HAPPY BIRTHDAY @kill-cry-die !!! 🎉✨ I hope you have a STELLAR birthday, my beloved 🥰🩷

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i am interested in your hades au, would you mind giving some details about it? 👁 it looks really interesting

[This AU is from these drawings!]

*cracks knuckles* Ok! I actually got enough sleep last night so I'm finally feeling up to explaining this au lmao

Also I hope that by “some details” you meant “way way too many” because I am nothing if not long winded. Also @hades-hellsite asked for context too, here you go

The central premise is that, after he dies, Achilles manages to make an arrangement with Hades that allows both him and Patroclus to stay in Elysium together. He's not employed to work at the house and he never becomes Zagreus's combat trainer.

Hades makes a few attempts to find Zagreus a different teacher among the shades of great warriors, but being skilled does not make someone able to teach. And being able to teach one way doesn't mean someone will be good for every student. When Zagreus doesn't learn well with the few mentors Hades tries, which he barely gives a chance to breathe anyway, he's quick to decide that he must have no martial ability and declares Zagreus a failure in that as he has about so many things.

This has two major effects on Zagreus before his escape attempts begin. One, without any chance to actually grow into aptitude in combat, he's left without anything substantial to put his energy into and, more importantly, he's left without anything he feels good at and that gives value to his efforts. Two is that, in Achilles' absence, very few people in the house give him any care and support untwisted by the politics of the house and the judgment of his father. There is Orpheus, kind to him before Hades locks him away for refusing to sing, Hypnos, willing to put the house to sleep so he can find the truth though jumbled up in his own problems, and Nyx.

Nyx is the only one to aid Zagreus when he decides to try to escape. She contacts Olympus and weaves careful lies to win their support and blesses his departure. She's also the only one who believes that Zagreus has the slightest chance of escaping. Already in canon, most everyone tells him there no way he'll make it out, but here, it's so much worse. He doesn't know how to fight, his initial attempts are pitiful and his progress negligible, and near everyone lashes out at him to get back in line and stop making things worse.

He doesn't even have the Infernal Arms. Achilles is the one who brings them to him in canon; here Zagreus takes a simple bronze sword from one of the house's many displays of weapons from wars long past. He thanks the Fates that the Styx restores it the same way it does his body when he dies because he nicks and dulls the edges every time.

Despite all the disadvantages, Zagreus throws himself into escaping with unshakable determination, bone deep stubbornness. He picks up his sword and will figure out how to use it himself. Experience will be his teacher. He dies over and over and he watches his enemies and learns how they move and how he must react, mimicking their attacks for his own use and adjusting and adjusting after each failure. And contrary to Hades' adamant belief, Zagreus is very intelligent and learns brilliantly when allowed to and he grows stronger and stronger.

There's no teacher more savage than experience in something like this, though. The pursuit is agonizing and the cost is enormous and adjusting to this ceaseless violence feels impossible.

Much of my interest in this idea is how the added strain on his circumstances and relationships affects Zagreus and his mental state. At his best, Zag looks a lot like he does in canon, with his laurels unfurled and vibrant, and his feet glowing hot, but he rarely feels his best here. His laurel leaves curl in dry and crisp, muted like the leaves of autumn. Flakes of ash and soot build up over his legs and encase more and more as he suffers. So deep is his feeling of failure and being trapped that it affects him physically.

Not always, though. His flames respond to his emotions, burn brighter in his passion. Enthusiasm, love, fervor, bliss, anger set him glowing.

After a brutally drawn out span of time, Zagreus meets Achilles and Patroclus in Elysium and tbh, the rest of my interest is really in how the altered circumstances change the evolution of their relationships with each other. The pair of warriors were never separated for an extended time and Achilles is less downtrodden and resigned and Patroclus is less bitter and abrasive when Zagreus stumbles upon them.

They don't fight him, which Zagreus counts among his greatest blessings, although Achilles still seems to have an interest. It makes him twitchy and he jumps when Achilles finally lifts his spear and swings it around in his third time in their little glade only to bump the flat of the blade against elbow and tell him to keep it in more towards his body. Zagreus blinks rapidly at him before adjusting his arm.

Achilles helps him here and there, tips and tricks and valuable advice, but he never gives anything near the thorough instruction he did in canon. On one hand, he doesn't need to. Zagreus is a self made fighter and it leaves him with weaknesses but it is also a powerful thing. He is unpredictable and incredibly adaptable and he only continues to improve.

On the other hand, there's no room for it. Achilles is gentle with his guidance, but Zagreus is rubbed raw by all the fighting he's done and all that still depends on it. He doesn't want to always focus on the weapon in his hands. Patroclus notices and curbs Achilles' input when it exceeds its bounds. He sits aside and observers carefully when they spar. Zagreus doesn't need another's direction which is fine by him, who's lost all desire for combat. He gives his aid through his assortment of trinkets that carry Zagreus further to the surface.

Zagreus barely knows what to do with himself in the face of their care. He's so unaccustomed to such generous and genuine support, interest devoid of expectation or blame. As familiarity between the three of them grows, their interactions grow warmer, more tender and comfortable. Their care lays on a foundation, not a hinge, and Zagreus grapples with understanding that he really can lean on it. It all leaves him so uncertain yet so desperate because he wants more than anything to have joy and conversation and company with others where he doesn't shoulder heavy guilt from unspoken accusations over his escaping the house and to have a place he feels he belongs without being an intrusion.

He does at first believe he's intruding, though. Intruding on their time together in the peace of Elysium. It takes them time to convince him that they value his presence immeasurably. The opportunity to stay together in the Underworld has been invaluable for Achilles and Patroclus, but the peace of Elysium is a deceptive thing. It wears away and prickles at them, pressing down in odd warping ways. Patroclus is beyond pleased to have the war behind him and that it can never force him to fight again, and despite Achilles retaining an interest in competition and combat, he does feel the same way. Having a cause though, something to believe in and worth devoting their efforts towards... They didn't realize how deeply they missed it until Zagreus. It is revitalizing. They thrive in his genuine, boundless kindness and long to support him.

The drawings of Orpheus arguing with Hades and Zagreus fighting with Nyx is from one of my plot point ideas. Later down the line, together, Hades, Persephone, and Nyx agree to forbid Zagreus from seeing Achilles and Patroclus at Nyx's behest. Similarly to how she talks about Dusa in canon, she sees mortal shades as beneath his station and that it's highly unbecoming for the prince to be consorting with them. Zagreus fights against the idea ferociously and is only smothered by the threat that, if he seeks them out anyway, Hades will void Achilles' agreement and have Patroclus moved to the proper plane of the Underworld.

It crushes Zagreus. He loves them and cares about them so much and being torn apart from them is a wound that cuts so deep. But even more than that, what breaks him open most, is the fact that it came from someone he cared for and trusted most. Nyx was the one person in the House he could depend on most and this betrayal at her hand is devastating. And for such a worthless reason as propriety and godly vanity. It's not her place to force those upon him. It hurts Zagreus to the core.

Orpheus is the only one willing to stick up for him in this, deeply empathetic to the grief of being separated from loved ones and well acquainted with the fact that such punishments will only damage, never correct. After all, his stint of punishment in Erebus didn't revive his desire to sing, it was Zagreus's dedication and vibrancy that did that. One of the many invaluable gifts Zagreus gave him, including reuniting him with Eurydice, making him happier than he'd been since her death. Orpheus can't keep biting his tongue when all these gods refuse to see any of this.

It all comes to a head dramatically and painfully and I've thought of a few variations on how it would play out. I'll leave it for now though, I might draw it or write it later >:3c  Also this got really long lol. Hopefully the idea is at least somewhat interesting!

And here, have the lines from these two drawings because I like the way they look

Fic Writer Questions

Tagged by @nightlilly0110

How many works do you have on AO3?

54, but that's likely to go up sometime this year, and two are from a Dishonored account I don't really use anymore.

What’s your total AO3 wordcount?

314,707 across both accounts, soon to increase with updates >:3c

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Technically 8, though I deleted all the works for three. I've written for DBZ, Bleach, Danny Phantom, Overwatch, Red Dead 2, Dishonored, Destiny 2, and RWBY.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. Sleeper (Overwatch) at 1160

2. Two Step (RWBY) at 506

3. Half-Step (RWBY) at 462

4. The Interludes (Dishonored) at 379

5. Ribcage Roots (RWBY) at 352

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I respond to every comment, even ones that just say things like "I loved this!" It's really important to me to make sure my readers know that I appreciate every hit, kudos, and comment, so even if I'm very late doing so, I'll reply to every one I get.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I don't generally write unhappy endings, but I had something pretty depressing planned for Many Loves and Only One War (RWBY), since it was canon compliant. I like my endings to be somber or happy, yknow. For the catharsis.

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve ever written?

Eh, not really, no. I don't care for characters of one world interacting with characters from another. I usually write AUs and Fusions, with AUs being characters from X replacing characters in the world of Y, and Fusion being the world/setting of X and Y mixed together.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yes, but it's been such a long time that I don't even remember what fandoms it happened in.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Here and there. I'm only getting confident in my ability to do so as of recently, so you'll see more from me in the future I think. More often than not, I feel like it kind of interrupts the narrative I've got going on.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not an entire fic, but I did have someone copy a kissing scene I wrote by just changing a few words back in ye olde Overwatch, and I had someone recently copy the Vampire Hunter Clover design I created with the bf for Blood On The Tongue.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

A few times! Though I'm not sure what became of most of them.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I started one, or rather it was like. Fics that were sequels/prequels of each other, but I only ended up posting my part and never finished it.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

Currently it's Fair Game from RWBY (Qrow/Clover) but any variation of Ironcharms (Qrow/Clover/James) is amazing. I think you can pretty much always see a little flavor of it in my writing.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

God. I really do want to finish "here is the sink to wash away the blood" but I'll never be strong enough to attempt to write Overwatch again.

What are your writing strengths?

I'm the King of action scenes baby. Though I've been told I'm also good at world building and achy emotions.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Ah, like I said I'm not great at writing physical intimacy, and I also struggle a lot with side characters to the point that I'll get stuck on scenes for fear that I'm not being true to their characters.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I think if you have like. a good source. Like if you know the language well yourself or have a friend who can check it for you, then go for it. I'm sure Google Translate has gotten better over the years but it still kinda sucks in terms of context, so. I'm monolingual so I tend to avoid it, or just work around it so people don't have to paste into a translator and interrupt their reading.

What was the first fandom you ever wrote for?

Dragon Ball Z. I think I was 12, almost 13 when I binged the series and started writing Bulgeta.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Hard to say. It changes a lot. I think Simulacrum (RWBY/Blade Runner fusion) is always going to be special to me because it's always so personal, but I'm really fond of Blood on the Tongue (RWBY Vampire AU) right now too.

Tagging @nvvermore, @pidgeonpostal, and @perrinmywolf!!!

1, 4 and 7 for ur one piece s/i :3c

Thank you Silvia!!! 

1. Does your insert have a name that’s different from yours? Does the name reflect their character in any way, or is it just because it sounds nice? How did you come up with it?

My main S/I shares my name. Angel is a variation of my birth name, and especially as a fallen angel kinnie, I prefer it. I have other One Piece inserts with different names but while they started as inserts they’re more like ocs now. Before I was open about straight up inserting myself, I called her ‘Runa’. 

Since One Piece gives me all the power in the world to design my character as an actual devil- devil fruit user, I absolutely took advantage of that freedom. I have a rough concept of how a mythical devil zoan would function but am still working out how I want it to function with her specifically. Calling her by my name makes it easier for me to insert and it also happens to suit her powers. 

4. Does your insert have a backstory? Tell us about it! How does their backstory, if any, define who they are? How does it reflect their relationships now? Their hopes and dreams?

Yes. So some parts I’m still working out but here’s what I have so far. The whole 5 year gap has been difficult to work around, so to compensate she’s older than I am and closer to Lucci’s age. This gives them more time to get familiar with each other before he leaves. 

Her early life is a little fuzzy. At least one of her parents was a member of the space pirates at the time but she was never close with either of her parents. 

She’s extremely career driven and has tied most of her hopes and dreams into her research. Falling in love and starting a family where never part of the plan until she met him. 

I’m using the Library of Ohara for the timeline/years.

1494- Angel was born on Fairy Vearth.

