#also why i'm posting more snippets. i'm just really missing that connection. and i'm still not sure the last chapter of rr was good.

[simplepotatofarmer]

i feel better now.

i watched cj the x's 'seven deadly art sins' again and snapped out of it. as you do.

i get emotional 'cause writing is my one big passion (other than chickens) and i really want to share it with people and sometimes i feel like i'm failing to convey it and connect with people the way i really want to connect with people. that's all <3 <3

[lookingfts]

You know how you always find it strange that your ‘little insignificant’ plot bunnies are the ones that get traction….well here I am on the soulmarks AU still losing my mind. Like LOSING IT.

I love soulmarks, antematter converted me with bloom, which is astoundingly beautiful, and my attraction is that they’re so sweet and heartwarming and tender - but now you’ve completely transformed them for me. The idea of Anthony being feral over her mark, the possessiveness, his and Kate teasing him with it. You’ve changed the game. I can’t stop thinking about it.

Once again, you nailed it!!!!

Hahaha it's so true. I clearly have no idea what people will be into, because I can't tell you how many times I've been like "this is random but whatever I already wrote it" and then people are into it and have all these headcanons for it. It's so fun.

Antematter is the soulmark queen! I also really like The Universe Laughs At Anthony Bridgerton by TeaBrigadier.

Don't want to be pushy since you said you didn't intend to expand on the drabble but Mark sounds like it would be such a sweet and spicy story. (I want to see the dude try it with "close enough" 👀)

Well I wasn't planning to write any more because I wasn't thinking there would be a lot of plot/drama. (Not that you can't have those things with soulmate fics...I just didn't envision this fic that way.) But if everyone would be down for a one-shot where they're just really horny and in love and there's no angst, I'll consider writing it.

Your soulmark AU is one of the best I’ve ever read, truly. And I love that we got just a snippet of them together at the end, idk, it just really works in this. I enjoy when you expand your AUs with headcanons though, do you have any in particular for this one?

Thank you so much! I think we've tackled a lot already (you can go through the "for you i am fragile" tag if you missed any posts). Here's a few more:

Kate likes to bite Anthony's shoulder during sex, right where his mark is.

They fudge the details of how they met (a common theme in my fics, I'm realizing) and then Ben blows it by accidentally letting something slip from that night and his family is like what???

Anthony didn't want to meet his soulmate because he blamed the soulmate connection for why Violet was catatonic after Edmund's death. So he never actively searched for her. But when Ben called to say he found Anthony's soulmate and was going to sleep with her, it just didn't sit well with him, so he went not really intending to do anything but know who she was and cockblock Ben. And then they saw each other and it was pretty much all over from there. But it does still scare him, feeling so much for someone and potentially leaving either of them in that kind of grief.

I think this is true across most AUs: Kate always thought she would hate having a guy stuck to her like glue, but she loves it with Anthony. Neither of them truly understood what having a soulmate would feel like. They quite literally can't get enough of each other.

Kate's Amma and Appa were soulmates, but Mary and her Appa weren't, so Kate just grew up feeling like you could love and be happy with someone who isn't your soulmate and people put too much pressure around it.

Anthony says I love you after a month. He doesn't love her just because they're soulmates, but everything he knows about her shows him why they are soulmates. They are so alike but also complement each other in the most important ways.

Kate also never thought she would like possessiveness, but by god does it work for her with Anthony. Any time another guy hits on her (which happens a lot, because look at her) Anthony has her in some dark corner growling "you're mine" and she melts in his arms.

[wundrousarts]

Various Wundersmith thoughts and things I've noticed after rereading the book for yet another time:

This one is significantly longer and a little bit more random than my recent Nevermoor reread, but who cares 🤷 the more the merrier!

There are things both serious (theories, thematic parallels, etc.) and silly (jokes, personal reactions). This time around I discovered the annotations feature in Apple Books and had a lot of fun with that, so I'll try to include the bits I highlighted when necessary. Enjoy!

— I don't mean to have a shippingbrain, but it feels impossible to view Jupiter and Israfel as anything but exes/folks that had a Thing in the beginning, omg.

—— Israfel throwing the "old friend" back at Jove..... my note for this one was "#gay"

— I like the interest Mog has in Bohemia, and I'm interested based on that one Silverborn snippet for her to return (and eventually explore other parts of the city as well)

— Jupiter referring to the junkies as "they're not patrons of the fine arts" feels like a nice little set up for the Museum later on. Thought of and admired as an art piece, but the rich folks at the auction don't actually care about the work put into it.

— Do you think the folks at Wunsoc that organize the little show that welcomes 919 are a little peeved that the Fireblossom's being reignited means that they can't perch creepily in them anymore lol.

— I wonder if the Wunsoc Oath has a pre- or post- Massacre origin

“The nature of Miss Crow’s unusual –" she paused, seeming to catch herself before calling it a ‘knack’ – "situation.” (Ch2)

—— Elder Quinn hesitates to refer to Mog's power as a knack, so I wonder if that's just a general thing of Wundersmithery being different, or if knacks are a post-Massacre categorization

— I love how this book really starts to solidify the theme of family in Nevermoor... Wunsoc, her Unit, the Deucalion, Wundersmiths, the Crows, her mother..... AAAHHHH!!! I can't wait to see where it all goes.

