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chvoswxtch · 1 year

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Hiii

ik your requests are closed but if you have time n feel up to it, could you write a fic, blurb or even just head canons about how Frank would celebrate you and your birthday? Hes seems like the “anything you want is yours” kinda guy, even if it’s getting coffee then spending the day at home he would still make it special. Its my birthday haha and i dont want a big celebration just a low key day doing little things i love with the ppl i love. Omg this is sappy hahah but yeah if you have the time, thank you!! And I totally understand if you dont ❤️❤️

-Max 💥

OMG ANGEL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAX !!! ❤️

my fic requests are currently closed, but i'd be more than happy to whip you up a little birthday treat! i'm gonna go with a headcannon if that's okay bc I have a lot of thoughts about frankie & birthdays I don't think I can properly translate into a blurb right now so please find my rambling below the cut :)

frank castle & your birthday

frankie strikes me as someone that is a hopeless romantic at heart, and I feel like his love language is physical touch but also acts of service. I think we've seen that he pays a huge attention to detail, so he might not go like all out for your birthday, especially if he knows you prefer something small and intimate, but he would definitely make sure it felt special

he would probably start by taking you to your favorite coffee shop, getting you a little birthday breakfast treat with your coffee, and it would probably be the one time he doesn't criticize your drink order (he definitely thinks plain black coffee is real coffee) or comment on how much espresso you added to it (i'm on that pedro pascal shit myself, & I know the only time frankie wouldn't give me shit about it is my birthday bc he's legally required to be extra nice that day)

"you're gonna be hoppin' around like the goddamn energizer bunny with all that. it's your day though. get what you want, sweetheart."

he would insist that you sit down at one of the cute little tables so you can enjoy your coffee and little breakfast together, while you try to get hints from him about what he has planned (he'd resist as long as he could but it's really hard for him to say no to you)

I could see him taking you to do something that you had been begging him to do for awhile. something he kept putting off, or there wasn't time, or he acted like he didn't wanna go, but really he was just saving it for your special day. maybe a trip to an art museum, the aquarium, some botanical gardens, or the zoo even

or maybe a romantic stroll through central park. he'd bring a blanket and your favorite book, let you cuddle up in his lap as he read to you, play with your hair and point out all the cute dogs you saw to each other

even though he'd already gotten your birthday gifts weeks ago, he'd take you to your favorite store and let you pick out anything you wanted

"what? i'm not allowed to spoil my girl on her birthday? if that's a crime, it sure ain't the worst one i've ever committed."

as far as the evening, I see it going two ways: frankie either makes a reservation at your favorite restaurant and invites your closest friends and family to keep it intimate, or he surprises you with a special dinner he cooked himself (your favorite meal) along with a homemade birthday cake (it might not be the prettiest, but it would be delicious) because we know frankie can throw down in the kitchen

if you went out for dinner, he would insist on giving you your gifts & card at home because they're special and sentimental and he's shy when it comes to things like that, and he likes it better when those moments just consist of the two of you

if you had dinner at home, he would roll his eyes when you begged him to sing you happy birthday, but he would oblige because he can't tell you no

"alright, fine. but you're patchin' up your own ears when they start bleedin'. you know I can't sing for shit."

he would ask you several times throughout the day if you were having a good birthday, because he wants to make sure that you are because he thinks you deserve nothing less than as close to perfection as he can provide

he'd also continuously tell you how pretty he thought you were and how much he loved you and how lucky he felt to get to spend your special day with you

I could see him putting your favorite song on and asking you to slow dance with him in the living room to it, drawing out every single minute of your birthday all the way up to 11:59 and making sure you spent every second of it feeling loved and special

"today's one of my favorite days. know why? cause it was the day you were brought into this world, and I think that deserves a goddamn celebration. happy birthday, sweetheart. I love you."

#happy birthday max !!! 💥#frank castle #frank castle request #frank castle headcanon #frank castle x you #frank castle x reader #the punisher #the punisher request #the punisher headcannon #the punisher x you #the punisher x reader

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gunraekae · 7 months

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love transcending time - aka the ikemen vampire prologue unnecessarily narrated

>ikemen vampire

>everyone x reader

>a/n: as i've promised, here's the lil project I was working on, where I wanted to write the ikemen vampire story, with as much convergence between the routes as possible. this is the first chapter for now (since I'm not sure how much text tumblr allows rip). thank u again for reading, have a wonderful day darling!

Chapter I: The Mysterious Gentleman

I thought amethysts would match the luxury of the Louvre, but as every destination I’ve visited in Paris so far has shown me, I am once again below their standards. One thing that can validate my presence in this opulent establishment is my equal fascination with the historical wonders in its deluxe walls. Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” in one room and Jacques-Louis David’s “Coronation of Napoleon” in another, there was an abundance of legendary pieces and an unfortunate lack of time to fully appreciate each one. The museum itself was a work of art, the Parisian sunlight dappling the rooms in a way that only flattered the inside art. Ever since my aunt had treated me to this trip, the Musée de Louvre was the location I was most eager for, hence the destination being saved for last. In my excitement, I left my aunt back at our hotel to secure myself as much time as possible to explore its vast curation. My travelling blog was one step away from its virtual death without its recent updates, but the Paris trip had revived it like no other, and if I was to be writing its last issue for a while, it had to be on the Louvre. “Two Hours at the Louvre: what you have to see.” The little mascot that my friend had created for it, Mousette, dangled around my purse strap, and with a playful gleam in its beady eyes, it seemed to beckon me to a specific painting. A gangle of curious tourists crowded around almost every painting rendering otherwise pleasant dispositions into polite shoving. Still, the Coronation, an expansive painting that spanned across a whole wall, was particularly compelling. If I stepped closer it’s almost as if I can be in it. However, a particularly stubborn group persisted in staking their territory around it, and I would have faced my second embarrassment for the day if not for a last-minute saviour. Elegant long fingers held my arms upright in a comfortingly secure grip, and just in case gravity would have been more unkind, he stood near enough where I could descend into even stronger arms.

“Pardonne-moi mademoiselle, vous allez bien?” A rich French accent wrapped in dulcet tones broke me out of my stupor. In hopes that warmth had not shown my embarrassment, I answered assuredly and quickly brushed myself off (I’d worn my most exquisite outfit after the last couple of days of falling short). I chanced a peek at the kind stranger and my previous efforts of saving composure were as ungraceful as my fall was. A vision of a gentleman seemingly carved from gold with eyes that held endless tragedy and romance stared worriedly back. If all the time in history was dedicated to creating perfection he would be immortalized in the man in front of me. Aside from his Adonis-like features, he looked out of place, as if he very clearly did not belong in this time. A vicuna suit in the rich colours of gold and brown framed his figure perfectly, but the very style of it was the sort that a vampire in a gothic romance might have worn. “Ah, mais vos boucles d'oreilles.” he knelt to retrieve my fallen earrings and in the same graceful motion, cradled them in his palm. “Améthyste… charmante,” he mused. A small grateful smile came to me and still entranced by his aura, I allowed him to step closer. Bergamot and cedarwood enveloped me. “Puis-Je?” Once allowed, he swept back the hair from my shoulder with delicate fingers. His breath fanned the juncture between my neck and my shoulder, his Aurelian gaze trained on my face. When our eyes met, a delightfully dizzying sensation brushed over me, as if a finger silenced each of my senses. I know we are in Paris but this is too amorous an act to be coming from a stranger. “That’s a lovely fragrance,” he commented.

“Thank you, I got that perfume here in Paris,” I gulped, my breath unsteady.

“Oh… but I wasn’t referring to your perfume.”

His accent, which I surmised was dominantly French, had more depth to it; like it was a melangé of a hundred different accents. After securing the amethyst earrings, he tucked my hair behind my ears and with an almost reluctant exhale, he stepped back. Whatever spell I was under broke. “Exquisite,” he whispered under his breath. A gasp that sounded more like a croak received his praise, which at least earned me a chuckle from the mysterious gentleman.

“My rogue earring is certain to behave itself now. Merci.”

