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Latest Posts by xanthousflame - Page 5
What's this???? I actually wrote something????????????
@ghostycrow01 @phantomdecibel @somebody-random-lol @technologyvoid @nancyheart11 @ajscico @cal-the-duende ...I'm missing someone aren't I
"Dear teenage boy at the skate park:
You're probably about 15 years-old, so I don't expect you to be very mature or for you to want a little girl on your skate ramp for that matter.
What you don't know is that my daughter has been wanting to skateboard for months. I actually had to convince her that skateboarding wasn't just for boys.
So when we walked up to the skate park and saw that it was full of teenage boys, she immediately wanted to turn around and go home.
I secretly wanted to go too because I didn't want to have to put on my mom voice and exchange words with you.
I also didn't want my daughter to feel like she had to be scared of anyone, or that she wasn't entitled to that skate park just as much as you were.
So when she said, "Mom it's full of older boys," I calmly said, "So what, they don't own the skate park."
She proceeded to go down the ramp in spite of you and your friends flying past her and grinding rails beside her.
She only had two or three runs in before you approached her and said "Hey, excuse me..."
I immediately prepared to deliver my "She's allowed to use this park just as much as you guys" speech when I heard you say, "Your feet are wrong. Can I help you?"
You proceeded to spend almost an hour with my daughter showing her how to balance and steer, and she listened to you – a feat not attained by most adults.
You held her hand and helped her get up when she fell down and I even heard you tell her to stay away from the rails so that she wouldn't get hurt.
I want you to know that I am proud that you are part of my community, and I want to thank you for being kind to my daughter.
She left the skate park with a sense of pride and with the confidence that she can do anything, because of you."
I turn to Ares.
Thanks to Tyler Miles Lockett who allowed me to draw inspiration from his ARES piece for page 2! Look at his etsy page it's SICK
⚔️ If you want to read some queer retelling of arturian legends have a look at my webtoon
is anyone just having the new saga on repeat ?
bc I have not stopped playing it
(also top five trending! LET'S GOOOOOOO!!!!)
Made this for @wintrii-shadows for a art trade
Making it into a pin
Hey guys, new scam alert. Remember, Tumblr will only email you for such issues, and to never click links from people you don't know.
“ummmmm ur bra strap is showing :/ ”
INTERACT WITH THIS IF YOU ARE AROACE BECAUSE WHY ARE THERE SO MANY OF US HERE
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
🫵🫵🫵
it doesn't matter if today isn't your "actual birthday"
I don't really care about details like that
happy birthday!!!! you are loved, please do something nice for yourself today 🎉
Source | Day 81
Destroy the myth that libraries are no longer relevant. If you use your library, please reblog.
Good news for you, this August 23rd.
Why you shouldn’t support the upcoming game Black Myth: Wukong
Simply put, the creators behind Black Myth: Wukong are raging misogynists.
Founders and creatives of the studio have:
Joked about former female employees hypothetically doing prostitution
Used suggestive/objectifying/derogatory imagery & phrasing in their hiring flyers (under the cut), e.g. “In addition to hookup buddies, we promise to provide more thoughtful services” , “fatties fuck off”, etc.
Written entire think pieces on how video games don’t need female players or developers, how women are biologically inclined towards “softer” modes of gaming than men (there’s also a bit of homophobia mixed in through language such as “fuck sissies”), how some things should just be made for men, etc. “Fuck sissies, fuck tragic love stories, fuck moon-lit peach blossoms and flute-playing scholars! You don't need the reverse motivation of female players, you don't need to take care of those worms who just want to date chicks. Some things are just for men, their depression, their anger, their pain...”
Made numerous sexually explicit (& honestly incel-like) comments including ones about a female character in Black Myth: Wukong, e.g. “once you get used to this [character design] you can jerk off to it”, etc.
Boasted about how they’re losing followers, who must be women
To no one’s surprise, when people criticise the studio online, they’re met with vitriol about how they’re hypersensitive feminists, too politically correct, etc.
