#It's like. yes this is how fiction works. there are premises on which it rests that might seem far-fetched. can you understand this.

[utilitycaster]

Something I've been thinking about a lot lately is the importance that mechanics and external factors have in understanding actual play, but how it's also really important to understand that the instant one leaves actual play as a medium, even if you are adapting the same story, you need to leave that behind.

I think the easiest example would be Scanlan's 9th level Counterspell. In the context of D&D 5e, we understand the following simply from the word "Nine": it is his highest spell slot; he only has one per day; and he has just expended an incredibly valuable and powerful resource that means he cannot use any spells that require it.

In an eventual adaptation, however, this is meaningless. That doesn't mean you can't depict something with a similar emotional weight and meaning; it's just that it will need to be portrayed differently (perhaps as an expendable scroll). The idea of "this is both very necessary to do and very powerful, and also is an immense trade-off" is what's important but the mechanics of it will necessarily fall away when you're no longer bound by mechanics. If you're adapting actual play or writing fic about it? You do need to have some degree of treating magic as a limited resource per day and staying true to broad abilities, but the idea of spell slots is "how can we provide limits to this storytelling system so that it is also a fun game" and the idea is that if you are looking at the story, and not the game, no one is saying "I have no more spell slots"; they're saying "I'm drained and need to rest before I can do more magic other than the most basic things."

(Note - this is fine in-game though. Like, yeah, ideally, no one would shout INSIGHT CHECK and would instead bring it up narratively but also...this is a dumb hill to die on, and I will die on a lot of hills. It is in fact fine while playing the game to acknowledge that you have spell slots and would like to make an investigation check instead of saying "I can do...some magic but not a lot, and I look more closely at the carvings on the wall.")

I think what also trips people up is that DMs in combat are limited by the rules of combat, but outside of combat, they really aren't. To give an example here, Ludinus casts a spell on Kadija that isn't clearly Feeblemind - she clearly has been reverted to the mindset of a young child or similar, but mechanically doesn't act as though she is INT 1, CHA 1. It has similar vibes but isn't quite the same.

This is totally fine and only the most stick-up-their ass pedant would fuss about it. It's a homebrew spell. It's a magical effect for a monster stat block. It is completely okay that it's not exactly a match for a spell that exists. The point is that it fits the broad logic of how magical effects work in the world (a targeted save that she fails; curable) and furthers the story. (Another example is Caleb's backstory re: Vergesson, or Veth being turned into a goblin; ultimately, it doesn't matter exactly what happened as long as we get the gist, because they both fit into, for lack of a better term, the vibe of the magic).

One last related thing is that metagaming in the sense of like, actively trying to twist the scenario to your advantage based on information you as a player know and your character would not is bad (eg: if you know a certain monster is vulnerable to a certain damage type but your character has never encountered it, and you use something extremely atypical for you to leverage this? not great); but I also think fear of metagaming kind of goes too far at times, and stepping back and remembering this is a narrative and not just a rule set helps here. To give an example here: Fearne and FCG hadn't met Caleb and Beau, but as eventually was actually discussed at the table, they still do know that Ludinus and Otohan = bad guys and so it's valid to say "hmmm, freeing their prisoners is like, not a bad idea if only for the chaos." Your character might not know the characters in-game, and they certainly don't know them out of game, but I think a lot of people overcorrect and you don't need to.

This is tbh another case in which I would recommend D&D Court from NADDPod, because they do handle a lot of metagaming-related cases where people are getting far too obsessive. The fact is there is a lot of metagaming happening anyway. If your players seem upset you stop even if the characters wouldn't likely be upset. The famous Sam Smorkel joke works specifically because, on some level, no normal person would speak to Sam Smorkel first, and your players are doing it because they have medium awareness. Metagaming is constant, perfect immersion is rare, and keep an eye out for it but usually metagaming that does cross the line is pretty egregious and the rest is overly concerned.

[eponymous-rose]

So I've been rewatching Star Trek: TNG as comfort TV during/post-move and just got to Yesterday's Enterprise, which I remember liking well enough, but man, it's really unusual in the context of the rest of these early episodes. For one thing, the violence shown is a lot more stark than we've seen in the show thus far - Riker with his throat cut, Captain Garrett with the metal shrapnel in her head, lingering close-ups on dead faces. It's dark and moody and the "happy ending" resolution (as far as we know at this point, anyway) is saving the few survivors of a brutal battle, patching them up, and then shipping them straight back into that battle to be killed.

Given the show's not-so-great track record with its female characters, it's weirdly refreshing that we get a re-do for Tasha Yar. And yeah, she falls in love with a dude and goes off with him on his ship, but she was ready to say goodbye to him and that would've been that - what finally prompts her to step willingly into the meat-grinder is the realization that she had an "empty death" (Guinan had some really raw lines in this one) in the other timeline, and that now her death can have some meaning. It's nicely done, if a bit of a self-flagellating "mea culpa" on the writers' parts.

The alternate timeline isn't the gleeful, campy evil of the Mirrorverse, it's just an exhausted grind through the final days of a losing war. Lots of little touches show how desperate things have become - Wesley's been fast-tracked to a full ensign, Picard is a tactician first and foremost (he takes officers' opinions under advisement, yes, but he's also keeping from them the inevitable, imminent surrender), the bridge is laid out so the captain is front and center with everyone else in the background. As a contrast with the actual Enterprise's chill 90s living room lounge vibe, it's pretty striking. It's like a sneak preview into the bleak and war-heavy sci-fi that would start saturating pop culture a decade or so later, and then it's a firm rejection of that premise - "This isn't a ship of war. It's a ship of peace."

I have a long, long history with TNG - DS9 is my favorite Trek on balance, but TNG is encoded in my DNA. From around ages 3 and 5, my brother and I were watching and rewatching TNG constantly. (My parents would laugh over the fact that my brother didn't know how to read yet but had memorized the episode titles of the first couple seasons.) We had pajamas. We scoured every garage sale and had a giant metal can full of action figures and phasers and tricorders and ships and even, shockingly, that transporter toy that made things disappear using mirrors.

The tactile experience of those toys is burned in my brain - the loose nacelles on the Enterprise model, the click of the left phaser button, the little hole at the bottom of the Borg cube that we once stuck a pencil in and had the tip of the graphite snap off and rattle around forevermore. My brother and I played incessantly with our action figures, to the point where most of them had the paint at least partially rubbed off - we created hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of new episodes over the years. The first time I ever used a touchscreen was at some sort of Star Trek exhibition in Canada in the early 90s that we stumbled across on our way to visit my grandparents.

I'm always fascinated by how kids interact with fictional media - my brother and I were so young, but we obviously knew Star Trek wasn't real. Except... I just always assumed that important people watched it, realized "well, that seems nice", and were actively working to make that future happen. I was (perhaps a little embarrassingly) older when I realized that no, we weren't gonna be out there on science missions to the stars during my lifetime. At least, not in an Enterprise kind of way.

At any given time, there's just this Star Trek filter over how I experience the world - when I got to go to college thanks to scholarships, I had that weighty feeling of responsibility and awe that came with daydreaming about Starfleet Academy. I saw my career shift from the gold of engineering to the blue of science to the red of command. And the older I get, the more I appreciate a show that, for all its flaws, managed to make a utopia interesting and complex.

Because TNG was such a phenomenon when I was a little kid in the early 90s, a lot of my family relationships also have TNG tied up in them. I remember going to my grandparents' apartment and my uncle showing us a fan magazine about the show. I remember another uncle who didn't really "get it" but gifted me and my brother astronaut ice cream because he knew we liked that space stuff. I remember watching most episodes curled up on the couch or my parents' bed with my brother and my mom and dad. When Mom got sick and we talked about death, I remember the way she wistfully brought up the Nexus from Generations or how she hoped she could see the next season of Picard (she didn't, sadly, but she really enjoyed that first season). Hell, one of the first real bonding moments I had with my otherwise hyper-professional and businesslike PhD advisor was when she made a TNG joke, I laughed at it, and she said, "I just love that show, everyone's so nice to each other."

It's just been a lot of fun coming back to this show, is all. I think I periodically forget how much it's affected me and the extent to which it was a fundamental, formative influence. While a lot of it either hasn't aged well or fails to hold up to modern media analysis, so much of it is still lovely, and occasionally there are these moments of shockingly good storytelling.

Star Trek good.

[livsteas]

my year of rest and relaxation review

this review does contain spoilers. this book is also undoubtedly 18+ and no minors should be partaking in it.

i want to begin this review by talking directly to those who dislike it. there were many mixed reviews from what i saw about this book before purchasing it, and most just cited the fact that the main character is awful as a person and horribly depressing. well, that is true. she is definitely that. but a bad main character doesn’t make a bad book. she’s still very well-written and captivating as a narrator, even if unreliable. if you prefer books where the main character is a good-hearted heroine, i promise there is a whole world out there for you. but if you are still willing to read, i would absolutely 100% recommend this book to you. holden caufield in “the catcher in the rye” is just as miserable, but apparently that book is a classic, i guess (i really had no pleasure in dragging through that one in high school.)

the premise of the book is super simple; she pretty much just wants to sleep the whole year, following feeling unfulfilled in life, and wanting some sort of rebirth. this summary makes it sound incredibly boring, but there is never a dull moment in the story. nothing my eyes wanted to skip over. i was hooked on every word and paragraph. Moshfegh writes in such a beautiful way that was simple (and a good break after reading sense and sensibility) but powerful, as if the main character herself was furiously scribbling into a notebook every time she came back to consciousness.

you never truly feel sorry for the character. she is a total asshole. a complete entitled, self-centered, rich asshole. but her thoughts are still expressed in a way that can be relatable. i think that’s what makes it so captivating. even though she exhibits extreme behavior, it is still relatable on a base level. being unsatisfied with the career you’ve chosen. the death of family to suicide, to cancer. a love-hate relationship between long time friends. wanting a fresh start.

i do also think Moshfegh picked the perfect time period to place this book in. 2000-2001 are very simplistic but complicated years. the emergence of new technology yet still just primitive enough. the joy of the VHS player where she watches movies on repeat makes it so thought dialogue is better concise, but she is also not scrolling for hours upon hours on social media distracting herself and putting herself to sleep that way.

the lingering theme on 9/11 is also pretty haunting. you can see from my updates that it was constantly on my mind, but the book truly has no reason for me to think that way. Moshfegh simply slips in unnerving details about its potential future presence, like Reva being moved into the twin towers for work, or how each date after she wakes up during her hibernation is explicitly listed. i thought for a second it would just cut off before 9/11. but the final one-page chapter is as well placed as i hoped it would be.

read this book, but don’t find yourself relating too much with it. don’t allow yourself to wish for similar events. i guess that is the problem many people have with it. but it is possible to read a book at base level and just appreciate the story. you don’t have to absorb it into your very soul. it’s fiction, after all. it’s not meant to be taken 100% seriously. enjoy yourself.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

this did conclude my reading challenge for the year as well. i had set it very low at the beginning of the year because truly i didn’t expect to read at all! and then suddenly i’ve finished 3 books in the span of about a month, which is so wonderful. if you’re interested in being friends on goodreads (i have none 🥲 say yes pls) it’s linked in the pinned post on my profile.

in the seventh chapter, she mentions that she read “war and peace”, and i’m taking it as a solidifying sign, as that will be my next venture for what will probably be the rest of the year. now that will be a long, intense review. and i’ll see you at the end of the year for that. <3

[theseventhoffrostfall]

Read all of the 3 body problem books so you don't have to.