1508- She acquires her fruit and uses her new found abilities for flight to descend to the lower vearths. She begins traveling with a group of biologists and begins studying her craft. During this time she further explores the limitations of her abilities, and earning her reputation as The Devil. During her time traveling with the research vessel they stopped on the island of little garden and she was captivated by the dinosaurs that lived there. 

1512- Angel sets out on her own to establish her team. Earning a little money from selling out her abilities and charming local naval officers she’s able to build her small laboratory within the naval base. 

1514- At age 20, Angel first meets Lucci. 

1517- They’re married shortly before he leaves. 

1522- The main story occurs. Events of Water 7 occur unaffected. With a warrant out for her husbands head, Angel escapes to a remote facility on a ‘dinosaur island’ to lie low until tensions blew over. During this time she’s able to progress her work and start compiling her work. After several months of isolation, she’s able to reunite with her husband. 

1523- During the time skip period, Lucci is reinstated as a government agent. Life slowly returns to normal. After submitting her independent research, interest begins to grow and she begins to attract more investors. Em is born that August. 

1524- Current One Piece era. 

1526- The Twins are born three years after their sister. 

 7. What kind of clothing style do they like? What would they never be caught dead wearing? What’s likely in their closet right now?

Pre-timeskip she prefers loose, practical clothes. Pants with an over abundance of pockets and loose button down beneath an over-sized labcoat. She’s a nerd and looks the part. 

Post-timeskip as interest in her work begins to pick up she begins to exchange her more practical attire for more formal outfits to help charm the investors. 

            hey ! my name’s link , i go by he/they pronouns , am 21+ & live in the cst timezone ! my only personality trait is being a bts , sment & girl groups enthusiast . i��m an aries sun with a pisces moon , which means i can be aggro , am always loud & obnoxious , but am a secretly sensitive softy , so plz be nice to me !!! this is my child , mikey , who’s stuck in 2006 & never grew out of his emo phase ( take that , mom ! ) . he’s also an aries , because my jjks always end up like that . hopefully , you’ll love him as much as i already do ! under the cut , you’ll find some misc . info & wanted connections . here are links to his dossier page & his pinterest board , which will hopefully give you some deeper insight . i’m excited to be here & write with you all ! like this if you’d like to plot & i’ll fly to your ims , but also feel free to add me on d*scord ( it’s easier for me as well ) : no brain only loving bts#6669 !

— jeon jungkook. he/they. demiboy. | was that michael “mikey” kwon i just saw in the hideaway lobby ? i hear the twenty-two year old spends most of their time working as a record store clerk / studying communications , but i’ve always just seen them dyeing their hair different colors with kool-aid . they live in 3c and i often see them in the halls. they always give me a vibe of getting into arguments online , an entirely black wardrobe and drinking six cups of coffee to make it through the day . 

misc . info :

his parents are both very hip artists who met & fell in love while attending art school. they’re both very modern kind of parents, which meant that mikey grew up around a lot of self-expression (& being told to try it for himself), paint everywhere & pot.

growing up, he was allowed to paint his walls & even ceiling however he pleased & it instilled a love of creativity in him. his parents still have paintings he did as a child hanging up on their walls & fridge. even now, he still draws casually, though it was always a hobby for him & not his actual passion.

his parents are extremely caring & understanding. as a teenager, they allowed him to go out & party & always made sure to get him home safely. mikey genuinely can not remember a single time they ever yelled at him even when he fucked up massively. so he tries his best to make sure they’re happy & taken care of. but they’re adamant in supporting whatever mikey wants to do.

they were both the alternative types, which meant that rock music filled their home. mikey was familiar with classic rock from a young age & the sounds of fleetwood mac & other similar bands fills him with a warmth that can only be attained from childhood nostalgia.

his first taste of love came at the age of seven. his parents always brought home new albums to listen to & his dad purchased three cheers for sweet revenge by my chemical romance. while the screaming & raging instruments could have been too much for anyone else his age, mikey embraced it fully.

it ignited an adoration for the genre as a whole & soon enough, his parents were bringing home various emo music albums to sate the always dramatic & over-reacting mikey. for christmas, he received mcr’s discography (at the time, just two albums) on vinyl, which he still has hanged proudly on his wall as an adult.

he owns every variation of every mcr album now. vinyl, cd, cassettes. he even collects the japanese versions because he likes the way they’re designed.

he dropped the name mike / michael because of mikey way & he refuses to answer to anything else.

even though it’s largely part of “cringe culture” now (which mikey refuses to participate in), he loves hot topic & goes there whenever he can. his closet is full of band tees & he has a drawer filled with those spiky belts, bracelets & pants with the suspenders from his teenage years.

he’s been dyeing his hair regularly since he was twelve. he’s had every color under the sun. this is what his hair currently looks like but he dyes the highlights with kool-aid, so the color is always changing.

he has a nostril piercing & would probably get more done if someone so much as implied that he should.

he has a mcr stan twitter account & he gets into fights with everyone he decides has a wrong opinion. he’s been suspended multiple times for being too aggressive online, but he always comes back. he also has a tumblr account but he just uses it to reblog pictures of gerard way (his bias KJHFDKJ).

he works at a record store & goes to school for communications. he hopes to either be a radio dj or podcast host. he wants to get paid to talk about how much he loves music either way. but he loves his current job because he gets to talk about music all day and recommend albums to people. also it’s helpful in perfecting his own vinyl collection.

yes, he cried the day mcr broke up & yes he bought tickets to all their reunion shows. he took the day off when the tickets went on sale & his boss was understanding, knowing how much he loves the band.

he’s extremely impulsive. if you tell him to do anything, he more than likely will. he has a lot of stupid scribbled tattoos on him for this reason, especially on his hands.

while he doesn’t mind appearing masculine & even embraces it, he doesn’t fully align with being a man. he started identifying as nonbinary in his teens, but has never felt 100% a man his whole life. he’s fine with both he or they pronouns for the most part, though he does have his preferences day to day. he introduces himself as nonbinary so it’s not a secret & everyone who interacts with him is aware.

he’s kind of a party animal. he’s that loud person who drinks too much & ends up blacked out on the floor.

he gets in trouble a lot, because he plays music very loudly at both his workplace & his apartment. but he’s of the opinion that if music is too loud for you then you’re just too old.

he’s aggressive & very arrogant. he will fight you about anything & everything. he just likes to argue & he thinks he’s right about everything.

in typical aries fashion, he loves to flirt & be flirted with. he just adores attention & seeks out affection where he can find it. he gets crushes really easily & pursues aggressively (he’s extremely charming & good at making people feel good about themselves), but he gets bored when he actually obtains the person he desires. he’s never really seriously dated, but has had over a billion crushes in his lifetime.

thought dramatic & annoying most of the time, he’s also very loyal & has a good heart. if you’re in his circle of people he likes, then he’ll do anything for you point blank. he always tells his friends that he’d die for him & he means it.

while he tries to appear confident, he has secret insecurities stemming from being the middle child. he has issues with feeling like he’s not good enough or thinks he’s unnoticed by everyone, so he acts up by being dramatic.

he drinks A LOT of coffee, so he’s pretty much always bouncing off the walls.

he’s extremely pansexual & loud about it. if you’ve known him for longer than five minutes then you’ll find out how he wishes he could smash gerard way specifically in the helena mv to smithereens.

he very casually knows how to play guitar. he’s that person who plays wonderwall at every party.

while he’s not a fan of pop music, he knows most girl group dances & can do them well.

wanted connections :

exes (any gender. it will more than likely be something casual, like a few months or less, but we can discuss the timeline! also it can be messy or friendly. extra points if there’s lingering feelings!)

hookups / fwbs (any gender. singular experiences or regular type things)

childhood plots for those who’ve lived in seattle (childhood friends, first kisses / crushes, all that good stuff)

flirtationships that don’t go anywhere

one-sided crushes (don’t mind who has the feelings!)

mutual pining but they’re both idiots & have no idea

party buddies (can be drinking &/or smoking). emo music buddies. netflix buddies. any of these can be combined.

enemies???? (if we can decide on a suitable plot. or enemies with benefits :smirk:)

someone who knows of mikey from his stan twitter but doesn’t realize it’s him & talks shit openly about the asshole who runs the account in front of him.

on the opposite side of the spectrum, someone who he flirts with in the dms & they plan to meet up after realizing they live in the same apartment building.

tinder date (it can go well or not)

frequent customers (customers he flirts with or can’t stand because they just loiter or gets into fights with because they have bad taste in music

someone who takes advantage of mikey being willing to do anything he’s dared to do. make him do all the stupid shit he shouldn’t be doing, whether it’s getting tattoos / piercings or anything dangerous or just idiotic.

you’re sick of this asshole blasting music late at night & go to yell at him for it but oops he’s actually attractive (or you actually can’t stand him, whichever GKDHFGJFKD).

i have a huge tag full of plots i’d love to do on my rp spam blog. not all of them will be fitting for mikey but just ask me & we can try to change some elements or something!

literally anything you can think of i’m probably down for it!

For the ask thing, 14 and 20? :3c

You got it!! 

14. What’s the most research you ever put into a book?

Oh gosh I’m blanking so hard it’s embarrassing! 

uuuuh

I suppose, in an un-fic related instance it would be my dissertation on the witches of Shakespeare and how Lady Macbeth is the true witch of Shakespeare. That was like, a three month process, and don’t get me started in translating it (since my undergrad was at an international school I had to present it in both Italian and English). 

Thinking back I still don’t know how I managed. I bought books, watched online lectures, library trips, heck sometimes I still think it didn’t actually happen. Even my thesis for my Masters was easier!! And for that I had to produce, write, and act in my own original short!! Not to mention write a paper!! I mean it was a great project and had a lot of fun moments collaborating with other students who went to the same school for different reasons and starting to build working partnerships for the hard and sometimes barren world of entertainment ahead. But even that was nothing to the nightmare scape of that dissertation haha

Or maybe the thesis felt easier because I wasn’t so on my own, and I knew I already survived the dissertation? Who’s to say ♡

Luckily it was all on things I already enjoyed, but goodness I was tested my pal. 

20. Post a snippet of a WIP you’re working on.

Ohoho!! I think I know a snippet you’ll enjoy!! It’s still on the rough side though

From Terpsichore Ch13; this takes place after a long winded debate and back and forth between Blinky and Strickler (who is imprisoned in the Stronghold) 

//

[Strickler persists in his request to speak with Jim]

“My answer is still the same.” said Blinky, with a firm set glare. “N. O. No!” and with that Blinky turned and started to march out of the stronghold. 

“It won’t take long! Please!” persisted Strickler, hating the desperation in his voice.

“NO!” cried Blinky.

The changeling frowned, adjusted his grip on the bars, inhaled deeply and, much to the dismay of everyone, belted, “OOOOOOOOOH I SERVED ME TIME IN THE BLACKBALL LINE ~ TO ME WAY-AYE-AYE HURRAY-AH~ IN THE BLACKBALL LINE I SERVED ME TIME ~ HOORAH FOR THE BLACKBALL LINE”

Stopped dead, and standing in front of the stronghold exit, Blinky turned. This wasn’t a tactic the troll anticipated.

“The ozzca is the impure doing now?” muttered a guard with a groan. 

“THEM BLACKBALL SHIPS THEY MAKE GOOD TIME ~ TO ME WAY-AYE-AYE HURRAY-AH ~ WITH THE LONG CLEAN RUNS AND ENGINES FINE ~ HOORAH FOR THE BLACKBALL LINE”

The other prisoners in the stronghold started to groan, and rattle in their cages. Calling insults and clang their bars, adding to the mounting racket and clatter. 

“THATS THE LINE WHERE YOU CAN CLIMB ~ TO ME WAY-AYE-AYE HURRAY-AH ~ THAT’S THE LINE WHERE I SPENT ME PRIME ~ HOORAH FOR THE BLACKBALL LINE” 

The way the stronghold was built did not help the sound, as the voices meshed and echoed all around like a storm. The singing and noise was bound to cause headaches sooner than later, Blinky knew this, and, with a look at Strickler who refused to break eye contact with the troll, the changeling knew this too. 

“JUST TAKE A TRIP TO LIVERPOOL ~ TO ME WAY-AYE-AYE HURRAY-AH ~ TO LIVERPOOL AT PACKET’S SCHOOL ~ HOORAH FOR THE BLACKBALL LINE”

Blinky narrowed his eyes at the changeling. Considering his condition, Blinky doubted Strickler could keep this up for long. The troll turned, and decidedly marched out of the stronghold. 

