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girls-alias · 4 months

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Christmas Wish - Dean Winchester

Title: Christmas Wish - Dean Winchester Words: 2,959 Relations: Dean Winchester X reader. TW: Christmas chapter.

I walked with my friend in the mall. We were doing last-minute shopping for Christmas when we stumbled upon the mall fountain. She chuckled bringing my attention to it. It had been decorated for Christmas with a big sign explaining that throwing a coin into the fountain and making a wish would come true on Christmas day. She's superstitious so she pulled two coins from her pocket, a wide smile on her face. I accepted one of the coins reluctantly with a sad smile. I know exactly what I'm going to wish for, it's the same thing I always wish for.

I held the coin tightly, putting my heart and soul into the wish. Mentally begging it to come true. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I wish Dean would find me," I thought to myself before throwing the coin and watching as it sunk to the bottom of the fountain floor. I sighed knowing that this wish was no different from all the other times I had wished. Just like always I knew I was going to be let down. Dean Winchester was the one who got away.

It was a classic case of the right person but the wrong time. Dean and I had been hunting together when Sam was in college, we were somewhat young and irresponsible but we were a team. After 2 years we finally started dating, it was perfect, it was natural and amazing. We only experienced it for a month before his dad disappeared and Dean had to ask Sam for help. We tried long distance for a little while but with both of us constantly hunting and Dean's new mission of finding the yellow-eyed demon, we didn't work out.

We agreed mutually that it was a bad time and it only hurt more knowing we were separate. We both cried, we told stories and all I needed was his arms around me, reassuring me but unfortunately, we had to do it over the phone as we were on opposite sides of the country.

I know I should forget about him and should have fully moved on in the 11 years since I've seen him but no man ever compares to him. He's ruined my views on relationships because I haven't had a single boyfriend as good as Dean. There was a time I stayed adamant to keep my phone number so he could always reach me but when I was fighting a small gang of vampires, my phone and SIM card were destroyed. It ruined me but it had been years since I had heard from him and so I should have let it go by that point.

My best friend woke up early to wave me off as I left. She doesn't know that I hunt monsters, she thinks I'm a pilot so it explains why I'm gone for weeks and sometimes months. It also gives me an excuse to not have a fixed address as I explained I would rather stay in hotels so that I don't have to pay for electricity in a house I won't be in. She's not the smartest person I know so it makes it a little easier lying to her. She'll believe anything.

My friend tried insisting that I stay for Christmas but monsters don't rest, I don't have time. It was the day before Christmas Eve when I left, much to her dismay. We'd already exchanged gifts and she's amazing. She knows I never buy new clothes so any holiday for exchanging gifts she gets me a new wardrobe. It comes in handy as I often get clothes ruined when I'm hunting but sometimes she gets me things I wouldn't be able to fight in.

I stopped in a motel in East Iowa, I had seen suspicious activity on the news which made me think it was a possible shapeshifter. They're a pain in the ass but someone's got to do it. I tried checking in, and getting a room for the night but they explained they were booked full for the next couple of days. Not ideal but I'll just have to live in my car for a little while.

The hunt was tedious, but it was quick as the shifter was sloppy and I killed the shifter in the early hours of Christmas morning. After living in my car, it soon became apparent I had an issue with my car. I had stopped in a diner car park, opening the bonnet to take a look. I soon came to the realisation I either had a leak in the coolant tank or a clogged heater core and so needed replacements. I asked in the diner if there were any mechanics open or somewhere I could get car parts on Christmas day. I was given the address and directions to a salvage yard that never seemed to close.

*********

I pulled up to the salvage yard, finding it was a house on the property. I stopped the car, assessing the house as I wondered if I should leave since they were probably celebrating Christmas and didn't want to disturb the owner. I sighed knowing I couldn't keep sleeping in my cold car. I climbed out of the car and approached the front door. I knocked lightly and checked the time on my watch making sure it wasn't too early to be knocking. The door opened to an older gentleman looking at me a little confused, I smiled politely.

"Hi, I just need some car parts. If it's not a good time, I can just go," I explained but he chuckled, shaking his head.

"Don't worry, you need a hand?" He asked but I shook my head.

"I'll be okay, I'm just having an issue with either my coolant tank or I have a clogged heating core so I'll just look for replacements," I explained but he nodded with a smile.

"I'll help, it might be easier finding it together," He explained, stepping inside to grab a jacket.

"Oh, you don't have to. I realise it's Christmas and you're probably celebrating with family," I explained but he chuckled.

"Nah, my two boys are out of state, we're not big on Christmas," He explained making me a little sad he was alone and I smiled sadly as I nodded.

"I totally get it, I don't have family so Christmas is just another day to me," I explained as he stepped out, leading me to the scrap cars.

“So you’re doing nothing today?” He asked as he popped the hood of a close by car. I chuckled as I did the same with another car.

“Yeah, I’ll be on the road again.” I shrugged. Happily getting my hands dirty as I checked the car.

“Well, why don’t you stay here? We may be strangers but I’ll cook you a warm meal.” He explained and I was touched by his sentiment.

“Maybe I will. I’m Y/N,” I explained, holding my hand out for him to shake. We didn’t care about the oil on our hands and shook them with a smile.

“Bobby,” he explained.

*******

Bobby and I had found the parts. He helped me install the parts and after letting the car run a while it was perfect. I tried paying Bobby but he refused. His argument was that I was making his Christmas more bearable.

We went inside, Bobby was wondering what to make for Christmas dinner as he hadn't prepared anything special. I walked into his lounge following him as he explained he would have a microwave meal.

"I don't mind having a microwave meal with you, I quite like them and I can always-" I stopped as I looked to the ceiling surprised. Bobby seemed to notice my silence as he turned around to look at me confused before following my line of sight. He seemed stunned silent as if he couldn't think of a lie. "You're a hunter too?" I asked, pointing to the devil trap painted onto the ceiling. He smiled happily.

"Thank God, I had no excuse ready." He chuckled, relaxing as he took a seat at his desk.

"Wait, You're a hunter and your name is Bobby. You don't know Dean Winchester, do you?" I asked it's a long shot but -

"Yeah, I practically raised him. Sam too. They're my boys I mentioned earlier." He explained a little confused before his eyes widened. "Y/N Y/L/N?" He asked. I was shocked he knew of me. Either Dean has talked about me in the past and he had a great memory or he's heard of me from someone else. Weird coincidence though. I nodded softly. His lips curled into a wide grin. "I've been looking for you for years!" He exclaimed excitedly shocking me as he jumped up to grab his phone.

"Looking for me why?" I asked, worry filling me as I wondered if this whole thing might be a trap.

"Sam asked me to track you down so you and Dean can meet again, he's never shut up about you. He thought you died," He explained as he started dialling the phone before freezing. "Do you want to see him?" He asked. I grinned at the news. Dean never stopped talking about me, he was looking for me. Oh my God. This can't be real. What are the odds?

"Yeah, I always wondered what happened to him," I replied playing it cool but inside I was doing cartwheels, dancing, hell, I was even doing back flips. Am I really going to see Dean again after all these years?