— A "note sealed with silver wax" from "the Celes-" ..... YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!!! 😁😁😁

—— Likely about Cassiel but even that and beyond could tie into a lot of other Silverborn Theories..... Noelle..... The Silver District....... I will keep this all in mind

—— Also, updating my SIlverborn Masterpost posthaste ✍️✍️✍️

— It likely doesn't matter and will never be explained, but I wonder if the room between student's houses and their hometrain station is part of the Gossamer, and like a thin place between worlds

— Miss Cheery's first outfit is so y2k I need to draw her. It makes sense because she's like 20 in this book.

— The Wunsoc circle diagram has always interested me since I first read it. I wonder if the size of the circles ever means anything??

—— Could it relate to the probability (?) of the knacks? Mundane is the most common to occur, Arcane more specialized, and then Wundersmiths are very, very rare

—— Something I often forget is that folks in Wunsoc that weren't Wundersmiths have always existed. Were there more than 9 of them in each year? Were there always 9 non-Wundersmiths? Did the trials always exist? What was the relationship between non-Wundersmiths and Wundersmiths like?

—— On that note, did C&D only become the Wunsoc motto / purpose post-Massacre? Or did they do that before as well? If the motives of Wunsoc have changed over the years, has what they look for in students changed as well?

“Everybody at Wunsoc has a job to get on with – every junior and senior scholar, every graduate, every teacher, every patron, every Elder and every Master.” (Ch5)

— I am still forever curious about what Masters are, and why they are on the same level or possibly even slightly higher than Elders

—— Are they previous Elders? Are they people who excel in their craft? I'd like to say there could be a connection to Wundrous Apprenticeships but 1. those seemed like a natural given, 2. likely aren't really around anymore, and 3. I'm not really sure why they would have so much authority if so.

—— I like to headcanon that senior scholars do internships/apprenticeships

— Something that makes me laugh is that I will famously agonize over something, in this case the Wunsoc academic school year, only to discover upon a reread that it is explicitly stated how it works. lol.

— Brilliance Amadeo and her predecessors are referred to as "First-Line Wundersmiths." This likely relates to the chambers in the Liminal Hall in Sub-Nine that we see in Hollowpox.

—— Knowing Jess, I bet that either Mog or Squall are part of the Ninth Line

“Your kind are … all … dead," continued Professor Onstald. "And if they’re … not –" he blinked his watery eyes at her and took a long, rasping breath – "they should be.” (Ch6)

“My duty is not … to save you … from yourself. It is to show you … that you are … beyond saving. All of your … kind … are beyond …” (Ch6)

“If you were half the Wundersmith you ought to be by now, it wouldn’t be possible for me to tap into your power like this. (Ch24)

— I've had a theory post on the progression of Wundersmiths in society towards the Massacre in the works for awhile that I've postponed until after my Hollowpox reread, but:

—— What if it was a group effort?

——— There's a part in one of the books that's like, "Squall led his fellow Wundersmiths in a coup, and then turned on them" and as much as Wunsoc likes to spin and fabricate things, I think that this could also be true. What caused Squall to turn? That's a mystery we'll have to unravel later...

———— This book is heavy on Squall controlling and manipulating folks, both literally with Wunder but also mentally with words, so could be interesting if that played a part in the revolt

— Regardless, something spooked Onstald enough to turn from admiring and studying Wundersmiths and their ways to hating them, and I'll forever be interested in what happened.

—— I think there could be some slight truth in him viewing all Wundersmiths as bad, because some stuff, like Mathilde's Morbid Museum (lol), could indicate some darker inclinations by folks other than Squall

— Maybe I'm an idiot for not realizing this before, but I don't think it was Jupiter that got Mog/919 into the Maps class.

“I have dedicated my life to taming this monstrous city, and I love her with every fiber of my being.” (Ch8)

“Goodness. You’ve only been here a year? And yet you and Nevermoor seem to go hand in glove. It’s almost like this place was made just for you.” (Ch8)

—— So Squallish. I wonder if anything he said was coached.

—— Do you think this is how he got him on his side? Did they bond over both being obsessed with Nevermoor?

— I think a lot of Mildmay's problems would have been fixed if he had simply been more proactive about networking instead of turning to a life of crime. I mean, he's only 19, just out of school! Way to quit early, dude.

One bite brought on the specific sensation of bittersweet late-summer nostalgia … which sent Francis straight back to the test kitchen, as he’d actually been aiming for the carefree abandon of a mid-summer music festival. (Ch9)

— I wonder how much of Francis's knack/what he cooks/cooks with has a Wundrous origin. I'm also often reminded of the Smoking Parlor.

—— I like to relate it to my Communication "Art" but alternatively... does remind me of Israfel's voice. Curious about how Celestials and Wunder interact.

—— Alice Frankenreiter of 915 is mentioned as a shapeshifter..... how Masquerade-esque. Another point for the "knacks being related to Arts" theory?

——— I also have to point out how funny to me the "Franken-" is with the knack. lol. (makes me think about Frankenstein)

— There is a "noise like a thousand tinkling bells" when the Ghastly Market is revealed. This noise also shows up in the other two books during the Christmas Eve battle. In a world where magic by Wundersmiths heavily involves singing in order to use Wunder, I like the further comparisons of magic and sound. Will keep an eye out for more during Hollowpox.

