#Also I guess if you want to give me a recommendation I'm happy to add it to my list of 100+ books I want to read

[reluctanthurricane]

People should give me money to consume media, especially but not exclusively books, specifically spec-fic novels. I shouldn't have to have coherent thoughts about them though, I'm not good at that part. Incoherent thoughts only.

[loupy-mongoose]

*Ahem*

Happy Halloween!! ^w^

Bug Fables.

It's my current favorite video game, and actually, you can thank it for Linden Roots existing~

I'll explain, but in order to do so I have to dive into spoilers for one of my absolute favorite plots for one of my absolute favorite characters, so I need to slap on a;

MASSIVE SPOILER WARNING!

In my opinion, this game is best experienced SPOILER FREE, so if you haven't played it and want to some day, I recommend skipping my info dump below. (This info can be acquired before beating the main game though. :>)

You're okay with spoilers? Yes? Okay, carry on.

So.

Those who are familiar with Leif's story will probably see how Bug Fables influenced the creation of Linden Roots.

A long while ago, I mentioned Randy being inspired by my favorite fictional character.

That's Leif.

Leif is a moth who is ancient.

And dead.

Loooooong before the game takes place (I can't find an exact timeframe; it's like a generation or two), Leif went with a team of bugs to explore a cave, but ended up dying in there. In that same cave, a group of scientists later experimented on cordyceps. Now, as soon as they became relevant to the story I was HOOKED.

I learned about cordyceps as a kid, and they scared the crap out of me. But it also was one of those morbidly fascinating things I'd look into once in a while. (Before anyone tells me, yes, I know that's what's in The Last of Us.)

If you don't know, IRL cordyceps basically turn bugs into zombies.

Anyway, the scientists were trying to find a way to create eternal life (what else is new lol), and did this through cordyceps. Which, as one could guess when dealing with zombie fungus, ended up going badly for the scientists.

One of the "failed" experimental fungi was thrown out, and found its way to the deceased Leif, and brought him back to life. It took on his memories, and Leif woke up without knowing what happened, until you dig into his story during the game. So the "Leif" we know in the game isn't truly Leif, but is the fungus living as him.

Now... I'm sure that sounds a bit familiar...

This idea of a character being dead-but-not struck a chord with me. It fascinated me to no end.

But there's more to it.

As one might expect, Leif has some tragedy surrounding him.

While playing the game, you can stumble upon his decedents.

This here is Muze. With a 'z'

This is Leif's great great however-many-greats grand-daughter, who you meet in the game's present day.

When he was alive, he had a wife.

His wife was Muse. With an 's'.

We never get to see what Muse looked like, but he says in-game that Muze is a spitting image of her. Hence why Akoya is dressed as she is in my pic. She's dressed as Muse.

Now, according to the developers, Muse was pregnant when Leif went into the cave where he died.

And he didn't know.

There are several moments in the game that show Leif's potential as a father, but one in particular stood out to me.

(Note for the images; Leif refers to himself as "We/Us".)

Oops, I forgot one. Vi finishes by shouting "I said it's not happening!"

The text in the last shot bounces/wiggles in-game, indicating playfulness or joking.

If you're familiar with Goombario and Goombella in the Paper Mario games, this dialogue is this game's version of that. You can have the main characters give flavor text on any area and most characters in the game. (And I recommend doing it often, as it adds SOOO much to the game! ^v^)

This bit takes place in the first room after Kabbu and Vi meet Leif. And at the end of the room, an event happens to change what's said for the rest of the game. Meaning, the only time you see it is RIGHT after they meet; He was getting playful with these two bugs he'd met only moments ago.

I'm sure it can just be seen as sarcasm, but having found this dialogue after learning about Leif missing out on raising a child, I saw it as a clue that he would've been a great dad. And it shattered me. ;w;

Randy and Akoya are wish-fulfillment. They're my version of Leif and Muse. They're my way of giving Leif and Muse what I'm sad they missed out on, while also keeping some of the angst, lol. Thankfully, they've evolved into their own separate characters that I feel I can be proud of, but Leif's story and tragedy still has a deep, well-protected place in my heart.

Anyway, thanks for checking out my ramble. I accept no blame for any potential spoiler you might've seen against your will. XD

[harmonysanreads]

Trivia - Jeux de Vagues

I suppose this is the somewhat ‘lore’ of the aforementioned fic. I recommend reading the fic first before diving into this as this contains spoilers :> I normally wouldn't do this but per the vote of @verridaiya I was encouraged to regardless. Something to note would be that even though this is what I had in mind while writing, readers' personal interpretations are equally valid!

“Jeux de Vagues”

I mentioned this in a reblog already but the title comes from the second movement of the symphony “La Mer” by Claude Debussy, a French composer. It literally translates to ‘Play of the waves', quite fitting for a leisurely tea-party with Neuvillette, no? I also highly recommend listening to the piece in general, it might take some patience but if you love daydreaming about watching the sea waves away from your struggles as well, this is the music for you!

“6 to 12 O'clock”

Before I tell you why I'm showing this particular line, I want you guys to take a guess on what I meant by the 'noon to evening and midnight to dawn' part :>

.

.

.

One of the rules of afternoon tea etiquette is that when you stir the tea, the appropriate motion to do is a 6 to 12 O'clock (so towards yourself and away from yourself) instead of going in circles. I thought just outright saying it wouldn't be fun so I instead used the four time indicators of 6 and 12 ! But of course, this could also symbolize the duration of Reader “scheming” since the beginning of the marriage.

“Fin de siècle”

Fin de siècle is a French term meaning “end of century,” a phrase which typically encompasses both the meaning of the similar English idiom “turn of the century” and also makes reference to the closing of one era and onset of another. [Taken from Wikipedia]

I kept on thinking about how to incorporate the ‘Isolation’ theme for Yandere!Neuvillette while also respecting his ideal of fairness. In one of his voice lines, he encourages to speak-up against grave injustice. With that in mind, this idea of “Keeping Reader isolated but giving them a chance to gain freedom by debating against Neuvillette once every century” was born. If Reader can successfully prove that Neuvillette is a terrible husband or their marriage is unjust, they can leave. But obviously, that's just false hope.

