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#please feel free to add if you have any other translation recs
zarzava · 2 years
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three romanian authors to read with ur dracula daily
dracula is an orientalist text conceived at the height of british empire, grounded in distortions of a region that stoker never visited. sadly (and unsurprisingly) i found very few romanian authors who have been translated into english online, so here’s a meagre list of recs:
1. luminița cioabă
romanian roma author, famous in romania as the daughter of bulibasha (the king of the roma nation), she forged her own path as a writer of short stories in the oral roma tradition which portray in vivid detail the history of the roma people of romania 
the birch grove
queen of the night and stone flower 
meralda
from her book, the lost country 
2. marin sorescu
from humble rural romanian roots, he wrote under the oppressive ceausescu government. in a national ironic tradition he very famously said: "Just as I can't give up smoking because I don't smoke, I can't give up writing because I have no talent." some of my favorite poems:
the sea shell (1983)
carbon paper (1980)
creation (1992)
3. paul celan
jewish poet from bucovina. i recommend this beautiful essay by ilya kaminsky, who like celan was forced to flee eastern europe due to antisemitism, deconstructing various translators’ attempts to adapt celan’s texts and experience of the holocaust. these are all poems from a 1971 poetry collection
all souls
leap-centuries 
language mesh and night
homecoming
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artfromsaturn · 11 months
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Saturn’s Free CSP Brush Recommendations, CS Asset Store Edition
I may sell brushes now, but I still love me some free brushes & love to share them with people.  These are a bunch of cool brushes made by other people that you can use to build up a nice library of tools without having to spend any cash on, perfect if you’re new to CSP or are on a budget.  If you do download these, be sure to like them & give some love to the artist if you enjoy them. :D
How to find: type in the Content ID or Ctrl/Command + C & P (copy and paste shortcuts) into the Clip Studio asset store on the Clip Studio application.  I’ll add a link as a preview but copying & pasting the content ID is easiest.  I have automatic translation ON, so sorry if you read some weird names.   Feel free to reblog this with your own suggestions, there’s many brushes out there I missed. :D  Check defsiarte’s suggestions too, and if you want to see my recommendations for stuff on Gumroad/DA & other places, check this tag.
Large Packs
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“An analogue art supply" - 1813808 Huge pack of everything, including acrylic, oil, watercolor, marker, pen, & pencil.  I like the markers and sometimes use the acrylics too.
Crm's Toolbox, Watercolors, Markers, & other treasures
Fantastic use of texture and some cute effects pens.  The artist has posted everything from quality painting & drawing pens to quality glitter pens for writing.
The Old Default Assets - 1842027 & 1841759 These aren’t pictured, but if you ever see an older tutorial or video showcasing some default brushes you never had, it’s because CSP reworked its default tools around version 1.9.  Fortunately they rerelased them so anyone can redownload them. The old ones are still good to use, they’re just not included.
Painters - With Texture
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Thiccpaint - 1707517 Never leave home without it.  I riot if I don’t have them on my computer..  They have the right combination of texture, shape, & blend with great handling and great variety.
Icyannyou's Momo Sets - user:Icyannyou Super cute packs that give a lovely painterly look.  The Storybook pack is fantastic, and even if you don't draw cute you can still use these painters & blenders to give your artwork character. :)
Thick Coating Brush Set - 1683127 I like these for background work, but it's a big pack of thick textured painters with good handling & neat effects.
Marredae's Brushes - user:Marredae This artist has a knack for textured brushes.  Very high rec, fantastic library of wet & dry painting/rendering tools.
Roro Oil - 1820057 Rompi is another user I enjoy the stuff of, and I'll recommend a few more brushes from them in other categories by the time this post is done.  Check 'em out!
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Suika chalk -  1760304 Very useful rough chalk.  Sometimes, that’s all you need!
Sprongle -  1935694 A simple round brush with a nice rough tip.  Slightly rough without being too rough, great for quick paintings.
Johnnie halloween pack & Brokenhearted brushes... - 1876075 & 1938786, user:EnjieLemon EnjieLemon has some nice brushes in general, but some are paid for.  Still worth checking out due to their cheap clippy price (and clippy can be obtained for free).  The Brokenhearted brushes have a nice texture.  The Halloween pack includes a cute pumpkin stamp along with some easy to use chalk, oil, & watercolor brushes.  Compact and easy to use!
“Watercolor marker and texture set” - 1682349 There's a reason this set is one of the most downloaded on the asset store.  It's one of the best looking watercolor replicas out there, and even if you don't use the brushes, you can likely still find a use for the textures.  Great for soft coloring.
Grunge Brushes, Soft | Heavy | Complex Brushes & Xenomorphius' stuff in general -  user:xenomorphius Xeno drops some cool natural looking brushes out every so often for painting, inking, and dry media.  Please check 'em out!  The grunge brushes create a fun, grungy look like it says on the pack, & the soft/heavy/complex set can be used for painting as well as lining.  
Oil-h5 trial -  1976418 These brushes are hard to explain.  They work with the dual brush setting, & push around a layer of paint on top of your regular paint, creating a cool, streaky look.  They're a hidden gem.
MYNQZO brushes - 1993875 A pretty darn good set for painting.  I really love rough brush 2, it's great for sketching & rendering.
Painting, non-textured 
(basic rounds & other shapes for smooth rendering)
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Kiminie71's Brush Set -  1728687 4 simple rounds that are great for rendering!   https://assets.clip-studio.com/en-us/detail?id=1728687
CHIMAKA Set -  1747974 Heavy drag paint that highlights well & applies thickly.  Great for bold shading.
Choms Paint -  1910936 It just gets me.  No further elaboration.
Honeypen<3 -  1786787 Fits great in my paint hand.  Very slidey & blends like intended!
Wet flat marker -  1917678 Super blending brush, gives super soft edges to paint.  Blends great.
oil mushblendiw -  1918739 Another simple & easy to use roundbrush.
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Paint - 1760641 This plainly named brush is a triangle brush that goes between heavy & light with pressure.  The creator, Puppsicle, also sells some neat brushes on Ko-Fi if you enjoy this brush.
"The Scarlet Knot Brush Set 2" - 1916125 I use the watercolor of thought out of this set, but they're all pretty good & easy to use. https://assets.clip-studio.com/en-us/detail?id=1916125
Sunday - 1825825 A round brush with a watercolor border that gives a nice, sketchy feeling. https://assets.clip-studio.com/en-us/detail?id=1825825
Marker Brushes
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Marker Texture Brush -1809506 A very nice subtly textured brush.  Has a nice instructional guide on how to get the best results with it. :D
Mirre's Marker set - 1749822 Another good brush with a subtle texture.  Comes with its own blender!
Woody Marker & Pencil set - 1772987 I also love the pencil in this pack.  Nice woody feel, feel free to turn off multiply.
Pencils & Sketchers
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SU-Cream Pencil - 1761353 no wonder its popular.  Can be used for lineart, sketching, and coloring, this versatile brush delivers a great smooth look with a gentle textured end finish on pressure.
Write BoruPenP - 1753435 Probably the best ballpoint pen on Clip.  Please check out Pharan's things, I love them.😊
“Pencil-like Brush for Lineart” - 1692270 Ok this is kind of a weird way to recommend something.  It's SUPPOSED to be a pencil but I use it like a paintbrush with the opacity & density on pressure control, & another copy with blending turned on.  Whatever you use it for, you're sure to get a good result!
Grease pencil/china marker - 1774978 Chunky brush for chunky sketching needs.
Muda muda muda - 1715496 A pretty darn good dark pencil.
REDSketch soft - 1907313 just a nice sketcher!  Good for shading too.
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MUGZ BRUSH - 1861032 A set of dry chalk & brushes.  Gives a fun messy look when used!
T Spade Pencil - 1769208 A pencil that looks great for lineart as well as sketches.  Good taper.
Magipencil 2 - 1755940 Utterly good for textured and smooth lineart.  These pens get me.  Can’t recommend them enough. :)
Pens & Inkers
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G-pen 6 - 1767809 A generic name but a good Gpen with character.  Organic without sacrificing too much smoothness.
"Flat thick pen" - 1826131 I call it the card games pen.  I think you can see why.  Solid at high pressure, a little bit of texture at low pressure, and pretty great for sharp angles.
Haggiben_Lineart_Color - 1770988 A nice triangle liner.
Gabu Pen - 1894713 Very slightly rough pen on one side, another nice triangle-like liner.
Aeridus - user:Aeridis All 3 of their pens give a nice result.
Pilot Pen - 1895049 A great IRL brush now a digital one!
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Fude set - 1726964 & 1759205 Heavy, beautiful ink!  The creator has some more good ink pens too, take a look. :D  
Dimi - 1763877 It's a ga,l with a knife and a nice calligraphy pen.  Can't ask for more. Turn on >particles "change with brush size" in settings to keep the shape without chaning.  
New Cali A nice set of Calligraphy brushes.  They have smooth transitions between big and small.  
Blend, Fill, & Erase
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Noise and texture blur - 1842730 If you want a more painterly look to your blur, get these!  They said they're supposed to be turned from free to paid, but the artist hasn't come back and done it yet.  Will they do it?  I'm not sure. :0
Textured Blending & Blurs - 1904941 & 1971444 They're actually made by me, my apologies, but it's hard to find textured blenders by themselves.  Most are included in a set or are something you have to pay for, so I released a few free stand alone ones due to it.  Normal solid round blenders & blurs are easier to find & even easier to create yourself! https://assets.clip-studio.com/en-us/detail?id=1904941 https://assets.clip-studio.com/en-us/detail?id=1971444
Unhelpful Eraser - 1798605 The terrible hard eraser that you had in school becomes digital.  Download it as a tribute.
Quick Lasso Fill -  1978471 Fills up a lasso'ed area.
Random Color Fill - 1707873 Picks random spaces to fill.  The picture in the demonstration shows it better than I can describe.
Scratchy Coloring - 1845677 A fun scratchy brush that can fill areas up.
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Quick Lasso Eraser - 1875033 This and the next brush are both @pharan​ ‘s again.  This does the same as the lasso fill, but erases as you can tell.
Erase along Edge - 1800143 An eraser that takes advantage of reference layers.  The description explains it in detail.
"Create Solid-irregularity set" aka adding texture to black solid ink patches - 1768052 These distress the paper, making it look more textured.  Easier to look at than to explain, click the link for more!
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Mirre Cross Hatch Brush Set - 1972956 I love the look the spaced lines give.  Fantastic set.
Overlap Hatching (…"a texan"???) - 1712720 One of the most popular Clip Studio Hatchers for a reason, easy to apply hatchers that you can just keep adding to for a sparse or dense look.
Dust hatching brush - 1966237 Simple light hatcher with dust particles around it for a dusty feeling.
Cross-hatching Blur - 1684830
I actually recommend all of  user:もの区 ‘s stuff they have posted for crosshatching.  There’s a whole bunch of great free brushes there for anyone who enjoy hatching!
“Rough and Solid” - 1874629 A ribbon brush that makes good borders.
“Coarse Solid Erase” - 1872105 For those who like to fill an area, then erase the light parts away.
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chaos brushes - 1569895 A great marbler.  
"Dirty cross hatching_monochrome" - 1727346 A nice, thick, analogue hatch.  SB has some great material in general, but most needs clippy.
Creepy Lines 1 & 2 - 1405766 & 1707236 Get some spooky lines into your art!
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Simple Retro Halftone - 1802041 A small set that's easy to use to add some halftone texture.
retro halftone brushes - 1852027 A larger yet still easy to use set with more specific brushes to use for each color.
Mar's Halftones -  1949506 A set with a lot of fun patterns!  Check out SpiralPuzzle's stuff in general, they post some unique brushes.
Pixel Art
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Pixel Brushes by tsiox - (small) 1971800 & (large) 1969097 THE Clip Studio pixel set.  Has a ton of tools & textures to use.  The small set is better for slower internet connections & if you don't want all the patterns.
Studio Screen Tones - 1803496 If you like Flipnote studios or need more dithers, get this!
Pixel Foliage Brushes - 1883082 I apologize for promoting my own assets again, but I promise they're useful if you're doing anything with grass, trees, or bushes! ;w; My basic set - 1910804 Another lighter set with a few noise brushes that are useful at tiny size.  Did my best not to overlap with tsiox’s set while covering the basics.
Bonus: two blending pixel brush sets.   Mao Pixel (1779745) & Scummy Pixel(1782455). They’re not for exact pixel art, they’re more for playing around with & painting. :)
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regulusrules · 10 days
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MASTERLIST + FAQ
— FICS IN PROGRESS
My breaths are run by your compass [T] [20K+] (bbc merlin) — julius caesar AU. Merlin stabs Arthur and it’s all Arthur’s fault.
