#and the concepts explored are also *chef's kiss*

[godzexperiment]

As much it would be angsty- do you know how !!!!!! i'd be about writing nix fully losing his shit in the violence aspect of him? Of an Nix who unleashes akin to his makers level of and more full of Wrath. Just the intensity that even thickens the air with it.

It's even more fascinating with some connection before; like no illusion he can't fight and that obviously. But knowing him, knowing his choosing to not be an weapon (even if not fully). Used to his letting bugs out. Only to watch him then get that lost in his weapon like nature. Especially if it's an sibling??? Who probably is more used to violence and all that having an 'holy shit that's overkill' reaction. (there is so many routes that could be explored tbh and angst thereof)

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

Oh. My. God!!!

More under the cut

Where do I begin with this one?! How about the fact that the title is a double entendre that made me giggle?! Or how about the fact they went camping together (albeit for training)?! Or that you're looking at the consequences of Toshiro being too protective (which I rarely see in fic)? I can't choose, so let's start from the actual beginning of the fic:

I love the idea behind all of this, that everyone is training for Hell's impending invasion, but some individuals need to up their skills. And they have to go camping to train, I'm down for this already!

However, the day before the mission, her name was taken off the list with a curt note saying that her kido services would no longer be required. During the prior lieutenant’s meeting Renjii looked at her with a regretful glance, squeezing her shoulder sympathetically and she later received an apology Hell Butterfly from the Thirteen Captain before the expedition team left.

Loving the little bit of friendship there between Renji and Momo! I can't help but wonder how they would've gone on this mission together with the others. Can totally imagine a scene where they have to be back to back and think about on the struggles they went through, like in their Academy days. Also, I remember reading this and going 'No...No don't tell me he did this!'. I had this gut feeling Toshiro was behind this from the start but didn't want to believe it.

The shock must have been evident on her face as her captain immediately took one look at her before bringing her to the couch and placing a warm cup of tea in her hands.

T_T That's my man! So nice to read this moment!!

She had been reviewing the list of volunteers who wanted to train with her and was surprised at the number of people. If she were to spend time with each one, she would have to remain in the World of the Living for at least a month.

Why am I not surprised?! Aside from being who she is, I can totally see a lot officers wanting to learn how better their kido from her.

However, she had not seen Toushiro’s name on her initial list—much less expected him to volunteer.

My immediate reaction reading this: Oh no...it he DID do it, didn't he?! And now he's feeling bad or wants to explain himself!

He sighed in quiet exasperation. “I heard from Abarai that Hitsugaya-taicho requested you off the mission,” he said reluctantly. “And when there was no other candidate to go, he volunteered himself.” “And why would he do that?” she asked quietly, still processing what she had heard. Hirako shook his head, his bangs falling away from his eyes. “He never brought it up at the captain’s meeting. He went directly to the Soutaicho & the expedition team.”

This is something I would absolutely HATE to see Toshiro do (see my reactions above), and it's somethign I can see some thinking is out fo character for him. Yet, given the right circumstances, I can absolutely see him doing it. He knows Momo is a capable Shinigami, but his feelings can get in the way, and then his protective instincts come out. To see this in fic, where the reason he did it makes sense but also made me go 'No, why?! Why would you do that?! You failed my guy! You failed!' it a rarity, and I loved it! It make me want to explore this too, though I haven't got a fic idea for it yet.

I'd also be curious about Shinji's reaction to this. He must have been fine with Momo going on the expedition, otherwise he would've had her pulled, but when he found out Toshiro stepped in and went over him and straight to Kyoraku, how did he feel I wonder?

The tension is thick now though, as Momo clearly agreed to train with Toshiro. She's going to confront him!

It had been the first time they had seen each other in a long while, and Momo was still feeling unsettled—so introductions were short, and she immediately led him to the training area where she was now beginning a demonstration.

“We’ll start off with one of my prior combination spells in battle: from during the Winter War era when Rangiku-san and I had to fight the three arrancars.” She avoided looking at Toushiro for she knew much after the fact that he hadn’t approved of her coming onto the battlefield—which apparently, things still hadn’t changed between them. “Let me show you first.”

Momo had to stop herself from reacting openly to that. She hadn’t remembered telling him that it was her first attempt, a decision crossed in between luck and adrenaline. However, she had a lot to prove—and evidently, there were still people that doubted her.

Momo could only watch as Toushiro immediately called a cool wind forth to snuff out the embers, leaving just a sizzling trail of smoke as the remains of the misspell. “I think we better call it for the night,” he said with a measured tone, evaluating the scene. The slip back into their gigai was so quiet and routine that even the shift of corporeal bodies couldn’t cut the thick tension between the two.

These are gut punching moments T_T A totally understandable reaction from Momo -- she has every right to be anxious, upset, and angry here -- but still very sad to see. I can't imagine how it'd feel to have someone so close to you do something like what Toshiro did.

Her student nodded along, with a furrow in his eyebrows that Momo knew he was mentally taking notes.

“You can follow me for now and then we can try separately on our own, Hitsugaya-taicho.”

This hits different. Out of context, I'd likely think 'Aw, she knows him so well that she knows when he's really trying to absorb somethign someone is teaching him.' With the context of this fic though, it's makes me sad because she does know him well enough, but it's an endearing thing she knows and notices in him. Then there's the fact she refers to him by title! Momo has done this before of course, but more times than not, she doesn't use his title. Another sign of her trying to distance herself from him.

Also, side note: MOMO TEACHING KIDO SCENES! WE LOVE TO SEE THEM!

“Hirako-taicho and I went on camping trips as a way to get to know each other when we first started working together. The other Vizards would also join us as well.”

#LetShinjigofishing2k24!!

Toushiro rolled his eyes. “It still amazes me how he can circumvent rules to do it.” It was an offhand comment, nothing out of the ordinary for the young captain. However, at that moment it deeply grated at her nerves, and it struck raw. Momo snapped a branch in her hand. “Hirako-taicho completes his work as necessary. He also doesn’t cross the line—unlike you Hitsugaya-taicho.” He raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about, Hinamori?” “You pulled rank and took me off the Hell expedition,” she said curtly, yanking out the matchstick box from her pocket and snapping the match strong against the box. There was a pause where Momo could only hear the friction of the match

I audibly went "Whoooooooooooa!' Let's go!! That last lien is an absolute burner (pun not intended)!! Later when the match lights, it's at the perfect moment!

She looked up to see the fire reflecting in his turquoise eyes, resolute. “If I had to do it again, I would,” he said solemnly, holding his ground across the fire from her. “Well that’s the difference between us, Hitsugaya-taicho—I would be honest with someone if I didn’t think they were good enough.” “That’s not what I meant and you know it,” he sighed. Momo straightened her shoulders back and stared firmly back at him through the flames. “I am a lieutenant of the Fifth Division, I have earned my way to serve the Gotei 13—whether you like it or not.”  

I can't put into words how much I love this scene. I can see it so clearly in my mind. Neither side backing down, with Momo not fully knowing Toshiro intentions but still making a 100% valid point about her abilities and right to fight as a Shinigami; and Toshiro's determination and over-protectiveness making him stubborn, now seeing the consequences his actions had.

“Did you read the information pack that Hisagi-san had sent? Apparently, this used to be a habitat for bears.”

“Yes, and I read the amended version Ise-fuukutaicho sent—the local bear population has become endangered. The only thing we’re in danger of is losing our sleep,” he grumbled.

I found ti more amusing than I should that 1) Hisagi compiled a info pack/guide about the area (did he go on location and find out about the area? If so, what did he do? Did he ask locals? Camp out in the middle of woods to get the full experience? Does this technically fall under his duties?) and 2) Nanao made a revised guide XD (see, I can see her doing the equivalent of Googling about the area and reading books about it, with annoations and references and footnotes everywhere to back up her info).

Toushiro stepped in front of her sleeping bag, his stance defensive as he mimicked Momo’s earlier pose from the training session. “I’ll handle it. I’ll use the kido weaving to stop whatever it is in its tracks.” That got Momo to pause. “Wait, Hitsugaya-kun—I’m not sure if you’re ready.” He started to chant, slow and steady as the noise picked up. Momo could only focus on her heart racing that she almost missed the slip of incantation: Toushiro had skipped a line—a very crucial line. “Hitsugaya-kun—you forgot—” The threads burned amber, casting a bright glow against the surrounding boundary of trees before they began to constrict against themselves. The woven net grew and expanded, closing in around the two of them instead of pushing outward. Toushiro realizing his error, quickly turned around and crouched over Momo as the net imploded into great sparks, rivaling a fireworks show.

Again with that protectiveness! But also, I couldn't help but grin throughout all of this >w<

A bubble of laughter escaped from Momo’s mouth which earned her an exasperated look from her friend above her. Toushiro’s hair was mussed with grey soot streaking the spiky edges; he looked like the human confection of a burnt marshmallow—which made Momo laugh even harder.

I had a flashback to the explosive results of Renji's Academy training XD

“I’m sorry for yelling at you today.��� There was a long pause and she had wondered if he had heard her. “I deserved it. I apologize for not being transparent with you.”

Well at least he recognised that! I'm glad they're making up though!

“I can take care of myself, Hitsugaya-kun.” He sighed. “I know you can—I don’t doubt it at all.” “Then what makes this different?” Momo whispered. Toushiro was silent for a while before turning to her. “It’s what we don’t know—everything we’ve been taught feels…upended.” He grimaced & even in the dark she could see the storm brewing in his eyes. “Ukitake-taicho, the Soutaicho…they’re all there now. It feels like the rules have changed and things are out of control.” Momo smiled sympathetically before reaching a hand across, and gently placing it on his shoulder. “I know. I’m scared too. I’m scared for everyone at the Fifth, for Hirako-taicho, Rangiku-san.” She paused and stared into his eyes. “I’m also scared for you.” His eyes widened slowly. “Hinamori…” “But I won’t let that stop me from wanting to protect everyone—to protect you.” She squeezed his shoulder. “That’s why I became a shinigami, right?” Momo could sense his inner storm abating and smiled in relief. “So—trust me, okay? Like I trust you to stay safe.” He sighed deeply and stared back at her. “Okay—I will try.”

TwT I can't!! This was a goo resolution. Toshiro can't change magically overnight, and he's always going to be protective, but he'll try to not let it be his immediate response to Momo going into battle. He bleives in her, of course he does, but he loves her too.

