#their books are like. inherently not my kind of thing usually? but i can't help but 5 star them bc it's just. good

[aroaessidhe]

2022 reads // twitter thread  

Self-Made Boys

Latine YA great gatsby retelling

gay trans Nick & Gatsby & lesbian Daisy

idk what else to say about the premise but it's real good

#Self-Made Boys #anna-marie mclemore #mx mclemore you have done it again #their books are like. inherently not my kind of thing usually? but i can't help but 5 star them bc it's just. good

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck by Kylie Scott

4.25/5. Releases 2/6/2024.

Vibes: fated mates but make it contemporary, bucket lists, royal romance with a twist, and "what are friends for?" *eyebrows*

Heat Index: 7/10

After saving the life of a random psychic, Lilah is offered several predictions: 1) her boyfriend is indeed cheating 2) she'll get passed over for that promotion 3) the winning lotto numbers 4) she'll meet her soulmate, Alistair George 5) she's going to die in eight days. After she finds out her boyfriend is indeed cheating, loses out on her promotion, meets the King's illegitimate son Alistair George (among other names, because aristo), and wins the lottery... She's getting worried. Fortunately, though he thinks it's bullshit, Alistair is ready to help her cross items off her bucket list. But as sparks fly between perky Lilah and surly Alistair, she has to wonder: has she met her one true love just when her time is running out?

I love Kylie Scott; she's easily one of my favorite contemporary romance authors--her books never fail to make me laugh, while offering some swoonworthy moments, great voice, and... hot sex scenes. Her recent pivot to books with a touch of magic has added an extra bit of whimsy to her romances, and I like it a lot. This book would make a great movie or miniseries, to be honest. It's fun, adventurous, and has that tension hanging overhead. (Though, obviously, there's an HEA.) The kind of romcom I can get behind!

Quick Takes:

--The thing is... the magic in these Kylie books never takes away from the fact that she's writing a strong contemporary romance. It's more of a plot device that gets the ball rolling than a plot dominator. Here, I'd say the setup comes into play a bit more than it did in End of Story (which I also enjoyed) but it would, wouldn't it? And ultimately, we are really reading about Lilah learning how to live life to the fullest and fall in true, deep love. I'm always good with that.

--I think the recent Windsor-related events have obviously spurred more authors on to write about rebellious royals in love, and I'm never mad at that. However, I really loved the twist Kylie put into it with Alistair's backstory. Like, everyone in the world knows he's the king's firstborn. He's globally famous (and we certainly see the fallout of that when he's spotted out and about with Lilah). But his father has never acknowledged him.

Not only does that add some great emotional tension to the story--it also makes Alistair seem like a lot less of an inherent dick, and I totally read it as Kylie capturing the prince mystique while also being like "let us be real, this is a Kylie Scott hero, he is not getting a manicure, he's gruff and snarky and ready to carry a wacky girl around and put. it. DOWN." A great compromise. Yes, he's still massively privileged, but he's also like... a royal pariah. And Scottish! And he DOES say "och", praise Jesus.

--Great supporting characters, as per usual for Kylie. Alistair basically has this floaty, whimsical mother (in a lot of ways, she read to me like a Princess Diana type if she was in the role of Camilla and cared more about the glam and jetsetting than... activism, but with a kind of very loving, well-intentioned, a bit unconventional mothering). And his mom's gardener/handy-man/Longtime Friend with Tension Dougal is great, too.

Often, supporting characters in contemporaries feel like they're just there to go "you go, girl!" Kylie is too good a writer to settle for that. I loved Lady Helena and Dougal, and I loved that sort of off-the-page heavily implied secondary romance going on.

--Now. Alistair and Lilah. YES. It is a grumpy/sunshine deal, though, per Kylie, Lilah is a bit on the snarky side of sunshiney. He's not even up for being friends with her at first, and he's definitely not on board with this soulmate thing. But you can tell he just can't get this woman out of his mind, and he keeps coming back for more, and then, slowly but surely, HE'S the one wilding out and being like "THIS ONE. I WANT THIS ONE".

I really liked the way that Alistair gradually went from "this prophecy shit is so stupid Lilah" to "I don't want to believe it but what if I lose this woman" anxiety. It touched my heart.

--Just as a sidebar, love how Kylie writes curvy heroines. There's mention of Lilah's body, but like. It's just her body. She mentions cellulite and insecurities, but they never seem like mind-dominating insecurities. And uh. Alistair is ABOUT IT.

The Sex:

Speaking of! Um! I love the sex scenes in Kylie's books as a rule, especially when it's this like, borderline utilitarian "help a girl out" vibe which everyone inevitably gets SUPER into, escalating into intense passion. One of the things on Lilah's bucket list is to have truly great sex, and at some point Alistair, her new good buddy, naturally goes "fine, I can get that done for you".

And. Boy. Does. He. As usual with her books, there's an amazing description of cunnilingus (with a liiiiittle bit of butt stuff), some hot groping in a semi-public setting, an elevator scene that will live in my mind for a long time, and some great "are you okay with doing this very intimate thing we didn't plan on doing but oh my god we're so wrapped up in each other we just gotta". Alistair is a deliverer of the praise kink.

But perhaps! More! Excitingly! ... Alistair is into delivering some light choking? I, ah. Did not expect that. I don't think Lilah did either. And it's SUPER hot. I did some bookmarking. I did some "oh my"-ing. It was great.

This book is such a whimsical, fun, palate cleaner with a good mix of adventure, romance, family drama, and bangin'. If you've never tried a Kylie book, I would definitely recommend this. And if you're a fan of hers already, you're gonna love it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Graydon House for providing me with acopy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Preorder:

Amazon

B&N

Bookshop.org

#romance novel blogging #arc reviews #netgalley #book recs #books #book reviews

[briefcasejuice]

my favourite part about marty mcfly's character is that for a character in an 80s movie, i can't figure him out at all. like i get he's supposed to be relatable for the average usamerican at the time hence why he's not a part of a specific cliché nor does he have a ton of friends who are of a particular archetype; he's specifically created so that people are able to project onto him. like not to say that micheal j. fox isn't attractive but there's a reason eric stoltz was switched out for him and it was most definitely because eric has the typical, attractive popular, artsy, very boyfriend-ish guy look that was wanted for mainly romance movies, which isn't what the average usamerican is nor did his look target the kind of fanbase zemeckis probably wanted (which was a set of nerdy teens/adults). but yeah my point is that despite the very obvious parts about the way marty was written and why he was written that way there are still some very unique and, in my own head, intriguing parts about his character.

like for example, for a kid that's perpetually confused about science and everything to do with it, how the hell did he become friends with the doc? honestly there aren't any straight forward canon hints to this but i like to think that it's because he had a ton of cool stuff at his house and let marty, a teen with (previously) disconnected yet strict and lower income parents, mess around with them without consequence—hence, the opening scene with him turning that huge speaker all the way up and blowing it out with his guitar (which he didn't have when he got to the house so does he leave his guitar at the doc's house because of this? wait, did he become friends with the doc because his house was a place for him to practice playing the guitar?) and trashing the previously already messy living room.

another thing about his character is definitely related to the fact that he's supposed to be project-able (is that a word) but i find it intriguing that he's a pretty nuanced character for a popular 80s movie. he's not one thing that exists to be moved along in the narrative, marty is often the thing that pushes the narrative along because he's consistently multifaceted which is a nice change of pace from the usual stereotyped/caricatured teenager for characters in his age group and typical for similar target audiences; he's cool and confident but he's also awkward and his voice cracks and he's always out of breath and sweaty because he always has some place to be, has something to do and some situation to get out of. he's extremely expressive and even when he's not supposed to he can't help but gesture or verbalise his emotions. he's authoritative and even sometimes a little bossy and dismissive but not of his own fault (always has someplace to be yada yada). he's also selfless and determined and displays character traits indicating that he's definitely in the same 'inherently good' archetype as someone from a superhero movie or something but he's also human and buys that almanac first because he's a nerd and thinks it's something about being in the future that's genuinely cool and then he realises (through external intervention (someone pointed it out)), 'holy shit i can genuinely make money off of this' but then his much older friend steps in and turns into a parent for a split second to reprimand him about buying that almanac which he then backs off from (not entirely, because he is pretty salty about biff stealing his idea to get rich off that book), eventually learning, through experience, how absolutely awfully his actions have backfired which is something else that happens pretty often in the trilogy—marty messes up but he isn't immune to consequences with plot armour, the plot armour comes in other ways like their plans working out perfectly or things working out after the fact, the movies often revolve around a plot set in motion as a consequence to an action of his and he consistently shows real growth (so i guess they could also double as coming of age if you really wanted them to or if you can genuinely really stretch it that far).

also speaking of which doc brown and marty's dynamic is interesting; it's very sibling-like. while they can banter and converse like friends, there is very obviously a difference in their lives and the way they experience it but that's what they live and understand about each other. their differences aren't hated or resented by either of them either, if anything it brings them closer. there's a post about how doc emmett bends his knees so that he's at marty's height whenever he's talking to him and i thought it was very interesting because i agree with op: at no point in any of the six (6!) hours of content is it condescending; the doc understands the difference in the way they think and is more than happy to breach that chasm of difference so that marty can understand, or begin to understand. i also think it's interesting that the doc stepping up and becoming a voice of reason for marty goes the other way as well, marty's naïvity and teenage skepticism about trying new things also briefly becomes the doc's voice or reason or at least a reminder for his own principles at several points in the film. the doc keeps the note marty made for him all those years ago despite his own belief of how one should handle future events about oneself because he trusted marty's insistence that the information he needed to know was just that important.

going back to my point about marty showing real growth by the end of the films; it's kind of really obvious that the last two movies are more cohesive than if they were to be grouped with the first and one of my favourite pieces of character consistency is the concept of marty and his tendency to be manipulated into conflict by means of name calling. i find this one to be especially fascinating because this concept isn't even introduced with marty, it's introduced by onlooking characters (conversation between his family members and is found out by jennifer) while it's simultaneously being demonstrated with marty in café 80s. it's never brought up by other characters either and there isn't any explicit intervention by them in the sense that they bring it to his attention and they stop him, marty recognises the danger of it himself—it's not explicit that he recognises that his impulsivity is directly related to said name calling ('chicken' lol) but he does learn to access the situation and think before he acts. this can sound pretty basic on it's own but i genuinely really do enjoy how it's executed—which can be said for most concepts relating to marty's character which i think is what makes him great. he also happens to be super cute:

td;rl — marty mcfly is the most character ever. the character that became, that started, the cliché.

