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an-asuryampasya · 1 year

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tag game!

(that I'm doing only about a month late- yike) Tagged by @ghostboyjules! Thanks for tagging me! :D

Nickname: Ash! Unless you're my dad, in which case it's "[random affectionate adjective]+[random synonym for kid]" (except in Telugu)

Sign: Capricorn :]

Height: Uhhh, honestly don't remember. 5' something?

Last thing I googled: well, I use duckduckgo but it was something about the nivi drape.

I adore textile history (my interest is primarily corset-centric, but I'm trying to expand that), and since it came up, have a light infodump!

The ubiquitous sari style that pops up when you look up saris is the 'nivi' draping style. What's fascinating is that sari styles used to vary a great deal between regions and communities - everything differed, like the length of the sari, how it was draped, and what else was worn with it (side note: the blouses and petticoats that are SO essential to the modern sari only became popular after contact with European cultures and the new ideals of propriety that came with it. relatively pretty recent!).

So, y'know, there's an incredibly wide range of styles of wearing a sari (over 108 draping styles were documented by a historian in 2010, and of course there'd also be styles that cropped up and died out in the centuries before. And again, this was just draping styles, not variations in weaving, dyeing, patterns, etc. which exist too - though that's tangential to my point here. But basically, there's SO much that can be done with the single piece of cloth that the sari is! And saris are still evolving.)

Ah, but then skip to me in today's generation - someone grew up surrounded by sari-wearers my entire life. And yet I still genuinely figured the nivi style was the One Way to wear a sari for a very long time.

That's because in the second half of the nineteenth century, the nivi draping style became REALLY popular across regions. Most sources ascribe this to the nivi style being perceived as a "modern" style that was acceptable to both, colonial Indian and British sensiblities. It became SO popular, it overrode other regional styles in most places (there are still some places with other draping styles still common, but it's like. Well lemme put it this way: I didn't know the term 'nivi' till last year when I started looking into sari history. To me there was only ever the "standard" sari and the exceptions of the Maharashtrian or Bengali sari styles.)

So y'know, I'm fascinated by how a single style suddenly blew up in popularity so intensely that it changed the entire landscape of Indian clothing. We went from saris varying between neighbouring districts in some cases, to a single style populating pretty much the entirety of the first page of google image results for 'sari'.

[addendum: I feel like pointing out that this change also raises questions of practicality. I am not well-versed in the art of sari draping, but in my (very) limited experience, the nivi drape feels less practical than some of the older styles? Too many things that can flop around; I feel like the styles where everything is neatly tucked away + worn like pants is much more practical. Those styles lasted as long as they did for a /reason/. But, the nivi is possibly easy to wear, maybe? idk though, feel like you can learn any style with practice, and ease of doing things after you've worn it should outweigh how easy the act of wearing it is, imo. But also I don't particularly wear saris so idk.]

(sorry, this was supposed to have been a really quick aside, maybe a single para long. welp.) well, how about I offer what I looked up before that instead?

it was "cat pinned YOU pot broken tumblr"

Much more pithy and fun! I was looking for this image:

Song stuck in my head: Well I'm currently listening to 'Raise You Up / Just Be' from Kinky Boots, but for the past couple of days my brain's been cycling through songs from Treason and Ride The Cyclone (they're all musicals, yes).

Number of followers: Twenty something on this blog I think? I refuse to close this post editor to check. Weeding out the bots is a daily chore, though. :[

Amount of sleep: Surprisingly, I've been getting plenty of sleep of late! I think I got about 7 hours last night. I will CHERISH these few weeks of sufficient (if irregular) sleep for years to come. 😌

Dream job: this changes literally every three months, scream. but I keep coming back to something involving brief, intense periods of research into something, writing about it for a general audience, and then moving on to another topic.

Wearing: a shirt that reads 'stressed, depressed, but well dressed' that 13 y/o me absolutely loved owning, but it's still super comfy years later so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Paired with pyjamas that used to be my mum's but then I flicked them and then tore them and then mended them even though I don't even like them all that much, so really, what am I even doing with them still.

Movies/books that summarize you: listen, I'm an engineering graduate who fucking hates maths and physics. I think I'm legally obligated to say 3 Idiots akfksghksg. Also throwing in Enid Blyton because I grew up reading her stuff, Mamma Mia because how could I not mention it, and Maryada Ramanna for reasons I'll elaborate on some other time when I'm not dragging out an already long post.

Favorite song: I refuse to pick only one because (adopts horrified voice) how could I?! But right now, I keep going back to certain In Trousers and Hadestown songs (still talking musicals, yes. I promise I do listen to other stuff, just... not so much, of late). Also you can inject 'Take Things Into Our Own Hands' from Treason into my fucking veins, okay? I LOVE that so sodding much (the album version - I need you to know that, even if that clarification means less than nothing to you. The live concert version is not it). excellent revolution rousing song, that.

Favorite instrument: Ah this one's hard. I don't really focus on specific instruments much, so I'll go with the flute since I was rather partial to it as a kid - not the sound of it, not playing it. just. the instrument. idk. I spent a good chunk of time on the flute's wiki page back then ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ oh, taking a leaf out of jules' book and also going with voice - I am very much a sucker for a good bit of harmonising.

Aesthetic: genuinely stumped by this one, actually. will accept answers from anyone who's got an opinion on this!

Favorite authors: this question is MEAN. I mostly read fanfiction of late, but I also tend to just subscribe to them or bookmark their profiles rather than remember the usernames, welp. So mhmm before I dived into fanfiction, I was really into Trudi Canavan, Eoin Colfer, Cornelia Funke, Jane Austen, Enid Blyton, Sudha Murthy, and Rick Riordan, amongst others.

Random fun fact: I imagine this is meant to be a fun fact about me but I am itching to throw in a fun fact about construction technology or corsets instead akskgdg. I'm. Also blanking on literally anything remotely interesting about me akfkshg. welp, guess my fact shall be that I somehow manage to romanticise concrete technology regularly? (plasticisers are fucking awesome, okay? and I've said it a lot before, but the implications of acoustic emissions in concrete make me a lil emotional)

Well, brief dive into sari drapes aside, that's me done! many thank for tagging me, Jules! :D I took approximately forever to get around to doing it (apologies!), but I got to ramble about clothing history so I had lots of fun doing this now :]

(also consider this me tagging anyone who feels like doing this!)

#sorry it's just that clothing history is something I will gladly ramble about at the drop of a hat #which is saying something given that when it comes actually dressing myself‚ it's usually something like #randomly pairing leggings or swishy skirts with nine (?) year old graphic tees #maybe a kurti if I need to Dress Up #minimal thought goes into that #placeholder tag #anyway reading your tags on posts is always delightfully entertaining Jules #and reading your answers to these questions was equally fun :D #probably going to go look up the songs you mentioned in your answers now!

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anxiouskilljoy · 4 days

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being best friends with natasha romanoff

.....with a little bit of clint

warnings: close friends, mental illness, physical illness/hurt, swearing, alcohol/drunkenness, bickering, humorous gunshots

please note: hopefully this will be part of my reader insert universe for mcu.....but can deff be read as a stand alone :)

literal ride or dies

its too easy to be around each other

comfortable silence BUT ALSO hyperspeed talking

deffoooooooo share a bed ALL THE TIME

after a while the public deffo thinks you're a couple

like no just really close friends

and not in the way historians descri-

encourage each other to keep up with self-care like food, drink, sanitation etc

"have you done your skincare yet?" "no-" "we're doing it right now"

"have you eaten breakfast today?" "no I haven't really had ti-" "that's crazy because I made you some"

first port of call for drama

whether that's SHIELD, dating, avengers, press, overhearing + eavesdropping corrupt politicians

iconic pap pics of you two out and about the town brunching + lunching in NYC

sit together at mealtimes, no matter where: avengers tower/compound, press junkets, events

you pick up certain phrases in Russian like: for gods sake, bitch, i hate you, shut up, idiot, don't die, thank you, goodnight, eat up

not being scared of her like lots of other ppl seem to be

scary dog privileges LOL

you are one of the few people who she feels she needs to have around if she wants to get properly drunk

she doesn't like the vulnerability that comes with intoxication

having to be super elaborate and careful if planning a surprise for one another because well, hello? super spies alert! dUH

karaoke queeeeeeen but its a rare sight

(i use scarletts songs from sing LMAOOOOO)

CONSTANTLY bickering and insulting each other

shout at each other alot

"rlAAAGHHHGHHHHr"

"AHGGGGGGGHHHAGH"

"listen to ME"

*high pitch screaming*

*tackles into nearest surface*

napping on each other

a head on a shoulder

legs on a lap

clint is involved in hang outs: either as 1) a sassy king or 2) a pathetic loser boy or 3) a Mr grumpypants

immediately looking at one another across rooms or tables if something crazy is said or happens

being one of the few who can make her crack a broad genuine smile on tv interviews or other pr events with your antics or jokes or raw realness

“I ain’t never seen two pretty be-”

***GUNSHOTS***

the whole theory fell apart

If there’s videos or pictures of you two talking, ppl always wanna know what was being said and wanting to know your conversations

very secure in the friendship

like you can go a while without seeing each other or specifically hanging out and it makes no difference

help each other with any mental difficulties you may have

physical too

the pair of you have a top secret and I mean TOP SECRET NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT IT collection of collaborations on rap songs you both wrote and recorded.

it is literal FIRE but it shall smoulder underground forever and never see the light of day

she is obviously super badass on the recordings and effortlessly cool

like she speaks so calmly and softly

but the words are icy daggers

okay idk what this is but here you go. dont ask. please. i need to go to bed. i didn't think tasha as a best friend would (de?)volve into having secretly recorded rap songs with her wtaf.

P.S. HOW DOES TAGGING WORK WTF

-killjoy ;)

#natasha romanoff #natasha romanov #natalie rushman #natalia alianovna romanova #natalia romanova #natalia romanoff #black widow #the black widow #clint barton #hawkeye #natasha romanoff platonic #how do tags work

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bubblyernie · 3 years

Photo

MORE dnd ocs hehehe I’m so excited to share these two bc i just really love their designs and concepts lol (and yes, another elf-based magic user. Look at me go)

art tag // commission info // design notes on patreon

Here's some bios (under the cut)

GENERAL: They both work at the resource library in the Hovering Points district of Thal’s city (refer to this map if you’d like, #28). Fhadrii is a lorekeeper, he basically puts together like, encyclopedias and stuff, specializing in illusory magic, and world history/conjuration magic on the side. Dahma is a historian, he left the monastery (#19) to dedicate himself to academic study instead. They’re both secretly studying like, idk how to put this, “dark magic” on the side, just a little cultish. The dark arts is what caused Dahma to lose his hand and Fhadrii’s just drawn to it bc....well, he’s a “you owe me your firstborn” witch baby.

FHADRII: Fhadrii (he/him/they/them) is a Half-Elf (other half is ??? Genasi? probably) and Hexblood, meaning he’s got some occult stuff going on. Again, witch-baby; Fhadrii’s father (no mother yet) made a deal in the woods and as payment, the djinn he made a deal with "owns” his only child. His last name is a sort of mix of the French words for tailor and darkness, his father is a tailor and works in the noble tailorshop in Thal’s city (on the map, #30). He’s kinda got a stiff upper lip, young for an elf, trying to act way more mature than he actually is. He’s definitely a buzzkill, not arrogant but like, a rules-only fella, but once you get to talking to him he’s really just a disaster man who’s like “oh no i sounded so stupid :(” Mostly bc he’s living in like the noble/rich-kid neighbourhood and he’s this privately-tutored nobody from a far East village who only got his position bc he excelled in the last 10 education which was the fancy rich-kid school (that thal, dharton, and arbiter ALL attended). So he’s just a little self conscious. Tries his best.

