#at least that's the goal idk if my writing skills are actually up to it

[shredsandpatches]

sunday snippet (mais là-bas, tu seras au mien edition)

Here's a thing I wrote the other day for a still-pretty-inchoate WIP with the working title of "Two Sickos, One Body" (aka the sexy [consensual] demonic possession fic). Involves some discussion of master/servant dynamics and the complications involved when the servant also has phenomenal cosmic power; also involves some very mild bloodplay. Marlowe-based, as usual (despite the Gounod ref in the header).

--

"It hurts you, too, doesn't it?" Faustus asks, one night.

Mephistopheles shakes his head, but in a noncommittal way. "No more than anything else," he says, which isn't precisely true, but might put Faustus off this line of questioning. What does he think eternal torment means?

Faustus' expression is earnest, uncharacteristically so. "Why do you do this, then?"

Mephistopheles makes a sound that might pass for amusement. He draws a fingernail across Faustus' collarbone and watches a few tiny drops of blood well up, smiling at the sound of Faustus' efforts to conceal a sharp intake of breath. "You of all people need to ask that?"

"Yes, but—" Faustus takes another, steadier breath, regaining his self-possession. "I don't think you like it."

"And yet I'm bound to your service for twenty-four years," Mephistopheles says, and takes a small, sharp delight in the sudden furrowing of his master's brow, the hurt that fills his eyes. Like all but the most powerful of humans, Faustus has never been truly, completely comfortable with absolute mastery, even the illusory form he holds over Mephistopheles. In the great courts of Europe, he freely gives unspoken commands to his familiar spirit; in his bed, he prefers to pretend they are both simply men.

"Oh," Faustus says, crestfallen. He raises himself a little, as if he's going to turn away from Mephistopheles, but reconsiders and only rolls onto his back. "I don't remember ordering you," he says.

"No," Mephistopheles says, touching a fingertip to the hollow between Faustus' collarbones, where the scattered drops of blood have begun to congeal; now he traces a path downward, drawing out a hair-thin stream of red blood that bubbles up from soft white flesh.

[lullabyes22-blog]

Real talk because you are THE resident Silco expert and all your headcanons are 100% correct: why does fandom think Silco would be good in bed? (Or good at sex at all?)

I've seen headcanons about him being a giver, and about his dick game being fire, and while he's a sexy, charismatic man, I feel like he's too... selfish, insecure, and just not a romantic guy. He's also a very bitter, lonely, and angry dude. Idk, it makes sense he would have some kinks but I feel like he'd be too much of a bitch to care for anyone else in bed. I guess he'd want it rough, and I've read some fics where he's a sadist, but I feel like it'd just be a quick fuck to satisfy himself, not a slow, passionate, sensual thing.

idk, do with this what you will.

I agree - with nuance 💗

Silco - at least as I write him in FNF - is principally a headfuck. If he's demonstrating an interest in you, then he wants something from you. If he's nice to you, there's a bottom line. No act of generosity comes without strings attached, and every small kindness comes at a terrible price. That aspect of cold-blooded calculus is never far away from his base nature, which splits the world into assets and liabilities, and his own actions into a transaction of cost versus reward.

With that in mind, he excels, not at sex, but at getting his partners to do what he wants them to do. For him, it's one of the many fluid ways of expressing power, and demonstrating his mastery over the subtleties of the human body and mind.

A few readers have noticed that he comes across as very detached and controlled during FnF's sex scenes - and that they read as weirdly voyeuristic. That always delights me, because it's an intentional choice. He doesn't really see his partner as anything beyond a medium to his goals, so his focus is entirely on their physical responses and his own actions. His narration is distant, observational and impersonal, because he doesn't experience sex as something that involves an emotional or empathetic connection. Rather, he's gauging how his target's responses play out on a physical plane, and he's calibrating his own actions to maximise their impact.

To give credit where credit is due, he's very intelligent, patient and observant. There is also some realistic backing to the running gag that Good D is invariably attached to Bad Men. More specifically, Bad Broke Men. Silco has not grown up in a position of privilege or wealth. He has been forced to make use of every available resource. He has survived by the skin of his teeth on a constant knife edge of deprivation, hunger and fear.

He's a scrapper. He's a survivor. He's an opportunist.

And to be any of those things, you need to know your way around people: their wants and weaknesses. That's the foundation for the idea that he's good in bed - that he can anticipate his partner's desires, and respond accordingly. The difference is, his actions have no romantic underpinning. It's a matter of pure pragmatism and self-interest.

In terms of technical skill, he's likely very good at finding his partner's pressure points, both literal and figurative, and exploiting them. But if it were up to him, he'd find a way to turn the thumbscrews with nothing more than a well-chosen word and a cold look. The sex is just a generality, and his enjoyment a function of their compliance.

When it comes to actual intimacy?

My friends, he'd be spectacularly bad.

Not just bad, but skittish, hostile and hopelessly inept. He'd feel like an accomplished stage actor who has to step out onto the boards for an improv class. He hasn't got the right lines, he isn't dressed for the part, and he isn't even sure what role he's supposed to be playing. He'd be so awkward, he'd actually have trouble looking his partner in the eyes. The sum total of his sexual ouvre would devolve into the following comedy of errors:

"What the fuck is this?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Don't touch me there."

"This is going well, right?"

"Why can't I get it up?"

"I can't do this."

"Leave me alone."

"Where are you going?"

"Don't leave me."

"They always leave me."

"Why does everyone leave me?"

And he'd only spiral deeper into self-loathing and isolation. To submit to intimacy is to open oneself up to the mortifying ordeal of being known, and the constant risk of rejection. To Silco, it is anathema. Actual emotional vulnerability during sex would be not unlike attending his own public execution.

But.

Silco is not a one-note villain, much less a one-trick pony. He has a human history riven in deprivation, bloodshed and betrayal. He's remade himself from a 'weak' man into the premier kingpin of Zaun, but that predatory bracing still hides remnants of the soft-natured idealist he once was. In fact, he's the product of a deeply embedded internal conflict between two distinct versions of himself. The one who seeks to burn his enemies, and the one who seeks to save his city. He's also, as demonstrated by his love for Jinx, capable of profound devotion, loyalty, and a deep-seated longing for companionship.

