Now, bear in mind, I'm still getting used to the interface of this site, so this might come down later if unnecessary.
Information about the Labels system I use. This gives a bit more information on the content of my posts, so it never hurts to take a look! All my tags are listed in alphabetical order, so you can always scan through them to look for the tag you want if you don't want to read the entire post. Later additions will be added in alphabetically ordered batches underneath, with the date of their addition above them.
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Admin: This tag is the only "required reading" on my blog. I say it in quotes because of course I can't force you to read anything on my blog, but in truth this content is very important. It is pertinent to the functioning of my blog, and is nearly always useful to my readers.
(Note on character tags: All character tags are characters used in pieces of my writing, and posts with these tags have content including them. Some posts with content of other mediums may also contain them. Most are characters created by myself, some are borrowed from other authors. Romantically, most of my characters are polyamorous (ethical non-monagamy, NOT swinging). Monogamy is the exception, not the rule. All character tags contain the prefix "character:".)
character: Black Irish:
Race: Human
Age: 30
Height: 6'2"
Primary Connections: Firedancer, Twin Phoenix, The Shadowsong, Black Velvet.
The Black Irish is a handsome and wealthy black-haired Irishman who rose to his (thoroughly enjoyed) wealth from the streets of Ireland. He has lived across the sea for most of his life, but his tenor still contains a bit of his old brogue. He's a snarky fellow, full of quips, but also full of humor. He is, however, dangerous when angry, with an Irish temper quick to flame, and can be quite lethal. He never forgot the skills he learned on the streets, and he uses them when he must. Is sometimes short-termed the Irish.
Appearance: Trim and fit. Thick wavy black hair, maybe six inches in length, piercing blue eyes, ruddy tanned but well-tended skin. Angled but not quite sharp features. Preference for luxurious and expensive but elegant clothing.
character: Black Velvet:
Race: Feline-to-human Shifter
Age: 26
Height: 5'7"
Primary Connections: Firedancer, The Brit, Frat Angel, Black Irish.
Black Velvet (sometimes called "The Velvet Cat", "The Velvet Rose", or simply "the Velvet" or "Velvet") is a smooth, dark, cattish woman. Being a former assassin, she is quite dangerous, and on the wrong day quick to anger. Her low, velvet-smooth alto is part of where she gets her name. Her appearance is the other part. No one really knows where she comes from, nor where her true ties lie, but she is well known for her love of luxury almost bordering on hedonism, and her respect for skilled, strong people. She wields bullwhips and blades with equal skill, is rumored to have a bit of magical talent, and seems to have lost none of her touch since the end of her career. She is a shifter with a feline form, that of a black cougar, but usually she is found in human form.
Appearance: Lithe yet muscular, very agile, very stealthy, but also quite voluptuous. Preference for garments of black, usually of shirts, pants, and boots fitted to the body, material of leather, velvet, or silk, occasionally fine linen. Thick black wavy hair down to the middle of her back, usually left to hang. Cattishly angled eyes, either of golden hazel or of sky blue, one is never quite sure. Skin of a creamy olive color. Is always armed, usually with two daggers, two bullwhips, a knife across the back of her belt, and several pockets and pouches full of things most people would rather not know.
Her feline form of black cougar is trim and fit, generally a bit more lithe and with less extra fur and fat around the joints than one normally expects of a cougar. Her fur is also a bit shorter, but at least twice as thick.
character: borrowed:
As mentioned, some characters are not mine, but borrowed from various other authors. Usually this occurs in the cases of fanfiction. Like in most decent fanfics, disclaimers will be put at the beginning of each post. I do not name them directly outside the disclaimers, but use only this tag instead.
character: Chaote:
Race: Shapeshifter, exact species unknown
Age: Unknown, appears to be in his lower 30's.
Male height: 6'
Female height: 5'4"
Primary Connections: Firedancer, The Brown.
A cold, distant, haughty nigh to point of arrogant shapeshifter, Chaote is usually alone. He trusts few, and few trust him, although he is skilled in acquiring allies. If you are counted as one, you have a good one at your back. He is highly mistrustful but loyal to those he chooses. He is mostly seen as an unnervingly efficient warrior, but he has formidable skill also in psychic arts and magecraft. He also has a surprising and sometimes unnerving sense of humor, if a rarely seen and morbid one. His dark and silky baritone of a voice could be seen as elegant in some circles, but usually just adds to his reputation as unsavory or "creepy". He can choose whatever form he wishes, and on occasion can sometimes even change gender. Few know what he really is, or know much about him. Fewer still can claim him as family.
Appearance: As male, he appears very solid, well built. He has skin with a slightly oily appearance, of a slightly tanned caucasian tone. His hair is long, tied back, and dark in color, somewhere between brown and black, and has a similarly oily or "wet" sheen. He usually wears well fitted elegant, if simple, clothing.
As female, xie is skinny but fit, with a skin tone slightly darker than that as a male, almost mocha. The hair is the same color, but shorter, and it has a bit of wave to it. Xie usually is more viperish in this gender, less elegant and more snappish, if still possessing of a bit of xir grace. The clothing is similar to xir choices as a male, but usually choices are pants or short fighting-friendly skirts.
character: Firedancer:
Race: Shapeshifter mutt, exact species unknown
Age: Unknown, but appears to be approximately 23.
