#for reminding me how to write a proper action scene

[semperintrepida]

wow have I actually finished writing this action scene I've been stuck on for the past three weeks? Incredible performance, I'll be done writing this story in 2030.

[matan4il]

911 ep 701 first watch reactions

(I don't think I have the energy to write proper Buddie meta, so here's me randomly squealing instead...)

LMAO In case you were wondering whether s7 of 911 will be subtle about their gratitude/debt to ABC for saving the show, the answer is a resounding no.

Also, I have lost a lot of respect for Frank as a shrink, but gained a lot of love for him as a sass king. "Did she win!?" The murderous look Athena gave him was priceless. I love her, too. She doesn't even need words to rule.

Man, nooooo. Don't give me a mutual "I love you" between Bobby and Athena like that.

"Go ahead and cut the green wire." Everyone and their sister: "Green? You said Red."

9-1-1 is the superior comedy they slipped into our drink, while we were here for our weekly action, suspense, drama and familial love.

Buck broke off with Natalia, and the show really did it like that. XD Every single person who rolled their eyes at this pairing during s6, we were all justified, but wow. The show really is the only forum to respect the pair even less than fandom does. And of course we find out about it in the middle of a scene built around Eddie being half naked, Buck watching him, with the camera specifically turning so we can discover Buck was initially covered by Eddie's body, and the angle change reveals him, when the whole thing wraps up with Eddie welcoming Buck back to the land of the living... Yeah, wonder what made Buck feel alive again. Don't know. 'Tis a mystery. We were given zero clues...

"I want the honeymoon life." *cries* Chimney is just such a good, good man. And okay, expecting your whole life to be a honeymoon's a bit unrealistic, but Madney are living together and they have a child. They know this. Chim knows this, but he still wants to go for it. Aim for the moon, you'll at least land among the stars, right?

Bobby baffled by Athena's reaction to Norman and Lola is hilarious.

I like how Chim has a great idea, but it's still obvious that it's gonna go wrong, because he can't help going overboard with it...

OMG, that scene with Eddie recounting to Buck what Christopher's date was like... If I were to write my Buddie meta, I would serve a three course meal just from that. I mean, the fact that watching Chris hanging out with a girl he likes, makes Eddie compare it to "hanging out with his guy friends" (when there's no lack of interest in this girl... in fact, it turns out that if anything, Christopher's problem is the opposite of a lack of interest) is so telling. There's a reason why that's where Eddie's mind went.

But then also... Eddie's trust in Buck got to me, the way he went to his best friend (not his own gf) for help with Chris. But that was still played with half a smile. But then Buck sort of disses himself jokingly, and Eddie won't have it. "You didn't end up like you." He sees how Buck worked on being a better person, even when Eddie wasn't there for the worst of it, and he appreciates it, and won't let Buck forget it. Meeeep. I love them.

Oh Chim. I was giving you so much credit, and then you went and bought that outdoors jacuzzi. lol Still love him. That's what Maddie's reminding herself of right now, too. ;p

Poor Hen, she was great in this ep, but none of it was really about her, she was comic relief, both with Chim and with the red wire. Then again, she was amazing in this, like she always is with everything.

Eddie and Buck were both so good with Chris this ep, MY HEART. Buck with getting him to talk about what's really bothering him, and Eddie with realizing exactly what his son needs, and how to give it to him. They completed each other. Neither one would be helping Chris without the other one. Tell me again how they're not soulmates?

In conclusion, I love Bobby saying, "Let's go prove one of us wrong," when they're both right. Something WAS going on with Norman and Lola, AND Athena was using them to avoid him.

Argh. That scene of the ship and its passengers being hijacked was rough to watch. </3 I'll still be here to watch the conclusion of this. That's the power of 9-1-1 for you.

It def felt like a great kick to the new season. We had lots of comedy and fun, some great tension, some emotional moments (especially with Christopher), but all in all, it's still clear that the whole thing's a build up to next week. Are you excited?

[fantaatix]

a stolitz post? in the year of our lord??

warning this is genuinely a long ass post

okay so sometime last month i was watching 3bskyen’s JLMW reaction (really tells you how long i’ve actually been cooking this post), and he was talking about color theory or something but what caught my attention was that he was paused on THIS frame:

he said something about the red/blue contrast throughout the music video; red being symbolic of blitz (the moon) and blue being symbolic of stolas (the ocean (?)) and it got me thinking, i wonder what the gold might symbolize? because this definitely isn’t the first time we’ve seen the color gold in reference to stolitz. first think back to truth seekers, there’s gold in quite a few places

golden rails, golden feathers, golden shackles; this is why i say gold and not yellow. at first i thought it might be symbolic of the power imbalance, but that’d be too easy.

quite the selection of objects, isn’t it? rails imply safety but can also be restricting, the feathers seem harmless but then turn into shackles…possibly reminiscent of the nature the book deal and the role it actually played in blitz’s mind about his relationship with stolas.

but there’s one more thing i left out; the golden dust

...okay...don't laugh...

first time i saw this scene in truth seekers i was immediately reminded of shrek ever after

AND I’M NOT COMPARING BLITZ TO RUMPELSTILTSKIN, i’m not trying to imply they stole from shrek ever after, THAT'D be a stretch. if anything blitz is better compared to shrek himself, but i'm not gonna write about that because i Don't Want To

but if i’m remembering correctly, that movie revolved around the theme of taking good things for granted, like your partner and your friends, which aligns pretty well with how blitz’s bad trip ends:

“i believe your subconscious is trying to tell you that you simply cannot fathom proper intimacy, but also craves it as well. it’s rather unfortunate, sir, considering it’s often how you treat those who stand by you, such as myself. are you worried i may have enough of it one day, as well?”

"you cannot fathom proper intimacy."

blitz doesn’t know how to be close to other people–i don’t think he understands the relationship he has with any of the people in his life.

we still don’t truly know blitz’s full belief on love and we can only deduce it from his actions; he says monogamy is boring but then goes on to stalk his monogamous employees, on their anniversary no less, bringing along his own singular date...

he focuses on the sex in his relationships because that’s what he’s good at; he finds sex less complicated than romance... and then struggles to get his asmodean crystal to open a portal because he can’t get it off.

he has this recurring pattern where the title of “best friend” eventually turns into something else, often unrequited...

“...my first ever friend!”

he didn't expect stolas' intimate attraction to him. stolas made the connection and it succeeded in making blitz feel guilty about stealing the book; that was why he stayed the night. blitz isn't used to not being rejected, even though he has a record of relationships that stopped once the Evil Four Letter Word came up. when he goes into a relationship, blitz has learned to not expect it to evolve past sex. love has negative connotations to him.

the worst part is we don’t know for certain WHY any of this is, or if it can even be chalked down to a singular thing

yeah, his mom died in a fire blitz caused, his best friend/crush lost his limbs in a fire blitz caused, he’s been treated as property since a young age; you can makes all kinds of correlations between these events and how they might have affected him later in life but as it stands now, we have no concrete answers other than the conclusion that blitz hates himself and has commitment issues.

but back onto that “taking things for granted” tidbit–subconsciously, he knows relationships can be good, but he feels he has to give up a lot of freedom in order to maintain one of his own.

also note how blitz is desperately crawling up the staircase, feathers kind of just hitting him haphazardly as he does so, as opposed to trip!moxxie who takes a few steps up after picking up a feather of his own volition. he knows moxxie’s relationship is more stable than any relationship he’s ever had, and yet:

“stop fucking talking, all of you!”

cue the gold dust.

now, i'm not saying the book deal was a good thing. in fact, it kind of reinforced the power imbalance between blitz and stolas. i'm saying that from blitz's perspective, it was a safeguard. any feelings he might have had for stolas before could be dismissed, and he does exactly that one episode prior;

"it's a transactional fucking, you see..."

what i think he does take for granted is the advice “moxxie” gives to him, his attempts to reach out in a meaningful manner, kind of like stolas’ attempts to reach out. he ignores them both; he’s too deep into his own denial.

also, STAIRCASES IN THIS FUCKING SHOW.

why do these fruity little men think so low of themselves and so highly of others??

i guess that's a bit of a rhetorical question, we all know the answer, but. wait. hold on a sec

ohhhh.

OOOHHHH, that's what this post was gonna be about!

i fucking GOT all of you, you thought i could go a post without talking about him you're WRONG and should feel SILLY.

so this was the OTHER thing i realised when watching 3bskyen's JLMW reaction: it follows the same theme as moxxie's bad trip!

JLMW vs. moxxie's bad trip

in helluva boss, we're used to seeing staircases being symbolic of a difference in power or importance, or a staircase to heaven, or a highly anticipated event going wrong *cough cough ozzie's cough full moon cough cough*

however, i think in the context of moxxie’s bad trip and JLMW, it can also be attributed to emotional distance. like stolas, moxxie's also looking for an emotional intimacy/understanding between him and blitz (he spends his whole trip actively trying to get on the same level as him for crying out loud).

this could also fit into blitz's bad trip; he's trying to get on the same level as stolas, but feels like even if he ever did, he'd still be inherently worthless. a "play thing".

he doesn’t know why anyone would want him for anything else, but he’s clearly not all about the hierarchy.

they need to get on the same level as each other emotionally; they need to break the power dynamic, and thats why the book deal had to go.

the difference in the symbolism is that while blitz has a straight and narrow path to trip!stolas, moxxie’s path to trip!blitz is this winding, unguarded staircase. he almost falls off.

now, compared to both of those, stolas’ path is a fucking stroll. albeit an emotionally damaging stroll, but it takes less physical strength.

conclusion; stairs are symbolic of a difference in power, but gold is symbolic of something else.

and there is a power dynamic between moxxie and blitz. it's not like stolas and blitz's dynamic, it's an artificial imbalance; blitz is the boss, moxxie is the employee. and moxxie has his own inferiority complex, which i think plays a role in it too.

the imbalance between stolas and blitz is kind of, unfortunately, inherited. but it's not impossible to manage. of course, stolas doesn't care about where blitz is on the hierarchy, he doesn't care about the hierarchy period. but it's still there. blitz cares because it affects him.

