#but this is something i think about A LOT with regards to writing and the concept of genre fiction

[bbina]

bbina’s thoughts and fic anecdotes 💭

i can’t believe i actually finished this shit show of a fanfic.. 70 chapters and 43k words (all the written parts) later.. she has finally come to a close (THANK GOD)

to be honest, this fic holds a weird place in my heart solely because this was inspired by my ex best friend who i had a falling out with last year. so for me to actually pull through and finish what i started is wow.. i can finally be at peace with myself and with this blog 😭💀

with the theme of this fic, it’s obviously not that lighthearted so even thinking about what to do nor what to say in the place of the characters was a bit tough because i personally never went through this. i was just a by stander of the actual real story behind the scenes

i feel like 70 chapters was a bit overkill but with the details that are actually inspired by real life is something i didn’t really wanna brush over! i felt like it helped with the story telling especially the world building of the overall story

i hope i did a good job showcasing the themes i wanted to subtly show throughout the progression of the story! the themes such as communication, time and effort when it comes to building a relationship and i actually lowkey want this to be sort of a lesson that being in love is not enough to make a relationship to work type shit but i dont know its up to the reader to like digest that with the shit im writing lol

i dont think i can ever top this kind of storytelling again bc tbh this shit drained the shit out of me for no apparent reason. i even abandoned this for a good 3 months and i couldnt look at my blog without cringing at the fact i just left this story to rot but either way i pulled through cus i hate leaving fics unfinished

i think thats all my anecdotes and thoughts.. now its time for an open forum regarding the story and shit ! i’m all ears and i’m excited to read what everyone thought of this story from the progression of the plot to the end and everything else in between!

again, thank you so much everyone for reading alone together! i will definitely (not really) miss them a lot 🩶

BBINA OUT 🫡

alone together masterlist

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 synopsis ── taking comfort in the thought that you are together in aloneness through late night talks, heartfelt confessions, and a genuine connection. with your shared experience of recent heartbreaks, you wonder if getting together would be all worth it. in which you find solace in each other's company, that you are alone together.

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 pairing ── park wonbin x reader.

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 genre ── college!au, fluff, angst | ☾ - written portions

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 status ── completed.

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 taglist ── closed.

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 notes ── the second wb smau i was telling y'all about while btl was still going on... tackles life and struggles in finding love in college so maybe this will be a bit more serious than lighthearted.. will contain mature content. somewhat based on a true story so minors do take note on what you consume on this hellsite. will take my time with this btw lol.. hopefully bbina will deliver... enjoy! + let's save our time together by making sure your blogs are visible for me to be able to tag you!

p.s if you came from my main blog saeist, this used to be nagi's fic :x

chapters . . . ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 𖡎 introduction 𖡎 one . . . ghosted 𖡎 two . . . he's hot 𖡎 three . . . close friends 𖡎 four . . . you're drunk 𖡎 five . . . K.O 𖡎 six . . . new me 𖡎 seven . . . boys night 𖡎 eight . . . speak of the devil 𖡎 nine . . . love sucks ☾ 𖡎 ten . . . seunghan's friend 𖡎 eleven . . . close 𖡎 twelve . . . intrigued 𖡎 thirteen . . . don't shoot the messenger ☾ 𖡎 fourteen . . . pinky promise ☾ 𖡎 fifteen . . . see you later 𖡎 sixteen . . . take a hit ☾ 𖡎 seventeen . . . exchange numbers 𖡎 eighteen . . . boundaries 𖡎 nineteen . . . deal 𖡎 twenty . . . someone 𖡎 twenty one . . . yearning ☾ 𖡎 twenty two . . . lullaby 𖡎 twenty three . . . big favor 𖡎 twenty four . . . blind date ☾ 𖡎 twenty five . . . muse 𖡎 twenty six . . . fell asleep 𖡎 twenty seven . . . ponyo 𖡎 twenty eight . . . happy birthday seunghan 𖡎 twenty nine . . . different ☾ 𖡎 thirty . . . worse 𖡎 thirty one . . . make things weird 𖡎 thirty two . . . dispatch sideline 𖡎 thirty three . . . just a friend 𖡎 thirty four . . . chismosavirus 𖡎 thirty five . . . location 𖡎 thirty six . . . keychain ☾ 𖡎 thirty seven . . . proof of life 𖡎 thirty eight . . . safe space 𖡎 thirty nine . . . just in case 𖡎 forty . . . stay ☾ 𖡎 forty one . . . intrusive thoughts ☾ 𖡎 forty two . . . good friend 𖡎 forty three . . . stage fright 𖡎 forty four . . . friend stealer 𖡎 forty five . . . girl best friend ☾ 𖡎 forty six . . . flirting with their eyes ☾ 𖡎 forty seven . . . don't they? ☾ 𖡎 forty eight . . . left on delivered 𖡎 forty nine . . . just us two ☾ 𖡎 fifty . . . backtracking 𖡎 fifty one . . . release the kraken 𖡎 fifty two . . . situationshiptitis ☾ 𖡎 fifty three . . . since when 𖡎 fifty four . . . better this way ☾ 𖡎 fifty five . . . why 𖡎 fifty six . . . i don' care 𖡎 fifty seven . . . out of sight, out of mind 𖡎 fifty eight . . . reality ☾ 𖡎 fifty nine . . . just another girl 𖡎 sixty . . . casual ☾ 𖡎 sixty one . . . dickmatized 𖡎 sixty two . . . back like this 𖡎 sixty three . . . i'm sorry ☾ 𖡎 sixty four . . . updates 𖡎 sixty five . . . old habits do die hard 𖡎 sixty six . . . people change 𖡎 sixty seven . . . enough 𖡎 sixty eight . . . end of beginning 𖡎 sixty nine . . . ready now 𖡎 seventy . . . alone together ☾

⋆｡꩜˚ asks | lore | official playlist ˖𖤐

[calronhunt]

If you're comfortable sharing, what's the reason behind your despise for wc? Is it more connected to the reappearing irresponsibility of its writing or the vindictive horde of the fandom?...