That means the potential for romance exists. It's just buried deep, deep, deep down beneath years of abuse, neglect, trauma, and self-imposed barriers. If he meets someone who can dismantle those barriers, or bypass them altogether and earn his trust, there is a ray of hope.

Sex would still be frightening and uncomfortable, and it'd involve a lot of trial and error. But it'd also have the potential to be deeply healing. Not because Silco would become a better man, but because his partner would make him want to try. He'd also bring the same intense focus, intelligence, and determination to the task that he applies to his criminal empire - which means that, once he does have his sea legs, Silco would have the potential to become a truly giving lover.

It's all about context.

And the context is always: will he take the gamble when he has nothing to lose, and everything to gain?

[cutiecutedoll]

my guide to wonyoungism, improve your life, glow up, be THAT girl:

🎀 have a routine: this is something I learned from being on therapy for so long. It is really important to have a routine because if not you can have bad sleeping, be tired all day, get bored easier, you won't be able to finish your responsabilities, it can bring you bad self esteem and in general is a complete mess.

🎀 work out: always do what's best for you and do what you feel comfortable doing but please! work! out! I'm such a lazy person and at some point it was really hard for me to have motivation to do anything, but once I put my mind into it, and force myself a bit and started with 10 mins of pilates everyday (since it was something easy to start with) my life and my self esteem improved a lot. Working out is another way to have schedules and a routine, also improves your self esteem by making you feel capable of doing stuff, and ofc is good for your body.

🎀 have a good skincare routine: first, do some research about your skin type and see what products can work better for you (you can also go to have a skincare treatment and ask the beautician or search on internet) but always do what's more comfortable and affordable for you, don't use stuff that influencers recommend bc you can alter you skin type based on the products you use too (as a beutician I know) Also don't DON'T do it everyday, some products can be used everyday like the cleanser but others not. As I said just do a good research. Besides skin stuff it's really interesting!!

🎀 improve your diet: with diet I don't mean to specifically have a diet, actually I'm a bit against them, since being strict about what we eat can cause stress and guiltiness, it's really important to have a balance, eating healthy at the end of the day means nothing if you don't enjoy it. And you can enjoy it by having fun creating new healthy recipes, doing a journal about your fav healthy recipes, buying new cookware (pink plates, pots, pans, etc) or eating a hamburguer, a chocolate cookie sometime

🎀 journal: this is something I do since 2014 lol it's without doubt one of the best things the human has created. It has helped me to improve my writing skills, to get to know me better, to vent about stuff idk how or whom to talk about, also make it fun! In my journal I vent and write about my feelings,fears, dreams, goals, etc but also write down my travels, concerts or fav kpop artists, decorate with stickers, a piece of confetti, even dried flowers!

🎀 hobbies: this is something I also learned recently on therapy, I mean we all had hobbies from time to time but do we know about the importance of having them? I spent this whole year doing nothing since I can't work or study, and without hobbies I can tell you life is too boring, and it can lead you to bad self esteem too I mean, I kinda got crazier for spending so much time alone with literally nothing to do. So find new and fun stuff to do just for the pleasure of doing it, you don't have to be the best at it. I bet you can find hobbies ideas on YouTube as well.

🎀 be more femenine: this is ofc an optional step but I think it can be important, since always either wonyoung or it girls usually look very femenine. Don't forget to make it a fun thing to do! Finding your aesthetic, maybe trying a new one, enjoy going shopping..you can be femenine with your clothing, with your skin care routine, with your jewlery...this is just about feeling beautiful and also powerful.

🎀 improve your behaviour towards other people: with this I mean basically being more open. To meet new people, to make new plans...also fixing your body gesture (at least mine is shit and It always end up hurting my back and shoulders)

🎀 affirmations: good affirmations are a thing, this I learned in therapy too. The way you talk to yourself is important and changing the mindset too. If you tell yourself "I won't be able" then for sure you won't. This is not an easy thing tho I know, but is a necessary thing. Forcing yourself to change your mind every time a negative thought pass by is a hardwork but is well payd, cause the price is your happiness. For this is VERY important to have some help and work things up in therapy. But to give you a little tip, surround yourself with good energy, put some pictures of good affirmations in your room, as background of your phone, even on a shirt!

🎀 enjoy and trust the process: as I kept saying in each step, making it something fun to do it would help you to don't feel it like an obligation cause it's not. It's ofc a responsability to improve your life so you don't fall in depressed behaviours for example, but by making it something fun, then you won't feel guilty if someday you don't feel like functioning and need a lazy day in bed. And by trusting the process, we keep motivated to keep going.

🌼hope this works for you, please let me know if so, have a great day and a great life! 🌼

[anonymousbeefriendfanfics]

My Thoughts on Touchstarved

So, I've finished the demo! Let me start off by saying that I love the story! The concept is awesome, I adore that you can choose your own background, I love how immersive the setting is, everything is just... amazing. I can't wait for the full game to come out! Especially with all the special treats we're getting from the Kickstarter goals, it's going to be fantastic! And now, my friends, I shall share with you my thoughts & Headcannons for each of our lovely love interests, in order of appearance. If you'd like to see more, my requests are open!! I haven't gotten any for Touchstarved yet but I'm itching to write for them, I just... need some inspiration, so the more the merrier!

Kuras

First of all: pretty. I love his design, it's wonderful. He looks so ethereal! And very doctor-y, which was the point.

Can we talk about the hair, though???? How cool is that?? I love it. It looks very soft and fluffy. And so long... Could you imagine sleeping next to him? You wake up and you're drowning in floof.

He's very kind and gentle, but is obviously holding back. He distances himself from people, and like everybody else on this list, he needs to find someone he can really trust to open up and be himself with.

And he stays so busy, like... when does he ever take the time to relax? I know the city needs him and his clinic, but he deserves some time off, too.

To be honest Kuras gives me kinda like.... asexual vibes? Maybe demisexual? Idk, maybe I'm reading too much into him being reserved, but. I just feel like he either wouldn't be interested or he'd want to fall in love with someone before taking them to bed.

Leander

I love him, he's incredible. So talented, so kind!! I love the respect the Bloodhounds have for him, and how willing he is to go out of his way to help a stranger.

