Sade Olutola
DEAR READER
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me

Andulka

blake kathryn

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art blog(derogatory)
trying on a metaphor
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titsay
i don't do bad sauce passes
Misplaced Lens Cap
Not today Justin

shark vs the universe
Keni
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$LAYYYTER
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Norwegian forest cat.
thereâs enough tail there to make a second kitty
i love that in the silmarillion elves took immortality as a fucking challenge.
oh, i canât die? weâll see about that. iâll die so fucking hard my bodyâll cremate itself.
I just love how thoroughly Eru fucked up with the life spans of his two sets of Children. Both live in existential dread of how long they're going to live.
@sorcha-eilis Iâm living for your tags lmaooo
@finwaytootired I have serious feelings about how both Elves and Men have major issues with their very design and the fact that Eru clearly had no idea what he was doing but for some reason just punished humans horribly when they dared point out his wonky planning. Like, seriously, at least try to meet them in the middle!
@finwaytootired For some reason it's not letting me add a tag to this... I was trying to say:
#i'm firmly in camp 'eru is an idiot who can't admit to his mistakes'
Weird glitch
@sorcha-eilis Youâre right and you should say it.
Agreed!
I was thinking this weekend about how awkward it was that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them insists that Americans call muggles âno-maj.â First off, it just doesnât sound like an abbreviation weâd use, and it sounds even worse in plural. But I finally realized the more important point: itâs too direct. Especially for the time period, Americans would never have been that straightforward in talking about a topic that sensitive. And so I would like to submit, in the spirit of early twentieth-century slang, a list of possible euphemisms we may have used for muggles:
He washes his dishes with a cloth.
He pays in nickels and dimes.
He rides the trolley to work.Â
He takes his boots to the cobbler.
Heâs grateful for Mr. Edison.
Heâs one of Grishamâs boys. (here imagining that Grisham was a prominent wizard who famously fathered no magic children)
He dances on the ground.
He writes with a pen.
Heâs fond of a two-piece suit.
Heâs more King Arthur than Merlin.
Heâs got to wind his pocket watch.
He gets his wax from bees.
His wife darns his socks.
He treats his ailments with tonics.
His portraits stay put.
His broom is only for sweeping.
Iâm having a little too much fun with this, so if you have any to add, please send them over.
I think to most fun thing about this is that after a while of these phrases being popularized, they would end up getting shortened, like Trolley boys or Two-piecers.
Iâm just saying, imagine how scandalized (or ecstatic) Arthur Weasley would be if he found in America, muggles were called âArthursâ.
itâs really interesting how in cop shows itâs only ever the Bad Guy that wonât let police into their house without a warrant, asks for legal counsel, refuses to talk to police, wonât let themselves be searched without probable cause, or exercises their legal rights at all. wonder who that could possibly benefit

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Cody was fired for sharing a meme, on his day off. Then the bosses son messaged him after it went viral
Takeđthisđbitchđtođcourtđforđharassmentđ
His????? His kid died????????? And he said THAT????????????????? can i burn this entire fucking company down along with all of fucking capitalism?
WHERESđTHEđCOMPANYâSđCONTACTđINFOđ
Please??
Oooooo, prettyyyyâŚ
Reblogging this version for the info bc lmao FUCK that guy
So, when I was doing my thesis on whether or not fanfiction should be considered a legitimate genre of literature, my advising professor asked me for examples.  I gave him the generic ones, of course - âPride & Prejudice and Zombiesâ is a horror fanfic of âPride & Prejudiceâ, â50 Shades of Greyâ is an erotica fic of âTwilight" - and that seemed to make him understand what fanfiction is, but not how itâs useful.  So I thought about it, and, after about a minute, I said, âParadise Lost is basically a fanfiction of the Book of Genesis.  And The Divine Comedy is an epic self-insertion fic for Catholic doctrine.  So, basically, you were teaching us fanfiction last semester.â  I had never before seen a grown manâs eyes widen with such fear, incomprehension, disgust, awe, and understanding.
#does that mean the renaissance was almost entirely fan art?
Yes. Yes it does. All ur classic favs had the Renaissance version of DeviantArt.Â
l i s t e n
If you really want to drop that guy down the rabbit hole, ask him which Arthurian legend is canon and which are the AUs.
Dormant Predators
This is why I have this. Even if they can get the lock opened they canât push the door open. Got it at Lowes for $20.
reblog for that last bit to save a life
If youâre like me and have a large gap under your front door (someone could take a stick and just poke the leaning stick style door jam out), I recommend the Addalock. Itâs small, perfect for traveling, and this lock is CRAZY. Itâs so simple but the door does not move.
You canât see it from the other side, either. It also cost about $20, and I canât recommend it enough. Easy to travel with, too! Great for Air BnBs!
Thatâs why I have these on my doors. They get drilled into the side and once its flipped over the door nothing is getting it open. Not the door being unlocked nothing, Iâve unlocked the door and pulled and pushed as hard as I could and it didnât budge. When I go on a trip this is what I use and when Iâm home I leave it on too. No one is getting in here.
