#I haven't posted something properly written in almost a year

[acowardinmordor]

Hey just so you know I went looking for You Left Me You Miss Me Today and couldn’t find it so I enlisted my server to help and we all spent the morning gushing about how good it is!!!! I know it’s been a year but if you ever have any inclination to go back to that series just know that there’s a little hoard of people who are very invested!

I have been trying to quit my job for the last five months, and honestly, the fact that its making me unable to write is a not insignificant part of that choice. The end is in sight now though. I already gave notice, but its not a specific date. It's for end of phase. And everyday a new thing causes another godforsaken delay. It was supposed to be this week. Then next week. Now I think its the 22nd.

[butchhamlet]

are there any shakespeare retellings you recommend? i really enjoy retellings but it's also difficult to find ones that like. actually understand the source material... i've read your novella duodecimal and really liked it btw! excellent take on twelfth night :-)

THANK YOU SO MUCH WAH... yes, i can recommend some retellings! i keep intending to make a big post with my recs, actually, but there are so many out there that i haven't read yet... so for now here's an incomplete list:

a thousand acres by jane smiley: the first one that came to my mind seeing this ask. it's a retelling of lear set on an american farmstead, and the adaptation is done beautifully and smoothly--it's just distinct enough from OG Lear that you can judge it as a book on its own but also as a lear retelling. and it's sooooo good. it starts a little slow, but the character work is so excellent and it almost made me cry (i will note that there's a pretty hefty cw on this one but... saying what it is is technically spoilers? but feel free to send another ask or message if you want to know up-front)

the last true poets of the sea by julia drake: books that made me have to turn my camera off in zoom class so i could bawl properly. books written for me specifically. this is a loose YA retelling of twelfth night (looser than some of the other retellings on this list) and it's like. perfect. the teenage dialogue actually sounds like teenagers. every emotional beat clubbed me over the head. the love triangle is present--and done really well; it's not present for drama but because sometimes being a teenager is confusing--but more than that this is a book about the relationship between violet and her sibling, and about mental health, and god it makes me CRAZY. also girls kiss in this one

rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead by tom stoppard: i mean. i think most people into shakespeare know r&gad. but in case you haven't read it yet, it's an absurdist play from the point of view of rosencrantz and guildenstern and it's absolutely fucking brilliant. not sure what else to say about this; you've really just gotta read it

teenage dick by mike lew: another play, this one on the modern side--a retelling of richard iii set in a high school, focusing explicitly on disability issues. kind of more a reimagining than a retelling, honestly, but i really like the exploration of r3's themes and also it's fucking hysterical. although i will say there's a kind of jarring tonal shift in this one near the end, so don't go to it for something 100% comedic

american moor by keith hamilton cobb: okay this isn't exactly a retelling but if you've ever read othello you have to read it. you just have to. please god if you've ever read a shakespeare PLEASE. it's a monologue from the perspective of a black man trying out for the role of othello, half-resigned to being pigeonholed into playing that specific role in a very specific way as directed by a white director, but also half-chafing against that resignation, and also exploring the complexities of loving shakespeare as a black man, and it's soooooo so good

exit, pursued by a bear by e.k. johnston: this one is kind of cheating because it's not really a retelling, in that it has next to nothing to do with the winter's tale except that there is a hermione character and a leontes character and a paulina character. i still think it's a very very well-done YA book, though, and one of the only ones i've read that deals head-on with abortion

foul is fair by hannah capin: okay, i will admit i read this one some years ago when i was more into YA, so i'm not sure i would still go crazy over it now, but the plot of this book is that the modern lady macbeth character gets assaulted by a guy at a party and decides to kill everyone who let that happen. and then she does. and idk i read it in two days it felt like being on crack

the wednesday wars by gary schmidt: this one is DEFINITELY cheating, because this isn't a retelling of anything. but if you like shakespeare and you're open to reading historical fiction about a kid in the 60s using shakespeare as a lens through which to understand the chaos of his life (from the vietnam war to his school crush)... it's so good. it made me nearly sob. beautiful book

i'm also a fan of ryan north's shakespeare choose-your-own-adventure books, but those aren't exactly retellings and also the humor will probably not work for everyone. but i like em <3

and finally, i would be remiss not to shout out the fact that @suits-of-woe wrote an INCREDIBLE retelling of the two gentlemen of verona that, like, redeemed the fact that that play exists. if you've read that play and you thought, "wow, i wish this were explicitly homoerotic, or not a rape apologia, or good in any way," you will LOVE macy's book. unfortunately it isn't fucking published yet but WITH YOUR HELP--

[s1e1lar]

The Hollow Watchers | various creepypasta x youtuber!reader

4k words

Cw: female reader, paranoia, weapons, brief mention of death, and general creepiness

a/n: first off i haven't written something this long in FOREVER. It was 3am and I had an urge to fulfill. Um i have no idea if this will be a full series but depending on the general responses it might! If so i may cross post on wattpad. Anywho, I hope you enjoy!!

⛧°.⋆༺🦇༻⋆.°⛧

After years of exploring abandoned and supposedly haunted buildings, the tightness in your chest and the nagging sensation of being watched gradually faded. You’d grown accustomed to the eerie stillness, even enough to roam alone with a camera, filming for hours to later piece together for editing. But as soon as the car came to a stop a few feet from the derelict mall, a familiar unease settled deep in your gut. It was almost like a reflex—an urge to scream at your friend to turn around and head straight back to the safety of your shared apartment.

But her reaction couldn’t have been more different. She turned to you, a wide grin on her face, earrings jingling as she twisted in her seat, practically bouncing with excitement.

“Okay! So first, I want to film the outside and then do the intro in the lobby. From what I read online, the staircases should still be intact, so we can head up to the second level—” Her voice trailed off as you remained frozen, your eyes locked on the front doors of the mall, which were poorly boarded up.

Before you could say anything, a board suddenly fell from one of the windows. A shadow flitted out of sight, just out of view, too fast to be identified. You drew in a sharp breath, and your roommate fell silent beside you, staring at the same spot, her excitement faltering.

“Y/N, do you… do you have a bad feeling about this?” she asked, her voice suddenly smaller, unsure. Coming from her, the question was almost absurd—this was the same person who had been practically bouncing out of her seat moments ago.

But your viewers, as well as your roommate, had learned to trust your instincts. They’d saved you both more than once. Still, you could see the excitement on her face, and you didn’t want to ruin the moment. So, despite the chill crawling up your spine, you forced a smile and lied.

“Surprisingly, no. Someone probably didn’t secure it properly. Let’s just go with your plan, okay? I’ll even set up the equipment inside while you check out the outside.”

She smiled, clearly relieved, and unbuckled her seatbelt, ready to dive headfirst into the adventure. But you couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

You stepped out of the car, the chill of the air biting at your skin as you made your way to the front entrance. The once-grand mall now stood like a hollowed-out carcass, windows shattered, walls chipped and peeling, and the faint smell of mildew in the air. The heavy scent of decay clung to everything, but you’d been in places worse than this. Still, something about this building gnawed at you, like a whisper in the back of your mind telling you to turn around. But you didn’t listen.

Your footsteps echoed loudly in the vacant lobby, the cracked tile underfoot reverberating with every move. The towering arches of the ceiling, once grandiose, now loomed like skeletal ribs over you. You set your equipment down, the soft metallic clang of your camera bag cutting through the silence. The cold air hung in the lobby, thick with dust swirling in the weak light from the broken skylights above.

You began setting up the lighting, carefully positioning the softbox in a corner to illuminate the space without revealing too much. It was eerie, the way the shadows stretched and danced in the corner of your eye, as if the place itself was alive. But it wasn’t your first time in a place like this. You focused, telling yourself to ignore the creeping sensation in your gut. This was just another job.

You finished arranging the lights, stepping back to admire the setup when you heard it—a faint, unmistakable sound. Footsteps.

Your heart skipped, and your eyes darted to the food court, just beyond the lobby. The sound was soft at first, but growing louder, echoing off the abandoned walls like a person walking with purpose. There was no one supposed to be here. No one but you and your roommate. Your breath caught in your throat.

Your instincts flared.

You spun around, eyes wide, reaching for your camera on the tripod. Your hands trembled as you quickly whipped it from its mount, the lens clicking into place as you adjusted the settings. The footsteps continued, deliberate and slow, too slow to be a person just passing by. They were pacing. Coming closer.

"Hey," you whispered, voice barely above a breath, but you didn’t know if you were talking to yourself or your roommate. You glanced toward the entrance, but she was still outside, filming near the storefronts.

You swallowed hard and turned the camera toward the food court, framing the darkened hallway just beyond the lobby. Your pulse was thudding in your ears as the footsteps grew louder, now unmistakably coming from the direction of the food court. The faint sound of shoes scuffing against cracked tile echoed through the space, as if someone was walking just out of view, just out of reach.

The camera’s red recording light blinked on. You held your breath, trying to steady your hands. Every instinct screamed at you to run, but your body was frozen. Something wasn’t right.

A shadow passed across the threshold of the hallway leading into the food court. It moved quickly, too quickly for it to be a person just casually strolling. Your pulse quickened, and you leaned in closer, focusing the lens. There was something—something about the shape—something off.

You saw it. A figure. A blur of movement in the periphery of the camera’s frame.

Then, nothing.

The footsteps stopped.

You stood there, the camera still trained on the hallway, but the space beyond was empty. The silence seemed to stretch on for far too long. You blinked, almost expecting the figure to reappear. But it didn’t.

A shiver ran down your spine, and you felt your breath hitch in your throat. The hairs on the back of your neck stood up. The air felt colder now, as if something had just shifted in the building—something that didn’t belong.

You swallowed, trying to calm yourself. "It’s just the wind," you whispered, but even to your own ears, it sounded weak. You scanned the food court again, your camera panning slowly to the dark corners, the abandoned kiosks, and empty tables.

But all you found was silence.

You had to tell your roommate. You turned, but as soon as you did, a loud bang came from the far end of the mall, followed by a series of metallic clangs. The sound echoed through the empty halls, deafening in its suddenness.

Your heart leapt into your throat.

This wasn’t the wind. Someone—or something—was here.

The sound of the metallic clang reverberated in your chest, sending a fresh wave of panic coursing through your veins. You swung the camera around again, eyes darting to the dark hallway that led deeper into the mall. The silence that followed was suffocating—unnatural. It wasn’t just quiet; it was wrong. You felt the weight of it pressing on your skin, suffocating you from all sides. The tension was so thick it felt like you were walking through molasses.

Your breath came in shallow bursts as you took a step back, hands still gripping the camera, but your focus was broken when the door to the lobby suddenly flew open.

Your roommate burst through, her face flushed, eyes wide with excitement—or was it fear? She didn’t seem to notice your expression as she hurried toward you, holding up her phone, her voice breathless.

“I saw a tree moving! I even got it on camera!” she exclaimed, her words tumbling out in a rush.

You blinked, still reeling from the strange noises. For a split second, you didn’t even process what she said.

“A tree?” you repeated, confused. “What are you talking about? Are you sure you’re okay?”

Her excitement quickly turned into nervous energy. “I swear, Y/N! I saw a tree by the parking lot—just past the busted gate—and it moved! Like... like it was alive or something. I filmed it, look!” She held out her phone, swiping through the footage. The video was shaky, but it showed a twisted, gnarled tree swaying in the distance. And then, at the very end of the shot, something seemed to... shift. A shadow, tall and slender, darting across the screen, moving against the wind.

Your stomach churned, and you didn’t need to watch any longer. You’d already seen enough.

“I don’t know, this whole place feels wrong,” you muttered, trying to shake the dread crawling up your spine. “I think we should go.”

You looked around the empty lobby, the footsteps from earlier still echoing in your mind. Everything about this place—everything—was off. You didn’t need a tree moving or some random noise to tell you that something was watching you. Something was here, and it wasn’t just the wind.

“Yeah, I think you’re right,” your roommate said, her voice suddenly quiet, the earlier thrill gone. She swallowed hard, nodding. “Let’s just pack up and get out of here. I’ll grab the camera.”

You didn’t need any more convincing. You turned to start packing up your gear, but the unease in your gut only deepened as you did. It was the air—the way it felt so thick, suffocating, like the building itself was holding its breath, waiting for something.