— COMPLETED FICS
I will turn your fear into a handful of dust [G] [1K] (bbc merlin) — growing old together fluff fic.
My heart is readily yours [T] [11.7K] (bbc merlin) — s05e03 the death song of uther pendragon divergence. Ghost!Uther stabs Merlin in his heart, and Merlin collapses in Arthur’s arms. (my forever favourite creation)
To you I swear my solemn oaths [G] [3.8K] (bbc merlin) — s04e03 the wicked day divergence. magic reveal right before Arthur’s coronation.
In the Air We Breathed [G] [1K] (the last hours series) — Will’s POV of James’s wedding while Jem was playing the violin.
Veiled Emotions [T] [50K] (harry potter) — separate one-shots of the marauders era, mainly Sirius and Regulus-centric. You can also find them posted separately here.
— MERLIN FIC RECS
I literally live to recommend the beautiful works of my fellow writers. It’s mostly Merlin fics, but sometimes you will find other fandoms. You can either follow my blog or go directly to this tag → #regulusrules recs
— METAS
If you’re new here, first thing, welcome! You’ll find me rambling 99% of the time about scenes, tropes and general fandom things. You can find all these in this tag → #regulusrules metas
— ASKS
I’m VERY open to asks! I love tumblr moots. Find all rambles, ask games, metas about my fics, or just random asks in this tag → #regulusrules answers
— FAQ
Do you accept fanart for your fics?
Yes! Fanarts are more than welcome. I will even feature them inside my fics. And if you want to create a cover/specific fanart for any fic, you can contact me through asks or messages and I’ll provide you with extra information about my personal reflection on it.
Can I add your fic on another platform?
No. If I wanted to, I would have. Do not add my works to any website. (Wattpad, Goodreads, Storygraph, etc.)
Do you accept translations for your fics?
Yes. Translations are more than welcome, but must remain on AO3. Also, apparently this needs to be said now, but I only accept human-made translations. Do not feed my work into AI machines to translate them. I do not approve of ANY use of AI in connection with my writing.
Can I download/bind your fics?
It’s up to you, but preferably please no. I don’t want these fics to be everywhere, but I can’t totally refuse because I understand the value of these fics to you. However, if you are binding them, 1. let me know and 2. bind them only for yourself. I do not allow any monetary profiting of my work. If you find someone selling my fics, please contact me.
Can I follow you if I’m one or any of the following: antisemitic, islamophobic, zionist, jkr-supporter, genocide-approver, racist, sexist, homophobic, disrespectful-of-any-human-being-for-any-reason?
No.
Can I call you by your name? And what pronouns do I address you with?
Yes, you can call me LJ! My pronouns are she/her. I’m more than happy to get to know my readers and fellow writers, so feel free to swoop in and contact me anytime.
welcome to the wonderworld of regulusrules✨
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floralseokjin · 2 years
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jordan u got any fantasy erotica novel recs ¿ 🤓
I sure do ☺️ (If anyone wants to add/follow me on goodreads, feel free to! I’m floralseokjin on there as well)
Under the Oak Tree by Kim Suji
Also a sfw manhwa found on the Manta app. My favourite book series! The side story and book 2 are currently being translated into English and will start being released at the end of August. Look up content warnings.
The Winter King by C.L Wilson
This was a solid story and has its fair share of smut! I really enjoyed the weathermage element of things, the descriptions were written so well, I could visualise everything. Look up content warnings.
Then, on to monster romance…. 😳
The Mead Mishaps Series by Kimberly Lemming
There’s two so far in the series, both were great and so funny! My favourite is the first in the series just because who can resist a 7 foot demon with horns and long dark hair??? Not me, that’s who!
The Dragon’s Bride by Katee Robert
This is probably the most insane book I’ve read this year. The guy is a GREEN DRAGON MAN….. with two dicks and a tail he uses during sex. He also has to unhinge his jaw to give oral. But keep an open mind because this was some of the hottest smut I’ve read this year too. This is also the first in a series and I really can’t wait to read the others tbh!
Girls Weekend Series by C. M Nascosta
My second favourite book series. I just love everything about this so much. It follows three couples and is freaking SMMUTTY! There’s everything in here: orgies, sex parties, MMF threesomes, FFM threesomes, probably more I’m forgetting. Oh, but this does revolve around elves and orcs, but please, please give this a chance. It’s like contemporary fantasy slice of life?? And it’s perfect!
Titan by Jillian Graves
This was also pretty insane considering the main guy is a GARGOYLE. But don’t knock it until you try it! The cover’s tag line is enough to pique anybody’s curiosity (look it up). The sex is hot 🥵
Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M Nascosta
This was honestly so sweet! Still not too hot on minotaurs but I loved the storyline! If you want to read about humongous dicks with quote unquote “balls the size of large oranges” and lots and lots of cum, then this is the book for you! You won’t regret it!
Ice Planet Barbarians Series by Ruby Dixon
This series consumed me. It literally took over a month of my life and I have no regrets. Sexy, respectful blue alien men with Rabbit dildo dicks, what more can you ask for?!
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hekateinhell · 1 year
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Would you be so kind as to rec me quality Lestat/Armand fics? I've never really gone down that rabbithole but I had a whole ass thing going on writing and i need something adjacent. So its the perfect time.
Well, allow me to be the first to welcome you into the rabbit hole! <3
With this ship in particular, I notice that I tend to mentally categorize fics as either Plot or Smut. It doesn't mean some don't have both though! Hopefully my system translates? ANYWAY.
Plot
A Brief Reprieve by Burnadette_dpdl/@i-want-my-iwtv
those tender moments, under this roof / A Matter of Taste by @apoptoses
The Bear in the Snow by TheScorpion/@elisaintime
Daywalkers AU Series by flammabellum/@dalliansss
Lovelorn by mochiiihus
Good to Embrace, Good to Love by armands_child
Smut
Taste of Evil by sweetcarolanne
Just for now by GodHelpMyNun
I don't usually plug myself when making rec lists, but tragically (for me anyway) there's just not a whole lot of content yet, so here's my Lestat/Armand collection on ao3.
And once again, seeing as we're already talking ao3, here are a couple hacks to streamline the process and help you find stuff you're looking for:
select your fandom (i.e. Vampire Chronicles Series - Anne Rice) > Filter > Exclude > Fandoms (select any other media shown that you don't want to see in your results) > click Sort and Filter
select a pairing (i.e. Armand/Lestat de Lioncourt) > Filter > scroll to the bottom under More Options > Search within results > type in otp:true > click Sort and Filter > now your results will show fics that feature only this pairing
As always, please everyone feel free to add your own works/faves in the comments or rbs! I'll edit later in case I remember more! (I'm away from my laptop atm and I have a migraine rip).
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hi!! sorry if you've posted about this before, but do you have any recs for beginner's japanese resources? i don't aim for fluency, i'd just like to learn some basics. thank you!!
Hi there! Here are some of the resources I've used/been using:
Apps
Lingodeer (I didn't bother getting a subscription or anything, but I used it to learn hiragana, katakana and basic kanji)
Drops (again, I only really used this for hiragana and katakana and some vocab)
Duolingo (they've now updated to the learning path version which is not for me at all, but maybe you'll get on with it? Also important to know the pronunciation's a bit wacky sometimes)
uTalki (for vocabulary)
Learn Japanese! - Kanji (I think you need to pay to unlock all the levels, but it's like £2 for one level or £10 for all of them, so I actually did it. Although their levels are questionable at times - there are som N3-N1 kanji in the N5 section for lord knows what reason)
Websites & Youtube Channels
jisho.org - Absolutely love this website and find it invaluable. You can look up words and kanji and find stroke orders and different kanji readings.
Japanese Ammo With Misa - she has a tonne of grammar videos for lots of different levels, including beginners. Highly recommend!
Japanese From Zero - This actually follows a book series (which I talk about below) but you don't need the book to understand or benefit from the lessons. I've linked you to the book 1 playlist, which is for total beginners.
Books
Japanese From Zero - I'll be honest, I didn't really like this book because it's a bit slow and their method of teaching kana is irritating (they teach 5 each lesson and then proceed to use a mix of hiragana and romaji throughout the book and it's the most annoying thing imo) BUT it's really good if you've not really learned a language before
Genki - again, I don't get on with Genki just because they use so much romaji and it annoys me. But it's a very highly praised textbook, and it seems easy enough to follow
Japanese-English Bilingual Visual Dictionary - a decent dictionary with pictures, kanji and romaji, divided by topic. Good for translating nouns into Japanese, especially as it sometimes includes very specific technical vocabulary too
Japanese Short Stories For Beginners (ISBN-13: 978-1951949228) - I decided to try reading these when I was still very, very beginner and it didn't go well lol but it's actually pretty good for N5-N4 level I'd say (I'm not quite N5 but I can benefit from it a lot more now than I could as a total beginner)
Hope that helps - good luck learning Japanese! It's a wonderful language 😊
Any other Japanese langblrs, please feel free to reblog and add to this list!
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🪷𝓐𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓑𝓵𝓸𝓰 {𝓟𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓧𝓲𝓮 𝓞𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓕𝓲𝓬 𝓡𝓮𝓬𝓼}🪷
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First of all, I AM NOT the authors/writers of these fics. I DO NOT own any of these amazing fanfictions. I WILL NOT repost these fanfics without authorization. I will only recommend them to you. If you find that it is inappropriate to recommend the fanfic here. Please let me know, I will delete it immediately.
The link (if there is any) will only lead to the fanfictions that the authors/writers posted themselves, such as AO3, Lofter, Weibo, their personal websites, etc. After much deliberation, I will only share the author's personal website link via private message.
I will try my best to provide the link, but some fanfictions are quite old and difficult to track down. However, if you are really interested to read that fic, you can search it directly on web browser. Since I couldn't confirm the authorization and because of the strict rules, I can't share it here.
The fic recs here are based on my personal preferences. Everyone has their own standard and level of acceptance. So, please be considerate. It is also because of this matter that a warning is needed to serve as a precaution, I have no intention to offense anyone. I will put a warning if it is necessary, but I will not give any OOC warnings (unless the author/writer said it themselves). If you think there is something more to add on, feel free to tell me.
Most of the fic recs here are probably in Chinese, of course it does not mean that I am against English fics. It is all the same as long as it suits my taste and also it is no secret that there is a lot of food in Chinese fandom.
Chinese fanfiction is different than English fanfiction, sometimes there is no summary, no tags, and the rating is basically just "no R", "with R", or "high R". Therefore, I added some additional details that were intended only for better understanding of what you are going to read and I by no means have any intention to disrespect anyone, especially the authors/writers.
Please note that I cannot speak Chinese (but it didn't stop me lol). I just like to wander in Chinese fandom and desperately use machine translation apps to read. That being said, it is hard for me to completely capture the real nuances of a fanfic in Chinese language, I may only understand the gist or the vibe with my reading comprehension. So, if there is any weird translation, misinterpretation, and misunderstanding, forgive me in advance. Maybe you can kindly help me to fix it :)
I hope someone will translate them properly someday, and of course with their permissions >.<
I will only recommend the fics that I have read before. So, if you want to suggest a fanfiction it will take some time to put it here, although I doubt anyone would even read this blog haha. If there is any, thank you!
No regular updates.
This is my first time doing something like this. If there are some small changes here and there, sorry for the inconvenience. Any suggestions are welcome :D
Last but not least, this blog is PingXie ONLY 【瓶邪ONLY】.
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🪷𝓐𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓜𝓮🪷
No one seems to care about my preferences, but due to the huge difference between Daomu Biji Chinese fandom and English-speaker fandom (it seems the attribute is important in Chinese fandom), I feel like to explain it here just in case to avoid misunderstanding.
I am PingXie Only, which means that I do not ship (or recommend) any ship/cp(s) who tear PingXie apart, and I do not accept switching either. My attitude towards other cp(s) are basically neutral or to put it bluntly I don't really care, anyway it is normal to have different preferences and opinions, but please do not cross the line and cause unnecessary trouble, everyone respects each other like an adult should be.
In my understanding, “瓶邪洁癖” in Chinese fandom is very strict, more stricter than PingXie Only, therefore I think I am just “only”. I have my own judgement to decide which fics I want to recommend, regardless of the writer's attribute. I think it doesn't matter as long as it is tagged properly, do not insult the characters or people, and do not cross my limit of tolerance and acceptance. That's it, the most important of shipping a ship/cp is to be happy :)
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🪷𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓪𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷❢🪷
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slow-button-off · 2 years
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Once again i wanna say just how much i love your blog and your posts. I wanna cram every info inside my brain ngl so that I am able to understand the races in a different light. Can i ask for some recs for extra reading or youtube vlogs to understand the races better? I saw some resources on your page (such as the f1 tech reddit page and some youtube pages too) and i m checking those out too so that i can understand the tech side better and their choices for strategies and all that. Thank you ♥️
Thank you so much!
