General PSA: I’m totally fine with starting over! If we tried to write together once before and the thread fell flat or got dropped, I’m game to try again. Not all first interactions are going to be golden, and sometimes it takes a few tries for us to understand how our characters might merge together in writing. I’m still interested in roleplaying with you, so feel free to send asks / like my starter calls / hit me up in the DMs!

For all my characters!!! I have blogs up for June @june-the-botanist , Sara @the-astrallurgist , Siana @the-rosecut-jeweler , Evelyn @the-eve-of-twilight , Titaniia @the-huntress-songblade , River @the-little-blue-river , Kisaarii @the-golden-rangari , and of course this one for Cyrus. But all my toons are available!

@thalsianiii this made me think of you!

The Botanist Reborn

((Hello all. It's been quite an amazing 6 months, filled with more IRL ups and downs than I thought possible. After a great deal of thought, I'm ready to bring June back into RP properly, free of old tethers that were preventing me from writing for her properly. To be clear, I am not retconning her past, only a few details. I'll be posting up her origins while I get caught up with present day on her, the way she was always meant to be: a curious young botanist who can do anything she puts her mind to.))

NAME: Juniper Rose Blower

(FC image below = manip by me for accurate reference)

FACE CLAIM:  Elizabeth Olsen NICKNAME:  June, Rose AGE:  24 HEIGHT:  5′6″ SPECIES:  Human GENDER:  Female BIRTHDAY:  March 17 SUN SIGN:  Pisces RESIDENCE:  unknown SKILLS:  botanist, shapeshifter, medic DRINK:  Gilnean Ambrosia FOOD:  Meat Pie (usually beef or venison) DAY OR NIGHT:  Day SNACKS:  Honeycrisp Apples SONGS: Assassin’s Theme composed by Lorne Balfe [click links to listen]; Invincible composed by Russell Brower PET:  none COLOR:  earthy tones (brown / green); Gilnean colors (faded blue & gold) FLOWER: Gilnean roses EYE COLOR:  hazel-green (left), ocean blue (right) HAIR COLOR:  Sun-rich Blonde BODY TYPE:  slender, swimmer’s build, modest curves

MORAL ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good

A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. She is devoted to helping others. She works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because sometimes it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.

PREDOMINANT ARCHETYPES:

PERSONALITY:   ISFP-T -- The Adventurer

Adventurer personalities are true artists, but not necessarily in the typical sense where they’re out painting happy little trees. Often enough though, they are perfectly capable of this. Rather, it’s that they use aesthetics, design and even their choices and actions to push the limits of social convention. Adventurers enjoy upsetting traditional expectations with experiments in beauty and behavior – chances are, they’ve expressed more than once the phrase “Don’t box me in!”

Adventurers live in a colorful, sensual world, inspired by connections with people and ideas. These personalities take joy in reinterpreting these connections, reinventing and experimenting with both themselves and new perspectives. No other type explores and experiments in this way more. This creates a sense of spontaneity, making Adventurers seem unpredictable, even to their close friends and loved ones.

Despite all this, Adventurers are definitely Introverts, surprising their friends further when they step out of the spotlight to be by themselves to recharge. Just because they are alone though, doesn’t mean people with the Adventurer personality type sit idle – they take this time for introspection, assessing their principles. Rather than dwelling on the past or the future, Adventurers think about who they are. They return from their cloister, transformed.

Adventurers live to find ways to push their passions. Riskier behaviors like gambling and extreme sports are more common with this personality type than with others. Fortunately their attunement to the moment and their environment allows them to do better than most. Adventurers also enjoy connecting with others, and have a certain irresistible charm.

However, if a criticism does get through, it can end poorly. Some Adventurers can handle kindly phrased commentary, valuing it as another perspective to help push their passions in new directions. But if the comments are more biting and less mature, Adventurer personalities can lose their tempers in spectacular fashion.