—— We see this as well with this line:

Her fear and revulsion and rage swelled inside her like a symphony (Ch16)

which I just annotated as "music/art comparison. slay."

——— On that note, I feel like the connection between Wundersmiths/Divinities and the Celestials being explored more could be interesting, as both of their powers involve singing. I'm curious how/if their magic overlaps.

— The fact that the Loyalty Trial was from the Elders and thus they were the ones who asked Cadence to humiliate Baz will never not be funny

— Chapter 18 mentions a "Polaris Hill." Named after Griselda Polaris?

— Have to say: Between being excited about a killer flytrap and teaching 919 swears, an underrated Mahir trait is that he is actually very silly.

— If you've ever seen me call the Gossamer-Spun Garden the "Wundergarden", please know that the Murdergarden is 100% why lol

— I hope hope HOPE!!! we get some proper definitions someday for the Wundrous Act Classifications. Like Spectacle, Phenomenon, Singularity, etc... I hope we get to learn what they each are someday!!!

“To do just what a Wundersmith does," One corner of Squall’s mouth twisted into a quarter-smile.” ... "To grant your fondest wish. To give you the thing you want more than anything else.” (Ch19)

— I feel like this line is often overlooked and is an underrated hint at what a Wundersmith's role in society was like

— I'm a bit of a pessimist (SORRY) about the movie adaptation, and once thing about this book is that I'm mourning that it'll probably never get adapted.

—— I think that the idea of Nevermoor as a movie musical works so much better with Wundersmith because there's so much more magic and music and singing in this one, with both Israfel and the first Nocturne lessons. I could see it the integration of the non-diegetic (?) songs that the characters sing and the themes of the movie/books work better with this book than the first one just because of that.

—— Also the theatricality of characters such as Squall and Mildmay is off the charts in this book! I'd even throw Dearborn and Murgatroyd in there as well. I think they could make for more interesting characters in a movie musical than the general supporting cast of the first book.

—— I'd say that perhaps they could mix and mash stuff from both books 1 and 2 into a single movie, but I don't know if they have rights past the first book.

Squall cocked his head to one side, a deep frown etched into his forehead. ... Squall took a step towards her. He looked like he was remembering something. (Ch19)

— I wonder why he recognizes the song!

—— Curious if anyone else has their own theories on this they want to share. I brought this up in the discord a few months ago and have yet to make a proper post but here's my idea:

——— Squall's song and Mog's song are very similar in a few ways, so perhaps one of the songs was influenced by / is “descended from” so to say from the other, or they have a common ancestor.

——— Could explain why Little Crowling is familiar to Mog and Morningtide’s Child is familiar to Squall

... into the cold embrace of a capricious and unknowable city. (Ch19)

— This is like, baby's first comparison, but I do enjoy how this refers not only to Nevermoor but also Squall just a moment earlier. They are sooooo linked. I wonder if there's other moments like this in the book that I've missed.

— The Jemmity Park stuff is interesting to think about because I think Odbuoy is the youngest Wundersmith present at the time of the Massacre.

—— The idea of him being the youngest I feel then fits with him making the park only work for children, as that seems appropriately mischievous.

——— Because of my (outdated tbh) Eventide theories, I had a silly theory he was 7 when he made the park, but when you think about that more, it falls apart. A little funny to think about though, ngl.

— Anyone else think that the Elders should have told Jupiter about Sub-Nine in case he wanted a part in that? I feel like as a patron and adoptive father figure of a Wundersmith, he might want some access to Wundersmith history and culture. His excursions to the park and Cascade Falls really prove an interest and he could be helpful to the group.

— Morrigan compares Squall's Séance Synchronicity to Coven 13 in the Fright Trial... are these magics connected at all, or will we learn more about the different magics in the world at some point?

Squall held his hands out – palms downward, twisted into claws – and made his fingers dance like a puppeteer twitching strings. (Ch24)

— I find it so funny how the Puppeteering (also known as Marionette) parallels– the statue in the Elder's hall, the stunt with the Charlton Five on the platform, and this scene– were so obvious, and yet it took a solid 2 years after Wundersmith's release (right before Hollowpox was out!) for somebody to bring it up for the first time. And now everyone accepts it as basically canon lol!

— Wonder if the Wundrous Arts sign got changed to Wretched Arts before or after Squall's exile, in order for him to know about it. I have some theories on the timeline of all that that I'll share at a later date.

— I often forget and I think it's often overlooked that the Magnificub growing was Squall's doing, not just Mog's.

—— Wonder if he was stalking her that night as normal OR detected her intention and swooped in OR was there already due to the auction

— The way that Squall bows dramatically to tease Mog and then Mildmay does the same a chapter later is so funny.

“There are far greater monsters –" his eyes flashed – "and far greater dangers. Miss Crow, we have a shared enemy you could never imagine. If the Wundrous Society doesn’t take you off the leash, if you aren’t given the freedom to grow, to become the Wundersmith I need you to be … then terrible things are coming down the line. For both of us.” (Ch24)

— War in Arc 3 pleaseeee

—— It's interesting because it seems that Nevermoor/Free State has been relatively peaceful ever since restructuring… but the Wintersea Republic has had the same amount of time to build up! And now they’re looking to take the last slice of the pie…..