TL;DR its very cold and sterile and no real stakes as a result, making it take place over thousands of years and devoid of enough human connection it has a very "why should I care" feeling. I am not sure if this is a Chinese cultural way of viewing things but it reads like the outline of a better story that'd be filled in later. Closest comparison I can make is Warhammer except everyone has human length lifespans and you look at things from a galactic level scale and after 10,000 years it's hard to care about anyone. I also largely hate all things being equal pessimists at this point. It felt more like a weird acid-trip deep dive into a thought experiment that you pull out of and think "huh, that was fucked up" than any great sweeping narrative and no, i dont care how groundbreaking or deconstructive your story is, it needs to have a plot that makes you invested and the lack thereof isn't the accomplishment you think it is.

But it also irks me that it once again falls into the "this isnt your dumb made up science fiction, this is REAL science fiction" trap. It feels like these authors have 1 specific thing they are maybe more interested in, in this case mathematics, and use that as a crutch of superiority while the rest is as made up as everything else. I'll give GRRM a mild pass since he was writing in the aftermath of Dragonlance, but spec fiction has an issue of defining what it ISNT instead of what it IS. Hell, Tolkien could come out today and market LOTR as "the most realistic fantasy because it charts linguistics and genealogy and cultural evolution in a much more realistic way" vs the others that don't. Which is both ironic given that Tolkien is usually the example used to contrast [insert current trendy author]'s works and the primogenitor of many many things, and also proving the point really that no one writes "better" or "smarter" sci fi/fantasy, and that most authors have 1-3 things they really hone in on accuracy wise and fudge the rest.

(NOTE: yes, there are lots of dumb fantasy/sci-fi that dont even try, Dragonlance doesn't even try to make the 3rd book any good which is why you should stop with Gigachad Sturm Brightblade's better-than-it-has-any-right-to-be character arc)

On the "Probably accurate in one respect but inaccurate in others", I know it's partially a product of the times and understanding of the math involved in both has changed, but the premise of the alien invasion is predicated on the notion that FTL travel is utterly impossible--rather than mathematically possible to the point of the drive being one of the least difficult things to build in a starship--while quantum entanglement-based FTL communication is trivial to manage rather than actually impossible.

It's very much a story where you could find and replace "Aliens" with "wizards" and "Technology" with "Spells" and not change all that much, but in perfect fairness I know very little about the author and if he ever claimed to be Ultra Realism Man personally or if that title was thrust upon him.

The bits of attempted human connection I was seeing in the early stages of the 2nd book are literally why I dropped the series, so I'm not gonna complain about that going away moving forward.

Also, yeah, Sturm is the best part of that series bar none. Elf chick's character development dovetailing off of his arc was also surprisingly interesting, even though they (naturally) faceplanted in handling it at the end of the original trilogy.

[bnhaobservation]

I think enji apology to Shouto was lame I don't think a simple sorry should be enough...

You wrote just a sentence but there's so much I want to say about the topic I hope you'll excuse me if you get a lenghty reply...

Now... I'll assume you're referring to the scene in chap 390, right? The one in which he apologizes to his whole family? Please, correct me if I'm wrong.

Now, premise.

I'm not a particularly forgiving person. Enji destroyed his whole family. If I were in the shoes of one of his family members I wouldn't forgive him, regardless of him saying sorry or not.

So yeah, FOR ME, sorry isn't enough. It doesn't even begin to cut it.

The problem is the story isn't about me but about the Todorokis and we were told long ago his family (except for Touya) has already planned to forgive him way before he were to say 'sorry'. So to them 'sorry' is a bonus, not even a requirement to forgive him.

I'll try to keep this not overly long so I won't dig into the reasons why a fictional family chose to forgive someone who did to them the things Enji did, despite him doing so little for them to make up for his wrongdoing. It happens in real life too so it's not completely irrealistic.

It's their decision... and it's Horikoshi's decision to depict them as so forgiving because the end goal was likely always rebuilding the family.

Now... chap 390 is not the first time Enji apologizes to Shouto and the rest of his family. The previous apologies which were shown were also lame so I don't blame you if you don't remember them (Enji is really, really bad at apologizing)... and possibly there were apologies which weren't shown as plenty of time went by between the moment Enji decided to atone and chap 390 so lot of things could have happened.

Many of us didn't expect him to apologize again to the family in such circumstances, we expected him to apologize to Touya because he was the only one who hadn't gotten an apology yet... and he's clearly very upset to say the least (and Enji didn't even seem to have prepared an apology or something to say to him...).

Yet Enji apologizes again, not just to Touya but to all of his family members, no more a group 'sorry' but a sorry for each of them (which is still lame because he skips a lot of his wrongdoing). Yes, Shouto is the only one who doesn't get to hear why he's sorry.

It can be that the answer on why Shouto doesn't get an 'I'm sorry because...' is Doylist, we, as readers, were told repeatedly what Enji did to Shouto, it's impossible we've forgotten so Horikoshi didn't feel to fill the balloon with a list, we know why Enji should feel sorry... or that Horikoshi just wanted to save this for later, so that it would have more impact and would be a Shouto & Enji scene.

It can be that the answer is Watsonian, Enji might not have gotten to finish because Shouto is fainting so wouldn't hear whatever he were to say after, or because his sorry, in Enji's mind, is meant to cover EVERYTHING he put him through (which was quite a lot).

Enji's atonement/redemption arc always left many people unsatisfied because... he seemed to do so little to earn forgiveness from his family... he doesn't seem to deserve it.

People complained about poor writing.

After reading it many times after chap 390 dropped, I've been wondering if, instead, the fact that Enji seemed to do too little wasn't indeed the whole point.

Let's go through a traditional redemption arc for a moment.

After doing one or more terrible deeds a character is pushed to regret them. The regret comes either because he didn't mean to do them but circumstances forced his hands or because something (usually traumatic or eye opening) happens that causes him to regret his actions.

At this the character starts to feel terrible for what he did and work hard to show how sorry he is, to make up to those he had wronged and earn forgiveness.

That's not how Enji's arc takes place.

When Enji realizes he has to atone?

When, contrary to his expectations HE, and not Shouto, ends up as Number 1, not because he has surpassed All Might but because All Might... retired... and he decided the role of the Number 1 might be protect the future but... ops... he ruined the future of some people, namely his family members.

Rei is in a psychiatric hospital, Touya is dead, Natsuo doesn't want to have anything to do with him, Shouto doesn't view him as a father.

That's not how a Number 1 should have acted.

His atonement arc seem to stem from his sense of duty at being Number 1, not from genuine regret for his actions because he understood his family's feelings and how he hurt them.

As readers we're bound to catch it up and... well, someone who apologizes merely out of duty and not out of genuine emotional regret often doesn't feel like deserving to be forgiven, the apology feels like a pro forma.

I think the idea is that, through the story, Enji learns to empathize with the pain he caused, how his family can't just shrug it off because it was a big deal to them.

As Touya said 'the past never dies', each of them will have to live with the consequences of Enji's actions, he can't just wash them away.

And, during his clash with Touya, Enji finally came to realize that it was his mistakes what lead to that situation and, finally, regrets his actions not because they weren't fitting of the Number 1, but because they were cruel to his family members.

That's why at the end of it all he apologizes not just to Touya but to his whole family again. Because this time he's truly sorry for what he did, not because it was something he shouldn't have done, but because he has grasped the enormity of the pain he caused.

It's a lame apology? Oh yes, but this time I think the core is it's heartfelt. This is the point in which Enji's redemption arc can really start because now he's ready to make up to his family, not due to his duty as Number 1 but because he, as Todoroki Enji, wants to make up to them. Now, Enji can work on earning forgiveness in a way that won't feel lame, a mere lip service.

The problem is that, with the manga ending, we might get to see very little of it but, I like to think, this time Enji will genuinely try to gain his family's forgiveness, to do something for them with care toward their feelings. And this, of course, includes Shouto, and includes seeing Shouto as more than just a future Hero, Shouto is his child and his own person, not merely another Hero in the Hero industry and Enji has mistreated him horribly (he was a child of 5 for crying out loud and he caused him to throw up as he trained him! He isolated him from his family, didn't let him play with his siblings, had him watch as he beat his mother so that Shouto felt guilty over it and over Rei's following mental break up and didn't dare to see her for 10 years!).

At least, that's my speculation in regard to Horikoshi's intentions.

Of course I might be wrong and it can be that Enji's atonement arc is just badly written and therefore his actions, including his apology, come as unsatisfying because they're poorly written. I'm not Horikoshi, I don't really know what he's thinking and my guess is as good as anyone else.

We can only wait and see.

Thank you for your ask!

[katzynia]

Oooh, games! Thanks @there-must-be-a-lock for tagging me <3

Rules: Go to your published works on AO3 and list the first fic you ever published there, the last fic you published, any fic that you wrote for a fandom/ship only once, your favorite fic you wrote in the fandom/ship that has the most works, the fic you wish more people read, the fic you agonized over the most, the fic that sprang fully formed from your mind without any effort, and a work you are proud of—for whatever reason.

First fic published on Ao3: Signs of life, published 14.12.2022. It is more of a dribble, but for me, it was the first piece of fiction writing I've done in something like 15 years.

Last fic published: Straddling the line (in discord and rhyme) - my first pure pwp, I think it turned out really well!

Fandom/ship I only wrote once: I've stayed pretty firmly on my lane; I have only one fic that is not Jayde: (Be)longing which is for Games of Thrones (yes, got fic in year 2022, I just felt like it). Incidentally, it is also a wip, but I do plan on finishing it some point...

Favorite fic in most popular fandom/ship: Aaaaah, this one I thought a lot 'cause one way of the other, I like all my fics. But fine, I'll go with the most popular one: Let it fade, let it linger. I honestly think it's good. It's the first one I plotted and really thought over just by myself, the premise works (even still) and I thought it was pretty nice and tight on how the plot went. I could blather on about this one for a very long time, but I am fond of it.

Fic I wish more people read: strangers looking from afar (getting closer) Seems like Arkham AUs are not very popular. I wish more people would read it, 'cause I had such alternatively fun and horrible time figuring out how Jason and Slade work in that universe. This one cooked in my head for a long time before it was ready to be written, and I think it turned out pretty good.

