#ch: lux | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

pinkfey · 11 months

Text

OC TAG GAME ｡*･♡;

i was tagged by the lovely @noonfaerie to categorize some ocs + use this picrew; tysm ambie!! 💕💕

♡ FAVORITE OC.

ursula — baldur’s gate 3

my three favorite ocs always alternate between ursula, thea, and audra, but as of right now i’ve really been on an ursa kick!! probably my most universally beloved oc as well?? u guys already know everything abt her—a sailor, a tyrant, a lesson in pride, and the rest!!!!! her backstory makes my soul ache and i just love her sm celebrate pride this year by driving ur gf to her death just like ursula !! 🌈 🌈

♡ NEWEST OC.

lacie lane — infamous (if)

my gorgeous gorgeous girl!! my cocky ex gf!!!! my problematic lead singer!!!!!! u guys know the gist. what can be said abt lacie other than she’s toxic and beautiful and not as in control as she thinks. i’m really eager to see infamous develop so i can think of some juicy lacie/seven content bc as of right now i’ve been in a creative drought 😔

♡ OLDEST OC.

rowena cousland — dragon age: origins

so rowena is technically my second oldest oc (the honor of first belongs to silla 💕) but i’m listing her instead of silla because her story and personality has been consistent for the past ten years whereas silla has evolved!! rowena is proud, stubborn, and clever as the devil—and each of these traits have been both flaw and merit. her relationship with alistair is complex and tragic but mended with a bit of time.

♡ MEANEST OC.

kinasi irress — star wars

honestly ursula and jael were both strong competitors for most cruel oc, but kina takes the cake because, unlike the other two who cultivated strong affinities/bonds in their youth, kinasi has never known kindness. for over thirty years she lived in an environment of fear, hatred, and isolation. all she knew was the vie for power and all she knew was punishment if she failed the social climb. in a world of every-man-for-himself and please-your-master-or-fall-from-grace, community-centric skills such as teamwork, generosity, and emotional support were nonexistent, and so she never developed them. to be “mean,” which is putting it lightly, was just their nature. dog eat dog. need against need.

♡ SOFTEST OC.

ellery lux — pillars of eternity

the sweetest weirdo who ever lived!! ellery is a druid who, after being separated from her parents, raised herself in the forest with no one but the creatures and sun-dappled greenery for company. everything she learned, she learned from the woods—tenderness a kind of virtue no human could have taught her. she’s decisive and gentle and accepting and doesn’t care for social conventions in the slightest AND!!! i love her so much 🌿🦌🤍

♡ MOST ALOOF/STANDOFFISH OC.

salylia dreneri — the elder scrolls: morrowind

she doesn’t mean to be this way, but she’s a stranger in a strange land and her former partner just framed her and there’s some freak talking to her in her head and she can’t help but put herself at a distance from everyone !! though she was always the cool, quiet one—tennebrae did most of the talking.

♡ DUMBEST (AFFECTIONATE) OC.

bright — dungeons & dragons

her true name eaki, bright was given to a halfling village deep in the bramblewood when she was just an infant. an odd combination, tiefling and halflings, but they understood social scorn and ostracization and accepted her completely. when her adoptive sibling fell mysteriously ill, bright, at the behest of the village herbalist, sought out an ancient forest entity, and struck a deal—the life of her sibling (and many boons) in exchange for a favor when the time comes. all this being said, she is not the wisest warlock around. bright is bright for her charm and silliness, not her brains.

♡ SMARTEST OC.

jael khatri — pathfinder: wrath of the righteous

this was another tough one between jael and cath, but jael won because she’s, in the most reductive of terms, a sexy evil experimentalist!! everyone already knows everything abt jael and how her cruelty is clinical and her wit is sharp as a knife from when i first played pwotr last year but i’ll never stop being obsessed with her!!!

♡ OC YOU’D BE BEST FRIENDS WITH IRL.

corintha trevelyan — dragon age: inquisition

this isn’t because i think i’d get along with her best (i think that would be emika or honey??) but because i love a DELUSIONAL girlie. i’d kill to pick her brain fhdjfnfnfbd

tagging!! @malefiicarum @rosebarsoap @lvllns @devilbrakers @bunfey @saintjudegf @ladysanjo @statichvm @aartyom @celticwoman @shadowglens @druidgroves @mrs-theirin @necroticpetals @minaharkers @dantesparda @umbertors @nuclearstorms @liurnia @jillvalcntines @risingsh0t @brujah @solasan and you!!!!!!

#tysm again lovely!! i’m trying to keep up w tag games again 😭#it’s been difficult to post abt ocs for some reason #tag game #ch: ursula #ch: lacie lane #ch: rowena cousland #ch: kinasi irress #ch: ellery lux #ch: salylia dreneri #ch: bright #ch: jael khatri #ch: corintha trevelyan

41 notes · View notes

dunbonnets · 4 months

Text

Stiles: Don't worry, I got a plan.

Vanessa: Alright.

Scott: What's the plan?

Lucy: This should be good.

Stiles: TraitorSayWhat?

Maris: Excuse me?

Stiles: What?

Vanessa:

Scott:

Lucy:

Maris:

Stiles: No wait—

#series: the monsters & myths saga #ch: maris navarro #ch: lucy mccall #ch: vanessa riley #author: dunbonnet #author: pseudonym-lux #author: void-daniella #teen wolf fanfiction #teen wolf oc #teen wolf #wattpad oc #wattpad collab #wattpad fic #wattpad fanfiction #wattpad #incorrect quotes #*my ocs #*my friends oc

10 notes · View notes

lavampira · 11 months

Text

just breathe

lux kennedy x orion quinn. pre-infamous. 1.5k words. cw: smoking. [ao3]

Lux has lost track of how long they’ve been trapped in the booth. The windows in the exterior room had already gone dark with the setting sun, giving them nothing to guess at the time of night. Whoever decorated the room apparently decided that recording artists didn’t need to know the time either, considering the lack of a visible clock anywhere in sight, and with their phone still buried in their jacket in the other room, they remain uncertain of it in their own personal hell with a producer staring them down through the glass and a microphone in their face.

Their voice breaks on their sixth attempt to land a note for the bridge.

The little red recording in progress light turns off.

