#you continue to spoil me with your AMAZING art my friend

[silenzahra]

Hi! I doodled Fire Violet to hopefully brighten your day :)

Uh, trick or treat?

MUGIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII YOU DREW HER AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

MAH GIRL USING HER FAVORITE POWER-UP. GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH SHE'S SO PRETTY AND PERFECT. THANK YOU SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH FOR THIS, MUGI. OH MY GOD YOU JUST MADE MY DAY.

[katerinaaqu]

Ismarus! Ismarus! (P3 + Afternote)

Continuation from Part 2 So October 6th had been a special day to me because two very good artists have posted art from the OG works of the epic cycle and were kind enough to consider my help! I am immensely honored! The artists are of course @jacobpking with the amazing odyssey project and @shafeeyaart with the three main couples So I had to finish my fic now as you remember dedicated also to my friend @artsofmetamoor and her amazing art! Followed by my usual notes and afternote!

He shook the helmet so that the stones remaining in it would be mixed better. As one hand reached in and picked one was followed by a yelp of triumph and a disappointed moan from another direction.

“On your face, Nicolaus!” the soldier who obviously got the price he wanted called back to his friend, “She’s mine!”

“Damn you, lucky bastard!” his friend grunted as he saw the other take the woman-prize he had won in the lottery, “I should fucking kill you! Always with that rotten luck of yours!”

“Hey, hey!” Odysseus called out warningly, “Enough with this!”

He was holding these helmets for hours now; making sure that all ships got their share one by one in sharing the spoils and the slaves that were to be taken with them during their trip. Somehow Odysseus had a bad feeling about this; they had started this whole campaign to get provisions; carrying extra load and mouths to feed seemed a bold and counterproductive move. However leaving them behind was also a risky decision. Slaves and gifts could be exchangeable to lands they would encounter if there would be a need for more provisions or hospitality gifts. Although he knew some of his men wouldn’t want to part with them. He remembered Troy again; how they got divided in the 9th year of the fight, over a concubine. He looked over to the sides where the old and the new captives were. Some of them were also his own; working as servants among the troops and taking care of the horses of his chariot. For one second he remembered his long lost youth; he had lain with women before. Servants and some slaves had passed from his bed before that blessed trip to Sparta; some were skilled and willing, one or two were worried and scared of him or his status.

During the war, for one or two moments of desperation and longing he had considered it; to take one of them again. However the very moment they were before his eyes, he felt disgusted with the idea and his weakness for even considering it; ending up sending them away. The slave women that he had taken from his days of fight and plunder seemed empty in his eyes now. It wasn’t the abstinence that made him so restless to go home though. Oh, he wished his wife was here to embrace her and apologize to her for his absence! He wanted to fall in her arms and kiss her like no tomorrow; forget himself in her bosom and cry till he wouldn’t have any more tears to shed; he wanted to beg her for forgiveness for letting war turn him to what he became! He shook his head violently, to lift those thoughts away (and possibly some tears that threatened to burn his eyes) returning to the lottery. The spoils were almost completely done and shared. He sighed.

“Eurylochus, finish this, please…” he said leaving the helmet to the hands of his brother-in-law, “I am tired. I also need to inspect the rest”

“As you wish, sire…”

Odysseus stood at the middle of the men who were admiring the spoils they would get. He looked around the mountains already turning dark by the dusk as the sun had set to the other side of the horizon. There was something ominous about the mountains and they were exposed. They couldn’t seek shelter in the city that was almost burnt to the ground by that moment so they had to camp by the beach and the fact that they had only the sea and the mountain for escape routes was something he didn’t like. The mountain was almost threatening now!

“Alright, men!” he called over the voices of discussions and laughter, making sure all had their ears on him, “We finish the sharing and we set ourselves to go! We are exposed here. You had your fun, now we embark to go!”

“Go?” one of the generals, the one who had complained upon the other man getting a better woman said, “We sailed for five days in a storm and we spent the entire day fighting and now you want us to embark again for the unknown in the middle of the night?”

Odysseus looked at him in disbelief.

“What part of ‘we’re exposed’ don’t you understand?” he yelled back, “We are but a handful of people, we are in a foreign land surrounded by unknown mountains! Anything could attack us at any moment and we will be unable to react! I am not discussing it! We’re leaving!”

“No!” one other general said firmly as he stood up, “We won’t leave! We earned a day of peace! Let us at least sleep in dry land for once!”

“Are you defying my order?” Odysseus’s eyes sparkled warningly

“We cannot follow that order now, sire!” the man stood his ground, “You can’t demand from us to sail so early!”

“You heard what Odysseus said!” Eurylochus came in, “This place is not secure! We will take turns resting out the sea! His judgment hasn’t failed us yet!”

“We can’t travel like this!” the first one spoke again, “You cannot force us to travel in the black night like this!”

The king of Ithaca was fuming. His hands and his entire muscle system were clenched painfully. He was almost ready to grab him and punch some sense into him. He couldn’t indeed transfer his true agony and worry that the location wouldn’t be favorable to them.

“Odysseus…” Eurylochus touched his shoulder whispering, “I understand you. You are right but everyone is exhausted from battle. And we have some more wounded to take care of and better do this on dry land…”

“Dammit!” Odysseus growled in defeat

Yes, he wouldn’t be able to force his men to follow his orders if they refused to move. As he pranced about the camp that was about to be set for a night under the stars he also watched the slaves that would be taken with them; women and children that were free a few hours prior. Their eyes were hateful; resentful. For once moment they looked like Trojans in his eyes. He shook his head trying to lift the thoughts away again.

“Sire” Perimedes spoke, he was in charge of them for that night, “Shall we move them to the ship?”

“No” Odysseus growled in annoyance, “We are supposed to stay here”

One of the tied women laughed loudly. He knew her. She was the wife of the king he had killed in battle. She was dragged out with her children along with the rest of them. Her children were set aside to be shared in the lottery. She, herself, was offered to him as a prize. Initially he had refused insisting that all should go in lottery but his men had insisted. In one way the king of Ithaca dismissed it and kept her. He wouldn’t find much use of her now anyways. She was a handsome woman with long brown locks and big brown eyes. However her beauty was insignificant to him; not to mention that the symbols of her people tattooed on her made him feel even more the danger and the disturbance inside him every time he looked at her direction. And now there was her laughter; laughter full of anger and contempt. Odysseus, with his nerves already tensed he approached and grasped her by the rope that was tying her, pulling her towards him threateningly.

“What’s so funny, huh?” he demanded

The woman spat a few words at her dialect.

“I’ll need a translator here!” Odysseus called to whoever might hear nonchalant

“Oh, I’ll give you a translator!” the woman spat in her heavy accent

“Oh, good” Odysseus said feeling a sense of déjà-vu as he almost repeated the words he had said to her late husband, “You speak our language! I had begun to fear that I need to learn more languages! My Phoenician is kinda rusty and whatever Scythian I picked up at Troy won’t help me with you!”

“Your arrogance will not save you, Greek!” the woman spat at him again, “My people will come like the rain and get you! Your days are over! You and your men shall not survive this!”

Anger boiling inside him, Odysseus grabbed her hair, earning a light yelp from her. He had to try very hard not to feel the fever of battle inside him again. He knelt down and pulled her closer to him, his faces inches apart from hers, eyeing her warningly with his eyes sparkling like the fire that forged the obsidian, the stone that had colored them!

“Listen here, madam!” he whispered dangerously, “If there is something I know best, is to survive! Mark my words on that! I would be more worried about myself than anything else!”

He released her and stood up. He began walking away ignoring whatever comments Perimedes and the rest of his companions would make about her being feisty or whether he had made a good choice for his war prize. That entire dialog disgusted him right now! The woman hissed again before growling a few words and then one more, directed to him. Odysseus winced but he kept going, not looking at her at all. He knew enough Thracian dialect to know what the word she said meant;

Monster

*

The fire was blazing at the beach but this time it was not the city burning to the ground but the multiple cooking blazes that his men had lit up. Odysseus could hear all around the sounds of cattle and sheep being slaughtered and prayers being said and sacrifices being offered. His men had also taken out some of the jugs of wine and were already mixing the red liquid to craters. Some members of his crew who knew how to play music were already setting up the instruments for dance and celebration. Odysseus could see none of that. He was constantly looking around, double-inspecting everything. In fact he refused to remove his gear. After cleaning himself and making a prayer to the gods, he demanded his armor to be placed upon him once more, his chariot inspected, fixed if necessary and ready. He could barely concentrate to his food and drink. He sighed as he sat against the root of a sea tree watching at his men dancing and drinking themselves to their heart’s desire, celebrating as if it was the end of Troy anew. Odysseus grunted and shivered a bit at the cold of the night.

“Fools!” he thought, “Mindless fools! You are getting drunk and celebrating at the footing of the enemy! Gods I wish I could just take my own ship and leave you all behind! But…UGH!”

He sighed to himself passing his hands over his face. What was he thinking?! All of them came to this together and they should leave together! Maybe he was being too paranoid. Maybe he was exaggerating. Maybe, just maybe, the Cicones wouldn’t arrive later. Maybe they weren’t so many as he feared. And maybe, just maybe, the queen was only trying to scare him.

“Hey…”

The soft voice of Polites made him literally jump out of his skin for one second. He gasped and then drew a deep breath.

“Polites!” he sighed, “You scared ten lives out of me…”

“Sorry…”

“Never mind, my friend…I am just too distracted”

He sighed gratefully as a fleece was placed upon his shoulders by Polites. He embraced it tightly around his body before double-checking that his spear was there.

“Come sit with us by the fire” Polites suggested, “It has gotten chilly”

“No thank you” Odysseus retorted, blowing some air to his hands, “I need to be here and observe the area”

“You placed guards by the camp remember?”

“Irrelevant!”

He drew a breath and tried to collect himself.

“I don’t like this, Polites…” he whispered, “We should have gone when we had the chance! This is madness! Everyone acts as if we are back in Ithaca with no worry in the world!”

“I understand, Odysseus, but still…”

“We should be on our way home now!” Odysseus insisted stubbornly, “And yet…yet we…”

He sighed and extended his hand to Polites. Polites handed him over his goblet and Odysseus took a gulp of wine in thought before returning it to him. He eyed his men again, celebrating, dancing and oftentimes having their way with the women they had acquired or had brought with them from Troy; some were willing, some coldly accepting their fate, some did not seem so. His mind went back to Cassandra again; the way her body was barely covered by her torn clothes; her face disfigured with tears…the Locrian Ajax seeking shelter to the very same place he did the deed…

“I just hope I am wrong about this…” he whispered, “For the first time in my life I wish I am wrong, Polites!”

Yet another round of deafening silence passed between them. Odysseus wanted to scream; to cry out to his men to at least remain sober that night…but he felt helpless; as if nothing he would say would work even if he tried.

“Go to eat, Polites…” he encouraged his friend, “I’ll be fine, really”

“You sure? I can stay if you want”

“Better not” Odysseus said gloomily, “I want to be alone for a while, Polites. Thanks for the fleece…and the wine. I needed it”

“No problem…” Polites said worriedly.

He didn’t like that shadow over Odysseus’s eyes ever since they took Troy. Ever since he was so affected by their own win he was always jumpy and moody however everything seemed to be turning darker in him ever since the final preparations after the celebrations for taking the city. What had happened in Troy that made Odysseus such? What were they doing deep in the city, away from all other eyes that made Odysseus moan and groan in his sleep almost every night? He didn’t dare to ask. He obeyed the order as he stood and left.

