#and also like i like being able to read at my own pace vs the pace of a narrator

[queenerdloser]

gotta say it's a little wild to me that the reading community has decided that audiobooks aren't "real reading" considering humanity has spent thousands of years with a oral storytelling tradition and only a couple hundred with a widespread literate tradition. before books became so cheap and affordable everyone could get their own copy, reading out loud to a group (your family, your friends) was extremely commonplace. humanity has shared stories orally since the dawn of storytelling. like stop being snobby about how people consume books but also if anyone should get to be snobs about what counts as "real reading" it's probably audiobook people.

[owlbelly]

so. i understand where the sentiment "listening to an audiobook is the same thing as reading the book" is coming from - i mean, yes, the bottom line is you are taking in the same words in what is possibly a more accessible (or maybe just more enjoyable) format for you! and i'm 100% in agreement that "book snobs" who say "no you didn't really read it" if you listened to the audiobook are full of shit. ofc you should engage with stories in whatever way works for you, there is no moral or intellectual superiority to reading words off a page vs. listening to them

but it also is different? an audiobook is a performance. choices a narrator makes about line readings can drastically influence the meaning of the lines. even just different voices, accents, etc. - there are creative choices being made by the person delivering the words to you, and that affects your experience of the story in a different way than if you were making those choices in your own head. it might even change the way you visualize what's going on!

this isn't a bad thing it's just An Actual Thing & i think it's worth talking about. it rubs me the wrong way when people act like accommodations (and for many people audiobooks are an accommodation) always result in a completely identical experience, or even that they should, & if you suggest that people accessing media in different ways are having different experiences it's somehow ableist

anyway on rare occasions i really enjoy audiobooks but mostly they are much less accessible to me than words on a page (i need to be able to reread, flip back and forth, go at my own pace) & i also just really strongly prefer to encounter a text on my own before hearing someone else's performance of it, if possible! again i don't think it's "better" to read a physical book i just think it is a Distinct form of experiencing a story & acting like the two things are entirely the same is sort of doing a disservice to both

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group E Round 4: Are You Ok vs Moriarty the Patriot

#E1: Are You Ok (You Yao)

Transmigrators modernize ancient China. Chaos ensues.

#E4: Moriarty the Patriot (Yuukoku no Moriarty)

Gay found family criminals versus corrupt nobility

#E1: Are You Ok (You Yao)

Summary:

People from the modern world transmigrating into the ancient Chinese fantasy world has become a common and everyday occurrence that the royal court in the latter has decided to moderate them. If you’re a transmigrator, you must report your existence to Lou Zhu, the master of Best Tower. Once you pass his test and prove that you are indeed a modern person, you can then be assigned to work in different areas of the government and be given a high salary.

Because of this promised benefit, many impostors have showed up before Lou Zhu. And one day, Zuo Yunqi takes this test as well. Is he an impostor, or is he an actual modern person?

But some transmigrators also choose to hide their existence out of distrust in the government. Where are they? And with their advanced knowledge on science and technology, what are they planning in the dark?

Elsewhere, other transmigrators find themselves in all sorts of situations—an art student is detained and forced to come up with a recipe for a poisonous meal, while another is stuck sharing a body with the original soul and fighting for its control. Meanwhile, unrest rises in the Jianghu and a storm brews in the palace. Can our transmigrators’ modern knowledge save the day? Or will their lack of understanding in the current world lead to their downfall?

Propaganda:

As someone who is in the You Yao and YuuMori fandoms and adores both for being very gay while still having a good plot, I’d say these two stories are tied in terms of quality. They both execute their respective genres well and really shouldn’t be pitted against each other. But since I absolutely have to choose, then I’m siding with You Yao for this round. The YuuMori anime is a bit lacking compared to its manga, whereas the You Yao donghua elevates the original novel and breathes new life into it.

I started both shows as an anime-only. While watching YuuMori, there was always this nagging feeling at the back of my mind that I was missing out on something. There were so many instances that seemed odd or abrupt. The “found family” gang felt forced, and Sherlock’s attachment and dedication to William seemed excessive in the episodes leading to the climax and even at the climax. It turns out the anime had cut out a chapter in the manga where Sherlock visited William at the college where he teaches. This was such a let-down for me because that chapter showed how the two interact outside of a crime scene and still be friends.

In contrast, the You Yao donghua was able to stand on its own. You don’t even have to read the novel anymore, which is surprising coming from someone like me who always advocates on experiencing the source material.

In the novel, arcs seem disconnected from each other that, while reading, you don’t get the feeling that there’s an overarching plot. It is only later in the story that everything starts slowly coming together.

Somehow, the You Yao donghua was able to take the scattered puzzle pieces of the novel and connect them all together to deliver a coherent story all the while still keeping the spirit of the original—a suckerpunching emotional rollercoaster ride masquerading as yet another comedy. Characters were also given more emotional depth, which is a plus because the novel only portrayed it subtly. Even the donghua-original characters were so likable that I had to double-check if they were canon.

The YuuMori anime has its good parts of course, but overall I think it could’ve done a lot better in terms of character relationships and pacing.

So yeah, both stories are equally good in each of their own genres. But on being an animated adaptation? You Yao takes the win. Vote You Yao.

Trigger warnings: Guns, kidnapping, and imprisonment. Nothing too dark, though.

#E4: Moriarty the Patriot (Yuukoku no Moriarty)

Summary:

During the late 19th century, Great Britain has become the greatest empire the world has ever known. Hidden within its success, the nation's rigid economic hierarchy dictates the value of one's life solely on status and wealth. To no surprise, the system favors the aristocracy at the top and renders it impossible for the working class to ascend the ranks.

William James Moriarty, the second son of the Moriarty household, lives as a regular noble while also being a consultant for the common folk to give them a hand and solve their problems. However, deep inside him lies a desire to destroy the current structure that dominates British society and those who benefit from it.

Alongside his brothers Albert and Louis, William will do anything it takes to change the filthy world he lives in—even if blood must be spilled.

Propaganda:

The story isn’t quite on par with the manga (solely due to there being not enough episodes to cover full character arcs), but the ‘eat the rich’ vibes are immaculate, the plot is complex and interesting, the queercoding and subtext are both wonderfully done, AND there is a CANON TRANS CHARACTER !!!!

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Gender Identity/Sexuality Discrimination, Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore, Rape/Non-Con, Self-Harm, Suicide

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form with your revisions, and I’ll consider adapting those changes.

New: Starting round 5, screenshots will be included in the poll post. You can submit screenshots through the form linked above, or through here, via ask or dm.

Guidelines in submitting screenshots:

No NSFW or spoilery images.

Pick some good images please. Don’t send any blurry or pixelated ones.

You may send up to 9 screenshots, but not all may be used.

[aquaquadrant]

Popping in to say that I’ve been following ur htp au since like,,, October last year? I’ve left some asks before about how much I love it (I was that anon who was needing out about tango and bravo’s names and the international flag code from several months ago + a few other asks)

The ending was the most beautiful and SATISFYING piece of literature I’ve ever written. Genuinely. Wtf. And I’ve read a lot of books. I’m an English/creative writing major and your work is so beautiful, the story arcs, every loose end was tied up, you’re like the new standard for awesomeness. Seriously.

every loose end was wrapped up so well, all the closure and follow up we wanted, explanations of things like Scáil, hels meanings, their admin, even other hermits at the end there that were mentioned about in asks before but I never thought would be relevant in the main story. Things we didn’t even need to know like bX I was not expecting at all, I was content with just what we knew about him but you made it even better.

also the callbacks to earlier chapters, earlier moments and little jokes, bravo and Timmy’s not a builder moment was awesome, the way you portrayed bravo and tangos mindsets was phenomenal and with such intricacies. Stunning. And you didn’t force a reconciliation between bravo and timmy either, so natural.

Everything had a reason, an explanation, even the intricacies of herobrine? wasnt expecting that at all. Or Alex???! You didn’t need to include that detail BUT YOU DID AND I LOVE IT

the way you explained the greater player universe learning about hels, also the pausing on the red stone tutorial!! Loved that part. The pov switches and pacing of the last chapter p 1 and 2 were perfect. Well executed to keep the reader able to understand but still enough suspense. Not to mention once again your way of capturing each persons way of talking. Bravo having similar vocab to tango especially really drives home their similarities.

The way atlas breaks. It’s so hard to make an ending with someone like him SATISFYING because man I’ve read so many stories where it’s just not it. But you did it so fucking well. And subjected to retail salesman lifestyle on top of that? Wonderful. His damn glasses finally broken. Good. Or The watchers and listeners in the background too! Loved that. You explained things that were talked about in asks so well that even those who don’t read the asks could understand.

