#also this is totally not me being very bad at writing romance nope not me

[ask-squidbeaks-agents]

So…. How’s this talk going?

//It's... it's going... yeah that's what we'll say- //Four's not letting them out yet, she wants them to actually talk not just blurt out a confession aka these two are gonna be in this room- a little longer lol-

Captain: Eight she isn't going to let us out until we talk... Eight: Fine- She wants a confession? I'll give her a confession- I'm... in love with you... have been for the past five years- THERE! I SAID IT! NOW LET US OUT FOUR!

[jakeluppin]

a couple asks ago, you said "whenever I start working on my novel, the first song I listen to is Pin" and now i'm super curious about your novel!! care to share any details??

okay so i have two (well, i have like twenty i've done bits on since i started writing but two that are still somewhat being worked on now) but one of them is barely anything beyond a rough idea so i'll focus on the one that's more legit

i wrote about 90% of a first draft (about 60K) and then realized there were some fundamental issues with it so i started over

i have about 16K done of my new draft, some of which is brand new and some of which is revised from the first

it's a ya romance because that's where my heart has always been

for main characters we have (which as i'm writing these i realize i am So Bad at describing characters in this way whoops):

jake - jewish trans guys who is only out to his older sister (rachel). at this point, their parents are gone/dead (i've been back and forth on exactly what went down) so rachel's raising him. he's been in love with his best friend (caleb) since basically forever. he does stage crew for his school's theater department.

caleb - jake's best friend. he's gay. he has a crush on their mutual friend peter. he's one of those people who are just so loving that it's so easily to just get lost in. but also a total dick at the same time?

peter - he's really into theater, always in every production, which is how jake and peter met. just before the story starts peter and caleb were running lines for something and peter kisses caleb. described by other characters as being the nicest person you've ever met.

and then there's asher - his family just moved to town as his mom is the new cantor at jake's synagogue. he's also into theater and auditions for the fall musical, alongside peter. jake and caleb are there watching and jake hears him sing and is like. oh. shit. i'm in love. it's not revealed until midway through the book but asher is also a trans guy.

it's basically just a coming of age love story where jake finds himself and love and it's just really gay and jewish and probably very self indulgent but who cares?

oh also i have switched which musical they do multiple times for various reasons and right now it's Newsies but it may change again. but obviously asher, my beloved, is cast as davey jacobs so it is pretty perfect in that regard

gonna just throw some random lines/short scenes from draft two under the cut because i can. feel free to not read them haha

“You can’t seriously be doing homework now,” Caleb scoffs a moment later. 

I look up from my assignment and just shrug. “I’m simply not as invested in this as you are,” I offer.

“But you should be. For me. This is an important moment in my love life.”

I chuckle. “I love you, Caleb, but I think overall if I was as invested in your love life as you are, that would be a little weird.”

“Nope. I’m pretty sure it’s in the best friend manual that you’re supposed to care about it as much as I do. Sometimes maybe even more.”

“Can I have a copy of this best friend manual? I want to check the exact wording on that.”

“Sorry, only one copy was made and I keep it under lock and key.” Caleb smiles bright, and I roll my eyes in response.

--

“But seriously, you were amazing at your audition. I’m not just saying that or anything.”

“Thanks. I grew up singing. I think my mom might have disowned me if I didn’t end up with a good voice.”

“Really?” 

Asher laughs again. “Wow, you are gullible or I am not as funny as I think I am. But no, my mom would not have disowned me if I didn’t have a good voice.”

It’s this moment that Rabbi Finkle steps out of her office and says, “Asher, don’t lie. No self respecting cantor could stand to have unmusical children, just like I couldn’t stand to have children who do anything but read torah all day.” She smiles at us both, light in her eyes.

“Isn’t your oldest an atheist?” I ask.

“Yes, but he still reads torah ever day.” She laughs.

--

“So how was it?” I ask, sliding in Caleb’s car. He smiles wide as he turns to face me.

“Peter was amazing. Obviously. There’s something just, sexy about watching a guy dance.” He pauses, sighing, and then says, “I’m really gay.”

I laugh. “Really? I had no idea!”

“Yeah, not like I told you for the first time when we were like, nine or something.”

“Oh yeah, that definitely never happened.” 

Caleb chuckles and drives off. 

I can vividly remember when Caleb came out, the emotions so strong they stay pressed in mind. I can remember his fear, his hesitation, as he told me in a small voice that he liked boys. I can remember the confusion, not understanding what he meant, not sure what that meant for me. I can remember the happiness and his smile when I said there was nothing wrong with him “like liking” boys. I remember the ache I felt, when after telling him I like boys too, he told me “girls are supposed to like boys.” That ache I didn’t understand, that ache I couldn’t place for years, that ache that would come when Caleb would refer to me as a girl. 

“Were you scared telling me?” I ask a few minutes later, even though I know the fundamental answer.

“Of course,” he says. “I was nine. I was gay. And you were my best friend. Why wouldn’t I be afraid?” 

I nod in agreement. It’s something that, of course, I can understand. Just the thought of it causes anxiety to crawl up skin, pulling tight at my throat. It stops me from saying the things I want to say, things I know I need to say. The things I can’t imagine ever actually telling him.

Like: I’m in love with you.

Like: I’m trans.

Like: Yes. That means I’m guy. Which, if you remember the I love you part, would make me gay too. Or bi. Not totally sure about that yet.

Like: Main point being, I want to be with you and date you and I know you probably don’t or won’t ever see me as anything but your girl best friend but maybe you could. 

Yeah. Probably a good thing I’m not saying any of that.

--

“...Honestly, the challah was so good and reminded me of mom’s that I had a breakdown. Standard stuff, ya know. Who doesn’t have breakdowns over delicious Jewish foods?”

“Are you even Jewish if you don’t have breakdowns over delicious Jewish food?” Asher counters.

[alloveydovey]

Hellooooo, dramas from this past month :) I had a lot of fun watching most of these, which hadn't been happening lately.

The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract, 2023 (kdrama) 7.5/8

A woman from the past travels to the future where she meets a man who resembles her deceased husband. In need of a wife, he strikes a contract with her, and blah blah blah, you know what happens next.

The chemistry was there 100%, the comedy too, but overall, I think it was just a mid watch for me. I was three episodes away from finishing but was struggling big time because I was getting bored.

The Romance of Tiger and Rose, 2020 (cdrama) 8

A scriptwriter ends up inside her own creation as a side character who dies early on in the drama and has a really bad reputation.

This was hilarious. Laughing out loud alone type of hilarious. It didn't make any sense at all, and it was extremely silly and sometimes even frustrating, but both actors were so great with the comedy (Zhao Lusi the actress that you are), so everything was just fun and romantic and cute... and weird enough, emotional af as well. I love these types of dramas where, after watching, you kinda feel empty inside lol. Comfort drama material? 100%

My Demon, 2023/24 (kdrama) 8

A demon becomes powerless after crossing paths with a cold heiress (who he obviously knew in their, guess what? Yes, past lives)

Kim Yoo Jung and Song Kang (his character is everything) were so cute in this! Their chemistry was definitely chemistring. I loved the concept and all, but for some reason, I couldn’t put my whole heart into this drama, which resulted in me being a bit disappointed. I’d get bored sometimes. I still don’t know if it’s my problem though. Maybe it wasn't the right time to watch it since I had been watching so many dramas with similar storylines. I’ll give them this, though, these two were truly a comedic duo™️

My Man is Cupid, 2023/24 (kdrama) 8

A love fairy accidentally shoots himself with an arrow and ends up in love with a human, condemning him and his group of cupids to 500 years on Earth. In modern day, he gets entangled with a veterinarian who might be connected to what happened in the past. Also! Murder mystery.

This one just goes to prove that liking a drama is all about vibes for me. Is this different from what I’ve been watching? Nope. It’s not better than the other ones above with similar premises. Yet somehow, unlike the others, it got my attention way more, and I totally binged it. Even when this particular one had some very confusing, probably so-so writing, moments. Granted, it has Nana in it. Nana makes everything worth it (Jang Dong Yoon was cute as well lol).

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, 2010 (kdrama) (rewatch!) 7.5 ⭐️

A cute gumiho saves an irresponsible rich kid who wants to become an action star by giving him her bead. Both of them gotta stick together while he heals.

Like I said back when I first saw this, COMFORT!! And I was in the mood for something silly and sweet after the same themes over and over again. I can't get over how cute Shin Min A and Lee Seung Gi are in this.

Falling Into You, 2022 (cdrama) 9

A student-athlete wants to do high jump but doesn't have the required height for the sport, so a postgraduate student-coach decides to take him under her wing and train him. Noona love story ensues.

So... I have a lot of mixed feelings about it because, all in all, I think this is one of the best cdramas I've watched. It's beautifully shot, the music is incredible, and the pacing, story, characters, and acting are all impeccable. Aside from Meet Yourself (fav ever) it's truly one of the most naturally acted cdramas I've seen so far as well. Even outside the romance part, everything was really good.

Now, was it inappropriate? For me, at least, I think it was. This young student is supposed to be 20, and his coach is said to be about to turn 28. They are both consenting adults (let's put it that way), but the power dynamics thing is still there. Overall, it was a nice surprise, and I completely binged it.

Welcome to Samdal-ri, 2023/24 (kdrama) 9

After a scandal, a famous photographer runs back to her hometown. Her ex, with whom she had an intense fallout (childhood friends to lovers), is there, and it seems like neither of them has moved on. (Also about family, and grief)

From the moment I saw Shin Hye Sun and Ji Chang Wook's pictures next to one another on a tweet saying they were going to be in a new drama together, I knew this was going to be a 10/10 in my books. Maximized joint slay. Add the hometown cha cha cha vibes, and you have an amazing tear-jerker drama. The rest of the cast is a great complement as well; their acting and their stories just make everything really emotional (I cried a lot lol), but it is 100% worth the watch. I'll be honest about one thing, though. As much as I loved it, it took me a while to finish the last two episodes cause I feel like they dragged the story a bit.

