#finished in it's unfinished ness

[endbie]

DSMP Playlists.

A weird project of mine.

Back on... (checks the first playlist for song date) November 13th, 2022, I started a funky little thing. I decided I would make a playlist for every single DSMP character. 20 songs each, and only 20 songs, and I was not allowed to have the same song on a playlist twice unless it defined a relationship between two characters. Weird rules. But rules nonetheless. So.. I started doing that. And that was fun. It introduced me to new music... made me expand my tastes and analyse lyrics a bit more. But, uh, then some things happened. Some shitty things. And I still can't bring myself to make a few playlists. Some of them remain incomplete. Some of them remain unstarted. I think I'm coming to a point where I've realised I'm never going to finish this.

So, here it is. Here's my contribution to this fandom, here's a fuck ton of indie music, here was my attempt to throw my hands in the air and get rid of my hyperfixation and here was what I looked forward to and despised and am being overly dramatic about now.

Have at thee.

Callahan

Connor

Jack

Niki

Puffy

Drista

DreamXD

George

Dream

Fundy

HBomb

Ponk

Sam

Sam Nook

Sam Bucket

Karl

Sapnap

Quackity

Schlatt

Slimecicle / Charlie

Tommy

Ranboo

Tubbo

Wilbur

Phil

Sally

Aimsey

Boomer

Hannah

Skeppy

Bad

Eryn

Tina

Seepeekay

Velvet / Red

Antfrost

Foolish

Eret

Punz

Purpled Here's a list of what got finished (green), what was half-done (yellow), and what will not be reached.

[lintwriting]

I’ve been reading a lot of bingqiu ghost aus recently and usually they have Binghe as the ghost because Binghe really works so well as a ghost.

You can do the ancient cultivator ghost set up (here's another) with a modern SY

you can give him the spooky-ness with ghost powers to make sure we don’t clip off Binghe’s incredibly unhinged demonic nature like people clip off the beautiful wings of a bird.

and make him into a sexy incubus type of ghost like the stallion he is.

And ghosts often serve as a wonderful metaphor for the way trauma traps you in the past or warps your personality, which works really well Binghe’s brand of always being steps away from snapping, the number of steps being inversely proportion to how many steps away Shizun is XD

But idk I’m kind of craving ghost SY. And he’s not like a movie idea ghost, where the ghosts are bombastic set-pieces like Binghe.

I mean like a made-for-TV ghost. He’s like an episode of the week type of ghost.

Underwhelming-side-plot character type of ghost,

some type of Ghost Stories type beat,

where the “unfinished business” is something as stupid as “wanting to eat a meatbun for the last time”

(And like, the episode’s resolving twist is that it turns out this is his dying wish... bc he died eating one …And eating it jogged his memories of his death, so now he can finally move on…

lol the ratings on that one would be show cancelling levels of bad lol)

Or like, maybe he died before he could find out the ending of his most hated web novel. So now his unfinished business is finishing the web novel.

Except it KEEPS updating every day, so he just keeps getting dragged out of the afterlife, wandering the earth in a fit of pique, because of course Airplane keeps beating his dead horse of a novel like he’s competing with SpongeBob or The Simpsons for deadest horse.

And here comes Binghe, Psychic Extraordinaire, a famous TV celebrity from his show where he solves unfinished business like it’s nobody’s business (that’s his catchphrase lol).

And he thinks he solves SY easy by just pulling up his laptop up to Zhongdian, like BOOM easy case, another one for his perfect record, complete with a beautiful scene of Shen Yuan sailing off into the sunset.

Only for SY to show up the next day, like “yeah yeah sorry about your perfect record, mister Psychic, but you can’t blame me for this! Blame that shitty author!!

And in this case, instead of ghosts being a metaphor for trauma, they're a metaphor for when a shitty show keeps getting renewed past its prime.

[zivazivc]

Yesterday I watched Help! I'm A Fish and I had a good time! Chuck's seriousness and Fly's upbeat attitude made me think of Eddy M and Ravin respectively.

That movie is SO bizarre. I showed it to a friend a couple of weeks ago, so I watched it twice now, and we both kept screaming at all the emotional whiplash scenes jfksjhfdjh

I think I see what you mean about Eddy M and Ravin being like Chuck and Fly. Especially in the context of your headcanon where they had a rough childhood. They're not much like those characters in my version though.

Eddy M is a rude moody teen who is very matter-of-fact and headstrong - he's a 13-year-old who thinks he knows everything, and he will let you know that with sassy remarks and comebacks.

Ravin is definitely upbeat and more positive but I wouldn't call her Eddy's opposite because she is equally a smartass. She is just very jokey, self-aware nerd face emoji about it. She'll go "errrrmm, ACTually ☝" whenever she thinks she's right about something or when she just wants to annoy you. That's a good descriptor actually; instead of being rude the normal teenage way like Eddy, she is annoying - intentionally. It's a bit and she fully commits.

Dunno how to better describe them lol

Since I know you'll appreciate, I'm sharing a small chunk of my "Floyd runs into the techno troll and their kids" wip under the cut. It's been sitting and collecting dust for a while now because I have no idea how to finish it, but you can get a bit of an idea of what I imagine these two kids being like:

(for context, Floyd is helping Bruce at the bar and guess who happens to visit? And Floyd goes to take an order from them because he is a dumbass and needs too long to realize who he's talking to... The techno troll and Floyd have a private talk, it goes poorly and the techno troll lets him know that he doesn't want him to meet the kids or let them know who he is, and then Floyd hides behind the bar going full blown emo mode... (Also this is an unfinished draft so there might be some klunky parts, idk, I don't feel like editing it rn but I'm also very self conscious about my writing in general so I need to point this out 😬))

. . .

Floyd felt an intense misery wash over him. He really was a fuck up.

He stared at his feet for who knows how long (Maybe he had begun to dissociate?) when the faint sound of light feet stopping nearby made him look up.

Couldn’t this family gathering end already???

He nearly choked on his saliva while standing up in a desperate attempt to find something to busy himself with and not deal with this.

“Uh, h-hi, random kids I don’t know.”

He gave up at the sight of the empty sink with nothing to wash, and carefully looked at the two kids like they were going to bite him from any sudden movements. He probably shouldn’t stare too hard but that was what he ended up doing while taking in their appearance.

“How dumb do you think we are?” the boy—Edwin said with the distinct attitude and mannerism of a brash teen.

“From one to ten,” Ravin added quickly after and much more cheerily, while she pulled a small journal from her hair. She clicked her gel pen and pressed it against the paper in preparation. “Be honest.”

Floyd was a bit dumbfounded to be honest. “... What?” He straightened a little where he was still leaning against the sink and not facing them fully.

“Is on the slower side…” Ravin said out loud while scribbling the words down.

“We have to do this fast,” Edwin explained impatiently and with uncanny matter-of-fact-ness. “Dads think we went to the bathroom.”

“Uh… Do what fast?”

Ravin spoke up while staring at her journal: “How would you describe yourself?”

“What’s your favorite song?” asked Edwin.

"Would you say your hair is white and pink or white and red? And since when is it white? Dad never mentioned that."

“Do you think the words ‘drug addict hobo’ accurately describe you?”

“What’s better, hardcore or emo?”

“I told you it’s not emo!”

"Do you have any health history we should be aware of?" 

“If you were a bug, what type of bug would you be?

"Do we have any other siblings?" 

Floyd’s eyes grew wide from the onslaught of questions. “Whoa, whoa, slow down!” Then reluctantly he added “One at a time, please.” without even realizing he invited them into a conversation.

Edwin looked at his sister. “What was the first one?”

“How would you describe yourself? Three words.”

Floyd didn’t like the first question.

He should probably try thinking of positives…

“Uh…”

“Uhm…”

Panic.

