#because i think some of you liked the story of ToD and that is something similar!

[dollhouse-tales]

[Original Character Skins: Identity V OCs]

Yami

S-tiers |

"Innocence"/RED TEXT [Magical Malevolence | Essence/Completion]

Chrysanthemum [Chinese Flowers | Essence]

A-tiers |

Remembrance [Might I have a word? | Essence]

Windwheel [Comulus | Essence]

Amane [OC crossover Essence]

B-tiers |

None yet :)

Amy

S-tiers |

Golden Streak [Graffiti Essence]

A-tiers |

Hayato [OC crossover Essence]

B-tiers |

Gerbera [Flower Festival Essence]

Rom Cremat [Death in the Afternoon | Essence]

Broken Sign [Neon Essence]

Party of the Dawn [Theater of Darkness: Neon Essence]

Ellie

S-tiers |

Haunted Pink Disk♪ [Neon Essence]

A-tiers |

Jack [OC crossover Essence]

B-tiers |

Candle Lighter [Dead Night's Wedding | Essence]

Ballerina [Phantom of the Opera Essence | Essence]

Gabriel

S-tiers |

Behold the Fading Light [Might I have a word? | Essence]

A-tiers |

Calamity [OC crossover Essence]

B-tiers |

Decay [store]

Aubrey

S-tiers |

Running up that Hill [Might I have a word? | Essence]

A-tiers |

"Arbor" [Swap AU | Store]

Alexander [OC crossover essence]

B-tiers |

none yet :0

Maple

S-tiers |

Sunny's journal [Sunny's Aftermath Essence]

Mabu [OC crossover Essence]

A-tiers |

Charlotte [OC crossover Essence]

Daughter of Coral [Day at the Beach Essence]

B-tiers |

none yet :)

#mod ghost #ooc | mod post #connection | essence content #go on safe mode #long post #magical malevolence #theater of darkness #creative process | friend's essences #sunny's aftermath #remembrance | yami #shine | amy #pink love | ellie #guardian | gabriel #dollhouse | aubrey #Sunny | Maple #sunny's aftermath is... a written essence coming soon :) focuses less on the actual outfits and more of the story behind it! #because i think some of you liked the story of ToD and that is something similar!

[accio-victuuri]

Sugar Rush : November CPNs

What started out as a relatively quiet month after a chaotic October, turned into something else because of a few candies. Especially the whole 11/19 fiasco that surprised us all. LOL. As usual, this is for cpn-loving turtles only. Keep an open mind but still clown responsibly. I can’t believe we only have one month left for this year!

If you wanna recap other years I have archived : 2021 ( one | two ) 2022 ( one | two ) 2023 ( one, july, august, september, october ) 2020 candies and some other sweets before I was doing round up posts may be found on my masterlist.

Let’s review the past month…

• Some side by side / parallel photos of GG ( Tod’s Milan ) and WYB ( Chanel Shenzhen ). They are both photographed with the very beautiful Liu ShiShi. Also the way they are the center of attention. KINGS! 👑

• hoping they play tennis together 🎾 ; there is also a cpn out there about yibo being fully prepared for the game cause he had lacoste shoes and bag then a jacket that he used in wuzhen. people are speculating that XZ bought stuff for him to use cause he is the one who knows more and thought of this brand. this may seem like a stretch but you never know with this fandom when a seemingly insignificant observation becomes a big candy along the way.

• 2021 vs 2023 beach photos similarities + xiamen coincidence and it’s connection to ZZ’s ideal life painting

• LHK ( Liu Haikuan ) giving clues about BJYX? + Part 2 of comments

11/7, GG was announced as Boucheron’s global brand ambassador, then people remembered that one time WYB wore stuff from the brand. So now we have an unintentional couple jewelry incidence😂😂

• the sound of an eagle 🦅

• some similarities in forwarding 119 message, yeah i know celebrities like them are sort of required to bring attention to stuff like this. however, WYB is known to support this cause and even made a VCR specifically for it. if you look at the actual post, theirs is the top 2 in terms of likes and the rest of the celebrities are not the usual ones similar to the boys’ caliber. Another clue that this is WYB’s advocacy of sorts, most, if not all top comments are from his fans. so ZZ joining in on spreading the message seems ( to me and some cpfs ) like influenced by WYB.

Next is they both filmed VCRs for "People in My Heart" - "Classic Characters" series. We just love seeing them support the same projects ^^

• NARS live drawing

• Candies from WYB’s 11/12 douyin post. Mainly the parallel about the same walls and floor.

• XZ fell asleep on WYB during the golden core scene

• Interpreting YBO’s 11/16 weibo caption

• 11/19/23 double update candies

• similar necklace??? ( cough in vain )

• the full story ( so far ) behind 11/19 📝

• Talking about this a bit late considering when the whole CPN started about this GG mural for GG. There are side by side comparisons of the eyes on the mural and Yibo’s. The CPN being they used WYB’s eyes for that mural.

I usually let people have free reign on clowning but this one isn’t for me personally. just because it’s obviously a mural commissioned by GUCCI which a big brand that couldn’t care less about the CP. Maybe it’s a coincidence how similar it is? Because there is a reference photo that should be followed. Also, this is GG’s time to shine. This mural is his & him. I think this is an example for cpfs to learn to separate the boys as individuals, especially for things that are work related and most especially their achievements. While I do believe they influence each other greatly, it’s important to not make every single thing a romantic relation.

• the mystery driver is seen again 👀

• 11/22 Yibo scenery post 🍬

• One night in Beijing Song + 11/23 XZS post

• I don’t really wanna clown with Redmi but the black and white theme from XZS and then the next day it’s Redmi. I was surprised with this cause all the promos were supposed to be related to the scifi themed ad blockbuster!

A coincidence 👀👀👀👀

• small candies form IQIYI scream night 😱

• wyb acknowledging light signs and calls us wangba

• XZ’s 11/27 Airport and Selfie Clues

• there is some talk with BXGs regarding WYB’s redmi appearance, it looks like he was bitten by the mosquito again. lol. I usually just find cpn like this funny cause there is always deniability. also hello to the mosquito who loves to bite the center of his neck.

I’m separating these next entries cause it’s not new. I just found myself revisiting bts content and clowning about it. old candy still tastes good! 💯

WYB signs 520 to GG

WYB’s small steps to GG but robe gets caught

Something is funny and XZ has to tell WYB

Flirting and Fighting? “WYB’s love you”

XZ got hurt and WYB said he is gonna kiss it better?

-END.

#yizhan #bjyx #there is no science here i’m just clowning like i always do #sugar rush #i have to say that i was meh with cpns at the start of the month cause how can you top october? lol #but as soon as 11/19 hit i was back LOL

[chthonic-cassandra]

Hello friend, I was thinking about the Mina-as-a-reincarnated-love-of-Dracula's plot element from the 90's movie and once more wondering where the hell it came from. Do you have any idea if the germ of that element was present in some other vampire/dracula-related media?

Hello my friend! This is an excellent question that others have sought to answer over the years. This is my best recollection right now without consulting all my sources; if others (@atundratoadstool, @forthegothicheroine, anyone else?) remember something I'm forgetting here, feel free to jump in.

The Coppola film was not, properly speaking, the first Dracula adaptation to include a reincarnated wife plotline; that dubious honor goes to the 1974 Dan Curtis adaptation starring Jack Palance, though there the reincarnated wife is Lucy rather than Mina, and also takes much less of the attention and runtime than it does in the Coppola. Blacula, made around the same time as the Curtis film, also has a reincarnation plotline, though there it's of course not involving the characters of Stoker's novel directly.

Dan Curtis was previously the creator of the long-running vampire soap opera Dark Shadows, which I have not myself seen but which I understand has a prominent 'vampire finds the reincarnation of his love' story, and really popularized it as a trope.

Most people trace the origins of the trope to a different undead narrative - the 1932 The Mummy, directed by Karl Freund (cinematographer on Tod Browning's Dracula) and starring Boris Karloff. The Mummy, which I finally watched for the first time a few years ago, is a strikingly compelling though unambiguously orientalist film, and there's a lot in it from which I think subsequent Dracula adaptations have pulled.