“Not at all. It was thanks to the earring that I was granted the good fortune to meet you.” I escaped his dizzying charm by glancing back at the painting that caused this scene. “Did you know that it’s the second-largest painting in the Louvre?” Perhaps in addition to my article, I can write tips on how to stumble upon handsome gentlemen. Just trip clumsily in front of them and you too can win a conversation! His old-world sort of manner was enchanting, and it urged me to hear more of his voice. “This painting marked the turn of the modern empire and it was highly regarded as this masterful piece of propaganda,” the way he spoke of the painting was almost intimate as if it was a nostalgic memory he could muse about rather than a fragment of history.

“You seem to be well acquainted with this painting monsieur,” I replied. His eyes crinkled at the edges, and a deep chuckle rose from him again.

“More than you could ever know,” he cryptically joked. Despite the strangeness of it, I found myself politely laughing along with him. The gentleman gave a parting glance at the image, granted me a longer one, and with a resigned smile, bid me farewell, “Bon voyage, Mademoiselle.” His beige overcoat majestically flowed after him as he headed down a hallway, presumably to view the Mona Lisa next. When he left my sight, all good reason returned and I hastily checked the time. It’s been an hour and a half already? If I was to meet up with my aunt in another half-hour for brunch at the hotel, I needed to at least see the Mona Lisa as well. Believing that the cryptic gentleman knew the quickest way there, (and perhaps wanting to see him again) I naturally followed where he went.

A dark oak door with intricate carvings was at the end of the corridor, presumably where the gentleman would have entered. And though it was unlikely that a closed door would mean that another exhibit would be beyond it, or that a visitor should even come upon it, a nagging instinct in me compelled me to step towards it nonetheless. I peeked in between the cracks of the door and it was only broken clocks, dusty vases, and concealed paintings that furnished the hallway beyond it. A whiff of time forgotten. Perhaps this was a hidden treasure that the Louvre set aside for visitors with more arcane tastes. My hand on the door handles, I opened it, and unlike what its wood suggested, it gave way almost too easily. The hallway itself was smaller than I’d observed, barely wide enough to fit two people inside. Unlike the rest of the Musée, none of the artefacts had labels or descriptions, likely being a storage area. And yet, the nagging feeling told me to explore further before I should turn around. I’m already in too deep to back out now. A sense of unease did settle upon me when I realized that the deeper into this hallway I ventured into, the narrower and darker it became. Soon, the comforting drawls of the tourists from behind were much more desirable than the dank atmosphere of this tunnel. The reward for this reckless curiosity was a light at the end of this tunnel, and I ran towards it only to escape the constricting air of this place. I ran, but even without that, a force was already pulling me towards the light. Much too late, I fought against the confines of this invisible force, but it seemed that even gravity was against me in this battle. With every struggle, the light seemed to grow wider until it flared angrily and enveloped me. I shut my eyes as tightly as I could but the brightness overrode all my senses and imprinted itself into my mind. I let out a final desperate gasp before my consciousness gave out.

A more merciful light invaded my senses next, this time coming from old-fashioned chandeliers hanging from a white ceiling. A hallway with mahogany wood and a red carpet spread out in front of me, dark oak doors with the same intricate carvings as before spanned the right wall, and tall four-rowed windows sported the opposite wall. I brushed aside the mahogany curtain beside me and looked at what I was leaning on. The same dark oak door I had entered was behind me, so naturally, this had to be another hallway in the Louvre, right? The style was completely different as if this exhibit was in an entirely different time than the rest of the Musée, and frankly, looked more like a private mansion than a museum exhibit. I whipped over towards the window as a sudden sense of alarm hit me. It’s night… A splatter of gleaming stars spread across the canvas of the raven sky, the crescent moon seemingly mocking me with its smile.

“It can’t be,” I muttered in disbelief. I may have been distracted by the gentleman, but there was absolutely no way that a whole day had passed. The last pitiful source of rationality left inside nagged at me to find a way out, but a gnawing fear prevented my body from moving.

“... What are you doing there?”

“Who’s there?” I yelled in a panic. I whirled around, only to be met by a tall, imposing man with dark hair and silver tips. He sounded clearly French but carried a deeper accent, almost Italian. His features were remarkably alluring but darkly prominent, the sort where you notice its charms in a more intimate distance. Despite his intimidating aura, there wasn’t anything too frightening about him. But the way he’s dressed is certainly… interesting. Maybe it’s some sort of costume for a play the museum is holding? The man wore a dark soldier’s suit but dressed down with an unbuttoned front, an untucked button-up shirt, and a ruffled collar. Sheepishly, I decided to ask for his help, “Pardon. I’m trying to get back to the musée, can you help me open this door?”

“What’s that? ‘Get back?’ You’re not telling me you came from that door?” Though baffled, his voice softened its initial cautious edge.

“I’m sorry, I know I may be trespassing but I got lost and saw light through this door,” I apologized, grasping at the last bouts of my sanity through this conversation. The mystery of the time aside, if I can get back that’s all that matters. Despite the confusion of the situation, a softer expression melted the man’s face. I was grateful he didn’t seem to doubt my story but felt uneasy at how he looked at me curiously—as if he couldn’t believe his eyes that I was there.

“Just what are you?” he murmured in fascination. From down the hall, I could hear the clicking of Oxford shoes and heavy leather boots. Could that be the gentleman?

“Excuse m–” The dark-haired man clapped a hand over my mouth and wrapped me in his large arms. He tugged the two of us behind a curtain, with his back shielding me from view. What the hell is he doing?

“That blasted Count is certainly taking his time this visit.”

“You’re too harsh on him, my friend. Perhaps he was distracted by a little bird.”

“I suppose under that pretentious façade he’s still a man.”

Two deep voices with thick European accents gradually came closer from the end of the hallway. Rational me knew that asking for their assistance would benefit me, but the fear inside yelled that it would be the worst idea possible. Their conversation continued unintelligibly as panic continued to surge through me.

“... to my Broer,” the huskier voice huffed. This one had a distant Dutch accent, but his English was so localized it was almost difficult to discern. His footsteps quickly faded away and presumably left the other man. This one instead had a silkier character and a silver-tongued English accent.

“You call me a dog, but between the two of us, you’re the dog and your brother’s clearly the master.” The voice was scarily close, and by instinct, I stuck myself closer to him for safety. The thud of Oxford leather footsteps was in front of me now, and I held my breath in a pathetic attempt to hide myself. “I do believe I hear a little bird fluttering her wings where she should not be,” the man whistled wolfishly, “and this bird is quite adorable thinking that she could hide from me.” I trembled in his arms. But he held me gently. His jade eyes met mine. They were powerful. Earnest. The fear in me slowly subsided in his presence. I don’t know what’s going on, but I want to trust him. I nodded to show that I would be quiet, and he uncovered my mouth. When the sound of his footsteps faded away, we stepped out from the curtain. He took my hand in his firm grip and quickly led me away.

“You need to escape before the others find you. It’s already bad that he knows you’re here, so we need to move quickly.” Escape? What kind of place is this that I need to escape from? “Don’t let go,” he reassured me as he squeezed my hand. As I watched his wide shoulders in front of me, the fear soon washed away. The rational side of my brain knew that I shouldn’t trust a man I just met, but so far, he’d done nothing but help me. And in this mysterious place, there didn’t seem like many choices anyway.

“By Jove, this is what you were hiding, Leon?” Azure eyes with a wolfish twinkle were the first things I noticed. This man was devilishly handsome, with a proud grin and a mole above his chin. His well-tailored navy suit had an unbuttoned collar, giving the otherwise sharp getup a more wolfish feel. He raked his eyes down my body and swiped his tongue across his lips. His gaze grew darker as my breath staggered. “You’re a lovely one,” he breathlessly sighed. I shivered in disgust. His eyes crinkled in amusement, not at all intimidated by my display of courage.

“Did the Count bring you back as a little treat for us?” he mused, slowly inching his face towards my neck. “Truly exquisite…”

My saviour clicked his tongue. We’re caught.

“From what I can deduce, you’re trying to help her escape,” he said, “Now why would you go and do that, Leon? I rather fancy her type, you know. She looks absolutely scrumptious.” He leaned forward and tried to get close, but “Leon” blocked me from his fascinated gaze. He blocked off our possible exit in the smoothest of fashions.

