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@lillikira
Art pieces unclaimed are open to any interested author (no prior sign ups required)
Comments have been re-enabled and the claims have been reopened. There are seven remaining artworks available for claims. Claimed artwork ca
CLAIMS REOPEN (2ND ROUND): May 20, 2024 - May 22, 2024
I've signed up as an artist. and I'm already excited to participate. :)
(updated with link, whoops)
Announcing the 2024 Fandoms Galore Reverse Bang, the first challenge of this kind on this site. Schedule Artist sign ups begin March 1, 2024
EAD 2024
My EAD offerings for 2024. Transitions [Yuri on Ice x Sentinel] Note: you may find all my EAD contributions as well as a description of what it is on my EAD page HERE.
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show, don't tell:
anticipation - bouncing legs - darting eyes - breathing deeply - useless / mindless tasks - eyes on the clock - checking and re-checking
frustration - grumbling - heavy footsteps - hot flush - narrowed eyes - pointing fingers - pacing / stomping
sadness - eyes filling up with tears - blinking quickly - hiccuped breaths - face turned away - red / burning cheeks - short sentences with gulps
happiness - smiling / cheeks hurting - animated - chest hurts from laughing - rapid movements - eye contact - quick speaking
boredom - complaining - sighing - grumbling - pacing - leg bouncing - picking at nails
fear - quick heartbeat - shaking / clammy hands - pinching self - tuck away - closing eyes - clenched hands
disappointment - no eye contact - hard swallow - clenched hands - tears, occasionally - mhm-hmm
tiredness - spacing out - eyes closing - nodding head absently - long sighs - no eye contact - grim smile
confidence - prolonged eye contact - appreciates instead of apologizing - active listening - shoulders back - micro reactions
Fic Banner for Droid Wars by Crystalshard
I was recently inspired to make a banner for Crystalshard’s story Droid Wars. You can find the story on AO3.
https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/104636253?page=2&show_comments=true&view_full_work=false#comment_615627496
Hasetsu, Japan
Rest in peace Nichelle Nichols, December 28th 1932- July 31st 2022
“Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration.” - nichellenicholsofficial
Yuri on Ice Timeline
Alright, so I spent all last night (literally) checking dates and confirming schedules because I’m in that deep. There’s no saving me now. And I thought I’d go ahead and break down the timeline I have come to the conclusion is as close to YOI canon as possible.
There are gaps where I don’t have information to substantiate what happened - and if and when Season 2 comes out or as I’m going through series 1 with a fine-toothed comb , I should find more I shall add it in.
**Edited 1/14/17 to include new information**
**NOTE: (4/23/17) These dates/years are incorrect, but the order they happened (While not infallible) should be pretty close. We have been given NEW NEW information placing the China Cup in 2015, which shifts everything forward by a year. Let me reiterate that I am not an expert, and that YOI takes place in an alternate universe so as to avoid copyright infringement and lawsuits.**
Speculation will be in Italics.
Alright, so here we go!
—————————-
December 25,1985 1984: Victor is born!
November 29,1989 1988: Yuuri is Born!
March 1, 1998 Yuri Plisestky is born!
1998 Makkachin is born!
1997 Minami Kenjiro is born!
1991-1997: Yuuri begins skating
Can’t really tell how old he is, but he looks to be somewhere between 4 and 6 years old which is pretty consistent with when skaters start.
2001: Feb 26-March 2 Junior World Championships Sofia, Bulgaria
At 16 Victor Nikiforov wins Gold at the Junior World Championships
2001-2003: Victor continues to compete , Yuuri’s Junior Debut
whether Victor competes at the Junior or Senior level is unclear. A skater can continue to compete at the junior level until the age of 19, after which they must switch to Senior division.
competitors must be at least 13 years old and not older than 19 by July 1 of that year.
However, we can guess that since Yuuri is aiming to skate at Victor’s level, it’s likely that Victor was already competing at the Senior level by the time Yuuri made it to the Juniors.
2003-2005: Victor and Yuuri continue to compete and rise through the ranks
2006: Feb 10-26 Winter Olympics in Turin
Victor potentially competes as an Olympian @ age of 21
Based on Johnny Weir’s career which seems to have heavily influenced Kubo-san’s choices for Victor’s. (Weir didn’t place on the podium, but he participated. Additionally, another potential for Victor’s career - Evgeni Plushenko - competed and won gold in Turin)
2008: December 10-14 Grand Prix Final (Goyang, Korea)
Victor wins his first Grand Prix Final gold medal @ 23 years old
just as an aside - Prize earnings of 272K USD for Senior GPF division
2009: December 2-6 Grand Prix Final (Tokyo, Japan)
Victor wins second consecutive Grand Prix Final Gold Medal @ 24 years old
Yuuri moves to the U.S. to train at a top facility in Detroit, 1st year of College
2010: March 22-28 World Figure Skating Championships (Turin, Italy)
Victor wins first WFSC Gold Medal
2010: December 8-12 Grand Prix Final (Beijing, China)
Victor wins Third consecutive Grand Prix Gold Medal @ 25 years old
Yuuri’s continues to train in Detroit, 2nd year of College
2011: April 25-May1 World Figure Skating Championships (Moscow, Russia)
Victor wins second consecutive WFSC Gold Medal
2011: December 8-11 Grand Prix Final (Quebec, Canada)
Victor wins Fourth consecutive Grand Prix Final Gold Medal @ 26 years old
Yuuri continues to train in Detroit, 3rd year of college
*****2012-2013 Skating Season*****
2012: March 26-April 1 World Figure Skating Championships (Nice, France)
Victor wins 3rd consecutive WFSC Gold Medal
2012: October Southern Regional Championships
Yuuri qualifies for Grand Prix Circuit at Southern Regional Championships
2012: November Grand Prix Final Qualifier Series
Yuuri participates in 2 of the Grand Prix Series Qualifiers, but does not specify which two.