Also he blushes very easily and I love it, he's absolutely adorable

I am very very curious how he got so much skill with magic, because that doesn't seem to be normal. I bet it has something to do with his secret.

He very clearly has some serious trauma in his past, too. I wonder how he got that scar, if it has anything to do with his magic, if it is indeed the same scar running from his face to his arm....

Seems like he drowns his trauma in alcohol, his gang, and keeping himself very busy. Poor thing clearly doesn't get as much sleep as he should.

I think he just wants to be loved, but he's afraid to let himself be too vulnerable.

Vere

Foxboy Foxboy Foxboy Foxboy Fox-

Can I just say that I'm a little bit in love with his design. I mean I am with all of them but. Especially Vere. I love foxes and it's just. *Chef's kiss*

He's a cocky lil son of a biscuit tho. That tongue of his is quite sharp... as are his teeth~

I feel like he'd flirt with a Soulless to get what he wanted. In actuality he'd just murder it, but... you get my point. You're never sure if he's gonna seduce you or slit your neck.

Literally if Sage and Rime from Last Legacy had a child.

He's absolutely not trustworthy but I wanna get to the bottom of things and form that trust with him.

Romancing him would be very interesting. He's always three seconds away from eating you, but the question is... will he eat your soul, or your [redacted]?

Ais

He reminds me far too much of my friend's OC, and for that, I am the sliiiightest bit obsessed with him. At least that gives me a headstart on his characterization.

Would sell you to Satan for one cornchip, but fortunately MC interests him enough to keep them around

And Princess???? Oh my god. My heart. I adore her, I adore him, yes please

And he calls the MC "Sparrow"!!! That's absolutely precious. I love how he has nicknames for people, it's wonderful

Ais seems like the person who will tell you he doesn't care what happens to you and you can go get yourself killed for all he cares, then move heaven and earth to save you once you're even slightly in danger.

Mhin

Baby needs a hug. Enough said.

l absolutely adore them. They have stolen my heart.

And yes, maybe I do have the slightest bit of a savior complex, shut up. I'm just addicted to the hurt/comfort angst of it all, okay?

Literally hates everyone and everyone hates them (Except for, y'know, Kuras) because they're such a grumpy little loner and dear god just let me love you, let me teach you what love is.

They definitely fit into the whole "stronger than they appear" archetype because they're specifically mentioned to be pretty scrawny, but they have an impressive amount of strength and holy hells they're good with that dagger. That's incredible skill

I just. I want to break down those walls and earn their trust and teach them they have someone they can rely on who won't betray them, no matter what happens or how dark things get.

I just want to cuddle them and reassure them that everything's gonna be alright, is that a crime?

[olderthannetfic]

Hi, OTNF & Co (and YoungerThanNetFic)! So, I have a question.

When I started out doing gift exchanges and the like, I thought the idea was to not force your own vision on the prompter, and that in return you would be left a modicum of, you know, leeway in your own endeavour.

So yes, you'd follow the prompt(s) given, respect the DNWs and the wants if given, of course! But I've always felt that expecting someone to write exactly what you want was a doomed thing--the only person who could hit your buttons just so was yourself, and chance might make it happen sometimes when you find you read THE fic, but you can't expect a mystery person whose skills you don't know to just do it. That seems... unfair, compared to letting them play to their own strengths?

If I'm expected to follow a very detailed plot already outlined for me, then I know that I will have absolutely no desire and worse, no ability to do it. All I'm left with is "Why don't you write it yourself if you already know everything that's going to happen?" (If you couldn't tell, I'm definitely not someone who likes detailed scenario prompts, lol. Best way to get me to dry up instantly).

I thought the idea of gift exchanges would be to accept a little bit of surprise, at least--sure, I prompted, idk, "Space Pirates AU," but I wasn't expecting the vampire twist! I've also always considered fandom events to be for the entire fandom, not just the participants; I thought the goal was to make your giftee happy with a story they'd like, sure, but that you put in effort to make it good for them AND everyone else who might enjoy it.

But then, I've seen and heard different things; that one should follow a list of very detailed wants (the... letter? for Yuletide? I've never participated so I'm a bit ??? about Yuletide) and that somehow everyone was apparently expected to be able to write stuff they don't vibe with or even dislike, if the needle falls on you. I'm assuming a modly human touch is supposed to help with that, but now this is all making gift exchanges look quite scary instead of an exhilarating perspective.

--

It depends very much on the exchange and the people.

I personally love outline-level prompts as long as the person gets that I might write something else.

For Yuletide, I do generally consider it a present only for that one person because it's quite possible that nobody else cares about slashfic of Medieval Spanish books of proverbs or whatever.

Letters in Yuletide are optional to write and optional to read. The writer isn't obligated to follow any of your details other than DNWs that are listed in the actual signup, and they aren't even obligated to click the letter link.

Since they can already do whatever they want, I generally write fairly specific ideas and don't offer a lot of "You don't have to write my ship" waffle.

IMO, the key is that the more detailed your requests, the more variety you should give for each ship/fandom/whatever.

But really, most exchange participants are pretty low key. It's just the absolute die-hards who circulate massive lists of "rules" that appear nowhere official and make the whole thing more stressful.

[wrinkly-fucking-qtip]

SHAMELESS OPINIONS: S7 (cause Mickey's write off hurt and after s5, I watched again from s1 and forced myself to keep watching + no one around me likes Shameless so I need a place to vent)

overall: i actually loved it, had me pretty hooked all throughout

ok, i kind of like s7 Trevor, he's charming, got this lil sassy banter going off, he's cute and nice y'know. I just *HATE* that they so obviously tried to recreate some dynamics he had with Mickey straight away without letting us warmup to him, how can you deepthroat aspects built from 5 seasons into half of one??? No. Sorry. Him settling so quickly into the Gallagher house as if he's spent a decade there, idk. And the patient scene with Ian? foh man, no. 1x09 was special for a reason, and this would've played differently if Ian actually came to Mick if he was still around. They play out so much better as friends or fw/b ig but that deepthroat can't help me see a relationship between them. Not liking s8 Trevor so far, my god. Also his nonchalant attitude towards Monica threw me off. I get it, he's new and doesn't know much, Ian never mentioned her before apparently, but like "she's a lil crazy i can like her" eek, idk. Like almost downplaying his situation with her.

