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autisticlalna · 2 months

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and i am just the NEW INVENTION - a Twitch SMP VikingPilot & Rubyco fanmix

[ listen on Spotify! ]

TRACKLIST: tally hall - Ruler of Everything // oingo boingo - Gratitude // hi i'm case - Monsters Nearby // IDKHOW - New Invention // forrest day - Sleepwalk // jubyphonic, circus-p - Hello, Again // big data - Put Me to Work // chase petra - Reliable Narrator // enter shikari - Crossing the Rubicon // the mountain goats - Younger // rare americans - Up, Up & Away // 65daysofstatic - Aren't We All Running // set it off - Hourglass // USS - Hydrogenuine // agosti - Triangles // becko - HOME // area 11 - Everybody Gets A Piece // panic! at the disco - Crazy = Genius // enter shikari - No Sleep Tonight // fall out boy - The Last Of The Real Ones // i fight dragons - The Devil You Know

(warning: contains strong language)

reasoning behind songs under the cut!

these are a bit of a mess and are anywhere from "viking" to "ruby" to "navigator" to "kinda sapphire-ish??" to "one's feelings about the other" to "both of them" to "general vibe". there's also a few songs that got cut but still kinda hit the vibe that i might talk abt some other time??? i dunno man this playlist was a catastrophe to make. ANYWAY

Ruler Of Everything: "you understand mechanical hands are the ruler of everything, ruler of everything, i'm the ruler of everything in the end" // Viking. i don't really need to elaborate here, it's just Viking.

Gratitude: "but when i think of you, and what you've done to me, you took away my hope, you took away my fantasy, i once had lots of pride, the world was in my hands, i lived way at the top in castles made of sand" // gestures in the vague direction of Viking and Ruby. man i don't even know what's happening over there. this is a bit of a Recency Bias song bc i first heard it like right before lore really kicked off so it was fresh in my mind

Monsters Nearby: "only get so far putting off those dreams of yours [..] thinking of all these strange things when you should rest, it's hard to sleep like this when there's monsters nearby" // Ruby! and, like, of course i'm going to add the song that keeps making me think of the "You cannot sleep, there are monsters nearby" message. "And that voice behind the polarized advice can be the same" is about Viking, though.

New Invention: "oh i can't say no, i'm losing control! i'm having bad dreams, and nothing you can do will keep the bad dreams away from me until i fall asleep. bad dreams! despite your good intentions, that girl is like an architect and i am just the new invention!" // Ruby and Viking! if i did an animatic to any song off this playlist it would be New Invention. goddamn. (also, tViking's design reminds me a bit of eFalse, and roenais's Empires animation to this song lives in my head rent-free)

Sleepwalk: "bad thoughts give me bad dreams and my bad dreams make me get up and walk. bad thoughts give me bad dreams and my bad dreams make me sleepwalk." // oh my god Ruby and Sapphire. the ominous mood encapsulates everything about Sapphire to me, especially before we knew who Saph actually is and she was just "Ruby sleepwalks and leaves ominous signs". it's dark and foreboding and i love it.

Hello, Again: "find a mechanist, a mechanism, working one-by-one! with a busted up database, i'm losing the chase, but i'll say hello again, hello, just who have i become?" // the whole conversation about fixing things, and how that's become a reoccurring theme with Sapphire as well - switching from Ruby being the broken one to Viking being the one needing to be fixed. plus the whole "Ruby and Viking meeting across loops" thing - hello again, hello, just who can i become?

Put Me to Work: "set me off, see what i'm worth! turn me on, i go berserk! i don't care if i get hurt! no, i don't care, just put me to work! [..] i will replace you, replace you, replace you [..] and i won't care when they get hurt, no i don't care, just put me to work!" // Viking is, uh. a lot. hyperfocused to the point of self-destruction. this does bleed over to Ruby too, though, what with zir being desperate to be something Viking won't throw away when he stops seeing zir as useful and Navigator's warning of "don't let him break you". i guess the real question is: would Viking care if they get hurt?

Reliable Narrator: "did you forget that i am not a pacifist? the scar we'll earn from that will be well worth it. did you-- hypnosis, bring roses, don't blow this [..] the bruising will be worth the freedom i have earned from letting everything burn!" // basically every Ruby song on here is "Ruby is going through it". there's a tension here. very fun to have this song on here though considering Sapphire sign "I am a unreliable narrator, am I not?"

Crossing the Rubicon: "fill me out a prescription for this existential dread, i woke up into a nightmare and i'm hoping that you'll take me back to bed [..] fill me out a prescription, can you free me from this curse? i woke up inside your compass and you're navigating us from east to worst [..] something's got to give, we've gone too far to turn back" // this has been a Viking song for ages but never made it onto my dViking playlist for some reason. it works better here, i think. there's going to be a tipping point where you cross the point of no return.

Younger: "try not to lose sight of the mission! it never hurts to give thanks to the broken bones you had to use to build your ladder. moment close at hand, half of you will never understand, and it doesn't really matter. [..] it never hurts to give thanks to the navigator, even when he's spitting out random numbers." // Certified Navigator Moment as suggested by Charm!! this is one of the songs i can't put into words the emotions i have about it but it's just... a lot. "It never hurts to give thanks to the broken bones" is about everybody Viking is going to burn through to get to his goal, and that kinda ties into Navigator trying to intercept i guess??? i dunno man i don't work here <- literally made this playlist

Up, Up & Away: "how many lives can a guy buy? [..] can't erase or save face, what will they think when they hear my voice on the tapes? skies open, wheels in motion, no going back, no, i've chosen!" // Viking!! aaaauughhhhhhhhh. what will you do to get to where you need to go? once again linking into the we've gone too far to turn back thing from Crossing the Rubicon. y'know, in case you can't tell that i think Viking's going to do something awful to reach his ambitions.

Asking For It: "power through the point of no return, famously deranged, all the same hope you change, if the worm is gonna turn, it's none of my concern" // somebody absolutely rips into Viking. probably Ruby. "if the worm is gonna turn it's none of my concern" is said by Viking in this context though. famous last words before Ruby (or Sapphire?) decks him. fun fact: this was one of the first songs i associated with tViking specifically, back during the first lore scene, but i went "ehhh???" on it. then we got to see a bit more of him and... yeah. this guy is asking for it.

Aren't We All Running: [instrumental] // there's a couple instrumentals on here because of talking to Solar about how character playlists rarely have instrumentals and i wanted to have a couple of rest points. i love the slow build here and the overall mood. montage music.

Hourglass: "i can't fix it, is this where i give in? i'm falling through the hourglass, and i don't think i'll ever make it back [..] turn the page, look back at what you wrote, do you still feel the same?" // shoutouts to Rubyco Themself for namechecking this song! it's real good. someone let Ruby out of his BOX he needs HELP

Hydrogenuine: "11 is the number i seem assigned to, inversions of an opposite truth aligns you, directions like the back of your hand will guide you, i am simply here to assist and remind you" // this is kindasorta a Navigator song, kindasorta just The Situation. i cannot properly explain this one, it just Is. what if we kept running into each other in different universes and timelines but something broke this time and now we're trying to fix it

Triangles: [instrumental] // iiii wanna animaaaate to this sooooongggg hope this heeeeelps

HOME: "every road leads back to where i belong! and i can see, when i'm on my own it's the place i can call home! my mind creates a new world that is so disordered, i proclaim myself king and pope! DID, we are in 3 but we're getting along well, i'm glad to be the leader of the wolf pack!" // Viking is so incredibly not okay. just, like, in general. had fun with the DID lyric though considering Viking and Ruby's plotlines are "other versions of themselves are hijacking their bodies" lmao. love unconventional plurality.

Everybody Gets A Piece: "did you honestly think it might've been, might've been me? and all this while, did you think of me? you know, all this while we were pure potential energy dreaming [..] don't ask, you'll never get! you never asked, so you never got nothing! did you get all you wanted from me?" // this one's a bit looser but the vibes are there. the "don't ask, you'll never get" bit is Viking and Sapphire constantly talking in circles mixed with Viking using everybody as tools and that potentially including Ruby. UM. ALSO MAYBE A NAVIGATOR SONG NOW TBH. I MADE THIS BEFORE TONIGHT'S STREAM.