Height: Changes based on form, but usually approximately 5'2"-5'4"
Primary Connections: Chaote, The Brown, The Shadowsong, Twin Phoenix, Rori, Black Irish, Black Velvet, The Brit, Lady Dark, Frat Angel.
The main character of the stories (most of which are held from her POV, if she is in them), she is a strong, stubborn, firey woman, Firedancer is a complicated one. She is snarky and snappish, prone to violence and anger, she is prone to mistrust, but paradoxically still has a large circle of family and friends. She has an obviously difficult past, but speaks of it to few. She is an assassin and warrior, and as much as she exemplifies her element and career choices, she is also a healer and artist, and equally skilled in those trades. She is known first for her element and favored art-dancing-from which her name comes. She is a leader by nature and role, but dislikes it greatly. She is also a psychic, and mage, and uses these talents casually, for they are natural to her species. She also has some bardic talent, usually exemplified in singing. She is a shapeshifter, although of a different breed than is Chaote-her bloodlines and species are muddled, and impossible to determine without them being explained. Many consider her very frustrating and confusing, but she has a habit of finding the most interesting times to show her surprisingly extensive sense of humor and mischevious nature.
Appearance: No one knows her true appearance, but she is most commonly found appearing with hip-length loosely curled vibrant red hair, large almond-shaped almost cattishly angled eyes that are never the same color long, and porcelain skin. Her ears are pointed, which lead some to believe she has elvan blood in her. Commonly, though not always, she will include feathered blue, grey, and tan falcon-esque wings, which she can fly with. She is short, approximately five-foot-two to five-foot-four (no one's ever quite sure), and she is quite curvy, but lithe and fit in ways that most assassins or warriors are. She usually wears clothing of rich dark colors, pants and short sleeved shirts and knee-high leather boots, but occasionally can be found wearing various feminine skirted garments. She is always armed, usually enough to be a walking armoury, usually with blades and/or a bow and arrows.
character: Firestar:
Race: Fire Shifter
Age: infant to 27 (depending on the point in the story)
Height: 6'10"
Primary Connections: Gemwater, Firedancer, Twin Phoenix
Firestar is a smartass of a man, always grinning or smirking, always cracking jokes, loving pranks, loving to make people laugh and to laugh himself. He has his serious side too, and is a somewhat mysterious, and certainly unexpectedly deep individual. He doesn't talk about himself much, preferring instead to steer the conversation elsewhere. He's generally quite likeable, and hard to anger, but when he is angry, it's best to stay out of the way lest you find yourself on the receiving end of a fireball. He's a skilled fighter and healer (and he prefers the latter in art and trade), and he also has some decent skill in magecraft (not JUST pyrokinesis, although that's one of the strongest) and some small psychic arts.
Appearance: Firestar is a towering guy, but being lanky and trim (yet fit) as he is, he's less formidable than one would expect. He has long shaggy flaming rust-red hair that is kept tied back at the nape of his neck with a piece of leather, although pieces usually escape their binds and fall around his face. His skin is pale but ruddy, with a bit of freckles, and his eyes are usually either brown or a bright green. He usually wears a smirk. His ears are a bit pointed, and his features long in ways that don't quite match the structure of his body, lending some to believe he has some elvan or other type of fae blood in him.
character: Frat Angel
Race: Human, Angel blooded
Age: 21
Height: 5'9"
Primary connections: The Brit, Twin Phoenix, Black Velvet, Firedancer.
Also known as "Frat boy" "Frat nerd" "Flannel angel" "Flannel boy" "Couch boy", and a variety of other nicknames. He's a laid back, usually smirking southern boy with a strange fondness for oversized cushioned couches. His soft southern lilt is not one of the strong nasal ones; instead it is a soft flowing drawl somewhere between a tenor and a baritone. He is an avid video gamer and closet intellectualist, and he runs his own coffee shop called "Angel Beans". Generally likeable, he has senses so keen that they seem almost supernatural, a smooth sense of humor, and is slow to anger and slower to violence, but when angered is formidable. Those who have ever seen him angry enough to become violent are the only ones who have ever seen his large white feathered wings. But, most people insist that this is just a myth, and that those who have seen it were under the influence of something or another, or are just plain lying.
Appearance: Frat Angel has long straight dark brown hair, usually tied back with a piece of leather at the nape of his neck. He almost always wears plaid flannel shirts (usually button up, with sleeves rolled up) over white undershirts, with jeans and sneakers. His skin is somewhat tanned, and his eyes a rich honeyed chocolate brown color. He's usually found wearing a smirk, thoughtful expression, or both. Some people claim he has large white feathered wings that he can show at will, but most people insist that this is untrue.
character: Gemwater:
Race: Shapeshifter (exact species unknown)
Age: infant to 27, depending on point in story
Height: 6'8"
Primary Connections: Firestar, Chaote, Firedancer, Twin Phoenix
Gemwater is a wary, standoffish woman. She is not socialable, generally broody and pessimistic, and overly formal if she must be put in the situation of being in public. If comfortable around people, she has a good deal of sass and lends a wealth of quips and snark to the conversation that usually has those listening laughing, and she becomes less stiff, but few ever see this. She is a fighter, more attuned to the assassin realm of arts than the warrior's arts, but prefers not to fight unless her temper is roused or unless there is need. While she is skilled with blades and guns, she often tends to strongly prefer her magecraft, which she has a natural gift for and has also spent most of her life training. She is a painter, though she tries to hide this from many people.
