#Seriously I am beyond sold

[avaantares]

Fanfiction Authors: HEADS UP

(Non-authors, please RB to signal boost to your author friends!)

An astute reader informed me this morning that one of my fics (Children of the Future Age) had been pirated and was being sold as a novel on Amazon:

(And they weren't even creative with their cover design. If you're going to pirate something that I spent a full year of my life writing, at least give me a pretty screenshot to brag about later. Seriously.)

I promptly filed a DMCA complaint to have it removed, but I checked out the company that put it up -- Plush Books -- and it looks like A LOT of their books are pirated fic. They are by no means the only ones doing this, either -- the fact that """publishers""" can download stories from AO3 in ebook format and then reupload them to Amazon in just a few clicks makes fic piracy a common problem. There are a whole host of reasons why letting this continue is bad -- including actual legal risk to fanfiction archives -- but basically:

IF YOU ARE A FANFIC AUTHOR WITH LONG AND/OR POPULAR WORKS, PLEASE CHECK AMAZON TO SEE IF YOUR STORIES HAVE BEEN PIRATED.

You can search for your fics by title, or by text from the description (which is often just copied wholesale from AO3 as well). If you find that someone has stolen your work and is selling it as their own, you can lodge a DMCA complaint (Amazon.com/USA site; other countries have different systems). If you haven't done this before, it's easy! Here's a tutorial:

HOW TO FILE A COPYRIGHT COMPLAINT FOR STOLEN WORK ON AMAZON.COM:

First, go to this form. You'll need to be signed into your Amazon account.

Select the radio buttons/dropdown options (shown below) to indicate that you are the legal Rights Owner, you have a copyright concern, and it is about a pirated product.

Enter the name of your story in the Name of Brand field.

In the Link to the Copyrighted Work box, enter a link to the story on AO3 or whatever site your work is posted on.

In the Additional Information box, explain that you are the author of the work and it is being sold without your permission. That's all you really need. If you want, you can include additional information that might be helpful in establishing the validity of your claim, but you don't have to go into great detail. You can simply write something like this:

I am the author of this work, which is being sold by [publisher] without my permission. I originally published this story in [date/year] on [name of site], and have provided a link to the original above. On request, I can provide documentation proving that I am the owner of the account that originally posted this story.

In the ASIN/ISBN-10 field, copy and paste the ID number from the pirated copy's URL. You'll find this ten-digit number in the Amazon URL after the word "product," as in the screenshot below. (If the URL extends beyond this number, you can ignore everything from the question mark on.) Once this number has been added, Amazon will pull the product information automatically and add it to the complaint form, so you can check the listing title and make sure it's correct.

Finally, add your contact information to the relevant fields, check the "I have read and accept the statements" box, and then click Submit. You should receive an email confirmation that Amazon has received the form.

Please share this information with your writer friends, keep an eye out for/report pirated works, and help us keep fanfiction free and legally protected!

NOTE: All of the above also applies to Amazon products featuring stolen artwork, etc., so fan artists should check too!

[cc1010fox]

Rex: That number is your kill count? Fox: Roughly. Cody: I wasn't...expecting that to be honest... Wolffe: He's lying. Look, he wrote a number above it first, then crossed it out. That's the truth. Fox: No, that's the literal kill count. Cody: ... Rex: ... Wolffe: ... Fox: They were alive before we crossed paths. Rex: Oh...Most of our kills are-- Cody: Droids... Wolffe: I don't--How!? Fox: ...Why do you think I have so many awards? Wolffe: You...work hard? Fox: Doing what? Wolffe: Whatever the chancellor tells you to do. Fox: ... Cody: You protect the Senate. Fox: Coruscant. Rex: What? Fox: My duties extend beyond the Senate. I protect Coruscant. Wolffe: Ok, you protect Coruscant. Fox: ...From? Wolffe: Seppies? Fox: That's...part of it. Rex: ... Cody: ... Fox, popping his tongue against the roof of his mouth: Let me lay it out for you three. Fox: While you're out there sniping heads off of comedic relief training dummies, I have to deal with living, breathing, thinking beings. The living and breathing should make them easier to take down, but the thinking makes them unpredictable. I have to account for their individual beliefs, their morals...their sense of honor...all of which throw logic out of the window. It's not easy to land a droid army on Coruscant, so I don't get the pleasure of predictability too often. Rex: ... Fox: Instead, I have to deal with the citizens of this planet, too many of which don't want us here. They shout at us, abuse us, and have even started a market for us. You know...the skin and organ market. Yes and no. Yes, they have actually harvested our skin. No, I don't mean literal skin when I say skin market. Think collars and chains. How many times have you stood between a threat and the people you're duty bound to protect knowing at least one of those people have spat on your men, attacked them, used them like toys, or captured and sold them? My only comfort is knowing I can turn on them the second they're labeled a traitor to the Republic. And I can pick the worst of them off when there are no witnesses. Cody: ...That's-- Fox: On top of that, I have encountered creatures of nightmares because they just dwell in the bowels of this rotting planet or some pieces of garbage brought them here to sell. If you thought I was protected against watching my men get eaten by a wampa, you are sorely mistaken. Although it was the nexu that kept me up at night. For weeks. Who buys those things? Seriously...At least I put some of them down, but who knows how many they sold? Wolffe: ... Fox: The worst creatures are the ones I can't add to my kill count, though. The absolute worst is Chancellor Palpatine. He doesn't know what my job is and assigns me to literally every job in the Coruscant Guard. I have to do it personally. I'm the boss of the people who are supposed to do those jobs. He is the sole reason I will only sleep when I am dead. Fox: The second worst is 99% of the senators. Entitled, egotistical pricks. I would rather be distributed to desperate families looking for organs than catch the eye of any senator. Thire has to remember which ones show a little too much interest in the clones because we are at their mercy. He can't allow a shiny anywhere near them. If a Coruscanti attacks a clone, it's considered damaging government property, making them a criminal. If a senator attacks a clone, it's considered You better do what is best for the Republic and shut your kriffing mouth. Because treating a clone like a complimentary gift isn't betraying the Republic. Risking one of the Republic's delicate alliances is. Cody: Force, Fox... Fox: I deal with all of that while maintaining an impressive record of mission successes. That is why I have so many awards. Wolffe: ...You have awards, but do you want a hug? Fox: Desperately. All day. Every day.

[angelic-sturniolos111]

Fresh Love Modeling 🍊

You never guessed that Chris Sturniolo would reach out for you to model his Fresh Love clothing brand. You had been following him on social media a while and definitely had a crush on him. What you didn’t know is that when Chris had seen your modeling portfolio he started crushing too. The two of you end up alone in his dressing room together after the photoshoot and things heat up.

chris sturniolo x fem! reader

entirely in Chris’s POV

warnings: cursing, flirty and smuttyyyyy

author’s note: writing this completely sleep deprived :) did not proofread lolz

I want to sit on his lap so bad in this pic

My Fresh Love brand is super important to me and I am so grateful that it has grown in popularity thanks to my fans. I want to grow this brand and reach out to creators and artists outside of the fandom in hopes that eventually Fresh Love Clothing can be sold in stores nationwide. A big part of Fresh Love, and any clothing brand, is the marketing which I take very seriously. I always want to have a diverse group of models, but ultimately they also should be attractive and have a cool aesthetic to be the face of the brand. I had sent out a model casting call last month, and my friend Tril and I were going through all the applications. Tril truly saw my vision and we were usually on the same page when it came to models we thought would work well for the brand.

Today was definitely a “work day” in the house— Nick was editing our recent car vlog, Matt was brainstorming video ideas, and Tril and I sat on the couch on our laptops going through hundreds of model portfolios together. We had been scrolling through applications for nearly two hours and I was honestly bored out of my mind. Luckily, we found a handful of models we like, but I still felt like one was missing. There was a certain look, a certain vibe, that I was looking for and I wasn’t sure what it was but I knew I’d know the second I saw them.

“Hey take a look at this one. I recognize this girl… I think she follows us on insta or something?” Tril says passing me his laptop. Damn. This girl was beyond fine. I scrolled through her portfolio pictures, and I really liked her modeling style. She didn’t look mainstream, which I liked, but she had a really unique look. “Do you recognize her?” Tril said interrupting my thoughts.

“No. I’d definitely remember her if I had seen her before.” I said. I went to the top of her application page, her name was Y/N.

“I like her portfolio and I think she’s a good fit for the brand.” Tril says.

“Absolutely. I really like her. I’m going to accept her application right now.” I said sending her an acceptance sheet back with the photo shoot information.