Bobby called Sam and explained that he found me and to bring Dean, we would get some food for making Christmas dinner. He excitedly explained he wanted to make it a real Christmas. Sam said it would be a few hours before they could get here, around 7PM but was more than happy to make the trip.

Bobby put me in charge of decorating as I helped him get everything from the attack and he was quick to leave to see what food he could get. I felt a mixture of anxiety and excitement as I remembered the Christmas wish I had made in the fountain, never believing it would actually come true. But here I am, decorating a stranger's house, food soon coming, Dean, the love of my life on his way. I worried about how he might react to seeing me. I worried I wouldn't be the same or maybe he wouldn't but I always knew he was the right person, wrong time but now might be the right time.

*******

Bobby was back after a few hours. Nowhere was open but picked up a menu from a restaurant that was open and happy to deliver. He helped me finish putting up the decorations before he shooed me off to dress nicer. I laughed as I went back to my car, deciding to move it to the back of the house so he wouldn't see it. He hasn't seen this car but I don't want him suspicious someone else is here. It might ruin the surprise. I changed into a nice dress my best friend had got me and mentally thanked her for getting it for me. I figured it would be good somewhere along the way if I had to work undercover but those kinds of jobs hardly ever come up.

*******

Bobby was more excited than me. He had given me a glass of whiskey for liquid luck but he soon tipped the bottom of my glass as I was taking a drink, the car was pulling in and he wanted me out of sight but for me to have finished my drink. He grabbed the glass from me and guided me to the dining room before closing the double doors with a wide smile.

I listened as Bobby greeted them at the door, my stomach doing flips as I heard Dean's voice. I took a deep breath, stabilising myself as I felt like I was dreaming.

"Hey, Bobby. Merry Christmas," Dean commented as he entered the room behind the double doors. I waited anxiously as I knew only the wooden doors were the only things separating us.

"Merry Christmas boys," I heard Bobby add with some shuffling sounds as if they were exchanging hugs. "I've got you some gifts under the tree but Dean, yours is in the dining room," Bobby explained.

"Thanks, Bobby. You didn't have to," Another voice explained happily and I knew it must be Sam. "We've got you a small bag of presents in the car," He added making Bobby chuckle.

"Thank you, I think Dean should get his first and then we can have a drink," Bobby explained, my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

"We'll drink first," Dean seemed to shrug.

"Drinks after," Bobby insisted. There seemed to be a little silence before I heard footsteps approach the door. I took a deep breath, instantly worried and unsure how to stand. I decided to clasp my hands together and let them fall in front of me. The doors opened.

Standing in all his glory was Dean Winchester. The love of my life, the man I pined over for 11 years. He looked confused but as his eyes found mine he broke into a wide smile. He hurried to me. Engulfing me in a tight hug as he rocked us side to side slightly. I giggled as I hugged him back. My arms wrapped over his shoulders as he squeezed me tightly. I forgot how tall he actually was until he straightened up and lifted me off the floor for a second.

He buried his face into the crook of my neck, his smiling cheeks noticeable against my skin. He pulled away, his hands still on me as he didn't want to be far. "What are you doing here? You're alive, I can't believe you're alive. How did this happen?" He asked excitedly. I chuckled as I admired him. He hasn't changed for the worst, he's even more handsome than I remember, he's more rugged and definitely still the epitome of my type.

"I had car troubles, it was a complete coincidence," I explained as his smile never faded. He pulled me back into a hug making me chuckle. I hugged him back, squealing as he lifted me from the ground again and kept me up. He's still strong. God, if only he knew what he was doing to me. I noticed Bobby and a tall guy smiling as they watched us. "Hi, Sam. It's nice to meet you," I chuckled as Dean's grip didn't waver. He chuckled.

"Nice to meet you too," He added. Dean spun around so I was facing the other way. I heard the doors closing as he took one hand from around me to close the doors. I chuckled a little nervous as to why he wanted to be alone with me but it also made butterflies flutter in my stomach. He held me up with one arm, he didn't struggle and didn't seem to even consider putting me down.

Once the doors were closed, he put me down. His hands cupped my face as he admired my eyes. "I've been waiting for you," He explained, my insides turning to mush. I smiled.

"Me too," I added, he grinned at my words.

"Good," He swooped down, connecting our lips in a passionate kiss. I swooned as his lips graced mine. The kiss I had dreamed of for years. The kiss I had imagined so many times. The kiss no other compared to. He smiled against my lips as my hands move to the back of his neck to hold him close to me. One of his hands moved to my hip, pulling my body against his. I pulled away slowly when I heard Bobby and Sam snickering to themselves probably talking about us. Dean seemed reluctant to pull away.

"We can't just ignore them," I explained but he looked disappointed. I chuckled as I shook my head. "It's Christmas," I added so he playfully rolled his eyes but his smile never left his lips. He pulled me back into a sweet kiss before pulling away again.

"Be my girlfriend again and I'll stop ignoring them," He hinted, his smile turning to a smirk. I blushed at his words knowing I had never wanted anything more in my life. I nodded a little too excitedly. He chuckled as he connected our lips, celebrating the rekindling of our relationship after 11 years. I should have made the wish in the fountain years ago.

*****

It was the best Christmas I ever had. We ordered Chinese food they opened presents, we exchanged hunting stories and acted like a real family. As the night was winding down, Sam took one of the spare rooms while Dean and I took the other. I worried he would want to make up for all the nights we had missed but as soon as we were in the room alone his arms never let go of me. We cuddled all night and it was the best sleep I remember ever having.

We stayed at Bobby's a few days before Sam and Dean had to go back on the road. Dean rode in my car, kissing me when I stopped but holding my thigh the whole time I was driving. He still looks at me the same way he used to, the love in his eyes only seemed to grow as we spent more time together. He had only changed for the better but he was still the same and loving man I had fallen for. He's still perfect for me.

Masterlist

#fanfiction #fanfic #supernatural #supernatural fanfiction #dean winchester #dean winchester fanfiction #dean x reader #dean #dean winchester fic #christmas #wish

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thecarnivorousmuffinmeta · 10 months

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We know you enjoy fucked up characters. But which HP and Twilight characters do you actually like/consider decent at least as people, not characters? I'd love a reasoning, if you have time for it, but if you don't, just a list would do, thank you!

In the traditional sense that tumblr would readily accept? Alright, I'll try listing things off and see what we get.

(As for my actually 'liking' that's a different story, as you note, I do genuinely like the fucked up characters who I claim are abominable. They're interesting to me, anon.)

Harry Potter

I'm only going to bother listing off the at least somewhat present characters. We're not going to talk about shop keepers who have two lines one time or someone who just gets mentioned offscreen.

Neville Longbottom

Neville's a good kid and kind of the Charlie Brown of the series. Just, god, this kid puts up with so much shit even from those who are supposed to kind of be his friends.

However, I can never remember him ever being remotely awful even in a normal teenage way. He's just a really nice kid who has shitty teenage friends.