“I’m a good singer. Well, I used to be…”

“That’s your personality?" Edwin deadpanned. "Singing?”

“I’ll just write down: bad self-image, bad under pressure, bad at understanding questions.”

"Those aren't personality traits either, sis."

"Fine! Unconfident, anti-equanimous, intelligently-impaired. There."

"Next question?"

“What’s your favorite song?”

Floyd's mouth was hanging open. He was pretty sure he just got called an insecure some-big-word idiot.

"Hello? We have a time limit. What's your favorite song?" 

“...T-That’s a hard question," he fumbled for words, "there’s so many songs, it would be impossible to choose.”

Ravin looked into her notepad with a sigh and jotted down: “Indecisive. Gives flakey vibes.”

Floyd didn’t know how to respond to that either. Would it be weird if he got upset? Because he was definitely offended. But then again maybe he deserved this. Like some kind of delayed karma.

“If you were a bug, what type of bug would you be?”

Floyd thought about it, trying to come up with some type of direct answer at least for this question. “Hmm… A grig, maybe?”

Edwin made a face. “What the heck is a grig?”

Ravin seemed to have an idea. She wrote down: “An old soul. Depressed.”

“That’s the opposite of a grig!”

“Have you heard of reverse self-awareness?”

“No…?”

“Probably ‘cause I just made it up. But the term kinda suits you." She scratched her scalp with the dull end of her pen."I think?”

Floyd, still feeling absolutely lost in the whole situation, continued to stare mutely.

Edwin was watching him judgingly. "You think there's any awareness there at all?"

Ravin gave a vague hum before getting back on track. "What do you do for a living?" 

"Rae, don't waste our time with stupid questions. It's obvious what he does."

Maybe, Floyd thought, he could finally impress them with something. "I'm a musician, actually."

"Yeah okay, music boy." Edwin replied without missing a beat. "Is the apron a new fashion accessory I don't know about?" 

Floyd’s mouth hung open (if it ever even stopped hanging). These kids were savage…

[respectthepetty]

Hey there. Hoping you're doing well. This is gonna sound random but I need a reason to watch He's coming to Me. I was looking at a list of all gmmtv shows and I've seen them all, except He's coming to me. And the weird thing is I don't have a reason. I adore Ohm, i don't particularly like Singto but that has never stopped me before. I have no problem with paranormal bl or sadness in bl. But for some reason every time I think I'm gonna watch it, I don't. I don't know if this has ever happen to anyone else but every once in a while this happens to me with a show or a film, like there's nothing wrong with it but I can't press play. And I have no idea why. I was hoping for some motivation I guess, just cause I'm a completionist and it's nagging me that I only have that one show left. Anyway, I'd appreciate your thoughts on this. (thanks for the space)

@nothingsbetterthancoffee, as a fellow completionist, I understand. Nothing can be left unfinished. No stone can remained unturned. No show can be left unwatched! But also, this show is a HOT TOP for me, so let me easily help you by giving you not one but TEN reasons to watch He's Coming to Me:

It has color-coded boys in love. <- The reason I showed up

Med/Mes is a stable, loyal, and intelligent Blue Boy who is happy (yellow) even in death. Thun is a Red Rascal who is spontaneous, energetic, and passionate. The love was always there, but seeing the color exchange always brings a smile to my face.

It's only eight episodes, and they are FREE!

Think of this as an eight-hour workday. Eat some breakfast, clock in to YouTube, watch five episodes (because after episode 5 is the PERFECT place to pause a la Bad Buddy), eat lunch, come back, watch the final three episodes, then clock out.

I know nobody wants to think of watching shows as work, but sometimes it helps to see the finish line at the end of day. Structure aids in productivity. And free is my favorite kind of watching experience, so it makes it even better.

The rooftop scene needs to be shown respect.

Mentioning Bad Buddy reminded me that He's Coming to Me's episode 5 rooftop scene walked, so Bad Buddy's episode 5 rooftop scene could run. Put some respect on this show's name!

The team behind it are elite professionals.

Aof, the director and an out gay man, has given us EVERYTHING! Bad Buddy, A Tale of Thousand Stars, Moonlight Chicken, and so much more. Rath, the cinematographer, has served us beautiful visuals every single time in Never Let Me Go, Dark Blue Kiss, and countless others. The screenwriter, Title, gave us the MaxTul vehicle MANNER OF DEATH. Imagine the Powerpuff Girls, but with film making. THAT'S the level of power behind this show.

The cast is stacked.

You already mentioned Singto and Ohm whose backs must hurt from carry the plot of so many shows on their shoulders, but the rest of the cast is A+ as well.

Sing and Chimon play the best friends, and they are the very BEST best friends. Sing has given us Todd(Black), and Chimon is about to embrace his sugar baby-ness in the upcoming Dangerous Romance. If they can stand next to THE Gun and the Perth, while holding their own, they deserve some recognition.

The supporting cast could beat every other supporting cast in a fist fight without breaking a sweat. We have Gunsmiles (who is no longer on the GMMTV's roster, sad times) who played in one of the best plots in 3 Will Be Free. We have Ampere who plays the office ally in GAP and La Pluie. Then we have Jum who only knows how to play the kindest mother from GAP, The Eclipse, and the upcoming Last Twilight. The twins, AJ and JJ show up, as well as Love who riled up enough people with her performance in Bad Buddy to get her own GL show!

Finally, we have the main ladies! Gigie makes you feel bad that this is a BL, so she won't get the guy, but that's because she is such a good character! Then there is Sine. I won't write much about her because I'm in love with her. I can't be rational about her. She never misses, and as a vegetarian, I would eat meat if she told me to. I. Love. Her.

The plot carries.

We all know shows that drag out the main plot for far too long. This show isn't one. It understands the assignment, and has a genuine plot beyond two boys falling in love. It also has twists and turns throughout that make sense to the original plot. Nothing seems disconnected, and everything seems logical in a show about ghosts.

The love is real.

For only eight episodes, in which one is mainly about a CHILD seeing ghosts, the way the love unfolds between the two leads is realistic. It is odd to see them first encounter each other when Thun is a kid, and Med is already a dead adult, but the way they come together as adults is touching.

The conflicts are believable.

Because of the way Med and Thun meet, and the overall plot, the conflicts are believable. They aren't just having issues because they don't want to communicate, or because it's the second to last episode. NO! One is a ghost who had his entire life ended, and the other is a young adult trying to figure out his life. The hesitation, the separation, and the conflicts in between are plausible.

The coming out SCENES are top tier.

If there is only one reason to watch this show, this is it! I don't need BLs to have a coming-out scene. Ever. If all of these shows existed in a magical bubble where being gay is the norm, I'd love it, but something about how Thun comes out in several ways, first to himself, then to his friends, and finally to his mom are all handled in the most endearing ways. These scenes healed my soul long before Be Loved in House: I Do hit me with its coming-out scene.

It has a happy ending.

Not only does it have a happy ending, but it has several happy resolutions for all the plots. It makes sure to wrap up the narrative while giving a little extra that completes the stories without feeling rushed or random.

Now that I've given you all these reasons, I hope you find it in yourself to finish the series. I know the first episode is rough to make it through, but once you get to the second half of episode 2, it should be smooth sailing.

As for me, I need to go write up He's Coming to Me (in Colors) post.

(thanks for the ask)

[star-gazer101]

Ortho, Letters and Puns!

Part One Part Two Part 3 Part 4 

Pairing: Idia Shroud x Reader

Characters: Ortho Shroud and Idia Shroud

Warnings: OOC-ness, a few puns, and a little bit of cursing

AN: Sorry it took so long. I was originally going to post on Valentine's Day, but had a hard time with the chapter’s ending until now. Hope you enjoy!