Most of all emotional and moral nuance. So perfectly explained. As someone who used to have a hard time with moral ocd I relate a lot to the obsession with good vs evil that I’ve had to come to terms with in my own journey and I can really see that mirrored in this fic, just like the characters learn.

And in addition to it all, I loved the ending with the Minecraft credits end message. You not only made it interesting and beautiful story and awareness of the player’s existence without being too confusing, but perfectly replicated the voices of the end credits characters. The tone and language that the original has. Last week I beat the enderdragon for the first time. I used to only play on public servers or private worlds with friends, even in single player I was a big coward and hated fighting mobs even with keep inventory and no mob griefing, they just stress me out!! But I did it for the first time and I read through the entire end credits of a game I’ve loved for so long for the first time and it made me cry. And you replicated it perfectly which is SO hard to do. The benevolence of the universe, no plot holes to be found about the logic of hels, the voices of the two people and their storytelling and acknowledging of the story. The universe is described so similarly in cannon about the good and bad that it’s like the au fits perfectly. The “why them?” Beautiful. It was like deja vu scrolling through like the end credits with the same benevolent warmth that envelops you like a wordless, comforting presence from this fictional universe. A touching moral about games and stories and people. And just like the end credits of both the game and this fic said, there will be another game and another story. The universe still loves the player just as it did before. This was such a special story to read and I am so glad I did. Genuinely, this will stay with me for a long time, we can learn a lot not just about writing and storytelling techniques, but about ourselves and eachother too.

Thank you.

AUUGHHHH…. genuinely one of the loveliest reviews i’ve ever gotten… your reaction to the finale is everything i could’ve hoped to achieve. thank you thank you THANK YOU <333

[kadextra]

so on a whim I started reading omniscient reader’s viewpoint manhwa

..and got hooked on the story so hard that I easily blasted through all available eps in less than a week. istg they put dr*gs in this thing it’s so good???? 😭

[SPOILER WARNING! big ramble ahead. if you’ve never read it, leave this post. consider checking it out you won’t be able to put it down]

lets get this out of the way first.

RAHHHHHH KIM DOKJA….. KIM DOKJA I LOVE YOU

GUYSSSSS 🥺 LISTEN. HE’S SUCH A GOOD PROTAGONIST. MY TRAUMA BOY. MY DUDE WITH THE POWER TO INFODUMP PEOPLE TO DEATH. YOU SELF-SACRIFICING IDIOT. his cunning intelligence makes him super attractive what can I say, I LOVE smart mcs with ambiguous morality and self sacrificial nature

here’s a big ✨shut your mouth✨ to every character who’s said he’s ugly- get your eyes checked, get a job get away from him (I know it’s because of the fourth wall’s filter it’s not their fault I’m just being silly)

the fourth wall is such a cool power to have. the complexity of how it acts based on his perception of fiction vs reality as the reader …. that’s very interesting and well thought out!!! how it lowkey has a consciousness too and it’s so tied into his mental state makes me want to psychoanalyze this guy even more. probably one of the most unique powers I’ve seen created and explored in a story tbh

I think the entire system of how the world works is really well done in general. constellations watching the apocalyptic bloodbath via livestream and sending donos to their favorite little guys shouldn’t work as well as it does and cracks me up so much 😭 (uriel is the best). I enjoy learning about all the irl different fables, history & mythologies too. plus doing my own research is fun! I did a deep dive through the web to learn about dokkaebi folklore lol I’m having a good time

I also related hard to how dokja read TWSA throughout his life, the story was a companion for him. got choked up bc I reflected on how much my own favorite companion stories for years mean to me. there’s been situations I’ve thought “what would (character) do?” dokja saying stuff like “what would joonghyuk do?” felt like I got called out <3 I’d probably be the same as him if my favorite characters suddenly came to life

anyways yeah I caught up with the manhwa looked online and discovered it comes from an already completed novel with over 500 chapters and the manhwa is barely a third into adapting it though it’s been releasing every week for 4 years. and that it’ll take like 10 more years to finish. I then planted my face in my hands and screamed with despair

I’ll shrivel up waiting to see what happens……………heyyy woahhhh.. whats this light of salvation ? the novel file just completed download on my phone ? that’s crazyy wow I opened it ? im scrolling it right now ? omg I’m telling myself in the mirror “pace yourself, try to space your reading out do NOT read too fast” ?

jokes aside im excited, first I’ll take some time to read back through the earlier chapters for extra context of scenes! >:D after I finish doing that…. pls pray for my self-control to try stretching this for as long as possible. I’m pumped to see what happens next with this demon king part so maybe I’ll read along with the manhwa unless I get too impatient heh

to conclude- I had no idea the fandom of orv was so passionate. while closing my eyes to spoilers, I was looking at beautiful fanart and animatics (watched this one and ascended that’s one of my fav rin songs). I can tell how much you guys love the story, there’s always going to be people like me who get interested so keep it up :D if the fandom does end up reading this, ummm *knocks on the door* hi im new

I will likely talk about it more in the future!! tagging under “#kade reads orv” ! might draw fanart on my art blog too bc brainworms <3 happy reading everyone

[happyk44]

So I just found out that Poseidon is also the god of droughts and what are your thoughts on a child of poseidon with drought powers, a complete opposite to their more sea based children?

[ID: Screenshot of a google search. The search term reads, "god of drought in gr...". The search term is cut off due to the mobile layout of the screenshot. A featured snippet at the top comes from wikipedia, reading, "List of water of deities".

The core of the screenshot is the People Also Ask section, of which the return is "Who is the Greek god of drought?" This question has been dropped down to show a result from "www.theoi.com". The answer reads, "Poseidon was the Olympian god of the sea, earthquake, floods, drought and horses. He was depicted as a mature man with a sturdy build and a dark beard holding a trident (a three-pronged fisherman's spear)." /end ID]

Oh! I knew this 🙌 I think it's related to him being the god of the sea/water, sort of like how Apollo is associated with healing but also the plague. I always find it funny when that happens 🤣

So for the kids who skew more to the side of drought, obviously they still have their sea powers. They're probably far more dry in tone, less empathic, less emotional. Maybe they're more prone to the earthshaker side of Poseidon as well, and the equine, to make up for the lesser interest in the sea. Plus earthquakes and horses are more land-based and a drought affects the land (agricultural loss, wildfires, increased sandstorms, etc).

In PJO canon, I'd want to say drought-based kids grew up more inland where access to a large body of water was difficult to come across. So it's less about internal nature (as with my interpretation of the freshwater vs seastorm Neptune babies), and more about familiarity and adaptation - sort of like how catci and other desert plants have evolved to handle long periods without water.

Powers that they have an increased capability for over their sea counterparts:

causing earthquakes! they can manipulate them on a small or large scale, but they have higher propensity. it's a little harder for them to cause underwater earthquakes tho (which. can become tsunamis btw)

dehydration - sort of an inverse of drowning a person in their own fluids, they will the liquids inside them to dry up at a rapid pace

as a subset of that, i think it would be so cool if they could pull a tantalus-like punishment with enough focus on someone. no matter how much you drink, you will always be thirsty, you will never be satisfied, you will be captain barbosa and his crew, turning skeletal in the moonlight

they can withstand higher and drier heats than their sea-preferred counterparts (for example, percy would be hanging off of carter in the desert, crying for water, while they're chilling and vibing, truly a cactus of a person)

similarly, they retain water better, and sweat less. their bodies need less fluid to keep going on (this makes them better at giving blood lol, stay juicy everybody!)

while most children of poseidon are capable of piling water in the air into something usable, the drought prone kids have picked up how to pull water/usable liquid from anything available, as dry climates may lack enough water in the air for it to be worthwhile compared to humid climates --- so they're more likely to pull water out of living things, pull water out of the ground, or even find water deep underground (well water!)

due to the above, they're more capable of causing inland floods, they can pull water out from deep in the earth and force it to surround areas that are devoid of rivers, lakes, or even high rainfalls - this isn't just because of the whole "god of floods" thing either, it's because after a long period of drought, sudden rains can cause flash flooding to occur, so they're good at making flood happens

heat generation! they may be able to make things hotter, and/or drier

they have perpetual black thumbs. they are... not very good at growing plants lol

finding/summoning horses. it might take a while, but if there is a horse, they will find it (like the horse version of a dowsing rod, which, lol, they're kind of the human version of a dowsing rod, i guess), and if there are no horses nearby, they will get one to come to them through ✨ vibes ✨

their version of a storm is a heatwave OR extreme rain. yes, they can summon hurricanes or typhoons, but those are much more ocean-based things. so forcing high and burning levels of heat that makes everyone stumble and sag, sweating through every inch of fabric they have OR extreme and heavy rainfall that practically drowns you where you stand and knocks you to the ground is more their instinct

lowkey i wanna give them sandstorms as well, since that can be an effective of long-period of drought, but. you know. idk how much greece was ever getting pummeled by sandstorms for that to be something they associated with drought. (egypt, on the other hand, set, my dangerous and beloved)

