#WOOO LONGPOST

[akarisandraws]

What's your big opinion on every Sonic character don't skip any detail

Dude, do you know how many sonic characters are there?

Like a lot. So im gonna keep it on the main ones LOLL

Maybe i'll add to this tho. We'll see.

HERE WE GO!!

Sonic: He's my favourite character of all times! Such a funky fella. I love his way of thinking, (as in everyone deserves second chances and freedom is important) and of acting, with the whole attitude. He gives me a sense of freedom that i haven't felt from any other media at all! Its quite impressive honestly. I could write pages upon pages on how Sonic as a character is like the peak of literature in my eyes, but this post would get way too long. In summary tho, i like almost every aspect of Sonic the Character.

Tails: The baby! I also really love tails! I think his role as a sideckick is very endearing, and is a great balance to sonic in all possible ways. One problem with modern Tails, though. He's portrayed as a coward. And like??? That's not who he is?? Like C'mon sega.

Knuckles: He don't chuckle!! Final part of team Sonic, and Sonic's first rival! I really like the knucklehead. But as is the norm, Sega screwed him up badly on Boom. I despise that they're supposed to be the same Knuckles. Because they're not. I like Boom Knuckles, as his own character, but granted, Boom is an acquired taste.

Amy: Honorary part of team sonic! I love her! Mostly on the IDW Comics. I think they handle her excellently in there. I know that Amy is a hated character by the fanbase because most say that her only purpose is to be the "girl character love interest" and i can agree up to some point in some games, but in IDW she's sooo much better. We stan IDW Sonic.

Shadow: Yet another case of Sega making character assassination. Shadow's like, one of the most complex sonic characters there are, If not THE most complex one. And i love that! Though im very sad that Sega hasn't been able to replicate that SA2 Magic quite as well. Will SonicXShadow (heh) give him justice? Stay tuned.

Rouge: MY GIRL!! Ok so controversial opinion, Rouge's my second favourite sonic character, just because i think its hilarious that she (once) was the leader of team Dark. So She commanded a killing machine and An alien experiment. What a girlboss! 10/10 Character.

Omega: Gotta be honest, not much of an omega fan. But i really like his dynamic w/Rouge and Shadow. It's pretty sweet that they become friens :)

Cream: The other baby! I think she's the sweetest character. Like fr. I really want to see her more often on the games! Though i get why in recent games she hasn't appeared. Suddenly the adventures got way too serious. Still want her back in the games though!

Blaze: Fire princess! I fr am so salty that she isn't as much in the games. Like, what gives? She's such a successful character (With good reason btw) and you arent like, putting her in the stage?? outrageous. But yeah, i really Like Blaze. Her contrast and similarities with sonic are great! They make a great duo too.

Silver: The sweetest most unhinged boi in the sonic canon. I find it very funny that in his first appearance he was all angsty and stuff, but now he's full on optimism and sunshine. I love the juxtaposition on that behalf. Boi is cute but he can mess you up.

The Chaotix: Oh i love the found family trope. Espio's my fave for sure. He's the funny ninja, what else do you want? Though Vector and Charmy are great too. Vector has such a cool ass dad vibe. And Charmy... is Charmy. if yk yk.

AAAAND I think i'll leave it there. Should i include someone else? lmk.

Thanks for the ask!

-Akari

[wander-wren]

Ok, here goes! I wanna preface this by saying that I've been in a serious writing rut for like the past six months, to the point where I've pretty much given up on my WIPs. It's not that I don't want to write, or that I don't have ideas, but the actual work of sitting down and getting words on the page feels like pulling my own teeth out. So I'm conducting research on writers I admire to see if I can learn anything from their processes. And so, without further ado:

How long have you been writing?

Do you start out knowing what's gonna happen in the story, like with a plot chart and everything, or does the story take shape as you go along?

Do you write in big chunks or a little bit at a time?

How many drafts do you typically do? Is your first draft usually like word vomit or something a little more polished?

Do you have a beta reader?

What's your editing process like?

Is there a certain time or place where you prefer to write?

What do you consider the hardest part of writing?

Have you ever struggled with perfectionism in your writing? Do you have any tricks for bypassing that "EVERYTHING MUST BE PERFECT" wall in your brain and just get words on the page?

