#OTHER STORY LINES AND JUST PICKING AND CHOOSING MY BELOVED

[mbirnsings-71]

Sluggy I gotta be honest with you buddy... I don't have set characters for each role and I have not thought hard about who gets unicorned in my AU but I think in my heart it's gotta be Roy again. Something Something Jade asks for a divorce and tries to drive it off because ow??? BUT THEN BOOM REBAR THROUGH THE HEAD- I just like taking individual storylines from characters and throwing them on who I think would suit it well and also I refuse to kill my Shannon character here damn it-

Boys I forgot I was coloring in a Roy doodle last night uhhhh I got sidetracked big time-

[robintherobiner]

This is an interactive story. The next part will be based on what you guys choose.

Warning, the story heavily revolves around dark topics, like suicide, abuse (all types), bullying, all that jazz. It's an au, HEAVILY canon divergent. So, idk proceed carefully

"If you're watching this, it means I'm dead."

Suddenly, Jason wished he'd never bought the sticker covered camera. He'd seen it in a charity shop, looking all lonely on it own little table. All the other camera were old, and had dents and scratches, but this one looked almost new and bursting with personality.

It had cost a lot, of course, and Jason had considered putting it back down. After all, he didn't need a camera. He was pretty sure Bruce had one at home anyways.

But then he'd seen a sticker, right under the shutter button, and he'd recognized his own costume. Whoever had owned this camera had liked Robin, his Robin, with curly hair and freckles instead of tanned skin and sparkly shorts. He had to buy it now, he thought, and so he did.

Jason pressed the play button again, and stared at the kid on the screen. He looked pale, and far too skinny for someone who, if his Bristol accent was anything to go off of, clearly had enough money to buy food.

"Sorry. I realize that was probably, like, a really big thing to say. Or, not big, I guess, it was only eight words. Tough? No.. Eh, whatever." The kid shrugged. "Point is, sorry. You picked up my camera though, so you have three options."

The whole situation is bizarre. He sort of assumed there would be pictures of nature, or videos of some cool tricks if the skateboard stickers are anything to go off of. Not a fucking death announcement.

Still, Jason is curious. Is the kid in danger, and thats why he thinks he's going to die? Or is he sad? Jason lived on the streets, he's not a stranger to people who's heads are clouded, people who think things will never get better. He's never felt that way personally, but he's known lots of people who ended up hurting themselves.

"First, you could just throw the camera away. A bit of a waste, since it's pretty good quality, but whatever. Second, you could delete everything on here and just use it yourself. I'd be okay with that. Photography is fun. Or, if you wanted, you could watch these videos."

Here, his cheeks flush, as though embarrassed. Its hard to hear, but Jason thinks he can hear the boy mutter something along the lines of what a dumb thing to say.

"Even though I'm going to die, I still sort of want to do cool things. Have a coming-of-age movie moment, you know? But I can't have one, so the next best thing is to try give it to someone else." Camera Kid paused. "I think coming-of-age movies are only for teens, though. It would be cooler if I, like, changed the life of someone who's already an adult. Cuz people my age aren't fully developed. That's shaping a life, not changing it. Changing a life would be much harder than shaping one."

Hm. Maybe Jason should give the camera to Dickhead. He's an adult, legally. Give the kid, whoever he is, his wish to try change a life.

Jason would never admit it, but he can't help but snicker. There's no way some random kid can shape or change a life. Especially not with a... Jason checked. Not with a one and half minute video.

"But if that doesn't happen, it's fine. Not like I'll know anyways. I like this camera, so I'll only give it away just before I die. Unless I come back as a ghost who's like, tethered to this camera, I'll never know if anyone watches these videos."

With those words, Jason sobered. It didn't feel funny once he remembered that whoever this kid was, dumb hopes aside, was clearly certain he'd die. If what he said was true, then he already was. That made Jason feel really bad for laughing, and even a little sick.

He'd seen dead bodies before, even his own mom's. He'd watched, smelt, and heard people die. He'd talked people off the ledge, both metaphorically and literally. But this? Holding the beloved camera of a boy who was most likely dead? It made death feel melancholy in a way Jason had never felt before.

"So, yeah. You have three options." The boy says, and reaches out to end the video.

Jason didn't know what to do. Really, he has four options.

[amorest-viesse]

[Thank You For Your Endless Warmth] - Chloe SSR Card Story Translation

Ft. Akira and Western wizard cameos

The Flowermist Wonderland With You ~An Invitation for Chloe~ - Chapter 1

[Dining Room]

For Chloe's birthday, the Western wizards had organized a grand party with the entire manor in attendance.

Once the festivities ended however, only the Western wizards and I remained in the dining hall.

Chloe: Thank you so much for today!

Chloe: The party was absolutely incredible. I didn’t think you’d go so far for me.

Akira: I’m glad that you liked it.

Shylock: Hehe, it’s only natural we would. Everyone adores you after all—myself included.

Murr: Me too—!

Rustica: My beloved apprentice and dear friend, I hope your days from here on will be filled with the most marvelous of memories.

Chloe: Ehehe, I’m so happy right now I don’t want the day to end.

Rustica: There’s no reason why the festivities can’t continue in your dreams as well. However, before heading off to bed, we do have one final present for you.

Rustica: Master Sage, if you please.

Akira: Got it! Happy birthday once again, Chloe.

Akira: To celebrate, please allow me to take you to the Flowermist Wonderland tomorrow.

Chloe: Wow…! Isn’t that the place Shylock inherited from a friend?

Shylock: Indeed. It’s a rather entertaining locale filled with all sorts of attractions to captivate its guests.

Chloe: I knew it! I’ve heard others talking about it before and thought it sounded amazing. I can’t wait to finally go myself!

The Flowermist Wonderland With You ~An Invitation for Chloe~ - Chapter 2

[Chloe’s Room]

The next day. With the Wonderland invitation in hand, I made my way to Chloe’s room.

Akira: Here you go Chloe. It’s the invitation to the Flowermist Wonderland.

Chloe: It has all my favorite things on it! Did you make this yourself, Master Sage?

Akira: Yep! I wanted to make it as personalized as possible.

Akira: All you have to do is sign your name here and cast your spell. Then a door to the park will open. Shall we try it?

Chloe: Alright! First, I'll write my name, then…

Chloe: <<Suispicibo Voitingoc>>

With a slow creaking sound, the doorway to the Wonderland opened before us. A sweet scent wafted out as mist began to obscure the room.

[Flowermist Wonderland - Day]

Chloe: Wow…! Those wooden horses are flying! And over there! Are those swings?

As the scenery came into view, Chloe excitedly took in everything around us. As he moved, the beret on his head wobbled, causing him to gasp with a start.

Chloe: Oh, I have a hat! Actually my entire outfit changed!

Akira: Anyone who comes here gets their clothes magically changed. Those colors are so chic; they look perfect on you!

Chloe: Ehehe, really? This is so cool. A brand new outfit just for me!

Chloe twirled around as if examining the swish of his coat. His joy was infectious, and I could feel myself smiling too.

Akira: Let’s get started then! There’s a lot to see, so I’ll lead the way!

With a spring in our steps, we made our way to a row of little wagons. Running up to one of them, Chloe smiled happily.

Chloe: This is amazing! They’re loaded with buttons and fabrics! I’ve never seen anything like this before…!

Akira: This really is like an arts and crafts paradise.

Akira: It seems like everything here has magical properties too.

Chloe: Oh, you're right! That cat embroidery is moving! Its tail is flicking back and forth like it’s about to pounce on something…

Akira: Maybe it’s trying to get that butterfly button…?

Chloe: I bet! …Oh, whoa!! The butterfly is flying away now! Ahaha!!

Chloe’s violet eyes sparkled as he perused the items lined up in the wagons.