"you will be technically under his jurisdiction, but..."

this was problem one. stolas unintentionally demonstrating his power over blitz. "surprise, i technically made you someone else's property! please love me!" i'm exaggerating but this is definitely not the kind of thing you spring on your partner; they needed to talk about this beforehand, but according to stolas:

"no need for an arrangement, it can just be him and me!"

sigh. the many different ways this night could've gone

this is enough to trigger blitz's fight or flight. he wants to be with stolas, but he doesn't want the freedom to choose to be with him, which is problem two:

because blitz's belief of love is so inherently fucked up,

what are the chances that the very thing stolas gave to blitz to reaffirm his free will was just interpreted as another shackle?

blitz doesn't do commitment; stolas doesn't say "i love you", he doesn't need to. if you love something, you let it go, and if it comes back then it's yours--which happens in the very next episode.

blitz is the first person to mention love.

but if they want to love each other, they have to be equals, which was why the book deal had to go. they can't hold each other to these super high standards because that'd just set themselves up for disappointment. they have to be on the same level.

tldr: they're two sides of the same coin. literally!

color theory for dummies, a brief intermission

fun fact: i actually didn’t learn color theory in an art class, but in a textiles class. we love american education. but anyways, i’m gonna ask you to draw your attention specifically to the complementary colors.

we start the chorus of JLMW in a purpley sort of place, which then shifts into gold, and then into the red/blue contrast.

except red and blue aren’t complete opposites, they’re both primary colors.

if they wanted complete opposites, they could’ve used red and green, or blue and orange, which are admittedly uglier combinations but the point is that stolitz aren’t complete opposites.

however, purple and yellow, or gold, ARE complete opposites; they’re complementary colors. if purple is implied to be symbolic of stolitz together, then could gold imply stolitz apart?

well…no. i think that’s the wrong angle. if they wanted that contrast, they could have left the gold out entirely, because red and blue separate is stolitz apart.

so how are we supposed to deduce what the gold is actually symbolic of? because no, i don’t actually think it’s an extended shrek 4 reference. that kind of exclusively pertains to blitz’s trip.

listening to the lyrics in the gold part;

This unspoken contract

A deed we forged for mutual gain

If that's all this was when you're not here

What is this rooted pain?

I don't care that you're of lower station

Or primed to sate my dark temptations

Why can't you understand? Let me explain

And I'm terrified as I cry

To make these feelings true

What's left for me and my broken heart

If I cannot have you?

a direct mention of the book deal…and another mention of the power imbalance…so i realize am starting to sound insane, but please hear me out.

i think the main theme of helluva boss IS learning to love in spite of damages and traumas and insecurities–not ignoring either of those, but learning to work around them or possibly heal those parts of yourself so you can love someone else effectively. learning from mistakes.

so what if the gold is symbolic of the simple desire of a mutual understanding? or a meaningful connection with someone else?

tying it all back together somehow

both moxxie and stolas want to connect with blitz (in different ways), but for stolas, that means severing possibly the only thing connecting them thus far (the book). for moxxie, that means climbing the staircase and possibly being pushed even further away.

moxxie also has this high opinion of blitz despite all his obvious (and not so obvious) flaws. i think it's partially because of his own inferiority complex, but to him, blitz is the phantom--his scar becomes the mask he hides behind. he knows blitz puts on this loud, crude personality to hide his cracks and keep others away, and has a scarily accurate portrayal of him in his mind.

moxxie wants to be on the same level as blitz, and he knows it's possible to get there, because he's a damaged character himself and he gets it. he's just yet to take the actual first step.

stolas, even in his own imagination, doesn't think it's possible to be emotionally intimate until the deal is broken. he could reach for blitz, but blitz wouldn't reach back. he's not looking. not to mention the literal celestial view he has of blitz in his head.

while stolas can see blitz's damage, he can't fully comprehend it yet, partially because blitz won't give him the chance and partially because stolas isn't damaged in the same way he is. they both had deadbeat dads, but they adapted in different ways.

that's just the way trauma works, you adapt to deal with it, and then have to unadapt those unhealthy coping mechanisms once you're finally safe. it just takes a while for people to realize they're actually safe, and these fruitcakes are no exception.

conclusion? uhh, i don't know, i guess i don't really have one. just. enough with the discourse about these bitches i guess??? just give them each some time, change takes more than two seasons.

i guess i could compare the way the songs are set up but this was supposed to be out like two days ago and it's already 11:45 so. maybe some other time, maybe in a post about moxxie's Interesting taste in musicals

was unfortunately unable to finish the mox vs. fizz masterpost this month but we'll see sometime in the coming months, maybe sometime after the next helluva short comes out. been a bit too busy with school and other social things to have time writing these long asf posts about my skrimblos

okay goodnight o/

[nalyra-dreaming]

Let me use this opportunity of getting weird Loumand anons once more to say something that's been on my mind:

All the bad faith, passive aggressive anon asks (especially those wanting to make the "ships" about the fandom "shipping them" (or not) because of "color" and "racism") I see around piss me off sooooo much.

Lets look at the "ships" we have so far:

Loustat: difficult, at times toxic, later not so much, endgame

Loumand: difficult, at first infatuated, then dead, later healing

Lesmand: difficult, at times insane, obsessive in parts

Devil's Minion: difficult, intense, at times insane, obsessive in parts, endgame

What have all these "ships" in common?

They are canon relationships. And they are difficult.

Two of those are endgame.

Let's dive in (a bit).

Loustat:

At this point not much has to be said about why Loustat are toxic in parts, but that changes - their character journeys are inverted, and they are endgame. Two sides of the same coin. They are "petty and in love" as Jacob called it, and they are "it" for each other, for better or for worse.

Loumand:

Born from Lesmand actually, because Lestat goes to Armand to make him care for Louis (and for Armand's blood), which... works. But the initial infatuation phase, while honest on Louis' side, is based on Armand's fascination with him because of Lestat. He gaslights Louis into loving him. I bet they will be very much shown to be in love, and then the shit will hit the fan and then... Louis will be destroyed, for a long, long time. Qualifies as toxic for me, too, btw. The Loumand in later years, in Trinity Gate (or Dubai?) is a more healing one, one where Louis comes to terms with who he is and what he wants in safe, stable, loving surroundings. And I bet they are freaks in the sheets :P

Lesmand:

Obsessive, and while loving definitely more so from Armand's side than Lestat's. He "imprints" on Lestat when he sees him because Lestat reminds him of Marius, and a lot of Armand's actions are informed by his need for Lestat, and the fact that Lestat upends his world. That said, the fascination itself is mutual, and I bet the show will have them engage in a proper affair.

Devil's Minion:

Wohooo, Daniel, a gift from Louis for Armand!!! Armand shifts full on obsessive and love on Daniel, Daniel, who will become his only fledgling. (And who goes mad for a while, too!) The show has obviously expanded the journey, but I don't think it will change too much - Daniel is the only one Armand could not let die. Talk about love beyond reason or endurance.

ALL OF THESE SHIPS ARE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE VC.

YOU CANNOT PUT A VALIDATION BASED ON SKIN COLOR ON THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL VALID.

And they are canon.

Saying the fandom doesn't "ship" Loumand because of them being POC is just ludicrous.

If you think Louis in Dubai in season 1 is "happy" I don't know what to tell you. We haven't really seen "happy" Loumand yet, and, depending on how they spin it(!) we might not even see it in season 2, though I think they will make it seem as if it is happy and "pure" at first.

But they might throw in the horror of Claudia knowing (and she does, canonically, she tries to warn Louis!) and being ignored by Louis (failing her again) in - in fact, I take the little info of the scenes we have of Sam and Armand filming as precisely that, namely that they make it clear that there is a relationship there as well... and how that relationship enables Loumand.

And then Armand will kill Claudia. And Madeleine.

And Louis will stay with him.

Personally I found later Loumand always very healing, as said. (But, personally(!!!!!!), also a bit boring. I love them, but... writing them (i.e.) does not hold much appeal right now.

But that might change with the upcoming seasons!) But the Loumand in Paris?? Hell, that's not even real, Armand gaslights Louis into loving him, uses his spell gift and mind gift as influence, poor Louis. And it will hurt Louis, incredibly so.

Making it seem as if people, especially people with a background in the books, do not "ship" them because of the actors' skin color... is just...

There's many, many reasons to ship them.

There's many, many reasons not to.

I OBVIOUSLY cannot speak for everyone. But these simplified takes are becoming so tiresome, when there are so many other reasons that need to be considered.

And honestly, as said before, I fully expect parts of this fandom to turn on Armand when he is being himself, when his relationship to Lestat is becoming clear, when his meddling and role in Claudia's death are clear and... can you imagine the outcry when they actually kill off the black (likely) lesbian character and her lover. -.-

If they actually chop of Claudia's head on stage.

Mayhem.

Which brings me to the next part:

My predictions for season 2:

Louis hurting, seeing Lestat everywhere (outcry)

Loumand in love, oh so sweet, look at them

Claudia gets a girlfriend!! (Sweet!)

