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suckitsurveys · 2 years

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Another one that took me forever because of the garbage formatting. Which sucks because this person has a buncha newish surveys fdklsfjslfjdlskjfdlsjflds

Are you obsessive over Edward Cullen? Not even a little bit. Ever written that you were going to end your life? Written? Probably. If you had one wish, what would it be? And you can’t wish for more wishes. Endless money. Name one of your second cousins. Amelia.

Who’s your top friend on MySpace? Yikes how old is this? Diamonds or rubies? Sapphires. Would you date someone 8 years older than you? If I were single and Will Arnett asked me out, sure. Hahahahah. Can you take a bra off with one hand? Yes. How old is the last person you texted? 42. Who was the last person you fell asleep with? Mark. Have you ever punched a hole in the wall? Nope. If you were in the hospital on life support, would the last person you hugged visit you? Yes. Have you ever fallen asleep in school? Nope. What kind of car does your most recent ex drive? I don’t know. Have you ever dated someone you met online? Yes, that’s how I met my husband. Do you wish you were taller or shorter? I’m fine. What financial class are you? Who cares? What poster is hanging closest to you? The school I work for’s logo. Are you more comfortable with men or women? Girls, gays, and theys. And my husband. How much older than you have you dated? I dated someone 10 years older than me when I was 21 and it was gross and awful. Do you have a pet cat? I have 3 kitties. Who did you last shoot a dirty look at? My coworker, playfully. Is there somebody in your life that you could not survive without? I mean, it certainly feels that way. What do you currently hear right now? The AC blasting. How do you feel about school? I HATED school. Does the person you last kissed still like you? Yes, I’d say so. When was the last time you used a pay phone and who were you calling? Oh YEARS ago. Probably my mom. How many rings do you wear, if any None daily. I need to get my wedding rings resized. Grilled cheese or peanut butter & jelly? Grilled cheese. I love PB n Js but I also need a glass of milk for them to be fully satisfying, and that’s not always readily available. I can drink almost anything with grilled cheese. Have you ever jumped in a pool with your clothes on? Yes. Do you prefer being called your actual name or a nickname? I don’t really have a nick name. Where is the person you love/like? He’s at home. Future tattoos? I really want to get one dedicated to my nieces. And I want a half sleeve of weird bugs and stuff. Name of your first relationship? Irrelevant. Do you like scary movies? Sometimes. Do you think your last ex deserves to die? Eh. Have you ever wanted to believe in something, but couldn’t? I want to believe my brother in law is actually a nice person and doesn’t treat my sister and his daughters like absolute shit, but here we are. What was the last animal/pet that you met? My cousin’s gerbils? Lol. Or some dog on the street? I can’t remember. What’s the last thing you promised yourself? That I was going to stick to a routine. Have you ever written a review for a product you bought online? I haven’t. . What was the last board game you played? Uhh Would you ever marry someone who was lower class? Literally who cares? Is there a guy you wish you hadn’t let slip away? Nope. Have you ever written to an advice columnist? No. Who is a singer that has given you chills? There’s more than a few.. What act would you perform in a talent show? Standing there awkwardly or quoting things from TV shows. What area are you the most gifted in, do you think? Creativity. What is your state’s bird (if you live in the US)? Cardinal. What did you go to college for? Good question. Tell me about someone that you know dislikes you. What do you think is about you they don’t like? My brother in law. He’s threatened by my relationship with my sister and my nieces because his siblings are giant pieces of shit just like he is. He also thinks I am childish and coddled. Meanwhile he lives with my dad and I make more money than he does so suck my dick. Tell me about something you’re afraid of. Why does it frighten you? I don’t like saying my fears out loud because my biggest fear is having someone use them against me. Does the last person you kissed live within walking distance? He lives in the same house as me. Do you think the last person you kissed has ever lied to you? It’s possible. Not about anything huge though. Is there a certain song that never seems to get old, no matter how many times you hear it? Sure. Do you think the last person you kissed is capable of breaking your heart? I know he is. Not that he’d want to, but with how much I love him, he technically could. <--Yeah. We have been together for 11 years and things are amazing between us but we both hold the power to break the other’s heart. And not just like, in a break up sense. My heart would break if he was sick or hurt or upset, as his would if I were. Do you want to have any children? If so, how many? None. How many piercings have you had in your life? 5. Do you have a problem with bisexual, gay, or bicurious people? Why the fuck would I? Are you a good babysitter? I am an amazing Aunt to my nieces and I occasionally take care of them. I don’t like watching other people’s kids though, lol. Is anyone overprotective of you? Not to a fault, no. Who was the last person you kissed? Mark. Have you ever made a boyfriend or girlfriend cry? Yes. What colors would you like to have at your wedding? My dress was blue. That’s about all the color we had, seeing as we got married at city hall. The person you like comes up and kisses you, what would you do? Kiss him back? Ever known anyone who could “see right through” you? I mean, not in a negative sense. Have you ever broken a couple up? Yeah oops. Back in my wild teen years. When was the last time you changed in front of someone? This morning. What’s something you think should be legalized? Abortion, worldwide. Who usually takes out the trash in your family? Either of us. Have you ever experienced a friend or partner that was jealous of you spending time with other people? How did you handle the situation? Yeah, we were all teenagers once. How old do you think is too old to sleep with a stuffed animal? What the fuck ever, I have a squishmallow I lay on every night and I’m gunna be 33 on Friday. Are either of your parents retired yet? If not, what do they do? Yeah, My dad is. My mother is unfortunately no longer with us but she stopped working when I was a kid. Do you know anyone named Matt? Yes, a few. A coworker and my friend’s late husband. And my friend’s brother. And a guy I went to Leaders School with. When did you/do you want to move out of your parents house? I moved out when in 2017. Are there any books that you’ve been meaning to read? I REALLY want to read I Am Glad My Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy. It’s not often I want to read a book but that one sparked my interest. Have you slept over at a member of the opposite sex’s house in their bed? Yes. Who has/had the most mature romantic relationship you’ve seen with your own eyes? In my eyes, Mark and I. We NEVER fight and he’s never raised his voice at me in a mean way/ We talk shit out if something is bothering us and we just constantly make each other laugh and build each other up. When was the last time you got something for free (legally)? What was it & have you enjoyed it so far? I don’t know, I’m blanking. What is the one fruit you can’t stand to eat? How about vegetable? I am not a fan of berries and I HATE water chestnuts. Is your last ex still someone you care about? No. All my exes are irrelevant. Biggest annoyance in your life right now? My brother in law. When did you last eat pizza? A few weeks ago I got home from our trip. I’ve been craving it like crazy lately actually and I really want some GOOD pizza. Is there a girl you absolutely can not stand? Yup. Name the person that has honestly hurt you the most in life? My brother in law.

#surveys

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lights-up-divine · 3 years

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How Forbidden

My (admittedly late) submission for Friday Night Frights 6/14/21.

A recently conquered princess sents out on a journey to find her secret lover.

~3.5K Words

“Your Highness, it isn’t only your reputation at stake, but our entire peoples'” the knight insisted with a grave expression.

“My reputation shouldn’t be at risk for loving another woman,” she spat back, words shaking and unsteady. “You can’t tell me that there’s any sense to it!”

“I cannot,” the knight admitted. “Nor can I do anything to stop you, unless the Duke orders so. Whatever you do, don’t let it come to that.”

Even though Lady Diamond knew the risks she still couldn't abandon her lover. Her knight had been leaning close to her hear, whispering his urgent warnings as she fingered the letters of her love, but when her ladies got back from the powder room he jumped back. Like he had always been a respectful distance behind her. Like he hadn't watched her read intimate letters night after night. Like he was nothing but a loyal guardsman.

Most of Lady Diamond's ladies were orphans or otherwise left with nowhere to go. The recent absorption of the Kingdom of Ardenne into the Empire hadn't helped their situation, in fact, it had changed everything completely. In the new Dukedom of Ardenne-Chance, no one knew their place. Suddenly the beloved princess was nothing but a Grand Duchess, and countesses and dukes found their rank completely diminish. Diamond was trying her best to find them husbands or stable living, but it was hard.

In the evening light of her dressing room she and her ladies, under the watchful eye of her loyal old guard, played little games and talked of meaningless gossip. Even though their empirical absorption had been bloodless, the meer might empire had warranted an immediate surrender from Diamond's brother, it had still rocked their world. Little inconsequential games and talk really helped Diamond and her ladies feel at ease.

Diamond lost soundly, but with good cheer. By the time the sun went down the ladies were in good humour and left to their respective chambers with a spring in their steps. Diamond was left in her dressing room with Sir Garrette, everyone knew that he would try nothing with the lady, he was like an uncle to her. When everyone left Diamond left the game table and practically sprinted to her writing desk. From a secret compartment, unlocked by a little key that Diamon kept on her at all times, Diamond unlocked it and took out the most recent letter.

"My love, my heart, my everything. While I am a patient gentlewoman my heart yearns for you, and I have decided that I would like to meet you. I understand that you might be apprehensive my love, I can see the cute little frown on her face as I write this, I cannot live without you, my dear. And I realize now that I have not been living. Ever since we first met at the masquerade in the capital I have been dead. Seeing you, dancing with you again, touching your bare cheek with my hand, will bring me to life again my love."

"Please if you have any desire to see me come to the Equinox Mascequrade in the capital, I have had an invitation sent to you and your family. I know parties such as these are only for adultery and debauchery but it is the only way for our love to remain secret. If you don't come I will continue to love you from afar. I will be wearing the deep blue coat trimmed in silver and a gown of your favourite colour. I cannot wait to see you trimmed in jewels and diamonds. The thought of you sends my heart into shivers

Your servant,

Imperial Gentlewoman

Lady Diamond swooned in her chair, reading and rereading the passionate words. Finally, she would be meeting her imperial lover outside of the borders of secret letters and messages. As the gentlewoman had predicated Diamond was a bit nervous, but excited as well. Her heart quickened in her breast. When they had last met Ardenne had just become the Dukedom of Ardenne-Chance. Her little brother had been whining, at seven years old his only concern had been why he wasn't called "king" anymore. Only Diamond and her mother, the regent, understood what was truly at stake. Diamond had been so focused on trying to ingratiate herself and her ladies with the imperial nobility that she hadn't noticed when a masked gentlewoman led her away. They had danced, oh they had danced, but before she knew it Diamond was home, her imperial partner gone across the mountains. When the first letter came, Diamond had been ecstatic.

The next day Castle deAudinot was in an uproar of packing. Beds, linens, servents, and gifts were being loaded onto balloon wagons to be lifted over the mountains. With her mother supervising the packing and the final alterations of their ball dresses, Lady Diamond was left minding her brother, the boy Duke, Isaac. Unlike other little children with incredible power Isaac, Diamond thought, was very well mannered and polite. Always minding his tutors and his governess.

Diamond's ladies doted on Isaac, asking him about books he read and asking him to try their homemade sweets. Isaac loved the attention, but was still bashful, as a boy of 8 usually was. Diamond looked down at the commotion with a smile, she was sure that Isaac would be an amazing Duke when he was older.

Isaac's guard, Sir Patrick, stood near the door with Garratte, both knowing that the coming days would bring stress. Everyone was trying to keep their minds off of the chaos to come. Even Diamond, she occupied her hands and her mind with what seemed like a meaningless craft. "Gentlewoman" was what her lover called herself. Meaning that both gender and class stood in the way of them being together. Diamond was the Grand Duchess of Ardenne-Chance, first in line to her little brother's thrown. She didn't care, but being of a lower rank probably meant that the gentlewoman didn't have the comforts that Diamond was used to. Even the imperial family probably didn't have some of the things that Diamond was used to. Namely jewels. Ardenne-Chance was nothing but mountains, beautiful mountains sure, but mountains nonetheless. But inside of their blue-gray rocks housed a fortune. Sapphires, rubies, emeralds, agates, and even her namesake, diamond, were found in blunk in the Chance Mountains. Lady Diamond's mother, the regent, suspected their wealth was part of the reason the empire had wanted them in the first place.

In anticipation of their meeting Diamond was making her gentlewoman a pocket watch. Well, the watch had been made by a watchmaker, but Diamond was decorating it. Spread out on a work table was a wealth of multi-covered diamonds. Only diamonds, when her lover looked at the watch she wanted her to think of her. But, Diamond couldn't help but think, she may already be used to such luxuries. She had been having doubts for months now. Her "gentlewoman" seemed too educated, too serious, too philosophical to be a simple gentlewoman. Diamond knew that her lover might be lying about her identity, but she didn’t care. She loved her “gentlewoman”, no matter who she was.

Diamond did up the watch face with dark blue and white diamonds, making miniature mounts that shimmered in the light. Their white caps were like a dusting of fresh snow, and their blue expanse was breathtaking. It was the Chance mountains. When her lover used the watch, Diamond had also decorated the hands with blue diamond dust and the numbers with white, she would see Diamond’s birthplace and the most important and beautiful place to her. It was the perfect gift, and it would never break, not with the new jewelry epoxy that had been developed recently by court inventors.

And it was finished just in time. Diamond hardly had time to slip the gift into a papered box and into her pocket before she had to bundle up her brother and her ladies into a half dozen fine balloon coaches. With the guiding fire being controlled by an expert balloonist they glided over the mountains in style, passing over tiered farms and glittering mountainside mines. As they passed over villages Diamond leaned out of the carriage window to wave, savoring the sight of her subjects waving back. Her mother had been the main driver of the unification treaty but Diamond had worked diligently from the sidelines, keeping everyone happy and open-minded, all for the good of her people. When they were flying over the poorer mountain communities, villages packed tightly in rocky outcroppings and nestled onto small plateaus Diamond dung into her purse. Children ran under the carriage hoping to catch the luxuries she threw out. From the other carriages as well the rain began. Even though the economy of Ardenne-Chance was quite tightly controlled, the wealth of gems could lead to rapid deflation if left alone, the nobles still tried to give back whenever they could. From her carriage Diamond threw crystalized roses and elegantly shaped sapphires, waving all the while. It was the highlight of her day, knowing that a simple handout from her would prevent starvation for several seasons. And for her mother, the regent, it was a guarantee that there would be less grain on the national poor service.

After two days of constant travel, they were finally at the capital. Verdun was an amazing city, just as it had to be. Its white spires and paved roads were a testament to the empire’s power. The power to build up cities out of nothing, to give everyone a home, and still have money left over for huge palaces and museums. The Ardenne-Chance delegation touched down in front of the Eastsinger Palace. It was an imposing, but surprisingly beautiful place. Large glass windows and towers carved out of purple-hued rock. The moat was full of crystal clear water with flowers growing from the depths.

“I’ve always hated this place,” Diamond’s mother, Gwen, whispered in her ear, “Pretending they are all nice and airy, while in truth their hearts are as cold as ice.”

Not all of their hearts Diamond thought.

Palace servants and even some nobles immediately flooded out of the front doors to help them get their things in order. Gwen had been shocked when the invitation to the Equinox Masquerade came, but she had taken it in stride. She had arranged for them to arrive a week early for diplomatic meetings, ceremonies, and games. Diamond and her brother were going to be busy, but she had made sure to clear her schedule the morning after the ball. Normally, back in Ardenne-Chance, Diamond was busy reviewing policy, talking to the council, and asking the citizenry how legislation affected them. In the empire, they had no official duties, but perhaps the work they would be doing would be harder. Diamond was naturally kind, but she had been taught cunning and intrigue by her mother. Her mother was confident in her skills of subterfuge and diplomacy, but Diamond was nervous about dealing with the imperial nobles. They were said to be more cunning than Ardenne-Chance nobles, and Diamond just hoped that she didn’t accidentally get caught up in any imperial intrigues.

Diamond got to her rooms without problem, though she did walk a little faster than normal. The imperial guard seemed large and unwilling, without a smile anywhere near his face. Her ladies also seemed nervous, Diamond’s lady of honor, Prudent, practically bolted the door once they were inside. The rest of the ladies had to be escorted to their own chambers, but Prudent was sleeping with Diamond. She normally did, the nights in Ardenne-Chance got cold even when they were indoors, so it was nice to sleep next to another person.

“There is tea in an hour, we should change quickly,” Prudent said, slightly out of breath.

Diamond tried to slow her racing heart because she knew Prudent was right. Another downside of their packed schedule was that they would have no time to catch their breaths. Quickly, in time for tea, Diamond and Prudent changed. Diamond, knowing that her mother wanted to make a show, bedecked herself in a light blue silk gown with gold trim and matching gold and sapphire rings, bracelets, and a tiara. Prudent was richly dressed in yellow, but not that richly dressed. Diamond found the rules on her lady’s dress were ridiculous, with the number of gems that Diamond wore there was no way they could outshine her, but her mother didn’t think like that.