(funnily enough set is also the god of foreigners, so like, who knows, maybe he and poseidon struck a funny deal when one of his kids traipsed over there while wandering around)

Since I think the difference between sea-based Poseidon babies and land-based Poseidon babies is just due to their adaptation of their environment, I think someone who is sea-based could easily become more land-based after living in such conditions for a while, and vice versa. Sort of like accents, lol. You know, if Percy decided to up and move to the desert in his 40s, he'd adapt after an initial period of "oh my gods oh my gods where is the fucking water where is the ocean i am dying" lol. it would take him a lot longer to pick up on the accent of the land than if he were younger, and so he'd still maintain his "sea" accent long-term

Because of this, I think it would be really neat if, way back when, it was common for the kids to take a few months away from camp to go living in the desert for a bit so they could pick up some land skills - like a rite of passage for poseidon demigods. one of the older cabin members goes out with them to make sure they don't die, helps them hone into the skills they might not have tapped into before, etc and so on. The kids come back at the end of their outing, more well-rounded and capable of tapping into the opposite side of their powers, when and if needed. Some of the kids might repeat the outing more than once for funsies, but most of them usually just do the one time thing, and then practice their land-based powers on a smaller scale at camp.

If a land-based kid comes into camp when they're much older, they don't typically have to do the outing, but sometimes they'll go out, not to learn anything, but to help the others, since they'll essentially receive assistance with their sea-based powers while they're at camp (presuming every version of camp has been based near the ocean or some giant water mass throughout the years - if not, then it goes the other way around, where they take a few months to go chill out on a beach for a few months).

Thanks for asking! If anyone else has any extra ideas, feel free to add them on! :)

Additionally, just 'cause, here are the four types of droughts I came across while googling "drought causes" because, lol, I'm an island boy, I am not familiar with droughts and wanted to get some facts in that weren't high temps and low rainfall (source):

Meteorological: region-specific; occur when an area receives less rainfall than normal; often measured by comparing the current situation to previous years’ rainfall. Some locations are affected more harshly than others.

Agricultural: when there is not enough moisture in the soil to sustain the growth of crops. Crops need different amounts of water based on their level of maturity, so they can be susceptible to droughts at different times. For example, most plants require moist topsoil to germinate, but this could be less important down the line as the plant matures. So, the effects of an agricultural drought hinge largely on the growth stage of the plants.

Hydrological: when there is a lack of surface and subsurface water supply; detrimental effects can be most readily observed in watersheds and river basins; affect the entire water cycle, take longer to notice, and have effects less immediately obvious than with other droughts.

Socioeconomic: when the water supply is too low to support human and environmental needs; wreaks havoc on the supply and demand of crucial commodities like water, grains, fish, and hydroelectric power.

[raelyn-dreams]

Hi hi!! Did you read the valkyrie climax event? What are your thoughts on it? Do you think it was a good development for Valkyrie as a unit (and for shumika)? 🤔

Hi!!! It's lovely to see you again :)

So originally this post started off with a Le temps des fleurs analysis...that got so long that rather than subject everyone to a five page post, I've decided I'll post separately in the future lol.

But yes, I have read through Raison D'etre! To be honest, I don't think this post will be able to sum up all my thoughts, but I'll try to hit the important parts!

I feel that first I need to define what, to me, makes a good climax event. A good climax event, by my personal definition, ties up loose threads of the current storyline, addresses built-up conflicts with good pacing and in-character reactions, and resolves the current story thread of the unit while still allowing many more narratives to be weaved in the future. So far, of the other units we've gotten climax events of (fine, Crazy:B, Ra*bits, Double Face, and as of recently, 2wink), I think this has all been done fairly well - a couple character slip-ups, a few pacing issues here and there, a shoved-in conflict or two - but ultimately, they did their job, and I came away feeling fairly satisfied by their current conclusions.

I think I also need to state that I do not expect, nor frankly want, all of the character's issues and relationships to come away squeaky clean and unproblematic. I'm always for development of course (Neverland's garbage talk made me sob over how far Shu and Mika have come), but ultimately, this game is about a bunch of screwed-up kids in an exploitative industry, and how they navigate it while facing their own personal issues. Like other gacha games, from otomes like Obey Me to fellow joseimukes like Twisted Wonderland, the end goal is not to make the characters perfect, or even relatively good people. It's to weave a satisfying narrative, something that hooks and engages people. And while I will be the first to say the Enstars writing is not always "good" and can be riddled with problems, I still see a lot of potential in it and ultimately enjoy it, which is why I'm writing this.

I'm happy to say that Valkyrie did not break the pattern of satisfying climax events for me, and in fact, has come away as my favorite of them thus far. I readily admit that bias does in fact play a factor in my enjoyment - as it did with 2wink's and I'm sure it will when Alkaloid's drops - but I truly did feel that Valkyrie's climax event was incredibly satisfying for both of them.

So, onto the story!

Some of my favorite bits:

Shu defending Nazuna's autonomy was so asdfghjkl 😭 GODDAMN that hit me right in the feels! I liked that despite Nazuna being part of the event, the writing didn't try to dredge up ex-valk issues, and instead used Nazuna as a person close to them in order to forward their development, rather than as an angst tool, if that makes sense? He also seems to be doing a lot better since Ra*bits climax (poor man finally caught a break), so good for him! Also, Mika gaining weight! He is finally eating properly 🥺 I'm so proud.

Ok, so adding onto the above, initially the Kuro-Nazuna crossdressing subplot made me wary since I was afraid enstars was backtracking into some of its more...iffy writing choices (*stares at Poltergeist*). However, after reading the story through, I can safely say that the way it ties back into the theme was good, and ultimately, neither Kuro nor Nazuna exhibited any behavior that impacted my enjoyment of the story (+ this thread addressing issues people had with Kuro here, because my dude was getting attacked when this dropped).

Instead of "haha man in a dress", it showed a good progression of attitudes with old vs new era and Japan vs West that I felt was explored pretty thoughtfully, and the way Shu and Mika honored that by having such gnc stage costumes was very lovely! Kuro and Nazuna's good reactions to it also showed how much more open-minded they were as compared to Shu's grandfathers era, and also showed a reflection of enstars own writing changes between ! and !! era (ex. Koga and Subaru dropping their slur usage towards Arashi, Kaoru being more thoughtful towards Adonis's background, etc). I'm not trying to be a suck-up to the writers, since there is some stuff they've written that is...less than lovely. However, I don't think this situation was one of them, and overall, it tied back into Shu's journey well.

One scene I really want to talk about is the foie gras conversation because that was just!!! so!!! It's a very small scene in the grand scheme of things, but I thought it showed their development really well (Raelyn get new phrases challenge lol), so I wanted to mention it here! Mika wants to try foie gras, and Shu is like "why. it's gross and inhumane and there are so many better foods" which is totally fair (foie gras is often inhumanely created). However, Mika doesn't automatically apologize and back down like he would in the past, stating that he knows, but he still finds it interesting. Shu also does not shut Mika down; he states that maybe at another time, though he sticks to his own boundaries of not having it himself.

What I really like about this scene on Shu's end (and his relationship with Mika as a whole) is that he does not regress into treating Mika like he did Nazuna; he does not try to insist that Mika is perfect and should not soil himself with such indelicacies, nor does he put him on a pedestal and automatically throw out his own opinions for Mika (essentially, treating him as Mika treated him). Shu truly treats him as an equal here, by stating his own opinion and having an open and meaningful conversation with Mika, getting his view on it without completely sacrificing his own thoughts. Mika, in turn, does not treat Shu's words as gospel, nor does he feel the need to plead his case; the conversation is entirely casual, a mere exchange between partners, but its so important because its one of the first times they've demonstrated that they've made it to this point. The whole thing is wrapped very nicely in a bow by Shu creating something with a similar taste and texture to foie gras to give Mika a similar experience, without having to cook the actual thing - its a great compromise both are satisfied with, and gives us a look into how their current art and performances are being created.

(Translations below by mika_enstars)

Shu's whole-hearted acceptance of Mika also comes back into play during the grave-robbing aftermath, which is something I have a lot of thoughts on, so I'll save it for a separate post.