***

I laid in bed staring at the ceiling. I couldn’t sleep. I always have trouble falling asleep because I’ll have a thousand creative ideas that I bounce back and forth in my head, but this time I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking of Y/N. Tril said she followed us, right? I grab my phone and open instagram and typed her name in the search bar, and her profile popped up. She was following Tril and I as well as my brothers, our group account, and our podcast account. Nice, she’s a fan! I went through her posts and God, she was stunning. I wanted to follow her, but I knew if fans saw that they’d get all sorts of crazy ideas and make assumptions so I decided I’d wait to follow her until the Fresh Love shoot would be posted so everyone knew who she was. I looked at some modeling shots she posted, laid back pictures with her friends, and I was unapologetically looking for any signs that she was dating anyone which from her profile she appeared to be single. I saw some of her swimsuit modeling shots she had done recently, and I zoomed in on all parts of her body. Her amazing body. She had these thick thighs that contoured perfectly with her cute ass. My thoughts wandered off, thinking of how badly I wanted those thighs wrapped around my head. I got hard at the thought of it. I continued to mindlessly stalk her instagram before I finally fell asleep… dreaming of her.

*** one month later ***

It was Fresh Love photoshoot day, or as I thought of it, the day I finally get to meet Y/N after crushing on her this past month. I got to the studio before any of the models were scheduled to arrive so I could talk with the photographers and mark out the spaces where I wanted to shoot. I get upstairs and see someone siting in a chair outside the photography studio. When they hear me approaching they look up, and my breath hitches in my throat, it was Y/N. My heart immediately started beating faster, but I knew I had to keep it cool both professionally and so I don’t utterly embarrass myself in front of her.

“Chris! Hey, I’m sorry I know the models aren’t supposed to be here for another hour. Honestly I was hoping to catch a moment alone with you before we shoot.” She says nervously with a big, beautiful smile on her face. She wanted to see me? Alone? I hadn’t realize I went silent for a moment while I was caught up in my thoughts until Y/N interrupted.

“Umm I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m just such a huge fan of yours and your brothers, and I wanted to tell you that. Also to tell you I am so grateful and excited to be modeling for Fresh Love. I love your brand and own a few things from it already just from following you for a while now.” She says.

“Oh, no you didn’t scare me! Sorry, I guess I just wasn’t expecting to see anyone this early. I’m happy to hear you’re a fan, and thanks for supporting my brothers and I, it means a lot. I really liked your modeling application and I’ve been looking forward to shooting with you.” I replied. I looked and sounded collected on the outside, but on the inside I was definitely nervous. I’m usually super confident talking to girls, even ones that I like, but Y/N had me acting different. She gave me a sweet smile before we walked into the studio together.

The other models started showing up as I led them to their dressing rooms where their Fresh Love clothing was waiting for them to change into. I stood in front of the backdrop for the first set of pictures and saw as the models rounded the corner all dressed in Fresh Love. Y/N wore the emerald green sweat set, and damn she looked good. The bright color just worked so perfectly with her complexion and brought out the color in her beautiful eyes. Seeing my own brand on her body drove me crazy. Man, this chick has me on a leash.

As time went by the photographers took group shots of all the models together, and some individual shots of each of them. When it came time for Y/N individual shots she was a natural. Her poses were relaxed, but strong and confident at the same time. She really wore the brand well and I was looking forward to seeing the results. She wraps up her individual shots and starts walking over to me.

“So, how did I look?” She says giving me a flirtatious look.

“Really, really great. I was thinking maybe we can get some pictures of just us two together for the Fresh Love instagram.” I said.

“Sounds great!” She says with a smile. She takes a step closer to me and leans in slightly, “Should I go change?” She asks but this time quieter so only I could hear. She makes me so nervous.

“Y-yeah. There’s, um, there’s a pair of joggers and a t-shirt in your dressing room if you want to change into that for me.” I said stuttering.

“Of course, anything for you.” She says confidently flirting with me. I think she can tell she made me nervous, and she was taking advantage of it. That’s so hot.

***

This time I was wearing the black hoodie and jogger set while Y/N wore the gray joggers and blue t-shirt. I sat on the couch we were using for the shoot, and she comes out of her dressing room to join me. She looked really great. I smiled at her and moved over so she could sit on the couch next to me.

“I’m thinking for the first few poses we just sit here kinda relaxed, looking at the camera. Then we do some where you stand behind the couch leaning over it while I sit here in front of you.” I said.

“Yeah sounds good!.” She says, and with that we start posing for the camera. The photographer has us scotch closer together, and I drape my arm behind her on the top of the couch. It was difficult to keep my eyes on the camera because all I wanted to do in the moment was to look at her. She moves off the couch to position herself behind it. “Like this, Chris?” She asks.

I turn around and see her bent over, arms crossed on the back of the couch. Fuck, her ass looks nice bent over like this. “Yeah, looks great.” I smile at her. I turn back around and the camera continues to click. We move around slightly to get different angles. She moves one of her hands to rest on my shoulder. I feel her hand slide up the back of my neck as her fingertips gently play around with my hair. The tension was palpable. I sharply inhale, a chill moving down my spine, I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my cool much longer.

“Okay how about we call that a wrap for today. Great job everyone thanks so much for being here.” I blurt out getting off the couch, shaking a few of the photographers hands, before I quickly run into my dressing room without turning back.

***

In the dressing room I can hear the photographers packing up their gear and leave. The other models had gone home for the day, and I wasn’t sure if Y/N had left yet either. I found my answer when I hear a slight knock at the door, “Chris?” She says faintly, “Can I come in?” I’m frozen, I don’t answer before she comes into the room still dressed in her Fresh Love fit. “Are you okay? You seemed kinda frantic towards the end there.” She asks sincerely. I seriously debated telling her I liked her, but I knew that wouldn’t be professional of me.

“Yeah, I just get nervous shooting sometimes.” I lied. Y/N scoffs a little.

“You, nervous? I’ve never been more nervous for a photoshoot before. Having THE Chris Sturniolo sitting inches away for me all day long is something I had only ever dreamed of.” She laughs. “You definitely made me nervous today. God, I’m sorry I sound like such a stupid fangirl right now.” She says looking down.

“I never would have thought you were nervous. You seemed super confident today.” I say.

“Maybe. I tried to be confident so I could impress you.”

“Impress me?” I say a little surprised. She looks up and nods her head. I stand up and approach her meeting her in the middle of the room, “You’ve impressed me plenty, pretty girl.” I’m unsure of where this sudden boldness came from, but I could tell Y/N liked it when her body relaxed, and I could see her whole demeanor change. She looked up at me with seductive eyes.

“I’m glad to hear that,” she runs her hand up my arm before resting it on my chest, “I’m sure I can impress you in other ways too.” Her eyes flash from mine down to my noticeable, growing erection, and then back up to my lips. I can’t keep it in any longer. I lean down and kiss her soft lips, her hand meets the side of my face and my lips part for her to deepen the kiss moving her tongue across mine. We step back and my back hits the wall when her lips move from mine down to my neck bitting and sucking ever so gently.

“Fuck.” I moan softly. I feel her smile into my neck, and she moves a hand down to gingerly palm my boner over my pants.

“I’ve been wanting to touch you like this all day.” She says breathlessly as she pulls away from my neck to look me in the eyes.

“Oh yeah? What else have you wanted to do princess?” I ask suggestively. She smiles, and with that she drops to her knees. She hooks her fingers in the band of my sweatpants before pulling them down to my knees. She places soft kisses on my dick through my underwear, and the slight contact made me groan.

“Eager, aren’t we?” She says as she begins to pull my underwear down. My rock hard dick springs up and hits my stomach and her eyes widen while her mouth parts. She looks up at me and I begin to wrap her hair in my hand holding it back for her while the other gripped the chair next to me as I brace myself. She plants tiny kisses on my thighs on either side of my dick, and the teasing had my cock twitching with every kiss.

“Please, Y/N, please stop teasing.” I sigh. She runs her tongue from the base of my cock on the underside of my dick to the tip where she licks the precum from the slit. She swirls her tongue around my head a few times before pulling away and spitting into her hand. She spreads the wetness on my length as she pumps me a few times before wrapping her lips around my head and pushing her head forward. I let out a moan when I feel my dick hit the back of her throat. She keeps one hand tight at the base of my cock, pumping and twisting it as she bobs her head up and down on it. I’m a whimpering mess. My grip tightens in her hair as I help move her head at a steady pace. Her hand lets go of my shaft as she moves her head all the way forward, taking my full length into her mouth gagging slightly. I look down to see her already looking up at me with tears forming in her eyes. I felt my dick twitch in her mouth as I was close to cumming, but I tugged her hair and pulled her off my length before I could do so.

I move the chair I had been grabbing onto with one hand as my other reached for her chin and guided her to stand.

“Sit.” I demanded. She obliged and sat in the chair as I got to my knees and started pulling the sweatpants off of her. I caress her thighs with my big hands before pulling her thong off and I stare at her dripping wet cunt.

“Did I make you this wet?” I ask, and all she can do is shake her head. “I want you to use your words pretty girl.”

“Yes.” She whines out. “You always make me this wet.”

“Always?” I question. “Do you think about me when you touch yourself?” I ask. She nods her head again.