Princess Hours/Goong, 2006 (kdrama) 8

In a reimagined modern SK, a girl from an ordinary family gets hitched to the crown prince because of a promise both of their grandparents made in the past. A Diana x Charles x Camilla drama ensues (but like, with a happy ending).

This is what I like to call DRAMA™️. The type you hate everyone's behaviors, and you laugh, and you hate the ML, but you also want him to get with the FL, and you start hate watching, and then you giggle when they share moments and completely forget ML is a really shitty person lol. I started this cause I got sick, and I got way into it. ML being a major asshole and the FL having no self-respect (like the good old dramas and telenovelas) aside, I enjoyed binging this, and I can see why it was so popular. Their romance, though deeply flawed and a product of the time the drama was made, had some great moments, slow burn and natural as well. I was lowkey hoping for a happier ending, tho, but it was cute enough. Also, music bro, that main song is never getting out of my head. Comfort drama material: 100%

Playful Kiss, 2010 (kdrama) 5

FL confesses to ML, and he rejects her harshly. When her house collapses, her father moves them in with an old friend, who ends up being ML's father.

So after Goong, I thought I'd probably be able to watch this. Wrong. Shin's got nothing wrong in comparison so Seung Jo. Seung Jo is probably my most disliked ML ever lol. I binged this, hoping it'd get better, or just like Shin in Goong, he'd change a bit after getting together with FL. But nope, he remained an asshole throughout the whole thing. Gotta love that consistency. Comfort drama material: 1% (I saw the comments on Viki, and I don't know how people rewatched this, lol.)

[dairogo]

20 Questions for the Writer

Tagged by @griseldabanks ^_^

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

Only 18 :O I have a bunch on fanfiction.net that I never transferred over, but they're all an extra 10 or so years older than the Ao3 ones so ... there's some disparity of quality, partly in the writing but also very much in the content present.

2. What is your total Ao3 word count?

168,935

3. What fandoms do you write for?

FMA! I had other things when I was younger, but FMA bit and it's the one that stuck with me.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

A Bed Too Small (Mustang POV, same bed trope, tongue-in-cheek)

Wayward Youth (Hawkeye POV, learning about crushes and affection from the girls at her boarding school while seeking her father's attention)

Order 3066 (Hawkeye and Mustang POVs alternating, Ishval fic about being broken and coming out of it [still broken, but moving])

Partiality (Mustang POV, post-canon, broaching the topic of a relationship)

The Next Step (shifting POV, written soon after giving birth to my youngest and in a bit of a family-related haze. Mostly fluff.)

5. Do you respond to comments?

I certainly try to! I might have missed some along the way, but I usually get there!

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

Hurrrghgh, one from my ff.net days: The Manga-ka Has Her Reasons. It was basically saying, hey, they can't get together guys - things will go bad if they do. And so it ended with them both dead.

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

I'd say The Next Step, because it's just fluffy and lovely :)

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not really. The last time I remember feeling taken aback by a comment it was over a decade ago and it was someone rightly pointing out a factual error I'd made. The FMA community I've found myself in is largely positive, and I don't know if that's about the FMA community in general, or that the stuff I write appeals to people who are just cool about community instead of looking to be jerks. Whatever the reason, I'm very grateful!

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

Nah

10. Do you write crossovers?

I've got a half written FMA/HP crossover that I started in like 2005, resurrected a few years ago, and then haven't touched for the last year and a half. Sigh. It's probably going to be stuck in my brain forever.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope

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

Not a fic

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

Royai for suuuuure <3 I'm so big on romance as a side-plot, and if that's not the perfect way to explain their relationship I don't know what is. Like, FMA aside, their own personal story is that romance is their side-plot, not their main thing.

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

Wayward Youth! I have a few really rough drafts of later chapters that need to be edited, but I still haven't written all the way to the end and I'm happily working on another project with all the time/headspace I have, so I don't want to interrupt that flow. But I'm hoping to slowly accrue the last of it, then go through and make it presentable and post it one day.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I can write fairly clear action. And I like putting together a lot of threads to tug on as I go - not all big plot things necessarily, but just things that repeat again later to add an extra layer.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I don't know. I feel like I can write in a very blunt way sometimes, so I have to be intentional about adding in colour and emotion - that doesn't always come through on the first try.

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

I wouldn't do this to show to a native speaker, oh boy oh boy nosirree! Currently reading a book on English idioms and my main thought as I looked at it today is that this is exactly why I'll never consider myself fluent in other languages.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

In year 5 we had to co-write a story and my best friend and I basically wrote an AU of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

20. Favourite fic you've written?

Look, it depends on my mood. If I want something light and short, I can't go past Desperately Hoping He Didn't Look Like an Idiot (modern AU, Royai without angst). But I'm probably proudest of Order 3066, because it took a lot of work and a lot of emotional catharsis to get through that and I ended up with a bit of a deadline for when I had to finish it up and made it! So I feel good about it.

Tagging @scienceoftheidiot and @fullmetalscullyy if you're interested :)

[horrortino]

Classic Horror Books #1: The Castle of Otranto

I started off my plunge into Classic Horror with The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. It is a short story published in 1764, and often regarded as the first “Gothic” novel. I read mine in a collection of gothic stories called A Treasury of Gothic and Supernatural by Avenel Books. And…it kind of gave me whiplash, lmao. I have read entirely contemporary books for the last few years, and even before that I’m not sure when I had read a book this old. To jump into something that is written with near entirely run-on sentences and “thou”, “thy”, “thee” this-and-that, my brain was uhhh chugging to say the least. This is something I suspect will improve as I go through the list, but for right now, it was a bit hard. I had to really concentrate to glean what was going on, and who was speaking.

The gist of this story is that the Prince Manfred of the Castle Otranto has been a bad guy. His father and grandfather before him were bad guys too. And for this, the haunted Castle of Otranto is going to give Prince Manfred his ghostly retribution. Unfortunately, his whole family, the church, and even another castle’s royalty gets caught in the shitstorm as well.

It definitely has the gothic literature vibes down. Dastardly men, spooky castles, damsels in distress, religion, ghosts, romance, and hey, it even has a giant spectral knight! Despite that, I found it a bit dry, although that may just be the writing style of the period. It also suffered from a little weird pacing. Sometimes it seemed like things were going quickly, and then other times it focused too heavily on something that could have been much, much shorter. The dialogue was copious and heavy, very formal, and sometimes I was like, “will you just get to the point!!” But, overall, I did like the story, and it was interesting to read something that is labeled the “first Gothic story”, because Gothic elements just seem so commonplace to me that I didn’t ever think of them originating from something.

One fun tidbit I came across was the mention of “Queer Elements” regarding this story while I was researching. I personally did not notice the queer/homoerotic elements that were pointed out, but because of that, I ended up down a rabbit hole of queer components in Gothic lit. There are several publications that visit this in detail, and I will look into them while I continue my reading list.

Spoilers ahead, in pink!

Manfred was such an asshole, and my biggest disappointment in the story was despite all this shit being his fault (and his father & grandfather’s fault), Isabella, Hippolita, Theodore, and both his children paid the price for his misdeeds. Then he just like…retires to religion afterward, to repent, I guess?? Sure dude, try to marry (and ASSAULT??) a young girl who was engaged to your (now smushed) son, be a total twat to your loving wife, abuse this random kid you suddenly want to place all your blame on (Theodore), and then accidentally MURDER your daughter! I was all invested in this cute “love at first sight” thing that Theodore and Matilda had going on and then, nope. Stabbed.

The whole random giant legs and arms and such showing up and frightening Bianca, Diego, and Jaquez was sort of hilarious though. It’s laughable but I suppose if I walked into a room and an enormous armored hand was just waiting for me, I would be a bit scared too lol

Well! Thank you for joining me on this little jaunt through my first dip into Classic Horror! Up next is The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe, a gothic horror-romance from 1794. It is also 704 pages long, which means I mayyy supplement it with a few shorter stories/manga so that I don’t get too burnt out reading it.

See you next time!

[cherchersketch]

#CherCher reviews manhwa: the other one

I always aim to enjoy the manhwa I find, be it through favourite tropes or recommendations from others. But sometimes it just doesn’t work out. And it felt kind of weird to group these together in the recommendations list so I decided to make a separate one for those that I ended up not quite liking, or even DNF-ed.

Of course, preferences are subjective so what didn’t work out for me might not be the same for someone else. Honestly, sometimes I’ve found books I enjoy through other people’s DNFs. Also, sometimes certain series start out slow and get better later on so this is also for me to keep track of some I might want to go back to in the future. Maybe.

So this is the list of meh to total DNF.  

Here’s a list of some terms I use in these Please mute “manhwa live reactions” if you don’t want spoilers to the ongoing ones since I occasionally have to scream

The ones in italics are completed series. Yes, most of them are ongoing ;w;

It’s not bad if you’re bored and enjoy the tropes 50 Tea Recipes from the Duchess Beatrice Bloody Sweet Devoted to Diamond Empress of Another World Follow the Bread Crumbs From Maid to Queen I choose the Emperor Ending I’ll Save this Damned Family I wasn’t the Cinderella Justice for the Villainess My Red String of Fate Princess of the Animals Sincerely, I became a Duke’s Maid The Demon Queen has a Death Wish The Destroyer fell in Love with Me The Devilish Duke Can’t Sleep The Duke’s 99th Bride The Emperor’s Mask The Male Lead’s Female Friend The Predator’s Fiancee The Remarried Empress The Stereotypical Life of a Reincarnated Lady The Villainess is Retiring

I totally DNF-ed these  Some might get a second attempt if I ever run out of other manhwa (lol) or if someone tells me a spoiler that compels me to pick up the title again. Many are totally not my thing, too boring or I read up on spoilers and I didn’t like where it was going/the ending. Not gonna even take the time to write a whole post for these so I’ll just hide them behind the cut.