You heard it before you saw it.

The faintest sound—soft, shallow, but unmistakable. Breathing.

Your breath caught in your throat. You froze mid-motion, hands trembling as you reached for the camera. The noise came from behind you, from the darkened hallway. It wasn’t your roommate, who was too busy fiddling with her gear. It was something else.

Breathing. Slow. Labored. As though it was deliberately trying to remain unnoticed.

You turned, your eyes frantically searching the dark corners of the lobby, your heart pounding in your chest. The air felt thick, suffocating. You were about to say something when you heard it again—closer this time.

You couldn’t explain why, but suddenly, you just knew. Something—someone—was standing behind you.

Without thinking, you grabbed your camera, shoved it into your bag, and motioned for your roommate to hurry. “We need to go. Now.”

She didn’t hesitate. She slung her bag over her shoulder and hurried toward the door.

You both started toward the entrance, but as you reached for the handle, a sudden whoosh sliced through the air. You barely had time to react.

A hatchet flew past you, its sharp edge slicing the air with a deadly whoosh. It missed you by inches, embedding itself with a sickening thud into the metal framework of the glass door. The force of the impact rattled the glass, sending a shower of dust and loose fragments scattering into the air.

Your heart jumped into your throat, and you spun around, breathless. Your eyes darted wildly, but there was nothing—no one. The shadows were still.

“What the hell?” your roommate gasped, her face pale, her voice shaking.

You stood frozen, your hand still hovering over the door handle. The hatchet gleamed in the dim light, lodged deep into the door like a warning, its handle jutting out at an unnatural angle.

Your mind raced. It didn’t matter who had thrown it, or why. All that mattered was that someone—or something—had just tried to kill you.

"Get back," you hissed, your voice sharp as you pulled your roommate back away from the door. “Don’t touch it. Just move.”

You moved quickly, your pulse pounding in your ears. You had to get out. You had to.

You glanced toward the open lobby, the dark hallways beyond, and you could feel it again. That presence, lurking just out of sight. But this time, you didn’t wait. You didn’t want to know what was hiding in the shadows anymore.

With a frantic glance over your shoulder, you yanked open the door, dragging your roommate out into the night air.

You didn't stop running until you were in the car, doors locked, engine roaring to life. You slammed the car into reverse, speeding away from the abandoned mall, your hands gripping the steering wheel so hard your knuckles turned white.

But even as you drove, even as the mall disappeared in the rearview mirror, you couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever was in there... was still watching you.

⋆˙♱˙⋆

The engine of your car hummed quietly in the still night air, the only sound breaking the oppressive silence of the empty parking lot. You sat there, gripping the steering wheel, the soft glow of the dashboard lights casting a sickly pallor over your face. Your mind was racing, running in circles as you stared at the abandoned mall in front of you.

You shouldn’t have come back. Every fiber of your being screamed at you to leave, to turn the car around and drive back home. But the footage, the incomplete shots—it was all too important. You had to get the rest of your equipment. You couldn’t just walk away.

Yet, the closer you got to this place, the more that nagging feeling in your chest deepened. Every instinct was telling you that something was still here, something you couldn’t see. That breathless, oppressive presence from last time—it hadn’t gone anywhere.

You glanced at the rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of the pitch-black road stretching out behind you. Nothing seemed amiss. No lights, no movement. Just emptiness. But as your gaze turned back to the mall’s darkened silhouette, you felt a chill crawl up your spine.

You took a deep breath, trying to calm your racing heart, and let your eyes wander. They drifted over to the edge of the parking lot, where the woods began. The trees were thin, their skeletal branches twisting into the air, blocking out the faint glow of the moon. You tried to focus on the shadows, to distract yourself, but something in the dark just beyond the tree line caught your attention.

At first, you thought it was just another twisted tree, something you’d seen a hundred times before—tall, gnarled, reaching up toward the sky in an unsettling, crooked way. It wasn’t until your gaze locked onto it, your vision narrowing, that you realized how wrong it was.

It wasn’t a tree.

You froze.

Standing in the shadows of the woods, just beyond the parking lot, was a figure. At first, it looked like a tall, thin tree. But as your eyes adjusted, you could see it clearly—a figure too tall, too unnaturally straight. It was something else entirely.

The figure was impossibly tall—far too tall to be human—and impossibly still, standing there in the darkness. Its limbs were unnaturally elongated, like they didn’t belong to a human body, with no discernible features except for its broad, unsettlingly smooth silhouette. The shape of its head was missing—no eyes, no nose, no mouth. Just a blank, featureless space, a void.

It was wearing a suit. A black suit, crisp and perfectly tailored, but the fabric hung strangely around its frame, almost as if the body underneath had no real shape.

For a moment, your breath caught in your throat, and your pulse hammered in your ears. The figure didn’t move. It simply stood there, motionless, as if it had been waiting for you to see it.

You blinked, hoping that when you opened your eyes again, it would be gone. But it wasn’t. The figure was still there, standing like a twisted monument to something unspeakable. Its presence seemed to distort the very air around it, warping the shadows and making the trees feel smaller, as if they were bending away from it. It was the kind of thing that made your mind try to block it out, to tell yourself it couldn’t be real.

But it was real. It had to be.

Before you could process the thought, your eyes blinked again—just once, a reflex—and when you looked back, the figure was gone.

Nothing remained but the dark outline of the trees, swaying gently in the night breeze.

You swallowed hard, your breath shaky as you tried to rationalize what you had just seen. It must have been a trick of the light. Your nerves were shot, your mind on edge. There was no way that was real. You hadn’t seen that.

But deep down, a part of you knew. A part of you understood that whatever had been standing out there wasn’t just a figment of your imagination. That presence in the woods—it wasn’t human. And you had no idea what it wanted.

You didn’t know how long you sat there, frozen in the car, staring at the woods, hoping that when you blinked again, the figure would still be gone. But the air around you felt heavy, thick with something unspoken. And then, as if on cue, the wind picked up, rustling the trees in a low, mournful whisper.

You couldn’t stay here forever.

You took a deep breath, shaking it off, trying to regain some semblance of composure. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was just the mind playing tricks on you, the strange energy of this place distorting your thoughts.

You turned off the engine, grabbed your bag, and opened the door. The chill hit you immediately, and you pulled your jacket tighter around you, trying to ignore the sense of dread pooling in your stomach.

You didn’t look back at the woods. You didn’t want to.

As you walked toward the mall’s entrance, the stillness of the night pressed in on you, almost as if the darkness itself was waiting. The sound of your footsteps echoed louder than usual, too loud in the emptiness, and every instinct screamed at you to turn around, to leave.

But you had to finish what you started. You had to retrieve your gear.

You reached the entrance, the large double doors looming in front of you, and took a deep breath. The air around you smelled musty, thick with the decay of abandonment, but you didn’t hesitate. You pushed the door open, stepping into the lobby once more, the eerie stillness wrapping around you like an old coat.

The lights you’d set up last time were still there, but the shadows they cast seemed longer, more distorted. The silence was deafening, broken only by the faintest rustling sound that seemed to come from somewhere deeper inside.

You forced yourself to keep walking. One step. Then another.

Something was here. You could feel it again.

But you couldn’t stop now. You had to get your equipment, finish what you came for—and leave.

The lobby was suffocatingly quiet, the stale air thick with dust and the scent of rot. You moved quickly, heart racing as you scanned the room for your gear. The camera bag was exactly where you'd left it, your extra tripod lying on the ground nearby, but your eyes darted around frantically, searching for that one thing that would make all of this worth it: the SD card.

You rifled through your bag, the contents scattering as your hands trembled. Your fingers brushed against wires, spare lenses, and old receipts, but no SD card. Your stomach sank.

Where is it?

You searched more frantically now, pulling everything out of the bag, tearing through pockets that didn’t even hold anything of value. The SD card—your footage, everything—was gone. It had been right there when you left the last time. You couldn’t have lost it.

A chill ran through you, and the unease you had been trying to shove down came rushing back. Someone had taken it. But who? Or… what? Your mind raced, but you couldn’t linger on it.

You grabbed the rest of your gear, shoving everything into your bag as quickly as you could. The earlier panic was starting to fade, replaced by a numbing kind of determination. It was better to leave with what you had than nothing at all. The footage could wait.

You stood up, your bag heavy in your hands, and for a brief moment, the silence in the mall almost felt normal again. As if everything was just abandoned—nothing to worry about, nothing to fear.

But that thought was fleeting.

The weight of your own breath filled the space, the emptiness pressing in on you. The uneasiness started to creep back. Your footsteps echoed louder than before, too loud for a place that was supposed to be abandoned. The mall stretched out in front of you, dark corridors and shadowy hallways beckoning you deeper in.

You stood there, your hand resting on the edge of the food court’s entrance. The air felt thick, almost like the walls themselves were closing in on you. You glanced around, half-expecting something to emerge from the darkness, but when nothing moved, you hesitated for only a moment.

Maybe it was your exhaustion, maybe your desperation to be done, but you couldn’t help it. You walked a little farther in, the floor creaking beneath your boots, and the walls seemed to close in, narrowing your path as you ventured deeper.

That's when you saw him.

At the far end of the food court, standing motionless at one of the broken kiosks, was a man. A tall, lanky figure dressed in a long, dark coat. His face was hidden behind a white, doll-like mask—smooth, featureless, and disturbingly blank. The mask seemed almost... too still, like it was frozen in time.

The man didn’t move, didn’t blink, didn’t even breathe. He just stood there, staring directly at you, or maybe past you. His presence felt like a stone in your gut, too heavy to ignore.

You stopped, your breath caught in your throat. Something about him—it wasn’t right. You could feel the heat rising in your chest, a warning ringing in your ears. This wasn’t just a person in a mask. It was something more. Something… wrong.

A scraping noise echoed from behind you. The sound was sharp, metallic—like someone dragging something heavy across the floor.

You whipped around, your heart racing, and the sight made you freeze in place.

At the far side of the food court, under the dim glow of a flickering fluorescent light, was a young man with short, messy brown hair. He stood over a thick wooden table, bent low, sharpening an axe. The rhythmic sound of the blade being dragged across the stone whetstone cut through the silence, slow and methodical. The edge of the axe glinted as it caught the light, the steel gleaming darkly.

Your blood ran cold. The man didn’t even look at you. He didn’t acknowledge your presence at all. His focus was entirely on the axe, his movements deliberate. Each time the blade scraped against the stone, the sound sent a shiver up your spine.

And then, before you could react, a gloved hand suddenly shot out from behind you, covering your mouth with startling speed and force. The shock of it sent you into a panic, but you didn’t scream. You barely managed to stop yourself in time, your throat tight with fear.

You tried to pull away, but the grip was firm, strong—unnaturally so. The hand was cool and methodical, as if the person behind you had planned this.

The first words that escaped your lips were barely a whisper, but they felt like they belonged to someone else, someone who had just realized how deep in trouble they were.

“H-Holy shit.”

The hand remained pressed over your mouth, and your body stiffened, every muscle in your body urging you to run, to scream, to fight. But you knew better. You couldn’t risk making a sound. The man with the mask, the one who had been watching you—the young man with the axe—none of it made sense, and you couldn’t afford to make a mistake.

In the silence, you could hear the scrape of the axe again, the sharp edge moving over the stone with a relentless rhythm. The smell of rust and decay clung to the air. And the feeling of being watched? It hadn’t gone away. It had only intensified.

Whoever was behind you, whoever was watching you, had no intention of letting you leave the mall alive.

[ialwaysknewyouwerepunk]

2025 TBR 📚

thank you @evilovesyou for tagging me! loved your post, lots to discover there...