Yuuri places well and qualifies for the Grand Prix Final in Sochi
2012: Dec 6-9 Grand Prix Final, Sochi, Russia
Yuuri competes but falls to last place
Victor wins 5th consecutive Grand Prix Final gold @ 27 years old
Victor qualifies for the Olympic Figure Skating Team for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi
2012: Dec. 20-24 Japanese National Championships
Yuuri suffers another big loss at the Japanese Nationals according to his explanation in episode 1 of how his last year has gone.
Yuuri’s 4th year of college
2013: February 6-11 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships (Osaka)
Yuuri fails to qualify for Four Continents
2013: March 11-17 World Figure Skating Championships London, Quebec, Canada
Yuuri fails to qualify for World Championships
Victor wins 4th consecutive WFSC gold medal
2013 March - July 31 End of 2012-2013 Season
Yuuri makes the decision to take a break from competition and focuses on school.
Yuuri doesn’t imply that he breaks ties with Celestino until after he fails at the 2013 Japanese National Championships (likely due to lack of dedication to skating since his failure at the 2012 Japanese National Championships. Yuuri states that he had lost his love of skating and he was looking to regain that by copying Victor’s routine after returning home in March 2014)
*****2013-2014 Skating Season*****
2013: August beginning of 2013-2014 season
2013: September - Novemer Grand Prix Qualifiers Senior Division
it is implied that Yuuri doesn’t compete during this season
2013: Dec 5-8 Grand Prix Final at Fukuoka, Japan
Victor likely at GPF Fukuoka
2013: Dec 20-23 Japanese National Championships (Saitama, Japan)
Yuri states in episode 5 during the Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu Championship in 2014 that he hadn’t competed since ‘last year’s Nationals’.
This was his last competition before the Hot Springs on Ice Exhibition Skate-off against Yurio.
2014: January 20-26 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships (Taipei)
Nothing Canon Mentioned - some of our international skating friends are probably skating in the Four Continents, though. So there we go.
It’s mostly here to help me keep track of time. It’s a good place-holder.
2014: February 7-23 Winter Olympics (Sochi, Russia)
It is heavily implied that Victor competes as part of the olympic team at the Sochi 2014 olympics. He is shown wearing the uniform at the Sochi GPF, which was a test event for the Sochi Olympic team, and he is wearing it again at the 2014 WFSC.
2014: March Yuuri goes home, Victor competes at World Figure Skating Championships (Saitama, Japan)
Yuuri graduates early March 2014
Breaks off with Coach Celestino Cialdi
Late March (probably 24-30) Returns home to Hasetsu to consider his future
March 24-30 Victor lands 5th consecutive Gold at the World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan
2014: April Yuuri performs tribute, Victor flies to Japan
Early April, Victor and Yurio return home to St. Petersburg after the WFSC
Yuuri performs his tribute skate for Yuuko at the Ice Palace
April 10th - Triplets post video of Yuuri skating his tribute piece, it goes viral
Some time April 10th or later Victor sees video of Yuuri - applies for Visas and heads off to Japan
Probably late April, Yurio follows Victor to Japan when he finds out where Victor went to make good on a promise the older skater made him.
Late April, possibly May (Depends on how long it took to get the Visas for a long-term stay in Japan for Victor and a short-term for Yurio) - Hot Springs on Ice Skate-off at Hasetsu Castle Ice Palace
Mostly likely end of April - May Yurio loses and heads back to Russia to continue training with Yakov and begins training with Lilya
2014: May - July 31 End of 2013-2014 Skate Season
*****2014-2015 Skating Season*****
2014: August - beginning of 2014-2015 Season. Everyone in hard-core training mode.
Yurio training with Lilya for his Senior Debut
Yuuri training under Victor for Grand Prix Finals and creating ‘Yuri on Ice’ routine
Phichit moves back to Thailand to train
2014: October Southern Regional Championships, Japan Yuuri’s Grand Return
**Note: In episode 1, Yuuri explains that Southern Regional Championships happen in October - maybe this is the actual competition we’re looking at, rather than All-Japan which happens in December and would have made it impossible for Yuuri to qualify for the 2014-2015 Grand Prix Final.
Looking at a map of Japan, it appears that all three prefectures are in the south, so I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the championship titled “ The Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu Championship” is referring to the qualifier in October.
Victor’s Debut as Coach
Yuuri Debuts Collaborative Routine choreographed by Victor “Yuri on Ice”
Yuuri places first and qualifies for Grand Prix Circuit
2014: November 7-9 Rostelecom Cup Grand Prix Qualifier Senior Division
Yuuri competes and takes first place
2014: November 13-16 China Cup Grand Prix Qualifier Senior Division
Makkachin chokes on buns and Victor goes back to Japan
Yuuri has meltdown and ends up placing 4th, still qualifies for Grand Prix Final, though only barely managing to squeak in.
