#i should really make a masterpost so people don't have to ask the same question

[wyllaztopia]

what program do you do your art on

i mainly use clip studio paint! but when i'm on my ipad, i draw on procreate and ibis paint

[topazadine]

Writing Post Masterlist

All my posts about writing - plus some I absolutely loved by other writers.

Masterlists by Other People (all good)

"Writing Tips Masterpost" by @deception-united - Deception-United has an incredibly wealth of resources available, far more comprehensive and detailed than mine. Go check it out!

"WQA Post Master Lists" by @writingquestionsanswered - Another fantastic and wonderfully comprehensive resource that covers damn near everything you need to know about writing. Genuinely one of the best free resources on writing that you could find on the internet.

General Advice for a Happy Writing Life

"The Myth of the Martyr Artist" - An incredibly important post, perhaps my most important one ever, that discusses why mental illness is a burden, not a benefit. I have no idea why this even needs to be said, but it does, apparently.

"Building Self-Esteem as a Writer" - Why you gotta be nice to yourself. You gotta.

"Identifying bad writing advice" - Warning signs that the post you are reading kinda sucks and you should click off.

"Advice to Beginner Writers: The Good, the Bad, and the Unpleasant" - How long it takes to become a good writer, what to focus on when learning, and why fanfic is such a useful tool.

"Mindset Shifts: Fanfiction -> Original Fiction" - What fanfic writers should know about deciding to take on original characters and stories.

"Defeating Protracted Writer's Block" - What to do when you find it impossible to write for days, weeks, or months at a time.

"Five Common Anxieties of Newbie Writers, Demystified" - Explorations of five mindsets that can set younger writers back as they learn their craft, including overcompetitiveness, overdescribing, and fearing they're "too old."

"Good Motivations for Continuing to Write" - Why it is crucial to have a passion for writing beyond fame and fortune.

"Extremely controversial writing opinions that will make you mad (but I'm going to say them anyway)" - Things you really don't want to hear, but need to be said. A bit of tough love, including the insignificance of ideas, the cold hard truth about how non-writers react to your writing, and the essentiality of having a well-rounded life.

"Why Mindfulness Is a Key Practice for Writers" - On the need to slow down and let our brain rest - plus some options that are categorically not sitting there in dead silence (boring).

"Writing When Happy" - Wherein I hijack someone's question to discuss the Myth of the Martyr Artist, why we might self-limit because of it, and how to do the impossible: write when we're happy.

"The Neurodivergent Writer’s Guide to Fun and Productivity" by @bookishdiplodocus - Excellent advice on how enjoying the process and reminding yourself that writing is supposed to be fun can help you stay motivated and productive, even when your brain is not cooperating.

"The Glorification of Self-Deprecation in Art/Writing Spaces" by @nicolkoutoulakiauthor - I've discussed before how crucial it is to have a healthy self-esteem when writing, but Nicol does it even better here. Nicol also includes some excellent reframing tactics so you can stay motivated.

Generalish Writing Advice (multifactorial)

"Signs That You Will Probably Finish Your Writing Project" - An analysis of the mindset that leads to results, and encouragement on how to develop them.

"'How Do I Start Writing?'" (Or; A Psychoanalysis of Newbie Writer Fears) - Inspired by the dozens of Reddit posts that ask this exact same thing, often with useless responses. So why do people ask this? I offer my theory.

"I Can Think of Ideas But Can't Write Them!" - A consideration of the many reasons you might find it difficult to get started on your precious idea-baby.

"How to elevate your writing style with 6 simple hacks" - Information about how to develop a prettier prose style, catch errors, develop good dialogue, and focus on brevity.

"How to improve your writing style : a 5-steps guide" by @writer-logbook - Especially great information on why reading widely is so helpful for your craft!

"Some Writing Advice" by @whispers-whump - Especially great discussion of why you shouldn't write what you mean.

"Practical Writing Advice Part 2" by @so-many-ocs - Does what it says on the tin. Simple, easy-to-follow advice that can break you out of writer's block.

"25 Prose Tips for Writers" by @thewriteadviceforwriters - I absolutely love the emphasis on sound and harmony here. As someone whose entire book series revolves around the magic of poetry, of course I think this is incredibly important advice!

"Pacing and Show Don't Tell" by @mylordshesacactus - Two for one deal! First, learn more about why pacing is important; then, look at some examples of the classic advice "show, don't tell." The post does a great job on breaking down what show don't tell actually means and what is not a violation of this guideline so that newer writers aren't confused.

Writing tools

"How to Build a Sustainable Writing Habit Through SCIENCE (Fuck Off, NaNoWriMo)" - Why NaNoWriMo doesn't actually motivate young writers and how to do better through a spreadsheet (yes, really, a spreadsheet). It also explains the importance of intrinsic motivation!

"'I've Outlined Too Much and Now I Can't Write!' (Or: the Double Outline Method for Overanxious Plotters)" - Some of us tend to go absolutely ham on our outlines, to the point where they're practically their own books. But then we also tend to not actually do the writing attached to said outline. Does this mean outlining is useless? Of course not. My method lets you have your outline and eat it too. (.... Wait.)

"'How Do I Make Myself Start Writing?' (Tips to Get the Damn Thing Done) - In this post, I provide a step-by-step guide to start writing, including a few tools to help improve motivation and concentration.

"How to Write Faster (And, Hopefully, Better Too)" - Eliminating distractions and forcing your brain to write is key to getting more done. Here, I explain how you might be limiting yourself by too much thinking and not enough doing.

Worldbuilding

"Stop Making Everything So Damn Complicated!" - Why fantasy (and scifi) does not need to be dizzyingly intricate to be enjoyable.

"How to Kick Ass at Worldbuilding" - I offer some suggestions on how to create a grounded and interesting world that will not bore your readers, based on real life examples.

"Grounded vs. Airy Fantasy" by @aethersea - Excellent breakdown of different levels of groundedness in fantasy and why it's important to understand your own approach.

"Fantasy Guide to Building a Culture" by @inky-duchess - Thorough and methodical analysis of what can create a compelling fantasy culture, including those things that many fail to think about when writing.

"Writing tip - Research" by @pygmi-cygni - Fantastic assessment of the importance of research, including for fantasy stories. As Pygmi-Cygni said, a lot of people claim that they don't need to do any research for fantasy novels, which isn't true! Any parallels to IRL need to be realistic, or you will lose credibility.

Plotting

"How to Use Chomolungma for Writing Adventure Stories; Or, the Plot Mountain Method" - If you're sick of saving felines who should really figure their own shit out, it's time to head to Plot Mountain. In this post, I offer you an alternative to the formulaic "Save the Cat" and "Hero's Journey" which also incorporates tension, characterization, and forward momentum.

"Avoiding Melodrama In Your Writing" - The most annoying all things: melodrama. My least favorite thing. Do not do it. I will show you how.

"How to Find a Plot When All You Have is Characters and Setting" by @rheas-chaos-motivation - This is a common problem for many writers, when you have cool characters or an intriguing setting. This short post can help you kickstart your ideas for how to create an intriguing plot that has built-in tension.

Description

"Remembering Perspective When Writing Descriptions" - Key factors to think about when describing other characters or settings from your POV.

"Description, Momentum, and Tension; Or, How Not to Bore a Reader" - Why, when, and where to put description so that people don't skip over it. Hopefully.

"Writing Notes: Seasons" - Each season has both benefits and downsides. In this post, we look at the negatives and positive aspects of each so you can decide how a particular season may strengthen your themes - plus some descriptions to help inspire you.

"Writing Advice: Spicy Mundanity" - Wherein I explain how to stop having boring descriptions by packing in characterization.

"How to Write Smut?" by @unfriendlywriter - Wonderful examples of how to write heartstopping smut.

"How to pull off descriptions" by @fictionstudent - Fictionstudent has a ton of great posts, both about film analysis and about the art of writing. I especially liked this one because it discusses how important perspective is for descriptions and the importance of filling in the details as a character would rather than just throwing it all at the reader at one time.

"How to avoid White Room Syndrome" by @writerthreads - Fantastic and focused advice on how to ensure you're offering readers just enough setting to help them envision the world.

Characterization

"Writing Relatable Characters; Or, Using Human Failures to Your Advantage" - Explaining how you can use character flaws and human needs to create a relatable character. Also explains the basic development of a plot, which is about equilibrium.

"How NOT to Write a Character" - Wherein I give you some examples of annoying characters we want to punt off a cliff so you can watch yourself.

"Writing Strong Female Characters" - Why you should give your female characters a secret goal, as well as how to avoid common 'strong female' stereotypes.

"Writing Compelling Trauma in Fiction: Dos and Don'ts" - How to avoid melodrama and create intriguing emotional wounds for characters.

"Quality Assurance Checks for Character Development" - Thought exercises that can help you differentiate characters, prune down unnecessary characters, develop true chemistry between LI and MC, and avoid having too many POVs.

"Developing Character Agency (Or; Cutting the Plot Strings)" - A discussion of character agency and how to ensure your characters are not bound by the narrative.

"Writing Notes: Thought Distortions" by @literaryvein-reblogs - Some psychological concepts you can use in your writing to add depth to characters.

"Questions about your character’s perspective on love and relationships" by @luna-azzurra - Excellent questions that can help you delve into your character's attachment style, what baggage they may bring to a current relationship, and how to create conflict through mentality.

"How to Write a Confession of Love," also by luna-azzurra - Perfect discussion of how to create tension, the utility of setting, not making it perfect, and including the other character's response.

Revisions

"Common Writing Issues that Reduce Readability" - Examples of fixes for four common issues: double describing, long sentences, overexplaining, and head hopping.

"How to Avoid Purple Prose" - A critical part of the revision process is making sure your writing is clear and balanced. In this post, I show a blatant example of purple prose and provide suggestions on how to make a more elegant passage.

"Differential Diagnosis When Your Writing Is Getting Worse" by @ariaste - Fantastic explanation by a professional writer about why you might feel like your writing is getting worse and what to do about it.

"How to Make Your Writing Less Stiff Part 3" by @physalian - Physalian's whole blog has some excellent advice, so definitely give it a look!

"How to Improve Your Writing" - Also by literaryvein-reblogs, this offers some excellent exercises to help with sentence-level issues, such as modifiers, parallelism, and details.

Publishing

"How to promote your book online : a discussion about social media (and few tips)" by writer-logbook - Great tips about how to get more interest in your book. I especially enjoyed the emphasis on patience and consistency. Writer-logbook has some excellent info overall about the nitty-gritty of writing, so I definitely recommend poring through their blog in general. (That's why they're included here twice!)

"A masterclass in how not to market your books, in one singular tweet" - Wherein I help you derive lessons from an abysmal tweet by an author.

"Mistakes I Made When Self-Pubbing My First Book (Part 1: Mindset Edition)" - I talk about how being delulu is not the solulu, that yes marketing is important (even if it is horrible), and how a bit of self-confidence can go a long way.

"Mistakes I Made When Self-Pubbing My First Book (Part 2: Presentation Edition)" - Graphics and covers and blurbs! Learn about them. Do not do what I did.

"Mistakes I Made When Self-Pubbing My First Book (Part 3: Ads and Reviews Edition)" - Why you have to get reviews. You gotta. And you gotta demand them. Shake those reviews out of your readers. You'll thank me later.

Specific Research Advice

"Assassination Methods Through the Decades: A Writer’s Handbook" by @hayatheauthor - A thorough review of different assassination methods, including a section discussing common assassination methods by region!

"How to Write Someone in a Wheelchair" - A group effort! This is a reblog chain discussing body language in manual wheelchairs, the mechanics of power wheelchairs, wheelchair propulsion methods, and a reminder that just because someone is in a wheelchair doesn't mean they can't walk short distances.

"Writing Research Notes: Caves" - Oh caves how I love them. Caves. Let me tell you about them if you want to write about caves. Blessed.

"Writing Research Notes: Horses" - A beginner's guide to horse mindsets, whether horses like working, approaching horses, how to ride, and tips on training.

"Writing Research Notes: Bipolar Disorder" - Written by me, a writer with bipolar disorder! This shares basic facts about bipolar, offers a list of symptoms you can use, and cautions you against spreading misinformation through poor characterization or myths.

"Writing Research Notes: Politics" - I provide a quick overview about governments and international relations, based off my suffering while getting an MA in International Relations.

"Stop Doing This in Injury Fics!" by @pygmi-says-hi - Discusses some common errors when writing whump/angst. The fever part was especially helpful for me!

"Writing US Military Characters" by @lookbluesoup - An explanation of the habits and mentality of US military characters. Many of these were quite helpful for my fantasy military characters, so you can get a lot of mileage out of these for soldiers in other militaries too!

Little Funsies

"What Painting Style Is Your Writing?" - A short exploration of different writing styles to help you better understand your own approach.

I'll be adding onto this as I continue to scroll through my old likes and, of course, as I find more resources.

[toxicpineapple]

writing tips masterpost

hello to my loyal tumblr followers... i am often asked to give writing advice but usually when people ask me this i'm nooooot completely sure what to say despite having a ton of advice to give. it's such a broad question when there are so many different things i can advise on, right? so i thought i'd make a sort of writing advice masterpost where i can compile the tips that i think people specifically in fandoms could benefit the most from hearing, OR that i wish someone had told me when i was still finding my footing as a writer.

hopefully this will be helpful to you. i am putting all of the advice under a read more since this is going to be a long one. let's roll!

✬ paragraph breaks are your friend

the fastest way to get me to stop reading a fic is if i click in and see that there are NO paragraphs made and the entire piece is in a huge block of text. no matter how good your work is, i just can't read it at that point. the giant paragraph makes me get lost, i can't focus on anything... it's a huge no.

the trick is you want your paragraphs to sort of act as a guide for your reader, taking them through the story, keeping them engaged. do not be afraid to do short paragraphs! i can understand wanting to shy away from one or two sentence paragraphs for fear of not having "enough substance" in your work, but the truth is, a thousand short paragraphs is ten times easier to read than a huge block of text.

realistically, you want to have a good amount of variety in your paragraph length. variety is key. readers will notice when your work gets formulaic, and some people will like that, but for others that can turn people away from your work. but don't force it! a paragraph should end at the end of a statement, or if the paragraph is getting too long then cut off the thought and continue in the next paragraph with a transitional phrase.

as a general rule of thumb, you want lines of dialogue by different speakers to be put in separate paragraphs. you also want to avoid doing huge chunks of narration or exposition in the same paragraph as you introduce a new speaker. just make a new paragraph! no big deal. i guarantee you your reader will be way more engaged and nobody is going to come at you for doing more rather than less.

✬ make sure the reader knows who is speaking and when

you don't have to end off every line of dialogue with "she said" and in fact i would really recommend you don't. but you ALWAYS need to have some kind of indication in the text as to who is speaking, otherwise the reader can get lost.

this doesn't necessarily mean that you always have to explicitly say who is saying what, though. if it is obvious in a scene who is saying something -- so for example, a scene where there are only two characters talking OR the dialogue has some kind of phrase, statement, etc that makes it obvious who the speaker is -- then in that case you can just let the dialogue speak for itself. sometimes in writing less can be more. you disrupt the flow of a scene if you start to exposit unnecessarily when the reader could reasonably work something out for themself.

✬ "said" is your friend too

related to the last piece of advice, here's another note: don't shy away from using the word "said".

don't overuse it, either. obviously, you don't want every single line to be "he says" "she says" back and forth, especially when they might be asking questions or shouting, in which case the word "said" probably isn't all that applicable at all. but it's a nice default. if you catch yourself busting out the thesaurus, my recommendation? quit it. just use said. it's not going to hurt you and the reader isn't going to mind.

but yeah, in the event that a character is raising their voice, whispering, inquiring -- there are tons of other words you can use in lieu of said and then an adverb. it's just context-dependent, and also, you don't really want to lean too far one way or another. like i said, variety is key. too much of the same breaks immersion.