Okay I know that it is necessary for many but what do you do if you need medical attention and youâre not able to open the door from the inside? Can the fire department get through these at least? Â
Yes. The fire department can and will break down your door if necessary, itâs one of the reasons they have axes; itâs entirely possible for door frames to melt/expand/seize or otherwise become unopenable during a house fire but the door itself can be hacked down. Or the window. In rare cases, the wall. Firefighters donât fuck around with collateral damage when lives are at stake.
Thatâs such a strong fucking point holy shit
Letâs bring that menorah home, kids.
Sometimes the thought of how much of our shit the Vatican has stolen and keeps hidden send me into a burning rage
Oh hell no, you are not gonna hide this in the tags @rosietwiggs:Â
#true story #my husbandâs zaide managed to get into a tour of the archives #and discovered some ancient writing of the ruzhina rebbe #this was a very long time ago #security was not what it is today #and he managed to smuggle them out #he wrote an entire book on the ruzhiner rebbe as a result #anywyas #fuck the vatican #give us our stuff back #thanks for coming to my ted talk #cultural appropriation #judaism #vatican
FUCKING LEGEND
Wait the Vatican archives are full of Jewish texts? (Knowing catholics, probably heretical and Islamic texts as well). I just assumed it was mostly a bunch of treasury records and council minutes. Maybe some scandalous historical documents at the worst. And that it was hidden because all of the former are uninteresting and the latter theyâd rather not let get out.
Yes. They do. Iâm not sure if this falls under the Vatican Archive, but the Vatican Musuem has A LOT OF OUR STUFF. Though the Menorah is an ancient legend, that has not been psychically proven. What has been psychically proven is that they do have some of your stuff, that they should not have. This stuff was acquired during mainly Medieval Ages - the time Christianity as a whole was incredibly antisemitic, particularly Catholicism. So more often than not they acquired it fromâŚ.. less than desirable means.
The collaboration, centered on a famous candelabrum that has been missing for centuries, is being hailed as âa historic event.â
One of the most important Vatican collections of ancient inscriptions is that of the Jewish Lapidarium, which was transferred from the Later
The Vatican Library, founded in 1451, has an extensive and important collection of Hebraica and Judaica that dates back centuries â the first important catalogue was compiled in 1675-93. It includes more than 800 manuscripts, almost all dating from the medieval period and Renaissance; as well as printed books. Among the manuscripts is what is thought to be the earliest known Hebrew codex, a midrash (commentary) on the book of Leviticus dating from the end of the 9th century or first half of the 10th century. - Jewish Heritage of Europe.
Please look at that last link: Until 1984 they literally controlled our catacombs. And even then the Vatican remains in charge of the large collection of Jewish inscriptions and other objects found in these and other catacombs during excavations of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Well shit. And since itâs the Vatican Complex and not an actual museum, Iâm sure they canât use the defense that theyâre being stored their better than anywhere else. I just thought the museum was a bunch of evacuated Greco roman stuff and the sums of several Popes art collections. I hope theyâre working to move those things, especally the more durable judaica, to the great synagogue of rome and other jewish museums. Same with making the manuscripts more easily accessible for jewish scholars. Because theyâre not even displaying this shit! Just keeping it in a back room.
Precisely. And even if it were for the sole purpose of preservation, which obviously it isnât. The Jewish Musuem of Rome can preserve just as well as the Vatican can. I understand transporting it is difficult and will cost a lot.. But we have been able to do it before with things just as old, and the least the Vatican can do is help for the expenses to transport it after hoarding it for centuries.
I made a difference in the world!
REBLOG TO SAVE YOUR QUEER HEART FROM BREAKING
Iâve seen a bunch of people in the notes concerned (like I was) of comparisons of members of the lgbt to dogs: but upon visiting their website I was reassured that they monitor a variety of content, including (but not limited to):
THIS IS A GOOD SITE
If you guys havent checked out their website yet, I would highly seggust it. They frequently add new triggers to the list of things they track, and in the information is crowdsourced, so you can rest assured that the information they give on movies does not only come from a single corporate source

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We are sharing some of our favourite gifs each day this month for Antifa Internationalâs fifth anniversary. Today: Nazi monuments being destroyed after the defeat of Nazi Germany.
If this offends you đ unfollow me đ
And a note to confederates: these monuments werenât kept because this was âhistoryâ. These monuments celebrated horrible things and we BLEW THEM UP.
itâs hilarious to me when people call historical fashions that men hated oppressive
like in BuzzFeedâs Women Wear Hoop Skirts For A Day While Being Exaggeratedly Bad At Doing Everything In Them video, one woman comments that sheâs being âoppressed by the patriarchy.â if youâve read anything Victorian man ever said about hoop skirts, you know thatâs pretty much the exact opposite of the truth
thing is, hoop skirts evolved as liberating garment for women. before them, to achieve roughly conical skirt fullness, they had to wear many layers of petticoats (some stiffened with horsehair braid or other kinds of cord). the cage crinoline made their outfits instantly lighter and easier to move in
it also enabled skirts to get waaaaay bigger. and, as you see in the late 1860s, 1870s, and mid-late 1880s, to take on even less natural shapes. we jokingly call bustles fake butts, but trust me- nobody saw them that way. it was just skirts doing weird, exciting Skirt Things that women had tons of fun with
men, obviously, loathed the whole affair
(1864)
(1850s. gods, if only crinolines were huge enough to keep men from getting too close)
(no date given, but also, this is 100% impossible)
(also undated, but the ruffles make me think 1850s)
it was also something that women of all social classes- maids and society ladies, enslaved women and free women of color -all wore at one point or another. interesting bit of unexpected equalization there
and when bustles came in, guess what? men hated those, too
(1880s)
(probably also 1880s? the ladies are being compared to beetles and snails. in case that was unclear)
(1870s, I think? the bustle itself looks early 1870s but the tight fit of the actual gown looks later)
hoops and bustles werenât tools of the patriarchy. they were items 1 and 2 on the 19th centuryâs âFashion Trends Women Love That Men Hateâ lists, with bonus built-in personal space enforcement
Gonna add something as someone whoâs worn a lot of period stuff for theatre:
The reason you suck at doing things in a hoop skirt is because youâre not used to doing things in a hoop skirt.