DAHMA: Dahma (he/him) is a firbolg, AND he’s a monk!! The whole city is very moon-oriented, as the names on the map might suggest bc...moon, tides, its a coastal city, ANYWAY, his monastery is very moon-based as well so he’s a shadow monk (ninja). His family is from some forest in the middle of the continent, a lot of typically “evil” adjacent races are from there (Drow, Duergar, Minotaurs, etc.) so he’s got that kinda complexion to him (plus its goth). He’s super duper intimidating, but 100% the gentle giant type. He rarely speaks unless spoken to, and is voice is really low so it doesn’t help the friendliness factor but he’s just a tired dad fella looking out for everyone. During his time in the monastery, he dabbled in dark magic eventually losing his forearm and hand. After that, he decided to leave and start helping the embassy/city instead. He uses like a mossy-bark lookin mage hand for simple tasks but it cant lift more than 5 pounds so....welp. He’s a monk tho, monks are super cool and kickass even with missing limbs.

VOICES: Okay okay so here’s just a mind map for you. The country/continent is divided like a compass. Erril/Winnie/Ollia is from the south, Thal/Dharton is from the North, Thal’s parents are from the middle, Arbiter is from the North-East, for reference. The South-West has a LOT of English accents, moving upwards to the middle, you get more Welsh/German/American, and the North-East has heavy heavy French accents. That’s why Thal’s accent is French but like, a little off, bc it’s got some Welsh in there. Right anyway, Fhadrii sounds French as hell, Dahma sounds a little Welsh-American.

DAY-TO-DAY: Welp, they both work at the library, and I want them to probably share an apartment together just cuz its fun. Between helping the people who come in, escorting them around, studying, they’re like, 100% studying cult magic stuff on the side. Not with like, malicious intent, they just want to know what the fuck is up.

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mrs-nate-humphrey · 3 years

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I am curious: what are your favorite scenes from your main ships (date, dair, derena...)?

scenes involving milo don't count, sorry!

for me, it's really not just scenes, but body language & just in general, how they are with each other, you know? dan and serena grin at each other and hug SO much, you can tell that being around each other in s1 made them both so happy, and even after that glow fades the way they look for comfort in each other... top level stuff. the way blair looks at dan... we never see her as radiant at any other point. she was not looking at anyone else like this. and gosh, dan and nate. they're both so comfortable around each other that there's absolutely nothing weird about like. discussing that one ex girlfriend whom they both share AND both were in love with. there is literally no other duo who trusts/enjoys each other's company so much that they're comfortable in a love triangle. (probably because they're more in love with each other than with the girl, but that is not the point. or is it?)

anyway, more specific answers. under the cut. this is one of the longest answers i've ever written on this blog possibly but you KNEW that would happen when you sent this ask, didn't you? (affectionate)

derena: i tagged one of my ds reblogs as 'the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one' and like. look at them! this hug from 1x10 kills me in the best way. they are both the literal embodiment of :D when they see each other! i love 1x10 as a whole moment, their entire thing at cotillion is so sweet and they're both so happy. the fact that he is talking about his chemistry teacher during this kiss in 1x07. that bit at the end of 1x05 when they talk about their siblings (being there for their sibling because of fallible parents being a derena parallel makes me simultaneously really sad and really soft, tbh). 1x05 gives me SO MUCH SECONDHAND EMBARRASSMENT but the way they walk off together arms around each other does something to me - these are two people who are still getting to know each other but who really like what they see, and who trust each other and. are just having a good time together! back when derena was my OTP, the 1x11 "your story's about me?" was absolutely a fave, too, and i still adore it, albeit in a different, more nostalgic way. i like a dan who writes cute stories about serena. no empty shell sabrina van skoneker bullshit. she is so much like you, daniel! you'd be shattered if she did this to you. don't do this to her. tbh, most derena moments from s1 are just A+ romance. the bit in 2x02 in the jitney is so funny, they're SO bad at being exes. the bit in... 3x03 i think?? i don't remember... on the contrary. when they're talking about dan's fling w/ georgina and serena's relationship with carter, the ease with which they talk and how happy/supportive they are of each other's new relationships... yeah. love to see it.

i also really like any instance of them having honest/open conversations. 1x13, talking about how serena is concerned about blair. 1x08, serena talking to dan about feeling jealous of vanessa. this bit from the touch of eva or whatever that episode is. 4x04 i think. this is the conversation everyone is trying to get dan to have and he's avoiding EVERYONE else. derena interactions in 3x21 (can't find a gif right now) - the fact that dan is with serena when her dad abandons them, the fact that he goes all the way there with her. 2x07, "i'm really glad you're nate's friend. he really needs someone like you right now" (though i'm cheating, that's technically a d/n moment too klhdflkgf). there's a bit in s4 where he's advising her against having an affair w/ colin, i don't remember the ep number, but the way he takes her side so easily and naturally and puts due blame/responsibility solely on her professor... yeah. 4x10 i think this ep is?? idk. but like my tags say, im sentimental about this moment because while what dan was doing was irresponsible, sneaking her out of the ostroff, he was the only person in this episode who was actually talking to her and listening to her and taking her seriously. nobody else was doing that!!

i probably have more moments i'm not remembering, but we're only 1/3 into this answer and LOOK AT THE WORDS, good lord, i'm sorry.

dair: my favourite dair episode is hands down despicable b (5x21) which i have heard is an uncommon answer. i just love the conflict resolution of it all, okay!!! 1x04 & 2x08 are like. standard answers any dair shipper will give, and i'm no different. i love dan being able to give blair advice and blair actually taking his advice even though they're not friends yet!!! be right back, yelling at the intimacy of it all!! 5x16, with their getting together (this little kiss and dan being so startled by it), blair admitting a flaw she genuinely does have and dan saying it's not awful because it's her, which is just. romance at its finest. those vows, good lord. 5x18.... they're having fun! blair showing up at the loft in lingerie for dan... the delight on her face.... (i know this moment blows up in their face but when she's there she looks so happy and proud of herself and this was like THE moment when i was like. oh. dair is really the heart of this garbage show huh).

i think for me, the thing that really sells dan & blair together is the serena of it all. both of them love serena more fiercely than anyone else, and that is what brings them together. (fwiw i definitely think nate loved serena this much and this deeply, too; the writers just wanted to pop the serenate balloon, which even i think was extremely unnecessary and ooc.) but (& i have so much meta about this) their relationship grows beyond serena. their entire s4 arc is SO good. i love how comfortable around each other they are, in such an adult way, in the sense of like. they both bring so much stability to each other? morgan tagged this edit "the marrieds" and like. yeah. b offers to help him shave. they're having breakfast & reading the paper together.

all the love declarations we got that weren't a simple 'i love you.' be your charming wonderful self (how could she not love you/ tell me what would make you happy, dan) i told chuck he doesn't have my heart anymore (you spent your life earning the keys to set you free when you were free all along!!!!) dan's pep talk to blair in 5x21 (already linked a gifset earlier, here's another one if you want i guess). there's definitely more... but honestly, the way the dair arc was executed was so good - while i do have my complaints, i also think keeping those aside, it was SO close to perfect. i love dan & blair's banter and gradually becoming closer and closer and closer. it felt very organic and real and GOSH. the way penn & leighton looked at each other while playing dan and blair...... it's just SO MUCH.

date: this is the hardest, because it's. *screams*. maybe you saw me losing my mind over those 2 seconds of nate handing dan a waffle? i love almost every scene with these two, even the hellish s6 breakup scene. my favourite episode for d/n (& also favourite gg episode in general) is 2x06 - i love the homoerotic subtext of it all. nate pretending to be dan because dan's name is the first name that came to his head. dan flirting w/ nate while tied to that thing, in his underwear. them becoming friends. and 2x07 as a follow-up to that! dan getting nate to live in the loft with the humphreys for a while. i am so soft.

4x09 is a terrible episode in general, especially for serena my beloved, but the d/n moments in that one? off the CHARTS. this weird overly macho flirting, in some ways THE most iconic d/n line. this entire finish each other's sentences nonsense. someone (i think it was ana but im not sure?) compared the energy of those scenes i just linked to the book blairenate love triangle resolution, blairena choosing each other over nate in the books, date choosing each other over serena in the show (if only! RIP.) after the saints & sinners ball, this cute little moment of 'youre the only one who understands me. please tell me they went home together. i mean. how could they not have.

3x07, them watching vampire porn together. a tag i used on ao3 (& also on here, once) is 'nate brings out the himbo in dan'. here is a prime example. 'is she levitating?' i don't fucking know, dan, what do you think?? (i was telling my partner that that's what i love abt dair vs date. around blair dan is an intellectual, a librarian, an art historian, a museum curator. around nate it's like dan is competing to be #1 himbo on the show. can my girlfriend actually fly? i don't know, dan. i can't believe you're seriously asking such a question.)

3x12 pep talk. (sorry about the shitty quality!) essentially nate telling dan that he (dan) is hot and that he shouldn't talk himself down so much.

dan making nate gay in his book. you know. his book from which blair found out he was in love with her. nads (who i will not tag in this billion word long gushy meta, because i value her sanity) once called inside "wish fulfilment' and. i mean. yeah

nate checking dan out at the derena wedding continues to be hilarious. hilarious in the same way as dan sexually fantasising about nate. canon really went 'let's give ivy some special easter eggs' and i appreciate them a lot!

i love the way they are around each other - so quietly attuned to each other. i showed my sister my date!husbands gifset, and she was like. yeah they're so married. and it's just stuff like how dan looks for nate over his shoulder, it's not even an active action, it's as easy and natural and intuitive as breathing, checking to see if nate is still there.

oh, that wasn't as hard as it could've been! okay. cool. im SURE there's more things i could scream about, because it's DN, the fact that they're non-canon makes me THAT much fiercer about them than dair/derena, to be honest. so many dots to connect!! anyway.

#meta #derena #dair #date #anon #this is SUCH a gushy essay but like. what did you expect #how else could i have answered this #this took. an embarrassingly long amount of time #but i had SO much fun so #citations for my ships #don't mind me *whistles under my breath*

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fluffynexu · 4 years

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Astralignment

and the Korribani Calendar System

Before the arrival of the Exiles the native Sith on Korriban had their own system of keeping track of time. Over the years, this became standardized and refined and is still in use by a large portion of the modern Pureblood community. Since the ancient Sith were observant beings of their world, many of the names and symbols reflected their natural environment. All of these aspects go into what is known as a Sith’s astralignment (astro-alignment).

Since the Empire runs on Imperial Standard Time (IST), anything relating to Korriban or any other Imperial world is referred by the local time of that planet.

Compare a year on Dromund Kaas to Korriban:

Dromund Kaas (everything in standard)

24 hours/day

312 days/year

7,488 hours/year

60 minutes = 1 hour

24 hours = 1 day

5 days = 1 week

7 weeks = 1 month

35 days = 1 month

8 months (+4 weeks and 4 holidays) = 1 year

312 (standard)days = 1 year

Korriban

28 (standard) hours/day

780 (local) days/year

21,840 (standard) hours/year

70 (standard and local) minutes = 1 hour

24 (local) hours = 1 day

10 (local) days = 1 week

6.5 (local) weeks = 1 month

65 (local) days = 1 month

12 (local) months = 1 year

780 (local) days = 1 year

This roughly makes 1 Korribani year approximately 2.9 [Dromund] Kaasi years.

Calendars

The days on Korriban are annotated on some versions of the Imperial calendar alongside the standard days.

In this example, names of the days on the calendar reflect the IST. The black numbers indicate the date in IST, the red numbers represent the date of the Korribani calendar. Placement of the Korribani date indicate when that day begins in relation to the Kaasi one.