He caught my wary gaze. “Ah, maybe you fancy me too, judging by the way you’re looking me over.” He may look completely like a gentleman, but he’s a rotten flirt!

“It just had to be you,” “Leon” sighed in stark irritation.

“Why do you want to help her escape? Let’s invite her to the banquet. She deserves a warm welcome, don’t you think?” he interjected.

“That’s not up to me or you.”

“Don’t be so stodgy, old boy! I can’t think of anyone who’d complain about having a lovely girl at that drab table. It would really bring some colour to this mansion.” Mansion? There’s no mansion connected to the Louvre. What is he talking about?

“Messieurs.” A cool-toned voice interrupted. A man with a neutral expression entered the hallway. He was dressed in a grey butler’s garb, his posture immaculate and his steps measured. “It is time for supper. Everyone’s gathering in the dining room now if you please.” I peeked out from above “Leon’s” shoulder, and his steely grey eyes locked onto mine. “You too, Mademoiselle.”

Finding my voice, I croaked out, “There’s no need. I’m not planning on staying for supper. I was, uh, actually just trying to get back.”

“But the lord of the manor is eagerly awaiting your presence.” “The lord of the manor?” Is this really someone’s place?

“How does he know I’m here?”

“He can answer your questions at supper.” I’m really not getting any answers until then.

“Or will you refuse his gracious invitation after breaking into his house?”

“I…” I wanted to defend myself, but knew that there was really no excuse. It was my own curiosity that I couldn’t quell, and ultimately, my fault that I ended up here.

“Allow me to escort you.”

The butler led me down winding velvet-carpeted hallways. Memorizing the direction proved quite difficult with its identical doors, windows, and mahogany walls. A complicated mess of shame and lingering fear settled in my stomach, but voicing any concern seemed like it would end badly for me. Staying polite and pleasing to the master of the house may prevent an incoming lawsuit for trespassing, and I’d be a fool to go against his wishes. I studied my guide; his crisp suit and spotless white gloves gave him a sophisticated air, one almost too graceful for a mere butler. His earlier statements proved he was a “no-nonsense” and stern man, and I could tell the master sent him to ensure I would comply. As our makeshift party continued down the mansion’s halls, a piano's delicate, tinkling keys softly touched the air. The elegant melody grew louder as we neared a set of double doors.

“Sounds like Wolfie’s in a sprightly mood,” Arthur hummed. He leaned down towards me and whispered conspiratorially, “Very uncharacteristic of him, I’ll say.” The butler closed his eyes for a split second as if he was bracing for something terrible.

Then, he cautiously rapped three times on the door, “Pardon me. I know that you are there. Please come join us in the dining room.” The ethereal song cut short, and its pianist revealed himself.

“Go away.” The pianist carried a faint Austrian accent in a gruff voice, perturbed at the interruption. He was a beautiful man. His hair was the colour of starlight and softly fanned across his deep-sunken, lavender eyes. His delicate, doll-like face and graceful figure were the manifestation of his dreamy music. Unlike the other three, his suit seemed like it was from the Classical period, with a ruched tie and a feather in his breast pocket. Despite the elegant aura he exuded, he conversed with the butler in such a rudely familiar way.

“It is time for the banquet.”

“Why was everyone so loud?” His eyes narrowed as they zeroed in on me. “It’s her fault, isn’t it?” My fault? I just want to leave!

“It’s not like I planned to be here,” I muttered.

“Who cares? Why don’t you just go back then?” He sighed haughtily. “Unless you enjoy the idea of being everyone’s food,” he quietly said, slipping past me. …Food? He bent slightly away as if repulsed by the thought of making contact with me. “... As if the banquet wasn’t bad enough,” he murmured under his breath, loud enough so I could hear. His cold voice, a stark contrast to his music, hung beside the beautiful melodies in the air.

We descended a grand staircase, a marvel with its winding gold handrails, marble floors, and lush carpet spread on it. At the end of the steps was the gentleman in the museum, almost glowing with how perfectly he fit in this mansion.

“It’s poor manners to keep those who’ve arrived on time waiting.”

if you've made it this far, thank u once again! please leave a like/reblog/comment if you've enjoyed it <3

#cybird ikemen #ikemen series #ikemen vampire #ikevamp #ikemen vampire napoleon #ikemen vampire mozart #ikemen vampire arthur #ikemen vampire x reader #ikevamp x reader

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ofliterarynature · 3 months

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JANUARY 2024 WRAP UP

[loved liked ok DNF (reread) bookclub*]

Mammoths at the Gates • An Impossible Imposter • Greywaren • The Hexologists • Mister Impossible • Reclaiming Two Spirits • (Check, Please: #Hockey)* • Thornhedge • Call Down the Hawk • All the Hidden Paths • All the Beauty in the World • (The Raven King) • (A Strange and Stubborn Endurance) • (Blue Lily, Lily Blue) • The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie • The Missing Page • Bird By Bird • Lucky Red • Portrait of a Thief

I suppose I may as well start with the giant pile of Maggie Stiefvater and get that out of the way, lol. According to Goodreads, this was at least my 3rd time through the entire Raven Cycle. Despite that, I had only the vaguest idea of what happened in the last two books, and now having reread them (again), yeah, that tracks! I can hang with book 3 but I have no idea what was really going on in The Raven King, and as a series finale I didn't love it. It felt a lot like the dreamer plotlines drowned out the original Glendower and ley line story that we started with. But, Maggie being Maggie, I love the way she writes so much that I at least still enjoyed the reading experience. And it made an incredibly clear lead-in to the Dreamer Trilogy (which I had not read), it made total sense, I was hopeful! Again, Maggie being Maggie, I had a good time reading them, I liked learning more about the Lynch brothers, I'm always down for some art forgery, but I just didn't really like it and (while I'm glad for Maggie that she was able to write it) I could have lived without it. It completely did not have the vibe or charm of TRC and, criminally, did not include the Gangsey. How!!!!

The Missing Page - liked it! It felt a lot more solid as a mystery than the first book, which I greatly appreciated, though the villagers in the first book were maybe a bit more fun. I'm not feeling particularly inspired to go look up more Cat Sebastian after this, but if she writes another one of these I'd read it.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - I've had this one on my mystery tbr for a while, and for some reason I'd thought it was set in a much earlier time period than the 1950's? lol. Our protagonist is the youngest of 3 sisters growing up in genteel poverty with an absent father, and she has the run of the village, the house, and an incredibly well stocked chemistry lab left by an ancestor. She is both incredibly clever and terribly naive, and absolutely terrifying because of it. Flavia is fascinating as a detective, because she's not written as the protagonist of a middle grade mystery novel - she's a child. This was an interesting read, but I'm not sure it's what I'm looking for in a mystery novel and I don't think I'll continue the series.

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance - reread this in advance of the sequel - it was a bit easier to see some flaws this time around, but had a good time! This *was* my first time listening to it on audio though, and I'm not sure I'd recommend it. It had a different person reading for each of the main characters and their voices just didn't pair well for me - not to mention one of them also read Lev AC Rosen's Lavender House and boy does he do some distinctive character voices.

All the Hidden Paths - didn't go quite so well. I think primarily my mental space was not pairing well with the tensions of reading this for the first time, I do think on a reread I might like it better. Somehow the spy/saboteur was my favorite character? He was soo bad at his job, I found it very funny. But overall, I think it was just a little too close to a rehash of the plot from the first book, leaving me to think Meadows might not be the best at writing mysteries. Luckily it does at least score high on my romance scale.

All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me - first nonfic of the year! I've been eagerly anticipating my library getting an audio copy ever since I first heard about this last year, it sounded cool, I'm fascinated by art museums and behind-the-scenes! Unfortunately I was not into it, and almost 2 months on I can't remember enough to even try to tell you why. It did pair interestingly with another recent read, The Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler, but I'm still learning how far into memoir territory I can go. Someone stop me from trying the other Met nonfic book I found recently lol.

Thornhedge - wonderful! No notes! I love fairy tales and this was a delight to read.

Check, Please! #Hockey - loved getting to revisit this for book club! I've been meaning to for a few years, because y'all. I've read so much fanfic, and I have no idea what is in the comic, what Ngozi posted as extras, and what is fanon. The comic had less than I was expecting! Still fun, my fellow book-clubber liked it, but my real love was the tweets! I'll definitely try to read Vol 2 this year so I can then browse the larger collection of them compiled in the Chirpbook.

