#and i'm not someone who matches songs to characters or ships

[mzannthropy]

I quoted the title of this song during the Blue Castle Book Club in the chapter where Valancy defends Barney's at a family gathering--an act she herself doesn't understand. (Because she is in love, geddit.) But listening to it, the song does fit Valancy and Barney, I think.

[kohakurin8]

~ A Devouring Obsession ~

Dissecting the message behind the bistro horror game, Dead Plate

‼️ WARNING ‼️

This post contains spoilers for the entire game and all 4 endings. If you would like to play the game before reading, you can download it at the link below.

Being a French Waiter Sounds Fun, Right?

First of all, I'd like to start by saying I absolutely LOVE this game by @racheldrawsthis and the amazing people at Studio Investigrave. The story will permanently occupy a part of my brain, which is exactly why I'm taking the time to share my thoughts on it.

In this game, we play as a happy-go-lucky waiter named Rody, who's just started his new job at a famous 1960s French bistro, La Gueule De Saturne.

His boss is a prolific chef named Vincent Charbonneau, who's equally odd as he is talented. He stands in the back of the bistro kitchen and watches his cooks meticulously prepare his day-by-day cuisine, meanwhile Rody is mysteriously the only waiter.

It's worth noting that the "diner style" gameplay is incredibly fun and really impactful to the overall experience of the story. Even though it seems to only be particularly relevant in the first playthrough or so (however long it takes you to buy the Matches), I still absolutely love the feature.

The Difference Between Love and Obsession

Sadly enough, I've seen a lot of debate going around in the fandom and Rach's ask-box about shipping connected to the game. While I support headcanons and unique interpretations of the source material (and don't hate the ship), just as any creator should, I also cannot stress enough that this is NOT a story about Love!

The story of Dead Plate is incredibly immersive and very well written, meaning that just as in life there is very much a possibility for the events between Rody and Vince to have ended better. But the point of the story is to actually illustrate the tragedy of Obsession and how it can ruin a person.

To preface, if neither Rody nor Vince had indulged in their obsessions, things could have ended a lot better for everyone involved. But sometimes in life, tragedy strikes, and there's nothing you can do but learn to accept it. The best outcome, the happy ending, isn't always the reality.

So if any of you out there still believe that the game of Dead Plate was "shipbaiting" somehow, or if you struggle to see the differences between Love and Obsession portrayed in the story, well...

Allow me to elaborate!

The Manon Hangup

We all know Rody and Vince, whether you've played the game or just got a bit curious about it on the Internet. But, the third major character who holds the stories of these two boys together like glue is our dearly departed Manon.

Although her identity is mostly hidden until after the first ending, Manon is soon revealed to be Rody's ex-girlfriend and Vince's current girlfriend. She serves as both the object of Rody's obsession and the catalyst of Vince's obsessions — although, despite her being the story's primary victim, I can't help but feel she's also a bit guilty of Crime of Inactivity for the events which transpire.

Rody and Manon had been dating for a while, I think since even before Rody dropped out of university. He would spend all of his time and money trying to make sure she was always happy, neglecting himself to the point that Manon finally broke up with him.

And then went after a rich, famous chef almost immediately... Ya know... As normal people do...

Needless to say, Rody believes he's madly in love with Manon. He's constantly talking about how absolutely in love with her he is — about songs he wants to write for her, and things he wants to do to make her happy. And all of this definitely gives the illusion of love, but if you actually pay attention to what he says and how he acts, it's pretty obvious that Rody isn't in love at all.

Rody is obsessed with the idea of being in love...

See, when you're in love with someone, you talk about them — who they are, what they enjoy, how they make you feel, etc. But Rody never says anything like this about Manon; if he did, then we would have understood who she was better before Ending 3. Instead, everything he says about her is an "I" statement.

"I bought her gifts!"

"I want to take her to dinner!"

Yet, even when asked questions about Manon, Rody can barely answer them. The best detail we can get out of him is that she might be a little materialistic.

Rody's obsession was never about Manon, it was instead about how having a girlfriend made him feel. That's why he held onto her so hard, why you have the option to try calling her every single night, and why he simply can't even accept the fact that she broke up with him.

This likely has something to do with trauma in Rody's past, although we'll never really know. What we DO know is that Rody's behavior could have possibly been corrected if Manon had simply acted sooner in the relationship.

Why did she wait until he was so far gone to finally take action?

Why did she start dating a richer guy almost immediately?

We don't know enough about Manon to say for sure, but I suspect she may have been passively taking advantage of Rody until the guilt was too much to bear. Which in itself didn't exactly lead to her death and the ruining of three lives, but Manon still had the opportunity to stop this entire debacle before it even had a prayer of happening.

The Torment of a Chef

So now we slide over to Vincent's obsession, which is admittedly more detailed and complex than Rody's. After all, he's a trained chef in France, the capital of culinary arts! It's no doubt his job is way more high stress than you could possibly imagine.

But there's so much more to his psyche than that...

Rach has given us a lot of details about Vince, and I'm going to be referencing them quite a bit in order to properly explain the nature of his complex obsession.

Let's start with the fact that, although it isn't directly confirmed, it's been mentioned quite a lot that Vince's parents don't show him any love — this of course would be the reason why he has no idea what love actually is or what it feels like. The only thing he's probably ever loved in his life is food, which makes it all the more devastating that he lost his sense of taste when he was a small child.

Vincent spent his entire life learning how to cook perfect food, yet he despises eating and can't taste ANY of the masterpieces he cooks. That alone would be maddening.

Yet, it gets worse for him. Because Vincent doesn't understand love, that also means he doesn't understand how to put love into his dishes — the one ingredient every chef will tell you is most important in cuisine. (I should note I actually have a little bit of a background in professional food services) It's a huge insecurity for Vince, and rightfully so! Despite all of the people who praise his skill, there's always a handful that will call it "bitter" or "soulless" despite that.

But that's fine, he's fine. He's managing that insecurity. So what if he can't cook with love? Who even knows what love is anyway? He's still famous, and talented, and well renowned. He doesn't need those heartless critics.

Until he met Rody...

The two of them went to the same university, although it's pretty evident they didn't interact much back then. It's possible that Vincent's obsession with Rody started in university, watching him from afar, but that's uncertain.

What is certain is that Vince became obsessed with Rody after the ginger became a waiter at the bistro. Vincent heard Rody talk constantly about how much he loved Manon, that it started to make Vincent think... What if that was his key to cooking with love..?

Remember how Vince doesn't understand love? Well, it's important to consider that although one might not understand what love is or how to show it, that doesn't mean that they don't feel love.

Vincent is canonically gay, and also canonically obsessed with Rody. But why did he become obsessed with Rody in the first place? Usually when you latch into a person like that it isn't for some random, niche reason. So it seems highly possible that Vincent was in love with Rody.

He even did his best to show his love to Rody in the only way he knew how — by cooking.

Each night, Vince sends Rody home with "leftovers" — except, they aren't actually leftovers; they're dishes which Vince specially cooked himself specifically for Rody. He desires more than anything for Rody to enjoy his cooking, because he has no other way to show his love.

The issue with that is Rody is one of the people who expressly believes that Vince's food is soulless. Granted, he's the sort of person who would praise Burger King so honestly his opinion should be taken with a grain of salt, buuuutttt... That's not how this works.

Vince loves Rody, therefore Rody's opinion is important.

Rody "loves" Manon, therefore Vince is jealous of Manon.

I suspect this is why Vince was willing to agree to a relationship with Manon in the hopes of killing her. See, he's so obsessed with cooking "love" for Rody that if you choose to give cheese to the rat in the kitchen on Day 4, Vince cooks the rat as one of the meals for Rody.

Why? Because Rody showed it love.

It's the exact same reason that he decided to murder and cook Manon into the Grilled Hanger Steak.

I know you're going to say "But, wait! He wanted to eat Rody too!" and yeah, he does eat Rody in Ending 4. But let me impart some wisdom onto you all as to why his meticulous plan took these tragic events.

I know it's tempting to buy into the idea that Vincent intended to eat Rody all along, but consider his dialogue in Day 7 for a moment.

As he's talking to Rody, Vincent reveals his true nature — all he wanted was for Rody to eat the steak he made and taste the love he felt for Manon. He never once mentions a desire to eat people himself. Not until Rody tries to escape and Vince snaps, declaring:

"But... Maybe you ..."

It's only then that Vincent actually starts attempting to kill Rody. After all, if he really wanted to kill Rody, he wouldn't be so willing to have a conversation with him (or get mad when he couldn't escape the freezer in Ending 2)

The issue in Vincent snapped when Rody found Manon's locket in the freezer. His plan was completely ruined, and with no plan B, he lashed out. It's also worth noting that Rach confirmed Vincent is a lightweight when it comes to alcohol.