#'i can't figure him out at all' *continues to talk about how much ive figured him out* #marty mcfly #back to the future #musing more like shmusing #long post

[canongf-archive]

Hello Liv I hope you're having a weekend as beautiful as you!

I'm sorry if you've answered something similar before, but do you have any advice on how to deal with when you're missing your f/o? You know that feeling when you're sad that they're not here. When you're craving to hold them but you can't. How do you soothe this feeling?

💗 hi hi hi anon!!!!! 💗

you have nothing to apologize for!!! i'm grateful you trust me enough to ask!!!!!

it's a really hard place to be in!!! self shipping can be so wonderful and so healing but when all you want to do is hold them and you know you can't, sometimes it can ache. and it's hard. but i have a few things that help soothe me and i hope they soothe you too!!! 💗

clothes!!! this is one of my favorite ways to feel close to an F/O!!! finding a shirt or a jacket or an accessory that reminds you of your F/O or that looks like something your F/O wears... it's so nice because you get to actually hold it!!! feel it against your skin!!! you can wear it or you can just keep it close!!!

scents!!! they said that scent is one of the most powerful memory triggers, so i try to use this to my advantage!!! i try to find a scent that reminds me of my F/O, whether that's in a cologne or perfume, a body spray, a soap, a candle, an essential oil... whatever. but i try to make it specific to them. and i try to make a connection to them with it in my head, so that every time i smell it i think of them!!! and if you don't know where to start, you can try this website that i really like!!! they have a bunch of really specific notes, and it can sometimes be easier to narrow it down that way instead of browsing through online descriptions of colognes or perfumes and trying to imagine what they're like!!!

asmr!!! there are sooo many videos and audios out there for 'hanging out with character' or 'falling asleep next to character' and they've been a godsend for me. some of them have soft breathing noises, background noises like rain or a tv at a low volume, or music!!! and even if your F/O isn't very well known, you can usually find some generic videos or audios that are similar and you can pretend!!!

and when i really need the extra comfort, i put them all together. i'll put on one of my F/O's shirts, i'll spray it with their cologne, and i'll turn on some asmr. i'll even curl up next to a pillow and pretend that i'm curling up against their side and laying my head on their chest. and sometimes i'll talk to them. i know they're not real, i know i'm talking to myself, but even that's comforting. i tell them i love them and i miss them. i'll tell them about my day. just whatever comes to mind. just to get the thoughts out.

and there are other things too!!! i read x readers, i write self insert fics, i get myself an art commission of the two of us together, i make playlists for them and i play them on repeat, i make pinterest boards for them and our ship, i'll paint my nails a color that reminds me of them, i'll pick out an outfit to wear that reminds me of them, i'll rewatch their source material, i'll watch a movie or show i think they'd like, i'll read a book i think they'd like, i talk to my friends about them... just whatever feels right. there are a lot of ways to keep them close, sometimes you just gotta try a bunch of them and see what you like best!!!

and at the end of the day!!! i give myself grace. it's okay to feel bummed sometimes. we gotta look after ourselves and make sure that self shipping isn't doing more harm than good, but it's not inherently bad just to find yourself a little down sometimes. it's not bad to miss them. be kind to yourself, give yourself a hug, and remind yourself just how loved you are.

good luck, anon!!! i wish you the best!!! i am sending you all my love and i hope you have a beautiful weekend!!! thank you so much for your kindness!!!!! 💗

#advice.ask #anon #long post #self ship #self shipping

[littleoddwriter]

Is it ok if we asked you to talk more about your Evil! Ron Au? What is it about?

Hi there! Yesss, that's more than okay, thanks for asking!!! <3 So, I've been working on this AU for around six whole years, now. I've written like the very first few parts of the first chapter; but alas, I don't have time or energy to continue (it's been at this stage for exactly a year, rip). But hopefully some of these days I'll learn to take my time and spend it on my own stories. I have many stories I want to write, but I always prioritise requests. Anyway! Hope you enjoy this little insight, thank you for your interest. :')

Okay, so:

Firstly, I always take some things from canon and either explore them or put my own twist on them. For example, the mention of that kid Ron beat up with his slingshot when he was a child is a behaviour I explore, take my own twist on and use it to explain some things (and start out the story).

Secondly, I also stray from canon, of course. It's an AU after all; but just a heads up! Because it mostly has to do with characterisation. Especially because this is a very character-driven story. It’s all from Ron’s perspective and the reader basically follows him around since he was little up to the end of the story. (Also, in this AU Ron is gay.)

Now, Ron is a genius kid, you know, just like we’ve seen he possibly is according to Bad Boy, and he doesn't necessarily have good intentions with that level of smartness/tech know-how, either (because he loves comic book villains and wants to be like them, not because he's inherently evil).

He still meets Kim in Pre-K and befriends her, which is what causes him to change his behaviour and act. He acts like he's a dumb kid that is more of a silly goody-two-shoes, rather than what he's truly like after finding out that he would lose everyone he loves if he doesn't change (in the sense that Kim would stop being his friend and even his parents seem to be scared of him).

At ten years old, Ron meets Dr Drakken and Shego for the first time. They kind of babysit him for a bit because Drakken can't let a kid roam around at a dangerous place all by himself. But finding that Ron has incredible potential, Drakken offers him a place for an internship when he's old enough to work (legally) if he's still interested then.

Fast forward to when Kim goes from regular teenage stuff to saving the world from literal villains. Ron tags along because he doesn't want to leave Kim alone with dangerous people, not because he really wants to stop them or anything, but he sees it as an opportunity to learn how these villains do their things in real life.

He usually amps up his performance of a silly buffoon then, unless he's alone or Kim is in danger. That's when he lets the "true Ron" come out and handle things expertly. It’s a double-life for him. He's so scared of losing Kim and others that he hides himself behind a persona he's created that he knew would be able to always be Kim's friend and who his parents wouldn't be scared of, etc. But at the same time, he lives out his fantasies/desires in private and builds little devices when he's home alone, and so forth, dreaming of that internship at Dr Drakken's.

During his internship, which happens soon enough, Ron is the one building all the machines Drakken uses to try and rule the world, then. At first it's with Drakken's help, of course, but at some point he only gives Ron the blueprints and lets him do what he sees fit with those, sometimes that even means improving the machines.

Now, Ron's life becomes a lot more difficult to handle, though. He has to make it through school (which isn't hard with his genius and his determination to pass just so to not let Kim know what he can actually do); he has his internship to deal with; and then he also has to save the world, from the devices he built, with Kim.

The Attitudinator episode happens (a little differently, but it happens mostly the way it was), only that in the end, Ron is turned back to himself, yes, but he stops making such an effort to hide himself. Kim not only underestimates him, but she doesn't see him. And yes, that is because he didn't let her, but in his twisted view it's because Kim doesn't want it.

He becomes angry and confused and doesn't know what he wants because with Drakken and Shego he's found people, a family, who like him just the way he is and appreciate him for that. So, in a way, he doesn't rely on Kim so much anymore. Especially when Felix comes along, and he's also friends with Larry. They, too, like him the way he truly is (he decided not to hide from them after a while). [He also finds out he's gay around that time which throws him off his game a lot, because duh.]

I'm still figuring out how I want it to really go from there and how I want it to end. The movie (So the Drama) will play a part as well, just differently. And then after... hm. Like, do Kim and Ron stay friends even after she finds out that he's been working for Drakken this entire time and won’t stop? Do they have a huge fight (physical and verbal)? Does it end on a hopeful note or a happier one? Or is it a neutral ending? Lots of angst that's coming, after all. All I know is that Felix and Ron are going to be endgame, heh.

I tried to keep it short, fkhdsffkdl, and as plotless as possible, but there ya go. Six years of work and I still haven't found a suitable ending (I have had several, but I'm not happy with any of them)...

For anyone interested, here's some of the art I made last year (links to the artworks I posted - gonna re-draw the first three):

Ron getting ready for prom (w/ Dr D) Ron in his new outfit (so far, I may change it upon re-drawing it) Ron in his work fit Bonus: Ron and Felix being cute (not necessarily from the AU, but who knows!)

