they showed us his remorse, wanting to undo what he’d done, making an effort to be a better person, and actually becoming a better person.

So, based on my theory, he will survive.

Fluke will die.

Fluke hasn’t owned up to anything. He apologized to the masked person (his hallucination) once but he was very vague about what he apologized for (even though I believe it was about uploading the video). He’s only been blaming everyone else for what they did, but nothing about him seeing it all and still not doing anything about it.

Fluke has got to go. And I’ll be less worried about the sick people in DFF who could’ve gotten him as their doctor. Who would’ve wanted to put their life in his hands? No, thank you very much.

Top will die (if he’s not dead already).

He’s a lot like Fluke in the sense that he blames other people instead of looking at his own mistakes. Also, he never took responsibility for breaking that fucking camera that started all this shit.

And if that’s not enough reason for him not to survive…

He’s also a sexist pig calling people out for being on their periods if they’re pissed. So, yeah, he’s got to go.

And lastly…

Keng is alive but will die.

Now, this is a delulu theory if anything. But I’ve said many times that I love delulu theories. So, here goes.

My theory is here that he survived his showdown with uncle Joe and might’ve been the one who killed him (perhaps as soon as he found out Non was dead). Since then, he’s been in hiding (he’s wanted for child abduction, after all) and planning a way to avenge Non (especially on Tee for the horse accounts and Por for stealing the script).

Keng turns out to be the ninth person (the masked person with a limp) who lured Por out to the woods, beheaded the uncle on the scooter, and has been watching the aftermath from the shadows. Until it’s his time to strike. If he manages to kill someone or turns out getting axed himself, remains to be seen.

If he is alive, there’s a big possibility he’ll die. Because I have no idea how you can redeem yourself from grooming a much younger, innocent student under your care…

[veryever]

the costumes in the new live action still look better with some wear to them. I still wish Aang's costume had a lot more texture to the fabric (and I think his little cape being embroidered or a stiffer woven fabric. would have added some visual interest vs now where it looks like there's gotta be interfacing to keep the collar up)

but I'm not digging the watertribe clothing. This looks like a thin tanned hide, which doesn't seem warm enough for the climate conditions :/

Here it's not that the quality if the craftmanship is low, but I don't think the watertribe needs to have blue outer wear. It's a convention that is used in non-realism depictions of what IRL would be white/gray/tan fur. This is one thing the M.Night film did right.

I assume this was filmed on the volume stage, so we won't see any bts pictures to see of the cast needed blankets to actually stay warm in the arctic in winter lol

[illegiblewords]

I might futz around more, but I decided to do a character thought experiment.

Basically--if I was going to make characters with specific purposes in-mind (ex. pairings, plots) what do I think would be a fun or interesting option?

Details under the cut.

Order is literally just to try and make things look nice lol, but starting from top left:

Human lore bard, sage background. Paired with Karlach. I wanted to go in a lighter/golden direction visually to contrast with Karlach's red and blacks, and I figured it'd be fun to have a character who is RIDICULOUSLY intellectual with no street smarts at all finding balance against Karlach. I also didn't want to go the wizard route because differentiating from Gale seems important. Character is used to hearing and telling stories about huge events and maybe romanticizes a bit, but has more limited life experience. Meanwhile Karlach has been through way too much bullshit and just wants to appreciate small and ordinary things.

Githyanki monk, soldier background. Paired with Laez'el. Basically a githyanki who comes from similar life experiences but found the approach to training psychologically destructive even as it honed the body. Frames it more as a matter of efficiency than moral discontent--at least initially. Wound up enlisting as a monk instead as an opportunity to test whether he could become useful there. As a pair I figure there could be something interesting in having Laez'el with someone who shares common experiences and culture, but challenges her sometimes from within. She talks at times like she is the voice of the githyanki as long as she's among non-githyanki, but changes dramatically when other githyanki disagree with her. So think exploring that could be neat.