Luna Lovegood

Luna's a bit strange but also suffers from the seeming to be a good kid with shitty friends syndrome. Especially when those friends are worse to her than they are to Neville (quite the accomplishment). Luna should have blown her lid years ago but takes it all in stride even when Ron, Harry, and Hermione are actively making fun of her to her face.

God, Luna, I'm so sorry.

Fleur Delacour

Fleur is standoffish to Harry at first, but it's reasonable given the position she's in, her age at the time, and that it looks like Hogwarts favoritism. However, to me she generally acts nice and like a very decent person, even when the Weasleys are giving her constant hell for daring to date Bill.

Viktor Krum

Viktor seems like a nice enough guy. We don't see too much of him but he's friendly, approachable, he and Hermione have a great time at the dance and brief romance and every bad thing he ever did turned out to be him getting imperiused.

Twilight

Charlie Swan

Charlie has some serious flaws and some issues when it comes to seeing Jacob clearly/disregarding his daughter but he does genuinely seem to try his best and have her best interests at heart.

Billy Black

Billy, you poor man. In every instant Billy is trying to do right by his son, his people, his friends, or Bella and he comes off a superstitious madman, an old man who has no idea what he's talking about and the Cullens are amazing, or someone who doesn't understand.

Jessica Stanley

Jessica's a gossip and a teenage girl but she goes out of her way to do right by all of her friends. We don't see too much with the other girls, as Bella... cares about Bella, but she goes above and beyond for Bella when none of her other friends are there for her.

She nopes out (as she should have when hanging around Bella became dangerous for her) but she hangs out with Bella later when Bella's... stabilized and never brings up what happened.

Beautifully repaid for this by Edward and Bella both thinking she's The Worst.

Mike Newton

Mike's not a bad kid, he's just a teenage boy. He's about what I'd expect from any teenage boy in any high school. He's very interested in girls, yes, but he also reacts in ways normal people should like say when Bella looks like she's going to pass out in Biology over the blood testing and he's freaking out over it.

Sam Uley

I may get flack for this but the man does try. A lot. He tries to do right by all the people in the pack, tries to do right by Bella, tries to do right by Leah and Emily (even when imprinty shifty nonsense happens), and is forced into making very hard decisions. However he seems to be a very honorable and standup guy just in the worst circumstances.

Emily Young

Emily's another that tries to do right by everyone and is just caught in an awful mess. She tries to do right by Leah, by Sam, then keep her tribe together when these teenage boys keep imprinting on everything.

Leah Clearwater

Leah's full of anger but again always tries to do the right thing and is very levelheaded considering her circumstances. She doesn't want to hate Sam or Emily for what happened to her and actively tries to move on from her own hurt.

Seth Clearwater

Seth seems like a good, earnest, kid. His flaws are actually in his naivite and willingness to see the good in everybody when, yeah, Seth, maybe the Cullens are in fact dangerous and you shouldn't be buddy buddy with them. I've got nothing against Seth.

Quil Atera IV

Quil seems like a decent kid who got stuck imprinting on a toddler and is desperately trying to make the best of it in the only way he can: just being her baby sitter one time a week. Before the imprint he seemed like a decent enough guy.

I'm not going to list off all the pack but most of them seem like decent people trying to do the right thing if a little teenage boy-ish (which can sometimes make them assholes).

Carlisle Cullen

The man has some serious flaws and issues but I think he is a decent person at heart who does strive to live by his principles and do the right thing. (Also, you guys knew this one was coming).

Esme Cullen

Esme's bizarre, but she's a very sweet and caring person who I think is quite genuine in her compassion towards others. She may not be entirely there, but she does mean what she says and genuinely mean well for her family and for others. She just... says things sometimes, or doesn't realize that telling Edward it's okay to eat the girl means Edward would be... eating a teenage girl...

#twilight #twilight meta #twilight headcanon #twilight renaissance #harry potter #harry potter meta #harry potter headcanon #meta #opinion

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definitelynotafurinasimp · 10 months

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Hiiiii! Since it's Hu Tao's birthday tomorrow, can I please have a scenario where reader celebrates her 🎂 🎇 🥂?? Thank youuu!!

Celebrating Hu Tao's birthday together

characters: Hu Tao x gn!reader

warnings: none

a/n: I'm writing this at 2 am, because today's also my mother's birthday and I won't have the time to write this during the day. So if I got some things wrong I am really sorry.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Hu Tao

Of all the people in Liyue, Hu Tao was the last person you had expected to have a somewhat normal birthday. Normally, she’d find some way of keeping both of you occupied, was it by advertising her services, dragging you along as her assistant to help her catch more fish than on her last birthday or going on a daytrip to one of the many places that caused the hair on the back of your neck to stand up.

So imagine your surprise when, instead of doing anything remotely close to those activities, Hu Tao set you down at the table and forced you to admire her newly gained culinary skills she gained from the lessons she had with Xiangling, causing you to feel just the tiniest amount of fear at what she might put in when you weren’t looking.

As you silently listened to Hu Tao complain about the decline in coffin sales, the funeral director completely ignoring the fact that talking while eating wasn’t exactly the most mannered thing a person could do, you slurped on your noodles, making sure not to accidentally bite them in half while also questioning why they had to be made *this* long.

Or at least you were, until a certain someone suddenly jumped up from her seat in the middle of her sentence, screaming in your face before just as quickly returning to her sitting position, laughing at how you nearly emptied your bowl on your own clothes… and bit off the noodles in your mouth, causing the remaining part of it to fall back into the bowl.

“Tao!”, you tried to reprimand her, only for her laughter to grow even louder when she saw your face, causing you to let out a defeated sigh before wordlessly staring at you noodles.

“Do you want to buy a coffin now?”, the funeral director asked with a smile, only to explain herself further when you didn’t respond, “you know, because the noodl-”

“You don’t have to explain it to me, it’s not like this is my first time eating longevity noodles”, you cut her off, the small smile growing on your face as you realized why she insisted on you eating some of them, even though it was her birthday contrasting your annoyed tone. Eat them whole for a long life, but fail and you risk your lifespan being cut short. You were far from being superstitious, but that still didn’t mean you didn’t enjoy trying to keep them whole for as long as possible, if only as a challenge.

“If you know, then you should be especially interested in one, who knows how many years you just lost”, she joked before finally continuing on her own bowl, slurping up an especially long noodle as if it was nothing before showing you a smug grin.

“You know I don’t believe in that stuff”, was all you had to say, only for Hu Tao to give you a small shrug, prompting you to add something in a more playful tone.

“But if your little stunt did just shorten my life, I’ll make sure to haunt you.”

Not a moment after the words left your mouth, Hu Tao jumped up from her seat again before extending her hand towards you and yelling out “Deal!”, causing you to bite of the noodle you had just put in your mouth, prompting a whole lot of silent cursing from your end while the director broke out in laughter once again.