Caleb can suck my ass along with JW and his hate for bisexuals. My bi ass cannot approve. Cheater McCheater my ass. I can almost walk through Ian's ignorance cause for all he knew, Caleb was just gay, and I feel he said the bisexual thing out of frustration and betrayal towards his actions than actual disdain for the orientation, but yes. He was ignorant in his convo with Lip, and so was him anyway. I guess they just didn't know it is a thing. But thing is, I BET YOU ASSES that Caleb is the type of douche to STILL justify his actions even if JW didn't display his hate towards bisexuality in his writing, he just is *that* douchy. At least he motivated Ian to get his job, I'll give him that.

OH MY GOD THE THROUPLE... AND ITS SLOW BURN. it's hard cause you can understand both sides of the situation and it was just a clear issue of misunderstandings and miscommunication... I just wish they could've handled things better because I was really rooting for them. They fucking worked so well, with their little schedules and organization. I have such a fat crush on Isidora it's actually embarrassing. Anyway... I miss their dynamic. They deserved better.

Lip was a dick to Fiona about the Laundromat, but Fiona also just jumps the gut to these impulsive decisions, and I get that if she does ask for opinions, they probably won't agree with her, and it's not like I can blame lip, I mean look at the Club situation, yeah she made profit, but didn't break even, and that where his worry comes from. But at least, if she still approached him, and did it anyway against his say, he can't rub it in her face that this entails a family meeting and she can't just make those decisions without consultation. Overall, Lip was so arrogant and dickish with her, and for what... he couldn't even bring the money he so desperately wanted her to believe he could.

I love Sue. I just love EMT Ian stuff with all my life, idc what it is, I kick my feet cause he's so happy.

I fucking loved Carl and Mr. Luthers dynamic. Such an epic lil duo tbh.

I loved Frank's storyline here fsr 💀💀 it's so silly and he gets his way like always, but idk, I loved seeing his adventures at the shelter, he still remains a POS that's for sure.

I fucking LOVED seeing Debbie this season, I was a little disappointed last season cause there is so much lost potential on her pregnancy journey last time with where she was staying, but I fucking loved her here and putting her scamming skills to the test. Don't love how she ends up treating Neil in s8 cause... Well, I just feel bad for him, but also, if she really wanted to stay true to her convenience relationship, she probably should've stuck it out more so it lasted more, idk. But enough of that, I loved her setting a goal for herself at the end of the season, and I honestly commend Monica for helping her get Franny out of the house, I understand Derek's family's concern but they were so cunty in how they handled things.

Monica's death hit me like a truck... Idk why, there are so many mixed emotions here, she couldn't dare to tell the kids the real reason she was there, and all she wanted was to be there one last time. My heart goes out to her tbh.

Gallavich. Oh dear God. FERAL, FERAL EVERY TIME. it's like receiving crumbs and eating them up like a vacuum, nothing I can say that hasn't already been said... I just... Wow. Fuck. And to know that, after needing Noel for ratings, that this was gonna be the end for them? No, I could throw up. I couldn't imagine watching shameless as it aired with that knowledge in mind. FUCK ME THOSE TWO EPISODES I ATE THEM UUUP. anyway, I'm normal about Gallavich.

Lord bless Etta... my dear soul. 7x11 was vicious for that, my heart crumbled fr. I can see this was all in Fiona's best interest for Etta and stuff... It was just so sad to see.

Lip and Sierra, I don't really know what people's opinions are about Sierra but I kind of liked her? She was sweet, and had traces of boundaries with Lip even if the fucker attempted to break them every now and then. But she was sweet.

Lips second spiral was even harder than the first one to see. Him crashing at Helene's apartment, and she still doesn't seem to grasp that she essentially groomed him, and he's just so devastated still. Fuck.

That ending montage was truly a piece of cinema I tell you. It was beautiful.

I probably have more to say I don't remember but I really liked s7, not on the priority of a constant rewatch, but it was really good...and truly served as the finale it was meant to be. EXCEPT FOR GALLAVICH, holy fuck that would've pained the whole audience.

[zackmartin]

Z THE CONCEPT OF YOU REBOOTING VALIANT KNIGHT LITERALLY HAS ME FROTHING AT THE MOUTH. it literally never left my head i am always thinking about it at least a little bit. literally recently i came up with a concept for how some of my original characters for my spinoff would fit into valiant knight fnsnskdj and so i technically have like a rewrite/sequel concept that includes zenry and jasper/[redacted] fnsmdnkxnsn which included me rereading the chapters i beta'd for you to remember some details and i was like UGH THIS WAS SO GOOD I MISS IT

LASKDJOSKJVMODKMVLDSKJFSOKJFSLDKFJ HELLO?????????? ARE YOU AWARE THAT I'D LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU???? CAUSE I SERIOUSLY WOULD LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU!!!!! BUT AHHHHHHHHHHH

SERIOUSLY THOUGH, THIS IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST COMPLIMENTS I'VE EVER RECEIVED, I'M LEGIT GONNA CRY (affectionate), I'VE BEEN STARING AT THIS ASK FOR LIKE SIX HOURS, LIKE THERE AREN'T ENOUGH WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TO ARTICULATE HOW MUCH THIS MEANS TO ME

but seriously, like I'm not trying to rag on my writing or anything, but I also know like. I'm not writing anything that's gonna be winning awards anytime soon or anything ground-breaking or anything, but that's never been my goal; and I just say all of that to say that the fact that you're still thinking about something of mine years later and it stuck with you so much that you want to put your own characters into it??????? That's literally so wild to me in the best way, I can't get over it. I'm so serious when I say again that this legit one of the best compliments I've ever received. (Also, if you're willing, I'd very much like to hear about this rewrite/sequel of sorts)

You have me legit thinking about it now. Like I told Pearl in the replies, I feel like my writing is leagues better (i reread stuff from that time period and just cringe now; but to be fair to my past self, she was a novice who was coming back to writing after a 10+ year break so it stands to reason) so I feel like I could do a lot more with it. There's soooo much of that world I want to flesh out that I wasn't skilled enough to do when I first started it. lsakdjf idk man, I might actually do it

[rudjedet]

hi!

this is random question and idk if you want to answer it but i still wanted to try asking.

i read your post about not caring too much if your book gets published bc you love writing and it kind of hit close to home.

i love philosophy, i want to study it, get at least MA in it, but everyone keeps saying it's an useless degree since it doesn't guarantee a lucrative job prospects and breaking into academia is almost impossible. yet i can't imagine giving up on it.

i imagine same things are being said about your field as well. so, my question is, what are your thoughts about this topic of "useless work", do you yourself profit financially from working in the field of your interest?