Yurio takes 1st place
2014: December 11-14 Grand Prix Finals, Barcelona Spain
Yuuri and Victor get engaged
Yuuri wins Silver at his 2nd Grand Prix Final with Victor as coach
Yurio wins Gold by a mere .12 point difference at his Senior Debut on the professional Grand Prix circiut
Victor announces his return to the competitive circuit for next season
2014: Mid December Yuuri moves to St. Petersburg with Victor
———— Here is where it all becomes speculation but based on Kubo-san’s adherence to the real life skating championship schedules, here is a list of stuff we may see in Season 2 ——–
December 2014-March 2015 Yuuri and Victor training for upcoming WFSC in St. Petersburg with guidance from Yakov
Victor learns how to be a better coach
Victor struggles to get back into competitive condition and create a new routine for the WFSC in just a few months
Yuuri gets world-class instruction from both Victor and Yakov as an assistant coach (You bet Yakov isn’t going to just stand by and let Victor mess up a perfectly good world-class skater out of sheer inexperience as a coach)
Yurio struggles with constant gross-out (omg Dads are embarrassing) BUT finds that fighting spirit and determination to continue to grow as a skater with Victor and Yuuri there to keep his ego in check.
Our boys grow closer together as a couple
Yuuri’s confidence grows as a skater and this late bloomer begins to show tf up. Boy gets TURNT.
Friendly rivaly/ Frenemies relationship between Yuuri and Yurio develops
March 23-29 2015 World Figure Skating Championships, Shanghai China
Victor returns to the ice as competitor and coach
Yuuri competes for the first time at the same level as Victor
We see a return of several skaters which may include Giacometi and Seong-gil, as we saw them in the 2014 World Figure Skating Championships placing 2nd and 3rd behind Victor.
Yurio likely also competing (expect shenanigans) - if he isn’t competing he’ll likely be there to heckle at the very least.
April - August 2015 Hardcore Training and Prep for the Grand Prix Final 2014-2015 season
October - November GPF Qualifiers Senior Division
Oct 23-25 Skate America Oct 30-Nov 1 Skate Canada Nov 6-8 Cup of China Nov 13-15 Eric Lumbard France Nov 20-22 Rostelecom Cup Russia Nov 27-29 NHK Trophy
Our boys struggle against a super busy schedule and potentially having to be apart while they both compete in qualifiers.
We get confirmation that they are incapable of surviving without each other.
December 10-13 Grand Prix Final Barcelona Spain
I expect to see all three of our boys at the GPF.
The REAL Dance-off Battle begins
Yuuri wins Gold against some probably staggering odds.
Marriage Proposal On The Ice - world figure skating fandom explodes
Nose bleeds and bodies everywhere
((and then we hit utter fantasy … ))
2016 World Figure Skating Championships
Victor has retired as competitive skater - takes up full-time coaching
Yuuri competing as top-ranking skater
Yurio still grossed out
2016 Grand Prix Final Marsielle
Pep talk for Minami Kenjirou for his first Grand Prix Final
Nostalgia By zambicandy
More often than not I’ll crack into a sprawling fantasy series and, while I appreciate the luscious descriptions of furniture, landscapes, and clothing, all I’m focused on is that I don’t actually know how this world works. I only know what it looks like.
Including some functionality to your universe can add to immersion and give your reader a strong foundation on which to build their mental model of your universe.
You certainly don’t need to use all of these questions! In fact, I recommend against that, as all of these certainly won’t make it into your final draft. I personally find that starting my worldbuilding off with 5 to 10 functional questions helps pave the way for glittery and elaborate aesthetic development later on.
How is the healthcare funded in your world?
How does healthcare functionally differ between the wealthy and the poor? (i.e. can only the wealthy go to hospitals? do poor families often have to rely on back-alley procedures?)
Where are health centers (i.e. hospitals, small clinics, etc.) organized in your cities?
Does it differ in smaller towns?
How does this affect people’s ability to get healthcare?
Is healthcare magical, and if it is, how does that affect the healthcare system?
If healing is instantaneous, how does that affect people’s views on injury, illness, and chronic ailments?
If you have both magical and physical healthcare, which one is deemed superior and how does that affect society?
What illnesses are common in your world?
How does this affect daily life?
What do the people in your world think illnesses are?
Is it a miasma theory?
Humor theory?
Demons?
Do they know about biological viruses and bacteria?
How does this affect healthcare?
How do people get water?
Is the water sanitary and if not, how do they sanitize it?
How does agriculture work?
Is it large corporations or individual farms?
What sort of agricultural technology exists in your world and how does it affect food production?
Are farmers wealthy or poor?
What sort of natural resources does your world/country(ies) have and how are they obtained?
How does this affect the average wealth of the country?
How does this wealth affect the culture?
What livestock or beasts of burden are most valued? Least valued? Why?
What is considered a luxury good vs. a regular good?
What forms of transportation does your world have?
What classes use what forms of transportation?
How far has the average citizen traveled, given your transportation limitations?
Which cities are the most accessible and which are the least? Why?
How do popular transportation methods change how cities/towns are laid out?
Does your world have public transportation? What is it?
Is there a coming-of-age aspect to travel?
Describe your world’s postal system or whatever equivalent there is.
Who pays for it?
