#but yes this was a bit of an improvement on the last 5-7 years

[qqueenofhades]

Idk man, 2022 didn't fuck around?

The Queen dies;

Jair Bolsonaro loses in Brazil, and decides to go away WITHOUT trying a coup (this was not a given)

Putin gets his ass kicked in Ukraine, the world comes together to oppose him;

The GOP's much hyped "Red Wave" in the American midterms is a Big Lol; now they have to contend with the Talented Mr. Santos and the constant clown show that will be a Republican House and Kevin McCarthy trying DESPERATELY to get elected speaker;

The Democrats kept the Senate and even added a seat, while capping off a year of big and meaningful legislative accomplishments; hence if certain unnamed SCOTUS justices snuff it in the next two years, they can fill that seat;

The Tories, after an absolutely laugh-so-you-don't cry year of absolutely surreal comedic incompetence inflicted on the people of Britain, are an average of 26 points behind in general opinion polls;

Sex trafficker and all around miserable misogynist Andrew Tate tries to pick a fight with Greta Thunberg, self owns to an amazing degree, is now being held in a Romanian prison for another month after stupidly giving his location away via pizza box;

Former Pope Benedict XVI, aka a decades-long enforcer of sexual abuse coverups in the Catholic Church as well as various other reprehensible moral positions, kicks the bucket (on the last day of the year)

A new climate deal was made;

And so on.

I mean, various other bad things very much still did happen, and it was a tough year for a lot of us on a personal level, but this is the first year since probably 2016 where it feels like there's actually a bit of hope for the future on a big structural level, and I appreciate that.

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - December 15-21

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles for 50% off this month!

1. 7 good things humanity did to combat climate change in 2024

“The UK […] closed its final coal power plant in October. [… In India,] the share of power provided by coal dropped below 50% for the first time since the 1960s. [… A non-profit] has provided solar energy to more than 6,000 of the poorest Nigerians.”

2. California Voters Said Yes to Prop 4, a Win for Birds, People, and Our Shared Future

“[…] Prop 4 will direct millions of dollars for water conservation and habitat restoration [… and] includes a requirement that at least 40% of its funding go to lower-income and climate-vulnerable communities.”

3. This Pennsylvania school is saving big with solar and EV school buses

“Steelton-Highspire’s solar arrangement will save it about $3.6 million over the next 20 years. As for the electric school buses, Steelton-Highspire is one of thousands of districts able to access federal rebates from a $5 billion program created by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”

4. Autism Speaks Canada shuts down in January. Good.

“As Canada’s autistic-led advocacy group […] we are relieved that Autism Speaks Canada will be shutting down in January of 2025. This is an opportunity for autistics and our families to collaborate locally to build new, neuro-affirming spaces and projects.” [If you don’t know why this is a good thing, please click here]

5. LA Zoo hatches first-ever perentie lizards, one of largest lizard species in the world

“The LA Zoo is one of only three institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that have successfully reproduced them[….] Adult perentie lizards can reach more than 8 feet (2.4 meters) in length and can weigh more than 40 pounds (18 kilograms), the zoo said.”

6. Research reveals an inexpensive fix for California's struggling wildflowers

“[… R]aking [“dead, invasive grasses”] is decidedly less labor-intensive and more ecologically friendly [than other management techniques…, but doing so] increased plant diversity overall, reducing invasive grasses […] while increasing both native and exotic wildflowers[….]”

7. A new EV battery could last more than 8 times longer, travel farther

“[… A] typical battery lasts 2,400 cycles, while the new battery lasted more than 20,000 cycles. [… Used batteries could be repurposed] for grid storage on wind and solar farms, the study notes.”

8. Women who are homeless in Boston find safe space and care at 'HER Saturday'

“Women can get lots of other care on the spot — from sick visits and basic health screenings to Pap smears and contraception. [… They also come for] "The makeup, the snacking and the girl talks. And ... picking out a new outfit," said Pinky Valentine [“a homeless transgender woman”].”

9. ‘It absolutely took off’: five UK biodiversity success stories

“[…N]ew methods are emerging to preserve, improve and generate new habitat and, in many cases, attract back or reintroduce species not seen for decades. After a nudge, ecosystems are often doing much of the heavy work themselves.“

10. Personalized gifts really do mean that little bit more to your loved ones, says research

“Research has also shown that receivers of personalized gifts are more likely to take care of them. […] In this sense, gift-giving can be not just an emotional exchange, but also a more sustainable one. A carefully preserved [personalised] gift avoids waste and brings long-term satisfaction.”

December 8-14 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[gumnut-logic]

Lego Volcano (Part 7 and The End)

Alexander Sweetapple series | Lego Volcano - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

At this point, it should be remembered that this fic, whcih is now complete at over 11,000 words, originated in a post that devolved into bathing in Lego and how much whumping that would involve :D

This is why fault belongs to @idontknowreallywhy, @sofasurf @womble1 and @sailing-on-a-puddle and other wonderful Thunderfam peeps. it would not exist without them.

@onereyofstarlight has also kindly kept me on the straight and narrow and all improvements belong to her :D

So thank you to all of the above and to all who have encouraged this little fic, that didn't stay little, along the way ::hugs you all::

this bit is very much M/M because Virgil is feeling so much better :D If that isn't your jam, this isn't your bread. There is also buckets of fluff :D

I hope you enjoy :D

-o-o-o-

“Do you think he likes me?”

Virgil frowned down at the man lying in his arms. They had thrown some pillows and a blanket onto a fold up daybed and were whiling away a few hours as the sun was setting across the sea.

The Island was quiet. Grandma and Dad were still on Aotearoa, Gordon and Alan were torturing Scott in the infirmary, and, as always, John was watching over them from far above.

His star would become visible once the sky was dark enough.

“Who?”

“Mr Tracy.”

He had the urge to ask which Mr Tracy, but where Alex was concerned, there was only one Mr Tracy. “Scott likes you fine. Always did.”

Alex fidgeted in his arms. “I feel like a klutz around him.” He looked up at Virgil - something that only happened when they were lying down and Virgil was quite happy about that. “I just know how important he is to you and, well, I don’t want him to feel I’m intruding.”

“You’re not intruding.”

Alex looked away. “I’ve seen you on rescues. All of you are special, but there has always been something extra between you and the Commander. There are rumours.”

Virgil frowned. “About what?”

“That you’re telepathic, that you can read each other’s minds and move as one.”

“You’ve been talking to Gordon.” The Fish had been ribbing them about that for years.

“No…well, yes, but not about that. It’s in the fandom. It’s common knowledge.”

“You’re in the fandom?”

Now Alex was definitely looking away. “Well, yeah, been a fan forever, and there are like-minded people out there.” He looked back up at Virgil and grinned. “You are very nice to watch.”

The arm Virgil had draped around his boyfriend, quite conveniently reached his ribs, which were apparently very ticklish.

The two of them tussled and giggled a moment, Alex finding a few ticklish spots in return. But it was broken up when Virgil’s laugh turned to a cough. Alex caught him and pulled him close.

Virgil cleared his throat and smiled. “So you’re a card carrying fan?”

“You knew that.”

“I did.” He kissed Alex’s messy blond hair. “But then, I’m a fan of you, so we’re even.”

Alex snorted, but sobered. “Seriously, it’s important that I’m not…messing things up with your brother…with any of your brothers.”

Virgil sighed. “Alex, you’re fine. Scott approves, and even if he didn’t, you’re my boyfriend, not his.”

“I know. It’s just I don’t want to mess with the magic.”

Oh, god. “You’re not messing up anything. All my brothers are happy for us. It’s fine.” He pulled Alex in close, kissing his hair again. “Especially for me.”

But even as he said it, he knew his man and this was probably one of those bones his brain would chew on if it wasn’t taken away. “So you like math?”

“I’ve always liked maths, I’m an engineer.”

“Well, yes, of course, but that wasn’t engineering math.”

Alex shrugged. “It’s just fun stuff. I play with patterns sometimes.”

Virgil stared down at him a moment. “Scott enjoys math.”

A snort. “I noticed. He can run rings around me. He makes some beautiful stuff.”

“He does?”

“Yeah? Didn’t you see that last result - it was like a field of origami flowers.”

Virgil blinked. “Flowers?”

That earned him a frown. “You couldn’t see it?”

“I could see elegant math. Scott writes a good solution.”

“He does, but it is how he does it.”

“Should I be worried?”

“About what?”

Virgil’s lips curled into a smile. “If my brother has caught your eye.”

“Oh, ho, ho, yeah, right. Mr Tracy is straighter than an Australian railway line.” It was Alex’s turn to smile. “Besides, he’s not you.” Alex reached up and caught Virgil’s lips with his own.

Conversation stopped for a while as Alex made it very clear which was his favourite Tracy brother.