As they were walking to tea, escorted by two more ladies and guards, Diamond looked around the castle. The walls were covered in rich tapestries and the floors in gleaming wood. Diamond couldn’t imagine the wealth of servants that were needed to keep up with everything. Beautiful paintings were hung on each corner, but Diamond thought their subjects ruined the image. At one corner there was a large portrait of the imperial royal family, the Cold Emperor with his dark furious stare, the Eternal Bride Queen with her youthful smile and blushing cheeks even at 55, the Mysterious Twins one with a dark smile and the other with a playful smirk, and the Freezing Princess she stared out with piercing brown eyes seemingly aware that she would have to step over her brothers to get the imperial throne. While the Queen was beautiful and happy, the rest of the family sent chills down Diamond’s spine. She was happy when they finally sat down for tea in a comfortable green papered sitting room.

After tea, it was the drafting of joint legislation with her mother and Isaac, after the legislation was done there was dinner, after dinner, there was a small play to attend. The next morning Diamond got up and did it all over again. The only thing that kept her going, through the odd looks and lingo she didn’t understand, was the letter she got from her lover.

Again the fact that the letter was able to appear inside of her writing desk testifies that her lover wasn’t a simple gentlewoman. Perhaps she had an important position in the palace? Diamond didn’t know how else a random woman would be able to have access to her, a Grand Countess’s, chambers. Still, that didn’t stop her from soaring the letter.

My heart, it is a happy day now that you are here. Thought guilt creeps into my thoughts. I know you, I have seen you laughing, sparkling in your gowns, about the palace but you have not seen me. Even if you did see me you would not know me, and I would cry at the thought of your chocolatey diamond eyes sliding over me like I was a stranger to me. Still, soon you will know me, just as much as I know you. My mask shall be in the style of a golden eagle and I shall lift my wings for you, my love. Soaring above the clouds is nothing if you aren’t there with me.

Soon, my dear, soon. Wait for me,

Imperial Gentlewoman

Diamond was waiting, and she was waiting patiently. Every night, before crawling into bed with Prudent, she brushed the smooth, silky purple feather velvet of her dress every night and tried on her amethyst studded mask. The ball couldn’t come sooner.

Eventually, the ball did come, and the Ardenne-Chance delegation met in the regent’s rooms to get ready. Even though Diamond was a natural leader she let her mother take the lead. Her ladies, her little brother’s entourage, Gwen’s own ladies, and other various Ardeen, paid rapt attention as Gwen spoke. She and Isaac were at the center of the room, Gwen telling them who and who not to speak to and in what way, and Isaac just standing there in his little cream and diamond suit looking adorable. Isaac had been brought along to every important meeting and legislative drafting, Gwen thought that it was important for him to learn what it was like.

With the strategy meeting over, everyone put on their masks. Full face masks were the dress code, but everyone could tell they were from Ardenne-Chance. No one else would be wearing as many jewels.

Getting into the marble ballroom, Diamond was stunned and Isaac audibly gasped. Even though she had been in the ballroom before, it always stunned her. It was in excellent taste. Gold liveried servants glided around holding trays of crystal glasses full of golden wine and the band played on a circular stage in the middle of the bright place. The high ceiling was covered in skylights, letting in silver moonlight that contrasted nicely with all of the gold.

Diamond had already arranged everything, within her mother’s guidelines of course. From the last masquerade, she knew the routine. Plenty of flirty buoyed by plenty of alcohol. Everyone drinking and dancing. Diamond had pre-scheduled her dances, as was the custom, but she had arranged it so they carried her further and further away from her friends and family. Her dances also allowed her to scan the entire ballroom, looking for a golden eagle mask or deep blue coat. When her dances were running out, she had scheduled 15 in advance, Diamond started getting worried. The count she was dancing with was sweet, but she wasn’t looking for a sweet man, she was looking for her lover.

The end of her dances came up and Diamond was left with tears forming in her eyes on the edge of the dance floor. She could see Prudent on the other end of the ballroom and Diamond had just started walking toward her when someone tapped her shoulder. Before she turned around Diamond prepared an appropriate response, tapping a Grand Countess on the shoulder was an odd gesture of impotence and Diamond was kind of scared. But when she turned around, Diamond’s heart melted. She should have known who would be so bold as to tap her on the shoulder.

From the ground up she was wearing a modern light blue gown, royal blue coat with gold buttons, and an elegant tapered gold mask with golden feathers. For the first time in her life Diamond was speechless and it seems like her lover was as well. Diamond didn’t consider herself especially attractive, especially with the mask, but her lover seemed blinded by beauty.

“May-,” her lover paused as her breath hitched, “May I have the next dance, your grace?”

Unlike the confident passion of her letter in real life, her lover seemed nervous. They didn’t dance on the main floor, instead, they danced off of the floor and out of the ballroom. They didn’t speak while they were walking, only the retreating sounds of the ball and their own footsteps. Diamond was aching to rip off her lover’s mask and finally see the face of her beloved, but she was patient. Instead, she let her lover lead her down narrow halls and a few of what she assumed were secret passages. There was no time to ask where they were going, Diamond just had to trust her lover.

Eventually, they got to a small balcony overlooking the city. Unlike in Ardenne-Chance, where the mountains seemed dark and haunting, in the empire, the lights of the city were clustered close together. Lantern bearers were comets streaking across the city and clubs were stars, sparkling in the darkness. Her lover leaned over the railing and when Diamond leaned in close her lover put her arm across her shoulder. The warmth of her coat was intoxicating, Diamond smiled and looked upon the golden mask.

“Thank you for coming, my love, I know that the journey must have been tedious and you have no great love for the empire,” Diamond looked away from her lover’s shining brown eyes. Her mother still blamed the stress of the empire for driving her father into an early grave, but while Diamond was sad about her father’s passing and the situation she found herself in, she was quite neutral on the empire. Their armies were brutal, yes, and their emperor was cruel and callous, but no one can deny their conquered territories prospered after their rule.

“I would go anywhere, and do anything for you.” Diamond blushed as she took off her mask. Her face was a picture of love and devotion.

Her lover took her hands into hers and faced her, “No, my jewel, it is I who will do everything for you.”

The gentlewoman reached up to her mask, Diamond’s heart jumped, but when she took it off it was Diamond’s turn to audibly gasp. Brown eyes that glittered with heat and passion, and an expression like melted ice. Even though the woman before her looked thousands more cheerful and lovely Diamond still recognized her.

“But you are the imperial princess,” Diamond stammered, “You are to be empress.”

“Yes,” Princess Jordan said, her voice melting, “And you are to be my queen.”

Without warning, Jordan kissed her, a soft touch of lips so vulnerable and tender. It was more of a question than an assertion “Do you still love me?” the kiss asked Diamond. And Diamond said yes, she leaned into the kiss and let herself melt into Jordan. Their love was already forbidden, did it really matter how forbidden? Diamond had already learned how to ignore the world, it didn’t matter who Jordan was. All it mattered was that she loved her.

Lol, I love Friday Night Frights. I can never think of prompts, and this one was really good. Have an amazing weekend you guys (I know it's Saturday now, sorry I was tired last night). 😊😊😊

@promptsforthestrugglingauthor

#friday night frights #fnf #amwriting #short story #short fiction #fantasy #writing #writers #original writing #writers on tumblr #creative writing #my writing #kingdom #high fiction #high fantasy #wlw #wlw positivity

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tabloidtoc · 3 years

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Us, January 25

You can now buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Olivia Wilde, Harry Styles and Jason Sudeikis

Page 2: Red Carpet -- drop sleeve romance -- Cynthia Erivo, Margaret Qualley, Aja Naomi King, Eiza Gonzalez

Page 3: Chloe Bennet, Keri Russell, Isla Fisher, Idina Menzel, Kaia Gerber

Page 4: Who Wore It Best? Gigi Hadid vs. Khloe Kardashian, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley vs. Haley Lu Richardson

Page 6: Loose Talk -- Rowan Atkinson on cancel culture, Chrissy Teigen on why she gave up drinking, Busy Philipps on getting used to her 12-year-old child Birdie’s they/them pronouns, Joy Behar resuming her feud with fellow View cohost Meghan McCain who recently returned from maternity leave, Arnold Schwarzenegger on mistaking Chris Pratt for Chris Evans on an Instagram telethon

Page 8: Contents

Page 10: Hot Pics -- Angelina Jolie enjoyed a bit of retail therapy in L.A.

Page 11: Justin Bieber took an electric bike out for a spin while on vacation in Hawaii, Gavin Rossdale holding his beloved dog during an outing in Studio City, Selling Sunset’s Christine Quinn wore pink during a photoshoot in Bel Air

Page 12: Olivia Munn, Tori Spelling got a smooch from her and husband Dean McDermott’s pups in L.A., Emilio Vitolo Jr. and Katie Holmes walked arm-in-arm during a romantic stroll in NYC

Page 13: Emma Slater and Sasha Farber stepped out for some fresh air with their dogs Ruby and Grinch in L.A., Dua Lipa and Anwar Hadid spent their days soaking up the sun while on vacation in Tulum, Mexico

Page 16: Matt Damon was spotted without his wedding ring while visiting BFF Ben Affleck one month after celebrating his 15th anniversary with wife Luciana Barroso in L.A., Sutton Foster filming Younger with Nico Tortorella and Debi Mazar in NYC, during an outing Lisa Rinna took her dance moves to the streets in L.A.

Page 17: Diplo spent the day exploring the ocean during a scuba diving session in Tulum, Bella Thorne and boyfriend Benjamin Mascolo couldn’t keep their hands off each other while playing in the ocean in Tulum

Page 18: Jennifer Lopez works her monochrome magic

Page 20: Winter Wonderland -- ‘tis the season to bundle up -- Kellan Lutz sipping on hot drinks with pregnant wife Brittany in NYC, Irina Shayk posed with a snowman she built in NYC, Kylie Jenner and daughter Stormi kept warm and cozy in fashionable outerwear, Bella Hadid made a snow angel following a storm in NYC

Page 21: Martha Stewart in her snow plow in Bedford in New York, Rebel Wilson hitting the slopes in Aspen, Hilary Duff and Matthew Koma played with their daughter Banks outside in North Reading in Massachusetts, Ciara skiing for the first time during a trip with Vanessa Bryant, Laura Prepon building a snowman

Page 22: Stars They’re Just Like Us -- Wells Adams broke a sweat during an afternoon jog in L.A., Gabrielle Union donated items to her favorite organizations through the Amazon Smile Charity Lists in L.A., Jenny McCarthy checked taking out the trash off her to-do list in Chicago

Page 23: Ellen DeGeneres pedaled to lunch in Santa Barbara, between carrying a huge basket and walking his dog Kuma Justin Theroux has his hands full while out and about in NYC

Page 24: Love Lives -- Emma Stone baby on board

Page 25: Chrissy Metz and boyfriend Bradley Collins met on the dating app Bumble, after spending months in Australia Zac Efron has no plans to return to Hollywood because he’s loving life with girlfriend Vanessa Valladares

Page 26: Hollywood Moms -- Melissa Joan Hart on her three sons Mason and Braydon and Tucker

Page 27: Amber Rose’s sons Sebastian and Slash may be six years apart but she says they have the sweetest bond, Rachel Bilson’s daughter Briar has no idea that dad Hayden Christensen played Darth Vader, Melissa Rycroft has ruled out baby No. 4

Page 28: Hot Hollywood -- Duchess Kate Middleton’s family made her recent birthday very special despite the pandemic -- during her low-key celebration at Anmer Hall she felt the love from Prince William and their kids Prince George and Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and they gave her a bouquet from the kids and diamond and sapphire earrings from William which she loves -- she even received a card and gifts from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle which was a nice surprise and she may get to thank them in person as Harry and Meghan will reportedly return to the UK in June

Page 29: After months of dating speculation Michael B. Jordan and Lori Harvey finally confirmed their relationship via Instagram when Michael and Steve Harvey’s adopted daughter posted loved-up photos of each other on their accounts

* Nearly 17 years after the Sex and the City series finale aired stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis are reprising their roles for a revival called And Just Like That...Noticeably absent from the group is Kim Cattrall who’s had an ongoing feud with Sarah Jessica for years and has been vocal about her decision to never return to the show

* Keeping Up With Us -- Gwen Stefani’s annulment from ex-husband Gavin Rossdale has finally been granted by the Vatican which was a huge relief for Gwen who wants her marriage to Blake Shelton to be recognized by the Catholic Church, Meghan Markle’s estranged dad Thomas Markle says that he’s very pleased with daughter Samantha Markle’s upcoming tell-all book, The Grammys has been delayed to March 14 over coronavirus concerns, Shia LaBeouf and Margaret Qualley have called it quits on their weeks-long whirlwind romance, Dr. Dre said he’s doing great after being hospitalized for a brain aneurysm, Stassi Schroeder and fiance Beau Clark welcomed daughter Hartford Charlie Rose

Page 30: A Day in the Life -- Catherine Lowe

Page 31: Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson has a lot to look forward in 2021 -- not only is she releasing a new book this summer which is a historical fiction novel titled Her Heart For a Compass but the Duchess of York is also preparing to become a first-time grandmother to Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s child -- though the little one’s arrival is still weeks away Fergie’s already started passing down her motherly wisdom to her 30-year-old daughter whom she shares with ex-husband Prince Andrew -- as for what she’s hoping to be called by her grandchild she says lots of her friends call her Duch so she thinks it will end up being Duchee

Page 32: Cover Story -- Olivia Wilde’s love triangle -- Olivia’s ex Jason Sudeikis is devastated as her new romance with Harry Styles heats up

Page 36: Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West behind closed doors -- as rumors of impending divorce swirl what’s really happening inside Kim and Kanye’s six-year marriage -- it was extremely draining to keep pretending that their marriage was OK when the whole world could tell it blatantly wasn’t and things between them have gotten so toxic they have no choice but to live apart

Page 38: One for the Ages -- it’s nothing but a number -- these couples don’t mind a May to December romance -- Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, George Clooney and Amal Clooney, Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles

Page 39: Leonardo DiCaprio and Camila Morrone, Jay-Z and Beyonce, David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Holland Taylor and Sarah Paulson

Page 40: Natalie Portman’s lip service with Dior’s wildly popular Rouge Dior Couture lipstick -- she stuns in a series of images that evoke the splendor of Paris and peep the behind-the-scenes moments

Page 42: Entertainment -- The Bachelor Matt James teases what’s to come

Page 43: Dean Hashim of 90 Day Fiance on having a daughter with girlfriend Rigin Bado

Page 46: Fashion Police -- when bad clothes happen to good people -- Miley Cyrus, Bella Hadid, Alia Shawkat

Page 47: A$AP Rocky, Kate Flannery, Tessa Thompson

Page 48: 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me -- Tim Allen

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magicalgirlagency · 5 years

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hmmm i wonder, just how many other characters are in your magical girl story? it sounds cool!

The main team, the Red Star Agency, is a team of 16 (17, including Thor) Magis. I know it’s too much, but I went along with that number of members because I wanted to spite Magical Girl Raising Project for saying that 10+ Magical Girls in the world was a valid excuse to murder them all in battle royales.

Like fuck you, Asari Endo. Observe as my team is as big as a K-Pop group and no one dies and everyone lives happily ever after.

Honey Witch Vivi: The leader of the team, a B-Rank Magi. 22 years old, pansexual/genderfluid, brazilian, autistic. Passionate, smart, idealistic, and occasionally the Mom Friend™. Despite being a leader, she sees her teammates as equals and wants to see them succeed. Basically, my self-insert. Is in a polyamorous relationship with other two Magis. Transformation trinket is a heart-shaped locket, her powers are light-based, and her assigned gemstone is Citrine. Weapon of choice is a strawberry quartz wand that can transform into a parasol. Her mascot is a Squirtle named Bubbles (she’s the only one who can understand what her mascot says).

Cupid Harpy Sally: Was once Vivi’s first mascot and dearly beloved childhood toy but later graduates into a Magi herself, a A-Rank Magi. 20 years old (in human years), asexual, wondarian. She’s also Vivi’s adoptive sister. Spunky, sassy, energetic, and sometimes naughty. True to her Magi Title, she can shapeshift her arms into wings. Transformation trinket is a heart-shaped hairclip, her powers are fire-based, and her assigned gemstone is Cherry Quartz. Weapon of choice is a lance (which she calls “Lovely Lance”), and a infinite set of Cherry Bombs.