A Match made in Mana Crimson Karma Ironically, would have preferred this if they focused more on the FL’s character development and less on the romance, which felt a bit too forced and fast-paced. Wish it had developed better because I don’t mind the dynamic of the main pairing. Dragon Raising Manual I actually quite like the main pairing but didn’t really enjoy where the plot was going.  Kill the Villainess I enjoy the isekaied-person-just-wants-to-unalive-to-escape premise but the actual plot was just really boring so I didn’t want to continue. Little Rabbit and the Big Bad Leopard Marriage and Sword Just got bored. My BFF is a Tyrant in Training It just...got really boring My Boyfriend is a God Read because it’s on Manta. ngl, kinda cringe instead of funny.  My Dear Maid! Another one from Manta. Got so bored and I have no interest in the main couple. From spoilers I’ve seen on Reddit, it got a really rushed ending after being cancelled so yikes. My Hubby is Too Cute! I don’t mind a cliche but it wasn’t interesting enough. Also the mature-brain-in-a-kid’s-body FL started drooling over the ML’s dad abs and like that’s a nope from me dawg.  No More Turning a Blind Eye Love a good revenge-on-the-cheating-husband plot but, again, boring, and kind of dumb The Evil Cinderella needs a Villain [ complete] From what I remember, this was just dumb. And not in an entertaining way. The Fake Lady and her Rabbit Duke The Tyrant Husband has Changed The Tyrant’s Secret Secretary The Villainess Needs her Tyrant Once again, love a good revenge plot. But the 2 leads were crazy, not in a very attractive way, and even with the official translations I didn’t understand wtf they were thinking. Also the faces were just forever =.= Love a good yandere but this was just boring.

[evening-winds]

20 Questions for Fic Writers Tag Game

saw someone do this and tagging "and everyone who sees this and wants to answer" so i'm stealing this. consider yourself tagged if you see this and want to answer!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 19!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 224,584!

3. What fandoms do you write for? raileon all the way

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? let's see...

1) wouldn't have it any other way — relatively short and a quick read, fun banter, pretty cute 2) keeping count — my emotional distress fic (to quote a bookmark a reader made). it packs a punch 3) dragon song — surprised that the novel-length one is this high on the list!! wow people really managed to read that one huh 4) the best way to put together me (will you and i make a breakthrough) — baby's first (finished and published) fic, and it shows. made it to this list by virtue of being posted in the relatively early days of the fandom lol (i suppose it's still decent enough) 5) you are my delightful intruder — direct sequel to breakthrough, so i guess it makes sense to see it here right after it

5. Do you respond to comments? yes! well, 99% of the time. a couple of times i've gotten a comment and went like "huh. ok. i have literally nothing to say. even a thank you would feel weird in this context" and not replied

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? a shadow of a memory aka hurt no comfort bad end au!! i know such a string of words may sound very unappealing but it's a good fic!!

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? uhhhhh......... i'm a sucker for happy endings (asoam notwithstanding) so i really can't say. i'm gonna go with the most self-indulgent answer and say certainty 👍 nothing happier than self-discovery (and smooches) (but there are also so many that have them getting engaged/being married by the end so. you know)

8. Do you get hate on fics? nope *knock on wood* (speaking of certainty, the reason i put off finishing it was because i had a very vivid dream about getting doxxed and death threats for having bad headcanons and it genuinely freaked me out for a while. good thing nothing like that happened in reality)

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? nope. not my cup of tea. i barely read it, either. sorry for being both ace AND boring

10. Do you write crossovers? nope. also not really my cup of tea

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? i hope not!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? no, unless you count the translating i have to do myself for every fic i write (tough EFL speaker life 😔👊)

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? the very first fic i wrote was written round-robin style with a friend nearly 20 years ago! we never published it (thank the stars). after that, nope.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will? everything in my wip folder.............. the one posted wip, heart as a compass (soulmate au), is on hiatus but i keep thinking about it. if only it wasn't 100k+ words long. that's too much!! ain't nobody got time for that (that includes both me and any potential readers)!!! out of the unposted ones i have to say serendipity (time travel au), which!! man!!! i have the setup, i have the romance, i have the fun little bits that appeal to me specifically and make me feel like a genius, i have the slowburn and the yearning and the delicious impossibility of it all, but. the plot. what is it. why is the time travel needed. i still don't know. also yet-unnamed champion!raihan au. i think about that one a lot, too. mostly the romance part and how it would be different when only one of them is a public figure. again, i'm missing the actual plot. every time i try to think about how the story of the games would pan out in this setting, i just skip straight to the end and start daydreaming about the role-switched post-eternatus hurt/comfort instead lol

16. What are your writing strengths? a background in linguistics and generally just. reading a lot i guess. learning by observing, absorbing everything. understanding the rules and techniques of prose. knowing where to look for guidance when you get stuck with something language-related. that sort of thing

17. What are your writing weaknesses? perfectionism. also the fact that i """have""" to write in english. this combo means that it takes a lot of work and effort! and i hate work and effort!! (anyone want to learn a globally insignificant and allegedly very difficult language that is 100% useless unless you want to live here so i could simply write in my first language and not have to deal with my nemesis (affectionate), i.e. the english language)

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? if it makes sense in the narration and context, why not. not something i have personally had to deal with as a writer

19. First fandom you wrote for? hp..... unfortunately (see #13)

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? it changes constantly. right now i can barely make myself look at any of them, let alone name a favorite. so i guess i'll say this: give a shadow of a memory a chance. it's unconventional but pretty cool

[polestarneighbor]

Reading tag game! Tagged by @lincyclopedia. Tagging @kaindasorta because I don't actually interact with folks on this webbed site.

Last book I read: The Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert. Picked this one up from the library on a whim because I needed something fluffy to keep me from rereading astolat fic on a quiet day. It was exactly the kind of short and sweet I wanted, and with enough chemistry and kindness to make me buy forgiving the hero after some truly epic fuckups.

Book I recommend: for the last couple years, it's been a toss-up between The Duke Who Didn't by Courtney Milan or A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik. Depending on whether I think people need a lighthearted romance between two hilarious but uncommunicative goobers with a heavy dose of food porn (and RECIPES) or a fantastically written My Immortal AU with the best allegorical world building I've ever encountered. And also two hilarious but uncommunicative goobers. What.

Book I couldn't put down: Diavola by Jennifer Thorne. In this case I'm not sure "couldn't put down" was a good thing. Anna's gradual, horrifying disillusionment haunted me for a week straight, to the point that I was reading it in every spare moment I had, and it's stayed with me in the months since I read it. I've never understood so viscerally how it feels just to be fucking done, and I'm not sure I wanted to know. Be warned, ye who enter here.

Book I've read twice: I have a personal rule for the sake of my wallet that I don't buy books unless I have read them at least twice and preferably more. Also, I have four bookshelves in my bedroom. But I did once read Howl's Moving Castle twice back to back on a single plane ride, and it was totally worth it. The cover could use some new packing tape now, though.

A book on my TBR: Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma, out Sept 2024. I love vampires, especially vampire romances. I love magical schools. I love murder mysteries. I love gloriously ornate cover art. I need this book now.

A book I have put down: The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo. I really wanted to love this, but the way the protagonist kept getting constantly manipulated in very obvious ways was very frustrating, and I just wasn't hooked. So when a different Libby hold came in, I didn't even notice I'd lost track of this one.

A book on my wish list: Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho. I'm very overdue for a reread, because I'm always keeping an eye out for it in bookstores and never finding it. Primarily what I remember about it at this point is a total sweetheart of a deeply unambitious Victorian Sorcerer Prime struggling and entirely failing to keep his recklessly ambitious protegée in check. Plus my favorite "all magic comes with a cost" tropes, irresistible.

A favorite book from childhood: There are so many. But today I'm going with the Percy Jackson series, primarily for the sake of the teenager I recommended it to a few days ago whose eyes kept getting bigger as I answered the questions "Does it have Athena? Does it have Hades? Does it have ZEUS?!?!?" Runner up is Freeze Tag by Caroline B. Cooney, for the ultimate "evil is human, not monstrous" fable.

A book I would give a friend: Uprooted by Naomi Novik. It takes a lot to make one of these lists twice (let alone three times under a pseudonym), but if you can top the charts for me in multiple genres you're doing something right. This somehow manages to have all my favorite fairy tale retelling energy while also being totally original. Absolutely gorgeous.

A book of poetry or lyrics I own: I don't read much poetry beyond Poe, so the closest I have is probably In the Night Garden by Catherynne Valente, which is technically a novel but feels more like a piece of art than a story to me.

A non-fiction book I own: the last one I bought was Bad Blood by John Carreyrou. I don't generally like nonfiction, but a good con artist is compelling in any medium.

Currently reading: nope, I don't pause to write Tumblr posts in the middle of a book. Finished two yesterday, will probably pick up the next tonight.

Planning to read next: The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman, because the Thursday Murder Club is too cute. Ibrahim and Elizabeth have and will always have my whole heart.