The sun finally reached the horizon and lit up the ocean, coating everything in that beautiful gold only Sol could provide. A gentle breeze wafted off the caldera and wrapped around them, clapping palm leaves and pōhutukawa branches alike.

“Thank you for looking after me. It has been a relief having you here.”

“Next time let me know. I don’t want you suffering in silence. People pair up for a reason.” He cleared his throat.

Virgil brushed a strand of hair behind Alex’s ear. “Okay, I’ll make sure to send the Fish earlier next time.”

“So Gordon is your gopher?”

“Uh-huh.” Alex’s skin was a little flushed in the light of the sunset and very distracting.

“Does he know this?”

“Uh-huh.”

“You are feeling better, aren’t you.”

“Uh-huh.”

Alex smiled and his dark eyes glittered in the golden air. “C’mere.”

His lips were soft.

Virgil lost more time.

So very, very distracted.

It was getting dark by the time they bothered to check their surroundings again. The breeze was cooler, and Alex shivered as it drifted over them.

Virgil’s stomach was rumbling - a good thing since eating hadn’t been his favourite activity recently.

Since there was no sign of Gordon or Alan, or anyone else for that matter - probably giving him and Alex space - it looked like Virgil was cook tonight. So as they finally climbed off the bed and began packing up, he mentally recalled what was in the fridge, the freezer, and what could be quickest to prepare.

“Where should I put these?” Alex had the pillows in his hands.

“Chuck them on the sunken lounge. If you feel like a movie we can use them later.”

“Sure.” But Alex hesitated, frowning a moment before, turning to walk inside.

“Alex? You okay?” Virgil had his hands full of blanket and folded day bed, but something wasn’t right.

“Um…I don’t…” Alex was stumbling sideways, pillows falling to the floor.

Everything slowed and Virgil was moving, but not fast enough.

Alex struggled to keep his feet, but one bare foot caught in that damned Lego sculpture and then it was all slow motion deja vu.

Lego scattered everywhere, tinkling on the hardwood floor as Virgil slid in to catch Alex. The Lego volcano exploded in all directions as his body collided with it, arms full of lanky, falling engineer.

Time and speed caught up.

“Alex!”

Shocked dark eyes looked up at Virgil. “I don’t feel very good.” His eyelids fluttered closed. “Dizzy.”

“Alex!”

“Uh…” He screwed up his face. “Dizzy.”

Virgil’s heart climbed into his ears thudding away all sound as he lowered Alex gently to the floor, brushing away stray bricks and cushioning his head with one of the dropped pillows.

Scrabbling to his feet, Virgil dashed across the comms room and grabbed the first aid kit, yanking out the medscanner and flashing yellow light across Alex’s prone body.

The machine beeped, and delivered its prognosis.

Oh, hell.

His shoulders dropped.

Alex groaned and tried to roll over.

“Hey, stay put. You’re sick.”

“Wha-?”

“Thunderbird Five?”

John popped into being in the middle of the room. “Tracy Island, what can I- ? Alex? Virgil, report.”

“Please let Māhia know that Alex won’t be returning for at least another week. He has the flu.” Virgil brushed hair out of Alex’s eyes.

“FAB.”

“What? I have- I can’t, I had all my shots.”

“You know it doesn’t work like that.”

“But-“

“Your turn to rest, love.”

“But I have to…goddamnit!”

Virgil couldn’t help but smile through his concern. “You can play math with Scotty in the infirmary.”

Was that a challenged cant to a grumpy eyebrow?

“But I have to-“

“Rest.”

“Viiirgil.” He coughed.

Virgil continued to stroke his hair as both Gordon and Alan came running with a hoverstretcher in tow.

“Not the Lego again?” Alan looked both worried and exasperated at the same time.

As Virgil’s bare foot came down on a very sharp and hard brick while crouching to lift a wriggling Alex onto the hoverstretcher, he only had one solution to that problem. “Yeah, please pack it away this time. I think we’ve had enough Lego this month.” Ouch, he stumbled over another one. “Possibly for decades.”

Alex was muttering something about Erica laughing her ass off and excuses to lengthen his stay on Tracy Island.

Gordon was grinning and agreeing.

Heart still beating just that little too fast, Virgil limped after the hoverstretcher.

New bruises keeping him company.

Damn Lego.

-o-o-o-

FIN

[wishful-thinking64]

HH Rewrite Related Post #03

I've finally finished Lavanya's (renamed Charlie) key information for her character sheet! And with it comes a bit of lore for what I have in store. __________ [FULL NAME & NICKNAME] 🞂 LAVANYA MORNINGSTAR. 🞂 PREFERS TO BE CALLED ANYA. 🞂 With her first name meaning beauty and grace, Lucifer & Lilith thought it was the perfect name to give to their little princess. [D.O.B] 🞂 BORN DECEMBER 31ST, 2002. 🞂 Anya can't help but see her birthday as a bad omen due to having been born on the last day of the year when Hell's annual Extermination takes place. She'll put on a smile for her parents when in their presence but otherwise she'll be sulking in her room, silently wishing for the day to be over.

[AGE] 🞂 BIOLOGICALLY 22. [SPECIES] 🞂 HALF BAPHOMET DEMON (OTHER HALF UNKNOWN.)

[GENDER & SEX] 🞂 FEMALE.

[SEXUALITY] 🞂 BISEXUAL.

[SOCIAL STATUS] 🞂 PRINCESS OF HELL.

[ROYAL EMBLEM] 🞂 THE FORBIDDEN APPLE OF KNOWLEDGE. [IMMEDIATE FAMILY] 🞂 LILITH MORNINGSTAR = MOM. 🞂 LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR = DAD.

[EXTENDED FAMILY] 🞂 1 GRANDFATHER. 🞂 1 HALF UNCLE. 🞂 5 UNCLES & 3 AUNTS. 🞂 2 COUSINS. 🞂 Anya's never met most of her extended family thanks to two main reasons. The first being that most of them are in Heaven and the second but more important reason is that most of them have been and STILL are missing with the exception of her aunt, Adina Delacroix, and her daughters, Raquel & Amariel. In the absence of Elohim, Jesus (yes, he's the half uncle), and the 7 Heavenly Virtues, Adina was selected as Heaven's de jure leader as she is the only angel who both birthed and mothered an Archangel's children.

[FRIENDS] 🞂 ONLY 6. 🞂 As Princess of Hell and heir to the throne, her parents made sure that their daughter understood that she had to be careful choosing her friends as there’ll always be people who just want to use her money and her status. Her parents' words would lead to Anya's very seldom way of thinking when it comes to making friends as she would make her very first friend in the 3rd Grade. Over the years she’s amassed a tightly knit friend group consisting of six other demons excluding herself. Sometimes she jokes about them being the new Seven Deadly Sins.

[RELATIONSHIP STATUS] 🞂 FORMERLY DATED LAZARUS VON ELDRITCH. 🞂 CURRENTLY DATING VALORIS CARMINE. 🞂 Going from dating a fellow aristocrat in Hell’s hierarchy to dating the daughter of an Overlord isn’t too much of a leap in logic but it is still a noticeable difference. Thanks to her parents not many people publicly commented on their daughter’s romantic life (lest they wish to be publicly executed or suffer true torture for the rest of their damned afterlife) though people have always wondered what caused the end of her and Lazarus’ relationship along with the beginning of Anya’s relationship with Valoris. At the very least she seems to be happy with Valoris. [CORE PERSONALITY TRAITS] 🞂 AMIABLE. 🞂 AUTHENTIC. 🞂 AUTOCRATIC (you’ve gotta be a bit bossy if you’re going to be the future face of Hell.) 🞂 CLUMSY. 🞂 COMPASSIONATE. 🞂 CREATIVE. 🞂 DETERMINED. 🞂 INDECISIVE. 🞂 NAIVE. 🞂 OPTIMISTIC. 🞂 OVEREMOTIONAL. 🞂 SCATTERBRAINED.

[CORE ASPIRATIONS] 🞂 HAVING SINNERS ACHIEVE REDEMPTION AT THE HAPPY HOTEL. 🞂 PROVE TO EVERYONE THAT SINNER’S CAN BE REDEEMED. 🞂 DISCOVER MORE WAYS TO IMPROVE HELL. 🞂 HELPING OTHERS TO THE BEST OF HER ABILITY. 🞂 BEING A GOOD PARTNER. 🞂 NOT BEING A FAILURE.

[FEARS] 🞂 AUTOPHOBIA & KAKORRHAPHIOPHOBIA. 🞂 Autophobia is the polarizing fear of being abandoned and alone. If one day, the majority of Hell’s denizens suddenly decided to turn their backs on Anya, she wouldn’t care as long as her friends and family remained at her side. However, if her friends and family had ALL abandoned her, not only would she genuinely have a full blown mental breakdown and sob for months, she’d never be the same again. This does not bode well at all with her other biggest fear being Kakorrhaphiophobia which is the fear of failure. Anya does her best to follow the expectations set on her from her citizens, her parents, and even herself. So when she fails to meet this internal quota of hers, she’ll feel like shit but she’ll convince herself to do better in the future and focus on the Happy Hotel staff and its residents. [THOUGHTS ON HOTEL STAFF] 🞂 FAIRLY POSITIVE. 🞂 For the most part, Anya can see that everybody is trying their best to keep the hotel in business even if they don’t believe in the thought of redemption. She has faith in at least five out of her seven employees coming together to help her make the Hazbin Hotel work.