BOOKS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON MY NIGHTSTAND

shuggie bain - douglas stuart

i'm about halfway through this novel that i've been dying to read for a while now. i read young mungo, stuart's second novel, last year and it was an instant favorite of mine. and now i am absolutely devouring this one. it's set in glasgow, following the life of shuggie as he grows up with a mother that struggles very heavily with alcoholism. the hard life, described with love, without looking away from all the ugly parts, is what captivates me.

ulysses - james joyce

it is a huge goal in life to finish ulysses. i started a while ago (like.. 1,5 years ago) and now i'm about 1/3rd of the way through. i really enjoy it, but i don't have the proper brain for it every night. i know i will finish it eventually, because when i do have the right brain, i enjoy it a lot

after the revolution - robert evans

this is on my phone, for when i'm on the go and didn't bring a physical book. it's written by one of my favorite podcast hosts ever, and so far it's an interesting look into his brain tbh. it's an imagination of what the us would look like in the future, maybe fifty years from now, after a huge revolution has taken place and the country is split into warring factions. relevant... perhaps. (you can download it here if you want bc he is just like that)

BOOKS THAT I WANT TO READ AGAIN

i think i want to read the song of achilles again at some point. but i don't know. i think at this point in my life i'm so excited about reading new books, that i don't want to reread things just yet! but i have a few books i read when i was a lot younger and would like to read again, which will genuinely feel like i'm reading them for the first time. like some of the vonnegut ones i read almost ten years ago, or brideshead revisited, which i read before i was as adept as i am now at properly sussing out all the queer signalling.

BOOKS THAT I HAVE HAD FOR AN EMBARRASSING AMOUNT OF TIME WITHOUT FINISHING/READING THEM

books that i have started for a long time but haven't finished: ulysses huehuehuehueue buuuuut also lanark by alasdair gray. i've read it almost all the way through three times now lol, once for school and then twice since. i am captivated by this author's writing, since one of his other novels (something leather) is one of my favs of all time, but this is a brick of a book, set in a new world with a lot of unfamiliar scenes described in complicated language so... yeah. not an easy read. but i am determined to, at some point, read it all the way to the end.

as for the books that i've owned for ages but haven't read: the beat hotel - barry miles. i had a huge beat generation phase as a teen and i am actually still set on reading up on all of them. i have books that i bought back then and just never read past the first chapters. no idea why. third one in this line-up is a swim in a pond in the rain, which is basically literary theory poured into a nice book. it analyses scenes from russian literature. i once read a good chunk of it and loved it!!! and then i stopped lol. i had a major reading slump after 2019 ngl, which i'm only just coming back from. (so far i'm back up to speed when it comes to fiction, but non-fiction still needs a push, clearly)

BOOKS THAT I ALREADY OWN THAT I AM EXCITED TO READ

here's three, even though there are a lot more. my bookcase is a mess. but this year stephen fry is coming to my city to do a reading about mythos, so i will probably be reading that one first. i own troy, which i will probably read right before or soon after mythos. been loving all the books that help me brush up on my greek mythology. demon copperhead has been on my list for a while, and now my mom randomly found it in a little exchange library at the station. i think it'll be similar in vibes to shuggie bain, which i'm excited about. then i recently bought never anyone but you in a small indie queer/feminist bookshop in utrecht, nl. it's about the life of claude cahun and suzanne malherbe, two real historical figures from ww2 era france, who lived a beautiful, vibrant, artistic, but hard queer life. i already read a graphic novel about claude last year, so i'm excited to read this novel, which i assume will focus more on their love story.

i also wanted to mention some tbrs that i don't own and will probably download somewhere, because this year i want to focus again some more on politics and brush up on my knowledge and history of anarchism etc. so here's some of my (urgent) tbrs:

tagging.......... anyone who likes to read!! perhaps @persephoneflouwers @moonbeamalice if you feel like it <333

[rosesnink]

artist and writer love

i'm a day late, but let me love y'all anyways

starting with the writers-

@princess-geek & @missameliep - my sweet, beloved dani and debora, my closest friends in this hellsite. it's been almost six years since we became friends (where did the time go?!) and my, what a ride it's been! you guys have been my rocks for longer than anyone, and i can't imagine writing without telling you girls about it, and i hope that one day we may meet and take the writing world by storm! i love you both and i hope that more years are ahead of us

@storyofmychoices - sweet dani, you organizing this every year and making of this fandom something easier to make is no small feat, and i'm thankful i've been getting to know you personally and to call you a dear friend <3 thank you for not only giving us this, but also write such amazing cute little drabbles that just warm me on terrible days

@aria-ashryver - my beloved aria, getting to know you these past months has been the sweetest treat. you're not full of light because you ARE light itself, wherever you go, it seems to follow you, even across the sea, and despite going through it you remain kind and loving, which can be difficult. i really admire you and i hope to one day be half the woman and author that you are

@lilyoffandoms - lils, you have been there from the beginning of my fandom journey, and while we've had our bumps, you're a key part of my life, and i like to read your stuff from time to time, because it's seriously awesome, and your art?! it's so unique and really stands out from the others, to the point where i say 'oh, lily has posted new art!' without needing to double-check who posted what. thank you for putting up with me, which is no small feat, and to more years together! (also, maiele is next on my mcs interacting victim)

@thosehallowedhalls - queridisima cee, even though we haven't known each other for long, you've become so dear to me, and i confess i couldn't bring myself to write more of nerea's journey without you being here, cause it seemed pointless if i couldn't send you spinnets and gush over how nerea is slowly gravitating towards bas, but now that you're here... get ready, cause nere's story has just taken off, and things are about to get interesting!

@dutifullynuttywitch - cherie, your ocs are beautiful, your writing is simply poetic and gorgeous and you are such a sweet person, i smile when i see you on my dash, and even though you gravitate more towards rc these days (and i do not blame you, it's going to the dogs lately) i'm thankful for your presence and i hope we can begin properly talking this 2025! merci for everything, chou <3 (salut from spain!! and pardon my hyperbasic and terrible french lol)

@aallotarenunelma - sweet aallotar, i couldn't cap the writers section without finishing with you because it'd be basphemous. each of your ocs are so unique, detailed and perfectly written, and you give them a part of your finnish culture, which makes them stand out from the crowd, and are so richly-crafted, it's easy to fall in love with them. you are one of my prime role models for both as a person and creator, and i hope that one day we can meet and give you all the hugs you deserve, since i plan to study abroad in the north someday

and now, moving onto the artists...

@erixadraws - sweet erica, your art is outwordly, such a calming and colorful painting that i want to stay in, and raya is such a gorgeous and sweet girl, i enjoyed writing her with my dear brienne, and i love to gush over tfoa with you! thank you for your amazing drawings, which aren't short on magic. seriously, you should animate a children's series someday!

@oh-so-youre-a-nerd - queride elliott, your art is simply out of this world, and you always manage to take it to a new level i thought impossible, and your magic hands can do the most outstanding things i've ever seen in my fandom career, but most of all, i'm thankful for our friendship and how you've always been there for me in every aspect <3 thank you for everything, el <3

@cadybear420 - dear cady, your edits are simply fabulous, you always manage to outdo yourself and each of your mcs are so developed, so unique from one another and you add it a certain touch that always makes me go 'oh, that oc must be cady's!' because they all have that cady magic few can master, and your presence in the fandom is a much needed breath of fresh air!

@swallowandsun - lily, i know that you and i met on another fandom, but you being here makes me so happy, and your ocs, no matter the fandom, are always so amazingly made, and fit the narrative so well, it's admirable, and your gifs and videos?! chef's kiss. the fandom's not ready for you, girl!

@zhoras-bitch - i know that rn you're mia, but you're such a sweet person, and i think of your edits and ocs thrice a day, and getting to know you and see you grow has been a treat, and i hope i can see you again here, at your own time and pace ofc <3

and you, don't worry if you didn't have a shoutout from me, there's more days to come ;)

@choicesfandomappreciation

[spnfanficpond]

New Member Spotlight October 2024

The Pond is always growing and we want to make our new members feel welcome! Here’s a list of recent additions to our fishy family and a little info about them!

Turtles

Sunshine - she/her, Germany, @sunshine4537, thelionsleepstonight (AO3), sunshine4537 (Discord)

OTP? - Destiel

Other fandoms? - The Professionals (1977); BBC Sherlock

Looking for in the Pond? - Fun, interesting discussions about eps

Pairings you read? - m/m

Genres you read? - almost everything

Favorite writer(s)? - NorthernSparrow, Anrey/queerwerewolf and so many more

Cami - she/her, Argentina, @silensthings, Gwendoline (AO3), Syloephe6179 (Discord)

OTP? - Destiel

Other fandoms? - Harry Potter! but usually I read a lot and watch tv shows/series so I consider myself part of those for (the duration of the obsession) but mainly spn and Harry Potter are my favourite fandoms.

Looking for in the Pond? - I always loved to read fanfics, I read destiel since... 2012 I think! but I always did it alone, none of my friends are into this. So, It will be nice to have some people to chat, reccomend favourites, exchange opinions on fics, maybe help some writer if someone wants/need to. But that's it, nice people to chat, hopefully make some friends!

Pairings you read? - Mainly Destiel, to be honest. But I don't have a preference in other pairings, If the fic has other pairings, great, I don't really mind.

Genres you read? - Spn canon verse, angst, Au, Dark, end!verse, slow-building romance, friends to enemy to lovers, wing!fic, historical, medieval, case fic, canon fic, fake/pretend relationship. Castiel related: jealous! Protective! Possessive, creature! Trueform... etc!

Favorite writer(s)? - Seperis' (Down to Agincourt) is my absolute favourite. But I really love the works of Komodobits, Scaramouche, Whelvenwings, AlchemyAlice, MissAnnthropic, (can I say all the authors of Redemption Road?) NorthernSparrow, Cloudyjenn, Amoosebouche...Saltyfeathers, I'm sure I'm forgetting someone! These are Ao3 users.

Guppies, Jellies, and Mutuals, oh, my!

Toad - they/them, East Coast US, @toadspondofwhimsy (same on AO3 and Discord)

OTP? - Destiel

Other fandoms? - I'm not really active in other fandom spaces, but I love Bob's Burgers, Abbott Elementary, Spider-man. Other like general interests I have are, history, reading in general, psychology, nature, spiritualism, and knitting.

Looking for in the Pond? - Community & friends that can help me in posting on platforms, like how to format, tag, etc. properly. Also help me curate my 'voice', since I've mostly written academically in the past few years and put my creative writing on the back burner. How to take the source material and stay true to the characters while also making it my own. Also, just in general, community & friends!

Pairings you read? - I like reading reader inserts and pretty much any character ships (except if they're related).

Genres you read? - I love angst, fluff, and smut. My favorite tropes are enemies to lovers & "unrequited" love. I love a good slow burn.

What do you like to write? - I like to write reader inserts and OC pairings.

Masterlist!

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - Smut. I haven't tried because I'm not sure of a way to do that while keeping the reader gender-neutral. Also, I'm not confident in my writing skills to be able to write smut. Honestly, I'm not sure how you can help, maybe some tips on neutral language surrounding genitalia that's not like overly medical??

Kayte -she/her, Texas US, @kayteonline, reading_is_my_drug (AO3), kayteonline1208 (Discord)

Other fandoms? - Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, Interview with the Vampire (show)

Looking for in the Pond? - More mutuals and inspiration to get back into the writing game and finish these WIPs

Pairings you read? - Reader inserts, ships, poly, M/F, M/M, F/F

Genres you read? - Love angsty smut, crack smut, crack, smut, angst. Enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, and

Favorite writer(s)? - (Hopefully I don't misspell these) To name a few on Tumblr/AO3: @littlegreenplasticsoldier, @kittenofdoomage, @manawhaat

What do you like to write? - Smut, crack, smutty crack, angst, smutty angst, PWP, PW some P, enemies to lovers

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - I don't know that its underappreciated, but this was my first non-smut (I think) and first Sam-centric fic, and I really love how this came together like an episode from the show: Shifting Perspectives And this fun little series I put together in my first attempt at all crack/smut: Strange Magic

Danni - she/her, Indiana US, @castielspahdehrah, same name on AO3

Other fandoms? - Criminal Minds, Markiplier, and K-pop; specifically BTS, GOT7, and Monsta X/Wonho

Looking for in the Pond? - This is why I had some trouble picking if I should be a "guppie" or "jellyfish". I have the writing experience and "seniority" on Tumblr since I started back in 2014, but I've also had a very long hiatus. I need to reconnect with folks to help me immerse myself back into the fandom and get comfortable. I would also greatly appreciate finding people to bounce ideas off of and maybe even beta read for/have them beta read for me. I guess I just need to find my place again, now that I'm back "home" and I can't think of a better way than jumping into the Pond :)

Pairings you read? - Strictly reader inserts for me, but I won't yuck anyone else's yum either. Whatever makes their little hearts happy, makes me happy

Genres you read? - All of the above, really. I am a sucker for a good old "tear your heart out" angst though. Enemies to lovers is always a surefire hit with me too. The tension makes for great writing, I think.