#sorry for talking so much but hfjkhsdkgdsk this is very exciting! never had such asks sent in before and hfjskhhl <3 <3 <3 #i hope what i said made sense lol #anyway cue my paranoia that someone is gonna steal this idea even tho i know no one would but that's why i usually don't do this #ron stoppable #kim possible au #ronny.exe

[blorbosexterminator]

7. 14. and 15. fic ask questions, if you haven't already answered, please! and even though i haven't read all your fics, especially enjoyed some of the latest ones like who in the sunshine the body swap fic and cul se sac so i definitely think your writing improved (it was already good to start with!)

Hi, anon! Thanks for passing by and sending a fic ask. And really glad to hear so, thank you so much!

Deep Fic Asks

7. how does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you?

While I personally don't put all value of writing into feedback, not receiving any can definitely be discouraging. Writing is an inherently solitary activity. You already spend a lot of time by yourself researching, writing, editing, etc. Not receiving any feedback makes it even more solitary in a way. It's not as much 'oh, no one likes what I wrote, woe woe is me.' as much as it's 'well, it's just me then.' The pleasure of fandom is essentially a shared excitement, on the first and foremost layer over the original material, and fanfiction is essentially an engagement with this material, whatever the nature of the particular fic is. So that's why, while I truly appreciate any comment or kind words or even just a string of emojis, the point of feedback to me isn't just an assurance that someone out there liked what I did or about the praise, as much as it's about feeling that I'm not alone in my engagement. Knowing that someone IS sharing it with you is obviously something that is very encouraging and while my entire motivation to write isn't perched on receiving feedback or not, I can't say receiving it doesn't help.

14. Do you compare yourself to other writers? In a positive or negative way?

Not usually, no. I mean, of course every now and then I have the moment while reading one book or the other where I go 'Fuck, I can never pull that one off.' But usually no, I don't. If I really admire one author or the other, I usually just consider their books a good source to learn whatever aspect I believe they do better than most.

15. How do you think your writing as improved over time?

That's an interesting question hmm, how. It's not very easy to tell. I think it improved on most fronts. Early on, my writing was either way too descriptive or not at all near descriptive enough and it took me some time to reach the balance I wanted. And that's something I can say on a lot of aspects, subtlety was often done so extremely that sometimes when I read my own work now I go ???? What was that sentence supposed to mean ???. I think I also got better at formating/structuring stories in a way that I think bring out the content and themes of the stories best. But generally, most of the things that are done repetitively had a natural improvement; prose, emotion, character portrayal, distinct character voices, etc. There's still a long way to go, though, and as I try out more different genres, etc, I find there is still a lot I don't know how to do and stumble with. Which is exciting and new!

#very glad you enjoyed those stories anon #and thank you for the reassurance and kind words! #thanks for passing by. and I hope you enjoy the coming stories as well!

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

first of all i want to say i absolutely love i'm looking thorugh you and i'm excited for the next chapter. now on an unrelated note i want to ask have you seen sarah z's new video on fanfiction? if you have, what do you think?

Hi anon, thank you so much!!! My exams are starting in 10 days and in 5 days I'll be seeing my sister for the first time in one and a half years, so I'm gonna really try to find space to finish up Chapter 8 very soon (perhaps today [not including editing time, but everything currently written has been gone through once already]) so that I can justifiably step away from it again to focus on my exams and spending time with her, before returning to it. (which probably won't be before September)

I hadn't seen it and haven't watched any of her videos in a while, but I did upon seeing this ask. (I find her long-winded and generally she doesn't say much I haven't thought of myself; watched it on double speed lmao)

I agree with her on most points, I think. Fanfic is clearly art, I think that's honestly a stupid thing to even debate about. Also, it's first and foremost a medium with intrinsic qualities that can be either used to the story's advantage or disadvantage.

While there's value in original fiction having to rise up to the challenge of building characters and setting from scratch, a narrative meant to be understood with foreknowledge of "canon" can actually inherently tell a different type of story. Like, it's kind of one of the points I'm trying to make with I'm Looking Through You; demonstrating how the story both parallels and diverges from what actually happened, which would be difficult to do in a satisfying and engaging way if I had to establish the first "timeline" within the story as well, if that makes sense.

That being said, I think Beatles RPF (the kind that doesn't take place in AUs) is sort of interesting in that respect: if you're writing fic for a book series or a movie franchise or what have you, in most cases you can expect the reader to have come across the entire canon (say with the exception of monster franchises like Discworld or the Star Wars EU). But in the case of a story based on a real history, which draws from many books and accounts as well as pictures and film, it's kind of difficult for me as an author to suss out what I can reasonably expect my readers to be aware of. Usually, when I tie in some recollection of a real event (example off the top of my head: I mention Paul getting Dot Rhone pregnant in chapter 3) I try to formulate it in a way that if someone wasn't previously privy to that particular fact it would still be understandable to the extent it's relevant to the story. The only thing I in general assume to be known is their discography. So in a way, the concept of fanfic not requiring any skills in establishing anything isn't quite accurate. I'm also kind of a big show don't tell truther, so I kind of think if you follow that principle perfectly (not saying I do btw, it's pretty difficult) with your characters, you're more or less doing the same thing whether the characters are known to the audience already or not.

I think the main thing about fanfic and the perceived poor quality of it is due to, as mentioned in the video, there being zero barriers of entry but also to the fact that constructive criticism is just not really welcome on fanfic sharing platforms. For better or for worse, in 90% of the cases, people are only gonna comment on a fic to praise it. I think that's fine in the sense that most people aren't aspiring professional writers, but it doesn't make for the best environment to improve and grow as a writer more than simply practicing the art would help anyways. If you're lucky, someone will specify the reasons they enjoy the story, but just like we can't expect everyone to write perfectly, we can even less expect all readers to spend half an hour writing a carefully worded review. I kind of wish there was a setting on ao3 where you could mark a fic as "open to criticism", so people who are just writing for themselves can just keep doing their thing unbothered, but people interested in honing their craft could get more nuanced feedback than "OHHHH MY GOOOOOD I LOVE THIS".

The kind of funny thing for me is that all original fiction I've written or attempted to write up until now was very much based around my own personal experiences, so writing from the perspective of men in the 60s who had insanely different lives from mine actually really forced me out of my comfort zone in a way? And the work I put into the historical research is considerable, so I just think that really doesn't match up with what fanfic-haters imagine the genre to be?

Of course, a bunch of stories do match up with antis' expectations of it, but alas that's not fanfiction as a medium's fault and there's nothing inherently wrong with stories written with their main purpose being escapism. I mostly think people should be aware that that's what they're consuming and if that's the only thing they consume, they might be missing out on more challenging ideas.

#I think that's most of my thoughts? #if I missed anything major Sarah brought up you'd like to hear my thoughts on please tell me :) #ask #anon #fic #fiona.docx

[lacupend]

Since I intend to spend my time here reviewing books like I have any kind of authority, I might as well lay down my mentality towards such things at the start so people know where I'm coming from.

Like many, I tend to grade media on a five point scale. It's worth saying that any scale is inherently limiting, but I think the five point scale is the most useful when used correctly. My personal framework is as follow:

5 Stars: An absolutely amazing book. I think everyone should read this book, regardless of their usual genres and tastes. I can find few, if any faults. THIS GRADE IS VERY RARE! I will die on this hill. I don't trust people who give out five stars like it's candy.

4 Stars: A very good book. At the top of its genre and a great introduction to said genre if anyone has been historically hesitant to try it. There are faults, but no flaw is outstanding and its other strengths outweigh its issues.

3 Stars: I would say MOST BOOKS are 3 stars. Perfectly fine. Average. Neither improves the world nor makes it worse. If you like the genre, this is a fine use of your time and you'll probably even enjoy it. If you don't like the genre, don't bother.

2 Stars: Books at this grade range from kinda bad to sorta okay. There are significant flaws at this point and it might be getting problematic, politically speaking. Only read if you're super into the genre and/or this book is somehow cartoonishly catered to your interests.

1 Star: Bad. There's basically nothing to recommend this book. No one should read it and I can't believe I finished it.

I don't believe in half stars (that's just a ten point scale, which I like less), and I don't really believe in objectivity either. When I review books, I review them for me. Hopefully this is also helpful to you! Or at very least it's entertaining.