“Mon trésor”

Mon trésor is a gender-neutral French term of endearment which means “My treasure” in English. Huge thank you to @/cerulean-castle and @/iceunhie for responding to my cry of help for this one as I was puzzled about French terms of endearment for a while. @/iceunhie gave me the link to a post of gender-neutral French terms of endearment which I found really helpful <3

As for why I chose Mon trésor as what Neuvillette calls Reader, it was due to the specific connotations between dragons and their treasures. Or in Neuvillette's case, Reader is his treasure. Hence, after sufficiently provoked, he doesn't flinch from referring to them as ‘abandoned property’.

“The words unspoken are the flower.”

Directly quoted from Neuvillette's [About : Wriothesley] voice line. According to him, it's an Inazuman proverb which means “Some words are better left unsaid.” which is Neuvillette's answer to his subconscious question of why he goes to such lengths for Reader.

Now, you can interpret this in a variety of ways and I'll say some of the “possible” ones. Perhaps he refuses to verbalize the causes because doing so would force him to face the hypocrisy and irrationality behind his actions. Perhaps he truly doesn't know, as there are many things he's on the path to understanding. Etcetera.

I might add onto this post if anyone has more questions from the fic itself. Writing Jeux de Vagues was quite difficult because I had a deadline of sorts but I was determined to finish it. Although there might be room for further improvement, I'm still happy that I pulled it of :') I hope that at least, my love for Neuvillette's character can be felt through the fic <3

[sadiegirl2021]

Writing tag game by @bonecarversbestie !

Describe your writing process from idea to posting/publishing?

I have a notes app called EasyNotes where I jot down all my ideas as I get them; bits of dialogue I think would work in a fic, interactions between characters (which always come to me just as I'm about to drift off to sleep) and very, very rough outlines of chapters.

Then, I'll word vomit onto a doc and copy in any notes I had.

Because I'm better at dialogue than describing the scene, I'll write out all of that first and then work from there to flesh it out. Like starting with the skeleton.

Once I have the first draft done, I start my editing process. I go paragraph by paragraph correcting spelling and grammar (I have a Chrome extension called LanguageTool), and then I play the whole chapter through another Chrome extension called Read Aloud. Because of my ADHD, it can be difficult to catch all my errors by reading alone, so hearing it out loud helps A LOT! Would recommend it. (Although the voices used are hilarious. Hearing your smut scene's read out by a monotone robot is slightly traumatising 😂)

Once I'm happy with a paragraph, I will add HTML coding to it - the <p> tag. In my head, it's just the easiest way to mark that a paragraph is complete. If I'm still not sure about a sentence or paragraph, I will mark it in red to rework. I also add all my <i> tags as I'm writing, so I don't forget about them later!

I realise I'm doing too much! But, I quite enjoy the editing process.

Once I get a chapter or One Shot uploaded, I try my best not to read it again so I'm not continuously making little changes.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I want to be a plotter SO BAD! I've got Excel sheets, multiple docs with outlines, plot points, and a solid plan. And then boom! The characters run off like a crazed toddler in the opposite direction, and all I can do is follow. So… I guess I'm a pantser!

What do you listen to when you are writing?

I have multiple Spotify playlists depending on the mood of the fic/chapter I'm writing. If I need to write emotional scenes, I'll put on some heartbreaking Emo songs from 2006! Or, if my energy drops while writing, I'll switch to 90s pop. Generally, though, I just listen to instrumental music. One of my fav playlists is this one.

What’s your drink of choice (while writing)?

Water. I am booooooring. It is sparkling, though!

Promote yourself! What’s your favourite thing you’ve written?

I think it's Hot Girl Summer. This was supposed to be a little funny, 5-10 chapter fic that wasn't serious. And it has spiralled into a multi POV, 40-chapter story with so much plot! I'm loving the process, though. And I think I will definitely have to get it bound when it's all done.

Share a fic of yours that you think is underrated/deserves more love.

I'm going to say Hot Girl Summer too. I think a lot of people aren't as interested in stories that follow both Gwynriel and Elucien (and sometimes E/riel or another pairing with their favourite characters) at the same time. I haven't seen many fics that do it, but they’re some of my favourites in the fandom, and I’m so happy to add to that list. If you're hesitant, I highly recommend giving them a try!

My favs are:

Call Me Home (by @propagandaprincess)

A Court of Vision and Bloom (by studentwriter666)

Best Laid Plans (by @trappedoutside124)

Do you have any advice for new writers?

First of all, just do it! It took me 33 years to build the confidence to try. For most of my life, I didn't think I was good enough to write, even though I had so many stories to tell. In my 20s, I probably wouldn’t have had the confidence to take the plunge. Writing opens you up to criticism (which I hate!), but I’m forever grateful that 99.9% of my readers have only ever been incredibly supportive and encouraging.

Don’t be afraid to use tools that help you. I know my limitations with ADHD, so I created a process that works for me. Everyone has a different method, and the right one is whatever works for you.

Finally, finding a community of like-minded people makes the whole process a lot more fun. I love helping others develop fic ideas or beta-reading for them, and appreciate all the support they give me. It really motivates me to keep writing.

What is a writing style/technique that others do really well that you'd like to get better at?

Flow and angst! I'm really working on improving these areas in my writing. I'm quite impatient and tend to rush through the plot rather than building up tension. I know I need to slow down and let the story breathe, but it's so hard! I just want my characters to kiss within the first 5 seconds 😂

Is there a character you were surprised you enjoyed writing as much as you did?

Eris Vanserra!

Gods, I love torturing this man! I've redeemed him so much in my fic that I'll be heartbroken if he truly turns out to be just a dickhead in the canon ACOTAR world!

Thank you for tagging me @olenvasynyt

No pressure tags: @sunshinebingo @avabrynne @thevalkyriesshadow @aldbooks @hlizr50

[nerdylittleguy]

Transformers Earthspark theory - how Knockout could actually be Mr Smelt

....or ideas about it, anyway. Enjoy my observations!

So uhh here's where the neurodivergent urge to consume media and hyperfixate on it has lead me! Please, feast your eyes on my flow chart/ mind map of madness™.

I know the text is really small, if you click and zoom it could be easier to read. I did try to split the original image into quarters, hope that makes it a little easier to read. However, if anyone needs a transcript I'll do my best to sort it out, my only concern is that I have no clue how to link ideas if they're just bullet points (the idea of having a way to link ideas is what lead me to make this in this format :) )

Perhaps a bit of an explanation as to what lead to this?