Star Navigator Amelia: Vivi’s girlfriend (and her childhood friend, as well), a B-Rank Magi. 22 years old, bisexual, brazilian. Loyal, adventurous, mature, and calm. Her design is basically Sayaka Miki (from PMMM) if she didn’t snapped. Was once as Magi dropout due her depression, but got back to magic business thanks to Vivi’s help. Transformation trinket is a golden star medallion, her powers are water-based, and her assigned gemstone is Larimar. Weapon of choice is a rapier/espada ropera.

Pink Soldier Kiki: Vivi’s other girlfriend, a S-Rank Magi. 20 years old, pansexual/gender-neutral, japanese/brazilian, autistic. Creative, brave, charismatic, and bright. Heavily inspired on Kirby (specially on Star Allies), and is able to transform into many disguises and personas. Transformation trinket is a pair of pink bead bracelets, her powers are love-based, and her assigned gemstone is Tourmaline. Weapon of choice is a twirling baton (which it also acts as a stimming toy for her). Her “mascot” is a broomstick named Glinda, that once belonged to Vivi.

Wisp Rider Winona: A Kamen Rider afficionado, a A-Rank Magi. 21 years old, lesbian/non-binary, australian. Athletic, optimistic, clever and a bit of a joker. She has a strong connection with the Wisps (from Sonic Colors), and can emulate their hyper-go-on energy by shapeshifting into them. Transformation trinket is a star-shaped belt buckle, her powers are alien-based, and her assigned gemstone is Emerald. Weapon of choice is a golden hoop (which she calls “Power Ring”).

Cheerful Doll Delilah: A revolutionary doll, a B-Rank Magi. 19 years old, lesbian, wondarian. Elegant, sweet, sensitive, and a bit dramatic. Was a circus ballerina before she became a Magi, and rebelled against her manipulative boss. Has a crush on Winona, and looks up to her. Transformation trinket is a pair of poofy scrunchies (that she uses as bracelets), her powers are music-based, and her assigned gemstone is Rose Quartz.. Weapon of choice is a pair of cheerleader pompoms.

Tech Witch Donovan: A young techie and a ninja, a B-Rank Magi. 21 years old, asexual/biromantic, asian-american. Brainy, dexterous, wise, and introverted. Has a passion for everything that combines magic with technology and can tame demons. Is actually the reincarnation of 2k12!Donatello, after April killed him in the 100th episode. Transformation trinket is a turtle-shaped brooch, his powers are ninja/tech-based, and his assigned gemstone is Spirit Quartz. Weapon of choice is a metal bo staff. His mascots are the spirits of his brothers from another timeline (basically, they are Leo, Mike and Raph that all fell into a spiral of insanity and commited seppuku after Don and Splinter were murdered).

Frost Rabbot Nia: A magical android, a S-Rank Magi. 20 years old (in human years), asexual, wondarian. Logical, curious, intelligent, and a tactical genius. She’s a wondarian project designed to be the perfect Magi. Looks up to Donovan, and thinks of him as a older brother. She consumes Earth’s sci-fi media in order to study their mistakes, and fix them. Transformation trinket is a star-shaped core in her chest, her powers are ice-based, and her assigned gemstone is Sapphire. She has no weapon of choice, because her body is a weapon (not in a creepy and de-humanizing way, I promise!)

Quirky Rebel Nova: A energetic outsider, a A-Rank Magi (later to be promoted to S-Rank due to her awesome violent ways to exterminate Incubators). 21 years old, asexual/panromantic, currently wondarian. Impulsive, persistent, captivating, and a go-getter. She is in reality Star Butterfly, but she ran away from Mewni without leaving a trace, after learning her life was a lie (in the third season episode, The Butterfly Effect); she changes her name to Nova (as in Supernova), and has traveled throughout the Multiverse, training herself to learn magic without a wand. Can transform herself without a transformation trinket, her powers are chaos/wildcard-based, and her assigned gemstone is Fluorite. Weapon of choice is a pair of magic gloves/gauntlets (after giving up her wand). Her mascot is a Sableye named Glitter.

Devilish Clover Perci: A skillful archer, a S-Rank Magi. 22 years old, pansexual/trans, british. Stylish, outspoken, dauntless, and very friendly. One of the most popular Magis, specially due to her control over dark magic. She adopts Nova as her sister, and their personalities clash quite nicely. Transformation trinket is a peridot brooch, her powers are darkness-based, and her assigned gemstone is Sugilite. Weapon of choice is a magic bow (that was previously Nova’s wand).

Milky Angel Holly: A wild angel, a B-Rank Magi. 23 years old, pansexual, american. Unruly, rebellious, lively, and brutally honest at times. Was once one of the best Magis, but a certain happening in her life made her develop trust issues, and she became a delinquent. To get her attitude adjusted, she is assigned to the RSA. She’s designed after Panty Anarchy (from P&SwG), because I shamelessly liked her and I got salty about her sudden and out-of-the-blue “death”. Transformation trinket is a pair of golden hoop earrings, her powers are angel-based, and her assigned gemstone is Angel Aura Quartz. Weapon of choice is a light-molded musket and a halo that acts like a boomerang.

Pretty Punisher Aya: A recovering survivor, a C-Rank Magi. 19 years old, lesbian, japanese. Shy, gentle, soft-spoken, and always doing her best. She’s an alternative version of Asagiri Aya (from Mahou Shoujo Site) if she ever snapped at her bullies, abusive brother and neglective parents and actually have used her magic to kill them all. She becomes part of Wondaria’s rescuing and therapy program, that helps abused earthlings and offers them a chance in becoming Magis themselves. She is later assigned to the RSA to develop her powers better in a non-violent and zero percent toxic environment. She sees Holly as her upperclassman, and wishes to be as brave as her. Transformation trinket is not actually a trinket, but rather her heart tattoo on her left wrist, her powers are healing-based, and her assigned gemstone is Ruby. Weapon of choice is a heart-shaped pistol.

Demonic Witch Ace: A ruthless hero, a S-Rank Magi. 24 years old, pansexual, japanese. Strong, ill-tempered, fiery, but becomes a total dork once you know him better. Real name is Akira, Ace is just a nickname. He’s a half-Oni, cursed to be the successor of the Devilman name, and he has trust issues thanks to that. To everyone’s surprise, Vivi actually manages to break his shell and befriend him. Transformation trinket is a spiky bracelet, his powers are demon-based, and his assigned gemstone is Obsidian. Weapon of choice is a kanabo/iron mace. His mascot is a sizeshifting kitsune named Miki (while not a pokémon, he can understands what the little fox says).

Artsy Chameleon Enzo: A quirky street artist, a B-Rank Magi. 23 years old, pansexual/trans, italian. An artistic soul, always on the move, tricky, and unable to give fucks to anyone who dares to discriminate him. He was kicked out of his house after coming out to his parents, but later became a Magi so he could leave earth to live in Wondaria. He’s best friends with Perci, who’s also pan/trans. Transformation trinket is a leaf-shaped belt buckle, his powers are art/chameleon-based, and his assigned gemstone is Opal. Weapon of choice is a pink baseball bat.

Cursed Maestro Arthur: An anxious fortune-teller, a B-Rank Magi. 23 years old, asexual/polyromantic, filipino. Jittery, cautious, but hardworking and doing his best to become brave. He is the reincarnation of Arthur Kingsmen (from Mystery Skulls Animated), after Lewis killed him. He has the Hellbent Curse, where he becomes aware of how his past life came to an end. He has a crush on Ace, and wants to be as brave as him. Transfromation trinket is a orange bead bracelet, his powers are ghost/music-based, and his assigned gemstone is Japser. Weapon of choice is a conductor baton. His mascot is a Dedenne named Peanut and a scarf named Tempo.

Soul Genie Inka: A rebellious alien, a C-Rank Magi. Older than any human, asexual/non-binary, wondarian. Curious, smart, cheeky, and always eager to learn more about Earth culture. was previously a defective Incubator, who grew tired of stealing souls and spreading despair. Kiki was the only one who believed in them, and later became a Magi when things got tough for her. Transformation trinket is a drop-shaped garnet stone on their chest, their magic is genie/chaos-based, and their assigned gemstone is Pearl. Weapon of choice is their long ponytail.

Mighty Berserker Thor: A broken god, a S-Rank Magi. 24 years old (in human years), bisexual, wondarian (previously asgardian, but Asgard is no more). Approachable, a friend to all, awkward at times, and a tad bit salty (it comes with the trauma). Has yeeted himself of his world with the power of the Infinity Stones because he grew tired of being ridiculed and dealing with a constant streak of despair and death in his life. He was taken in by the RSA, and is treated with such care (which it scared him at first after spending five years in depression), but he eventually warms up to the team and finds once again a motivation to fight and protect. Transformation trinket is his prosthetic arm, his powers are lightning/weather-based, and his assigned gemstone is Sunstone. He has no weapon of choice (as originally intended!); he’s basically a giant living taser. His mascot is a pocket-sized imp that’s actually his brother Loki (he was punished due his past transgressions, and he HATES it).

…phew…! Here it is, the entire team assembled! It was hard, but I’ve had loads of fun with it honestly! It flatters me that you were interested in my dream plot, Anon!

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treysenglishclass-blog · 5 years

Text

Annotated Bibliography

1) Cartoon Network. “Reunited with Rebecca Sugar and Ian Jones-Quartey (Vol.3/Ep.5).” The Steven Universe Podcast, Cartoon Network, 20 Sept. 2018.

The podcast discusses an episode of Steven Universe named “Reunited”. In the episode, there is a very important scene where two characters, Ruby and Sapphire, get married. Ruby and Sapphire both use female pronouns. The network had issues with this, and Rebecca discusses the fight she had while trying to get this episode made.

Rebecca talks about the argument she had with the network on whether or not LGBTQ+ content is suitable for children. The Network expressed that since the show would be airing in a G timeslot, this type of content wouldn’t be acceptable. Rebecca was repulsed by the idea that these two characters wouldn’t be acceptable for a G rating when throughout the history of G rated content, a majority of the stories revolved around characters falling in love and living “happily ever after”. That is the exact same thing being represented in her show, and she feels that it’s her character's right as a cartoon couple to be able to experience everything that heteronormative cartoon couples get to. An argument Rebecca makes in the podcast is that by labeling LGBTQ+ content as adult content, you are depriving children of learning about LGBTQ+ people and possibly stifling their own growth. By showing LGBTQ+ content to children it allows them to learn more about themselves and others without the subject feeling taboo. Rebecca also mentions that it's bittersweet getting the wedding approved and hearing the fans’ responses. She is happy that it went through and is proud of the fight she fought, but she feels like there is still so much more work to do. This wedding is a small piece of representation when compared to the last hundred years of heteronormative family-friendly content.

2) et al. “Suicide Etiology in Youth: Differences and Similarities by Sexual and Gender Minority Status.” Children & Youth Services Review, vol. 102, July 2019, pp. 79–90. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.03.039.

A study done through twitter concluded that LGBTQ+ people between 14-21 are twice as likely to be at risk of suicide than other people the same age. The survey covered age, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, school enrollment and grade, social connectedness, truancy due to feeling unsafe, school-based and cyberbullying victimization, sadness, suicide ideation and attempt, social media use, and preferences regarding survey mode and recontact. The study found that support at home and school greatly decreased these numbers, but there is still a gap for the places outside of home or school. Because of the stigma of LGBTQ+, it is harder for people of this community to reach out for help, and instead internalize their feelings. While many LGBTQ+ feel more protected in homes and schools where they are accepted, there is no hard evidence for suicide prevention in LGBTQ+ youth. Places of belongingness, such as church and religious youth group involvement, are good places for hetero people to decrease suicide ideology, it has the opposite effect on LGBTQ+ youth. This journal argues that integrated learning, without excluded anyone, on LGBTQ+ people and issues is most beneficial for decreasing LGBTQ+ bullying and suicide ideology. The Journal also argues that with youth suicide in LGBTQ+ people increasing, adults should be calling for action. Since these adults have the power to teach their children, they need to be teaching their children that these people aren’t an issue. The study shows that exposure to LGBTQ+ people helped decrease LGBTQ+ youth suicide rates.

3) Kaiser, Vrai. “Interview: Gravity Falls' Alex Hirsch Talks About Disney's Censors, Pacifica's Parents, and Future Plans.” An Interview With Gravity Falls Creator Alex Hirsch | The Mary Sue, The Mary Sue, 14 July 2017, www.themarysue.com/alex-hirsch-interview/.

Alex Hirsh, the creator of Gravity Falls, is being interviewed. One of the questions asked was about the episode Love God, and Alex’s fight to show a same-sex elderly couple. The episode is about Cupid, and in this particular scene, it shows Cupid using his magic to make people start falling in love. When the storyboard artist first drew up the scene, there was a moment depicting 2 elderly ladies falling in love. Alex knew immediately that Disney wouldn’t allow this to go through, which led him to keep it in the story. Sure enough, the board came back with the note, “The scene of the two old ladies kissing in the diner is not appropriate for our audience. Please revise.” To which Alex responded with a one-word answer: “Why?”

Disney couldn’t come up with a good reason, other than the scene would make homophobic parents angry, and so that they could avoid the headache, asked Alex to just drop the moment. Alex had a discussion with Disney six more times after that; he stated that a small moment like this would make a lot of fans happy and argued that since Disney is such a big company, they should just ignore the homophobic parents; it wouldn’t make a difference in the long run. The censors told him that if he doesn’t revise the storyboard, they will cut the moment themselves.

Alex finally gave in, but this didn’t stop him from representing the LGBTQ+ community later in the show. In the finale, two male police officers declared their love for each other, and Disney censors didn’t bat an eye.

4) Thorfinnsdottir, Dia, and Helle Strandgaard Jensen. “Laugh Away, He Is Gay! Heteronormativity and Children’s Television in Denmark.” JOURNAL OF CHILDREN AND MEDIA, vol. 11, no. 4, 2017, pp. 399–416. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/17482798.2017.1312470.

This article is about studying children’s media on Danish public service television. Most of the characters on these shows are heterosexual, and the ones that are non-heterosexual are seen as jokes. This alienates children that aren’t heterosexual or gender variant. In the article, there are interviews with various children’s organizations: Save the Children, LGBT Denmark, The Danish Media Council’s Unit for Children/The National Council for Children (the interviewee is active in both councils), and DR’s Children and Youth Department. When the interviewees were asked about casting light on LGBTQ+ people, they argued that children are extremely vulnerable at a young age, and the children’s age should be considered when exposure to certain material, especially LGBTQ+ representation, is brought before them. They also argued that they were fine with LGBTQ+ characters being represented, but stressed the importance of making sure the content doesn’t get sexual. Each answer was directly related to censoring the sexual part of an LGBTQ+ relationship. These answers show that they think LGBTQ+ people are inherently more adult. They don’t see the innocence of being LGBTQ+, and that its the same as heterosexual people. When the interviewees were asked about bullying, and what they’re doing to help stop homophobic bullying, a majority of them said they weren’t including LGBTQ+ specific bullying in their messages. In Denmark, they don’t necessarily have anything against LGBTQ+ people, but there isn’t anything being done to support these people either. These people claim to be on the children’s side, but they don’t include LGBTQ+ children.

5) van der Toorn, Jojanneke, et al. “In Defense of Tradition: Religiosity, Conservatism, and Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage in North America.” Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, vol. 43, no. 10, Oct. 2017, pp. 1455–1468. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/0146167217718523.

A study was done throughout North America and Canada on homophobia and which groups it was prominently featured in. The study shows that Religious and conservative groups are the main people with homophobic tendencies. Christians use passages from the Bible, such as “not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22), and state that those who do “shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 20:13) to support their homophobia. Pope Francis has been more supportive and open-minded to the LGBTQ+ community, but little has been done to support them. Religion tends to have stakes in defining the status quo in America and it supports conservatism. Conservatives, even nonreligious ones, tend to lean toward an ideology that most religions also support. When the study continued, they found that people who do identify as Conservatives and Republicans are against the LGBTQ+ community because they tend to idealize resistance to change and opposition of equality. The study theorizes that resistance to change is more likely a reason than the opposition to equality for conservatives. They conducted 4 studies, and these were the findings:

Study 1: The more religious someone is, the more likely they are to oppose same-sex marriage.

Study 2: The more religious someone is, the more likely they are to protest the LBGT community as a whole.

Study 3: Conservatives tend to be much more homophobic because of the strong similarities that conservative ideals have with Religion.

Study 4a/4b: Because of religion being a big role in North America, those ideals are mainly upheld and considered a societal standard. This influences conservatives to be more resistant to change and oppose equality in order to maintain the status quo.

6) Ryan, Caitlin. “Generating a Revolution in Prevention, Wellness, and Care for LGBT Children and Youth.” Temple Political & Civil Rights Law Review, no. Issue 2, 2013, p. 331. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edshol&AN=edshol.hein.journals.tempcr23.16&site=eds-live.