Chinese women have been YELLING non-stop on social media about how bad it is so it’s pretty depressing to see that a lot of non-Chinese gamers, even after reading an IGN article covering the situation, are apathetic. I get that a lot of people are excited about the novelty of a soulslike game based on Chinese mythology, but do you really want to support a studio that actively contributes towards and benefits from misogynistic gaming culture?
Talking about separating the artist from their art is bullshit if you're financially supporting them. Boycott! Pirate!
Here are some sources if you want to see detailed translations, learn more about the situation as well as the misogynistic gaming culture at large China:
What assigned English class book did you viscerally HATE (the most)? I tried to make it general by some authors since curriculums vary.
Any Charles Dickens book
Any Shakespeare Play
Any Greek Epic
The Great Gatsby
1984
A Scarlet Letter
Lord of the Flies
Frankenstein
Other (if it's farenheit 451, I'll burn you)
I didn't viscerally hate any English class book
Muddlebud
Since everyone voted for Muddelbud, here it is! Just an idea I wanted to play with. The effects of the Muddlebud is brutal!
Warnings for drugging, implied…. I don’t want to say torture but not good stuff…. And some racism. Rip Rusl he turns out fine.
After a long day of traveling the harsh terrain, the men searching for heroes of Hyrule were relieved to find a town on the way to their destination. It had an inn attached to a tavern, and Leon suggested that they stayed there for rest. None of the others argued—they were absolutely exhausted.
The men gathered around a table large enough to hold seven, and they excitedly ordered food, having eaten nothing but berries and nuts for days. Though much to some of their dismay (mostly Linebeck’s), Leon encouraged them to avoid alcohol.
“We have a long day of traveling tomorrow. Trust me, you don’t want to be hung over,” he said when the sailor complained.
“Oh come on, I won’t drink that much,” Linebeck argued. “I just need a little bit to recover from today!”
“That’s a horrible way to recover,” Leon said flatly. “But I suppose I can’t stop you. Though I promise I will make your life a living hell if you’re hungover tomorrow.”
Linebeck glared at him and stopped pressing the issue. The barmaid came by with water for everyone, and Leon began to talk about what they were going to do next. Despite being a pain to deal with, he was a natural born leader and took charge when no one else would. The men had to give him some respect (though it didn’t stop Benji from teasing him relentlessly). Though the chatter around the table melted into mundane conversations, and it was overall relaxing from the long trek they had to go through before. Throughout the night, however, one of the men began acting strange. They had all eaten their food, drank their waters, and they were simply sitting around the table chatting. But Ammon picked up on Rusl acting fidgety and anxious out of nowhere.
“Rusl, are you ok?” He asked as the man rubbed his eyes aggressively for the hundredth time. He shrugged and let out a breath, sweat dripping down his face.
“I-I don’t know… Something ain’t right,” he said softly, occasionally glancing over his shoulder.
Ammon looked at Leon who was frowning. Even though the men have been pursued by the puppeteer, he didn’t feel like they were in any immediate danger. But Rusl’s anxiety was starting to rub off on him, and the others picked up on it as well.
“Maybe it’s just one of those days?” Benji suggested when Rusl got out of his chair to pace around. Leon got up as well and began to move to the barmaid.
“I’m going to get us a room so we can rest up,” he said before he left, and the group watched Rusl as he picked at his nails. Leon returned and led the men to a room, which was surprisingly small for a bigger group like theirs; it only had one bedroom, and a small common area with nothing except a tub of water.
“Are you kidding me?” Leon yelled, marching to the room with the bed. “I said there were six of us! How will we sleep with only one bed?”
“Uh, together, duh,” Benji teased, and Leon shot a glare at him.
“You better shut your mouth before I do it for you,” he threatened, but Benji only laughed mockingly at him. The two were interrupted by a yelp from Rusl, and the group spun around to see him pressed up against the wall, away from Ammon who looked confused.