How reliable is it?
Are there emergency methods for transporting information?
How does your world keep time (i.e. watches, sundials, water clock, etc.)?
Does your world have a currency system, barter system, or something else?
If you have multiple countries, do different currencies have different values across said countries?
How does this affect travel?
Do you have banks in your world and if so, how are they run?
Who owns the banks? Government? Wealthy? How does this affect the economy and/or class system?
How does credit operate in your universe?
Does your world operate more on big corporations or small business? Something in between?
How are workers/labourers treated in your world?
Are there workers unions and if so, what are common views on unions?
Describe your tax system. If you don’t have a tax system, explain why and how your world is affected by that.
Can certain social classes not own property, certain livestock, certain businesses, etc.? Why?
How are business records kept? Are business records kept?
If your world has technology, does your world prioritize developing entertainment tech, communications tech, transportation tech or something else entirely?
What does this say about your world?
How does this affect your economy?
To the closest approximation, what type of government does your world have?
How are rulers/presidents/nobles put in place?
How much power does an individual ruler have?
Is there a veto process?
If you have multiple countries, do they have different types of rulers?
Describe any large-scale alliances (i.e. countries, factions, etc.) that are present in your world.
How did they come about and how are they maintained?
Are they strained or peaceful?
How does it affect the greater politics of your world?
Describe how wars are fought both internationally and nationally.
Do methods of war differ between countries/races?
What about philosophies about war?
If there is a military, what is its hierarchy structure?
How does the military recruit?
Is the military looked upon favourably in your society?
What weapons are used by each country/type of people during warfare, and how does that affect war strategies?
Describe the sentencing system of your world.
Is your accused innocent until proven guilty, or guilty until proven innocent?
How are lawbreakers punished?
If you have prisons, describe how they are organized and run, and who owns them.
Does differing ownership change how the prisons operate?
What are the major ways in which laws between countries vary?
Do laws between cities vary? If so, how and why?
How does citizenship work in your world? What rights and privileges do citizens have that others do not?
Can certain classes or races not become citizens?
Are there certain taboo subjects or opinions that artist/authors/musicians are not allowed to depict (i.e. portraying the official religion in a negative light, explicit sexual material, etc.)? What does this say about your society?
How do people get around these censorship laws?
What is the official hierarchy of duty in your world? (i.e. is family the most important, or patriotism? What about clan?)
How many languages are there in your world, and how many languages share a common origin?
How many people are multilingual?
Which language is the most common?
How is multilingualism viewed?
How are different languages viewed? (i.e. is one language ugly/barbaric while another is romantic and sensual?)
Feel free to add your own questions in reblogs or in comments!
Roles on a Pirate Ship
[by Mark Cookman / Tribality 1, 2, 3] @we-are-pirate, @we-are-scarlet-corsair
Officer Roles on a Pirate Ship
If you are running a game with pirates in it, then you should know what the job entails. It’s not all boarding ships, counting booty, and drinking rum like you might think. A great deal of hard work is required to run a sailing ship with a law-abiding crew, let alone one populated by pirates. In this essay we are going to examine the five principle officers on board a pirate ship, their duties, and their responsibilities. This is part one of a three part lesson. In the next lesson we will examine the duties and responsibilities of other officers and crew members with special duties. In the final lesson, we will look at one very special group of crew members that are almost always overlooked. Read on to learn what pirates expected of their primary officers.
The principal officers of a pirate ship were the captain, the quartermaster, the pilot, the boatswain, and the master gunner. On some ships these positions were all elected by an equal vote of the crew and on others the captain picked the crew members he wanted to serve in the positions. The captain on a pirate vessel was almost always elected by an equal vote of the crew. On a privateer vessel this was not very often the case. Privateer captains were often the owners of the ship or were given commission by their monarch to take a vessel to sea. So it follows with the other officers. If the captain was elected, then generally all of the officers were elected. If the captain was appointed or held his position by means of ownership, then generally he picked the officers. In either case, an officer on a pirate ship served at the whim of the crew. Even a man picked by the captain would be booted down to a simple crewman if he could not do his job. For the most part though, a person elevated to serve as one of the principle officers did so for life. The title of this article refers to the fact that most often the authorities that captured, tried, and hung pirates concentrated on the five principle officers of the ship. These officers were generally the most intelligent and skilled crewmen on board the pirate vessel. They were people that everyone else on board the ship admired for their ability to do their job. Diligent action is the mother of respect on board a ship.
Captain
The captain, however he came to his position, was chosen for his leadership, bravery, and cunning. The captain was responsible for the ship and everything aboard her; every item and every man. He was responsible for the overall decisions affecting the ship and her crew. The captain decided where to sail and what to attack. He was the voice of his crew to all beyond the ship. He often led his crew in battle. In terms of daily duties, the captain kept a log of the voyage, managed the affairs of the ship through the officers, and generally served a four to six hour shift at the helm. The captain stayed in power by being successful. As long as there are prizes to plunder, rum to drink, and food to eat, the captain will not be voted out or mutinied against. It is when things get lean that the captain must worry about crew voting him unfit for command.