A. 00:00 is the same for both. B. 00:00 K starts at 04:00 DK. C. 00:00 K starts at 08:00 DK. D. 00:00 K starts at 12:00 DK. E. 00:00 K starts at 16:00 DK. F. 00:00 K starts at 20:00 DK. G. Loops back around and 00:00 K lines up 00:00 DK .

While seemingly complicated to some, most Sith have grown with this system of overlapping calendars and can easily tell the date by the positioning of the numbers in this format.

There are of course, electronic versions where the date is shown simply:

Since the Korribani month is longer than the Kaasi one, the dates will continue through the Kaasi months. These next two pictures show how long 1 Korribani month is in relation to a Kaasi one.

There is also a version of the Korribani calendar that does not overlap with IST. These are used locally on the planet.

The days of the Korribani week were named after major gods from the most widespread pantheon on the planet:

Ahmuriq, from Ahmurn: the creator god.

Marseriq, from Marserha: mother goddess of the Sith.

Bashariq, from Bashara: goddess of passion.

Teraiq, from Teral: god of protection and justice.

Iskarliq, from Iskarln: god(dess) of conflict and war.

Marduriq, from Mardur: patron god of the Massassi and strength.

Rusaniq, from Rusanel: goddess of knowledge.

Zefiriq, from Zefir: goddess of the hunt.

Shumariq, from Shumari: god of the harvest.

Goruiq, from Gorul: the trickster god(dess).

Months

There are numerous constellations in the Korribani sky. Twelves of these mark the months of the year as well as going into the astalignment. The 12 major, monthly constellations all depict local fauna from ancient fables and have certain characteristics that are commonly associated with them.

1. Yuninchâtsutuyok, the jiminat and agzonûboj engaged in eternal conflict. Dedicated, ambitious, and insightful.

2. Qyalatuyok, the qyalak. Calm, sentimental, and inquisitive.

3. Badzuriqatuyok, the badzuriqash. Tenacious, practical, and direct.

4. Kaarjontuyok, the kaarjontû. Spontaneous, contemplative, and observant.

5. Tukatatuyok, the tukata. Loyal, respectful, and staunch.

6. Hatyatuyok, the hatya. Articulate, perceptive, and adaptable.

7. Lomaituyok, the lomait. Disciplined, fearless, and competitive.

8. Dzushatuyok, the dzushaj. Private, calculating, and flexible.

9. Mowhetuyok, the mowhef. Stern, traditional, and ruthless.

10. Dyaltituyok, the dyaltir. Mischievous, studious, and charismatic.

11. Jhan’dikanatuyok, the lost dikana. Creative, sociable, and resourceful.

12. Niqoituyok, the niqoit. Erudite, cunning, and free-spirited.

Years

The years are also represented by local animals. No one, not even Sith scholars or historians, are sure of the origin of how these animals came to represent the years on Korriban’s calendar. It is one of the many parts of Sith culture that have been lost since it is believed this particular record has been passed down through oral tellings.

The years are kept track of in a 6-year cycle with each year emphasizing a likely success for the ones born in that year.

Chiroik - Wealth

Wokinai - Knowledge

Natûsh - Fame

Dzenal - Influence

Litskoj - Power

Sulemish - Longevity

(ie. Those born in the year of the Sulemish will have a long life.) This again factors into a Sith’s astralignment.

In addition to the years, these 6 animals are also used for the hours on Korriban. But time is not conveyed in the same manner as Basic. While in Basic one would simply say “14:25” (or two twenty-five in the afternoon) the Sith have a much more involved way to convey time.

For example: Shyracks screech and return to their caves as the priestess prepares the altar in the hour of the wokinai.

Translates to: 07:15 local time (or seven fifteen in the morning).

As a side note, a few centuries ago Darth Feras domesticated and bred wrats within the Empire. At first they weren’t seen with much interest by her peers. But popular rumor has it that she pointed out her creations embody the physical traits of the yearly beasts.

Eyes - Chiroik

Ears - Wokinai

Body - Natûsh

Hands - Dzenal

Feet - Litskoj

Tail - Sulemish

Afterwards they quickly became a favored pet and companion among the Sith, being seen as an auspicious animal.

While not related to their calendar there is a tradition of being assigned a birth flower. For this, the Sith do not look to their skies but rather, when a child is born the placenta is buried in a pot with 12 seeds. The first of these seeds to sprout becomes that Sith’s birth flower. These 12 flowers are also used in medicine, therapeutic or preventive, for some common ailments.

Serla for headaches.

Roshal for good eyesight.

Nashkir for sore throats.

Atsudqâ for heart health.

Hyaranjat for good digestion.

Mûyoin for muscle pain.

Shasâyar for fertility.

Jûzon for blood circulation.

Ashanin for bone mending.

Qoyo for fevers.

Chisiqsanu for irritated ridge skin.

Kûsk’inti for fatigue and replenishing energy.

The last two parts that go into a Sith’s astalignment are their energies. The weekly energies correspond with 4 classic “elements” of earth, fire, air, and water. While the daily energy simply refers to day or night (d/n) in regards to when the person was born.

Combined with all aspects mentioned in this document, year, month, weekly energy, day (+energy), and flower, one can study a Sith’s astalignment. ex. Darth Vowrawn’s astalignment factors:

The study of these astralignments is a complicated field on to its own while the findings can be very important to some among the Sith. There are specialized scholars who offer their services to the old families so that the “perfect matches” (marriage, business, or otherwise) can be set up.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

aaaaahhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT’S DONE. i feel like frodo at mt. doom after the ring is destroyed omg... ;-;

SOOOO. i wanted, and i mean REALLY wanted, to finish this for lunar new year (for pretty obvious reasons lol)...... :,) welp. then i was like “i can do may 4″ lol NOPE. but here we are! still technically sith day? whatever. imma say I Did It. :D

also pls don’t laugh at my stupid drawings. i already know i can’t art. ok??? >,<

special thanks to @snootysith for giving me a bunch of sithy names and words for me to use. c: like y’all... coming up with fake words, that look and sound ok is really HARD (for my dumbass anyway)

other worldbuilding posts that are... sorta mentioned/used in this:

@inquisitorhotpants‘s dk calendar

BOOS! x3

and some other stuff ....

but uh, yea. if you’re wondering “hang on there fluffy... did you really make a big, dumbass zodiac/astrology post??” the answer is...

yes.

yes i did... xU

but also i imagine the ancient sith had a lot of special and important dates for you know... religious things? *shrug* and over the many, many years all of this was passed down and prob altered in some way to fit into modern sith society? idk...

now imma say some things here bc i know For A Fact!!! that ppl don’t go onto original posts to read op tags on this hellsite lol.

and this isn’t me trying to sound like an arrogant asshole... but these are for some common questions that’ll undoubtedly come up:

yes, you can use this in any extent or manner.

no, you obvs don’t have to. ignore it if you want. i’ll be ok lol.

no, i’m not gonna write a long ass book with all the little details on every aspect of all the traits and then assign these things for your character(s). just make something up. that’s what i did here xD (plus my brain is d e a d from this)

yes, this is seen as a mostly(!) tomato pureblood sith thing but obvs attitudes are different between individuals. some are super into it, some could careless and think it’s all fake news, some have parents that care too much about it which is annoying and interfering with their life so they lowkey hate it lol.

no, i couldn’t do a read more bc it wouldn’t look as nice and i worked hard ok? ;-; i apologize for clogged dashes in advance.

i think that’s it? ofc feel free to hmu if you’re ok with a reply that can take anywhere from a few min to 3 business days ^-^;

#swtor #sith pureblood #sith warrior #sith inquisitor #y'all know how surprisingly hard it is to make constellations???#like...#DX #they have to look like the thing and i had to know what that Thing was #but also! have you seen rl constellations??#they don't look like The Thing at all!#so i had to make it kinda abstract? idfk #now if you'll excuse me #i'm off to be a completely unproductive member of the fandom again #:')#worldbuilding #long post

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theharellan · 4 years

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THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; Mun & Muse - Meme.

fill out & repost ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm. tagged by: stolen from @dansiere tagging: @ghiassan, @deathsreflection, @altuspavus, @windrunnerrs (velanna), @hopewrought, @willbeshot, @seahaloed (iron bull), @asterfed (noctis), @ anyone who wants to steal it! also multis feel free to choose a different character

My muse is: canon / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless / complicated (i’m open to roleplaying with non-dragon age characters, and have AUs for other fandoms)

Is your character popular in the fandom? YES / NO. solas is both wildly popular and wildly hated. he’s been more consistently popular than the controversial women in the series, like sera or vivienne, who have only recently begun to get to the point where their tags are less vitriolic (although i’m sure it’s still out there), but there’s still a sizable hatedom that can’t have his name breathed in their vicinity w/o them talking abt how much they hate him. even if you’re currently cosplaying him!

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom? YES / NO / IDK. again, you have ppl who are super into him and ppl who think he’s ugly. my personal opinion is that i think he’s weirdly pretty, and wish ppl would commit more to his unconventional features rather than try to chisel him into sb more traditionally attractive and that ppl who don’t find him attractive would maybe chill w/ calling him ugly. find him unattractive by all means, but lets embrace the fact that inquisition let their love interests have skin flaws etc and accept that some won’t be our cups of tea.

Is your character considered strong in the fandom? YES / NO / IDK. its hard to deny at this point tbh.

Are they underrated? YES / NO / IDK. frustrating as the hate in the tags he has enough fans that i couldnt say he’s underrated w/ a straight face.

Were they relevant for the main story? YES / NO. he’s the reason the game starts with a bang and not the inevitable dissolution of the conclave b/c the sides are disparate.

Were they relevant for the main character? YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG. regardless of solas’ relationship with the inquisitor, there are parallels and contrasts in their stories and he also is the reason they survive inquisition.

Are they widely known in their world? YES / NO. fen’harel is well-known and revered, if feared, among the dalish, yet at the same time he’s not remembered for a lot besides locking the gods away-- and the context of that decision has also been lost. as solas he’s relatively unknown until inquisition and especially trespasser.

How’s their reputation? GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL. again, polarising!! he has loyal agents and people are willing to speak well of him despite everything, including his enemies sometimes (depending mostly on the inquisitor).

How strictly do you follow canon? — generally i try to have a canon basis for my interpretation, even if i interpret the text differently than the author.

SELL YOUR MUSE! Aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutuals. — solas is an immortal who is simultaneously jaded and very much invested in the small moments of life. far from being weary of the day-to-day lives of ordinary people, it is systems and orders he is most tired of. he walks an interesting line that feels far less misanthropic than other immortal characters i’ve experienced, yet still he’s quite cynical. as a character who has fought against religious based tyranny before, but in a completely different era, he is in a unique position where what he sees around him is both horrifyingly familiar and yet completely new. it allows an exploration of the wrongs of thedas’ society from an outsider’s perspective. his motivations are complex and multifaceted, often condemnable and yet also understandable. his character arc in inquisition (if befriended, or regardless in the case of my solas) takes him from a dispassionate, disconnected antagonist to someone deeply invested in the people of thedas, deeply conflicted and actively hoping he will be proven wrong again. i think his story is a testament to human (or elven, or dwarven, or-) connection and how even when we resist we can’t resist creating bonds with the people in our lives. i personally see this bond going beyond the inquisitor hence why i play low-approval solas as conflicted as high-approval, if not when it comes to the inquisitor.