Favorite writer(s)? - Oh my...not only would this list be endless, but I think a lot of them have moved on from Tumblr over the years. Lemme see if I can think of any....@kittenofdoomage, @kaz2y5-imagines, @deansdirtylittlesecretsblog, @willowing-love, @supernaturalfreewill, @abaddonwithyall, @littlegreenplasticsoldier, @mrswhozeewhatsis, man...there were so many. I mainly know them from Tumblr, but I know @kittenofdoomage has an AO3 also.

What do you like to write? - Honestly, I like to write a little of everything, but I've been told my smut and angst are my best genres and I'm, apparently, really good at conveying Dean and Gabriel's personalities like they were on the show. I'm also a "terrible person" because of my cliffhangers! LOL! :)

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - I'm Going Home and Rite of Ascension

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - I don't think there's a genre/trope/topic I've not tried yet, but I could be wrong. More than anything I would just like to finish the ones that I left hanging during my hiatus. A couple will, hopefully, just require me to rewatch certain seasons/episodes to remember canon events that I was branching off of.

Tika - she/her, US, @artificial-sleep, same name on AO3 and Discord

OTP? - Wincest

Other fandoms? - Previously MHA

Looking for in the Pond? - Somewhere to share writing, build community, and hang out/help other writers

Pairings you read? - I like ship fics and the occasional poly fic

Genres you read? - Everything I read and write contains smut, but I also like a little angst, fluff, crack, + on the side.

What do you like to write? - Smut fics! But smut with feelings, smut with some plot, angsty smut, and getting-together fics

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - I'm Your Daddy

Alexis - they/them, California US, @queer-dancing-fandom-nerd, BunheadKitKat19 (AO3), DuckChips19 (Discord)

OTP? - Destiel

Other fandoms? - Not actively a part of anything else, though I have written Doctor Who stuff

Looking for in the Pond? - More SPN community + exploring all the amazing relationships in the show and fandom

Pairings you read? - Mostly destiel and TFW family/extended family

Genres you read? - Fluff, hurt/comfort, smut, crack, angst, as long as there’s a happy ending! I like canon-divergent, canon-compliant, post-canon, and human AUs

What do you like to write? - Mostly canon-verse fics with some healing aspect

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - Teach me how to fly?

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? -Slash smut, I need a penis consultant :( Also, I have not done human AU before and I have an idea but would probably need some advice for adjusting the characters into a non-supernatural setting.

Mörökölli - they/them, UTC+3 time zone, @morokollisyo, Morokolli (AO3), morokollisyo (Discord & LiveJournal)

OTP? - I multiship and I am curious to different combos. So, no preferences.

Other fandoms? - none others atm (B5 very long, long time ago)

Looking for in the Pond? - I want to network with other writers. I know a lot about writing (if I say I've been writing for 40 years of my life, that's pretty close to right), but I'm actually avoiding it myself at the moment in fandom, and I want to focus more on making art - preferably so I can illustrate other people's fiction. Oh, and reading good fic. But I really do have a lot of knowledge about writing, long novel projects and short flash fictions, and I'm happy to share that knowledge with others.

Something to signal boost? - I like to describe other people's stories in a different way than just through bangs. I believe that more contacts can be made this way.

Pairings you read? - Sam/Dean, Sam/Others, Dean/Others

Genres you read? - Angst, crack. Tropes: time travel, enemies to lovers, Demon!Dean, Powers!Sam

Favorite writer(s)? - Glasslogic and Zubeneschamali

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - I still think it's funny myself, and it's Jody drooling over Sam. But no one can find this! The Winchesters Are Not Okay

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - I'm a non-native and writing fiction in English is a lot of work for me, so I'm afraid to write long stories. But I'm trying to write a story based on mythology, where Sam and Dean have been living apart. It would be great if there was a bang to speed things up.

That's all for this month, folks! (If we're missing anyone, let us know and we'll add them to next month's list!) Make sure to say hi to the newbies and make them feel welcome! Thanks to all from @manawhaat, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @thoughtslikeaminefield, @heavenssexiestangel, and @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes!

[fluxweeed]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

i've had so much fun reading other answers to these questions over the last few weeks!! thank you @nv-md and @sweet-s0rr0w for mentioning me in your posts!! i fear my answers drifted much too far into self-indulgence, but what's new for this blog eh??

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

22, but one of them is 11 separate drabbles/microfics in a 2k-word jacket

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

293,865

3. What fandoms do you write for?

i'll only ever write hp on this username!

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

all drarry:

the four doors (legilimency healer draco + memory loss)

adventures in truth and texting (advent texting fic)

all i have to do (draco thinks harry is a magical fantasy but whoops he's real)

eight o'clock, tomorrow evening (four doors sequel)

two to lie and one to listen (8th year fake dating, sort of)

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

i respond to everything on the final chapter of a fic! sometimes very kind commenters will say something at the end of every single chapter, which is SUCH a joy to receive, but i haven't yet figured out a way of saying "thank you!" 26 times over without sounding insincere

(i also don't usually respond to comments on fics i've co-written bc i don't feel like i have? the right? feels like i'm taking credit for something i did not really do!)

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

also drarry: for lack of wanting, wherein harry thinks it's sexy when draco acts like an evil dick again, and draco is too in love with harry to tell him that makes him feel weird

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

man i think all the rest are pretty happy, all things considered? tho i guess two to lie and wrapped are the only ones that end with explicit i-love-yous?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

i've been quite lucky, actually! i've had the occasional demand to change an angsty ending, or comments that have been quite mean about a character who isn't supportive of drarry. oh and i've had a couple of people get suuuper mad when draco malfoy, death eater and snotty spoilt brat, makes mildly immoral decisions. i've found all of those quite funny tho, which i'm sure i wouldn't if they were legitimate hate, so i don't think they count!

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

yep! the vibe of two characters wanting to fuck but knowing they shouldn't for some reason (uneven dynamic, magic stuff, they simply haven't had a fucking conversation about it) is my absolute favourite. will read it every time, will write it pretty much every time too 😅

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

the closest i've come to writing a crossover is say no to this, a fic vaguely based off the storyline of the song from hamilton. it was the first drarry fic i'd written in about 10 years!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

yep! not any under this username (that i know of), but someone re-uploaded an old drarry fic of mine to wattpad – and honestly, i don't mind at all. i don't think the fic is very good lmao, if someone else wants to take the blame for it, that's totally fine by me

(the wildest thing about it is the combined ff.net + wattpad views of that fic now top 2 million i think?! but despite that u have almost definitely not heard of it!! i've only seen it mentioned, like, maybe 3 times since i properly re-joined fandom spaces in 2020)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes!!!! it's SUCH an honour!!! the four doors is in german, chinese, russian and spanish; thirst (drarry vampire fic) is in chinese; and all i have to do (the not-fantasy-harry fic) is in russian 🥰

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

yes!!! well, sort of – officially, i co-wrote per my last letter (i hope you choke on it) with @lastontheboat, but i really do think i was more like an alpha reader with knobs on. the workload split was at least 25/75, with j shouldering a great deal of the burden (and all of the brilliance)!

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

this is going to sound silly given that i'm definitely a drarry writer and only really hang out in the drarry sphere – but i don't have one! for hp, i gravitate towards ships with harry in them, but even that isn't a hard and fast rule for me

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

nothing that i've posted! but i have tons that are never going to see the light of day. three recent-ish hp ones i've written the most for:

a fic i call The Opus, which is a drarry auror partners fic – i have 16k words written; it was going to end up a solid 100k. i love the concept i have for this fic so, so dearly, but a 100k casefic is not happening.

a harry/ginny established relationship smutty oneshot that is really nothing more than ginny being fun and sexy and harry being horny but, like, self-deprecating about it.

a drarry little mermaid au that i wrote for nanowrimo in 2019. like i MIGHT come back to this one day? but it's unlikely. pros: i do have 50k of it written already and the first draft isn't too far off being complete. cons: i have almost exactly 50k words of it written bc i hit the nano goal and stopped in the middle of a sentence bc writing it was SO stressful (that november i had two jobs + one volunteering role, and also i was moving house, so. a lot going on.)

16. What are your writing strengths?

god knows. dialogue and characters come easiest to me, ig? and i tend to cut a lot in editing, so i don't think my stuff is? overly wordy? so it doesn't require much brainpower to read? that could be a positive or a negative, depending on how you look at it!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

i suck at caring about anything other than character dynamics, so my fics never have plot outside of something vague to put the main pairing in the same room

similarly, i'm not very good at describing locations – describing anything, really

bc i tend to focus on the "oh we want to but we shouldn't!" moment, i'm pretty bad at actually developing feelings in longer fics – that part always feels too rushed to me, but fuck if i know a way of fixing it that isn't just, like, write another 20k

i think my endings usually feel like a bit of an afterthought and often quite forced

the more i write, the more i realise i know, like, 5 ways of phrasing anything, and i just repeat the same things over and over

i'm trying to fix my lack of skills with plotting + pacing by planning extensively before i start drafting, but i think that takes a bit of the spark out of the final version? it becomes a bit predictable and samey?

em dashes every tenth word

i'm convinced ppl i respect are in group chats talking abt how annoying and bad at writing i am, and also lowkey (…highkey) i agree with them – so actually getting myself to write anything is super hard!!

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

yeah man! i mean, i personally am not sufficiently confident in my skills in any other language to do it without help (and i'm not sufficiently confident in my skills in asking for help to do that), but it's fun to read imo

19. First fandom you wrote for?

i've dabbled in a few over the years, but the first was hp – it was a marauders era snape/lily/james love triangle fic that i posted on a forum on a hp roleplaying site – this was before deathly hallows came out, so i was very smug when my pairing theory (that i undoubtedly stole from someone cleverer than me, because i was 13 years old) turned out to be true

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

god. @decaflondonfog recently told me that drabbles don't really count, so i? don't know? perhaps still the pine-woods scent the moon (guilty remus/harry) or taste of țuică (established drarry bringing ron in as a third) are the ones i like best, but i don't love either of them enough to be able to confidently declare them my favourite!

u know the drill: i got too sad and anxious and unfollowed everyone so i have no idea who to tag. if u made it this far please know i do love you very much, i want to kiss u on the cheek at LEAST, and would love to know any thoughts u have about the things u make ❤️

[lovelywingsart]

Neverending Forces -- New Beginnings

-- Infinite the Jackal X OC (Trans, He/Him) --

Ah... well, here you go! I already posted it to AO3, but figured I'd post here too. Give y'all something else to read while Metalworks stories are on standby, yeah?

Anyway- It's been a while since I've properly written another canon character that has nothing to do with Resident Evil since that's ALL I've worked on for the past 3 years (no Saren doesn't count, I haven't actually written for him), as well as the first time I've written a canon character after only consuming/playing the game properly once yet loving the character for a while.

They did him dirty and I'm still so angry at both his poor excuse of an 'origin story' and the fact that he doesn't even last until the VERY end of the game because he flopped on the ground like a wet stuffed animal and then fucked off to who knows where. Once again, canon fucked us.

If y'all wanna see more stories for them, this may primarily be a 'ask suggestion only' series, because I'm not entirely sure how much else I'll write... So, I guess let me know, and if you wanna see a specific story interaction feel free to shoot me an ask with an idea and I'll see what I can do!

Sonic fanfiction lessgo as well as a pretty new story cover ayyyy

**You can find the masterlist here!~

-----

Warnings?: Severe injury/wound, threats, a hack job of a wound dressing

Summary: Takes place immediately after the events of Sonic Forces -- While scouting the city on a personal patrol to ensure the safety of it's citizens, our secondary hero, only nicknamed 'the rookie' thus far, makes an interesting- and possibly dangerous- discovery. While the fight has ended, a new part of life has begun; and this is only the beginning.