- Out of all things Ortho has seen and experienced, seeing the highs and lows of others–playing matchmaker was not one of them!

It had been three days since he had last seen his brother back in NRC and already his brother was working non-stop to gain the Prefect’s affections just as soon as he got back.

Rows upon rows of internet forums asking about what was a good gift for a potential significant other and so many, MANY unfinished products scattered across his desk that it became too much to bear!

Wasn’t the custom dorm uniform enough?!

“Brother, maybe you should take a break from this. You’ve been wearing yourself thin, more so than you usually do…”

“I just can’t Ortho!” Came the usual reply. “If I can’t find something they’re bound to like, they’ll come to realize just how pathetic I am and never talk to me again!”

And that’s how these past few days have been: Difficult to the very end. 

The young Shroud had suggested a different method of courtship that he had heard from a fellow, loud, first year, and then suddenly regretted it when Idia actually decided it was the better option.

Him and his big mouth! But he cared for his brother too much to say no…

Now here Ortho was; designed to fit the theme of messenger boy, to deliver letters to Ramshackle Dorm. 

Fortunately, the Prefect found him adorable as they accepted the message. (And promised to hang out once this job is over.)

Unfortunately, Grim would sometimes open the door. He really did not want to think about that incident ever again.

Thankfully there had been more upsides than downsides to this situation. However, he did wonder what his brother had sent them.

A poem perhaps?

Probably not. Idia is terrible when it comes to writing poetry.

-

“Here Prefect.”

“Oh, thank you Ortho! It’s always nice to hear from your brother whenever I’m away!”

“And big bro feels the same way! Hopefully you’ll have time to visit?”

“Not at the moment I’m afraid. The Headmage has me in a chokehold and won’t let me go until the work is finished. So…Maybe tomorrow afternoon? Just promise me to save me a spot at lunch with the others. It’ll be awhile before I’m done with whatever the hell he has on my ‘to do list’.”

Ortho sighed for what felt like the tenth time since he last saw you. And just as he promised, he made sure that there was a reserved spot as the other fellow first years joined him. Everything seemed perfectly normal…

Until Ace noticed he didn’t have his school uniform design on.

“So, Ortho. What’s with the lame get up? It’s even weirder than Loosey Deucey when he has to feed the flamingos.” (Which quickly earned him a kick to his leg by none other than Deuce himself.)

“Don’t insult my brother’s work,” Ortho warned with a glare. “But I have to agree with you on it. It does feel a little embarrassing,” he added with another sigh.

“Sounds rough.” Ace could not help but sympathize. “So what did you do to piss off your brother?”

So in the end, Ortho explained everything. From the delivery of messages and his dilemma of wanting to help his brother, but not wanting to continue being his delivery boy. There was a solidary of understanding between all of the first years at that moment. And Ortho for the first time felt relieved. 

“If you really feel that way, I think it’s best if you tell him. Don’t beat around the bush, just get straight to the point.”

Guess there’s no way of avoiding it…

-

“I’m really sorry, Ortho.”

In the end, Ortho didn’t have to say much. Just by expression alone, Idia could tell how stressed he was when he got back.

Was this the gift of discovering new emotions?

“It’s okay, brother. You didn’t know.”

“Of course I didn’t! But I should have known better! How am I supposed to be your older brother if I don’t notice how exhausted you are?”

“Idia.” Ortho had to put his foot down to get his message across. He almost felt bad for startling his brother. “You don’t have to keep apologizing. Otherwise, you’ll be back where you started when I first came in. And I really don’t want to start this conversation again.”

There was a brief pause until Idia finally responded. “You’re right as always, Ortho. I’m sor–I-I mean…Okay…Got it, cool.”

A relieved sigh was given from the younger Shroud. It’s good that his brother was learning. “Thank you for understanding big bro. And now that that’s settled, how about I take a look at your progress of the Prefect’s letter!”

“E-eh?! Ortho wai–”

Did you hear oxygen and magnesium got together? O Mg.

What did the science book say to the math book? You have got problems!

What type of fish is made up of two sodium atoms? 2Na!

…

…

WHAT?

“Idia, have you really been sending the Prefect bad science puns the whole time?”

Idia let out a nervous chuckle, a hint of pink showing up in his blue flames. “I-it’s pretty normie levels for my taste, but they seem to like the cringey ones the last time we hung out. I was just going to send them cat memes, but I don’t think they would get the joke after being isekai-ed and all–”

“IDIA SHROUD HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!” Okay, maybe he was overreacting, but at this moment Ortho was too upset at his brother for being an idiot to care how loud he was being. “I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO CONFESS TO THEM! I EVEN WORE THE STUPID OUTFIT AND EVERYTHING AND YOU STILL DIDN’T SAY THOSE THREE SIMPLE WORDS?!”

Knock. Knock.

“Idia? Ortho? Is everything okay in there? Did I come at a bad time?”

“Shit! Player 2 is already here? I-I haven’t even finished the letter!”

Quietly counting down, the younger Shroud calmed himself down as his red flames died out and became a warm blue. Right, now was not the time for petty arguments. The Prefect is what matters, not them.

“Leave it to me, brother. Everything’s fine, Prefect. You can come in.”

And with those words said, you awkwardly entered their room. Judging by your messy appearance, it seems like Crowley had put you through hell and back from the last few hours Ortho had seen you.

Maybe he could convince his brother to blackmail the headmaster for you. Definitely keep that idea tabbed for later.

“I didn’t think I would see you again so soon, big sib! Are you actually done with your work?”

You gave off a bitter laugh. “I wish. Turns out all the janitors are all on strike and now Crowley wants me to do their work as well! I should have known things today were too nice to be true…Anyway, I just came here to let you know about my whereabouts before I take my leave. And I think I’ll stay over at your place to crash when I’m done. Is that okay with you Player 1?”

Idia was hesitant. “Not that I’m against it, but isn’t janitor work a magic based job? Our headmage can’t just put all that expert level stuff on someone with a handicap, especially one with no magic!”

A tired sigh. “Y’know, this isn’t the first time I worked as a janitor…Probably won’t be the last…”

Ah, that’s right. It was almost half a year ago that there were rumors running around about a magicless person turned janitor and a couple of first years causing chaos that resulted in a broken chandelier.

It only seemed like yesterday before he enrolled in NRC.

“...Ortho, initiate ‘Plan E’.”

“Got it!”

“Plan what now?”

“Don’t worry about it, big sib! Just leave it to us. Try not to resist.”

Before you even knew it, you were suddenly grabbed by the younger Shroud and were quickly bundled up in one of their softest blankets and placed on their less messy couch. Not that you’re complaining, but you still felt worried about the rest of Crowley’s work. “B-but what about–”

“Sevens, you worry too much. Ortho, the hot chocolate! Make sure it’s the one they like! I’ll take care of the rest.”

Guess he didn’t need to remind him after all. Progress.

Ortho carefully handed you the hot beverage as you quietly removed yourself from the covers. At least you were now smiling with fondness. 

Just like the first time you had entered Idia’s secret lair. How nostalgic.

“I take it that ‘Plan E’ means: ‘Operation: Pamper the Prefect’? If so, then I think it’s working.”

“Something like that. Big bro tried all different kinds of names, but they all came out too long. So, we decided to stick with ‘Plan E’.”

“Probably for the best,” You muttered while stifling a yawn. Ortho took notice.

“Just try to relax, Prefect. And make sure to drink all of your hot chocolate as well. If you feel up for it, we can play some multi-player games.”

Ortho continued to say more, but all of your thoughts were focused on the eldest in the background, typing furiously on his computer as he downed a can of his energy drink. If your guess is correct, he was definitely finding ways to stop the headmage from giving you too much work.