I am certain that the nostalgia for warrior cats and my childish awe for the fandom a decade back is what holds me back as an artist and perhaps even a person. But I have not figured out how to fight it yet.

I have read some of your older posts on this but would be glad to hear your opinion, whether a hate one or whatever

I'm going to say a lot of sweeping mean statements about warrior cats fans and I hope everyone can be smart enough to realize that obviously i don't mean every single one. okay? okay.

There's a lot of factors in regards to my hate. It is primarily the fandom/the people who read it though (but also the books are just genuinely bad lemme make that clear)

The fandom is genuinely garbage and I consider GENUINELY harmful (in part is personal shit that certain people in the fandom have done to me/people I care about that makes canon warrior cats kind of a trigger for me (dw asker you didn't by asking this)). The warrior cats fandom has an insane grooming/being inappropriate with minors problem, with a lot of popular adults at the head who are either genuinely malicious actors or are too emotionally immature and stupid to know how to properly interact with minors in a fandom space for a book series Made For Children. People are okay to engage with stuff that's made for kids as an adult, but you HAVE to realize that it's not made for you and you HAVE to actually care to not be fucking weird with the minors who predominantly are in the space.

As well, I just strongly believe that warrior cats ruined a large generation's ability to like. engage with a story and write a story. Warrior cats people seem to only read warrior cats books or similar children's books (like wings of fire) so they only consume written media through the lends of like. One of the worst book series ever written which was, once again, written for children. Like warrior cats is just fucking bad. The first arc was mid at best, everything else has been hot steaming garbage. There are no themes, there are large chunks of the books where nothing happens bc they have 6 books in an arc to fill and they never have enough material to fill that, events simply Just Happen for no rhyme or reason half the time, and they are also INSANELY misogynistic, ableist, and racist. And people read that and then they think "oh this is what a story must be like" so they go off and they write slop exactly like warrior cats but maybe with "abuse" slapped onto it to make it seem more deep and like you're actually saying something this time (and the abuse is never written in a more complex way then "this guy is mean is bad let's kill him"). And everyone will suck their dick bc everyone else ALSO only reads warrior cats so they're like "well this slop is slightly better than this other slop!"

At this point in my life, it's more the meaning that warrior cats holds in my mind that makes me hate it more than anything else. All it symbolizes to me is a group of stunted emotionally immature adults who don't wanna grow up or engage with anything made for their age demographic bc it will challenge them in a way that'll make them uncomfortable. I've seen wc adults in their 20s say they don't wanna engage with adult books bc "they're all about affairs and having sex" which is shit i said when i was like 12. I've seen wc adults in their 20s recommend someone read wings of fire instead of his high fantasy adult gay novel that the person just couldn't get into. They're just children masquerading as adults and it all leads back to warrior cat's fault, or at least that's where my mind has put all the blame.

and that's why i despise warrior cats <3 My genuine recommendation to get better as an artist/writer/whatever is just to engage with a whole bunch of different media if you want to improve as a writer and also as an analysist. Think about "what are the themes that this is presenting to me" when you read a story, think about the elements of a story that you DO like and why you like them, think about why you don't like other elements. just genuinely engage with art that you're presented with and think about it.

[skibasyndrome]

I wanted to ask your thoughts about a topic that I think might resonate with you since a lot of your writing surrounds it and since you talked about it the other I thought it'd be nice to hear what you have to say.

I grew up feeling very ashamed of having sexual feelings, and other things taken in account made me really repressed. For a very long time I didn't even admitted to myself I was queer until I was actively in a fandom with queer people.

But sex in general was always taboo regardless of gender but for some reason young royals has destroyed a bit of the misconception I had around it. The show in itself depicts a beautiful and safe environment for queer sex which I'll always be so grateful for.

And then fanfic came along and that was another block taken down because fanfic allows us to be even more free in our writing etc but sometimes I feel conflicted about how it can feel good to feel this free reading about these characters but irl still have this block.

Your writing is so amazing in that regards because your character are exploring it all and I don't know how it would be if writers would stop themselves from writing what they'd want to bc they're afraid of what others might think... I wouldn't have read all these stories and felt myself freed from societal rules of what's okay and isn't.

But sex is also drench in shame regardless bc if you like kinky stuff your weird, if you like too much sex then it becomes dangerous. But writing about those very things feels like a rebellious acts, do you agree? It's like art can do so much and sex in that regard is something we have to push through as well in order to make our point across like there's nothing wrong with it but why do we hold on to the shame more ? Of course we can keep it strick to fanfic I don't expect you to reveal yourself etc I was just thinking about the way yr is different in that concept because it challenges us to see sex differently because Wille and Simon see it differently, does that make sense ?

Hi, dear anon! Thank you so much for sending this in and for trusting me with it 🫂💜 I definitely have loooots of thoughts on this, and I hope that I can express them coherently. Sorry if this gets rambly!

First of all: I'm very, very sorry that you grew up with all that shame around sex and sexuality around you. I'm really happy to hear that things are better now (at least the part about admitting to yourself that you're queer 💜) You deserved better, everybody deserves better. But I relate to that a lot. I grew up in a politically and religiously conservative environment, so of course sex was something people got shamed for and homophobia and queerphobia was rampant.

Interestingly enough (or maybe it's not that interesting at all, who knows) being in a fandom did the same thing for me, except I got lucky because I was able to find a place in a fandom and with fellow queer people at a pretty young age. I think without that, I would've had a way harder time coming to terms with my queerness, even though I remember already thinking about it when I was like eight or something. It's absolutely invaluable to be able to get a sense of community like that and to know that there's more out there in the world, be if for you and your own identity or just what's possible for humans in general. I'm endlessly grateful for fandom and especially for fanfic for being able to provide that!!!!