The first time I got in a Colonial-aristocracy dress I felt like I couldnât breathe. The construction didnât actually allow me to raise my arms all the way over my head (yes, thatâs period-accurate). We had one dresser to every two women, because the only things we could put on ourselves were our tights, shifts, and first crinoline. Someone else had to lace our corsets, slip on our extra crinolines, hold our arms to balance us while a second person actually put the dresses on us like we were dolls, and do up our shoesâwhich we could not put on ourselves because we needed to be able to balance when the dress went on. My entire costume was almost 40 pounds (I should mention here that many of the dresses were made entirely of upholstery fabric), and I actually did not have the biggest dress in the show.
We wore our costumes for two weeks of rehearsal, which is quite a lot in university theatre. The first night we were all in dress, most of the ladies went propless because we were holding up our skirts to try and get a feel for both balance and where our feet were in comparison to where it looked like they should be. I actually fell off the stage.
By opening night? We were square-dancing in the damn things. We had one scene where our leading man needed to whistle, but he didnât know how and I was the only one in the cast loud enough to be heard whistling from under the stage, so I was also commando-crawling underneath him at full speed trying to match his stage positionâwhile still in the dress. And petticoats. And corset. Someone took my shoes off for that scene so I could use my toes to propel myself and I laid on a sheet so I wouldnât get the dress dirty, but that was itâI was going full Solid Snake in a space about 18âł high, wearing a dress that covered me from collarbones to floor and weighed as much as a five-year-old child. And it worked beautifully.
These women knew how to wear these clothes. Itâs a lot less ârestrictiveâ when itâs old hat.
I have worn hoop skirts a lot, especially in summer. I still wear hoop skirts if Iâm going to be at an event where I will probably be under stage lights. (For example, Vampire Ball.)
I can ride public transportation while wearing them. I can take a taxi while wearing them. I can go on rides at Disneyland while wearing them. Because Iâve practiced wearing them and twisting the rigid-but-flexible skirt bones so I can sit on them and not buffet other people with my skirts.Â
Hoop skirts are awesome.
Hoop skirts are also air conditioning. If you ever go to reenactments in the South, particularly in summer, youâll notice a lot of ladies gently swaying in their big 1860s skirts â because it fans all the sweaty bits. Youâll be much cooler in a polished cotton gown with full sleeves, ruffles, and hoopskirt than in a riding jacket and trousers, let me promise you! (This is part of the reason many enslaved women also enthusiastically preferred larger skirts â they had more to do than sit in the shade, but theyâd get a bit of a breeze from the hoopsâ movement as they were walking.) Â
Theyâre also â and I canât emphasize enough how important this is â really easy to pee in. If youâre in split-crotch drawers (which, until at least the 1890s, you were), you can take an easy promenade a few feet away from the gents and then squat down and pee in pretty much total privacy. It gives so much freedom in travel when itâs not a problem to pee most anywhere.
People also donât realize that corsets themselves were a HUGE HUGE IMPROVEMENT over previous support-garment styles â and if you have large breasts that donât naturally float freely above your ribcage (which some peopleâs do! but itâs not that common), corsets are often an improvement over modern bras.
They hold up the breasts from underneath, taking the weight of them off your back. Most historical corset styles donât have shoulder straps, so youâre not bearing the weight of your breast there, either, and you can raise your arms as far as your dressâs shoulder line allows (which is the actually restrictive bit â in my 1830s dress, literally all I can do is work in my lap, but in my 1890s dress I can paddle a kayak or draw a longbow with no trouble. Both in a full corset). They support your back and reduce the physical effort it takes to not slouch, helping avoid back pain. Theyâre rigid enough that you donât usually have to adjust your clothing to keep it where it belongs. Theyâre flexible â if youâre having a bloaty PMS day you just ⌠donât lace it as tightly, and if your back muscles are sore you can lace it a little tighter. And you can undo a cup (or, yâknow, not have breast cups) to nurse a baby without losing any of the structural integrity of the garment.
I do educational/historical dressing and people are really insistent, like, âThe corset was invented by a man, wasnât it?â  âActually, women were at the forefront of changing undergarment styles throughout the 19th century!â âBut itâs true that it was invented by a man.â Â
Uh, well, itâs hard to say who âinventedâ the style but itâs very likely that womenâs dressmakers mostly innovated womenâs corsets and menâs tailors mostly innovated menâs corsets, honey. Because those exist too.