Funny how he attacks Rody with a corkscrew and you find a broken wine bottle in his office, huh?

It isn't confirmed, but I consider it highly likely that Vince was drunk on the night of Day 7.

If Vince was inebriated when Rody made him snap, it would explain his impulsive and irrational behavior. Drunken minds lead one to do all sorts of things, and it's likely that it played a role in Vince's plan shifting from making Rody taste love...

...to eating Rody in the hopes of tasting anything love for himself.

Because it isn't Rody's love of Manon that Vince thinks he'll taste. That was never how the theory worked.

It would be Vince tasting his love of Rody.

Who's the Real Villain?

Vincent might be the antagonist of our story, but that doesn't necessarily make him the villain. After all, his actions were entirely circumstantial to Rody's behavior. Which means that—

You guessed it

Our true villain is Rody.

This is something I really love that I've noticed in the 3/5 Studio Investigrave games I've played so far — the protagonist tends to be an unconventional villain.

In Rody's case, I'm sure it comes as a shock considering his himbo-puppy demeanor, but if you take a step back and look at him it's pretty obvious. Everything in the story happened because of Rody's self-sacrificing behavior.

Rody's obsession with Manon fueled Vince's obsession with him. His unwillingness to see the consequences of how he treated himself allowed it to hurt everyone around him.

If Rody could have accepted his break-up with Manon, she might not have ended up dead. If he could have reigned in his obsessions then neither of them may have ended up dead.

In a better timeline, Rody and Vince may have even been able to find love in each other.

But this isn't that story.

This is a tragedy.

A timeline where everything goes to the worst possible outcome. Where obsession devoured three lives...

Thank you all for taking the time to read all of this!

If you'd like to discuss the theories or have any questions, feel free to ask or send me a message ~

[satelitis]

˗ˏˋ 𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐍’𝐒 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐘 ´ˎ˗

୭- 𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐒 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐓 𝐂𝐑𝐘 : standard tumblr games (cym, whos most likely, kmk etc,etc.)

🕸- 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐓 : send me a trope and a character and i will make headcanons about it. (drummer!butch jojo, baker!peter parker)

⋆-𝐋𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐘 : matchups!! send me a short desc. of yourself and i will match you up with someone (please include fandom and gender preference)

୭- 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆 : moots only!!! i will associate you with a song, artist, color, book, movie and character!

🕸- 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐈𝐌 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 : give me a specific mood/ vibe/pastime and i will give you a movie, song and book rec!

⋆- 𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 : your turn!! tell me who you ship me with!! you can write little headcanons or thoughts <33 (please do this one if you do ilysm!!)

DISCLAIMER!! : please only stick to one request per ask! and only the fandoms i write for!! keep the reqs sfw!! I AM A MINOR!!! also if a character is canonically lesbian or gay then only req for that gender specific reader please (no robin buckley x male reader)!!! this event is running from 1/07-1/31 !! have fun loves!!

TAGGING MOOTIES!! : @mictodii @spaceagebachelormann @dizzyntrr @juneberrie @solutopia @spiderst4rgirl @spiderfunkz @stvrlighttgabss @isitoversnowtvs @jaidens @dljcem @doyouknowwhoyouare13

CHARACTERS I'M WRITING FOR : tasm! peter parker , miguel diaz, johnny lawrence, daniel larusso, anthony larusso, hawk mozkowitz, robby keene, tori nichols, dallas winston, ponyboy curtis, steve randal, two-bit matthews, darry curtis, johnny cade, sodapop curtis, butch jojo, brick jojo, boomer jojo, sirius black, regulus black, james potter, remus lupin, marlene mckinnon, ron weasley, fred weasley, george weasley, cedric diggory, harry potter, hermione granger, luna lovegood, ginny weasley, lee jordan, bradley bradshaw, nick bradshaw, pete mitchell, tom kazenzky, anakin skywalker, luke skywalker, leia skywalker, han solo, richie tozier, stanley uris, eddie kaspberak, beverly marsh, ben hascom, mike hanlon, bill denbrough, mike wheeler, eddie munson, robin buckley, steve harrington, max mayfield, lucas sinclair, richie white, john b routledge, jj maybank, sarah cameron, kiera carerra, pope hayward. ask if a character you would like isn't on this list!!

[nausikaaa]

WIP Wednesday

thank you to everyone who has tagged me these past few weeks, though I haven't had much to share! I'm still fiddling around with part two of my Trojan War novel, so here's some more Briseis.

Lyrnesses was not a rich city by any stretch, but every slave had their own room, handmade clothes, and went to bed at night with a full belly. To some that may have meant nothing. They were still slaves, and that was its own indignity that no amount of kindness could lessen, I had learned. But my own father, born to a wealthy family in Ethiopia, was taken by pirates as a child and sold as a slave. He arrived at Lyrnesses as a young man, where he was freed, eventually attracting the attention of my mother, who fought for her right to marry him, dismissing every wealthy suitor her father offered her to until he relented. They were a rare love match, and I grew up hoping to model their affection in my own marriage.

My father never forgot his mistreatment, and understood how quickly and startlingly a person’s fate could change, and so he was always kind to those less fortunate. I wondered if he ever could have anticipated how my life would turn out to echo his own, to be free, enslaved, and then freed again. But as a woman, I was never as free as he became, and knew I never would be. I would be forever tethered to that part of my life by the children I carried within me.

I thought of my mother. Her deft hands braiding my hair, her clear voice singing along to a bard’s lyre as she did so. My father crooning back to her, making her very name a song. “Hippodamia…”

“Briseus…” She would reply, and tug at one of my curls. I was named after him, and the reminder always made me grin.

a long discussion of Briseis's appearance, plus tags, under the cut:

Briseis is an interesting case when it comes to visualising her. Most greek myth characters are depicted as roughly the same as they're described, but Briseis is so inconsistent! she's described by Homer as fair, and by Ovid as incredibly pale. most renaissance depicts her as blonde, and Natalie Haynes describes her as such in A Thousand Ships. but plenty of more modern art makes her brunette, as she is in the film Troy and the series Troy: Fall Of A City.

and then there's Madeline Miller's The Song Of Achilles, one of the most popular books to feature Briseis, where she is black. I have issues with the writing of all the women in Miller's book, and dislike Briseis being presented as a commoner, who can't speak greek and worships foreign gods, when she was a Queen, and the Trojans had the same gods. not to mention that Miller also kills her off (spoilers? the book is over a decade old) when we simply don't know what happens to her after the Iliad. the entire point of my writing is to fill in that gap in her story.

anyway, i don't mind her being black, and like the art the book has inspired. though i've seen some people say they dislike this choice, as Briseis was a slave, but ancient Greek slavery was a very different concept from the slavery of America and the colonies, and less about skin colour than simply being on the losing side of an invasion or war. that isn't to diminish what those people must have gone through, but there are more slaves in the world right now that there were in any period of ancient history. my Briseis is also given her freedom before the story kicks off.

so in the end, i decided to combine elements of all these depictions. i like Briseis having African heritage like so much art depicts. i like her being pale and looking good in dark colours like Ovid says. so, my Briseis is half Anatolian, half Ethiopian, and has albinism. a mix of this sculpture and this model is pretty much exactly how i envision her.

as for the people who get up in arms any time any person with more than a slight tan is depicted in Greek myth tellings, quite frankly, i don't care to hear it. it's fiction. there are gods meddling in people's lives and you're critiquing the accuracy of someone's ethnicity? anyway, there was an African man in the Trojan War, Memnon, the son of Eos, the goddess of the dawn, and presumably he brought other African soldiers with him. freaking Aphrodite is an evolution of Inanna, a Mesopotamian goddess. Andromeda, the wife of Perseus, was from Ethiopia, and Poseidon is also said to be visiting Africa at the beginning of the Odyssey. the ancient Mediterranean was a melting pot of cultures that was well aware of northern Africa long before the Romans conquered Carthage- which is also visited by Aeneas and his fellow Trojans!

tags: @forabeatofadrum @j-nipper-95 @artsyunderstudy @that-disabled-princess @prettygoododds @confused-bi-queer @imagineacoolusername @ic3-que3n @aristocratic-otter @larkral @hushed-chorus @ivelovedhimthroughworse @shemakesmeforget @fatalfangirl @ebbpettier @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @cutestkilla @youarenevertooold @alexalexinii @shrekgogurt @bookish-bogwitch @thewholelemon @supercutedinosaurs @shutup-andletme-go @theearlgreymage @ileadacharmedlife @alleycat0306 @carryonsimoncarryonbaz @comesitintheclover @blackberrysummerblog and @orange-peony

[phoenixriaartemis]

So umm little(not that little) post about the situation.I will try my best to not spoil.