The only money I make off Egyptology is what people currently throw at me on my kofi, which isn't much (though people have been exceedingly generous and I appreciate it every time). The only money I've made off of writing came from the two short stories I published with the only Dutch magazine that pays (and total proceeds were less than €100).

But here's the thing: useless degrees don't exist in my opinion. Even if you don't land a job in academia/philosophy, studying it will have developed you transferrable skills. The trick is knowing which ones apply for which other jobs and how to market those to job interviewers. Studying ancient history gives you skills that might land you a job in e.g. data analysis or statistics, fields that seem mutually exclusive with ancient history but aren't.

Won't lie though, it's hard. Because the great majority of people doesn't see past your degree, and our capitalist hellscape means most if not all of arts/humanities-adjacent degrees and "hobbies" are nearly impossible to make a living out of. In that sense, sure, some degrees are indeed borderline "useless". But that's not the fault of the degree.

For me, Egyptology felt as the only degree I even could finish. That might be my brain lying to me because I've all my life been told that I give up too quickly, but either way, I just couldn't imagine myself doing anything else. Same with writing. So I'm just going to bash my head into the wall and try to make money in different ways until... idk, something else happens. Publishing is still not an end goal to me, but that doesn't mean I don't wish I could make a sustainable career out of either Egyptology or writing. In my opinion, universal basic income so that people can pursue what they want rather than need is the very first step we need to take to move towards a better society. I don't necessarily need to be paid for either Egyptology or writing, but I wish I could pursue them without worrying how I'm going to pay the bills.

I think a large part of being successful in your own endeavour if you want to actually work in philosophy/academia is going to be determined by your plan de campagne. Knowing what you need to get a job in your field, knowing that the chances are slim, knowing what your backup plans are... That's all stuff that will help you. I wish I could say "just follow your dreams and you'll get there" but that's a privilege not many of us get. I hope you will get there though, and I believe in you. If a philosophy MA is something you want to pursue, please find a way to pursue it.

[fowlblue]

Well, I have begun a reread- at least of the first three, I’ve decided, as these are my favorites- with the current goal being to finish Book 1 by Christmas (so it lines up!). I’ll jot down any thoughts I have as I go along. Probably won’t be many to start, however, I love the first book dearly but of the first three I find it personally the least interesting.

First thing I wanted to note (cause it’s fun) is that the most recent US covers are lovely, I really like the vibrant colors and the less ‘painterly’ style. Feels very fun. I initially read the books back when they still had these covers:

And while still lovely, not nearly as colorful! I do like how Artemis actually looks more like a 12-year old here, however- I know it describes often how Artemis appears almost like a small adult, but I think it hits harder when he appears his age. Then again that’s probably just easier to pull off when it’s a painted style. But that’s just me- onto Chapter 1!

- The first is that both the intro and outro, as I recall, were written by a fairy- specifically, Dr. Argon. Seemingly insignificant now, and I’ll make more of a point on this later, but the way he writes both paints a very interesting picture of how the People continually view Artemis with a very, very narrow lens given both his criminal nature and his status as a ‘mud man’, making such claims as Artemis solely having Holly heal his mother to get CPS off of his back. I also bring it up for another point I may want to discuss later- the fairies were indeed aware that Artemis was a child. They may not have known the specifics of such (as fairies age differently), but they acknowledged that Artemis was still young enough that his mother being ill and unable to care for him would attract the attention of Social Services. This makes their actions in this book feel a little… extreme, ngl, particularly when they have such technology as mind-wipes at their disposal.

Anyways, onto the first chapter! A handful of interesting things:

- Artemis’s various degrees of genius are each focused on in turn throughout the series, from his technological skill to his vast pool of scientific + historical knowledge, but I think by and large the ability that would have served him best up to this point (and in future encounters) would be his ability to read people like an open book. Something that would have been interesting would be this same manner of picking apart an individual failing when he is first presented with the subject of The People, with their mannerisms being different than that of a human. He would therefore have to hone this skill all over again throughout his encounters. Idk, I just think it’s interesting.

- (Nothing major to add here I just think this is funny given the amount of ridiculous adventures Artemis would drag Butler along for later)

- This is just something that caught my eye and has now left me wondering- given that the Fowls are presented as very big names in the criminal underworld (as well as just… in general), how well-known was it what happened to The Fowl Star? A boat intentionally sunk between Ireland and Russia is an incident that would have made the news, I’m sure, and been likely discussed among fellow criminals, especially with everything largely falling to Artemis to manage.

- This last point is technically from Chapter 2 but I wanted to note it in particular, because this is something I don’t see often brought up in discussions both regarding Artemis himself and his parents’ ability to keep track of him later (though I will largely leave such discussions for another post, if ever- I’d hate to start some kind of disagreement). Artemis himself ferociously guards his independence. He does so many, many times throughout the books, both from his parents and Butler himself, later down the line. Artemis, being a child who suddenly had such freedom thrown upon him by circumstance, lacks the ability to see the steep downsides of said independence, using it (especially from TAI onwards) to throw himself into danger- granted, usually because he feels he has to, but it’s still a point of note. He uses any trick he has, including magic, to keep his loved ones in the dark with regards to his whereabouts/dealings with not only The People, but other criminals. This isn’t something that magically sprang up from nowhere upon his parents’ return due to finding their sudden attention overbearing- this has been something he has acknowledged and accounted for since day one.

And with that, I’ve finished Chapter 1 and begun Chapter 2. It feels really good to read these books again, I’ve missed them dearly.