“Yes.” She says.

“Do you use your fingers when you touch yourself, princess?”

“Yes” she says. My fingertips move agonizingly slow up and down her folds spreading the wetness around.

“And who’s fingers do you imagine are pumping inside of you when you’re touching yourself baby.”

“Yours Chris. Always yours.” She moans out. Without warning I shove two of my fingers deep into her cunt eliciting a sweet moan from her lips. I pump my fingers in and out of her at a fast pace causing her to grip the back of my head roughly, my hair tight in between her fingers. I kitty lick her clit and curl my fingers inside her.

“F-fuck Chris.” She moans out. I continue moving my fingers in and out of her while I lay my tongue flat licking up and down her clit, sucking on it for a few seconds at a time. She pants, trying to catch her breath as she breathes heavier.

“Chris. CHRIS— I’m gonna cum.” With that I immediately pull my fingers out of her and raise my head.

“Not yet, princess. I want you to cum all over my cock for me baby.” I wrap my arms under her thighs and lift her off of the seat carrying her over to the makeup vanity counter across the room. I place her down and she stands facing me.

She reaches for the hem of her shirt to take it off, and I abruptly stop her grabbing her wrist tightly.

“Leave it on princess. I want to watch myself fucking you while you wear my clothes.”

My hands reach her waist and turn her around roughly pushing down on her upper back to bend her over across the counter. I look in the mirror to see her flushed face and eyes blown with lust. I had never been so sex hungry before. I ripped my hoodie off, and began to align my dick at her entrance. I slid the head of my dick in between her folds getting it nice and wet before I pushed in slowly making me groan loudly. Y/N gasps as I enter her, not ready for my size. I bottom out and stand still, letting her adjust to my length. Suddenly, without warning she begins to lean forward and back moving herself on my cock.

“Please move, Chris.” She begged. I smiled at her in the mirror. I started moving in and out of her with slow, hard thrusts. Her walls were warm and tight around my cock. We moaned together as I kept the steady pace.

“Chris?” She says.

“What is it princess?” I look at her in the mirror, half of her now messy hair covering her flushed pink face. She adjusts her arms to grab the front of the countertop. She lifts her chest up slightly, and the FRESH on her shirt is now visible in the mirror.

“Fuck me. Harder.” She pleads, and that was all I needed to hear. I went absolutely feral. I grabbed her hair with one hand making sure to pull her up enough that I could see her Fresh Love shirt in the mirror. My other hand laid flat just above her ass, pushing down so I could balance myself as I relentlessly thrust in and out of her tight pussy.

“Fuck. Fuck, Y/N! You feel so good pretty girl.”

“Chris, I’m gonna cum…” She whines breathlessly.

“Good girl. I want you to cum all over my cock for me.” I say back. We make eye contact in the mirror and I feel her walls clench around me sending a pulsating sensation through my cock, and I knew I was close too. Her face scrunches and she repeatedly moans my name. I feel her cunt tighten and relax around me as she comes all over my cock, and we maintain eye contact as she does.

Seeing her face while she came on my dick was what I needed. My thrusts got harder and sloppier as I felt my dick twitch inside her.

“I’m gonna cum, Y/N! Oh, FUCK.” I moan loudly as I feel myself release my big load into her pussy, my cum coating her walls. I thrust a few more times riding out my high before pulling out seeing our orgasms drip out of her cunt. Y/N turns to face me, and tries to stand but fails as her knees wobble and she grabs the countertop as to not fall down. My hands grab her sides to help balance her.

“You’re amazing, princess.” I say to her. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” I place a gentle kiss on her lips before moving my hands to the bottom of her shirt pulling it up. She raises her arms up as I lift the Fresh Love tee over her head. I crouch down and gently begin wiping her clean with the t-shirt.

“Chris! Not the Fresh Love shirt!” Y/N says surprised and in a concerned tone of voice.

“Baby, it’s my brand. I can do whatever the fuck I want with it.” I smirk, earning a cute giggle from her.

**********

This was my first time writing smut and I think it’s kinda trash but lmk what your thoughts are.

- Kay 🖤

[mitsuki91]

Characters analysis about Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Gray Baird.

(This is copy-pasted from a chat so forgive me if it's kind of messy).

Premise: Lucy is well aware of where the weapons are and makes Coryo find them on purpose.

Analysis: In my opinion Lucy recognises that Coryo still wears a mask in front of the world. She frames it immediately because she, in her own way, does too. She loves him, because she has seriously fallen in love with him (trauma bonding lol), but she also knows deep down that Coryo will always want to go back to the capital and make a political career, because it's the only way he can feel in control (and in a way she even understands this). She is worried that he will force her to follow him and put her in a cage and she is torn anyway because she loves him and would like to be with him but does not want to become a canary in a gilded cage... So she is slowly trying to make him understand that there is an alternative, that Capitol City and politics are not everything, that there is a life beyond power and beyond hunger. Only it all comes crashing down in 0.2 seconds. Coryo shoots the mayor's daughter and Lucy thus has 1) confirmation that Coryo would do anything for her anyway 2) sees how his paranoia starts, especially when Sejanus is hanged. She knows, because she knows him, that he sold him out to try to save his own skin. But she also knows that he is terrified and see himself already dead. She would like to reassure him and tell him about the weapons etc. but she knows that it is only prolonging the agony, because if Coryo could feel 'free' and return to the capital he would, and she is not up for it. So she finds a way to make him find the weapons - she first has confirmation that, even at the moment when Coryo loses everything, he still chooses her, because he loves her - and she watches him to see what he intends to do, but as she suspects he is not yet ready. She sees, in his eyes, that for him that discovery means 'freedom', a freedom greater than the truly free life he could have had with her. So she decides to take the first step and stop him from really choosing.... Because Coryo might choose her in that moment, but in one, two, five years etc. it would blow up in her face (between recriminations and various things because, basically, they want two different things out of life). Their love is not enough, Lucy knows that. So she does not give him the power to torture himself into a slow descent and chooses for him, leaving him. And he goes mad because he loses control, possession, over what he considered to be his by right because of the love he feels (his view of love and life: he sees possession as the highest form of love, because he grew up in a world where he had nothing and now only values the things he possesses).

Basically Lucy Gray values her freedom above love and Coryo values power/wealth/control above love.

Love exists between them, it is true.... But they have two different visions of life.

They have both betrayed each other in the worst way for each other.

Trust and loyalty.

But it wasn't a selfish spite, at least not on Lucy Gray's part.

He was still in full paranoia about the trust issue so he wasn't clear-headed, but she wasn't loyal thinking she was doing him a favour in the end by leaving him 'free'.

In the end, they 'gave' each other the most important thing they consider to themself: Coryo was giving her himself - "I am yours, Lucy, and I will follow you to the ends of the word" - i.e. possession. She gave him freedom instead.

[eclectic-sassycoweyes]

(A new form of) WIP Wednesday ?

(Life is a) Work In Progress -Wednesday!

Thank you for tagging me @lemonlyman-dotcom @paperstorm @emsprovisions @nisbanisba very much congrats on the works published, some I absolutely loved, some I’m beyond excited to read!!

Sorry that this isn’t actual writing of mine, but an update in my life-is-a-work-in-progress that I posted for a Seven Sentence Sunday a while back and promised to update on (mostly for my own sake) - even if I tagged you, if you don’t want to read my personal ramblings or participate, feel free to keep on scrolling!!☺️

(OR if anyone wants to, consider this as encouragement to also share something for WIP Wednesday that YOU have either accomplished, look forward to or want to accomplish in the near future for WIP Wednesday !!☺️✨)

These were 7 sentences of things I was looking forward to and working on, but hadn’t yet accomplished a couple of/maybe one and a half months ago:

1) “Guys, I just bought my first binder !”

I did go an buy my first binder, and it was a wonderful experience! I found a physical store in my home time that sold them, and the staff was incredibly nice and knowledgeable and helpful and gave me great advice (if you don’t have access to that where you are, and want to know more, I’d be happy to share it.)

My good friend went with me! The effect was so cool to experience, it felt very great and affirming, and like taking a new step in discovering and being my self - which is a current project of mine that I was happy to act on more and start! My friend got all moved, which was really nice and touching🥹

2) “And the woman with the pretty smile that I danced with at the concert a few weeks ago replied and we’re going on a date🥰”

She did reply! I had been bad at replying to her and after I did, I waited for awhile with no response. I also felt like I had been not very initiative-taking and not very interesting to text with, as my life was very in exam- and stress mode. I decided to show initiative and wrote to her, addressing those things in my message, and she responded really positively, and we begun to find a time for a date! It was supposed to be tomorrow, but today she actually cancelled, explaining that she has been seeing someone over the last month (although nothing exclusive) and she had started to feel serious about and felt she wanted to give that a chance, and so that it wouldn’t be fair to me or that situation, to go on the date. I am actually very okay with that, it was nice that she was so honest and I wished her luck and we ended it on a really nice and respectful note! I’m proud of myself for taking the initiative and not backing out either actively or passively, even though I was very nervous and haven’t dated in a long time! I feel I’m ready to get back in the game and have discovered and been reminded of things that will contribute positively to that!☺️

3) “I handed in my exam before the deadline so now I get to keep my income.”

