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befuddledcinnamonroll · 6 months

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Top 10 Things I Love About the QL Tumblr Community 2023

I'm loving everyone's end of year lists, and decided to make up one of my own.

I haven't been on Tumblr for very long and was originally just lurking. 2023 marks the year where I finally started posting, after I read a take that made me feel compelled to come to a fictional character's defense. (Saengtai, my poor little blorbo).

So in commemoration of my first proper year of active tumblring, I present what I love about this community (in no particular order).

(Side note - Technically I know this is still primarily a BL community, but I like to say QL because I am trying to manifest more lesbians for us.)

1) The Gifmakers

Y'all are a good 70% of the reason I joined Tumblr in the first place. There are so many show moments that I want to relive, but without having to search through videos. Sometimes I want to appreciate the aesthetics. Sometimes I want to remember adorable or goofy moments. Sometimes I just want to see cute boys eating each other's faces. Our gifmakers give all of that to us, with the addition of so much creativity and style.

There's too many amazing ones to mention everyone, but I have to shout out @sparklyeyedhimbo, because the way your brain works makes me so happy.

2) The expertise

The other part of why I joined Tumblr was to learn more about what BLs were out there and what I might be missing. And holy hell. Y'all are putting in the work. Not only lists and resources for finding all kinds of QLs, like these fabulous monthly breakdowns by @gunsatthaphan, but also amazing posts that add additional context, like @absolutebl's incredibly helpful breakdown of Asian honorifics. There is so much research people do, for fun! And then they share it!

3) The meta analysis

I frickin love reading people's takes and analyses on series. I love learning, I love seeing perspectives from people with different cultural backgrounds to my own, it's all so fascinating! There's so much context we can miss due to our own privileges, or lack of knowing about various cultures, or due to whatever bubbles we've been living in. People here are just so smart, and nuanced, and willing to reflect and think about things, and also push back at each other, but generally with respect (except when you call out the dumb shit you see, usually on Twitter or TikTok, where people are being reductive and dumb about gender and sexuality).

And I've seen a few takes where people complain about analyses, and say that the director/production doesn't do everything deliberately, and we're all reading too much into it. To which I say, eh, lighten up. How people connect to and relate to media has relevance beyond what was intended. The point is we get to think and discuss and learn and grow. That doesn't happen if we don't analyze.

Special shout out here to @respectthepetty because colors mean things!

4) The wild theories

The other side of the analysis coin, the clown cars y'all drive around in with the wildest of theories. I have happily climbed into an occasional clown car, and usually I am utterly wrong (*cough* Saifah *cough*). But it's a super fun ride. I love seeing how people's brains work. I love it when y'all are wrong. I love it when y'all are right. It's beautiful.

5) Immediate acceptance

I am one of those people who knows that I have a lot of good qualities, and also, always kind of expect rejection. Blame the childhood bullies, I guess. Anyway, whenever I delve into a new space, I still feel like a total dork that no one will want to talk to. It's kind of a fraught way to move through the world, but I manage.

Anyway, I started posting my thoughts as they came up, and people are just totally cool with it. People even follow me sometimes. Even my silliest thoughts and dumbest jokes get at least a couple likes. It's so validating.

And my very silly joke about gay mafia in Kiseki has over 800 likes. I feel very seen.

6) Mutuals

I still kind of can't believe I have any. This ties in to the dork feeling above, but seriously - they are soooo cooooool. They're smart and awesome and funny, and they somehow find me worth following back, which is baffling yet wonderful. I want to squish their faces and give them many kisses (if they're into that kind of thing).

7) The self-exploration

I really appreciate how it's become more talked about how a lot of people are discovering queerness through BL, because that is so the case for me. I think it's both that I was in a bit of a hetero bubble before, and also that I'm evolving a bit as I age. I had figured out I was demi, and maybe a little bit gay, before getting in to BL, but being in this community, and seeing so many of you share so openly and freely, has made me realize it might be more than a little bit.

Either it was a new realization, or being around y'all has made me more gay. Win win, either way.

8) The weirdness

I'm weird. Y'all are weird. I love it.

9) The thirst

So many in this community are thirsty as fuck, and as someone who is in that same condition, I love that it's not just me. There are not many places where I can freely admit how horny I am as a part of my general existence.

Here? I could post about wanting to lick some random BL actor's face, and it would get a bunch of likes and some tags like #lickable, and it's just not remotely a big deal.

Also the gifmakers understand this, and give us beautiful cuts of our spicy scenes. They are genuinely too good for us.

10) The communal watching experience

There is absolutely nothing like watching along with people in the community. It is so worth the torture of having to wait week to week for new episodes. Seeing the show trend, watching the theories fly fast and furious, or the way everyone collectively loses their minds over particular moments. In a world that can feel very isolating, it's a very warm experience.

So there you go. Thank you all for being you. Here's to another year of QL shenanigans and losing our collective minds!

#bl community #ql community #bl series #ql series #thai bl

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tadc-ragatha · 8 months

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CONGRATS ON GAINING 50(Or more) FOLLOWERS! (This is my first time so bear with me-) relation: Platonic Characters 1. Reader (Teen) 2. Gangle 3. Ragatha Prompt 🍼

🤡 Bonus: 🎪 (I am sorry if I did this wrong, again first time and Sorry-)

A Teen? In the Digital Circus?

TW: Mentioned vomiting ("being sick"), crying, screaming, mentions of facing their traumas, forgetting

Type: Headcanons; platonic. Emoji details: 🍼 (Baby Bottle) Youngest member, 🤡 (Clown Face) A new face, 🎪 (Circus Tent) Circus performance activity. Game link [x].

A/N: Hi! Thank you! You're all good with the requesting, don't worry. Spoilers. Reader is one of those cymbal monkeys (like the one from Toy Story). I am making a fic for this also! It's separate as I may want to make it a series. So technically, the following will be spoilers for that, but you're free to read it anyway.

You were messing around on your computer that day. Coming from a relatively wealthy family, your mother and father owned a tech repair business. People would often sell their seemingly broken and useless old technology to them for them to repair. As such, you sometimes got things yourself as gifts.

Your most prized gift of these was an old 90's computer. It was jankier and slower than most, yes, but you cherished it. After all, where else were you going to get an authentic computer by the C&A corporation from the 1990s?

Another prized possession of yours was your newest find at a garage sale. Neighbourhood rumors had it the lady that owned the house's husband was a higher up for C&A itself, and was getting rid of all his old things so she could move on. But she never explained the origins of any of the belongings to anyone.

At that garage sale you had found a CD-ROM game titled The Amazing Digital Circus. As the lady explained, her husband had informed her it was an experimental game designed to bring back retro tech through modern add-ons. For this game, the add-on was a virtual reality headset.

You snatched the game and headset up as fast as you could. Immediately after arriving home, you went to your room to try it out. Apparently, it was only playable with the headset. So, loading the CD-ROM into the computer, you put the headset on and booted up the game.

Next thing you knew you were in the midst of Caine's activity for the day: a classic circus show of course involving the people's traumas. There was screaming and crying and all manner of horrible, confusing things. You felt sick--and were sick--when the group finally found you off to the side of the stage.

Being only a teenager, Ragatha decided to take you under her wing even more than she did with Pomni. Your new body was confusing; being a cymbal monkey, it was hard to work out how you could hold things without proper fingers or palms. And that's where Gangle came in.

Gangle, being made of ribbons and two masks, helped you out immensely when it came to adjusting to your new body. She shared her own experiences with coming to the digital world and how scary it was for her. But she also offered comfort in how she was able to get through it (or, at least keep her sanity somewhat).

Ragatha's always there for you if Jax is being a jerk. Depending on your exact age, his jerkiness will decrease to certain levels. But he's still a jerk nonetheless, no matter what stage of teenager-hood you're at. And Gangle's there for you, too, though she's often struggling with Jax herself and needs support.

I headcanon Gangle writes down everything she remembers about herself in a diary, and she's happy to get you one too. She knows how horrible it can be to forget things, and encourages you to start writing before it's too late. She's actually very interested in your life; I don't think she was dirt poor but I don't think she was super rich either, so meeting someone who comes from a wealthy family is a nice change.

When it's finally time for another circus activity, Ragatha and Gangle are there for you. They both struggle with facing their traumas themselves, so they know how hard it's going to be for a newcomer, let alone a teenager. Ragatha assures you that you'll be safe and fine afterwards, while Gangle gives you a hug and a shoulder to cry on when it's done.

Being the youngest member (AKA a literal teen), you do get babied by Ragatha a bit. She just does that to teens and kids! She's not exactly a cool person, as much as she tries to be. But she is sweet, and she'll take good care of you, even if it means you get treated like a child during it. She won't baby-talk you or anything, but she'll sometimes over-explain things or be a bit too happy-go-lucky and optimistic when it's clear you just want her to be realistic.

