#All artists following me should do my friend's challenge!! >:3

[reviewinghiccup]

DEFENDERS OF BERK | HTTYD SERIES | BREAKING DOWN HICCUP

Blog Post Series: Breaking Down Hiccup

Title: The Night and the Fury

Ep/Season: Episode 3, Season 2 (Defenders of Berk)

Premise:

Hiccup and gang set out on a training exercise on Dragon Island in hopes to train their stealth / combat skills without help from their dragons. Unfortunately, they run into a very, very unlikely "friend"...

IN ASTRID WE TRUST

It's no secret that the team needs some polishing. And we're hoping, Astrid's obstacles could do the trick. I love how they groaned, knowing that her tests is going to be difficult. It's very like them to do that and very like her to make things tough.

This exercise is fertile ground for individual members of the team to grow. For example:

(1) TUFFNUT TAKES ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF WATCHING THE DRAGONS

(2) RUFFNUT GOES OUT ON HER OWN

(3) FISHLEGS, WELL, IT'S JUST ANOTHER DAY FOR HIM REALLY. I.E., DOING SOMETHING HE'S SCARED TO DO

(4) HICCUP, DEALING W DAGUR

(Can we also take a moment to appreciate the little confidence boost Hiccup gives to Fishlegs? We can? Ok. Here you go.)

If you started watching RTTE without first seeing ROB/DOB, you might wonder why Dagur calls him brother. Well, to be fair, I still don't know why he does, but at least from this episode, you'll know when the supposed familial relationship began.

P/S: Look at how small & cute baby is.

It's also really cute that Hiccup tries, for the most part, to keep the peace with Dagur, though for the most part, I hate to watch them pandering to him.

THE DAGUR FIASCO

This episode is where I feel DOB kicks off. Hiccup's in a very precarious position. The last time Dagur showed up, Stoick lied that Berk was still at war w dragons and that they still killed them. For the sake of peace, Hiccup didn't have much of a choice but to play along and reassert the lie.

This episode is definitely one of my favourites, especially in terms of the Hiccup-Dagur dialogue.

It's hard to not enjoy the "bro-mance" sequences. Just look at this one:

In fact, if you only watched RTTE, you might've missed where the Dagur v Snotlout situation also began. And it might surprise you to realise, that Snotlout was very much, a fan of Monsieur Deranged here.

HICCUP'S STAND

But nothing beats, that moment when Hiccup takes his stand.

It was such a DEFINING MOMENT, because Dagur has been looking down on Hiccup for years and NOW, NOW?! He realises what a genuine threat Hiccup could be. And more importantly, how easily his pride is wounded.

I'm all here for HEROIC HICCUP. And what an artistic way to show how much Dagur underestimated him. He even underestimate his shield! Much to his lost...

Also, don't you think that it is very Captain America of Hiccup sometimes, when he's wielding the shield?

And let's not forget, Hiccup is one sassy protagonist. I mean, you know you're an enemy when he burns you.

This episode is way more significant than I realised it at first. This whole time, Alvin was Berk's only viable threat. But his beef was with Stoick, initially at least.

But now, Dagur is another. And the person he's going after is Hiccup. Dagur is Hiccup's first archenemy.

And it doesn't help that he's insane.

So, what I loved about this episode was, it heightened the stakes of the entire show AND also, showcased how Hiccup can out-wit, out-smart and challenge Dagur, who I think, must've been a pretty tough contender to command the massive armada he ends up leading.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAY BARUCHEL (9.4.2023)

I know this may come off super random, but it is Jay Baruchel's birthday today. I think we can all agree that Jay is the life and soul of Hiccup. If you follow me on twitter @reviewinghiccup, you should know that I am down the rabbit hole of Jay Baruchel movies, interviews and podcasts.

And what I love so much about this guy is the respect and reverence he has for the show. I mean, he constantly praises it and not just because of his role, which he believes pales in comparison to the artists designing and working the animation, but its obvious that he's a HTTYD superfan.

I love it when an actor pays their respects to the franchise and I do enjoy his take on the work and how much the line between who Hiccup is and who he is, as a person, is blurred.

He's an eloquent speaker and tries to produce, write and direct movies now, instead of act in them. He's based in Canada.

Anyways, something interesting I learned about him was, in an interview w Tom Power, he talks about the book he wrote and what being a fan means to him. Him being a fan of hockey and how precious it can be to live within a franchise or something as massive as indulging interests. It sorta validates me a little, specially since I've dived deep into HTTYD fandom since changing careers.

And just like Hiccup, there is way more to this guy than it seems. He's funny, humble, kind and generous with his time. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and he's pretty jittery in real life too. But what kind of broke me, was finding out that even with his own father, he felt like he wasn't the kind of son his dad wanted.

Apparently, he had a complicated relationship with his dad which I believe may have bled into his work.

If you've watched enough of his interviews you'll know that he's had to support his mom and sister at 14-years-old with acting gigs because his father left and passed away when Jay was 21 following a drug overdose. Yet, he still remains so kind. I mean, his upbringing was tough, poor and difficult, yet you can still see him trudging through humbly, not wanting to draw attention to himself as much as he can help it.

In an interview article I read this morning, he explained that he wanted to continue being a good husband, son, brother, friend and I thought that was such a genuine Hiccup thing to say. He shoulders all these responsibilities and have been since he was a kid. Look, I don't know the guy personally, but from the expansive notes and recordings I've looked into, he seems pretty decent and I am such a huge fan.

As I grow older, I understand people on a different level. I accord respect so differently from how I would've years ago. And right now, I think what makes Jay Baruchel interesting is his sheer promise to do better for his family. And I think, in the absence of chiefing, running a village and saving the world, Hiccup is very much the same in that aspect too. A chief protects his own, which seems to be the mantra ringing in my head as I listen to Jay talk about his life.

You guys have no idea how much I know about this dude. I have possibly stalked him silly right now. And am a little embarrass as I admit this. Anyways, all I want is for him to succeed, in his work, life and family.

#HTTYD #DOB #Defenders of Berk #Series Review #How to Train Your Dragon #Breaking Down Hiccup #Dagur the Deranged #captain america #chris evans #happy birthday #jay baruchel #she's out of my league #alice eve #Youtube #hiccup #hiccup haddock #hiccup horrendous haddock iii

[bengiyo]

Only Boo! Ep 2 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Moo, an aspiring idol and dancer, was sent by his industry professional mother to the boonies to finish school because he keeps failing classes to attend auditions. He's staying in a hotel while he attends school nearby. He ends up meeting the son of a local restaurant owner next door, and they seemed to hit it off immediately as that guy spent most of the episode taking care of Moo. Moo will have some troubles with some guys at his school, but will seemingly need them in the future. He also blew all of his money on a goddamn racing bike. I'm intrigued by Kang, and hope he's a spiritual successor to Sarawat.

Ah, right. Restaurant guy's name is Kang. He seems fairly magnanimous.

Ep 2: The Kind One

At least we know Moo won't starve immediately.

I am glad I never dealt with this lunch room table reserving nonsense.

Are they worried we won't recognize Moo without this jacket? It looks sweaty.

Why is Kang at this school all day? He doesn't seem like a student anymore.

Suddenly Love Score

Look at Moo trying to do what his mom asked of him.

I really hope I'm not misreading the flirty energy between the leads.

Good thing he got this racing bike so he could follow Kang.

Getting the sense that Kang gave up professional artist aspirations after his dad passed.

What an incredible way to get an early hug from the leads.

"No one can stop your dream except yourself." Okay, Kang, we will be returning to this later, young man.

Yes, we should get back to ogling Aun. It's been too long since My Gear and Your Gown.

Aw, Tae's friend has a gay crush on him but Tae seems like he's popular with girls.

I was wondering if Oishii was still keeping the lights on in BL.

Moo had a big day. Let him rest.

Oh ho. Glad to see Kang has a limit for nagging.

Goddamn. Why is it always car violence?

I don't care how sorry you are. Do not wake me at 3 am.

As much as I am a fan of boys getting in each other's faces and having Now Kiss moments, I am not with them on this pro-mosquito agenda.

Looks like we're making good progress next week as well. I'm here for it.

I think this is a good Sunday show. It's not challenging, and I'm enjoying how genuine the leads are with each other. They're very green, but I find the performances very endearing.

#Ben watches #only boo the series #only boo! #thai bl #bl series

[elains]

✾ chapter 3  — sunshine

❧ Summary: The way Elain and Lucien discovered their mating bond was perhaps not ideal, and the road towards falling in love and accepting their feelings full of thorns — but throughout challenges and adversity, they have made it work. Now, eternity awaits them. A series of connected ficlets for Elucien Week 2023, set post the end of the series when all villains are gone, following episodes of Elain and Lucien’s sometimes quiet, sometimes agitated, life together.

For @elucienweekofficial

Read on Ao3! • Chapter One | Chapter Two

Elain sat on a chaise by an arched window, a white handkerchief with half-embroidery floral motifs sitting on her lap, watching the road leading up to the Red Palace with a frown. Her bare foot tapped the marble floor in the rhythmic pattern of the larks warbling as they danced above the vineyards. 

“Glaring at the road won't make time go faster, love,” Lucien said, strolling into the sitting room with an amused grin. In his hand, he brought a gold tray filled with plums, dates, and honeyed bread.

“Then perhaps you ought to give me some suggestions of what to do instead of being a smartass,” she retorted, nostrils flaring. Her mate chuckled and Elain clicked her tongue, displeased. She wouldn't let him goad her. “I'm tired of waiting. They should have arrived yesterday.”

“And they would have, had the dam not burst.” He offered her the gold tray, leaning down to match her height. Elain took a plum and sank her teeth into it with a disgruntled sigh. Winter was upon the Day Court and the weather had taken a turn for the worse, with rain so heavy the rivers had overflown. 

“Don't remind me. I should be there helping the people of the villages caught in the waters, not sitting here bored out of my mind.” She placed the half-eaten plum back on the tray and exhaled, crossing her arms. “Do they have enough blankets, food, and water? Do we have a total tally of the dead already?”

Lucien took a seat on the other side of the chaise, gently lifting her feet and placing them on her lap. 

“Yes to the supplies, no to the dead. There’s a lot of mud still but… We are looking. Hopefully, we will know by tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. I will tell you when we have more information.” He rubbed the sole of her feet and Elain sighed, melting into the chaise. “Don’t worry too much. You need to rest and relax. Healer's orders, remember?.”

“Yes, yes, nothing too strenuous or stressful until our child is born.” She placed a hand on her large, round belly, a tiny smile blooming as she look down. “One more month, hear me, sweetling? Just one more month.”

Elain felt the discreet humming of pure, unadulterated joy through the mating bond, now stronger than ever before. She need not look up to know he would be grinning at the sight of her, never mind that her hair was as tangled as a bird’s nest and that she looked like she could fill a whole bathtub. 