Getting into what blew every enstars fan's mind, time to discuss the very queer themes of Raison D'etre. This shocked me when the translations first came out - I think the closest we've EVER gotten to this amount of explicit rep was Beasts and Pretty Mission, and even those can be argued for different interpretations, though I feel their text is pretty clear. Lots of queer fans (including me) gravitate to Valkyrie, and enstars as a whole tbh, for good reason - lots of their story aspects can be considered queer, from Shu's feminine interests and subsequent bullying, Nazuna feeling "trapped" by ex-Valk's expectations, and Mika's alt interests and unwavering devotion.

The doll plot was confusing as hell lol, but I get why it was done in such a convoluted manner, since it was supposed to be left up to interpretation, and force Shu and Mika to come to their own conclusions. Shu's grandfather deliberately set it up in such a way that Shu would be forced to weave the story he wants, and in doing so, accept the parts of himself he had hidden away - a fairly thin parallel to his grandfather's queer youth.

However, the difference here is that Shu does not plan on hiding, he does not plan on bundling away his feelings in a neat little box (or journal, in this case), and leaving them behind. In Antique Legend, we see that Shu's grandfather clearly tried to conform to what was expected of him, and impart those same values onto Shu - though Shu never fully stuck to those principles in favor of forging his own path, which I think his grandfather was secretly proud of him for.

(Antique Legend: Dumps of Dreams, Ep 8)

Shu internally monologues about how different his grandfather's time and the current one he lives in are, and how things are evolving in such a way that he can stand on stage without the ridicule his grandfather may have faced. This, along with the ending of "Let's live together happily, Kagehira" as an ode to his grandfather's dreams, really does read like a love story to me, especially the part right before where Mika compares the love Shu's grandmother has for his grandfather as the same love Shu has for him - which Shu doesn't deny.

A couple other things to wrap up:

I found it so interesting how Mika and Shu had different takes on his grandfather's life, and trying to unravel the truth was both fun and a chore and a half for me lol. All in all, the audience isn't meant to know fully, but I think Mika's theory might hold a bit more water (Shu's grandfather being gnc and dating the landlady), since he had extra info and is bffs with Naru, giving him a bit more insight. However, I can definitely see why Shu went with his theory of "grandpa had many different male lovers in his youth", as not only is it the one that does not imply cheating, but it is a closer representation of how Shu feels, and I think that's what grandpa was trying to get at.

The use of "boku" and "ore" was also pretty good storytelling imo, and adds an extra layer of projection, since Shu uses "boku" while Mika uses "ore" in day-to-day life. "Boku" is also seen as politer and more formal, while "ore" is more casual and was at one point seen as crass, which reflected their story roles well!

The fact that Shu's grandfather just??? Fakes his death on a regular basis is???? So???? I can't even asdfghjkl. Kuro being like "yeah, I comforted him the first 5 times, but then I got kinda sick of it" is so funny too. I wonder if any of the rich enstars kids are gonna do this in the future, my money's on Eichi (for profit), Ritsu (for fun), or Hiyori (for drama) personally.

I know I said I wouldn't talk about it here, but the grave-robbing aftermath where Shu describes Mika as a fairy during their first meeting, as a contrast to how he had always described him as a ghost? That got me so good, especially since it's something so idealistic being used when Mika is currently cold and covered in dirt. It's just such wholehearted acceptance of his partner, it's so beautiful.

Anyways, I think I'll end it here, but again, thank you so much for the ask and patience Dia!!!

(Edit: accidentally included RYUSEITAI with the climax units, it's fixed now)

[writingquestionsanswered]

I had a question about the pacing of my writing, and was hoping you had advice? Whenever I write, it feels like the scene moves too fast. I start out with a scene and though I write everything I'd planned in it, it feels far too short and fast-paced. Is there any way to make it smoother, more natural?

Slowing the Pace of a Scene

Three things you need to make sure you're doing:

1 - Balance action, dialogue, and exposition.

When people say their scenes are moving too fast, it's almost always because the scene is mostly dialogue. Adding action and exposition will help beef up your scene and slow down the pace a little.

"Action" doesn't have to mean "big action" like a car chase or a battle. Action just means something is happening. One of the easiest ways to include action in your story is to incorporate it into existing dialogue by making sure your characters aren't just floating heads exchanging words. Think about their facial expressions, their hand gestures, and their body language. Think about how they're moving around, how they're interacting with their environment, with each other, and with other characters. For example, a character fidgeting with an object while the other speaks is action. A character petting the cat while speaking is action. You can also incorporate action by having your character notice things happening around them while dialogue is taking place or while they're thinking about things. They might look out the window and watch a car driving by, leaving a trail of dust in its path. Or, they might be watching some kids play while they're thinking about their childhood or something that happened in the past.

Exposition is what we think of as the "narration" part of the story. Depending on the POV of the narrator (whether they're third-person omniscient, third-person limited, first-person, or second-person -- see Choosing a Point-of-View) they'll be able to tell the reader important information, relay character thought and observations, and describe things like characters, setting, and things that are happening.

2 - Beef Up Your Description

Since describing things like characters, setting, and things happening is part of including exposition, it's worth noting the importance of creating solid descriptions. I can say "the fruit was round and red" and that's a description. Or, I could say, "the fruit was round and rough-skinned, looking more like a small red dragon egg than a piece of fruit," and that's a beefed up description. The second one is more interesting to read and paints a better picture in the reader's mind.

One of the keys to beefing up description is to make sure you're including sensory details. Always be thinking about what the character can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. You don't have to include all of those elements in every description, but always have them in mind so you can use the ones that add something.

Another thing to consider is "showing vs telling." When writing, it's sometimes tempting to write things like: She looked out the window and saw that the sun was shining. Sometimes it's okay to just directly state things to the reader like this, but a lot of the time it's better to take the time to show the reader the thing instead of stating it. So, for example: She moved the curtain aside and peered across the yard. Golden rays of sunlight cut through the boughs and branches of the stately oak trees lining the driveway. That's a little more interesting and visual, isn't it? Again, though, don't be afraid to "tell" when it makes more sense. Follow your gut. :)

3 - Know the Structure of Your Scene

Scenes, like stories themselves, have their own structure. A solid scene has its own beginning, middle, and end, as well as its own goal. There are different ideas about how scenes need to be structured and what they need to accomplish--and these often depend on the type of story being written--but what matters is that the scene has a purpose that somehow advances the plot, and that it has some type of conflict... something that opposes your character as they try to accomplish their goal in the scene, and some sort of outcome--either they accomplish their scene goal, or they don't, and we need to see what that means for the character.

And a scene goal doesn't have to be anything grand. It can be as simple as they need to explain a misunderstanding to another character. The opposition can be as simple as the other character resisting hearing them out, or maybe they keep getting interrupted. The outcome is either that they succeed in explaining the misunderstanding or they fail. The consequences of succeeding are that they make up, the consequences of failing is that they don't. And we don't have to actually see the consequences play out, we just have to know they're there. A simple, "When they smiled, I knew prom was back on and everything was right in the world." Or, "As I watched them storm off, I knew I'd be going to prom alone."

Have fun with your story!

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[cartyrs]

How do you feel as a CielDoll shipper with recent chapters

this just reminded me that a new chapter is out and i just read it and i'm in the brain dimension. throwing this ask under a readmore bc it got long but it basically just sums up my opinions on the series as a whole rn:

my feelings on kuroshit have been complicated the past few years ngl! more than anything i'm very frustrated with how the story's been paced since the twin reveal, and i've found it very hard to stay engaged as a fan with how slow things are progressing. but that's also not what you asked so i won't rant about that LOL

I have very mixed feelings on this current arc - it's what finally got me back into reading bc DOLL! MY FAVORITE CHARACTER EVER! IS HERE AND I WAS RIGHT THAT SHE'D BE RELEVANT AGAIN!!! I'd really, really like it if Doll lives past this arc and is able to confront Ciel again. I think I might actually drop the series entirely if she dies here because it feels very pointless to me after all these years to bring her back if her whole point was just to [207 spoilers]. I'm really interested to see Ciel's reaction to her rebirth, esp if after coming clean about his true identity that he's able to be honest about the guilt he harbors over killing her. (SINCE YANA PUT DOLL AND JOKER IN THE SAME PANEL AS MADAM RED, CIELS PARENTS, AND R!CIEL IN CH 100, OVER 70 CHAPTERS AFTER NOAHS CIRCUS, ID GO CRAZY IF IT DIDNT MEAN ANYTHING)

I've always seen Doll as being one of if not the most significant character into understanding Ciel - his sympathy for her in Noah's Arc shows that despite how emphatic he is that he's forgone his soul, he does still care about people underneath it all. I'm pretty sure Yana's even said that if circumstances had been different (plot wise and also wealth wise), they could have been really good friends. I think Doll as a foil for Ciel reveals a lot about him - the biggest being her double-identity and reveal, as well as her playful, childish side vs. her cold, killing side (which even then, Doll doesn't want to kill - she just has to. I think deep down, Ciel is the same way). Same with Doll discovering Ciel's brand and having that empathetic moment with him over it, they don't go too deeply on it but Doll's backstory prior to living on the street is that she was abused by her parents and they scarred her face. She knows better than anyone else in the story what that permanent mark of abuse means for Ciel, and that's why she's so sorry she accidentally exposed his brand.

