#i absolutely love the art that's featured in there and the process that this work goes through and what methods each artist uses

[grim-echoes]

i'm so glad that keeping production art is much more common within the gaming industry now because i'm utterly enthralled not only by the preservation of people's work and old ideas that might be revisited one day, but by imagining what some of these ideas might have been used for and if there's any traces of them left in the final product. it's the type of information you won't get from a dime a dozen cut content youtube video, but instead what you can reasonably draw a connection between based on what's in-game, and what you can only speculate on and i know that there's so much more we never get to see so i'm constantly left wondering, "what else are we missing out on that wasn't considered worth compiling, and will it ever surface one day?"

[eerna]

How would you describe the face shapes and facial features of The Lunar Chronicles girls? (Since you draw them so beautifully, I wanna know how you figured out what features to give them based off the info the books give us. Plus I began to imagine cinder's face looking exactly like your art).

Also what undertones do you give them (you don't gotta be specific, just list whether they're cool or warm). oh! You can info-dump if you want. I find it really helpful.

Yayyy thanks for the compliments and for asking this, I love talking about why I draw faces the way I do!! :D

Ok so first off here's an explanation of my general book character design process which I will base these descriptions on. For TLC specifically the canon descriptions are based not only on the books, but also this guide from MM's website.

CINDER

The starting canon point was ambiguously mixed (but definitely Asian), tan, brown upturned eyes, mousy brown hair in a ponytail, tall, all angles, boyish build and clothes. I HC her as specifically Cambodian (based on her family names and general description), so I based her features on it. She is characterized as brave and decisive ina protagonist way, so I gave her an oval face shape because ovals are serious and constant, and thick eyebrows to intensify her expressions. She sees herself as unfeminine, so I gave her thin lips and short, brown eyelashes. She is always messy and unkempt because of her work, so I gave her an uneven, shaggy haircut to match (inspired by Link LoZ for absolutely no reason). But she is also an awkward nerd, which I integrated through her big, goofy ears. I give her a warm undertone to match her eyes and offset her desaturated hair.

SCARLET

The starting canon point was white skin, curly ginger hair, super freckled, very feminine build, full lips, farmer girl vibes. Her color scheme is very low contrast with hair, eyebrows and eyes that are all within the same value range, because at one point she is described as soft curve shaped as opposed to Cinder's sharp angles, and I wanted to bring out that softness not only in shapes but colors too. She is also brave and decisive, but in a mean old lady way, so I gave her a long, pointy face to match it. I should def give her more defined curls than I usually do. I don't often color her so I thinkkkk I mostly give her a cool undertone, but it's inconsistent.

CRESS

The starting canon point was super pale white skin, nose freckles, heart shaped face, extremely messy wavy honey blond hair, sky blue eyes, super tiny. Everything about her is supposed to scream "pure sweet innocent little baby who never did anything wrong in her life" (even if it isn't the exact truth), and her face is based on a girl I saw at school when I was a teen. Her eyebrows and eye shape are anime inspired because I was an anime fan and so was MM. I give her a cold undertone.

WINTER

The starting canon point was very dark skin, Black, three scars on her right cheek, and a ton of other descriptions because she is the most beautiful girl in the galaxy and the epitome of soft, gentle, princessy femininity. We're talking full lips, gently curving features, insane eyelashes, etc. Her scars should realistically be darker, but the description of them resembling tears and their symbolism of Winter choosing to stick out like a sore thumb stuck so far into my brain that I simply gotta make use of artistic license in this case. I went for 3C type hair and its shape fits the cloud-like dreamy vibe she embodies while keeping to the glossy corkscrew description. Her eyes and lips are her mother's, and thus bear resemblance to Levana's. I give her a warm undertone.

IKO

The starting canon point was light brown skin, golden eyes, button nose, blue braids with golden accessories, and capitalist-made beauty. She is fun, fashionable, and flirty, so her color palette is braver and more expressive than the other girls'. Her beauty is noticeable, but man-made as a product instead of Winter's natural appeal. Her undertone is sometimes cold and sometimes warm because it makes the various color combos easier to execute, and also she is an android so I bet it is possible to do it anyway.

Hope this was interesting~

[gffa]

I never meant to fall into this fandom, but seeing these really stunning pieces of characters in trench coats and got supremely curious. It took approximately two days to fall ass over teakettle into OMNISCIENT READER'S VIEWPOINT hell, because it has absolutely fascinating characters, interesting worldbuilding, a beautifully drawn webtoon, thoughtful plot elements on the nature of stories and the relationship with the audience and--most importantly--it has the kind of character dynamics you immediately want fic. I'm barely past chapter 40 and I was already spoiling myself for the overarching plot because I desperately needed post-canon fic that offered resolution, because everything was already so deliciously intense that I couldn't stand it! So, here I am, having a bunch of knock-out fic to go with the absolute god-tier art that's in the fandom and desperately trying to drag more of you into this with me because it's so good and I think you'd like it and I don't want to be throwing up feelings everywhere and not have you all understand how much these characters mean to me (especially the main character, he is such a skrunkly little asshole whomst I would die for!!!!) even after just forty chapters! Joinnnnn meeeee!!! (p.s. This is primarily a Joongdok recs set, but give me time and I'll love all the characters!)

OMNISCIENT READER'S VIEWPOINT - POST-CANON IS WHAT I'M REALLY HERE FOR: ✦ [Message from the Universe: Kim Dokja Must Die] by jarofclay, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & kdj company, NSFW, post-canon spoilers, 27.2k     Six months after returning to his original world-line, Kim Dokja almost dies (again). A tragicomedic Final Destination-esque story featuring one dreamer in distress, his personal hero and his rightfully anxious family. ✦ world's end rhapsody by wakerife, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & han sooyoung & kdj company, post-canon spoilers, 11.6k     another post-epilogue fic, wherein kim dokja may or may not need a bigger hospital bed ✦ Unburying Kim Dokja by stingerra, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & kdj company, post-canon spoilers, 21.3k     Kim Dokja is back and left to ponder such things like fitting in and making amends. None of this proves easy. He was dead for too long and it's common knowledge that resurrection is a lengthy process. Especially because Kim Dokja was someone who buried himself at the age of 15 and didn't hope for anyone to care. ✦ “You are loved,” said Yoo Jonghyuk. “This is a threat,” said Yoo Jonghyuk. by IceBreeze, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & han sooyoung & kdj company, post-canon spoilers, 13.3k     Kim Dokja doesn't really know when he began collecting time travellers like stray cats but it's not so bad, he guesses. He just wishes there was less crying. ✦ show me proof you hear my sound by grdenofavalon, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & kdj company, post-canon spoilers, 30k     Kim Dokja has two goals in his life: figure out why he can't recall anything from before that "apocalypse" everyone and their dog is traumatized from, and finally finish the renovations on his newly (if six years old could still be "new") purchased book-and-breakfast cafe. It's... a work in progress. But now he has a third goal — find out what Yoo "former-terrorist-turned-civil-worker" Joonghyuk wants from his life. Or maybe he just wants his life, to end it himself. Kim Dokja is starting to think that might be the case. ✦ The End Of A Story by mellllting, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & kdj compnay, NSFW, post-canon spoilers, 22.8k     Kim Dokja wakes up, and the most shocking part of all that has happened was probably finding out that Yoo Joonghyuk loves him. ✦ white house, white rock by beforedaybreaks, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & kdj compnay, post-canon spoilers, 12.1k     “Big family?” the grocery store clerk asks, as he makes his way to the front of the checkout line. The clerk motions toward Kim Dokja’s baskets. Kim Dokja laughs as he loads the ingredients onto the conveyer belt. “I guess you could say that.” After the Scenarios, Kim Dokja moves into a big house with everyone.

✦ unwind the world, is your nightmare gone? by Scribblurri, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & kdj compnay, post-canon spoilers, 9.9k     He learns of lots of things that these people say his older self has experienced in the apocalypse: kindness, companionship, strength, family, love, sacrifice; all things they say the older him has provided to them. (He's not sure he believes it.) ✦ Revelation by 1864_9158, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & kdj compnay, post-canon spoilers, 2.1k     Kim Dokja realizes he's in love with Yoo Jonghyuk a month after he wakes up. Post-Canon ✦ Will you share your soul with me? (Unzip your skin and let me have a see) by Maru_Chan, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & kdj compnay, NSFW, post-canon spoilers, 19.9k     Noticing my gaze, Yoo Joonghyuk looked up from where he was polishing his sword. “Kim Dokja, what do you want?" My eyes shifted back to the System Notification I had been making a valiant effort to ignore ever since it had appeared a few minutes ago. [I w■■t to b■■■ him ■■ half a■d ■■■■ him wi■■■ an inch ■f h■s ■■fe] Uhh... (Or: KDJ might read both books and minds, but he can't read the room to save his life.) ✦ you used to be my satellite by Karelyon, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & kdj company, post-canon spoilers, 3.4k     Yoo Joonghyuk in his first regression, with all his memories from the 0th round, meets one Kim Dokja. ✦ The Scars of Dreaming by Gotcocomilk, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & kdj company, post-canon spoilers, 6.5k     Or: two dreamers speak. Neither are monsters. ✦ today's prophecy: you will receive love (this is inevitable) by kdj_225, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & kdj company, post-canon spoilers, 2.6k     “Kim Dokja!” Han Sooyoung yells first. “What the hell is this, huh?!” “You’re asking me? I’m just as confused as you, Han Sooyoung.” “This is related to you, this—huh?” It seems she hadn’t fully read the status window before she barged into his room. Her eyes, initially squinted, turn wide when they read through the lit-up words on the floating window. With a growing smirk, she teases, “A kiss? You wanted a kiss?” ✦ the false last act by younglegends, kdj company, post-canon spoilers, 8.6k     Living in a big house with everyone was convenient, most of the time. But there were other things that couldn’t be avoided. Or: The end. ✦ Pretty Fool by jokebear, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja, post-canon spoilers, 1.4k     Kim Dokja is pretty. That was the undeniable, factual, and conclusive verdict Yoo Joonghyuk had reached after days of gazing at the other man. ✦ missing person report by lorilanda, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & kdj company, post-canon spoilers, 9.7k     Kim Dokja opens his arms. "Okay, okay." He takes a deep breath. "Okay. C'mere. Give me a hug." To his absolute horror, Yoo Joonghyuk actually does. Kim Dokja returns. ✦ you made a deal, you traded daffodils for a kingdom of ash and bone by venividivici, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & kdj company, post-canon spoilers, 21k     From infancy to adulthood, Kim Dokja has had a hard life. He copes.

