#but i adapted it into a short story because it worked better haha

[philosophika]

Writeblr Positivity Tag

Hi @inkovert! Thank you, as always, for the tag. Just a quick shout-out; if you don't know Inkovert yet, please please please go check out their WIP, My Dearest Enemy. Also, do you like having in-depth discussions about writing with other up-and-coming authors? Participate in @inkovert's Spilled Ink Saturdays. The first session (on book-to-screen adaptations) was a lot of fun!

✦ What motivates you to write?

I agree with @inkovert. It's not that I'm motivated to write, exactly... It's more that I feel I... have to? There's a sort of internal inertia that keeps pulling me back to fiction. Maybe it's obsession? Maybe it's Maybelline? 💃😉 No, but seriously, I think it may be connected to this weird instinct I have to document things? To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, when I was in my mid-twenties, I went through a terrifying break-in. I kid you not; there was a literal man with a balaclava crouched in my shower in the middle of the night. How did I respond? By screaming, obviously. But after the screaming? I called up my boyfriend and narrated every single detail of what I saw and heard while trying to escape the house with my family. In my mind, I felt it was critical to tell him what was going on, not because I thought it would help catch the culprit(s) (we didn't know if there were more), save us from whatever bitter fate awaited, etc., but kind of in the same way people carve "I was here" into walls? If I was going to die (which was a possibility; a friend's father died in similar circumstances at around the same time), I needed someone to know what I'd seen, to know that I'd seen... So, do I write because I'd die if I didn't? No. I write because I'm going to die anyway. Because I know I'm going to die.

✦ A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud of/happy with. If not, maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them):

I can do you one better! Because @inkovert kindly tagged me, I'd like to return the favour by referring you to their Wattpad page, where you can read their current WIP, My Dearest Enemy

✦ Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them, and what are they like?

Haha, I don't know if any of the OCs in The Sorcerer's Apprentice make me smile. They all worry me a lot. By accepting an apprenticeship with the sorcerer Valeriano, Altaluna is heading straight into a nest of venomous vipers, and they are going to maim her; they are going to maim her for life. Every time she feels optimistic or wow-ed by the glitz and the glam of her new environment, I cringe internally. My poor, sweet summer child! Valeriano, on the other hand, is a monster, so it's hard to smile when thinking of him. Hmm... maybe the only character I genuinely smile around is Cucufate, the talking monkey. He's the only character whose behaviour and snide comments can be underplayed as just 'animal antics,' which means he's the only character who can get away with giving people a little of what they truly deserve. It's hard not to love him for it.

✦ What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

Again, I have to agree with @inkovert. The editing process means no blank page, and no blank page means (rejoice!) no existential suffering. My first drafts are always shit and a disappointment. But my second drafts? Dost thou want to live deliciously? With the second draft, I know where I'm going, what's happening, where to trim the fat and everything I need to make the story what I wanted it to be in the first place. Usually, I downright discard the first draft and write the entire story from scratch, but better, so much better. And editing the second (or sometimes, third) draft? Pure, unadulterated bliss. Goodbye, low self-esteem, goodbye doubts; cue me some Nina Simone, why don't you?

✦ What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

Editing, re-drafting. I'm good at figuring out what's wrong and have no trouble whatsoever massacring my darlings.

✦ What is something in the writeblr community that is most enjoyable?

The community! I love participating in tag & ask games, reading people's work, celebrating my mutual's triumphs, and sharing my progress. I don't have any writer friends outside of Tumblr (apart from academic writer friends, though they're a very different kettle of fish), so I really appreciate being able to log on and be met with all this creativity.

✦ A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

Okay, so first thing first: I have ADHD. Any thought I have is an explosion that simultaneously sends spin-off thoughts in every imaginable direction, which, in turn, send spin-off thoughts in every imaginable direction, and so on and so forth, and on and on, until some of the spin-offs reach a dead end and their line withers, and/or I reach the limits of my capacity to hold all these thoughts in my mind and spontaneously combust. Instead of trying to fight this multi-generative tendency (this leads to a state of paralysis where I can't do anything), I've found a way to let the 'explosions' take the lead without overloading my systems, so to speak. Basically, I figured that if I stored every direction my mind went in somewhere other than my mind, I could let it do its thing without risking burnout. For that, I use MindNode, a visual brainstorming software. And let me tell you, it's been a life-saver. Now, when considering a scene, I document every possible route available to the characters and/or the setting, assign each ramification a score (for example, +1 Worldbuilding, +1 Foreshadowing, +1 Symbolism, +1 Character Development, -1 Cliché, -1 Undermines Tension, -1 Repetitive, etc.), and then choose the one with the highest score to write out. This method is obviously quite time-consuming, but it does have some unique strengths beyond helping me deal with my ADHD: (1) it ensures that there are no superfluous scenes in the grand design, (2) it ensures that all scenes are layered and fulfil multiple story functions at once, (3) it discourages going with the first option that presents itself (usually cliché, in my case), (4) it encourages out-of-the-box creative thinking, (5) and, finally, it's likely to lead to scenes that surprise you, the writer (for example, I was shocked by how many routes led to my character's death, lol). So, yeah, MindNode has been very helpful to me.

✦ A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law, etc)

I love the magic system, but I'm not sure I'll reveal anything more about it before publication than I already have in this post. You're just going to have to wait and see ;)

✦ Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters:

I follow TONS of talented writers on this site, among them: @inkovert, @that-chibi-writer, @tate-lin, @kingkendrick7, @ettawritesnstudies, @blind-the-winds, @aquadestinyswriting, @avrablake, @alinacapellabooks, @lordfenric-writes, @moonscribbler, @cee-grice, @sender-paulson, @sarah-sandwich, @liv-is, @athenswrites, @junypr-camus, @rubywrite, @winterandwords, @salmonandfox, @merlina87, @songsofsomnia, @words-after-midnight, @lucianinsanity, @talesofsorrowandofruin, @nanashi23, @sam-glade, @at-thezenith, @kestalsblog, @kaatiba, @theunboundwriter, and so many more!

[vraisetzen]

💮 onmyōji (2023) review 💮

it took me longer than expected to finish this highly-anticipated adaptation, but boy am i glad i completed it!

first up, i just wanna say i have only read a few chapters of the stories by yumemakura baku, and and only seen snippets of the 2001 movie. i've not seen the sequel, nor the chinese adaptations (and certainly not played the games). that said, i am very familiar with onmyodo and its place and significance in japanese history and culture, since there are overlaps between it and taoism, buddhism, and east asian divination in general.

with that in mind, i was pleasantly surprised at how the anime eased viewers into the philosophies behind onmyodo, particularly with the concept of curses, the birth of demons, and rituals; everything was explained very clearly, with hiromasa as a stand-in for the audience, although i did wish that the show dwelled more on the supernatural aspects during the first few episodic arcs.

likewise, i enjoyed the relationship between seimei and hiromasa; and here is where the stans could fill me in, because i was very certain that the 2001 movies weren't as fruity as the anime. but still, the message was received, and i was very pleased with how their relationship was depicted – hiromasa being soft and very attuned with his emotions was a very heian gentlemanly trait to have, so it didn't feel out of place at all.

personally, i think the final arc could have explored more of hiromasa's death on seimei, but i think that short scene (barely a few seconds!) of seimei cradling hiromasa's sword was molto bene.

in terms of animation, i found it satisfactory; clearly a higher budget would have done the special effects more justice, but given that the onmyoji were more priests and academicians than jujutsu kaisen sorcerers, the relatively modest show of their abilities made sense. i will say, there were key frames in episode 4, especially with certain profiles and oblique angles, that looked rough.

the final three episode were beautifully animated though! and i adored the ending theme and animation!

also, this is just me being a mardy bum, but i think this would've worked better as a spring/summer anime than a fall/winter one, given the gorgeous floral motifs (although the cold seasons have always evoked intense fujo feels inside of me haha).

in all, as with ooku: the inner chambers, which aired a few months ago, i will not be object to a second season of this show – namikawa daisuke and asanuma shintaro did splendidly as seimei and hiromasa, and i would certainly love to see the other stories animated!