“There. That feeling. That fire in your heart, that spark of anger and fear. Focus on it. Feel it. The flickering, burning anger inside – THAT is Inferno.” (Ch24)

— What if each of the Arts are bolstered by an emotion? Doesn't seem so but 🤷 could be a fun AU idea perhaps

— A lot of the description of Inferno in this book– a flame or firework in Morrigan's chest– reminds me so much of Howls Moving Castle (2004) that it's on my eternal to-do list to draw.

— Between Mog's lessons in this book and Goldberry's circular breathing, I think it's interesting how much of Inferno relates to breath

—— "Breath of life" ?

—— Could relate back to music/singing, which is needed to summon Wunder

—— Do any of the other Arts (excluding Nocturne and Inferno) have any connections to breath that we know of? Or even are just aligned with a specific part of the body? If anyone has any thoughts on this, please do share!

— Anyone else like to think about the Hunt of Smoke and Shadow and the way the Hollowpox hunted? No? Just me? Okay

—— I think that Wundersmiths definitely probably have specialties– and these are based on natural affinities, NOT lineage– and Mog's is likely Inferno whereas Squall's is likely Veil

He took a deep bow, still laughing. (Ch25)

— My note for this line and the whole scene was simply, "🖕 WORST 19 YEAR OLD EVER" lol

“You saved my life tonight. I find myself in your debt." He watched her for a moment, pressing his mouth into a line. Morrigan could tell he wanted to say something more, but wasn’t sure if he should … or perhaps he couldn’t quite find the right words. Israfel breathed a deep sigh. "You’d do well not to mention that to the folks at Wunsoc. I shouldn’t be in your debt.” (Ch27)

— What does this all meannnnn

— Interesting how Jupiter mentions that he thinks Cassiel's disappearance is unconnected to all the Ghastly Market stuff

—— I've mentioned before (maybe not on here, sorry) that the timing could perhaps line up in order for Cassiel to be the Celestial that Noelle's knack is stolen from, if we want to go with that theory

— Mog saying that Squall said something funny, as in weird, yet Jupiter's first response is to ask if he said something "funny haha" is so funny to me. Why is that his first response.

— Folks have mentioned it before, but I'd love some more bonding between Mog and Lam based on the fact that they're both from the Republic

— Elder Quinn refers to Mog as "our Wundersmith" as in like, just another brother and sister in Wunsoc, but it could be interesting if that wording is ever brought up again to try to use Mog, or make her do something no one else can because of her powers, like in the days of old

And finally (about 3k words later):

— Lam is referred to as "the smallest of all of them" in terms of 919. Not to me! While I wholeheartedly believe she is certainly short, she's not the shortest for me. #ShortMogSupremacy.

[enchantedlandcoffee]

Annual Writing Self-Evaluation

Thanks for the tag @allwaswell16 <3 I posted a lot of works this year so it's all under the cut 🥰

1. List of works published this year:

There's no one I love more in this world than Stanley Tucci

Kiss In The Kitchen Like It's A Dancefloor

Can We Please Get Back To Lovin'?

Two Hearts In One Home (WIP)

If The World Was Ending, You'd Come Over, Right?

Rush Hour Crush

Court Wine

Hope We Grow Old But We Never Grow Up

Hold On I Still Need You (WIP)

Bloodline of Queens (WIP)

Eager To Please

Running Over Thoughts That Make My Feet Hurt

Tell Me With Your Mind Body And Spirit

And I Can Lend You Broken Parts That Might Fit

My kiss can mend your broken heart

Bodies entertwined with their lips

When It's Good It's Really Something

Tied Up Like Two Ships

Just Let Me Adore You

When The World Is Cold, You'll Have A Place You Can Go

Was Tangled Up And Twisted

Actions Have Consequences

Gagging For It

Share a Single Bed (and tell each other what we dream about)

I promise that I'll love you for the rest of my life

Lips so good I forget my name

Friends Don't Know The Way You Taste

Let Me Be Your Last First Kiss

Always You

I'm Missing Half Of Me...

Christmas Advent Calendar

Do you really want to be all alone?

Feel My Traces

Let Me Inside

Have yourself a larry little christmas

I'll make this feel like home

To Find A Love That Feels This Right

I got me an appetite, now I can taste it

2. Work you are most proud of (and why):

Probably 'If The World Was Ending, You'd Come Over, Right?'. This is the work I am most proud of because I wrote it during a not great time in my life and it was my first proper attempt at writing angst. It's also the first chaptered fic I had finished and in a way, I found my voice in terms of writing. And I formed a connection to the characters which has helped in the long run when brainstorming and planning scenes.

3. Work you are least proud of (and why):

Unfortunately either 'To Find A Love That Feels This Right' or 'Tied Up Like Two Ships'. I just really clashed with the ideas in my mind and the words that I ended up writing. But thankfully, they're part of seperate series so I can expand on the worlds and hopefully make them better.

4. A favorite excerpt of your writing:

This sad fluff snippet from If The World Was Ending, You'd Come Over, RIght?

He put himself to work making a simple breakfast, one that he and Harry had had more times than he could count. As he carried out the task, he allowed his mind to wander, well, allowed wasn't really the right word. His mind took him on a journey he didn't sign up for. A journey full of mornings just like this, one of them getting ready whilst the other prepares food. A journey where the patter of little feet joins him in the kitchen, a little boy with brown curls and bright green eyes. A journey where the love of his life walks in, their daughter in his arms as he scoops up their son as well.