Fic I agonized over: Ah, this was easy to pick: Every piece of you is easily the most difficult time I've had writing. First I thought about the idea itself for months before I actually started writing, then pushing every chapter out was slow and it didn't feel like flowing at any point (except the last chapter, but that I'd mostly written in plotting/planning stage). It didn't go the way I've planned and is one of the examples where I meant to write some smut and then couldn't (didn't feel like it). It was also one of those things that kinda pulled me down, nagging at the back of my head that 'you should finish this fic, you failure'. Doesn't help that I had a bit of a difficult time IRL at the time... Sigh. Anyway, I really like the last chapter and the first chapter. And the rest isn't bad either. Doesn't read as agonizing as it was to write :D

Fic that popped out fully-formed: Think a little clearer This one I wrote literally in one sitting in my notebook. The editing was just writing it to word with minimal edits, it just flowed. Goddamn joys of writing :D Might have something to do with the fact that it is a sequel to the first must I ever did, and I had a sense of accomplishment for publishing that. I wrote this pretty much the next day and it neatly finishes the story that was left just a little bit open in the first part. Anyway. Inspiration, my beloved.

Fic I'm proud of: Waiting (for the other shoe to drop) I am proud of many fics of mine (like Let is series), but chose this one cause this is the one where I really tried two new(ish) things: Humor and action. This is the first where I went in with the idea of making it funny (I do write kinda-funny lines here and there, but that is mostly incidental) for realz. And the last chapter is the first action scene I wrote, where it isn't just a few lines about shooting or something. Took some time and effort to figure out (for both the humor and the action), but I think it worked out well. :)

---

Task for you, if you feel like it (no pressure): @nonbinaryjaybird, @marirah

[arachnaspi]

This is a rant about a Good Omens post that came across my FYP and it's kinda long so if you don't have the patience/mindset, scroll past :)

--

Ok but like I can't be the only person who thought when Nina confronted Crowley about his feeling for Aziraphale that Crowley's little "oh" moment was bc he found out other people could see his feelings for Aziraphale, not bc he realized he had feelings for Aziraphale.

Idk, I just saw a post abt how someone was saying (I'm paraphrasing this) "with Crowley's character it's so wrong that he's only realizing now he's in love" and it made me go :T because

1. I didn't interpret that scene that way (and I'll say it, I might be wrong and maybe I missed something that the poster didn't)

2. Based on the wording this poster chose, when they complained about how "wrong" it was for Crowley to act that way, it kinda sounded like they were on the verge of citing bad writing, which hoo boy

About bad writing:

First off, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. If you want to say something is "bad writing" go right ahead but personally, I'd love to hear/read why you think that! I love hearing explanations of opinions (but I understand if someone just wants to throw something out there without it being tossed back at them)

Second, there's a difference between "bad writing" and "[this] doesn't align with what I expected/wanted to happen". Both of these have the given premise that you correctly interpreted what was written in the first place. Now, you can say that "can anything in the world really be interpreted correctly bc we all have our own individual experiences and preconceptions that influence how we see the world?" and I'll say yes of course.

"Bad writing", the way I understand it, is when an author writes a story in a way where characters consistently don't act the way they are supposed to based on what was established in the beginning of the story, or some twist happens where any/all character development disappears and it's supposed to sound like a good thing. (I am aware this is not always the case bc like with chemistry and the English language, writing has many exceptions for all its supposed rules.)

In other words, if one doesn't like how something happened in the work, that's not exactly bad writing, that's simply preference. If one didn't like how the author dragged on and on about how something happened that's unimportant to the rest of the story (e.g. describing a blade of grass for three paragraphs when it has nothing to do with the story), or did something to a character only for shock value and erased their development (or even the story's development) in the process, then that is what I'd consider bad writing. This is just my opinion though and I am not a scholar, I just read/watch a lot.

So, when someone says "it is so wrong for this character to act this way in this one instance" it kinda rubs me the wrong way because 1. Did we interpret that scene the same way? (In this case, no) and 2. If we did interpret this the same way, perhaps the author had a reason for the character acting in this manner - after all it's a one-time event. Sure, it's out of character but it's not bad writing since it's not a pattern. After all, we humans don't always act in-character - if your best friend is cranky after waking up late and clumsily spilling their coffee everywhere in their half-awake haze, are you going to tell them it's wrong for them to act that way after what happened to them? Why are we expecting well-written fictional characters to always hit their beats when we don't do that ourselves?

Maybe I read into this more than I needed to but I had thoughts and nowhere to put them. But if anyone wants to healthily debate or comment on anything I said, feel free! :D And if you want me to clarify something, I'd be happy to do that as well.

[traincat]

 fanfic writer 20 questions, tagged by @beamkatanachronicles! thank u Danni!

How many works do you have on Ao3?

110!

What's your total Ao3 word count?

994,043, and considering everything I have almost ready to go is over 5000 words, it's going to cross that one million mark soon. 😬

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

the majority of my fandoms posted on ao3 are marvel based. stats list over 30, but a lot of those I would say are pretty nebulously separated.

What are your top five fics by kudos?

The Masked Man (Who Has Everything) (XMFC, Magneto/Xavier, M) the Magneto is Batman fic. I wrote this based on a prompt from the XMFC kink meme years and years ago. It's not something I would've written now, but I've been told it holds up at least in terms of it being funny. It no longer has a 2000 kudos lead on my second most popular fic, but it's still pretty up there.

Keep Throwing Things and Slamming the Door (Spideytorch, T)

My first Spideytorch fic to hit it big! I had a written a couple before this but nothing really got attention like this one.

Tales From The Back Pages (Spideytorch, T)

The canon first words soulmate AU! I had a lot of fun playing with early Spider-Man and Fantastic Four canon writing this one.

Say You Will, Say You Won't (Spideytorch, T)

The fake but real married Spideytorch fic.

Kind, Sober, and Fully Dressed  (Spideytorch, T)

The fic about the time Johnny asked Peter to come over and watch his sex tape, which is yeah, totally canon.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I used to! I've been bad about it for the past couple of years, although I try to always respond to a direct query, especially if it's about podfic or translations. I'd like to be better about responding to comments.

What's the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I'm going to cheat because it's The Spider and the Last Spark (rated E) where the ending isn't posted yet. But it's been written this whole time. (It's coming! I just have to iron out a fight scene.)

Do you write crossovers?

Sort of? I don't think crossovers between Marvel comics count. I have written crossovers, although I generally prefer fusion AUs.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

laughs. usually not ON the fic (although I have gotten a few weird comments) but a lot of it posted to social media, which was, you know, weird and unpleasant. memorably, one time I posted a snippet of a fic and someone plagiarized it and posted their own (this was an extremely obvious plagiarism, the whole premise and chunks of dialogue were lifted) and when I didn't respond directly but finished the rest of the fic and just posted that in response, they accused me of plagiarism. I had posted the snippet publicly and had time stamps and also everyone knew it, but it was still kind of wild. accused by my plagiarist of plagiarism.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

generally speaking the spideytorch kind lol.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

oh yeah. and not just in the plagiarism story from above.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! A bunch of times! I really, really treasure translations, and it's so wild to me (in the best way) to see all the languages my fic has been translated into. It genuinely makes me feel like my fic is really valued and I'm so happy about it. Thank you to fic translators! I love you!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I'm kind of a control freak so my posted fic isn't co-written but it's always such a fun concept. I did cowrite an AU of a fic years ago with a friend and it was so melodramatic. We were going to write a SERIOUS DRAMA with CONSEQUENCES about SMALL TOWN AMERICA (for some reason) and we were like fourteen so needless to say it wasn't the work of literary fiction we were envisioning. but it's pretty fun to remember.

What’s your all time favourite ship?

I'm a little burnt out on them at the moment but the record will show it's been Spideytorch.

What’s a WIP you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

no one say anything I'm working on it. part two is over 20k at the moment.

What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm good at dialogue, and banter, and romance.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I would LOVE to be better at coming up with plots and I know the only way to become better is to just write them but it's so hard. lies on the unforgiving ground.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

I'm for it if people feel confident about it lol. I've definitely done it when I should have felt LESS CONFIDENT about it even though it was in a language I was fairly familiar with but y'know. I read a fic recently that had a feature where the translations were visible when you hovered over the text and that was really fun.

What was the first fandom you ever wrote for?

Stealing Danni's answer here because I definitely wrote for other fandoms before this but the first fandom when I was like "in fandom" as in participating in a community and making friends and getting into drama was Fire Emblem 7.

What’s your favourite fic you’ve ever written?

It's probably a tie between The Boy From New York City and Work Song. They both taught me a lot about writing, in part because they're two of the longest things I've ever written. The Boy From New York City in particular really burnt me out after I was finished with it but it was a story I had wanted to write for ages and I'm really glad I finished and posted it. Work Song let me do one of my favorite things which was dig really deep into canon and play with the things comics these days are reluctant to get into, the messier sort of outcomes of events and the feelings of it all. I have a really big fondness for both of them still.

Also it's not finished yet, but I've been working on a Kaine and Janine road trip fic set immediately after Spider-Man Beyond and I've just really loved playing with it.

Who do you tag?

anyone who wants to do it!!! sorry I was drinking wine while I was cooking like a lot of wine. I'm tagging you if you want to answer the questions.

[translationandbetrayals]

Shin'ichirō Watanabe: cosmopolitism in the land of invisible walls

Once upon a time there was a country that had the oldest population in the world, and yet, it's unemployment rate was one of the lowest. It had been economically stagnant for the last 30 years, and yet, it was the third largest economy in the world. It had a chronic need for labor, and yet, it was “allergic to immigration”. Yes, I'm talking about Japan. And yes, that last one was a euphemism.

  No country for foreigners

You see, Japan is especially good at masking the problems that concern it. If a Western country does it, it is conservative, but if Japan does it, it's “traditional”. If a Western country does it, it is xenophobia, but in Japan it's just an “allergy to immigration”.

For a country that benefited from globalization, it is very hermetic on a social level. And it is no wonder, since it's immigration laws are practically prohibitive. Come on, the rest of the world perceives the Japanese society as an ethno-nationalist one as opposed to a multi-cultural one.

Japan is an incredible country (being the third largest economy is not easy), perfectly designed for them, but very unkind to foreigners (I'm talking about emigrating, not about going for a month as a tourist, because in that aspect they have done a very good job).

Despite what the media usually preaches, you can (not) be different. Japanese society is the incarnation of the -also Japanese- proverb “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.” And when you, just by your looks, already stand out, you… you are gonna be getting hammered like crazy. 

No matter what, immigrants can never claim an integration with the Japanese national identity, even over the long term. This national identity is presented as impenetrable: the language is difficult, the culture almost only inheritable. And the welcome extended to foreigners comes with the clause that an invisible wall will always exist between “us” and “them”.

  Embracing mixture

It’s in this country of giant borders and invisible walls that anime director Shin'ichirō Watanabe stands out.

Watanabe is mainly known for two things: the mixing of different genres and his love for music. In Cowboy Bebop, the most paradigmatic case, he mixes Western cinema with film Noir, Hong Kong action films and various musical genres, relying mainly on Jazz. He connects extremely dissimilar things separated by time and space. However, this mixture, this “declaration of intentions” by breaking down the borders between genres is not only aesthetic. Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy, Carole and Tuesday: this three are all works by him set in space, in a particularly diverse future. It is not the Japanese who conquered space, but humanity as a whole. Arabs, Mexicans, Americans, in different sizes and colors. The future he imagines is particularly multicultural, especially thinking about how ethnically reduced anime usually is (and no, the typical blonde American girl who is an exchange student is not enough).