Adventurers are sensitive to others’ feelings and value harmony. When faced with criticism, it can be a challenge for people with this type to step away from the moment long enough to not get caught up in the heat of the moment. But living in the moment goes both ways, and once the heightened emotions of an argument cool, Adventurers can usually call the past the past and move on as though it never occurred.

[ SOCIETY ]

$ Financial : wealthy / moderate / poor / in poverty. ✚ Medical : fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged. ✪ Class or Caste : upper / middle / working / slave / unsure. ✔ Education : qualified / unqualified / studying✖ Criminal Record : yes, for major crimes / yes, for minor crimes / no / has committed crimes, but not caught yet.

[ FAMILY ]

◐ Marital status : married - happily / unhappily / engaged or betrothed / partnered / single / divorced / separated / widowed ◒ Children : has a child of sorts or children / has no children / wants children. ◑ Relationship with Family : close with sibling(s) / not close with sibling(s) / has no siblings / sibling(s) is deceased / Has cousins and is close to them ◔ Filtration : orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by birth parents mother

[ TRAITS + TENDENCIES ]

♦ extroverted / introverted / in between. ♦ disorganized / organized / in between. ♦ close minded / open-minded / in between. ♦ calm / anxious / in between. ♦ disagreeable / agreeable / in between. ♦ cautious / reckless / in between. ♦ patient / impatient / in between. ♦ outspoken / reserved / in between. ♦ leader / follower / in between. ♦ empathetic / unemphatic / in between. ♦ optimistic / pessimistic / in between realistic. ♦ traditional / modern / in between. ♦ hard-working / lazy / in between. ♦ cultured / uncultured / in between / unknown. ♦ loyal / disloyal / unknown. ♦ faithful / unfaithful / unknown.

[ BELIEFS ]

★ Faith : monotheist / polytheist / atheist / agnostic. ☆ Belief in Ghosts or Spirits : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care. ✮ Belief in an Afterlife : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care. ✯ Belief in Reincarnation : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care. ❃ Belief in Aliens : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care. ✧ Religious : orthodox / liberal / in between / not religious. ❀ Philosophical : yes / no. / in between

[ SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION ]

❤ Sexuality : heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual. ❥ Sex : sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable. ♥ Romance : romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable. ❣ Sexually : adventurous / experienced / naïve / inexperienced / curious. ⚧ Potential Sexual Partners : male / female / agender / other / none / all. ⚧ Potential Romantic Partners : male / female / agender / other / none / all.

[ ABILITIES ]

☠ Combat Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none. ≡ Literacy Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none. ✍ Artistic Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none. ✂ Technical Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none.

[ HABITS ]

☕ Drinking Alcohol : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. ☁ Smoking : trying to quit / never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. ✿ Other Narcotics : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. ✌ Medicinal Drugs : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. ☻ Indulgent Food : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. $ Splurge Spending : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. ♣ Gambling : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess

[ MOST NOTABLE PERSONALITY TRAITS ]

TENDERNESS

You are not afraid of the sufferings and sorrows of other people, even when they are acted out in unappealing ways. Beneath even defensiveness and self-righteous behavior, you know that deep down people need nurturing and consolation. One danger is being naïve about people’s dark sides. But at your best you know you can be mean yourself, which helps you to sympathize. You bring strength and forgiveness where other people might panic.

RATIONALITY

You like clarity and intelligent simplicity and you get frustrated at messy thinking. This can make you seem unreasonably pushy to some, but it is actually a virtue: you are motivated by a horror at pointless effort and a longing for precision and insight into how things and people work. Your ability to synthesize and bring order is essential in producing thinking which is truly helpful.

INDEPENDENCE

You don’t set out to be different for its own sake; you are more easily guided by what interests and moves you. You are more concerned about what is right for you than about the pressure to fit in. In sex you are more aware than others of impulses which are not entirely conventional. You know the value of selective irresponsibility, of forgetting occasionally about being ‘good’.

Your archetype is the doppelganger.

