#honestly still growing and evolving how I write these guys

[sweettjrose]

Insight on how I write Disney character's dialogue:

Mickey Mouse: Uses very common and simple words and phrases. Somewhat country-dialect. exchanging almost every -ing verb and nouns with -in'. Also a ton of gotta, wanna, lotta, hafta, ain't, 'round, 'cause, 'bout, etc.

Goofy / Horace / Clarabelle: Similar as above but somehow more hardcore.

Penelope: Southern. Which is honestly very similar to country dialect wise. Though I try to use more idioms.

Minnie / Daisy: "Standard" way of speaking. Uses a lot of common words and phrases.

The Phantom Blot: Very eloquent, poetic, and with a higher level of vocabulary than most. I try to avoid using contractions with him, unless completely necessary.

Pete: Very much his own beast... But also a blast to write. I just imagine his voice in my head and try to write out what it sounds like.

[honeytonedhottie]

honey's it girl magazine november edition⋆.ೃ࿔*:･🎀

welcome back to honeys it girl magazine, this is the november catalog. get ready for the inside scoop on data that i've collected, things i've learned/started doing, and just general info like that organized in kind of a teen-magazine inspired fashion.

before we go any further i'd love to thank you all for the wonderful year we've had of it girls magazine, writing every catalog is SUCH a joy and im glad that u guys like it to. i'll continue to work on the magazine and make it more enjoyable for u all. i hope that as the magazine grows and evolves i'll have more lovely girlbloggers featured in my catalogs. this is THEE magazine for it girls ✨ and now please enjoy, the it girl magazine.

THE HISTORY OF HELLO KITTY ;

hello kitty was born in the suburbs of london. she lives with her parents and her twin sister mimmy who is her bff. her hobbies include baking cookies and making new friends. as she always says, “you can never have too many friends”. but what else is there to know about this 3 apples tall ray of sunshine? SOOO much actually which is why i decided to write about hello kitty’s history.

hello kitty was created by the japanese company sanrio in 1974. she was initially designed by yuko shimizu. hello kitty quickly became emblematic of the cute culture in japan and a global symbol of nostalgia and girliness. hello kitty’s representation of girliness played such an important role in defining and popularizing kawaii culture in japan. hello kitty became a subtle statement of empowerment in the 1970s and 80’s.

the average apple is 3 inches tall. take your height in inches and divide it by three to find out how many apples tall you are! im 21 apples tall…💬🎀

during the 70's and 80's expectations for women were shifting, and with this context hello kitty emerged not only as an adorable kitty but as an emblem of a new type of femininity—one that embraced softness and strength simultaneously. hello kitty is associated with things like happiness and joy. in the 21st century, hello kitty’s presence in pop culture exploded.

a lot of celebrities are seen with hello kitty items, hello kitty collaborated with high-fashion brands, artists etc. they all appreciated her mix of innocence and global acclaim. and i think that the fact that shes maintained her grip on society even now says so much! hello kitty just RESONATES.

and honestly, hello kitty's longevity is a testament to her universal appeal. over the decades, hello kitty has gone from being just a character to becoming a pop culture icon that resonates with people of all ages and regions of the world. whether it’s a child picking out their first hello kitty backpack or an adult rocking a limited-edition hello kitty x gucci collection, she bridges generations with her timeless charm 💖

the success of hello kitty has a lot to do with her straightforward yet unmistakably unique design. her iconic bow, the lack of a mouth—on purpose, so that she can "speak from the heart"—and her endless versatility only cement hello kitty as an open canvas for self-expression. she’s playful, she’s nostalgic, she’s even edgy, depending on how she’s styled or reimagined.

hello kitty became a symbol of softness and femininity because she showed that being gentle and kind could still be powerful. when she was created in the 70s, women were stepping into new roles, and hello kitty stood for a new kind of strength—which wasn’t about being loud or aggressive but about connection, joy, and kindness.

SELF GRATITUDE. YOU'RE SO AMAZING ;

gratitude is a feeling thats really emphasized during november and i think that we should always be most grateful to ourselves! no one puts as much effort or loves u as much as u do. so lets take some time to appreciate ourselves and everything that we've done for ourselves as 2024 comes to an end.

take a moment to recognize everything that you've achieved this year, challenges that you've overcome and things that you've done for yourself this year to create a better more glamorous life for yourself. dont forget to say thank you and celebrate yourself cuz ur literally so cute and amazing and capable 💕

some ways that u can celebrate yourself and show gratitude towards yourself include…💬🎀

♡ pamper yourself with a spa day ♡ book that appointment you wanted ♡ write a love letter to yourself ♡ buy yourself a bouquet of flowers

PREPPING FOR A SUCCESSFUL YEAR ;

2025 is right around the corner so we should prepare and set ourselves up for success in this new year. so to start off prep for the next year we should make a MANIFESTATION list. title the list "2025" and write down everything that u want to manifest that year in a list fashion.

an important aspect of setting urself up for success in the new year is to reflect on the year we just had. reflect on your year so that u can see what u accomplished this year/what u can do better in the next year…💬🎀

i break up my year into 4 quarters (each lasting 3 months) that way i can see my year broken up and i have a clear plan and i can be organized. quarter one (january - march) quarter two (april - june) so on and so forth. and after every quarter i do a little analysis. and finally wrap up some things projects, assignments and things of that nature so that u can go into the next year on a clean slate.

WHAT THE IT GIRLS ARE LISTENING TO ;

first im gonna start off by talking about txt's new album SANCTUARY cuz if u guys didn't know im a moa 🙈. i LOVED everything about this album, the concept EVERYTHING. my favorite song on the album is 41 winks and over the moon is also incredible, i loved all the songs!! literally u cant name one bad song txts ever released cuz it doesnt fucking exist their discography is perfect. 10/10. i highly recommend giving it a listen if u have not.

tyla also released push to start and the music video is just a work of ART. tyla has been consistently giving us hit after hit, shes so incredibly talented and i LOVE push to start. i love the choreography also, but something that i love the MOST about this music video is the fashion like HELLO?? tyla rocked tiny tops and big boots in this music video and im lowkey living for it. the fringes in her tiny top in the opening scene, her teensy denim shorts that she leaves unbuttoned to show off her blinged out panties like YES.

THE ADVICE COLUMN ;

Hi! Question for the advice column. I'm going on a trip for my birthday to a retreat, with a group of 10 friends in a couple of weeks. It's only 3 days but I am so excited. I am in a part of the world where it's summer right now, so my question is: what are your essentials for a summer trip? Swimming gear, accessories, skincare etc, I'm planning all my outfits in advance, so any advice is appreciated. Thank you! 𐙚˙⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩

❤︎ SPF (between 30-50)

❤︎ lacy/frilly bikinis and swimsuits. they make u look like an absolute beach doll 🍬✨

❤︎ a yummy body butter + body shimmer (during the summer, we show lots of skin so its important to stay moisturized like a glazed doughnut and also to sparkle like the star u are)

❤︎ as for clothing i typically opt for tube tops, mini skirts, sundresses and things of that nature. i LOVE summer fashion

❤︎ blinged out water tumbler for fashionable hydration 💦 and ofc a portable mini fan

Do you know how to make yourself look more exotic/tropical in appearance? Like I want to look like a tropical mermaid - cotton candy doll

❤︎ use a bit of shimmery bronzer on ur cheekbones and collarbones to achieve that glowy sun kissed look

❤︎ when i think of cotton candy key west kitten doll i think of BEACHY WAVES and bubblegum pink lips so braiding ur hair overnight can help you to achieve beachy waves in the morning, and invest in a bubble gum pink/glossy coral colored lipgloss (i recommend candy baby 🍭 from victorias secret)

❤︎ use fragrances with notes of fruit and coconut

NOVEMBER TRENDS ;

one of my favorite trends this november is the women in male dominated fields trend. its been all over my tiktok and essentially the trend is just women behaving the way many men of today behave towards women and giving them a taste of their own toxic medicine.

this trend reminds me a lot of ciara's song "like a boy". some of my FAVORITE moments from this trend are as follows…💬🎀

♡ when hes pouring his heart out in front of me and i start practicing my jumpshot mid-argument

♡ when hes got tears running down his face explaining to me why my actions hurt him but i just ask him "why are u with me then" and carry on with my day

♡ when he catches me in a lie but i just hit him with the "alright believe what u want"

this trend puts into perspective the toxic and dismissive behaviors that are becoming more and more common and that are normalized in relationships, now that the roles are reversed. it also serves as a reminder of how important mutual respect and empathy are in any relationship.

[marilynthornhilllover]

Its funny how you say you love your follows etc when you update a fic and then don't update one for another like 2 weeks then post announcements making excuses or whatever. If you can't handle the pressure of being a writer then maybe you should leave it to people who have time on their hands or for people who don't have anything to do with their life's. Honestly your your fics are great but sometimes this posting then stopping has got to stop

Ummm since when did taking a personal break away from writing and social media in general become a crime????