✬ if you wouldn't say it yourself, probably don't use it in writing

another related tip. look, i get it. you want to spruce up your writing with synonyms. but the fact of the matter is that a lot of these words that "mean the same thing" on paper actually have wildly differing connotations and if you don't understand what those are you're going to look kind of silly whipping out a word you just found off the internet. we can usually tell, too.

your vocabulary will naturally grow and expand as you continue to read and learn. you don't have to try and force it to seem smarter in your writing. people who can write compelling prose and dialogue without throwing in fancy words they barely understand look a lot more intelligent than people who have a thesaurus at the ready 24/7.

✬ if there's a simpler way to say it, take it

this one can be sort of style-dependent, so if it's not your cup of tea then feel free to take or leave this tip, but in my opinion, taking a whole seven-line paragraph to describe a simple action wastes both your and the readers' time.

how many times have you read a fic where the main characters are having a conversation with these long rambling paragraphs between lines of dialogue? sometimes this makes sense! if you were writing a death note fic it would absolutely make sense for light or L to be pausing every few seconds to carefully analyse their opponent's move... but that's not always the case. sometimes characters are just making small talk.

i'm not saying you can't show off. you should show off where applicable. but there's a time and place. sometimes a scene benefits more from you taking the easy way to describe something and moving on. flowery language is great, but if you're meandering too much the reader will lose interest and attention.

✬ a metaphor is useless if nobody knows what it means

writing is subjective and highly personal. write for yourself first and foremost, and use the metaphors that feel right to you -- but the best metaphorical pieces, to me, are the ones that people can understand and identify with.

you've read a story like that, haven't you? with a reoccurring theme or motif that comes back into play at the end in a way that makes you feel so satisfied and complete? THAT'S what you aim for with literary devices like that. if you write a story that nobody can understand, with metaphors that just don't make any sense -- then you haven't really successfully told a good story, have you?

i understand wanting to have a magnum opus. i think it's easy to fall into the "misunderstood writer" mindset where you want your pieces to be so magnificent that only the likeminded will get it -- but writing is a form of communication. metaphor is just another means with which we can illustrate how we feel. you WANT your readers to understand what you're doing with the metaphors, you WANT the people who step away from your story to know what you were trying to say. you don't have to be obvious, just make it good. make it something that can be reasonably drawn from the text.

at the end of the day flowery language is just flowery language. that doesn't actually make your story good.

✬ grammar intermission

(.) period/full stop: used at the end of sentences. oftentimes not used at the end of sentences in dialogue, because lines of dialogue are considered a fragment of a larger sentence. use a period/full stop at the end of a line of dialogue if the dialogue is followed up by another complete sentence. example:

"i just went to the store," he said, scratching his head.

"i just went to the store." he scratched his head.

(,) comma: used in the middle or to separate different clauses (parts/sections) of sentences. used for incomplete clauses, AKA sections of the sentence that could not function as individual sentences. also used to indicate a slight pause. example:

she reached for the ripest banana, plucking it from the bunch.

a comma can also be replaced by a conjunction like "and" or "but". example:

she reached for the ripest banana and plucked it from the bunch.

(;) semi colon: used to separate different complete clauses in sentences, AKA sections of the sentence that are related but COULD function individually as their own sentences. example:

he sighed as he looked out the window; it had been so long since he stepped outside.

not to be confused with

(:) colon: used at the end of a line that leads into or introduces another line. example:

his fingers drummed restlessly against the window sill. it was finally happening: he was finally leaving this place.

(-) hyphen: used to connect compound words like three-years-old or hyphenated surnames like jones-smith.

(–) en dash: used to indicate ranges of time or distance, like 3–4 hours.

(—) em dash: a girl's best friend. slash j. but an em dash is used to indicate a few different things: an abrupt end to a thought or sentence, a "cut-in" where you interject something tangentially or unrelated before returning to the original thought, or a diversion in the sentence/thought. examples:

"no, listen, you don't understand—"

he scowled—an ugly look on his usually handsome features—and told her to be quiet.

it's not like she had wanted it to go that way—but when had it ever mattered what she wanted?

(()) parentheses: used to add additional context, information, or a semi-unrelated thought that would break the flow of an ongoing sentence without completely taking the reader out. example:

"no, i'm sorry. i just forgot to call you this morning," he said, looking away. (in truth, he'd sat by the phone for fifteen minutes trying to psyche himself into it, but hadn't been able to muster the courage.)

✬ show don't tell, and tell don't show

show don't tell is one of the classic pieces of writing advice that i do, often, think is correct -- but it's a little more nuanced than just never telling your readers what a character is thinking. you want the work to speak for itself without you implanting messages or themes into the reader's brain. at the same time though you don't want them to be doing too much work because it breaks immersion.

this ties into what i was saying above about simpler being better sometimes. you want to be concise especially in scenes that might call for it. a fight scene should be quick and snappy. no need to dig into the physical sensation of being enraged -- just say the character is pissed! but if a character is having a meltdown or panicking, you can get SO much more out of describing how that feels than just outright saying it.

✬ remember your perspective

another huge thing with show don't tell is that you don't want your character to be able to objectively say what everyone else is thinking and feeling -- unless that makes sense for them within the context of the story. really dig into it. DOES the character have a reason to know what their opponents, friends, etc are thinking? how well do they know the other characters? how attentive are they to the emotions of those around them?

it's better to focus on descriptions than labels in that case. say what face a character is making, describe their body language or tone. your character can have impressions, just make it clear that those ARE their impressions. and let your character be wrong! they do not have to be a completely objective source of information.

✬ when it comes to representation, if you aren't confident you can do it well, don't do it at all

i'm one of those people who's kind of of the opinion that white or cishet or otherwise systemically advantaged people have no place being the loudest voices in conversations about representation, least of all AS the representatives. if you are someone with systemic privilege and you choose to portray someone who is oppressed -- that's not necessarily a bad thing. but you need to be willing to do your research and have a sensitivity reader, and you have to be ready for people to say you did it wrong.

not much else to be said about that. your voice on the matter isn't actually all that important. there are people from the demographics involved who DO have stories to tell about themselves that will be MUCH more valuable than your perception of them, so it's honestly better to just let them tell it. that's how i feel.

✬ don't break the rules unless you know how to follow them. in other words, your rebellion should be obvious

a lot of times i see people breaking grammar or other rules and citing "stylistic" choices as their reasons why. which is all good and well, to an extent -- but you want it to be very clear that you ARE breaking the rules on purpose in a way that adds to the artistic merit of your piece.

if you don't know the rules, then it really just comes across like messy work. you both have to know how to apply the rules, and also how to break them in a stylistically significant way. if it doesn't make sense for the rules to be broken, if it says nothing... it's honestly better to just follow them. that's my take.

✬ don't be scared of names and pronouns

i said before that you want variety in your work, and that is very very true -- but it's also true that certain words like names, pronouns, etc will sort of blend into the background in writing. people don't notice them. that means if you're using a name or pronoun a lot in a scene to make it clear who exactly is being referred to...

hey. look into my eyes. breathe. it's okay. you do not have to resort to highlighting arbitrary characteristics of the characters. i know. just breathe. it's okay. use their names. they have them for a reason. it's all good.

this isn't to say that you SHOULDN'T do that, just do it when it makes sense to. if height is something the characters are noticing then use "the shorter boy". if age is relevant, eye colour, hair colour, whatever -- go ahead and use them. but don't be excessive with it. i should not be having to read the bluenette more than i'm reading shuichi's actual goddamn name.

✬ read

this is the huge one. reading other works informs your writing. it teaches you skills and tricks you can use. it helps expand your dialogue and your world view. it might even highlight to you things you do too much of in your own writing. read, all the time, whenever you can. it doesn't have to be books. it can be fanfic, articles, whatever -- just keep reading, because you will be passively absorbing knowledge during that time and it'll help you grow as a writer.

✬ practice

BOOOOOO TOMATO TOMATO TOMATO! SHE SAID THE THING SHE SAID IT!

but listen, it's literally just true. i write almost every day for at least a couple of hours and i have been on a trend of consistent growth for the past five years. go read my fics from 2019 if you don't believe me. i've grown fast and i've grown constantly. you just DO grow through constant practice, even if it doesn't always seem that way.

not only that, but you start to build confidence too. writing a lot helps develop those muscles to a point where you start to realise that you ARE that good and you DO have that dawg in you. or whatever. you just have to keep at it. you're not going to magically improve thinking for six months about how you want to be a better writer without practicing anything about it.

✬ yeah, betas are good

you want to have a good editor. i know that that can feel like having someone ELSE be the reason your piece is good, but that's genuinely not it. a beta reader is a second pair of eyes on your work, someone who can tell you about the issues and mistakes you're missing. they'll tell you when something doesn't make sense. they'll point out your punctuation errors. you don't NEED to have a good editor for every crummy little oneshot... but it's good to have one.

✬ numbers are fine and all but don't compare yourself to other people

i think almost everyone in some kind of creative pursuit wants to get some kind of acknowledgement for it. we want to be the best we can be, and it can be discouraging to receive utterly no validation along the way! i get it!!

just don't get caught up in crunching the numbers. you are not as good as your fanbase is. you alone know your skillset and you absolutely should not say "well this other writer got THIS much attention" because that'll just wear you down. it really will. external validation will only keep you going for so long, and you'll always end up needing more. you HAVE to build your own personal confidence first or you'll crash and burn.

✬ read your writing out loud

there is no quicker way to see if something is wonky in your prose than reading it out loud and seeing if it makes sense verbally. i highly recommend this to anybody who struggles with sentence flow. it's a good one.

✬ yippee hooray!

🥰 and that's what i've got for now. thank you if you made it this far, please take all these tips as you will, it is all subjective of course, these are just the tips that help Me the most when i sit down to write something.

please feel free to ask me for additional advice (on specific topics if you could!) at any time, i love encouraging new writers and i am passionate about writing so i will gladly offer support in any way i can, including beta reading works for anybody who might need that.

take care now 💖

[autumnwhistles]

Last Life: The Musical – Audition Masterpost and Song Info (1/2)

Part 2 – please check this out too!

Lots of people have been asking me about auditions for this, so I've decided to make a masterpost. Auditions will be opening sometime within the next week – the specific end date will be specified on the audition form, since it depends when it's sent. It'll likely be three weeks from when the form is sent out.

The Process

There'll be a form posted on my blog. Follow the instructions, answer the questions and fill it in.

You don't have to audition for both speaking and singing roles – there will be opportunities to audition for both, and the same character may not have the same person playing both parts. Likewise, you an audition for vocals for one character and speaking roles for another.

For vocalists: There are no set audition songs. This stage is all about me seeing the different qualities of people's voices, and matching them to characters that fit what I hear. You can specify any preferences, but you may not get them – however, if there are characters you really don't want to play, I will honour that. Because of that, please just sing a song or an extract of a song in a style you're comfortable with (if auditioning for vocals). This should be minimum one minute long, and though there is no maximum, it would be nice for it to be around 2 minutes (though you can very much go over). Try to keep it to one form.

If I think you would fit, I may contact you to be involved in the Watcher Chorus as well – there are no auditions for this, however, and you can turn it down (there's a lot of singing).

For those auditioning for speaking roles: this will take preferences into account more, though I will contact you if I'd like you to try out for somebody else. Please find an extract of the role you want speaking – this can be in a video or in a highly in-character fan work, since those provide good material, and record it. You can submit multiple forms if you're auditioning for multiple speaking roles, due to the higher specificity of audition material.

Note that generally, speaking roles are much more minor than singing roles!

If you're auditioning for both, do both – this is pretty self-explanatory.

You must have a good quality mic, or access to one, to audition. Please have access to discord as well, since everything will be done there.

If you need further information, DM me either on here or on discord (songofthesky_)!

This is all for Stage 1 of auditions – to those who I'm considering for parts, I'll contact you a few weeks after the submissions have ended to describe the next steps.

To help people get an idea of what each part entails, a list of songs, their descriptions, and who sings them is under the cut. I've tried to arrange it so the people who are mentioned first are the people that get more lines. Bear in mind not all of them have names yet!

(There will also be a part 2 coming sometime this week with general atmospheres for each character's songs (only those with solos or duets, as this doesn't apply to those in only group numbers). This should also help you get an idea of what each part entails. However please note these are only getting across the atmospheres, not anything more specific – it's generally to help decide if there's someone you don't want to sing than someone you do.)

Finally, the three characters with the most singing and plot relevance are Martyn, Scott and Grian (in that order) – consider this when auditioning!

Act 1:

Overture/Middle of Nowhere: We’re introduced to the Last Life world by the Chorus as players spawn in. Martyn seems to hear something, but brushes it off. [N/A – finished]

Corners of the World: Through Martyn’s perspective we’re introduced to players and their alliances. He meets Scott and Pearl and chats to them for a while, before heading with them to spawn. Martyn, Lizzie, Bdubs, Etho, Joel [sung]; Martyn, Scott, Pearl [spoken]

“Tales: Down In The Mines″/”The Boogeyman”: At spawn, Bdubs narrates his experience with the boogeyman curse. Grian then shows up, narrates his own experience as the victim, and all around the map the players express what they’ve heard about the Boogeyman curse themselves. Bdubs, Grian [sung – solo parts]; Martyn, Scott, Pearl, Jimmy, Scar, Mumbo, Impulse, Tango, Skizz, Etho [sung – make up a player chorus]; Etho, Grian [spoken].

“A(ha)lliances”: The Southlands ally, making a-ha jokes. Meanwhile, Pearl and Scott solidify their alliance via Pearl gifting Scott a life. Martyn, Grian, Jimmy, Impulse, Mumbo, Scott, Pearl [sung]

“You Bet Your Life”: Tango introduces his game, the different attitudes to it showing us different traits of the characters. Tango [sung].

“The Table Song 1″: Now some time into the series, the Chorus updates us on the alliances that have formed: the Fairy Fort, Team BEST, Magical Mountain, Scott and Pearl, and the Southlands. It also chronicles the journey of the Enchanting Table, now in Magical Mountain, and the Southlands’ trip to enchant which ends with Scar’s Boogeyman kill. Chorus [sung]; all players [spoken, very brief]

“Our Will Be Done (Precursor 1)”: Martyn hears a mysterious voice speaking to him for the first time, telling him to give Ren some Nether Wart. He does so. Martyn’s voice, Martyn [spoken]

“Tales: The Three Skulls”: Seeing Martyn a little distracted (and probably sensing some Watcher influence but shh), Grian offers a bit of excitement to him and the rest of the Southlands: he’s come across news that it is possible to raise a Wither, a mystical being of destruction – which they could use to get the upper hand on others should they need it – and that they only need to gather 3 Wither skulls to do so. Martyn is distrustful of his intentions. Grian, Martyn, Jimmy, Impulse, Mumbo. Grian has the vast majority of lines.