“THEM YANKEE SAILORS YOU’LL SEE THERE ~ TO ME WAY-AYE-AYE HURRAY-AH ~ WITH THE RED TOP BOOTS AND SHORT CUT HAIR ~ HOORAH FOR THE BLACKBALL LINE” 

If this was to be a match of endurance, Blinky felt confident in his chances. Even with the changeling’s singing and the stronghold noise echoing after him, Blinky would not be swayed by a tactic of annoyance. 

“AROUND CAP HORN IN THE MONTH OF MAY ~ TO ME WAY-AYE-AYE HURRAY-AH ~ ALONG CAP HORN IS A BLOODY LONG WAY ~ HOORAH FOR THE BLACKBALL LINE”

A guard rushed after Blinky, getting his attention, “Sir! What are we to do? We can’t beat him to silence.”

“AROUND CAP HORN WHERE THE SKIES ALL SET ~ TO ME WAY-AYE-AYE HURRAY-AH ~ AROUND CAP HORN AND WE’RE WRINGING WET ~ HOORAH FOR THE BLACKBALL LINE”

“Don’t! [sigh] I know that, and he knows that.” went Blinky rubbing his temples with his top set of hands. “But we can’t cave in to his wants just because of some noise.”

“But-”

“Just bare with it for now, it can’t last forever.” encouraged Blinky. 

“WELL IF WE DROWN WHILE WE ARE YOUNG ~ TO ME WAY-AYE-AYE HURRAY-AH ~ 

The singing continued to follow Blinky down the hall. The guard regrettably turned and returned to the ruckus, muttering how it’d be easier for Blinky to endure as he wouldn’t have to be in the stronghold. And although Blinky had a point, and thirst would eventually claw at Strickler’s vocal chords, there was still a detail to consider…

“IT’S BETTER TO BE DROWNED THAN HUNG ~ HOORAH FOR THE BLACKBALL LINE”

A changeling’s endurance to achieve their goals. 

// 

Fun Fact! The Black Ball Line is one of the first 1800′s ship lines to run on a set shipping schedule, which is mighty handy if you’re smuggling bridge pieces from one continent to the other. That means no matter how much cargo is on a ship if it set to sail on a specific time and date, it will set sail. Before this ships would sit in the docks until their cargo hold was completely filled, which sometimes meant at the risk of other materials (like perishables) to start to go bad even before setting sail. The Black Ball Line also had a bad reputation of treating there crews roughly or poorly.  

I’ve mentioned Strickler humming the shanty Hoorah for the Blackball Line before without mentioning lyrics mainly because there are so many variations to this song!!! But this version in particular is one of my favorites, mainly for the dark undertone. 

1 2 4 7 8 9 13 18 20 26 27 29 30 32 39 40 41 43/44 45 46 49 51 53 55 56 57 59 63 65 that is. so many dghsdghsdgv I'm sorry I just see an ask meme and go crazy aaaa go stupid aaaa. You can just answer whichever u like from those!! also 69(nice): you seem rly nice and funny from your 🅱️osts and I appreciate u... I hope you can find better irl friends who aren't trash

HDSKFJKS I completely understand but lucky for u I LOVE to talk !!

1) How are you?

Pretty good, actually!! Which is a nice change of pace. I went to Walmart with some friends yesterday and got a few things, baked a family recipe that my friends LOVE, and finally did my laundry (it’s been a couple weeks we love depression and executive dysfunction dfhkjsfd). I went to Cracker Barrel with some friends and earlier and played a 4-way game of Tetris after. :3c

2) Post a picture of yourself.

Here you go !!

4) What is your entire name?

Sierra Alexis and my last name is something constantly misspelled so I’ll give you the name of a historical figure whose name is a letter off from mine: George B. McClellan, to whom I may or may not be related because last name variations are fuckin’ WEIRD.

7) Your zodiac/horoscope and if you think it fits your personality.

I’m a Capricorn sun and moon, and Libra rising !! And from what I’ve read on Twitter from various astrologers, like Milkstrology, I LOVE her, I’d say it’s pretty accurate with my personality!! I like to say Capricorn’s aren’t cold bitches but, I Have A Tendency To Be One !!

8) What did you do on your last birthday?

God what DID I do on my last birthday… it was in January, so like, I SHOULD remember… OH I went to IHOP with my friends !! I share a birthday with another friend and I got a JoJo notebook and something called a Fuggler! They’re stuffed animals more or less but designed to be “ugly.” I got one that looks like Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty because I LOVE Gritty… he’s so fun and funky.

9) What is one thing you’d like to accomplish before your next birthday?

Get all my requests in my inbox over on my writing blog done KJHFDJKSF it’s been a few months and life has been. Hectic to say the least.

13) If you could change your eye color, would you?

There’s so much weird as hell brown-eye-phobia so like… I think blue eyes would be pretty neat. OR PURPLE… give me some unnatural eye colors pls...

18) Do you have any tattoos?

Not yet!! I’m going to get one the next time I go back home for break. :3c And I have a few ideas for other ones!! I wanna get a big-ass “Dragon Age: Origins” tattoo that’s the dragon on the cover on my thigh. I also wanna get a DA2 and “Inquisition” tattoo… and the Joestar birthmark… too many ideas… 

20) Left or right handed?

Right-handed !! I could have been left-handed or ambidextrous if I broke my arm AFTER I started kindergarten, but alas that was before.

26) Something you are working on right now:

This !! But also the script for my next podcast episode that I record on uhhh Monday I think. Should probably figure that one out dsjfjhsf

27) Do you have any “rules” about food?

I answered that in the last ask !!

29) What would you say is your best quality?

I also answered this in the last ask !!

30) What do you think you’re really good at?

Writing, I’d say! And memorizing trivia about the stuff I’m super into. If it’s stuff pertaining to “M*A*S*H” or old movies or TV shows or actors or specific historical events, I will know that shit FOR LIFE. Don’t ask me to do math pls thank u

32) What talent do you wish you’d been born with?

I wish I was able to do stuff with music. That was never really in my blood, despite all the music classes they make you take in elementary school. I just never learned how to memorize or read sheet music. :/ I would have loved to play violin, tho… my friend plays and she says I would have been a good cellist.

39) Do you sleep with a stuffed toy?

YES… have for years. I still have my Care Bear from when I was 5, Gritty as mentioned above, a plush of my school’s mascot, and a little Fugo !! He’s so tiny.

40) What do you think about the most?

Everything and constantly and all at once. But the past really because I can never let stuff go and even the small things I mess up on haunt me forever… Wish that wasn’t the case but it is !!

41) Share two habits:

Biting my nails and having a very specific routine in which I get ready when I wake up. Like, I’ve gotta go brush my hair before I put my important cards in my left pocket, then put on my silver bracelet, then my beaded bracelet, then my earbuds in my right pocket, then put my earrings in. I HAVE to do it in that order…

And other oddities that include, like, if I need to go around something I HAVE to follow the urge to go one way and not the other, lest I feel the need to go back and fix it. And then which foot goes first before I reach a crack in the sidewalk, or up or down a curb, etc.

43) What are your career goals?

If I can just make people happy or get some kind of joy out of the things I do, I’d call that enough. :)

44) What is your ideal career?

Mmm, either a film historian or a film professor !! Preferably at the college I’m at right now but wherever the wind takes me, I’ll go! Or a Twitch streamer or YouTuber, it really depends on my mood jdhfjskf

45) Is your life anything like it was two years ago?

It was pretty much the same !! Freshman year was pretty lively, I didn’t have a job on campus yet though, or my podcast. Everything else is basically the same!

46) Do you replay things that have happened in your head?

CONSTANTLY… good or bad it’ll play back over and over and over again.

49) Do you have any phobias?

HOO BOY, DO I… fear of heights; fear of insects/bugs/arachnids/bees/wasps; I have a strong dislike of the number 13 but I don’t know if it’s a phobia, I just. REALLY hate it; the unknown, more or less what lurks somewhere beyond where I can see. Not so much a fear of the dark with that one, just what could BE in it.

51) Are you allergic to anything? If so, what?

I answered this in my last ask, as well!

53) Ever come close to death?

Two or three times, maybe? Two of them involved what’s called a laryngospasm, typically it can happen when your sick, which is what happened to me both times. Basically your throat just closes up on your for a hot minute and you can’t breathe. The first time I genuinely thought I was going to die (and my dad still sent me to school that day… HOE), the second time I was also sick and was losing/had lost my voice DURING A JOB RETREAT and it happened in the middle of the night so that was funny sitting there gasping for breath in the pitch dark.

At the FIRST retreat I went on for that job, you had to take pictures as part of a scavenger hunt, and the place used to be an old military fort, so there were still the old bunkers there. We had to take one on top of it and I was taking the picture, and it’s a wide shot so I go to take a step back but before I do I look behind me. If I hadn’t I would have fallen a good 10-15 feet down onto solid Civil War-era bunker concrete. I’d consider that being a “close to death” moment because I really could have died!

55) A random fact about yourself:

I have a half-brother !! My sis and I finally found him after her 23andMe results came back (which she decided to do despite us being like THE GOVERNMENT WILL COLLECT OUR DATA) and we didn’t think our mom would be happy she found him but she was !! My sis might reach out and contact him, she just wanted our mom’s permission first to do it.

56) What are three things most people don’t know about you?

Well, that I have a half-brother. I don’t mention it a lot. Aside from y’all on here and my sister, most everyone else doesn’t know I’m nonbinary! Everyone else knows I’m bi though lmao. And that there were times I’d stretch or bend the truth or lie about something just to impress someone else. It’s a… Bad Habit. Another thing is that most people don’t know I like coffee? Like I need to put a shit ton of creamer in with it because I’m a Bitch, but yeah.

57) An unknown fact about your life:

I wouldn’t call this an “unknown” fact but I’d used to go to work with my dad every now and again when he worked at the Home Depot and he was assistant manager. I’d either chill in the back room which was an office he shared with two other guys, or walk around the store with him. I had my own apron, too, which was my name with “Mini Mac” next to it, “Mac” being my dad’s nickname and something easier to say than my last name. I actually helped a few customers out so I wonder if I should have gotten paid for that despite being like, ages 9-13 when I’d go jshfkjd

And I guess I technically tested video games as a kid? Basically, when my dad was stationed at Fort Knox, they’d get demos of video games that hadn’t come out yet to test I suppose? and I still have a few somewhere. He’d hand them off to me and I’d play them so there’s that.

59) Five weird things that you like:

Eating globs of wasabi for no reason.

Scaring my friends also for no reason.

I wouldn’t say using cotton swabs to get wax out of your ears because it feels good is weird, just more medically inadvisable if anything.

When I was younger I’d like to floss really hard because the slight pain from it felt good. Young me was a #Freaque KJHDFJJDHF

I don’t know if being fond of alphabetizing and reorganizing things is considered weird but I LOVE doing that.

63) A quote you try to live by:

“It matters not how strait the gate, / How charged with punishments the scroll; / I am the master of my fate: / I am the captain of my soul.” It’s from the poem “Invictus” and the last two lines are what I’m getting tattooed !!

65) Weird things you do when you’re alone:

Practice the “Lucky Star” dance. I GOT THE LYRICS DOWN… JUST NEED TO DO THE DANCE NOW…

69) Leave me a compliment:

“you seem rly nice and funny from your 🅱️osts and I appreciate u... I hope you can find better irl friends who aren't trash”

Anon pls 🥺 I do my best to be nice but my friend really do test me sometimes... my feelings bounce back n forth like if they do something my feelings can switch to angry or like, hate, and then if they do something nice I’ll like them again. It sucks but ! I just take it one day at a time. Anon I care for u 💜💜💜

Domesticity meme!

I accidentally posted my reply to the first ask too early and didn’t think when deleting it ^^; So I’ll do it like this:

Anonymous said:

matsumasa? :3c

Aaaa thank you for asking! Sorry it got long x) I had some trouble answering the last three, I wrote down how I see their relationship develop to get things straight for myself. I posted that too, if you’re interested.

Who cooks normally? I posted a headcanon about this for all of the Five Leaves before, but short answer: neither (unless you count rice and fish), they go to Ume’s for proper meals. Or other establishments.