The city was bustling rather quietly, though not in its normal capacity- rebuilding and clearing of debris had begun almost immediately after the robots in the city itself had been destroyed and the hallucinations, the 'clones', had disappeared from the outskirts. Citizens and nearby townsfolk had gathered in attempts to repair what they could before nightfall, working quickly with precautions being taken amongst the masses to prevent more injury. Though while many were on the ground, a lone figure made its way across rooftops, searching for any remnants of the battle beforehand. 'Tie up any loose ends' , he had thought to himself. Of course he stopped if he was needed, though was primarily met with praises. Humbling as it was, he didn't quite fancy the attention- he had only helped save the world, after all. It was the hedgehog that deserved the praise, not him.

The wolf hopped between rooftops with ease, his ears on a constant swivel for any yells for help or crumbling stone- only to pause as a small glint caught his eye. He nearly skid to a stop as his eyes were fully drawn to it, his head cocking to the side in curiosity. Even with all the metallic debris around from buildings and other structures, nothing had caught the sun as brightly as... whatever it was. Perhaps a light signal for help? he thought, suddenly launching forward to a lower rooftop for a better look. Someone who needed it but couldn't call?

He crouched as he landed on the concrete again, huddling to the edge. He could see the object clearer now, a pointed metallic piece on the ground, peeking from around the corner of a darker alleyway already affected by the lowering sun. It's brilliant gleam drew him closer, intriguing him to the point of movement. He jumped down once more, keeping his gaze on the object until he hit the pavement. One look around him reflected that most living souls were near the middle of the city where the most damage was- no one was around, and the sound was distant. Scents were dulled from the muzzle he wore, but his attention was once more brought towards the reflective piece as a familiar one drifted through in that direction. It was a scent that admittedly made the fur on the back of his neck raise, but he couldn't decipher exactly what it was... But it made his stomach turn.

It wasn't until he walked closer, side stepping a few feet away as the object grew larger and noticeably hollow. The shape of it was peculiar, the tip of it pointed and angled up with flattened edges instead of round. Inching closer gave it more detail, and he suddenly froze.

The object was... a mask.

A FAMILLIAR mask…

Infinites mask.

He felt his heartbeat quicken in a sudden rush of panic, his lips pulling back into an involuntary snarl under the muzzle as his eyes darted to and fro. His nostrils flared as he attempted to calm himself down. But... Infinite was dead...

Right...?

The thought crossed his mind quickly, and it eased him- but not by much. He only vaguely remembered the Jackal panicking before he was swallowed into another fight- but surely this meant he was dead.

The wolf took a breath, stepping forward with mild confidence. He neared the mask, picking it up off the ground and inspecting it. The object was surprisingly light, the once polished metal scuffed and the glass of the left eye cracked from when it was inevitably dropped. He turned it in his hands, his claws tapping along the metal. It was surprisingly well made now that he saw it up close...Well. Closer than he already had.

He held it up in front of him, his imagination running. A cold shot of fear ran along his spine once more as he looked directly at it, his vision seeming to flicker back to when he was cornered. Back to when he fought the Jackal face to face, when he met the wild gaze of the creature they had gone against. He dropped the thing once more as if it had burned him with the not so distant memory, his breaths quickening. He flinched as it hit the ground- but his ears suddenly perked as another noise drifted from the alley in response to the clatter. He looked up, the sound registering. It sounded like... pain.

He forced his fear away with a shake of the head as he walked into the darkening area, following the sounds of stifled groaning. He only paused again once another, more metallic scent hit his nose, and one glance at the ground seemingly confirmed his suspicions-

Blood.

And with the amount pooled in one area, whoever it was wouldn't last much longer.

The thought of another innocent losing their life forced him into movement, following the trail and handprints on the wall further down the dark alley. The glimpse of a white tipped tail disappearing behind the corner only urged him into a jog, nearly sliding as he rounded the corner himself. He opened his mouth to speak, but his voice caught in his throat as his eyes focused on the sight he found in front of him.

The Jackal.

The Jackal who, currently, kneeled and huddled against the wall with wheezing breaths, one hand over his face and the other pressed to the middle of his chest. He was in pain, clearly, but the wolf kept his distance. Eyeing him for a few seconds more revealed the cause of said pain; a large wound under the hand on his chest, staining the cream fur red as he seemingly attempted to apply pressure with his palm. Even from a small distance it almost looked like something had exploded from his chest, bits of torn and ripped flesh visible even under the tufts of soaked fur. It was only then that he remembered the stone that had once been fixed to his chest, and it suddenly clicked.

The Phantom Ruby... the thing that had been the ultimate cause of his 'powers'. The very thing he himself had countered with the duplicate, and the thing who's power he had helped destroy in the end- and destroying it seemed to destroy Infinite as well. Or, at least leave him with a flesh wound in the form of a deep hole in his chest.

He took another cautious step forward. He had a feeling the jackal wouldn't fight now... If he did, it was a death sentence.

Infinites ears swiveled madly as his footsteps grew closer, a single yellow eye darting up to see the wolf approaching. The recognition was instant, and a low snarl ripped through his throat.

" YOU- " he started, only for his voice to catch in his throat as the pain from his chest flared. The wolf stopped in his tracks, listening to the pained wheezes. If the pain didn't stop him, the blood loss would.

He was silent as he watched the jackal struggle, fighting back the sudden rush of anger. The sudden rush of rage he felt towards the jackal and what he had done, what he had helped do, knowing this is what he had become afterwards.

The great Infinite, once so high and mighty before running with his tail between his legs and now dying with a hole in his chest.

His thoughts rushed through his mind, some festering longer than others in such a short time. He could have left him there... he could have walked away. Let him bleed out. This creature was once a threat to the galaxy as they knew it, it was the least he could do…

But somehow, he couldn't bring himself to walk away.

He wasn't as bad as them.

He resumed his approach, suddenly reaching up to the strap of the muzzle. If the jackal was bare faced, he thought he may as well be, too. They were both new faces, after all.

He could feel Infinites eyes on him, pressing to the wall and growling like a cornered animal as the wolf removed the muzzle, kneeling down in front of him. He saw the jackals eyes move with more frantic confusion with the revealed pale fur, though his own attention was locked onto the hole his hand still covered. Blood seeped through his fingers, turning the dark grey fur a deep crimson, nearly gushing if he moved to shift away. But the wolf stayed silent, his head tilting to the side.

Infinite growled again.

" Get... aw-way... " he managed through bared teeth, but the wolf didn't budge. Instead, he moved closer, now determined to at least put a stop to- or at least slow- the bleeding.

He'd at least give him a chance.

He reached out for the hand on his chest, but the Jackal instead lunged forward and snapped his jaws at his wrist in a defensive snarl.

" D-Don't you DARE touch m- " he started, only for his voice to get cut off as the wolf lunged, himself, letting a small burst of rage take control for the shortest of moments. Whether it was a control tactic or a genuine threat to kill, even he wasn't sure. He moved without thinking.

Infinite found his back shoved against the ground with a pained yelp, scrambling to take hold of the wolf in defense before finding one set of claws around his neck while the other surrounded the wound on his chest. His ears were pinned to the back of his head as he looked at the wolf over him, miscolored eyes widening as he stared at a set of razor sharp teeth shown from a dangerous snarl, like that of a feral animal. This COULDN'T have been the same kid…

The wolf stared down at him, pale lips curled back over his fangs as he fought the anger towards the jackal. Fought the urge to claw more into his chest, to make the already deep wound even larger. But he stopped himself, seeing the realization of overpowerment in the eyes of what had once been the enemy. What might STILL be the enemy if he wasn't careful. His snarling faltered for a few moments as he contemplated, only to finally relax- but only just a bit.

" ... I could hurt you... " he said simply, the calmness of his voice unsettlingly jarring in contrast to the fangs still near the others muzzle, looking as if they were ready to tear in a moments notice. He felt Infinite freeze under him with a pained whine as he dug his claws into his chest, making sure he was fully aware of the truth his words held.

He COULD hurt him... but he wouldn't.

He stayed where he was for a few moments until finally moving his hand from the jackals throat, instead grabbing the stained bandana around his neck. An uncomfortable yip was forced from his throat as the wolf tugged it away, aware of the now burning sensation along the back of his neck from the fabric being yanked against it. Any other thought of moving was thrown out as another sudden pain shot through his system, this time caused by the wolf shoving the harshly folded bandana against the open wound to apply as much pressure as he could.

He pressed it against the jackals chest with force, soaking up blood and preventing more from pooling. His own ears went back at the resulting pained cry, feeling the others claws reach and dig into his arm in feeble attempts to get him away. But he didn't budge, pressing against the fabric and keeping his eyes on it. He waited for the jackals shock to waver, judging by the force of the claws in his arm. Wasn't so invincible now, was he?

A few seconds more was all it took, and he reached to untie his own bandana. The claws on his arm tightened as he shifted, centering it along the jackals chest while pressing it down, as well.

" Y-You- "

"Quiet."

Even Infinite couldn't help but listen, his voice hoarse and vision wavering as the wolf worked. Cloth was pressed to his chest, then his sides just under the arms- one side shoved under his back until he was forcibly rolled onto the same side with another groan, the wolf grabbing his arms and making him apply pressure, himself. He was still as the wolf tied his own bandana around the jackals chest in a tight knot. Only when he was satisfied with his work did he pry himself away, watching the once great Infinite curl into a ball with heavy, wheezing breaths and both hands pressed against his chest as if still trying to keep pressure. But even then he couldn't help but growl, the vibration sending more sparks of pain along his body.

"... I don't... I don't need... your pity..." he managed, his own teeth bared as he now attempted to fight the pain. But the wolf just stared at him, tilting his head.

"Not pity." He said quietly, earning a glance from the jackal.

There was silence between them, the wolf watching carefully. He simply backed away moments later as Infinite shifted, managing to shuffle onto his knees, yet still hunched over; then a moments pause before finally pushing himself up after taking wavering breaths, his body trembling still. The wolf kept his eyes on him, watching carefully. He was still weak, yes, but the fact he could still move now was mildly impressive, all things considered... He was starting to think that the ruby only increased the strength he already had.

He still kept his distance, though let out a huff. This was taking too long…

"You'll die here." He stated simply, and the jackals ears swiveled to pin against his head once more.

"What are you-"

"Come." The wolf said, grabbing the muzzle he wore from his side and bringing it back to his face. "Proper care. Safety."

Infinite growled again, his breaths nothing short of an angry wheeze.

" I don't- "

"Come, or die." The wolf repeated, backing away again. Another statement, as if he knew exactly what the outcome would be. The jackal stared at him, though let out a groaning growl.

He managed to steady his arms enough to lean forward on his knees, taking more pained breaths with every movement as he attempted to stand. He shifted more after each pause, using the wall to hold himself upright as he slowly stood. His legs trembled from the weakness and pain, but he pushed on, nearly stumbling into a trash bin once he tried to take a step from a sudden dizziness. But he steadied himself once more, keeping one hand against the tight bandanas on his chest.

"... Who are you..." he grumbled finally, turning to glance at the wolf who had begun his walk out of the alley.

The wolf paused at the question. It wasn't the first time he had asked, of course... but it was the only time he was willing to answer.

He turned to look over his shoulder, copper eyes burning.

"Rook." He said simply, nodding towards the road. "Come."

The jackal stared as he continued to walk, only looking down as his blood stained hands the farther away he got. He weighed his options quickly, but it was rather clear to him that he had no choice-

He had nothing else to go to, no matter if he wanted to live or not.

With a pained breath and a shuffle forward, he followed the wolf slowly, holding onto the wall and sticking to the shadows with the occasional met gaze to ensure he was still standing.

[twilight-good-yall-dumb]

A perspective on social media from a girl who (mostly) had none~

Recently, I created an Instagram account, because I wanted to experience what having a normal social media was like for a change. I haven't been on any traditional social media besides Tumblr since early high school (I am now an adult in college), and I've kept it that way for a reason. I'd had Instagram, Twitter, and maybe even snapchat way back when, all throughout middle school and up into my freshman year of high school. But then I realized what a terrible impact it had on my mental health and also became a bit of a luddite simultaneously. So, after a few bad interactions with social media my freshman year, I'd proven to myself that it did more harm than good in my life, and I got rid of it (seemingly) forever.

Fast forward to me at the start of this summer. I was feeling isolated (back in my hometown, away from my university life), and I had a thought that almost instantly became a plan. I would get Instagram for the summer. At the time, it felt brilliant. I could experience social media properly as an adult, study the effect it had on me, stay in touch with friends while I was lonely, and have an opportunity to post some of the film photos I was proud of. The excellent caveat was that I had given myself a time restraint. By the end of summer, I'm to delete the account no matter my experience. I told my friends about my plan and made them promise me that they would not let me keep it any longer than I'd stated.