[crystallinestars]

Hello! I'm back for another rant :)

I was still thinking about Mihoyo's tendency to pair characters and play the ambiguity game to make more money and something I've noticed is that people will jump through sooo many hoops to defend the company. ''oh they can't be explicit because of censorship'', ''oh it's China, their culture is different!'' or even ''stupid entitled westerners always complaining about things they don't even try to understand smh 🙄''

Now, while I can agree that censorship and culture should be taken into account when talking about these games, I also feel like it's a bit disingenuous and lowkey patronising to chalk it all up to ''the Chinese are just all like that lol''

Like, why are we so vehemently defending a company that makes millions (if not billions) through ship teasing, as you've put before? Censorship does not change the fact that the development that characters get in these games (especially Genshin) goes out the window every other event or as soon as the main story is finished. And whenever I hear someone talk about censorship, I always think about Mo Dao Zu Shi (granted, the situation was different in its case so we should take it with a grain of salt) where its donghua and drama adaptations where indeed censored (but they were much more explicit than whatever's going on in Hoyoverse), yet the novel (the source material) had many MANY chapters with its two male leads going at it

I admit that I've been feeling a bit salty recently (because I feel like people only care about coding when it comes to the 'great' questions of ''OK but do these two men FUCK? How many times a day do they go at it and who's the woman in this ship??'' Meanwhile nobody ever talks about different dynamics, asexuality and aromanticism are seen as boring, and oh lord does bisexuality seem to be often treated as a trump card to say ''ok but this character is at least 50% gay'') and I also don't know that much about how everything works in China, but idk, I guess my point is that if they wanted to make ships canon, they WOULD (or could) find a way to do so

Anyway, your recent posts and asks also got me thinking and I guess I wanted to show you some support! I've seen your bio and I think it's a really smart move on your part to be clear on what you don't feel comfortable with from the get go. It can definitely be awkward when you have to tell someone that's just really excited to share their thoughts on something they enjoy that you're not interested and you'd rather not talk about this AT ALL. And it really does not help that popular ships tend to attract a lot of unhinged behaviour 😑 It's really refreshing to come across content creators like you, who are very clear in their boundaries and write such thoughtful fics

Once again, I hope you will be left to do your own thing in peace and that you'll keep finding ways and solutions for you to enjoy your favourite works without feeling alienated 💜

(And hopefully one day I will learn how to type short rants 😅)

Haha, short rants don't exist, Anon! It's perfectly okay to type long rants to me, I don't mind. If anything, I relish in them. As someone who rants and complains a lot myself, I welcome it when someone else does it. 😊 (I mean, just look at the length of my reply. I am not any better than you, dear Anon)

Lord, the "Mihoyo can't show explicit gay ships because of the CCP censorship" excuse grates on my nerves, as well. Censorship of homosexuality is definitely a thing in China, and it can sometimes be very horrible, but that's not what's stopping Mihoyo from making certain ships canon. They got way with a lot of lesbian ships in Honkai 3rd (though admittedly they had to tone it down once new laws were implemented, but the fact remains that at some point they were able to be blatant about their ships), and if we're talking actual coding, then Jeht being lesbian-coded is a thing that exists! If it was such a huge deal, I feel like Mihoyo would have either been way more subtle about it or not included these things at all.

It's just my personal opinion, but I'm certain that the reason Mihoyo doesn't make any ship canon is for the sake of making money. They need to sell characters, and the best way to do that is to allow players to enjoy characters the way they want. Assigning a specific sexuality or canon ship will crush the interpretations some players have about a character, and make that character unappealing. It would negatively impact their sales. Keeping things vague and only giving teases of the most popular ships seems to be the ideal marketing tactic for them. It panders to a lot more people this way and keeps most of them happy (however, the fact remains that they ignore a particular demographic of women, though that's a story for another time).

Regarding your reasons why people whip out the "coding" card... YOU ARE SO RIGHT! People only use sexuality coding as a way to "prove" their gay ship is canon and discredit any BG pairing. And they focus on things like one guy being muscular and the other more slender, and then assigning traditionally masculine and feminine traits to them, respectively. I could go on a whole separate rant about this topic, but I'll spare you the wall of text. Feminizing one of the guys in a gay ship is one of my biggest pet peeves, especially when it's OOC for the character.

One thing I noticed is that sexuality often gets used as a convenient tool to suit the needs of certain shippers instead of being used for actual diversity.

I can't tell you the amount of times I saw a sexuality tier list where the aromantic and asexual rows were treated as trash bins where people tossed the characters they didn't care about. There's no actual thought put into the sorting, and that's very unfair to actual aro and ace persons.

As for bisexuality... it's such a polarizing topic in fandoms. It's seen as a good thing when you have a canonical BG pairing, because then you can claim one or both are bi and therefore are also attracted to the same sex (as you said, they're "at last 50% gay" and can be shipped in gay pairings). However, if you have a non-canon BL or GL ship, saying one or both characters are bi is tantamount to treason. How dare you suggest they can be attracted to the opposite sex? That's erasing the gay representation!

Basically, bisexuality, much like the term "coding", gets treated like a tool that's allowed to exist only when it's convenient to a person, instead of as an actual sexuality real people have. I feel like bi, aroace, and pansexual people get shafted hard in fandoms in general.

Anyways, thank you for your support, Anon! I mentioned it in another post, but putting your likes and dislikes in the bio is a common practice in the Eastern part of the world, and I chose to copy that. I think it's a good way to meet people with similar interests while also letting those who have opposite interests avoid you. If the BL Anon had checked my bio first before following me, he could have spared himself some trouble haha. Sadly, it seems that many don't look at bios 😢

Thank you for your nice sentiments! I'm fairly confident that I won't be harassed, especially not in the reader-insert community, but I appreciate the thought! And hopefully I can find a way to combat the alienation... If not, then I'll simply uninstall both HSR and Genshin and find games that actually pander to me 😅

May you stay happy and free of harassment as well, dear Anon! 💚

[jpitha]

Hello hello! :D Happy STS! First and foremost, just wanted to drop a quick explanation because you mentioned it: STS is short for Storyteller Saturday, a writeblr event in which we send each other questions about our writing. I think the traditional version is that we ask each other specifically about our processes, but people tend to ask about whatever they'd like, haha. That said! :D The question I've been sending around: If your main characters were sucked into our world, The Devil Is a Part-Timer-style (i.e., dropped into our world without the resources/status they had in theirs, transformed into basically human with no powers, and the only thing they've got are the clothes on their back and their memories), how well would they fare? What would they do to survive, who's failing at adapting and how, and most importantly, who is working at McDonald's?

Sure, let's do this. I'll stick with the characters (mostly) from my current posted story, Just a Little Further: Melody was able to roll with the punches and immediately got a job through a contracting company and temps as a Deskside Support person on a 6 month contract at a law firm. She has discovered Coffee YouTube and is trying to convince Ava and Raaden to let her spend $2k on a vintage espresso machine.

Melody knows more than anyone else on the Support team but isn't lording it over people. She's bored and spend time when she's not doing tickets watching Youtube. She likes restoration YouTube and watches weird European Men restore antiques.

Ava followed Melody into the contract economy, but doesn't know enough about computers to get a similar job She knows people better though, so she works in bizdev. It's 100% remote and Melody is a n n o y e d she makes so much more.

Ava takes about 2 hours a day to do actual work and spends the rest of the time pestering Melody and reading r/outoftheloop. She also loves Cooking Youtube and makes terrible meals every night.

When Raaden arrived she just rolled her eyes when she saw our world and got a job as a mall cop. She has made so many 14 year olds of all genders scared and horny.

She'll never admit it, but she thinks it's cute that Ava is trying so hard to cook, but she and Melody use Grubhub for dinner after Ava goes to sleep because it's so bad.