Anyways as we all know(I sound stupid for saying that)in 5 days(that's quite short ._.)we have the event of Night Swan backstory to know about her like her name(even though most of us and I will risk to say all of us know her real name already if they didn't change it in the last minute but yeah no they wouldn't actually done that)and her whole story of how she fall down into the darkness with two new songs(this is one of the things that I know and I can't say)

This last part is what kinda frightening the fandom but not in the way that maybe her past will make us terrified more in the way of someone that can change the entire plotline but in a bad way...

Him...

The Traveler,coach from Rock your Body and Save your Tears which is a duet with another coach who is Si'ha Nova and this song it's their love story(I'm not gonna explain their whole love story but I recommend to watch littlesiha lore video about them)

This two coaches also have a son who is the main character in the story mode of Just Dance,Wanderlust

Now the whole issue:Since January I think it was?there was a theory going around that Wanderlust and the son of Night Swan Jack Rose might be related since the Just Dance team despise the ship between this two a lot(like literally there's some post about it)and it might be because of Traveler and Night Swan had a past relationship and Ta-Da!! Jack happens.There's also some kinds of aspects about it like Jack unknown father or Night Swan real name being base on a mythology(that one can be kind of debated)

There's point that made this theory more real,but also there are some points that made this whole theory(probably gonna happen)with not so many senses.Posts like @surr3al1sm and @halfratsalready have talk about it like one of them being the zero ressemblences of Jack and Traveler in their appearance to hint that they are father and son.

My take about this is more of a critic but also having a realistic point.I think that if they actually wanted to go down with this plot twist they should have atleast make some obvious connections(and I won't take it if they change Jack appearance to match Traveler once it's out the twist)or just straight up say it.I know that it will kill the "surprise" but with this kind of plot with already existence characters for one year and almost five months that wouldn't be good.If they did actually wanted to do it they could made a new character not using an already existing one(Side note:This part sound hypocrite from my part since I have in the sims Wanderlust and Sara as "siblings"to say more or less but since the moment I did it I thought to change it since I could see that I can kind of change but that would mean to delete the ones existence and put them again from the gallery something that it's not that bad even though they will lose something already gain but I wouldn't mind to do it)And if they wanted to do something with Traveler and Night Swan they could have taken the dating ,but not too far for Night Swan and Traveler to have Jack,and then something happens that connects to Night Swan failure and Traveler ended up with Si'ha AND Night Swan founding or already know someone that Traveler also know to be her partner and then BOOM Jack and father's gone.Also because the whole thing will be chaotic if they pull that because they are killing a wholesome lovestory,two ships,the lore of Traveler and Si'ha and Traveler(who is pretty like and love by most of the people in the community)whole character in just one map and I don't think that will be taken well

But to be realistic and knowing Ubisoft(and also because I don't have that much hope even though I want to)they're probably going to pull that but we will have to wait to find out...

[topazpearl]

tuurmil as in tuuri/emil from stand still stay silent?... speak on that? i've never considered it but i'm curious 🤔

Me when I get to talk about my rare pair ship!!!!!!!!

Alright where to begin………. You see, it all started back in the year of our Lord 2014. The comic was just starting…. characters were still being introduced… And nobody knew Tuuri was gonna die lol! In the earliest chapters, Emil and Tuuri carried a decent portion of the MC dialogue since Lalli is so introverted and knew no Swedish. So I got attached to the idea of them being a couple fairly quickly. And I wasnt the only one!!!! lol!!

I mean like, Tuuri was literally enamored with the idea of Emil since day one when she heard about him so 😂 Im not completely insane. (He's not as tall as she wanted but yknow, love conquers all.) And of course Emil tries to impress everyone, but the fact that after he's only known this girl for one day, he pulls this kind of shenanigans in front of her/??? It speaks to me. (Something something, being comfortable to show your true self to someone)

ALSO!! If you got the book 1 you know theres a bonus comic thats not published online where Tuuri drags Emil into a bakery and theres a couple nuggets of cuteness in there I waaaaaaaa

(a completely normal way to look at someone that you've only known for a few hours)

Oh and there's another bonus comic where he's like "hey who'd win in an arm wrestle match you or Lalli" to her like????? akjalsdjlsfj the way the hotakainens bring out the silliness in this boy i swear. anyway

Basically a lot of this ship for me is (literally unattainable) Potential.

You have Emil, who's kinda a jerk on the surface but that layer is very superficial and underneath is a wholesome, caring guy. And then you have Tuuri, who is very happy and friendly on the surface, but underneath can be kinda conniving and sour. Tuuri beats around the bush, while Emil is often straight to the point. So they keep balancing each other out, and I kinda love that. Also she's the mechanic and he's the pyro: they're the Gasoline Duo! lol If Tuuri had lived and they were given a couple more years to cook, with Emil maturing more, I think they could've been a good couple. (Emil is already so different by the end of the story). They're not perfect of course (every relationship has its pros and cons) but their dynamic is interesting to me.

If you're ready to jump into this canoe with me I highly recommend listening to "Wasteland, Baby!" by Hozier and then crying about it bc it's Their ship song to me

[swiftsaltsweet]

Two Knives-Chapter 1: Kyoshi: A Poem and a Promise

Characters: Rangi and Kyoshi (RoK characters tbh)

Pairing: Rangshi

Summary:

Things have been stressful for Kyoshi. First, she sang a poem and now the whole kitchen staff thinks it’s about Rangi, and is sure that there will be gossip. Then, Yun asks her to join him for the Fifth Nation treaty signing. Now Rangi’s acting strange. It’s becoming a bit much for Kyoshi’s small corner of the world.

(Canon Divergent AU- Kelsang wasn’t the one who heard the poem?….aka What if it took longer for them to realize Kyoshi was the Avatar?)

Other Sites: AO3 

A/N: <_< >_>*looks everyone in the eye* *drops another AU* *shuffles away*

*runs back and takes the mic* I don’t really wanna recap alllllll the scenes in the novel, so we’re just going to jump to the ones that def changed because of this little butterfly effect. So yeah, I'm assuming you've at least read RoK, and the scenes not shown here are fairly similar that happen in the novel. Ok? Ok. *shuffles away again*

(Tw: SLIGHT earth kingdom homophobia, mostly just alluded too, it's not my main focus, but I'll give another warning if it happens)

_____

“Can’t someone give us a decent verse?” Auntie Mui complained. She’d roped the kitchen into a forced weekly-or was it daily?- poetry time. Lee had just delivered the worst haiku in history, and it left a bitter taste in the older woman’s mouth.

Kyoshi, who was only supposed to drop off a delivery, had gotten roped into kitchen work by Auntie Mui, who asked her to help with the bread before she left. Kyoshi accepted, but was trying to rush it so she could get back to her duties upstairs.

“Well saaaaaw-rry !” Lee complained. “I’m not the best at poetry!”

“Yeah he’s better with dirty songs!” one kitchen worker jeered.

“Aren’t we all?” another hooted.

“There will be no dirty songs!” Auntie Mui cried out.

“Hey, let’s do the Unrequited Shanty!” one of the scullery maids clapped. “That one’s always fun to play!” 

Kyoshi recognized the game they wanted to play. It was a well-known shanty popular with sailors and field hands, where you improvised raunchy words from the perspective of your object of unrequited affection. It was a game for others to guess who you were singing about, and the simple rhythm made manual labor more pleasant.

“Of course, ‘cause ya love ta gossip!” a cook jeered.

“There will be no-” Autie Mui started, trying to get the kitchen under control, but was cut off by Lee.

“I’ve got a nose like a dove-tailed deer / I run like a leaf on the wind,” Lee sang, evidently better at this than his failed haiku. The staff started banging tables and pots to his rhythm. “My arms are slight and my waist is tight / and I don’t have a thought for my kin.”

“Mirai!” a dishwasher yelled out. “He’s got it bad for the greengrocer’s daughter!” The staff whooped over Lee’s protests, thinking it a good match. Sometimes it didn’t matter to the audience if they guessed right or not.

“Kyoshi next!” someone said. “She’s never here, so let’s make the most of it!”

Kyoshi was caught off guard. Normally she wasn’t included in household antics. But here she was, with the whole kitchen staff banging their tables and pots in a rhythm louder, encouraging. 