If anyone else has other resources that they think are great then please feel free to add them because I 100% forgot someone!
This is just a list of imo relevant content it's not all just about races and strategy some are about the technical side but I figured I'd include them anyway.
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@race-week Makes brilliant posts like track previews and explains a lot of things. Also you get the occasionally free cat picture so for sure worth a follow.
Their pinned post has links to some really good overview posts for other resources and all sorts of other good things.
Video Content
Formula 1 Tech Talks It's official F1 content with different people. They always talk about something relevant to specific races and it's often very informative and interesting.
There is this playlist from the Tech Talk Demos that talk about about a lot of different F1 car parts and demonstrate how they work.
There are more Tech Talks but not all are in that playlist so you just have to search the youtube channel for it.
Chainbear on YouTube He makes a lot of content about like everything! He has a video about Hungary strategy. He pretty much has a video about how and why things went down the way that they did about most races, lovely illustrations/ animation and explains things really well.
Or this video about the basics of race strategy as a whole.
He also has some videos about technical things like tyres, and engines and these sort of things. He is one of the best entry points into learning about how things work and why they happen the way they do.
Driver61 on YouTube He talks more about driver specific things and used to be a racing driver. So he has videos on things like how Checo is so good at saving his tyres.
brrake on YouTube and twitch He used to be a performance engineer for multiple F1 teams and was working for RB recently (he brings it up any chance he has). His personality is not for everyone but his videos are still informative and interesting and he does know what he is talking about. He also does race and quali watchalongs if that's your thing. Ahead of qualifying he ususally looks at some data from FP3 and analyses it on stream, but you can watch them back. He also now has a podcast but I haven't listened to a single episode no clue how good that one is.
His video about the Dutch GP is really interesting.
f1toni is on TikTok and twitch (I've only seen her TikToks) she talks a lot about F1 things in general like all aspects of F1, history, the regs, contracts and so on. And often highlights Women in Motorsport. Really worth a follow if you have TikTok.
Molly @ abunchofredf1ags on TikTok She's an engineer and makes a whole bunch of videos about again all sorts of things. Not all videos are super serious but she also explains a lot of tech things.
Twitter accounts
Sara @ _allthatglitz on twitter For Ferrari related things, has calm takes most of the time and does like a bit of analysis. Fights anyone that is remotely rude to Charles. But knows what she is talking about.
@ F1Techy Does some analysis and talks about other tech related F1 things too. For example has a post about the RB vs Ferrari strategy in Monza.
@ GuilyDuchessa He is a journalist for Formula Uno and great for general Ferrari infos and news but also writes articles where he analyses things. They are always in Italian so you if you translate it somethings are gonna sound weird but the rest makes sense. Also talks about car upgrades and their impact amongst other things.
@ ProjectF1 Does analysis on twitter and has some lovely plots.
@ ScarbsTech Tweets a lot about the technical aspects and upgrades and all sorts of technical things. He is one of the guys that does the F1 Tech Talk that is featured on F1TV.
So these are my first immediate recommendations. I'm sure I missed someone.
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somerabbitholes · 3 years
Note
hii i want to start reading books thats less based on fandom and relatable characters etcetc and work more as pieces of fiction that aims to tell a story (tell me if im not making sense please), so do you have any recs for that (preferably not a classic with 80 word sentences)
(tell me if what i said doesnt make any sense please I'll try to rephrase it 😭)
hi yes that makes absolute sense, so here is fiction that is about the story, that works on the literary level, and that i love for the writing ─
drive your plow over the bones of the dead by olga tokarczuk — about an old polish woman who spends her time translating william blake and making people’s horoscopes; through her it’s about how we think about nature and animals; also comes with a whodunnit
the waves by virginia woolf — follows six friends through their youth and adulthood; written as monologues from each of their perspectives; really made me feel things and woolf is great at writing so i don’t need to sell that
conversations with friends by sally rooney — so hear me out, because the plot by itself is quite ordinary, but the writing is beautiful and the love i have for this novel comes from the writing which is so full of detail and so great at setting mood; i also really loved normal people and beautiful world, where are you but this one is still a favourite
a man called ove by fredrik backman — about a grumpy old man who has a very tight daily schedule and a very strong set of principles; his life after new neighbours move in across the street and basically upend his life; very wholesome
the hungry tide by amitav ghosh — about a biologist who goes to the sunderbans for research; covers human-animal conflict in the delta; also about the environment and how it offsets life in the delta’s villages
a fine balance by rohinton mistry — set in bombay during the 1975 emergency; about four people who are brought together by the political and social upheavals in the country; very finely written
dark satellites by clemens meyer —  a collection of stories revolving around marginal people set in germany; explores isolation, loneliness, and relationships formed in these conditions of isolation
the lowland by jhumpa lahiri — about two brothers, one of whom is drawn to the naxalite movement, while the other goes on to study and live in the usa; how their lives intertwine through the years
the people in the trees by hanya yanagihara — about this immunologist who discovers a micronesian tribe that is apparently immortal; also about ecological imperialism and the violence of the encounter between the west (in this case) and ‘primitive’ people; very impressive in its depth
broken harbor by tana french — part of the dublin murder squad series; this one is my favourite but you should definitely also read the rest; it’s about a detective investigating a triple murder in a family of four where the father and the two children have been killed and the mother is in a coma; also has a subplot about the detective himself; some great parallels and foreshadowing; ties together all the threads very satisfyingly
i'm going to add a little life here because i think it's an extremely fine work and probably the best novel i've read so far, but you should absolutely check the trigger warnings and the content warnings should you decide to pick it up ─ although the novel is a lot more than its TWs and i would hate for it to be reduced to only these warnings or to absolutely useless analysis like 'too long' or 'misery porn'
the immortalists by chloe benjamin — about four siblings who discover the precise dates of their deaths; takes a look at all their lives one by one; explores fate and destiny and free will; it’s a great quick read
the licanius trilogy by james islington — set twentyish years after a war that wiped out augurs, it follows davian, who is an augur, as he tries to come to terms with his power; begins as a classic chosen one story, but definitely more than that; time travel; very well-thought out and executed plotlines
the lives of others by neel mukherjee — about a family in kolkata that’s coming to terms with changing times in a post-independence india; great if you like generational novels about large families
i hope you find something you like!
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excelsi-or · 3 years
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your type (pt. 6)
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Hiiii friends, it’s only been like two weeks! Pretty good in terms of posting for me lol. I don’t know what it is about this story in particular, but I feel so self-conscious about posting new parts. But I’m also not someone who likes to leave things half finished.
I hope you’re all doing well :) 
BIPOC recs: I actually have a few! Two books: Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 - Cho Namjoo (basically follows a woman’s life in South Korea and all the micro-oppressive things that women face in their personal and career lives); Winners Take All - Anand Giridharadas (a non-fiction about how billionaires create such a disproportionate world for us all; I love listening to Anand’s talks about this subject. I find it fascinating). Music: Cross Country - Breland (excellent country song); Boyz II Men - Kirby (I love this woman’s energy)
w.c. 2.6k
pairing: jihoon x OC/reader
pt. 1; pt. 2; pt. 3; pt. 4; pt. 5
The summer semester has her in the research lab 8 hours a day. Luckily, Jihoon is also on campus for just as long. His professor got him a gig working on music for a few groups in various companies. It helps get his foot in the door, and while the deadlines are tight, he genuinely enjoys working.
They take their lunch breaks together, wandering the green or just wandering hallways if it’s too warm outside. But since he doesn’t have other classes, Jihoon’s been chatting with a few girls he’s met.
And he’s told her all about them, so she isn’t blindsided if someone else decides to share it with her.
“How was your date last night?” she asks at lunch.
Jihoon shrugs. The girl had come over since Seungcheol was at Jihyo’s. “She was whatever.”
She lifts an eyebrow, eating the sandwich that Seungkwan made for her lunch. She’s now taken to spending the night at Seungkwan and Hansol’s when Seungcheol visits.
Jihoon sighs. “Jiwoo was uninteresting.” When she has no response to this, he pouts. “She didn’t really have any opinions on anything, so we couldn’t find anything to talk about.”
“But you didn’t just go for dinner.”
“She was fine in bed.” Jihoon shrugs. “Didn’t really tell me what she liked, so hard to say how she felt about it.”
“Ahh.”
“What does that mean?”
She pops the rest of her sandwich in her mouth. “I don’t really know how to continue from that.”
Jihoon snorts. “Well, you’re the one who asked.”
She thinks for a minute. “Are you just saying she was uninteresting?” She kicks him lightly under the table. “Did you listen to her?”
“Of course I did!” Jihoon sips his coffee. “You said that I need to look at people more,” he makes a point of staring at her, “and to be aware of my body language because it comes off as standoffish.”
“And still?”
“All she talked about was her dog. I love talking about people’s dogs, but not for two hours.”
“Dinner was two hours?”
Jihoon shakes his head in frustration. “The kitchen kept getting the order wrong. Anyway, enough about my failed date, how’s your research going?” He pushes a napkin towards her.
She pulls out the pencil she was using to hold her hair up. Her hair cascades around her and she begins sketching out her reaction. While Jihoon hasn’t quite learned all the chemistry terminology, he recognizes various things, specifically the compounds she’s working on. She’d taught him some basics about catalytic testing, using drawings to help him follow along.
Multiple times she’s insisted that her research is really boring, especially for people who aren’t in science. But Jihoon likes listening to her talk, and her research lets her dominate the conversation. He asks questions and clarification, and she’s always great at simplifying things.
Jihoon has learned that her amazing attention to detail translates well to analyzing his songs. And she’s always very honest about the parts she likes and doesn’t like.
“I have some finished works I want your opinion on.” They start to clean up their table.
She glances up at him. “You don’t have a date tonight?”
Jihoon waits for her to fall into step with him. “I do, but I also have deadlines. So, if you’re not tired later, meet me in the studio?”
She waves goodbye to him. “I’ll let you know where I’m at.” She waits for him to exit the building before going to put her earphones in. As she’s heading to the stairs, she sees Seulgi heading towards her. They cross paths in the chemistry labs, but have never been on real speaking terms.
She smiles at Seulgi, about to go around her like normal, when the woman asks, “Are you and Jihoon dating?”
Despite her earphones in, she does hear the question. She turns. “Uhm, no.” She pauses and Seulgi says nothing. “Why?”
“I just…” Seulgi gives her a once over. “You seem too nice to be dating Jihoon.”
She’s taken aback by that observation. While Jihoon has given off the hot-cold vibe, player energy, and a slight lack of communication skills, she can’t say Jihoon’s ever warranted a comment like that. “We’re just…” She tries to come up with a word. “We’re just friends.”
“You’re smart.” Seulgi seems to mull something over. “But smart girls like you have fallen for his charm.”
“Like… you?”
“Once, but I’m not talking about me here. I’m talking about my friend.”
This piques her interest more than she wishes it did. Jihyo has warned her against listening to all these testimonials of women dating Jihoon.
“Maybe you just need to give the man a solid chance. If you’re gonna spend all your time with him anyway.”
Against Jihyo’s advice, she asks, “What happened to your friend?”
“Jihoon broke her heart. He doted on her and from the sounds of it, worshipped her, but then all of a sudden, he went cold. Stopped answering messages, stopped picking up the phone, avoiding her in the hallways. Then he said—”
“‘I’m ignoring you now, please leave me alone?’”
Seulgi tips her head. “Have you talked to Wendy?”
She runs her tongue along her bottom teeth. “No. I haven’t.”
“So how did you—?”
“I met another girl he’s dated. And… he’s a creature of habit, so… figured he’d say something similar.”
Seulgi hums. “Well, Wendy refuses to see any other man now. But she’s fine, mostly. We just can’t mention Jihoon around her. So, just…”
“Be careful?”
Seulgi chuckles. “So you’ve heard the warnings before?”
“A couple times.” Under her breath, she mutters, “Maybe I should heed them more.” She gives Seulgi a friendly nudge as she walks away. “Thanks for the warning.”
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“Is everything okay?”
Jihoon received her text around 4:30, saying that she wasn’t feeling well and would go straight home after she was done in lab.
“Yeah, I’m just… I think I’m getting sick.”
She had seemed fine when he saw her.
“Okay, I’ll walk you home then.”
There’s a long pause. “I actually caught up with Taehyung, Jungkook’s boyfriend? He said he would walk me home.”
Jihoon turns in his chair at this odd development. “Oh. Okay. Well, I’ll… see you tomorrow then.”
“Bye.” Almost like an afterthought, she adds, “Sorry.”
Jihoon turns back to stare at the pieces of work he has open in the task bar that he wanted to show her. Instead, he closes them and goes back to work.
Time passes without him realizing. Before he knows it, it’s time for him to meet up with Ara. He glances at the clock, thinking.