[zehecatl]

2024 media thread part JANUARY :D

1st January: Super Mario Bros. Movie

finally got around to watching this, and okay, yeah- it was a lot better than i expected. a good time! really fun to watch! it definitely felt like actual fans worked on it, or at the very least, that Nintendo kept a real close eye during production. loooved the little nods to canon; when Pauline showed up, i literally paused to excitedly tell my mom about who that was, haha. also LOVED the difference uses of power ups!! tanuki suit AND cat suit my beloved :]

Bowser was definitely the high point, like!! that IS my little guy!! Jack Black did SUCH a good job, and man. the ANIMATION. the bits where he got all snarly was SO good. would have loved to watch those on the big screen. Luigi was also very Luigi, which i always appreciate. Mario was... eh? not bad! Chris Pine did an okay job, and while i would have preferred something more, it was... fine. and Donkey Kong was a whole lot of fun, actually? tempted to check out his games, because i did really like him

meanwhile, my BIG BIG complaint, is Peach. like, holy fuck. they absolutely butchered my girl! like, yes- as characters, none of them have a lot of personality to work with, but they're archetypes. you're supposed to push within the archetypes- they even did this with Mario. but they just- they completely abandoned who Peach is, as a character. straight up just wrote Daisy instead, which is. really frustrating! and i dislike it A LOT, because there is so much you can do with Peach as a character, and they didn't even try

but otherwise- fun movie! could have been so much worse!

4th January: Outpath

really relaxing and chill game, where you basically just run around collecting resources, upgrading stuff, and unlocking more island. definitely one of those 'put on some music and zone out for a bit' games. that is not a negative

really liked the graphics, and it was fun to just- run around? you get more movement upgrades as you go along, and it actually plays really nicely. also some tasty environmental sounds

i'm not a 100% done with it yet, but i hit the end credits, so. not sure i'll get all the achievements, but i do intent to go back and clean up some loose ends. also really like how it incorporates some idle elements, like you still getting credits(/money) while being offline. makes it more rewarding to open it up and vibe for a bit

i do think there was an.. attempt? at some kind of story, but i entirely missed it, so i guess that's my only real critic. it was just a fun chill game to sink like, 25 hours into lol

9th January: Momodora: Reverie Under The Moonlight

i've had this game in my library for literally who knows how long, and it's one i've always been aware of, since it was really big back in the day, and oh my god. oh my god, why did i not play this sooner?

it's rather short, took me around 7 hours, but it just- it nails what it wants to be, this tough little game with so much moodiness and tragedy, and i'm so enamoured. i tried playing the original one before this, but it wasn't quite hitting, but man. this one just. it hit so fucking good

there's so many layers here, so many unspoken little details. so so much tragedy you could really dig your fingers into, and as a Tragedy Enjoyer, ooooh it hits good

i'm considering either replaying it myself, or watching a LP and then writing some fic, because there is a little thing hiding here, something i want to put words to. it's good, can't wait to check out the rest, and the upcoming sequel/finale. also, the game is gorgeous

18th January: Switch OVA

so Switch is a two episode long 'adaptation' of a manga, and while it very much just drops you into the middle of the plot, it- works? like, i personally wasn't missing anything, and the case they chose to adapt works really well as a teaser for the manga, because i did leave it considering checking out the manga, and while the whole thing isn't anything to write home about, i did enjoy myself

(i also watched the whole thing on my phone, curled up in bed, so that did maybe increase my enjoyment. it was cozy! what can i say!)

funnily enough, i did walk into this thinking it was a yaoi, and while i don't think it is, there really was nothing to disprove me of this assumption. there's literally a moment where protag guy gets told 'he likes' the other protag guy, and he bLUSHES. LIKE. STRAIGHT OUT OF A YAOI FR FR

all in all, it was honestly just a really cozy time. it wasn't long enough to lose my interest, and there was enough in it to keep it- and i really like the design of the red haired guy! very simple, but really appealing too. i genuinely might check out the manga, my interest is definitely piqued

[pynkhues]

What did you think of red white & royal blue?

I really enjoyed it! I think it's often fairly clear when directors are adapting material that they love, and I thought that really came through which always makes me more forgiving of a movie's flaws.

But yes! Overall, I thought it was really charming, and that the romance was a lot of fun. I have a bit of a softspot for romance stories where conflict comes in the form of a sense of duty (probably why I enjoyed s2 of Bridgerton so much more than s1, haha), and I liked the way it played around with that to find moments of narrative tension that felt authentic to the world the characters lived in.

That storyworld though in itself though was - - y'know, a little bit of a mess, haha, but I think a lot of that was because of how hamstrung they were by the amount of minutes they had to work with. Overall with romance I do think storyworld can be something compromised (not should ideally, of course, but can be) for the sake of chemistry and connection, which is the choice I think they made. In particular, having more time to deepen that storyworld with the fun array of supporting characters we got to meet too briefly would've been good, I think.

I also think it would've benefitted from being a tv series though, but then again, most novel adaptions could. There's a reason it's usually so much better to adapt short stories for features!

[nachitoesmuybonito]

10 films I love

Tagged by @chocopinda <3

I'm gonna do my best! Because, here's a secret: I watch a lot of stuff, but half the time it ends up being background noise because my attention span is often shit when watching things alone; with some exceptions, of course. Blame that gamer brain!

The Ritual (2017) I’ve watched this several times on my own and once or twice with friends. I really, really like it! It’s a short horror film that does something I really enjoy: saves the creature for the very end. So, throughout the film you get a lot of strange and creepy moments, but you’re kept on edge wondering exactly what the cause is. So good. Definitely recommend it.

The Green Mile (1999) I read the book for this and, while often movies don’t live up to the book, this was still an amazing film adaptation. It focuses on a group of prison guards and the day to day life of working on death row, though the heart of the tale truly revolves around a new prisoner with a very special, and quite mysterious gift. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it’s a really powerful story

In The Tall Grass (2019) It’s strange, it’s a little creepy and it can be really confusing on the first watch. I’ve watched it twice so far and I’ve picked up on things I missed from the first viewing. It’s another of those movies that really keeps you guessing all throughout, and the twists along the way alone make for an interesting experience!

Dreamcatcher (2003) You might be seeing a bit of a pattern, huh? I like Stephen King stuff, haha. In this case, the book was definitely better (just my opinion), but I still enjoyed the movie! With this one you get some humor (and dark humor), horror, body horror and aliens. I’m a fan of the weird, and if you are too it might be one worth checking out.

It (2017) I hate clowns and this right here is one of the biggest reasons why. I remember seeing the original, so of course I jumped on this as soon as it came out and, wow. You see the killer clown in this version a whole lot more. This will give you a full dose of horror, and a whole lot of blood, but following the lives of the teenagers deemed outcasts is some pretty powerful stuff, too.

It Chapter 2 (2019) Another go around with the killer clown and the outcasts, except now the outcasts are all grown up. It’s kind of more of the same, horror and blood, and to me also highlights that things that terrified you as a kid sometimes remain with you as an adult.

The Mist (2007) Okay, this one had a short story, movie and a series (that only got one season, ugh). We’re obviously focusing on the movie for this. If you like weird creatures and government experiments gone wrong, give it a look! You get glimpses of the creatures or parts of them throughout the movie, but a lot of it is left to the imagination and I always find that fun. I will say, the story has a better ending; the movie ending killed me, so fair warning.

Dragonheart (1996) Going back a ways now! This is one of those films that I’ve adored for years. I’ve always liked dragons and knights and all that kind of stuff, so it was right up my alley. You get a pretty good mix of fun moments and serious moments, and a good adventure to follow. Just prepare yourself for a dose of sadness at the end; still powerful, and still gets me to this day.

Fractured (2019) This one popped up as a Netflix suggestion and the premise seemed good: a man brings his wife and daughter to the ER, but they seemingly disappear, and you’re left to follow him on his search as he believes the hospital is hiding something. Pretty early in I had a feeling I knew what was going on, but even when expecting the twist it was a good watch that kept me gripped!

The Labyrinth (1986) I don’t even know what to say here, haha. It’s just one of those movies I’ve always enjoyed, though I haven’t watched it in years. I mean, come on, it’s got David Bowie! And it’s really kind of weird, so I guess that’s just more reason I enjoy it.