On one particularly bad morning, she had looked at her reflection in their bedroom mirror and burst into tears. Suddenly the Day Court and the Red Palace fell away and she was again a little girl in the Archeron’s Manor drawing room, surrounded by strangers as her mother paraded her around. Yes, was her daughter not beautiful? Was she not a maid worth of song and poetry, a muse to the ailing artists? Soon she would be of age to wed and my – whatever man would not want a lovely young bride of good breeding at their arm?

And with each agreement, with each compliment, Carys patted herself on the back for giving birth and raising such a lovely child.

Nesta was for bloody conquest; Feyre was for the wolves. Elain, however, Elain was for beauty.

“That’s all you are, my little fawn, and all you will ever be.”

She hadn’t thought of her mother in many years, the shadows of her contempt hissing away from the shining light of happiness and contentment Elain found in her home, in her friends, in her mate, and in her work as Princess of the Day Court. Memories of Carys were like poison, spoiling everything they touched, and every day Elain fought to keep the lid on them closed. 

But at that moment, looking into the mirror, so close to motherhood herself, she faltered in her eternal struggle and the memories came rushing in, unbound. 

Lucien winnowed in then, clothes and face still speckled with mud from riding and checking the vineyards, feeling her distress through the bond, almost knocking over a lovely Xian vase in his rush to get to her. He kneeled at Elain's side, commanding all the handmaids to flee with his gaze alone, and gathered her in his muscled arms. 

Lucien lifted her up, muttering sweet words into her hair as he brought her to rest in their large, canopied bed. He did not say much – he knew no words could console Elain then – but he enveloped her in his arms and his mere presence, his hand lovingly caressing her naked back, grounded and calmed her heart.

“What happened, Elain?” He asked when she had calmed down, her sobbing reduced to sniffles. “You were fine when I left in the morning. What has distressed you so, love?”

Elain wiped away a tear with her hand, lips trembling. “I was just looking in the mirror, seeing how much I had changed and I just – I remembered my mother, Lucien. I could hear her stand behind me, criticizing me and my looks. That’s all you are, my little fawn, and all you will ever be. Why did you let this happen to you? And I –” She swallowed a sob, blinking rapidly, trying to banish the tears. “I just couldn’t. It was like I was a child again, listening to her deriding words.”

“Look at me,” he said, gently placing his hands on her cheeks and nudging her towards him. Through her blurry vision, Elain stared into the bottomless warmth of her mate’s eyes. “You are Elain Archeron, Princess of the Day Court and its future High Lady. Before that, you helped save this land twice over: first from the King of Hybern, then from a deathless god. You didn't rely on your beauty to achieve any of these feats, but rather on your sharp mind and your kind heart. Our people love you because you care for them, because you spend sleepless nights with me thinking of the best solutions for their problems. You are already so much more than your mother thought you would ever be.”

“But what if I become like her?” She whispered, voice coated with despair. “I don’t want to be for our child the kind of mother she was to me, to end my life on an unkept grave my own children don’t care enough to visit.”

“And what if I become like Beron?” Lucien said in lieu of answering. “Helion might be my sire, but Beron was my father for far, far longer.”

Elain gasped in outrage, the mere idea an unforgivable insult. 

“Never!” She said fervently, clutching the front of his toga. “You are kind, wise, and fair. You have so much love in you to give, so much warmth. Never could you be like that monster.”

“Isn’t it the same for you, though?” He placed a kiss on her forehead. “And besides, you have something your mother never had: friends and family who will be there to tell you when you cross a line and bring you back to your senses.”

“That sounds good to me,” she answered with a chuckle, already feeling lighter.

Elain closed her eyes and leaned against her mate's chest, allowing the comforting music of his heartbeat to lull her into sleep.

That had been almost a month ago. Now, watching him here, under the faint winter sun, happy to just fill her cravings whenever she demanded and stay by her side when the days were harder, she couldn’t help but wonder how it was possible to love someone so much.

She looked towards the window, to the large open world ahead, and gasped as she saw a carriage cresting the hill.

“Lucien, Lucien! Get up and help me!” Elain said, startling him. “They are here!”

༻ ❁ ༺

The carriage came to a halt by the Red Palace’s main entrance. It was large and gilded, with the Day Court’s sunburst insignia emblazoned on the door, all embossed with ivy, exploding suns, and pegasus. No one would think it out of place as an illustration in a book of fairy tales.

One of the coachmen jumped from his seat and bowed deeply to Elain and Lucien, muttering a polite greeting. He went to open the door, but one of the people inside beat him to it, pushing it open and stepping out onto the first step of a small, wrought iron ladder.

“Hello strangers,” the Queen of Scythia said, a radiant grin revealing all the wrinkles around her mouth, her eyes, and her forehead. Her fiery hair was already streaked with silver, already losing its luster. “Long time no see.”

“Vassa!” Elain cried, opening her arms to greet her friend. “You came!”

“Of course I did,” Vassa said with a snort, jumping off the ladder and wrapping her arms around Elain. “You were there for me when Marya was born. However could I not be here for the birth of your first child? Now, are you well? Eating properly, staying hydrated?” She paused, eyebrows rising. “Resting?”

“You of all people telling me to rest? You?” Elain mimicked Vassa’s expression, crossing her arms. “Do you really want to go there, Vassa?”

“Yes, Elain, please tell her that,” Jurian said cheerily, coming out of the vehicle and thanking the coachmen for their services. He stood behind his wife, placing a hand on her shoulders. “I have tried, but she insists on arguing with me instead of just agreeing — even though I’m, of course, right.”

Vassa rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to retort, but Lucien cut in, sharp as a razor. “No. Stop. Don't even begin this right on our front door. You can take this to a bedroom if need be, yours is already set.”

“Not all our arguments lead to sex, mind,” Vassa snapped, huffing indignantly. “Sometimes they are just that: arguments.” 

Jurian snorted, earning himself a glare that screamed do not say a word. 

“Yes, I’m sure they don’t,” Lucien said drily, lifting an eyebrow. 

Elain glanced around, noticing that the coachmen and the surrounding household staff that had come out to greet the Queen and the Warlord of Scythia were growing redder by the second. Some even seemed to be looking for places where they could bury themselves and disappear.

“Why don’t we take this inside? I have ordered the staff to prepare lunch for us. You must be hungry after so long on the road.” She chimed in, motioning towards the Red Palace. All three heads turned to her. “Please. I cannot stay standing for too long, remember?”

Vassa cleared her throat, having the grace to look embarrassed. “Ah yes, of course. Lunch would be delightful, thank you.”

Elain nodded and headed inside the Palace, leading them to a gallery overlooking the gardens. As they passed through the columns and latticed windows, Vassa fell into step beside Elain as Lucien and Jurian walked ahead, chatting animatedly.

“So, how are you feeling, truly?” Vassa asked, clasping her hands behind her back.

“Tired,” Elain said with a sigh. “Sleeping is uncomfortable. Some days I wake up and my back is killing me.” 

“It will be over soon,” Vassa said reassuringly. “Then you'll have a precious little youngling in your arms to love and cherish. I will never forget the moment I first held Marya.”

Elain giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. “How is Masha doing? Still being contrarian?"

“She has calmed down considerably since I gave her and Dastan their own household, enough that I've left her in charge of affairs at home with my chancellor's supervision.” Vassa smiled, blue eyes sparkling with pride. “She will make a fine queen.”

“Not for many years, though.” Elain didn't like to dwell on Marya being queen, nor to hear Vassa speaking of her succession. Much as she loved little Masha, her ascension meant her best friend was no longer in this world. 

“Oh, no, ” Vassa agreed. “Not until all my hairs have turned gray and I have an army of grandchildren to spoil.”

“Cauldron, you sound just like Helion and Phoebe.”

“Of course I do. We all have excellent taste.”

Elain laced her arm with Vassa, their laugh reverberating through the palace, filling it with color. 

༻ ❁ ༺

Elain went into labor on a late winter afternoon, almost as the turn of the season was upon them. Feyre and Nesta had descended upon the Red Palace weeks back and, together with Vassa, kept Elain company. Nuan dropped by every now and then, often bearing small mechanical contraptions that included a shining new crib and a small pegasus automaton.

All four of them had been in the room with Elain at one point, holding her hand and encouraging her. But as the labor went on, they started to take turns so they could rest, drink some water, and eat. Only Lucien remained at his mate’s side at all times, holding her hand and wiping the sweat off her forehead. 

He felt her pain through the mating bond and desperately wished he could take it all away, or at the very least share in the burden. Yet even the mating bond had its limitations. 

At least the torrent of different emotions coming from his mate helped in keeping him distracted from his own fear. Elain had been steadfast in not wishing to know their child’s future and intertwined as they were with her own, they had no clue how the birthing would go. The memory of Feyre’s ordeal haunted him, as did his mother’s many failed, difficult pregnancies.

Even with the healers around, Lucien was terrified it would be enough to save his mate if it came to that.

In silence, he prayed to the Mother.

Two entire days they spent like that. On the morning of the third day, the cloudy weather that had persisted for most of the season dissipated, giving way to bright, clear blue skies. 

The sun rose high amidst the clouds, burning gold, to greet its new Princess.

“She’s beautiful,” Elain said, unable to look away from her daughter. The little girl was safely cocooned in a white linen blanket, quiet for the time being. The three of them were alone in the rooms, the others retiring to rest and allow the new parents privacy with their child. 

She was exhausted, more than she ever remembered being, but looking at her little girl’s wrinkled little face filled her heart with so much joy she did not know what to do with it. She wished she could get up, walk outside, and plant them on the land so every living being partake in her happiness. 

“She is,” Lucien agreed, running his finger through her wisps of dark red hair. “Hello, little sunshine. It’s good to finally meet you. I'm your papa, Lucien and this is your mama, Elain.”

“And you, my sweet girl, are our little sunshine, our beloved little girl,” she whispered, placing a kiss on the newborn's forehead. “Our Nahida.”

Basking in the soft reassurance of her parents' boundless love, Nahida, Princess of the Day Court, fell into a deep, sweet sleep.

#elucienweek2023 #elucien #elain archeron #lucien vanserra #acotar #a court of thorns and roses #my writing #YES IT'S A DAY LATE I NEEDED TO SLEEP Y'ALL

[spiderrrling]

Z & Ellen's Writing Challenge Celebration

Hello everyone! Me and the lovely @uglypastels both hit some pretty significant follower milestones recently and we decided to put together a writing challenge for you all to enjoy!

Below are all our guidelines and our prompts, feel free to reach out if you have any comment, questions or concerns!

And thank you all so much for your continued love and support <3

Guidelines

Please make sure that you are following both me and @uglypastels

Please inform us about which prompt you wish to write for through one of our inboxes so we can coordinate

You can write for any Stranger Things Character/Character, or Stranger Things Character x Reader

No illegal or immoral combination 

You cannot participate in the smut prompts, or write a smut adjacent fic if you are under the age of 18

If you wish to be included in the finished collection fics must be turned in by the 4th of September and make sure you tag either of us in your fic and please use the tag #ZEllenWC9k

Fluff Prompts

“Seriously, how much charm do you have? Why is this so easy for you?”