#hu tao #hu tao x reader #hu tao x you #hu tao imagines #hu tao x y/n

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foodandfolklore · 5 months

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Are they related? Food vs Food

How often do you look at foods in the grocery store, back and forth between two items thinking 'This looks exactly the same. Are they exactly the same? How are they not the same?" and no, I'm not talking about the processed repackaged foods and you're looking at 40 different kinds of tomato sauce. I'm talking about the produce lane.

Sure in some cases it's obvious they're not EXACTLY the same. But they must be related. Right? Well, sometimes they are, some times they're not, and some of these may surprise you. I know they surprised me!

Cucumber Vs Zucchini

I think anyone looking at these two would assume they're related. They're both long with dark green skin and light green flesh. When eaten raw and unseasoned, they also have a similar taste. However, these are two completely different foods.

The zucchini is a type of gourd, being more closely related to a Pumpkin. The cucumber is a Melon and is more closely related to the Watermelon. ....alright fine, technically gourds are a type of melon, still making them related; but my point remains! Try eating a cucumber with some sweetener like sugar or honey and it'll taste like watermelon. Won't work with zucchini.

Both cucumbers and zucchini are related to Fidelity, Chastity and general sex and Lust magic. But cucumbers are also associated with youth, beauty, glamor, stress relief, and rejuvenation. There was an old superstition that cucumbers had to be planted by young men in order for the crop to be successful.

Parsley Vs Cilantro

At a glance, these two herbs can easily be mistaken for the same thing. But once eaten, the difference is very clear. Cilantro (Also called Coriander) has a strong, lemon pepper taste; while Parsley is mainly an aromatic with a Lighter earthy taste.

People who love Cilantro might be perplexed by the hate it gets. Sure it's a strong taste but it's not overpowering. Well it turns out Cilantro is related to Fennel. Which is also related to licorice. It turns out, if your DNA is set up one way, these foods taste great. But if your DNA is set up another way, these foods taste TERRIBLE. My partner describes Cilantro as tasting like soap. So we stick with Parsley.

Superstitious farmers used to refuse growing parsley. See, parsley only grows back every other year. So, because of how long it takes to grow, it was believed parsley had to travel to hell and back 7 to 9 times. This was to try and convince the devil to give it permission to grow. And if the devil did not give the parsley permission to grow, the people who planted it would die. Was dubbed The Devil's Oatmeal.

Cilantro is a great protection herb. Protect the home, protect the garden, protect your health, protect your secrets. Parsley is also good for protection, but also has more general uses. Cleansing, Attract love and prosperity, Wisdom, commune with spirits; parsley has a long history in Rome of using to honor the dead and wear to enhance thinking power.

Ginger Vs Turmeric

Both roots, often eaten together as a seasoning. They look very similar; they must be related. Well, you'd be right! They are both part of the Zingiberaceae family. Both have strong anti inflammatory properties and have been used in natural remedies.

They still have very different tastes, however. Ginger will have a fresh, somewhat spicy taste. Turmeric is a bit heavier and earthier. Turmeric is also recognizable for it's bright yellow orange pigment. It's known to stain and dye.

Because they are roots, both Ginger and Turmeric have good Grounding properties. They are also both good for healing, cleansing, purification, prosperity and protection. But then we start to split off. Ginger is great for raising one's personal power, success, new experiences, passion, and general energy. Turmeric is better for communication, family relations, courage, confidence, beauty, memory, and honesty.

Peach vs Nectarine

So what's the deal with these two? They look a lot a like. They smell a lot a like. They taste a lot a like. Are they the same fruit? Well no. But also yes. It's kind of interesting.

A peach is just a fuzzy nectarine. Their genetic composition is structured in a way they they are identical except for one difference that occurred naturally, stopping the fuzz from growing on peaches. Giving us nectarines. They are exactly the same in every other way. Which is hilarious because I remember growing up, I hated nectarines but loved peaches. I think the peaches were just grown local so they tasted better.

I want to be clear, this genetic deviation is a naturally occurring mutation. It was not a result of science or GMOs or any kind of known human interference.

Peaches are a very spiritual fruit. They are linked to wisdom, happiness, harmony, longevity, love and protection. Nectarines....would probably be an acceptable substitute.

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mediaevalmusereads · 1 month

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Mistress of the Art of Death. By Ariana Franklin. Penguin, 2007.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Genre: historical fiction, mystery

Series: Mistress of the Art of Death #1

Summary: A chilling, mesmerizing novel that combines the best of modern forensic thrillers with the detail and drama of historical fiction. In medieval Cambridge, England, four children have been murdered. The crimes are immediately blamed on the town's Jewish community, taken as evidence that Jews sacrifice Christian children in blasphemous ceremonies. To save them from the rioting mob, the king places the Cambridge Jews under his protection and hides them in a castle fortress. King Henry II is no friend of the Jews-or anyone, really-but he is invested in their fate. Without the taxes received from Jewish merchants, his treasuries would go bankrupt. Hoping scientific investigation will exonerate the Jews, Henry calls on his cousin the King of Sicily-whose subjects include the best medical experts in Europe-and asks for his finest "master of the art of death," an early version of the medical examiner. The Italian doctor chosen for the task is a young prodigy from the University of Salerno. But her name is Adelia-the king has been sent a "mistress" of the art of death. Adelia and her companions-Simon, a Jew, and Mansur, a Moor-travel to England to unravel the mystery of the Cambridge murders, which turn out to be the work of a serial killer, most likely one who has been on Crusade with the king. In a backward and superstitious country like England, Adelia must conceal her true identity as a doctor in order to avoid accusations of witchcraft. Along the way, she is assisted by Sir Rowley Picot, one of the king's tax collectors, a man with a personal stake in the investigation. Rowley may be a needed friend, or the fiend for whom they are searching. As Adelia's investigation takes her into Cambridge's shadowy river paths and behind the closed doors of its churches and nunneries, the hunt intensifies and the killer prepares to strike again .

***Full review below.***

CONTENT WARNINGS: child murder, Islamophobia, antisemitism, Orientalism, attempted rape, suggestion of sexual assault of a child, allusion to bestiality, violence, blood, animal torture and death

OVERVIEW: As a former medievalist, I feel somewhat obligated to pick up books set in the Middle Ages. This one intrigued me because it promised to focus on characters who usually exist on the periphery: a female doctor, a Jew, and a Muslim. While I did appreciate the attempt at constructing a multi-cultural world, I don't think I can give this book more than 3 stars for a few reasons: in addition to some pacing and flow problems, the protagonist didn't feel at home in her world. However, I do think this book was better than some historical fiction I've read, so I'm glad I picked it up.

WRITING: Franklin's prose is fairly descriptive and is pretty good at creating atmosphere. I felt immersed in the setting and I appreciated the view of the town that was sketched out for me.

I do think, however, that there were some flow and pacing problems. There was some head-hopping within the same chapter or section, for example, which interrupted the ease with which I moved through the text. The narrarive also tended to wander, moving to and from things that had little to do with the murder. I also thought some moments tended to lag and focus was diverted from the mystery itself. Part of the lag might have been due to some repetition; I noticed that some ideas had to be restated more than once, and some scenes were drawn out a little longer than necessary.