And, there you go. There are others, for sure (@chocopinda hit on a few of my favorites with Donnie Darko and Fargo <3) but the list called for ten, so here we are. I also have no idea who to tag so, uh: @8choloko, @xtakeitisisx, @michaelmandog, @ignaciosalamanca

[moiloru]

🤖 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Review! 🌕

Hello, everyone! Here is a new review about a recent anime that's very different from what I usually watch; Cyberpunk: Edgerunners!

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is set in the universe of Cyberpunk 2077, which you may have already heard of when it was first released because of how unpolished it was. However, this is not an adaptation of the game but an original story.

Well, this is a Netflix exclusive, so you've probably already heard of it. It aired in September of this year, so it's still fresh. It is an action/sci-fi anime with heavy psychological and gore elements. Unfortunately, it only has ten episodes.

First off, this anime is not for children. There's nothing wrong with that, but Cyberpunk: Edgerunners features some mature themes meant for adults. The more mature parts are great, though - probably the best in the anime.

I have little experience with cyberpunk animes, so I wanted to see how I would enjoy this one. Well, I had fun watching it, but it was way too short for the story it was trying to tell! It deserves a couple more episodes!

The plot has significant time skips and doesn't have the time to let the audience understand what's going on. Let's just say it's fast-paced - which is regrettable. It's a shame because the plot is pretty good!

Sure, it has some cliché tropes, but for the most part, it's entertaining! Pretty predictable, though. The ending's neat, and while the first two episodes were somewhat dull to me, episode three is pretty damn good.

The cast's okay for the most part. No one outside the leading duo is memorable, but they're good enough. The protagonist deserved more time to shine, but he's decent. His partner has a deeper backstory and is overall a better character, though.

Where this anime has a big flaw is with its character development. Don't get me wrong: it has development, but you just don't see it because of how fast the story flies by. There are very sudden changes that can be confusing at times.

Good character dynamics, though. For something so short, it's above average. I would compare it to another anime, but that would give away most of the plot, haha.

Of course, this anime scores many points thanks to how good-looking it is. It has a cyberpunk style (obviously...) that looks phenomenal and incredibly colorful. The animation is beautiful, especially in the action scenes. Great work.

Musically, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is also pretty good! Some touching songs! The opening is excellent (and a song by Franz Ferdinand of all groups), as is the ending. Extremely fitting, too.

Overall, this anime was good. I didn't think it was as good as I heard, but it's still worth watching. The flaws I mentioned make for wasted potential, but it's a solid 7.5 from me, so don't hesitate.

Down below is the tierlist for the characters in this anime! Thank you for reading this review!

[goforth-ladymidnight]

❄️ Hello!! It’s me again! ❄️

Very excited to tell you that I officially have a clear idea for your gift 🎁. It may end up more fluffy and romantic than angsty but I looked through your works and it seems like you enjoy that vibe so I hope it’s ok!!

I’ll be popping into your inbox every now and then to update you and ask you some silly questions because I really enjoy reading your replies 🤭.

Fun questions of the day:

-What are some of your favorite books?

-What do you think tamcien’s love languages would be?

Have a good weekend!!

-🎅🎄

Oh!! Hi Santa! I am so excited!!! 🤩

I know I went on and on about angst, but fluffy romance is right up my alley! I can't wait. 🥰

I am so glad to hear from you so often, and I'm so pleased that you like hearing my answers! ❤️ I don't often get the chance to ramble that often, so thanks for letting me! 😙

Fun answers of the day:

Favorite books? This is one of my favorite topics. GAH! Are you ready for this? Buckle up, Buttercup!

I discovered both A Wrinkle in Time and The Chronicles of Narnia when I was a pre-teen, and they are still my go-to classics when I need to read something cozy in bed. ("It was a dark and stormy night", my beloved.)

Because I liked to collect "Accelerated Reading points" for my reading classes in school, I discovered some classics that I might not have otherwise read. (I'm not sure where you're from, but essentially A.R. is a program where books with a higher reading level were given more points that you could cash in for prizes like stickers, pencils, or even T-shirts. I rocked those T-shirts as a pre-teen. Just sayin'.)

I read things like A Scarlet Letter, Animal Farm, and Moby Dick, all without being assigned by a teacher! Some I liked better than others (Moby Dick's Whiteness of the Whale, my beloathed), but I was a voracious reader, just the same.

While I never did fall in love with Pride and Prejudice like my friends did, I adored The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy! It basically laid the groundwork for such popular heroes like Zorro and Batman, and no, I'm not kidding.

Accelerated Reading was not emphasized as much by the time I reached high school, so I started reading more fantasy novels. I still prefer The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings, for example, but the inverse is true of the movies, haha.

I tend to prefer fairy tale retellings over original fantasy, just because I like to know what I'm getting into. That's one reason I picked up ACOTAR! Well, the first reason is I discovered the Adult Coloring Book in a local bookstore, but I was intrigued by the artwork and the excerpts I read.

One such retelling that I recently fell in love with is "Heart's Blood" by Juliet Marillier, which is Beauty and the Beast set in ancient Ireland. I don't normally go for Historical Fantasy (since I prefer fantastical settings), but I was intrigued by the mystery of ✨The Enchantment✨. And the way the author wove it into the magic of the mirrors around the castle just blew my mind when I first read it. It felt like such a fresh take on the classic fairy tale, even though I've read at least five different retellings of the story so far.

One of those that I still dearly love is "Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast" by Robin McKinley. It's definitely a slower read than some of the more modern retellings, as it came out in the 1970s, but I am convinced that Disney took notes from this work, since McKinley's Beauty is an avid reader, and so is Belle. I don't recall any prior adaptation that made her interested in books.

That being said, one of my absolute favorite Robin McKinley books is "Sunshine", which I'm reading now, in fact. I try to reread it every October. It's got Vampires, Cinnamon Rolls the size of your head, and a character who's trying her hardest to be normal after being kidnapped by said Vampires. What's not to love?

I could go on, but I think that's a pretty good start. However, my list of Honorable Mentions includes: the short stories of Peter S. Beagle (who wrote "The Last Unicorn"), Sherwood Smith's "Crown Duel" duology, and Garth Nix's "Sabriel". The worldbuilding in all of these is just top-tier. I love them all.

Now, finally, onto your second question. 😅 Tamcien's love languages, an exploration:

First, Tamlin:

Words of Affirmation: Yes, he struggles with compliments (Exhibit A: "Your hair is... clean"), but he seems to do better with the written word when composing limericks. When he whispers an "I love you, thorns and all" late at night, you know he means it. Still, this is probably not his number one love language. It's supposed to be something that comes naturally, after all.

Acts of Service: He gave Feyre a fully furnished painting studio, and he enlisted Nuan's help to fix Lucien's eye, but I can't think of that many examples, to be honest. He does hunt down creatures like The Bogge to make sure they don't terrorize his people or his lands, but these acts could also be boiled down to his duty as High Lord.

Gifts: Again we have the painting studio as evidence, but traditionally, it's the smaller just-because-I-was-thinking-of-you gifts that indicate the strength of this particular love language. I'm not convinced.

Quality Time: Now we're getting somewhere. The glen, the pool of starlight, the meadow with the singing willow, all of these special locations are places where Tamlin can just let his hair down and relax. He doesn't need to talk, and neither does his companion. He's just content to lie back and bask in their company.

Physical Touch: This one is tricky, because my first thought is that this one would be it. However. I think he gets "touched out" more often than not and needs to recharge. His main power is shapeshifting, which already takes a toll, but he's also expected to participate in the Great Rite every year, so it's less about intimacy and more about duty. That being said, I think he is definitely touch-starved at this point in the story, and it will take a lot of time and trust to let anyone get close to him again.

Final answer: Quality Time.

Next up, Lucien:

Words of Affirmation: At least in Book 1, Lucien is sassy and snarky, but when he gets called on it, he has been known to resort to overt flattery (Exhibit A: "Your eyes are like stars, and your hair like burnished gold"). Later on in the novel, Lucien admires Feyre's Solstice attire and says she looks "positively Fae", while Tamlin's comment is more sincere: "You look beautiful". I would therefore say that this is not Lucien's first love language.