#I don't expect this to get notes #I'm just putting it down in writing for reference #booklr #bookblr #book reviews #book recommendations #book recs

[kenobihater]

(I hope u dont mind me sending this as an ask i was gon do a reply but it ended up being long ;o;) idk if this classifies as romanticization but i love stories or hcs where witcher mutations are a bit more otherifying than we see in canon - such as changes in blood color/viscosity, maybe muscles that are anatomically different than nonmutated humans/elves, and the fangs like you said - the closer they hit Uncanny Valley the better. mainly because i think that its a little cheap that witchers look exactly like a normal human/elf (besides the eyes, depending on the canon, since i think in the books they keep their normal coloring - geral's eyes are described as "dark" often enough for that at least). visualizing the trauma inherent to witcherhood and making the metaphorical stripping of humanity/personhood manifest physically just Hits Harder, yanno?

and also i absolutely adore stories/settings/hc that actually acknowledge the witchers' enhanced senses and apply them realistically. cause like, we don't really know how far their hearing stretches, for example (at least i can't recall any specific details) but I think it's mentioned that witchers can hear heartbeats well enough. so they could easily be overwhelmed by sound even in a room so still and quiet that a normal person could hear a pin drop, simply because living beings are within that room - how difficult it must be for them to sleep in human settlements or share barracks freshly after the trial of the grasses when nobody speaks yet everyone is defeaned by their hearts and lungs and blood thundering in their eats. and hell, stomachs make lots of sounds that we can't usually hear - the witcher probably have a front row seat to all the fucked up noises all bodies make.

i dunno why i sent all that besides wanting to start a discussion to hear your opinions on it so i am a) sorry for bursting into your ask box like that and also b),,,,could you,,,,Rant About Things?? like both the whole discussion that prompted this and also whatever thoughts you have about witchers bc i love that (once again i am sorry)

i love getting asks, don't apologize! this is gonna be a disjointed and rambly response, so heads up for that lol! firstly, yeah, idk if that counts as romanticization, but i love the trope of a more heightened otherness too, and that's the kind of romanticization (if you wanna call it that) that i enjoy! anything that really makes them not quite human really helps to, as you said, stress the changes both mental and physical they go through during the trials.

secondly, yeah, acknowledgement of enhanced senses is totally my jam. i struggle to remember to do this in fics sometimes, but i've been getting better about it because it's just such a cool concept, yanno? balancing the right amount of enhanced senses in writing kind of reminds me how in my star wars fics i had to learn to acknowledge the force as a baseline sense for my force-sensitive characters. it's there, but you don't want to draw undue attention to it that would distract from the story. you want to use it to enhance, not hinder your plot, but it is important to recognize when it could actually be a detriment to the story you're telling and allude to that in the text (like, for example, in one of my upcoming fics i have someone lie to lambert and he mentally acknowledges it's a lie bc he can hear her heartbeat, but doesn't call her out on it for a reason. if i didn't acknowledge his superhearing now with the lie but bring it up later, it could ring false to the reader).

also, in the same vein of enhanced senses those are all wonderful points! sensory overload is something i occasionally experience and it is a cruel bitch, so having that due to enhanced senses all the time, and you're unable to turn it off and just have to learn to live with it and tune things out? oh, it's so good!

thank you for sending the ask, and also you're offering me free rein to rant? thank you! currently, the only thing i feel i could rant about is how psychosis is treated in the fandom by non-psychotics, particularly in regards to cat witchers.

you can't just decide to go the route of writing them as psychotics and then just go "oh yeah, this character is psychotic :)" and NOT elaborate properly! that's literally like saying "oh yeah, this character has Symptoms of a Disease" and not fucking telling us what disease they have! because at the end of the day, that's exactly what psychosis is - a symptom for several different diseases! usually, the only elaboration fic writers do is going "ooooh, they have psychosis so they are Evil and Violent now" which, i cannot overstate this enough, is the single worst misconception about psychotic people i know of, one that has real life repercussions for psychotic people and has caused untold pain and suffering. putting this dangerous misinformation into your fics because you want to write a character as Edgy and Morally Bankrupt and blame it on the psychosis is fucking disgusting, and if anyone reading this does this you owe me and every other psychotic person in the fandom $50.

also, i don't like the take that mutagens can cause people to be psychotic. to my knowledge, drug-induced psychosis is possible, but isn't permanent, meaning even if the cat mutagens caused acute psychosis in the people receiving them, it wouldn't last more than maybe a few months, and while it could trigger an underlying, latent mental disorder, it could not create one. there's no such thing as injecting someone with fantasy steroids and accidentally giving them bipolar disorder (because it's always bipolar, when the writers do deign to name it). brain damage is another thing entirely and can cause personality changes, but i don't know nearly enough about it to talk about it with confidence.

bottom line, if you're non-psychotic and wanna write psychotic cat witchers, do your research, don't imply the mutagens did it, don't act like their psychosis is linked with their violent tendencies, and really think about why you want to write the characters that are almost entirely referred to as evil and morally bankrupt (except for lambert about aiden) as psychotic. psychotic people can write whatever they want, hell, i'm writing aiden as bipolar, but the difference is i'm doing it to see myself in the character and i'm also not implying he's unhinged and violent. i don't speak for all psychotic people, but those are just my two cents on something in the witcher fandom that REALLY irks me, and i think i'm gonna write up an actual proper post on it. thank you for letting me rant, i really needed this because i'm Fed Up lmao!

#len answers #non-psychotics don't clown on this post or i will simply block you. this includes mentally ill but not psychotic ppl! don't speak over me! #long post #len's meta

[linearao3]

Hi Linear LA, ask game time! 3. incorporating romance, 4. plot bunny, 8. relationship w/constructive criticism, 19. writers who've influenced you, 25. revision process, 45. 3 fave fanfic writers, 80. lit elements. Thank you in advance <333

Thank you for playing the ask game; I appreciate it! I'm sorry if these answers are unhelpful or cantankerous-sounding -- I really do appreciate the asks!

#3 - On a scale from 1-10 how much do you enjoy incorporating romance into the average story?

Hmmm. I mean, in stories which have romance, I tend to regard the romance as fairly integral, and plot it out as part of the story, since it governs motivation, which is a chief driver of plot. If the question is, do I like writing stories of which romance is a part, the answer is hell yes, 9/10 at minimum.

#4 - What's the plot bunny you've been carrying longest? Do you wonder why you haven't written it yet?

I don't think I have any plot bunnies I haven't written, but I have lots I haven't finished. The ones I feel greatest existential dread over are original works, but the fanfic one I haven't got complete enough to publish is an omegaverse Reylo fic where they're both betas but they're trying to pass themselves off as an alpha and an omega for career reasons. I like this partly for the opportunities to torture them with the false assumption that they will disappoint the other if the truth comes out, and partly for the chance to deal with the way omegaverse fic often engages with the idea of betas as inherently dull or lesser.

#8 - What's your relationship with constructive criticism?

There are people from whom I will accept it and people from whom I won't. If someone is a stranger to me, or if their work or taste doesn't display interest in the kind of things I'm trying to work with (e.g., if they write or endorse exclusively three-act living room dramas while I'm doing contrapuntal hyper-anachronistic drama or whatever the fucking trip I'm on this year), I'm generally not going to be super-interested in their criticism of my work. I have a dramaturg that I work with as a playwright, and I trust that she knows me and gets what I'm going for and will tell me frankly if I'm not doing what I'm trying to do, or doing it badly. In fanfic I work with Bombastique a lot; frequently she is too nice to me but usually I feel I can rely on her to tell me if something is seriously wrong or if my intentions aren't coming through. There are lots of other people I can and will accept it from, though I don't always agree. It's a complicated question, but it comes down to trust, I think.

#19 - What are some books or authors that have influenced your style the most?

Oof, pal, I don't know. I typed up a long list of authors I love and then deleted it, because all I could imagine was someone staring incredulously at my prose and being like... "you want to blame them for this?"

#25 - What's your revision or rewriting process like?

Hack and debug? It varies a lot, honestly. I am lazy, so I often bring a lot over from previous drafts.

#45 - 3 favorite fanfic writers

Destinies, englishable, and Yahtzee (Ao3 account tragically deleted!), but many others besides! Yours_Truly_Commander_Shepard, Whitherward, lucymonster, slipgoingunder, SaintHeretical, TourmalineGreen, whose reylo fic may someday come back from the wars...

#80 - Do you try to put themes, motifs, messages, morals, etc. in your writing? If so, how do you go about it?

Oof. Yes. I mean, to a certain degree I don't so much "go about it" as "fail to stop myself." I have some obsessions, and they show up, a lot, because I can't help it. If you've read my stuff you may recognize cross-cultural and multilingual communication and miscommunication, environmental disaster, intergenerational harm, and the question of how crimes can ever be paid for as shit I simply. Cannot. Let. Go. Of.

#asks #anonymous

[theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin]

First, I just want to say that I love reading your rants/head cannons/opinions. I find them VERY entertaining and true. Now, I read your opinions on James, Sirius, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I want to know what you think of Draco and Neville. I honestly think that Draco is an asshole, but I want to know exactly what you think. P.S. Can't wait for the next chapter of "When Harry Met Tom"

Well, at the very least, I’m glad I’m entertaining.

Now for Draco and Neville, interesting choices actually, I don’t usually spend much thought on those two. Never the less, let’s dive in and see what we find.

Draco Malfoy

There’s a lot of varying opinion on Draco Malfoy. In my long tenure of stalking the internet, fanfiction, and even more fanfiction I’ve found that in many cases he ceases to actually be a character but instead becomes this unholy agglomeration of tropes people like.

Seriously, Draco Malfoy isn’t even a person anymore. He’s leather pants.

What’s interesting to me is that it’s not even always the same tropes. Well, you tend to see the same ones bandied about, but it’s not even like characters like Tom Riddle or Hermione Granger where I can usually narrow it down to a few very precise characterizations you see everywhere. Draco’s all over the place.

You have bad boy Draco who’s varying levels of actually being bad boy so that we can use him instead of a young Tom Riddle. This is generally in stories where an author wants an antihero or else villain love interest, they like the Draco or bad boy aesthetic, but Tom Riddle is too spicy for Yog Sothoth. So Draco reminds us he’s evil a lot, he usually betrays our main love interest in a dramatic yet inevitable moment, but he’s not the purest of evil. He leaves the puppy beside the well and watches as Tom drowns it for him. Despite this the story will often pretend that Draco’s the most evil of evil to raise the stakes.