That was a lot lol. Of course you don't have to answer all of them, but any insight you're willing to give will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you very much <3

woo okay let’s tackle this!! under the cut bc Long. strap in folks

How Long Have You Been Writing?

in any shape or form: since maybe 6 years old? but i started writing fanfiction at 12, started getting serious about writing in general at 15, and threw myself full tilt into fanfic at 17, so currently i haven’t written original fiction Really since june. which is a complicated answer. you didn’t specify if this is about original stuff or fic, but i’ll try to answer from both perspectives bc my process for each is wildly different.

Plotter or Pantser?

for both original fiction and longfics, i’m solidly in the middle; i usually start with a list of things i want to happen, and i always need some idea of where i’m going to end, even if it changes later. from there, i start writing the first few chapters. when i feel like i have a more solid grasp of where i’m going, i outline chapter-by-chapter through one “section” of the story, however i define that. once im done that section, i outline again. this gives me a lot more freedom to change things as i go and adapt to new decisions i make. i also add random ideas to my masterlist of stuff that i might want to include further down the line as i go.

with oneshots i never, or almost never, have a plan beyond the premise/summary, so they frequently get away from me and do all kinds of random things.

Big Chunks or Little At a Time?

i’m gonna say big chunks? i have adhd so i frequently hyperfixate on my projects and can work on them for hours and hours on end, which i don’t exactly recommend, but it happens. at any given time i have a “main” wip or two that i work on pretty much daily, and then others scattered around that i might pick up for a few hours if i get bored. but i try to finish fics as fast as possible bc if i move on there’s a 50% chance i won’t come back, at least not for months.

How Many Drafts?

for fanfic? one. every once in a while if something is REALLY not working i’ll rewrite sections, so that’s like 1.5 drafts, but it’s free labor i do for fun so while i take pride in it and want it to be good, i’m not going to expend THAT much energy, yknow?

for original stuff, like if we’re talking novels…at least three drafts? i haven’t gotten that far with most of my projects so i’m still learning about myself, but my general process seems to be that the first draft is about getting the main story beats and the emotions down. my first draft is always very heavy on the angst and catharsis, sometimes overdramatically so, bc there’s less plot to hold it up. then my second draft is more about plot and realism and structure, but i tend to lose some emotions in trying to do that. my third draft is about combining the two and continuing to polish stories/characters. i haven’t written any fourth drafts, so i’m not sure whats beyond that.

and my first drafts tend to be very polished. i wrote a little rant explaining the history of that aspect of my writing not long ago, so i won’t get into it again. part of that is just how i’ve always been, part of it is practice. i do feel sometimes that i write pretty enough to cover up structural/realism/continuity issues, which can be frustrating when looking for critique from people who can’t see past it.

Beta Reader?

yes! i have a small group of writer friends that i share things with, but that is pretty much always for cheer-betaing and minor critiques unless i ask for actual criticism, which i only do with my original stuff when i get to the second/third draft, partly bc it’s not ready before then, and partly because it’s a lot of mental work for the other people. shoutout to my main bnha betas, @rangerlexi and @spacetime-enthusiast, who are, as i said, mainly cheer betas, tho mav is also my resident bakugo expert bc he’s very hard for me to write sometimes. getting better tho!

can’t recommend finding betas enough, even if just to cheer you on. hell, i can’t make promises about super long works or original fic, but i’m always down to read fanfiction. i don’t even bite, i swear. obligatory note that you do gotta trust ppl tho yada yada thieves exist and mean people exist etc etc

Editing Process?

for fanfic: typically i reread one or two times right away while all my thought processes are fresh in my head. i’ll make spot edits and add or delete things here and there. then depending on how impatient i am, i wait a day or a few to send it to my betas and/or reread and edit again myself. then i post and i’m done!

for original works: i don’t bother to edit first drafts, or even second drafts sometimes. when it’s time to prep for a second draft, i reread and make notes on what i want to keep and what i want to change, then use those notes to make my next skeletal outline. usually my stories change drastically from one draft to the next, but the last time i did a third draft, i wanted it to be pretty close to the structure of the second, so instead of outlining at all i just did splitscreen and wrote the whole third draft while looking at the second, sometimes basically retyping a page word for word, sometimes going “well, that chapter is pointless” and skipping it entirely. when it came to line editing, i used hemingway bc i don’t trust computers to do my editing, BUT the different colored highlights were helpful to break up the monotony. hemingway is a lot more focused on concise/readable sentences and cutting adverbs than anything else, which was good for me as an overwriter. i cut 22k words the last time i used it, from a 130k draft.