So, I make an account, and it's fun! I'm following all of my friends, I'm connecting. I get the dopamine rush of posting for the first time, getting follow requests and comments from my lovely friends, all very enthusiastic for this experiment. But even in the high, I could already see that nothing had changed. My brain was systematically the same brain it had been all those years ago, and I knew almost instantly, that I would have no trouble deleting the account when the time came.

Now here's the thing: I don't regret making it. I've had fun, but the way that it almost immediately shifted my focus and scattered my routine has been sort of mortifying. I've found myself many times mindlessly scrolling and thinking, "I thought I was better than this? I thought I'd bested the brain rot and short attention span of social media?" But what I've realized is that there's really no such thing. The only way to do that (other than maybe not being neurodivergent but uh, I can't help that) was to just not have it at all.

And the process as well has made me reflect on Tumblr as a platform. What I've come away with thus far is that Tumblr, despite being a far less profitable or populated social media than most, is a far healthier online space (for the most part. it still has it's issues, like a hivemind mentality at times, etc.). I've seen posts where people discuss this before, but it's become so true to me: Tumblr is one of the only social medias that truly encourages discussion. It's the only social media where people aren't scared of words. Nowhere else could I make this post, nowhere else would something this long and convoluted gain any traction or incentivize any interaction. And though I have no idea if this will get any notes, I do know that it's possible. Being so used to that, it's been so strange to try and wrap my head around the short form content I'm fed over there (I think TikTok would put me in my grave). Whether it's the caption on a post, the length of a video, the comments, the words accompanying a story, language and content is so restricted. There is so little to be said and so little to add.

As I've played around with stories, I've had a blast simply making myself laugh and posting little photo collages of things I've been up to or making shitty ms paint stories with my random thoughts. But what's so strange to me is I'll make a story, post it, and then look at how much I've written and feel ashamed for it. And how can you not when the function of a story is to last a few seconds? Sure, Instagram is meant to be a primarily visual platform, but these are not novels I am writing, they are simply thoughts. Sentences. And I look at them and feel embarrassed immediately for putting so much of myself on display.

Which only feeds into my final thoughts on the thing. Relative anonymity on social media is a fucking gift. We are so incredibly blessed on this hellsite to be given the opportunity to create a blog rid of any semblance of our true identity, and still create a community. We can post about the things we love unashamedly, discuss our interests at length, and make friends with mutuals, all while never feeling obligated to give any of your real self away. I think that is the most beautiful version of an online space we can cultivate. I post something a little bit goofy on my Instagram, and I immediately fear the way people (in my real life) will perceive the REAL version of myself. I think constantly about how the version of me in other people's minds is being systematically molded by the presence I have on that damn website, and it's crippling. I'll never get to be my truest self there, because I'm too scared of a somewhat uncontrolled group of people knowing so much about me. But here, fuck it. I can say the most untamed, feral things, and somebody will like it and maybe even play along, all while having no idea who that thought belongs to. There's a peace there.

Lastly, on an unserious note, this website has altered the way I talk about things in an online space that I think normal people just are not equipped for. I will say something on my Instagram that I assume is recognizably a joke or meant to be taken lightly, and I'll have somebody respond to it in a manner that disregards the sarcasm or silliness all together. I'm like dude, this is clearly a funny, a silly even. Perhaps I'm just too weird for normal social media, and I can accept that. But honestly, I think so many people would benefit from being their true selves in real life only, and approaching their online space as something different entirely. Let the world and the people around you discover who you are as a person, not the curated profile you have on some evil website. Delete your social media. Embrace peace and discover a sense of self that is separate from the shallow online world. And maybe get a tumblr. It's pretty cool here.

[branmuffins22]

13, 26, 35, 39, 44 from this ask game

Ooo, that's a lotta questions!

13. Do you outline your fics? How much of a headache would someone get if they just looked at an outline of yours without reading the fic?

The short answer? NOT EXACTLY BUT I REALLY REALLY SHOULD

The longer answer?

Technically, I have almost every major plot point written down in some form or another before I write a thing. That said, they usually aren't in any sensible order, and are buried in a mess of a channel in my private discord server, where ALL my brainrot goes.

When I write, I mostly just pick a starting point from one of my notes, and walk it forward from there. I tried properly outlining for one of my fics, and it got me... somewhere, but for the most part, my brain just doesn't work that way. An outline becomes a task list, and I can't stand task lists.

My current system is kinda horrid, but I'd be more worried about someone getting bored sifting through all my scattered notes than getting a headache from them.

26. What’s your biggest distraction when writing?

That one's... probably a tossup between a lot of things. Bodily needs, background streamers mentioning something I actually have an opinion on, my mother barging in with shame and deadlines for cyclical tasks (man, I need out of this house), my twin having something funny to show me... basically just ~Life~, lmao.

I guess part of the problem with my current life situation is that I don't have a lot of time that's truly, unequivocally my own, so I get pushed and pulled around by whatever or whoever calls my attention loudest.

...Or maybe that's just the adhd talking.

35. How much has writing fic changed your life?

SIGNIFICANTLY.

Now, I've been known to struggle with feelings of situational/emotional permanence, so I could be a little biased by the fact that it's my current biggest hobby, but at this point, around half of my social life happens in fandom/fanfiction circles, which wasn't the case a year or two ago.

Two years ago, I didn't read for fun. Like, full stop. I only started doing that after Thanks to Them released, when the hiatus brainrot got me seeking content and community from more than just the show itself and the friend who got me into it. I think the very first fanfic I read was a oneshot someone cross-posted to tumblr, which somehow convinced me to join both tumblr (technically rejoin tumblr) and Ao3 around the same time. Well. maybe a month or so apart, because of the weird account-creation queue thing Ao3 has goin' on. But still.

I don't think I started to consider writing my own fanfiction until I read A Blight on Bonesborough, by GeminiAlchemist, and got a bunch of ideas from the way they expanded upon the lore and magic system and characters and all that of the Owl House.

From there, it kinda took over my life completely, lmao.

I wanted to write about Luz's experiments with glyphs, and some potential avenues of missed opportunity brought to my attention by The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled, by IdeaHunter, and that eventually turned into the Artificer|Overthinker AU (to this day i still haven't picked the name).

Later, I wanted a story about Luz experiencing human high school again after all the dust settled, and after reading a fun fic whose premise was great but whose execution didn't quite scratch the itch (Luz Noceda and the mysterious case of her imaginary girlfriend, by Imkindagayyk), that slowly evolved into Masha and the Very Normal Nocedas (which I actually started writing over a year ago, and still haven't gotten to a postable state with even a single chapter, lmao).

Ever since, I've pretty much been rotating some fic idea or another in my head 24/7.

Nowadays, I wake up and check ao3 for fic updates/new fics, I read while I cook and eat breakfast, I browse tumblr for new stuff from my faves and mutuals, I check ao3 again every few hours, sometimes (but not often) I find the motivation and such to actually write, and I kinda keep up like that all day.

It's maybe a little excessive/obsessive/destructive/etc, but fanfiction kinda defines all the intentional parts of my life right now.

39. What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?

Voice and gimmicks.

The most prominent examples I can think of are the various literary tropes I try to imbue certain characters and such with. I usually write in 3rd-person limited perspective, so the characters' voices influence not just the way I write their dialog, but the way I write entire scenes.

There aren't any good examples of it in either of the fics I've actually posted so far, so you'll kinda just have to trust me on this, but a great example is the way I establish the POV character of a given scene.

It's easier for some characters than others, and I haven't come up with a gimmick for every character yet, but I try to open each scene with a literary trope that emphasizes some aspect of the POV character's voice.

For example, scenes written from Luz's point of view always start with speech, either hers or directed at her. Luz is a rambunctious, chatty, and kinda awkward character, who tends to exert herself on every situation she comes across, so I figure an unconventional (and arguably obnoxious, according to some people) opener works great for her.

Hunter is an outwardly-cocky character with some deep-seated self-worth problems (and a very slanted worldview besides), so his scenes always start with a self-affirmation of some kind, usually followed by a contradiction. Often, he's either intentionally or subconsciously trying to convince himself of something, or to do whatever it is he's about to be doing in the scene.

Vee is a bit of a special case. Like Luz, her scenes start in media res, but she tends to borrow the gimmicks of characters around her. She's a shapeshifter, and learned about life in the outside world as a doppelganger, so she has a tendency for mimicry, intentional or not. She also has a secondary gimmick, one that's a bit more her own, in that narration about her often finds itself filled with alliteration, especially involving the letter S (since she's sort of a snake, and snakes hisssss (and doing it with the letter V was too hard lmao)). It started as a running gag she played on Masha in MatVNN, but then I couldn't stop using it, so it's kinda everywhere now.

Masha is a superstitious (though slightly apathetic) character with a keen eye (and no attention span with which to wield it). They tend to seek out meaning even where there isn't any, and thus often completely miss the broader details in favor of the little things. Their scenes start with an isolated excerpt, usually a tarot reading. In an ideal world, the readings would foreshadow both the events of the scene and at least one of the ways they've misinterpreted them, but unfortunately, I haven't yet actually learned enough tarot to do that. It's a big part of why Masha and the Very Normal Nocedas is taking so long to get to a postable state 😅.

That's pretty much all the opening gimmicks I've worked out so far, but another one I'd like to mention has to do with the way magic is written.

Whenever a spell is cast, I whip out my thesaurus and try to sprinkle in a few words nearby that relate to the kind of spell being cast. For instance, I might say that when Willow casts a wall of vines, she first "plants her feet on the ground", or "stifles her budding anger". Before Luz casts an invisibility spell, she might think about "hiding the cards she was dealt" or maybe "her hands disappear into her pockets". Stuff like that.

The way I imagine it, magic taps straight into the caster's homonculus (broadly, the part of their brain that decides and understands what encompasses "the body") in such a way that the caster becomes part of the spell just as much as the spell becomes part of the caster.

Luz in particular, having the knack for magic that she does, tends to start this process of "becoming the spell" as soon as she decides to cast it, not just at the moment she actually casts it. It's like working yourself into the headspace of a thing, before sitting down and doing it. I've got a whole huge segment in one of my more dramatic fics that's basically an entire page of this kind of thing, with Luz preparing to cast a really big spell (or, well. technically a pair of big spells (TECHNICALLY technicaly it's one normal spell being used to prepare to cast the two massive spells. it's a whole thing)). It honestly might be the highlight of my writing portfolio, which is a huge shame because it's a MASSIVE spoiler.

Anyways, uhhh yeah. I really like gimmicks.

44. Rant about something writing related.

WELL SHITDAMNFUCK, IF ONLY I READ ALL THESE QUESTIONS AHEAD OF TIME! I COULD'VE SPARED SOME OF THOSE PRIOR RANTS FOR HERE!

Well. Guess I aughtta find something else to write about.

How about the ultimate enemy, the scourge of our people, the cornerstone of suffering itself, the dreaded and feared, the great and terrible:

Writer's Block.

It may come as a surprise to the ignorant among us (hehe, amogus), but I, too, suffer from Writer's Block from time to time! In fact, I'm even suffering from it right now! And I have been for the past... oh goodness, over 2 months now.

I had one good day of writing, in all that time, which only came about because I nearly fell asleep in the tub. I somehow daydreamed my way into a really good turn of phrase that I just HAD to put into context for Backlight and Bitrot.

So far, that singular scene, set (the equivalent of) several seasons into the story, remains both the only thing I've written for that fic, and the only thing I've written at all since January.

It's infuriating! I have all these ideas, all these things I WANT to write, all these people I want to share these ideas with, all this time, all this passion, all this brainrot, and yet I Just! Can't! Write!

AUGH!

It would be one thing if I'd simply run out of ideas; I could call this whole thing something pretty like a "dreaming phase" or a "break in order to recharge" or whatever. But I've been dreaming for ages! This break has been in no way relieving! I'm just wallowing in my inability to do the things i love, while the world moves on around me!

You've had an excellent way of phrasing this for yourself, recently: "The executives are on vacation."