Quartermaster
The quartermaster (or first mate on a privateer vessel) was the number two man on the ship. He was responsible for enforcing the ship’s articles and administering punishment when necessary. The quartermaster was the trustee of the ship and her crew. He directly represented the crew to the captain. It was his responsibility to serve as a counterbalance to the captain in decisions that might be hazardous to the ship or the crew. A wise captain made no decisions that his first mate didn’t support. The quartermaster took responsibility for prize vessels and picked the treasure that the crew would take from a prize. He was also responsible for counting the booty and splitting the shares. Each day would find him working with his subordinate officers the boatswain, the master gunner, and the master at arms to effectively run the ship. The first mate also served a turn at the helm, generally a four to six hour shift.
Pilot
The pilot was the number three man on the ship and often the most educated. He served as the ship’s navigator and was generally the best all around sailor aboard the ship. He was responsible for plotting the ship’s course and maintaining that course. The pilot maintained all of the ship’s charts and maps as well as the tools of navigation. He was charged with keeping a daily log of every event relating to the sailing of the ship. He recorded the depth, the currents, the wind patterns, the ship’s location, the locations of reefs and sandbars, and the state of the rigging. He reported directly to the captain. The pilot oversaw the work of the sail-master and almost always had at least one assistant (a pilot’s mate) to help him with his duties. The pilot and his mate both served separate shifts at the helm in addition to taking readings from the moon and stars to plot and maintain the course.
Boatswain
The boatswain was the number four man on the ship and often the most feared by the crew. He was in charge of the provisions for the ship. He maintained the stores of food, water, rum, gunpowder, shot, sails, rope, wood, and tar required to keep the ship and crew fit for action. The boatswain also directed the loading of cargo into the hold to maintain the proper ballast to ensure level sailing. He was in charge of keeping the watches on the ship and maintaining discipline among the deck crew. He was responsible for the ship’s longboats and for picking a crew to man the sweeps when the longboats were used. The boatswain was charged with maintaining the ship’s seaworthy status. He oversaw the duties of both the carpenter and the cook. The boatswain generally had a mate to help him with his responsibilities. In general, his duties were to make certain that all the work of running the ship was done. He reported to the quartermaster. The Boatswain was often the most feared man on the ship because his obligations often made him uncompromising. It was his responsibility to keep everything “ship-shape”. Leniency was something the quartermaster might give to the crew, but it was not something the boatswain was in the position to give. Day and night, the boatswain would drive the crew to do whatever work was required. He maintained the watch log and reported any problems to the quartermaster.
Master Gunner
The master gunner was the number five man on the ship. He was responsible for the care and cleaning of all firearms, culverin (deck guns), and cannons on board the ship. He was also responsible for training the crew in the use of both firearms and ship’s weaponry. The master gunner picked and ran the gunnery crew. He reported to the quartermaster, but was responsible to the entire ship to make certain that the cannons hit the declared target. He was also responsible for maintaining the inventory of powder and shot for all of the guns on the ship. The master gunner was the only crew member besides the captain and the quartermaster entrusted to carry a key to the ship’s powder magazine. Additionally, the master gunner often led or picked hunting parties when they were called for. His day to day duties mainly consisted of drilling the gunnery crew and maintaining the guns.
The Next in Line to Hang – More Roles on a Pirate Ship
In this second part of a three part lesson dealing with the crew positions aboard a pirate vessel, we are going to look at the responsibilities of the Sail-master, the Carpenter, the Cook, the Surgeon, and the Master at Arms. These were all lower officer positions and were either voted upon or assigned by the captain as discussed in the first part of this lesson. The sailors who served in these positions were skilled laborers and, as such, their skills were always very much in demand on a ship. They were almost always offered a greater share of the treasure because of their skills. These were definitely crew members that a pirate ship could not function without.
Sail-master
The Sail-master was the most experienced crewman in the rigging and usually one of the best sailors on the ship. He was responsible for maintaining the sails and the rigging. The Sail-master knew every knot, line, rope, block and tackle in the rigging as well as how to repair them all. He was also responsible for training and running the sail crew as well as overseeing the making and patching of sails. The Sail-master took orders from and reported to the pilot.
Carpenter
The Carpenter was a skilled wood worker, often with some shipwright experience, who did all of the woodworking required by the crew. He was primarily responsible for repairing damage to the wooden portions of the ship and for plugging leaks that got too bad. (Ye should understand right now, before ye go to sea, that all ships leak, mates. It’s just when they really leak badly that you have to worry about it.) The Carpenter was also responsible for the construction of barrels and crates, as needed, to store cargo, as well as maintaining the tools of his trade. He took orders from and reported to the Boatswain.
Cook
The Cook was one of the most important of the lower officers. He was in charge of all matters relating to food on the ship. He made certain there was enough food, water, and rum on board for the planned cruise. He cooked the meals and suggested rationing when it was necessary. The Cook butchered the meat brought back by hunting parties and was the only man trusted to light a fire below decks. He maintained the necessary tools for both cooking and butchering. The Cook took orders from and reported to the Boatswain.
Surgeon
The Surgeon was likely one of the toughest men on the ship. He served as the barber/doctor/emergency surgeon for the entire crew. He was equally capable of shaving your beard and cutting off your damaged leg. The Surgeon dealt with not only the sick and the wounded, but also the dead. He, like the other lower officers, was responsible for maintaining the necessary tools of his trade. The Surgeon took his orders from and reported to the Quartermaster. It was rare for a ship to have a real doctor and it was common for the carpenter or the cook to fill this role as needed.