A few weeks ago, I saw the Earthspark season 1 part 2 trailer and hey... Who's that?? Breakdown?? Of course, I immediately wanted to watch what existed of the series so far, and imagine my pleasant surprise when I heard Knock Out's (tfp) VA voiced a side character!

Anyway, I started watching the series, finished it in 3 days, cried tears of happiness over Nightshade's pronouns (for those of you who say representation doesn't matter, it does. You probably just feel represented), fell in love with Megatron, etc etc. But imagine my absolute, brain-rotting madness when I couldn't find episode 7 on youtube!

Meh, like that would stop my theory brain. Using various episode summaries I found on youtube (first and foremost this one, as it was short and had good attention to detail! But if anyone has any recommendations for other good summaries feel free to let me know), I started to slowly make a mindmap. That evening I found @transformers-earthspark's blog and the where-to-watch resources... Firefly I cannot thank you enough!!! You're literally amazing!! You have no idea how happy I was to find ep 7!! You do so much, give yourself a pat on the back and a nice snack :))

Anyways, armed with my new access to ALL the earthspark episodes (1 - 10, anyway, as only they are available atm), I remade some of my mindmap, added to it, made more points. Over the last few weeks (aka less than two) I polished my mindmap, did some colour-coding, added images, links, details etc until it could apparently fit on an A3 sheet?? What??? So many ideas from silly old me??

Obviously, I don't think I'm completely right. As a matter of fact, I think I made many assumptions and links that were a very big stretch (blame this overactive imagination of mine. I keep thinking of potential plot lines and then forgetting that actually, I made them up and they're not canon). However, I hope I made a few points that will inspire someone to make their own theories, or just have fun thinking!

Apologies if this all sounds garbled or if it's difficult to understand, I am tired and I have two languages running around in my head (that I'm fluent in, I've also tried to learn 5 others. Lingual hell!!!)

Have a good day/ night and enjoy the theories!

Also a quick note and thing to add: I wrote this on Monday the 27th (I draft just about everything in my notes ok), before I woke up on Tuesday and saw the new images from the episodes, including the one with Breakdown!! AHHH!! /pos So I guess I was right about something? And I mean... Breakdown and a theme of racing in one episode? If this is a coincidence and Knockout is not chilling somewhere in the background then I don't know what to say.

[thebarontheabyss]

Hiya~

Newcomer to your interactive story (and the genre as a whole tbh, a bit of a boomer so it's my first time experiencing it.) and gotta say, I absolutely love it!

I've only finished 2 chapters but goddamn! I love Raven sm lol and how interesting all the other characters are too; you can tell how excellent of a storyteller you must be! I'm genuinely blown away by everything - down to the vocab even!

Curious; i wanted to know any BTS tea you could spill about TBOTA, like what was the inspiration behind the premise, the characters...etc. did you model anyone after people you know? and oh, the humor is just immaculate, any shows/comedians that inspire that or are you naturally that funny lol? (these are the questions that pop into my mind now but feel free to spill more deets, I'd love to pick your brain!)

Hi there! Thank you for reading! Happy to answer :D

Welcome to interactive fiction! I highly recommend checking out Choice of Games, a platform for similar interactive stories. The forums are also chock-full of fantastic works in progress that you should definitely take a look at!

I actually combined two unfinished stories of mine from 10 years ago to create TBOTA. One focused on Death, while the other provided most of the lore I use for this game. I don't want to give away too much about the plot, but after publishing TBOTA, I plan to work on the other story, which will be called "Awakening: Tehomot."

Talking about humor, I was an unathletic nerdy gay kid, so being funny was an important trait to have, lol. I love writing banter, and much of my inspiration came from dialogue in RPGs like Dragon Age and Mass Effect. In general, I prefer comedies that mix tragedy (it's the best remedy, after all) or even the horror genre (What We Do in the Shadows!)

I guess I just love comedy as a coping mechanism lol!

Regarding other inspirations, my long-term memory is SO BAD, so I linked an ask from a while ago where I answered a similar question. (It took me about two hours to remember all of this stuff, lol)

I will add that I grew up watching Hayao Miyazaki's films, which inspired the characters and story in this game and shaped the way I create and write.

Thanks for the ask, I would be glad to answer any additional questions you may have. ❤️

[kaledya]

Gosh... I continued writing chapter 4 and something came to my mind, something I completely want to avoid and is a problem.

You know that moment when you just like an OC too much that you give it to much attention?

I'm so worried that I try to make an good introduction and writting on my OC's that I forget working on the other characters.

Anyways, after all that thing I gave to you of Arzel in the previous message (can we call it that?) now I would like to explain about his relationship with the main characters (some of them) specially with Charlie and Constantine.

Let's say that it's complex to explain without spoilers, but in terms of rivalry, Arzel and Constantine are enemies to death.

Vader and Kenobi, Vergil and Dante, Dabi and Todoroki, Venom and Spiderman, a Pitbull named "Princess" that hates babies and a dog named "destroyer" that protects them, Arzel hates him a lot.

But still... I like to add that Arzel as a villain is someone who knows Constantine too much, so in combat, it kinda becomes a "the first one that makes a wrong move is dead" fight.

Also I like to add the struggle of both of them being what we call "A Monster", and also the importance of power is visible, but Arzel is a character far more obsessive with it.

He isn't fully written, but gosh I even imagine him being part of the main cast, same problem as the beginning, I don't want to put my OC's as "The Best and Coolest" but gosh I can't stop selling them as that.

Help my Dr. Kaledya, HELP ME!

Also I 2 things

First: Just so you don't forget: I left the Arzel thing in there, I guess you'll have to search it.

Secondly: Can you recommend my Fanfic? Only if you think it's worth of recommendation.

Have a nice day, afternoon or night!

Lmao! I don't think this is a bad thing, liking OCs is something that makes you happy, I'm so glad to hear that you are happy!

And yes I know that feeling! But don't worry, there is no need, this is your story, it is your right to want to give your OC a nice introduction!!

Yes, I read that message, thank you for Describing it in detail, it is much better in my mind now!!

I really love Arzel and Constantine's relationship and the examples you use for ther relationship are really great!

And lmao ı love that pitbull joke

And yes, it really makes sense because if you know the person you are fighting with, you know what to do.this looks at a mistake in war and this mistake brings the end of that person.

I'm seriously so glad to hear that you love your OC so much.Don't be shy, write it in detail. The more you get to know your character, the more your character develops.So don't hold yourself back, do your best!