Crazy = Genius: "and i said: if crazy equals genius, if crazy equals genius! then i'm a fucking arsonist, i'm a rocket scientist! if crazy equals genius! you can set yourself on fire, but you're never gonna burn, burn, burn! you can set yourself on fire, but you're never gonna learn, learn, learn, hey!" // peak Viking. LOOK WE'VE EVEN GOT THE FIRE THEME IN HERE! we love an unhinged inventor with an obsession with fire metaphors

No Sleep Tonight: "and from that height we'll leak the lies, and unveil the damaged skies, 'cause we can't quite stomach this! [..] i still can't comprehend a beginning or an end, no i can't quite stomach this! all i'm trying to say is: you're not getting any sleep tonight!" // more hypothetical Future Speculation stuff mixing in with how generally Screwed reality is for Viking/Navigator and Ruby/Sapphire. also the sleepless theming that's clinging to Ruby through all of this.

The Last Of The Real Ones: "you were too good to be true, gold plated - but what's inside you, but what's inside you? [..] i will protect you, i will protect you, just tell me tell me tell me i- i am the only one, even if it's not true, even if it's not true" // WHAT IF YOU WERE SIBLINGS AND KEPT FINDING EACH OTHER IN EVERY UNIVERSE BUT THINGS KEPT GOING WRONG

The Devil You Know: "nobody knows you better than your demons, so, dance with the devil you know or go home."

#leo.txt #twitch smp #vikingpilot #rubyco #AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA #[inhales] AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA #bell noises!#tsmp #I FORGOT MY TAG FOR THESE. APOLGIEIS. EXPLODE FOREVRR #clock noises!#leo.mp3

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noirshitsuji · 9 months

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Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤️

mmmmmmm. MMMMMM. okay. there might be some recency bias in this, but in no particular order:

liededamp - as much as i meme it up myself i feel like i did manage to have some good character discussions in it and wrestle some real emotion within it as a crackfic, and i think it's resonated with some people a lot actually, which makes me very glad.

tried to touch you but you're cutthroat (stay to see it unfold) - obviously there was going to be a chloe(luka)-centric thing in this list because yes. i'm pretty satisfied with how the theming turned out in this one and my character work on chloe as well.

now this one sits here (whispers things to me) - also obviously there had to be an adrien piece there, and this is?? maybe my most popular one?? even though it's technically love square-focused. i spent like 20 mins trying to pick from the others and couldn't, and i am quite proud of that summary (and the rest of it, but the summary i think i did very effectively) and yes.

did you ever want it? (did you ever fight it?) - one-sided fabian pov fabriz fic. this one also really resonated with people who read it/seemed to leave an impression, and not just bc of the ship but a bunch of other things i put there, and i love fabian and it was so fun exploring the way i see his character and how he'd handle pining for his best friend, and i think i managed to pull off the theming around the five stages of grief reasonably well, so?? i'm happy with it.

saint, bastard, king - grisha fic where it's just. idk man something about the kaz/alina/nikolai (potential) dynamic makes the cogs in my brain turn. the way they're all leaders in their different ways and how they operate in different worlds but then they intersect and it's so??? fascinating to me??? but yeah i worked hard on this trying to figure out how to convey it and i think i managed to quite well??

ok yeah this was very difficult just because i do like?? a lot of my work?? like i always look at it and spot something to edit but overall i enjoy reading it and i'm happy with it and yes. i would've added circumscribe, eight-two-five (my kipps-centric l&co fic) as well bc it's the longest character-study/backstory/one-shot thing i've done and i'm very happy with it, but yes. oh look i did it anyway-

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myheartalivewrites · 7 months

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20 questions for fic writers

Thanks for tagging me @bitbybitwrites @kiwiana-writes @cha-melodius I continue to be emotionally withholding from my WIPs so this was a fun little distraction.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

15 and I realised tomorrow is the anniversary of the first fic I ever posted! Might do a little celebration post about it.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

259,263!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Red, White & Royal Blue ❤️🤍💙

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Confirming the mad recency bias in RWRB fics, they are all my most recent fics, all published from August onwards with the exception of the last one, hospital cupboard hook-up fic my beloved:

Deep Blue

In His Wildest Dreams

Just Like That.

Oxford Days

Tumbled Down and Tangled Up

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! Comments are the best thing about ao3 and pretty much the only reason to post my stuff online! I feel boring sometimes, like I'm replying the same thing over and over, but it is SO true that every single comment means so much to me and I hope commenters know that

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't do unhappy endings. The closest I've come to not a HEA is Don't Wanna Be A Fool For You which is still a happy ending lol, but I didn't go into the future and left them only JUST beginning to recover from all the angst

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Oh, tricky to decide this. I'm gonna go with Down By The Water, simply because I go deep, DEEP into their happily ever after in the epilogue (it is 12k of a 63k fic which should give you an idea of just HOW deep), even though it’s still quite… yearn-y.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, though I did get some intense emotional responses to a few chapters of Deep Blue, which... well, they were supposed to hurt, but it was A LOT. Never have I used the 😬 emoji that much.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Hah, yes. A lot of it. All but one of my fics are E and even that one has got a smutty end scene I didn't publish and might post around the holidays. A Christmas treat for a Christmas fic! I'm not sure what 'what kind' is really supposed to mean here, so: very explicit but always emotionally relevant to the story, and particular in long fics I like to use the, ahem, smut progression to show how their feelings and the relationship is deepening.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I know 😬 Only tumblr posts 🙄

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Oooh, someone asked me if they could translate Deep Blue to Spanish, so I'm excited to see that (but it is 76k so it might be a while)! That would be my first though.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Oh, firstprince, no doubt. Alex and Henry have my heart.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I absolutely REFUSE to say I won't finish something. I plan to finish all my WIPs.

16. What are your writing strengths?

This is hard to answer, but I think I'm good at building tension, both in the overall story developments, but also within paragraphs and scenes, playing with sentence length etc. At the very least I like how I do that!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Yikes, pulling no punches. Sometimes I get bored of writing all the 'getting to know you' dialogue, and get fed up of writing banter. It’s the kind of thing that tends to get me blocked on a WIP. I find it quite hard, possibly because Alex and Henry banter so much it feels like it's all been done before. Oh, here’s Star Wars! Oh, your dog’s name is stupid! Etc etc.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Love it. I have one WIP currently which has some French dialogue, and my French is middling at best, so I'm going to have to ask for help with it, but I'm not there yet.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

RWRB ❤️

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION. I reserve the right to change this answer, but right now it's Down By The Water, I literally fell asleep last night wishing I had time to go reread it.

Phew, that was a lot! No pressure tagging a few friends who might want to play: @indomitable-love @historicallysam @14carrotghoul @cultofsappho @celaestis1 @suseagull04 @heybuddy-drabbles but open tag if you too wan to join!

#my writing #about me #rwrb #red white and royal blue #rwrb fanfic

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msmargaretmurry · 5 months

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For writing ask game, 13, 17 (about a WIP or a fic/series you've already done!), 27, 28, please!

i answered 13 here and also technically 17 but in an extremely cop-out way 😂 i am one of those people who really doesn't like sharing much about fics before their posted but here are some assorted bits of lore from published fics:

- several years before i wrote tnno, i had originally conceptualized of it as a mceichel fic. i'm pretty sure i wrote several very long emails to friends about it. but then i decided i liked the mcstrome version better, et voilà 😌

- i started writing haw in january 2022 thinking it would be "a quick 40k" and finished well before the season was over, so i just made up how the playoffs went. obviously that didn't happen and the actual playoffs were such good content that i rewrote a bunch of it to use the real playoffs instead of my fake playoffs. and then the trade to florida happened and i was just like, fuck it we are fully ignoring that 😂 haw is its own universe now

- it is no secret in haw that matthew is miserable because he's trying so hard to be what he thinks he's supposed to be, but an underlying part of that which didn't get a lot of attention is the hockey part of that. he's lonely in calgary and kind of knows he might be happier playing somewhere else but he feels like the ~correct thing to do is stay and make good on what he's said about the city and be a good captain like brady is in ottawa. no one has ever commented on this but i always thought the way that sutter gives him the c in haw is kind of dickish -- no time to decide if he really wants it, no time to prepare a speech, no time to invite family to his first game with it. not exactly an auspicious start to his captaincy!