“Do not say that it’s okay again,” Lux warns before the producer can lean into his own mic, watching the man’s eyes widen almost comically as he hesitates mid-motion to do exactly that. “It isn’t.”

Maybe they’re acting a little melodramatic. But after who knows how fucking long they’ve been trying—and utterly failing—to match the vocals that they wrote themself, they figure that they’re allowed. The producer repeatedly trying to placate them in a faux soothing tone like a cornered wild animal really, really doesn’t help.

A frustrated noise rips from their throat as they rub their palms over their face. It shouldn’t be so hard to duplicate. Interviewers have referred to them as a dramatic tenor, able to soar to a clear run from a raspy lower range, expressive of the emotions in their lyrics. But all they’ve shown tonight is that the bridge is kicking their ass.

“Let’s take a pause on the bridge,” the producer finally says. “We’ll come back to it after some work on the guitar.”

Humiliation swells through them at being pulled out of the booth, and it must show on their face because Rowan catches them at the door, clapping a hand to their back in support on his way past them. Lux doesn’t stick around to see if any of their other bandmates are shooting them pitying glances. They move for the exit, needing to get out of there to clear their head.

What starts as aimlessly wandering the studio eventually leads them through a side door outside the building. It's a habit, really. They often slipped away from their manager to sneak a cigarette or two at a time during their last album, winding up at this exact spot each time for a moment of quiet, slouched against the wall with a knee bent where they rest an arm, or at least as quiet as the city can get.

Which is why they aren’t entirely surprised when the door opens not long later and their manager steps out with them.

Lux twists their head to take a cautious look at the man towering over them. Haloed by the building’s exterior light behind him, Orion still appears as pristine as ever, dressed down to his waistcoat and sleeves immaculately rolled to his elbows as he folds his arms over his chest, only his tousled black hair out of place despite the hour. A fleeting thought passes of what it would take to make him look rumpled, but it treads on dangerous territory.

Orion glances at the lit cigarette between their fingers, and they brace for the lecture on why a singer shouldn’t smoke as a pinch forms in his brow, but it never comes. Somehow, it makes Lux feel worse to know they’re struggling so badly to record that even their uptight manager is pitying them, too.

“I’m trying,” they say in lieu of a greeting.

If he hears the pathetic crack in their voice, Orion graciously doesn’t acknowledge it. “I know.”

“I don’t know why I can’t get it right.”

“You will, Linden. You always do.”

Orion Quinn doesn’t do pep talks. He isn’t that sort of manager, not when he can push their band to meet higher and higher standards, every compliment met with critique. They know that he believes in them, but he also believes that they can be better, too. Rather than extending any of it to Lux, though, it’s that use of their real name that grounds them, his simple faith in not only the band, but them, from a man not satisfied by only good enough that relieves some of the tension that has been gripping them all evening.

They take a final drag before stubbing out the cigarette. “How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Know what to say to help.”

“It’s my job to know my clients,” Orion returns after a prolonged moment, and before that statement can ring hollow in their chest, he adjusts his slacks to comfortably squat in front of them. “You’re stuck in your head. You start to focus on things going wrong, and when that happens, you end up in a frustrated work cycle.”

“Like you.”

Lux stills, realizing that actually left their mouth. It seems to catch Orion off guard as well, judging by the way his lips twitch as he stares at them, but then the briefest laugh escapes him, a singular and soft ha that he can’t quite hold back and echoes in the alley. Part of Lux mourns the fact that none of the others are around to see it, but at the same time, they desperately want to bottle this moment to hoard it for themself alone, and maybe try to get that sound out of him again.

“That may be true,” Orion admits, his throat bobbing as he swallows, but then business mode returns, his face smoothing back into his usual sense of control while he rises to his full height. “You have the talent, Linden. But if you keep telling yourself that you can’t do it, then you’ll fail.”

At first, all Lux can manage is a shaky breath. Then a nod. And then they clamber back to their feet, dusting off their jeans from sitting on the fucking ground, somehow resolved to face down the producer and the recording booth again.

Orion allows them to lead the way through the winding halls back to the room that was booked for the band. They consider asking if he thinks that they’ll bolt, but considering his usual approach to the band, they don’t really want to know the answer to that question, especially after he did just hunt them down from their preferred hiding spot in the first place.

Pausing with their hand on the door, Lux shoots him a smirk over their shoulder. “You know, Orion, we may have to keep you as our manager.”

“Glad to hear it,” he returns dryly.

All eyes are on them when they walk back into the room, but it isn’t as heavy now. The recording sign is off while Rowan tunes his guitar in the booth, so Lux wanders to the small couch where Devyn and Iris have settled practically in each other’s laps, their knees hooked together, and perches on its arm. Their gray eyes track Orion as he moves to sit with the producer, but a hand light on their back draws their attention.

Devyn offers them a soft smile. “All good?”

“Sure fucking hope.”

The producer counts before either of them can say much else, and then the red light is on, silencing the room for Rowan to play. The transition into his solo is smooth, exactly what Lux has known he could do for the song. But then it’s finished, and the producer tells him that he can leave the booth, and tendrils of dread unfurl in their chest when they get signaled to go back in, too.

Lux takes their time. Standing in front of the microphone, they untie the ribbon from their long silver hair only to tie it back into a loose ponytail again, hesitating with the headphones in hand. They glance at the window, catching their manager’s eyes on them and the steadfast look on his face.

Orion leans into the exterior mic, hesitating as though he’d pressed the button before fully formulating his thought, but then he says, “Just sing, Linden. Don’t think.”

The producer counts down as Lux settles the headphones over their ears. This is what they have wanted to do for their whole life—Orion is right, they need to just do it. When the sign goes on, they draw in a ragged breath, and then they pour themself into the song, letting themself get lost in the same emotions that led them to writing it.

They opt to start from the second chorus prior to the bridge this time, building up to it with a grittier tone as if the feeling has grown rougher with lyrics, and it carries into the exact raspy whine that they’d been aiming for on the section. And when they reach the bridge, their voice doesn’t break.

It fucking soars.

The entire room falls silent once they stop singing. No one moves until the producer ends the record, but once the sign turns off, the door bursts open for their band to barrel into the booth. Rowan reaches them first, nearly tackling them as he throws his arms around them. Devyn reaches for their hand to squeeze, Iris playfully smacks their shoulder, and Jazzy absorbs them all into an even bigger embrace. Looking past all of them, Lux finds Orion still on the other side of the window, gathering papers with the slightest upturn in the corners of his lips while tucking a file under his arm.