Acts of Service: Lucien helped Feyre multiple times during her stay Under the Mountain, but it was, as he said "for Tamlin's sake". We do learn that he truly does care for Feyre later on, but this does not seem to be his primary love language, either.

Gifts: Like Tamlin, gifts from a faerie seem to come from a sense of obligation, rather than "thinking of you". The ruby dagger was something he gave up to reward Feyre for freeing the Suriel when she didn't have to. So I would say that Gifts isn't it, either.

Quality Time: He tags along with Tamlin and Feyre on many of their outings, but more than once he makes excuses to let them be alone. He seems too impatient to just sit and linger.

Physical Touch: I think this might be it, actually. Although it's never shown in the text, it is implied that he enjoys dalliances with other faeries while out on patrol. When Feyre has a nightmare in Book 3 (or pretends to), his method of comfort is to embrace her. Interestingly enough, I think he is more self-conscious about his scar and his eye than he would like to admit, and so he uses snark to keep people at arm's length until he decides they're allowed to approach. While Tamlin seems to be afraid of hurting people because of how strong he is, I think Lucien is more afraid of being hurt, like he was by Amarantha. Is there any correlation to your love language being used to wound you? I think so. For Tamlin, who seems to value Quality Time, his worst nightmare is to be left alone, even if he thinks that's what he wants. And for Lucien, it would be physical abuse, since a pat on the shoulder or a fond embrace seems to come so naturally to him.

Final Answer: Physical Touch.

Now I know that I relied a lot on canon to come up with these answers, and Tamcien's relationship is nothing but platonic in the series, but I can't help but think the same answers apply to their fanon pairing.

Imagine Lucien braiding Tamlin's hair while he lies back and relaxes (I think @/lucychanart has a piece depicting this, actually). Or Tamlin brushing a kiss against Lucien's scar, to remind him that it doesn't change how he feels about him. Or the two of them putting their heads together as they pore over a map in Tamlin's office. Lucien putting a hand over Tamlin's when his claws threaten to come out, and reminding him to take a deep breath.

That's not to say that they wouldn't also express their love in other ways, like the aforementioned "I love you"s or giving one another gifts once in a while, but for the common, everyday expressions of love, it's got to be Quality Time and Physical Touch. ❤️

Thank you for letting me ramble! This was a wonderful exercise. 😊

I hope you have a good weekend, too, Santa! I look forward to hearing from you again, whenever that may be. 🥰

[a-bucket-full-of-feels]

Extended commentary on my SayoRin AU fic

Because I wanted to refrain from rambling too much in the ao3 author's notes, I've consolidated some extended thoughts/fun facts about Morning Star in the Night Sky in this Tumblr post.

Inspiration for the fic

After watching It's MyGo!!!!!, I started revisiting the original Bandori franchise and was drawn to SayoRin again. As mentioned in another post, I have a soft spot for this particular ship among other Bandori ships, and I was compelled to write a new fic about them.

So also recently I wrote a KumiRei post-canon fic at the end of Hibike! Euphonium S3, and one of the small details I included in my post-canon worldbuilding was that adult Reina casually dated some asshole guys while in America and vented to Kumiko every time she broke up with them, and one of them was a jazz pianist. When I was finished with the main fic, I wrote a short fic about her relationship with that jazz pianist on a whim, but I decided not to publish it online because it's not really that great and the KumiRei content in that fic isn't much (it was mostly a self-indulgent Reina character study if anything). But I decided to adapt that opening scene in my fic as the scene where Sayo meets Rinko for the first time in my AU, and I basically took the story from there.

For some fics, most of the plotline and even specific conversations form in my head almost as soon as the idea comes to me. For this fic, this was the exact opposite - I started with almost nothing except a simple premise, and developed the plot outline bit by bit as I wrote and thought about the fic. I honestly did enjoy the ideation process, it was a fun way to occupy my time while going on a run or during pockets of free time, though getting to writing and editing can be painful when I'm not in a flow state LOL.

Chapter 3

1. I forgot to mention this in the notes, but the quote "Practise like you're on stage, and when you’re on stage treat it like it's practice" is actually one of Sayo's in-game voicelines during lives when you use her in your team, if I remember correctly (I haven't played the game in ages). I'm not sure what's the official English translation for that line as I only played the JP version of Girls Band Party, but I tried my best to make the translation sound less awkward, I swear it sounds a lot better in the original Japanese.

Chapter 6

1. Before the universities were introduced into the Bandori canon, I used to have this headcanon that Sayo would choose accountancy as her university major after reading one of the earliest event stories where she literally used a ruler to measure the thickness of the dough while baking cookies with Lisa. That obsession and attention to detail is such an accountant-like personality trait, speaking as an accountant/financial analyst myself. So I was kinda disappointed when the writers decided to make her a law major instead 😂 We need more accountant representation in media LOL

2. Also on the last part of the chapter, I have no clue how job/client scheduling in a law firm works haha. I kinda assumed that it's similar to my experience in an accounting services firm where you get assigned to different clients based on the headcount/resource requirements and timeline of the job.

Chapter 7

1. Nagano is indeed about a 3 hour drive away from Tokyo, and also known for its mountains! The setting was loosely inspired by this car camping Youtuber, Tabi-ie, who lives in Nagano and frequently camps overnight in the mountains. His videos have a really relaxing and peaceful vibe, and it's nice to put on in the background if you want to unwind, so I highly recommend checking it out!

2. I also did some research on constellations, and Andromeda and the Andromeda galaxy are usually visible only during Autumn!

Afterthoughts

I've already aired my thoughts about SayoRin in a previous post so I shan't repeat myself here. But I'm grateful for everyone who has read and followed the story since the beginning - it truly makes the sleep deprivation from writing this entire fic worth it for me haha

[shadowsong26fic]

Coming Attractions!

Yes, yes, I know it's Tuesday not Monday but shhh.

It's been a while since I've done one of these, but in theory the first Monday of the month I do a little update post--what I'm working on, what's coming further along, just general rambling.

And it also usually aligns with an Open Question Night. My askbox is always open, but tonight I'll be at least semi-actively keeping an eye on it. Questions about any fandom I've written about here or on AO3 is fair game; questions about writing in general; questions about my original stuff...I do take prompts but no promises on how quickly I will fill them.

Okay, here we go!

A fairly short one this month--mostly because I did a kind of half-update a couple weeks ago and there's not much new since then, haha.

Star Wars:

Okay technically I'm not actively working on anything in this fandom at the moment, beyond I haven't left it so Precipice is still lurking in the background. And I do need to catch up on my Year of the OTP list from last year that I got about halfway through, so I have six more one-shots to put out at some point. Hoping to get at least one or two this month? We'll see.

Battlestar Galactica:

Iiiiii ended up outlining both of my ideas for check-in #1 because I am still Indecisive, lol. I have next week off work, so I'll see which one actually starts shaping up into being Workable before story details deadline at which point I'm Committed, lol.

(Option 1, for reference, is Percussive Maintenance, which is Sam getting his memories back due to all the head trauma in Downloaded. Option 2 is The Blood of Angry Men (possibly to be stylized all lower-case), which is a Zarek backstory/character-study piece.)

(And then The Other Battlestar is this Giant Project where Baltar ends up on Pegasus instead of Galactica)

Also need to get back to Year of the OTP for this fandom; and I really want to start posting The Other Battlestar (which may or may not get retitled? I'm not thrilled with that as a title but I haven't come up with anything better sooooo).

Other Fandoms:

Working on some AtLA stuff for pod_together, which I'm excited for. I have a lot of fun with this event usually, and it's nice to come back to one of my forever fandoms.

I'm also working on a SPN AU Outline and I'm mad about it lol.

I have been watching season 2 of Interview With the Vampire and while it is reigniting my fondness for this fandom (and my favorite murder kitten/poor little meow meow Armand. Who is kiiiiiind of getting an Adaptational Villain Upgrade but in a way that is much closer to his book personality than the way the musical did it. Don't get me wrong, I adore the musical and that version of Armand is a lot of fun, but.) ...anyway, I don't have any plans to actually Write for this fandom. At this point. We'll see.