Asmodeus tiefling fiend-pact warlock, charlatan background. Paired with Wyll. Was trying to think about what would be the most dramatic and interesting sort of pair I can imagine in terms of dynamic for Wyll given he is a heroic-to-the-core kind of guy. Realized for me the answer was 1) a troll 2) someone who mirrors him as a fiend-pact warlock specifically, but revels in it. I figure a tiefling who embraced every terrible thing she was accused of, embraced her fiendish heritage, and has become a trickster who advances by fooling others could offer an angle to bring a bit of balance to both characters. She's kind of an asshole and can be selfish, but it's more a response to being told constantly she is those things and nothing she does to the contrary will change that. So she tries to at least enjoy it in the meantime. Wyll, meanwhile, is prone to focusing on the big picture to the exclusion of individual and personal, tends to be very into the classic hero figure. Having him adopt the devil visage while being with a tiefling who already has prominent hellish features she plays into seems like it would also be visually and thematically really interesting to me. Wyll being all 'I have spikes where there should not be spikes' while talking to someone with a tail just hits different.

Mephistopheles tiefling great old one-pact warlock, urchin background. Paired with Gale. This is my main for Baldur's Gate 3 and I've talked about her before somewhat. I find the idea of a tiefling who is uncomfortable with her fiendish heritage but has no problem pacting with an elder evil interesting haha. There's still menace and iffy morality but the flavor is very different. For this girl I specifically am running with a Hadar pact. Tentacles, the ocean, space, and stars all over the place. When most tieflings and fiends are strongly associated with fire, I wanted that to take a back seat to cold water here. For foiling with Gale it seemed fun to have a different type of magic user who isn't academic in the way that wizards are, contrasting not only the relationship with Mystra but how their magic operates respectively. Emphasis on mental vs emphasis on physical. I've also woven in questions surrounding 'if you love them let them go' versus 'did you honestly think losing you wouldn't hurt' where this character has a history of fumbling that.

Mephistopheles tiefling draconic bloodline sorcerer (white dragon), dark urge background. I figured it would be fun to take the white dragonborn angle dark urge gets and weave that into a tiefling for a divine/infernal vibe. I figure the Bhaal angle helps make sense of the blood combinations a bit. In transparency the story for this one is rougher compared to other concepts here, but I was kind of shocked and excited by how the design turned out. I think besides having room to play into a 'classic dark urge' vibe (if that makes sense) this is an example where I'd probably put extra emphasis on the question of identity and how much of the dark urge is simply who he is versus something inflicted. Might pair with Gale just because I'm a simple creature and I like Gale/would be interested in seeing how dynamic goes with dark urge firsthand.

Half-drow cleric of Ilmater, dark urge background. Paired with Astarion. Besides the wild irony of a child of Bhaal being a cleric of Ilmater specifically (which--points to how against-his-will the dark urge would have to be), I'm aware of Asterion's unanswered prayers while in captivity to Cazador. I think there are layers that could make the setup complicated and interesting on both individual and relationship dynamic levels. Half-drow because drow face a lot of assumptions about their alignment while half-elf gives some added uncertainty of place.

Half-elf Selunite cleric, noble background. Paired with Shadowheart. On the surface exactly as snooty and insufferable as she feared. Guy grew up heavily embedded in the divination and dreams aspect of his goddess, but this wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Bad omens and opportunists combined for a very cynical person. This guy was bitter, spiteful, and corrupt for a while before pissing Selune off enough that she confronted him with the consequences of his actions and the reality that things could be better if he bothered to put effort in. Notably does not carry connotations of purity in the way Selune often does, but instead offers a blood moon or lunar eclipse to guide those who are lost. Figure the fun and irony available in messing with Shadowheart alone is worth it here though lol.

Wood-elf rogue thief, criminal background. Paired with Halsin. Wanted to take a fellow wood elf but for drama and headaches she really isn't in-touch with nature at all haha. The city is her environment and she's well-adapted to its workings. I think it could be fun to have her offer positive perspective on how cities operate to contrast with Halsin's bond to nature, and to let the two of them balance each other out. Also just imagine Halsin with a fast-talking bad bitch.