Appearance: While she is a shapeshifter and so can take whatever form she wishes, she does have a standard form. She has skin so pale it is almost white, hair ink black and curly, looking as if it is always wet. Her eyes are solid black, looking like swimming pools of ink, iris and pupil indistinguishable. Her body type is curvy and liquid-like but also almost stocky. She looks very solid, but at the same time not so. She prefers to wear loose flowing garments, ones that remind her of water, for she dislikes clothing and wears it for propriety's sake alone. She usually picks colors that are water colored, if she chooses colors at all. Her shoes are soft leather soled cloth slippers. She always seems to have a weapon on her when she needs it, but one is hardly ever seen when she does not, no matter that there is nowhere to hide it.
character: Lady Dark
Race: unknown Humanoid
Age: Unknown, appears to be in her 30's.
Height: Approximately 5'8"
Primary connections: Unknown.
Lady Dark, who claims aliases that few others know, is a sly, smug, bloodthirsty, yet honorable and strict woman. She commands the organization of assassins known as the Order of the Darks, and has a fitting personality. She is intimidating at best, terrifying and deadly at worst, and formidable always. Yet she is loyal and caring of her own, and soon enough all who swear fealty to her realize this, and loudly claim this without shame. Little more than this is known of her to any, only little more than that to her own, and she seems to prefer it that way. She speaks little, but her voice is a deep resonant alto.
Appearance: Her hair and eyes are a dark brown or black, and her skin is dark and shadowed. Her body type and features are hard to determine, but seem to be lush and almost exotic underneath her armour and loose flowing black clothing. Most presume her to be usually armed, given her career status and type, but it is never quite known-no weapons can be outwardly seen.
character: other: All characters without pre-existing tags fall under this tag.
character: Rori:
Race: Dragon
Age: Unknown, appears to be in his mid to late 20's.
Humanoid Height: 5'7"
Primary connections: Unknown.
Rori is a of a race of dragons called the midnight blacks. His race hoards treasure as much as the next dragon, but their kind favors beauty. Beauty of all kinds, found in people, nature, everything. He used to have a home with his own kind but was driven away by false claim long ago. He is quiet, slow to speak and to act, graceful, and noble in manner. He has a rough and low but flowing Irish brogue, which most usually do not expect. He is slow to trust and has no family that any no of, but should he call you friend he is a fierce and kind ally. Like most dragons he is heavily strong in psychic and magical skills. But, he is slow to anger (and as mentioned, to speak and act), and so most usually do not see and thus know of this. He is, generally, a compassionate, if wary, being. Given his species, however, most people usually do not give him the chance to show it.
Appearance: Rori has two forms he can use, one humanoid form and one (his true) dragon form.
His humanoid form is trim and fit, with pale skin, looking almost as if it has a purple or blueish undertone. His hair is long, board straight, and jet black, and either braided at the sides or tied back to keep it out of his face. He favors long, elegant, well-fitted robes of colors usually of purples and other twilight colors, with calf-high cream colored boots.
His dragon form is winged, scaled, with a four clawed legs and a long tail, and a long face with fanged jaws. And huge. He is between two and three hundred feet long and almost a hundred feet high. His head alone is almost twenty feet long. His coloring contains all the colors of night from the darkest time of sunset to the darkest time of sunrise, but his primary coloring is black. In either form, he has deep purple and gold eyes with black diamond shaped pupils.
character: Ruchiel:
Race: Sindar Elf
Age: 657
Height: 5'9"
Primary Connections: Elladan, Elrohir, Lord Elrond. *THESE THREE CHARACTERS ARE BORROWED FROM J.R.R TOLKIEN AND ARE NOT MINE*
Ruchiel is a quiet, subdued tomboy of an elf with little trust for anyone but her two twin brothers, Elladan and Elrohir, or her father, Lord Elrond, whom she calls Ada. She is a guardian of Rivendell, and the odd female out, having chosen a way of life more akin to those of the males. She fancies horses (more at home tending to them than riding them, although she is as skilled a rider as any elf), sparring with her twin knives or shooting with her favorite bow, and otherwise bandying about the woods. She is, however, a skilled dancer, and loves to dance at the nightly music had after the dinner feasts. She is a skilled healer and one of the few women in the family to inherit the manipulation of starlight, a magic she takes comfort and joy in and which her father takes pride in. Her voice is a soft low soprano, reminding one almost of lily petals. She favors the twilight time of day most of all.
Appearance: Ruchiel has below the hip length flowing wavy sable hair that she keeps braided partially back to keep out of her face, cool porcelain pale skin, pointed ears (the points about an inch to an inch and a half long), and almond shaped grey eyes. Her features are elegant, long, lithe, and soft but fit. She has curves, but while she is no stick she also cannot be called voluptuous. She wears clothing usually of soft leather or tough but flexible fabric riding habits with trousers and knee-high leaf-like leather boots. She prefers cool shades of colors, especially purples and greys. She is almost always seen with a pair of blades on her hips and her bow and quiver on her back
character: Skinny Vamp:
Race: Vampire (formerly human)
Age: 28.
Height: 6'
Primary Connections: Unknown.
Also known as simply "The Vamp". He is a quiet, broody man, preferring to stick to the shadows and speak little, if at all. He moves as quietly as he speaks, and when he speaks at all he speaks in a surprisingly deep, shadowy bass. He has a reputation for making marvelous cocoa (despite not being able to drink it, for he cannot consume anything but blood) and for owning fabulously beautiful tankards and mugs in which he serves it (to the lucky few he gives it to), though he never gives away his sources for them. He has a great skill with his few guns, and he'll use them without hesitation or mercy...when the situation calls. Little more is known about him or his history.