Reclaiming Two Spirits: I saw this one on tumblr and fortunately was able to get access to the audiobook! It's a topic I was very interested in learning more about, and I did! But - this is a research project, more than anything, it could be very repetitive (which, fair. colonizers suck), and it felt distanced from its subject. I feel it's a book that definitely has its place, but it's not objectively a 'good read,' and I'd rather have had something from someone who is indigenous and two-spirit themselves.

The Hexologists - it has its quirks, but this was unapologetically a delight to read and I had a fun time! I'm a sucker for a world with a magic vs industrial revolution, not to mention a married pair of established investigators, and I always appreciate an author who's willing to get a bit silly. If there's ever more books I'd love to read them!

An Impossible Imposter - she is what she is, I had a good time! This one felt like it might have taken some inspo from The Moonstone 👀

Mammoths at the Gate - had a good time with this, as I always do with the Singing Hills books. Stories about stories are like catnip, I should reread them all sometime!

Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott (DNF) - I have only the vaguest memories of reading parts of this for a creative writing class in college, and now that I'm getting more into nonfiction thought why not? Unfortunately the audiobook version I got was read by the author, who absolutely does not have an audiobook voice/cadence. I considered trying again with the version read by someone else, but decided I wasn't actually interested enough to continue.

Lucky Red By Claudia Cravens (DNF) - the host of one of the podcasts I listen to was gushing about this one and I was like, sapphic western? Sign me up! I read about 25% of it, and it all seemed fine, it just wasn't feeling particularly interesting to me. Absolutely give it a shot if you'd like!

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D Li (DNF) - I knew going in this had been getting mixed reviews. I really like the idea of it - I enjoy a heist, am always interested in fine arts/art history drama, and vigilante art repatriation hell yeah! But this felt very much like it was trying to emulate a heist *movie*, and it just wasn’t working for me as a book. If this ever gets adapted I’d love to see it.

#bec posts #book log #wrap up 2024 #books #booklr #book reviews #the raven cycle #dreamer trilogy #maggie stiefvater #hither page #the sweetness at the bottom of the pie #a strange and stubborn endurance #all the beauty in the world #thornhedge #check please #reclaiming two spirits #the hexologists #singing hills cycle #veronica speedwell

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multi-level-shipper · 6 months

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Update Post- Moving Blogs

Hey guys,

I'll be perfectly honest and say I'm not sure how much interaction happens on this blog as it stands- I appreciate those who do comment, reblog etc, but things have steadily declined over the years.

Honestly this blog has been running for years, ever since 2016, and I'm unsure how to proceed running it when I feel as though I've changed a lot as a person. In some ways nothing's changed, but in other ways it feels like trying to put on clothes that are too small. I thought about purging all my old content and just staying here, but then I'd be losing a museum of the fun I've had on here...and I don't want that to happen.

Also, I really hate talking about my personal life, but I feel as though I need to bring up a few things.

The past four years have not been kind to me. This year has been the least kind of those four years. I had to move very suddenly and VERY messily with the help of a few friends. I had a LOT of mental health struggles and ongoing depression and a very bleak outlook on my life. I've figured out a lot of things alone that I shouldn't have had to. Most of this year I have been living in survival mode, just taking it day by day. THIS is why I have been ten times more sporadic and unable to hold down any kind of consistency when it comes to my social medias, thus making me feel worse and eventually leading to a horrible art burnout where it just hurt to pick up my pen. (Said burnout is over, but it did happen recently.)

I'll reblog where I'm moving to in a day or two and leave it pinned, honestly I'm tired right now and it's the night of my birthday so I don't want to spend any more time overthinking.

Questions, comments, etc are welcome. I have a Ko-Fi tip jar if you wanna throw anything my way. (I've gotten single digit donations that have helped my ass in the past, so anything helps.)

I'm trying to stay positive, I've still got ongoing baggage but I'm trying to learn how to carry it gracefully rather than keep waiting for a lake to dump it in.

#general tomfoolery #blog move #archer kacey

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recurring-polynya · 5 months

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Writing/Art Update 1.9.2024

Bleh. I was holding off doing this update, hoping I was going to be able to report that I had finished That Stupid Scene that I have been working on since before Christmas. I had so many thoughts in my head while I was cooking dinner and then, when I actually sat down to write, they had departed. Maybe they'll be back tomorrow.

In any case, I did make a huge amount of progress this week. It was hard! I had a lot of writing time, which was nice, except that I spent a lot of it staring out the window or clicking on my other browser tabs, which is always very irritating. However, I did manage to get most of it written, and it hit all the bullet points I needed it to. I basically just have to wrap it up and transition into what happens next. It shouldn't actually be that hard, I'm just tired and I'm not sure I can swing it right now. It's a big scene, too-- I clocked 4,375 words on it this week in addition to the 900 I already had, so it's probably going to be about half the chapter.

I've had a feeling for quite some time that I had not actually budgeted enough space in the outline for the back half of this fanfic. The thing is, though, it is nearly always the case that an extra chapter manages to sneak in somewhere along the way. I decided to just leave the outline as it was, and that way, if an extra chapter appeared, then my pacing problem would sort itself. That...may be happening. I am not entirely sure. I'm in sort of a weird place where I simultaneously feel like I am very close to done and also very, very far away from being done. Hopefully, in the next week or two (that is, when I finish Ch 7), that will sort itself out. Either that, or I'll just keep writing chapters, like Zeno's fanfic. I sincerely hope that doesn't happen. I will die.

Ugh, I want to post. I am wallowing in the pit of it's been so long since I posted, I feel like I have literally stopped existing, and I keep getting dumb urges to "just take a little break and write a short one" (note that I do not actually have any ideas towards "a short one", it's 100% urges only). Anyway, I definitely do not want to do that, because I want to finish this one very, very badly, and it's taking long enough as is. What I should probably do is polish up Chs 5 and 6 and send them to the beta, but that would require coming up with a name for the art museum that I placeholdered a bunch of times in Ch 5. I actually named it in Ch 1 and then decided I didn't like it and needed to rename and I just haven't yet.

Speaking of names, I've also fallen into It-Needs-a-Title Madness, where I start to go Actual Nuts because I can't think of a title for this stupid fanfic. I forgot that in addition to staring out the window, I spent a lot of time looking through the lyrics of songs on my Ductwork playlist and googling for, like, "phrases with injury" in them. I hate this. It's such a waste of time and yet I do this every time. Why can't you pay someone $10 to name your fanfic for you? Can I just call it "Ductwork"? Does it even matter? (it does matter. I regret every terrible title I have ever slapped on a fanfic in a fit of "Fuck It, We Post")

In other news, I drew all seven days last week (the theme was fruits and vegetables). I took yesterday off, but then I drew a can of soup today, which was hard. It's cool. The people in art club are very nice. I am really hoping to draw a Rukia for her birthday. I have never drawn a bankai Rukia, and I'd like to give it a shot. I bet it would be a lot easier if I could resist doing a full body shot, but somehow, I always do a full body shot. We'll see!!

#writing update #art update

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tiredassmage · 3 days

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For Leo - battery percentage asks - 65%

[battery-percentage themed asks]

65%. How'd they get along with their parents and/or other relatives?

OH, I ACTUALLY HAVE NEW THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS ONE! That I'll also take your thoughts on!

First of all, starting on the semi-more common knowledge of Leo is that Leo didn't get along with either of his parents, lol. Mostly he butted heads with his father, Vorza, but if I'm recalling correctly, his mother was also one of the high-society types we said, and Leo was just never very comfortable in those kind of scenes. There were probably plenty of parties attended where Leo, frankly, couldn't stop messing with the collar of his shirt because it felt scratchy and at least metaphorically suffocating to have to play pleasantries with a bunch of people they only half-knew, at best, or barely knew of at times.