Before Kyoshi could consider feeling embarrassed or decline, the rhythm of the atmosphere dug its claws into her, pulling her in, and the words spilled from her mouth without a care.

“I’ve got two knives that are cast in bronze / they pierce all the way to the soul / they draw you in with the promise of sin / like the moth to the flame to the coal.”

The kitchen howled. Auntie Mui clucked in disapproval. “Keep going, you naughty girl!” Lee shouted, glad that the attention was off of him. 

Kyoshi did just that, tossing out the lyrics that popped into her head. She started drumming her own dough to the beat.

“I’ve got hair like the starless night / it sticks to my lips when I smile / I’ll wind it with yours and we’ll drift off course / in a ship touching hearts all the while.”

Somehow the improvisation was easy, though she’d never considered herself a poet. Or a bawdy mind, for that matter. It was as if another person, someone much more at ease with their own desires, was feeding her the right lines to express herself. And to her surprise, she liked how the inelegant lines made her feel. Truthful and silly and raw.

“For the way I walk is a lantern lit / that leads you into the night / I’ll hold you close and love you the most / until our end is in sight.”

Kyoshi was about to ponder what the darker turn towards the end of the verse was, when she realized the makeshift music had stopped. Looking up, she saw everyone was silently looking at her with a gaped expression. Some even dropped the appliances they were using.

“W-what?” she flinched. She thought the lyrics were pretty good, sure she wasn’t a lyricist, but there was no need for such a cold reception!

“It’s Rangi!” one of the maids shouted, clapping her hands once. 

Kyoshi whipped her head around to the stairs, looking for the firebending girl. Her heart started to quicken, though she didn’t know what for. 

“It is Rangi!” a cook cooed, making a kissy face for some strange reason. 

“W-where?” Kyoshi kept looking around.

“Not in here , idiot!” Lee slapped her back. “In your song ! Just admit it, you just sang about Rangi.”

Kyoshi felt her eyes bulge out of her head. She hadn’t really been thinking of the lyrics, but when she played them back in her head the picture became very clear. It very much did sound like Rangi.

She looked around the kitchen, some were goading her playfully, not caring that Kyoshi may have just sung a love poem about her female friend. 

Some gave her disdainful looks. A wave of guilt and disgust in herself rose up in Kyoshi’s stomach, realizing that they may also veer those same looks at Rangi later. All because of Kyoshi’s loose lips.

“I-I, uh, I,” Kyoshi said eloquently. She had no comeback, she couldn’t deny the resemblance. She didn’t think she was thinking about Rangi at that moment, but she couldn’t lie to herself. She had thought of Rangi, often, at other times. The fiery girl would easily sneak into her mind when she wasn’t fully aware of it. Could this have been one of those times? 

But she’d tell herself it was just admiration. She admired her friend. The way she embodied strength, skill, and determination wrapped up in an unshakable heart. Just, honorable, and kind….. And so painfully beautiful .

Kyoshi shook her head. No, she mustn’t think those thoughts about her friend. No matter how often they snuck into her mind. How often she thought about what it’d feel like to hold her close. To touch the soft flesh of her neck. What it would feel like to press her lips against Rangi’s…..

No! Kyoshi balled a fist outside of view, the nails digging into her skin to break her out of her dangerous train of thought. She’d already let her imagination run off and cause a lapse in judgment already, she couldn’t afford to do it again.

Stop… you can’t have those thoughts. It’s not fair to her. She chastised herself, trying to bury the emotions like she’d done with her crush on Yun. Having these feelings towards them, her friends, it wasn’t right. It was betraying their trust. 

But unlike with Yun, these feelings kept resurfacing, stronger than ever at times. And that was dangerous. Because each time Kyoshi buried them, it became harder to do so. Which meant there was a breaking point. Which meant……there would come a time Kyoshi may make the biggest mistake of her life, and ruin her friendship beyond repair. 

Kyoshi took a wobbly step back. “I, uh, I have to go get ready for my gifting duties,” she said hurriedly. Barreling her way to the staircase, trying to ignore the looks and shouts in her direction. It was easy to drown out the noise, her heart was thumping in rhythm with the footsteps around her. She briefly wondered if someone was following her, but when she turned no one was, when she got to the staircase it was empty as well. 

As quickly and quietly as she could, she ascended the stairs and made her way through the mansion to her room. As she ran, Kyoshi had her hand covering her mouth, trying to choke down the air of hyperventilation. She realized she’d described Rangi’s eyes as sinful, when really Kyoshi was the one with the sinful thoughts. A new wave of guilt and disgust in herself radiated through her. 

She was thankful she didn’t run into Rangi on the way to her room.

______

“Thank you,” Yun said as he nuzzled his cheek into Kyoshi’s hand. 

Kyoshi had made it to her gifting duties, not only in a timely manner, but also very early. At some point, the Avatar had joined her to “help” with organizing the gifts. Really he just wanted to bug her.

But at some point the conversation had turned to him asking her to join him for the Fifth Nation treaty signing. She saw the sincerity in his plea and said yes. And now here they were in a slightly uncompromising position. It’d be a little dicey if someone barged through the door while they were like this.

Other than that slight distress hanging over her head, she let the contact wash over her. Letting it act as a balm to the fire bomb that went off on her hours before. 

Right, just push the feelings down. She told herself. 

Yun reluctantly put her hand down. "Three..." he said, cocking his ear at the ceramic-tiled floor with a smile. "Two... One..."

Rangi slid the door open with a sharp click, and Kyoshi felt herself jump slightly. She was happy Yun had let go of her hand.

"Avatar." She bowed deeply and solemnly to Yun. Then she turned to Kyoshi, her face appeared to be more stern than Kyoshi was used to. “And you! You’ve barely made any prog-”

She cut herself off and tore her eyes away from Kyoshi, looking around the room. Her eyes widened a bit. “Oh….it’s…. actually almost done.” 

Yes, most of the items had been sorted. Kyoshi just needed to finish them up, and then move the respected piles to where they needed to go.

“I got here early….” Kyoshi muttered. She kept her eyes on a pai sho table in the corner. She knew if she looked at Rangi’s face right now, then she’d light up brighter than a firefly. 

This wasn’t good, if she couldn’t face Rangi then….. How was she going to be able to hide her feelings properly? Rangi was going to think she was upset with the firebender. She needed to get herself together.

“Yeah Rangi,” Yun laughed. “This is Kyoshi we’re talking about, how dare you question her skill of working fast and efficiently?”

Rangi turned on her heel to face Yun, giving him an indignant look. “D-don’t put words in my mouth! I simply thought due to the volume that came in, and the fact you are skipping training to be a distraction, she may not have gotten as far as she did.”

“Well, I left the kitchen as soon as possible and got to work, just like you wanted ,” Kyoshi mumbled. 

There was a moment of silence that caused Kyoshi to chance looking in Rangi’s direction. The two stared at her with worried expressions. Uh oh, Kyoshi hadn’t made the right expression, or maybe her tone was off? She needed to rectify the situation.

Kyoshi scratched at her nose, bashfully. “Did I say something wrong?”

Rangi stared at her for a moment, and it took all of Kyoshi’s effort to keep her blush down. Rangi finally broke eye contact by looking at the ground. “No… it’s just….”

“I think Kyoshi’s just a little nervous,” Yun announced.

Kyoshi felt her heart lurch in her chest. Oh she was nervous alright, but how could he possibly know?

“I just asked her to join the Fifth Nation signing and she agreed to go,” he continued calmly.

Oh he meant that . Kyoshi sighed, grateful for the coverup.

Rangi’s eyes boggled out of her head. “Wh-what?! What do you mean she’s going ?!”

Apparently he hadn’t told Rangi, until now.

“I was going to tell you,” Yun smiled, putting his hands up in surrender. 

Rangi spluttered and looked between Yun and Kyoshi. “Have you lost your mind ? The both of you? She’s not going!”

“Are you going against your Avatar’s wishes?” Yun grinned at her, but it made Rangi visibly flinch. Like he'd struck her, despite his joking tone. “Calm down, it’ll be good to have her there.”

“Good for who ?” Rangi groused. She pressed a fist to her forehead and sighed. Then she glared at Yun and grabbed his sleeve. “We’re talking about this later. Right now, I’m taking you back to your training!”

She started to pull her charge towards the door.

“Gah! Rangi! Wait!” Yun bemoaned. 

Rangi practically threw the Avatar through the doorway in front of her, and then stopped with her hand on the doorframe. She looked back at Kyoshi with an expression Kyoshi couldn’t place.

“And you-!” Rangi looked at Kyoshi and then the rest of the room, trying to find something to yell at her about. “Clean-no. Just. Gah. Do whatever you were doing!”