Human necromancer wizard, sage background. Paired with the Emperor. Morally iffy, probably an aspiring lich on the down low, likely has major control issues in the sense of 1) not wanting to be controlled by anyone or anything else and 2) embraces control over the living and dead alike as a means of ensuring that. Probably co-exists with ascended Astarion and might do an evil run without being the dark urge. Mainly would prefer not to become an illithid because of possible loss of identity, soul destruction, and the requirement of eating brains.

[mavaji]

Exploring the Cost Dynamics: Non-Woven Fabric vs. Traditional Woven Fabric

Non-woven fabric has emerged as a popular choice in various industries due to its versatility, durability, and cost-effectiveness. As a leading provider of fabric solutions, Mavazi Fabrics understands the importance of cost considerations for our clients. In this article, we'll explore how the cost of non woven fabric manufacturer

compares to traditional woven fabric and the factors that influence this comparison.

1. Production Process

One of the primary factors influencing the cost of non woven fabric manufactureris the production process. Non-woven fabrics are manufactured using a process that does not involve weaving or knitting yarns together. Instead, fibers are bonded together mechanically, chemically, or thermally. This results in a simpler and more streamlined manufacturing process compared to traditional woven fabric, which requires yarn spinning, weaving, and finishing. The reduced complexity of the production process often translates to lower production costs for non woven fabric manufacturer.

2. Raw Material Costs

The cost of raw materials also plays a significant role in determining the overall cost of non-woven fabric. Non-woven fabrics can be made from a variety of materials, including natural fibers such as cotton and wool, synthetic fibers such as polyester and polypropylene, and recycled materials. The availability and cost of these raw materials can vary depending on factors such as market demand, production capacity, and geographical location. In general, non woven fabric manufacturer made from synthetic fibers tend to be more cost-effective compared to those made from natural fibers.

3. Labor Costs

Labor costs are another important consideration when comparing the cost of non woven fabric manufacturer to traditional woven fabric. Non-woven fabric manufacturing typically requires less labor compared to weaving or knitting processes. This is because non-woven fabrics can be produced using automated machinery and require fewer manual interventions. As a result, labor costs associated with non woven fabric manufacturer production are often lower, contributing to overall cost savings.

4. Energy Consumption

Energy consumption during the manufacturing process is another factor that influences the cost of non-woven fabric. Non-woven fabric production generally requires less energy compared to traditional weaving or knitting processes. This is because non-woven fabric manufacturing involves fewer mechanical motions and heating processes. As a result, non woven fabric manufacturer production can be more energy-efficient, leading to lower operating costs and reduced environmental impact.

5. Customization and Versatility

Non-woven fabrics offer greater customization and versatility compared to traditional woven fabrics. They can be engineered to meet specific performance requirements, such as strength, absorbency, and filtration efficiency. This customization capability allows non-woven fabric manufacturers to tailor their products to the unique needs of their clients, potentially adding value and justifying higher costs compared to traditional woven fabrics.

In conclusion, the cost of non woven fabric manufacturer compared to traditional woven fabric depends on various factors, including the production process, raw material costs, labor costs, energy consumption, and customization capabilities. While non-woven fabrics often offer cost advantages due to their simpler production process and lower labor and energy costs, the final cost comparison may vary depending on specific requirements and market conditions. As a trusted provider of fabric solutions, Mavazi Fabrics offers a wide range of non-woven fabrics tailored to meet the diverse needs of our clients while ensuring cost-effectiveness and quality.

