#(holy tag novel dang)

[antimony-medusa]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers.

I was tagged by @regicidal-optimism

In no particular order:

A World Away (A Step Apart), (14,531 words) my OW superhero/supervillain romance with identity shenanigans, a dystopian world, and in-world supervillain RPF social media posts. This one was so fun to write. I've spent a lot of time on various social medias over the years and I delved into it for the fake discourse, and some of those social media jokes are some of my favourite things I've written. Plus I got to make up two guys that I love, OW is so fun.

A Hundred Things You Have Not Dreamed Of, (27,743 words), a DSMP emduo au in a vaguely superhero au about coming back from dehumanization. This fic was the one where I had to go holy shit I really do keep writing about food as healing I need to start tagging that on my fic, but also I just had a great deal of fun delving into, on the one hand, the hurt/comfort of expecting pain and not getting it, and on the other hand, the actual legitimate joys you can find in the small good things of a life you're choosing to live, even if baldly speaking it's not a great life. Like these guys don't know how to cook, and they live in a shitty apartment, and they have minimum wage food service jobs and don't have internet, but they also have friendship and community and 3 meals a day, and a laptop that can play videos, and that can also be something to appreciate. Plus it was a really fun challenge to take characters who basically don't act like the characters at all, because of trauma, and show them gradually growing into themselves. I still love this one a lot.

three deaths, no burials, one sunrise, (804 words). Oh boy. This one. DSMP, and c!wilbur focused, and second person, and inspired by a richard silken poem and a ursula vernon speech and a post about how wilbur didn't get a grave. At this point I don't even know if that's true canon, but I love this fic for how completely it took over my brain, I sat down and wrote it in one setting. Fuckin' pulled out of me like unspooling rope hand over hand. Having complicated feelings about your death and how it was marked or unmarked by the people around you, and exploring that through video game statistics, is something that can be so personal.

The Totem Of Undying Job, (62,696 words), DSMP, the syndicate heist Las Nevadas. So oh man, this was written in the era of the prison arc and you can probably tell, but I am still proud of how much I went into existing lore for the characterizations, not to mention proud of pulling off a long-fic. I keep thinking of it and going "man I should write more prey duo", or "I should write more tntduo", or "dang, beeduo slaps", or what have you. The first full and complete novel-length thing I had written in almost a decade, and I still think it hangs together, concepted and written entirely just me with myself in a google doc. The way I approach writing is very different nowdays, but I still love this one and I'm proud of pulling it off.

And honestly there's a lot of fics jockeying for this final spot, but I will give it to Soothing Natural Energies by Rebalancing External Wealth, Today, At Rekindled Flames Marriage Therapy Conference, (4,482 words), my origins sneegza marriage fraud shenanigans heist. I wrote this one in 24 hours for an exchange, and I was absolutely digesting my own stomach with anxiety the whole time, but I got it done, and then I posted and people said it was funny! And it had good worldbuilding! They liked it! And I drank some coffee and sat down to read it and went what do you know, I also like this, I think it's funny. Sometimes when I go oh god can I actually write comedy I go back to this one and I remind myself that yes, I can feel out how punchlines work. Also that I should write more origins, it's delightful.

tagging: @chrysalizzm, @imperialkatwala, @creetchure, @lennjamin-o7, @droidofmay

(don't feel obligated, any of you, I was just mentally paging through the people I follow trying to find people who hadn't already been tagged.)

#my writing

[luwupercal]

re: Primarch Auras

there are an infinite number of attempts at this post in my drafts rn because i'm too busy to write a dang jpeg so here's my best attempt at bullet-pointing it

i've posted basically all of these thoughts to some extent in disarray over the years on this blog but i recently got tagged on a question about primarch aura effects by @/betterandbetterme, so i decided to make a post about it, so "ah yes, primarch auras" is not an XKCD 2501 - Average Familiarity moment

and then it took me a week+ because life things came up (good life things! timed creative projects and a new ttrpg campaign in a new system) to make the post. whoops

anyway, here's what we know and how I interpret it:

Primarchs have an "aura effect" that causes people to consider them great and glorious and superior and holy and extremely impressive.

This, I argue, is not a natural effect of them being so Large or anything, but in fact I think it is a subconscious psychic effect.

This is in line with previous thoughts shared onto this blog, like the daemons in giftwrap interpretation (link) (and I will quote at some point the specific bit in Reflection Crack'd that I take as canonical acknowledgement of this gdi) (but tl;dr there's probably a reason it's so easy to turn Primarchs into daemons, right?)

A reason why I think they're unnatural depends heavily on the Emperor, who has a similar, if stronger, aura, that is in fact part of his illusory Situation that blanks can see through (Lexicanum link)

(which would make these a sort of metaphysical extension of Lorgar looking like the Emperor. is this cute? you decide)

Another reason is just how dramatic their effect is - here's Vulkan sedating just, like, a random woman who doesn't know what he is. for context in the novel, it hasn't been revealed yet but Vulkan and his men have just killed that woman's protectors and she's freaking out about that (through a language barrier). there's equal examples interspersed throughout the novels

I don't think most primarchs are conscious that they have this effect/power at all because it fully acts subconsciously - compare how Mortarion sublimates his psychic potential out of dislike for psykers, if you wanna. there's precedent

a lot of Primarchs with pretty strong aura effects also show / showed either psychic powers or the potential for them - I would nominate Sanguinius and Lorgar as examples of this

(you can probably argue for Magnus having realized what's going on and controlling it directly, given how powerful he is and how extremely Supernatural he presents, but this would be an entire Point you'd be making about Magnus's personality and powerset and it's been a minute since i've read stuff with him in it, so i won't make it myself)

compare that, for example, with (psychic-wise) extremely mundane normies 30k!Guilliman or Ferrus, who people still basically worshiped at the feet of but that people found easier to point out were somehow less Glorious-Looking, so to speak, than some of their more shiny siblings - 40k!Guilliman has the advantage of the Imperium worshiping him as nearly a living god, so people are more predisposed to look up to him as holy

speaking of which, people can become, like. resistant? to this response by a variety of reasons - see: Tarasha Euten being Guilliman's mom, Sulymanya being an atheist, people who saw the uglier side of Fulgrim in Palatine Phoenix, or Riordan, the medicae who gave such few fucks that after 3 days straight helping patients not die of radiation poisoning he fell asleep standing up in front of Ferrus Manus, for example (also this moment and this moment)

(note all of these examples being mortals, roflmao)

(though when talking abt this a while ago @/horuslupercal brought up how Abaddon used to get into shouting matches with Horus, so, shrug emoji)

Primarily the way to become immunized is to see the Primarchs as people - the aura effect situation going on can't make you only feel positive about a person, it just twists the feelings you already have in the Primarch's advantage, sorta, and then the pedestals the Primarchs carry themselves on, and the supernatural deeds they're able to carry out, do the rest of the work

another thing brought up by @/horuslupercal is Angron's aura not really working, quote him "and I would wager it's ESP bc the nails mesh so poorly with the warp and psykers"

tl;dr: ???????????

primarchs are so fucking full of warp yum

#analysis #the real lesson of this post is that XKCD 2501's alt text made me snort while composing it

[pixie-skull]

10 characters in 10 fandoms tag :D thank you @airasora for tagging me. =D

So I did do a VERY similar post a few days ago, but screw it more shout-outs fandoms I like. >:D

UPDATED ON NOVEMBER 23, 2023

10. Diablo vide games:

One of my first favorite video games and favorite character is Deckard Cain.

9. Monty Python and the Holy Grail:

The comedy group Monty Python needs more fans I feel. XD Favorite character of this movie is Tim.

8. Futurama:

I feel like a fool I did not think of this particular fantastic show. Besides being one of few science fiction I can enjoy so much, the stories, running gags, animation, and especially the characters are so great. Favorite character is so hard as younger me adored Leela, but as I get older it is a tie of her and Kif. I just like show reversed certain expected traits for characters. Leela to muscle while Kif the temped heart. That being said Zoidberg and Nibbler as I oddly relate to. 🤷‍♂️

7. Scooby Doo:

If from the original, to the movies (Witch’s Ghost and Alien Invaders), to newer shows, and a few video games. :D Favorite character is Scooby tied with Shaggy.

6. Non-Disney:

Now this kinda cheating but I adore animated movies, especially hand-drawn movies. I mean dang I am so grateful that certain animated movies gems that I have seen, that it made and I happily if could consider voice acting for a career. However I am also cheating to say a favorite character as he is a comfort character, Thief from The Thief and the Cobbler. This also why this middle of my list as so vague.

5. Allan Moore’s work fandom:

Okay a tie, between a graphic novel and a movie. I am aware Allan Moore well known to despise his work be adapted to film. Graphic novel (even though the movie is a guilty pleasure of mine) is The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Movie is V for Vendetta, plus favorite character a three-way tie of Deirich + Evey + Finnich. Yes I meant it alphabetically order. XP

4. Firefly+Serenity:

I am sure this does not surprise anybody? XD Favorite character is hard but it is Inara with Sharped in close second place.

3. The Tenth Kingdom:

I rarely hear anyone talk about this miniseries which is a shame as such a fun show. @airasora I for some reason can see the character Wolf being your favorite character. :D In regards my favorite character, it has to be Virginia.