...yeah, pretty short one this month, lol. Like I said, next week I have off so I'm hoping to get a lot done for, in particular/in order of priority:

GBB

pod_together

TOB

Year of the OTP backfill

Precipice

Other Fun Stuff, especially origfic stuff if I get around to it and/or AU Outlines (either the SPN one or a couple of BSG crossovers that I've got kicking around that might work better that way)

...so, yeah! That's me this month. What about you guys? What are you working on/what's on your minds?

[sparkylurkdragon]

Most of my longfics are adaptation fix-its, so the basic skeleton is already there for me, which helps a lot.

The ones that aren't, well. I approach them the same way I approach my short fics. I have some kind of idea I want to get across, some kind of ending. It's just that the longfics need more space to get from The Start to The End, or have more ideas that I want to get across between the two points. Sometimes this can be accomplished with a series of shorts, but sometimes you just need a longer work.

I also find that writing the entire story out before posting works better for me than posting chapters as they're written. This is kind of against the grain of wider fandom culture, but it works for me because, again, the nitty-gritty of writing out a long fic is exactly the same as shorter fics for me, just on a larger scale. I start with a skeleton that plays to my main strengths as a writer (dialogue), then layer on more description in subsequent drafts, often rewriting the whole thing using the initial draft as a detailed outline.

It's labour-intensive and takes longer, but I find it makes my work better suit my own quality standards. It also makes it harder to write myself into a corner: if that happens I can just hit reverse and fix whatever led up to it, including if it's a subplot or character quirk that needed setting up in the first chapter. Can't do that if I was posting as I wrote it. It makes intentional foreshadowing possible for me, too. (Unintentional foreshadowing creeps in no matter what I do, and I can drop hints to things I think might be coming. But I never quite know until I get there.)

So, if you find you tend to peter out by posting chapters as they're finished, try writing the whole thing out before posting. This, I think, is the kind of creative difference between writing a three-hour movie and writing a TV series: both completely valid ways of expressing a longform plot, but they work better for different people and different stories.

This may not work as well if you need outside motivation to keep going. In this case, sharing in-progress excerpts on a blog or finding someone who will privately cheer you on can help. Me, I tend to just... go into my cave and come out three years later with a longfic, haha, but in the meantime the longfic isn't the only thing I'm working on. I'll make and release shorter pieces when I'm just not feeling the longfic that day/week/month, and this helps with both keeping motivation for creation up and the whole mental crop rotation thing.

Do you have any advice and how to write a long fic?

I'll encourage long fic writers to add on in the notes, but as someone who tends to prefer short and medium-length fic, I'll tell you how I go about it.

Get a premise that you just absolutely love. You're going to be writing this thing for months, if not longer, so you want it to be something you're willing to spend a lot of time thinking about.

Embrace subplots. You'll have your main plotline that you want to see through from beginning to end, but you can also weave in some subplots here or there. The way I do this so that I don't get lost down a rabbit hole is that I always make sure that every chapter has at least 1 thing that moves the main plot forward and then if I want to spend 1-2K with some side characters doing something fun I can do that as well. Subplots can extend for the length of the full narrative, but they can also just last a chapter or three. If you're used to writing short fic, these might give you that familiar feeling of "completion"

A chapter is only as long as it needs to be. Don't get hung up on having a consistent chapter length. Don't get hung up on hitting some arbitrary number every time. Instead, figure out what the next part of your story needs to include and write however many words it takes to get that chunk across. Varying your chapter lengths is a normal thing to do and not something to stress about.

The next thing that I find important personally may or may not be relevant to you, but I find that I can't plot anything in much detail. If I get too into the nitty gritty with my plotting, it just feels like I've already written it. I need to keep it at the level of "And then A and B meet C and hijinks ensue." I can figure out the particular hijinks later. It's the characters meeting up that's the next important thing for me to figure out. Getting too far ahead of myself is a death knell for me in writing long fics, but there are other writers who swear by it. Test out different ways of approaching it and see what works for you.

As someone who tends to write more briefly, another feature that's common to longer fics is more extensive descriptions. People spend time painting visual pictures of the setting or the characters or the actions that are happening. Write the more bare-bones style that focuses more on dialogue (if you're like me) and then go back and read through what you've just written and see if there are opportunities to add in more detail. This can lead to some really interesting characterization choices and also help you out with worldbuilding.

When it comes to worldbuilding, you don't have to get it all on the page. You just need to share what's relevant for the reader in that moment and what is useful to lay out now so that it's already there in a future chapter. You can have an encyclopedic knowledge of how your world works in your head, but it's not actually necessary. No one is going to be quizzing you later - and if they do, you can always figure it out at that point.

Most important for me when I'm trying to get myself to the end of a longer fic, have a friend or a group of friends who are also into what you're writing - or at least willing to hear you get excited about it. Being able to get excited about your work is so important. It's like a bottle of water being handed to you on mile 10 of a marathon.

[wireless-telegraph]

Book ask 1-10

1. How many books did you read this year? This year I read 23 books total. I'm 100 pages into book 24, but I highly doubt I'll finish it before the year ends. 2. Did you have any reading goals? if yes, did you complete them?

I did! Initially I was going to aim for 25 books, but halfway through the year (due to a lot of circumstances out of my hands), I knew I wasn't going to realistically make that goal, so I had reduced it by two books. I juuuust barely met my goal of 23 books this year.

3. What was the first book you read this year?

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Braum. I've technically read this book before, but I wanted to reread it so I could mentally prepare myself for Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. I'm glad I did because there were some subtle nods to the original work.

4. What was/will be the last book you read this year?

The last book I've read this year is Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. Another book I've read years ago but wanted to refresh myself for Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio (which do yourself a favor and please watch it. One of the best movies/adaptations released in years).

5. The longest book you read this year?

Feast of Souls by C. S. Friedman at 464 pages. I'm reading the sequel right now. It's a dark fantasy/speculative fiction series about magic that consumes the soul when cast.

6. The shortest book you read this year?

Next of Kin by Dan Wells at 44 pages. 5/5 though. It was a short story mid the Jon Cleaver series.

7. The oldest book you read this year?

Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, published 1883 in a series of short stories submitted to a "magazine". Second oldest, Wizard of Oz at 1900. Third oldest, The Bad Seed by William March (1954), to provide a title not mentioned yet.

8. The newest release of the year?

I've read a handful of 2022 releases. Latest released was the Nine Eyes of Lucien by Madeleine Roux. Other two 2023 releases: A Black and Endless Sky by Matthew Lyons. Siren Queen by Nghi Vo (All three I pre-ordered).

9. A book that was better than you expected it to be?

There are a few. Quite frankly any horror book I like usually ends up being better than expected haha. A few misc. books I'll mention: Prosper's Demon by KJ Parker

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo (I bought her other book recently) Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Durham

The Nine Eyes of Lucien by Madeleine Roux.

10. A book that didn’t live up to your expectations?

Midnight For Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo. I had this book saved for years and finally decided to read it. Yeah, no, this book was terrible. I had a lot of issues with the plot and set up. I wish I liked it, I loved the idea of someone who could communicate with photographs.

I also have to add The Watchers by A.M. Shine. It was put on a pedestal in the Books of Horror group, but unfortunately the writing is completely bogged down by purple prose. 2-5 similes in one paragraph is not uncommon for this story. The plot was fine, I just wished someone pointed out his use of language. Especially how often he said the yellow canary smiled and how often he used "like a child."

[byjillianmaria]

In Madeline Erstwind’s life, there were three things she knew to be true. First, she should never make eye contact with her passing reflection. Next, dried lavender at the foot of her bed chased away nightmares. And finally, she knew that she could not, under any circumstances, trust the Lorend coven. But when the surprisingly kind and very beautiful Dahlia Lorend shows up on her balcony one night, she’s forced to rethink things.