OMNISCIENT READER'S VIEWPOINT - BUT I WILL HAPPILY TAKE MID-SCENARIOS FIC BECAUSE IT'S SUCH GOOD TROPE FODDER: ✦ Fire on Fire by alodienr, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja, NSFW, 2.7k     "What are you doing?" He hissed in pain and shock and confusion. Their faces were dangerously close. He could see golden under the dark irises in front of him. The kind of golden that was warm, intimidating, and seemed to want to devour Kim Dokja at the same time. Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes glinted with longing, hunger and want. "Push me if you want me to stop." Yoo Joonghyuk stared right into Kim Dokja's eyes. There was a bit of gentleness in his tone. ✦ The Reader's Lost Hope by bobacrane, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja, read the tags, 5.2k     Yoo Jonghyuk is thrown into the past right when teenage Kim Dokja makes an attempt on his own life. He must learn about the past of his companion in order to return home. ✦ Taking Action to Contain a Hopeless Squid by gayboy_advance, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja, 1.2k     It started out innocent—just some minor actions to ensure the slippery man’s safety. Yoo Joonghyuk made sure to check on Kim Dokja every time before going to bed, specifically when the other was already sleeping soundly. He figured it would be less explaining if caught, as well as less likely that the man would up and leave once he had actually taken the time to fall asleep. Unfortunate or not, it was not enough to settle his worries as time progressed. ✦ proof of love by Maven_Fair, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja, NSFW, omegaverse, 3.6k     “Yoo Jonghyuk,” a low rumble, “bad touch,” a soft huff of breath, teeth scraping, “ooh - ah, bad touch,” a tongue, softly caressing that sensitive bundle so slowly that he just wanted him to bite already - “VERY BAD TOUCH, YOO JONGHYUK - ” An indignant bite is the only response he gets. ✦ i crave death by exocara, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja, NSFW, 2.2k     Kim Dokja would say that he had no idea how he got into this situation, but he would be lying. It wasn’t as if he wanted to be in this situation (except he did, it was his idea and he was the one who had to do the convincing) but Yoo Joonghyuk needed to be put in his place. Which was under him. Also with his dick up Kim Dokja’s ass, but that was neither here nor there. ✦ speak no evil by cvrely, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja, NSFW, 2.9k     The same hands that encircled his throat at their meeting, held the blade that pierced his body during the Demon King selection, now hold onto him as if afraid to let go—what defenses does he have against Yoo Joonghyuk when he’s like this? What defense does he have against Yoo Joonghyuk at all? ✦ My Star by TeaFlowers, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & secretive plotter/kim dokja, NSFW, 3.6k     ⸢K im Dok ja th in ks: I wa nt him to cr ush me⸥ Shut up, I didn’t want this to happen. He weakly refuted. ⸢K im Dok ja is a li ar⸥ One of the Plotter’s gloved fingers tapped Kim Dokja’s cheek, bringing his attention back to him and his smug smile. The hand tilted Kim Dokja’s chin toward him as he murmured, “Thinking of others while I’m here? That’s not very polite of you Kim Dokja.” ✦ you got me starstruck by virotutis, yoo joonghyuk/kim doka & kdj company, 3.6k     Kim Dokja is a man who has rather clear priorities after his favorite novel comes to life—unfortunately for his companions, informing them about his former idol career is not one of them.

OMNISCIENT READER'S VIEWPOINT - AND THEN MAYBE SOMETIMES THEY DESERVE A HAPPY ALTERNATE UNIVERSE: ✦ the tidal pain of wanting by aryelee, yoo joonghyuk/dim dokja, omegaverse, alternate universe, 14.7k     “Kim Dokja.” The sound of his name makes his breath hitch. His eyes burn with oncoming tears. He hasn’t cried in front of another person in years. It’s mortifying. He doesn’t understand why the sound of his name from Yoo Joonghyuk’s mouth hurts him, why it hollows out the inside of his chest, why it aches with a loneliness he thought he got used to living with. “Kim Dokja, allow me to know you.” ✦ How To Be A Husband by cymbelione, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja & kdj company, 9.3k     Being a good best friend involves comforting your friends when they're sad, eating their unwanted vegetables and remembering their birthdays. Last time Kim Dokja checked, the description didn't include "pretending to marry them". He'd think that he would recall that part. ✦ you can't skip the tutorial by cvrely, yoo joonghyuk/kim dokja, royalty dating sim au, 4.1k     (Yoo Joonghyuk wakes up in a dating sim. It goes as well as expected.)

[flymetosnarryland]

My Snarry WIPs' list.

I would like to share something. My Snarry WIPs' list, yup. Why? I always felt weird writing about myself and stuff I do, but I'm processing changes and thought I can share not only art, lol.

How many project are you working on? I'll dive into couple of mine:

Date with a Star - a Post-War romantic comedy. Harry is in love with Severus, Severus secretly loves Harry. Both are too scared to say what they feel to not lose their friendship. A friend in need asks Harry for help and this is where the wild ride with dumb dating TV-show starts. Especially because Harry don't know that the same friend-in-need blackmailed Severus to get him into the same show too. This is actually a second Snarry fic I ever started to write, inspired by dating TV-show from 1992. I remember that when the idea for this one hit me, I was laughing for a good hour (that TV-show was absolutely ridiculous). And I still feel a pinch of positive embarrassment when think about what's going on there. In fact this story made me want to learn how to translate my wiritngs into English. It's half written and translated too. I really have to finish second part.

Infraction - my first monster fic. My baby. Crime (serial killer), slow burn, Muggle AU featuring Marauders and Death Eaters, political sheananigans and Severus' old flame. I have entire story written out from beginning to the end. What's more... with an ending that allows me to dive into second book (I'm excited lika a child) including the initial idea for it, ahh. Every time I think about Infraction, I feel butterflies in my stomach and a tear comes to my eye, damn. However, the entire project requires a huge amount of work. And a few modifications that I finally have to do to complete the first stage. It's not simple, though. I regret a bit that I released the cover, prologue and first chapter. I was prematurely carried away by the joy of creation, but that's okay. Going to fix it all in time.

In the Moonlight - working title. Something I planned to write for last year's Snarry AUctoberfest, but the beast got bigger, lol. Crime (kidnapping), Muggle AU - my great weakness and, most importantly, inspired by the movie Bodyguard (the one with Whitney Huston). Much like Infraction, this fic is fully planned and scripted. I can't believe I managed to do it. I wrote 1/4 of the whole thing and even have the lyrics of original song that Harry dedicates to Severus, although I don't know anything about music at all (an elephant stepped on my ear).

In between - a drawing series. Harry and Severus in a cute/fluff version. Post-War and happy life, because that's what they deserve!

First time - Drama/Romance, Muggle AU (gosh, yeah, again!). This is a project I want to do 50/50 as a fic/comic. A few works and dirty sketches have already landed here. I have a little dream of writing something that includes e-mails/text messages. In general, a romance that started online. Aren't Harry and Severus purfect for this? (Plus doing art in colour for this project was a test I wanted to start before 3B.)

3B - a Vampire fic, yessss. Can you believe that once I said, I'll never ever write or do anything connected to vampires? Hehe, now I'm in the middle of it, fully commited and over the moon. A bit dark/angsty story with a bonus: illustrations. Crime (more like, cri-me a river, lol; I mean, again? Yup xD), Post-War, a few intrigues, even a SnarryWedding o_0 gosh. That is another thing I said: "No, that's not going to happen." I guess, I fell on my head since now I do everything I promised to myself not to. But it's fun. And bloody, mhaha. I also created my own Vampire Villains and I kinda fell in love with them. Going to sneak into this fic a bit of blood magic mechanics that I created for my fantasy book, too. The picture at the top is one version of the cover sketches ɷ◡ɷ

Adrenaline - working title. Post-War/Drama/Romance and slow burn, a bit of Hogwarts, a bit of Quidditch and for a change Severus will have to show that he wants something more. I mean, I always writing/thinking about Harry chasing Severus. So here the dynamic will change a little. Can't wait for it! The idea for this one was accidentaly born last week and I can't stop it anymore. The inspiration comes from the cover art for Witch Weekly that I did, lol. I had no idea that at the stage of brainstorming, it would turn into another monster. It supposed to be a short story, but, apparently, I'm not good at short stories and it's time to come to terms with it xD I won't cry either because I like Harry and Severus pairing up in different ways/AU's, hehe. And most importantly - creating all these things, even if they don't fully see the world outside my drawer, still gives me great joy!