On the other side, music is -to me at least- the true universal language, and it seems that Watanabe thinks the same way. Music is what ties up his series in the first place, but I'm glad to see how this way of understanding music has affected the production itself, leading him to work mostly with Western musicians for Carole and Tuesday (which makes sense given its premise of dissimilar people connecting through music).

  Samurais and… what?!

Watanabe has made incredible mixes throughout his work: Space Adventurers with Disco, or Bounty Hunters with Jazz, but the one that continues to surprise me the most is Samurai with Hip Hop.

Samurai Champloo (2004) is a series set in a fictional version of Japan during the Edo Period. Our protagonists are Fuu -a girl, Mugen -a wanderer, and Jin -a samurai, who embark on a journey in search of the “samurai who smells like sunflowers”. Thus, the series narrates their travels and the trouble they get into.

"Champloo" is an Okinawan word meaning "mixed up" or "stirred together." Living up to its name, the series employs a mix of historical settings from the Edo Period, with modern references and styles, especially Hip Hop culture and music. By taking place in the past, Watanabe takes the liberty of creating his own mix of temporalities, presenting anachronisms (characters wearing the equivalent of Adidas clothing), or modifying historical events (in episode 23, Commodore Matthew Perry tries to forcefully do business with Japan not only with intimidation, but also by winning a baseball game, and he loses).

However, the episode that concern us is episode 6: Stranger Searching.

  Once upon a time there was a country

In this episode, the three enter an eating contest, giving up their swords as payment, but all lose to Joji, a strange looking man. In exchange for a city tour, Joji agrees to return the swords. While on the tour, the group defend Joji from samurai enforcers seeking him as a foreigner. During one point when cornered, Joji reveals himself as Isaac Titsingh of the Dutch East India Company, and the samurai leave them alone. The group says goodbye, continues on their way and the episode ends.

What I find incredible about this episode is how contemporary it feels, and the parallels established between sexuality and nationality. You see, Joji was a homosexual in Holland. The 17th century Holland:

- In my country, they treat me like deviant.

Until one day he discovered a Japanese book with a quite suggestive title: “Great Mirror of Male Love”:

-Japan is wonderful! Wonderful culture of man love! When I read that, I thought that Japan would be a country like heaven on Earth.

Sadly, this dialogue between Joji and a samurai enforcer gives you an idea of reality:

-Why do you arrets me? I don’t do anything wrong.

-Here in our land of the rising sun, even if dogs, cats, or even worms are allowed to live, there’s no law saying that foreigners are allowed to!

Truly, the parallel between sexuality and nationality as a useless distinction for a “citizen of the world” is brilliant, as is the use of the series' anachronistic nature to reinforce its contingency. It's sad to see that not much has changed since then, but I refuse to give up on my dream: true understanding.

  Cosmopolitanism

Cosmopolitanism is the idea that all human beings are members of a single community. The term comes from the Greek etymology of "citizen of the world". Cosmopolitanism can be traced back to old man Diogenes a few hundred years B.C., who rejected the idea that one should be importantly defined by one’s city of origin, as was typical of Greeks of the time. It is a broad term with many interpretations, but culturally speaking, cultural borders are no longer rigid and no longer coincide with physical or political borders. It is a more perceptive and sensitive approach to hybridity, couplings, ambiguities and syncretisms.

New York as a physical space that serves as a cultural melting pot, internet as a space for dialogue and interaction that expands our horizon: peace is not achieved by homogeneity through isolation, but by understanding heterogeneity.

It is frustrating that in the process of conformation of identity, to construct the “self”, we need an "other" from which to differentiate ourselves. I guess if one day there was an alien invasion, nations would probably put their differences aside and start acting together as “humanity”. In the same way, when a country faces internal social fractures, the government looks for another country to serve as a straw man to attack, to reinforce national unity against this common and external enemy (c’mon, half of the 20th century history was about that). I understand it, and that's why I'm saddened by it.

  Now what?

Luckily, “No one knows what the future holds. Its potential is infinite”. There’s something poetic in Joji’s story, because despite being treated like a deviant in his country, Netherland became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001.

What I'm trying to say is that change is always possible. It will always be possible to build bridges between cultures. Let's just look at Adult Swim. This was the gateway to anime for young Americans in the late 90's and early 2000's. It acts as a subtle reminder to an entire generation to think globally, starting with recognizing other countries. Their effort and importance at bridging cultural gaps has always captivated me. The Adult Swim anime par excellence, FLCL, flew under the radar in Japan and was practically forgotten after it aired its final episode. Japanese viewers just didn't click with it. Were it not for Adult Swim -and its niche experimental brand- FLCL would've been practically erased from history. And needless to say, since then, increasing globalization has forced the anime industry to expand its production processes beyond its original borders.

Insight allows for commonality, a boon in the internet age. Finding common ground allows people to make changes worldwide. And that's what the world needs right now. That is why I find Shin'ichirō Watanabe's vision valuable. When embracing mixture, you are demolishing the invisible walls that plague the world. Destroy the boundaries between music, film genres, mediums, countries, sensibilities: ultimately, between people.

Anime can change perspectives. For example, in this context of low birth rates, you can see how animes like Usagi Drop, Sweetness & Lightning, Spy x Family or Kotaro Lives Alone have proliferated. Series that practically shout in your face “Look how nice it is to raise a child! Please have babies!” (and while it's not necessarily propaganda, you get the point).

I'm not saying you can end racism just by making Rush Hour with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker (great comedy, go watch it). It is not that simple. But definitely, art and stories are capable of changing the world. Sometimes it's like a drill that pierces the heavens. Sometimes it's like the drop that persistently erodes the rock. Sometimes it happens overnight, and sometimes it takes 400 years.

By the end of the episode, we can find a certain melancholy in Joji's words:

-I had hoped that I could live in this country as a Japanese. But I suppose that is not possible yet.

But we can also find hope:

-But eventually, the day will come when this country will accept people like me. I am sure that this country will stop being so tight assed one day.

I am sure too, Joji. I am sure too...

Raimundo Gumucio

[eliasbookshelf]

Elias' Bookshelf Thoughts No. 13: The Bromance Book Club #1 & #2

The title caught my attention first, because it's just so damn catchy. And truth be told, when people talk about book readers, they rarely refer to men. Like, men don't read books or something. Like men who read books are such an abnormality, we're like unicorns. So yes, the title caught my eye because its reference to both men and books.

Flipped the book over, and the synopsis got me immediately. It was an easy decision to pick up the first book. No regrets; I loved it so much I got the second and third book. Didn't pick up the fourth one yet (and apparently there's a Christmas novella I can't find) so that would be a future buy.

** SPOILERS AHEAD **

So, the premise of the first book is simple. Gavin, a famous football player (and super hot, my imagination ran wild) is having a problem with his marriage to Thea. His friends, fellow (hot) football players came to help. Simple, but then it got interesting. The other guys gave him advise based on a romance novel the group is currently reading. (just imagine, super hot straight football guys, reading romance novels, ones which they could have been on the cover, which they consider life guides to understand women better. I guess in a fictional world, that's plausible. I personally never thought of those books that way, but now I'm super curious about them. I may just pick up one some time eheh). He didn't buy that at first, but eventually their marriage troubles were resolved. Thea (i think) gave them the nickname the Bromance Book Club.

That element, the bros reading romance, is definitely a novelty I really liked in this series. It's fresh and unique, I think, since I haven't come across a similar concept in the books I've read (either that or I haven't read that many books yet). I was instantly bought over by the concept, and throughout the book, Gavin too reads the book-within-the-book to get ideas on how to fix his marriage. Along the way, hilarity ensues with their attempt to hide the fact that the guys are reading such novels (or reading in general, I wasn't sure, but it definitely feeds to the stereotype that hot athletic men don't read. Although I don't know any hot athletic men to ask them if they read at all. I don't have many guy friends IRL *sad*) The story is a fun ride, and the few sex scenes are quite hot. Also, thanks to Thea for the really good description of Gavin's sexy body, we love that.

The novelty (heh) of the guys reading got me super interested in the rest of the books in the series, so I picked up book numbers 2 and 3. The second book is Undercover Bromance, and third is Crazy Stupid Bromance.

I've recently finished reading book 2, Undercover Bromance, so let's continue talking about that.

While book 1 focuses on the book club newbie, Gavin, this second book (and it seems the third book as well) shifts the focus on Braden Mack, the only single guy in the book club. A hotshot bar/restaurant owner who always knows how to charm the girls (also the way he's written, he sounds really hot, damn). The story's main plot shifts from the guys to a side character from book 1, Thea's sister Liv. She works at a restaurant, then got fired after uncovering a dirty little secret of the restaurant's owner, then goes on a mission to expose her former boss. Her mission eventually leads her to Mack. There's drama along the way, with Liv's efforts to fall into the trap of Braden Mack's charm.

This book also features the same running gag of the Russian guy, named Vlad (very ... stereotypical?? I don't personally know any Russian so I don't know if it's a super common name) having gastrointestinal problems, with a hilariously-written fart scene (not unexpected, but still hilarious).

The thing about book 2 is that it lacks that unique novelty that's heavily featured in book 1. There's little to no reference to the book, even with the first scene in the book featuring the guys going to a bookstore and Mack picking out a book titled The Protector (foreshadowing his relationship with Liv). The story then prods casually but steadily and switched between Liv and Mack's plotting, Liv's life struggles, Mack's internal conflicts, and both of them resisting each others' charms and not acknowledging the sexual energy forming between them (one they eventually but not surprisingly succumbed to, although I don't blame her. I feel his sexual energy radiating from the pages; either that or I have a very good imagination I never knew I had. Also, they kiss a lot of times though). There was some mention of the book Mack's reading, but we don't get the excerpt-style info like we did with Gavin and his reading of Courting the Countess. It's not a bad thing, but I was expecting something similar. It doesn't devalue the story, though, but that's probably because I was invested with the series and the guys already.

The plot moves along the similar lines as the first one but thematically different, so it's nothing unexpected or particularly surprising. A good read, nonetheless.

Stars: 3.5 Recommended: Yes, but you have to read the first one before going into this or some things don't make much sense without context from book 1.

[saturnintercept]

02. 01. 23

kicking off the new year by returning to this hell site. is anyone still even on here? if yes please keep it to yourself so i can document my thoughts into this empty void anxiety free.

one of my ~goals~ this year is to read 12 books. i figure if i can’t bring myself to read one book a month i might as well declare myself brain dead and have someone pull the plug on me. happy to say i have already read two! and 20% into my third according to kindle.

the first was ferrante’s days of abandonment which i actually read in the in between haze of christmas and new year but fuck you im still counting it.

honestly i thought it was great. short enough and gripping enough i think it was the perfect choice to kick off this personal goal im trying to achieve. have wanted to read her work for a while from reviews i’ve read and i really loved the film adaption of TLD. as a genre, “depressed woman moving through the world” is my BAG. cannot get enough.