Hey! I wrote this as a thank you for hitting 1k follows, although there’s closer to 1,100 of you guys by now (holy shit, thank you). Anyways, have this light and fluffy version of Romeo & Juliet, but with lesbian witches and less death. Let me know what you think!

Click here to read!

[ziamhaze]

My Future in Fic

Yeah, so, the 100k fic that I’ve been working on for the past six months?  The one that was going to be uploaded to AO3 last week?  Yeah, it’s accidentally getting published...

Where do I start?

I suppose with a massive thank you to anyone who’s clicked on any of my fics over these past two years.  I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again.  I never ever thought about writing as a career.  I’ve never written anything prior to my Harry Potter AU Compartment 451.  I didn’t even take an English class in undergrad or grad school.  I genuinely just had an idea for a fic I wanted to read and since no one had written it, I had to do so myself.  Since then, I’ve written every single day for 2 years.  I left my job in the entertainment industry, got accepted to one of the best creative writing programs in the world on a scholarship, and now one of my stories is being considered at Harper Collins.  Yes, the Harper Collins.  It’s the longest shot in the world, but for legal reasons I was not allowed to upload the fic version on any website prior to submission.  Even if they don’t pick it up, I’ve been advised to continue to shop it around to agents.

What I can do, however, is share the premise.

If you’ve been following my tumblr and watching my tags - I SEE YOU ALL OUT THERE - then you’ll know that this fic was meant to have Zayn with his signature undercut hairstyle and one more little thing...

Someone sent me an ask a while back about what this fic was supposed to be about.  I believe I said something about it being an adaptation fic, but not from a film/tv show/other piece of literature, from a song.  This next fic was meant to be an adaptation of the song Younger by Ruel.  Later on, it also took shape with the help of Remember by Liam and a few others that you can find here.

The miniature summary is as follows:

When his father suddenly passes, twenty-nine-year-old Liam Payne is brought back to the Sydney suburbs where he grew up.  He doesn’t plan on seeing his childhood best friend, Zayn Malik, at the burial service.  They haven’t spoken since going from brothers to strangers one fateful day fifteen years prior.  But Zayn puts an end to this when he approaches Liam after the burial, offering his condolences and asking if Liam can help his archaeological research team with photographing their newest project.  The unexpected closeness forces each man to wade through uneasy emotions.  For Liam, a mixture of grief, lost identity, and confusion over why he’s willing to interact with the one person he swore he’d never forgive.  And for Zayn, a tidal wave of anxiety that comes from finally facing a part of himself he’s always chosen to deny.  When We Were Younger is a story heavily rooted in blurred identities and exploring what loss can look like in two different scenarios: death and friendship.

For obvious reasons, their names will be changed.  Liam, to Hutton.  Zayn, to Cairo (his ethnicity will also be changed to Egyptian).  As you can see, it was meant to be my big ‘enemies to lovers’ fic.  Technically, it’s ‘best friends to enemies to lovers’, but you know.

Right, so what does this mean for me going forward?

I still have so much inspiration when it comes to writing Zayn and Liam as characters.  I don’t plan on putting a complete stop to writing them, but with my career taking this large of a turn, I do have to prioritise my time.  That said, as of now, I can’t afford to write long-form fic any longer.

Soon, I’ll be starting a PhD program where I’ll be writing another full-length novel for mass publication.  For fun, here’s a little insight on the two ideas that I’ll be pitching:

1.  Underground boxer (loosely based off Liam) falls in love with arms gang leader (loosely based off Zayn).  Throughout their love story, the latter has to outrun the psychological trauma his father (the leader of Zayn’s rival gang) still throws his way. 

2.  Cold War AU.  Paris, circa 1950/51.  Ambassador’s son (loosely based off Liam) befriends new student (loosely based off Zayn) at the international school.  Paris is a ticking time bomb; war is about to break out at literally any second.  The two clearly have feelings for each other, but can’t act on them because homosexuality in the 1950s...yikes.  When war does break out, the two are separated, and as Liam’s character goes out to find Zayn’s, he learns a secret of his that changes everything.

Whichever I don’t write for the PhD will be the novel I write following it.

In the meantime, I’m going to continue to write (and edit) like crazy.  Ever since I randomly wrote C451, there hasn't been a day that’s gone by where I haven't written something.  It may have only been a paragraph or two, but never zero.  This is how you get better.  This is the equivalent of going out and shooting free throws for 30 minutes a day.  You have to put in the work in order to get better.  I'm very lucky that I'm incredibly self-disciplined and I've been able to crank out as many stories as I have over the past 2 years.

That said, I’ll be writing shorter little oneshots.  I have several ideas that I’ve been sitting on, but haven’t ever thought to write because I HATE writing short stories.  Little ideas that don't have huge plotline/climax potential, but that I want to just see on paper, I'll probably end up writing.  If I had to guess, I'd say they'll come out to around 10-15k.  Also, sequels?  Prequels?  Haha, you never know...

I’ve also got a series called “Sleep Drabbles” that are, yes, you guessed it, a series of drabbles based around one theme: sleep.  I also have a few scenes that I want to write which are based on ziam’s kids, not actually ziam themselves.  If there’s enough demand for that, I can upload those too, but they’re quite niche, so I don’t think the general fandom would be very interested.

As far as frequency for all of this, I have no idea.  I’ve always done things at my own pace and written stories that I want to write, for myself.  That won’t ever change, so I don’t want to commit to one drabble a week or one short-length fic per month.  It takes me weeks (months for this last fic) to research and interview the necessary people to get character arcs correct/believable.  I love that part of writing, and so if I have a little story that I want to write that may only be 10k but takes me ages to put together how I want, then so be it.  I will always be around to answer asks/messages and please, continue to tag me in your writing tag posts!  But please, no prompts.

So, that’s my future with fic.

Again, I cannot say thank you enough to every single one of you.  Every single thing that people tag me in (@malik-payne , @zqua1d , @zentiment , @liamisthesun , @redyellowberry I’m looking at you), I appreciate and love!  The recommendation lists that people have put me on, THANK YOU!  It’s wild to think that I used to look to rec lists for years and now I’m on them.  @ziamfanfiction THANK YOU for always having my back with exposure!  @paynefulperiods , my beloved beta reader, THANK YOU for always encouraging me and putting up with shit first drafts.  @march-z5 , THANK YOU for always being on call for ideas and listening to me bang my head against the wall at 4 am.

Now, might fuck around and make a fake picspam for the fic that never was...

Also, all of the behind scenes pages for each of my fics are now public, so feel free to check those out here.

I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for making this journey possible. I know people say that a lot when they gain a following of any sort, but I truly truly mean it.  You have to have talent in order to be an author, but you also have to have people who want to read your stuff.  Proof of concept is a real thing.

So thank you a million times over.

Speak soon my friends.

[mmikmmik2]

If you were to sort the Infinity Train cast(s) into the Major Arcana a la the Persona games, which Arcana would you give everyone?

anon I had SOOOOO much fun thinking about this, thank you so much for sending me this. I sorted all the major characters, plus a few other entries, based on a mix of Arcana symbolism, Persona series character archetypes, and general vibes. I came up with answers I feel pretty good about for all but four of the Arcana. (Was really tempted to say Strength is every human character who doesn't board the train because they can handle their problems on their own lol.) This is going to be a long-winded post, so I thought I’d post just the list as an image (which hopefully won’t be too blurry!) rather than wrestle with Tumblr formatting trying to make a short list, and put a big text wall under the readmore talking more about my picks.

If this list does end up illegible, the same info is under the readmore as text! Plus some characters for Magician, Strength, Justice, and Death that I didn’t want to add to the “official” list because they’re more based on headcanon. (Although my reasoning for some of the “official” picks is pretty weak lol.)

One-One as 0. The Fool

Oh my gosh, what am I?

IT is great at fleshing out character backstories and families, so One-One at the beginning of S1 is one of the few characters who really feels like a blank slate. He's got a lot of his baggage back by the end of the season, and I think One and One-One are more similar than they seem at first glance, but S1 does seem to have been very formative for One-One and how he thinks about what he's supposed to be doing and how he relates to other people. So it does kind of feel like his fool's journey.