- also in haw, connor likes matthew as a person just fine but he's going to be so wary of him as leon's boyfriend for a while the same way brady is wary of leon as matthew's boyfriend. that guy broke his best friend's heart!!!

27. Who is the most stressful character you’ve ever written? Why?

head above water matthew!!!!! that fic was supposed to be like 40k but he took sO LONG to figure out his issues!!!!!!!!!!!!!

28. Who is the most delightful character you’ve ever written? Why?

oh brady for sure. possibly recency bias here but in both the haw verse and my various wips he is just so easy and fun. he feels a lot of feelings but is also laid back and kinda goofy and deeply caring and that's just pleasant to write!

#ask #tnno #ratnovel #writing meme #hockey for ts

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meeblo · 6 months

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Top 5 fave Arknights events (be it story, gameplay, or both), GO!

Oh, this is a tough one. These won’t be in any particular order, and I might merge a few events I think of as related into one entry.

Il Siracusano is phenomenal. An interesting story executed very well, with good pacing, great character moments, and strong themes. The Azione Solos, map, and other bonus parts of the presentation complement and accentuate the already great elements of the main event story. No one who read Il Siracusano will ever forget Rubio's speech. Gameplay-wise, I don't think its mechanics are especially exceptional but they aren't bad either. They're fun, they make you approach stages in different ways from usual, but they aren't why I love the event. The music is a highlight as well, with an excellent battle theme, menu theme, and one of the most memorable boss tracks in the game, as well as great operator EPs.

Lone Trail, even accounting for recency bias, definitely makes my top five. It's an effective and evocative conclusion to multiple longrunning narrative threads, with numerous delicious thematic parallels drawn between members of the cast. Its presentation is wonderful, and like Il Siracusano the bonus text entries benefit the overall experience greatly. Unlike Il Siracusano, the event welfare character is usable, as well as being unlike many alters in that she's a well deserved alter; Silence the Paradigmatic great way of capping off Silence's arc, with a kit that reflects her character growth and some juicy file entries and voicelines. The event's mechanics are quite fun. Running enemies over with balls never gets old, and the enemies that are tanky but lose defense/res on hit open up strategies that allow fast attackers and multi hit characters to see use where most of the time they aren't as valuable next to characters who have big damage per hit. And of course, there's the mechanics that encourage shifting, which is always a blast. Once again phenomenal music that I find myself listening to frequently. I'd also like to shout out Mansfield Break. It is, imo, one of the most ambitious event stories. Not only is it told via frame story in a fascinating structure that no other event replicates, it begins largely in medias res. As the first Rhine Lab event, it pulls no punches with the preestablished character dynamics and complex landscape of the internal politics of Rhine Lab. Mansfield Break is a strong story on its own with a great cast of characters and well articulated themes, but it's even stronger when taken in full context of the Rhine Lab narrative that followed it and just how many things that Mansfield Break set up or alluded to in ways that trusted the reader's intelligence without outright spelling things out or leaving things unsaid entirely. Dorothy's Vision is great too of course but it lacks that special something to have me rank it as one of my top events, whereas Lone Trail and Mansfield Break absolutely have it. The Columbia events all have some of my favorite societal critiques Arknights does. As someone living in the U.S, they get so much right about the issues they bring up.

Darknights Memoir, A Walk in the Dust, and Vigilo I'm all lumping together. Honestly, I'm not sure if I should really include them at all given they tie so closely to the main story. All three provide fascinating looks into W, Kal'tsit, and the Doctor respectively, as well as being thematically rich and filled to the brim with important lore information. Vigilo has, in my opinion, the most interesting and well executed story of the three, with one of the only dialogue choices in the entire game that had me stop and think for a few minutes what I wanted to choose. All three are mandatory reading imo for someone who has finished main story act 1 before they move on to act 2, though Darknights Memoir can be read earlier than the other two. I also want to mention What the Firelight Casts as another main story adjacent event, but Reed's story doesn't have direct ties to W, Kal'tsit, or Doctor so it felt odd listing WtFC with the other events. For all intents and purposes you can consider it part of this entry as well, the "basically part of the main story" events. It's another great character focused story with a relatively smaller scope so it can focus in on its subject, while simultaneously having a number of notable connections to the main story regarding its themes of what a resistance/nationalist movement should prioritize and the setup for Eblana's entry into the Londinium Crisis.

A Light Spark in Darkness is one of the game's most interesting events structurally. The shifting PoVs make excellent use of dramatic irony, with events the reader knows are coming looming over the story as you see another character's view of what led up to them and what happened in the aftermath. The event is thematically focused and has a smaller scale and lower stakes relative to many other event stories that allows it to laser focus on how the stakes and events of the story are relevant to the characters in specific ways. In addition to being a wonderful self contained narrative, it also has additional depth when taken with the context of what happens in other events regarding Grani, what neo-Reunion's role in the main story as a whole is, and Cannot Goodenough's sparse narrative threads the game drops into a number of events. I would recommend it to everyone were it not for it having episode 8 spoilers by implication.

Lastly, I'll shout out Who is Real. It's definitely my favorite of the three Sui events I've read (I haven't read Where Vernal Winds will Never Blow yet). I love Kroos, Mr. Nothing, and Lava as a trio of characters, Nian is both fascinating and fun, and Dusk herself is very interesting. The star of the event for me, however, was Saga. I loved how Saga embodied so many of the event's themes, with her philosophical debates with Dusk on the nature of art and of life in general and her decisions within the painting to help its false inhabitants, refusing to stop treating them morally. I really want to know more about what happened with Kroos prior to the events of Who is Real and what caused the breakup of A1 Preparations Detachment. Dusk's presence through the event was very well done. Though she herself doesn't appear in person until relatively late in the event, everything about the painting and her actions through the storyteller inform the reader as to her characterization and disposition. Invitation to Wine feels like it tries a similar thing with Ling only appearing fairly late into the event, but it doesn't stick the landing like Who is Real because Who is Real had so much directly tying Dusk to the nature of the events unfolding and the direction of the conflict occurring while Invitation to Wine's central conflict was spurred by the second brother, the Sui Regulator, and others rather than being as tied to Ling as the setting and conflict of Who is Real's painted world were to Dusk.

There's plenty of other events I loved too but didn't list here. Twilight of Wolumonde is the strongest of the game's early events, Under Tides and Stultifera Navis have some great stuff in them, Near Light has tons of outstanding scenes but as I'm yet to read Maria Nearl or Pinus Sylvestris I couldn't properly appreciate it, ditto for An Obscure Wanderer, Break the Ice is great and I have a lot of respect for the story staying true to Silverash's characterization despite his popularity in the fanbase as it would have been all too easy for the writers to have caved and painted over his actions and make him Not That Bad Actually He Said Sorry, Guide Ahead is very solid but didn't resonate quite as much as I had expected it would from things I'd heard about it going in, Ancient Forge is a ton of fun and has very nice subtle characterization for Lava and Nian as you can see what parts of the script were Nian's choices and what of Lava's original script survived the rewrites, To be Continued has some great followups on other past events, and the Luo Xiaohei crossover It's Been a While was way way better than I had expected it to be going in. There's a few notable events I haven't read yet since they haven't been rerun or I haven't had the time, so don't worry Lingering Echoes fans, I'm not snubbing it I just haven't read it.

#arknights #ask #long post

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cookies-over-yonder · 9 months

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Father-Son Bonding (feat. Hermie Unworthy, Uncle/Brother/Unwanted Roommate)

CO-WRITTEN BY @silverlistenstothings

Nicky comes over to visit Taylor while Cass is at work. Hermie is also there, for some reason.

Part 19 of The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Roommates

ao3

According to Taylor, Nicky is coming over to bring Taylor dinner while Cassandra is out at a work function. This has been in the books for a few days now, and Hermie has been dreading it the entire time. Taylor, on the other hand, has been reminding Hermie every moment he can, practically bouncing with excitement at the opportunity to see his dad.