5. Share or describe a favorite review you received:

I have a few that I loved a lot (I love any and all reviews I get) and I'll share them below:

Ash, this was amaaaaaaaaaziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!I am officially your biggest fan now and I demand being granted that title.Wow you're talented, had me want to cry, throw up, smile and laugh all at the same time, I loved it! I'll read everything else by you I can get my hands on ;)Just lovely &lt;3

6. A time when writing was really, really hard:

The past month or two. It was hard balancing work, school and writing and also being at my childhood home with fic deadlines to meet. And also being emotionally drained for two months doesn't really help get me in the writing mood.

7. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

I think the emotional scenes in If The World Was Ending really surprised me. I never knew I could come up with little rants like that, let alone multiple in the same fic.

8. How did you grow as a writer this year:

I feel like I grew a lot as a writer this year. I explored different genres and themes I never thought I would (writing smut, writing angst, writing omegaverse, writing different pairings other than larry), I wrote about 73k this year which is about 70k more than I have written in my entire life.

9. How do you hope to grow next year:

I hope to improve in my ability to write and update WIPs, also to improve both the quality and quantity of my writing.

10. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

There were a few people who really helped me this year:

@justahappycloud was my beta for my pirates fic, my Two Hearts In One Home fic and was always cheering me on. @babyhoneyheslt hears nearly all of my ideas first and has helped me plan so many of my fics. @red-pandaaa has helped me with my confidence in writing and in general. @lunarheslwt has inspired me as a writer and has also been cheering me on from the very beginning!

11. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

A lot of angst as it's been a rollercoaster of a year. Also a lot of Harry and Louis' feelings whenever they're crushing have also been my way of getting my feelings out about people in my real life.

12. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

No matter how silly or weird you think an idea is, you should just go for it! Even if it doesn't fit your normal "brand", don't be afraid to branch out and write new things.

13. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:

I'm looking forward to finishing my Zayn fic for @zaynsalbumsficfest as it's going to be so fluffy. Also my groundhog day magical fic for @romcom1dficfest is my favourite plot I have come up with so far (aside from Witchrry). @ohharold and I are working on something quite cool for @1dteamworkfest . And I'm hoping to update Two Hearts in One Home and to finish and post my Witchrry fic.

14. Tag three writers whose answers you’d like to read. ;)

@lunarheslwt @babyhoneyheslt @hellolovers13

[nightfayre]

Hello!!! switched au anon here! it's been months and the recent chapters really got my brain spinning cause i left off asking the he tian Qs of your au! I hope you don't mind my continued haunting lol

so, like we saw in chapter 383, earning money comes naturally to he tian, so i don't think he'd have much trouble in that regard in your au[?] so what would his struggle be? getting away from his father? needing Cheng in his life but too bratty and arrogant to accept his help[teenage hormones]? stirring up trouble just to fill the void his mother created in him when she left? your original drabble posted on tumblr had mentioned characters mad enough at he tian to want to kill him! what is this boy up to in your story???

also since you mentioned that she li would have more to do with he tian in your au, i wonder what their relationship would be? half brothers? rivals since middle school? they both approached mo guanshan at the same time? the curiosity is killing me!

please do rant away about this au of yours! your answers are pure dopamine >﹏< and maybe if you don't mind, just 50 words about he tian's and mo guanshan's first encounter in your au? pretty please? 🥺

have a good day! <3

hi there!! omg it's been SO long (and that's entirely my fault!)

tysm for your patience and, as always, my response is below the cut!

ohhh, i definitely missed talking about this AU :') thank you for keeping me accountable LOL, seriously!

i love love love that you mentioned how He Tian is a money magnet (especially in customer service roles) because i also thought about that when i was first drafting this AU. however, i quickly came to the conclusion that while He Tian might be an efficient worker whenever he opts to help out for short periods of time - usually to get brownie points with Guan Shan - there is no way in HELL that that boy would last more than a week in customer service. not at his age and with his current immaturity, at least. i'm sure you understand where i'm coming from if you've ever worked a customer service job yourself... especially food service. He Tian is a great charmer, but we've seen him lose his cool relatively quickly and explosively (!!!) after his patience runs out (like when he smashed that man's car??? hello?????? he did not think that through at all, jfc). and since customer service jobs are usually the only positions hiring middle/high school students, it'd be a recipe for disaster. so basically, He Tian is too volatile to work your typical part-time job, so he finds different means of making money.

as for why he's still troubled in this AU? well, I don't think I could narrow the answer down to only one or two things. that'd be like trying to define your own life by a single prevailing issue you face! impossible! so unfortunately, i'll have to leave you to your imagination for this question :)

as for She Li, i'm still very interested to see what OX does with him in the canon storyline. even though they do look eerily similar, i don't think he and He Tian are related (nor are they in this AU), but i do think that there's some kind of connection between She Li and the He family that hasn't been thoroughly revealed yet. using that logic, i intend to explore that same uncertainty in this AU! i have a good idea of what role She Li will play in this fic, but it's not entirely fleshed out yet. honestly, i'll probably spend the rest of tonight doing just that! i hope you don't mind waiting just a bit longer for my answer!