Dr.kaledya did not see a problem and recommends you do what you are doing now.

Oh! I thought I suggested it! Of course, I think it's a fanfic worth recommending *runs to reblog*

Have a nice day!

[disasterinbound]

seeing the villainess-like otome game au on @/hourlyhanamura twitter (thank you retrospring anon) has made my brain rumble and started making me (unfortunately) think.

Who would be the villain(ess)!!! It could go both ways!!! It really could!!!

Yosuke is the favourite but not really favourite antagonist—some people like him, some don't

Maybe some things like a romance path with him was cut (HM JUST LIKE. HM.)

And perhaps Yu gets recommended the otome game by a classmate. It's popular, the characters are cute, what more could you ask for

Yu is just like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ "ok guess i'll try it" cuz it's not like he has anything else to do in his free time besides studying, housework and making meals for himself

The game is pretty fun, and it doesn't shove romance into your face every chance it gets. He definitely gets into the rabbit hole after he realises that he's been playing it for a very very long time

As he gets heavily invested into it and the characters, Yu starts crushing on the villainess (yosuke), and wishes that he could be in the game with him/out here in real life with him

idk the crush starts as something small cuz the story could progress and show the villainess as having a sympathetic side/being more than his cold, jerkish and standoffish side except GASP it's choice locked in another character's route, so players might miss it

And then story progresses more, more softer moments with yosuke and that all adds up into a mega fat crush on him

Want to add that almost all the endings of the game are just Yosuke leaving Inaba (Junes does not disappear tho) or being absolutely humiliated and never showing his face ever again. [Sorry yosuke]

Maybe he becomes more like shadow yosuke as the game progresses....

Though that also kind of asks what kind of villain yosuke would be... would he be a calculating cunning type or like cartoonishly evil kind of bullying. i'm kind of leaning towards a mixture of both because a) this image

And b) the protagonist of the game is like. Idk a transfer student. Yosuke is as well, but unlike him, the protag is well-liked and well-received. And he wants that, wants to be liked as well but because of Junes and what it represents to Inaba, he gets none of that.

All he has are harsh glares and murmuring of housewives as they whisper to each other about yet another shop out of business. They really have nothing better to do, but neither does he, out in the god damned countryside.

So he becomes insanely jealous and he decides to be a prick to the protag out of his envy and the mindnumbing dullness of Inaba. He's mean to everyone tbh, but it's more or less a shield to protect himself.

And then in comes Yu, as the newly isekaid or something idk protag.

Despite all of Yosuke's general prickliness and jerkishness towardd him, Yu still showers him with care and affection, something Yosuke hadn't really gotten since... he came to Inaba. It's kind of nice, it's making him happy that someone likes him, but he's also waiting for it to be a huge prank/the other shoe to drop

Because really. Someone actually liking him? Someone making him feel like he's much more than the scourge of Inaba?

There's just no way. Sooner or later, the townsfolk or his classmates will convince him of the Prince of Junes who ruins everything, tell him that Yosuke's such a disappointing person, don't get too close to him if I were you and whatnot.

It's better for Yosuke to push Yu away before he inevitably leaves Yosuke alone.

But Yu continues to stay, continues to lavish him with affection despite there being other, better people to give it to.

Whatever. He'll just secretly bask in it as long as it lasts, until Yu moves on. This definitely doesn't make him stay awake at night, wondering why the popular transfer student would do this.

ON THE OTHER HAND VILLAIN YU

again its similar to if yosuke was the villainess, where he gets recommended a popular otome game and he plays it, and then having a big fat crush on yosuke

Except yknow. Yosuke has his own route instead of his moments being choice-locked in a different route.

Once more the cold and cruel villainess has bad endings, resulting in getting banished or whatever.

Now, Yu gets transported and becomes the villain. He definitely sees this as a chance to lavish all his affection onto Yosuke

This gives Yosuke a crisis because mmmm this guy is pretty much rumoured to be very bad, so why is he so caring??? with me??? why are there butterflies in my stomach.... why is he also such a dork as well i saw him petting twenty cats at once...

In Yosuke's route, he has some pretty low self esteem coupled with comparing himself to the protag and junes

Because the protag is a transfer as well, but they seem to be making themselves at home while he's stuck at the doorbell

I genuinely dont know how to explain this its all in my head and makes perfect sense right now. Maybe its something like JUNES related, ingame reasons and all.

But out of the way protag, Yu is now taking charge of Yosuke's route, regardless of whether he's the villainess or not.

I dont quite see Yu being able to play along with the rumours of the villainess being a ruthless and cruel person. Sure, he might come off as cold to people, but it's his "dont get too involved" mindset that carried over.

It would be funny if some misunderstandings start adding more fuel to the fire.

Torturing cats? No, he was actually feeding them fish. The angle looked really bad to the person.

Mugging an old lady? No, he was actually escorting mrs tatsumi across the road, something which kanji is very appreciative of

Bullying year 1s? Nope. They dropped something and he was trying to give it back to them

But yeah yosuke being unable to get to sleep because he's too busy getting flustered over Yu's actions, and wondering if everyone's got yu wrong or if this is just an act to trick him into letting his guard down.

But then again, what kind of evil person would go out of his way to make him... happy?

[lostfracturess]

helloo!!! just finished all the "symptoms and causes" chapters that are out and i want to say this story has me on a MASSIVE chokehold 😭😭😭😭😭 stumbled upon the recommendation and decided to give it a try, because i already saw the chapters under the tag, though i am not a huge fan of long ongoings with the y/n, but lord it was one of the best decisions here, i wish i read it earlier! I don't know even what to start with, so im sorry for this kinda chaos, i guess the first thing that really got me is the characters and the way you depict them!!! satoru is so fucking good here, you describe him in such a thoughtful and thorough manner it makes me smiling blushing giggling 😫😫😫😫 the characteristics of him, his actions, little details of him handling himself around... it's so subtle yet adds a lot of deep to the character! i like especially when you highlight the intensity of his stare in the various situations, i think it's really canon of him!! overall he has me on my knees 😞😞😞 and y/n??? GOSH THIS WOMAN! i understand satoru completely, she would've me wrapped around her finger as well. i like that she feels....real? like a total normal human being with flaws, she's neither perfect in every aspect nor she tries to be. i ADORE her strength and the way she collects herself in the difficult situations ("i have to be strong for them"), yet she's not kinda of a terminator and indeed is vulnerable. the chess game just had me thinking whether i want to be her or want to be with her (this option is closed but still-), it's just THIS good. pacing is also very nice!!!! i think that everything just perfect the way it is. and the setting??? you did a very good job at describing it, i really felt like i was there in these moments (though to be honest i half read the surgeries because of the terminology 😭😭😭😭😭), it's very good. also the thing i would like to point out is the surroundings of y/n, it's not only just her and satoru communicating, but a variety of other people, i like their friendship with yuta, maki and toge! suguru and satoru are also nice, their bond is strong for sure, I'm really glad they have such people in their lives (we do not talk about sukuna and gojo's parents...). and ALSO THE ANGST??? it's just so fucking good written, their emotions and feelings 😩😩😩😩 literally biting my pillow!!!!! overall, the story is magnificent and looking forward to the next chapter! sending you lots of inspiration!!!!