Last year was the biggest academic year for me in university ( as well as this one) because my exams were very important, but instead I was on here posting every hour the clock struck, writing fanfics, posting etc. Last year I updated 2 chapters of my lady D series in the duration of 2 days, over 4k words more or less for both, I posted kinktober fics, kinkmas fics while still having to pay close attention to my studies because just like everyone else I ALSO have a life of my own.

I graduated from the field of clinical psychology with high honors and got promoted my own office to work with other psychologist while still having to study for forensic psychology, I'm always busy with work or school or something else, I have a burning passion for writing, I love writing fanfics for you guys and hearing your feedback but it's always people like you who are SO ungrateful and unfair to writers who try their absolute best.

I have a life of my own, one that's not fictional, one that doesn't include the characters that I write about I live in a real world with humans and animals etc, I can't stay inside all day and write my life way, because in the end I know I'll regret it. I've loved writing since highschool but everything must come to an end. I no longer crave that passion that I had and that's ok because I still try to post content for you guys.

And I know that theres other writers and persons who are following me who look up to me, who get excited or happy when they get a notification that I posted, even if it's a reblog. The world doesn't evolve around you darling.

It usually takes me 1 - 2 days max to get a fanfic done and out of the way and sometimes a couple minutes to proof read but now with so many things on my hand I don't even have time to breath, I'm stressed constantly, again I write when I have time, I hope you can understand. I hope you all can understand.

And yes I do love my followers because without them I wouldn't be here. And then saying " maybe if you can't stand the pressure of being a writer then leave it to someone who has nothing to do" sweetie so what's gonna happen when thoses people who you allegedly think has nothing better to do find something better to do? Are you gonna criticize them as well? You need to grow up and stop using my anon ask button to make stupid comments.

Thank you.

- sincerely, the mother of smut

[kit-williams]

Kit, I love reading all your writings. From the quality of what you've written, the posts of WIPS you've shared, and the overall general musings you've given about what you're working on, it is beyond clear that you're passionate and care about what you write.

From Perty and Penelope to Roland and Bäckerin, it's all genuinely so good. I see you post something and get beyond excited to get the chance to read it; even if it's a quick one of reply to build off another post.

THAT'S NOT EVEN GET INTO HUSBANDRY SENTIENCE! You helped kick off genuinely one of the most enjoyable pieces of collective fanfiction that I have read in such a long time; it's to the point where I point my friends to your page like, "Look at this! Look at how good it is!" And they agree because it really is! I used to gate fandoms, I thought my time in them was done, but you've made me actually want to interact with one again with this collective you've been encouraging.

You've done great work, and that's all well and good to say, but it's harder to make oneself believe that. As a fellow artist and writer, I also understand where you're coming from. Sometimes, you look at something you've made (especially as it gets older) and wonder if it was ever any good in the first place. The answer is yes, it was and still is. The truth of the matter is that as you grow as a writer, your expectations for yourself do as well. You see every mistake, every way it could have been better. That's natural. But to us, your audience, we see a wonderful piece every time. We go back and reread things you've written no matter how old because we love what you wrote.

It's okay to be self-critical, but know you never need to doubt your abilities. You've written wonderful things, and I can personally say I am very excited to read whatever you write next.

I really hope you feel better soon, be kind to yourself.

- Tired College Anon

I never came back to tumblr to make what I've made. Sentience was never a thought I had... but it evolved so much further than what I thought it would be... I never saw myself doing anything more than just posting my silly D&D crossover idea and then Roland came into existence.

As for Husbandry Sentience... I really do try to understand the characters that I have been so graciously been allow to help make or to take to interact with my boys and girls. I never had made something like this before... honestly Sentience is just an AU of an AU... and then how much I feel honored to see people making AUs of my AU like the mer fics... making a collaborative fic beyond just my ask box people was not on my bingo card guys (gn)...

And then I was convinced, guided, somehow some way this beautiful community I had suddenly found myself in told me they wanted to see my take on Canon Characters far more fleshed out then old Ovary Thief Tyberos

I hate talking about myself because I dont feel like what I accomplish is much to write home about because its just this is my standard. What I give to you all is just my normal... my normal quick and dirty only occasionally beta read/reviewed before I post it... its me not trying me not worrying

I should feel better soon... everyone has been so unbelievably kind... everyone has been so nice and supportive

[thisworldisablackhole]

Opeth Discog Run

So, every once in a blue moon I like to punish myself with stupid music listening challenges. Over the past week I tasked myself with doing a full run-through of Opeth's 14 studio albums and writing a mini paragraph of my thoughts over on sputnikmusic. I figured I'd post it here as well, because I put a stupid amount of time and effort into it. Approximately 65 hours of listening and 500 track plays in 7 days. Woof. These are just my first impressions as someone who had never listened to this band prior, and therefore has no bias toward any era of the band. I listened to all of these albums at LEAST twice, with some being played up to 8 times in a row, and mostly just read wikipedia articles for additional context. So without further ado;

Orchid (1995)

So I was honestly expecting something a little more straight forward and heavy for their debut, but these guys were fairly progressive straight off the bat. Pretty impressive considering Mikael Åkerfeldt was only 20 years old at the time! Obviously super talented guy for his age. I have to say I enjoyed the softer, more atmospheric parts of this album more than the straight up metal parts. I think they compliment each other well, but every time the band broke out the acoustic guitar or piano I just got totally absorbed into a trance, and then the metal parts come back in and I was reminded that this was written by 20 year olds. The composition of the songs make up for some very basic riffage though. There is a simplistic charm here that makes each song feel like a living organism, steadily growing, rising and falling with each breath. It's nice. I can see the potential.

Morningrise (1996)

It's actually insane how much of an immediate step up this album is from Orchid considering it came out only a year later? Like what? Did these gents do some sort of time traveling in the course of that time? Gone is the nascent baby fat and in it's place is some actual muscle and bone density. The riffs sound way more thoughtful and creative, especially the lead work, and the album as a whole seems less reliant on the sharp contrast between heavy metal and progressive ambiance. The bell curve is just a lot smoother (like the acoustic guitars are implemented so beautifully and seamlessly) but there are still some really great "floor falling out" moments scattered throughout. Bass lines go brrrrrrr also and the tone is so warm and round like a dollop of savoury syrup, definitely a highlight of this album. These songs feel more controlled and developed which maybe makes them feel less "alive" but the tradeoff is just better playing and writing. Off to a good start.

My Arms, Your Hearse (1998)

Okay, if Opeth could evolve so much in only one year, what can TWO years do for them? Let's see. Very noticeable tone shift right off the bat to something much darker and heavier on the black metal influence. I was a little skeptical for about 5 seconds until I realized just how good this album is at pulling you in different directions. Not only are the riffs just moodier, jutting out like brutalist structures from a turbulent sea, but the shift in production really brings out all of the brighter tones to create a more vivid spectrum of colour. I do love the organic warmth of the first two albums but this one just sounds massive and encompassing. The vocal range continues to improve also, both in the low end and Mikael's cleans. Definitely their most emotionally compelling album thus far. Not sure if I like it MORE than Morningrise but it's different in ways that I appreciate.

Still Life (1999)

Another year, another album. Very impressed by their work ethic alone. Still Life is another clear evolution of the band's sound, but it feels like more of a "settling in" than another wild leap. This is Opeth reinforcing their foundations, tightening their bootstraps to ensure optimal ankle mobility. This might be their most cinematic album yet in large part due to the individual songs feeling more focused and clear in their intent to service the overall story arc of the album instead of becoming worlds of their own (looking at you "Black Rose Immortal"). Some of the bands most memorable and dissonant riffs ("Godhead's Lament" sheeesh). "Benighted" might also be their best acoustic track as well. This is probably their "best" so far but I can still see so many valid arguments for any of the previous three being someone's "favourite".