You really don’t deserve those two…But you are glad to have met them…

-

“How are they, Ortho?” Idia finally asked.

“Out cold.” Answered Ortho. “After finishing their drink, they passed out from exhaustion. I advise a hearty meal with lots of water once they wake up.”

“Guess I’ll try ordering from Woodcutter’s Café again. They never did get back to me on how they lost our limited edition dinner…You wouldn’t happen to know, do you Ortho?”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions, big bro.”

The eldest sighed, dropping the subject as he focused on you. “Did they say anything else?”

“Not much. But they did want me to give you this in response to your letters.”

“T-they did?” Idia took the letter from his brother and quickly read its content.

Ortho shook his head as he already knew what the letter reads.

How do geologists ask each other out? They say, “Are you a carbon sample? Because I’d love to date you.”

And if his brother had half a brain, he would know that he’s being confessed to.

[commandernachos]

List of fanfics I'm working on to build Anticipation for you guys maybe

-Claus fic: my first MOTHER fic... well the original version was (which was also unfinished) was my first, I started rewriting it from scratch. I'd say... 80% complete the first draft maybe? Unless I get a new scene idea.

-Redeemed Porky fic: I've written... a teeny bit... I decided to make it a lot longer than initially planned (basically just write some interactions and then it'll work itself out eithin 1000 words or whatever... now I'm rewriting an entire scene in the game and it'll be longer if I write it competently.)

-Nessporky hanahaki fic: haven't even started, I have the basic premise someone (do you wanna be creditted?) thought of and then I guess I decided it should specifically be roses Porky throws up like he did with his skull in the manga... anyway yeah not much.

-Unstoppable Force vs. Immovable object: WHOA ONE WITH A TITLE??? Anyway wrote most of a first draft that is probably terrible and if I ever write it, will probably start from scratch! It's a very basic fic that stars Pippi and Teddy.

-A Ness in Shining Armor: WHOA ANOTHER ONE WITH AN ACTUAL TITLE??? ANyway I have wrote TWO barely finished first drafts. Will probably start from scratch. It'd be a relatively short fic though.

-Actually nice and wholesome Nessporky fic that might even have mutual romance: haven't even started, although it should be easy to write. Honestly though, low on my priority list.

-Picky fic: I wrote 3 sentences and then didn't like it but I will probably write it... sometime...

-Lucas and Claus fic: haven't started, and it's verrry basic like there's really no way I can make it that long by itself. I'll probably have to add more to my initial idea or else it'll be like. 100 words

[mysticsparklewings]

Obscutober 2024 Day 25: Lacuna 🫥

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Lacuna (n.)

a blank space; a missing part; gap

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#Obscutober 2024 Day 25: Lacuna 🫥

This one didn’t get nearly as much time as I would’ve liked since I spent most of today on a very different art piece…In vain since it’s still not ready to post. 😅

But I am still happy with this one & you’ll get to see that *other* art later! 

Click the "Keep Reading" and we'll talk a bit more about my general thoughts/process. ✨

⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

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I'm going to keep this description short and sweet tonight Sparklers both because I feel I don't have that much to say, but also because I spent most of the day trying desperately to get a different piece of art ready to post today too...But couldn't quite manage it, so you Sparklers will find out about that tomorrow. Point being: I'm about typed out...But I also can't stand the thought of uploading a third Obscutober piece in a row where I have to come back and type out the description later. 🙃

Likewise, I didn't have as much time as I necessarily would have liked to play with different ideas for the mandala on this one. In another timeline, I might've tried to do some kind of motif with a book with a clearly ripped page or something of that nature, since this definition is supposed to be, "Especially in a book or other piece of writing, including music." Or, thinking about that, maybe something that plays on sheet music would've been cute.

But since I was pressed for time, I opted instead for what I thought was a much cheekier option: I played on the idea of the mandala being unfinished, and therefore having lots of lacunas—missing parts—and in some areas looking like maybe the template for the mandala was still showing.

I do promise that unfinished-ness was intentional and in fact very deliberate. I've used the circular mandala templates when making mandalas traditionally, but I haven't bothered with them or any other "proper" tools beyond Procreate's symmetry capabilities for these digital ones this month. It's arguable there are some days I should have because it would've made things easier, but for the most part I've felt pretty comfortable without them.

The background was partly recycled from a rainbow swirl I made several days ago and ended up not using. And I'd tell you which Day that it was almost for, but I genuinely cannot remember for the life of me at the moment. 🫠

But you can see that I went over it with white in a lot of places. I had originally thought about making the whole things just plain black and white, about as unfinished looking as possible, but the idea of having it partially colored in a very unfinished way seemed like the more visually interesting way to go.

I stand by that assessment, though the whole thing did come up looking unintentionally a lot more like stained glass windows that I intended. 😅 Oh well!

I did also add one final, subtle touch; Just a little glitch effect over the coloring. I don't get many opportunities that feel fitting for a glitch effect like that, even though I really enjoy playing with what it does. Somehow that felt appropriate, like maybe the mandala itself glitched out at some point and that's why it's so unfinished. (Thank God that's not actually a thing that happened, though!)

Is it amazing? Probably not really, but y'know I think I could've done much worse, all things considered. I do think it's pretty in it's own unique way; I didn't expect to like the half-finished elements so much, but here we are! 😊

As usual, I'm not looking forward to cross-posting—especially after having done it once already today!—But I do feel at least a little better knowing I've got a super-obvious choice for the music pairing on Instagram...Here's hoping it'll actually cooperate with me when I attempt to add it. 🤞

That said, I best be getting to that now. See you Sparklers in hopefully less of a rush tomorrow! 😵‍💫

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See the Prompt List

Artwork © me, MysticSparklewings

Obscutober Concept Inspired by nikolas_tower

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⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

[the-lunar-library]

Writerly Questionnaire

Questionnaire by @davycoquette

This is a very in-depth questionnaire for writers, suitable for original fiction writers, fanfic writers, and people who aren't writing but who are messing around with OCs. It's a lot of fun and I'm glad I stumbled over it.

Original post here.

About You

When did you start writing?

Very, very young. I would write and draw picture books about horses. Occasionally I finished them. The first chapter “book” I completed was called Starlight's Fury and heavily based on The Silver Stallion and similar wild horse stories. It was also only 3100 words. Short chapters, big writing, and lots of illustrations.

Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write?

Sometimes. I have no interest in writing romance novels from the 1960s, but if I can find them cheap secondhand, I will snatch them up. I'm trying to think if there's themes I seek out without wanting to write them myself, and I sort of have the opposite... I tend to avoid stories centered on love triangles, but in my original fiction, I keep writing relationships that, if they aren't exactly triangles, veer awfully close. Eider-Diarca-Yew, Charmian-Jimson-Rigmor, Akantha-Alexandros-Genesius, and, yes, another one for the fourth book. In my own mind, I can declare these aren't love-triangly love triangles, but possibly I am kidding myself.

Is there an author (or just a fellow writer?) you want to emulate, or one to whom you're often compared?

I wrote last week about how Tanith Lee greatly affected my voice was I was developing it in the mid-2000s. The combination of her conversational tone and unexpected imagery really struck me, and I still find myself looking back to her and thinking how she would approach certain narrative moments.

I once heard a professor say that Emily Dickinson's writing style “scared him” because it was so spare and direct, and, my golly, I would love to be able to do that, and it's something I keep in mind when heading into heavier subjects. (I don't always want to scare the reader, but I often want that direct impact.)

Recently, my mother read The Alice Network by Kate Quinn and said its style reminded her of mine. But I don't think there's anyone I've been often compared to.

Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)? (Room, coffee shop, desk, etc.)