“Debts (instrumental with dialogue)”: Martyn extinguishes Ren’s burning tower and Ren tells him of his alliance and pledge to Lizzie, reminding him of his time in 3rd Life. Martyn, Ren [spoken]

“In Spring We Met”: After returning to the Southlands, Martyn thinks about the conflicting loyalties he feels between the Southlands and the remaining ties he feels to Ren, despite it being a new life. As he falls asleep, the voice whispers to him about betraying the Southlands and forming an alliance with Ren to suit its own goals. Martyn [sung] 

“The Table Song 2″*: The journey of the Enchanting Table is further chronicled, coming into Scott and Pearl’s possession, who then sell it to Lizzie for a life each, putting Scott up to the same number of lives as Martyn, 4. Chorus [sung]; Scott, Pearl, Lizzie [spoken]

“Green, Crimson, Gold”: The Chorus informs the viewers about more of Joel’s situation – loosing four lives in a single session after rolling Boogey, chronicling each one. News of a Red name is spread throughout the server, as is the mantra of staying away from and severing ties with all Reds, as they can’t be trusted. Chorus, all players but Scott and Joel (singing); Joel, Scott, Pearl [spoken] 

“Their Dubious Game”: Scott – now on 4 lives after trading the enchanting table to Lizzie – hears the words being said about Joel, and is also reminded of 3rd Life, recalling how despite his partner turning Red early on, this didn’t seem to lead to a change in loyalties, only capabilities. He begins to realise that this was the case for all Reds back then, and begins to doubt the rules all the players somehow ‘know’. Scott [sung]

“A(ha)lliances (Reprise)”:  Time passes, and Martyn grows closer to the Southlands. However, he’s still meeting up with Ren who offers to introduce him to Lizzie and the rest of the Fairy Fort, potentially considering a betrayal. The Voice prompts him to accept this, as they can be useful in its plan. Martyn, Grian, Jimmy, Impulse, Mumbo, Ren [sung]; Martyn's voice [spoken]

“Their Delicate Game/His Dubious Game”: Martyn comes back from a meeting with Ren just in time for a Southlands meeting, in which Grian informs him and the rest of the Southlands that he has two things to tell them – the first of which is that he’s discovered a way to go beyond the borders of the world. They do so, Grian expressing how it is possible (and enjoyable) to break the rules set out for them – Martyn thinks about this. Grian then informs them of his second piece of news, that Scott and Pearl are in possession of a Wither Skull, and expresses his desire to retrieve it, giving the task to Martyn, Impulse and Mumbo go. They do so – however, Martyn secretly intends to destroy it because of how unprepared everyone is for a Wither fight, and possibly because he’s not entirely on the side of the Southlands, either. Grian, Martyn, Jimmy, Impulse, Mumbo [sung]

“[Unnamed Song]”: The three are found out by Scott, and Impulse and Mumbo flee. Scott informs Martyn that Grian also has a Wither Skull, and Martyn immediately gives the skull back, not knowing Grian already had one. The two talk about their distrust of Grian and his desire to bring complete chaos to the server. However, that night (post-song) the Voice informs him that its goal is to watch the server burn. Martyn, Scott [sung]

“Northern Lament”: Joel, still the only Red, is getting progressively angrier about being treated the way he is simply because he’s a Red name. At the bottom of the mountain, he pledges to get some more allies soon. Meanwhile, Scar, at the top of the mountain, is musing about the same things – he’s also alone because of distrust, but part of the isolation is also because he has the highest life count of anyone, at 7. Joel, Scar [sung]

“The Table Song 3″: The Chorus further chronicles the Enchanting Table’s journey, now in the Fairy Fort, where two members – Ren and BigB – are chosen as the Boogeyman. Team BEST visits and Bdubs gives a life to Lizzie in exchange, giving enchanting to everyone free of charge. Ren manages to kill a member of Team BEST, Skizz, but BigB has not gotten a kill yet, and the session is nearly over. He catches sight of his closest ally Cleo by the side of Ren’s pit trap. Chorus [sung]; Lizzie, Ren, BigB, Cleo, Skizz, Bdubs, Etho, Tango [spoken] 

“Green, Crimson, Gold (Reprise)”: Cleo, now Yellow, arrives at Scott and Pearl’s base informing them of BigB’s Boogeyman kill on her, wanting to cut ties. Scott and Pearl accept (song intro). Meanwhile, Joel is getting desperate for allies, now hunting for Yellows to convert to Red with him. Hearing about Grian’s wither skull, he goes to the Nether, where Grian and Mumbo are building a Ghost farm, and shoots Grian off the edge, turning him Red. BDubs, fighting in the Nether, falls and turns Red too. When heading to Scott and Pearl’s base, a Yellow Cleo is killed by Joel’s trap. Chorus, Cleo, Scott, Pearl, Joel [sung]; Grian, Mumbo, Bdubs, Cleo, Joel [spoken]

20. “Friends”: The Southlands are informed of Grian’s death, and, now Red, Grian is to be exiled from the Southlands. He desperately tries to kill Mumbo as Impulse and Jimmy arrive, asking if they can still be friends, while Scott and Pearl mourn the loss of a friendship with Cleo, and Martyn is introduced to the rest of the Shadow Alliance under the gaze of the Moon, giving Ren a life. Grian, Mumbo, Jimmy, Impulse, Martyn, Scott, Pearl, Ren, Lizzie, BigB, Chorus [all sung]

Act 2:

“Walls”: Grian has been exiled from the Southlands, the stone wall he built separating them. In the Snow Fort, Etho and BDubs build a wall to keep them separate until he can gain a life again. Cleo, wanting vengeance on BigB, meets Scott on the other side of his wall, Scott giving her some sugarcane. Post-song, Grian, Joel and Cleo express their desire to gain lives back from Scar. Chorus, Grian, Bdubs, Etho, Cleo, Scott, Joel [sung]; Grian [spoken]

“Their Will”: Martyn relays the aims of the Voice, which he now interprets as the Moon, to the rest of the Shadow Alliance, who agree with it. Martyn, Ren, Lizzie, BigB [sung]

“Die For Me”: In that Shadow Alliance meeting, Martyn asks if there’s anything recent he should know about the Fairy Fort. They tell him the Fairy Fort has burned down at the hands of Cleo, relaying the tale as a flashback (with mainly Cleo singing). Cleo [sung, major part], BigB, Lizzie, Ren [sung, not many lines]; Martyn [spoken]. Functions as a Cleo solo.

“Promises”/“Coal Mine”*: During a Southlands meeting, Jimmy runs away with Martyn’s life. Martyn chases him, spurred on by the Voice. He lies to Jimmy, telling him they can run away from the Southlands together if he gives him back his life. Jimmy expresses his worry about potentially being the first out again in the process, as this has happened before and he is very vulnerable as a Yellow, and agrees. Martyn runs back with his life straight after. Jimmy, Martyn [sung]; Jimmy, Martyn [spoken]. Jimmy has most of the lines – functionally this is a Jimmy solo.

“[Unnamed Wither Theme (Song: Precursor)]*”: During the day, the Southlanders meet Scott, Martyn bringing up the danger of Grian’s Wither Skull as he’s now Red, and they decide to look for it. As Martyn is called away to a Shadow Alliance Meeting, Impulse manages to find it, and entrusts it to Scott. Scott gives it to the Fairy Fort for safekeeping. Martyn, Impulse, Jimmy, Mumbo [sung]; Scott, Impulse [spoken] 

“Tales: The Wizard On The Mountain”: a Yellow Grian rejoins the Southlands, telling them (especially Martyn, as he did not know when this happened due to his absences) how he and Joel got a life back from Scar, who’s now Yellow himself, in addition to Cleo getting one too and rejoining Scott. Grian [sung]; Joel, Scar, Cleo [spoken] 

“The Trial of Timmy”: The Southlands hold a trial for Jimmy about whether he should be exiled or stay in. They will anonymously vote their verdict in a book, Grian campaigning for Jimmy to leave, while the others, minus Martyn, campaign for him to stay. When it is time for them to vote, Martyn votes him in. Jimmy, Grian, Martyn, Impulse, Mumbo [sung] 

“Our Will Be Done (Precursor 2)”: The Voice is angry at Martyn, asking him why he’s still attached to the Southlands when he wishes to join the Shadow, appearing to him and telling him a demonstration is in order... “Lights extinguish/Begin the Slaughter/Our Will Be Done!” Martyn’s voice [spoken]

Unnamed Song: Grian convinces Impulse to help him gather the three Wither Skulls he needs, Impulse musing about how despite the chaos it’ll bring, he wants to stay loyal to his allies. Martyn notices their actions, but doesn’t attempt to stop them, and distracts Bdubs and Etho while the other two take it. Impulse, Grian, Martyn [sung]; Grian, Martyn, Bdubs, Etho [spoken].

“Red, Crimson, Gold (Reprise 2)/The Boogeyman (Reprise)”: As Grian is distracted by this aim, the other members of the South fall to boogeymen, of which there are six of this session, due to the Voice’s promise. Impulse falls to Yellow at Scott’s hands, and Mumbo and Jimmy both become Red, along with many other players on the server, including Lizzie and once more, Joel. Chorus [sung]; Grian, Impulse, Scott, Mumbo, Jimmy, Lizzie, Joel [spoken]

“You Bet Your Life (Reprise)” – Needing a Boogeyman kill, Bdubs kills Tango at Team BEST’s base, leading Tango to rage and Team BEST to fall apart. Bdubs, Tango, Skizz, Etho [sung]; Bdubs, Tango [spoken]

“Friends (Reprise)”: Returning to the Southlands after their mission, Grian, Martyn and Impulse find the South blown up by Mumbo: mourning the loss of the alliance, they mournfully burn the walls in commemoration, while the trust and alliance between Scott, Pearl and Cleo strengthens. Far away, Etho, with Bdubs once again on the other side of the wall, discovers the missing Wither Skull, suspecting the Southlands. Grian, Martyn, Impulse, Scott, Pearl, Cleo [sung]; Etho, Bdubs [spoken]

“[Unnamed Song]”: Martyn and Grian, now the last two Southland members after Impulse is shot by Mumbo in the Nether and becomes Red, mentally comment about their distrust of the other person and about there being something off about them, Martyn due to the Voice’s seeming hatred of Grian and Grian’s apparent apathy to everything apart from causing bloodshed, Grian because he senses something around Martyn (Watcher powers heh) and his relative absence from the Southlands when they were still around, though he does express a wish to protect their last remaining threads of alliance. They express none of this aloud. Martyn, Grian [sung] 

“When Will You Learn?”: Heading back to the Southlands, Grian and Martyn meet Jimmy and Mumbo, who attack them. Grian kills them both, to Martyn’s shock, and shocked himself, tries to defend these actions. All of a sudden, the Voice appears again and a Boogeyman curse strikes Martyn. Prompted by the Voice (seeming to have a specific hatred of Grian) and by vengeance for Mumbo and Jimmy, Martyn immediately moves to kill Grian. They confront each other about their various actions against the Southlands, and their apparent detachment from it, and talk about their suspicions that the other person knows more than they seem about the nature of the games – as the Voice tries to stop Martyn from inquiring further. Grian says he experiences this alongside his friends as a decision when prompted by Martyn stating he never cared in the first place. He wonders if Martyn would understand the situation due to his position; however, he does not know what Grian is talking about and distrusts him. Angry, Grian tries to leave, calling Martyn nothing but a follower, but after a pause Martyn manages to boogeyman kill him, though the kill is attributed to a nearby Joel. Angry, the voices swell around Martyn and he falls asleep. Martyn, Grian [sung]; Martyn’s voice [spoken]

“[Unnamed Wither Song]”/“When Will You Learn (Reprise)”: The Wither is raised by a Red Grian and Impulse in Team BEST’s base. Etho wants to run, but Bdubs attacks it, giving him the courage to attack too – however, Bdubs loses a life to it, turning Red once more. The remaining Greens and Yellows flock to fight it, Scott among the first, as the Reds join in, trying to kill the other players. The Wither is defeated by Etho; Impulse falls to Scott’s hand, dying permanently. Bdubs expresses his faith that Etho will give him another chance to come back, at which Grian laughs at and declines – loyalty gets you nowhere. Bdubs takes Lizzie’s final life as he was promised a life in exchange for killing a Red; he is shot by Grian as he runs to Etho to inform him of this. Etho reacts etc. Full cast apart from Jimmy, Mumbo, Skizz and Martyn [sung]; Etho, Bdubs [spoken].

16. “Our Will Be Done”: Waking up all alone, Martyn hallucinates his friends, before they are revealed as fake, the Voice in their places. He finally snaps at it, asking why they’re doing this. Why are they speaking to him? Why are they hell-bent on killing Grian? What did he mean? Why does he have to follow it when he wants to do the opposite of what they tell him? Who are they – why should he do anything they say? However, they pacify him, promising that if he does what they say, they will bring Impulse, Mumbo and Jimmy back. Martyn concedes. Martyn [sung]; Martyn, Martyn’s voice [spoken]

17. “Scott’s Elegy”: The Boogeyman curse falls on Scott, and though he’s complied with it once before, he makes a pledge not to succumb to it, as he doesn’t want to kill any more allies with so few lives left in the game. He lets himself turn Red. Scott [sung]

18. “[Unnamed Depressed c!Martyn Song]”: Martyn thinks on Scott’s decision, thinking about how he had the willpower to choose what he wanted to despite the consequences and the will of the world, and about his inability to do the same – he’s pushed around by the Voices without enough willpower to say no, and though he wishes to make choices, he cannot. He thinks about Grian’s words. Martyn [sung]

19. “Our Will Be Done (Reprise)*”: In a meeting of the Greens and Yellows, the Voice tells Martyn to place an End Crystal in the centre as a test for Scott: if he blows it up, he passes, if he doesn’t, he fails. Scott chooses not to, and as Scott turns Red, the voices talking to Martyn become loud and angry, commanding him to kill Scott for disobeying them, yet again promising him the Southlands back if he does. While walking around, Martyn loses his first life to a trap at Grian’s hands. Martyn’s voice, Scott, Martyn, Grian [spoken]

20. “Boogie Boogie Boogie (On The Dance Floor)”: The Chorus informs us that it is the last day. Pearl is chosen as the Boogeyman, rigging a TNT trap on a disco floor, turning Ren’s red. The others quickly fall to the Reds, including Cleo. Pearl, Chorus [sung]. Functions as a Pearl solo.

21. “Martyn’s Stand”: Now left as the last Yellow, Martyn decides he is tired of hiding, deciding make a last stand against everyone. At first humming the start of “In Spring We Met” as a comfort, he heads to a mountain and pouring lava down the sides as a beacon for the Reds. However, though he puts up a good fight, he doesn’t manage to take any of them down before dying himself, marking the server entirely Red. Chorus, Martyn, Pearl, Scott, Ren, Joel, Etho, Cleo, Grian [sung]. Every player apart from Martyn only has one or two lines as a solo – the rest is singing as a group.

22. “Battle Royale”: With the Reds having turned on each other, the four survivors – Pearl, Scott, Ren and Martyn – agree to a Battle Royale to decide the victor. Pearl dies early on, prompting Scott to grieve and resolve to win this fight, no matter what it takes. Martyn eventually falls to his own End Crystal. Only Scott and Ren are left, and they fight to the voices of dead players telling them to play the game. After a long fight, Scott manages to kill Ren, partially due to a zombie which he interprets as the world maybe doing something after all for his defiance. He is crowned the winner. However, the Voice does not like this, the Chorus supporting this, and Scott is stricken dead with heavenly lightning. Chorus (now combined with all dead players), Scott, Martyn, Ren, Pearl [sung]

23. “Plainly Spoken [Epilogue]”: All is silence, and yet Martyn opens his eyes once more, to the Voice and the Chorus, now joined as they are the same entity, informing him how disappointed they are in him, and that he is heading closer and closer to the light. As he asks questions, he is cut off, and they say he will forget all that has happened with them as he and everyone else moves into the next game. Up above, the land is now in the state it was at the start of the first verse of “Middle of Nowhere”, and they are revealed to be those that run the death loop. Chorus/Martyn’s voice (as one) [sung in a spoken way/vice versa]; Martyn (spoken)

[sayitaliano]

Hello, I’ve been trying to learn Italian for a few years now (it’s been an on and off thing, depending on how frustrated I get lol), I feel like my discipline is not the best, and the fact that I can’t find a native to practice and ask for help is also pretty discouraging. Could you please give me a few tips as to what I can do to learn more in my current situation? Thank you 💕

Ciao!

For as frustrating as it may get (and I know what you mean here as a languages student myself), my main suggestion is to try and keep up a constant pace that allows you to study at least 15 minutes everyday (or a bit more 3-4 times a week, all according on your schedule ofc). I noticed an improvement once I started being more consistent in my practice (even writing just a sentence per day is better than doing a whole paragraph each month -eg. I've been writing a diary everyday, not just about random stuff but inserting different things like descriptions, answering questions, grammar stuff/sentences practice...). And ofc, the moment I decided I wanted to be more consistent, I had to start from basics again (and I'm suggesting you the same).