“I have a feeling that we should kiss.” “Is that a good feeling or a bad feeling?”

“You make my heart do the thing, and honestly? It kinda freaks me out.”

“Can you please put me down, it is just a sprained ankle.”

“Can you stop flirting for just a second please.” “If you really want me to stop, you know what can shut me up.”

Angst Prompts

"If this is love… I don't want it." 

“The truth is that sometimes, I don’t know how to love you.”

“Do you expect me to wish you good luck or something? Because I hate this, I hate all of it."

"Why do you even give a damn about me?" 

"I wish things could have turned out differently. I really do."

Smut Prompts

“Y’know, car sex looks so much easier in the movies.”

“I know where it would look even prettier.”

“Now that I finally have you all to my lonesome…”

"And have you ever wondered what that would be like?" 

"Delicious."

Random Prompts

“But thank god that we are lost together.”

“Has anyone ever told you that your anger is proportionate to your size?”

“Isn’t this like… illegal?” “Probably”

“The person who wins your heart will be so lucky.”

“Graduate highschool? I am fully convinced you never graduated kindergarten.”

“Who wouldn’t be angry?! You ate all my cereal and faked your death for three days!”

“If you cry, I’ll end up crying and that won’t be fun for anyone.”

Trope Prompts

Fake dating

Best friends to lovers

There was only one bed  

Forbidden Romance

Second Chance 

Song Prompts 

 Poison by Alice Cooper 

She Bangs the Drums by the Stone Roses

I Think He Knows by Taylor Swift

Miss Missing You by Fall Out Boy

Fresh by Artist vs Poet

Happy writing!

Some mutuals below the cut <3

feel free to ignore <3 @catastrofhe @eddiemunsonbrxinrot @eddiemunsons-girl @mypoisonedvine @loveronlineee @creme-bruhlee

#ZEllenWC9k #stranger things #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fanfiction

[deeg9]

CH.2: There's something that tells me (that life has changed)

Thank you everyone for the feedback on Chapter One! Chapter Two is up - I may add an epilogue set in the future in the next few days. Comments and engagement on AO3 is always appreciated - Enjoy!

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Category: F/M Fandom: The Rookie (TV 2018) Relationship: Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen, Nyla Harper/James Murray, Wesley Evers/Angela LopezCharacter:Tim Bradford, Lucy Chen (The Rookie), Nyla Harper, James Murray (The Rookie), Wesley Evers, Angela Lopez, Wade Grey, Celina JuarezAdditional Tags:Chenford Canon, anon request, Post 5x10 by 3 Months, Pregnancy Scare, see notes for TW, Drama & Comedy & Heartfelt Goodness, Secret Relationship, Medical Inaccuracies Language: English Published: 2023-01-07 Updated: 2023-01-08 Chapters: 2 Words: 6025

[If you missed Ch 1, it's posted on Tumblr and AO3]

LUCY

“I’ll go pick up another pack of tests,” Lucy offered as they stared down at the one test in question, but nobody tore their gaze away from the faint pink line on the test. 

“No, I’ll call my doctor,” Angela said, breaking the spell. “I know she’ll fit us in for a blood test. If we get this over by the lunch hour, then we might even have results by tonight.” 

Lucy continued to stare at the test while she absentmindedly followed Angela’s phone call. 

When she woke up that morning, it had been just another day. She and Tim took Kojo for an early run in which halfway through, Kojo plunged belly first into a muddy puddle and rolled around.  While Tim hosed him off in the backyard, Lucy made breakfast: Salmon for Kojo and an omelet for the two of them. 

She loved the pace they’d been taking their relationship. They had found their rhythm. Nothing felt forced and they organically began to spend more and more time together. 

Part of that meant spending time with Tim’s sister and her kids. Both Tim and Lucy had gotten involved in the boy’s baseball team earlier in the year and it had been more fun than she could have imagined. These days, Genny and Lucy didn’t need an excuse to hang out.

Tim pretended to be annoyed by the two of them colluding, especially when Genny told embarrassing stories from Tim’s past in painstakingly clear detail, but she knew he secretly loved the friendship they were developing. 

And on the flip side … Tim now (unwillingly) knew everything about Sabrina Carpenter after spending many nights and mornings at their apartment listening to Tamara prattle on about her favorite female artist. Tim would tease Tamara and ask if there was a friend she could call to discuss the latest Sabrina celebrity news with instead, to which she’d reply that she preferred the challenge of converting Tim to her way of thinking much more. Tamara even set a New Year’s Resolution of dragging Lucy and Tim to a Sabrina Carpenter concert, not having the slightest clue that they’d already purchased a set of VIP passes to an upcoming show for Tamara’s birthday. 

It all felt natural. It felt right. 

Would this fracture that feeling? 

“Thank you so much, Dr. Stone,” Angela gushed into the phone. “Yes, we will head over right now. See you soon.”

“Do you want to ride with us?” Nyla asked. 

“Yeah,” Lucy swallowed. “Let me just tell Tim I’m taking an early lunch and then I’ll meet you in the parking lot.” 

“Okay,” Angela nodded. “Be quick.”

Lucy should have anticipated that Tim would be waiting in the hall outside of the locker room. It wasn’t lost on him that Nyla and Angela rushed out from behind her and she was sure he noticed their flustered expressions. 

He waited until the other two women were out of earshot before bringing it up. 

“So?” Tim asked, drawing out the end of the word into a question. 

“The result was … inconclusive,” Lucy said. “I’m going to take an early lunch and pop over to the doctor’s office for a blood test. Can you manage for an hour without me?” 

“Of course,” Tim said. He looked around the room. “How is it inconclusive? Isn’t it just like an aim and pee thing with a yes or no answer?”

“Yes, usually,” Lucy whispered, “but something went wrong.”

“What went wrong?” Tim asked, confusion sewn into his expression. 

“I can’t go into the details right now,” Lucy said, blushing. It wasn’t like she could tell him what happened without revealing that Angela and Nyla were in the same boat and she wanted to respect their privacy. “Just trust me on this. If I don’t get the results by tonight, we can try taking another test at home after shift.”

“Okay,” Tim conceded. “Let me just get Grey to cover for me and I can come with you.”

“No, he’ll be too suspicious,” Lucy pointed out and Tim’s face dropped. “But I think after today we should make a plan to tell Grey and to tell our friends. It’s time.” 

“Alright, if you’re sure?” Tim prodded, his eyes full of concern. He could always tell when she was putting on a front.

“Yeah,” Lucy said with a soft smile. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

She stopped herself from reaching out to him. She really wanted to hug him, but she couldn’t. Not here, not when they were at work and near so many prying eyes. Not when she knew she’d break as soon as his arms slipped around her. 

She knew the honeymoon phase of their relationship wouldn’t last forever but to have it potentially shift so abruptly because of this new, incredibly big thing was too much for her to absorb. 

She loved Tim and his reaction in the shop earlier had made her love him even more. She wanted to start a family with him eventually but she’d give almost anything to be able to do it their way and on their timeline.

Angela spotted her as she walked through the parking lot and waved her over to the unmarked vehicle. Lucy took a steadying breath and tried to push away the sinking feeling in her gut. 

Angela 

As they were wrapping up at the doctor’s office, Angela got a call about a homicide scene that they were needed on. After they arrived, Lucy immediately jumped into the action to help Officer Jan set the perimeter and begin canvassing for witnesses while Nyla began to interview the person who’d called in the DB to 9-1-1. 

Tim gave Angela the official readout of the scene and she diligently took notes, but she couldn’t help checking her watch every few minutes. The doctor promised to put a rush on the bloodwork and said she’d call each of them with the results as soon as possible. 

Angela wanted to know those results so badly. She needed to know.

“Are you okay?” Tim asked after repeating the answer to a question she already asked. “You seem off.”

She sighed despondently.

“You can’t say anything to Wes until I know for sure,” she warned and he nodded apprehensively. “I might be pregnant again.”

Tim blinked. 

”For fuck’s sake, is there something in the water? ” He muttered it quietly under his breath and if she didn’t have freakishly good hearing, she would have missed it entirely. 

“What?” Angela whispered irritably. “Oh my god, did Lucy tell you?”

“What? No,” Tim stammered. “Unless … What did she tell you?”

“Timothy,” Angela warned, “what did Lucy say?”

“She told me she’s late,” Tim whispered defensively. “That’s it. I had no idea you were going through the same thing.”

“Oh.” Angela shook her head, surprised that Lucy would share something so sensitive with Tim. “Forget about that. We’ll circle back to me in a second.

She knew they were close, but Lucy had to know on some level that Tim had feelings for her. 

“I’m just so sorry, Tim,” Angela said with a sigh and gave his arm a light squeeze. “I didn’t even know Lucy was seeing someone.” 

Tim’s jaw hung open temporarily as she watched him find his words again. Poor guy. He must be reeling.

“I’m fine,” Tim said slowly. “Really, I am. You don’t need to worry about me. Are you ok with this? You were just telling me you were pretty sure Jackson was going to be an only child.”

“No, I’m not ok,” Angela admitted. “And I feel like a terrible person saying that out loud.”

Tim slung his arm over her shoulder. 

“How can I help?” 

“Just moral support,” Angela said. “And let me vent and complain if this test is positive about how hard my life is, even when it might seem unreasonable.”

“Of course,” Tim said. He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze and then let her go. “What are friends for?” 

“And Tim?” Angela turned so she was facing him. “I am sorry about Lucy. I really thought you two were heading in the same direction.”

She watched Tim’s expression change. She expected him to look sad, maybe a little lost, but instead she found a mixture of guilt and … something else on his face.

What was going on?

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. “I really should talk to Lucy before I tell you anything.” 

“Tell me what?” Angela’s pulse kicked up a beat. 

Tim glanced at Lucy in the distance and she saw it in his eyes. This wasn’t a man yearning, this man was adoring someone he already had. 

Oh my god, how had she missed the signs? 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Tim rushed to say as Angela’s eyes widened. “Lucy and I really just wanted to keep something for ourselves for a while and then I blinked and three months had gone by. Honestly, there were a number of times I was sure you’d already figured it out–”

“Oh my god,” Angela grabbed his arm and pulled him down to her level. He almost tripped over his own foot. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“If Lucy’s pregnant,” Tim whispered with a smile on his face, “that’s my kid.” 

Angela felt the shout of glee build in her chest before she could contain it. 

“Shhhh,” Tim looked around nervously. She could see several officers looking over at them from the corner of her eye. “You have to keep it a secret. We’re still figuring out the work side of things.” 

“I am going to hug the shit out of both of you later,” Angela said with the biggest smile on her face. Then she punched Tim in the arm. Hard. 

“Ow,” Tim said, rubbing the spot. 

“I have been feeling sorry for you ALL day. You could have told me,” Angela scolded. 

“I know,” Tim assured her. “And I trust you. We just wanted to make sure this thing was real first.”