And Momo showing she's protective of him too, worried about him in the upcoming battle T_T

Thank you sharing this with us, it's a beautiful read!!

For your reblogs milestone requests (congratulations!!) If this pings you, I'd love to see Hitsugaya + Hinamori + CAMPING. Good trip, bad trip, planned, unplanned, business, pleasure... Any kind of camping and any kind of tone!

how to start a fire

Rating: K+

“Hinamori, you’re imagining things—go to sleep.”

“I am not,” she hissed, with a little more bite than intended. She was still bitter about their squabble. “I know there’s something out there.” She turned to her backpack, fumbling around in the dark as she searched for the flashlight. “Did you read the information pack that Hisagi-san had sent? Apparently, this used to be a habitat for bears.”

“Yes, and I read the amended version Ise-fuukutaicho sent—the local bear population has become endangered. The only thing we’re in danger of is losing our sleep,” he grumbled.

…

Momo is sent to train Toushiro in the World of the Living in combination kido.

Word Count: 3670 words

Setting: after the Bleach Anniversary Hell Chapter

Prompt: @hitsuhina-week Gift Exchange 2023 for @whipplefilter

"maybe we didn't argue, but we don't agree"/ "Hitsugaya asks Hinamori to teach him her kidou-weaving"/"HitsuHina from unexpected/outside POVs"

Authour’s Note: This is SO LATE IN ALL THE SENSES. Firstly, because Whipple sent this request in like, summer. And then I was matched with them for the Gift Exchange which I thought I could make! but holidays! & falling sick! (are we really ever as productive as we would like over the holidays??)

(Thank you @rays-of-fire-and-ice for being understanding!)

When I saw the prompts that Whipple sent, I immediately thought of their initial fic request & thought it was such a perfect thing to combine! Unfortunately, I couldn't get in the Hitsuhina from an outside POV but maybe one day in the future!

I had a lot of fun trying to flesh this out and was really happy to go back to writing after so long! However, I believe much like the rest of the fandom, life is going to get busy in the coming months for me and I won't be as active in writing as I would like to :( I hope to still participate in events but it does really inspire me reading everyone's work when I come back to try to write on my own!!

Happy New Year everyone! Here's hoping 2024 is one with happiness and laughter and fun for everyone!!

I hope you all enjoy this!

---

Momo dropped her duffel bag and began to rummage around it, pushing overnight clothes and toiletries aside. “Here’s a clearing: we can proceed here.”

Toushiro looked around skeptically, noting the abandoned fire pits and wooden pavilions in the distance. “Won’t we be disturbing the humans?”

“Soutaicho had reserved the whole camping ground area while the Twelfth Division set up a barrier that would send any human that would walk towards the training facilities, confused but turned around.” She swallowed the gikon pill, feeling her human body leave her as if she were shedding a coat off.

The tenth captain raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t the Kido Corps have facilitated that?”

Momo shrugged, though she admitted she wondered about the ethics of the research division sometimes. “All the training leaders were assured that they wouldn’t be harmed. Nanao-san also reiterated that each cell would be allocated a parcel of the forest—so we don’t have to worry about anyone else while we train.”

With the new frontier of Hell on the line, the Gotei 13 were implementing new training tactics to prepare for the unknown battle. Each division had received a list of candidates for leaders of the cell groups—specific internal training groups to provide targeted instruction on skills soldiers may find lacking. Momo had been selected from the Fifth Division to lead high level kido proficiency, specifically on combination spells. The leaders ranged in rank, from captains to lieutenants and even high ranked seated officers. She had heard later from Matsumoto, Ikkaku had been selected to lead swordsmanship skills, Isane for healing during combat, a fourth seat in the eighth division for defensive spells among many. The cell groups would then be volunteers from across the Gotei 13 that would train with the leaders in World of the Living on a reserved human camping site.

Momo had been flattered (even when her captain had bemoaned jokingly why he hadn’t been picked) but was also left feeling disconcerted at the letter.

A few weeks ago, there was an expedition team sent out earlier to understand the spells and mechanisms that opened Hell’s Doors as well as scope its initial terrain. The list was short and concise with only a few captains and lieutenants selected. Renjii & Rukia were on the list as they had already prior experience in the hellscape. Momo had been keen to go, as she heard her name was nominated by Rukia to help with kido to break down the entrance. However, the day before the mission, her name was taken off the list with a curt note saying that her kido services would no longer be required. During the prior lieutenant’s meeting Renjii looked at her with a regretful glance, squeezing her shoulder sympathetically and she later received an apology Hell Butterfly from the Thirteen Captain before the expedition team left.

Momo had walked back to the Fifth Division in a daze, feeling a bit bereft at the sudden change in plans. The shock must have been evident on her face as her captain immediately took one look at her before bringing her to the couch and placing a warm cup of tea in her hands.

“Hitsugaya-taicho seems to have requested you for your first training session.”

“Why?” Momo asked. She had been reviewing the list of volunteers who wanted to train with her and was surprised at the number of people. If she were to spend time with each one, she would have to remain in the World of the Living for at least a month.

However, she had not seen Toushiro’s name on her initial list—much less expected him to volunteer. The tenth captain was quick on his feet in battle and she never assumed his skills were lacking.

Hirako-taicho shrugged. “Maybe he wants a brush up as well? I know he had gone on the Hell Expedition Team & him and the little Kuchiki realized there was some reworking off spells to be done.”

That got Momo to pause as she was sorting through the files. It had been a couple of weeks since the team had returned from Hell. “Hitsugaya-taicho had joined the expedition?” As far as she knew, he was never a candidate for the expedition, and he hadn’t mentioned anything like that to her.

Her captain stilled, his eyes avoiding her questioning look. “I believe he was the last-minute change…”

“Hirako-taicho—why did Hitsugaya-kun go on the expedition?”

He sighed in quiet exasperation. “I heard from Abarai that Hitsugaya-taicho requested you off the mission,” he said reluctantly. “And when there was no other candidate to go, he volunteered himself.”

“And why would he do that?” she asked quietly, still processing what she had heard.

Hirako shook his head, his bangs falling away from his eyes. “He never brought it up at the captain’s meeting. He went directly to the Soutaicho & the expedition team.”

The news sat with Momo as she prepared her training plan and packed her bags to go the World of the Living. The unease festered inside of her, leaving her with feelings of self-doubt and anxiety. She found herself unable to sleep well and only when she stepped onto the campgrounds and breathed in the fresh air, could she feel the tension loosening in her shoulder.

Momo had an earlier departure time and was preparing the grounds when the Tenth Captain dropped in, much later in the evening when the sky was hedging into dusk. It had been the first time they had seen each other in a long while, and Momo was still feeling unsettled—so introductions were short, and she immediately led him to the training area where she was now beginning a demonstration. If the boy noticed anything unusual, he made no comment and followed suit.

Momo slipped into teaching mode, something she had learned while part-timing at the academy to help compartmentalize her life as a lecturer separate from a lieutenant.

“We’ll start off with one of my prior combination spells in battle: from during the Winter War era when Rangiku-san and I had to fight the three arrancars.” She avoided looking at Toushiro for she knew much after the fact that he hadn’t approved of her coming onto the battlefield—which apparently, things still hadn’t changed between them. “Let me show you first.”

The girl lifted her hands in front of her, demonstrating as she spoke. “The strength of the spell also comes from the foundation of the pose. I know after we graduate and go into battle, it’s very easy to skip this step as we’ve become comfortable with the incantations.” She moved her hands as if they were framing a triangle. “However, as we introduce combination spells, I find that there’s strength in using combative stances with defensive spells and vice versa.”

Her student nodded along, with a furrow in his eyebrows that Momo knew he was mentally taking notes.

“It started off with Hadou 12 Fuishibi: I had used it as a defensive base before obscuring it with a concealment spell.”

“That was Kyokou, right?” Toushiro piped in.

She nodded in affirmation. “Yes—that was the key to catching the arrancar off. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to blindside them in the initial attack.”

Toushiro’s eyebrow raised slowly, almost as if he were impressed if Momo had to guess. “That’s quite commendable that you were able to weave that many kidou together—especially for your first time.”

Momo had to stop herself from reacting openly to that. She hadn’t remembered telling him that it was her first attempt, a decision crossed in between luck and adrenaline. However, she had a lot to prove—and evidently, there were still people that doubted her.

“However, the key is finding the right igniting spell: Shakaho is a common one and it doesn’t matter how proficient you are in kidou—it’ll still give you the right amount of power you need.”

She beckoned with her head, her arms still held in front of her in stance. “You can follow me for now and then we can try separately on our own, Hitsugaya-taicho.”

When he mirrored suit, she started reciting the incantations—pausing in between lines to explain the steps.

“You start trying to imagine a series of lines, crossing each other. Imagine the intersection and focus on that. Personally, for me, it helps to visualize the centers becoming brighter to build a stronger net.”

“Like Bakudo #4, Hainawa?”

Momo winced, sensing the kidou web pull away from her. “Not really. It’s the foundation—it’s not the main goal. You’re setting up trajectory for the blast to follow.”

“Is it necessary to recite the full spell?”

“Sort of—I find it helpful to not focus fully on the incantation but instead what it represents. Breaks down the rigidity of the tradition and make it more malleable in combining different spells.”

“How do you control the scale of the net?”

“It’s all in the visualization—you need to imagine it,” she responded quickly as she felt herself faltering. The net grew dimmer and wilted, like a flower causing Momo to repeat the previous line again. She wasn’t used to being interrupted so often.

“When do you switch hand positions?”

“Hold on Hitsugaya—”, Momo could feel the net pull away from her like a storm wind catching hold of a kite. She proceeded forward and, in her haste, she skipped two lines ahead in the incantation.   

The effects were immediate with the strings of the net burning brighter and brighter. Momo faltered, immediately stopping the incantation but it was too late. The net hummed in power before it exploded, sending sparks back at the shinigami & the wooden structures.

Momo could only watch as Toushiro immediately called a cool wind forth to snuff out the embers, leaving just a sizzling trail of smoke as the remains of the misspell.

“I think we better call it for the night,” he said with a measured tone, evaluating the scene.

The slip back into their gigai was so quiet and routine that even the shift of corporeal bodies couldn’t cut the thick tension between the two. The moon was hanging high & alone by the time they had returned silently back to their campsite.