The relationship between the undead Imhotep and Helen, who recovers memories of their tragic past life together, is in many ways persuasive. Like the occult opportunist Kay in Son of Dracula to whom I think Helen is rather akin, Helen seems stifled in the modern world (in her case the impression is exacerbated by the hints we get of racism she experiences as a half-Egyptian woman), and it's a rather direct line from her characterization to Lucy Seward in the Badham Dracula, Mina in the Coppola, and ultimately Vanessa Ives. Helen and Imhotep's love cannot succeed because he has the unfortunate impression that he has to kill her and resurrect her as a mummy so they can be together, but the sense the movie conveys of her connecting with her whole self when she recovers her earlier memories, and especially of her devotion to Isis, is quite moving.

Stepping back from the specificity of Dracula as a story, I actually think the reincarnation plotline makes a lot of sense as something that comes into play when you're dealing with immortality and undeath. One of the things that I think makes the way that the Dracula adaptations use it so weird and awkward, aside from the pure arbitrariness, is that they're divorcing the trope from the spiritualist connotations it clearly has in The Mummy, leaving it flat and metaphysically inexplicable. The Mummy is a text with clear origins in the spiritualist movements of its time, with their attendant orientalism - questions about reincarnation are all over those.

I played once myself with trying to recuperate the reincarnated wife trope in a Dracula fic, though I didn't touch the spiritualism stuff. I've been thinking about it, though, because I'm trying to work on Penny Dreadful fic and it's all over that canon (and also because I've been reading some Dion Fortune). I'll keep thinking about it.

#dracula #child-of-hurin

[acourtofthought]

Chaol was absent bc his path veered from that of the "main" charaters doesn't mean Elain is absent for the exact same reason. Sjm doesn't write her stories like some unchangeable mathematical equations.

Contains minor hofas spoilers in regards to Elain and draws conclusions for Az from SJMs Live HOSAB spoiler interview in regards to the characters wondering "if Bryce can enter their world, who else can?" Not an actual spoiler for this book though.

Chaol - absent from the book before TOD because he was on a boat headed to do important things for his own arc and for the peace of their world, something that was set up in previous books.

Elain - absent from CC because some think she's sitting around in the NC, doing what exactly? Then will jump in as FMC of an E/riel book though she has absolutely no connection to anything related to the crossover, or the Illyrians?

SJM might not necessarily write the exact same thing for her characters but she does make an effort to make things make sense.

She's not going to write Elain as the FMC of the next book and have her deal with a storyline that she has given us no hints of Elain being connected too.

That's why so many E/riels were convinced of her acting like a mystic in CC3, so that Elain would then be connected to the time travel stuff.

That's why so many E/riels were convinced she'd end up visiting Hel, so that she'd be connected to the time travel stuff.

Before, E/riels knew SJM was going to have to involve Elain in the crossover in order to tie her into Az's future storylines, and now they're simply back pedaling, saying whatever they can to still make E/riel make sense.

But I think most realize that the only way Elain gets the next book is if she's already off in a different court and SJM fills in the 6-9 month gap between SF and the events of the crossover, or if SJM starts her journey with Lucien which occurs simultaneously with the events of the crossover. Where they resolve the issues in Spring, with Beron and Koschei and the continent, and manage to get the peace treaty signed and on a later visit to the NC, the Inner Circle then fills them in on the details of the events of the crossover which might set up for Az's future journey (issues with the Illyrians and I'm guessing based on SJM's live interview, any concerns with others entering. Again, not a spoiler, just based off what the author told us a year ago).

What doesn't work is for SJM to have benched Elain, had her completely absent (even during the scene where Bryce first arrived in Prythian) and had her sister accompany Az if Elain is truly part of the IC like some claim.

Gwyn is still in the library so her absence makes sense, but in SF it's already been established that she's helped with research on other worlds so Az has a valid reason to meet with her to gather information if as SJM said, the crossover will set up for future ACOTAR books.

So we now have two characters who form a possible endgame pairing who we can easily find ways to connect to that path.

But if she goes that route, it doesn't resolve the Beron, Koschei, Spring stuff and we already know of two characters who are mates who are connected to that path.

Elain is connected to Koschei through her visions and her mate.

Connected to Vassa through her visions and mate.

Has struggled with losing her humanity and her mate was living in the human lands, in a house gifted by her ex.

She's connected to Spring when you consider all the hints in SF "Spring had been made for someone like her, her sisters delicate scent a promise of Spring, Nesta would have told her to visit".

She's not connected to the Illyrians. Like, at all.

Not connected to time travel. At all.

You'd think if some actually liked Elain's character, they'd pay a bit more attention to how SJM has set up her character and the plans SJM has been hinting at for her.

She was absent in the townhouse scene of the crossover.

Absent from the crossover.

Maybe it's time for some to admit that Elain has nothing to do with any of these things because she's not staying in the NC and not ending up with Az.

#elucien #pro elucien #elain archeron #lucien vanserra #anti e/riel #hofas spoilers

[fitzrove]

Every time i look at 1992 uwe tod i come away thinking that tod just..... should be weird. We can't be having normie tods running around... I want him to be this completely inhuman figure who tries to get close to humanity (because how do you personify death??) but deeply misunderstands some things, especially things like human behaviour and emotions. Máté is good at this too, he just did it in a different way, but after those two the effect is never really potent enough again. I mean, there is something to say for prods with humanized or gentle etc tods, at least theyre doing something else than mrak seiber, but it's not quite it for me at least. He needs to be weird because Elisabeth is weird and, dissatisfied with her life, craves a poem in the flesh.

And for me personally (this is not me saying gender non conformity is weird or inhuman btw, it's not, it's just hot and looks good) i want back the mayerling dress and all that, and the actors should be styled accordingly, if he's not going to put on eyeshadow and blush and get dolled up to kill rudolf then don't fucking cast him?? There are enough musical actors out there who like straying from the mold, the overlap between drag performers and musical artists is not insignificant. Hell, if despite your best attempts macho guys are still the only guys you can find, then cast a woman (trans or cis - for a trans woman the role might be easier/not require rewrites, because of vocal range), cast a nonbinary performer. You don't really have to change stuff in the script, someone who's not a man can still be a "prince" if the styling is androgynous. It really is that simple...

also this should maybe be a separate post but 1992 is so iconic for portraying mayerling as a romance, rudolf running to embrace tod, twirly dancing, Big Damn Kiss (rudolf barely notices the actual act of shooting himself, he's so busy making out) - up until the very end, when rudolf is dumped unceremoniously on the floor. symbolism. It's such a better deeper way to tackle the subject. Suicidal ideation doesn't just beat you over the head violently, mental illness/depression lures you in with promises of a "solution" but actually only offers a miserable nothing.

This is also why it's so important for Elisabeth to get dumped on the floor as well - there's more care in that than in how Rudolf is treated, Tod is obviously distraught, but that's the point and the tragedy of the show!!!! Freedom is fleeting, dreams are fleeting, emotion is fleeting, but yearning for them is what makes us human!!

If he carries her away the moral of the story becomes "if you die you get a hot supernatural partner that's obsessed with you!!!" No!!!!!!! The romance narrative is a big lie, suicidal ideation is a big lie, history is a big lie, it's all connected, but we always cover shit up with kitsch because some people prefer a simple romantic reading to the degree that they warp the rest of the story around it. I stg people have just replaced sissi movie trilogy fairytale prince FJ (1950s) with elisabethdasmusical fairytale prince modern peugeot king mark seibert leather tod (2020s) or insert whatever other boyfriend death you prefer

#tw suicide #mayerling is discussed #musicals #theatre #1992 has deeply dysfunctional people/entities obsessed with each other #also everyone looks like a porcelain doll #also to reiterate i hate fun and love misery :) yall need to put more romanticism (19th cent) and fantasy into your romantic fantasies #i have little faith there will be a truly good elisabeth production again in my lifetime jajskdkg #it's just all a matter of waiting for the next thing that may be less horrible than the previous one and trying to like it #xD #i did that with brussels 22 - it was very innovative and stimulating but in all honesty it needed more todolf maiming and weirdness

[todorsomething]

How to make a Fankid (Writing not art)

The title is slightly misleading. I will only be covering ONE thing today. I believe this is the most important part of Homestuck characters. Whether they are fanmade or not. Of course you don't have to agree, but I feel like this is a fun way to go about it. Without further ado, let's begin.