[bossuary]

i never, not once, felt like the writers wanted us to sympathize with solas. i felt like the point (for better or worse) was to realize that narrow ideas about who is worth our sympathy are a danger to everyone. Solas is performing a Sympathetic Character, and not very well, but only if you don't look past what you expect to see. is he poor? nope, he dresses like a hobo, harhar, but wow he sure seems to have absolutely everything he needs. his every physical comfort is met at all times. and he's got access to books and artifacts to feed his intellect as well. wow. doesn't have to live in a sewer. interesting. is he powerless? PLEASE. even before you know who he is, solas exhibits nothing less than total control. he jokes about cassandra putting him in chains, and somehow he just doesn't sound threatened. you come to learn that this man has world-ending power at his fingertips, and you also realize that what power he lacks he will manipulate out of others. he does this FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, literally grabbing your hand and using you to close a rift.

having the physical powers of a mage, or even mage + spirit doesn't confer social power or agency. the writing in the games hammers that home pretty hard in every disgusting way you can imagine.

Trespasser shows that some kind of oppression was part of Solas' past, but not necessarily that he was powerless. He used his position to help those who were. BUT, solas has more agency than any character in all three games, (arguably more than fucking FLEMETH). what barriers he faces are purely fiction, the result of his trickery and his own choices (unlike actual disenfranchised people).

to have so much choice that you invent ways of giving yourself less of it is power of the highest order. does he care about people? SOME people, maybe? He struggles to apply kinship to anyone he interacts with in the world. "They're just like me," is a thought he will never have, not even for a romanced Lavellan, who barely has time to get over being dumped, being elfsplained about their markings, and being told they're one of the 'good' tranquil...but a pitiful tranquil nonetheless.

People are a misfortunate curiosity to Solas. Ants in an ant farm. But enough of them coming at him at once might still sting, so...The moment even his favorite 'people' become an obstacle, he is ready to plug up the air holes and watch them eat each other. And he'll feel real bad about it.

is he alone? yes and he has the power to change that but continually chooses not to because his is always actively pursuing the harm of others. he's not alone because the world rejects him specifically, reviles him, or wants to torture him (ahem, Anders). he's alone because he rejects the world. this is particularly aggravating as HE IS RESPONSIBLE for it.

Anders was always written as a sympathetic character (how well he's written is, apparently, in perpetual debate), because for him the answer to all of the above questions is YES. that's how a character can cause the deaths of innocent people and still be worthy of sympathy. especially if that character believes the only remaining value in his traumatic life is to end it so violently as to make undeniable the suffering of people "just like him." When the answer to all of the above is NO, what you have is a decidedly UN-sympathetic character who has so much power and agency that he can spend every waking moment in open rebellion against reality, at the explicit cost of lives he does not value as equal to his own.

It's baffling to me how differently Solas and Anders are treated by the narrative and the writers

Both commit acts of incredible devastation that kill people in the hopes of bringing forth a better world.

But Solas is often depicted as sympathetic, as caring about people despite what he's trying to do and the writers seem to want us to empathize with him

And yet Anders is demonized at every turn and is talked about like he just Went Crazy. Even the way Varric talks about them is very different

[parchmentedpetrichor]

➳who cursed the bludger? ♡

in which the reader's dominant hand is injured badly after a rogue bludger slams into it and none other than fred weasley is behind it. who cursed the bludger?

fred weasley x fem!reader

word count: ± 2k

tw: serious injury, a little bit of swearing

drop a follow if you wanna see more of this content!!

my masterlist:D

ft. penny clearwater

who cursed the bludger?

y/n was currently draped lazily over her broomstick, haven given up trying to teach penelope clearwater how to fly. said prefect was on the grass, smirking as y/n embarrassedly looked around.

"penny that's not ok to ask!"

"fine, fine," she pondered for a moment, "hey, what's up with you and fred weasley, huh?"

"nothing at all," y/n answered a little too quick for penny's liking.

"c'mon, y/n, you're younger than me, i should know all that happens. you two are very...flirty."

"yeah well, my dear pennysylvania, we have flirty personalities. duh."

"no, you don't."

"okay, i don't. he does."

"but he seems like he means it."

"of course he means it? he says it in a joking way? y'know, he means it as a joke."

"hmm, nope, i don't think so, y/n. he's looking your way right now."

"i'm probably blocking the space, let's move outta the way."

"you're not gonna play with them?"

"already play in matches, why now? let's chat."

fred was silently eavesdropping on their conversation as he heard his name.

"sooo you and perceeee??" y/n dragged out, grinning as she did loop-do-loops with her broomstick.

penny blushed, but looked disappointed, "he likes oliver."

"oh. well, f percy, what about marcus??"

"he's just marcus. we're best friends, y/n."

"my fav trope of romance is best friends to lovers," y/n wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and penny shook her head in amusement.

"my one is the opposites attract."

"hmm yeah, that's a good one too, it's really cute! say, aren't you and mar-"

"i was meaning you!"

"huh?"

"you and fred."

fred smirked as he listened, flicking back the bludger harshly at angelina.

"oh yes because we are totally meant for each other," y/n sarcastically replied.

"what's that supposed to mean?"

"yes."

"you're doing this on purpose!"

"hmm? what?"

"oh my goodness, merlin you're stupid bro!" penny said exasperatedly.

"and you just realised. congrats, penny."

"anyway, what i'm saying is you and fred are rather like opposites. although he's extroverted and you're extroverted, you're a cute little nerd," y/n huffed at this 'i am n o t a nerd for the last time!' "and he's a class clown in the most charming way. you like reading and he likes pranking people and quidditch. you're a goody two shoes, an adorable one, but he's this foolish jock," penny looked proud with her argument so y/n laughed, "you're modest and he's very confident. and you're both hot."

y/n smiled, "i am not hot!" she giggled, "that's stupid."

"oi, ange!" penny called to angelina who looked over at her in amusement.

"yeah?"

"is y/n hot?"

"oh, totally!" angelina casually threw the quaffle into the hoop, "10/10."

"guyyys you flatTer me," y/n stretched out as the three of them laughed, "i'm bLushIng."

"you actually are," angie quipped.

"it's a command thing. if she wants to blush, she'll blush," replied penny.

they burst into giggles again.

fred watched y/n. a rosy pink, sure enough, had spread across her cheeks. that was enough to get her blushing?

"oi, l/n!"

y/n's head snapped his way, her eyes narrowed as if expecting an insult being thrown her way.

"your lips are pretty!"

her form relaxed, "thanks! yours are too!!"

penny giggled as angie rolled around laughing.

"what?" y/n looked around.

"the way you return flirting is hilarious."

"a compliment for a compliment, isn't that what they say?"

angelina snorted, "no one says that."

"oh well i say it, so deal with it."

"hey, i have an idea!" penny brightened up.

"let's hear it!"

"let's teach y/n pick up lines, ange!"

"oh you're a genius, penny!"

"okay, so-"

a bludger came whizzing at y/n as she screamed, trying frantically to dodge it. it hit her hand and a crack was heard.

luckily she immediately hopped off calmly, taking out her wand shakily and stunning the bludger, before penny and angie helped her over to the hospital ward, fred lagging guiltily behind.

she was ordered to stay in bed rest and with drowsy eyes she drifted off.

fred watched her feeling so terrible as he saw her heavily bandaged hand, imagining how he was going to tell her that he was in fact the one that had charmed it.

the next day, she was out and about, gently cradling her hand which was broken.

"um, hey, y/n," he nervously approached her.

"oh, hello!"

"i might have jinxed the bludger to go wild," he confessed abruptly, "i'm really sorry i didn't mean to-"

"no, it's fine, really." she gave him a reassuring smile and walked off.

he noticed that she couldn't write in class. usually she was scribbling away, but she just sat awkwardly at her desk, trying frantically to get anything legible down with her non-dominant hand. the fact she was so courteous and forgiving about everything just made it worse.

by now, y/n was dying inside. she couldn't write notes, and even though she wanted to ask any willing person for a duplicate of their notes, she'd have to explain the whole broken hand thing.

"ange?"

"yep?"

"do you have history of magic notes?" y/n did puppy eyes.

"nope, you forgot i dropped out."

"oh."

"do you want mine?" fred asked, smirking as he looked y/n up and down.

"you take notes?!!!" y/n was shook.

"only for you, 'cause i felt bad."

"you didn't need to!"

"i did. you want them?"

"yes please, thank you so much, you're a lifesaver!!"

"you're acting like you're not the one the bludger hit," angie quipped and y/n frowned, completely forgetting fred was still there, browsing the notes.

"c'mon, it was just an accident. and i've always wanted to be ambidextrous."

"lovely, you were struggling. i'll take all your notes. my handwriting isn't neat but i owe you."

y/n ducked to hide the light blush she could not control at all.

immediately she got a confused look from fred.

and instantly she thought of something that might make the blush go away. he didn't mean it, it slipped out, she thought and she felt her face cooling down, a slight frown appearing on her face.

"o-okay, thanks fred."

"no problems, darling," he flirted.

"that's good, darling," she flirted graciously back, bravely tilting her head up and looking him in the eye.

he took it well.

"where did you learn how to flirt so well, my little love??"

"why, freddie," she joked flirtatiously, "from you of course!"

he coughed and excused himself.

"he should really be careful with who he's flirting mindlessly with," y/n rolled her eyes.

angelina laughed, "flirting mindlessly? do you see the way he looks at you?"

"personality," y/n stated simply.

"or not."

true to his word, notes in fred's flurry of handwriting appeared neatly stacked every day. they were far too thorough and consisted of stupid flirty notes by the side. sometimes a little note, written in class, was jammed in there probably by accident:

hello freddie!

i have a crush on you 0-o, hogsmeade at 7pm on sunday?