p.s. looked through your playlist as well, i think it's very nice! might i suggest you to listen to "don't blame me" by taylor swift, cause to my humble opinion it fits them perfectly 😫

thank you SO SO much for this incredibly thoughtful message! honestly, reading this was the best part of my day. it makes me so unbelievably happy that you gave symptoms and causes a chance, even tho you're not into long stories and ended up liking it! 😭

i'm so glad that you're connecting with the characters! i spend a lot of time trying to get into satoru's headspace, like messy, chaotic, but with a surprising amount of hidden vulnerability and a really genuine love. so glad you're catching all those nuances!!

and yes, the STARES! i think this man communicates with his stupidly handsome eyes 99% of the time. it just must be canon.

also so glad you like the reader persona in this story. i wanted to portray someone both strong and flawed, capable of taking charge yet never being immune to their own doubts. i've been nervous that people can't relate or see themselves in the story, so i'm very relieved to hear that! <3

also so happy to hear the chess scene landed well for you, this is one of my favorites!!!

moreover find it kinda funny that you just SKIP the surgery scenes because of the medical terminology, that i spend hours researching for haha. but i get you, it might be a bit much and boring...

thank you again for taking your precious time to write me this sweet message!! can't wait to share more of the story with you! & wishing you nothing but the best! 🥲🫶🫶

and i will definitely add, don't blame me! haven't been listening to taylor swift as much lately, even though i'm going to her concert this summer omg.

[the-nocturnal-writer]

Evenfall Grove Dev log 3

Busy, Busy, Busy.

My partner got a new job recently, so I've been helping him prepare and not feel so nerves. That being said, I have been getting stuff done here and there when I can.

I keep thinking "Oh, I finally have a little time to sit and draw/write!" then something new pops up for us. 😂 It's a bit funny, but also makes me so frustrated with myself. But- This is also my first game on my own, so I guess playing it slow and steady isn't the worst thing...

I have been finishing up Heke and Constantin's re-design, while Ashborn is done (expect their full portrait to be posted soon!) Also, say hi to Ash's friend. He's a small and mighty bird.

I'm going to miss colouring Ashborn's picture, they were just a vibrant assortment of colours compared to the other two. (Question to build the hype for our gorgeous witch's full reveal! Would you let Ashborn give you a tattoo if they asked? Better yet, would you get matching tattoos?)

I like Heka's neater attire since I wanted him to be well-kept and comfy. Lots of soft fabrics and loose clothes. I also added more make-up and designs to his human form because my boy has FLAIR. (Should I post shirtless Heka to show off his chest markings? Hmm....)

I believe I mentioned it already, but I wanted Heka to give a welcoming presence, if a little mysterious. The only off-putting thing I kept was his human body's eyes... But there's a reason for that decision....

Constantin is less bulky and features more sentimental accessories (He's not going to be an easy one to romance the more and more I write....) and tighter attire... I stand by my decision. He's a Hunter, so to me, he needed something that wouldn't restrict him, but also not weigh him down too much. Also had to add the eye cover for his scarred eye. The more I write, the better I can see how these characters present themselves.

For instance, Con is a character full of guilt, shame and fear. The scarred eye is the one injury he ever felt he deserved and it's also his biggest shame, so he would be the sort to cover and hide it.

I don't have much else to update on, other then I've been mindlessly writing and drawing when I can. It's all a cluster of mess, but I'm at least happy I'm moving along despite life not giving us a moment to breath.

I've also been thinking, since it was recommended, to create a Patreon! I wanted to post about it to get some feedback and hear what you all would like to see! So far I was thinking exclusive stories, art and early access, etc. Maybe also extra NSFW stuff? Hm...

Anyway. Thank you to everyone still following along with the progress and giving Evenfall a second thought. It means so much to know how many of you are interested in Evenfall Grove. It helps, more then you'll ever know, to keep me creating! So again, thank you!

Final thing, I will try to put aside some time to answer ask this weekend, so feel free to throw any feedback, questions and curiosities over there!

[oozmium]

Ranking the smt ivf collab Cafe as someone who will never have the chance to taste it ft. probably inaccurate translations of their names

Part 1 featuring the actual meals because I forgot tumblr has an image limit

1. "Godslayer" Meat Platter

We got steamed chicken and duck meat with some salsa and salad... that sounds yummy but man idk why but this just looks so unappetizing. I mean at least I can stomach duck though so I'd totally be open to eating this. But also it doesn't look like a sizable portion so hm.

6/10: presentation kills this meal sorry Nanashi

2. Dagda's Large Fried Rice

Good god this is a lot of rice... I'd imagine this would pair well with Nanashi's meal. Looks like a nice batch of fried rice but I have to take points off for the overkill on the sesame seeds... I want my rice not seeds... though apparently the seeds are inspired by Dagda's color scheme so huh.

7/10: it's rice. Too much seeds. I'd complain it's a big portion but the famitsu article notes this is meant for 2-3 people so that's fair.

3. 阿修羅会御用達 悪ピ��� (tls to smth along the lines of Ashura-Kai Purveyor Pizza?? I didn't trust the machine tl so I'm putting the kanji)

Now this is something I'd definitely eat. A nice piece of pizza bread will always make me happy. The famitsu article notes that this was the meal most recommended by reporters.