This post is incredible. đą
Why is amazon treating its employees like teachers treat students
Because infantilizing your underpaid workers is the best strategy to instill feelings of inferiority and fear, while also encouraging them to want to please middle managers for better treatment while not actually improving their situation at all. Its very effective.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_scrip
Everybody needs to take a good, hard look at the history of West Virginia, so they can understand just how badly companies will sink their claws into your life, and how to stop them from doing it again.
robert pattinson singlehandedly destroying every single joker before heâs even put the suit on
Gee golly goodness Batman, it's almost like actors need to get in a headspace that isn't their usual self to play a character that has an intense and dark way about them. Can you imagine? đą
As a classically and professionally trained actor who has played multiple âdarkâ characters and been in multiple âdarkâ acting scenarios, I can tell you from experience that Method acting is not only dangerous, itâs fucking stupid and unnecessary. There are many, many acting styles that can get you ready for a role like this without putting your mental state and the mental states of your coworkers at risk. Method acting is irresponsible and is far too easy to take too far. No role is worth detriment to your physical or mental wellbeing.
Just something I really want to share on here because itâs important.

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Lord of the Rings Fanfiction Involving OC
These are the things that Iâve notice in a lot of fanfiction that are becoming or already are cliches. From the small details to the big important ones. But itâs mostly stories that revolve around female original characters (including female self-inserts) that are added to the Lord of the Rings fanfiction. I hope that by listing why they are becoming boring and cliche, it will help writers of such stories improve in their writing of it.
I have nothing against female OCs or self-inserts in LOTR stories, actually I enjoy them a lot but only if they are done very well and realistically. 1. The female gets transported to the âpastâ, âanother worldâ or âalternative dimensionâ known as Middle-Earth (and becomes a tenth walker). As awesome as it is to read about such an important adventure where all the action is at â writing a story like that doesnât leave much for creativity and originality. Thereâs so much a person can write about and itâs disappointing when people limit themselves by doing what has already been done.
Itâs actually not THAT difficult to write about an adventure before the journey to destroy the one ring begins. Or you can write a story after the ring has been destroy. Either way, each point in time leaves room for adventures to happen. For example maybe some orcs manage to escape the war and went into hiding? They could be terrorizing small villages and theyâre on a mission to resurrect their leader? Or maybe another dark creature or evil being took over and is using them to carry out their plans? Maybe thereâs something else thatâs threatening the peace and it could be before LOTR happens (like around The Hobbit, or a little after it)?
As for the OC, why do they have to be from another world (well, the future or another universe)? Why not have the character actually be born and raise there? J.R.R. Tolkien created a fictional world that contains many fantasy creatures and in such a world you donât have to limit yourself. Your character doesnât have to be a human (or a elf, a hobbit, or even a dwarf) raise and born there. They could be any other magical being such as a witch, a fairy, a nymph or a mermaid, etc.
Or if you donât want them being from Middle-Earth you can make them an alien then. Itâs not that far-fetch to think that an alien has a device that allows them to time travel or enter through other universes. Maybe they were in a space ship and got sucked into a wormhole? Maybe they are a magical being from another world and a spell went horribly wrong? Maybe because of that they canât go back home until their power is restored or until they required something? Whatever you do, I hope you arenât limiting yourself. Nothing is impossible, as long a there is a reasonable explanation for why and how, then youâre on the right path to creating a very enjoyable story.
On the other hand, maybe you want to do something completely different? Such as a realistic story about one of the characters coming into the real world (or maybe a completely different world). Just be creative! 2. The female is always a teenager. Thereâs actually a lot more stories about female teenage original characters going to the LOTR (or The Hobbit)Â universe then there is adult females. It would be a very nice change for OCs to be adults. After all, we are human and humans do age. People donât stay teenagers forever and nor do the readers. It gets tiring to read about a teenage OC because itâs hard to relate to them, especially for older readers.
For once it would be a relief to read a story with a adult OC because they have more to share, more experience and a higher maturity level then a teen. Depending on the adult OC their background, how they were raise or even their career may or may not be some benefit to them, like how well they adapt to being in a new world. After all, it does get boring when the OC acts/is a hormonal, emotional driven teenager. Their reactions all feel the same and make things seem dramatic and worst than it is. They even act as though the world is all about them and that they can handle anything thrown at them (like taking a life, fighting, traveling long distance without the comforts of their world). Either way, my point is that for once I would like to read a story with an OC that is level-headed, a realist, has good understanding of other peopleâs thoughts/their way of life or at least takes into consideration of their thoughts/feelings and has a believable emotional reaction for their age when it comes to certain situations. Oh, and speaking of age. If an elf is 900 years old, they wouldnât act as though they are a human teenager. Honesty, if I was that old I would have A LOT of wisdom and maturity. So itâs very strange to see an elf that was born and raised in Middle-Earth acting like a spoil overly-emotional brat. It unreal, especially when it doesnât make any sense. Iâm sure they were like that once, maybe when they were 60 years old or so but people donât act like that forever. Personality, opinions and the mind changes overtime for an immortal being while their body never grows old. Just keep that in mind if you decide to make your OC an immortal. 3. They speak English. Why is it that in majority of the stories OCs can magically speak and understand what everyone is talking about? I can understand the concept that the authors use, that âWestronâ is actually English in our world or time or whatever. But Iâve actually heard that itâs been proven by the author, J.R.R. Tolkien himself that âWestronâ isnât English. But I guess many donât know that or havenât done their homework. Or maybe they do know, but didnât want to focus on the language barrier because it would be too much work to write about? Whatever the reason, it would be an interesting story if there is a language barrier. To read about a character that is out of their element and can't communicate with other characters. Itâs realistic and it's fascinating to read about a OCâs frustration in learning a new language. As the character learns to adapt, the readers would start to connect and grow with them too.