-jamie <3, boy who sits in front of you in arithmancy

jamie,

i already have my eye on someone :) not you, sorry, y/n cringed at the bluntness of his words

you are very nice, perhaps try trera rivera if you swing that way? or illinois ann if you swing all ways?

oh i'm so sorry, i didn't know that! i'll talk to both. was the gracious answer

-jamie

and again! the lucky boy! this time from a girl.

weasley-

i know we hate each other but give me a chance to explain myself? broom closet at 9 tomorrow ? it trailed off to something that y/n didn't even want to think about.

k.o

fuck off. i don't fucking like you, i like someone else, ffs.

was the reply as y/n laughed and made sure to give the note back to fred.

it wasn't everyday someone confessed to you, right?

she underlined all the words that simply weren't legible to ask fred about.

and aNOTHER ONE?? how did this boy have so many admirers? y/n had received 0 love letters from any boy, let alone people of the same gender. you knew you were good with the ladies (and the gentlemen) when everyone sent you these letters.

dearest frederick-

it droned quite sweetly on about him and loving him and the writing was really magnificent.

margaret perrer

hi marg

i'm really really sorry. you seem like such a nice person, and it's not you, it's me. i, however, have a friend who really adores you: kenneth. he'll be an amazing friend and maybe more.

i also already am interested in another girl, so it really isn't you. thank you for your beautiful letter, hopefully we can be friends!

fred

oh he was very nice. feeling like she had overstepped the boundaries, she put them aside, discovering more and more but putting them all in a stack. she felt slightly insecure, especially when they all looked relatively neW?? the perfume on the flowers still smelled fresh?? who was this guy?

she sighed, finishing her read through and being thoroughly impressed with the sheer quality of the notes.

but there were around 100 words she had underlined. she skipped down into the great hall where she spotted two gingers. as soon as one (she couldn't see which one) saw her, he got up, whispered to the other something, and left.

when she approached the one that was left behind, she saw it was george.

"hi georgie!" she greeted him and thrust the papers into his hand, "where's fred?"

george shrugs, "left, for a date or something."

"oh, okay, could you translate these for me, the underlined words?" if y/n was disappointed, she didn't show it.

"oh yeah, sure, his handwriting's rubbish, isn't it."

"yes it is, i can barely read half of it."

george finished scribbling words next to the underlined ones.

"oh! and give these back to him? i'm pretty sure he dropped them in, probably got mixed up." she gave him the pile of letters, now neatly bundled in rope she had found.

"oh, yeah sure," george smirked, "of course."

"nice, well that's it, thanks for the help!"

"anything else?"

"tell fred good luck."

"right, right, mhm."

"yea."

once she'd left, george took out his walkie talkie.

"got that, freddie?"

"crystal clear."

"you're pining, pffft, hahahahah," george smirked as fred sighed.

"it didn't even work?"

"which plan?"

"the one to drop the letters in."

"i'm pretty sure she read like two, she didn't seem that disappointed?"

"exactly."

"you're an idiot. just tell her."

"but that's boringggg."

"well drop the hints then, merlin fred you're terrible at this."

"i haven't dated a billion girls like you!"

"then learn how to date my goodness."

"true."

"come fucking back."

"hickies or no?"

"eh go for it. i wanna see her reaction and then we can decide whether she likes you or not."

fred strided handsomely in, neck littered with little hickies and his top had two buttons open, freckles and pale broad shoulders showing.

george rolled his eyes, muttering, "drama queen," as he subtlely watched y/n. she managed not to look so surprised, her eyes widening then looking down quickly at her hands.

he would have thought she felt nothing for his twin if a light pink had not dusted over her face and if angie had not nudged her with a concerned look on her face.

y/n was wondering what the hell happened, disappointment rising slowly in her.

"okay, she's into you," george whispered as fred began removing the spell, leaving the unbuttoned shirt unbuttoned.

"cool beans."

"oh and she gives these back," george smirked.

"oh look at how she bundled it! so adorable georgie!"

"you're disgusting."

y/n hurried to the library at 6pm. she had heard the book she had waited for was finally available.

as she settled down with it, a paper aeroplane hit her.

"ahh!" she screamed as she caught it.

it read:

forbidden forest, 8pm.

huh? was this meant for her? it was in neat handwriting and on the smoothest parchment, with a single flower that smelt like fresh rain.

[aroaceconfessions]

Okay, so this here is in relation to this ask.

I Mean, if it's fucking up your life then yeah, seek help, but ALSO, don't forget that repulsion is normal, even if it gets too intense in some moments, it's just like getting overwhelmed, sensory overloaded, over stimulated. As someone who feels stuff strongly, both in emotions and physical, I have (many) other repulsions besides sex and romance and sincerely, I can't avoid some of them. I'm just writing this because I'm kind of on the opposite side, I think it should be normalized not only as an A-spec experience but to acknowledge that some allos on a bad day might also feel it (which I've seen happen) either because they just broke up or cause they simply can't deal with that right now. So here are some of my other repulsions to illustrate what I'm saying:

Tact: The feeling of sticky sweaty skin irks me so much I recoil as if I'm burnt. Get tf away, it's disgusting for me.

Sight: I see someone eating stroganoff I gag slightly, like I hate that shit whole heartedly. Any time I see someone pouring cream on savory food is just– Nope, thank you, enjoy your utter lack of good taste, don't mind me if I don't look at you while you eat it as we talking.

Taste: If I bite the tiniest piece of bell pepper I'll spit it out and I can't eat anything that has its taste too predominantly, I would rather starve the whole day.

Smell: I have no allergies at all but certain perfumes I strongly dislike can get me nauseated, feeling so uncomfortable it triggers my migraine and gets me depressed on certain instances, some smells from trauma, some just because I can't stand strong smells, it could be my favorite smell and if it's too strong ill still get repulsed.

Hearing: The sound of styrofoam gives me shivers, gets me shaking and might even gives me muscle spasms and make me cry from repulsion. (yep, this one can get real fucking bad, like nails on a chalkboard can be for some).

I've met people who also had strong repulsion to stuff and some who had phobias, which is something entirely different and if it's to the point of becoming a phobia then go see a professional. Sex, as a visual and auditory stimulus, is way lighter for me most of the time than all of these, I'm just uncomfortable and like "I've seen enough, get me out of here".

Romance on the other hand can fuck me up on a bad day. I got bedridden in a past V-Day, like, fucking sick. But it was as if I was forced to eat bell peppers on a stroganoff while smelling strong perfumes to the sound of styrofoam as I was hugged by someone very sweaty and very sticky which is to illustrate that the influx of romantic content was way higher than the usual, so although such strong reaction is not normal, the situation that caused it was also not the everyday norm either.

I never hid my repulsion to those things (I won't let people know how bad it gets with the styrofoam for safety reasons, but still), I'm not proud of them, why would I be, but they exist and I acknowledge them so I can avoid them. But since forever I was made to feel that being sex repulsed was something to be embarassed of and to be romance repulsed was synonymous with not having a heart and being evil. I was only made comfortable to say "hey, can you not talk about romance with me this week?" once in my whole life, while if you've met me for over a week you know I don't fuck with stroganoff.

There's a word for this stuff where I come from. It's called Ginge/gingi. Usually used to refer to sounds like nail on a chalkboard, it indicates a strong negative reaction to a totally unrelated stimulus, that shouldn't be able to produce such result. It's a physical reaction like shivers, dizziness and such, or a neurological discomfort caused by a sound, a feeling, a sight. Like when someone bouncing their legs non stop or popping their jaw feels beyond annoying, it makes you uncomfortable, sick even, bad brain tingles, the opposite of ASMR.

Anyways, most of the time romance sucks more than bell peppers but way less than styrofoam, and that's okay cause they all suck and being forced to see/eat/hear something that makes you uncomfortable is not OK, and it will only get that bad if you constantly are forced to do so. If I can go through life just picking out the bell peppers from my yakisoba and placing it on the side of my plate or straight up asking people to not put it in when I buy it, then I can do the same with Romance and sex, and even if sometimes they feel like styrofoam, I have some pretty strong headphones.

[mermaidsirennikita]

Do you have any darker romances or erotic romances to recommend?

So at this point in time, I wouldn't say I read a fuckton of truly "dark romance" (the subgenre) just because a lot of it is contemporary and I read historical romance primarily. I will say that I've seen several romance commentators make the point that a lot of dark romance readers like historical because there tends to be more room for wilder plots, "everyday darkness", dubcon, etc, and I think that does like... fit. Because idk, I don't have a lot of time for super fluffy romances in general--I need drama. It can be funny, but funny with DRAMA.

Buuut a of the truly erotic romances and dark romances are gonna lean more contemporary at this time. For true blue erotic romance I'd recommend:

Priest by Sierra Simone--It's a Catholic priest romance, and it is very hot and honestly pretty dark in terms of the leads' backstories and the hero's struggles with faith. Basically, this woman starts going to confession and turning him on with all her dirty secrets, and then they fall legit in love. It's by no means.... an inspirational romance... But he does legitimately believe in God and is struggling with the fact that he's been called (to his thinking) but also wants to fuck this woman really, really bad. There may or may not be fucking on the altar. There may or may not be a "just the tip" scene which, honestly, makes no sense as any penetration is penetration but okay. There is definitely holy oil used as lube for anal. So. 10/10. There is a TW for pedophilia in the Church being discussed as backstory, but it did not happen to the hero--rather, to someone he was close to.

Desperate Measures by Katee Robert--Katee Robert writes pretty hot romances, though some are definitely more erotic than others, and this is my favorite. It's a Jafar/Jasmine modern take (literally, they are named Jafar and Jasmine) but Jafar has just killed Jasmine's father (a crime boss) to take his territory (and Jasmine) from him. The book begins with a scene that is very much noncon, though she like... does want it against her will. Anyway, pretty dark, but I super enjoyed it. Every book in this series is basically modern Disney villain smut. Megara eats Jasmine out in this. It's great.