Akira: I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. I just knew I had to take you here as soon as I found this place.

Akira: Since we’re celebrating your birthday, please feel free to choose something you like as a gift.

Chloe: Wow, really!? Thank you so much! That’s incredible!

Chloe: Everything here is so unique, I hardly know what to pick.

Chloe: With all the novelties here, I could create designs I’ve never tried before!

As Chloe scanned the items on the wagons, his expression revealed a surprising amount of deliberation.

Everything he made was filled with such love and care. As I watched his face, I felt like I could see that passionate creator in him, and my chest swelled with emotion.

Akira: Take as much time as you need, alright? Aside from this, there are also wagons with hats and gloves in them.

Chloe: Really! Can we see them too?

Akira: Of course we can!

The Flowermist Wonderland With You ~An Invitation for Chloe~ - Chapter 3

[Flowermist Wonderland - Night]

As we looked around the wagons, time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.

Chloe: That was so~ much fun! I can’t believe those shoes started dancing like that.

Akira: They were so lively too! …Oh, there’s the next wagon.

Chloe: Oh, this one has scarves on it! They’re so colorful and pretty.

Chloe: Ah! This is…

Chloe’s eyes settled upon a single scarf covered with pale flowers amongst the countless others in the cart.

Chloe: Hey, doesn’t this scarf remind you of this place?

Akira: It does! The deep blue fabric kind of reminds me of the stars twinkling in the night sky.

Chloe: Right? Isn’t it gorgeous? I think… this is what I want to take.

Chloe reached for the scarf. However, as his fingertips brushed against the fabric, his hand suddenly froze.

Chloe: …

Akira: Chloe? It’s your birthday, so you can take it if you want…

Chloe: …Ah, sorry! I just had a moment there.

Chloe: On second thought… Maybe I don’t need a present after all.

[Ominous music]

Akira: Huh…?

Chloe: Today has already been so amazing! The memories are all I need!

Despite his words, however, his smile seemed a little off.

Akira: If you don’t want to take anything, that’s fine, but…

Akira: …Is something wrong?

Chloe: N- Nothing at all! Really!

Chloe: …Well, maybe I am a little afraid.

Akira: Of what…?

Chloe: Yesterday, the entire manor celebrated my birthday, and today, you took me to this wonderful place…

Chloe: It’s all been going so well that I can’t help but feel like everything will fall apart at some point, like if I wish for anymore, I’ll definitely be punished for it.

Chloe’s smile trembled as he held his hands close to his heart.

As if he was shielding himself.

Chloe: …What if I suddenly wake up and find myself in the cold?

Chloe: And all of these happy memories, celebrations, and friendships were nothing more than a dream? What if it turns out I’ve actually been alone all this time…

Chloe: …Ahaha… I’m sorry. I must sound crazy to you.

Akira: …Not at all. You don’t have to apologize for anything…

I took Chloe’s hands, and held them as they shook ever so slightly.

Akira: …Are your hands warm now?

Chloe: Huh? I mean, yes, they are…

Akira: Then this is proof it isn’t a dream, right? If it was, you wouldn’t be able to feel this warmth.

Chloe: Ah…

Akira: I’ll hold your hands, Chloe. Just like this.

Akira: I’ll hold them so you can trust that yesterday, and today, and all the love you’ve ever received is real.

Chloe’s eyelashes fluttered. Rather than pulling away, he returned my grip.

Chloe: …That’s right… Thank you, Master Sage.

Using one hand to hold mine, Chloe let go with the other and reached for the wagon.

He then carefully picked up the scarf he had once hesitated to touch.

Akira: …Ah… The flower petals are falling…

Gently landing onto the scarf, light-colored flower petals began to rain from the sky.

Akira: (This is the sign that the guests are fully satisfied…)

Before long, the entire area was enveloped in mist.

♡♥♡

[Chloe’s Room]

Chloe: Ah… We’re back.

There seemed to be a tinge of disappointment in his voice.

However, upon seeing the scarf in his hand, his lips curved into a smile.

Chloe: …Hey, Master Sage. Do you mind spending a little more time with me?

Chloe: I want to create a matching outfit for this scarf, so I wanna hear your ideas!

As Chloe spread out the scarf, there wasn’t a hint of anxiety left in his bright, glittering eyes.

Akira: Of course I can. I’d be happy to help!

An Exciting Series of Events - Card Episode

[Living Room]

Akira: Your birthday sure was extravagant. I was surprised to find the entire manor decorated from top to bottom as soon as I woke up.

Chloe: Me too! Apparently, Murr did that with magic.

Chloe: The whole day was absolutely amazing from the moment I opened my eyes. The first thing that happened was Murr appearing in my room!

Chloe: He yelled, “Wake up! Wake up! You can’t waste even a second ‘cause your birthday party starts right meow!” and whisked me away.

Akira: Ahaha, that sounds exciting.

Chloe: Right!? Oh speaking of, Shylock’s event really got the crowd going too!

Akira: “Chloe’s Best Designs Rankings” right?

Akira: He listed off all of his favorite outfits, but concluded that they were all number one in the end since every outfit was so amazing.

Chloe: He did, didn’t he… Ehehe, that was so nice!

Chloe: Then, after the party ended, Rustica performed a concert for me. It was just the two of us in the courtyard at midnight.

Akira: Wow, that sounds like a wonderful gift! What kind of song did he play?

Chloe: …He said it was a song wishing for my life to be filled with happiness now and into the future.

Chloe: I was so touched by his warmth and kindness. Just hearing it made my heart feel full.

Akira: That sounds just like Rustica.

Chloe: Yep. It really was an unforgettable night.

Homescreen Voice Line

“Since it’s a special occasion, I want to have confidence in myself today and carry myself with pride. Everyone’s thinking of me after all, and I can feel their care in every word and gift I receive… Everything just makes me so happy! Thank you so much for the wonderful birthday.”

[superherotiger]

BELOVED i am requesting backstory for your FAVORITE dadneto fic you have ever written

AHHH MY BELOVED!! Thank you for giving me a chance to ramble about ✨them✨

But oh boy, picking a favourite story is so hard!! I supposed out of my finished works, ‘The Hardest Part is Leaving You’ would be one of my top picks!

As you know, that fic started as just little chunks of writing which showed how Peter added something to Erik’s house in Genosha every time he visited, but then of course I had to explain why Peter was visiting him which is how I came up with the idea for the government liaison! It was such a blast to write, and then as it kept going I reached a point where I realised there would have to be a reveal otherwise we’d all feel robbed of a happy ending 🤣

I remember those last two scenes (Erik finding out and Peter telling him) being the hardest parts to write. I’d never done a reveal at that point so it was a struggle trying to find the perfect way for it all to come together, and I’m so proud of how it turned out!

And of course, who could forget the iconic pun at the end that gives me life to this day 🤣

But you already knew all that beloved! So instead I’ll ramble a bit about the sequel I never ended up writing for the Genosha fic!

The idea was that it would be a Dark Phoenix fix it of sorts, with Jean’s Phoenix powers going out of control and the X-Men trying to capture her like in the movie. Peter would get severely injured in the fight though and a dismayed Erik would take him to Genosha to recover. The story was heavily focused around Peter’s relationship with Wanda and how much Jean reminded him of his twin, considering they both suffered from powers that were beyond their control. It was also about Erik’s struggle over trying to protect his son, and how he eventually had to forgive Jean and choose to help her despite the anger he felt over Peter’s near death.

In the end, Peter was going to be a key player in bringing Jean back to a stable place along with the other X-Men, and after spending many months with his father, ends up deciding to stay on Genosha permanently. He’d later set up a school in his sister’s name and adopt Mr Dibbles, making Erik a proud grandfather.