Rangi slammed the door. 

_____

Kyoshi quickly climbed the hill to the Avatar’s estate, a package in her arms. It had been a few days since Kyoshi had sung the poem about Rangi in the kitchen, as well as a few days since Yun had requested to join her on his adventure to sign the treaty. 

Since then, things have been pretty hectic. She and other staff were running around trying to make sure supplies were in order for the big event in a few weeks. 

Kyoshi was making frequent trips to the village to pick up various specially delivered packages. Though, she had a feeling that this one was more of a luxury item than one of necessity. She didn’t complain though, at least it was light. 

Kyoshi finally made it up the hill, and was just entering the gates when a familiar black and red cladded presence came out from behind the door as she passed through. Kyoshi screamed in surprise, just barely holding onto the package.

She looked down to see her ever timely friend, Rangi, waiting for her. 

As punctual as always. 

She gave Kyoshi an unreadable but stern look, the same one from when she first entered the gifting room. Come to think of it, that same look had been resting on her face for the past handful of days……

“I’m sorry,” she gasped, apologizing for yelling in her friend’s face. “You surprised me!”

Rangi’s expression didn’t change, instead she turned and started walking away. Just slow enough to indicate to Kyoshi that she would escort her to her next destination.

Kyoshi frowned a bit, she hadn’t liked Rangi’s new change in demeanor. On top of that, she barely talked when they were together. She felt like there was a wall, one that was much denser than when they first met. She was used to Rangi being a raging mother hen, not stoic and brooding.

She gathered herself and caught up to Rangi, and proceeded to walk side by side to Kyoshi’s next destination. Kyoshi took in the mansion’s beauty as they walked in silence. Since they would be leaving the mansion soon, most of the usual guests had left, so the staff was free to walk around parts of the mansion that were usually off limits. Like the garden. Which was the fastest shortcut to their next destination.

Kyoshi admired the layout, how the flowers were practically bursting over each other. The sand art that lined parts of the path. The way the rocks of the path felt like they came together in chaotic beauty. It was all very wabi-sabi. 

Her favorite part of the garden was definitely the small pond. The way the koi would come up to greet them for food. The little bridge they built over it. The clearness of the water. The pretty hue of green of the algae and other plants grew on top of it. The way the reflection of the water shimmered and framed Rangi’s jaw and eyes as they passed-

Kyoshi’s head snapped away, her heart beating a million miles a second. She’d let her mind wander and didn’t realize she was staring at her friend like-.... Oh…. she needed to shove these feelings down, and fast . 

Oh she could only thank the spirits and Yangchen that she at least hadn’t been caught staring.

“Kyoshi,” Rangi said, breaking the silence and startling Kyoshi even more.

“Y-yes?” 

“You aren’t going,” Rangi said. On top of her other new quirks, she’d also acquired a new phrase she liked.

Kyoshi sighed. “I don’t think I have a choice , Rangi. It’s a special request from the Avatar .”

Rangi stopped walking and glared at Kyoshi. “Of course you have a choice! You just have to tell him you don’t want to! Just tell him ‘no,’ Kyoshi!”

Kyoshi raised an eyebrow and gave her a joking smile. “And disobey the Avatar?”

Rangi stiffened. “It’s not ‘disobeying’ if he gave you an option in the first place, right?”

“I don’t mind though.” Ok, Kyoshi minded, just a bit . She was nervous. But it was a special request from Yun. She couldn’t say no to her best friend. 

Kyoshi dropped her voice into a low whisper, not wanting others to hear her, “Plus he practically begged me. How could I say no?”

Kyoshi thought that was the end of it, and started walking again, but stopped and almost fell back when a strong grip on her arm pulled her back.

“Then what about me , huh?” Rangi glared up at Kyoshi, practically in her face, and hand sturdy on Kyoshi’s arm. “What if I begged ? What if I begged you not to come along? What would you do then?”

Kyoshi’s heart pounded so hard, it radiated in her ears. What would she do? She technically should hold Rangi’s request in the same regard as Yun’s, she’d do anything for her best friends. But these requests were contradictory, she was going to make someone unhappy.

Rangi shook Kyoshi’s arm once, and Kyoshi looked at Rangi’s face again. It wasn’t the stoic mask she’d grown accustomed to over the past few days, it was vulnerable. Pleading. Her eyes shone, not with the promise of sin, but with a promise of….of…. something . Kyoshi wasn’t sure, but she felt herself being pulled closer the longer she looked into them.

Rangi shook her arm again. “ Please . Kyoshi, please don’t come with us,” she begged, her hot breath fanning over Kyoshi’s face. Rangi was begging. Strong, prideful Rangi was begging meak Kyoshi for something. It wasn’t right. Kyoshi wanted to drop what she was holding, and take Rangi into her arms. Reassure her that she would do whatever Rangi said. 

Kyoshi bit her lip and gripped the package tightly, it was the only thing keeping her grounded. She fought the ever waging war in her heart, and self-control won out again. But just barely. 

She was about to comply, when a horrifying thought ran through her head. What if Rangi didn’t come back? Kyoshi couldn’t bear it, if she wasn’t going to see Rangi again then it’d be up until the final moment. Even if it meant her own doom.

Kyoshi shook her head. She tried to say “I’m sorry” but found her throat and mouth were too dry.

Rangi grimaced and released her. “Forget it,” she said, as she walked away. With her, she took a heat Kyoshi didn’t realize had formed around them.

_____

A/N: At this point, I’m just dropping fic chapters down because I can’t focus my brain on one scenario. TT0TT Also, Gee, I wonder who heard the poem? Big mystery. Much suspense. 8U

[youreyesdontglow]

So. I just watched the school for good and evil movie. As someone who has been a fan of the book series for nearly ten years, here are my thoughts on it:

Pros:

Agatha and Sophie have great chemistry, as do Agatha and Tedros. Sophie and Tedros... Don't! Which is also good!

Lady lesso and Dovey are amazing. 10/10 casting

I actually liked most of the changes to the plot. The second book was never my favorite so I'm sort of glad they skipped over it and completely omitted the Sophie/Tedros. In the movie it's clear Sophie was never really into him besides the idea of him as a prince.

In the same vein, I liked how they changed Rafal. I never liked him very much as a character and making him a whole ass creepy adult instead of a blonde twilight-esque immortal teen was for the better.

The soundtrack and costuming was so campy. I love it. Got Jumpscared by the Eurovision song at the end though

Hort was perfect in every way. He's such a loser I want to study him under a microscope

Cons:

Really could have used more world building. I get it, it's a movie and there's only so much things you can fit into two and a half hours (in fact I'm a bit impressed they fit as much as they did in) but a lot of the charm of the books is from the world outside of the school and the magic system! It's what separates it from stuff like ever after high or Disney's descendants.

The actress they cast for Agatha, while perfect for the role in every other way, was simply not ugly. She could not sell me on her otherness. Visually she fit right in with all the other princesses at the good school.

While I loved a lot about Lesso and Dovey, I don't like that their friendship was removed. They're my Baby's First Lesbian Ship and I love their dynamic in the books, which the movie didn't even try to match.

If I'm remembering the books correctly, it seems like they gave Agatha's mom's backstory to Lesso instead. Bit of an odd choice, but it gives me hope for the retconning of the sisters thing. Speaking of...

The sisters thing

Yes, they're sisters in the books. Disappointing, I know. I've been reading posts of people experiencing what I like to call "sister reveal syndrome" all day.

I've seen a lot of people complain about the movie being queerbaiting. I totally understand where they're coming from. The movie didn't delve into the whole romance vs friendship plotline that the books had, which makes the true love's kiss at the end really seem like it was meant to be romantic.

In the books, one of the biggest themes is that platonic or familial love is just as important, if not more so, than romantic love. My personal feelings about it aside, the kiss at the end of the book made sense and was clearly not intended as romantic. The movie just didn't hit the same mark so it's completely understandable that people would be disappointed in Agatha and Sophie's relationship.

But like I mentioned earlier, it really does seem like the movies are planning on retconning the sisters plotline. Due to the casting Agatha doesn't look a lot like Sophie's dad or her mom (unless when Sophie's mom turned herself prettier for stephen she also... No, they wouldn't.) And they implied Lesso fills the role Agatha's mom is meant to. And no mention was made of Galvadon being related to the fairy tale world in any way.

Overall, I did enjoy the movie a lot. It isn't like the books, but I don't think that's a bad thing.

[waytoomanyhobbies]

Hi! What’s a song that makes you think of your favorite character or ship from Bob’s Burgers?