It's not some pleasure cruise for me! Those darn jerks (basic brain functions) who dictate every little thing that goes on around here just fucked off to who-knows-where! Completely blind to the consequences (stagnation, suffering, shame) of their absence, and how those affect their employees (me)! I just work here, man! Lemme do my job! I wanna do my job, but I can't if you don't let me! Ugh.

I want to write so goddamn bad. I've got all these projects to write for, all these brainrot spores to spread. I've got so much I want to accomplish, and yet my dumb bitch brain can't seem to get the memo. Work phone is powered off, I suppose.

It's gotten to the point lately that even those random notes to myself have slowed down. I'm having less new ideas than before. I'm picking old ideas out and polishing them less than before.

I'm worried I might end up having to find a way to cater my writing to the dumb mammal part of my brain somehow, in order to bring some momentum back. Write about something crude and easy and filled with every instantly-gratifying fantasy I can imagine.

No more of this 'careful thought' and 'consideration for themes' junk, we want it LOUD and we want it NOW.

Ugh.

Writer's Block is the worst.

What a bummer to end on. Oh well, I'm gettin' kinda sleepy, and I'm out of questions anyways. Thanks for the ask!

[tsukidrama]

hi!

i came across your blog the other day and i wanted to tell you that you have a really incredible writing gift. your cottagecore has me hooked and i can't wait to find out what comes next.

would you be ok sharing any ideas you might have?

- 🪻

oh? interest in TRNT and a new anon? yes please! 🥺 i would be happy to share some ideas

y'know, i actually have almost the entire fic planned out. i haven't intentionally abandoned the story... about once or twice a month the document gets opened and i'll write a few paragraphs, though i know that's not much. i feel like i've been going through something weird for the past year or so. i don't really know how to explain it properly. i haven't written a damn thing in so long.

between low engagement, me being sick all the time, and life being stressful (mostly this), this fic just hasn't come together the way i hoped it would. The Road Not Taken is still massively important to me and somewhat of a personal magnum opus so, i'll finish it... but i do not know when.

ideas below. i wrote more than i thought, and it's gotten me really excited about the fic again! please let me know if there's anything specific you'd like me to go into detail about

alright firstly:

the next big thing is what i've been calling the intervention arc. obviously we have to address some of the heavier emotional issues that both Annie and the reader have. nothing can move forward until our main characters are communicating again! both with each other and with their support system.

vacation arc! i want to write more about what's left of the world post-Rumbling on a global scale. i also need a reason to get them away from the cottage for a decent chunk of time so i thought i'd have them explore a bit.

there will be a subplot about the cats who live around the cottage, just for funsies. i have a chapter title planned for it and everything lmao

there will be a pretty major division amongst the eldians later on about some of them wanting to go back and live on Paradis. to be completely honest, i haven't decided how i want that to resolve and who, if anyone, is going to leave. but we have definitely not heard the last about Paradis. some assorted thoughts elaborating on that, and how the ending could potentially play out either way:

i don't know i should give EVERYONE a happy ending or not. my initial plan was to write what i think the characters would actually do in this post-Rumbling scenario i've imagined (let's call this Ending 1), but over time i've started to change my mind and be like: i'm not the mangaka and that ain't my job, so i should write my story the way i want. aka FUCK isayama, everybody gets a steven universe-esque happy ending (we'll call this one Ending 2) even though it might not be totally consistent with the way characters are written in aot.

i'd love to hear people's opinions about either ending btw

the largest difference that giving everyone a happy ending would have, is whether or not i decide to include Historia. i really adore her and in theory i want to give her a better ending considering how tragic she is, but where she's left in the end of the manga puts her in direct opposition with the narrative and the "not my monkeys, not my circus" attitude that the narrator feels so strongly about 😖 it would make me too sad to include Hisu at all if she's on the wrong side of things.

I want everyone to move away from all the politicking. they really don't have any business doing all o' that in my opinion... they're all early 20s AND child soldiers so like. please rest guys, you can be done with the whole saving the world thing...

after all, the idea of stepping away from the alliance and NOT continuing to involve themselves in global affairs IS the metaphorical road not taken

i do know how i want the fic to end in terms of Annie and reader, and it will be good. i don't wanna oversell it or hype it too much and then have it be underwhelming... but i'm hoping that their love story plays out in a way that people will call beautiful.

if i decide to go with Ending 1 then it will very much be a bittersweet narrative about how people naturally grow apart over time but everywhere you look there will be new sources of happiness and fulfillment etc.

Ending 2 would be much more idealistic. probably a bit unrealistic but it will give the characters ending that would make them happy and make us happy. true fix it fic style.

i think either would be cathartic for me to write in different ways so i really don't know where i want this to go yet. probably gonna wing it and see what feels right chapter by chapter.

I JUST HAVE TO ACTUALLY FUCKING WRITE IT

anyway like i said above the cut, i wrote a lot more than i thought i would. i got really into it pls send me more asks 🥺 it will light a fire under my ass and i'll finally finish chapter 10

[mi4012mariaperera]

'Lion' re-opening scene 2 - Sue's Dream

27/06/2024

Hi everyone! I wanted to make this post this morning, but unfortunately, our area had a power cut until 5pm. What a bummer </3 Regardless, I'm back again to properly type out my 2nd idea for the 'Lion' opening scene recreation.

I'll admit that I haven't done much research on this idea like Dinendri suggested, but this is an idea that came off the top of my head while she was explaining the assignment. She mentioned at a certain point to make use of the secondary characters in the film for the opening scene recreation. I don't know why, but Sue's character played by the gorgeous Nicole Kidman popped into my mind. I specifically remembered that in the film there was a conversation between Sue and adult Saroo about 12-year-old Sue's vision. (Timestamp - 1:24:45 to 1:29:00).

I even came across an article in an interview with the real-life Sue Brierly regarding this vision of hers. The link to this article is down below.

It's saddening to hear about Sue's past. Being a child to a hot-tempered and alcoholic father certainly must've not been easy for her and her family members. My heart goes out to her<3

However, if there's one good thing that Sue remembers from her childhood, it would be the vision she had when she was 12 years old. Sue mentioned (In the interview, which is also a part of the movie) that she had a vision of herself, standing out the back of her house, looking out across a field. She stated that she saw a brown-skinned child, standing across the field. This made her body feel an electric current pass through, almost like she found a purpose in her life. It felt like something right to her.

In my opinion, it's one of the most beautiful scenes in the movie although it's overlooked as an insignificant part of the plot, and I want to add it to the opening scene in some way.

Opening Scene Idea/ visual -

The opening scene will start with a visual of 12-year-old Sue outside in the back of her house. Her eyes are filled with sadness and hopelessness as she stares out into the open field. - "I wanted the earth to swallow me up".

She holds her head up, trying to keep the tears from rolling down her face. She wants to be brave regardless of her deep and depressing thoughts.

She looks back at the field when all of a sudden, she notices a figure standing in the distance. With confusion and curiosity, she walks a few steps forward, squinting her eyes to get a better focus on this mysterious figure in the distance.

She sees a brown-skinned child standing across the field, directly looking at her.

Her teary eyes widen, and her lips plaster a shocked expression onto her face.

We see the visual of the boy across the field and from a 1st person's POV we see a blink take place and it cuts to the visual young Saroo had of Garuu calling out to him in the village clearing.

The audience hears a slow-paced increase of Garuu saying "Saroo". This calling will repeat 3-4 times.

The final calling out to Saroo will cut to a visual of adult Saroo who happened to fall asleep in the mall food court. (I believe it would be believable that adult Saroo has had sleepless nights using Google Maps on a daily to search for his hometown.)

Adult Saroo wakes up in shock while letting deep breaths in shock of his dream.

While trying to calm himself down, we see a visual of the food and his phone on the food court table from a 1st person POV.

He lets out a soft sigh of relief and looks ahead. In this scene, an ascending audio of the train will take place to jump right into the 2nd scene.

-The End-

That is basically my vision for the opening scene take 2. I thought that it would be interesting to draw parallels between the 'Brown-skinned child' and 'Garuu's character' since there are so many visuals of Garuu in the distance. Sue didn't specify if the child happened to look like Saroo or Matosh, so I thought it would be an interesting approach to have Garuu's character play the role of the 'Brown-skinned child'.

You could even imagine that after Garuu's death, he time-traveled to choose 'Sue' as Saroo's new caretaker.

I believe this idea for the opening scene is a good choice since it in no way interrupts the plotline, includes secondary characters and the scene location takes place in the chosen heterotopia.

That's all for this post. To be honest, I can't think of any more creative ideas for the opening scene recreation. so far, it's 2 down, 4 more ideas to go. Maybe I will rewatch the movie and do more research to come up with fresh and better ideas.

If you read this post till the end, thank you so much for sticking around. Have a fantastic day! <3

[notalexhorne]

hi hello! you posted something a whole ago about being open to questions about your fic. regarding "your time starts now", how long did it take to write all of the current posted chapters? do you have a solid of what direction youre heading towards, or is the ending still open? what has been your favorite part of writing the fic, and what has been your favorite scene that you've written? i really love the fic and your writing :D

Ah. So I haven't really talked about this publicly, but I guess this gives me a good opportunity.

I'm going to answer these slightly out of order as well.

Yes, I do know exactly where it's going. It's been outlined to a comically structured degree, like all of my fics are. I actually can't write without an outline, because I need to know exactly how the story ends so I can plant little seeds along the way to tie all the individual stories together.

How long did it take me to write what's up already? Well, that's a sticky one, because I started this fic a few years ago, but I have a lot of issues with anxiety and paranoia, so I pulled it from AO3 and made it only available on my website. And then I didn't write for almost a year, because some bad shit happened, and the anxiety turned up to 11. Right around the time I started getting back into doing some edits to start trying to writing it again, we did some medication shuffles which made everything worse, and I got mondo depressed and stopped writing again. So, like. The actual writing, when I was writing, is much shorter of a time than you might expect? But the actual time between when I started and now? Stupid, and I do feel bad about that. It's going to be a bit longer of a wait as well, because I've decided I don't want to post WIPs on AO3 anymore because I think that just stresses me out even more, so they all go out to my newsletter now.

My favourite part of writing the fic has probably been all the fiddly nonsense of trying to sift through all the conflicting lore, and fitting it into something that works in the context of a world where the show doesn't exist. There was a lot I really wanted to include, but which didn't fit, and a lot that I've sort of alluded to, but which I didn't have room to explore properly, and it's very likely that eventually I will start to branch out into more little side stories that fill out this universe later. (A lot of people seem to have missed the No More Jockeys fic that's attached to this one already.) I've also really had a lot of fun going into the art and décor in Greg's house. Which really made me feel like I was in a recent outtake, and I did not like it.

My favourite part that I've written already is the Spain chapter. That whole chapter is just fic of The Sun Also Rises in a really weird way, and I had so much fun putting Alex into that little part of Hemingway's world. Throwing Alex right into the deep end like that and using it as a way to sort of programme him was what I felt like a really good way to start to make the reader worry for him.

But my favourite part of the fic overall hasn't actually been written yet. That's still to come, and I won't talk too much about it yet.

Thank you for your lovely ask. I appreciate you still sticking with it even though I've been terrible at even looking at AO3 lately.

[appletreeduty]

Tagged by @dragonsoftheeast! Thank you for thinking of me!

How many works do you have on AO3?

4, but more on the way!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

17,043

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Only HOTD so far! I have a bunch of unfinished Black Sails, Yellowjackets, Good Omens, OFMD, etc, though....

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

first two are tied: splendor in the grass, you are the angel that I couldn't kill then it's seasons don't fear the reaper, then farewell, my mortal son

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

I respond to almost all comments, because seeing people read my work and responding enough to it encourages me to continue writing out the stories in my head, to continue actually finishing them, to continue posting. I'm a pretty small creator so I have the luxury to respond to basically every single comment right now since I don't get many, and I want those who read my fics to know that seeing their comments makes my day!!!!!

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

This one's a tough one. Anyone who knows me knows I'm pretty much incapable of writing a happy ending - even the happiest endings I write are bittersweet. I think my angstiest based on just how heartwrenching (with not even half of a bright side, not even a slice of the smallest most cynical comfort) is "farewell, my mortal son", in which faerie AU Alicent Hightower has to give up her favorite, only pure son Daeron as a changeling and is powerless to protect him against what his life is about to become despite how hard she fights.