I love the idea of writing in a cozy coffee shop, but the truth is that I would probably be too distracted. I tend to write in my bedroom, cross-legged on the floor. When I was younger, I mostly wrote longhand and would snatch whatever writing time I could, during free periods, in cars, that sort of thing; I would take my writing notebook to school and on trips.

What's your most effective way to muster up some muse?

The muse, she does not come when she's called. She likes music though. A lot of the time, any music will do, just to create a sense of shut-in-ness and a barrier from the world. If I'm writing something emotional, then I might go for really emotional music. (I wrote the last chapter of The Stars Are Fire with “Weight of the World” on repeat.)

But I don't rely on my muse if I can help it. When I was younger I did, and my (original) first drafts spanned years, and en route I often ran out of interest and momentum and they languished unfinished. So now, when life allows it, I try to set time aside (a 30 minute block, say), and that's for writing (includes editing) and you just have to sit and write, sorry, but yes, you may take breaks between paragraphs. This allows me to write much more quickly, and the idea that I won't be working on this first draft for years affords me a light at the end of the tunnel. I don't expect it to always work, but right now, it works enough.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

Yeah, somewhat. Relatives' homes, different areas where they lived (the differences in scenery, animals, overall moods), and then where I grew up, traces of it have shown up in my writing. As for people, that's a tricky thing to cop to, basing characters on people you know. I don't have any characters that are one-to-one analogues of people I know. When it comes to antagonists (dangerous territory), I try to draw more on my own negative traits and bend or exaggerate them rather than settle scores writing someone I know as a villain.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

Ones that I've noticed include guilt, a sense of being cursed, conflict between once-friends, untrustworthy romantic interests, large snakes, learning how to break free/express anger in a useful way. They're not surprising. Not that I'm an edgelord or something, but these are things I'm interested in, these are things that I think make for really powerful stories.

I could also sweepingly say DEATH, because that is something I return to, though I think more in fanfiction than in original fiction. Lost Savior, Elysion, Death and Ker, The Stars Are Fire, parts of The Muse Trilogy, definitely parts of the unposted Fate stuff – they all focus on mortality and what it means for you (the person dying) and how you cope with it (the person surviving).

I'm sure there are themes that would surprise me, but that's the sort of thing a reader figures out before the writer does.

Your Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character? (Current WIP, past WIP, never used, etc.)

I'm the author, and I'm irresponsible, and I'm saying Alexandros, the trickster prophet from To the Ravens. He's not my favorite in that I think he's particularly admirable. You could definitely pick a better role model. But I love writing him. He's creative, intuitive, over the top, very fun in how he talks and how he acts. He can be warm and reassuring and heroic. He's beautiful and eloquent and he can cut right to the heart of the person he's talking to. But he's always operating from an angle, coming up on your side. He spins explanations quickly, he lies with a smile, and he never looks back. He's exhausting, but so fun to write.

Which of your characters do you think you'd be friends with in real life?

I feel sorry for Diarca, and he's shut up in a mirror, he could use a friend. I would also love to be friends with Wuxle, just an absolutely steady presence, someone who will watch your back when you're in danger while undramatically pointing out you're maybe not making the best decisions. I could see myself befriending Akantha and Karyai and probably even Kokkonas, though we might bicker a lot.

Which of your characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

It's probably too easy to just list off antagonists, particularly the ones who head into Actual Villain territory. Among the “good” or more neutral characters, I think I'd find both Charmian and Yew sometimes frustrating in real life. But then, their bad decisions are part of why their stories happen. I don't think I'd actually dislike them, but there might sometimes be words exchanged.

Tell me about the process of coming up with one, all, or any of your characters.

I don't have any one method. With Eider, I set out to make her very appealing – I designed her to be extremely beautiful for that fairy tale factor, and I wanted her to be very brave and earnest in the hopes the reader would really get behind her. So there were a lot of deliberate choices made in her creation. Similarly, Arsen was intentionally written to evoke gothic romantic hero tropes, hopefully to examine them in an interesting way. Other characters come along in a more as-you-go sort of way. I've talked about how Jimson was originally a more villainous character, and I'm not sure what exactly changed him – the needs of the story versus how I felt while writing the character – but he definitely circumvented my plans. Akantha was originally a defiant trickster character, but researching the lives of Greek women in antiquity ended up being more interesting to me, so I wrote her well within those confines, defying them in a more slowly building way.

Right now, I'm brainstorming a possible ghost character, but at this stage I don't have much set in stone – some world-building ideas for where the ghost comes from, some tropes I might use for their personality. I think part of this process is going to involve reading different ghost stories from different sources and seeing if that shakes any interesting ideas loose. From there, I might just start listing possible tropes, origins, arcs, regardless of whether they're good, and see what connections form. Or maybe I'll work on a different character from that project and the arc of that character could end up shaping the ghost's arc secondarily. It's still early enough that things could head in so many directions; the ghost doesn't even have a name yet.

Do you notice any recurring themes/traits among your characters?

Many! There's the stuff I mentioned above, like Yew, Charmian, and Akantha all considering themselves cursed in some respect. I see some similarities between Jimson and Alexandros, these charmers who have some pragmatism behind their smiles. Mabry and Yew are also somewhat similar, bold, irreverent, even having some similarity in their designs with their long sleek hair and big dark eyes. Charmian and Akantha both deal negatively with arranged marriages. These characters aren't identical, but they share some themes and ideas I've been turning over and exploring from book to book.

How do you picture them? (As real people you imagined, as models/actors who exist in real life, as imaginary artwork, as artwork you made or commissioned, anime style, etc.)

I'm able to draw them, and that's another way I refine their characters. (Though in many cases, I don't draw them until after the project is finished.) Even so, it's not perfect. I can draw a figure with the necessary traits, but it doesn't necessarily capture the character. I still feel like I haven't ever properly drawn Arsen, and though I've gotten closer with Diarca, he's still elusive. Still not entirely pleased with any pictures I've done of Genesius – I don't think I've quite gotten his maturity, maybe. Real people do sometimes influence the characters' designs; I'd been watching lots of Poldark ahead of writing The Price and Prey of Magic, and my goodness, Aidan Turner and his deep sultry voice definitely passed some DNA on to Arsen.

I realize though that's not quite the question. How do I see them in my mind, as real people or drawings? I think it's closer to real people, but real people whose faces are still sometimes a bit blurry and uncertain to me.

Your Writing

What's your reason for writing?

I've always done it, and I've always been considered good at it (for my age group, when that was still applicable). As with a lot of writers, there's a sense in which writing's difficult and I drag my feet, but simultaneously I can say that I love it, I get an emotional and even a physical sense of well-being from it. It makes me feel accomplished, it organizes my thoughts. Being able to write, especially original projects, often feels like it's a sign of my mental health being good. When my mental health isn't as good, writing fanfiction allows for a lot of comfort and fun, emotional release, and interacting with other fans. (Which is not to say I only write fanfiction when things are going wrong in my life – don't worry about that! But for years I felt like I couldn't write original stuff anymore and fanfic gave me a way to keep writing.)

In a more exterior way, there's a quote from the Matilda movie that I can only paraphrase, but which has always stood out to me: That writers send their books out like ships to bring messages to people. I'm not claiming to have very deep material, but I think about how much enjoyment other writers' books (and fics) have given me, and I would love to pass that on as a writer.

Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

All comments made in good faith, even criticism, are generous gifts. But the comments that really stand out tend to be specific – lines people liked, twists that surprised them, theories they have. One comment I remember from years and years ago was an anon on Fanfiction.net who noticed I updated a certain fic the same day every week, and that made them look forward to that day all week. Another reviewer said that years after first reading it, they still quoted one of my fics. Learning that is so touching and I'm feeling all fuzzy writing about it now.