What is Lestat doing there? (outcry)

What, Armand is interested in Louis because of Lestat?? (outcry)

What, Louis is yearning for Lestat?? (outcry)

What, Armand is doing what to Claudia (and Madeleine)? "ThEy KiLl tHe gAys!!" ((outcry)

Armand throws Lestat off a tower (Meh, he deserved it, should have been much worse)

What, Louis stays with Armand?? (outcry)

Whatever will go on with Louis and Lestat (outcry)

At some point people will turn on Assad, I agree here with what has been said by others on this.

They could not separate Sam from Lestat, they will not do so for Assad, in fact THERE I can easily see it be much worse, because of the racial implications.

I can also see them turn on Jacob btw, because Louis stays with Armand. "How could he". -.-

So: Even if you are only a "show fan", if you have no idea of what the books might bring... the hiatus is still very long, and going and hating on people, accusing them of racism, because people who know the books go a bit bonkers when they see certain bts photos... is on you - not them.

These ships are all canon relationships.

And valid.

End of rant.

[rowanwritestoomuch]

A Lesson on ConCrit -- how to give & recieve

Criticism is often something we all abhor, but in our artwork of writing, we need to understand how to recieve information about editting and how to give it, because we will not succeed without it.

There is no world in which writing is not a collaborative effort-- unless you never share it, in which case, this post is not for you. Keep on doing what you're doing you funky fresh individual. But for the rest of us with a praise kink, this is an ineffeible truth.

So how do we give *constructive* criticism in writing?

We remain focused on improvement.

Never give criticism to harm, never with malicious intent, never to degrade or belittle. Never. Do. This. If you did not like a work but it has skillful merit, it uses grammar properly, it has structure and themeology, it is OKAY to simply accept 'I did not like this' and move on. But if you have something useful to say, something productive for the writer, something genuinely meant in kindness and to improve, it is important to always keep in mind the 'when this, then that' method.

For example; "When [X character] confessed to his lover, it was the cutest thing I've ever seen, but then [Y character] had very little reaction, and it took me out of the scenes where their greater romance was developed. I would suggest when [Y character] is confronted with this information, perhaps we should include some more emotional beats and actions, like describing their expressions or what they think, to make sure the reader stays engaged. Thank you for posting this, I'm enjoying it!" In this bit of criticism, we have kept a constructive approach in mind. We have addressed that 'when this' happened, it made us feel good, but when we found something we thought needed improvement, 'then that' was discussed. We engaged with the artist in a way that did not degrade them but also did not demand that they take our advice, by framing our suggestions in a way that remembers inherent storytelling aspects, like emotions and actions, and we gave positive but not specific suggestions on how to improve those actions, without injecting our own bias into the artist's work.

This is the meat of constructive criticism. We do not want to put each other down. We do not want to taint another's art with our own voice. We want to focus on improvement and respect someone's vulnerability in sharing their work.

Another example; "I noticed that in this scene, I got really lost when [X & Y] were talking because you used a lot of pronouns and not very many proper nouns. In Chapter 3, you had a scene with [X, Y, Z & Q] and it was really engaging for me, I didn't mind the use of proper nouns because I was able to easily keep track of who was talking when. I think it would help both of us follow along better when the characters' names are used more. Really great work, I'm loving the banter between the two." In this example, we point out an error in the execution of the work, a literary thing such as forgotten proper nouns that pull the reader from the scene. In order to encourage the writer, we made sure to include an example of when they did well to remind them how they did well and encouraged them to improve this scene in the same manner as the previously well executed one. We remembered to let them know that we did enjoy the scene, we just got a little lost, and we collaborated with them on how it would help us, the reader, and them, the writer, follow along better. This same kind of concrit can be used for any literary skill mistake, or instead you could simply say "Would you like some help editting your work?" and collaborate with the artist even further. Grammar errors, spelling mistakes, structure issues, use of words and nouns, you can help with those things without placing any blame or anxiety on the writer, and many would love to have several hands edit their work before they do their final drafting. It is important to remember always that our engagement with an artist is a sensitive subject, and we will not gain more art from this person (content, if you will) if we continuosly demand, degrade, disgrace and disregard the feelings of the creators. Respect has to be given and recieved like a gift, and the gift in our metaphor is writing.

Things that you should not comment on; characters you just didn't like--- you can just not like something, the artist doesn't have to change it for you to enjoy, move on. Plot directions or twists that just weren't your flavor--- not every piece has to fit into your ideal of a trope. Only speak on these things when the plot is completely contrived or needs re-structuring to really hit the point it's trying to make. If you just didn't like where the story went, well, it's not for you. It doesn't mean its bad. Understand how to have a discerning eye for the difference between execution and expression. Stylistic choices that just don't hit with you, like purposefully lowercased words, the changing or reformatting of words into new ones, different dialogue types and tags--- these are things the author did on purpose. You do not tell a painter you did not like the use of orange in their sunflower painting, you just move on. That was a choice, not a mistake or a lesson that needs to be learned, and not everyone has to use words the way you do. Focus on being helpful, not being biased. Art is subjective and exists both in the eyes of the artist and the viewer, it is not supposed to be monotypical. To give criticism, one must also be able to recieve it.

It can be hard for someone to comment on our work with something that suggests we made a mis-step. We must always consider what it is that we have to glean from this new information when it strikes us anxious, instead of becoming mired in our own ego. If a reader has something to say about the improvement of your work, it is not a law, they will not abandon you if you do not heed them, and if they do, another one will most likely enjoy the place you decided to remain. Criticism is a very 'take it or leave it or do something with it'. You can hear the reader out when they say that the interactions between characters fell flat for them, but if it was your intention to display the character as apathetic, uninterested, uninvested, distracted or depressed, maybe then the reader just did not pick up what you were putting down. You could change your work because of this, or you could leave it the same and the next reader, or the many silent readers aside, will most likely feel differently. When someone has a suggestion on the changing of grammar, consider--- is it hard to read? I should probably change this, I'm *glad* they pointed it out. We sometimes write with blinders on, it is not an insult for someone to turn our head and make us look in another direction. It is not an insult for someone to suggest we need improvement, especially when they give examples as to how to help. It is not an insult to share our work and accept that not everyone will like it, and that we can take their advice both with grace and with self-respect. Listen to your readers, listen to your heart, and collaborate with the two.

And always, always remember, write because it hurts if you don't.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I remember you mentioning A court of Thorns and roses in your posts once when talking about malleus character archetype. Have you read acotar series? If so I really want to know what you think about it. Your post is how I found out this series. It's pretty meh 😕 to me but I would really like to read your thoughts on it 😊. Also are non twst related ask allowed? If not I'm truly sorry😥. You can just ignore this ask

Oh god 😅 That was such a long time ago that I can’t even locate the original post where I made that comment…

To summarize what I said then, I had expressed that the way Malleus is presented to us reminds me of the bad boy supernatural love interests in romantasy novels. I believe the online book community colloquially refers to these characters as “Shadow Daddies” and I find that hilarious. To clarify, I do NOT mean to say that Malleus is Yuu’s “canon” love interest or anything like that. When I say that Malleus is “like” a Shadow Daddy, it’s just in the tropes they share. (For example, being overpowered, brooding, and misunderstood as a “bad guy” when, in actuality, he has a heart of gold and is just lonely.)

… I’ve actually seen multiple posts comparing Malleus and Rhysand, if you can believe that 💀

The rest of my response isn’t really TWST related, so I’ll put it under the cut for ya ^^ I tried to keep my thoughts concise and free of spoilers.

But to your question! Yes, I actually have read the first three books of ACOTAR but not the novella (A Court of Frost and Starlight) or the sequel, A Court of Silver Flames. I got into the series because it was highly recommended within its genre, but I came out of it really disappointed. I continued reading hoping that it would get better, but it really did not.

Maas has this really melodramatic and yet simultaneously juvenile way of writing dialogue that does not mesh well with what I’m looking for in a romantasy read. She’ll have characters give exposition or speeches that go on for like 10 pages straight and also have supposedly wise ancient fae cracking potty jokes like a middle schooler trying to impress their friends. It makes the books a lot longer than they have to be. In actuality, the plot involves a lot of running around and having all the right questions answered by conveniently placed chess pieces. I also did not enjoy the vague world building (like several side characters are never given proper names and instead are always referred to by title) and the near-constant mention of mating bonds. What I did like was how Maas wrote action scenes and descriptions (even if they often veer into purple prose). She also comes up with some unique concepts—but the execution of those concepts isn’t great, so the ideas are left sort of shallow and floating there waiting to be fully realized.

Romantasy and fairy tale retellings are some of my favorite things to read, so I was sad that I didn’t think that highly of this beloved series. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book I’ve been able to seriously get immersed in 😔 ACOTAR’s explosive popularity has led to many other authors trying to replicate Maas’s success, which has flooded the market with horni fae books and even similar titles (“A [noun] of [nouns] and [nouns]”). (And as someone who does NOT find Malleus attractive at all, you can imagine I’m not thrilled.) I have really mixed feelings about that… While of course I don’t mind if people enjoy ACOTAR or ACOTAR-adjacent books, I dislike that it makes up the bulk of what is marketed to me. It makes it a lot harder to find something that’s more suited to my tastes.

If anyone seeing this post is interested in trying out ACOTAR, I caution you that it is a “new adult” book, meaning it is intended for older teens (I would recommend 18+, honestly). There is a lot of violence and… explicit intimate scenes… in the series.

[deaddovestellnotales]

BG3 Companions and the Abuse Cycle / Trauma - Astarion

It has been itching in my fingers to write an analysis about the main cast and their trauma (responses). As it happens, Baldurs Gate 3 stumbled into my life at the very time in which I began my trauma recovery, and as such seeing the very struggles I go through represented so well in the game, it will forever hold a dear place in my heart. Alas, enough about me, I will begin my analysis with Astarion, because his trauma (response) is the most like mine, followed by Karlach.