“Is it?” She asked, even though she already knew the answer.

“Yeah,” Tim said with a deliriously happy smile. “As real as it gets.” 

Angela was gearing up to tell Tim how happy she was for him when Nyla walked up and narrowed her eyes at the two of them. 

“There is literally a dead body twenty feet from you,” she scolded. “Could you stop smiling so much? The other cops are starting to think you’re both sociopaths.” 

“Tim was just cheering me up,” Angela explained. “What do we have?” 

Angela worked to switch her brain back into work mode, but only managed to quell her excitement down to a half smile on her face as she walked the crime scene with Nyla. 

Her best friend was finally happy and she knew it was the forever-kind-of-happy. She had a second-hand happy high that she just couldn’t shake. 

NYLA

Nyla reached for her phone after the ding indicated she had a text message. They were getting close to wrapping up their day and had a few more solid leads to run down but it was nothing that couldn’t wait until morning. 

From: Lucy | To: Angela & Nyla  

Just got the call. Mine was negative! Phew! Good luck &lt;;3 

Angela sighed audibly from across the desk. She saw her shoot off a reply and then did the same. Nyla’s pulse kicked up as she realized her chances were now fifty-fifty. 

When Angela’s phone rang next, their eyes met and Angela nodded before stepping away to answer. Around the same time, Tim and Lucy went into Grey’s office. It wasn’t something she would typically notice, but their body language was … strange. 

Grey hung his head in his hands for a moment before looking up at both of them with a huge smile on his face. He rounded his desk and hugged them both. Lucy hugged him back enthusiastically but Bradford looked stiff and awkward. 

Nyla smirked. 

It looked like ‘Chenford’ (as Smitty called them) was finally coming clean. 

“Nolan,” Grey opened his office door and called out. “Could you join us?” 

Nyla leaned back in her chair to enjoy the show. Moments later, Nolan’s jaw dropped in complete disbelief and Nyla chuckled in her seat. She wasn’t surprised that Nolan hadn’t suspected a thing. She’d noticed Lucy and Nolan slowly drift apart after Jackson’s death. Whether that was due to their respective lives getting busier, or a subconscious decision to distance themselves from painful memories, she wasn’t sure. 

Regardless, Nolan seemed genuinely happy for them. 

“Nyla,” Angela said from behind her. She spun around in her chair.

“What’s the word?” Nyla asked, trying to hide the hope in her voice. 

“My test was negative,” Angela said slowly. “Which means–”

Nyla’s heart pounded in her ears as her phone rang. She answered it right away. 

“I’m calling for Nyla Harper.” Nyla recognized Dr. Stone’s voice from earlier. 

“Hi, Dr. Stone,” Nyla said. “Thank you for rushing the test results. Lay it on me.”

“They were negative for pregnancy,” Dr. Stone cut to the chase. “But I did see something interesting in your bloodwork that makes me think you could have gotten the false positive on the take home test.”

“I didn’t know that was possible,” Nyla responded, letting the news wash over her. So she wouldn’t be a mom again. At least, not yet.

“It’s very rare, but sometimes a UTI can trigger a false positive. You do have minimal hCG levels present for detection but if you were pregnant, those levels would continue to climb throughout your first trimester and then level off,” Dr. Stone explained. “For at home test to be positive, the levels would have had to be much higher earlier today since those tests are far less sensitive than blood tests.”

“Okay,” Nyla said. “What does that mean for me?”

“I see an elevated white blood cell count in your CBC panel, which indicates an infection is probably present,” Dr. Stone said. “If you can come back in tomorrow or later this week, I can run a urinalysis to confirm it. Then we can send you home with antibiotics to treat it.” 

“Other than that, I’m fine?” Nyla asked. 

“Yes, as far as I can tell, you’re very healthy,” Dr. Stone confirmed. 

Nyla stayed on the phone long enough to schedule an appointment and then hung up. She jerked in her seat when she realized Angela was standing right behind her. 

“Jesus, wear a bell,” Nyla chided. 

“So you’re–”

“Not pregnant,” Nyla finished the sentence. “Doc says I might have triggered a false positive. I probably have a UTI and I’m going back tomorrow to confirm.”

“So none of us are pregnant?” Angela asked.

“Not a one,” Nyla confirmed.

“Then maybe we should all go grab celebratory drinks?” Angela suggested. 

“Rain check,” Nyla smiled politely, wishing she could match Angela’s level of relief. “I am wiped.” 

“Okay,” Angela said and gathered her things. “Have a good night. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“See ya.” 

Nyla sighed and let the disappointment sit with her for a minute. It’s not the right time , she told herself, and she could be okay with that. 

There was a silver lining to all of this. Now she knew how she really felt about adding to her family. She made her way home to James to see if he felt the same way. 

LUCY 

Lucy walked across the parking lot with Tim by her side, grinning from ear to ear about finally having their relationship out and in the open. 

“How are you feeling?” Tim nudged her softly with his elbow.  

“About telling Grey?” Lucy asked.

“That too,” Tim nodded, “but more so about the negative pregnancy test.”

“Honestly?” Lucy bit her lip nervously. “I’m relieved. You?” 

“Me too,” Tim said with a sigh. 

“Really?” Lucy prodded. “I know you’re ready to start a family but–” 

“Eventually,” Tim corrected her. “But right now? I’m so happy with exactly where we are.”

“Me too.” Lucy smiled up at him and grabbed his hand. 

“Wow,” Tim brought her hand to his lips and pressed a quick kiss to her knuckles. “I can’t believe we can actually do this now.”

“It’s almost like we’re a normal couple,” Lucy agreed with a laugh and swung his arm playfully as they walked. 

Once they at his truck, Tim twisted her in his arms. 

“What are you doing?” Her voice was husky as his face neared her own. 

“What normal couples do.” He slid his hand behind her neck and brushed his fingers into her hair before closing the distance between their lips. His kiss felt like a vow, holding the promise of all the amazing milestones yet to come. 

“I could get used to this,” Lucy mumbled against his lips.

“You better because I’m planning to keep doing it.” 

“Fine by me,” Lucy said with a smirk. “Because I’m planning on keeping you forever.”

“Forever, huh?” Tim smiled teasingly and leaned back a hair. “I’m going to need to check my schedule first.”

“Oh, do I need to call your gofer so he can pencil me into your calendar?” Lucy said with a snort. 

“That would be great,” Tim tossed back but she could see the corner of his lip creeping up. 

“Don’t make me hurt you,” she warned lightheartedly, swatting his chest. 

He captured her wrist swiftly and pulled her in close until her arm was wrapped around his neck. She rested her other palm on his chest, inhaling sharply in anticipation. 

“You know what I think?” He teased, the grumble of his voice vibrating against her wrist. 

“Hmm?” Lucy hummed, her gaze dropping from his eyes to his lips. 

“Forever is a really good place to start.” 

When his lips crashed down on hers this time, she felt giddy butterflies take flight in her belly. Their future played like a movie on the back of her eyelids but she blinked them away. The future could wait. She was focused on the here and now with the most important person in her life.

#chenford #chenford fic #the rookie #the rookie 5x10 plus three months #pregnancy scare #anon request part 2 #by deeg9

[sunnyrosewritesstuff]

This has been a crazy year!! I didn’t really feel like I had done all that much until I started feeling this out and realized I’ve written more this year than any year in the past.🤩 I’m going to preface this by saying, I don’t think I ever would have accomplished this much without all of my friends’ and followers’ incredible support.🙏So big THANK YOU to each and every one of you who had encouraged my writings through comments, asks, requests, etc.😊 

I broke this up into four different sections. So let’s look at:

My Totals

Fandom(s) Written For in 2022: So I think officially, I should count this as 4: The Adventures of Tintin, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and What We Do in the Shadows

Pairings Written For in 2022: Okay my Modern May drabbles wrecked this count! I totaled: 11, which was: Bagginshield, Barduil, Belladonna/Bungo, Dis/Vili, Filiori, Gloin/His Wife, Haddotin, Kiliel, Nwalin, Ori/Reader, and SamFro

Number of Works in AO3: 19 😳

Number of Completed Works for 2022: 8!! 😮‍💨 But several of them are one-shots so I don’t know if that counts.🤣

List of Completed Works: A Future Bright as Snow, Guardian of Kings, The Marali Festival, After the Marali Festival, One More Little Adventure, The Sailor’s Club, Secrets in the Blue Mountain Apartment, A Smile for a Cold Spoon

Total Word Count: I don’t know how this can simultaneously be a lot and not that impressive, but it is definitely the most I’ve ever written in a year: 188,267

Average Chapter Word Count: This was a fun little statistic I worked out on my own: 3,278.10

Gifts Received/Given: Counting all my tumblr fics, I gifted 7 works this year! And because my friends are ridiculous and insisted on gifting me things back received 7 gifts this year. 🤣

Events Participated In: Not counting @fellowshipofthefics monthly event challenges, I was a part of 3 different events this year. 

@mulasawala was the artist I was honored to work with to create One More Little Adventure for @tolkienrsb

I decided to try @gatesofsummerexchange year and got to create A Lesson Carved in Stone for @toasterpapa as well as received the cutest found family journal-style story, dear future bilbo; it’s me, bilbo from @mxmia

And then @lordoftherazzles, @ahufflepuffhobbit and I took on the challenge of HOSTING The Hobbit: An Unexpected Collaboration which was certainly a learning curve...but also great fun! @thotinshield and I made two really humorous POV complementary fics: What Happened in 30C and Secrets in the Blue Mountain Apartment that are definitely worth a read!

#sunny says stuff #year in review #my totals #guys I wrote A LOT THIS YEAR #and yet I still have years old wips 🥲

[yuzukahibiscus]

Mahou Tsugumi – Voice Actor Next Generation

(Note: Mahou Tsugumi is a former Takarazuka actress of the 95th class and the douki/classmate of Yuzuka Rei and Minami Maito, also in the Flower Troupe before. Ever since her graduation, I’ve followed her closely on her social medias and she’s still paying attention to Flower Troupe performances as an OG. Now, she went into voice acting work and this is a recent article of her.)

「VOICE ACTOR NEXT GENERATION」introduces the current hit of young voice actors with interviews and photos. We invited Mahou Tsugumi-san who won the voice actor audition for the TV animation production project “X ANIME” for the collaboration project between「X Beyond - The world of Year 5055 -」CHET Group and MECERE by Sony Music Rebels.

■PROFILE

Mahou Tsugumi ● Born on January 7. Free (artist). Active in the Takarazuka Revue till February 2022. After graduating, she participated in this audition because she “wanted to do some job related to her voice”. She’s aiming to expand her career as a voice actor.

Please tell us why you wanted to be a voice actor.

I’ve always loved acting and during the pandemic “stay-home” period, I’ve come across many animes and movies and was moved by the power of the voice so I always aspired to be a “voice actor”. Because I felt how warm and touching my heart could be through entertainment, I also wanted to bring warmth to anyone’s hearts in the same way, so I have this goal.