Traits: manipulative, self deprecating, intelligent, knowledgeable, ambiguous, caring

The doppelganger is most commonly used to symbolize the divide between two egos, or the grey line between good and bad. Doppelgangers are extremely intelligent, and are able to manipulate a persons thoughts and feelings for their own benefit. While they are seen as a darker character, they are closer to being morally ambiguous, if not someone who has been forced into a position they never agreed upon. Doppelgangers wish they could do better, and often find themselves regretting not doing something. While they are capable of manipulating others, they are vulnerable, making themselves susceptible to being manipulated as well. Although many of their traits are negative, they crave attention, validation, and wish they could be a better version of themselves. If you can get under their hard exterior, you’ll find a true friend, and a loyalist.

FLOWER PERSONALITY Juniper is:

Fennel

You Are: You’re quiet, sometimes shy, with a tendency to be reserved. You have a humble, kind nature and often find yourself taking care of others. You can be known to hold things in, and you don’t always speak up for yourself. This tendency to hold things in can lead to disturbances.

Fennel is soothing and supportive, helping to ease digestive upset. For feelings of fullness and bloating, fennel is the friend to call on to help.

Sweet and mildly bitter, with a distinct licorice-like taste, fennel was revered by the ancients for its charming properties. Attributed with the power to bestow long life, courage, strength and even to ward off evil spirits, we modern plant people highly regard fennel for its capacity to ease uncomfortable feelings of fullness, bloating or gassiness, or as an all-around promoter of healthy digestion.

Nettle

You Are: Truly a nurturing and supportive friend, you’re the kind of person that just isn’t for everyone. But those who take the time are rewarded with your gentle disposition, and the kind of friendship that does a person good no matter the difficulty they’re facing. When out of balance, you can become more prickly than supportive or nurturing, though—a sign that you need to shower yourself with the same kind of nurturing you so freely give to others.

Nettle is a deeply supportive herb that has been used for centuries as a tonic to support your body’s well-being. A traditional springtime tonic whose alluring “green” taste is a reflection of the rising green of spring, nettle gently nourishes the whole body.

Nettle’s genus name, Urtica, comes from the Latin urere, meaning “to burn”, an obvious reference to nettle’s nasty sting. Nettle is widespread around the world, and evidence of this very old plant was even found in Neolithic stilt dwellings in Switzerland dating back to the third millennium B.C. It has long been enjoyed for its gentle support for the whole body, as well as for its refreshing, green taste.

Peppermint

You Are: Unflappable. You are cool in the crisis, calm in the storm, collected amidst the chaos. You’re a breath of fresh air, a waft of inspiration to the down-and-out, a refreshing, inspiring, uplifting person to be around. Of course, even a cool cucumber like yourself can run into trouble. You may try to take on too much, which can leave you feeling weighed down and not quite yourself.

With its comforting breath of fresh air and the peppery, sweet familiar scent that tingles your nose, peppermint is a classic candy flavor. But there’s herbal wisdom hiding in those after dinner mints—peppermint oil also has the power to relieve occasional indigestion and soothe your stomach when your digestion needs a little help.

Long before mint became the go-to flavor of everything from gum to candy to toothpaste, the Greeks, Romans and ancient Egyptians were using mint leaves as a digestive aid. Peppermint’s characteristic minty-ness comes from menthol, an important part of its essential oil that, when present in high enough quantities, will be felt in a tingle in your nose and a strong minty scent that carries across a room.

My updated character sheet for June. Check her out! She currently wanders around Stormwind.

Out of the Shadows: The Procurer

NAME:  Cyrus Phineas Whitaker

FACE CLAIM:  James Spader (Blacklist)

NICKNAME:  Lord Wit

TITLE:  Lord Magister; The Procurer; Master of Whispers, Rumors, and Secrets

AGE:  mid-30’s

HEIGHT:  5’10”

SPECIES:  Human

GENDER:  Male

BIRTHDAY:  April 30th

SUN SIGN:  Taurus

RESIDENCE:  Boralus

SKILLS:  Manipulation, Intelligence & Resource Acquisition; Transmutation & Arcanomancy