Gangle likes to partake in your interests if they are on the more creative side. If they're not, as long as they're not too wild she'll go along; she's just particularly fond of drawing and whatnot. She gives you a confidence boost by reminding you there are people who you can connect with who will support you.

In the end, these two just want to be there for you. Through thick and thin until the abstraction of you all, you'll be there for each other. When you're crying or upset, you'll be there for each other. And when you're laughing and enjoying yourselves, it'll be together.

Just ignore Jax for the most part.

#amy's writing #anonymous #50 follower event #the amazing digital circus #tadc #the amazing digital circus spoilers #tadc spoilers #tadc x reader #x reader #tadc headcanon #tadc ragatha #tadc ragatha x reader #tadc gangle #tadc gangle x reader #ragatha x reader #gangle x reader

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the-tardis-in-221b-baker-street · 9 months

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Lord Flashheart's (Blackadder Goes Forth) Costume

I don't think it comes to many as a surprise that I was going to do some sort of Flashheart costume. I've had people ask me after my last cosplay "So what's next? Oh please say it's Flashheart!". For a character who only appears once a series, he is well loved amongst the Rik Mayall fans and I happen to be one of them. So, strap yourself in, go get yourself a cup of tea and a biscuit because we're in for a long haul flight. We're doing this a bit back to front, usually I'll release a photoshoot all in one go but as I ran out of time to photograph myself before going to the con I'm going to, I thought I would post them after the con. The photoshoot is in the works, keep your eyes peeled!

When deciding which era of Flashheart I wanted to do, I settled with the WWI era as to my knowledge pre research, it was going to be the easiest of the bunch to do. As much as my heart sings out to Elizabethan Flashheart, my sewing skills are nowhere near good enough for that yet. I knew I wanted to get this costume totally right so I gave myself a fairly big budget and indeed the biggest budget so far in my cosplaying journey.

Go big or go home, I researched into actual Royal Flying Corps uniforms people were selling and saw just how difficult they were to find. I visited a local war memorabilia shop armed with a few questions about RFC uniforms. When I explained what I was doing, they smiled and laughed fondly about Blackadder. They very quickly informed me that finding an actual RFC uniform that's not in a museum is extremely slim and they were totally right. I had a back up plan though, I had found a company that did tailormade historical re-enactment uniforms from all sorts of eras and rather perfectly, a RFC tunic and trousers. I got myself measured by my lovely tailor friend and purchased them. I actually purchased the drill trousers instead of the breeches as the colour looked more correct. (not pictured, you'll see those when I take proper photos of me wearing it.)

The breakdown of the costume: The Royal Flying Corps tunic.

The RFC tunic was going to be a huge part of the costume and in my eyes all of the tiny elements of the costume to bring it together had to be properly researched. The base of the jacket only came with the RFC patch on the right side of the jacket so everything else had to be found. For the first part and actually the first purchase I made for this project was the collar pins. These are original WWI RFC collar pins that came in perfect condition. I also went back to the same local war memorabilia shop again and very luckily, they had a full matching set of original WWI captain's shoulder pips, with metal pins. It makes this costume more special to know I have an actual piece of history on my shoulders.

As I was informed, all pips during WWI were as standard and the more pips you have, the higher the rank. As Flashheart is a Wing Commander he technically holds the rank of captain, meaning he has 3 pips on each shoulder. With both the collar pins and the pips, I had to attach these extremely carefully. I was told that either I would need to sew them on (meaning I would have to tack them on and they wouldn't lie flat to the jacket) or I would need to pierce holes and put them in. I opted for piercing. So with an extremely delicate hand (and because this tunic was expensive) I carefully measured each one out and cut slits with a scalpel. The length of the blade was perfect because I could poke the loops through and it be in enough that if a pin slides out, I won't lose the pip. The collar pins didn't come with pins to keep them in place but the lovely gentleman I bought the pips from gave me some to cut down.

The medals:

The medals I struggled to find for a bit of time. I had researched a bit and found that someone had identified a few of Flashheart's many medals which helped but my original plan was to find actual medal bars. However, I came across a gentleman who recreates medals and could do custom medal bars of any medals I wanted. I immediately messaged them and showed them the photo that had all the identified medals on. He said he was able to do it and whether I wanted the medal that someone hadn't identified yet that was just slightly poking out of the jacket in the reference photo. I couldn't believe it! And i'm so glad that medal was identified by him because it turned out to be a good addition to the bar. Now I know Flashheart has a lot more medals than what I've got here, but trying to get all of them would be a nightmare and rather expensive so I got the ones that are visible kind of when he wears his coat.

(top left) OBE, (top middle) Royal Victorian Order, (top right) Distinguished Service Order, (bottom far left) Military Cross, (bottom middle left) Ashanti War Medal, (bottom middle right) India General Service Medal and (bottom far right) 1914 Star medal.

I did research into them and what they all mean but this post will get even longer if I put all the info. I do encourage you to have a look into them if you're interested though! What I find fascinating is the level of detail Blackadder's costume designer went to. I found out that the Distinguished Service Order medal was apparently just short of being awarded a Victoria Cross (which is an extremely prestigious award) and were normally given 'for service under fire or under conditions equivalent to service in actual combat with the enemy'. However between 1914 and 1916, a number of awards were given to individuals, often officers, for circumstances not under fire. This caused a lot of resentment towards those who got it and especially from front line officers. Which to me, makes me think no wonder Blackadder didn't really like Flashheart! That did make me laugh a little bit.

The 1914 Star medal was awarded mainly to officers but approximately 1000 were awarded to members of the RFC which is another really good touch!

The tunic is attached with 5 buttons up the person's right side and attached with two hooks at the top near the shoulders.

The Sam Browne belt and gun holster were another important addition to the tunic. Often officers or higher would have worn a Sam Browne belt and there would be space to hook a gun holster and an ammo pouch could be added too. I didn't get an ammo pouch in the end but the gun holster was a must. Which leads me onto Flashheart's massive weapon (ooer!).

The gun Flashheart uses is a Webley MK VI. Now, I did look into these guns and there was no way on earth I was going to get a real one or an airsoft one for that matter. I looked into 3D printing instead! I had got a guy to 3D print me a gun but his printer unfortunately broke half way through meaning I had to find an alternative quick. A work colleague found me one on Etsy and it was perfect! It came in about 7 pieces that I had to carefully glue together but it was easy enough as I live in a tabletop household. Flashheart's gun has a loop on the bottom to attach a lanyard to. So me using my creative initiative, I salvaged a picture frame hook from an old frame, filed down a section in the middle so the metal part would lie flat, glued it together and bob's your uncle! a loop that looks like it was meant to be there!

The lanyard loop didn't fit in the loop so I used an old keyring loop to attach it.

The next bit after gluing was to sand the gun down slightly, prime it black and then dry brushed the metal part using Citadel's Leadbelcher silver paint. I also then used Citadel's Agrax Earthshade wash to dirty it up on the metal and then once dry, I did a couple of coats both sides of a matt varnish spray just to seal it all together and none of the paint will rub off.

Another fine detail is the hinge where, if it was a working gun, you'd pull the barrel down and load it. (I don't know the correct terminology for guns!) There was just a hole and I wasn't a fan of it. So I used the small screws from the frame I got the fixtures from and screwed one either side before priming black. It worked perfectly and looked effective.

I can't believe how much time I've put into this costume, loads of research and hard work finding and piecing everything together. I just hope I can do him justice when I wear it properly!

WOOF!

#Lord Flashheart #Blackadder #Blackadder Goes Forth #Flashheart #Flashheart Cosplay #Blackadder Cosplay #Rik Mayall #Rik Mayall Cosplay #WWI #History #Comedy #British Comedy

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simplysnaps · 8 months

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What is Wayward Baby?

I started writing my Jojo's Bizarre Adventure fanfiction in April of 2019 because I was extremely into Jojo, but was running out of content to consume. I was watching YouTube videos about the franchise and came across a video titled "The Joestar that Everyone Forgot About" by xForts

The video got me thinking about that invisible baby from Diamond is Unbreakable, and it also brought to my attention that her name's kanji can be read as "Jo Joestar," which makes her an official Jojo. For those who aren't aware, every protagonist in Jojo can be reasonably nicknamed Jojo due to the spelling or pronunciation of their name. It's just a tradition at this point, and Shizuka Joestar technically qualifies.

I started thinking about if Araki ever intended to make a part about her. Was he just leaving his options open? Did he give her a Jojo name just to be cute? Either way, it was clear that he wouldn't ever tell one now, so I got to brainstorming about what it might have looked like. Enter "Wayward Baby."

Art by @laveerie and graphic design by SimplySnaps.

Wayward Baby started as a quick 3,000 word intro I wrote in a single night and published without much thought, and certainly no plan. All I knew was that Shizuka seemed neat, and I wanted to write about a little girl Stand User. I had ideas like "Bubblegum Bitch" in my back pocket from discussions with my siblings Mallaidh Anne and Brie where the three of us talked extensively about Jojo AU's and potential Stand abilities. With Mallaidh Anne's blessing, I used his idea for Bubblegum Bitch and created Marina to go alongside it.