What’s your interests or skills?

I like eating delicious food in the streets. During the audition, I also like to write articles. I also love to read articles related to vacations and food. My special skill is speaking conversational Chinese. I hope to improve while speaking more.

What will you do during your rest days?

When I’m at home, I watch movies and anime, read manga, and recently write articles. I also enjoy reciting the lines from various productions. When I’m going out, I’d have a meal or go to a cafe with my friends and then go watch some musicals. While going there, I’d have a lot of thoughts and jotting them down when I’m out is fun.

Please tell us why you joined this audition.

While thinking about wanting to do some job related to voice, I knew about this audition and thought “this is it!”. Also, I’ve always wanted a place where I could still connect to the fans after graduating from Takarazuka Revue, so I wanted to challenge this audition opportunity through the livestreams. Though I was nervous about this, I felt this instinct that “if I don’t challenge this great chance, I’ll regret it for my life” and just directly went straight for it. I was so thankful for those that supported me during that time.

How did you feel when you saw that you won?

During those 3 months, I gave in my all to do my best, and I felt this same passion charging with me through. For those fans who embraced that “Grand Premium(グランプリ)” moment with me, I only have thoughts full of gratitude. “It’s because everyone was there” that I shed thankful tears.

Please give a message to the fans who have been supporting you!

Thank you to everyone whom I’ve met, and also the abundant support I’ve received through this voice acting. I’m so full of this happiness from all the support that I should definitely grasp and cherish this “first step” and do my very best from now on. Because I’ve always felt how great this “power of achieving your dreams” is, I hope everyone could remember that dreams are attainable, and believe that there is so much possibility and I’ll repay my gratitude to everyone through my coming projects and continue to be active. I hope that you can support me from now on ever more!

#mahou tsugumi #flower troupe #takarazuka revue #takarazuka #hibiscustranslation

[sharonlifeoutsidesocial]

A pill that was once hard to swallow for others is coming back to me now

26.

What a year that was... Feelings were mixed, to put it to words: there are many things that's really happening to me at the moment yet I still feel empty. I was ugly crying reading my best friend's birthday greeting and that hits hard. This was the birthday that really poured emotions I have been keeping since November.

It's not about me anymore, it's about people within my circle and slowly fading away. We arrived in San Juan, La Union on 29th I asked my best friend, Koko about med school he will pursue in the next few years. Imagine, you work best friend leaving? That broke a part of me. We stayed silent when he said he's not seeing himself working as a medical technologist in the next few years. I am trying to see the bright side, nothing is permanent though. He is continuing what paused for a while so why would I stopped someone reaching his dreams and the life he planned for himself? I did not bother asking. Next day, over sunset on my birthday I had a little moment of silence and tried seeing the bigger picture because nothing in this world is constant. I stared at the waves with pain and hope, with questions that I'm too far to know the answer. I questioned the life I have, because I dreamed of having a simple one - enjoy my youth at most and deserve the things I truly deserve. But it's weird, life threw the craziest and challenging ones that are too hard for me to solve. The kind of tired that no amount of vacation and massage therapy will ever solve. At the end of the day, that flicker of hope I only had is gone leaving me at the rock bottom and crying until 31st of March. Believe me, I just cried my heart out on that day, even us cannot pin-point where it actually hurts. He just accompanied me, the greatest gift I ever received. We were silent until we head back to Manila, it irrates him that he got burnt by the sun and a total-fail henna tattoo. He even raised his voice and I hate it, I hate it when people do that.

Going back, that time he said he's planning to study again. He told me the same exactly words I said about 3 years ago. "Huwag niyo akong antayin." Go by your decisions and do not wait for me because I don't even know what to do. I think those were the times when he was transferring to ManilaMed and I don't have the guts yet to leave Manila Doctors. That sudden feeling when your soul leaves you for a sec and your stomach really felt very empty. A pill that is even bigger is hard to take it all in. It's straight up happening to me right now, I got so scared because I will be left behind with an excess baggage. They're leaving with high hopes and better future. I am stuck with my father that's deteriorating, unable to take the exam, no money, no comfortable bed to sleep to and no time for myself anymore. I hated every minute and part of it. I hated home.

If this is all His plans, I don't know anymore. In this case, He's teaching me patience then it reached the ceiling. I actually wished for my birthday to take the pain away and let him rest. I want my old life back.

Coming into realizations, it was not my decision not to say to Koko that I plan on taking the exam. He was surprised when he knew it, I guess that was also the time of an epiphany for him. I really need to fix my papers and let this be an inspiration. I hate it to think of it that way, but I needed to get out of here first. My plans of staying in the Philippines travelling here as an individual should be set aside first and come what may for future me.

Additional realizations as I turn 26 I almost had a tattoo done, well due to being in a beautiful destination I contacted my long-time followed artist and really wanted a heart tattoo on my finger. I had to step backward for now because it's not ideal for my skin yet. While in San Juan, I also unblocked and checked on people. It's been a year since and I plan not destroying the peace I protected and saved up for the recent months. I also noticed someone got engaged in September and that's where I stopped. I will never be someone who will hurt and ruin a relationship. I will never hurt a woman by continuosly sticking to it. I may always be alone and people think desperately wanting to have a relationship, sometimes I think of it that way too but I knew in my heart that I am not ready for it. I needed a time for me to heal, to discover myself and to be alone and find my core. Here's to the single life though, I love it so much I can stay like this forever. But if there's a chance, I hope to find someone who's going to love me the way I wanted to be loved, respect the space I created for myself and just be there for me. When that time comes, I owe it to God and the universe for giving me a bonus.

I cannot believe that turning 26 would be this be very emotional and staring off with fears and tears are just unrealistic for someone. I treasured birthdays so much... It means so much to me unlike other people who don't usually mind it. It hits different when you realize you age because youth is slowly fading away, your problems got more complicated and it gives you a day to re-evaluate life. Listening and staring blankly to the waves helped a little. Eating good food half-filled the emptiness that I am feeling. Being with your best friend gave you a rest no one can replace. Staying at a different place, gave a new perspective of seeing things. Being in La Union gives an illusion of living the alter reality.

San Juan, La Union is my second home even though I visited it for the second time yet I always see myself coming back. A portion of me that I left there whispers that I needed to go back where my heart is. For now, it's my happy place. Thank you for accepting me, Elyu. One day, I'll live there. One day, I will have all the time to spend my life in the seaside and live my best life. Thanks, Elyu. For now, I will be a corporate slave in Manila, earn some money to go back to you.

#birthday #march #03302023 #san juan #elyu #la union

[pomgore]

I posted 2,124 times in 2022

That's 581 more posts than 2021!

33 posts created (2%)

2,091 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@jayborb-rb

@carrionthird

@sabertoothwalrus

@rin--ren

@abyssal-glory

I tagged 1,364 of my posts in 2022

Only 36% of my posts had no tags

#insp - 214 posts

#pomcore - 162 posts

#pom's comfy tag - 66 posts

#the pom! signal - 37 posts

#sent to me - 24 posts

#friend art - 11 posts

#so true - 10 posts

#mewtag - 8 posts

#screams - 6 posts

#literally - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#on one hand i wanna make fun of izzy for thinking two captains (with full and uninterrupted access to the ship's cabin mind you) would fuck

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Pom!!! What can you tell us about “the empty lands where no men are”? 👀💜

HOHOHO YOU HAVE RISEN TO THE CHALLENGE!

i can tell you it's a boromir lives amnesia fic where aragorn is so polyamorous he cries

a while ago i was fantasizing about like, the boromir-arwen side of the love triangle and decided i thought their dynamic could be incredible (two chivalrous courtly lovers who bond over their destiny-riddled third half) so i give arwen plenty of time in the spotlight in that fic as well

as for boromir and aragorn, they are as dramatic as ever

“There was- kingsfoil, that’s the name, kingsfoil in the arrow-wounds,” Boromir continued. “... I expect that was the work of the King. He was a ranger in the realm where Arnor once stood, isn’t that right? A ranger’s knowledge of medicine.”

“To use athalas on wounds is an elven remedy,” Arwen told him. “Before Aragorn was a ranger, he lived in Rivendell among elves for many years.”

Boromir watched Aragorn for a while. “I do not know why,” he said, “but that seems to explain some things about him.”

“Indeed,” Arwen agreed. “Continue about Lórien, please.”

i'm still not sure whether i'll finish this one as i've hit a tough spot in it, but i love the concept so much that i can't bear to delete it - boromir my babygirl for real

thank you sm for the ask btw! maybe i will send you one after i have a nap to recover from this wretched sickliness

7 notes - Posted November 30, 2022

#4

Good morning friend! I thought I should properly introduce myself if I'm going to keep bothering you :)

I'm Remy, I'm 19 and use they/them. I'm autistic and my two biggest special interests at the moment are movies and LotR. I'm hyperfixating on the hobbit at the moment tho.

I'm a writer and I read a lot.

Yeah, that's pretty much it. I am not good at introducing myself but you're really cool :)

good morning to you too! i have lots of names but most people call me pom, i'm 17 and also use they/them (🤝). i am nursing a fresh tolkienverse special interest, and i am a writer/artist.

i think you're pretty cool too! i've never had a follower who was a fan of my work (? if that makes sense?), since i hardly ever post my work here. all of my followers are just old discord buddies and miscellaneous mutuals from over the years lol

it's nice to meet you remy! thank you very much for enjoying my creations

8 notes - Posted August 14, 2022

#3

if i dont see a MASSIVE influx of gay pirate ocs because of ofmd i will personally cancel ofmd season 2

10 notes - Posted March 29, 2022

#2

“And a sense of coldness detatches, / As it tries to comfort your sadness,”

12 notes - Posted March 20, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

he’s a bit big for you

22 notes - Posted April 18, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #achoo!

[eirian-houpe]

TMI Tuesday

So, okay, it’s Tuesday, and yesterday was Monday, and on Monday something happened that really soured my already soured mood.

I’ve been back and forth about whether I should speak my mind here, or in a separate post... some sort of ‘Get the fuck off my lawn’ old timer’s post really, but I dunno, I was chastised yesterday for speaking my mind (in the wrong place) So maybe a separate post is best.

However, in short summary, writers and artists are NOT entitled in their desire for engagement that helps them to feel validated and reenergized.

So, please remember: if you read a fic you enjoyed on AO3 or on Tumblr (not just mine), please take the time to comment and/or leave kudos, and to reach out on TMI Tuesday. It means a lot to the writers and artists.

Writer to writer engagement is part of fandom lifeblood.  Writing can be a very solitary and lonely activity, and when writers talk, it can enhance, it can inspire, it can bolster confidence, it can do ALL of those things, but lately, one reason and another - lack mostly - it has had the opposite effect (not just for me). That’s one reason that I will ALWAYS send a TMI question to my fellow writers.