Odysseus was left alone again…alone in his thoughts and dark memories. The fall of Troy…the slaughter of innocents…the baby king thrown off the walls…the contempt and judgment…the rape of Cassandra…the yells and cries of Hecuba and finally the most terrifying of all the darkness falling over the eyes of Polyxena…as he held her wrists down; he felt her pulse erasing and finally Hecuba yelling; screaming and almost plucking his eyes out as she was slowly losing her mind in grief… And now there was the bloodlust and the taking of Ismarus that made them all go loose again… He covered his face with his hands as if that could stop the thoughts emerging.

“Fools!” he thought again in despair, “Don’t you see? We need to go home! We need to go back as soon as possible! We must be free from this curse! From war…”

Somehow he knew that was not true. War and battle was inside them. They almost craved for it now. It almost felt like the only reason he was staying was so to see the next battle happening!

“Woe is me!” he thought, “Woe is us! Fools! At least remain sober! We are exposed to danger! We need to go home! They shall come…!”

And yet he couldn’t leave them behind and go. No, he couldn’t leave them. He was afraid for his life in the case of an attack but he couldn’t leave anyone behind! What king would he be to them unless he stuck around till the end? What leader would it make him if he picked up what he could carry and run by himself? He had tried to keep the kings united in Troy. How could he divide his men now? Fear and desire for return were eating his heart. His mind and legs were telling him to run; to go to his ships, gather those who had some sense to leave and go but his heart was divided. He had made a promise to them; that he would try to see them all to his best abilities come back. He once more looked up the mountains, feeling this primal fear a boar feels when going to the waterfront to drink, while smelling the hounds from afar and yet has no choice but to go or else it would die.

“Father Zeus please let me be wrong about this…let me be wrong…”

As the moves and cries and laughter and dance of his men was almost hypnotizing to him, he made that last prayer…

And he didn’t know what was the thing he wished to be wrong in the most; his fear of the possible incoming counterattack or his almost eagerness to face it?

*

He softly twitched and that shook him awake. Had he fallen asleep? He had tried to remain awake but apparently the fatigue of the battle made him fall asleep before the crack of dawn for he didn’t remember seeing the sun coming up. There was a mist coming from the sea and the sky still had that grayish sheen of dawn. The humidity could pierce the bones and yet that wasn’t his problem. One look at his sleepy, tired eyes and saw his men sleeping at the beach; unmoving in their fatigue and their alcohol-induced sleep. The remains of their feast were scattered about the sand and the soil; cooking fires long now extinguished for there was hardly any smoke coming out of the dead embers. He moaned in pain as his body cracked from the uncomfortable position he had fallen asleep in. His hand searched for his spear that always rested by his side. He had no idea what had stirred him awake in the first place, the same much as he didn’t know how he had fallen asleep in the first place. There was this feeling of uneasiness inside him that wouldn’t leave him alone. The birds in the forest had started their morning song, the sea had started sending soft waves with the low tide; the ships were creaking from where they were tied at the shallow waters. Everything seemed quiet. Perhaps too quiet for his tastes! Like the man who got baked by the constant noise of battle, this easiness was foreign to him now; unnatural. And all of the sudden, as his men were barely stirring awake; he heard a distant base note coming from the forest. It seemed like a distant call of a deer to its potential mate. Odysseus jolted to his feet; bronze spear clasped in his hand for dear life. The sound was heard again. His dizzy mind then came back to actual action like the hunter that came back from a long pause finally realizing the sound’s meaning.

“AMBUUUUUUUUSH!” he yelled on top of his lungs rousing everyone

Not fast enough. Too late.

Terrible battle cries and the deafening stampede of feet running down the mountain blocked all his senses as the horde of the Cicones jumped out of the forest and lashed upon his unsuspected comrades, wielding knives and swords and spears. His defenseless comrades or perhaps those who had more than enough to drink the night before barely had time to react when knives slit their throats from side to side; blood gushing out at the color of ruby, before they had even time to get up. Others barely had time to react; grabbing upon their weapons that lay by their sides.

“GUAAAAARDS!” Odysseus called upon those who were already protecting the camp, “EN GARDE! ENSSEMBLE! THEY MUST GEAR UP!”

He himself rushing upon the scene; naked sword in one hand and spear at the other as the very few and tired men that had their armor on rushed to their comrades’ assistance; those men who clumsily tried to gear up; swords or pieces of armor falling from their hands upon the sand and cordons not able to be tied in time. Odysseus feeling his wits escaping him in fear for their lives and his own he rushed upon the enemies; like a shepherd dog rushing upon the pack of wolves in blind rage and driven by the loyalty for its own masters; out of duty to protect the flock, regardless of the heart that pumped blood faster in its chest in worry and fear.

“HURRY!” He was calling in desperation, “HURRY YOU FOOLS!”

And the sound he feared the most was heard; neighing of horses. All color left his face as the strong Thracian horses emerged and their riders on top released arrows that pierced through flesh like butter.

“No!”  The Man of Many Wiles cried out, “DEFENSE! COME TOGETHER!”

The order was heard but moved slowly as the shields joined together, not enough time to prepare the rest of his men. The arrows arrived bearing fire. Odysseus felt his heart sinking as he knew they barely had time to react; the Cicones had used his own trick against him now. Out of all their cries justified. Odysseus knew enough of their language to know that they were chanting; “ISMARUS! ISMARUS!”

“POLITES!” he roared, “TAKE THE MEN YOU CAN AND GO TO THE SHIPS! SAIL AWAY! NOW!”

“What!?” Polites cried out, “That would make it impossible for you to escape”

“I KNOW!” Odysseus roared, “IF THEY BURN THE SHIPS WE’RE DONE FOR! GO! GET THEM OUT OF RANGE! NOW!”

Polites needn’t hear this twice. Rushing upon the fastest and strongest of the men who hadn’t geared up yet, Polites rushed to the sea and they ran into the waves, soon swimming frantically to the ships and climbing the hulls from the ropes. Polites barked orders to them to release the sails and pull the anchors up echoed across the plane from a distance. Several heads turned towards those who were lucky enough to be slow to gear up and now they were on apparent safety upon the ships that slowly yet steadily moved towards the deep.

“TOGETHER!” Odysseus cried in the meantime, slashing with his sword the leg of a rider passing by him

He had to keep his men together; he hoped their spirits wouldn’t leave them upon seeing the ships abandoning port. They could hear Polites’s orders to the oarsmen, frantically going out of range. One or two arrows pierced the black hulls and the men in rushed upon putting the flames off before the tar on the wood were be set aflame. Odysseus grabbed a slave next to him.

“You! Come with me!”

The two of them rushed upon the chariot waiting and the Man much Enduring forced the horses to trot as his slave would take the reins. Spear and naked sword at hand he rushed upon the enemy, cutting the line of defense. However the Cicones knew his trick and they were prepared. He had time to take the lives but of a few riders before an arrow stroke one of the horses and one the wheel of the chariot. The wounded animal neighed pitifully and the other in panic took the chariot down. The slave got crushed under the heavy weight of the animal and the chariot and Odysseus was thrown off. Head buzzing by the stroke and head feeling set aflame, Odysseus struggled back to his feet. His whole body was in pain and he felt a streak of thick blood running down his temple. He moaned in pain but also feeling grateful the sand had taken most of his fall. He struggled to his uneasy feet; adrenaline hammering against his temples he forced himself to take a step and another and another; blood tickling his brow, getting in his eye. He eyed the battlefield; no, the field of slaughter as the riders would cut through some men like butter as they fell on the sand, painting it red with their blood. He saw the slaves being freed and running for cover in the forests (on occasion falling under the swords of his men or the Cicones in the heat of the battle; for no one could tell friend from foe anymore). The laughter of the woman that was his war prize came to his ears. He looked at her; somehow he had found himself close to her this time too.

“I told you!” she said triumphantly from her kneeling position; arms still tied behind her back, “You and your kin shall not escape this!”

For one moment he saw only red.

He grabbed her by the throat in a bruising grip and his sword dripping dark blood of her companions hovered over her head; ready to claim her life, against the promise he extracted from his men not to harm women or children. She faced his fierce gaze bravely even if her eyes were almost popping out of their sockets in her effort to breathe; blood vessels pumping to her forehead. His hand shook for one second; thirsty to take the blood of the person that was mocking him only to push his lips together in defeat and practically throwing the coughing and struggling for breath woman back onto the sand and running to the central field of action once more, standing before his men that were being circled by the riders and the footmen of the Cicones. He noticed a few men had managed to overthrow some enemies from their horses and now rode as well the best they could to even the odds.

“MEN!” Odysseus roared, “WITH ME!”

Trying to organize the chaos and repel the enemy was not easy but the soldiers who knew nothing but war and violence for a decade did hear the order. As they ran to their best of strength, feet digging the sand below; breaths were hissing at their throats and blood and sweat running down their faces the Cephallinians rushed forward. Odysseus felt once more as if he was floating; as if everything were in slow motion around him. Neighing of horses, screams of men, fire and whistling of arrows, clanging of metal… All became a mass in his brain, his own breath hissing to his ears; his own heart beating fast. However this time it wasn’t triumph he felt; it wasn’t like the slaughter of Troy or the conquest of Ismarus; right now it was a battle for survival…under the eyes of their terrified comrades both on and out of the ships. Some of his men lost heart and ran towards the sea in their need to escape and they were met with arrows coming from the Thracian bows. Odysseus stopped hearing anymore…

Soon he had stopped even to feel…

*

The dusk had come; cold and bloody; the sky matching the sand and fire in color. The beach was quiet once more; this time the quietness was heavier than anything else before for it was weighted down by death; the death of their own. Odysseus was gasping for breath; legs almost unable to hold him anymore. He had felt so only once in Troy, no, now it seemed worse for they were running upon the sand which soon was wet with thick blood. Sweat and crusted blood was covering him. He was half-staggering as he walked upwards at the path to meet his men at the top of the beach; bronze sword falling from his hands; bloody upon the very bloody sand. His comrades had driven the ships back and descended to inspect the damages. The beach was full of dead bodies; horses, warriors and slaves. Gasping for breath always Odysseus scanned the perimeter with liquid eyes full of terror. He looked towards the sea. The waves seemed to be licking the blood off the beach like unworldly tongues; a bloody offering to the god Poseidon and his nymphs; but it was not the blood of the cattle they had slaughtered the night prior; it was human blood now… Fires were still burning around, his chariot was completely destroyed and burning too like an unworldly heath along with the two horses that died upon the bloody sand, still tied to their reins. They had fought all day and somehow they had managed to repel the Cicones; killing several of their men. But at what cost… The Man Much Tormented clenched his hands to the point of his nails breaking the skin. Polites had walked a bit closer but he kept his distance as if he feared for his own life too.

“How many men have we lost?”

His voice was hoarse; whispery…inhuman.

“Odysseus…we…”

“HOW MANY!” his sudden yell made them all jump back

“S-Seventy two…” Polites stammered, “A-About 6 pairs of hands from each ship…without counting the slaves…”

The eyes of their king became bottomless; bottomless like the abyss that had claimed the lives of their companions.

“In one day…” he whispered with voice coming straight out of his wide chest, “…We lost almost as many men…as ten years in Troy…”

He was shaking; from top to bottom in primary anger. In an explosion he kicked a fallen helmet; he didn’t know if it was his or not. Screaming on top of his lungs towards the heavens. That anger he accumulated in battle didn’t seem released till that one moment. All the men surviving once more lowered their heads upon that primary anger; that fury that justified his name Furious or Anger Bringer…the rage they all now saw as justified. As the cry subsided he was left out of breath; gasping anew.

“Cursed Troy! Damn you all! Damn you all who fell by my hands! Cursed life! Cursed war!”

“Gather the dead…” he ordered in a whisper

He didn’t need to yell. Not anymore. His throat was aggravated; now it felt like it came from the depths of Hades itself and yet he didn’t need to yell to be heard. Everyone seemed to be able to hear even his thoughts now. Odysseus mopped his bloody temple with his hand.