I sure did!! And I made a new friend along the way. Thank you endlessly to my accountability buddy who I was messaging with the whole night bc of the gift of different time zones while trying to get it done in time @emsprovisions !! I would send you a bunch of flowers if I could💐💐💐 and to desi @herefortarlos for also cheering me on and giving great advice to go touch grass!!!💗💗

This process up until that night was hellish and led me to seriously doubt whether I would make it on time, along with other stuff connected to my mental health and self worth. I’m so relieved and proud that it went okay!!!

3) “And also go to the Diana Ross concert I’ve been looking forward to and have fun without any stress for the first time in the last year!”

She was AMAZING!!! 80 year old Queen of Funk still had it in her I was equally amazed and grateful to experience her.

4) “And otherwise just enjoy the rest of the summer before the semester starts☀️☺️”

I did get some good times with friends and family for sure! It wasn’t everything I’d hoped for bc I was so burned out after my exam, but I feel content and satisfied with the amount of summer vacation in my home town that I managed to have before the semester and fall started🌞🌞

5) “I’ve unpacked all my moving boxes, found my power cable for the TV and picked up my new bike in replacement for the one that was stolen.”

Yep! I love my new little home that is now unpacked and feels lived-in🥰

6) “So now I will sit down in my finished living room after a long day of biking around and enjoying the city in summer and start rewatching Lone Star (again) in preparation for the s5 premiere that is getting closer by the minute!!”

Have been out biking, have sat down in my unpacked living room and watched LS, and am still currently rewatching!! I will need to do some binging to get through all 4 seasons before the premiere which is right around the corner !!! 😬 love rewatching though, I am having so many new thoughts and feelings still after watching so many times so it’s been healing these days as well, to know that it won’t be my last rewatch after the show ends!

7) Whoo!🥳”

That feeling certainly comes and goes, but such is life, I acknowledge😌😌

Sorry and thank you to anyone who made it this far, I’m just really happy that I can actually cross all these things off my list! I struggle a bit with memory and time awareness and I often stress more about new things than remind myself of what I’ve accomplished so I wanted to actually bring this back!

I encourage anyone whether you have writing to share or or not and who wants to (including those of you who’ve already posted a WIP today!) to share some things that you are either working on, wanting to accomplish in the near future, or have accomplished lately and are happy about/proud of!! ✨✨

Call it a new way to participate in WIP tag games, if you will, whether you have writing to share or not☺️

Tagging some people under the cut in case you want to do the same thing, and also some people who responded to my Seven Sentence Sunday so they see the update!:

@carlos-in-glasses @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @thisbuildinghasfeelings @alrightbuckaroo @heartstringsduet @literateowl @ladytessa74 @herefortarlos @emsprovisions @whatsintheboxmh @welcometololaland @rmd-writes @strandnreyes @carlos-tk @pimento-playing-hopscotch @captain-gillian @nancys-braids @corsage @tailoredshirt @nisbanisba @lightningboltreader

[crystallizsch]

Hello! I really like your art and comics with Jamil and your OC. It looks very cute!

I just want your thoughts on this as a Jamil lover. I really like Jamil but Idk why??? I like him so much that I cry whenever I don't get his card or daily greetings at login. He's not usually my type like Izuku or Tanjiro. Just want to know your thoughts since you like Jamil hehe. It's ok if you don't respond!

AAH THANK YOU SO MUCH it means a lot to hear you like them i really appreciate it!! 💖💕💖💕💖

ANYWAYS as a jamil enthusiast i ask myself that question too 🤠;;

dont know what kinda hypnotizing magic he did on me but it worked bc i was incredibly neutral about jamil when i first saw him and now he lives in my head rent-free

okay in all seriousness i ended up rambling about jamil and why i like him personally and it ended up longer than intended so uh proceed with caution under the cut 🧍

(i had to look up the characters you mentioned,,, i know both of the anime but BARELY know the characters so idk how to compare other than they seem to be the benevolent hero/protagonist type???) (so on that note theyre actual opposites??? of jamil 😭)

okay so for me i personally just find jamil’s character really fascinating (and relatable???)

like his character arc drew me in i think, i legit do not recall 100% how i started liking him bc he was NOT my usual type either

i saw him before book 4 and went “okay” 🤷 and moved on 😭

my usual type is kalim actually (the sunshine type with a depressing reason for being all sunshine-y lmao) but. i did not vibe at first with how kalim looks so i didnt really get attached to him either 🤧 (im absolutely fine with him now tho 😭 ive learned to appreciate him more thanks to other kalim enjoyers)

(and tbf a lot of twst characters i didnt think i would like but here we are)

back to jamil. alright maybe it’s his looks. maybe bc he’s a pretty guy idk. but if that’s the case i wouldve been all over vil bc he’s the definition of beautiful gorgeous guy who doesnt fw with gender norms but im NOT. instead it’s JAMIL.

i think it doesn’t help that aladdin is one of my favorite disney movies too 😭 jafar has that two-faced, manipulative disposition with a side of dramatic, and insane and that’s. actually just jamil.

so maybe i guess what drew me in with jamil is that sense of theatrics, the dramatics ;;; that dichotomy of having that level-headed, intelligent front he puts up but then also having this unhinged, unfiltered side that he shows when he is free to be more himself

i’m a sucker for seemingly calm and collected characters on the outside and then their true self being WAY more different and expressive

(i think this would make more sense if you’ve seen aladdin and if you remember how jafar is like in the movie) (i am also choosing to ignore that ONE scene with jafar and jasmine towards the end iykyk) (and the twst characters shouldnt be considered one-to-one with their disney counterparts anyway but i digress)

also scalding sands event my beloved it might be what actually sold me on him bc things like his little sister reveal and his childhood stories wrecked me

(also also i’m obsessed with his canon dynamic with kalim but that’s another thing altogether)

or maybe it’s not that deep and that i just grew attached for no particular reason 🧍 (and that reasoning in of itself should be completely fine as well if that’s your case! just. like who you like, there really doesnt have to be a reason as long as you enjoy them)

uhhhh in conclusion,,, jamil’s a really complex character tbh i could say so much more about his relatability but i feel like im already exposing myself a lot LMAO and i dont think i can properly articulate with words anyway how deeper his character is beyond my surface level thoughts

[coldgoldlazarus]

Some stray Metroid Prime 4 thoughts in brief, that I didn't feel like making their own posts:

On Sylux and the writing:

Really hope Sylux is a good, complex, nuanced antagonist. Gimme that Cyclosis lore, too!

I am admittedly a bit worried that this being pre-Fusion (not that I expected it to be otherwise, but still) means they might not be able to do as much with the Federation as I'd hope for, but hopefully it can still do some decent foreshadowing. (Post-Fusion MP5 tho pls)

Apparently the lead writer has done some amazing work with a Star Wars game (Fallen Order?) though, so feeling more optimistic about the writing after learning about her

Since she did dialogue writing for that game, I kinda wonder if we might get to see/hear the return of some of Samus's internal monologue. I know Other M's reception makes that kind of unlikely, I'd be leery of that if I was the people at Retro, but I honestly think it could be done right. More of a Fusion-esque noir narration that characterizes her well could be what we need to heal from that.

Think I already said this, but just in case I haven't; hoping Sylux survives this so they can pop back in after Dread and be like "Told you so!" lol

On the gunship:

Gunship still has the bottom hatch. I bet Samus comes out of the top when there isn't a proper landing pad with reliably even ground, such as that spot she popped out in the trailer

The addition of red trim around the windshield is a cool touch, makes it look a bit more aggressive somehow. Like the gunship has dramatic tearful red-rimmed eyes or something

I like how she sent the gunship off immediately after getting out; she learned from Ghor

ZM gunship was destroyed. Prime gunship's fate unknown after Hunters, possibly just sold off to make way for the next two. Classic gunship and Corruption gunship seem to be alternated between depending on needs of the mission; rv camper van versus well-armed speedy one-seater. Then classic was destroyed in Fusion and she switched to the purple one full-time, instead of going back to the Corruption one. Could we see the Corruption gunship get destroyed here, clearing the way for that?

On the timeline:

Also curious if this will use Sylux's Metroid and the Mochtroids to create a serious enough Event to lead into the extermination order in Metroid II. Might kinda conflict with my desire for nuance, but I could see some ways to thread that needle

Also wondering if we might see Samus be a little bit more flawed and morally compromised here, coming off of Corruption and leading into Metroid II. Rewatching the extra ending for Corruption, it tends to get overshadowed by her grieving beforehand and the Delano 7 afterward, but for a moment after dismissing the powersuit, she has a bit of a darker expression. I wonder if that was meant to imply some subtler, more lasting impact of everything she went through there, that Beyond could expand on further. Or it could just be a determined expression that I'm misreading lol

Wouldn't object to them finally taking another stab at Meta Kraid, but pls no Ridley unless we absolutely 1000% need him here. In general want that to be the policy going forward; keep the recursion to a minimum unless it's necessary.