[funny-dxxd-boy]

My brains really active right now so i think i just wanna write out info for los animatronicos.

- story would mostly follow the animatronics and their end goal to enter the end of the year battle of the bands competition and hopefully win woohoo

- all of the animatronics are in their junior year of high school. (Literally the worst year of my life, everyone thought i was a freshman)

- the animatronics consist of Ann and Bonnie at first Ann plays drums and Bonnie.. you already know lol.

- They are in search of a singer. They can manage but niether of them are anything special when it comes to vocals, and they know it.

- Then comes in Golden who recently moved in with Freddy and his Mom, he gets asked by Ann to join. He enthusiastically joins cause plot.

- He uncurages Freddy to also join at least as a backup vocalist cause he knows he also sings. Fred wants to do it, but Freddy says no he "doesnt know how to sing anymore".

- Fred says "fuck you, you crybaby loser were doing it anyway" and takes over their body and flexes their vocal skills and joins the animatronics literally the next day lol.

- the animatronics officialy formed now they get to practicing.

Ann - Drums

Bonnie - Guitar

Freddy - Base + backup vocals

Golden - Vocals

- Their not super good but their also not super bad lol.

- Ann is good at drums cause she has played for the school orchestra since middle school.

- Bonnie is good on guitar but hes kinda stagnant in his learning, he also has only been playing for a year and is self taught.

- Freddy learnt base for fun to acompany his singing so its just a matter of picking it up again, even so hes trash at not getting nervous.

- Golden.. hes fine lol. He sings good.

- The toys consisting of preppy seniors and and a junior (Joy). They make fun of the animatronics, calling being assosiated with them in any way "social suicide".

- Ann thinking "what makes them so good? |:<" sneaks in to watch one of their practices and figure out "shit they actually are really good". Digging more into their background they find out theve won the past two end of the year competitions.

- Bonnie how ever recognizes Bon from some of Ann's orchestra concerts and gets the idea to blackmail him to become his guitar teacher to get better, after finding out he skips out on orchestra practice to play guitar with the toys.

- Bonnie being set to get better (:

- Ann is worried about Freddy not letting go of his nervousness, Golden reasuring her he'll help him get more out there and have him ready for the end of the year competition.

-time passes things happen

- Ann happy with the progress their making, notices they dont really know each other as people well, wants them to also become closer as friends not just as bandmates so she aranges more hang out.

- On another one of their little bonding hang outs. Bonnie and Freddy go out to the store to get snacks where they meet Springtrap.

- Springtrap being a naturaly chatty guy ask them about random things about their day and Bonnie tells him about their band. Springtrap thinks its cool and ask "whens your next gig?" Leaving both Bonnie and Freddy dumbfounded.

- Having never had a gig and much less a "next gig" Springtrap finds it funny but still tells them about a guy he knows thats always looking for indie bands to play at partys.

- Fred making Freddy take the offer on the spot gives Springtrap their number promising he'll give them a call if the guys interested.

- Telling the others Ann is exited. Golden also appears to be exited.

- Later Golden scolds Freddy for trusting someone random like that, Fred taking over reminding him "you told me to get more out there, this is me getting more out there" things a little tense between them after thanks to Fred.

- When they get their first gig, its at a house kinda like an undergriynd rave like place (idk how to describe like it its in my brain sorry)

- Its a nice first time live performance for them, Freddy lets go of his nerves . Ann gets to play loud and hard rather then what shes used to in school performances. Bonnie has gotten noticeably better at guitar. And Golden relizes he was wrong about questionig Freddy so soon.

- Staying a little for the party they come across the nightmares, who try to start something with Bonnie and as a result the rest of the animatronics.

- Helping introduce Fox, who shoos off the nightmares working as security for the party, later on escorting the animatronics out to make sure the nightmares dont come back to bother them.

Thats kinda it so far, just wanted to get how Freddy, Golden, Ann, Bonnie, and Fox meet writen down. And Springtrap was in there as treat lol.

I'll probanly write about individual relationships like how Ann and Bonnie know each other and how Freddy and Goldens half-brother family dynamic is set up. Along with more about the toys. Cause i really wanna develop them to be better people by the end of the story lol.

[masqueradeoftheguilty]

speaking of 2024 i kinda want to do a whole "new year new me" thing but im not great at sticking at things (looks at my whole day and a half cringetober attempt) (-ω-、)

but a couple things i want to do next year:

focus more on art studies - actually use those bajillion tutorials i have saved, as well as more figure drawings

with that - try to do some warm up sketches via the line of action site at least twice a week (not everyday bcs that will kill me hA)

write more! im planning on either digging up an old notebook and buying a new one and try to write in it more

again, same sorta note, but i want to make more original stuff this year, less fan stuff - more original worlds, ocs, that sorta thing

i wanna pick up a new skill or hobby - maybe crafts? or sewing?

keep my room clean dammit - its getting a big clear out and im hoping that having a nice clean room will help with The Depression somewhat hahahahaha....

clear out my game and book backlog at least somewhat, diversify it up

again, related, but idk. maybe ill get a second notebook. try to analyse stuff as i get through it and everything yknow? NOTES

c6 furina babyyyy

im sure theres other stuff i could add to that list but i know myself and i dont want to set impossible goals and then feel bad when i dont reach them haha

theres a couple of wishful thinkings i wanna do as well - namely get more involved in art books or make my own zines or my own little mini projects but im. aware of my own limits. and i cant draw very fast so

[yuquinzel]

hi user yuquinzel >< do u remember when u first started writing here on tumblr?? im planning on opening my acc and idk where to start :'( do u have any ideas how to?? T_T

— hihi anon !! i remember when i made my first post vry well omg it was in september last year + i had no idea how tumblr worked, i wrote for jjk & posted it thinking nothing of it BUT then it got a lil love & it got over 1k notes & so i dedicated some time to figuring out how this site worked :') i actually had no plans to continue posting, i only wrote in drafts & for my eyes only, i even went on a 7 months break bc i didn't think much of this blog T_T

im not sure I'm the best person to come to for advice but i'll tell you what i think might make ur experience a little more fun :]]

i think it mainly depends on what goal you have in mind when you start a blog. is it to simply write because you have these super cool ideas, or to share your works with others, or if you're aiming to be a successful writing blog i suppose?