AlsoâŚhave you notice that characters from the future or alternative dimension or whatnot seem to automatically speak properly? If I was in United Kingdom I wouldnât automatically pick up an accent or the lingo. It would take some time. If I lived there for a long time or if I was born and was raised there, then itâs excusable that I would speak like the locals.
The same concept should also be remember with Middle-Earth. It would take time for the OCâs speech to adjust, to sound like one of them. But thatâs not the OCs fault, itâs up to the writer to that keep in mind. That speech differs for characters because of the timeline/world theyâre from  and/or are living in. So thereâs going to be certain phrases the OCs or canon characters will say that the other wouldnât get (and would need to be explained).
4. Research. Sometimes I see the effort the writer puts into the story but at times I donât and itâs seriously lacking. Itâs sad to read a story when the writer didnât do their research, especially for little details that make a difference. Like when it comes to bathing, or dressing, or riding a horse or the time people actually wake up to start the day or how relationships are actually handle during those times and between certain races. Writers need to keep in mind that in that world, women donât do manâs work. It was their way of living. They were raise in thinking that and it would be frown upon or found very strange when someone breaks that tradition. So of course, they would find it strange if a female OC suddenly appeared in shorts and a t-shirt beating the crap out of a group of orcs. Such a sight would alarm them. They would notice the way the OC is dress. How improper her clothing are because they reveal so much skin and how sheâs a female fighting against a pack of orcs. It would surprise them, but it wouldnât stop them from coming to her rescue.
Males are chauvinistic, believing that women are maidens who must adhere to male protectionism. You know, basically let the man handle the hard labor and provide the women strength and protection. Sure, it sounds sexist, but it wasnât for malicious reasons. At that time it was consider normal to think that way. Many didnât question it because they were satisfied or accustomed to that belief. Of course, there are probably a few that want to be treated equally and will rebel against it. If so, theyâll face difficulties in trying to achieve that. Plus, for each race itâs different and again, it requires research to know how similar or different they are to each other. For example: The Elves, particularly the Noldor, preoccupy themselves with various things such as smithwork, sculpture, music and other arts, and of course, what to eat. Males and females can do almost everything equally; however, the females often specialize in the arts of healing while the males go to war. This is because they believe that taking life interferes with the ability to preserve life. However, Elves are not stuck in rigid roles; females can defend themselves at need just as well as males, and many males are skilled healers as well, such as Elrond. As for the Dwarves, âIt was said by Gimli that there are few dwarf-women, probably no more than a third of the whole people. They seldom walk abroad except at great need. They are in voice and appearance, and in garb if they must go on a journey, so like to the dwarf-men that the eyes and ears of other peoples cannot tell them apart. This is given rise to the foolish opinion among Men that there are no dwarf-women, and that Dwarves âgrow out of stoneâ. It is because of the fewness of women among them in the kind of the Dwarves increases slowly, and is in peril when they have no secure dwellings. For Dwarves take only one wife or husband each in their lives, and are jealous, as in all matters of their rights. The number of dwarf-men that marry is actually less than one third. For not all the women take husbands: some desire none; some desire one that they cannot get, and so will have no other. As for the men, very many also do not desire marriage, being engrossed in their crafts.â The Return of the King Appendices; Appendix A; Page 449 So this means that they look, sound and dress like the male Dwarves. This doesnât tell us whether or not the females were treated like equals (similar to the Elves) or protected (like the human), but maybe itâs a mixture of both? Even though there arenât any facts to help understand how the dwarf society is like, thereâs just enough information to make some educated guesses. But point is, it requires research to get a better understanding on how a culture is like and how their society was like during those times. Once you have grasp that knowledge of how things are like, than as a writer youâre another step closer to making a believable story. 5. Backpack. It seems that a lot of the original characters are lucky enough to have their backpacks come with them in their jump. Sure they have a reasonable explanation as to why they happen to have them, but itâs not like they'll honesty have things in their bags that are useful. Really, I donât remember teenagers carrying a sleeping bag or daggers in their backpack while heading home from school or going to school. Or even a change of clothes. I donât know that many teens that carry an extra set of clothes for no reason. The only thing I could think of is gym clothesâŚlike theyâre going home and bringing it with them to wash. Or theyâre taking it to school because itâs a P.E. day for them. Or maybe they wear a uniform and they hate wearing it after school? So they change into a new set of clothes before meeting up with friends to hang out. Whatever the reason, the writers have to make sure that they have a logical reason for why certain items are inside the OCâs bag. Itâs one of those important details that readers like to know because it makes the story feel more believable. Otherwise, itâs just ridiculous to read about a OC taking out a flashlight, sleeping bag, matches, swiss army knife and so on, out of their backpack, when they were supposedly going to school or on their way home from school. 6. Ipods. We all love our little portable music player but come on. None of them are on steroids and can last for weeks or months if youâre constantly using it. So of course itâs highly annoying and unrealistic when the OCâs ipod (or cell phone or any other electronic device) is constantly in use when thereâs no way it should be able to last that long. Electronic devices need to be recharge after a time, it doesnât even matter if theyâre being used or not â the battery will eventually lose itsâ charge and die. So ipods or whatever electronic device that comes into the story should only be mention if they have a purpose. 7. Knowledge. Not everyone is a LOTR (or The Hobbit) fan and knows exactly whatâs going to happen. But sadly it seems like every female OC that gets transported or whatnot seems to know everything. Or has some kind of knowledge because a close friend is a LOTR fan and always gives them the âgistâ of it. SoâŚwould it be that bad to write as though the OC doesnât know whatâs going to happen? It would be a nice change in the fandomâs fanfiction to see a OC not know everything. It would be nice to see them react honestly because it would feel more realistic. Readers would be interested to see how the OC will handle their situation and how theyâll react. It would make the characters come to life, by reading about how they worry and stress out. Or be completely awed and freaked out by the creatures and magical items. 8. Injuries. Eventually, the OC gets hurt. The problem with this is how they lack serious injuries. Iâve read plenty of stories where the OC gets shot with an arrow. Thatâs believable. I would find it highly unrealistic if they did all that fighting and not once get hurt by an arrow or a sword. Even the canon characters get hurt.