Jihoon (19:14)
Meet me at the gym?
Jihoon (19:14)
Hey, don’t think I’ll be able to make it tonight. Caught a cold.
Soonyoung (19:15)
Sure. See you in 10.
Mingyu (19:15)
I’m in.
Ara (19:15)
If I didn’t know better, I’d assume you have another woman in mind.
But okay.
Get well soon, babe.
True to their word, Mingyu and Soonyoung meet him at the gym near their homes. Soonyoung leads the way inside and they go stretch while Jihoon disappears to change.
When he reemerges, Mingyu asks him what’s wrong.
“She cancelled on me.”
“Who?” Soonyoung is stretching on his right.
Jihoon crosses his right arm across his body, feels the stretch in his upper delt and across his arm. He updates them on what’s happened in the last 7 hours, from lunch, to her saying she’s sick, to Ara.
Mingyu frowns. “I didn’t realize you two were still going on dates. I thought you’d already gotten to the… dating part of dating.”
“Wait,” Soonyoung seems to realize something, “are you seeing other women right now? We cannot win this bet unless you commit!”
Mingyu observes Jihoon in the mirror. He has a dazed look in his eye, as if he’s thinking hard about something. “You actually like her.” He turns to Jihoon. “You’re genuinely upset that she didn’t come to the studio.”
Jihoon wasn’t really frowning before, but he is now. “No. I’m not.”
“Wonwoo hyung said that he thought you were seeing other women again.” Mingyu turns back to the mirror. “I said that couldn’t be possible, because you don’t like to lose.”
“Can we just work out?” His tone is harsh, but his friends hear a small plea in there too. They exchange looks over Jihoon’s head and shrug.
“Yeah, let’s go.” Soonyoung nudges him towards the free weights.
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It isn’t until after their gym session on their way home that Soonyoung and Mingyu begin grilling him.
“Are you seeing other women right now?” Mingyu asks.
“Well…” Jihoon adjusts his bag on his shoulder. “Yeah.”
Soonyoung and Mingyu’s jaws drop.
“Dude. The bet.” Soonyoung gives him a push. “What if she finds out?”
Jihoon watches his feet move beneath him. “She already knows.”
“She knows? And she still goes out with you?” Mingyu demands. “Are you guys just friends?”
Soonyoung groans in frustration. “Seriously, Jihoon, bets are serious business. We went all in on this bet. You can’t just let Seokmin win a bet like this.”
“What happened, hyung?”
The question seems to release something in Jihoon. He throws his hands up in frustration. “I don’t know. I really don’t. She just… holds herself at a distance from me. I can’t seem to…” He makes grabbing motions in the air. “Get anything out of her.” He shakes his head. “Maybe we should just give up here. I don’t know if I can win this bet.”
“Yah!” Soonyoung throws an arm around his shoulders. He squeezes his arm. “I am not losing to Seokmin and Seungkwan on a bet that I know that we can win. You are the best at this.”
“She’s just as good at keeping me at a distance. And apparently she’s also had men castrated before.”
Mingyu and Soonyoung blink in surprise at the sudden information.
“Okay, well, we’re not going to let that happen to you,” Mingyu states.
Soonyoung agrees. “But you’re going to have to start pulling out al your moves. You—”
Jihoon shakes his head. “Listen to me. I have been at this since February. The girl won’t even let me kiss her.”
Mingyu scoffs. “You haven’t even kissed her yet? You guys are just friends.”
Soonyoung holds a hand up in Mingyu’s face. “You are not being encouraging.” He readjusts his grip around Jihoon. “Look. We’ll help you then. Lee Jihoon doesn’t tap out like this.”
“You said she canceled on you.” Mingyu tips his chin in Jihoon’s direction. “Why?”
“She said she was sick and found someone else to walk her home.”
Soonyoung’s eyes widen. He releases his grip on Jihoon to get a better look at his face. “That’s it?”
Jihoon scowls. “Did I not tell you that I haven’t even kissed her yet? I eat lunch with her every day and then I walk her home.”
“Are we in the 1700s? What the fuck?” Mingyu demands.
“I can’t work out what makes her tick. She tells me stuff about herself, but nothing I can use. All I’ve learned is that she’s one of the smartest people I know, reads a lot, paints, and can give me actual feedback on my music.”
“Oh, come on, that can’t be all you’ve learned.”
Jihoon sighs, racking his brain for more information. There are obviously little things he’s noticed, like that she drinks a shit ton of water; that when she thinks something’s amusing, she lets out a little breath of laughter; or that she presses down on her fingers with her thumbs when she’s nervous. But he can’t share these things. They aren’t useful.
“I’ve learned she hasn’t really dated anyone since Byunggu. That she doesn’t even count that guy as a boyfriend so Jungkook is the last man she dated.”
“Byunggu… why do I know that name?” Soonyoung looks to Mingyu.
“Because he’s the guy who’s either been threatened, murdered or castrated,” Jihoon grumbles.
Soonyoung waves him off. “No.” He reaches behind Jihoon to hit Mingyu’s arm. “Isn’t he that guy who debuted last year?”
Mingyu’s brow furrows.
“He stopped coming to parties because he was filming some show or something, remember?” He pushes Mingyu, as if that will jog his memory. “He was one of your girls’ friends. Remember? She wouldn’t stop talking about him? That’s why you dumped her?”
“Oh! Yeah!” Mingyu pulls his phone out and looks something up. When he turns the phone to Jihoon, Jihoon squints at an article about this man who is currently doing small roles in various dramas. He doesn’t recognize the face. But until this point, he’d never seen any photos of this elusive ex. A debut would explain why he disappeared into thin air.
“What am I supposed to do with this information?” Jihoon pushes the phone away. “She clams up as soon as he comes up.”
“Okay, okay. Forget trying to replicate the men of the past.” Soonyoung says. “Just… be you.”
Jihoon stares at him in disbelief. “She doesn’t like me.”
“She must, because she’s spent a lot of time with you, hyung.” Mingyu sips from his water bottle. “Noona only gives certain people her time, if you haven’t noticed. Her girls, Hansol, Seungkwan, Wonwoo hyung these days.” He shrugs. “If you’re spending so much time with her, she likes you at least a little bit.”
Jihoon bites his tongue, annoyed that they’re right. “I’m only going to give this another month. If I can’t get this girl into my bed, then there’s no way she’s going to say ‘I love you’ first.”
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“Don’t you think you’re being a little harsh?” Jihyo asks.
The two roommates are having a night in, watching a movie but talking the entire time with take out on the table.
She came home looking preoccupied, so Jihyo forced her to put on her pajamas, pick what sort of take out they would eat, and to bundle up on the couch. Then she forced her roommate to tell her what was wrong.
“I don’t know. Do you think it’s a sign that two different women have told me I should be careful?” She pouts. “I don’t want to feel like I need to tread carefully.”
“I don’t know what Jihoon was like with those other girls, but he likes you. I know what a guy looks like when all he wants is to get you into his bed. That look on Jihoon’s face when he sees you is pure adoration.”
She carefully breaks apart a cookie before popping a piece into her mouth. “If anything, Jihoon’s just a friend.”
“A friend who adores you. Who you also seem to like.” Jihyo nudges her with the back of her hand. “You can’t go around thinking every boy is going to hurt you like Byunggu.”
“I don’t think that. Why would I think that if I don’t even give them a chance to try?”
Jihyo snorts, both amused and frustrated. “Jihoon is putting in the effort with you. You didn’t even give him your number for like a month and a half. And he still made it work.”
“I did that to keep him away from me.” She rolls her eyes, a slight smile on her face. “So, thanks for helping him out with that.”
“You still hang out with him.”
“You know, he’s seeing other girls now.”
Jihyo pauses. “Really?”
“He tells me about them. He had a date yesterday. He has one tonight.” She shakes her head. “I think it’s just better for me if we stay friends.” She notices Jihyo on her phone. “What are you doing now?”
“Asking Cheollie if Jihoon’s home.” Jihyo turns her phone her way, grinning. Seungcheol had sent a picture of Jihoon next to him on the couch. The two seem to be playing video games. “Give the man a chance. You don’t know what kind of boyfriend he can be if you don’t.”
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arrowflier · 3 years
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Author Interview:
Thank you to my very talented friends for tagging me: @sickness-health-all-that-shit @thisaintmacys-bitch @iansfreckles @gallavich-x @abundanceofnots @energievie
1. How many works do you have on AO3?
12!
2. What’s your total AO3 word count?
99,198.  I have a ton of stuff not crossposted though, and my giant Gallavich file is over 210K.
3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
Meet the Neighbors /489
Eighty-Seven Percent (Anatomy of a Heart) /263
Marriage, Mickey, and Milk of the Gods /250
F*ck the Stars /136
Ease my Pain /103
I have some Tumblr-only stuff that would probably knock that last one from the list, but I haven’t been cross-posting because I’m lazy and I feel like mostly the same people would see it anyway.
4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
I did at first, then I stopped for a while because anxiety, but I’m trying to be better about it again!  I like to let people now I appreciate that they took the time to comment, because it does mean a lot, but sometimes my brain gets the better of me and then I stress about it being weird after too long, etc.
5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?
Nothing on AO3; I don’t really do unhappy endings since life sucks enough already.  On Tumblr I guess this one about Mickey as a kid, but I still went back and did a follow-up.
6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?
Hmm...if I go only by full finished fics I don’t have many choices lol.  Even though it’s otherwise rather angsty, I’ll go with Burn Out the Sun because it ends on pure wedding fluff.
7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?
Sort of?  I’ve used settings from Star Wars and X-men, and I have a ongoing fics that includes characters from Parks and Rec (These Undomesticated Wilds) and Jurassic World (Tooth and Claw).  No knowledge of the other universe is ever needed, though; it would just read like a regular AU without it.
8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?
Not that I’m aware of, thankfully.
9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
I’m working on it!  I’ve been accepting requests for practice so I can include it in some ongoing fics where it makes sense to do so.
10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
Not that I’m aware of, but I haven’t been around very long anyway.
11. Have you ever had a fic translated?
No, but I think it’s super awesome when people do that!
12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
Nope!  And I might be a little too controlling for that.  Unless you count that little writing game that was going around where we all wrote like a paragraph, that was fun!
13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?
Changes when I stumble across new obsessions, but right now Gallavich obviously.
14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?
Oh gosh I hope I finish them all.  There are a couple I haven’t started yet though that might never happen, like the Cinderella and Little Mermaid AU concepts I’ve had for forever.
15. What are your writing strengths?
I never knoooow.  I say description because that’s what I like doing, though.
16. What are your writing weaknesses?
Also description lol. I fall into purple prose and keep it cause it sounds pretty in my head so who cares, but I know a lot of people prefer things straightforward.  It’s just not my style, though.
17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?
I don’t trust myself to do it well.  I only did it once, and I cross-referenced like five different websites and was still a bit uncomfortable with it.  I’ve liked it when other people do it, though I do prefer when the translation is offered immediately (or as a link) so I don’t have to scroll down for it.
18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?
Shameless!  I’ve only lurked in others.
19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?
I’m thinking I’ll probably do something for Good Omens (Crowley/Aziraphale) during or after season 2.  My other ships are very aged and there wouldn’t be much of an audience anymore, if any.
20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?
How about the favorite one I’m still writing: A tie between Snow White, Blood Red and Tooth and Claw because I get to play closer to my genre of choice.
I’m super late the the game because my parents’ wifi wasn’t strong enough for my laptop this weekend, so please ignore me if you’ve already been tagged or feel free to add yourself:
@sunnyian @howlinchickhowl @gardenerian @mickeysfreckles @suzy-queued
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asteroiideae · 3 years
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okay, so I don’t make these kinds of posts often because tbh I’m a little lazy and very tired like 24/7 lmao but I’ve been seeing a lot of Pride reading lists hit my dash (and they’re excellent, and I save them all!) buuuut reading books is still a roadblock I’m struggling to mentally overcome -- and audiobooks are great, but they take 84 years (sometimes literally???) to get through. so! I thought I’d share a (very tiny) list of the queer manga I’ve read this year that you might enjoy for Pride, with some descriptions/trigger warnings/thoughts to go with them. so here we go in no particular order other than where they sit on my bookshelf:
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What Did You Eat Yesterday? by Fumi Yoshinaga
okay so I know I go on about this manga at literally every presented opportunity, but I honestly just can’t help myself??? as a thirty-something queer adult, I really love the quiet maturity of this relationship between Shiro and Kenji; especially when it’s highlighted by references to shenanigans of their youth, and the ways in which they are still growing as both individuals and a couple. I’ve only read the first six volumes but I’m OBSESSED.