Also, there seemed to be an odd interest in several characters' fatness. I can't decide if it's fatphobia - Adelia comments on people's sizes and advises them to lose weight, but it's somewhat clinical in tone. I don't know - maybe someone else can speak to this better than I can. I just found it odd.

PLOT: The plot of this book follows Adelia, a female doctor of the dead ("mortician," perhaps) from Salerno who is sent to England to investigate a string of child murders. The Jewish population is being blamed for the violence, so with the help of investigator Simon of Naples (a Jew) and Mansur (a Moorish bodyguard), Adelia seeks out the perpetrator while also trying to negotiate peaceful co-existence.

I appreciated Franklin's attempt to portray a diverse medieval world. Not only was Silerno portrayed as cosmopolitan, but even England is described as having contact with Arab traders and having a significant Jewish population. Of course, not everyone gets along and some of the animosity against Jewish and POC characters can get tiring, but I liked the moments when Christians, Jews, and Arab Muslims appeared to get along and co-habitate.

I also think the scenes where Adelia is doing her analyses or investigating are fairly strong. Whenever she examines a body or tracks down a lead, I was always invested in the outcome and what kind of information would be revealed.

However, there were some things I didn't like. One thing I found irritating was the portrayal of England as a backwards, superstitious country. Adelia complains about everything - their lack of vegetables (English people had them - they weren't toddlers), their manners, their lack of splendid architecture, their ignorance and the Church's mandate not to practice any medicine (and rely only on prayer). It made Adelia feel elitist, but more than that, it made medieval England out to be a kind of shithole. We have herbals and leechbooks from the time period that showed that people did use some forms of medicine, so Franklin's portrayal seemed to be reveling in barbarism to make Adelia seem more enlightened. Maybe I'm more sensitive because my specialty was medieval England, but I'm just a little sick of most medieval people being portrayed as primitive or barbaric.

CHARACTERS: Adelia, our protagonist, is admirable due to her medical competence, but almost everything else about her got on my nerves. I enjoyed watching her examine bodies and treat the sick, but her attitude towards the world came across as elitist. She complained about the lack of salads, blasted people for their ignorance and superstition, highlighted how Jews and Arabs are "just like us" and how women should be equal to men. While I didn't want Adelia to be antisemitic or sexist, her characterization made her feel like she was a modern woman dropped in the medieval past, and I wish her ideas were expressed in terms that would have been familiar to people of the time.

Simon and Mansur, Adelia's companions, could have used more attention, especially since they are the most prominent non-Christian and non-White characters. Simon has a little bit of "screen time," but Mansur barely feels like he's there at all. I would have liked to see the relationship between the three of them developed more, so that their bond felt more personal even if it originally began as professional.

Sir Rowley was perhaps the most interesting character because he motivations started out as unclear, and over time, his relationship with Adelia changes. His actions are fairly admirable, and I think his background makes sense. I do think their romance is a little annoying and could have been supported better, but oh well.

I probably adored the relationship between Adelia and Ulf the most. Ulf is a kid who proves to be useful in the investigation, and I liked how attached he became to Adelia.

TL;DR: Mistress of the Art of Death is an uneven medieval mystery that is redeemed by its investigation scenes and attempt to create a diverse medieval world. While the protagonist felt like a modern woman dropped into the past and the narrative flow was uneven, the mystery itself was compelling, as was the scenes where Adelia made use of her medical knowledge.

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highwaydiamonds · 1 year

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Current state of the shawl! I know the photo is at a bit of an odd angle, but the shawl is knit on the bias, and will essentially form a long parallelogram. You can see, somewhat anyhow, the open areas that the yarn-overs create in the pattern. I'm pretty happy with the colors so far and the way things are working up. It looks stripier here than I feel like it does in person (other than that transition from the green mini-skein into the knitpicks muse speckled yarn). I'm close ( knock on wood - i swear i am never so superstitious as hen I'm knitting and scared of errors or crises) to finishing this skein of Muse, and will be going on to the first skein of Wildflower Yarn's Unicorn Poop (:DDDDD - the name gets me very time, smile inducing)

I feel like I am the slowest knitter ever, and I am going to be making this thing til idk armageddon, the universe dies its cold death, or I can find a pair of shoes that makes my feet look cute (the first two are more likely - TRUST.) . However, the fabric is soft and so *bouncy*; it is eminently squishable! This color palette too just is a joy to look at. It's a lucky charms marshmallow of a thing, a my little pony pastel princess of a shawl. So, if i can manage to finish it before the end of forever (without any disasters- told you, superstitious when knitting... (¬_¬)' ) I think I just might love curling up in this thing.

#knitting #knitblr #adventures in terrible knitting!#adventures in terrible knitting #this is the shawl that doesn't end - yes it goes on and on my friends - somebody started knitting it not knowing what it was..#and she'll continue knitting it forever just because (she's really slow at knitting ok and don't judge her for that plz)#i'm going to have to think of a name for this shawl - other than the pattern name - which iirc is the palette shawl #palette shawl by expression fiber arts #knit picks muse in glee speckled #wildflower yarn unicorn poop #mini skeins are also wildflower yarn from the 2022 yarn advent calendar they did #i am doing this all in aran/worsted weight yarns currently on size 10 needles #probs coulda gone larger needles still even for more drape but meh i am happy with that i am - but glad i went up from 9s #so - so far. so good (for third cast on of this project - which is why the superstition ok - i has my reasons.)

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welcomingdisaster · 1 year

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did I already ask Morwen and Maedhros for the ask game? if so I am so sorry. if not them!

-@outofangband

@outofangband you didn't! :) here they are

Morwen:

one aspect about them i love

her vibes! the fact that she apparently intimidates servants of morgoth! the witchiness of it all!

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

hmm i'm not sure if i've got one for this! her fandom is so small that everyone who writes her seems to know her better than I do.

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

for some reason i always picture her as having a big herb garden/using a lot of dried herbs. she also reads to me as superstitious.

one character i love seeing them interact with

turin! they seem like they really get each other. also, thanks to you, aerin.

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

hmm i want her to hang out with beleg. i think they'd have a good time. also i want her to meet fingon.

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

hmm... i feel like she saw a lot of herself in turin and part of the reason she sent him away was knowing that he would be treated similarly to how she was.

and Maedhros:

one aspect about them i love

White fire in his eyes as one who returns from the dead!! AHHHHHH. Love this vibe so much I'm obsessed with it.

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

I think a lot of fandom portrayals tend to write his PTSD as very quiet/sad/anxious and understate his canon tendencies towards anger and violence. I really wish more people were interested in exploring the "sharper" aspects of his PTSD, since canonically we see quite a lot of that. And I think it's a more interesting internal struggle for him -- lashing out at people he loves, despite not wanting to, struggling to keep his cool, etc.