Appearance: He prefers to wear a rich crimson calf-length cloak, and wears close fitted black leather garments. He is very skinny, hence his unwanted nickname, but he is surprisingly quite healthy and surprisingly graceful in step. His hair is long, layered, board straight and black, his eyes are red, and his skin is almost white, and appears almost translucent. His face is very unexpressive, the faint eye and lip twitches the only tells on his mood changes.
character: The Brit:
Race: Half-Djinn, half Human
Age: 32
Height: 5'6"
Primary Connections: Black Velvet, Frat Angel, Twin Phoenix, Firedancer.
A brusque, temperamental, broody gentleman on the best of days, he is commonly found with an expression almost akin to a scowl on his face. He is almost arrogant, and his voice and manner is one of a lord who expects to be obeyed. Although, when given the chance and incentive, he will explain that this is in fact not the case. His voice is deep, a quite low and resonantly ringing British-accented tenor. He is generally intimidating or abrasive to most, usually found curious or intriguing to others. He is quite a social gentleman, but prefers to be on the fringes, and is generally jumpy when interacting with people. Those who don't know him think this is simply aggravation at being around anyone to begin with; those who DO know him know this to be nervousness due to his social ineptitude. Being part Djinn he has a brand of magic that revolves around the sands, sun, deserts, and fire, and when angry he emits heat waves. Courtesy of his connection with Frat Nerd-and of his own tastes-he is found drinking large cups of dark rich espresso frequently. His is a chef, also, and of the fussy, picky, backseat-cooking type-but he is marvelously skilled.
Appearance: His skin is a deeply tanned sandy brown, his features remind one much more of an Indian (from India, mind) male than a British one. His eyes are dark chocolate brown, and his hair straight, thick, and black, long to the middle of his back and either left to hang or tied back with a black silk cord. He wears flowing robes of many colors, but favors desert and other warm colors. Under them he wears pants and, usually, either leather boots or leather soled rope sandals, depending on the terrain.
character: The Brown:
Race: Winged Elf
Age: Unknown, aside from the fact that he is quite old, but appears to be approximately 22.
Height: 6'4"
Primary Connections: The Shadowsong, Twin Phoenix, Firedancer, Chaote.
The Brown is a diplomat and politician, generally known for being very charming, very good with words. His vocal tone, a rich bartione reminding one almost of a bassoon, simply adds to this, and he uses it willingly. Fortunately for him and his, this is not simply an act, his silver tongue is worth more than simply the words that come off it. He is a protective, loyal, and loving elf to his own, deep and intricate in personality, keen in senses, and an addict of intellect. He is also, however, an assassin-although this career is not as commonly known as his status as a diplomat-and therefore has somewhat of a taste for battle and bloodshed. He disdains unnecessary amounts of it, though, and is most commonly found loving it when he is being vengent about something he feels passionately about. He is well liked amongst those who know of him, but also well respected and his skill-especially his magic with using his pens, which are weapons as well as writing tools-equally feared as respected, and so he is rarely crossed. He also has some notable skill with music, magecraft, and some psychic talents.
Appearance: Noble in stature and carriage, elegant and slight but strong and solid in build. Hair and feathered wings of chestnut brown, skin quite pale and smooth, almond-shaped eyes of a striking sapphire/night blue shade, he is generally considered quite handsome. He usually wears well-fitted and well-made garments of blues or other jewel-tones, often of velvet, silk, and other good-quality fibers, but when fighting he wears leathers of varying colors, although usually black. He is usually armed, always with his pens and usually with a wicked looking but strangely elegant curved blade carried at his right hip.
character: The Medic:
Race: Human
Age: Approximately 25, though he has never said clearly.
Height: 5'10"
Primary ties: Unknown.
Not much is known about the medic. He is, or was at one time, wealthy, for he speaks, smells, speaks, and acts as one who is used to being of the upper classes of society. His vocal tone is a mid-ranged one, reminding one of a cross between bells and finely oiled wood. He is courteous and polite, and as his name suggests, a highly skilled doctor-but while he hates causing pain to others, he also hates seeing others in pain, and therefore will make sure that when he's done healing you you remember not to get yourself in the trouble that brought you to him. He is also skilled in being a field medic, but due to this also has a quite sufficient skill in combat, for self defense. He has a sly and snarky sense of humor, which is confusing but made all the more charming and curiously appealing when mixed with his obvious familiarity with the upper class. He's very socially adept, but no one really knows if he has any family or friends-he keeps everyone at arm's distance from him.
Appearance: Shaggy but well-kept black hair and brown eyes, he has skin pale but with a slightly olive tint. He prefers well fitted elegant clothing of quality material, but keeps it simple: usually well fitted pants, shoes, shirt and perhaps a sweater or jacket. He also wears glasses.
character: The Shadowsong:
Race: Winged Elf
Age: Unknown, but appears to be about 21.
Height: 6'10"
Primary Ties: The Brown, Twin Phoenix, Firedancer, Black Irish.