__________ I hope you guys liked reading Anya's character sheet and I'd like to know what character you'd like to see me write about next. I'll probably do this through a poll so keep your eyes peeled for that and I'll see you guys later!

[lizardperson]

lizardwriting wrapped 2024

because this whole thing deserves a little yearly review too...

after not writing anything for the public in sooo many years, i actually wrote quite a lot this year. only had to overcome the initial feeling of "cringe omg i can't post that 😬", and now have lost all shame and am enjoying myself immensely, subjecting the world to my bullshit. i think i actually improved quite a bit over the whole year.

AO3 STATS [link]

28 works 48,102 words total 18x ocworld: 17 short bits + 5 chapters Dark Lights, Shine Loud 7x fallout: 6 of those Courier Mika including 20 oneshot chapters Come All Sufferers (#fnv au) 2x star trek disco

---

SPOTLIGHT some points stolen from this list

.characters i thought most about: mika - light of my life, bane of my existence. the ultimate blorbo from my brain, bouncing around in there 24/7. she's terrible and i love her so much. (#mika tag) gabriel - grew SO MUCH this year, mostly thanks to the silly little fallout au. i have a lot of thoughts but not enough words. i love him so much. (#gabriel tag) special mention: fiona - what started out as daria's nameless dead backstorywife somehow turned into an actual character that has been living in my brain now extensively. little miss tortured poet. i love her. (#fiona tag)

.favorite title And there are days like this, too because it's the perfect throwback to the kinda-first part 4261 days. and i wasn't even the one who came up with it, that was @voidthing special mention: The Hills Have Eyebots. because it's just funny.

.favorite opening line

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Mika cursed when her can of energy drink let out the familiar hiss of danger. Despite her best efforts and a few quick sips, she still managed to spill some of it on herself and the couch. Great, another point for Nic's long list of things to be pissed about. As if the general mood in this apartment hadn't been shitty enough those last few weeks. Oh well, let her bitch then. [Dark Lights, Shine Loud]

is it my best line? nah, far from it. is it the perfect introduction to Mika? hell yea - cursing, consuming caffeine, and making a mess. what more do you need to know lmao. i just really like that one, still. the whole first chapter, actually.

.favorite piece of dialogue

"You didn't answer my question - you think we're doing the right thing here?" "Yes." There was not a bit of doubt in his voice. "You believe in our stupid plan?" "I believe in you." [Doing The Right Thing]

just sums up the whole fallout au and their dynamic so well, and also *clutches chest*

special shoutout to the close second, the "I'm not a lesbian" bit in In Whiskey Veritas

and another special shoutout to the last bit of Left My Heart In The Sierra Madre because. T_T

.favorite ending line

Falling in love with her best friend was such a bad idea, July thought, and yet she didn't know how not to. [Viola sororia]

it's so sappy. but 🥺🥺🥺

close second for a completely different vibe:

Freud would probably have something to say about distracting yourself from your shitty mother by sleeping with a woman roughly that same age. Good thing Freud was dead. [Mommy issues]

.favorite text overall 4261 days i still think this is the best thing i've written. for someone who does not have particularly much experience with grief in general, i really really like writing a lot about it somehow...

---

OUTLOOK 2025

the big multi chapter thingies are very far up my to do list, but yknow how it is with adhd brains - ohhh lets do that quick short text first, and that one, and that one *procrastinates the big ones*

BUT that is the plan:

. finally getting some more chapters into Dark Lights, Shine Loud. there are a bunch lying around as first drafts, but they still need some work. soonTM

. continuing the way-too-ambition plotheavy heistthing What Happens In Reno, Stays In Reno after those first few intro chapters. this requires an extensive brainstorming session to get the actual plot hammered together.

. the shiny new wip that i am itching for (because shiny and new), because it's gonna be a bit different in various ways so that makes it excitingTM

....and of course just continuing to write, overall. gonna keep my #fff streak up.

---

SPECIAL THANKS

@voidthing for basically being my secret co-author. always improves the quality by SO MUCH and is the bestest anyway 💕💕💕

the whole @flashfictionfridayofficial community - turns out a regular thing is really good to get a habit going, and also y'all are so nice and cool and just 💕💕💕

everybody who reads my stuff of course :D yes, i mostly write for myself, but of course it's always awesome if someone else likes my bullshit 🙏

[earl-grey-teacake]

How’d you get into writing? I have a few general ideas but have no idea how they would come to fruition 😭!

I got into writing fanfic because I really wanted to see certain things written out and to read them. I just felt this overwhelming need to write just so I could read it. It is very much "if you want to eat something, you have to make it yourself."

I know you are just asking how I got into it but I thought I would include my process in case you found it helpful. For background, I've been writing fanfic for 7 years. For a very long time, I was not good at writing. I learned English very close to the end of my critical period for language learning and struggled for over a decade before I got my footing. Through my own experiences and what I learned from school, I figured out how I prefer to go about write.

I am going to use First Fight from the Baby!Loscar AU as an example since it took me the longest to write. I came up with the idea in April but did not manage to finish it until August but I felt I improved my writing process a lot more.

The idea- which is the stage I think you are at. You have an idea and maybe a scene figured out but you haven't worked it out how this scene connects and how everything forms a whole story.

My idea was just " Logan and Oscar having their first big fight and not handling it well."

2. Write the most imperfect draft you can- I don't say rough draft because it makes people think that the next draft has to be a final draft. I genuinely mean imperfect. Grammar and punctuation? Does not matter. Formatting? Doesn't exist. Logic and cohesive timeline? Irrelevant. What you want is for all your thoughts and ideas to be on a page and it can be in any way you want. It can be bullet points, written scenes, summaries. Doesn't matter.

My imperfect draft was just this section of dialogue and it sat on my computer for months

“We are not friends! Go away!” Oscar had yelled.

“I don’t like you! I hate you!” Logan had yelled back.

“I hate you too!” Those were the last words spoken between them.

3. Know what you want to get across- This is your Northern star, it will guide you when you are lost. Dialogue, timelines, plot- all of those things are subject to change. What isn't going to change is the message you wanted to get across. What is your theme, your core?

For First Fight, it was "these kids do not handle being separated very well. They love each other, they had a misunderstanding, and now they refuse to apologize to each other. As a result they are suffering."

4. You write the roughest draft known to man- I mean very, very rough. Expand a a bit on your imperfect draft, write a couple more scenes you would like to see. They don't need to go together yet, they just need to be on paper. Write out every scene you would like to see play out.

This was Oscar and Logan refusing to play together, Oscar playing alone with Charles, and the ending where they reconcile.

5. Polish up those sections- I know people say to polish at the end and I also do that but making the scenes you wrote look nice will help you feel confident in your work. Include the descriptions, the formatting, the add that bit of sparkle to the dialogue. Figure out the writing style you want to write in and edit all the sections to fit that.

6. Lock in- This is the not so fun part. Pick a free day, get a drink. Now is the time to write everything in between. The boring dialogue, the paragraphs that transition the reader from one scene to another, the scenes that are just lead up to the bigger, funner, more impressive scenes. They don't need to be perfect that just need to be on the page. By the end of it, you will have a some what cohesive plot. Will it be perfect? No. Will you enjoy reading it? Not really. Does it make you want to give up and write something else? Yes, but do not do that.

7. Read it and mull it over for a day- Do not touch the rough draft. Just read it and think about it. Do you like how the plot is? Do you want it funnier? sadder? Do you like how the characters are speaking? Does it feel natural to you? Is it giving what you want it to give? Is it following your Northern star?

8. Change everything you don't like- Delete everything you don't love. If it bothered you enough to stick with you for a day, you can toss it out. You feel like you need permission to delete it? Here's your permission, delete it. I have deleted half of a fic before. Nothing is sacred because none of it is perfect. Toss it out. Replace it something newer. Do you feel better when you replace it? Yes, then that's great. You don't feel better? Put something else in.

9. Do you love to read it?- It is not would other people love to read it. Is it not "is it perfect?" It is do you love to read it, if you were to come across this fic in the middle of the day on AO3. Would you be excited to see it? If the answer is no, repeat step 8 and 9. Do it until the answer is yes or until you cannot change anything else in it.

10. Polish it- Now that you love your work, it is the time to make it easier to read. Separate out your paragraphs, throw it into a grammar checker, format (bold, italicize, etc.). This is where you make it look pretty.