Art by @gotham-gargoyle

With Marina and Bubblegum Bitch in the picture, things were looking great! But I wanted more original characters on the team with hopes that someday I might get to remove all the cannon characters from the picture and tell an arc with only my babies. That meant I'd need more characters! Enter Pepsi and Shirlie.

Remember when I said I got Bubblegum Bitch from Mallaidh Anne, and how a lot of my early ideas came from talking to MA and Brie about Jojo AU's? Well, that came to a head when I realized their AU Jojo selves would fit right at home in the cast. This is sorta getting into how the sausage is made, but I don't wanna make anyone think Pepsi and Shirlie aren't their own actual characters. I basically took their appearances, Stands, and one or two one-dimensional characteristics and then extrapolated two characters from the ingredients that way.

Art by @casualswords

This resulted in Pa-Pa-Power and Mist being added to the story as well! This art predates Wayward Baby by about three years, and it's actually the first art that was included in the story. (Art in the earlier chapters was actually added retroactively. This includes the story cover and Marina/Bubblegum Bitch's designs.)

The last remaining member of the OC team was Ripley. She began as a throwaway character to get in an argument with Marina, but I actually liked their chemistry so much that I decided to have her stick around for an entire chapter. Then they had an even gayer dynamic, and I knew it was over.

Agent Ripley, Art by @gotham-gargoyle

With the crew of five original babies, the story was finally ready to kick off proper! Please consider reading it if you haven't, I put a lot of work into it! Wayward Baby is ~534k words, and the series is still ongoing at 613,367! I'm not stopping anytime soon!

Art by @gotham-gargoyle

#flowerchild #jjba #jojo fanfic #shizuka joestar #jojo fanart #ao3 fanfic

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undercat-overdog · 6 months

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Thinking of a wrap-up for 2023, and it is only right and proper to do a rec list! I've read very little this year, but I do have some fantastic fics to rec: the wonderful gifts that I've received! All by wonderful authors, with a blanket rec for their works, but my heart is of course especially given to these.

You should read them.

In reverse chronological order:

Untitled, by @aipilosse, a wonderful fill to a prompt ask: some Aredhel/Turgon forbidden love, and ah poor Aredhel! Delicious sibcest! [aredhel/turgon, not on ao3 but maybe teen and no archive warnings apply]

tree-tangled, by @i-am-a-lonely-visitor Tentacles! Entacles! Celebrimbor being boytoyed by an entwife! I never dreamed of this, but I should have because it's everything I ever wanted - trees deserve to get laid too! [celeborn/celebrimbor/entwife, explicit, no archive warnings apply, 2.2k]

In Forsaken Lands, by @jouissants Written for the Silmarillion Remix Exchange. Idril, her uncle, and partings, on the Helcaraxe and beyond, which such a lovely portrayal of all characters! [idril, turgon, finrod, general, no archive warnings apply, 1.8k]

mock your own grinning, by @jouissants Written for the Candy Hearts exchange, and it was exactly what I wanted! Sauron and his unique relationship with Celebrimbor's corpse and (very attractive) skull, with wonderful dark humor! [silvergifting, mature, major character death, 3.5k]

The Precious Baby Phenomenon Unpacked: A Treatise on Obstetric Care in The Returned by I.L. Finwiel and the Istar Institute, by @herenortherenearnorfar Specifically the third chapter (though I linked to the entire fic). Accidental baby-gollum acquisition: hilarious and amazing and touching! [silvergifting & gollum, general, no archive warnings apply, 6k]

The Gold Are Venomous' by @aipilosse. This is technically cheating since it was published on 12/29/2022, but that's less than a year ago and I can't not rec it! In which dreams of snekron and also fucking in a coat closet were achieved 🐍 [silvergifting, explicit, no archive warnings apply, 3.2k]

For one self-rec, I need to go with Shall These Bones Live, which remains my baby. Post-canon silvergifting, and I'm fairly certain it's the only one with Original Proto-Ent Character(s). Idk, I think it's good and worth a rec! (especially once you get past the first chapter). [silvergifting, mature, choose not to warn, 105k]

May everyone have a joyful 2024, with lots of good things to read 💙

#fic rec #seriously i love them so much and you all are fantastic #blessings to fandom #i really hope to catch up on everything i've missed too!

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imabiscuitinthousandworlds · 2 months

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hey can u tell me abt ball point pen history

OH BOY DO I EVER!!!

The first patent for ballpoint pens was granted in 1888. Specifically on the 30th of October, to one John J Loud. It was supposed to be able to write on coarser surfaces that a fountain pen could not.

However, this very first version of a ballpoint pen sucked balls. It was not a design that could not write on paper. At all. Also, the ink tended to either leak (in summer) or freeze (in winter) Mind, I only have one specific source on this model right now but. There's a reason they were yet to be used for a long time. Over the next couple decades, a few people tried to chime in with suggestions for improvement but Loud kept a tight wrap on those patents.

No profit was made from Loud's original version of a ballpoint pen. But, you know, technically it still existed.

Now, early 20th century. Enter László Biró, a newspaper editor who was frustrated about all the smudging ink from fountain pens and his dentist brother-with-chemical-knowledge György. Biró (already seeing the resemblance to some slang here) watched newspapers being printed and dry very, very quickly and went "actually, You Know What".

What they figured out was that to use ink that dries fast in a pen, you need a pen that prevents the ink from drying fast inside of said pen. Therefore, they spent Quite A While figuring out a mechanism to allow inkflow while preventing it from drying and clogging up inside. 1938, they filed for a British patent.

1941, the Biró brothers left Hungary due to its support of Hitler (based) and eventually settled in Argentina, where they founded/developed a new brand of ballpoint pens with their friend Juan Jorge Meyne and filed a new, better patent in 1943.

Now this is where things get messy and my sources differ sliiightly but considerably enough to be confusing.

One the one hand, you have two companies, Eversharp Co and Eberhard Faber Co teaming up to license this Birome pen in the USA.

Around the same time, a bit later, some American fuckhead, also known as Milton Reynolds gets a hold of a Biró pen and gets a whiff of sales money immediately. He goes back to the US and starts his own company. This is Absolutely Not A Copyright Infringement since he's selling an altered copy only loosely based on those Birome pens. Definitely. Absolutely.

I mean, to be fair, it was in fact different enough to count as its own brand. And it skipped and leaked and did not live up to user expectations. But neither did Eversharp/Faber's pens, and both companies were constantly caught up in their beef that both companies went down like a lead balloon.

Eventually, Parker Pens got out the first proper design that, you know, actually worked as intended (and was, I think, actually licensed to Birome pens), and a little later Bich, then shortened to Bic, made a design that actually offered quite some precision. This was around the 1940s/1950s when ballpoint pens now finally, actually, permanently came in use (Bic around the 60s I believe) and I love them.

Keep in mind, though, I only used three sources, one of those Wikipedia, and picked through slight contradictions to figure out what makes sense and is the most likely, so take this with a grain of salt.

For the initial purposes of my research, however, this was more than sufficient. (I needed to know if I could have a character in the 30s click a pen. Since they were still pretty much not in use back then, she got to twirl a pencil instead. It was one tiny sentence.)

Thank you for asking! It's my favourite piece of niche knowledge to whip out at random and the only one I can support with dates and names, though I did have to read up on my bookmarked pages. I am waiting for the day when I finally play powerpoint karaoke and get the topic of ballpoint pens. Please let this happen, it would be so funny. Uno uno (<- prayer of my friend group).

#a biscuit's rambles #ballpoint pens #ballpoint pen history #the brand name birome was just biró and meyer mashed together and the british still call pens biros sometimes idk i like that bit #i also think its really funny how two companies had beef about this only to both fail LMAO

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bobbybutterfly · 1 day

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SO @32girassoisdevangogh! REMEMBER WHEN YOU TOLD ME YOU WANTED MY DESIGNS TO BE MARKETABLE PLUSHIES?!

Well. These are not exactly plushies but…

Tada! I can’t believe I actually managed to “finish” them in time. We’re leaving for England on Monday so it was a race to have them somewhat finished. I made Bamsaegi first. Originally the plan was to make these “dolls” completely out of cotton, loads of glue, some pipe cleaners and sting. It did not go as planned. First up instead of cotton I ended up buying wool because I figured it’s close enough.

It was just SOOO MESSY and wouldn’t keep its shape no matter what. My mom saw it wasn’t working and asked me why I didn’t get proper cotton from the drug store. I only went looking in arts and crafts because I thought what they would have in the drug store would be pressed into round shapes. You know. Those things you use to remove your make up. The next day mom took me to the drug store and turns out they had exactly what I wanted.