Posted this week:

This week I posted:

Chapter 2 of Not Yours To Keep

While grieving the loss of the fourteenth Cleon, the younger brother he loved as a son, Day seeks distraction in the company of a new concubine from the Gossamer Court. No one could have predicted the events that follow - nor the way in which Cleon XIII decides to deal with the situation.

On the cards for this week:.

Laer o Faen - Chapter 26

I’m still chipping away at this fic.  I was slowed down a bit this week because of discovering that /sometimes/ there exist the first 1000 words from when I started writing this chapter back in 2019.  I… Cannot… Find… them!  I have no idea how to tell you what that means to a writer.  Still, I am approaching completion of the chapter.

What the Actual Fuck! - Chapter 8

Prime Minister Robert Sutherland is feeling pressured, and isn’t prepared to acquiesce to the repeated challenges from within his cabinet nor the wider circle of those around him. He resorts to drastic measures to ascertain who can be trusted, turning to an 'old friend’ to help him separate the wheat from the chaff. Said friend promises to send in his best operative to assist the PM, the trouble is the operative finds out more than Robert necessarily wants to know, and all this just as all hell is breaking loose around him; people hurt, Britain in chaos and multiple deaths push him into making some hard hitting decisions in order to safeguard himself, the country, and the people he cares about.

Secret of the Seas - Chapter 3

Belle and Ruby take a much needed vacation, treating themselves to a fourteen day cruise. Jefferson is Head Miixologist aboard the ship, Secret of the Seas, and Gold is Deck Nine Supervisor, and amid much flirting, and false starts, holiday romances and forbidden loves ensue. Written from the Rumbelle Bingo prompts: Bed sharing, Vulnerability, Jefferson, Pesky Royals, Roses.

Next up:

Not Yours To Keep - Chapter 4 (?)

While grieving the loss of the fourteenth Cleon, the younger brother he loved as a son, Day seeks distraction in the company of a new concubine from the Gossamer Court. No one could have predicted the events that follow - nor the way in which Cleon XIII decides to deal with the situation.

Ask suggestions

Ask something about any of my fics (full list is below the cut). If you want specifics from some fics that are already outlined, you can ask about:

Disparate Pathways, Chapters 43 through 54 All Our Past Mistakes, Chapters 11 through 44 Lover’s Leap Series, Stories 15 through 31 Time’s Curse, Chapters 4 through 10 Laer o Faen, Chapter 26 Stargate: Atlantis, Harms Way or any of the 20 fics in the series.

Ask something of any of my characters in general or you can get really specific if you like - for example you might want to ask Gold from Pawn Shop a question about a chapter, a thought, a feeling… (the world is your oyster really)

Ask about my process as a writer, what makes me tick,, or even ask about me personally. There’s also This Guessing Game that is still available for you to play.

Also, if you want to see a specific character or fic featured in Three Things Thursday, or Saturday Secret, feel free to send in prompts, if no one does, then either the choice will be random or they just won’t happen at all. I made an analogy for why that might be in a different post about a car stuck in the mud with spinning wheels.

You can find all my fics currently on AO3 here, and there is a full list under this cut.

Storybrooke’s Best Kept Secret - Rumbelle

Darkness In Hyperion Heights - Woven Beauty au

Seven Tastes - Rumbelle

Tuesday - Rushbelle AU

The Language of Flowers Series - Rumbelle

Disparate Pathways - Rumbelle AU

Scattered - Rumbelle AU

All Our Past Mistakes - Rumbelle AU

What the Actual Fuck! - Sutherelle

Breathe - Rushbelle

The Lover’s Leap Series - Rumbelle

Awakening - Rumbelle

War Is Coming To Storybrooke - Rumbelle

Given No Choice - Rush

Thoughts On A Happy Ending Series - Rumbelle

Darker Hearts Series - Wish!Rumbelle

Modern Wonders - a OUAT/Alice crossover

Time’s Curse - Rumbelle

The Pawn Shop On Main Street - Rumbelle

The Mansion On the Edge of Town - Rumbelle with a side of Jefferson

Cobra: In Your Prayers - Cobra/FatWS/UC:Undercover et al

To See Series - Rumbelle

Nobody Knew (Bingo) - Rumbelle

Secret of the Seas - Rumbelle AU

Butterfly and Phoenix - ST:DSC

Laer o Faen - Tolkien

Ship’s Rats - ST: DCS

I Amar Boe Men Heb - Tolkien

Coming Down - Halt and Catch Fire

Armor of Ice - Halt and Catch Fire

Duath i-Achas Eriol - Tolkien

Balance of Terror - Sleeper Cell

What To Believe - UC: Undercover

If: In The End - UC Undercover

Precious - The Mummy Series

Forbidden - The Mummy Series

Power Is - The Mummy Series

Angel of the Heart - The Mummy Series

Star of the Morning - The Mummy Series

Not Yours To Remember - Foundation (TV)

Here are fics that haven’t yet been started, but are in the Muse’s bucket.

The Miner’s Day Festival - Rumbelle

Aftermath - Rumbelle (with a side of madness)

Saving The Dark One (WT) A twist on a twist of Rumplestiltskin.

Brought To You By The Color… (Red)

Calcul(us)

(In)consistent equation

The Boston Storybrooke Line

Breaking the Waves (Movie AU)

ILP (or IEP) for Rumple.

One Last Wish

In Service to My Son

Playground Games

Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed

“Only Remembered For What We Have Done.”

Librarian: UC

#TMI Tuesday #asks #send asks #send me asks #asks welcome #ask me anything #ama #Foundation (TV) #cleon xiii #lee pace #Not Yours To Keep #Tolkien #lord of the rings #LOTR #The hobbit #The Silmarillion #Thranduil #Laer o Faen #rumbelle #i will always write jefferson #secret of the seas #disparate pathways #all our past mistakes #Lover's Leap #time's curse #sutherelle #cobra #what the actual fuck! #stargate atlantis #michael

[mi4011thameenahallaldeen]

Animator #2: Hamstery

Transcriptions:

How would you say your love for animation and art began? 

Was it when you were little? Any particular anime/movie/series/book that inspired you? 

Or a person maybe?

⭐️It started when I was little. I was into Sailor moon, and I think it was my start. 

I have always liked to make stories and show my friends in school. 

I mostly draw humans, but ever since my parents got me a pet ferret for winning an award at school, I started drawing ferrets and other animals too. 

2. Did you start out traditionally or digitally?

⭐️I started traditionally. But it doesn’t mean I was always drawing that in my life. While I was in badminton club, I totally forgot that I liked drawing. 

I started painting again when my bff asked me to play AJPW with him. 

It was at that time when AJPW introduced an art feature on the game. 

He knew I liked painting so I gave it a try. That’s how I started my “first” digital art.

3. What were your challenges? Eg: Was there anyone who tried to discourage you or tried to convince you to do something else?

⭐️Actually no one would be able to discourage you. 

To be honest I already chose my department a while ago to be “law and politics.

My mother kept telling me I should go to art school but “I” chose not to because I didn’t believe the possibility and my talent. Now I regret it. 

Therefore, I’d like to tell you to believe in yourself. Follow your passion!

4. What/Who are your main influences for your art and animation style? I noticed your animations were mainly simple but the designs are very vivid.

⭐️I wouldn’t say there is any particular thing which inspired me. I watched many anime and read books. Also collecting and making accessories. All of those gave me inspiration. 

I’m making my animations alone.

When you make an animation you need to draw 8 pieces of art for one second. If you take too much time and add details per artwork, it takes an enormous amount of time to finish the story. So I’m trying to make it as simple as possible but still enjoyable.

5. How did you come across animal jam and how big of an influence was it on your journey as an artist/animator?

⭐️A very special friend introduced me to this game. Animal Jam dramatically changed my life. It reminded me of my true passions and talents. I’m really grateful to AJHQ and everyone who has liked and supported me and my artworks. Now, I hope you find a hint of what you want to do for your bright future, whether through Animal Jam, my artwork, or anything else! Good luck!

6. What softwares do you use to animate?

⭐️I’m only using an iPad Pro 12.9inch second generation 512gb. Ibis paint, FlipClip, CapCut.

7. Is there a reason you call yourself Hamstery?

⭐️Because I love hamsters!

8. Tell me a little about yourself. Name, age, family (yes this includes pets 😆), occupation, major, likes, dislikes, games (other than animal jam)

⭐️That’s it :) Let me know if you have any questions.

I’d rather keep my private info secrets like my family occupation etc..!

Biography:

Hamstery is a 2D animator who is just starting out. She does animations just for fun and launched an animation project in 2022, which is an animated series. The series is based on the characters and lore of a kid’s rpg game called “Animal Jam” made by the company Wildworks. She works with 2D art styles which are inspired by anime, mainly Sailor Moon which she used to watch a lot as a kid. Her passion for drawing and animating began ever since she was a little girl. She has always liked making stories and is not afraid to show the world her storytelling skills. Hamstery started out drawing humans but started learning how to draw animals after her parents got her a pet ferret as a reward. She started drawing ferrets and later on other animals as well. Hamstery started her journey as an artist with traditional techniques but her life hit a major turning point after a dear friend of hers introduced her to the game “Animal Jam”. It was at this time that an in-game painting feature was introduced. Since Hamstery loved painting, she decided to give it a try, thus the beginning of her digital art journey. Her most recent milestone is her animations. One thing she regrets is choosing to be a law and politics major even though her mom recognized her talent and urged her to go to art school. Animal Jam is the one thing that reminded her of her true passions and talents, thus why most of her pieces are based on the game. 

Narrative 1:

Little Hamstery runs inside the house, drops her bag off on the sofa and runs to the television, and turns it on to watch her favorite show Sailor Moon. She watches in awe as the vivid colors swirl around the tv screen. The colors jump out of the screen and they swirl around Hamstery, engulfing her in colorful streaks. She reaches out her hand into the tornado of colors around her and her hand feels something. Her hand pulls back as we are shown a stylus in her hand. The colors wrap closer around her and she closes her eyes against the harsh wind. She opens her eyes and sees a drawing tablet (iPad) on her lap. She picks it up and starts drawing.

Her life story plays inside the animation. Her friend in school introduces her to the game “Animal Jam” and there she starts drawing and improving her art style, and playing the game with her friend. Later on she grows up, and her art evolves with her until they turn into moving animations. The screen backs out of the animation and we can see Hamstery surrounded (low angle view, ipad covering a bit of her face as the characters are around her and peeping into the screen) by her characters as she animated.

Narrative 1 - version 2:

Little Hamstery runs inside the house, drops her bag off on the sofa and runs to the television, and turns it on to watch her favorite show Sailor Moon. She watches in awe as the vivid colors swirl around the tv screen. The colors jump out of the screen and they swirl around Hamstery, engulfing her in colorful streaks. She reaches out her hand into the tornado of colors around her and her hand feels something. Her hand pulls back as we are shown a pencil in her hand. The colors wrap closer around her and she closes her eyes against the harsh wind. She opens her eyes and sees an empty notepad on her lap. She picks it up and starts drawing.