It’s also made me realise how much great fiction books are obv out there. for the longest time i’ve been a strictly non fiction/sociological/psychological theory type of a gal but often they’re either completely impenetrable or make me feel like i’m overcompensating for being a college drop out lol.

the second i just finished this morning was i’m glad my mom died by jennette mccurdy. i was never really a nickelodeon kid growing up so didn’t know much about her but found the premise compelling. decided to listen to the audiobook version cause i think it’s a better experience to read someone’s memoir in their voice with their cadence if that makes sense.

again, really enjoyed. it felt weird to give it a rating when prompted as i find it strange to “rate” someone’s lived experiences particularly when they’re so raw and vulnerable.

could relate to a few of the topics discussed and even the ones i couldn’t relate to through lived experience, her writing was so good i almost felt like i could. i think if she goes on to write anything else i’ll pick it up

and i’m currently 20% through my year of rest and relaxation. im liking it so far, i can see why the tiktok girlies have been eating this up - pretty, rich, blond 20 something hates her life and is rotting in bed popping tranquilizers like tictacs - it’s definitely an aesthetic that’s somewhat glorified. also if they turn this into a movie natasha lyonne should play the doctor. that’s who i have in my head when reading.

that’s all i have for now. hopefully i’ll return once i’ve finished with my final thoughts, maybe i’ll make this diary once a month like a regular wrap up, maybe i’ll abandon this idea all together and you’ll never see me again!

[thewritetofreespeech]

Could I request the Obey Me guys as well as the Now Dateables?

Perhaps M/C crawling into bed with them wanting to be held and to be touched.

Perhaps a little nsfw added in 🤤😉

note: this is the only imagine/scenario I will do for all 11 boys. cuz I’m a thirsty bitch. the rest of the time we will stick to the rules of HCs only.

Additionally, the plot has been changed slightly to ‘coming to their room at night’. Sorry. If you want NSFW stuff for a specific boy, based on the provided content, I’ll do it but 11 boys is too much even for my thirsty trappy ass.

Obey Me Boys + MC Crawling into Bed with Them

Lucifer

Lucifer sighed over his paper work. Would his turmoil never cease? 

Sometimes he felt like he had fallen into a lower level of the Devildom. Like the 13th circle of hell where the preferred torture method for lost souls was endless paperwork. A modern day Sisyphus, only instead of a boulder it was forms.

He heard the door to his room quietly click open & then close. He doesn’t look up from his paper work as he knew who it was. There was only one person, ok maybe two, who would come into his room this late at night without knocking. “What is it [Y/N]?”

“I was um...wait, you wear reading glasses?”

Lucifer frowned and looked up from his paper work now. “Magical reading glasses. For reading magical text.” They were required to read some of the magical scripts he was combing over. “What is it [Y/N]?”

The human squirmed a little when he asked again. Seeming to think over the answer, or more precisely how to explain it. “I couldn’t sleep.” They finally confess. “I was wondering if I could stay in here with you, but....you’re busy.”

Lucifer arched a brow slightly, but then moved some of the papers he had completed to make space for them. “Come on. I won’t be much longer.”

[Y/N] smiled at him and scampered over. Crawling in under the silk sheets, and as close as possible to him with him on top of them as they could. “Thank you Lucifer.”

“Of course, my dearest one.” He replied with a soft smile, leaning down to kiss the top of their head before returning to his work. Renewed in his commitment to get this done so he could spend the night with [Y/N].

Mammon

It was late. It was almost 3:00 in the morning by the time he got home, and it had been a shitty night.

Mammon had been at the casino. Gambling, drinking, dancing, the usual. His luck turned sour around 11:00 and, stupid Mammon, had spent the remaining four hours trying to turn it around. That of course didn’t work so now he was even more broke, defeated, and feeling like crap for his failure; regretting Lucifer finding out and making him feel worse. Fuck it had been the worst night.

He rounded the corner to his room and looked up in surprise to see [Y/N] at his door. “What are you doing here?” His voice seemed to surprise them too as they jumped a little before turning to him.

“Oh I was…coming to see if you wanted to hang out?”

“Hang out?” Mammon repeated with an arched brow. “Ya know it’s like 3:00 in the morning, right?”

“O-Oh…is it? I guess I miss read the time.” [Y/N] began to fidget, then muttered some apology about going back to their room.

The demon reached out and caught their hand before they could get far. “Hey, what’s wrong? Nobody comes out here in the middle of the night without a reason.” Or they were out super late like him.

[Y/N] looked down, then decided to tell the truth. “I couldn’t sleep. So I wanted to see you.”

Mammon blinked behind his shades. He hadn’t been expecting that. Now it was his turn to fidget as he realized out of all the people in the world, [Y/N] had chosen to come see him.

“Yeah well…of course ya’d come to the Great Mammon for help. I uh…guess you can stay in here with me tonight.”

He showered to get the smoke & stink of shame off before crawling into bed with [Y/N]. His little human already drifting off just being in his covers. Mammon wrapped his arms around them and held them close. Maybe it wasn’t the worst night after all.

Levi

Of course he was awake when [Y/N] came to his room. The latest install of Kenji Momotaro: Demon Slayer Warrior Prince had just been released that day, and Levi he been playing it since he had gotten his hands on it. He wouldn’t be sleeping for a while.

When he heard the knock on his door, initially missing it over the sound of his game and tunnel vision, Levi paused for the first time in hours to go see who it was. “[Y/N]-chan?”

“Can…I stay in here with you?” They asked. Catching Levi by surprise. “I can’t sleep in my room.”

The blunette blushed violently, and covered his face. “Y-Y-You….You want to sleep in here with me??”

“Is…that ok?” They asked cautiously. Seeming let down by his reaction.

“No. I mean! Yes! W-What I mean is, I’m not going to bed right now. I’m grinding through my new game so….you might not be happy in here.” Plus, his bed was a bathtub. Which was only comfortable to him.

“Oh. Well…I don’t want to mess up your game. If that’s more important to you.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Levi outburst. Then quickly covered his mouth in embarrassment. “I…I just don’t think you’ll get a lot of sleep in here. I only like my room after all.”

“I like your room.” If Levi turned any redder, he was going to get a nose bleed. “It’s dark, which is nice. Plus the aquariums are really soothing. And…you’re there. I just wanted to be around you since I couldn’t sleep, but I guess that’s silly.”

The demon had to cover his mouth again. This time over threat of nose bleed. He was so red from embarrassment, but also incredibly moved by [Y/N]’s words, that he quickly responded, “you can stay with me.”

He moved aside and let [Y/N] in. Leading them over to his game area where he laid out some plushies as a bed, and pulled out a blanket to cover them. “I-I-I…I’m gonna keep playing since I’m not tired. But I’ll put my headphones on so I don’t disturb you. Y-Y-You can lay down here and i-i-if you fall asleep I won’t mind.”

“Thanks Levi.” He had to gulp at the cute sleepy way they said his name, before they tucked in and he went back to his game.

He couldn’t concentrate for the rest of the game, with [Y/N] so close. Choosing to use his leg as a pillow. Eventually he gave up and leaned back against the edge of his tub, not daring to disturb them and actually getting a good night sleep as well.

Asmo

There were few things that Asmo considered sacred. Love. Vitality. The Louis Vuitton spring collection.

But the one thing he considered sacred most of all, was his beauty sleep regiment.

The Avatar of Lust had a strict sleep schedule to give his body the best rejuvenation possible, and amplify his beauty. Everyone knew about it, and choose to leave Asmo alone; per his wishes.

Which was why it was so frustrating when his rest was disturbed by a knock at the door.

Asmo grumbled under his sleep mask at the light rapping that wouldn’t go away. Irritated by the noise, and now the worry lines whoever it was was putting into his forehead. He pushed his mask up to his hair line and got up out of bed towards the door. “What?!” He said in a not cute, very moody outburst when he opened it. Seeing [Y/N] standing there, startled by his ugly display. “Oh, [Y/N]-kun. It’s you.”

“Y-Yeah. Yeah it’s me. Sorry to wake you, I’ll just…go.”

“Wait [Y/N]! I’m sorry. If I had known it was you paying me a late night visit, I would have been much nicer and answered the door sooner.”

“Well I….couldn’t sleep so…-“Ahhhh~! You couldn’t sleep so you decided to come to me?? How naughty!”

[Y/N] frowned and turned to leave, but Asmo apologized quickly for being cheeky. “Did you want to stay with me tonight? That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?” He could tell he was right, but the human was second guessing themselves on coming here. “I promise I’ll behave. Really.”

[Y/N] seemed to trust them, and came into the room & into bed with Asmo. He was practically giddy with them being so close, but was true to his word and supplied no funny stuff for the evening. Just rest and cuddles.

In the morning, he couldn’t wait to tell his brothers how he slept with [Y/N] last night. Causing quite the intentional misunderstanding and ruckus over breakfast that day.

Satan

Satan was getting ready for bed. Pjs on, teeth brushed, uniform set out for tomorrow, and on his bed reading one last chapter of his latest book, when he heard the knock at the door.

At first he thought it was a branch hitting the glass of his window. But when he heard it again, he knew it was at his door, and had a very The Raven moment before he went to answer it.

“[Y/N]? What are you doing here? It’s so late.”

“I know, I know,” the replied, scratching the back of their head. “I just…I couldn’t sleep. I tried but I just couldn’t get to sleep, and wanted to see you.” They look up at him with big doe eyes and ask, “can I stay with you tonight?”

Of course, he couldn’t say no. Not with a look like that. Or more importantly, he’d never say no to [Y/N]. Satan offered them a soft smile and nodded before letting them in.

“What were you reading?” They asked, as the climbed into bed first. Watching Satan put his book away for them.

“Oh, just a new fiction series I found. Simeon recommended it to me.” He said as he climbed into bed as well.

“What’s it about?”

He told them the premise of the story, and eventually read aloud the first few chapters to them as they curled up beside him. Falling asleep soon after.

Satan smiled again, and put the book back away, before leaning down to kiss their forehead and curl in beside them. Ready for bed now.

Beel

It was pretty late when he heard the knock on the door. And a miracle he heard it at all.

Belphie was the sleeper out of the two of them, but Beel wasn’t exactly a light sleeper either. Between his workouts, large meals, and having to get up early for his morning workouts, the red head was usually dead to the world when his head hit the pillow. But, still, when he heard the quite knock on the door he woke up. 

If he were a thinker like Satan or the others, he would have thought that it was maybe their bond that woke him. Instead he just trudged half asleep towards the door to open it. “[Y/N]?”

“S-Sorry....” They apologize and look towards the ground as Beel looked at them curiously. “I knew you were asleep, but I still woke you up. I’m sorry.”

“Is something wrong?” Beel asked. A bit more awake now that he knew it was them and they seemed distressed. [Y/N] shrugged. “Did you have a bad dream?” 

They pause for a while, but then shrug again. He might not be a thinker like the others, but he was smart enough to know what that meant. He reached out to take their hand and pulled them into his room. Leading them over to his bed and pulling them onto it.