“We must offer them a funeral. Each ship will call their own so that we will leave on time…”

“What about the barbarians?” Eurylochus dared to ask

“I don’t bloody, care Eurylochus!” Odysseus snarled at him, “Take their arms for all I care and burn them or bury them in a hole! I don’t care to think of it now!”

Taking one moment to calm himself he realized that he couldn’t leave them there. He didn’t know the customs of the Thracians but he couldn’t leave someone unburied.

“Wait…” he said, “We shall burn them too. Give them a funeral. Then their own will see what will become of them. We shall burn them”

“Yes…burn them! Let this all damn place burn!”

Eurylochus nodded. He knew it wasn’t wise to aggravate him further. The bodies were gathered and cleaned the best they could, they separated enemies from friends and poured their offerings to the dead. The arms were taken off the corpses; sad loot at the end of a battle. Odysseus had taken also a ring and a necklace from the dead body of the Queen; he had found her dead among the corpses. Was she killed in the raid by some of his own or did she end her own life? He didn’t know. She was cut loose from her binds but that was all he knew. He would be a liar if he said he felt sad for her passing. In fact he hardly felt anything anymore for her or any of the other unlucky girls that had also fallen into the battle and the commotion; some of them had survived the war of Troy only to be killed by the swords of the Cicones or their arrows upon their escape or taken by them as loot as well.

“How strange…” the king of Cephallinians thought, “We are all the same at war… Who is the civilized and who the uncivilized! Who is the Greek and who is the barbarian?”

And yet he felt nothing. He was almost numb as the cacophony of the voices were yelling different names towards the skies three times each, for the souls to be led to the afterlife… He hardly felt anything at the smell of burning flesh, so familiar to him now, from the funeral pyres set. He hardly felt the cold water as they entered the sea (also to wash the blood of themselves) and climbed to their hollow ships with anything they managed to salvage (and Odysseus congratulated himself for his prudence to add most of the food in the ships beforehand) from the beach and he barely felt a thing as his commanders barked the orders for their departure. His eyes glued upon the beach where the funeral pyres could still be distinguished against the purple-black of the dusk. Odysseus couldn’t care less if the fires burnt the forest behind or not. He felt Polites behind him once more.

“This was my fault, Polites…” he whispered

“My lord?”

“I was arrogant… What did I think? This is war…there is no side that wins or loses… I was foolish to believe I could get us out of here without any loss…”

“Odysseus…”

He was silenced by the hand of his king that raised itself.

“Can you take the first shift, Polites? I can’t stand anymore… I need to sleep…”

“Of course…” his best friend whispered in return, “You stayed up almost all night yesterday…”

“Thank you…”

Tiredly the king of Ithaca dragged his body to the end of the ship. His shoulders felt heavy…as if 72 more souls had hanged themselves from them; added to the already unbearable load of the lives of Troy….and Ismarus…

**

So here we have the first massive loss Odysseus suffered after Troy! 6 men from every ship perish from the attack of the Cicones.

In the Odyssey Odysseus mentioned how his men began a proper feast during their stay at the foot of Ismarus with slaughtering cattle and drinking wine, so that made me wonder how Odysseus would feel and what he would do. What would be his course of though and for one more time I thought the reoccuring memories of war will be swirling in him as well as the gloomy thoughts of his change. And of course some more violent reactions of his because of his state of mind and all.

The battle was once more inspired by Kapnisis music as I have said before to dear @dionysism this time the song "Μάχη στο Μανιάκι" ("Battle on Maniaki") because I love how the theme re-occures but with a sadder turn:

which again gave me this feeling of helplessness as the Greeks are literally trying to push back the enemy that caught them literally in sleep.

The share of spoils and the stripping of one's enemy are both mentioned in the Iliad as tradition. I also make Odysseus send Polites to defend the ships instead. This is so that for startes Polites is a powerful general in his army but also kinda wanted to show some double-standards on Odysseus part that he wants to get his best friend to a safe distance from the slaughter instead of someone else.

And yup for those who didn't get there yet, the helmet scene was inspired from Lord of the Rings! Hehehehe!

The tradition of clling one's name three times was also mentioned in the Odyssey as a form of a funeral ritual.

Forthe funeral I imagined again the soundtrack to its finale part! ^_^

As always my special thanks to:

@cjbolan @smokey07 @adrift-in-thyme @superkooku @marieisnothere12 @dilutedh2so4 @ditoob @tunguszka20 @fangirlofallthefanthings @cr4zy-cycl0n3 @hermesmoly @insomniphic @blueflipflops @venomspecs @simugeuge @tumblingghosts @theyugiohfanartistwritersblog @loco-bird @greek-mythology-lover @leynaeithnea @freetyphoonglitter

Also a very special thanks and a hug to @ellilyre

**

(Afternote)

“No…ahh…no…gods…Troy…run…no…no!”

He was not fully asleep, he was not fully awake as he was mumbling incoherent things in his disturbed sleep. He was constantly moving about in his sleep, constantly fisting his fleece blanket; sweat plastering his curly hair to his forehead.

“Ahh! No…! Argh…..no! Ismarus….Troy…no… Ismarus…Ismarus…”

His back nearly arched under him.

“No! Argh…no…the fire…knife…the knife…no…! Argh! Troy…Ismarus…no!”

The hand on his shoulder was warm and welcoming.

“ARGH!” he half-threw himself in a sitting position

“Odysseus…what’s wrong…are you alright…?”

It was Polites’s voice. That much he could tell but the dizziness of sleep and dream were still in his brain. He was too foggy to think; swinging between sleep and awake to fully comprehend. Polites saw him struggle, as if, to breathe.

“No…no…” he was mumbling half asleep, “No more…the blood… Ismarus…Troy…”

“Odysseus please!”

There was the scent of metal to his lips; someone had brought a goblet to them. It smelt like wine.

“Please drink this…”

“I don’t want it…” Odysseus mumbled half-asleep still, shaking his head, “No…”

“Please! I beg of you…drink it…” Polites begged, “It will help!”

The ruby liquid touched his lips and he subconsciously swallowed. It felt bitter to his tongue; it almost tasted like blood. Apparently fatigue and the cloud of sleep had not left his brain yet for no sooner had he finished the goblet up and he leaned back, his head once again hanging to the side; surrendering himself to Hypnos’s spell once more, however this time there was no moaning or twitching in his sleep. Apart from a tensed expression between his brows he seemed calm.

“What did you give him?” Eurylochus asked concerned

Polites took out his pouch and showed some dust into it.

“I got this medicine from a Scythian merchant at Troy. He advised me to mix it to wine for better sleep.”

“Are you telling me you are using this?”

“How do you think we sleep after Troy?”

“Good point…” Eurylochus had to agree.

His gaze fell upon his sleeping king. The one that a few moments ago was flapping like a fish out of the water, as if struggling with unspeakable things in his sleep.

“What in all hells of Tartarus happened in Troy…?” he mumbled, “We all have regrets from time to time and dream badly but…not like this! What the hell happened to him to break like this…?”

“I believe he saw the Queen Hecuba lose her mind before him. He didn’t allow anyone else in his tent at that time…” Polites whispered, “It must have been hard…”

“Undoubtedly when Zeus or Dionysus sends upon the illness of the mind it is terrifying but still… Is it just that…? Sure the taking of Troy the way it happened could shake anybody… But this? What on earth happened behind closed doors and away from our understanding?”

“I heard…” Polites mumbled, “I heard that there was a sacrifice involved…”

He made a protective sign with his hand as if the words he was about to utter would be enough to curse them all.

“…A human sacrifice that is…”

The word hovered…longer than it should be; something terrible no one dared to ask.

“But…” Eurylochus managed to utter, mouth agape, “That was…before… I heard goddess Artemis demanded it…”

“No…not that… At Troy…and perhaps, they say, the reason he is like that is exactly because the gods were not involved…”

“Are you saying...?”

“No! Absolutely not! I am sure these are just terrible rumors to hurt our king! They always do come up with those!”

“Are you saying Odysseus is incapable of that…?” Eurylochus challenged

“I-…” Polites hesitated, “I don’t know…but there must be an explanation! There always is…”

They remained silent. They could hear Odysseus’s breathing. On occasion his tongue seemed to chant again and again: Troy…Ismarus…Ismarus…

*

“Odysseus…wake up…”

The warm shaking hand on his shoulder drew him out of the world of sleep. He was drowsy and confused but he could remember where he was. They were sailing home again…that should be the only one that mattered. He had given instructions to his men and they would sail away… And yet why could he smell the rain so intensely to his nose? The sky was gray, dangerously turning black. However he knew he had slept all night. He could hardly understand a thing. He blamed the wine Polites watered him the night before but it was not the time to discuss that.

“Did everyone get to have some hours of sleep…?” was the first thing he asked

“Yes” Polites confirmed, “We all had our shifts”

“And you didn’t wake me up?” the king of Ithaca asked as he was helped back to his feet by his friend.

“No” Polites admitted, “We thought you needed sleep. You had stayed awake all night before”

His king chose not to comment on that for now. Instead he leaned on the parapet of the ship. What he saw alarmed him. The sky was dark and the winds were already howling and there was a drizzle rain. There was the sound of distant thunder from afar and the strong, northern wind was already rising more and more, making his eyes tearful with the bitter cold and the drizzle slowly becoming needles that almost felt like piercing the skin. Polites didn’t need to ask when he saw the horror in his eyes. Neither did Eurylochus.

“Captain…” his brother-in-law started

“Men…” Odysseus whispered, “We must prepare ourselves! A storm might be coming!”

“Oh shit…” Eurylochus mumbled

The sails were already snapping at the wind. Odysseus suddenly saw…the winds were pushing them back…away from the sores they wanted to reach… He knew then they were up for another detour.

“Gods…gods have mercy on me! I want to go home! I just want to go home! I shall repent for my sins! Just let me embrace my wife first!”

He looked up and then he drew a breath. He had to collect himself. Perhaps that would be a minor detour. He would have to endure it. He had to; he couldn’t break now that they were so close. He couldn’t let his 72 men die in vain like that!

“MEN!” He yelled the order, “Secure the sails! Prepare for a storm!”

“And gods help us…let us survive this ordeal and escape this thrall of storm to get back home! Athena…Athena I beg of you…”

He took the ring and chain off his pouch, the ones he removed from the queen and threw them into the sea; a silent prayer and a petty offering so that he could at least hope their ships would survive. He was up for another detour… Ithaca had to wait…somehow he knew… He joined the men and kept barking orders as the sailors; expert now in sea and storms, were already gathering the sails and rowing for dear life. Odysseus grabbed the steer himself, making yet another protective sign with his hand, one last prayer to the gods. And yet he could swear that the winds that howled in his ears, making the raindrops whip his face like tiny needles were chanting again and again.

Troy…Troy…Ismarus… Ismarus!

[wishfulsketching]

You are the only person I have my notifications on for because I love your art so much!!!! My special interest is Gotham and nygmobblepot and im so happy to see such an amazing artist make food 🍽️

You spoil meeeeee

I am still on season 3 on my rewatch due to scheduling issues (I will make me friends finish this series with me) so I will be inspired to continue this nygmobblepot obsession for a while....oopsie

[ryuichirou]

Hello!! I'm too shy to send you this out of anon, but I wanted to let you know how much I admire you. I'm a TWST artist myself, and I like certain problematic tropes and pairings. I also want to draw nsfw of my favorite ships, but I'm too afraid of doing it. The anti movement in fandoms is too overwhelming and I'm scared of people going after me. I don't mind kids yelling at me for drawing teens doing what most teens do nowadays (like sex) but everything has escalated so far that people are willing to doxx you and ruin your life over what you ship or draw, and that's what I'm scared of. I know that you probably get nasty messages and people bothering you, but seeing you and Katsu continue creating regardless of what people might say gives me encouragement to post whatever I want. And you seem to be a sunshine of a person, not to mention that your art is amazing. I wish I could post daily as you but sometimes I'm a little bit lazy and I yet need more confidence even if I've been drawing since I was a teen. Anyways, sorry if this got longer, but thank you for contributing amazing art to the TWST fandom. (I'm also into Hetalia and SnK!!! Seeing that you like DenNor made my day haha)

Sending you and Katsu my best regards!