I've never shipped Doll/Ciel in a "canon" sense (like it just wouldn't make that much sense post-doll's "death", she despises him for killing her family, and after knowing what the circus did, she's nothing but a child kidnapper to him, criminal scum that's not worth anything). Their dynamic to me is so much about the "what if things had gone differently?" - which I also apply to Ciel's other friendships, particularly with Soma, Lizzy, and Alois (though season 2 is it's whole own discussion LOL). So much of Ciel's characater arc is about how he was willing to throw his own life and soul away thinking he had nothing after his parent's and r!ciel's deaths, as well as his own disgrace, but kuroshitsuji has shown us time and time again that there are people who deeply love and care about ciel, and if things had been different, if he hadn't sold his soul to the literal devil, he could have lived for them. i love Doll for him in this regard, because she's someone who doesn't know what happened to him. I think a big crux to Ciel's relationship with Lizzy (ignoring the incest aspect because of the period accuracy, but also because of the incest aspect I obviously do not ship them in a romantic sense) is that she knows more than most people about what happened to Ciel and his family, and that humiliates him. Pity and vulnerability humiliate him. This is a huge reason why he can't be honest with Lizzy about what happened - he doesn't want her pity, it only makes his reality that much worse. When he meets Doll, she's a stranger. And despite knowing nothing about him, she worms her way in and tries at every angle to befriend him. Also, given that his betrothal to Lizzy was by force (esp with how he steals her actual fiancees identity lol), I think if Ciel had been able to choose his own partner, he might have chosen someone like Doll.

ANYWAY - that's why I'll be really disappointed if they don't reunite at some point. I have some vague hope, since this is the last of the servant's arcs, maybe we'll get back to Ciel soon and Doll will get the confrontation she deserves. I actually really wasn't expecting [207 spoiler], that changes a lot for the character dynamics in this arc. I unfortunately haven't been a huge fan of Doll's actions in this arc, it feels horrifically out of character for me to believe that after her moral values are laid explicitly clear in circus arc (she feels guilty for kidnapping children and doesnt want to do it, but fears her older siblings retribution and fears Kelvin and feels an obligation to keep her family safe above all else), that she'd be willing to both make connections with the children at this orphanage as well as let them be used to keep her body alive... for what? To kill Ciel? Obviously she was brought back by Undertaker, but I doubt that Undertaker's true intentions are to kill Ciel, given how important the Phantomhives are to him (I think he's probably way more after Sebastian, but that's another thing entirely). So, why did Undertaker bring her back at all? Why is it Snake and Finny that find her, and not Ciel? Her personality once Snake and Finny discover the truth too is just all over the place, I don't particularly buy it.

I've felt that Yana's writing has seemed rushed and lazy since the twin reveal, whether it's her shifting her focus onto TWST, or that she's just trying to wrap up the series as fast as she can, while also still attempting to churn out monthly chapters (if you compare recent kuroshit volumes to old ones, old volumes had maybe 4-5 chapters, while new ones fit about 10 chapters at the same pagecount, so it's also waaay shorter chapters each month that don't quite move the story along). It's obvious to me that now that R!Ciel is out of the bag, the servant chapters have been a way for Yana to finally write plotpoints that she's had on the backburner since early on in the series (Meyrin, Bard, and Snake's backstories) - but IMO, terribly integrated. Finnys backstory in witch-arc is still some of my favorite parts of the series - because the arc itself is incredibly written, and Finny being highlighted fit in so well. It feels like with these mini arcs that Yana's just like oh shit what kind of plot should X servant's backstory come up in, and none of the newer plots/characters have felt deserved (i.e. the maids in meyrin/ran mao's story). Same thing goes for the characters in this arc, the children dressed like the phantomhive servants are just so weird and out of place to me. Why is this a thing??? An orphanage dedicated to making children act like ciel and sebastian and others and then sacrificing them as blood for Doll????? Why???? The whole scenario is weak and far-fetched IMO, I would've rather Doll's reentry (as well as Meyrin/Bard/Snakes backstories) been introduced in a more natural way, it genuinely feels like Yana is throwing all her cards on the table to wrap the series up without any loose strings.

SO, I don't have like, a TON of hope for Ciel and Doll's story to be wrapped up in a way I personally find satisfying for their character arcs, I'm vaguely hopeful that they'll at least just meet again, but as you can read I've had very mixed feelings on the direction that the series has taken for years now (servant backstory arc has been going on since MARCH 2019 LMAO..), so I'm sorry that your very simple question turned into a rant HAHA but this is like, the crux of my relationship with Kuroshitsuji atm.

Kuroshit has had its fair share of problems, many of which I'll be the first person to go out of my way to critique. I've been able to rationalize being a fan by touting just how good the manga's story is. Nowadays, really not so sure I can stand by that opinion! However, Doll's also like... is The character of all time for me. I've even been contemplating getting her tattooed lately LOL. So, regardless of the direction the series takes, even if it just absolutely tanks, she'll always remain incredibly special to me, as will Ciel and all the characters I've loved over the years.

[iraprince]

sorry if this is a weird q but i know you learned spanish a few years back for/with your wife and i wanted to ask if you have any media recs that y'all especially enjoyed/found helpful for immersion while learning? i'm helping my wife study (they barely retained any spanish from childhood b/c assimilationist family, it's a whole thing, but a very dear family member who doesn't speak english is visiting the states next year) and we're trying to integrate practice into our lives more atm

i am very much still learning spanish! i immigrated 2 weeks before covid lockdown started here, so i didn't get the immersion experience i thought i was going to 😅 and i haven't watched a ton of tv in spanish. i do listen to a good amount of music in spanish, and i do think looking the lyrics up (+ look up the english translation at least once, but don't glue urself to it) helps a ton -- over time u definitely start noticing that not only do u start actually understanding the lyrics but also u just start getting way better at separating words out from each other even at higher speeds/different rhythms, which is one of the toughest things abt listening vs reading/speaking. i recommend hip hop + rap bc it's a Lot of words at a challenging pace but there's still an emphasis on enunciating clearly -- BUT, if u want a bit of a challenge, hit up my darling boy bad bunny. he does not enunciate as much as some other artists, so at first it's rly hard, or at least it felt that way when i first started listening to him and i had a much looser grasp on the language -- but once u start being able to separate out what he's saying it feels like an accomplishment and it's very exciting. also this is just a psyop to get everyone to listen to bad bunny

i keep a (fairly irregular) journal and something i've been doing recently is i'll still write my entries in english, but i'll skip lines on the paper, and then i go back in in a different pen color and translate my own entry into spanish using those blank lines. also, it may seem obvious but do use spanish around the house w ur wife whenever u can -- even if it might feel a little useless when u only know a few phrases ur still practicing pronunciation and stuff. (i used to kind of neglect using spanish at home bc i was like "man all i ever say is 'i love u' and 'ur cute' and 'are u hungry?' over and over, i'm not learning anything" but like, it doesn't matter! do it anyway! and then you'll get comfortable enough to start cramming in more phrases.)

[theanticool]

What are your thoughts on Charles vs Islam? Since we are so close I’d figure I’d ask again. I’ve gone back and forth on it and I feel we are gunna have to wait and see what actually happens because there is still a lot that remains to be seen. After listening to heavy hands and Charles being pinned down by other grapplers in the past gives me concern, though I feel as a grappler he’s improved since then. What do you think?

I had a whole thing I was going write for this fight. Took notes and everything, but life gets in the way of my MMA obsession so I’m going to dump it all here in your answer instead.

