#having to ask myself exactly how much information has to be included about a character to justify tagging them

[tenpintsof-sundrop]

Hii !! From the smut prompts (stop rolling your eyes, I know Im predicatable!) could I request "Accidentally Sending Nudes", "Sexting" and... a secret third thing (the choice is yours, go hogwild) for Jason x Fat Fem Reader? I'm leaning more towards sub!reader but shes def a little shit about it :3

Thank you in advance if you write it !! 🌼

See, this is why it pays to send in a request with me, because even if I don't answer it right away, I keep requests in my inbox for months and come back to them later!!! (This is from December 2023)

(Also this request is just plain fun) (because Star knows exactly what buttons to push to get me lmao)

DC Titans Requests - OPEN

How would Jason react to you accidentally sending him a nude?

(Jason Todd x Fem!Thick!Reader)

Warnings: set specifically in the Titans!verse - set during season 3/mentions of season 3 plot points; spoilers for major plot points of Titans (including character deaths on the show); this is kind of enemies to lovers? (enemies to fwb, I guess); the reader uses she/her pronouns and has a vagina; the reader is described as being fat/plus sized; passing mentions of Gar x reader (I couldn't help myself); dubious consent - because of the nature of the trope, Jason sees the reader naked without her explicit consent, and he decides to keep the picture without her consent - but it does spark a consensual sexual relationship between them; passing mention of using nudes for blackmail (that does not happen); this isn't really proofread; (generally, I consider this post to be a fucking mess because it was written in Tumblr but I was still trying to have fun with it lmao.)

...

Jason is minding his own business when it happens.

(For once in life, he is fully, completely, minding his own business.)

He's back in Gotham and he hasn't seen you in months - and if asked, he would say that he hasn't thought about you. He doesn't have time to think about you because he's been too busy with this therapy bullshit, training, trying to get back his title of Robin. Trying to get back in the cape. (And trying to get back in Bruce's good graces.)

But that's not exactly true. He's thought about you a lot.

(Most of those times have been with his hand around his cock, but again - he won't admit that.)

There is an occasional time that you cross his mind and it's because he's wondering genuinely how you're doing - wondering if you're well, how your training is going, wondering if you're doing okay under the Dickhead's reign. But he can't ever pluck up the courage to text you and simply ask. Because that would be admitting that he cares, and that would make him look like a weak little prick.

And that's why he's so damn surprised when you text him first.

He hasn't heard from you since he left the Tower (well, since he stormed away from Donna's funeral in what you called a 'toddler fit' - something that ended in a rather vicious text argument between the two of you). In fact, the last thing in the text history between the two of you is you calling him a 'giant, petty, whiny baby who can't deal with his own emotions'.

(You had no clue what had happened between him and Rose, so that did inform a lot of your opinion on the matter.) (And that was probably the reason why Rose still had all of her teeth after you had seen her at the funeral.)

But all of that was aside from the point.

The point being - Jason found himself smiling when your contact name popped up on his phone.

He has you in his phone as 'Pretty Girl' - along with a contact picture of you sticking your tongue out at him in response to having his phone shoved in your face with the knowledge that he was taking a picture of you. (That tongue always makes him think certain things, so even though you intended for it to be some rude thing to ruin the picture, it makes it so much better for him.)

(1) new photo

That instantly catches Jason's attention.

Perhaps you were sending him a picture just to flip him off, or sending him a picture of a dumpster to ask him if it reminded him of home - a common joke you used to make when he still lived at the Tower.

Jason grabbed his phone and opened the message, expecting another tired joke, and-

Holy fuck.

The last thing he was expecting - your naked body. Your gorgeous naked body.

(He likely would have expected a nuclear blast or for the Joker to clean up his act and actually become a decent, sane citizen before he expected this to happen.)

Jason brought his phone closer to his face, making the picture full screen in order to examine it better - he needed to make sure that he wasn't hallucinating, or that this wasn't some weird dream. But fuck, he definitely wouldn't be able to dream up this.

You were so perfect - so fucking perfect in a way that was so very real.

The picture was a fucking stunning side profile of your body - rolling curves, lacy underwear that could clearly barely contain your impressive hips with sweet little stretch marks jutting out from the fabric (jagged little marks across the softness of your skin that made Jason want to act up) - soft fat for him to grab onto, and the perfect teardrop shape of your breast, now bared to his eye in a way that he had only dreamt of before. Something that he had stared at through the oversized tee shirts you wore to bed without a bra, just wondering what you looked like underneath.

And fuck, this was so much better than anything he could have dreamt up.

Jason's cock began to harden almost instantly, and laying in bed, he reached over to his nightstand for some lube, ready to milk that picture for all it was worth, when-

His phone buzzed again.

Pretty Girl: 'Delete that.'

Jason hadn't even considered that you had sent it to him by mistake. He had been far too busy enjoying to even consider the intention or the psychology behind it.

So, he took his hand off the waistband of his sweats and texted back the first thing that came to mind.

'No.'

(He didn't hear your annoyed growl on the other end, frustrated at his downright typical Jason behaviour.)

'It's not my fault you made a dumbass mistake. Besides, it's the least I get after all the nagging from you.'

Then, something else came to mind as the bubbles popped up, meaning you were busy formulating a reply - an annoyed one, no doubt.

'Who did you mean to send it to anyway? Who are you fucking whose name starts with J that's not me?'

(You hesitated.)

Pretty Girl: 'I didn't type in J.'

'???'

Pretty Girl: 'I typed in G. And it turns out the first contact that popped up was Giant Baby. That's you.'

Jason felt annoyed and insulted on all levels. The fact that you were going to Tiger Boy for dick instead of him, and the fact that you had used such a mocking contact name for him. But when he realised that such a pathetic string of events had caused him to accidentally see you naked, he couldn't be too upset.

'I'm still keeping the picture 😈'

Pretty Girl: 'You're such an asshole' Pretty Girl: ... Pretty Girl: 'You owe me one'

'Fine, I'll owe you one'

Jason shrugged it off, thinking he had won, until -

Pretty Girl: 'No, you owe me a cock.'

This made Jason's stomach jump. You couldn't possibly mean-?

Pretty Girl: ... Pretty Girl: 'You owe me a picture of your dick. You know - an eye for an eye type stuff.'

Jason wanted to ask questions - what did you plan to do with the picture? Should he shave his balls first? Did you want more than one?

But his cock got even harder at you asking for a picture, at you demanding to see his cock, and he couldn't properly think - he couldn't even reason that you might later blackmail him with the picture.

No, instead, he found himself ripping down his pants and turning on the bedside lamp for good lighting, pumping himself up to peak rigid hardness and grasping the base of his cock in hand. And then, without hesitation, he snapped a picture for you. He made sure to get his abs in the photo - a collection of his best assets, with his pants pulled down to mid-thigh, showing off his tight stomach, the deep V leading down to his dick, and his thick seven inch cock in hand surrounded by some well-kept dark pubic hair.

(He was proud of it - and that ego was one of the things that annoyed you most about him.)

He sent it without hesitation and then you began typing several times and stopped once again. Jason's stomach churned with nerves until -

Pretty Girl: 'Fuck you' Pretty Girl: 'I thought it would be smaller'

Jason had no clue how to respond to that, and he was busy racking his brain for some clever reply, when -

Oh. Oh fuck.

(1) new photo

You had sent him another picture. And this time it was definitely on purpose.

It was a view between the plump, beautiful thickness of your thighs - your hand was inside the pretty lace of those panties, and your fingers were visible working on your clit while your needy hole dripped wetness onto the fabric.

So you had liked what you had seen.

Pretty Girl: 'What would you do if you were here right now?'

Jason's brain short-circuited then. He thought of so many things - eating your pussy until you screamed, flipping you onto your stomach and fucking you until you begged him to stop, gripping onto those gorgeous thighs, pinning them to your chest and pounding into your cunt until you finally surrendered and said that you had liked him all along, fucking your smart little mouth to finally shut you up-

Pretty Girl: 'Come on, Jay. Don't disappoint me.'

Oh, he won't.

(Another thing Jason won't admit - he came back to the Tower just for you.)

...

DC Titans Masterlist

[felassan]

From Game Informer:

Solas plays an important role in the game as a central figure and significant character, but the game is not about Solas, hence the title change

Rather than focusing on a specific individual, the focus and centerpiece of the game is Rook's team, stopping the end of the world with this group of specialists

"I think you could argue [these companions] are the best the franchise has ever seen". We will have the opportunity to interact with them in a way that both shapes their story and also influences the main story, including having the opportunity to impact their fate

"Arguably, this game has kind of, in a way, been called Dreadwolf to some degree since its earlier days"

Excerpt:

"When I ask about Solas' role in the story after I learn his namesake is no longer in the game title, Darrah says Veilguard is still taking the Elven God's narrative in a good direction. He adds, "It allows us to, hopefully, give a good conclusion to all the varied attitudes toward Solas that are going to be coming from people who love Solas, who agree with Solas, who hate Solas, people who want to kick Solas off of a building – I think that we give you the opportunity to bring that to a close, but then tell a greater story about The Veilguard and about the world as a whole." Talking to Epler, I learn more about how Solas isn't exactly the big bad I expected before seeing the opening hours of Veilguard. There's a lot more nuance to everyone's favorite bald elf.  "The most interesting villains to myself, and honestly most people, are not just straight up, 'I want to end the world.' To them, they are the heroes of the story, and Solas is no exception," Epler tells me. "Solas always feels that he is a tragic hero but a hero nonetheless, so he's coming into this believing firmly that what he did, that which you stopped him from doing, was the right thing – that you made a mistake. But now he's trapped and can't reach out and actively affect [Thedas], so he needs to work with you. "That allows us to provide a lot of nuance to that relationship," Epler says."