DRINK:  Snowplum Port, most high-end liquor

FOOD:  Beer-Basted Boar Ribs

DAY OR NIGHT:  Day

SNACKS:  Kul’Tiras Misu

SONGS:  The Dragster Wave by Ghinzu https://open.spotify.com/track/3w0AsliIPXqqstBSfQ8Rym

PET:  none

COLOR:  crisp colors - gray, blue, black, silver; some gold

FLOWER:  Gilnean Roses

EYE COLOR:  pale blue

HAIR COLOR:  strawberry blonde, graying

BODY TYPE:  military fit, stocky

MORAL ALIGNMENT:  Lawful / Neutral Evil

A lawful-neutral evil villain believes in law and order, but only because he recognizes possible exploits for his own gain, and does whatever he can get away with. He is out for himself, pure and simple, and cares nothing for the rights of others. He sheds no tears for those he harms or kills, whether for profit, sport, or convenience. He understands and even uses order to his advantage, but holds no illusion that following laws, traditions, or codes would make him any better or more noble. On the other hand, he doesn’t have the restless nature or love of conflict that a chaotic evil villain has. Some neutral evil villains hold up evil as an ideal, committing evil for its own sake. Most often, such villains are devoted to evil deities or secret societies. Neutral evil is the best alignment you can be because you can advance yourself without regard for others. However, neutral evil can be a dangerous alignment because it represents pure evil without honor and without variation.

PREDOMINANT ARCHETYPES:  

PERSONALITY:   ENTJ-A — The Commander

Commanders are natural-born leaders. People with this personality type embody the gifts of charisma and confidence, and project authority in a way that draws crowds together behind a common goal. However, Commanders are also characterized by an often ruthless level of rationality, using their drive, determination and sharp minds to achieve whatever end they’ve set for themselves.

[ SOCIETY ]

$ Financial : wealthy / moderate / poor / in poverty.

✚ Medical : fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged.

✪ Class or Caste : upper / middle / working / slave / unsure.

✔ Education : qualified / unqualified / studying.

✖ Criminal Record : yes, for major crimes / yes, for minor crimes / no / has committed crimes, but not caught yet.

[ FAMILY ]

◐ Marital status : married - happily / unhappily / engaged or betrothed / partnered / single / divorced / separated / widowed

◒ Children : has a child or children / has no children / wants children.

◑ Relationship with Family : close with sibling(s) / not close with sibling(s) / has no siblings / sibling(s) is deceased / Has cousins and is close to them

◔ Filtration : orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by birth parents

[ TRAITS + TENDENCIES ]

♦ extroverted / introverted / in between.

♦ disorganized / organized / in between.

♦ close minded / open-minded / in between.

♦ calm / anxious / in between.

♦ disagreeable / agreeable / in between.

♦ cautious / reckless / in between.

♦ patient / impatient / in between.

♦ outspoken / reserved / in between.

♦ leader / follower / in between.

♦ empathetic / unempathetic / in between.

♦ optimistic / pessimistic / in between realistic.

♦ traditional / modern / in between.

♦ hard-working / lazy / in between.

♦ cultured / uncultured / in between / unknown.

♦ loyal / disloyal / unknown.

♦ faithful / unfaithful / unknown.

[ BELIEFS ]

★ Faith : monotheist / polytheist / atheist / agnostic.

☆ Belief in Ghosts or Spirits : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care.

✮ Belief in an Afterlife : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care.

✯ Belief in Reincarnation : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care.

❃ Belief in Aliens : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care.

✧ Religious : orthodox / liberal / in between / not religious.

❀ Philosophical : yes / no / in between

[ SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION ]

❤ Sexuality : heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual.

❥ Sex : sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable.

♥ Romance : romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable.

❣ Sexually : adventurous / experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious.

⚧ Potential Sexual Partners : male / female / agender / other / none / all.

⚧ Potential Romantic Partners : male / female / agender / other / none / all.

[ ABILITIES ]

☠ Combat Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none.

≡ Literacy Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

✍ Artistic Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

✂ Technical Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none.

