#guess my favs of approximately 15 days ago

[mellowwhumps]

Whumperless Whump Event Day 6: Heat Stroke | Panting

OCs: Twelve, Emmei/MC

CW: none they’re silly like that

@whumperless-whump-event

Summer is nearly in full swing, and with it comes the hot temperatures and blazing heat. They are unable to feel it, of course, instead seeing it through the lack of civilians on the streets. Every once in a while, on a typical day, someone pushes open the door, grabs something cold, pays, stares at their jacket-covered form for a while and leaves. Besides that, it’s a rather lazy day for the both of them in the convenience store.

They know there’s something wrong the moment Emmei starts fidgeting with the control panels, not quite understanding. Emmei seems different today, more lethargic of sorts, dragging himself around the shop. Right after throwing open the shop’s front door, he lies on the floor, almost unmoving but still responsive. They recall him telling them not to lie down anywhere they wanted, some unspoken custom or way of life.

Once again, something’s going on, something most definitely not positive.

Squatting by Emmei’s side, they tap his shoulder and call his name. No response. When they pull away and rub their hands out of habit, each palm glides smoothly over the other. Abruptly, they realise his entire body is covered with the same liquid, and then make the conclusion that such behaviour cannot possibly be something normal. What then should they do? Emmei starts breathing harder now, yet another oddity: it must be getting worse.

When humans are hot, they like the cold. That is just about the basics they know. Cold drinks are by the shelves, therefore that place should be better. They don’t trust themself to carry him all the way there, ending up with the uncomfortable choice of half-dragging him by the shoulders to the location and flinging open the swinging doors two at a time.

That should lower the temperature. They hate that they can’t tell, clutching their fists and unclutching them hastily before something breaks. Emmei seems to loosen up but still doesn’t budge an inch, so they return to their headspace to think of more ideas.

Drinks…that should help, shouldn’t it? They weigh their options and eventually decide on a drink that doesn’t look like the ‘dizzy’ ones because Emmei said they couldn’t touch those.

They struggle a bit to get it open, crushing the can a little in the process, then struggle a little more to get him to sit up. Emmei mumbles something completely incoherent and they wonder whether that was what they sounded like to him at times.

Pressing the can to his lips, they tip the liquid down his throat as best as possible. Some liquid misses and trickles down, dirtying his shirt; they mutter a quick apology under their breath. Then again, Emmei looks better so they don’t really care, honestly. 

They linger awkwardly by his side, occasionally grabbing another bottle or two and placing it somewhere near his body, rather at a loss for other actions. A long while later, almost too long, Emmei finally moves to clutch at his head, speaking. 

“Ventilation died just now. Not that you’re affected by it, but we should probably leave, find a place with air-conditioning. Screw working here for today, staying isn’t going to do anything good for us, no business and whatever.”

Once again, the difficult words appear. They hear the word ‘good’ and oblige, at least as best as they think they can, trying to get Emmei to lean on them while the person in question refuses profusely. 

In the end, they just end up opening the contraption handed to them that’s meant to block light, holding it over him as they walk across the street to wherever was supposed to be better for him. It’s a silent walk, but they notice how Emmei smiles all the way, something both burdened and another thing altogether. 

They wish they could read minds, sometimes. It would certainly be better than their unforgiving memory, to have such insight on human behaviour. 

[hannahchronism]

7, 11-15 >:3

7. Favorite author.

I don’t know if I have like, a single favorite author so much as really liking specific works by different authors? I don’t know. 

BUT, on a similar thought: A few years ago (maybe only one? maybe more like three? Passage of time is not my forte okay) I reread Peter Pan because I hadn’t read it since I was very young and I was just. Curious. Time passes and I get curious of my perception vs. what the thing was really like THE POINT BEING- I really loved how like, immersed the perspective in that book is. Not like J.M. was a character but not like he was reigning over it indifferently either. There’s this sense of like, campfire story where he’s got all the information and he knows what everyone was thinking because.. almost like, you think, he interviewed them after? And then also he just straight up flat out gives you his opinion on it all. And then I (re)read the Neverending Story ((which is also my favorite)) and it’s like that too, a bit (which may or may not be attributed to the way it was translated to English?) but I had this moment like...I can do that? And I feel like it’s really bled into how I view writing like It’s my story to tell and I will let you know when I think that all my characters are being idiots, goddammit. And I love? that? so much?? I love when there’s a sense of subjectivity from the author not as a character but as the person who wrote it, y’know? because like... I mean isn’t that the reason to write? To put a little of yourself out there in some way?