Set easy goals, plan reviews of what you have studied (even the week before), write in and listen to your target language (and also talk to yourself in it, like eg. describe what's around you or try to tell yourself what you should do; immerse yourself in the culture as much as you can -youtube is so of help with its many vlogs and shows and music...): I understand you want to run fast towards fluency but it's not said you need to reach it in a certain amount of time. Allow yourself to have days in which you see no progress or even think you're taking step backward. It's okay, it's all part of the process (we also have bad days in general, so be kind with yourself). We need for stuff we learn to settle a bit here and there, and therefore not making moves even for a week or two (or more) is normal. Go slow: moving fast is enemy when we want to learn and really assimilate what we learn.

Even if it's annoying to study, grammar is fundamental. And Italian grammar is not easy to learn so again it may take time according on what you are studying (nouns' genders, irregular verbs, articles, pronouns, adjectives.... try to start as easy as you can). If you rather, I'd suggest you buying a book for foreigners (I'm leaving you the resources masterpost, maybe you can find studying books but also other resources for your self studies)

I have collected LOADS of studying tips in the years on this masterpost (lemme add this since i cannot edit that post now) and... actually I know of a native who's trying to practice English (this said you can write a post about needing a "Penpal" and tag me, I'll happily reblog it here: many Italians follow me or you can use some other app). Don't give up on a native's help: being corrected when we make mistakes is so very important. It helps us remember the mistake we made and not do it anymore (or be more aware of it). Or find studying pals! I'm sure other Italian students would like to share and help you. Having others studying with us, may also help when it comes to consistency: we have no excuse but to practice at least every week and then we can practice together too. There's nothing bad in asking for help: if you don't know something, you cannot just try to solve it yourself, as you may not find the solution (or find a incorrect one): that way studying a language can really become frustrating to say the least as you may feel like you're in a hole and you cannot get out of it. Don't make it more difficult for yourself, make it easier. It's plenty of people who'd like to help you out and find themselves in your same position. You're not a bother, js.

All the best!! And ofc here I am if you need help :)

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

OC questionnaire

Thanks to @elsie-writes here, here, and here, @illarian-rambling here and here, @willtheweaver here, @ceph-the-ghost-writer here, and @mysticstarlightduck here!

I've somehow been tagged more than this somehow, but this post is so long I've decided to cut it off here.

Rules: answer the questions as an OC, then leave three new questions for the people you tag!

Past questionnaires: masterpost for round one

Tagging @mk-writes-stuff @elsie-writes @katwritesshit @rickie-the-storyteller @cherrybombfangirlwrites

+ ANYONE ELSE

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites

@nebula--nix @literarynecromancy @honeybewrites

I have done all TSP characters I can answer for. Everyone else is not important enough for me to leave a response. SOTL doesn't have enough yet.

Under the cut: Tyler, Gwen, Liam, Noelle, Akash, Robbie, Sam, Ewan

#1- Tyler

Who is the most memorable person you've ever seen? Why are they so memorable?

“One guy I met a few years ago, Anathi. He was interesting. A little, uh, repressed due to having never really interacted with anyone for three years. Um. He was an ultimate, but like way taller than average, so also physically memorable. Haven't seen him in years though. So, anyway, did you know the human mind can never forget a face? And it also can't make up one, either. So, if you see someone you don't know in your dream, you have to have seen them on the street at some point!”

What stresses you out most?

“Stupid and lazy and incompetent people in charge. Like, who gave that idiot so much power? A bigger idiot??? So an even bigger idiot has even more power. Awesome. Fantastic. It sucks.”

What is your favorite holiday?

“Halloween. It is fun to dress up as whatever I want. And plan a decent costume with makeup. It also pisses off Medina. And Dr. Asghar. Those are always fun.”

Other Tyler: questionnaire one, two truths and a lie

#2- Gwen

What is the most important thing someone can receive?

“Love, friendship, support, compassion.... I think I will go with support. Support in all areas of your life I find important.”

What was your favorite age of your life?

“I like being twelve. But I miss being six. When my grandfather would read to me.”

How do you like your coffee (or tea)?

“Preferably, not at the same time! Haha. ... Did I tell you about that? Yeah, I accidentally made my coffee with a tea bag. It...was surprising, for sure. Awful, but I couldn't stop drinking it. May make it intentionally again. I usually just take my coffee with sweet cream.”

Other Gwen: OC in three, OC in fifteen, picrew, kiss, two truths and a lie, questionnaire one, OC interview

#3- Liam

What's your go-to beverage?

“Water. And I'm not saying that to be boring. It's just objectively the best beverage. It keeps you healthy, hydrated. Why waste money on carbonated garbage? Everyone should be drinking water. It does nothing but help you. Except people who are allergic to water, but that is an incredibly rare condition.”

What's the stupidest argument you've ever gotten into?

“There is literally no such thing as a stupid argument. However, I did get punched in the face when I lectured this one kid about how landings didn't count as steps. Of course, they do, but I thought it would be funny if I tried to convince him they did not. Apparently I pissed him off.”

How do you act when you're over-tired?

“I become more easy to distract. Overwhelmed, maybe anxiety. More reserved. I also start noticing my mistakes more. I also keep thinking I'm sick. That's much better than some. Think about it: I could be yelling and screaming at everyone. I could become an evil dictator. But I don't. I just affect me, and in the end, that's much better.”

Other Liam: questionnaire one, interview

What would you do if you found someone's wallet and ID on the floor with no one in sight?

#4- Noelle

“I would look at the ID and figure out a way to give it back to the person who lost it. Depending on where I am, I'd give it to proper authorities. At school, the front office. Police if I'm out. If all else fails, I suppose I could ask Lexi to teleport me to them.”

Can you swim?

“Of course I can. It doesn't make sense not to learn. My mom taught me when I was really young.”

If you were an animal, what would you be?

“What a stupid hypothetical question. I'm not a shapeshifter. *Sigh* Okay, fine, I'll try. Um... Owls represent intelligence so maybe that? I think I'm smart. Wolves are loyal to their family. I'd call myself that.”

Other Noelle: OC in three, OC in fifteen, Picrew, Bingo, questionnaire one

#5- Akash

What is your idea of a romantic date?

“Oh, man. Everything! Dinner and a movie. Holding hands as we walk through an art exhibit. Strolling or hiking through nature. The classic stuff! That reminds me... I need to plan something for Gwen... A bit nervous to ask her out, to be honest, but Robbie says she won't mind what we do as long as we're together. I dunno, man, first dates seem so crucial to get right.”

Can you be trusted to keep a secret?

“Yes. [Pause] I mean, I've kept my own, so I'd completely understand, and would respect your wishes. But just so you know, I hate lying. Despite doing it. But I fixed it! So yes, I can, but I'll hate every second of it. Although it will not make me feel guilty like it was when it was mine! But uh... Don't ask me to keep it from Robbie... Y'know what? Don't tell me. Sorry.”

What is one thing that makes your blood boil?

“Well, uh... I hate not getting respect. It's not like I think I'm entitled to it, but... I do still want it. People with no compassion for each other, it... It pisses me off a little. I hate seeing it.”

Other Akash: OC in three, OC in fifteen, Picrew, kiss, questionnaire one, two truths and a lie

#6- Robbie

Which weirdly specific superpower would you prefer: ability to cook eggs in any manner and have them turn out perfectly, or ability to always recommend a piece of media someone else will enjoy?

“Eggs. Gonna be honest, I almost want the second one, but I can already do that! I have excellent tastes. Although maybe that is, like, a superpower or something and it would go away when I get the eggs power. Hm. Eggs because I genuinely also want to help my mom out in the kitchen. I mean, I can already make eggs, but I get overwhelmed most of the time, so I stick to scrambled just so I know I'm doing it right. So yeah, eggs. If my media powers go away, I don't care, because I'll still love my stupid cartoons.”

Most awkward conversation you've ever had?

“Oh, God. Why. Why must you make me remember this?? Sooo I had this playhouse I went to as a kid. One of my friends there was this girl Ava. We went to that playhouse for years! And one day, she came to my seventh grade play on The Secret Garden. I was hanging with Akash and another kid in the play, Bryan. Ava comes up to us after the play to congratulate me and say hi. And then I said, 'Bryan, let me introduce you to my old friend...' and then I blanked for a solid 17 seconds on her name. It was awful. I said, 'Ava' at the same time Akash did to cover for me. It was... So bad. I tried to pass it off as me being overly dramatic with a pause and that I wanted Akash to say her name at the same time. But. I think she knew.”

How accurate do you think your zodiac sign is?

“Apparently, I'm a Taurus. And according to Google... This is literally not me at all. Like, it says I'm super sensual and grounded. [Pause] Me. Sensual and grounded! What even?!”

Other Robbie: OC in fifteen, OC in three, Picrew, two truths and a lie, questionnaire one

#7- Sam

What is your favorite drink?

“Ooh, lemonade! I love lemonade!! I always wanted to have a lemonade stand actually. I like all kinds of lemonade. Canned or homemade or whatever!! I usually have a can after dance class.”

Do you know how to dance?

“I do! I'm in a class that I go to weekly! We do ballet and tap dancing. It's so fun! I could dance all day long!”

What would make you never forgive someone?

“I'm not sure. I like moving on and pretending the bad stuff didn't happen. But I guess... If a friend did something awful to another.”

Other Sam: questionnaire one

#8- Ewan

What is your favorite small nature item? Pinecones, rocks, leaves, seashells?

“I like rocks. I have a rock collection. I think it's pretty cool.”

Do you have a go-to or favorite idiom?

“Huh. I've literally never thought of this before. I guess I like 'cross the bridge when we get there.' It's kind of a mantra for me. Worrying about the future, y'know? I don't like waiting until we get there to cross the bridge. I want to be prepared to cross the bridge. At the same time... I'm bad at preparing cause I'm not proactive. So I use the idiom to get out of the stuff I don't want to do now. I have a complicated relationship with this idiom....”

What is your favorite fruit?

“No, don't make me choose!! I guess... Cantaloupe. You probably weren't expecting that.”

Other Ewan: questionnaire one, kiss

Your questions:

What's the last thing you replaced, and why did you have to replace it?

Where's a place you've been that you felt out of place?

Do you trust your instincts?

[i-had-a-bad-feeling]

Masterpost/Intro!

Well!! I guess I’m editing this to make it kind of an intro post😭 yall know next to NOTHING ab me🥲

So!!! I’m Starrie or Star, either one works! I’m biromantic-asexual and A MINOR!!!!!!! I have NO PROBLEM talking to adults, but if it makes you uncomfy, you do you! Any other questions can be put in my asks <333

sorry!!!! I don’t link my art. If you happen to come across it, good for you!!

Here is my alt blog, taytayanalysis , where I analyze and explain Taylor Swift songs!!! Please please check it out and ask me!!!

I am in so many different fandoms- if they’re green, I’m well-versed and super open to theories, headcanons, anything really! If they are orange, I KIND OF know them, but I’ve kind of fallen out of the fandom/im very behind. If they’re red I am either only a little in the fandom, or I’m still learning!! If they are purple PLEASE J REALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT THEM BUT I DONT KNOW THAT MUCH PLEASE TALK TO ME!!!!

Undertale, Deltarune, Underverse, RTC

Steven Universe, PJO/HOO, SaSi, Hollow Knight, anything Taylor Swift, MCU

Gravity Falls, Amphibia, The Owl House, TSAMS, SVTFOE, She-Ra POP, RSWR

On my blog, it is okay to:

Send questions about me

Ask questions to/about my characters

Ask about my headcanons 

Send questions about my works (fanfics, art, music, RPs, etc) 

Ask about popular ships/headcanons

Ask about plot ideas ive had but haven’t acted upon yet (snippets of AUs, a scenario i wish to write/draw but haven’t gotten to yet)

Questions about other ships/headcanons that aren’t as popular or are rarepairs

Questions or comments about favorite tropes, headcanons, characters, foods, weather, or anything else im okay in answering!

PLEASE DO NOT SEND ASKS FOR DONATIONS.

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• They are always worded in a way that makes me feel like I am a murderer if I don't donate

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Please, just respect the fact that I have said this.

THIS BLOG IS A SAFE SPACE FOR:

Trans kids!

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People of all races and religions!

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Anyone needing a person to talk to!

DNI:

Racists

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After giving everything I had…

Tell me what to give after that.

[tricksterringmaster]

For the Snapedom AU Ask Game (because I am resisting the temptation to ask you all of the questions for all of your AUs) can I ask you for #3 and then #1 (if you have a tag or a name for an AU, I'd love to see that in connection to a "not wrong but possibly misleading" description for as many of your AUs as you'd like to do!), 7 and 9 (either within an AU/each AU/or across all AUs as you prefer!), and 22 (Corvus and Gustav particularly come to mind for me!)

Thank you!

1. Do you have a name and/or a tag and/or a master post for your AU (so I can peruse your blog and admire your creativity)?

3. Can you describe your AU badly? (Because I do love hilariously misleading but not actually inaccurate descriptions of stories)

I have a general masterpost for all of my AUs pinned in the blog, can't say I update it regularly, but I update it when I have time! I also have tags, I'll leave them lower with every description.

#1 - The Princes AU - #princes family

Three magically savvy siblings are trying to survive the world and raise a child, while constantly and willingly putting themselves in the most dangerous situations possible.

#2 - Corvus Blanc AU - #corvus blanc

There is a new background character in Hogwarts, who is funny and actually not that important until he suddenly is and everything is even more on fire that it originally was.

#3 - The Marauders and the Half-Blood Prince - #hbp and marauders band au

The chemistry major gets a new incredibly demanding job on the insistence of his best friend he said he'd do anything for after he seriously fucked up in their relationship. He is not that fond of that exact wording now.

7. Are there themes or motifs or specific concepts in your AU that you hope people will notice? (Do you want to give hints about your masterful foreshadowing or chat about your extensive world building? Should we all grab a floriography dictionary when flowers are mentioned?)

Honestly, because I don't have some kind of big fic for any of this stories for now, it's kind of hard to pinpoint these things.

I actually really love doing foreshadowing, but for me it's easier to work with it in fics than in art, because I can actually kind of explain it all there instead of adding it to the picture the context of which most people won't really investigate. For example, it was really fun to write that little Corvus fic I did, because I got to make Walburga's portrait scream at him like he was part of her family, understanding the connection much earlier than Corvus and Sirius themselves. Or how Corvus says there he's good with elves (because he actually had spent a big chunk of his childhood with them as his only companions) or how he calls house elves just "elves" but also mentions his talks about them with Hermione, kind of implying his own views on the question. I love when characters consist of all these little details which may seem unimportant at first glance but one word can contain a whole story in it.

8. How and why does your AU!Snape differ from the canon!Snape?

The Princes & Corvus AU, since they are, as I said, the same thing for me: in this AU he has more complex history with Sirius since they were in the romantic relationship and, well, he has a kid of his own, so his value system gets a new addition he needs to care about. He gets a person who, despite all the quarrels they have, truly loves and cares about him and it makes him both more anxious about the future but even more sure of the need to do what he has to do.

He also get to know more about his family and how it has never abandoned him or his mother and, if they had any real choice, they would be there for him and for her. It's all a bittersweet thing, but it weirdly brings him some kind of peace. Nothing in the story of Princes is right or just, but they know what it is to be in his position until the tragic end and they can assure him that he wasn't brought to life just to be a chess piece.

For the band AU: He is younger here - in his twenties. He made some wrong choices, but they didn't kill anyone. He has less regrets and he is not forced to be a tool for one master or another. He is still kind of bitter, dark and not the most pleasant or social one, but there is no need for him to build a wall between him and the world. This AU is on a lighter side, so more drama comes from actual plot than from backstories here.

22. Is an Original Character a major feature and player in your AU? Who are they? What role do they play AU!Severus’ life? How do they interact with any other canon characters in your story?

For Corvus: Yes, there are major roles for him! My idea is that he is kind of in the background until OotP. He helps Harry from time to time, has comedic parts because he is a part of the twins friend group and has a big mouth and he also calls himself Harry's older brother in a partly jokingly way (like, "if twins have Ron, I'll have Harry"). He is also friends with Luna, since they are both Ravenclaw oddballs.