Now the OPPOSITE, list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?). — solas is selfish and motivated solely by revenge, he’s clinging to a past that clearly no longer exists, if you ignore all the people from it who are still alive. he’s totally unaware of all his flaws and never owns up to any mistakes ever. no, i haven’t listened to a single word solas has said in my life why do you ask. he’s also critical of my faves which means he’s #cancelled, there is clearly no validity to what he’s saying. ksjdf no but in all seriousness i think a lot of reasons ppl don’t find solas interesting are just... weird readings of his character that sometimes have no basis in the text of inquisition, but also there are plenty of perfectly valid reasons to not find him interesting. usually those ppl don’t like... talk abt how much they don’t find him interesting constantly tho. they just chill and aren’t invested in this particular villain. for one thing i think the game missed out on opportunities for exploring how someone who may not have even had a body at the beginning of his existence would feel about gender and sexuality, so making him presumably straight and cis was a boring choice. i also think that the dragon age games being very protagonist-centric hurts solas’ character, there’s no real reason why the inquisitor is the only one who can throw his plans into question but making the player the center of the universe means he’s not allowed to change due to the effects of other companions or NPCs. thank god this is rp and i do what i want.

What inspired you to rp your muse? — i have a history degree so when the inquisition companions were being teased, solas describing bias in primary sources from the memories he’s seen got me interested in him. but my first playthrough i didn’t actually take him with me all too often, i think my main party was dorian-blackwall-varric. i liked him, and i think he or dorian were my first friends in skyhold, but my initial interest was in other characters. between his dialogue that appealed to the historian in me tho and how his spirit opinions sort of turned everything i’d felt about spirits in the last two games on its head, i started vibing with him more the farther i went in. like merrill set me up for the “spirits are people” thing and solas hit it out of the park. then temple of mythal happened, and i did bring solas with me there. i found his dialogue fascinating and also suspicious, i’d just finished masked empire like the day before da:i came out so i definitely thought solas was an ancient elf in the same vein as felassan. it was after temple of mythal that i actually decided to make his blog, although like as one idk linchpin to cement my status as solas trash... i was hit BAD by the banter bug on my first playthrough, probably got like a dozen banters total. but then at some point late in the game i took solas to the forbidden oasis and he wouldn’t stop talking to people, and i really loved his banter with the rest of my party at the time.

What keeps your inspiration going? — replaying inquisition, new DA content when the bioware gods deign to grant us a lifeline, but the biggest thing is my rp partners. i wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the people i write with, new and old. my activity of late hasn’t been the best, work and the summer heat has really been sapping me of energy, and does even during years when we aren’t going through a pandemic. but it’s the thought of my rp partners and love of solas that keeps me coming back.

Some more personal questions for the mun.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice? YES / NO / I SINCERELY HOPE I DO? i have my doubts sometimes, but i think i do ok.

Do you frequently write headcanons? YES / NO / SORT OF? there is no headcanon too small for me.

Do you sometimes write drabbles? YES / NO. but not lately * gestures to the low activity * i’ve been in this cycle where i get anxious abt late replies, so prioritise them, then burn myself out and can’t write the fics i want. i’ve had two i’ve been DYING to write tho i just... need to find the space in my brain to let myself.

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day? YES / NO. i mean it depends on the day. if i work closing shifts at my store it gets very quiet and boring around 8:30 so i spent the next 90 minutes thinking about character stuff.

Are you confident in your portrayal? YES / NO / SORT OF?

Are you confident in your writing? YES / NO / SOMETIMES.

Are you a sensitive person? YES / NO / SORTA.

Do you accept criticism well about your portrayal? — i’m going to say ‘no’ because like, i don’t ask for criticism. this is a hobby based on my interpretation of a character, if you think i write solas too soft then you’re welcome to think that, but i’m happy with the balance i’ve struck with his internal versus external behaviour and how he changes based upon who he’s speaking to. if you think i’m erasing straight people by making solas pan then ksjdfs. ok.

Do you like questions, which help you explore your character? — yes!!! even if they retread ground already trodden, a) my interpretation may have adjusted since the last time i played or b) a reminder is nice. if it’s new stuff then it’s fun to think about.

If someone disagrees to a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why? — it’d depend on why they disagree. if they just disagree on a subjective opinion about what i took from a certain line, then they’re welcome to their opinion but i don’t necessarily care to hear it. if it is unintentionally hurtful then i would like to know. although rather than a comment i’d rather a non-anonymous message.

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it? — same as the above.

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it? — if they’re vocal about it i typically just unfollow / softblock if i was following in the first place. people can feel how they want about solas, but i’ve found over the years that if people really hate solas ooc it can often bleed into their ic interactions. it’s really weird seeing your character being brought up repeatedly in threads with others specifically to dunk on, for no reason other than i guess solas is living rent free in their heads, so at least we have that in common. but anyway unfollowing is just the best choice to avoid getting kinda pressed if i’m having a bad day.

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors? — roleplay is the wild west of writing, so i think it’d depend on what the error was. coming at me like “you shouldn’t start a sentence with a preposition” would get a laugh, but i don’t edit my replies much if at all and mistakes will 100% happen. pointing out typos is chill so long as you do it politely.

Do you think you are easy going as a mun? — it depends! i’ve learned that being too easy going actually just means i’m subjecting myself to negative emotions to please people. so i’ve gotten less easy going as the years go by. how does one define “easy going” anyway? does asking that question mean i am objectively not easy going? the longer this thought goes on the more the answer seems to be “probably not,” but i like to think it could be a lot worse.

#( long post )#( ooc )#( about me )

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kyber-heart · 4 years

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Ashes to Ashes

This is a fic about my Sith Warrior Matai Shayn returning to his homeworld of Ziost after it’s destruction at the hands of Vitiate

Warnings for minor character death, depictions of death, slight body horror, implied and referenced homophobia. If there’s anything else I should tag please let me know!

This is actually a pretty old fic, I think I wrote it in like.. 2017 or something. I was still in college at the time so it was a while ago. I kinda cringe at it but, idk come laugh at me, with me. If it’s outright awful I’ll take it down lmao.

Desolate. That’s the only way Lord Matai Shayn could describe his homeworld of Ziost as he saw it now from the cockpit of the Imperial Shuttle. One standard week had gone by since ‘The Event’ when former Emperor Vitiate destroyed the planet through some kind of Sith sorcery. The planet had been laid bare with no life left on the planet, or so the preliminary scans had stated. Matai stared at the landscape moving past him as the ship hurtled towards the Galactic Solutions Industries research camp. The snowy rock valleys that had once been so beautiful, were now gray. Barren. Lifeless. The ground looked as though it were scorched and the sky was gray with the occasional sunlight peeking through. Sith Temples that dotted the landscape, remnants from the time of Ajunta Pall, were the only objects left around the site. He remembered traversing them as a child with Uma Shayn, his mother. She had been a lead researcher and historian with the Imperial Reclamation Service. Uma had taken her son with her on several expeditions across the planet and other Imperial systems. She taught him the history of The Empire and of their lineage. It was a badge of pride for the Shayns being a part of the few remaining ‘True Sith’, the red skinned, sharp featured humanoids who originated on Korriban. Uma had explained to him that Ajunta Pall established Ziost as a colony world, filled with members of their race and until The Event, had been strongly populated by Sith People.

‘We are a dying blood Matai. Generations of war and breeding with the Humans who call themselves Sith have left our people in decline. We need to protect our heritage, save our history. If ever there comes a time when our people cease to exist, we must show the Galaxy that we were here.’ Uma had told him once while excavating a tomb of an ancient Sith Lord.

As Matai looked at the wasteland before him, he couldn’t help but think bitterly that the chances of his species survival had been greatly diminished. He approached the GSI Camp and as he flew closer, the rock crag which housed the capital city of Ziost, New Adasta came into view. A lump formed in his throat as he looked at it. From this distance, all he could make out was the rocky mesa with few visible structures, one being the impressive People’s Tower. In the distance, he could just make out the sight of the Sith Citadel, one of the old Fortresses. The lump that had formed in his throat making his breathing labored and swallowing near impossible. His life had been in that crag. He thought about the people that had been lost, the friends and the family who were all likely dead now. The weight of this journey was already affecting him but he needed to persevere. He needed to see this for himself. A knocking on the exit hatch of the shuttle ripped him from his thoughts.

“Sir, are you alright?” A mechanical voice spoke from outside.

Matai stood from the pilot’s seat with as much resolve and dedication to his endeavor as he could muster. He adjusted his robe around him and strolled to the ship’s exit. Opening the hatch he was met with the sight of a research camp, populated by droids. A protocol droid stood at the end of the ramp, its silver plating dulled by dirt.

“You are Lord Matai Shayn correct?” it asked in a tone programmed to resemble pleasantness. “My records show you were scheduled to arrive approximately thirty minutes ago.”

“I am, my apologies for my tardiness.” Matai stopped his sentence there. Not willing to explain to the Artificial Intelligence that he had hesitated in arriving and wanted to take his time. He also felt unwilling to put the effort into making an excuse for the machine.

“My records also state that you wish to explore the ruins of New Adasta, this is also correct?” it went on, oblivious to the slight wince on Matai’s face at the mention of the word ‘ruins’.

“Yes that is correct” he stated, this conversation was irritating him. His eyes began to wander to the other machines scanning pieces of biological matter. His eyes found a tree that had been sapped of life. He could hear the droid speaking though he wasn’t listening to the words only the odd word here and there. ‘Danger’, ‘unstable’, ‘shifting’, ‘missing research probes’ none of it felt important to him

“Do you understand sir?”

This drew the Sith Lord’s attention back to the droid

“Yes, I think I can manage. Though I thank you for the warning. Is there anything else?” He asked impatiently

“Yes.” It chirped happily “On behalf of Galactic Solutions Industries, we hope you have a pleasant day”

Matai almost crushed the droid. It took all of his strength to walk away. While logically he understood the droid was following it’s programming, it certainly wasn’t something he wanted to hear. That emotionless, blunt attitude that droids often had irritated him. He began striding to the GSI Speeders on the other side of the camp. Matai felt uncomfortable with his current emotionally volatile state. It was unlike him to be so testy or prone to needless violence. He embraced his passions like any Sith would and he certainly enjoyed the thrill of combat. Taking his rage out on a machine programmed to do its job however, that was unlike him. He approached the speeders and mounted one. Activating the engine, he took off across the dead world. As he drove he noticed the wreckage of several ships, mostly Imperial as well as a Republic walker. The ground was covered in ash and the bike’s repulsors kicked up clouds of it. An unusual shape caught Matai’s attention however and he slowed down to a halt. He was looking at an Ice Tromper, though it looked completely fossilized. Its fur was gone and the body was as black as coal. It stood on its feet and was faced towards Matai. He considered that it had died instantly, without even the time to fall down. The Sith found strange comfort in the belief that it had died quickly. The reports had said that there was no life on the planet. Faced with the Ice Tromper, Matai began to wonder if it were true. He tried to use the Force to sense any possible life that might still exist but all he could feel was the cold sensation of fear, pain and death. The scars of the dark side. He felt as though he was back on Korriban, as an acolyte, exploring the tombs in the Valley of The Dark Lords. Tombs were dark, cold and eerily silent. One of the things that struck him about Ziost now, was the quiet. The only occasional noise was of some light wind that blew but it was not frequent.

It took him only a short time to get to New Adasta. His progress was brought to a halt when he came upon a tram sitting idle on the tracks which lead up to the Central District. He dismounted the speeder and strolled to it. Opening the rear hatch to the last cart he stepped inside. The sight that greeted him was horrific. Bodies littered the cart, some in seats or fallen to the floor. Matai wanted to vomit, barely able to look at them. He knew that he should have expected to see these things but it felt as though there was no preparation for this. Walking through the cart he saw that some of the bodies looked as though they had been killed in the act of escaping. The windows on the left side had been broken and some bodies looked to be trying to climb out of the windows. One corpse he noted looked to have been trying to reach for something, though extended left arm was missing from the bicep. Ash lay beneath the arm. All innocents, all good and loyal Imperials, betrayed by their Emperor. It sickened Matai. How could the Emperor have killed so many of his people? People who had believed in and worshiped him. People like Matai had once been.