An OC that doesnât have any experience in war shouldnât be able to come out of battles or fights without a scratch. If a OC doesnât have experience or has some but not enough, the description of their fights should reflect that. For example if they donât have the endurance then make sure itâs reflected in their fight scenes. Make it obvious, show them falter once in a while.Â
When it comes to injuries, the most common one found in LOTR fics is when OCs gets hurt by an arrow and it ALWAYS hits them in the shoulder. Thatâs annoying. Itâs not creative and itâs not realistic. There are other parts in the body that can be hit by an arrow. After all, a moving target is very difficult to hit, more so to make a killing blow.
For example, what if someone was going to get hit with an arrow and the OC notices. They bravely jump in the path of the arrow. They protect the original target but end up getting hit and somehow it lands on their shoulder. WhatâŚthatâs like winning the million dollar lottery. Thatâs some incredibly good luck for that to happen. But this happens in MANY LOTR fics and itâs hard to take the story seriously when that exact scenario occurs. Why could it not land somewhere else for a change? Like the arm, or on their back, or their leg? Maybe they were lucky enough to only get grazed by it because they were still moving and pushing someone out the way?
9. Red Heads.
Red hair seems to be an extremely common trait with original characters that are added to the LOTR and The Hobbit fanfiction. As great as it is to read about a character that has such an unique feature, it tends to get very annoying when itâs overdone by many other writers of the fandom. No matter how many times a writer describes their character it all leads to the same thingâŚ
Hair that is red.
Of course, it also leads to other cliches. That in order for a character to be special they must look special/unique, something that would stand out physically in the LOTR universe. Other times, they stereotype a red head as âfireâ or âstubbornâ or âstrong-willedâ. Iâm sure that some red heads are just like that but not every OC thatâs a redhead should be exactly the same. In doing so, they start to look like carbon copies and readers will get mixed up. Also, please tone down the purple prose when it comes to describing the OCs.
For example:
âScarlet hair and emerald orbs with a creamy complexion.â
âShe looked at her reflection on the water, noticing her murky blue eyes became and fiercely ruby hair.â
âLilac eyes shine and her flowing red hair blew wildly in the wind.â
âLong flaming red hair, chocolate-golden speckled brown eyes.â
âCrimson hair cascades down her back, over her shoulders and her blue eyes glittered like diamonds.â
âRed-brown hair with emerald green eyes.â
âBlood-red hair streamed down her back and shoulders.â
âAmidst the battle and darkness a blazing color of red dances around like a flame.â
Thereâs nothing wrong with redheads but it doesnât hurt to have a plain OC. Why canât they just be a fake redhead? The canon characters would find it interesting to see her original hair color growing in. Other characters would think sheâs magical or something even if sheâs a normal person. Or even, what if she does not have hair as red as blood but an auburn like color? Or a carrot color?
Heck, go with a plain color like brown. Itâs not that difficult to make something plain like brown hair sound beautiful; have the sunlight shine on the characterâs hair revealing strands of gold and red. After all, hair isnât just one solid color itâs made up of individual colors of strand. But appearance isnât everything and whatâs more important is the personality of the OC. Itâs what makes people love a OC and honesty come to care about them and find them special.