#the title is a song reference. but it fits the emotions here. anyway #pls clap idk how i managed to write this much in one day #dani writes things #if: infamous #fic: infamous #oc: lux kennedy #ch: orion quinn #lux/orion #infamous if #infamous mc

30 notes · View notes

nxnle · 2 years

Text

[ SHELTERED ] receiver can’t sleep due to a loud thunderstorm so they come to sender’s bedroom to stay in their bed with them. + lotus lux

Não era como se ele realmente tivesse medo de chuva, era só água. Água que evaporava, que condensava e depois precipitava, fazendo algum barulho e regando as grandes plantações. Contudo, a chuva forte batendo sobre seu carro do lado de fora, bem de frente para a janela de seu quarto começava a lhe incomodar. A chuva parecia apenas aumentar, tornando seu ritual noturno extremamente desorganizado, ele estava cansado. E aparentemente não devia estar cansado o suficiente para apenas capotar na cama assim que se deitou. Respirou fundo, vencido. Sentou-se sobre a cama, e alinhou seu pijama de linho, endireitando as mangas longas e os botões de sua extensão. Levantou-se calçando os chinelos de dedo para que não tivesse de tocar o chão gelado. E caminhou devagar para fora de seu quarto, no escuro mesmo. Ele tinha um bom sendo de localização e caminhava sem esbarrar em nada, mesmo que sem enxergar bem. Ele sabia exatamente onde ficava cada móvel e objeto seu. Destrancou a porta do quarto de hóspedes e adentrou na escuridão. Aparentemente o homem gato estava completamente adormecido pois não começou a tagarelar no exato momento em que ele enteou no quarto. Sorrateiramente, deu passos lentos até o outro lado da cama. Aquele quarto tinha a janela virada para o outro lado da casa, dessa forma, não havia o barulho da chuva sobre o seu carro. Estava prestes a entrar debaixo da coberta que ele usava, mas seus olhos se pousaram por alguns segundos sobre o homem gato. Observou a forma como ele dormia. Por algum motivo, Balthasar até que gostava da visão de plenitude que se instalava nele. Como se nada pudesse abala-lo. Talvez não pudesse mesmo. Não em seu sono. Os dedos de Frederick foram aos fios de cabelo dele, percebendo que uma mecha estava desalinhada das outras. Sim, ele estava dormindo, mas não custava nada alinhar. Ajeitou mais uma, e depois mais outra. E por alguns segundos o psiquiatra acabou se perdendo nos cabelos homem gato que tinham uma maciez impressionante para alguém que hora tinha cabelo, hora tinha pelos no corpo todo. Quando Lotus se mexeu, como se fosse acordar, ele apenas virou para o seu lado, agarrou seu corpo como se fosse um travesseiro e falou alguma fala sem sentido sobre cogumelos e flores que falavam. Não entendeu nada. Mas acabou permitindo que os braços dele se mantivesse ao seu redor por um tempo, enquanto seus olhos se mantinham observando seu experimento.

@nxnpeach

#ch. frederick balthasar #w. lotus lux

6 notes · View notes

jackhkeynes · 7 months

Text

Markish

Markish is an English language of the German family of languages which evolved on the island of Albion. It is closely related to other English languages like Kentish and Wessern, and is the primary language of the polity of Markland.

Contemporary Markish descends form the Early Markish spoken in Markland, which itself descends from Anglian varieties of Old English.

This article principally describes the acrolect of Markish spoken in and around the capital city of Tommarth.

Examples

A jalicked knave bought a new quistre. /ə ˈdʒa.lɪ.kəd knɛːv bɔft ə nəu ˈkwɪ.stə/ A guy in a tuxedo bought a new phone. Aquifex is the temendest corporal. /ˈa.kwɪˌfɛks ɪz ðe ˈtiː.mən.dəs ˈkoː.pʊ.ɾəl/ Hydrogen is the most abundant element. Do thy breches of and put thysel abed! /duː ðəi ˈbɾiː.tʃəz ɔf ən pʊt ðəiˈsɛl əˈbɛd/ Take off your clothes and get on the bed! By way o'dreend al therin ough, he asked "As swich?" /bəi wəi əˈdɾiː.ən‿dal ðəˈɾɪn uːf | hiː ˈa.skəd | az swɪtʃ/ While doing everything wrong, he asked "Like that?" Psolick tersures may breken wines brewing of. /ˈsɔ.lɪk ˈtɛː.zjəz məi ˈbɾiːkə wəinz ˈbɾəwɪŋg ɔf/ Sulphites can stop wine fermentation.

Phonology

Consonants

The consonant phonemes found in Markish are:

/m n/ /p t tʃ k/ /b d dʒ g/ /f θ s ʃ h/ /v ð z/ /w l ɾ j/

and they are subject to the following orthographic conventions:

b d f h k l m n p t v w z represent their IPA symbols.

j r y represent /dʒ ɾ j/ respectively.

c usually represents /s/ before i e y and /k/ elsewhere.

awice /əˈwəis/ "indeed" < OE ġewiss "certain" coholl /kʊˈhɔl/ "sulfide" < Ar كُحْل "kohl"

g usually represents /g/ but may represent /dʒ/ before i e y.

eagre /ˈeː.gə/ "acid" < L ācer nargill /ˈnaː.dʒɪl/ "coconut" < Ar نَرْجِيل "coconut palm" girl /geːl/ "young person"

q appears almost always in the diagraph qu to represent /kw/.

quoit /kwəit/ "tyre, torus"

s represents /z/ between vowels and word-finally (unless doubled), and /s/ otherwise.