Later, of course, the story gets more into who he actually is, and his existence pushes Severus and Sirius to rebuild bridges. It also makes Severus find a way to return Sirius from behind the veil while he is searching for the cure to Dumbledore's curse and succeed at that with Dumbledore's help.

For Gustav: Gustav is Eileen's uncle, so he is Sev's great uncle. I'd say he was the heart of the family, since he was the best with words and the most empathetic one of them. For the Princes backstory itself he is one of the main characters, and I'd say his biggest connection to canon ones aside from Eileen is to Dumbledore, since they have a short relationship going on which ends tragically with Gustav's death.

As for Severus, unfortunately, they don't meet, since Gustav dies long before Severus is born, but Severus gets to talk to his portrait when he discovers the abandoned house of Princes during his search for the cure to Dumbledore's curse and these talks become, probably, one of the most fullfilling in his life.

[quaranmine]

The Incandescence of a Dying Light (Chapter Seven)

In which the past, present and future are examined, footsteps are retraced, and Grian and Scar get on the same page. 

Chapter Seven: 8,517 words

<< Chapter Six | Masterpost | Chapter Eight >>

hello everyone! i don't have many beginning notes for this one. no real CW outside of what is typical for this fic, although there is a mention of alcohol at one point. enjoy!

June 1989

“Grian? Thorofare to Two Forks, please pick up. We need to talk.”

It’s this that greets Grian when he walks into the door of his tower. He normally brings his radio with him when he goes places, but this time the red light had been blinking for low battery so he had left it on the charger. Grian’s not sure how long Scar has been trying to reach him. 

The desk and the radio charger is right next to the door, so Grian reaches out with one hand and starts to shrug off his backpack off his other shoulder in the same motion. 

“Scar?” he says. “I’m here now, what is it?”

“Oh good,” Scar responds. “G-man, I think we’ve got a bit of a problem now.”

“A problem?” Grian says. “What do you mean?”

Grian’s been off work for the past two days, and has been looking around the Pinnacles Trail all day. Frustratingly, he’s been unable to find any evidence of where Mumbo was camping. This shouldn't be too surprising to him, though. Mumbo went missing in June of last year, and nobody throughout that summer season found his bike. The pair of hikers who discovered it this year said they only did because the metal flashed in the sunlight. With the bike gone, there’s no metal to catch his eye.

Therefore, Grian shouldn’t be surprised that he’s having difficulty finding anything, nor should the concept of not finding anything be new to him after living like this for over a year. Regardless, it has been an exceedingly frustrating day. 

So the next thing he does after picking up the radio is start undoing the laces on his boots so he can peel them off for a bit of relief after the long day. With his shoes off, he walks across the lookout to his bed and sits down in the middle of it, drawing his knees up. 

It’s that gloomy thick darkness of twilight, where the shadows of the trees seem palpable and the sky is dark blue. Scar’s lookout is a little twinkling jewel in the distance. 

“We have a problem,” Scar repeats. 

“Yeah?” Grian says. “Are you gonna tell me?”

“Someone said no to me when I was talking to them,” he says. 

He sounds so dramatic. Grian flops backward, head landing on the pillow with a soft fwoosh. There’s something about laying on his bed talking on the phone radio with Scar that reminds him of being a teenager. Right now that’s just the slightest prickle of deja vu though, being lost in the mix of everything else he’s feeling. 

“You’re calling me because someone told you no?” Grian responds, with a small huff of laughter. 

“Nobody ever says no to me, Grian!”

“I say no to you literally everyday,” Grian says. “I said no to you like eight times yesterday alone.”

“Ugh, that’s not what I meant,” Scar says. “Shut up. I can’t speak. I meant like–I was chatting around earlier today, you know? Like I do. I was asking more questions. And I got totally shut down!”

“Huh?” Grian says. “Shut down how?”

“My boss reprimanded me for asking too many questions,” Scar says. 

“Reprimanded?” Grian says. “What does that mean?”

“It means I’m not supposed to ask after this case anymore. Ugh, I think someone at the main office mentioned that I had called him! He told me I wasn’t allowed to talk to these people, I was overstepping the chain of command and it wasn't my job.”

Grian’s brow furrows. “How is that the case? You’re literally my supervisor, surely that counts for something.”

“I’m a seasonal employee who sits in a tower five months out of the year. I’m decent enough at it that I have a job waiting for me every summer and a little trust that I can make sure a new lookout knows what he’s doing,” Scar deadpans. “That’s all. I’m not even really a manager.”

“Oh,” Grian says. “You always seem to know so much.”

“Because I’m nice to people, Grian,” Scar says. He sounds like he’s fuming–not at Grian, but just out into the world. “I’ve always been able to just make friends and rely on that. But apparently I’m not nice enough because one of them told my boss I was asking about this!”

He sighs on the other end of the line. Grian can nearly hear the wheels turning in his head. “Maybe I can figure out why I got reprimanded, I just need to be nicer. That ranger Sarah has always been really friendly to me after I helped her with her kid that one time…”

He trails off. Grian feels just the slightest bit of rising anxiety wash over him. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” he asks. “Maybe you should wait. I can keep searching by myself, it’s fine.”

“You didn’t even know where to look by yourself,” Scar says bluntly. “We need information and neither of us will get it just by wandering the wilderness.”

Scar’s words sting a little, but Grian cannot argue with him. The most progress they’ve made so far has been since the hikers found Mumbo’s bike and Scar made some calls for him. He wants to do everything by himself, but he knows he’s an outsider here. Scar has worked here for years and knows the ins and outs of everything. 

Hell, Grian’s not even 100% sure how the American government works and he’s literally working a federal job. He’s not even entirely sure how the field office in Cody fits into the greater structure of the agency. He wasn’t taught these details in England. He needs Scar, even if it’s just to tell him which rules he needs to break. 

“What were you asking about?” he says. “Today, when you got in trouble.”

“I just–I figured I would ask around some more, you know? But I guess I’ve been doing a lot of asking around the past few days. But there’s something wrong about this, Grian. Someone made a mistake somewhere. Mumbo should never have been given a permit for a closed trail.”

“But he was.”

“Yeah, and someone had to notice that at some point. It would be glaringly obvious to anyone with a case file. You and me, we’re piecing it together as we go. But someone else has it on paper.”

“But they never said anything about it to me,” Grian says. “Not even as the official point of contact.”

“Exactly,” Scar says. “And they focused their resources in one area, but we found Mumbo’s stuff somewhere else. Why didn’t they expand the search, if they knew that there was a chance that conditions on the trail might have influenced his plans?” 

Conditions on the trail might have influenced Mumbo’s plans. 

This is the conclusion Grian and Scar have come to, one that pointedly ignores any concept of foul play: that Mumbo was originally on the Cloud Lake Trail. With a permit in hand, he probably assumed that the closure sign was old or irrelevant. But the trail was closed for a reason, and he probably ran into an issue with it at some point and was forced to divert to a new route. 

Grian just doesn’t know which new route–he somehow went between Cloud Lake and Pinnacles without moving his car to a new road, but there’s nothing on the map to connect them.

Therefore, he must have gone off-trail, or found an old or faint trail that was unmarked on the official maps. Parks occasionally retired paths and destinations, or reworked old trails into new routes. 

It had taken Scar a lot of convincing to get Grian to even partially accept this concept. It’s a strange dissonance for him. He has always factored in Mumbo being off-trail in his search plans, but that was simple. If he was on-trail, someone would have found him already. But in his mind, Mumbo’s off-trail escapades came to life more like a My Side of the Mountain story–cleverly making shelter and surviving off the land. Maybe Mumbo’s not exactly living in a hollowed out tree or training a falcon to hunt for him, but he’s got to be doing something right? 

He doesn’t want to accept that this was probably part of the story from the beginning. It’s reckless and dangerous to leave an official route behind. It’s a downright stupid move no matter how it’s cut, and it grates against Grian’s good sense. 

“I think you’ve just figured out the reason why you got reprimanded yourself,” Grian says weakly. He stares at the ceiling, counting the beams that go across it. He should get up and turn on a lantern since it’s getting darker, but instead he continues to lay there in the gloom. “Someone made a mistake they shouldn’t have.”

“Yeah,” Scar says softly. Contemplatively. “I’m asking about something they know but won’t admit.”

“And what do they know?” Grian says. He has a sort of sinking feeling in stomach. There’s a wall-hanging across the room with the seal of the Forest Service–a badge with a tree in the middle, flanked on either side by a F and S–and he stares at it now. “Not where he is, surely.”

“I don’t think so,” Scar says. “But I think they know someone made a major mistake and it cost them. It’s like they had the information about the trail and the permits but responded to the search like everything was normal. It was more complicated but they treated it like it was simple. They should have expanded that search knowing that he might have had to turn around.”

“Nobody mentioned it last year,” Grian says. His chest constricts. 

It isn’t fair. Grian has known this for a long time, but knowing it doesn’t do anything to prepare him for how it washes over him right now. It’s a wave of sadness, frustration, anger. It isn’t fair that this happened to Mumbo. It isn’t fair they’re still trying to untangle the mess a year later. In another way, he feels like it isn’t fair to him specifically to have to experience all of this. What has he done to deserve it?  But he feels selfish for that thought because it’s Mumbo’s life at stake, not his. 

“Do you know what I actually got told this morning? Right before he told me he couldn’t help me anymore?” Scar asks. “I should’ve realized something was off when my friend said this to me, because it’s like they just took the edges off of the truth and sanded it smooth.”

“What?”

“I wanted to know why he got permitted for a closed trail, and what they thought about his things being discovered in a different area. He told me they were ‘operating on information that was inconsistent with reality and conducting an investigation of it.’”

Grian pulls his lips into a hard line. “That’s government-speak if I’ve ever heard it.”

“That’s ‘I don’t want to get sued’ language,” Scar says. 

“Is that why they never said anything to me?” Grian says. “Because they’re consulting their lawyers first? Is that why I’m supposed to expect a phone call this week?”

“A phone call?” Scar says. “Your tower doesn’t have a line.”

“Maybe they know that,” Grian mutters darkly. By this point, he’s sure the main office knows that Grian-the-fire-lookout is the same person as Grian-the-emergency-contact. It might have gotten lost in the paperwork when he was hired, but not since they started searching for Mumbo again. 

If they try to call him, and he’s not there to answer it–not at home in Denver to pick up the phone when it rings, and not in possession of a telephone line in his tower–can they just write it off? Put a little note scrawled in pen by his name that said “failed to contact”?

“Or maybe they’re that much of a mess,” Scar says. 

“It’s a coverup,” Grian says. 

“It’s miscommunication,” Scar says. 

Grian closes his eyes and runs a hand through his hair. “I think it’s both,” he whispers.

»»———-　　———-««

Grian is out in the woods again. It’s becoming a natural state of existence for him. 

It’s a beautiful day out. The sky is a clear deep blue, dotted with just a few puffy white clouds. The setting is, as always, striking. He’s walking a trail right now, a worn and meandering one that switches back and forth between being a highway and being lost in the bushes. 

The valley is wide, and occasionally the foothills at the edges of it rise to the point where he, in the center, can no longer see the taller mountains beyond it. It is like this that mountains continually shift in presence–the horizon moves as you do, and perspective always reigns supreme. 

It’s why his lookout is perched on one of the highest mountains in his sector. It’s the only place where he can see everything at once, and even then there’s still valleys and canyons hidden from his view. Scar takes over in those instances–from his viewpoint to the north, he can see from an angle Grian can’t. There’s a lookout to Grian’s south called Chimney Rock, staffed by an enigmatic woman he’s only heard a few times on the main radio. She’s presumably trusted to cover him the other direction. 

Today, however, Grian is not perched on a tower. Today he’s in the middle of it. 

His path through the valley was mostly easy, with the most difficult thing being the two creek crossings he had to make as the trail abruptly couldn’t make up its mind about what side of the valley it was on. The meadows are green and the trees in sparse, grouped-together sections, as is typical of the landscape. 

Now, the trail forward is more obscured. He’s heading up over a short ridge and into the thicker forest of the slopes. 

He stops to check his map again, leaning up against a rock in a way that takes the weight of his pack off his shoulders. He’s packed light, but prepared. He plans to be back at his tower by the end of the day, but out here it’s never a guarantee. Best to be prepared for extra time, no matter how far you’re straying from home. 

This trail isn’t on the map. It takes him a bit to orient himself with the compass and the topography map, but he does. The benefit of being a lookout is that he’s achingly familiar with these hills. He’s memorized every contour of them. 

Tracing their lines from a ground perspective requires a mental shift, but he can find his way just the same. He traces the way the lines on the map get tighter here, and knows he’s going up. At some point earlier in the day he’d left the little dotted line of the marked trail and continued on here. 

As he walks, it becomes more obvious that the trail isn’t marked. It’s a slog straight uphill; a normal trail would zig and zag so that the elevation gain would be more gentle and the erosion less severe. This path is in shockingly good condition, though, and he only has to step over one tree that has blocked it. It is freshly fallen, possibly from the storm a few weeks ago. 

Someone, or much more likely something, uses the trail frequently. 

He reaches backward to pull the radio out of his backpack’s side pocket. It’s an awkward angle, but keeping it there means it’s always accessible and audible. “Scar?” he says, in between huffs of breath. “Are you there right now?”

The other end of the line is silent, with just a little static now and then. The radio is rarely ever truly silent, but the little noises and static it occasionally makes has worked itself firmly into the background of Grian’s life. 

He continues to walk, making it to the top of the ridge and beyond. He’s not familiar with this part of the woods anymore. He hasn’t walked here before, this year or last year. He checks his compass again and confirms his route. 

A few minutes later he tries Scar again. “You there?” he asks. “Because I think I’ve found it. The other trail.”

Scar finally responds then, voice fainter than usual. “G-man, you’re cutting out a little,” he says. “I’ll call you later. Unfortunately duty calls right now.”

With that, he’s gone. Grian sighs and replaces the radio back into its side pocket. He’s a lot further away from Scar than normal, and there’s countless ridges and hills in between them. The signal must be weaker than usual. It’s just him out here again, but maybe it always is. 

He continues to walk, pulling his map out every few minutes to confirm his directions. He’s not the most experienced wayfinder–he’d never had to even try before last year. He and Mumbo liked to hike when they were back in Denver, but all the closest trails to the city were normally well-traveled and popular. Even on the longer hikes further into the mountains, in less developed parts like wilderness areas or national forests, there was still normally the chance of meeting people every time, and a marked trail on an official map. He never used to worry about getting lost. 

Shoshone National Forest is a different beast altogether though, at least this far into the Forest. The popular trails in this section of the park all branch off of Highway 14, in easy access to the public. But in the midst of the mountains where his lookout lies, the trails are often empty. He sees hikers every week, but not every day. If you want to go anywhere to lose yourself, it’s here. 

Grian does not want to lose himself–the irony of it would simply kill him–so he pays strict, almost obsessive, attention to the map and his compass. He draws the trail as best he can in pencil, retroactively adding his steps to the blank map. 

This hike is not meditative. It is not calming. He grows angrier with each step. 

The silence and stillness and aloneness gives him far too much time to think. It gives him time to think about what they’ve figured out–about the Forest Service, specifically. It’s unconscionable. 

Someone made a mistake and it’s being covered up. Someone made a mistake and Scar got scolded for asking about it. Someone made a mistake and nobody’s even told Grian about it, he had to figure it out himself. 

Someone made a mistake, and it’s seeming clearer and clearer that Mumbo paid the price. 

Grian cannot be the only one to know this trail exists. It’s far too clear and easy to follow. It isn’t marked, and it’s steep in some places, but it isn’t rocky or impassable. It probably started out as a game trail, but Grian thinks back to the stream he crossed twice and wonders if it gets use from fishermen as well in the park. 

And since Grian cannot be the only one who knows this trail exists, it feels like a downright crime that it was never searched the year before. Nothing about the search that was carried out last year felt like it was abnormal. But if Grian is interpreting this correctly, and understanding Scar correctly, then all of this confusion about the trail closures and permits should have meant the search was conducted differently. 