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

I personally don't think he wore a prosthetic all that often! Probably only in diplomatic settings. I think he got very good at using the stump of his wrist to hold/steady/manipulate objects. I also think he did use it to be affectionate with people -- it is the natural one for someone to hold, after all.

one character i love seeing them interact with

Oh man so many! Very basic answers are Maglor and Fingon, which seems to be all I've been writing lately lol.

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

Gil-galad! Especially in contexts where Gil is not closely related to him or his favorite people (so, Gil as Finrod's or Orodreth's son). I think they work well as foils for one another -- both doomed leaders trying to herd cats in very unstable times.

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

I think he and Maglor often share the same bed in the later days, which is definitely somewhat strange for brothers. Both very paranoid about losing each other, both are very prone to nightmares, and both of them sleep fully dressed just in case. Also I think he's a very clunky dancer.

#morwen #maedhros #outofangband #lena speaks #thank uu for the ask #maedhros my beloved etc etc

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solarsavoy · 6 months

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For the OC thing

11, 21, 33 and 39

Yay, another ask!

11 - logical

I already answered this here, but it was actually a tie in my mind, so I'm gonna use this opportunity to give a different answer.

I'd say Izzy this time. How well I portray that is a different story, but I always think Izzy when I think logical. He cares a lot about technology and gets frustrated with emotions and people that seem to have no common sense. He's actually somewhat inspired by Izzy from Digimon, who was often seen as the most logical in the bunch. I've considered coming up with a catchphrase for Izzy too, just because. ^^ Prodigious doesn't quite fit him though, so it'll have to be a different one if I do decide on something.

21 - superstitious

Answered here, but I'm also gonna copy/paste it just in case you don't want to read all the other answers.

This one’s hard. Surprisingly, I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head, but the closest one that might be superstitious is Caines. He’s the king’s Left Hand and questions everything to the extreme. He’s great at finding out information that way, but he’s also suspicious of everything when conversing with people. I can’t say he’s outwardly superstitious per se, but it does fit within his personality to be that way.

33 - talented

Panko! This is actually one of the few attributes of mine that I didn't give to Stag or Deshi. I'm really quick to pick up new things and was once told that I'm too talented for my own good. Panko gets this from me. I can see her succeeding in just about anything she picks up. Part of it is because she's focused and determined, but a lot of it is just hyperfixating on things long enough to get the hang of it quickly. Stuff I imagine she's good at, or at least above average: drawing, singing, dancing, playing instruments, hobbies similar to crochet and knitting, origami, puzzles, the equivalent of sewing (because she actually doesn't need to because of magic), and any number of other things that are somewhat arts and craftsy or games that require a little bit of logic and/or skill.

39 - badass

This one might be a little unexpected, Deshi. From the way he starts out, he's very squishy and soft and sweet, but as his confidence grows and he gets better with the Krystar, he's quite serious, intuitive, and creative with his fighting style. Things get really intense in his fights, sometimes relying on just sheer determination to win, and he does. Barely in some cases. In my opinion, that makes him pretty darn badass. 😤

Thanks for the ask, Jackie!

Ask thing.

#solarsavoyasks #Krystar #original characters #Krystar characters #Deshi is a badass #eventually

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ihavetoomuchhomeworkforthis · 10 months

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Hey so one time I came up with the idea of acorn frogs, as well as mushroom slugs, and I have a little piece of paper for each of them with some drawings and explanations, but I'm visiting my grandparents at the moment, so I can't go take pictures. I want to explain the acorn frog one though, because talking about the potential reproductive systems of hypothetical photosynthetic Vulcans (I made a post about that) reminded me of it? (I'll try to keep this one slightly less wordy)

Maybe when I get home I can go take pictures of the papers.

(Nerdy explanation and theorization follows:)

So the idea was that frogs would grow inside acorns on trees, as if the acorns were little eggs, and they'd be slightly translucent such that you could see the developing frog inside.

While the frog was developing, its spine would fuse to the inner acorn shell, like how turtles work, and when it was fully developed, it would kick through the smooth egglike part of the acorn, like a butterfly escaping its cocoon, or a chick breaking out of its egg. The violent actions would also snap the stem from the branch, causing the acorn frog to fall to the ground.

It would look a bit like a turtle, except that it would be a smol frog with biiig eyes and an acorn shell on its back

Never quite figured out how that would end up turning into a tree. Maybe it IS a seed still, and when it dies its acorn genes reactivate and it gets an afterlife of becoming a tree, although it has only as much chance of achieving this as any regular acorn, and possibly less since things might think they're yummy while in all the stages of being a frog. Fortunately the old acorn frog trees go through many generations of creating acorn frogs, just like normal trees.

----------

Now I just have to somehow connect this idea to the photosynthetic Vulcans one from earlier :)

(feel free to disregard this theorization if you prefer the whole "normal" pon farr thing)

Edit: Alright I've read back through this and noticed that I used "shell" to describe both parts of the acorn, which got confusing. After some research it was revealed that the scaley cap of the acorn (the part with a stem where it breaks off from the branch) is called the cupule, while the smooth egglike fruit wall (the rest of the visible acorn) is called the pericarp. To clear up my intentions, I'm going to go edit and replace all the following times I said "shell" with either cupule (scaley cap) or pericarp (smooth egg shaped part)

How about, once every seven years ;) the Vulcans start (asexually) growing 1-4 little acorns branching off of various places on their upper arms and legs. (At this point, it is harmless to snap off the acorns if the Vulcan doesn't want babies.) Different growth locations are superstitiously presumed to suggest different things about the future of the growing Vulcan, and it is common to tie colorful protective slings around the acorn to prevent jostling or premature dislocation.

The growth environment of these acorns is what makes them not exact clones, because lack of genetic diversity is boring and also dangerous. There are also various superstitions about what herb/mineral salves to put on the acorn's pericarp in hopes of different future personality traits, physical traits, etc. (It's believed that the salves might be able to soak through the pericarp and cause chemical changes.)

Since the pericarp is slightly translucent, you can check on the growth progress of your developing baby Vulcan. They recieve nutrients through what is effectively an umbilical cord, which goes through the stem of the acorn (through the cupule) into the arm/leg of the parent, and connects parent to offspring in a somewhat similar way as with humans.