And the funny thing is, even though this is far from my first fandom and far from my first time engaging with queer content there was still something incredibly special about Young Royals and the way (queer) sex is treated on the show (and I know it's not just queer sex, but that's kind of the lense I use to look at it, so I'm going to be focusing on that). Like... even though, technically, I had it all more of less figured out already, the show did change something for me, and even 1,5 years later I'm still struggling to put it into words. But there's something about the way the sex is depicted that makes it so... uncomplicated? Like, even though the sex is very central to the story, to the way Wilmon connect, and to one of the main conflicts (with the video tape), it's never an issue in itself. They're both so quick to admit it, they did nothing wrong (maybe... maybe the most important line of the whole show to me tbh). And even though shit hits the fan because of the video and they both go through hell and back in all kinds of ways because of it, there's never any inherent shame around it. It's so different and refreshing in that sense - these two guys like each other, so they do what feels right for them, and there's no issue with that. It's almost... celebrated? Is that the right word? throughout the show, it's what they do for comfort and connection and to feel closer to each other. I don't watch nearly enough tv or movies to really know if that is overall as revolutionary as it felt to me in particular, but... yeah. For me, personally, that was one of the first times queer sex on screen looked like that. It really is exactly how you call it, beautiful and safe!

As for the freedom that come from reading fic: yep. hell yes. That is definitely a big part of why I love writing and reading fanfic. It's freeing, in so many ways. Of course that's not something that's exclusively limited to fanfic, and you will always find me talking about the inherent emancipatory potential of art of all kinds, but I do think that, especially compared to what you'd call traditionally published (romance) books, fanfic has a lot more freedoms. Fanfic writers have the possibility to publish the most self-indulgent stories ever, we don't have to tie everything into a neat bigger plot, we don't (unless we struggle with perfectionism, but... you know) have to try to make the story perfect or fit into any of the molds traditional publishing or literary history provides for us. We can create straight from the heart, on a whim, to work through shit or to ask questions or just because we thought of something interesting and couldn't let it go. And, when it comes to smut, we can just (again, theoretically, I won't pretend there aren't always all kinds of pressures that do influence what people feel comfortable writing and publishing)... write whatever.

It makes it easier to explore things that other types of media don't always give people the space to explore, like smut, kink, queerness, all sorts of different forms of relationships. And I think it gives a lot of writers the time and space to just explore. And I think that's something more people should be allowed to, both in fiction, but also just in their minds or even in life, explore. This can mean all sorts of things, but I also very much mean those things, sex, kink, queerness, relationships, etc. But especially for people who don't have the means to get into these things themselves, for all kinds of reasons, but also for people who don't really want to explore things as themselves fic can provide a safe space. Because you do get a close insight into things you've maybe never seen before or even thought about before, you get to experience them alongside the characters, and it can go all sorts of ways. It's safe, because you're not putting yourself on the line, but you're also right there, emotionally.

And that is not to say that reading smut is something that has to do with personal sexuality for people (although I think it absolutely can), but it's like a playground to just. Exist in. See what happens. Enjoy the variety of ways human beings can express their feelings for each other, enjoy the variety of ways human being can experience joy and connection and pleasure, or even the more difficult emotions. It's cathartic to be able to see all that.

I think that is also where the difference between reading about characters experiencing these things vs trying to face them in real life comes in, because fic is such a safe means of engaging with (sexual) things. It makes sense that it's easier to enjoy these things theoretically. Because even after we go through all these efforts of trying ourselves out and deconstructing the harmful notions and the internalized shame and then things society or our parents of whoever got into our heads instilled in us, they're so difficult to fully get rid off, and there's always more puritanism of all flavors coming our way. Don't beat yourself up about not being at a level of comfort that you want to be at (yet), but I hope as time goes on this will get easier for you 💜 I know thus far this has been a very allo kind of conversation, but you know, even if sex isn't something you're interested in for yourself at all, there's still a lot to be taken from engaging with it through fiction I think. That's also part of the beauty, even if there's something you could never envision for yourself - you can experience if through art!

I'm so incredibly happy that my writing could contribute to you feeling freer yourself, that is an incredible compliment and I appreciate you so much for saying it 💜 I really feel the same way about all the fic I've gotten to read, honestly. And I do love that we have fandom spaces to, for the most part, be able to read and write freely. I do think that's an act of rebellion in itself! Creating art is always rebellious in some ways, and art that you will not get paid for and thus don't have any restrictions on even more so (again, nuance, out there in real life art should get funding, but it should still always be able to exist independently of market pressures). I think especially in a society that's still so horribly sex-negative (because even though sex is omnipresent in a lot of ways there are so so soooo many restricting ideas tied to it, like for whom is it okay to have sex, how much sex, what kinds of sex etc) and queerphobic it's absolutely an act of rebellion to lean into these things and depict them as the beautiful and messy and amazing and complicated parts of human existence they are for many people.

And this is where I tie it back to Young Royals specifically: Again, not an expert on all things media depiction of queer sex, but to me personally, YR and Wilmon are revolutionary, just for the fact that their sex is so normal. Not in a normative sense (because, fuck that. there's no normatively normal way of having sex, it's all beautifully weird), but in the sense that it's just what they do. Because they want to, because it feels good, because they want to try things out, because it brings them comfort, all kinds of reasons! And it's never something they think they shouldn't be doing, it's never something they are made to regret. It's the people out there who try to shame them that are the problem, never these two queer guys having sex. That's fucking beautiful and comforting and will forever be one of my favorite aspects of the show.

[drawing-write]

I just think you make it so clear that you have so much genuine love for the topics that interest you, and I just think that's really cool!

You're so nice to me *sobs*, my ramblings are so disjointed-

I have always really liked Odysseus, but I feel a lot of his nuance was lost to me until now. I really like learning more about subjects like this, especially with people as sincere as you about keeping informed and being so forthcoming with not only sharing your thoughts and opinions but also linking it with the actual texts.

Ohhh- Gosh, I wish Jorge did that with Leucothea. That would so cool and would make so much sense. It definitely would have added more to the story. I feel like I would've like that a lot more, because the Vengeance Saga is my least favourite Saga and I have not listened to Get In The Water or Six Hundred Strike at all. I always skip them when I'm listening to the musical. I just- didn't like them.

Aaaa! Prince Of Egypt mention! I'm a christian protestant and I ADORE that movie. Watched it so many times, also at school actually! I go to a catholic school, many of my classmates have watched it too. My religion teacher even put on during class, and though he explained the inaccuracies and the creative liberties taken, he also told our class that he watches that movie with his family all the time. It would have been so, well, epic, if a retelling of the Odyssey did that as well. To serve the story some justice in a beautiful and respectful way.