Brasil /bɾəˈzɪl/ "Newfoundland" < Ir Breasail betimes /bɪˈtəimz/ "earlier" surblavick /soːˈblɛː.vɪk/ "ultraviolet" < L blavus "blue"

x represents /gz/ between vowels, and /ks/ otherwise.

oxy /ˈɔg.ziː/ "stubborn" œculux /ˈɛ.kjəˌlʊks/ "EM radiation" < Gr οἶκος "house", L lux "light"

There are several digraphs of letters with -h: ch gh ph sh th wh.

ph sh wh represent /f ʃ f/.

ch usually represents /tʃ/, but sometimes also /k/.

chalk /tʃalk/ "chalk" yacht /jakt/ "cult" < Du jaght "hunting party"

gh usually represents either /ʃ/ (following i) or /f/ (following u).

wight /wɪʃt/ "person" < OE wiht "thing, creature" ough /uːf/ "bad" < OE wōh "wrong, crooked" NB I'ght /ˈəift/ "I must", contracted from I ought

th usually represents either of /θ ð/, and sometimes /t/.

thrift /θɾɪft/ "energy" < ON þrift "prosperity" yeathre /ˈjeːðə/ "together" < OE geador

There are several situations in which written consonants may be silent.

In certain endings: participle -end /ən/, infinitive -en /ə/, superlative -est /əs/.

discurrend /dɪˈskʊ.ɾən/ "different" < L discurrēns "roaming" chammen /ˈtʃa.mə/ "to chew" (poss. onomatopoetic) tharvest /ˈθaː.vəs/ "least sociable" < OE þeorf "unleavened"

Coda r lengthens the preceding vowel and word-final -re is pronounced /ə/.

interpel /ɪnˈtɛː.pəl/ "interact with" < L interpellō "I disturb" sundre /ˈsʊn.də/ "many" < OE sundor "separately"

Post-tonic -st- immediately before a closed syllable is pronounced /s/.

hirstend /ˈheː.sən/ "extra" < OE hyrstan "to ornament" pistol /ˈpɪ.səl/ "message" < L epistola

Likewise, post-tonic -v- is lost in some common words.

morovre /mʊˈɾoː(ə)/ "as well" evre /ɛː(ə)/ "always"

Vowels

The vowels of (this variety of) Markish are:

/a ɛ ɪ ɔ ʊ ə/ /aː ɛː eː iː ɔː oː ʉː/ /əi əu/

and they are subject to the following orthographic conventions:

In stressed syllables, "short" a e i~y o u represent /a ɛ ɪ ɔ ʊ/.

sam /sam/ "set, collection" < OE samnian "gather" whelp /fɛlp/ "baby animal" quick /kwɪk/ "awake" thon /ðɔn/ "one, someone", contracted from the one bulk /bʊlk/ "cargo"

In unstressed syllables, a e i~y o u instead represent /ə ə~ɪ ɪ ʊ ʊ/—except word-finally, where /ɪ ʊ/ become /iː ə/.

defectend /dɪˈfɛk.tən/ "positively charged" behemoth /bɪˈhiː.mʊθ/ "hippopotamus" costumery /kʊˈstjəu.mə.ɾiː/ "fashion plate"

"Long" a e i~y o u represent /ɛː iː əi uː jəu/.

besake /bɪˈzɛːk/ "because" mete /miːt/ "standard, gauge" < OE metan "measure" ty /təi/ "to join" poke /puːk/ "container" < OFr poque "bag" huge /hjəudʒ/ "huge"

There are plenty of digraphs representing vowels.

Coda -r: ar er ir or ur represent /aː ɛː eː oː oː/.

davarn /dəˈvaːn/ "grand hotel, resort" < W tafarn "inn"

-a: ea oa represent /eː oː/.

roaden /ˈɾoː.də/ "to travel"

-e: ee ie ue represent /iː əi jəu/.

conspue /kʊnˈspjəu/ "to deride" < L cōnspuō "I spit upon"

-i/y: ai ei oi and ay ey oy represent /əi əi~iː əi/.

fain /fəin/ "willing(ly)"

-o: oo represents /uː/.

soon /suːn/ "as soon as"

-u/w: au eu ou and aw ew ow represent /əu əu əu~uː/.

blew /bləu/ "blue" coshow /ˈkɔ.ʃuː/ "rubber" < Quechua kawchu

#conlang #boral #conlanging #boralverse #alternate history #conworld #writing

39 notes · View notes

jelzorz · 4 months

Text

the snake: ch 2

The castle is warmer than Viren remembers it. In his youth, it had been a fortress, cold and austere, its stone walls bare and undecorated except for what was necessary. Atticus was a kind king, but he was pragmatic: a man who’d grown up in the war time who had no time for frivolity even if he wished for it from time to time. Harrow had clung to his ideals, and had tried his best to let it show in his rule, so it was he who’d put the banners of the uneven towers on the walls, a symbols of their pride, he said, in their humanity and imperfection.

There are more now: Katolis colours on every wall, flags of the other kingdoms flying in the towers, symbols of Lux Aurea and the Dragon Queen and of the Silvergrove hung up between the boughs of holly and fir decorating the halls for this year’s Yule Festival.

Viren shudders at the sight of it. It is too gentle. Too innocent. Too full of joy.

And he is a monster that does not belong in these halls.

Part ii of Viren comes back and soren has to deal with it

Here on ao3

#sorpeli #rayllum #claudiez #canon crack quartet #tw: mentions of suicide

16 notes · View notes

cleolinda · 11 months

Text

Santal Blush (Tom Ford, 2011)

(tomford.com)

A textured fusion celebrating sandalwood, SANTAL BLUSH presents exotic spices enhanced with luxe ylang ylang, warm cinnamon, and sumptuous woods – seducing with a modern, second-skin warmth.

Notes: Sandalwood, cinnamon, cumin, fenugreek, carrot seed, jasmine, rose, ylang ylang, benzoin, agarwood, musk.

So I've told you some stories about wrangling really intense fragrances using my "Dab on three particles. No sudden movements. Do not look it in the eye" method. I did this with Chanel No. 5 and the aldehydes still gave me a panic attack; I did it with Not A Perfume and still got an instantaneous headache. I got some beautiful shape-shifting effects from Mitsouko and Coco Mademoiselle. Even at such low amounts, I am, in fact, getting what the perfume is meant to do.

Sometimes I don't. Santal Blush is the story of the time "just try one whole molecule" did not work.

Here's my clickbait read-more: The sixth time was the charm.