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer:

Yay one of the FEW shows I have actually watched all 7 seasons of (plan to rewatch the movie). XD I am honestly torn between two characters I really like. Especially as both are relatable in info dumping on legends/folklore, plus the few times they work together it is a fun team=Willow and Giles

1. Sense8:

I can not articulate enough how this show deserves more attention and needed more time/episodes. Favorite character has to be my crush Kala. However she is also a favorite character along, Lito x Hernado (I am aware both are cis gay men, but as a bi trans man they are one of few men love men relationships I have felt so relatable to).

0. Mythology:

If I had pick what particular creature that pop culture has used it is obviously the Unicorn. Funny enough I have not watched any of the My Little Pony shows+movies. I just feel too weary it be hard to not be bothered by the fact they are “horses with horns and cute”.

#get to know me #fandoms #Diablo video game #monty python #monty pyton and the holy grail #futurama #Scooby Doo #non-Disney #voice acting #the thief and the cobbler #alan moore #the league of extraordinary gentlemen #graphic novel #v for vendetta #firefly #serenity #the tenth kingdom #buffy the vampire slayer #Buffy #sense8 #mythology #unicorns #cabin in the woods

[javaelemental]

I posted 393 times in 2022

That's 336 more posts than 2021!

59 posts created (15%)

334 posts reblogged (85%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@sweetfirebird

@thistlefly

@seananmcguire

@elesh-nussy

I tagged 363 of my posts in 2022

Only 8% of my posts had no tags

#gnu terry pratchett - 22 posts

#terry pratchett - 20 posts

#art - 16 posts

#twitter - 15 posts

#discworld - 15 posts

#dracula daily - 10 posts

#tiktok - 9 posts

#tumblr - 9 posts

#writing - 9 posts

#doctor who - 8 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#as a service industry vet i can absolutely guarantee that if the vampire shift lead was any kind of decent i would help him bury the bodies

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

[Screencap of a tweet with an image. Image is the mobile version of Spirit Halloween's website. Tweeter Daniel Barnes says, "POV: you just logged onto Twitter tomorrow morning."]

3 notes - Posted November 17, 2022

#4

The Brothers Cabal, Jonathan L. Howard

"They’re trying, but it will be too late. They need something very dangerous on their side to even their odds and they need it now."

"More dangerous than a vampire?" Even over the engine noise, the amusement in her tone was obvious.

"Oh, but I’m lovely. And I’m really not much into the whole 'Prince of Darkness' business. No, they need something … somebody … much more dangerous than me." He swallowed. He could hardly believe he was going to suggest this. "We need my brother, Johannes."

(If you haven't read the Johannes Cabal novels, you really, really should. Find them here.)

4 notes - Posted October 10, 2022

#3

Started a new farm. I'm on year three, just puttering along at things, no big hurry. Question, though - did they change the spawn rate on mushroom trees, or do they spawn more often on a 4 Corners farm? I've had one spawn every year so far, and I've never seen a single one on any of my other farms, not even my first farm that I've been playing for 17 in-game years. Also, these dang mushroom trees have been spawning in the worst spots. Wish you could get seeds out of them when you chop them down, so I could move them somewhere more useful.

6 notes - Posted July 21, 2022

#2

Oh shit. Oh fuck. It's happening. Holy shit.

Variety: ‘Community’ Movie Is Finally Happening, at Peacock, Fulfilling the Show’s Prophecy

"Pop, pop the champagne: Maybe it’s not the darkest timeline after all, as “six seasons and a movie” is finally becoming reality. Peacock has ordered a movie based on the Dan Harmon comedy 'Community,' bringing back original stars Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash and Ken Jeong to check in on what the gang from Greendale has been up to since the show ended in 2015."

See the full post

6 notes - Posted September 30, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Ninety percent of most magic merely consists of knowing one extra fact.

Terry Pratchett, Night Watch

156 notes - Posted September 30, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

[please-dont-pet-the-okapi]

We don’t talk enough about how political Out of the Silent Planet gets as a novel.

#the villain of the story is a british scientist #whose goal is human colonization of malacandra #and who kills aliens in cold blood just because he doesn't recognize them as people #and in the climactic chapter of the book oyarsa looks this guy in the face and is like #'yeah i've met people marginally more evil but this dude's pretty dang stupid' #at the end of the chapter the villain effectively sides himself with Space Satan #and in the second book he LITERALLY sides with Space Satan and gets possessed by a Space Demon #like this was 1938 (and the second book was 1943) #the sun was only beginning to set on the british empire #and lewis #(an irishman who Did Not Like Being In England At All) #is saying 'let the sun set for the love of all that is good and holy' #and yeah you could argue 'but that wasn't his intention!' #but i'd argue that given the time period lewis was writing in #this was not accidental at all #and it's juicy stuff! #like why would you want a thousand cold takes about how The Inklings Were Unwoke Actually And You Should Hate Them #when you could have C. S. Lewis Wrote A Sci Fi Novel About Why Imperialism/Colonialism Is Idiotic And Also Evil #(or C. S. Lewis's Views On Women Progressed Drastically As His Literary Career Went On And His Wife Is Probably A Factor In This #but that's another Tag Rant) #c. s. lewis #the space trilogy #stuff i found in my drafts #queue

[murfpersonalblog]

MDZS/CQL Ask Game

I saw this The Untamed (Chen Qing Ling) / Mo Dao Zu Shi (Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation) questionnaire here, and as I have Thoughts(TM) I figured I might as well write them all down!

1: Favourite Character: Wei Wuxian no duh of course, but I also highkey love Nie Huaisang you clever little mofo.

2: What would _______ be in a _______ AU? Jin Guangshan would be STERILE in a happier AU. Or at the very least a decent frikkin father, good grief. Keep it in your dang pants. 

3: Happiest Moment: Everything before the effing Fire Nation attacked, basically.

4: Best Symbolism: I love how The Untamed (Chen Qing Ling) is also the name of WWX’s ghost flute, Chenqing. There’s a whole analysis of the different meaning here, and I was reeling. 

5: Biggest WTF moment: Every time WWX couldn’t tell LWJ was 100% in love with him, the effing dinbgbat.

6: Favourite Ship: Come on now, stop playing. Novel, tv show, donghua, manhua--we all know why we’re here.

7: Which Adaptations Have You Consumed: All of them. except the audiobooks.

8: Most Confusing Part In The Story: I wasn’t confused, just frustrated, like, Omfg why are these people so stupid and quick to act like total SCUM and spread rumors!? Then I realized: miserable bored rich people, of course.

9: A Fanon You Dislike: That Jiang Cheng will ever get married. XD That boy is way too traumatized; he needs therapy, and to focus on repairing his relationship with Jin Ling (who never deserved to treated that way, omg he was a baby!), not a romantic interest. He couldn’t get with Wen Qing on his best day.

10: Favourite Fanfic Set-Up: I like fix-it fics, so any setup that has someone actually stepping in to HELP WWX is my favorite setup.

11: Tags You Mostly Filter On Ao3 For: We’ll be here all day.

12: Saddest Moment: Everything after the Fire Nation attacked. NGL, the anime made me cry a lot more than the tv show though, especially when Yunmeng Jiang fell.

13: Fanciest Character Design: Holy crap this is hard; they’re all fancy! Props to the costume department! The Jin are pretty fancy, but so are the Jiang. The Nie are no slouches either. And the Lan are soooo elegant. (The plainest might actually be the Wen, lol.) Bah, lemme just go with the obvious pick, the Twin Jades of Lan! <3

14: Weakest Character: Jiang Cheng. It’s not his fault, and he’s actually a lot stronger than anyone ever gave him credit for. But as much as I can partially empathize with him and all his losses, I hate how he took out all his resentment on Jin Ling. There was no reason to treat your dead sister’s only child like that. That boy was crying his eyes out, and JC was just his usual constipated self. Eff how ungrateful & awful he was to the Wens & WWX & everyone else--you just don’t treat children that way, that’s where I draw the line. He failed Jin Ling.

15: Any Ship You Like Besides WangXian: Xiao Xingchen & Song Lan, my poor darlings. The parallels. THE PARALLELS I TELL YOU.

16: Favourite Habit: Nie Huaisang’s nervous tick about not knowing anything. At first I thought it was cuz he genuinely didn’t want to be bothered, but by the end I was like OHHHHHH.

17: Purer Cinnamon Role Than Wen Ning: There is no such thing, lies and slander!

18: Something You Want To Change In The Story: Everything. No but seriously, I just wish Jiang Cheng had stood up for Wei Wuxian; JGY was absolutely right on that account. Yes, as much as I wish WWX had gone to Gusu with LWJ, at the end of the day it wasn’t LWJ’s responsibility to look out for WWX, or to help while WWX & the Wens were effing starving to death in the Burial Mounds. No, WWX didn’t tell him everything (about the golden core), but he KNEW the Wens were innocent, and that WWX was right to step in, and he did NOTHING; too wrapped up in his own resentment to tell his arsehole from his mouth. I can’t with Jiang Cheng.

19: Cinnamon Role Meme (4 Characters): Just to reiterate #17:

20: Favourite Villain: Jin Guangyao. I hate liking him so much, but that poor dude really needed a hug. So did Xue Yang, but omg.

21: A Fanon You Like: Plenty. We’ll be here all day.

22: Most Annoying Person: Every time Clan Leader Yao spoke I felt my intestines clench.