Momo immediately started collecting broken branches and twigs to start the fire. She kept her head down, repeating the recent events in her head over and over. Even though Toushiro had been peppering her with questions, she knew she was accustomed to that from teaching new recruits—and inwardly Momo knew that it was her earlier feelings towards the young captain that made her mess up the incantation. There was a strong part of her that was ashamed for getting her emotions get in the way of teaching—something she had promised herself she would learn to keep professional and private matters separate.

Momo sighed deeply, walking back to their clearing, and dumping the wood into the firepit. As she rearranged the pieces into a tented position, she could feel Toushiro’s eyes on her—much like earlier, observing quietly and learning.

“It’s to help structure the flame,” she explained quietly. Momo pulled some newspapers she had brought with her and began shredding them over the pit.

“How do you know how to do this?”

“Hirako-taicho and I went on camping trips as a way to get to know each other when we first started working together. The other Vizards would also join us as well.”

Toushiro rolled his eyes. “It still amazes me how he can circumvent rules to do it.” It was an offhand comment, nothing out of the ordinary for the young captain. However, at that moment it deeply grated at her nerves, and it struck raw.

Momo snapped a branch in her hand. “Hirako-taicho completes his work as necessary. He also doesn’t cross the line—unlike you Hitsugaya-taicho.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about, Hinamori?”

“You pulled rank and took me off the Hell expedition,” she said curtly, yanking out the matchstick box from her pocket and snapping the match strong against the box.

There was a pause where Momo could only hear the friction of the match. “You’re not ready,” Toushiro said carefully, as if he were approaching a skittish creature. “There are far too many unknowns, and the risk is too great.”

“You had no business deciding to do so.” The match didn’t catch, and Momo cursed under her breath as she flicked it to the ground. She pulled another one out and began again.

“Other lieutenants were pulled off as well, it came down to essential personnel only.”

“No, Hitsugaya-taicho, you are a captain of the Tenth Division and were overstepping your bounds. Kuchiki-san had requested me on that mission for my skills and you decided to pull me off.”

The match ignited brightly in her hands. Momo dropped it into the pile of wood where it immediately spurred into large flames. She looked up to see the fire reflecting in his turquoise eyes, resolute.

“If I had to do it again, I would,” he said solemnly, holding his ground across the fire from her.

“Well that’s the difference between us, Hitsugaya-taicho—I would be honest with someone if I didn’t think they were good enough.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” he sighed.

Momo straightened her shoulders back and stared firmly back at him through the flames. “I am a lieutenant of the Fifth Division, I have earned my way to serve the Gotei 13—whether you like it or not.”  

--

Dinner was a quiet tense affair with the two of them eating their packed meals quite far and separated from each other. Momo had already started to feel awful from such negative feelings, but on principle she held her ground, quickly scarfing down her onigiri.

They had changed in silence to their sleeping clothes, each taking turns to watch shift before tucking into their respective sleeping bags across the fire pit. In the absence of a “good night,” Momo felt remorse, and found herself consciously holding back from asking if Toushiro was awake.

When they were younger, they’d climb up onto the thatched roofs to stargaze during the night. The hay would itch at bare skin and it would always take the two of them a while to get settled, but when they had found their spots, it was like the world quieted again and they lost themselves in counting the constellations. Sometimes she would speak and Toushiro would respond, in either one sentence responses or noises of affirmation—but always honest. And when it became too quiet to speak, the two would just lie in silence. It was those peaceful moments that would ground Momo whenever she was away studying in the academy; where it felt like possibilities were endless, but home was right behind her, keeping her grounded and safe.

But that felt like a different lifetime with too much death in between to tie them to the same life.

A loud rustle startled Momo from her stupor.

She pushed herself up off the ground. “Did you hear that?”

There was another sound, a creak.

“Hitsugaya-kun,” Momo called out, a twinge of fear creeping into her voice.

“I’m trying to sleep,” he groused.

She persisted, sitting up and listening carefully. The fire crackled and hissed, and Momo strained to hear through the crackle of the fire. Internally she felt at lost without being able to detect the rieatsu of whatever was out there.

“Hinamori, you’re imagining things—go to sleep.”

“I am not,” she hissed, with a little more bite than intended. She was still bitter about their squabble. “I know there’s something out there.” She turned to her backpack, fumbling around in the dark as she searched for the flashlight. “Did you read the information pack that Hisagi-san had sent? Apparently, this used to be a habitat for bears.”

“Yes, and I read the amended version Ise-fuukutaicho sent—the local bear population has become endangered. The only thing we’re in danger of is losing our sleep,” he grumbled.

“I forgot how grumpy you get when you don’t get your sleep,” Momo murmured.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

A rustle was heard and Toushiro shot up, his eyes much alert. “I think there’s something approaching.”

Momo fought the urge to roll her eyes as she fished out the flashlight. “That’s what I was saying.”

A twig broke and immediately Toushiro slipped a gikon pill in, his human body falling back onto the sleeping bag.

“I’m not going to use Hyourinmaru—the weather changes will alert the humans nearby.”

Momo rustled through her duffle bag, pulling things out rapidly. “I can’t find my gikon pills—I must have left them at the training site.”

Toushiro stepped in front of her sleeping bag, his stance defensive as he mimicked Momo’s earlier pose from the training session. “I’ll handle it. I’ll use the kido weaving to stop whatever it is in its tracks.”

That got Momo to pause. “Wait, Hitsugaya-kun—I’m not sure if you’re ready.”

He started to chant, slow and steady as the noise picked up. Momo could only focus on her heart racing that she almost missed the slip of incantation: Toushiro had skipped a line—a very crucial line.

“Hitsugaya-kun—you forgot—”

The threads burned amber, casting a bright glow against the surrounding boundary of trees before they began to constrict against themselves. The woven net grew and expanded, closing in around the two of them instead of pushing outward. Toushiro realizing his error, quickly turned around and crouched over Momo as the net imploded into great sparks, rivaling a fireworks show.

The rustling noise got louder and two of them could only look up as the bush rumbled and rustled—before a bunny slipped out. It stared comically at the two of them, cocking its head to the side before hoping through the campgrounds as the two childhood friends watched.

A bubble of laughter escaped from Momo’s mouth which earned her an exasperated look from her friend above her. Toushiro’s hair was mussed with grey soot streaking the spiky edges; he looked like the human confection of a burnt marshmallow—which made Momo laugh even harder.

“This isn’t funny,” he grumbled, swiping away at his face with soot coming off.

“It kind of is,” she continued to laugh. “I’m sure when you get back into your gigai, it’ll go away.”

Whatever previous tension that was there before, disappeared and now there was a lightness as the two young shinigami cleaned up the area. The campfire that had been blazing strong before had calmed down to a dying ember, its small spark still burning bright against the night.

Momo cleared her throat, sheepishly looking down. “Would you mind if we pull these closer?” she gestured towards the distanced sleeping bags.

Toushiro shook his head. “No, not at all.”

After rearranging the bags, the two settled in quietly, lying on their backs and looking up at the stars. Momo sighed in content, feeling a lot more at peace than before but still wanted to clear the air about one more thing.

“Hitsugaya-kun,” she whispered.

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry for yelling at you today.”

There was a long pause and she had wondered if he had heard her. “I deserved it. I apologize for not being transparent with you.”

Momo raised an eyebrow. “The great Hitsugaya-taicho is apologizing to me?”

“Oh, shut it.” Even though it was dark, she could hear the eyeroll in his voice. “And I’ve done it before,” he added softly.

“I know.” Momo remembered it well, especially after the Winter War. “But those for things that were out of your control. This is for something you deliberately did.”

The young girl heard him sigh deeply. “It’s something I’m working on,” he conceded.

“Rangiku-san put you up to it?”

“Something like that…” he drifted off.

“Well…” Momo tucked the blanket around her tighter her shoulders. “Thank you.”

When he didn’t say anything back, she continued on, speaking softly. “You need to trust me—I understand you’re worried, but you can’t go around making decisions on my behalf without talking to me.” She turned onto her side and faced him. “I can take care of myself, Hitsugaya-kun.”

He sighed. “I know you can—I don’t doubt it at all.”

“Then what makes this different?” Momo whispered.

Toushiro was silent for a while before turning to her. “It’s what we don’t know—everything we’ve been taught feels…upended.” He grimaced & even in the dark she could see the storm brewing in his eyes. “Ukitake-taicho, the Soutaicho…they’re all there now. It feels like the rules have changed and things are out of control.”

Momo smiled sympathetically before reaching a hand across, and gently placing it on his shoulder. “I know. I’m scared too. I’m scared for everyone at the Fifth, for Hirako-taicho, Rangiku-san.” She paused and stared into his eyes. “I’m also scared for you.”

His eyes widened slowly. “Hinamori…”

“But I won’t let that stop me from wanting to protect everyone—to protect you.” She squeezed his shoulder. “That’s why I became a shinigami, right?”

Momo could sense his inner storm abating and smiled in relief. “So—trust me, okay? Like I trust you to stay safe.”

He sighed deeply and stared back at her. “Okay—I will try.”

She chuckled quietly. “That’s all I ask.”

Momo let her hand fall in the space between them. “Now let’s go to sleep. We still have to finish training tomorrow. I can’t send you back not knowing how to do one combination spell.”

“This will definitely be an experience I will never forget,” he said softly.

She smiled, her eyes already closing shut. “Good night, Hitsugaya-kun.”

Sometime during the night, Momo felt her hand being pulled, and held tight. That even if they drifted in dreams under the stars, she was grounded and safe, held tight to home.

---

Authour's Note: Again, this happens late at night because I am a sucker for late night conversations. I had a lot of fun trying to write Momo's teaching methods for the kido (as if I know anything lol) I also just love that something doesn't go splendidly well for Toushiro (though I wish there were more people to witness it hahahaha)

Until next time everyone :)

[facewithoutheart]

Five plus One, fic recs

A post is going around about fics you consider classics in the Snowbaz fandom. I’d like to take it a step further by asking …

What are five fics you consider your inspiration/influences for writing, plus one of your fics which you think best represents what you want to bring to the fandom?