Best Time or Place?

not really? i write everywhere and constantly. the advice about finding your niche of productive time never seemed to work for me because, as long as i’m not blocked/stuck, i pretty much always kind of want to write.

Hardest Part?

DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS OH MY GOD IT’S THE WORST. sorry. i hate. doing that. becoming friends? becoming family? falling in love? god. kill me. i love all [thing] to lovers in reading but in writing i tend to drift toward best friends to lovers bc then it’s kind of close. i love writing about people in relationships, tension and banter and softness and fights, but getting there is so awful.

Are You a Perfectionist? Tips?

hm. gonna try to answer this honestly and in the least asshole-ish sounding way possible lmao.

i’m not really a perfectionist? not in writing, anyway, idk about other stuff. but also it’s just like…i know i’m good at what i do. not perfect—i can see flaws in things i wrote even a few months ago—but good. More Than Satisfactory. sometimes fics just don’t work and i abandon them, sometimes it takes me a while to figure out what i’m doing, but i’m not generally paralyzed by the need for anything to be perfect because i’m happy where i am?

that’s a hard mindset to get to, though. and you will for sure feel good about something and then dislike it in a few months or years. that’s just the nature of improving your craft. i think if i had any tips, though, i would say a few things.

watch this video essay, the whole thing but specifically 5:39-9:20. i love cj the x and i agree with many of his takes on art, so. some of his other essays might be helpful as well but that one i know talks specifically about perfectionism.

or if you don’t want to, just have this quote that melted my brain a little when i heard it. “perfectionism is not an inherently bad impulse. but you have to earn that. you don’t get to be a perfectionist if it is unproven up to this point if you can even make a thing.”

read bad stories. like genuinely i’m such a petty spiteful person oops so. i don’t really seek them out much but reading like, really really badly written work is like “well, if that’s the bar, at least i’ve cleared it.” obviously don’t go attacking creators or posting the work to make fun of it, but read it. maybe make notes of exactly why it’s bad for yourself, even, it might help you get better at identifying problems in your own work if you can figure out why things are bad beyond just “i don’t like it.” there, that sounds less mean, right?

just post your shit, tbh. put it out there. most people on the internet, in fandoms, they’re nice, if you curate your space properly. it’s a confidence boost! put something out there that’s less-than-perfect, get a couple of kudos and realize the world didn’t implode, and maybe, maybe it’ll be easier to start/finish next time.

you kinda just gotta accept that you need practice, my dude. like. you can’t closer to perfect without work!! we know this!! just do it. i know i just said to post things but also if you hate what you made no one!! else!! has!! to!! know!! it can be a secret. it’s okay. this coming from a chronic oversharer lol i have the worst time trying not to shove my stuff at people….which, actually, kinda worked better as motivation for me, bc i couldn’t share something unfinished, so i had to Do The Thing in order to get validation/feedback/critique like i wanted. so either way, whatever works better for you.

The End

so yeah, those are my answers, i guess? i hope that makes sense and helps and everything!! i’m really sorry you’re in a rut, that’s the worst. if you have any more questions or just wanna chat about what you’re writing feel free to come say hi again!

[ask-asmodeus-infernal-sib]

just for a moment (full)

((In light of Ask-G-O Season 2 (yes I am calling it that), I wanted to post a sort of refresher of the last place we saw Az. The thread just for a moment with Lucifer. It may not have seemed like much at the time, or even now, but I promise you it is very important to the furthering of the plot. I suggest/request a quick reread for refresher. - Mod))

just for a moment

Asmodeus had gained a certain amount of freedom recently. His collar was still there, still as tight as the moment Lucifer had put it on, but the chain was gone. Of course, he knew that did not mean he could come and go as he pleased. But more of Hell was open to him than the small space around the Throne. Though he still kept himself there most of the time.

In fact, this was his first journey from the Throne Room on his own. It earned him stares–but no one dared speak to him. Dared get in his way. He was a dog, yes. But he was Lucifer’s dog. No one dared kick him without permission. He ignored them, they didn’t matter.

It was not a long walk to Lucifer’s office. For Asmodeus, it felt like he’d walked the length of the Earth. When he got there, he paused outside the door. Anxiety eating at him. But he steeled himself and knocked anyway.

The door did not open but Az found himself inside the office anyway. Lucifer looked up at him. “Hello, pet.”