First of all, thank you so much for your support and for your kindness, Anon. And thank you for messaging us at all about this topic, even if anonymously. I think this is a very important thing to talk about, and your message honestly made us kind of emotional. It was a bad idea to read it before going to bed lol

Just like you said, the anti movement is honestly psychotic. I feel like a lot of people who participate in it simply don’t realise the weight of their actions and words, which make sense, because the majority of them are very young; and the ones that are adults are usually quite deranged and dangerous. It’s not rare for their actions to lead to horrible consequences, but I guess this is nothing new. It used to be overbearing conservative parents, now it’s some kids with too much free time. That being said, these days we see more and more people who ignore, criticize or ridicule the antis for their hypocrisy, and this is very nice to see.

We really do get quite a lot of hate, but honestly, we used to get even more stupid comments, even though we haven’t been hated with such passion before. But still, the support we’re getting now is also much more impactful and vocal than what we used to get. There also are people who aren’t even into our ships, but would defend us just because of what this whole thing represents: their own right to do whatever they want when it comes to fiction.

Our personal thing is that we’re just way too spoiled and self-indulgent with stuff that we like. Even if it meant that we’d never get hate, we would be miserable if we had to restrict ourselves for the sake of others; and I know that because we tried. So the worst thing that could happen is that we’ll stop posting, but we’ll still continue creating, because it gives us too much joy to give it up just because someone has no friends at school and wants to impress other antis with their sick (moronic) post when they completely miss the point of our content and ignore our 18+ warnings.

So yeah, I hope you’ll remember what you love about drawing and keep doing whatever you want, even if you don’t post it. But I also think that, if you’re comfortable at any point, you should also post it. You can create an account with no link to your regular acc and your personal info whatsoever and post whatever you want there. You could still get hate, but at least it will be safer and without any high stakes, although I understand you might feel fear because people could recognise your artstyle and connect the dots.

Also preventive bans work wonderfully. If we stumble upon a post that has certain aggressive messages (you know the ones), we simply block everyone who interacted with that post. It takes time, but it’s worth it, I think. Hell, people use “call-out” (because there is nothing to call out, we’ve stated everything plainly ourselves) posts with us to block people.

Also also, ironically, ignoring the hate also kind of helps… I know it’s easy to say, and it’s not a 100% guarantee, but we just think that people are more prone to attacking you if you react to hate in any way. So the best thing is literally to just block and delete it. Oh, and always report it if it gets aggressive – this could do nothing, but it could also bitchslap them out of nowhere lol

Anyways… I am very grateful and glad if we could give you any type of reassurance and comfort with our posts. I hope to see your stuff one day, and I hope there’ll be more people who post whatever they want, so fandoms can become healthier again.

And I’m very happy you like Hetalia and SnK too, especially DenNor! <3

Thank you again from both of us, and I hope you’re having a good day.

[cloudysunflowr]

Hey! I saw your amazing works on TikTok, especially for "Welcome Home"! The responses on the comment section make me laugh or... Question myself and my sanity, especially with the animation you did with poor Wally. But I do have a few questions about the lore that you've captivated us into, if you don't mind that is...

1.) Why was Y/N there? Was it a coincidence that they happened to be there?

2.) Clearly, the citizens of home are... No longer there or, in a way, lost their minds (if that makes sense). Are they a danger to Y/N or any humans in general?

3.) I know you wouldn't want to spoil anything, but does Wally have an End Game?

Overall, your art is phenomenal, and I can't wait to see what else you come up with. Whether it be "Welcome Home" or "My Hero Academia," I hope to continue seeing such amazing art even if it's the reason why I got into angst, lol.

Oh my!! Eee you’re so kind! Ok ok—

So-

1). If I’m truly honest, I’m not quite sure! Adding a y/n was more of a split second decision as I saw many wanting to see the hives reaction to seeing the viewer! And after that I wanted to show how the survivors may react! I do now plan to show some more y/n shenanigans with the hive and survivors but the story and lore is more centered towards the main crew~!

2). It’s hard to say… each are dealing with their grief in their own ways. Some will be more violent depending on the actions of the viewer but others are very docile. However, I find their reactions quite reasonable, a stranger coming in that the hive has an interest in? The very same hive that took many of their friends? Just… be careful with them. With whom you trust.

3). Yup! They all do! I do have three endings in mind but I would hate to jump so quickly to them!

And thank you so much! I truly am flattered! Im also really happy that you were so interested in my lil au to ask such questions! I hope you and others enjoy the story I have laid out for my aus!

[qdkdraws]

Hi!

So I recently downloaded Webtoon and of course the first thing I searched for was your adaptation of the fic, ‘A Horrific Fantasy’! I didn’t realise it was a fanfic, so I might wait until Alastor is introduced in the comic before reading as I really don’t want to be spoiled on what he’ll be like in it.

So, I started reading the webcomic and I was just in absolute awe of every single thing about it. I’ve reread it multiple times now because I just love your art style so much. The colors, the linework, the beautiful detailing on the text boxes, all the textures in the backgrounds, the composition (I especially love the start of the Prologue and how the text box drips into the present day), the amazing human designs of all the characters — IT’S ALL AMAZING!!! 🌟

I loved it so much that the first thing I did when I saw my friend today was show the comic to him, and then I did the same thing when I called my family from home today — I was just showing them all like LOOK AT HOW AMAZING THIS IS!!

Besides me being an art student who loves to fangirl about these things, I also wanted to ask if you have any art advice for people who want to make comics or just any general advice that helped you improve as an artist? No worries at all if not, though!

I also always like to ask people who their favorite artists are as I find it interesting to learn about other people’s inspirations, so if you’re happy to share about that as well I’d love to know!

I hope this ask wasn’t too long, but I’ll finish it off by saying I’m really looking forward to future chapters (no rush at all, though — I understand these things take a lottt of time and effort to make) as well as all the artwork you post here on Tumblr because it’s all incredible! Hope you have a nice weekend! :D 💖

I don't think it's worth waiting for the comic to check out the fanfic, because it will take me a long time to get to the chapter with his first appearance (and my work schedule + additional art for the soul is not helping with this, haha)

Well, considering that I'm just self-taught, I can only advise a lot of watching and practicing. This is how I learned: I didn’t have any special courses or training (although that’s obvious, I guess xD), I just found cool guys and tried to adapt some their details to my art - sometimes it worked, sometimes not, and in the end we have what we have now.

Favorite artists… Pixmilk (his Inktober art is absolute gold), Piсolo-kun (or rather his challenge 365), Thomas Fischbach and his comic "Twokinds" (love how simple and harmonious his style looks), Nicholas Kole, Glen Keane and his sketches. I also really adore the old stylized cartoons like "My Life as a Teenage Robot" and how the designs don't even try to be realistic but are still expressive.

Aaaand thanks for the feedback! ~<3 This is my first comic where I do both the storyboard and the art myself (in my previous comics I was just an artist, the layout was done by the author), and such a high rating motivates me to continue trying (◕‿◕)

[buckyismybicycle]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💖

thank you for this, babe💖💖 I know I'm late to the party but I couldn't come up with a list LOL. It's so difficult??? to just??? pick something I'm proud of?? My favourite fics are not necessarily my best-written fics, but they all have a special place in my heart for different reasons!

hey now, you're an all star (get your game on, go play)

This was an obvious one, I think anyone who knows me saw this coming. It's just brought me so much... reprieve. relief. cathartic release. It's a combination of two of my loves - fandom and hockey. I never imagined the overlap between those two fandoms would be very big, but it has brought me SO many incredible friends. People that I talk to regularly, people who make me smile with a single comment, people who have supported and encouraged me to keep going when I was afraid to. I just don't have enough words to describe how much those relationships mean to me, seriously. @alavenderleaf @hannahshattuck @rohruh @fsbc-librarian I love you with all my heart.

i'm the furthest thing from heaven, but the closest to home

This was a fic I recently wrote, which started as a 2-3K one shot for @circaclementine, and then suddenly it took over. I wrote this for an All Caps Bingo challenge and was really determined to do it (all Clem's fault), which drove this to nearly 20K (which is really long for ME, okay!). It combined a lot of (A) what I love (wingfic, angels), (B) what I wanted to explore more of (Steve waking up without Buck and (C) challenging myself to find canon-adjacent moments that I could re-write and bring into my story. I took a lot of lines and moments straight from the MCU, which I hoped that made the fic even more "real" for some people and I have to thank Clem for this delightful challenge and all the subsequent support that I needed, lol. Still, I loved every moment.

it's not love

I really loved writing this one because it was one of the first parts of my "Seb Stan Series" ideas. It's a rare pair (1940s Bucky/Lee Bodecker) but in writing this, I felt a bit of a challenge in writing someone that wasn't just Bucky. I explored a lot more about my writing, and honestly I was actually really proud of this one after Maya helped me fall in love with it all over again. It's sweet, sad, and that basically sums me up as a writer.

so don't go (wasting all our feelings)

How could this not be on my list! It was a fic that I basically wrote with my best pals @cable-knit-sweater @mxaether. It was an honour to write with Maya, and I am continuously blown away by what we accomplished. 36K words?! Are you freaking kidding me! And of course, not only was Kam's art fucking mindblowing but the endless support for all of our collective shouting was very much needed. I just can't even tell you how much love is in this fic and how much love came out of it. I'm so proud of us, truly. Love you both so much.

spoil me

It started with SamBuckyTorres (spread your wings) but I wanted to delve more into Bucky/Torres. I thought "oh! It'd be so fun to do an age difference fic" with Daddy Bucky (I'd never written daddy kink before this fic) and I think I just enjoyed unleashing Bucky on Torres. It made writing Dom Bucky easier for me in my later fics, which is really obvious to me looking back now! Thank you Baby Bird/Slut. Sorry Hannah for dragging you down with me. 😘

teach me how to love

This is the fic that got me started in the Bucky/Reader fandom. I was just writing a simple one-shot and the comments/feedback I got were so amazing that I just kept going?! And going, and going, and going. It turned into a 23 chapter monster purely based on the feedback I got and the conversations I was having. It brought me my first batch of fandom friends, and I'm forever thankful for the friends I made, like YOU! Love you, Lana. Thank you for coming on this wild journey with me.🥰🥰

[viatrixtravels-a]

Send "Love Story with ____" for my muse's reaction on finding a romantic fanfiction about themselves paired with that character

"Love Story with Xiao: Sparkle" (Based on: Kimi No Nawa and The Angel Next Door Spoils me Rotten)

Submitted by the infamous 'long ask anon'. uwu

When Lumine first picked up the book, she was a little skeptical. It was quite hard to imagine Xiao as a character inside a romance novel after all. While he could be very romantic when he wants to be, he still did not strike her as your typical male lead type of character. However, perhaps this story would prove her wrong.

"Well...I have to wait for Paimon to wake up from her nap anyways. Might as well read this in the meantime."

With every page, the blonde became more and more invested in the story, her cheeks now dusted a pastel pink hue.

"..."

She completely lost track of time, completely absored by the book and before she knew it, she had reached the end.

"That was..."

Letting herself fall back onto the mattress, she covered her face with both hands and began to roll around on top of the bed before burying her face in a pillow to silence her squealing.