Solas is literally trapped in the Fade after the game's prologue. Rook and co stop his attempt to destroy the Veil. Rook passes out and wakes up in a dream-like landscape to Solas' voice. He explains that he was trying to move Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain to a new prison because the old one wasn't containing them properly anymore. The two blighted gods are now free and roaming Thedas. Rook has to stop them, but it seems that they will have to work with Solas ("or at least listen to his guidance and advice") to do so

Excerpt:

""So one of the principles we took to when we were building the story of The Veilguard early on was we wanted the beginning of the game to feel like the final chapter of an earlier story and you're coming in right at the end, you're coming in as if you've been chasing Solas – the [Solas at the end of Dragon Age: Inquisition's Trespasser DLC] who said he was going to end the world and tear down the Veil," Epler adds.  Epler says players will see early on (and as the narrative develops across Veilguard) that Solas sees much of himself in you, the player-controlled Rook, especially "the parts that maybe he doesn't like to face." As a result, there's an interesting push and pull between Solas and Rook. He says players can define the relationship between these two characters with their choices in dialogue.  "You can continue to be suspicious and hostile towards him, or you can start to see him and find that common ground, that connection between the two of you, and really develop a different relationship over the course of the story," Epler says."

[source]

[sabertoothwalrus]

OK PREFACING WITH IM SORRY IF I ALREADY SENT THIS EXACT ASK BUT MY WIFI KILLED ITSSLF AS I SENT IT SO IDK IF IT ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH. but in case it didn’t . i know youve gotten this countless times in the past because i blog stalked just in case youve mentioned something similar before but i need to know if you have any specific inspirations when you draw exaggerated expressions specifically like these two images of marcille. ive actually cried laughing over this comic and being able to communicate this type of visceral emotion is such an insane skill and ive followed your art for probably close to a decade through various fandoms so watching you develop this style has been fucking awesome and epic. like i cannot articulate how funny these are to me i just need you to understand i look at this comic to inspire me to draw now. the closest comparison i can draw to the feelings they evoke are like those mspaint reaction images and also mspaint tails i included for reference even though you probably know exactly what im talking about anyways but its actually so much harder to do that intentionally when you study art. also i lied you literally don’t even need to answer this i just had to let you know how obsessed i am over your silly comics and now ive written out a whole ass discussion post about it. im sorry if this is weird at all i think my daily prescribed amphetamines r wearing off and i know this is such a dumb specific thing to fixate on and im so sorry if its not something you want to hear about your art. ive just always seen that as an artist this type of expressive stupid silly style is something that comes after a significant amount of time and practice and study and style development despite being “simple” in theory. its just so cool to have worked with your own style so much that youre able to go “off model” from it and still maintain consistency with the rest of the piece. i said it already and im sorry this is actually rendundant now but the ability to communicate such raw emotion somehow decreases from at its height when someone is a beginner artist learning how to proportion and keep a steady line and what looks “normal” but somehow it all comes full circle because taking all that experience and using it to almost return to where you started but in a fully informed and intentional way so you can make choices to draw characters like this when the situation calls for it is just dhcidogakgoshfhw. i think i need to cut myself off or im going to talk in circles im sorry tumblr user sabertoothwalrus i just am fascinated by your style and progress and the years you’ve dedicated to art can be seen in so many places but this is just one that stands out to me specifically.

MMMMM what a fun question!!!

I'm not gonna lie, I think it's just Letting A Drawing Be Bad. I definitely think the people that struggle with this the most are people who have genuinely very pretty art styles, to the point of being kind of perfectionist about it. and to Draw Funny often means Drawing Fast and Weird. Pretty is kind of the antithesis of funny (unless being pretty is the punchline). do drawings that make yourself laugh. tracing/lining funny sketches almost always makes them less funny.

one of my favorite types of humor is when it skews more deadpan, actually. This is one of the reasons I love Adventure Time. minimal expressions and flat line delivery + absurd context is a really good combo. the key to comedy has more to do with contrast! if your drawings are allllll crazy ren & stimpy all the time, they're not funny anymore cause it's just "normal". if it's all subdued UNTIL it's extreme, and vice versa, then it's funny. The reason this comic is so funny is because of the complete lack of any expression. I feel like the one you sent of Marcille shouting "WHAT" is funnier when you know how much she tries to be dainty and feminine and delicate, how much she values her appearance, and how averse she is to "gross" or "weird" things.

something I find really annoying (and this is with comics/animation in general, not the expressions themselves) is when the joke goes on for too long. Like you'll have the joke, then the punchline, and THEN the characters reacting to the punchline??? Like the author didn't trust that their audience would find the joke funny, so they basically drew in a laugh track. But, this is distinct from a character's reaction being the punchline (like how the examples you gave from my Marcille comic are). MY POINT IS sometimes expressions aren't as funny on their own as you think, and context can affect how you feel about it!

as far as inspirations go!

my own face! even if I don't have a mirror, I like making the expressions myself so I can "feel" where the points of tension on my face are, and it gives me a sense of what to exaggerate.

my brother's art, believe it or not! we've been trying to make each other laugh with our drawings since we were kids, and he's really good at it.

ATLA has some great expressions

OK KO has been a reallyyyy good source for me lately. That show is so tailored to my sense of humor and the expressions and line deliveries feel exactly like the kinds of things I'd come up with. The tone, timing, and art style are all really close to the tv show pitch I'm working on, so when I feel like I've "strayed" too much from it (like after drawing a bunch of dungeon meshi, and my art feels tighter and... idk "manga-ier"?) I like to go and watch a couple episodes of OK KO to loosen back up

A lot of things like OG Spongebob, Calvin & Hobbes, the Simpsons, Chowder, etc etc

memes in general. if it makes you laugh, keep it in mind

and lastly, I wouldn't say I ever try to mimic funny expressions I see. Like if I watch a show for inspo, I'm not pausing it to copy specific drawings, I'm just trying to notice patterns and pay attention to what about it I find funny.

talking about being funny is really bizarre and I dunno if it makes it lose some of the magic. Ultimately it's something you can't think about too much, and just gotta go with your gut.

[cripplecharacters]

hi! do you have any advice on how to get started writing disabled characters? like, get over that fear and start putting the pen to paper? I have my research and my character and stuff but Im nervous that Im gonna fuck it up and make bad representation. how do you think is the way to determine I’ve written a character “good enough” in representing a disability?

Hi!

If you have a character and done research, you're already doing pretty good! I don't think that there is some magical way to know if what you're writing is "good enough", mostly because people will have different standards when it comes to representation.

The best thing you can do is try your best and be open to feedback from your disabled readers. I think that also questioning why you're doing certain things with your character can be helpful, because we all have biases (myself included obviously). I often see people have their characters with facial differences be "edgy, violent, dark past, etc." with the author defending it as "they just are like that!" but at the end of the day, it's a fictional character that a human being made, the character doesn't have free will. So if your worry is bad rep, sit down and try to figure out what exactly it is that bothers you, and examine it - why does it worry you? is this attached to some bias? are abled characters treated in a similar way, or is the disabled one singled out? what are the elements that could be inaccurate, and if yes, why are they like that?

Obviously, you can't catch every single issue that could ever occur, because that's impossible for anyone. But I'm absolutely sure that if writers simply thought about their choices a bit more, the general state of representation would be miles ahead of what we currently have.

Some of my suggestions to help with the fear of starting:

Consider basing the character off someone you know with the same disability. Try to think if your recreation of that is true to how they exist or not so much. If you have a real example of the kind of person you're trying to represent, it's much easier to catch yourself writing something that doesn't make sense. It also helps that you could ask them a specific question about what you're writing and get some first-hand information that theoretical research doesn't generally give.

Perhaps start with disabilities that aren't as impactful on the character's life. (Start is a bit of a key word, because I absolutely want people to write more severely/moderately disabled characters too). Obviously, disability is disabling, but there will be a difference between writing a character with mild photophobia and a character with high level complete quadriplegia. There's just ultimately fewer things that you have to consistently consider, and that can be helpful when starting. And once you're more comfortable writing disabled characters, you can diversify the kinds of characters that you include!

Honestly, if you did your research and aren't falling into any basic tropes, the vast majority of disabled readers will forgive the small inaccuracies (unless you're going to be writing about a character having a seizure and someone else putting an object in their mouth. We are going to correct that because that's dangerous). E.g. if your character with a large scar is portrayed respectfully and kindly, I will look over the lack of mentions of nerve damage because though it is nice to see as well, that's not the main thing I'm looking for. If I was looking for 100% accurate writing about disability, I would be reading non-fiction by disabled writers.