[swordsmans]

it has arrived!! I had the absolute pleasure of binding @veryqueerdraws zoro/luffy comic Diamond Tiger and i can't believe it's finally made it!!! this was such a fun and unintentionally complex bind, and i'm very pleased with how it turned out. the pictured iteration is actually the third case i built and the second textblock i printed, so at a certain point this bind became like... a theseus's ship kinda book. very entertaining to make.

this is a skinny three-piece bradel (flat spine) style, probably my go-to with books of this length (and books with more involved multi-piece cover construction.) The book's endsheets are black and gold marbled red lokta, and the covers are made from a combination of that same paper and a flowery white-core scrapbook paper. The cover isn't layered and is instead comprised of 60+ individual pieces; I used the same principle for the back, though there were fewer pieces.

as you can see, the titling on the cover is the doujin's title itself, which isn't a font--it's part of the cover art and was drawn by @ozo-blog!! i couldn't find anything similar, and honestly? it's very lovely. it was pretty challenging to do (and ultimately resulted in the death of version two, may it rest in peace), but in the end it made such a neat effect and i'm super glad it worked out. i spent a fair bit of time fiddling around with a portion of the cover image in photoshop until I had a couple of clean sections of the title and then (several iterations later) made a stencil out of it. the final version took three layers: heat foiling by hand, gel ink (to yellow the color a little and fill in some gaps), and an outline layer of machine adhesive foil.

i think one more iteration would have given me a chance to perfect the different processes (ive since stopping using adhesive foil because u can see the smaller letters have a tendency to slide off into oblivion if you breathe wrong), and overall i think i learned more during this bind than i have in any other so far. i have "gained exp" and "leveled up", as they say. (just a little joke for the gamers in the audience)

i also made a multi-layered longstitch blank book for ozo!! this one went through a few iterations as well, and i think i ultimately succeeded in my goal of making something 1) lightweight 2) that lays flat no matter where you open it. It features a green black/gold marble lokta to compliment the red marble i used on diamond tiger and 24lb fill in white, black, and "kraft" brown. this was VERY fun to make, and i was almost completely perfect save for a moisture warp on one side of the cover. as with diamond tiger, i learned quite a lot and am overall very proud of how it turned out :3 i'll be making more journals and sketchbooks like this in the future, i can feel it.

[linktoo-doodles]

Hi!! I absolutely adore your work and I was wondering if you have any tips on digital painting for someone who hasn't really done it before?

hello hello!! thank you so much, I've been mulling over this ask for days thinking about what would be some good tips.

Looking through my old work, you can kind of see where I slowly transition from lineart to painting for the first time. Most importantly, its getting over the fear of painting on top of lineart. using messier sketches too let me feel more free in painting over lines.

colouring under the lineart vs painting on top of lineart:

Also make sure to break down objects into simpler planes to figure out lighting, where it comes from and where light bounces off of. Here's a really good 3D interactive reference from artstation: [x] (keep in mind this reference uses common male eurocentric features! it's not applicable to everyone.)

Most importantly, study the artists that you love and ask yourself, "how do they nail the aspect of art I really like? how can I incorporate that into my own work?" its one of my favourite things to do. I even have studies of artists I admire that I never post publicly.

I have [#tutorial], [#gif process] and [#art tips] tags as well you can check out too. I hope that helps! Good luck on your journey!

[pinksilvace]

A few weeks back, I made a comment to the effect of, "Belos views himself as the single human character in a muppets production." It has since then spiraled into an entire AU in my head that refuses to leave me alone. A few weeks back, I made a comment to the effect of, "Belos views himself as the single human character in a muppets production." It has since then spiraled into an entire AU in my head that refuses to leave me alone.

The basic premise:

Caleb and Evelyn found a weekly children's program ("The Boiling Isles") that features puppets; little Philip is featured as the one human, and since the episodes with him do much better than the ones without, he grows up into the role and eventually becomes a big part of the production staff as well

When Caleb and Evelyn die in an accident, Philip inherits the show

Some of the main (puppet) characters are named Luzura, Willow, Amity, and Augustus (you can see where I'm going with this). Philip would be able to stand these puppets on their own BUT

In promotional materials and interviews, he is ALWAYS asked what it's like to "work with" Luzura/Willow/Amity/Gus. Philip is absolutely INFURIATED by this because they're PUPPETS why can't anybody see that they're PUPPETS don't you care about the STAFF or the ARTISTS or the LIGHTING MANAGERS why does everybody pretend that the PUPPETS are REAL PEOPLE and why does HE have to pretend that the PUPPETS are when he responds??? He's convinced that some of the interviewers genuinely believe that the puppets are alive and tries to patiently explain that, no, they are just puppets. The interviewers always refuse to break the immersion.

Expanded AU thoughts are under the cut.

Caleb and Evelyn meet at an arts college. Evelyn is a film student, and the show's prototype is her capstone project. Caleb offers to bring Philip in as an actor and it sticks. Caleb also helps make some of the first puppets.

Little Philip's identity is protected by 1) the presence of a mask, and 2) the stage name "Belos". The name sticks around for his on-screen appearances.

While sticking around the set, Philip learns a lot about the different areas of production. He especially likes building sets, backdrops, props, and puppets, though he finds the writing process interesting as well. When he's old enough to help out with paperwork, he takes over the logistical side of things because tbh both Caleb and Evelyn are helpless when it comes to that

By the time Philip takes over, he's basically the head supervisor of every single department. His management makes the show's popularity explode

Philip is definitely the best at building and controlling puppets. Every now and then, he makes an extra-large "final boss" sort of puppet that only he is physically capable of controlling, and some of them end up in museums

Philip raises Hunter, but he's sort of the neglectful sort. He's ultra-focused on keeping the show his brother put so much thought, effort, and love into alive, and it makes literally any semblance of life he might have had outside of the show suffer

Similarly to Philip, Hunter grows up on set, but not as an actor. The production staff looks after him. When he's old enough, he also becomes a part of the test audience

The production staff is composed of the Emperor's Coven members in canon; i.e. Darius is in charge of lighting and wires, Raine is the sound director, Eberwolf is the lead puppet master, Hettie is the on-site medic, etc.

Luz and Camila are also a part of the test audience. I'm going to pretend that Philip and Camila are good buds in this AU. Philip inserts Luzura into the show as a character based on Luz

Basically most of the ire that Philip has in this AU is directed toward the puppets because they're not REAL why are THEY getting the GLORY can we PLEASE not pretend that these PUPPETS have thoughts and feelings and personalities???

He also doesn't leave because 1) the aforementioned attachment to something Caleb loved so much, and 2) he's put too much effort into this show already and he knows that no replacement could ever be so proficient at his job

Let's be real, Philip's work ethic is super unsustainable, and it DEFINITELY keeps him from grieving properly

When Hunter reveals that he does not, in fact, want to inherit the company that Philip has built, it's CRUSHING to Philip, who feels like giving it up would be disrespecting Caleb's legacy, unaware that he's staring Caleb's legacy in the face

Ideally Philip's arc (which I have hardly described here) would end with wealthy retirement and him being able to say "goodbye Boiling Isles" and never having to appear alongside those godforsaken puppets ever again

[drill-teeth-art]

I don't know if this has been asked before but I was wondering how you go through the process of stylizing characters?

Like, how do you decide what features to make more prominent and what shapes to use/exaggerate?

I dunno if I'm making much sense but I adore your art and I'm just super curious about your thought process behind character designs lol

Whoag! Thanks for asking omg I love asks about my process!

With the way I stylize characters and flesh out my designs though, it's an extremely hands on process! I always have to start with Something, and when I have an actual design down, then I can edit it. By drawing it over. And over and over again. And the more I draw that character and work out their personality and story, the more I get to know them and sort of tailor their design over time to suit them better! If writing is rewriting, then designing is redesigning! I don't really consider any of my designs finished products because I continue to edit them as I get more and more drawings in! And with all those drawings additionally comes more and more practice!

Here with these drawings of Enemy you can sort of see my progression with her! From the first one I ever did months ago, to much more recent ones. I put much more emphasis on his sharpness over time, altered the colors and distribution of those colors, settled on a face shape, how she emotes, etc. All of those decisions and refining of those decisions came with drawing him over and over and making edits over time! I find it a lot easier to design by drawing. Having a history of drawings to work with of the same character. So I can decide what I'd like to keep and what to edit by referencing my past design passes.

I could get into more specific choices if I were talking about one specific I made because I tend to approach them all differently. So absolutely feel free to ask more about my process! I love to talk about it! Thanks for asking :D

[vasiliquemort]

~Commissions are open!~

Such beauty it could be if you distributed this post - or even had desire to aquire something for yourself!<ззз

Below I have described in detail almost all the information that I could imagine as neccessary, yet please do not hesitate to write for any reason in a private message or ask - it will be my absolute pleasure to tell or show you more, and I am always glad to have new delightful acquaintances!<зз

I do portraits in three formats - bust, waist-length and full-length, and with three different stages of completion - line art, flat color and full shadow work. They can be completely different in style, and you should pay close attention to the difference in the execution of these formats - the busts are always more detailed in the character's features, the atmosphere is more consistent in waist-length paintings, and full-length drawings are well suited to demonstrate clothing design or depict a scene. On average, I complete the first stage of work (sketching) in two days, and the second in three, but in case of various circumstances I may leave myself from a week to week and a half - depending on the complexity and its cost, and the duration of the work can vary greatly yet I always try to be transparent and tactful about all possible deadlines and reasons for such.

I adore to experiment with styles and learn new tones of this craft - as each meeting is a start of something beautiful, and I desire to create art that is complex and multifaced, but to an important extend I should say that I do not feel comfortable to copy or imitate other's styles of execution and sensuality, and a lot of expressions and detailing in my work are sudden - art is an journey and yet I would love to share this journey with you;зз

There is a path of my prices:

- Bust of one character up to the chest - $ 70 - Portrait of one or more characters up to the waist - $ 80 For each additional character + 20 $ - Character (or several) in full growth - $ 90 For each additional character + 30 $ Cost of more complex and expressive pieces and backgrounds are increased by tips, which I express as an deeply loyal and tactful system - it is absolutely voluntary and happens only at the end of the project, so you have ability to define their cost to your feelings and abilities and nothing over that<зз Oh!! And you have read almost everything! Thank you so much! And also here, under the cut, I describe the whole process of work and how we pay. This is quite useful information for other questions that you may have if you desire to purchase my work, therefore I may advise you to take a look at it too;з

How do we work on an order?

Please feel free to contact me via Tumblr for any questions you may acquire! ~

After I discuss the content of the painting with the client and receive additional materials from them (a photo of the person I am drawing, or references that are close to what is expected of me), I start creating the first sketch.

In accordance with the request, I make a sketch of the future painting, which will contain all its important elements and an approximate color scheme (if any) that I will use. At this stage, you can freely make your amendments, and when the content suits you, I will ask you for an advance payment of half the cost of the work without additional prices of background or detailing.