Blackwater Park (2001)

Wow, I have so many mixed feelings about this one. Blackwater Park is objectively good, I'll give it that, but it's also surprisingly docile coming from the jagged anger of Still Life. Not what I was expecting from their most popular album. This is maybe their most atmospheric work since Orchid, but for entirely different reasons. Instead of long sections of ambiance interspersed between towers of distortion, the opposing forces are almost layered on top of each other. Even during some of the heaviest moments, a steady supply of acoustic guitars and soaring reverb-heavy leads just bathe everything in a soft, mellow glow. "Drapery Falls" is probably the best example of this. There is definitely a heavier focus on melodic clean sections here, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it makes those moments when the growls kick in feel more powerful, but something about this record just feels a little watered down, streamlined, smoother, more accessible. No wonder it is their most popular. It's actually funny listening to this for the first time in 2024 and feeling an immediate sense of familiarity from it, not because I've heard it before, but because I've spent the last two decades listening to other bands ape its style. Unfortunately, that makes it a bit harder for me to appreciate it. It's also the first Opeth album so far where I have straight up not liked some of the riffs, mostly in "The Funeral Portrait" and the title track, which both have riffs that seem to be pandering to an American groove metal audience (I wonder if that was intentional, as Blackwater Park also marked the bands first big splash in the North American tour circuit). It might be my least favourite so far, but it might also have the most potential to grow on me. We'll see. Onto Deliverance we go~

Deliverance (2002)

Lol what the fuck? Opeth really pulled a fast one here. I'm trying to put myself in the shoes of some bright eyed little weasel spending their weekly allowance on this CD after falling in love with Blackwater Park and then getting slapped across the face by the flabbiest drum roll of all time and a guitar track that sounds like it was recorded on a fossil. The story of this album is actually pretty funny. Mikael Åkerfeldt wanted to record a purely heavy record for funsies but he had to butter up his label to allow them to record it by saying they would record the more mellow sounding Damnation at the same time, and that it wouldn't cost any extra money, and then of course the recording process ended up being a completely rushed fucking mess. It really comes through in the mix (I did mostly listen to the original mix just to get the most authentic experience), but I'm not gonna lie, this record's rough production quality ends up being one of it's greatest charms, and it perfectly suits the stripped back and aggressive approach the band took to songwriting. I can see how people would view this as a step back in bands evolution, but I really fuck with it. I also think it was probably a good call to take a step back and reassess the bands core foundation after the grandiose epic of Blackwater Park. One of the things I love most about Deliverance is that the folky acoustic and piano moments actually feel impactful again, because their pure abundance in every corner and pocket of the songwriting on Blackwater Park just diluted their ability to provoke any sort of emotion or surprise out of me. I guess I just prefer contrasty Opeth to blended Opeth. Great album.

Damnation (2003)

I was worried my proclivity toward Heavypeth so far would set me up to be sorely disappointed by this album, but I'll be damned, this album is fantastic. Opeth is fully expanding on their progressive folk rock sound here. Not a single metal riff or scream in sight, and I'm not bothered in the slightest. It's gloomy and dramatic and packs an emotional punch, and still has some pretty rockin' solos to boot. The addition of the mellotron was an absolutely brilliant idea, it adds such a cool flavour to their sound. This is also their shortest and most condensed record yet which I appreciate, just makes these songs more memorable and digestible imo. It's hard to believe this came from the same recording session as Deliverance, but now that I have heard both I really appreciate their decision to split their sound into two distinct lanes. Very cool concept and great record. We are officially half-way through!

Ghost Reveries (2005)

Ahh the much revered two year resume gap returns! And of course the pendulum swings back toward heavy once more, but now with a full-time key wizard on payroll to work some of my favourite elements of Damnation back into their metal roots. Along with a pretty thick helping of ~middle eastern~ melodies (especially on tracks like "Beneath the Mire" and "Atonement"), this is perhaps their weirdest and most eclectic metal album so far, but it's also bordering on more of those groove metal tropes that I'm not too fond of. If only they would have retained more of their acoustic folk influence, this would have been the damn Super Bowl of Opeth albums. Probably their best production quality so far too. So far I haven't been bothered by Opeth's long ass songs, and felt like they were almost always justified in their indulgence, but this might be the first time I've really felt the drag. So, not perfect, but pretty damn good. This is kind of the album I was expecting Blackwater Park to be.

Watershed (2008)

So this is it huh? The end of an era? Kind of scared to continue past this point to be honest, but we're in too deep already. What a great way to end this chapter in their career though, hey? They really boiled the 70s prog influence right down to it's purest form here, flutes and all, and I absolutely LOVE it. Opeth have always had moments of quiet in their music (god does that ever feel so trite to keep mentioning at this point), but on Watershed those moments are light and flowery (funky even!) and tinged with psychedelia in a way they have never been before—bringing yet another fresh approach to their signature contrast. On top of that, their death metal chops sound darker and more unhinged than they've been since My Arms, Your Hearse. As someone who (so far) prefers their first four albums + Damnation, Watershed just immediately clicked with me, it has all my favourite elements of their sound. Hell it might even be my second favourite after Still Life.

Heritage (2011)

To be honest, I don’t know anything about progressive rock outside of stuff that is post-hardcore adjacent. I have maybe listened to King Crimson once or twice in my life, that’s about it. So I have zero frame of reference for an album like this. On the bright side, that leaves me with no preconceived notions or expectations. What I do know, however, is that I’m a huge sucker for wind and key instruments and head tilting arrangements, and this album has all of those things. It also still has a decent amount of vintage heaviness and skewed rhythms to it. A far cry from boring or sleep-inducing, thats for sure. The jazzy intro into the desert psych of “The Devil’s Orchard” is such a cool way to start. Definitely gravitating more toward the second half of the record though, “Famine” and “Folklore” are perhaps my favourite tracks but the whole run from “Haxprocess” to the end is pretty great. Not a bad start to Newpeth although it’s very easy to see why this is so divisive.

Pale Communion (2014)

So if Watershed was the boarding process, and Heritage the blast off, then Pale Communion must be the band settling in to their zero-g voyage. Although to use any kind of space metaphor would be remiss, because this album is earthy as hell. I swear I can see the Misty Mountains overlooking a fishing village tavern when I close my eyes. I really enjoyed Heritage, but I think I like this one even more, and it took me a few listens to really figure out why. Pale Communion just feels more intimate, it has no grand ambition of being a masterpiece or magnum opus, the lads are just having a good time here and crafting melodies that almost feel like more of an extension of what the band was doing on Damnation. There is still a healthy dose of heavy funk here ("Cusp of Eternity" comes to mind), but for the most part the psychedelic heat-delirium vibes of Heritage have been traded out for something more serene and whimsical. "Elysian Woes" is such a dream. Big fan of this record.

Sorceress (2016)

Sputnikmusic's least favourite Opeth album (based on some increasingly unreliable metrics). How does it fare? Well, I can kind of see why people consider this to be a weak release. The shift in production caught me off guard straight away. That title track is just CHONKY as hell following the very unassuming intro. These arrangements are also all very straight forward by Opeth standards, BUT… this might also be the most overtly heavy of the Newpeth records so far, and in a way that almost reminds me of the their debut record—simple, heavy, and free. Sorceress is kind of like the scuzzy little farm dog that rolls around with the pigs and barks at strangers but still rolls over with glee for a good belly scratch. These riffs are THICK, and there are still quite a few moments where the interplay between organ and lead guitar just blows me away. Lot's to love here for sure, especially in the middle to end portion of the record, but I have to agree that it's a wee bit of a step back.

In Cauda Venenum (2019)

Ahhhhh we're in the final dash to the finish line here. The Opeth fatigue is real, but that's not going to stop me from taking my time and trying to enjoy these last two albums. The band definitely sounds reinvigorated here. That intro into the beginning of "Dignity" is just such a bombastical way to come back from the Sorceress slump. In Cauda Venenum is dense, theatrical, operatic—a proper story book with so many peaks and valleys to explore, and of course the inevitable helping of cheesy vocals and lyrics that most rock opera's come packaged with ("Heart In Hand" might be the worst offender). But it's nothing that we aren't used to at this point, right? Certainly one of their most conceptually coherent albums, and the songwriting more than makes up for the cheese, their sense of melody and volume dynamics is back on track here. I think Pale Communion is still my Newpeth record of choice, but this is a very solid (albeit bloated) late career entry. That closer is just so epic, come on.

The Last Will And Testament (2024)

We have come full circle, back to the album that got me in this whole mess. I actually listened to this once already and enjoyed it, but now I return with the context of their entire discography on hand. And boy, what a symbolic place to begin and end, with an album that sort of encapsulates their whole career. Have to echo what others have already said, this isn't so much of a step back in time as it is a reincorporation of old themes into something entirely its own. The Last Will And Testament actually makes so much sense as a follow-up to In Cauda Venenum. In the same way that Deliverance and Damnation could be two sides of the same coin, so could these two albums. This still has the highly conceptual, operatic whimsy full of borderline goofiness that just makes me smile — it's just more aggressive, and that's beautiful to see. Speaking of goofiness, this album is weird as hell. Haunted victorian noble-esque spoken word parts and Bambi flutes are contrasted by death growls and twisted prog metal riffs. It's both fantastical and dark. It's also just way more engaging than their last two IMO. The return of death metal elements don't automatically make this the best Newpeth record, but it's at least on par with Heritage and Pale Communion, with the conceptual clarity of In Cauda Venenum. The 51 minute run-time also makes it feel surprisingly concise for an Opeth album, at no part did I feel like this was dragging on, which is better than I can say about some of their older albums. This isn't only one of the most unique Opeth albums, it's one of the most unique albums I've heard period, and this whole discog run was worth it just to appreciate it for what it really represents. Good job boys, now pack it up.

[cfr749]

I love your 6x04 spec about Lucy's camera being broken and her being investigated! You should totally write a fic about that if you're inspired ✨️

hi anon - thanks for the ask!