Status: Ongoing (17 volumes; 15 translated) Summary: Shiro and Kenji are an established adult couple with separate careers and interests, whose relationship is depicted over the meals cooked for them by Shiro. This doesn’t have an overarching plot, which might be off-putting for some readers; each chapter can be compared to a fanfic one-shot, usually containing it’s own tiny storyline or theme. It’s literally just domestic moments and meals shared between these men. Warnings: While I didn’t personally have a problem with this, younger readers might find some of the dated terms offensive. If you’ve spent any time with older queer folks (older as in 45-50+) this won’t be anything you aren’t used to, but if your experience of queer folx skews younger or online, you might get taken by surprise. There’s also some internalized homophobia; and by some I mean quite a bit. Shiro’s personal arc (at least in the first six volumes) heavily revolves around how much he closets himself and tries desperately to pass as “normal” in Japanese business culture.
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Boys Run The Riot by Keito Gaku
holy shit holy shit holy SHIT. this story is so good??? so VERY good??? I was a little cautious, and a little bit uninterested in a story about teens (only because I’m in my thirties and crave more adult representation,) but I was VERY WRONG to be. Boys Run The Riot is beautifully drawn, beautifully written, and probably my favorite work on this list. the mangaka is also trans so the inherent understanding and nuance of our protagonist’s experience is really lovely. Also featuring a fantastic brotp between a trans boy and his new himbo bestie; no seriously if you want a story about a trans boy getting to have good broships with other boys his own age I CANNOT stress this enough. Volume two is releasing next month; I have it preordered. I’m laying on my floor wishing for time to hurry the fuck up. I need more of this smol angry trans boy and his big soft himbo bff. PLS. Status: Ongoing (4 volumes published; 2 translated) Summary: Ryo Watari is a second year high school student who is trans and struggling to feel comfortable with his very rigidly structured life at school, at home, and among his friends (to whom he is not out.) By chance he meets Jin Sato, a cis boy who also feels outcast (often judged for his appearance without any deeper thought.) When Ryo comes out to Jin in a state of frustration, Jin accepts who Ryo is and makes an offer -- why not start a fashion line that subverts all the expectations that have been put on them both; why not express themselves even when they’ve been told they shouldn’t. Warnings: Ryo is struggling with gender dysphoria, and it is written by someone who has probably experienced it, so it might be a little real for any trans folks who deal with that. Also, while neither the narrative nor Jin misgender Ryo (at least, not once he expresses to Jin that he is a man), Ryo is not out to anyone else and so he frequently is misgendered at school and we see how badly that impacts him and the way he views himself and processes his emotions. Ryo spends a lot of time being angry and trying to swallow it down, and that can be very raw to witness at times. There is also a depiction of unsafe binding (though the mangaka has an immediate note about binding safety, and goes further in-depth at the back of the manga.)
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Our Dining Table by Mita Ori
okay, so I was a bit on the fence about whether or not I wanted to include this as a rec, but I decided that it might actually been what someone wants or needs, so here it is! while I really enjoyed this concept, and I’m always a sucker for found family stories (let me tell you I’m queer without telling you I’m queer, much?) it feels like this story is a bit rushed at times, and the romantic relationship between our protagonists is very blink and you’ll miss it. I don’t even want to call it subtle so much as it is just not remotely the focus of the story so it’s a little startling when it happens. but! if you’re looking for a story about adults processing grief and trauma together, and learning how to care for another person (and as a result, learning how to care for themselves,) this is a nice read that isn’t too heavy!  Status: Complete (one volume) Summary: Yutaka is a salaryman whose past experiences prevent him from reaching out to others, even through something so simple as sharing a meal. Despite this is REALLY loves to cook, and wishes he had a reason to do it more often. Then he meets Minoru, and his muuuuuch younger brother Tane (it’s like a 17 year age gap between the brothers?) and finds himself teaching them how to cook, and overcoming his fear of eating in front of others. Warnings: Good news, there’s no overt homophobia in this story! Bad news, the other trauma makes up for it! We have a lot of trauma surrounding parental death, childhood bullying, and adoption; in addition to an actual fear of eating in front of others.
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Our Dreams at Dusk / Shimanami Tasogare by Yuhki Kamatani
this is the first manga series I collected, and I’m still very pleased about that. the art is ABSOLUTELY stunning? the use of visual imagery and surreal analogies to explain queerness is fucking on POINT. I cried so hard during a couple of these volumes I developed a migraine. I only have one piece of critique on the whole thing (addressed in the warnings,) and I intend to do another re-read when I’m ready for the catharsis of sobbing into my pillow again. Like Boys Run The Riot, Our Dreams at Dusk is drawn and written by a member of the queer community (a non-binary mangaka, this time,) and as a result it hits pretty fucking close to home in a lot of ways. while I really love this series it’s super not for the faint of heart, you WILL come out of this reading experience with some things to unpack. Status: Completed (4 volumes; 4 translated) Summary: We mostly follow Tasuku Kaname, as he is outted at school by a classmate as being homosexual, and his initial despair and subsequent journey of acceptance. In this process, Tasuku finds himself at a drop-in center, which seems to primarily function as a safe space for queer people; we meet several lesbians, an elderly gay man, a trans character, and a young character who isn’t ready for any kind of label because they are still ??? about themselves and their identity. Each of these “secondary” characters is given room to breathe and to work through difficulties of their own while Tasuku watches and learns that even though life is hard sometimes, there’s beauty to be found in one’s own strength. Warnings: hoooo boy; well there’s all kinds of homophobia and transphobia; a character is outted against their will (multiple times), there’s some really insidious transphobia covered by “concern”, there’s internalized homophobia everywhere, and a very complicated asexual character whose presentation left me (as an ace) with super mixed feelings and a lot of frustration (though I wouldn’t call it bad necessarily; just wanted to put that out there for my fellow asexual folks.) If you have read (or go on to read!) any of these, please let me know! I’d love to chat about the stories, and hear your thoughts on them -- because we’re a broad/diverse community and our own experiences shape us differently and give us different insights. <3 ANYWAY, for those of you who read this monstrous self-indulgent post, thank you! Feel free to add any queer manga you’ve been reading below - I’m always on the hunt for more recs!
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quokkacore · 4 years
Text
LIBERALITY: starshine [oh sehun] (m)
part II of all your gods are fake
summary: sehun gives you what he can, but it’s never easy. you have to work for it as well, but effort pays off, and he rewards you so kindly.
pairing: freedomfighter!sehun x reader
genre: smut, angst, fluff, light horror towards the end?
warnings: language, descriptions of war, descriptions of cults, mentions of violence, shibari, thigh riding, handjobs, reader has nipple piercings, sensory deprivation (blindfolds and ties), seizures, knives
song rec: rosalia & ozuna - yo x ti, tu x mi ♡ taemin - never forever
word count: 4.3k
a/n: this was originally posted to my old writing blog on may 9th, 2020. if you would like to be on the taglist, pls send me an ask or a message! <3 
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masterlist
He was getting agitated. You could tell this much.  
It was already bad enough that the meeting so far had lasted for over an hour and a half, but now the tension of the situation was finally settling in, as everyone realized that it was finally here.
The last stronghold. Or so they believed. Or so he believed.
The meeting was only for the highest ranking officials of the resistance, people who The Brotherhood knew they could trust—the plan was far too important to risk it falling into the hands of The Sect of Seven at the hands of double agents.
The plan that, if executed correctly, could turn the tides and cause the downfall of the Sect.
You watched, leaning against the wall as Junmyeon, leader of The Brotherhood and face of the resistance towered over the war table, talking about possible strategies to take the last major neutral city and also take control of the country.
The Sect of Seven had existed for years before the war began—its existence spanned across centuries, millenia, even; dating back to the year The Prophecy of Brothers Alike was first proclaimed in the late twelfth century, and remained strong even almost a whole century after The Great Collapse of 2050, when global society had collapsed due to war, famine and climate disasters.
Then the war broke out, some ten years ago, when the first two brothers of the Fated Fourteen first made themselves known, springing the Sect’s violent plans into action.
Since then, the resistance had been built up by The Brotherhood’s efforts, both capturing strategic cities and territories across North America. The Sect was based in the desert, with the Sanctuary based in what was once Los Angeles, their control spanning across what was western Mexico, the american south, and half of the northwest.
The resistance was based higher north, in the Citadel, which used to be Chicago, territories consisting of parts of southern Canada, the rockies, the northern midwest and what remained of the Peninsula of Yucatan. Places like Greenland, the southern east coast and northern canadian territories had either been destroyed during the collapse or had since been reclaimed by extreme climate and nature.
The only major territory that remained uncaptured by either sides, the place where many had fled to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, was the northern west coast, and that was controlled by Washington DC.
The very spot the resistance was now planning to take.
Your eyes floated up towards Sehun, who was standing right next to Junmyeon, who was now listening to Chanyeol and Baekhyun discuss the logistics of a peaceful invasion.
“Overall, I think we still need time to form a solid strategy,” Baekhyun said, “Jongdae needs to get in contact with The Agate Sisters for some more weapons—”
“Which is not very easy, might I add—” Jongdae interjected.
“And even before that…” Junmyeon’s voice was loud, taking command of the situation, “Sehun.”
All eyes in the room fell to the youngest member of The Brotherhood.
Oh Sehun. The Oracle.
Sehun had become known to the world two years after Suho and Junmyeon were proclaimed the first two brothers of the prophecy, the same time as his twin brother. Being so young, his ability of both interpreting and creating prophecies was a sight to behold, both terrifying and morbidly fascinating.
You’d known him since he and his brother were children, before the three of you realized what the future held in store—pain and suffering for Sehun and you, and nothing but pleasure and debauchery for Sehün.
“Do you think you could consult with the spirits for a minor prophecy? Or any other interpretations of the prophecy?”
Sehun shifted in his stance, leaning back and forth. “I need time.” His voice was firm and gravelly as he crossed his arms, immersed in thought. “My most recent auguries have revealed to me that DC is the last stronghold that the prophecy is talking about. But I can’t be a hundred percent sure. Prophecies love to play mind games. We all know that.”  
“Is there anything we have to be wary of when it comes to the prophecy? Double entendres, stuff like that?” Yixing asked, even though everyone in the room had heard the god-forsaken prophecy more than enough times throughout the past few years.
Sehun sighed, but closed his eyes and nodded anyway. A dramatic tension settled over the room, and Sehun began to speak.
“Cometh a day when seven sets of twins, be opposite ends of both virtue and sin—why am I going over this again, we all know this,” He huffed.
“Please just continue,” Baekhyun mumbled.
“Ugh, fine. Bearing eyes of blue and eyes of brown, cometh to tear the last stronghold down—” Sehun rolled his eyes, frustration evident in his expression. “The term stronghold has always been somewhat questionable. The prophecy was first declared in 1176, right? Early Modern English wouldn’t become a thing for another three hundred years, so most of this stems from Middle English. Some interpret stronghold as fort, or base, or holy land…”
Jongdae raised his hand before speaking, eyes flashing in alarm as he interrupted Sehun’s tangent. “Wait, wait, if others have translated it as holy land, then—”
“The Sanctuary.”
Junmyeon’s voice was quiet, but still commanded a heavy presence across the room, as a profound silence spread across the space.
“That means that the final battle could be in Los Angeles, on their turf. That would put us at a major disadvantage. We’re already at a major disadvantage.” The leader’s eyebrows were furrowed, using both hands to lean on the table as he made the connection.
The dread that followed was thick and suffocating, and you took the opportunity to speak up, wishing to rid the room of the anxiety gathering.
“But think about the implications of fighting the final battle in The Sanctuary. It would have to mean that we’ve managed to push them back sufficiently to the point where we feel confident invading their home base. Which we wouldn’t do unless we knew that we had a high possibility of winning.”
All eyes fell to you, and you crossed your arms, before meeting Sehun’s gaze. The look in his eyes was something akin to gratitude, being able to lift the sudden darkness. You lifted your hand to gesture back at Sehun. “Continue.”
He nodded, gaze stern. “Perhaps lovers lost to a most wicked brother, bringeth vengeance and hellfire upon one another… Loss could mean one of two things. Betrayal or death. But the rest of those two lines imply that the side that does the taking will suffer because of what they’ve done. That means that for now, none of us lay hands on any of the Sanctuary Queens, and those of us who have them, keep our partners close… Beware ye who heed this, for I warn thee now: suffer shall those who carelessly bow.”
“It has to be them,” A girl, Sasha, declared, “They’ve been lying to their followers for years—”
“That could mean anything. You know that.” Sehun’s voice was rough, eyes trained on the map that had been carved into the table.
A silence hung over the room, tension palpable as everyone remembered what the stakes were. These were lives and people’s free wills on the line, indescribable anguish promised by a prophecy written centuries ago to people who didn’t truly know their leaders. The end was near, but the outcome was nowhere near foreseeable.