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

Again, a tough one since I am just the worst at happy endings, but probably "seasons don't fear the reaper", where Helaena is able to reunite with a dead Aemond in death (even though she dies)

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Honestly. I'm not a big enough writer to get public outrage, I don't think. However I'm sure there are people who have read my fics and have left with a sour taste in their mouth. I write about pretty nasty stuff, I write in the POV of quite deranged characters, and I do not tread lightly or mince words when I do so.

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

Pretty much every single one of my fics is smut. The dove is not just dead, it's decomposed; read the tags please.

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

I haven't written one, but I'm sure I might sometime in the future.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Honestly, not sure. If it had been, nobody has informed me and I have not seen it.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but I would love for someone to enjoy my fics enough to translate them to other languages!

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Was in the process of cowriting a fic, but separated from the other writer for personal reasons. Still wishing it could've been completely cowritten, since the AU I created is such a big universe!

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

Too many to count! I am admittedly a ship-jumper

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

"under the blackthorn tree" - it's a HOTD canonverse epic fic and I have the whole outline and a lot of chapters written but it's so perfect in my head that I get discouraged every time I write something out and it's not how I pictured it would go.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I have a sick writing style/voice (I work really hard on it) and I think I'm really good at portraying character voice in POV. I also am good at finding just the thing to really stab the reader in the guts in terms of drama/angst.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

It takes me 847589347589374895734 years to write anything because I overthink and then procrastinate overthinking and then overthink more. I really struggle to write the quiet, conflict-free moments that are necessary to properly pace my stories, though I recognize that they're needed, which makes it worse when I struggle to write them.

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

Dialogue in another language for a fic is cool, but I think it's important to keep the medium in mind. On film, you can have entire scenes where characters are speaking a different language and just put subtitles so the audience can understand what they're saying; this is frustrating when the concept is translated directly to fic, because as a reader I feel like I'm skipping over entire paragraphs just to read the meaning and am not appreciating the purpose of the characters speaking a different language. In the case of the purpose being for a POV character to not understand the language, then they surely wouldn't be able to understand all the separate words, so it's more effective to just write that the character does not understand the language. Personally, I like to use short phrases that require no translation due to context, and that's personally my favorite use of a second language in fic.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

................. It was an All-American Rejects bandfic on Mibba/Quizilla/whichever one of those early-2000s quiz sites. I was 10 please don't judge lmao

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

Tie between splendor in the grass and seasons don't fear the reaper right now!

No pressure tags: @catnico @spooky-risley @cinemassance

[kenobster]

For the ask game! 💫 🎉 💞 🍭 🎙️(Hope that's not too many 😅 I love your writing!)

It's never too many, it fulfills my lust for validation, as does your very kind compliment. XD Thank you for the ask! ❤️

💫what is your favorite kind of comment/feedback?

Unfortunately, my favorite kind of comment is one that can't be easily replicated, hahah. XD I get a sense of whether my writing is good (aka effective at what I was attempting to convey) if the comments match what I expected readers to feel. For example — since I expected people to feel horrified and anxious while Obi-Wan's shock collar was activated in chapter 7 of Five Peggats Each, the terror in almost everyone's comments was very emotionally satisfying to me. For an example of the opposite — in chapter 2 of Every Shadow, I was actually really surprised that nobody mentioned how hard Anakin was trying; thus, I started to wonder if I hadn't properly conveyed that (or if him whipping out his lightsaber had contradicted it to a greater extreme than I originally planned).

Note: I loved all the comments on chapter 2; this is just a gauge I use to understand the effectiveness of my writing and how it's being perceived. Any failure to portray Anakin correctly to my vision was mine lmao; no one can take that away from me. XD

In other words, my favorite kind of comment is the one that manages to pierce through the veil and speak to my very soul. My favorite kind of comment is written by someone who has literally read my Brainthoughts™ unfiltered via my writing alone. So, if you're aiming to regularly give me my favorite kind of feedback, good luck with that, hahaha. (Though honestly, I really appreciate knowing how people react, even if unexpected, because then it helps me improve my writing for next time! So even if a reader can't telepathically communicate with me lmao, literary analysis is still very favored.)

Also I can't be asked this question without stating my favorite comment ever lmfao which is: "Anakin, I mean this in the most understanding, empathetic way possible… You’re an ungrateful little bitch." Which, if you've read chapter 2 of Five Peggats Each, this is fucking hilarious. 🤣 I'll never forget it. ❤️

🎉how often do you celebrate completing & posting a work? how often do you give yourself the credit/validation that you seek from others when you post? (if you don't, you should!)

Never lmao.

One time, when I was younger, I read a writing craft book by an author I found pretty humorous. One chapter asked the aspiring writer to consider what they fear. "Some people fear failure. Others fear success... yeah, I still haven't managed to figure that one out." Ten-year-old me found this hilarious. Joke's on me though because now, twenty years later, I am exactly the kind of writer who fears success. :') And I, too, haven't managed to figure it out.

I'm insecure; thus, I crave validation. If I don't get validation when I post something, I will cry ugly crocodile tears. (In other words, please don't think the solution to what I'm about to say is to stop commenting, lol; I'm a ho and I love you.) At the same time, I am anxious! So, if I do get validation, I will cry ugly panic-attack fears. It doesn't matter if the feedback is positive or negative — the more I get, the more the terror paralyzes me. For the life of me, I do not know why this is the case. I love comments, I want comments; I love feedback, I want feedback. For some reason, my body just immediately goes into fight-flight-freeze-fawn, without my brain's consent lol.

Luckily, after the first week or so, the anxiety fades, and I feel very proud while I remember every single kindhearted and wonderful comment I got — without feeling like my heart is gonna skyrocket into the astral plane. By then though, the celebration period has passed lmao. So yeah, I don't really do that part. Though, I guess I do have a ritual of sending my chapter to my mom and hearing her thoughts while we get ice cream after... So that's pretty nice, and I like it. :')

💞what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language

Really, I couldn't care less about things like grammar and typos lol.

For me, the most important part of a story is that it's doing something different. In some way, it has to be doing something that hasn't been done before. There are so many ways a story can do this and many times it can be done purely just by being your own unique self. In other words, this is not a contradiction to the "two cakes" logic. Unless you're literally plagiarizing someone else's writing, the way you have made the second cake will always be new and different, purely because it was made by someone who is new and different.

I do think people often shy away from their own uniqueness when they're writing. There are an unfortunate amount of jokes about fic being "too self-indulgent," and many novice writers seem to think that their oddities and quirks make them weird or unpalatable to readers. They are absolutely wrong — those oddities and quirks are actually what make their writing most appealing! Being self-indulgent should be the goal. If you're not weirding the fuck out of people by being bizarrely interested in one specific thing, then what you're actually doing is trying to fit yourself, as a triangle, into a circle mold. If there are no triangle molds in existence, that's fine — carve one out for yourself. :)

In short, be a freak. Be a weirdo. The weirder and freakier you are, the more readers you will draw, and the more passionate your writing will become. Absent of passion, stories are bland and dull and tired. For me, the most important part of a story is the way it lets me empathize with an author who is radically different from the rest.

🍭why did you start writing?

I started writing the second I knew how to hold a pencil — like "yeah they knew I was a creep, since the day I was born" lol. Maybe instead, let's say why I started writing fanfiction. I've written fic since I was a teenager but the last few years, I've grown an intense appreciation for the genre. Ursula K. LeGuin is an author whose style is so wonderful to me, mostly in that she revisits and revisits and revisits and revisits. Truly, her work was very much like fanfiction of her own past work in many ways. The freedom of fanfiction to innovate and improvise the structure of a story (even one's own story) without the approval of a publishing company (or societal expectations) is something that's really hard to find in other spaces. So I like fanfic, and, though I sometimes cycle through fandoms, I'm very much here to stay.

🎙️which one of your fics would you like someone to make a pod-fic of?

The prose in Five Peggats Each is actually something I've worked very hard at — particularly in giving a rhythm to the words. One that is easy to hear and audibly pleasing. I would love if someone was interested in doing that. :') Especially because then I could listen to the total whumpiness of chapter 7 with my own ears. It's my favorite. I've forever peaked lol.

Relevant sidenote: I sent my brother some excerpts of my writing recently (specifically the excerpt in the summary of Every Shadow and the musician/cantina paragraphs near the beginning of chapter 6 of Five Peggats Each), and he was like "dude, this would be an incredible audiobook" which made me super happy. :')

[bellascarousel]

Fan Fic Writer Asks: 8, 14, 17 and 19 👀

8) What project(s) are you currently working on?

My main fic focus at the moment is Let's Run Away Together, in which Anthony proposes in the gazebo, and they elope to Gretna Green. I'm almost done with it. Only the second half of the Hastings' ball, a reconciliation between Kate and the Sharmas, and then the epilogue to go.

I have far too many ongoing WIPs for my own good. But, I am also periodically working on three that I haven't started posting, yet.

They're Only Words (But Words Can Break Your Heart) is a Franchael soulmate fic. The premise is that the first words your soulmate will ever say to you get written on your wrist on your eighteenth birthday. I've so far written their first meeting, John's death, and Frannie waking up the night Michael comes back from India to discover that the first words he ever said to her 8 years ago have suddenly appeared on her wrist. Now for the fun of watching them try to navigate this mess.

I have a ghost AU where the Bridgertons all vanished during a house party at Aubrey Hall in 1814. Fast forward 200 years, and the spouses have all been invited to the party of the year - the annual Hearts And Flowers ball at Aubrey Hall. Nobody knows who hosts these balls (Though, I know, and I'm willing to bet you can guess 😉). All of them have always been able to see ghosts (except Penelope, whose connection to the supernatural is that Lady Whistledown possesses her to write her blogs) and end up seeing the Bridgertons. So, they try to find out what really happened and free them from the Limbo they're in.

I'm also working on a 13 Going On 30 type AU. After the Hearts And Flowers ball, Anthony gets passed-out drunk and wakes up on his 39th birthday into a world where there was no bangle-drop, no miracle at the altar, and he and Edwina are very unhappily married.

We won't discuss all the ideas I haven't started writing, yet. I really need to get back to my Bella Talks Writing series and share summaries of them all.

14) If you could see one of your fics adapted into a visual medium, which fic would you pick?

Hmm... Actually, I think the ghost story one. The juxtaposition of 1814 and 2014 both kind of happening at the same time, and the whole idea of this ball where most of the guests can't see the Bridgertons seems like it could be really fun in a visual medium.

17) What's something you've learned about while doing research for a fic?

The logistics of eloping (including how long the trip to Gretna Green and back would take) in Regency England for both Let's Run Away Together and Ruined. And that surgeons who normally wear glasses have these special ones that they wear in operating theaters (I've since forgotten what they are called, so I'm going to have to look it up again when I get to that point) for The Doctor Who Loved Me.

19) Give us a small teaser from one of your WIPs

“Anthony, that is enough. I will dance, tonight. With anybody that asks. And you will be a proper married man and dance with some of the wallflowers that otherwise might not get a chance to dance. And we will answer whatever questions are posed to us with honesty and grace. I do not particularly like it, myself. But, it is why we are here. Your sister and brother-in-law are being very kind in being obvious in their support for us. The least we can do is properly use this opportunity they have given us.”

The look Simon gave her was full of awe and respect. “Nicely said, Viscountess Bridgerton.” He lifted her hand and tied a dance card to it. Then he scratched off the dances that had already taken place and signed his name on the line for the second one to come. “Look, I was gracious enough to give your husband your first dance. As the host, I could have claimed it for myself.”

Anthony grumbled at that. But, he took Kate’s hand and signed the next dance coming up, the last dance of the evening, and one of the waltzes in between. He looked about to sign a fourth spot, but Simon yanked the card out of his hand. “You may claim any dances where neither of you are otherwise engaged, but for the time being, three is plenty. Give her a chance to mingle, Anthony.”

Whatever Anthony was about to say was interrupted by a familiar voice. “Is Lord Bridgerton being his usual annoying self, this evening? Honestly, I had hoped that marriage would soften you a bit.”

Kate spun around and smiled. She gave a slight curtsy. “Good evening, Lady Danbury.”