11. Post it- Congratulations! You posted your work on AO3! You did it! Pat yourself on the back and treat yourself to some boba. The work is your baby. You worked hard on it and you should be proud.

FAQ

I wrote all of this and I love it but what if other people don't love it?

They will. None of us writing know for sure if people will love or hate our work before we post it. So until someone outright sends a 500 word count rant about how much they despise it, assume everyone will love it.

What if it isn't perfect?

Many things in this world aren't perfect and we love them. A plushie that was sewn wrong or is missing an ear is still picked up and loved. A puppy missing a leg or an eye is still a beloved part of the family. Writing isn't about being perfect, it is about being human. It is your words, your emotions, and your imagination all on a page and like all humans, you writing will improve as we all do. I don't consider any of my writing perfect and yet, I continue to write because I want to get better and because I love it.

What do you use to write?

You don't need any tools to write but some make it easier for you than others. I recently spent money on Bsun Tuzi switches for my keyboard and it had helped me write a lot quicker but a mechanical keyboard is an investment and a pricey one.

I use Apple Pages to write since I like how clean their format it. I also organize my work on Notion or Obsidian,

I started off writing on Google docs and Word so you don't need the fancy stuff.

I don't know how to write dialogue.

Since I mainly do F1 and Indycar RPF, my biggest recommendations is to listen to Grill the Grid and podcasts. I don't usually be press interviews since I find the drivers to be more stifled and are likely saying what their team wants to say. They tend to be a bit more human on Grill the Grid and podcasts.

I just listen and see what each of them like to talk about, how they talk, etc.

I hope this helps. If you want me to elaborate on something, let me know. Feel free to ask me more questions.

[lifewtr]

∘⋆․⊹․∘⟡˖*⊹ * fan fic tag game * ∘⋆․⊹․∘⟡˖*⊹

HELLO @krankittoeleven! THANKS FOR THE TAG, WE ARE DEFINITELY HOMIES NOW :D i enjoyed your answers a lot; it's nice to meet you! ♥

1. How many fics do you have on AO3?

as of today, i have 50 fics on the archive!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

426,518. jeez.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

predominantly avatar: the last airbender, though i have certainly dabbled in others over the years. right now i'm slowly working my way into the jujutsu kaisen fandom ♥♥

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Lemon, Two Sugars (zutara, rated M): 905 kudos.

Give It Up (zutara, rated E): 824 kudos.

Half Joy (vinceno, rated E): 457 kudos.

Lyk Dis (zutara, rated E): 425 kudos.

Put It Down (zutara, rated E): 414 kudos.

5. Do you respond to comments?

I DO I'M JUST ABYSMAL WITH TIMELY REPLIES. I'M SORRY I LOVE ALL OF YOU AND I READ EVERY SINGLE ONE I SWEAR <3

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

like the homie krankittoeleven, i pretty much only use angst as a plot device - there are only happy/hopeful endings in this household lmao - but if i consider context, the fic with the angstiest ending is probably Honorfall (zutara, rated E). maybe Of All the Things My Hands Have Held (zutaraang, rated M)..?

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

lots of my fics have happy endings ;))))) as for the happiest... ahh, probably If It Means a Lot to You (zukaang, rated M) and Flowers Never Pick Themselves (zutaraang, rated M).

8. Do you get hate on fics?

er, yes and no? i feel like hate is a strong word. it's more so that there are some readers who have simply ~disliked~ certain premises of mine, which, y'know, is what it is! click away or write your own shit! ♥

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

the good kind, baby, and absolutely nothing less. if it doesn't make me wet, i don't post it!

10. Do you write crossovers?

i used to! especially with and amongst irl friends. if there was a fandom i/we were into, there was a harry potter crossover in our shared docs to go with it LOL.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

an entire fic? no, not to my knowledge anyway. but i've definitely had some scenes and dialogue grabbed and scattered across the web over the years.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

no ;-; i've never even had art made for/inspired by my fics ;-;;;; one day though. one day i am going to write something [clenches fist] so fucking good...

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

several times! said fics will not be seeing the light of today, but yes! i love a good co-write!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

once again, like the new homie i will not be picking just one and you will simply have to deal with it LOL. i am extremely down bad for tony stark/bucky barnes, tony stark/t'challa, tony stark/stephen strange.. okay i'm tony-centric, fuckin sue me. anyways. i still really love sesshomaru/kagome, zuko/katara, harry potter/hermione granger, trevor/alucard/sypha, and now gojo/nanami. when i tell you i am fERAL ABOUT NANAGO—

15. What’s a fic you’d like to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Take Care (zutara, rated M), and several other zutara fics that i have put into a graveyard so that even though they're unlikely to be completed, they can still be appreciated!

16. What are your writing strengths?

mmm. this is a bit hard for me to answer because i feel like i could use improvement everywhere, always. i could probably use some more work in my dialogue though (just having more of it, i think). with conflict resolution as well - circling back to angst, i usually gloss over it because i want [my] characters to have nothing but good times and good endings. i need to be less wary of putting them through some shit, which i am working on!

anywayyy. my biggest strength is my prose!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

up for debate, but personally my weakness is outlines. i try to use them but my brain does not like having "rules" when it comes to creating a story, even if i am the one to write them ;;

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

i'm a native (american) english speaker, so this question feels.. odd? bc ~american~? but as a native english speaker, i absolutely don't mind at all. i love languages and i love letting them into my brain! i myself use words from different languages, especially in what i'm writing is based in another country/place of origin.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

inuyasha! no you cannot see it, it's lost in the ether!

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Real War is Far Easier (zutaraang, rated M) and Performance Issues (zutara, rated E), which was a gift to the wonderful @zutarawasrobbed! there's a whole universe there that nobody but the two of us know about and i can't wait for the day that everyone can laugh about it as much as we do LOL

∘⋆․⊹․∘⟡˖*⊹ *∘⋆∘⋆․⊹․∘⟡˖*⊹․⊹․∘⟡˖*⊹⊹․⊹․∘⟡

tagging: @nire-the-mithridatist @gemgirl28 @andthedicestopped and @fidget-scribbles ♥

[illicien]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @hiddenxplaces-blog

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

52

2. What's your total ao3 word count?

1,098,853

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Marvel. Specifically TFATWS at the moment.

4. Top five fics by kudos:

Time-Lost (IronStrange) Fathomless (IronStrange) Scribbles On Our Souls (DrPepperony) Heart of Gold (IronStrangeFrost) Persistence (IronStrange)

5. Do you respond to comments?

Almost every time. Sometimes I get a bit caught up or delayed, but typically I respond to comments pretty regularly. I love chatting with readers!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't think I've actively posted the fic with the truly angsty ending, yet, so I think the closest is probably a bittersweet ending with Still Here. (IronStrange / Stephen & Peter)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Well this one took a sec. Keeper (IronStrange), probably?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Oh not typically to my face, no.

9. Do you write smut?

Yep.

10. Craziest crossover:

I don't really do crossovers, so really the only crossover I can think of plainly is the DRoP/IronStrange fic we did, Heart of Gold.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I've seen so far.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! A fair few of them. 💓

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yep. A few!

14. All time favorite ship?

"All-time"? Time hasn't ended, I could hardly say. 😏

15. What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

At this point? Embraced. And I'm so sorry to everyone who was waiting for more.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Wait you want me to say nice things about myself? Goddamnit. I used to think dialogue was a weakness of mine, but I think I've improved a lot over the last couple of years since writing scripts necessitated writing solid dialogue, so I'm pretty confident in that, now. I'm also fairly strong where creating lore and histories are concerned; you want me to explain the magic in a universe? I've got you. You want to know the history of a region? I've got that down, too. World-building in general is my bread and butter.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Does "actually finishing a story" count? The reality is, I lose motivation really easily. I function best when I have someone to consistently bat ideas and things back and forth with, otherwise I get severely in my head about things to the detriment of whatever I'm writing. I also rely more heavily on degree modifiers than I should, and while I'm aware of it I still suck at minimizing it.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I find it highly dependent on whose PoV the story is in. If the PoV character doesn't speak the language, I love being just as confused as them by not knowing the language. If the PoV character does speak the language I can be a little more picky about it, unless it's simply a singular word of endearment or something, because those can be difficult to translate even if you know both of the languages. But I have a love of and fascination with languages.

19. First fandom you wrote in?

Uh.... Yu-Gi-Oh!, I think?

20. Favorite fic you've written?

What an excellent question. I'm actually really proud of (Loss Of) Control (WinterBaron). I set out with some really specific goals for what I wanted to accomplish with it, and I mostly succeeded. There's definitely a section that's weaker than the others, but I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone and made an effort to tackle a trope I'd never written in fic, and to tackle an element of that trope that I felt like I wanted to see handled more in depth. And I'm proud of the result.