So @literali1110 pointed out to me that there were footage from Lucy's camera after the fall, so doesn't look like this is the route they'll go 😂

I do keep circling back on how hesitant Angela and Nyla looked when Lucy made her suggestion, and it makes me wonder if they may end up questioning whether protocol was followed or something instead? Or maybe Lucy will simply struggle with her own feelings of guilt around ending up in that situation because she was trying to prove herself?

I am glad that there's not really any ambiguity about whether she had to take the shot and whether the guy was 100% guilty, because I think it would destroy Lucy if those things were in question.

I'm definitely feeling some angsty inspiration from Lucy's struggle this season; jury's still out on whether it ever becomes anything more than random sentences in my notes app.

Regardless, I'm gonna hijack this ask to ramble a little bit on why I'm actually okay with the choices they've made and the story they are telling for Lucy this season so far. Like a lot of people, I hate seeing Lucy going through a hard time and of course I want to see her be supported. Give me the scene with Tim in the hospital a million times over; I'll never get tired of seeing that she is valued and loved by the people in her life. We honestly haven't gotten enough of that for literal years.

We've seen Lucy go through so much. But in five+ seasons, we've barely seen Lucy be anything other than her sunshine-y self for more than a handful of scenes. Even more so in the last few seasons. It is beyond time the writers take the time to give her character more depth and emotional range. It is beyond time they turn her back into a character that is deeply empathetic and relatable to the audience.

It has sucked seeing more and more commentary on social media the last few seasons about Lucy being childish, silly, unprofessional, and even manipulative 😭. And I think that's a direct result of the lack of care and intention the writers have put into writing her character since she graduated the FTO program. She's been used as little more than comic relief and a plot device outside of the ship for way too long.

Gif Credit @livelovecaliforniadreams

While other characters have progressed professionally, Lucy has remained mostly stagnant since she graduated the FTO program, beyond a few UC missions that all pretty much ended the same way without doing anything progressive for her character (why didn't we see her struggle with the ethics of UC work when it came to using Aaron's puppy? why haven't they helped us understand how she reconciles her love for UC work to her empathetic nature and the reason she became a cop?).

I think of Lucy's journey in comparison to Tim's -- we've seen him go through awful things. We've seen him suffer. We've seen him struggle. We've seen him evolve and grow.

With Lucy, we've mostly just seen her go through awful things and move on as if nothing has changed. We all have our head canons, I think, about grief and coping and what's going on under the surface, but we don't actually know what she's feeling 99% of the time.

Do I wish they would have taken the opportunity to explore the impact on her character in the aftermath of DOD or after Jackson died? Of course I do. I would have preferred that to having to see her struggle professionally in the shadow of Nolan getting handed success for simply existing. (And if I thought they intended the juxtaposition, I'd give them credit for telling a realistic story, but I seriously doubt it 😂).

But I'm still glad they are taking the time to tell a story for her now. And I'm glad they seem to be doing it with intention.

And this was not at all what you asked about, but here you go anyway, anon 😜🥰

Thanks for the ask!

[gardenerian]

new to this amazing fandom and imposter syndrome is raging thru me. any advice on how to take the plunge and create? or do you think all the well known creators here are already established?

what makes a fic great and a 'classic? regular updates? being active on socials? i posted once and was basically ignored so im scared now and in my head.

sorry for all the questions

× imposter anon

hey there 💓 welcome to the fandom! this is a brilliant, silly, LOVING place, and i am so glad you're here! i'm sorry you're feeling a bit unsure, ty for coming to chat with me 🫂✨

first, i'll say that NO, i don't think there's a cap on creators here. what i love about this fandom is that it's constantly growing and evolving - almost like it's breathing? there are new people who have just binged the show, fans who are reconnecting, and goobers like me who will never let go 😇 no matter what, we are here to gobble up words and art and thoughts and FRIENDSHIP!

honestly, i think the trick for me was connecting. i joined shameless tumblr in 2019 and screamed into the absolute VOID before i started interacting with others. once i started reaching out and talking with others, it was easier for me to share my writing or find the encouragement to start making gifs. there is a BIG focus on community here, and i find that people are so eager and generous with their energy. we WANT to cheer you on and champion your work! we WANT to beta and read and give advice/tips/love.

so i would say not to be shy (easier said than done, i know!), and to share your beautiful self! a lot of users have tracked tags, which is a good way to share and connect. i track #gardenermel (sometimes i am bad at looking, but i'll always get there!), and i'd love to see what you've been up to. and there are many others who love to see creations this way! if you feel comfortable, you can reach out via asks and strike up conversations! all of my friendships here started this way.

there are plenty of ways to get started! fandom events are especially useful for trying things out. depending on what you'd like to create, you could check out @galladrabbles @gallacrafts @gallavichmeta @shamelesscreatorsnetwork @gallavichprompts... there's a yearly @spicygallavichcollab and all kinds of events hosted by @gallavichthings. honestly, the list goes on! these are excellent resources for sharing creations, and a great way to meet members of the fandom.

there's also a host of discord groups associated with some of these initiatives! check out the blogs for links. plus, the big ol' gallabitches server (18+). you'll find a lot of us there, and it's a lovely space to chat about your creations (and everything else!).

as for fic classics, i think that depends on who you ask! there are certainly some fandom staples, but what's great about this space is the WIDE range of interests and ideas. people have put these guys in every single situation, and we continue to be fucking psyched about it. as long as ian, mickey, and the whole damn gang feel true to themselves, i am (generally) fucking here for it. i don't post regularly AT ALL, but i still find that people are so lovely when i do. there's no race to be won here, fandom is about ENJOYING yourself. so i say: please keep trying! drop me a link! i don't catch everything and i WANT to see what yall are doing!

i hope this helps, even in some small way. i know coming into a new fandom can seem daunting, but we're all here for the love of it, and it's so fantastic to keep sharing it! 🍅

anyone else have thoughts? i love you!

[bethanythebogwitch]

Doctor Who - the Empire of Death

This was honestly one the better season finales written by Davies, but that is a very low bar. None of the new series show runners have been anywhere near as good at writing long-running storylines as they think they are. Sutekh was kind of wasted as a villain. He got less to go on than in the original story, where he was obsessed with ending all life out of paranoia that eventually something might evolve that could surpass him. Here he's just a generic bad guy who wants to kill everything for no real given reason. His defeat was also pretty silly. You're telling me that the god who scared the piss out of the Toymaker couldn't get out of a rope? Yeah it's a science rope, but its still a rope. The Toymaker and the Maestro could casually alter reality but the guy who scares both of them is beaten by a hook. Also, Sutekh survives being dumped into the time vortex the first time and the big solution to him returning even more power is to dump him in the vortex again. Brilliant plan. The Toymaker and Maestro were beaten in a way consistent with their godly domain (losing a game and finding a specific sequence of music). It would have been a lot cooler if Sutekh's defeat followed that trend. Use some kind of symbolic defeat of death to undo his actions.

Calling back to 73 Yards without even attempting to explain what in the sam hell was going on in that episode is kind of annoying. You could have tied the blatant magic of that plot into the pantheon, but nope.

The reveal of Ruby's mom's identity was silly. I guess I can buy Suteks thinking she was pointing at him and his paranoia of thinking she somehow saw him resulting in him accidentally imbuing her with powers by believing she had powers. That's not really what the show went with, but I can pretend.

Ruby referring to her bio mom as her real mom was a big oof moment. A real slap in the face to her adoptive mom.

Davies is so obsessed with giving bizarre hints to future stories he's now doing it as a season-ending cliffhanger. "Ooh, who is the mysterious neighbor? You'll just have to keep watching to find out!". Moffat did that too during 11's run and he ended up having too much hanging plot threads with the Silence, church, Kovarian, Trenzalore, etc that he had to slam it together in one absolute mess of a finale. Please don't do that again. That being said, it really speaks to how awful of a head writer Chibnal was that Davies can still write circles around him.

Consistently through the new series the season-long story arcs have been my least favorite part of each season. I much prefer the standalone episodes. The classic show almost never did running plotlines. The only ones I can think of off the top of my head are the key to time and trial of a time lord arcs, the latter of which was so bad it almost killed the show. I would love a season of nothing but standalone episodes with maybe a two-parter or two.

If you want a (in my opinion) better take on the Doctor fighting gods, the Big Finish audio drama elder gods storyline is a better one, consisting of the dramas House of Blue Fire, Protect and Survive, Black and White, Gods and Monsters, Afterlife, and Signs and Wonders. There's some backstory involved, but I didn't listen to most of that and still followed the story just fine. A Big Finish story featuring Sutekh that I liked better than this episode is the two parter of Kill the Doctor!, and The Age of Sutekh, found on the Fourth Doctor Adventures season 7 volume 2 collection. And if you haven't seen Sutekh's debut in the Pyramids of Mars, drop everything and go watch it now.