You have non-problematic Draco who suddenly was never a Death Eater, or perhaps his family was always filled with spies for the Order of the Phoenix, who only pretended to hate muggleborns and really has been on the good side this whole time! Alternately, Draco was on the bad side, but within two seconds of the fic he’s switched sides and we’re told it’s cool now because Draco understands. 

You have Sexy McLeatherPantsFace Draco who never left My Immortal but authors will claim, should you ask, that bisexual overly emotional Draco’s characterization is nothing like My Immortal’s and how dare you imply such things you swine! Really, his pervasive existence is why My Immortal is such a great satire. 

The list goes on but basically Draco’s whatever people need or want him to be to an absurd degree and it always makes me laugh. Oh Draco, what have they done to you? Are you even in there anymore?

Right, where do I land on Draco? Honestly, he’s a bit like Ron in that he has severe character flaws but he’s not goddamn insane like Harry or Hermione.

Mostly though, I just don’t take him seriously.

Throughout the book series he’s an ass, he’s that rich, elitist, entitled jackass that we all have run into at some point or another. He’s the kid who legitimately thinks ‘my father will hear about this’ is a threat and constantly abuses his relationship with Severus Snape just to show how cool he is ‘he practically makes Snape dish out punishment to Harry and Ron needlessly, and Snape is such a sad ridiculous man he actually goes along with it and panders to this brat’. 

Draco’s the kind of ridiculous fucking person who pretended to not have the use of his arm for months just so he could get Hagrid fired. When, honestly, Lucius still could have gotten Hagrid fired probably without Draco’s very non-compelling evidence. (Now, that said, I do believe Hagrid never should have had the job/should have been fired, but that’s a different story). And then, when he realized not having an arm kind of sucked, he was miraculously healed. 

Harry takes Draco and his rivalry very seriously because he’s also an adolescent, lacks perspective, and just isn’t that bright but Draco is fucking ridiculous and half the time he’s embarrassing himself. I mean, the guy buys his position onto the Slytherin team with an absurd amount of money, and he still loses matches to the Gryffindor team. Draco should never be living that down.

So, basically, I never at any point take Draco seriously. He’s just a kid with a big mouth who grew up in a very racist household and never has any idea what he’s talking about ever. He’s not inherently evil, not particularly good either, he’s just a kid who’s more obnoxious than your usual brand of kid.

I never imagined him particularly good looking (I believe his features are described as pinched or something), I never really saw the appeal in either making him more evil than he was or else redeeming him, he’s kind of the comic relief we all needed in our lives but is really there to keep the filler plot going to give Harry and the gang time to stew on the bigger Hogwarts mysteries. Without Draco what would we even do for hundreds of pages?

When it comes to book six he starts getting a little interesting in that his life completely falls apart but I think many fics paint him as far more self aware than he was. He knows his family is in deep trouble but I don’t think he realizes they’re being punished. I don’t think he realizes that Tom setting up camp in Casa Malfoy is a direct response to a) his failure with the diary b) his failure with the prophecy. Well, he might, but I imagine Lucius or Naricssa had to point it out to him. More, I think he genuinely believes he is meant to succeed in the task of assassinating Dumbledore.

He never realizes that Voldemort fully expects him to fail, that this task is just to essentially torture Draco for months, and when Draco does fail Voldemort will then murder him in front of Lucius saying, “AND THAT’S WHY WE DON’T SELL TOM RIDDLE’S THINGS!” This I think is evident in Draco accepting Bellatrix’s help, but not Snape, legitimately thinking that he has to achieve this on his own and that the Dark Lord has given him this Very Important Task (TM). 

Basically, Draco’s a kid over his head and doesn’t even realize he’s in over his head. More, I think even in book seven he still believes in the dark lord’s cause. It’s all become this weird madhouse but we don’t ever really see him come to grips that this is madness. It’s hard to tell because we’re from Harry’s perspective, but Draco never really seems all that unwilling of a Death Eater. Instead he’s very proud to have become one and sure, Hogwarts got a little weird, but that’s okay! 

In other words, I don’t think Draco ever really had that redemption arc people thought he did or hoped he would. Harry just saves his life, Narcissa is forever grateful to Harry, and then Draco continues to shuffle along in life perhaps in a daze wondering what even happened.

TL;DR Draco’s just a guy.

Neville Longbottom

Oh man, poor Neville, why is he even friends with the gang when they treat him like such garbage all the time? Neville’s kind of like the friend who’s sort of friends with this one social group but they constantly forget him except when it’s convenient to them. 

Not just forget him but brush him off, make fun of him, and barely speak with him.

Neville has no friends and it’s really just sad that he’s stuck with these people. 

As for Neville himself, he seems nice, that���s really all I have on him. We don’t see too much of him, his life is garbage from beginning to end (his relatives throw him out a goddamn window), he’s treated like trash by everyone and no one respects him but he still seems nice.

Not particularly interesting, but a nice enough kid who doesn’t deserve to be treated like shit all the time. That said, I guess somebody’s got to be Gryffindor comic relief and plot convenience, so it’s time for Neville to forget the passwords yet again and be left out all night because portraits suck.

#ask #anon #harry potter #head canons #draco malfoy #neville longbottom

[awed-frog]

You mentioned in one of your posts that your native Italian is a dialect. My own language is very standardized and I can't really wrap my head around dialects, so would you mind talking a bit about it? Did you have to learn "standard Italian" at school? Can you write a business letter in a dialect? If someone from your town dropped out of school very early, would they have trouble reading books/watching tv? Does everyone code switch between work and home and do you need to learn how to do it?

Well - I’m not the right person to ask because there’s a lot of academic research and fights about what is a dialect and what is a language and I don’t know what’s going on with all of that rn. In my opinion, the difference between a dialect and a language is simply political. For whatever reason, one regional variant becomes more and more powerful, and then ‘wins’. People write books in it, and you need it for your job and it gets taught in school. Suddenly, it becomes the ‘official’ language or the ‘national’ language, but there’s no ‘inherently valid’ reason behind it. A good example is Dutch (a German dialect that became an official language) vs Swiss German (a bunch of dialects that remained dialects). There’s virtually no difference between them, and it could have happened the other way around (with German becoming an official language in the Netherlands and Swiss German in Switzerland). It all comes down to political power and influence. I’m guessing the same happened in your language too. I don’t know if any language was born ‘standardized’. Usually there’s some kind of economic or actual violence involved to get everyone on board. 

(I mean, in France it was still illegal to call your child a Breton name until, like two years ago, so.)

As for what it feels like to speak a minority language, it depends. If you have some linguistic talent and/or you were exposed to a diverse environment from early childhood, it doesn’t make that much of a difference because you can easily switch from your variant to the standard language. At worst, what you’re left with is a feeling of resentment because you need to do the work and the ‘majority people’ don’t. But in some cases, speaking a minority language or a dialect can be a serious handicap. Some people aren’t taken seriously because of how they speak, or are forced to give up on jobs or career opportunities because it would require mastery of the majority language or the ability to switch seamlessly to a higher register. 

In my situation, I never had trouble switching because I enjoy languages and was always sort of good with them. But I do have friends who learned Italian in primary school because they only spoke dialect at home, and they had some trouble for a couple of years. Others are still ‘rough around the edges’ now, at the age of forty, and you can hear fairly well they’re not speaking their native language. Older people who only speak dialect can have trouble - for instance, when they need to speak to someone (doctors, post office, banks and the like) and they can’t find a person who understands them well because the younger generation either doesn’t speak dialect or speaks a very ‘diluted’ version of it. People generally don’t have trouble watching programs in dialect because the TV dialect is, again, a diluted form of the ‘real’ thing - but foreigners have trouble with it, and subtitles are added when very old people are interviewed. And yes, people generally code switch between ‘home’ and ‘not home’ and we’re taught how to do it in school (teachers will fix grammar and pronunciation). But I think it used to be more of a problem decades ago, when majority languages TV, radio and even books weren’t that common and many people dropped out of school at 10 or 12. Back then, dialect was very connected to social class: the richer you were, the more skilled with the majority language. Now, that happens a lot less.

Something to keep in mind is that minority languages generally don’t die all at once, they simply get ‘corrupted’ until they melt into the majority language. Some old people I know - I can barely understand them, because the grammar is slightly different and the words are definitely not Italian. But when I speak dialect, I simply adjust a vowel here and there, so it’s more similar to accented Italian than anything else. It’s sad, but it is what it is. Italy still has dozens of minority languages, but they’re mostly dying out. Some are dialects, but others, like Griko, are not Italian at all. There’s a lot of effort to keep them alive, but all the conservation projects in the world won’t help if people don’t want to speak it, for any reason. That’s why Hebrew was saved but Irish is still struggling. People had a strong motivation to speak one but not the other.

#ask #dialects #langblr #italy #italiano #meanwhile irl #sorry if i'm a bit vague #not comfortable to share where i'm from :)

[rpmemesbyarat]

RP Meme from Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events: A Bad Beginning: Part Two"

I'm sorry to say that the alleged entertainment you are watching is extremely unpleasant.

From the beginning of this miserable tale to the last melancholy scene, I cannot think of a single line, a single word, that does not chill me to my deepest bones.

"Why?" you may ask.

Do you know what the question I'm asked the most is?

Will you please leave the premises?

Why do I do it?

Why respond to the siren song that the Spanish call 'El Theater'?"

For fame and fortune?

For the costumes!

Where are the costumes?

Stay in the car.

Well, we've got to reach them. Try Peru.