Master at Arms
The Master at Arms was often the most skilled warrior on the crew. He was responsible for training the crew in hand to hand combat. He also led the ship’s boarding parties and hunting parties when they were necessary. The Master at Arms position was not a separate position on every vessel and often these responsibilities fell to the Quartermaster. When the Master at Arms position was filled on a ship, he took orders from and reported to the Quartermaster.
These 5 core positions represent the Non-Commissioned Officers of a pirate or privateer ship. These men all commanded other men on work details and so their words carried great sway with the crew. It was often from among these men that the next captain was chosen when a captain lost his position through a vote of no confidence. Thus, these were the men that the captain had to keep loyal to him to stay in command of the ship.
And Hang the Musikers, Too – Even More Roles on a Pirate Ship
In this article, we will be looking at the makeup of the crew itself. Remember that the only rule with pirates is that there are no rules; no two crews of any two pirate ships were exactly the same. Even so, we can narrow down some roles common to pirate/privateer crews based upon the jobs that must be done aboard ship. Most simply put, pirate crews are a mixture of brutes, gunners, swabbies, and musikers. Let’s examine each category in turn.
Brutes
A great deal of hard work and heavy hauling is involved in just sailing a tall-masted ship. In strong winds the canvas sails must be man-handled by a deck crew that is stronger. Loading and unloading supplies, most especially cannons or chests of gold, requires a number of strong backs. This is why every ship has its share of brutes – big, strong men capable of handling themselves no matter the work or the fight. In addition to the tasks already mentioned, brutes would be key men in hunting parties, ship boarding, and raiding groups as well. Keep in mind that not all brutes need to be hulking bruisers. A wiry-tough and dexterous hunter, skilled with both blades and long rifle, could be a brute as well. Brutes, no matter their size, do not shrink from a hard task. Men of this sort make up perhaps as much as ½ of a pirate crew, but they will be mixed among the gunners and swabbies, not a stand alone corp. Most of the men on a pirate or privateer ship were probably gunners.
Gunners
Depending upon the size of their shot, each cannon required a crew of either 3 or 4 men to load and fire it. So a sloop carrying 4 small guns per side would require a minimum of 24 men to fully maintain them and that does not include the officers directing the cannon fire. On a large ship, like Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge, a full gun crew would be 160 men dedicated only to firing the cannons. (It is important to note here that Blackbeard had a total crew compliment of 125 on board the Queen Anne’s Revenge.) These crewmen would have to be available 24/7 to do their job whenever required, but otherwise might have no duties on the ship. There was double-duty in most crews though. Most pirate ships didn’t keep a full compliment of gunners like warships of the time did because fewer crew members meant fewer shares and that meant more money for everyone when the treasure was split. Gunners could make up between 1/3 to 2/3 of a crew.
Swabbies
Swabbies, or actual trained sailors, are the crew members responsible for handling the rigging and the sails to keep the ship moving. These are the guys and gals who climb the ratlines into the rigging and walk the spars that jut from the masts. Swabbies sometimes fight from the highest position that they can get to on their own ship and then leap into the rigging of the enemy vessel when boarding. Often dexterous fighters, swabbies are known for leaping into the fray, but sometimes they hide in the rigging as deadly snipers. It might be surprising to discover that skilled sailors usually comprised less than 1/3 of the total crew compliment of the ship.
Musikers
It is difficult to prove that “musikers”, or musicians as we call them, were ever a stand-alone part of a pirate crew. However, two excellent examples from the pirate period demonstrate that they have been a common part of most ships of war, pirate and privateer ships included. The first example is from the early Seventeenth century. In Captain John Smith’s advice concerning how to conduct a one-on-one naval engagement he remarks when preparing to board one should, “… sound Drums and Trumpets, and Saint George for England.” The second example comes from the early Eighteenth century. In the articles of Captain Bartholomew Roberts it is stated: “The Musikers to have Rest on the Sabbath Day, but the other six Days and Nights, none without special Favour.” When thinking about the musicians on board a ship in the 16th to 18th centuries, one must not think of a band. That would be far too organized a concept. There is no way to know how many crew members may have been musicians, but one assumes that the number is not large.
It is likely that ships of this period had crew members who owned musical instruments as varied as brass horns, mouth harps, fiddles, bag pipes and accordions. Furthermore, sailors could gather numerous instruments from the various ports of call their ship made. Examples here are numerous: cowhide and goatskin drums from Africa, dried gourd maracas from Cuba, bamboo drums and flutes from Hispaniola, and even tambourines from Morocco. Pause a moment and consider the combined sounds of all of the instruments mentioned here. Now you know why a band is not the idea you want to have. The musicians were popular with the crew, as they were entertainment as well as a valuable battle element. The musicians played during meal times and during work breaks allowing the crew some entertainment to break the monotony of long hours of tiring work. This boost in moral was welcome at anytime, but was perhaps the most effective when used in battle.
From stories of Bartholomew Roberts crew and others, we know that when a ship with musicians approached another ship with the intention to fight, the effects of the music could be terrifying to the enemy. The musicians would play marches and other martial music. There were drum rolls, trumpet and bugle calls, and perhaps even a piper given the nationality of the crew. Add to this the noise of the ship’s cook beating upon his pots and pans and the crew stamping their feet or beating their weapons against the ship. Finally top this off with the sounds of shouting, screaming, and shooting, both pistols and rifles as well as cannons and deck guns. Your imagination can supply you with the details of the scene. The intended result is achieved: the morale aboard the pirate vessel is raised to a fevered pitch while the morale of their intended prize is shaken. So do not forget that pirates and privateers know the value of bardic inspiration when you run those encounters.