After that, work on the portrait will begin. Its duration varies on several factors - to a greater extent on the volume and complexity of the work itself, as well as on my own workload with other orders.

After completing the portrait, I will send you its version in low quality- after you familiarize yourself with it (there is also possible some edits - of tones and color, elements of shading, character features and small details), and after you pay the rest of the amount, you shall receive the final result of our artwork! ~

[flanaganfilm]

John Carpenter said he thinks that writing a screenplay is a tedious task, and prefer not being alone in a room writing for months.

How do you feel about the writing process?

Cheers, Frank

Hi Frank! I absolutely love the writing process. LOVE it. It's this very special time in a project where anything is possible; where you aren't compromising for budget or daylight or coverage or anything else. I find it to be a time of great discovery, possibility and excitement. I start with an outline. Always. The outline grows and evolves as more information is added, but it's about revealing and excavating the structure of the piece. Sometimes this is the most fun part for me; I view story structure as a physical thing. It's like sculpting. There's a surprising amount of geometry involved. I appreciate symmetry, balance, and efficiency. I try to make sure every setup has a payoff, every twist has logic. Sometimes we draw the story structure out to make sure it is balanced and sound, and that can lead to some fascinating visual representations of the story itself.

Often, when people bump on something in a script but can't quite articulate what it is that is bothering them, it's a problem with the structure. I've structured three-act features, four-act features, even five-act features (looking at you, Doctor Sleep) and they can become sprawling, beautiful little works of art in their own right, before any dialogue even exists. Structuring a long format series is a huge part of the joy of my job, like the seven episodes of Midnight Mass, the 10-episode dueling timelines of Hill House, or the (REDACTED) structure of The Fall of the House of Usher (which is probably my favorite long-form structure so far). If the structure is sound and the outline has been tended to, the writing of the actual script happens fairly quickly. It entirely depends on the particular story. I've written an entire feature script in three days; I've also spent a year on a single draft. I once wrote an entire 54 page television episode on an international flight, and I've also labored over another first draft of a different episode for three straight months. Overall, though, I adore writing. It's an act of pure creation, unfettered by the harsh realities of physical production, or the sacrificial necessities of editing, where beloved darlings are slaughtered as a matter of course.

[choicesficwriterscreations]

November Creator of the Month: Lizzybeth1986

Each month CFWC highlights one of our talented fanfic writers, and this month’s writer of the month is @lizzybeth1986 We hope you will enjoy learning more about them and their work below! The writer is selected at random. More info can be found on the navigation page.

Quick Links:

Tumblr Blog: Blog Masterlist

How do you want to be known on Tumblr?

Lizzy, absolutely 😁

*Center art by @sazanes

More below...

When did you start playing Choices? What was the first book you played?

I started playing mid 2017, I think. I played the flagship books (TF, TCaTF, MW), and def preferred TF at the time.

When and why did you join Choices fandom?

I joined the Tumblr fandom in 2017, around the time of the TRR finale. Mostly because the Liam hate at the time was intense and I wanted to write metas about why Liam was, in fact, not “a dick who betrayed the MC” 😂

I did have a Tumblr account before that (made it in 2015 to follow Bollywood film posts), but never actually used it.

How did you pick your blog name?

I was lazy af so it was my middle name plus my birth year haha

Pull up the first post in your archive, and tell us about it! 

I started out with a couple reblogs, but my first actual post was about the romance points mechanism in TRR1. There was a point in the middle of the book where one nice word to Drake would give you an automatic romance point, and I was like, “Huh??? Either treat him like shit or risk him catching feels for me? Is that how it is???”. Thankfully, that stopped after two chapters. After that, I did an essay series analyzing Liam’s actions in the finale called “The Crown, The King and The Flame.” Romance Points Post The Crown and the Flame

How long have you been writing fanfiction?

Almost 6 years now! I started doing Liam fics around the beginning of TRR2.

What is your favorite Choices book, and what is your favorite Choices book to write about?

I’m the most invested in TRR and PM, but between the two I’d probably say PM is my fave book overall. But yeah, my favourite book to write about would be TRR, because Liam, Hana and Kiara are such fantastic characters to write about! (Hayden and Sloane, too, but I’m still in the process of getting comfortable writing them).

Share the first fanfic you wrote with us. Do you still like it, or would you change it if you were writing it today?

It was Keychains, my two part fic series featuring my MC and Liam. It was set around the time the MC was waiting in the airport in TRR2, just before Maxwell and Bertrand intervene. It had a follow up with Liam’s PoV too.

I really like it. It included some really good hc’s I made at the time, like Esther buying an apple keychain to represent Cordonia at the same time, and Liam calling her his wife in Greek and Esther not realizing what the phrase meant. I thought the pathos and slight humour was quite well-done. I can’t think of much I would want to change in the story.

Keychains 1 Keychains 2

What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

As a series – Eleanor’s Kitchen! It’s ongoing, and it’s a joy to write. I love exploring food from a cultural lens, and since Cordonia was a fictional country, I could explore a variety of ethnicities and food cultures. Liam had a literal diamond scene that explored gastrodiplomacy, and I wanted to explore his childhood and Eleanor’s friendships too.

Individually – I would say my Kiara fic “An Ear to the Ground”. Kiara is a delightful character and exploring the social season through her eyes was a real journey! I also love “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” which explores the early days of the Sloane & Hayden friendship. I used asterisms and constellations to symbolize moments in their friendship.

Eleanor's Kitchen An Ear to the Ground The Stars (Are Out Tonight)

Do you have a fic that you didn’t expect to be well received, but it was? What about one you expected to be but found could use a little more love?

Cordonian Waltz was definitely a surprise in terms of reception!! It was written in the style of headcanons I was seeing at the time, and I wrote it in second person. It became my most widely-read fanfic very fast, and every once in a while it would experience a major surge in readership. I enjoyed writing it and thought it was a lovely, romantic piece, but I really wasn’t expecting it to finally have 250+ reblogs out of it, and people coming and telling me this was the fic that got them into Liam x MC in the first place. I find that deeply gratifying 😍

There’s a lot of fics that I feel need more engagement and appreciation, but I can understand that those characters also don’t exactly get much of an audience. My entire PM set comes under this category; they typically get low readership. I think my Hana and Kiara fics too could do with more of an audience.

@twinkleallnight once told me that when she reads my stuff, she usually takes a long time just to ruminate on the story, and I like to believe that often, that’s why the engagement isn’t always immediate. Which I like too!! I like that some of my stuff can make people stop and think, and I like to believe that over time, the work will have its own impact.

Cordonian Waltz PM Set

If you could write only angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?

Probably fluff but with a lot of observation and sometimes somber reflections. I’m not that great with angst…and I’ve never actually tried smut? But maybe one day 😄

Do you ever recognize yourself in any of your MCs or in your writing?

Yes! Some of my MCs are v different from me but I always incorporate something from my life experiences in them. Like Esther taking photos of the sunset or Basil not being science oriented but still having an interest in space.

Character wise I find I put a lot of myself into a lot of the characters I write. Notably, Liam, Hana, Kiara, certain Haydens and Sloane. Liam’s love for learning, different aspects of Hana and Kiara’s experiences as queer women, Sloane’s experiences as a neurodivergent woman, and especially my Scholar!Hayden’s (Iris) observations. I tend to incorporate a lot of my feelings and experiences more into certain canonical characters than in MCs.

What element of writing do you struggle with most?

Dialogue, I think. Especially when it’s a character I don’t relate to that much. But also sometimes when it’s a character I love but am only starting to write because then I really overthink it!

Do you have any neglected work you really want to finish?

Hmm…probably neglected wouldn’t be the word I’d use…I just take a very long time to kickstart them 😂

But yeah, definitely my Petals and Thornes series? That’s the fic series I’m doing for Hana x Kiara, that is supposed to explore TRR2 and 3 from their PoV (with significant changes). So far I’ve only been able to do some one-shots and hcs in that universe, but I do want to start the actual series soon!

I have some essay series’ I’d love to work on too! My Hana essay series which has two essays left, The Hayden Young Project, and a possible series on the alternative Lis of TRR!

Petals and Thornes Hana Lee: A Study in Erasure

If someone you know in real life (who isn’t involved in fandoms) asked to read your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you recommend they read first?

Hmm. A few people have asked me, actually, and while I’m not fully opposed to showing them I’ll probably take some time before I do show my work. I’ll probably overthink how much will be understandable to a reader who doesn’t have the context of the source, and what they may not understand.

What to show them first? I’m not sure! Maybe the smaller ones first, like Cordonian Waltz. Or my RCD fic Snowstorms, because it doesn’t have more than 2-3 canon characters featuring and I do talk a little about being a closeted queer teen figuring out their sexuality through cinema, which is an overall relatable experience to some! Snowstorms

Are there any writers (published authors and/or fanfic writers) who influenced your writing?

In my early years I used to emulate Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s style. Much of her work that I read as a teen was pretty flowery, sometimes bordering on purple prose, and I really loved that style and tried to go that way. But now I think a variety of writers from different genres inform my writing. In terms of published authors, Jhumpa Lahiri, Helen Hoang, and non-fiction ones like Rukmini Pande, Ruby Hammad and Mikki Kendall.

In Choices fic, @callmetippytumbles for sure – a lot of the questions she was tackling with her MC in her Home series served as inspiration for some of the ideas I’ve been having in mind for Petals and Thornes. @thefirstcourtesan is a great writing buddy to have, too, and she has a knack for saying a lot in very few words! There’s also my amazing group of friends (shoutout to @cassiopeiacorvus, @thecapturedafrique, @mand-delemonde, and @beyonceswigs, as well as @twinkleallnight , @dcbbw @mariemarieohcontrary , @choicesfrog, @grapecaseschoices and @ohsnapitzlovehacker…the discussions are so good and leave some much to think about afterward 💖💖). All these discussions ALWAYS fuel my ideas and make me think out of the box.

I’ve also recently started writing polyamorous characters and relationships, and @angelasscribbles stories and resources have been such a great help in navigating that!