This season only getting 8 episodes was criminal. Next season better be at least 12. Fucking Disney+. 15 is a fantastic Doctor and Ruby ended up growing on me a lot even after the Christmas episode put a bad taste in my mouth. I do think the show has pulled itself out of the hole the late Moffat and Chibnal eras dug for it. Not saying there's weren't good episodes in those eras, but I do think this season helped bring new Who back to its late-RTD/early Moffat high point.

[lovesosweeet]

better left unsaid // cth

chapter thirty three

in which orion has leukemia, and calum doesn’t know.

calum hood x fem!oc

read other chapter

october 12, 2018 los angeles, califonia calum

“What’s been the biggest shift in making this record versus the previous one?” Yet another interviewer asks us the same question it feels like we’ve answered a million times.

“Y’know, we’ve all grown a lot in our personal lives over the past few years,” Ashton says, and Michael and Luke nod along.

“For sure, I mean,” Michael pauses to laugh. “We’ve all fallen in love, some of these guys have gone through some heartbreak, but overall, we’re just a lot more grown up.”

Some heartbreak. Minimizing what I’m going through right now to those two words is almost a lie because of how inaccurate it is. Orion is worth far more than two words, and I know that everyone in this room would agree given the chance. \

“I’d say everything is almost the same, actually,” Ashton adds on. “Like we said, we��ve grown a lot, but our writing and recording is a similar process.”

“But, y’know, we’ve added a lot of fresh elements to this record, like with the keyboard. We’ve tried to take on a hint of an electronic sound, too,” Luke says. 

“Yeah, so we haven’t actually changed anything, but just with the way life works and how we naturally progress as artists, the final product is so different, but the process isn’t.” Ashton finally wraps up the answer, and the interviewer seems quite happy with it. 

“It’s nice to watch how both you and your music evolve over the years. You guys have been together for seven years now, and some of you have been friends for far longer. Do you find that your constant growth impacts your relationships with each other? Are you ever outgrowing one another and having to play catch up? How’s that dynamic?”

My mouth chooses to speak before I do. “Well, Johnny,” I say. I have no idea how I managed to remember that this man’s name is Johnny, but judging by his unphased expression, I think I got it right. “We outgrow each other when certain people withhold certain vital information from other people and let things blow up in their faces when they could’ve prevented it.”

Luke laughs loudly and awkwardly at my comment, nervously looking at each of our faces. “Calum’s such a jokester, aren’t you Cal?” He asks, smacking my back harder than necessary.

I plaster on a fake smile, sucking it up and correcting the course. “Yeah, I’m just joking. These guys never fail to be there for me. Our relationships are always strong, honestly often strengthened by the ways we evolve away from each other sometimes.”

When Ashton starts talking next, it takes a lot of self-control not to lunge at him.

“Yeah, there’s nothing that could come between us. These are my brothers, you know?” 

I don’t have to look at him to know he’s looking at me.

My smile, still fake, widens. “Oh yeah, nothing could ever break these bonds.”

After the interview ends, I don’t bother thanking the host or crew. I take off my headset and set it on the table before walking quickly outside of the studio, pulling my pack of cigarettes and lighter from my back pocket. It feels like such bullshit to have to sit there and act like I’m happy.

“Cal, I know you guys are having issues,” Matt says, following me outside. He looks annoyed, as usual. “But you have to reign it in.”

I puff out smoke and laugh bitterly. “We’re more than ‘having issues’, Matt.”

Matt takes a few steps towards me so that his face is right by mine. “I’m canceling shows for you. I’m canceling interviews so you don’t have to plaster on a fake smile more than necessary. Fuck, I picked up your drunk ex-girlfriend at the beach for you. You’re pissed at Ash. I get it. But you have to get your shit together. This is your job. This is something you chose. Grow the hell up and be civil for the twenty fucking minutes you spend on air with him.”

I roll my eyes. “It’s also the hours on stage and rehearsing, riding in the tour bus. It’s not just twenty minutes at a time.”

Matt rips my cigarette out of my hand. “Hood, I really don’t care. Keep your personal life out of your professional one if you’re not able to be a mature adult when your feelings get hurt.”

“Excuse me, who the fuck are you, again? Oh, right, a man that I pay.” 

“You know damn well you’re not going to fire me and find another manager that will take care of you guys the way I do.”

I hold back then, because he’s right. Matt is an exceptional manager and he’s been with us for years. I can’t imagine where we’d be without him. “Fine. I just won’t talk in any interviews and I won’t talk onstage. I can’t promise I won’t repeat the shit I just said, so it’s best if I just don’t talk.” 

Matt sighs, and then he surprises me by hugging me. “That’s fine. You don’t talk much anyway.”

Reluctantly, I hug him back. The words that just came from both of us wouldn’t have ever suggested we’d be hugging now, but here we are. 

“If I haven’t said it, Cal, I’m sorry. She was incredible, and I can’t imagine how you feel right now. None of us saw that coming.” 

I appreciate that Matt isn’t saying anything negative about Orion. Everyone who knows her knows better than to badmouth her. She’s doing shitty things, but she’s not a shitty person. She’s still the best person I know, despite how much she’s hurting me. I’m still in shock most days.

I go to text her when I first wake up each morning, and then am painfully reminded that I can’t. I can’t even see what she’s doing because she removed me as a follower on Instagram. It takes a lot of self control not to text her throughout the day, awake and sober, just missing her badly. I hope she’s doing okay. I know I’m not. 

—

Performing in LA should be fun. Our friends and our friends who’ve become family all get to come. It’s our home field, basically. Backstage before the show, everyone was too happy.

They all took shots together, playing games of beer pong and just catching up after we’ve been away for a while. It makes me sick to my stomach, so I spend most of the time before the show outside with some of the crew, just smoking. Our crew knows me well enough to just leave me alone, smoking silently next to me for a while. 

“There you are!” Roy’s voice suddenly sounds.

I smile at him. It’s a real smile. It’s nice to see him. “Hey, man.” 

Roy grins, walking over and sitting next to me on the ground. “Just wanted to check in with you, see how you’re handling things.” 

My bitter laugh, a sound I seem to be making a lot these days, falls from my mouth with a trail of smoke. “Like shit.”

He nods and stares at his hands. “I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but if I know anything about Orion, she’s gonna come around.”

I want to believe him, but I don’t know if I do. She was so determined to end things. It hurt to watch how badly it was hurting her to push me away. She needed to end things, for whatever reason she had for doing it. ‘Sparing’ me. 

“Guess we’ll see in time.” 

Roy sighs from beside me. “Your guys’ love was—is—so real, Cal. You can’t just shut that off.”

“She did it because she loves me. It’s fucked, but that’s why.”

The next thing I know, Roy’s practically giggling. It doesn’t make me laugh, but it does make me smile. His laugh makes me happier, somehow. 

“Sorry, it’s not funny. That’s just, like, the most Orion thing I’ve ever heard.” 

I smile, tears flooding my eyes. “Yeah, it really is.”

Roy and I hang out until Matt tells everyone it’s time to head to the stage. He gives me a hug and says he’s going to watch from VIP with the rest of our friends, and I join the rest of the band for our pre-show shots. 

“5SOS on five?” Luke asks, handing each of us a shot glass. 

“5SOS on five,” Mike confirms.

We count to five, yell ‘5SOS,’ hit our shots against each other’s, and then we gulp the burning tequila down. Everyone else has a chaser, but not me. I grab the tequila bottle and pour myself another, and another, and another. 

After I’ve had four shots of tequila, I grab a beer from the fridge and my mic pack from its spot where it’s charging. The rest of the band doesn’t say anything but follows suit, and then we’re walking to the side of the stage. 

“Let’s get this shit over with,” I mutter.

Luke throws a hand onto my shoulder and squeezes. 

“If you need a break, just take it, okay?”

I nod and fight the tears that threaten to form. It’s our first show after the breakup, and I know I’ll be a mess if I think about it too much. Some songs are written for Orion, so those will hurt, but so will the ones written about breakups and heartbreak, which our fans joke is all we write about.

Ashton nods to us before he walks out to take his seat behind the drums. He bangs a brief rhythm, and then Mike walks out, his guitar slung over his neck. He waves to the crowd with a huge smile. 

I put one foot in front of the other to make it to my spot, grabbing my bass from its stand. I walk up to my mic and nod at the crowd. The deafening screams have just been background noise this whole time, but now they’re accompanied by glaring stage lights. 

When Luke walks out, the crowd goes crazier. He smiles as wide as Mike did, waving with both hands before he takes his spot, center stage. 

On Ashton’s cue, we all start, and I curse the fact that our opener is a song that I have lead vocals on. I try to lose myself in the music, strumming the chords I’ve played a thousand times before, singing the words to the music I helped write but now feel like a foreign language as they blare through the speakers and the crowd sings along. 

I’m able to operate on autopilot until we get to the brief section of our set that has a slower pace. Luke talks, and I drink a few long gulps from my can of beer. Once it’s empty, I hold the can up to a crew member, motioning that I’d like another. 

“LA, we’re about to slow things down for a bit, but first I just want to introduce you to my brothers up here with me, in case this is your first 5SOS show.