10. Riding Horses.
Itâs amazing how OCs are capable of riding horses without any experience or training. Or if they do have some experience they just happen to have it because they took lessons when they were younger. Or they own a horse ranch or they know a family member that has/had a horse. Sure itâs possible but it starts to become a cliche if a lot of the characters all have that ability. Â
I have only rode on a horse twice in my life so far. Those experience only happen because I was in a fair when I was little. Such an experience does not make a person a master of riding horses (or ponies). All I did was just sit on the horse while someone pulled the horse in circles. It was fun because not that many kids my age during then could say that they rode on a horse. But the point is, that wasn't any experience at all. If I was truly on the run for my life, my butt, thighs and so on would be in pain. Maybe my back too because I would need to lean close to the horse to hold on better.Â
Though I would have to overcome my fear of heights first, before I could even think of riding a horse because they are pretty tall. A person can get hurt from falling off a horse. That is scary because youâre sitting on a living creature that has a mind of itâs own, thereâs no guarantee that it wonât get spook or stand still. Horses would be harder to control then a bicycle. You would have to get to know the horse and trust them, trust that they would listen to your commands and in return they trust you to treat them well. You really need to know what youâre doing.
As for when the OC doesnât have any experience with horses, one must remember that not everyone can get it after three tries. They need time to get the handle of it. Thatâs the difference between realistic and unbelievable. An fake, unbelievable character would pick it up with ease without much effort, while a realistic character would take time to get it right and be decent. It might even take longer if their goal is to be a master at it because that would require field experience.Â
Itâs the same concept with other things too. Physically if the OC was on the run for their life and they are couch potatoes (or not physically active at all). How in the world can they run three miles without having an asthma attack/clasping? They wouldnât have made it pass a mile. Let alone ride a horse, fall into a raging river and swim against the current, run two miles, climbs a tree, climb a cliff/mountain, and battle orcs. If your OC is a human, with no experience in fighting or riding a horse and not physically active and yet they can supposedly do that all in a week? Then thereâs something very wrong with that. Realism is the key here, like I keep saying itâs what makes a story more awesome and enjoyable to read. These things can happen, but itâs all about pacing yourself and subtly training your character for what they may face in the future.
11. Quick to Recognize.
Iâm impress by how quick the OCs are to recognize that theyâre in Middle-Earth or who the canon characters are when first introduce. Realistic, they shouldnât automatically be able to figure out that theyâre in another world just by being in a forest or a small village/town. Instead they should be convince that they got lost or got abducted and dropped off in the middle of nowhere. Possibly dumped in a community similar to the Amish, in which they donât have technology and do things the old fashion way, etc. Or theyâll think that someone is pranking them and that theyâre being secretly filmed. Maybe they died and think theyâre in some sort of Heaven or they think that itâs all a realistic dream. Basically the OC will try to rationalize their situation before thinking the impossible happen.
However, if the OC starts noticing the way that the people are dressed, how theyâre speaking in a different language/s, or donât understand their common phrases and terms, then they should feel like something is definitely off about their situation. More so, if they pick on the differences between the people, like how strange a âchildâ is actually a fully grown adult and is a hobbit, and so on. At that point, once they realize theyâre not anywhere close to home â they might think that theyâve gone insane. Or that they stumbled upon a secret magical realm on their world until someone proves them wrong.
Also, the OC shouldnât be able to recognize the canon characters by first appearance. Thereâs too many fics that base their appearance exactly on their actors/actresses and thatâs a little too convenient. Instead, it would be believably that thereâs some physical characteristic that the characters share with their actor, but it wouldnât be enough to automatically figure out who they were. Not until they actually introduce themselves at least.
On a similar note, the canon characters shouldnât be able to easily accept that the OC is from another world. They would be highly suspicious and if not, they would be concern that the OC is ill in the mind or something. It would makes sense that until the OC proves that theyâre not from the same world, than theyâll be taken seriously.
12. Conveniently Nearby.
Whenever an OC is dropped into the LOTR world they are conveniently close to Rivendell, Mirkwook, LothlĂłrien, The Shire, or some other major location. If not, they just happen to be in the same area containing a canon character. No one is that lucky and thereâs nothing wrong to have an OC dropped in the middle of no where. It would actually be interesting to read about an modern OC trying to survive in the forest on their own for a bit. To see if they have any skills or knowledge that helps them adjust better than other OCs. Or have them stumble across a small town or village and see how theyâll handle that. Will they have trouble communicating? How will they handle an environment that has none of their modern conveniences? How will they deal with trouble?Â
Rarely have I found stories that focus on the OC adjusting in the new world first. In those stories the writer gives the OC a chance to understand their situation (even if they may not know just yet exactly where they are) and itâs refreshing to read about. Not all OCs are the same either. An OC that comes from a farmers background would probably be able to handle the environment better, but an tech savvy OC would struggle the most, maybe even experience a bit of withdrawal?Â
If I think up any more cliches/annoyances then Iâll come back and add more on to this. However, if anyone reading this knows some or just want to leave any input feel free to do so. I donât bite and I would appreciate some feedback on this or on any of my past entries.Â
Can you hear my eyes rolling? Let teenage girls enjoy things. Yes, thatâs why half these stories are about teenagers from our world falling into not just a world but a story they wish they could live out, and getting to do so in ways that appeal to teenage girls: because thatâs whoâs writing these things. Thatâs why English, red hair, horses, ipods, all that jazz.
And you know what? It is SERIOUSLY AWESOME that a teenager with zero writing experience is putting together a whole entire story of their own, with or without another writerâs work as an outline. Itâs a big project! Itâs impressive! You want to criticize some fourteen-year-old girl because she doesnât write stories for adult sensibilities or with an adult level of storytelling skill? Come on. Thereâs not a single author you love whose first manuscripts were any better, itâs just that you never got to read them because they werenât published.