Home

@angelasscribbles Poly Resources

Which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series?

Haha! I’ve not even started the proper series yet but I think Petals and Thornes? But besides that maybe Eleanor’s Kitchen may work as a series idk 😄

Do you write original fiction?

I do try! I’ve done a few short stories but before I started fanfic, I did a lot of spoken word poetry and that was fun.

What other hobbies do you have?

Reading, watching video essays, spending months on hyperfixations 😂 and a little cooking. My kid’s gotten into craft recently and has succeeded in taking me down that rabbit hole too haha.

I used to be into making fruit wines but have gotten inconsistent with that over the years.

What’s your favorite emoji?

Because I have a huuuge thing for nerds – this one: 🤓

BONUS – tell us anything you’d like (if you want to).

A story my mum often tells about how I got into writing, began with some good old-fashioned sibling rivalry. Apparently as a child I was notorious for writing things on the walls of our house. One day my older brother got a hardbound royal-blue covered notebook to write in, with gold lettering on the cover…and I got instantly jealous that I didn’t get one (I was 6 or 7 and already fond of telling stories). When I complained my mum made me a deal – she would get me the same notebook…IF I stopped writing on the walls and began writing in that instead 😂 It worked. My mother is a smart woman.

I love spoilers!! I will read the end of a novel I’m reading and then go back and read the rest. Sometimes I even read books all the way backwards lol.

I love romance, and my favorite tropes include second-chance romance and mutual pining while believing the other person will never love you back! Because, at heart, I’m a dramatic bitch.

[cellarspider]

1/30: Descending into the depths of madness, and also Prometheus

(Previous) | (Index) | (Next)

We begin with the dissection of a movie destined to be picked over by eagles for all eternity, Prometheus.

I want to preface this by saying that this is not intended as a general critique of the movie. I’m going to be explaining how this movie became a font of madness for me specifically, in a way that friends of mine have found amusing. More below the fold.

I sat down in a theater in 2012, having seen all of the main Alien movies, having vague-to-specific awareness of the ancillary stuff–comics, games, et cetera–and a fascination with H.R. Giger’s work, and the way others had adapted his style to fit the series. I had seen the first trailer for Prometheus, and the “David 8” promotional video. 

It’s worth giving a moment for these videos, actually, because whoever cut it did a phenomenal job. Trailers are there to sell a movie, sure, but they’re also setting expectations, and this one set them high.

It is a fantastic trailer, for a movie that does not entirely happen. I saw this and it said to me “this might have a similar tone to Alien”. Which is the message it is intending to send: Alien opens with a title card revealed in a very similar manner, and features howling klaxons at its climax, and panicked screaming at unresponsive technology. The trailer is deliberately invoking these scenes:

Flashing light warning for the following video, though the sounds themselves are effective enough:

Combine with the further context that Ridley Scott directed Alien and was back to direct Prometheus? This was a must-see, as far as I was concerned. I like slow, measured horror films that work on atmosphere, building something darkly beautiful in the process: My top three at the time were Hellraiser, Sunshine, and Alien. Annihilation has since joined that list, and at the time, Prometheus looked like it might as well.

Particularly with the video that introduced David.

I’ve always loved android characters, and this series already included some excellent ones. Ian Holm’s plays the perfect merciless corporate man as Ash, and his reveal as an android is deeply unnerving. Lance Henriksen’s performance as Bishop in Aliens is iconic for a reason. In this fake advert, Michael Fassbender nails a combination of corporate blandness, carefully tuned non-threatening behavior, and absolutely dead-eyed emotional insincerity. At the same time, he’s presented as a new being, a fully capable individual with no personal history or chance to define himself. That can be really interesting when played properly. I wanted to see more of David.

That was where I was at, when the movie started.

The first scenes in a movie are important for setting audience expectations. A viewer could have never seen anything about the movie before sitting down to watch it. For those who do already know some things–the publicity around a movie, its place in a broader series, or broader things like genre tropes–these people also have to be led to an understanding of what the movie is going to be.

The first scenes are also vital for establishing suspension of disbelief. Suspension of disbelief isn’t turning off your brain, it’s allowing yourself to entertain certain ideas as fact, and then following those preconditions through the logic presented in the movie. If scene-setting fails–or the audience goes in unwilling to follow in the first place–then you’re in trouble.

And I was very willing to follow this movie at the start. I’m a geneticist. I love science fiction, even though I know how wrong most works in the genre are about biology. If a work says “this thing is possible”, I’m usually able to say “okay, I’ll allow it”. This first scene successfully managed to do that for me.

This is in part thanks to the fact that Iceland is a gorgeous place.

(Source)

Sweeping shots of nothing but landscape so stark that much of it looks like abstract art. I would, and have, watched movies entirely composed of this. Yes, I am the sort of person who enjoys Koyaanisqatsi.

Despite the contemplative subject matter, cuts in Prometheus feel off, and in a deliberate way. In the clip of Koyaanisqatsi above, the film follows the music. In Prometheus, they’re consistently off, coming at moments that feel like they’re halfway through a breath. Usually we speak of dissonance in music, but in this case, we have dissonance in motion. I didn’t notice this in the theater at the time. It’s subtle, but there. 

The opening shows us a humanoid alien engage in what appears to be a deliberate, religiously-tinged self-sacrifice, drinking a black substance that causes them to disintegrate. More dissonance in motion, going from deliberate action and the slow departure of a ship, to sudden and seemingly agonizing death. The view zooms in to the microscopic, where DNA is shown disintegrating and then reforming into new strands. We see what appears to be embryonic division: the beginning of new life.

(Sources: https://screenmusings.org/movie/blu-ray/Prometheus/, https://www.cap-that.com/prometheus/ ) 

The movie has asked for you to believe this much: humanoid aliens exist, they are technologically advanced, and they have a substance that can break down and remake biological material.

This also provided the first minor hurdle for me, as a then geneticist-in-training.

I’m very used to abstracted illustrations of DNA. All most people need to know is that it’s a double-helix (two spring shapes) held together by connecting bits made of four different, paired “bases”. Like A and B in the figure below, you usually don’t need all the information in C:

(Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-mcc-microbiology/chapter/structure-and-function-of-dna/) 

And in some ways, the movie gives a very decent illustration! They preserved much of the geometry, evident in the “major groove” and “minor groove” shapes noted in Figure A: the usual configuration of DNA in our cells is a slightly wonky spiral, which they appear to almost nail here. They also appear to have tried to render this DNA in a visual style coherent with H. R. Giger’s work.

They have done so by turning it into a pale bacon ladder, or possibly some very strange pasta.

This was slightly humorous to me, but it’s hard to render molecular-level stuff in a way that’s intelligible to an audience, so I was willing to go with it. This also gave an extra bit of information: this alien species has DNA.

Now, this is a given for multicellular life on Earth, but it’s not a given in the speculative world of astrobiology. Life requires some sort of way to encode instructions for how to build its component parts, but DNA is not the only way that could be done.

Overall, I like this scene. It, and one that comes relatively soon after, are stand-out scenes in terms of setting mood, matching the expectations from the trailer.

Unfortunately, they set the mood for a different movie than what actually follows.

And we meet the first stumbling blocks in the next scene, and have our first brush with some of the movie’s blunt-force approach to themes and exposition.

(Previous) | (Index) | (Next)

[satansapostle6]

X

Josh Futturman has always had a crush on his beautiful coworker, the sharp, sexy scientist he thought he could only dream of talking to.

Warnings: Mature themes/language. Sexual content.

Part Two

Part Three: Investigative Work

Seeing Brynne Johansson was easily the best part of Josh’s work day. He loved just getting the opportunity to look at her. He didn’t even have to talk to her at all; just seeing and admiring her artful features was enough.

Josh had been making his rounds at work when he passed by Brynne’s office that morning, not too long after the start of the work day. He was curious to hear from her brief phone conversation that someone she knew was coming up to her office to give her something.

He waited around the corner with suspense, pretending to be cleaning the floor as he waited for someone to emerge from the elevator and head to Brynne’s office. He watched as a man in a suit with dark hair stepped off of the elevator, entering the office.

Josh’s brows furrowed as he tried to figure out who this man was. He obviously didn’t work in the building. He saw the undeniably handsome man greet Brynne, handing her her coat as she stood. The two exchanged quick goodbyes, and suddenly, Josh felt his heart drop as he saw the man press a quick kiss to the top of Brynne’s head before leaving.

He stood there for a moment in the hall, extremely confused. There was no way that these two had a relationship that was in any way non-romantic. As his thoughts raced a million miles an hour, he found himself being called back down to earth.

“Hey. You.”

He looked up in horror to see Brynne Johansson looking right at him through the open door, a serious expression on her face.

“Me?” Josh asked, stalling.

“Yeah, you. Come here,” she beckoned him closer with the wag of a finger.

Josh Futturman cleared his throat as he stepped into the room, feeling as if he’d been called into the principal’s office.

“Were you watching me?” the woman asked.

Josh cursed himself for being so obvious. But still, he had no idea how she seemed to know exactly what he was thinking at all times. He didn’t answer the question, but he didn’t have to.

“You know. If you wanted to know whether I was single or not, you could’ve just asked.”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, feeling horrible for his awkward behavior, “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend.”

Brynne frowned, as if not understanding the question. “Max isn’t my boyfriend.”

Josh was surprised, taking a moment to think. “Wait, he’s not?”

“No,” she told him, somewhat laughing at the idea, “I spent the night at his place last night.”

“Oh,” he murmured, before actually considering what that meant in adult terms, “Oh. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. But just know, my personal life is my personal life. You wouldn’t know whether I had a boyfriend or not, unless I wanted you to.”

“Right. Sorry,” Josh apologized sheepishly.

“Then again,” the redhead remarked, the faintest hint of a smile appearing on her face, “Maybe I wanted you to.”

“Oh,” Josh nodded, before he processed her words, “Oh.”

“Have a nice day, Josh,” she breathed before smugly getting back to her work.