Interests

Now you may be like "Tod, why start here?" Well dear reader, I believe interests are the easiest place to start because this alone can say a lot about your character. I mean, just look at Homestuck! The character's interests are a HUGE part about Homestuck early on. Hell, even some of the interests can lead into character development later down the road. For this character I decided that they should be a fan of YTPs. If you don't know what that is, look it up. This enjoyment of YTPs has made them a fan of that era of the Internet as a whole. In fact, we can say they have a fondness for EVERYTHING from this era. This is why I start with interests. This fondness can be anything from Anime to TV shows to books and to even some early YouTubers! Them liking one specific thing can lead to many other ideas for interests. However their base interest is YTPs.

Now how will this interest manifest PHYSICALLY. Well their symbol could be something related to it. Maybe spaghetti?(Iykyk) They can have posters on the wall that reflect this interest too!

Stuff like this could work!(I'm aware that the second one isn't really YTP related but it looks like something from that time period) Get creative, people! An idea I had was that this character liked the Bee Movie but they were specifically obsessed with Vanessa. You can do a lot with something like this. It could just be a simple crush or it could be a representation for many things. If this character didn't have a strong female presence in their life this character could be a representation for this desire. Remember, obsession in this case doesn't have to be a romantic obsession. Maybe their love for this character can be a representation of them being transgender. Their adoration didn't come from loving her romantically but wanting to BEE her(Get it). I'm not trans so if this part is wrong please let me know! If their love for her IS romantic then you can show that easily too. Perhaps they have a shrine of her in their closet or something. Maybe if they're rich they have a whole ROOM dedicated to her. Remember, this is Homestuck. Make it ridiculous.

Now, I have a very important tip for you all. No matter how stupid the interest may seem to others it matters to the kid. Now this may seem obvious but stick with me. We all have at least one thing we love that may seem cringe to others but it holds a lot of value to us. For example, a lot of people love the band Slipknot. Slipknot has always been kind of cringe and ridiculous but to their fans it doesn't matter. Make your character truly care about their interest no matter how stupid and cringe it may seem. Cringe culture should burn in hell, btw.

(Just as a small note, they can like multiple interests from many places. I'm not saying it has to be one specific thing. No characters in Homestuck like only one specific thing. However if you go back and look every character has one thing at their core. For instance, shipping in Nepetas core interest and Fashion is Kanayas.)

This post is at its core about the core of Homestuck characters. This is purposefully barebones because it's the basis for characters. I didn't mention a lot of story related stuff for that reason. The core of these characters is a lot more important than a lot of people think. It can explain everything from how they act to their pesterchum handles to even their classpect.

Remember, make it cringe. Make it stupid. Make it weird. Make it ridiculous. But make sure it matters to your character. Because in turn, it will make the character matter to us.

(Sorry if this post is all over the place, I'm not used to writing long stuff like this but I swear I'll get better with time!)

#homestuck #mspfa #character creation #tod yaps

[neonseperatedau]

Leo’s Log Entries 234 to 345

It seems you stumbled across a broken control pad. As it boosts up, the label reads ‘Property of Leo’. Most files are corrupted. You take a look at those remaining. (Cass, @somerandomdudelmao thank you so much for creating such an inspiring, wonderful and heart-breaking story. Like many others, I was deeply moved by the latest updates. I hope you don’t mind the few creative liberties I took to tell bits of the comic from Leo’s perspective.)

Log entry 234: Man, this feels weird. It’s been ages since the last time I did an entry. The previous one dates so far back that I had both of my arms still. Sweet innocent Leo with two arms, I want to slap that idiot as soon as we got time travel. Donnie told me I should make it a habit again. I guess I kept zoning out during dinner because it was sometimes difficult to process every single crazy thing that had happened within a day. So, here I am, talking to this log and letting it record me. And Dee, if you are eavesdropping, I ate our final package of froot loops, probably the last one that remained on Earth. I needed to stress-eat after you had turned me into a tangerine-sized turtle tod. I only thought it fair to be somehow compensated for that unwanted experience…