Therein lies the problem, Hermie supposes. Despite Taylor and Cassandra’s insistence that they want Hermie around, it’s not something they can believe. It’s not something they’ll let themself believe. Hope only opens them up to hurt, so they’ve given up on it a long time ago. They might think they’re fine with Hermie now , but as soon as Cassandra readjusts to Nicky’s presence in her life, as soon as Taylor remembers how much better Nicky is, they’ll come to their senses and finally rid themself of Hermie. Recency bias is the only thing keeping them around.

Taylor has spent most of the afternoon in the bathroom, singing and humming and getting ready for Nicky’s arrival. Hermie, of course, has spent the entire day curled up in bed, trying to fall back asleep. They don’t want to listen to Taylor be excited about Hermie’s inevitable replacement, and they certainly don’t want to hear how well he gets along with Nicky. It’s two parts fear of being kicked out, and one part envy. They’re not proud of how often they resent Taylor’s relationship with his parents, but then, they’re not proud of anything they have going on. It’s nothing new.

The doorbell rings, and Taylor turns the music off before hollering ‘I’m coming, dad!’ and scampering down the stairs. Hermie rolls over and brings the corner of their pillow up over their ears. It doesn’t quite muffle the sounds of conversation, but at least they can’t make out the words.

They’re about to finally doze off again when Taylor calls their name from downstairs. They very much consider ignoring him, but there’s no real point to it, they suppose.

Is he really going to kick them out already? Is a single one-on-one interaction all it takes for Taylor to realize how much better he could have it?

Well. They suppose that makes sense, actually. They roll to their feet in no real rush, and step out of their room.

"Come down for food!" Taylor calls.

Ah, one last meal before breaking the news. It's clear he's trying to soften the blow. Whatever, they'll take the bait.

Hermie sighs, straightens their stolen shirt, reminds themself that they really have nothing to prove, and heads down the stairs. Nicky glances at them over the back of the couch, and raises his hand in a half-wave.

“Hey, Hermie,” he says casually, without a trace of guilt. They didn’t want to guilt Taylor into keeping them around, but they feel like Nicky could at least show a little remorse.

“Nicky,” Hermie greets cooly, tentatively circling around the other side of the couch. They keep an eye on both Nicky and Taylor, bracing themself for their inevitable dismissal.

“I just got you the same thing as Taylor, hope that’s ok,” Nicky explains, handing Hermie a warm takeout container.

“… which is?” Hermie asks, sitting down against the arm of the couch, with Taylor between them and Nicky.

“Chicken fried rice!” Taylor chirps happily.

Oh. Good. Great. They can’t eat this. But it would be weird to say something about it now, wouldn’t it? Nicky bought them food for some reason, so they should be polite. Besides, Taylor hasn’t said anything, and he should know that Hermie’s vegetarian, and Hermie doesn’t want to make him feel bad for forgetting.

… oh, Hermie never actually brought up their dietary preferences, did they? It’s not even Taylor’s fault. They dug their own grave, so they can’t complain about laying in it.

“Thanks,” Hermie says, a bit belatedly. They unwrap their chopsticks and snap them apart, before undoing the lid of the takeout container. The scent of chicken hits them immediately, closely followed by a wave of nausea.

Ok. Well. They thought they might be able to choke some of it down, it’s not like they’re allergic or anything, but they’ll definitely throw up if they try.

Taylor says something about what they’re watching, but Hermie barely hears it, too lost in their own head. Maybe if they compact the rice enough it’ll look like they ate some? Just enough that Hermie can say ‘I’m not really hungry right now, thanks though, I’ll have the rest for leftovers’ and then Taylor will ask the next day if he can eat their leftovers and Hermie can say that that’s fine and the crisis will be avoided entirely.

Yes, this is the perfect plan.

They glance over at Nicky and Taylor. Taylor is digging into his own rice with enviable fervor. Nicky is eating at a more reasonable pace, and meets Hermie’s eye when they look over. Hermie quickly looks away.

They poke at their rice with their chopsticks, trying to remember how to even use them. They might not be selling it well, but moving the bits of chicken around to one corner of the container is keeping them entertained more than whatever Taylor put on the screen.

Suddenly, a spring roll comes into view. Hermie looks up to see Taylor holding it out to them.

His eyes are wide and there's a slight smile on his face. It's weird.

Supposedly the spring rolls don't have any meat, because they remember the V written on the box earlier. Hermie glances from Taylor’s face to the spring roll and back, before cautiously extending a hand. Taylor places it in their palm with palpable satisfaction, before returning his attention to the screen.

Alright. They are now holding a lukewarm vegetable spring roll. The longer they hold it, the colder and sweatier it will get, neither of which are traits Hermie especially wants from their food. They should eat it, but also the smell of chicken is still nauseatingly present and just because it’s a vegetable spring roll doesn’t mean there’s no meat.

… it probably means exactly that, actually, but Hermie can’t be sure . No, they need to investigate themself. They half-close their carton of fried rice and lay it in their lap so they can use both hands. When a glance confirms that neither Nicky nor Taylor are watching, they lift the spring roll to their nose. It mostly just smells like vegetables and Hermie’s awful, sweaty hands, but it warrants closer investigation. They carefully split the casing with a claw, parting it to reveal, to the surprise of no one, nothing but vegetable filling.

Great. They’re not sure why they did that, actually—

“Hey, uh, Hermie, what’re you doin’ to that spring roll there?” Nicky asks, somewhere between concerned and amused. Hermie jumps, and immediately rushes to hide the evidence.

In their mouth.

Obviously.

It’s a small enough bite that they’re not at risk of choking, but they probably definitely shouldn’t have shoved it in their mouth all at once when they’re still feeling a little queasy. Their body makes an attempt at gagging, but they refuse to part their lips. They are not going to throw up, that would be embarrassing .

They chew to the best of their abilities. Nicky is staring, definitely leaning further into concern now. Taylor is sending them worried glances too. After what feels like an impossibly long time, they swallow.

“What?” Hermie croaks, before clearing their throat and repeating themself.

“Yeah, nevermind I guess,” Nicky says, and that’s that.

Nicky returns his attention to the screen, and Taylor does as well after a moment. Hermie suddenly wants very badly to go wash their hands, but it’s not like they can just get up and dismiss themself.

Well, they can, obviously, but they don’t want to attract any attention to themself. As soon as they do, Taylor will remember why he called them down, and he’ll break the news, and it’ll be awkward , after everything he said a few days ago.

Taylor wordlessly slips another spring roll into Hermie’s hand. To make up for swallowing the other one whole, they nibble at it slowly. It tastes a lot better when they’re not preoccupied with trying not to choke.

They try to tune into whatever anime Taylor has them watching, but they’re already at the end of the first, maybe the second episode, so they figure it’s basically a lost cause. They already have no idea what’s happening, and they’re not about to ask. Hermie wants to leave to go do nothing in the privacy of their own bedroom, but they’re still waiting on the real reason Taylor called them down here and it also seems like a lot of work, getting up and going all the way up to the guest room.

They kind of zone out after that, watching the screen in only the vaguest sense of the word. Nicky makes some comment that has Taylor snickering and saying something in response. They’re not whispering, but Hermie can barely make sense of the words anyway. Whatever it is has Nicky grinning and throwing an arm around Taylor’s shoulder, pulling him close and ruffling his hair. Taylor is grinning, leaning into the touch like an affectionate cat when Nicky’s hand brushes against his horns.

“… growing in!” Nicky is saying when Hermie finally gets their brain to focus on the words. Taylor preens under the praise.

“Yeah! Aren't they cool?”

“They’re awesome, kiddo.”

“Sometimes I get headaches, but I know it’s just growing pains,” Taylor brags, puffing out his chest.

“Yeah, I’d get those too. You’re doing well, you little demon.”

The fondness in Nicky’s tone makes Hermie’s stomach twist a little.

Taylor’s horns have grown in quite a bit, considering there was nothing there less than a year ago, but they still aren’t anywhere near the size of Hermie’s, nor do they have the slight gradient to a lighter color near the tip… but then, the coloration is something they very clearly inherited from Jodie, and any amount of pride is shot after that. The shape of their horns is closer to that of Nicky’s, but it’s not like he’s taken any notice. He’d much rather pay attention to Taylor.