Most of the elements of this story have been repurposed for other upcoming fics in the Outsider POV, such as finding Mr Dibbles on Genosha, the Phoenix plot line in a Jean POV, and a reverse of Peter getting drawn to Genosha from a traumatic event in the Fabian POV. So though we will probably never see a sequel to the Genosha fic, the ideas will live on in other ones!!

Thanks for letting me ramble! Love you dearest!! 💛💛💛

-Superherotiger

Send me an ask about the backstory of any of my fics and I’ll ramble!! ✨

[sabookey]

I have a thought, about character creation. I hesitate to claim this thought is some sort of advice, it's just a thought, though I think it merits further exploration and practice to see how it goes. The thought is this:

I think sometimes, when a writer struggles to actually sit down and write, but has a lot of OCs, it's because you think of your characters too much as people. I think some people struggle to tell stories because they are more interested in coming up with people.

Let me elaborate.

I've always been very focused on character creation as the foundation of good writing. When I was younger, and just starting to write, I remember someone proposing the question - which is more vital to creating a good story - a strong plot, or a strong character? At the time, I answered strong characters, hands down. My argument was that a strong character can still carry a weak plot, but a strong plot can still be boring af if the characters are weak. I do still see some merit to that line of thinking.

When it comes to actually writing down my stories, though, I've always really struggled with first drafts. I would fill notebook after notebook with detailed notes on plot points, worldbuilding, and most of all, on characters. Elaborate backstories, personality breakdowns, strengths and weaknesses, hopes and dreams and fears and every other thing that you've seen on a character profile template. I would take my time with things like choosing names, and I would flesh out their families and the people around them because to know their relationships is to know them. I've been protective of my characters, cherishing them, as many of us do, as if they were my children, as if they were dear friends of mine.

But I have yet to complete any long form projects. I have yet to complete any rough drafts for novels. When I was younger, it was because I was determined to do my stories justice. I was determined to do my beloved OCs justice. I didn't feel my writing was strong enough so I just... didn't write for my original works. I would play around with fanfiction, and I read a lot, and eventually I got into writing RP. But I didn't do anything concrete with my OCs beyond making plans for their stories.

Then I entered a short story contest — NYCMidnight's short story contest. They go in four rounds, and give you a prompt, a word limit, and a time limit in which to write your story. You get a week and 2500 words for round 1, three days and 2000 words for Round 2, two days and 1500 words for Round 3, and 24 hours and 1250 words for Round 4. The first year I participated, I went 3 rounds before being knocked out. Last year, I wrote for the first 2.

Which means I've produced five completely original short stories for the prompts given. I was absolutely shocked by how productive I was in such a short span of time. You are given your prompt the moment your clock starts ticking for each round, so you don't have time to prepare ahead. Which means that not only did I have to come up with a plot very quickly, I was also creating characters on the spot.

When you have three days to write a story, you can't spend months carefully crafting a character. So when it came to drafting, I just started slapping very quick characters together that could do what was needed for the plot. My prompt is genre: ghost story, character: a best man, and subject: temporary? Okay, then I need a bride, a groom, a best man, and a ghost. My bride is (picking a random name) Victoria, she's checking out venues with her fiance, and she realizes the place they're checking out is haunted. And off we go.

And you know what? I figured out who Victoria is as I wrote. She's conflicted, she's on the verge of breaking things off. The ghost is reaching out to her, helping her come to terms with the end of her relationship. I didn't need to know her favorite color or her childhood trauma or her blood type to write the story. Some of those things might come out in the writing. Many of them just never become relevant.

Now, I'm not saying that character profiles are trash. I don't hold with blanket advice, and this isn't advice, remember, this is just a thought. But for me, doing these fast exercises even though I always had thought of myself as a planner not a pantser, showed me that I can still write a damn good story even without writing a novel's worth of notes and plans alone.

Getting back to the original thought... I guess what I'm trying to get at here is, sometimes I think authors can get so tangled up in the create-a-character stage, or the world-building stage, that we forget that we aren't meant to be writing a travel guide, or designing a fully-realized person.

At some point, you have to say okay, now lets put that person in some situations and see what they do. You gotta stick them in a scenario where they are not just spouting backstory at another character, but are making a choice. Okay, they have trauma. They have complex personalities. But what are they doing? What choices are they making and what waves are they making? That's where the plot comes from, and how you make it go. That's plot. And the plot is where the story happens. And you're just writing it all down as it goes, and that's your rough draft.

Every time i get stuck on a story, I instinctively reach for the background notes. I just need to know what makes them tick, I think, and that's how I'll fix it. But nine times out of ten, I don't, actually. That way leads to Not Writing (tm). And I still struggle with that more than I'd like for my bigger projects.

Trying (again) to bring it back to the initial thought... I just think it's interesting that the stories that were easiest to complete were ones where the characters were made up as I went along. I just wrote. Added new characters when needed. Oh, protag needs a friend to carry out a conversation? Guess we have a new character. They continue on their merry way, surprise, someone's stalking them, new character! Meanwhile the stories where I've outlined every character and know who each of them are, still sit unwritten.

That's not the sole factor in why a story has or hasn't been written out, mind you. It's more a comment on, if your OCs are too dear and you're taking too much time with designing them, you are losing valuable time that you could figure out who they are as you write their story. By you I really mean me. Or whoever might find this useful, I suppose.

Anyways. That's my thought. If anyone has any thoughts of their own about this, I'd love to hear them!

[capitano-marina]

As usual, now that the season is over/as all good traditions hardly come to an end, here's my thoughts/post (call it however you want) about this season

1. Maya DeLuca Bishop

Oh Maya my sweet Maya I absolutely loved the character growth she went through this season, as much as it pained me to see all the negative things said about her and the zero empathy at times to what she was going through. Her demotion was not fair and will always not be fair and i get the need to make other characters look great but it was to the point of being annoying. Her apology to Ross felt wrong (i get that she needed to apologise for the blackmail) but chief Ross clearly hates her even Maya knows this and she drove her to her breaking point with Beckett treating her bad, that’s some very twisted way for revenge, and the way absolutely no one even apologised for the way they treated Maya for months or even someone tried to stop it but instead we got people making fun of her and not welcome her back the proper way!

One thing is for sure and will always be Maya will always choose her wife and will always have heart eyes for her.

2. Carina DeLuca Bishop

The sad reality that we all should accept by now that Carina in this show will be Maya’s wife and nothing more yeah she will have her moments with Vic, Ben and the rest but it will always be For Maya’s storyline, I guess this what makes it hard for fans with certain lines being said you feel the need to pick a side when both sides feelings and emotions are valid but when only one side shown on TV it becomes a war between fans that only love/respect/understand (call it whatever you want) one half of the ship.

Glad Carina now knows she is Maya’s number one priority 🥹 and yes she will also always have heart eyes for her wife.

3. Marina my beloved

I am no fan of angst and will never be specially knowing the shows won’t give as much as i want, yes we had good moments between the bathroom scene, shower scene and all in between the sweet and not so sweet moments it was still missing lots of things, my favourite TV wives don’t get as much as they deserve and i am learning to accept that (not really). At this point i am just glad they are back together because I really didn’t see us getting them back maybe that was just the effect of the drama/angst.

4. The rest

Vic needs to leave Theo, the mayor storyline wasted so much time and no one really asked for it or even enjoyed it, couldn’t care less about this captain storyline that’s been going on since the show started, one character is gonna take it and we all know it will always end like that so why drag it out so much when none of us care! (Captain Maya Bishop forever tho), don’t even get me started on Ross double standards.

I know fans want more action and calls to be added like other wee woo shows but I honestly don’t want it, i like the “family” vibe that is going on here because more action less focus on the personal stories that are imo more important than a good call.