Astarion

From what I can gather of his background, his dialogue, and his actions, Astarion's greatest traumas stem from being controlled and sexually, as well as physically abused. Ever since he had become one of Cazador's Spawns, he had no say about his own life. He was a plaything to be messed with. His opinions did not matter, they were mocked and ridiculed. His boundaries didn't exist to Cazador, neither sexual nor moral ones. Astarion had to live feeling powerless for centuries, made to use his body as a tool for his vampiric abuser.

But that changes when he gets infected by the tadpole. For the first time in so many years, Astarion can make his own choices, can feel in control over himself and his own body. And he relishes in it!

He doesn't want to hold back anymore, he wants to experience everything that was denied to him; The rush of being your own master not being held back by moral obligations, judgments, or most importantly his very nature as a spawn, any longer, is intoxicating.

But Astarion is at the beginning of his trauma recovery journey and suffers from Cazador's bad influence still. So, Astarion doesn't know how to set proper boundaries yet, he doesn't know how to respect other's boundaries either and he enacts what his abuser did to him onto other people. He says he doesn't care about saving others, finds killing fun, and finds hurting other people entertaining if it gives him an advantage. And why? Because this is how Astarion learned to be powerful! Nobody has been kind to him for centuries, or respected a simple word like "No". It's been a big fight, his life is "kill or be killed".

His relationship with his "siblings" is also interesting in that context. He was Cazador's "favorite", reminding me of a Narcissist's golden Child. So even experiencing a healthy relationship with the other spawn was denied to him and this shows as well, as he pities them but he is willing to throw them aside if it means he will gain power (over them).

And if you let Astarion ascend and don't set a good example in his life, by simple respect of his boundaries, he will not break the cycle. He will become Cazador, he will become the abuser.

Now, in contrast, if you respect Astarion's wishes, if you don't force him to do things he doesn't want to do if you stop him from ascending, it is interesting to see his reactions.

For example, if you don't involve yourself with the Drow twins, and read between the lines, recognizing Astarion being uncomfortable, you can see the relief in his facial animation and hear it in his voice (props to the voice actor!), being glad that you are respecting his wishes. Or if you don't rat him out to the blood alchemist in Moonrise Tower (i forgot her name, sorry!), he will be surprised by someone respecting his boundaries for the first time! All those actions change him for the better, the change culminating in his final romance scene - in the case you are dating him - where he will openly state how you showed him that he has a voice even without being all-powerful and abusing others. That you changed him.

Astarion's trauma journey is about learning to set boundaries and using the freedom he has without at the same time becoming what he hates. Astarion's trauma response is fight!

And I find both of these awfully relatable.

There is honestly so much more I want to write about him, but I will save this for another post.

If you want to see where I am going with this about Karlach, await my next rambling post!.

[anotherbrahmsfangirl]

About this fan blog

This is not a Greta bashing blog, I'm not a Greta x Brahms shipper either. If you see any shipping art of Brahms with anyone else, it's just because I like how the art looks.

Brahms is absolutely a psychopath, just how bad and if it's nature or nurture, is up for interpretation.

I needed a place to foam at the mouth about Brahms Heelshire so people don't think I'm insane

It'll get updated from time to time as I think of more Headcannons

Personal headcannons ( & some spicy takes)

Brahms is not stinky/dirty by choice. He's not opposed to bathing or shaving or being clean, he just couldn't run water or sneak a shower while Greta was there or it'd blow his cover. I personally think he may have snuck buckets of water into his room (where he has a wash basin) for sponge baths or quick wipe downs. Same goes for his clothing, he couldn't exactly toss them in the washer and dryer. And living in the walls and attic is dusty and dirty. If he hadn't bathed or shaved in 20 years, his hair would have been long as well as his beard. His unkempt look appears to be a couple months of not proper upkeep. About how long Greta was there maybe.

He's always had a beard/mustache ever since he could grow one. It was a way to defy his parents and a reminder that he is not, in fact, a little boy. He keeps it trimmed and neat, what we see when he comes out of the wall is due to him not being able to get a proper shower and trim during Greta's stay.

He used the toilet when Greta was out getting mail, out in the garden or possibly deep in sleep. He may do the whole bed pan thing... ugh..let's not think about this one too long

He doesn't have the mind of a child. He's not mentally challenged or age regressed. He uses the child voice for manipulation and trickery. Possibly due to his parents forcing him into the walls and expecting only a good little boy for 28 years.

He is socially stunted for sure.

Did he kill Emily? The movie hints at yes, and there is definitely a possibility he did. At 8, kids generally know right from wrong but usually lack the ability to think ahead very far at the consequences of their actions. Combine it with him being an "odd boy" (psychopath? Possibility autistic or something???) You have a recipe for disaster. It also could have been an accident. Tho how one gets a bashed in head on accident is very sus.

He is absolutely 100% touch starved! That's enough to drive anyone a lil batty.

He's intelligent. To go along with the "he's not a child stuck in a man's body" he can read, he can write, he listens to classical music and opera, he can play the piano and violn. There is one in his childhood room as well as his attic room. There are music sheets everywhere and tons of books. I'm certain his parents homeschooled him, and they appear to both be learned people.

Had he had a normal childhood (and possibly therapy) he would have been a professional violinist or something in the music sphere. Any fanfics or fanart with Brahms doing something with music is an instant love for me!

His other hobbies include taxidermy and general crafting. Maybe he made doll brahms and his mask?

He's a bit of a perv. Yeah...maybe not as bad as some fan fictions like to think he is. The Greta doll is both a sad cry for touch, as well as a...ummm...way to relieve some pent up...energy. Notice it's not stained or damaged.

While Brahms is a perv, he's not a rapist...per se. Hear me out. He could have easily forced himself on Greta during the trapped in the attic scene. After all, she did knock herself out in nothing but a towel. There were several times he could have forced her during the entire movie, but didn't. My favorite scene is when she came back for Malcolm, she sees Brahms standing in the hall way and he slowly walks over to her and just breaths in her scent. A tense (and sexually charged) scene for sure, but there were times when he was definitely going that direction. When he grabbed Greta after killing Cole, what was the endgame of that had Malcolm not clubbed him? And the goodnight kiss scene...yeah...I don't see that not ending in force had Greta not stabbed him. But I will still defend it's the starved for love, starved for a woman, and starved for touch that pushed him that far. Could she have stopped it with another sharp "BRAHMS! "? We'll never know...

He has definitely jacked it to pictures of classical nude paintings found in his books.

He definitely has a voyeur kink.

He's definitely a switch. Because of his upbringing, he can be subby, sweet, clingy, and docile. He can also be dominating, controlling, and manipulative.

He's a 28 year old virgin. You can't convince me otherwise.

It's established that there is no wifi or bars at the Heelshire mansion, this goes for tvs, computers, or radios. Not once did we see Greta watch TV or listen to music outside of the piano and record player. God it would be boring there. Another reason I believe Brahms is intelligent, all he can do is read and study.

Brahms is almost 100% unaware of pop culture and the world outside of his parents house. What's the internet? What's a meme? What's a Beyonce? He would have almost no clue about recent movies and TV shows. He maybe heard some modern music his previous nannies played on their phones. Maybe also snagged a magazine if a nanny left it.

Did Brahms kill his other nannies? Well, that's also heavily up to interpretation. He claims as he's screaming to Greta, threatening that he'll kill Malcolm like he "killed the others". But he didn't. Malcolm was knocked out, but alive. He apparently also had final say over who got to be his nanny. "He's chosen you, if you'll have him" I choose to believe if he didn't outright dismiss them on age or looks, if they mistreated the doll they were fired or scared off with the ghost boy routine. Notice, he didn't kill Greta for tossing the doll into the rocking chair or covering it up. The difference with Greta was that this time, the parents took a "permanent holiday". Besides, if he was killing multiple nannies, there would be investigations and rumors.

To piggy back off the previous topic... He could have killed Cole, but tried to scare him off first. That's right, he could have killed Cole in his sleep, Greta and Malcolm could have come into a grizzly scene of Cole choking on his own blood that night...but no, Brahms tried to scare him off with a bloody message and dead rats.

He actually does like Malcolm a little. Malcolm was always nice to the doll and of course he delivered the food. It wasn't until he put moves on Greta that Brahms jealousy got the better of him. He could have shown himself that night Malcolm and Greta were getting frisky, but opted to cockblock with scary ghost boy shenanigans instead. This is why he didn't outright kill Malcolm like he did Cole.

He's been heavily controlled his whole life. This may contribute to why he was an "odd child" as well as his psychopathic nature in the present. I headcannon his parents fucked him up royally from birth. Heavy restrictions, dogmatic adherence to rules and etiquette... just everything. Look at his childhood room. He has toys from what looks to be the 40s or 50's. Made of wood and tin and are wind up. His birth year is 1983. Where's the he-man action figures? Where's the my pet monster doll? Where's the posters of sports stars? Right? They probably kept him isolated at their manor, no other kids around save Emily that went there to play sometimes. His diet, entertainment, wardrobe, everything was extremely cultivated to his parents tastes. This is why he responds so well to a firm voice and authority.

His parents were the real monsters. They put him in the wall. The fact that his face is burned, I believe they tried to kill him with fire, it either didn't work and he survived or they chickened out half way. Either way, I believe they did it because of the Emily incident, which should have been a therapy situation, not murder. They wanted a quiet, obedient, non problematic son, hence the doll and the "bad seed" trapped in the walls. Possibly to also save the Heelshire name.