5. Hang the Moon by @captain-aralias

@captain-aralias is, to me, the snowbaz fandom fic writer of our time. Her commitment to detail, to nailing Rainbow’s voice, while infusing every fic with a heart and purpose that will leave you changed. Every fic of hers is chef’s-kiss-perfection but I’m highlighting Hang the Moon specifically as a fic I often think about (Baz, wet tennis clothes, helping Simon fight the merwolves), and a fic that was my introduction to what fanfics could be/do. I think I finished this fic and just stared at the wall for an hour because I was just like, oh. Oh.

4. The Pitch by basic-bathsheba

Local Hero is one of my favorite fanfics but I wanted to highlight this fic because it’s just such a powerful and understated story. It’s love in the details. This Simon is the model for all of my Simon’s, just a complete simp for Baz haha but also a man who is comfortable and confident being the man who loves Baz even if he doesn’t get to claim it publicly.

3. Stay Up With Me by @sharkmartini

Not sure what to say about this that hasn’t been said a million times. It’ll break your heart; it’ll put you back together. The concept is brilliant and the exploration of two Simon’s will definitely put your emotions through a wringer. Time travel/what-if fics will always grab my attention but this one in particular makes the same case Rainbow posed in Carry On: what if the villain isn’t the villain? And takes it a step further, because Simon realizes he could be the villain, too. Absolutely beautiful.

2. Can’t Find My Way Home by @carryonsimoncarryonbaz

This is one of those fics that just has so much heart and sweetness. I love a good second chance AU, and this one has such Hallmark vibes in the best way. I just love the slow burn of it, and the amazing ending. A perfect holiday fic to snuggle up with. Reading this feels like being cozy up by the fire with someone you love. Actually writing this makes me wanna reread this so much; now that I live with actual Fall I wanna feel cozy like this again.

1. Basil Pitch’s Diary by @bookish-bogwitch

I know it’s a bit weird to rec a WIP as an influence, especially one that’s being written as we speak, but working with/beta-ing Em’s works have made me a sharper, smarter writer. I know this fic is a classic in the works and it’s something I think about on a weekly basis. The Baz Em gives us, to me, feels like canon Baz taken to the next level. What if Baz was the villain … but only to himself? Em’s writing really is just economical in the best way; every line hits, every paragraph teaches me something. And then the heart. It’s genuinely so hard to do what she does and I’m so lucky to get to see her work in realtime.

+1 This Will All Go Down In Flames

I think, at the end of my fandom career, I want this to be the snowbaz fic people associate with me (Spadey being a close second hahaha). But I do feel like it’s got a lot of fandom in-jokes, humor, and sweetness, plus the fun high-stakes of them being in the spotlight. I got to celebrate the Austin I love and miss, as well as poke fun at my own hipster upbringing. I put a lot of Me™ in this fic and it always feels so lovely when people like it. Besides, I got to work with the amazing @tea-brigade and their art just takes this fic to the next level. A dream collab.

(Throwing in the caveat that I started reading long before I got an ao3 account so it’s very likely I’ve missed some amazing fics from before 2021; I’m so sorry!)

Tagging everyone listed above and six more peeps to start: @cutestkilla, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @larkral, @ileadacharmedlife, @thewholelemon & @aristocratic-otter

[merakiui]

TERROR IN THREES !!! MERAAAAAA OMG OMG SO GOOD !! so scrumptious !!!

Wow I hadn't stopped to think about how the Halloween trio is such a crazy combination... we have "repressed horny church boy" Rollo, "stranger danger conman" Fellow, and "fanboy obsessive lover" Skully.

Imagine a gangbang with those three oh goodness we're not surviving that... but also quite funny seeing the contrast between them gfwhdgs and also, the way that's literally two repressed teens and a grownass man pfff

Aaaa thank youuu!! \(//∇//)\ I’m happy all of the stories were enjoyable. <3 the Halloween trio is so *chef’s kiss*!!! Rollo, who tried to eradicate all magic with ancient flowers, Fellow with his human trafficking (and the potential for dollification concepts), and now Skully with whatever more villainous deeds he gets up to after poisoning Jack. >:) I love all of them.

They’re all so different, too!!!! Rollo is so sick of those two and their theatrics. I think he’d always try to keep you safe and pure from “those miscreants,” he calls them. T_T although I do think Rollo would get along well with Gidel (if it’s an au where all of them are rooming at Ramshackle). And Skully and Fellow are forever trapped in a war vying for your affection and approval. They’re all so silly.

Gangbang with the three of them….. something something NRC college au and you’re all drunk/high and one thing leads to another and oops!! :3 you’re exploring each other’s bodies. Business major Fellow, theatre major (or classic literature major) Skully, and maybe botany major Rollo…… being roommates with the three of them. >w<

[commsroom]

first of all thank you so much for having this blog and sharing your thoughts!! your eiffelposting (and heraposting) has literally got me through the post w359 Grieving Process after running though the whole thing in about 2 weeks and your character insight is. well. chefs kiss. Eiffel Understander Of All Time. 2 things: 1, if it’s ok, you’ve mentioned before about an eiffel version of change of mind, and the idea has (1/2)

(2/2) literally stuck with me since and i’d love to hear your thoughts on that if you have any! 2, are there active w359 discords about bc i got a deep need to yap about all this (apologies if the first msg came through twice, tumblr's being weird)

oh, it makes me very happy to hear that!! your art is a gift, and i'm glad i can offer you something in return.

as for your question... yes! okay. the basic premise is to frame eiffel losing (and regaining) his memory as a catalyst for character growth, as a narrative parallel to lovelace's death and resurrection, rather than a resolution. i think it's noteworthy that the finale has eiffel faced with himself from first a very internal (the final confrontation literally taking place inside his head) and then a very external (hearing his logs as an outsider after losing his memory) perspective and i think the natural extension of this is, well. to confront him with himself.

one of the most key things about eiffel's character arc is that he wants to escape himself. "it's taken me this long to realize that running from everyone else means that you're alone with yourself" but, as addressed in constructive criticism, he's also running from himself. he doesn't like what he hears on those tapes, but the eiffel of succulent rat-killing tar both is and isn't the eiffel of brave new world, and i think that's what's being set up/suggested at the end.

i think viewing eiffel's memory loss as a death is incomplete, while viewing it as a "fresh start" or anything of the sort is incompatible with his existing character arc. but if you think of it as part of this pattern of eiffel trying to escape himself, and ending up still stuck with himself...? if he makes the big sacrifice, "escapes" the person he is as much as anyone can, and then finds he's still stuck with himself, still has to live as the person he is...? then, what next?

(i think this also ties in well with maintaining sobriety; addiction, self-destructive impulses and the desire to not be present in his life, etc. are all rooted in the same things.)

my concept of eiffel regaining his memory would be this sort of... fever dream "life flashing before his eyes" sequence of stepping into significant moments in his life (as a stranger) and interacting with himself, and needing to accept / reintegrating all of these versions of who doug eiffel is and has been. that the question of "am i still doug eiffel?" is one of accountability for his past but that he's always been changing and will continue to grow. i think a key part of this would be him seeing these moments through a pop culture lens / as if it's a movie and then more gradually seeing what they really are. ideally, these would be moments tied to specific songs for him; eiffel's internal soundtrack is well beyond wolf 359's budget, i'm sure, but it's a hypothetical anyway. these would be real memories, in some form, but obviously none of this would be happening for real; it's just how i think his brain would make sense of it (while he's presumably unconscious.) it's like sarah shachat said about eiffel's story in limbo: to tell that story, he would first have to make it a story.

i like this because i think it works well with eiffel's existing arc. i like it because it provides a different angle on self-exploration via memory in the same vein as memoria and change of mind. i like it because it makes a good potential parallel to shut up and listen/constructive criticism, and to mayday (eiffel alone with the voices of others vs. eiffel literally alone with himself.) it feels like a natural extension + heightened conclusion to things that i feel are already implied + set up. and, while i like where wolf 359 ended and would never want to add to it, i like imagining what zach valenti would do with a bunch of different versions of eiffel at different stages of his life interacting; i think he would knock it out of the park with material like that.

i think the real core of identity in wolf 359 is in these moments where people assert who they are, or decide to be who they are. again, in parallel to lovelace... the same way that lovelace decides to be isabel lovelace, "even if [she] never has been before", eiffel would decide to be doug eiffel, all the people he's been, the person he is now, and all the people he's going to be.

(as for discord... i think there are some, but unfortunately i don't know of any that i would personally recommend. you are always welcome to ramble at Me on discord, but i know that's probably not the same.)

[junkanimate]

EHY I'VE BEEN READING A LOT OF FANFICTIONS LATELY

I know, who would have guess?? Anyway I wanted to send some appreciation all around to some of the fanfics I've read, because writers need some more appreciation in general.

so, in no particular order:

✨Here's a list of fanfics I've read/I'm reading that I think they're pretty good✨

Solid Stone Turns To Clay by @randyzorra - MK fic

A solid Johnshi fic set in a pirate au, I'm absolutely obsessed with it. It's a beautiful slow burn, where Johnny is a disgraced bounty hunter who's trying to regain his fame by stealing The Shadow, legendary cursed ship. Ship that so happens to have a certain someone as her captain. Honestly not only I love the romance, but also the friendship between Johnny and Kung Lao and Johnny and Baraka.

Beware that this fic is tagged as explicit, so check the tags carefully

Back There by houndhead - MK fic

Ehy, have you ever thought that Raiden wasn't there when the others went to Outworld to find Shang Tsung? Yeah what if they never told him what happened back there because of good ol' classic trauma? I'm in love with this concept and houndhead explores it in a very interesting way, showing us how each character would act after experiencing what happened at the lab. I also really love how the characters interact with each other, in the last chapter Tanya and Tomas are just perfect.

Raise The Blade (Make The Change) by cherrycola94 - MK fic

A very fun Johnshi fic that's written a little bit like a script, it has some added scene set before the game, some exploration of the canon through a Johnshi lense, ad finally it continues as a post canon, with a very fun story. While I was reading it I could see in my head the scene perfectly, like it was actually a movie. The second chapter has an AMAZING SCENE, like I was so in love that I have a wip of that scene. I should come back and finish it honestly. The new chapter had exactly the kind of scene I was craving for recently, I'm so happy they wrote it!

But I lowered my sword when you held me and swore (you'd stay, stay, stay) by @necromanticzz - MK fic

It's a johnshi fic with a Kenshi pov, where Kenshi has so many walls up doesn't want any help but Johnny just seems to be able to go through them without any problems. Honestly I also advice the other fic necromanticzz wrote about them, the way Kenshi gets chracterized in both of them is just *chef's kiss* perfect, beautiful, amazing. The two fics are just my favourite in the way Kenshi is written, applause all around, love it.