23: The Thing You Liked Most In The Series: IMO the characters are the very best part of the entire MDZS universe. Even the villains and scum (Yao and Su I’m looking at YOU) are “strong,” even if in their awfulness. And the ones who seem “weak“ cuz they’re always having emotional breakdowns are actually incredibly strong in the scheme of things, even the ones I don’t personally like (Jiang Cheng, hooo boy, you need help).

24: ______ has a ______ kink: The Gusu Lan have a “My Significant Other May Very Well Be A Serial Killer And I’m Turned On By It” Kink.

25: Least Favourite Character: Did I mention that Jin Guangshan should’ve just been a decent father????

26: Who is Jinling’s favourite uncle (ranking): O_O Is...?  Is this...?? Is this a trick question??? XD

Wei Wuxian (post canon), Jin Guangyao, Jiang Cheng, Lan Xichen, Nie Huaisang, Lan Wangji, Nie Mingjue, Mo Xuanyu.

27: Character Design That Is Just “Meh”: Who’s this guy again?

28: Most Underrated Character: Ouyang Zizhen; not underrated, just underrepresented, IMO, compared to the other juniors. 

29: Lan Cuisine Or Lotus Root Soup? Neither; the Lans are vegetarians and I hate veggies, but the Jiang like spices, and I had sichuan ONCE and vowed never again.

30: A Ship You Like But People Have A Lot Of Opinions About: I ship Lan Xichen with Wen Qing, and that’s not a popular ship for various reasons.

31: What Sect Would You Like To Be A Member Of? I did all 4 of the quizzes listed here, and got Jiang, Jin, Lan, and Jiang. So I guess I’m Jiang; Big Brat Energy Gang! I was hoping I’d be Nie though. XD

32: Lan Sect Rule That Would Be The Hardest To Obey: All 4000+ of them.

33: How Do You Feel About Lan Qiren. Retire already.

34: Favourite Arc: Coffin Town. That cursed school trip was so effed up. I can’t wait for Season 3 of the donghua!

35: Who Is The Biggest Disaster: Jiang Cheng. Xue Yang. Jin Guangyao. Take your pick.

36: Character You Would Have Liked To Have More Background/Screen-Time: Lan Xichen. He got plenty, but I’d love even more, like an entire prequel before Nie Mingjue died, of then just being cultivating bamfs.

37: Favourite Adaptation: The donghua/anime. That was the first one I got into, for the best visual representation of what all the cultivation techniques would look like (IMO the tv show had too much wire-fu, and not nearly enough magic). Then I read the novel when it became clear that all the BL elements had been removed. Then I watched the tv show, and to recover from THE FEELS I read the manhua/manga and watched the chibi donghua/anime. 

38: Strongest Character: Lan Wangji. Because how. HOW? That poor man SUFFERED IN SILENCE FOR SIXTEEN YEARS. At least Nie Huaisang kept himself busy scheming. But LWJ saw the love of his life fall to the dark side of the Force and commit suicide; was whipped nearly to death by his own clan (and still kept talking smack!); was hospitalized/arrested for 3 years; raised WWX’s son without breathing a word to anyone about Lan Sizhui actually being a Wen (Lan Xichen knew); had to listen to WWX’s memory be demonized by everyone around him; and played Inquiry every night searching ceaselessly for WWX’s soul. A KING.

39: The Thing You Liked Most About The Novel: That WangXian actually get their happily ever after together. The other adaptations are all ducking & dodging censorship, while the novel’s out there sloppy drunk with one boob out like heeeeeey~~~!

40: Who’s Voice Is Your Favourite? WWX in the donghua. I love how childish & playful he sounds, and how it all changes once he’s the Yiling Patriarch, then he doubles down on the cuteness as MoX.

41: Potatoes Or Turnips? Potatoes. Nothing beats French Fries.

42: Favourite Female Character: Wen Qing. Even though my favorite female scene was Madame Yu going to WORK on that Wen heifer--IMO the donghua did it better, but the tv show did a good job, too!

43: What Style Of Cultivation Would Suit You: I suck at physical combat; I would literally be Nie Huaisang; I’m not cultivating anything but raw effing karma.

44: Who Would You Like To Be Your S/O: I love LWJ, and he’s the best character in the whole story IMO and WangXian is life, don’t get me wrong, but Lan Xichen is bae. He’s just way more laid back, personable, and open about things. (And a total hottie.)

45: Your Instrument Of Choice In A Fight? Poison, corpse powder, subterfuge, deceit, lies, lackeys--I’m basically Xue Yang.

46: Favourite Fanfic / A Fanfic You Want To Recommend: I really enjoyed A Stone to Break your Soul, A Song to Save It, by Rikke (180k). It’s a fix-it fic ofc, where JC arranges WangXian’s marriage after the Burial Mounds, which is as it should’ve been. Headcanon divergence accepted.

47: Character You Want To Adopt: WWX. My heart goes out to Madame Yu, cuz she thought she was in a loveless arranged marriage and was stuck raising her husband’s lovechild (laughs in #46). But she did absolutely no one in her family any effing favors. So much grief could’ve been avoided if JFM & Yu had left the kids out of their issues. Wicked stepmother of the frikkin century.

48: Who Tries To Befriend Lan Yuan First When He Grows Up In Cloud Recesses? Lan Xichen, I’m telling you, the man is an actual angel.

49: Is Nie Huaisang More Of A Goody Or A Baddy? He’s a total BAMF; good at being bad at being good! :3

50: Favourite Song / Part Of The OST: I really like version of WangXian from the Audio Drama ED.

51: Tea Or Emperor’s Smile? Water.

52: Favourite MDZS Related Blog: Everyone I reblog here and at my inspo blog.

53: Coolest Concept: Necromancy/resentful energy cultivation. WWX was ahead of his time, lol.

54: Favourite Place: Cloud Recesses. Even though I’d hate to live there with all those rules.

55: A Story-Arc That Haunts You: Coffin Town.

56: Who Would You Take On A Night Hunt? WWX; he’s a chaotic genius.

57: Scariest Monster/Spirit etc. The tv show wasn’t scary at all, but my favorite special effect was when Wang Lingjiao came back to haunt Wen Chao.

58: What Would You Place In Your Secret Chamber Behind The Mirror? Another magic mirror that leads someplace more secure?

59: Character That Surprised You The Most: Nie Huaisang; I never saw that coming. 

60: Favourite Character Development: Jin Ling. Poor baby just needed love!

61: Best Weapon: WWX’s mind. He’s a genius, an artist, the best friend & brother anyone could ever hope for, and always tries his hardest to make the impossible possible.

Thanks for reading!

#the untamed #mo dao zu shi #questionnaire #headcanon #fanfiction #must see tv #anime

[spongeaddict]

Fanfiction Year in Review!

Fanfiction Year in Review

Thanks for the tag @xxiamaclichexx! Spoilers, obviously, for all my fics that I’ve written thus far.

1. List of fics completed this year in the order they were finished

Two For The Show -- longfic, started in January 2020, completed in May 2020

Anniversaries -- twoshot, started in June 2020, completed in August 2020

Three To Get Ready -- longfic, started in May 2020, completed in December 2020

My God, I wrote literally all year long. Twelve months straight, from January to December. Holy cow.

2. Number of words written

TFTS: 91,025

Anniversaries: 6,009

TTGR: 87,078

Total: 184,112

WHOA

3. Your most popular fic

TFTS had over 8400 views this year, but it still comes in third place over all, behind Scooby Doo and the Mysterious Tape (over 11k views, finished in 2010), and One For The Money (more than 53k views, finished in 2019) 

4. Your personal favourite

How do I choose between my children?!

I think overall, I’m going to say TTGR was my favorite this year. It had all the things I love -- secret romances, jealousy, betrayal, angst, a creep factor, and even a little bit of humor! I don’t usually write angst, but I had a good time with the chapters where it was present. I also got to do some really interesting character work in TTGR, which was super fun and exciting for me. 

5. Your fave scene

I mean...I just love that scene in TFTS where Tony catches Shaggy and Velma making out in the practice room. I did a lot of nervous-laughing on behalf of everyone involved while writing it.

Also (I know I’m cheating here) I love the scene at the end of TFTS where Fred tells Daphne he loves her kind of off-the-cuff, and Daphne, who’s been trying for the entire story to work up the nerve to tell Fred that she loves him, bursts out laughing. It was so easy to picture Daphne trying to come up with the perfect, heartfelt way to share her feelings and then Fred, being so genuine without realizing it, just says “I love you” like it’s the easiest thing in the world.

6. A fic or scene that challenged you

For whatever reason, any time I needed Marcie and Velma to interact in TTGR was a challenge for me. I think I got too much in my head about the whole thing, and it seemed like nothing I had them do or say was organic. I rewrote the guest-room-at-Tony’s-party scene a bajillion times before I landed on something that I liked.

7. A line of writing you’re proud of

I know this says “a line of writing,” but I’m gonna cheat again and do like, a paragraph for each story I published this year. Don’t tell me what I can’t do! 

TFTS, ch 14: Fred took a deep breath, apparently steeling himself for a difficult confession. "I've always had a fear that the people I love will all leave me one day," he told her. "I didn't even realize I felt that way until I was thirteen and found that letter my mom sent to my dad. I mean…if my own mother could leave me behind like that, what was stopping my dad? My friends?" He exhaled and looked into Daphne's eyes. "It even happens in this play. Diana leaves Dan at the end. Just like my mom left my dad. Just like she left me." He shook his head. "You and the gang are the most important people in my life. And when Shaggy's dad said that thing at the end of the summer, about how one day we'll all go our separate ways…I started to panic." He swallowed. "I don't want anyone in the gang to separate, but I'm terrified of losing you the most."