How often do they fight? Very rarely, even though they’re pretty inefficient personal problem solvers. It’s just that they have hardly any substantial problems with each other anyway.

Because they’re both anxious people, I think they’re hyper sensitive to each other’s annoyances and adapt quickly to avoid them. But this is before they actually become a couple. It will take them ages to get closer and more comfortable around each other, but in time they realise they were often just being unnecessarily cautious. From that point they do have small squabbles regularly.So the fights they do have I think would have to do with Matsu holding something in for too long, and bursting when something small is the straw that broke the camel’s back. They get better at this over time, as Masa learns to recognise signs of Matsu getting worked up over something. Matsu in turn realises that Masa will listen without looking down on him, and that it’s a great relief just expressing his worries, even if it doesn’t solve the problem. This takes him a looong time though.

Masa doesn’t have this issue because he frequently thinks out loud. Sometimes this involves talking about his feelings or things that make him uneasy. In the beginning he does this by accident, but the lack of a negative response from Matsu encourages him to share such things on purpose sometimes.

What do they do when they’re away from each other? When Matsu cares for someone he gets really attached to them, so being apart from Masa after they become close is quite hard (even before they become a thing.) He tends to get overly absorbed in his work to keep his mind off Masa. If he’s not working he drinks a bit more, gets a bit moodier and gets on Ume’s nerves significantly more.

Masa does what he always does, the way he always does it, but he just sighs a lot. And if there’s someone he’s comfortable sharing such information with, he tells them how much he misses Matsu. Multiple times.

Nicknames for each other? Matsu regularly calls Masa variations of idiot. Sometimes - and as their relationship progresses more often - affectionately. It’s a big deal when Masa stops referring to Matsu as ‘Matsukichi-dono’. Just Matsu is a mighty intimate nickname for him. Matsu is fully aware of this. (It actually took his breath away a little the first time Masa called him Matsu.)

Who is more likely to pay for dinner? This is something they might argue about because they both want to pay. Masa because he is proud and money is a sensitive issue for him. Matsu’s a popular ornament smith and generally doesn’t have to think twice about what he’s spending, but Masa is constantly taking his budget into consideration.

While he is careful with his money, he doesn’t want to be a party pooper when they do go out to eat something together and he doesn’t want Matsu to think that he has to take care of him just because he has a higher income. Because of his pride, having a lower salary is all the more reason to say “this is my treat.”

He can’t convey this very well though, so Matsu usually wins the arguement - except maybe for the lower amounts. He thinks it’s stupid for Masa to spend money he should use for more important stuff. His main motivation however is repaying Masa for saving him from Ohtsuya and for saving the Five Leaves.

Masa will often complain “but you already repaid me last time. And the time before that…” To which Matsu replies: “You saved my life, so I’m not done yet. Get used to it.”

Who steals the covers at night? That would probably not be an issue since I hc Matsu as a clingy sleeper. As soon as he falls asleep he just gravitates towards whoever’s in bed with him. Masa doesn’t mind whatsoever.

What would they get each other for gifts? Oh man I don’t know what kind of gifts one would give in the Edo era, but Masa seems to be fond of giving people sweets and you can be sure that Matsu’s made his gift himself and that it’s beautiful and practical. In my HP AU - at some special point in their relationship - Matsu gives Masa a pocket watch that he’s designed and made in collaboration with a watch-maker. Inspired by the Weasly clock, it has one hand for each of the members of the Five Leaves and Sachi, and tells the owner of the watch where they are. (Bunnosuke wouldn’t give permission to be represented on the watch, even though he and Masa’d reconciled by this time. And Matsu didn’t have the guts to ask Mrs. Akitsu, so she’s not on the watch either.)

Who remembers things? Not sure if anniversary celebrations are a thing in the Edo era, but if they are: they both remember everything. On their first anniversary they are both Aware. The months leading up to it they keep reminding themselves out of fear that the other might get angry if they forget, but when the day comes they are kind of afraid the other might think they’re being too sentimental. An even worse scenario would be that they remembered the wrong date… They’re pretty sure it’s right, but you know.. what if?

Either of them (probably Masa) would casually mention something like “oh hey, I think it’s a year today.. isn’t it?” “Oh yea, you’re probably right.” And then they both get their special gifts out and propose the plans they’d made.

Who cusses more? Masa Does Not cuss, so by default the answer it Matsu. Matsu swears often, but not excessively, and I think he turns it down a little when he’s around Masa. Masa is not one to complain let alone berate someone for using bad words (except his sister Sachi who does - bonus hc - slip up sometimes in Masa’s presence), but he cringes a little when it catches him by surprise.

What would they do if the other one was hurt? In case of physical hurt Matsu would panic, but eventually find someone to help. Masa, trained for combat, would keep a cool head and perform some excellent first aid. In case of emotional hurt Matsu might want to revenge Masa in some sneaky way that could get him in trouble. Masa would just be there and cuddle and listen.

Who kissed who first? Depends on my mood, I can see them both doing it on a whim and generally I’d like to think that they went for it synchronously haha.

Who made the first move? Hard to say. Masa might’ve accidentally been the one, and Matsu could’ve purposefully done something that could be considered a move only to deny that it was. It takes them ages to (at least verbally) admit to any romantic feelings.

Who started the relationship? That would probably be Masa with a “am I your…ermm…. lover now?” after their first kiss.

600 Follower Giveaway and Follower Forever!

Listen up, everyone!

It has been three long, long years since I started my journey on tumblr and I have gone an incredible way from the beginning. When I started I didn’t expect to even get a doozen followers and now look at where the blog has come to (even though it is still as deserted as back then most of the time).

SO now I want to say “Thank you, everyone.” Some people have helped me outside of this blog, in a certain sense in reallife, others have given me a lot of fun with the roleplays I have. There are a lot of followers I really owe a lot to in one way or another. And while I can’t say thank you to everyone, I can still direct certain people further below.

To that I am going to make a Giveaway that is directed at OCs in the community moreover than the people who play canon characters. While this sounds harsh on said people, I want to give OCs a bit of love or try to at least. I know how hard the community can be on them and how little some of them get no matter what so I think this gievaway will be justified. More about this will be posted relatively soon, hopefully during this very week even.

So, now to the specific thanks that I will direct at people around. Some might be a bit surprising as the people might never have interacted with me, others will very well be no surprise at all. I just will tag everyone I think I should make a note on! And while I usually see these things swamped with tags at all followers, I think I will pass on that for now!

@thecatofdarkness Hey sis :3 I mean, really, my shipping partner, my sister in soul or mind or whatever you want to call it, the one I often have to say “Donchu dare” to in all sorts of variations. If I were to not put you here first, I think I should be leaving this blog right now. I am allways happy with whatever you do for our muses, for me and whatever you message me with to tell me. I adore Ren and our conversations and am more than happy that a thread of a cheeky teasing cat evolved in a more than complicated and incredible detailed relationship. You listen to me rambling and groaning and are there when I need someone to talk to. Really, I can’t thank you enough. So thank you. Just thank you for being there.

@shukuchiisms Tales of Ice, flametales, do you remember these names? And how luna was a Skyrim muse way back? Or a fluffball that you would cuddle before the blog reset that turned her into a bloodsoaked monster that now has to deal with a Shadowlady that annoys the heck out of her and at the same time makes her melt? Holy hell, we never really got to any roleplays. All of our msues history is entirely set up in IM alone and yet it all makes sense. I love your character, I love talking to you and I allways grumble that we barely talk with each other anymore. I really, REALLY hope you come back to your bloga s an active member of the community and as the goofey idiot you sometimes are that gets bitten by his muse who definitly did not try to kill you with that. Thank you for sticking around with me.

You two were the ones who kept me in the blog. If you hadn’t been there, I would probably have abandoned the blog for real 2 years ago. Thank you. A round of applaus.

@crystals-angel Hello owo Remember me .3.? Yes, we barely talk. Yes, we had both our differences and our nice conversations. And yes, we basically talk apart from each other a good 40% of the time. But you are still a person I am happy to not have missed back when I found your blog. It is already so clouded as to how that happened that I am almost sure that it was just a random blog recommondation that caught my eye but what came of it is still incredible valuable for me. I was sad when you ahd deleted your blog back then and I was happy when I found you on skype and you reopened your blog. Your muses are diverse, Fawniss is a total goof that can sometimes just be described as adorable and at other times is just badass. I am happy for our interactions. And I really hope that we can talk more and interact more in the future.

@thecelestialchibi1 Muhahaha, I bet you weren’t even expecting me to tag you here :3c Or maybe you were. Knowing you, you weren’t and since you don’t roleplay anymore or use tumblr it wouldn’t really surprise me xD But you are still here. You are one of these people who I could just take and shake for half a minute while giving you a lecture about why you are awesome and you shouldn’t hate yourself or dislike yourself or ... whatever there is else you could think about yourself that is negative. You are an awesome person and I hope to see you again around in the future. For now there will be more patting and pouting in Discord though!

@castdeath Well, this one is actually surprising. I feel like we parted in a more negative way than I would like, but I am convinced that we can work through that ... somehow. I hope we can set these differences aside. We only did one single play so far but that one was very much important to me. I don’t get to play Aira in her AU that much. And I only that oen time got the chance to actually play her out the way she is. I hope we can return to being friends. I really do. (I also hope you are fine by now. Fucking storm sucking out all joy of the stuff we had going just from the time it forced you away).

@properbalance Boop :3 While the origin between us will remain a mystery, I have come to like you and come to like talking to you a lot. You are very hard to get a hold of though, one day ypou will be there, the next you will be gone for half a year to never be seen again. Just to pop up out of nowhere. I hope we will find the ways to do things in the future. But for now I will gladly focus on the idioticiy that we are doing anyways and will look forward to whatever idioticy we can brew up from thing air from now on xD

@staardusts You are probably the one who just jumped onto this list the most recent. You are the only Soraka-mun who ever had taken the time to show interest in my muse, the only one who bothered enough to actually think would could go on. And to add to that you are so incredibly nice as a person that I simply love talking to you in private. I hope things brighten up for you and I hope that we can continue and build up something special!

@littledesertsparrow I mean ... you and your muse are both adorable in their own ways. So far I had nothing but fun talking with you. Well, disregarding the one thing with my clinginess. Sorry for that once more, I am trying my best to change it currently. Your Taliyah is very unique and I think you play her in a one time way that noone else would be able to achieve. Even though I still don’t know how you managed to start shipping Darius and Taliyah. Then again, I managed shipping Elise and Quinn >.> Don’t ask how. I really, really hope we can make some things happen in the future between our muses and maybe between each other as a person as so far I just had a blast talking to you and sending things in for you to answer. And yes, I know this wording is weird. I am not good at social interactions :3

@rinidinger We abrely ever talked BUT you are one of the reasons I even started this entire blog xD I still have the old things I tried to make for an Ingame Model for Rin somewhere on my PC. Even though we did indeed never interact and there were only a handful of conevrsation, it is very easy for me tos ay thank you for your character and what you did for the community. You and two other blogs alone inspired me to start roleplaying here. And I made lots of friends due to that!

@asknasus-thecuratorofthesands Youuuu are probably dead. I think. I am not sure. But your blog is dead for sure. Thank you for the memories and the time our muses shared. They have helped develop my muse a lot and I am more than grateful for you to accept me just jumping in your inbox as if our muses knew each other and just going with it unlike other people who I did it back then with long before IM were even a thing and plotting was new to me. You helped my character to develop and it pulled it through the earliest stages of the blogs development. Thank you, kind sir. You helped me a lot.

@lillium-the-scout I ... think I should put you in this list as well. I have no clue what happened back then. I don’t know what the entire drama was that you were involved witha nd I honestly care little for it. I am not even sure that the mun I am tagging here is the same mun who played with Aira back in the early months’ of the blog. But for the chance that it was, disregarding every rumour and every bad reputation: Thank you for back then. You were one of the first roleplay partners I had. Even though in hindsight the entire starting ship was a terrible idea. I stilll want to thank you for the experience.

@askspiderqueen  I have to thank you for the single interaction we had with our muses. It might not make a lot of sense but it showed me a lot of things about hwo I paly my character and what she does. I really, REALLY want to interact and talk to you more, but I fear our muses just won’t work out. Elise being pissed and Aira having no real reason to ever visit the Spiderqueen. maybe I will find a way in the future. For now I thank you.A nd silently hope you might eba ctive again. Because your character is a lot of fun to read.