@babsvibes

Lol. Well, I already told you the other day how Too Sweet by Hozier makes me think of Logan being Louise's neat whiskey in your:

But I wanna shake things up with two songs that aren't fic dependent but instead make me think of Louigan after reuniting in their 30s and getting together–one would be what they say is their song and the other is their song in private.

Usually, with rivals to lovers ships folks go straight to all the "I hate you, but I love you" tunes. Instead, I want to lean into the way that Logan and Louise are foils who, despite their differences, are actually quite alike.

So the first song is another Hozier tune... From Eden. That's the one they would tell people was their song. Both characters have a history of identifying with criminals, outlaws, etc. So the serpent in the garden is a natural.

The following section, in particular, hits the mark for me:

Babe There's something lonesome about you Something so wholesome about you Get closer to me No tired sighs, no rolling eyes, no irony No 'who cares', no vacant stares, no time for me Honey, you're familiar like my mirror years ago Idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on its sword Innocence died screaming, honey, ask me I should know I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door

In the context of Louigan, the verse would be them each recognizing the other's hidden softer side. The pre-chorus would be a longing to cut through their facades of indifference and them expressing their insecurities about if the other really wasn't interested. Finally, the chorus in this context is the recognition of seeing themselves in one another (hence, how they recognized one another's softer sides) as well as the type of baggage they could accrue in the decades before they reunited. They're just both lying in wait to tempt the other. There wouldn't be any "other man" (like in the verse about Adam ) when they reunite, but any time someone asks how they got together, they make up a different outrageous story. Like an anthology episode.

That brings us to Louise and Logan's secret song, the one they would cuddle and canoodle to–but vehemently deny in public. Mirrors by Justin Timberlake.

I don't wanna lose you now I'm lookin' right at the other half of me The vacancy that sat in my heart Is a space that now you hold Show me how to fight for now And I'll tell you, baby, it was easy Comin' back here to you once I figured it out You were right here all along It's like you're my mirror My mirror staring back at me I couldn't get any bigger With anyone else beside me And now it's clear as this promise That we're making Two reflections into one Cause it's like you're my mirror My mirror staring back at me, staring back at me

I mean we have this girl:

A girl who knows every lyric that Boo Boo and Boys 4 Now ever sang.

And she's paired with this boy:

A boy who gets super emotional over Freaky Friday and its messages about love and acceptance.

Together, they would secretly enjoy the most poppy, peppy songs about true love and finding your other half–the person who gets that part of you that others don't understand or find too extreme for comfort. That's a kind of understanding and acceptance Louise seems to yearn for from Spiderhouse Rules, and it matches Logan's vibe from Mother Daughter Laser Razor beautifully.

I can picture the two of them cuddling to the song:

Louise: "I swear, if you ever tell anyone this is really our song, I will gut punch you!"

Logan (laughing): "Hey! I have a reputation to protect too, you know?"

Louise (snorts:) "If you say so."

Logan: "Besides, I know you're too chicken to dance to this at the wedding reception..."

Louise (warning): "Logan."

Logan: "And since when is big spoon supposed to be threatening little spoon? You're supposed to be making me feel safe and cherished."

Louise (hugging him tighter): "Fine. If the leftover pizza starts threatening you, I've got my bow and arrows in the closet."

Logan: "Thank you."

[sylvanas-girlkisser]

Rumored Arcane S2 characters and how likely I (the queen of the universe) think they are to actually show up.

Warwick Already been confirmed, I expect the werewolf!Vi AU on my desk in 2 weeks.

Renata Glasc Somebody has to take over now that Silco is gone, and seeing as she is just kind of capitalist Silco, she would make sense as an escalation of tension. Someone who can present herself as both the reasonable choice to Piltover, and the revolutionary choice to Zaun - also the Zaun logo is literally based on her company.

That said there is some argument to be made that she is too similar to Silco, and they might avoid her for that reason, but I just take that to mean Jinx is about to have her face caressed by an manipulative cougar in a suit.

Camille With how likely I think it is Renata is to show up, I can't imagine Riot being cool enough to give us to evil cougars in one season. That said I've been wrong (we don't talk about the firelights theory), so maybe they'll do like, a tale of two milfs. With the way S1 ended, it would make sense that someone like Camille would step in and take control of Piltover.

Ooh maybe they'll do like a thing with her being like what Caitlyn is going to end up like unless she stops seeing the world as black and white? that could be cool.

Seraphine She's probably gonna have a cameo singing one of the songs, but nothing more than that.

Urgot I know that for a while they were trying to set Urgot and Vi up as fated enemies, but i dunno, they kinda already did that with Sevika so meh.

Corina Veraza I feel like if they don't do Renata they're gonna do Corina, to be like, Caitlyn's Sevika. I have a hard time imagining them doing both in the same season, just for the optics of like: "we added a few new characters, including two different WoC who each run a criminal empire".

Zilean In the hopes that S2 is gonna be more Ekko-centric and have a storyline about him building the Z-Drive, I think it would be cool to have him hang out with Zilean for a bit. Then again, it does feel like Heimerdinger has already claimed the spot as Ekko's Yoda so 🤷‍♀️

Rell So look, I know it's based around a crack theory that Rell and Mel are sisters, which doesn't really make sense with the timeline. And I know that if they brought in Rell they would then also have to explain the Black Rose and Swain's rebellion and probably BS but listen:

It would really add to the already dysfunctional family dynamic, to have miss "I'll twist Noxus until it snaps" hanging out at the dinner table; just absolutely no chance of going 5 minutes without a shouting match.

It would also mean there was a chance of the good ship Relljinx becoming more people than just me. And wouldn't it be so good to see Jinx compensate for the hole in her heart left by Silco's death by finding someone to give love to in turn, and they could bond over their shared fear of abandonment. And now I'm just writing fanfic but imagine a fight between Vi and Rell over who Jinx should stay with, like wouldn't that just be the angstiest, and coolest thing ever?

[dei2dei]

Ideas: Gotta Catch 'Em All!

(look, I know one whole Pokemon reference and I'm gonna use it.)

I was tossing around ideas with @calypsid about writing events and coming up with ideas and how to write for big events - in fandom, for the monthlong ones especially, but also if you're someone looking at submitting original fiction to a themed anthology or to a zine, or when you just want to WRITE dammit but the ideas won't come. When the idea hutch is empty and the plotbuns won't come, when the creative spring is trickling or you're at the bottom of the well of inspiration, hope is not lost. We put our heads together and came up with a baker's dozen ways to get ideas and look at prompts to get new inspiration when you need it. So if you want 'em, jump below the cut!

Stop looking at words.

Look at art! Listen to music! Maybe what you need is some song lyrics to get your brain going, or art. Play Sudoku. Go to a coffee shop and watch people. Change your mental or physical environment and see what happens.

Prompt lists

Don’t limit yourself to whatever event you’re writing for! If it’s for a fandom ship week, hit up a themed month prompt list (such as Fluffuary, AUgust, or Whumptober). If you’re trying to think of ideas for a zine pitch, trawl prompt lists from fandom or creative writing websites. Mash the TVTropes random trope button until something clicks.

Tarot spreads

Even if you don’t read tarot on your own, you can find websites where you can do tarot readings. Treat it as a story prompt generator: pick three cards, one that is your protagonist, one that is their goal, one that is their obstacle. Look up the meanings. Go wild! You can use the cards for protagonists, antagonists, story arcs…

Lists

Not prompt lists - but every idea you can think of adjacent to a prompt. Tropes, colors, sayings, characters, types (e.g. species of apple, types of wildflowers, names of cocktails)...

An alphabetical list with an idea for each letter of the alphabet.

A list of 20 ideas, as close or as absolutely wild as you want.

A timed list (write ideas for 5/10/15 minutes). The first chunk may be easy, the last few minutes impossibly hard, but right in the middle where your mind is starting to stretch? That may be perfect.

Once you have a list of any flavor, start looking for patterns: that’s a sign your brain is interested in SOMETHING. What ideas/symbols keep showing up?

Look for unexpected intersections

Ideas or prompts may have unexpected links. Randomize your list! Consider resonances between different prompts; they may seem different in a different order. Pick a not obvious combination of two prompts and follow it to the end - what if you put together “pirate” and “arranged marriage”? Use a wheel spinning picker and see what two things the computer matches up.

You can also take a pair of commonly-associated opposites, pick out their most common stereotypical traits. Now swap them. 

Play with other media

Take characters from one piece of media, the setting from a second (hey look, a fusion/AU!). What resonates between them? Grab a non-fiction book about a topic you’re interested in and read that. Ideas might percolate from a number of unrelated sources into one Super Cool Idea.