( ...Amazing!! )

Cheesy love stories had always been a guilty pleasure of hers ever since Fischl introduced her to them. She had secretly bought countless of romance novels from Yae Publishing House - keeping it top secret from all of her friends besides Paimon. But this one was special since it featured Xiao and herself. She would implode from embarrassment if the former were to ever find this book and read it, but she would definitely keep it stashed somewhere to read again at a later time.

THE STORY

In the first scene, you both wake up in your respective homes preparing for school. You are a Grade 11 Student who is good at travelling, language, reading, and some cooking. Xiao is a Grade 12 Student who is really good at martial arts, history, and playing the flute. You go out first to walk to the train station to go to your school. Along the way, you catch a glimpse of Xiao but then, the train stops, and you lose him in the crowd. After getting off at the correct station, you try to find him but can't so you continue on in school. Xiao meanwhile, seemed oblivious to all this but could some what sense that something is going on and continues going to school.

You arrive and meet your friends Xiangling, Amber, and Sucrose in the school entrance, and the four of you talk about the typical things in highschool life. Amber asks if you have a crush on anyone but of course you say that no boy is attracted to you or has an interest in you. Xiao meanwhile, was sparring with Xinqiu while Kaeya, Diluc, Thoma and Childe and even Bonanus, Menogias, Indarius and Bosacius watch on. Xiao beats Xinqiu and Xiao and his Yaksha friends congratulate him while the others clap. The scene then moves to Xiao and his Yakshas having lunch in the canteen and Bosacius teases Xiao how he needs to find a crush soon and that he can't be that uninterested in finding a liking to someone. Xiao of course says nothing but then Menogias says to him that he has been looking at a certain golden haired girl across the other side of the canteen. It's you. And talks to him that she does look pretty and a pretty intelligent student too.

Days pass, you're fixing things in your locker, but then once you close it, you come face to face with...

Xiao

You get startled, and you drop all your things. It was a mess of books and notebooks and papers. Xiao first apologises to you, but then you let out an annoyed look as you told him that you had just fixed your locker. He decides to help you, and as both of you are fixing your mess, he accidentally touches your hand as you try to grab a book. You look at each other with confused looks at first, but then Xiao says he's sorry for touching your hand and just continues fixing the pile of books. You, on the other hand, are... blushing. Blushing in stunned silence as you look at how... handsome he is? Yes. Xiao looked handsome. It lasts for a few more seconds until he looks at you with a confused look and snaps you out of the trance. Quickly, you fix the remaining books and safely place them in your locker. You thank Xiao, and he returns the favour, but then, he asks you your name. You respond back with typical hospitality and also tell him your class and grade level. He then tells you his name and class and his grade level and tells you that it's nice meeting you. Before he leaves however, you ask him where he's going, and he responds by saying that he was going to the library. As were you, so you both decide to go together and along the way you both ask what your daily lives are and what hobbies and so on you both have. You're interested in Xiao's knowledge of history thanks to being a student of Professor Morax, and you want to know how to get into a martial arts class while he is interested in the amount of places you've been.

As time goes on, you both grow closer and become good friends, and you both travel on the same train, and you both sometimes visit each other's apartments, which are just a block apart. Soon, you introduce him to your group of friends and he introduces you to his fellow Yakshas as well as the other martial artists students.

Months have passed since you first met, and you're in Xiao's house cooking some food for him and yourself since you both agreed that he would be the one to wash the dishes while you cooked. After eating dinner, you both study and share some knowledge together, and he decides to share you a story about one of Professor Morax's lectures, but halfway through, you fall asleep. Xiao was surprised by this and decided to bridal carry you to bed. As he covers you in a blanket, you slightly wake up and see him looking at you. You tell him goodnight, and he does the same but before he left, he couldn't help but stare at you. Maybe he's enthralled by your beauty but he wouldn't want to make it known. Not yet at least.

When you wake up, you ask how you ended up in bed, and Xiao tells you that he bridal carried you. You become embarrassed as your face turns red and you ask him why he carried you without asking you first, and he simply told you that you were already asleep and he didn't want you on the couch or sleeping on the floor. Still embarrassed, you make some punches on his thigh and when he asks why you say "Shou-Kun no baka!" but you do let it slide for now and he does apologise.

The school semester goes by, and the two of you start to become closer as rumours start to spread of you possibly being with the school's top martial artist student. Do you want to admit your true feelings for him? Or course not. It would cause too much of a ruckus and bad publicity.

One day, you and Xiao are walking together at a festival to which you were invited to attend by Ayaka and Ayato. You were wearing a beautiful shrine maiden kimono and have a kitsune mask you bought, while Xiao keeps close by holding your hand. Yep, he was trying his best to hide his embarrassed look as he held on to you for about 15 minutes or so. After some time, you finally meet with the Kamisato siblings, and Ayato comments on how your bond with Xiao is only growing stronger, it seemed. Before you could say anything, Xiao talks first, saying that while he and you are close friends and that there's nothing romantic about the relationship. Ayato only laughs while Ayaka says there's nothing wrong with admitting your true feelings someday. She had a point. Perhaps you and Xiao will have to spill the beans someday.

More days pass by, and on one occasion you both sleepover in Xiao's house, as you both talk about what your plans are for the next day, Xiao thanks you for being the closest person he's ever had and that he was able to open up more to you and his friends because your presence made him feel more comfortable. You do the same, and you take his hand before telling him that she still feels uncertain about how he would feel if you said this to him, so you write on the palm of his hand, "好きです". It's "I love you" in Inazuman. Xiao is taken a back and isn't sure how to respond, but eventually, he also says that he, too, has strong feelings for you and thanks you for everything and so you kiss him on the cheek before leaving. Xiao is only stunned silent.

On the school's sports event, you have to compete in a track and field sprint with a partner, and since all others are taken, you decide with the best person. Xiao. When it's your turn, you both run at full speed while everyone cheers you on. Thanks to learning and exercising with Xiao himself, you match his speed, and it appears that neither of you will take the lead. You both spend every last bit of stamina until...

You both reach the finish line at the same time, and everyone is unsure who really won the contest. When asked who won by the host, you write down, "Someone lovely," and then Xiao responds with "The lovely person beside me." Everyone is shocked at this revelation. Your friends, Xiao's friends, the professors. The judges, the host, and every student watching the event. You look at Xiao with a beautiful smile, and he smiles back at you while holding your hand. He leans in and kisses you at the forehead, and you respond back with a tight hug.

The days past have been very interesting considering now that everyone knows that you and Xiao are a couple now. The paparazzi was crazy.

The next scene is you on a train returning home, but then the train you are on stops and breaks down. With no choice, the passengers are forced to leave the train and walk on foot. Your phone is low battery, and you are far from home. So you tell Xiao to meet in a particular place near the city outskirts. However, it was late at night, and you get lost, trying to find a place. Xiao too was lost but was able to find his way to a low ridge where he tries to contact you. Before you could give the exact details, your phone dies but you know he's close. You run everywhere, but you still can't find him. Hours pass, it's certainly past midnight, and you trip on the road and roll until you stop after 10 seconds. You're in pain, and you're exhausted. However, you are determined to find him and feel his embrace. Your lover was doing and thinking the same, and he was busy walking on a small road in a forest while desperately trying to look for you. Hour after hour passes but you still can't find each other. You both swore that you both checked every place and are just going around in circles. But then you both remembered...

The sun. The sun rise can be seen on the mountain top. The place where you can directly signalling a new day. There can be no other place in the city right now.

As dawn approaches you successfully go on top of the flat mountain face and start to run everywhere until...

You just ran past someone.

You slowly turn around.

That face. You know that face, and it knows yours.

Xiao.

Tears start to stream down your face. But then you start to laugh. He laughs too. How absurd was it? To run for hours until the dawn and meet at the mountain top. You then embrace Xiao as hard as you can and he embraces back, thankful that you're okay, despite the bruises and scrapes on your skin. He too was crying. After a while, he then takes your hand and writes "大好きです" on your palm. He was saying "I love you" but this time it was out of true passion, and he is elated to finally to have said those words to you. You say "I love you" back to him and give him a passionate kiss on the lips. He returns it back. Relishing in the moment as the Sun rises above the clouds on the mountain and the surrounding city.

Years pass, you both graduated to college but didn't come to the same school this time. You decided to study abroad for two years while he stayed. After a while, he for some reason, stopped receiving your calls and messages. It seemed all would be forgotten until one day. Maybe all the things you experienced before were just a dream. But after returning to your home country, you walk past an all too familiar face.

On a flight of stone stairs...

You both look back at each other.

It's certainly him.

You both ask "Kimi no namaiwa?"

-The End

[ilovedthestars]

Random Summary Tag Game

Ever need to summarize a long fic that you wrote so you can pitch it to someone else, but it's hard to distill it down into just a few paragraphs?

Never fear! Wolf on the Murderbot Diaries Discord came up with the genius idea of a longfic sampler that randomly chooses a paragraph from each chapter, to assemble a summary that is certain to make even less sense than anything you could come up with, enticing readers to read your fic to find out what it's actually about!

I'm exporting it to tumblr as a tag game with her permission.

Here are the instructions:

Choose a long (or long-ish) fic that you wrote. Randomly select a single paragraph from each chapter. If the fic has too many chapters for this to be reasonable, randomly select 5-10 and then choose random paragraphs from those. If the fic is all one chapter, randomly select 5-10 paragraphs from it.

(One easy way of doing this is to copy the text into a document and format the whole thing as a numbered list, which will number each of the paragraphs. Please don't count paragraphs by hand unless you really want to. Here's a random number generator you can use.)

Then, put all your randomly selected paragraphs in order to create your amazing summary. You're allowed to reroll to avoid spoiling major twists.

Here's mine:

Her hands were trembling. I will ensure that your human is safe, said a voice in my head. I am capable of seeing to its treatment with the MedSystem, the mysterious voice asserts. (Who is that? Another crewmember, in a different part of the ship?) It adds, As well as repelling any attempt by the SecUnit to harm my crew. I don’t know why, but that made me angry. I’m not afraid of you. You can’t do anything to me that’s worse than I’m used to. I attached a few memory files of punishment from the governor module, so it knew exactly what I meant. ART said in the general feed, It would be best if I could continue to monitor SecUnit in the MedSystem to ensure that treatment was successful. She stared at the ceiling for a little bit longer, while I sat there nervously. Eventually she said, “Did you really think they were going to hurt you?”

This is from my Murderbot fic Acceptable Mission Cost! (Probably not a longfic by most people's standards, but it's my longest fic, lol)

Please consider yourself tagged if you see this and want to participate! Tagging some friends who were involved in the discord discussion: @every-eye-evermore @blessphemy @wtf-skittens @specialagentartemis (As always, no pressure!)