I don't seriously expect this to be post-Super (as interesting as that would be) because of the date, since the dates given are so infrequent and inconsistent. But I could see the emphasis on that coming first thing, plus the time travel, be used to finally clear up that inconsistency and put hard, definitive dates on stuff going forward.

On the possible time travel stuff:

Kiiinda wondering if they'd use the time travel thing to branch off the Prime series timeline from the 2D games for more creative freedom going forward, (sorta like the Star Trek Kelvin timeline) though I don't think it's likely. Would be interesting though

Torn between wanting to see the time travel used to get new angles on familiar places, versus just wanting to have mostly new stuff

Time travel used to foreshadow Fusion/Dread Metroid Samus pls, like the Hordika plotline in Bionicle being foreshadowed by Vakama's visions in the Tahtorak comic

As I said previously, also wondering if they'll use Sylux's Metroid and the time travel thing to patch the whole "Metroid Prime in the Impact Crater" inconsistency and bring things full circle

On gameplay and possible multiplayer:

Gameplay-wise, I just like how classically Prime it looks; obviously I want new gimmicks and mechanics and expect those will come in due time after that intro, but I'm glad they're not trying to completely reinvent the wheel and make the baseline more like traditional FPSes. This is Prime 4, not Metroid Doom, and I appreciate that (as someone who respects Doom)

Torn on multiplayer since I've heard whisperings on that; don't want it to become too geared toward that sort of thing and wind up with an influx of like, toxic CoD fans or something

But I wouldn't object to a Hunters-style multiplayer, (maybe paired with upgrades for more parity with singleplayer) Especially since Sylux is a factor, even if the story is just them and Samus, they could still use extra hunters for the multiplayer

Corruption's trio being included somehow would break my heart but make my day, even if they'd be difficult to balance mechanically

Revisiting the Hunters and Corruption casts through this would be great, but would also love if they added even more all-new ones on top of that. (Maybe a few more gals?) Let's keep building this out! Samus is the best of the best, but I wanna see the rest of the best xD

On the overall experience:

Honestly far and away most excited for the new places to explore! But I ironically have the least to say about that rn since it's such an unknown

Would love to see unique new biomes, I guess, kinda like I mentioned in my big wishlist. Maybe a coastline with cliffs and coves and beaches? Maybe badlands, with one huge long continuous canyon instead of several smaller ones? (Maybe even with a flying boss fight through it, like one of the early abandoned concepts for Meta Ridley) Something even crazier?

At any rate I love how that rainforest in the preview looks, and I especially love the foggy chasm with that huge bridge off to the side

On that note, the additional shots of the rainforest on the JP website all point away from that direction. I bet you there's an awesome fucking view of whatever's on the other side of that bridge, that they're saving for a later trailer. Or possibly something plot-relevant that they're saving for the game itself

Kinda torn between wanting to see a little bit more of the places we'll be visiting, versus wanting nothing else so I can go in almost completely blind

Really really looking forward to hearing the new title theme. Would be cool if the main menu takes after the logo and has a big black hole or something in the background

[slasheru]

Slasher U 1-Year State of the Union / Unholy Census!

Holy fucking shit we're coming along towards the 1-year anniversary of the release of the Slasher U Act 1 alpha!! We've come SO FUCKING FAR. Sawyer wasn't even a romanceable option back in the day! As of April 27th, it'll be Slasher U's first ever anniversary!

Mostly, I am SO FUCKING GRATEFUL that you all came along on the adventure to make my weird horny dating RPG a smash fucking hit!! Taking narrative seriously in dating/adult games was kind of my entire M.O (is?? mods??) and I am SO GRATEFUL Y'ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO HERE lmao

THE BIG NUMBERS

As of 11:21 AM EST on 3/23/24, Slasher U: Act 1 has sold 6,100 copies across Steam & itch.io (Not including the copies sold as part of Games for Gaza that weren't redeemed/downloaded, so this only counts people who actually downloaded or bought the game!). This is obviously BEYOND MY WILDEST FUCKING DREAMS AND I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH HOLY SHIT. I didn't even realize it until I added it all together. (On top of this, we sold several fucking tens of thousands of games for Games for Gaza!! Hell yeah!)

For my fellow solo devs out there, this comes to Slasher U making a total of about $6,000 + $2,000 net USD through sales (the former) and crowdfunding (the latter, for Slasher U: Act 2) over the last 11ish months!! The game started off being free for the first 6ish months, then went to $6.69 for the Beta (with dong! whoa!!), and now at its full size, stands at a good ol' $14.99 for 15 hours of primo datin' sim!

This is objectively the most money I've ever made off of anything I've developed in my entire life, and paid my whole ass rent for the entire year, so THANK YOU HOLY SHIT. According to Steam, most indie games barely break $1k in total, so I am AGOG. FUCKING AGOG. THANK YOU FOR LIKING MY GAME AND LETTING ME MAKE MORE VIA NOT DYING FROM CAPITALISM

The average review score, across 89 reviews on itch.io, remains 4.9 out of 5 stars, and we're rocking a 93% Positive on Steam!!

THE UNHOLY CENSUS

The best part of Slasher U is, as I always say, THE STUDENT DISEMBODY!! Slasher U will always be a place where everything is gay and trans as fuck (although I'm also proud of writing my cishet storylines too :V /lh)! I knew y'all were gay (hello fellow gays) but I did not realize the QUEER FUCKING FORCE THE STUDENT DISEMBODY IS

Here's the demographics of Slasher U players as taken from Tumblr polls (that's a skewed sample size of about 280, so grain of salt here for the homo website for queers):

92.6% of you ID as queer (see below for the breakdown!) | 7.4% of you ID as straight

This fictional horror movie campus is: 48.5% bi/pan, 16.2% gay/mlm, 10.3% lesbian/wlw, 10.3% ace (oo tie!), 7.4% queer but not defined as above, and 7.4% straight!

61.9% of you ID as trans/not cis | 23.8% of you ID as cis | 14.3% of you ID as neither trans nor cis

46.8% of you are between 22-26 | 32.3% of you are between 18-21 | 16.1% of you are between 27-32 | 4.8% of you are between 32-45 | 0% of you are older than 45 (sample size I am guessing lol)

For 14.6% of you, Slasher U was the very first dating sim you've ever played (!). For 3.8% of you, Slasher U was the first indie game you've ever played (holy fucking shit!!! this is an actual absolute honor)

76.7% of you instinctively Road Runner away from Melyssa at the fountain in Act 1 | 23.3% let the Melyssa tsunami arrive at you

--

A FINAL WORD (FOR NOW) ON MAKIN' VIDJEE GAEMS

You should totally do it.

No, okay, but for real, I started working in games professionally in 2009 (yeah yeah i'm old. i am 32 and i am dying and they're coming for me in the corpse wagon etc) and I burned out in 2016 and came back two years ago with THIS THING and I can tell you RIGHT FUCKIN' NOW that, if you have ever wanted to make a game and the big guys aren't gonna do it, grab yourself and/or some friends and fuckin' make a video game. I have worked for a bunch of AA and mobile companies and I can tell you right the fuck now that this is the most fulfilling experience I have ever had writing a video game. I taught myself programming logic to make this thing! And sound design! I fucking learned to animate sprite sheets!! YOU CAN ALSO DO IT given the time and energy (pace yourself don't die)! And there won't be any execs around to tell you your weird niche game won't sell!! BECAUSE IT FUCKING WILL

Anyway, my entire career as a game designer, nobody let me write shit for them. You don't need permission to make stuff or write stuff. If you write it, they will fuckin' come, Field of Dreams style (also don't forget to tell everyone you made stuff and share it around. super key here. lmao). Turns out writing is all about sharing yourself with people, and who knows, you might just find that a fuckton of people ACTUALLY relate to you. (And that you're a pretty good writer. Which you knew. Yes, you. I am mixing metaphors and pointing to myself AND you now.)

xoxoxoxooxoxox,

Professor Plutonium

[thegreymoon]

The Story of Minglan

Honestly, I don't think any of this was cruel to Wang Ruofu.

First, she backed her sister when she stuffed a concubine into Minglan's house in a clear attempt to shit all over her marriage. Then she poisoned Granny Sheng when she rightfully punished her for it. She deserved both her punishments. In fact, they didn't go far enough, IMO.

***

I cannot anymore with this fucking woman 🙄

Who gives a fuck who gave birth to him? That is his GRANDMOTHER. Whom you tried to POISON. Also, he is a government official, and a moral and sensible man. Him covering up for your crimes would have been a failure on all fronts.