“I’ll… I’ll try and do some more smoke readings.” It struck you how tired he sounded, watching as he rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger, “Maybe I’ll ask the spirit of the Oracle for a specific prophecy on DC. For now, we just have to be cautious. Watch for any suspicious activity here in the citadel and listen to intelligence reports. Jongin, you’ve got your moles at the Sanctuary, right?”
Jongin nodded, gaze dark. “Yeah. I’m meeting with Ren in two weeks. She’s the best of the best. I’ll see what she has for us.”
Junmyeon straightened his posture, everyone quieting when he opened his mouth to speak.
“I think that’s enough worrying about that for today,” He declared, sounding grim, “Before we go, you all know that not a single word is to leave this room. This is highly classified information. Meeting adjourned.”
You watched everyone file out of the room, hoping to speak to Sehun, yet somehow didn’t catch when he left. You got the feeling that that was what he intended.
So you left too, resolving to see him that night.
Sehun’s room was easy to find, seeing as how it was right across the hall from yours, in the large apartment building the heads of the resistance had settled into. You knocked on his door, sighing when you didn’t hear any response. You tried one more time, then another time, finally a third time, before letting your head fall frustratedly against the wood of the door.
“Hun, I know you’re in there… please let me in.”
You heard muffled sounds of shuffling from behind the door, pulling your head away to lean it against the doorframe. Waiting, you strained your ears for a noise, hearing the occasional sound.
Eventually, you heard the telltale sound of heavy footsteps being dragged across the floor. You pursed your lips, waiting for the door to open, wondering what you would see when it did.
The door swung open slowly, and you were met with a tall figure, hunched over as he peered down at you. The exhaustion in his gaze was palpable, and you felt your heart clench in sympathy.
Sehun was 25 now. He was made known to the public some nine years ago, and on top of it all, he was the Oracle. Interpretations of any and all prophecies were up to him, a sixteen year old boy who had just discovered he was destined to spend the rest of his life fighting against his own brother, something that tore his family apart.
He was a child.
And now, here he stood, looking too worn, too hopeless for someone so young. His eyes had seen horrors he was much too young to see. Life had eaten away at the glow he’d had when you were both younger. The dark circles underneath his eyes were so pronounced, you’d think he hadn’t slept since he was a baby. His short, dark hair was greasy. You wondered if he’d been taking care of himself properly.
“Do you need anything?” His voice was raspy, quiet. You looked at him, brown eyes met yours. Your heart clenched. Here he was, mentally exhausted, and the first thing he said to you wasn’t a hello, but rather, asking quietly if you needed anything.
“Can I come inside?” You asked sheepishly, and he blinked for a second, before nodding, opening the door more for you to pass. “Go ahead.”
You stepped past him, into the hallway of his small apartment. The smell of incense invaded your nose, and you frowned. He closed the door, and crossed his arms. “What’s going on, Y/N?”
“Are you okay? You looked so tired today, you look tired now.”
“I’m fine—"
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
You refused to let him keep it all to himself. “Sehun…”
He leaned against the wall, head bowed, and you mirrored his stance, standing against the wall as well, but you didn’t look away. “Y/N, I can’t deal with that right now. People need me.”
“Sehun, you can’t force yourself like this, you’ve told me that yourself—"
“I have to make this work. I can’t fail like last time, not if DC is what we think it is.”
You sighed, taking a step forward, resting a hand on his arm. He glanced at it briefly, then raised his head to look at you. You said nothing, but guided him to sit down on the couch, and you sat next to him.
“Sehun,” You said, voice quiet, “DC is nothing but puppets right now pretending they’re actually doing anything. We have our puppets, the sect have theirs. You can’t be sure that a place like that is what determines whether we’re doomed or not. You said it yourself, there are so many possibilities that DC isn’t the place we’re thinking about.”
He took a few deep breaths, nodding to your words before rubbing his eyes with his thumb and index finger. He looked strained, and you moved to sit closer to him.
“Everything is so fucked up,” Sehun whispered, and you nodded in agreement. “I feel like everything is out of control. Like I can’t do anything about it. Meanwhile, Sehün—"
“Sehün has people who think he’s a god obeying his every whim, just like the rest of those—those idiots.“ Your voice was quiet, but firm, refusing to allow him to compare himself to his brother, "The only reason they look so polished and seem to have everything under control is they only leave the Sanctuary when they absolutely need to, to save face. They feel like they’re above everyone else.”
You took Sehun’s hand, carefully removing his worn, black glove before cradling it in your smaller hand, as if it were incredibly fragile. His eyes met yours, and you gave him a sad smile.
“The Brotherhood, on the other hand… You only use that title for formality’s sake. Yes, you’re all the leaders, but you see yourselves as equal to the rest of us. All of you are out there with us, on the front lines. You’re tired because you give everything you have to serve this cause, my love. You feel that everything is out of control because… well, it is. Lady Fate is a tricky one, we all know that. But you feel it even more because you’re dealing with it head on, not from some sparkly throne on a golden pedestal.”
Sehun’s eyes glittered with several emotions you couldn’t pinpoint, but you could see fondness in them. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “Starshine,” He mumbled into your hair, before resting his chin on the crown of your head, “Where would I be without you.”
You hummed, before allowing your eyes to flutter shut, and the two of you sat in silence for what seemed like hours. You reflected back to when you and Sehun both realized your feelings for one another, after a devastating battle in Salt Lake City where Sehun had given his brother the now infamous scar running down the left side of his face, some six years ago. He’d come so close to dying that day, and you’d realized just how important he was to you.
You’d been joined by the hip since you were children, and when the revelation came that he and Sehün were the brothers of liberality and greed respectively, you didn’t hesitate in taking his side, vowing to follow him until the bitter end.
It all made sense to you when you came to Sehun’s sickbed, seeing him resting and bloodied, that you’d actually been in love with the boy for a long time, perhaps ever since you’d first met him. You wouldn’t ever be able to live without him, and apparently, he felt the same way.
In this moral crisis, you were his anchor, his tether to the corporeal plane when his world was on an ethereal one.
Upon all the doubts that everyone had, as to whether the Fated Fourteen were truly gods or if they were simply men with delusions of grandeur chosen by Lady Fate for her cruel entertainment, he felt that you were what reminded him that he was human, that past gods were never truly capable of love or real emotion.
To be capable of loving you was a humbling experience, one that he treasured dearly, especially in moments like this.
“Do you remember what we did the last time you felt like you had no control?” Your voice was a whisper, full of promise and anticipation, as the hand that wasn’t holding his own came to ghost over his thigh. Sehun’s breath hitched, recalling the experience. Roughness against soft, supple skin, restraint and control, you giving yourself entirely to him before he gave himself entirely to you.
“What exactly are you proposing?” He murmured, and you exhaled as one would when they found something amusing, the ghost of a laugh. “You know what I’m proposing, Sehun. Don’t act as if I haven’t seen you teaching Chanyeol to tie his knots when he’s getting ready to go out on a field mission.”
His hand tugged yours towards him, and you moved as he sat back, resting his back against the couch as he helped you straddle his waist. You faced him, realizing with a giggle that he’d turned slightly pink at your accusation.
“Do me a favor,” He said, and you nodded, letting your free hand rest on his shoulder. “Never talk about Chanyeol when you’re trying to get me into bed again. You are the sexiest thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on… Chanyeol, however, is the most unsexy person I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.”
Your head tipped back with laughter, and he joined in with you. Your heart, upon hearing this, skipped a beat. You had a hard time recalling when the last he’d laughed was. “I think Sasha would disagree.”
“Yeah, but Sasha isn’t here now, is she? It’s just you and me.” He leaned forward, trapping your waist with his hands and letting his face come close to yours. You watched his eyes flutter down to watch your lips, inches away from yours. You gulped when his lips parted, his tongue peeking out to lick the pink skin.
“So you want me to tie you up. Take control.”
Your hands wrapped around his neck, and you smiled. “Only if you want to tie me up. I want you to have at least one thing you feel you can control.”
Sehun licked his lips again, sighing in amusement as he considered the idea. “Y’know, a few weeks ago, some of the field officers came in with a bunch of fabric they managed to smuggle out of LA…” His tone was quiet, and his hands began trailing downwards, pulling you against him, voice filling you with anticipation. Comfortable fabric was so difficult to come by these days, given that the Sect had taken what were once lavish city districts.
You gasped slightly when your core came into contact with his lap, feeling he was already starting to get hard, and felt your face heat up.  
“I might’ve bought a silk tie or two off of ‘em,” He told you, eyes burning holes into your skin, “Wanted to see what my starshine would look like in pink.”
Your felt your hands tighten of their own volition against the fabric of his black t-shirt, your mind conjuring the mental image. “Fuck, Sehun. W-where’s the jute?”
He flashed a lopsided grin, and you felt the need to smack the smug look off of his face. How he could go from being so serious to this, was beyond you. You personally didn’t believe that The Brotherhood and The Lords of the Sect were gods, but Sehun’s duality, in situations like this, seemed to be supernatural at times, if you dared say so yourself.
He pressed his lips to yours briefly, before lightly nudging you to get off of his lap. “I’ll go get it, baby. Give me a second.”
He stood, catching his breath briefly, before walking down the hall, towards his closet. The hallway was slightly darker, and you stood, striding over to him as he pulled out the rope. He turned to face you, and he quickly cornered you against the wall.
“Shirt off. Bra, too.”
You grinned. “What are you gonna do this time?”
You could vaguely make out his features, but you knew his face was probably twisted up in smug satisfaction. Regardless, you obeyed silently, your chest rising and falling quickly with anticipation.
“Chest harness, for now,” He quipped, “Is that okay?”
You nodded, not breaking eye contact with him as you undressed yourself. You wanted him to realize that you weren’t backing down.
He seemed to read you perfectly, nodding in response to your answer as he watched you pull off the dark fabric, before reaching behind you to unclasp your bra. Even in the dim light of the corridor, you could see how his eyebrows raised and the way his lips parted slightly, lazy gaze falling down to your breasts. You knew what he was gawking at.
The studs embedded in your nipples were a dark stainless steel, glittering, alluring. You’d gotten them on a whim at nineteen from some clandestine tattoo artist on the way back from a field operation. He’d always had a bit of a fascination with them, the way they seemed to twinkle at him underneath the light.
"You gonna stare at me all night or will I have to tie myself up?”
Your playful jab snapped him out of his reverie, and he straightened his posture a few seconds later. “Go stand in front of the bed.” His voice was soft, but still commanding.
You stalked into the dark bedroom, standing in front of where you made the bed out to be. He followed you, before standing behind you. “Are you going to tie my hands up, too?"
"Not yet, starshine,” He declared quietly, into your left ear. You could tell he was untangling the jute, and you pursed your lips in anticipation. “You want to know what I’m about to do to you?”
“You know I do,” You whispered, a confession just for him, before lifting your arms and your hair for him to work.
“Too bad,” He sighed, ”Because I’m not telling you.”
You huffed, but didnt protest.
His arms began to wrap the rope below your ribcage, tightening the jute to the point where you could feel it digging into your skin, but enough to complicate your breathing. Taut, but not torturous. You closed your eyes, sighing quietly as he looped the jute higher up this time, just between your breasts and your collarbones, wrapping back to where he began, in the middle of your back.
The sensation of the rough fibers against your skin was by no means comfortable. It was scratchy and some stray fibers tickled at your chest. But its presence against your skin, the implications of its position and what was to come, was most definitely comforting. Intimacy with Sehun now was rare, you rarely even slept next to each other. But you knew that it wasn’t because of a strain in your relationship.
Sehun had always needed peace of mind and silence when it came to auguries and prophecy readings. Now, with the war coming so close to what seemed to be the end, he needed it more than ever, and the moments you shared with him came to a pause. You didn’t complain—the cause came before your emotions, now and always. But inside you were crying out for him; in concern, in longing, in yearning.
So maybe that’s why when he paused his ministrations and chuckled, tracing a finger down his spine, you whimpered quietly, thighs rubbing together in anticipation. “You have goosebumps,” He said, lips brushing against the shell of your ear.
“It’s been a while,” You answered, and he hummed in response, pressing a soft kiss to your nape. You sighed at the sensation.
“Drop your arms, and turn around to look at me,” Sehun whispered a few seconds later, and with some help from him to maneuver through the rope he was still trying to tie around you, you were able to complete his request.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous.” His voice was throaty, eyes scanning your body as you did the same, eyes landing on the growing bulge in his pants.
“Sehun, please just hurry.”
He shook his head, crooked smile still gracing his face. His hands worked quickly, looping the jute underneath the lowest rope, between your breasts.
“It’s not too tight, is it?” He asked, and you shook your head.
“It’s fine. Not too tight, not too loose.”
He nodded, eyebrows furrowing in concentration. “Okay. Let me know if it becomes too much at any point.”
“I know, Hun.”