Without thinking, Josh ran off to the bathroom, barely able to breathe as he stood in front of the mirror.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” he yelled at himself. “Fuck! ‘Oh’?! What the fuck!”

He furiously cursed himself for coming off so stupid in the perfect moment with Brynne Johansson. Never, in a million years, did he think he’d actually get to get to know her, let alone be in a situation where she was flirting with him. Josh was horrible at deciding whether or not a girl was actually flirting with him, but this time, even he was absolutely certain.

He knew he’d just had the perfect opportunity to say something cool, or funny, or even just nice to Brynne, and he completely squandered it. On ‘oh’.

Unable to live with himself at the moment, Josh ran out of the bathroom, and gathered his things before doing everything but running down the hall toward the elevator. He pressed the button and waited until it reached his floor, luckily with Ray being the only person in the elevator. Josh got in, mortified as he turned to his friend.

“You’re not gonna believe what just happened,” he gasped.

“If it’s got anything to do with the bathroom, I don’t wanna know,” Ray informed him.

“No, not that,” he responded frustratedly, “It’s about Brynne.”

“Dr. Johansson?” Ray questioned. “Y’all are on first name basis, huh?”

“Dude!” Josh exclaimed, feeling like a child trying to relay shocking information to a parent. “I swear! She was just flirting with me!” he said stupidly.

This made Ray make a face, refusing to believe that Brynne, of all people, had been flirting with Josh Futturman.

“Have you been mixing the bleach and ammonia?” Ray demanded.

“I’m serious!” Josh exclaimed. “This is what happened!”

After Josh gave a detailed, objective recount of what had just happened moments ago, he saw as his friend stared at him in complete shock.

“You. And Dr. Johansson?!”

“See! I’m not making this up!” Josh cried.

“You better not be!” Ray warned. “That is some serious shit!”

“I know!”

“And you got zero game,” Ray added.

“I know!” Josh yelled in frustration. “What do I do?!”

“I don't know, I never thought we’d get this far!” he admitted.

“Thanks,” Josh frowned.

“Listen, man. Just… play it cool. You don’t wanna freak out a girl like her.”

“Yeah,” Josh nodded, agreeing that Brynne was definitely way out of his league, and that he was horrified of messing it up.

“Just… I don’t know, be cool for a little while, you know? Let her make the next move, so you know if she’s really interested,” Ray suggested.

“Yeah. Okay, I can do that,” Josh nodded quickly, trying to calm himself.

“Right. Just be cool. You got this, man,” his coworker gave him a few words of encouragement as he stepped off the elevator.

Josh sighed exhaustedly, trying not to panic.

“Alright,” he told himself, “Just be cool…”

*****

For the rest of the day, Josh only thought about Brynne, and whether or not he would actually have a chance with her. Everything in his mind told him he’d never stand a chance, but still, he had to try. This was Brynne after all, his dream girl. She was worth the shot.

That was all he could think as he watched her from the outside of the lab, directing the scientists that worked under her with a variation of orders given, pointing, and nodding. Josh secretly loved women who took charge; he found it to be an admirable and attractive quality.

As strange as it sounded, Josh liked being told what to do. All his life, he’d only struggled with girls, never knowing whether or not they liked him, and if they did, how to keep them interested. Josh wanted someone who could just tell him what to do.

He worked outside the lab that afternoon, diligently cleaning the floor of the hallway. He had just finished and made a point to remember to put out a wet floor sign, when he looked through the glass into the lab to see that Brynne was silently calling him inside, with just the wag of her finger.

No one had ever actually addressed him that way before, and he liked it. He felt like the teenage boy protagonist of a 90’s movie, trying his best to hide his attraction to an older woman. Brynne was so intimidating to him, he realizes, that she felt older than he was despite being the same age.

Josh entered the room nervously, wet mop in hand.

“Dr. Johansson?” he addressed her formally, as if to remind her that there were other people in the room.

Josh was terrified that she had the power to make a fool out of him.

“Futturman,” she smirked, an almost undetectable look of mischief behind her eyes. “Did you sweep up the lab floor this morning?”

“Yeah,” he responded fearfully, “I did.”

“Well,” Brynne murmured, lightly tapping the floor with the front of her high heel, “What’s this right here?” she said quietly.

Josh looked down at the floor, not seeing anything.

“I don’t see anything,” he told her, not meaning to sound rude.

She took this as a challenge.

“You don’t?” she asked. “Maybe if you crouch, you’ll see it.”

Josh’s eyes widened as he looked around the room in disbelief.

“W-What?”

“Get down on the floor and look at it for me,” she told him.

Terrified of making her angry, Josh automatically got down on his hands and knees, behind the counter so that no one could see him, looking down at the floor for whatever it was she wanted him to see. And then, he found it.

Looking straight out in front of him as he all but crawled on the floor, Josh saw Brynne’s foot in her four-inch black heel, and slowly looked up to see her leg, thigh only partially covered by her dress. He felt his heart beating faster than he’d ever felt before. He felt like she was about to step on him, and that would’ve been okay with him.

“Do you see it now?” she asked softly, watching as he squirmed. “See how dirty that is?”

At this point, it was an entire bit.

Josh looked at her standing over him. “Y-Yeah,” he told her, “I think I do.”

“Good,” she said lightly, taking a step back, depriving him of the view, “Can you make sure that spot is clean? Wouldn’t wanna have to call you into my office, now would I?”

“No,” Josh lied, still on his hands and knees as he quickly wiped at the invisible spot with a rag, “Definitely not.”

-

Part Four

[daphnefisherofficial]

bugna: TAKIPSILIM | destiny's twilight

CHAPTER SIX

Pairing: MCU Moon Knight System (Marc/Jake/Steven) x Avatar Fem!Reader

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CHAPTER SIX - COFFEES, PANINIS, AND MUSEUM DREAMS.

"When Marc mentioned he had a twin, I never imagined you'd be 'identical'," you quipped, shaking your head in amazement as you sized up the man in front of you, who bore an uncanny resemblance to your recent acquaintance, Marc Spector.

Steven flashed a mischievous grin and shrugged apologetically. "Should've given you a heads-up, right?"

You chuckled in response. "Absolutely. But I have to admit, it's a pleasant surprise. I'm thrilled you could make it today."

Amusement danced in Steven's soft brown eyes as he replied, "Wouldn't have missed it for the world. Only a complete fool would pass up this opportunity."

"I like your way of thinking," you said with a grin. "How about grabbing a quick coffee and panini before the program starts? It should kick off in a few minutes. You can join me on the way or hang out with the others inside, your call."

Steven's stomach rumbled in agreement as he chuckled sheepishly. "Haven't had lunch yet, to be honest. I'd love to join you."

"Of course!" you exclaimed warmly. "Let's get some fuel in you before the tour."

Together, you exited the British Museum, basking in the warm glow of the afternoon sun casting its radiance over the historic building's ancient façade. The museum's grandeur never ceased to amaze you. After a few walks, you stepped into a cozy coffee shop just around the corner, where the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and toasted sandwiches filled the air. At the counter, you both placed your orders—cappuccino for you and Earl Grey tea for Steven—along with a scrumptious panini to share.

With snacks in hand, you made your way back to the British Museum's majestic entrance hall, where your professional duties awaited. Clearing your throat, you addressed the eager group of potential tour guide applicants who had gathered there.

"Thank you all for being here today," your voice resonated through the room, capturing the rapt attention of the aspiring tour guides as you introduced yourself. "I'm Mira Batala-Carter, a curator specializing in Egyptian Art, Sculpture, and Written Culture here at the British Museum."

A hushed awe filled the room as the applicants regarded you with admiration. They had come to vie for the coveted position of exhibit tour guide at one of the world's most prestigious museums, and now they were about to learn what it took to secure such a role. Among them, Steven stood out, his demeanor relaxed and enthusiastic as he absorbed every word of your introduction.

"I've had the privilege of working with the Department of Egypt and Sudan for many years," you continued, "beginning as an assistant to one of our previous curators, may he rest in peace. Egyptian culture has always been my bread and butter, and it should become yours as well, considering you've all applied for this position."

The applicants nodded, some exchanging glances filled with nervous anticipation. They knew they were in the presence of someone who lived and breathed the subject matter they so dearly cherished.

"In a few weeks, we will be hosting an exhibition featuring The Great Ennead of Ancient Egypt," you informed them. "We're looking to expand our current roster of tour guides, and judging by the turnout today, it's going to be a highly competitive process."

Pausing for dramatic effect, you let the gravity of the situation settle in. Then, you offered a warm smile, easing the room's tension.

"However," you said, your tone encouraging, "don't view this as a competition. We're searching for advocates—individuals who can convey the rich history of Egypt to a group of five-year-olds and make them want to return. That's your mission."

The applicants exchanged intrigued glances, some breaking into smiles. It was evident that you sought not just knowledgeable guides but passionate storytellers capable of igniting curiosity in young minds.

"Now, let's get into the nitty gritty details of the application process, shall we?" you continued, your voice businesslike once more. "Each of you will have a brief one-on-one interview with me. Following that, we'll proceed with a guided tour for my evaluation."

The applicants nodded in understanding, their faces reflecting a mixture of excitement and nervousness. This was their opportunity to prove themselves in the world of museum education.

"One more thing," you added with a compassionate note, "I will personally inform the shortlisted candidates and provide feedback to those who don't make it, allowing them to explore other opportunities. We value the effort and passion each of you has brought here today."

With that, you concluded your introductory speech, leaving the room buzzing with anticipation. The aspiring tour guides were about to embark on a journey that would test not only their knowledge of Egyptian history but also their ability to share that knowledge with the world in the most engaging and enchanting way possible.

Among the applicants, you spotted Steven, his supportive smile eliciting a reciprocal one from you. Today promised to be an intriguing day, and you eagerly anticipated how it would unfold.

As the tour guide interviews commenced, candidates streamed in and out of your office, their resumes showcasing impressive credentials, extensive educational backgrounds, and impeccable work experiences. They approached you with heads held high, eager to make a lasting impression.