Brahms is a brat. Yup, because of his upbringing his only way to lash back was to be a brat at times and throw fits. The messed up toy room being one of them. The parents admitted he's spoiled and they will acquiesce to some of his demands. (Mostly his choice of nannies)

He's ashamed of his scars/face hence the mask. He might have also been forced to wear it because his parents didn't want to see the burn scars the very few times brahms wasn't in the wall/attic.

Until the nannies arrived, he had more free rein of the house. While still being forced into the walls, he was allowed by his parents to come out and shower as needed. As long as he wore the mask, and generally not while they were around or in that part of the house.

How does he stays fit in the walls? Well, he's got his attic room and it's fairly well sound proofed with the egg cartons. There's room to do push-ups and sit ups. There's also beams to do pull ups on too.

More headcannons

[shrekgogurt]

Ten Questions for Writers

Thank you for the tags! @artsyunderstudy @roomwithanopenfire @youarenevertooold @emeryhall @monbons @larkral I'm eating up reading your answers because we're all so DIFFERENT.

How many works do you have on AO3? 9 (technically 10 but we orphaned one of them out of shame)

What’s your total AO3 word count? 99,978 (mine) + 7,531 (shared) + 9,991 (someone else's) = 117, 500 (total)

What fandoms do you write for? presently, Carry On but back during my high school ff.net days I did some Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus (Percabeth and some separate OCs), Alex Rider (OCs), The 100 (as an elaborate prank), Harry Potter (literally just a My Immortal parody), and Divergent (OCs) and if they weren't oneshots they were never finished.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? YES! I'm currently behind on my replies, but it's so fun! It's like a book club but for stuff I created!!???? Shit rocks. I fully didn't expect anyone to read IKABIKAM (my first fic on ao3) when I first published it and so every comment still feels like a miracle.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? No.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes! I love collaborating because it gives me something to bounce off of. A scene partner. A ticking timer. It's like lifting a heavy object by yourself versus getting someone else to bear some of the weight with you. It's easier. I also find myself constantly seeking collaboration with other people even with my solo fics. I'm all up in those DMs pestering people both as motivation and as external processing. And by GOD, do you fuckers have some good ideas. Y'all make me exponentially better.

What’s your all-time favorite ship? SnowBaz but also in a very real sense...Percabeth. (You never forget your first.)

What are your writing strengths? I got my start with rping, so dialogue is really comfortable for me. I also think my training in other art forms (dance, music, theatre, film, academia) positively influence my approach. When writing action, I often mentally frame it as 'blocking' the scene or 'choreographing' the movement. When crafting sentences, I'm constantly evaluating the rhythm and rhyme and repetition (not to mention alliteration) as if it's a song, always searching for the perfect word or metaphor. I also listen to actual songs and pull the emotion from them, using them as character studies or a musical soliloquy. I imagine shots and then write what I see from the perspective of a director explaining the actor’s motivating thoughts. I constantly revisit my thesis, grounding the narrative in callbacks and a cohesive structure like it's an academic paper. And all those things combined create this kinetic cause and effect style I'm really proud of and tangibly improves every time I write something new.

What are your writing weaknesses? I do not have a firm grasp on proper grammar. I'm also really slow and inconsistent with my output because my process is so physically disorganized and meticulous which often frustrates me. I'm also impatient. I don't do wholesale messy drafts; I edit as I go and when I'm done I want it published immediately. I also fall victim to the white room syndrome with physical descriptions. Establishing shots? Don't know them. What a guy looks like? What they're wearing? Sorry, I haven't told you because it felt weird to jam in there. Outside of fanfiction, I also struggle with creating something from nothing. I'm a theologian rather than a god. I much prefer playing in a sandbox and exegeting meaning from someone else's grunt work rather than conjuring the wood and the sand myself. My writing is also incredibly referential to pop culture which I'm not sure would translate outside of fanfic, but I guess I'll cross that bridge if I ever get to it.

First fandom you wrote for? Divergent (big cringe)

Now tagging! @onepintobean @cutestkilla @theearlgreymage @thewholelemon @mooncello @brilla-brilla-estrellita @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @bookish-bogwitch @facewithoutheart @fatalfangirl @urban-sith @prettygoododds @valeffelees @ileadacharmedlife TELL ME HOW YOU WRITE YOU GENIUSES

[originalqueenhottub]

So, I'm going to post this picture that I did, just to double as a warning since I'm getting close to posting my first volume of the Pegasus x oc fanfiction I wrote. It's going to have some major dark themes to it. So I wanted to give a heads-up to anyone who may have a sensitivity to s/a or other heavy or dark themes retaining to substance abuse (most likely alcohol) psychological abuse, and any other suggestive themes.

(I think I said this next bit before, so I apologize... I sound like a broken record!)

I want to take a reminder to most fans if they aren't aware of Yu-Gi-Oh's back story, that it's was originally intended to be a horror esque type of manga before the card games. (think of the Saw movies) I want to kinda stick to that format and explore some more of the character personalities we never got to see due to how the focus shifted to more of the card game(s).

I feel like we lost a lot of dynamic, especially with one of the main villains, who was supposed to be this big bad boy, but when we get to his arc, we got diddly squat. I want to make him more sinister, but also make it to where we want him to be redeemable.

I want to raise a lot of questions that involve the psychology of morals and +/- in the grey area of them. For example, when we are not in the proper headspace, via the oppression of a darker entity or even mental illness; how are we supposed to be held accountable for our actions? What needs to happen to be "redeemable" to others around you? What are things that make you WANT to be redeemed for things you have done? Especially to the ones you may have inflicted suffering upon while not at your best self?

If you look into yugioh, you would see these are some undertones less talked about unless you talk to other diehard fans that also have a interest in psychology and sociology.

Anyways, the song referenced in the above picture I will drop below. However:

⚠️THIS IS YOUR TRIGGER WARNING NOW⚠️

This song has obvious tones of s/a, and from what I understand, mur*er and "canni of the bulisim" are also from what I understand are linked to this song.

This song inspired a huge scene in my writings, I already had a scene written out, but... this song helped me go back and capture something I didn't know how to write exactly. Only for the fact it is something you might unfortunately go through when dealing with a certain event. I couldn't describe it in full words since it's something you can only "feel" in certain ways. Then I heard this song... And was in pure awe on how well crafted it was in putting feelings into perspective.

But yeah! I hope this doesn't scare people away 😅 I just want to be considerate to those who aren't ready to go through a nightmare like this.

Love u all! Stay safe!

[halsins-herbal-underpants]

A helping hand ~

A silly little piece I couldn't stop thinking about and have been trying to write since the first new kiss animation was revealed (every time it turned into a different piece, but at least now I have five half-started fics to go) -- just in time for Valentine's! I hope you enjoy (excuse any bad formatting, I haven't been on here since 2018 :'> ) This might actually be the only wholly and completely SFW thing I've ever written, so enjoy some silly fluff!

______________________________________________________________

"Shadowheart, darling, I know you're not one inclined towards the physical, but do you think you could, by any chance, possibly, when you get a moment -- lift your blasted arms a fraction of an inch???"

Shadowheart muttered in irritation, wishing just then she hadn't rejected her former Dark Lady Shar, because cramming her spear up Astarion's backside would be so much easier to justify if she were still evil.

"Did you dine on an owlbear earlier, Astarion?" she groaned, her arms currently supporting the vampire's previously mentioned rear, propping him up in his awkward midair position. "It's like trying to lift a thirty stone sack of particularly annoying bricks!"

"Are you saying my best feature is misshapen and lumpy?!" the vampire hissed like an offended cat.

Shadowheart snorted and shifted her feet to plant them more easily and hefted. Astarion rose another couple of inches.

"My heart, forgive me, but…is this really necessary?" Halsin interjected, his expression a cross between amused and perplexed. "I could simply come down to you, could I not? It seems like that might be much easier for all concerned…"

"That's what I'm saying!" Shadowheart huffed and Astarion looked down at her with a ruby-toned glare.

"Hush you! And Halsin, dearest, that's not the point…"

"Ah, you…may have to remind me, my starlight," Halsin said with a little chuckle. "I'm still somewhat unclear on just what is the point."

Astarion sighed deeply and shifted so he could more easily perch on the cleric and explain. He ignored her offended squawk as he sat gingerly on her shoulder.

"Simple, dear druid -- it's the principle of the matter. If I am to properly reciprocate your earlier…" He trailed off and cleared his throat. "Ahem. Action," he said vaguely, trying to ignore the blush that warned his cheeks slightly at the memory, "then the feeling it evokes must be equal, shouldn't it? It should match it in meaning and form." He finished, as if that explained everything.

"Ah.” It explained nothing. “Then why don't I simply bring forth a tangle of vines from nature's bosom? I could shape it like a small stepping st--"

"No!" Astarion cut him off, frowning. "That would ruin the whole mood! Really darling, I know how to set a proper scene for this sort of thing, the ambiance! Leave it to the professional." He paused and batted his eyelashes at the druid. "Besides, didn't I make a promise for our exchanges to be less ah -- transactional, as you said?"

"…You did," Halsin replied evenly, trying not to smile at how poorly Astarion was hiding just how flustered Halsin's "action" had made him.

"Then shush and let me give you something of equal thought, for once!" Halsin opened his mouth to again protest that perhaps Astarion was being too worried about the physical equality of the gesture, but the vampire glared at him and hissed.

"Darling, I adore you with the whole of my little black heart, but if you do not shut up and let me work, I shan't kiss you for two tendays.”

Halsin's eyes went wide, mouth snapping closed as he promptly shut up like he'd spent his whole life training for the shutting up Olympics.

