#introspection through works of fiction

[derinwrites]

The Three Commandments

The thing about writing is this: you gotta start in medias res, to hook your readers with action immediately. But readers aren’t invested in people they know nothing about, so start with a framing scene that instead describes the characters and the stakes. But those scenes are boring, so cut straight to the action, after opening with a clever quip, but open in the style of the story, and try not to be too clever in the opener, it looks tacky. One shouldn’t use too many dialogue tags, it’s distracting; but you can use ‘said’ a lot, because ‘said’ is invisible, but don’t use ‘said’ too much because it’s boring and uninformative – make sure to vary your dialogue tags to be as descriptive as possible, except don’t do that because it’s distracting, and instead rely mostly on ‘said’ and only use others when you need them. But don’t use ‘said’ too often; you should avoid dialogue tags as much as you possibly can and indicate speakers through describing their reactions. But don’t do that, it’s distracting.

Having a viewpoint character describe themselves is amateurish, so avoid that. But also be sure to describe your viewpoint character so that the reader can picture them. And include a lot of introspection, so we can see their mindset, but don’t include too much introspection, because it’s boring and takes away from the action and really bogs down the story, but also remember to include plenty of introspection so your character doesn’t feel like a robot. And adverbs are great action descriptors; you should have a lot of them, but don’t use a lot of adverbs; they’re amateurish and bog down the story. And

The reason new writers are bombarded with so much outright contradictory writing advice is that these tips are conditional. It depends on your style, your genre, your audience, your level of skill, and what problems in your writing you’re trying to fix. Which is why, when I’m writing, I tend to focus on what I call my Three Commandments of Writing. These are the overall rules; before accepting any writing advice, I check whether it reinforces one of these rules or not. If not, I ditch it.

1: Thou Shalt Have Something To Say

What’s your book about?

I don’t mean, describe to me the plot. I mean, why should anybody read this? What’s its thesis? What’s its reason for existence, from the reader’s perspective? People write stories for all kinds of reasons, but things like ‘I just wanted to get it out of my head’ are meaningless from a reader perspective. The greatest piece of writing advice I ever received was you putting words on a page does not obligate anybody to read them. So why are the words there? What point are you trying to make?

The purpose of your story can vary wildly. Usually, you’ll be exploring some kind of thesis, especially if you write genre fiction. Curse Words, for example, is an exploration of self-perpetuating power structures and how aiming for short-term stability and safety can cause long-term problems, as well as the responsibilities of an agitator when seeking to do the necessary work of dismantling those power structures. Most of the things in Curse Words eventually fold back into exploring this question. Alternately, you might just have a really cool idea for a society or alien species or something and want to show it off (note: it can be VERY VERY HARD to carry a story on a ‘cool original concept’ by itself. You think your sky society where they fly above the clouds and have no rainfall and have to harvest water from the clouds below is a cool enough idea to carry a story: You’re almost certainly wrong. These cool concept stories work best when they are either very short, or working in conjunction with exploring a theme). You might be writing a mystery series where each story is a standalone mystery and the point is to present a puzzle and solve a fun mystery each book. Maybe you’re just here to make the reader laugh, and will throw in anything you can find that’ll act as framing for better jokes. In some genres, readers know exactly what they want and have gotten it a hundred times before and want that story again but with different character names – maybe you’re writing one of those. (These stories are popular in romance, pulp fantasy, some action genres, and rather a lot of types of fanfiction).

Whatever the main point of your story is, you should know it by the time you finish the first draft, because you simply cannot write the second draft if you don’t know what the point of the story is. (If you write web serials and are publishing the first draft, you’ll need to figure it out a lot faster.)

Once you know what the point of your story is, you can assess all writing decisions through this lens – does this help or hurt the point of my story?

2: Thou Shalt Respect Thy Reader’s Investment

Readers invest a lot in a story. Sometimes it’s money, if they bought your book, but even if your story is free, they invest time, attention, and emotional investment. The vast majority of your job is making that investment worth it. There are two factors to this – lowering the investment, and increasing the payoff. If you can lower your audience’s suspension of disbelief through consistent characterisation, realistic (for your genre – this may deviate from real realism) worldbuilding, and appropriately foreshadowing and forewarning any unexpected rules of your world. You can lower the amount of effort or attention your audience need to put into getting into your story by writing in a clear manner, using an entertaining tone, and relying on cultural touchpoints they understand already instead of pushing them in the deep end into a completely unfamiliar situation. The lower their initial investment, the easier it is to make the payoff worth it.

Two important notes here: one, not all audiences view investment in the same way. Your average reader views time as a major investment, but readers of long fiction (epic fantasies, web serials, et cetera) often view length as part of the payoff. Brandon Sanderson fans don’t grab his latest book and think “Uuuugh, why does it have to be so looong!” Similarly, some people like being thrown in the deep end and having to put a lot of work into figuring out what the fuck is going on with no onboarding. This is one of science fiction’s main tactics for forcibly immersing you in a future world. So the valuation of what counts as too much investment varies drastically between readers.

Two, it’s not always the best idea to minimise the necessary investment at all costs. Generally, engagement with art asks something of us, and that’s part of the appeal. Minimum-effort books do have their appeal and their place, in the same way that idle games or repetitive sitcoms have their appeal and their place, but the memorable stories, the ones that have staying power and provide real value, are the ones that ask something of the reader. If they’re not investing anything, they have no incentive to engage, and you’re just filling in time. This commandment does not exist to tell you to try to ask nothing of your audience – you should be asking something of your audience. It exists to tell you to respect that investment. Know what you’re asking of your audience, and make sure that the ask is less than the payoff.

The other way to respect the investment is of course to focus on a great payoff. Make those characters socially fascinating, make that sacrifice emotionally rending, make the answer to that mystery intellectually fulfilling. If you can make the investment worth it, they’ll enjoy your story. And if you consistently make their investment worth it, you build trust, and they’ll be willing to invest more next time, which means you can ask more of them and give them an even better payoff. Audience trust is a very precious currency and this is how you build it – be worth their time.

But how do you know what your audience does and doesn’t consider an onerous investment? And how do you know what kinds of payoff they’ll find rewarding? Easy – they self-sort. Part of your job is telling your audience what to expect from you as soon as you can, so that if it’s not for them, they’ll leave, and if it is, they’ll invest and appreciate the return. (“Oh but I want as many people reading my story as possible!” No, you don’t. If you want that, you can write paint-by-numbers common denominator mass appeal fic. What you want is the audience who will enjoy your story; everyone else is a waste of time, and is in fact, detrimental to your success, because if they don’t like your story then they’re likely to be bad marketing. You want these people to bounce off and leave before you disappoint them. Don’t try to trick them into staying around.) Your audience should know, very early on, what kind of an experience they’re in for, what the tone will be, the genre and character(s) they’re going to follow, that sort of thing. The first couple of chapters of Time to Orbit: Unknown, for example, are a micro-example of the sorts of mysteries that Aspen will be dealing with for most of the book, as well as a sample of their character voice, the way they approach problems, and enough of their background, world and behaviour for the reader to decide if this sort of story is for them. We also start the story with some mildly graphic medical stuff, enough physics for the reader to determine the ‘hardness’ of the scifi, and about the level of physical risk that Aspen will be putting themselves at for most of the book. This is all important information for a reader to have.

If you are mindful of the investment your readers are making, mindful of the value of the payoff, and honest with them about both from the start so that they can decide whether the story is for them, you can respect their investment and make sure they have a good time.

3: Thou Shalt Not Make Thy World Less Interesting

This one’s really about payoff, but it’s important enough to be its own commandment. It relates primarily to twists, reveals, worldbuilding, and killing off storylines or characters. One mistake that I see new writers make all the time is that they tank the engagement of their story by introducing a cool fun twist that seems so awesome in the moment and then… is a major letdown, because the implications make the world less interesting.

“It was all a dream” twists often fall into this trap. Contrary to popular opinion, I think these twists can be done extremely well. I’ve seen them done extremely well. The vast majority of the time, they’re very bad. They’re bad because they take an interesting world and make it boring. The same is true of poorly thought out, shocking character deaths – when you kill a character, you kill their potential, and if they’re a character worth killing in a high impact way then this is always a huge sacrifice on your part. Is it worth it? Will it make the story more interesting? Similarly, if your bad guy is going to get up and gloat ‘Aha, your quest was all planned by me, I was working in the shadows to get you to acquire the Mystery Object since I could not! You have fallen into my trap! Now give me the Mystery Object!’, is this a more interesting story than if the protagonist’s journey had actually been their own unmanipulated adventure? It makes your bad guy look clever and can be a cool twist, but does it mean that all those times your protagonist escaped the bad guy’s men by the skin of his teeth, he was being allowed to escape? Are they retroactively less interesting now?

Whether these twists work or not will depend on how you’ve constructed the rest of your story. Do they make your world more or less interesting?