Finally. I could get properly started. Except no! It was a horrible material to work with! The cotton constantly kept sticking to my paintbrush I used to apply the glue. Additionally the cotton kept picking up all kinds of dirt. At times turning black. Would not recommend. I don’t know how the YouTuber I watched made it look so easy.

I was at the end of my patience. If I want to make 3D stuff I would have to go and use DUN DUN DUN polymer clay. Or regular clay. JUST NO. I hate the feeling of clay stuck to my hands. Autism? What are you doing here?! I had to figure something else out. I didn’t feel like learning to sow. So. This thing with cotton and glue reminds me of something else. Papier Mache!

I actually used to think that this cotton mess would be better. I thought that papier mache takes an enormous amount of paper. Probably because the one time I did it prior to this project was in art school as a kid with a neurotic teacher. So. Where was I going to find the paper I would need?

There’s this saying in Slovakia that we’re one hundred years behind monkeys (joke about evolution meaning we’re behind the rest of the world). I didn’t even need to leave the house to get what I needed. The mail box was full to brim with catalogs. Plus there were recently the EU elections. Which meant a large news paper looking thing with all the parties written out on it. Perfect!

So that’s how Bamsaegi came to be. I first made a skeleton out of pipe cleaners. Covered that with crumpled paper. I found it kind of ironic that I’m making a character from a communist propaganda cartoon out of a bunch of advertisements. Additionally papier mache would be something you couldn’t do in North Korea. From the book I read paper there is rare and kept a close eye on. For obvious reasons of course. If I would ever have a serious gallery exhibition of these dolls/sculptures I think I would expand on that.

As you can see I ended up covering him in cotton. I wanted the texture and also it smoothed out the bumps. This was before I learned that if you want it smooth you got to cover it in a bunch of small pieces of paper. I first covered the base with glue. Then took a thin bunch of cotton. To smooth it out and to make it stick better I would run the paint brush across it in the direction of the fibbers. Lastly I painted it with watered down acrylic colours after it dried. I was surprised at how painting it went so smooth. Very satisfying.

I decided to first do a more show accurate character. I thought the stylised proportions would be easier. Obviously he’s not perfect. With the colours and the off proportions he’s looking very retro. Like the 70s and 80s communist era toys I saw in an antique shop. I like to think that if they made official toys back then they would look like this.

Onto Geumseagi. He started off as a Disney Prince Eric from Little Mermaid doll by Mattel. So the size of your average Ken. I sadly don’t have the original doll photo. He cost 14 euros (technically 13,99). I thought I would cut him out of the papier mache and use him as base for other dolls. He’s still buried in Geumseagi today. I didn’t want to risk cutting him out of there. And I like the added weight. Those stupid boots were a terror so I don’t think I would want to deal with them when making a new project.

So the head. Originally I wanted to mould it out of clay. But once I realized that I wouldn’t be cutting him off the doll I decided to use the original one. The clay one would be too heavy and hard to keep on the neck. As you can see I chopped off his nose, chin and let’s say gave him a rather brutal hair cut. Knowing what I know now I would have cut off even more of the hair. From my drawings I know big foreheads on squirrels do not look good.

And there we have it. Geumseagi in my style. In 3D. There are 2 tiny spots on the legs where the original doll pokes throught. The pants were rushed not gonna lie. I like that it’s a bit wrinkly. It reminds me of my paintings with the different thicknesses of paint. Making something 3D that looks like my paintings is something I wanted to achieve for a while. I’m glad I don’t have to learn how to use Blender. Unfortunately it does mean I can’t use the dry brush technique because it emphasises those crevices. For shading I then have to go manually where I want it. Like under the chin and around the pockets.

I’m excited to see what ya’ll will think. Sad that I discovered this just when I’m leaving. Grandma probably won’t want ripped up news paper and glue all over her kitchen.

PS. I’m adding his tail when I return. Too much work.

#It was a lot of fun using a new technique #I’m proud of myself #but I have to stop procrastinating on my main project #sucks that they never made official toys #at least it’s motivating to make your own #furry art #my art #fanart #squirrel and hedgehog #papier mache

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obligitory-fma-blog · 9 months

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I watched the final Netflix adaptation of FMAB. Here’s some of my notes

- “Y’know, I don’t think he has any need for his dad.” Hoenhiem. Uhm you left him he kinda did for a while so idk why you’re being bitter now

- YOOOOO SIG AND IZUMIIIIII

- RAHHHH I LOVE THEM

- Okay the fighting is better this time, less choppy

- Izumi’s actress is ON POINT I LOVE HER

- “I was never much of a proper parent to either of those boys” Ya don’t say. (I’m not a Hoenhiem hater, but I am a Hoenhiem critic.)

- “Maybe you should’ve told them goodbye and talked to them before leaving. Maybe then their grief wouldn’t have taken over.” SAY IT IZUMI

- “I reorganized your insides lol” Hoenhiem you could tell Izumi before you did that?? Creepy man.

- Still didn’t use the music from the original :(

- Okay Ed should be covered in blood after falling into it but he isn’t, just his head bandage. Wtf is up with that??

- GIRLIE I CANT WITH ENVY RN WTF

- WTF IS THE CGI OF THE HUMANS ON HIS MANE (?)

- EW IT GOT WORSE

- Okay how tf did envy knock them onto a stone platform that was LITERALLY NOWHERE TO BE SEEN UNTIL NOW

- Mustang and Riza my beloveddddd

- The actor for General Hakuro is pretty good tho, very weird, but good

- Girlie you walked into some weird shit

- Mustang girlie I luv you so much tho hope you slay this movie

- Oh hi Father

- “Daddy…?” -al “DO I LOOK LIKE YOUR-“ -father

- Also highkey the actor for Envy is really good too

- “How do you know Hoenhiem?” “Technically he’s our father” TECHNICALLY HAHA

- Ed is like “touchy no no, no touchy”

- Girlie you are a creep HANDS OFF THE LITTLE GUY

- Ed’s just like >:/ wtf get off

- WHY ARE YOU PETTING HIM???????

- I feel violated just watching this

- YEAH LING SAVE HIM

- YOOOO WERE GONNA SEE GREEDLING :D

- Ew that’s fuckin goopy (philosophers stone)

- It looks like melted jello ewwww

- Okay idk if seeing greedling is worth it for this shit

- Why is his mind blue???

- Wait did we see greed lose his body in the first one or….

- I don’t think we did???

- Uhhhh idk and I don’t wanna go check because the first one is bad

- Lowkey he’s fine as hell tho

- Mustang looks so damn done lmao

- HE’S SITTINF LIKE THE SHINJI MEME WAIT

- LMAOOO THATS SO GOOD

- okay okay it’s time for me to get my Mustang being a dad moment don’t fail me now movie

- Stfu Bradley no one cares

- WTF WHERES MY MOMENT HELLO

- ARE WE NOT GONNA GET THE 520 CENZ PROMISE??

- I HATE THIS

- Okay Ed, Sig, and Izumi get to interact now :D

- Okay so now we’re getting the scar brother research moment? Outside of Briggs? Cool? I guess?

- Oh hi greedling

- Okay so apparently father killed greed cause he disobeyed him but that’s all we get for that.

- Also this story set up just doesn’t and will never work as well as the first one, so much stuff is intertwined in different events and mixing it all up like this just makes it so confusing and that’s part of the reason why this just doesn’t work

- But I’ll ignore it for the sake of things

- OLIVIER :D

- Mustang and Riza checking in on their kids :D

- I’m so normal about found family

- 5 minutes in Briggs and Ed is already in trouble. In character stuff

- Also we gonna talk about his automail or we just gonna skip over that for plot reasons

- OLIVIER I LOVE YOUUUUUU

- WOMEN ARE HOT

- am I bi

- YESSS ICE QUEEN ICE QUEEN

- “How’s Alex?” “He’s good!” “…shame.”

- Okay sloth looks less weird than I imagine

- OLIVIER WITH THE BOMB :D

- Love her what a Queen

- Still wish they used the original soundtrack I will forever be mad about that

- SLAYYY OLIVIER YASSSSSS

- please marry me

- YEAHHHHHH

- Okay Ed just kicked sloth off of briggs? Girlie even with automail I doubt he could kick him that easy

- So Olivier doesn’t suspect Ed of anything? Out of character, #notmyicequeen

- Also turns out Hakuro and Raven are both the same person in this version??

- Oh Hi Winry

- “If I step out of line, they’ll do something to you.” Awww baby protect your gf

- YEAHHHH OLIVIER AGAIN :D

- “I won’t let anyone do whatever they want in here!” SAY IT GIRLIE YEAHHH

- please I’m begging you marry me

- on my KNEES

- They could not have casted her better

- Bb girl it’s so hard to understand you when you’re so fine I can’t focus

- Okay now Drachama is attacking Briggs

- When Sloth goes back in the hole Raven/Hakuro looks like a grandpa when he’s told he can leave the nursing home for the day to play golf and if that isn’t a summary of the entire us government idk what is

- AWWW WINRY HAS A CHARM ON HER BAG THAT LOOKS LIKE DEN :D

- Sorry Olivier, but it’s so hard to focus on this serious scene with your luscious lips and beautiful face

- She would murder me for saying this all but IDC IF TJAYS HOW I GO THATS HOW I GO

- Alphonse!! :D

- Hoenhiem is like “hUH???”