Log entry 255: Case is pacing around all night. He had returned from a mission with Donnie being seriously hurt. You would think we’ve been through stuff like this so often it doesn’t bother us anymore. Nope. Each time, I see one of my family injured, I share their pain. Not in any physical sense. More in the ‘I wish I could have done something to prevent that’ kind of hurt. I long gave up on ‘what-if’ scenarios. The present moment doesn’t give two fs about your guilt. Mikey once told me that he envies me for being so focused on the present and that he sometimes struggles to be really here with us and not be torn between the spiritual realm and the physical. I laughed like a crazy person, and I think he misunderstood me. To me, it was the other way around. I miss Dad so much and I had no means of reaching him. Kinda ironic if you ask me that his ‘least favorite’ son was the one to lose his Ninpo and because of that was forced to let him go forever. Log entry 283: I can’t believe this really happened. I always knew Casey was like a good luck charm but that he would be the one to find Raph and bring him home! Raph is back! He is really back! I haven’t realized it until that big machine picked us all up and pressed us tightly into a hug how much I had relied on him and missed his presence. It was like taking that first breath of fresh air after staying underwater for too long. Our family is whole again. Well, as whole as it can be. Log entry 284: Today’s moral of the story: Things cannot go back to how they used to be. Raph refused to take up his old position, especially with some of his programs malfunctioning and Donnie not able to repair him entirely, he told me he doesn’t want the resistance to rely on him and that I had done a great job in taking up this role as leader. I totes understand him and yet…some part of me hoped I could revert to second-in-command. Spend some more time with Case. Go on my own missions. In the end, duty calls, and there’s no easy way out of it. Log entry 294: My big brother’s return was a miracle and even so, Dee found a way to grant us another one. I don’t want to know what that grenade is made out of, and it doesn’t matter. It can REVERSE the effects of Mikey’s quick aging and that is all that counts! Seeing Mike running around, messing with his abilities, and full of energy…I’m so happy for him. Between an ageless robot and a renewed younger bro, I’m the one who’s doomed to feel like an old fart. Second chances are rare. I always regretted that Mikey had to give up so much of his life for our cause. Let’s hope Donnie can continue to produce these anti-aging bombs for a long time. Log entry 301: It’s raining with the lowest levels of sulphur dioxide in the last ten years. It’s not like it’s super safe. That hadn’t prevented Case from running around and enjoying himself within the rain simulation that Donnie had created afterward. He wrapped us all up in his shenanigans and forced us to stop what we were doing and enjoy the little things in life. That’s…not a bad thing. Log entry 303: We lost Boston. Casualties approximately 200. A ceremony for the fallen is scheduled for the day after. April had intended to inspect the Boston branch and I’m somehow glad she got delayed and hadn’t managed to reach it in time. Otherwise, I’m pretty sure, she wouldn’t have returned. She’s on her way home and I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she hears about Raph. Log entry 314: Our scouting teams record higher rates of kraangified humans and yokai. It’s commonly considered a worse fate than death and yeah sure, we had figured out a way to reverse the process. Even so, it was dangerous for everyone involved and I forbid Mikey at one point to ‘treat’ anyone further. My brother would have crumbled away like overcooked toast if he would’ve cured every kraangified being there was. The instant I realized Casey had gotten infected, I was ready to beg my brother on my knees. Everyone’s selfish in their own ways, huh? Log entry 315: Casey shows great signs of improvement. Dee switched to ‘casual’ surveillance, aka his dozens of cameras whose locations nobody knows for sure. I’m doing my best to make the boy feel less responsible for what happened. We cannot blame ourselves for these things or else we would have lost our sanity long ago. Log entry 322: Hey, Dad. I know I cannot talk to you, but I really wonder if you felt the same way whenever we called you that: Dad. Case used that word to refer to me today. Well, to be honest, he also meant Donnie and Mikey, and Raph. It was one of those stupid ‘my dad is better than yours’ competitions, which makes it even better in my personal opinion. Back when I had promised Cass to look after her son, my first thought had been that this human baby was going to be a burden and I would surely mess everything up. But look at him, look at us. I would do anything for him. Heh, you surely had something similar on your mind when you went ahead and protected us at the cost of your own life. Log entry 343: Things have been busy. With April joining our team, I can allow myself to make more ballsy plans and we sure as hell need those victories. The Kraang continually pushes us back. It’s time to return to favor. Log entry 356: Man, my twin is the smartest person on earth. How did he manage to accidentally spill some of the anti-aging serum on himself? And how can such a small creature be so angry? We all haven’t slept for over 30 hours, afraid that if we take our eyes off him, he either ends up killing someone or gets eaten and I’m not thrilled about both options. Log entry 357: Casey is a genius. He built Tiny Tello a pair of custom glasses. He seems to recognize Mikey and me. Raph is too…changed. That human boy has a heart of gold, to do something so kind for someone who shows him no gratitude whatsoever. He insists it’s payback for everything ‘Uncle Donatello’ built for him. Long story short, my twin’s living in my scarf and it’s only the third weirdest thing to ever happen to me. The way he sometimes pads me with his small hands is adorable (note to myself that I should never mention that to Dee) and it makes me nostalgic for days long gone. Log entry 359: I shouldn’t be surprised that the base can’t exist long without Donnie’s maintenance. Occasionally Mike and I liked to make fun of him for merging with the place and being a true shut-in. Jokes on us that we realized how MUCH we are dependent on him once he turned into a small vicious turtle ball. We need to find a solution fast. Log entry 361: Not sure if it was sheer luck and honestly who cares. Dee is back and we need him now more than ever. Raph sustained some grave damage that isn’t fixable. The same goes for yours truly. They can berate me on how I need to be more careful all they want, I will never regret prioritizing Casey’s life. The longer our resistance continues like this, the more I believe this isn’t about me. They could easily replace me, but everyone in my family is so damn special and irreplaceable. I’m going to hold on to them for as long as I can. Log entry 378: Mikey was such an airhead when he was a teen. What happened? Like for real? He had developed an almost uncanny ability to know when we need someone to talk to or hug or, in Dee’s case, rest. And with his mad abilities, he won’t take a ‘no’ for an answer. I think I need to tell him more often how proud I am. Log entry 379: Casey called me in the middle of a meeting, that was already suspicious. The fact that Dee has been sleeping longer than six hours? Also, unusual. We’re currently taking turns, waiting for him to wake up and explain what’s going on. I’m recording this during my shift. My brother looks smaller and frail. He sinks into his bed almost as if the mattress is about to absorb him. His health was bad when Dad died. He had grieved through overwork and constant exhaustion. I couldn’t see a reason he would fall back into this old pattern. Maybe our injuries had made things worse for him. I should take over most of his work and redistribute it for a while. He won’t like it, but I don’t like seeing him like this even more. Log entry 380: Donnie has been infected. Even he doesn’t know when or where exactly. One thing is for sure, it rendered him weak for a while now and he had refused to let us know. It’s worrying that it’s a variant we haven’t dealt with before. But it’s okay. We’re going to figure something out. We always have. Log entry 385: Mikey and I had sat down late to discuss our options. His hair had turned mostly grey again, a sign my younger brother had done everything he could. Nothing worked. Good thing, the mystic isn’t our only trump card. There’s science, too. Donnie must be close to finding a solution, he has been working non-stop. Log entry 386: I just can’t understand why he would make an excessive list of things we’re supposed to take care of instead of focusing on himself. He’s supposed to be the smart one. So, what if the means to cure himself don’t exist anymore? There must be alternatives. Something even he overlooked. For the time being, we try to let him rest as much as possible and survey him. April’s visiting other resistance groups in the hope of answers. I’ve been contacting Draxum and he assured me to let me know when he found anything. Log entry 389: Casey asked me if he could sleep at my place for the night. He’s upset because Donnie made no effort in hiding his calculations of his own death. He might not act that way, but it must bother him as much as it did Casey. Dee just never expresses his emotions the same way others do. I tried to explain this to Casey. He didn’t say anything in return and quietly sobbed against the back of my shell. Log entry 399: We’ve returned to some form of normalcy, though everyone stays at the base for longer periods to hang around Donnie. He notices and refrains from commenting. Denying makes it a bit more bearable. He’s right here and we’ll be fucking damned to let anything change that. Log entry 415: I had no other choice but to move out on a mission myself. We recently lost fights we should’ve won and there are rumors that it has to do with Donnie’s health and our absence. I blame it on my lack of sleep that I stumbled into one of the Kraang’s traps. One mistake might cost your life, that’s how it has been for the last 20 years, and I was ready to pay the price. Then from nowhere, Donnie appeared in his slabby pullover and summoned the greatest arsenal of mystic weaponry that I’ve ever seen. Casey had surely been with Dee as a crutch. Though, it appeared as if it was the other way around and the boy held on to his uncle while he pushed back the entire Kraang army. It's been…a while since Donnie had gone all out. Witnessing what he’s capable of reminded me of the time we had full access to our Ninpo and had gotten extremely cocky. Even then, my twin had been the rational voice of the team. Choosing to be flashy on special occasions and focusing on providing us with the necessary support and firepower. It had never been anything personal. This time, when rockets flew over our heads causing grand explosions, I could see it in his eyes. He was free at that moment. His mind was consumed with revenge for what the Kraang had done to him and enjoying their screams and demise without a thought wasted on efficiency or greater purpose. Fearing he would collapse from over-exerting himself I had to grab him, and we retreated. He seemed in good spirits afterward. I’m telling myself that if he’s strong enough to pull something like this off, he must be okay. He must be. Log entry 422: A week after Donnie’s all-out attack, his health worsened visibly. As he huddles through his lab to take care of business as usual, we cherish the small things. Drinking tea together. Throwing bad puns at each other. The four of us are often sitting down, reminiscing about the times before this whole mess started. Sometimes April or Casey join us. We would like to show our concern and ask Donnie how he’s feeling, if he needs anything, what we can do for him, but we don’t. Life continues on. Log entry 435: I’m tired. I haven’t slept in a few days. Can’t tell exactly how long it has been. I don’t want to miss anything. Every second is precious, even writing this feels like a waste of time. But I also can’t hover over Donnie, he wouldn’t want that. He’s already mad at me since I denied taking over some of his tasks as if he’s already gone. He’s been trying to explain a few of his inventions to me that keep our base up and running, but it’s been difficult to focus. My mind drifts off to repeat the same few sentences over and over again. Please don’t leave us. Please stay with me. Please. Don’t go.

#cass apocalyptic series #rise of the tmnt #rottmnt #riseofthetmnt #future timeline au #there might be more log entries later #thank you cass for creating such a masterpiece #future leonardo #future donnie #future michelangelo #future raph #casey #future april #rottmnt apocalypse #rottmnt fic #rottmnt short story

[cto10121]

https://youtu.be/hUNO_zAAJRI?si=Y8S2U1LYWsC9Ajvw

Found this while having some re-listening time. 😂 What do you think? I think that she is a little harsh about the duet between Sissi and Tod but the rest is spot on, and I'm glad that she didn't go after the actors because the changes are definitely not their fault.

Oh, I’ve watched this video! Yeah, the more recent productions have definitely dumbed down the show, to the point where it feels like it’s on a budget. At least RetJ upgraded its sets and costumes through the years (though not, in my opinion, always for the best). And the no-homoing over the Mayerling Kiss is just laughable. We interrupt this Viennese musical about death and depression for…American puritan pearl-clutching. Won’t someone please think of the children??!?!?

That said, making Death more macho does not totally ruin the story. I’ve already written about this, but to me there is something to be said about making Der Tod symbolize toxic masculinity—everyone belongs to him, both young and old, Elisabeth’s final dance belongs to him alone, Elisabeth herself belongs only to him, Rudolf telling him he can be hard and cold on the same breath of him killing a cat (Der Tod: 🥰), etc. You don’t even have to ditch the Death-as-freedom metaphor of the original either—there are always the (conditional) freedoms of patriarchy. Elisabeth always had energetic/mannish interests and hobbies that would not have been a problem had she been a man. Der Tod can symbolize the extremes of freedom—the “freedom” of selfishness and disregard to others. The 2006 production basically took that route while still keeping the focus on Elisabeth herself.

Either way, a focus on the Elisabeth-Der Tod UST would not make it Phantom of the Opera. Elisabeth chooses neither the staid conventionality of patriarchal monarchy (Franz Joseph) nor the patriarchy of total license (Der Tod). This is a fundamentally non love triangle either way. Also, real life Elisabeth very much romanticized and eroticized Death; that’s the whole reason why he is even a character in the musical to begin with. So it’s not even an indulgent fantastical addition, but perfectly historically accurate.