In public, the Shadowsong is a quiet, solemn, dignified but somewhat intimidating presence, usually keeping to the sidelines (the shadows when he can manage), preferring to stay unseen. He is yet another who speaks little, but he has a deep and ringing Irish brogue that few do not pay attention to when it sounds. He is dignified and graceful, usually a paradox of intimidating and graceful that most are held in awe of. He also has a firey sense of humor and a love of pranks typical to the Irish that shows at the oddest times, especially when in private with those he trusts. To those he calls his own, he is as protective, loyal, and compassionate towards as he is silent and intimidating to all others. He is a skilled assassin, bard, and mage, and possessing of a small range of his own psychic skills which are developed enough to be nothing to sneeze at. His skills as a bard are his first, and his singing voice is something both loved and feared by many, for it is as deadly as any blade when he puts use to it, but it is beautiful. His skills as a mage lie mostly in the realm of fire magic, which he is advanced enough in to be fire retardant, even if not totally fire proof. He uses both ranges of skills freely and actively in his work as an assassin, and his favored weapons are darts and long knives. He is also a crafter-most things he uses with his hands he can and does craft and sell.
Appearance: He is a formidable but striking figure. His skin is a rich golden chestnut shade, and his hair a rusty orange. He keeps it long, and it's not quite shaggy but certainly glossy and unruly, and it's usually tied at the nape of his neck with a leather thong. He favors dark colors in his clothing, but rich ones-his leathers are different shades of rich browns, the rest of his garments spanning any colors under the sun, but most frequently found with reds and other firey sunset colors. He always is found with a set of darts hidden somewhere on him, usually with a pair of knives on his hips and a long blade on his back between his owl-patterned wings, and always a set of pan-pipes somewhere also. He always wears well-worn brown leather boots.
character: the Twin Phoenix:
Race: Winged Elf
Age: Undetermined, at least 4,000 years of age, appears to be approximately 22.
Height: 5'7"
Primary Connections: Firedancer, The Brown, The Shadowsong, Black Irish, Firestar, Gemwater, Frat Angel, The Brit.
Also known as simply "The Phoenix", The Twin Phoenix is a charming socialite of an elf, someone very courteous, almost always seen smiling and laughing, generally found to be optimistic and magnetic. She is very well liked amongst those who meet or know her. Most take her to be soft, innocent, gentle, kind, motherly or daughterly, caring, easily swayed-naive even. Some of these, yes, it is true. She is a kindhearted being, she cares much, and to most she is by default gentle and kind. But she is not to be trifled with, for she is a being of fire herself, as at home with it as the Shadowsong and almost as one with it as the Firedancer, and though she is as coals and hearthfire, not one to burn unless stirred...she is no weakling, no soft piece of putty to be turned to any mere whim. She has steel and strength, and keen wit, and a sharp temper when it is stirred, and all those who see it do not ever forget it. She is a diplomat, like the Brown, a bard, like the Shadowsong, and a dancer and artist, like the Firedancer, and she has skill to match them all. She is also both healer and warrior, and another employed assassin-though surprisingly few know it. She seems simple on the surface, but below it she has more twists and turns than most beings can dream of.
Appearance: She has rich rust red hair that falls in loose curls past her waist. She has the carriage of an elf and of a diplomat: a noble one. Her skin is pale but rosy, and her eyes almond shaped and an interesting shade of blue to green, but they are unseeing: she is blind. Her features carry the elongated exotic elegance that most elves possess, and her ears too are pointed. For garments she prefers elegant fitted gowns with rich and striking but not excessive decoration and detail, of a variety of colors, most of them not richly hued but not pale either. She wears a variety of shoes but is usually found in either leather boots or soft but strong cloth side-buttoned shoes. Her wings are of a reddish hint, almost akin to a hawk's, but a red auburn shade instead of dusty brown.
(A note on culture tags: Like all tags with repeat prefixes, they imply a series, and the post content is what the tag implies. I have a strong love of history and mythology, and a wide affinity for cultures, and so each culture I am most likely to use as influence in my work possesses a tag.)
culture: Baltic/Slavic: Having done little research on the culture as of yet, I cannot say for certain where this culture lies. I BELIEVE it is eastern European/Western Asian, and is a variable location over a variety of modern day countries. For the most part, this culture is pertinent to me for reasons pertaining to the religious end of things, as with many cultures-one of my patron deities is from this culture.
culture: British: The content of this nature is geared towards the older culture of Britain, of which there is unfortunately very little-but of which some is still known. Of my research, mostly of the Gods of Britain, and of the Picts, one of whose sources was said to be Britain. There may at some point be something that sparks my creative juices with more modern day British culture, but it will likely be more Medieval in nature.
culture: Chinese: I do not have incredibly strong pulls to the Chinese, but there is a notable draw that I cannot ignore. On top of this, many things found in the artistic world are blended between Chinese and Japanese (which are not at all the same), and of the Chinese especially the influences of single characters with their meanings described below.
culture: Egyptian: I have been fascinated with Egyptian culture and history for quite some time, mostly of the ancient Egyptian nature. I have little pull to the Egyptian (Kemetic) religion, but I have had some interactions. It will likely not be common that I choose this culture for food for creative work, but it is likely enough to get a tag.
culture: Gaulish: If I have the word wrong and someone spots it, by all means correct me. And I am, sadly, not as skilled with my memories of the Gauls as I should be. But I have some ties to them through religion, and therefore this tag exists.
culture: Greek/Hellenic: One of my strongest cultural ties has been to the ancient greeks for quite some time. I spent half a semester studying them when I was in grade school, and I never lost the fascination. Now, the Hellenic pantheon is one of my primary three, and one of my strongest loves. I do not doubt that it will be much food for art in due time.