If you have the audience’s trust, it’s permissible to make your world temporarily less interesting. You can kill off the cool guy with the awesome plan, or make it so that the Chosen One wasn’t actually the Chosen One, or even have the main character wake up and find out it was all a dream, and let the reader marinate in disappointment for a little while before you pick it up again and turn things around so that actually, that twist does lead to a more interesting story! But you have to pick it up again. Don’t leave them with the version that’s less interesting than the story you tanked for the twist. The general slop of interest must trend upward, and your sacrifices need to all lead into the more interesting world. Otherwise, your readers will be disappointed, and their experience will be tainted.

Whenever I’m looking at a new piece of writing advice, I view it through these three rules. Is this plot still delivering on the book’s purpose, or have I gone off the rails somewhere and just stared writing random stuff? Does making this character ‘more relateable’ help or hinder that goal? Does this argument with the protagonists’ mother tell the reader anything or lead to any useful payoff; is it respectful of their time? Will starting in medias res give the audience an accurate view of the story and help them decide whether to invest? Does this big twist that challenges all the assumptions we’ve made so far imply a world that is more or less interesting than the world previously implied?

Hopefully these can help you, too.

[inanaincarneetinsidus]

Vedic/ Sidereal observations

- If you have any proeminent Jyestha placement please go buy an evil eye protection, it can be any jewelry with eye imagerie on it not only the classic cristal one that we often see but make sure that it is very visible on you.

The evil eye that is often projected on jyestha is basically a curse, people see your potential even though you crawl in dirt like a scorpio you see. They observe your resilience evolving in a state without resources and fear what you may become once you acquire this abundance, so they manifest your failure DON'T EVER TELL ANYONE YOUR PLANS even if they are family idc

- If you are one of those that went through rahu/ketu antardasha as an adolescent/young adult saturn mahadasa don't got nothing on you , I would say that first the energy of Saturn is difficult because it requires you to actually put in the work: you can not escape it, however when you finally submit and accept it you will often harvest the fruits of your efforts.

Ketu does not work like that at all, your current actions don't actually matter in a ketu ruled period it is your past karma that is resurging, Ketu will take away everything that you actually have not only material possessions but also intellectual ones: opinions, your self-image relationships, everything that makes you appreciate the material world, you cannot truly try to girlboss your way out of a ketu dasa the best thing that you can do is SURRENDER, meditate, be introspective, journal, practice yoga and pick a solitary sport and allow yourself to contemplate life

- Saturn in the 4th house, conjunct moon, or in cancer will destroy the health of the mother, pls it is not a norm at all most of the time saturnbin the 4th/cancer will indicate that the mother was very strict and austere

- Mercurials and Martians shouldn't expect empathy from anybody sadly, I don't know why but society seems to agree on the fact that they do not deserve to be understood, taken with softness and respect one thing I think it is due to is the fact that they often appear as very stoic, they keep their emotions often to themselves conserving a very cold even bitchy appearance so people often treat them badly based on this impression, they are often met with the 'you think you are better than us ?' anyway

-I've seen many western astrology post saying how many celebrities have scorpio moons right and it make so much more sense when you see that most of them have their moon in sidereal libra rashi, since saturn is exalted in libra, and saturn is the one who grant tangible material abundance, libras have a natural understanding of how to manifest that abundance: they know how to manipulate the material world, using Māyā.

- Ketuvians how about stoping to hide under the guise of disgust and admit that all you really want is to be included and cared about ?

-Purva Ashada men will have the most long, luscious hair ever beyond that they are often stunning and they conserve a kind of androgynous appearance if often they physique is very masculine with hard features they will have the softest voices, most delicate manners ever, it would be so cool to see them take care of a pet. On a darker side this nakshatra is very recurrent in cult leaders even fictional ones lol

-Dhanista and Revati would do great in bellydancing since both of these nakshatras have instruments associated with them, rhythm is innate to their functioning.

- Rohini women are so funny to be around when they get over their insecurities, they are sometimes so insecure it's just hurtful for me to see that, they will break off their bonds with people especially other women over jealousy and not realize that they are the problem, acting like pick mes, making subtle diss and wonder why they are left alone at the end ! If everybody as a problem (as in you are in an argument ) with you and you are not nodal (ketuvian or rahuvian) you are probably the problem 🤷🏾‍♀️. A little introspection shouldn't scare you 😙 that's how you grow as a person

- I strongly admire Anuradha people, their resilience is unmatched like their bone structure, the most gorgeous faces like they were sculpted by Michael Angelo himself

- Mars and Jupiter are bestfriends so you will notice that in real life most bestfriends have this combination of placements or they can have Venus/Saturn too as these two planets are also best friends

- Purva Phalguni/ leo men are so vulgar lol, they scare the hell out of me, Venusian men in general they act like they will eat you alive 🥲

- Rahuvians deal with a lot of mental issues I've seen mostly chronic depression that can lead to suicide in some cases 😕 if you have proeminent rahu placement, try get more in touch with you ketu placement it has helped me a lot, for example ketu in the first house: self-care, protect your energy and your space do not allow anybody to enter it, take extra care of your body exercise, meditate. Ketu in the 6th house: put yourself at the service of other people, in the 11th house: force yourself to join a community, an organization etc

- I've recently saw an interview of Mia Khalifa and she talked about her childhood and her struggles with her weight and turns out she has a Virgo moon in hasta, it made realize how much Virgo women often struggles with their alimentation in general, they have many toxic behaviors regarding the consumption of food and many many of them have had ED or still have it. It's crazy to see that when the constellation of Virgo symbol is an ear of wheat so it associated with bread and eating in general and the natives of this sign have abnormal behaviors towards food.

[meanbossart]

Hello! I love your work, and you may see my in the comments from time to time. I do have an intense question about your headcanon DU drow/Astarion relationship (TW: Abuse)

How would drow react if Star ever wanted to take a break from their relationship, however brief it would be? If ever Star wanted to travel alone and take some some time to work on himself, would drow accept this and allow Star to be alone? Or would drow’s abusive/obsessive nature take hold and keep Star within his line of sight? I ask because it must be traumatic to jump from one intense relationship to the next, especially since Star’s relationship with Cazador was completely abusive. When would Star have the time to truly dive into introspection and understand himself as a full being and not an owned object?

This question doesn’t apply to the AU’s (unless you want to answer from those perspectives too!)

Boy, how I wish I could take a year sabbatical to finish up ANE... I have so much to say about this but I need to hold back the slightest bit because of potential spoilers.

As it stands right now (as in - from the moment that their relationship became "official" and up until the current events in the fic) DU drow would not take that well. He would understand it as an attempt at breaking up with him, for certain, and just become kind of frozen at the prospect of anything happening to Astarion while he's out of his sight.

But also, It's worth noting that these two have not been apart for longer than a couple of hours since the day they met, which in my personal fiction means that they have been around each other 24/7 (or 24/10?) for 5 months straight. For Astarion, that's the longest anyone he's ever slept with has been alive for; and for DU drow that's just been his entire life literally for as long as he can remember. Splitting up would be scary for understandable reasons for the both of them. I think they both have horrific anxieties about being apart that they aren't even aware of, which makes getting over this hurdle ever the more crucial.

I don't think DU drow would turn horrifically abusive if the situation were to come up in the "now", but he'd probably employ some degree of manipulation to try and make Astarion change his mind without realizing it; bringing up how bad his chances are on his own, doubt his real motivations for going away, bring up his own sanity as if he still depends on him to exercise restraint... Concerns that are genuine, even fair, but just kind of mask the real problem which is how scared he is to be alone again.

Unless... DU drow were to realize how detrimental to himself and his relationship it is to rely on and expect to be relied upon by a singular person at all times, to the point where without them he feels as if there is absolutely nothing else to life - because, in a way, there isn't; If he were to have a difficult day and Astarion and Shadowheart weren't around(not that he's even that open about his feelings with either of them, to begin with), he'd just have to sit down and fester in that negativity, with nothing to filter it through or occupy himself with. DU drow is too concerned with coming off as self sufficient and strong in their eyes, he romanticizes both of those relationships and enjoys the narrative pay-offs they provide him with - they fit into his idea of who he is too well, and that makes actual growth difficult. Astarion does a fairly good job at pushing him into introspecting more, but if he isn't even around to do that... Well 🤷

Once DU drow has that something or someone that forces him to approach himself from a different perspective, he could start to let that shit go. Just as Astarion would probably be doing the same thing somewhere else, with someone else. It will happen eventually and they will be better people for it - not for the world, but at least for each other.

Thank you for the question! The intense ones are my favorites.

[fratttymatty]

The Prank

(All characters are 18+)

Once upon a time in a quiet town, there lived an 18-year-old high school boy named Oliver Miller. Oliver was the type of person who spent most of his free time reading up on current events, science fiction novels, and philosophical articles. His friends often referred to him as a "nerd" in the kindest way possible, and he wore the label with pride. He had big glasses, messy brown hair, and a wardrobe that consisted mostly of graphic tees and flannel shirts. Oliver was liberal-minded, with a passion for environmental issues and social justice causes, and he often spent his weekends volunteering for local initiatives. He was a kind-hearted, introspective soul, and despite his awkwardness, he knew what he wanted from life.