you are such a sweetheart - thank you so much for this ask and all the others you've sent! <33 at this point, i might as well start finalizing the outline and actually start writing instead of daydreaming! instead of a rant or snippet, i'll give you my honest word that i'll hop back into this AU for the rest of this week! i want to see it written just as bad as you do :') and if there are any post-worthy snapshots along the way, i'll be sure to post them ASAP! so keep an eye out! <3

thank you so, so much again dear, and talk to you soon! <3

[mermaidsirennikita]

Yeah there's really no fake it till you make it so to speak on Broadway? Singing, acting and dancing 8 shows a weeks for months is brutal and requires a lot more skit and talent then most work in show business. That's why when it comes to theater even the decent, nothing special performers are still a lot more talented then your average singer or actor. I'm not too familiar with Beanie's work, from the previews that were posted she can sing, she's not bad. But being able to sing like that, in a show like Funny Girl which is extremley difficult, on a consistent basis? Just being an good singer is not enough.

Honestly, having listened to those previews and bootlegs I think that "good" is generous. Maybe community theater good. But then again, we're both hearing snippets--maybe she's better beyond that, but based on the amount of time she's supposed to work and the strain that would cause... I doubt it.

I'm honestly not here for the "poor Beanie" sympathy act people are putting on. Regardless of who was going to replace her, I think this entire thing is a bad look for her. She's never impressed me as an actress (I thought she was actually quite bad in Impeachment and made a woman who was undeniably in a very sad position come off as annoying). I find it pretty demeaning that people basically say "give her a pass, she's fat". Beanie's weight should never be mocked or made fun of, but it also doesn't mean that she deserves a role more than a skinny person who's more talented than her, ya know?

The reality is that Beanie got the role because the show was built around her--likely because her connections financially boosted it. There are much more talented Jewish actresses (and, I imagine, fat and queer Jewish actresses) who could have done this role. She got the role not because she worked as hard as the vast majority of girls on the come up in theater, but because she was connected. She didn't have the voice necessary for this role. I don't know if any amount of training could've forced that--but I have heard that she didn't train as much as some would've liked, and tbh? The fact that she's missed somewhere around 40 shows makes me feel like that's true. COVID is of course one thing, but I tend to feel like she just wasn't liking the reviews she was getting. And she shouldn't have.

The reality is that getting bad reviews isn't being bullied. Many performers have received worse and have gone on with the show until it closed. Beanie couldn't hack it, and regardless of who was going to replace her I'd be glad to see her replaced because like... I won't pretend to be a Broadway expert but I do love it, and I also won't pretend that Beanie is the only person on Broadway who's benefited from nepotism... Benefiting from nepotism doesn't even make me dislike you--if you can follow the nepotism with talent.

She couldn't. I don't feel bad for her. You're right--being a good singer isn't enough for Funny Girl. She'll be fine. As a former prime minister recently said, them's the breaks.

I just honestly wish that someone who was genuinely able to single this role had been cast from the start, ya know? I've heard her understudy sing--she sounds really good! If she'd been it from the beginning, presented as "the next big thing"... Maybe the show could've done well. Because Beanie was so poorly reviewed and the buzz began about her constantly calling out, ticket sales dropped. So they have to turn around an expensive show that's flopping, which means stunt casting Lea Michele.

Like, don't get me wrong--I hate Lea as a person. She's talented as hell; I don't have to like you to be fair. And she will most likely bring the house down with those songs. But she is a shitty person, and of course none of us want to see shitty people get what they want; but stunt casting a controversial woman with the kind of narrative related to Barbra and Funny Girl that Lea has was the best financial call, because people will likely buy tickets just to see the drama... knowing that they will also see someone sing her ass off. The best way of avoiding this? Would've been casting a Broadway girl who could sing the role in the first place. I don't know that a post-scandal Lea could've played Fanny Brice... if not for Beanie being disastrously cast from the jump.

Anyway, when Ryan Murphy spins this in 10 years I will be READY AND WAITING.

[motownfiction]

18, 21, 30, 9, 1, 10, 7

1. describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

relatively low stakes, more about character development and relationships than about a twisted plot, takes place in a bygone era.

7. share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

this is from a vignette in goodbye, yellow brick road about daniel running into steph at sam's headstone:

They stare at the headstone for just a little while longer. There’s so much Daniel wants to say to her. That he’s sorry they lost touch. That he knows why they did. That he’s sorry Steph and Sam never found their way back to each other. He wants to say all of it, but he doesn’t want to overstep. He’s not sure how you talk to somebody like this – somebody who used to take up a corner of your life, whose stray hairs wound up in chapter four of your World History textbook, whose pizza order and landline you couldn’t forget if you tried. Somebody who lives in the same county she always did – the same county you always did – and is still gone.

i like it because it describes a very real phenomenon: missing someone who was once so close to you, their hair shed onto your belongings. this is someone you used to know and love so well, but now, everything about them is unfamiliar to you. different. but even underneath all that newness and unfamiliarity, you can still see the person you used to be so close to. and sometimes (which is true in daniel's case), you bite the bullet and reestablish that closeness.