Caitlyn Ryan has been a social worker for over 40 years, and has helped numerous LGBTQ+ people. In 2007, there was an understanding that LGBTQ+ adolescents talking about their family was too painful and many organizations weren’t pushing for family inclusion in LGBTQ+ lives. There wasn’t a strong connection between LGBTQ+ people and their families. Caitlyn understood how important family can be for LGBTQ+ children's health, mental health, and overall well-being. According to researchers, on average children form an understanding of their gender identity by age three, start realizing their sexuality at age 10, and identify with LGBTQ+ around age 13. Researchers have found that children now are quicker to understand their identity because of widespread access to the information, seeing positive light on LGBTQ+ people in the media, and just knowing other LGBTQ+ people. With children understanding themselves more at a younger age, it creates this gap between LGBTQ+ children and heterosexual caregivers that may not understand. There is a common misconception that sexual orientation is strictly about sex and not felt until late teens or adulthood, when really its about human connection, and simply, who someone loves. Caregivers have admitted to not knowing how to treat their LGBTQ+ children; they’re unsure of the LGBTQ+ community and grow scared and angry when they see the paths their children are going down. Many times caregivers feel there is pressure to choose between their religion and their LGBTQ+ child. These findings led Caitlyn to create the Family Acceptance Project; an organization that aims to teach caregivers about their LGBTQ+ youth, and help these caregivers understand how important their support to their LGBTQ+ youth is.

They conducted a study gauging both LGBTQ+ people and the family’s responses to LGBTQ+ coming out. “We started with in-depth individual interviews ranging from two to four hours each with LGBT youth and key family members who were accepting, ambivalent, and rejecting of their adolescents' LGBT identities. Our research explored family, school and peer experiences, gender expression and related experiences, cultural and religious values and experiences related to the adolescent's sexual orientation and gender identity, the development of their LGBT identity, specific family reactions to their LGBT identity, victimization, social support, and future hopes and dreams.” Their interviews found that children who were rejected are more likely to (1) More than eight times as likely to have attempted suicide; (2) Nearly six times as likely to report high levels of depression; (3) More than three times as likely to use illegal drugs; and (4) More than three times as likely to be at high risk for HIV and 2 sexually transmitted diseases. They also found that families who’ve rejected their children had the ability to change over time, and wished that they had more information on how to accept their children. Caregivers sometimes don’t understand that their behaviors and actions, in an attempt to help their LGBTQ+ children have a “good life” can sometimes be highly problematic, even when motivated by care and concern. Caregivers should avoid attempts that try to change the adolescent's sexual orientation or gender identity, prevent them from having an LGBTQ+ friend, or include heavy religious studying. Also avoid behaviors that are not always thought of as rejection, such as not talking about/discouraging an adolescent from talking about their LGBTQ+ identity, or denying/minimizing an adolescent's LGBTQ+ identity. These reactions are commonly seen in phrases such as, "It's just a phase", “he'll grow out of it", "how could he possibly know?", or "he's just confused.". These actions lead to higher risks for their LGBTQ+ children. Caregivers should instead advocate for their children when others mistreat them because of their LGBTQ+ identity, require respect for them within the family, and help their congregation become more welcoming of LGBTQ+ people in an attempt to keep their children connected with their faith.

Caitlyn teaches caregivers proper ways to support LGBTQ+ children when they come out, by helping them understand how impactful their words, actions, and behaviors are. “Nearly every family in our study has said that "We needed to know this information when our child was little," or. . ."Why didn't the nurse tell me this could happen in our family when I took my baby home from the hospital?’” She reflects on a Chinese dad who was monolingual Mandarin-speaking who said, "’Why doesn't every Chinese newspaper have this information? Why don't they tell us how to help our gay children? We need to know this information before we know who our children will become.’” In short, Caitlyn has been teaching families ways to support LGBTQ+ children when they come out because she understands that support saves lives.

7) Kelso, Tony. “Still Trapped in the U.S. Media’s Closet: Representations of Gender-Variant, Pre-Adolescent Children.” JOURNAL OF HOMOSEXUALITY, vol. 62, no. 8, pp. 1058–1097. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/00918369.2015.1021634. Accessed 6 Nov. 2019.

Children need representation young so that they can identify with something. It’s great that we have this representation for adults and teens, but at that point they’re already well into their LGBTQ+ journey. Because sexual orientation first manifests in childhood, there needs to be more role models for LGBTQ+ children. Adults who rarely converse with the LGBTQ+ community need to not base their knowledge of LGBTQ+ people on depictions in the media. Often times in media, the tragic queer trope can be seen. This trope instills the idea that LGBTQ+ people will live sad lives because they’re LGBTQ+, when in reality, they lead sad lives because people don’t support them. Scholars have argued that the lack of representation can lead members of the LGBTQ+ community to feel they’re victims of “symbolic annihilation” and may receive the message that they don’t matter to culture at large.

The article goes on to explain all the different types of media gender-variant children have been portrayed in, and the effects this has had on people. “In advertising, probably the promotional material of late that has drawn the most attention to childhood gender variance was a single image in a J. Crew catalogue featuring a mother (none other than the company's president and creative director, Jenna Lyons) painting the toenails of her young son (Ms. Lyon's own 5-year-old boy) in hot pink, with the caption, "Lucky for me I ended up with a boy whose favorite color is pink. Toenail painting is way more fun in neon." When it ran, it became controversial, evoking considerable online discussion and news coverage, both in print and on the Internet (e.g., Stadtmiller, [170]), and on television (e.g., Cibrowski, [31]). Not surprisingly, comments from both media personalities and the public spanned the range from "Yeah, well, it may be fun and games now, Jenna, but at least put some money aside for psychotherapy for the kid" (Ablow, [ 1]) to "I think the add [sic] is adorable, at least the son and mother are having a great time and she is actually spending time WITH her son" (Jessica, [99]).”

While things have been getting better over the years, there is still a lot to be done in terms of representation, especially for gender-variant representation. Children cannot make this change, which is why it comes to the parents to be the outside force to make this change.

8) “Media Portrayal of LGBT People.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Nov. 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_portrayal_of_LGBT_people#cite_note-3.

This Wikipedia article contains a timeline of LGBTQ+ representation in film, music, and television since the 30s. There was little shown from the ’30s to the ’60s, with most representations used for a joke. When the Stonewall Riots occurred, shout out to Marsha P Johnson, there was a large push in equal treatment and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people. Because of the riots, there was also a large push for LGBTQ+ representation placed on Hollywood. Things started to slowly make progress, but then the AIDS epidemic hit. When the epidemic hit, acknowledgment about the LGBTQ+ community increased, but ultimately the LGBTQ+ community was shown in a negative light. This drove off supporters of LGBTQ+ people. In the ’90s people started to slowly get used to and accept LGBTQ+ people, but it’s still been an uphill battle. It’s getting better and better each year. The article also touches on LGBTQ+ representation in children’s media and goes over a few examples. Such as Legend of Korra, Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and Andi Mack. The examples of LGBTQ+ people in the media are both helpful and hurtful. Representation of LGBTQ+ people can start to create stereotypes, especially when a lot of LGBTQ+ people exist in film and movies as either comic relief or tragic queer motif. There needs to be a debunking of this stereotype, and the way to do that is with more exposure to diverse LGBTQ+ people in tv and movies. The more you learn and are exposed to something, the more understanding you build on the topic.

9) Mares, Marie-Louise, and Emory Woodard. “Positive Effects of Television on Children’s Social Interactions: A Meta-Analysis.” Media Psychology, vol. 7, no. 3, 2005, pp. 301–322. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1207/S1532785XMEP0703_4.

This study sets out to find what the effects of prosocial content in the media has on children. Because of the arguments that “violence on screen can lead to violence off-screen”, researchers wanted to test if the same is true after viewing prosocial content on screen. Through their studies, they found that children learn the most through the preschool to adolescence stage of their lives. In these stages children’s minds are still developing, and each year their comprehension of the world around them grows. The study found that the older the child is, and the more prosocial content they consumed, the more likely the child would behave prosocially. For younger children, around 5 years old, they too may behave prosocially, but they have a harder time grasping the ideas of morality. The study yielding the following findings:

“1. Children exposed to prosocial content have more positive social interactions, show more

altruistic behavior and self-control, and have less stereotyped views of others.

2. The strongest effects of prosocial content were found for measures of altruism.

3. Relying on children’s ability to pick out the moral messages from programs which feature violence or conflict and some prosocial resolution may backfire, leading to more aggression than

merely showing the conflict.

4. Effects of prosocial content are often strongest when viewing is combined with discussion.

5. The effect sizes overall ranged from small to medium.

6. Effects of prosocial content were strongest for pre-school and grade-school children, diminishing in adolescence.

7. Effects are somewhat stronger for girls than for boys.”

“In any event, the conclusion is that television has the potential to foster positive social interactions, reduce aggression, and encourage viewers to be more tolerant and helpful.”

10) The American Psychological Association. “Answers to Your Questions For a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation & Homosexuality.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 2008, https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbt/orientation.

The American Psychology Association created a pamphlet to help people understand more about LGBTQ+ people. The pamphlet explains that, people start to become aware of their sexuality during middle childhood and early adolescence, and while there is no scientific consensus as to why people have a certain sexual orientation, people overwhelmingly feel no sense of choice in their identity. Homosexuality is not a mental disorder either. “Despite the persistence of stereotypes that portray lesbian, gay and bisexual people as disturbed, several decades of research and clinical experience have led all mainstream medical and mental health organizations in this country to conclude that these orientations represent normal forms of human experience”. During adolescence, people tend to be the most exploratory with their sexual feelings. When these young people come to their conclusion, it’s important to be supportive no matter what. Support leads to happy, satisfying, and healthy lives. Young people today may face discrimination and bullying, which commonly results in suicide idealization and higher risk activities. It’s important to support your child if bullying does occur. During much of the 20th century, LGBTQ+ people have been largely discriminated against. “Public opinion studies over the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s routinely showed that, among large segments of the public, lesbian, gay and bisexual people were the target of strongly held negative attitudes.” (This may be a big factor for why older generations tend to be more homophobic.) The AIDS pandemic was a large push back in accepting LGBTQ+ people. Discrimination is still alive and happening today, leaving many LGBTQ+ people with major mental health concerns. A good way to combat this discrimination is through awareness. Being openly LGBTQ+ or openly an ally does wonder in creating representation for the community.

#english class #writing #annotated bibliography #lgbt #lgbtq #steven universe #gravity falls #representation #lgbt representation

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strangegiverdreamer · 6 years

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Star Wars & Lord of the Rings crossover challenge

Synopsis

"Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie."

—J.R.R. Tolkien's epigraph to The Lord of the Rings

As a child growing up with the prequel trilogy of Star Wars I also grew up with Peter Jackson’s illustration of the Lord of the Rings. After seeing the movies, I remember collecting toys and figures from both universes and made them fight each other. Good times... Now that I am older and that both Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings is still alive and strong today, my 22-year-old mind is considering a long waited crossover inspired by my childhood hobby of betting the Force against Magic. I figured I’d start by issuing a fic challenge and leave you some information to help you give an idea. Enjoy!

I always became fascinated with The Rings of Power of the Lord of the Rings and their functions and thought of what they might become of in the Star Wars universe? Well, I’ll be going over the functions of the Rings and who would be best paired with it in a bit but for now, let's get right into an interesting parallel between Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.

Both Darth Sidious (Star Wars)

and Sauron (Lord of the Rings)

Are very similar when it comes to their intentions; Power. How they both achieve their rise to power is very similar as well.

Darth Sidious the Dark Lord of the Sith, and Sauron the self-proclaimed Dark Lord of Mordor, both were immensely strong in the dark arts and have used alter-egos to bring intentions of peace and order to their realms by taking forms of sensitive and wise people to manipulate events that led to tyranny.

Sidious took the persona of Sheev Palpatine, a wise and sensitive senator from Naboo who became Chancellor with promises to restore democracy during the Clone Wars.

Sauron took the persona and guise of his Fair form as Annatar the Lord of Gifts, a beautiful, wise, and sensitive Elf who claimed to bring the Elven realms knowledge of jewelsmithing and craftsmanship.

We all know Sidious (as Palpatine) manipulated galactic events that led to the formation of the Galactic Empire and puts an end to a thousand year democracy and returned Sith dominance to the galaxy.

How Sauron (as Annatar) manipulated the Elves was scarily familiar.

The Rings of Power & Who in Star Wars is best to pair with them.

In Lord of the Rings, there are a total of 20 rings of great power (21 if you count Shadow of War)

In Tolkein’s world, The Nineteen Rings of Power were created to help Elven kings and queens of Middle-Earth govern their lands and would grant their wearers special powers such as the ability to grant agelessness and invisibility. Each Ring would also augment the wearer's senses and unique talents in magic, combat, or even greatly augment a naturally strong sense.

However, the Sixteen rings that were forged under Sauron's supervision, including the One Ring, had grave consequences to the wearers; as the rings gave the wearers a continuous lust for power and greed. The Sixteen did not grant true immunity to aging but allowed them to simply continue until they could no longer endure. The power to turn invisible on command with these rings (not counting the One Ring as you turn invisible regardless once placing it on your finger) simply transfers them to the Wraith World, a realm unseen to the mortal eye where spirits of the damned were forced to roam, if the wearer spent too long in the Wraith World, over time they will become a wraith themselves.

Sauron intended to use these Rings to dominate the remaining Elves of Middle-earth.

However, the moment Sauron put the One Ring on his finger, the Elves became aware of Sauron's intentions and took off their rings, preventing Sauron from dominating them.

In his fury at the turn of events, Sauron attacked the Elves, demanding that they hand over all the rings. Sauron managed to retrieve sixteen of the Rings, which he gave to mortals (seven were given to Dwarves, nine were given to Men).

The Elves managed to hide the remaining three rings, which were the greatest of the nineteen Rings that were forged.

The Three were crafted for the sole purpose of the betterment of Middle-Earth, as the Three were created without Sauron's aid, however, the Three were as dangerous as the rest because of their dependability on the One Ring and could easily do great evil as well as good if fallen into Sauron’s control. The Three had similar abilities as the Sixteen, however, did not possess consequences as their brethren as the Three were intended by Celebrimbor to be the purest and greatest out of the Nineteen Rings of Power to recreate the bliss of Valinor, where nothing withered or died. Each of the Three Rings had special properties, but their powers were limited. The Three Rings allegedly granted their wearers true longevity, however, the Elves already have a natural affinity for eternal life and the Three never left the hands of the Elves with exception of Gandalf, as he did possess one of the Three, however, Gandalf was not a mere mortal man but a Maiar who were also immortal beings. The Three’s abilities were instilling hope, preserve, to heal, and to shield others from evil. The Three did not grant their wearers to become invisible, however, only make the rings themselves invisible to the mortal eye to protect their existences. These rings did not possess an offensive capability, except Vilya as it was known to have some elemental control, however, were only made to heal and preserve.

The Three were the only rings out of the Nineteen to be given their own names.

Narya, also named the Ring of Fire or Red Ring was a gold ring adorned with a red ruby. Described as having the power to inspire others to resist tyranny, domination, and despair (in other words, evoking hope from others around the wielder), as well as giving resistance to the weariness of time. I believe the right owner of Narya in Star Wars would definitely be Leia Organa and also to never let Carry Fisher’s memory be lost to time.

Nenya, also named as the Ring of Adamant, the White Ring and the Ring of Water is described as being made of mithril and set with a "white stone", a diamond. Nenya's power was preservation, protection, and concealment from evil. I guess the rightful owner of this ring will be Padme Amidala because she is a very determined person, queen, and senator not tempted by evil regardless of her love for Anakin when he asked her to join him. She was also the only thing that preserved Anakin in Darth Vader and saw the good in him. Nenya is then buried with her after her death to preserve the beauty and stability of Naboo during the Imperial Era. Rey is also a suitable choice for Nenya as an inheritor of the ring regarding her character development and relationship with Ben Solo. Because freaking Reylo is the reverse Anidala. Duh!

Vilya, the Ring of Air, Blue Ring, the Dominant Ring, or Ring of Sapphire is the greatest of the Three Rings. The exact power of Vilya is not mentioned. It is reasonable to speculate that it also possesses the power to heal and to preserve. The ring can possibly possess the power to see the future. Vilya's main use was to create a realm where the Elves could be at peace. The wielder could use the ring to set an enchantment on a chosen location, preserving all living things within the region. With this boundary spell, it is possible that Vilya granted the user to control minor elements other than Air. Though it is stated that Vilya can cure any ailment or wound. I’d say the greatest out of the Three will go to Yoda and passed over to Luke Skywalker after Yoda’s death. Luke used Vilya to preserve the Force Tree on Alch-To and Yoda may still have influence over Vilya as he used it to summon lightning to set the Force Tree ablaze. After Luke’s life in the living world came to an end, Vilya remained on Alch-To upon the stone where Luke had sat. The Caretakers of the island declared the stone a shrine to Vilya where it still remained unclaimed to a new bearer.