Last year, Grian never made it to Cloud Lake because he was asked to help in different areas. Mumbo never made it to Cloud Lake either–he couldn’t have, because the trail was impassable. Someone must have known this. Someone would have pulled his permit when the missing report first came in. Someone made the call to decide that Mumbo wouldn’t have gone somewhere else if his destination was unavailable. Someone made the call to search only the area around the first trail, and not consider any alternate routes. 

Someone isn’t admitting fault. 

After approximately three miles, Grian comes to a junction. There is no sign here, and in fact someone has recently gone and put a log over his trail, silently blocking it from the main path and signifying the true way forward. Grian steps over the wood, and stands in the middle of the trail. 

Grian has solved the missing piece. He knows where he’s at. He’s on the Cloud Lake Trail right now, and he walked here on an unmarked spur trail from his sector. He’s reverse engineered part of Mumbo’s route: if he walks back the way he came, he’ll eventually come back to the valley and meadow at the bottom of the Pinnacles trail. 

The discovery is one he’s been building to all day, and it’s not a relief. Rather it just swirls more dread into the angry mix of emotions in Grian’s head. 

He whirls around and kicks the log as hard as he can. It rolls slightly away from him, and the sudden pain in his foot seems to reverberate up the rest of his leg. “Ow,” he cries, and stumbles back a few steps, breathing heavily. Then he just sits down in the middle of the trail, a motion that could better be described as abruptly falling down instead of a controlled descent. His water bottle clangs against a rock. 

He can’t see anything from where he is except the woods.They stretch on and on, broken only by the pale dirt of the paths through them. They’re dark and so, so green–every plant is taking advantage of the season’s warm weather to grow as fast as it can before the snow comes in the fall again. Bright spots of light from the sun straight above him dapple the trail. 

He wants someone to pay for this, he realizes. He wants real answers, and not ones that he has to hunt down by himself, boots on the trail, for miles at a time. For some reason, his hands are shaking. He can’t stop staring into the trees. 

It just isn’t fair. It isn’t fair. 

It’s never fair. Does he expect it to be fair? Maybe not. His adult brain knows better. But something about the situation is gnawing at and unraveling some deep-seated sense of justice he’s carried as a child. This shouldn’t have turned out like this, because it’s fundamentally not fair. It isn’t right. He’s stuck on the concept and it doesn’t budge from his head. Not fair, not fair, not fair…

Tomorrow he must go back to work in the tower for another shift of ten days “on.” The reports each morning about the weather get a little worse, and Grian’s pretty sure a new burn ban will be firmly in place by the first of July, which is just around the corner. All of this adds together that his shifts this week will be longer than average. He’ll rack up overtime pay, and holiday pay trying to keep an eye on idiot campers. 

Tomorrow he has to go to work again, which means he needs to start tracing back his footsteps right now so he can make it back before dark. He doesn’t move. 

Tomorrow he has to go back to the tower, but he has a new plan for when he’s off in ten days. He’s sick of struggling against the current to piece together information, and his discussion with Scar only proved that Scar cannot be his only source of information. No, if he wants something to get done, he’ll have to do it himself, just like always. He’ll just take a little trip into town for the first time all summer and make a visit to the main office. And he won’t leave until he gets a real answer.

»»———-　　———-««

December 31, 1988

It’s rather cold outside right now. It’s not the type of cold that is any problem for a quick duck in and out of the house, or a run down to the train station. But it’s certainly too cold to just sit outside, and the dampness from the rest of the day just makes it seep into his bones. 

That’s just typical for a winter night in England, though, and there’s a part of Grian that relishes it, even as he wraps his coat tighter. 

This is the first time he’s come back since he left with Mumbo, and he was starting to wonder if he ever would. Stepping onto that plane was like crossing a wide gulf between two worlds, and he’s still not sure how he feels about it. Happy, to an extent. Relieved, to an extent. But also scrutinized, and worried over, and lacking in privacy in almost every way. 

So tonight he’s sitting out on the roof, trying to avoid the New Year’s Eve party going on in the rest of the house. The tall but narrow row house in this Greater London suburb has a handy dormer with an abutment below it; it’s easy to sneak out of and sit on. He’s three stories up. The streetlights are fuzzy and impressionistic from the fog. 

He did not, in fact, plan to come home for a visit any time soon. But Pearl had other plans for him, and she was quite good at making sure they were implemented. She implemented this plan for him by mentioning it every single day of her trip, and then calling him approximately once a day after until he broke down and purchased a plane ticket. She even sent the money for it, and for once in his life he accepted it, mostly because she would have started another daily tirade if he didn’t. 

He came a few days ago, and he’s flying out tomorrow so he can make it back in to work on the 2nd. He’s had a mostly pleasant time, and seen a lot of friends he hadn’t seen in a while. The party tonight though was proving to be too much though. Everybody there wants to know how he is (bad), what he’s doing now (not much), how’s Colorado (gorgeous, but bad), how’s the job (bad), how’re you holding up (also bad.) It’s endless and exhausting. 

He’s been dragged from one spot to another ever since he arrived, and tonight’s party is no exception. When he arrived, he’d mingled for a while, drank half a beer to look polite, and then ditched his cup among the others on the kitchen counter, fated to be lost and eventually poured out at the end of the night when nobody could return it to its owner. 

He can hear music below, muffled and soft. There’s a few other people on the street who seem to be having their own festivities, but most of the action is centered in the house Grian’s currently sitting on top of. This is, of course, because Grian’s luck is that he is always in the spot with the most going on, and the most to avoid. 

He’s jolted out of his musings when the low sound of the music below abruptly increases. Someone’s opened the window. A blonde head sticks out of it, and although the silhouetted light behind him obscures his features, Grian immediately knows who it is. 

It’s Tim. 

“Grian?” he says. “Whatcha doing out here dude?”

“Getting some fresh air,” he says. It’s rude to say avoiding you, and it isn’t really true to begin with. He likes seeing his friends. He just doesn’t like being smothered by him. 

“Mind if I join you?” Jimmy asks. 

And although Grian isn’t rude enough to say he’s specifically avoiding Jimmy, the idea of being rude has never really stopped him before in their interactions. In fact, it’s a game the two of them know well. So he just groans in response, throwing his head back in theatrical annoyance. “Go away Tim,” he says. 

Jimmy does not, and takes this opportunity to start to climb out the window to sit next to Grian. He stumbles a bit and loses his balance in doing so, and Grian throws out a hand to steady him. 

“Had one too many?” he snipes. 

“Oh, come off it,” Jimmy says. “I’m not even drunk.”

Grian has seen him drunk, and Jimmy is right–it isn’t right now. Grian couldn’t pass up the opportunity to throw the jab though. He might be a little tipsy though, and it doesn’t take all that much to make roof-climbing a dangerous game even with the abutement’s gentle slope. Jimmy settles next to Grian a moment later, seated safely. 

“I was looking for you earlier,” he says. “You just disappeared, dude.”

“It got stuffy,” Grian says. 

“Well, it’s cold out here,” Jimmy says, scrunching up his nose. “Aren’t you cold? I’m cold.”

“You’ve been out here less than a minute.”

“Well, it’s damp.” Jimmy cuts his eyes to the side, right at Grian and perhaps even through him.

It occurs to Grian that perhaps sitting on a third-story roof in the damp and cold to avoid a party isn’t the most normal thing he could be doing right now. “I’m fine,” he says. Best to preemptively cut that off. 

“Hm,” Jimmy says. “You don’t look fine.”

“Well, I am,” Grian says. “I told you I just needed some fresh air. You didn’t have to come out here to sit with me. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“You didn’t use to be the sort to hide at a party,” Jimmy says. “What’s up with that?”

“No, I am,” Grian says. “Just not with people I know.” 

Most people mistake him for an extrovert. It’s understandable–he’s fun, friendly, even a smidge devious. But you don’t get there with Grian without breaking the ice first, and when he’s done for the night, he’s done. He finds himself being “done” earlier and earlier these days. 

“You know us though,” Jimmy says, with just a bit of a pout. It feels like he’s being purposefully obtuse, but knowing Jimmy he’s just actually missing the point. Knowing him doesn’t mean Grian doesn’t need a break. Caring for his friends doesn’t mean he isn’t overwhelmed. 

There’s really no other way to respond, or explain it to him than to just say, “Of course I do.”

He knows Jimmy. He knows him. Doesn’t he? He does, right? They knew each other, past tense, and they know each other now, but the great yawning hole in Grian’s middle says that he’s a different person now. He’s changed, and perhaps not for the better. He doesn’t really feel like he fits the mold of the person they expect him to be anymore. 

And that’s what’s most exhausting about being here. Colorado feels empty without Mumbo, but being back in England feels a little bit like putting a shoe on the wrong foot. It’s almost right, it’s so close, it tastes and feels and smells like home, but it doesn’t quite fit. The Grian that left England isn’t the same one that came back. 

It’s okay though. He leaves again tomorrow. 

And for tonight, he’s sitting on worn shingles with one of his oldest friends, who knows him but not quite. Jimmy seems to radiate heat into the cool night, and Grian stops himself from leaning in closer. 

“Nobody’s really got a chance to talk to you,” Jimmy says. 

“We’ve talked plenty,” Grian says back. “We were together all day yesterday, you know. And this morning.”

“But not about anything…” Jimmy waves a hand in the night air. “Not like about how you’re doing, dude.”

“What is there to say?”

“A lot?” Jimmy says. He seems confused. “Because, like, we wanted to give you a little space when you came back–” Grian wants to laugh a little at what their definition of space is. “–but we still don’t really know how you’re doing with all this.” He frowns. “And now you’re leaving again tomorrow. I wish you would stay longer.”

“I have to go back to work,” Grian says. “I’ll be back again soon.” It’s another neat little lie. He knows he can’t stay away forever, because eventually the pull in his heart will grow strong enough to pull him back home again. But he’s not sure when, exactly, that would be. Saying soon is putting too fine a point on it. 

Space is so much easier to maintain than closeness. There’s no effort, no maintenance required. No vulnerability. And although his apartment in Denver is empty and quiet and far from everybody he loves, it’s a predictable constant he can return to time and again. He’s not sure if he’s happy there, not after what has happened. But it is easier.

“I guess we’ll have to come to you,” Jimmy says. “Pearl told me about her trip, it sounded nice.”

“Yeah,” Grian says, and begins to fiddle with the edge of his jacket sleeve. “It was.”

Jimmy’s eyes cut back over to him. Grian can feel his gaze, but he does not look up. “She also said you need help.”

Ugh, stupid Pearl. Stupid Pearl and her stupid worrying and her stupid talking about him to other people. Of course she got home and immediately started updating everyone on what she learned. 

“Well, she came. She helped. And now I’m fine. Like I said.”

“I don’t believe you,” Jimmy says. His face crumples a bit, and he starts to stammer. “I just–I just don’t know–I just don’t know how you would be,” he says. “It’s so–it’s awful. All of it. I mean, Mumbo, he’s–he’s dead and I know how close you were and–

Everything comes screeching to a halt in his brain. 

“Excuse me?” he says, cutting off Jimmy mid-sentence. This time he does finally look up at Jimmy, and he squirms a little under the unexpected harshness of Grian’s gaze. 

Jimmy blinks. “I’m sorry, I just said–”

Grian does not wait. “Mumbo is not dead,” he bites. “You do not know that.”

“I’m sorry,” Jimmy says, but the confusion is playing out across his face in a way that says he’s much more concerned with trying to defuse the situation than with what he’s said. “I just, I guess I assumed–”

“People like you assuming is why he’s still out there!” Grian says, raising his voice just shy of a shout. “They called off his search because he was presumed dead. They didn’t know that. You don’t know that! They just assumed.” 

He tightens his hand into a fist, feeling the very tips of his fingernails start to press into his skin painfully. “And now it’s winter, and he’s still out there. Do you know how cold it is?”

“Grian,” Jimmy says, and his voice is painfully cautious. “It’s been months.”

“That’s exactly why it’s so bad,” he snaps.

It makes Grian’s stomach turn to just think about. It’s months of him being alone out there, and of everyone–everyone–failing him completely. He’s not going to be another person to fail. 

Jimmy repeats himself. “It’s been months,” he says. “Come on, Grian, he’s been gone for months now.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” he cries.

“I think you kn–I thought you knew,” Jimmy says brokenly. “You were grieving! You still are–I just, I thought we all knew. Stuff like this just….” 

He trails off. He doesn’t want to say it. He doesn’t want the burden of having to say it. Grian would prefer it if they just stopped talking here, but of course Jimmy finds a way to go on. “Stuff like this doesn’t turn out well. It’s been too long.”

“Too long,” Grian says, with rising incredulity. “Too long? You just, what, gave up on him when too much time passed?” He turns away, shaking his head. “I’m the only one who still believes in him. None of you care.”

“That isn’t what I mean,” Jimmy says. He’s rocked back from being apologetic and pitying to being firmly on the defense. It’s a place Grian is more comfortable in. He’ll play offense forever where Mumbo is concerned. Jimmy continues bitterly: “I liked Mumbo too, you know. You weren’t his only friend. Of course I hoped they would find him. But…”

“There doesn’t have to be a but,” Grian pleads. “There’s still a chance. You gave up, Tim. How could you?”

“But is there a chance?” Jimmy asks. “You said it earlier, about the cold. And, and, it’s water. Food. Shelter. I just…I want there to be a chance, of course I do, but I don’t think there is one. I’m sorry G, I’m really sorry.”

“He’s smart,” Grian says. Stubbornly. Blankly. 

It’s starting to mist now again, and the lights along the street reflect on the damp stones, painting them in soft gold. The bright lights and shadows against the curtains in the other houses on the street makes it feel like a different world. Most of the people are concentrated in the house that Grian and Jimmy are sitting on top of. He’s never felt so disconnected. 

“He was smart,” Jimmy agrees, but it’s just not quite–

“Stop saying ‘was’,” Grian says. “Stop it! He’s smart, he’ll figure it out, I know he will.”

Jimmy runs a hand through his hair, looking way too ragged for this early in the night. “I’m doing an awful job of this,” he says. “I never–I didn’t wanna tell you this. But I thought you knew and needed help. I still think you need help.”

He feels like something inside him cracks a little. “Do you all really think he’s dead?” he whispers. “All this time?”

Jimmy’s silence is enough. 

It still feels like a betrayal.

He’s known for a long time that Mumbo is presumed dead. After all, he was the point of contact for the entire case. He helped search. He received every update the rangers or sheriff could give him, and passed it on to everyone else. 

The news had just slowly gotten more hopeless. The first few days were a frenzy of activity, between rangers and search and rescue people and volunteers and helicopters. They were the crucial hours. But crucial hours dwindle, and as they do the strategies change. 

Eventually, he is told that rescue is now unlikely, and the main goal is a body recovery. He is told that the case will remain open until there is conclusive evidence pointing to his death. He is told that there isn’t a timeline for when they might get that. 

Grian wants to deal in absolutes.

Mumbo is neither dead or alive at this point. There’s a maybe, and then a probably, and then a we assume, and he isn’t dealing with any of that. If there’s no evidence that he’s dead, then there’s no evidence he can’t be alive either. Grian intends to prove that. 

“I can’t believe you,” he says, and then even louder. “I can’t believe you all gave up on him.”

“Grian, it isn’t giving up! It’s just–”

“Realism? Pragmatism?” Grian asks. “Well, I’ve had enough of that.”

Jimmy looks absolutely miserable. “I hope you’re right,” he says. “I hope there is a chance. I want to believe you.”

“Then believe me,” he says, like he’s issuing a challenge. 

Jimmy sighs, and looks into Grian’s eyes. “Come on, G,” he says. “Let’s go back inside. It’s getting wet out here again. I’m freezing.”

He stands up, and reopens the window clumsily. The music gets louder again, and Jimmy crawls inside, his gangly limbs making the process more difficult. On a different night, Grian would have laughed at him. 