Change the setting

Turn a sci-fi show into a fantasy setting, or vice-versa. Add monsters. Add gods; add gods with reality-bending dice; add gods with reality-bending dice who are malicious. Flip your characters' genders. Remove the concept of gender entirely. Send your characters to the dimension next door, where only one thing has changed. Or many things. Or everything. Take the characters out of the plot of your fandom, or replace them with side characters; what changes?

Change your mind

Take the prompt at face value. Or, treat it sarcastically. Subvert the trope - or don't subvert the trope. Write the thing you've always wanted to see, even if you think it won't work. Turn everything about the prompt on its head and look underneath for spare ideas. Come at it from every angle you can think of.

Other people

Talk to people about the prompt. Read Reddit or Tumblr conversations, even ones only vaguely associated with the prompt. Let your mind go in new and interesting directions. 

Cool words

Have you run across an awesome word you wish you could use in a story, or a turn of phrase? Write a story around that. Or if you have a list of cool words you keep anyway, flip back to it, see if there are any that might come together in a story.

Titles

If you have a title you've always wanted to use, let the title inspire the fic instead of the other way around. 

First Sentences

Just start writing first sentences, whatever ones come to mind. Don’t be precious about them; the goal isn’t perfect sentences, the goal is something to get your brain moving. Don’t worry about continuing the story yet! Try and get a bunch down without writing any more of the story. If one speaks to you and demands to be written, go back to it after you’ve got your list down.

Deconstruct a story you love and then rebuild it!

Retell a favorite story (or a hated story you thought you could do better). How did they do X? Why did you love (or hate) something so much? Can you do that with some of your ideas? Take out the main character and their sidekick; how does the story read with just the secondary characters? What if you add someone new? How would the story look different as a documentary, a chatfic, an epistolary collection?

Some Links:

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (https://sf-encyclopedia.com/) - includes almost 15,000 entries for words associated with sci-fi. Scroll through, pick (3, 5, 7…) and shove them into a story. Or learn about new tropes/concepts/ideas.

Deep Water Prompts (https://deepwaterwritingprompts.tumblr.com/) - some Weird Prompts (several hundred) you can twist and interpret to your heart’s desire.

Kathleen Jennings’ short story “Some Ways to Retell a Fairy Tale” (https://www.tor.com/2023/11/08/some-ways-to-retell-a-fairy-tale-kathleen-jennings) is also a great list of ideas for ways to, well, retell any story.

[not-goldy]

This was one of the best BTS 7 Deadly Sins edits from Filtermyg that got deleted, but its still on YT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy4JB4ML6z4

All I gotta say is that transition in the song to Jimin as Lust is HOT And so damn true. No one else in BTS would be Lust but Jimin. This editor nailed it & the song Play With Fire is a great choice.

I'm just gonna say lust is a Libra thing too😩😩😩😩

In every sense of the word

We can't be ruled by Venus and Aphrodite and not embody love and lust 😩😩😩😩😩😩😩

Librans both male and female always have a natural feminine essense which makes us gentle and compassionate but also quite high on love to a point of addiction. We lust for love😩

Read this article,

UNDERSTANDING LIBRAS: THE ZODIAC’S DIPLOMAT OR OUTRAGEOUS FLIRT

“Never judge anyone shortly because every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.” As a Libran through and through, Oscar Wilde espouses a core tenet of Libra wisdom: measure character with compassionate diplomacy. Represented by the scales of justice, a Libra is always in pursuit of fairness and equilibrium (it’s no surprise Judge Judy is a Libra). They have an uncanny knack for seeing “both sides of an argument,” but unlike the “devil’s advocate” approach of a Gemini, Libras see merit in every point of view—almost to a fault. In their pursuit of weighing all options equally, they often find it hard to adhere to their own judgment—in layman's terms, they are indecisive as hell. To love a Libra is to know that they will push every barista to the brink of tears due to how long they take to place an order.

Like their neighboring air signs, Aquarius and Gemini, Libras are outgoing conversationalists with a lust for novelty and information. With their diplomatic charm, they are able to connect with people quickly—even if that means agreeing with the opinion of every new person they meet. Ruled by the planet Venus, Libra’s have a fanciful inclination towards beauty, romance, aesthetics, and relationships. They particularly excel in the realm of fashion and art—easily seduced by maximalism, their art is usually lush, glamorous, and full of unexpected flourish. They often struggle with trying to please everyone all at once and find it hard to advocate for their own point of view—if a Libra can learn to trust themselves, they can quickly ascend to the top of their field.

A Libra Loves Love

“I'm a pretty good mix of adventurer and homebody, so when I go out I like to make the event worthwhile, and I like a partner who is down to go on adventures with me. Bonus if they are aesthetic adventures, like a trip to an art museum or a really gorgeous hike. I also particularly like when someone takes charge of planning said event/adventure—this makes my Libra sun happy as it takes away the stress of making choices and makes my Virgo Venus happy as it takes away my need to feel in control and responsible for driving the ship. Libras are air signs, so we're always talking and thinking a mile a minute, so a partner or friend also has to match my intelligence and match my speed and stamina for conversation.” — E.B.

Libras are one of the more idealistic and romantic signs of the zodiac. Their innate charm and love of language make them natural flirts—a power they wield with abandon. Ruled by the sign of Venus, relationships are a top priority for Librans, both in a romantic and platonic sense. They have a bad rap as being flakey, but it’s not because they are inconsiderate; in fact, it’s just the opposite—Libras are so concerned with making everyone happy that they have a hard time setting boundaries and tend to overcommit. Their romantic disposition can make them very fatuous with new love, sometimes leading them to disappear into new relationships. When a Libra’s chart is paired with other fixed or Venusian planets, they run the risk of becoming very co-dependent in relationships or, at worst, adopting the personality and effect of their #1 person. Yes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but a Libra lost in love is not on their ideal path. On the other end of the spectrum, if a Libra’s chart is weighted with more air, fire, and extroverted signs, their propensity for indecision manifests in compulsive dating, crushes, and extreme commitment-phobia. Though they are in constant pursuit of balance, matters of the heart are Libra’s kryptonite. The best way to a Libra’s heart is by helping them achieve the balance they so desperately need to feel at ease in a partnership. Libran A.H. explains, “Feeling engaged with has always been really important, and also not to be hella Libra, but feeling like we’re putting in the equal effort, it doesn’t have to look the same, but to know and feel that the other person is putting in their fair share into the relationship.”

End of excerpt.

When I say Jimin is the quintessential Libra

He is through and through 😩😩😩😩😩

If anyone is going to play lust trust it's going to be the Libra of the group 😩

[acourtofthought]

I'm very sorry to bug you. But can you explain to me the thing of the E/riels and the earplugs theory? 'Cause I don't even remember the earplugs passage in the books. I know is an anti Gwynriel theory and this blog is purely a pro Elucien one theory but I don't have anybody to ask this to.

Love your content💖

Hope your having a nice day!

You're not bugging me at all and I definitely am in the Gwynriel camp even though Elucien is 100% my favorite ship (Elain and Lucien are individually my favorite characters too) 😊

Elain gave Az the earplugs as a Solstice gift in the Az POV Bonus Chapter, claiming she thought he might need them to block out sounds now that he's living with Nesta and Cassian. Which is definitely a gag gift of sorts, she's trying to be funny, just like she was with the headache powder last year.

Anti Gwynriels and E/riels have developed the theory that Elain actually gave the earplugs to Az to prevent him from being exposed to Gwyn's singing which they claim is luring Az away from his "true love, Elain". That she had a vision that Gwyn would attempt to manipulate Az and she's trying to prevent it.

There are so many problems with this theory. First, they are discrediting Elain's character if they really feel she'd handle something she considered a threat in that way. Gag gifts are rarely, if ever used (as evidenced by Az never actually using the headache powder because of the "headaches everyone always gives him"). If she truly feared for Azriel's safety, they don't think she'd sit down and have an actual conversation about it? Instead, she'd risk him being influenced on the hopes that he'd actually use the earplugs at the appropriate times, picking up on her secret message which was disguised as a joke? Something she hadn't even planned on giving to him directly since she was trying to sneak down and leave it with the rest of his presents?

Second, it doesn't change the fact that Azriel did not even hear Gwyn singing until after he left the training ring and in that time, what happened? Gwyn gave Az an out to leaving once he realized someone was in the ring, she wasn't trying to keep him there, yet Az chose to stay. Az also noted how far she's come since Sangravah. He admired her growth and noted her charming irreverence well before she sang. He felt something in him settle, BEFORE SHE EVER SANG. Nicer thoughts than any he's ever had about Elain as individual because it's about Gwyn's character and not just her physical appeal.