If you have the specific character mostly conceptualized and are willing to share, feel free to just send us the background and parts that worry you, and we will try to give some hopefully useful feedback! =)

Thanks for the ask! I hope it's helpful

mod Sasza

I agree with everything Sasza has said! I'm adding a couple of my own thoughts:

If you are really stuck and really don't have any specific ideas on what disabilities you want to write about, try adding a little randomization. You can search for something like "common disabilities in [character's age group]" or "common health conditions in [character's geographic location]" and pick one at random. Roll dice if you need to! I'm not saying this to be glib or dismissive – I know I can often get stuck when it comes to making decisions, which includes creative decisions like making characters. The aspect itself of getting stuck can be a little intimidating. So if an aspect of randomness helps you get unstuck, you can dive into more specific research a bit more easily – like, if the dice roll led you to cerebral palsy, then you can focus on researching cerebral palsy instead of trying to think of all the possible things you could choose for your character.

You can visit a couple of websites for different conditions and disabilities, including subReddits. I don't mean to start participating in these discussions, but it helps to see disabilities in a context that isn't just "this is how you/your family member will be diagnosed and this is how the treatment will be." It can feel confusing and a little lost to only see disabilities in that context, so seeing it in a broader way – like people just talking about their life experiences – can help take some of the intimidation factor away.

And I just want to reiterate, if you focus on writing with care and treating your character like a full person of their own with their own inner world, agency, and ability to take part in the story, if you make mistakes it will not be the end of the world. The thing I want the most out of disabled characters is for them to be people more than they are tropes.

Hope this helps!

– mod sparrow

[dutchdread]

Hello Dutch, don't you think Cloud kissed Tifa too soon? The big reveal in the Lifestream scene is the hidden romantic feelings Cloud had for Tifa, but now that revelation won't be as impactful because he has already declared his feelings for her.

This is actually something I've been thinking about myself, and I think that you could definitely make an argument for this being the case. That having been said I think it's a matter of personal….for lack of a better word, choice. I think you can choose to be negative and see it as such, but rather than looking at "what could have been" you can also choose to look at what we actually got and see if there is a positive way to see it.

First lets look at what we didn't get though. We didn't get 2 games of Cloud and Tifa not showing any romantic interest in each other…..can we agree that that's a good thing? Because honestly that would SUCK!!!!! And if we consider how bad the backlash was back in 1997 when the "Tifa is the true love interest" reveal happened in the game itself how bad would it have been if we'd instead had had 8 years and two games of them seemingly being mostly platonic?

People would be absolutely bamboozled, they'd feel it came out of nowhere and probably have felt rather scammed. Clotis would have hated the first two games with a passion, and Cleriths (which would include every new player) would be rioting at the third.

So then the choice is between including it subtly, or going all in. Well, if they went subtle, it would still be noticeable, so the idea that Cloud might have a crush on Tifa would still no longer be a reveal. This isn't 1997, models have facial animations now, they have micro expressions. Back in 1997 being "not interested" or being in love was represented with the same vertical stripe, so regular interactions essentially revealed very little information about a characters emotions.

Pictured: Complete disinterest, or, complete sexual desire. You decide!

But in 2024 the same thing no longer applies. Every sentence, even the simple speaking of a name, comes with a host of meaning. You can't have Cloud speak Tifas name as though it means nothing for 2 games, and still expect people to be on their side when it comes to romance. And you can't expect people to hear Cloud speak Tifas name with longing for 8 years and then still be surprised that he's into her.

So the reveal was always dead in the water, and they instead went all in, because why not? You see, the reveal isn't exactly that Cloud is in love with Tifa. The reveal is the depth of the love, how far back it's gone, and all the things it has caused. Not just that Cloud has and had a crush on Tifa, but that it's been his entire raison d'etre for the past 10 or so years. When Yuffie asks Cloud whether he liked Tifa when he was younger, and he answered "don't remember", this scene suddenly became a lot more poignant as the player realizes that was actually either a bold-faced lie, or very tragically ironic.

The viewer is left wondering if Cloud, even as we were playing him then, was at least aware of his love of Tifa, but wasn't showing it due to his mask, or if even he genuinely forgot the very thing that set him on this path (personally I think that while Cloud is totally unsure of who or what he is, that he is 100% aware that he deeply loves Tifa, even at the start of Remake).

And if we're going to be explicit anyway, then what difference does it make whether he kisses her or not? The reveal that Cloud likes Tifa is gone with or without it, so might as well go with it. And while the reveal might be less impactful for us, there is one person who, even with the kiss, will still be blown away by it. The most important person, Tifa. To Tifa the kiss probably didn't reveal as much as it did to us, because Tifa has no clue what is really going on with Cloud, nor the state of his psyche. With everything he's been doing she could very well be wondering if the person who kissed her was even Cloud. So the reveal that it wasn't just Cloud that kissed her, but that it's so utterly him that he had been longing for it his entire life will feel SOOOOOOO unfathomably relieving that the mere second hand experience that we the player will get through empathy with Tifa will more than compensate for any loss of shock, IF it is done right.

So I guess what I am trying to say is, don't worry, the reveal isn't ruined. Because the reveal will still recontextualize everything that came before it. Before the reveal Cloud hugging Tifa in remake feels like a dude being hugged but being a bit uncomfortable because of his brooding personality, and not knowing what to do, but deciding to hug back because he's grown closer to his childhood friend over the course of the game, and has developed some feelings for her (essentially what Cleriths think Aerith and Cloud are experiencing at the end of Rebirth XD).

After the reveal Tifa hugging Cloud feels like a huge dork getting everything he's dreamed about his entire life and having absolutely no clue what to do because he's so shy and awkward and "omg I never thought I'd get this far, don't screw this up, don't screw this up". Before the reveal Cloud kissing Tifa feels like a cool guy who loves Tifa giving her the kiss they both desire, but probably Tifa most of all. After the reveal the kiss feels like Cloud winning a thousand jackpots at once. A sweet boy whose heart is probably pounding out of this chest and is barely managing to stay cool.

And there is a second improvement to the story resulting from the kiss. Namely the increased sense of loss and pain associated with Cloud drifting away from Tifa and finally breaking. In the original its sad to watch Tifa cry out about losing Cloud, but it's nothing compared to what we get in Rebirth, let alone what we will hopefully get in part 3. There can be no doubt that the reason it hits so hard when Cloud rips away Tifas hand in the temple of the ancients after he tried killing Elena is because the game so effectively established the bond between Cloud and Tifa. Him forcefully removing her hand has become viscerally shocking. Both because it now shows extra clearly how far gone Cloud is, but also because it makes Tifas experience extra tragic.

Without the romance and kiss it would have just been Tifa losing the Cloud she had found by the tracks. She wanted to find the boy she'd fallen in love with, she had wanted to rekindle something, but ultimately she wouldn't have done so, and therefore losing him would feel less painful. It's far more painful to have something and lose it than to never have it in the first place. With the romance and the kiss Tifa actually found that boy and bond that she'd thought about for so long. And to finally find that one sliver of happiness and then to have it ripped away right when she needed it most…..well it cuts twice as hard. When she takes care of Cloud in Mideel, knowing what she lost, having only ever gotten that kiss…..well, it cuts twice as deep.

And of course, this will also make the reveal in the lifestream that she never lost the real Cloud, all the more amazing. (OH THANK GOD, I finally figured out why TUMBLR was randomly not allowing me to post longer posts)

[valeriianz]

For the fic writer asks:

4. Obviously you did research for BitB. I'd love you to ramble about it if you like I'm sure you've got STORIES

5. Did you outline it?

7. How'd you decide it would be Hob's pov?

25-27 I'd love to know a/some favorite lines, details, and any lore you might want to share

omg TJ what wonderful questions! thank you!! this is going to get LONG!

4: Rambling about research!

do you wanna see a screen shot of my bookmarks under my "band au" folder?

man, and that's only what could fit on the screen.

there is... SO MUCH i chose to ignore for this fic. ideas that i had to drop, lines or extra details about the other band members equipment. more logistics, what Lucienne actually does, what Mervyn has to put up with as the new touring stage manager... i realized very early on that i couldn't possibly cram all this (super cool and eye opening) information into the fic and still keep reader's interest and, most importantly, to not stray away from the fact that this is a dreamling fic. whenever i felt myself getting carried away with a side character or job or even social media numbers, gossip, outside POVs, i had to reign myself in and get back on track. there will be time for exploring everything i missed in side stories after BitB is finished. i just hope i still have the energy to write it all.

once, i was so deep into research that after publishing chapter 2, i went into work and when my chef asked what "GA" meant on my prep list, i answered with full confidence, "general admission."

(it means "get ahead.")

the worst part of this entire writing process is im still learning new shit. i havent rewatched or read a lot of what i've saved because, to be very honest, i was feeling a little burnt out. it's why we're kinda full steam dreamling now. it's why ive been glossing over a lot of technical stuff and being vague about conversations amongst the crew/not including it at all. i don't prefer ignoring my research, but at the end of the day i want to still enjoy writing this fic and finish it. even if i can't be as descriptive and detailed and nuanced as i used to be.

5: Did you outline the fic?