FRED IS SO SINCERE protect him at all costs

Anniversaries ch 2: Shaggy grinned and pulled her closer. The wind was starting to pick up, and he was starting to regret the ice cream just a teeny tiny bit. But having Velma snuggled up next to him warmed him throughout.

"Besides," he said. "It's not like we have to worry about it right now. Why worry about things that like, haven't happened yet?"

Velma snorted. "Says the guy who goes into a fetal position anytime Fred even suggests investigating a haunted house."

Shaggy nudged her playfully with his shoulder. "My point is," he told her. "We like, already made it one year. Who's to say we won't make it another?"

"That's true," Velma conceded. "And it's been a pretty good year."

"The best," Shaggy agreed.

They pressed their foreheads together and closed their eyes. Velma sighed contentedly and murmured her favorite line from In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.

"But for now we are young, let us lay in the sun and count every beautiful thing we can see."

Shaggy opened his eyes and gently tapped her once on the nose. "One," he murmured.

Is it arrogant of me to swoon at something that I wrote?

TTGR ch 12: Velma left the practice room first, eyes stinging with more unshed tears. She forced them back into their ducts as she made her way to her locker. I can't let Daphne and Fred see me like this, was all she could think to herself. She couldn't let them know that anything was wrong. She had to get a hold of her emotions. She needed to seem apathetic. Detached. Even though it felt like her chest was ripping open and everything inside her was screaming in agony.

Back in the practice room, Shaggy could feel his heart pounding like a drum against his ribcage. His pulse reverberated through every muscle in his body, and it seemed so loud that he was sure other students could hear it out in the hallway as they walked past. He leaned against the concrete wall and tried to steady his breathing.

He couldn't believe it. Velma had broken up with him.

Or had he broken up with her?

Regardless, they had broken up.

They were broken up.

I have to go, he realized. He couldn't stay in this room – he'd need to face the real world eventually – and besides, Scooby was almost certainly wondering where he was. With another shuddering breath, he wiped his eyes and steeled himself to leave the practice room.

Their practice room.

The thought had been automatic. With a sharp gasp, Shaggy clutched his middle, as though physically trying to hold in his anguish. How cruel it was that their relationship had ended in the same place it had begun. He had always thought of this place as theirs, ever since last year. But now, there was no more their anything. They were no longer a they. It was him and her, separate, apart. And now it would be forever.

His chest seized up and his throat tightened, burning. I can't stay in here, he told himself, even as his heartbreak surged. I need to leave this room.

But he allowed himself a short, muffled sob before swallowing and finally bracing himself towards the door.

I’ve always felt more comfortable writing dialogue than descriptions, but I felt pretty good about this paragraph about the aftermath of a breakup.

8. A comment that touched you

Oh come on!

Every single review means the world to me, and I’m lucky enough to have a handful of consistent reviewers who always read my work carefully, and their comments truly reflect that.

Though I will say, the comment that made me truly feel like my writing did its job successfully was from a pal of mine in Discord who, after reading a breakup scene, said, “I feel like I just got broken up with.” (Sorry again @complikated1)

9. Something that inspired your writing

Lord, so many things. My whole life and everything I’ve ever read. But mostly Scooby Doo.

10. Your proudest accomplishment (that one scene; finally finishing that one fic; posting your first fic etc.)

I mean, I essentially wrote two novels and two short stories this year. I’m pretty proud of that (and so is my husband...so much so that he outed my accomplishments to my whole family, who are similarly proud.

11. Do you have any writing goals for next year?

Several!

Start - and finish! - the finale, Four For The Road

Finish this got-dang Fraphne oneshot I’ve been promising to write

Begin writing ~what comes next~ (IT’S A SECRET, SO NO SPOILERS)

#fill this out if you want #scooby doo fanfiction #scooby doo fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic #writing

[barisifictionarchive]

Author: sarahcakes613

Preferred Name: sarah

Have any events in your personal life ever influenced the things that you've written? 

Oh 100% - I often write little moments and experiences from my life into my characters lives. It's usually the silly stuff, I try not to let my traumas influence my writing because that's depressing af and I don't like writing angst!

That being said, my only chapfic to date is a Game of Thrones story about sobriety and recovery, and the idea came to me while I was sitting in a church basement watching someone I love receive a multiyear sobriety medallion. That story pulled a lot of it's core dialogue and traits from this person in my life and was largely inspired by the pride and love I feel for addicts in recovery.

Do you have a favorite movie? 

I love visually strong storytelling, so the Lord of the Rings trilogy is up there. I also love Mel Brooks comedies, especially Blazing Saddles and Robin Hood Men in Tights.

Who is your favorite author? 

Leonard Cohen only wrote two novels in his life but they're both perfect examples of their genres. In recent years, I've become a huge fan of Cat Sebastian, her queer regency romances are absolutely charming feel-good bites of chocolate.

How did you start getting involved in fanfiction?

I've been reading it since high school, but never felt like I had a fandom story of my own to tell. In 2015, I was heavily involved in the Game of Thrones fandom on Tumblr, particularly for the ship Sansan (Sandor Clegane/Sansa Stark) and began participating in the occasional drabble/prompt challenge just for fun. In 2016, a bunch of us decided to collaborate on a supremely cracky circus AU. I'd already written a handful of things but that was when my interest in writing fic took off. And the ladies I met writing that are still some of my absolute best friends!

How did you get involved with Barisi?

It was VERY roundabout. I watched SVU on occasion back when I had cable and I do remember watching both Barba and Sonny, but nothing about them stuck out to me in terms of shipping, probably because SVU was always a pretty casual watch for me so I never looked at it with fandom goggles. I got really into Raul Esparza's voice over this past winter (I have no idea what triggered that interest, probably a random Youtube find) so occasionally in searching I would see SVU gifsets on Tumblr and was like ah yes, I remember them, but again, never really stuck in my mind.

Meanwhile, sometimes when I'm looking for a new read, I'll choose a tag at random and just scroll for something that looks interesting. This past February I somehow wound up in the tag for Konmari/Marie Kondo, and found the fic Tidying Up by Robin Hood (kjack89). I thought it was absolutely the sweetest dang thing and started adding more Barisi fic to my marked-for-later page. Then in March, I actually started going through them and in one month I read about 200 stories.

What inspires you to write? 

The Barisi fandom is easily the most inspiring group of people I've ever talked to, with all the back and forth on Twitter with ideas and music and gifsets and headcanons, it all sparks ideas! Music especially, I'll see a whole story play out in my head over the course of a four minute song. I'm also often inspired by an aesthetic image, I'll see a pretty photo and want to write an entire story based around it.

What is your favorite fic that you have written? 

Oh my god Karen you can't just ask someone what their favourite fic they've written is. There are definitely multiple answers.

The fic I'm proudest of is Gods Grant Me the Serenity, the Game of Thrones chapfic I mentioned - it's "only" 20k but it took me 3 years to write because it was sometimes so painful to explore that relationship.

I also really love a gen/non-ship fic I wrote called The Holy or the Broken, which is a series of vignettes that explores each of the Avengers and their relationship to their own Jewish faith. Because all the Avengers are Jewish. I said so, and therefore it's true. I loved exploring aspects of my faith through fic, and the response was extremely gratifying.

My favourite Barisi fic that I have written is "I'll use you as a focal point (so I don't lose sight of what I want)" because it's the first one I wrote. When I first started exploring Barisi, I found the Archive on Tumblr and had a look at the prompt page. I saw one that really spoke to me but I was reluctant to do anything with it, because I was like, do I really want to start writing for a totally new fandom that I'm only just barely in? But then I went for it, and I haven't looked back!

What is your favorite quote from a fic of yours?

Oh man, you expect me to remember what I wrote?? The cheesy answer is all of it is my favourite, because I'm actually quite proud of my writing.

This may not be my #1 favourite, but it's definitely one that stands out, from my Barisi story Perfect situations must go wrong:

"Don’t you get it, Rafi?” Sonny asks, his voice so low it’s almost a whisper. “A life bond like ours, it’s a living thing. The beginning of our story is just that, a beginning. We chose the steps that came after. How can you say none of that was real?"

What is your personal favorite fanfic? (Can be any fandom)

OOF. In Barisi, well, I did just post two whole full rec bingo cards on Twitter, so I have a LOT of faves, but A Healing Year by anni_scovill is one of my favourite fics of all time, Barisi or otherwise. Throwing it back to other fandoms, the story Kiss the Girl by Jillypups is the definitive Game of Thrones modern AU Sansan. It's also the origin of the tag you've almost definitely seen floating around, "tale as old as time, burn as slow as fuck". I'm not a big fan of kidfic but Jillypups wrote a really engaging and realistic original child character who steals the show in every scene she is in.I have a few other favourites in other fandoms, some a little spicier than others. I can rec fic all day long, to be honest! If anyone ever wants recs outside Barisi in Supernatural, Teen Wolf, Game of Thrones, or Marvel, my DMs are always open!!

Anything else you would like to add? 

I'm extraordinarily honoured to have been asked to do this. I've been a published Barisi author for just under three months and in that time I've already written 50k words over 27 stories. I have 32 stories in the Game of Thrones tag and that is after six YEARS in the fandom. When I say you all are the most inspiring and motivational bunch, oh boy do I mean it!