Koffee Shop Kombat by @loujitsushotsoup - MK fic

Because a classic coffee shop au is always needed. We have multiple ships, different writing styles between chaptes, changing with which character's pov we are following, and I love the creativity that was put in it. You maybe saw this post where I drew one of the scenes in this fic, so YOU KNOW that I mean it when i say that I love this fic. And I'm a big sucker for coffee shops as a setting, really love them in real life as well.

Cole's Chilli Recipe by @before-time-had-a-name - Ninjago fic

Another fic where I drew one of the scenes and it's because it deserves it. It's a lostshipping fic, very sweet, very cozy, honestly Cole and Geo make me incredibly emotional everytime and this fic also straight up picked me up and squashed me. I saw in some of the reblogs on my post that people went to check out the fic and I'm so happy about it because they deserve his work to be checked out. And honestly if I can give her more spotlight I will take the chance. Go check out this fic, it's very cool.

Here Comes Casey Jones by Invader_Sam - TMNT MM fic

Very sweet rasey fic that takes place post movie, with the turtles going to highschool and Raph meeting for the first time Casey Jones. What can I say? I just really love Rasey, and I love they're both clearly crushing on each other but they're not really saying it. And the fact that there's no unecessary teenage angst, they just really like each other, and I love that for them ❤

Think Of It As War Paint by less_depresso_more_espresso - TMNT 2012 fic

Another Rasey one, short and sweet, where both of them honestly are giving so much gender in my humble opinion. It's hard to explaning it without just saying all the fic, so we could say it's about them just chilling on a roof.

A Garden Across Our Collarbone by PittedPeaches - LMK fic

I think everyone and their mom already know this fic, and if you don't it would be my honor to talk to you about it. This for me is THE spicynoodle fic, it was one year of my life and honestly at the end of it I cried. This is a soulmate au, where demons sometimes have soulmates, and when that happen it's like they share skin, so they can write stuff on their body and it will appeared on the skin of their soulmate. It mostly starts like a rewriting of seson 1-2-3 by Red son's pov with this new dynamic, and then it becomes a new original timeline. The way this fic is everything to me, every chapter was an incredible experience, I fell in love with this fic at every chapter. So many beautiful scenes, written so beautifully, as I said this fic was 1 YEAR of my life. It was also a very difficult year, and I'm honestly so happy that this fic was there for that time of my life.

Desde el Principio by ShippingMyWorld - Nicktoons United fic

Okay idk If you saw me reblogging a bunch of Nicktoons fanart like two days ago, but just so you know I'm totally going into the rabbit hole of this fandom and I will be lost for a while. Now, this is a Danny Fenton/Manny Rivera fic, the tag has only two fics and both of them are from this writer.

I wish I had this commitment in my life, to just being THE ONLY one creating a specific content for something and still having the motivation of doing it

I read this fic last night, I finished it at 5 a.m. and I do not regret it at all, this was amazing

I actually recommend reading both fics because they are very good, I'm giving a shout out to this one because I think it's the one that made the biggest impact to me personally. ShippingMyWorld you did it, you converted me, I ship this now.

And that's the list, thank you so much to every fanfic writers that give us such amazing art everyday, you're the backbone of fandom!

[a-risk-to-take]

….you posted your tattoo (sick) and linked to house of dirk and i read it all and its unfinished. if you hadn’t posted i may have lived my life without getting fanfic blue balled for the first time since 2015. if you have any sympathy for my loss you would give me fanfic recs >:[ /lh

I feel your pain believe me 😭😭 I’m sorry I didn’t warn you at least. I’m low-key hoping the tattoo image gets to imarriedacherub and inspires them to continue the story - obviously not likely but it’s nice to dream!

I got recs for you though! I’ve got hundreds of bookmarks on my ao3 but here’s the HS stuff I love the most:

The epics:

Dayvhe’s Broken Diamond Club and everything by @unda-dsk: DBDC is my personal fave of theirs, and the best treatment of troll culture in any fic ever. If you know HS fic you are probably aware of MC Escher That’s My Favorite MC, and that one is absolutely excellent and completely deserves its status as one of the very best. And then there’s Alternate Universe, which is a perfect and beautiful magic school story. All of these are absolutely top-tier - I cannot stress this enough. They are epic and very long but some of the best stuff I’ve ever read—fanfic or otherwise—and they changed me when I read them. Despite the length, DBDC is very episodic so you can read each chapter as its own story and easily take breaks in between them without losing the flow, so you might want to start there. I promise it’s worth it!!

so we don’t kill the ones we love by @callmearcturus: I’ve never read anyone who can create an atmosphere like Arc can - this one is kind of a John Wick AU but in a really refreshing and elevated way. The characterization is so on point. Lots more I could rave about but I’ll just add that Arc’s Karkats are the hottest and most based out there. Again all his stuff is really good - this one is my favorite, but don’t miss this really cool magic artisan AU also.

The meteorstucks:

Aahhh there’s no way this is gonna be complete because I’ve read like hundreds and I get them confused but these are some that stand out. In case you haven’t notice already this list is gonna be very davekat centric!

Keep It Down by sburbanite - chef’s kiss concept and execution just read it

A Xenological Exploration of Music and Language by superbloom - super fun and well written with neat headcanon - and turned me on to some great music

I’m actually gonna just declare this section unfinished for now - I need to revisit these and remind myself what’s what - stay tuned!

Illustrated

Since you liked HoD you might be looking for more comic-y stuff with art. Definitely check out @chthonicarcher’s amazing davekats! Such as That’s All We Are

Dream a Little Dream of Me by koroke - this is just a little dream bubble comic but it’s simply the loveliest and I’m massively envious of the art style

Gonna Need Some Windex by the End of the Year by magniloquentChanteuse - more artistic storytelling just neat!

More

It’s About Time by @laurasauras - this is a sweet cute lovely little time travel davekat that I actually sent to a friend to read who knew nothing about HS and successfully led them into the fandom. (Followed by AU by Unda). Laurasauras is prolific and there are so many great fics written by them I can’t list them all here but they are one of my absolute favorite authors. Their understanding of the strider psyche is absolutely impeccable

The Worst Goddamn Movies Ever Fucking Made by writerbot - this fic brought me so much hilarity and joy I can’t even tell you. The Karkat voice is perfect and delightful and the social media interludes are so fucking funny and impressive. One of the first fics to show me how creative and funny this fandom can be.

I’m surely going to add to this - there are so many more meteorstucks and other authors I know I’ll think of after I post this - but I don’t want to spend too much longer on this now when you could be reading some of this great stuff! ENJOY!!

[bebx]

So I don't know if you heard, but Victor recently became Sorcerer Supreme in comics, and it made me think about Reed, who staunchly doesn't believe in magic at all and only sees it as science he doesn't understand yet, and I thought about how Victor could (and would) use some of that weakness to magic and his inability to face it against him, either by teasing by performing spells and forcing him to come up with logical explanations for it, or by using his magic to attack, overpower and ultimately force ("force") submission in him. Just a fun little idea I thought I'd share, hope you have a nice day :) only tangentially related, read your DoomReed/Poolverine fic and I wasn't sure about it reading the description, but I ended up really loving it, I love how the possession really jumps out and grabs them.

I may not be an expert when it comes to comicverse, but I did hear about this and also how Reed didn’t (doesn’t) believe in the concept of magic at all. and yes, Victor could and would use his magic to his advantage and — now that you’ve mentioned it — force Reed to surrender. I’ve actually been wanting to write something about this for a while now (something about Victor using his magic and Reed being skeptical about it); it probably won’t be that much canonically accurate since I’m still not that familiar with comicverse as of now, except that Victor has magic that’s just as strong as Doctor Strange’s, if not stronger, and that Reed doesn’t believe in magic at all. (I did read bits and pieces of the comics so far, but there are still so much I haven’t explored yet, and I’m looking forward to finally reading more of them when I can). so I may or may not write something about this in the future. I mean, I wouldn’t want to make any promises, but I really want to. the concept of Victor taunting Reed with his magic and using that magic to force Reed to surrender? chef’s kiss. so I guess we’ll see.

and thank you for finding my DoomReed/Poolverine fic enjoyable. that means so much to me. (possessive Victor is everything) 🥹💗

[tewwor]

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send🍒 for nice words >:) ( accepting ) — whoever sent this, ilu

anon, you're so goated 4 this. gotta crack my hand knuckles and brain knuckles for this because WHEW....... i do have that many folks i'd love to yap about in no particular order. also, this is so long — that's my only warning ❤️️

🍒 @desalvar idc if we've only written 1 thing together. i don't care if we haven't chatted an exuberant amount. i'm here to say i love nik sm and i love how passionate you are about him. those hcs i see floating around? eat them up instantly. i cannot wait to yap and explore more no matter how long it takes!!!!!!