(also asked by @hardly-an-escape!)

i wouldn't call what i have a proper "outline," it's more like a 20k word document filled to the brim with notes that i skim at least a dozen times while i'm writing a new chapter (being in my brain is literally hell). i live multichapter life very dangerously. i copy and paste lines or sections (always scattered, never together! augh!) that are meant to go together and plop them in a new document titled "band au ch.#" and then i structure the chapter around what i want to happen.

but to answer this question in the plainest of terms: yeah. i know exactly what's going to happen up until the very end. even if its all in my head and the only concrete shit that's written down are beats/plot points. i'll figure out the rest later!

7: How'd you decide it would be Hob's POV?

i actually never even considered writing it from Dream's POV. this was my first fic in the fandom (which is so nuts to think about lol) and writing in Dream's POV sounded so scary lol. i also just thought Hob's would be easier because i have worked a few backstage shows, back in my college years. i figured eh, i can make this work. and i loved exploring how weird and mysterious musicians can be, from a normie's POV. making Hob a fan first and having him worry about developing a parasocial relationship... it was fun to explore.

25: Share your favorite line

oh god, i have so many haha.

“What are you thinking about?” starting in ch.2 and onward lmao

“It’s–” Dream laughs quietly, bitterly. “I don’t like change.” He says each word with emphasis, eyes trailing down to fixate somewhere past Hob. “And I still hold onto the things I can control, like my instruments–” his eyes swing up to regard Hob apologetically. “Or my clothes or my–” he brings a hand up and wiggles his fingers around his head. “My hair.” ch.4

"His majesty is pleased." ch.5

“You are obsessive,” he states, slow and cool and with a quiet smile cracking through his composure. “Just like me.” ch.7

“You look good.” Hob has to lean in to say so, unwilling to raise his voice amongst the roar of the fans. ch.11

“Del looks like porcelain, but she’s actually made of steel.” Desire swirls the contents of their glass before pushing their shoulders back with a deep breath. “She's tougher than all of us.” ch.11

“Everything. I want…” his fingers tighten in Hob’s hair, pulling him closer, speaking against his lips. “…Everything.” ch.14

26: Share your favorite detail

how intentionally coy Dream behaves. i love keeping him a mystery and deciding when and how much to allow his intentions to peek through has been so fun lol.

Despair is in fact covered in tattoos and piercings! i say this because i feel like sometimes i forget lmao. (but also her and Hob don't interact much so. my bad haha).

Delirium's constant explosion of color in the way she dresses <3

Hob's dedication to his job, Dream, and the people he cares about the most. i don't care if people think i'm making him too soft and good, im gonna project on that man and make him a sweet, sweet simp lmao

and ah, this doesn't matter anymore, and i kinda regret doing it but. i originally had Dream's favorite bass all black but the pickguard was white. so it actually looked like Jessamy. not gonna lie when @designtheendless drew it all black i decided i liked it better that way. and truly i do. that's when i went back to ch.1 and changed it haha. to actually see the guitar with Dream, all done up sparkling black and purple flecks... gosh it's just so him. but then i got up to the reveal that the guitar's name was Jessamy and i was like, "oh, right." lmao. no one seems to care so i'll leave it be.

27: Share a piece of lore you made up for the story

i have a lot lmao. and this post is already so long... im hoping i can get to some if not all of it in side fics in the future. but for now, here's some that's more like headcanons but:

Dream hates flying. he can full on go into panic attacks on the plane if he allows himself to get into his own head.

this was mentioned briefly in ch.4, while Dream was discussing the formation of the band, but Despair was in another band before joining Endless. she is the only character in the fic who gets to keep her English roots (lol sorry) and is the oldest in the band (30).

all of the band members ages: Dream, Desire, and Death are all 28 and Delirium is 22.

Dream can experience subdrop after going too hard during a performance.

Dream paints his own nails, it's very therapeutic.

as an exercise, i explored my own headcanons for Dream in this verse in a word doc, and one thing i will share from it that you might find interesting: If I were to ever give Dream a theological values, I would describe him as a satanist. He is a physical and pragmatic person, nonconforming, and although he is introverted, he enjoys being a part of a community (he loves his band).

also found this in my notes: How Desire and Dream got along was Death making them fight it out. Hob raises an eyebrow “like in a brawl?” He couldn't imagine Desire throwing hands. “No, in a pillow fight that escalated in hair pulling and verbal taunts.”

fic writer asks

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

my favorite mulder moments from s2

him having no faith in episode 1 after the x files are terminated, not even believing what he knows to be true regarding his sister’s disappearance

(and then being the moodiest motherfucker for the foreseeable future)

the fact that he got a fish in between s1 and s2. this brought me so much joy, you don’t even know

his monologue in episode 1, addressed to scully, who was not present: “before I could only trust myself, now I can only trust you, and they’ve taken you away from me… my life up until this point has been about seeing her again, but what would I do if they really come?” <- dear goddddddd. sometimes you get some lines that cut right to the heart of a character and this is one such example.

seeing his horrific workspace where he listened to audio recordings, a job he loathed- it was covered in sunflower seeds, pages with doodles, him stabbing an empty cup. truly a man with no fucks to give.

very very very fluffy hair in the early episodes

when episode 5 opens on him swimming in a big pool. there really was no narrative reason for that except we now know he swims recreationally and that is exactly the kind of thing i’m interested in knowing.

in episode 6, when he meets scully’s mom after her kidnapping, he listens to her say she dreamt of her being taken away, and hugs her

(and all throughout that episode, how he was told to go home because he was too close to the case, but instead got more and more involved. he even drove out to try and find her while falling asleep behind the wheel. dangerous behavior)

((and when he thinks scully is at the top of the mountain, he pulls his gun on the man who runs the ski lift to MAKE SURE he can get to the top as quick as possible. this one was WILD to me. pulling a gun on someone, just to get to her as fast as he can!!!!! he did not care about proper protocol! job be damned he was getting her HOME))

(and when they finally DO get duane barry, he sees scully's blood and hair on his wristband, and starts CHOKING him. you do NOT want to mess around with this man. he tells krychek that NO ONE is to interrogate the suspect but him. NO ONE. he is in what i affectionately refer to as bloodhound mode; there shall be no rest until an answer is sleuthed out)

trying to return scully’s necklace to her mother, who refuses to take it, so he can give it back to her

he has a lot of really emotional moments with scully’s mom, such as telling her she can’t give up hope even as they are picking up her gravestone in episode 8, which he cannot bear to look at

when scully is found, he bursts into the hospital, screaming at the doctor and saying he’ll do anything to figure out what they did to her, to the point where he had to be escorted from the room

(also love when he’s waiting to hear news on how she is doing, and he’s pacing his apartment, bouncing a ball, entirely unable to sit still, he’s so terrified)

after she is found, x tells him to walk away and never look back, and he immediately disregards this information to go chase down whoever knew anything about scully’s disappearance

when her family decides its time to remove her life support, he refuses to go in with them, looking the saddest and wettest a man has ever been

“you could spend the rest of your life finding every person that’s responsible, and it’s still not gonna bring her back”, says melissa. “including myself?” he asks. always taking the blame.

breaking into CIGARETTE MAN’S HOUSE. gun to his head. why her, he asks.

his confrontation scene with skinner, who refuses to accept his one-sentence resignation letter, and who tells him of his own demons. allowing for some skinner lore and deep connections to be made.

again in episode 8, he’s waiting in his apartment for the folks who took scully to arrive so he can kill them, but melissa puts him into his place- “why is it so much easier for you to run around trying to get even than just expressing to her how you feel? i expect more from you. dana expects more from you”

so he leaves his apartment and the one chance he’ll ever have to know who did this to her, and instead goes to sit by her bedside, holds her hand, and talks to her comatose body

(then, we he returns to his apartment, which has been ransacked by those involved with the crime, he falls to the ground, sobbing)

but how BIG he smiled when he heard that her eyes were open!!

in episode 9, when he finally has her back, how he helps her out of the helicopter when they fly to a distant volcano research base <3

also, in episode 10, when they’re being driven to a farm, and he lets her take shotgun so he can lounge about in the back

when he drops this banger line while sitting at a picnic table in episode 12: “i’ve often felt that dreams are the answers to questions we haven’t yet figured out how to ask” (and then does not elaborate)

at the aforementioned picnic table, the detective vaguely describes seeing some sort of symbol, and he immediately realizes it was the logo for the 1939 world’s fair, which is SO funny to me. because WHY does he know that!

when he lifts the caution tape over scully so she can bring her umbrella to the rainy crime scene in episode 13 <3

talking to a random guy in a town they’re visiting for an investigation: “you know andy” “no, I don’t” “well, andy knows you” <- another instance of him being famous in the nerd community

all the times he starts rambling about different belief systems, like the idea of obtaining a new soul in the ep 13, or the concept of wicca in episode 14

when they go to the refugee camp in episode 15, and a child tries to sell them a good luck charm, which he pays a nice $5 bill for

getting hit by a car in episode 16, and then making some dumbass quip about how he should have used the crosswalk

going back home when his "sister" is found, tucking his mom into bed with a kiss

then his dad confronting him, blaming him for losing his sister in episode 17,  leaving him crying as he tries to process the grief of getting her back just to feel guilty for her death

(don’t worry though- it wasn’t really her. but damn, he thought it was, and this scene was devastating)

finding his faith again with scully at his bedside after almost dying of alien poison

when he goes for a jog in florida (episode 20), arguably the hottest and most miserable of all continental US states, in a sweatshirt and sweatpants. and i cannot explain this behavior. he is deeply peculiar.

on the investigation of the sideshow performers, he flirts with the man fixing scully’s pipes to get him to leave. or as i call it: “weaponized bisexuality”

when he slides through a tiny trap door in a haunted house to come and find scully. great visual gag. i chuckled.

feeling sick at home, taking advil in his slutty little tanktop in episode 25. then proceeding to go wild because he was being drugged. don’t worry, he ends up okay. thanks only to scully.