- He didn’t know about Al’s body????

- Okay bestie :/

- Father of the year fr

- Can’t even keep up with the fact that his son doesn’t have a body smh

- Okay Xerxes time

- ED IS THE SAME ACTOR FOR YOUNG HOENHIEM???

- Okay I get why

- BUT OKAY THEN IG

- Okay cool Xerxes sequence

- “Everybody is dead” lol cringe get good

- Sorry I have the humor of a middle schooler

- Oh hi Greedling

- Am I bi cause THIS MAN

- Okay now it’s Al!Pride time just out of nowhere for no reason?

- “So you’re gonna try and beat me then?” -Pride

- “… nah you’re freaky lol” -Hoenhiem

- Hi again Al

- “Don’t insult my son bitch” okay we love that

- “Okay, let’s all go beat the dwarf in the flask :D” -Hoenhiem

- “NO ONE FUCKING ASKED UGH” -Ed

- MUSTANGGG LOOKIN SPIFFY

- Still mad we don’t get the 520 cenz promise

- AHHHH BLACK HYATE

- LUV HIM

- Also seeing Mustangs team all together is so slay :D

- “Don’t die while we overthrow the government y’all.” -Mustang

- Oh great bad cgi soldier things

- YEAHHH MUSTANG SAVE YOUR SON!!

- Okay good Envy and Mustang will fight :)

- Now it’s time for CRAZY MUSTANG :D

- BURN THE BITCH BURN HIM

- ED LOOKS SO SAD AND CONCERNED :(

- YEAH RIZA STOP HIM STOP HIM

- YEAH ED STOP HIM

- “GIVE IT TO ME FULLMETAL NOW! OR ILL BURN OFF YOUR LEFT ARM!” ANGST ANGST ANGST

- “JUST TRY IT! GO AHEAD! ILL THROW DOWN WITH YOU NOW!” YEAHHHH SAVE YOUR DAD!!

- “YOU PLAN ON STANDING AT THE TOP OF THIS COUNTRY LIKE THAT?!” CRYINF SCREAMINF RAHHHHH

- “YOU KNOW THIS ISNT WHAT YOU WERE STRIVING FOR” PARENTAL!ROY AND ED PEOPLE WE ARE GETTING FED TONIGHT

- YEAH RIZA AND SCAR STOP HIM :D

- The way Ed got ready to fight when Mustang looked like he was going to snap at him I :,)

- “I am a giant fool forcing you all to act this way.” HUG YOUR WIFE AND SON

- “Lieutenant, please lower your gun. I’m so sorry” GONNA CRY NOW

- I still wish we got the 520 cenz promise and I will never not be bitter about that

- I don’t care that it’s not the point of this IM STILL MAD

- OOP BYE ED

- AWWW MUSTANG CALLING FOR ED BEFORE HE GOES :,) WERE GETTING FED GUYSSSS

- Okay I don’t like the fight between Bradley and Fu as much this looks more like stage fighting :/

- That’s the only one so far I didn’t like tho so….

- How tf is Riza gonna survive tho the weird doctor guy isn’t here

- DONT LOOK DIRECTLY AT AN ECLIPSE GUYS WHAT???

- Also those do not go that fast either

- I got to see one and it was really slow but fun ig

- Idk I was like 13 so

- Anyways

- YEAHHH ED HELP YOUR DAD!!!!

- Okay I wish they added colored contacts for this or smth so it’d be similar to the series and make more sense but eh… who knows

- ED YOU GOTTA KEEP HELPING HIM HE CANT SEEEEE

- or get revenge that works too

- Okay cgi for the absorbing god scene is cool

- Alright who’s ready to fight god?

- Am I hallucinating or is the actor for Al also the actor for god!father/Dwarf???

- IM NOT THATS HIM

- OKAY IG

- All the actors for this are really good actually. I can tell they have passion for this. I appreciate that.

- Okay it’s time for Ed to almost die for the 5000th time

- YEAH MUSTANG FUCK HUM UP

- YEAH EVERYONE!!!

- POWER OF FRIENDSHIP YIPPIE

- Also someone get Ed. Or don’t

- Nah cause the creepy guys gonna get him now

- AL

- THIS SCENE WILL NEVER NOT BE SAD TO ME

- DONT TOUCH THE CHILD WEIRDO

- It’s funny cause when I got into this I was younger than Ed and now I’m older than him. Fixation really be lasting a while. It’s the neurodivergence isn’t it.

- YEAHHH NOW WE GET HIM BACK TO HIS BODY :D

- I can’t even tell if it’s good because the series is good or if this is actually a good movie

- Oh hi greed I forgot about you lowkey

- But you’re hot so hiiiiiii <3

- “YOU DARE DISOBEY YOUR FATHER?!”

- “ITS A LATE-STAGE REBELLIOUS PHASE IM GOING THROUGH!”

- Iconic.

- And get punched idiot

- OKAY TIME TO BRING BACK AL

- YEAHHH HOENHIEM TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

- “Let me at least do something fatherly in the end” AHHHHH

- “STOP BEING A DUMBASS DAD” AWWW ED

- “You finally called me dad 🥹” I CANT VISIBLY REACT I DONT WANNA DISTURB MY ROOMMATES BUT AHWHWIWJEVRI

- “I was always a human to begin with. All is one, one is all. Even if I can’t use alchemy, I have great people in my life. My precious friends and family.” STILL THE BEST QUOTE FOREVER

- YEAHHHH RIZA AND MUSTANG WILL FIND A WAY TO GET HIS EYESIGHT BACK

- AWWW WE GET A TRISHA AND HOENHIEM SCENE

- YEAHHH THE BROS COME BAVKKKDHIHZHW

- AND WE SEE HUMAN AL WITH SHORT HAIR

- AWWWWWIEHJEIEHWHWH

- IM NOT NORMAL ABOUT THIS EVER

Conclusion: yep. This got me in the heart, even if it isn’t the show itself. Still stuff that bothered me. But overall, this series of movies is not so bad. Not so great, at times, but not so bad. Honestly, I think they did the best they could and that’s really all I could ask for. And it was nice seeing them all in live action. For this movie, an 8/10. For the series of movies? 6.5/10. Not remotely comparable to the original series, but still a worthwhile watch and something I’d recommend if you want a recap of the series but don’t have time to watch it all again.

Let me know if you all want notes on the first one! I watched it a long time ago but I’ll do it again for y’all. Much love guys <3

#fma blog #fmab #fullmetal alchemist #edward elric #fullmetal #fma brotherhood #ed elric #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood #fullmetal alchimist brotherhood #fma netflix #netflix adaptation

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minquiec · 10 months

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My 5k word essay on why I like bringing pain and suffering to the two idiots I love dearly (A thesis)

[alternative title being: me ranting abt jipunk for 2 hours straight im kiddingg]

So like

At this point I'm pretty sure most people can tell I enjoy pulling angst out of nowhere for absolutely NO reason necessary other than pain heeheehaahaa well it ain't gonna stop 😁 CAUSE TRUST THAT I will make sure every au I ever make of these two end in numbingly tragic angst one way or the other 🦅 jkjk they won't all be that bad it'll just have varying degrees of sadness

Anyways

I actually do have a reason for never giving them a happy (canonical or implied) happy ending ☝️ the thing abt me is every detail or like choice I make in character design/relationship/etc is that it's always intentional (most of the time) like there's always some kind of corny reason behind it bc I'm jwndkwjd insane and just think too hard abt two characters that don't even exist.

So like so like

I am an absolute loser for tropes like 'in another life' or 'in every life' or just anything among those lines. Like genuinely it does smth irreparable to my brain it's not even funny.

And basically the thought process for jipunk was like they're LITERALLY from different universes which quite literally means they can't end up together bc it's just not possible. But tbh the whole multiverse logic and how it works is up to interpretation cause y'know it's just a movie but personally I see it as smth pretty impossible for lore sake and stuff HAHSHA

So because the 'original' jipunk (atsv versions) can't end up together, I decided to go and think

"HMM."

"WHAT IF THEY ARE THE EPITOME OF 'ill find you in every universe" BUT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM END IN THE SAME WAY (never ending up tgt)"

Cause for the different au's each of them is technically a different reincarnate in different worlds with different lives.