A question you’d like to ask another author?

When I finally finished Gods Grant Me the Serenity, I swore I'd never write another chapfic, or at least never begin posting one until the entire thing was done. How do you keep yourself motivated to keep updating ongoing fics? How far in advance do you plot/plan? Tell me all your secrets for being a successful chapfic writer!!

#barisi #Author of the month #sarahcakes613 #Author recommendation

[creaturebloom]

im v late abt this but both  @sqvalors AND @velikaia tagged me in this im love u guys ahhhhhhh

the decade is ending, what’s changed for you in these past ten years?

have you moved? yeah, a few times ! twice in the same city, and once i moved to chicago for school but then like. u kno i had a big ol’ mental breakdown and moved back home hahahahahahaahhhhh

have you graduated?

i didn’t ! i was like a semester or so from graduating and then, u kno, life happens and whatever. but im alright with not having done this bc i also don’t want that degree at all anymore

has your marital status changed?

nope, i am 30 years old (ohmygod) and unmarried and u kno what that’s okay bc my aunt didn’t get married until she was like 45 and she met the love of her life and she’s happy so like. im not too pressed.

has your parental status changed? uhhhhhhhh kind of ??? my parents are both alive, but now my dad has dementia so that’s. a thing.

has your hair color changed? god several times. i started out the decade RED i think, and then went back to black, switched between these a few times, but atm im going for au natural w/ dark brown and not dying my hair at all

has your job changed? yeah !! a bunch !!! i haven’t had a “real” job in a while but rn i do care-give for my father & generally keep the house running & take care of my entire family emotionally speaking and also i finished a novel and im trying to get that queried and just like. yeah i’ve had an amount of jobs but i still have zero money lmfao

has your otp changed? no, i mean, it’s r/s forever right ????? like they were my FIRST and they will be my LAST. i think a lot of that is deffo due to the fandom at the time, and the friends i made thru all that. dang love u guys crying.emoji

has your pet status changed? yes, a few times. some have passed, some new ones have been adopted but if i talk about it too much my heart will get too full and i will cry

what new places did you visit? uhhhhh idk about new places really ??? like traveling just hasn’t been a thing bc 1. i live in america and 2. it costs so money to travel

what is an accomplishment you are proud of?

WELL i ... beat my eating disorder, wrote an entire 140k word novel + the sequel, learned how to bookbind & got really good at it, got out of an emotionally abusive relationship & didn’t go back when he hit me up a year later lmfao

and i think like. idk the biggest for me was overcoming agoraphobia ?????? like god that was HUGE and now my anxiety is MANAGEABLE and it’s so weird to look back like “holy shit i really was just having one constant panic attack for a few years”

it’s been a wild ass decade. but i am proud of myself and where im going and the things i know im capable of now. holy shit ten years has been a long time, and tbh im like. looking forward to this decade which is even more strange. aight ok this is gonna get long if i say more GOODBYE

idk who to possibly tag but if u do this pls tag me so i can read it bc im nosy & i love my friends

#about mai

[kyluxtrashpit]

Hello naughty children, it’s 1 am rant time

So! My brain is slightly more together now than after the trailer first dropped and I’ve had some time to process all my Feels. I’ve settled on cautiously hopeful, with a hint of apprehension and a strong dose of ‘oh my god, this is really the end’. But overall, I think I feel pretty good about it, though it really raises more questions than answers. They meant it when they said ‘teaser’ lmao

(Rant is mostly positive, includes explicit discussion of what we’ve learned from the panel and the trailer. Some reservations and negative thoughts, plus a lot of speculation and touching on such controversial subjects as Reysky, Kylo redemption, and Hux in TLJ. Cut for length because I have no idea how to just use fewer words lmao)

I especially liked that it was so focused on Rey and that it’s a very clear torch-passing. Which, tbh, probably should’ve happened before now and did a little bit, but this really felt like the true moment of it. She’s the hero. She’s going to be a legend. I love that. Also that flip? Holy fuck. Slammed in the face by the reminder of how gay I am lmao. I have some Thoughts about it I’ll get into below, but from a visual point of view, it’s RAD AS HELL. I also love Finn and Poe featuring heavily and that the trio really does seem to be together for most of the movie. Which is nice. I think we need that. JJ said something in the panel about it being an ‘adventure’ and I think that feeling was captured well in the trailer. That part really excites me

Also! My boy! Kylo’s looking like a right hot mess and tbh I’m here for it lmao. I still have a strong urge to bathe him and kinda hope he doesn’t look like a depressed wreck of a human being for the entire movie, but still. I love my big messy boy. Also him just yeeting that dude into the ground? DAMN. I sometimes forget that Kylo is like… b i g. It’s a nice reminder. I also LOVE that the broken helmet rumour was real. That’s my fucking boy. I frequently tag him as ‘my precious disaster boy’ for a reason and I’m glad to see more of that. I would honestly probably lose interest in Kylo completely if he was ever like, calm and composed and not a complete fucking mess lmao. I kind of wish we’d seen just a touch more of him, but I know there’s more info to come and I still like that it focused heavily on the heroes for the first one. I imagine we’ll see more of him later

I’m… not really sure what to think of the Palpatine reveal. If he’s going to show up as a cameo of some sort, say as a Force ghost or something, then that’s pretty dang cool. If he’s going to show up as a ‘hello naughty children, it’s Force lightning time’ and take over as the main threat, I’d admittedly be disappointed. As much as I think a Kylo redemption is likely (and whether people like that or not, I’m indifferent and have made my peace with it as long as it’s done in an okay way) in no small part because Disney likes money, I still feel like replacing him with Palpatine is just… it feels derivative. We’ve had Palpatine before. A lot. 6 movies of him plus his appearances in the side materials. Do we really need more?

Now, there’s been heavy suggestion that there is some unknown threat that comes into this one and if that’s Palpatine, it would match up with the rumours. But I’d much rather it be something from his legacy with him only having a cameo. Because the really terrifying part about Palpatine is he had a plan for the continued survival of the Empire even in the case of his death. The Aftermath novels are really well done that way and tbh, especially with Chuck Wendig’s hinting on twitter, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see something from there come up. I mean, technically the entire First Order is Palpatine’s legacy. Something from his legacy could truly be anything and I like that possibility a lot more than just ‘oh damn, time to kill this asshole again’. Idk. We’ll have to see how that plays out

The title is also curious because it really confirms one of 2 possibilities: either Reysky, Kylo redemption, or both. Which, again, both of those are huge spoilers, so it’s an interesting choice to play for a title. That said, we don’t know which, so it doesn’t tell us definitively, I suppose, but still. And no, I don’t buy the theories about it referring to Luke or Anakin somehow returning; that would be stupid. We have new characters for a reason and they need to be the central focus. This is the same reason I’m not fond of Palpatine being the big bad; let the new villains shine. I also don’t believe it’s Leia because I doubt they had enough left over footage of Carrie to make that work

Of course, I would’ve enjoyed having a nice 0.2 seconds of the back of Hux’s head lmao, or even any info on the dark side characters at all because I’m a filthy villain fucker, but I’m not super upset about it. I’m kinda sad that Phasma is confirmed as dead, but I also expected that. My biggest hope for Hux is really that he gets to be scary and not treated as a joke, so I hope JJ really leans in to that. Let him have his moment. Let him be a credible threat because, really, he is. Tbh, I’d be more afraid of him as my nemesis than the vast majority of Star Wars villains. He’s got a higher kill count than anyone in all of Star Wars except maybe Palpatine himself (exact number of deaths due to the Clone Wars, the Empire’s rule, and the rebellion combined are unknown, but are probably in the billions, which would put him and Hux, terrifyingly, on the same level). It still throws me for a loop how often that’s forgotten, both by fandom and, sometimes, the official material. Hux is what happens when ambition, intelligence, ruthlessness, and fervent belief in a cause converge. I know he’s going to fail and he’s going to die in this one but, fuck, please let him die as the Starkiller instead of a ‘miscast tinkerer’. He deserves that much and, more importantly, so do I lmao. And Domhnall does too, tbh, because he’s a great actor who deserves better than being sidelined completely

(Another reason not to like Palpatine coming back: basically guarantees Hux has no role and gets completely forgotten because there’s a new big bad in town. I might actually cry if that happens)

I also know we will get more on the villains later, so we’ll just have to see how that pans out. As for other new stuff, Naomi Ackie’s character looks rad as fuck and I love her already. I’m also ECSTATIC to see Lando back. I fucking love Lando. And he finally got the Falcon back! Tbh I hope his role is rather significant and it’s kinda in line with Han’s role in TFA. I’m excited by that possibility. Also the Leia scenes… fuck. That hug with Rey fucked me up hard. I can’t believe we’re doing this without Carrie and it breaks my heart tbh