The teleportation was not entirely unexpected, yet it still made Az suck in a sharp breath. It took him less than a second to recover, and he bowed deeply before approaching the desk. “Hello, Master,” He said quietly. 

Stopping on the other side of the desk, Az ran his finger along it unconsciously. His tongue flicked out to wet his lips as he considered his words. “I…” he swallowed, shifting on his feet, “I have a request.” 

“A request.” Lucifer echoed. Tilting his head, he considered Az. “I suppose you have been a very good boy recently.” Then he snapped his fingers and a chair appeared behind Az. “Sit.” He ordered.

There was no hesitation, Asmodeus sat immediately. His hands still fidgeted in his lap as he looked up at Lucifer. His green eyes meeting those red ones for just an instant before flicking away. He shifted in his seat a moment before taking a deep breath and stilling. 

When he looked up again, there was a quiet certainty in his eyes. “I know you don’t love me. I know that I’m nothing to you. I’m under no illusions about that. I haven’t been in a very long time,” He said, his voice calm, betraying none of the heartbreak he felt at uttering the words aloud, “I still love you, you know that. I don’t….I don’t expect anything from you. But…”

Az took another steadying breath. “My request is for you to pretend. Just for a little bit. Like it used to be in Heaven. Pretend I mean something to you. Even if just for a moment.”

Lucifer listened to all of this, which peaked his interest. He tilted his head with a little smile. “If you truly meant nothing to me at all, you wouldn’t be here. You are my pet, after all.” He informed Az. “But you are right about a lot of that, dear.” He leaned back in his chair. “You want me to pretend for you, pet?”

A pang of pain stabbed Az’s heart at those words. He almost argued, but held his tongue. Lucifer didn’t really understand what he meant when he said ‘I mean nothing to you’. But then, he couldn’t. That level of personal attachment was beyond him. It always had been. There was no point arguing about it. 

Instead, he just nodded. “Please,” he said softly, looking into Lucifer’s eyes, “Just, for a little while.”

Lucifer hummed. Eyes seeming to soften just a bit. “Alright, dear.” He snapped his fingers, and the desk vanished. Replaced by a couch the two were suddenly sitting on. “Come here.” He requested, in a gentler tone of voice.

Heart fluttering in his chest, Az’s breath caught as they were suddenly on a couch. The gentle words washed through him, and he found himself smiling slightly. Doing as he was bade, he moved closer to Lucifer. Putting himself in the other man’s arms. 

“Thank you,” he said softly, unable to keep the entire depth of emotion from his voice as he did. 

Lucifer pulled him close, but his hand went to Azzys collar and removed it. Tossing it aside for now. “No need to thank me, dearest. You earned this.”

The removal of the collar widened Az’s eyes almost comically. There was a red ring around his neck from where it had been. He resisted the urge to reach up and rub the irritated skin. Instead, he looked up at Lucifer with round, almost watery eyes. 

For the moment, Asmodeus let himself pretend. Let himself believe that Lucifer loved him, cared for him. Chest tight he pressed his face into the man’s neck. Breathing him in deeply. “I love you,” he spoke in barely a whisper, “So much.”

Lucifer cradled his head to his chest, gently petting his hair. “Oh, love.” He murmured, tracing the irritated skin of his neck very gently. As if Asmodeus had somehow independently done that to himself and it hadn’t been Lucifer’s collar. “Poor thing. Been a bit harsh on you, haven’t I?”

Throat tightening, Asmodeus shook his head. Even in this moment, refusing to admit that he hadn’t deserved everything Lucifer had done to him. “Anything for you,” he answered, pulling back enough he could look up at the other man. 

In the moment, he dared to reach up and cup Lucifer’s face gently. His thumb brushing the man’s cheek. “So beautiful,” he said softly, almost as if to himself, “Always, so beautiful.” The Archangel had stolen his heart from the first moment. He’d never stood a chance. Even now, with his red eyes, all the things he’d done, he was still so beautiful.

Lucifer smiled, eyes still softened as his hand went over Azs, squeezing it lightly. But there was a hint of almost impossible to tell tenseness there. Lucifer was still on guard even now but it was very nearly impossible to tell. “You’re a sweetheart.” He murmured.

Asmodeus saw it. Of course he did. He saw everything. Lucifer never knew, had never realized, though it was right in front of his face. Az knew him like no one else in existence ever had. Ever would. Since the very beginning he had been there, at his side. Watching him. Loving him. In some ways, Asmodeus knew Lucifer better than the demon knew himself.