[ HABITS ]

☕ Drinking Alcohol : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

☁ Smoking : trying to quit / never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

✿ Other Narcotics : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

✌ Medicinal Drugs : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

☻ Indulgent Food : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

$ Splurge Spending : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

♣ Gambling : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess

[ MOST NOTABLE PERSONALITY TRAITS ] 

RATIONALITY

You like clarity and intelligent simplicity and you get frustrated at messy thinking. This can make you seem unreasonably pushy to some, but it is actually a virtue: you are motivated by a horror at pointless effort and a longing for precision and insight into how things and people work. Your ability to synthesize and bring order is essential in producing thinking which is truly helpful.

SENSITIVITY

You have delicate, sensitive perceptions; you can be deeply moved by appearances – the right light in a room, or good food, or the texture of a piece of clothing. Expressive, intelligent language has a powerful hold on you; your mind works better when it is inspired and provoked by vivid imagery. It can be sad to live in a world which is often so ugly and not properly looked after. But you know that things can be otherwise, and you have the ability to appreciate the world at its best.

ORDERLINESS

You love it when everything is neat and tidy: when there is a proper way of doing things, and you can tick things off the to-do list and know where everything is. So others, at times, are to you unbearably sloppy and messy. And you run into things that can’t be ordered (a child, a partner, a colleague at work) which drives you slightly nuts. But your desire for order is a good one when it is focussed where it is needed and when you’re okay with a bit of a mess.

Your archetype is the doppelganger.

Traits: manipulative, self deprecating, intelligent, knowledgeable, ambiguous, caring

The doppelganger is most commonly used to symbolize the divide between two egos, or the grey line between good and bad. Doppelgangers are extremely intelligent, and are able to manipulate a persons thoughts and feelings for their own benefit. While they are seen as a darker character, they are closer to being morally ambiguous, if not someone who has been forced into a position they never agreed upon. Doppelgangers wish they could do better, and often find themselves regretting not doing something. While they are capable of manipulating others, they are vulnerable, making themselves susceptible to being manipulated as well. Although many of their traits are negative, they crave attention, validation, and wish they could be a better version of themselves. If you can get under their hard exterior, you’ll find a true friend, and a loyalist.

FLOWER PERSONALITY

DANDELION:

Scrappy and tough, you’re a pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps kind of person. You don’t give up easily and you often thrive in situations that others would find discouraging. You have an instinct to serve others and see yourself as most useful in times or places of crisis, but you may over rely on your toughness and forget how sensitive you really are.

Like you, dandelion holds steady, even in unfriendly environments. It provides gentle liver stimulation and digestive support, aiding your body’s natural detoxification processes.

Called “the little postman” in Persian because of the belief that dandelion brought good news, dandelion has unfortunately acquired a reputation as a pesky weed. Its liver and digestive benefits have been known for centuries, with reference in Arabic texts dating to the 10th century. Dandelion is a bitter herb, a characteristic that contributes to its digestion-supporting properties. When roasted, dandelion root has a coffee-like flavor that once made it a popular coffee substitute!

FENNEL:

You’re quiet, sometimes shy, with a tendency to be reserved. You have a humble, kind nature and often find yourself taking care of others. You can be known to hold things in, and you don’t always speak up for yourself. This tendency to hold things in can lead to disturbances.

Fennel is soothing and supportive, helping to ease digestive upset. For feelings of fullness and bloating, fennel is the friend to call on to help.

Sweet and mildly bitter, with a distinct licorice-like taste, fennel was revered by the ancients for its charming properties. Attributed with the power to bestow long life, courage, strength and even to ward off evil spirits, we modern plant people highly regard fennel for its capacity to ease uncomfortable feelings of fullness, bloating or gassiness, or as an all-around promoter of healthy digestion.

PEPPERMINT:

Unflappable. You are cool in the crisis, calm in the storm, collected amongst the chaos. You’re a breath of fresh air, a waft of inspiration to the down-and-out, a refreshing, inspiring, uplifting person to be around. Of course, even a cool cucumber like yourself can run into trouble. You may try to take on too much, which can leave you feeling weighed down and not quite yourself.