[starjxsung]

Missing you all the time <333 We're all here for you Star - I can't imagine what it's like to go through something like that - please be kind to yourself as you recover and know that it's not your fault !! and even if things don't seem to be getting better or it's going slow, be patient with yourself and remember that we all love you so much regardless of how you feel youre doing and want you to take all the time you need <3 It really does suck that vile people exist and I pray that you stay safe <333 How is the rest of life? Work? Hobbies? Cat??? As for me... SUMMER YAAAAA and yesss making BANK!!! I have a bit of time off before the speech arts academy opens for summer and I'll be working two weeks full time in July!!! More money!!! (I need it cause I'm saving up for my first tattoos!!! I have enough saved up ... but like, it's always nice to have more money for security ... esp as a uni student...) and YES hehe South Africa... I had so much fun learning and birding and ID plants and collecting data - my prof is amazing and said I was one of the best students despite being the youngest hehe (a total ego boost) and im hoping to go back in the future with his support to do research on scholarship!!! and the hook up was certainly unexpected... it was mostly based on a deep emotional connection and being similar people despite having vastly different life experiences if that makes sense (but also, he's hot like 6ft and like alsjdfkjd idk how i managed to pull him but as he said himself... I got that 'tism rizz 😎). we probably wont be entering anything committed and probably reeling things back to a close friendship b/c our lives are pretty different. BUT hes a great person and im really glad I met him. (we're having a studio ghibli day this week!) WAHHH STAR ILY SOOOO MUCH thank YOU for being there and being such a light ✨🌟💖 I will continue to pop in every so often - however, summer is looking HECTIC with work and family trips... BUT I WILL UPDATE YOUUUUU!!! Please take care ily ily 💕💕💕 🌱

I love you I love you I am making mental note of your words and keeping them in all 4 chambers of my heart foreverrrrr 💓🤞👼

LIFE IS GOOD….. work has been insaaaaanely busy for me these past few weeks and I’m literally so exhausted I can barely even stay awake on my phone sometimes. so I either crash super early or stay up until like 5am. there’s no in between (it’s literally 5am right now RAHHH) hobbies are good TOO (spoiler alert it’s writing) and my cat is doing better than ever (just as spoiled and insane as ever) so things are feeling a little more back to normal !!! now that I’m back at my apartment I’m w my kpop stuff again and my family and everything feels good <3 I’m so excited to publish stuff again soon and get on main blog at some point

MY GOSHHHH YOUR SUMMER SOUNDS SO BUSY I AM SO EXCITED FOR U THO…… where are you working in July??? I hope it all goes well also UR FIRST TATTOOOOOOOS GASP I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE THEM EVENTUALLY

I’m so so so glad South Africa was so memorable and productive!! It sounds like you got so much done (in more ways than one LMAO) and I’m manifesting so hard you can go back for research on scholarship!!!! not surprised at all that you were the best student bc ofc you were. you lil smartie 🤓💓

Ahhhh I’m glad you guys seem to be going about it in such a healthy way!! It’s not easy to admit when you’re on a different path from somebody you’re super into but it sounds like you guys have great communication with each other and I’m glad you’re staying good friends 🫶 also studio ghibli day YESSSSSS I love all the ghibli themed dates in the summertime like it’s the most wholesome sneaky link activity out there

I LOVE YOU SOOOO SOSOSO MUCH I LOOK FORWARD TO MY UPDATES WHENEVER YOU CAN PROVIDE THEM RAHHH I LOVE YOU SWEET ANGEL 🤞💘💞🫶💓👼 take care of yourself !!!!!!!!!

[capybaraonabicycle]

Iced lemon tea

Earl grey tea

Iced coffee

😁

Thank you for the ask <3

Iced Lemon Tea : Favorite song/band?

That changes like every month 😅 The Longest Johns were my top spotify wrapped artists last year, but I continue to be very fond of Dota and cavetown as well. My longest lasting love is for Abba though, and my favourite song of theirs would probably be - oh, I really can't say. I definitely love 'The Winner Takes it All' and 'Chiquitita' and 'Mamma Mia' a lot.

I recently listened to 'Bang-A-Boomerang' for the first time, though, and it is adorable? At least the music video is? So if you happen to have missed that one until now, like me, and you generally enjoy Abba, maybe have a listen?

Early Grey Tea : The inevitable Zombie Apocalypse is upon us! What’s your plan of action?

Okay, so my parents are some sort of preppers? They don't have a full panic room in their house or anything, but they have food and water for ages and wood and a fireplace and a radio that works with solar energy. So, I would try to get to their place and team up (in case they aren't infacted yet). And like, sadly covid has been a good way of evaluating who among the people you know are very likely to be stupid and get bitten immediately (because they don't believe in zombies even when scientists are telling them to run), so I have a list of people I would definitely stay away from.

And then I'd probably die within a week anyway.

Not the point of the question, but may I recommend you my favourite piece of zombie apocalypse art? It's a BlackBoxTV production starring the amazing Mary Kate Wiles and Monica Joy Sherer. It is heartbreaking and morbidly funny and I had to watch it several times to grasp the little details of what exactly was going on:

So, yeah, I've learnt all my tricks there and from tgwdlm -> meaning I'm definitely screwed.

Iced Coffee : Do you like reading? If so, what’s your favorite book?

I like reading and I don't do it nearly enough. I adored Tschick (Why we took the car), and have read it like 5 times, so I usually say that's my favourite book. But I think, actually, most of my favourite books are children books? Like Something else by Kathryn Cave (illustrations by Chris Riddell). It is one of the most beautiful books out there. Just, look at that art:

Isn't it gorgeous?

And, Idk, the little animal trying to fit in and it just doesn't work, because no matter how hard they try to imitate the other animals, it always looks just a little different? Until someone else who is different comes along and then he doesn't have to fit in? They can just be something else together? That just really resonates with kids who feel like they don't fit in either, I guess

In case you don't know it, there are several people reading it aloud on yt. Like this one is lovely, f.ex.:

Also, omg are you seeing that Something else has a stuffed animal that looks like him? That is literal perfection. (Also, like, I don't want to spoil the ending but the ending is amazing.)

(Also I just realised Tschick is basically also about a boy who doesn't fit in whose life becomes so much better when he makes friends with the other boy in class who is cast out, so, yeah, I am seeing something of a theme there.)

[famiconblogs]

Dolls and Clones: Dystopias in the Dark

SPOILER FOR BOTH STORIES

Never Let Me Go (Faber & Faber Edition) by Kazuo Ishiguro / AX Vol 152 (April 2023) with cover art by Kouichi Matsuda

What do Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go” and Nakamura Taichi’s “Doll Thief” (Ningyou Dorobou) have in common, you may be wondering. The two authors that I've chosen for this article can seem a little bit unexpected: an award-winning and renowned Nobel Prize writer and an emerging mangaka who had recently won a rookie award in an alternative manga magazine. Not always the obvious choice of comparison, even more so with the different mediums they both work in. But background differences don't matter, because both of these amazing authors have managed to create dystopias that leave you scrambling in the dark, trying to find your way through the subdued horrors of their worlds.

Final disclaimer before moving on, but this article will be spoiling both stories heavily, so continue reading at your own peril!

Artificial Humans

As you may have noticed from the title, the stories I've chosen deal with issues centred on the existence of artificial humans alongside people. For Ishiguro's novel, they're primarily labelled as 'donors' - clones with no reproductive ability raised and harvested for their organs. For Nakamura's manga, they're referred to as 'dolls', brought up on a farm to be later bought by the rich. In both cases, we see these human reproductions grown, purchased and 'used' - a term that can mean that they either end up dead, or have their purpose reduced to that of a trophy. Either way, they're trapped.

Concerning the ethics of creating and using artificial humans, there is endless discourse on the for and against, a debate which I won't be discussing too much in this article. My main focus will instead be on the storytelling methods of both authors, characterised by an abstinence from exposition until fully necessary. Ishiguro holds out until you are at your most vulnerable, while Nakamura leaves you hanging in shock and disbelief. Sometimes not saying anything is all that needs to be said. Despite their differences in the ways they utilise, or abandon, exposition, you're left in a constant state of confusion. Where is everyone? Who are these artificial beings? Why are they made, and what does the world outside the prison wall look like?

Never Let Me Go: Betrayal

I'll begin first by talking about "Never Let Me Go" (2005), one of Ishiguro's most well-known books that was also adapted into a live-action film (2010) by director Mark Romanek. I personally haven't watched the movie, but the novel has already given me enough heartbreak for a lifetime.

To briefly summarise the plot, we follow narrator Kathy as she recounts her upbringing in Hailsham, a school for clones. As the story progresses, we're thrown more and more clues on how the world outside operates and why they're all forced to isolate themselves from the 'normal' people. It's a coming-of-age story that becomes all the more devastating as Ishiguro drops a shocking twist after hundreds of pages of teasing and holding out on the truth.

Plot aside, I want to discuss Ishiguro's control of tension and 'abstinence from exposition'. Yes, there is exposition throughout the book, but never enough to properly fill you in on the world and what makes it a dystopia. Only hints, only clues, only little nudges in the right direction for most of the book. Kathy's perspective and view of her surroundings is naturally limited, which acts a perfect vantage point that unites us with her confusion and frustration. More clues are dropped on various terminology like 'donors', 'carers' and 'completion', all pointing towards an imminent doom for the clones. You either 'complete' and have your organs harvested, or you become a 'carer', only briefly delaying your 'completion' as you tend to other 'donors'. It's a heart-breaking system that is only made all the more emotional as we see Kathy and her friends praying to false hopes, desperately searching for a way out and another purpose for their lives. Nothing is ever revealed to us clearly by Ishiguro for most of the book; we only know what the clones know. He abstains from revelations until we really need it, finally dumping everything we want to know at the end of the book. It’s this constant nudging and teasing that Ishiguro uses to keep us at an arm's length from the truth, but is still able to simulate the feeling of being lost in the dark.

The Soul

The Gallery is a museum of art pieces and creative works done by clones that are displayed to the outside world. A rumour surrounds it: some believe clones are spared from being harvested if their creative work shows they have a 'soul'. This soul is the equivalent to humanity, and our main couple endeavour to create works that show 'true love' in hopes of both being spared. They pin their entire future on their success in showing their 'humanity' through art, merely a false hope.

But what comes of it? What happens after they spend their entire lives governed by this rumour, and finally come into contact with the one that will reveal all, the Madame?

After going the entire book without understanding much about the world, Ishiguro uses the Madame to drop a lengthy exposition that details everything about the dystopia. Clones had revolutionised medicine after a war. Normal people wilfully ignored the inhumane treatment of clones. Hailsham was actually a pro-clone institution, aiming to use The Gallery to show whether the clones even had a soul to being with. And finally, a recent scandal involving clone ethics had evaporated all support for Hailsham and anyone else who was pro-clone. All of this information triggers intense emotions as we try to process everything, but satisfaction is also felt at finally understanding everything about the dystopian world of "Never Let Me Go". But things don't end there; it's not as easy as that. Their deaths are still imminent, but what makes it even worse are the subtle implications of the Madame's tone.

"You poor creatures."

Her mission was to show that the clones had humanity, but her way of talking, specifically this repeated term of "creatures", suggests that she never could bridge the gap between viewing them as clones and seeing them as humans like her. Their supposed saviour still couldn't fully embrace them as humans. That is the betrayal that had broke me the most: the Madame's hypocrisy of failing to see them as humans herself.

Looking back, you realise how patient Ishiguro must have been in writing "Never Let Me Go". I would pin 80% of the novel being a slow-burn, with the true nature of the dystopia only being revealed at the very end. And even then, he still manages to prevent the long-awaited exposition from becoming a superficial info-dump by showcasing the hypocrisy mentioned above. The Madame was a more subtle embodiment of it, but her assistant Mrs Emily had much more to say. I'll end this section with a passage from her below because I feel like it very much speaks for itself.

“[The Madame] has given everything for you. She has worked and worked and worked. Make no mistake about it, my child, [the Madame] is on your side and will always be on your side. Is she afraid of you? We’re all afraid of you. I myself had to fight back my dread of you all almost every day I was at Hailsham. There were times I’d look down at you all from my study window and I’d feel such revulsion . . .”

She stopped, then something in her eyes flashed again.

“But I was determined not to let such feelings stop me doing what was right. I fought those feelings and I won. Now, if you’d be so good as to help me out of here, George should be waiting with my crutches.”