Her life story plays inside the animation (animatic style). She keeps her notepad inside a drawer and forgets about drawing for a while. She is seen playing badminton with her friends. Later on her friend in school introduces her to the game “Animal Jam” and there she starts drawing and improving her art style, and playing the game with her friend. Later on she grows up, and her art evolves with her until they turn into moving animations. The screen backs out of the animation and we can see Hamstery surrounded (low angle view, ipad covering a bit of her face as the characters are around her and peeping into the screen) by her characters as she animated.

Narrative 2 :

We see Hamstery’s ferret (AJ style) running over her drawings of Sailor Moon (traditional drawings on papers lying on her desk). The ferret runs to the window and looks out, we see Hamstery outside playing badminton with her friend. The ferret turns back and grabs one of the drawings and runs downstairs. She runs up to Hamstery and pesters her with the papers, asking her to come back to her room. Hamstery refuses and she runs off with her friend to do something else. Her friend looks at the drawing in the ferret’s mouth and takes out his phone. He shows Hamstery the game and the painting feature. Hamstery takes the phone and she starts drawing. The drawings start from simple black and white sketches and they become more and more colorful as it turns into her current art style. Finally a drawing of her characters for the animated series comes to life and they surround her.

[rhodesportfolio]

SABRINA for Interview Magazine.

Sabrina Carpenter opens up to actress Maya Hawk on a personal chat for Interview Magazine. Photographed by Blake Rhode. Shot in New York City, NY.

As she finally espaces the prefab pressures of Disney-kid stardom by snatching back her artistic identity, Sabrina Carpenter followed up her first four albums with 2022’s Emails I Can’t Send, a more dangerous departure that saw the 24-year-old performer finding vulnerability in pop star problems like public breakups and internet hate. Taylor Swift took notice (she asked her fellow Pennsylvania native to help kick off the international leg of her Eras tour), as did the Catholic Church, which beefed with Sabrina over the video for her single “Feathers” (YouTube it). Someone else who’s been paying attention is the actor and singer Maya Hawke, who called Sabrina up to unpack the complexities of pop stardom.

Sabrina Carpenter wears Dress Givenchy. Bra and Underwear Fleur Du Mal. Bracelets Tiffany & Co. Stockings Wolford. Shoes Giuseppe Zanotti.

WEDNESDAY 6 PM JAN. 3, 2024 NYC

SABRINA CARPENTER: Hi, how are you?

MAYA HAWKE: I’m good. I’m so happy to be talking to you.

CARPENTER: Thank you so much for doing this. How are you feeling?

HAWKE: I’m feeling really good. I just made a sweet potato stew.

CARPENTER: Oh my gosh, you cook? My dream friends are friends who cook.

HAWKE: I cook. [Laughs] Wait, where are you?

CARPENTER: I’m in New York. I’ve told you this, but I live here half the time so I go back and forth. But this is the first year I’ve spent in New York City watching the ball drop, so I feel like I actually live here now.

HAWKE: You didn’t just watch the ball drop, you performed, right?

CARPENTER: Yeah.

HAWKE: What was that like?

Dress and Bag Dsquared2. “SC” Ring (worn on left hand throughout) Sabrina’s Own. Necklace and Rings Cartier. Garter Stylist’s Own.

CARPENTER: Surreal. It’s something I’ve wanted to do ever since I was a little girl, but for some reason it doesn’t click until you’re actually up there and Ryan Seacrest says your name.

HAWKE: I watched it and you’re such a showman, part of why I look up to you is that the visual aspect is really hard for me. Connecting the dots between the three is a really big challenge. I’m curious, did it come all at once or have you been piecing it together slowly?

Dress and Bag Dsquared2. “SC” Ring (worn on left hand throughout) Sabrina’s Own. Necklace and Rings Cartier. Garter Stylist’s Own.

CARPENTER: I like to keep my eyes and ears open for things that resonate with me because that’s what brings my world to life. But most of the time I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. It just has to be true to you, as clichéd as that sounds, because there’s no formula, as much as people like to think that you sit in an office and people tell you what you should wear and how you should act onstage.

HAWKE: Yeah. It’s more like you sit alone in your room and people call you and go, “What are you wearing? What’s the plan?” And you’re like, “I don’t know. Maybe this?”

CARPENTER: And then you end up finding what makes you feel comfortable. For me, clothing has had a huge part in that. It’s been a process of finding out what actually makes me feel comfortable. And oh my god, I’m not going to be comfortable in what I’m wearing right now in three to four years. But I have to follow what I feel at that moment.

Dress and Bag Dsquared2. “SC” Ring (worn on left hand throughout) Sabrina’s Own. Necklace and Rings Cartier. Garter Stylist’s Own.

HAWKE: That’s such a zen way to think about it. But if I hadn’t experimented in all the ways that I did, I don’t think I would be myself now.

CARPENTER: The mistakes lead you to knowing yourself the most. If I didn’t wear the hideous things I wore when I was 13, whatever fedora I had, I don’t think I would’ve been the same person I am today. Also, what a humbling experience to look back and be like, “I’ve changed.” That’s a really good sign that you’ve lived life the way you should.

HAWKE: I think so, too. I wanted to ask you about the organic growth of “Nonsense.” That song wasn’t a single, right? A fan found it and then it exploded, as far as I could tell.

CARPENTER: Yeah. Sometimes I get insecure about pop music and the fact that it can’t always resonate with people. So it was really special for me to experience that song having its own life, maybe because it felt like the closest to my true personality, as silly as that sounds.

HAWKE: That makes total sense.

CARPENTER: I get chills when my music received in a good way because I think one of the trickiest things for an artist is accepting being misunderstood. It comes with making art in any capacity.

HAWKE: Totally.

Top and Earrings Gucci. Necklace Cartier.

CARPENTER: I wrote most of the songs on Emails I Can’t Send not intending to ever put them out in the world, because I don’t think I would’ve written those songs if I thought about other people hearing them.

HAWKE: I actually feel that in the record. I started listening with “Skin” and then did a deep dive of your other stuff, but this record feels like you plunge 1,000 feet deeper into your own gut, and I’m so grateful you did.

CARPENTER: Unfortunately, you have to allow yourself to get to that point where you’re even able to do that, and until I made this album, I wasn’t at that place where I felt I could. The other day, this guy was like, “Life is so long. You just have to follow the things that make you feel something, whether that’s good or bad.” And I was like, “Wow, I always hear life is short.” But it made me really excited about the fact that I’m going to find my way through.

HAWKE: That’s a very, very important thing to remember. It’s both things. An hour can feel like an eternity and a day can go by in the blink of an eye. Time seems to be what you make of it and if you treat your life like it’s long, it will be.

CARPENTER: [Laughs] We sound like fortune cookies.

HAWKE: We do.

Dress and Belt Blumarine. Hat and Underwear Stylist’s Own. Earrings, Necklaces, and Bracelets Tiffany & Co.

CARPENTER: [Laughs] Exactly.

HAWKE: Wait, before you go, I have a couple ridiculous questions for you.

CARPENTER: Oh, please.

HAWKE: Okay. How do you choose the names of your songs?

CARPENTER: Ooh, good question. I choose the names of my songs by things I feel would jump out at me on a piece of paper, and usually my songs start with titles.

HAWKE: That’s extremely cool. Do you choose the names of your albums in similar ways?

CARPENTER: The name of my album comes through a miracle somewhere in the universe, and it usually comes the day before I have to turn in the whole thing, but I like to think I’ll get better at that as time goes on.

HAWKE: How do you decide what songs belong on the record and what songs don’t?

Dress and Belt Blumarine. Hat and Underwear Stylist’s Own. Earrings, Necklaces, and Bracelets Tiffany & Co.

CARPENTER: I spend a lot of time with them, and the ones I still want to listen to after six months to a year, that feel like they’re still brand new, resonate with me the most. But sometimes that question is a bit unanswerable because it’s a feeling.

HAWKE: And lastly, are you working on another album?

CARPENTER: I am.

HAWKE: That’s very exciting. My sisters absolutely love you.

CARPENTER: Will you tell them I say hi?

HAWKE: Duh. They will scream. Thank you so much for asking me to do this.

CARPENTER: I’m genuinely so grateful. You’re so awesome. Also, I secretly just asked you to do this because I wanted to have a conversation with you.

HAWKE: That makes me even happier.

[eugesounds]

Westboro, MA '77

Last week I attended my 45th High School reunion....wow, where did the time go? I grew up in a small and beautiful town in central Massachusetts called Westboro, or more formerly, Westborough...and sometimes referred to locally back in the day as "West-boring".

I hadn't been back since my mom passed about 3 years ago, but Lady Sax and I both felt like this was a good time to make the trip and I conveniently had a lull in my performance schedule. So my intrepid road manager and I set off on a circuitous route that included an 8AM Uber ride to DFW Airport where we boarded a Delta flight to Detroit then changed planes en route to Providence, RI. From there we took an Uber to Fall River, MA where we picked up a Turo car and drove the rest of the way to Westboro. The remnants of hurricane Ian made that part of the trip a rainy mess, but we finally arrived at our local AirBnb by around 11 PM.

The weather by Thursday morning (and pretty much for the rest of the week) was spectacular. I hiked around the town reservoir and took in deep breaths of crisp air that was filled with the smell of maple, apple, and pine. The trees were just starting to turn beautiful oranges, yellows, and reds and the temps were in the 60's with "chamber-of-commerce" blue skies making it all seem like I had awoken in an LL Bean Catalog. My sister Maryellen had coordinated her trip to visit some friends at the cape and met us for a few days in Westboro. Together we visited some old neighbors on Upton Rd, and took a stroll around the center of town, popping in to a few antique stores and a great coffee shop.

The place looks pretty much the same as it did when we moved there in 1970. The rotary is intact though there's a bit more traffic and there appears to be lots of new names on the shops and signs around town. Still, it has the same quaint feel as it did when we first arrived there from New Jersey and it was super fun to take it all in.

On Friday evening there was an informal gathering at the Central House Tavern downtown. This is a place with a long history in Westboro and it seems to have become an endearing gathering spot for townies to celebrate pretty much any occasion. I got to play a few tunes with 2 old buddies and caught up with lots of classmates who were making their way to town for the reunion. It was an absolute blast. It was great to have Maryellen with us, even though she did not graduate from Westboro High, most of my buddies remembered her. And perhaps the biggest hit of the evening was Lady Sax! It was very cool of those folks who follow what I do online to come up and say hello to her as if they were old friends. She deserves all of the attention for putting up with me and this crazy "artist" life.

On Saturday I had a chance to play some golf at the course where I grew up learning the game. It's still a challenging 9 hole track but I played well with borrowed clubs. I was joking with the old pro saying, "If you ever have a flat lie here, something has gone terribly wrong". The weather was spectacular and the company of classmates made the outing super fun with a ton of laughs and a good cigar to boot. I got to play again on Monday and that was really a great bonus. It's a gem of a course and you can tell the locals are very proud of the condition - as they should be.