With its comforting breath of fresh air and the peppery, sweet familiar scent that tingles your nose, peppermint is a classic candy flavor. But there’s herbal wisdom hiding in those after dinner mints—peppermint oil also has the power to relieve occasional indigestion and soothe your stomach when your digestion needs a little help.

Long before mint became the go-to flavor of everything from gum to candy to toothpaste, the Greeks, Romans and ancient Egyptians were using mint leaves as a digestive aid. Peppermint’s characteristic minty-ness comes from menthol, an important part of its essential oil that, when present in high enough quantities, will be felt in a tingle in your nose and a strong minty scent that carries across a room.

I love that the Witcher proves how you can have a sexist world without having a sexist story. The framework is patriarchal, it's at times blatantly sexist and at one point Yennefer even bitterly points out that, as far as the world as concerned, women are just vessels. But the narrative isn't.

Things like -- it would be so easy to turn Yennefer into a villain. She's got a classic Femme Fatale backstory, she hits every point, she's powerful and ambitious and ruthless... but she isn't evil. In the end, she doesn't put her ambition over doing the right thing. She doesn't let her recklessness get in the way of the Battle at Sodden Hill; she registers some displeasure at being put up in the tower to observe and report, but she does it, and she does it without reserve or bitterness, to the best of her ability. She went through hell to find the power that she thought would give her what she wanted, only to discover that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be -- on her own. She didn't get this revelation from a lover, or from some great tragic descent into madness and fall from grace. She came to this realization over time, without someone else's opinion.

Queen Calanthe -- jfc, Queen Calanthe is how Daenerys Targaryen should have been handled. She's a powerful woman, an unapologetically ambitious warrior woman, who falls and loses her throne and country -- exactly the same way a King would have. Her flaws -- her hubris, her selfishness, her unwillingness to let go of her granddaughter -- lead to her downfall, but they do so rationally. She doesn't go mad, or start making stupid irrational decisions, or have to be otherwise softened -- she loses the battle. She was out-maneuvered, and her support was blocked, and she just failed. She just lost. Queens -- any poweful woman, really -- always go mad and have to be put down For The Greater Good, they never get to be a Tragic Hero in the classical sense -- always Lady Macbeth, never Hamlet.

Calanthe is a fucking Greek Tragedy. She hits all the high points of an Aristotelean Tragic Hero: she evokes pity and the fear that the viewer could have made all the same mistakes; her fortunes change from prosperity to adversity, not through vice or depravity but through error of judgment; that error is made through a fundamental character flaw, something that the character could have stopped, but also couldn't because of who they are as a person.

I cannot think of another Queen treated this way in fiction.

There's one single mention of rape, and that character does imply that this in part led to her not being a princess anymore -- followed almost-immediately by the main character explicitly and pointedly calling her Princess, pointing out that it isn't what was done to her that makes her monstrous, it's what she herself does. Even so, it's simply part of her backstory, she's the one who brings it up, and there's no gruesome flashback to "evoke sympathy" or whatever bullshit excuse to show women suffering.

It's just. It's so obvious that this showrunner is a woman. The comparisons to GoT are all over the place, and obviously -- they're both dark, gritty fantasies with a heavy political aspect -- but the way this show treats its characters, and particularly its women, is just so refreshing. It's not without its flaws, and while I'll admit that there were a few moments where I was like, "did she really need to be naked here?" none of those moments were tasteless or predatory, and there was none of that gratuitous degradation of women that was such a hallmark (and turnoff) of Game of Thrones.

(There's more, too, about how the Witcher differs from GoT in how sometimes, some people are just decent and kind. Sometimes, people really are all right, and do the right thing regardless of their own self-interest. And while, yes, it would be unrealistic if everyone or even most people were that way -- it's just as unrealistic to have no one be. There's this element of human compassion in the Witcher that's far too rare, if it exists at all, in Westeros, that makes the world so much less heavy. There's plenty of darkness and bleakness, but there's also kindness and compassion to balance it out. But that's a whole other post.)