Then there was Lily Harris, a girl he had met online just a few months ago. She was smart, funny, and just as passionate about politics as Oliver was. They bonded over late-night conversations about the issues that mattered to them — climate change, social inequality, and the importance of standing up for what's right. Lily, like Oliver, was a nerd through and through. She loved indie films, debated comic book lore, and was just as comfortable discussing quantum physics as she was talking about her favourite dystopian novels. She was liberal, she was strong-minded, and she was everything Oliver admired.

One Tuesday evening, after hours of exchanging memes and debating the latest political scandals, Oliver and Lily decided it was finally time to meet in person. They had spent weeks talking about how much they clicked, how their shared values and interests made them feel like kindred spirits. So, on that Tuesday, they agreed that Friday would be the day. They would meet at the local park, where they’d talked about all the things they wanted to do in the future — from travelling together to marching for causes they cared about. It would be the start of something beautiful, or so they thought.

Little did Oliver know, everything was about to change in ways he could never have imagined.

The very next day, Wednesday, Lily’s life took an unexpected turn. Her brother, Kyle, had always been a prankster, but this time, he was up to something more sinister than just stealing her favourite hoodie. Kyle had recently stumbled upon an ancient, arcane spellbook he'd found in the attic. He had no idea how it worked, but curiosity got the best of him.

Sitting in his room, Kyle began reading the incantations out loud, unaware of their potency. As the words left his lips, Lily, who had been browsing through her phone on the couch, suddenly felt a strange sensation washing over her. She looked down at her hands, watching them shrink and soften. Her body seemed to change in real-time, becoming more... feminine... and less of the confident, intellectual woman she had once been. Her long, curly brown hair turned platinum blonde, and her once thoughtful eyes now sparkled with a shallow, distracted energy.

In a matter of moments, Lily stood up, feeling like an entirely different person. Gone were her thoughtful expressions, her sharp intellect, and her love for deep conversations. In their place, she felt an overpowering urge to talk in valley girl slang. “Like, oh my God!” she said, glancing at her reflection in the mirror. Her voice was higher pitched, and she felt a strange, dizzying sense of joy, as though she'd suddenly adopted a new identity. Her glasses were gone, replaced by oversized, trendy sunglasses, and she had to admit, she kind of liked how she looked now. She was, after all, totally hot.

“Ugh, Kyle, like, what did you do to me?” she asked, but it didn’t sound like her at all. Her voice was laced with a giggly, ditzy tone she never thought she could produce. Kyle, smirking, leaned against the doorframe. “You’ll thank me later, Lil. Trust me.”

Later that night, Lily couldn’t stop texting Oliver, trying to keep up the appearance of the thoughtful, political girl he had fallen for. But every text she sent felt more and more difficult to write. By the end of the evening, she simply couldn’t resist the urge to call him, feeling an odd excitement to speak to him as the new version of herself.

Thursday came, and the transformation continued. At dawn, something strange happened. Lily, in her new bubbly, cheerleader-like state, felt a sudden compulsion to call Oliver. She wasn’t sure why, but the impulse was too strong to ignore.

On the other end of the phone, Oliver picked up the call, his voice soft and curious. “Hey, Lily, what’s up?”

“Like, heyyy, Oliver!” Lily cooed, the valley girl persona pouring out. “I, like, totes can’t wait for us to, like, meet tomorrow. It’s gonna be soooo fun, you know?”

Oliver blinked in confusion. “Wait… what happened to you, Lily? You sound... different.”

“Oh my God, babe, like, nothing happened,” Lily replied, tossing her hair back and giggling. “I’m just super excited, that’s all.”

Then, with a sudden flash, a strange energy washed over Oliver. He felt his body tense up, as if he was being pulled from within. His nerdy, liberal self was slowly slipping away. His posture straightened, his muscles began to grow, and before he could even process what was happening, he felt like a completely different person. His hair shortened into a messy, yet perfectly styled bro cut, and his glasses vanished. His clothes magically changed into a fitted, athletic tee, and his once soft, geeky demeanour now turned into a dominating, cocky confidence. He felt like he could rule the world.

“Bro,” Oliver muttered to himself in awe, looking at his reflection. His voice was deeper, more assertive. “What the hell just happened?”

Across the phone, Lily’s new voice came through again, teasing. “Babe, like, you’re gonna love the new you, trust me. You’re totes hot now. Like, you’re an alpha, and it’s gonna be, like, amazing when we meet.”

By Friday, both Oliver and Lily were standing at the local park, not as the people they once were, but as someone completely different. Oliver, now a jock with a cocky grin, and Lily, a cheerleader who looked like she had stepped out of a reality TV show, locked eyes and felt a magnetic pull.

“Hey, like, Eric,” Lily said with a laugh, addressing him with his new name. The transformation had been so complete that the name “Oliver” felt foreign now.

Eric—he didn’t even remember the person he had been—looked at her with a grin that could melt hearts. “Cassie, babe, you look amazing,” he said, his deep voice dripping with confidence. He was tall, athletic, and ridiculously good-looking now.

Cassie flipped her new blonde hair and giggled. “Totes. You look, like, way hotter than I imagined. I, like, can’t wait to see what happens between us.”

Eric smirked. “Just so you know, I’m gonna be, like, a really bad boyfriend. I mean, I’m toxic, and I’m all about the bro life. I’m not gonna be super caring and stuff.”

Cassie’s eyes sparkled with excitement, and she didn’t hesitate for a second. “Like, that’s totally fine. I’m, like, soooo down with it. You’re, like, hot, and that’s all that matters, babe.”

Eric, feeling a little bewildered by her nonchalant attitude, leaned in closer, his arms circling her waist. “You sure?”

Cassie giggled, pulling him in closer. “Like, for sure. Let’s just have fun, Eric. I’m, like, totes happy with who we are now.”

And just like that, their personalities had merged in a way neither of them could have predicted. They were no longer the nerdy, liberal-minded teenagers who had spent hours debating the world’s problems. Now, they were Cassie and Eric, a power couple made for the jock-queen lifestyle, and neither of them cared about going back.

They kissed, their new identities solidifying as they embraced who they were now, not caring about the people they had been before. For the first time, they were truly happy — they were confident, carefree, and together. The world felt like their playground, and they didn’t need to look back.

As they walked off into the sunset, hand in hand, they knew there was no going back. And, honestly, they didn’t want to.

And so, Cassie and Eric’s new lives began — full of confidence, laughter, and a whole lot of valley girl slang. They were the perfect couple, living for the moment, and completely happy in their new skin.

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Adult SFF Books Bracket: Round 4

Book summaries below:

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

A groundbreaking work of science fiction, The Left Hand of Darkness tells the story of a lone human emissary to Winter, an alien world whose inhabitants spend most of their time without a gender. His goal is to facilitate Winter's inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the completely dissimilar culture that he encounters.

Embracing the aspects of psychology, society, and human emotion on an alien world, The Left Hand of Darkness stands as a landmark achievement in the annals of intellectual science fiction.

Science fiction, classics, speculative fiction, anthropological science fiction, distant future, adult

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers series) by Becky Chambers

Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.

Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

Science fiction, adventure, series, adult

[nanowrimo]

5 Essential Tips for Mastering Scene Writing in Your Novel

There's many parts involved when writing a scene. Knowing how these different pieces work together may help you move forward in your novel. NaNo Participant Amy de la Force offers some tips on brushing up your scene writing knowledge. Scenes are the building blocks of a novel, the stages where characters spring to life, conflicts brew and emotions run high. Mastering the art of scene writing is crucial for any aspiring writer, especially in the lead-up to NaNoWriMo. But what is a scene, and how do you effectively craft one? 

What is a Scene? 

A scene is a short period of time — in a set place — that moves the story forward with dramatic conflict that reveals character, generally through dialogue or action. Think of writing a scene as a mini-story with a beginning, middle and end, all contributing to the narrative. 

Why Scene Writing is Your Secret Weapon in Storytelling

Well-crafted scenes enhance your story to develop characters, advance the plot, and engage readers through tension and emotion. Whether you're writing a novel, short story or even non-fiction, scenes weave the threads of your story together.

Tip #1: Scenes vs. Sequels

According to university lecturer Dwight Swain in Techniques of the Selling Writer, narrative time can be broken down into not just scenes, but sequels. 

Scene

The 3 parts of a scene are:

Goal: The protagonist or point-of-view (POV) character’s objective at the start of the scene.

Conflict: For dramatic conflict, this is an equally strong combination of the character’s ‘want + obstacle’ to their goal. 

Disaster: When the obstacle wins, it forces the character’s hand to act, ratcheting up tension. 