Sehun’s dark eyes lifted their gaze from where his hands were working to meet your own, not saying anything. By now, the smile had faded, replaced by a stern look of concentration.
Be still, my heart, you thought, he is so beautiful.
“What?” You whispered, and he blinked.
His response was soft, gentle. “I would fucking die for you.”
You felt your face grow warm, and you lowered your gaze. “Sehun,” You murmured, “I—”
“Sh, sh,” He answered, continuing to tie the rope, “Listen to me, starshine. You’re it for me. There’s never been anyone else. A-and if anything happens, Lady Fate forbid it… There’ll never be anyone else.”
He finished his words as he tied off the final knot, and silently, you stood there, eyes shut as you pressed your forehead to his. For how long, you weren’t sure. Seconds, minutes, eons… Maybe no time had passed at all. You didn’t really care. Moments like these were never long enough, they always ended too soon. Sehun was your elixir of life, your lifeline, and in these moments, you felt immortal, invincible, powerful.
To be able to bring such a man like him to his knees, to be so ready to put himself on the line for you; you were sure it would be your ruin.
You surged forward, wrapping your arms around Sehun’s neck, and he caught you as you pressed your lips to his in a blazing kiss. His arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you impossibly closer. You whined into the kiss, the dark cotton of his t-shirt pressing against your sensitive nipples and their piercings.
“Sehun,” You moaned into the kiss, reaching down to tug at the hem of his shirt. “N-not fair, take it off.”
He hummed, pulling away to comply with your protests, revealing toned skin and the broad shoulders you so adored.
“Is it fair now?” He asked, grabbing your upper arms to pull you closer and press kisses to your collarbones and along your sternum. “I should tie your hands now, maybe then you’ll learn you’re not allowed to touch without my permission.”
“Shut up,” You said, ignoring his declaration as he pushed you onto the bed. You peered up at his broad form, towering over you in the darkness, almost trembling in anticipation, waiting for him to put his hands on you, to make a move.
A few moments later, he finally did, reaching down to pull your pants off, as well as your underwear. He pressed soft kisses to your stomach as he did. When both garments were finally tossed aside, he lifted himself up onto the bed, lips trailing up across your skin. His eyes met yours as he gazed up at you, through you, before pressing his lips to one of your breasts, your sensitive nipples hardening at the contact of his warm mouth against the cool steel embedded in it.
Your head tipped back, eyes fluttering shut, unable to keep eye contact with your lover. One of your hands came up to comb through his dark hair, whimpering as he alternated between your nipples.
“Sehun, mmph, baby…” You murmured, coming back to look at him when he let go and came back to kiss at your jawline.
“Up, starshine,” He ordered, leaving no room for protest, arms wrapping around your waist and hauling you up to sit on his lap. As you squirmed to get comfortable in his grip, one of his hands reached for his nightstand’s drawer, and he pulled out two pastel pink silk ties. Your heart leaped towards your throat in excitement when you registered what these were, hips subconsciously searching for friction against his.
“Sit still,” He huffed as he closed the drawer, before straightening his posture, dwarfing you even sitting beneath you.
Wordlessly, he brought the tie up to your eyes, covering them before tying it at the back of your head with one tie, quickly doing the same to your hands with the other, tying them tightly in front of you.
“Fuck, you’re so pretty,” He mumbled, hands raking from your hair to down your back.
His hands came to grasp at your thighs, propping them so they rested only atop one of his. You felt your core clench at what he was alluding to, inhaling sharply.
“Move your hips, baby,” He said, and you couldn’t bring it in you to deny him.
Another thing you couldn’t do was speak, you found, as you prayed you could maintain your balance and began to slowly rock your hips against the rough fabric of his dark pants and his toned thigh, your bare pussy rubbing listlessly against the coarse fabric. You didn’t mind however, perfectly content to let him speak, murmuring strange hybrids of dirty and sweet things in your ear.
The hot pleasure between your legs seemed to double at the restriction in your ribs and not being able to see or anticipate where his hands or mouth were. You buried your head into the crook of Sehun’s neck, peppering wet, opened kisses against his collarbones, your nails digging into your palms with a vengeance in hopes of anchoring yourself to something.
The movements of your hips soon became capricious, rhythmless, your whimpers becoming louder and louder as he switched between flexing his thigh and bouncing it like a restless child. In the darkness of the silk tie, you could feel the callousness of his fingertips as they dug into your hips, a guided meditation through your pleasure.
The room reeked of incense and sex, you realized as you attempted to delay your slowly building release by focusing on different things. Smells, sounds, and finally, Sehun.
This was the Sehun you loved most, the one you cherished most in your heart. The Sehun that was so willing to give, give, and give, but not to the point of recklessness, unlike the Sehun you had seen so often lately in the war room. This Sehun was yours, and yours only. And if the growing wet spot against his rough pants was any indication, then your body loved this Sehun as well.
“S-Sehun.”
“Hmm?”
“P-please let me touch you.”
“Alright, since you asked so nicely.”
You clumsily began to search for his hard bulge, and he grabbed your tied hands and guided them to something hard and hot. You jumped slightly in surprise, not realizing he had taken himself out of his pants while you were humping away at his thigh like a bitch in heat.
He laughed at your squirming, and you slowed the rhythm of your hips in annoyance, but not completely—your hips had stopped folding to you, subconsciously rutting, twitching gently against the rough, now ruined fabric, perpetually searching for release.
“S-shut up,” You panted, and he laughed again, pressing another kiss to your jawline.
“You shut up. I still have to make you come.”
His hands resumed their leisurely movement on your hips, your focus snapping back to the impending edge, thoughts blurring into incoherency as the pleasure against your core. Mindlessly, you let go of Sehun’s member to bring your hands up to your mouth, attempting to spit crudely in order to improvise lube.
Instead, your heart jumped into your throat in arousal when Sehun grabbed your free hand and did the same, keening at his actions, eyebrows furrowing. And, despite feeling a slight annoyance at the chafing of your thighs, a feral instinct took over, and your hips sped up against his thighs.
“You look perfect like this,” He told you, guiding your hand back to where he needed you most, and you began to pump him slowly. His hands moved to wrap around your waist, large hands splaying possessively across your back.
“Gods, I wish you could see how lovely you look, starshine,” He mumbled, seemingly in a daze, “All mine.”
You nodded. “Y-yours, Hunnie. Only yours.”
He pressed a kiss to your collarbone, his breath picking up as your hands did the same, pace speeding up. He groaned against your skin as you pressed your thumb into the slit of his cock. Your movements were harsh, jerking against him as you felt yourself losing yourself in his touch.
“S-Sehun, I’m gonna…”
“I’ve got you,” He whispered, his voice your only anchor, “Let go, Y/N, it’s okay.”
Finally, finally, you crested, head tipping back, mouth falling open in a silent scream, body stiffening in his arms as you were possessed by pleasure. In the dark, colors danced around you, sounds could be touched, Sehun’s hands on your body tasted exquisite.
You didn’t even realize that your display had tipped Sehun over the edge, spilling himself onto your hands while he gripped your shoulders like his life depended on it.
When you came down from your orgasm, your chest heaving, you reached up to pull the blindfold off of your face, struggling slightly as you were still restrained by the silk tie. You blinked a few times, eyes adjusting to the light of Sehun’s room, and found that he had fallen back onto the bed in the height of his orgasm.
His eyes had fluttered closed, panting furiously. He seemed loose, almost boneless, and you stifled a laugh at how much more relaxed he seemed now.
“I take it you had fun?” You asked, poking his stomach teasingly. After a moment of silence, of what you assumed to be Sehun trying to catch his breath, you furrowed your eyebrows.
“Hunnie, come on, get up. Can you untie me, please, baby?”
No response. If anything, Sehun’s pants seemed to be getting even heavier.
“Sehun?”
His eyes fluttered open, and your blood ran cold.
His eyes had rolled up into his head, mouth opening and closing as if he were trying to say something but he’d lost his voice. Around you, the temperature seemed to drop.Out of nowhere, the scent of incense returned, stronger than ever, and beneath you, Sehun tensed, muscles contracting as he began to seize.
You froze, momentarily unsure of what was happening. Here lay your lover, convulsing under you, and you were restrained to a point where it would be difficult to help him. Panic creeped into your stomach, eyes searching for something, anything, that would get you out of the grasp of the silk tie. You brought your wrists up to your teeth, frantically hoping to loosen the knot. Sehun was still convulsing. Your eyes drifted around the room, glancing at his stiff hands, gnarled into unrecognizable gestures. Your clothes were on the floor, but you had left your knife in your room.
Knife. Sehun’s knife.
You lunged for the nightstand, knowing that was where he kept his switchblade in case of an emergency, tumbling to the floor as your legs gave out, still wobbly from both panic and your previous orgasm. You managed to open the drawer, clumsily fumbling for the blade, before pulling it out, holding it between your teeth and bringing your wrists up to your mouth, beginning to saw away at the lovely, pale fabric, suddenly not caring about its softness or its illusion of luxury.
All you needed was to know that Sehun was okay.
Your eyes squeezed shut at the thought that he might be dying, and when the final strands of silk finally gave way, you practically spat out the knife, grabbing onto the nightstand for balance, turning to look at Sehun on your weak legs.
He wasn’t on the bed anymore. Your eyebrows furrowed, head spinning as you tried to figure out what was going on.
“Beware the master of tongues.”
You shrieked, eyes snapping up from where the deep, almost demonic voice had come from, and almost fainted then and there.
Because somehow, Sehun was floating above you, suspended in midair, eyes open wide but not a sliver of brown could be seen. In its place shone a bright silver, the holiest of metals for the unholiest sight.
“Beware the master of tongues,” The voice spoke again, speaking through Sehun, who was stiff as a board, face contorted into a sneer, and you realized with a chill that this wasn’t Sehun, but rather the Oracle.
“Beware the master of tongues,” He said once more, as his sneer morphed into a cruel grin, “But beware more the wrath of the faceless one.”
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mallowstep · 3 years
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I’m thinking about writing a short OC piece about Windclan and I’d love to see your notes about its culture and the hymns you’ve written so far, everything you’ve done for Windclan appreciation month has really inspired me :)
hello anon!
alright, first things first: please send me ur piece when ur done if you're comfortable doing so! i will publish it from you, or if you don't want to be associated with it in Any Way, i will also just read it and add it to the queue with no indication why it's there. or if you don't want me to share it at all, i'd still like to read it.
as for your ask,
hymns?
i'm working on it. however, underneath the read more, i'll include a few snippets for u.
culture
alright, i'm just going to post links with some commentary as i go. feel free to ask any more questions you have.
windclan (search) | windclan (tag) | wcam tag | five clans (narrative essays)
i would link the elders den, but there's no windclan stories in there ATM.
moving on, i'm just going to go through posts in reverse chronological order.
tallstar taking a mate admittedly, this is more about cats and sexuality than windclan, but i provide the commentary that windclan...has a particular view on sexuality and fluidity. one thing i haven't explored but should is the role visiting cats have in windclan.
whoops that's a code word, my plug for solacefruit has been activated. okay, as you may be aware, based on the fact that i have a whole tag for it, i'm obsessed with solacefruit. now, i love everything they do, but i would like to point you particularly to "make a mighty sound" for a fantastic exploration of this idea.
i don't want to spoil anything, but i do think windclan, and maybe cats as a whole, but windclan has a certain view towards relationships that very much breaks them into pieces. i'm a "love is a verb" person, so the idea that you can grow to love someone romantically by going through the actions of love makes sense. not to say you will, but you can.
(to be clear i'm not out advocating for arranged marriages just saying that they can work, they're not destined to be bad, and there's a difference between forced marriage and arranged marriage.)
anyway.
this was a lot of words to say, cats do not have a human (and particularly, western/american) understanding of relationships, which makes analyzing them in those terms difficult.
early hymn talk i'll probably say more below, but it is here.
general ibtwicm notes might get you into the headspace for some of my choices in ibtwicm.
i don't have a ton to say because this pretty much all holds, but uh, yeah.
poetry and language this isn't strictly about windclan, but it does explain some of what i think about when writing hymns.
obviously, i'm writing english translations, but these general themes are what i have in mind. it's also part of why i say i don't think i'll ever release a "full hymnal" for windclan, because i don't know if my weak worldbuilding heart could take it if i only had translations.
names part two very much not about windclan, but just some thoughts on names. as i've said before, i support all names and worldbuilding equally, but if you want my thoughts on names, go buckwild.
clan culture fic rec list just stuff i think does a good job, if you want other sources of inspiration.
general clan culture notes this is really old, but it mostly holds.
i've obviously expanded a lot on windclan since i wrote it, so shrug? idk man.
alright, i'm going to move into hymn discussion below the cut, but best of luck! and i hope u have a good time. it makes my brain shut down to read that i inspired you, straight up got brain juice pouring out of my ears, but i'm really, really happy to hear that.
windclan holds a special place in my heart. (i know my oc avatar is from skyclan shhh it's because of the backstory he sees ghosts.) but i grew up in this super sporty household as a lil asthmatic klutz, and running was a sport i couldn't mess up, so of course windclan appealed to me.
they're actually third on my list of favorite clans, but they. it's a special place in my heart that they hold, especially after reading dawn of the clans and moth flight's vision, where i got an asthmatic cat and an adhd cat, both in windclan.
god i should reread dotc it's good.
alright, here's the deal on hymns: i am not going to fight to get duets to post correctly. there's a 0% chance i can in tumblr's wonky ass new editor with no markdown, not to mention how difficult it would have been in the old editor. so i'm going to talk a lil about what i've got, and post some stanzas that i think don't get explored a lot in ibtwicm.
we're discussing these in the order that they go in. a reminder that these are all sections of one epic poem. that said, i don't know where the gaps are. like, i don't know what's between these, if that makes sense.
the wind
the wind, the very first hymn. this is an ode to, well, windclan. it's a song about everything that makes them them. it's filled with poetry about the wind, about the seasons, and it's just...well, it's a bit of a genesis, in a way.