The Chasing of Eleanor Vane by Sierra Simone--Part of the Duke I'd Like to F... anthology, a novella about a woman betrothed to this loser when she really just wants to get railed by his guardian/uncle. Who is like, totally down for it. She's running off to escape the wedding, and he does indeed chase her. Bi hero and bi heroine!

My Dirty Duke by Joanna Shupe--Same as above, part of the DILF anthology. The heroine is 18-20 and is in love with her father's best friend, this rakish widower duke. She catches him during an assignation and is like "please fuck me" and he's all "nope" and then she's all "please fuck me while taking naked pictures of me with your Victorian camera because that's your kink" and he's all ".... maybe". Not for people who are squeamish about age gaps, obviously; if you're not, then it is preeeeetty hot. The scene where her dad realizes his best friend has been fucking his daughter all over the place is worth the price of admission.

An Education in Pleasure by Eva Leigh--See above, DILF anthology. The heroine is a governess, and the new duke of the estate is a good bit younger than her and eager to be taught how to please a woman. She does indeed teach him, and it's a lot.

Duke for Hire by Nicola Davidson--See above. The heroine is 30ish and a virginal daughter of a clergyman, and she basically hits up a duke to hire him to Teach Her the Ways of the Secular Flesh. Includes the usage of old timey sex toys, plus an elderly lesbian couple who helps facilitate her getting her freak on. I loved them elderly lesbians... so much.

Both the DILF and RILF anthologies have novellas by Adriana Herrera as well, and while they're very good and hot they're not quite as hot as the other ones, which is why I'm leaving them out. Still read them!

The Last Crimes of Peregrine Hind by Sierra Simone--Part of the Rake I'd Like to F... anthology. Basically, a highwayman kidnaps a notorious rake and dandy for revenge, but the rake likes getting tied up and fucked, so it doesn't work out quite as planned. M/m, obviously.

Two Rakes for Mrs. Sparkwell by Eva Leigh--RILF anthology. A widow encounters a couple of of gentlemen (a rake and his best friend who's, like, a bareknuckle fighter) who like to fuck women together. She falls in love with both of them, and them with her, but what will society say??? Mfm, the swords don't cross. But like. They're good buddies who love to share. It's not a love triangle.

A Rake, His Patron, and Their Muse by Nicola Davidson--RILF anthology. A rake playwright loses inspiration and runs off with his patron to visit a boarding house, where they meet a widow who falls into bed with them. The three then proceed to have a ton of threesomes and fall in love with each other. But again, what of society? This is mmf, swords cross, both heroes are bi and they all love one another.

Sold to the Duke by Joanna Shupe--Haha bro. Hahaha. The heroine is left destitute after her brother dies, and in order to save herself and her sister she auctions her virginity. Her brother's best friend happens to be there, and he saves her by buying her virginity, but she is determine to go through with her end of the bargain despite him insisting that she doesn't have to. Very hot.

Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta--If you like monsterfucking and also a bit of sweetness (almost too sweet for me, but it's still... hot? I've spent months coming to terms with my feelings on it) then this is it. The heroine lives in a world where monsters and humans all get along and live around each other, and minotaur semen is like, the key to the ultimate boner pills, basically. So minotaurs go to milking farms for extra cash, where they get jacked off until they fill those like... 32-64 ounce bottles, and go on their way. The heroine becomes a milker in order to pay off her student loans (so real) and falls in love with a business daddy client. There's a lot of semen in this. He's a full minotaur. Idk what else to tell you.

Run, Run Rabbit by C.M. Nascosta--Currently reading this. I'm told it's HFN versus HEA, which I'm fine with, but heads up. Set in the same world as above, it's about two werewolves who are trial lawyers working at the same firm, and they kinda hate each other but also keep meeting up every month around the full moon so that they can fuck the shit out of each other. The relationship is kind of toxic in a hot way. It's open. There's knotting. But like. If you are... interested in people fucking during lupercalia.... Then.... sure....

[iero0]

Tag Game!

I was tagged by the wonderful darlings @peachpety and @pineau-noir, so here we go!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

35, one is my unposted Big Bang which will be shared soon! another one is anon for a fest.

2. What is your total AO3 word count?

654.063‬ words, first fic published 27th of November 2020. Okay, listen. I write fics with my wonderful friend @ladderofyears, so about 175K of those are from her!

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

I rediscovered writing fics by the end of last year, and I only write HP. I started out in my teenage days in the mid 00′s writing fics about My Chemical Romance, Fall out Boy and Panic! at the Disco in my first language, which is German!

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. Dear Stranger (with wonderful art by my friend @fictional)

2. ‘Til Your World Burns

3. Cardinal Direction

4. On Truth and Understanding (with amazing art by the talented @bluebutter-art (There’s an uncensored version in the fic and it has soft penes in it. Yes, this is one of the two variants of the plural of ‘penis’, and also yes, this is a shameless clickbait.)

5. [ART] The Kiss - smutty art!

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

I usually do! Especially on longer fics, I feel the need to thank people for reading (it takes a lot of time!) and being so engaged that they decided to send me a few nice words. Comments make me feel really upbeat! I’m excited every time I receive a notification. Sometimes I feel bad when I reply something simple like “Thanks”, but the longer the comment, the more thought I invest in my answer. Also, each and every single one gets a signature heart! <3

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

Two fics come to mind. My very short fic curiosity is surely the angstiest ending I’ve done. It’s an open ending, but let’s just say it culminates in angst, but in an ambiguous kind of way?

Also my fic Euphoria--while the ending is not sad--doesn’t have a disney ending per se. I think the angst is rather subtle but the mood might not let you go out of the fic with the happiest of feelings!

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

Never wrote a crossover!

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

No, fortunately, I’ve been spared so far! Someone harassed a friend and started spamming a few comments, but I disabled guests to be able to comment and put a quick end to it.

9. Do you write smut? And if so what kind?

I DO! I love writing smut. I didn’t write anything too kinky yet, but I wouldn’t exclude the possibility. Many of my fics do have explicit scenes, and I could definitely picture myself writing some one shots in the future.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope!

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

I do it all the time!! I wrote several fics with my lovely Emma, @ladderofyears, and we go by the name of Laddero0 :D Our Big Bang will be published soon, and I’m so excited about that!! We’ve been writing on this almost all year. If you want a sneak peak of our collabs, I highly recommend our debut Two Hearts Divided or  Your Secret's Out (And The Best Part Isn't Even a Good One).

Only yesterday I also collabed with another lovely friend of mine! I did art for a @gnarf’s ficlet  What if...you don't have to? <3

12. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Drarry! From my days in bandom, it’s always and forver Pikey/Summer of Like.

13. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Panic, MyChem, FoB!

14. What's your favorite fic you've written?

That’s so hard to say... I feel connected to everything I’ve written so far. Whenever I reread something I’ve written, it brings me so much joy, either because I remember the process of creating it, or sometimes because I don’t remember at all and am astonished that those are my words! Okay, this sounds odd, but it’s the truth :D

So, I’d say that I embrace my work! Once it’s out there, I don’t have second guesses about it. Those only appear while writing, but the struggle actually pushes me

<3

This was so much fun! I’m tagging @the-starryknight, @drarryruinedme7, @gnarf, @fw00shy, @the-sinking-ship, @nv-md and everyone who wants to join <3

[sohotthateveryonedied]

Fic Writer Interview

thanks @allthebooksandcrannies for tagging me!!

How many works do you have on AO3: 160!! yes i have a problem

Total AO3 word count: 844,446 oh god

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?: 5 i think? dc comics, young justice, voltron, the teen titans cartoon once, and that one tiny fic i did for the lunar chronicles which is the only time i ever strayed from my fic-writing comfort zone lmao

Top 5 Fics (by number of kudos): the #1 fic is "obedience" with 3395 kudos, #2 is "don't touch me," #3 is "no pain, all gain," #4 is "hi bi, i'm dad," and #5 is "the same mistake twice" with 1353 kudos

Do I respond to comments, why or why not: i tried to respond to all of my comments at one point, but it was a lot of work to keep up and eventually i just gave up after a month of that. nowadays i try to respond to the longer comments that people put actual effort into or if they have a question or something

Do I write crossovers (and if so, what is the craziest?): nope nope nope. it's just not my thing (unless you count the ones where i give characters plots or traits from other forms of media like my "tim sees ghosts" au but that's about as crossover-y as it gets) (also julie and i come up with crossover ideas all the time but for my real, public writing, it's a hard no)

Have I ever received hate on a fic?: oh gosh so so SO many times. it's never fun

Do you write smut?: nah, it's not my thing. i've thought about it sure, just to branch out my writing style and to see if i'd be any good at it, but it doesn't match my audience so it's a no for now

Have you ever had i fic stolen: i hope not? i actually don't know what that means but it doesn't sound fun

Have you ever had a fic translated: yep! a couple have been translated into different languages and a few awesome people have done podfics for my stuff :)

Have you ever co-written a fic before: sort of? sometimes julie or i will write stuff together, but it's usually in a way where one of us will write a fic based on headcanons we've come up with together and then we'll credit the other when it's posted. there have been a few times when we've written actual fics together in the same document and everything, but i tend to step back and let julie do most of the work because i'm inherently bad at working with others and my instinct when partnered with other people is to shut down and let them take over everything 🤷‍♀️

What’s your all-time favorite ship: i don't know actually?? i'm sure i have one, but as far as writing goes, i tend to mostly lean on ships like jayroy, timsteph, spitfire, and birdflash occasionally. there are plenty of other ships that i care about way more than those four, but most of them i just haven't written for yet so yeah. for someone who's obsessed with love and romance, i'm pretty lukewarm on most ships