“To my right, we’ve got the ever so talented Michael Clifford, the first one to join me in this lame ass band. To my left, we’ve got the stoic, beautiful bassist, and my best friend, Calum Hood. Behind me, our very sweaty drummer, Ashton Irwin!” The crowd roars with each introduction, and I just focus on the beer that a crew member trades out for my empty can. I crack it open and drink from it while I can.

“And we can’t forget, Luke Hemmings. Voice of an angel, our frontman, and the reason we’re a band in the first place!” Ashton takes over for him, and I don’t bother even trying to look at him. “Los Angeles, we hope you like this next one. This is Ghost of You.”

Michael starts playing before I can even get my bearings, and the words Luke sings cut deep as the whole entire room sings along. 

If I can dream long enough, 

You’d tell me I’d be just fine 

I’ll be just fine

Every time I close my eyes, I have flashbacks of Orion. Smiling, laughing, running down a beach or telling me a joke on a walk somewhere in Europe. Happy, blissful, pure. My girl, before she fell apart, before her fucked up fate blew up her life and her dreams.

And I chase it down

With a shot of truth 

The words ring too true to the shots I just took to drown out everything I’m feeling. I feel the tears falling fast down my face as I try to harmonize, but I give up and take a few steps back from my mic. Luke looks at me, holding his mic while he sings. He looks worried, so I have to look away from him.

I’m supposed to sing the second verse, but I know I can’t. As if they planned it, Michael sings it for me when he notices the look on my face. 

Cleaning up today Found that old Zeppelin shirt You wore when you ran away And no one could feel your hurt

The fans go wild at Michael singing my verse. I can barely keep playing the few notes that I need to for this slow song, and thank god that they had a system in place for me inevitably being unable to sing my own verses. 

All I can think about is Orion. She pushed everyone away. She pushed all of us away. She ran away from our home and is living in San Diego now. It hurt so badly to walk into our apartment last night when we got to LA to find it barren of her things. She’s gone. 

The rest of the song is a blur, and I just play the bass off to the side of the stage, not even looking at the crowd. I just look at Luke and Michael and am grateful for them more than ever in this moment. I’m lucky to have bandmates like them who double as best friends. 

When the song ends, Michael walks up to me with Luke in tow while the fans cheer. 

“You good, Cal? We can take 5 if you need,” Mike says, reaching a hand out to rest on my arm.

I shake my head, even though I know the next song will be equally as painful, if not more so. “No. Let’s just get this over with.” 

They both look at me with immense pity. I hate it. I walk back to my mic stand, determined to at least sing the first verse. We start Amnesia and I close my eyes, hoping that tears don’t fall while I sing.

I drove by all the places we used to hang out getting wasted I thought about our last kiss How it felt, the way you tasted And even though your frie—

I have to cut myself off as my voice cracks and I step back from the mic, letting Luke finish it off for me.

You’re doing fine Are you somewhere feeling lonely even though he’s right beside you? When he says those words that hurt you, do you read the ones I wrote you? Sometimes I start to wonder, was it just a lie? If what we had was real, how could you be fine?

I step back up to my mic, needing to scream the last words of the prechorus.

‘Cause I’m not fine at all

I full on sob for the rest of the song, each of the lyrics hitting way too close to home. I don’t sing into the mic, but I sing to myself while I play and watch Luke and Michael sing the words to the crowd. For the most part, I face the back of the stage, toward Ashton, but ignore his very concerned glances toward me. 

And the dreams you left behind, you didn’t need them Like every single wish we ever made I wish that I could wake up with amnesia And forget about the stupid little things Like the way it felt to fall asleep next to you And the memories I never can escape ‘Cause I’m not fine at all

—

@5SOSUpdates: Cal barely sang tonight at the LA show. Luke & Mike picked up most of his solos and he cried during GOY and Amnesia </3

@5SOSFan4Ever: my heart broke piece by piece watching cal struggle to get through tonight’s show :( my poor bb

@CalumGirl: imagine having your worst heartbreak be on public display. sending so much love to you @calum5sos

@LetThemEatCake5SOS: does anyone know what actually happened betw cal and orion? they both don’t seem to be doing well and i loved them together.

@5SOSFan4Ever: Replying to @LetThemEatCake5SOS: yeah their friends are all still interacting. something seems wrong. makes me sad :’( 

@CalumGirl: Replying to @LetThemEatCake5SOS: someone said orion has terminal cancer and that’s why they broke up. idk how true that is but if it’s true i am simply devastated

@OrilumStan: my babies broke up and both are struggling it is ROUGH out here just look how sad he was onstage. Image attached

@CashtonLover: Replying to @OrilumStan: has anyone seen/heard anything from orion? i know she’s always been private but i’m so nosy @OrilumStan: Replying to @CashtonLover: no, a few of her friends have posted stuff to their stories about respecting privacy tho. and like i get it but I WANNA KNOW

read next chapter

[spitdrunken]

Holyyyyy. ASDFdsjklfmklsdmlf

What you wrote for Lucifer is so damn good, jesus fuck! The way you made everything slot together so perfectly. You couldn't have gotten down his character and the type of dynamic he'd create any better.

I like all his interests and the crafts he knows, the things he keeps making for Reader and how long he's had to work on all these skills. It fits him really well. The promise he made them was also incredibly sweet.

Reader's so real. I'd be freaked out if I ended up in Hell and then start talking to the Devil himself. Cowabummer dude.

I'm glad you enjoyed it so much :D!! I was honestly worried the entire thing was a bit too 'weird' for most people, not that that would stop me but still LMAO I feel like Lucifer has so many different little 'aspects' to him that you can write all kinds of dynamics about him and characters...

I feel like Lucifer would be the king of DIY, haha! He especially likes to makes toys and stuff like that, and I imagine that he made all of Charlie's toys as she was growing up. He's probably also better at fixing things around the hotel than Alastor (which he's definitely smug about, lmao).

It'd be FUCKING terrifying, wouldn't it???? I personally really had to add the touch of Reader doubting whether this little clown guy really WAS Lucifer because like. He could just be some random, lying guy- He wasn't, though!

Taking this as an excuse to ramble a bit more, but... At the start of the fic, I feel like Lucifer still wouldn't have the highest opinion of sinners. (Which is, initially, why he looks Reader up and down and has a blank expression; assessing whether you are a threat or a daughter or not.) But then you're clearly so lost, distraught, confused and alone in this world entirely unfamiliar to him... And it just pulls at his heartstrings. If you were in Hell any longer than a handful of days, you would know better to expose such a vulnerable side of you so easily, and that's what makes him believe you.

He still remembers what it was like when he fell and, though you may have 'deserved' your trip to Hell, according to Heaven, he had deserved his punishment, too. His feelings are borne out of pity and compassion, evolving from there.

[t4llhum4n]

Wakey, wakey, eggs and Blake-y (I type at 6pm).

Seriously though, this guy is simultaneously the smartest and stupidest man to ever speak on Redacted's channel. And I want to talk about that.

Well, kind of.

Before I get into character motivations and all that, I wanted to point something out. This? This is how you write a static character and have them still be compelling. Dynamicism is appreciated in characters, sure, but to write a static character who isn't boring? So so cool.

When I go about theorizing for a specific character's future actions, I typically take into account what stage they're at in their development. For example, my thoughts on Hush and how I believe his future actions will play out are based on what stage of development I see Hush being at in that moment. With Blake? It's a whole different ballpark.

Blake's behavior is the constant in my theories about him. His nature hasn't changed at all throughout the course of his story, save for maybe becoming a little more desperate. Even then, that desperation is fueled by feelings that he's had since childhood. Normally, that would become stale in a character (at least in my opinion). Here, though? It's anything but.

Looking into why that is, I can only think that it's because of how his character is revealed to us. We get to see both sides of him, one from "Sunshine" and one from "Bestie." And because of this, we're waiting with bated breath for both worlds to collide. His duality isn't dynamic, but it's still so intriguing. From "Sunshine's" point of view, we're left wondering just how far he's willing to go and how violent he'll allow himself to get. Then, from "Bestie's" point of view, we see a softness that he holds (seemingly) solely for them, and we're waiting for "Bestie" to see his other, darker side.

It's not necessarily Blake as a person that's interesting to me. It's how he acts around others that really gets my character analysis-prone brain whirring. I'm not interested in seeing his growth, because from where I'm standing, it doesn't look like he's going to grow. He's rooted in his obsession with "Bestie," and that, in his own words, is the reason why he's doing all of this. And nothing, not even threats from a being far stronger than him, seems to be able to change that. When his first reaction to a line like, "Watching your lover's death will feel like a mercy in comparison," was a snide, "Charming friend you've got there," I knew any hope for change in this man was lost.

So, with that said, let's talk about the brains on this man. Does he have any? I mean, he must. He got an entire major branch of a multi-establishment political hate group under his thumb, and that doesn't happen on accident. Blake is an intelligent person, no doubt, but he's also (ironically) a very blind person. He doesn't see anything beyond his lover, and he's confident that he will change their fate.