He offers a hand out the window to Grian to help him inside. His brown eyes are soft, and his forehead is creased from where his eyebrows are knit upward. It drips concern. 

Grian rejects the offering. 

“I’ll come inside when I want to,” he says, and then mutters to himself, soft but still purposefully loud enough for Jimmy to hear: “I’m glad I’m leaving tomorrow.”

»»———-　　———-««

June 1989

“I can’t believe you’ve never seen Star Wars!” Scar cries. 

This is the end of a long spiel that Grian has been listening to for several minutes. Scar’s quite good at going on tangents, and most of the time Grian doesn’t really mind it. He often finds them enjoyable. It’s nice to listen to someone who is excited about a topic, and even when he sets the radio on the table and drifts in and out of paying attention, it makes for a good way to pass the time. It chases away the dark thoughts that try to settle in his brain when he sits still for too long. 

Today, however, he is looking for the pause that indicates Scar has finished speaking so that he has the opportunity to cut in again. The fatal flaw of the radios is as it always has been: that he cannot reply so long as Scar has his button pressed. Today, he’s hoping to end this spiel early, so that he doesn’t have to listen to a recap analysis of every movie in the trilogy. 

He snatches the radio up off the table when he realizes Scar has, in fact, paused after that final indignant conclusion. 

“Scar, I literally told you that I have seen it,” he says. “I’ve seen Star Wars.”

“Wait,” Scar says, baffled. “What? But you didn’t get my reference earlier!”

“I saw them all like twice,” Grian says. “I didn’t memorize them!”

“Okay, but, carbonite is a pretty basic reference, dude,” Scar says. “Like it isn’t my fault you didn’t understand that! What was I supposed to think about that?”

It is now that a piece suddenly clicks in his head. This is something he’s come to get used to when dealing with Scar, and normally he can put two and two together but today’s linguistic misadventure had left him stumped. 

“I don’t know what word you thought you were saying earlier,” Grian says with a laugh, “but it definitely wasn’t carbonite.”

“You’re supposed to be able to read my mind by now, G,” Scar says. He’s unruffled by the accusation of mispronunciation. “Otherwise what’s the point in the two of us talking all day?”

“You like my company?”

“Mm, no, that’s not it,” Scar decides. “This is, uh–a social experiment! Yeah. What happens to two guys when they’re stuck in the wilderness together all summer. Maybe our brains will fuse or something if we only ever talk to each other.”

“Seems unethical,” Grian says. “I’m in. So what’s the control?”

“The control?”

“The, uh, normal part or whatever of an experiment. They use it to compare the variables against.”

“Oh,” he says. “I guess that could just be whatever we do in the off season. When we’re like, released back into civilization with the normal people who don’t go into the woods all summer.”

And that’s like, a funny thought of course, but what really stands out in that sentence is that he truly has no idea what Scar does when he’s back in civilization. Scar’s been a lookout for eight years now–he knows that part. But the job only runs until October 1, and there’s seven other months out of the year completely unaccounted for. 

“Wait,” he starts. “What do you do in the off-season? You come back to this job every summer, right? What about the rest?”

“Oh, I do a little of this, a little of that,” Scar says. “Find my way back here by the end of April to start the next fire season.”

“What does that mean?”

“I do a lot of things,” Scar says. “Odd jobs. Traveling. Selling things. I’m free as a bird.”

“But where do you live?” Grian says, trying a different question.

“Wherever I want,” Scar says. “But, well, I’m from Washington. I go back there a lot. But Jellie and I, we’ve got a camper, so I just like to set up shop wherever I want. I’ve got a friend in Chicago that I visit sometimes, but I’m always trying to coax him to come out here and visit again in the summer. I told him he’s got to at least bring his telescope this time for stargazing.”

“That seems nice,” Grian says. “I mean, you sound like a retiree, but that seems nice.”

“Hey!” Scar cries. “Are you calling me old?”

“Just sayin’,” he hums. “You are older than me.”

“Only by a few years,” Scar pouts. “Besides, a retired guy would go somewhere warmer for the winter. I’m just stuck up here in all this snow.”

“Why don’t you go somewhere warmer?” Grian asks. “If you’ve got that freedom? Isn’t that, like, difficult to have a camper in the winter? Everything would freeze. Seems dangerous to drive in the ice too.”

“I like it up here,” Scar says, suddenly sounding very stiff. “I make it work.”

“Oh,” Grian says, pulling back just instinctively. “That’s fine. The snow’s pretty. What type of odd jobs and work do you do? Or do you just…try to live off of this salary the rest of the year?” 

“Definitely not,” Scar says with a chuckle, stiffness melted in an instant. “I really enjoyed landscaping. But that type of work is harder for me now, and besides, the winter season isn’t the best time of year to get work like that. So I sell a lot of things, you know, door-to-door type of things.”

“Oh my god,” Grian says, groaning. “You’re one of those annoying salesmen. I hate those guys.”

“Annoying?” Scar says. “No, no, I’m perfectly charming.”

“I don’t know why I didn’t guess that,” Grian says. “It’s like your perfect job. You literally never stop talking.” He sort of waves a hand around his head, in a whooshing gesture. “It’s all coming back to me now. That uncanny resemblance to the guy who sold me my last car.”

“A car salesman? G-man, you wound me,” Scar says. “Those guys are liars and cheats.”

“And you aren’t?” he says. “No, please tell me you aren’t.”

“Only to the people who deserve it,” Scar says, and his wicked grin almost transports directly over the radio waves. 

“I’m scared to ask who deserves it.”

“I can tell you who doesn’t,” Scar muses. “Little old ladies love me. ‘Cause, like, going door-to-door selling something in January is a little strange, right? They’re like whoa, what are you doing out here, it’s so cold! So I just get invited inside at every door and offered a cup of coffee. Then they get a discount for their hospitality!”

“A discount?” Grian says. 

“Well, I only make them pay what it’s actually worth,” Scar says, sounding clear and confident and, concerningly, just a little bit proud of that.

“You’re the worst!” he cries. It’s a little overdramatic, but on purpose. “They probably all think you’re ‘a nice young man’ or something and you’re just scamming them the whole time.”

“So close,” Scar says brightly. “Actually, they call me a nice handsome young man. And I don’t scam the little old ladies, I give them the normal price.”

“You’re insufferable,” Grian says. “That just means you’re scamming every other house. I feel like I need to balance out the universe now. You’re an old man, you literally travel around in a camper like you’re on a retirement trip.”

“Well, a man and his cat have to have something to do the other seven months of the year, don’t we?” Scar says, bemused. “Anyway, what are your plans this winter? What do you plan on doing after this?”

“I…” Grian trails off on the thought. “I haven’t thought about that.”

There isn’t really a next on his radar. It’s just quitting his architecture job, trying to work out a deal on his apartment’s rent for the next few months, driving to Wyoming for the summer, living in the fire lookout for a few months, finding Mumbo, and then…nothing else. They live happily ever after? Mumbo gets the help he probably needs at this point, and then everything resets back to normal? 

He’s never even entertained a thought that he might need to figure out what he’s doing next, because finding Mumbo will work. He’s made so much progress so far this summer. Why does he need to have something lined up when he knows his goal is in sight?

Scar seems like he’s frowning a bit. “Well, you’ve got a few months,” he says. “It’s only the end of June. That’s enough time to work out something for yourself in October. You can get a job lined up for the off-season.”

“No, Scar. There just–I don’t have anything else,” he says, feeling a tinge of desperation on the words. 

“What do you mean?”

“I’m just going to find Mumbo, and that’s it.” 

Truthfully, he doesn’t even intend to see the rest of the summer out. He isn’t supposed to even be in this lookout come October–he’ll have found Mumbo by then. He’s going home after he completes this goal. But telling Scar that up-front just seems mean, and unnecessarily stressful. 

“But what if you don’t…” Scar trails off, pivots, and rearranges his sentence. “But you still need to have an idea of what you want to do next.”

“There isn’t a next,” Grian says. “Just that.”

“I guess this means you aren’t coming back next year,” Scar says softly. 

Good lookouts get invited back year after year–nearly always to the same towers as before, unless another area needs it more. Scar’s been at his for years. If Grian wants his place, he already knows it’s here for him, barring any budget changes from Congress to render him obsolete. He bites his lip, and stares back out the window at the mountains. It’s been a while since he did an in-depth scan for smoke, so he starts to perform one now. His eyes zig-zag across the hills, starting high and ending low. 

“I wasn’t ever going to,” he responds. 

And he thinks Scar knows that, on some level, because the next thing he says is: “I guess I just hoped you would.”

“It’s only about finding Mumbo,” Grian says. “I’m really sorry, Scar.” 

Because it has nothing to do with Scar–it isn’t personal. This plan was in place before he even met him, and that’s a shame, but it’s just how it is. It’s just about returning Grian’s life back to the way it’s supposed to be. It’s restoring balance in the universe, bringing Mumbo home, and nothing else. There isn’t anything else.

“It could be about something else too,” Scar says. He’s speaking in a delicate, tentative way. “Being up here. It could be about something else too.”

“What else is there?”

There’s a long pause, and he knows he’s causing problems once again. It’s one of his new social “skills” from the past year. It’s a stupid question to ask; its answers are obvious. What is there? Well, there’s nature, peace, calm, fulfillment. There’s friendship. There’s friendship with Scar specifically. 

After a long moment, Scar speaks again. “Just make sure to come visit me next year,” he says. “You always know where to find me.”

<< Chapter Six | Masterpost | Chapter Eight >>

[illegiblehandwriting1]

Hi there!

Hey guys, I'll admit it.

I'm not sure what I'm doing.

But I'm a writer, musician, and Zelda enthusiast! I write for Linked Universe mainly (Illegible_Handwriting on ao3) and I figured I should make a Tumblr, so here we are! I like a bunch of other things too, though (marble hornets, stormlight archive, gravity falls, unravel 2, metroid, doctor who, the owl house, rottmnt, ben drowned/awakening, generation loss, episodes 4-9of star wars, HUMAN RIGHTS DAMMIT, just to name a few) so I'll pretty much post whatever I want to.

I swear a lot, so be warned.

Nonbinary (and everyone is hella valid, homophobes/terfs/transphobes/racists/ableists/anti-Semites etc. beware >:( so be nice everyone)

I use "#illeg scribbles" for my writing, and #chicken scratch for any other rambles or posts I make. #reblog is exactly what it sounds like!

#smoke & ashes has its own tag, and so does #dear four chronicles! #the chosen and the champion also exists but I don't really use it anymore because I'm working on s&a, so if you want updates on that, use the smoke & ashes tag thx :D

And I don't know how active I'll be on here (probably not a lot) but we'll see how this goes! If I'm not active, don't be alarmed, that'll be normal probably lol.

I guess I should make a masterpost huh. Ok that's under the cut.

The Chosen and the Champion series (in progress)

The Chosen and the Champion (Switch gang tribute): Completed. A ton of Wild and Sky content because I saw Skyward Sword on Switch and went FUCK yes. This got off the rails very quickly. Just read all of them at this point, cuz I don't know what I'll bring back next. Chapter 20 and onwards is Exploring Sky's Hyrule.

Smoke & Ashes: Incomplete and in progress!! continues where C&C left off, with a huge fucking focus on Sky's adventure, specifically the end. However, unlike most fics, people are NOT very happy or forgiving with Sky. If you know, you know. VERY ANGST HEAVY. PLEASE READ ALL THE TAGS AND WARNINGS.

Like Mounds of Molten Gold: Incomplete and in progress!! Just a bunch of extra content for the C&C universe! Some are companion pieces to a specific chapter or section, while some are just random shit. There might be cut content every now and then. All of them help to give a deeper/more enjoyable experience to the main fic (in my opinion).

The Dear Four Chronicles (in progress)

Dear Four: completed. oneshot. pre-Minish Cap Four and post-LU Sky. Shenanigans ensue.

Hey Time: completed. oneshot. pre-OoT Time and post-LU Four. Shenanigans but it's 12k this time.

Hello Wind (temp title): being written! IDK when it'll come out, but it'll happen eventually. I promise.

The Groose is Loose! (temp title, in progress??? Maybe???)

A Weight Called Eternity: completed. oneshot. I asked the question "what was Groose doing during the Demise fight?" This is absolutely spliced from ch16 of S&A. Do I care? No. It's edited substantially as well, and is not LU, but SkSw instead. ALSO HEAVY ANGST

Other fics:

There it is again, that funny feeling...: Incomplete and in progress!! multi-chapter. It's a bunch of different ideas all stemming from the same base question: "what if Sky was the Fierce Deity?" Each chapter is a separate AU. Please heed the warnings on this one.

Imagine all the fun you and your future self could have, if only you had a driver's license: Completed. multi-chapter. Long-ass title because I never thought of a better one. Basically, pre-LU Wild and Sky are in Mariokart! Bunch of crack. Lots of fun.

Here lies Link: completed. oneshot. Four digs a grave for a dear friend. Also Wolfie is there for emotional support. Heed the tags.

Storybook: completed, i guess. oneshot, i guess. pre-Minish Cap Four knows about Sky and I think that's the most precious idea. If I ever come back to this, I'll let you know.

Freezing Flame: completed. oneshot. halloween from a couple years ago. Wind finds a graveyard. Heed the warnings.

All the Lights in the World (Are Slowly Going Out): completed, i guess. discontinued, really. multi-chapter. I tried Wumptober 2022 and I only got 3 prompts in. heed the tags and warnings.

Fluffy Pillows and Angsty Teens: incomplete! multi-chapter. Random shit i wrote!!

Beyond Recollection (discontinued): done, i guess. Multi-chapter. Was gonna be about a female hero after twi who people couldn't remember, but i left the idea.

As twilight fell: completed. oneshot. my first fic. don't read it. save yourselves. I might rewrite it eventually. heed the warnings in the tags.

[danganfan42069]

About me

hi im danganronpafan42069. he/him 20↑ latino

some tags: my post and stuff - my opinion and stuff - big mood - for me <3 - ask - my negative tags for you to block if you want to masterpost

Danganronpa is one of my biggest guilty pleasures, i can count on my fingers all the things i like about it and genuinely think are well made. But i like some character's concepts and sometimes the dialogue and story are so ridiculous and absurd that i end up having so much fun.

Im not that active on the fandom and barely consider myself to be a part of it because almost all my opinions about ships, characters, storylines and the game/anime in general are very unpopular. I'm just happy minding my own business and vibin in my corner ^_^

Feel free to disagree with me and/or block me if something here makes you uncomfortable, but please don't try to start a discourse. I don't intend to change my opinion of anything and i don't want to change yours (unless you're respectfully asking my more detailed opinion about something), we're just going to waste our energy and waste our time on this.

i am very happy following this mentality here and i think you should try it too!

My favorite friendships and hcs of their relationships (WIP)

ps (this is kind of obvious but i think it's important to make it clear): i don't think these characters or ships that i don't like are problematic (i mean with exception of haiji i think) or think fans of the ship/character either (whole game is problematic if you think about it), it's just not my cup of tea

Tiny Q&A:

What are you referring to when you say "anti"? It's not the ant1 vs pr0ship discurse, it's someone who is "anti-some-ship-that-is-totally-fine-and-legal-by-law", the problem happens when this person in question is too immature and can't respect other people's opinions so they are chasing those who like their notp being inconvenient and annoying (and sometimes they even trivialize very serious social issues and topics)

Are you pr0shipper or ant1? I'm a grown ass adult. I work, I have a family, I have better things to do than use these internet bubble terms and discussions. I think incest and mainly minor/adult (ped0philia) ships are really fucked up even though they are fictional and/or trauma coping but I also think it's really fucked up to harass and make death threats??????? I don't want any of that on my screen so i block them all (and i also report if I think it's too fucked up)

My little disclaimer i have on any post of mine:

My little disclaimer i have on my opinions/headcanons post

A few warnings first, since you're here to read it I recommend reading these paragraphs extra to avoid stress for you and me :)

Almost everything I'm saying here about the characters is obviously MY OPINION and how I feel about the characters and their actions and not a concrete fact. I just want to express my opinion as many people in the fandom express their negative opinion about my fav characters and I respect that, so why can't I do the same? I know my opinions are unpopular, but that doesn't make them any less valid because opinion is something personal and there is no right or wrong

I'm censoring character names because I know some of my opinions are negative so I don't want to spoil someone's good time by having my post appear in the character's main tag. I'm also even saying in the title if it's a /pos or /neg analysis and I have a unique tag for my opinions (which you can block if you want), so you're proceeding at your own risk

I don't need to be so respectful with the characters because they aren't real, but I think we all should be respectful with who likes or doesn't like the character, because these are real people and have feelings.