Sequel 

Similarly, Swain’s sequels have 3 parts:

Reaction: This is the POV character’s emotional follow-up to the previous scene’s disaster. 

Dilemma: If the dramatic conflict is strong enough, each possible next step seems worse than anything the character has faced.  

Decision: The scene’s goal may still apply, but the choice of action to meet it will be difficult. 

Tip #2: Questions to Ask Yourself Before Writing a Scene

In Story Genius, story coach and ex–literary agent Lisa Cron lists 4 questions to guide you in scene writing:

What does my POV character go into the scene believing?

Why do they believe it?

What is my character’s goal in the scene?

What does my character expect will happen in this scene?

Tip #3: Writing Opening and Closing Scenes

Now that we know more about scene structure and character considerations, it’s time to open with a bang, or more to the point, a hook. Forget warming up and write a scene in the middle of the action or a conversation. Don’t forget to set the place and time with a vivid description or a little world-building. To end the scene, go for something that resolves the current tension, or a cliffhanger to make your scene or chapter ‘unputdownable’. 

Tip #4: Mastering Tension and Pacing 

A benefit to Swain’s scenes and sequels is that introspective sequels tend to balance the pace by slowing it, building tension. This pacing variation, which you can help by alternating dialogue with action or sentence lengths, offers readers the mental quiet space to rest and digest any action-packed scenes. 

Tip #5: Scene Writing for Emotional Impact

For writing a scene, the top tips from master editor Sol Stein in Stein on Writing are:

Fiction evokes emotion, so make a list of the emotion(s) you want readers to feel in your scenes and work to that list.

For editing, cut scenes that don’t serve a purpose (ideally, several purposes), or make you feel bored. If you are, your reader is too. 

Conclusion

From understanding the anatomy of a scene to writing your own, these tips will help elevate your scenes from good to unforgettable, so you can resonate with readers.

Amy de la Force is a YA and adult speculative fiction writer, alumna of Curtis Brown Creative's selective novel-writing program and Society of Authors member. The novel she’s querying longlisted for Voyage YA’s Spring First Chapters Contest in 2021. An Aussie expat, Amy lives in London. Check her out on Twitter, Bluesky, and on her website! Her books can be found on Amazon. Photo by cottonbro studio

[thecheekyblog]

It Sunday!! So it is reset Sunday!

I don’t know for you but February has been pretty draining to me and knowing this month is coming to an end, i feel today is a great time to do some introspection.

Take your journal, and think about the fact that you made it through that challenging month. For me, I haven’t been this busy with work and felt like all that i do was not enough and just felt overwhelmed over all. Than i realized, man ITS WINTER! Everything would be overwhelming, i dont go out, way less socializing, more procrastination, no shit i feel so low.

If you live in Canada, especially in Quebec, you would know that winter been kicking our ass and i decided to do some about it! I look into ways to bring more joy into my life, active joy. Not Netflix or TikTok (which tbh turned in into a zombie lowkey)

I decided to find indoors hobbies and go back into walking 10k steps a day. I felt like i needed to find a purpose until summer comes back and i can be the goddess of the sun that i was always meant to be.

For the hobbies, i started reading again, BAKING ( because fly girls bake pookie ), working out more (yoga mostly because I’m a stiff queen rn and i dont like it).

So on this fine Sunday, do a list of the things the better you would be doing! Like what perfect you do on her free time you know! And also take some time to reflect and be grateful for yourself and all that makes you who you are.

Use today to plan this last week of February and prepare what you want your March to be. March will mark the end of the first quarter of the year. MAKE IT COUNT!

Here is a list of few hobbies you can do inside.

Creative & Artsy Hobbies 🎨

Painting & Drawing – Watercolors, acrylics, or digital art

Calligraphy & Hand Lettering – Beautiful writing styles

Scrapbooking – Preserve memories with creativity

Pottery & Clay Sculpting – Handmade ceramics and crafts

Mindful & Relaxing Hobbies 🧘🏾‍♀️

Meditation & Mindfulness – Stress relief and focus

Journaling – Gratitude journaling, dream logs, bullet journaling

Reading – Fiction, self-help, history, or poetry

Puzzles & Brain Teasers – Sudoku, crosswords, Rubik’s cubes

Astrology & Tarot Reading – Explore spiritual insights

Learning & Skill-Building Hobbies 📚

Learning a New Language – Apps like Duolingo or Rosetta Stone

Taking Online Courses – Skillshare, Coursera, Udemy

Playing a Musical Instrument – Piano, guitar, ukulele, or digital music production

Coding & Programming – Build websites, apps, or game

Creative Writing – Poetry, short stories, novels

Food & Drink Hobbies 🍽️

Baking & Cake Decorating – Experiment with new recipes

Cooking International Dishes – Try cuisines from different cultures

Mixology & Bartending – Make creative mocktails or cocktails

Fermenting Foods – Kimchi, yogurt, kombucha

I hope this help and i hope you giriliees are okay

[thewolffairytaler]

You're just trouble little sheep - part 2 | Thomas Hewitt x female reader

_____________________________

Summary: He dosen’t know how to handle you. You have your own thoughts and feelings, which makes Thomas feel very conflicted. Thoughts tend to make him think a lot about life and fictional scenarios because that's how one escapes reality, but Thomas dosen’t want it to be fictional, yet how can they be reality when he has his own problems and can't even trust you?

Parts: Three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, & eleven.

With a practised ease, Thomas hefted the animal carcass onto the nearby table, the wet, slick form of the beast sloshing on the cold, metal surface. His large, gnarled hands sought out the appropriate points, swiftly severing the carotid and brachial arteries to begin the process of blood removal.

As the red, viscous fluid gushed forth, Thomas moved on to the next step, skillfully guiding the carcass into the scalding bath, where the skin loosened and began to peel away. Satisfied with the result, he hauled the animal back onto the table, grabbing a sharp knife to make a long, clean incision along its abdomen.

With deft strokes, Thomas reached into the now-open cavity, removing the organs, and disposing of them into a nearby bin. Finally, he split the carcass in half, skillfully separating it into two symmetrical portions, which he placed onto a nearby conveyor belt, continuing the monotonous yet crucial task, over and over, until it was time for his shift to end.

Though his world may have been a mundane one, he excelled at his duties, finding some semblance of purpose and order in the routine and brutality of the slaughterhouse. He was the epitome of a butcher, driven by his instincts with a fierce loyalty to his family, ready to protect their way of life since they are growing too old to do much anymore.

But sometimes, Thomas just wanted to follow his emotions. Even if he knew it would get him into a lot of trouble, but he never did. Just stayed in line and did what was asked of him, cause that's all he was good for. Butchering, doing farm work, and sewing. Nothing special in those things in his mind, considering anybody could do that without a degree or a long time skill.

Thomas's eyes narrowed as he paused, reflecting on the thoughts that ran through his mind. Though he had no voice to vocalise his emotions, he seemed to be consumed by an internal turmoil. The idea of following his emotions, of forging his own path, was both alluring and frightening.

As if realising that any deviation from the life he had known could spell doom for his family, Thomas shook off his brief moment of introspection. His gaze hardened as he picked up his butcher's knife once more, plunging it into the next carcass with renewed vigor. He would remain true to his duties, even if it meant suppressing his inner desires.

He had no real aspirations, and his simple existence seemed to suffice for the moment. His skills in butchering, farm work, and sewing served a purpose, even if it was a humble one. Thomas would continue to be the reliable cog in the Hewitt family machine, unassuming but necessary, as he went on about his daily routine, oblivious to the world beyond his isolated existence.

He hated the silence at times, even though he wished for the calmness on some occasions. His brow furrowed as the memories of his youth resurfaced. His early dreams had been pure and innocent, reflecting a naive optimism. But as he grew, those dreams faded in the face of reality.

The disfigurement that marred the lower half of his face was an ever-present reminder of his limited opportunities. He knew that the world would never accept someone like him. His intelligence, while not overly impressive, remained mostly unexplored, stifled by his own insecurities and the confines of his home, along with his mask.

Thomas's eyes glazed over as he recalled the few times he'd tried to imagine a different life. A life where he wasn't shackled to the same routine and depressing existence. But those fantasies, as beautiful as they may have been, were quickly replaced by the grim realities of the life he knew.

As he worked, Thomas's hands never faltered, the rhythmic, methodical nature of his actions providing a sense of order to an otherwise chaotic existence. For a brief moment, a faint glimmer of sadness flickered in his eyes, a testament to the life that might have been, but it was quickly smothered by the crushing weight of his present reality.

His thoughts drifted to the alluring enigma of the woman he'd encountered mostly in his nightly wanderings. He found himself longing for something more, a connection with someone outside his dysfunctional family.

Yet, reality once more struck a cruel blow. He knew that she'd never see him as anything but a twisted, disfigured monster. The gap between their worlds was as vast as the chasm separating their very beings. Thomas's heart ached with an inexplicable yearning, yet he pushed the thought away, burying it deep within the dark recesses of his mind.