***

No.

Your best hope is that Granny will not live longer than ten more years since she is already quite old. And if she does, that she will have moved over to Minglan's house by then, so that she doesn't have to look at your stupid face every day.

***

And after all this, she still continues to be driven by grudges and resentment.

Of course he will have no love for you. Of course he will try to get some recourse for his dead mother. It's no wonder that none of the illegitimate kids love you because how have you treated them? Certainly not well. You may not have sold them into slavery the way your sister did with the kids in her home, but if it had been up to you, all three of them would have died of neglect and you would not have cared. Changfeng and Molan luckily had their real mother with them until they were grown, and Minglan had Granny. You deserve nothing from any of them.

***

I AM ANNOYED BY YOU!

DOES THAT COUNT? YOU ARE STARTING TO GET ON MY VERY LAST NERVE.

My guy, you cannot force trust and intimacy and yelling at her about it is not helping your case!

I find him so pointless as a male lead. He has not done a single plot-relevant thing since he married Minglan. He just whines and whines about how he's not getting enough attention from her while she goes out and about, making new friends and solving Imperial marriage problems. In this last arc, he just swooped in at the very end to take credit where none is due because of course, the writers couldn't have had Minglan resolve the situation, no, Mr. Feng Shaofeng had to have a place in the spotlight too. After everything she did, right at the end, they made her so bumbling and helpless, so that he could swoop in to rescue her. I'm beyond pissed.

***

LMAO, imagine bringing up Wang Ruofu as a role model for anything.

Shut up, shut up, shut up. This drama was miles and miles better without you looking for trouble where there is none.

***

I am on her side here.

I'm super aroace, though, and I can't stand whiny, needy men encroaching on my space and time, demanding more than I am willing (or able) to give. Seriously, fuck off.

***

LMFAO

Minglan did him the biggest favour.

***

Wait a minute.

Doesn't that make Old Master Kang her grandfather??

Gross.

***

What you don't know and don't want to know not only about your daughter but about your entire family, could fill not just a book, but an entire library.

And she is like this because you are worthless and spineless.

***

LMAO, she read him to filth 🤣🤣

I love her so much! Definitely one of my favourite heroines, if not THE favourite right now!

***

Pathetic.

***

Wait. Her??

Didn't Sheng Hong get rid of all of them?

Also, what happened to her leg? Did she also get caned or tortured or something?

Terrible fate, she had such a comfy life with Concubine Lin for so many years and now she has to do hard labour with no hope for things improving.

***

LMAO, so what?

It's not you who has served three Emperors and it's not your memorial tablet being worshipped in the Imperial ancestral hall.

***

LMAO, that's right Minglan, put them on the spot!

They want you to do their dirty work for them.

***

LMAO, of course, let's change the topic quickly, now that the spotlight is on them.

***

Ah, so all of them are slaves, after all.

MInglan gave her the greatest gift. Her freedom to live as a free citizen. I hope she does the same for the rest of them, if she hasn't already.

[numerousbees1106]

Might Be Stepping Out Of Line

Angstpril 2024 Day 15 - Confrontation

Read on Ao3 here! https://archiveofourown.org/works/55238785

Anakin Skywalker was no stranger to grief. It haunted him, stalking him from a distance, looming over him as he slept, a persistence predator with eyes that mirrored his and teeth made of his own bones. It walked side-by-side with him, or perhaps just a step behind, a faithful friend, a loyal companion, a comforting shadowy constant always just beyond his reach, something familiar, something poisonous. Something he both yearned for and loathed in equal parts.

Anger, he had found, was far simpler. Less complicated. Easier to process. Anger was fast, and easy, and far less bittersweet, and far more painless. Fury, rage, vitriol - it burned and bubbled and broiled and boiled inside him, a venom coursing through his veins, toxic and dangerous, threatening to overflow, threatening to take him down with it.

But grief? Grief did the same thing, just much slower. It left gaps where a million other emotions could seep through like cracks in a ship’s hull, hollowing him out just the same as anger, but more analogous to how insects and bacteria decomposed a corpse from the inside out, unlike how anger burned like a star’s core going supernova.

All of that was to say that, at the end of it all, Anakin had chosen and would continue to choose anger over grief every time.

He didn’t care how bad a Jedi that made him - he had stopped caring about that the instant he had sensed his Master’s presence, but had seen it in the mask of one Rako Hardeen.

Anakin had gone into the confrontation with Obi-Wan expecting to be angry. And he had been angry, at the start, and that fury only grew with each feeble excuse that Obi-Wan gave, seething into something venomous at the man’s complete and utter lack of remorse.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Anakin!” Obi-Wan snapped, crossing his arms with an expression that was somehow both irritated and emotionless in that way only Obi-Wan could manage. “I did this for you!”

“For me?!” Anakin hissed, baring his teeth. “Because from where I stand, you used me for your own benefit!”

“The Chancellor is your friend, Anakin; I was simply saving him.” An eye-roll - was he seriously acting like Anakin was some tantruming toddler?!

“And what do you mean, my own benefit?” The Jedi Master added, almost as if it were a secondary thought.

“You sold us out, didn’t you?!” Anakin snarled. “Use Ahsoka and I to further your own goals? Save the Chancellor, push everyone around you under so you can rise above, cementing your place as the golden child of the Jedi Order?”

“Anakin, what-”

“Was being their favorite not enough for you?!” Anakin continued, ignoring his former best-friend’s interruption.

Former.

Best friends didn’t do what Obi-Wan had done.

“You simply had to prove yourself further, didn’t you! Simply couldn’t resist reminding everyone how fucking perfect you are! ‘See, I can take everything the child I practically raised and I went through, and I can shove it to the side, and spit on it like it all meant nothing to me, and I can bury it in the ground like how he will have to bury me, and I can utilize his greatest fears against him! See what a good Jedi I am?! See?!’”

Obi-Wan stood there, eyes wide but still unseeing, mouth agape but soon to spill more meaningless excuses.

He looked every bit the way Anakin would expect a dying man to look.

But Obi-Wan never died. Was never dying.

And that was the root of the problem, wasn’t it? Because Anakin wanted so desperately to be angry - and he was, for a moment, but he wasn’t, because his inferno of rage was flooded over the moment he had learned the truth, and the anger he held now was nothing but an façade he desperately fought to keep alive, a pale imitation, a sparking farce he had tried in vain to keep alive.

Now, with the spillage of his words, the small flicker of fury he had been kindling was washed away, too, replaced by the vestiges of the tsunami that had overwhelmed him.

Because the truth was, Anakin had felt mostly relief - relief that Obi-Wan was alive, relief that he wasn’t alone after all, relief that maybe everything had been a vivid nightmare, that maybe everything could go back to how it was before.

But relief was a hurricane that soothed the wildfires of his soul, but it left behind a damp and humid environment perfect for mildew and mold, for an aching grief that settled like an infestation and never left, that chewed on his bones and heart and soul until he was hollowed out, until there was nothing left, until he was empty and cavernous and numb. He wanted so desperately to be angry at Obi-Wan, to be furious with him, but he didn’t have it in him.

Spinning on his heel, Anakin made a hasty retreat, ignoring Obi-Wan’s calls and pleas to come back.

He was sinking under waves of grief and death-feasting organisms, his flesh and muscle turned gelatinous with decay, his joints and ligaments dissolving as he stalked back into his room, his cartilage and tissues liquifying as he locked the door behind him, his bones turning to dust as he sank down to the floor, his back against the door, tears streaming down his face.

Anger was far easier than grief.

But grief was a far older friend.

[tadpole-apocalypse]

So Astarion says during the post Cazador cemetery scene that he didn’t like Tav at first. Which makes sense given what we learn about him throughout the game, but it really got me thinking about I see Morgan and Astarion’s relationship and what they actually see in one another beyond the physical, so here is some stream of consciousness about their early relationship that I can't stop thinking about.

Firstly, I think the decision to seduce her was entirely instinct; I doubt Astarion actually sat down and planned to manipulate her, because it wouldn’t even be a debate to him. Ofc he’d seduce and manipulate her, that’s how he’s done things for the past two centuries. He doesn’t even think of doing otherwise; it's just how he is around others he perceives as useful to him.

She vouches for him to the others after the vampire reveal, mostly because she’s pragmatic and they need all the help they can get for the tadpole crisis.

When he tries to bite her, she has no moral qualms about digging into his mind. Not only does she see he has fed only from vermin, but she can feel echoes of his hunger, his revulsion, and then the barest bit of satiety as the putrid blood slides down his throat. Then he starts pathetically begging her for her blood, so she takes pity on him. It’s also pragmatic, she would rather not camp with a starving vampire, but it's mostly pity.