For Circe and Odysseus- Yess, I wish Jorge added the power imbalance there. The transactional relationship between them, I mean what more could Odysseus do in the face of a Goddess? Especially since he wanted his men to live. I also- sorta wanted more of Love In Paradise? Odysseus' mental state and how Calypso treated him. Like what you said before about Odysseus, a warrior, being powerless. I wanted more of his thoughts, more of the long-term consequences on how he perceives people and especially women? I hope I'm not reading to much into it, but him being an SA survivor and how that would affect his relationships really interests me, I don't want him to suffer, I just wish there was more. If that even makes sense?

Coming into the Epic: The Musical Fandom was sorta a shock to me, like, when I discovered the "Manwhore" AU on tumblr, I just felt uncomfortable. I know it's supposed to be comedic and funny, but I don't see how Odysseus giving his body to Zeus or Poseidon to save his men is supposed to be funny at all?? I've seen people in the fandom talk about him being an SA survivor, in regards to Circe and Calypso, so I really don't understand why they would play something like this up for laughs? Since SA is a serious topic. And when I was on Ao3, the fanfics I've seen floating around about it mostly made him enjoy selling his body and it's just- gross, I think. Like why write about that? Why make him suffer more? Why write him enjoying it?? The writers could have just written about what happened in the actual Odyssey if they wanted to write something angsty with Odysseus being SAed and explore his struggles, instead of making something up about Zeus and/or Poseidon.

Misinformation is very rampant in the community, not just about the source but also the Canon of the musical itself? People in numerous comment sections make up stuff about things Jorge has supposedly said and no one provides sources. I've seen so many instances of this, and fans get very upset when another person says, "No, that never happened, this is misinformation" because it's apparently rude, but I really don't think it is? Like, refuting someone because they don't have facts straight isn't something to get angry at them for. Facts are facts. And personal headcanon should never be presented as actual fact when there's nothing to back it up. Especially in places where many people are going to see it and think it's actual fact. You're right on it being damaging. Misinformation is very harmful and completely shifts how a person who is less knowledgeable on things will perceive said things. Y'know?

As for yapping- There is nothing to forgive, as I've told you before, please keep going! Keep sharing your thoughts, I love it so much.

Please I'm so terrible at talking, I just word vomit- dghdhjgdkjdh

Hello! I just stumbled upon your blog when I joined The Odyssey community! If it isn't too much a bother to ask, what things, reccuring themes and characterizations do you feel are most important and iconic within The Odyssey?

I am asking this mostly because I really do like your rants and opinions, I find myself agreeing to a lot of what you say, which sorta surprises me because of your clear dislike of Epic, whereas I personally adore Epic: The Musical. (I stayed away from it for a while -I was wary of retellings, adaptions and what-not- until I finally got into it like, a month ago and since, I have been listening non-stop)

So, when I came onto your posts, I was immediately drawn towards your Epic based rants and your translations. Point for point, you hit all the parts I disliked about the musical, albeit, my dislike is obviously much milder, since I still love it. I also completely understoond your stance on source material over so-called retellings since I have felt and still do feel the same about other (unrelated to The Odyssey) medias and fandoms.

If you'd like to talk, I love to hear more of your thoughts! Tell me all of what you loved about The Odyssey. Refresh my knowledge and give me your insight! I'm getting back into reading it, since I read it only once before a long time ago. I have always been more of a casual enjoyer, but now I'm really trying to dip my toes in.

(You don't have to say anything about the musical either, I just really liked your rants on it and the corrections you made on the misinformation rampant in the fandom due to preconceived notions... Sorry, I talk a lot-)

Why hello and I am quite honored you discovered me hahahahaha oh my, my once again being known for my runts huh? Hahaha XD I can see why though! I am really honored you decided to ask me such intriguing question! Hahaha how dare you! You know I am a yapper about this book! Hehehe!

I would say one reoccurring theme in the Odyssey that I rarely ever see in adaptations is the theme of seeking of knowledge. I find it so disappointing how it is literally one of the main themes of the Odyssey and yet I rarely ever see it happening. It is literally at the first lyrics of the poem:

πολλῶν δ᾽ ἀνθρώπων ἴδεν ἄστεα καὶ νόον ἔγνω

He saw many cities of men and gained knowledge from them

(Translation by me)

Odysseus was not just experiencing his homecoming. It was a cognitive trip; a trip where he learnt things and he achieved things on his way.

He didn't stop at the cave of Cyclops because he had nothing else to do or no food to go by. It is clearly stated in the Odyssey that the island of the Cyclops was extremely fertile and had many wild goats and other animals they could hunt and feed on. Odysseus entered the cave because he wanted to meet the people that lived there. He ignored the signs that showed the residents were non-human because he wanted to give a chance to whoever lived in that cave to show that they were more than what met the eye.

He met the land of Aeolia next. His stay in that land for one month was share knowledge with Aeolus. He told them his story, they also told him their own experiences, thus Odysseus knows about how Aeolus arranged the marriage of his children and all

He sent scouts to the land of the Laestrigonians and their city, he was though more prudent this time and assured a safe passage even if his comrades didn't follow his prudent stance this is what costed them their lives but one ship.

He shared knowledge with Circe, not only on the part of his trip that he needed to move on but also gained knowledge from her. One example is the mention of a cunning knot he learnt from her which he used later in his adventures. Small details like that.

He gained knowledge from Tiresias not only on how to break his curse but also on what happened the years he was away from his home.

He had no reason to hear the sirens! The sirens is exactly the manifestation of his trip being of cognitive nature. He wanted to hear them. He NEEDED the knowledge they provided! Removing that concept from his trip in any shape or form shows to me someone who does not understand the Odyssey (I know it is harsh to say but I feel like there is one part of the Odyssey that is so iconic like the 12 axes challenge and that is the sirens passage)

Odysseus learns in every part of his trip and uses that knowledge to future adventures. But what I also fail to see is how CONSCIOUS this knowledge-gain is. Of course he learns things accidentally too but most part of it is knowledge he chooses to acquire for himself.