Instead, he focused on the immediate task at hand. He was needed at home, his family depended on him. One simple mistake could have the boss cut his salary in half or give a dumb excuse as to why he has to work overtime, but dosen’t get paid extra for it.

Thomas didn't know what to do about it, what to do with her but as the days keep on going, and the rumours of the slaughterhouse being potential shut down in the future. It made him nervous. The thought of losing his home, the only life he had ever known, terrified him. He grappled with the growing fear and uncertainty, his primitive instincts urging him to protect what little stability he had.

Those minor night walkings only started because he had a lot in his mind and couldn't sleep because they kept him up at night. But he never expected to see her outside so late sometimes. Apparently, she had two jobs, one as a late night waitress and the other as a secretary. He only found this out because when she did see him, she had asked him if he could accompany her for a while, stating she didn't exactly feel safe walking back home at night. Having sympathy for the shorter woman, he had decided that day to aid the little sheep out.

Nothing special had happened that night, she was mostly talking about work related issues, and about the economy for Newt not looking so great. She mentioned also that if it would get worse, she would have no option but to leave soon. Considering her financial situation wasn't the best, and her words made Thomas feel a bit... gray. The only nice individual who wasn't in his family could move at any point of his life, and he wouldn't even know it until she was already gone.

She had lived here her whole life, yet she had spoken as if she could leave it all behind in a heartbeat. Thomas's sharp butcher knife hit hard against the work bench to the point that it actually got stuck on the table, luckily though he hadn't put too much force in it, and had smoothly pulled it out.

He dosen’t know why she wanted to move away so badly, he dosen’t understand why she says it as if it is a dream of hers, but if she could say that so confidentiality to a man like him. What's to say she even cared about how he felt?

Author's note: I hope you enjoyed part two of this little series I had unintentionally created and now can not escape from. How long will it be? I honestly have no idea. We'll see if this short story turns out to be good or not.

[wolvesroampastelgalaxies]

Edit: All chapters up on Tumblr & ao3 :p

Okay, so I saaaaid 3 chapters. But like every good ending to a movie franchise, we going halfsies. ;P I will be dead honest, I have only seen the fist episode of FoP: ANW and have no desire to continue, because, as a 24 yo woman I should not feel this distraught about a cartoon. Also, I'm recalling things from the OG series by memory. So if things don't quite line up with canon or lore, just let me have the liberation that comes with fan fiction. Also, I know the show takes place ~20 years ahead, I like to think Timmy kept his fairies till he was 18 and so it has been 12 years since they have last been together.

Second Star To The Right And Straight On Home ⭐️ (Part 1)

Timmy had been working on this sales report for the first 3 hours of shift. His hands were cramping as his eyes strained at the screen. Maybe he needed glasses? Definitely needed to start taking magnesium supplements. Was he really getting that old? It wasn’t like he had done much in his life to feel old at 30. That was another thought, he hadn’t done much of anything. He’d been at this job for nearly three years, maybe a handful of failed dates, and spent his free time napping on the couch after eating room temperature pizza. 

  What am I doing?

  Introspection always vined its way like poison ivy through the ridges of his brain when left with his own thoughts.  

  I need fresh air, maybe take a walk, go grab a drink this weekend, anything to break up the monotony.

  Monotony: he never used that word. The world was starting to bleed into the black and white screen he worked with, smearing into something gray. This was torture, working under florescents when there was real sunlight. His cubicle was near the back of the office and closest to the windows. It magnified his gloominess by teasing the bright colors of the outside. He frequently cast glances to see streams of sun peeking through tree leaves. Most times, there was a finch sized bird sitting on the closer branches. Timmy noticed it the first time when, strangely, he was feeling watched. Or maybe he was desperate for attention. 

  Lately, when he’d go to check on the little bird, it was missing, leaving him discontent. It was a strange color, akin to lavender or periwinkle. No amount of Google searches revealed the species. It wasn’t uncommon for Cosmo and Wanda to take animal forms. Green and pink dogs were definitely harder to explain. There were no strange looks when they were pins on his backpack or- 

  Wait. 

  Timmy’s brows furrow and he moves his hands to grip the arms of his chair, sitting up straighter. Though he was looking outside, all focus was on whatever was unfurling in his head. 

  Cosmo and Wanda .... did I ever have dogs? No. Definitely not a green one. I had fish, it's a wonder they stayed alive for so long. 

  Why did he think of those names? Why could he picture personified versions of everyday objects? Always the same color. Green and pink. Pink and green. Because he knew them. He knew they weren't pins on a backpack or an .... umbrella? 

  They were my fish. Right? But they were also people. No, that’s not quite right either. 

  They were his fairies. And he remembers skydiving. He’s never been skydiving. But how does he know the sting of wind on his face?  And why was his parachute talking? Timmy nearly knocks over his chair as he gets to his feet, heart rate increasing like the one and only time he went to the gym. A co-worker catches the sudden movement, sensing a source of panic. 

    “Yo, Turner, you good man?”

  Timmy barely registers the words and makes a noise in the back of his throat as a reply.

    “I’vegottogo.” He tumbles out, snatching his car keys and phone from beneath the desk. 

  He has to find that fishbowl. 

💫💫💫

    The house had been shut up since his parents left on their yearlong Winnebago journey. Outside of Facebook posts and a few messages he rarely spoke to them. They were never really the attentive type. At least not to their son. Timmy has a hard time getting the door open. Images and dialogue clog up his concentration. It’s like their occurring in the moment and yet he’s recalling them from the past at the same time 

  Wishing for Christmas every day? Really immature Timmy.

  ‘We’re two halves of a whole idiot!’

  Wanting to be a girl for the day was a bad idea from the start. What was I thinking? Even if Trixie Tang was hot. Wanda did warn me though.

  'This bike stinks. I need one that’s cool as I am!’ 'This bike is as cool as you are!’

  'Did I really wish to be in the internet? Oh dear God I’m so happy it wasn’t the modern-day web.

  'And here's Wanda with the news: Vicky 's going to kill you when she finds out what you're up to!’

  His head pounds from the jumbled jargon he once knew as it takes meaning again. No wonder he felt so bored with his life now. He had fairies and dumb wishes with dumb, sometimes disastrous outcomes as a kid. Cosmo and Wanda were his fairies! There was a whole world of fairies, anti-fairies, and pixies and magic!  And there was a whole book of rules, all of them he sees himself breaking. As well as being the source of new ones.

  When the keys finally make it into the doorknob and he throws it open, not bothering to retrieve them or close the door. After he had moved out, his parents didn't do anything with his stuff. Just shoved boxes and the miscellaneous in as they needed. Everything was mostly in the same spot. Including the fishbowl.  

  It was right where it should be on his nightstand. Timmy went to reach for it but pulled back, staring intently. Dust had covered the glass surface, and he was afraid that disturbing any of it might cease the onslaught of memories. He wanted these memories, he wanted to know his life hadn’t been useless. That there were people who wanted the best for him and didn’t abandon him when there was a stupid decision to be made. Knowing that two tiny fairies said they cared for him. 

  His heart was pulsing hot bolts of pain at the thought of having lost them in the first place. At wondering why his god-parents left him and where they were now. 

  After a long moment, he tentatively reached out, bringing it closer, letting clips of childhood reflect off the glass. It was barely big enough for one guppy, much less three goldfish. Three. There had been three.   

  There was no cringe or embarrassment attached to this wish. In fact he remembered being the happiest he’d ever been in his life. It has been him and his god-parents for a long time, and he never thought it could get better. It was an overwhelming feeling of love that encompassed past and present. Cosmo and Wanda for once hadn’t warned him of the repercussions, despite them being epoch-making; they all knew it was so worth it. 

  Sadness has such a way of tainting things. It crept unnoticed as another memory took place. It was in this room. He felt a tight squeeze around his arm and saw Cosmo’s face pressed into his shoulder, muffling sobs, his dramatics matching the situation for once. A light kiss pressed itself into his temple as Wanda patted down his hair. Tiny hands pulled at his shirt and tears stained more than his clothes. Then there was nothing. Like it was all a dream that faded with the night and the sun was rising a now dull dawn.

  Timmy rubbed at the dust with his thumb, smearing a tear across it. He remembered the third one. His voice choked on something bitter as he saw through the eyes of his younger self, hugging the baby fairy when it all went away. 

    “Oh Poof, I - I’m so sorry.”

    “Don’t be. And it’s Peri now.”  

          💫 💫 💫

  Was that really the first thing to say after 12 years? The strain in his own voice prevented what Peri thought might be condescending. Call it intuition or an inference, but he knew Timmy would come back here. After Dev granted his wish, he sat there dumb struck until the kid asked him what happened next. Peri had pictured the reunion with so many different outcomes that, for a moment, he was scared of ‘next.’ Timmy was all the way back in Dimmesdale, across the country, though that was no problem with a little magic. Magic however, could be independent if left without clear boundaries. Peri had no idea how this wish would work out. Would it be instant? Would it come back in pieces? Would it work at all? He was sure he found a loop-hole. He could recall several times his magic went against Da Rules without the intention, and as dangerous as it was, this was his fail safe. 