The Seven were presented to the Dwarven Lords by Sauron as a means to dominate the mortal realm after his failure to dominate the Elves. The Dwarves were proven to also be failures to indoctrination because of the Dwarves’ natural hardiness to mental manipulations and magic, so much even the invisibility and the enhancements to their traits ceased to work on them. However, the Dwarven Lords did succumb to the lust for greed that accumulated into mountains of wealth that led to their downfall as four of the rings were either consumed or destroyed by dragons who lay hibernating in the massive mounds of gold while Sauron took back the remaining two and was never placed on a mortal or Elven finger again.

It is my speculation that some people who have a strong willpower and mental capacity can resist the effects of the Rings that turns them into Sauron’s slaves like (SPOILER) Talion in Shadow of War when he placed one of the Nine rings on his finger.

So I guess if I had to choose who would be better to wield some of the Seven in Star Wars (without them becoming wraiths) I would say the characters that are on the side of money such as Bounty Hunters or Pirates. Characters I feel could be mentally strong enough to counteract the lethal side effect and mind control of the Seven much like the Dwarves did in LOTR, I would pick Boba Fett, Bossk, Dengar, Jabba the Hutt, D.J, and Hondo Ohnaka. (D.J. already has a ring just like the one above. Scary, right? I also like the idea of D.J’s ring starting to take effect on him given his stutter.)

The Nine were infamously known when they were gifted to the race of men who above all others desired power that matched Sauron the Deceiver. Each ring granted them extraordinary power and abilities as well as the power to cheat death and be granted immortality, for a price of their own humanity. As a result, these nine great kings of men fell into darkness one by one, becoming slaves to the Dark Lord’s will and became the Nazgûl. Damned into being ringwraiths neither living nor dead and being led by the infamous Witch-King of Angmar who was the darkest of them all.

I think the obvious choices in Star Wars would be

and Finally...

The Knights of Ren, the new line of the Nine Nazgûl following the rediscovery of seven surviving Nine Rings of Power by the Supreme Lader Snoke. Kylo Ren out of all of them will display the focal point between the Light and the Dark as he struggles with the power of the Ring once belonging to Darth Vader that has a strong hold over him.

Kylo would be represented as Talion from Shadow of Mordor/War when SPOILER ALERT: Talion takes a Nazgûl’s ring and uses the powers of a Ringwraith against Sauron after Celebrimbor betrays him.

The One Ring, also known as the Ruling Ring, the Master Ring, the Ring of Power, and Isildur's Bane. Sauron’s greatest prize is a simple gold band when exposed to heat shows a hidden inscription: “One ring to rule them all, One ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.” The ring was created by Sauron in the fires of Sammath Naur and with the aid of Celebrimbor, perfected the One by masking its power and giving it a will of its own. But creating the ring simultaneously strengthened and weakened Sauron's power.

On the one hand, as long as Sauron had the ring, he could control the power of all other Rings of Power, and thus he was significantly more powerful. On the other hand, by binding his power within the Ring, Sauron became dependent on it. Without it his power was significantly diminished. In the hands of Sauron or Celebrimbor, they could dominate the minds of Orcs and build massive armies. But the ring only answers to Sauron and is forever bound to him, mortals who hold the ring is automatically grown attached to it and will try to sway them back to its master and given several side effects from agelessness and being able to understand black speech.

The most obvious choice to wear this ring would be Snoke but as it’s true master and creator while Sidious came in possetion of it since his apprenticeship under Plagueis and was lost once more after the destruction of the Death Star II until it found its way across the stars and landed on a distant planet where it was rediscovered by the creature Gollum. (Andy Serkis was Gollum... go figure.)

Last but not least!

The New Ring, designed for one thing; War. This new Ring of Power was fashioned in Sammath Naur from the same fires from once the One Ring was forged from. Celebrimbor allied with Talion to forge a ring free from Sauron’s influence and contained every bit of power it’s bretheren contained making it a tool for evil as it was for good. Unlike it’s brother, the New Ring was bound to no man nor entity, only forged from darkness for the light to meet it upon the finger of anyone willing to become the Bright Lord of Mordor. With this new ring, the wearer can dominate the minds of lesser beings such as Orcs and tame the wild, if their will is strong enough could dominate the minds of mortals. The ring allowed the wearer to cheat death, grant longevity, and grant acess to the Wraith World but did not grant invisibility.

The ring was a obsidian or steel band with blue inscriptions: “I renounced the Blessed realm, To redeem the Land of Shadow, And bind the walls of Arda. In place of the Dark Lord, You shall have light undeminished. All shall fear me and dispair.”

The appropriate choice for this ring would obviously be the new Supreme Leader of the First Order. When Kylo Ren could not turn to the light but does not stop him from weilding it to shape the galaxy in his image not as the new Dark Lord but a Bright Lord.

So what do you guys think about that? That intriguing enough for yall? It is something to play around with obviously and this was something I had to get off my chest. If you like the idea of a crossover then I openly suggest you go for it. Happy writting!

#fic challenge #i double dare you #reylo fam

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thegreatwhiteferret · 6 years

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87 Random Questions

I was tagged by @edwardtheloser because JJ just wants the world to burn. 💖💖💖

1. Where do you live? I currently live in Delaware...yeah, the tiny ass state everyone forgets about.

2. One cool item you own? I’m trying to think of something really deep and meaningful...I have a Texas charm with golden star on it that I wear with a cross on a chain around my neck and never take off.

3. Moon or stars? The stars (High key one of the things I miss most about Texas)!

4. Places you’d like to travel to? Either to London or to Disney...both are related to Peter Pan for reasons.

5. Favorite song? I cannot possibly pick just one song...music is everything. Praying by Kesha has me all sorts of in the feels right now.

6. Do you have any fears? I am afraid of so many things. I am afraid of the dark, germs, going into anaphylaxis, letting people down, not being good enough...I should stop now, right?

7. Do you feel different than you did last year? I mean I guess. The past year has been really bad for me, but I’ve just recently started feeling really hopeful about the future.

8. What is your race? I am white as white can be. I’m 75% Canadian (25-British, 25-Irish, and 25-French with a bit of Native American mixed in) and then 25% mystery that is most likely German or Dutch.

9. Pet peeves? People being assholes when they disagree with something and people smacking when they eat. (These two just stuck out, there are more, I’m petty as hell)

10. Any siblings? I have 3 sisters.

11. Are you a gamer? Only if The Sims and Dream Daddy count. Hand eye coordination is not there.

12. Sexual orientation? Pansexual Princess

13. Does a broken mirror mean bad luck? I don’t know, but I will steer the fuck clear!

14. What do you feel is your mental age? Depends on the day. Sometimes I feel like I’m sixteen some days I feel like I’m forty. There is no consistency.

15. How old were you when you started dating? My family was super strict, so no dating officially until after I went to college.

16. Where do you do most of your online shopping? Forever21 and Amazon.

17. Favorite animal? Bears

18. What’s one film from the 2000s that you like? Psssssh, so many. School of Rock and Mean Girls were my shit though.

19. What’s your favorite scary movie? IT. I am a scaredy cat, so the fact that I love this movie so much is amazing.

20. Fun fact about yourself? I convinced my 5th grade teacher that I had elaborately schemed to get rid of my baby sister when I was only three years old to avoid actually having to write a serious paper. I won a damn award for my story too.

21. Shoe size? 9.5 or a 10 in Women's.

22. Which fictional character(s) do you relate to the most? Junie B. Jones. She’s a real hero of mine. (JK, Stanley Uris and I are one in the same).

23. Where do you see yourself living in ten years? Philly, Boston, or Chicago. I need some excitement in my life.

24. Ever wore clothes that were just wayyy too tight? I mean I wore a corset around just for the hell of it the either night so....

25. What’s on your mind? How many stories I have in my queue to write and the fact that I am not doing that right now...whoops.

26. Are you religious? I’d still identify as Christian, but I have a lot of questions. I also don’t believe in pushing your religion on people, that’s an asshole move.

27. How tall are you? 5’8″

28. Favorite band? HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO PICK ONE??? Jesus, I’m going to see AJR in a few weeks so let me give them a shoutout.

29. Do you remember 2009? Yes. It sucked.

30. Cats or dogs? DOGS! You can fight me on this one @edwardtheloser they are freaking flawless and amazing.

31. Fruit or vegetables? Por que no los dos??

32. Do you want to get married? Yes. That would be nice.

33. Do you want children? I DO. So so bad. It’s a problem.

34. Flamingos or peacocks? Meh. Birds. (Only difference between me and Stan tbh)

35. What superpower do you wish you had? Telekinesis or Shapeshifting.

36. Are you a germ freak? Yes. I have severe food allergies and I break out when I touch the allergens, so I kind of have to be. Also, people are gross.

37. Did swearing baby, ghost car, or ghost caught on tape scare you as a kid? I don’t know what any of these are...

38. Do you prefer sweet or salty? Por que no los dos?

39. Tea or coffee? Give me all of the non carbonated caffeine.

40. Are you superstitious? Yes. I knock on wood. I won’t walk under ladders or on cracks in the sidewalk. I do counting things as coping mechanisms. I’m so bad.

41. Do you like stripes? Sure, but plaid is better.

42. Favorite shows as a kid? The Big Comfy Couch, Rugrats, The Wiggles, Doug, Arthur, Zoom...I liked TV a lot.

43. Favorite shows growing up? Lizzie McGuire, Boy Meets World, That’s So Raven, Sabrina the Teenage Witch...again, I liked TV a lot.

44. Favorite musical? I LOVE MUSICALS. Hamilton, Hairspray, High School Musical, Rocky Horror, Annie. All of them. RENT is my absolute favorite though, I bawled my eyes out when I saw it live.

45. Favorite movie? Inglorious Basterds, IT, and Goonies.

46. Birthday? October 1st.

47. Are you a grammar Nazi? Yes. It kills me not to correct people.

48. Ever gotten drunk? Hahahahaha. Yes.

49. Do you have a carrier bag? I switch between a small backpack, a big satchel bag and a small hot pink cross body purse. As long as my epi pen and wipes fit, I’m good.

50. What would you do if you were the opposite gender for a day? Some very NSFW things...I’m not sorry.

51. If you were the opposite gender what would you change your name to? Oliver, Ollie for short.

52. What song is stuck in your head? The Kids Aren’t Alright by The Offspring

53. Celebrity crush? Hilary Knight, Taron Egerton, Chris Evans, Hayley Williams, Joe Keery...so many. I love all the people.

54. If you could live in a non-English speaking country, where would it be? Sweden

55. Are you a good dancer? I try...

56. Have any allergies? Gluten and Dairy. Deathly allergic and people think it’s just a diet fad smh...

57. Any bad habits? Procrastinating and shoving my feelings down.

58. Ever broke a bone? Yes. My mom broke my leg when I was three, we fell down the stairs and if she hadn’t pushed me behind her and landed on my leg I would have gone head first into a brick wall. My mommy saved my life. 💖

59. Are you a city or country person? Both. I like the feel of the country with the convenience of the city.

60. Do you like your home country? United States of Go Fuck Yourself

61. Sunflowers or daisies? Sunflowers

62. Tulips or roses? Tulips, they remind me of living in the Netherlands as a kid.

63. Oak or maple? Maple. I’m Canadian, eh.

64. Disney or Nickelodeon? BOTH! I WILL NOT CHOOSE!

65. WYR be obese or anorexic? I’m in recovery for both anorexia and bulimia and have been since I was twelve years old, body dysmorphia since I was seven because I’ve been overweight my entire life, and this question can go fuck itself. Jesus fucking Christ. Those are serious issues not choices. Fuck.

66. WYR be over 6 feet or under 5 feet? Under 5 feet, I hate being tall.

67. Rubies or sapphires? Sapphires

68. Are you stubborn? I am so stubborn that it hurts.

69. Have you been in scouts/Girl Scouts? Yes! And I loved it.

70. What type of music do you listen to? Everything. I love music.

71. Favorite vine? Uhmmmm...I was never into vines...sorry.

72. Beaches or castles? Castles. Real life Disney Princess y’all!

73. Pick the closest book to you, and write the line you opened to:

"I mean, a superhero. My heart almost squeezes to a stop. Blue loves superheroes.” -Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

74. Anyone in the same room as you right now? Yup. My mama and the dogs. Pip is sleeping on my lap.

75. Which is worse; throwing up or diarrhea? I mean I don’t love either...

76. Butterflies or lady bugs? I don’t like bugs...butterflies qualify as well.

77. Do you say “K” when you’re not mad? I never do this, because I am so cautious of how others will feel from it. You can’t take back hurt feelings.

78. How do you react when purposely scare you? I usually have some form of anxiety attack. My sister has made me cry and panic just from making me watch a YouTube video...I’m easy to scare guys.

79. Most overrated celebrity? Every Kardashian except for Khloe, I love her.

80. Do you have a globe in your room? No, I have a print of the world, but that would be so cool!

81. Do you have a dream catcher in your room? No, this would also be cool.

82. What do you see when you look out your window? Well it’s nighttime now so darkness.

83. Have you been on an airplane? Yes, I’ve been flying since I was a month old.

84. Do you believe in aliens? Yes. It’s stupid to think that we are alone in the universe.

85. Do you believe in ghosts? Absolutely. I don’t fuck with spirits, all respect.

86. Do you believe in God? I believe in a higher power, and I do still have faith in the Christian God, but I do have so many questions.

87. Do you believe in yourself? I’m working on it, y’all. That’s all I can say.

I am tagging randomly because I don’t know who has done this yet... @billbenbev @its-reddie-bitch @not-reddie @theriodiaries @demianhill @dannybriereisaliferuiner @thebroadstreetdarling @milagric and whoever else would like to do this, consider yourselves tagged! 💖💖💖💖💖

#Me #Question Thingy #This is so long #Personal

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greatdrams · 6 years

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Debunking Whisky Myths with Royal Salute Director of Blending Sandy Hyslop

I was fortunate enough to be on a Google Hangout with Sandy Hyslop, Director of Blending at Chivas recently ahead of the launch of the Ultimate Gift this Christmas, the Royal Salute festive gift pack, here's what he had to say about debunking whisky myths and the life of a whisky blender.

In your opinion, should you add water to whisky?

You will often hear murmurs about adding a few drops of water to whisky, with the traditional perception that either it is a sin - or that it opens up the whisky, unlocking the aromas. When asked, I would suggest trying our signature blend, Royal Salute 21 Year Old, neat first and if you find it to be too strong then add some water. As the water and alcohol combine, a reaction takes place, opening up the whisky and releasing the more subtle aromas allowing you to fully appreciate it. When I enjoy a glass of Royal Salute at home, I will usually add a little water as I firmly believe that it opens up the flavours in the blend and lets me fully appreciate the myriad of flavours in the exceptional whisky.

Does adding water at home bring the strength down?

When water is added to a high strength whisky it dilutes the ABV alcohol strength. Most whisky has alcohol strength of between 40%-46% ABV with water having already been added. Adding water will reduce the alcohol strength of the whisky. By adding a few drops of water to Royal Salute 21 Year Old, this opens up the flavour profile and tasting notes that may not have been present when tasting the whisky neat. Diluting the liquid gives the whisky a softer taste and allows more subtle flavours to come through on the nose and palate.

Is tasting the most important part of the whisky experience?

Although our mouths unlock the appreciation for texture, temperature and taste, they are limited to sweet, sour, acid and salty. Our nose, however, has many more sense receptors and detects thousands of different smells, with the brain trying to associate a word or nostalgic occasion to match the nose’s experience. For this reason, you should start by nosing your whisky before tasting it and giving yourself a preview of what’s to come. For example, our signature blend, Royal Salute 21 Year Old, is a rich, round and silky whisky with fruity aromas in abundance and sweet fragrances of autumn flowers on the nose.

Should you add ice to whisky?

There is no strict rule for this. With ice, temperature reduction gives a new dimension to the whisky and the slow release of water from the ice can develop a whole new range of flavours. Ice can change the whole perception of a glass of Royal Salute 21 Year Old and during the summer months when you are looking for something cool and refreshing, adding ice to your whisky brings a fabulous alternative for your enjoyment.

Are single malts better than blended whiskies?