Tagging -> @descaladumidera @atypical-snowman @amethyst-noir @jeromesankaraao3

@the-elle-kat @kiki-shortsnout @turtleoftheabyss

[23yearold-virginslut]

Compiled a list of questioned & am answering them to the best of my ability 😇

Answers in pink 💗

Doesn't Apply in red ❣️

1. When was the last time you masturbated

30 minutes ago

2. Do you enjoy being fingered/fingering

Yes!

3. How do you feel about food during sex

Depends on what food & how its being used

4. What do you do directly after sex

Unsure, but depending on the time, i'd probably sleep

5. Cuddle with the tip in

10000%

6. What’s the nastiest sexual thing you’ve done

As of right now, I'd say masturbating (legs spread open on the dash)in my college parking lot

7. Name a follower you would fuck

I'm not going to name names, but you know who you are. Send me the message

8. Name a follower you have fucked.

None... yet

9. What’s the sexiest part of your body

I'd say my ass (especially with handprints on it)

10. FuckMarryKill: DJ Khalid, Rick Ross, Fat Joe

F- Rick Ross M- DJ Khalid K- Fat Joe

11. Would you ever be with a trans person

I think it depends, I wouldn't say yes or no solely because they're trans

12. Riding dick or doggy style

I'd say doggy, especially because I can have my hair pulled, hands pulled behind my back & I can have my ass slapped harder than when I'm riding a dick.

13. Ever fucked in a school

Nope, well... I've fucked myself in my car. That's it

14. Most random place youve had sex

Nowhere right now

15. Would you join the mile high club

Absolutely I would!

16. What are 3 of your "hawt" spots

Tits, throat/back of neck & pussy

17. Fuck on the first date

Maybe not the 1st time meeting, but the 1st date would be okay

18. Would you suck dick

ABSOLUTELY!!! 😝

19. Would you eat ass

I would try it, but am unsure

20. Would you eat pussy

Yes & I've done it before 😍😍

21. Kissing, Y or N?

Fuck yes, even better if it's needy & rough

22. Is farting during sex a turn off

I have no idea. Maybe if it was in my face. Otherwise, I don't think that it's a prooblem

23. Sex in the shower, Y or N

Definitely 💦

24. When virginity lost

Not yet 🫣

25. Do you prefer sex in the morning, afternoon, or night?

I would love getting fucked 1st thing in the morning or... maybe during the middle of lunch.. but there's also after our day stress fuck. Maybe all of the above

26. Drunk sex

Sure, maybe with consent 1st. Bit I am a huge fan of intox & would love it.

27. High sex

I've never been high, but would try it

28. FuckMarryKill: Nicki Minaj; Cardi B; Kash Doll

F- Kash Doll M- Nicki Minaj K-Cardi B

29. First kiss

Sophomore year of high school with my bf at the time

30. How did you meet the person you lost your virginity to?

Haven't yet

31. Faked an orgasm

Nope

32. Painted/ been painted on

Yes & written on

33. Sex toys, Y or N

Absolutely, they are tools to be used, not an enemy.

34. Favorite position

Tied up/ tied down or hands behind my back getting pounded into the mattress or ground.

35. Bed, couch or floor

Edge of the bed or over couch arm

36. Car sex, Y or N

If we'd fit sure. Or we could fuck with the door open and you railing me into the seats off the side of the road.

37. Whyd you get horny

For just about any reason. Typically because I opened tumblr or was reading smut

38. FuckMarryKill: Trey Songz, Chris Brown, August Alsina.

F- Chris Brown M- August Alsina K- Trey Songz

39. Describe crush

I don't have one rn

40. Would you ever be with someone with an incurable STD?

I would say no..

41. Rate head game

7/10 - there's room for improvement for sure

42. Rate your sex

Rn, 0/10

43. Would you date outside of your race

Yeah

44. Type of freak you are

Bratty, CNC, Hypno, Dirty, Cum guzzling slut

45. Ever tasted your own cum

Well, I've tasted my juices & self, I've not cum before.

46. Golden showers

Yes

47. Body count

0, zero, nada, none

48. Nipple play

Yes!!

49. Where do you like to be nutted on

Preferably in, but if anywhere my face or tits

50. Topping or bottoming

Bottoming, for sure

51. Whats too small

My sex life

52. Is fighting foreplay

Fuck yes

53. Angry sex

Hell yes!

54. Quickie length

Before someone notices

55. Too long during sex

Never, I love overstim

56. Too long to go without

I can't answer that in good health

57. Is no relevant in a relationship

Yes & no, it depends on the question it's in response to..

58. NSA sex real or no

Real AF

59. Sex in a public bathroom

Yeah, sounds like it could be an experience

60. Sex in a changing room

Yeah, just cum in me. Don't leave anything for employees to clean up.

61. Last person ive fucked

🫣 I havent

62. My type

I honestly don't know.

63. 3 turn ons

Tattoos, Filthy Dirty Nasty Naughty talk, & Teasing

64. 3 turn offs

Gore, Feet & Permanent Harm

65. What makes you stop in the middle of sex

I'm not sure

66. Answer a phone during sex

I would, and I'd try to act normal

67. Would you pay for sex

Maybe, probably not though

69. How i felt after sex

... 👀

70. Like your body

I do, I've been trying to lose weight, but otherwise absolutely.

71. Send nudes

Only when deserved... not often

72. Cheated on someone

Absolutely not

73. Cheated on

I have been

74. 3some

PRETTY PLEASE 🙏

75. 4some

PRETTY PLEASE 🙏

76. Orgy

PRETTY PLEASE 🙏

77. Run train on me

PRETTY PLEASE 🙏

78. How often do i masterbate

At least once a day, mostly before bed while scrolling

79. Lights on or off

Lights on

80. Music or TV

Music

81. Cousin you'd fuck

Nope.. hate that

82. Last relationship

During covid, she didn't want to come out & wanted to keep our "friendship" hidden.

83. Sleep naked

Hell yeah, how else is some stalker/stranger supposed to know I want it when im asleep

84. Commando

I have to wear pants a lot, so no.

85. Nipples pierced

I wouldn't want to, but I love sucking on a pierced titty

86. Dive in or converse first

Depends on the person, but I'm more of an action person

87. First move once naked

Drop to my knees..

88. Would you make the first move

I would, but only when I'm super horny.. which is very very often.

89. Have you ever had sex with more than one person in a day

I would like to, maybe at the same time

90. Do you like dryhumping

Yes, I love it

91. Can you twerk or do a split on a dick

I haven't tried the splits on a dick and I haven't tried twerking in about 2 years. Idk if it's any good

92. Would you ever record yourself during sex

I would love to, I think it would be great & even more fun to do masturbate to while he/she degrades me for it.

93. Would you watch porn during sex

Not yet, but would love to

94. After fucking, do you try becoming friends with a one night stand

Probably not, just stay fuck buddies.

95. What’s your kink

There are so many... they're all over my page

96. Would you hook up with the same hook-up again?

Yeah, unless it absolutely sucked...

97. Ever made a relationship from a one night stand?

Nope

98. How romantic are you during sex?

It depends on who with, I honestly don't know

99. Describe your sex in 5 words or less.

Sad, non-existent, cry worthy, boring

[dojae-huh]

Dearest Youth Day 1

(011124)

Today Doyoung reminded me once again why I keep stanning him. Under all that nessessary fanservice (fancalls, fanmeets with dressing up, aegyo, cuteness) and paper chase (brands, ads) is a true passionate singer with a selfmade man mindset.

Doyoung wasn't kidding when he said he wanted to be a stage director in the future a few years back. The way he changed some stages, continued with DY Track, used his drama/musical roles to bring in variety (to the chant guide) and new surprises.

Doyoung was in his prime vocally. The best I've heard him so far. And he got those "yes, I nailed it" tiny satisfied smirks here and there.

Doyoung arriving. The green clover leaf standie to take pics with. Do with the mascot.

Soundcheck: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Bye for now

The goods that VIP fans got: 1, 2

Messages: 1, 2, 3

Heh, DY Track was all over my feed. An uninterrupted stream of fancams. Doyoung knows how to make people talk about him on media. 1 (full), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (on the screen), 9 (undressing)

1 - I really like the coat. It brings the needed drama. Thanks to the stylist for offering this option to Do.

2 - Doyoung can rap with a deep voice, which is not common (and, with further improvement, can be even used for 127, as no other rappers among neos can match the tone). He reminded me of T.O.P

3 - Taeyong will be on Do's neck the moment Do returns from the military, haha. Tae will get his duet eventually, I'm convinced.

4 - Does anyone know if Tae's akgaes did any ripples in kfandom about TYTrack/DYTrack? Or the commotion was only in i-fandom? I'd like to know if Do was aware or not. As he added fuel to the fire with Mad City, heh.

5 - It is still obvious Doyoung doesn't feel himself very comfortable rapping and putting on an image. Maybe he needs more acting experience to get used to being "a liar". Or just perform this number more often. His body gave off him being self-concious during it. You know, the way shy people are awkward when dressed sexily, the "it's not really me" feeling.