“Don’t worry. You can stay here.” Beel said, holding [Y/N] to his chest in a horizonal hug. “I’ll keep you safe. You don’t have to worry while I’m here. Go back to sleep.”

His words seem to do the trick, and [Y/N] feel back asleep. Beel stayed awake a little while longer. Combing his fingers through their hair, before he too fell back asleep.

Belphie

He heard the conversation from the door, but didn’t bother getting up.

The only thing that could break through when he was asleep was Beel and [Y/N]’s voice. So hearing them both woke him up pretty quickly, although it seemed to be handled. 

He tried to go back to sleep after hearing you settle in, but it didn’t work. The usually lazy demon kept fidgeting in his sleep, trying to get comfortable, and even counting sheep to try and go back to dream land. Nothing worked. And he knew why.

Belphie got up out of bed, hugging his pillow to his chest, and walked over to the over bed across the room and kicked it. When Beel and [Y/N] looked up at him half asleep he demanded, “move over.” He couldn’t sleep know that [Y/N] was cuddling up with someone else and not him. Especially in the same room.

[Y/N] huffed in their sleep and laid back down, scooching closer to Beel to try and make space. Beel, on the other hand, smile sleepily up as his twin and properly moved over; back pressed against the wall with [Y/N] at his chest to give him as much space as possible.

Belphie smiled back at him, then dropped his pillow to climb in. Instantly falling asleep. Holding on to his twin and beloved [Y/N] for the rest of the night.

Simeon

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. Those were the words that Simeon tried to live by

He was just about to slip under the covers happily, when he heard a small knock at the door. It was so faint & small, that he assumed it was Luke needing something. So he quickly went over to answer it without putting his robe on.

“Oh…[Y/N]….” The angel said, feeling his cheeks heat up and clinching for his imaginary robe to cover his pjs, when he realized it was you. “What are you doing here?”

He didn’t mean in the Hall. You were stay in the other dorm for a while as an infestation of some icky, demon creepy crawly, that just loved to nibble on humans was dealt with in the House of Lamentation. Luke of course had been thrilled you were staying with them, insisting that the change be made permanent to keep you away from those rowdy demons. Simeon couldn’t really agree on the demon part, but he wouldn’t be disappointed if you stayed here more.

“I…couldn’t sleep,” you tell him. “New surroundings and all. I was…wondering if I could stay in your room?”

The angel seemed to bristle in surprise at your words. Taken aback, but also in the warm feeling that was spreading through his chest. God have mercy…..

“I don’t know if that would be appropriate.”

“Please?” [Y/N] beckoned. He had to gulp down the lump, and instantaneous urge to say yes, building in his throat. “I just don’t want to sleep alone. I keep thinking about those things in my room back at the dorm. And being around you is so comforting. Just for tonight? I’ll sleep on the couch and everything if that’s a problem.”

“I wouldn’t let you do that.” Simeon insisted. He would never let them sleep on the couch like some vagabond. “Well….alright. But just for tonight. And just because you’re feeling unsettled.” He doesn’t know who he was trying to convince more: them or himself.

He didn’t get much sleep that night. Tense, and trying to remain appropriate even is they slept next to him. But, in a way, it was the best night he had ever had.

Solomon

He always stayed up late. The late to early morning hours were the best time for magic. The witching hour. He was knee deep into his research & spell casting when he heard the knock at the door.

“I..saw the light on…” [Y/N] said when he opened the door. “Are you…going to bed soon?”

Solomon blinked for a moment, then looked down at his pocket watch. Oh, it was rather late. But….“No. I still have quite a bit of work to do.”

The other human sighed, then turned to leave from his door just as suddenly as they came. “Wait. What is it?” He asked, stopping them.

They turn, and seem to debate about answering before, “I couldn’t sleep and was thinking it might be nice to cuddle with you.” Solomon blinked again. In surprise this time. “Stupid, right?”

No, not stupid, he thought. It was just no on had ever asked to cuddle with him before. His body and cool demeanor might be misleading, but he was a very fierce sorcerer. Powerful, and awe inspiring. He had made cities tremble in his young days, and was powerful enough to independently bind one of the strongest demons in hell. Cuddles were not something that one usually thought of when it came to him.

He opened the door to let them in and said, “if you can’t sleep, I can make you a potion.” When that didn’t seem to go over well he corrected with, “or…I could lay down with you for a moment.”

The ‘moment’ turned into the whole evening, because the second his head hit the pillow, he instantly fell asleep. Lulled to dream land by his many late nights, and the warm embrace of [Y/N]. Perhaps there were better things than just getting research done.

Diavolo

He groaned in his sleep. Then rolled over on his side, immediately pulling [Y/N] in when he was in close proximity of them. It was a reflex at this point.

At first, he had tried to keep his distance from the human exchange student. No good would come from it, and it was inappropriate that the future King & patron of the program would be involved with one of the terrestrial candidates. But he couldn’t help it.

Their brightness. Their smile. Their hope for the program and just life won him over and now he couldn’t stand to be further apart from them than a second.

“It’s morning....”

Divaolo groaned and buried his head into the back of their neck. “Five more minutes...”

“We can’t. It’s morning.” [Y/N] insisted. Jutting their hips back against his front; which had the opposite effect of trying to get him out of bed. “If you don’t go, Barbatos will start looking for you. And if he teleports into my room it will be a whole thing.”

That certainly was a metaphoric splash of cold water.

The prince groaned again, and buried himself deeper for a second, before he compliantly agreed and got up. The little full bed in the student dorms joyful of his departure, as it squeaked happily as he tried to leave it.

“Can I come again tonight?” Diavolo asked, as he adjusted his ornate bed clothes. He never slept in them. Like most things in his life, they were all for show.

[Y/N] smiled at him from under their covers and said, “of course.”

His heart swelled at their smile and the promise of later. Surging forward he gave them an impassioned good morning kiss, and told them, “wait up for me.” Before he disappeared in a whirl of black smoke to his own bedroom.

It felt terribly cold now. But he only had to wait until tonight. That he could live for.

Barbatos

The work of a butler is never really done.

There were always things to do. More chores to complete. More tasks to do. Particularly in the life of the royal butler. But Barbatos never complained about his job. He was literally born for it, and took great pride in his work. No matter how small the task.

When he heard the small bell, harking a summons from on of the guest rooms, Barbatos stopped polishing the silver and immediately went upstairs to see what was needed. “You called, [Y/N]?” He asked upon arrival. Calm as ever, and ready to help. “How may I be of assistance?”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you up here.” They apologized. “I just….couldn’t sleep.”

Barbatos chuckled a little with a soft smile. “No need to apologize, [Y/N]. You’re a guest here, and a friend of the young master.” As well as a dear person to him. “I’m happy to help with anything you need. Might I make you some soothing nightshade tea? That seems to do the trick for most people.”

“N-No. No I…I was wondering….if you’d just sit with me for a while.” The human looked down at the ornate bed spread. Picking at the embroidery in a nervous manner. “Til I fall back asleep?”

The demon smiled again, and came over to sit on the edge of the bed. Holding them in the most comfortable manner possible with him on top of the covers, and them under them. “That is a simple thing.” He told them softly. “Close your eyes. I shall stay with you until you are asleep, and make sure you are taken care of.”

“Thank you.” [Y/N] said lazily. Already closing their eyes and falling back asleep with him close.

The work of a butler was never really done. But this was a task he was happy to do.

[oumakokichi]

Question: You say that Tsumugi wasn’t brainwashed into being the mastermind? Then what about the prologue where she acted scared and confused like the rest of the cast? What was the point of her “acting/pretending” to be scared if their memories would be erased minutes later?

I mean, generally speaking, it would be a good idea to play along with the group in order to not stand out or raise suspicion in the moment. Most of the characters don't act drastically different in the prologue from their in-game selves, and Tsumugi is no different here: she does what she does best for the majority of the game, which is hiding in plain sight and playing along with the group without trying to draw attention to herself. This is an especially stark contrast to Junko as a mastermind, whose over-the-top persona would've given her away instantly if she'd actually tried to join the rest of her classmates (and is part of the reason she decided to kill Mukuro, who was standing out too much even as a fake version of herself). In other words, Tsumugi acted scared in order to not draw any attention to herself, because that's largely how she operates.

This on its own of course is mostly just my own interpretation, but in my opinion the most solid evidence to back up the idea that Tsumugi was never brainwashed into being the mastermind is the fact that the flashback lights don't work anymore once you understand the premise behind them. As soon as you know they're fake, you're no longer capable of accepting whatever they show you as part of your own memory.

Tsumugi explains how the flashback lights work in the ch6 trial, and we know this to be more or less true considering the way Ouma reacts to the flashback lights throughout the game. Not only does he express some skepticism to them right away in ch2, but he repeatedly hints to knowing or remembering things that he shouldn't possibly know yet, such as implying he knew everyone already in his FTEs, or that he knew Maki's talent well before he watched her motive video. He also expresses complete disappointment when everyone watches the flashback light in ch3 showing the meteors destroying the earth, and mutters that he expected better from them before quickly changing the subject.

So, all things considered, we can safely assume that yes, knowing the flashback lights are fake, or at the very least doubting them as your own memories makes them less likely to work. And considering Tsumugi is the one who both knows how the flashback lights work and creates them herself throughout the game, it's another safe assumption that any attempt to brainwash her simply wouldn't work.

In any case, I personally think she wouldn't be nearly as compelling or interesting of a character if she were simply brainwashed or forced into the mastermind role with no agency of her own, but that much is simply my own opinion. I think it's extremely fun to go through v3 and see her plotting and scheming in plain sight; she's extremely good at feigning innocence and it's a joy to watch her fly under the radar so often despite often dropping the biggest red flags in terms of treating the killing game like "fiction."

Anyway, I hope this was helpful!

[taeescript]

29+1 (Part One)

𝔰𝔶𝔫𝔬𝔭𝔰𝔦𝔰: In which Seokjin is the Devil from The Devil Wears Prada, Taehyung is your work Jesus and Jimin is your handsome successful brother. 

𝔭𝔞𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰: seokjin x reader (taehyung x reader if you squint real hard) 

𝔤𝔢𝔫𝔯𝔢: slice of life; ceo!seokjin (diva!seokjin)

𝔴𝔠: 3.6k

𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰: heavy use of alcohol as a coping mechanism, a plethora of sarcasm (please don’t be offended) and a sprinkle of softness (is that a warning?). 

𝔞/𝔫: this sat in my unwritten folder since 2017 no lie. I wrote the premise and a singular paragraph at that time, then just gave up. I opened it a few days ago, got inspired again and this word vomit came out (heavily influenced by a midnight Zoom call with my friends). Ngl this was so much fun to write, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. This will probably be in three parts.  𝔡𝔦𝔰𝔠𝔩𝔞𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔯: I did not know that DailyHive is an actual online news source when writing. This work is purely fictional and has absolutely nothing to do with the real DailyHive. 

part two

Your friends have a saying: After 29, nobody shares their age until they’ve accomplished something. 