I do read reviews in advance to get an idea of how a perfume shows up on other users' skin—the notes, the olfactory textures, the opening and the eventual drydown. So I did know that Santal Blush is unusually subtle for a Tom Ford, a brand I associate with being expensive as fuck very strong. My only experience with the brand before this was trying Tobacco Vanille in a Sephora, which I loved so much that I kept the tester strip to scent my purse—my whole-ass purse, for a full week. It's not a timid brand.

So I try a dab of Santal Blush five times, and all I get is a witheringly dry Australian sandalwood with cinnamon. Like, I can feel this thing sucking the moisture out of the back of my throat, it's so dry. Within two or three hours, it was barely there—and reviews say it's supposed to really last on your skin. "It's creamy, it's floral, it's powdery." Fuck off, no it's not, I said, baffled. Where is the blush in this thing, conceptually? Why is it even called that?

Finally, I buckled down and slathered it on. And by "slather" I mean "a smear on the back of my hand the size of a quarter." A WHOOSH of floral came out, to my entire surprise—the classic [(rose-jasmine) + maybe (ylang-ylang and/or tuberose)] combination that you can see in the development of perfumes for a hundred years now. Just in the ones I've written about, you see it in the two Coco Mademoiselles, the No. 5 formulations, Mitsouko, the Samsaras, Hypnotic Poison, and even Tyrannosaurus Rex, somehow. And when I write about Jean Patou's Joy in the next few weeks, you're going to see it spotlighted there.

And this is a floral building block that's amazing with sandalwood; in Samsara last week, it merged with Mysore sandalwood in the old and Australian in the new. In Chanel No. 5 Eau Première (the variant I can stand), the ylang-sandalwood combination is gorgeous. And in Santal Blush, mingled with the heat of cinnamon, that floral compound is the blush. Imagine being shoved onstage, being mortified and unprepared and flushed—and then you discover that you actually like being there, you're maybe a born performer after all. Santal Blush isn't a loud or showy fragrance (on me, at least), but it's an interesting mix of vulnerable beauty turning into confidence.

So I tried it a seventh time, a big smear on my wrist. No floral. What.

An eighth time. Bigger smear. Wrist. No floral.

A NINTH time, the back of my hand. BOOOOOOSH. ~JASMINE

I cannot explain this. See, I often wear fragrance on the back of my hand because I type so much; if it's on my wrists, I'm just crushing perfume into my laptop. I know the back of the hand isn't a pulse point, but I get a nice waft of scent now and then while I'm working (alone, not bothering anyone). I would have thought that my wrists would have done more for the perfume, but no: Santal Blush only gets interesting on the back of my hand.

The sandalwood is still, however, dry as fuck. I even went and checked my sample of Nemat's Australian sandalwood oil—it has the same characteristic cedar-like pencil-shaving quality, but it also has a lovely citrus aspect, somehow, that keeps it from smelling actually scratchy. An even cheaper essential oil I had was lower quality, but still smoother than Santal Blush. What this tells me is that you don't end up a sandalwood fragrance THIS DRY unless you get up early in the morning and put some work into it.

I don't know why Tom Ford—or rather, perfumer Yann Vasnier—went this route, but Santal Blush is clearly leaning into the comparative dryness of Australian sandalwood, supporting it with the bark of a cinnamon stick, “sweaty” cumin, maple syrup-inflected fenugreek, and woody, earthy carrot seed. It even uses benzoin (a mild vanillic resin said have a touch of cinnamon) rather than a creamy or fruity vanilla. And this is the same variety of sandalwood (give or take some specific synthetics, probably) used in the new Samsara, mind you. That current formulation uses its floral building block—rose, jasmine, and its spicy, Juicy Fruit-y ylang-ylang—to offset the dryness of Santalum spicatum, and its green top notes give the perfume an airy, unexpected freshness. Back to Santal Blush—whatever components were actually used, Vasnier emphasizes (to my nose) jasmine and the spicy aspect of ylang rather than the creamy or fruity—no "bubblegum" note. As far as I can tell, everything in this fragrance has been engineered to be as arid as possible.

I'm not sure why, exactly. "Parched" is not really my association with blushing, unless the point is make the woody base so dry that the spicy floral really stands apart as a metaphorical rush of blood rising to the surface. If that's the case, then this perfume only works "correctly" on the back of my hand.

What do I get on my wrist, then?

The sandalwood

Not much

The cumin

When I was a teenager in the '90s and used a portable CD player with a headphone jack, I used to like to pull it halfway out; I'd have to turn the volume way up to hear it, but I'd get a somewhat muffled background layer of whichever song (mostly bass guitar, drums, and background vocals) that fascinated me. Putting this perfume on my wrist is like pulling the jack halfway out of Santal Blush. I don't get much cumin even considering that, but I can start to smell the idea of the human body beneath the blush.

Cumin is a real interesting note to throw in here, by the way. It's often used to give a note of "sweat" or "body musk," and I know this because people constantly complain about it on fragrance sites and forums. As Angela at Now Smell This writes,

Few notes in fragrance are as polarizing as cumin. Some people associate cumin with sweat or food, and even the tiniest hint of it will cause them to double-bag a perfume sample and take it to the garbage can in the backyard. Other people, including me, like the carnal edge cumin adds to a fragrance.

To elaborate a bit on the "carnal" idea, I've posted a story that I can't believe I just told about why you'd put a seemingly unpleasant "body musk" into a fragrance. Short version: it could simply remind you of being sweaty with someone—or it actually could prompt a physical sensation.

(Santal Blush is by no means the only fragrance to use cumin; "cooking spices" in perfume might be a post unto itself, if you want to get into the use of coriander, nutmeg, and caraway. The cumin-forward fragrances I see mentioned most often are Rochas Femme, Jean-Paul Gaultier's Le Mâle, and Alexander McQueen's Kingdom.)

I actually like cumin a lot as a cooking spice that I know mostly from Mexican food, although it's also used in curry, baharat, chili powder, other spice mixes across cuisines, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. But, to put it lightly, a lot of people do not care for it. Much as with oud (which is also in Santal Blush—"agarwood"), this might be a cultural—bias? Lack of appreciation? Or it might just be that it truly doesn't work with an individual's chemistry. (It seems to do fine with mine, albeit faintly here.) As the Fragrenza blog notes,

Cumin, however, is a unique spice due to its animal-like note, which imparts a sensual, strong, and persistent aroma to fragrance compositions. While the odor can sometimes resemble sweat, animal notes in perfumery are highly useful for their capacity to fix other components and enhance their scents. When used precisely and sparingly, cumin lends strength and character to fragrances.