Doll Thief: A Short Masterpiece

Beginning pages of Nakamura Taichi's "Doll Thief"

AX issue 152 revealed the rookie award results for the year of 2023, judged by Yoshizumi Tomohiko, Hayashi Seiichi and Minami Shinbo. I'm very familiar with Hayashi's work in Garo, and know of Minami's contributions to the same magazine as an editor, illustrator and essayist. Unfortunately, I don't know much about Yoshizumi. Each of these judges picked a work they thought best deserved to win, and Nakamura's 16-page story was selected by Minami as a recipient of the prize. It's very much shorter in length than Ishiguro's novel by a long mile, but Nakamura still manages to instill the same feeling of being left in the dark. He uses the same method of refraining from any exposition or direct explanations of the world, and in doing so heightens the impact of the climactic and bone-chilling ending. But first, before any comparisons, I'll have to explain the plot.

"Doll Thief" opens with a shot of a farm with a sign titled "National Doll Manufacturing Farm". We follow a few of these dolls playing in a field, each of them dressed up in full pyjama-like costumes featuring different animal ears. In the distance, an unnamed man spies on one of the dolls named Nebosuke, and eventually makes his move, capturing him successfully. The other dolls are left confused after noticing his disappearance. At this point in the story, minimal dialogue is used, and your attention is focused on this strange setting. Farms, dolls, people in costumes, animal ears, thieves. You're thrown straight in with no explanation, a similarity with the start of Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go".

Nebosuke eventually wakes up and demands to be freed, obviously being denied by the thief. He ominously asks the thief:

"You know you're a [Doll Thief] right? Where are you stealing me off to?"

Does this imply that there are many doll thieves in this world? How common is it for dolls to be stolen from their farms, and what do they do with them? The thief very quickly answers that his motivation is money; he already has a buyer lined up for Nebosuke. At that comment, Nebosuke asks whether he'd sell for a lot of money, opening up some opportunity for the thief to tell us a little bit more about the world.

"This country is shit. It's a rural country, but the doll manufacturing capabilities here are outstanding. Among the foreign rich, owning a doll is a symbol of status. They'll spend any amount of money to get their hands on one."

From that brief paragraph explanation, our mind immediately starts searching for other possibilities on what these rich do with the dolls. We are never told anything else other than their being a symbol of status. Nor are we told how the dolls are manufactured and how 'human' they are, though we can gather that they're extremely well-made from Nebosuke's mannerisms and qualities. Much like Ishiguro, Nakamura keeps us in the dark, to great effect.

"All the same, I'm going home."

Immediately after hearing the thief's explanation, Nebosuke stands and responds with that line. The next scene below pictures his suicide, a series of panels surveying his remains against a desolate and empty road. The silence of these pages hit hard, especially with how quick the death is portrayed.

Trophies

Keep in mind that "Doll Thief" is a measly 16 pages, but is still able to tell you so much about its world. From the plot summary, the similarities between Nakamura's and Ishiguro's storytelling methods are clear. Both leave you alone in their worlds and let you figure out the rest with minimal assistance until it's fully necessary. The thief's detail on the value of dolls as symbols of status open up so much potential for the world, and yet never divulges any further than what's needed. We're left wondering if dolls like Nebosuke are displayed as trophies, or if there's something more sinister that they're used for.

Which brings me to my next point, that being the dystopian aspect of this world. At first, calling the world of "Doll Thief" a dystopia may seem a little off, but if you compare the use of these artificial humans with the 'donors' in "Never Let Me Go", it becomes a little easier to grasp. Both artificial entities are grown/created, but instead of being harvested like the 'donors', the dolls are sold off to rich buyers. The thief's kidnapping implies Nebosuke is being sold in an illegal market, but their purposes still remain the same whether they're sold legally or not: as trophies. The other dolls were seen playing quite happily at the start of the story, a parallel with the seemingly normal school life and childhood of Kathy and her friends. The stages from birth to cultivation to 'ripeness' remain the same for both stories, both told in a way that culminates in impactful and emotional endings. And it's these two oppressed and trapped groups of artificial humans that bear their futures being stunted by the human society that governs them.

Although Nakamura shares similarities with Ishiguro's in media res and his minimal exposition, he holds one difference. The ending of "Doll Thief" is completely silent. No final exposition like the Madame's is included, and no further details are provided about issues like the ethics and discourse behind doll manufacturing. We are solely left with the thief as he picks up the remains of Nebosuke, the camera zooming out until they become a tiny speck of dust in the distance.

The camera zoom is especially effective in showing how small of a scale this particular story was. This was just one doll kidnapping at one random farm in the middle of nowhere. What else is happening at the farm after the kidnapping? Who runs the farm? What sort of people are the buyers, and what are the politics involved with this business since the doll trade is international? So much more isn't revealed to us, keeping us in the dark, but Nakamura does it so tastefully. Even the thief's facial expression is veiled by the shadows drawn on his face. So much mystery shrouds Nakamura's world, but despite never revealing anymore info, he sticks with it and leaves the reader with a jaw-dropping ending.

Final Thoughts

The comparison between both of these stories came to mind while I was thinking about what to do for my next post. "Doll Thief" had instantly reminded me of "Never Let Me Go", a thought that came up immediately after reading it. The way that the authors leave you confused and in the dark, the way they masterfully tell you about the world without ever revealing too much until it's necessary. For Ishiguro, he lets it build until he unleashes it all at the end. For Nakamura, he prefers the silent route, leaving you to process and think things over yourself. In both cases, the ends of their stories aren't the end of the dystopia. There is infinitely more for the reader to think about after finishing the stories, and it's especially made enjoyable and worth investing your time because of their ability to lure you in. The past, present and future of these dystopias remain a shrouded mystery, but Ishiguro and Nakamura have provided you with the stepping stones necessary to really think about how expansive their worlds can really be.

Thanks for reading!

[opalescence-2]

Finally!!! Hours of reading fanfics and being a Sunset Shimmer fan have led me to this very moment. I just created an account so I could send you this.

First, my favorite non-ship showcase of Sunset Shimmer as a character is the saga of “The Witch of the Everfree” by MagnetBolt (Adventure). Here, Sunset never crosses the portal; instead, she escapes Canterlot and hides near Ponyville. The story retells up to chapter 1, season 1 of the show. Sunset grows as a character through her adventures and interactions with the Mane 6 and Zecora, reflecting on her mistakes as Celestia’s student. This story has two sequels (“Witch of Canterlot” and “Witch of Winds”) and a side story (“Don’t Invite Witches to Weddings”). The sequels continue with the show in the background, but Sunset is off having adventures around the world. My favorite is “Witch of Canterlot” because it explores Sunset's growth into a better pony while keeping her magic, making her an awesome and powerful unicorn who solves problems with fire rather than friendship.

Second, a short but excellent story is “Term of Forgiveness” (Slice of Life/Romance) by Fylifa. Although it has some Sunset x Twilight, the focus is on Sunset and Celestia's relationship, which I feel is really important for Sunset’s character. This story is about Celestia getting to know the human world with Sunset after the movies. It’s an excellent, short exploration of their relationship and Sunset's growth.

A different but equally compelling story is “Sunset Reset” (Romance/Slice of Life) by LordBrony2040. This one involves a love triangle between Sunset, Cadance, and Shining Armor. Despite being different from the usual ships, it’s the story that made me love Sunset Shimmer as a character. In this story, Sunset returns to Equestria with all the magic from her friends after the Friendship Games movie, only to find herself back in the past at the moment she first saw the mirror, but now she’s an Alicorn. The story explores Sunset’s relationships before going to the human world, her regrets, and her complex relationship with Celestia. There are some politics and conflicts with nobles trying to use Sunset, and the relationship between Cadance and Sunset is well-developed. Note that this fanfic has some sexual themes. It’s a powerful story of Sunset having everything she ever wanted but still being unhappy due to her guilt.

If you’re still reading this, thank you so much @rarilight! I love your writing. Now, let's keep going.

There is a short Rari x Sunset story called “A Suit With Sincerity” (Romance/Slice of Life) by Oroboros. It’s a ship fic, but I enjoy the dynamic between Sunset and Rarity. It’s short and a really good read.

Lastly, I recommend “Long Road to Friendship” by Albi as a great exploration of Sunset Shimmer’s character. It tells the story of Sunset after the first EQG movie, where the Elements force her to help anyone who asks. She gets to know Human Twilight just after the dance. It’s long but shows Sunset trying to amend all the wrongs she did in the human world to build relationships with the Mane 6. The Twi x Sunset romance is well-done, and Sunset grows a lot through seeing the impact of her past decisions. It also discusses the challenges she faced surviving in the human world. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes Sunset or SciTwi. It has a sequel that is still ongoing, but I haven’t read it yet as I’m saving it for later.

I hope this information helps with your Sunset Shimmer showcase. Since I’ve already written so much, I’ll add three more fanfics that I enjoy a lot about Sunset as an extra (if you fall in love with Sunset and want more).

First, a short one of just 1,000 words written from Celestia’s point of view: “Don’t Go Through. You Can’t Stop Me” (Drama/Sad) by daOtterGuy. It’s quick and really good; I don’t want to spoil it.

Second, “SunDowner” (AU/Mystery/Adventure) by King of Beggars. It’s an amazing AU where Sunset becomes a practitioner of dark arts (like DC’s Constantine). It’s filled with emotions and is just a great read. Sunset is a badass here.

Lastly, “First Hoof Account” (Slice of Life/Romance) by TCC56. It’s a romance fic still ongoing, featuring Cadance x Sunset. It takes place when Cadance arrives at Canterlot Castle and how that impacts Sunset. It also explores Sunset’s relationship with Celestia. I’m enjoying it.

That’s all I can think of at the moment. I hope it helps and isn’t too much of a read.

Does anyone have good Sunset Shimmer showcase fics they can recommend? Preferably not a shipping thing, but a character showcase so I can use to study for writing her

If it has to be shipping, I’d prefer rarishimmer or sciset (I haven’t watched the sunpie one but want to soon!)

Thanks!

[valenhell]

From the studio that brought you “I can’t find good Byler fics in the ao3 tag”, comes:

"The Definitive Byler fic rec list"

Literally no one asked for this but because I spent the majority of last year (...and 2019, and 2018...) reading byler fics and coping with life, I thought I’d make a list of some of my absolute favorites. 

The other day I was basically starving for some byler fics and the angel @magicalfairy provided me with some of her faves so I thought I’d do the same, because I love reading, and I love all of these fics and I appreciate their writers💗 And fic writers in general, come on!

- This is a mix of long works and one-shots/short stories. - Everything is mostly fluff with a tad of angst and a lot of internalized homophobia conflict.  - Every fic is completed, except for the ones I mention that they are not. - I try my best to lay out the stories in a way that I won’t spoil you the plot but also warning you of some stuff you might don’t like. Either way, all of these fics are correctly tagged by their respective authors/owners, so read at your own risk. For better understanding, in between brackets I denote Rating, Words and quantity of Chapters. - I feel like I should clarify, none of these are narrated in the singular first person. None of that “And I told him...”, no. 

Long fics

a dream always the same (T, 99k, 35 chapters) What happened in those few weeks between the Battle of Starcourt and the Byers leaving Hawkins. Literally a satisfying and very needed fill in of season three, with a good dose of Mike’s thoughts and conflict. Mike’s characterization is specially amazing in this one. The writing style is amazing and I know the author put everything into making it historically accurate, and it was really sweet. You probably read it, it’s by the amazing sevensided here on Tumblr🧡

Spring Break (T, 120k, 14/15 chapters) The slowburn of my dreams. Lots of internalized conflict and conflict with each other. Conflict within the Party (uhh kind of), conflict with Mike and Will. Byers family has moved and the kids are visiting! Chaos. Characterization is on point. Yeah, I know it’s unfinished, but the fourteenth chapter actually serves as a pretty nice ending. 