As for criticism, I've definitely gotten it, and while I don't always agree with it, I think I can tell when the reader's put thought and honesty into their feedback. So even if I don't make the changes they suggest, the feedback is still valuable. Other times, the critic's been exactly right, and even if the feedback comes too late for me to change a project, I can still keep it in mind as I write new things.

In general though, comments in and of themselves are motivating. You might know people are reading a fic, you might see the hit number going up, but not hearing what people think about it is discouraging.

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work? (For example: as a literary genius, or as a writer who “gets” the human condition; as a talented worldbuilder, as a role model, etc.)

It's that Matilda quote again. I really, really want you to enjoy my writing, whether it's original or a fic. I want you to read it and remember it years later, and it gives you a warm nostalgic feeling, taking you back to that time in your life. When it comes to characters and world-building, I hope people find them intriguing and worth studying for their own writing, and I hope the themes and my takes on them resonate with people. But the real thing, the crucial thing, is that I hope you like my writing and remember it.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

It's hard not to think of an answer that doesn't come from someone else. It's also easier to focus on shortcomings. Part of the problem is that quality is subjective, so something I really like about my writing could be just the thing a given reader hates.

I think I'm capable of some good poetic language. For some people, it might shade too purple; other people might say it doesn't go purple enough. Some would say that if I like a line, I should make like Faulkner and kill it, but I don't subscribe to that motto. If you let all your darlings live, will you let some awful cringey lines survive? Yeah, probably. But experience will make you better able to hear what sounds awkward and what doesn't, and, honestly, better that your writing be awkward and memorable than serviceable and anonymous.

What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others?

People note my descriptions, my dialogue, especially funny one-liners. Readers have also liked (or at least been affected by) my emotional endings, particularly in fanfic. On reflection, my fics' endings tend to be received pretty well.

How do you feel about your own writing? (Answer in whatever way you interpret this question.)

It's tiresome to harp on, but I do see a lot of flaws in my writing. I often feel my plotting is weak and I can fumble when it comes to internal rule-/world-building.

On the positive side, right now, at this point in my life (the last 7 – 5 years or so) I'm very happy that my writing's been happening, projects emerging quickly, projects getting finished. I can't know if that will last, but I'm grateful for it as it's happening.

As for the writing itself, looking at it separately from me, my feelings are complicated. Like many (most? all?) writers, I'm writing the stories I want to read, so that's fun. On the other hand, they're written by me, so I can see backstage, as it were, see all the scaffolding and compare the story to an ideal non-existent version of it in my head. So that harshes the fun.

I've written before that when it comes to my fanfic, I'm able to go back after posting and reread it and enjoy it a lot. But rereading my published stuff doesn't offer much relaxation – I'm too caught up in things I can no longer change. I still feel that way with The Price and Prey of Magic and The Escape of Lady Aigle, but with To the Ravens, I have been able to go back and reread it, at least some sections. And while I still see small things I question and wish I could go back and alter, I do enjoy rereading it. I don't know if I've turned some corner or if there's just something special for me about To the Ravens.

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

If I'm looking at this literally, I think I would be too depressed to write. But looking at it theoretically, at the broader question – or maybe just hoping that my initial depressed paralysis would be temporary – yes, I think I would write even if I didn't expect anyone to read. I have writing projects that I never plan on sharing. I have a diary I don't ever want anyone who knows me to read. My favorite fanfic has never been posted, and I'm still torn on whether it ever will be. Like I said above, writing makes me feel good. So if I'm the last human, I think writing would help. And I think I'd want to document things, just in case someone ever did come along.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy? If it’s a mix of the two, which holds the most influence?

I don't know if anyone can write with such selfish purity, if they're intending to share their work. (Again, see my favorite fic, just for me, utterly self-indulgent. But even there, I didn't write it without ever considering what other people would think of it. The barrier of outside criticism was lower, but it was still there.)

So yeah, I think about the audience, in terms of making my ideas clear, or trying to make sure I'm not unwittingly offensive or insensitive, and then, yes, what they might enjoy. On the other hand, I'm very much writing the stories I want to write. My fanfic is mostly for niche JRPGs from the 2000s, 2010s, not exactly white-hot fandoms; even within those fandoms, I don't think I'm writing the subjects or characters that will get the most hits. As for the original stuff, if I was going for mass appeal, all three novels would be markedly different. I don't think I would've written a book about a second-century snake cult on the moon.

But I think there's a subtler answer. There's “readers” as in generic, mainstream readers. And then there's people who read my stuff. These are people I do and don't know, and if they like some of my writing, I'd like to think they'd enjoy more of it. I wouldn't want someone to read one of my fics/books and be majorly disappointed by another. At the same time, you can't expect to hit the target for every reader every time; that's unreasonable.

This answer is just getting more garbled. Yes, I do both. I have no idea what the percentages are, but I think generally it's always best to be true to yourself in writing, even if it might alienate some readers. Again, better to alienate and make an impression than to be palatable and easily forgotten.

[unluckyxse7enart]

Going through some old fanfic snippets I never finished, and I decided I'm gonna post some of them here! They're all pretty old, and again, unfinished, so don't mind the lack of editing or ooc-ness, but I feel like some of these are cute or have some good little moments so I thought I'd share them! I'm going to be dropping them into the queue sometime in the near future, so look forward to that uwu

(Also most of the ones I'm clearing out are gonna be Homestuck so eyyyy anyone who's been following me since those days, hopefully that'll be a nice treat!)

[zephfair]

@kelliealtogether Thank you so much for the tag! 😘 I was just looking at stats the other day, and it’s interesting!

How many works do you have on ao3? 58

What’s your total ao3 word count? 573,770

What fandoms do you write for? Currently The Raven Cycle. Previously Bleach, Teen Wolf, FF7, Da Vinci’s Demons, Bi no Isu, and Weiss Kreuz. And Tokio Hotel but those half-million words are on another archive. Still have a couple unfinished fics for most old fandoms except TH.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Creature Comforts Teen Wolf. weird Stiles-Derek meet-cute that got so popular (for me) that I wrote a second part.

Will You Accept This Rose? The Raven Cycle. My crack-filled little baby to get Ronan and Adam together on the set of The Bachelorette.

Friends make the best lovers Bleach. Ichigo and Grimmjow school AU.

Familiarity breeds contempt (and affection) Bleach. Ichigo and Grimmjow magic AU.

Fix Me Up Good Teen Wolf. Uuuuugh I can’t believe this ranks so highly 🥴 because it’s a stupid PWP I wrote literally just to see if my writing was any good because my stuff on the other archive never got much attention. It’s awful and I’ve thought many times about abandoning it, but I keep it to humble myself.😶‍🌫️

Do you respond to comments? I want to! I always do in my mind! I love and appreciate each comment more than you’ll ever know! Then I get busy irl and forget to come back and actually write down the damn response. 😖 By then, too much time has passed so my social anxiety kicks in and assumes that I’d be bothering or obnoxious, so I just don’t respond. Please forgive me. 😢 (PLEASE NOTE: I’ve received years’ old responses to my comments and they thrill me to my core! It’s awesome. I just figure I’d be upsetting the commenters so I don’t do it.)

What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I don’t write angst, BUT I did write Sailing Off Anchor which is set between two episodes of Da Vinci’s Demons where they rip apart the two characters who’d finally come together (we all wished carnally) and worked so well together. So ofc, the storytellers tore them apart, put one back in his horribly toxic situation, and that was it for the best part of the series. How am I still so bitter?? So, yeah, my fic has a canonical ending so it’s not hopeful.

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? All the rest of them. I want escapism when I read and write so I try to give the characters a … happy ending. 😉😏 Some more literally than others.

Do you get hate on fics? No, I’ve never gotten true hate, thank you all. I had one DVD reviewer who would ruthlessly critique my fics for plotting, pacing, OOC-ness, but they actually made some really good points, so if it was hate, it backfired.