There is one other thing to note about this one: it's meant to be split between two or three people! ... like Hallelujah and his "Bro".... 😦

10/10: I'm not immune to pizza bread and reporters really liked it so I'm sure it was delicious

4. Asahi's Energetic and Healthy Coriander Salad

This one is really cute, although I have to admit I've never tried coriander but there's a first for everything! The flower is a very cute touch too, but I'm a picky guy so the peppers are a bit of an ick for me... I can't eat them in salad it needs to be put in stuff like a sandwich for me to eat it.

7/10: unsure on if this would be tasty but the presentation really sells it!

5. Flynn a la Mode (aka Furin a la Mode)

Ooo now this is a yummy looking dessert! Would absolutely demolish it (sorry Flynn).

They said the pun was unintentional; instead the idea was everyone's beloved Flynn wanted to make a dessert everyone loves (I hope I'm reading that correctly 🥺)

9/10: I'd give it a 10/10 (and it really deserves one) but I'm very picky on those extra gummies surrounding the pudding...

6. Jonathan's Grilled Beef Tongue

Er. Apparently chosen for Jonathan for its elegant and luxurious taste ... anyway this looks very yummy and it gets extra points for the kewpie mayo 🤤. The onions are a nice touch too... guess I have to concede and agree this is really elegant!

9/10: I've never tried tongue personally but the kewpie mayo would be enough to get me on board with eating it.

7. Father's Fisherman's Meal

They want you to think Walter's dad caught the fish that went into this meal... I laughed a bit ngl. Anyway I'm always down for poke-esque meals I guess it'd come down to the quality of the meat 🤔 though the amount of fish in there might leave me wanting more...

6/10: unsure if I want to give this higher bc I don't personally know how the fish tasted... also could use more fish.

8. Fairy Forest Mushrooms

Maybe they're not appetizing to you but I absolutely LOVE mushrooms. They're so yummy to me and especially when you add some nice butter for extra flavor... mmm very yummy 🤤.

8/10: I'm biased I like eating mushrooms I'd devour this in a heartbeat

9. Gaston's Long Skewer Platter

This was the 2nd funniest item on the menu (you'll see the funniest one soon). Other than that, skewers are always tasty with some soy sauce and lemon for extra flavoring... although apparently it was a guessing game to discover what was inside the skewer?

7/10: unsure if i wanna play skewer roulette with Gaston 😦

[allthefujoshiunite]

Can I ask your top 5 favorite moments from "Love for Sale"?

Thanks, Nora, because of you I found this manhwa, and it became one of my top fav BL ever.

Oh, have you read, "Dear Gene" by Azuma Kaya? It's also one of my favorite BL ever.... (Sorry if you already know it and don't really love them).

I can't put into words how happy it makes me that you liked Love for Sale... I don't think even Dal Hyeonji would feel this happy about someone liking their work SHFKUS but it's just SOO dear to me! Thank you for giving it a chance.

Obviously, there will be spoilers for Love for Sale below.

As for my top 5 moments.

The moment Namwoo finally realizes that he's the horndog in the relationship lol. From the moment they met, he's fixated on what he can provide for the money he's taking from Sieon, and since he's so rich and can literally buy anything he wants, there must be one thing and one thing only he wants from Namwoo: sex. Namwoo thinks Sieon must be a pervert for spending so much money on him (thus expecting a lot of sex in return) but it's actuallly him that constantly initiates sex. I kept waiting for the moment of realization!

The night Sieon went up to Namwoo's apartment to try his "toys". This is another favorite of mine because of how casual, funny and sexy at the same time. Still giggle whenever I remember Namwoo's middle finger action xD

Namwoo's realization that his sunbae was actually in love with him as well. I honestly didn't see this coming?! Probably because we never get to see his side of the story, and his "advances" could only be read as friendly invites. I should've been suspicious because I knew he picked up the nature of Namwoo and Sieon's relationship when they've first seen each other at the mall.

Namwoo and his sister Eunjung having a Love Declaration Olympics in the middle of a crowd. I mentioned in another answer that I love Eunjung for several reasons, and that scene is both so hilarious and emotional, I couldn't help but add it to the list. I love all of their interactions but this one probably takes the cake.

Sieon's blush. You know which chapter I'm talking about, right? xD I wouldn't believe you if you were to tell me that seeing a character blush after 70+ chapters would make me cry but here we are. This is top grade story-telling. Building everything up until such a "minor" point AND having a cathartic pay off, I can only bow down.

WHEW. Thank you for giving me another chance to gush about Love for Sale, because I feel self-conscious lol. I keep inserting the series whenever I get an ask or start blabbing unprovoked... Anyways. There were a lot more I liked about it, like our redhead with anger management issues looking back on his relationship with Sieon, or Namwoo's heartfelt convo with the female friend in his friend circle, OR Sieon reuniting with his mother. It's so hard to pick. But anyways, I'll stop here before I list anything and everything that transcribed in the series.

As for Dear Gene. I did read the parent manga, The Scene of My Rumspringa and liked it a lot! You can feel the weight and importance of the theme to the author, because only then you get a delicate story packed with emotions. Dear Gene was recommended to me as well, but I want to wait for the official English release because my Japanese is not at a level where I can comfortably read manga. I can get by with dictionaries and apps when the BL has your run of the mill story, I usually guess what's gonna happen from the very first chapter anyway. But BLs with deeper conversations and topics are hard to get through. I'll leave it to the translators and enjoy when I can. I'm looking forward to it!

[helium-rambles]

Coffee Perfumes

Ever since I got into perfume, I have dreamed about smelling like black coffee. Not to spoil the review, but that dream has not come true. Nonetheless, here's all the fragrances I've tried that I've been told smell like black coffee (in alphabetical order by brand)

Alkemia's Caffaeum (five year aged black amber, Arabian coffee, labdanum, benzoin) This smells very perfume-y to me. If I smelt this on someone else, I would think it was a mainstream spray instead of an indie oil. It doesn't trigger migraines for me, but it's still not pleasant. Vaguely cough-syrup like. Other reviewers have said this scent is mostly amber, and amber rarely agrees with me, so that's probably why I don't like it. I understand in a vague way where this might smell like coffee. There's a richness to it that imitates coffee, but it doesn't work for me.

Bath Sabbath's Cupajoe (Freshly brewed coffee with hints of vanilla and cream) This one is nutty. If you drink primarily nutty coffee, this will probably smell like coffee to you. The vanilla adds some sweetness, but not enough to completely distract from the "coffee" scent. Alas, this doesn't work as a coffee scent to me, but I get where some people interpret coffee.