After golf I got back to the AirBnb and cleaned up for our big evening. We met an old buddy, John Richards and his wife Terri for a drink before the reunion. It's always great to catch up with them - artists that they are; kindred spirits indeed. Then we all made our way to the Knights of Columbus Hall for our 45th. It was a fantastic evening of catching up and laughing. I was so busy flitting around talking to everyone that I didn't snap a single picture (those of you who know me know how rare that is!). My face hurt from smiling so much and everyone looked fantastic. It's an amazing feeling to catch up with childhood friends and acquaintances. It was definitely great for this soul.

On Sunday I took another brisk morning walk around town and one more little hike at the reservoir. It was so peaceful and beautiful that I simply sat and watched the glass-like water as I took more big, deep breaths of that crisp, cool air. #Zen moments indeed. I found this rock sculpture and took a few minutes to add a smaller one to it. The plane in the sky reminded me that I only had a few days left to dig this view.

On Sunday afternoon Gracie and I visited a very cool local brewery called Cold Harbor (or "Cold Haba" as the locals say). We enjoyed a tasting flight and sat in the cool sun as folks watched the Patriots play. It was definitely one of the best tasting flights we've ever had. Before leaving everyone suggested I try a "Juice Freak" so we purchased one and somehow got it back intact in our luggage. We haven't tried it yet as I promised to save a sip for Parker.

We also enjoyed a great dinner at the Civic Kitchen which is at the Country Club. It's a farm to table establishment and it was really yummy. And we simply could not leave MA without having an order of "chowdah" and fried clams! Harry's is a classic American diner-style restaurant offering seafood and a TON of traditional diner favorites. If you're ever up that way, we highly recommend popping in - they're open late!

It was a truly great vacation for both Lady Sax and I. Gracie got lots of rest and I did just about everything I wanted to do on the trip. I am back in the office teaching and recording with a sense of rejuvenation that hopefully will help get me through to the end-of-year Holiday break. While we were gone, Captain and Camille booked several shows and I was asked to play a "one-off gig" as well.

Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make the reunion happen. I am already looking forward to the next time I get to visit Westboro. Back to the grind now :) Have a great week.

#WestboroMA

[niseamstories]

10 Lessons on Realistic Worldbuilding and Mapmaking I Learned Working With a Professional Cartographer and Geodesist

Hi, fellow writers and worldbuilders,

It’s been over a year since my post on realistic swordfighting, and I figured it’s time for another one. I’m guessing the topic is a little less “sexy”, but I’d find this useful as a writer, so here goes: 10 things I learned about realistic worldbuilding and mapmaking while writing my novel.

I’ve always been a sucker for pretty maps, so when I started on my novel, I hired an artist quite early to create a map for me. It was beautiful, but a few things always bothered me, even though I couldn’t put a finger on it. A year later, I met an old friend of mine, who currently does his Ph.D. in cartography and geodesy, the science of measuring the earth. When the conversation shifted to the novel, I showed him the map and asked for his opinion, and he (respectfully) pointed out that it has an awful lot of issues from a realism perspective.

First off, I’m aware that fiction is fiction, and it’s not always about realism; there are plenty of beautiful maps out there (and my old one was one of them) that are a bit fantastical and unrealistic, and that’s all right. Still, considering the lengths I went to ensure realism for other aspects of my worldbuilding, it felt weird to me to simply ignore these discrepancies. With a heavy heart, I scrapped the old map and started over, this time working in tandem with a professional artist, my cartographer friend, and a linguist. Six months later, I’m not only very happy with the new map, but I also learned a lot of things about geography and coherent worldbuilding, which made my universe a lot more realistic.

1)  Realism Has an Effect: While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with creating an unrealistic world, realism does affect the plausibility of a world. Even if the vast majority of us probably know little about geography, our brains subconsciously notice discrepancies; we simply get this sense that something isn’t quite right, even if we don’t notice or can’t put our finger on it. In other words, if, for some miraculous reason, an evergreen forest borders on a desert in your novel, it will probably help immersion if you at least explain why this is, no matter how simple.

2)  Climate Zones: According to my friend, a cardinal sin in fantasy maps are nonsensical climate zones. A single continent contains hot deserts, forests, and glaciers, and you can get through it all in a single day. This is particularly noticeable in video games, where this is often done to offer visual variety (Enderal, the game I wrote, is very guilty of this). If you aim for realism, run your worldbuilding by someone with a basic grasp of geography and geology, or at least try to match it to real-life examples.

3)  Avoid Island Continent Worlds: Another issue that is quite common in fictional worlds is what I would call the “island continents”: a world that is made up of island-like continents surrounded by vast bodies of water. As lovely and romantic as the idea of those distant and secluded worlds may be, it’s deeply unrealistic. Unless your world was shaped by geological forces that differ substantially from Earth’s, it was probably at one point a single landmass that split up into fragmented landmasses separated by waters. Take a look at a proper map of our world: the vast majority of continents could theoretically be reached by foot and relatively manageable sea passages. If it weren’t so, countries such as Australia could have never been colonized – you can’t cross an entire ocean on a raft.

4)  Logical City Placement: My novel is set in a Polynesian-inspired tropical archipelago; in the early drafts of the book and on my first map, Uunili, the nation’s capital, stretched along the entire western coast of the main island. This is absurd. Not only because this city would have been laughably big, but also because building a settlement along an unprotected coastline is the dumbest thing you could do considering it directly exposes it to storms, floods, and, in my case, monsoons. Unless there’s a logical reason to do otherwise, always place your coastal settlements in bays or fjords.

 Naturally, this extends to city placement in general. If you want realism and coherence, don’t place a city in the middle of a godforsaken wasteland or a swamp just because it’s cool. There needs to be a reason. For example, the wasteland city could have started out as a mining town around a vast mineral deposit, and the swamp town might have a trading post along a vital trade route connecting two nations.

 5)  Realistic Settlement Sizes: As I’ve mentioned before, my capital Uunili originally extended across the entire western coast. Considering Uunili is roughly two thirds the size of Hawaii  the old visuals would have made it twice the size of Mexico City. An easy way to avoid this is to draw the map using a scale and stick to it religiously. For my map, we decided to represent cities and townships with symbols alone.

 6)  Realistic Megacities: Uunili has a population of about 450,000 people. For a city in a Middle Ages-inspired era, this is humongous. While this isn’t an issue, per se (at its height, ancient Alexandria had a population of about 300,000), a city of that size creates its own set of challenges: you’ll need a complex sewage system (to minimize disease spreading like wildfire) and strong agriculture in the surrounding areas to keep the population fed. Also, only a small part of such a megacity would be enclosed within fantasy’s ever-so-present colossal city walls; the majority of citizens would probably concentrate in an enormous urban sprawl in the surrounding areas. To give you a pointer, with a population of about 50,000, Cologne was Germany’s biggest metropolis for most of the Middle Ages. I’ll say it again: it’s fine to disregard realism for coolness in this case, but at least taking these things into consideration will not only give your world more texture but might even provide you with some interesting plot points.

 7)  World Origin: This point can be summed up in a single question: why is your world the way it is? If your novel is set in an archipelago like mine is, are the islands of volcanic origin? Did they use to be a single landmass that got flooded with the years? Do the inhabitants of your country know about this? Were there any natural disasters to speak of? Yes, not all of this may be relevant to the story, and the story should take priority over lore, but just like with my previous point, it will make your world more immersive.

 8)  Maps: Think Purpose! Every map in history had a purpose. Before you start on your map, think about what yours might have been. Was it a map people actually used for navigation? If so, clarity should be paramount. This means little to no distracting ornamentation, a legible font, and a strict focus on relevant information. For example, a map used chiefly for military purposes would naturally highlight different information than a trade map. For my novel, we ultimately decided on a “show-off map” drawn for the Blue Island Coalition, a powerful political entity in the archipelago (depending on your world’s technology level, maps were actually scarce and valuable). Also, think about which technique your in-universe cartographer used to draw your in-universe map. Has copperplate engraving already been invented in your fictional universe? If not, your map shouldn’t use that aesthetic.

9)  Maps: Less Is More. If a spot or an area on a map contains no relevant information, it can (and should) stay blank so that the reader’s attention naturally shifts to the critical information. Think of it this way: if your nav system tells you to follow a highway for 500 miles, that’s the information you’ll get, and not “in 100 meters, you’ll drive past a little petrol station on the left, and, oh, did I tell you about that accident that took place here ten years ago?” Traditional maps follow the same principle: if there’s a road leading a two day’s march through a desolate desert, a black line over a blank white ground is entirely sufficient to convey that information.

10) Settlement and Landmark Names: This point will be a bit of a tangent, but it’s still relevant. I worked with a linguist to create a fully functional language for my novel, and one of the things he criticized about my early drafts were the names of my cities. It’s embarrassing when I think about it now, but I really didn’t pay that much attention to how I named my cities; I wanted it to sound good, and that was it. Again: if realism is your goal, that’s a big mistake. Like Point 5, we went back to the drawing board and dove into the archipelago’s history and established naming conventions. In my novel, for example, the islands were inhabited by indigenes called the Makehu before the colonization four hundred years before the events of the story; as it’s usually the case, all settlements and islands had purely descriptive names back then. For example, the main island was called Uni e Li, which translates as “Mighty Hill,” a reference to the vast mountain ranges in the south and north; townships followed the same example (e.g., Tamakaha meaning “Coarse Sands”). When the colonizers arrived, they adopted the Makehu names and adapted them into their own language, changing the accented, long vowels to double vowels: Uni e Li became “Uunili,” Lehō e Āhe became “Lehowai.” Makehu townships kept their names; colonial cities got “English” monikers named after their geographical location, economic significance, or some other original story. Examples of this are Southport, a—you guessed it—port on the southernmost tip of Uunili, or Cale’s Hope, a settlement named after a businessman’s mining venture. It’s all details, and chances are that most readers won’t even pay attention, but I personally found that this added a lot of plausibility and immersion.

I could cover a lot more, but this post is already way too long, so I’ll leave it at that—if there’s enough interest, I’d be happy to make a part two. If not, well, maybe at least a couple of you got something useful out of this. If you’re looking for inspiration/references to show to your illustrator/cartographer, the David Rumsey archive is a treasure trove. Finally, for anyone who doesn’t know and might be interested, my novel is called Dreams of the Dying, and is a blends fantasy, mystery, and psychological horror set in the universe of Enderal, an indie RPG for which I wrote the story. It’s set in a Polynesian-inspired medieval world and has been described as Inception in a fantasy setting by reviewers.

Credit for the map belongs to Dominik Derow, who did the ornamentation, and my friend Fabian Müller, who created the map in QGIS and answered all my questions with divine patience. The linguist’s name is David Müller (no, they’re not related, and, yes, we Germans all have the same last names.)

#enderal #dreams of the dying #worldbuilding #resource #writeblr #writing tips #mapmaking #cartography #illustration #realism #writeblogging #novelwriting #writing research #research #writing