“Is everything ok?” Leon asked, walking up to the two, Rusl swallowed and ran a hand through his hair, taking off his headband.
“Y-yeah. Sorry, I was just startled.”
Ammon glanced up at Leon. “I don’t think this is nerves. I think he was drugged.” Rusl would get anxious from time to time, but this was too abnormal for him. Having been drugged before, Ammon could tell that it was some outside force.
“With what?”
“I don’t know.”
Leon looked at Rusl concerned and frowned. “Alright, I’ll find out if they did, and with what. I pray it wasn’t something lethal. Rusl, stay in that room and try to get some rest. We’ll take care of you.”
Rusl nodded and wobbled into the other room with Talon following close by, shutting the door. Leon looked at the others and nodded.
“If something happens, don’t wait for me. Get help.”
“Yes sir,” Linebeck said, and the first knight left, leaving the group of men alone in the small room.
~~~~~~~~~~
Ammon was fidgeting with his prosthetic as the time passed. They had Talon watch over Rusl in case anything happened, and fortunately nothing happened yet. But Leon wasn’t back either. Ammon almost wished he went with Leon to find out who drugged Rusl; if he was attacked because of it, no one would know. The others were anxious as well, with Linebeck occasionally pacing the room. The door to the bedroom opened, and the men shot to their feet, startling Talon.
“Is Rusl ok?” Ammon asked, and Talon nodded.
“He’s tryna sleep right now, I’m just grabbin’ him some water. He’s sweatin’ pretty bad,” he explained, walking to the tub of water with a bowl in his hand. The others simply watched as he did this, staying silent when he returned to the room. Linebeck groaned and got up again, pacing the room.
“Where is Leon?”
“Maybe he got kidnapped again,” Benji muttered, picking at his guitar strings, and Linebeck gave him a look.
“Don’t say that.”
“Why?”
“Because that would mean that we would have to go looking for him! Again. And we’re too busy looking after Rusl!”
“Why don’t you go look for Leon then?” Benji asked, looking rather annoyed. Linebeck huffed and looked away, his arms crossed.
“It’s dark out.”
“Ha! Coward.”
Linebeck frowned. “Ok, fine! I’ll go out and look for him! But you’re coming with me!”
“Heck no I’m not looking for Leon!” Benji fired back, and Linebeck rose an eyebrow.
“Coward.”
“I’m not a coward,” Benji defended, pulling out his guitar. “I’m just lazy. There’s a difference.”
Ammon rolled his eyes and Kass sighed.
“I’ll go looking for him with you, Linebeck,” Kass suggested, and Linebeck opened his mouth to say something, but there was a loud yell followed by a crash from within the bedroom. Ammon shot up and threw the door open, gasping at the sight of Talon on the floor with Rusl on the bed, his hands up defensively.
“Get away from me!” He shouted, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at Talon.
“Rusl!” Ammon ran up to him, jumping in front of Talon. “Rusl calm down! It’s us!”
Rusl’s eyes landed on him, but there was no sign of familiarity. Just fear and hostility. Ammon’s eyes widened as he jumped off the bed and charged at him, barely giving him time to react. Ammon rolled out of the way, but Rusl grabbed onto his leg, pulling him closer to him.
“W-wait, Rusl, it’s me! It’s Ammon!” He pleaded, but he was already on top of him, his hand on his throat. Ammon struggled underneath him; despite only being a human, he was strong, and Ammon found himself unable to throw him off. Black spots started to appear in his vision, but Talon appeared, grabbing Rusl and tearing him off of Ammon. He let in a gasp and started coughing, rubbing his sore throat. He looked up to see Talon with his arms wrapped around Rusl, holding him in place as he struggled against him. Talon’s eye was swollen shut, but he had a determined look as he helped Rusl against him.
“Rusl, it’s us,” Talon started, his voice strained yet gentle. “Calm down!”