These acorns only reach roughly the size of oranges before the baby Vulcan(s) will start kicking through the pericarp. Once free, the baby will maneuver itself around so as to cling to the arm or leg of the parent, snapping the stem of the cupule in the process (and therefore severing the direct connection to the parent). The parent Vulcan can safely pick up, hold, and relocate the baby Vulcan as soon as this happens. The cupule of the acorn clings to the baby's back as protection for a period of a few months, like how baby humans retain a piece of the umbilical cord, except more useful (this "useful" point is arguable, not only because there are no longer dangers, but also because without it, the baby Vulcan would have camouflage against their parent, and with it, a potential predator can see exactly where to grab/bite. However in current times it would protect them from any potential falls or bumps, and sort of looks cute). The baby Vulcan is blind and deaf and useless for a while, and will cling to the body of the parent with limited (but some) movement, like a baby sloth. Also its foliage is a lot fluffier and softer everywhere than that of the adults (hehe chubby baby) and probably a bit paler too, more like lamb's ear than oak leaves or the small scale-like leaves of various coniferous trees. The parent will typically end up decorating the cupule somehow now that the whole surface is accessible for painting (possibly tied to more superstitions about ritual patterns, I got that idea from a post about Cardassian eggs which I can't remember). The eventual breaking off of the cupule is a much celebrated milestone, and the baby Vulcan will also have gained quite a bit more sight, hearing, mobility, and size by this time. The cupule is usually saved. (The parent might need to continually pick up the baby and put it back on their arm or somewhere, because the babies don't know that it's very annoying and unhelpful to have a baby climbing on your face or hands. Maybe they have to put them in slings for sleep and to stop them from climbing around distractingly)

The baby Vulcan(s) (1 to 4 of them) will continue growing, developing, gaining senses and mobility, and climbing around the parent for at least another month after they lose their shells. They'll start climbing down to the feet of their parent to attempt to walk (crawl) around on their own, and generally have more success with that than human babies since they already have so much practice climbing.

Eventually the baby Vulcans will be able to do stuff on their own. They don't technically HAVE to climb around their parent once they've broken out of the pericarp and snapped the stem, so they could be left in the quarters, but the parent would probably like to let the babies cling to them, at least while they're still small.

The one problem with this is that Vulcans aren't sloths, and don't need to have a climbing instinct, so maybe I've gone about this wrong.

Or they'd just end up being really good cuddlers.

And they secretly want to climb the walls all the time.

And probably could (except that it would be illogical)

#star trek #vulcans #photosynthetic vulcans #biology theorization #acorn frogs #:D #I really hope somebody actually cares about this #it's so long haha #Also I did image descriptions for the first time!#speculative biology

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jellyluchi · 2 years

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🌹🎃💰👽🗺🍇

For prosciutto!

Thanks Melk!!!

rainbow emoji selfship asks

🌹 - Does your f/o believe in “love at first sight?” Do you?

Prosciutto for sure does not believe in it. Even when he was younger he always thought it's not possible to truly love someone without knowing them. It was probably because of how much he guards his heart. I used to believe in it but now it's kind of complicated. For a while I didn't believe until I watched a video where a scientist explains some things about how the brain processes and perceives love and it was convincing when she talked about love at first sight being a real thing! Plus even though I didn't want to admit it whatever I experienced with Pros somewhat felt like love at first sight.

🎃 - You and your f/o are going to a costume party! What do you both dress up as?

We'd go for a classic Hades and Persephone! We might also try Mr and Mrs. Smith just because I know he would love to dress up.

💰 - How much does your f/o spoil you?

More than I deserve. Like I'm not a demanding or high maintenance person. But he seems to really enjoy spoiling so I don't really say not. However, Prosciutto isn't impractical, neither is he frivolous with money and doesn't spend it recklessly, he's got great financial sense. So it think he spoils me a reasonable amount. Though honestly I would consider him buying me a piece of cake as spoiling really.

👽 - Is your f/o superstitious? Do they believe in cryptids?

Yes!!!! Okay, I was going to say no because of course Prosciutto believes in the materialistic world and is very logical. But he makes me think logic and superstition can absolutely go together. Especially because in canon he literally wears a necklace resembling a magatama and talks about spiritual weakness. It leads me to believe he actually believes in some spirituality. I made a whole post about it somewhere but even if Prosciutto outwardly denies it I think subconsciously he's very aware of things such as luck (he talks about being unlucky in the manga) and spiritual energy. So he's definitely, even if in secret, is superstitious he is not taking ANY chances. About cryptids... I think he might not believe in them but still get a bit spooked thinking they could exist like his secret fear of ghosts LOL

🗺 - couldn't find this emoji in the questions so I'll use it as a free space to share an hc!

I hc Prosciutto had a very complicated relationship with his mother. It leads him to have all sorts of mommy issues and something that I think we have in common. His father on the other hand was an ass.

🍇 - Does your f/o naturally give themself “me time,” or do they need reminders from time to time?

Surprisingly, Prosciutto needs reminders more than once. It's not that he never remembers, he's usually very good about his boundaries. But because of work he really slacks off on taking care of himself. So I try to make sure he gets a lot of time for himself. Plus, I personally need A LOT of "me time" myself which works as a reminder for him too.

#answered #ask game #papersirens #thanks again melk!!

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motocorsas · 2 years

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Jupiter, Saturn and IC

jupiter (do you consider yourself a lucky or unlucky person): it comes and goes. despite my lack of spirituality and minor derision towards things of that nature i'm still pretty superstitious. most of the time it comes out when my luck is on a downturn. i never want to jinx anything.

saturn (what are the things you struggle the most with?): i have a bit of a narcissistic streak. it's somewhat of a response to years of self-loathing, actually, and a lack of social development when i was young. i'm sure this isn't the kind of thing everyone would like to hear about but sharing it helps me to manage the feelings. i don't consider myself selfish and i certainly don't think i deserve more than any other person, in fact i'm very willing to make sacrifices for others and to put their needs first. but i have to work to remember that i'm not better than them. because i'm not. i've internalized this idea that i'm the only person in the room whose thoughts are "real", i'm the smartest in any group, i'm the one who deserves to be in control, my work is good, and thus i should work as much as i can.

also i'm really slow at tying my shoes. even now. i just never got the hang of it.

IC (do you think you had a good childhood?): oh boy. i can tell you off the bat to sate your worries that i wasn't abused or neglected. i just happened to be a very scared, neurotic child. an unlucky genetic makeup, somehow predisposed to suffering. i kind of lament it all the time that it wasn't anyone's fault but mine that i ruined my own childhood. i was bored. i liked reading books. my sibling would pinch me or hit me and then feel so bad that they'd run away crying. we would play games together. my parents worked a lot. my mom was struggling with a lot of things that i couldn't really see -- but, great news, she's now admitted her alcohol dependency and is 80 days sober(!!!!!!!). the rest of it i don't really remember.

#sorry if this is kind of heavy #ask

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literaticat · 2 years

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As an agent do you ever feel somewhat concerned when you see an author post their querying stars after signing them? Like, does it raise alarm to see an author had like 300+ rejections before you took them in as your client?

(I assume here you meant 'stats' -- unfortunately, I can't edit questions!)

I personally I don't love it when people post their stats BEFORE they get an agent, like whilst they are in the process of querying -- it feels a little off-putting, if they are broadcasting that kind of thing they are probably also posting rejection letters and stuff, which I heartily dislike. It's OK to have private information, you know? Maybe I'm superstitious, it just feels weird.

But I don't have any problem with it AFTER -- then I just assume that there are 300+ dum-dums and I am smart. And it's FUN and interesting to hear about a long road to success, from the POV of somebody who made it through.

Though, honestly, getting an agent - -while it is an accomplishment and worth celebrating in its own right -- it's only the BEGINNING of the journey, not the end. Don't pat yourself on the back TOO hard.