However, you couldn't help but notice the stark contrasts in their demeanor. Some appeared so nervous that they struggled to form coherent sentences, fidgeting in their seats and avoiding your gaze as if you held the secrets to the universe. Their anxiety tugged at your sympathy, despite your efforts to create an informal atmosphere.

On the other end of the spectrum, a few candidates exuded an air of entitlement, seemingly the embodiment of nepotism. They rambled on about their achievements, leaving little room for your questions. It appeared they believed their qualifications alone guaranteed them the position.

A handful of candidates did capture your interest but fell short of something intangible. It wasn't just their impressive qualifications but something in their character and presence that you sought.

Outside your office, Steven Grant sat patiently on a wooden bench with fellow tour guide applicants, engaging in light conversation about their experiences as guides. The amiable British man radiates warmth, drawing some applicants toward him.

Steven shared his journey, describing his transition from a gift shop attendant to aspiring tour guide. Some were impressed by his audacious career change, recognizing the determination it took to make such a leap. Others, however, scoffed at the idea, doubting Steven's chances in this competitive field. Still, a handful of individuals remained encouraging, genuinely wishing him luck with his application.

As the afternoon faded into early evening, the number of applicants dwindled to the final four. Interestingly, Steven would be the last to undergo the interview—the ultimate contender.

"I can't believe this," Steven mumbled, his nerves palpable to the American man residing in his mind. "I think I might be sick."

Stay calm. Marc reassured, ever the embodiment of encouragement. You just need to be yourself and let your passion shine through.

"I'm trying, mate," Steven muttered, exhaling deeply as he adjusted his collar repeatedly. "This is the biggest opportunity I've ever had. I can't mess this up, bruv."

You've got this, Steven. Marc declared with a reassuring smile. You've prepared for this moment your entire life. Remember, you know more about Egypt than all these tour guide applicants and curators combined.

Steven nodded, his confidence bolstered by Marc's words. As the time for his interview with you approached, he took a deep breath, ready to make the most of this opportunity. You finally called his name from outside your office, and he knocked softly before entering. Steven stepped inside with a tentative smile, a mix of excitement and nervousness evident in his demeanor.

"Good evening, Steven," you greeted him with a warm smile, gesturing to the chair across from your desk.

"Good evening, Mira," Steven replied, taking a seat as his voice tinged with a hint of nerves. "Great to see you again."

"Nervous?" you asked, raising an eyebrow as you leaned back in your chair, regarding him with sympathy.

"A bit, yeah," he admitted, shyly scratching the back of his head.

"Don’t be. I don’t do the old-fashioned way of job interviews; they're quite dull," you chuckled, aiming to put him at ease. "Let’s treat this as a normal conversation between friends, yeah?"

"Oh, sure," Steven replied, his eyes lighting up with pure relief as he visibly relaxed. "Just a casual chat then?"

"Exactly," you affirmed. "So, how have you been?"

"I've been doing pretty well," Steven shared, his nerves slowly fading as he launched into his job-hunting journey. "I've applied to a couple of museum and library jobs in the past few weeks. This would be my seventh job interview."

"Interesting," you mused softly before offering an encouraging nod. "Maybe this is your lucky seventh, I hope."

"I hope so too," Steven replied with a hopeful smile.

"Now, I've had a look at your CV," you continued, shifting the conversation to his work experience. "You worked at a gift shop in the National Art Gallery, right? I think Marc mentioned it to me a few days ago."

"Yes, that's right. I worked at a gift shop," Steven confirmed, recalling his most recent job before his dismissal. "I sold museum merchandise—everything from toys and sweets to accessories."

"I see. How was your experience there?" you inquired, genuinely interested.

Steven hesitated briefly before deciding to be honest. "Not too bad, except for some colleagues who barely remember my name, and my old boss who's a living nightmare–”

You couldn’t help but let out a hearty guffaw, prompting Steven’s eyes to widen as he slowly realized what he just blabbered. “Oh, bollocks, I shouldn’t have said that”

"Don't worry about it," you reassured him with a soft chuckle. "It's normal to speak candidly about our superiors, especially if they haven't been good managers, right?"

"I guess," Steven agreed, grateful for your understanding. “Still, me and my bloody mouth doesn’t know when it should shut up”

"I'd rather you be honest and open with me, especially if we'll be working together," you emphasized. "I want us to have a good professional relationship, yeah?"

"That's actually a good point," Steven agreed, feeling more at ease.

"There you go. Much better," you said before finally getting to the heart of the matter. "So, you want to be a tour guide here at the British Museum. Why?"

"Why? Well, that's pretty self-explanatory, innit?" Steven replied with enthusiasm. "This is one of the best museums in the world. Why wouldn't I want to work here?"

"I can't argue with that," you admitted, nodding softly as you made a few notes. "But why the interest in Egyptian history and culture?"

Steven's face lit up with passion as he began to explain. "Egypt is a treasure trove of wonders—mythology, mummification, the study of ancient texts, and archaeological discoveries spanning thousands of years. I could talk about it all night."

"I don't mind," you replied with a curious smile, jotting down a few more notes. "It's fascinating the way you talk about Egypt. Your enthusiasm really shines through."

"Thanks, I guess," Steven shrugged, not quite sure how to respond to the compliment. "I've read and studied a lot about it, for sure."

"I can tell," you said with a knowing smile before moving on to the next phase of the interview. "As you may have heard, part of the application process includes a guided tour."

"Yes, I remember," Steven nodded.

"Don't be nervous. It's designed to assess your tour-guiding skills," you reassured him. "Just be yourself."

"Natural, got it," Steven said, his determination returning. "I'll be myself."

"Are you ready?" you asked, standing and offering him a reassuring smile.

"As ready as I can ever be," Steven replied, taking a deep breath as he prepared to seize the opportunity to prove himself as the ideal candidate for the job.

END OF CHAPTER SIX.

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[leporellian]

hi hello what do you think about la turandot finale? which one do you like more? once I watched a production where they just didn't play the last scenes. I didn't know much about it and I was very confused lmao

out of the two that are like pretty Common (i’m sure there’s like, another Better ending out there that hasn’t been common enough for me to reliably know it) i vastly prefer the berio ending… besides my natural love for weird bittersweet endings i also Love LOVE the idea with the process of Creating an art becoming part of The Art. like… the fact turandot is unfinished (and like. actually unfinished, not unfinished in the way all works of theatre are) is Part of what makes it It, and Part of its Meaning. like… what’s mozart’s requiem without the tragedy of its incompleteness? what’s davinci’s adoration of the magi without its reveal of the artist’s creative process through its fragmentation? and what is turandot without the fable of the opera that killed giacomo puccini, the opera too difficult to solve, the opera that ends on an open question?

turandot, in every conceivable way, is the black sheep of the puccini family. its exoticism and fetishization of the east, the misogyny baked into its very plot, its absolutely wild and sometimes downright straussian orchestration, its complete departure from everything that made puccini who he was… these features mean it will always, always be incomplete. even if puccini had composed an ending, it would be incomplete, because turandot is forever the insolvable puzzle. with other particularly problematic operas there’s ways to “solve” them by shifting things around until they lock into place- be it by staging it as a deconstruction, or surgically removing the problematic elements, or turning them into something else- turandot presents no clear “win” condition because every attempt at a solution will bleed into something else.

and i love that berio’s ending takes all that and weaves it into the story, leaving the whole thing on this sort of tristan chord-like quality of suspension. the monster is the harbinger of category crisis. what is turandot if not that?

Anyway we watched both endings back to back in class last semester and the rest of the class (nearly all opera singing majors mind you) were like “nahhh the alfano ending is better bc it sounds nicer and more complete :)” Like. Ok well i GUESS some of us can be wrong!!!!! the opera will never ever be complete Ever because no opera is unfinished but especially this one. lets lean into it

[thatonebirdwrites]

Answering Questions for Fun

20 Questions More

This is a deeper and more detailed version of the 20 questions for AO3 fanfic writers.

I yanked the questions from someone in the supercorp fandom. I forget who. I never get tagged since I'm not really well known writer yet (I'm still a tumblr newbie!), so I'm doing this just for funsies and because I like answering questions.

I will be answering this for the supercorp and korrasami fandoms. My works are here (though I do one-shots on tumblr sometimes).

1) How do you keep getting ideas for your ship / fandom?

By existing, reading, listening, writing, watching things, staring at the sky and watching the clouds drift by. Seriously, my ADHD's superpower is generating ideas. So I have way too many of them, and I have a note in my Scrivener projects with all the ideas. If anyone needs more ideas, I'll spin out so many. lol

2) Which authors inspire you in your fandom, and why are they so freakishly good?

So for the Korrasami fandom, that would be @korrasamibottles for their fantastic oneshots, Progman for one of the best post-series fics I've ever read (seriously, the Asami Sato of RRU is awesome), Shigan for some amazing korrasami oneshots, FuzziFox for an adorable and action-y AU where Asami goes south with Korra, lovedeathcats for the best Indiana Jones AU ever, RainbowRosie for a great AU where bending has vanished, paxbanana's Place in the World is an interesting AU take on Korrasami. @asamiontop's Modern world AU is a must read (she also has some great supercorp one-shots). For supercorp? @jazzfordshire has exquisitely written fics, everything @fazedlight writes is gold, @snowydragonscave's oneshots are adorable, @mycatismyeditor has some great AU's that really dig into the characters, @ekingston has some of the best written AU's I've ever read, @karalovesallthegirls has the most hilarious fics ever (Mime fic), robie's AUs are some of the best slow burn I've read, TheUnforgivingMinute wrote a fantastic spookysupercorp, @coffeeshib floored me with their gorgeous prose, @rustingcat not only does amazing art but the fics are such a great slow burn, @chaotic-super's back to Krypton was absolutely goldmine of fun and digging into the lore of Krypton. I could go on. Let's just say I LOVE Y'all's fics. The above are the people who had the most impact on me personally. Where I learned the art of fanfic writing. Since I'm a science fiction writer, I tend toward creative writing techniques that don't always jive well in the fandom realm, so learning from others helps me refine my writing to use the least amount of words for the biggest impact possible. It's also great practice for my original fiction honestly.