I honestly can not fathom how deep his feelings for "Bestie" are. Call it selfish, but if I were in Blake's place, I would've given up trying to change my lover's fate a long time ago. Instead, I would've cherished and made the most of the time I had with them, until ultimately I had to let them go. Blake, though, is not having that.

This brings up a point of discussion that I really love looking into when it comes to Blake. "Does he want to save 'Bestie' for their sake, or his?" I'm not going to share my stance on that just yet (mostly because both sides make a very compelling argument idk where I stand), but the fact that there's so much to talk about with a character this unchanging is astounding. It's not every day you see a static character who has so much compelling mystery surrounding them. He doesn't grow or evolve, nor does he show signs of ever wanting to, and yet we're still enthralled by his journey.

And the way his obsession is written? It's so good. I don't believe that he was always obsessed with "Bestie." Did he always have a thing for them? Sure. But I really don't think it grew into an obsession until he saw their death, and then he saw that nothing he tried could save them. See, Blake isn't just obsessed with "Bestie." He's also obsessed with changing their fate. Which leaves even more potential for character analysis.

We know that he wants "Bestie" to live. That's the main motivator behind his desire to change a seemingly unchangeable fate. But.. what if there's something else there, too? Can you imagine besting death? Overcoming something that haunted you as a fixed point in a world with no such thing as "fixed points?" The power you would feel getting the better of something like that would be nigh unmatched, and we know that this motherfucker has a god complex.

Blake wants to save "Bestie" so that they can live longer. At the same time, I think part of it turned into a challenge for himself. He's testing himself because if he can pull this off, then he's unstoppable, at least in his eyes. And what he sees in his eyes is the only thing that matters to him.

Could I say more? Yes. Will I? In a future theory, yes. But for now, I'm leaving it here. I really love diving into Blake. Characters with insane amounts of hubris and a god complex to match are some of the most fun to dive into. I hope you enjoyed my little analysis-turned-rant! Writing these is always super fun :D

[owlixx]

CoD Notes: Advanced Warfare Beat

This is, what, the 4th game I’ve beaten since the last time I took notes?

I again went into this game wanting to like it. I was rooting for this to be an underdog hidden gem, and honestly I think that’s what happened. It helped that Ghosts was kind of a letdown and this game picked up the pieces.

Hit markers are back! A solid start. RPG profession is back! Another solid return from features BO2 had that Ghosts was missing.

Obviously the big thing here is the exo suits. I kind of like them but there’s some issue. My biggest one is that making us switch between two different kinds of rigs and even then having different abilities for each mission meant that I never knew what my abilities were which meant I just never used them. There was a singular missions towards the end where I finally started using my sonic blast and stim. I was constantly trying to double jump in levels where I didn’t have it. I do generally appreciate the extra mobility though.

I also really like the switchable grenades. It would be overpowered in multiplayer but this isn’t multiplayer so kudos for this feature. I also really like the invisible HUD in campaign where all the ammo/grenades are just visible on your gun itself.

Also the writing in this game is so much better than Ghosts! It’s pretty cringy to see Kevin Spacey so much but he does turn in a pretty great performance, as one would expect. I’ll admit that the “are we the bad guys?” mid-game twist is a little too obvious and happens a little too clumsily but it’s still more entertaining than anything Ghosts was doing. Gideon in particular started to really grow on me by the end.

Oh, also I like that getting stronger is tied to kills, headshot kills, grenade kills, and intel collected. I found the most intel in this game by far and felt actually rewarded for it. I also maxed out headshots like halfway through the game.

The best part of this game is the giant mech suit parts at the end, plus the section where you can’t use your robot arm so you have to just pick up a new gun every time instead of reloading. That section was genuinely such s great idea and is so fun to play through.

It’s not perfect, but AW feels genuinely so much more ambitious than Ghosts. I didn’t connect with his game as a kid but now I’ve really started to develop a fondness for Sledgehammer after being something of a MWIII defender. You can even see kind of connection between “smart grenades” and breacher drones, plus the AMR9 is in both.

Now, I did only play one multiplayer match, and I kind of hated it. I’m sure I’d get used to the movement over time, but I felt like I was just hitting buttons and dying over and over. I have zero desire to revisit this game’s multiplayer.

Also did one exo survival match, it’s fine. I like that it tries to evolve the MW3 survival formula, but both feel so basic compared to anything zombies. At least it means there’s something to do on the multiplayer maps eve when the servers go offline.

I also tried exo zombies since you are forced to get the “gold edition” with 1 DLC if you buy digitally. Here, it actually makes sense since you get a whole new game mode. I had never realized just how similar this mode was to treyarch’s zombie maps, but with everything shifted off a couple degrees. I ended up dying because I got infected and racing to the cure chamber got me killed, but overall this mode impressed me. This is the last one without any meta progression though so I won’t be likely to revisit.

Rankings wise, it’s not better than any of the “golden age” games (MW trilogy, BO 1/2) but it beats even BO3 in terms of raw campaign.

[vacantgodling]

author tag

thank you mj ( @mjjune ) beloved <3

i’ll do these for paramoiiiiii (which is pronounced para-MWAH bc i’m kissing it)

1) What is the main lesson of your story (e.g. kindness, diversity, anti-war), and why did you choose it?

oof. paramour has a lot of things going on in it, a lot of which are unintentional but evolved as i began to piece together the characters and the narrative. i don’t think paramour can be boiled down to a singular “main lesson” because i don’t think there’s really a lesson to be HAD. you can definitively read paramour for all of the deep thoughts i have about religion, masculinity, sex, gender presentation, and societal expectations, as well as like the horrors and suffering that greed can bring… or you can just read it as two guys who take the most stupid roundabout way to realize maybe the sex does have feelings. maybe the porn in fact has a little plot.

a lot of the messages woven into paramour have been marinating and maturing in me since 2020 tbh when i really started to allow me to be yknow. MYSELF. and so because i love them they got the projection beam as ya do.

2) What did you use as inspiration for your worldbuilding (like real-life cultures, animals, famous media, websites, etc.)?

paramour is inspired chiefly by steampunk, rococo fashion, and france. lmao. the entire universe that paramour is in (which includes wips like alizath, teardrops, and that one wip that is new and budding but doesn’t have a name yet) is inspired by me bastardizing and colorizing (aka making every mc and all the characters black) europe bc i’m tired of fantasy, mythology, and history and all the things that i enjoy as a person being dictated and delegated to white people. so a lot of it is also “writing the story that i want to see” etc etc.

paramour specifically was also inspired by (but has moved away from QUITE a bit): hamlet, crimson peak, beauty & the beast, gothic literature (that aspect has heavily stayed) and stuff like that. it’s original name was beauty and the crimson hamlet and it was more of a haunted house thing vs what it’s evolved into now lol.

3) What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, help readers grow as a person?

hya is honestly trying to achieve being left the fuck alone and he doesn’t succeed LMAO. i’m not really trying to achieve anything with hya particularly (again you can read into all the things that i put into him and the narrative or he can be just some guy and both are correct tbh) — other than extreme wish fulfillment. though it may not seem this way because hya is a raging dick, he’s ideally what type of person i want to be like in Extreme fantasy land. i wish i was joking but i ain’t. and as such, he gets forgiven of a lot of the things that he does by the narrative or gets his own little happy ending and reasonings why he’s like this which i know some or many people will take issue with. him leaving a corpse in the foyer for example—many will describe him as cruel and callous and “problematic” and they’re right! love that for him 💛 i’m not trying to inspire anyone but myself like when i tell you that paramour is a wip written by me and for me i mean it LOOOOOL like idgaf about what anyone thinks of it 💀 (though i am so happy so many people love paramour as much as i do i didn’t think anyone would care about these assholes but many of my dear friends and other followers have proved me wrong and it’s validating tbh lol)

4) How many chapters is your story going to have?

current outline says 27 but i’m thinking it’s gonna lean closer to 30 just because as i write i realize i need to add in a filler chapter or two. so i’ll say it’ll probably end up being 30–at MAX 35 chapters probably.

5) Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

original 💛 and i still don’t particularly know where i want to publish it meaning idk if i want to go for indie which makes more sense or tryyyy to get trad published but. with the content paramour is and the way the publishing industry is i somehow highly doubt i can get it trad pub. so nothing but snippets online (tumblr) for now. maybe if i go indie i’ll make it readable on a website or whatever cuz i’m not really keen on putting it on amazon. but i may just for the reach. idk! i’m just trying to finish it first.

6) When and why did you start writing?

if we’re talking generally speaking i’ve been making stories since i was like 3 years old. paramour in itself however i made juneteenth (6/19) of 2021. i can’t remember WHY i started it so much as i remember just wanting a wip inspired by crimson peak perhaps? and we have gone WAAAAY off from that but yknow. we move lol.