“LET GO OF ME!” Rusl yelled, continuing to struggle, but he wasn’t able to move in Talon’s grip, and the farmer was avoiding his thrashing head. He went limp for a moment, panting as if he were about to cry.
“Rusl? We’re not gonna hurt you,” Talon tried again, but he started thrashing again. Ammon walked up to him, his brows pinched together as he watched Rusl. Whatever he was drugged with, he couldn’t tell apart friend from foe. He probably thought he was being held captive or something.
Someone walked up behind Ammon, and he flinched away, only relaxing when he realized it was Leon, who had an intense look in his eyes.
“Leon!” He rasped, rubbing his throat. “What did you find out?”
Leon gave him an angry look, then he looked back down at Rusl. “The barmaid drugged him with something called a muddlebud. It won’t kill him, but he’ll be thinking he’s in danger for a few hours. Considering he’s a human, it might be longer.”
“Why would anyone do such a thing?” Talon asked, his grip remaining tight around Rusl.
“Because he’s a human!” Leon spat. “They wanted to prove that humans are wild and dangerous so they drugged him with it!”
Ammon looked down, anger boiling within him as well. He didn’t know why this Hyrule hated humans, but it was getting harder and harder to see Rusl being treated in such a way. Rusl was a good man—kind, selfless, and strong. He’s taken all the scorn and hatred with grace despite it clearly affecting him, and it was hard to watch. But this was too much.
“What do we do to help him?” Ammon asked, and Leon shrugged.
“All we can do is to let it go through his system. At least that’s what the barmaid told me.”
“Was she lying?”
“She knows better than to lie to me,” Leon growled.
“How did you find all this out?” Talon asked.
“...Persuasion,” Leon answered darkly.
“Well, Talon can’t hold him forever,” Ammon mentioned, and Leon sighed.
“Can we keep him locked in this room until this passes through?” Talon suggested, but Leon shook his head.
“He’ll probably try to escape through the window,” he said, and the group grew silent.
“I have rope,” he heard Linebeck say from behind them. “We can just… tie him up or something.”
“What? We can’t do that!” Talon protested, but Leon gave him a sad look.
“There’s nothing we can do. We can’t leave him in here or else he’ll hurt himself or escape. You can't hold him forever, and we certainly aren’t strong enough to hold him down. We’ll… we’ll have to tie him to the chair.”
Talon looked sad but he nodded. It hurt Ammon as well, tying his friend to a chair, but there was no other option. Rusl had grown exhausted and was limp in Talon’s hold, but he squirmed as he was set on the chair, starting to panic as rope was tied around him.
“No… please…” he begged, occasionally thrashing against the ropes. “Please let me go… please!”
“I’m so sorry, Rusl,” Talon muttered, finally stepping away from him as he was tied down. “I’m so sorry.”
Leon rested his hand on Talon’s shoulder. “He’ll be ok. We just need to let it go through his system.”
Talon nodded glumly and sighed as Rusl started crying, exhaustion starting to get a hold of him.
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Leon said, “the rest of you should get some rest.”
“I’m fine—“ Talon started, but Leon shook his head.
“No you’re not fine. I’m not sure if you know this, but your eye is swollen shut.”
“Oh please. It’s not a big deal. I’ve been kicked by horses several times! It’s nothin’.”
Leon shook his head again. “No. You and Ammon get some rest, I’ll stay here.” Talon was reluctant, but Leon nudged him towards the door. “He’ll be fine. I promise.”
The farmer sighed and finally left the room. Ammon followed before looking back at the sobbing Rusl, his heart twisting at the sight of his strong friend like that.
“Uli…. Uli please…” he sobbed, and Ammon finally left, shutting the door behind him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ammon didn’t sleep that night. The group occasionally heard Rusl screaming before he melted into bumbling sobs. It happened for hours, as if on a schedule, and everyone was exhausted from the lack of sleep. Finally, the screams stopped, and it was silent for a long while. The others fell asleep during the silence, but Ammon remained awake, staring intently at the door. He glanced at the clock in the room and noted that it was 5 in the morning, and he sighed. It had been seven hours since they went into the room, and he didn’t know if Rusl was finally normal or not. Talon woke up and he looked around, his one good eye landing on Ammon’s.