It's just. God, it is just so nice, to have a fantasy show that acknowledges sexism without itself devaluing the female characters.

Rel and only just started watching this. Only got through one episode so far, but it looks great!

“...and then forever!”

The millennia that separated them after Velen fled Argus was long and arduous... but their reunion was proof that their fates were forever intertwined! 💖 @archrelena

I want to give a HUGE thank you to @elaianna @whimsicallyart for this dual-piece of character work! It not only gives both myself and Relena character art, it perfectly captures the moment they reunited in Dalaran with the joining of the Lightforged to the Alliance!

Marriage is good and weddings are great but I hate modern wedding culture. You don’t need to bankrupt yourself to have a nice wedding. Stop supporting the wedding industry, stop buying outrageously priced engagement rings, stop spending 10k on a dress you’ll only ever wear once.

Coming from a professional event planner - weddings are egregiously expensive because companies openly raise prices at the word “wedding.” 

Pro Tip - Never drop the word wedding while planning if you don’t need to. Most things can be for “an event you’re planning.” This obviously doesn’t include things like the venue, DJ (who needs specific wedding songs), and the wedding dress company if you’re going that route versus just buying a dress.

For my wedding I got “discounted” cupcakes, flowers, decor, bridesmaids dresses, groomsman attire, and invitations. I did this by either searching for things that aren’t marketed for weddings or not telling the companies I was working with it was for a wedding. Because honestly, most of the time they don’t need to know why you’re ordering.

These companies target people planning their weddings and markup everything the second “wedding” is said. And it’s said often because people assume the services change exponentially for weddings. They absolutely do not. 

The best example are the cupcakes I had for my wedding. I used a designer cupcake store in town instead of spending $1000 on a wedding cake. If you place a large order of cupcakes with a cake tree for display - it costs about $150 for 100 (which is what I did). When you order their “wedding” package - the price raised to a $700 base for 100 cupcakes. The only other perk includes a “tasting.” Forget that. Our tasting was buying a few cupcakes in flavors we thought we’d like and picked three. It cost maybe $20. 

What these companies do is scummy and targets people who don’t have information about the event industry.

I will yell it from the rooftops until people realize there’s a better way.

All of this!

For our wedding, we got 13 dozens of these cream puffs/cream filled pastry-donut thingies from the local bakery instead and it cost fuck all and was super delicious.

I wish I’d thought about this when planning our wedding... could’ve saved us a lot of money.

I think one of the worst forms of child abuse is injecting them with a terminal sense of guilt. parents who constantly use guilt as a disciplinary tactic end up raising children who are unable and afraid to stand up for themselves. they are taught that their needs are unimportant, that they’re selfish for trying to individuate, and that they don’t really matter. they essentially begin to look at themselves as a burden, as something to be tolerated instead of loved - how cruel is it to make a person feel apologetic for their own existence?

the worst part is that since the abuse isn’t “actively” vicious, it’s difficult to identify it. when a person is raised on guilt, they have difficulty establishing boundaries, and they have difficulty developing themselves spiritually. as such, they’re more likely to become victims of further abuse in their adulthood. when something bad happens to them, they assume they deserved it.

it’s the people who apologize for everything, it’s the people who deprive themselves of things that are good for them, it’s the people who end up isolating themselves from others because they feel inherently damaged.

guilt is a poison and the only antidote is compassion

we are already living in the cyberpunk future and i know this because within a span of 3 days we went from this tweet:

to thousands of people making phony images and replying to them with their passionate desire to have them as a tshirt to overload the bots with nonsense and junk and send out warnings to shoppers like this:

and now we even have people replying to pictures of baby yoda with “i want this on a tshirt” knowing how ravenous disney is being with copyright in hopes to get the stores taken down altogether

i dont know what it is about stuff like this and the whole turn mei into a symbol of hk protesters thing but, its really reassuring for some reason

Spouse told me about this last night. I still find it fucking hilarious.