And like going back to when I said varying levels of sadness: what I meant was in some aus they'll be literally universes apart (which in itself is already sad asf) but in other aus they could live in the same world but their lives are like perpendicular lines because they'll meet and then never cross paths again (BECAUSE this is what their fate is supposed to be if we base it off their atsv counter parts: they were never meant to be bc they're from different universes)

BUT DONT KILL ME YET BC

technically

teccchnicaalllllyyy

In the long run they do have a happy ending

(longass run bru)

So there isn't a proper timeline for which universes 'happen first' bc that just doesn't make sense but

The modern au where it has the convenience store

Is their happy ending

Endgame au fr

Cause if you think abt it right (this is a headcanon), hb isn't the type of person to fall in love based on looks.

Yet in the modern au he ends up crushing on a silly little employee of the convenience store he goes to.

And like it's just this pull he can't understand for the life of him??? Cause it feels so shallow to him to like someone bc he thinks their pretty

Little does he know

So after they get tgt in the modern au, I'm thinking of this one moment where he kind of figures it out/sort of/not really but he is just like

"idk what it is but it feels like I've spent lifetimes with you"

BECAUSE YOU HAAAAAAVE@)$()2(# AAAAAAUEGEGHHEGEG JM SOBBING

HE SAYS IT BC HE REALIZES HIS SOUL IS JUST SO COMFORTABLE WITH HER PRESENCE ALMOST LIKE ITS GOTTEN USED TO IT SINCE A LONG LONG TIME AGO

And I realized just now but omfg the comic I made where he drunk confess and goes 'I liked you first'

HES LITERALLY BEEN LIKING HER FIRST IN THEIR FIRST LIFE (ATSV) IM GOING TO FUCKIGNNEF THROIWN UP

Soulmates idc idc IDCCCC

Took the quote I love you in every lifetime and RAAAAANNNN WITH IT

I enjoy tragic love stories tm

This isn't delusion anymore this is derangement

They r so dear to me

They are my kdramas, they are my bridgerton, they are my therapy this is how I cope.

#jipunk #lorerambles

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thisisnotthenerd · 1 year

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Neverafter Episode 14: Daughters of the Crown thoughts and musings. Spoilers Ahead.

Well, I got my wish for a gerelody reunion, almost verbatim.

I’m glad that it wasn’t cut-and-dry. That both of them had the opportunity to say the things they needed to say and had the time and space to process a reunion. I think a truer aspect of Gerard’s curse is coming forth--that the ratio of frog to man isn’t really dependent on Elody and how much she loved him, but more on his own sense of self and what defines his nature, after having lived so long as a frog.

Elody got into the meat of her issue with the world, being that the simplest parts of her life are the only things being preserved in story. That the person she is and the struggles she has experienced beyond that aren’t worth remembering. I think her motivation there is definitely closer to the party than it is to the princesses, but who knows how that will change.

As for the princesses, I’m concerned about the next action they will take. The suicidal nature of their mission to destroy and restructure the Neverafter is unsettling and speaks to a lack of regard for stories and people other than themselves as well as a deeply sad reason for their mission. They all want a better future for themselves by whatever means necessary; at the very least, those that have been in on it the longest don’t have a regard for other stories and/or people if they stand in their way. Emily hit it on the head: we didn’t know if they were right or just young, hot, and good with magic and weapons. Now we know their interests diverge, and a fight with them will not go well for the party.

The prehensile hair on Rapunzel is terrifying, and only knowing that her persona is performative on a nat 20 perception check tells me that there’s a lot more going on under that hair of hers. Also, they know that Cinderella is more of a frontlines person, but have no idea the extent of la Bête’s power, and Snow White literally has an army. Elody and Mira are newer--not Twice-Upon-A-Time. I think they’re unlikely to do battle against Destiny’s Children unless they’re heavily coerced. They’re hostages, whether they’ve realized it or not.

However, Destiny’s Children has been collecting power and information in a way that somewhat destabilizes them; each party member has something they could do to dramatically change their course of action.

From a terrestrial perspective, while Gerard and Elody aren’t in a perfect place, I have a feeling that a proper conversation with her could deeply influence her perspective on the princesses, especially if the party is advocating to get her out. Rosamund’s first loyalty isn’t to the princesses; if she refuses to commit to the plan, and Elody or even Mira choose not to as well, the princesses are going to lose their advantage in numbers and probably seek to take them back by force, which detracts from their greater goal.

On a multiversal scale, four of Destiny’s Children are working with a power set was specifically granted to them by a higher power, greater than the princesses or fairies. Ylfa has the blessing of Death on her--my theory being that if the Wolf was not saved, she was being unknowingly set up to take on the role. He wanted her to live even when she was killing herself before him. There’s a little inconsistency in that she didn’t gain a greater awareness upon consuming the Wolf the way the Baron of Bricks did, but that could come down to a few things: he wasn’t boiled down the way he was in the soup, she was still confined to her original story and thus could not become aware immediately, or even that he simply wanted to preserve her remaining innocence with regard to the Neverafter, when she had already lost so much.

Pib, while technically only functioning with the memories of a Twice-Upon-A-Time, is fundamentally a trickster archetype. Theory time: he may not have the power that the BBW or the various Geese do, but being an archetype grants these characters a certain amount of power and perspective that the ‘protagonist’ characters don’t have. Pib has been the one to make discoveries on a wide variety of fronts--he got the true books out of the Lines Between, which gave the party a major advantage in terms of figuring out the Neverafter and gave Pinocchio the opportunity to seize his own destiny. He can make big swings without compromising his role and thus isn’t as constrained as the other party members. We know that the Stepmother, who gains from consumption of other stories, is a powerful threat; however, though she was a warlock patron, I don’t think she’s quite on same axis as the bigger players like the BBW, the Geese, or the Baba Yaga. She doesn’t have a universal awareness. Pib could theoretically take that on.

Pinocchio, on the other hand, is the boy of destiny. He’s wielding his story like a weapon. There is a great deal of power to that--I think he’s one of the party members they’d try to control immediately aside from Timothy. He can call on parts of his story that are actively dangerous i.e. il Terribile Pescecane--maybe not consciously, but it’s a risk they’d have to take with him around. For all that Pinocchio suffered in his tales, there’s a lot that could come out of that book.

Speaking of books, I think Timothy is going to be in a tight spot after this. Knowing that all they have to do is get the ink to him, I think the princesses may be gunning for him as a tool. There’s no way he would put it down, but I’d be willing to bet that the prehensile hair would be in the room while he’s sleeping, just waiting for an opportunity. Also, if they know he’s on his last wish, the idea may be to trigger that into killing him and then just take the book for themselves. The princesses are certainly ruthless and I wouldn’t put it past them, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel especially, to do that.

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alpaca-clouds · 6 months

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Tav Avariel | Some Backstory

I want to talk a bit about my Tav, because I love this big dumb idiot so much by now.

When I originally created him, I did not put a lot of thought into who he is as a character. I mostly gave him similar stats to my last DnD character and that was it. But once I really got into the roleplaying of the game... Well. I needed to make him a proper character.

He has a criminal background, yet he goes around helping everyone. And how was it connected to his barding? Also... Look, I know we all love Astarion. We do. But Astarion would also not be the easiest guy to have a relationship with. Especially for someone who very much falls into the "good" alignment. So... Why the hell would this guy fall for him?

So, have some backstory discussion, if anyone cares.

CW for violence against children, child abuse, slavery

Being a little anarchist myself, I obviously know quite well that you can be a criminal, but also be good. Because you can be a criminal for doing the good things the law does not want you to do. So I decided that Tav is a bit of a vigilante. A mixture of Robin Hood and Batman. He is the kind of guy who steels from the rich to give to the poor, but also the guy who will stab some evildoers to death, if need should arise.

And a bit like Batman with his Bat-Family, my bard Tav very much has a bard-family. Other bards, who work together with him and very much are his found family.

The big thing I the got to was, to make him the exact opposite of Astarion. While of course my Tav is simply a mortal human, he has his own trauma. As a child his village got raided by goblins and as far as Tav knows, his parents got killed. Tav got taken prisoner and sold in Watergate as a slave. This was of course a bad thing to start with, but got only worse, because he ended up in a brothel that served only the sickest bastards. So people who were into the really bad things (including children).

Tav escaped when he was about 15. Together with three others. It was not a planned escape, but rather a very desperate attempt. They hid out in some wagons, without knowing what they were, finding out later that they accidentally hid out at a circus. But the circus took them in and hid them.

And here is where Tav is the exact opposite of Astarion. Because while Astarion came out of his trauma with the idea of: "Nobody came to save me, so fuck everyone else who needs saving," Tav came out of it: "Nobody came to save me, so I guess nobody will save other people, so I am going to be the one who has to do that!" Which is why he ended up becoming a vigilante.

Technically speaking he did not directly become a vigilante. He stayed with the circus until he was about twenty and had at least partly transitioned (he is trans). He first travelled the sword coast for a bit, doing just a bit of normal heroics before settling in Neverwinter, where he tried for a while to use his talent with people to influence politics for the better.