Charles’ guard is overrated, but only in the sense that EVERYONE’s guard is overrated in MMA. It just is not a winning position in this sport. If Islam gets Charles down and can keep him from instantly creating space to get up or sweep, he’s probably going to beat him up in that position. I don’t trust Oliveira’s gas tank. We’ve seen him wilt against big physical fighters before like Felder (granted, that was from Oliveira trying to push a ridiculous grappling pace on Felder but still) and dude fights like he has to be back in the locker room in like 5 minutes. Everything is a sprint with him, including his guard. So him throwing up armbars for like 3 minutes before Islam flattens him out and beats him down makes sense. And unlike against Poirier and Gaethje, the guard isn’t a rest area. If Makhachev hurts Oliveira in the clinch should they tie up or Oliveira falls down for whatever reason (KD, TD, tripped, etc), that’s not a rest position. 

BUT my question for Makhachev is how many people have engaged him on their own terms? Guys like Hooker, Green, and Moises just willingly gave him the center of the cage because, ironically enough, they didn’t want to get taken down. That’s also how they all fight a lot of the time but still, Islam is from a camp that specializes in cage wrestling. They’re entire identity is based around putting opponents up against the cage or near there and getting them down and using the limited space to not let them back up. Against Tsarukyan, Islam didn’t really need to chase a target either because Tsarukyan was actively trying to outwrestle him. Drew Dober is a bit of a boxer-puncher but he’s never been a guy with any type of serious range tools. He’s been known to be takedown-able. The only person I can recall being the aggressor against Makhachev is Davi Ramos. Ramos is a great grappler that Makhachev didn’t bother trying to takedown. That was in part cause Ramos is a limited striker who relies on big explosive movement and Makhachev was picking him off as he charged in. But how much of that was Ramos just not giving Makhachev the read he wanted to push the wrestling? Oliveira probably doesn’t fare well on the ground against Makhachev for long stretches, but if Oliveira’s confidence in his wrestling/grappling carries him to be the aggressor on the feet? If it leads to him throwing sharp strikes from range like he was doing against Poirier and Gaethje that forces Makhachev back? Maybe he doesn’t need to be.

A few weeks ago I said Khabib was a better striker than Islam. Islam has certainly become better as a striker from the days he got KTFO by Adriano Martins. He’s cleaner with his technique. He has more variety, especially with the kicks. But I said what I said because Khabib’s striking had strategic variety rather than weapon variety. It wasn’t always pretty or fluid, but Khabib’s offense was always able to engage an opponent on multiple levels. He’d be able to get an opponent to commit to a jab or paw out with his striking/feints before ducking under that lead hand to turn it to a takedown. He was able to take aggressive opponents and tie them up. He was able to use the threat of the level change to get his strikes off. He had a nice stiff jab that he was able to angle off of to take breaks slow the pace of fights down so he could gather his energy back after high paced rounds. I just haven’t seen that level of craft put into Makhachev’s game, in part cause he’s been fighting guys who are willing to give him all the positions he wants in the poor assumption that they will be safe from his wrestling there. It’s not really a knock on Islam but it’s a big question that is hanging over his head imo.

The smart money in this fight is on Makhachev. Oliveira is 100% capable of self sabotaging. I could totally see Do Bronx deciding “No, I’m the wrestler here” and then getting guillotined or being snapped down and getting his back taken. But I think I’m picking Oliveira by TKO. Sure we’ve seen Oliveira’s grappling wither under big wrestlers before but we’ve also seen Makhachev get KTFO. The man isn’t indestructible like Khabib was (Dude’s chin carried him through some stuff). If Islam was a slightly bigger or more active puncher, I’d probably pick him outright to be honest.

[witch-hazels-musings]

Hey there Hazel! I've found myself in a bit of a..predicament. Recently, I decided to revisit the new account of a writer whose old account I'm currently following only to realize that I had been blocked on their new account. Confused by this, I sent them a message pointing it out and apologizing in case I did something to upset them (i.e spam liking since they are one of the few authors I've come across to not exactly be fond of that, and I've been guilty of such in the past) but then I realized I had only interacted with their new account once, which made me even more bewildered. So I decided to ask what another author may have thought about this and they said that it may have been because I have a "blank blog" and that I shouldn't reach out to anyone to ask why I've been blocked (keeping in mind, I never did ask why. Just apologized.) because it can make someone uncomfortable and they "don't owe me an explanation for protecting their own space" which I completely understand. It is never EVER my intention to make anyone uncomfortable.

I had not the faintest clue that a blank blog can be seen as..offensive somehow? In reality, I had been building the courage to start reblogging and even possibly writing one day, but I've been moving at my own pace since I'm a generally nervous person in almost everything I do. Just recently I've been quite proud of myself for being able to send in asks/messages without being as nervous as the first time (I was an nervous wreck that time) but now because of this situation, I feel like I've moved 10 steps back. I've been overthinking this for almost the entire day and it's honestly extremely overwhelming since on one hand "wow, I can be blocked for a blank blog?" And the other "wow, now I've upset 2 of my favorite writers".

This has been weighing so heavy on my mind that truly, I feel quite deterred from interacting with anyone because of it but I want to keep trying since one day, I would like people to read my stories and I wouldn't want reblogs or anything in return, just to know that people are content with my writing. You are the only person that I've thought about reaching out to since you're so understanding and give amazing feedback and I hope to be as mature as you one day(once I get past my anxiousness).

TLDR: In case of anyone being in the same boat as me, do you have any advice on publicly writing and handling the anxiety that comes with putting out that first piece? I'm deeply sorry for the ramble and hope I was as clear and concise as possible. (And as you can see this whole thing was exhausting to the point that I'm not bothering with any anonymity)

This got a little long so read more below the cut! (Also I'm on mobile so I'm not gonna italics below... because ...work)

I can't imagine the confusion of returning to check out an author you love only to find out they've blocked you. Especially if you aren't sure what happened to cause the block.

So you've asked a question here, but your comments are of a different issue so I wanna answer both

There are so many reasons why a blog might block another. I've seen all sorts of rules posted, so I want to explain some perspectives as to why. --

Don't spam like :: some people get overwhelmed by notifications, others believe it'll lead them to being shadowbanned (this isn't true, idk why people think that), lastly - and in my opinion the most important - likes do nothing for creators. They are nice, but they don't help creators get their work seen

I know you said your working up the courage to reblog and interact, so think about your blog as a little scrapbook that you want to save and look at later. That's what Tumblr is.

Creators need your reblogs or their posts die. That's it, that's how Tumblr works.

Ageless and blank blogs :: these are more comfort level for creators. They are different person to person. Ageless is scary for adult vs minor interactions, and blank blogs are often bots (spam accounts) - so some blogs block all of them

My advice is make your blog your home before you go out into the world..it's your safe space, your happy place, so make it how you want!

DNI/BYF :: DNI (do not interact), BYF (before you follow) are great things to check out when first encountering a blog. It'll outline the rules of the author and it's possible you did something on that list that they didn't like (it can be hard to know, so check for those before interacting)

These are just a few reasons why, and I know it doesn't tell you what happened but maybe it'll bring a little background.

I'll also say that while people are allowed to set their rules, of course, still I'm sorry you were treated the way you were when figuring out why. No wonder your nervous to interact with people. Some of the interactions I've seen are ... Kinda not nice.

You're always welcome here to practice and grow more comfortable! I'm happy to help and encourage you!!

As for your second question, honestly, you just have to go for it!! If you've written something and you love it, you have to rip off the band-aid and post it.

See how it goes and learn from everything around you. I made plenty of mistakes when I first started so ask if you get lost, be open to feedback if you've made an error, and stick to your values ♥️♥️

Check out my pinned post on my blog for some writing blog 101 guides if you want more info!! And reach out if you need something.

Here's another thing, if those blogs are not going to give you a chance, there are others that will and who want you to succeed. Shrine bright firekeeper, you got this 🔥🔥

[ghoste-catte]

multiples of 9

@sagemoderocklee i know it's you

9. How do you find new fic to read?

Go to the GaaLee tag and sort by new, lol, since I've read almost everything in there at this point. If I'm joining a new fandom I'll generally sort by complete and under 15k by kudos for the pairing I'm interested in, or find an author I like and go through all their works and bookmarks, but in my old age I've become deeply accustomed to my single ship. I miss the reclists of ye olden LJ days; they were a great way to find hidden and underappreciated gems.

18. If you wrote a sequel to [insert fic], what would it involve?

Since you didn't specify a fic, I've got a couple of sequels/expansions on my existing fics planned.

For years now I've been planning to write a remix of if nobody moves, nobody will get hurt called 'if nobody gets hurt', which is basically the original story but expanded and from Gaara's POV.

There's an after-the-happily-ever-after epilogue to The Stolen Child that's actually based on a post someone made about it here on Tumblr ... but I need to ask their permission first, and I've been too shy.

There's a prequel to Worship as I Please that goes into the much-requested alcove in Grass Country, though probably not in the way that most people are hoping for (it's a pining-while-fucking fic, so heavy on the pain).