Obviously. Because that’s his son. It’s embarrassing to even think about Nicky giving Hermie the same treatment, all casual affection and praise. They don’t want that, at all, from anyone, but especially not from Nicky.

Which is why they keep thinking about it, and why the thought is making their chest hurt a little. Obviously.

They shake their head to clear the thought from it, and make another attempt at focusing on the show. It doesn’t get them very far, especially when Taylor leans into Nicky’s side and nudges his foot against Hermie’s thigh, but at least they’re not consumed by that worthless sense of envy anymore. They set the abandoned container of takeout on the floor beside the couch, and settle against the arm rest.

Despite the fact that Hermie has been laying in bed all day, they still somehow manage to doze off against the arm of the couch. They only jolt back awake when Taylor shifts his feet away from their leg. They weren’t fully asleep, still semi-conscious of the Japanese chatter from the tv, but it was embarrassing to get that close to falling asleep in front of Nicky.

Not that Nicky is paying any attention to them. Neither is Taylor, actually. Nicky is standing up, stretching his arm over his head and rolling his neck. Taylor, fully sitting up now, bounces to his feet. Hermie watches quietly from the couch.

“Well, I should be heading out soon,” Nicky sys, and there’s a flicker of anxiety in Taylor’s expression—gone as soon as it arrives—”You two think you can finish all this food?”

“Definitely!” Taylor says, smiling once more, “ehe… you’ll be back soon, right?”

His voice raises an octave seemingly involuntarily—it makes him sound smaller. Nicky doesn’t seem to notice, as he pats Taylor’s shoulder a couple times.

“Of course, kid,” he says, reassuring but casual. God, he really is an idiot.

“Okay, uh-“ Taylor clears his throat. “See you soon!”

“Yeah, see you-“

“Can you like, give him your number or something?” Hermie cuts in, sliding to their feet to approach the door. “Right now the only way we have to contact you is threatening Taylor’s life, so.”

“Oh hell yeah, good thinking,” Nicky says, sliding his phone out of his pocket and unlocking it in one smooth move before handing it to Taylor. “Put your number in, I’ll text you.”

His eyes slide over to Hermie, but instead of just glossing over them like most people tend to, he smiles a bit when they lock eyes. “You too, Hermie.”

Hermie is unsure of how well they’re able to hide the shock on their face.

“Pardon?”

“I mean, you’re around, so like, might as well, right?” Nicky says casually, and Hermie supposes that makes sense. Hermie is merely another point of contact in case Taylor and Nicky can’t reach each other directly. It's not like Nicky has any interest in keeping in contact with Hermie themself.

Taylor hands Hermie Nicky’s phone— his own name is input as T SWIFT , complete with a sunglasses emoji— and Hermie quickly puts in their own number. They hesitate over the last name, before ultimately deciding to leave the field blank. They return the phone, and Nicky takes it back with a nod.

“Alright, see you soon, kiddo,” Nicky says, ruffling Taylor’s hair before ducking out of the house.

Taylor watches, only closing the door once he's out of sight. His shoulders slump a little when he does, as if just now stepping off-stage after an important scene. Hermie notes the reaction, but refrains from commenting for the time being.

When Nicky texts them later, Hermie registers his number, but doesn’t reply.

#the mortifying ordeal of being roommates #nicky swift #nicky freeman #taylor swift dndads #hermie unworthy #dndads #fic #dndads fic #dndads au #cookies writes and cookies wrongs

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hollywoodsargeant · 1 year

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What's your favorite Logan picture?

this is. a great question. and as someone with 715 pictures of logan saved to their phone (yes actually) there is no way i can narrow it down to just one so i will do some greatest hits. under the break bc i think this post might be disgustingly long

okay i can't Not include this picture ... maybe a bit of recency bias but i love this one entirely too much it's my whole ass LOCK SCREEN like. horrifying behavior actually. but i love him ... his little smile ... he is so stupid i am obsessed with him entirely. saw this picture for the first time while i was in public and actually didn't fully recover for an entire hour. so there's that

and on that note i just really like all of his dumb instagram story selfies. ik he has more but these were the first two i found and i am emotionally attached to both of them. why is he socute. dumb boy

look at him. he is so babygirl. so little guy. logan has never looked so baby. i'm not gonna pretend i don't like his normal look but the hair with no gel is a good look too logan take notes!

classics? idk? logan eagle pose? the f2 one is my laptop lock screen and my chrome tab background fyi. oh and i have it on my phone home screen too ... WELL. definitely very normal behavior. anyways i like these pictures like why is he so dramatic. but it's fitting. very in love with him

UHHHHH i like all of the photos from the whole australia shoot but This one. uhm. hi. it's really big on my screen now and i'm looking very disrespectfully jesus christ. no further comment aside from i want to lick him

hiii silverstone podium ... i am calm. i am so calm. (i am not calm at all). he looked So good this whole podium it's embarrassing how attracted to him i am (in case if you didn't know, i'm attracted to him btw) but the head back deserves a mention. LOOK AT HIM. grrrr

okay and last one. he is so cute. he is soooo cute. i'm so abnormal about this photo i had like a 30 minute meltdown over it idek how to put it to words maybe i'm just obsessed with him ???

and there Are more but i won't include them however consider: all of the volleyball photos, those old williams suit photos where he has his arms crossed and just looks Really Broad, the picture of him and oscar as actual children that oscar posted (he made it to the family fridge!), the merch shoots where he's wearing jerseys (i have a weakness okay), that one picture post-silverstone where he's going in for the hug w his team, and. yeah. before i list off every recent picture of him in existence i think i should stop

#ask #logan sargeant #ls2 #this was a Wonderful question #i love a lot of pictures of him #mostly on the principle that they are Pictures Of Him #i am literally logan sargeant's biggest fan #i don't wanna hear it from anyone #like in case you didn't pick it up logan is my phone home/lock screen #and my laptop home/lock screen #and my chrome tab background #(and my phone case)#so maybe calm down

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godofsmallthings · 10 months

Text

my speak now tv vault track/overall impressions are under the cut if anyone wants to read! wrote these right after listening for the first time :) they got long (a girl has a lot of feelings about speak now! who would've thought)

• electric touch!!!!!!! this is such a cute song omfg. i love the way she writes about love as fire so much (and i think it's interesting considering another common motif she uses is love as a religion...hm. anyway.) if i had to guess when this was written it would've been closer to the beginning of the process bc fearless taylor's sensibilities come through a lot. i can see why they cut it bc it's so similar to sparks fly in concept. i LOVE THE FOB FEATURE.

• when emma falls in love: "little miss sunshine always thinks it's gonna rain" & other incredible one liners!!!!!! OH MY GOD THE BRIDGE. I KNEW I WAS GOING TO LOVE THIS ONE. i understand why they cut this one bc it's not explicitly personal until the bridge and it is speak now after all. even though i think "when emma falls in love i'm learning" (or whatever it is) is a bit of a clumsy lyric, the sentiment is soooooooo dhsksjshdhjdbd. like of course she was looking to her friends and being envious of their relationships going well based on what she was experiencing. it's a beautiful companion piece to btr and little speak now honestly, and i think the themes of comparing yourself to other women on this album are super interesting and relatable.

• i can see you: OMFG DHSGSJDGSJHDKSHSKVDJD UP AGAINST A WALL WITH ME?????? I LOVE HER THIS IS SO FUNNY AND SO FUCKING GOOD WTF. obviously we all know why they cut this. the professional business vibe is so funny like girl why do u want a business man. unfortunately my brain went straight to emily poe bc the gaylor pathways run deep. where was this song 4 months ago. ANYWAY. i'm so glad she let this one bejeweled bc horny teenager music is kind of unmatched. i love her for this.

• castles crumbling: okay nothing new precursor!!! i have a feeling this will be a grower for me. the arrangement/production reminds me of an overly cheesy song that would play during the credits/climactic moment montage during a movie? idk. idk how i feel about it but it certainly is in line with the sound of the rest of the album (haunted, long live). i can't quite tell if she's writing about hypotheticals or if this is stuff she already experienced. the "power went to my head" is so interesting because like. bbygirl u were a kid of course it was going to do that. idk. i thought the second verse was stronger. i think the castles crumbling imagery as an explicit ending to the fairytale themes coming from fearless is a little too on the nose. least fave so far but could def grow on me.