Another theme that I do not see much is theme of fate and destiny. Odysseus is not some idiot who doxxed himself as most people use the overused joke. In fact his trip is so thick of plot that one way or another something would have happened to cause this wandering.

Troy was destined to stand 10 years (from the Iliad),

Odysseus was destined to go home in 20 (hence he needed extra persuasion to go to the war).

Polyphemus was prophesized before that he would have been blinded by a man named Odysseus (he just didn't know who that Odysseus would be)

but we also know that Odysseus was destined to meet Circe (Circe mentions how Hermes had warned her for the prophesized man coming to her isle. She probably was unaware on the identity of the man or how that man would arrive at her doors)

Odysseus was also cursed by Polyphemus that he would either never return or return alone without his companions and find misery at his home

The true line between fate and destiny and human will is very thin in greek mythology. However we also see that Odysseus tries repeatedly to change fate even if it is inevitable (see my analysis here). It is this human part of his that is so relatable! Also the fact that oftentimes in the joke people forget that Odysseus experienced the absolute horror in the cave of Polyphemus for days. Exhaustion and anger took the best of him as well as of course his ego being inflated that he had managed to take down such a powerful opponent. And of course the reoccurring misunderstanding that Odysseus never cared for anyone else but as I have also analyzed there that is simply not true. It is even stated in the Odyssey:

πολλὰ δ᾽ ὅ γ᾽ ἐν πόντῳ πάθεν ἄλγεα ὃν κατὰ θυμόν, ἀρνύμενος ἥν τε ψυχὴν καὶ νόστον ἑταίρων.

He suffered many torments in his heart out at the sea, seeking to win his own life/soul and the return of his companions

(Translation by me)

The whole trip was always about Odysseus wishing to return them all safely home. Which is also part of his tragedy and shows why he went in so many lengths to save them etc.

I am honored that someone that likes this piece of media can still understand and even liking some of these opinions. I understand that for someone that genuinely like it might be a bit annoying or tiring but yeah I guess I love the original way too much! Hahaha! And okay I understand the songs are really catchy so it can be getting into someone's head easily but I am really delighted to hear you say that! And of course to be fair there are many things one can like about the musical for example the talent of the people related to it and their passion

However ironically that was the source of my dislike as well hehe I know it is paradoxical but when I see someone with obvious knowledge of the sources and passion for something, twist the original material to THAT degree...dunno I feel it even harder. I mean of course one does not expect it to be accurate but when I hear that and yet someone claim to adapt material I would expect of course these small details changing here and there for example adding dialogs with Poseidon (that is like a must in every adaptation minus the 1968 version I noticed...like Poseidon never interacted with Odysseus but that is something every adaptation adds!) or extra scenes with Hermes or whatever or even some of the details added. The problem is that the whole plot was twisted beyond repair, basic parts of the plot that made the plot unique and beloved were thrown out the window And BECAUSE I recognize the talent of the people involved AND seeing they had the chance as they did to make not only the Odyssey available to public but also influence more people to see it and they could do it by staying respectful to the material and yet they chose not to which increased as I said my disappointment. I was also very warm when I watched the first two sagas even if they were also inaccurate because they had exactly what I describe. So yes of course I absolutely understand why people would like it. Dang I absolutely do at least on the artistic department but the way as you brilliantly stated not only the plot but also the fandom of it has been at times it really got to me more than many things

So it is really a good change to see more people see this point of view too and I respect the fact that some people like it and yet do try to see the other view too. You are very kind for saying that!

Hahahaha dude you are asking a dangerous question! Hahahaha! I can talk about it forever! Hahaha Honestly what is there to me not to love about the Odyssey? For starters the fact that it is an ancient Greek poem, something linked to my country and my history and being loved in such a great degree and continue to inspire even almost 3000 years later, fills me with so much pride! Makes me inspired to do something similar! Like not caring if I will be a celebrity but someone see my work and admire it even if they do not know who I am...someone that can see this and continue to speak on it for generations to come... Of course many writers do the same as well like classical literature and all but for the specific one I feel so much pride!

The Odyssey arguably has everything! Romance, friendship and companionship, horror and peace, war and bloodshed and also tenderness of a family, drama and comedy, adventure and domestic life even daresay sci-fi details with the Phaeakes island that have literal robotic dogs created by Hephaestus for them. Odysseus is one of the most complicated personas in all literature history and earned that position in the hall of fame. Arguably even ancient Greeks and Romans could not handle the guy with so many different opinions that paint him from hero till villain. The same guy that held back from the battle till the proper moment and then abandoned his last escape to save Diomedes in the Iliad is now sailing to the seas. The same man that took Ismarus and slay the men and took women of it as his property and mentioning it as casually as he could was also crying his eyes out in guilt upon hearing a song about Troy and the way the city fell. The same guy that tenderly held his son and cried like a baby holding him and kissing him was also the same person that slaughtered 108 men in his palace and executed their allies in less than a day. The same guy who reigned the kingdom like a father; who embraced and kissed his slaves like equals, was also undoubtedly a strong leader and king who defended his authority with iron hand and he was ready to even slay his own brother-in-law when he defied him. The same man that held back from volunteering to face Hector in the Iliad and made sure he would be the last to be chosen, in the Odyssey he armed himself ready to face an immortal 6-headed monster all by himself. The man known for his mind and cunning and indirect ways is also known for being one of the greatest warriors known. Arguably even his age being one of the oldest kings in the Iliad and yet as Antilochus said he was also one of the fastest and more agile and one of the best in spear. The most pious and religious people to the gods, favored by one of the greatest goddesses of all, Athena, and loved by Zeus was also one of those who suffered a great deal from his hubris.