@noxian-rose We literally never roleplayed and we barely talked because I am shy as hell and SCARED like hell to approach you. But your character is amazing in the way you play her. I have been watchng your rolepalys in the past with excitement and am allways happy to see you on my dash. It pulled me back into roleplaying a while back. Thank you for that. Maybe things will come by in the future.

@shorthammertime And at last the mun I literally allways feel like I upset them when they suddenly stop to reply. I think of all the people on this list, you made me laugh most. Your muses are incredible, your love for them is noticeable and you yourself are just a fun person to talk with. I still hope that we might roleplay someday with each other. When I can’t tell. But I can at least hope.

Honorable mentions: These are a few people that I wanted to mention because they give me life in their roleplays or because I roleplayed or roleplay with them. Because I enjoyed our conversations or anything otherwise similar. Thank all of you for what you have given me. I will cherish it. Promise.

@ladyem-s-grimoire @verum-exsolutus @lustful-heavens @sexydeceiver @the-demacian-pariah @grabthelantern @maiden-soraka @the-everchild @ask-xayah-therebel @seliniakocharitos @sacredtempest

Thank all of you so much. Let’s hope that the future stays bright.

Sinja details on Magi 320

Hi dear people, I actually wanted to write a very detailed meta thingy about Magi 320 but I don’t have the time. So, I’m just gonna focus on 2 things.

First is this detail here:

I like the panel showing the night sky....I guess it’s to show us it’s late. Ja’far’s comment also confirms it. ....So, The implied info here (according to me) are the following points: 

Sinbad’s office is probably connected to his bedroom: Since apparently Ja’far didn’t expect him to be getting dressed in the middle of the night (well it would be uncommon for everyone to find someone getting dressed when the working hours are over), maybe Sin works in his office with night clothing when he has to or more probably, Ja’far expected to find him in his bedroom, in bed, since it’s the same day Sinbad fainted at the International Alliance meeting.  Instead he found him getting dressed in his office. Also, who finishes getting dressed in their office? Maybe his bedroom is in the next room and he just finished getting dressed in there as he walked towards it.

Ja’far goes into Sinbad’s room/office in the middle of the night like it’s nothing: Even tho last arc has proved us several times that sinja’s intimacy has suffered a great blow, the fact that Ja’far can come into Sin’s office without being announced and that he actually didn’t expected him to be dressed up or probably even there, shows that Ja’far is used to find Sinbad in his office or in his room late at night  ....... Yes, Ikr? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). Also maybe Ja’far doesn’t usually find Sinbad in his uniform when it’s that late............ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

These 2 panels are probably the ones that made me most happy about Magi 320 tbh, for those 2 reasons. I’m happy Sinbad didn’t reject Ja’far as much as to not allow him to come into his room late at night ♥. Or the fact that it isn’t awkward at all, but as common as always.

Relationship types:

Now let’s focus on the second important point of this silly post:

Three relationships that describe sinja’s relationship are mentioned briefly or come into discussion in an indirect way during this chapter. This may mean nothing to the chapter overall but it matters to me as someone who headcanons sinja as a relationship that engloves different and variated love types. The first one actually includes all generals:

Let’s remember that this is the last chapter in which Sin is convinced he’s doing this to save everyone. In this panel he’s moved by the thought of his own family, which also was a lesson he learnt from his father long ago. Sinbad doesn't have a family anymore tho, only the one he has formed through friendship and not through blood connections. Those family members are the 8 generals. 

It is a given that the 8 gens are his family and that he deeply cares about them but seeing it here, confirmed, has a total different impact than only assuming it. Ja’far is included there ofc, so it means family love is included in sinja’s multiple relationship types (I’m not gonna use words like agape, eros and those because I don’t have time to actually inform myself about them in a deeper level, so I’m just gonna give general definitions we all should be capable to understand). 

So let’s go to the second one:

Ja’far calls him “my lord” here. And thus I’ll be addressing their master-servant relationship. 

Probably the most unrelatable relationship, at least in our present. A master-servant relationship in anime and manga is usually represented by the following sentiments: loyalty, trust and gratitude. Loyalty (+admiration) being the feeling that moves a servant, gratitude (which leads to rewards) the one that moves the master and trust which exists between the two of them. We are talking about a positive relationship ofc.

Ja’far’s loyalty is strong as it’s constantly mentioned in Magi’s encyclopedia and in every piece of information about him. His loyalty is actually moved by great love towards his master. It is funny tho that in the panel above he’s using it to manipulate Sinbad a little, which is uncommon for Ja’far. Just before they started talking he was calling him “president” since that’s the new title sinbad holds, but as soon as Sinbad confesses to Ja’far what his actual plans are, Ja’far is so disappointed he switches to call him “my lord”, however he adds that he is pathetic and weak. As in: I can’t believe “MY LORD” who is someone amazing to me was actually this pathetic. The phrase itself is made so it hurts Sinbad’s pride as a good master, especially since it comes from his closest servant. Very manipulative, since after all Ja’far’s opinion matters a lot to Sinbad. There’s however another point about this which also makes sinja’s master-servant relationship a weird one. Even tho those types of relationships have some distance in between, brought by respect, in their case, respect is broken several times. Since they insult each other or hit each other, when they lose composture, like in this case. Ja’far loses it, he even drops the “president” title, but he calls him his lord , then says he’s weak and pathetic and an idiot. He starts also getting red. He will soon start to scream with watery eyes, so much he’ll become tired. Sinbad’s reaction shows surprise, tho he manages to not lose composture unlike Ja’far. A very emotional and intimate moment if you ask me, very uncommon for people who are only  master and a servant, but well sinja are obviously much more.

To sum up what I mean by this is, there’s a canon master-servant in sinja’s relationship that brings several good sentiments between them. However the distance brought by the respect that comes with this type of relaitonship, is broken whenever the farse of their titles is broken, which happens every time any of the two of them make a big mistake or make each other angry. And when respect is broken they can’t help showing how intimate they actually are by insulting each other, like family and friends.

Before I finish this point I want to add, that more than a servant, Ja’far is a right hand man.  There is a small difference imo. A normal servant is a little more detached from his master’s cause and the rewards they get are whatever is most convenient to them. 

But since Ja’far is someone who lacks personal ambitions (like Ohtaka pointed out in a BS) he’s more compromised with Sinbad’s dream, which he actually made his own. 

His reward is making the dream become a reality, because he is as involved as his master is. The metaphor of being a right-hand-man comes from the idea of the right hand being people’s main tool which helps achieving pretty much everything, it’s also a part of the body, not a separated entity. 

The right hand man motive it’s all over Magi, but I think Sinbad and Ja’far make it justice the most. 

And well this last one plus the extra commentary is an obvious one: Their friendship. I’m especially really happy about the “deep bonds” part :3c. Deep bonds......................deep bonds......... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

To be frank I have nothing to say about their friendship. When there’s mutual respect, trust and intimacy, there’s also friendship. And when a friend becomes family, they are still a friend. We all know what a friend is so I’m not gonna go on details on that one. The only thing I want to say is that their friendship is a fact.

So, Sinbad listens and is moved by Ja’far but he realizes he still wants to go to the sacred palace (even tho he finds it weird himself), so he decides to lie and pretend he agrees...heartbreaking. But then again, even that annoying commentator is surprised Sinbad goes against Ja’far’s wishes. 

As I love to point out all the time Ja’far is Sinbad’s closest family member/friend/vasaal. Ja’far matters a lot to him. So after finding himself still going to the sacred palace, even after having talked to Ja’far, he had to think things over (thinking that is done in the following chapter). Even tho this was too little for my hungry self, the fact Ja’far was the last one Sinbad had to confront to realize he was not doing it for his family, already means a lot. He was the last one he said goodbye to too. 

I dare to say as well that in the most heterosexual way possible cause we can’t have canon sinja, Ohtaka may be implying Ja’far is Sinbad’s most important person and therefore he’s the last one he faces before quiting his old life and self. At least I take it this way. And that should be it. Magi 320 was wonderful and it can be read in so many ways!!! Even tho we didn’t have the conclusion of this important subplot, there are several details mentioned here that suggest interesting facts. Therefore I’m somewhat satisfied.....

Still there is hope that we find out more in Sinbad no Bouken and in the extra material that will come after Magi. Hopefully Ohtaka will also use her wordpress soon.

1-30

Hecc alrighty

putting a keep reading here bc this is long oof

What do you identify as and what are your pronouns?

Asexual, Panromantic, Polygender; and my pronouns are She/He/They, aka I’m good with all three of those and their variations :)

How did you discover your sexuality, tell your story?

uh well at first i though i was lesbian, then i was confused for a good year or so, and now I’ve just kinda landed here. i have no idea how i got here

Have you experienced being misgendered? What happened and how did you overcome it?

yea actually, some kids on my bus last year had an argument about whether i was a girl or boy and i realized that i didn’t give a shit whether they viewed me as one or the other. i was big confused at the time tho so i just kinda nodded confusedly

Who was the first person you told, how did they react?

my irl friends were, they were really supportive it was great :))

Describe what it was like coming out, what did you feel?

it was pretty normal i guess? I mean if you put my family and my coming out to them into the mix then uh that’s a whole bag of tea i don’t wanna go into. anyways i felt great coming out :)

If you’re out, how did your parents/guardians/friends react?

my family was supportive i guess? they still think I’m a cis lesbian girl and they kinda don’t think asexual is a thing so uhm,,,

What is one question you hate people asking about your sexuality?

uh i don’t get any questions,,

Describe the style of clothing that you most often wear.

Hoodie and sweatpants/jeans, or tank top and jeans/shorts :)

Who are your favorite lgbt+ ships?

Friendlypack (Stan x Jimmy), Darkstache (Dark x Wilford), uhhh idk what else off the top of my head rn

What does makeup mean to you? Do you wear any?

i don’t really have a meaning for makeup tbh, and i only wear makeup on Halloween uh

Do you experience dysphoria? If so, how does that affect you?

i don’t?? think so??

What is the stupidest thing you’ve heard said about the lgbt+ community?

that they/them isn’t valid pronouns AND THAT TRANS PEOPLE ARENT VALID AND SKASLKASJKCEWQCJ that kid in my class is a dick,,,,,,, >:((((

What’s your favorite thing about the lgbt+ community?

that they’re so welcoming :D (for the most part)

What’s your least favorite thing about the lgbt+ community?

that they can be dicks to other people in the community :(

Have you ever been to your cities pride event? Why or why not?

no, but!! me and my brother might go to pride in Chicago this month :O

Who is your favorite lgbt+ Icon/Advocate/Celebrity?

Thomas Sanders,, good,, boye,,,

Have you been in a relationship and how did you meet?

i have been, and mostly just through uhm,, the internet,, those never ended well,,, one of them made me realize I’m asexual,,, oof

What is your favorite lgbt+ book?

Simon VS The Homosapien agenda AND Leah On The Offbeat >:OOO I loVE

Have you ever faced discrimination? What happened?

uhm not personally i don’t think?

Your Favorite lgbt+ movie or show?

Love, Simon,,,,,

Who are some of your favorite lgbt+ bloggers?

does Thomas Sanders count?

Which lgbt+ slur do you want to reclaim?

Queer.

Have you ever gone to a gay bar, or a drag show, how was it?

Nope. Im 15.

How do you self-identify your gender, and what does that mean to you?

I mean i just don’t really care what people refer to me as pronoun wise, and uh yeah

Are you interested in having children? Why or why not?

yell heah i am >:O but not,, biological kiddos, id be 100% down to adopt tho >:O I’m actually planning to adopt my friend @justyalocaltransboi once we’re adults bc he deserves a good supportive family and i wanna be a good dad to my sOn >:3c

What identity advice would you give your younger self?

Stop!! Caring!! What!! People!! Call!! You!! Bitch!!