One aspect of learning the history of the Sith, was learning what worked, and what didn’t in their society. The level of backstabbing and reckless displays of power had never failed to earn Matai’s annoyance. He remembered as recently as the Siege of Corellia in the last war. A moment that should have strengthened The Empire, undermined by the likes of Darths Thanaton and Baras. They had squandered military resources into their own fights caring only for their petty power plays and not that of The Empire. Sith loved their strength because it gave them Power. Matai had learned that lesson from a very young age. His Father, Abal had been an instructor at the New Adasta Sith Academy. A smaller institute but a prestigious one. Matai had trained there, under his own father’s tutelage for the first years of his training.

‘Remember that the path to power is built on strength Matai. We Sith embrace strength and do not shy away from power.’ Abal’s words rang true, Matai believed, though he firmly believed that there was something wrong in that system, where the Empire suffered by the Sith pursuit of Power. Abal, unlike Uma had been a harsher man. A Lord of The Sith, a title which Matai inherited. Abal had spent his life teaching the Sith ways to acolytes. He remembered when The Dark Council had allowed non-humans into the Academies. Abal had ranted over dinner that the Dark Council should have been purged for treason and heresy. Matai had never agreed with with his father’s conservative view, through he never attempted to confront his father about it. He had often stayed silent to avoid the conflict, even as his father began arranging Matai’s marriage. They had been nice girls, but it wasn’t what Matai had wanted. He actively did everything he could to avoid the topic and worm his way out of meetings and turning the girls away. It annoyed his father but Matai could live with that.

Entering New Adasta he could see the Central District in ruins with bodies covering the ground. The cave was scarcely lit save for the occasional street light flickering though it wasn’t much help and there was a constant mist in the city. He passed by a cantina where a neon sign showed the image of a twi’lek dancing, it spluttered and cut out periodically as it moved. He walked into a park which resembled a burned and salted field. Chairs, trees and the occasional statue littered the ground. He knew this park. It had been where had been taken on his first date. Alec Garn. The fifth son of an Imperial Officer, possibly one of the most beautiful people Matai had ever seen. They had come to this park after getting some caff. The Trees had been in bloom and the grass had been kept clean and neat. They had talked, about everything and about nothing. Alec had wanted to be a pilot, his family had a long history of naval service. Matai had joked that he would make Alec a captain if he wanted, with his own squad of whoever he wanted. A silly statement really, Matai didn’t have that kind of authority nor would he. They had laughed and when the laughter fell silent they had shared a kiss. Matai placed his hand on one of the benches. The memory stung. He had not thought of Alec in some years and to now see their park ruined stung him.

Matai had crossed the city and came to the apartment complex where his parent’s home was. He entered the building and began to ascend the stair case. He had assumed the elevator would be unusable. The building was dark, though the emergency lights lit the building in a red glow. He reached the seventeenth floor. Only two Apartments were built on this level, though they were far larger than those below. While the Shayns had not had vast amounts of money, they had more than enough to get by and live a life of great comfort. Matai stood at the door of apartment 93 his mind running through what he would find beyond the door. He closed his eyes. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest and the lump returning to his throat. He began to tell himself that he had to do this, steeling himself for what awaited him.

He pressed the button and the door slid open, but only half way giving a short screech. Matai laughed softly, more out of nervousness that anything else. Of course, something as ridiculous as this would have to happen. He could see partially into the apartment, it was mostly dark and he could make out very little. Squeezing himself through the gap of the Doorway he walked tentatively further into the hallway. It was a long, wide corridor filled with many objects. Some statues stood

tall along the wall along with other oddities that his mother had collected over the years. Things that she wasn’t exactly supposed to take, but did anyway. His mother had always been a free spirit She did what she wanted but unlike other Sith she strived never to hurt others in her pursuits. He always admired her for that. On one wall Matai had to stop and double back. It was a portrait of his family, painted with actual inks and pigments on an actual canvas. It depicted Abal at the back with Uma seated in front of him on a luxurious chair, Matai himself stood beside his mother, Abal’s hand rested on his right shoulder. His Father looked stern but there was still a hint of a smile on his face. His mother held that soft look only a mother has, something he remembered about her well. He reckoned that he was barely five years old at the time this was painted. In fact he didn’t even remember it being painted but he remembered the portrait always being here. Except for when it wasn’t.

It had happened soon after his date with Alec, they had been in the apartment. They had been making out on the luxurious sofa that sat in the living room. His parents had been out at a party and Matai had been confident he would be able to invite Alec to his home and for him to leave before they returned. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of his relationship but he knew Abal would disapprove. As their night had gone on the pair had becoming steadily more intimate. Matai could still remember the feeling of pure dread as his parents returned home to find him in a very unflattering position. Uma had stayed mostly quiet after the initial shock had passed, though Abal had never been more vocal, even after Alec had gathered his clothes and left.

‘My Son will not disgrace us by whoring out to some Imperial! A man no less!” he had spat venomously.

Matai had sat on the couch, covered in a robe and sat silently as his Father spat at him.

“You would disgrace your family like this?! Would you?” he had demanded

His mother sat worriedly across from him in a chair identical to the one in the portrait. He looked to her pleadingly. She looked at him softly a sad smile trying to form on her face. What had happened next was a blur. Matai had been brought to his knees as his father’s fist balled into his hair.

“WOULD YOU?!” He yelled

Matai could see that Uma had jumped to her feet with her hands on Abal’s arm “Abe!” she pleaded.

His Father had let go of him and stormed out into the hallway. Uma knelt to Matai. They looked at each other but as they did, they both jumped at the sound of a Lightsaber activating. They both bolted for the hallway. Matai was a head of his mother and saw first what had happened. Abal had sliced the portrait where Matai had been depicted. Behind him his mother gasped “Abal! What are you doing?!” She demanded but Matai knew the answer.

“I will not have my son whoring around with pathetic Imperials. He’s going to Korriban and training with my friends in the Academy!”

That night Matai had left for Korriban to finish his studies and the rest was history. He had risen above even his family’s wildest expectations and become The Empire’s Wrath. After that night however, Abal rarely spoke to his son. He stayed in frequent contact with Uma. Years later he met with his parents again on Dromund Kaas and began to mend fences. It had been slow and he wasn’t sure his father was completely happy with how he was living his life, but the fact that they had talked had been progress. Matai stared at the picture for a few moments. He hadn’t known they had it remade. He was happy that he had reconnected with his parents before they died. With that thought he realized that he needed to move.

He walked slowly into the living room. It was brighter than the hallway as the far wall was mostly a glass window. This however did little to improve the lighting of the apartment as outside was mostly dark. Matai’s eyes were becoming slightly more adjusted. He walked forward through the decorative arch that led to the main room. As he approached the circular couch arrangement in the middle of the room his heart sank. He could feel tears burn his eyes and his legs grow weak. No matter how much he tried to prepare for this, nothing could. In the middle of the room, seated on the couches were two figures. One was larger, clearly a man, his arms were wrapped around the second smaller figure who in turn clung to the larger. Both were unrecognizable in their charred, lifeless state. But Matai knew. Uma and Abal Shayn, his mother and father.

Matai couldn’t help himself. He sank to his knees before them and tears began to fall. He could not take his eyes off them. He reached up to touch his mother’s face. As his fingers grazed her cheek, the ash began to break loose and fall from the rest of her form. Matai just stared for a moment. He looked at his gloved hand, although still difficult to see through the tears, he was able to see the dust that coated his fingertips. His mouth a gap he just looked at it and then to his parents’ lifeless forms. The room was utterly silent until the only living thing began to yell.

He yelled at the top of his lungs. A flurry of emotions swelled in him, pain, anger, betrayal.

The people he loved the most were dead thanks to Vitiate. He didn’t think he could hate a being more than he hated Vitiate.

He thought that if their ‘glorious Emperor’ had never sought to gain more power Ziost would still be safe. His parents would be safe. His home would be safe.

He kept kneeling and stared at the dark navy carpet.

He felt a burning in his chest. Not of sadness or pain, though they certainly fueled it. This burn was of reinvigorated passion.

He stood and searched the apartment to find some containers. He eventually found some that he deemed large enough and walked back to the forms of his parents. He began to gently gather the ashes of his parents and place them into the boxes as best as he could. It was inelegant and it turned Matai’s stomach that he was forced to desecrate his parents like this. Anger burned through him he did. When he was satisfied that he had been able to collect their ashes and store them in the boxes, he stood once more to go to his old bedroom. He was surprised to find how little it had changed since the last time he had been in it. Out of sheer curiosity, he walked to his bedside chest. He opened it and moved some small objects aside, little pieces of rocks, trinkets from tombs, an old set of piercings until he found what he had been looking for. A small holoprojector. He turned it on and it flicked to life. It was a moving holo-vid of his parents and himself at the New Adasta Academy on his day of enrollment. They were all dressed in their best robes. He smiled at the image watching it repeat its five seconds of footage. He fought back the burning sensation of tears that threatened to fall before turning it off. He stowed it in his robe before turning back to the task at hand. At least he would have this memory he thought. He rummaged around in his wardrobe to find a bag large enough to transport the boxes. Eventually he found a leather satchel and returned to the living room. Placing the boxes carefully in the satchel and placing the bag over his shoulder, he stood to leave the apartment. Taking one last look at what was once his home he smiled sadly before using the Force to close the stuck door.

Making his way back down the stairs and back into the street he began to hear something, a rumbling. He turned to his left to see a building begin to collapse. Caught in shock he remembered what the droid had said about shifting ruins and he began to run back towards the direction of the tram. He had gotten about ten paces when he stopped again, at the sound of something louder. Blood chilling. A roar. Matai stood still for a moment before turning around to face the threat. He looked back to see a large creature, with a faint purple aura stomping through the streets slamming against buildings as it walked down streets that were not designed for a creature like this. It looked nearly four or five times larger than Matai himself and it looked almost like a Rancor, but this thing had glistening purple eyes. Matai had no idea what this thing was so he began to run again, faster this time trying to enhance his speed with The Force. The Creature must have been aware of his presence and it followed him as he ran. Matai ran through the door of the tram station and leaped over the turnstiles. Dropping down on to the track he heard a loud crash as The Creature broke through the wall of the station. Matai began to sprint down the tram track. Not relenting The Creature crashed through the turnstiles and leaped on to the track. It followed him down and out of the station, on to the part of the track the led back down the rock crag. As it did, the metal screeched, piercing Matai’s ears causing him to slow somewhat. Suddenly the track gave way under The Creature, the durasteel supports being unable to hold the weight. The track began to separate from the rock wall and fall to the rocky surface below. The Creature fell from the track and it plummeted. Matai dared not look back to see if it had died as the track was still falling apart beneath him. He mustered all of his energy to sprint faster along the falling track.

He had come to the tram he had passed through earlier, though this time instead of going through, Matai used the force to leap on to the Tram and sprint atop the carts. He could still hear the groaning metal as he ran. Coming to the end cart he leaped back down to meet his speeder. Mounting it quickly he took off down the track. As he reached the bottom and the walls that surrounded the crag, he saw the track had fallen almost completely. He felt relief wash over him as he stopped the speeder to look. He glanced back at the City, saying another final goodbye. Deciding that he did not want to wait around to be found by that monster he took off through the rocky wasteland and back to the GSI Camp.