This man is the absolute perfection of contradictions in one body and the way he is portrayed by Homer especially in the Odyssey where he is the protagonist is a masterpiece of emotions. Arguably Odysseus is also one of the earliest male rape victims in literature for he was not just attempted to be raped and seduced but he had to literally sell his body once to Circe and then he was being forced by Calypso. A warrior that was absolutely powerless before the gods

The Odyssey is also a great allegory of the spread of Greeks to the Mediterranean sea before the official set of colonies and the way it provides us information on how they moved around. It is also an allegory on the dangers humans faced out in the sea, how they struggled and how the families left behind also struggled with the consequences. How the power of nature can bend someone but also how human with seer will can do incredible things Odysseus survived the impossible not because he had gods as parents or hardly any help from the gods itself with the exception of Leucothea in the last adventure and of course finally Athena to the final stage. Odysseus survived because of his seer will and his need to return home. Odysseus can be any one of us; a person who struggles every day; everything can hold us down and we might have no help or very little help from others but we must keep pushing through. The Odyssey also shows us the importance of companionship and family bonds, loyalty and trust. Odysseus didn't slay the suitors because he was a mary-sue all-powerful person. He had help from three loyal slaves (Euryclea, Eumaeus and Philoetius) and his son Telemachus. He didn't do it alone. He used the help of those who believed in him and quite frankly he faced a much less bad situation at his palace because of his wife's seer will and loyalty to not abandon the throne of Ithaca to anyone till he arrived.

The Odyssey is also about how there are many forms of strength. Penelope was not less strong than Odysseus because she didn't kill anyone with a sword. She was strong for keeping more than 100 men and several parts of the household that were betraying them with her seer will and mind. Telemachus was both a fighter and someone who tried to see the best in people and that saved his life (when he spared Theoklymenos at his return from his trip. Theoklymenos was a man who had committed murder. Telemachus chose to give him a chance and in return he received the prophecy of Theoklymenos that the suitors were planning an ambush) Odysseus also learnt forgiveness in one way when he was ready to start another bloodshed by the end of the Odyssey when the families of the suitors saught revenge but Athena stopped it, making sure both sides stopped the never-ending circle of violence. Nausicaa is an example of loving someone and yet you must respect their wishes and let them go. Telemachus is an example of self-discovery... The very realistic scenario of someone not recognizing the place they left for so long and people not recognizing you back. That you have to work yourself through the very same place you left behind! Even Telemachus as a character not even knowing what to believe anymore about the father he never met, not knowing whom to listen and whom not to etc. like a realistic scenario of absent veteran fathers who disappeared a long time ago...

Honestly...what ISN'T the Odyssey?! It is in my opinion one of the most complete pieces of literature that opens the way in many things! I am really happy you shall decide to look at it more attentively and I hope you shall enjoy it because honestly it's worth it.

(My friend I do not mind at all speaking about it. I am just not a fan so I am just asking the understanding of anyone that I am not gonna be very positive about what I mention and say. However I shall try not to be hater with no reason or logic, that I can promise to try)

[anghraine]

One of the episodes that I felt sure would be most affected by the gender changes of the femslash Spirk AU is also one of the earliest, "Charlie X." Charlie's ... issues in the original episode are very, very obviously caught up in gender. He admires Kirk as a masculine paternal figure (a role which Kirk is viscerally uncomfortable with, though he'll later joke good-humoredly about being NOMAD's mother), he's threatened by Spock's more distinct form of masculinity, he becomes obsessed with the first adult woman he sets eyes on (Janice Rand), and lashes out at other women.

So for today's writing goal, I wanted to write a bit about how the gender changes of the story affect those particular dynamics:

Charlie wasn’t sure what he thought of Commander S’paak. On the one hand, she was a girl—a woman, rather, with long legs and an interesting sort of face, the sort of person he’d spent years imagining, even if she wasn’t human. But she didn’t have any of the softness of Captain Kirk and Janice Rand; she never smiled, the bones in her face were sharp and long and hard, and her body didn’t curve in anything like the interesting ways that Kirk’s and Janice’s did. Even her hair was cut in short, harsh lines, where the captain’s deep gold waves of hair were twisted into soft coils, and Janice's was woven into a brighter, smoother tower. He wasn’t sure Commander S’paak counted as a girl, really, even when Captain Kirk left him alone with her and the chessboard. Charlie watched the captain leave and found himself turning red when he finally bothered looking back at S’paak, who regarded him with a cool, unimpressed gaze that put him even more on edge. He thought about wiping it right off her face. But if not impressed, she didn’t seem hostile or scared like the crew of the Antares had been, and for now, she was nicer to look at with her face than without it. And she was Captain Kirk’s friend. He felt almost sure of it. “You know Captain Kirk really well, don’t you?” he asked her, not bothering to move the chess piece in his hand. Thankfully, nobody else was in the rec room with them. “Better than most,” said the commander. “Do you know her real name?” he demanded. “Tell me.”

Her inhumanly strange, slanted brows rose. He could see the glittery shadows of make-up she wore all the better; most of it was a sort of blueish-purple smeared over her eyelids and up to her brows that shifted color in different spots, but matched her blue science uniform. A lot of other people on the ship wore paint on their faces, too, regardless of gender, unlike the men on the Antares. But he preferred the black lines around Kirk’s and Janice’s eyes. For now, however, he left S’paak’s alone. 

“Captain Kirk’s real name is Captain Kirk,” she told him. “If you mean her full name, that is a matter of public record—Jessica T. Kirk.”

“Jessica,” he said, letting the name linger on his tongue. An ordinary girl’s name, he knew from the microtapes, not unique to the captain. But … Jessica. Janice. There was something so enjoyable and pleasant about saying those sorts of names and bringing the images of their faces and bodies to mind. “That’s why the doctor called her Jess, right? I’m going to do it, too.”

Commander S’paak studied him for a moment, then said, “Dr. McCoy is a senior officer on this ship and has been the captain’s friend for many years. You’ll soon learn that, among your kind, it’s not considered friendly in most cases to address a person of her rank by her given name alone, but disrespectful unless you have special privileges.”

“Don’t I have them?” he returned, thinking again about whether S’paak really needed her nose. She might look pretty nauseating without it. Maybe he’d just break her legs, instead. “Why not?”

“Friendship must be earned,” said Commander S’paak.

Thinking back, he realized that S’paak herself had only referred to the captain—Jess—by her position, at least as far as he’d heard. And she must know all sorts of things about Jess, he was guessing, things she wouldn’t share if he shattered her bones or sent her elsewhere. He decided to put up with her airs for now.