Also, I totally do not agree about Wenn ich tanzen will, a literal showstopper. If they ever remove it in a misplaced attempt to return to the fey Der Tod original, that is when the musical truly dies for me. I am shocked that some fans have this weird antagonism for it and call it unnecessary (by that logic “Ich gehör” is unnecessary, you fiends). Without it Elisabeth would be a one-song musical in my view. (The Rondo of Love and Death/Kein Kommen can definitely go, though. It’s unnecessary and goes against the ethos of the whole show. The fact that they made it a duet in the German is even worse. The Wie Du reprise is much more effective and ironically even more romantic).

#ladyalianora #ask #elisabeth musical #elisabeth das musical #elisabeth meta #there is also debate over the best ending #i suppose the most appropriate one would be elisabeth being taken away by death’s angels #but honestly just have death carry elisabeth #it’s both romantic and tragic/horrific #did kunze come out saying that was his preferred ending? #i may have hallucinated that

[bookofmirth]

“I have headcanoned for a really long time that Azriel self harms. I could see him cutting or otherwise purposefully injuring himself.”

I could definitely see this. Maybe he doesn’t wrap his hands when he trains and lets his skin get cut up and bruised easily and doesn’t let himself heal. If Azriel does cut himself, do you think his brothers would know or have their assumptions? I feel like if they did know it wouldn’t be because Az told them. I don’t think he would tell anybody.

Also, for Gwyn, how do you think she deals with her trauma? I know some people view her only as passive and optimistic/upbeat, (which there’s nothing wrong with), but I wonder if deep down she has some intense rage, (which would be very understandable) and deals with things like Azriel or Nesta, but hides it from everyone. We don’t have her POV, but I really want to know more about her character.

I use to cut myself and I’m a survivor of assault, so it makes curious, and a little nervous, as to how Sarah will approach these topics. I think she’s done research on disabilities for Chaol when writing TOD, but I can’t be too sure. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

First off anon, giving you the biggest virtual hugs ever, I am glad to hear that you aren't harming yourself anymore. It may never go away, but you've come out the other side stronger and wiser.

Yes, harming could be something that no one could accuse Azriel of doing intentionally, but instead they may notice him playing fast and loose with his own safety. I think we can already see a bit of that with the risks that he takes on his missions, how willing he is to do things to others (IE torture) without regard for how those actions might affect his own psyche. It would be really easy for him to brush off the injuries as being part of the job, for him to make excuses about how he was injured. If he pushes himself a bit harder than he needs to and he ends up in a dangerous position, then people might have a hard time saying he's actually being self-destructive, you know?

I don't think his brothers would know or that he would tell anyone. Just speaking from experience, if people know then they want to help and then you get attention and really you just want to suffer and self-destruct in isolation. He's a pretty closed book, he doesn't really share his inner life, and perhaps he doesn't even acknowledge those behaviors as being harmful? I kind-of headcanon that he thinks he deserves it. Also, I think that people who have never done anything like that just... will never get it. It's so foreign to them. It's fine that they don't, that just makes it really tricky to navigate telling anyone and then hoping to get an understanding response!

I see Gwyn's competitiveness and pushing herself to train as the way she is dealing with her guilt and grief over Catrin. I don't think she's self-destructive at all, but her attitude seems to be more along the lines of "never again". I am rereading acosf so if I find any quotes I'll add them. She's one of the characters that sjm has described as being kind and optimistic despite what she's gone through (like Mor and Elain), and so to me, her training is the way she is being proactive. Gwyn definitely carries guilt for her sister's death, but I think she knows cognitively that it wasn't her fault (also like Elain! who acknowledges that her father's death wasn't her fault, but still has regrets).

Funny story, but the omniscient narrator did actually give us a peek into Gwyn's mind in acosf.

Roslin, Ananke, and Deirdre were close on their heels, propelling Gwyn to push her group harder. She wanted to be the first. Wanted Nesta and Emerie and her to be the ones who wiped the smirks from Azriel’s and Cassian’s faces. Especially Azriel’s.

Gwyn didn't tell Nesta this information; the omniscient narrator is telling us Gwyn's thoughts and feelings. There may be other points in the book where this happens, it's just the first one that comes to mind!

But anyway, I don't know if I see rage in Gwyn, so much as I see determination for the events of her past to never be repeated, and to me, that comes out as her competitiveness towards Azriel, wanting to cut the ribbon, making it through the Blood Rite, etc.

Sjm did do research on disability! I went to her Tower of Dawn event in London (in 2017) and she mentioned interviewing people with Wounded Warriors Project to better understand their injuries and to try to write Chaol's experience with care. There isn't a recording of this event as far as I know, back in the day you either went in person to events or you waited for people to make recap posts on Tumblr. Fun fact, that event was also where she announced her first pregnancy!

I'm personally not worried about how sjm will handle either of their healing stories, mainly because I'm not sure that she would actually delve into the depths of Azriel's self destruction. She pulled Nesta's story away from those themes pretty quickly and easily in acosf, so...

I hope that their stories help you feel seen and understood, however they turn out <3

#gwyn #azriel #acotar #cw self harm #ask #anon

[sarcasticdolphin]

Hmmmm. Fic idea?

Nevermind that I have like 10 WIPs going right now and should probably be focusing on writing.

So some time ago I had an idea kicking around of some sort of fic where Lucheni is Rudolf's whipping boy - an orphan that Sisi found on the streets of [Venice? City ultimately doesn't matter] and who she had taken into the royal household.

In time, Lucheni then ends up being made Rudolf's whipping boy - be this because Sisi goes traveling and no one else knows what to do with him or for some other reason is TBD at a later date.

And Rudolf is an absolute jerkface about it. He's more than a little jealous that his mother took in this peasant orphan street urchin and loved the boy while he, her own son, doesn't get so much as a kind word or glance.

So he acts out - after all, Lucheni is the one that gets beaten. I would even say he greatly enjoys being a sadistic little imperialist at times.

If Gondrecourt shows up that would lead to a very different dynamic than I usually write - Rudolf would be purposely making sure Lucheni gets punished.

As for Tod (cause lord knows I can't seem to write a fic without Tod):

Lucheni can see Tod, and can see him everywhere. In everything. He's almost mad, in a way. Because back then (especially for a poor child) Death is everywhere. Something like 40-50% of the population died before the age of 5. Lucheni knows Death in a way that none of the other characters in this story could ever hope to. In some ways he's been drawn away from Death, taken to the (comparative) safety of the Imperial Court - not that even the Imperial Court is immune from such things.

And I think Lucheni would see Death as almost a deity because of it, in a way. Which brings up the question, what does Death look like to Lucheni?

An angel? Perhaps when he was very young. But no, I think the correct answer for storytelling purposes in this fic would be Rudolf. That Death looks like Rudolf to Lucheni.

Because to Lucheni, Rudolf and Tod are two sides of the same coin. Mercurial masters. Rudolf vengeful and present but ultimately impotent, Tod oh-so potent in his power but more distant.

And so you end up with the relationships of:

Lucheni: Worshipful of Tod, Extremely mixed (like lust through to violence to jealousy to pity) feelings for Rudolf.

Rudolf: Hates Lucheni's guts. Tod relationship TBD.

Tod: Sees Rudolf as some sort of future trophy against Sisi or the like (may change this). Sees Lucheni as a passing curiosity if he even notices him at first.

Ok I'm waxing a little too poetical here. It's late.

We'll see if I have more (hopefully coherent) thoughts tomorrow.

#lucheni would need to be way aged up for this to work #fic ideas #no seriously lucheni was born in 1873 #he's 15 years younger than Rudolf #here they would need to be roughly the same age #if the timeline ends up being long enough #then lucheni would probably need to be Rudolf's valet #for at least part of the fic #idk #normally I have potential fics a great deal more coherent before sharing thoughts #not sure when I would write it #I need to make a writing schedule to keep everything straight again #Probably a one-shot? #too soon to tell #thoughts? #good? bad? ugly? #todcheni #todolf #rucheni #I think that is their ship #or some combination #extremely toxic pairings

[lexiklecksi]

Writeblr positivity (tag game)

Thanks for tagging me @writernopal this took me too long to answer but it was good to think about these questions.