5. Episode 18

That was way better than expected tbh. Hot,sexy and the most beautiful wives there is, find it hard to believe that Carina doesn’t have a dress, but they looked amazing so not complaining, them talking about plans for the baby is what i needed to hear, that baby they delivered might be adopted or maybe not I still want Carina to get pregnant because that’s what she wants so s19 please at least give her that!. Captain Andy about damn time now we can move on 🤞🏻, Glad to not be part of any cliffhangers my heart can’t handle it at all.

6. D&S

I am forever in awe for their talent and love to this ship without them so many little moments would go unnoticed because let’s be honest here they don’t give them as much as they deserve storyline wise for whatever reason there is. We as fans notice and want things to the point of being delusional (we all been there) and we give the show more credit than they give to the TV wives (no disrespect to anyone) so yeah it hurts when fandom theories are really good and make sense but you don’t see it on screen.

Thanks Danielle and Stefania for being the captains of the ship and adding your little touches here and there you will always shine even in the background.

Until next season ❤️

[haveyoureadthistoo]

Unpopular opinions

If you're human and living on this planet, you have certainly at least once got into a heated debate with somebody over something that was entirely up to taste. When it comes to culture, especially books, other aspects such as high expectations, political views and personal life experiences can also play a part, to the point where it's sometimes difficult to figure out why you didn't like that novel that everybody else is praising so hard.

My first big disappointment came from where I least expected it to. My queen Jane Austen. How could such a witty, talented author have penned something as dull as “Mansfield Park”? I could barely find any of the traits I so loved about her other novels, apart from maybe Lady Bertram and her impossible pug. It took me ages to finish and by the end of it I almost wished I hadn’t read it. But the following year I read “Emma” and reread “Pride and Prejudice” for the zillionth time, and my sense of wonder was restored.

In 2016, I finally decided to read “The Little Prince”, ready for a comfort book. Instead, I found a manual for sexist behaviour and unhealthy codependency disguised as sweet words and a love story. It took me so much by surprise that I could barely register the beautiful writing and the clever metaphors. All I could think was - how is this a timeless children’s classic when it glorifies egocentrism and self harm? Unlike many of the books I wish I had read at a younger age, this time I was relieved to be dealing with it at the end of my prefrontal cortex development, when I at least knew better.

Not long after that, I picked up another classic, “Lord of the Flies”. This time, I didn’t have strong feelings about it, I just failed to connect - and to believe. The writing bothered me, the excessive descriptions threw me off and the concept just didn’t ring true. The idea that we’re all just wild animals deep inside, ready to behave irrationally at the lowest provocation is just too convenient. It kills any productive discussion. But Piggy was such a cutie, poor guy.

My next bad ride was “1Q84”, which marred my admiration for Haruki Murakami. From that point onwards, I started perceiving flaws that didn’t seem to be there before, as though with every new book I was always reading the same thing with small adjustments. Woody Allen comes to mind. I could suddenly see the man behind the author. So many things displeased me, from bad character development to lazy narrative structure, not to mention all the unsexy sex scenes and the attempt at justifying sexual assault with religion. By the time I was done with the trilogy, I just knew I could never read again the books I had already read and loved because it might taint my beautiful memories.

2019 was the last time I faced a beloved classic and was left with a bitter taste. As a nature lover and philosophy admirer, it had always been a given that I would fall head over heels with “Walden”. I was writing a short film that was all about wilderness and community life, so it seemed like the perfect time to finally embrace my beautiful hardcover copy of the book. I certainly did not expect to find what a Goodreads user defined as: “The tale of a man who dared to live in his parents backyard and eat dinner with them, and then lived to write about it.” I felt cheated on. Ideologically and financially.

I might sound harsh in my comments, but I still rated all these books 2 stars out of 5. They’re books. Full books. Written by real people - something we take for granted now, but might live to miss one day. And it’s perfectly fine that some people worship them. Well, to some extent.

The bottom line is, I disliked them for different reasons. I take no issue with people enjoying “Mansfield Park” or “Lord of the Flies”, whose faults listed here are of a very personal nature. You can also choose to ignore the author’s privilege in “Walden” and manage to focus on the positive, if abstract conclusions. Even “1Q84” can hold a reverential place to somebody who sees it as a big mysterious symbolism for something I couldn’t see. Same goes for “The Little Prince”, which might just elicit good childhood memories regardless of the actual words - though I would never in a million years give it to an actual child.

Speaking of childhood memories, it’s also perfectly ok to change your mind. Something that spoke to you when you were little can feel a little distant when you’re an adult. Even something you liked or loathed in your 20s might feel better or worse within a decade (or four). We are constantly changing. And so are our passions. You don’t have to hate something just because you didn’t love it, nor do you have to pretend you’re still passionate about something that belongs in a different time, to a different you.

And it’s so natural that we disagree. Not everything has to turn into a fight. Our opposing tastes are not supposed to elicit war, but rather to give us personality and something to talk about. They are conversation starters, idea sparkers. We shouldn’t have to hide our true opinions, the same way we shouldn’t only listen to other people with the same opinion.

So yes, praise what you like, respect what you don’t. And let’s all collectively forget “The Little Prince”.

[elshells]

Welcome, Traveler!

Hello! Ella here, it's nice to meet you. Thanks for stopping by my blog!

I've only been on Tumblr/Writeblr for a couple of years, but I've been sharing stories online since 2018, and writing for fun even longer than that. Mainly, I dabble in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and everything in between. If you read or write within these genres, we'll get along great. And even if you don't, hit me up! I'm always looking for another good read, and I'm pretty easy to please.

I enjoy asks/tag games and am always looking for an excuse to talk about my beloved characters. Granted, it takes me forever and a day to respond to literally anything, but I'd love to get to know you and your WIPs!

If I'm not writing, I'll hop on to see what y'all are up to, and sometimes I'll chime in with whatever's on my mind. Usually late at night when I should be asleep. As one does. You know how it goes around here. And if I happen to say anything hilarious, there's a 60% chance it was unintentional. I rarely think I'm funny in real life.

The bottom line is, if you enjoy my WIPs or just wanna be friends, please don't be shy to reach out! I'm often afraid to make the first move, but no matter how I end up on your feed, I hope I can make you smile!

* * *

MORE ABOUT ME

—‌Currently pursuing a degree in English creative writing and gender sexuality, and race studies, with minors in publishing and printing arts and music performance. So, naturally, I can be a busy gal.

—‌My dream is to be a published author (likely going down the indie route). I also have aspirations to be an actor in community theatre and/or voiceover work; we'll see how that goes!

—‌I've been playing the flute for almost ten years, and am slowly picking up piano and guitar. Eventually I'd love to learn my way around a drum set as well, if I ever find the time, money, and discipline. Maybe I'll even write my own music one day, who knows?

—‌I love to swim, lift weights, and do yoga, and I rode horses for several years. Beyond that, I'm pretty much hopeless at sports, especially the ones that involve good depth perception and hand-eye coordination.

—‌Occasionally, I'll find the motivation to draw. I haven't been that dedicated to the doodles lately, so I've lost a lot of my mojo, but I hope to get back into it some day and maybe share some of my art!

—‌As a teenager, I volunteered at my local zoo and aquarium—‌and I would still love to go back one day—‌but for now, I work as a lifeguard and swim instructor.

—‌PFP is my current DND character, a tiefling bard named Enyo. If you're interested in learning more about her, check out this post (which includes a full-body artistic interpretation!)

—‌Like I mentioned before, I'm here to make friends! I'll talk to anyone about anything, as long as the conversation stays friendly, safe, and respectful. I won't tolerate hate in any form.

* * *

WIP MASTER LIST

If you enjoy a chapter, please consider letting me know by reblogging and leaving a comment! I welcome anything you have to say, so long as you're kind to me, yourself, and others. Useful and constructive criticism is always encouraged if you catch something I didn't, so feel free to share any feedback, opinions, or questions you have. I'm always looking to improve and I appreciate all the support I can get!