And finally, Gwyn is a big part of why Nesta recovered from her depression. Do they care so little about what Gwyn has come to mean to Nesta that they'd be fine with having Gwyn's character turn evil all so E/riel can reign victorious?

Could Gwyn have some sort of Siren Song powers? Sure! But is she purposely using them for evil, to break up true love and force Az to love her instead? I find it incredibly unlikely. I find it more likely that Gwyn would have a Sirens Song power and be worried about what that means, whether that makes her unworthy. Which would make her the perfect match for Az who also has a dark power, tortures people, and feels he's unworthy as a result. I think Gwyn having a dark power is another point in favor of Gwynriel being Mates.

The issue I have with E/riels is that in order for their ship to work, they have to burn bridges left and right in relation to other characters.

"Rhys is evil for trying to keep E/riel apart!" (I mean, it couldn't possibly be because he didn't want Az to use his sister in law for just sex while he can't confirm whether he's over Mor, right?)? "Forbidden Love! Let's hide the relationship from the ones who actually care for us and support us!"

"Gwyn is evil for trying to steal Az away! Let's get rid of her and take away half of Nesta's found family, leaving her to sink back into despair over having misjudged her friend!"

"Lucien is evil for forcing Elain to be with him! Let's have Az defeat him in the Blood Duel and make SJM changing his entire storyline to be Helion's heir pointless because he doesn't deserve a HEA since he's such a bad guy......unless it involves him ending up with a human!"

I think if two characters are meant to be together, it should not involve everyone else becoming the enemy and that's exactly what E/riels do. The "us against them" mentality makes no sense in an SJM book when her major theme is found families.

Thank you so much for your message! ❤️

[spacewives-in-spacetime]

For lovely Bill Potts if you'd be so kind:

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to ths character? Something you don't like?

And, if you'd like another one, for Anne of Cleves from Six:

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

24. What other character from another fandom of yours that reminds you of them?

And, if you'd like a third one, how about Rose Tyler:

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

11. Would you date this character?

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

Feel free to skip any :) I'm sorry to hear about the pain, hon, I hope it'll get better soon <3

2: kinda just how quick-witted she is? like she's so fucking smart, and she's like. matches the doctor's energy and is so amazing. and the lesbian-ness, definitely the lesbian energy

5: space girl - frances forever

22: i love when fic writers show how strong and like chaotic (in a good way) she is? like, how just bright she is as a person, ig. and i get a bit frustrated whenever people just push her off as just this unimportant side character, like no. she was a companion just as much as any others, she deserves some of the spotlight.

haha bill is my beloved <3 i would do so much for her lol

7: i absolutely love it when fandoms portray anna as like this fucking disaster queen, yknow? like she cannot cook and will start fires every time, but she's loyal af and will kill a man for you

9: for sure!! it'd be fun af to live with someone who is kinda same vibes, also i can cook without starting a fire which is crucial

24: she either reminds me of hercules mulligan from hamilton or dare i say mels?? idk they both give of the disaster queen vibes i've mentioned earlier

anne/a is most def a underrated character, and im really glad you asked me about her :)

4: this was hard to choose, considering DW is literally in every media possible lol, ended up choosing comics cause rose would kick ass as a comic book character - specifically marvel

11: i may be gay af, but alas, not exactly my type? idk, we just wouldn't fit in a relationship. friends for sure tho!!

18: canon ships is hard, considering i can only ship her with ten/tentoo but yeah, i think they're good for each other. im not a hardcore tenrose shipper, but if i can add it into a fic, i would

thank you sm for the long ask lol, im doing better (after taking five "extra-strength" ibuprofen/acetaminophen pills) <333

[ineffable-snowman]

Fic Tag Game

Thanks for tagging me @gingiekittycat 💜

I already did this a few months ago (and somehow managed to find it on my blog, wow!), so I've copy pasted most of the answers and updated some of them.

How many works do you have on ao3?

fifteen

2. What's your Ao3 word count?

403,077

3. What fandoms do you write for?

right now I'm not writing much, just occasionally trying to work on my Good Omens wip.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Maybe Someday - 1,114 kudos

Trouble Man - 853 kudos

Pet Psychopath - 738 kudos

Match Made on Earth - 616 kudos

Partners, Accidentally - 571 kudos

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try, because I think interaction is important to keep a fandom "alive" (even if often I don't know what to say apart from "thanks for reading and commenting"). That reminds me that you, @gingiekittycat, sent me the nicest comment and I still haven't responded yet, will do now right away!

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

I don't write angsty endings. But some readers didn't agree with me that Match Made on Earth had a happy ending, so I will pick that one here.

7. What's the fic your write with the happiest ending?

They all have happy endings, but the ending of Four Chord Songs and Sentimental Lyrics is particularly sappy. I was wondering if that love song in the last chapter was *too much*, but then I thought: nope, it's Anakin, *too much* is his personality trait.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Some months ago I got two very rude anon comments on one of my Obikin fics accusing me of horrible things. The accusations felt pretty generic and did not fit that particular story at all, so probably from someone who had not even read the summary, but they still left me a little shaken. Fortunately, the people in the Obikin discord were really kind about it and helped to cheer me up.

Back on FFNET I received the occasional "ew, they're not gay, why would you write that?" Also there were some people who were angry at the way I wrote Obi-Wan, saying things like "how can you say he's your favourite character and then characterise him as weak/flawed/incompetent... and make so many bad things happen to him?"

BUT, all in all, fandom has been a positive experience and the many good interactions far outweigh the odd rude comment.

9. Do you write smut? What kind?

Does one awkward sex scene per multi chapter fic count? (No.)

10. Do you write cross-overs?

No.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so, not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, a long time ago on FFNET when I still wrote Harry Potter fic.

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Yes. Would love to do it again but I'm a very slow writer and would hate to leave someone waiting for too long.

14. What's your all time favourite ship?

I feel like Obikin is the "correct" answer because I always come back to them.

15. What's your WIP you like to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Step into Christmas with me. So far, I've managed to add two chapters every season. If I continue at that pace, I might finish it in two more years...

16. What are your writing strength?

Beginnings and endings.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

The long middle parts that always become too long and repetitive.

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

I don't really like it because it takes me out of a story. I don't want to check footnotes or use google translate in the middle of reading. I prefer if it's done with descriptions or dialogue tags matching the perception of the pov character, for example, if the character doesn't understand Spanish but I do, it's better if it's written like "...she said something in Spanish that sounded like a question to him" instead of writing down the actual question in Spanish.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Just for myself: Harry Potter. Posting online: Star Wars.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

Servants of the Force is definitely not my best writing but it's still my favourite fic anyway because I've never put so much effort into a fic before and I'm proud that I finished it.

tagging @chanihobbit, @saddybildaddy, @sky-kenobye, @ineffableobikin (no pressure tags!) and everyone who wants to do it (again).

[art-of-firefly]

5, 12 and 15 for Takao for the characters ask game!! 🧡

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

My first though was the 2nd and 3rd endings of KnB since Tatsuhisa Suzuki, Takao's voice actor, is the singer of Oldcodex the group who performed those endings. But that doesn't really count so instead i"ll say Someone To You by BANNERS

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

He became captain of Shutoku in 3rd year, and it really surprised him because he was convinced it would be Midorima. But Midorima expected it and knows that Takao will be the best captain in Shutoku. He is better at leading and socializing, and their kouhai are still very intimidated by Midorima.

He made Midorima vice-captain.

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

TakaMido of course. Even the song I associate with Takao is technically for TakaMido.

I've also been thinking a lot about AkaTakaMido recently. I know it's not very common but give me a minute and I'll explain.

TakaMido and AkaMido are two ships commonly accepted as S-tier ships, I don't have to defend them here. Akashi and Takao are like Midorima's first love and current boyfriend.Now AkaTaka is the missing link, at first glance it doesn't seems like they have great chemistry.

But think about how much Takao admires Akashi's skills as a point guard, during the Rakuzan VS Seirin and Jabberwock VS Vorpal Swords matches, the boy was in awe. Now let's take a look at Akashi's Kuro fes interview. To the question "what would you like to improve about yourself" he answered : "I guess I want to be able to connect with people without making them wary of me". And his only weakness is his inability to make jokes. While on the contrary, Takao is good at joking and approaching people.

What i'm getting at his that what they both want above all else is something the other effortlessly possesses.

There's no way Akashi doesn't admire Takao's sociability and effortless friendliness as much as Takao admires Akashi's abilities as a PG and basketball player. The ship potential is there.