3) Aside from the characters of your main ship, who are the characters you love to write?

I really love writing Sam Arias. Nia is also super fun to write, and writing Brainy and Lena arguing about science is always fun too. Alex is a littler harder for me to write (her snark is hard for me to capture), but she's a blast once I get in the right headspace for it. For Korrasami, I really love writing Jinora and Bolin. Asami considers both of them basically siblings at this point, and Korra does too actually. heh.

4) Are there pairings or tropes you know for sure you'd never write about? Which ones?

I will NEVER EVER writing Makorra - that is a clusterfuck I will never touch. Hell, it's why I didn't rewrite book 1 of TLOK for my Shared Moments series because I really didn't want to touch it at all. lol I just skipped to the six months after and started there. I'll NEVER write Lames or any relationship that features Mon-el. Nope. Not touching it. I prefer to write sapphic pairings for the main protagonists. Sure, side characters can have het pairings (like Brainy and Nia), but I won't write a fic with them as the focus. Other folks can do that.

5) What is your writing process and why is it cursed?

Step 1: Wake up, wash up, and get tea. Step 2. Cuddle the cat to prepare myself. Step 3: Put on my compression gloves and stretch my arms. Step 4: Put on the correct playlist (absolutely essential step otherwise it'll throw off the entire scene and then I have to start over.) Step 5: Try to avoid Tumblr. (Doesn't always work, this place is cursed I swear. lol) Step 6. Open Scrivener project (who am I kidding, these primary projects are always open on m computer). Write while my brain is cooperating. (30 to 40 minutes before I got to rest for 45 minutes then I can start writing again. Chronic illness sucks like that.) Step 7: realize I need to research something and lose two hours to that. Step 8: AO3 emailed me! Who commented this time! Oh noes, now I've fallen down the looking at the Internets.

The other thing I do is carry my journal everywhere to document everything and end up with some weird random poetry, drawings, and dialogue from people I overhear. Oh, and on bad brain days, I'll draw cursed images.

I also use Scrivener and go all haywire on all its features to a ridiculous extent. Like, I try to stuff ALL my outlines, research, scenes, into that Scrivener so it's all in one place, that way I don't forget anything. It makes for large projects. ha.

6) What is your favorite part of your writing process?

Incorporating my research into the story in subtle ways to fill out the world and immerse the reader more fully. It's fun to put some of this research in the end-notes for my fics on AO3. (The power AO3 gave us writers with those end-notes!!)

7) What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had to research for a fic?

Maturation of bird species and the DNA overlap with human beings to see if I can craft an alien species that is at least 90% DNA similar to humans but is more birdlike.

I looked up the absorption of chemicals through skin. (This is why I use duckduck go for anonymity for this sort of stuff. LOL)

8) Is there a particular writing rule you struggle with (grammar, spelling, tense, reality in general)?

Reality in general - ha. Seriously though, the chronic illness makes it really hard to concentrate and have energy for writing or really anything. The second thing I struggle with is I have an annoying habit of adapting my tenses to what I'd last read. So if the story I read was past-tense, I'll jump into my writing using past tense (which most of my stories is that tense, but there's two that aren't so that's when it gets annoying).

9) What was your hardest scene to write so far and why?

The hardest scene was the end of Book 3 for Shared Moments for the Korrasami series. Both Asami and Korra (due to the bond they forged by accident at Harmonic Convergence) are captured by Zaheer, so that was a brutally painful set of scenes. Full of pain, fighting, poisoning, and a struggle to survive. I wept through it honestly. Whew. Yikes. For Supercorp, the hardest scene was when Nia assists Lena with her dreams and memories of her birth mother. Those were so sad and I totally teared up writing them. It was also hard to sort out the best way to reveal details without giving too much away either. Since Nia's powers are a little all over the place too.

10) Have your characters ever done something you didn’t expect, changing your plot completely?

All the time! For the TLOK: Shared Moments series, Asami keeps surprising me, so I often have to sit down and remap her timeline, and it always enriches the entire series. For Supercorp, Nia keeps doing things that surprise me. She's like this chaotic good agent that adds in humor and twists that enrich the tale in subtle ways I think. There's many other surprising moments the characters do. That's half the fun! Seeing where the characters end up and if I need to adjust my plans. :D

11) If you could converse with any of the characters, who would it be and why?

That's a tie between Asami Sato and Lena Luthor honestly. But then I sort of think of them as basically the same person (Lena may be more neutral in temperament while Asami is chaotic good. Also, Asami isn't afraid to fly planes and crash them for Korra. Lena would prefer no flying. lol). I just wanna talk science with them. Oh and ask them about how in-love they are with Korra and Kara respectively. (Lena will try to deny it, but Asami will gush and admit it because she's a little more in touch with her feelings). I just love these two so much. :D

12) What are some of the tropes or themes that you find yourself returning to in your writing?

Healing journeys. I really enjoy writing healing from trauma, because I feel like it's so relevant for our times, and the characters never really get that in their series (well, Supergirl characters don't, and they really need it!).

The theme of chosen family is another theme I come to again and again. Partly due to how my life is -- my bio family is not healthy for me (outright abusive), so my chosen family is my real family. So I like to dig into those dynamics a lot.

I also tend to write the survivor narrative a lot. It's a more interesting narrative structure, but it's also less used so that can startle readers. Sometimes in good ways? A good example of a survivor narrative structure is TLOK actually.

Another good example of the survivor narrative is Sam Arias' journey in Season 3 of Supergirl. Maybe I'll write an essay someday on it.

13) What's your most important resource as a writer?

There's isn't any one most important resource. I'd say fellow writers and artists is a great resource, lore books is another, random research books (yes, I have a guide to weapons for writers, guide for poisons for writers, guide to x or y for writers, because I'm a nerd like that), the Internet, and lots of listening to others.

14) Can you share some of your strategies for editing and revising your work?

For editing/revising, I start with SPAG: spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Once I do a few run-throughs of that, then I look at the dialogue -- Is the dialogue true to the character's personality and quirks? Can I make the dialogue more succinct?

After that, I look at descriptions: Is the description immersive? Do I utilize the five senses in a concise way? Can I pare down the description while still keeping the immersive quality? Is there any description that doesn't add to the scene or character's growth and can that be moved to a different scene or saved for later?

Finally, I do a fresh read-through and check how it impacts my emotions. Do I laugh at the funny parts? Do I tear up at the sad/angst parts? Does it feel too dry or not emotive enough? What words could be used instead to better invoke emotions?

15) Which is worse: making the summary, picking the tags, or the anxiety when you post your fic?

Ugh, summaries are the worst. Sometimes it's easier to just pick an excerpt of a scene and slap that as the summary. Tags are even worse. I never know what to use for tags, especially since people seem to be kind of random with AO3 tags. I mean, I feel like some writers just will write a statement as a tag and it's amusing but also confusing.

16) How do you define success for your fanfic - hits? Kudos? Comments? Bookmarks? Or just if you like it?

I don't really measure success.

If I get comments from folks that say they're enjoying it? That's a source of joy for me but it's not about success. Because I'm writing mostly for my enjoyment, but to hear that others enjoy it too? Damn, that's like the best news ever. It really helps me feel better about myself and my writing. Like I'm valued and not forgotten. That I actually have an impact. So yeah, go leave comments if you like stuff, please. Us writers love it.

17) Do you have a playlist for your favorite character / ship?

YES. I Always make a playlist for each project I do. I craft it based on their personality, their character arcs, the mood of the piece, and I focus on a variety of genres. I think about the lyrics of songs and try to match it all together. I might spend way more time on playlists than I need, but since I have them playing as I write, I need them to fit the mood and atmosphere to increase inspiration.

18) If fan art was going to be made from your work, which fic would you pick and which fan artist would you like to create it?

Um. Huh. This is a hard question. I try to draw my own, but I can't do color (y'all that do color, are freaking WIZARDS). I think Confession fic and the scene where Lena resurrects Kara, and if and when I have money again, I'd ask @rustingcat if commissions are open for them.

For Korrasami, I'd choose Book 3 or 3.5 but I'm not sure on the artist.

19) How many WIPs do you currently have?

UM. If I count just fanfics, probably fifteen. I'm actively working on six. (Three in each fandom. Two are usually shorter, and one is the longer fic) If we include original fiction and fanfiction? Uhhhhh. Hahahah, that's like twenty-five or so. I'm only working on one original fiction piece set on my SF world of Elivera.

20) What's your advice to new fanfic writers?

Pace yourself and take some time to edit and revise before posting. Also, take some time to review the transcripts and how the characters talk. That can give some fun insight into the characters and ways to expand on them in interesting ways.

Ask questions a lot! There's so many nice folks in the fandom, and folks are so kind about answering questions. I know because I still ask questions and talk to folks about this, and more seasoned writers have been so lovely.

Write what you want. Don't write for your readers (unless someone requests and pays you for a fic, then I guess write for them. lol) but otherwise, write what you want. This is supposed to be fun. If you're getting stressed out, take a break otherwise you will get burned out. To avoid burn out, take time to rest. Read a bit, do fun hobbies, do some practice writing, and then dive back into your fic.

Yes, it's important to try to finish things, but don't feel pressured. Remember, having fun is crucial! It's okay to take your time. Readers will stick with you if they like your tale.

Happy Writing!

P.S. I'm going to quote Brenda Ueland who wrote one of the best books on writing (If You Want to Write):

“Don't always be appraising yourself, wondering if you are better or worse than other writers. "I will not Reason and Compare," said Blake; "my business is to Create." Besides, since you are like no other being ever created since the beginning of Time, you are incomparable. ” - Brenda Ueland

And:

“I want to assure you with all earnestness, that no writing is a waste of time, – no creative work where the feelings, the imagination, the intelligence must work. With every sentence you write, you have learned something. It has done you good. It has stretched your understanding.” - Brenda Ueland