1. What motivates you to write?

The urge to ban all my ideas onto paper. And kind comments on my writing posts, of course!

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not, maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them): This snippet is from this flash fiction written from the pov of the phoenix Fox. I won't attempt to translate it because I'm afraid most metaphors would be lost in translation.

Die Zeit zieht an mir vorbei, sie berührt mich nur selten, viel zu oft vergesse ich mich. Zeit verliert an Bedeutung, wenn man schon so viele Leben gelebt hat wie ich. Zeit ist ein Konstrukt für die Sterblichen, es schafft Ordnung in einem Universum voller Chaos. Doch letztendlich ist ein Leben so kurz im Vergleich zu dem Baum des Lebens, so bedeutungslos wie ein Sandkorn im Wind, nur ein Wimpernschlag in der Geschichte der Welt. Man werfe mir Verdrossenheit vor und man möge Recht behalten, doch nur wenige können nachvollziehen, wie es ist, solange zu leben. Nur wenige fühlen meinen Schmerz, denn sie sterben nur einen kleinen Tod. Der Tod hat mich schon unzählige Male in die Arme genommen, hat mich vergessen lassen, wo ein Leben beginnt und ein anderes endet.

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/ talk about them and what are they like?

Dietbert Siegfrieden, the funny dwarf, makes me smile when I write scenes from his pov and talk about him. He is such a gullible dwarf with a pure heart. Dietbert always tries his best to make his family and every being he meets laugh out loud. He is my only real feelgood character, compared to all my other characters who are morally grey. Of course, I love all my characters and talking about them never fails to make me feel happy.

4. What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

When ideas I had in mind for long spontaneously burst out when writing scenes or a poem and start to make sense. I usually set a timer and then just write, without thinking too much about the plot and other stuff that might hold me back from writing.

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

Writing dialogue comes easy to me which dates back to my school's drama club for which I've written several scripts, some even were performed on stage. I just love sassy or emotional dialogue! I think it's what I can write best. Writing poetry for 10 years also makes me confident in writing flowery metaphors.

6. What is something in the writeblr community that is most enjoyable?

The ongoing support of readers and interaction with fellow writers, especially in my found(ed) writing family @writeblrcafe.

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

For my ya fantasy novel, I'm using Bibisco which is a great software to organize my novel. I highly recommend it!

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

The magic of all creatures living in the forest Avni is derived from pantheism. Yggdrasil is the oldest tree in the forest and sentient. All creatures of the forest are connected to Yggdrasil and worship it as the creator of all life and protector of the forest. On another note, I don’t have a strict magic system, but the different species have different kinds of magical powers and these powers are believed to come from the forest itself. When the forest dies, all mystical creatures like elves, dwarfs and giants are left helplessly without their magic and of course all animals and plants lose their habitat or even lives. Avni will also become the centre of conflict in my story, when the humans seek out to destroy Avni by cutting down trees, poisoning rivers and burn the vegetation to build more factories and houses.

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

The world needs to hear your stories, so write them. And even if only one person reads your story and gains a new perspective, it was worth writing it, because you have changed the life of someone with your words, and what's more powerful than that?

10. Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters

I'm tagging @charlies-storybook @yvesdot @writinglyra @junypr-camus @silent-creed @retrogayyde @ashirisu @holdenmarrswritings @aether-wasteland-s @betweenthetimeandsound @wheres-all-the-tea-gone @tyne-sharrow (sorry it took me so long to post and thanks to everyone who took the time to read my answers)

#writeblr positivity #tag game #fellow writers #about me #writeblr #writing community

[late-to-the-magnus-archives]

Uh-oh, I'm back on my self-indulgence

—-

Psst: it’s ready!

AO3 || Tumblr

Anybody want a feel-good one-shot Malevolent fic involving thought-provoking movies, surprise visits, brutal murder, and Arthur being REALLY clever?

I need to read it over again, but I think it'll be ready to post tonight.

Have a snippet.

Full story coming tonight!

--------

The movie is called Dancing Lady, and Arthur already knows nothing will ever be made like it again once the Hays Code has its way.

It’s a ridiculous love triangle, a “tarnished” woman (a concept Arthur finds absurd) torn between a rich sponsor and a poor lover, both of whom, at least, see her talent for what it is.

There are some scenes in this one. At one point, Clark Gable massages Joan Crawford’s leg, raising it above his shoulder, only hinting at the things that must surely be on display from Gable’s point of view.

Yowza.

It’s hard not to imagine Joan Crawford making the kinds of faces John describes, and Arthur can’t help a little bit of distracting response.

He focuses on his popcorn instead of anything else prone to explode.

“Those guys are a lot of silk hats and silk socks with nothing between,” says Clark Gable on screen, and Arthur laughs.

John huffs. Why are they being so particular about this?  

“Particular about what?” says Arthur.

Tod, Patch, Janie. Why the fuck doesn’t she just lie with both of them? Why do they give a fuck?

Arthur is completely taken aback. “Well, it… I mean… she can’t do that.”

Why not?

Arthur has never in his life considered this question.

It’s about offspring, John decides.

“Ah… no, it’s not really - “

They demand monogamy so there can be no question of inheritance.

“She’s a dancing girl. She has nothing to inherit.”

Sure, but Tod does.

“Yes, but… that isn’t it, John.”

Then what is?

Arthur’s really not sure how to answer. What’s he going to say? That it isn’t the Christian thing to do? “I… it just isn’t done that way. Generally.”

Though in his musician days, he witnessed some truly unique romantic configurations.

It’s a lot to think about.

Stupid, pronounces John with fiendish delight, and continues to tell Arthur everything that’s happening on screen even though Arthur does not reply.

#

In February, John says, Arthur, I want to see a movie.

Arthur sighs. “John. I’ve been fucking stabbed.”

Only a little, says John. The three stitches are fine. You’re fine.

He is fine, honestly. It wasn’t that bad, and in the end, they took out the giant bug-thing that poked him.

He’s pretty sure he isn’t poisoned. Maybe that alone deserves celebration.

Arthur sighs. “Well. I suppose an evening of distraction isn’t such a terrible idea.”

Of course it’s not a terrible idea. It’s mine.

Arthur rolls his useless eyes, but can’t help a little smile. 

#

This movie, though. This movie hits a little different.

Death Takes a Holiday is about Death himself, who is tired of being misunderstood, and decides to go slumming among humans for a few days to see if he can figure out why.

And he falls in love. 

With a human.

Which can’t end well for that poor lady.

Arthur forgets his popcorn.

The drama is absolutely contrived and thoroughly effective.The struggles of the inhuman to understand the human - 

The choice of the human to understand the strange -

“And tonight, I must go back to my distant kingdom,” says Fredric March, whose portrayal of Death is passionate, quiet-spoken, and rife with tortured drama.

“Will you take me with you?” says Evelyn Venable, who plays Grazia, the love interest, and whose name means grace.

“Take you?” says Death, who is pretending to be something he is not, who is carrying on a wild con with the goal of… enlightenment? “Take you? I should be so unhappy alone. Take you? Oh, no, no… don’t tempt me. But Grazia, give me one hour of you - let me hold you once, and feel your life.”

Holy shit, Arthur thinks, because he’s pretty sure he knows how Grazia feels.

Sort of. He’s no damsel, and whatever he and John are isn’t romantic, but still?

“Now you see me as I am,” says Death, at last revealed as shadow, as monster, as darkly divine.

“But I've always seen you like that! You haven't changed,” says Grazia.

She chooses him, knowing what he is.

She chooses him, knowing what it will cost.

The music swells, and Arthur finds himself tearing up. “Then there is a love which casts out fear, and I have found it! And love is greater than illusion… and as strong as death!”

John cheers. She goes with him! She went with him! Yes, Arthur!

Does John see the parallels, too?

Arthur isn’t brave enough to ask.

He wipes his eyes, amazed, moved. Almost envious of that stupid made-up girl.

Yeah. This one hit different. 

He can’t help wondering, silly as it is, if this movie was based on something that really happened.

Death and Grazia, reaching across the gap.

It’s not him and John.

But then, who can say just what they are?