culture: Indian: I have a fondness for the culture of India that I have never quite been able to explain. Once my life progresses to the point where it feels right and I begin to explore that connection to India, I strongly suspect that there will be some pieces of art that come of it.
culture: Irish: My first cultural love was Ireland. I am part German and part Irish, amongst a few other fractional bloodlines I don't know of. When I was a little girl, my father would wiggle my pinky toe and tell me that that was the only German blood I had in me-the rest of me was Irish. Now, I learned later that this was not actually the case, that I am far more German than Irish in blood, but the swell of pride I felt for my Irish blood never died, and never ebbed for long. The Irish are now one of the branches of cultures collected in what many call the Celtic cultures (though this is not wholly accurate), which is the second and strongest of my three primary religious cultures. It is such an influence over my artwork that I could technically apply this tag to all my artwork. However, for sake of practicality, I apply it only to the directly Irish works I do-which may be quite numerous. Like with the British and Greek, however (and, honestly, with very many of the cultures I list), my interest tends to lie in the old days which have mostly died out.
culture: Japanese: This is a newly expanding cultural tie and interest of mine, which I have been resisting for several years and am finally bending to. I do not know to what degree this tag will get any use, but I can say it will get at least one use, and possibly more.
culture: Native American: I have a minute amount of Seneca blood in me. Despite this, I have very little connection to the Native American religion, even if living out here in the west as I do now I have far more active a tie to the land of that people. I am, however, very fond of Coyote of various Native American myths, and spent some years walking over Native American burial mounds that were located nearby to the jousting tents back in Ohio, when I still attended the Great Lakes Medieval Faire. What ties I have are few, but they are strong.
culture: Norse/Germanic: And here we come to the last of my main triad of cultures, and the second that spans both bloodlines and religion. I am primarily of the Norse (Scandinavian) religious branch, although my practice with Them is more spiritual than actually religious. But the Anglo-Saxon (Saxon) and Germanic (Teutonic) religions and cultures are, while different, so close that they tend to fluidly blend both in myth and personal experience, and so I include all of those cultures here. They are a culture tumultuous, violent, and harsh, but also one that tends to want to have as much fun as possible-how else were they to survive such a harsh environment as they had in those early years?-and so I have a somewhat masochistic fondness for it, and for the Deities therein. There will come a time in the near future when my personal practice swings back towards the Norse from the Irish or Greek, and when that happens I expect there will be usage of this tag.
culture: Roman: To put it bluntly, the Romans like me, even if I don't like most of Them. I have some curiosity about Roman history, but like with American history, it is spotty and very specific. However, the Romans are close enough to the Hellenics that I may (or may not) end up including excerpts on both in pieces I post about either or. Although, for me, the two cultures and the pantheons therein are very different.
culture: Welsh: I have a strong love for the Welsh culture. It's language scrambles my brain, and the connection is not as bone deep as it is with Ireland, but it is still something I am very, very fond of. Again, more medieval than anything else, but I find that like Ireland, Wales is still a place that is very spiritually alive...and those places are becoming fewer and fewer as time goes on. And, one of my closest Gods is from this pantheon-at the very least, I will likely sketch Him, if not some of the land His blood is tied to.
detail: Some of my work has extra detail to it that other pieces of the same media does not. A rendering with more care taken than normal, a sewn piece with more hand-sewn embroidery or beadwork than I usually apply, etc. Usually, this takes enough work and energy out of me that I want to make a point of it, and this tag is for that: the posts with extra detail, detail of note.
(A note on Medium tags: I use a variety of mediums, and to make it easier to find posts of specific mediums, there will be a label for each medium used. They are listed below.)
medium: Crafts: A tag for the crafts I make. This is a general category, as I do not have enough reason yet to name specific crafts that I ply.
medium: Counted Cross Stitch: The exception of the above label is counted cross stitch, which I am starting to get more heavily into.
medium: Edible Art: Easy enough to understand. Things I make that are of food. It's an art too! Now, I don't include all things I cook, of course, but mostly the pretty things. There are a few different topic labels elaborating on this art, which will be included for further specification.
medium: Fine Arts: There are a few mediums that fall under this category that I have labels for individually, but there are still possibly others that may fall under more general Fine Art use. Those are in this label.
medium: 3-D: There are some things in the realm of Fine Arts that are three dimensional, not two dimensional. For example, statues that I paint. Those fall under this label.
medium: charcoal/pastel: I fancy using charcoal and pastels (usually soft, sometimes oil) quite often.
medium: Jewelry: I commonly make jewelry, usually with stone, glass, metal, bone, horn, shell, or wood for materials; I am picky with even my glass pieces, and never use acrylics.
medium: Miscellaneous: Pieces with mediums that don't fit anywhere else. May be re-labeled later if there are enough, but may not be.
medium: Painting: Most commonly this will be either acrylics or silk paintings. There may in the future be separate labels for the both; for now they fall under the same.
medium: Pencil/Pen: Renderings and sketches done in either pencil or pen. This can be quite common, especially if I post sketches, because pencil is the most common tool I have on the go.
medium: Photography: Almost always digital, because film is too expensive for me right now, when I can I strongly enjoy photography.
medium: Textiles: This is a varied medium and contains a variety of more specific labels, but it is commonly indulged in. My favorite medium to work in is textiles.
medium: Writing: Fairly basic and self explanatory, these are written pieces of mine. There are some more detailed labels for this medium, to organize the pieces that I write for ease of re-reading.
miscellaneous: There will inevitably be pieces I post that have no practical subject matter in which to store them. They will go under this tag. And likely under a category of a similar name.