-> making tags for your blog makes it fun ( at least for me) and it makes your blog sorted and organised !! i hate how messy my blog was at first ;-; make ur pinned post, make your theme, treat ur blog the way you'd decorate your first and new apartment LOL

-> also like make sure your posts show up in tags!! tumblr sucks sometimes and new posts from new blogs don't show up in the tags at first so be mindful of that ! + add appropriate tags so that it reaches the audience ur aiming for ig?

-> set your boundaries and rules !! they are absolutely non negotiable lol, and will set the rhythm for ur future interactions

-> when it comes to writing, having some sort of unique touch to your works makes you stand out yk? it makes your blog more engaging + something to remember !!

-> that's not to say you HAVE to be different, it's important to remember to be comfortable w your writing and take as much time as it takes to make your blog your safe space !!

-> something i struggled w was comparison :') please don't EVER compare your skills w anyone else. you have your own style and rhythm, the essence of writing lies in enjoying the process of it coming together

-> interact w people more !! make friends, read more + have fun !! that is something i regret never doing much but it's one of the best parts of running a blog on this site :P

honestly that's all i can think of for now T_T i wish i had known these all from the start but i hope these help you !! good luck for your future blog omg, i definitely wna know more about it in the future !!

[1centillion]

Reading internet fights doesnt have to be an internet activity that rots you (ie doom scrolling, falling into the tiktok algorithm hole, etc). Reading internet fights can light up your brain in a similar way to reading a newspaper article or playing a computer game from when you were 8.

The key is to read the good ones where people are arguing really niche topics but both sides (no matter how well or mis informed) take the time to explain the proofs of their conclusions. Like they write out the math of what theyre arguing. Because when someones wrong, this style of argument lets someone else cut them down by pointing out faulty premises or pointing out non sequiturs. When you can read the thinking processes of each side it feels better taking a side because you just saw all the work theyre doing to get to there. Reading good internet arguments can be different from falling in a tik tok hole because the serotonin feels likes its sourced from developing my thinking skills (vs receiving it from being shown something new every 8.7 seconds).

Internet arguments are bad and make me feel like im j watching a car wreck (engages you but not for a good reason) when they give me undeserved credit. Such fights include but sre not limited to (from most to least readable) people debating a proper ranking of priorities or thingd, (and this is one full tier below Ranking Arguments, usually) logical fallacies, introducing tangentially related but ultimately off topic arguments, generalized blanket statements, making statements that are j truly objectively wrong observations about material reality

Cherry on top is when a the Cool Arguer hits all the thoughts you were thinking when reading an Uncool Persons comment AND adds something you didnt think of (learning!) The cherry on top of that cherry is seeing Uncool Arguer get ratioed.

Its important to remember that even tho internet fights dont always have to be soul sucking, even the best of them are only the equivalent to drinking orange juice from Ralphs (idk if this is the most equivalent comparison but im too lazy to think of the right one). Its not soda, it probably wont do too much harm if you have some for brekkie every so often. Definitely shouldnt be drinking it everyday when theres water and teas and seltzer water around. You wont be the microbiome or kind person you want to be on OJ and internet fights.

And this is because 1) you do not want to be a person who has a habit of deriving entertainment from the conflict between others and 2) especially so when theyre arguing over a cause important to you. Example: if theyre arguing about transmisogyny, at the end of the day we want to get rid of transmisogny because 'transmisogyny is an issue you care about because you love trans women *not* because you want transmisogynists to be wrong' (thats j the fun perk). But internet fights abt transmisogmy can only exist if transmisogny exists! So letting those internet arguments become fodder for your attention or a source of receiving joy from the internet is not productive to the true end goal and cause you care for. *And* you dont want to revel in the by products of transmisogyny bc its just gross! Best relationship to good internet fights is 'phew! Comforting to know theres other people who reason things out in the same steps i do! no man is an island!'

not sure if this line of reasoning can be applied to good internet fights on topics i dont care about. I think if an argument is silly and in good nature then its all fun (and actually those types of arguments are good reading, more like water than the good internet arguments on issues i care for, because theres no stakes its just people having fun and connecting with each other thru the medium of the internet) and if people are having a good internet argument over something i dont know about (ie best cars engines from the 80s a la mona lisa from my cousin vinny) well then its also more like water than OJ bc its low stakes with less repercussions and reading it will teach me something. But all these are still a lil bit OJ bc ..babe cut down ur screentime

newaze, internet fights are fun when they exercise your brain!

[detrasystem]

bestie I am sending these from my other acc because I remembered I saw you rbed that meme but I'm logged in to the other one

07. THE CHARIOT: SUCCESS (How do you measure success?) 

20. JUDGMENT: CRITICISM (Are you afraid of how others will perceive your writing?)

47. KNIGHT OF SWORDS: AMBITION (What is your loftiest, wildest goal?)

64. ACE OF WANDS: NEW GROWTH (How do you grow the seed of an idea into a full story?)

68. FIVE OF WANDS: DISAGREEMENT (Do your characters ever act of their own accord? Or do you find that adage false or silly?)

74. PAGE OF WANDS: EXPLORING (Do you prefer to write and explore new worlds or stick to contemporary settings?)

THANK YOU JAK ILY.... also i love this icon so much

07. THE CHARIOT: SUCCESS (How do you measure success?) 

answered this one already, thank god bc it's such a hard question SKJHFSJDF

20. JUDGMENT: CRITICISM (Are you afraid of how others will perceive your writing?)

kind of, but not really? i am, not like in a "they'll think this is bad" kind of way but in like a "they will misinterpret my themes" kind of way. like, at this point i Know my writing is good, but being on tumblr has made me lose faith in people's reading comprehension skills

47. KNIGHT OF SWORDS: AMBITION (What is your loftiest, wildest goal?)

HMMMMM....i want to be able to make a comfortable living off of my books alone. that is SUCH a lofty goal but the idea of being a full-time author who lives in like a nice idyllic little apartment in a nordic country is THE dream. and also i want to be so good that no one ever remembers jkr again.