THE HARMONT HEROES SERIES —‌A fusion of science fiction and urban fantasy told through the dual POV of two sisters on opposite ends of society. This saga features mystery and intrigue, thrills and chills, and an array of LGBTQ+ characters. -BOOK ONE: Agent Ace -BOOK TWO: TBA -BOOK THREE: TBA -BOOK FOUR: TBA

EMBR OF THE EARTH (Standalone)—‌In the far, unknown future, the world is overrun by human survivors, robot scouts, and hostile, alienesque creatures that came from nowhere. A ragtag group of teens choose to leave the safety of their satellite and return to Earth, determined to discover what happened to planet and if there's a way to save it. -ON INDEFINITE HIATUS -The current draft is still available on Wattpad; read it here.

ENCORE (Standalone) —‌An eighteen-year-old girl is rescued from a deserted island as the lone survivor with an unbelievable story. Twelve years later, the girl, now a struggling musician who's still tortured by the past, is given an opportunity to go back in time to save the others. But with such high stakes to succeed, the price may be too much to pay. -A twist on the Final Girl trope in classic horror. -COMING TO TUMBLR SOON! Get started with the first five chapters here.

POETRY

I'm not much of a poet, but I've been known to dabble. Take a look!

Water Nymphs

Witches

Alley Cat

Sea Urchin

Homebody

Puhpowee

* * *

WHERE ELSE YOU CAN FIND ME

Wattpad: @ persephonehale

AO3: @ elshells *In the meantime, thanks for saying hi!*

[invisibleraven]

20 questions writer meme!

I wa tagged by my beloved @bananakarenina <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3? In total across 5 fandoms, 124, 84 of those are JatP, and 5 of those are prompt fill compilations.

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 1,674,136 uploaded as of right now, and I know that over 1 million of those words are JatP.

3. What fandoms do you write for? Currently just Julie and the Phantoms, but in past I wrote primarily for Glee/Glee RPF, and Teen Titans. There's no other fandom really interesting me enough to write for it at moment.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

I'm going to limit this to my JatP fics, but if you wanna check out my stories in my previous fandoms, well here's my AO3

And giving yourself to me can never be wrong my collection of smut prompt fills with 235 kudos

I Know Who I Want To Take Me Home the first installment of my Semisonic Sunset verse with 192 kudos

But came the dawn the show goes on (and I don't want to say goodnight) my PeterPatterLina soulmate AU with 169 kudos

Maybe this news can wait Part three (and the only non smutty part) of Semisonic Sunset with 124 kudos

Better walk the line my single dad Reggie PeterPatter fic with 124 kudos

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Honestly no I don't. I tried, once upon a time, but I just felt like no one really cared what I had to say, and then I didn't have the spoons for it, so I stopped. I know I should though, my brain just doesn't seem to like letting me.

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Hands down it is Haunted by the moments of what we used to be because every comment I got on it was some variation of how very dare you.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Generally I try to give all of my stories a happy ending, but for this one, I'll go with Yellow Wood  because it gave everyone a happy ending, no matter the path taken.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Currently no, but when the blacklist was a thing that happened, my name was second on there, so that kind of sucked.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Out of my 84 JatP fics, 24 are rated E, and my smut prompt fills are currently sitting at 80 something chapters, so you tell me. In honesty, I don't write smut as much anymore, as I find it a little more difficult to write and the response to anything rated above a T is vastly lower than anything else. But when I started in this fandom, it was what I was known for; see my point regarding the black list.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? I actually kind of hate crossovers? If I'm looking for a fic to read on AO3, I always click the Exclude Crossovers choice. I'll write any and every AU I can, and I might add minor characters from said AU, but that's rare, and that's as close as I get.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Unfortunately yes. There was a person on WattPad who went and stole a bunch of different smutty JatP fics over a year ago, and one of mine was amongst them. They were reported, and the fic was taken down. This is why now my fics on AO3 are only available to registered AO3 users.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? No, but if anyone ever wants to do a translation or podfic of any of my stories, they have my permission as long as they credit me and send me a link afterwards!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? No, and no one has ever asked. It's something I'd love to try if the chance ever came along, and had the right idea.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship? I mean I can't pick just one, I've been involved in fandoms since I was a teenager. Like for Teen Titans Raven/Beast Boy will always own a piece of my soul. In Glee, Kurt/Blaine was such a formative part of my life. And even with Jatp I don't think I could choose between Rulie and PeterPatterLina, they both mean so much to me. And those are just the fandoms I've written for!

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? *looks at my GDocs which is a WiP graveyard* Oh gosh there's so many.

16. What are your writing strengths? My brain is not being kind to me ATM, so I don't think I have any? Like maybe how much I write? Does that count?

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Everything. Editing especially.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I have done this quite a bit, even if it's just plugging what I want to say into Google Translate. So I know it's not entirely accurate, but I think I have been getting better about it.

19. First fandom you wrote for? The first fic I ever wrote that wasn't done like on a dare was a smutty fic for the anime Trigun that still exists on my ff.net page if you find it (no I'm not linking it) that I wrote in high school. It is Not Good.

20. Favorite fic you've written? I give the same answer to this question every time: But came the dawn the show goes on (and I don't want to say goodnight) and I don't think that will ever change.

Honourable mentions

-For better or for worse (Even if it's just tonight) 

-So Close To Reaching That Famous Happy End

-Yellow Wood

-Dress You Up In My Love

Not tagging anyone, but if you wanna do this ask game, go to!

[fancy-a-dance-brigadier]

star trek ds9 for the ask thing!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to ramble about my most beloved space show!!

Favourite character: Julian Bashir. He captivated me with his relentlessly irritating personality from day one. For real though, I just love how his character evolves throughout the show (season 7 not withstanding because what the hell was going on there), and I genuinely think he gets some of the best focus episodes (‘The Quickening’ I’m looking at you, that episode is a MASTERPIECE). But he’s funny and intense and strong and goofy, and above all he’s a consummate professional - there’s a lot of layers to him, which is what makes him so fascinating. Basically I’m a Bashir girlie for life. Love that noodle man.

Second favourite character: I’m genuinely having a hard time deciding between Sisko and Ezri, so I’ll choose both! Sisko is easily the best captain in all of Star Trek, and so much of that comes down to Avery Brooks’ masterful performance. There’s an endless amount of depth to his character, from his relationship to Jake to his hatred of the Maquis, from his position as Emissary to his passion for cooking and inventing and creating. Absolute king of my heart basically. As for Ezri, I just find her whole arc so compelling - she’s the host who was never meant to be a host, and she had the poor luck of hosting one of the most significant symbionts in Trill society. I do agree that the show definitely fumbles with her potential, and it’s a shame we only get one season of her, but I think she really does make the most of the time she’s given. Plus the nose scrunch. Nothing but respect for Ezri’s nose scrunch.

Least favourite character: The Female Founder. And it’s a shame, because DS9 has a great track record for its villains, but they really dropped the ball on her. She always felt like she slowed the story down, and her role in Odo’s story just got repetitive. I think they did improve her at the end of season 7 when she was dying, but a few good episodes don’t really make up for how frustrating I found her throughout the rest of the show.

The character I’m most like: Uhh Jake I guess? He likes writing, I like writing. He likes Ben Sisko, I like Ben Sisko. Uh yeah that’s all I’ve got 😂

Favourite pairing: Siskoshir, but I’m sure you saw that coming! It’s about the professional respect they have for each other, it’s about the tenderness, it’s about their shared willingness to break the rules for a good cause, it’s about that one scene in ‘Past Tense’ when Ben gets Julian breakfast. Nothing but love for them always and forever.

Least favourite pairing: Kira/Dukat. I don’t think I need to explain why.