🍒 @interxstitial YAINT SLICK. I SAW THAT OTHER ASK SO I MUST PUT YOU ON BLAST about how much i've come to cherish you. fr fr i haven't hehe'd haha'd with a relatively newish mutual this fast in a Long time. but you take the cake. the entire bakery, even. the way you just... okay, look, i said it literally when i first imed you, but your verses are so CHEFS KISS GOOD. THE WAY YOU WRITE IS SO INCREDIBLY GOOD. JIWON AS A ENTIRE CHARACTER IS SO SENSATIONAL.

you're so silly, he's so silly, we're all so silly together. the marked literally became a whole ass community because of your enthusiasm. it genuinely encouraged me to not hold back and continue to yap about all of their stupid nuanced dynamics. and the way we have soooooo many threads together, but they all feel different? juniper's just babey!!!! he's the marked's babey!!!!! don't even get me started on ravi.... i did not think anyone would pick him up by the scruff and hang onto that bro frat man bro. hes so ridiculous but you RAN WITH IT AND WE KEPT SPRINTING. you're amazing, i'm so so happy i followed you all those months ago ❤️️❤️️❤️️❤️️

🍒 @gollldrush okay, not going to lie. you're currently an inspiration for my writing. there, i said it. you're so well-rounded with so many genres — like how can you write the most visceral angst, fluff, action, and eerily atmospheric threads? hello? i'm knocking on your blog door, teach me?????? i absolutely adore leo and ellory both SO much. but the way you write rilen specifically has me fascinated.

also, not to mention, it's a field day to chat with you in the best way possible. you're SO nice and you, too, have contributed greatly to the inner dynamics of the marked. i can't wait to see what other shenanigans we come up in the future ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

🍒 @justsurvival KEVA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! gosh. DARN. sorry if this comes across as too much, but i was so incredibly excited to see you back. would also like to thank the stars for aligning, because i literally got flashbacks to hatsune miku ORYN THE OTHER DAY OUT OF NOWHERE? the picture... haunts me....... anyways. you're a phenomenal writer across the board. you're so fun to chat with and your creativity's off the fucking charts. when i said i couldn't pick who to write a starter for, i meant it. the concepts are all so GOOD it amkes me ( wails on the floor )

🍒 @cordoliae vic, this is my official appreciate blog post tweet story. i cannot for the life of me... even begin to explain / do justice to how wonderful you are. like, as a person AND a writer — i am bowing down at the steepest degree. your writing is TOP TIER and it has influenced my writing so, so much. a lot of the prosier things i type has 10000% been from our earlier threads where mister no-good chanyeol plonked himself in baby jail to bother THE love his life 💗

also, idk if i've ever told you this but i got into botw because of you. like off to the sidelines, i got that game to relive some nostalgia and try to understand that world more and got dunked into getting lost in everything for an eternity. i would also like to POINT OUT that your understanding of ANY canon you write floors me. vincenzo? that's quite literally him pulled from the kdrama itself. BONGGIL? THAT'S HIM DIRECTLY FROM THE SCREEN ITSELF — ACTUALLY? I would like to also point out how ecstatic i was when you reached out about mutually loving exh.uma. i quite literally haven't tunneled that fast before, and while my focus is severally scattered right now — the best shamans are still in my brain. also, you're one of the 3 people that got me into op, so thank you sm for that ♡♡

🍒 @huntershowl ( kicks thru the wall big bird style ). raine... you.. i cannot describe everything i adore about you, but i sure can try. let's get the obvious out of the way, alright? seph, the creature that you are........ fantastic.. feral..... so for real with the cards you've been dealt............. i want to dub you and seph as THE ones that got me to progress jie so much. also litho HELLO? NOT TO DRAG THAT BEATEN HORSE BACK IN but i'm so serious when i say this, he's like so close to being a single ship with seph. highkey the reason why he only crawls out of his stupid cave when seph's around. it still might end up happening, but either way — the influence and sheer devotion and love he has for seph clocks me over the head every single time.

NOW FOR THE NEWERISH DEVELOPMENT. i might not be immersed in jj.k and only have a pinky toe dipped into wb / bn.ha BUT i know you're taking everything and everyone by storm. anytime i see one of your posts about anxiety ( which is so totally understandable ), i'd like to try and reassure you that there's an entire group of folks that love and adore your version of canons and ocs. and if anyone else tries to muck around like a fucking buffoon, i'll send a mathematical plague upon them i s2g

🍒 @xinxiins this is my confession.... not featuring usher, hi, it's just me. i'm clearing out the entire room to say that you have reconnected jie with his culture and i am so forever grateful for that. his slice of life verse version is currently hibernating, but i Did Not Forget about our yapping and immersion in a community he so desperately wanted to be a part of. and as someone that's also struggled with that connection, i thank you so so so SO much from the bottom of my heart. it's truly so incredibly special to have experienced that, and i hope to continue that in the future!!!!!!!!!!!! ALSO, YOUR WRITING IS BREATHTAKING. I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A GIVEN BUT I HAVE TO SAY IT ANYWAYS. AND YOU'RE A GEM TO TALK TO ❣❣❣❣❣❣❣

🍒 @fangmother don't mind me scooting on by, but hi, yes, hello. i know we recently started to interact, but a) love the way you write b) love the lore you have surrounding rainer b.1) i was so immersed reading up on her bio / verses — like, truly, thank you for the meal c) cannot wait to explore more dynamics because already, i'm buckled up for more replies and will eventually reach out just to yap yap yap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

🍒 @miidnighters brodie.... 100 golden stars for you. just.. gosh..... i can say with full confidence, i will never tire of your characters ever. i don't care if we have a million dynamics with the x amount of characters i have. i still want more!!!!!!!!! you're so talented. honestly very inspirational. idr if i told you this before, but you are also 100000% part of the reason why i got so involved with the marked. OH? ALSO? LETS NOT FORGET HARBORVIEW TOO? before the marked consumed me BUT HELLO???? FLYNN IS HARBORVIEW'S COLLECTIVE GROWN MAN BUT ALSO BABEY. ahem, anyways, i've learned so many new things about my own characters because of our interactions. and i always, always wish the best for you / am so grateful we're pals.

🍒 @catfcng going to be so fr, idk most of the fandoms you run with but i want to ( eventually )!!!!!!!!!! there's just something so captivating with the way you write and bring attention to your characters in the best way possible. also? your blog's entire aesthetic is So Good. i hope to write more with you and will always cheer loudly from the sidelines !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[yennas-stuff]

Gwyn: the saint

Azriel: the sinner

“If I’m your saint, then you’re my sinner.” I hope Gwyn says this to Az.

🍒 anon

Hi, 🍒 anon!

Girl (gendi nooch), don't get me started. There is so much to explore!

The whole concept of sinner and saint is *chef's kiss*.

I imagine Az seeing Gwyn sing a worship song will be a spiritual experience for him. Maybe it will trigger some sort of katharsis in him. Surely, they will discuss religion together and spirituality. They will see how similar they are. Maybe they will pray together.

Gwyn also struggles with feeling undeserving of wearing her invoking stone. Azriel feels that his hands are tainted. I think they will both try to make the other see how good they are inside.

Also, I can imagine a scene where Az confesses his sins to Gwyn (Az kneeling before her when? Getting down to his knees seems to be his go-to move with pretty females, lol).

I hope the book goes deeper than the surface into these themes. As a person who grew up Catholic, I still kinda fuck with the vibes, aesthetic and themes of religion (not so much with the institution of church tho).

[miidnighters]

I came back to RP in October of this year and I honestly have just been blown away by the community that's still here - I'm so lucky to have connected with this community of people who not only write excellent things with me, but put other excellent things on my dash for me to devour.

I just wanted to say a little thank you and shoutout for making re-entry so easy and enjoyable <3 I love you all and I cannot wait to have a million threads apiece with each of you because I'm so greedy and I'm just looking at you all with little grabby hands. I want to like every starter call you ever post and send in every meme but also. Don't want to be a lunatic you know.

@whileurmine

Writing with you makes me so happy! I really enjoy each of your characters and this interwoven storyline they all have together - how you can reference other characters and have them drop in and out and still be 'canon'. Love it.

@briillicnt / @grcveyacd

I love the dynamic we've created with Tristan and Hartley - I really enjoy writing with you and exploring all the little facets of their relationship. I can't wait to do more, especially exploring all the characters on your multi!

@exquisitexagony / @cursedvessels / @distantsongsofjoy

Sami has my whole heart and you know this. I love their characterisation and whichever of my characters they get paired with is absolutely chefs kiss because each pairing has such a unique dynamic that I love playing with. PLUS all the characters on your multi?? All of your characters are exquisite and I love them.

@wildskissed

What can I say about Eve - even before you were writing with me I was reading your other threads and thinking about how cool you were so the fact that we've crafted this relationship between Bella and Eve? It's amazing to me and I love exploring not only their relationship but also the wider universe.

@laidbear / @92328 / @svetlna

I have mentioned before but I'll say it again, each of your characters is so fascinating to me and I love them so much. I am always blown away by the depth and facets of your characters, and the way they interact with mine. Amazing - I could live in your blogs for the next 100 years and never get bored.

@cxldblxxded / @yxkanna

Another set of amazing, multifaceted characters. I think your development and wider thinking about your characters is so interesting and I love reading all of the extra tidbits because it makes all of your characters feel that much more real. Looking forward to hopefully more interactions with Cad & K.

@starlyht

Aaah honestly all of your characters are so good and I love that you think about them not only in a BG3 sense but also in a wider fantasy sense which makes them so fascinating to me. Also, the fact that you will occasionally use real dice rolls to decide what happens in-reply? Iconic.

@mystiika

I love you, I love your characters, I love all the things we've talked about for Flynn and Jamie, and the things we've started putting together for Isaac and Callisto. Writing with you is so fun and I can't wait to explore some of your other characters.

@lcvnderhazed

I am loving what we're starting to build between our girls. Your characters and your threads are so interesting to me - like, how do you come up with these concepts? I also love seeing all of the supplemental content you post like moodboards and other things - just the way you think about your characters? Amazing.

@soulmissed

August is my child now I'm sorry I don't make the rules. i think it's so interesting how you've managed to take a character that by virtue of being young would be undesirable to a lot of writers and make him so loveable. I can't wait to write more with him.

@fangmother

What a woman. What a concept. Such interesting (and well done) writing. I would kind of like to set up shop in your blog and never leave? Also, your goodnight posts about whatever way Rainer's fallen asleep/done herself in that day make my whole afternoon.

@freekzout

These characters are ridiculous and I say that with all the love in my heart. I love the concept of the dual-muse reply where both Ruth and Funke feature and I think that both of them individually are really well-crafted, interesting characters to read and write with. ETA: Aaah I didn't have time to get on my computer and fix this after my Moment this morning but Conrad should also be tagged here not down below 😳😳😳

@littledevilinside / @notladylikes

Okay so I know we only started writing recently but we went absolutely 0-100 with threads and I already love what we have going on with Isaac and Lorelei. Such a good, wholesome dynamic - Lorelei as a character is so interesting and I can't wait to dig a little deeper with her and the others on your multi.

Here are some people I don't write with (as much yet)/am still in the planning-plotting stages with/just plain admire and devour their threads/OC meta every time they're on my dash

@byanyan | @recitedemise | @kxllerblond / @multiimistakes | @ohshadow | @radicalrascals | @tewwor | @nightiingaled | @sorrowsick | @fuckedcowboy | @draconisa | @kurjaks | @hungryyheart | @penddraig | @praybird | @mvnces | @moonromantic

[snakeeyesdraws]

have you read any good Super Mario fics and any you recommend?

figured today was as good as any time to answer this question so! I'll try to include a variety of vibes since you didn't specify what kinds! [cracks knuckles]

Anesthesia and a Dose of Brotherly Love by @roscolate has gotta be one of my favourite Mario movie verse fics for real, it has the EXACT sweet and silly vibes that I adore about the movie verse bros. I revisit it a lot and I cannot recommend it enough for your fill of brotherly love and teasing!