In the past, you didn’t understand it. What’s so bad about saying you’re 30 or you’re 32? That’s still a young age! Sure, you’re not exactly in your prime anymore but you’re not old, right?

So, you continue in your own wondrous world of naïveté until that fateful day at your class reunion. You had simply been walking around, minding your own business when you had been stopped by an old colleague.

“Hey, Y/N, right?” she waves you down. 

You smile kindly, not even bothering to try and remember her name (you sucked at names, what could you say). 

“Hey…you!” you chuckle lightly, “How have you been doing?” 

An everyday question leading to catastrophic effects. 

“Oh you know,” she says and rolls her eyes as if you truly did know, “I’ve just been out and about. Did I tell you though? I got married last year!” She holds out her hand in which a giant diamond adorns her finger. “Wow!” you gasp, feigning interest. It’s not that you aren’t happy for her, but you are reminded of just how single you are currently. When was the last time you felt another human’s touch? Does kissing come back as easily as riding a bicycle? “Hey!” she says suddenly, “I’m actually meeting with a couple of friends from our class. You should come join! I’m sure they’d be happy to see you again!” You want to wave her off, but against your better judgment, you find yourself following in her footsteps and listening to her speak about wedding venues and honeymoon destinations.

“Oh my god!” another female voice filters in.

The “couple of friends” this old classmate had mentioned is in fact a fairly impressive size of twenty. This is also the third time the wedding announcement has been made. 

“Last year?” the female continues, “Weren’t you young?”

Yes, you want to respond. Yes she was young. A full 365 days younger than she is now.

Your classmate, Sooyoung (or Kiko as she insists going by now) titters in front of you. “I mean, you can sort of say I’m a late bloomer. I got married when I was 31.”

Her words unintentionally cut into you. Here you are at 29 without a beau in sight. You take a fast swig of your beer and end up hitting the empty glass with a clink to your teeth. Nobody notices.

“Enough about me, however, how about you?”

“I started my own business actually. It’s been doing really well and it’s been a crazy mind. Imagine me, my own boss at only 33!”

You nervously join them when they suddenly laugh together.  

“Hi, can I get another pint please? Actually add a tequila shot to that,” you whisper the last part to the waitress you had just stopped.

And that was how the rest of the night went. People asking one another what they had accomplished. Any moment in time after 30 would not be mentioned until somebody travelled to Uganda to build houses at 31 or another gave birth at the same age. Below 30, anything would be attributed to luck or in your case…

“What are you doing currently?” somebody asks you, “The little baby of our class.”

Swallowing your third tequila shot of the night, you wonder for the umpteenth time how you had become a part of this giant sharing circle. You wonder if it’s a blessing or a curse that you had graduated a little early and thus was younger than most of your peers.

“Well,” you start, “I’m currently working at DailyHive.”

“Ohh!” a man gushes. You recognize him as the once-upon-a-time science partner you used to cheat notes off of. “I use DailyHive nearly as much as Instagram these days. You guys cover everything from news to sports to fashion.”

You shrug. “Yeah. It’s, uh… it’s a pretty big company!”

“What are you doing there?”

Kiko-ex-Sooyoung hits the man teasingly on the shoulder. “Y/N is probably the Director of Marketing or something. Remember how she used to spend all class doodling in her notebook?”

“Or sleeping!” someone quips.

You don’t join in when they all laugh.

“I’m…an intern,” you say with as much pride as you can in a group of established professionals ranging from dermatologists to that one guy who had flown around the world as a TedTalk guest speaker.

A hushed silence befalls everyone.

“That’s…cool!” the same man encourages you, “Interns are totally rad! Everyone wants an intern spot these days.”

His girlfriend pats your arm, almost empathetically. “Yeah. I know a bunch of people who first start off as interns and then they shoot up the ladder quick enough. As long as you’re no longer an intern at 30, you’re golden!”

Once again, the entire group laughs as if she has said the most hilarious of jokes.

She composes herself and says to you, “Because after that, you should have accomplished something.”

Her words still ring in your ears as you sit at your desk this morning.

Yeah…something. All you need to do is accomplish something in the next three months before you are officially, 29 + 1.

Your fingers tap against your thighs silently while you observe the current debate that is occurring in the conference room. You barely have time to sweep the falling hair back behind your ear as your fingers ferociously fly across the keyboard to keep in track with the meeting.

Fei is arguing that the implement of a new search word system would boost users while Daniel says that it is a waste of resources. Instead, everything should be put into updating the entire system as a whole. You have long since lost track of their words as neither pertain to what you do as an intern.

“Enough,” the CEO of DailyHive holds up a hand. His one word causes the entire room to hush over – truly, the words of a god.

And that might as well be what he is. With his hair swept back and a lone tendril curling perfectly above his brow, Kim Seokjin is legitimately a walking god. Off his broad shoulders hang an expensive white linen suit bought with his pocket change and your yearly salary. A pair of sunglasses hangs in the V of the collared shirt dipping low enough to blur the lines between being fashionably professional and just downright sexy.

The snap of his fingers brings you back to the present.

He dramatically rolls his eyes and accepts that you are an incompetent minute-taker.  

“I have to remember that the world just doesn’t move as fast as I do.”  

                                                            - Quote: Rolling Stones 2019 Kim Seokjin.

Now if only he’d remember he had once said that.

He points at each of them with one finger, then swipes to the left. “Both of you, solve this outside. I don’t want to hear your voices any longer. You two from the marketing team, Ungroomed Stache and Acne Chin, create me a report if we are to implement Ms. Song’s idea. The two of you from…” he takes a pause here clearly having forgotten who his employees are, “The two of you do the same thing but for Mr. Hwang.”

The pair from accounting open their mouth to protest that they are in charge of only numbers, but they are ignored.

“All of you out now. Except you,” he points his finger directly at you, “Stay.”

Nobody utters a single word until they have all left and you are left alone with him. Standing before him with your hands folded nicely in front of you, you blink and wait.

He stares right back at you, picks up his coffee mug and drops it. The clatter of ceramic smashing against the ground causes a pause in the loud buzz outside the room. You know everybody’s focus has been shifted into the room.

“Do you want to kill me?” he drawls.

You take a long inhale. “No,” you say.

“No?” he repeats the word, “Well I think you do. Did you check this coffee before you brought it to me? I tasted cinnamon in it. You know how I’m allergic to cinnamon. Get me a new cup. And this mess, get somebody to clean it. I don’t want the smell of coffee in this room when I have my next meeting here in twenty. I’m taking a smoke a break.”

He stands up and brushes past you without saying anything else.

Nobody can be allergic to cinnamon. Besides if he had actually tasted cinnamon and was that sensitive, he would be dead. And good riddance to that.

Of course, you say none of this and wordlessly begin to pick up the broken ceramic pieces of the dead mug. The bustling outside the meeting room has returned back to its normal state of chaos. Seeing the ugly stain of coffee on the once pristine carpet causes you to swear beneath your breath.

“Who the fuck is allergic to cinnamon?” a new voice says, sliding up beside you.  

The second god in DailyHive; the much nicer and evidently preferred Kim; Taehyung takes the mug pieces from you and drops it into the garbage bin.

Blessed with not only intelligence but devilishly model-like features, he is your desk buddy in the small space allotted for interns and your sole friend in the company.

“Tae,” you sigh with exasperation upon seeing your lifesaver, “What am I going to do about this stain? He’s going to return in fifteen and there’s no way I can get a coffee stain out of this expensive-ass carpet.”

Taehyung taps a long finger to his lips, leaves the room briefly, and returns with a roll of Bounty sheets and a can of Febreze. He promptly blots as much of the coffee off from the carpet then proceeds to pull the meeting table.

“C’mon, Y/N, don’t just stand there. Help me! Time is of the essence!”

You laugh and join him in moving the table so that one of the legs cover the stain 80% of the way. Once he is satisfied, he takes the Febreze and sprays until the whole room smells like “Hawaiian Aloha”.

“You’re welcome.” He gives an extravagant bow, the motion popping open the top button of his shirt to expose a surprisingly chiseled chest.

Fei returns back into the room holding a phone to her ear and a clipboard in her left hand. “What the hell? It smells like a Bath & Body Works in here. Intern, aren’t you supposed to be filing or something? Stop standing around and be useful.” She grips Taehyung’s arm and drags him out of the room. “Button up. This is a professional workplace.”

You give him a tiny wave as Taehyung is steered away by his girlfriend and back to the cubicles.

Taehyung may be your saviour at work, but outside, it cannot be denied that your brother is the true Fountain of Life.

A week has passed since the coffee incident (you suspect a cleaning personnel had found the stain and cleaned up after your improv as aforementioned stain can no longer be found), but Jimin still brings it up.

“I still can’t believe that he said he was allergic to cinnamon. I’ve never heard of such bullshit before,” your brother says over the phone. You can practically hear his eyeroll from across the world.

As a renowned ophthalmologist, you have not seen Jimin for close to a year as he has been initiating his new clinic, a flying eye hospital.

“You should hear his Starbucks order. I always feel like I’m ready to launch my next EP whenever I’m at the counter,” you say.

Jimin laughs. There is the muffled sounds of voices as his never-ending flow of patients have arrived for the day.

“I shouldn’t keep you,” you say upon hearing that, “You’re probably really busy.”

“No,” he says, “I’ve got a few minutes if you’ve got a few. I miss talking to my baby sister.”

“I’m not a baby anymore, Jiminie,” you say using the nickname he hated.

“Oh that’s right. Your birthday’s in a little under three months, right? My baby sister is turning the big three-oh.”

“God, don’t remind me.”

“Want me to come visit you?”

You contemplate the idea once, having not seen Jimin in quite a while.

“Only if you have time. But I feel like Mom and Dad would probably want to see you more. Speaking of which, um… How are Mom and Dad?”

“They’re good. I hear Dad is finally going to retire this year. He’s giving his practice to Kibum, you remember him? Mom will probably start pestering us about what to do for his retirement party.”

There is a pause.

“You know, it wouldn’t hurt to say hi to them once in a while.”

You sigh. “And say what? Hey, it’s me. The child that ran away from home at 18? Yeah, I’m not a doctor like everybody else in the family but a 29 year old intern at a popular app company. Whassuuup?”

“Y/N, that’s not what I – ”

“It’s okay, Jimin. I’ve come to accept that not everybody is cut out to be a doctor. I just wish Mom and Dad could realize that.”

Jimin sighs on your behalf. There is the sound of a crying child coming through the earphone. “Well, your contract expires a few weeks after your birthday, right? Who knows, you might be the next Mark Zuckerberg.”

He has never explicitly inquired about your life plan and you know this is as much as he is willing to push without asking, “What’s next after this intern hiccup?” At least he had the decency to compare you to a controversial Internet entrepreneur.

The child is crying much louder now.

“Again with my birthday. But I’ll let you know,” is the only reply you can come up with at the moment. “Okay, brother, go forth and heal the blind. I bless thee in the name of the Holy Spirit, Son and Ghost.”

There is true laughter that rings from Jimin as he ends the call. “It’s Father, Son and Holy Ghost you dweeb. I love you sis.”