[elipheleh]

Music - Henry's Music Room, with special guest Bea

The only room that really feels like both Henry and Bea is a small parlor on the second floor converted into a music studio. The colors are richest here: hand-woven Turkish rugs in deep reds and violets, a tobacco-colored settee. Little poufs and tables of knickknacks spring up like mushrooms, and the walls are lined with Stratocasters and Flying Vs, violins, an assortment of harps, one stout cello propped up in the corner. -Chapter 8, Red White & Royal Blue

This post features youtube links, rather than the spotify links of the other posts, simply due to the nature of the music involved. As such, I've put the whole post under a read more to save space. I want to thank @zukoinmypocket for all her help and willingness to be a sounding board for a stranger!

-----

Link to the masterpost/contents page for the music posts

Link to the masterpost/contents for the whole series

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In the center of the room is the grand piano, and Henry sits down at it and plucks away idly, toying with the melody of something that sounds like an old song by The Killers.

-----

Henry's classical music influences appear to be all - aside from the Killers! - within the Romantic era of music. The Romantic period in Europe was at its peak from 1800-1850, but dates throughout the 1800s. The former era was known as the Classical period and is commonly associated with the composers Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert.

-----

So he just listens and nods and smiles a little while Henry explains that this is what Brahms sounds like,--

Husband and wife duo, Lang Lang and Gina Alice Redlinger, play Brahms' Hungarian Dance No. 5.

-----

--and this is Wagner, and how they were on the two opposing sides of the Romantic movement. “Do you hear the difference there?”

R Wagner-C. Marín: Concert Paraphrase of "The Ride of Valkyries". Carles Marín, piano.

-----

His hands are fast, almost effortless, even as he goes off into a tangent about the War of the Romantics--

The War of the Romantics is a term used to describe the schism that emerged in Germany between two groups of Romantic composers, in the latter 1800s. The split - 'war' - was between those who defended the classical tradition - the absolute group which included people like Brahms - and those who were progressive - the program music group with Liszt and Wagner, among others.

Program music was descriptive, inspired by things like literature, or other non-musical inspiration, whilst absolute music's meaning was solely the notes on the page - inspired by nothing outside the music itself.

Liszt's piece linked below is a good example of program music, being connected to the poem "O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst!", as is Scriabin's piece Henry references.

Both forms added to classical music, program music - like Wagner - created new genres within the form, and absolute music - like Brahms - made old styles of music align with contemporary styles.

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--and how Liszt’s daughter left her husband for Wagner, quel scandale.

Liszt's daughter - Cosmina - actually had three children with Wagner whilst still married to her first husband.

Liszt's Liebestraum No. 3 - this piece is based a lovely poem, "O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst!" ("Oh dear, as long as you can love!")

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He switches to an Alexander Scriabin sonata, winking over at Alex at the composer’s first name. The andante—the third movement—is his favorite, he explains, because he read once that it was written to evoke the image of a castle in ruins, which he found darkly funny at the time. He goes quiet, focused, lost in the piece for long minutes.

Alexander Scriabin's Sonata no. 3, Andante

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There's something very interesting - and very in keeping with Henry's characterisation - that he was written as being interested most by Romantic era music. Not only are many Romantic pieces tied to literature and art - and we see Henry's love for both displayed in the book - but the Romantic period involved the rebellion against traditionalist expectations, and emphasised passion over reason. We can see this tying into Henry's storyline - he is, by his reluctance to willingly closet himself for the 'image' of the monarchy, rebelling against the traditionalist norms and expectations that surround his life as a prince of England. It's his passion, his love for Alex which leads him to stand up to his grandmother - the Queen, analgous to the Classical era's traditionalism - and refuse to back down over his desire not to lie about the emails and photographs which outed him.

The Romantic era, in many ways, worked to break the rigid standards that previous composers had been aligned with in the Classical Era and before. This makes an interesting analogy with Henry's interest in Romantic music - especially with the reference to Scriabin's imagery of a castle in ruins. Throughout Red White & Royal Blue, Henry is looking for ways to subvert the rigid expectations that come with being a prince. Multiple times in the book, Henry chooses to do the opposite of what he 'should' do, often when he is frustrated with his family. For example, in Chapter 8, after Phillip has been questioning Henry about his actions & suggests Henry should try to align his friendships more with those 'fitting' for a member of the royal family, Henry says to Alex: "I want to do the absolute last thing I'm supposed to be doing right now."