6 - I was impressed with the fans quickly adapting chanting. Fact Check is really popular. And I like that Doyoung reminds his fans about his love for NCT. He is not just using the songs to fill in the setlist. He makes 127's songs into his own versions. "It is part of me". Like, imagine you are a solo fan and hate the group, and Do and the audience make it into a 5 minute 127 concert, heh.

The chant-teaching VCR. Fersen coming last was very intentional. Fans were made to anticipate. A longer version.

Snow flower. He really performs this song as a musical number.

First love. Again, the set up of the stage is well thought through.

17. Rest. Life is beautiful. Lost in California.

Doyoung's motto is "a good joke worth repeating 10 times", lol. His number with a long note and his piano-boy. The banana was also turned into a staple. Bunny.

So Do re-arranged "Litlle light" for the encore a bit. Wow, this is really the way to make a transition between segments in a concert. Keep the audience entranced with the light show, set up the mood, and make a dramatic entrance.

Doyoung's "you are not singing well" is not only for entertainment and creation of "Doyoung concert culture", he wants the fans to be involved, overcome their shyness/reluctance to sing (and laughing helps to relax, stop caring). He probably approaches it simply as a class president, used to gathering people and motivating them to participate in events, however, it really plays in his favour. The fans will leave the venue in a great mood. As I said before, singing together lifts up spirits, gives the feeling of being united with others, brings the feeling of joy. Koreans are very much into religious cults you know... heh. He is making one for himself. The followers of Doyoung.

And of course Doyoung knows how to sell merch.

A chatterbox who gets more confident with bickering with the fans. His disarming cute tone helps him. Promising lyrics and not showing them on screen ("but you are Doyoung's fan, aren't you?").

Frosty (?) - the new single. Side view.

Love me for a long time and love yourself ment.

The fans singing to LL. Baby butt bread pose with the audience. Doyoung leaving the venue.

There are many more fancams, but I will settle for now.

So, back to the "ready to be soloist". Doyoung is a complete product to sell and expand on. He already has a brand, a fan-catering experience (mascots, unique merch, letters, singing along), his show is variable (ballads, rap, jazz-medleys, rock - something for laughs, something for tearing up), he is very good at managing venues of all sizes (MC + duets on SMTowns experience), VCRs+stage effects are on point, a live band, live vocals without a break. He is ready to appeal to non-core fans, someone who has just discovered him (many did with LL) or came to the concert out of curiousity/because they had time (like those granpas in Japan).

Heh, Do even has a concert director in his pocket (Donghwan).

Most importantly, Doyoung is himself an idea-bank. He won't depend on an outside producer, he will gather the experts he needs to help him develop his own vision. Which means he will develop and offer listeners new books and new experience (like with DYTrack upgrade).

Yes, Doyoung still has areas to improve on (like I said before about body language), but these things are minor, most fans won't notice. And Do will overcome these imperfections naturally with experience. Notably, he improved his singing even in the span of this half a year (since the first concert).

When "Frosty" was announced, Do trended right away and many minor media channels copy-pasted the news. Doyoung is already on the list of clickbait artists in SK, heh.

[thelocalmuffin]

Hello everyone! I wanted to share my accomplishments in 2023 before the year ends with a little bit of self reflection notes. You can enjoy everything in the read below.

Some fandoms highlighted include DGS, nintendo, and pokemon.

First off, this year has been hard for me. It's been a lot of self reflection and figuring my goals out after some became unattainable.

With that being said, I did accomplish a lot this year. I published my first recipe in a zine, finishing my first zine, improved my writing a lot, and picked up drawing once again. I also was able to get some actual help with some issues I have struggled with for years.

I want thank you all for your support. It means a lot that you enjoyed my artworks, writing, and ambition. Now here are my highlights for each month.

January: Foxtrot - An Asoryuu kitsune AU. One of the stories I took in when I was at my lowest last year and sparked a lot of my interest to keep writing. Plus Kitsune Kazuma.

February: Encore - A hassius story about motivation and being patient about the creation process. Though this was more or less my thoughts on this topic in general, this story literally inspired me to take my own advice and pick up drawing again.

March: The Memories that Lie - This was one I actually finished, but am glad I did. It's an asoryuu vampire story I was actually planning on scrapping, but ended up finishing anyway out of sheer stubbornness. To finish it, it took me completely restarting five chapters, but it came out a lot better than the original draft had mapped out.

April: This is when I took my hiatus and started to draw again in my free time. I was worn out, stressed, and collapsing under the pressure. This was my first piece that I posted.

May: Was a huge month for me. I launched the @blossominglovezine that you can enjoy here and published my first recipe in The Grand Adventure to Make the Perfect Cake for the @tgaacspringzine

June: I made my first icon! I was really busy this month planning for the trip of my dreams and doing some irl side work that ended up being permanent employment.

July: So I went to Las Vegas for a foodie tour. When I had a moment, I decided to draw the lovely Unicorn Goddess outfit.

August: This is when I did the Timmverse art study. This month was more of finishing up some logistics of zine work and getting a story out in the wild.

September: Goes to the Princess Peach Showtime piece I did! This piece really cemented my current style. And yes, I keep calling it Princess Peach Spotlight. Also wanted to mention I helped successfully launch the @dgscrimezine

October: Goes to my OC piece. CW for blood, but this piece was made for Halloween and the shading was really on point. I love this design for this OC.

November: I'm going with the fact I completed a ship week, asoryuu week. I got everything done at a reasonable time and was able to create so many fun pieces. 1 2 3 4 5 7. I had to skip day 6 because I ended up having an emergency. I also started pre-orders for my first for purchase zine, @desire-asoryuu-zine. This is still in pre-orders, so I wasn't sure if I was going to add it, but this is a big accomplishment for me.

December: I actually haven't been able to do much this month due to the holidays and getting distracted by Pokemon DLC, but I did draw this super cute Yuma!

Other highlights do include being accepted to multiple zine projects as a mod and contributor, which has been very exciting for me. You can check out that list here.

This upcoming year, I'll be helping with more projects and the @aawlwminibang events! I really want to do a personal project that I've been building up my skills for before pursuing, but now I think I'll be able to handle it. I won't announce it yet since it's still very much in development, but I hope I can in 2024.

Thank you all for your support this year. It has meant a ton.

[bloody-wonder]

mid-year book freak out tag

years go by... i still read books...

1. Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2023? moby dick! i totally did not expect to like this dusty tome so much but it was just too perfect a mix of tropy revenge tale, sea adventure mockumentary, and making stuff up and putting it into categories that caused pleasant vibrations in my neurodivergent brain. i have watched so many whale documentaries after reading this, you guys have no idea🐳

2. Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2023? flamefall is the second book in the aurelian cycle and it’s the best sequel i’ve read so far this year. the addition of a slow burn mm master/servant story line improved things considerably, not to mention that it was my favorite character’s time to shine. this series is sooo good, please read it guys you won’t regret it i swear🙏

(ngl i’m a bit annoyed that fourth wing, this fireborne sjm-ified, is doing numbers out there and meanwhile there’s no fandom for the aurelian cycle to speak of😒)

also i simply have to mention defekt, book two of litenverse. i found the first book quite boring despite it’s shortness but the sequel has a sad lil guy🥺. highly recommend for fans of black mirror, severance or the murderbot diaries. you don’t reeeally need to read book one btw, i think you can just read the description and then jump straight to the good stuff

3. New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To? i want to read witch king but i keep putting it off cause everything i hear about it sounds suspiciously like *american author does mdzs* and idk how i feel about that😬

4. Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2023? i’m looking forward to system collapse the most bc it’s gonna be set chronologically after network effect and it’s longer than the other murderbot novellas too. very excited to see murderbot and art bicker again hehe

5. Biggest Disappointment? ig it’s the warrior’s apprentice😬 many people recced the vorkosigan saga to me as “the lymond chronicles in space” but based just on this first(-ish) book i have to say miles is uhhh,, not lymond😐 lymond’s key traits are that he’s queer and a cunt and baby miles is simply not that (yet). of all the other books that people mentioned on my overcompetent scheming bastard post this was the last one i hadn’t read so i was a bit disappointed that it didn’t pull me in like the lymond chronicles. however, of all the books mentioned there it’s also the only series i can see myself continuing any time soon so. it wasn’t all too bad ig🤷‍♀️

i was also somewhat disappointed by assassin’s apprentice but i will make myself push through the realm of the elderlings just bc i’m so intrigued by the fool👀

6. Biggest Surprise? apart from the life changing experience that was moby dick i gotta admit i didn’t expect to like the goblin emperor, what with it being one of those cozy hopepunk fantasies where people are nice and decent to each other🙄 but it really did grow on me by the end, it indeed made me feel cozy and soothed. now i wanna try katherine addison’s older darker stuff that was apparently so controversial she had to change her pen name or smth👀����  