Sing for Absolution by @drones-of-innocence is an amazing look at Mario/Peach dynamic, absolutely love the characterization and concept of this one, plus it comes with some GORGEOUS illustrations!! Very soft for the loving and sweet fairy tale vibes of this

Luigi Wasn't Saved AU by @doodleydoo101 is perfect if you're in the mood for some bros angst (please read the warning tags on this!!) that is heartbreaking, but such a real and cathartic exploration of grief, it made me cry more than once. Very bittersweet but also extremely satisfying!

Always at Your Side by @theangelofangst explores one of my favourite Mario angst concepts! Great writing, also made me tear up, though this one has a happy and sweet ending <33 Really good bros dynamic here, I love it!

You Could've Hurt Him by @multicolour-ink is a very fun and cute read! It's an AU based off the His Dark Materials series, which cards on the table I've never read, but I followed this fic just fine! I adore childhood fics of the bros and it's so cute to see how their bond translates in an AU setting, this one squeezed my heart <33

The Line of Fire by @pianokantzart (please also read the warning tags on this one!) AMAZING drama and conflict in this one, such a great take on the Mario body swap concept made by @elitadream just, chefs kiss on everything in this fic, I can't say much without spoiling it but if you're into some Luigi angst DEF give this one a read, top notch work!

Traduzione, Per Favore? by @peaches2217 it's honestly SO difficult to pick a favourite from peaches because all of his Mareach work is mwah, chefs kiss, 10/10, has me giggling and kicking my feet over how the Mareach dynamic is explored and fleshed out, but this one is just so sweet and funny!! The way she writes Mareach makes my heart flutter I love it SO so much, def check out the rest of his work if you enjoy this fic/Mareach!

Gonna force myself to stop there before I list too many fics kjSDAKJDKSA but I hope you enjoy some of the ones I've linked!

[anoteofcalcium]

Someone get this poor frog boy transferred to Naranja / Uva and away from the overly competitive nature of Blueberry Academy please-

>HC "'"Elaboration'"" and minor spoilers (for Kieran's Indigo Disk Team, mostly, but some plot points) below;

*And for Christ's sake give him his furret back GameFreak!!

*Unrelated, but does anyone else find Kieran's team going from Poliwrath -> Politoed to be adorable? Like, First big team has Poliwrath - a not quite full frog - and Second definitive team has full froggy Politoad?? Love that Kieran is not only designed frog-like, but gets emphasized with them, A+ character design choices, very *chef's kiss* 🤌🤌

*Anyway so...

• "<player> has everything I've ever wanted!...She’s/He’s got strong Pokémon! She/He can go anywhere she/he wants, and she/he can be friends with anyone!...I loved Ogerpon since forever ago! But even Ogerpon chose her/him over me!...Even YOU, Sis! You were being all nasty toward her/him at first, but then boom! You were like best friends in no time

...The kid obviously has insecurity issues strengthened by an abrasive relationship with his sister, minimal positive outlets to let himself flourish in a healthier way, and an inferiority complex he falsely believes strength will compensate for,, like, a school (Blueberry) whose main (whole? tbh) shtick is to make their trainers good at battling and centers the majority of its social AND curricular (that the player as an exchange student can observe, anyway) interactions around competitive Pokémon battles is NOT helping to do anything but strengthen any unhealthy thoughts and feelings about such concepts he has

•Note: when confronted with the reality that he's not as strong as he *perceives* he should be / earned the right to be (i.e. player beats him despite him being the "top" trainer at Blueberry), the cognitive dissonance it creates sends him into a panic attack....and the Blueberry kids just. scoff?? Immediately throw out their favor?? Very healthy mindsets and social hierarchy at Blueberry Academy, perfectly conducive to friendly and healthy competition, clearly (/sarcasm)

•Compare it to the variety of tracks of Naranja / Uva (2 of which - STEM and Humanities - have nothing to do with battling) and the Treasure Hunt, which encourages *independent* study into a variety of topics: i.e., allowing one to explore and experience a variety of things of personal interest in order to learn about one's self at one's own pace, bound by nothing but their own personalized limits...can you imagine how much that atmosphere would improve and expand Kieran's mental framework and ideas?? He can get everything he his desire "to be like [player] so, so badly" emphasized in his quote above - Strong Pokemon, going anywhere [he] wants, being friends with anyone (Carmine included)...and probably whatever attracted Ogerpon, for that matter - by being like the player and going to the Academy that the game emphasizes as being what gave the player opportunity and experience to have BECOME what Kieran admires / envies.

•Also, him transfering would give him some freedom / independence from Carmine - and nothing against her (...much), but I genuinely think Kieran would benefit a lot in an environment where he didn't have (to be forced) to rely on and compare himself to his sister's ideals and prowess...which Kieran very much mimics and absorbs when "stronger"...not a coincidence - they're seem pretty co-dependent in the Teal Mask at times, if not have a very neglect / enable type feedback aspect to their relationship. BUT that's a story for another post never

*Sprigatito would be Kieran's starter choice (or more like it would choose him, tbh) - and not just because it makes sense in my cannon (i.e. Florian w/ Quaxly, Juliana w/ Fuecoco) lol; sprigatitio is legitimately perfect for him:

•It desires attention and companionship, to the point it's first description was how it's, "capricious and attention-seeking, and it tends to sulk if ignored by people" and the trait continues all the way throughout it's evolution (/i.e. growth "phases"), with Meowscarada being described as, "sensitive and prone to jealousy. It can often be very attached to its Trainer, and it will become upset if its Trainer gives attention to other Pokémon". Sounds like Kieran towards both the player and Ogerpon, lol (Kieran: . Somewhat unrelated, but Florgato's being the edgy teenager (as Carmine referred to Kieran's "mood swings") phase of Sprigatito's line involved it's *mood* effecting its "edge" / "hardness" ...of it's fur, but still - Kierans a "moody teen", right? Anyway, imagine Kieran with a Pokémon that would be as obsessed with him as he was with Ogerpon, lol (/jk)

•It's a grass type, which tend to suit Kieran, and he seems to have an affinity for (Ogerpon, Dipplin line, Shiftry, etc.). It developing a dark type as it evolves reflects Kieran's arc - it's final evolution is also both MASKED (reflecting Ogerpan hyperfixation and Kieran's family's history), and Jester / Mardi Gras themed, which goes along with the festival theme Kieran exhibited during the Teal Mask DLC ( like with his Dipplin). Both Kieran and Meowscarada have those cute droopy eyes too, which is a fun design element to connect the too, if nothing else, lol

•Getting further out with the idea, though: It's lines shiny is, fubckin' oURPLE!! Purple cat for the ourple boy, thank you,, (and how shiny!Meowscarada has a purple cuff and an invisible "leash" [its flower bud] around its neck is vaguely similar to the purple chain of the Loyal three...okay I'm really reaching now but still. teehee... ). Hey, anyone notice how purple is a complementary color for yellow, which happens to be Kieran's eye and main acccesory (headband / bag) color and -- I'm going anywhere with this, I just think its neat 👍

•Honestly just replace his current cat (Incineroar) with Meowscarada - Incineroar suits Carmine a lot better imo...which is why it's my theory it's on his final team, but that's. Also a different post I'll probably never make :^)

•Like, I get why they wouldn't have given Kieran a Paldaen starter for his team (for a variety of reasons, honestly), but,, Think about it •Sprigatito using its kneading on Kieran's (fluffy, sowwy ponytail!Kieran fans) hair for impromptu aromatherapy would probably be good for this kids anxiety tbh

*IMAGINE Kieran picking up mask-making in Hassel's art class - IMAGINE the positive energy and outlet art (not battling) and a professor like Hassel would provide this kid!!

TL;DR: DLC where Kieran transfers to Naranja / Uva Academy when GameFreak.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk. The more you know 🌈

[eggslamwich]

sorry 4 being generic, but unpopular opinion for kenny?

You said the magic word so I’m gonna do the whole damn thing

(Also sorry op I had you blocked I thought you were a bot 🙏)

🧠 favorite thing about them

I've already ranted here in greater length about how I love that Kenjaku is a canon trans villain and how their queerness isn't the reason/motivation for their villainy, but I think just in general my favorite thing about them is the inspiration they give me for art.

🧠 least favorite thing about them

Probably how they're used in the story, it's alot of wasted potential (you could write entire novels about the Kaorijaku plotline, they never explore Yuji's relationship with them, everything to do with the Kamo clan, Heian Era, the world governments etc) and if I'm being 100% HONEST I'm willing to admit their role in the story as a villain could be way better :c

🧠 favorite line

I don't have a specific one tbh I like their rants tho about their hyperfixation (their awesome plan)

🧠 brOTP

Uraume but it HAS to be one sided. I love that everytime they interact it puts into perspective how much of a huge loser Kenny actually is. It has big "I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out and smoke weed and fill our bellies with diet soda and play Burnout Revenge on the PS2" energy.

🧠 OTP

MahiKen y'all know what you came here for. I love toxic body horror vore lesbians. They have complimentary personalities. They look nice together. They want to eat each other. I want to smash them together like Barbie dolls.

HOWEVER

There is absolutely no denying that Takaba is their soulmate, their entire fight was the last thing in jjk I was actually invested in, their chemistry is amazing, the comedy was actually funny, Kenny gets to be their true cringefail loser self *chefs kiss*

Shout out too to both TenKen and KenJin, I love annoying ex Kenny who can't move the fuck on from their former basement dweller gf, and the entire Kaori and Jin concept is so fucked and I love it's potential.

🧠 nOTP

I don't really hate ships but I guess I don't get the appeal of SukuKen. I find Sukuna really boring as a character. :/

there was that time too I got flash banged on danbooru by ship art of Kenny and Choso too wtfff 😢

🧠 random headcanon

They like chocolate. 🍫

They're on the spectrum.

They vape.

They don't shave.

🧠 unpopular opinion

They are not Geto. Stop saying everything they do is Geto's doing actually. Also they are a they/them, not a he/him.