#malevolent #malevolent fic #malevolent pod #malevolent podcast #malevolent arthur #malevolent kayne #malevolent john

[acourtofthought]

Let’s just assume for a moment that Azriel’s book is next.

Do you think there’s a chance that we could get an Elain bonus chapter at the end of his book? What do you think it could be about?

I’m really anxious to get her POV

I'm really looking forward to her POV, I feel like she'll come across as one of the most mature characters SJM has written (along with Lucien).

However I don't think Elain is getting a bonus chapter regardless of whose book is next.

SJM has kept her a mystery for a reason. She limits the words she has her say and her words don't really tell us exactly what she's feeling. We have no idea what she feels on having stabbed the king, what she really feels after the loss of her father (obviously sad but how much has it truly impacted her?), how she feels living with Feysand and being excluded from things, how she feels about her bond. The second we get even a hint of her feeling dissatisfied is the moment we know she's leaving the NC and that's when we know who she's ending up with. So even if Elains book is next, I don't think there's any chance SJM would have included a bonus chapter for her.

Every other character takes Elain's silence and inserts what they think she feels. About Graysen, about Lucien, about how "happy" she currently is in the NC, and so on. But until we have Elain's thoughts, it's all just opinion. And I think she's having A LOT of thoughts that she keeps to herself and the second we get in her mind, some of the mystery is gone.

It's just my opinion but I think it would be more impactful to keep her a mystery until her book, to not give anything away especially if SJM wants to ride out what Elain really thinks of Lucien. She's not like Nesta who hid her feelings behind anger. I think Elain is too self aware not to acknowledge why she's pushing Lucien away, to not admit to herself that the pull to him scares her. She's doing her best to fight it but it's pretty obvious (to me) that she's not fooling herself.

Not to mention Elain is the only female who truly knows about her bond before her book and I think that sets her apart from her sisters. It's the same reason SJM didn't want to give Rhysand a POV. Because he knew about his bond with Feyre and his POV would have given too much away. I think SJM has kept Lucien and Elain's thoughts hidden from us for the same reason, why she only let us into Lucien's mind upon first meeting her, when she knew she was going to create a bunch of obstacles after that which made us question will they or won't they?

But now, a lot of those obstacles are gone. Graysen rejected her, there was a failed hook up with Az, she's tried to make herself a life in the NC but something isn't quite fitting. Lucien moved to the Human Lands for a bit, he's had a year or so to somewhat deal with the fact that Jesminda wasn't his mate. But SJM has started to draw them back together in SF with possible hints that they'll both end up in Spring, then the continent.

I realize people are using the examples of Chaol and Cassian getting a bonus scene which led to their book however there was a bonus scene from the TOG series she chose not to share until AFTER the release of a certain book because she didn't want to spoil the fact that a certain pairing were mates. It's possible she thinks Elain's thoughts will also reveal too much.

SJM gave Mor a pov in the novella (while Az didn't get one) yet it seems like Gwynriel and Elucien will get stories before her.

She gave Tharion a bonus scene after CC2 but now people are speculating Ruhn and Lidia will get the next CC book after HOFAS.

Yrene didn't need a bonus before getting her POV yet she became an extremely important character in ToD as well as KoA.

Lucien technically got a pov when Feyre slipped into his mind in ACOWAR yet people say Az's book will come before his.

So yes, there is precedence for a character getting a book after their bonus or pov though I think there's just as much showing that's not always the case.

Also, Elain may have not gotten a bonus chapter in SF however SJM chose to make her a prominent topic of discussion in BOTH the Az and Feyre bonus chapters.

I realize she's not a lot of peoples favorite but her name spends a lot of time in many characters mouths 🤣

#elucien #elain archeron

[fitzrove]

🖤or 💜 or 💛!

(Sorry for taking a bit of time to reply!! I wanted to answer all of them hehehe)

🖤 Black: Do you think about your story when you're not physically writing it? Does it help with plotting scenes, character arcs, etc.?

Yes, always... Most of my stories begin with rotating ideas in my head, so concepts and ideas, even dialogue, will usually have to exist as a starting point before I actually write anything down. And for actual plotting - I really like using outlines and outline almost everything I write, so really it is a thing where I will be thinking about a fic and then a random moment will turn into an outlining moment if I go to write new ideas down :D

💜 Purple: Name one song you're listening to while writing your next/current fanfic. How or why does it help the writing process?

Ahh... I wasn't really listening to anything while writing my most recent fic xD Actually, listening to songs with lyrics while writing can be tricky for me, I prefer to listen to music while doing the aforementioned rotating ideas in my head thing 😁 One EXTREMELY fitting todolf song though is Poison by Alice Cooper... everyone listen right now... don't want to touch you but you're under my skin (deep in) etc

💛 Yellow: Do you ever alter, highlight, or de-emphasize certain canonical traits in a character? If so, why and describe how.

Ahh, this is such an interesting thing to think about!!!!

For something like Tod/Death, every writer has to kind of come up with their own interpretation. We never get insight into what he's thinking (kkog doesn't count that's not canon...), we don't have a clear view of his motivations because of the layers and layers of lies by Lucheni (up to the viewer how many layers there are), all we know is that he's There and there is some sort of deep connection to Elisabeth and, to a lesser extent, Rudolf.

However, the more fic I write, the more I write Tod as somewhat of an extension of Rudolf's personality. The idea really is that he's whatever you want him to be, he taps into all your weaknesses and insecurities and approaches them in a way that will be the most effective on you for the purposes of You Know What. Mirrors etc,,,,, Unfortunately for the kind of Rudolf I usually write, this mostly means that tod is pretty b*sm about it AJSJDJJF. So I guess for Tod I tend to emphasize the sexuality aspect which is a side effect of the kinds of fics I write LOL.

Rudolf, on the other hand... I keep saying his canon personality is "sad, queer and rebellious", he is literally on stage for like 10 minutes and most of it is being gay s*x depressed ajsjdjdj. There's a lot of portrayals to pick from... I think one of the main things I do is try to add historical facts into the mix while keeping the canon meow meow personality. Fic Rudolf usually has noble goals but despairs his life away because the environment makes it impossible to fully pursue or reach them - IRL Rudolf was similar but also fanatically obsessed with hunting I'm told (by stephanie xD) and a raging misogynist. I guess, though, that the way I write him is influenced by the fact that when the fics take place (because of what todolf is...) we're seeing him at his most private and emotionally vulnerable.

Ooh the question also asked "why"... For Tod the "why" is that I just don't really care about the paranormal entity interpretation, I mean I tried my hand at it with my todesengel fic but even with that I tried to make it fit together with the force of nature interpretation and not "god" or "demon" or idk "Satan" etc. I don't like the god or paranormal interpretations, or stuff that leans too heavily into Tod as a "creature", because 1) it would shift the genre of what I'm trying to write - idk I try to go more for toxic historical fiction metaphysical romance or whatever and not for dark fantasy or paranormal romance, 2) it's hostile to religious beliefs, like, it precludes the existence/validity of other god-like entities in this universe and more "atheistic" belief systems like Buddhism. I don't want to base my fics on a take where, for example, the Christian tradition is in a worldbuilding sense "more true" than another religious system. I think that's lazy and lets author bias show through too much - though perhaps I have a different kind of author bias, as someone raised culturally as a member of a pretty hands-off organised religion, but with a cynical attitude towards its impacts on society XD Anyway um yeah to me Tod is usually more like gravity or temperature and not like an actual Dark Angel King Of The Underworld...

As for Rudolf - I just write him according to personal preference and the theme of whatever fic I'm working on at the moment. Part of it is my reading of historical events (heavy emphasis on the "troubled hero, huge loss of potential" line of thinking) and part of it is just what sorts of performances I like best and want to incorporate into my belief system ajajsjdj.

#tysm for asking! #oh i guess one important thing abt when i write tod is that i. neglect elisabeth herself jajsjsjdjd rippp #then again its because my fics are rudolf pov and because it's his personal s*icidal ideation hour other people don't play into it that muc #but um yeah #this was fun to answer!! >:] #asks #writing #fanfic

[carohasopinionsonbooks]

A Case for The Wave by Todd Strasser to replace Lord of the Flies by William Golding

*disclaimer - these r just my 2 cents, feel free to disagree*

Ok if you went to an American high school, chances are you were made to read Lord of the Flies by William Golding. You usually read this book as a type of cautionary tale to show how slowly and yet fast a society can devolve. One little hiccup within the people in power and the dominoes can fall towards a world of chaos and injustice, usually at a gradual yet effective pace. Now, I will say that the point the book makes is a good one and one all of us should keep in mind.