“Brown eyes are so plain and ugly you can’t even compare them to gems like emerald and saph-”

Stop.

Carnelian

Cairngorm

Cassiterite

Smoky Quartz

Zircon (brown)

Citrine

Diaspore

Dravite

Enstatite

Hessonite

That’s not even all of GORGEOUS BROWN GEMS THAT EXIST IN THIS WORLD. Just like there are a lot of beautiful brown gems they’re a lot of BEAUTIFUL BROWN EYES. BROWN IS A GORGEOUS COLOR. Start treating it like one. 

I am so glad someone did this.

Drag them. Educate me.

So true!

@archrelena Ahem...

Lately I’ve been getting most of my pep talks from Mister Rogers.

Great. Now I’m disappointing Mr. Rogers.

Mr. Rogers is not disappointed in you.  He’s proud of you for listening and thinking about what he said, and he hopes it plants a seed where sometimes maybe you notice yourself making an unhealthy choice and recognize it, because that’s the first step towards growth towards your best and healthiest self, which is a journey and a process, not an ideal state of which you are falling short.

Mr. Rogers loves you for just your being you.

I’m not crying, you’re crying!

Nonsense! Scar is quite adept at the manipulation of people to his own ends! A formidable foe, or a useful ally!

Getting back into writing

As I get back into the self-absorbed flow of writing stories for my muses again, I’ve decided to start with some origin writing for my demon hunter’s parents.

It’s quite interesting to delve into the details and flesh things out, so to speak, so please feel free to give it a read! I’ll be paring it out and posting little bits at a time, to both keep my posts from being too long and to help pace myself so that I can keep up with writing more.

And a HUGE shoutout to @archrelena, without whom I would not have been able to break the writer’s block that was plaguing me, nor give more life and breadth to Titaniia’s father.

With that said, enjoy the story:

https://the-huntress-songblade.tumblr.com/post/189272495018/the-owl-and-the-raven

My new tumblrs. Please find me there!

Got my first bit of story posted for my demon hunter - some origin story surrounding her parents

Reblogging for those followers still active: don’t forget to follow my new tumblrs!

Also! Have the next tidbit for my demon hunter’s parents:

https://the-huntress-songblade.tumblr.com/post/189297909188/part-2-i-go-by-reth-he-said-offering-no

Part 3 is here:

https://the-huntress-songblade.tumblr.com/post/189319519738/the-owl-and-the-raven

Character Quiz Meme

Send in a symbol to find out what my muse’s results were and whether I think it’s accurate or not. Send in 🔮 to see my muse’s Meyer-Briggs Result Send in 🧠to see my muse’s Enneagram Result  Send in 🧙 to see my muse’s Hogwarts House Result  Send in ⭐to see my muse’s Homestuck ‘True Sign’ Send in 🎨to see what famous work of art my muse is. Send in 🎉to find out what role my muse plays in a friend group Send in ☯️to see my muse’s psychological archetype Send in 🎭to find out which of The Four Temperaments my muse is Send in 💟to find out what kind of ‘dere’ my muse is Send in ⚔️ to find out what my muse’s moral alignment is. Send in 😈 to find out which Disney Villain my muse is Send in 💖 to find out what my muse’s Love Language scores are

This looks so cool! I might do all of these for my muses regardless of whether I get asked for them!

Please spam-send to Cyrus (this blog), Sara @the-astrallurgist, June @the-rose-in-the-desert, Siana @the-rosecut-jeweler, Eve @the-eve-of-twilight, River @the-little-blue-river, or and Tawny @the-huntress-songblade.

I’ll also hopefully be building the rest of my blogs this week during the holiday. ^_^

“Anyone you’re dating who gets upset upon learning you’re bi is doing you a favor by disqualifying themselves from the list of People Who Get to Date You.”

yo this is hella important

“Anyone you’re dating who gets upset upon learning you’re bi is doing you a favor by disqualifying themselves from the list of People Who Get to Date You.”

Say it louder for the people in the back!!!