At Côté Bougie, "5 unusual facts to know about the scent kamoun (cumin)":

The use of cumin goes back so far that it is even mentioned in the Old Testament and in various Greek writings. Its oldest trace of use has been dated to at least 5000 years ago and located in the Nile Valley region. It was present in the pharaonic tombs without doubt for its unique scent. In the Middle Ages, it was used as currency. And in ancient times, it was used as a pepper in cooking thanks to its very aromatic flavor. [...] Cumin has always been known for its powerful smell. It gives off a spicy, woody and aniseed scent. In the family of spicy fragrances, cumin brings a touch apart since it also diffuses an amber note.

Make new friends (I've got a licorice/anise post coming up soon) and keep the old (our pal amber), as they say. And benzoin would support the cumin to create an even more lasting, amber-y effect. The cultural history implied by cumin also underlines the (sigh) "exotic" quality. Fortunately, there's no orientalist storytelling around the name GUERLAIN; the "blush" is an olfactory effect, not a stereotype.

And the cumin, oud, and (unspecified) musk give that blush a human foundation, even though it comes out really lightly on me. It may be that Santal Blush has been recently reformulated for the cheaper, because older reviews speak of a much creamier, longer-lasting fragrance, and I can't get this to last more than 4-5 hours under the best conditions. I would like it to be less dry and more balanced, no matter how much a showcase it's meant to be for Australian sandalwood—like, "moist." I'm trying not to say "moist." Because I don't mean it that way, and now we're just all thinking about me saying it. Maybe I should be meaning it that way—Tom Ford, as a designer and a brand, is out here with fragrances called "Lost Cherry" and "Rose Prick." You wouldn't think I'd have to coax a Tom "Fucking Fabulous" Ford fragrance out onto the stage, but here we are. Maybe Tobacco Vanille will still have some razzle-dazzle by the time I get to it.

Perfume discussion masterpost

#perfume #perfume discussion #perfume: tom ford #note: sandalwood #note: cumin #long post

36 notes · View notes

churchoflightcannon · 8 months

Text

Ch 11 of Majoring in Art and Chemistry is up now!

When I Look In Your Eyes, I’m On The Edge

Two days and absolutely zero communication later, Lux and Jinx are left to deal with the wreckage of their last meeting on their own. Lux and Seraphine Rematch with Noxus

Read Ch 11 here on AO3

Hope y’all enjoy this one it was a lot of fun to write :)

#arcane #jinx #league of legends #arcane jinx #jinx arcane #luxanna crownguard #lux #lightcannon #jinx x Lux #lightcannon fic #lightcannon fanfic #Majoring in Art and Chemistry #college au

13 notes · View notes

beefromanoff · 9 months

Text

Going Under Ch. 11

summary: the morning after Tony's party - HEAVY on the fluff here

characters: Bucky Barnes x OC

soundtrack: so hot you're hurting my feelings - caroline polachek

warnings: fluff, pop star fantasy x love story, set in an AU where the Avengers reunite after Civil War, pre-infinity war, slight angst, hurt/comfort, lonely reader/OC.

author’s note: sorry it's been so long since the last update, July was swamped with work and life and i've been swirling with ideas but no time to write them. hopefully updating several times this week!

chapter list/links - xo

____________________________________________________

Ouch.

Gianna’s eyes squeezed tight before they even opened. The thin sliver of light pouring into the hotel room through the gap in the blackout curtains had fallen right across her face. Wincing, she rolled away and tugged the covers over her eyes.

The soft rustling of denim against velvet let her know that someone was in the room, perched in the luxe armchair by the window. Ever the morning person, that Bucky Barnes.

Shit. Bucky.

Gianna froze, tangled in the comforter, as the events of last night came flooding back to her through a champagne haze. Popping champagne on the balcony, drinking games, karaoke on the table, an all-too-seductive bend and snap move on Bucky, and then…shit.

She buried her face deeper in the covers as if the soft material could take the burn out of her cheeks. The memories kept playing as though on a loop. Sitting on Bucky’s lap, feeling his arms around her, holding his cheek, kissing him. Finally kissing him. Somewhere in her attempt to repress reality, Gianna let out an audible groan.

“Good morning, sunshine.”

Slowly, Gianna lifted her head to peek in the direction of Bucky’s low morning voice. He was right where she expected, leaning back in the chair, an open cup of black coffee in his hand. He seemed to feel the opposite of how she did. She felt slow, sluggish, groggy - he looked more lively than she’d ever seen him. She felt shameful and sheepish - he looked merely amused.

Squinting at him through one eye, Gianna groaned again.

“Coffee’s on the way. I ordered it when I heard you start to wake up. Should be here any minute. Same with your other saving grace, Tony’s sending one of his nurses to give you an IV pack that’ll have you feeling brand new.”

“My hero.” Her voice sounded gravelly at best as she reached up to rub the sleep from her eyes. As the back of her hands burrowed against her eyelids, Gianna felt the surprising absence of mascara and glitter. Pausing, she looked at her hands to find them devoid of smudged, day-old makeup.

She glanced at Bucky who hadn’t taken his eyes off of her since she woke up. Truthfully, he hadn’t taken his eyes off of her all night, but she didn’t know that.

“You know Kate would kick both our asses if she knew you slept in your makeup.”

Gianna’s heart skipped a beat.

The thought of her gruff, super soldier, ex-assassin, Avenger bodyguard gently removing her makeup before she slept filled her with warmth. She cracked a smile as she envisioned Bucky gently tugging a makeup wipe out of the package with his metal hand.

“Thank goodness, I thought you were broken,” Bucky teased. “This is the longest I’ve seen you go without smiling since I’ve known you.”

Gianna rolled her eyes. “I’ve only been up for ten minutes.”

“Exactly.”

They locked eyes across the room. Gianna’s smile faded as she searched his blue eyes for any sign of his reaction to the night before, silently pleading with him to be over the moon with her. A knock on the door interrupted the moment.

Bucky jumped up and strode over to the door as Gianna hung her head. Stupid. Why am I so stupid. She shook her head, trying not to think of the inevitable awkwardness if he didn’t feel the same way about their (her) drunken kiss. How would they do the rest of the tour with that kind of discomfort? What if he left the assignment and sent someone else to replace him?