Given that, I did not like this book one bit...

For a bit of background, Golding wrote this book on the beliefs of Thomas Hobbes, those being that the lives of humans are "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short" and that without structure, humans would just descend into chaos and become, especially in the context of Lord of the Flies, carnage machines. This is something I don't personally agree with but it makes a lot of sense when you find out Golding fought in WW2. He, like many others after the war, questioned how things could go so south so fast. He happened to decide on the theory mentioned above and this way of thinking sets the tone for the whole plot of the book.

(tangent - Golding was also just a really messed up guy, seriously, look him up, he was wild....)

Brief plot overview - A group of British boys crash land on an island and are faced with the task of living alone with no adults and with no one telling them what to do on a remote island in the middle of no where. The boys at first try to deal with their situation civilly, but within a matter of weeks it all devolves into violence and chaos.

The main issue that I have with the book is that it just seems so unrealistic. Now you might be like, "Caro its exaggerated at some points bc he is trying to make a point, not all of it is gonna be realistic, its the message that's important" which is true but like holy moly is the violence just a lot sometimes. Also the fact that its all British boys just creates another detachment. As a person who identifies as female, there is a bit of disconnect there. The racist undertones in regards to indigenous peoples do not help the book's case either. The whole book comes across and looks like a raging angry dumpster fire (I mean have you seen some of the covers? Its really intense :|).

(a fun little fact: there was actually a real life Lord of the Flies example with a group of Tongan boys - here is the wiki in case you want a brief overview of the story - which ended in literally no drama so that deducts another point for believability)

Another reason why I just did not connect with this book at all was because I had read a different book that has the same message as Lord of the Flies which was 1000x times better. That book was The Wave by Tod Strasser. The Wave is a fictional account of a real experiment done by a high school teacher in California. The book starts out with a high school history teacher trying to teach WW2 to his class, specifically the part where Hitler rose to power. The students, all of them bored, complain that they have heard this so many times already and that they would 100% know, detect, and intervene if something like that were to happen again. The teacher, in response, decides to start an experiment with his students to put them to the test. What that experiment is I will not say for spoiler reasons but at first everything seems fine and then devolves oh so fast and oh so slowly. It takes place in a familiar environment (a high school) and I feel it is much more relatable and realistic than Lord of the Flies which is why I find it all the more impactful and effective. I read this book freshman year of high school and the story still sticks with me to this day. I would seriously recommend everyone go read this book if they haven’t already. Why we haven’t already replaced Lord of the Flies with The Wave within high school curriculums is beyond me and probably would have saved me a few brain cells …

#lord of the flies #books #i hate lord of the flies #assigned reading sucks #high school #lotf #the wave #william golding #Golding is a weird man

[finalfilms]

kimclear - seeing stars

warnings - none ! other than this is my first fic EVER

pairing - kimberly corman x clear rivers (final destination 2, 2003)

summary - after a double date night with their friends, kim + clear are exhausted and need each other to help wind down

as the pair stepped back into they apartment, they turned to each other and sighed.

clear began moving toward the kitchen island, placing her overstuffed leather bag on it and unloading the treasures from their date. kimberly had bought her a new pair of earrings, something she never really wore until she met the girl. the pretty earrings were blue, like her lovers eyes.

kimberly gave her girlfriend a small smile, moving to the opposite end of the counter. “that was fun, huh?”

clear made a face, which caused the other to laugh. a smile creeped its way onto the blondes face, something that she never really did until kimberly came into her life. it was something that she couldn’t help doing in her presence.

“it was nice, seeing tod and alex.” clear answered earnestly, zipping up her bag and moving to place near their coatrack. “tod probably had enough to drink, what do you think?”

kimberly rolled her eyes, plugging in the coffee machine. “oh come on, clear, his stories were funny.”

they had spent the majority of their night walking around a late festival. there were plenty of drinks to be shared among the couples, but tod seemed more vibrant than normal telling stories about alex’s childhood, mostly embarrassing.

clear had loved the festival. it was a cool summer night, cool enough so she could hold her girlfriends hand and feel a good amount of warmth from it. she and kimberly spent a good time together, walking underneath garden lights and buying each other unprompted gifts.

kimberly was now spinning on one of their counter stools, her dark hair fanning around her as she grinned.

clear turned back to kimberly, laughing as she did so. “no wonder you like tod’s stories, you act the same.”

she abruptly stopped spinning, she elected to sticking her tongue out. clear grinned.

“i’m starting some coffee.” kim said, hopping off of the stool and choosing to sit on the counter cross legged.

clear faced her girlfriend, leaning against the island. “did you really have fun today?”

kimberly nodded, smiling. “yeah, it was great! we should go back when it’s just us two, though.”

“really?” clear fought a grin. “tod and alex didn’t meet your standards?”

“no.” kimberly dragged it out, placing the heel of her palms on the counter. “they were fun! i just…i don’t know, would rather hang out with you.”

clears heart swelled at that sentence. no one had ever really told her that before, and then she met kimberly. because of this small moment of weakness, she retaliated with a: “dork.”

“says you.”

clear wore a smile as she turned around and grabbed her phone. she decided to put on some music while they waited for their coffee.

“something silly or something nice?” clear looked over her shoulder.

kimberly scrunched her nose, looking deep in thought. she held up two fingers.

clear nodded, getting the appropriate playlist. “something nice it is.” and annies song by john denver began to play.

“oh, i love this song.” kimberly mumbled, a pleasant look on her face. clear turned back to the brunette.

the coffee machine beeped loudly, causing clear to give a startled jump. kimberly giggled.

clear opened their fridge, rooting through it. “babe, we need to get the store soon.”

kimberly sighed dramatically. “it’s on my list, babe.”

pushing away a carton of eggs, clears fingers wrapped around the handle of a half-full lactaid milk jug. she might’ve referred to it as half-empty a year or two ago, but something changed. she also fished out their vanilla flavored creamer.

“two mugs, please?”

kimberly nodded and leaned forward a bit, still on the counter. she opened up the cabinet underneath her with some struggle before pulling out two different mugs, one with some mushroom patterns and the other with the moon phases.

clear mouthed a thank you as she took the mugs. she poured in the coffee about halfway, the only other sounds in the apartment being john denver and the air conditioning running.

after filling the moon-patterned one with some milk and creamer, clear handed it to her girlfriend, who had hopped off of the counter.

she took the one with just creamer, and the pair made sure to take the music with them as they exited to the fire escape.

“wait.” kimberly muttered, handing clear her coffee as she ducked back through the window.

clear furrowed her eyebrows. “what are you doing?”

the other girl remerged, holding a fuzzy black blanket in her hand.

clear smiled. “get out here.”

kimberly gave her girlfriend a lopsided grin as she tumbled out onto the fire escape. together, they sat on the steps, hand in hand.

kimberly rested her head on clears shoulder, taking a deep breath. “i did have fun today. thank you for taking me.”

“are you kidding?” clear wrapped an arm over kimberly’s shoulder. “i’d take you anywhere.”

kimberly turned her head to clear, smiling. her eyes wide. “i love you.”

“i love you too.” clear pressed a kiss to her girlfriends forehead, squeezing her underneath the blanket.

the pair spent their night sipping their coffee, talking in low voices, and pointing out the stars in the night sky.

clear never really cared for stars. they were just…things to her. but then she met kimberly, and it was like her own personal sun had fallen into her lap.

the stars were beautiful, sure. but nowhere near as beautiful as kimberly corman.

-

AAAA MY FIRST FANFIC ON THIS WEBSITE !! lmk what y’all think i wrote this half-asleep and half-at a social gathering. i just love kimclear so much and i miss them so. also annie’s song is so amazing and i need to add it to my kimclear playlist. much love <3

#final destination #final destination franchise #kimclear #kimberly corman #clear rivers #gay people #val writes <3 #domestic kimclear my beloved #fd #final destination 2 #ali larter #aj cook #final destigaytion #my babies