Another curious note: so we see a tie fighter that looks like a modified Silencer flying at Rey. We also see Kylo in a cockpit that definitely does not match the Silencer’s from TLJ. So it’s possible that was not actually Kylo flying at her, which raises some interesting questions. I saw some people saying they could see Poe’s jacket in the window but I think they’re full of shit and just seeing something they want to lmao. It remains to be seen who is actually flying it. The context of that scene is also odd: in what fucking universe does it make sense to use a SPACE craft with GUNS capable of atmospheric flight to run someone ON FOOT over from like 3 feet off the ground? It doesn’t. That’s stupid. That does make me think it’s possible it’s some sort of really risky training exercise, no matter who is behind the controls. I suppose it is possible that perhaps the guns were disabled somehow and the pilot is just going for broke, but the ship looks undamaged and that strategy still doesn’t make a lot of sense. The correct thing to do would be to come from above and crash it into the person while ejecting moments before impact, not chasing them like you’re driving a car. It’s dumb. I really hope that’s not real combat because it makes no damn sense to me lmao. Another reason lending to the training exercise idea: if I were Rey, I would’ve gone below, not above. She’s small. A tie fighter hovers. She would’ve fit under it easily and been able to slash from below without having to jump into the damn sky. Though, counterpoint: she has her lightsaber ignited and is turning to slash at the cockpit. Not really a nice thing to do to an ally of yours helping you train, hm? Idk. The scene looks cool as fuck, but the more I think about it, the more it bugs me tbh lmao

As a last thing… it’s really hitting me that this is it. This is the end of the Skywalker saga. Even though I know they have other stories planned with new characters at some point, imo, this is really the end of the true part of the franchise. How much am I really going to care about Star Wars without the familiar faces? After decades… this is really it. That’s… very bittersweet. I have loved these movies, always, but especially so in recent years (as evidenced by the existence of this blog lmao) and they’ve been a big part of my life. Yet here we are. And I just… I’m feeling melancholy about that in and of itself, but I also really, really want this to be a satisfying ending. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but I want it to fit. I want it to feel right. I want closure and I want this ending to do justice to these characters, including the main ones, the side ones, and the ones who came before but aren’t featured in this trilogy. That’s really what I’m aching for here. And I am cautiously hopeful, but I am also nervous. This is a very tall order and, while JJ is probably the person best qualified to give that to us, it doesn’t change how much of a challenge that is. It’s a lot. And… I am definitely sad about this being the end. Even if I love the movie and it’s amazing and lives up to all of my dreams, it will still end and this will be it. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to feel when that actually comes and it kinda scares me a little. But a satisfying ending would help soften the blow, so we shall see. Idk. I’m sad and a little scared just because of that, all other reservations aside

I think that’s all I’ve got for now? I’m excited for more and I don’t know if we’ll get much over the rest of celebration, but there might be snippets. I’d still like to see the Knights of Ren too, given that we’re pretty sure they’re in the movie but like… where? Lmao I want to know. Anyway. This is mostly word vomit, so don’t take it too seriously. My predictions could be way off base and we won’t know for a while so yeah. If you read this far, congrats and thanks for reading my rambling!

#so like I guess overall I'm hopeful but I still have reservations #and no matter what this being really truly over is... a lot to take tbh #so idk. mixed feelings I guess #but there was definitely some good stuff and I feel more excited about star wars than I have in a long time #even if it's not at the same level as it has been #positive is still positive so we shall see #I still want more info lmao #like just someone leak the entire plot already please I want to read it XD #shut up nerd #text #meta

[liesonthefloordramatically]

A 2018 recap post, heck yeah.  

Good stuff that happened this year:

I continue to have the coolest and best friends and roommates in the entire universe.  I know I endlessly talk about how great they are and how much I love them, but like...genuinely would not have survived the past couple of years without them.  They’re quality humans.

I love teaching so, so much, and I’m proud of all these kids.

Survived Japan.  And now I’m not there anymore.

Made a truly obscene number of new recipes.

Joined a writing group for the first time since 2014.  It’s Very Good even if I’m Very Shy because everybody is cooler than me and also because deep down in my heart I’m a deeply shy person who has just learned how to pretend she isn’t.

Okay, this already got mentioned in the first bullet point, but Group Chat gets its own shoutout for being the people who managed to keep me somewhat in one piece for the whole year.  Y’all.  If the universe ever aligns so that we’re all in the same place at the same time again, our power will be unparalleled.

Stuff I made this year:

Blogging: I wrote a whopping three posts this year.  The most popular was Coming out in ten vignettes.  My favorite was Asexuality as a hard limit.  I also finally wrote that danged post on queer futurity instead of just making weird memes about it.  Wow, that’s all three posts I wrote.  Amazing.

Fiction: god, y’all know what I’m gonna say here: linear time is fake; you can only trust your fists.  Genuinely, unironically one of my favorite things I’ve ever written.  Honorable mention to Object Permanence.  I wrote a lot this year!  Over 30k, or so AO3 tells me (and that’s not counting stuff I’ve written but haven’t posted yet).  

Playlists: Continued to make A Lot of these.  Favorites: you, me, and the whole of Napoli (a Bruabba playlist), the space made strange between us (a playlist for That Uncomfortable Feel), Can’t you just let me call it a - (a playlist for when you’ve got some Feelings and you’re sort of overwhelmed about it), Keep On Loving You (a playlist for 「Keep On Loving You」), Learn to Let Go (a playlist for getting out, letting go, and getting better).

LARP: Revised superqueeroes!  We’re running it next year!

Powerpoint presentations: I think I made something like 7 PPTs about JJBA this year; I’m not going to check because I don’t need that particular shame quantified.  Anyway, please check out this PPT on why JJL is 3/11 literature.

Other stuff: Presented at some conferences!  Taught some kids!  Taught some colleagues how to teach some kids!  Survived doing ace activism in a non-native language!  Did live interpretation for the first time!  Finally put all my queer futurity memes in their own tag!  Continued to subject all of you to my weird mumblings about obscure nonsense!

Media I enjoyed this year:

Books (fiction): Young Wizards was the winner this year, specifically Wizards at War and The Wizard’s Dilemma (both made me cry).  Honorable mention to Bitfrost (trauma and chronic illness: the mood).  I haven’t read any novels since I got back from Japan; I should fix that over break, maybe.

Manga/comics: I think the only thing I read this year was JJBA.

Fanfic: Gosh, I read a lot this year.  Favorites I read for the first time this year in no particular order: Cinderwings (Supernatural; I don’t even go here but Ben’s worldbuilding is incredible and it’s entirely readable with no knowledge of canon), no time for fairy tales (JJBA: DIU; probably my favorite character study of Yukako ever holy frick), queen of swords (JJBA: BT; the Lisa Lisa character study that will make you want to punch the moon from how good it is), House of Four Doors (JJBA: VA; two mentally ill people trying to figure each other out! facts about anchovy fishing! lovely slow burn!), Timely Matters (NWM; this is just an excuse to get you to read Babs’s fic because it’s Very Good and made me feel at least five (5) discrete emotions), fearless flyer (JJBA: SDC; every time I walk into Trader Joe’s I immediately think of this fic and if that isn’t a testament to its enduring legacy I don’t know what else to tell you), the sun is the same (in a relative way) (JJBA: post-SDC; have you ever had a mood about friendships between traumatized people and then wanted to read a fic about it because BOY ARE YOU IN LUCK).  Technically a Twine game but The Shortest Route was a Detour (JJBA: SBR) was also very good and I’ve thought about it a lot.

Films: Watched a surprising number, in part because I was in Japan and just kept going to the movies alone?  Winner for this year is Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse, which I cried through a solid 30 minutes of for absolutely no reason other than who I am as a person.  Also liked Black Panther and Deadpool 2 a lot.  (Dis?)honorable mention to The Wound, which I have thought about a truly ridiculous amount because it upset me deeply and viscerally (it’s the antithesis of queer futurity).  It’s a good movie but I can’t recommend it unless you deeply enjoy being bummed out and then dwelling on how bummed out you were for months afterwards.

TV: The only things I watched this year were JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Revolutionary Girl Utena (finally finished! only took like 2 years!), and A Series of Unfortunate Events.  All of which I liked!  So!

Podcasts:  I listened to A LOT because I was alone in Tokyo and wanted to like...hear human voices sometimes. The Adventure Zone wins for this year, although The Penumbra Podcast wins for a single arc (“Juno Steel and the Monster’s Reflection” wrecked me in the best possible way).

Music: Spent over 30,000 minutes on Spotify alone this year so *nervous laughter*.  Like I said, Tokyo, alone, human voices.  (But also I listen to music whenever I’m writing or grading, so.)  According to Spotify, my top song of the year was “5 Out of 6�� which is not surprising, given that I listened to it like...300+ times in a week while writing a fanfic.  Top artist was also Dessa, because Chime is a masterpiece.  Other top artists: Mitski (Be the Cowboy, y’all), Sleeping at Last (for like the third year in a row), and CHVRCHES.  Bump of Chicken as well, obviously, although they’re still not on Spotify.  Leaned into my ridiculous Nagoya idol obsession with BOYS AND MEN (genuinely Chaotic; every time they release a new MV I feel fear in my heart), Team Syachihoko (頑張っとるよね), and MAG!C☆PRINCE (wholesome, androgynous back-flipping).

Misc.: Ripples of Adventure was genuinely one of the best and coolest things I did this year.  Also enjoyed the frick out of the JoJo escape hotel, even though we didn’t win.  (There is photographic evidence that I Emerald Splashed a dude, though.)

and finally…

Not so good stuff that happened this year:

I feel like a lot of my important realizations of the year are of the “people die when they are killed” school of obviousness but: if you’re in pain all the time it’s probably chronic pain and if you’re ill all the time it’s probably chronic illness.

May through August honestly feels like a fever dream.  Maybe it was a fever dream.  Anyway, somebody made some bad choices that resulted in me having no social network at the exact same time that my knee went out.  I coped by being a workaholic.