It turns out she likes being bit, so when he turned on the seduction she was like…ok fine let’s do this. It was casual for her to start, as well. She thought his over the top seduction was a joke, and didn’t realize he actually trying to seriously seduce her this way until she teases him about it at the tiefling party (during the scene where he’s trying out all his lines on her). He doesn’t have her “hooked” the way he wants; She still hasn't dropped her guard around him entirely and he needs her on his side against Cazador. She would also have spent some of the tiefling party flirting with Halsin and trying to get him to drink with her. Karlach and Lae’zel also shoot their shot with her here.

There's a really interesting dialogue you can get when holding the Sussur flower as a Sorcerer (or any magic user I presume) because it blocks all magic use. Astarion made a comment that we should fix not having our magic asap, because "he wasn't with us for our personality" like in a cutesy "oh darling I'm joking but am I really" way. He just for a moment becomes very transparent about the transactional nature of their relationship and because I had Morgan react with panic I thought she would have been really upset by what he says here. They would have a big argument around this part of the story that does threaten to end whatever they have going and it’s only until he sees she is actually really shaken and left vulnerable by the experience that he tries to fix his mistake.

Clearly what he was doing up until now wasn't getting him the results he desired, so he has to change tactics and actually try to cozy up to her in a way she will respond to.

He stops with the clichéd lines and act, which lets them talk more candidly with one another. At this point she's still being tight lipped about her background, and all she's shared is that she sold fortunes in the city to pay her rent. But they have things in common because they are both selfish cunts who reluctantly start to care about the others around them, and they can have animated conversations about fashion, local baldur's gate politics, and necromancy.

He spontaneously offers favors, like mending her clothing or slipping healing potions/baubles he nicked off of the last merchant they passed into her bag. He does them as an incentive to get her in bed again but it feels nice when she is genuinely impressed by his work. She has an eye for detail that he grows to appreciate, particularly when it comes to himself as she is not at all the type to give him the shallow praise he wants. It becomes a game for him to get those little reactions from her because of his actions.

Then by the time they’ve made it to Last Light Inn he realizes that he’s even starting to look at her entirely differently. Her large nose was quite elegant actually, and her freckles weren’t nearly as hideous as he first thought, and actually in this lighting she was quite stunning, really. And her blood was really really good.

His oh moment happens after the Gauntlet of Shar. She clocks his scars as Infernal way back to their first time together, sketches it out so he can see it for himself, and is generally like “hey I see this is important to you, I can help if you let me.” And she proves it by killing Yurgir, no questions asked. Just goes out and kills a devil just because he needed it. He’s a step closer to achieving his seemingly impossible goals because of her. And she’s covered in devil blood and gore and reeks because no one has showered in weeks, but she’s looking at him with fondness in her eyes and blood in her mouth from the Merregon arrow she took to the face, and his chest hurts in a way it hasn’t in many years if ever.

So what starts as him molding himself into a more attractive honeypot for Morgan ends up being something that makes him go...oh I want this. I want this to be real.

Morgan herself grew up in a cult where her social relationships and interactions with outsiders were heavily controlled, and she was always warned about sweet talking men looking to steal her away. Once she got free of the cult, those guys became her type. She was perfectly content to have short but intense relationships that inevitably self destructed, and this was how she expected things to go if both of them survived their situations, until she caught feelings too.

[acacia-may]

So, before you hit your romance limit, can I request my two Black Clover OC ships? Solid x Rosette and Fuegoleon x Lital. You probably need to read their profiles first, if you haven't yet. I have a tag My Black Clover OC ☘️, hope it will help you. And to give some platonic bond too, Acier & Nozel and Finral & Gauche too?

Hi there Vilandel, and thank you so much for the ask! I'd be delighted to share some thoughts with you. 💕

Solid x Rosette

I am so happy you sent in this ask and told me about Solid x Rosette because this ship is absolutely my cup of tea (and not just because they're not super gooey and romantic. [A/N: Me neither Sosette] though I do have an affinity for more pragmatic couples who are very devoted to each other even if they're not super traditionally romantic and/or are more private about their affections). The big appeal here for me is that I've always had this intense fascination with arranged marriage to lovers. I have no explanation for this, but it's an absolutely fascinating dynamic to me and something I really enjoy exploring. I'll admit that maybe I'm biased because I also chose the arranged marriage to lovers dynamic for my own Black Clover OC x CC ship, but I think it just fits the nobility and strict social order of the Clover Kingdom so perfectly in my opinion and works so incredibly well for the story you've created for Sosette.

I love the idea of Solid entering this arranged marriage because "it's what you do," but then finding himself engaged to someone kind and perceptive enough to see beyond his haughtiness to realize he isn't just a shallow snob. He is moved by the fact she trusts him, and she brings out the best in him by believing it's there. Then he has his little panic moment of "Oh no! I fell in love with my fiancee!" This is the good stuff! Also, Rosette is super cool in her own right, and I adore her (and her friendship with my girl Charmy! YES!!). I love that she's so calm, collected, and perceptive. Also she's a detective? That's so awesome (and the Poirot reference had me squealing). Also, her glass magic sounds super interesting! I'll admit I never really thought of Solid Silva as a romantic being before, but Rosette's profile and your little one shot about them sold me. They're canon now. I don't make the rules.

Lital x Fuegoleon

Lital sounds lovely as well, and her backstory is really compelling (especially the story of her adoption which was so moving and so wholesome). I love the slow burn nature of her relationship with Fuegoleon, their long history with each other, and how they bonded over being on the same magic knights' squad. I'll admit I'm not as feral about it as Sosette (seriously, I just adore that ship now), but it seems like a very sweet pairing and I'd definitely be on board for it too!

Some Platonic Bond Thoughts Too? I'm So Spoiled! 😁 Thank you so much for this! Platonic relationships are truly my real passion, so it means a lot to me to be indulged to ramble about them as well.

Mother and Son: Acier and Nozel Silva

The bond between Nozel and Acier is so incredibly compelling to me. It's nice to see such a healthy and wholesome mother and son relationship, and the series does such an incredible job of showing just how much Nozel's love for his mom and his desire to make her proud and live up to her legacy has motivated and affected him. I adore them.

Finral and Gauche Friendship

I don't think I've ever really thought about this one before, but as soon as I read your ask, I had this very vivid thought of them bonding over gushing about how much love their younger siblings (I'm sure Langris would hate that...but luckily he's not there 😂😅). That said, it's a little hard for me personally to imagine that Finral wouldn't get on Gauche's nerves, so I'm not sure I can see them as besties in the same way as Gauche and Gordon for instance, but I do like the concept of an unlikely friendship between them and them bonding over their roles as big brothers. 😊

[emotionally-charged-arson]

2am Transitus thoughts since I can’t do fanart right now.

I am THE number one Lavinia apologist, idk what exactly Arjen was doing with her but her being desperate and going to Henry because she wanted the screaming ghosts in her head to stop and Daniel happened to have this dickhead for a brother makes a lot of sense to me.

On the flip side, I have no idea why they threw the “also I’m totally cool with killing my daughter for monetary gain” motivation in there. I’m sorry it makes zero sense to me and I hate the Wicked Stepmother trope as it is.

Why is she married to Abraham in the first place then? What solid reason do Abby and her have to hate each other when Abraham seems like a grounded, reasonable human being he who knows an evil white lady when he sees one? Why does Lavinia, in a conversation WITH HERSELF, say that she regrets what she did to Abby and should go and comfort her after Message From Beyond? Why is the character designed to resemble the “”Gypsy”” archetype a greedy and untrustworthy troublemaker for no genuine reason??

Last point notwithstanding, her motivation in canon just confuses the hell out of me. Through the entire second act she oscillates between a desperate, suffering woman who just wants Daniel to leave her alone that Henry takes advantage of, and a calculating evil witch character that’s just as shitty as Henry himself. Pick a lane, lady.

I have this pile of retcons and headcanons where I just completely got rid of the inheritance-chasing fortune teller persona and made Lavinia’s ability to see Daniel completely spontaneous (though she does have some backstory it makes a little sense for that I completely made up out of thin air, may talk about that later but we’ll see how this post does). The short version is that she’s the same as everyone else. A normal person loves their family, who endures a horrible experience, whose horrible experience is only amplified by their low socioeconomic status, and who is brutally taken advantage of by Henry to a violent end. She did some awful shit but ultimately it comes down to Henry being a manipulative asshole. Lovely.

…but then my aunt bought me this little aesthetic pack of tarot cards last nigtt he and I started reading about the history of this occult stuff in Western countries. And it got me thinking about another way she could be characterized.

I’m not gonna go into a tangent about this but the point is all that divination stuff like tarot cards, ouija, crystal balls etc became popular as novelty in the 1880s and 90s, especially in England and the United States. There were of course occultists who took it seriously but in widespread terms it was sold as what it was today. A harmless little game.

I dunno. Maybe Lavinia got really into that stuff as a hobby and that’s why it’s not weird that Abraham is married to a “”witch.”” Maybe she has it in the back of her head that none of it is real, just a way to kill time and a quirk of her personality.