Favourite moment: This is a cruel question because how am I supposed to pick just one moment?? From seven seasons of brilliant television?? I’m supposed to choose between the scenes with the Prophets from ‘Emissary’ and Benny’s breakdown at the end of ‘Far Beyond the Stars’? I’m supposed to choose between Julian confronting Winn in ‘Life Support’ and Kira speaking to Kai Opaka about her relationship to violence in ‘Battle Lines’? I’m supposed to choose between the ‘Rejoined’ kiss and Odo’s love confession in ‘Heart of Stone’? Cruelty, it’s cruelty I say.

Rating out of 10: 11/10. It’s perfect television. I’ve never enjoyed binge watching things, but let me tell you I spent 50% of my life last year binging DS9 for the first time and it’s become one of those beautiful experiences in my fannish life that I yearn to recapture. Sometimes a silly space show really can cling to your heart and never let go.

[cicaklah]

my girl @ronniebox tagged me and so here we go!

Rules: List ten books that have stayed with you in some way, don’t  take but a few minutes, and don’t think too hard - they don’t have to  be the “right” or “great” works, just the ones that have touched you.

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman - my mother gave me this book to read when I was maybe 11, it was her copy that she had bought when Pratchett came and gave a reading at our local library in like, 1992. I'd say no book has been more formative to me, but in writing this I don't think thats true.

The City and the City by China Mieville - I got into Mieville through my girl @crimeandcricket, and was horribly traumatised by the body horror in perdido street station, and was way too influenced by his often pretentious writing style, but the city and the city is a masterpiece I'll never recover fully from and changed me for the better.

The Children's Hospital by Chris Adrian - I'm fairly sure no one but me loves this book, but it is also a book that multiple people stopped me when I was reading in public just from the cover image. My favourite kind of book is a book that can only be written by one person, and Adrian is a theologian and paediatrician, and this book uses every single one of his hyperfixations and also made me cry more than anything else.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster - Actually, this book probably did more to calcify my sense of humour than Pratchett did. The smartest, funniest, coolest children's book ever, and this has reminded me to get the tattoo of Tock on my wrist.

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield - I read this every christmas morning as a treat to myself. I also adore White Boots, the ice skating book, but Ballet Shoes is such a perfect gem of a story that is the favourite of my grandmother, my mother and myself.

Shabanu/Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples - The first book that made me cry, inspired my fondness for camels and was probably my first feminist awakening? I've only read one of the sequels, but it was so brutal I still haven't emotionally recovered entirely.

The Amateur Cracksman by E. W Hornung - my mastermind specialist subject, a book that consumed me across time and space, Raffles my beloved, Bunny my beloved, I remember the moment I read the first story and my life changed literally forever. The Black Mask and A Thief In The Night are also obviously amazing and really all three should be considered one book, but something in my life changed for the better when I read the line 'AJ Raffles would be my friend!' in The Ides of March and I realised oh no, they're mine now.

Exhalation by Ted Chiang - very hard for me to choose a Ted Chiang story so thankfully I will pick his second collection, which has The Life Cycle of Software Objects and also the one about the parrots. It does not have Hell is the Absence of God or stories of your life, but tbh, software objects was the first of his stories I ever read, so it deserves to be here, even if it guts me like a fish every time.

Rivals by Jilly Cooper - if I could have anyone's writing career, it would be Jilly Cooper's. Everytime I read this insane soap opera of a book it holds me hostage until I finish it, and its like 700 pages long. The most wonderfully 80s OTT sex farce about horrible people trying to buy an ITV franchise. I genuinely can't believe that disney plus are making it into a series.

The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson - One of his least famous books and yet I think his best? I had read the Mars books several times before I picked this up, but this alternate history where 90% of Europe are killed by the black death, following how world history changes through the eyes of characters who reincarnate but always find each other, somehow??? it grabbed me by the throat and never let go.

tell me YOUR formative texts pls @crimeandcricket @deputychairman @myth-blossom @skylightpirate @stickthisbig @apricotbones @postalninja @cajunandfire @within-infant-rind

[nasuversekinkmeme]

Weekly Roundup: Prompts

Tsukihime

kohaku and shiki feeding/stuffing, can be as fluffy or dark as op would like

FSN

In a moment no one rarely sees, Medea mourns over what she did to her kids. Heracles, who happened to be passing by, offers a shoulder in comfort

would taiga & jaguarman throw hands on sight tho ?

FGO

Gore, Guda offers themselves up as sacrifices to the Aztec god of their choosing leading to some very gory fun

Gudako uses Barghest's washboard abs as a literal washboard.

gudao, oberon, and castoria have a sleepover! Castoria finds out what happens when you fall asleep first. (It does not matter what happens, such as face doodling, pranking, nothing, or outright somno, ANYTHING can happen to her. can be taken seriously or in a nonsensical way)

Autistic Ritsuka who really likes the texture of Vritra’s scales

Smut, Someone fucks Hessian’s headstump.

Someone, anyone, lesbian Salieri/Amadeus, make em women and make em kiss. Hell they can do anything i need some wlw in my life

Baoban Sith (accidentally or otherwise) calls Mash "father".

Smut, Ramas pissed: no one believes his Sita is the best! It's not his fault his wife is still not being able to be summoned despite his numerous attempts! So, in order to right this wrong, he obviously has to crossdress as his beloved and give the sloppiest head to anyone that asks

Smut, tsuna has always wanted to try out somnophilia. it takes a bit of convincing but kintoki is a loving boyfriend and eventually gives in to him. does it go how tsuna imagined???

This is gonna be so obvious LMAO, but I'd love to see anyone's take on feeder!Helena and feedee!Holmes, anything along those lines!

After some time, Kriemhild has accepted that her adopted son Schmidt has started dating and invites them over for family dinner. What she didn't expect is for him to show up with two people, both of whom seem to be bad influences on her son (Sieg×AstolfoxJeanne trouphle but honestly it can be anyone)

Any fandom

due to servants like Paul Bunyan, we know that a character doesn't have to actually exist to be summonable by the holy grail. They just need to have a large body of broadly accepted myths about them. Even if the character is one people know is complete fiction, if there's enough stories about them, it is possible to summon them. Ergo, I want to see what happens in a hypothetical Holy Grail War where some dumbass summons Superman.

Smut, I am in desperate need for maid girls getting bred by other girls, which part of the nasuverse you do is your call, though I'm more familiar with the Fate side of things.

Yknow what, we need more character/reader first, idc if they're sweet or smutty or downright nasty

I wanna see the crackficiest crackfic you can dream up out of the Nasuverse. Like aim for the level of Grinch/Tony the Tiger. The less there is to back up the pairing in canon, the better. Only rule: once you pick your pairing, do it entirely seriously. It can be fucked up or wholesome, you just have to treat it seriously.

The Boys are having a bbq and kintoki is making the extra effort to make mandricardo feel included and comfortable. What kintoki doesn't realise is that he's getting a little too touchy-feely with mandy, who now has to juggle his social anxiety with his growing desire to fuck this gorgeous hunk of a himbo

Samurai Remnant

Musashi accidentally let its slip that in a past universe she met some guy called Yoshinaka and is immediately jumped by Tomoe for more info

[anerdquemoraaolado]

Better Than Expected

Chapter 9

Upon awakening from a deep, relaxed sleep, Varang still kept her head against Miles's chest. Sje could also feel him much calmer, both in his smooth rhythmic breathing and in the neural connection. His mind was light and relaxed as she could feel it, but part of her thoughts were on the intriguing looking boy. The most underlying feeling Miles had for him that Varang could pick up was concern. She then noticed that, from everything he'd told her and everything she'd seen in his mind, she still didn't have clear answers about the boy, other than that he was Miles's son.