Do you write smut? Yeah. 😏😘

Do you write crossovers? Yes, I have and I would again.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of.

Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes! For TH, translations into Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian, I think. For DVD, Russian.

Have you ever co written a fic? No, but I’d be possibly willing to try. I just have a very chaotic approach to writing that I’m not sure would be amenable to sharing. 😂

What’s your all time favourite ship? All of them! 🤣 I loved writing Leo/Riario for DVD, I loved writing Zack/Cloud for FF7, and I’m loving Adam/Ronan for TRC which is my only pairing that ever actually made it to canon.

What’s a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Never say never! I was doing a multi-chapter re-write of DVD at one point, but I know I’ll never finish it because I don’t have the time or energy. And there’s only three or four of us still around, and unfortunately, I would need some external validation to ever take on a project that big again.

What are your writing strengths? N/A I just want to make readers smile, and I will feel thrilled if I make you laugh.🤣

What are your writing weaknesses? All of them? Probably can’t/won’t plot—just vibes. 😋

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I’m a sorry excuse for a language student, so I don’t even attempt to write in another language. There’s too much nuance needed that online translation can’t handle. In TRC, there’s a smattering of Latin here and there in fics I read, and that’s cool, but I truly appreciate when you add a translation in the text or foot notes. I won’t be googling that.

First fandom you wrote for? Weiss Kreuz, but I never posted it except on my locked LJ. The first fic I ever wrote then later posted was FF7 on FFN. The first fic I ever wrote then immediately posted was for TH. ...You can tell I have anxiety.😭

Favourite fic you’ve ever written? That’s like asking a parent to choose their favorite kid! I love so many of them for so many reasons and moods. Probably the one I’m most proud of is Sailing Off Anchor because I still feel like I hit the characters perfectly. For rom-com fluff, Will You Accept This Rose? because I got to write the silly scenes I could see so clearly in my mind. For sheer zany comedy (which seems to be what I’m leaning toward more these days) Special Delivery because it’s based on a true story, and it was so much fun to embellish it and put Ronan through things.😉🤣

I'm going to tag @flightspathfic @lizpaige and @mychemicalrachel but ONLY if you want to/have the time. 😘💖💖💖

[docmerlin]

What's your top three favorite Zelda games you've played so far? 👀

honestly this is a complicated answer but i will DO MY BEST

i've technically played all the main games at least A LITTLE at some point, but there's a handful i haven't finished for a variety of reasons (not having fun, lost cartridge, lack of motivation, playing botw as a photography simulator instead of an adventure game. you know how it is)

i thiiink twilight princess remains as my #1, i haven't revisited it in YEARS but the aesthetic & the characters are just. home 2 me. i'm excited to get to it again bc i feel like i'll follow the story a lot better now that i'm not 12

skyward sword is up there as well, i do think it's partially the nostalgia because it was the first video game i ever pre ordered and was actively looking forward to the release of, but it's also just a good time. i played some of the switch version when it came out and i had fun and it was especially great to see ghirahim again 😌

ocarina of time is like THE zelda game for me, it's the first one i ever played and it's just so very comfy. however playing it again for my ~play every zelda game~ quest has been very slow bc i do not have that sweet 11 y/o ness wonder and whimsy that kept me going the first time

but those are like the long term faves, i finished link's awakening for the first time (the remake) and that was definitely my favorite i've played in order so far, and for sure Up There with my all time faves. somewhere. maybe even above oot gasp

and of course botw is a good time but to me it's in its own category, like it doesn't feel like it exists in the same Ranking as other zelda games so i don't rlly compare them much. one day i'll actually play the main quest line (my unfinished compendium requires it)

so yes it's hard to pick just a few with nostalgia and recency bias going on everywhere 🤣 but as far as games i've played on The Quest so far i think link's awakening & zelda 1 have been my favorites!

[kyanitedragon]

Frankie & Watzie (Unfinished Brain-ness)

[ID: Two gifs from Monster High (2022) episode Unfinished Brain-ness.

Frankie laughs as Watzie jumps on them and licks their face. Frankie puts their hands up, seeing what Watzie will do, as the camera changes to a wide shot. Frankie's sitting on the ground as Watzie spins in their lap, looking for a good spot to lay down. Clawdeen is crouched on the left side of Frankie, and Draculaura is standing on the right. When Watzie finally lays down, Clawdeen coos and pets his nose. As Draculaura talks to Frankie, Frankie pets Watzie's back.

As Frankie finishes their school presentation, Watzie runs over and jumps into their arms. Frankie holds him and laughs as he licks their face. Then they both look out at their classmates, and Watzie gives them a few more licks. End ID]

[bells-of-black-sunday]

I don't think I'm ever going to finish this Tarhos piece, so here it is in all it's unfinished-ness, definitely isn't glory, but it is certainly unfinished

holding him in my teeth and shaking him like a chew toy most days tbh

[danceswithdarkspawn]

Howdy meowdy howdy meowdy, friendo! For Le Ask Game:

2) What is your favorite fic of yours?

7) How do you edit your fics? What do you look for in your edits?

11) What perspective do you write from most and/or least and why? (1st, 3rd limited, 3rd omniscient, deep pov, etc)

15) If you could only write one type of fic (angst, fluff, etc.) for the rest of your life what would it be?

17) Do you have any wips that you can tell us about? What are you most excited for in you wip?

21) Writers choice - pick any of these questions that you want to answer. (Take the opportunity to answer any other ask!)

Have fun! I'll be in your walls if you need me!

Hello, Watermelon Bastard (affectionate)

2: I'm very partial to Two of Swords. Don't know why.

7: What I used to do (back when I was writing on a regular schedule) was do it in chunks. I might do a little bit of cleanup when I started writing for the day, but nothing major. Once the doc was done, I'd sit down, read like, a scene at a time, fix any wonky-ness etc. until I was finished.

If a sentence needed rewriting, I did it in the 1st draft doc; if something major needed to be rewritten, the old went into a scrap doc and the new written in it's place. If there were really big (as in, we're starting over) changes that needed doing, entirely new document.

Now that I write sporadically, I do a lot of rereading and editing in the downtime between sessions, even on unfinished pieces. Once I'm done I come back to it again and again over a week or so until I feel like it's done.

11: probably a toss-up between first and third limited. As for why...when I use first person I want a closer view, but I've only ever done this with my characters, and it doesn't fit right in all situations. for third limited, it's just what I've been using the longest, and that's just kinda my default at this point.

15: I mean I'm already an angst monster, so. That.

17: God I have so many scraps of things lol. I have the Eran/Morrigan vignette series I want to do, a few missing scenes here and there, new longfic idea and works related to it. It's all just A Jumbled Mess. What am I excited for though?

GETTING THROUGH THIS CHAPTER OF BROKEN BIRD I'VE BEEN STUCK ON FOR ALMOST A SODDING YEAR.

I'll get there eventually. *ugly sobbing*

21: I'm going to pick "Are you a fast or slow writer?"

Most times I write at a glacial speed. Other times I write like a squirrel found the coke stash and can hear colors.

[ratguy-nico]

you saw that carpet that i nicely share with u? the one with a bunch of unfinished drawings i shoul be working on? Well i threw all that overboard and start this new shit.

Why you should ask, cause i saw this in @choerrypies perfil and though Gods The Loch Ness Monster has to be one of the coolest shipnames I had ever heard I went and saw the Wharfy episode all over again and draw this immediately.

Sadly like always when I have a rush of inspiration such inspiration tends to leave me down and with an inconclusive taste in my mouth.

Im Gene in that episode of him dreaming the best song just to realise it was shit.

I like the draw but its not great and I dont know if im gonna finish it.