His mother never approved very highly of him either, but Vorza is the one that voiced most of it. Mother's looks were only ever silent, sharply-lined frowns framed by a crooked brow and thick, vibrant lipstick, but Father's disappointment and wrath was always cutting and towering over him. Vorza I think delivered most of his reprimands and... had a bit of a heavy-handed involvement in what expectations Leo grew up with. Be polite, fall in line, behave himself, cut the backtalk, and, eventually, of course, the frustrations that this wasn't hard for his older sister and younger brother to understand, so what made Leo so hardheaded?

So, you can imagine family gatherings and outings were far from Leo's favorite thing. And while I've been chatting with another friend lately, I've also found myself amused Leo and one of my agents, Alucren, must've come out of the same place design-wise for me and I need to stop teasing Tyr about his interest in people with black hair, is kind of the short of it, lol. But long overall story short, I remember bemusement that Leo's the only dark haired kid in the line-up if I recall correctly, so I might've started joking Leo and Alucren might be cousins because ironically they're also exactly the same age. Which has been really amusing to entertain, so I may have found more relations for our kids, if you're down. xD

Because it also implies something really interesting for Alucren and kinda. patches up something I haven't quite worked out for him and that's... that I know, theoretically, Alucren had a positive relationship with his own parents and his three older sisters, but he also refuses to tell me absolutely anything about his parents, so there's nothing particularly conflicting in that potential family-tie. Alucren's family is just heavily involved in domestic projects for the Empire; Alucren's parents were likely either high-profile donors and regular visitors to a number of Kaasi Imperial history and arts museums, or potentially held positions there themselves - and the further back generations and some of the extended family surely did.

Anyway, the capstone of really why this amuses me so much is frankly Leo and Alucren wouldn't get along at face value, lol. Plainly, Leo would think Alucren's an ass (and he'd be at least somewhat correct) and Alucren would share in the majority of Leo's family's disdain for his... [gestures] disorganization? Lack of patriotism for their fine Empire? All I'm saying is that if they are related, they've been dropped at the side of a room by their parents and told to play nice and both of them grimaced deeply about having to put up with one another and Alucren has a by-miles better social poker face than Leo ever did.

And neither of them would be particularly impressed by the other's life trajectory since then. Leo would find him sketchy on principle for being recruited to Imperial Intelligence and Alucren would find some way to make a cutting insult out of course you'd end up a galactic criminal. Family, right? xD

#answered #dot talk #ch: leo ashold #ch: alucren #also it's not super important but it extra amuses me #alucren Is for once taller than leo but leo has small dog energy about it and therefore would still manage to bully alucren #which frankly leo would do regardless of any blood relation or not bc he'd still think alucren's Insufferable #and what is leo here for except to be a menace?#it'd be so funny to lock them in a room though. is the core of what i'm saying.

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farseerofv0id · 1 year

Text

So! I've seen a post doing some qsmp classpect, and I have not been able to get it out of my head since. So here's my two cents about the french team's classpect!

Pomme: I found her the hardest to determine, because compared to the other eggs, she seems to have less personnality and act in a more childish way: for example there is lots of things she does not know the meaning of (lots of words, some concepts too, like death). I'm not sure wich traits are really part of her personality and which are caused by the fact that she's really just a child. But well, other eggs aren't that old either, so here's my thoughts about that: -Her lack of personnality could be linked to the fact that her aspect isn't that present yet, like if she was a page (or a maid, some seems to believe maids start their journey lacking their aspect) -She has very few autonomy. This kinda is the case for other eggs, they are always with a caretaker, but I think it's particulary true for Pomme who was introduced at a time where the eggs had to be almost locked away, given how dangerous the situation was. In her first house, she didn't even had a way to get out alone. This lack of liberty could be linked to a lack of Breath. -She also have a kind of credulity/naivety which could fit a Breath Player. She is very suggestible: Etoiles took her to an art museum, Baghera said that she should be an artist after 1 painting and later Pomme said that she wanted to be an artist. Aypierre bring her turtles, Baghera tell a story about a turtle, and bam, the next day turtles are her favorite animal -This also works on people: she seemed very afraid of Cocorico and Cellbit despite them not ever doing anything to her, it was only on the basis of discussions she heard. But well, it was discussions between people she trusted, as were the suggestion. So this could also be Blood related? Richarlysons "kidnapping" was a few of the thing I believe she took at heart without anyone suggesting it. She was also quite concerned when Etoiles was bummed out about the grappling thing, even if Baghera didn't notice it. And of course, there is the fact that she was assigned parents, and both her and the parents accepted it without question. But well once again, this one is true for all the eggs. -Other random stuff I noted while trying to figure her out: She seems to write more neatly than other eggs (majuscules, more constructed sentences (or is this one a french language thing?)). She is more sad/afraid for other eggs than for herself. She likes building/decoration and have sometimes been handling it without prompt (on some of the art gallery parts, or for her panic room) I could see her being a Page of Breath. I like the idea of Blood, but none of the class match that much with it. I look forward seeing her a bit more fleshed out!

Baghera: Life, obviously. She's really energic, too much sometimes, with a lot of projects, concerned with other people's life. I think Maid of Life is a great fit! But like, an end-game maid, kinda bossy (especially with etoiles, poor etoiles), won't take no shit, unstoppable force.

Aypierre: Space all the way. Curious and creative, patient, well-versed in redstone/create mod stuff, enough to invent his own farms, always ready to teach it to others, all of space encompass him so much that it's hard to think of anything else than Space of Space. Maybe more of a passive class? Sylph could work.

Etoiles: If Aypierre is Space of Space, Etoiles is Rogue of Rogue. It might not be apparent from other streams, but he's quite often self-deprecating, that fits well with rogue's lack of confidence. He's also doing a loooot for other, he helped french players gear up and gave them other materials they asked for, he's putting their wants before his. I think Time is an aspect that fits him, he can be impatient, he's very determined, like that one time he farmed for a grapple during 4 hours even if he hated every second of it and talked about giving up every 15 min. That's a thing he often does actually, switching between "fin de rush" (=the rush is over =he's facing a challenge he can't get over, or at least not quickly enough to pursue what's he's doing) and "c'est gagné" (=it's won = actually the thing he's pursuing is super easy to achieve) a lot, over and over. That's like if his Rogue lack of confidence and his Time determination were battling! Or maybe it could only be linked to Time, with stuff not being worth it if it's not fast enough. And also the fact that this pattern is repeating again and again… Time stuff. Actually the more I think about it the more I find little Time symbolics, like how he loves doing MLG, a thing that require good timing, even if his armor prevents him from taking most fall damage and the use of the glider is easier. Also the way he sometimes uses music to convey stuff, as opposed to just background noise like most streamers. And the Rogue of Time association is really funny to me, considering he's kinda stealing his own time to give it to others!

Antoine: He hasn't streaming much, but I think the last session with Cellbit was very interesting, and also, I've been a viewer of his for quite some times and this gave me some opinions about the way he may play on qsmp, it might completely false, but still. He's often joking around but in a way that seems deconnected from reality, it's hard to explain but he's playing a very caricatural role, but so seriously that it doesn't seem like a joke anymore, it just become his character. At least that's what he did on another rp, and based on his qsmp sessions, I think that comes naturally to him so he'll do it again. So I kinda see him as a destructive class of Heart, both of those class also fit him, Prince for the importance/superiority he gives himself, Bard for the funnyguy side of him that makes him kinda unpredictable. I can also see destruction of a certain way of thinking in his interaction with Cellbit, when he asked him what he wanted to do now, why did a simple joke made him do that, and even if he said that out of anger, do he actually want 100% of Richas parenthood, etc. There is also a Mind logic going on, and with destructive class ghosting their aspect, this is a bit of a mess… So yeah, Prince/Bard of Heart/Mind, figuring out which combination it is exactly is too exhausting.

Kameto: Uuh… He has been the least active, I'm not a viewer of his, and the only relevant thing I could use is the fact that when told the eggs may have been given to them just to make them suffer in the end, he suggested to kill them all now. Which isn't a lot to work on, and it doesn't give me something right away, so i'll pass… Maybe Doom, but that's it.

BONUS non-french classpecting!