And obviously I don't think someone liking or disliking this character doesn't make them a "bad, stupid, inferior or problematic person", it's just their opinion and deserves respect too

To be honest I'm not posting my opinion with the intention of changing someone's opinion or starting some kind of debate, I just want to express my opinion and that's all. It's like a public diary, it's one of the definitions of a blog after all ^_^

(About my headcanons) This isn't exactly a theory or an attempt to change anyone's mind and I know that none of this is canon and most likely not intended as I see it. I'm just want to talk in more detail about my headcanons and my lines of thoughts on them.

[youareinlove]

i think the core message of question...? is "did you ever find your way out of this toxic cycle, because i did" (even though like. she was starting to think maybe she did not), and the core message of cososom is "i'm both painfully embedded in memory and painfully forgettable"

I agree on the message of cososom, but I struggle with the one of question…? because it always felt like a playful song to me, a cheeky nod at the muse, telling him “look, I’m amazing, and i think I’m the best you ever had, but now I’m with someone else and do you regret letting me go? Because I think that what we had was actually magical and I really want you to say that I was the best you ever had”. I also think that we this 2 songs have in common is that they seem to start from a specific event, but then deviate and branch out to talk about a pattern

PS: I think you should do a masterpost of all your analyses because more people should read them since they’re so good!

you're absolutely onto something with how both songs start by talking about something specific and then become more broad in order to talk about larger themes/patterns/cycles—and i actually think that's one of the tricks of the trade that she employs as a songwriter pretty often! it's a really effective way to illustrate something big and complicated in a way that makes sense (i think the most famous example of this is all too well ten minute version). as for question, i have a huge post talking about the songs on midnights and how they provide context for each other (we definitely have more context for a lot of the things i talked about in a post-ttpd world but i still think there's quite a bit of good analysis in there and i stand by most of it). here's what i wrote about question, because i think it might add some clarity:

question is about a situationship/short-lived relationship that's essentially a toxic cycle. there's some tie-ins to maroon with it also being about a relationship that was really amazing and really terrible, often at the same time. but the most enriching songs for this one are actually the love songs on the record. songs like lavender haze, paris, and sweet nothing illustrate that she was able to get out of the toxic cycle that she and this person found themselves in, albeit with someone else. so now she's asking this person (in her head) "did you? did you ever escape this? did you ever find someone to stare at the ceiling with or run home to?" which basically adds an entirely new layer to the song.

there's obviously the additional layer of why she was writing about this in the first place (she wasn't 100% sure she actually had escaped that cycle at all). but i think this is the piece that makes question...? as interesting as it is (also, i don't have a complete masterpost of all my analysis, although i do have some pretty long write-ups on specific topics, but if you look through the tag for any song/album on my blog, you'll probably find some because i throw a lot in there).

[coinandcandle]

I guess concerning witchcraft questions... hm. Do you have any sources for spirit work? After seeing the conversation about deities it had me feel a bit foolish for not asking if I was getting assistance from Athena. I'm a new witch and I didn't get to use my pendulum to dowse or ask for a sign. I assumed after giving offerings I just felt up and ready to get help with my hw. Silly and small thing, I know, but I also assumed because I do dragon work and my co-magician and guardian dragons didn't really have a negative reaction when I called Athena. I know it wasn't spell work but I've never worked with other deities. I've only recently come out as a Catholic witch/Christopagan so I just wanna make sure my deity and spirit work is done correctly. A friend told me that trickster spirits are the reason some ex-witches convert to Christianity because trickster spirits disguised themselves as helpful spirits and scared these witches Christian. (For context before I decided to practice the craft I had concerns about witches who wanted to try God and their spirit guides turned on them like demons so this was what I was told)

First I'll say that I'm happy to hear that you're questioning! I know it sucks to feel insecure in your religion or spiritual beliefs but please know that it's always healthy to be a bit of a skeptic!

I don't think it'd be a bad idea to ask for a specific sign from Athena to make sure you're working with her.

If you find that you're not actually working with Athena don't freak out! The spirit might not be trying to trick you. If they have been helpful and the relationship is founded on healthy boundaries then there's no reason to stop interacting with them.

It may be that the entity just didn't care what you called them, not that they're trying to pretend to be her. Ask some clarifying questions if you feel like the relationship is good and safe.

For references I'll scoot you toward @windvexer and @crazycatsiren on the matter:

Windvexer's Masterpost

Cat's Grimoire Page

As for witches being scared into Christianity: People are a lot more scared of spirits than they should be due to media portrayals of them. I'm not saying they can't be scary, but humans can be pretty scary too! So treat any interaction with the same energy and respect you'd treat an interaction with a human.

People come and go from religions for many different things.

I think a good number of people being "scared out of witchcraft" is probably due to the MANY hyperbolized warnings that circulate in the community.

[windvexer]

Give Better Readings: Define Your Boundaries As A Reader

Part of a series - go to the masterpost to see them all

The person you are reading for is only 50% of the equation. You are the other half. If the reading is not good for you, then it is a bad reading. Never let yourself be pushed into reading questions or people that make you feel uncomfortable.

Define What You'll Read About

Many readers have categories they will not read for. Common examples include:

Love and relationship readings

“Spying” on a third party

Questions set in the far future

Questions exploring inner traumas or painful memories

Think about the categories of questions you do not want to read for, and stick to your guns. It’s a good idea to clearly state examples of readings you will do, and readings you won’t do, on your services listing.

Be Upfront About Your Specialties

Part of setting boundaries is being comfortable saying,

“accurately reading for that question is above my skill level right now.” Just because someone is a competent, accurate reader for a certain type of question doesn’t mean they should be expected to be able to read everything. If you’ve only been able to accurately predict the future up to 6 months and someone asks for a 5-year outcome, it’s definitely okay to just tell them that’s not where you’re at with your readings.

Limit Question-Loading

Don’t be afraid to separate multi-part questions by telling the querent you can read for one thing they want to know about, but not everything.

Some querents, especially those who don’t understand the time and energy it takes to read, try to present a paragraph full of questions for something as simple as a three-card draw.

In these situations, it might help to explain to the querent the limitations of the tool or spread you’re using, and tell them what kinds of things you can answer for the kind of reading they’ve chosen.

Don't Give Space for Arguments

You don’t owe clients an explanation for why you do not want to read for them.

In my experience, offering an explanation gives them a chance to argue with you and tell you why your reasons don’t apply to their situation.

“This is a personal boundary I have set for myself,” without any follow-up, is a very valid response to many situations.

Be Brave

When I was staffing at a large Discord divination group, I would often get DMs from readers with the same kinds of problems:

“I’ve been giving this guy a private reading for 3 hours and he just keeps asking more questions, what do I do?”

“I told them that I’m not doing love questions but they rephrased their question, is it okay for me to still tell them no?”

“I’m thinking about leaving the server, too many people respond to my reading offers and it’s exhausting reading for fifteen people in a row.”

Unfortunately, many people see diviners as a resource to be used, not a hardworking person whom is spending time and energy to help them. These were all kind, empathetic, and compassionate readers who believed they were being mean if they told someone no, I am not doing this reading for you.

And it’s not necessarily as easy as just saying “no.” Believe me, querents can really twist the knife. For the vast majority of my reading career I have only ever done free readings. These are some responses I have gotten when I gave free readings:

- They would not take my reading unless I proved myself to them as a psychic by telling them their own full name or home address details

- After I couldn’t complete a draining experimental energy reading (because a psychotic abuser randomly showed up and started banging on the front door), they let me know they should never have expected anything from a free reading

- After letting a querent know an energy reading would take at least 15 minutes, and performing a detailed 15 minute energy reading about their own aura (including lengthy details and interpretations), they returned to main chat and said they were sad that the reading was so short and the only information they got was that their aura was the color red

My point is that while it's easy for me to say "set your boundaries and stand firm," it's really not that easy out in the field. Be prepared for inconsiderate people who make you feel bad about not giving more of yourself to them.

These Aren't "If" Situations

People will take advantage of you if you cannot set boundaries - this is a when, not an if, situation.

Some clients may try to tell you your boundaries are invalid, guilt-trip you into pushing yourself past your limits, or even lie about readings you already did to try and get you to deliver more. These aren’t hypotheticals, but real situations I’ve seen play out many, many times in reading groups.

As readers, we have to be able to stand our ground. Being able to say, “no, I’m not reading this question,” or even, “no, I’m not reading for you,” are vital skills (also, “no, I did not under-deliver, I provided the reading exactly as advertised.”).

If you want to be a professional reader whose able to stick with it, be ready to refuse certain clients or certain readings that aren't good for you.

If it's not good for you, it's not a good reading.

Part 1: Connecting With Querent Concerns

Part 3: Format & Write Down the Question (yes, seriously)

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

[1234-angelika]

Starstruck

an:this is the first part of my Happily Ever After series for David. He's not a character that gets written about a lot, and I get why. Still, I enjoyed writing this and I am happy to share it with y'all.

words:1.3k

warnings: I don't think there are any. If you find some, just let me know.

summary: "I think that we all do heroic things but, hero is not a noun, it's a verb."-Robert Downey Jr.

masterpost|taglist|have an idea

Your alarm blared loudly, echoing in the quiet bedroom. Startling awake, you fell out of bed and landed on the floor with a ‘THUD’ in a heap of blankets. Frustration filled you immediately, but it changed into excitement very quickly as you started to wake up. Despite the fact that it was a Saturday and you’d rather be sleeping in, you were thrilled about your book signing.

Even though it was your second cookbook, you were excited just the same. Your first cookbook did really well and garnered you an appearance on GMA, which in turn sky-rocketed your fame. You had a passion for food and

You heaved yourself off the floor and went to go get ready for the day. On your way to the bathroom, you set your coffee to brew. You hopped into the hot shower and let it wake you up. After a bit, you climbed out and brushed your teeth before grabbing the coffee from your room. You mulled over the clothes in your closet a while before deciding on an outfit, keeping in mind there were going to be a lot of eyes on you. Finishing your coffee, you walked to the garage and drove to your cover house, the place the press actually thought you lived.

Driving up the alley, you pulled onto the car pad and met your publicist inside. He briefed you on the itinerary for the day while you got your hair and makeup done. As the stylists finished up, your publicist sprung the idea of a surprise cooking demonstration at the signing. The look on his face, though, sent all the protests you were going to utter out the window. You both made your way out to the town car parked in front of the house and climbed in. Flashes from the cameras blinded you even with sunglasses on and keeping your head down.

The drive to the bookstore was long and slow. Once the car turned onto the block, you could hear the cheers from the crowd. You climbed out, raised your sunglasses to the top of your head and then turned to address the crowd.

“Hi guys,” you said and waited a moment before speaking again. “I appreciate all your support on this crazy journey. Thank you for coming, I look forward to answering all your questions. The store will be opening in about fifteen minutes. Thank you all so much.”

After addressing the crowd, you and your team went inside to see the setup of the area. There was a table at the front of the room for you and chairs aligned in front for the crowd. A hot plate was at the end of the table for the cooking demonstration. Your publicist, last-minute, re-arranged some things before he nodded and opened the door. The crowd flooded in, and you waited until they were settled before heading to the front for your cooking demonstration. It was one of the most basic staple recipes in your book. It was also one of your favourites.

As you cooked the risotto alla Milanese, you made sure to explain each step in detail and go over any techniques you used. Once it finished cooking, your team helped out by handing out the samples while you cleaned up the front area. You settled into your seat at the table, and your publicist announced it was now time for the question and answer part of the book signing. Hands raised immediately, and you took a sip of water before pointing to the first person.

“Did you get any formal culinary training? Or is this just all from learned skills from life?”

“Thank you for that question,” you smiled before answering. “I studied at the Apicius International School of Hospitality in Italy right after high school. And then I went on to study at the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, I studied at the Boulder campus.”

You picked on the next person.

“What inspired this book?”

“That’s a good question,” you paused for a breath. “It was actually my last trip to Italy that inspired this book. The culture, the scenery, the people, the food; I loved all of it. This book has a lot of my favourite recipes but, unfortunately there wasn’t enough room for all of them.”

One person called out, “I have a follow up question on that….”

You nodded for them to go ahead.

“So, can we expect another book solely focused on Italian recipes?”

Laughing a little, you answered. “Yes actually, it comes out next year.”

You were met with a bit of applause, and then you moved onto the next question.

“Hi there, I was wondering if there are any other books in the works?”

Smiling, you snuck a glance at your publicist, who motioned to say no.

“Umm…at the moment, I don’t have anything in the works but I’m always looking for inspiration.”

“How long does it usually take you to write one of your books?”

“Well…” you chuckled lightly. “Usually it takes me almost a year to write one but, my most recent took only three months to actually write and perfect the recipes. Photographing and all that other stuff stretched out the process but this book was actually finished quite quickly.”

“What was the most surprising thing you found while writing this book?”

“Um…the most surprising thing I found was how much I had to edit the recipe notes and forewords. I just had so much to say that I had to watch carefully how much I wrote.”

Just as you were about to pick another question, your manager motioned to the clock. And then he stepped out in front of the crowd.

“Thank you all so much for coming. If you’ll please line up, Y/N will start signing books in a few minutes.”

You settled into your seat at the front table, uncapped the sharpie and took a breath, preparing yourself to sign the books. One by one, fans came up to the table congratulating you on your second book as well as your book deal for the next book. Before they each walked off, they gave a polite thank you for signing their books and complimented you on the risotto. Some people even had a small conversation with you while you signed their books. This was your favourite part of this career path, getting to know the people.

Sighing, out of exhaustion, you watched as the line dwindled down until the last person came up to the table. You shook out your wrist, sore from all the signing, and then you grabbed the book they were holding without even looking up.

“Who should I make it out to?” You asked; the exhaustion you had been staving off all afternoon seeped into your tone.

“David Rossi please,” the fan answered.

You looked up, slightly unsure and wanted to make sure you had heard correctly. Sure enough, you were met with the kind face of David Rossi, who just so happened to be your favourite author and a bit of a personal hero. You got a stupid look on your face before you started to ramble.

“Oh my God! You’re David Rossi! Like the real one! And you’re here at my signing!” You exclaimed excitedly. And you kept rambling on about how it’s such an honour to have him there and how he’s your hero. He just chuckled furiously scribbled a message into his book.

“I left my number in case you ever want to connect.” You said with a smile while you handed him his book back. And then you just sat there and watched him walk out of the store in awe. The same stupid look back on your face.

[therealvinelle]

PSA

Not only have I passed a sad, sad, milestone, but I did so overnight so I flew right past the round number of 500. It was 503, I've cut it down to 501-

The important thing is that if you've sent me an ask, know that it'll probably be a while.

Also, I should mention that there's no guarantee your ask is answered. There are some questions I've found offensive or else too mindfield-y to answer, some that aren't actually questions so I don't really have anything to say to them, and other questions in turn that have been answered before, sometimes on multiple occasions.

Check the masterpost before you ask, make sure there's an actual question in your ask, and if your question is "What if Bella was a member of the KKK?", then you're probably not getting a post.

If not, though, if you asked me an actual question, then it'll be answered. At some point, sooner or later.

(Special caveat: if two people have asked the same question, I'll answer the one who phrased it best. As in, "What if Bella had a cat?" would take precedence over "Say that Renée bought Bella a pet, and it was a cat, and then Bella brought it to Forks. What then?")