What do you think of gender roles in relationships?

i don’t really care, they’re dumb but whatever,,

Anything else you want to share about your experience with gender?

the argument between kids on the bus concerning my gender gave me big gender confusion yall you don’t even know

What is something you wish people know about being lgbt+?

it’s ok to be lgbt+ don’t feel bad about being lgbt+ if you do ill hug you until i stop crying on your behalf >:(((

Why are proud to be lgbt+?

because it’s so nice,,, and great,, and supportive,,, aaaaa,,,

idk if you're still doing fic requests, but i've had this half-formed idea kicking around in my head and i trust you'd be able to bring it to life: 12 builds an inspector gadget style dildo/sex toy machine thing. i don't know what else would happen (like i said: half-formed) but that seems like it'd be a fun fic. alternatively, maybe another Kate Lethbridge/12 one because that pairing doesn't get nearly enough attention.

ooh, i’ve refined it a bit more if you’re at all interested: Clara asked him to build one and he gets more excited about the gadgets than the dildo, and ends up being hilariously unusable. but also sexy? idk; i trust what you come up with.            

So You Want to Build a Sex Machine12/Clara, not explicit but still risque, comedy mostly, ~1k words

(read on Ao3 instead)

Here’s what you’ll need.

1.

Considerations: materials, feasibility, semantics, ethics, use-case scenarios, mechanics both internal and external. The fulfillment of desire, what ‘want’ means; how to create it, or find it; friction. Erotic as a poorly-translated word from a language you do not speak and that your ship will not speak on your behalf.

2.

Google searches:

sexual requirements of the average human

sexual requirements of the unusual human

sex toy personality quiz

Metallica

how can i know what she wants without asking what she wants

3.

The three ‘R’s: Research, Research, Research.

3A

An hour spent watching videos of anonymous amateur fucking and masturbation.

3B

Two minutes spent with your hand wrapped experimentally around what you’d let someone assume was a cock, if anyone were around to notice. Three minutes with your right thumb pressed into the spot just below your rib cage, where your key is still lodged. You feel nothing, and an aching empty sort of wrongness, in that order.

3C

Five hours spent watching videos of people unboxing new dildo shipments. It’s satisfying, watching them crack open the packaging and methodically assess the contents,

4.

Plans. I know it seems weird, to plan ahead of time, but trust me on this.

Four-One

Two mood boards, one on the ship - in a private room tucked far away - with magazine clippings taped to a dry erase board, and one on Pinterest that is followed immediately by a user named KinkyDave17. Hey there, Kinky Dave.

Four-Two

Fifty rough concept sketches, loose and easy. One drawing of Mr. Blobby holding a sign reading “There is no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism” (it’d seemed funny at the time). Ten selected and elaborated upon; five chosen and explored with attention to detail. Four mugs of tea, two of which are immediately forgotten and eventually absorbed back into the timestuff of the ship.

Four-Three

One sketch, and fifty variations. The implication and execution of multiple penetrative devices. Orifices, modularity. Texture, color, the minutiae of hydraulics. Desire diagrammed. Both mood boards gradually evolve into evidence that Sammy Hagar is a fixed event in time and space. The Pinterest board is immediately followed by GuitarDave1975. Hey, Guitar Dave.

Four-Four

One variation, ten life-size mock-ups. Cannibalize parts from automobiles and electric pianos. Use similarly-shaped objects as stand-ins for dildos. Create a Catherine wheel of bananas. Remember, belatedly, that that’s probably not how sex works. Take a mental note of the texture and firmness of the bananas anyway. Eat one. Eat four more, and regret it instantly. Thrust, vibration, pressure, response, haptic feedback and precision stimulation. Turn the motor on and watch it spin as you eat a sixth banana.

5.

On the mood board in your ship, tape a picture of her over Sammy Hagar so it looks she has Sammy Hagar’s body, or that Sammy Hagar has her face. Resist the sudden impulse to punch the dry erase board. Resist the constant impulse to do something sentimental. Do it anyway. Say something that pretends to be mean, like your human pastimes are ridiculous at best or it’s just an interesting engineering problem, that’s all. Touch the picture of her face, or Sammy Hagar’s face, touch the picture of the face gently and try to think positively about the ten failed attempts littering the room. Eleven, the eleven failed attempts. Or is it twelve, now?

6.

Immediately realize it’s been Eddie Van Halen all along. Spend an hour arguing in the comments section of a YouTube video with a user named, simply, Dave. We meet again, Dave.

7.

Punch the whiteboard, delete the Pinterest account. Sit down on the middle of the floor with a cup of tea. Make a mental list of all the times you can recall her making a face or a noise or a motion, an indication that there was something in her body you only partially recognize:

When you’d had your hand inside her, knuckle-deep, fingers crooked

The time it took for the red mark to show after you bit the skin on her neck, just under her ear

Not sure but it was a Tuesday local time and you were on your knees

8.

why not ask her, Dave will type. or just fuck her lol. Pause. Type back, shut it you sorry excuse for an internet avatar i never liked you anyway. Turn off your personal computation device with a degree of petty, misdirected anger. You will still be on the floor, at this point. Stretch your legs out and then lay down and press the palm of your right hand to the spot just under your rib cage where your key still is, where it’ll always be, where it’s throbbed inside you since before you left home.

9.

Ask her. Ask her, ask her, stammering and fumbling. Make sure it’s a Tuesday local time. You aren’t on your knees but you might as well be. Ask her what she wants.

And she’ll say, you, and she’ll laugh, but not in a mean-spirited way. Pull out your diagrams, your lists from your pockets. Put them back.

Say No, I mean specifically, in terms of the specific thing. Make a gesture that implies fucking and also hopefully how you understand and accept and regret your inadequacy in this area.

You, she’ll say again.

But for when you’re not there, or you’re there and you can’t, or you can but you’re not enough. What does she want? What’s better than you, what’s the ideal?

Don’t you get it yet? she’ll ask.

From here, futures splinter. It could go any way, there is a near-infinite set of possibilities. But if you take her hand and stay, it’ll be one of the good ones.

10.

Let her lead you to her bedroom on the ship, where she feels safe. Let her hold you. Admit you spent the better part of two days, local time, inventing her a sex machine. She’ll roll her eyes and say I’ve got it covered, but thanks I guess, gesturing to her proudly-displayed collection of dildos and vibrators and a fair few things you’ve never even seen before, despite at least three Googles. You nod and feel a certain awe come over you.

11.

Guide her hand to your belly, the spot just below your rib cage. Feel your key move inside you. Try not to cry.

Go down on your knees; it worked once before.

12.

Later, return to the Van Halen fan forum and ask Dave if he’s David Lee Roth, and if so, is he a fixed temporal event. He won’t respond.

ricotta kale + bacon frittata

Eggs, eggs, eggs! If I told you that I've cooked them almost everyday, the same way for the past six years would you believe me? I love eggs don't get me wrong but I could never eat them as frequently as my husband. He prefers them fried but a little runny or soft scrambled with sharp cheddar. I've learned to perfect these two ways over time but for the sake of my own sanity, I decided to try a different way to cook eggs. 

 It isn't like I've never heard of frittata before but I was afraid he wouldn't like it. Many 'new' things I've made/ mentioned have been given the side eye and so I reserve them for times when I cook for myself. I was told growing up, you don't tell a man what you’re cooking, just feed him but I'm not sure how I feel about that as I like to discuss these kind of things. Being a chef though you love the challenge to create something that will appease to even the pickiest of palates. So I love these daily challenges.

 Frittata is like a blank canvas waiting for endless variations. Picking a green and/ or other veggies experimenting with different cheeses and whatever else your heart desires all enveloped in fluffy eggs. 

 I chose kale because this is a green that will hold up even when cooked down. Bacon because well it's breakfast and this is for a guy so duh. Caramelized onions, tomatoes and three kinds of cheese to add loads of flavor. Cheese is needed for eggs, end of story. You began by cooking the bacon, then caramelizing the onions in the bacon fat. Add in the kale and tomatoes with some spices and that's it! You whip up the eggs with some milk, salt + pepper then add it all to a buttered cast iron skillet. Easy peasy!

I am happy to report that the dish was very well received and devoured! Scoreee! I will definitely be making this again and if you have never tried frittata please do it is so delicious, easy and a great way to enjoy eggs. What is a dish that you've been wanting to try? Please share! 

 Ingredients 

 5 eggs 

1/3c milk

 salt + pepper

 2 1/2c chopped kale

 3 slices bacon, chopped

 1 small tomato, deseeded and chopped 

1 small onion, sliced 

 1/4 tsp paprika

 1/4 garlic powder 

1/8tsp cayenne pepper

 1/2c sharp cheddar

 1/4c white cheddar

 1/4c Parmesan

 1 tbsp butter

 Preparation 

 Preheat oven to 375. In a 10.5 cast iron skillet add in about 2 tbsp olive oil. Cook bacon until crispy. Add in your onions with a little salt. Lower the heat and allow to caramelize. Once onions are finished add in the kale, tomatoes and spices, salt + pepper. sauté until all veggies are tender. In a medium bowl, beat eggs with milk add in salt + pepper. once eggs are fully beaten add in the cheese and whip til combined. Add in the butter and then pour eggs over the kale mixture. Place dollops of ricotta or sprinkle feta on top. On medium heat, allow the bottom to just set and then continue to bake in the oven for about 15 mins. Remove from the oven and allow the eggs to settle. serve with buttered toast!

I was tagged by @noro-noro-noro 

directions: answer these questions and tag 20 followers (doubt I’ll do that many but if you wanna steal it feel free to) 

name: for all intents and purposes, haxxy 

nicknames: haxx, haxxy, haxxel/haxxle, other variations of the original nickname 

gender: female

star sign: libra

height: 5′7″

sexual orientation: pan/pan

hogwarts house: slytherin

fav color: #865f84

fav animal: I... can’t pick... I love most animals and will gush over them. But some favorites are swans, crows, cats, hyenas, most reptiles... 

time right now: 11:29 PM 

average hours of sleep: I usually sleep a little less than six hours a night (but I get over nine on the days I get to sleep until noon >:3c) 

cat or dog person: SHIT I mean I’m allergic to both and I love both but also... I guess cats? 

fav fictional characters: Shit.... jasper, malachite, flowey, the batter and zacharie from off, JYUSHIMATSU, k2so, No Face... I’m probably forgetting a few and will punch myself later for it but... yeah... 

# of blankets you sleep with: Usually one, but I have a ton in my dorm room that I don’t want to fold so I’ve just been using all three (one underneath and two on top. Layers) 

fav singer/band: UHMM... twenty one pilots because I’m fucking basic. I listen to a pretty wide range of music tho, so.... 

dream trip: Maybe a big dumb road trip with a lot of my friends in a VAN. 

dream job: Shit, something that helps people and keeps a roof over my head. 

when was this blog created? According to postlimit.com: Mon, 30 Jul 2012

current # of followers: 1,272

when did your blog reach its peak? Who fucking knows, probably a few years ago when I interacted with people more and was generally a more likable person. (the days b4 I became Bitter(TM)...) 

what made you decide to join tumblr: Idk it was the hip new thing to move onto after deviantART got tiring. 

@hello-sweetie-get-the-salt, @maternalfretting (bc I know you like to do these), @squeekz4all, @lunarprinc3, @pkharmony, and... whoever wants to do this tbh. Just steal it from me and say that I tagged you. 

Isaiah 44

Isaiah is more difficult than Genesis to Kings. I am so used to the rhythm of the ancient translation and its musical settings that it is even more difficult for me to comb out the random variations in gloss.

Verse 8. Those three differing negative particles: לא is the traditional negative, by far the most common, אל has a sense of command, בל poetic equivalent of לא. (stats below) As difficult as this chapter is, it is an argument in favour of inferential science, not to mention planting trees. Verse 20 is the clincher for today. Can we or can we not discern the falsehood in our right hand? Who do we worship? What doctrines are we afraid to give up? We are not so dumb as to worship the stove and the fridge - uh, wait a minute... maybe we are. Arms-trade before truth, anyone? Economy before humanity.