9. which fic has been the hardest to write?

out of the mini series, it's definitely been goodbye, yellow brick road. i think that's partially because sam isn't in it to punch things up with music and humor, which the rest of the characters certainly feel (and grieve). i think, also, there's the element of "obviously every beat in this story is predictable" because it's a very typical grief narrative, so every time i write another vignette, i'm like, "here's a question. is this worth it?" luckily, i'm almost done, anyway.

10. which fic has been the easiest to write?

again, from the mini series: dance hall days. it was the shortest and the silliest. basically, all i had to do was be cute for sixteen installments. the other two mini series have been significantly longer (and at least a little more serious) than that.

18. do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

for a standalone vignette, no. that just comes out like romantic poetry (though i do some light-ish editing before actually posting, lol). for the vignettes in a mini series, there is a little more planning. when i start one vignette, i'll have a note underneath it that says what the next vignette should be: which characters we should connect with, what decisions they should make, what disagreements they should have, etc. i try to make sure i'm balancing the major players in a series with some of the supporting ones so that it feels like the reader (if anyone is reading them) isn't overwhelmed with big conflict after big conflict. i also want to offer a diverse array of feelings and perspectives, so in the case of goodbye, yellow brick road, that means hearing from smaller players, like carrie and cordelia, every now and then. to sum up: yes, i have little outlines for mini series, and these are the things that go into them.

21. how many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

once or twice. these are not big long fic chapters like i used to write -- they're small, low-stakes vignettes that are really easy to self-contain. so i read them over once or twice and occasionally make good changes, but it's not the same as it was before.

30. do you accept prompts?

obviously! but usually they come from a prompt list, and i have you (et.al, where applicable) send numbers you want to see from that list i already vetted. i'm not sure if i'd fulfill a prompt i didn't reblog as an option, though. it would depend on what it was and if it was in my general wheelhouse!

[breitzbachbea]

4. Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like), 6. What character do you have the most fun writing? 10. How would you describe your writing process? 16. Tried anything new with your writing lately? (style, POV, genre, fandom?) -> I'm beging nosy and asking FOUR questions 👀😂

Oh Amber, PLEASE be nosy. I love answering questions about my writing or characters, even though I take 5000 years to answer.

Fun meta asks for writers

4. Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like)

Okay, I thought about this for a while and I think I have a few more I could also share (and I'd probably have a sizeable amount of scenes or sentences if I reread ALL I wrote). But this scene was the thing that came to mind first and stuck the most.

From Italian Affairs, Chapter 9 "Drained Chances", Scene 3:

“I know I have to make up for what a jerk I’ve been”, he said. “But I still wish I could just forget.” He looked back into the room and spotted the wine bottle on a sideboard. “Charlie, you’ve got to face this”, Harry said and Michele sighed: “Okay we’ve got to think sober about this situation. Well, you do, Charlie.” “Damn right”, he muttered before walking over to the sideboard, almost falling over when he came to a hold with his hands on its upper side: "I have to correct my mistakes tomorrow!" “That’s the spirit!”, Harry said and Michele smiled. “You most certainly have the right ideas even now, Charlie.” “I have fucked up but I am a grown man and like that I will take responsibility for my actions!” He had grabbed the bottle even before the other two could yell “No!” and they only watched in horror as he emptied it. Charlie held down a burp, put the bottle back on the table and smile confident: "I have to talk to him again and explain myself." “And there it goes down the drain, the last piece of his common sense”, Harry hissed. “Thanks for lending me your ear, guys”, Charlie said and took a wobbly step away from the sideboard. “I am going back to my room now, enjoy your night.” He walked towards the door: “Or maybe I could try to talk to Marco again – no, that’s a stupid idea.” “You just drank half a bottle of wine in one go, mate, you are not going anywhere”, Harry said and Michele sighed but Charlie waved his hand while he staggered towards the door. “Don’t let me cockblock you, Happy fucking.” And with that he tripped and fell to his knees. He frowned at the floor while Michele got up to help him. “You know, Michele”, Charlie said while the Sicilian pulled him on his legs. “On second thought it might have been six beer.”

'Don't let me cockblock you, happy fucking', followed immediately by Charlie tripping and nearly falling on his face is deadass THE funniest thing I have ever written. I love how hilarious the entire situation is, solely because Charlie is an impulsive son of a bitch who keeps making bad decisions. Whenever he seems on track, he just cannot shut his mouth, he just cannot control a whim for a moment too long and it bites him in the ass the very next second. I love him so much. Furthermore, the scene itself is a perfect blend of wit and slapstick. I've outdone myself here.

Also, fuck you, ao3 says I have 382 170 words uploaded right now and that is still far from all I've ever written. So you're getting another scene.

From Smudged Makeup & Cleaning Up:

“I hate myself,” she said in French. “I hate myself and I hate him, I hate both of them so much,” she sobbed as her breath hitched and tears began to run down her face again. “Don’t cry again, shhht, don’t do that,” Hugo whispered and began to rock from side to side. “It’s okay, it’s nothing to cry about.” “I wouldn’t have to see it if I had just opened my stupid mouth and had told him how I felt, if I had just told him these stupid three words I now wouldn’t have to see this.” Her voice was something between a whisper and a hiss.