There's also an epilogue to To Love Like Broken Glass that @we-return-in-waves requested, which I won't give too much away about.

And finally, there's a part 2 to Try Again, where Lee teaches Gaara to do much more than kissing.

27. How long did it take to write [insert fic]? Describe the process.

Since there wasn't a fic specified, I guess I'll go with my most recent fic, Tsuru no Danna. I originally hoped to write the fic in one, one-hour sitting like I've done with a couple other fics recently, but it ended up being a bigger story than I planned. Ultimately, though, I think I wrote it in like 3 hourlong sittings over 2 weeks or so? That doesn't include the amount of time I spent outlining and 'marinating' on it (by far the longest part of my process). I also had to forgo my entire typical editing process so that I could make it in time for HorrorFest.

36. Do you visualize what you read/write?

Oh, definitely. What I write way moreso than what I read. When I'm reading, I'm generally pretty immersed in the story, so unless something's just super-duper visually evocative, I'm just really absorbed in the words more than anything. When I'm writing, though, I definitely swing wildly between "I know exactly how I want to describe this and the perfect words that sound lovely together" and "I know what's supposed to happen in this sequence and what it would look like but have no idea how to describe it." A lot of my clumsier, uglier sentences come from the latter, but sometimes striking at something 4-5 times to get the perfect sequence churns out a decent one, too.

45. What’s something you’ve improved on since you started writing fic?

I think I've improved on a lot, honestly; when I look back and read my first fic from 2017 it feels very amateurish and awkward to me. But I think I've most improved on developing my own author voice as well as (to an extent) being able to sometimes evoke the voices of other authors. I've gotten a better sense of how to word and pace things to give a poetic feel vs. a fairy tale feel vs. a childlike feel and so on. It's been a journey for sure!!

questions for fic writers - ask me some!

[idkwhatimdoingbutslay]

‘empire under fire’ (abandoned 🫣) vs ‘hunting prize’ (ALMOST DONE 😱): PART 3/3: the ‘why’

ANYWAY! Why am I comparing these two fics??? They both take place in the canon verse but also are both canon divergent at the same time with similar consequences (Vi gets to Jinx before Silco, but the damage is already done).

I abandoned empire under fire because of my extreme lack of confidence in it. I was excited and thought about the idea a lot, wrote an ENTIRE OUTLINE FOR THE WHOLE FIC PLUS ANOTHER (it was gonna be a duology), got FOUR CHAPTERS IN then dipped. I think it was my writing capabilities that got to me. I’m not great with pacing, at all, and already by the fourth chapter Caitlyn was starting to feel some sort of feelings for Vi, a hint of them if anything. I might have to factor in that I think this was the point where I was comparing myself to other fic writers (never do that, you’re on your own journey and you’re doing great! We’re all regular people just writing what we love) and I was still getting better as a writer myself. I wouldn’t call myself a perfectionist, but everyone wants to feel good enough, right? To me, empire under fire lacked what I was so desperate for it to be.

Specifically the itch to write something angsty in the canon verse, but also the itch to show progress and development. It's not perfect at all and I'm still working on my writing abilities, but I put less pressure on myself and took time to get to know Vi and Caitlyn again. Fanfiction isn't supposed to feel like a 9-5, it's art that you're doing out of appreciation. It's supposed to be fun! And when it isn't, it's ok to drop it. Of course I appreciate all readers who sacrifice their eyes to look at my writing even for a second, but I can't always put them above myself?

l've thought of going back to empire under fire just because, but now I think about it not as content for people to pat me on the back for, but as a journey for me to realize what I enjoy writing, what I'm good at and what I need to work on.

It’s also interesting because I don’t think I’d ever go out of my way to read fics like these two I’m rambling about 😭. I’m not much of an angsty girl and will admit to loving a good modern AU. But it’s genuinely fun being able to portray such intense emotions through words and I admire absolutely everyone who does it!

Maybe one day I'll go back to empire under fire, but I probably won't and wanna go back to fluff sooooo.... I’ll probably post my outline and notes 😳

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Black River by Matthew Spencer

Rose Riley #1

Riveting read that captured my attention immediately and didn’t let me go till the last page!

What I liked: * Detective Sergeant Rose Riley: committed, driven, competent, strong, determined, believes in her training and her instincts, team player, insomniac, a woman I am curious about and hope to learn more about

* Steve O’Neill: homicide detective, top person in the department, alpha, intense, driven, divorced, great leader, able to take power naps at the drop of a hat, team leader who knows the strengths of the people he works with, would like to know more about him

* Adam Bowman: newspaper reporter, works night shift, alcohol dependent, had a difficult childhood, capable, alone but enjoys being with others, another character I am curious about –  almost liked him best of the characters met in this book

* Dr. Wayne Farquhar: psychiatrist working with the homicide team, knows his business, insightful, not always 100% correct…maybe

* Priya Patel: younger member of the team, bright, motivated, eager, strengths that will be good in the future

* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing

* The police procedural aspects and how the team worked to uncover whether or not the two murder sites were related and who the killer(s) were

* That I felt a part of the story

* The twists and turns and tidbits that were shared

* The part the river played in the story

* That there will be another book in this series

What I didn’t like:

* Who and what I was meant not to like

* Thinking about those who commit crimes and murder, the nature vs nurture aspect of serial killers, and also about the loss and pain and grief experienced by those left behind when someone is murdered

Did I enjoy this book? Yes

Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review

4-5 Stars

BLURB

A long, burning summer in Sydney. A young woman found murdered in the deserted grounds of an elite boarding school. A serial killer preying on victims along the banks of the Parramatta River. A city on edge. Adam Bowman, a battling journalist who grew up as the son of a teacher at Prince Albert College, might be the only person who can uncover the links between the school murder and the 'Blue Moon Killer'. But he will have to go into the darkest places of his childhood to piece together the clues. Detective Sergeant Rose Riley, meanwhile, is part of the taskforce desperately trying to find the killer before he strikes again. Adam Bowman's excavation of his past might turn out to be Rose's biggest trump card or it may bring the whole investigation crashing down, and put her own life in danger.

AUTHOR BIO

Matthew Spencer was a journalist at The Australian for twenty years, with long stints running the Foreign News desk and as Opinion Editor. He has written for newspapers and magazines in Uganda and Kenya and been published in The Australian Financial Review and The Sydney Morning Herald. Matthew has an Honours degree in English Literature from the University of Sydney. Black River is his first novel. He was born in Parramatta. The son of teachers, he lived with his sister Kate on the 320-acre campus of a boys’ boarding school. Long summers on the largely deserted property while exploring the remnant bush with its tributary of the Parramatta River inspired the book. Matthew lives in Sydney with his wife, Ritu Gupta, and their three children.

[lovenliterature]

Thoughts on Midnights

I did write this back when I first listened to Midnights but forgot to post it so some of my thoughts I don't know what I meant any more

Note - first two songs are technically second listen because of the FUCKING DAILY MAIL

1 - Lavender Haze

Really liked the vibe from the off

Not her usual style and I LOVE it

Definitely one to dance to

Really evocative of clubbing nights, that drunken time

No room for anything between one night stand/lifelong commitment (I oop v much my mindset but works for me I guess)

Acc the perfect song for this exact moment, need something to distract and also remind me not to care

“Damned if I do give a damn what people say” - Nice twist on damned if I do damned if I don't and so true

Lyric vid - cool - weird sauna vibes though and also a bit elaborate/distracting

Like the background surrounding the phrase lavender haze - also feels inherently queer to me given lavender scare/lavender menace and it’s nice to have a positive spin on that

Fave lyric: “I’ve been under scrutiny/you handled it beautifully"

2 - Maroon

"roommates cheap ass screw top rosé" - lolll relatable in like a oh fuck we're gonna be hungover and this is a disaster but also we're young and fuck it is its awful at least its cheap

Love love the vibe the tune everything

Love the red shades idea it’s so cute and beautiful

The depth in her voice on “how the hell did we lose sight of us again”

Lyric video: Like the skyline but text hard to read

Red imagery cool but again distracting

Fave lyric: “carnations you had thought were roses” or “that’s a real fucking legacy”

3 - Anti-Hero

upbeat contrast I like it

Fuck I need this song forever these rhymes are BEAUTIFUL

"It’s me hi I’m the problem it’s me" - wow this is so painful and raw

"Too big to hang out" - ow accurate 

"Directly at the sun but never in the mirror" - so so painful but so true, being able to commit to the self destruction but not being able to look at yourself

Also the emphasis on how much work it is for people to love you when you destroy it 