• foolish one: this is SO CUTE. i love this one so much. i'm convinced that the last chorus at the end (her lower register sounds soooooo good there but we all knew that) was something she added retroactively. it feels like present her talking to younger her which is so sweet (but also 😵‍💫). an excellent more realistic thematic companion to little speak now i think. she's so good at these sweet upbeat countryish songs and i will happily take them every time. (edit: "you are not the exception" is a "the only exception" reference, no?)

• timeless: IT'S NOT A TAYLOR ALBUM WITHOUT AN OUR LOVE IS FATE SONG!!!!!! the historical fiction nerd in me is obsessed with this one. THE ROMEO AND JULIET/LOVE STORY CALLBACK IN THE SECOND VERSE??????? OKAY LITERARY GENIUS. the instrumentation is so lush and perfect and the subtle horns are soooooooo nice. it might be recency bias but i think this is my favorite one.

overall I thought it was really interesting to see which songs she cut and how two of them were seemingly because they were too "explicit" in some ways. let baby taylor be horny on main!!!!!!!!! it's really interesting to compare castles crumbling to long live and see how those fears about fame turning sour for her were already very present. it gives more context to the long live bridge imo. overall none of these have like recontextualized the album for me in the way the red vault did (or feel like they were touching on missing pieces of the story ig) but they definitely added some more color to certain themes. i am trying to not think about how i can see you could easily be about jm. overall i'm happy with the speak now album we got but i'm obvs also very glad to have these songs <3

INNOCENT IS COMPLETELY PERFECT. SOOOOO GOOD.

i always forget how much i love country taylor <3

#i think the actual rerecordings on this one are the best across the board #oh ig i forgot to talk about btr. i can see both sides and honestly don't have strong feelings either way but she clearly does and i think #that's fine #the thing about rerecords is that they're supposed to be a replacement but human beings making art about human emotions can't create #a carbon copy. and as it's a lyric that goes with a sentiment she no longer agrees with and is actively harmful that we can all agree is ba #alongside the precedents for doing so both in the current pop music landscape but also in her discography since her first album #i can understand why she would change it even if i might not make the same decision. and the original remains as well (it's not like she's #re-writing history in the same way)#anyway i love it and i love her <3 #and i think i'm going to continue to do my first listens kind of isolated for a bit after this. it was so nice to not be on the #Having Strong Opinions website and getting to just enjoy in my own time. would recommend.#OH and to my btr point i think the new lyric is better which is probably why i am not as phased as i thought i'd be #moth girlies unite #vi is typing...

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dustofthedailylife · 1 year

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more hot takes because why not huehuehue >:)

worst and/or best character story quest/ hangout? by this i mean the plot and whatnot of the quest itself, but of course its influenced by the character's personality haha

one of my favorites is actually the Limited Lantern Rite version of Xiao's quest, genuinely made me cry once the cutscene panned to him :')

Let's gooo! Idk how hot my takes here are but we'll see hehe. I'm enjoying this :P <3

Worst?

I'm sorry, my love... Ayato. Like we just play wedding crasher and political games and don't even get a cool cutscene? I mean yeah, all character quests are just this "oh wow, random NPC has an issue, let's help them" but it felt more prevalent in Ayato's. You may learn about his work and his ways there, but I'd much have preferred something that made me learn more about his personal life/family.

Nilou... as some of you might have noticed I don't like her much. She feels too "Mary Sue" to me. Ms Can Do No Wrong. Although it has gotten better over time, she's okay now. But during the Archon Quest and her Story Quest she annoyed me. The message of the SQ is actually pretty cool but the "wooo we love Nilous and are gifting her free stuff all over the place all the time" during her quest irked me.

Best?

Alhaitham. Das it. The cutscene was really cool. You learn more about him as a character despite it being mostly NPC mumbo jumbo as usual. Then the whole thing with Kaveh at the end where you learn more about their relationship as well. Mwah *chef's kiss*

Baizhu. It may be recency bias but genuinely, it felt really enlightening... I had such a wrong impression about Baizhu all these years. He is so selfless and genuinely just a good dude to the point he actively sacrifices his own health for his patients. And the like 4-minute long cutscene at the end? Hoyo played favorites here for sure.

Almost all limited events explore characters more since they're not just "random NPC has an issue". Kaveh's rn, all Lantern Rites so far, the Albedo Lore during all the winter events? LOVE IT. Just a shame those are limited and new players can't play themselves anymore... especially Kazuha who has most of his lore locked behind events... like??

Favorite Hangout?

Heizou without a doubt. Love the cheeky fucker. The only one who is probably able to top this is going to be Kaveh. He is my pookie and I love him (in a bestie type of way).

#🍁 dust mail #🍁 garden visitor: flos veritatis #🍁 dust moots #🍁彡 gi #genshin impact

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branmuffins22 · 6 months

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🗣 Share your favorite dialogue exchange.

from this ask game

There might maybe be a bit of a recency bias in this one, since I only wrote it like 2 days ago, but I've been obsessed with this phone call in which Vee tries to get rudimentary ghost-detecting advice from Luz.

"Okay, so first, you wanna lick your finger, make sure it's good and wet," Luz started. "Uhh, okay, then what?" came Vee's voice through the receiver. "Then stick it straight up in the air and see if you can tell which way the wind is going." "...Okay, and what's next?" Luz had to think about this. There wasn't really a next step, just advice with what to do with the information. But Vee didn't know that. ...This was an opportunity too good to pass up. "...Luz?" Vee tried again. Steeling herself for shenanigans, Luz spoke up again, "You're gonna wanna stick it in your ear, and twist it around a bit. Really jam it in there." A brief pause, and then "Eugh. Okay, now what?" Jackpot! "OH TITAN DID YOU ACTUALLY DO IT?!" "Wha, yes? You told me to??" she squeaked. "AHAHAHAHA" Luz laughed, and turned to call through the door into the shack, "GUYS, I JUST GOT VEE TO GIVE HERSELF A WET WILLY!" "A what?" Gus asked in the distance, at the same time as Amity (well-versed in the ways of siblings, and having already learned the human name for it) could be heard saying "Ew. Why." "LUZ!!!" Vee must have finally understood what happened, and was no doubt already beginning to plot some petty revenge, but Luz was too busy laughing at her expense to care.

#thanks for the ask!#ask game

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sothischickshe · 2 years

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3, 7, 14 for the happy asks!! 💕💕

😘😘😘

3. Have you received any bookmark notes? Which is your favourite and why?

I have 🥰🥰🥰

So I think maybe the ones on the cr*ck fics are my faves bc they're sooo niche (though this might also be recency bias 🙈😜)

(As an aside, I've been getting some rude/passive aggressive ones, not sure if it’s troll behaviour or a result of ppl not realising these are public, but, while those def weren't my faves ha, I was kinda amused by how unbothered I was 😂)

7. What do you love most about being a fic writer for your fandom?

Mm, MOST is hard... maybe a tie btwn: i. how compelling AND frustrating the source material is (much to mine!!!) & ii. the company -- ive def found it v welcoming & indeed was inspired to write/share in part by authors’ notes encouraging ppl to do so <3

14. Share a snippet.

Ha okay:

Rosa’d always been fond of pinching -- at his cheeks; the insides of his elbows -- while telling him he was going wan. Else wasting away. Encouraging him outside: to sun, to run, to familial fun.

With one relative in particular.

Maybe she long possessed inklings. Or maybe she simply wanted them twined together. The way grandma got that far away expression talking about her own sister, it’d been obvious, even back into earliest days, that she could be gripped by that nameless hovering cloud rio'd eventually come to shorthand as grief, and--

His head shakes, as if from a loose vice.

Well, he always wanted her to be -- cheered.

So he went along with it. Those claims of hers to his and Nick’s similarities, surface and otherwise. Though maybe, he contends with a snort, some of those were actually wailing cries for ophthalmological help.