Haus of Gloi's Coffee Haus (coffee, chocolate, caramel, almond) People rave about this being the ideal black coffee scent. "You can't even smell the chocolate and other notes" they say. I think the people who say this have never smelt coffee before. This is straight up chocolate. Like, it's semi-sweet chocolate so I think people are tricked into thinking it's coffee by the fact that it's darker than milk chocolate. But as a lover of coffee and dark chocolate, I'm not buying it.

(Special note!!! After everyone in my household had thoroughly denounced this perfume as pure chocolate, we received a free sample of Frederick's brand cold coffee. We were convinced it was a mocha that they forgot to put the coffee into, but the ingredients list only coffee beans and water so....if you drink Frederick's brand coffee, I guess Coffee Haus does smell like coffee?!?! Still, I cannot in good faith recommend this as a coffee scent.)

Osmofolia's Cold Brew (ice, coffee beans, espresso) My reaction to this can be summed up as: What the fuck. People swear this smells like straight coffee and I would like to know what drugs they are on. This is floral and fruity, with maybe a hint of musk. It's a pretty nice actually, just not what I wanted at all. I thought maybe I was just having a weird reaction to this perfume because it is SO FAR OFF from coffee. Then my housemate tried it and also was like, "Oh, this is a nice fruity-floral scent. What's in it :) ... COfFEE?!?!?!?!?" So I thought perhaps they scent me the wrong sample. However, after trying another one of their perfumes with coffee as a side note, I'm pretty sure it's just this house's coffee.

Poesie's Whisper Your Bitter Things (coffee beans, clove, cinnamon, jasmine, neroli, vanilla bean) Okay, I can't give a good review of this perfume, because I seem to be anosmic to most of Poesie's notes. This smells like nothing for the first 20 minutes, then suddenly hits you with a blast of citrusy florals. My housemate can smell it from the beginning, but still smells no coffee. They do get the spices and florals, though. So, depending on whether you can smell this or not, it may or may not smell like black coffee. Who knows.

Possets Hophead (coffee and five ambers) This is fruity amber. No coffee, but like Caffaeum, I get where people can mistake the richness of amber into a coffee scent. It's basically the same scent as Caffaeum without the off-putting perfumey-ness.

Red River Apothecary's Raktajino (roasted espresso and sweet marshmallow fluff) You have no idea how sad I am this didn't work for me. Not only was it the last on my list to try, but it being named after a Star Trek drink made my inner nerd very happy. Alas, that marshmallow is soooo sweet. I do get the coffee underneath. It's nutty coffee, similar to Cupajoe, but deeper. I would possibly accept this as a coffee scent if it weren't for that dreadful marshmallow :(

Samar's Buzzworthy (Espresso, dark cocoa, vanilla cream, hazelnut) I get a powdery-chocolate from this. It reminds me of this coffee-scented chapstick one of my friends had in high school. Needless to say, that chapstick did not smell like coffee. My housemate gets an overwhelming amount of powdery vanilla. It's very reminiscent of marshmallows to them.

In conclusion: I will not be smelling like coffee any time soon :(

[babey-lewis]

cw vent? sorta? not really but not a very happy ask + very vague references to bad cg trauma

hi lew um.. not my normal kinda ask but I could use some advice or somethin if you're able, and no worries if you're not

so.. it's been several years since I've had a proper carer, my last one was my ex who I was with for a whole year. I've been having a hard time dealing on my own recently even tho it's been a while. between missing having a carer and intrusive thoughts/flashbacks to the bad ones I had ages ago, it's been hard even when I'm not regressed/trying to regress.

but I'm clueless as to how to go about seeking out a carer. I'm a very socially anxious person and messaging first is super scary. so even tho I'm following multiple cgs who are looking, or even folks who babysit, I'm too shy to make the first move.

I guess what I'm asking is, do you have any advice for someone looking for a carer, or even just supportive friends, with really bad anxiety? even sending in asks gets to me sometimes haha

no pressure to answer, ik this sorta thing is probably hard to give advice for but I'm just a little lost and you're always so nice so I'm not as worried about bothering you

- 🌌

First of all, I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to answer this. I wanted to take my time and really think about how I wanted to answer.

I am so sorry you have trauma involving a past cg, your cg should be the person you can absolutely trust with your life, and it's not fair or right that they hurt you in this way.

As for tips, I think I have a few!

Put up an "Ad"! And say on it that you have anxiety and don't want to be the first one to reach out! Make sure you add lots of tags so that a lot of people can see it!

If you do so happen to find someone you want to be your cg, I suggest sending in an anonymous ask without any tags so that you can get a feel for what this person is like!

I also recommend, just be kind to yourself. You are getting back out there, and that's hard and can bring up so much icky feelings, and that's okay! Just remember, everyone is nervous to some degree, you aren't alone in your anxiety and you aren't alone in your trauma.

I'm sorry that I can't give me tips, but if you ever need more advice, please do come to me! I always want to help my baby bugs :3

[cj-the-random-artist]

sorry if you've answered this before, but how do you draw/proportion bodies? The way you draw poses is so nice and fluid and I'd love to see how you do it! Your art is always such an inspiration to me, thank you for posting it

Hello! So first of all, that's a huge compliment and I really really appreciate it! I don't have the words, just. Dang. I really appreciate that so so much.

As for how I draw / proportion bodies, I don't really have a fully set process or anything, because almost all of what I do has been a result of me messing around and finding out for several years. That said, I'll try to go over some of my general process here and if clarification is needed for any part of this my askbox is always open and I'm happy to try and answer.

So I generally try to start with a rough gesture-ish shape for the torso that kind of establishes where I want the torso to sit and at what angle I want the hips / shoulders to be at. It helps for a pose to look a little more natural if there's a little bit of asymmetry and if the hips and shoulders aren't exactly at the same angle. Once I have that initial shape set up, I like to add the legs on, so I can get a feel for the weight distribution.

Also notably, I have a little marker for the head on there so I know roughly where that will be placed.

Generally after this stage I'll go in and add arms, and when I do that I'll usually make clear note of the hands, then the shoulders, then connect them at the elbow. I'll also draw on the head at this point, and for that I like to mark where the collar bone would be. There's a muscle on both sides of the neck that starts at the collar bone and ends right below the ears so that's generally a good reference point. After that I'll draw on the jawline and start marking down the head shape and where the face will go.