Keeping quiet, just breathing deeply, Varang noticed her husband waking up, he didn't say anything, he just hugged her tighter, leaving her close to him, taking a deep breath to smell his wife. It was an interesting mixture of flowers and ashes, not pleasant at first, but now it was a fragrance that sent him back to good memories, to the woman he loved.

She smiled then, moving slowly to meet his watchful yellow eyes. She watched him, intrigued, curious but recognizing the man in front of her. With satisfaction, she gave him a sensible answer.

"I see you, ma'Miles," she said softly.

-I see you - he replied equally, immediately remembering Spider's lessons, at least his pronunciation was correct this time.

Remembering Spider made their thoughts line up, which made him realize that they still had the neural braids together. Miles took advantage of that and the proximity of Varang's face and kissed her gently, showing his gratitude once again for her feelings.

She then got up off his chest, sitting close, but still touching her husband in some way. She took one of his hands and stroked the eagle tattoo absently, looking up at it. He sat down next to her and undid the neural connection slowly, the two felt the effect of it like a fast and strong wind passing through their minds.

Varang approached again, tracing the marks on her husband's face with her fingers, running an index finger across his nose.

-I have a question, my beloved - she asked directly.

-My beloved, this is new, I like the way it sounds - he took one of her hands and kissed her palm reverently - ask me, my beloved.

-Mmm - she smiled in a whisper, also appreciating being called the same way -the human boy from your memories, Spider, how can he be your son?

Varang saw Miles's expression fade, giving way to the concern she'd noticed earlier.

-I couldn't hide the boy from you, could I? - he countered, somewhat reluctantly, but recognizing defeat - this na'vi telepathy is really powerful.

Varang just frowned, finding the term strange, which made him laugh softly.

-Very well - Quaritch cleared his throat and continued, somewhat somberly - when I was human, I fell in love with a warrior named Paz Socorro, what we had was brief and intense, but still, we had a child. He is called Miles like me, but he hates being called that, he prefers Spider.

-And that woman you once loved, she died, like your human self - Varang understood, also carrying regret in her voice.

-Exactly, I couldn't take care of the boy, I didn't have the opportunity to see him grow up - Quaritch resumed the story, clearly demonstrating his regrets - to be honest, I saw him only as a method to reach my goals, but I had the opportunity to get to know him better and learn to love him, somehow, he refused to stay with me, I don't even blame him, he preferred the Sullys to me.

"Which is all the more reason to take revenge on Toruk Makto," suggested Varang.

-I don't want to force the boy to choose sides, but if given the opportunity, I would bring him back into my life - he was totally sincere.

-If he were looking for you, I would guarantee that he was welcome here, on your behalf - Varang was open to accepting the boy, even starting to have affection for him.

-Thank you, love - Miles thanked her, while Varang smiled contentedly, letting herself relax in his arms.

Quaritch braced a firm hand under his head, while his other arm held her hips. She stretched there, closing her eyes, feeling safe.

-I would do anything for you, Miles - she said in a relaxed way, but he knew he could trust her word.

-I can collect that at some point - he countered - but for now, I just want your kisses.

"I can grant that to you." She moved closer, standing inches from his face.

She answered him promptly, covering his lips with hers as her hands ran through his hair, then down his back. Quaritch held her tight, once again not believing that his na'vi wife was very real.

[zilabee]

A massive long post only I will care about, the best kind of post \o/ A meme about my fic, the wild and windy night.

1: What inspired you to write the fic this way?

It was meant to be a super quick fives times h/c fic to get all my favourite h/c scenarios into one fic, and the first chapters I wrote like that, super short easy sketches, and then I tried to write the last one just the same, but I realised something big needed to happen to make them actually see each other... and so I did a Terrible Thing to Paul.  And I did it without thinking, and then I realised that I didn’t know how to fix it, and having John show up and take care of him was basically useless because he wasn’t going to be okay and it was awful.  But I also couldn’t think how to change it, so I wrote eight longer less easy chapters trying to make him be okay, and then it was set in shape and I let it exist. 

2: What scene did you first put down?

The first one. I write things in their order. I mean I leave hard bits badly written and go back to them, but I write them badly before I go forward because otherwise I genuinely don't know what happens next.  How do you know what they’re going to do until they’ve done it?

3: What’s your favourite line of narration?

They are worn and grubby and beloved of the earth.

I don't know why but I really like it. I'm aware there are much more meaningful bits in my fic, and more poignant, but all the same.

I'm also fond of:

He is sitting on the floor and the floor is imaginary.

4: What’s your favourite line of dialogue?

"You're the one that broke it." "Ah, but it's your window." "Ah, but I haven't got any hands, you see."

I think being able to say that is why Paul needed John, more than any of the other things he needed him for.

5: What part was hardest to write?

The bit that I didn't write, where they talk about Klein and Apple and why it had all hurt so much. I stopped writing the fic for about three months when I got to that scene, because I kept writing myself into a corner where they actually had irreconcilable differences and kind of hated each other. Which was not my hope.

You know in the real world where they said they would have phone calls and it was fine until they would talk about business and then they hated each other? That. It made me doubt the existence of love or the possibility of reunion.

In the end I did get something I vaguely liked, about how it had been the first time they wanted different things, and acknowledging the pain of that on both sides, but I had to cut it out because it bogged them down further than I could deal with. I also think not really addressing it is more realistic than finding the words when they were both drunk and exhausted.

Of what stayed in, the hardest part was the ending (penultimate chapter, not the happy add-on) because I knew Paul wasn’t just going to be completely okay within a few weeks or something, and it’s odd writing fic that isn’t slash because the ending is usually just ‘THEY ARE TOGETHER AND HAPPY NOW’ but in this I just got them as close to committed to each other as I could, and was vaguely honest about the fact that they would probably fuck it all up as soon as we left.

6: What makes this fic special or different from all your other fics?

It’s longer than all my other fic by about 20000 words.

7: Where did the title come from?

I think subconsciously I might have written the entire fic to fit inside a long and winding road, but honestly it was just a lovely surprise when I went looking for a title and realised that Paul wrote me a song! 

8: Did any real people or events inspire any part of it?

Only the real people and events that are in it.

9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic?

Nope. What is this? Do people write ten versions of their fic and then pick the best?

10: Why did you choose this pairing for this particular story?

Because they were in it.

11: What do you like best about this fic?

I like the rhythm of it, and the stillness. I like that it’s finished and whole.  I really like that after George tells Paul the thing about how John is going to fall apart, they NEVER SPEAK AGAIN and Paul doesn’t even really explicitly think about George again.  I kept thinking I should fix that but it’s honestly one of my favourite bits, and closure would ruin it.  The way that Paul's messed up relationship with George isn't even something he thinks of as needing fixing, is so special to me.

12: What do you like least about this fic?

It’s odd because if you’d asked me at the time, I would have had a huge list of things I flat out hated about this fic.  HATED.  I can’t overstate how much I hated the entire thing when I was posting it, like I would post new chapters to tumblr and write huge essays in the tags about how awful it was and how much I hated it and how nobody should look at it - and then I’d delete them all before posting, because I know that’s annoying, and it never sounds sincere, it sounds like you’re begging for reassurance.  And I didn’t want reassurance.  I honestly just wanted to post my fic without anyone looking at it.  Although at the same time I genuinely really appreciated the comments because I could feel like even though it was an awful dreadful thing, people couldn’t tell.  So it was okay.

I think I’d read it and edited it so many times that I was pretty sure it didn’t mean anything at all any more, it had no emotion in it, and I’d cut out any of it that ever made any sense, it all seemed forced and stupid and bare and I couldn’t stand looking at it. I literally posted it because I knew that if I didn’t I would edit it forever, and I never wanted to look at it again.  I clearly remember thinking to myself: ‘well it’s never going to be good, you should just post it and then at least it’ll be dead’. 