Cellbit: The post that inspired this one put him into Light, I don't remember which class but I 100% agree on Light, spotlight, search of knowledge, weird relation with rules, etc. I see him as a passive class, a Sylph maybe? Personality wise it's the one that fits the most, and it also works with his last plan, using his spotlight to bring knowledge to others. (And this is out of classpect but god do I dislike the recurring Light thing of putting themselves as the main character, that's exactly how I see his "martyr" plan, at least he's doing it for the sake of everyone on the island, unlike Vriska who did everything wrong)

Dapper: SPACE! Mostly because on a session they would definitively love breeding frogs! It also works because they are really good at the game, be it thanks to mechanicals skills or the amount of knowledge they have about various aspects of the game. This last thing makes me lean towards a knowledge class? But personnality wise it doesn't match that much so I don't know. Heir maybe?

Forever: Thinking about Rage, will not elaborate.

If you've read everything: why? Thank you, and sorry.

#qsmp #classpect #long post #something weird happened the first time i posted it sorry about that

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hecckyeah · 2 months

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I'm visiting Minnesota for the first time outside of the airport this year and I recall you posting a bit about that state. Any recs of cool things to do/ good places to eat in the Twin Cities?

OMG yess exciting!! I grew up right in that area :))

I'll add what I can think of off the top of my head, but maybe some of my other MN moots can chime in? @3friesshortofahappymeal

I'll start with the big ones, then scale it down a bit :)

The Mall of America, for sure. I know it's a typical tourist attraction but it really is quite spectacular and worth a short trip. Sometimes there are cool concerts and events going on in the Rotunda (they have a list here), and if you've ever been shopping and thought, hmm I could go for a rollercoaster right about now, then the MoA's got you covered :) Also, I haven't been but my brother says the Fly Over America exhibit is AMAZING

Minnesota Zoo!! I haven't been there since my childhood, but they used to have this treetop rail which I think they replaced with a walkway. Either way, it's fantastic, very informative, super adorable!

The Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul!! Seriously one of my FAVORITE places ever. There's an omni-theater, which is worth the trip in itself. The exhibits are top tier, tons of interactive stuff for adults, and it takes FOREVER to get through it, so you know it's worth the admission price :)

Stillwater is about a 30 minute drive from the Cities, but it's incredible if you want to do some light hiking and visit some cute shops!

I've never actually been to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, but it's a top destination if you have the time/interest for it!

Depends on what time of year you're visiting, but you have your pick of lakes to swim in (or paddleboard, rent a boat, lay on the sand and get burned by the sun, etc) Some favorites are Long Lake, Wayzata Beach, Silver Lake, and White Bear Lake Park!

There are some super nice walking paths around the Stone Arch Bridge

The Mill City Museum is worth a visit if you're a huge nerd like me :) It's a great little peek into Minnesota history and culture!

The Guthrie Theater for SURE, especially the yellow tinted room a couple floors up. Iconic MN spot!

Asia Mall in Eden Prairie! You can get some top tier boba there

If you have time to drive a little further north, I personally love the Albertville outdoor shopping mall. They're all outlet stores, and it's enormous and a really nice area.

Again, I've never been but The Armory always has some kind of events/small scale concerts going on. I think my brother saw The Band CAMINO there a couple years ago :)

Sadly I'm way less educated on restaurants in the area :( I know the Maple Grove area has tons of elite spots, and you really can't go wrong around the downtown area around the US Bank Stadium.

That said, just a couple places I do know of--

Fogo de Chao in Minneapolis

Henhouse Eatery in Minneapolis

Teppanyaki Grill in Fridley

Hoagie's Family Restaurant in Hopkins

Also, just a side note, if you have a day or two to spare, I'd HIGHLY recommend a trip up toward Duluth and the North Shore. In my opinion that's the most gorgeous place in all of MN.

Again, MN moots feel free to chime in!! I haven't lived in the Twin Cities area the last couple years and now I'm moving back soon, so I'm a little out of touch hahaha, especially after covid :)

I hope this helps!! Have an AWESOME time, and definitely let me know how the trip goes!!! <3 I love MN, it has so much to offer <33

#minnesota #ugh i love that state of mine <3 #asks

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gravesaint · 4 months

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hi! when i read your post i got so excited bc the whole reason I went back to school (first time in 4 years, since high school!) is to become an archivist and work in a queer archive and help bridge those gaps and educate young ppl abt our history. do you mind answering a few questions of mine about how you got your job? what kind of program were you in, what did u major in, how did you end up working in a queer archive, what’s your job like? I could DM also!

Hello! Thanks for the ask!

So in undergrad I actually majored in art history because I knew I wanted to do some kind of museum/memory institution work, but wasn't really sure what (I went back and forth between curation, conservation, education, etc.). I also got a minor in museum studies!

I then went directly into gradschool because I got lucky with scholarships, and last spring I completed my master's in museum sciences. That program had three different tracks (administrative, education, and collections care), and I went down the collections care track since that aligned most with my desire to do archival work. I also interned in a few different areas at a local museum, and my work with their digitization department is what really cemented the fact that I liked working with collections.

Once I finished my master's, I was actually just on the job hunt when I decided to volunteer at my local equality center as a way to get out of the house and stay active in the community. I started by cleaning out their closets sdhfdjfhd

The volunteer coordinator saw in my email signature that I had a master's in archival and collections care and asked if I'd be willing to look at their history project room (literally a room full of 50+ years of materials that no one had ever organized). They had tried to put together an archival plan for it about 20 years ago, but the project just never took off.

I started by just going through everything and coming up with a preliminary plan for how to start managing the space, and I volunteered once a week for a few months just working on that. Over time my plans got more and more complex and I started treating the position like an actual job because I'm bad at setting boundaries lol. By this time I had actually landed a paying job working at a museum gift shop (not a lot of museum opportunities where I live currently, so I had to take what I could get and it pays the bills).

I spoke often with one of the center's main patrons (an older gay man who has done a lot of philanthropy in my city), and we eventually worked out an agreement for turning what I had already been doing into a paid position. I had already been doing work way beyond the scope of a volunteer (I did a lot of work on our online catalogue while at home or at my other job), and because I kept a record of all the work I had done and projects I had started, it was easier to pitch the idea of a full-time position to the organization's president.

So overall, I came into the position in a kinda unconventional way tbh. But luckily everyone at the center actually values the history and the work I've put in, so they saw the value of hiring me on officially. There are definitely easier ways of getting into archival work, but that's how it happened for me sjdfjdfh

As for what the job is actually like, I detail that in this ask!

My closing advice:

Have better workplace boundaries than me.

Look for ways to apply your skills in unconventional places (I never thought I would be making a career somewhere outside of a museum).

It can be daunting, but try to get as much experience under your belt while still in school as you can (via internships and volunteering), because it helps grow your confidence and it'll be easier for you to promote yourself and your work in the future. Unfortunately most internships probably aren't going to be paid, which is bullshit, but they really do help once you're out of school.

Develop a cocktail of autism, adhd, and ocd that makes you really good at building organizational and archival systems from the ground up (not actually required because chances are you'll find a pre-functioning archive that already has basic protocols in place).

#sorry this is kinda long winded and probably not as interesting as you might have hoped sjdhfdh #and ACTUALLY my partner just got accepted into a phd program so we might be moving at some point soonish #but ive gotten a lot of good references by doing this work #so hopefully trying to find archival work will be a little easier where ever we end up going down the line #asks

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ill-be-istj-if-no-one-else-is · 3 months

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Hey again!

Thanks alot for clear up my doubts related to my type, I've been juggling between the 16 for a long time.

A few follow-ups I wanted to provide:

1. I am not adverse to being alone at such moments, but it is generally more fun and enjoyable when you have someone at your side.

2. I myself am not sure about my mom's type, given I've been unable to type myself, but I'm fairly sure that she is a high fe user mainly because she is really nice to everyone. The type to go and meet the neighbours, introduce herself and help them if they ever need to be helped. She's willing to help anyone, even people she only vaguely knows.

3. I am inept at crafts and art but will participate in them if pushed eg. if my friend wants to paint with me. I will be hesitant at first and try to get her mind onto something I think we both can enjoy, but I have made some museum-worthy "masterpieces" due to her insistence.

4. During any argument, disagreement, discussion or debate I will lay out all the evidence I have supporting my opinion for the opposer to see. They can question them and I will do the same with the evidence and reasoning they provide. If they are unable to defend their opinion, I will consider my opinion correct but if I'm not able to defend my opinion I will revise it with what I learned in the discussion.