Astarion grinned, pleased, and would have patted him on the head, but both of his hands were busy holding on tight to the druid's shoulders. "Good! Now stand still, please."

Halsin stood still. Although he did wince a little, when the heels of Astarion's fancy shoes dug into his knee caps a bit as the vampire propped his feet on them.

"Aw, did you say please all on your own?" Shadowheart said with syrupy sweetness. "Look at you, Astarion, you're so in love."

"Oh shut up, you harpy!" the vampire huffed. "And lift!"

◈━◈━◈━◈━◈

"…Ah…Karlach…" Gale had just reentered the camp, after a bit of scouting with Tav. Their defacto leader was off haggling with a local shopkeep, so he decided to return to camp and came upon a most…interesting sight.

Or, well. Confusing, really. Confusing and interesting. Confustering.

"Yea?" Karlach was standing off a little way from the tableau, idly chomping on an apple as she watched the drama unfold.

"What is…" Gale paused, unable to think of a way to describe what he was seeing and gave up. "What's going on?"

"Oh! It's simple." She took another bite of her apple, chewing. "When Astarion got back to camp after getting himself some lunch, Halsin welcomed him back with a smooch, and then -- get this -- a cute lil' forehead kiss." She leaned in as if confiding a secret. "It was very sweet."

"Aww," said Gale.

"Yea, so after that adorable gesture, Astarion went all squidgy--"

"I did not go squidgy!" The vampire interrupted, voice aghast with offense. "I have never gone squidgy once in my life! …Or my unlife for that matter."

"Toootally squidgy," Karlach continued.

Gale nodded. Of course, it was only logical. A forehead kiss from Halsin would make him go squidgy, too.

"So he tried to reciprocate, y'know? Give Ol' Bear a cute smooch on his noggin too, but--well," she gestured with the half-eaten apple. "Bit of a jaunt up to that forehead, innit? Gods bless 'im though, Fangs tried. Stretching up, tiptoe, think he even tried to do some chin-ups off those meaty shoulders but -- I mean --" Karlach raised her eyebrows at Gale and held out an arm, flopping it about like a dead fish.

"Rogues aren't generally known for their upper-body strength, true," Gale mused.

"That's enough from the peanut gallery!"

"Astarion!" Shadowheart yelled, her voice a taut string of patience about to snap. "You are sitting on my bloody head."

"Well, what do you expect, with this poor leverage??" Astarion hissed. "I said boost, cleric, not nudge!"

"So…" Gale continued, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as Shadowheart cursed a blue streak most unbecoming of a cleric. Though, considering Dame Aylin, maybe it was fitting for one of Selune…he shook his head, snapping out of his wandering thoughts, and gestured at the trio.

"So that's why Astarion's perched on Halsin like a cat hanging off a particularly attractive curtain?"

“That's why!” Karlach replied cheerfully and finished her apple.

"Astarion, I don't think I can do this much longer," Shadowheart whined, her shoulders and arms aching. "Why couldn't you have asked Karlach?"

"I adore Karlach dearly," Astarion explained. "But even with her recent upgrades, the last thing I could stand are singed pants. These are exclusively tailored, all the way from Waterdeep, you know. No offense Karlach."

"None taken!" the tiefling called back cheerily. "I'm having waaay more fun over here."

"Ugh!" Shadowheart huffed, cheek squished against Astarion's decidedly not lumpy posterior as she readjusted her grip and shoved him upwards, hands under his thighs. The things she did for friendship. And money. "What about Lae'zel? Or Wyll?!"

Karlach grinned, chiming in for Astarion. "Lae'zel said she'd help Fangs if she didn't have to," she counted on her fingers, "touch him, look at him, speak to him or leave her tent. Wyll actually did try to help, but when he tried to boost him up his hand slipped, he accidentally grabbed a handful of vampire booty and, well--"

"I'm so sorry Astarion! It wasn't my intention at all!" Wyll cried out from behind his tent flap.

"For the last time Wyll -- it's fine! Stop apologizing!" Astarion called back. "I might have actually liked it, in fact." He then sighed deeply, sagging a little as he adjusted his grip on Halsin -- who, to his credit, remained shut up.

Damn it all, now Astarion missed his voice.

Karlach shrugged. "Sorry Shadowheart, looks like you were the last man standing."

The cleric wobbled. "I'm going to be the last man falling in a minute. Astarion, it's just a bloody kiss, will you hurry up??"

Astarion shifted himself in Shadowheart's hold, surprised Halsin hadn't chimed in on the clown circus surrounding them. He glanced at him, but the druid was just watching Astarion with that indulgent knowing smile he often wore around his lover…like he knew something Astarion was going to figure out very soon, but everything he did until then was too endearing to interrupt.

Astarion pursed his lips, eyes narrowing -- then closed them and huffed. His arms moved to slide around Halsin's neck.

“It's not always 'just' a kiss," he retorted, his gaze flicking to Halsin's face.

"I...might have recently come to realize kisses can be more than just a physical act,” he continued in a softer mumble, more for the druid's ear. “The way you kissed me…made me feel...things,” he cleared his throat. “Safe, cared for. Mm…” His voice dropped even lower. “Protected….”

He looked away, his face decidedly redder. “Things I want you to feel too…you don’t get that very much. And you should.”

“Starlight…” Halsin murmured, trailing off and moving to wrap his big arms around the vampire's lithe form.

“Hush,” Astarion said. “I’m working.”

“Starlight,” Halsin grinned, looking up at him…up at him? Wait – Astarion blinked and realized he was indeed, almost a head taller than the druid now.

He looked down at a red faced Shadowheart as she literally held him propped all the way up with shaking arms, and then back at Halsin.

“…Oh,” he said.

“Oh,” Halsin nodded. Then – “Hmm. You know – it’s rather nice to be the one down here, for a change.”

Astarion opened his mouth, but couldn’t think of anything to say that was better than looking into Halsin’s eyes right then. So he didn’t.

He just leaned down and kissed the druid. Slow, lingering...sweet. Quite possibly the softest and sweetest he’d ever kissed anyone, he couldn’t recall.

“Awww!!" Gale said and nudged Karlach who was muffling a high pitched squeal likely only dolphins could hear behind her fingers. Audience approved!

Ignoring everything in the world besides Halsin’s beautiful eyes, Astarion carefully slid his hand up to hold the side of that ruggedly handsome face, touch so gentle.

After a beat, he exhaled a slow breath and leaned forward, pressing cool lips against a scarred forehead slowly, lips lingering there for a long while before he pulled back.

He heard Halsin’s breath catch and looked down at him, blinking to find his druid’s normally serene, calm expression a bit…less so, his cheeks warming to a lovely shade of red.

Oh, now it had all been worth it.

“I–” Halsin started, but had to clear his throat before he could continue. He looked up at Astarion, his expression warm and pleased – with just a twinge of shyness that Astarion found – oh! So that was what endearing felt like. “I have a confession, Astarion.” He leaned in with a whisper.

“I believe I just may be falling for you. I do hope you don’t mind.”

Astarion grinned wide then, cheekily, his fangs showing. “Darling, I’d be rather put-off if you didn’t fall for me after all this damned work,” he said.

“Well, what a coincidence!” Shadowheart interrupted, her normally sweet voice practically a growl. “I was just about to do the same!”

Astarion looked down, confused.

“What? What do you–gah!! Fuck!”

◈━◈━◈━◈━◈

Luckily neither of them got injured when they hit the dirt in a pile of flailing limbs and angry cursing that'd make a Sharran blush, Astarion only squishing Shadowheart a little when he landed on her.

Shadowheart groaned from the ground, her legs sore and trembling and her back just aching. Halsin blinked and then quickly moved to her side, hand stretching to begin the healing, chuckling softly. Better to let the poor cleric rest than waste a slot healing herself.

“I thank you for your care and friendship today, Shadowheart,” he said with a sunshine smile, and she just gave him a tired thumbs-up.

“Oh, Astarion? I’ve changed my mind,” she mumbled. “I don’t – ohhh, blessed moonmaiden, Halsin that feels nice – don’t want money in payment.”

“Mmh? Mh-hm.” Astarion hummed, looking up at the sky with a smile on his face that was probably going to linger for a while. “Then what can I do for you, darling Shadowheart, my best friend?”

“You’re going to that wine tasting with me.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” The vampire huffed, a tragic hero put upon by his friends and enemies and all the world besides. Well. Except for one or two, perhaps.

“All right,” he groused. “It’s a date.”

“That was sweeter than all the love stories in my collection!” Gale sniffled, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve.

“Uh huh!” Karlach agreed, tears rolling down her cheeks. “The best romantic comedy I’ve ever seen!”

“I regret every moment of my wretched existence with you all,” Astarion said imperiously to the sky, suffering indignities, always. His friends all laughed, moving back to their own tents and the world kept turning the same.

Though the whole rest of the day, when Astarion glanced at Halsin -- when the druid didn’t see him do it of course -- he’d catch the wood elf smiling, soft and sweet and gently blushed.

Astarion would have done it all over then, a thousand more times, for the chance to see that smile the next day, and the next and the rest of their days ever after.

[everythingwritingg]

Writing Climaxes

@everything.writing

The climax is the part of the story that has the most action, usually at the end of the novel, before the resolution but after the rising action. Depending on the genre, the climax could either be a character’s worst enemy spreading their most valuable secret or a magical villain coming to terrorize a whole city.

1) Make sure the climax fits the genre and story. This is an obvious one, but magic would not belong in a realistic fiction story. If your climax fits the genre, I can’t tell you if it fits the story or not because I’m not an expert on your WIP and I don’t know. Just remember that the events should be reasonable with the prior events in your story.