By the way i change the name of the ship to The Wonder Wharf Monster a.k.a. Wharfy cause well is not actually the Loch Ness Monster, not a critic though I really love the name.

People like always this explanation become to long and yet I wanted to tell you more about the actual drawing and whats in it so im gonna post the draw in other post. Again. HAHAHAHA (nervous laugh)

[many-gay-magpies]

Little treat for the Wednesday crowd… I started writing this like the day after I finished watching the show and idk if I’ll finish it, but I figured that if I DON’T there would still be some people interested. So here’s an unfinished piece exploring Wednesday’s mindset, general aspec-ness (because she is aspec and you can fight me on this /lh) and neurodivergence, and unconventional ideas about romance and relationships. Enjoy ❤️

(@fushigojos)

—

Emotions had always been strange friends to Wednesday. It was, in part, what she had told Dr. Kinbott during one of their earlier sessions, prior to the therapist’s violent and untimely murder: emotions were a gateway trait to feelings, and feelings triggered tears, which she had sworn off of after spilling her first and only tears onto Nero’s grave as a small child. They were a liability she could not afford.

This lead many people to mistakenly believe she did not have feelings—which was good, as she quite preferred it when she was perceived to be as cold and unfeeling as the arctic desert. It nipped any ideas about potentially befriending her at the bud and left her in complete solitude, just the way she liked (or, it had until Enid, but that was a story for another day).

Anyway, despite the misconception extending to everyone besides her family (and later, her fellow Nevermore students), Wednesday did in fact feel things. She even enjoyed it sometimes.

She felt content in the center of a thunderstorm; vindicated as she struck the strings of her cello in time with the fire consuming Crackstone’s monument; anticipatory at the appearance of a new mystery, just waiting to be unraveled; thrilled at the promise of torture, whether it was figurative or literal, hers or someone else’s. Still, the common opinion seemed to be that because she didn’t laugh or smile or do “normal” things like get crushes or go to dances, she was an emotionless monster. Thankfully, she didn’t mind being a monster, nor did her parents mind having one for a daughter. The majority of the world being stupidly close-minded and short-sighted was not Wednesday’s problem.

Wednesday knew that she was different. Her being different was never a bad thing; in fact, it was something to be proud of. This was a fact her father and mother both had impressed upon her from a young age.

Some feelings she felt the same as everybody else, others as dark mirrors of their origins, like an angel looking across to the other shoulder and seeing it’s macabre counterpart. Others still she felt completely detached her from the rest of humanity, even from her family—feelings that had never been felt by anyone else before. Feelings reserved for Wednesday and Wednesday alone. They were refreshing, and exhilarating, and incredibly irritating in a million ways she couldn’t name, as well as a million more she could.

The fact that Wednesday didn’t feel things, didn’t see things like the rest of world never mattered, because the rest of the world didn’t matter. She could torture boys in bathrooms and set piranhas loose in swimming pools and it would mean nothing at the end of the day—only another expulsion, another school, another bully to test her patience, wash, rinse, repeat until time freed her from the torturous cycle of the American education system.

None of it mattered, until Nevermore.

Wednesday was used to being the Ghost Orchid in any garden she was planted in, sinking roots into the harsh ground and corrupting everything around her. She took pleasure in it, even: watching the mind of the common teenager whirl, struggle, and eventually cave in in her presence, unable to handle the full dissolution of their narrow worldview.

What she was not used to was caring about the plants whose habitats she upturned.

Wednesday Adams preferred to be alone, until Enid Sinclair stormed out of the room and (at least it felt like) out of her life, taking the rainbow of colors that had plagued Wednesday’s life for the past two months with her.

Enid Sinclair was insufferably bubbly, nauseatingly colorful, and alarmingly affectionate. By every fact of herself she knew to be true and every principle they clashed at the precipice of, Wednesday should have hated her. Instead, she was curled up on the floor at the very center of the line that split their relationship in two, a knife of mourning wrenching itself in her chest with a pain that rivaled that of Nero’s death. When had she grown to tolerate her roomate’s vivacity? When had that tolerance turned into attachment, enough so to feel such palpable loss at her absence?

It felt impossible, that she should look at the side of the room still bursting with color bright enough to give her a migraine and think that anything at all was missing, but she did anyway.

Enid’s words smacked around in Wednesday’s head as sickeningly as the opening to the movie Tyler had shown her in Crackstone’s crypt all those nights ago: because that’s what’s friends do. They don’t have to be asked. The fact that you don’t know that says everything.

How was I meant to know? thought Wednesday bitterly, for the first time opening a valve in a dam of feelings she’d been firmly repressing since she was a child experiencing loss’s first vicious sting. Who was there to teach me? I have never had anyone who stayed simply because they wished to rather than because they had to. I have never had anyone choose me. You were the first, and now I’ve lost you.

Wednesday was a raven, a ghost orchid, a carrion bird. As Xavier would later tell her, anger ripening his words red, she ruined everything she touched. She walked in death’s shadow, feeding on the sinew and marrow of the beasts it took when it was done with them. She hunted death—or perhaps death hunted her, knowing that wherever she circled, it would soon find prey. They walked side by side, neither ahead of the other, closer friends and allies than any Wednesday could hope to find in the living.

She hunted death, so there was little place in her heart for anything else.

—

There were, as previously established, many things Wednesday did not understand. One of them was love. Romantic love, specifically.

It was easy enough to recognize that Enid had a crush on Ajax, register vaguely in her mental catalogue of social repertoire what that meant, and act on it, but Wednesday’s familiarity with the subject started and ended there. She had never felt anything akin to the romance that her parents spoke of so ravishingly, nor did she plan to. Indeed, the closest thing she’d ever gotten to it was probably the sick glee she’d felt at seeing the pool water fill with blood after her swift, brutal enactment of Pugsley’s revenge.

To Wednesday, romantic love seemed an unbearably gushy burden that would only serve to weigh her down in the face of her more practical pursuits, like writing novels and solving murders. Still, she could admit that she wondered from time to time—the same way a carcinologist wonders about the worldview of a shrimp with 16 color receptors—what it felt like.

Maybe that was why she let Tyler kiss her.

Kissing was a strange sensation. Wednesday could not be sure, however, whether the strangeness came from the act itself or from quirks unique to her partner. Truthfully, to form a more generalized opinion on the matter, she would have had to collect data from a much larger study pool than just one person—i.e, a variety of kissing partners in a variety of different settings—but that thought was neither feasible nor especially pleasant.

Tyler’s touch was hot and firm, almost possessive, the slide of his lips slick against Wednesday’s. Equally slick was the curl of some nauseous creature in Wednesday’s gut, something not quite identical to (but perhaps a close cousin of) the curl of dread felt at witnessing a disembowelment.

It was vaguely uncomfortable, but not sour enough to be truly thrilling. Wednesday leaned in again after the first kiss, then again after that, each time waiting for the small twinge of discomfort to unfurl into a beast of dark distaste to be fed by her movements, but it never did. The feeling stayed—disappointingly, underwhelmingly—small.

Wednesday had a moment of wondering if this was just how romance was meant to feel—wrong, not in the way of cosmic horror, but in the restrained dread of waiting for a rollercoaster drop that would never come—before realizing that her parents could not possibly spend so much of their torrid lives obsessing over it if that were the case.

Perhaps it was just her, then: twisting good feelings into sick, perverse mirrors of themselves the way she always did. Her experiences were already so far removed from the societally-established norm; was it really that far of a stretch to say she could not feel pleasure as the rest of the world could?

Then a feeling like touching live where ran all the way up Wednesday’s spinal chord and she was seeing him, not him now but past-him, naked and covered in blood over the mauled body of Dr. Kinbott, and every thought of kissing and romance was wiped from her brain in the face of the pure, unequivocal truth.