Alrick Timmens as I. The Magician

The magician begins the journey... by beefing it on a dirt bike, dying, and sending his wife flying off the deep end. Rip.

Alrick was an engineer like Amelia, so I could see him suiting some of the themes of the Magician, like conscious thought and manifesting ideas. His apparent playfulness and insecurity are similar to the Magician characters in Persona.

Kez as II. The High Priestess

“We can’t make this decision for you, Kez.” “You know what to do.”

I thought really hard about making Kez the Magician because just like every Magician since Persona 3, she's dumb, horny, and insecure dlkjasfdkl

(and also her showing up at the start of the story arc and being helpful but also super needy is very Magician)

But the idea of "intuition" really does suit Kez. Sometimes her intuition is as bad as her conscious reasoning, but I think that's a lot because she's so confused about what happened with Jeremy, and Morgan making Kez feel like she did a bad thing by helping him.

Tuba as III. The Empress

She made me feel like I was warm all the time.

Tuba's a mom. Sorry, this one's not that deep, haha.

Simon Laurent as IV. The Emperor

Highest number! I'm the leader now.

Simon has a lot of issues, but the one that felt the most prominent to me was his unhealthy relationship with power, authority, dominance, and rules. Another quote I considered using here was what he said in Grace's memory of meeting Amelia: "I never thought I'd get to see the Conductor with my own eyes. He's perfect! Everything finally makes sense again." In his emotional crisis, he thought everything could be fixed just by the existence of a huge, scary, powerful, male authority figure, even if they weren't doing anything helpful or informative.

Atticus as V. The Hierophant

I like to think that our stones are sturdy and handsome, like the Corgis that crafted them.

Atticus is a figure of traditional authority who deeply loves the history, society, and culture of his people. He often provides spiritual wisdom and encourages Tulip to get out of her own head and engage with the world around her. Also in Persona, Hiero is the Dad Arcana so it's very funny to me (a) to make the little dog be Hiero and (b) that the little dog really does have the strongest Wholesome Dad Energy of the whole cast.

Jesse Cosay as VI. The Lovers

Don't tell me what to do. I'm not going to be a part of anything like this, on or off the train.

This was my first and easiest pick lol, Jesse is sooooo Lovers. Like, the focus on choice and personal values and relationships? Yep, that's Jesse. It works on an "actual meaning of the Arcana" level and a "vibes with the Persona characters" level lol... popular, upbeat, and having such an identity crisis.

Lake as VII. The Chariot

I'm my own person, who is getting off this train!

I don't know if Chariot captures all the ways Lake grew over the course of S2, but I feel like they had the most externally focused conflict of all the IT characters, which suits Chariot. They've been fighting to stake out their personhood from start to finish, and they took action and used their willpower to achieve that goal. Also they have at least a little jock energy which is a prereq for Chariot tbh.

Frank as VIII. Strength

I dunno, I kinda imagine him as a simple man and easily underestimated, but with a lot of heart. The Cat may say they're keeping things casual but I don't think she'd take him with her on her private vacation unless he had some kind of inner toughness that would let him stand toe-to-toe with her.

Morgan as IX. The Hermit

I need to be alone right now. Kez... maybe... we can talk later.

I like that Morgan embodies toxic self-isolation and stonewalling and rejection, but that she seems to be moving towards the positive aspects of Hermit and taking some time to calm down and process and think. I like it when characters can embody the best and worst of their Arcana.

Tulip Olsen as X. The Wheel of Fortune

We have to adapt to the changes in our lives. It's the only way things can get better.

Tulip has a lot of themes and conflicts, but this one is a clear standout as the most important. I also like it for Tulip because, while she has to handle a lot of difficult and even traumatic situations, some of the change that challenges her isn't as unambiguously bad as e.g. the death of a loved one. It really is just change itself she's struggling with, and that's Fortune babey. Also, from the perspective of the train itself and lots of other characters, by reversing Amelia and One-One's positions again and changing how One-One administrates the train, Tulip is the one giving the wheel a spin. That's fun.

Lucy as XI. Justice

One of my friends once described the Justice characters in Persona as "the ones the player character is ultimately accountable towards", and I like to think of Lucy as kind of being that for Grace (...since Hazel has excused herself). Lucy is the Apex kid we see Grace interact with the most, the first Apex kid Grace admitted to herself that she had harmed (see Grace very briefly showing distress and then regret when Jesse points the harpoons at his face and she stops him), and the first person to confront Grace when she came home in The New Apex.

Min-Gi Park as XII. The Hanged Man

I don't know if we'll sell a single album, but we'll figure that out as we go.

Min-Gi sacrifices his "realistic", "sensible" goals for a more personally (spiritually, even?) enriching life that's beyond his control and outside of the expected norm. Like the Hanged Man, who dangles foolishly upside-down, but as a deliberate choice and in a state of serenity and enlightenment. I also think this arcana suits a reading of Min-Gi's character development as starting off going slower as a way to stall and live in denial, but then going slower with deliberation. Compare his arrogant insistence on refusing to act in The Astro Queue Car to his patience and care in The Castle Car and The Train to Nowhere.

Jeremy as XIII. Death

This isn't about the death of his family - I'm thinking of his reluctance to admit his number was going down. He cared about Morgan and Kez, and it's possible both that he may have really wanted to stay with them despite his exit and that that might even have been a healthy choice - they're real ass people with feelings and everything, not holodeck characters. But I also think Jeremy was using his life with them to avoid moving on out of that fog (because it was hard and it hurt and he didn't want to think about what that would mean for him and Morgan) and Morgan was enabling him.

Ryan Akagi as XIV. Temperance

Maybe the experience is the point. I wasn't just rushing you. I was rushing myself.

I think this one speaks for itself. Also, the other quote I considered putting here, from The Art Gallery Car: "You told me I can't appreciate the song without taking in the rest of the album. I need the whole package."

The Cat as XV. The Devil

I always do the right thing.

Honestly, this is one I really wasn't sure about. The Cat isn't a great pick for a lot of the meanings of Devil. She is definitely consumed by material comforts, and the short-term rewards of ignoring her issues at a long-term cost, though. This is more of a "vibes with Persona characters with this arcana" pick... Devil characters tend to start off being somewhat exploitative or even antagonistic towards the player character, and gradually showing a more conflicted and genuine side.

Amelia Hughes as XVI. The Tower

There's a hole in the universe where Alrick used to be.

Amelia's life is defined by catastrophe and upheaval - both those she's suffered and those she's inflicted on others.

Hazel as XVII. The Star

I'm going to keep loving you like you're still here.

When I think of "The Star" as a small but inextinguishable light in the darkness, Hazel seems like the obvious choice. Although we left her deeply wounded, I think she still has a flicker of her hope, faith, and purpose.

Grace Monroe as XVIII. The Moon

But it's unfair for me to tell you how to understand yourself. I mean, I don't even fully understand me.

Grace is probably the most complex and dynamic character on the show and hence one of the most difficult to place. I considered Empress, Strength, Devil, and Judgement for her... I think ultimately, lies and illusions are the most unifying theme of her character arc. Also, from a Persona angle, her pursuit of status out of a lack of true self-worth reminds me of Ai and Mishima.

Alan Dracula as XIX. The Sun

Brought together by the majesty of a superpowered deer!

I'm sorry dkjasfklads this is largely because I thought it was funny to have this completely inexpressive dead-eyed deer as Sun akfk but also... like... it kind of works okay!!! Think about the genuine joy and comfort and positivity he brings to Lake and Jesse (and me)!

The New Apex as XX. Judgement

"Then what are we gonna be?" "Guess we'll have to figure it out?"

This is kind of a Persona mythology gag again because of Judgement being a group social link near the end of the narratives of P3 and P4, when the protagonists have pierced through the lies and actually figured out who the villain of their game is and are ready to really start making progress.

0 as XI. The World

Ah, train does it again!

It's an ending and the completion of a journey, but also the beginning of a new one. And the world is literally what the passengers receive at the end of their train journey. Welcome home.