2) Make sure it’s at the right spot. The climax is almost always towards the end, but whether the falling action is a few chapters or just ten pages, it’s important that it’s at a reasonable spot for your novel. Climaxes shouldn’t normally be at the beginning or else your reader will lose interest. You shouldn’t rush the falling action too much by putting the climax towards the end, but you shouldn’t rush the rising action either.

3) It should be the highest point of action. If you remember story mountain from your days in elementary school, that’s the top of the mountain. This is what a climax is, and remember that. You probably already know that, and I suppose what I’m trying to say is don’t give the prior scenes too much action or else you can’t write a proper climax.

4) Write good rising action. Good is a relative term, and this point doesn’t explain how to write good rising action. Maybe I’ll give you a post on that one day. But this is a reminder to make sure you write quality rising action that can build the climax.

5) Plan it out. For planners, you probably already plan out much more than the climax. Pantsers may not plan out anything at all. Whether a planner, pantser, or anything in between, you need to have an idea of what the climax should be. Even a few sentences is enough, but writing the climax will be way easier if you have a plan.

6) Make sure the stakes are high. In a romance novel, a breakup might be the high stake. In a sci-fi novel, people could get trapped in a cycle of time forever. The climax is the point that determines the fate of the characters (usually), and make sure you had high stakes in your novel to make the climax even more interesting.

7) Characters’ true personalities should be revealed. There’s a saying that goes something like, “it’s the tough times that show who you are.” In the climax, the reactions of the characters should show who they truly are inside. What are their true priorities in life? How do they react under pressure?

8) Time for plot twists and secrets to come out! Chances are, characters have been hiding a lot from each other and readers, and even themselves. In the climax, something should be revealed. Plot twists are also common, but don’t make them too unbelievable or it won’t flow naturally.

9) It should mark a turning point in your novel. Not everything has to be different from the way it was before, but the climax should spark change. For example, a protest that ended in violence may inspire government officials to change laws. Things after the climax should be different from the way they were before, including the characters. This is a wonderful time for character development.

10) Be descriptive. This should be the most detailed part of the novel, when you’ll describe the setting more clearly. There will be a higher page to time ratio. As one of the most memorable parts of the novel, you should get into more detail than you normally would in a regular scene.

I love climatic scenes when my fingers practically fly over the keys! It’s the part where my fingers and brain get the most excited, but it’s also the hardest part for me as well. I always feel like I’m not doing it right. I hope your climaxes go well!

[pale-opal]

Thursday evening/way too early Friday morning, I uploaded the second of the final five chapters of my MMX rewrite. Which means that it is time for the second of the five fun facts. Today, we will be discussing the magic of ✨rewriting your own work✨(mild spoilers beneath the cut).

So, it should go without saying, but it is very rare that a first draft of a "First Impact" chapter gets posted. Usually, all that is needed is a quick grammar check from @crystalclear365, but other times, entire parts of the plot need to be reworked. Let's take the fight scene that takes place between Zero and X in Chapter 10 as an example. Originally, it took place in Chapter 8, and it looked like this:

Hmm... while I don't think this version of the argument is bad, per se, I do see a few issues. Everything escalates too quickly. X and Zero are at one another's throats in about a minute, despite there being no dialogue from either party that would warrant the other's response. Additionally, it is out of character for Zero to act the way he does here (especially when you consider how he behaves this early into the rewrite), and the fight being from X's perspective makes it difficult to see where Zero is coming from. That makes X more sympathetic than intended, which is a problem - while he does have a right to be confused as to why Zero seems to be so fond of Axl, this argument is meant to showcase the possessive tendencies that X struggles with at this point in the plot. Not only that, but Zero cutting contact with X before the battle with Chill Penguin would have severely restricted how I would have been able to write Zero and X's interactions during the mission.

In order to fix these issues, I moved the argument to Chapter 10, specifically after Zero talks to Sigma after the mission and after Axl has chosen to stay at the Hunter Base for the night. This led to this version of the fight:

Okay - this is much better. To begin with, the fight takes more time to build up (making it much less jarring when the yelling starts), and both Zero and X's motives are much clearer. X properly comes off as both possessive and understandably confused, and Zero's refusal to fully explain his actions also has proper reasoning behind it. Furthermore, moving the argument to a different chapter allowed me to create more reasons for the argument's escalation. Now, X is also upset because Zero misled him - and Zero has two additional reasons for why he's angry: X won't leave him alone, despite Zero not having a problem with doing that for him when necessary (in other words, X is being a hypocrite), and X's behavior reminds him of Bass (and not in a good way), causing him to draw the conclusion that people that are supposed to be close to him keep treating him like an object. There are plenty of other times that I have had to rewrite things in "First Impact," but this case is the easiest to talk about. However, if you want to know about the writing process I followed, please let me know! And my inbox is open, so don't hesitate to ask any other questions as well. (Also, if this is your first time hearing of "First Impact" or "Collision Course" and this post somehow piqued your interest, please read the tags on the fic before reading. While the story may be rated T for Teen, that doesn't mean things don't get intense. Stay safe, everybody.)

[authorhjk1]

There’s just something about stories with a good amount of words that keeps you on the edge of your seat and also very immersive too. With how nice the writing has been done it takes you on a journey of some sorts along with the characters involved be it with a hint of reality or fiction it really makes you feel you were there witnessing these things come to life. The initial Joy part was something to remember from her to feeling the hotness to imagining her own scenario which could be used in the future, to the Seulgi and Joy action I was not expecting but well thought out and expressed it reminded me of that Korean movie with a G on G scene and I must say you could already picture it out so well on how Seulgi and Joy “interact” with each other, and finally to the foursome action with Yeri in it, with how you have written her in your other stories there seems to be a pattern given to it and it does suit her so well. The overall concept was *chef’s kiss*. Also what was the thought process behind Joy being in so much desperation after the first cast of the spell? And also the “orgy” that followed after?

Thank you so much for writing a piece with my fave members of my fave group rn. I do hope you got more of them in store especially for Dec since I saw some good ones winning in the poll currently. Stay safe and healthy!

Hi!

Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm happy to see that so many people liked this particular fic.

The Joy/Seulgi scene wasn't very easy to write, because it was my first proper girl x girl scene, I think, but it was nice to try it out.

And yes, it does fit Yeri very well. I actually can't really see her in some other theme or role. This is basically her entire personality.

Are you asking how I came up with it, or why the spell effected her so much?

Since it was the first spell she used and it has the ability to enhance her desire and lust, it obviously drastically increases her longing for pleasure. That's why Joy has so little control over it at the beginning. And as the story progresses, the book influences her more and more, making it harder for her to properly satisfy herself without a spell. It makes her dependent on the book, which eventually leads to summoning the demon, hoping Joy will be able to find that undying pleasure she is looking for.

I won't spoil anything for the December special, since I have one or two special appearances planned. But yes, Seulgi will be part of two fics and Irene will be there as well. So I hope you'll be able to enjoy yourself throughout December.

Stay healthy!

[rei-caldombra]

Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic Anime Episodes 4-9 Review - Rose is a 10/10.

Back for another post about Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic anime, covering episodes 4-9. I’m still loving this show and wanna talk about it more without waiting until the end. Spoiler warning. I edited the image used for the thumbnail, feel free to use it fellow Rose simps. 

The greatness in episode 8 and 9 is the main reason I am writing a new post now and will be the bulk of the post, but I’ll talk a bit about the earlier episodes. Watching the three main characters slowly grow and come into their own has been nice to watch. I still enjoy seeing them have slightly different outlooks while still connecting on the basis of the crazy situation they were thrust in. They all needed different amounts of time and experiences to process things and make up their mind. Hopefully we will get some more great stuff from seeing them be together again for the big battle. We got some solid new characters

I didn’t mention how I feel about the OP in the first post, I think it’s really great. The music really gets you hyped. The art is great, everyone looks awesome and has very detailed and expressive looks. I don’t have too much to say about the ED, it’s fine but nothing notable to me. It does remind you of the life Suzu had before coming here, which at least gives some relevant purpose to the visuals. 

A minor gripe is that as of now I really don’t see the purpose of the future vision that Usato was shown. I don’t really feel like it changed his way of thinking or his actions. I did not feel like he was especially cocky or not taking the situation seriously, and he already had Rose instilling in him (and us as the viewer) that war is terrible and that he will be responsible for keeping people alive. Maybe there will be more to it later but I do not think this did anything for me as of now. It may have just had the purpose to drive up tension but I do not think forcing it with something dramatic like this was needed. 

Now onto the highlight of the middle section of the anime, episodes 8 and 9 which cover Rose’s backstory. Hearing my favorite voice actress Konomi Kohara in episode 8 was a welcome surprise. Her voice for Aul is probably the hardest to recognize out of anything I've heard from her as the tone is very different. I immediately thought about it upon hearing her talk but was not certain until her crying when she got punched convinced me. I’d know her yelling and crying noises anywhere. Kohara excels at bringing cute, cheerful energy that immediately makes you endear for the character. 

I think the time we got with Rose’s original squad was well done. It gave us enough time to let us feel the bond, but not so long that we felt we were wasting time with characters we knew would be dying. Aul is the only one who gets proper focus, but for the purpose of the unit focus on all of them was not needed. We also did get a nice moment that helped us feel that the other members were all people with names and lives. The scene where Rose talks to the parents of Josh hits hard and got me genuinely emotional. It's great for the world to have the events of that fight have an impact on more than just Rose. Hearing such a positive spin on the death of a soldier really hit hard. I hope most parents of fallen soldiers can reach the point of healthy acceptance that these two did. This scene both helps Rose and for the point of this blurb, reminds us that even though the other members like Josh did not get focus, they have some more substance than just extra soldiers. 