The wind — like the rain, like the river — calls the name of each star in its breath. The wind — like the earth, like the stone — anchors us to our home. The wind — like the sun, like the sky — is knowable only by name.
i wanted to share this stanza because the last line doesn't show up in ibtwicm (at least so far, i cut the reference), and it really, really, makes a difference imo.
anyway, windclan is basically tying the wind in with every other fundamental part of their life here.
they are the wind, and that's that.
the hare
okay, this one has a line that comes up a lot in ch1, but i already talked about that, so instead, i'm going to talk about this stanza
Speak of the earth and the dens, and you will be answered: By the call of the howling gales, the open earth singing in response. But speak of that which grows above, of the grass and field, And you will be answered by the softness of the buds and the roots.
okay, we get deadfoot thinking about this when he's talking to yellowfang.
i like this stanza because it really tells us what the hare is about. now, hares are not something windclan catches. hares are huge, y'all, there's no way they take one down. i take liberties with ecology, but not that many.
(i.e., a team of cats definitely could take one down, but i know too much, and would prefer letting team hunting stay a plot thing, and not fundamentally alter the environment in the way it would.)
now anyway, all of these hymns come from the time of the tunnelers. and the point of this is, even though the work of tunnelers and moor runners is disconnected, they fundamentally affect each other.
a moor runner must trust the hollows of the earth beneath them won't collapse, and a tunneler must trust that the prey they chase up will be caught.
it's all very symbiotic and is, well, in a way, a love poem. plus i really like the line "the open earth singing in response"
of the warrens
so this has one line, one you might not even know is a hymn, in ch1, but i'll share the whole stanza.
And as for the subject of fallow fields: Fallowed fields make for hungry prey, Yet hungry prey makes desperate rabbits, Who leap into our claws.
and ig my big point is, the hymns are a cultural artifact. just like many of the rules in the old testament have to do with hygiene things being codified into religion, this whole hymn is about hunting advice.
the moon on the river
okay, out of all the hymns, this is the most complete, and because ashfoot and deadfoot sing it together, and deadfoot discusses it, i only have one stanza to share.
Under the coldness, you shine back at me, And I do everything to keep the clouds from threatening you.
now, this poem is about love, grief, and being separated. it's a particular kind of grief, and windclan discourages grief, so this is one of only a few ways to really, fully express it.
and this section, in particular, is about love in times of hardship.
i don't have. a lot to say here. but the way hardship changes how you love someone can be particular and intense.
(temporarily, this happens sometime before "Spare for my chosen few / All I have is given towards the distant ground.")
the gorse in the wind
oh shit! i have so fucking much to say okay first.
the series title does not come from this hymn.
second, this is a challenging hymn okay. fuck. i have so much to say. where to start so! moors are actually relatively wet. think british countryside, not, like, a cool desert.
this is something i always knew? i read the secret garden a lot as a kid. but. i've seen stuff about moors being dry, and it's just one of those things that really...starts to eat under your skin. anyway.
okay, so. gorse is a dry plant. it does not like rain. it grows in sandy soil, etc etc, and yet. aside from everything we know about gorse and warriors, it also grows in this moor. because i say so.
okay, so. so so so. the lines quotes here are really deceptive, and i bet no one understood why, and that makes me just a little sad, but i couldn't find a good way to explain it in text, so uh, yeah, anyway. there's an exchange between ashfoot and deadfoot: "THE GORSE: You called me the heather and I grew stronger. / THE WIND: I called you the heather and brought rain for you to grow."
so...so do you see? do you see the point? it's about communication, needs, challenging each other. fadskj;l i love this. okay, so. the point is that heather is fragile, soft, pretty, and gorse is the opposite. the part of the wind is trying to be kind and complimentary, but the gorse is saying, fuck that, you are not being kind to me by undercutting my strength.
anyway, this passage is sung by the gorse:
In what good company have I set down roots, That even through snow fall I flower. You called me the heather and yet I've weathered, Far more than your sweet-named love.
so uh, yeah, this adds context. gorse! gorse is a hardy plant that continues to flower basically all season round. it's cool. it's cool. gorse is super cool. fuuuck y'all it's such a small thing and i've contained talking about it until now, but now it's too much. the floodgates are open, and i thought about this small detail too much.
okay. deep breath. gorse is a really easy plant to grow, but it's still adapted for dry environments. so the "even through snow fall I flower" part is a little tongue in cheek: gorse itself will flower in the cold, but snow is a type of precipitation, which as we've covered, is not gorse friendly.
then we have some rhyming and puns in the next line, and finally, "yet I've weathered, / Far more than your sweet-named love." like. yes. love as a form of softness is not necessarily helpful.
i mean, consider the damaging "soft trans boi" problem. same energy.
right. okay. so we've got all that? now if you remember, this is sung when deadfoot thinks ashpaw doesn't respect him, and ashpaw says she'll sing with him if she can sing the gorse, so in essence, she's telling him...not to back off, per se, but that...she is the "hard part" of the relationship. like, okay, i refuse to even bring up gender roles in human relationships, but uh, her point is very much, "i am the gorse, and you are the wind," and it's a very monumental moment.
it's anchored, i believe, in the other scenes, but this is a small thing that matters a lot to me.
like a lot.
okay, now that i've talked about like four lines for the length of this entire post, moving on.
the heather and earth
okay, this is the last hymn i have in concrete terms, and i cut a bit of it from the latest chapter, so yeah. it's also, uh, okay everything i have for it is only a line or two, but i wanted to share this closing line (sung together):
Sing a song of forgiveness, of growing together, and we will make madness, And madness from hence will everything beautiful grow.
and i just like these lines. they got cut, it was initially part of an exchange between ashfoot and deadfoot, but i can't share the part of it they talk about, because i'm reusing it for a later chapter and i'll 100% spoil shit if i try to talk about it.
but these lines? mmm they speak to me.
i don't have a ton to say about them, but i just. i like it.
if we apply the same ecology discussion from the gorse and the wind, we see heather is a plant that grows in acidic, infertile soil, and heath (which is not the same as a heather, but also kind of is) is a defining quality of heathland, which is...i'm not kidding, it's hot discourse about the difference between moorland and heathland.
i'm not getting involved, but my point is, if the gorse in the wind is a hymn about finding a working relationship, about mutual respect, etc., then the heather and earth is a hymn about working well together in a terrible situation.
god.
uh, wow! can you tell i like plants? because while parts of my ecology are dubious (see: everything regarding the rabbits in ch1), the plants part are well thought out. this shit is carefully detailed metaphor.
and that's why i won't be releasing a full hymnal. it's hard to as on top of this as i want to be. i'm not kidding, writing even four lines of a hymn usually takes me about twenty minutes, because i pull up a lot of research about how things work, how they interact with each other, etc., and then there's wordsmithing, cat worldview filter, etc.
but i hope this overview of what i've got is a good insight into my general thoughts. and i will eventually release more and more of the hymns i've got written.
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Salaam!! I've been wanting to connect more to my Bengali heritage by reading stories, accounts, history books, etc, but I can't find anything by Bengali authors. I was wondering if you or your followers have any recs and places to buy them (small bookstores or something). Thank you!!
Waʿalaykumu as-Salam!
I'm going to keep this list as concise as possible but apologies if I ramble a bit.
Tahmima Aman
She is a Britsh-Bangladeshi author. Her first book, A Golden Age is set in Bangladesh during the liberation war and is written from the PoV of a widow and mother. The second book, The Good Muslim leads on from the events of A Golden Age; it centres around the woman's children and their attitudes to the military dictatorship of General Hussain Muhammad Ershad. Her third book, The Bones of Grace is less about the war and its aftermath, and more about identity as its about a young girl who was adopted by a Bengali family living in the US. Her books are in english, but I must put some trigger warnings as the books dont shy away from topics such as war, death, rape, abortions, extremism etc.
Fakrul Alam
This second recommendation is of a non-fiction book called, Rabindranath Tagore and National Identity Formation in Bangladesh. I wont lie, it's not the easiest reading and it did take me a while to read the whole thing. It is worth it though, because growing up, you hear a lot about Rabindranath Tagore as there is a lot of national pride surrounding him, this compilation of essays helps to understand the adoration and importance of him to Bengali people. This was especially helpful for me, being a kid that grew up quite detached from the Bengali community for a while. The book is in english
Afsan Chowdhury
This book is written in Bengali, it's called Bisshashghatokgon or The Betrayal. It's a fiction book and it's described, in the author's own words, as being about "the politics of class" but within the context of a newly founded Bangladesh. The book is in Bangla, and I'm not currently aware of any translations. I would recommend looking at Afsan Chowdhury's other work as well, he has a very extensive and impressive repertoire as a journalist and also in terms of job history. His articles can all be found in English.
The following is a link to a collection of some of his articles, he also has more published with Himalmag and Al Jazeera. They make for some interesting reading and provide some good starting points for further reading.
In terms of where to buy these books, I try to use BetterWorldBooks where possible.
But finding Afsan Chowdhury's work and Fakrul Alam's work on there would be difficult, I bought Bissashghatokon from a book store in Bangladesh and I got Fakrul Alam's work on Amazon.
If any followers have anymore recs for books or sites to buy books from, please do feel free to add!
Mod TZ
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teyuuka · 3 years
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I think you should read my ask one more time. Not once did I say you have a vendetta against youtubers. I don't think that at all. I also never said you were defending companies, I actually brought that point up. I just think your animosity is directed at the wrong group. A repost can't happen if someone didn't wrongfully upload in the first place. Not to mention, many uploaders didn't purchase the cd either, they downloaded it for free from somewhere online and they want clout like anyone else.
To be clear, I didn’t say you said I am defending companies, I said that to swat off replies saying “oh but capitalism” before they come (which is another can of worms, but since we’re talking about piracy, it’s often that people link it to the thing where people be like yay I’m fighting capitalism by pirating TV shows/anime! - which I have mixed opinions about).
I used the ask to elaborate a longer coverage bc tumblr and twitter users tend to read one thing and act like we’re all black and white as if I didn’t consider other factors when I refuse to support certain groups/actions.
Now that that is sorted, I think it’s clear from my previous reply as well that my animosity is not directed to only translators isn’t it? It’s directed to whoever is reposting the content - regardless whether they’re translating it or not.
Reposts don’t only happen when they manage to get free shit somewhere else — someone could buy a CD and post the entire thing online and add a translation, and that’s still considered a repost.
Statistically I don’t think all YT translators repost CDs they downloaded off the net. Although it’s prob a minority, there are also people who repost translations of CD which they DO own/buy. (That does not make it right, though)
What I’m saying is any of reposting actions don’t vibe with me. They are still posting a CD that the companies explicitly asked not to repost, even if they slap a translation or not at all.
In that sense, I think you’re actually on the same side and think they’re wrong too, no? Unless you’re trying to make another point.
Actually, I’m quite curious which was the original post where you started thinking that I dislike YT translators ONLY which prompted you to send the first ask. I thought I made it quite clear that any unauthorised reposts are just yikes, regardless of the form and media.
To summarize this interaction:
1. If you think my animosity is directed to one group (the YT translators) only, it’s not.
2. If you’re trying to defend YT translators by the point of “they couldn’t have started if they didn’t download it somewhere to begin with, so they’re not wrong here”, then it’s not really the case because they could have actually bought it (although we all know that’s rare). And again, I still think reposts are uncalled for.
3. If you’re trying to make any other points, I’m not catching it atm.
Edit: also @ others, if you are here only to read translations or CD recs, please feel free to block the tag #chitchat which I usually use for my opinions or non-CD stuff!
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