Henry's characterisation fits in with his appreciation for Romantic era music, in ways that aren't apparent at first glance. Henry & Alex's (happy) ending - breaking the rigid standards the Queen attempts to enforce on Henry as well as challenging the traditionalist expectations - parallels both common themes in Romantic music and the evolution of how the composers rejected traditional styles and created their own.

-----

“You know, Bea has only ever wanted to play music,” he starts. “Mum and Dad played too much Joni Mitchell for her growing up, I think. -Chapter 7

Sources/Additional Reading: Wikipedia - War of the Romantics ClassicFM - The War of the Romantics BBC iWonder - Dr. Caroline Rae discusses the ‘War of the Romantics’ Art And Popular Culture - War of the Romantics ClassicFM - What was the War of the Romantics? Russell Ger Composer - War of the Romantics Wikipedia - Romanticism Encyclopedia.com - The Challenge of Romanticism: Literature and Music Willan Academy - A Quick Summary of Romantic Music OpenALG - Music & The Human Experience, Chapter 11 Connolly Music - The Romantic Period of Music

[mogwaei]

ZJINN LORE ZJINN LORE

1, 10, 12, 29, 46, 51

for the character questions pleeeease 🤲 (feel free to pick obv. if u don't feel like all of them ahah but if you do. PLS) 👀

MY FRIEND THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! ✨

This is very much a WIP since I'm still learning about them, but ZJINN LOREEE ZJINN LORE LETSA GO!

1] What's the lie your character says most often?

Most consistently: how they lost their eye (they wear an eyepatch and get asked about it a lot) and loves to change the story up on everyone.

Bonus: Zjinn is multiclassing bard who has adventure and chaos woven into their fucked up DNA. In their case, embellishment and lying is in their kit 😂

10] What fact do they excitedly tell everyone about at every opportunity?

When feeling ornery, Zjinn takes something one of their companions told them and repeats it...but, like, shreds the fact up and sprinkles it into a Salad of Lies. See the above answer for context lol. Gale is victim of this a lot because they like to argue (affectionate) and he makes it too easy. Wizard vs Sorcerer💜🧙‍♂️ (Also I doodled this for you below) :D

Putting the rest beneath the cut!

12] What's something that makes them laugh every single time? Be specific!

Before the Urge really starts taking a toll on Zjinn, I'd say wrestling (or dancing, if she can get him to) with Wyll - it always ends up silly. "Stupid" drinking games with Karlach...non-serious bickering with Gale (or coming up with absurd twists on incantations to the point one or both of them accidentally take it into battle). When Astarion really gets going on anyone (Zjinn included), she finds a rhythm in his words/voice and turns it into a song, which pisses him off (affectionate) but makes everyone else laugh. Those are the more wholesome things - excluding the dark edgy stuff lol

29] How do they respond when someone doesn’t believe them?

They just keep telling the story, making it even more ludicrous/gross and insert the non-believer into the story as a character where they end up in a compromising/humiliating position until someone (Gale, Wyll, etc) decides to step in or physically removes her😂 She likes to antagonise people.

46] Are they a listener or a talker? If they’re a listener, what makes them talk? If they’re a talker, what makes them listen?

I'd say both! As a bard, Zjinn loves stories and telling them. If it's someone Zjinn respects and has deemed worthy, she tends to listen. Those that fall into category of "utter bellend" she tends to start shit talking them with Astarion until they take notice. :>

51] What’s a phrase they say a lot?