“So I could earn the captain’s friendship,” he said triumphantly. “How? You must know. What did you do?”

[secret-spirit]

Something something- "Statement of Tommy Merrick, regarding tapes they had found in their old family home, statement given June 6th, 2006. Statement begins"

I don't know how to write this down I've been wanting to do it but i can't find the correct way to explain what happens in it, basically: This statement was written before Tommy went to Eastridge county after finishing the foundation tapes, so after they wrote their statement they went to Eastridge in case they'd likely go missing because of it.

The tapes are brought to the Magnus Institute, attempting to view them causes great hallucinations and wild dreams and bad headaches, Jon finds out about Alex specifically being the one who made a few of them and revealing they onced worked under Lankmann but can't otherwise view the foundation tapes himself, sometime before ep79.

At this point i imagine Tommy to be the last person that gave a statement with ties to Eastridge, the others being Kenneth, Rick and Sean that given theres before Tommys. Also finding out Alex does infact have connections to this weird nowhere town called Eastridge.

Been wanting to give the idea that Eastridge, basically, is a town that none of the magnus institute can even locate and all those who mentioned it in their statements never get to follow up because they also cannot be located anywhere, only thing of them existing is their statement.

I have a lot of thoughts about this au and everytime i think about it i fall deeper into TMA separately.

[blackbatcass]

sometimes the ghost of kelley puckett (he is still alive) haunts me. does he know. does he even know. he’s so detached from the comics community and he’s such a private guy (I RESPECT THAT WHOLEHEARTEDLY) that i really and truly do not know if this man knows how much cassandra cain means to us. does he know batgirl 2000 is heralded as the bible of dc solo books, as a lot of people’s favorite comic ever written. does he know how much we love cass. how we write essays over her character and how amazing she is and how she changed our lives. does he know how adored his writing is. does he know he wrote the best comics character introduction of all time. does he even. know.

[fiapple]

i'm getting towards the end of the skypeia arc, & i'd like to say just how much i adore the way the female strawhats have been treated.

just... every aspect of how the way their characters have been previously contextualized influences the story-line is treated with a masterful amount of consideration. we're given so many layers to both of them that enrich not only their characters specifically, but the arc, and the one piece world as a whole. without nami & robin having their specific skills, and their specific values, without those being built upon, the story would have come to a halt.

you could not have skypeia without nami & robin being who they are as individuals. not just because they never would've gotten there without nami, but also because the way these women think is itself foundational to the machinations of the arc as a whole.

to be totally upfront, if you think any other strawhats were more central to the skypeia arc than nami & robin were you are full-on fucking lying to yourself.

[emometalhead]

.

[longagoitwastuesday]

I am liking Jujutsu Kaisen, way more than I imagined I would, but I foresee it will let me down and it's keeping me from enjoying this as much as I could haha

I think the characters and dynamics are well set, and I think many of them have an incredibly good and deep potential, but I would be willing to bet they'll not get a proper development, enough for them to really hit. A well assembled set of gears is not enough to make the movement go, you have to wind the clockwork.

I think Gojo and Megumi have a fascinating and very complex dynamic, but I doubt it will be given the time and care that imo it needs to actually work. And it is going well enough for now! One could see the intimacy between them was deeper than the one Gojo had with, say, Yuji and Nobara ever since the very first few episodes despite the fact Fushiguro too was a first year. But the pieces forming what they have are extremely complex, and it just wouldn't be realistic if it doesn't show, even if in a not showing way, or if it doesn't have consequences or implications.

It's one of those dynamics that shape one's life, the way one regards the world, the way one establishes or not relationships with other people. It's one of those dynamics that could be full of fondness, gratitude, resentment, admiration, trust, and that imply intimacy, the good kind or the bad, even if in just the knowledge of someone who's been a constant through your life. It could, and would, imply a myriad of feelings, and probably in such a mix it could imply contradictory feelings too. Even the nothingness would weight, even the nothingness would be significant and meaningful.

Gojo took Megumi and his sister under his wing, the son of a man who murdered him, because of both selfish and selfless reasons. Megumi looks like Toji. What does Gojo feel about this? How does Gojo deal with this? How does Gojo go about taking care of Megumi? Would he walk him to school? Make him breakfast? Celebrate his birthdays making him blow candles? Did he take him to the zoo? Does the relationship between them feel professional or is it something more? Gojo appreciates his students, but is Megumi to him just another student? When Gojo faces Sukuna in Megumi's body, did he see the kid he raised, or does he just see Sukuna in one of his students' body? Did he have one faint wavering instant? And how does Megumi feel about this? Is he resentful of him? Resentful of the situation? Of the selfishness behind his actions? Does he feel like a pawn? Is he grateful? Does he resent feeling grateful? Would he rather not? Does he love Gojo? Does he feel nothing about him other than what he could feel about a teacher that sort of annoys him but knows he's reliable in his strength? Does he think it unfair, cruel or unfeeling that Gojo is close, closer perhaps, with Yuuji or Yuta, considering their story? When Sukuna slices Gojo in two, does the remnants of Megumi's soul tremble?

And not just Megumi and Gojo. Yuuji and Nanami, Gojo and Nanami, Yuuji and Fushiguro, Nobara and the boys, or Nobara and Maki, Todo and Yuuji or Yuta, Gojo and Yuta, Megumi and his sister. Gojo and Geto, even! If the pieces are well set, the dynamics are intriguing, interesting, and have potential to be deep, but then the characters have like two plot relevant scenes that punch you hard, but little more, it's not nearly enough. Especially not nearly enough for the enormity that is shonen dynamics and situations. And the potential existing at all, and then not delivering, makes it all the more frustrating when you're left with something mediocre that could have been so good.