Matai had returned to Dromund Kaas by the evening of the next day. He felt glad to be home, in his new home. He had transferred the Ashes of his parents into urns more elegant and worthy of them, which now stood in the Sith Lord’s library. Matai had been reviewing reports from Ziost both before and after the The Event. He had reported the creature and had been informed they were Monoliths, creations of The Dark Side. After finishing a boring journal article regarding possible rehabilitation of the planet (something he deemed highly unlikely) he stood and looked out of the window of his bedroom. Staring down upon the Imperial Citadel. He considered what Ziost meant for him and for the Empire. The considered the lesson in the destruction of Ziost, about the price of Power and he reached a conclusion. As he thought, the conclusion had become a vow. There would not be another Ziost so along as he could help it.

#my fic #oc: matai shayn #ch: sith warrior #trigger warning #trigger death #trigger body horror #tigger homophobia #swtor #swtor fic #I found this in google drive and thought it might be fun to post idk #i was kinda inspired to post it after seeing that dead world post from earlier #idk this probably awful #please don't be mad at me lol

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eatingthem-moved · 4 years

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Get to know the blogger!

Tagged by @sunsreign thank u hun !! I’m tagging UMMM @onsand @denbroughsguilt @crowncd @cometogethcr and everyone else ! i just tagged the people who’ve shown up in my notifs recently lol

FIRST NAME My name off tumblr is Calee ! (said like kay-lee) i really don’t mind if you call my by my first name or by my pen name, either works! i just don’t post my first name anywhere on my blog really lol

STRANGE FACT ABOUT YOURSELF strange?? hmmm i have a ton of stuffed animals for an 18 y/o probably... like a ton. and i still buy them cause i love them ;m;

TOP THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU FIND ATTRACTIVE ON A PERSON Hair !! also arms... (like the biceps) aaaaand lips, probably

A FOOD YOU COULD EAT FOREVER AND NOT GET BORED OF chili verde smothered burritos !! specifically the ones from my favorite restaurant ohmygod they’re soooooo good. and their chips and salsa too

A FOOD YOU HATE TOMATOES R GROSS

GUILTY PLEASURE fuuuuck. buying stuff, probably. like makeup and video games and books and movies and all that good stuff.

WHAT DO YOU SLEEP IN t shirt and pj pants. shorts if it’s in the summer, and a sweater in winter.

SERIOUS RELATIONSHIPS OR FLINGS welp im in a serious relationship rn but if i was single i’d still prefer a serious one !

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN THE PAST AND CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WOULD YOU AND WHAT WOULD IT BE askjdlkasjdlsj not getting back with my ex when we initially broke up, probably. he’s GROSS

ARE YOU AN AFFECTIONATE PERSON verbally i am ! i always tell my friends i love them and that i enjoy talking to them in stuff. physically i don’t really like cuddling or kissing my bf unless we’re in private

A MOVIE YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN The Family Man starring Nicholas Cage aslkdjslakjdlskja LISTEN. i loooove this movie and if u haven’t seen it i totes recommend that you do!!! it’s honestly one of his bests and it makes me cry every time it. ALSO John Carpenter’s The Thing !!!!! i grew up watching that movie and it’s one of my favorites

FAVORITE BOOK Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and also Misery by Stephen King!

YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP ANY ANIMAL AS A PET, WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE A COW I LOVE COWS. or a big cat like a tiger. OR a raccoon. could go either way.

TOP FIVE FICTIONAL SHIPS [IF YOU ARE AN RP BLOG, YOU CAN USE YOUR OWN SHIPS AS WELL] HA. hannibal/will and uhhhh. that’s. probably. it. sladjslakjd listen i haven’t really watched a show since hannibal has ended lol. but! more ships with hannibal include him and poppy with @gardenshe <33 hannibal/matthew brown. um. idk more ppl should ship with me tho <.<

PIE OR CAKE CAKE. with some sort of mousse pls. or a ton of whipped cream!

FAVORITE SCENT ooh uhh. apples and cinnamon maybe?? ooh or baking bread

CELEBRITY CRUSH *SLAMS FIST* kurt russell all the way, dude. i LOVE him, i would marry him in a heartbeat. also dean martin and james franco. AND MILA KUNIS

IF YOU COULD TRAVEL ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU GO So, I live in Utah, United States BUT i was actually born in Oregon, United States and just UGH. i love it there so much. it’s always so rainy and it’s close to the ocean and the trees and flowers are so beautiful. it feels like im home when im there !! but besides that, i’d go to canada to see my totally blood brothers jason and quinton @cometogethcr <33

INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT Ah funny enough im an introvert off of tumblr lol. im.. really awkward off the keyboard. and i feel like i’ve gotten even shyer and more insecure the older i get, which is funny because from the way it sounds it seems like that’s usually the opposite circumstance?? idk. hopefully i don’t weird u guys out on here tho lol

DO YOU SCARE EASILY yea lol i can get a little jumpy but i love scary movies still! but sometimes my bf scares me from around the corner and i get super mad at him lmao

IPHONE OR ANDROID i’ve got me an iphone but i wish i had an android ;m; i’d love me one of those brand new samsung phones.... (oh god now im going to be spammed with ads)

DO YOU PLAY ANY VIDEO GAMES i do!! i play minecraft a ton (u should ask me to play with u sometime <.<) but i also like story games! i grew up playing the sly cooper franchise ! (i made a blog for sly cooper one actually!) but i also really really like the evil within, outlast, dishonored, and a ton of indie games on steam

DREAM JOB like uhh, how dreamy we talkin’?? my ULTIMATE dream job would probably be a movie director, but that’s probably not going to happen lol. otherwise, im going for a criminal justice degree, so my dream job pertaining to that would either be a homicide detective or a crime historian !

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH A MILLION DOLLARS ahhh. move to oregon with my mom, bf, and my pets by the ocean. then buy a ton of movies to add to my dvd collection. and video games. and a nice car. umm. go to a beautiful restaurant! then i dunno after that lol

FICTIONAL CHARACTER YOU HATE aw jeez alksdlakjd ummm. im not. a huge fan of alana from hannibal. idk i don’t think her character is written very well (but im still happy to write with an alana blog!) also light from death note. ohhhhh god. i hated him SO MUCH ALKSDLSAJD

FANDOM THAT YOU WERE ONCE A PART OF BUT AREN’T ANY LONGER pfft. supernatural, doctor who, sherlock. the werks. probably more but i can’t think of any

#i know it's not munday yet but #anyway im serious about that minecraft thing tho #bet bitch let's go #( 🔪 munday )

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superheroshippinq-archive · 4 years

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*slides in on my heelies* okay quill, gush time. Scream about anything and everything with your f/os. No holding back —Nic

@me-myself-and-my-fos you're so gonna regret giving me this ask but THANK YOU TGTGSHSGS

putting it under a cut bc its just a big gush dump abt literally all my f/os but to anyone who does read it all thank you and srsly i love u so much i hope u know that i would die for u 🥺🥰 💕

// literally like. where do i start my mind is EVERYWHERE and im having a CRISIS i just love them all ?? sm ?? yknow ??

// i think mainly i’ve been thinking abt mon and winn like .... omg. theres this thing mon el does in c*non where he was reading romeo and juliet and underlining lines that reminded him of kara and I WANT HIM TO DO THAT FOR ME SO SO BAD ........... like that is so soft and usually i dont like taking ideas from c*non ships but oh my god that one is so good .......... 💕💕

// i had a not so good dream last night so i was thinking abt winn comforting me after a nightmare ( and not letting me have coffee at like 2 am to keep myself awake bc he wants me to get some sleep ). and him staying up to help me fall asleep again even tho he’s tired. like. wow he would so do that for me 🥺🥺

// winn is just so cute like hes such a good soft boy and hes so awkward but silly and so CUTE like .... he has a very cute face yknow ?? like a puppy ?? i just ???? i adore him i ADORE HIM and every time i see him im like. sir. sir give me a KISS.

// also i cannot stop thinking abt .... reunions with both of them yknow .... bc theyre both in the 31st century rn and it literally does NOT help that cw keeps teasing them coming back this season like i am so impatient let me see my BOYS AND GIVE THEM BIG SMOOCHES !!!!!!!!!!!! 😤😤

// ok OK BUT ALSO OFC after the last supergirl ive been thinking abt brainy but more specifically female brainy like ......... GOD SHES SO PRETTY. LOOK AT HER.

// wow that is my WIFE RIGHT THERE THAT IS HER MY WIFE A LITERAL GODDESS I LOVE HER SM. shes so badass and stoic too and you already KNOW thats my type just LOOK at kate and jessica. my brain refuses to be on straight activity today i am SO bi. should i make a new tag for her or should i just keep her under brainy’s tag ??? IDK BUT SHES THE GREATEST. pls. marry me

// and speaking of my wife .... like ,,, wow. kate ,,, she is just. i SWEAR 90% of what she did in last nights ep was stand around in her suit but oh my god i love her so much i was in AWE. luke wasn’t on her comms when she went on missions in that episode so i kept imagining myself taking his place ( since hes my brother ) and being in her ear during missions and wow ..... we’re a power couple aren’t we .....

// also. she was just standing around letting those teenagers take selfies with her bc she cant say no lmfao shes adorable.

// I’D GUSH ABT ⭐ BUT I LEGIT DONT TRUST MYSELF WITH KEEPING HIM A SECRET BUT KNOW I LOVE HIM SO MUCH AND I SAW HIM YESTERDAY IN A RANDOM AD AND I SQUEALED

// ok ok thinking abt mon again bc he helps so much with my anxiety like ..... i can easily think of so many soft scenarios with him and they really help distract me when i get upset or anxious. i think of so much angst with him too but its GOOD ANGST and it still makes me really happy to think abt if that makes sense ??? i just wanna hug him and be in his arms and have soft domestic moments with him .......................... is that so bad ?? i love him so so much ???

// WINN TOO I GET TO SEE EVIL WINN IN THE NEXT EP AND THATS LOWKEY ( HIGHKEY ) SO SO EXCITING .... TOYMAKER WINN OH MY GOD

// its kinda funny that a lot of the time i cant think abt mon without thinking abt winn what does that MEAN

// literally just putting this here bc i started thinking abt female brainy again. miss dox. i’d be so lovestruck the first time i meet her i swear. like. i’d be pining so hard alex would tell me to just go home bc im not getting any work done LMFAO. she is literally the DIRECTOR OF THE DEO WHERE SHES FROM OH MY GOD. she is so powerful and knows it i love her. help.

// yknow .... ive been thinking abt the last ep of crisis and how much more cheerful/happy barry seemed and its just so good to see that again. it feels SO GOOD to see that again. all ive wanted this past like 4 MONTHS is for him to be happy again and its happened finally and gosh i am the big heart eyes @ him because im so happy and proud of him ................. i got lost in pics of him on pinterest this morning i SWEAR hes such a big comfort for me that i just go to him even when i dont need comfort tgbtrhgshg. barry sir i cannot wait to marry you. look how far we’ve come

// tomorrow is a new legends ep and i get new nate content .... like ... i love my historian boy i do not give him enough love but i adore him with all my heart. he’s actually one of my longest kept f/os since i’ve been shipping with him WAY before i even made that blog and i think thats pretty great of us 😤👌 im just hoping he gets a lot of screen time !!!!

// *points to conner and jessica* I DONT HAVE MUCH TO SAY ABT YALL RN BUT I THINK ABT YALL EVERY DAY AND I LOVE YALL SO MUCH AND IM NOT NEGLECTING U I SWEAR

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sidhewrites · 5 years

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World Building. I got super carried away with the dwarven culture of Nashoth, so here’s about 1,000 words on the subject. As always, feel free to send Asks or Messages about what’s written or anything you’re curious about.