A criticism I have seen levied was that it took too long to get the war content that it’s been building up to. It did take quite a while to get some proper action, but the action delivers. It is by no means at the top level of anime action that we have gotten in recent times, but it is good. The art is pretty great while being fun and engaging, with one of the best moments of the show being her chucking trees. There was solid pacing too, with the action not being stopped for too long by exposition. I enjoyed this fight and hope the upcoming fights are up to its caliber at least. 

I really appreciate the show bringing up how losing her eye in the battle made a big difference in the moment. A pet peeve of mine is how often shows degrade the impact and weight of a character losing an eye. Most of the time they just keep fighting the same as normal or acclimate way too fast. I love her mentioning specifically that her depth perception is off because of losing her eye. In a proper battle that would make a massive difference. And while losing an eye only takes away about 30% of your vision, that could also mean the difference between life and death when you have arrows and magical blasts aimed at you. Characters barely changing from losing an eye sabotages dramatic weight and breaks my immersion in combat. I appreciate that this show gave her losing her eye the gravity it deserves in the moment even if it was just a bit of dialogue. Just the proper acknowledgement of the issues losing an eye brings means a lot to me. 

The battle ending with the demon commander being saved is also an interesting one. They’re clearly setting up here that the demons are not meant to just be evil adversaries. It also shows the strength of Rose’s character by not having her fall into a blind rage and completely flipping as a character. Even after seeing her friends be killed, she still saw the meaning in her adversary wanting to save someone dying on the battlefield. This hits Rose at the core of who she is. Both humans and demons have people they care about and want to save. Up to this point I honestly didn’t have anything to say about the demons as they seemed like your standard demonic adversaries, but this makes me feel positive that we will get solid substance from them.

I think Rose’s fall into depression and recovery is well done. I like how we got a variety of her thoughts rather than jumping straight to a strong reaction. She did contemplate suicide, but she is engaging in self-punishment and doesn’t believe she has the right to die. But what should she do with this life? She thought about going on a demon murder rampage and getting revenge, but she already recognized that is not the right thing to do. She spent over a month stuck in her depression rather than going back so we can infer she considered quitting altogether. Another great aspect of Rose’s emotional side of things is how she gave herself the pep talk based on her memories, rather than getting a stereotypical pep talk from someone else. It’s important to show how support from others is important for emotional processing, but getting over every emotional hump doesn’t come from someone telling you how great you are, and sometimes you do need to work through things yourself internally. The king and other knight checking up on her likely helped but this is clearly not written the same as a pep talk. Sometimes people can work through things on their own with enough time to process. And this isn’t from negative behavior like her not accepting help or having a bloated ego. The problem was all internal and there is no way anyone else could have properly related to her as no one else has the capabilities she does. I love that it took a long time for her to reach this. It’s important to note how long it takes to cope with your emotions. And to return to the pep talk point, sometimes those pep talks that make a person’s emotional state do a complete 180 make it seem like overcoming bad emotions is easy. I really like her growth comes from her thinking about their lives rather than about their deaths. It’s obvious that after a horrific event like she experienced, she would hyperfixate on their deaths. She already had the answer as Aul was dying, that she should not hate herself and to continue being the strong and kind person she is. 

She was also told by Josh's parents that she should not be ashamed of herself and what she has done. But the severity of the moment muted the positive impact of those words. When she is able to think about what came before that terrible event, she realizes the proper way to think. By remembering what her squad said while they were alive, she was able to put her own life into perspective and find a goal. Knowing everything that happens, it feels like a logical conclusion for Rose to focus entirely on saving lives. As a character within the archetype of the tough brutal teacher, Rose feels far above the rest as a dynamic and fleshed out character who does not exist just to be hated. She does the usual drill sergeant type of thing while having proper motivation and emotional reasoning behind it. She’s not brutal just so the main character has to struggle, she is brutal because of her backstory that stands entirely on its own. Rose really is a fantastic character by all metrics and she alone makes this show worth the watch. 

This show continues to have great characters and excellent execution. We did have to wait a little too long for some great action with overall slow pacing, but it was still enjoyable, and I see some value in the slow buildup. The buildup was very successful for Rose’s side of things, so I feel confident that the buildup will have been worth it for Usato’s side as well. Hopefully this anime will continue on strong through to its conclusion. Thanks for reading!

[starfall-spirit]

Hate to break it to you, but Feysand has always been a retcon and SJM is a liar who says she’s always had them planned to sound cooler and to cover up the fact that she’s always said 1) she never plans her books and 2) she had to add Rhys in earlier and that she’d originally planned for him to be the villain.

Detailing the actual story of how ACOTAR came to be from her own former newsletter, she wrote two and half ACOTAR books in 2009 (then originally only a trilogy). In 2014, SJM scrapped and rewrote the entirety of that original second and half of a third book and completely started over with them, creating what is now ACOMAF and ACOWAR. She did not change anything in ACOTAR, though, but she did add things in during editing. She’s also said Nesta and Lucien were originally supposed to be mates and that she didn’t even plan for Nessian until she wrote the scene where the IC goes to ask Feyre’s family for help.

If Nesta and Lucien were originally endgame, that would infer that Feyre in the original second book actually spent a majority of her time in the Spring Court because how else would Nesta meet Lucien? He doesn’t live in the NC. He doesn’t live the AC. And if a majority of the plot is taking place in Spring and the story is from Feyre’s pov, it would also imply Feyre was still with Tamlin. 🤷🏼‍♀️ And a quick reminder that the entire series was originally a Beauty and the Beast/Tamlin retelling, not just the first book.

You can love Feysand, no one is telling you not to, but if you’re going to try to debunk what others are saying, then at least find out why they’re saying it in the first place so you can provide a proper counter argument. There’s overwhelming evidence within the first book that anything after it was never planned.

In fact, you could take Rhys out of the first book and the Calanmai scene would still work if Lucien had been the one to find her. The dresser would still work if Feyre and Elain’s drawers were swapped. Amarantha’s whore could be anybody, and the scene where Rhys forces Tamlin and Lucien to beg for Feyre could’ve happened with that anybody, not just Rhys. Maybe you should think about why the first book of a book series, where he’s supposedly been the plan all along, could still play out without him. 😬

Hi, anon.

I would first like to let you know, my inbox is not a place to start ship wars or attack people for their opinions of canon fandom matters. I hope in the future you respect the simple request at the top of my page to leave me polite asks.

But, to clarify a few points you've addressed here, look under the cut

"She never plans her books."

Anon, I'm not sure what precisely you mean when you say plan. There are many types of writers. When you're drafting an original story you may create an outline detailing the step by step plot, conflict, character development, call to action, etc.

Or perhaps you are an author like me, who instead prefers to free write. I won't hesitate to admit I can't stick to an outline beyond points A, B, and C. For example, my Anastasia AU

Chapter 1: The Rumor, The Legend, The Mystery (St. Pete)

Rumors

Plan Con

Meet Elain

Chapter 2: Things My Heart Used To Know (December)

Learning Heritage

Rhys’ 1st appearance

Chapter 3: The High Lord Lies Cold (Neva flows)

Rhys Bonus

Chapter 4: Let Me Say Goodbye (Stay I pray you)

1997 ~For the Magic~

Carriage out of Dusk 

Carriage stopped enroute

Escape

Chapter 5: In a Crowd of Thousands

Nightmare/Talk

Travel on foot to gate to Day

Meet Helion

Chapter 6: Could it Be? (Quartet)

2. "She had to add Rhys in earlier than planned to be a villain."

What exactly is the point of this statement? Maybe Feyre could have stayed inside the manor on Calanmai. Maybe Lucien could have stumbled upon her and the three fae who targeted her. If you think she's the only author to rewrite a story or add characters in an earlier or later position, I'm going to guess you don't have much of a concept of the natural writing process.

3. "Detailing the actual story of how ACOTAR came to be from her own former newsletter, she wrote two and half ACOTAR books in 2009 (then originally only a trilogy). In 2014, SJM scrapped and rewrote the entirety of that original second and half of a third book and completely started over with them, creating what is now ACOMAF and ACOWAR. She did not change anything in ACOTAR, though, but she did add things in during editing."

Again, the natural writing process. Rewriting a hundred times over if it's necessary to get the book published. Editing for the sake of a fluid storyline.

4. Your points on Nesta, Lucien, and Cassian have nothing to do with a Feysand of Feylin endgame. There could have been a dozen different ways SJM planned on Lucien and Nesta meeting outside of Spring that we will never know. The fact is that in the end, SJM decided "Lucien and Nesta would be at each other's throats. And not in a good way". Or something along those lines. In walked Nessian.

5. "You can love Feysand, no one is telling you not to, but if you’re going to try to debunk what others are saying, then at least find out why they’re saying it in the first place so you can provide a proper counter argument."

I am aware I have the freedom of expression in the fandom. I would also like to clarify I was entirely polite in "debunking" the counterargument to defend Tamlin. Did you feel particularly attacked when I told a new fandom member to try the second book and see if it was to their liking when they saw Rhysand's story?

Or was it my assessment of Tamlin's lack of anger management and every marker of an abuser he shows from the second he comes to take Feyre across the wall.

TL;DR

No matter how many rewrites ACOTAR went through, there was no character retcon on Tamlin or Rhys. Book one was an adaptation of Beauty and the Beast and Book two was an adaptation of Hades and Persephone, even if very few elements were taken from the actual tales.

For any others who wish to drop in and give me a polite hello, my inbox is always open and I'm chugging along so I have some lovely Feysand and crack ship snippets to provide you with.