Cos there’s an ironic refrain slipping through memories, as if it's fluttering against pages of the books featuring there: what words she’d snap when catching him with a clunky flashlight under the covers past bedtime.

Perhaps the line between hypocrisy and insight must always be a wobbly one.

It's not that they much shared tastes in the realm of reading. Oh, he'd tried at her mysteries, first petulantly powered by the decree they were maturer than he, but still mostly found those stories dull at best.

No, he was drawn to the ones with magic. And adventure! Where all wasn’t what it seemed, and simplest -- banal, everyday -- explanations could be countered, possibly overturned. Attracted to the notion that cheat codes of a more exciting (miraculous, even) life were scattered; ripened for the take. The memories make him squirm internally for how hopelessly cliché such a preference seems now, little beyond an innocent yearning for: better.

Believing, fingers crossed, that a person could step sideways, through some foggy firmament and just... Something. Twist all on its head, or at least unhaze one’s own to find the clarion truth of the world. He’d known, or no. That's over-strong. Had felt though, with desperate triumph, there was -- more.

Not solely in general; but for himself.

Once upon a ways back, widest-sensed, he’d kept a near-constant antenna out for clocks striking thirteen, for hidden passages, and the true shape to stuff in the shadows, cos -- cos he thought there’d be answers.

And -- it was useful in its way, rio insists inward, jaw clicking.

That's what got him watching. For the weird. The underground. The -- portals, really.

Watching to wanting was barely a leap. Opportunity sung at a pitch his marrow vibrated to.

He found those routes hungered over then, ultimately. Might be now leaning onto a wooden surface with lightly aching shoulders, but he ain't stuck behind a desk, nor out continually backbreaking. Sure the course was twisted, via exuberant arrogance and with blind trust biting its lessons, but maybe, charitably... That is simply how it had to go.

Rio sighs and focuses hard on focusing, making an effort to preclude his reality from fracturing outward that way it’s liked to, circling on ancient recollections which untether further -- drowning him in past problems and neat notions which oughta be far journeyed beyond by now. His eyes fix on the dirty wooden frame as he attempts to prevent the further skirting of his thoughts, as well as sights.

Next those are skipping over the dusty mirror’s surface, flashes splintering in between each slow yet dartish blink.

Don't worry be happy

#Fanfiction #Writing #Fandom #Faves questions are immoral #I would petulantly like to be able to block ppl who leave anything bookmark comments 🤪😈#It's just like if someone left a normal comment saying I don't like x stylistic choice #I could reply saying: I didn't ask 😂#But there's no way to do so with a bookmark one so I would like to display my disgruntlement 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️#I also would like to be able to edit this snippet in my drafts without being yanked to the top of said drafts after saving #How am I to play with commas to semi colons and vice versa in this sitch!!! 🙄🙄🙄🙄#Something #🪞#🪞🪞🪞#Anyway ty 😘😘#Taps roof of fic this can fit so many headcanons etc etc etc etc etc etc #*annoying not anything #Ffs autocorrect #Feedback

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devil-doll13 · 1 year

Note

some more bc im just so curious ;;;

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of? (since u have such cool concepts)

12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

13. Are there any tropes you used to like but don’t anymore?

Oh hi again!! Thankyou for sending in moreee

From this

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

Ooh one that I’m proud of… For me it might be due to recency bias, but my post on The Organisation clarifying some details I really feel like is good for many reasons, since before The Org. really had little direction and structure;; and I am now making way for possible ‘nonconventional’ deities and continuity in my work which I am super excited about!! I hope to go more cosmic horror with this in the future.

Also Thankyou for the compliment! 🥺

12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

I said this to you before but I used to be not as into darker romance as I am now! I am definitely experimenting more now and enjoying it, partly thanks to your stuff 👀 it can be really hot;; but I also love the tragic and angsty side of it too ngl

I would also say that ‘enemies to lovers’ and similar more conflicting/complicated relationship types because before I used to only like ‘friends to lovers’ and such. I think maybe it was just something that came with age and more experience reading/writing fics, and the realisation that it doesn’t have to be something you should emulate irl;; I find these to be really interesting dynamics when done well!

13. Are there any tropes you used to like but don’t anymore?

Hmm this is a bit of a tough one, I’m actually not sure? Like in general my tastes have stayed much the same just expanded to make way for new likes.

Ok so this might sound weird but I think now I am actually over ‘humanity will always be brutal and nasty when left to their own devices’ stuff like seen in a Lord of The Flies sort of thing. Because I actually think we are capable of more good than that, and grimdark settings have lost a bit of appeal for me tbh. I think there needs to be moments of levity sprinkled in otherwise it feels to over the top to me? If that makes any sense kwkemrlern

#beetie meadow #asks #ask game

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chemicalbrew · 2 years

Note

Simon Blackquill >:)

oh god this got so long so fast. under the cut it goes

First impression

Why are they letting a prisoner serve in the court. Bro, wait, he's kinda hot. Those bags under his eyes, holy shit...

And then he goes like

……………Hmph. ……Enough jabbering. Get on with it, already. ……Must we continue to fritter away time like this? An opening statement… would be pointless.

Look at those sweet, sweet ellipses. Truly, he is the edgelord of Ace Attorney 🖤 I think what I remember the most was just being really excited to hear his speech bubbles. And then WOAH, he has a completely unique one of his own in addition to the objection!! Damn...

Not to mention, he calls the judge His Baldness and it's still funny to me. King shit 👑

Bravo, Your Baldness. Your years of experience shine bright like your head.

Impression now

Is he the best prosecutor in the series? No. It's factually impossible to top Edgeworth, who literally has two spinoffs to himself that I consider to be better than most mainline games (aside from aa3, because that game is a banger). And of course, Miles has some of the most remarkable character development in the main games, too. You can't not at least appreciate the guy, and Simon just can't top that.

The change in writing teams (and the stupid no-spoiler policy that supposedly exists when it really should not) was pretty damn harmful to aa5-6 as a whole, and is obviously part of the reason for my answer as well (even if it in part led to Simon's existence, since he is almost completely disconnected from og trilogy events)... not only did it make the whole air of the games feel off, it also led to huge disconnects between 5 and 6 on their own.

As a very recent (to me) example, a common criticism against my latest favorite case (6-4, that I just finished a few days ago and then my friend did a celebratory art spam for me, heheeh) is that it ends up ignoring the obvious development Athena went through (both on her own and in relation to Simon) in aa5. And, like. Even though I did just say I love the case (enough to consider it ~top 2-3 cases in the series), and Simon+Athena (more on them later, I guess) are my favorite parts of it... I have nothing to really say against this criticism.

I understand that Athena's newfound power and confidence from the end of aa5 needed to be sacrificed in some way to show the delicious mentor \ student+found family dynamics (after all, what is there to teach someone who's already found her footing?), but I also can't deny that the erasure of the character's past accomplishments and developments was quite extreme. The funny thing is, I think reverting Athena's knowledge\confidence levels could serve as a great way to show the kind of threat the new prosecutor (Nahyuta. The ourple one.) presents, but... by now he's been around for three whole cases (counting 6-4) already, and even then, Yuty's writing, imo, is much weaker than Simon's ever was in the 5th game (because they didn't overtly rely on catchphrases while writing Simon, smhhh).

As for the point of this whole ramble... Simon physically can't be the best prosecutor, because, unfortunately, neither games he stars in had writers that could get their shit 100% together. There we go.

But... is he my favorite prosecutor in the series? yes, unless whoever stars in Great Ace Attorney manages to impress me even more. I know a lot of it is recency bias (I'm pretty sure I beat the original trilogy sometime in 2019-20, then I beat aa4 last year, but I only just met Simon in aa5-6 this year), but I'm going to be honest. You can't not appreciate Edgeworth, as I said, but for me, I think, most of the time appreciation is as far as it went with him. Now that I think about it, it might be part of how I prefer latching onto characters with clear gaps and flaws (flashes neon arrow signs at Simon and Nahyuta) more than well-written obvious fan favorites?? But yeah, either way, Edgeworth is cool and all, but not even while playing his games did I feel anything blorbo-esque towards him.