The development of dynamics through not only a few plot relevant gut wrenching moving scenes, but also the smallness of life, is important. The friend who recommended this to me said that those things were just unnecessary filler, but I disagree. I think there's a big difference between a large amount of anime-only filler episodes whose existence is based on the fact they had run out of manga chapters to animate, and moments of quietness. The low stakes character-driven moments of quietness can be so telling and so insightful, and they are so satisfactory when brought back later in higher stakes situations. My friend teased me there was no scene of Gojo making breakfast to Megumi, that it would be an idiotic idea, but it would be so telling. How he makes breakfast, what they eat, if he tries hard or if it's all mechanised, if they have personal bowls or if they use whatever, if he just buys them some pastry on the way to school, if the way they have breakfast changes through the years, or if he doesn't make them breakfast at all! All that would be very insightful on their dynamic and its evolution. All that would give a glimpse on how they regard each other and why, even in the present. All that could become meaningful in tense situations and high stakes scenes.

These moments also let the plot breath; if a lot is happening all the time, if every character is always experiencing trauma after trauma, the entire story is so emotionally draining that at some point you don't even care all that much. Besides, these nothing moments or low stakes plot arcs, besides deepening and developing dynamics, also let some in-world time pass, which would make the intimacy and bond between characters more believable imo; between Yuuji eating Sukuna's finger and their last confrontation in December how much time has passed? A few months? Am I truly to believe these characters are so everything to each other in only a few months?

Without some smallness, some repetition, some daily life, some low stakes not plot-centric development, the dynamics don't hit, they don't truly feel fleshed out, and dynamics as complex as the ones Megumi and Gojo have, or as supposedly meaningful as the one Megumi has with Yuuji or his sister, should be fleshed out if they're going to exist at all. Otherwise they'd risk making the writing feel awkward and fake. Besides, if the dynamics felt well fleshed out and realistic, they would shape the way the characters interact and act, and how they deal with situations, thus being plot relevant.

The shonen genre has so much happening all the time, the stakes are so high, the dynamics are so rooted in big events and the relationships carry enormous weight and implications. Yet they barely get developed, and it feels so stupid, so plain, the absence of something so important noticeable like a constant void, a shapeless nothingness present in every scene. It makes the characters feel like cardboard figures. Jujutsu Kaisen is already getting a better job than many, but I doubt it will do enough for what I've heard, and I fear I am bound to feel let down, and bound to feel unmoved.

After all, if not enough time and care has been given to develop a dynamic, I am not going to feel pressured by the high stakes; if not enough time and care has been given to develop the dynamic between Megumi and Yuuji, as good potential as it has I am bound to feel little for this last confrontation between Sukuna and Itadori, and his effort in getting Megumi back.

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Listen, I know next to nothing about ARMY, but every interaction I've seen of their community with any community I've been a part of has always been so sweet, like???

Is this not the sweetest thing you've ever seen?

I love seeing people being passionate about the things they love, and something about this specific interaction makes my heart so soft. It reads like "Something I love recieved recognition by something you love, and for a brief moment we were connected and united by that love."

Idk man, something about people and their passions and the intersections communities have because of it genuinely makes me so emotional.

[fellhellion]

90s run PAD has this rlly annoying trend where he very often write a female character being in love w miguel and suddenly her entire character shrinks down to the scope of what drama this provokes and it's near continually in service to the narratives of men (Gabriel and Miguel interpersonal drama for example). even when there are actually interesting things to be mined from this angle like w lyla its like. this is a pattern w you dude.

[toestalucia]

something about phasing out of existence and something about seeing events through the eyes of the you of another time and something about possessing yourself

[musical-chick-13]

3 and 5 for the fandom asks please!! 🥰

3. Do you anticipate writing for a new fandom this year? Which one?

Several things on the Giant WIP List are for fandoms I've never posted fic for! (Like, for example, Noir (2001) or Chainsaw Man or DN or obscure Dutch opera Sunken Garden.) But being WIPs, I guess this would mean that I have still, technically, already written something for those fandoms. So if we're talking about "Do I anticipate starting anything brand new this year for a new fandom," then for my own sanity I think the answer is going to be "no." (Though I did write a completely unrelated Christmas fic in like. Three days at the end of last year, so...never say never..........)

5. Which WIP is first on your list to complete this year? Will you post a snippet?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (<-not laughing at you, this is the sound of me crying).

Okay. So anyone who has been following me for the past like. Few months at least. May have heard me talk about something I keep calling "The Fic That's A Lot." This is the first thing on the WIP list I'm trying to complete because I've been trying to do that for the past... actually I don't want to look at how long I've been working on it, we're going to move on.

Those who have borne witness to the saga of me trying to finish this will know just how much of. A Challenge. This has been for me. It's, ultimately, a character study of 11 and River (and, by extension, their relationship) that takes place after they're already married, but it is the most...unconventional, we'll say, thing I've ever written. I don't want to elaborate too much, just because the premise itself is full of some very specific trigger warnings (MUCH more so than my usual fare of things like intense grief or discussing the particulars of intrusive thoughts). But the closest thing I can reasonably give to a summary (which...I know you already know this because I've been screaming to you about it for the past God-knows-how-long) is that River breaks her ankle, and from there spirals a series of events that make her husband go, "Sure hope this doesn't awaken anything in me" and her go, "Yeah, this has definitely awakened something in me." Lmao, let me see if I can find a passage of this that a) I haven't already posted and b) isn't completely deranged.

The sound of the chamber orchestra tuning their instruments shakes her out of her musings, and she remembers something that’s been prodding at her brain since she realized what was on the live feed. “How are you accessing this footage? I thought the workshop was a closed event. Airtight security.” His only response is to smirk, eyebrows darting slyly up and down. Which can only mean he’s done something very difficult, very clever, and-given his lack of elaboration on the subject-probably illegal. That last one sparks a wicked sort of thrill in her, one she’ll have to fully unpack later. “And they say I’m the bad influence.” His face snaps into something oddly serious, like this inconsequential piece of banter is an affront to something. (Affront to what, she has no idea.) “You’re not,” he says.

new year fanfic asks

[flovverworks]

after a billion yrs i added a lil line about my gbf verse.....<3 one day i might flesh it out to something in-universe, but since gbf is so "oh ure from another world? ya that happens..." i....am gonna keep w that..........(also cuz i do think discussing the different ways of magic, moon-enemy & this n that is more fun like this

[thebluerose]

Ooc are you actually Nero

You play Nero too well

Uh… Anon I don’t know what you’re talking about. You feeling okay?