This kind of story actually makes the MOST excellent anecdote after you not only have an agent, but have published successfully. Then you can be like "oh yes, this book that is so successful? IT TOOK ME TEN YEARS TO WRITE AND HAD 300 REJECTIONS!" and people are like "OMGGGGG AMAZINGGGGG you are an INSPIRATION" etc)

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theliteraryluggage · 2 years

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1, 3, 5, 11, 20, 35, 38 for the weird Writer Questions :)

thank you!!!

What font do you write in? Do you actually care or is that just the default setting?

In Scrivener I write in Calibri. The default setting there is Courier and I used that for a while but I find it very exhausting to read. I don't know why I picked Calibri exactly, it just seems like a nice basic font. I'm not super attached though--if I'm writing in Google Docs, I don't bother changing it from Arial, Arial is fine.

3. What is your writing ritual and why is it cursed?

Making tea is an important part of my writing ritual when I'm actually consciously sitting down to write. And then not drinking it. So it's cursed because cold tea.

5. Do you have any writing superstitions? What are they and why are they 100% true?

I'm not really a superstitious person. I can't think of anything off the top of my head, but I'll get back to you if I think of anything.

11. Do you believe in the old advice to “kill your darlings?” Are you a ruthless darling assassin? What happens to the darlings you murder? Do you have a darling graveyard? Do you grieve?

I am very bad at killing my darlings. I get very attached. Often even if a beta reader tells me something isn't working, if it's a sentence/phrase I really like I often ignore it. I do have a graveyard where everything that gets cut and is more than one sentence goes. I don't really like deleting anything longer than a sentence. If it's just a sentence, though, or even just a turn of phrase, I just delete it. But if it's something I really liked, it'll stay with me in the back of my mind and sometimes I find another way to use it.

20. If a witch offered you the choice between eternal happiness with your one true love and the ability to finally finish, perfect, and publish your dearest, darlingest, most precious WIP in exactly the way you've always imagined it — which would you choose? You can’t have both sorry, life’s a bitch

God, that is a really mean question. But honestly? I think I'd pick my WIP. I don't believe in one true love anyway, and it doesn't mean I can't still find happiness in my love life. But getting Impartial just right? Getting to publish it and share it with the world? Man, that's the dream.

35. What’s your favorite writing rule to smash into smithereens?

Not to use adverbs. I fucking love adverbs. Not to use the passive voice. I fucking love the passive voice. Not to use prologues. I fucking love prologues. To use a bunch of weird alternatives for "said". It's said or it's nothing, very few exceptions.

38. What is something about your writing process YOU think is Really Weird? If you are comfortable, please share. If you’re not comfortable, what do you think cats say about us?

There's not a lot I think is weird anymore... I might have once, but since I've spent time around other writers, I've realised that I'm not alone with any of the "weird" things I do. But one thing I do that's probably not normal is sometimes when I've been thinking about a character a lot or feel particularly close to them, I kind of ... let them take over for a while? Let them guide my actions, my words, my thoughts, even my posture. When I was really deep in Impartial back around 2013 this took overhand somewhat to the point that I'd lose myself for a bit. I've also had many honest to god conversations with Alistair and used to address my diary to him.

Weird Writer Questions

#writeblr #writer #writing #nihi writes stuff #ask #answered #kat-anni #ask game

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starsmuserainbow · 2 months

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Some randomly chosen questions for a selection of my muses answered from this meme because I want to! Sorted more or less randomly, though I started with the muses I feel the strongest these days.

For Lightning, I'm gonna answer:

🪄 MAGIC WAND — would you describe yourself as a superstitious person (someone who believes in superstitions)? do you believe in luck? "Yeah right. No, I'm very much not superstitious. And if luck exists, it tends to be against me, so I don't really care to bother thinking if I should believe in it or not."

(and bc that was too short for my liking, another one for her:)

🌙 CRESCENT MOON — what would you say is your current biggest dream and/or career aspiration and why? "It would be really amazing to become one of these well-known, absolutely capable and powerful heroes. It's not like I do what I do for the attention or fame, but it's still a cool thing to imagine that people would recognize and look up to me, and stuff."

---

For Mia, I'm gonna answer:

🧪 TEST TUBE — if you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what is one thing you absolutely have to resolve and/or do before then? "Wow. Pretty grave thing to ask, wouldn't you say?" Mia paused for a little bit as she pondered the hypothetical situation. "I think I'd try what I can to still do some good. For unique people, or better yet for whole groups. No idea what that would be though, so if I'd suddenly be hit with this news, I guess I'd just be, like, patrolling the streets and trying to prevent crimes more like the actual heroes do."

---

For Moonshot, I'm gonna answer:

🤔 THINKING FACE — what three emotions tend to dominate your mindset? do you know why they do? "Anger. Confidence. Pride. They do because they are the most beneficial and important emotions to have as a tamaranean warrior." [[In not his words, it's more because of all of his experiences in the past and how he's more or less defining himself through his pride as a warrior and how he's always going to see Tamaran and Tamaraneans as the absolute best there is.]]

---

For Kage, I'm gonna answer:

🖤 BLACK HEART — what would you say is the darkest thought you’ve ever experienced? what do you think caused you to have that thought? have you ever planned on or fantasized about acting on it? "Dark thoughts are all I work with. Did you forget I kill for money? I doubt you can go much darker and colder than that." She was silent for a moment, not really wanting to continue elaborating. There were certain thoughts in her past that were somewhat darker, more gruesome, than others, but she was not willing to explain all of this so she just added a 'why' to be done with it. "It is all that life gave to me that caused this. And I have often acted on it before - as I said, it's what I do for money."

(and bc that was a lame answer, another one:)

⚡️ LIGHTNING BOLT — how has [significant event in muse’s life] impacted you? what has it made you realize about yourself? about others? about the world? "I'm not gonna explain what that event was. Be happy I answer at all." Kage grimaced at having to answer it. "It shattered the whole new life I had thought I was building. Again destroying everything I had. On the ruins, I built the life I have now, and what it made me realize is that I will not listen to or trust my heart ever again. It made clear that no one is ever to be trusted, and that that is how the world works. Everyone will betray anyone else at some point, it's better to just never trust in the first place."

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For Cat, I'm gonna answer:

🎨 ARTIST PALETTE— what are some hobbies that you like to partake in? do you think they’re just to pass time or to distract yourself, or do you believe some of them potentially have therapeutic outcomes for you? "I very much enjoy reading books that tell a story. It helps me blend out my ability when I am able to immerse myself in a fantastic story of being someone else or joining someone on a fictional adventure. I also play the violin, the sound of it is just very soothing and calming to me."

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For Galfore, I'm gonna answer:

🫂 PEOPLE HUGGING — generally speaking, do you feel very supported by the people in your life? how strong and cohesive is your support system, if you have one? do you often feel like you’re at the front of the line or pushed to the side by the people in your life? Galfore was silent for a little bit. "It is not my role to be supported. I am the one to support the people in my life., and I am satisfied with that." He did have his time of being supported, and it was only right to give back on that now.

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