After this point I'll start adding on stuff like face, clothes, etc. (This ended up being a Bdubs)

A few things to try and keep in mind for anatomy is rough skeletal and muscle structure. I find it helpful if I'm struggling with a pose to think about where the ribcage, pelvis, and joints would reasonably be, and usually that will help me deal with most issues I might have. Additionally, thinking about muscle structure and body fat helps better establish the external shapes of the character, so I try to think of those too while I'm drawing.

This isn't super detailed, but I also marked here where rough skeletal points are and what the angles of the hips and shoulders are.

That said, that's not the only way I think about posing when I do start on a drawing. When I'm drawing something at a more intense angle, I prefer to start with whatever part of the body is closest to the camera and work my way back. When doing a more action- oriented pose, I tend to focus more on the line of action first so that I can do more with the gesture.

If it's not completely evident from this page, though, not every pose I draw will work out. It's fairly common for me to end up with stiff poses or ones with weird, warped proportions, especially when I'm doing more action oriented or foreshortened poses. (But of course, I don't post all the stuff I make.)

I guess to give a few closing notes, I've found that taking in information about anatomy and posing from a lot of different sources has helped me improve at it. I took a life drawing class recently that taught a very traditional manner of drawing the human figure that had a lot of emphasis on accuracy, and I took an anatomy and physiology class a couple years ago, which helped me gain an understanding of the human figure on a more scientific level, which I found very helpful. That said, I've found that YouTubers like LavenderTowne have a lot of useful information on drawing stylized anatomy and fluid poses, and her Do This, Not That videos are very informative, so I recommend looking into those a little bit for more stuff.

And a few more closing notes, that I've found work well for me personally, I highly suggest sketching loosely and lightly, and being okay with not drawing perfect poses every time. I've found, for myself, that not committing to lines right away allows me more space to find that sweet spot, so to speak, where things just work. I've found myself erasing the same lines over and over again so many times. Heck I'll draw the same post multiple times to get it to look right. It might not always look right on the first try and that's absolutely fine. Quite honestly it doesn't have to look right on the first try. For every pose I draw that turns out nice I have probably an average of 15 that have been erased or scratched out. So, like... don't get too hung up on stuff being perfect. And another small bit! Exaggerate stuff! It's fun! But it also helps capture the feeling and energy in the pose more than anatomical accuracy does, and I'd argue that especially when it comes to stylized work, it's important to push stuff to be a little bit "more" than it "realistically" would be, because I've found that can also help with fluidity. Besides, if it's been pushed too much, it's a little easier to pull it back.

I hope that long winded spiel was at least a little bit helpful, and again if any of this needs clarification, lmk! And have a fantastic day :D

[vikenticomeshome]

Cyberchase - The Hacker's Most Humiliating Defeat

I wanted to draw attention to what may well be The Hacker's most humiliating defeat. Yes, I am aware that he has gone through his villain decay during the show's long run. However, my go-to example is from way back in the early days, specifically April 14, 2003. This was when they released "Numberless Poddles", an official webcomic made for the pbskids.org website.

The basic plot is that The Hacker stole the numbers off the Poddles of Poddleville. He also stole their record book containing all of their numbers. Finally, he made them forget everything. We learn from the comic that, in Poddle society, the number a Poddle is given dicatates what they are supposed to do. Without their numbers, nobody knows what to do, and Poddle society screeches to a halt. That is a much more dystopic description than we ever got in the show.

This comic is weird. They made the backgrounds using screenshots from Season 1 Episode 7, "The Poddleville Case". This was a tweaked version of the original 1999 pilot, which was known for a wonkier art-syle than what became the final show. Then, they sort of stuck their own drawn images over the backgrounds. Their drawings are in a completely different style, which clashes with the backgrounds. Still, I recommend any fans of the show to read all of the official Cyberchase web comics. They were taken off the site years ago, and the Wayback Machine Archives are missing pieces. However, they have been restored in full as part of Blue Maxima's Flashpoint Archive Project. Anyway, before we get to The Hacker's humiliating defeat, here is one example of the disconnect between the original pilot screenshot and the art. There is a scene in the comic where Motherboard gives instructions to the kids. For the background, they used a screenshot of the pilot where Motherboard gave instructions to the kids. That's about the easiest way they could have assembled a comic panel with Motherboard an the kids. However, Digit is also in this comic. Recall that he wasn't in the original pilot. How did they add him in?

It's like they put a sticker on top of some grainy VHS footage. Would you like to see The Hacker's double chin? No. Too bad.

Yeah, they wanted a shot of The Hacker, Buzz, and delete with The Hacker in this pose. But they didn't like his face, so they drew another face. You can see his iconic chin from the pilot sticking out, though they covered up most of it. The face from the background shot would have worked though, so I'm not sure why they changed it. Oh, and don't mind the Poddle eggs. They aren't part of this story. They're only here because the webcomic uses screenshots from the pilot.

But the main point of this post was to talk about The Hacker's humiliating defeat. Skipping ahead, the kids find the stolen book in the Poddleville Vault on Mount Poddle. I don't know if this is supposed to be the Poddle Power Vault from the show or not.

I'm sorry, I have to include two more bizarre comic panels. Remind me, how big is The Hacker?

The answer is very small.

Okay, okay, the kids have found the Poddleville Record Book, and now they have to get past Hacker. Is there anything nearby that they could use?

This was back in the day, when The Hacker was still physically intimidating. He could easily pick up the kids, and they usually just ran away from him. This was back in the day when Delete had stretchy arms and used them to capture the kids. And yet, in this official web comic, the kids defeat The hacker, Buzz, and Delete with giant "Happy Birthday" hats.

And then they lock him in the vault and leave him to die, I guess.

How long do you think it took him to figure out the vault code?

Okay, I have to include one more wacky image from the web comic. Here we are at the end. Motherboard is on a flat-screen TV on the stage congratulating the kids for stopping The Hacker. Matt even gets to insult The Hacker.

Wait, why is the Poddle known as "Triangle 2" panicking? Didn't the kids just save the day? Let's look at the background after the new drawings have been removed.

Wait, is this the scene from the pilot where the mayor is holding a press conference to talk about the stolen Poddle Eggs?

Yeah, they just took this shot from where the tent is about to collapse and erased the mayor.