This ended in a total desaster, though. And had him and a certain elven noble (Kantei) flee the city in the middle of the night. They travelled together for a while - but ended up in Baldur's Gate when he was 25.

Tav made friends with two bards there, who let him even stay with them until he found a place to stay for himself. And this is basically when he started out to become a proper vigilante together with the elf he escaped Neverwinter with, and those two who helped him. They did collect two other people along the way.

As such they did a lot of little heroics. Be it with the stealing from the rich, or be it hunting down criminals in the city. They definitely also at some point started to investigate the entire Bhaal murder thing, because that would not have escaped their attention.

They might at some point even investigated some of the disappearings linked to Cazador - but never made the connection that Cazador was the one responsible

Now, my Tav has a fairly low intelligence (INT8), though I think that more than anything represents that he is uneducated as fuck - and also has issues focusing on stuff. Less because stuff like ADHD and more connected to trauma.

A big thing with him is, though, that he... well, again, his entire take-away was: "I was not saved, so I need to save everyone else". But that gets at times into very self-destructive behavior. He will very willingly throw away his life to save other people. And he also in general does not share his own trauma, because he does not want other people to worry about him.

He also believes to a very unrealistic degree that if you are just nice to people, people will be nice to you in return. Which is also why he will not kill anyone as long as there is another way to solve a situation. (It is also why in my stuff I have Gortash survive.)

Something I plan on playing with is, that Astarion thinks that Tav is so very well put together, because his way of coping with his issues in the exact opposite way to Astarion - making it very invisible to Astarion.

And yes, the reason Tav falls for Astarion is, because he sees a lot of himself in Astarion and his sadness.

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #baldurs gate #my tav #tav #cw child abuse #human tav #bard tav #male tav #astarion x tav #backstory

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the-knightmare · 8 months

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks to @daddygrandpaandthebeaver for the tag.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What’s your total word count?

44,659

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I write for mostly The Legend of Zelda and Bob's Burgers, but I have written for Escape Room and had thoughts about Six of Crows stuff. And that one Uncle Obi-Wan fic I did for flufftober last year.

4. Top 5 fics by kudos

Too Late

Seeking Solace With You

A Life Interrupted

Stay in Bed

I Met You in a Closet

The first and third aren't surprising, they're both older works of mine. Too Late is an angsty coldfalsh fic I wrote back when I was into the the Flash/Legends of Tomorrow. A Life Interrupted is my unfinished Roudise soulmate au (perhaps the upcoming theme week will motivate me to finish).

I was actually really happy to see Seeking Solace With You to be the second most popular. It's one that I'm proud of, and put a bit more into emotion-wise.

I'm actually surprised Stay in Bed and I Met You in a Closet (both zelink) made it into the top five as I didn't think they were my best works.

5. Do you respond to comments?

I respond to some of them. I'm a bit shy/anxious and I tend to overthink what I say. I absolutely love every comment I get, and I read every one even if I'm slow to respond.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

That would be Too Late, as it deals with the aftermath of The Flash's season three finale where Barry enters the speedforce (I had to refresh my memory of what happened it's been so long, haha).

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Since I love happy endings, there's a few of them. I'll highlight two and cheat a little:

A Call to Ears: A roudise fic where Louise catches Rudy trying on her bunny ears.

And

Dancing with Freckles and Glasses: a Telink fic post Wind Waker where Link helps Tetra practice dancing before a ball.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Luckily no, even when I make typos and errors.

9. Do you write smut?

I do not. The most I do is hint and let readers make their own decisions.

10. Do you write crossovers?

No, not really.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

As far as I know, I have not.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have not.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I cheat again, as I love both Roudise and zelink.

But I also love a lot of ships that I don't write, but read and enjoy canon material of.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

There are a few I have in early stages of writing in notebooks or scraps in a word doc, not much of note.

I suppose A Life Interrupted is one that I have no idea if I'll actually finish since I would have to think of a new way to end it. A good gist of what I may have originally meant as an ending can be read in Hidden in Plain Slide where I have some of my headcannon of Louise not liking things changing is on display, as well as the running away after a confession.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I had a comment on a fic that mentioned nonsexual intimacy and friendship underlying the characters attraction, and I would say that I always try to write relationships that feel balanced in their romantic elements.

I also think I've learned how to tell when something is working and when something is needed to make it work. Especially keeping character's true to their characterizations as best I can. So long as it sounds proper, I'm happy.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Finishing multi-chapter fics. It haunts me that I haven't finished A Life Interrupted, and every so often I think of it.

I could stand to go over my writing for typos and mistakes more. If I think about it too much, I'm sure I could think of a million things.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

I could only do French outside of English, but I wouldn't. While I'm technically bilingual, I'm fairly rusty and don't have confidence to write a whole story in French.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

It would either be Harry Potter or the City of Ember all the way back in my fanfic.org days.

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

I'm going to cheat again and list some I haven't mentioned yet:

Morning Person (roudise)

Burger Approval (zekina, with the Bob and Zeke relationship as a focus)

Lies Carved in Stone (zelink)

This was an interesting one. For tags, if anyone wants to do it, then feel free.

#tag game #fic stuff #roudise #zelink #it's kinda just an advertisement for fics

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minimallyminnie · 1 year

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My Twst Oc!!! Skip if you don’t want to read ^^. He’s a little bitch, but I love him <33 Hope @ryker-writes doesn’t mind me using their format for my character! I just didn’t know how to format it—

You can ask questions abt him if you’d like!

His hair is dark brown and he has a strand of hair on top of his head that fades to black because of a hair dye incident with his big sister when he was younger. Purple eyes that have really heavy eye bags underneath and he wears silver glasses too.

Name: Fuyuki Amamiya

Personality: Calm, observant, reserved, flexible, hardworking, reliable, stoic, flirty (you’ll know why and how), vulgar, too tired to take crap from people anymore

How others describe him: Strange, magic-less creature, too blunt and serious, inactive, sluggish

Hobbies: playing games, sleeping, sleeping, more sleeping, working a side job at Sam’s, trying out Maestro Cafe’s newer drinks

Height: 175 cm (about 5’9)

Age: 16

Birthday: November 11th (Scorpio)

Dominant hand: Right

Pet peeves: Crowley, Grim getting both of them in trouble, someone bothering him during his naps, milk first before cereal

Favorite food: Tart Cherries

Least favorite food: Coffee.

Dorm: Ramshackle (Housewarden of Ramshackle technically.)

Grade/Class: First year transfer/Class 1-A

Best subject: Alchemy (He tells his partner to read it out for him so he can pour the pretty colored liquids in.)

Club: Pop music club!

Talent: Adapting quickly, resourcefulness, and observant

Unique magic: None

Lore:

Meet the boy who had a life crushing experience as a child

Fuyuki was born deaf with a disorder causing him to never get enough sleep. Making him very tired all the time

His parents…

His mother was like Riddle’s mom two times worse (think of how Gothel was)

Narcissistic mother who cared about her appearance no matter what she had to do

Constantly watching what her children ate, only giving them food that had less than what they needed and picking out every one of their actions

She didn’t even believe the doctors when they said he had a sleeping disorder, just chalked to up to them trying to make her look bad

Comparing his sister to him all the time, always in her shadow despite him trying his best

Anytime he would try to talk back, a hard slap would be against his face or she would gaslight him into believing she’s right not him

Got to the point where he believed everything bad was his fault

He needed to be absolutely perfect for her to be a good looking parent

His father didn’t care about him being perfect but he did care about being useful

Any time he would catch Fuyuki sleeping or dozing off on accident, he’d shake him and start yelling about how he’s never going to be a proper and useful person

And alas, he grew up with the unhealthy obsession with being perfect and being useful

Until one day, his sister had enough. Once she was 18, she took him while their parents were away in the night and never came back.

Originally, his sister and him had different names but after running away, they both changed their full names

The unfortunate hair dye incident that occurred made a small part of Fuyuki’s hair black and it never washed off so he decided to just leave it on his head

Becoming closer with his sister, he began to see a whole new world outside of what his parents showed. His sister worked and he worked a small job in a convenience store restocking. They were pretty happy trying something new each month with what they could afford

He gets to sleep when he wants to, he finally got diagnosed, he’s not being yelled at or compared to

Even at his new school, he made two friends who he got close to!

He was happy with the life he had with his sister.

…until that night where a strange black creature with blue flames run across his room.

#MinnieWrites #Twisted wonderland oc #Twst oc #Fuyuki Amamiya #Loremiya #mindlessclow

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aquaburst3 · 7 months

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Ever since that picture of Snow White with the creepy CGI dwarves dropped, I've seen people posting hot takes about Rachel. Here's mine.

I feel bad for Rachel Zelger. She is getting a lot of undeserved flack. Bigots are calling her "Snow Brown" and other hateful things, despite the fact that she's literally a white latina, who is olive-skinned. (Again, I think a lot of it is bigots being angry about "wokeness", but that's a whole other can of worms.) Rachel's position about this specific adaptation is completely understandable.