I tend to only voice my opinions on topics which I have formed an opinion on, by reading about them from all points of view available, unless the other person is being an idiot and unwilling to participate in civil and impartial discussion.

5. Back-up planning in the sense of if X fails I will do Y. If X does indeed fail in reality, I will most probably completely ignore Y and proceed to Z, which I hadn't thought about initially.

6. If I am invested in a project or task, I will be more process focused. What is the best way to proceed? What is the best way to present this? Where can I get the perfect data for the task? How can I fill all the information I can find into this project and make it look good?

If I do not want to do it, it is hastily clobbered together with paragraphs taken straight from wikipedia.

And I think that's all I missed or glossed over in the previous ask.

Hope this clarifies things.

:-)

Thanks! The specific thing I was curious about was argument style, and this to me sounds more like Ti; I think the desire to see all perspectives and a belief in impartiality as a possibility comes from there, which would make you an ESTP.

#answered #eheu-vae-mihi #mbti #estp

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nnothingnesss · 11 months

Text

The Dark (Short Story)

Mani and Glam survive in a dystopian world where nobody know’s what happens in the dark.

I watched her paint. It made me feel wide awake in the middle of a long dream. It was nice. It's the first time I'd ever seen someone make real art before. I had read of painting from books about Salvador Dali but I'd never imagined I'd see it in person. I feel like a witness to some ancient skill from a dead civilization I'll have to testify against. She continues streaking the canvas with black acrylics banishing white from the piece forever. My imagination trails to a bustling museum full of people who came peacefully to revere someone like her.

Had anyone else seen her, she probably would've been taken to the local scavengers and never seen again. Watching her unleash a mad passion on that canvas makes me think she really doesn't care, that she'd leave a hole in between any pair of eyes that tried. And after she'd go right back to painting.

"You mean to tell me you can just shoot a handgun all day and come back here and make such delicate artwork? Like it's nothing?" I asked her

"Pretty much," she tells me.

"Here I was thinking I was crazy. I can't stop shaking,"

"You need to get used to it,"

"Not something I want to get used to."

I look back down at my hands and I've finally managed to calm down a little. Flashes of what happened earlier, the dark man, the forest, the sunsetting sky.

"Are you sure we're safe?" I begin to worry again.

"I promise. We've been here for almost six hours and nothing has happened right?"

"So you mean we can just stay here forever and we'll be fine?"

"Yeah, if you want to leave our stuff at the school and never see the others again, sure"

Worry. I'm a huge worrier. I worry constantly. I really can't stop it.

"I don't want to leave," I say. She stops to set down her brush. Her painting is more than halfway finished. Four more hours until sunrise.

"We talked about this, we'll leave once the sun starts coming up so we can see that thing if it tries to follow us, then we'll run back into the high school and grab the rest of our stuff and we'll head right back to the city."

"I know, god please, I'm just scared"

"If you ever freeze up like you did in that forest again and I'm not there, you'll die."

"I know,"

"If you do that in the school then I'll have to be the one to put you down. And I swear to god, Mani, if I have to be the one to put you down I will fucking kill you. This isn't your first rodeo, so don't go acting like a rookie."

"You're right. Sorry."

"It's okay. I know, that thing, it almost got to you. You don't have to talk about it with me just so you know."

"No it's fine, it's just..." a shiver travels down my spine “I don’t want to think about what that thing would do to us.”

Glam doesn't say anything, instead she picks her brush up and dips it in paint.

"I can't shake it.”

3 Hours Later

I can see the first orange ray peaking through the blinds. It lights up the dark and cold room, overcast with shadows and covered furniture. I can begin making out the features of Glam’s face as she sleeps on the hard floor. She found me after I ran away from..well..we can talk about that later.

I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with running. Our jobs were pretty much that at any given moment. Any one you met was running from something. Whether it be from the Dark or their past, it wasn’t hard to tell. We all have seen it, with our own eyes. I’m just happy all the innocent people who died in the first few nights never had to.

“Hey, Glam, the sun is up,”

Glam darts awake, startled and then relaxes. Reflex.

“God, I’m tired of these awful nightmares,”

“I know. Come on, let’s go,”

“Just give me a minute will you?”

We stand up from the corner of the room. We managed to run into this estate last minute, right before the sun began going down. I look down the room to find a way carefully through tarp covered furniture. Whoever lived here must’ve been incredibly rich. They must’ve also thought they’d be coming back. God were they wrong.

“I swear the God’s hate us,” I sigh.

I place a couple of rationed food on the table while Glam took her few minutes. A couple cans of peaches, homemade beef jerky, and water. That’s it. I open the yellow can of peaches with a small combat knife. I got it off a dead soldier on the way into the forest. This was my first time ever using it.

After I pour the peaches into a partially cleaned bowl, I begin to pick out debris and any occasional insect that might’ve found it’s way into the can. One of them had a bullet hole on the side of it. The kitchen was filled with them.

I’m not sure why life turned out like this. Why the Dark had to become violent. All I know is now, any humans left out there will kill you quicker than any Dark could if they know you’ve been outside all night. Glam would do it. And so would I.

“Mani,”

Last night, I was this fucking close. I was so close to getting caught by the Dark. The sky was mostly purple and I never ever look behind me when I’m running. But nobody know’s what the fuck happens in the dark.

“Mani,”

I looked behind me, to the opposite side of the sun, the darkness in all of the trees, there was no light. The thing had fucking horns for god’s sake, and it was moving towards me so fast I could see it shaking the trees. I could feel it was hungry. If any of them get close to you I am so sorry you have to die that painful and miserable death.

“Alright, Mani your just sitting there with your damn hand in the peach bowl, wake up”

Glam pulls my hand out of the bowl.

“Oh you’re up, feeling better?” she asks me.

“I’m feeling ready. Let’s just get this shit over with.”

“Yeah. I’m with you there,”

The school wasn’t far just a 20 minute walk. In broad daylight we were completely safe from those hideous creatures. Unfortunately it makes other survivors the little tree mongers.

I’ve ran into people who kidnap women and do the most terrible things. Their smiles leave the most insidious feeling behind in their words and conversation.

And more often then not, these interactions were unavoidable. If it weren’t for squatters and cargo movers keeping our sensitive karma in check, I wouldn’t be making money and they wouldn’t be jumping like kids.

We don’t need to get too explicit. Sometimes discernment is key. Intuit into everyone around us and if you smell smoke? Run. In these terrible times it was all about survival. Not who’s got cooler stories in the dark.

“You got everything?” Glam asks.

“Yeah, come on.” I throw my bag over my back and walk behind Glam through the front door.

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ecoamerica · 2 months

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youtube

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The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

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chvoswxtch · 1 year

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sometimes i spend weeks, even months, writing and re-writing something, and i'll edit it and edit it until i can't stand to look at it anymore and then finally share it after overediting it to death

other times i will come up with something in a single sitting at two thirty in the morning when i'm hyperfixated and feeling manic and will post it without a single proofread or after thought

and each time i think it's terrible and my worst and no one is gonna like it or engage with it and that little voice in the back of my head fills me with doubt and makes me question why i do it

and you know what, i do it for fun. i do it because i enjoy it. because it makes me happy.

i've seen so many people lately say they're scared to post because they're worried it won't be received well, or at all, because of one reason or another. and i understand the anxiety of putting yourself out there and the disappointment that can come if no one gets as excited as you.

but fuck it.

write the damn thing. draw the shit. make the idea. it doesn't matter that the show hasn't been on in ten years, or that the movie or book came out so long ago, you're not sure if anyone is still in the fandom. you're in it, and you'd be surprised how many people still are too.

do the thing! who cares if it's perfect! do what makes you happy! there are literally no rules! no one is holding you back but you! be your own biggest fan!

if i see one more of you questioning your talent or being mean to yourself, i will personally show up at your door bc some of y'all literally write better than actual published authors and create art that's better than anything i've ever seen in a museum.

be nicer to yourselves. do whatever makes the happy chemical. that's not a suggestion, it's a demand.

thx for coming to my manic ted talk thx bye <3

#y'all better start being kinder to yourselves #or i'm gonna haunt your ass #you're all pretty and smart and funny and talented #i will literally throat punch anyone that says otherwise #quit being mean to yourself or ELSE ):<#ok rant over #court rambles #court shut the fuck up

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dustyy-angel · 1 year

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Ahhhhh so so I made friends with a human!!! And have come up with a skittery au and found out brokeback mountain is playing in England and guesss who is going to see it and sob and and successfully furthered my mission of letting everyone know how how awesome my friend is and that they should friend her and had some depressive episodes but found out that apparently I can still be wanted even at my worst

And ahhh what else happened I accidently sent something off anon to someone and freaked out for a moment cuz theyre great and i dont feel worthy but it was vague enough I'm pretty sure they don't know it was me lol

IM DOING FIREWORKS today!!