7) Do you have any words of engagement for fellow writers of Writeblr? What other writers of Tumblr do you follow?

honestly just write for you. take all advice with a grain of salt and don’t worry about what others think of your writing/your ideas/whatever. there’s something for everyone and you’ll find your people.

other writeblrs/artists/creators whatever i follow and would recommend (and tag to do this if ya want no pressure) are: @kudzucataclysm @henrike-does-writing-sometimes @kazenokaori @magic-is-something-we-create @void-botanist @outpost51 @isherwoodj & consider this an open tag if you would also like to do this :)

[idlescience]

Fun fact, ginkgo are often called a 'living fossil'. They represent an important step in the evolution of plants on earth, but they are the only surviving species with these unique intermediate characteristics. Also they're very old.

They used to be spread across most of what is now Europe and Asia, before flowering plants had even evolved. However, when flowering plants did start to appear, the ginkgo began to decline, and we ended up with a single species local to one very small part of China.

The thing that's so interesting evolution-wise about ginkgo is how they reproduce. Early land plants, think your mosses and ferns, all have motile sperm. This is a hang up from when plants first made the move onto land. When there's a lot of water around it's a fairly efficient strategy, but as you might expect it causes issues when you move into dry environments. This is why you tend to see these kinds of plants mostly in very damp habitats (there are exceptions as always, but they all have unique strategies to overcome the problem).

Flowering plants developed their own strategy, namely... Flowers. There are various strategies to get pollen to flower (insects, wind, etc.), but once that's been achieved, the pollen grows a tube down into the female part of the flower and pollinates the ovary there. This strategy took away the restrictions caused by motile sperm and their need for water, which is why flowering plants have managed to take over the world.

How does all this relate to ginkgo? Well, we were missing the evolutionary link between these two reproductive strategies, but ginkgo trees provide a unique answer. While they are pollinated like most other tree species, they still have motile sperm. Rather than producing flowers, the male trees produce pollen cones, and the female trees produce ovules. They used the wind to carry pollen from the male tree to the female tree, where things start off similarly to flowering plants. But because the sperm need water, the ovules actually contain a little pond for them to swim through! The pollen grain grows down to the water, bursts, and releases the little guys to do their thing.

I didn't realise I had so much to say about ginkgo until I started writing lol. And I could honestly keep going, they're such cool plants.

This is a ginkgo appreciation post.

A FOSSIL GINKGO LEAF Colorado, USA

From the Paleocene (circa 58 - 55 million years ago) the clearly defined 31⁄4-inch wide Ginkgo cranei with well preserved striations, on original matrix. Reverse of matrix three further partial specimens of Ginkgo cranei.

63⁄4 x 67⁄8 x 3⁄4in. (17.1 x 17.5 x 1.9cm.).

[firedragon1321]

Hair Symbolism in My Writing the Movie

I know I just made a shitpost version of this but I want to yell about this trope more instead of writing. Fair warning- it turns into an OC rant halfway through.

TW for sexism, child abuse, trauma (in both adults and children). Also TW for a cartoon burn scar (on one OC).

I think Luke Tales of the Abyss flipped a switch in my teenage brain. He flipped a lot of switches, honestly (I have a thing for long haired guys in large part because of him). For people who haven't played the game- uh, play it. But also spoilers for mid-game.

Luke starts the game as a childish noble. The only one he listens to is his swordsmanship teacher, who also happens to be the main villain. Said villain convinces Luke to use his powers to destroy an entire village. Oh, and he also learns he's a "replica" (aka- clone). This is all a huge kick in the pants that forces Luke to re-evaluate his entire psyche. He decides he's going to change his ways, and cuts his hair to symbolize that.

(I still like the long-haired design better but anyway...)

I started rotating the idea of using hair to express a character's personality/development in my writing a lot since then. The "haircut of change" is a common trope (usually for girls- it's also in Final Fantasy IX). But I don't really use that specific trope (when I do, the character's hair usually grows longer, lol).

Traumatic haircuts are my obsession. Especially with guys. The trope is done to death with girls. They are expected to have long hair, so the loss of it is traditionally the loss of femininity, sexuality, or purity. Which by itself is boring and dumb. Give me a legitimate reason for that character's trauma that isn't steeped in sexism. Go into her mind and assign a reason specific to her.

Traumatic haircuts are even more fun when they enforce conformity. Whether that be gender conformity, conscription into the military, the rules of a dystopia- I really don't care. "Everyone has to act the same" symbolized in how they look my beloved. Which is why I think it's more fun with guys. It's a little unexpected unless you marathon read everything I ever wrote.

My main OC Soren is literally terrified of cutting his hair- even for trims- due to a traumatic forced haircut his father orchestrated. His father's abuse in general is one thread of many he has to untangle. The longer I work with the character, the more central that thread becomes. But in-story, he hasn't realized it.

And I don't want the solution to be cutting his hair to shed himself of those memories. I want him to keep his hair long, because it's his head and his father doesn't get to dictate what's on it anymore. Granted, he might do something independently. But the chance of that is pretty low. Honestly, I can't draw him with short hair except for flashbacks because he essentially "stops" me.

Soren isn't an anomaly. I have one character I'm working with who dyes his hair so he doesn't see his parents every time he looks in the mirror (context- they dumped him at a school and don't visit him). I have more than one OC who is of a species that can't cut their hair without losing their abilities, Samson-style. I have another character in an early novel who kept ping-ponging between short and long hair, cutting it short when he wasn't being true to himself.

Really, I could go on all day. But you're probably bored, so here's just one more.

This is Jackie, another main OC who pulled this trope out of nowhere simply by neglecting to notice how long his hair got after multiple traumatic events (he was in a depressive slump, so he didn't notice a lot of things). Unlike most of the others, Jackie settled on a compromise (he cut the bangs so he could see, but the back's still long). Jackie is in an evolving situation and I want to see what he does, so I'm just gonna let him do as characters do.

[notesofarichlycolorednight]

s1ep1 stormy weather

man the creator really should have never said he was heavily inspired by magical girl anime (read: sailor moon) bc now all i do is making comparisons as i rewatch

the pacing felt better until the very end, when the writers started to have to wrap things up. like the fact that either of them can just look at someone and go, "huh they look pretty similar, they must be the akumatized person" and "and the akuma must be in her umbrella" is ASTOUNDING

it's too contrived. it doesn't make sense! how did they logic that out in 0.2 seconds? bc the plot needed them too?

again it's a symptom of the creator taking elements he liked from sailor moon and not knowing what to do with them or how to incorporate them into something original. if he was going to have the concept of akuma that infect an object that's special to the victim, then he should have spent more time coming up with a way for ladybug and chat noir to figure out what the object is when they encounter an akuma.

in sailor moon they completely skipped past that problem by not having the evil eggs infect an object, just the person. and the creator/writers should have done something similar or, again, thought longer and harder about how ladybug and chat noir would logic that out.

another thing i thought about at the end is the fact that s1 and s3 are interchangeable.

the other issue i have with ml that i've stated before is the fact that the writers treat it like a serialized show when the structure is episodic and don't even attempt to strike a balance between the two, which has been done time and time again, so we know it's possible with competent writers.

specifically, i was thinking about power-ups bc again, you could pick out most episodes from s2 or even s3 and place them into s1 and someone who's never watched the show wouldn't bat an eye.

and what i mean by power-ups is that every new season of sailor moon, her heart crystal that powers her make-up pouch (i forgot what they call it laksdjf) gets damaged and she has to do a little soul-searching before getting a power-up/upgrade. not only does she get a new look, but the heart crystal evolves and gives her new powers to face their new enemy, and gets character growth with it.

and what facilitates this is often them facing a new, more powerful enemy! it's a really good set-up for a new season and a really good way to raise the stakes! what's more is that sailor moon is often worn out or can't use her powers to their full ability, which i feel like really grounds her character.

the problem with ml is it never does that. sure, they have magic food that helps them adapt to different environs when needed, but neither ladybug nor chat noir ever get a permanent costume change/upgrade. their powers never fail them at a critical moment, forcing them into a character growth arc. and likewise, hawkmoth never really becomes more powerful than he already is.

i know in later seasons, they try and pretend he's growing more powerful by revealing the peakcock miraculous, and at one point obtains all, or most of, the miraculous and wears them. but that's a false and forced raised stakes.

we already know ladybug is going to think of a way out of it. bc she always does. she's never faltered. there's never really a moment in the show where we feel like she's actually in danger of not beating the bad guy.

but in sailor moon? god i can still remember how i felt after that first season, watching sailor moon's crystal lose its power and shine, and her detransforming. it was terrifying!!

and we never get anything like that in all 3 (i say 3 even tho there are 5 bc i haven't watched any episodes from 4 or 5 and am giving it the benefit of the doubt even tho i shouldn't and honestly don't) seasons.

everything is stagnate. the writers treat the show like it's both serialized and episodic, but only write for it as if it's episodic. and it's a worse show for it.