Thanks for the tag!
Useful resource!
10 TIPS FOR EDITING OTHER PEOPLE'S WRITING
10 Tips for Editing Other People’s Writing
by DailyWritingTips
Here are ten tips for a positive, productive critiquing experience:
1. Tolerate the Task When you write, you don’t have to be an aficionado or expert to produce an article or a story on a given topic. Editors don’t need these qualifications, either, and they don’t have to be enamored of the writer’s voice or technique. The same goes for someone conducting a critique: Don’t turn down a request for feedback just because you’re not interested in the subject or you don’t like the writing style. Help the writer succeed in reaching the audience they are writing for. (But don’t hesitate to express your opinion if you think the approach is flawed.)
2. Ask for a Clean Copy The manuscript sample you receive should appear exactly as it would look when it’s ready for submission to a publishing professional. Hard copy should be double spaced and must be free of handwritten annotations or emendations. An electronic document should be professionally formatted and at least mostly devoid of the writer’s notes to self.
3. Mark It Up If you’re reviewing an electronic copy, activate change tracking and edit it. Insert notes using the comment feature or by entering them in brackets, highlighted in boldface or with colored type or background, so they are easily located and distinguished from the content. If you’re working on hard copy, use a pen or a colored pencil for brief notes, and write or type your detailed queries and comments on a separate sheet of paper or in a computer document.
4. Evaluate the Writing, Not the Writer Compliments and complaints alike should focus on the product, not the producer. Refer to the sentence or the section, the character or their actions, the narrative flow or the exchange of dialogue rather than to the person who requested your help. Suggest how to improve the article or the story, not the writer.
5. Start — and Stop — with the Positive Whether you’re responding with general impressions or providing detailed feedback, begin by lauding the strengths of the sample, and reiterate your positive feedback when you summarize your critique. Refer to strengths, not weaknesses, and use positive language: “stronger,” “more interesting,” “a better approach.” Be frank but diplomatic: Even people who can take criticism need to hear that they’re doing something right, and that’s what you should start (and end) with.
6. Craft Your Critiques Be specific, not vague. Be active, not passive. Point out problems, but suggest solutions. Your goal is to clearly communicate to the writer about how they can more clearly communicate to their readers.
7. Guide, Don’t Carry The writer will appreciate focused feedback, and you should feel free to model precise changes in structure or tone and detailed revisions of narrative or dialogue, but do so sparingly. Think of your advice as patterns for the writer to use as templates, or you may end up rewriting the piece, and the writer will have learned little or nothing (except never to ask for your help again).
8. Invite Questions Set up a time to go over your critique after the writer has had a chance to review it. Welcome the writer’s requests for clarification and discussion. If the writer becomes defensive, mention that you have offered your perspective, and that they are free to act on your critique as they see fit.
9. Follow Up Check in with the writer and see how they’re progressing. No matter how careful you are about being diplomatic, the writer may feel a bit battered, and part of your unwritten contract should include a clause requiring you to keep in touch about the project.
10. Know Your Limits It’s reasonable for a writer to ask you for a second light look at the piece after they have made changes in response to your comments, or to request that you provide a general impression about a revision based on your in-depth critique. But establish boundaries about how much time and effort you expend on the writer’s work.
For more tips visit: DailyWritingTips.com
Sharethelovemonth 2016
Welcome back to the third annual One Piece Sharethelovemonth! As always, we promote giving some love to underappreciated pairings.
Same as last year, we exclude five pairings: Zoro/Sanji, Marco/Ace, Kid/Law, Law/Luffy and Luffy/Nami. We feel that these pairings are so popular that they don’t need the extra love, based on the amount of fics on sites as AO3 and FF.net, and pairing specific events.
Other than these five, anything goes. This means friendships, romantic, platonic and familial relationships, and also poly ships (ships with more than two people).
This year, we have a surprise for you: we don’t have one, but four themes to choose from. These are:
- Week 1, August 1-7: Summer - Week 2, August 8-14: History - Week 3, August 9-21: Stars - Week 4, August 22-28: Art
In these weeks, you can post your story on the day that is most convenient for you. For instance, if you have picked the theme History, you can post anywhere from August 8 until August 14. You don’t get an assigned day like previous years. The last days of August (29-31) are free days or days when you can post if you haven’t had the chance yet.
Same as last year, the themes are optional: you don’t have to pick any of them. They are just there for inspiration or to challenge yourself. You can pick one, you can pick none, or you can pick multiple, within one story or several different stories. If you don’t pick a theme, you’re free to post anywhere in August.
When you post, be sure to mention @share-the-love-month and tag with #sharethelovemonth or #stlm2016.
This event is open to artists of all kinds. That means we accept and encourage you to make:
- Stories - Drawings - Edits - Gifs - Graphics - Songlists - Whatever you can come up with
Feel free to make as many stories or pieces of art as you’d like for any pairing you think needs more love.
We’re here to answer any questions you might have!
To participate, please sign up HERE. Sign ups are open until posting starts on August 1st.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
So, I know it’s been a long time but life and other projects really got in my way. I’m really pleased to be in a place where I could finish off the last bit of this chapter and now show it to all of you.