Then Daniel dies, and she starts seeing spirits. With no genuine explanation. In desperation she associates it with her stuff and tries to talk to him that way, but it’s like Ayreon and his visions. He doesn’t know about Time Telepathy and she doesn’t know about the “crossroads” world Daniel is spending an unusual amount of time in. Little pointless explanations of something far bigger than they can envision.

Abraham doesn’t believe her and thinks it’s just her being way too serious about her occult stuff while he’s busy trying to keep his daughter from regressing any further than she has.

Henry is the only one who will talk to her and go along with her terrified ramblings, not because he believes her but he sees an opportunity in a clearly hysterical woman and she’ll be more cooperative if he pretends all of it is real.

Then she dies, and through it is forcefully disillusioned from her little games even though they’re all she could hold onto for an explanation.

I dunno.

[dereliction-if]

Dear Sai, I am a frequent visitor & big fan

honestly I am a bit afraid that we are hyping your ifs a lot because your ideas are fucking amazing, and all the characters, world building and lore just are so exciting. I love nsfw aspect and that you are not afraid to be bold and of stepping beyond safety lines!

I noticed I started to be fearful that when you release the demos there will be people that wont like it, or expected something different and that it will discourage you. Ive seen to many amazing authors give up, just throw everything in the trash when it gets hard. Writing 3 ifs at the same time....oooh boy!...Sai, just.... don't stretch yourself thin. Writing is an art, it flows from the soul, its affected by motivation and emotions. So I am worried about you, I truly hope you have good people around to keep you on your path, to lend you a hand or shoulder, whatever you might need.

Because we neeeeeed writers like you, stories like that! I want to see your ifs being finished, published and sold on steam or other platforms.

just...take care of yourself, ok?.......I do hate that Cedric is not a ro and will never forgive for that 💀 thats to keep you grounded so your ego wont explode from all the praise

Love u though ❤️

I consider this an evil attempt on my emotional stability! ;)

Seriously though, thank you very much for taking the time to write this. I understand what you think and the "fear" and doubts involved. I've seen many authors abandon their projects too. And this is more than sad. I think I started PiA parallel to Dereliction because I know I profit from the different settings and writing and when I feel stuck with one project I can distract myself with the other. I def need the variety to keep my spirits high for a long term motivation and not fall dead to boredom lol. Dereliction and PiA are two stories that wander my mind for a very very long time now, so I thought, why wait for one to be finished when I can work on the other meanwhile already...

// oh ok, well then I will def never ever re-introduce Cedric as a Ro cause yk ... gotta stay grounded. Everybody out there will know it's because of you now /jk - no, he won't be re-introduced as a RO...

But I want to add, that removing Cedric as a RO is exactly for that reason, to stay true to my initial idea and I know I can enjoy my writing much more again, even if some might not like it.

I know that my demo will disappoint some readers and it's ok. This is why I "warned" my readers about some content and I am fully embracing any critique and unfollows. As long as it is something I stand behind, I will not regret anything and not feeling the pressure for compromises is such a treat.

Thank you for your message Much love Sai ❤️❤️❤️

[a-rum-of-ones-own]

Hi!!!

I’m currently reading A Cosmology of Blacks, Malfoys, and Assorted Individuals and just wanted to express how much I love this fic!!! Your writing style is so profoundly passionate and evocative. The way you describe the emotions and inner workings of Draco, his observations and interactions with others, and blend sensory details with atmospheric elements is so poetically done—I seriously can’t deal.

What spurred me to write this was the opening of Chapter 19:

“With their ancient, bony hands, they’d passed her golden bowls filled with brew of black cohosh. Narcissa, panting in the heated darkness of the room she was confined in, had gulped them down, red-dark liquid dripping down her chin and staining the near-translucent smocking of her nightgown.

Winds had battered against the curtained windows. The approach of an early summer storm. The air had been sweltering, hot, over-heavy with lightning that had not yet discharged.”

LIKE UGH…MINDBOGGLINGLY BEAUTIFUL. SERIOUSLY. It’s so viscerally described that I feel like I’m transported right into the room.

I’m trying to consciously pace myself through the remaining chapters because I don’t want to catch up ;( but could you recommend some books that inspired you to write this fic, or even books that influenced your writing? I would be eternally grateful (high-key already am just for the existence of this fic).

I am so thankful to have stumbled upon this gem. You are sosososo talented; I am truly in awe and can’t wait to read more of your work! xxx

Heeey! Thank you so, SO much! I had so much fun writing that scene with the midwives - I cannot resist including scary old ladies and weird little arcane rituals of womanhood in everything I write, lol. I'm a total sucker for it. Give me a scary old woman who may or may not be a morally grey agent of The Dark And Mysterious Powers of the Great Beyond, and I'm sold.

YES, I do have book recs! Fic-writing is, for me, an opportunity for total stylistic self-indulgence, and there are absolutely influences! In general, Cosmology takes a LOT of influence from gothic writing. That entire theme of a house/manor/castle as a pseudo-living thing, the curses of our ancestors coming back to haunt us, ghosts of the past (both in literal and non-literal form), that's all just plain gothic, and I LOVE writing and reading that sort of stuff. Jane Austen's first novel, Northanger Abbey, is a fantastic gothic novel and/or gothic parody, and it's a shame it's not read more widely. It's definitely her first - it's not as absolutely refined as the big names like Pride and Prejudice etc - but it's the one I love the most. There's a proper mystery plot, a cursed house, a romance, a haunting - it's just great.

If you're not a Jane Austen girlie, a HUGE influence for me is Donna Tartt, especially The Secret History and The Goldfinch. If you're into that ornate, atmospheric, scene-setting writing, both will be right up your alley - The Secret History has a bit more of it (and is, imo, the better one to start out with), but they're both just amazing. One day, I want to be able to write like Donna Tartt does. She's the OG, she's the GOAT, she's perfect, she's probably my favourite contemporary author.

Also: Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House. It's one of my absolute favourite books, but (warning!) it's not literary fiction or romance, it's very much the story of a haunting. If you're absolutely not into horror, stay clear. Similarly, The Perfume by Patrick Süßkind is BEAUTIFUL, but absolutely not a romance. I've only read it in the original and can't vouch for any translations into English, but judging by the reviews, the sheer VibesTM seem to come across even in translation. The original is one of the best books I've ever read, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for something truly unique. I've also recently read V.C. Andrew's Flowers in the Attic for the first time, and found it really good in that gothic sense, but mind ALL the trigger warnings on that one. I don't deal well with graphic depictions of more realistic violence/abuse, especially if it involves kids (stylised/fantastical and implicit violence is fine, but anything that reads too 'real' and 'logically possible irl' doesn't agree with my stomach), and it's got some of that. I skipped a page or two, but still found it a prime example of Southern Gothic.

Thank you so so much again! I hope to get the next chapter of Cosmology out soon!

[whoslaurapalmer]

if ur still doing character asks: dipper pines!

oh yes absolutely!!! okay i was really hoping someone would ask me about gravity falls bc i can feel myself Entering Gravity Falls Mode

How I feel about this character: i love dipper i am picking him up and putting him in my pocket oh my god. local twelve year old (technically not a teen!) is fueled by pure determination and insecurity and he's so. baby..............dipper............................how serious he wants to be but how silly he's still capable of being because he's just twelve!!! he's just a kid!!!!!!!! and he's such a well-written kid. trying to grow up too fast so he can be respected because he's too young to be taken seriously, thinking he has to solve all the problems, acting like a kid and being scared.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: i see the appeal with pacifica but if i'm going to ship pacifica with anyone, actually, it's mabel, bc i think they have a more interesting connection. also reunion falls was the best au and that was what really sold me on them. ANYWAY THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT DIPPER

i don't think i really ship him with anyone? dipper's gotta get himself together a little more first.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: okay but pacifica here though. pacifica and dipper get to be the BEST secretly super petty friends, and i think the conversation they have about her parents in northwest mansion mystery is always really touching and they could be quietly understanding of each other. (even if that conversation was about pacifica's problems, point stands.)

hold on i've brought up my forbidden abandoned gravity falls/peaks sort of crossover au plans. but i have never, i think, brought up my gravity falls/x files crossover au plans, where pacifica and dipper were scully and mulder (it was still mabifica though) and i'm just still so enamored at the idea of them being these grumbly enemies to best friends and working with and defending each other as they learn about each other.

My unpopular opinion about this character: he's twelve............he's literally a kid making mistakes and trying to figure life out.........why it's 2024 and people still treat the kids and especially mabel like they should have known everything, should have done this or that better, acted unrealistically or something when they were seriously just acting like kids, makes me worry a little

also back in the day dipper got a lot of whump and that never sat right with me. whump doesn't sit right with me in the first place but the like, 2015 era of tumblr, somewhere around there, just really.......dug into it on this kid. escalating his very canon trauma that is totally enough to deal with to levels even beyond that

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: more sousaphone. i want more dipper the band kid. untapped opportunity for silliness