64. ACE OF WANDS: NEW GROWTH (How do you grow the seed of an idea into a full story?)

i feel like this could be its own post......but basically i Always start with the main character(s). then i like make a playlist to get some Vibes going and brainstorm to the music, then i read a bunch of novels that have the same themes as the story i'm going for, and then i go right into outlining or at least sketching out a beginning, middle, and end. i'm a big fan of Susan Dennard's writing process, and i've picked up her use of writing notebooks. it's been a HUGE part of developing stories for me, especially as a chronic notebook hoarder JDFNDFJNG

68. FIVE OF WANDS: DISAGREEMENT (Do your characters ever act of their own accord? Or do you find that adage false or silly?)

this has always been a hard question for me to answer because yes, they do, but the thing is that my characters were very often Also alters living in my head, sooooo. these days, when i'm trying to write characters who are Just characters, idk, they don't seem to be sentient in the same way. sometimes i'll realize they need to do something that surprises me and wasn't in my plan, but it's not the same thing to me. but then again, i have no idea how non-system authors experience this :P

74. PAGE OF WANDS: EXPLORING (Do you prefer to write and explore new worlds or stick to contemporary settings?)

i HATE doing research for real life places so i pretty much exclusively write worlds of my own creation. even when it's supposed to be contemporary-esque, like Codebreakers or Four Crooked Branches, they take place in like completely fabricated towns and i never specify what country they're in or what countries even exist in this world. i take the Professor Layton approach to worldbuilding. the two exceptions are What the House Remembers, which takes place in Miami, and Seventh Summer, which takes place in Nantucket. and THAT'S only the case because i actually went/am going to those places to experience it for myself. i'm sure once i'm more well-traveled i'll feel more comfortable writing about different real places.

[rightpastnowhere]

Hmmmm.

💖🤔🦄

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

new year’s writing goals ask meme

💖 what is your primary writing goal for this year?

kinda what i said in the previous ask, which is just to write more?? i’ve fallen out of it to the point of doubting my skills which is not fun. although i’m worried that this semester will make that difficult, i’m not really sure what my workload will be yet. so.

but also, i want to write at least one of the things from my WIP list and publish it. i have all these ideas bouncing around and so often they never get finished, and i’ve outlined some of them. i want to indulge in these ideas before i lose my love and focus for them. but!! i’ll need to practice writing some to do that.

🤔 are there any new characters you want to write about?

OOOOO!!! this is a good question because i have such a bad habit on focusing on the one or two main loves of a series. but!! for CR i am also so drawn to pike, and i plan to watch more of her moments from the stream in order to get a better read on her character!! she’s so much fun to think about and i’d love to dissect her character at some point. ALSO ALSO ALSO ELAINA. GOD i wanna write about elaina SO BAD i have so many headcanons for her that are based on ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! and also vesper elaina <33 i just want to write her idk

also, unrelated, but i really wanna dig into the character fetch walker from the infamous games. shes just SO much fun and so interesting (and yes she’s another laura bailey character i’m aware that there’s a trend, shut up)

🦄 is there a new POV you’d like to try writing?

i think same as the last question, pike!! i think she’s actually fit my half-introspection style well, and again, shes just SO INTERESTING!! also i’ve read a lot of fics about her watching VM come and go, and worrying for them, and i think id like to poke at how each time they come home, they’re changed in ways she can never fully understand, because she wasn’t there.

[skypancake]

fall 22 + why i started this blog

it’s a bittersweet time as the semester comes to an end, the profs i didn’t like i’m happy i don’t have to do any more work for them, but on the other hand the ones i do like i don’t get to be in their class anymore ;-; or i suppose i could take their class again, but it doesn’t really make sense to, you know? one of my profs is retiring, and preferred we write good things about her on rmp lol

next semester should be interesting, 15 units, i’m taking physics, psych, history, and comp sci. i wasn’t able to get them all online like i’d wanted to, so i’ll have to expend some gas, but maybe i’ll actually see some friends more often now that i’m on campus. should i get a board? i don’t know how much sense it makes considering i’m not on campus all day, i’d probably wanna get new shoes too, then, considering i feel i should know at least some tricks, and i don’t wanna tear my canvas shoes as is

i think my parents think that by pursuing a cs major i’ve an innate interest in the subject, which isn’t necessarily true. i mean, i don’t hate it, but i don’t have a passion for this craft, either. my actual goal career-wise is to own a/multiple successful business(es), and i’m told comp sci is a useful skill across many disciplines, while you’ll learn more by actually doing business than looking at it from an outside perspective, possibly the instructor being a dinosaur who doesn’t know a thing about what they’re teaching. but yeah, my mum pulled me over and showed me the microsoft teams and other shit she was doing, i think she and my dad are trying to set up my mind into the idea that i’ll be working for someone else my entire life, a pitfall i’m doing my best not to fall into. if money’s tight i’ll give in to the traditional system, but my time is mine. i own it, and i’d rather not sell it to somebody else

i made a topic change for my final essay in english 10 days before the semester’s ending, but seeing as i got more research done in 3 hours compared to less in 4 with my other topic it should hopefully be that much better, i guess this topic just speaks to me more. one of the other ideas was based on bo burnham’s “welcome to the internet” delving into how the internet has changed people, but that might be too broad/specific a topic considering i couldn’t find anything about that specifically (like comparing the 80s-90s to now), though i might’ve also just been using the wrong keywords. another i just thought of was how negative the american news is, don lemon looks like he’s dying, and all these awful stories combined with the negativity bias and availability heuristic can make taint the image of the world in someone’s eyes, this is an idea stolen from jarvis johnson, i don’t remember which video. unrelated, but he also mentions at some point while giving advice to somebody (about relationships?), to not be burdened with the present or past if things went south, because something way better could be right around the corner. i also couldn’t find which video this was

another one of my profs is the whole reason i started this blog, she had a survey at he end of every week asking how we were doing and the like, which i absolutely poured my heart into with thoughts and stories, and her compliment of they being engaging and such inspired me to possibly put these things out there for more people to see. whether they do or don’t is fine, i write these things in a google doc for myself anyway

i am wondering how to publish things like poetry or short stories though, is tumblr the right platform to do that? i would assume the platform itself matters somewhat, idk