I feel like Zjinn is the type to latch onto something a companion might accidentally say in a funny (unfortunate) way and repeat it in battle or while doing mundane activities, so I don't have anything specific? But I have a HC that Karlach and Wyll would love this and join in on it lol

[mincedpeaches]

rvb19 post

So I’m writing this post without looking at a single other person’s post about the season so my thoughts may solidify more after this and even change a little bit, because a lot of times people are better at putting into words and meta my own thoughts that I’m not as good at articulating. But at the immediate aftermath. I’m like. It’s fine? I suppose? And I think I will sour more on it over time. Maybe even by the end of this post. I definitely would not call it good. The best way I can describe it was:

It was a collection of scenes.

And you might say, what? For years Red vs Blue was a collection of scenes, the show was broken up into five minutes episode chunks! And I would say yes, but also it was masterful in that those episodes felt like they were woven well into a complete story too. This felt like it had story beats that it wanted to hit in the script (Tucker!Meta, Sarge Dies, Tex and Carolina in cool (“cool”) fight scene) and did it without regard to character. Except the Grimmons scene after Sarge died and Wash/Doc bit. Which I’ll get to later.

The info dumps were odd, it felt like the first ten minutes clearly wanted to remind us of some things (in case we forgot I guess), but took other things at face value (479er+freelancer cameos for example). If you think about the plot for more than five minutes I think breaks apart easily (why did the Reds+Caboose end up at bases again after Chorus, why/how did Tucker leave with all the AI, why did Epsilon leave messages for the reds and blues instead of CAROLINA)

Also going back to story beats w/r/t to character, I think it also really failed to expand on anything that the previous seasons had laid down. It’s always been a tall order after the character arcs of Chorus, but the bits where the Reds didn’t help Caboose and then did after re-consideration felt like going through the motions at this point. So it definitely wasn’t a funny gag, and since they’ve done that SO many times before it almost felt cruel to have the Reds refuse to help at first. The conclusion at the end of series, wasn’t really informed by anything done HERE. In this movie. I mentioned in my liveblog I was having trouble articulating this, and I still am. I’m kind of hoping someone will put this into words better than me.

Tucker!Meta might as well have been a completely different guy for how much it informed the story. There was the one bit where he lets Caboose get away, that’s it. Otherwise he had a COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS evil laugh and mannerisms for NO REASON and it sucked. If this was supposed to contrast with Tucker for angst reasons it didn’t work. Meta’s entire thing was he was huge, threatening, non-verbal, and was mentally unsound from so many AI. WHY would having all the AIs coalesce into this mustache twirling thing.  I liked the scene where the AIs are piloting the ship and they’re all talking while Tucker is groggy. THAT was suitably creepy and threatening. I could not take Meta!Tucker seriously most of the time.

And then since they had so many guys gone by the campfire scene (Tucker trapped as the villain, Donut not there with no explanation ever, Lopez missing after his first scene(where did he go?), Epsilon dead (still), Sarge dead (newly), Carolina not there with no explanation, Wash not there with no explanation, AND not to mention different Caboose voice actor) the reminiscing felt a little hollow.  Its like a metaphor for the state of Rooster Teeth when they were working on this lmao. Same with the scene when Grif and Simmons go to confront Tucker!Meta, it felt kind of hollow with just the two guys. That worked a tiny bit better because it was supposed to be sadder, but then the save in the form of Carolina & Tex wasn’t as character driven either. Remember scenes like the season 8 Meta fight, the Season 10 rescue of Carolina, or the final shot of Season 13. The entire team come to together, not just for the cool action scene, but as character conviction (Sarge’s speech, choosing to help Carolina, choosing to help the people of Chorus).

Okay this is already getting a little long and ramble-y and its getting VERY late right now. Let’s take it a step back and bullet point the Pros and Cons.

BAD:

NO DONUT. Why was Donut not there. If he couldn’t be there for voice actor scheduling reasons, why wasn’t his character acknowledged in a way that was good and respectful and made sense at all. First it’s the gay angels now it’s the gay simulation troopers. I can’t win.

GRIMMONS SEPARATION. FUCK. ESPECIALLY after I was cock teased with the “come with me”. God.