What's a WIP that you want to finish but probably never will: oh gosh. oh man. foster dad bruce au, my beloved. i love that fic with all my heart but like icarus, i forgot my sunglasses and rocketed straight into the ball of burning gas. this fic gives the phrase "bit off more than you can chew" a physical form. the fourth chapter has been sitting in its document half-written for months now and i know i vowed to never ever ever ever EVER post a fic and never finish it because i always hate when people quit on fics i like,,,,, there's a 50% chance that i will get back to that fic. it's just too long. i've only finished 3 out of 7 chapters and already it's at almost 59,000 words, i'm TIRED okay i'm sorry guys maybe one day i'll reclaim my braincells and finish that fucking thing

What are your writing strengths: i'm good with the mechanics and stuff, like the way my sentences are arranged and thought-out, but this is also my biggest weakness, which sucks. it's like in monsters university when mike spends so much time studying the technical aspect of scaring but he can't do it naturally like the other monsters can? yeah. i'm so focused on the mechanics of my writing that it's hard for me to let loose and actually let myself think and go loose with it. the only times i can really WRITE without one hand tied behind my back is when i'm overly tired or caffeinated. i have a feeling i'll be one of those writers who can't write anything of value without a bottle of wine lmao

What are your writing weaknesses: see above

What’s your thoughts on dialogue being written in other languages in fics: i don't know what this means?? is this asking whether i approve of dialogue being written in other languages?? or is it asking how i want it formatted?? what does this mean?? sometimes a story requires dialogue in another language, idk what to tell you man

First fandom you wrote for: oh god. don't make me think about my fanfiction.net days. i'm not strong enough (it was batfamily btw because what else do i write)

What’s your favorite fanfic you’ve written: my young justice gsa au <3 my pride and joy <3 that au was when i truly peaked as a human and it's only downhill from here <3

tagging uhhhhhh @damthosefandoms @haljordangreenjedi @catboykonel and @magebirdi because i have very few friends

[v-thinks-on]

Wanna Know a Writer

Thank you very much to @sparrow-ink for the tag - I love doing these when I get the chance! Incidentally, this is also my 1001st post on Tumblr!

How many works do you have on AO3?

It looks like I have 116 right now, but it will be 117 tomorrow (with a short Batman/Superman fic)

What’s your total AO3 word count?

716,792 apparently... I’ve been writing like crazy lately and I still swear that can’t be right, but there you go

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

It looks like I’ve posted fic for 30 (including crossovers and fusions) and there may be more I haven’t posted, so not listing all of them. You can see the whole list here

Following @sparrow-ink‘s example, I’ll let my filesystem speak for itself:

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Language of Chess has been the undisputed champion for a while (Kirk and Spock flirt using the Vulcan language of chess)

The Old Family Farm is a more recent fic that came up from behind while I wasn’t looking (Clark Kent takes Bruce Wayne to meet his parents)

The Gift Giving Game was my K/S secret santa gift for Herenya_writes (Kirk and Spock stir up rumors as professors at Starfleet Academy)

A Hidden, Personal Thing (Spock offers to mind meld with Kirk)

Human, Vulcan, and Everything in Between (Spock is ace, Kirk is polyamorous, and it works well for them)

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I try to respond to every comment because there’s nothing I like more than talking with people about my writing and the stories that inspire it! I’m more than happy to answer questions on here too, if anyone has any!

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

So, these days I’m generally a firm believer in happy endings, but in the pre-AO3 days, I used to mostly write death!fic and a few highlights actually made it onto AO3:

The Death of Spock - Spock dies during the original five-year mission and Kirk is left to pick up the pieces

Only a Fool - Watson dies at Reichenbach and Holmes is left to pick up the pieces

Honorable mention: Devoted - the inevitable tragedy of Mary Watson (nee Morstan)

Do you write crossovers? If so what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

As it turns out, the other thing I used to write is crazy crossovers, many of which were never finished, let alone saw the light of day. I’ve dialed back on it (a little), but here are some highlights:

Spock in Wonderland

Millennium Death Note - currently in progress! (What if Light Yagami solved the Millennium Puzzle?)

The Mysterious Mr. Jeeves - Jeeves and Wooster x Everything, but I think the most outlandish one in there would have to be The Phantom of the Opera

Honorable mention: my old BBC Sherlock x Harry Potter - the writing isn’t great and the plot is a bit of a mess, but it will likely always be my most viewed fic

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Only a little bit and mostly just on FanFiction.net - there was one person offended that my big Star Trek TOS x TNG crossover was “secretly” Kirk/Spock. More often I get people who like most of my fics, but then get annoyed about Kirk being polyamorous or Spock being ace or don’t like how I decided to end something, which isn’t terribly helpful, but could be worse.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Nope, don’t read it, don’t write it, just not for me.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge, thankfully.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! I’m honored that people want to translate my stories into other languages (and make podfic of them)!

The first three chapters of Devoted (the tragedy of Mary Watson) are available in Chinese

Enough to Drive a Man to Madness (Mycroft puts up with Sherlock Holmes angsting about Dr. Watson) is available in Russian

Once Upon a Dream (Holmes and Watson dance) is available in Russian

The Appearance of Dorian Gray (Bertie Wooster meets Dorian Gray) has a podfic

And I think someone did a podfic of a scene from A Crazy Little Thing Called Love (the progression of Kirk and Spock’s relationship over The Original Series), but I can’t seem to find it right now

What’s your all time favorite ship?

My first and dearest will always be Holmes/Watson from the original Sherlock Holmes stories

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

I’ve gotten to be pretty good at finishing things I want to write, but there’s this huge Disney crossover I started writing with a friend that is glorious and complicated and almost 1/3 of the way done despite being over 90k already. Whenever I think about it, I always think that, yes, I will finish it some day, even though my co-author has lost interest, but the truth is probably not... But who knows, maybe I’ll turn around and have it done for next year’s @wipbigbang!

What are your writing strengths?

I’ve discovered a secret talent for finishing what I start, which is nice - a combination of planning and just keeping at it, slow and steady.

I think I do a good job of capturing characters’ voices, whether in dialogue or narration, and it serves me particularly well when I’m trying to imitate a style - I’m especially proud of some of my Jeeves and Wooster. I can also do some nice flowery prose if put my mind to it.

What are your writing weaknesses?

For all of my love of pretty prose, it’s easy for me to forget to describe things, so my writing can end up fairly sparse. I also feel like I could get better at integrating romance and plot - the romance often ends up getting drowned out by everything else going on, which is especially frustrating because I’m usually writing it because of the romance.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

That’s a good question. Probably Death Note (my friends and I used to ship L/Light) - that’s the oldest fic I have on my computer, at least, but I used to write on paper, so there may be something even older there. The first fandom I posted anything for is Harry Potter (a next-gen OC fic about the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange - it’s best not to ask). I also posted my first Holmes/Watson fic at about the same time (it’s pretty bad, but I tried).

What’s your favorite fic that you’ve written?

I’m actually really happy with a couple of my somewhat recent longer fics:

Generations - my Kirk/Spock Star Trek: Generations fix-it

Bertie Solves a Mystery - Jeeves and Wooster get embroiled in a murder mystery and meet Hercule Poirot and Hastings (also Jeeves has a mysterious backstory)

tagging: I’m going to second @plaudiusplants and tag @the-z-part​ and @marlinspirkhall​ if you’d like to do it, along with anyone else who wants to go for it!

[captnjacksparrow]

So does Kishi officially hate NH and SS? Because I can't help but think like that when I see them in Boruto. Like no way he wants them to be seen as happy or content. Also, it seems like he still hates Sakura because just just look at her, she hasn't really changed. Her dynamic with Sasuke hasn't really changed. She gives chase, Sasuke ignores. Except Sasuke looks more depressed.

Hey, after fifteen years of us chasing after the story and characters we invested in so much, at least give us some indication that they are least happy after sooo many sacrifices, like they deserve that happiness.

But no, if anything, they seem totally miserable. What made Kishi do that? Yes, he can't show them ooc, but Sasuke marrying Sakura is already ooc. Naruto being a bad father is already ooc. Like why go to the extent of showing Sasuke trying not to touch Sakura and pointedly showing that they never kissed? That's just like a determined effort on Kishi's part to show that their marriage is not working. Naruto works way more than any of his predecessors and sleeps in the office or couch so as not to disturb Hinata, when Hinata is specifically designed to accommodate anything that Naruto might require.

Don't get me wrong, I think Boruto is trash. But I am still in interested in SNS in Boruto because that's still canon. Just makes me wonder how Kishi will finally conclude SNS, because their bond still shows clearly in Boruto. Do you think he will kill them any time soon?

Good ask, Anon☺️☺️❤️❤️

Before answering this, I am going to tell you that I don’t watch Boruto. But I know what happened so far, vaguely. Like, Gaiden arc, Karma seal, Kawaki adoption, Kurama’s death, loss of Rinnegan, Time travel arc. Anyways, I might have missed many interactions between Sasuke & Sakura in the filler episodes or other canonical episodes. I would be happy If you send me an episode list or timestamps in where they interact, so that it saves my time instead of me, watching that entire shit show. 

So does Kishi officially hate NH and SS?

In this post, I dissected SS from a non-SNS perspective. It seems Kishi went all out of his way to make their interactions too insincere, blunt and toxic. I mean Sasuke’s absolute lack of interest in her was very evident even until chapter 693. That is right before, their final VoTE fight. And even after Sakura comes to heal their injuries, he just said ‘Ummmm..... I guess Sorry’... 

Kishi could have made Sasuke say some corny shit to Sakura like how he felt bad inside for hurting her, how he missed her, wiping her tears or whatever (Puke!!!! 🤮🤮🤮). Because in the previous chapter, Sasuke basically confessed to Naruto internally about how he felt about Naruto when he was a child. Kishi could have done the same for Sakura in just 4, 5 panels. But anyways, my point is, Kishi’s moment to salvage that ship is chapter 699. 