(A note on series tags: Many of my characters interact with each other, but not all pieces that are posted are from the same group of stories. There are therefore tags for the different groups of stories-some with chapters, some without-in which these characters are used. There are writing tags which will be explained later, but the series tags are not put under that category in case the series end up represented under other mediums.)
series: Misson 68: A series of stories from a long-term war-like mission had by the militant assassin organization belonging to Lady Black, led by Firedancer, affecting a large number of the characters tied to her. Falls under the category of war stories, usually.
series: Rori's Tale: A chaptered story telling of the development of Firedancer and Rori's relationship, starting shortly after the conclusion of TTT (to be explained below).
series: TTT: A series of stories from another long-term mission similar to Mission 68, and again by Lady Dark's organization, led by the Brown and the Shadowsong. It is Firedancer's introduction to her career as an assassin and held at the beginning of her relationship with the Brown and the Shadowsong, and is a mission/war that does much to define them all. Another series that falls under the category of war stories.
(A note on stages tags: Some of my projects are posted before completion, or indeed before their start. I like occasionally putting up progress posts on my pieces, and these tags are to organize the works I put up, for easier understanding on the parts of my viewers. The medium is not listed; that will be notable either in other tag usages or in the categories in which the pieces are posted. All of them are fairly self explanatory, and so will get no explanation beyond this.)
stages: complete
stages: design
stages: work in progress
(A note on textiles tags: This is one of the few mediums which I have a series of tags for, because it is one of the few that will likely have that much variation to it. Sewing is not my only loved artistic medium, but it is certainly the one that I have the widest range of creativity with.)
textiles: accessories: What it sounds like. Accessories sewn with fabric. Usually bags, for the most part, but on occasion there will be other things.
textiles: cosplay: I am a fan of a wide variety of movie costumes, and have an immense amount of joy recreating some garments, or making costumes based on the styles thereof. This also falls in regards to some animes, be they cartooons or games (and which is generally the first thing thought of when one says "cosplay", even though it is wider than simply anime).
textiles: costumes: I generally do not favor costumes, as the word implies more casually worn or less sturdy/shorter use garments, but on occasion I'll have the thought, idea, or drive to produce something that is NOT able to be worn on a daily basis (even if it might not be). Generally, this is applied to things that match that description that are not street clothes, and while this tag might be used in conjunction with the textiles: cosplay tag, I doubt that will be often.
textiles: garb: Likely the most commonly used textiles tag. I tend to be so fond of my sewn garments-especially when they're for me-and also so hard on them, that I prefer to make them sturdy enough for everyday wear, for long term use. Those garments that are made to last that long, but are not street clothes, are what get this tag. This also can be used in conjunction with the textiles: cosplay tag, and likely will be more commonly so. It will not, however, be used in conjunction with the textiles: costumes tag, nor the below tag.
textiles: garments: This tag is, simply, for sewn garments meant for everyday use, meant to be street clothes. These are sturdy enough that were they not street clothes they'd fall under the garb category, but these are modern day worn sewn things.
(A note on topic tags: These tags are meant to describe and organize the subject matter. The culture and character tags can in a way be considered sub-types of these tags. These tags are ones that are specific enough that they do not need further elaboration. Given enough use, tags like "dancing" might be elaborated on in the future, describing certain types of dance, but such variations remain to be seen. Such tags that are names of fandoms are listed under topics and not cosplay on the chance that their useage spans more mediums than simply textiles, which is likely.)
topic: Asian: It remains to be seen whether or not this topic will remain active, with the Chinese and Japanese culture tags in existence. But this topic is quite self explanatory; and pertains to Asian topic-d content, probably of cultures that are neither Chinese nor Japanese. I imagine for the most part it would pertain to cooking, but again-it may not be a necessary tag.
topic: Baking: Like as not this will be mostly if not only used in edible art posts. But you never know, I might get into a strange mood and post something in other medium pertinent to this.
topic: Cooking: Like the above, usually if not only used in edible art posts.
topic: Dancing: I very much enjoy dancing, and I enjoy the thought of making artwork of dancers in addition to making garments to wear for dancing.
topic: Elements: I'm a person very connected to nature, and I find myself most drawn to the raw elements thereof. Fire, earth, water, air, wood, metal...and other parts of nature that to me are very raw, and could be considered "lesser" elements, such as storms/lightning/electricity, or celestial forms of light.
topic: Elves and fae: I am very drawn to the fae and landspirits (and often they're the same), and for whatever reason from whichever culture you can think of. Elves I am particularly fond of, and I separate the two because though technically elves are fae, they are different enough from many fae that they sometimes get referred to as a semi-separate group. They are common choices for artwork, and not only as my characters (many of which are elvan).
topic: emo/depression/pain: I am often enough an optimistic, sassy, humorous woman, but at the same time I am also a cynic, and have a history of depression and pain. There are times where it influences my work; sometimes my art helps let go of such things, especially the memories. A portion of my work is on the darker scale; this is part of that range.
topic: European (islands): I hesitate to call Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Britain "the Celtic Isles", as many do, and being more naturally inclined to Ireland and not very pleased with Britain's rule of Ireland, I personally don't favor "the British Isles" either. So I give them this tag instead. It is all subject matter referring to those countries/lands, and will likely be used in conjunction with the pertinent culture tags.