  This was Peri’s first time shapeshifting into his human form that was not directly from his normal one. His little finch self has flown through the cracked window, its symbolism lost on him.  A human body felt clumsy, but it seemed like the right choice. What if he hadn’t remembered they were fairies yet? Granted, he was still trying to figure out the wings and crown, it was difficult to hide the markers of his true self.

  It would not have mattered if Poof appeared as a fairy or disguised as human, Timmy could see Cosmo and Wanda in him. He had just been a year or two out of his beach-ball stage when Timmy had turned 18, and the then young kid was already resembling his parents. Now, Timmy was struck with the resemblance to his god-parents. His little Poof had Cosmo’s smile and Wanda’s hair, but his eyes were uniquely his own and easily the most identifiable. Timmy had seen those lavender eyes glitter as they first took in the world. He hated anyone or anything that turned those eyes into blank spaces all this time.

  Peri might not have been going by his government name, but he made a noise akin to it when Timmy pounced on him. Petite as he was, something he got from his father (well, before retirement), he felt enveloped by the embrace. Even as a human, Peri was slight and though Timmy was no body-builder, he wasn’t a teenager anymore. The differences didn’t register as he felt the warmth of Timmy’s near crushing hold. His body recalled the last time they were like this, when it was goodbye. As his mind caught up to the haptic memory, the contrast between then and now made him break.

  My brother remembers!

 Relief was meant to be calming, coming out from a storm unharmed, but for them it was a tsunami. For all the bravado and charisma he showcased, over a decade of longing revealed itself. Timmy wasn’t much taller but it was enough so he could hide his face in his brother’s neck, for once not holding back the tears. He felt the human’s cheek press against the side of his head and it was the most contact either had in a time they had stopped counting. Timmy couldn’t believe this, he never wanted to let go, never wanted to forget a single second of this. How could any magic replace this?

  The moment could not bridge the years apart had they stayed this way for twice as long. Timmy had to force himself to push Peri back by his shoulders, one hand staying there and the other pressed against the back of his head to get a better look. If he still had them, he’d wish for the tears to stop so he could see properly.

    “Oh my God. Poof, look at you! You grew up! How-how could I have missed this?” He hiccuped.

   Peri didn’t bother to correct him, the name was childish but they had both been children when Timmy named him and if anyone had a pass to say it, it was his big brother.  The fairy took a shaky breath, attempting to blink away the kaleidoscopic effect of tears. 

    “Like -,” he has to step back, letting both of Timmy’s hands rest on his shoulders, or he might never stop crying, “Like I said, don’t be sorry.” He smiled pitifully. They could fix it now

    “We used to watch - oh what was that show? Sleazy and Cheezy! And you about got me killed!” He laughed, wanting to recall as much as possible

    “And - and remember the time mom was so mad because you were teaching me to shape shift!”

    “Tree and bee do sound the same!”

    “Okay but, you definitely stretched it with the bird and rocket mix up!”

    “Hey, I wasn’t gonna let you take the fall. You were already falling in on our roof.” 

  Reluctantly, Timmy let go of Peri’s narrow shoulders, the euphoria bottoming out. Peri saw the dimming of blue eyes, and an intense anxiety struck him. This time he was the one reaching out.

    “What’s wrong? 

  Timmy pulls away and moved to sit on the edge of his bed. A musty smell arose as the sheets crinkled under the weight. Peri watched as a perturbed look took form.

    “Why?” He finally says.

    “What do you mean ‘why’?”

    “I grew up, they wiped my brain. You could have lived eternity and forgotten about me.”

     Peri had a lightning-like shot of anger, “I could never forget about you. None of us could.”

     Timmy scoffed, “You’re telling me that immortal fairies, who have had countless god-kids throughout the centuries, would find me so important?”

     The fairy clenches his fist, stomping over to force the human to look at him. "You have no idea how hard they fought for you. Or how much of a hole you left for us. They haven't had a god-kid since you.” 

    “Really?” He concedes. It dissipates into something bitter and selfish when he sees Peri’s resolve falter.

    “Well -

    “I figured as much.”

    “No, you don’t understand.” He says the harshness leaving, replaced with empathy. He sits down next to Timmy. “It was very recent. And I was mad and couldn’t understand either, after all we went through.”

   “Thanks.” He says flatley. 

   “Will you just listen to me? When they met Hazel, they said it felt different from their time with you. Because they realized you meant more than being their god-kid. That it was the same feeling they have with me.”  

 They think of me like their son? 

  Timmy wills himself not to let go of another tear, but it has been an emotional day and having half your life re-written can be a little overwhelming.

    “Do they know, that, well, that I know ? ”

    Peri grins, a bit of debonair sneaking in, “Would you like to tell them?”

  He thinks of the first time he met his god-parents, at 10 it never crossed his mind to be skeptical because, hey, unlimited wishes. Now that he’s older, he realizes all the lessons he learned from them. And how he could get away with so much more with Cosmo and how Wanda would nag him like a mother. They were more his parents than his biological ones. 

    Timmy bumps his shoulder with Peri’s, “You realize we probably are going to be crying again?”

    “No doubt. Family reunions can be emotional.” He says with a curt nod, now wearing a full smile. 

  Family. His family. 

    “I gatta ask though, did you say your name was Peri?”   

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

Apr 29th

~*~

1. Itmf wangxian but A) it's a universe with mechas and wwx may/may not be a mecha genius or mecha master?

B) wx but make it Interstellar univ

C) wwx transmigrating please

1A)

The Weight of the World by KouriArashi (T, 67k, WangXian, XiYao, XuanLi, Pacific Rim Fusion, Robots, Monsters, robots fighting monsters, Family, Romance, Developing Relationship, Angst, (but not about the romances), Hurt/Comfort, Politics, Happy Ending)

Thunder's Coming Over Me by phnelt (E, 38k, WangXian, WIP, Avatar & Benders Setting, Pacific Rim Fusion, temporary character death (wwx's), Angst with a Happy Ending, Action & Romance)

I’ll buy you the moon (I’ll buy you two) by Thesaurus_with_no_words (E, 27k, WangXian, Science Fiction, Space, Rebels, Space Opera, On the Run, Promoted To Parent, Robots, Androids, Mechs, Battle Mechs, Hurt/Comfort, Technopathy, Willful and Deliberate Baby and Wife Acquisition, Porn With Plot, Mpreg) would this count if the mech fighting is only mention and wwx is currently a technopath?

~*~

2. Itmf request! Any fics where LWJ and WWX get together (even if just as friends) before LWJ figures himself out and so he's embarrassed by WWX or otherwise reticent or dismissive about their relationship?

Cleaning & Courtship by Winxhelina (T, 13k, WangXian, Modern Cultivation, Getting Together, First Kiss, Bunnies, Domestic Fluff, Fluff) fits the bill I feel. Lan Wangji definitely isn’t dismissive on purpose but he is awfully embarrassed and flustered in chapter 2. (And in fact In the secret chapter 3 that has been in my drafts for ages, but we don’t talk about her. The story is done. Supposedly.)

~*~

3. heyy there, feeling for some angsty fics of lwj finding out wwx death or just grieving for him over the years. thanksss

to the act of making noise by words-writ-in-starlight (WordsWritInStarlight) (G, 19k, LSZ & LWJ, LSZ & WWX, WangXian, Grief/Mourning, Father-Son Relationship, inquiry, LSZ is the best of boys and I will not hear debate, Music, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Found Family) This is sorta third party POV, with Sizhui being the third party. Angsty yet tender, with Sizhui growing up hearing Inquiry. I swear I went through a pile of tissues the first time I read it, but in the best way! Highly recommend the podfic version for extra feels!

to remember names of plants series by detention_notes (T, 8k, Diary/Journal, Character Study, WWX's canonical humor as deflection, WQ is a lesbian, Friendship, Parenthood, Pining, thinly-veiled anger and fear, small moments of hope, planning for uncertain futures, is this angst?, gentle angst, Reminiscing, Found Family, Parenthood, Reminiscing, Pining, Grief/Mourning, Epistolary, Healing, Childhood, Love, LWJ's single parenthood, how to love a memory, how to raise the next generation, Canonical Character Death, Yearning, LWJ's concentrated stream-of-consciousness emotions, Bittersweet, Hopeful Ending)

New Perspective by mrcformoso (T, 8k, WangXian, LSZ & LWJ, Major Character Death, Angst, Hopeful Ending, Fatherhood, Regrets, Flashbacks, POV LWJ, LWJ-centric, Canonical Character Death - WWX, Pining LWJ, LWJ Has Feelings, LWJ Needs a Hug, Character Development, Dead WWX, LWJ deals with the death of his love, And learns to be a father along the way, Introspection, Feelings, LWJ is Bad at Feelings, Character Study, WWX's death in The Untamed was too raw, Regretful LWJ, Breaking Toxic Cycles, Canon Compliant, LWJ in Seclusion, Post-LWJ in Seclusion, Child LSZ)