[tenebraevesper]

Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Prime, Character Analysis - Part 2)

Welcome back to the second part of my analysis of Shadow's character in Sonic Prime. I will admit, after re-reading my previous analysis, I realized that this wasn't becoming an analysis of just Shadow's character, but also Sonic's, considering how much they influence each other and their interactions help each other to develop. I know I'm getting ahead of myself here, so I'll just take it step by step.

Note, this part will only cover the first half of Episode 09: Avoid the Void, since it is a very Sonic and Shadow-centered episode, meaning that there is a lot to talk about (and there is also a limit to the number of screenshots I can post).

So, let's dive in!

Episode 09: Avoid the Void is the turning point in Shadow's relationship with Sonic and is also the point where the Sonadow ship really took off. I will try to keep things professional and just focus on the character analysis, but I'm certain that I speak the truth when I say that Sonic Prime definitely shows us the appeal of this particular ship.

To start off, we have a flashback showing us what exactly had happened to Shadow after he entered The Void. He attempted to follow Sonic as the latter was launched into New Yoke City, but after failing to pass through the gate, he was knocked back, losing the Chaos Emerald in the process.

Shadow then tries again to get through the gate, each punch showing us a flash of what is going on with Sonic while he is in New Yoke City, including information about the Paradox Prism energy and Shadow's point of view in regards to what happens when Sonic uses his Prism energy.

Shadow quickly realized that he can use this to talk to Sonic, but as we know from before, Sonic either thinks he is hallucinating or leaves Shadow on read. The explosion of energy that Sonic then releases knocks Shadow back to a different gate, which I'll talk about in a moment. We then follow Shadow as he tries to find a way to contact Sonic while he is sent to different Shatterspaces.

As we already know, it doesn't really work, but Shadow is determined to contact Sonic at any cost, and once Sonic is sent flying out of No Place, Shadow manages to stop him by kicking a crystal at him, leading us to the scene from the previous episode, where Shadow reveals to Sonic that not only is Green Hill gone, but also punches him for his troubles. As I had said before, Sonic definitely deserved that punch for being so reckless.

Shadow then keeps fighting Sonic out of sheer frustration, with Sonic asking him to just leave him alone, not realizing that this isn't just some Shatterverse Variant of Shadow, but actually the Shadow he knows.

''I'm stuck in here, and it's all your fault, Sonic!'' ''Yeah, yeah, what else is new? Wait, how do you know my name? Unless... *gasp* Shadow, you're... you!''

''The real you!''

Sonic is absolutely elated when he realizes that this is the Shadow he knows, immediately hugging him. It really shows how much he missed a familiar face, not caring that Shadow beat him up just a moment ago. Honestly, it's sooooo adorable!! (≧◡≦)

''The only me!''

In contrast, Shadow is not happy about the reunion, pushing Sonic away and leaving the azure hedgehog saddened. I cannot fault Shadow for this reaction because he was stuck in The Void for who knows how long, having to track down Sonic and processing the fact that their home is now gone thanks to Sonic. I suppose that beating Sonic up was also just him venting his frustrations.

''You just don't listen. What part of our home doesn't exist anymore are you not understanding?'' ''What did you just say?'' ''What do you think I've been trying to tell you? When you broke the Paradox Prism, you broke our reality. Green Hill is gone! It doesn't exist anymore!''

Remember when I talked about Shadow and Sonic having issues with communication? Well, it seems that they have finally reached their breaking point. This is the first time Shadow has explained to Sonic what is going on and this is also the first time Sonic actually listened to him.

Sonic is obviously devastated, having not intended for this to happen. He acknowledges that this is his fault and how things keep getting worse, and I will add that, even if Sonic had a plan to get the Prism Shards and fix things with Nine's help, he had been still going from one Shatterspace to another without any proper aim or focus. Fortunately, things are about to change.

Shadow just sighs, realizing that Sonic really has no clue what he's doing, and decides to explain the situation to him.

''Follow me!''

What is up with that dramatic stance? I mean, Shadow can be a bit dramatic, but still. X3

Sonic follows Shadow, wondering how he ended up here. Shadow explains how he chased him up to the cave where the Paradox Prism was just about when Sonic shattered it, so he used the Chaos Emerald to teleport out, but when he reappeared, he was in The Void, stuck between the Shatterspaces.

As Sonic and Shadow stand before the New Yoke City gateway, we can see Shadow eyeing Sonic's shoes, or rather, the tech on his shoes. We'll get to it later, but it is clear that Shadow had been forming this plan for quite a while now.

Sonic wonders whether Shadow has been able to see him this whole time, with Shadow replying how that was only possible because Sonic kicked up Prism energy every time he got fast, thinning the veil to The Void. He was basically opening a portal through the gateway, with Sonic figuring out how that was how he teleported into No Place. Shadow kept tracking him from gateway to gateway.

''What's down there?'' ''Not sure. From what I can tell, it's an eternity of darkness that decays all life.''

As Sonic points into what appears to be a black hole, Shadow explains what he thinks it is, remembering the loss of the Chaos Emerald. Honestly, while listening to their conversation, I felt oddly calm. I guess it feels sort of strange, but also soothing, for Sonic and Shadow to have natural conversation, trying to make sense of their situation. I really love these quiet moments.

Sonic then wonders why Shadow hadn't followed him in, with Shadow explaining that while Sonic can enter the Shatterspaces, he can't... with one exception.

''When you unleashed a shockwave from New Yoke, it blew me to the outer reaches of The Void, and led me here. And for reasons I haven't figured out yet, this gateway let me in. Maybe it's because the Shatterspace isn't fully formed. Maybe it's decaying. I'm not sure. But, it's not whole.''

''Like a ghost.'' ''So then, what is this place?'' ''Come see for yourself.''

I'll stop here just to praise Shadow's VA, Ian Hanlin. Shadow's voice really conveys his emotions and I could just spend the whole episode just listening to it. He's serious and calm, but his voice is also oddly soothing as he just explains things to Sonic, with no hint of anger in it. He is just trying to make sense of things not even he understands.

He and Sonic then pass through the gateway...

...and while Shadow manages to land on his feet, Sonic just faceplants.

I just love how Shadow rolls his eyes here, it's hilarious. He's so used to Sonic's antics.

Moving on, Sonic starts exploring what appears to be Green Hill, except it looks like it has all life drained from it. While he is excited to see his home and his friends, he slowly comes to a very horrifying realization.

''What's wrong with them?'' ''It's a Shatterspace, Sonic, just like the others. Cruel version to make us suffer.''

Sonic's friends are stuck in a loop of saying the same thing over and over again, looking like ghosts of their former selves. Sonic is devastated, with Shadow voicing his thoughts on this place, this Ghost Hill. I think it's really telling how he claims that this place is cruel and created to make them suffer. He clearly cares about his home and he probably had his own moment of processing what Ghost Hill really was.

Sonic wasn't the only one suffering.

I think this is a good place to say that Team Dark doesn't appear to exist in this universe, and Shadow and Rouge don't appear to be friends. I believe that Sonic later says it himself, but yeah, Shadow is friendless in Sonic Prime, so seeing this shot of him glancing back at Ghost Rouge is kind of heartbreaking when you know their history.

Shadow considers Green Hill his home, and even if he isn't close with Sonic and his friends, he cares about them. He also understands Sonic's pain.

''How do I fix this?''

Sonic is finally hit with the full realization of what his recklessness had caused, asking Shadow how to fix it.

I will be talking more in detail about it in Part 3, but knowing what we know, I believe that Shadow here is on the fence of whether he is going to help Sonic or do things by himself.

From what we saw so far, Shadow has seen a side of Sonic where the latter finally listens to him and understands the consequences of his actions, and whenever he was asked to explain things further, he always makes a grimace and sighs. If he wanted, Shadow could've told Sonic nothing or just kept him out of loop, and actually gone with his own plan. Instead, he tells Sonic everything he knows and, even if it's a small part of him he won't acknowledge until much later, he knows that he will need Sonic's help in some capacity.

However, knowing what the rest of the episode holds for us, and knowing Shadow in general, it would take him another fight to understand that his own plan won't work.

#Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Prime, Character Analysis - Part 1)

#Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Prime, Character Analysis - Part 3)

#Sonic the Hedgehog Analyzer (Masterlist)

[worflesbian]

right okay i dont know exactly how persistent an issue this is bc i almost never go into the tags on this website, but even ive noticed this happening so i feel like that’s justification to make a post about it. the whitewashing of julian bashir as an established Thing not just in the fandom but in official merch has been discussed before, but recently i’ve noticed the inverse happening with martok and b’elanna, a white character and a lighter latina character who people seem to often draw darker than they are in canon. and there’s like. a Lot going on there to unpack.

so this video goes into some detail about the racism baked into the origins and design of the klingons in tos, it’s very informative about the anti-asian stereotypes especially in a 60s context but i feel like it doesnt really cover the way that antiblackness becomes a more significant factor in the next gen era so like. if you didn’t know, the majority of the klingon characters in the next gen-ds9-voyager era are either played by actors with dark skin or Very frequently by white actors in heavy dark makeup. if you look up the actors of grilka, alexander, kehleyr, and sirella for example you’ll see what im talking about like the difference is Stark and these are some of the main recurring klingons across both shows. hopefully i do not need to explain why packing white actors in brown makeup to play members of a species characterised as violent, warlike and animalistic is racist. i say hopefully bc who knows with this website. anyway i’d recommend this video for a wider context on the legacy of blackface in tv!

martok is a rare example of a klingon played by a white actor who, as far as i can tell, does not have his skin significantly darkened. so to see him frequently being drawn with darker skin is uh Slightly Concerning given everything in the previous paragraph! ive even seen art where he’s drawn darker than julian in the same post which... anyway im not trying to blanket condemn reinterpreting the design of alien characters in fanart, but i am asking white fans like myself in particular to think critically as to why, out of all the white characters and aliens on ds9, martok is the one you want to do that with.

because b’elanna is not a white character i think its a slightly different situation, but at the same time she does have lighter skin and i have seen fanart of her drawn much much darker and once again, im not condeming it especially in works ive seen which explore the relationship bewteen her latina and klingon identities, but its something white fans need to handle carefully. in the voyager episode Faces where she gets split into a human and klingon version of her (dont have time to unpack all that) you can see the difference in undertones between human b’elanna and klingon b’elanna (also included a pic of regular b’elanna for reference). the brown makeup is obvious here too and if you can see why it might be racist to attribute a person’s rage and violent impulses to a part of themself that is then personified as darker skinned/more brown, then you might also see some of the wider problems going on here and can understand that this is something that demands a lot of thought and consideration.

i’d like to reiterate that this is a very complex and nuanced issue, especially considering the intersection of fictional race within the setting and the racial biases operating behind the scenes/metatextually, and i’d love to discuss it more (and to cite better sources than youtube videos when i have the time). but for now i’d just like to say yeah just ask yourself what the implications might be to drawing these characters in particular darker than they are in canon, especially if theyre the only characters you do that for, or you’re intentionally contrasting them with other characters (e.g. b/7 fanart) or yk. drawing a white character darker than a character of colour like ive seen people do with julian and martok.

[mirjam-writes]

My research process for Be Still My Soul

I was asked about my research for Be Still My Soul (GO human au fanfic set in Finnish history. It has also its own blog @be-still-my-soul-fanfic for extra notes and background info), and I was so excited for a reason to babble about my process! Thank you for asking <3

The question was this:

Can I ask what your research process is? How long you’re willing to spend on it and then separating things you’ve discovered while interesting might not be right for the story you’re telling

The quick answer to "how long you're willing to spend on it" is always "way too much", truly ridiculous amounts! But I was also building on a foundation of existing knowledge. I have no degrees on history, but we learned the basics of all this at school. I also loved to listen my grandparents stories of the olden times as a kid; not necessarily about the war, but farming, customs and architecture. My proper interest in the civil war period began in 2018, during the 100th anniversary year. There were a lot of events, articles and news about the war, so I decided to read some of them, including old classics, and visit some museums. When I stumbled upon a reference I didn't understand, I read more, and that was a whole rabbit hole... But! When I started outlining Be Still, I was able to base it on a lot of knowledge I already had, and was able to add the big beats of the love story to the real historical timeline.

Then I started writing. I took a scene or a short period I had outlined and started to ask myself questions. What needs to be shown for the reader to understand the next big beat. What do the characters know, what do they see, what do they think. I always started my research from something related to the outline BUT it definitely got off track and severely out of hand so often! I found new details I could add to the story, and a whole bunch of details I hyperfixated in, researched for days---and used only maybe in one offhand paragraph.

I left so much out, because it was, at heart, a love story and not a history lesson. And some things made no sense to be explained in the story because they were every-day stuff for the characters! So, from the very early on I realised I needed an outlet for all that extra info in order to not clutter the story, and that's how the blog was born.

My biggest tools for research during writing were

online newspaper archives (to figure out what people actually knew and discussed at any current day I was writing about, because nowadays we of course know a lot more about the stuff that happened, than the people knew when it was actually happening. I also used newspapers to search for important information like if Vaseline was already available in 1918 Finland)

national archive's online photo archive (to get visuals of locations, clothes, houses and other things, to be able to describe them better)

Wikipedia (especially for looking for right words; I searched for a spesific thing from Finnish Wikipedia, then opened the English article to see the English word for it, and to figure out if the word is what I'm looking for. And then I went to Discord to ask around on writer's channels if the words I was about to pick were actually general knowledge for English speakers)

census data (I've also done genealogy research for my family, so I still have a subscription to some neat archives. These I used to search for names and professions, and to count amount of servants in big houses, etc)

library (I'm sure our local library thinks I'm doing some important historical research :D I read several books about other people's research, and also fiction. But I have kinda ruined the fiction for myself because I can now spot all the mistakes, and also, in one case, when the author described a scene in vivid detail, I could tell exactly which museum archive photo they had used as a reference!)

Whenever I found something I got curious about, all my other research (and writing!) stopped and I started googling more and more information, which sometimes did end up into the story, but more often did not! But I'm the sort of history geek that likes these rabbit holes, so I didn't mind much.

(Unless it felt like I got no new words into the story for weeks!)

[p5x-theories]

While I assume you will not start a new account after the global relase, will you still check out any gameplay to see how the official translation works and if you missed anything?

Definitely not a new account, no! I'll probably have a dedicated tag for any news about the English release (like I do for the Japanese release), and I may make a post if it comes to my attention that any of my info posts were lacking something significant, that I then become more aware of due to the Japanese or English versions.

But, I'll be honest, a lot of my info posts are put together because there's no official English version yet, so a lot of this information is difficult to come by! It's also a little frustrating to me when wikis have incorrect names for characters, or lack information that's easily accessible in the game. They've gotten better about this over time, especially since the start of the open beta, but my info posts were essentially made because no one else was posting this information anywhere in English, and I really wanted it to be more accesible for especially English-speaking fans.

For that reason, I probably won't change summary posts that I've already written once the English release reaches those points! At that point, my old summary posts aren't really necessary anymore- any English-speaking fan should be able to find gameplay and streams of it, in English, online. I'll still make new summary posts for new content that hasn't reached the English release yet, of course! But the core concept behind those posts was to help bridge the gap for people who couldn't easily find and translate the information, and that gap won't exist once the English release has those parts of the story available in English.

I will update character posts with things like English VAs, and any new important information like that, including names for characters that I haven't been able to confirm! The whole point of confirming names is to make sure they'd match up with the official English name when an English release was announced, so, as this blog is primarily meant for English-speaking fans (though I genuinely really appreciate the Japanese and Chinese fans I've gotten to talk to as well!), any posts here will be taking the English release's word as law for character names.

I don't plan on playing the English release myself (as much as I'd love to), however, as I simply don't have the time to keep up with playing two versions of the game simultaneously, not to mention the storage space on my computer is already a bit strained since I keep both the mainland China files (to datamine) and Hong Kong/Taiwan/Macau files (to actually play) on my computer, and a third version of the game would be too much. I also, to be honest, hate combing through others' gameplay videos to verify things, so I likely won't be watching much English gameplay either, outside of necessity. But I will keep up with news and announcements, and share whatever I can here! And I have some friends who are interested in playing the game when it comes to the US, so I hopefully can at least get reports from them on anything I should know. ... If not from you guys? I know I tend to get asks when exciting new things are revealed even now, so I'm sure if anything crazy we didn't know about already comes up in the English release, someone will let me know, hehe.

Oh, that does make me realize, though, I should probably start using a new spoiler tag for story content once the English version releases! I want this blog to be friendly to people that are new to the English release but don't want spoilers from the mainland release, too. I might use "eng version spoilers"? Not sure exactly, but that's something I'll think about. My main spoilers tag will still be used for any datamined story spoilers, of course!

Sorry, that was maybe a longer answer than you expected, haha. Basically, in summary, this blog will still operate as it has been, and I'll start sharing Japanese and English release news as well (with separate tags)! Past story summaries will not be altered at all, but character posts and stuff like that will be updated as necessary. I won't be playing the English release myself, but I will keep an eye on it, and I hope anyone who does play it can help keep me updated, too!

[hinamie]

3 & 8 for the fanartist ask? hope youre well <3

WAH HIII thank uuuu i am doing well ty fr asking <3 <3 <3

3. what sort of compliments do you love hearing?

gJHSG i'm not picky at all tbh any compliments r enough to make my day :'> i read tags like the morning news n if i see something particularly sweet i screenshot it n put it in a lil folder on my desktop to look at when i need a pick-me-up.

I wld be lying if i didn't have favourites tho :'>>> don't get me wrong keysmashes n short and sweet compliments r never unwelcome but whenever people leave extended tags rly explaining what they like about a piece or how they interpret certain details i included,, or if they have a bit of art knowledge themselves and are able to comment on specific technical elements i use...thts the good stuff . i eat tht shit up it is like crack to me

I also get a special kind of thrill when i get ppl crying/telling me they're in my walls/yelling at me threateningly (pos) in the tags of an angsty drawing sdghjfgj ik those r not exactly compliments but it means i have done my job well so it counts :3

8. what inspires your art style?