Blending a whisky is a form of art. Just like single malts, you get different expressions of blended whiskies. Blended whisky is made with grain whisky as well as single malts. Grain whisky should be smooth and creamy and when aged and combined with high quality aged fruity single malts, it results in an excellent blended whisky. Something that needs to be remembered is the amount of time it takes to create some of the age-statement blended whiskies. All the single malt and grain whiskies need to be matured in casks for at least the age stated on the label. So in the case of Royal Salute 21 Year Old, every drop of whisky in the blend has spent more than 21 years maturing in casks.

Is it true that the darker the whisky, the older it is?

Not necessarily. The distillate takes the vast majority of its colour from the oak casks during the many years of maturation. It also depends on which type of cask the whisky has matured in – for example, an American oak cask will impart more golden/yellow colours whereas an ex-sherry butt will give deeper hues of red.

Is it true that pale whiskies are not as good as dark whiskies?

This can be a common misconception and can easily trip you up. I am a firm believer in nosing and tasting any whisky to assess its quality as colour is only a very rough indicator of maturity. The colour of a whisky will not help you identify any off notes that may be present in a cask. Different cask types heavily influence the colour of the whisky. Pale whiskies can be just as robust, or just as sweet, and on occasion are smoother and more balanced than darker whiskies.

If I leave a whisky bottle open for too long, does it lose its flavour?

The glass bottle won’t change the flavour of the whisky. Once it is in there, there is no more maturation therefore it remains the same flavour profile.

How long have you been the Director of Blending for Chivas Brothers?

I have more than 34 years’ experience in the Scotch whisky industry and have worked on Royal Salute for 17 years. I was appointed Director of Blending for Chivas Brothers in July 2016.

Can you provide some insight behind your background and career?

I’ve worked in the whisky industry since 1983 and during my first year I showed an aptitude for being able to identify and memorise different flavours on the nose. Very early in my career I started nosing samples regularly but I also spent time in all areas of the whisky making process to increase my knowledge across the business as much as possible. Being a blender is a role that interacts with all areas of the whisky making journey. Right at the start of the process I am assessing all the new distillate from our distilleries and making sure the quality and flavour is exactly what I am requiring for our blends. I also am responsible for the allocation and quality of all the casks used for the maturation of these exceptional whiskies. These processes are stringent and guarantee the upmost quality of Royal Salute’s future whiskies. I develop all the new expressions of Royal Salute but the biggest part of my job is ensuring the quality and continuity of the existing Royal Salute Blends are maintained at all times. It is a huge honour for me to be responsible for such a prestigious whisky brand and a responsibility I take very seriously.

What exactly does your role entail?

There are many exciting parts of my role as the Director of Blending for Royal Salute. Not only am I responsible for the quality and continuity of our whiskies, but also for the purchasing and quality of all casks for the business. Another important part of my role is the responsibility for the company’s technical centres and laboratories.

The role as Director of Blending is constantly evolving as the industry develops, and innovation becomes more important. Maintaining a consistent taste experience remains a top priority. On top of that, my team of master blenders under my leadership play an integral role in product innovation and developing new flavour experiences for consumers to enjoy. There’s a real art involved in creating each blend, and we use skills that have been handed down throughout the centuries – it’s no simple task. Our blenders are experts on every single malt and grain whisky in our stock, understanding their individual character and how they will come together.

What is your favourite part of being the Director of Blending for Royal Salute?

Royal Salute is an extremely high quality and prestigious whisky brand with an outstanding reputation and it is a great honour for me to be responsible for the quality and continuity of this family of whiskies. To be part of the history of Royal Salute is incredible and to lay down whiskies now for blending many decades in the future is a responsibility I relish. It is imperative that I have the best quality whiskies maturing in the appropriate quality casks to ensure the quality of Royal Salute long after I have retired.

What inspired Royal Salute 21 Year Old?

Royal Salute 21 Year Old was first created to commemorate coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and the 21 gun salute that honoured her, so it’s been a whisky fit for royalty from its inception. Drawing from the exceptionally aged range of casks laid down over the years by Chivas Brothers and matured all over Scotland, this whisky skilfully marries the powerful flavours of whiskies aged no less than 21 years. The three different colours of glaze used to dress our iconic porcelain flagons – Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald – were inspired by and symbolise the previous gems on the Imperial State Crown.

What is unique about Royal Salute 21 Year Old?

Our signature whisky, Royal Salute 21 Year Old, was created to celebrate the 21-Gun salute, a tradition of firing guns for special royal occasions. This whisky combines rare malt and grain whiskies aged for a minimum of 21 years and is housed within Royal Salute’s iconic porcelain flagon.

What goes into developing a whisky such as Royal Salute 21 Year Old?

Developing a whisky with the exceptional calibre of Royal Salute 21 Year Old takes a significant amount of time. It involves sampling hundreds of casks and preparing and formulating many different pilot blends in the Sample Room to fine tune the flavour and make sure that not only does the whisky have rich, fruity, sweet flavours but also the balance and smoothness of the blend are perfect. When developing a whisky as old as Royal Salute, it is imperative the influence of the cask used for maturation compliments the whisky perfectly and does not overpower the blend. Lastly, it is imperative that any blend created has to be repeatable; by this I mean that I need to make sure we have the inventory and quality of casks to maintain this flavour and quality over the coming years and decades to ensure continuity in quality.

How does Royal Salute 21 Year Old compare to other whiskies?

Royal Salute 21 Year Old is the definitive luxury whisky of the portfolio, with an unparalleled richness and depth of flavour. The brand is steeped in tradition and proud of its prestigious heritage while being firmly engaged in the modern world by constantly pushing the art of blending into new, creative and ambitious forms. These elements combined make Royal Salute the ‘King of Whisky’ – a truly exceptional and unparalleled portfolio of expression.

The post Debunking Whisky Myths with Royal Salute Director of Blending Sandy Hyslop appeared first on GreatDrams.

from GreatDrams http://ift.tt/2BenY5W Greg

#whisky #GreatDrams

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sannie-hannie-archive · 7 years

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Tagged also by lovely @jeongjarsofhannie!! Thank you so much Daphne!!!

Tagging: If you want to do it obviously you do not have too if you don’t want too :) .... @angelyoons @bbysquirrelsblog @leetaeiil @fightmejeonghannie @jeongahn @eggyyoon and anyone else who wants to do it....I don’t have many people to tag lol

rules: answer these 92 statements and tag 10 people! if there are questions that are too personal or you don’t want to answer, skip them or make a new one :^)

THE LAST (1-5):

drink: Water basically all I drink now

phone call: My dad

text: Don’t text much

song you listened to: Hola Hola by KARD

time you cried: 2-3 days ago from stress gotta love preparing for college

HAVE YOU (6-11):

dated someone twice: Haven’t even dated someone sooo....

kissed someone and regretted it: Never kissed anyone either....

been cheated on: Nope since I’ve never been in a relationship

lost someone special: Yes unfortunately...

been depressed: Lately...a little...

gotten drunk and thrown up: Nope not old enough to drink yet....I’m almost 18 soo....

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS (12-14):

Dark sapphire blue

Dark purples

Black

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU (15-21):

made new friends: Yes all of you guys aka my mutuals

fallen out of love: Nope never been in love to begin with

laughed until you cried: Definitely lol

found out someone was talking about you: Nope but everyone talks so who knows....

met someone who changed you: Yes

found out who your friends are: I don’t know how to answer...? I guess

kissed someone on your facebook list: Don’t have a facebook sooo....No

GENERAL (22-34):

how many of your facebook friends do you know in real life: Don’t have a facebook so yeah...

do you have any pets: I wish!!!! I love puppies so much omg <3<3 I want one so bad...

do you want to change your name: Sometimes yes sometimes no depends on the day lol

what did you do for your last birthday: Uh not much really....Just stayed home and relaxed

what time did you wake up: 8:30....Unfortunately...

what were you doing at midnight last night: Sleeping.....

when was the last time you saw your mom: Literally 10 minutes ago probably

what’s one thing you wish you could change in your life: Nothing yet....Maybe redo last year so I can be better prepared for college but I’m taking a gap year since I graduated a year early so I have a whole year to get all my testing and applications done so yeah wish me luck with that....

what are you listening to right now: Nothing....

have you ever talked to a person named tom: Yup

most visited website: tumblr/google/youtube one of those three probably google

LOST QUESTIONS (35-64):

moles: I have one on my side where my ribs are, a couple on my back, and I think that’s it...

marks: I have 3 scars on one of my hands, a ton on my knees, a long scar on my leg, and like a few on my arms.....I’m so clumsy lol

childhood dream: Vet

hair color: Ruby red with blue ombre-ish ends lol

long hair or short: I have long hair but I’m thinking about cutting it short...

do you have a crush on someone: Not really....

what do you like about yourself: I’m pretty nice to everyone I meet, friendly, and helpful. I’m also very hardworking and determined to make something out of my life...

piercings: I have 2 sets of them on my ears but I want more....

blood type: I have no idea...

nickname: Shay

relationship status: Single

zodiac: Virgo

pronouns: She/Her

favorite tv show: Tons.....I can’t decide between Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, The Flash, Attack on Titan, or Sleepy Hollow....

tattoos: None but I wanna get a few I think...

right or left hand: Right handed

surgery: Does having tonsils removed count?

hair dyed in a different color: Yes...I dyed my whole hair a different color which is red (my natural is dirty/strawberry blonde) and dyed my ends blue but when I was younger I dyed sections of my hair a lot of different colors....

sport: I love to play Softball but haven’t been on a team in forever sighs....But I love to watch Football and Basketball with my dad

vacation: Anywhere I just would love one! Never been on one in years...

MORE GENERAL (57-73):

eating: Probably a pastry soon

drinking: Water

i’m about to: Look up and study for the SAT probably....

waiting for: Nothing really.....

want: A lot of things lol

get married: I want to eventually when I meet the right person and I’m ready...

career: Game Designer hopefully for Square Enix or something in culinary...

WHICH IS BETTER (65-73):

hugs or kisses: Hugs <3

lips or eyes: Eyes <3<3

shorter or taller: It doesn’t really matter to me...I don’t care about height much...

older or younger: It doesn’t matter to me either....As long as I love being around them then I don’t really care if I like you I wanna hang out with you simple as that...but as long as it isn’t too much of an age difference...

nice arms or nice stomach: Uhhh what?

sensitive or loud: Uh not sure...probably sensitive because I’m a pretty quiet person so I don’t know if I can handle a loud person...

hook up or relationship: Probably relationship

troublemaker or hesitant: I’m more of a hesitant person so I like more hesitant people but I don’t mind troublemakers as long as they don’t do anything extreme....

HAVE YOU EVER (74-83):

kissed a stranger: Never

drank hard liquor: Nope

lost glasses/contact lenses: I probably need them but I haven’t been to the eye doctor sooo...no

turned someone down: Nope

sex in the first date: Uhhhhh never

broken someone’s heart: Don’t think so

had your heart broken: Nope

been arrested: Nope

cried when someone died: Yup.....I’m a very emotional person sooo yeah

DO YOU BELIEVE IN (84-89):

yourself: Not really....

miracles: Definitely

love at first sight: I believe you can be attracted to someone at first sight but not love someone....

santa claus: When I was a kid yeah...

kiss on the first date: Yeah probably

angels: Does Jeonghan count? jkjkjk but yes I do...

OTHER (90-92):

favorite thing to do when you’re bored: Sleep, Play video games, Watch tv

do you wear socks to sleep: Never I hate that

favorite movies: Tons but none I can think of right now.....Any Marvel movie really, Suicide Squad, John Wick movies, Pirates of the Carribean movies, All the older animated Disney movies, and I’m drawing a blank....