I'm keeping an eye on things best I can

I present it to you now in the hopes that the police inspectors, concerned citizens and television executives might finally leave me alone.

I have an appointment for a haircut right now.

Well, in that case, we're going to need a map of the city.

You'll never get away with this.

I already did get away with it.

Put some elbow grease into it!

Who knows what would happen to us on the street?

At least here we have a roof over our head.

Can I warm that up for you? And also give you some very bad news?

When I was a little boy, I would have given my eyeteeth to be raised by an actor.

I have terrible friends.

It sounds like Latin.

Now, I'm sorry if I have to usher you out posthaste, but I've got work to do.

I'll have my new secretary give you a ride home as soon as he's finished typing up that report.

Shall I let them off the hook?

I spent all morning making these cupcakes for you.

They're store bought!

Aren't raspberries delicious?

I'm afraid I may have acted a bit standoffish.

I want you to participate in my next play.

It tells the story of a very handsome and good-looking man, played by me.

A pretty girl like you shouldn't be working backstage.

It's a very important role

What did you call me?

I'm not sure I'm talented enough to perform professionally.

I would prefer it if you participate voluntarily

The point is, I can order you to participate, and you must obey.

I can't stand looking at you anymore.

Killing us will do him no good.

I have never been married myself.

Are you here to continue your research?

I have quite the interest in theater, you know.

I would give up every last wig just to wear a costume.

I'm actually considering a career in law. I find those books quite fascinating.

There are countless types of books in this world, which makes good sense because there are countless types of people.

[NAME], what's happened to your face?

No, no, no, it should be delicate! Fetching!

I just think, even in changing context, that marriage is an inherently patriarchal construction

Are you leaving?

Oh, there we go, sweet girl.

Does that mean what I think it means?

It means you're going to be a star.

You have got the star quality necessary for a small walk-on role

Now, you can see it.

It's a very important part, although you won't be listed in the program.

All my life I wanted to be a bride

It's almost too good to be true.

Spend some time with your new father.

Seize the children!

I have three kinds of butter cream icing here for you to sample. One's vanilla, one has a hint of nutmeg and the other's a little lemony.

I told you never to say that word.

We'll order takeout.

Let me eat cake.

You can't just keep us in here.

What do you think will happen to you then?

I'm gonna stay up all night with a book.

The book was not at all interesting. The book was long and difficult.

What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in your room.

I was in my room all night, and I know what you're up to.

Me? I'm just having my morning coffee

If you use fancy-pants words first thing in the morning,

you're going to end up a very lonely man.

I figured out your scheme.

You don't know the difference between figuratively and literally, do you?

I'm leaping in the air because I'm very happy.

I'm so happy I could jump for joy, but I'm saving my energy for other matters.

This play won't be pretend. It'll be real and legally binding.

A man like me can acquire any number of beautiful women

What's in it for me?

Can you name me a language that was spoken by ancient Romans and is still spoken by very irritating people today?

Whatever will we do?

I guess that proves reading really is fundamental.

But I'm not old enough to get married.

It certainly is so strange to find a child missing, and one so small, so helpless.

When did you see her last?

Did you hear that? It came from outside.

Oh, you're not looking in the right place.

Oh, don't look so down.

Let her go. She's done nothing to you.

Please, she's just a baby.

Just don't harm her.

I would never, ever marry you.

Any animal owner will tell you that a stubborn mule will move toward the carrot because it wants the reward of food and away from the stick because it wants to avoid the punishment of rump pain.

Would it be so terrible to be my bride, to live in my house for the rest of your life?

You're a terrible man.

I may be a terrible man, but I have concocted a foolproof way of getting your fortune.

What have you done?

I wish I had an inventor here.

You came.

You sent for me.

Things are disastrous. Everything's gone wrong.

What went wrong?

Why would anyone listen to a consultant?

Are you free Friday night to attend the theater?

But what shall we do until then?

Could you cut these ropes for me?

You should get some sleep.

It's my turn.

I didn't help us.

You just didn't finish the job.

Let me keep my promise.

Having a brilliant idea isn't as easy as turning on a light.

But just as a single bulb can illuminate even the most depressing of rooms, the right idea can shed light on a depressing situation.

It's so wonderful that, in addition to your many talents, you have a marvelous eye for fashion.

Tell me if this is too much.

How pleasant that you could join us.

What are you gonna do with me?

It was a grappling hook.

I understand she's yours.

I'm not his bride.

You know, some people say that the hardest job in the world is raising a child.

I'll touch whatever I want.

What happened? Why are we up here?

It's so high. You must have been terrified.

I'm sorry it didn't work.

The invention worked fine. I just got caught.

You're gonna need to flip it a couple of times, like, okay?

And don't touch the baby!

Do you think you could invent something to help us escape?

I am certain that over the course of your own life, you have noticed that certain rooms reflect the personalities of the occupants.

If we had kerosene, we could make Molotov cocktails with those old wine bottles.

What are Molotov cocktails?

They're small bombs. If we throw them out the window, we could attract attention.

It's time for the big event.

Taking the role of a handsome man is certainly a brave choice.

Is it a stretch for you?

I think live theater is a much more powerful medium

than, say, streaming television.

Evil plot?

The wedding will be around 10 PM, followed by champagne toasts, reception with cake and finger food, then the after-party at the Mexican place.

All my anxieties are put to rest.

Don't distract me with idle chatter.

Get it absolutely right.

Change of plans. Sit here. Don't distract her.

Don't suppose you know how to play poker.

Would you like to deal?

I am very handsome, but I am only one man.

He's so handsome.

If I can't have him, my heart will literally break.

That can't be true!

But that piece of paper's not an official document.

I think you'll see that it is figuratively real.

I'm afraid this marriage is entirely binding.

This is absolutely horrendous. I won't allow it!

I'm afraid there's nothing you can do.

You were easily tricked!

It was child's play, winning this fortune.

You promised to let her go!

You idiot! What are you doing?

So, you escaped, you little dishrag.

Well, that doesn't count.

You're just being a sore loser and trying to ruin my special day.

You should never be afraid to admit that you don't know something.

This is a very complicated case.

It would take a formidable legal scholar to solve it.

It was thoroughly impressive and utterly convincing.

I'm even considering firing your associate

I was kidnapped

I'll get my hands on your fortune if it's the last thing I do.

You have to capture him! You have to go after him!

You let the authorities worry about that.

Sorry, but the children must come with me.

Some things in life are difficult to understand, even after years and years of thinking about them while wandering alone through desolate landscapes, usually during the off-season.

The world is quiet here.

As with so many unfortunate events in life, just because you don't understand it, doesn't mean it isn't so.

Things are worse than we thought.

Then we don't have a moment to lose.

What's a woman like you building in a place like this?

Leave no stone unturned.

#rp memes #rp meme #roleplay memes #roleplay starters #roleplay meme #a series of unfortunate events

[mistwraiths]

2 stars

Apologies for the blurry picture but I couldn't seem to find a good one. The Crown of Gilded Bones is the third book in the From Blood and Ash series. I want everyone to know I'll be putting on my clown makeup after I post this review because despite rating the first two books low and having issues with them, I somehow deluded myself into thinking this one might be better! It wasn't and dare I say it I think this was the worst one by far.

I'm genuinely trying to find something good about this book ot at least something I really enjoyed. I do like that the books pick up right where the last book ends up. The first few chapters are pretty exciting. Around page 600, the last few chapters are fast paced and things are happening. Other than that, I can't really think of anything I really liked about the book.

Crown of Gilded Bones majorly suffers, like its predecessors, in the same four ways. Being too long, repetition, world information and building, and nothing important to the central story or plot happening for huge chunks of pages.

I firmly believe that all the books were half their length and the story beats were quicker coming and longer, it would be far more enjoyable. Instead you're forced to slog through inner monologues that don't add anything new, Poppy getting dressed by Casteel, showers, and other mundane parts. I thought knowing that it would be slow would help me enjoy the book but nope. The whole deciding to go to the realm of the gods literally doesn't happen until nearly the end of 500 pages in.

The worst part about the book being far too long and nothing happening is that when something does happen, it gets rehashed several times to the point where I, as a reader, am exhausted about reading about talking about it. I'm a big lover of communication. I love it when characters who are working together or are together tell each other important information and trust each other, but this is different. Once something happens, it gets talked about it detail for a handful of chapters, usually lasting longer than the actual event itself, and then is brought up again to go over, and then again. It's frustrating because I just want to move on but the story is so determined to go over everything again.

That's not the only instances of repetition. I know authors tend to reuse certain words over again. SJM and her "croon" and "toes curl" and "barked/roared". I can forgive stuff. I can look over Jennifer's constant use of dimples. The honeydew part is the most disgusting. I don't care what flavor Poppy's vagina is. There's a difference when it comes to the same thing happening with the near similar responses/situations being used over and over again as an attempt in humor but it falls flat after its been used several times. I'm talking about the "I have a question" "No one is surprised by that" parts and the Poppy being prone to violence makes Casteel horny and Poppy has to be like you're disturbing. If it showed up once or twice after the initial one, I could get over it. But it's reused every so many chapters. If it's an attempt at humor, it is a poor one.

This book is number three in a series and this book is still chock-full of world building and world information. I could possibly forgive it since I suppose at the start Jennifer didn't plan for a big fantasy series, but it's too much. There's so much information being crammed at you and it's in a very obvious way. Poppy asks and Kiernan or Casteel answers. That's pretty much the only way Poppy and the reader learns anything. At this point, I feel like I need a glossary and timeline because there is so much information.