It’s also a myth that the dwarves in cresce all live underground spread by ignorant historians from the past. Their main settlements ate in the mountains between Cresce and Gaelgallah (that I have yet to find a satisfying name for), and their largest trade center is in Nashoth, a largely underground city lit by glowworms, crystals, and lots and lots of scented candles. However, the mountains themselves provide plenty of homes and while many dwarves have carved their homes into the mountainsides themselves, terraced farms, shepherds, astronomers, and many others spend their lives largely above ground. Humans also often weren’t dressed for the harsh winds often found on the mountain slopes, so they usually stayed within Nashoth and didn’t interract much with dwarves who live in different places.

Dwarven hospitals and medical centers are also usually located within the mountains. It’s considered unhealthy to keep babies in the open air for too long when they’re first born, and sick and injured folk are similarly protected -- this is because the mountainous terrain can see countless thunderstorms and snow storms in the winter, and it’s safer to keep them in a room that can be controlled.

Personal hygeine is very important to them, and there are beauty contests every now and then to see who has the loveliest beard -- the main symbol of dwarven health and prosperity. It’s easy to keep a person’s hair clean and brushed, as braiding it back keeps it safe from the wind and sweat and most other things, and while hands can often get dirty, it’s important to wash them at least twice daily, and before and after every meal. Calloused hands are always preferred over dirty hands, and they usually find it less attractive people who have perfectly smooth hands as it means they aren’t contributing to their community one way or another, though that does not mean people who are ill, infirm, or disabled don’t have a place.

Dwarves with wheelchairs who are still able to use their hands without issue still have nearly every trade option available to them that doesn’t require terrace farming, or other occupations that require the use of legs -- though plenty have made simple machines and pulley systems to get around it anyway. There are also plenty of prosthetics that have been rigged to help with many things as well. Those who can’t use their hands as well often become story tellers or community planners, as well as shepherds, scientists, and teachers. Ear muffs and special gloves are provided for people who attend social events but have sensory overload issues. There’s a dwarven sign language as well that all children learn -- both because it’s hard to hear each other during heavy winds and storms on the mountain tops, because it’s hard to communicate on crowded market days, and because some dwarves are deaf and they need to communicate with people, too. Accessibility is incredibly important and plenty of dwarves with disabilities are able to get along just fine.

And those who are unable to work are still treated with love, as they are still members of the community. If a dwarf has depression, they’re included in the prayers for the infirm and sick. Those who are ill, elderly, or in chronic pain are cared for by the community, even if they have no surviving family, though I haven’t decided on what I want to do for funerals yet. Something to do with being returned to the earth that provided for them though i’m not sure how well burials would go on/inside mountains.

However -- it’s considered odd or disconcerting if a dwarf doesn’t attend any social events by choice. Community is important, and people who don’t participate in any way to the community are thus seen as outsiders and not as important. If someone was previously a member but pulls away, people are sent to reach out to them and see what’s wrong, but if someone just doesn’t participate idk. It’s seen as a moral failing to separate completely from the community, and not to provide anything in return.

Anyway back to beards: Beards grow in just about when the coming of age ceremonies take place, and are braided intricately, but when poorly taken care of can be matted or full of crumbs (A common problem among young dwarves who are trying to rebel against their elders. There’s a folk song that talks about the little pigsies that live in unkempt dwarf beards, stealing crumbs and slowly weighing the dwarf down until they can’t walk any longer and starve to death. Dramatic, but effective, as every child grows up knowing that they must keep themselves clean.) There’s probably a whole thing about how many times you’re supposed to undo the braids in your beard, how to wash it, and how to brush it, before putting the braids back in. Maybe a weekly thing idk yet

As for the gemstones and precious metals -- well, they live in mountains. It’s expected that they have a wealth of these things. However, the value people from cresce put on gemstones and precious metals, and the value dwarves put on precious metals vary widely due to supply and demand. For dwarves, they’re still considered luxury items, but glass and handmade jewelry is considered far more valuable as they were created, rather than found from the earth -- see below for more info.

It’s also a “matrilineal” society, for lack of a better word, in that people who give birth largely identify as women, but not always. Creation is celebrated by dwarves, so people who give birth are among the most celebrated, and become the head of the household. Midwives often, though not always, double as spiritual leaders, and it’s not uncommon to see someone giving a sermon with a baby on their hip or breastfeeding. Artisans of any kind, especially builders, inventors, and weavers, are treated with more respect than those who have trades that don’t have to do with the making of something -- warriors, shepherds, travellers, etc. No trade is outwardly disrespected, but there’s still a heirarchy.

Tag List: @madammuffins@aurisadventure@purpleshadows1989@fearlings-lament@maitretmaitresse@jewishdragon@mlmerry-wlwinter@kered555@vaxildab @blueroseguardian

Send a message to be added/removed from this tag list. Like my writing? Buy me a virtual coffee to support it!

#writeblr #coriander #coriander: world building

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lovsong · 5 years

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21 Qs~

Rules: Answer 21 questions and then tag people you want to get to know better.

I got tagged by @prod3racha and @jikook-busanboys (this is vvv late dksdjk sorry but thank you!!)

1. Name: Lynn

2. Nicknames: Lynnz, Lynnie, Shna

3. Gender: she/her

4. Zodiac: ...capricorn (idk Anything else dfhkjs)

5. Height: 5’4

6. Time: 12:40 pm

7. Favorite Musicians: There are sososo many but COIN, DPR Live, Hippo Campus, ATEEZ, DEAN, Stray Kids, and LANY top the list rn

8. Song stuck in my head: Hallucinogenics by Matt Maeson

9. last movie I saw: A Hindi movie I can't remember the name of kdfhkj

10. the last thing I googled: tabroom (fhjdhf side story: ya girl n her partner placed in the top 5 out of 32 other teams in public forum n we were top in our school so like a rational person, I Sobbed on the bus back home djhfsj)

11. other blogs: @changmins-dimple (tbz) n @rosechaeyeon (ggs)

12. why I chose this username: I wanted to do something w flowers so I was lookin for flower names that I could somehow relate to kpop n then it was between this peachywoo (something like that I think) but hyajinth won so here we are now!

14. amount of sleep I get: somewhere from around 3-6 hours a night??

13. following: 748

15. lucky number: 3 or 10 5 ig

16. what I’m wearing: sweatpants n a hoodie fhdjkhf

17. dream job: marine biologist (or an art historian? idk dfhjdh)

18. dream trip: Hawaii n Disney Land

19. favorite foods: P A S T A

20. instruments: clarinet n I used to be able to play the piano sjhds

21. favorite songs: Action - DPR Live // Honestly - Eric Nam // Don’t Cry, 2020 - COIN // Broken Compass - 3RACHA // Bonnie & Clyde - DEAN

Tagging (you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to!!): @squirrelboiii, @literaldorksstraykids, @hwarang-my-loves, and @ninewestay

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ohsaizo · 6 years

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15 questions, 5 mutuals! i was tagged by the always wonderful @pseudofaux 😘 thank you! (i hope you don’t me doing it over here!)

are you named after someone? not as far as i’m aware, my mum just liked the name.

when was the last time you cried? last night, i forgot to take my meds, i didn’t have a drink to take them with, i broke a glass and it was very overwhelming. of course, now i just feel silly about it.

do you have kids? i don’t! hopefully someday i’ll have a cat again but probably no kids.

do you use sarcasm a lot? sometimes? not often.

eye color? blue/green.

scary movie or happy ending? happy ending! i want to watch scary movies but i can’t 😢

any special talents? i can make a good cup of tea? idk. i think i’m good at cheering people up.

where were you born? inverness, scotland. my dad was in the raf so we moved around a few times but we ended up settling down back in scotland when i was around ten.

what are your hobbies? does world of warcraft count as a hobby? i journal and i like doodling, also photography.

do you have any pets? no 😢 i had two cats before i left scotland and they live with my mum now. so i guess technically i do? i would really love to have another cat or two though.

how tall are you? smol! 5′2′

what sports do you play/have you played? i used to play hockey at school but apart from that, nope.

favorite subject? photography and history.

dream job? some kind of historian or photographer.

tagging: @honey-gokko , @harunobutakeda , @kazesuke and whoever else wants to do this! (don’t feel you have to though! 😘)

#( not otome )#this was fun!#( about)

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notnaturalanahi · 6 years

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Moment of truth

I was tagged by the amazing @docharleythegeekqueen a while back and I haven’t really had time to do this ‘till now. Thanks, babe you’re awesome!!

1) What was the last thing you put in your mouth? Are we talking sexual here? I guess not, so low-fat yogurt and cereal, yeah I’m trying to live clean life myself, that’s why I’m on a diet… Yuk!

2) Where was your blog picture taken? Umm… my back yard I think.

3) Worst pain you’ve experienced? Ugh, this gotta be when I came out of the OR after my c-section and a couple nurses came to clean me and wrap me propertly after the anesthesia left my body. One of the nurses pushed my now empty and tender abdomen down and up and down again, because according to her “that would help my uterus to go back to its place”. It still gives me goosebumps to think about it…

4) How many times have you been married? None

5) How late did you stay up last night? I think around 2 am after the Academy Awards Ceremony was over

6) If you could move anywhere else, where would it be? Some place colder, I’d probably move to the Patagonia (Chubut or Tierra del Fuego).

7) Do any of your Tumblr friends live close to you? I’ve “met” a few fellow argentines and that’s somewhat closer than anyone else… also my sister but I guess she doesn’t actually countas as “tumblr friend”

8) When was the last time you cried? I can’t tell you with precision but last week, I was feeling emotional and overwhelmed so I cried a few times

9) Who took your profile picture? My own self it was a sefie.

10) How many marriage proposals have you had? I had 3, 2 from the same person, but I never considered any of the proposal to be real… Idk

11) If you could have any career, what would it be? I would love to go back to being a tour guide. But I will also love to a historian, I love history.

12) What was the last book you read? The Wolf and the Seven Kids is my son’s new favorite bedtime story. As for “adult books”, the last new book I read was a parenting book. I’m always rereading HP or ASOIAF or Pride & Prejudice

13) If you could talk to ANYONE right now, who would it be? Probably my sis or some old friend I haven’t talked to in a long time (RL and Tumblr)

14) Are you a good influence? That depends on my mood (Btw I used to be considered a very bad influence)

15) Does pineapple belong on a pizza? Who am I to say what belongs in pizza… The pizza police? I bet pizza police would be a great job, you could have pizza anytime you want!

16) You have the remote, what channel would you watch? Netflix, I put on netflix.

17) Whom do you think will play along? With this game? Hopefully the people I’d tag…

18) Have you graduated from the Uni? Nope

19) Your favorite football team? Sorry, I’m not a sports person. (Same)

Tagging, Idk I’m so lost at tags: @thegreatficmaster @kdfrqqg @emilyymichelle @plaidstiel-wormstache @la-esmerlada @emoryhemsworth @babypieandwhiskey

#moment of truth #tagging game #i was tagged #tag game #about me

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mermaidsirennikita · 7 years

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are you an art historian? sorry if I got that detail wrong but I was wondering if you knew how people know the identity of a person in a portrait? For example, how do you know if a medieval portrait is of the queen or a noble and not an imaginary person or someone unknown? sorry if my question makes no sense

No, it’s a good question! And I wouldn’t call myself an art historian yet, but I’m a tentatively aspiring one. I might be one later if I do a fuckton more research and/or… get up the energy for grad school. But I have my B.A. in art history!

SOOOOOO, spiel below.