This is where it starts (M, 148.8k, 24 chapters) Aged up characters. The Party is in college and Will disappears again, but now it’s different. Mike knows he didn’t vanish from thin air, and the discovery he and the Party end up making is pretty insane. Mystery solving/fantasy/third dimension, throw in a bit of D&D and Mike realizing some shit, and you get this marvelous fic. It’s a breath of fresh air. The world building is definitely one of the elements that stands out the most, because it’s very nicely described, it sounds like a dream and it’s completely immersive. Absolute gem of a fic. 

there’s a Starman waiting in the sky (M, 30.6k, 8 chapters) Do I need to say anything? Will is out there living his best life and Mike realizes that wow, umm, maybe his best friend looks a bit too nice with that costume... and wait, is he getting horny? It’s actually really fun and sexy.

The Evening Speaks (T, 23k, 7 chapters) In where Mike is a late-night college radio host and Will is the art student that stays up till late to catch up with Wheeler on the Mic. They flirt through songs y’all, this one is really sweet. 

heads or tails? (E, 24k, 3 chapters) Aged up characters. I know most people don’t enjoy sex in fics and with specific characters but this one is insanely well written. It’s a slowburn that commits to the tension and with every word you are grasping and anticipating their next move. I think you can find the author here on Tumblr as yousaidyes🧡

The Man of Average (M, 56.7k, 5/? chapters) Aged up characters. No but you don’t understand, the writing here is absolute gourmet. The story is exciting as well, it’s super interesting. Weirdly enough, for being very aged up characters, they are well characterized but they don’t feel like teenagers. They are naturally Mike and Will. The author really captured Mike and Will’s essence. I know, it’s unfinished and it’s updated very rarely, but this is the typical fic you can’t believe someone just posted on the internet for free. I will say though, I think it’s definitely not for everyone. Read at your own risk.

Heartstrings (E, 82.8k, 24/? chapters) Aged up characters. By the same author of The Man of Average. A collection of memories, the road to Mike and Will’s happy ever after. And fucking hell!!!!! You’ll cry and get angry, you’ll cheer for them, then you’ll want to crash their faces together because god dammit you love each other!!! But yeah, same thing here. The writing and the way the story is laid out as a nonlinear narrative is brilliant. And I also think this is one of the best Will versions I’ve read. The author might as well be the og creator of this two characters tbh. You can find the author here as mylesimeblr🧡

Sinners behind the walls (T, 1.5k, 1/1) And because I can’t stop recommending this author, a little thing of Mike tormenting himself but also being too deeply committed to Will. 

The Red Envelope series (T/E, 167K, two completed works) Something happens that Will thought was impossible and from there, pure drama and romance. Anything by this author has the potential to become your absolute favorite fic, but this series in particular is amazing. I doubt that any of you haven’t read this, but it doesn’t hurt to put it in this list. I’m pretty sure the author is serendipitous-magic on Tumblr🧡

A New Fight series (T, 91k, two completed works, one WIP) And finally the Star Wars AU that we all needed. But this isn’t your typical “Mike is Han”, “Will is Leia” and “El is Luke”, it’s way more interesting than that, and the author has appropriated the Star Wars world like no other. I’ll admit I’m not a 100% fluent in SW lore but this is amazing to me either way. This author is also on Tumblr, tea-for-one-please🧡

- Yes, most of these are (if not all), in a way, canon compliant/canonverse/canon continuation into fanon. (In a way)

One-shots and short stories

Sundae for Two, Please (G, 4.8k) Steve being the supportive friend and older brother these kids collectively need. (not Jonathan erasure, we love him). Steve is very sweet himself, and this little cute thing through his POV is gorgeous. Yes, it’s byler.

Backstage (T, 10k, 2/2) Jonathan, you forgot to mention to Will how hot your new band’s guitarist is, dude. Now he’s hyperventilating and weirdly flirting with him in the corner. Background Stonathan because why not.

102 Peach Street (G, 3.8k) Established relationship, but not only that, they are married :’’))) PURE fluff. Extreme fluffiness. Diabetes. 

sweatshirts and bottled up feelings (T, 3.2k) Or, Mike thinks that the sweatshirt Will wears looks insanely good on him. And kitchens are for lovers. 

kiss it better (T, 16.3k) Basically one of the best character studies of a few precise moments of Mike and Will’s relationship and feelings. 

will wonders ever cease (T, 11.3k) #i ship will and happiness. Omfg what a beautiful piece of fanfic. Will centric, this kid really deserves all the good in the world.

The Calm After the Storm (T, 1.6k) Tooth rotting fluff, boyfriends in love. Boyfriends being lazy, cuddling, love words, kisses. Boys loving each other’s company... Basically, Mike and Will in their element. What more can you ask for?

neither of us ready to let go (T, 4.8k) That scene from season three, but a bit of a fix it. 

Still in love (G, 1k) Domestic, married life au fluff. Y’all, I’m a sucker for established Byler, even if I can’t find many fics with it. But this is very sweet. It takes place in 2020, but I don’t think there are any mentions of the COVID-19 crisis that I remember.

I Nver Find Out ‘Til I’m Head Over Heels (G, 12.5K) Classic 5+1 fic. If you haven’t read it, where have you been? This is your moment. In where Mike keeps inviting Will to the school dances and Will thinks it’s just a joke until he realizes it’s not. 

Before You’re Gone (T, 5.9k) Will is leaving Hawkins and Mike thinks this is a great moment for a confession. This one I discovered last friday, thank you friend @magicalfairy 💗

You’re weird Wheeler (M, 4.5k) Mike unintentionally starts a tradition of going to each other to talk about their sexual encounters just after they finish. Will keeps getting more explicit with the details he shares, and he makes his best friend interested. This one is really fun y’all.

Out-Of-Town Friends (N/R, 4.6K) It’s not rated. I haven’t re- read it but I’d say it would probably fall in a T rating. So cute!! Will has new friends and sneaks off every friday and the Party doesn’t know where he is going, so Mike decides to follow him and is surprised. 

Snowed Under (G, 1.3k) By the same author of The New Fight series. Mike is spending christmas by himself in college because a snowstorm hits Chicago and Nancy can’t drive to see him, but then he has a surprise visitor. Ahhh just a lil sweet holiday fic. Super cute. 

you love me anyway series (T, 7.1k, three completed works) Literally just the cutest thing ever. Established Byler. Will loves to take pictures and he loves taking pictures of Mike. It’s adorable. 

you wanna be friends forever (i can think of something better) (T, 9k) This one is so amazing. So. Amazing. From Will’s POV, my kid deserves the world and he gets it. 

okay not to be okay (T, 4.9k) Mike is a bit sad but then everything is okay. 

can’t hold out forever (G, 18.4k) Y’all!!!!! 5+1 sweetness. Mike has been falling in love since kindergarten. And it’s long af, you’ll enjoy it. 

even if it takes forever (G, 1.3k) College short AU, they miss each other, they love each other, they promise all to each other. It is sappy y’all.

clear as day (N/R, 18.4K, 4 chapters) It’s not rated, but I’d say it falls in the T category. Strangers to friends to lovers. And also, everyone is pretty gay; we have our dynamic trio Mike, Max and El as disaster lesbians (and gay). Will works at the library and he is also gay. Lucas and Dustin and Will are the best friends we needed. It’s very sweet and the Party is kind of formed here!

I went overboard with the one-shots, so you must have realized how much I love long one-shots and I favor them over long works lmao but they are all amazing!!! If it’s on this list, I probably read it at 2 am, sobbing in my bed. So. Hope you enjoy it☺️🧡

[banadraw]

Hi. I'm always on islovesofragile's twitter and everytime she posts Sansan fanart with the mini Sansa I'm always like, "Who made this and where can I find this person?!" Glad to have finally found you on Tumblr. I really like your art and I hope you continue. And yes I had to mention islovesofragile because she's an amazing fanfic writer, her stories are so ugh!!. Have a good day ❤️

thank you so much anon😭💞 and so glad you like my chibi sansa she is my treasure🥺🥺

yes I will keep doing sansan arts but just a little slowly now, irl things make me tired😪 I'm more active on twitter there and have more doodles on it if you interest!

and I'm so lucky to have so many talent writers and artists friends, your kind words defiantly spoiling us! @islovesofragile said she crying at work haha, have a good day too❤

[djarinsbeskar]

Happiest of Birthdays to our darling @literallydontlook who has brought untold joy to the fandom through her art, presence and friendship!

Your gifts are enroute but to accompany them, we have a few sneaky extras starting with messages from everyone who made this little project possible!

If you want to leave B a birthday message, feel free to reblog this post so she can see them all together in one post!

From @jazzelsaur

Dearest B — Happiest of birthdays to you! You are always such a delight on my dash; from sharing your incredible talent through your art, your perspectives on things that make me pause and take a moment to think, to being so incredibly supportive of others here, I’m always happy to see you around. I hope your special day is filled with all things wonderful: friends and family, good food and drinks, and lots and lots of love.

From @heartsofbeskar

my sweet bumblebee❤️🐝 you came into my life unexpected but i'm so grateful you did. your beauty and kindness and talent shine from every pore of you, and i hope you have the best of birthdays like you deserve, and the sun shines bright and warm just for you! p.s. i hope petey grants you snuggles today as well. love you to bits my wife! -olive (heartsofbeskar)

From @radiowallet

Dear B- Happy happiest of birthdays to you! Seeing you on my dash never ever fails to make me smile! Your amazing art and talent continues to amaze me. But even more than that you are so kind, so supportive, and you deserve to have a day of love and pampering, food and drink, and all the things your heart desires! Biggest hugs and birthday wishes to you, sweet B.

From @asta-lily

Beloved B!! Beautiful friend, artist, writer, purveyor of sweet porn, devoted dog mama - the list goes on! You are the sweetest ray of light, wise voice of reason, and wonderful cheerleader for us all and I am so grateful to know you. I am always so eager to hear your perspective on ANYTHING, because your outlook on issues and life is always so realistic yet inspiring, you just have this way in the world that is really comforting to hear about... How you cram all of that wonderfulness and huge galaxy brain into that tiny body of yours, I'll never know. Have the best birthday! You deserve to be spoiled rotten, and then spoiled some more. Love you lots Bee 🐝💛

From @ronnieiswriting

Happy, happy birthday BumbleBee!!! I'm so greatful that you decided to not only share your porny art, but also embrace the swarm of us that absolutely died over your hard work and skill! You are well and truly one of the greatest members of this community- and not only for your work but because you've got a huge heart too!! Chatting with you about anything is always uplifting and I always know I can share anything with you and you'll understand 🥺 I wish I wasn't on the other side of the world because I'd love to give you a big hug but a virtual one will have to do! Hope you have a wonderful and relaxing birthday, Bee- you deserve it 🥳💖-ur Aussie wife, Ronron

From @djarinsbeskar

My dearest B! I'm so glad that I can celebrate another Pisces' birthday for one of the single most wonderful people I've ever had the pleasure of not only knowing, but being friends with! You never cease to amaze me with the depth of your compassion, the selflessness of your support and the unwavering bundle of loveliness that makes my day brighter with just your name popping up on discord! I could ramble on for hours about how you use your insane gifts to show writers how much you enjoy their work, or how you're no one trick pony (I still haven't recovered from that Rex fic ok), or how you breathe life and a steady perspective on things that can seem daunting and difficult and make them so much more easy to overcome. I can't even count how many times you've got me off the ledge with just your friendship and I can't express how grateful I am to you. I thank all the smutty gods and goddesses for putting you in my path and enriching my life to the point that your presence is so intrinsically linked to everything I love and enjoy. (basically you're stuck with me soz for that) I cannot WAIT to see what you think of your gifts that are on their way to you now. Know that you deserve it all and more for being a true beacon and inspiration for all of us.

Love you lots honeybee~~~ 🐝🧡