“You too.” You hang up first before he can add anything else.

With that, you enter into the 7am Starbucks queue and prepare yourself in running the first single of your long overdue EP.

Seokjin leans back in his chair, watching you from inside his office. Today he has chosen a black turtleneck and a brazen maroon-nearly purple suit jacket to complete the outfit. For once, there is an empty mug of coffee beside him and his morning headache has been appeased.

He knew he had given you an impossible task.

“Compile all the troubleshooting errors we have received since the launch of DailyHive. Organize it in a manner that allows me to identify the most prominent problem. Run it through whomever you please before giving it to me. I don’t need to waste my time correcting your mistakes.”

There is an amused smile that bubbles beneath his otherwise stoic features. He cannot deny that there is, might he dare say, a cute quality about you as you manually scan through the received concerns on your laptop dating back to the initial beta tests – the ones that were lost in a data crash and only backed up with unintelligible scribblings of previous interns.

The moment you had been introduced as the new intern, you had caught his eye. You are exquisitely mundane, and perhaps the reason you had even caught him the first time was due to solely to the fact that you were older than most interns – himself even. Nevertheless, you continue to present him small surprises in your tenacity and capability to tackle challenges.

“Mr. Kim.”

His intercom comes alive with the voice of his secretary.

Seokjin’s eyes do not leave you as he answers.

“Mr. Hwang is on line two. Would you like me to defer him to a later time if you are currently busy?”

Seokjin cannot help but sigh. Hwang Junho, his co-founder, while a genius in international business is also a notorious chatterbox and gossip. There is seldom a reason for Junho to call him except to relay the cover titles of E!Magazine.

“Did he mention a reason for calling?” Seokjin inquires.

His secretary seems to be reading from a note. “He says it’s to do with the company. Something he read from Cosmopolitan this morning.”

So not E! but another sister celebrity gossip blog. He checks his watch and duly notes that he certainly has no meetings scheduled until later in the afternoon where your report would be needed to run a preliminary analysis.

“Sir?”

“Yes, put him through. But tell him I’ve got only five minutes, so he’s better give me the Cliffnotes version,” Seokjin sighs again.

Before he can be connected, Seokjin quickly says, “What’s the name of that intern again?”

“Who?” his secretary asks, “We’ve hired four since the beginning of the year.”

“The one who keeps wanting to poison me.”

“I’m sorry, Sir?” she sounds concerned.

“The one who keeps forgetting that I despise cinnamon.”

There is no response.

“The older one. Spilled coffee a while ago but still has enough coordination to pull together a decent report.”

“Ah,” she says.

He waits patiently as she searches through the database, eventually giving him your name. He gives a slight pause and then says, “Good. Now patch me with Junho.”

There is a momentary buzz as the call becomes connected in which Seokjin turns over the syllables of your name wordlessly.

“Mr. Kim. The man of the hour. How are you, my brother?” Junho’s baritone fills the office in a manner of seconds.

Despite the little annoying quirks, Seokjin cannot help but smile when hearing the voice of his best friend.

“You’ve got three minutes, Junho.”

Junho grumbles. “That’s not my fault. You were the one still on the line with your secretary. Is it still Yerin? ‘Cuz I won’t blame you if that’s the case. Did I catch you doing some naughty phone sex during office hours?”

“Two.”

“Holy hell. Fine. It’s always business with you. That’s why the tabloids are always writing you as an uptight asshole.”

This shifts Seokjin’s attention to the phone. His name is seldomly mentioned except for the features in business columns. He prefers to stay out of the limelight.

“What?”

“Put your name on Google.”

Seokjin does as he is told.

There are millions of results, but the first few pages share the same headline. He clicks on the first one with a grimace.

“Kim Seokjin. Mr. Worldwide Handsome as noted by his fans, has recently sparked Internet outrage.”

A quick skim of the otherwise trashy article brought to the surface a summary: his last dating scandal had ended badly and the repercussions of blowing off a famous celebrity’s daughter had finally caught up with him. The Internet was calling him arrogant, narrow-minded, and even greedy. “The young Chief Executive Officer of booming social media app DailyHive has been accused of using his relationship with actress XYZ to further his own business. Once he gained recognition from aforementioned relationship, he has cold-heartedly cast her away to pursue his next.” “You’re calling me for this bullshit?” Seokjin scoffs. Junho tuts his tongue loudly. “This is not bullshit. It’s affecting the image of your company. Do you think people want to download and support an app that is run by somebody who is being called cruel and dishonest? You’ve got to address this soon before it gets out of control. You’re lucky I have alerts set for these type of things. I caught it for you just in the nick of time.” Seokjin inhales deeply. “You’re also lucky that I’ve got the perfect solution in mind.” “That is?” “The Silver Gala,” Junho references the prestigious event. The Silver Gala is hosted annually and attended by the largest celebrities as well as other wealthy investors and guests. Those in the social circle shared between Seokjin and Junho often yearned for tickets to attend events such as this, as they serve as excellent networking opportunities. Besides the above, such events are circled by reporters and writers of gossip columns to get the exclusive scoop on any eyebrow-raising rumours. “The solution lies in such an event,” Junho continues, “You know how many people will be there. All you’ve got to do is show up with your average girl-next-door type and it’ll show how you’re actually really humble and down to earth. Kim Seokjin is perfectly capable of dating like any regular human being. He doesn’t use “love” or whatever to further his business. Love is the connection between two souls; two individuals who – ” “Beep. Your time has run out Junho. I’ve got another meeting scheduled right this moment,” Seokjin interrupts. “Dude, seriously. Think about it. You could bring Yerin. Everbody loves a good CEO and his secretary affair. And if that’s too juicy for you, I can introduce you to some girls. Or maybe we could go back to our university days and hit a bar, y’know?” Junho tries his best to persuade. “Fuck!” you swear beneath your breath right as you walk into Kim Seokjin’s office. His door had been open and, in your excitement to show your completed report, you had dropped all the loose papers on the ground. Four hours of organization gone, just like that. You hope that at least Seokjin hasn’t heard or noticed you as he had been engrossed in his phone call. Seokjin had in fact noticed you. He can’t help himself but follow the curvature of your bare shoulder as your bangs escape the hold of your scrunchie and sweep across your skin. “Don’t worry, Junho, I’ve just thought about it,” he says with a smile.

[magpiefngrl]

mid-year book freak out tag

Books! Love talking about books! Thank you for tagging me @bloody-wonder :))

1. Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2022? Although I haven't read any books that left me with my jaw on the floor yet, I was very, very thrilled with The Queen of Attolia and the sequel The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner. I remember feeling pure enjoyment while reading it. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse also amazed me. I loved the characters and the worldbuilding and the plot. Finally, the romance How To Bang A Billionaire by Alexis Hall def ticked a lot of my boxes.

2. Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2022? Like @bloody-wonder said, The Queen of Attolia was fantastic as a sequel. The first novel was a fun adventure but weirdly plotted and nothing to justify the rave reviews I've heard. And then novel 2 happens and--yes. I can see why people are crazy about this series.

3. New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To? Alix E Harrow's The Mirror Mended. I've had mixed feelings about Harrow's books overall but I enjoyed the previous novella of this series and am hoping this one proves as good.

4. Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2022? Husband Material by Alexis Hall. I am a huge fan of his works and can't w a i t for this one.

5. Biggest Disappointment? I DNFed The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. Although Station Eleven is one of my fave books, I found Mandel's second novel very dull. Perhaps it was timing (too tired with work, needing something lighter etc). I'm hoping to give it another go at some point.

6. Biggest Surprise? The Atlas Six is one of those overhyped novels that I was sure would hate, but the premise and the dark academia vibes convinced me to try it anyway. To my surprise, it turned out pretty good. Great pacing, interesting characters, easy to read; it kept me engaged and turning the pages.

7. Favorite New Author? There hasn't been anyone so far that joined the hallowed ranks of Magpie's Fave Authors. But I haven't read as many books as in the past, and a fair number of them were rereads.

8. Newest Favorite Character? EUGENIDES!

9. Newest Fictional Crush? Seungho, the love interest in a Korean BL comic. He's absolutely terrible and I love him dearly.

💕Best Ships💕 Eugenides and Attolia; Xiala and Serapio from Black Sun; and Lymond/Jerott because I'm trash.

10. Book That Made You Cry? Frankincense by D. Dunnett. Technically I read 65% of the novel last year, but it was the last 35% that made me cry with heaving, inconsolable sobs so it counts.

11. Book That Made You Happy? The Attolia books. I really did like them.

12. Favorite Book Adaptation You Saw This Year? I haven't watched any adaptations of books that I've read these past 6 months. The first season of The Handmaid's Tale was incredible but haven't read the book yet so not sure it counts. Oh maybe the Miss Marple series. It was really well done.

13. Favorite Review You’ve Written This Year? I guess my review for How to Bang A Billionaire which was this:

*screaming into my pillow*

14. Most Beautiful Cover? I read exclusively ebooks so never really pay attention to covers.

15. What Books Do You Need To Read By The End of The Year? Ugh SO MANY. What I would love and am hoping to do is to read the rest of series that I've begun. I.e., the Billionaire novels, the rest of Lymond, the rest of the Wimsey books, the Temeraire series, and so on.

This was fun! Do you, dear reader, love books and read a lot? You're now tagged!

[actualbird]

hello, zak! for the fic ask, could you do “you can run, you can hide, but this email WILL find you!” (only if you’d like, of course! if not, then it’s fine!)

have a pleasant rest of your day!

hello, anon!! :DDD

for "you can run, you can hide, but this email WILL find you!" it was actually really interesting cuz the original premise was just "comedy fic vyn and marius emailing when they started the tutoring thing" so the seed for that was this bit:

from: Marius von Hagen [mvhagen@paxgroup.com] to: Vyn Richter [vrichter@stellisuniversity.edu] subject: Tutoring Details Cool, got this. See ya. ✌️ Sent from my iPhone

and then i went to bed and when i woke up the next day, i realized that to write this fic, i needed to bring in giann. and then i realized i wanted him to go missing over the course of the fic. when that became clear to me, the first thing i wrote was these bits

Look after him. Please. I know you’ll say yes. —Giann

and then vyn's reply which is

Giann, why does this sound like a goodbye?

because god, giann and vyn worked together supposedly closely and i really really wanted to explore that. explore what it meant for vyn, for marius, and for vyn and marius' relationship with each other

this fic is one of my faves cuz it turned out WAY WAY WAYYYY DIFFERENT than what i had originally set out to do. genuinely, i just thought itd be a back and forth comedy email epistolary but then i remembered that what i love so much about epistolary fiction is how words in a letter (or in this case, an email) cannot directly convey the pain the character is feeling

what epistolary fiction does instead is create the like....'outline' of the pain, so to speak, the line going around it that creates the edge of the shape. so that the pain is implicit. it's not in the words that are there, but it's in the words that arent. iM NOT MAKING SENSE AGAIN BUT YEAH

those were the two scenes i set down first. one that started the premise, and one that started the real story

thank you for the ask, anon :DDDD