7. Favorite New Author? so i read another book by christopher rice and can confirm that he’s now one of my favorite authors. the man’s early 2000s gay thrillers are very melodramatic and refreshingly juicy - you can really tell they were published in ye olden pre-twitter times

8. Newest Favorite Character? cyrano savinien hercule de bergerac. after just reading that first act where he monologues about his nose for three pages straight and then spends all the money he has to hijack a theater and cause a scene by duelling a guy on stage while insulting him in ballad form i thought wow but this is one of my sexy fucked up guys who like to swish their swords and run their mouths! please enter the mind rotation chamber, monsieur🙌

9. Newest Fictional Crush? power sur eater🐉 you guys are sleeping on the aurelian cycle and on the Glory and Tragedy of My Boy who has done nothing wrong ever in his life and i love him😭 seriously, if you’d like to watch a character like draco malfoy go through jaime lannister’s arc you gotta read this series

also csevet aisava? the guy who put sexy in bureaucracy?? it’s a crime that he and maia didn’t kiss tbh

💕Best Ship💕 the relationship of griff and delo in the aurelian cycle was SO dramatic and full of rawest scenes! kinda reminded me of captive prince at times, bc of the whole master/servant element. and the ending? “i will grow old in love, let them sing of others”?? i am Emotion🥺

10. Book That Made You Cry? furysong made me cry my eyes out like every ending to a ya series should. have i mentioned you should read the aurelian cycle btw? but also both moby dick and cyrano de bergerac made me laugh AND cry as only really good books do. there’s a part in moby dick about seeing whales in mountains and stars that made me remember i am a human being and was a small and happy human being once - like that scene in ratatouille when anton ego tastes ratatouille and the nostalgic memories hit him and he becomes not evil anymore. that was nice but i cried like a little bitch😭

11. Book That Made You Happy? re-reading twittering birds never fly without skipping all the yakuza plot scenes made me realize how hilarious this manga actually is! yashiro can obviously crack a joke but this time i discovered the comic relief goldmine that is nanahara

skjdvnksjdvk like?!

12. Favorite Book Adaptation You Saw This Year? i have a LOT of criticisms about martin crimp’s “free adaptation” of cyrano de bergerac but ngl it was fun to watch the play come to life on stage (even tho there were no swords, a crime😒) and even more fun to watch christian kiss cyrano on the mouth like god intended

13. Favorite Review You’ve Written This Year? so this year i actually started reviewing stuff on goodreads for the first time and it’s quite fun and really useful for refreshing your memory on what you thought of a book. i try to go for short and witty over in depth and analytical so i suppose the best examples of the reviews i have written so far would be the ones of moby dick and the goblin emperor

14. Most Beautiful Cover? the og red cover of fireborne slaps! the revolutionary red? the minimalist black dragon? the main characters’ profiles formed by its wings?? talented brilliant show stopping. idk who made the decision to redesign the covers after the first book but that decision was utterly stupid🤨

15. What Books Do You Need To Read By The End of The Year? i need to finish some series (the diviners, the dreamhealers, the broken earth), then like i said i want to read witch king and also i’m doing the classics challenge again so i have to at least finish reading roxelana and re-read the picture of dorian gray (the uncensored edition👀). i have looked up my old mid year tags and was pleased to discover that i since have managed to read all the books mentioned there EXCEPT for you love me which has been a staple in my reading plans since 2021 so i’m gonna put it on this list again to honor the tradition lmao

overall i have to say my reading year is going well but i still miss the exhilaration of discovering new books worth obsessing over like it kept happening in 2019-2021 with the secret history, captive prince, all for the game, mdzs and lymond. last year i used to think i wasn’t doing a good job of finding books like this but now i’m starting to suspect that i have actually read ALL the good books and there aren’t any left :( but that’s absurd right?? or isn’t it?! anyways tell me what you’ve been reading so that i can maybe get intrigued by something and prove myself wrong on this🙏📚

@figuringthengsout @counterwiddershins @fugitoidkry @magpiefngrl @sugarbabywenkexing @fandomreferencepending @pemberlaey @oliviermiraarmstrongs @hello-jumping-in-puddles @thehalcyonharbinger @pinkasrenzo @beeblackburn @weirdsociology @veliseraptor @theodoradove @sixappleseeds @doh-rae-me @venndaai 

talk to me about books guys! if you want to!!

goodreads │ old mid year tags 2020 2021 2022 

[xanthippe74]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks for tagging me, @maesterchill! I'm not sure who has done this already, but I'll tag @phdmama, @phoebe-delia, and @nv-md, if they haven't already and want to play.

I'll put a cut here, since some of my answers got a bit long.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

29 works!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

358,795 words

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Harry Potter and 9-1-1

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

(1) Vortex (soulmate AU, down & out Draco, Knockturn Alley social commentary and politics) (2) Riptide (sequel to Vortex with 2x as many words 😅) (3) A Hiss To Build a Dream On (Harry faking Parseltongue and being a pining idiot) (4) The Last of What the World Left You (sad, lonely boys on the Yorkshire moors, Animagus Draco/Master of Death Harry) (5) This Heart Shut Wide (8th year, secret relationship)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I love to say thank you, at the very least, and sometimes I want to reply to something specific that the commenter mentioned. I'm a little ashamed to say I got behind on my comments for a couple of years, and it got to the point where I was too overwhelmed to wade through the backlog. But I truly appreciate every single one, and now I'm back to replying to new comments promptly!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

The very first fic I posted, "Last Goodbye" has an unhappy ending, with Harry's feelings for Draco being unrequited.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I think all of my Drarry fics besides that first one have happy endings. As for the "happiest," I'd say it's either The Last of What the World Left You (because of how far Harry and Draco both came from their isolation and misery at the beginning of the story) or Follow the Water (because that ending is unequivocally happy for everyone, with nothing bittersweet or lost).

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I've had a couple weird comments, but no hate until very recently. And that was just a troll getting off on being a jerk, so I deleted their comments and didn't let it bother me in the least.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nope. M-rated, blink-and-you'll-miss-it lovin' is all I can manage. I tip my hat to the smut writers out there, because I find kissing hard enough to write. (and I definitely appreciate the smutty stuff, as a reader! 😉)

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I've never written one. I'm working on a Drarry version of Howl's Moving Castle right now, but I think of it as more of a retelling than a crossover. Aside from the borrowed plot, it's pretty much the canon HP universe, except with fire demons and the moving house.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

"A Hiss To Build a Dream On" was translated into Chinese, including all the terrible reptile puns!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not yet! I did a round robin thing on Tumblr a few years ago, though, if memory serves.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Drarry, forever and always.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

My very first attempt at a Drarry fic, back in 2019, was supposed to be just a few scenes about Harry and Draco running into each other in the summer of 1998, the day before Draco moves to America. In 2020, I started reworking it into a non-linear, everyone's-fucked-up, hurt/comfort fic that ended with them going to America together. Still love the concept, but I'd probably have to start all over again, since it's been such long time and my writing has (hopefully) improved since then.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I've been praised for my descriptions of scenery and the pacing of my stories. I think I'm pretty good at dialogue, too.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Probably spending too much time in my pov character's head, with all their emotions sloshing around. And I'm still trying to strike the right balance between efficiency and beautiful, evocative writing (something that doesn't feel either too spare or too purple prose-y, in other words).

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

Personally, I've never put more than one sentence in another language. As a reader, I think I'd expect a translation for anything longer. Otherwise, I'd feel like I was missing out.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Oof, I have no idea. Don't make me choose amongst my babies! Maybe Follow the Water, because I love that world and that gang of characters. And it's probably the fic of mine that I revisit the most, as a comfort read. It's so soft and nature-focused.

[nerdynanny]

GET TO KNOW THE MUN [2.0!]

I did this previously on one of my old blogs, but that was four years ago and we need an update.

TAGGED BY: myself from four years ago @journalsauthored TAGGING:THE DASH

1. FIRST NAME: Max

2. STRANGE FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: I was born with one functioning eye. [same] I also share a birthday with the late great Robin Williams.

3. TOP THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU FIND ATTRACTIVE ON A PERSON: Still hella ace, so physical attraction ain't it. I'm drawn to kindness, compassion, and just a bit of pettiness. So basically my partner.

4. A FOOD YOU COULD EAT FOREVER AND NOT GET BORED OF: PASTA.

5. A FOOD YOU HATE: Peas are a crime against humanity. So is cilantro.

6. GUILTY PLEASURE: Japanese, Korean, and Thai Dramas.

7. WHAT DO YOU SLEEP IN: Depends on the weather. Boxers, usually. [same]

8. SERIOUS RELATIONSHIPS OR FLINGS: Happily in a relationship. When I last answered this I had just gotten out of one with a TERF. I'm in a way better place now.

9. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN THE PAST AND CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WOULD YOU AND WHAT WOULD IT BE: I would absolutely go back in time to prevent myself from working with a narcissist who has recently accused me of stalking him??? When he traumatized me?? Gaslighting fr fr.

10. ARE YOU AN AFFECTIONATE PERSON: So like-- to a handful of people. This answer is still the same, I'm energetic and entertaining but if someone touches me I will shriek.

11. A MOVIE YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN: Back to the Future Part III. It’s my favorite [SAME STILL].

12. FAVORITE BOOK: Artemis Fowl. Not sure which in the series I love most but the original is dear to my heart. [addition] Cirque du Freak. The Darren Shan saga TIES.

13. YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP ANY ANIMAL AS A PET, WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE: DOG ARMY. [same]

14. TOP FIVE FICTIONAL SHIPS [IF YOU ARE AN RP BLOG, YOU CAN USE YOUR OWN SHIPS AS WELL]:Oh shit. JackFord [feat @sonxflight​, same], Hilson [with @downs1de, ConYuu [otp 5 ever], SakuSayo [solid ship], and DocClara [with @doctorbrown]

15. PIE OR CAKE: Pie. [same]

16. FAVORITE SCENT: Sandalwood and the Ocean. [same]

17. CELEBRITY CRUSH: Manny Jacinto. He’s all that and a bag of chips. [same, forever jason mendoza fanboy]

18. IF YOU COULD TRAVEL ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU GO: The UK. Anywhere but the US. The Netherlands maybe?

19. INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT: Ambivert. I tend to respond to the types of folk around me. [same]

20. DO YOU SCARE EASILY: HAHAHAHA. No. But I DO have an intense response to jump scares. I’ve been banned from a few haunted houses because of it. [same, panic disorders go brr]

21. IPHONE OR ANDROID: iPhone. [same]

22. DO YOU PLAY ANY VIDEO GAMES: Yes. OBSESSED with Palworld and Minecraft. I just love games where I can play with my frens and build cute shit. I once started a cult in a Minecraft RP server.

23. DREAM JOB: Stand Up Comedian [or just being recognized for my MAD improv skills]

24. WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH A MILLION DOLLARS: Give everyone I know ten thousand bucks and use the rest on myself. [same]

25. FICTIONAL CHARACTER YOU HATE: Delores Umbridge. But you’re supposed to hate her. [same, also jkr coded]

26. FANDOM THAT YOU WERE ONCE A PART OF BUT AREN’T ANY LONGER: Undertale. I kinda moved away from it and it's populated by kids lately. I still chat about it with my friends, but I doubt I'll ever RP it again.

[dogsuffrage]

Here is my updated review of every game I have completed in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise. Have not yet completed Ishin, because it just wasn't the sort of combat I was into at the moment, but will definitely revisit. I always complete every substory. Reviews of 0-6 are pulled directly from my old review a few years ago, adding in the games I have played since.

1) Yakuza 0: obviously the most unique setting. Finally you can play as ol’ Mad Dog Majima. A consistently good story with good side content and I love the cabaret club. The pinnacle of the old engine combat. 80s!!!

2) Like a Dragon: They are actually so bold for switching to turn-based combat but it very much works. Great story, great mini games, and very fun combat that could use some tweaks but it's their first turn-based game so obviously. Dragged down only by the fact that I could like Yokohama more. But that's really only a slight dock against it, still extremely good.

3) Gaiden: Yes I'm putting the fucking spin off as 3rd place. Amazing blend of Yakuza and Judgment style combat. Really fun without feeling ridiculous. Coliseum was very fun. Story was my favorite so far. That one scene at the end broke me.

4) Yakuza 5: FIVE CITIES???? I feel like I went on a vacation. And FIVE CHARACTERS??? I love them all. Saejima’s is a lil boring. But there is so much variety. I love the bold choice to become a dancing game midway through for a bit. Made me cry a lot. Very close to being as good as 0. Love the diverse side stories.

5) Lost Judgment: Improves on Judgment in every way. Still honestly just not into Yagami, but I really enjoyed the school stories and Kaito Files.

6) Kiwami 2: Dragon Engine is controversial but I enjoy the shift to a style that makes you feel way more powerful. First person exploration literally changes the game. Super immersive, gorgeous. A technical marvel. Brought back the cabaret club!! Massive improvement from 6.

7) Judgment: This game showed off the new philosophy of combat that would be seen in this, Lost Judgment, and Gaiden, and I really enjoy how it balances strategy while still feeling insanely OP. That said, I found myself pretty bored with the story and Yagami's character. Not enough quality side cases or mini games to keep me engaged. The opposite of 3 in that I didn't care that much for the story but the combat rules.

8) Kiwami: it’s fine. rides on 0’s coattails. only good bc 0 was so good and the gameplay is basically identical. the OG story also helps. nishiki :(

9) Yakuza 6: First Dragon Engine game! Love the immersion and first person exploration and I enjoy the story follows 0 in diverging from the narrative mold the games tend to fall in but... it’s not a very good story. It definitely has its high moments tho. The characters are fun... but it’s blatantly unfinished. The baseball side story is very fun to me as is the bar conversation one, but it’s missing so many minigames and the combat is easily the most bland and uninspired in the series. It’s really poorly made combat wise. Kamurocho isn’t even finished. But I do love Onomichi. First fully fleshed out small town. Overall great potential but they literally did not finish it. You can feed stray kittens and rescue them though.

10) Yakuza 4: same as 5 in that I love having multiple characters. Great minigames. Honestly not much to write home about. This would be last if 3’s combat wasn’t so bad.

11) Yakuza 3: Listen. I love Ryukyu. I love Morning Glory and spending time with the kids. Also Rikiya my baby boy. It is the softest game in that sense. It beats 4 in both narrative and substory content. But the combat and leveling system sucks so hard man. That’s all.

12) Dead Souls: Not really sure why they made this one. Still enjoyed it but it's the worst one.

[escvision]

My Melodifestivalen 2024 final top 12, much love from Finland ✌🏻

12. Jay Smith — Back to My Roots (it’s not… bad, country music just isn’t my taste and i was kind of shocked it made it to the final at all. here’s what my sibling said after this song qualified: ”what? why? even gunilla was better than this country song!”

11. Lisa Ajax — Awful Liar (her voice is good. i don’t really have anything to say about this one, that’s how boring i think it is.)

10. Cazzi Opeia — Give My Heart a Break (i don’t know what it is about this one that straight up annoys me lol is it the song? the singer? the outfits and the colours? her mouth?? everything??? the chorus does get stuck in your head easily)

9. Annika Wickihalder — Light (i like her voice and i quite like the song too, but i don't think it's winner material. but! i do enjoy it)

8. Jacqline — Effortless (jacqline is what sells this song and performance, she does make it look effortless. there’s nothing wrong with the song per se, but if jacqline wasn't the one singing it, i don't think it would deserve to be in the final.)

7. Dotter — It’s Not Easy to Write a Love Song (i really enjoy her voice and she’s gorgeous. the melody isn't super memorable and i don’t think the performance and the staging help. she keeps spinning bare foot on the piano and it looks kinda awkward. but all in all it’s really good. if sweden were to send this one i think they’d do well!)

6. Danny Saucedo — Happy That You Found Me (i actually first thought that this was quite forgettable but i take that back now. this is the type of music sweden does well and it shows, this would be a great winner! he’s got a great voice and the melody is very pleasant. the staging could be improved, though, and the outfit is quite ugly lol)

5. Marcus & Martinus — Unforgettable (i’m 90% sure the twins are going to win this year and they honestly wouldn’t be a bad choice even though there are acts that i prefer more. it’s clear that the boys are professionals. the song is somewhere between good and ok for me. i am in the minority here but i actually do not like the staging, it’s messy, there’s too much going on, too many lights and the dancers make the stage look crowded in a bad way. their outfits look a bit cheep too. otherwise, they did a great job. it’s clear the budjet is big)

4. Maria Sur — When I’m Gone (i didn’t care for her song at all last year, not to mention her vocals were totally off, so i was really pleasantly surprised when i heard her new song! it got stuck in my head instantly and the staging looks impressive. wow!)

3. Smash Into Pieces — Heroes are Calling (it’s too bad they competed with six feet under last year because it would most likely be my winner this year. anyway, this one is very similar to six feet under, just not as good or catchy. that being said, it’s still really good and i would love for sweden to send this one!!)

2. Liamoo — Dragon (i love it when there’s a lot of fire. i think this is the whole package, the song is memorable and the staging is great. i know he won’t win or anything but personally i love it! it's been on repeat.)

1. Medina — Que Sera (this song makes me sooo happy when i listen to it!! really hypes the crowd up like yes, i am here for a good time! anyway, sweden would never actually send anything like this which is a shame, but i really hope they place in the top 3, good luck medina!)

oh and one last thing: Fröken Snusk (and Gunilla) should have qualified