I mean i'm a fanartist so i think it goes without saying that the themes and look of the media itself will inform how I approach making art for it hjdsfk . like, in my fruits basket era my style definitely leaned cutesier than it did/has for tg/banana fish/jjk. in the same vein, the work of other artists also in those fandoms has always been something that inspires me almost as much as the source material. everyone is so fucking talented sdhjhgfdsj no matter how happy i might be with my own progress at any given moment i'm always looking at other artists and styles I admire and trying to kirby them into my own stuff :)

but as far as parts of my actual /style/ tht transcend whatever fandom i'm working in, I think above all else I'm inspired by things I see in real life and find beauty in

in the past I have spent a lot of time doing more. static (?) fanart where the main focus was often the character's clothes moreso than where they were or what they were doing. ik part of that was definitely because I wasn't comfortable enough in my technical skills to push myself to draw more elaborate scenes, but it was also due to the fact that at that time in my life, I was mainly inspired by fashion and people I found beautiful. lately i've been much more focused on emotions, intimacy, and little pockets of time--i want to draw moments that make you want to hold them between your fingers before they slip away. lately i find myself thinking about what it's like to be loved or left and overall just the nature of time passing, and i think those themes have definitely made themselves known in my work. the light the colours the themes i use,,. it's all hopeful and sad and fleeting and beautiful to me, or at least i try for it to come across that way.

fanartist ask game

[baileypie-writes]

Heya , I hope you’ve had a wonderful break and wishing you the best in health! ･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+

As a precure fan myself I’ve really enjoyed reading your headcanons for characters as not only are they tame but really cute to ((o(^∇^)o))

So for my request if it is possible is a Daruizen and female reader who is apart of the healin good team and is a lot more brash , teasing and pompous when out as a precure who finds Daruizen undeniably infuriating due to how unbothered and selfish he is and makes it clear through remarks and just poking fun at him whenever she can lol. I thought it’d be interesting to see headcanons on how’d he react to her and what he do in situations such as this or even just seeing a write up of a potential interaction would be really nice . I’m sorry if it seems like I’m asking for a lot and honestly take your time if you need to! ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

I look forward to reading more of yours posts and take care♪───Ｏ（≧∇≦）Ｏ────♪

A/N ~ Thank you for your kind and lovely request! This idea is so cool, I love it! Hope you enjoy!

~Daruizen With a Brash and Pompous Fem!Pretty Cure~

~~~🦠~~~🦠~~~🦠~~~

Fandom: Healin' Good♡Precure

Fanfic Type: Headcanons

Reader: Female, a Pretty Cure

Relationship: Platonic, enemies

Characters Included: Daruizen

Genre: Angst?

Rating: PG

Warnings: Mutual hatred between Reader and Daruizen, possibly OOC Daruizen?, Reader calling Daruizen an emo(I have no problem with emos. It was just for the story)

~Masterlists~

~Healin' Good♡Precure Masterlist~

Guide: Daruizen’s dialogue is green and Reader’s dialogue is uncolored.

~~~🦠~~~🦠~~~🦠~~~

~ When someone like you meets someone they dislike, they don’t make any effort to hide it. That’s exactly what happened when you met Daruizen. You hated his personality from the moment you saw him lounging on a tree while his Megabyogen ran wild.

~ As you spewed your aggression and insults at him, he was amused at first. But over time, he felt himself become more and more irritated. You just kept going, never getting tired. He wishes you’d just shut up, and hate him silently.

“What’s with that choker? Are you an emo or something?”

“I don’t know what an ‘emo’ is, but probably not.”

“How do you not know what that is? Do you live under a rock?”

“Sure. Whatever…”

~ The only reactions he ever gives are dry responses. He would interact with you to get on your nerves, but doesn’t want to give you any sort of satisfaction either. Besides, he’s much too lazy to do anything else anyway. So he leaves all the talking, yelling and insulting to you.

“Gosh, you’re so annoying.”

“‘Kay.”

“I mean, don’t you have anything else to do besides poisoning the earth?”

“Not really.”

“Do you ever say more than just a few words.”

“Maybe.”

~ Your pompous trait reminds Daruizen of his own teammates. And he does not have fond opinions of them. The way you flaunt and show off is quite irritating to him. Especially since he himself doesn’t do more than he has to. You go out of your way to show others how cool you think you are, and it gets under his skin. But of course, he doesn’t show it.

~ While your average insults don’t faze him, there is one thing that grinds his gears. And that’s when you talk down to him as if he’s ignorant or a child. He’s already the young one of his own group, so he doesn’t need someone else treating him as such. Talking to him in a high pitched, baby voice and stating obvious things in an informative manner really gets on his nerves.

“Ok little boy, I don’t know if you know this, but what you’re trying to do is going to kill everyone on earth. And killing is bad, okay?”

“Yes, I’m aware.”

~ If you learn all the things that trigger him, you just might be able to get an actual reaction out of him. Just combine everything he hates about you, and crank it up to one hundred percent. Eventually, he’s bound to crack. And if he does, oh boy, are you in for a fight.

~ Daruizen would battle you one on one, taking all his rage and annoyance out on you; the culprit. It’s surprising to see him act so out of character. But if you wanted to get him all riled up, congratulations, you’ve succeeded. The battle would go on until he either loses steam or one of you defeats each other. Afterwards, he’d leave without hardly saying a word. Just know that you’ve successfully gotten yourself an enemy.

“Oh? You’re done fighting? Is your battery dead? Haha!”

“Shut up.”

“No thanks. Anyways, that was fun. You’re much stronger than I thought.”