There are at least two more little paragraphs I could have shared from that one-shot, so I decided to go with the most emotional part. I reread it last night and I still think it is a pretty damn good piece of writing. It's funny, interesting and it shows all of the characters (Timothea, Hugo, Arielle) and their relationships to one another marvellously. I'd sincerely reccommend it to everyone, although the (not as good for sure) A French Trio Of Bad Decisions may be required reading to understand who Arielle is talking about in the above excerpt. (Amber, since you already read that one though, you can just go and enjoy Smudged Makeup & Cleaning Up as your first taste of Thea before you delve into The Amulet for more <3)

6. What character do you have the most fun writing?

That's a good question! I was going to go through Irish Problems and Italian Affairs again, tallying up who has how many POV Scenes, but gave up rather quickly; it's just very hard to determine with all the headhopping that happens in the beginning. Last time I checked it was Harry. The following list is by no means exhaustive and talks mainly about the characters as POV characters. I very much enjoy writing all of my children, whether they're the POV character or not in any given scene.

Charlie is definitely one of them, I feel very at home in his head and he's so much fun to write. His catastrophizing, his intense but jumpy emotions, his impulsivity and kindness, his dialogue and thoughts ... He is so much fun. I'd have to lie to say this gay adhd mess doesn't hold a special place in my heart.

Francesco is another good one, solely because I love being in his head. It's a nightmare in there at times, but that's what makes it fun. Let the sadism fight the catholic guilt, the lust for pleasure at all cost the need for kindness. He's a very vibrant character with an undeniable presence in each scene he is in and it's always fun to write interesting characters.

Lovino's also always a blast. His ranting, his annoyance, his fidgeting (oh, god, if someone asks me for a favourite scene again, I am sharing the one where he shuffled around too much during a car ride and ended up folded like a lawn chair in the footwell). The tumultous inside of his head, his doubts, his fears. I have nothing but love for him and I already miss him, despite not technically having finished Italian Affairs. The rewrite is still ahead of me and I am going to savour every single moment I get to write my favourite South Italian.

Last but not least a shoutout to Hugo. I think he is very interesting as well, with the masks he wears and the intensity that lies beneath them. He's both a sweet young man AND a fuckboy AND a little bitch. The only problem with Hugo is that I'm never 100% sure in his characterisation and have to consult Jonah, his creator, in those cases.

10. How would you describe your writing process?

Messy as shit for being this organized - or Surprisingly organized for being messy as shit. I've developed this process over the past eight years and I'll probably keep tweaking screws as time goes on.

This is my process for my big, multi-chapter, novellength main series entries. Anything else usually gets done in a similiar fashion, just with some of the steps lacking. (I didn't vomitdraft for rarepairweek, for example, nor did I do the proofreading on paper because deadline.)

1. I make an outline. I used to call this "Scene Plan", because it is just that - a list of each scene, with a very short description that makes no sense to anyone but me. Seriously, YOU tell me what is going on here:

2. I collect all snippets that come to mind for a series in a document; if I already have an outline, I copy whatever scene they would belong to as a header. Those things happen all the time, it isn't a conscious effort.

3. I take those snippets, paste them into Quollwriter and then vomitdraft for a few days. Each day around 500 words, as fast as possible. Whatever comes to mind goes onto the page, rarely backtracking. It's not about it being presentable, it's about having something written that serves as skeleton for the scene. I research jack shit at this point and directly type (Look this shit up) into the text.

4. Once a scene/chapter is done, I copy it into word and read through it to take notes in a little notebook. I write down what to research, what I like in the draft, what I dislike and what I still ponder. I try to draw the first connections to give the chapter a coherent feeling. (Chapters for the main series consist of three scenes, so I take notes for a scene and edit it before I repeat the process for the next - I don't take comments for three scenes in a row.)

5. I begin to edit the scene with a goal of 200 words a day. I usually exceed it; during a very bad day I fall a little short of it. I try to write every day or every two days, unless something else requires my focus more (like a term paper). Oftentimes I start a writing session with tweaking what I did the day before, before I continue. I usually also do the research as it is called for at this stage - The Amulet was the only time I did research before I even begun to write. My usual timer is 30 Minutes, but I tend to write for a little longer if I am in the flow. Or I sit there for 4 hours to finish a scene because I am THAT much in the flow and I want the GODFORSAKEN THING DONE.

6. Once I finished editing the chapter or one-shot, I print it out and go through it with a red gel pen. I correct typos, formatting errors or formatting choices I don't agree with. I rewrite sentences that I think read clumsily and cross out words that repeat too much. I sometimes add things to moments that are lacking or I cross out sentences that now feel unnecessary. Once finished, I apply the corrections to my document.

7. If I have a beta-reader (like the lovely @swabianmapley for Herz Auf Beat), this is the point at which I send them the document and wait for their feedback & corrections.

8. I post the thing onto the black void that is The Internet, lie to myself that I don't care about feedback & yet still keep checking ao3 for new hits/kudos/bookmarks/comments and begin the same process for my next project a few days later.

16. Tried anything new with your writing lately? (style, POV, genre, fandom?)

Hmm. I don't know if it counts, but in the coffee one-shots for rarepairweek I tried to make peace with the 'holes' I left. To not explain everything, but let the reader draw their own conclusion. Aside from that ... Been trying to put more emotion into my writing. I felt so unsatisfied with the big Charco kiss at the end of Italian Affairs that I'm now making an effort into describing emotions and sensations more, especially internally and not simply physically.