“Drink up.” She was jolted back to reality by the coffee being offered out to her, which she gladly accepted. The sweet, warm latte was exactly what she needed. Reclining back in bed, Gianna decided she’d give herself the morning to wallow and avoid consequences, and then talk to Bucky later.

A second knock on the door alerted them to the nurse’s arrival. Bucky let her in and she trailed him into the bedroom.

“Good morning, Ms. Cruz.” She was a middle aged woman with a stern face, but kind eyes. Her hair was slicked back into a bun and she donned the futuristic Stark Industries scrubs that everyone in his biotech lab wore.

Gianna smiled. “Good morning, thanks for doing this.”

“Not a problem. When we hear that Mr. Stark is having company, we prep at least a dozen of these.” She gestured to the bag holding golden fluid.

The nurse continued to set up the IV equipment next to her bed as Gianna sipped her coffee. There was a comfortable silence for a few minutes until Bucky spoke.

“Your call time isn’t until soundcheck at 3, you’ve got time to go back to sleep if you’d like.”

Glancing over the clock, Gianna saw the glowing numbers tell her it was just after 9:00am. She nodded and settled into the bed, extending her right arm out for the nurse whenever she was ready.

“Bucky?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

He smiled but didn’t speak. Silently, he walked over to the bed. He tugged the comforter higher over her body and took the coffee back from her hand.

“You can drink this later. Get some sleep.”

_____________________________________

As Gianna sat in the makeup chair, she silently thanked Tony Stark for the millionth time that day. She’d woken up several hours later with a small bandage on her arm and no other evidence that she’d felt like a bomb went off in her head that same morning. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she swore that even her skin glowed more now than it ever had.

Bucky sat on the couch in the dressing room, scrolling on his phone as he waited for the lengthy glam process to finish. His thumb flicked through various social media posts about Gianna and her ‘mysterious new man’. Wanda had texted him a link that morning while Gianna slept and now, in their brief downtime, Bucky found himself lost in the rabbit hole.

He couldn't believe how much attention they were getting, especially from Gianna's teenage girl fans.

"Candy Crush?" Gianna teased.

“What?”

“Nothing.” She smiled, still finding it simultaneously adorable and hilarious how out of touch Bucky was with pop culture. “Whatcha reading?”

Bucky looked up at her, cheeks flushing. "Just some posts about us," He flipped the phone around so she could see. “Wanda sent one to me, turns out there’s quite a narrative online about you and your mystery man.”

“No way,” Gianna plucked the phone from Bucky’s hand. “What are they saying now -”

She paused, eyes catching a photo of her and Bucky grabbing coffee a few weeks ago. She scrolled and saw another of them arriving at Tony’s place the night before. Scroll. Photo of them smiling at each other backstage. Scroll. Photo of Bucky walking her to their black SUV with his hand on her back. Scroll. A photo shot through the window of a different coffee shop of Gianna laughing at something he’d said.

“What does ‘ship’ mean?” Bucky interrupted her scrolling.

Gianna laughed, feeling a sense of amusement. "It means they want us to be in a relationship,"

Bucky looked at her, feeling a sense of surprise. "Really?".

"Yeah, they think we're cute together," she said, flicking through a few more posts before handing the phone back to him. “Like if you ‘ship’ two people, you’re rooting for them to get together.”

He took the phone back, his brow furrowed.

“For example, I ship Steve and Nat.”

Bucky looked up at her and grinned, seeming to understand. “I guess I do too.”

He looked back down at his phone and couldn't decide if he was flattered or embarrassed. He wasn't used to being in the public eye, especially not in such a personal way. Over the years, he’d seen dozens of articles about his past, his trials, his pardon. Never any speculation about his love life, not that there had ever been much to speculate about. He was surprised that so many people were interested in their potential relationship.

Gianna seemed to notice his quiet thought process. "If it makes you uncomfortable in any way, we can be more secretive," Her eyes were kind. “I’m used to it, so I don’t really notice any more. We can stop going in public if you -”

Bucky shook his head, cutting her off. "No, I love being seen with you."

His direct answer seemed to catch them both off guard. Gianna’s stomach filled with butterflies. Even Kate froze, the curling wand clutched in one hand and a lock of Gianna’s hair in the other. She glanced back and forth between the two, wondering how the hell they were the only two people who didn’t seem to realize that the sparks between them could power a small country.

“There are worse things to have people talk about. Trust me.” Bucky spoke again, diffusing the palpable tension in the room.

“Watch out Tom and Zendaya.” Gianna joked, hearing Kate chuckle behind her.

“Who?”

Gianna rolled her eyes.

____________________________

Later that day, as afternoon turned to evening, Gianna sat in her green room. Bucky had gone to grab her water, so she was alone with her thoughts. She picked up her phone and opened her camera roll. Somehow, over the tour, it had been filled with sweet memories.

As she waited for Bucky to return or for the stage manager to come tell her to get in position, she flicked through the photos, her heart skipping a beat with each happy memory coming back to her.

Gianna's Camera Roll

When Bucky returned and told her they were ready for her backstage, she tossed her phone into her duffel bag and followed him out the door.

Something told her that the love songs in her setlist would sound especially convincing tonight.

#bucky barnes #james bucky barnes #avengers #bucky barnes x oc #bucky fanfic #winter soldier #bucky fluff #winter soldier fluff #sebastian stan #winter solider x reader #bodyguard!bucky

8 notes · View notes

faefaye · 9 months

Text

BtT: Lux Permanet

The important thing I want to note here is about Merlin and the Fool discussing "the purpose of the advancement ritual" - Klein says during his Seq 3 ritual in canon (Ch 1137) that the purpose is to have a clear definition of yourself, and the 300 years away from history gives you an anchoring point regarding that.

Also, the descent ritual done at the end is taken from Mr. A's attempt in Chapter 477. I don't remember seeing another like that in canon so that was my only reference.

Now, moving on to things that are a lot less important :p -

Three months since Proof of Identity, and I've already bested that word count (which was at 3.6k). It's honestly insane to me since I've been writing fanfic for nearly a decade and so far my highest word count for a oneshot was around 2k.