topic: European (mainland): There is SUCH a wealth of places in the European mainland. Like with the above, I imagine that it will be used in conjunction with culture tags, but I have a fancy for the European mainland as well, in particular some of the southern countries (Spain, Italy, Greece, for instance).
topic: gift: I like making things for people as gifts. If this tag is used, it's a gift for someone. These above all other pieces should not be stolen, though I get very angry at any theft of artwork, even the images thereof. Stealing what is a gift is...rather adding lemon juice to the cut.
topic: humor: I love making things meant to be humorous. Enough to give it a tag.
topic: magic: Being a mystic and a pagan (and an avid fan of good fantasy), using magic as a subject matter is fascinating to me.
topic: Matrix Trilogy: I AM fond of cosplay, fanart, and fanfiction. I've not done too much with it, but I'm starting to branch out into it. The tags naming canons used for inspiration for such art may be renamed "canon", for those that aren't aware of their status as such. The Matrix is one that falls under this category.
topic: nature: I. Love. Nature. I call myself a tree hugging hippie only half jokingly. I love using it in my artwork, almost more than anything else. As of yet there is little that has it as the main focus, usually it is used as supporting foci, but I plan to change this.
topic: people: I have a habit of drawing people quite often. Usually it's portraits, because I'm not too good at the human form (yet), but it might not stay that way for long-and either way, the tag applies.
topic: recipes: This tag, for edible art again, could be either recipes I make or recipes I use. But as it says, it is for posts containing recipes.
topic: Religious: I very much enjoy using my religious life as inspiration for my artwork. You won't find very much Christian (of any denomination) or Catholic material out of me unless I get permission to post pictures of any commissions done for those of those religions, because my interactions with those religious is peripheral at best, but I do love to use my own.
topic: Spiritual: Religion and spirituality is not one and the same for me, even though they can be very closely related. Much of my spiritual life is not connected strongly or at all to my religious duties and activities. This is difficult to explain unless you already understand the dichotomy, but it is the way it is-and I enjoy using my spiritual life as food for my creativity as much as my religious life.
topic: Temple Of The Twelve: The Temple Of The Twelve (acronym-d as ToTT) is a book series written by Esmerelda Little Flame. It can be, though is not always, used as a sort of self-progressive guide. It is something I am involved in, and the first of two currently published volumes I own and have read-and it is something I enjoy doing artwork for.
topic: Tolkien: The worlds that J.R.R. Tolkien created are, without doubt, the fictitious worlds that I have the strongest passion for. A fangirl, you could call me. It is food for several mediums, and like the Matrix Trilogy (and other canons that I have not made tags for yet) may be made into their own series of tags. It is certainly the one that has the greatest probability of use.
topic: uncooked: The last tag used for edible art, and as its name claims, for uncooked art. Some food is indeed uncooked even when preparation is completed, and the prettier of those concoctions will end up here.
topic: vampires: I have been interested in vampires as a subject medium for years before they became mainstream and "fashionable". I will also say that while I own one of the Twilight books and have seen the Twilight movies, I'm not a fan-I use the canon mostly for brain drain when I need it, or amusement and a chance to snark when I need that. I fancy using some vampires as food for my creativity, (and who knows, you might find more decent depictions of the Twilight vampires if I get into a very strange mood), but I will say-my vampires do not sparkle. And in my opinion, they shouldn't.
topic: war: No, I have never been in the military, nor do I plan on being in it. I honestly don't think I'd be accepted-I have too many physical problems that aren't good for combat. However, I have a strong fascination with and love of weaponry, and tend to find that war is a topic which ends up in my work often regardless of my inexperience with it.
Uncategorized: This tag was actually here by default when I made the blog, and since I have a miscellaneous tag I am not sure I will keep it. But, for now, it remains.
Warning: Image Heavy: This tag exists as a warning to those with slow connections of the image heavy posts.
Warning: NSFW: On the chance that my work turns out to be not safe for work, this tag will apply. Unfortunately I cannot promise that I will be able to hide the content, for I can't see a way to hide the content under a cut here. My journal is not listed as NSFW because most of my content IS safe for work.
Warning: Trigger/Trauma Response: I have rather severe PTSD. I also know several people who have similarly severe-or more severe-PTSD than I do. Therefore I'm rather more aware than some to what might accidentally set off some triggers, and if I suspect that the content might do so, I include this tag.
(A note on writing tags: All of these tags have to do with writing pieces. The tags for chapters-currently the majority-are for chaptered pieces, so that chapters are easier to look up. They are used in conjunction with the tag of the series they belong to.)
writing: Chapter One: Self explanatory. Is not series specific, is chapter specific.
writing: Chapter Two: Self explanatory.
writing: Chapter Three: Self explanatory.
writing: Chapter Four: Self explanatory.
writing: short story: Some of my pieces-many, in fact-are short stories. It used to be the main manifestation of my writing, and only recently I've gotten into longer or chaptered pieces, even with series I write in. This one will likely be seen quite often, for posts with writing in them.
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That completes the tag list for the time being. If any further are added, they will be added, as mentioned, in batches below this paragraph, in alphabetical order with the date of the add above the batch. Anyone who made it through this post (which is over 8700 words at present) gets a plate of cookies.
*places one* There you go. Eat up.