Major shout out to the people who were supportive about the long wait and were so cool. I love you all and really appreciate that!
Also on ff.net
2016 Guidelines
Welcome to the annual Science Fiction and Fantasy One Piece Event, which celebrates science fiction and fantasy, collectively known as speculative fiction, as well as our beloved characters!
Rules
Any OP characters allowed
Must have a sci-fi or fantasy element beyond what’s included in canon (see this or this for more detail on what is considered acceptable)
Multiple entries are allowed and you are more than welcome to do both art and writing
Crossovers are allowed, but the focus must be on characters from One Piece
Collaborations are welcome and encouraged!
For fics:
Minimum word count of 3k
Fics must be complete by posting (no multichapters that need continued)
Sequels or fics that will have a sequel are allowed as long as the work is complete within itself
Betaing is not required but recommended
For art:
Any form of art is accepted (traditional, digital, graphics, etc.)
Sign ups
To sign up, please fill out the form here. Sign ups close June 5th.
Posting
Posting will be from Friday, July 29th- Sunday, July 31th. The tag for this event is opscifiandfantasy, and please mention this blog in your post, so I can find everything easily.
I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have, so feel free to send me an ask! In the meantime, please help spread the word!
a Naruto + One Piece Crossover fanfic
A long developing and hidden plot twist is revealed at last!
On that note, updates may be suspended or very erratic for a while. I need to spend some serious time on the story and its progression. Because of the changes in its development, and almost constant life interventions as of late, rather then force it to a schedule I’d rather make sure the story goes how I want it to.
Thanks!
Ao3 | Wattpad
Reviews: 1609 - Favs: 2,547 - Follows: 2,747
Comments:28 Kudos:241 Bookmarks:55 Hits:3038 33.9K Reads 1.9K Votes
Helpful things for action writers to remember
Sticking a landing will royally fuck up your joints and possibly shatter your ankles, depending on how high you’re jumping/falling from. There’s a very good reason free-runners dive and roll.
Hand-to-hand fights usually only last a matter of seconds, sometimes a few minutes. It’s exhausting work and unless you have a lot of training and history with hand-to-hand combat, you’re going to tire out really fast.
Arrows are very effective and you can’t just yank them out without doing a lot of damage. Most of the time the head of the arrow will break off inside the body if you try pulling it out, and arrows are built to pierce deep. An arrow wound demands medical attention.
Throwing your opponent across the room is really not all that smart. You’re giving them the chance to get up and run away. Unless you’re trying to put distance between you so you can shoot them or something, don’t throw them.
Everyone has something called a “flinch response” when they fight. This is pretty much the brain’s way of telling you “get the fuck out of here or we’re gonna die.” Experienced fighters have trained to suppress this. Think about how long your character has been fighting. A character in a fist fight for the first time is going to take a few hits before their survival instinct kicks in and they start hitting back. A character in a fist fight for the eighth time that week is going to respond a little differently.
ADRENALINE WORKS AGAINST YOU WHEN YOU FIGHT. THIS IS IMPORTANT. A lot of times people think that adrenaline will kick in and give you some badass fighting skills, but it’s actually the opposite. Adrenaline is what tires you out in a battle and it also affects the fighter’s efficacy - meaning it makes them shaky and inaccurate, and overall they lose about 60% of their fighting skill because their brain is focusing on not dying. Adrenaline keeps you alive, it doesn’t give you the skill to pull off a perfect roundhouse kick to the opponent’s face.
Swords WILL bend or break if you hit something hard enough. They also dull easily and take a lot of maintenance. In reality, someone who fights with a sword would have to have to repair or replace it constantly.
Fights get messy. There’s blood and sweat everywhere, and that will make it hard to hold your weapon or get a good grip on someone.
A serious battle also smells horrible. There’s lots of sweat, but also the smell of urine and feces. After someone dies, their bowels and bladder empty. There might also be some questionable things on the ground which can be very psychologically traumatizing. Remember to think about all of the character’s senses when they’re in a fight. Everything WILL affect them in some way.
If your sword is sharpened down to a fine edge, the rest of the blade can’t go through the cut you make. You’ll just end up putting a tiny, shallow scratch in the surface of whatever you strike, and you could probably break your sword.
ARCHERS ARE STRONG TOO. Have you ever drawn a bow? It takes a lot of strength, especially when you’re shooting a bow with a higher draw weight. Draw weight basically means “the amount of force you have to use to pull this sucker back enough to fire it.” To give you an idea of how that works, here’s a helpful link to tell you about finding bow sizes and draw weights for your characters. (CLICK ME)
If an archer has to use a bow they’re not used to, it will probably throw them off a little until they’ve done a few practice shots with it and figured out its draw weight and stability.
People bleed. If they get punched in the face, they’ll probably get a bloody nose. If they get stabbed or cut somehow, they’ll bleed accordingly. And if they’ve been fighting for a while, they’ve got a LOT of blood rushing around to provide them with oxygen. They’re going to bleed a lot.
Here’s a link to a chart to show you how much blood a person can lose without dying. (CLICK ME)
If you want a more in-depth medical chart, try this one. (CLICK ME)
Hopefully this helps someone out there. If you reblog, feel free to add more tips for writers or correct anything I’ve gotten wrong here.