EDIT: I’m a dumbass who forgot her own fav, it’s Neil Gaiman. Especially Stardust and Neverwhere.

11. Describe your writing process from scratch to finish.

Lord, okay.

It’s not so much a “process” as it is a “...well that happened.”

Approximately 60% of the time, it starts with sudden (and I mean struck by lightening sudden) inspiration of a hyper-specific thing, a scene or phrase or character action, that spirals out from there. I’ve had plots, drabbles, entire characters, and an entire book dawn on me this way.Most of the time, I’ll start by commiting that thing to paper (or a word docutment) and, usually, work forward from it. If I get stuck going forward, I go back to where I started and start working backwards. If I get an idea for what may happen next, I’ll put that down and then try to bridge the gaps to get one flow, either rising or falling, and then try to take it the opposite direction to give it resolution (which...doesn’t always work if I’m to be honest.)

Like [You’re A Shit Liar] -which is..kind of a bad example because it’s obviously not a complete thing- started with that phrase exactly and I worked it entirely backwards from there. The [sandstorm] drabble that I spent for fucking ever on started in the middle, with the “we can’t outrun the storm” piece, then went backwards, to the end, back to the middle, and all the hell over before I actually finished it- there’s at least three different version of it, including the one I almost posted where she left anyway, which would have led to this reunion one that I .. really like and punch myself regularly for rendering it null (to be fair, it’s unfinished. OH FUN FACT THO that’s the one where I had the idea to try and end it with them running into Red ((the “kiddie-porn” thing lmao.))) Ironically enough, [Beginning] was one that I started at the beginning and then followed through to the end with only minimal back tracking.

Ultimately though it’s really not a process and I really do mean to build one. It’s not that I think this is a “bad” way to write, per se, it’s just that I feel like it’s not efficient and it leads to a lot of getting distracted and winding up with things that feel disjointed sometimes. I need to work on forming solid ideas and outlining them before I start working, I think.

12. How do you deal with self-doubts?

I lock them in the closet and pretend they don’t exist or else nothing I ever wrote would see the light of day ever. Honestly there is never a time when I’m not just drawning in doubts, so it’s really just come to a point of me ignoring them. You can tell when I’m really nervous about posting something because it’ll have a big stupid disclaimer in front of it, probably, or entirely too many tags below it - that’s me trying to either defend it or derail the criticism before it starts to form tbh

13. How do you deal with writers block?

The bane of my existence- at this point in my life, I don’t really “deal” with it, I just have to? suffer until it goes away??

I guess, if this counts, I switch away from writing or even thinking about writingand do something else for awhile until I feel like maybe it’s not a problem anymore. Sometimes standing in the shower for like three hours helps?

14. What’s the most research you ever put into a book?

Actually not for a book, the most research I’ve ever done for writing is the research I’ve (over the years) done for Tech. She was really the first character I ever put any genuine thought into, and the first one to recieve any research, really. It’s mainly been focused on the truma(s) of her childhood and I could probably stand to do even more/refresh the research I’ve already done, but by and large she’s been the one to recieve the most informed traits, for lack of a better way to phrase it. Lu comes in at a close second, though the research I’ve done for her has been more broad and shallow than the focus points I’ve devoted to Tech.

15. Where does your inspiration come from? 

Oh everything. Music has always been a really strong influence though, and finding songs that fit into themes is always the best feeling on the planet. I also really love pulling from my favorite books and movies, and -when it comes to the emotional side of things- my own experiences tend to get mixed in pretty heavily. 

Also I’ve always really loved really classic theming (sun & moon, traditional fairy tales, etc.) and also really direct imagery and I feel like that shows up a lot too.