~*~

4. hello! thank you for all the lovely work you do mods, this is my favourite account for finding fic recs :)

i wanted to ask for recommendations of fics where lwj is pining for wwx and maybe genuinely emotionally hurt, or some temporarily unrequited love? the angstier the better tbh, i want to see lwj go through it (before wwx makes it better). only happy endings though please :’)

thanks so much!! 💖

Continuation by thefaceofno (T, 14k, WangXian, Canon Continuation, WWX builds a lotus pond in cloud recesses, Hair Brushing, Light Angst with a Happy Ending, Pining, gay disaster LWJ, Post-Canon Fix-It)

When the Words Stop Coming by mrcformoso (T, 7k, WangXian, Canon Compliant, POV WWX, POV LWJ, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Pre-Sunshot Campaign, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Canonical Character Death, Love Confessions, Rejection, LWJ is a Panicked Gay, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Trauma, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending, Sad with a Happy Ending)

~*~

5. fics of lwj being protective of wwx?? have a good day, thanks. ❤️

Inchoate by Marinelifeclub (T, 20k, WangXian, WIP, Child Abuse, Bad Parent JFM, Bad Parent YZY, Protective LQR, Protective LWJ, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Not YZY Friendly, Not JC Friendly, No Golden Core Transfer, Dark JFM)

🔒 between the shadow and the soul by Reverie (cl410) (M, 22k, WangXian, JYL/WQ, JC/NHS, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family, Dark WWX, Feral WWX, Memory Loss, Magic, Magical Realism, Protective LWJ, Protective JC, Protective JYL, Grief, BAMF WWX, POV Alternating)

~*~

6. Hi! For the next itmf, do you have anything with jyl acting as a mother to wwx? Or anything similar

Fatherhood’s Calling by Fortune_Maiden (G, 1k, JYL/JZX, JZX & WWX, post-sunshot, crack, humor)

The Teapot Plot series by ToxicAngel13 (E, 127k, WangXian, LXC/NMJ, Misunderstandings, protective Jiang siblings, Golden Core Reveal, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, Idiots in Love, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Pre-Burial Mounds, Potential for M-Preg, Fix-It, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Gusu Lan Sect Rules, Mpreg)

~*~

7. Hi! Someone suggest coming here to ask for wangxian fic recs so here I am >^<. Anyways, do you know any fics where wangxian got together before wei wuxian's death? As in, wwx still dies and comes back later in mxy's body.

Thanks in advance!

~*~

8. in the mood for a wangxian fic thats shows/movies rewritten to fit wangxian, i recently read this mamma mia and love O2O au and fell in love with wangxian being put in shows/movies @yesibest

all your life you’ll dream of this by Attila (T, 22k, WangXian, Fairy tale, Cinderella Fusion, Pining)

🔒 the stars in the hazy heaven tremble above you by cicer (G, 64k, WangXian, Fantasy, Cinderella Fusion, Mutual Pining)

the rivers start to sing by fruitys (M, 27k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Tangled (2010) Fusion, Fairy Tale Elements, Strangers to Lovers, True Love's Kiss, or something like that, Sharing a Bed, Wound Tending, Hurt/Comfort, Attempt at Humor, Implied/Referenced Torture, Canon-Typical Violence, the inherent intimacy of traveling with a beautiful stranger, and completely depending upon one another for 3 days)

Down comes the night by danegen (E, 67k, wangxian, Alternate Universe, Canon Era, inspired by From, Horror, Sharing a Room, POV LWJ, no jiangs, a whole village of OCs, tiny mention of past wwx/omc, Happy Ending)

The Dragon's Bride by jaws_3 (T, 34k, WangXian, Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Arranged Marriage elements, Slow Burn, sometimes ya get sent off to atone for ur villages misgivings and u just gotta deal, Dragon LWJ, Mutual Pining, Happy Ending, Spanish Translation Available)

Something Good by boxoftheskyking (T, 43k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Teaching, Sound of Music AU)

~*~

9. Can you all recommend me some fanfic (preferably if long and not modern AU) also if it's completed. @lanwuxian0725

💖🔒 love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, YLLZ WWX, Arranged Marriage, political scheming, Gratuitous Domesticity, Mutual Pining, EXTREME SLOWBURN, the inherent eroticism of the forehead ribbon, The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known, neither wwx nor lwj want to be Perceived, but sorry kids! it’s gonna happen!, rated E but the the NSFW stuff doesn’t begin until chapter 19!, bottom LWJ in chapter 20 and 27)

Teen Project to Change the World by animeloverhomura (Not rated, 810k, WangXian, watching the series, BAMF WWX, Fix-It, JGS is his own warning, Attractive WWX, Homophobia, disturbing imagery, WIP)

🧡 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 786k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement)

❤️ Tragedy is Not the End by Hobbsy3 (T, 358k, wangxian, Time Travel, Torture, Hurt/Comfort, Golden Core Reveal, Canon Divergence from Qiongqi Pass, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Yunmeng sibling bonding, good dad wwx, good dad lwj, JZX Lives, JYL Lives, Junior Quartet Dynamics)

A Narrow Bridge by FrameofMind, Jo Lasalle (Jo_Lasalle) (E, 700k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, slow burn, getting together, first time, pining, pining while fucking, burial mounds settlement days, angst w happy ending)

Love Song In Reverse by timetoboldlygo (T, 237k, WangXian, Amnesia, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Falling In Love, Slow Burn, agressively mixing and matching novel and cql canon, No Homophobia, Mentions of Starvation, Parental WWX)

~*~

10. Itmf: anything with wwx meeting his family on his father’s side? Preferably Pre-canon or a canon divergence

We Meet at the Thousandth Step by Admiranda, Rynne (T, 295k, WangXian, CSSR/WCZ, WIP, Canon Divergence, No Sunshot Campaign, CSSR & WCZ Live, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Different First Meeting, Night Hunts, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Plot, Romance, Drama, Fluff, Strangers to married, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Everyone Lives AU, Developing Relationship, Minor Violence, Case Fic, Mystery, Flirting, WWX’s Canon-Typical Flower Flirting, Arson, There Was Only One Bed, Getting Together, First Kiss, Meeting the Parents, Resolved Sexual Tension, Resolved Romantic Tension, WWX Is a Good Big Brother, New Relationship Bliss, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Blood and Injury, Yiling siblings, Married WangXian, Honeymoon, Wangxian’s Baby Fever)

~*~

11. Hi! As always thank you for everything!!! Do you have recs where lwj kinda gets hurt and wwx just go ylz crazy?? Thank you!! @gideonmorningstar

the field meets the wood by astronicht (T, 7k, WangXian, BAMF WWX, slight whump, Ritualistic Self Harm, Canon Era, Tang Dynasty style, Blood Loss, Blood and Injury, salt economics, Post-Canon)

cold black light by rynleaf (E, 2k, WangXian, PWP, Major Character Injury, Unorthodox Methods of Healing, Rough Sex(Ish) Anal Fingering, The Yiling Patriarch, Blood, Bottom LWJ, Aftercare, LWJ is in love, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Podfic Available)

love what’s burning right in front of you by seularen (E, 10k, WangXian, Post-Canon, BAMF!WWX, description of murder, Case Fic, Political Intrigue, YL WWX, Bottom LWJ, Top WWX, but Big Switch Energy)

to be wielded by your hands by Vir_Abelasan (M, 3k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Fluff and Smut, Competence Kink, Knifeplay, Established Relationship, LWJ has a Yiling Patriarch kink, Consensual sealing of meridians, kink negotiated on the fly, Strength Kink, Resentacles)

~*~

12. hiii!! thank you for all the work you do.

i'm itmf some wwx age regression? like he gets cursed somehow and turns into little a-ying and it's just all feels with the juniors and lwj taking care of him :(((

❤️ grow by cafecliche (T, 14k, WangXian, Age Regression/De-Aging, Character Study, Post-Canon)

found your writing on my wall by howodd5ever (T, 25k, WangXian, JC & LWJ, JC & WWX, Accidental Baby Acquisition, De-aged WWX, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Referenced Child Neglect, discussion of parental loss, child food insecurity, Case Fic, kind of, Nightmares)

~*~

13. hello! i was wondering if there are any fics where Jin Zixuan and Wei Wuxian become like besties/sworn brothers or like really close? thanks <3 @nyxiblue

❤️🔒 Candy & Conspiracies by Reverie (cl410) (T, 16k, wangxian, JZX & WWX, jin wwx, fluff & crack, found family, humor, no angst) WX is taken in by the Jin instead of the Jiang, & he, JZX, & MM are besties