Oh yeah also my knee went out.  So that’s been...cool.  If I don’t finish PT with the most ripped legs in the universe, like, why did I even do it.

My mental health has been bad!!  All year!!  We’re going into year three of me being vaguely depressed but like year one million of my brain not functioning in a reasonable or appropriate manner.  (But actually, I’m now at more than ten years of being diagnosable with PTSD. I feel like I should get a cake or something but also that would be Sad.)

Speaking of brain not functioning, migraines. Are a thing. That have been happening.  In my brain.  Way more than they should.

Basically, it’s bad!  I wound up cancelling my travel this winter because it’s been so bad!  Which is the right choice but sure has caused some major guilt!

Anyway, in the immortal words of MagiPuri, “あぁ ため息ばかりじゃLuckyなコト 逃げちゃうはずだね,” so I just gotta be my regular 前向きな頑張り屋さん self, I guess!!!

Anyway, あけおめ！！！ 今年もよろしく！！！！

#Queenie actually says something on this blog #I'd appreciate it if people didn't reblog this; thanks #a wild annual recap appears

[miss-pyrrha-nikos-isms]

Getting to know the Writer

Thank you to @braith-eisen-isms and @zsweber-studios for the tags!

1. Short stories, novels, or poems?

I’ve been informed when I turn my hand to poetry it’s not bad at all. Sadly, I think otherwise.

Truthfully, the most of what I write is campaign notes, world-building, NPC and character backstories and downtime. I’ve helped building three different worlds thus far, one medieval low fantasy, one extrememly high fantasy, and one somewhere in between. And one Sci-fi universe. Although, admittedly, I had an absolute blast with that.

When I do turn my hand to proper writing, it’s typically RP responses that are grossly overdue and short fics. I’m massively guilty of what I call ‘consequence free writing’ wherein I’ll create a scenario, I’ll let a problem or scene develop, and then I’ll end it after the scene’s climax.

Actions don’t have consequences if you’re a character in one of my fics ^_^

2. What genre do you prefer reading?

I’m a dolt for Fantasy in it’s many many shapes and forms. I’ve been known to pick up a a Sci-fi or Dystopian novel once in a blue moon. There’s even some poetry and epics on my bookshelf. If the paranormal, magical, other-worldly, bizarre or otherwise fantastical make an appearance, I am all over that.

And, of course, some writing manuals. Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’ is an actual god send.

3. What genre do you prefer writing?

 I write what I read. Admittedly, RP-wise, I have been writing a surprising amount of romance as of late. I’ve turned my hand to horror before, but I fear it didn’t go overly well.

 4. Are you a planner or a write-as-I-go kind of person?

 I can have a beautiful plot lined up, full of intricacy and clever twists, and my lead character will take one look at it and simply decide otherwise. They have minds of their own. I just sort of set up the world, create the character, their motivation and turn them loose.

 5. What music do you listen to while writing?

 It really depends on the genre. Like almost everyone, the LOTR soundtrack features heavily in my playlist. There’s some translated anime soundtracks thanks to Lie and Lee, Nate Wants to Battle and Amalee. The Swedish Orchestra have done some beautiful work with gaming soundtracks, particularly Bloodbourne and Witcher.  

 6. Fave books/movies?

 Ohhhhhhh buddy. I’ll save us all and limit myself to 5 recent books.

 Mistborn- Brandon Sanderson

Sanderson’s character breathe. They are truly marvellous. His world is a vast one, his story gorgeously compelling and holy hell those twists. 

A Darker Shade of Magic/ A Gathering of Shadows- V. E. Schwab

I adore Delilah as a protagonist. Schwab doesn’t pull punches and try and make his protagonists completely likeable. They are flawed human beings and that gets them into just as much trouble as their abilities get them out of. Kell and Lila serve as each other’s muse and devil, even when half a world away.

 Terry Pratchett- The Night’s Watch

The Discworld never fails to enthral me with it’s wit and charm. Pratchett’s characters are both caricatures and subtle developed individuals. Everyone has at least one character in Discworld they simply adore. Vimes is definitely one of mine. 

The Once and Future King- T. H. White

This collection of Arthurian tales will forever remain on my bookshelf. It has earned it’s place there time and time again.

 The Last Wish- Andrzej Sapkowski

I heard the books where darker than the game. I am currently in the middle of finding out. Sapkowski’s world is a brilliant example of a grimdark world down without the depressing overlay. There are glimpses of nobility, of love and companionship. One just has to be careful those traits don’t get you killed.

7. Any current WIPs?

Every single RP thread I’m working on. The worlds are constantly expanding with more lore and epic-tier backstory.

 8. If someone were to make a cartoon out of you, what would your standard outfit be?

Leather leggings are a must. Likely a vintage cartoon T-Shirt or a block colour top with a loose denim shirt as a cover and ankle boots. 

Unless we’re LRP-ing- Then it’s the corset, gyspy-top, long boots and Hunting coat ensemble. Two swords, a small hand hammer, holy symbol around the neck, more potions than possibly needed and a hipflask (essential). An outfit I love way too much. 

9. Create a character description for yourself:

(More of a NPC description, but ho hum)

‘Away with the fairies’. She had frequently been described as such, and now she seeks to emulate it. Tall, but with far too much of a sweet palette to be lithe. She has a smile like a breeze. Perpetually there, and many don’t realize it’s presence until it’s gone. A mane of curls bounce as she talks animatedly.

10. Do you like incorporating people you actually know into your writing?

I may steal a series of conflicting traits from a person, but I won’t steal their full being.

 11. Are you kill-happy with characters?

 Oh gods no. I will put them through hell, and possibly their worst nightmares, but I will rarely kill them. All too often, that would be a kindness.

 12. Dream job?

A librarian, or a lighting apprentice for a theatre. I’ve always been fascinated by the backstage of the theatre. The special effects and everything else. I can’t be onstage for the life of me, but I would happily delve into the secrets of the backstage arts.

If I could write LRP plot for a living I would love to, but a girl’s gotta eat.

 13. Coffee or tea while writing?

 I’m with Braith. Hot chocolate wins.

14. Slow or fast writer?

 I make the tortoise look like Usian Bolt.

 15. Where/who/what do you find inspiration from?

Everywhere. I carry a notebook everywhere I go. Sometimes it’s a great collection of ideas, sometimes it’s just one well-wrought sentence. 

16. If you were put into a fantasy world, what would you be?

 Oh dang, which one? I’ll assume person preference.

 Probably one I helped make. If I forced to pick, Asyre, particularly in the City of Larchenette. A city risen from the sea, sourced around a fragment of the legendary Sun Crystal. It was one of the first places I ever created and sentimentality holds a lot.

 Not to mention, at some point a dragon washes up on shore, with a merfolk, and half a dozen others.

17. Most fave book cliche? Least fave book cliche?

 Favourite- ‘Two characters sparring, one partner pins another to a wall, intense few seconds, both character start making out.’

 Least favourite- ‘My biggest flaw is I’m clumsy/My power makes me heartless.’ Get OUT of my novel with that nonsense. I will fully rage-quit a story over this type of writing.

 18. Fave places to write?

I tend to write best in an environment where something is going on. A coffee shop, a library, a bar, there’s a lot of options.

19. Fave scenes to write?

 Descriptive, or ones where I can work in some foreshadowing.

 20. Most productive time of day for writing?

 Whenever the feeling strikes. Normally when I’m in the middle of something.

 21. Reason for writing:

 “For a teller of tales will never die- not while there are still people willing to listen.” Stories speak to something primal and universal. In every culture, we have narratives for entertaining, narratives for warning and ones written in tribute or commemeration. I find it speaks to me on that level. Hearing a compliment after I bear my soul, or put my best effort into writing somethingfulfils me in a way nothing else does.

To make things easier, and to quote a wise green haired man once upon a time, I am a writer “because there is nothing in this world I would rather be.”

Tags- @cody-baxter-isms, @churchboy42, @and-his-name-is-rouge-crimson, and anyone else who wants to give it a whirl!

[flames-bring-a-ton-of-ash]

Interview with a Fanfiction Writer

I was tagged by the lovely @itsjustafeelingthatihave. Thank you!

1) What made you start writing for the first time?

I think I’ve always enjoyed some form of writing (and I’ve always been a huge bookworm, so I think reading a lot can also inspire you to want to try your hand at writing, as well). I remember being really young, like maybe 8 or 9, and carrying around this tiiiny little notebook that I wrote ridiculous poems in. I wish I still had that notebook...I distinctly remember a really hilarious little poem I wrote about silverware. Yes, silverware. As far as writing longer stories outside of school, I started my own romance novel when I was 16/17, and I had hoped to finish it before I graduated high school, but alas, I only got about 50 pages single-spaced written. It’s still on my laptop, and I actually stole a paragraph or two from one of the kiss scenes and put it into a kiss scene in ID (yes, I plagiarized from my 17 year old self) XD

2) If you could only write about the ocean, the forest, or the desert for the rest of your life, which one would you pick? Oh dang...my gut instinct was to say the ocean, because of all the metaphors that I could come up with to describe the rolling waves and dark depths...I love metaphors. And the ocean is just teeming with undiscovered depths...and we already know how much I love to write about people/things who have depth and “layers” haha.  3) Would you ever write a memoir? Haha, I’ve actually had a few people tell me I should write about my transition from being a conservative small-town girl to being an uber liberal therapist and sexologist in the city, but it feels...strange. I could definitely write a book about all of the journeys I’ve taken with clients during therapy sessions so far (without revealing their identities, of course), or even a book about sexuality and my own journey with it, but it feels so self-centered to me. So, I doubt I would, unless it was far in the future, when I have more interesting experiences to discuss and more stories to tell lol.  4) Do you like writing by hand, or writing with a computer? Definitely on my computer. I need a keyboard to get my thoughts out, because writing by hand isn’t nearly fast enough to keep up with my whirl-wind of ideas. Plus my hand writing sucks lol.  5) Would you rather be popular among many readers, or unpopular, but loved by critics?