#Thanks for the tag <3

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winter-gale · 7 years

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Sabbat Information

Yule- 21. Dezember - Holly Jolly Christmas Celtic Painting Traditional Colors: Blues Silvers Whites Reds Green Gold Symbolism: rebirth, transformation, new life, light, new beginnings, giving, merriment Symbols: evergreens, holly, mistletoe, poinsettias, lights, Yule Log, wreaths, bells, gifts, stars, sun, snow, ornaments, garland, Santa Claus, reindeer Colors: red, green, gold, silver, white Food and Drink: wassail, cider, nuts, apples, pears, fruitcake, cookies, eggnog, mulled wine, ham, turkey, lamb, breads, cakes Herbs: holly, mistletoe, pine, oak, fir, birch, hazel, sandalwood, ivy, comfrey, myrrh, frankincense, wintergreen, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, elder, spruce, cedar, balsam, thistle, sage, juniper, moss, bay, rosemary Deities: Mary, Holda, Isis, Ops, Hertha, Frey, Eve, Saturn, Cronos, Horus/Ra, Balder, Santa Claus, Odin, Holly King, Old Man Winter Crystals and Gemstones: cat's eye, diamond, ruby, garnet, bloodstone, clear quartz, pearls, green tourmaline, citrine, alexandrite Animals: bull, goat, reindeer, stag, wren, robin, elf Magic: Being the time of rebirth, this is a great time to remove anything that holds us back and to sow the seeds for the upcoming year. Success spells are best cast this evening. Many people also perform blessings, not only for themselves and their families, but for others as well. Cleansing your home and altar and banishing negativity can also be done this night. Whatever you do, make sure your heart is filled with peace, love, and joy and work magic to bring merriment to others. Please note this is not a complete list but a brief overview of symbols, colors, herbs, deities, and the like. _______ Imbolc - 2. February - "Life is Universal" pronounced "Ee-molc" Use some soft white polyfill (the snowy looking fabric) for around the altar to represent the snow. Symbolism: rebirth, purity, new life, light, new beginnings, warmth, growth, renewal, rejuvenation Symbols: candles, daffodils, lanterns, acorns, fire, Brigid's cross, acorns, brooms, corn dolls, sun wheels Colors: white, silver, pale yellow, red, pink, orange, lavender, light green Food and Drink: bread, cake, milk, spiced wine, cheese, yogurt, herbal teas, fish, white meat, honey cake, muffins Herbs: angelica, basil, bay, blackberry, chamomile, rosemary, heather, rowan, dill, myrrh, willow Deities: Cernunnos, Eros, Osiris, Pan, Athena, Bast, Blaize, Brigid, Ceres, Cerridwen, Venus, Gaia, Demeter, Hestia, Vesta, Cupid Crystals and Gemstones: amethyst, bloodstone, ruby, turquoise, garnet, onyx Animals: groundhog, bear, ewe, lamb, stag, robin, owl, dragons, phoenix Magic: This is the time of awakening as the Wheel turns toward spring. Out with the old and in with the new. Cleansing magic, home blessings, divination, initiation rituals, fertility magic, and self-discovery rituals are perfect for this Sabbat. Rid your home of stale energy left over from the cold winter. Light candles and hold a bonfire to call forth the Sun and honor the Earth. Search for signs foretelling of spring (think Groundhog's Day). Please note this is not a complete list but a brief overview of symbols, colors, herbs, deities, and the like. _______ Ostara on 21. March - Butterfly Triquetra Symbolism: rebirth, new life, new beginnings, resurrection, fertility, balance, youth Symbols: rabbits, bunnies, eggs, chicks, daffodils, tulips, baskets, sprouts, lambs, ribbons, butterflies, bees Colors: pastel green, yellow, and pink, gold, grass green, robin's egg blue, red Food and Drink: hard-boiled eggs, devilled eggs, honey cakes, dairy, leafy green vegetables, flower dishes, sprouts, fish, hot cross buns, sweet breads, milk, chocolate, jelly beans/eggs, lemonade, fresh fruit Herbs: acorn, celandine, crocus, daffodil, dogwood, Easter lily, ginger, hyssop, linden, honeysuckle, iris, jasmine, narcissus, peony, rose, violets, woodruff, forsythia, spring flowers Deities: Eostre, Ostara, Aphrodite, Athena, Cybele, Gaia, Isis, Persephone, Venus, Maiden, Pan, Cernunnous, Green Man, Adonis, Mars, Osiris, Thoth Crystals and Gemstones: amethyst, aquamarine, rose quartz, moonstone, bloodstone, red jasper Animals: rabbits, hares, chicks, robins, lambs, snakes, unicorns, dragons Magic: Ostara is the Sabbat of new beginnings and life. Fertility magic (especially through the use of eggs) and garden and seed blessings are commonly performed during this time. Use this Sabbat to perform magic to break away barriers, start new projects or inventions, and breathe new life into your home and garden. This is also a great time to celebrate balance as day and night are equal on this day. Color eggs to attract different things such as love, fertility, wealth, and prosperity. Please note this is not a complete list but a brief overview of symbols, colors, herbs, deities, and the like. _______ Beltane on 1. May- Celt at Arms Painting Fire can be used in form of candles Symbols: Eggs; Flowers; Chalice; May Pole; Butter churn; Chaplet; Baskets; Crossroads; Strings of beads; Ribbons Color Correspondences : Greens, yellows, reds, purples, blues Food and Drink Correspondences : all red fruits, green salads, red or pink wine punch, round oatmeal or barley cakes, dairy foods Herbs: almond, angelica, ash tree, bluebells, cinquefoil, daisy, frankincense, hawthorn, ivy, lilac, marigold, meadowsweet, primrose, roses, yellow cowslips Deities: Bast, Faunus, Flora, Maia,Aphrodite, Arianrhod, Artemis, Astarte, Venus, Diana, Ariel, Var, Skadi, Sheila-na-Gig, Cybele, Xochiquetzal, Freya, and Rhiannon, Apollo, Bacchus, Bel/Belanos, Cernunnos, Pan, Herne, Faunus, Cupid/Eros, Odin, Orion, Frey, Robin Goodfellow, Puck, and The Great Horned God Crystals and Gemstones: emerald, orange carnelian, sapphire, rose quartz Animals: Swallow, dove, swan, Cats, lynx, leopard, goats, rabbits, and honey bees Mythical beasts associated with Beltane include faeries, Pegasus, satyrs, and giants. _______ Litha- 21. June- Phoenix Sun Wheel Symbolism: life, fire, rebirth, transformation, power, purity Symbols: sun flowers, leaves, sword, spear, sun, God's eye, sun wheels, bonfire, balefires, fire, sun dials, bird feathers, seashells, Colors: red, gold, orange, yellow, white, green, blue Food and Drink: mead, ale, summer fruits and vegetables, strawberries, honey cakes, whipped cream, oranges, lemons, summer squash, honey Herbs: Saint John's Wort, lavender, rose, peony, vervain, mugwort, chamomile, chickweed, chicory, sun flower, lily, thyme, hemp, fennel, nettle, wisteria, rue, fern, heather, oak, yarrow, holly Deities: Ra, Bast, Helios, Oak King, Fortuna, Arinna, and other sun god. Crystals and Gemstones: Lapis, diamond, tiger's eye, emerald, jade, and other green stones Animals: butterflies, wren, horse, stag, robin, cattle, phoenix, dragon, faeries, satyrs Magic: Litha is the time to celebrate the Sun and all that he provides for us. Protection spells and fire magic are great to perform on this night. Make protective amulets to be empowered in the balefire lit on Midsummer's eve. Looking to promote a transformation, a new career, or create a new or strengthen an old relationship? Litha is a great night to perform such magic. Collect herbs, especially St. John's Wort, on the eve of this Sabbat to bring luck and enhance the herbs' power. Renew your wedding vows or just enjoy the time with your friends and family. This is also a great time to communicate with faeries and seek their help if you so wish. Be careful though. Faeries can be tricky. Please note this is not a complete list but a brief overview of symbols, colors, herbs, deities, and the like._______ Lammas (Lughnasadh) on 1. August - Crows in Pumpkin Patch Traditional Colors: Yellows Oranges Reds Browns Greens Symbolism: fruitfulness, reaping, prosperity, abundance, purification, transformation, change, plenty, life, birth Symbols: corn (fresh or dried), corn dolls, sun flowers, wheat stalks, threshing tools such as sickle and scythe, barley, oats, candles, cornucopias, gourds, sun wheels, bread, cauldrons Colors: gold, yellow, orange, light brown, bronze, green Food and Drink: wheat, barley, rye, oats, grains, corn, bread, honey, nuts, berries (especially blackberries), cider, red wine, fresh fruits and vegetables, pies and cobblers, jam, potatoes, cornbread, ale, beer, whiskey, mead, grapes Herbs: heather, goldenrod, peony, clover, yarrow, vervain, myrtle, rose, sunflower, poppy, mushrooms, garlic, onion, basil, apple leaf, hops, marigold, grape vine, ivy, rosemary, rose hips, blackthorn Deities: Lugh, Corn Grandmother, Vulcan, Dagon, Ceres, Isis, Dana, Tammuz, Seelu, Tailltiu Crystals and Gemstones: yellow aventurine, peridot, citrine, tiger's eye, lodestone, golden topaz, moss agate, obsidian, marble, lodestone Animals: roosters, calves, griffins, phoenix, centaurs, pigs Magic: This is a great time for hearth and home magic. Set up protection spells, cleanse the home, honor ancestors, and thank the Earth for her bountiful harvest. Please note this is not a complete list but a brief overview of symbols, colors, herbs, deities, and the like. _______ Mabon - 21. September- Forest of Crows Traditional Colors: Browns Yellows Oranges Reds Symbolism: fruitfulness, reaping, prosperity, abundance, thankfulness, giving, kinship, protection, harmony, balance Symbols: apples, acorns, wine, pine cones, gourds, grapes, grains, dried seeds and leaves, vines, horns, scythes, sickles, squash Colors: red, maroon, gold, brown, yellow, scarlet, purple, blue, violet, indigo, orange, autumn colors Food and Drink: apples, dried fruits, nuts, squash, pomegranates, breads, grains, seeds, potatoes, carrots, onions, wine, grapes, cornbread, beans, mutton, ale, cider Herbs: ferns, honeysuckle, marigold, milkweed, myrrh, pine, rose, sage, tobacco, thistle, wheat, barley, oats, aster, mums, oak, hops, cedar Deities: Mabon, Morgan, Epona, Persephone, Thoth, Thor, The Green Man, Demeter/Ceres, the Muses, the Wicker-man, Bacchus, Dionysus Crystals and Gemstones: yellow agate, lapis lazuli, sapphire Animals: dogs, wolves, goat, stag, blackbird, owls and birds of prey, gnomes, Sphinx Magic: This is a great time for hearth and home magic, especially for placing wards around your home. Working spells to bring harmony and peace to the home are especially powerful on Mabon. Giving thanks to the Earth and celebrating kinship is the theme of this Sabbat, so spend this time giving to others and reflecting on what you have to be thankful for. Please note this is not a complete list but a brief overview of symbols, colors, herbs, deities, and the like. _______ Samhain 31. Oktober- Samhain Painting Traditional Colors: Browns Yellows Oranges Symbolism: death and regeneration, transformation, end of old projects, new beginnings, return, change, rest, success, plenty, knowledge Symbols: skulls, bats, cats, leaves, nuts, seeds, barren trees and branches, pumpkins, cauldron, pentacle, crystal ball, besom or broom, witch's hat, moon, crows/ravens, ghosts, goblins, banshees, candy/caramel apples, chocolate, Jack-o-Lanterns, costumes, Trick-or-Treats, Death, acorns, bones, gourds, scarecrows Colors: black, orange, red, silver, gold, brown, purple, yellow Food and Drink: apples, cider, pork, hazelnuts, pomegranates, pumpkins, potatoes, squash, cranberries, turnips, beats, mugwort tea, ale, mulled wine, pies/cakes for the dead Herbs: apple leaf, almonds, bay leaf, nettle, hemlock, cloves, cinnamon, mandrake root, marigold, mums, mugwort, pine, rosemary, sage, wormwood, tarragon, rue, garlic, ginger, hazelnut, allspice Deities: Hekate, The Crone, Cerridwen, Bast, Persephone, Horned Hunter, Cernnunos, Osiris, Hades, Anubis, Loki, Arawn, Dis, and any other death/underworld god or goddess Crystals and Gemstones: black obsidian, jasper, onyx, bloodstone, smoky quartz, carnelian, Animals: cats, especially black cats, bats, spiders, rats, wolves, snakes, ravens and crows, owls, stags, jackals, scorpions Magic: This is the time to honor the dead. Set up an altar, serve them cakes, and let them know they are not forgotten. If you wish to communicate with deceased friends and family, this is the best time of year. The veil thins the night of Samhain, making communication easy. Do NOT, however, entice spirits, disrespect them, call demons, or perform any other magic that is anything less than respectful. I repeat, don't do it. Samhain is also a great time to practice divination in the form of runes, scrying, tarot, tea readings, etc. Reflect over the previous year and perform blessing spells to ring in the new year. Astral projection and lucid dreaming is also much easier to perform on this night, but remember to be safe, Banishing magic, especially those for bad habits, are especially strong on this night. Please note this is not a complete list but a brief overview of symbols, colors, herbs, deities, and the like. _______

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cannonette · 7 years

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Shukyoku no DOLLS [ Characters ]

**PLEASE DO NOT POST OR TAKE TRANSLATIONS ELSEWHERE!!**

An Automata from France who possesses Hundred Years of Beauty

Sougyoku (Sapphire) no Noah CV: Kaji Yuki

“Hey, I’m not satisfied with something like that?”

One of the Stern Dolls belonging to Coppelia.

A mechanized doll Automata from France.

His looks are closely based on the obsession the King’s daughter had, who wished for a son who was the most beautiful than any other, and took nearly 100 years to assemble.

He came to Coppelia as his original owner went bankrupt, and he was traded for an unusually high price.

Because he has received narrow-minded affections, he can’t tolerate normal

He has a habit of looking down on people, and at times he has a side where he thinks of them as tools.

He also seems to think of you as just his next toy, but... ...

Age: 20 Years old Height: 170cm Favorite Foods: Mozzarella Cheese Favorite Things: Camera Disliked Things: Humans that crowd over him, Fan letters, Presents

Release Date: 26th of July, 2017

The Melancholic Lion King of England

Kougyoku (Ruby) no Richard CV: Kondo Takashi

“Isn’t it useless? To Love, someone.”

One of the Stern Dolls belonging to Coppelia.

He is a National Asset Grade doll that belonged to a former Grand Seigneur of England, and is extremely beautiful.

Like a Lion he holds a noble aura.

He was produced with having a [ Lion ] as a motif. During the time of war, he was stolen by a smuggler, and was sold to Coppelia.

His somehow melancholic, sorrowful eyes are his characteristic. On one of his eyes there is a crack. There is a part of him where he has given up on people. From the meeting with the Heroine, he has regained his pride as a Doll but... ...

Age: 18 Years old Height: 173cm Favorite Foods: Jam Favorite Things: Bubble bath Disliked Things: Humans ( He has a past of being treated roughly )

Release Date: 23rd of August, 2017

The Younger Brother of the Devil Doll that Germany produced

Hisui (Jade) no Dietrich CV: Namikawa Daisuke

“There’s no other boy, whose more beautiful than me y’know?”

One of the Stern Dolls belonging to Coppelia.

A Brother Doll that was made in the Golden Age of dolls in Germany. With just the difference in model numbers, he is the same model as Rolf. Because he was made a grade better than Rolf, he was often loved. And for that reason he is invective, and is more selfish than Rolf.

He has a sadistic way of thinking towards people.

He believes, that there are no other dolls who are more beautiful than them.

Age: 17 Years old Height: 167cm Favorite Foods: Raw meat, Milk pudding Favorite Things: Disassembling of dolls Disliked Things: Antique, perfect things

Release Date: 27th of September, 2017

The Older Brother of the Devil Doll that Germany produced

Kohaku (Amber) no Rolf CV: Nojima Kenji

“I would prefer it that you do not touch me with those unclean hands.”

One of the Stern Dolls belonging to Coppelia.

A Brother Doll that was made in the Golden Age of dolls in Germany. Till now he had been handed through well known nobles, but as he gets involved in disasters one by one at the places he goes to, he is regarded as the Devil Doll with a shady history.

During the war time he was avoided and sold at the black market with an

He was avoided during the war time and sold at the black market for an extravagant price, and ended up in Coppelia.

He is very prideful, and can also be superficially polite but rude in intent.

Because he was often decorated together with his younger brother who was produced from the same model, and thinks a little unpleasantly.

Age: 23 Years old Height: 178cm Favorite Foods: Millefeuille, Pomegranate Favorite Things: Rich people, Silk Disliked Things: Small houses, Common people, Auctions, falling

Release Date: 25th of October, 2017

The Bewitching Idol Doll that captivated the Women in France

Kongou (Diamond) no Darius CV: Kimura Ryohei

“I don’t want you to get close, you will certainly be mislead.”

One of the Stern Dolls belonging to Coppelia.

He is produced in France, and it is said that he has captured all the women in the country. Especially those eyes that glimmer in seven colors, Iris of the Diamond is his characteristic.

It is said that a very wealthy woman had scooped his original eyes out, and placed them with diamonds out of overwhelming love.

When he was stolen his whereabouts were unknown, but he was being sheltered by Bellmer the Leader.

He is just like a handsome boy whose proud of his beauty like of a woman, and because he had received excessive abuse out of overwhelming love, his personality has been twisted.

Age: 17 Years old Height: 174cm Favorite Foods: Espresso Favorite Things: Sleep Disliked Things: People

Release Date: 22nd of November, 2017

A Mysterious Living Doll that was imported from the China

Murasaki Suishou (Amethyst) no Fei CV: Toriumi Kosuke

“Tears are beautiful, it makes the skin look all the more beautiful.”

One of the Stern Dolls belonging to Coppelia.

A [ Living Doll ] that has a strange aura that could charm people. According to the rumor, a large and powerful family in China gathered bodies of handsome men within China, and made him for their daughter who was dying of an illness.

It is said that a few 100 years have passed, but the charm that pulls people in hasn’t faded.

He’s a doll that even the Leader of Coppelia, Bellmer, cannot help but to love the most.

Enigmatic, selfish and erratic, calm and collected. And often speaks and behaves aberrant.

Age: 21 Years old Height: 188cm Favorite Foods: Swallow’s nest Favorite Things: Hair, Water Disliked Things: Condensation

Release Date: 27th of December, 2017

#rejet #shukyoku no dolls #drama cd #otome cd #otome #character info

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yumegasaki · 7 years

Text

Shuukyoku no Dolls Story & Characters

Coppelia is a theatre troupe formed of wondrous dolls from foreign lands. The sudden and mysterious disappearances of women who have attended their shows cast a shadow over their popularity.

You attend one of these shows at the insistence of an acquaintance of yours. The troupe leader, Bellmer, unexpectedly presents you with several Star Dolls, which seem as if they are more like living beings.

Several hours after going to bed that evening, you hear a cursed voice from somewhere...

“Mistress. Please wake up...”

Noah of Sapphire (CV: Kaji Yuki) The French Automaton Who Possesses a Hundred Years’ Worth of Beauty

“Hey. That won’t be enough to satisfy me, you know?”

Age: 20 years Height: 170cm

Favourite food: Mozzarella cheese Likes: Cameras Dislikes: People who gather around him, fan letters, presents

A French-made automaton. Almost a hundred years was spent creating him as the result of a princess’s almost delusional desire for a son more handsome than any other. After his previous owner fell into ruin, he was sold to Coppelia for an extremely high price. It seems that the distorted affection he was given has meant that normal love isn’t enough for him. He has a habit of looking down on people and sees them as playthings. He even appears to think of you as nothing more than a toy...

Release date: July 26, 2017

Richard of Ruby (CV: Kondou Takashi) The Gloomy British Lion King

“There’s no use falling in love with a human, is there?”

Age: 18 years Height: 173cm

Favourite food: Jam Likes: Bubble baths Dislikes: Humans (he was treated roughly by them in the past)

An extremely handsome national treasure whose original owners were British nobles. He has a sublime air about him, just like a lion. He was also created with the image of a lion king in mind. During the war, he was stolen by smugglers and sold to Coppelia. The melancholy and sorrowful look in his eyes is his defining characteristic. He was wounded in one eye and seems to have lost faith in humans, but begins to regain his pride as a doll once he meets you...

Release date: August 23, 2017

Dietrich of Jade (CV: Namikawa Daisuke) The Younger Demon Doll Created in Germany

“There’s no one more handsome than I am.”

Age: 17 years old Height: 167cm

Favourite food: Raw meat, milk pudding Likes: Taking apart dolls Dislikes: Antiques, perfect things

The younger brother of a pair of dolls created during the golden era of German doll making. He is the same model as Rolf, but is a different version of that model. As even more care was put into his creation, he was treated with a high level of affection. This has given him sharp tongue, as well as selfishness surpassing that of his older brother. He thinks of humans in a sadistic manner and believes that no other doll is more handsome than he is.

Release date: September 27, 2017

Rolf of Amber (CV: Nojima Kenji) The Elder Demon Doll Created in Germany

“Do not touch me with those dirty hands of yours.”

Age: 23 years Height: 178cm

Favourite food: Millefeuille, pomegranate Likes: Richness, silk Dislikes: Small houses, commoners, auctions, falling

The elder brother of a pair of dolls created during the golden era of German doll making. Although he has been owned by many famous nobles, he is now considered a demonic doll who brings misfortune wherever he goes. He was traded for an unbelievable price on the black market during the war, but later ended up at Coppelia. He is a proud and superficially polite individual. He has somewhat unpleasant feelings towards Dietrich as a result of being displayed with him on many occasions.