But he didn’t.

Did Kishi tried to build their bond after marriage?

He definitely could’ve. But he didn’t. 

This shows his clear distaste in SS.

As for NH, Kishi is indifferent. He neither hates them nor loves them. Kishi created Hinata as a pairing fodder and she still is. 

Also, it seems like he still hates Sakura because just just look at her, she hasn't really changed. Her dynamic with Sasuke hasn't really changed. She gives chase, Sasuke ignores. Except Sasuke looks more depressed.

Hmmm, I don’t know whether Sasuke hates her, anon. Again, maybe I’ve missed those parts. But when he looks at her, it’s always filled with regrets and an urge to avoid her (like Itachi avoided Sasuke, but for totally sad and genuine reasons). 

But this again begs the question, ‘Why feeling regret or hesitant even after 12 years?’. 

Believe me anon, Love/Bonds/Understanding can happen at anytime of your life. From where I come from, not everyone marries out of love. Arranged marriages are common. But still, many couples make effort and work out their difference, and find love. Kishi could’ve done the same for SS too. 

Is Sasuke that heartless? No.

He was once a boy who bear hugged his brother every time Itachi comes back from the Academy. Itachi’s presence itself made Sasuke so happy. 

Did he become heartless after the massacre? Also no.

Even after the trauma, Sasuke just became aloof and cold. But he always becomes a child who can pout, be silly, becomes animated, bicker around Naruto. So, he can be lovely, but only around the people he choose by himself. 

Still, Sakura is not that person. So, he looks like he is depressed and wants to escape from her at any given chance because of a certain guilt. 

What made Kishi do that? Yes, he can't show them ooc, but Sasuke marrying Sakura is already ooc. Naruto being a bad father is already ooc. Like why go to the extent of showing Sasuke trying not to touch Sakura and pointedly showing that they never kissed? That's just like a determined effort on Kishi's part to show that their marriage is not working.

To answer, this goes way back, anon. 

Kishi is a person who prefers to write love through intense friendship, sensei-student dynamics and brotherhood. He can occasionally write cute and sweet romance but it can only be short like 2 or 3 pages... or a chapter, max. He can’t go on doing it for 70 chapters for romance. Which was evident from Minato & Kushina, Dan & Tsunade, Obito & Rin. 

But the real deal of Naruto manga is the bond between Naruto and Sasuke. The bond between Itachi and Sasuke also played a huge role in this series. And then comes Hashirama and Madara, Jiraiya and Naruto, Kakshi and Obito, Kakashi and Naruto and many more. So, Kishi pretty much gave an ending he wanted for a long time in chapter 699. He successively pulled off a great manga without corny and shitty romance but with just friendship and brotherhood alone. He didn’t give two shits about NH or SS before chapter 700.

Naruto series’ another success lies on it’s characters tragic backstories. I simply loved them all and most of them made me cry. 

Kishi wanted to move on from Naruto.

But then Money played a big part. Naruto series can be milked in a lot of ways. Editors wanted all the characters to become some baby making dolls. So you have to create pairings. Based on the popularity polls, they decided NH and SS.

In my opinion, Sasuke is a goal-oriented person. He is a wanderer who works on his own accords. Ever since he left Konoha when he was 13, that was his path, so you can’t make him stay in one place. At every stage of his life, he had different goals.

At age 8-15, he had one goal. To kill Itachi. Can he have a romance here? Nope.

At age 16, his goal is to destroy Konoha. No chance of romance in that dark path.

At age 17, he wanted to Revolutionize the shinobi system. Since he wanted to be alone for that goal, no possibility of romance.

At age 18, he adopted Naruto’s dream as his own. To make all shinobi cooperate and look out for Kaguya remains. Romance cannot happen here as he was constantly wandering around and he prefers to work alone.

This is how Kishi designed Sasuke’s character throughout.

Now all of a sudden, if you ask Kishi to go OOC by asking him to write corny romance for his favorite character Sasuke just for the sake of making him relevant to Boruto series, what will he do? 

Since Boruto is a series which is a sequel to Naruto, you pretty much know everyone’s backstory. Those 12 year old New Gen kids possibly can’t have tragic stories like Naruto or Sasuke. 

Kishi being a troller, used this opportunity to create a piss poor sob story for Sarada by making Sasuke as an absentee father and an unloving husband.

He created a sad story for Sarada and he gets to shit on SS ship. Two birds, One stone!!!! 

Now, Sasuke being an unloving husband is OOC ? Nope. He was never a marriage material in the first place. So he is perfectly in-character.

Sasuke being an absentee father is OOC? No and Yes. No, because it’s the effect of the cause I mentioned above. Yes, because unlike Naruto, Sasuke once had a father. He can try to reach her out now and often. but he prefers not to do instead he cares more about Boruto. LOL.

Sasuke being not family oriented is OOC? Nope. He is a goal oriented person. His goal is same as Naruto’s dream. He will go to any extent to fulfill it, even at the expense of his family’s happiness. Because that’s what he learnt from Itachi. What Itachi taught him was, even at the expense of his own happiness and Sasuke’s trauma, he preferred Konoha and Shinobi World’s peace. That’s what Sasuke is doing now. 

Naruto works way more than any of his predecessors and sleeps in the office or couch so as not to disturb Hinata, when Hinata is specifically designed to accommodate anything that Naruto might require.

As for Naruto, 

I think it’s very funny. And I guess, I know why.

Just like Sasuke, Naruto is also a goal oriented person. 

Remember, in that Boruto movie, Sasuke knocks Naruto’s door at the midnight?

Imagine if Naruto opened the door. 

Sasuke will be like, ‘Alright mothafucka!!! I wanted to die in the VoTE itself. You wanted me in your dream world. Am working my ass off for your stupid dreams and trying to reach you without even meeting my own family. And yet here you are, sleeping well and sound. Am just gonna Chidori you!!!’ LOL.

I think you get my point. 

If you make Sasuke to be an hardworker, then Naruto must work even hard to fulfill his dream. So you possibly can’t have Naruto playing duet with Himata or whatever trash. 

So kishi pulled his Two birds, One Stone for NH here!!!

In short, Kishi gets to make his New generation shine through this pathetic sob stories and at the same time, kept his favorite characters without going OOC. 

So, it’s a polite way of Kishi showing middlefinger to SS and NH for making him do this. He is saying, ‘Alright folks, you wanted this all along. But this is what you will get!!!’.

Just makes me wonder how Kishi will finally conclude SNS, because their bond still shows clearly in Boruto. Do you think he will kill them any time soon?

I think about this all the time. How will they end?? How will they die??

Now, don’t think I am some sadist for wanting them to die. I am just being practical and honest here. This is a new generation series. Of course, at some point, Naruto and Sasuke has to die for the sake of character development. And I will be happy if they die because I don’t like their miserable portrayal in Boruto at all. 

Naruto series has a pattern when it comes to death portrayal. Meaningful characters (except Neji) always die protecting someone/something they cherish. Jiraiya died for Naruto, Yahiko died for Konan & Nagato, Itachi died for Sasuke & Konoha, Haku died for Zabuza, Obito (younger) died for Kakashi & Rin and so on.

Ever since Naruto became Hokage, his death is pretty much plastered on his head. He will die protecting Konoha just like all the Hokages from First to Fourth who sacrificed their life for Konoha. 

But Sasuke??? 

I am going to say he will die protecting Naruto or the village. But for Naruto mostly. Either way, Sasuke will die first. 

Dying for Naruto, the reasons are crystal clear. He already died protecting Naruto once in the Zabuza arc. He will never hesitate to do it again. Which was evident from the way he told Naruto in the Boruto movie while giving his Susanoo, ‘If they capture the real you, then everything is gone’. Somewhere in Boruto Manga chapter 38 (I don’t remember properly), Sasuke was yelling at Naruto, ‘If you are gone, it’s pretty hopeless’ and was praying ‘Naruto, don’t you die’. 

So it’s pretty much Sasuke saying to Naruto, ‘I’ll protect you, You protect everyone’

But why the village?? Why will Sasuke die for Konoha which caused him so much pain?? I know anti-konoha stans wont like this, but that’s the reality.

It seems many Sasuke fans never paid attention to his character. After hearing the story from all the Hokages, Sasuke said, ‘I will not let Itachi’s life and this village into nothing’. He really meant it. Because for Sasuke, Itachi was more precious. Itachi died saying, ‘I’ll have protected my village as Uchiha Itachi of Konoha once again. I have no more regrets’. Sasuke wanted to respect his brother’s wish finally and that’s why he openly claimed in the battlefield, ‘I am going to protect Konoha and become it’s Hokage’. Sasuke’s another precious person is Naruto. He is the Hokage now. 

Don’t you think Sasuke will die protecting something Itachi and Naruto values so much??

He even claimed it openly in Boruto Manga. ‘I would die anytime for Konoha, as has your dad (Naruto)’

Sasuke even said to Boruto, “I will stop you even if I have to kill you”. And do you think Sasuke is just pouring out some empty words??? Sasuke will not let Boruto to turn into an Otsutsuki monster and destroy the village.

Like I said, Sasuke will go out first. And eventually Naruto will follow him. Or they both die protecting the village together. I don’t see them dying for their wives or children. Because, their relationship with their family is not too strong and their ambitions are far beyond their own families.

Maybe for this reason, Kishi is trolling NH and SS in Boruto. LOL.

Naruto’s bond with Sasuke was formed even before his birth, when Kushina asked the 3 month old Baby Sasuke to be friends with Naruto.

However, One thing is for sure. One will not live very long without the Other or Both will die together. That’s how their bond should end.