🧠 song i associate with them

I made an entire playlist for them that's half-shitpost half-serious but if I have to pick one song we'll go with this

🧠favorite picture of them

🤷‍♀️

Honorable mention also goes to Kaorijaku for haunting my nightmares

[phoenixwatchesmovies]

2023 Favorites

I'm kinda glad I was keeping track of what I watched, in retrospect, because looking back over my posts this year, I realized I forgot about a lot of stuff. XD After looking over the recaps and excluding rewatches, here's my top ten New Stuff I Watched for 2023:

10. Cabinet Of Curiosities

Bizarre nightmares unfold in eight tales of terror in a visually stunning, spine-tingling horror collection curated by Guillermo del Toro.

If GDT is your guy, give this a watch. Creature features, cursed objects, aliens, you name it. 8/8 tentacled eldritch abominations.

9. Wolf Creek

Three backpackers stranded in the Australian outback are plunged inside a hellish nightmare of insufferable torture by a sadistic psychopathic local.

Holy shit, this was intense. And as I said initially, so mean. If you're into Texas Chainsaw Massacre, try this. I'm into franchise bingo, so I'm going to look into the sequels and TV series. 3/3 heads on a stick.

8. Requiem For A Dream

The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep.

I get the feeling this is one of those that hurts so much more on rewatching, so there's that to look forward to. I've also rarely seen movies that do so much harmonizing between the music and the visuals, and it was so satisfying. 4/4 refrigerator jump scares.

7. Evil Dead Rise

A twisted tale of two estranged sisters whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.

This was probably the most fun I had with a horror movie all year, TBH. Horror exploring family dynamics will always be a fave, and this brought plenty of fresh stuff to the franchise while also holding onto the core traits. 5/5 Staffenies.

6. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

This was the most fun I had watching a movie all year, period. If you know nothing about DND, it's a good fantasy movie. If you're a DND nerd, the game mechanics are baked into it. If you're a fan of found families, guess what! 6/6 stealth checks.

5. Cowboy Bebop

A ragtag crew of bounty hunters chases down the galaxy's most dangerous criminals. They'll save the world--for the right price.

I got exactly what I wanted out of this, so haters be damned. The anime is a masterpiece and a classic, but if you're not in the mood for the existentialism and other heavier themes, here ya go. 3/3 shower-bath-showers.

4. The Black Phone

After being abducted by a child killer and locked in a soundproof basement, a 13-year-old boy starts receiving calls on a disconnected phone from the killer's previous victims.

Near perfect, as far as I'm concerned. The older I get, the more kids-in-danger as a concept fucks with me, making this the most stressful movie I watched this year (though It Chapter One gave it a run for its money, and I still think they would make a great double feature). 5/5 black balloons.

3. Evil Dead (2013)

Five friends head to a remote cabin, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods.

It's gnarly. It's badass. I almost puked. I had THE BEST time. The story works as an effective allegory, the effects are gruesomely awesome, and the finale is metal af. Plain and simple. 70,000/70,000 gallons of fake blood.

2. The Crow

A man brutally murdered comes back to life as an undead avenger of his and his fiancée's murder.

Beautiful, sad, aesthetic for days, hella good soundtrack. *chef kiss* I still haven't seen The Batman, but they seem visually similar, so if you like that, you'll probably like this. For more in-depth thoughts, read my post. 1/1 epic rooftop guitar solos.

1. The Fall Of The House Of Usher

To secure their fortune (and future) two ruthless siblings build a family dynasty that begins to crumble when their heirs mysteriously die, one by one.

Not just a new favorite Mike Flanagan. A new favorite in general, and my number one for the year. I just screamed about this one last month, and I don't have anything more to add. I've seen Succession comparisons, and while I have no idea how accurate that is, there's my "if you like that, here's this." Holy crap. 7/7 deadly sins personified.

Happy New Year! 🥂

[stillresolved]

Dissect your own writing style. What do you do most often? What do you want to take away from other writers (tag them if you want)? What is something you want to break out of?

@eternasci / unprompted.

HI SYNNIE!! I WANTED TO ANSWER THIS FOR THE LONGEST TIME ( and i also looked at your analysis and that is *chef's kiss* i'll be using a format similar to that though i can't guarantee the length :'D )

ironically, tumblr roleplay is actually one of the reasons i began pursuing writing professionally; beginning of my writing journey on here began back in our lord and savior year 2014 :'D i was writing oc x canon short stories ( we called them oneshots teehee) back on quizilla and even did do a stint of rp thru the shitty messaging. lucky for me, almost all traces of my writing before 2021 have been deleted so i will never have to go through the cringe of other people reading my shitty characters and writing back then :) but let me actually answer the questions here!!

WRITING STYLE

this was pointed out to me by one of my writing professors and something i've come to realize more and more, but i don't describe human bodies. i don't like to either ( i have some suspicions on the root of this too ), but perhaps this is why i like tumblr rp so- we are able to use a faceclaim to represent a character; there's no need give a physical description if a picture can do it for you. for me, if there is description, it's going to be more intentional as is the action itself.

to connect with that point, my writing tends to lean more towards exploring character interiority: how the action of the other muse or even just the presence of the other muse will affect their opinions, their perception. i'm most comfortable with beginning from the interior before branching out into the character's exterior/actual interaction in the moment. this might be the reason why sometimes it feels like my replies are drawn out.

i used to wish i could write metaphorically and lyrically the way say, oc.ean v.uong does. however, i've learned that while i can admire that style, it's not one that comes easily for me. my writing tends to be more on the literal side. if a metaphor or a simile slips in, it was unintentional but it feels right. i think figurative language comes in for me when it comes to describing emotions or sensations my characters might be feeling ( ex. one & two ). i don't like to simply state emotions or intangible concepts; there's only so many ways to state a character is in love, but there are a thousand ways to describe a character in love ( ex. one & two ).

these days and my dear lenlen also pointed this out!! but i also tend to use...parentheses generously ^^' of course this draws out mixed reactions from my readers. here, i assume it's okay, but in my prose when it happens, my critique partners tell me to get rid of it :'D i personally love using both parentheses and the strikeout as it lets me play around with thoughts that my muses perhaps don't want to admit to themselves.

i like to think i've managed to weed out some bad habits that tend to be rampant among tumblr writing. when referring to characters, i will only use either their name or their pronouns. unless it adds to the voice of the muse itself, i'll never use epithets ( 'the female', 'the japanese', etc. ) as they really aren't used in say, published writing. when i was younger, i also used to have a bad habit of using 'she looked'/ eye direction. sometimes i do end up writing those things but i manage to catch myself and cut those sentences out. unless it's a significant action, i always usually assume the reader knows the general eye direction ^^'

CHARACTER VOICE.

one thing i know my mutuals and my critique partners tend to tell me about my writing is that my characters are well-developed, each having their own distinct voices. i do notice that my style/how my response is written does differ depending on which muse i'm writing. below are trends in my writing of certain muses:

annie: lots of imagery and metaphorical language involving water and aquatic life. since she is the mad girl, the idea of 'madness' and 'being good' comes up a lot too. tone is a tad more innocent and there does tend to be a bit more metaphorical language as well; to process her trauma, it's easier on her to think metaphorically or about her childhood than to think literally and to be in the moment.

ga-ram: sentences are shorter, less flowy as they are quite curt. responses of them will also be on the shorter side as they don't usually have as much to say in comparison to some of my other muses. also since they devoted like the last 10 years of their life to helping judge kang, unfortunately, they will think of him and make comparisons.

nell: her replies end up on the longer side, mostly because when she talks, she talks a lot. to reflect her never-ending train of thought and her anxiety, the narration in her replies and her dialogue especially tends to consist of long sentences with lots of dashes and interruptions.

suki: i think i've said this before, but the use of dramatic (and situational) irony comes out the most here. because she's quite set in her ways, but also has a tendency to (majorly) misinterpret a situation, i've found that breaking the fourth wall on occasion helps to contribute to the humor and the light heartedness of her threads. you'll see a lot of declarative sentences and exclamation points here.

patrick: unfortunately, he is a man of literature and therefore, has a tendency to ramble. literally- his responses are almost always like 500+ words. his narration is much more formal, much more...sophisticated? i guess just think of british english ( or at least my best interpretation of it ^^' ) also more metaphorical language here in comparison to the others and plenty of allusions to greek and roman myths since he's well read in both.

OTHER WRITERS.

i'll just start off with saying that i don't think i'd be nearly as good of writer if not for my writing partners. one of the best things about roleplay is that writers here aren't in competition with one another; they have to collaborate if they want to be fulfilled here. that being said here's my list of tumblr writers i would say i learned something from:

cyan ( @bloodxhound ) is one of the first people on this hell*site that i like to think really challenged my writing. there's an elegance and a rhythm to her prose (her word choice specifically) that reads so well...reading her stuff made me want to expand the vocabulary in my own writing, going beyond what is used colloquially in american english.

lenlen ( @ptternminds )'s writing always gives me BRAIN FOOD so you have anyone to blame for me going off the deep end when it comes to character interiority, they're the culprit :3 okay but seriously, their character metas and headcanons go HARD and the fact that they're able to incorporate that kind of analysis of both their own muse and of their partner is incredible. it makes want to figure out how to interpret and incorporate the other muse into my replies.

lynnie ( @geaesaekki ) has a different writing style from mine and i appreciate that. rather than showing everything, it's sometimes more effective to simply tell the reader what they need to know. whereas my writing can get roundabout, lynnie's writing style is more direct, straight to the point. it makes her writing accessible to her partners and that directness is actually something i'm trying to work on here ^^'

WEAKNESSES.

honestly, i feel pretty confident in my writing style on here ( my prose is a very different story ); it's not perfect, but it's mine. That being said, i have a tendency to take too long to get to the action of my threads or even to the main point. because i prefer to show most things rather than tell, it can bog down the pace of my writing and also the speed at which i get my writing done :'D

this goes hand in hand with point one, but i also have a bad habit of overexplaining my character's interiority out of fear of not giving enough context. this is something i've also noticed in my prose ( though i do manage to cut it out of my drafts ^^' ) and am working on. trusting the reader more to pick up the details i want them to.

i also think i might need to get more comfy with describing bodies/physical description? it certainly would make writing sensual scenes a bit easier ^^' as of right now, writing appearances, etc. has always been something i've turned off by. but who knows if that'll change one day.