In fact, despite nothing happening, l don't know how it still feels that there is a lot going on. There's the Solis problem. There's the Poppy should be queen problem. There's the people have concerns of Poppy being queen. There's the Unseen problem. Another Dark One problem? Poppy's lineage/past mystery. Something about waking up the Consort? And a little bit more. It's a lot.

In the second book, I liked Poppy (sort of), Casteel, and Kiernan. However, I find myself not liking any of them that much. From personality to saying similar things, they all feel very much the same character. There's not much difference in personalities or dialogue. About the only difference is that Kiernan is cool, Poppy is compassionate when it suits the narrative, and Casteel is protective. Other than that, there's not much of a difference between any of them.

Poppy is pretty much the same as always. Massively overpowered and incredibly special, doesn't know anything about her world that she lives in, and somehow despite being so special and powerful, she's kidnapped and hurt and then levels up again. We are forcefully spoon-fed how Poppy is so strong, so beautiful, so intelligent and clever. I haven't found one instance that I've been wow that was smart. Poppy's powers she inherently knows how to use perfectly the moment she gets them.

There's also almost no female interactions or female friendships with Poppy. Tawny was barely there in the first one but when she surprisingly shows up here, she's immediately rendered injured and unconscious. We're told Vonetta and Poppy are friends, but there's been almost no interactions. Vonetta gave her clothes once and then delivered a message later. Is that a basis for friendship? Vonetta eventually falls in a hole and Poppy saves her. That's about it. Ileana and Eloana are both older motherly types but also significant worrisome individuals for Poppy internally. Again, there's like one conversation each with them individually. Lyra is introduced to us by giving Kiernan a blow job but no interactions. Hisa and Nova are soldiers but no interactions. It's even mentioned that female draken are rare, but I'd argue that female characters are exceptionally rare. It's ridiculous. It's like there isn't any female that's allowed to have a moment of spotlight or competency other than Poppy. Poppy also has a moment of nastiness that's out of character when she threatens a woman who admitted to her that she had no interest in Casteel and Casteel had said the same and he wasn't interested in her, and she threatens to rip her limb from limb. It's so sudden and startlingly and leaves a terrible taste in my mouth.

As for Casteel, I no longer like him nor do I think he's a good guy. I think he's capable of good, being good, doing good but there's too many times where he's been vocal about killing anyone and burning his own kingdom down if Poppy doesn't get her own freedom of choice or what she want and what not. It's played out as the most truest love but to me, that's like a villain kind of love. If someone I loved burned down a city because I didn't get to choose what I wanted, I'd call the police. The craziest thing I had to read is people believing that Casteel would make a good king when he legitimately states that Poppy's needs comes before his own kingdom's needs. And if hers are met, the kingdom's could be met. That's not how any of that works!

He also does something incredibly reckless. I get it, he couldn't live without Poppy so he chooses to Ascend her. I can wrap my head around it. The fact of the matter is that Casteel refuses to take the blame or even entertain the consequences that could have resulted in that and how reckless it was. Poppy even refuses to allow the conversation. They are both like: I am not a vampry. Nothing bad happened so let's move on. It's astounding. Not only that but I felt it extremely odd that Poppy would have been okay with Casteel making her into a vampry, something incredibly dangerous and something she hates and would never want to be. It's just oh okay well luckily I didn't turn into one. And that's... it? It would have made good tension but no. Instead, they're just in love so much we have to listen to Casteel tell her how strong and beautiful she is every twenty pages.

I was excited to learn more about Kiernan but I still couldn't tell you much about him. Best friends with Casteel, a wolven, and he's always like "no one is surprised by Poppy having question". That's about all I know of him. Those are all things I knew about him in the second book.

Some other things I had issues with is that the villains are eager to spill everything about their plans. I feel like I'm watching a cartoon show with their villain monologues going on and on. Everyone except for Poppy is knowledgeable about everything!! People are constantly apologizing for things they have no control of. Characters somehow know exactly what to say to Poppy all the time like mind reading. I'm annoyed that the gods realm and the draken were such short parts.

When the reveals and the action which took 600 pages to get to happened, I really couldn't find myself caring. Reading felt like a chore. I'm not worried about any of the characters. I don't know if I'm interested anymore in reading this series because it feels like work trying to read it. I'm here for enjoyment and I'm not having a good time.

#jennifer l. armentrout #the crown of gilded bones #steph's book review #steph reads #book review

[itsclydebitches]

Why do you think it is people can't accept or view woman as abusive? Whether it's mothers, wifes, girlfriends, or just friends? Is it because men are usually the abusers in media and therefore accepted as the abusers in real life always? Do people out there really not think woman can be both physically or emotionally abusive to men in their lives just as men can be?

As with all of these topics there’s no one reason why such thinking comes about, but rather a complicated intersection of ideas, teachings, assumptions, personal experience, culture, etc. Part of it is that statistically men (in the US and UK anyway) are more likely to be the abuser and the media does reflect that, so some people tend to conflate “usually” with “always.” Even though those are obviously two distinct situations. Which is how you get antagonistic responses to those who advocate for men who suffer from abuse. Some see it as a means of drawing attention away from the ‘real’ problem of women victims, rather than acknowledging that both things exist simultaneously: a predominance of one gender being victims and the other gender facing a unique hurdle because of that predominance. When we teach - overtly or implicitly - that only women can be abused, we set up a scenario where men must first prove that what they’ve suffered can and does exist at all, let alone that they as an individual suffer from it. We see this with rape as well. Women must navigate a world that acknowledges that they can be raped, but tends to deny that it happened to her (she was asking for it, she should be grateful, etc.) Men, meanwhile, often hear that they simply can’t be raped, full stop. Because that’s something that only happens to women, because men always want sex, because a man could have put a stop to it, etc. And if this seems at all confusing, contradictory, complicated, and other difficult ‘c’ words, it’s because it is. Different genders who experience abuse simultaneously have commonalities that should inspire solidarity among the groups as well as individual circumstances that have to be taken into account. There is no one size fits all explanation here, which is precisely why intersectionality exists. 

Thinking about those individual factors though, gender norms absolutely come into play and feed those broader ideas about who can and cannot be abused. To put it simply, the concept of (toxic) masculinity does not provide room for men to be victims of abuse via women, simply because they are supposed to be inherently stronger and thus protected from assault. I experienced a perfect example of this bias while discussing Caroline Flack’s assault arrest. To be clear, we had almost no details about the case and were speaking very generally about abuse as a whole, rather than what actually happened between her and her boyfriend. This was also prior to her suicide, so take this as a conversation pretty much entirely removed from her specific situation. Basically though, the conversation revolved around the utter disbelief that a girlfriend could assault - let alone consistently abuse - a boyfriend. This person was grudgingly accepting of emotional abuse, but physical was off the table. After all, he’s a big strong guy and she’s so tiny. You’re telling me he can’t catch her arm when she goes to hit him? Or just hit her back? When I began to point out the problems in this thinking, the lack of understanding as to how abusers work, and begin to introduce the concept of victim blaming, they responded with, “I’m not blaming the victim, I’m blaming his inability to defend himself!” Which is a response that made me stare into an invisible camera like I was on The Office. Frustration aside, this conversation does a decent job of demonstrating the biases at work here: 1. Men are pretty much immune to abuse because abuse is almost entirely physical. 2. That immunity stems from clear-cut ideas about how man and women develop: he will be big and strong while she will be tiny and weak. 3. Abuse is not a complicated form of conditioning but a one time thing that anyone with the correct tools (strength) can stand up against: just stop her from hitting you. 4. If you somehow fail to stop her you can (and will instinctively want) to get revenge by hitting her back. That will demonstrate dominance and put an end to things. Problem solved. Obviously there is a lot to unpack there and that’s coming from a liberal, progressive, otherwise empathetic person. This kind of thinking runs deep. 

I want to emphasize that people get degrees in this, write books, spend their whole lives studying and working through such a nuanced subject... so a blog post response does not a perfect answer make lol. Nor does a BBC vid with a clickbait-y title, but experiments like this - simple as they are - can help to demonstrate that thinking: 

“My first thought was... he looked a bit soft... he looked a bit soft letting her hit him like that... I wouldn’t let a girl hit me.” 

“I think the man must have done something to the woman” 

There’s such a pervasive idea that men, as men, are the dominant gender that any evidence of abuse is automatically reframed as a) something he secretly enjoys, b) something he brought on himself, or c) proof that he’s not a “real” man and is defective for suffering from this. It’s a view that is perpetuated in fandom as well as real life. When Salem kills Ozpin it means he obviously did something to deserve it (trying to escape with the kids) because only guilty men suffer like that. When Yennefer takes control of or invades Geralt’s mind it means he secretly liked it because only weak men would stick around to suffer through something they were uncomfortable with - and Geralt is the opposite of weak. Then these stories - as stories written by an author who controls all events, responses, and outcomes - further paint these assumptions as correct: Ozpin is condemned as a horrible person (see, he deserved it!) and Geralt’s true love is shown to be Yennefer (see, he secretly doesn’t mind!) because these are characters who adhere to the whims of fallible authors. That doesn’t represent reality, but it can help perpetuate our perception of it. The author who fails to acknowledge a man’s abuse that they’ve written is no different from an author who fails to acknowledge a woman’s abuse that they’ve written. How the audience responds to those relationships, however, is very different. We’ve reached a point now where we can say stuff like, “Just because fictional Anastasia Steel has been written to think the way Christian Gray treats her is sexy and healthy doesn’t mean it is,” but we often fail to apply that same fiction/reality distinction for men. Instead, women abusers of all varieties - from genocidal Salem to “just” insults/threat of magical retribution Yennefer - are painted as badass or secret victims because the alternative would be acknowledging that men have the capability to be victims at all. Especially powerful men who (supposedly) have every means of defending themselves. 