*teleports away*

“Wow. He didn’t even say goodbye. How rude.”

~~~🦠~~~🦠~~~🦠~~~

~~baileypie-writes

[therentyoupay]

hellooo !!! I’m a super huge fan of your work and I’ve had this question on my mind for WEEKS:

the accuracy and depiction of your vision of jelsa is absolutely fantastic. the amount of depth and thought definitely shows and I’m curious: besides searching up “jack frost rotg”, “elsa from frozen” and potentially “burgess / norway speech and casual dialect”…

how do you know what to search in regards to their personalities, mannerisms, good / bad traits ??? or I guess when you shape your idea of jack, elsa and the two of them as a pair, what kinds of thoughts or sources do you use when you write them ?

sparknotes version: how do you (personally) perceive jelsa and what kinds of information do you look for when you write them ? both personality and casual dialogue ?

hope this made sense LMFAO — I know it’s a difficult and very complex question.

hello, my love. ♡ first of all, thank you so much for this ask AND YOUR BEAUTIFUL SUPPORT!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭🙏💕💕💕💕💕

@da-awesome-one asked me a similar question in january, and i wasn’t quite sure how to answer it, so i opened up the conversation to others on tumblr, and we had some fun making observations in the replies!

however, this week, two similar questions on this topic have popped into my inbox (including yours!), and so i’ve started to really ask myself about what is going on in my interpretations… what am i doing, exactly?!

and once i started to think that way, i couldn’t really stop. 😂😭 so i will do my very utter best to try to answer this question comprehensively, as clearly as i can!

TRYP thoughts on characterization

jack frost // elsa | PART I: ground rules + intro

💕ground rules:

this goes without saying, but it bears mentioning anyway: whatever follows under this cut, please remember that these interpretations are just that—interpretations! my thoughts and opinions have formed over the past twelve or so years (at the time of writing this post), and you’ll notice in some of the syntax that follows that i am referring to the characters as if they just are the way that i interpret them, but this is due to convenience of getting the point across; it is not to say that these ideas are the “real” or “true” characterizations of these two fictional characters remember, nothing is real everything is all made up lmao. but for real, though. 

that said, feel free to ignore or disagree with all or any of what i say below! the beautiful thing about (fan)fiction and fandom is that someone’s interpretations of a character or story may often demonstrate just as much (if not more) about the reader, in many cases, than it might about the author.

thus, please remember that, if whatever i say below contradicts or doesn’t align with your personal beliefs—that’s okay! there is no real expertise here. it’s just fandom! the world is your oyster. don’t go changing your worldview just because a random lady on the internet who’s written a bunch of stories about them says that she imagines the characters one way or the other; that’s not the point! this is not a how-to guide. just a fun reflection and self-analysis of my writing style, for funsies, because we love creative hobbies. 💕

however. if you read something below that resonates with you, that makes sense in the context of your story, or makes you consider fiction, the characters, or the universes in a different way, then by goodness you are invited to adopt and adapt whatever your heart desires. 💕 spread the love! create! generate! do what your heart desires.

also, i have done my best to keep this relatively organized, but at times it does get stream of consciousness-y (remember that this is a fun hobby y’all because LITERARY ANALYSIS IS FUN but ya girl’s other stuff to do, so just roll with it 😂) also tumblr has a word limit now who knew, SO THIS SHALL BE ANSWERED IN MULTIPLE PARTS (links inside, to updated as they are posted in installments)

on that note, everyone—after reading this post 👀—should feel free to reblog/reply/etc. and add to the discussion. 💕 WE LOVE A SOLID ANALYSIS!PARTY.

does all of this sound good? if so, please carry on. 💕

sources.......? oops UM

i'm so sorry, i don’t know if this is bad news or reassuring news, but in terms of sources, i…………. have: 

my memory of the rotg movie

my annual re-watches of frozen, frozen 2

occasionally, for extra fun lore, the original snow queen novel 

tiny details from the guardians of childhood book series that i have accidentally picked up purely 1000% from rotg fanart on tumblr and unfortunately i don’t think i could even provide proper list of what i “know” (sometimes i prefer headcanons to canon, and i tend to forget what i have cherry-picked! if you want more on this, i can add a bit more to the post, too, in an edit), but think in broad terms like "mother nature is pitch's daughter," pitch's tragic!backstory, toothiana wields two swords, nightlight exists but i don't know much about him... microscopic knowledge of this canon, tbh 🙏

i have never read any of the rotg books, or any of the other related frozen-universe stories

(all of my recent canon knowledge is all that i have gained from @callimara in her 2-hour long video lolooool, but even then, i would not have sought it out had she not so lovingly crafted it!!) 

to me, canon is a set of guidelines! 

for better or worse, my interpretations of these character types have solidified in my head. 🙏 after writing them for so long, they’re just… jack and elsa.

in my previous attempt to answer this question in january, that was about as deep as i could get into the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of it all. 

but i shall try. after 12 years... I SHALL TRY.

🥹🙏 BEAR WITH ME BELOW.

my answers:

when i think about elsa and jack as characters (in ANY universe, setting, etc.), i find always myself drawn to their complexity, their depth, and the way they navigate the emotional landscapes that define them—particularly their relationships with others. 

are you ready for some contradictions, dualities, and dichotomies???

in this essay i will

okay but actually i think i wrote an essay

let’s: 

ground rules + intro

overview: the tl;dr of my personality + dialogue choices

deep dive: characterization, personality, + identity

shared ice powers (or AU-equivalent) + shared connections

questions/points to consider as you write

LOVE YOU ALL 🙏💕

[anosrepasi]

10 and 20 for the writing ask!!

Hello dear one! Thank you for the ask :D 20. How would you describe your writing process? Honestly, the best way to describe my process is web-weaving. Writing comes easiest to me when I can pull in a bunch of unrelated topics or content and use those to help create the structure of the fic around the plot points I want to cover. I'm mostly like this because I am a very curious person by nature and down to learn about almost anything, and also this is how my brain functions. I learn by connecting unrelated topics and finding overlap or differences in the material. This also means that I get stuck on very silly little things in fics because I haven't fleshed them out. A lot of my video game writing suffers because my brain refuses to want to cover the main plot points that show up in a video game unless i can put a spin on them and expand on the situation. However, if I just need that scene for a transition or to establish a piece of information I literally cannot get it written. Knowing this about myself has made me better about it, or better with being okay leaving things out unless i have something to say about them.

Other than that, I don't have much of a process beyond almost always having background music for my writing sessions curated to the fandom/fic/characters/pairing depending on what exactly i need to write.

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?) First of all, I adore this question and want everyone to know they can ask me this whenever they want and I will write them a novel about whatever fic strikes their fancy. I have. I have so much "directors commentary" on all my fics.

First up is something from Kint because you're partial to Kint and I want to make sure you get a behind the scene that you enjoy. So in Chapter 2 where I introduced Shep, I have a section talking about "if someone ventured into the vault at this exact moment" and then use that section to set the scene for describing the setting of the vault and what Shep has woken up to instead of keeping it in her perspective for the entire chapter. I originally was inspired by a writing breakdown from a scene in one of Terry Prachett's books to describe a big traumatic event that way and Kint was my exercise in applying that writing method. The funny thing about that is I have never actually ready any of Terry Pratchett's books but everything i every read about them makes me feel like I'd learn a lot from his writing. However. I haven't actually gotten around to doing that.

Second is a director cut moment from Chapter 2 of Prima Lingua, which I realize I haven't shared except in a comment recently. So the formatting of that chapter is incredibly deliberate down to the page breaks from when Nicolo is shoved overboard down to the depth marker of (1090 ft). Every single line in that section correspond to one ft of depth in 20"ft"/page break increments so that the reader is experiencing depth along side Nicolo as they read. The depth of 1090ft comes from the most recent world record for deepest dive conducted by a human with only scuba equipment, which belongs to Amed Gabr who reached that depth (1090ft and 4.5 inches) in 2014. Thank you so much for the ask!

Fun Meta Writer Asks

[nonhumanwithin]

; I've always been supportive of the alterhuman, etc, community. But I never considered being a part of it .. So I basically js have some questions since I'm in mild crisis because I've been relating to posts about them more and more and like the " symptoms " or " signs " of alterhumanity ykwim ?? Feel free to ignore any questions you don't want to answer :D /gen /lh

; 1. Fictionkins, I don't know much about them really, so any information would be really appreciated. Even " basic " stuff about them !!

; 2. Is alterhumanity, etc, related to neurodivergency at all ?? It's just I usually see people who are alterhumans or other are also almost always neurodivergent in some way, so I was curious if they had any links !!

; 3. How exactly would phantom feelings ( is that right ?? ) be described ?? Because I sometimes, and looking back on it this has been present all my life, feel like I'm " missing " something from myself. Like I'll feel like I have / had a tail ( or want to swish it and whatnot ) and then feel weird when it's obviously not there. Or I'll get this odd feeling on my back like there are wings / something there and it feels thick and empty when I remember its not there ?? Would this be described as phantom feelings or smth else entirely ??

; 4. I've always loved the air and the sky, the idea of flying in general. Not like a " I love the sky it seems like it'd be fun to fly " but more like " I should be able to fly, it feels wrong that I can't. Like I'm maybe supposed to be flying, or that this isn't my actual body and I js want to flap some non existent wings and fly around. " or even walking feels funny sometimes .. Idk. Could this be connected to smth ??

; 5. I relate to foxes and cats a lot. Specific cat breeds too. Not in like a " we're so similar haha " way but like .. Like I want to walk like a cat, feel like a cat, see like a cat. I sometimes have moments where I can't talk properly ( I am neurodivergent and do go non-verbal sometimes, but these moments feel different from eac other. ) or I simply have " animal " instincts .. It's hard to explain.

; 6. There is a few fictional characters ( by a few I mean like 3 ) I relate to so heavily it's like they actually are me, and I want to be perceived as them and act like them, etc. Beyond a normal they're my fav character, more to a I'm literally them but not actually, I just feel idk ?? Very confusing sob /lh

; anyways hopefully these aren't weird questions or whatever .. I have more but I can't think of them right now / they kinda rely on other questions being answered first lol. Thank you in advance !! ( also js general info / advice on alterhumanity, therians, and all things related would be really appreciated <33 /nf /gen )

Hi! You're absolutely welcome in the alterhuman community even if you're questioning or later come to the conclusion you aren't alterhuman, so don't be afraid to keep asking around and connecting with people :)

To answer your questions:

Fictionkin are people who identify as something from fictional media (usually fictional characters but people who identify as a fictional species such as pokemon are included). That's really the basics of it and it can range from your fictional identity being a lowkey thing you don't always feel strongly to something you feel 24/7 and center your life around. There is no right or wrong way to be fictionkin. It can be a little confusing because it is common to connect with fictional characters- they are often meant to be relatable after all! But if you get a strong "that's me" feeling or feel euphoria when you are viewed as that character or called their name, that definitely sounds like fictionkin to me.

Alterhumanity isn't strictly related to neurodivergence but it is very common for alterhumans to be neurodivergent (and queer too!). I've heard that with autism it is common to feel you don't relate to other humans as much or don't align with society's standards, so deviating from the norm comes naturally. There's definitely also something with just being a little weird (positive) and being willing to accept parts of yourself that the average person wouldn't.

Phantom limbs are feeling something that isn't actually there. It's totally normal to intentionally phantom shift and make yourself imagine the feeling of a tail or muzzle etc but can also happen involuntarily! What you described about feeling like something is "missing" sounds more like species dysphoria than a phantom shift, but they can go hand in hand. Species dysphoria is quite simply feeling like your body should (partially or wholly) be another species. I get those "I should have a tail" feelings a lot for sure, and it even kind of messes with my body language because I feel like I should be able to communicate with my tail lol.

What you described here definitely sounds like an alterhuman feeling :) I can't say 100% for certain because ultimately the only one who can determine your identity is you, but that aligns with what a lot of otherkin feel.

This really feels like a typical alterhuman experience. IMO you should listen to your heart and trust your feelings. If you feel drawn to a cat/fox/etc identity then let yourself be that :)

There can be a fine line between fictionhearted (feeling a deep connection/relation to a character) and fictionkin but feeling like "literally them" sounds more like fictionkin. If viewing yourself as these characters feels right to you then go for it! There is absolutely zero harm in doing so and even if you turn out wrong or your identity changes, that's normal. We are not static people and we're not perfect all-knowing beings who immediately know our identities from a young age lol.

These questions aren't weird at all and I think it's great to see newbies asking questions and trying to learn! I'm not sure what other general advice to give besides just take your time and don't be hard on yourself. Feel free to ask more if you want or don't be afraid to ask other people too :)