Itâs ALSO awesome that these teenage girls get to tailor the story to their tastes in a world full of media that mostly caters to boys. Nobody writes big boring rants about all these stories aimed at young boys about being the super special chosen one and all the tropes common to that plot framework, because that type of narrative is normalized and even elevated in our culture. Girls donât get centered in a narrative like that unless they do it themselves, so GOOD ON THEM when they do! And if the story structure that results isnât to your taste, maybe itâs not meant for you.
As for all this sneering âit wouldnât be like that, do your research,â GOD FORBID a girl or woman write an escapist fantasy about a world without shitty misogyny and rigid gender roles. Middle Earth is a fantasy world and no one is trying to pass it off as history, so there is no such thing as âhistorically accurate.â Even if there was, thereâs no actual reason a story has to be historically accurate. On top of that, our view of gender roles in ancient societies has been shaped through a patriarchal western lens and thereâs evidence many ancient societies didnât think like that, so historically accurate doesnât mean what you think it does. AND the entire POINT of fanfiction is to transform canon, so itâs really ridiculous to object to a fic on the grounds that itâs not canon compliant. Honestly, what kind of nasty person do you have to be to tell these young writers that theyâre only allowed to imagine worlds in which people like them are oppressed? Theyâre not allowed to imagine themselves in the action or doing anything worth telling stories about, their selection is limited to âwomenâs workâ according to the narrow framework of a specific selection of societies youâve picked out that adhere to your worldview? Yikes. Let girl imagine themselves or people like them doing amazing things and being seen as real fully-fledged people. Thatâs a feature, not a bug.
I mean, donât get me wrong, you can have preferences. These stories wonât appeal to everyone; there is no story that appeals to everyone. But nobodyâs forcing you to read. You didnât pay for any of these stories. Your browser has a back button. Even better, I bet you have a word processor on your computer. You donât like these stories? Write your own.
Donât shit on young writers taking their first steps just because their work doesnât appeal to you specifically. God, even if not one single other person on the whole entire internet likes these stories, their AUTHORS had fun creating them and thatâs enough to justify their existence. Donât be an asshole. Let people have fun. Let CHILDREN have fun without shitting on their make-believe for not being realistic and original enough. Skip over the stories you donât want to read with the understanding that youâre not the intended audience. It causes you exactly zero harm.
This work for roleplaying OC too btw. Play whatever floks.
Everyone going shopping on Black Friday, be aware of three things:
The retail workers are working 12 hours shifts. We are threatened with losing our jobs if we donât show up unless weâre dying in the hospital. I had an assistant manager show up with fucking strep because he wouldâve been fired otherwise. Yes, he did infect 7 and hospitalize 2 coworkers; who knows how many members of the public he infected.
The stores have, maybe, 5 of that special cheap thing youâre after. Corporate does this on purpose, and stores are not allowed to order enough. The prices arenât even that much lower. They lie about how expensive something is to fool you into thinking youâre getting a discount. You arenât.
Most of the workers you will come across will be new hires for the sole purpose of being bodies for about three months before theyâre fired. They actually donât know anything because theyâve been working there for maybe two weeks, and have had no real training. I was once hired at Staples a week before Black Friday and expected to know how to deal with phones, coupons, the online ordering site, and AS400 after five 6-hour shifts. This is the kind of person you will likely be dealing with at Black Friday.
Do me and my retail family a favor and donât shop Black Friday. Any company that needs a sale day like Black Friday to get their sales out of the red doesnât deserve to be in business.Â
This also goes for anyone that works shipment too. Weâre suddenly expected to stay as late as they want you to even if they know you donât have a car and rely on a ride to get you to and from work and know you canât stay late. Shipment workers will suddenly start getting berated for not getting things done and it is by far the most stressful time to be a shipment worker for any store. Especially when they throw in new hires that donât know how to process things and are expected to work at the same pace as the people that have worked there for a while.
Retail is shit around the holidays, especially Black Friday
ok fellow millenials, itâs time to kill black friday
LETâS KILL BLACK FRIDAY
Target is open until 1 am on thanksgiving to open 6 am Friday at the one I work at with people who will stock all throughout the night. Please be aware of this and donât be crazy or rude
Seriously? Boycott Shopping Thursday AND Friday. The way retail workers are treated is ridiculous. Shop small local stores on Saturday if youâre able to in your area. Keep dollars in YOUR community and avoid big box stores/major chains (especially Amazon) if you at all can.
Also consider that this is an really excellent time to support independent artists and creators. Here are some really cool folks on tumblr who sell some excellent stuff:
@vaspider - awesome pride merch and geek stuff; everything from hats to patches to backpacks.
@winneganfake - really really really cool handcrafted leather goods.
@pangur-and-grim - pins, patches, and prints.
@musterni-illustrates - tarot decks and really awesome tarot patches.
@micahulrichdraws - hauntingly beautiful illustrations, tarot decks, clothing.
On top of all of that you know what people fucking love? They fucking love it when they get art that was made just for them. Now is probably the perfect time to commission a drawing of your sisterâs dog or your momâs favorite movie character or something like that. Show the artists on your dash some love and commission them so that you can give a one-of-a-kind gift and win christmas.