"Covert narcissism disguised as altruism" - genius line, clever and sonically satisfying

Only the young vibes

Fan of the sofa/scale imagery

Heavy music video but works better bc quite a dynamic and fast paced song

Fave lyric: "when my depression works the graveyard shift and all the people I've ghosted stand there in the room"

4 - Snow On The Beach

don’t love the initial bells kinda opening, interesting

Might grow on me though

Lyrics are hitting okay

"I’d never seen someone lit from within" - inner beauty, glowing

"It’s fine to fake it til you make it til you do" also again just what I needed to hear

(Maybe bold the lines I needed today haha)

Fave lyric: "time can’t stop me quite like you did"

5 - You’re On Your Own Kid

like the tempo and general vibe so far

"Sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes" - beautiful juxtaposition - the dousing vs the destruction

"Starved my body" so true, as much as you try to hurt yourself to please others all you'll accomplish is breaking yourself

"Blood soaked gown" - so evocative and hurts

Okay this is a heavy fave the further through we get 

"Yeah you can face this" - lovely lovely song progression

Fave lyric: "I touch my phone as if it's your face"

6 - Midnight Rain

WEIRD start but on second listen really really like it

Feels a bit like something from 1989 but can’t figure out what but that vibe

Love the distortiony rain vibe

“I broke his heart cuz he was nice”

“I wanted that pain” - such a theme of the album so far, self destruction and the self awareness behind it too

“All of me changed” - such a conflict in relationships when one of you is comfy and happy and one of you is slowly changing and being comfy isn’t enough

Comfy isn’t always love, isn’t always compatible 

Love love the lyric vid, such a nice visualiser and goes really well w the distortion

Fave lyric: "He wanted a bride, I was making my own name"

7 - Question…?

"Can I ask you a question" - oh ow that’s always so so loaded and so painful

"It’s just a question" - ooooooh I love that hands up run away from responsibility 

Bridge is so cool 

" Does it feel like everything's just like/second best after that meteor strike?" - Meteor strike!! So cute and wow ow

"I'm sure that's what’s suitable/and right" wow no holds barred saying everything you wanna say to an ex or a friend when they’re in the wrong relationship

Fave lyric: "don’t remember who I was/before you painted all my nights/a colour I've searched for since" or "fuckin' politics and gender roles"

8 - Vigilante Shit

Ready for it vibes

"You did some bad things but I’m the worst of them" - WOW

"Dressing for revenge" - oh my god ultimate breakup vibe

Crazy ex girlfriend vibes

No body no crime vibes

"He was doing lines and crossing all of mine" - twist of meaning love love love it

Fave lyric: "Don't get sad, get even"

9 - Bejeweled

vibe of "You wear the same jewels that I gave you" from my tears ricochet

"Putting someone first only works if you're in their top five" - oof this hits DEEP, value yourself and value others but don't value them significantly higher than they do you

Also mirrorball vibes

Love the chorus vibe

"Diamonds gotta shine" (gives me vibe of another t swift song but idk which, folklore/evermore I think)

Fave lyric: "Did all the extra credit, then got graded on a curve"

10 - Labyrinth 

"I’ll be getting over you my whole life" - very first love, you never lose the love you have even if its not the same

"If it rises fast/it can’t last" - oop my relationships but also v much cam relationships 

Also doesn’t necessarily feel like just falling in love with a person but could be with a place or unhealthy thing

V heavy on distortion but the harmonies oh man

The repeated breaks are so clever, like this thing was made to break

When her voice goes deep that’s when it hits hardest

Fave lyric: "You would break your back to make me break a smile"

11 - Karma

Love the vibe

V revenge and dancy and a fuck you vibe

"Karmas a relaxing thought" - such a vibe when you've objectively been wronged

Love all of the diff descriptions

Love the bridge 

Love the reframing of karma as her boyfriend when they’ve often been referred to like that and it’s like a constant of her music it’s so interesting 

Fave lyric: "don’t you know that cash ain’t the only price"

12 - Sweet Nothing

love love the opening feels like it should be listened to by the fire w hot choc w rain outside

Sweet nothing vs sweet nothings (WOW THIS IS SO MUCH WORSE POST YOU'RE LOSING ME)

Too soft for all of it oh my god

This world hurts and that’s okay it’s allowed to I love the vulnerability 

Fave lyric: "I wrote a poem/You say "What a mind"/This happens all the time"

13 - Mastermind

 Like the vibe

Very cxg again

Love it when she flips accusations on their head and runs w them

"Born to be the pawn" - Probably meant to be read as her being forced to be the pawn but in my mind it's her happily playing the role just so she can be underestimated

"I’m the liquor in our cocktails" - I'm the fun and the spice in the relationship and maybe the danger, and maybe a little too much of me can turn these things sour

"No one wanted to play with me as a little kid/So I've been scheming like a criminal ever since" - love it, THEY pushed me to this and now I'm blamed? But I only try so hard because I want to be loved

Love the chorus

Fave lyric: "And the touch of a hand lit the fuse/Of a chain reaction of countermoves"

14 - The Great War

like the vibe so far

Surviving something and promising to be better after but there’ll always be another thing

"My knuckles were bruised like violets" - they were bruised but in a laudable way so view them as flowers, view them as romantic because it has to have been worth something

Also the support throughout and then growing about (note: no idea wtf I meant by this one ngl)

Love the vibe of bridge etc

"Soldier down on that icy ground/Looked up at me with honour and truth/Broken and blue" - he's on the ground and broen and blue, her injuries are on her fists so more active - interesting juxtaposition

"That was the night I nearly lost you" - such good subversion of expectation (loving the great war)

"Poppy in my hair" - Love the way she sings this line

"It was war it wasn’t fair" - subversion of all's fair in love and war but also things can be forgiven, it was war, it was never going to be fair and we shouldn't hold ourselves to peacetime standards

Fave lyric - "diesel is desire you were playing with fire"

15 - Bigger Than The Whole Sky

Love the vibe and emotion

"All over now" - sounds beautiful 

"You were more than just a short time" - you were worth something, your legacy lasts beyond the short time you were mine

Beautiful heartbreak song

Like the instrumental

Butterfly effect idea

"Did some force take you because I didn't pray" - lack of appreciation leading to leaving

Ashes motif again

Trying to say goodbye but not Acc over it

"What could've been, would've been, should've been you" - nice vibe, the heartbreak of never seeing someone growing into the person you saw them becoming

Fave lyric: "Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness"

16 - Paris

V bop freshers energy

Opening of lyric video good rest bit busy and on the nose

if u keep it just yours

Alcohol refs the whole atmosphere of being fucked out of your mind but drunk on love and in the love bubble

Fave lyric: "Cheap wine, make believe it's champagne"

17 - High Infidelity

Mario bros vibe lol

"Put in your headphones and burn my city" - the music as erasure and healing but also writing idea

"The slowest way is never loving them enough" - not meeting someone's needs is the slowest and saddest way to lose them, they're begging you but you can't be what they need

"He brought me back to life" - the idea of the infidelity as a way out

"Picket fence is sharp as knives" - the idea of the 2.5 kids dream as destructive and a dream u can’t reach

"Freeloading/I didn’t know you were keeping count" - the idea of love as transactional and when you start doing stuff for reciprocity you’ve fucked it

Depth of voice in "april 29th" lends significance and just sounds so nice

"Regret me" to "regret meeting me" - idea that it was always leading here

Fave lyric: "Do I really have to chart the constellations in his eyes"

18 - Glitch

First note sounds like smth from speak now

But anticlimactic following high infidelity

Underwhelming

It's chill enough though

"Go back to wanting dudes who give nothing"

Fave lyric: "I'm fastening myself to you with a stitch"

19 - Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve

"Pain was heaven" - masochism of feeling anything and being in a relationship bc you must be an adult now even though it's brutal and painful

"Memories feel like weapons" - a breakup turns all memories sour and abusive partners can also twist anything to be a weapon

Love the lyricism

"Never whispered about this" - blaming herself, but I'm reading it as they could have never whispered about this (Would've probably found somethign else)

"Saved me from boredom" - the hindsight seeing the toxicity of something that felt like adulthood and safety but in reality left a trail of hurt

"Now that I’m grown I’m scared of ghosts" the lasting effect of young relationships

Ignorance is bliss

"I regret you all the time" - legacy still not gone

Fave lyric: "Damn sure never would’ve danced with the devil at 19" and "Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first"

20 - Dear Reader

The direct address is fun

Being told explicitly what to read into things

Telling us to find another hero while showcasing unhealthy coping mechanisms ("fourth drink in my hand")

Fave lyric: "If it feels like a trap/You're already in one"