But now I read it back and I really love it, I’m kind of proud of it, I think it’s quite sweet.  I guess... there are still small parts where I think the rhythm’s wrong, and I got stuck in John's headspace for a huge chunk towards the end and couldn't find a way around that which still annoys me.  But not enough to care or fix it.

13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?

"Bill Haley's whole back catalogue is running through John now"

I don't really listen to music when writing usually, but with this Two Hound Dogs was in my head from the moment they got drunk and it was late and cold and there was this whole feeling of so much weather outside that it almost feels like weather inside, and Bill Haley's music was running through all of it, so I left him in it, because he seemed to want to be there. And I listened to Two Hound Dogs every time I touched it.  It's music from the years when John found Paul, so it fits that way - I'm aware John was not fond of Bill Haley, but I kind of liked that. And I didn't know at the time, but there's also that thing where Paul says he went to see Bill Haley once, and people read it as saying he met John there, so that makes it more nicely meaningful and less random.

14: What happens after the end of this fic?

I think John needs countryside as much as Paul does, so I think he settles into being a part of their life pretty well, and then when it’s too quiet spends weekends with the others or down in London, and eventually he probably comes back from one of those trips with his new fancy posh gallery owner boyfriend in tow, and introduces him at dinner and both John and Linda get to watch Paul navigate John having a boyfriend \o/  Happy days.  And then... I think they’re just sort of happy enough.  Paul would learn to make music using one finger, like overdubbing little bits of piano with each other, and creating acapella albums, and generally finding new ways to do whatever occurred to him.  And then electronic stuff would come in and he’d be all over that. 

15: Is there anything you wanted readers to learn from reading this fic?

No. Was my big angstfest of platonic soulmate reunion supposed to be secretly educational?

16: What did you learn from writing this fic?

That I should finish editing a fic before I start posting it. And that people who comment on chapter by chapter fic are just insanely kind, like wow.

[cerealmonster15]

[Wakes up in a cold sweat] wh o would dañarte and char choose in the brother/island question

FJKSLJFKLDS WH- HUH- 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 HMMMMMM

ok we are going w/the timeline where dañarte gets BANISHED from RSA and is in scarabia so per THE RULES he cant pick jamil or kalim.... and char uhhhhh well for funsies i also want to pick nrc students so 😌 [otherwise he'd probs pick che'nya his beloved bestie] [unless theyre in the same rsa dorm??? idk how their dorms work!!!] [and dañarte would not pick any of the currently known rsa characters anyway LOL i think he Hates Them All so far]

so HMMMMMmmmMMMmmm i think it might differ for the island vs brother question actually! i think for char at least, for the island question he'd want someone reliable and trustworthy, and for that i think he'd pick someone like vil or maybe lilia! he sees them both as people who are very strong and dependable and have a lot of life experience, and are more than what one might initially think about them at first glance. i think char has a lot of respect for them! my first choice was gonna be vil but then i remembered lilia and tbh i cant choose lol!!!

and for char's brother question i think he'd pick a first year bc he wants to be a good big brother 😭 tbh i think he'd like to care for any of the first years BUT i think he might actually pick someone like jack or sebek fjkslfjsdl because theyre the most like. tsundere Feelings Resistant, and he sees that they have a lot of hidden love in their heart and wants to help them EMBRACE IT and LEARN NOT TO FEAR THE FEELINGS!!! and maybe their grouchiness reminds him of a young dañarte, and he wants to help them out before they're too far gone 🥺

now. speaking of dañarte. bitch boy himself lol. tbh if he wasnt in scarabia i feel like for the island question he might have similar line of thinking as leona and idia here lol, that kalim would get him rescued faster by Being Important and that jamil would be the most Useful and Tolerable, but sucks to suck buddy thats against the RULES!!! oh actually maybe he would pick leona. i think he wants someone who is not going to Annoy Him and who can get shit done... hmmm but would dañarte be able to see past leona's lazy exterior and even be aware that hes like, really smart and capable fklsjeklf i cant believe the day has come where im making a case for leona but alas, it's true 😔 my other thought was malleus LOL like someone he'd know is strong and important and can pull his own weight. he doesnt wanna babysit a first year otherwise he mightve picked jack but i think he sees too much immaturity in the baby squad. man this is so hard when dañarte doesnt like anyone LOL i need to put this beast in more situations WHO DO YOU TALK TO, DUDE!!!!

brother question. hmmm.... damn i couldnt pick just one for any of these bc im torn between ruggie and azul LOL Hear Me Out,

ruggie - independent and fellow shitty schemer. maybe their interests dont align much, but he likes that ruggie's willing to play dirty and for easy incentives like money or food lol. would probs want to use that to his advantage to get ruggie to back him up on SCHEMES and maybe learn some sneaky secrets from him lol.

now azul jskfldksjjel listen LISTEN- half of dañarte's potental story existance is to stress azul out via jamil bc i love drama. yes. so in this timeline i think Azul Does Not Like Him and dañarte is well aware of that klfsjkelfe BUT he thinks it's funny. he's doing it on purpose. i was saying to myself "yeah hed absolutely not touch the fish, no fish club fuck the tweels fuck azu- wait actually-" i think if he picked azul it would be for psychological warfare purposes 😔 he could Bully Him More and learn his secrets and coerce him into schemes, something something useful contracts magic. theyre fellow schemers but dañarte doesnt like to play nice about it LOL

[starlit-hopes-and-dreams]

This or That tag

I was tagged by @i-can-even-burn-salad, thank you! 💜

I anticipate many of our answers being similar, bc well, uh, you see... lol. still looks fun :D

Historical or Futuristic

Historical in that I get to pick and choose what the fuck I want to keep and what I want to make up? Then yes, historical :D

Fuck you, I want leggings :)

Opening or Closing Chapter

God, the closing chapter for sure. Openings are so fucking hard to write. Closings come much easier for me. Basically, just write until I find it lol. I'd choose a different answer for reading, though.

Light and Fluffy or Dark and Gritty

Look, I want both. Together. In the same story. Is that so much to ask?

Animal Companion or Found Family

Mmm. I like writing dysfunctional families just so I can bring all my poor tortured souls together and let them comfort each other. Also, I agree with Elli on this one, animals are very easy to forget. So sorry, Fyel.

Horror or Romance

Neither, as the main genre. I am a fantasy snob, through and through. I freaking love fantasy romance, though. So close enough?

Hard Magic System or Soft Magic System

I can't really pick either. I like reading both. I like writing a mix. Like, I want some rules, or I'm going to cheat somewhere along the line and get called out for it. But I also am not into worldbuilding so much as to make intricate Sanderson magic systems, as much as I admire them.

Stand-alone or Series

Oh, hey! I found one that I chose a different answer on! lol Series, my beloved. I want more. More of the same characters. More of the same world. More more more.

One Project at a Time or Always Juggling 2+

While I do have multiple projects, I've found I get overwhelmed when juggling, very easily. I learned this recently, and well. I need to stick to one thing at a time, for my own sanity.

One Award Winner or One Best Seller

I'm not out here writing literary masterpieces that one day an english teacher may pick apart for themes in class. I don't even know what my fucking themes are lol. I can barely pick out tropes :')

I'm just here to tell a story. If lots of people liked it, that would be pretty cool.

Fantasy or Sci-Fi

Hands down, it's fantasy. I need me some magic, not science. I suppose science that looks like magic is okay, though.

Character Description or Setting Description

I want to know what my character looks like. Settings are much less fun for me, and I'm basically just pulling those descriptions outta my ass while hoping they make sense to someone.

First Draft or Final Draft

What even is a final draft? XD

Tagging (no pressure! only if and/or when you want to): @little-peril-stories, @verkja, @burntcoffeewhump, @thegreatobsesso, @experi-sketches, and Open Tag, if you want to play!