Isaiah 44 Fn Min Max Syll וְעַתָּ֥ה שְׁמַ֖ע יַעֲקֹ֣ב עַבְדִּ֑י וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בָּחַ֥רְתִּי בֽוֹ 1 So now hear, Jacob, my servant, and Israel. I have chosen in him. 3e 4B 10 8 כֹּה־אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֥ה עֹשֶׂ֛ךָ וְיֹצֶרְךָ֥ מִבֶּ֖טֶן יַעְזְרֶ֑ךָּ אַל־תִּירָא֙ עַבְדִּ֣י יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וִישֻׁר֖וּן בָּחַ֥רְתִּי בֽוֹ 2 Thus says Yahweh your maker, and who fashioned you from a belly, I will help you. Do not fear, my servant, Jacob, and Jeshurun. I have chosen in him. 3d 4B 19 15 כִּ֤י אֶצָּק־מַ֙יִם֙ עַל־צָמֵ֔א וְנֹזְלִ֖ים עַל־יַבָּשָׁ֑ה אֶצֹּ֤ק רוּחִי֙ עַל־זַרְעֶ֔ךָ וּבִרְכָתִ֖י עַל־צֶאֱצָאֶֽיךָ 3 C For I will infuse water to the thirsty, and flowing over dry land. I will infuse my spirit over your seed, and my blessing on what comes forth from you. 3e 4C 14 18 וְצָמְח֖וּ בְּבֵ֣ין חָצִ֑יר כַּעֲרָבִ֖ים עַל־יִבְלֵי־מָֽיִם 4 And they will sprout as amid grass, as willows by productive water. 3e 4B 7 8 זֶ֤ה יֹאמַר֙ לַֽיהוָ֣ה אָ֔נִי וְזֶ֖ה יִקְרָ֣א בְשֵֽׁם־יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְזֶ֗ה יִכְתֹּ֤ב יָדוֹ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וּבְשֵׁ֥ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יְכַנֶּֽה 5 C This one says, Yahweh's I am.And this one will call in the name of Jacob. And this one will inscribe his hand, Yahweh's, and in the name of Israel entitle himself. 3e 4C 16 16 כֹּֽה־אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְגֹאֲל֖וֹ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת אֲנִ֤י רִאשׁוֹן֙ וַאֲנִ֣י אַחֲר֔וֹן וּמִבַּלְעָדַ֖י אֵ֥ין אֱלֹהִֽים 6 Thus says Yahweh king of Israel, and his redeemer, Yahweh of hosts, I am first, and I am last, and apart from me there is no God. 3c 4C 18 19 וּמִֽי־כָמ֣וֹנִי יִקְרָ֗א וְיַגִּידֶ֤הָ וְיַעְרְכֶ֙הָ֙ לִ֔י מִשּׂוּמִ֖י עַם־עוֹלָ֑ם וְאֹתִיּ֛וֹת וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּבֹ֖אנָה יַגִּ֥ידוּ לָֽמוֹ 7 And who such as I, will call, and will make it clear, and will arrange it for me? I set in place the people of eras past, and what arrives, and that which will come. Let them make them clear. 3d 4C 23 15 אַֽל־תִּפְחֲדוּ֙ וְאַל־תִּרְה֔וּ הֲלֹ֥א מֵאָ֛ז הִשְׁמַעְתִּ֥יךָ וְהִגַּ֖דְתִּי וְאַתֶּ֣ם עֵדָ֑י הֲיֵ֤שׁ אֱל֙וֹהַּ֙ מִבַּלְעָדַ֔י וְאֵ֥ין צ֖וּר בַּל־יָדָֽעְתִּי 8 Do not be in dread and do not fear. Have I not from then reported to you and made it clear? And you are my witnesses. Is there God apart from me? And there is no Rock that I do not know. 3d 4C 25 16 יֹֽצְרֵי־פֶ֤סֶל כֻּלָּם֙ תֹּ֔הוּ וַחֲמוּדֵיהֶ֖ם בַּל־יוֹעִ֑ילוּ וְעֵדֵיהֶ֣ם הֵׄ֗מָּׄהׄ בַּל־יִרְא֛וּ וּבַל־יֵדְע֖וּ לְמַ֥עַן יֵבֹֽשׁוּ 9 Fashioners of a graven image, all of them, are disordered, and their attractions are useless. And they are their own witnesses. they do not see and they do not know. So let them be ashamed. 3d 4C 16 19 מִֽי־יָצַ֥ר אֵ֖ל וּפֶ֣סֶל נָסָ֑ךְ לְבִלְתִּ֖י הוֹעִֽיל 10 Who has fashioned a god, or graven image has spilled out, with nary a use? 3e 4B 8 5 הֵ֤ן כָּל־חֲבֵרָיו֙ יֵבֹ֔שׁוּ וְחָרָשִׁ֥ים הֵ֖מָּה מֵֽאָדָ֑ם יִֽתְקַבְּצ֤וּ כֻלָּם֙ יַֽעֲמֹ֔דוּ יִפְחֲד֖וּ יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ יָֽחַד 11 C Lo, all their companions will be ashamed. And the artificers, they are human. Let them be rallied, all of them. Let them stand. Let them be in dread. Let them them be ashamed together. 3e 4C 17 17 חָרַ֤שׁ בַּרְזֶל֙ מַֽעֲצָ֔ד וּפָעַל֙ בַּפֶּחָ֔ם וּבַמַּקָּב֖וֹת יִצְּרֵ֑הוּ וַיִּפְעָלֵ֙הוּ֙ בִּזְר֣וֹעַ כֹּח֔וֹ גַּם־רָעֵב֙ וְאֵ֣ין כֹּ֔חַ לֹא־שָׁ֥תָה מַ֖יִם וַיִּיעָֽף 12 Smith with iron tool both works in the hot coals and with hammers fashions it, and works with the arm of his power, even famished and without power, imbibing no water and tired. 3e 4C 21 23 חָרַ֣שׁ עֵצִים֮ נָ֣טָה קָו֒ יְתָאֲרֵ֣הוּ בַשֶּׂ֔רֶד יַעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ בַּמַּקְצֻע֔וֹת וּבַמְּחוּגָ֖ה יְתָאֳרֵ֑הוּ וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ כְּתַבְנִ֣ית אִ֔ישׁ כְּתִפְאֶ֥רֶת אָדָ֖ם לָשֶׁ֥בֶת בָּֽיִת 13 Carpenter, piece of wood stretching out a line, forms a pleat, constructs it with planes, and with compass he forms it. And he makes it as the pattern of a man, as the adornment of a human, to sit it in a house. 3e 4B 32 20 לִכְרָת־ל֣וֹ אֲרָזִ֔ים וַיִּקַּ֤ח תִּרְזָה֙ וְאַלּ֔וֹן וַיְאַמֶּץ־ל֖וֹ בַּעֲצֵי־יָ֑עַר נָטַ֥ע אֹ֖רֶן וְגֶ֥שֶׁם יְגַדֵּֽל 14 He cuts for it cedar, or takes cypress or oak, and, assured for it among the trees of the forest, he plants a sapling that heavy rain will grow. 3e 4C 22 10 וְהָיָ֤ה לְאָדָם֙ לְבָעֵ֔ר וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֵהֶם֙ וַיָּ֔חָם אַף־יַשִּׂ֖יק וְאָ֣פָה לָ֑חֶם אַף־יִפְעַל־אֵל֙ וַיִּשְׁתָּ֔חוּ עָשָׂ֥הוּ פֶ֖סֶל וַיִּסְגָּד־לָֽמוֹ 15 And it will be for a human, for kindling, and to be received from them, and for heat, indeed, ignited, and to bake bread. Also to work a god, and worship it, making a graven image, and paying homage to it? 3e 4C 25 18 חֶצְיוֹ֙ שָׂרַ֣ף בְּמוֹ־אֵ֔שׁ עַל־חֶצְיוֹ֙ בָּשָׂ֣ר יֹאכֵ֔ל יִצְלֶ֥ה צָלִ֖י וְיִשְׂבָּ֑ע אַף־יָחֹם֙ וְיֹאמַ֣ר הֶאָ֔ח חַמּוֹתִ֖י רָאִ֥יתִי אֽוּר 16 Its half incinerated into a fire, with its half, flesh for the eating, roasting a roast, and sated, indeed, warmth, and saying, Aha, I am warm. I have seen a light. 3e 4B 21 15 וּשְׁאֵ֣רִית֔וֹ לְאֵ֥ל עָשָׂ֖ה לְפִסְל֑וֹ יִסְגָּד־ל֤וֹ וְיִשְׁתַּ֙חוּ֙ וְיִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל אֵלָ֔יו וְיֹאמַר֙ הַצִּילֵ֔נִי כִּ֥י אֵלִ֖י אָֽתָּה 17 And its residue, for making a god? for its graven image? to pay homage to it? and worship? and pray to it? and say, Deliver me, for my God you are? 3e 4C 11 25 לֹ֥א יָדְע֖וּ וְלֹ֣א יָבִ֑ינוּ כִּ֣י טַ֤ח מֵֽרְאוֹת֙ עֵֽינֵיהֶ֔ם מֵהַשְׂכִּ֖יל לִבֹּתָֽם 18 f They do not know and they do not understand, for he has plastered from seeing, their eyes, from insight, their heart. 3e 4C 8 13 וְלֹא־יָשִׁ֣יב אֶל־לִבּ֗וֹ וְלֹ֨א דַ֥עַת וְלֹֽא־תְבוּנָה֮ לֵאמֹר֒ חֶצְי֞וֹ שָׂרַ֣פְתִּי בְמוֹ־אֵ֗שׁ וְ֠אַף אָפִ֤יתִי עַל־גֶּחָלָיו֙ לֶ֔חֶם אֶצְלֶ֥ה בָשָׂ֖ר וְאֹכֵ֑ל וְיִתְרוֹ֙ לְתוֹעֵבָ֣ה אֶעֱשֶׂ֔ה לְב֥וּל עֵ֖ץ אֶסְגּֽוֹד 19 One does not reply to his heart, nor know, nor discern, saying, Its half I incinerated in a fire, and also I have baked bread on its coals. I have roasted flesh, and I have eaten. And its surplus into an abomination will I make? To a hunk of a tree will I pay homage? 3e 4C 43 15 רֹעֶ֣ה אֵ֔פֶר לֵ֥ב הוּתַ֖ל הִטָּ֑הוּ וְלֹֽא־יַצִּ֤יל אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ֙ וְלֹ֣א יֹאמַ֔ר הֲל֥וֹא שֶׁ֖קֶר בִּימִינִֽי 20 He grazes on ashes, heart deluded, bent, nor can he deliver his very self, nor say, Is there no falsehood in my right hand? 3e 4C 10 17 זְכָר־אֵ֣לֶּה יַעֲקֹ֔ב וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כִּ֣י עַבְדִּי־אָ֑תָּה יְצַרְתִּ֤יךָ עֶֽבֶד־לִי֙ אַ֔תָּה יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֹ֥א תִנָּשֵֽׁנִי 21 Remember these, Jacob, and Israel, for my servant you are. I have fashioned you. My servant you are, Israel. Do not be oblivious of me. 3e 4C 15 17 מָחִ֤יתִי כָעָב֙ פְּשָׁעֶ֔יךָ וְכֶעָנָ֖ן חַטֹּאותֶ֑יךָ שׁוּבָ֥ה אֵלַ֖י כִּ֥י גְאַלְתִּֽיךָ 22 I have wiped out as a thick cloud your transgressions, and as a cloud your sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed you. 3e 4C 17 9 רָנּ֨וּ שָׁמַ֜יִם כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה הָרִ֙יעוּ֙ תַּחְתִּיּ֣וֹת אָ֔רֶץ פִּצְח֤וּ הָרִים֙ רִנָּ֔ה יַ֖עַר וְכָל־עֵ֣ץ בּ֑וֹ כִּֽי־גָאַ֤ל יְהוָה֙ יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וּבְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִתְפָּאָֽר 23 Shout for joy, heaven, for Yahweh has made it so. Raise a shout, lower parts of the earth. Erupt, hills, with a loud shout, forest and every tree in it. For Yahweh has redeemed Jacob, and in Israel, he has adorned himself. 3e 4C 28 14 כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ גֹּאֲלֶ֔ךָ וְיֹצֶרְךָ֖ מִבָּ֑טֶן אָנֹכִ֤י יְהוָה֙ עֹ֣שֶׂה כֹּ֔ל נֹטֶ֤ה שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ לְבַדִּ֔י רֹקַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ מֵאִתִּֽי 24 Thus says Yahweh your redeemer, and who fashioned you from a belly, I am Yahweh, doing all, stretching out the heavens alone, the expanse of the earth by myself. 3e 4C 15 23 מֵפֵר֙ אֹת֣וֹת בַּדִּ֔ים וְקֹסְמִ֖ים יְהוֹלֵ֑ל מֵשִׁ֧יב חֲכָמִ֛ים אָח֖וֹר וְדַעְתָּ֥ם יְשַׂכֵּֽל 25 Who thwarts the signs of those who contrive, and the soothsayers he makes dunderheads, reversing the wise from behind, and their knowledge making silly. 3c 4B 12 13 מֵקִים֙ דְּבַ֣ר עַבְדּ֔וֹ וַעֲצַ֥ת מַלְאָכָ֖יו יַשְׁלִ֑ים הָאֹמֵ֨ר לִירוּשָׁלִַ֜ם תּוּשָׁ֗ב וּלְעָרֵ֤י יְהוּדָה֙ תִּבָּנֶ֔ינָה וְחָרְבוֹתֶ֖יהָ אֲקוֹמֵֽם 26 Raising the word of his servant, and the counsel of his messengers making whole, saying to Jerusalem, You will be inhabited. And to the cities of Judah, You will be built. And her deserts I will raise up. 3e 4C 14 27 הָאֹמֵ֥ר לַצּוּלָ֖ה חֳרָ֑בִי וְנַהֲרֹתַ֖יִךְ אוֹבִֽישׁ 27 Saying to the depth, Be drained, and your rivers, I will dry up. 3e 4A 9 8 הָאֹמֵ֤ר לְכ֙וֹרֶשׁ֙ רֹעִ֔י וְכָל־חֶפְצִ֖י יַשְׁלִ֑ם וְלֵאמֹ֤ר לִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ תִּבָּנֶ֔ה וְהֵיכָ֖ל תִּוָּסֵֽד 28 Saying to Cyrus, my shepherd, and all my delight he will make whole. And to say to Jerusalem, You will be built, and, the temple, Your foundation will be laid. 3e 4C 14 16