But for the moment, he ignored that guardedness. He had expected it, and it didn’t matter. This was a selfish moment. A fantasy he wanted to live in as much as he could. 

Leaning up, he placed a gentle kiss on Lucifer’s lips. Letting flow all the love he felt. All the love that Lucifer would never understand. And if there was some small part of him, that still hoped to reach this man. For him to finally understand, it was just a small part. 

Lucifer returned the kiss, and it was sweet. But there was no love, never love. Though Lucifer could feel Azs love, and it was amusing in a fond way, but there was no other sentiment there.

Heart aching, Az drew out the kiss for several minutes. Pretending, trucking himself, into feeling love from Lucifer he knew was not there. When it finally ended, he placed several gentle kisses along his cheeks and neck.

Then he sighed and snuggled closer to him. Pressing himself close. "I wish you would hold me like this forever," he admitted quietly.

“Forever is a long time, darling.” Lucifer did pull him closer though, cradling again. “But the sentiment is shared, I suppose. It would be nice to have more down time, wouldn’t it?”

“Mmmm,” Az hummed, nuzzling into his chest, “It would.” He almost said how much he wished Lucifer would pay more attention to him. That he was always busy with other things. But he kept his mouth shut. He’d already been given a lot here with this moment. He knew better than to ask more.

Unconsciously, however, his fingers tightened on Ljcifer’s shirt. His feelings coming out despite himself.

Lucifer hummed and kissed the top of his head. “Precious. Don’t worry dear. Soon we’ll have all the time in the world.”

“Mmm,” Az agreed, kissing Lucifer’s chest, “Soon.” He traced a finger over his chest through his shirt. Daydreaming of when all of this was over. It would be soon, hopefully. There were not many places left for OASIS to go. Not long before Lucifer had everything he wanted. The clock was ticking down–and he was more aware of it than most.

But that wasn’t what he wanted to think about just then. Making a soft noise, he buried his face against Lucifer’s chest.

“Something wrong?” Lucifer asked, tracing circles on his back.

“I’m scared,” Az answered honestly, his voice a bit muffled from where it was pressed against Lucifer, “Of what’s to come.”

“You don’t have to be afraid, dear, it’ll be fine. There’s not many more places for that roach to hide.” Lucifer’s grip temporarily tightened before it loosened again and he rubbed his back. “Perhaps your siblings will even see sense. Join our side.”

Asmodeus tensed for a moment, when Lucifer’s grip tightened. It took a conceited effort to relax again. When he did, he sighed. “Maybe,” he admitted, then shook his head, “I doubt it.”

“I don’t want to think about that,” He said, almost pleading, “I want a distraction.”

“Alright, alright. Calm doawn.” Lucifer rolled his eyes at what he perceived to be dramatics. Rubbing his back a bit more, and shifting to hold Az a little closer- just how he knew Az needed to be held to calm down a bit.

Az didn’t see the eye roll, but he didn’t need to. Not to know it was there. Still, he got the hold he wanted, and nuzzled closer. Still breathing Lucifer’s scent in. Odd how it at once comforted him, and brought out the worst of memories for him. Then again, it wasn’t so odd. That was how things had been with this man since the beginning. He brought out the very best, and the very worst for Az. 

Another soft sigh and he relaxed fully. In fact, he found himself relaxing more than he had in a very long time. Sleep beginning to tug at him.

“Tired?” Lucifer asked gently. Playing with his hair gently. Kissing the top of his head.

Smiling softly, Az actually flushed a little. “Mmm, a little,” he mumbled, wiggling into a slightly more comfortable position. Practically lying on top of Lucifer. Nuzzling against the opening of his shirt until his cheek was against bare skin. 

Lucifer shifted so Az could get comfortable. “You go on and sleep, love, I won’t go anywhere.”

“Better not,” Az mumbled in an unguarded moment. He was already half asleep as he placed a kiss against Lucifer’s chest. In a moment, he was fully asleep. A small smile on his face.

Lucifer allowed it with a little eye roll. Petting his hair as he fell asleep.

“Pretty little thing.” He mumbled. “Pretty. But dumb.”

Lucifer did not sleep. But he let his eyes slip closed as if in sleep. Of course he’d only stay there for a few hours, and then get bored and go.