My tumblr friend let me ramble about my love for museums and history and I love them even more now. I'm never sure if it's okay to stray from newsies if people care about the rest of my things or if I'm just useful for newsies stuff (which is okay! Like sometimes people have one interest for you so better to err on the side of caution till you're sure.)

Um would would you like to hear about a trip I'm planning?

I SAW SEVERAL MUSICALS RECENTLY DO YOU LIKE THEM IN GENERAL I can tell you about them if you like.

Uhhhh the super duper cool human told me advice for london cuz he's the best

I'm rambling whh I'm just trying to remember all the best stuff.

Sorry if I'm being annoying just let me know if so.

A Skittery au sounds really cool, what's it about? I've never seen/read Brokeback Mountain but I know it's gay and I also know it has Mike Faist in it so that's enough for me to be interested in it. You need to tell me all about it once you see it. I hope you're feeling better now! If you ever want to talk about anything mental health wise i'm always here <3

I love fireworks! What was the occasion? or was it just for fun haha

I'm definitely interested in non-newsies stuff and you're welcome to talk about it. I've never been very interested in history but I love going to museums and art galleries and stuff like that.

Yes absolutely tell me about your trip. I love hearing about peoples travels.

Yes I've always loved musicals even tho I've barely seen any. Please tell me about the ones you saw i'm always interested in new shows and hearing peoples thoughts on them.

You're not being annoying at all! I seriously love answering asks and using tumblr in a more social way as opposed to just posting polls all the time hahaha

#dustyy asks #anon :)

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rubydracogirl · 10 months

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i'd LOVE TO SEE IT AGAIN!!! as for the date it would probably be an art gallery!! while i'm not too experienced in art, or their meanings i would love to see ink passionately rant and be around what he loves most, it would be perfect <333💘 on the other hand maybe a picnic in a clear, lush meadow with some cake! but i think i just have that image because my birthday is on tuesday! 💗 really i'd love if he took me anywhere, he's just so entertaining i couldn't get bored anyways i adore him and especially the way you write him💖💖💗💕💗💖💗💖💘💖 im so sorry for flooding your inbox i just love hearing what you have to say 🤭

Oh don't worry about my inbox, lmao! It's so empty, I hear crickets every time I check it XD.

It's honestly been really nice to receive your asks!

More of my rambles below the cut XD

You know what, I've never even considered going to an art museum with Ink! I think that would actually be really fun! It would be interesting to hear his thoughts on different paintings and sculptures. (I can't help but imagine him trying to mimic poses and expression sksksksks)

I also feel like he would be intensely curious about your emotional reactions to certain works, since that's a large part of really good art. I imagine he would ramble out loud about the techniques or colors in the work, and all the while, he'd be studying your face from the corners of his sockets, trying to guess what you're feeling or thinking.

But also, there's something very sweet about a picnic date too. Imagine Ink shows up with one of those hyper-realistic cakes that looks like a regular object.

"Hmm? Are you sure you don't want this very real and not at all suspicious-looking shoe?"

He grins slyly, and you furrow your brow. Why is he acting so weird? Also, if he was gonna give you shoes for your birthday, why is it just the one? Ink's quirky, but you know he's not that forgetful! (most of the time).

And then he says something about how the shoe looks good enough to eat, and dares you to take a bite. And it's either really good or it's the absolute worst cake you've ever tasted XDDD (I could see that going either way honestly.)

Anyways!!!! Happy early birthday! lmao, my birthday's coming up later this month too! (more towards the end of August though). I guess I'm gonna need to make that pastry a birthday cake for the doodle XD

#Ask #Anon #Ink sans #lmao #so #I just finished watching the new season of “Is It Cake?” On netflix #that's absolutely the reason I thought of that scenario

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matrose · 1 year

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Hello ! How are you doing ? I'm a FAN of your artwork and i would like to ask a few questions if it's ok for you to answer them ? I would like to know how long does a drawing take you ? ( like, for a non-background/only character by example and how long does it take you for a full masterpiece like those you are doing for khazad week ? epsecially the last one with the oh so like dream mountains ? ) And did you learn by yourself ? Are there any artists that you admire and that have inspired your style ? oh and the most important : do you think you will ever do illustrations for children's stories like fairy tales? because your artwork is very colorful and cute ( and amazing, marvelous, wonderful, poetic, incredible ) and I can see your kind of drawings on the covers of children's stories ! have a nice day !

oh wow hello!!! i am very well and luckily mostly recovered from being sick so i was properly outside again and visited the deer and goats at the park, so i'm very happy 🥰 this is such an incredibly sweet ask and i am very flattered to have received it!! i'm happy to answer your questions 🫶

luckily, i've got an artprogram (ProCreate) that automatically records my process and tells me how long it took - everything i draw varies greatly in style because i usually draw whatever i feel like drawing and try whatever i want to try...i really really like trying out all the different brushes available to me and see where they take me!! so i'll show you four different drawings and how long they took me:

there's a lot of variables but in general cell-shading is a lot quicker than a painting approach ❣️

my latest drawing for khazad week took around 3 hours i believe - i had a lot of fun with filling everything with these little swirls and shapes, i used to fill entire pages with stuff like that during train rides when i was younger. i'm honestly a bit surprised people are liking it that much but i'm very happy! my backgrounds usually take a bit longer though, i've checked a few bigger drawings and they all come out to around 7 hours!

i had a few How To Draw books in my team, i especially remember one on animals and one on anime that i had when i was 12, though i also remember not really using them and being a bit bored by them. i also had a book about drawing when i was maybe 5 and i remember that one really fondly. it used simply shapes and bright colors and there was an underwater landscape with fish and corals and algae that i thought was sooo beautiful and that i would draw over and over again. i think that one stuck with me haha! otherwise i am self-taught in the sense that i never really attended classes beyond the mandatory ones at school. art/drawing for me personally has always been about having fun and trying myself out and being happy more than anything else.

it's also why i will not and can not ever do art properly as a proper job like graphic design, and i am not sure i could do comissions either. if i am bored and/or restricted the quality greatly suffers...this is truly just for my own fun 😚 though to prematurely answer your last questions i actually COULD very much imagine doing kids books illustrations - those are usually very whimsical and fun and unless the author has very specific pictures in mind already, i could just go nuts with it...kind of a dream honestly though the deadline would be so scary!

as for inspiration...this one is haaard to answer! i constantly get inspired by so many things i see every day - tumblr is so full of wonderful images and nature itself is so beautiful and sometimes i'll recall things from my childhood, books with vaguely remembered illustrations about all kinds of things (the caves in mountains from what i posted yesterday were based on a blurry memory of a book my father read to me when i was pretty young) and then there's museums... on top of it all i study art-history so i am always surrounded by beautiful images...how overwhelming. here are three artists that have inspired me with shapes and colors and patterns:

gustav klimt, phyllis shafer, and wenzel hablik!! in general i really really love art noveau, expressionism, and abstract art and i also love childrens books illustrations!

i don't at all come close to any of them and my more cartoonish style is a way of mimicking features of the art that i love but without putting too much work into it hahahahah

thank you again for this lovely lovely ask, it made me feel really cool 😳 i hope you'll have a wonderful day morning or evening, wherever you are 💐 feel free to ask more questions if i've answered anything in an unclear manner or if you just feel like it:)<3

#feel like this answer is a bit long and rambly - sorry!#anyways thank you so so much again your words made me really happy 🥺❤️💐

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