I am imagining all sorts of ways in which the rules of translation for a limited sized puzzle like this could be automated now that I have the stems and their related English lemma forms (at least in part). The stem יסד I just noted has a couple of overlaps in the Psalms. These I allowed probably 5 years ago or more. Would I allow this overlap now? I see a couple of overlaps in the gloss use. They are צלה (use, useless) and יעל (thrive, prosper, useful only in Jeremiah 13). In this one I am disappointed because of the power of the image of the girdle. But I have no solution at present. If it is important, post-analysis will pick it up again. Distribution of negative particles by book

Bookאלבללא Genesis392204 Exodus201243 Leviticus111280 Numbers143185 Deuteronomy243409 Joshua200101 Judges180133 1 Samuel260176 2 Samuel210119 1 Kings130170 2 Kings240163 Isaiah4625417 Jeremiah903476 Ezekiel161332 Hosea8368 Joel4011 Amos2068 Obadiah801 Jonah508 Micah6025 Nahum009 Habakkuk0017 Zephaniah2025 Haggai103 Zechariah7046 Malachi1016 Psalms11533332 Proverbs9113128 Job254310 Song2011 Ruth8016 Lamentations5137 Qohelet21161 Esther4028 Daniel60115 Ezra2026 Nehemiah9061 1 Chronicles7352 2 Chronicles192156

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The essence of animals on Roman coins: Phase II

We are fortunate enough to share our ecosystem with animals. They enhance the natural beauty of our planet and even the most ferocious amongst them illustrate the nature with its refined and primal grace.  Many artists had tried to capture this creation of nature with the brush or chisel but yet few come near to copying their perfection. Every aspect of a man’s creativity is inspired by its surroundings. Hence, it shouldn’t surprise us to see these beautiful animals depicted on coins too. One of the finest artistic representation of them are the animals on Roman coins. This coinage covers the wide variety of fauna, the embellishment of these beasts on Roman coinage is unique and awe-inspiring.

As one of the most studied and collected coinages of the world, Roman coinage offers the most beautiful illustrations of animals. The social and religious culture of Rome had a deep connection with the animals. Their fascination with the wild beasts is evident through their games, painting and intricate design on their coins.

The variation in which animals are depicted on Roman coins can be divided into six categories. The first three categories are discussed in the previous article, the essences of animals on Roman coins Phase I. To continue this analysis further let’s discuss the other three categories of animals on Roman coins.

Animals associated with the provinces

Animals as moneyers( Mint masters) initials

Animals with cart and carriages

    Animals associated with the province

The Republic and Imperial Rome administrated vast jurisdictional area under it in which many provinces were controlled. Each province was personified as a deity attached to an animal, due to some significance. The above-shown image depicts four coins from different provinces of Rome. Each coin portrays different animals.

  The first coin (1a) depicts Aegyptos, Egypt personified as a woman seated on the ground with Ibis, near her leg, depicted facing the goddess. This reverse design of this coin was common in all the coins of Emperor Hadrian. These coins were stuck on the occasion of the Emperor’s visit to Egypt. The Ibis was sacred and peculiar to Egypt. It is said that this bird would die if taken somewhere else. Ibis was worshipped, due to its nature to destroy the serpent and insects that destroy the food supply.

  The province of Africa, a northern part of the vast continent under the administration of Rome extended to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The personification of this province on the coin was same as Aegyptos, her headgear was in the shape of elephant’s trunk. Africa holds a scorpion in her right hand on the above-shown coin (1b).

  This coin was struck under Emperor Hadrian on his journey to the Province of Africa. The symbol of the scorpion is seen as a rich natural resource of this province. The Scorpion is also recognized as the goddess Africa third venomous animal.

  The silver denarius (1c) depicts the personification of the province Hispania near her feet a rabbit. The significance of the hare on this coin was that this animal was found in abundance in Spain. Emperor Hadrian depicted Hispania on the silver, gold and bronze issues during his visit to Spain province. Later on, the same design was copied by Emperor Ulpius Cornelius Laelianus on his gold aureus in 269 CE.

  The coin showed in the image 1d is interesting: the personification of the Dacia province in the form of a woman is illustrated in the centre with the eagle and lion depicted near her leg. The animals shown on this coin represent the Roman legions (army units). Lion is the symbol of Legio XIII Gemina and eagle represents Legio V Macedonica legion. This coin was issued to pay homage to the Roman legions garrisoned in the province during Emperor Philip of the Arabs reign.

  Other interesting coins presenting goddess and animals are Mauretania with the horse, Africa with the lion, Arabia with camel and Moesia with bull and lion, etc.

  Animals as moneyers( Mint masters)  initials

The coinage of Roman Republic was issued by the authority of the Roman senate. The denarius series of this monetary system had different variations, in this series different types of anagram, monogram and small animal symbols came up, this kind of coins circulated till 150 BCE. These symbols were the initials of moneyer ’s, the mint master in the Roman Republic, three mint masters issued coins

    The bronze As depicted in the above image (2a)  features a butterfly resting on a vine branch with leaves and grapes around it. In Roman culture, the butterfly represents liberation after the death because of their life cycle. The soul is also called butterfly-soul which gets liberated from a cocoon of the body after death. The significance of butterfly in this coin is unknown, it may be the initials of a moneyer.

  A donkey is depicted on the bronze as (2b) standing above the ship Prow. The donkey was an important domestic animal for the common citizens of Rome. On this coin, it may be connected to the moneyer’s origin from his lower class.

  The dolphin is depicted on the Roman coin in a fixed position or in a state of motion. Dolphin (https://www.mintageworld.com/media/detail/3695-dolphin-on-coins/  ) in important to Neptune the god of the sea, it was also associated with goddess Venus and God Apollo. On this denarius (2c) of the republic, the dolphin is depicted below the Dioscuri. This may be connected to a moneyer, but the significance of these initials is still unclear.

  The fourth coin in the image, silver denarii (2d) depicts an owl below the deity Dioscuri( twin sons of Zeus). The owl is the companion of Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and strategies. Romans believed that the presence of a hooting owl on the roof brings the news of death. Owl was also the embellishment of knowledge and intelligence.

  The last animal in this category is a fly, It is depicted at the bottom of the Biga driven by Goddess Luna on the last coin (2e). This insect may have a symbolic importance in the Roman culture. It has some connection to the epidemic-prone area, but any documented proof is not present. This symbol mostly appears on the coin in the anonymous denarius coinage of the Republic.

  Animals with cart and carriages

The universal use of domestic animals is to pull a cart or carriage, to help transport goods or people. Then why would the Romans be any different? In Rome, these animals were used for pulling chariots during games like racing. Some of the animals were particularly assigned to pull the chariot of the important people of the empire.

    The above-shown coin (3a) portrayed two animals pulling a chariot, this vehicle is usually called a Biga. It was used in Rome for sport, transportation and ceremonies. The most common animal on this chariot was a horse, but on art or architecture or even on ceremonies it was replaced by other animals. The driver of the Biga was Bigarus, this two-horse chariot represents moon in philosophy.

  The two horses pulling chariot on coins was a common icon of Republic coinage. Two yoke chariots were scared to Goddess Luna, she was always shown driving it. The above-shown denarius depicting two-horse chariots were drawn by the goddess Victory. The philosophical theory relates the duality of the horse with a metaphor of the charioteer’s soul divided by genesis and apogenesis.

  The second coin (3b) depicts the Biga of goats, in Roman culture goat represented victory, intelligence and even voraciousness. The Roman god Faunus was also a half goat, goat blood was used in religious scarifies. In the above coin, Juno is riding the Biga of goats.

This benevolent coinage of Roman republic also depicted biga pulled by snakes. The silver denarius (3c) depicts goddess Ceres holding the torch and two snakes pulling the chariot. The snakes are associated with health and medicine in the Roman mythology, it is believed that they consist the power of healing.

  There is also the Biga pulled by Cupids depicted on the denarius of the republic, Neptune is driving the biga of Hippocampus (sea horse like mythological creature), Hercules driving the Biga of Centaurs. There were elephants and stag Bigas also.

  The propaganda or status and royalty developed and now chariots were pulled by more than two animals. The chariot drawn by three animals was called Triga and by four animals was called Quadriga.

    The first silver denarius coin (4a) depicts Victory driving the Triga pulled by three horses.  The depicting of this chariot is a rare sight on both Roman architecture and coinage. The reference shows that the use of Triga (https://www.mintageworld.com/media/detail/5958-triga-the-three-horse-chariot-on-coins/ )  in the war was more than that in the games was quite less. The Etruscan used three horses in a race, the third horse was used as a trace-horse.

  The second chariot is actually a cart called Carpentum depicted on the Sestertius (4b). This cart was used by Roman for travelling, but later it gained the religious importance. This cart was pulled by mules, this animal was occasionally replaced by the horse. The emperor of Rome used Carpentum on the occasion of a long festive procession.

  The last type of this category is Quadriga depicted on the coin of the feature image of this blog. The Quadriga is pulled by four animals often mounted by a male deity, but few goddesses also drive this chariot. God Apollo is often depicted driving the four-horse chariot. In the above-shown silver didrachm, goddess Victory is driving the horse chariot. Quadriga appeared on all most all Roman pantheons including Sol, Minerva, Libertus, Jupiter Mars and even the deified emperors. On the coin of Phoenicia, Poseidon, the god of the seas drives the quadriga pulled by four Hippocampus.

  At the end of this analysis, it would be important to highlight about the six-horse chariot called Seiuga. It required a high degree of skill to ride this. This chariot was hardly used for racing; even the representation of this chariot on the coin was absent.

  All the animals on the Roman coins have an important connection to the culture. Different animals had different values in the Roman religious practices. Pig, Ram, goat and a bull were sacrificed to the god Mars during the time of war. In the marriage ceremony, Roman sacrificed a sheep or a lamp as the insignia of purity. Julius Caesar also had a full farm of lions, his beasts were used for public entertainment. On the coins of Julius Caesar elephants were the symbol of his authority and power over the Roman Republic.

  The use of animals in every aspect of life was an important factor for many civilizations and empires around the globe. In a way, these practices were responsible for the extinction of many species, yet their essence was embellished on the coins. Animals on Roman coins represent the best iconography of Roman fauna. The complex imagination of mankind and its affinity for art has given us the privilege to know about these mighty beasts which are extinct or on the verge of extinction.

  We are privileged to share our ecosystem with them and harming them is going to harm us indirectly. They sustain the balance of our nature and control the food chain. Without these creatures, we will have a difficult time adjusting. Let’s pledge to protect, conserve and help them restore their natural habitat.

  Reference:

Animals on the Roman coin by T.R McIntosh

Gallienus’ Animal Series Coins and Roman Religion by Richard D. Weigel

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