As one woman in the video puts it, “the stereotype that women have less power than a man” is ingrained in our culture and it hurts men and genders not on the binary as well as women. It’s just that the damage to women is the most obvious and, as said, at times much more common. But that doesn’t mean these other impacts don’t exist. This is why feminism is inclusive and anyone who tells you it’s only for women hasn’t done much research. There’s a difference between people who may use such situations as a means of erasing all the shit women have to deal with (Men’s Rights™) and those who acknowledge that the limitations put on women and the abuse they suffer has the added concern of negatively impacting those around them. They’re baises that don’t help anyone. 

#abuse tw #suicide tw #rape tw #witcher #rwby #mymetas #Anonymous

[endlessdream7]

Kill That Man

Chapter 63 The Ambush of Wang Yijie

After painting the charm paper she bought, Yu Qing Yao came out and bought more charm paper, then closed the door to paint more charms.

After five days had passed, she has saved more than 600 second-level charms.

As soon as Yu Qing Yao came out, she went straight to the Royal Treasure Pavilion in the city.

She bought a white dress with a lotus pattern and a turquoise dress with an orchid pattern. She can’t wear one all year around, right?

The two magic skirts were both woven from spirit silkworms, and cost a total of seventy second-grade charms, or seven thousand dao dollars.

In fact, Yu Qing Yao herself knows how to refine weaponry, but she just doesn’t have the materials, nor the drawings, nor has she tried it herself.

Then, she bought a superb magic weapon, Purple Cloud Ruyi. This Ruyi is made of purple millennium lightning wood, and it is extremely helpful for casting lightning spells. Three Heavenly Lightning spells are stored at each end of the Purple Cloud Ruyi. The power is comparable to the spells of the Jindan realm.

This magic weapon was much more expensive, and it took Yu Qing Yao three hundred second grade charms to buy it.

She bought the book "The Royal Demon Ban" with 100 second level charms, and 120 second level charms for the "Five Elements of Thunder" book.

The Royal Demon Ban features a spell that can ban a Nascent Soul Demon King, but of course, first you have to capture the Demon King and beat him half to death before you can have a chance to cast this spell.

After learning it, Yu Qing Yao can only ban Foundation realm demons.

The "Five Elements of Thunder", is about the method of practicing the five elements of thunder. This type of thunder method is very powerful, ten times more powerful than ordinary thunder, and the difficulty of practicing is dozens of times greater. The first is that it is difficult to find the materials for practicing it. You have to find treasures with lightning properties in the five elements, and refine them into the five internal organs.

Five elemental treasures are easy to find, but it's one in a million if they have the thunder attribute. To gather the five elemental treasures, it may not be possible to succeed even if you search for hundreds of years.

During the practice, the slightest mistake can cause the internal organs to collapse and die.

Lightning spells are inherently powerful, and difficult to control, introducing them into the fragile five organs is a very dangerous thing to do.

98 of the 100 who practice are going to die, leaving one crippled, and the last one’s fate is in the hands of God. If it wasn't so difficult to cultivate, the Royal Treasure Pavilion wouldn't have taken it out, and sold it so cheaply. This is a treasure that can be cultivated all the way to the Nascent Soul realm.

In this world, the Nascent Soul stage is already the ultimate master.

However, Yu Qing Yao has a system, so once shes learned it, just add points. Finding treasures are unnecessary.

The heart law she majored in became the Five Lightning Heart Sutra.

Yu Qing Yao only has 10 charms left, so she has no choice but to use 5 charms to buy another large stack of charm paper to go back, ready to close the door for another three days to paint more charms.

Three days later, Yu Qing Yao had once again saved up 300 charms, she pushed open the door and came out, surprised to see Zhou Xinyang and Shu Chang Yue arrive.

On the sixth day after the ranking battle ended, Shu Chang Yue brought his senior brother and teamed up with people from Golden Top Sect, to ambush Feiyun Sect’s team in a mountain.

Rushed up, killed 20 or so people, discovered that the person they wanted to kill was not there.

Shu Chang Yue and Zhou Xinyang were dying of depression.

Halfway through the ambush, kill Wang Yijie. Everything can be pushed to Golden Top.

But now, Wang Yijie has fled back to Feiyun Sect, which is not easy to handle.

Its not necessarily possible for these people to kill up Yuntai Mountain alone. Even if you gathered all the Daoists of Golden Top Sect, it would still be a bitter battle. On Mount Yuntai, Feiyun Sect has operated for hundreds of years, and there are countless magic formations on it.

And to assassinate Wang Yijie, I don’t know how long they would have wait in Baishan City before the opportunity came. They can't wait that long.

Although the people of Golden Top regret that Wang Yijie is not in, they still cheerfully chased down the people of Feiyun Sect.

Feiyun suffered heavy losses this time, and only two elders escaped.

Lord Wang spent seven days traveling day and night to get back to Mount Yuntai.

The first thing he did was find his eldest disciple, Qi Kaitai, and ask, "Where is Qing Yao?"

Qi Kaitai smiles, "Master, Junior Sister Yu is out traveling."

Lord Wang is anxious and harshly shouts, "Why did you let her out? When did she leave and who did she go with?"

Bewildered, Qi Kaitai replies, "Half a month ago, my Junior sister succeeded in building her Foundation and said she wanted to go out for a walk, so she went down the mountain by herself."

Sect Master Wang asks in amazement: "She has succeeded in building her Foundation?"

Qi Kaitai said cheerfully: "Yes! Junior Sister is so gifted that she succeeded in building a Foundation in half a month. I had personally protected her, and held a celebratory feast for her afterwards."

After a speechless moment, Lord Wang said, "Did she say where she was going?"

Qi Kaitai said: "Junior Sister said that she would just walk around Baishan. I don't know where she went."

"Has anyone come from Yunhai Sect?"

"No! What are they doing here?"

Lord Wang didn't bother to talk to his eldest apprentice, he burned incense and sent a letter to Yu Qing Yao to ask about it, but there was no response after the incense was burned.

He understands that Yu Qing Yao is not in Baishan and is thousands of miles away.

His heart sank, Qing Yao wouldn't have discovered something and secretly ran away when I wasn't around, would she?

Now Lord Wang is angry, he says "I asked you to watch her, why did you let her run away?"

Qi Kaitai is surprised and says, "Junior Sister has successfully built her Foundation and wants to go out for a walk, how can you say she ran away?"

Without answering, Lord Wang asked with a gloomy face, "Did she say when she would be back?"

Qi Kaitai replies, "Junior Sister promised to hurry back in a year."

Lord Wang turns away depressed, he can only hope that Yu Qing Yao is really out to play, and would remember to make it back for the New Year.

Qi Kaitai sensed that something was wrong with Master’s attitude towards Junior sister.

He can’t help but wonder why.

After a few days, the team that had gone to Hua Mountain did not return. Lord Wang became anxious again, burning incense and sending letters, he received a reply from two elders.

They replied that the team that went to Hua Mountain was ambushed by Golden Top Sect, and was wiped out, they were seriously wounded and hid out to recover.

When Lord Wang knew about it, he was so grief-stricken, and angry that he almost vomited blood.

This group of people died, three years later, what about the challenge?

“Old man Chen, you and I are enemies till death!” Wang Yijie looks at the sky, roaring.

When the news came out, there was mourning on Yuntai Mountain.

Lord Wang didn't expect Lord Chen to do what he wanted to do. He also wanted to kill all the Golden Top people who competed in the challenge, but he didn't get in touch with his ally.

Three of the most capable elders are dead, and nearly 30 of the most elite disciples are dead, this is a huge loss to Feiyun Sect.

The death of the Taishang elder hit Feiyun Sect the hardest.

Without this group, there's no certainty of winning the challenge in three years, and two, there's no longer any advantage against Golden Top Sect.

Lord Wang regretted that he had left alone first. He always felt that if he had been there, he would have been able to spot the ambush beforehand, and they would not have been so badly killed or wounded.

He did not know that the main purpose of the ambush was him.

This kind of hatred can only be quelled by war.

Lord Wang instructed the army of Baishan City to wage war against Wuzhou again.

At that moment, Golden Top’s team returned, and Lord Chen unceremoniously organized a counterattack.

The two sides are fighting again.

Yu Qing Yao didn't know there was a war on that side again, she was playing with Zhou Xinyang in Han City.

Everyday go on a scenic tour, eat, drink and be merry, playing till her heart’s content.

Terms:

Purple Cloud Ruyi- A scepter or a wand. Like this...

太上 - Taishang- Title of respect for Daoist; A great elder; A powerful elder usually in atleast Jindan realm.

Cultivation ranks:

Nourishing Qi

Foundation

Jindan

Nascent Soul (I referred to it as Yuan Ying earlier, its also known as Meta-baby, but I’m gonna go with Nascent Soul)

#Kill That Man #KTM #KTM Chapter 63