Meanwhile Simon, the motherfucker that he is, wormed his way into my blorbo storage room entirely too fast. There's something about his design, based entirely around black and white while still having just enough intricate details, that just stuck with me (it even serves Taka well, cause his brown feathers stand out even more in such an arrangement!). And then there's his theme (that bass, dude...) and voice (still mad we apparently don't know who did the work. Whoever it was, they did so well...) Not to mention, the way he words things... simultaneously somewhat flowery and most of the time efficient and straightforward... yeah, maybe there's a reason he had me that quickly, ngl.

Favorite moment

Ohhh, time to break into my phone's screenshot folder!!

^ just general one-off noteworthy stuff I managed to dig up. I dunno, his particular flavor of Jerkish Prosecution is so enjoyable to me, like I said🖤 Especially combined with the voice impression his speech bubbles give off... 'I relish the chance to cut down a great man' like, SIR???

^ actual three favorite moments. The first is important foreshadowing (knowing it's himself he talks about is so 🥺... Of course, he's not going to make it easy, because he convinced himself the suffering was deserved...).

The second is simultaneously ridiculously funny and a memorable power move (he really said 'Just walk out! You can leave! Even if you're convicted!'), while also being very much justified, since what he's responding to is almost useless testimony from an arrogant kid who thinks he's a genius because he gets straight As. You really can't fault Simon for having had it with all that shit 🖤

And the third... well, it's honestly nothing much, but it's memorable to me anyway, because a) HE HAS A POINT and b) it reminds me of Robin... one of blorbos ever... also every chance I can take to see a forward-facing sprite of him is A+

And these are just my favorite shots of him from the games themselves. It was always funny to me seeing the bright confetti from the not guilty verdicts over his plain ass grumpy face, and that last shot from 6-4 had no right to make him look so good, smh.

Idea for a story

I think basically everything pertaining to him could make for a nice story in the right hands.

Were all these stories he was telling about his fellow inmates real? How much more ridiculous could you make them, given this is AA we are talking about? Did he get to meet characters that were given guilty verdicts and imprisoned in previous games?

Literally everything with him and Athena. I don't know, just plop them into a room together and study them like bugs! Mentor+student? Parental figure+a young girl finding her place in the world? Exploring a feedback loop from her mom trying to help her with psychology and science and Simon being inspired to pick it all up for similar reasons? Stubborn emotionally scarred man who operates by tough love+equally determined ball of sunshine? Boomer+zoomer? Flowery persuasiveness+honest and straight-to-the-point assistance? Yeah, they got all that going for them and more. It's fucking wonderful. Let me into the alternative universe that lets them have their own game PLEASE...

What\who exactly convinced him to adopt the ridiculous samurai\swordplay aesthetic? I mean, it works, but... what if he is secretly also a Steel Samurai fan or something? :p

In general, how did being told by Miles fucking Edgeworth that you're allowed and basically have to get back to work again to have a chance at basically anything in life feel? Must have been quite a day, huh?

And then, of course, how did he end up adjusting to having freedom again, having all but convinced himself that cold prison cells were his lot in life? At least his job didn't actually change, so... maybe he would plunge himself into work?

What kind of shenanigans did he let Taka get up to, and what misadventures did they have together when they first bonded? What about him having an interest in birds in general? Would he be... jealous of ornithologists?

Food - be it soba or something else. Is he a fancy connoisseur at heart or would he just take whatever he's given? How would he react to having to try something new - like, say, a burger from Nahyuta? lol

This is the obligatory 'ugh I love blackmadhi' bullet point, except I don't actually have anything coherent to say, I just think they work well when you rotate them in your mind together. Two souls from opposing cultures being equally fucked by law and yet working hard in their own ways for the sake for returning to the ideals of pursuing the truth, in the exact same position, but with wildly different and not fully compatible methods... YEAH...

What could be said about his relationship with Aura? And what exactly did he think of his sister's connection to Metis, with her being a mentor and just a presence in his life in general? At first glance, they're just siblings with their bond taken to the extreme and tested by unfortunate circumstances, but exploring that tragedy and what they had before then is what makes this dynamic interesting to me. I just like sad shit, I guess... And then there's this off-handed quip from Phoenix about them that's just way too funny:

(Robot abuse, hawk attacks... Blackquill family life must sure be interesting.)

Unpopular opinion

Unfortunately, since this is not Nahyuta we are talking about, I can't just 'haha, the unpopular opinion is that I actually like him' out of this one... I probably could, given that Simon's still getting called an edgelord (derogatory) straight out of deviantart in 2022, but that's cheap anyway...

Um... I guess I'll just restate what I was saying about 6-4 earlier: him having to be there to support Athena by itself is not a bad thing, it was just handled poorly in part because of the weaker writing and in part because of the baffling decision to try and focus this game on like five characters at the same time... they spread themselves too thin :(

The whole point of having characters go through games-long journeys in the series is that they never truly stop learning, not even when they're actually considered accomplished. This case was a great opportunity to show this again, but it wasn't used to its fullest potential.

Favorite relationship

As per the 'idea for a story' bullet: him and Athena as found family and naturally opposing personalities still being tightly united across time and space :D You just can't go wrong with what's basically chomp lite with a huge deal of devotion and perseverance (that cannot help but show itself through the rough words and treatment) on the side

^ literally the essence of what I love so much about their writing together. Just seeing 'yup!' and 'ye gods' next to each other is taking me out 🖤🧡

And him and Nahyuta just like. In general. Do you think two prosecutors can on purpose kiss... maybe...

Favorite headcanon

He was going to cut his hair again after being released, and the only reason he didn't was because Athena has too much fun playing with it\burying herself in his hair. She would also counter his propositions with 'but Siiimon it's so fluffy... 😭' every single time, and it was too powerful for him to handle. So, long hair it is.

#🪶#aa #long post #zero.txt #im sorry i dont have more headcanons off the top of my head wahhh #also sorry i dont have anything convincing about blackmadhi. im just microwaving them

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leannbolesch · 3 months

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Divine Rivals (3.25 stars)

Just crossed my mind that I can do these here.

This book was super hyped, and since learning it was a BookTok darling, I understand why my reading experience did not live up to my expectations.

I can't think of anything particular that really wowed me or that really put me off. I neither liked nor disliked the protagonist, but rather found her somewhat bland. She wasn't flat. Her personality just didn't click for me. A lot of who she is at the start of her story is wrapped up in her family struggles and while I do like a character who's motivated by past family trauma, I find things like loved one away at war and fate unknown or parent struggling with alcoholism tedious to read about as it happens. Apparently, the inclusion of Roman as a second POV was added to later drafts and I'm glad for that. Even if it was narratively unnecessary, he was just a more entertaining character for me

I liked the time period aesthetic and the way in which the author built up exposition about the gods, but I feel like more needed to be explained about the war for it to be included in the plot in the way that it was. More detail about the war itself. More detail about the gods powers and how they were waging the war. The characters, despite being paid to report objectively on what's happening, mostly exist at the periphery of the conflict. I got way too far in before realizing this was standard trench warfare (with one side also using demons as a magic stand in for bomber planes) and not the more classic magic battle I'd expected from a war between gods in a world filled with wild magic.

The romance was okay. It is, as the title might suggest, rivals to lovers, although it felt a little weak on that aspect because Iris starts the book already making efforts to befriend Roman and Roman knows for most of their rivalry about all her intimate thoughts due to him saving her letters. As is typical of a romance fantasy (think power fantasy but for romance, rather than the genre with elves) the male love interest becomes a little too devoted a little too quickly, to the point that other personality traits get eclipsed so he can spend more page space being in love and devoted. The development wasn't too clunky otherwise. The two are given some believable moments and interactions to bring them together.

If I see the sequel sitting out at my library, I'll probably grab it. This book was an okay use of my time. The writing style was nice and easy to read. I didn't fall in love with it and I've got enough else to read about, so I don't see myself going out of the way to find the next book in the near future, despite it already being out. In fact, a day out from reading it I thought "Later this year" and two weeks out I feel more like "If I never get around to it then oh well."

I usually grab a bunch of books before taking a vacation. Maybe as a matter of recency bias, I'll pick up the sequel to read on a plane or something.

#bookblr #readblr #divine rivals #rebecca ross #book review

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