I mean...I guess whichever comes as a result of me writing what I’M passionate about. I don’t ever wanna feel like I’m writing mainly for others, rather than writing for myself, because then it goes from being a passion to being a chore. Personally, if I had to choose, I guess I’d rather be popular among readers, and know that people can relate to my stories and be entertained by them, rather then worrying about people whose job is to try and tear stories apart. There will ALWAYS be critics. And, actually, I think having critics means you’re doing something right, because at least your stories are well-known enough that they even take notice and try to tear you down (but don’t let them!). 

What’s that Dita Von Teese quote again? “Ignore the critics… Only mediocrity is safe from ridicule. Dare to be different!” 6) Do you listen to music while you write? What is the best writing music?

No, I can’t listen to music while I’m writing. I’m someone who needs utter silence to write, otherwise I can’t focus and can’t create a detailed enough picture in my head of what I want to write. Now, I’ll listen to music BEFORE I sit down to write, to get me in the mood or get my mental juices flowing. I’ve found that blaring music while I’m showering or driving is a great way for me to think up random story ideas, that I’ll then race to jot down in my phone or on my computer, as part of the outline. But when it comes to actually writing out a chapter or one shot, the only noise that’s allowed to exist is my fingers hitting that keyboard lol. 

7) Do people you’ve met find their way into your writing?

I’ve realized that they do, subconsciously. I mean, I definitely created the “you” character in ID after myself. It was basically my own internal fantasy of what I’d like to see happen if I was placed into the apocalypse and forced to work at the Sanctuary with Negan, so her personality is really similar to mine, including her flaws, which is scary but also exciting to put out there, especially when people say that they relate to her. 

I didn’t realize until probably around chapter 20-something that I had molded Maria and Ben after people I know. It wasn’t until my one beta, who is one of my closest friends, commented on the chapter where “you” and Maria talk at night out at that bench, saying that she really related to Maria’s character, that I realized, “Omg, it’s because I wrote her with YOU in mind!” 

 And for Ben, his personality reminds me a lot of my friend/life mentor. He’s probably the best man I’ve ever met in my life thus far, and it’s because of him that I’ve got the job that I do (he was my supervisor at my first internship, and got me my job at my current agency). He’s always stuck his neck out for me professionally (like how Ben helped “you” move up the kitchen hierarchy), and even now, he is willing to take time out of his weekends to provide me with clinical supervision for my license. I’ve had colleagues who were really nasty about that, and who tried to suggest that he was only helping me out because we must be sleeping together, when really it’s just that he and I get along really well and our personalities jive with one another. Plus, we respect each other as clinicians. It wasn’t until the chapter where “you” finally word-vomited all her feelings to Ben in ID that I realized I had molded him after my own friend, and that was a big reason why I wanted to make Ben just a great platonic friend, and break down that stereotype that men and women can’t be good friends without there being something romantic or sexual involved. It was actually kinda cathartic to write that out and share it with people in story form, tbh.

Holy shit, I’m done rambling. Thank  you for these questions!

I’m gonna tag (if you wanna do it): @i-am-negan-trash @hannibalssweaters @mamapeterson @bamby0304 @kellyn1604 @jdmfanfiction @jeffreydeanneganstrash @opheliadawnwalker3 @vizhi0n @superprincesspea @sunriserose1023 @wickednerdery @lucifers-trash-stash

#writing #personal #fanfiction

[pozolegirl]

2016 tales - tag :)

I was tagged by @amynchan, hoorah!

total number of stories (completed/WIPs):

Completed fanfiction:  26 I think Completed original fiction:  0 (But I made a lot of progress!!!) WIP fanfiction:  2???? I also have over 200 pages of drabble from different fandoms that are just stories that were never finished. WIP original fiction:  1 (If you’re not counting original comics which I kind of write out before hand...)

total word count:

I’m VERY roughly estimating over 183K words...... I write a lot.

fandoms written in:

LOTS of Miraculous Ladybug, tiny bit of SVTFOE.... I think that’s it.

looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d expected?

I WROTE A FREAKING NOVEL. STRAY CHAT IS 60K, THAT’S THE SIZE OF AN AVERAGE NOVEL. Yeah I wrote a lot more than I thought I would, and I’m really proud of myself. Now that I’ve done it once, I feel confident enough to do it again! :) It was a big confidence boost.

what’s your own favorite story of the year?

STRAY CHAT. I’m so proud of that story, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever written. And it seems like everyone else liked it too, thank you so much for the feedback. <3

did you take any writing risks this year?

I tried NaNoWriMo and I didn’t make it but I wrote so much and it really helped me get a big chunk of writing finished in my original story!!! 

do you have any fanfic or profit goals for the new year?

I hope I can finish Sancouer... I haven’t worked on that for like a month. DX (I have been busy tho)  I also really hope I get some good ideas for the extra chapters of Stray Chat. I know you guys wanted a wedding, hahaha. 

best story of the year?

Stray Chat.... Honestly.

most popular story of the year?

Stray Chat again! On Tumblr though, my ‘Adrienette for 7 Minutes’ and ‘Blue Silk Pajamas’ got pretty dang popular on here, hahaha. You guys and your kissing. 

story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion:

Uuuummm.... idk.... I liked my ‘In the Rubble’ with Chloe and Nathanael. I can’t say that Stray Chat is under appreciated, but I always want to ask people to read it because I love it so much but I feel awkward asking them to read it, hahaha..... I do not like asking for attention but underneath I’m like: pLEASE- LOOK AT THIS- IM PROUD OF IT-GAAAHHH

most fun story to write:

Probably Stray Chat but I’ve said that a billion times sO- I really liked writing Blue Silk Pajamas, it was really funny.

story with the single sexiest moment:

Pshhhhh..... um.... Probably Stray Chat the week after their first kiss when they’re dancing together in the kitchen and then start kissing. It wasn’t even that bad, but that was probably the most heated part of the story. XD (except to those of you who think sharing a strawberry with a fast kiss is sexy, wth, that was supposed to be CUTE)

most sweet story:

Probably ‘Princess’. I don’t think many of you have read that, it was awhile ago. It was just a school dance story, but it was sweet and fluffy. :’) (But once again, Stray Chat was sweeter. Like when Adrien did ‘The Nod’™ you know what i’m talking about)

”holy crap, that’s wrong, even for you!” story:

.....I don’t believe I’ve shared those drabbles.... >_>

story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters & most unintentionally telling story:

I’m going to actually say my own ‘Falling Apartments’ story has changed some characters SO MUCH from when I originally started writing them. So much so that I think I’m going to have to rewrite it so I can fix the characters to what they’ve turned into! That’s what I love about writing. :’)

hardest story to write:

Ugh. Probably Desole. There were times where writing the next chapter was pAINFUL the inspiration was just not coming.

biggest disappointment:

LOL Sancouer, jeeze, I know exactly how it’s going to end but writing it is just... ehhhhhhh this isn’t good.....

biggest surprise:

Stray Chat! I never expected it to be that long!!! Holy crap!!!

taggity tags:

do this if you like writing, hahaha

#tagged #tag #lit #i guess

[awwishfulthinking]

Anyway some more in-depth thoughts on the Mystery Room game (under a cut because of massive spoilers for everything):

I definitely think the game is worth it’s five dollars price tag. That actually seems pretty cheap to me given how much content is packed into the game. Probably not too much replay value but dang is it extremely engaging while it lasts. It’s like reading a very good detective/mystery novel except that it’s interactive. Apart from the interactivity, the Mystery Room really does feel more like a visual novel than a traditional “game.”

Some of my biggest criticisms are:

1) Why is there so much blood. Holy hell. Everything is drawn in the usual “Layton” cartoony style too. I haven’t decided yet if that makes the murder scenes less jarring or if it makes them worse.

2) There’s still so many questions left at the end of the game. A lot of culprits motives are explained well enough; but they’re often really brief. And then there’s the final culprit (case 9) who’s motives are extremely vague and only slightly hinted at. And also... what about Alfendi and his split personality? What about his relationship with his father? There appears to be a sequel hook at the end of the game but it’s been seven years now and still no sequel... With the Lady Layton game coming out a sequel to Layton Bros seems even less likely now...

3) Several times I had a general idea of who the culprit was and how they conducted the murder. However, the game mechanics are sometimes overly finicky and won’t let you progress until you pick the EXACT RIGHT ITEM in a particular scene. With all the cases having so many pieces of evidence, this can frustrating really fast; especially if you manage to guess the “evidence” one or two steps ahead of the current sequence.

Other than that; I greatly enjoyed the game. Alfendi (both sides of him) and Lucy are all great characters. Also, holy shit is the commissioner Barton. Barton became a straight up badass in his older years. My favorite case was case number 3 just for the novelty of who the actual murder is; but the last batch of cases (6 to 9) were all amazing.

#Mystery Room