“Is Rusl…?”
“I don’t know.”
Talon sighed and stared at the door as well. “I’m worried about him.”
“Me too.”
Talon hummed, a contemplative look in his eye. “Muddlebud… That’s what the barmaid drugged him with… have you ever heard of a muddlebud?”
Ammon frowned. He’s never heard of such a thing, but clearly it was dangerous to anyone who came into contact with it. It could turn any gentle and kind man violent and fearful.
“You think the maid worked alone?” Talon continued to ask, and Ammon shrugged.
“I doubt it. But she was definitely the one who did it,” Ammon looked around, his eyes landing on the window. It was dark out, and nothing could be seen, but he couldn’t help but feel unsafe in the town. Leon cryptically said that he used “persuasion” to get the information, but what type of information? What did he do? And why was he gone for so long? Leon was always a goody-two-shoes who followed the rules. Ammon wondered how far he was willing to go for their protection.
It was both a comforting and unsettling thought.
The door suddenly opened, and Ammon jumped to his feet. Leon walked out, staring at Ammon and Talon, and Rusl came up behind him.
“Rusl!” Ammon exclaimed. His friend looked terrible. His eyes were blood-shot with heavy bags underneath them. His hair was sweaty and matted as it stuck to his forehead, and his arms had red lines circling around them, which made Ammon wince. But his eyes held familiarity in them, and Ammon knew he was back to normal. “Are you alri—“
Rusl buried him in a hug before he was able to say anything. He was shaking as he hugged Ammon, clearly crying.
“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” he said over and over again, and Ammon patted his back.
“It’s alright, you weren’t yourself.”
Rusl pulled back, looking more of a mess now that his face was soaked. He started fidgeting with his hands, looking like he was about to start pacing again.
“I… still don’t feel like myself,” he mumbled, and Leon rested a hand on his shoulder.
“That’s alright, they told me it would take a few hours for the muddlebud to leave your system. It may be longer since you’re a human. You’re probably feeling the after-effects of it.”
Rusl let out a breath and nodded, looking utterly defeated. Ammon went to say something but Rusl glanced up at Talon, his eyes widening at the sight of his swollen face.
“Oh—”
“It’s ok!” Talon quickly said before Rusl could get a word out. “It’s ok! I’m ok!”
“No… no no no…” Rusl started to stagger backwards as Talon stepped closer, his hand covering his eyes.
“I’m ok, Rus’, I’ve been through much worse,” Talon tried to reassure, but Rusl was a sobbing mess again.
“I—I can’t… Spirits I—I hurt you—” He cried, his back up against the wall. Talon got close to him and quickly pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back until he relaxed again.
“I’m ok, I ain’t fragile,” he said more sternly, and Rusl sniffed.
“I-I can’t stop hurtin’ the people I care about,” he whimpered. Leon and Ammon glanced at each other, but didn’t comment.
“It’s ok, like Ammon said, you weren’t yourself,” Leon pressed, his voice soft and gentle.
Movement picked up in Ammon’s peripherals, and he saw the others watching them.
“Rusl’s back to normal,” Linebeck announced, and Kass shot to his feet.
“Oh thank Hylia! I was so worried about you!” He proclaimed, wrapping his wings around Rusl and Talon.
“Yeah, remind me not to get on your bad side,” Linebeck chuckled as he walked up to the group, and Leon hit his ribs with his elbow.
“Not now!” He hissed, and Linebeck gave him a glare. Ammon rolled his eyes and smirked at the two, walking up to Rusl.
“I’m happy you’re back to normal, Rusl. But you should get proper rest now.”
Rusl pulled away and rubbed his wet eyes. “Y-yeah… ok… I’m sorry I can’t stop cryin’ right now.”