Wheres the fucking post. The found family FUCKING post. Hold on I'm reblogging it before I post this. To be linked here.

Carolina was done dirty in terms of getting no screen time and her character beat(ish) deferring to making Wash feel better. Man. I really thought she was gonna be involved here. This was a CHORUS follow up.

The action was soooo whatever. Budget who. But this wasn’t really BAD bad. It was just like. Sure this is there and happening I guess. I was never one for the action in rvb though.

OKAY:

Wash angst was good, had a throughline, BUT it was at the expense of not having him interact with the Reds and Blues and also Carolina should have got some of that. Getting serious flashbacks to Seasons 9 & 10 where Carolina was shafted in this department as well.

There were a number of jokes that I laughed at. You may think that this is a given for rvb but remember we last came off rvb zero. Also the teaser that had humor that was really off. So I am happy that there were jokes that I could laugh at.

Sarge death scene was good, especially in a vacuum. I think it would have struck better if the buildup and stakes had been better (collection of scenes….) but it was still good.( <- This may be the emotions talking. TBD.)

The scene where they go back to bury Sarge at Blood Gulch. VERY GOOD. I think the best scene in the whole thing. THIS, more than the last scene of the entire series, felt like the goodbye to Red vs Blue. Then when Simmons offers to discharge Grif? Ten out of ten. Acting was happening here. Grimmons acting.

Tex showed up! Fun surprise. Feel like she could have been utilized better though (more character moments less action)

It’s past midnight and I can’t think of any more things... but there may be more. Time to sleep on this. And reblog posts.

I will stand by my summary though: It was a collection of scenes.

[the-corset-witch]

Basic Sock Magic (Great for Closeted Witchlings)

So, sock magic is a mixture of charming your socks with intent and sometimes color magic. This is definitely my own spin, my own invention.  You will need to know some basics for this magic, and as I tend to think correspondences should be a very personal thing, I am not going to outline exactly how you need apply this magic.  This magic is perfect for broomcloseted witches, no one will ever know you’ve enchanted your day!  It’s also VERY EASY!!

Reception VS Projection 

The first thing we need to cover is being receptive to energy, or projecting your energy.  When you are receptive to energy, you are open to getting energy from others and the universe.  When you are projecting your energy, you are pushing out your will and intent into the universe to make a change.  It is fairly common knowledge that your dominant hand is the hand you project your energy with best, and the other hand (non-dominant) is better at receiving energy.  The same goes for your feet!  

Colors & Designs

So, you’ve got socks, right?  Time to use them!  My socks never match because the energy I want to receive for my day is not always the same energy I want to project for my day, but I do always match my long socks.  I have socks that show the Birth of Venus painting, and I would usually wear these on Fridays to hopefully be blessed by Venus (or Freyja, Aphrodite, or another love goddess who’s patron day is Friday).  Sometimes I would purposefully wash these socks on Friday with a lil bit of essential oil to charge them.  If I wore them when it wasn’t Friday, it was to pull a little bit of love my way, maybe self-love, or maybe from a partner.  You can use any color you want, any design or print you want, you can decide what it means for you and run with it.  Maybe you wear a pair of red socks when you need to take action at work?  Or a different color that speaks to you!  It’s all your journey!

Putting it Together

Tackle your day with a plan, decide what you want out of it and what you want to put into it-- treat it like a vending machine!  You put a dollar in to get a soda out, so what energy do you want to put into your day?  Decide on a sock that goes with it, focus that goal or energy into the sock, and put it on your dominant foot.  What do you want to get out of your day?  What kind of soda do you want for your dollar?  Again, decide on a sock, focus the energy into it, and put this sock on your receptive foot.  I like to do a lil bounce then jump to kind of slam myself into this mindset of energy I’ve woven, and with every step I take I know I’m walking toward my goals.  During the day when you are faced with intrusive, automatic thoughts that are negative, remind yourself, you are walking toward your goals right here and right now.