Release date: October 25, 2017

Darius of Diamond (CV: Kimura Ryohei) The Bewitching Idol Doll Who Captured the Hearts of French Women

“Don’t come near me. I’m sure you’ll be tempted too.”

Age: 17 years Height: 174cm

Favourite drink: Espresso Likes: Sleeping Dislikes: People

A French doll who is said to have captured the hearts of women all over France. His defining characteristics are his eyes which seem to sparkle with the seven colours of the rainbow and his diamond irises. It is said that an extremely rich woman loved him to the extent that she replaced his original eyes with diamonds. He went missing after being stolen, but was found by Bellmer. Although he is a handsome young man who takes pride in his feminine beauty, he has also developed a twisted personality as a result of the extreme mistreatment he suffered.

Release date: November 22, 2017

Fay of Amethyst (CV: Toriumi Kousuke) A Mysterious and Lifelike Doll from the Continent

“Tears are beautiful. They give skin an even greater beauty.”

Age: 21 years Height: 188cm

Favourite food: Edible bird’s nest Likes: Hair, water Dislikes: Dew

A lifelike doll who possesses an aura that can charm humans. Rumours say that he was created from the bodies of handsome men for the sake of a dying girl who was the daughter of a powerful family in China. Although this is thought to have happened several hundred years in the past, his charm has not faded. He is the doll who is most dear to the troupe leader, Bellmer. He is mysterious and calm, while also being selfish and fickle. His words and actions are often peculiar.

Release date: December 27, 2017

#drama cd #rejet #kaji yuki #kondou takashi #namikawa daisuke #nojima kenji #kimura ryohei #toriumi kousuke #drama cd info

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styx-n-stone · 7 years

Text

The maintenance check

Lace Agate stared at the planet. "5,000 years and nothing has changed" She spoke in introspective reflection. "Pity, it would have been nice to have a new planet in this system." She turned to face her crew, busy at work. "Emeralds" she ordered the small gems. The psychic warriors scuffled over and aligned in front of her. "Yes Lace Agate" spoken in unison. "How do you see the landing going?" Lace said. The Emeralds looked at each other briefly before getting in their "thinking pose", as they call it. One by one they respond. "Lights!" "Poof" "Exhilarating!" Lace rolled her eyes, noting to herself to request a sapphire instead of the extra gem power. "That will be all" she grumbled , dismissing them. The Emeralds ran off giggling. Gray pearl approached her liege. "Olivine said we will be landing momentarily." Lace nodded. "Thank you, pearl." Pearl left muttering something like 'about time' or 'not soon enough'. Lace heard these, but had grown quite use to it. Pearl did good work albeit bitterly. The Agate was accustomed to getting the duds and less than exemplary, unfortunately. She thought in more depth about her crew. It wasn't much, to be fair. Two quartzes- Cloudy and Rutilated- for guards. Rarely were any real threats present, so they mostly assisted in keeping the Emeralds in check and any mechanical needs of the Olivine. Cloudy was honest and reliable, though occasionally caught daydreaming about stars know what. She generally helped Olivine with mechanical matinence. Her gem was milky white that always looked dirty, despite no reason to be. Ruttilated (the Emeralds gave her the nickname Rudy) was anxious. There was almost nothing about her that was soldierly. In fact, her gem seemed to have multiple cracks in it. Or, at least, appeared to. Ironically, she was the best at handling the Emeralds. The Emeralds were immature, spastic, and vague about everything. They were always together and always causing mischief. In all honesty, it made sense. Emeralds are the discount Sapphires and Premium rubies: warriors that can see the future. Good idea in theory, but no where near standards in practice. They gave each other nicknames. Their leader was "Eymerald", the smart one, who usually gave visual predictions. Then there was "Button", the sensitive one who gave feeling predictions. And finally "Anmerald" who.. was the unpredictable one. Her visons made no sense until retrospective. Olivine was an efficient and enthusiastic technician. Very witty but easily irritated. She worked but chatted the entire time. Lace felt lucky that cloudy kept her company. The Agate wouldn't last 5 minutes of "and the peridots think you can just REWIRE the main frame. Who does that? Anyway-" Then there was... Citrine. Citrines are supposed be more stealthy than Quartzes. But this Citrine... Is the laziest gem she's ever met. The most she does is talk to pearl and hang with the Emeralds. Lace frowned to herself. They can't help it. Production quality has gone down over the past few centuries. Less resources means less efficiency. At least she HAS a crew. The ship made an loud sound. Something like metal groaning as it's pushed against a wooden ground. "What was that?" She ordered. Olivine ran into the main deck. Almost stumbling. Cloudy managed to catch her before hand. "SOMETHING JUST FLEW PAST US AT WARP. THE NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM IS MALFUNCTIONING." Lace looked over to her flight crew. They awaited her guidance. She opened her mouth to speak only to be thrown into the dash with a loud bang. The ship started a corkscrew. Rudy cried out and hid under the dash. The Emeralds joined her huddling against the Quartz. Cloudy secured Olivine. Citrine and Gray hung on railing. Lace realized what the Emeralds meant. She gripped the dashboard and attempted to turn the stabilizer on. Emergency lights strobing and smoke entering the bridge. The ship burning from the frictave atmosphere. Gravity took effect. Screaming Crash Smoke Then silence. Lace used the dash to pull her self up. She shifted her head to her disheveled crew. No one had dissipated. She lucked out. The crew gave a long hard moan of pain. "Olivine, diagnosis" Olivine pushed cloudy off of her and went over to a panel. "No response, power cell is most likely damaged- among other things." "Repair time?" "With the resources we possess?....21 to 42 lunar rotations. Perhaps 3-5 solar rotations at worst. " Lace grunted in dissatisfaction. "Open the door" Gray pearl attempted the key pad, but it was no use. Cloudy kicked the door open. it hit the ground with a loud bang that caused everyone to flinch. Lace lead the company out of the ship. They were on the edge of a lake. Somehow they avoided being submerged in water. A few trees were knocked over but for the most part the forrest appeared to be empty of intelligent life (other than insects). Lace nodded for Olivine to survey the exterior damage. She went off, cloudy instinctually following her. "Pearl, Ruttilated Quartz, search the area for inhabitants." Lace commanded. She turned to citrine, who was lazing on a tree branch. "Citrine!" The peach gem lost her balance and landed on the grass. "I need you em the wat-" she cleared her throat and spoke again, slower and more precise. " I need you to keep watch on the Emeralds." Then picking up pace again "Report any visions they have to me immediately." Citrine nodded and gave a poorly executed salute. "Aye aye Agate!" And left. Lace looked out into the open water. She only looked back at the ship briefly to double check if the Emeralds were there. They were. For a while, she was alone to her thoughts.... Pearl and Rudy walked through the many trees. Gray nearly blended with the shadows, Rudy noted. She knows why Lace wanted her to go scouting instead of citrine like usual. (Citrine had a tendency to wonder off) Still, she much rather had been with the Emeralds. They were kind to her, and took much comfort around her while also having the same affect on her. There was always reassurance about the future like "you aren't gonna be shattered" or "you're will do a good job" or - She walked into a tree. Gray pearl stopped and looked at her. "Watch where you walk, clod" she said, and walked on. Gray doesn't know why she was put with these lackluster fools. She curses the day Onyx betrayed homeworld. She curses the day Onyx was shattered, leaving her to be distributed to a low ranking corps who don't even take her advice. If she were an Agate she'd have them all harvested. If she were a Diamond she would have harvested and conquered all the planets in this galaxy. This orb was a pathetic waste of space. She tripped over a log. She could hear Rudy giggling. "Watch your step, cl-" Gray's head whipped to face the quartz with ill intent. Rudy shut her mouth tight. She actually wanted to live today. Meanwhile back at ship, Olivine and Cloudy surveyed the damage. The extensive amount of damage Olive continued to keep notes in her log "thrusters collapsed, router devices 4-12 are gone, front is detached from back, etc etc etc.." cloudy lifted some debris out of the way to help get into blocked off sectors. It was routine as usual. "You think you can fix it?" The Quartz asked. Olivine pulled up the notes and hummed in thought like an old computer calculating. She rubbed her visor to get some of the extra dust off. She grimaced. "With difficulty, but it's doable." She looked for any notes on earths resources. "This planet is supposed to be rich in material. We should be abto-" olive stared at the screen. "UHH" the noise from her theist was alarming. Cloudy leaned over to see the screen better. "Destruction imminent. 2 weeks overdue. Travel inadvisable." Olivine let loose a horrified screech and took off towards Lace Agate, stumbling over her limb enhancers repeatedly. Cloudy followed with similar urgency. ... Citrine messed with some of the buttons on the dash. "Where's the A/C on this thing?" Clearly, the dashboard didn't work, but citrine had assumed there was some back up power reserve Which there wasn't The Emeralds on the other hand, took this as an opportunity to not work. They took turns sitting in Lace's command chair and ordering each other around. Currently, Ann was in charge. "Emeralds, there is an intruder aboard. Attack!" "Aye aye Emerald!" The others yelled before tackling citrine. The yellow orange gem laughed. "Oh no! The great Ann has captured me. I'm at the mercy of the Green Diamond!" Eye and button lifted the soldier. "For The Diamonds!" They shouted, parading around Ann in militants fashion. An froze. So did button and eye. Citrine stared at her captors. "Uh, you guys ok?" She stood up. "'Ralds?" They stared into blank space. "We've got company" they said, in perfect unison. Citrine scratched her head. "What?" She looked to the gaping hole in the wall that was the entrance. No one was there. The only thing she could see was Lace Agate staring at the water. She turned back to the green group, "what are you talking-" but they had already resumed their game. Maybe Lace should know about this one. An hour had passed. Lace had already gone from introspective to pure day dream. She hadn't realized it at the moment. There was a group of fish that had caught her eye. She didn't even hear the sound of running and screaming behind her. "LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE" Olivine fell into the mud bellow Laces feet. Lace was startled. "Olivine is that anyway to compose yourself." She responded, though her voice barely coming back to her. Cloudy helped Olivine up. No less than a second later she went off about the situation, speaking 12 words a second. "Olivine, please slow down. I can't understand you." Olivine didn't hear her. Citrine had found her way over to the Agate as well and attempted communication. This was also ineffective, only making more disorganized noise. "EXCUSE ME" she barked. Both gems shut their mouths tightly. "Olivine, what is the matter." Olivine began to speak "Slowly." The technician blinked and began slowly. "A few centuries back during the gem war" "No, what is the matter now" "Oh well, two weeks ago the-" "Today! Olivine! Today!" "This planets going to explode." There was silence. "What." "The cluster that was scheduled to emerge is two weeks overdue" "What?!" Lace, Citrine, and the Emeralds (who had wondered over during a game of tag) were now in an abstract state of terror: Paralyzed. "WELL WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ABOUT IT?! WE NEED THE SHIP FIXED NOW!" Lace said, figuratively spitting venom. Olivine trembled. "I CAN NOT FIX IT FAST. I COULDNT IF I HAD ALL THE RESOURCES AND UPDATED TECH WITH ME. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE." She was almost crying. The event was interrupted by gray and Rudy returned. "We've got company." Said Gray. The company looked to them. Lace raised an eyebrow. "Who?" The Agate asked in a low voice that might as well been a growl. "Oh Craaaazy Laaaaaaacce~ is that you?" A familiar voice sung out. Lace Agate finally understood how truly miserable her situation is. She hissed the name she hadn't spoken in centuries. "Apatite"

#Apaverse #my story #Lace Agate #Emerald crew #gray pearl #cloudy Quartz #Rudy Quartz #olivine #citrine #apatite #I don't even know

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janeaustentextposts · 7 years

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I am curious about the wedding ring customs of regency england. Were they plain or ornate? were there gem stones or inscriptions? Did it have to be a certain type of metal? Did men wear them at all?

Alas, Maureen Waller’s fabulous book The English Marriage offered no insight that I could find as to the particular customs of wedding-rings, nor did Tortora & Eubank’s Survey of Historic Costume have anything to say in particular about wedding jewelry of the period, buuuuut I have just retrieved my copy of Tait’s 7000 Years of Jewelry from the person I’d loaned it to, and there seems to be some history on marriage rings/wedding bands.‘Function’ rings did exist for centuries in Britain, going back to the Anglo-Saxons and well beyond, but those were more used for business–signet rings, (with roots in Mesopotamian seals (then worn as pendants,) which the Egyptians then formed into bezels on rings,) archer’s thumb-rings, rings to show indentured servitude or other contracts, and magical or religious rings inscribed with charms or prayers to protect the wearer from harm.

There are elaborately-carved marriage rings from late Antiquity which would include portraits of the bride and groom, as well as symbols of religion and rank, but again, these were certainly only for the rich, and not a matter of custom or necessity to conduct any marriage at all, and likely just one of many ways for a rich person to flaunt their wealth upon the point of a major life event.

Roman rings bearing symbols of clasped hands were popular for use in any contract, and grew to be used for Christian marriages and betrothals from approximately the fourth century AD, in Britain. These fede-rings held symbolic and religious/magical powers, so could have been worn for sentimental or superstitious reasons. Roman openwork rings also allowed for appropriate inscriptions, and from the 2nd century AD onwards, Christian betrothal rings were generally made of gold. Byzantine marriage rings held portraits of the bridal pair and were elaborately engraved.

In the early Middle Ages, we haven’t got a lot of information about the form of wedding-rings, or their use, but as there are such general customs of giving and receiving in the ceremony, rings likely did play a part for those who could afford them. In early Tudor times, the English custom was evidently to have a plain gold hoop, as an account of Queen Mary’s ring in 1554 “was a plain hoope of gold without any stone in it; for that was as it is said her pleasure, because maydens were so maried in old Tymes.”

For England the custom continues in the Elizabethan era with “marying rings” being used exclusively among the rich, and these were elaborate items usually indistinguishable from all other merely decorative rings such a person might wear.

Inscriptions on plain gold bands might often give clues as to whether a ring was a wedding-ring, as would the ring’s being a gimmel ring (with interlocking bands,) or if they were used in a Jewish wedding custom where a large ring plays a part in the ceremony. However, many rings were given as tokens of love, and so a loving inscription would not a definite wedding-ring make.The book has pictures of examples of 18th-19th century rings which could have been used as wedding rings OR as love-tokens, but these are all the more interesting variations on rings which might have been used–one is a puzzle ring of five interlocking hoops which, when brought together, also bring together a pair of clasped golden hands. Another puzzle-ring has seven hoops. Another ring, from France, has a painted motif of hearts and doves set under glass, with a love motto written in French. (French or Latin were popular for inscriptions, even in England.) An English ring from 1760 is a gold ring, set with a heart-shaped sapphire, inscribed with the French “FIDELITE MERITE AMOUR”. Another French ring has two enamel doves and a small ruby, as well as an inscription around the hoop.

These are clearly much fancier than anything a poorer couple could afford, and the exchange of rings between both spouses would not become a part of Christian wedding ceremonies until the 20th century in America. All that was required after the Marriage Act of 1753 was the wedding take place after the banns had been called, or upon the granting of a licence, in an Anglican Church. (Previously all one had needed was an Anglican priest to perform the ceremony.) Quakers and Jews were exempted from this, but the legal status of those marriages was uncertain for some time afterwards until the law was clarified. This was also the point where anybody under 21 who lacked parental consent started eloping to Gretna Green in Scotland, where the Act did not apply, and they could get married in the blacksmith’s forge as soon as they could get the words out of their mouths.So in the Regency, it would very much depend upon the wealth and personalities of your couple. The standard would be a simple gold band, and no doubt many preferred this, but there are certainly many ways a wedding-ring could be made unique with interlocking hoops, inscriptions, and settings of jewels, painted pieces, and enameled/carved symbols of love. (These might be more likely in lover’s token rings, however, and the simple dignity of the gold band reserved for the gravitas of the wedding itself.) Only the bride would have worn this wedding-ring, though men of high standing would wear their own rings for other purposes–signet rings, mourning rings, and lover’s-token rings. (Edward Ferrars wore a ring with a lock of Lucy’s hair in the setting, and awkwardly tried to pass it off as his sister’s hair, when their engagement was still a secret. It is a lover’s-token in truth, but evidently it is not considered at all strange that a man might wear such a ring to show familial affection for his sister, as well, even for a relative who is still alive. And Fanny Dashwood.)All in all, I’d say it really depends on the individuals, but to be on the safe side, I’d assume most brides just went with a plain gold band, perhaps with a little inscription on the inside of the hoop, if they were feeling sentimental.

#Ask Me Anything Austen-Adjacent #AMAAA #Anonymous

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