“It’s alright,” Leon said with a soft chuckle. “You can’t help it. Get some rest, ok? We won’t be traveling anywhere tomorrow.”
There were sighs of relief from everyone, and Rusl finally smiled genuinely. “Thanks Leon.”
The first knight nodded and led Rusl back into the room. He looked back nervously and Talon walked up to him.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep ya company.”
Rusl looked relieved and Leon volunteered himself as well. The three entered the room, leaving the rest out in the common area, where it grew uncomfortably silent. Ammon, Kass, and Linebeck all glanced at each other, and before either of them were able to say anything, a loud snore came from Benji, who was still asleep on the couch with his guitar hugged to his chest. Linebeck turned away from the man and rolled his eyes while Kass chuckled.
“That man…”
Ammon snorted and sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall. “We should follow his lead and get some rest, I’m pretty tired myself.”
Kass and Linebeck nodded, both sitting on the ground, and Ammon finally allowed his eyes to fall shut after the intense night.
DELETE THIS POST
rb to stare at a mutual like this:
The tags are everything I know. I am sharing this with every single one to try and spread the word.
Maybe not in epic but I went to cirque recent’s and saw this
And I just had to share
See, every time Jorge mentions Cirque du Soleil being a possible inspiration for a live stage version, I get excited all over again by the possibility of puppetry. The show Awakening is a great example of what can be done with large puppets, both remotely controlled, and those moved by humans!! I think that style of puppetry would be amazing in Epic, particularly for all the creatures such as Polyphemus, Scylla, and maybe even some of the gods. And the fight between Circe and Odysseus too!!!
(shown below are two examples of Puppets from Awakening that I adore, and whose technology I can 100% see being in Epic!!!!)
*shooting awake at 4 AM*
Jorge said his dream (nightmare?) design of Scylla was Jenova from FFVII in the mouth of a giant sea creature
the beginning of the song “Scylla” sounds suspiciously similar to the Jenova theme
Jorge you nerd
You know what?
I love you, fics that take months to update. I click on the newest chapter and have no memory of this place and get to go back some chapters and rediscover how much i love everything about this story.
I love you, fics that take years to update. I think of you fondly, and know your names, go search for you and see an update from this year and scream, diving in uncaring of any missed details (i will finish the update and read you in reverse because this is a treat you have bestowed)
I love you, fics that probably will never update again. Thank you for being a roman empire for my mind, thank you for teaching me about the ephemeral fandom experience, for inspiring a thousand million what if-s, for being a comfort read and a nostalgia read and a reread.
I love you fic writers, who jump into projects and stories with enthusiasm. I love you when you succeed in pumping out those chapters and that love doesn't go away when you stop.
I love you fic writers who post and then get in your own head and never feel confident enough to update, whether it's at all or whether it's just that one story.
I love you fic writers, who have a fandom or media hurt you to the point of abandoning or having a hard time with their WIPs.
I love you fic writers, who lose interest or have life changes or illness or bad memory. Thank you for being part of the fandom, a core part of the fandom. Thank you for the time spent in the fandom.
I love you, fic writers who try out something new and then stop. You're so valid.
I love you, WIP fics that may or may not ever get finished. Thank you for brightening my day in the way only you could have.
It's "See how well you can follow instructions" time ya lil fuckers!!
Here's a poll, you can't press any of the options, that's the only rule, no voting. Reblogs, likes, and comments are totally allowed, you just can't vote
You all have one week, let's see how this goes
@maryland-no-rabies Tagging cause I need people to see this
Have fun !!
The Eugene Guard, Oregon, July 8, 1958
SOMEONE ALREADY CRACKED THE WEBSITE AND GOT A MAJORITY OF THE SECRET CODEWORDS! I'm putting them all here in image form because there's a crapton, have fun!
6 images in all, you'll probably have t. Save them and zoom in. Go nuts ya'll!
chatting in the replies of your post with a mutual slash friend feels like this