This movie is shaping up to be pretty bad. Not because of Rachel Zelger. This is already the second time the release date was delayed. I don't think it's just because of the strike. It genuinely seems like Disney is going back to the drawing board multiple times and it's not coming together. I still don't buy their excuse about the dwarves, since they look like they just slapped some CGI figures over the other actors. No one can come back for reshoots, making this even more awkward. Usually movies with this much production troubles never turn out to be good. The same thing happened with Artemis Fowl, and I suspect the same will happen here. I don't blame her for not liking this movie. This wasn't the first time an actor hated the movie that they were in. Robert Pattinson famously mocked the Twilight movies as they were coming out. So why is she any different?

Having said that, I think her comments about the OG animated version were a bit tone deaf. Love it or hate it, Snow White is one of the first full length animated movies ever. If it wasn't for it, the whole animation landscape throughout the world would be different. Hell, this movie along with Carl Barks comics are the whole reason why anime characters look like the way they do. You have to give the movie some respect for that. Her dissing it and brushing off completely makes her come off as disrespectful and like she has zero understanding off the character she's portraying or animation as a whole. The comments she made about the prince, by extension, Jeremy Renner, makes her look even worse. She should've thought through her comments before spouting them out.

Snow White isn't one of my favourite Disney movies. It's certainly a product of its time, and has a lot of issues like not giving the prince more screentime (even if it's understandable why) or it prioritizing random scenes with the characters working or goofing off instead of proper character or story developments. At the same time, I think Snow White's a bit more feminist than what some people are giving her credit for. She is assertive, capable, adaptable and hard working, which are all feminist traits. While I'm childfree by choice "leftist", even I admit that being a mother is a lot of hard work and takes a strong person to do. There's nothing wrong with someone wanting to have a family one day or being like me and never having any at all. Feminism is about choice, after all.

Yes, Snow White as a character needs an update. However, I still think you can do that while also keeping the core of her character and not turn her into a girl boss. That is certainly possible. Vil from Twisted Wonderland is a great example, and he comes from a Disney property too. Despite technically being inspired by the Evil Queen, a lot of his good traits are taken from Snow White and Adam. Like the original Snow White, Vil's hardworking, capable, adaptable, quick on his feet, kind, caring and wants to help out everyone around him become their best selves. He also lacks some of Snow White's glaring issues like her extreme naivety and dumb moments. (Seriously, why did she let in the Evil Queen into the cottage, especially when she was told not to multiple times and the birds attacked her?) But at the same time, he is also incredibly flawed. He's domineering, harsh, impulsive, overly critical, in his own head and super judgemental. These negative traits flesh him out and make him seem more human compared to the original, who was a very flat character. Hell, same can be said about Mary from Once Upon a Time. Disney can do it. They just didn't here.

I think we can all agree that Disney should've casted actual little people as the dwarves, the conservative "media" bullshit making their own movie is fucking laughable and the Disney Princesses can fall in love and be strong characters. Characters like Tiana and all of the other Renaissance prove that. I want more romance in Disney movies again, dammit!

#aqua rambles

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sitp-recs · 2 years

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Hidden Gems by @sorrybutblog

Happy happy birthday iota! Today we celebrate two of my favourite fandom people, the power that you guys hold 😌 This list was supposed to be published later on in the series but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to scream again about your wonderful work. It’s been lovely to share this fandom space with you, and to get to know you better in the last few months. I’ve been in love with your fics ever since I read Waiting for that Feeling and now I finally get to share a proper reclist with your hidden gems!

I’ve told you this before but the first word that comes to mind when I think of your writing is “refreshing”. Your characters are a charming mix of open and tentative, a bit bold and a bit shy, and I can never guess what they’re doing or saying next, which is really exciting because it keeps me engaged at all times. I love how your Harry and Draco have such unique and interesting personalities; considering so many authors focus on Draco’s POV, your Harry has quickly become one of the most captivating takes I’ve seen on him lately.

Whenever I’m reading a iota fic I’m surprised by an unexpected joke that makes me snort out loud, or a subtle confession that makes me take a deep breath and go back to reread that line a few times. I love your brand of slice-of-life, light and fun but also contemplative and so so sexy (honestly, I haven’t seen someone make T and M content this sexy in a long time!) with low key angst, clever humor, engaging dialogue and A+ purposeful flirting. Your delicious UST and fab sense of humour got me immediately obsessed with both Heartlines and A Truth - I remember thinking “Wow iota has such a cool VIBE and I love it!”. Being in such a big fandom surrounded by many talented authors, I think it’s impressive that you found a strong, unique voice and are able to come up with original ways to approach these characters and tropes.

I’m always excited when I see you’ve posted a new fic because I know it’s gonna be a lovely treat perfectly crafted to meet my tastes. My picks probably aren’t a surprise to anyone - least of all iota 😂 - as I’ve been praising these gems for a while now. These are my 7 favorites but everyone should also go check her drabble collection. May I suggest Ephemera, Curiosity and Blue as a starting point? You’re welcome. Happy birthday my darling, I wish you all the nicest things and a lovely day! It’s a privilege to share this fandom with you :)

Eavesdrop (2021, T, 1k) - technically a microfic but I like it so much I wanted to include a small review. I love this concept and how iota gives them so much character here, jealous Harry is so hot! They come together nice and easy, and the hopeful ending left me wanting all the 8th year sneaking around (sorry, Michael!)

The walls at the Leaky Cauldron were paper thin. Harry knew this because he could hear Malfoy next door.

Market Saturdays (2021, M, 3.2k) - you know what they say, market romance is peak romance!!! This domestic fluff is everything I didn’t know I needed, I’ve read this fic multiple times and it never fails to make my heart ache with sweet tenderness for them. This gentle short story will cleanse your skin and cure your anxiety, results guaranteed or your money back 👌🏼

In which Harry is an accidental part-time cheesemonger, Draco is an organic farmer and they fall in love. Not an AU.

Waiting for that Feeling (2021, T, 3.8k) - road trip my beloved! This is a breathtaking and immersive friends to lovers tale with light angst, a perfect Ronald Weasley and soft contemplative vibes. It was my very first iota fic and it became an instant fave, I’ll always have a special spot for it inside my heart.

Draco Malfoy has a car and Harry Potter is on the case! Featuring Muggle car repair, a road trip to Cornwall, and falling in love in a Ford Fiesta. Read my rec here.

Postcards From Italy (2021, E, 6k) - the CMBYN AU we deserve! This fic combines delicious summery vibes with the gorgeous Italian aesthetique and a sexy, organic and quite charming acquaintances-to-lovers get together. I wanna live inside this pool party/nightclub/bathtub perfect universe, please and thank!

A pool party, a nightclub, a bathtub. Draco Malfoy is the last person Harry expected to run into the summer before his third year of university, but he's not complaining (at least not anymore).

Not Nineteen Forever (2022, E, 6k) - I still can’t believe this wonderful de-aging goodness was written for Liv day! This is a perfect Auror partners romance with the BEST sassy 19yo Draco, pining Harry, sweet friends to lovers with adorable flirting and a nod to Daddy kink 😳 basically everything I love in one place, sweet and clever and smutty as all lovely things iota creates.

A rogue charm hits on a mission and suddenly, Draco is nineteen again. Harry is still thirty-five and doing his best to look after his de-aged Auror partner (and forget about his long unrequited crush) until St. Mungo’s can brew the antidote. Only, Draco insists on wandering around Harry’s flat wearing nothing but Harry’s pants, flirting like his life depends on it and in the end, Harry’s only human after all. Read my rec here.

A Truth Universally Acknowledged (2021, M, 17k) - the ultimate P&P-inspired Drarry with perfect enemies to fuck buddies to friends (and lovers). Harry’s voice and want for Draco! The urgent sneaking around! The countryside romance! This fic is so so good it left me a bit incoherent, please expect a proper rec as soon as I stop screaming about this.

A year out from the war, Harry agrees to accompany Hermione on a historical walking tour of Pride and Prejudice. Not in the itinerary: running into Draco Malfoy, setting off a summer of stately homes, lavish parties, resentful shagging, and maybe, falling in love.

Heartlines (2022, T, 22k) - my favorite Cluefest this year, excellent and intriguing case fic with sentient Houses, competent Auror!Harry, surprising and brilliant sense of humour, delicious slow burn with clever dialogue and tons of UST! This fic is sexy, mysterious, funny and charming all at once, definitely a must read.

Just as Draco Malfoy's life seems to be getting back on track, the magic at Malfoy Manor is spinning out of control. Auror partners Harry Potter and Angelina Johnson are assigned to the case and quickly find that nothing about the situation is obvious. The flare ups are unpredictable at best, downright dangerous at worst, and why has a Hogwarts first year gone missing at the same time? Read my rec here.

#hidden gems s2 #happy birthday iota!!! 🎉🎉🎉

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