Unless there’s an inscription, note, title, etc. written on the portrait it’s technically impossible to be 100% beyond a shadow of a doubt sure about a sitter’s identity… I actually ranted about this eons ago because people on Tumblr are super desperate to find new portraits of Anne Boleyn (why Anne? why not literally any other famous lady whose face has been largely lost to history? because she’s Anne Boleyn, and since several probably authentic images have not proven that she’s super foxy hot people are looking for something that will). It usually takes years for art historians to come to a consensus about the identities of unidentified sitters, and EVEN THEN, people still argue about it. I’m sure this painting of Mary, Queen of Scots took tons of effort to uncover and based on what little I’ve read there’s great reason to believe that’s Mary (it even looks like other images we have of her) but I’m sure someone will write an article about how it’s REEEALLY someone else entirely. I researched Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci for my capstone project, and even tho we have letters from Cecilia Gallerani, a mistress of the man most likely to have commissioned the portrait, saying “yeah so you have this portrait of me painted by Leonardo when I was younger” clearly referring to Lady with an Ermine… but there will still be outliers who say it isn’t her.

So. In more conclusive cases, there will usually be records in place that let us know that a portrait was commissioned in the first place. In the case of Isabella d’Este, we know that she was after Leonardo to paint her portrait and that it never happened but was in the planning stages–which leads to the conclusion that there are probably preliminary drafts in existence. You find a preliminary draft of a woman matching Isabella’s general description and age, dating to the right time… You can probably guess that the woman is Isabella.

Today, we also have technology that can help us guess how old a work is–it’s way harder for forgers to do what they once did because art historians can test for pigments and other materials that were only in use for certain time periods, and that helps narrow down the era. Before then, there were stylistic notes that could give you an idea of when a painting was made. For example–prior to the popularization of the three-quarter pose by artists like Leonardo, female sitters of Italy were usually in profile. So if you find a portrait of an Italian lady sitting in a three-quarters pose, you can probably date the portrait to the late fifteenth century or later–and then you go into things like her style of dress, etc. Style of dress goes a long way towards identifying a person’s place of origin, especially for women–English women dressed very differently from Italian women of the same era, and so on.

Most European portraits were of a certain class, up until some artists and patrons started playing around with everything from idealized peasant scenes to like... the proto-gritty shit Rembrandt dabbled in. This is especially true for Catholic nations. You had to be AT LEAST of the upper middle class to afford to commission a portrait, and for that matter, many artists tended to court a certain specified clientele. Raphael spent much of the prime of his career working for the pope, and so that meant that he spent a lot of time in Rome, and that in turn meant that he was often in the service of glittery rich Romans. Now, does this mean that the sitter is always rich? No. Raphael also painted a famous nude, La Fornarina, and the sitter was quite possibly his lower-class mistress. But in that case, the person commissioning the painting was probably a rich guy who wanted a nude, and Raphael was like “fuck yeah getting a chance to paint Margarita naked and get paid for it, life is sweet”. Patrons normally had $$$, basically, so if we see a typical portrait we know that we’re looking at that class, most likely, and the more expensive the portrait looks, the richer the sitter (and the patron) likely was. Rarer pigments indicate more money spent, more detail on the clothing equals greater $$$.

When it comes to incredibly important families, there are spmetimes dead giveaways. Bronzino’s portraits of Cosimo de’ Medici I’s household often featured details like rubies and pearls among the women, which one art historian I read from theorized was a signature of the Medici at that point in time. It wasn’t unusual for women in particular to wear emblems of their families, because the portraits of them were usually commissioned by fathers or husbands, and essentially these were ownership tags. That’s what Cosimo was doing, most likely. If you know the artist–in this case, Bronzino–you probably know where they worked at a certain point in their lives. If you know when the painting was executed, you know the artist was probably in X city. Who would be most likely to employ Artist X during that time? A small cluster of families. You sort of have to narrow it down. Most important families of Europe also had coats of arms, which can show up in their paintings–but unfortunately these are often the first to deteriorate and they begin to look similar.

When an artist was painting a famous sitter like Mary, they might include her initials somewhere, maybe in the case of a king or queen with a good Rex or Regina for measure. Kings and queens are often given little identifiers, too, though these aren’t always consistent. In several portraits of Mary her hands are emphasized because beautiful hands were prized at the time, Mary was considered a beauty, and so on (also Elizabeth’s hands were rumored to be scarred after her bout of smallpox, and whether or not this was exaggerated I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a dig after her reign began). Mary is also often depicted in widow’s wear; now, this doesn’t mean that she wore those clothes often, but she was an iconically beautiful young widow after her first husband died, and then she *oh so tragically* lost another… A lot of artists probably worked off of one painting Mary actually sat for in widow’s wear to have shopped around to potential suitors. From what I read of this newly discovered portrait, Mary probably never sat for it; it was a tribute/propaganda piece by a support, and most likely the artist was working off of copies.

It’s kind of like how many portraits of Elizabeth I during her reign depict a few of the same things; grand red hair, magnificent clothes and jewels, flawless skin, dark eyes, the same basic facial features. Did Liz have the time to sit for umpteen portraits? No! And she didn’t want to. She didn’t want the reality of her aging appearance, she wanted the iconic Elizabethan image circulated, and so it was. Art historians can later pick up on the commonalities between these propaganda pieces and figure out who they’re of.

In the case of this newly discovered work, I imagine the art historian also did a lot of research about the patron’s potential ties to Mary, the political climate at the time, whether or not the artist had materials to work from regarding Mary’s appearance, and so on. Like I said, the painting looks like Mary, though that… doesn’t necessarily mean much–but the eyes are similar to the other portraits we see, the profile is right, her hair is styled as it was in other paintings, the outline of the clothes seems fine.

Basically, there is soooo much that goes into “proving” a sitter’s identity and even then you’ll never be 100% right in the eyes of everyone. For years, people thought a portrait was of Katherine Howard, and recently that was debunked. Everyone shops that portrait of a blond lady with one tit out as Lucrezia Borgia; it’s not. Identifying people is cool but for a lot of art historians it’s somewhat irrelevant, because we’re more looking at what a portrait reflected about the times and that’s why Mary’s identity IS relevant in this particular case. Going back to the Secret Anne Boleyn Painting conspiracy theories–people just wanna see a hot Anne there, and that’s what’s frustrating. By showing us Mary here, this art historian has also given us an example of people showing their support for this embattled queen through propaganda commissions, and for that matter getting scared and covering it up. That speaks to the political, social, and cultural goings-on of the time.

Some art historians love to find SEKRIT IMAGES because that sells books, but when you ask a lot of professors “do you think that’s a portrait of JANE SEYMOUR” or whatever they’ll probably be like “eh idk man”. The identity is less important on its own than it is as it relates to the reasons by a commission. I mean in my case the identities of portraits I studied in school were only really relevant in that I was able to discuss the political constructions that wives and brides became in one Italian court. Otherwise identity didn’t matter at all. And tbh, that ambivalence towards identifying people probably makes it even harder for the art historical world to come to a consensus on ANYONE. But this new discovery sounds pretty solid and honestly, it’s really cool.

#Anonymous

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raiswanson · 7 years

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Tagged by @typeaadventures, thaaanks!

1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?

*helpless shrug* Hell if I know. I started building my bookshelf sort of all at once so it’s a bit fuzzy on what I put in there first. One of the earliest I remember buying is my box set of the first three books of Ranger’s Apprentice. So that’s what we’ll go with for now I suppose lol

2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?

Uhhhh I’m always reading like 4 different books at once (or not reading them, as if the current case) but the one I’m most invested in right now is The Last Wish. Love me some Witcher.

Last book read wassssss...The Hollow Boy, I think. Of the Lockwood & Co series (which is great and I highly recommend ;o)

Next on the list would be Luck in the Shadows....if I can ever get my rear and gear and read more than once a blue moon hahaha

3. Which book does everyone like and you hated?

This one is hard to answer because I’m struggling to think of any books I’ve read that “everyone” liked OR hated. I usually grab books at random in 2nd hand bookstores or sale racks so usually no one else has read what I have. >.o hm.

I really don’t know. It’s kind of hard to think up a book I hate in the first place. The Historian? Let’s go with that. I know a few people at least liked that one and I LOATHED it. (SPOILERS, build up for a big showdown with Dracula through the entire book, then meet and kill him in like one page. Incredible.)

4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?

Twilight’s Dawn, because after learning what happens to certain characters I don’t think my heart can take it. :’l

5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?”

Is....is this a thing? What does this mean. I’m definitely not putting off any books for a deliberate span of time...if that’s what this is asking?

6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?

Sometimes I’ll poke the final chapter a bit if I get invested in a character and want to see if they stick around to the end, but for the most part I don’t skip ahead any farther than what I’ve read already. Kinda spoils the fun a bit to know the end when you’re only in chapter 3?

7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?

Do I usually read them? No. Do I think they’re a waste? Also no. It’s a nice thing for the people it’s relevant to. Which isn’t me. I have no problem skipping them.

8. Which book character would you switch places with?

Jack from the Dragonback series. I would 100% be down to host a neat dimensional-warping space dragon on my skin. No problem. Hop on buddy.

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?

The first generation of Warriors books make me think of Middle School but otherwise, nah

10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.

Uh. As boring as it is, I’ve acquired my book the old-fashioned way of buying them or receiving them as gifts for birthdays/Christmas. I guess there’s always me hopping between like 4 bookstores trying to get a copy of The Little Prince? *sweats* I do not live an exciting life. Sorry.

11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?

Nope. I’m the only one in my circle with a great love of books so I don’t think anyone would appreciate a book as a gift from me lol

12. Which book has been with you to the most places?

...you know how I said I was boring. Yeah. I don’t take books with me places. I don’t go anywhere that I’d have time to read while there.

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?

No. Hell no. I enjoyed Timeline when I read it, and hated every other book I had to read. And to this day I maintain that each of those disasters can fuck off. :V

14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?

....this list is just turning into a rude account of how boring I am. I’ve never found anything in books except for fairly normal bookmarks. TTwTT

15. Used or brand new?

I prefer brand new or as close to new as possible, mostly because I like my bookshelf to look nice and am not fond of having to be careful with a book for fear of it falling apart. But I don’t pass up a used book if its in good shape.

16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?

He’s....alright??? I don’t think I’ve actually read a single one of his books. I know that I snub the majority of his writing tips that I see tossed around here though. Definitely not my kind of author. But if you love him then good for you pal.

17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?

I haven’t read Stardust yet, but from what I’ve seen I don’t think I’ll like the book as much as the movie lol. Not from a quality standpoint or anything, just from the way I’ve heard the book is much, much more tragic :C

18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?

I’ll give you a hint. It involves a blue dragon with a name like a gemstone.

Why was it so bad. Why.

19. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?

....no?

20. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

Honestly most of the time I’m the one giving book advice. As I said before I’m really the only one in my group that reads that much. I’ve loved what few books my friend @ghostmumbles has suggested to me though ;p

Ummmmmm for tagging idk who I’ve seen do this one so I’m just tagging who I can think of. If you’ve done it already and I tag you, I guess just ignore this lol @tundra-tiger @otramble @the-average-procrastinator @h-brook-writes @authorloremipsum @throughthemarshes @prycarious @helenpowers @scribbledwriting @tangledlinescrumpledpaper @crispyninjadonut @silenceleaflin OKAY IS THAT EVERYBODY??? I THINK IT IS? WE COOL? COOL.

#tag Rai #I AM SO DAMN BORING I'M SORRY #THIS IS WHY I ONLY TALK ABOUT MY STORIES #IT'S ALL I'VE GOT TO TALK ABOUT #NOTHING HAPPENS TO ME IRL #LIKE OH YOU WANNA HEAR HOW I'M DOING???#UH WELL GEE #LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY DENTIST APPT LAST MONTH I GUESS #THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT #I DON'T DO THINGS #I'M SORRY ;O;

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