But also Lux Permanet is a reimagining of 1400 chapters of canon so it's probably to be expected :p.

A few things in this fic, like Mr. Fool's past, are drawn from an unposted WIP of mine based on the idea "what if Zhou transmigrated in the First Epoch, but he and Klein still meet each other". I don't think it'll ever see the daylight :p, but I wanted to at least mention its existence.

That should be about it, thank you for reading!

#behind the text #fic: lux permanent #fandom: lotm

7 notes · View notes

pinkfey · 1 year

Text

tagged by @indorilnerevarine @steelport @nuclearstorms @aartyom and @shadowglens to make some ocs in this picrew!! thank u so much angels ilyasm!!! 💕💕💕

tagging @malefiicarum @rosebarsoap @lvllns @liurnia @brujah @devilbrakers @druidgroves @calenhads @risingsh0t @arklay @jillvalcntines @morvaris @moiragf @gelvaan @celticwoman @shellibisshe @cultistbase @kirnet @kymal @lexcanium @solasan @swordcoasts @lightwardens @baodurs @tommymillers @onewingedangels and you!!!!

dana (mass effect) + miss (fonv) + cath (fo3) velvet (cp2077) + calpurnia (kingmaker) + audra (mind blind) ellery (poe) + jael (wotr) + bright (dnd)

#feels like it’s been 5ever since i’ve done a tag game i went a lil overboard #love this picrew soooo much #tag game #ty again my loves <33 #ch: dana shepard #ch: miss hart #ch: cath montgomery #ch: velvet millar #ch: calpurnia #ch: audra wiseman #ch: ellery lux #ch: jael khatri #ch: bright

29 notes · View notes

dunbonnets · 4 months

Text

Zakaria: What do you think Sarah and Yue will do for a distraction?

Jupiter: They’ll probably, like, make a noise or throw a rock. That’s what I would do.

*Building explodes and several car alarms go off*

Jupiter: ... or they could do that.

#series: the divine justice saga #ch: zakaria zatara #ch: jupiter #ch: sarah crawford #ch: yue kavik #young justice fanfiction #young justice #incorrect quotes #author: dunbonnet #author: pseudonym-lux #author: void-daniella #*my ocs #*my friends oc #wattpad oc #wattpad collab #wattpad fic #wattpad fanfiction #wattpad

9 notes · View notes

bumblebugwrites · 2 months

Note

Hiii i love your stories and can’t wait for ch. 7 of NEABL. I am curious if we’re ever going to see my gal Lux again? Sorry if this is pushy my social cues are nonexistent LOL

🩷

you are all good! i know i totally changed my update schedule and then still managed to post a day late, lol. Lux will definitely be back and i have a couple of key moments mapped out for her coming up :))) she is, of course, one of my favs, so you know i couldn't live with myself if i didn't weave her in a few more times before the end!

#neabl #no evil angel but love

2 notes · View notes

photos-car · 7 months

Text

Cadillac CT6 EU Version 2017 : un mélange réussi de luxe et de performance

Cadillac CT6 EU Version 2017 : une nouvelle référence sur le marché des berlines premium

Cadillac atteint le continent européen avec sa nouvelle berline de luxe, la Cadillac CT6. Elle est prête à rendre les choses difficiles pour Mercedes-Benz, BMW et Audi. Toute acceptation que la marque américaine Cadillac a en Amérique est absent en Europe. Toutefois, le fabricant veut changer cette tendance avec de bons produits à vendre en Europe, et commercialiser la nouvelle berline de luxe CT6. Ainsi il va rivaliser avec les autres titans du segment, comme la Mercedes-Benz S-Class , la BMW Série 7 et Audi A8. Galerie Photos:

L'intérieur est remarquable Pour commencer, l'espace disponible a l'intérieur est remarquable par une longueur de 5,18 m et un empattement de 3,11 m. Sa conception est caractéristique des produits de la société américaine, exsudant un air de luxe à travers une calandre chromée, feux de jour a LED qui marque le côté du pare chocs avant et plutôt carré et puissant que formes une apparence aérodynamique rugueuse. Cependant, bien qu'il soit prévu que la gamme européenne Cadillac continuer à se développer au cours des années à venir, l' un de sa plus grande luxe se trouve dans son offre de moteurs. Un bloc essence turbo 3.0 litres V6 en se vantant une grande performance. Il est normal que si vous voulez réussir sur le vieux continent elle a besoin au moins d'un moteur diesel. Ainsi, son moteur de 417 ch et 550 Nm de couple pousse la Cadillac CT6 de 0 à 100 km / h en 5,7 secondes. Cela vous fait atteindre les 240 km/h. Enfin, le prix initial de la Cadillac CT6 sera de 73.500 euros pour la version de luxe en Allemagne. Par contre en Espagne ont n'a pas encore annoncé leurs prix, mais ils ne devraient pas s'écarter beaucoup du tout marché teutón. Mais choisir la finition la plus luxueuse coût -Premium- de 94.500 euros. Technologies La CT6 sécurise et améliore vos trajets grâce à des innovations pratiques parfaitement intégrées. Cela sont à la fois sûres et faciles à utiliser. Ses technologies d’assistance avancées proposées en option permettent au conducteur de disposer de nombreuses informations pratiques. Ainsi la connectivité intégrée garantit un confort optimal à tous les occupants du véhicule. Le système Cadillac CUE®, modernisé, est_doté d’un puissant processeur qui garantit une réactivité maximale. Vous bénéficiez également d’une connectivité sans fil 4G, d’un point d’accès Wi-Fi intégré et des fonctionnalités Apple CarPlay® et Android Auto®. Voici quelques-uns des points forts : - Un design élégant et moderne, qui se distingue des autres berlines premium sur le marché. - Des performances puissantes et efficientes, grâce à ses moteurs V6 et V8. - Un intérieur luxueux et confortable, avec des matériaux de haute qualité et des équipements de pointe. - Un excellent rapport qualité-prix, par rapport à ses concurrentes allemandes. Si vous êtes à la recherche d'une berline premium offrant le meilleur des deux mondes, la Cadillac CT6 EU Version 2017 est une voiture que vous devriez considérer. Read the full article

#Berline #Cadillac #CadillacCT #LuxuryCar #MoteurV6

3 notes · View notes