🔒 The Second Hand Unwinds by trulywicked (E, 56k, WangXian, JYL/JZX, WIP, Time Travel Fix-It, Not JC Friendly, Not Yunmeng Jiang Sect Friendly, Not Jiāng Family Friendly, Not YZY Friendly, Time Travelling LWJ, Protective LWJ, Fluff, Minor Angst, Minor Character Death, JGS is his own warning, Wooing, LWJ is romantic af, Inventor WWX, Genius WWX, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Protective Gusu Lan Sect, Supportive LXC, Good Uncle LQR, WWX Protection Squad) has Wei Wuxian become sworn brothers with Jin Zixuan

Twin Treasures by crossdressingdeath (T, 81k, WIP, JZX & WWX, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Can’t quite tag this as ‘everyone lives’ but I promise everyone who dies will DESERVE IT, mostly novel-verse with a bit of CQL here and there, currently being edited) has Wei Wuxian and Jin Zixuan become actual brothers.

watch what we'll become by glitteringmoonlight (T, 60k, JZX & WWX, WangXian, Background JZX/JYL, WWX & JZX are married but completely platonically, featuring my let WWX and JZX be bros agenda, slow burn? is it even a slow burn if they confess but can't be together for Reasons?, Canon Divergence, Fix-It of Sorts, Angst with a Happy Ending, you've heard of enemies to friends to lovers, now get ready for enemies to reluctant husbands to begrudging best friends)

🔒 Quartet series by WithBroomBefore (T, 69k, Platonic Soulbond, Hurt/comfort, Canon   Divergence, No golden core transfer, JC&JZX stay in Xuanwu cave, Fix-it, Temporary character death)

~*~

14. ITMF ask, I’m looking for any golden core fix it fics. (with minimal to no JC bashing plz) I’ve looked through the comp and it doesn’t clearly separate fix-its, golden-core revels and golden-core fix its. And some authors don’t explicitly tag a golden-core fix-it or wwx getting a new core as explicitly that, sometimes they just leave it tagged as a fix-it and it’s missed. So give me any good ones you’ve got. @omgnectarina

The Fire Lapping Up the Creek by notevenyou (E, 66k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Injury, Injury Recovery, Blood, Respiratory Illness, Major Illness, Fever, Grief/Mourning, Burial Mounds, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Hunger and food scarcity, Surgery, Fix-It of Sorts)

💖 Echo, Murmur, Dream, Here by bluerainmist (M, 51k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Universe Alteration, the yiling patriarch survives, Angst with a Happy Ending, Catharsis, Slow Burn, Drama, Getting Together, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Melancholy, Love, Mutual Pining, Reunions, Love Confessions, Eventual Smut, Blow Jobs, Anal Sex, Switching, Grief/Mourning, fucking while pining, Implied/Referenced Torture, Self-Harm, golden core transfer, Playing fast and loose with worldbuilding, Plot, Battle Scenes, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, implied / Referenced suicide attempt, Sect Leader WWX, YLLZ WWX, Yílíng Wèi Sect, mind all the tags) might count as a GC Fix-It?

🧡 Weep You No More, Sad Fountains by athena_crikey (T, 48k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-it fic, Whump, Curses, Fever, Delirium, Stabbing, Loneliness, Confessions)

the breaking of your soul (upon my lips) by sunsandships (M, 40k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Mutual Pining, Golden Core Reveal, Happy Ending)

Righteous at a Cost by thunderwear (G, 21k, wangxian, LQR & WWX, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, no one dies, LQR finds out about WWX’s core, WWX and LQR are friends??, In My Fic?, its more likely than you think, LWJ in the bg like whats happening?, Fluff, WWX goes to Gusu, Mutual Pining, Golden Core Reveal)

Ghosts Shouldn’t by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 15k, WangXian, Grief/Mourning, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending)

Can’t Tell Me Nothin by natacup82 (T, 35k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Everybody Lives, Family Feels, Communication, BAMF Women)

I’m Sorry & Thank You by Iamnotawriter (T, 12k, WangXian, LQR & WWX, Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, Golden Core, Canon-Typical Violence, lqr’s epipheny, Angst with a Happy Ending)

~*~

15. helloo, itmf wei ying near death experiences, canon or modern is finee. thankss.

🔒 a candle blown out by RoseThorne (T, 1k, LWJ & WWX, JC & WWX & JYL, JFM & WWX, Near Death, Depression, Psychological Trauma, Justice, Fear, Angst, No War AU, Attempted Murder, Bad Parent YZY, POV Third Person, POV LXC, Podfic Available)

🔒 a star called sun by thelastdboy (E, 120k, wangxian, SL/XXC, JC & JYL & WWX, JYL & LWJ, WWX & WN & WQ, JYL/JZX, Canon Divergence after Xuanwu Cave, Fall of Lotus Pier, But worse!, Power Imbalance, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Not Everyone Dies AU, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Canon-Typical Violence, Sunshot Campaign, Miscommunication, Heavy Angst with a Happy Ending, Slow Burn, Major Character Injury, Loss of Limbs, Chronic Illness, Seizures, WWX’s Three Months in the Burial Mounds, Wēn Remnants Live, Wēn Remnants Deserve Better, WWX Creates a Sect | Yílíng Wèi Sect, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note, Hurt/Comfort, Selectively Mute LWJ, Service Animals, Crows)

🔒 Bright Voice Roughly Rendered Softly Silent by Preludian_Staves (T, 26k, WangXian, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Divergence, No Golden Core Transfer, Muteness, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Not JC Friendly, Confessions, Angst, Choking, Red String of Fate, Appearances by Paperman!WWX, Inventor WWX, Good Uncle LQR, WWX goes to Cloud Recesses, Feelings Realization, Caretaking, Supportive Lan Family, Genius WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Protective LWJ, Protective Lan Family, Character Death (not wwx or lwj))

when you’re doing all the leaving (then it’s never your love lost) by tardigradeschool (T, 26k, wangxian, canon divergence, hurt/comfort, canon-typical violence, sharing clothes, sharing a bed, fix-it, golden core transfer)

When You Wake, 怎能当梦一场 by acertainrogue (T, 39k, WangXian, WWX is in a coma, Angst with a Happy Ending, Modern AU, Single Dad LWJ, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Parenthood, YZY’s A+ Parenting, JFM’s A+ parenting, wangxian family)

总有一天; a place to hide (can’t find one near) by yiqie (E, 76k, WangXian, Modern AU, Pianist, Getting Together, Mental Health Issues, Suicide Attempt, Suicidal Thoughts, Depression, Hospitals, Overdosing, Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note)

~*~

16. Hi, thank you for all the work you do.

Wondering if there's any fics where Jiang Cheng does manage to capture Wei Wuxian post res and drag him back to Lotus Pier. (Like lwj doesn't get to him in time or jl doesn't get to save him) Preferably JC unfriendly, thanks!

~*~

17. This blog is amazing thank you mods!!!!

A) Do you know of any Jin Zixuan lives and brother in laws Wei wuxian and jiang cheng

Or

B) Sister in law Jiang Yanli with Lan zhan

17A)

Marital Prospects by Vamillepudding (G, 18k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Everybody Lives, Romantic Comedy, Misunderstandings, LWJ Needs a Hug)

17B)

Aftermath by KouriArashi (T, 57k, JYL/JZX, wangxian, LXC/JGY, JZX & JGY, JYL & WXX, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Everybody Lives, Romance, Developing Relationship, Family, Sibling Bonding, Light Angst, Politics, Attempted Sexual Assault, some murder on occasion, People talking about their feelings, processing their trauma, The good shit) Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are engaged but not married yet at the end.

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[boomgun]

Who is suffering more embarrassment;

Edelgard was shaped to conquer the continent. Family slaughtered to give her a second crest, the crest of God(dess) no less, has been preparing for this war for several years while everyone else was unaware, and has made alliances with the underbelly of her empire to stack the deck further. Is about on an even footing with Claude at the practice of killing people in an organized manner (if we accept the assumption that Byleth is needed to tip the scales in favour of any one of the three lords, implying they are each about equal to each other).

Why is that embarrassing? For the same reason Claude would feel embarassed about it.

Claude never wanted a war, his trauma is rooted around being stuck in the middle of a generational conflict, there is a reason why Cyril being a war orphan affects him so deeply. The guy was rummaging around libraries and trying to win the good graces of his teacher with the mark of the divine about them to politick his way through this whole thing. Yet, for some damn reason, Claude is amazing with a bow, has a hidden talent in axes, and has a knack for military strategy that outstrips everyone else. Do you get it yet? When they write books about Claude, there is going to be a sword on the cover, the armies he ground to dust will be pinned on his name like medals by historians, the man will be studied by future generals who will apply his methods to their own campaigns. Imagine a world champion athlete who hated running, a painter of the ages who despised paintbrushes, a peerless ship captain who could not love the sea; the epithet the game gives Claude is the Master Tactician, do we ever realize how tragic that title is compared to who he is deep down.

Now imagine an athlete who was forced to run for days on end, an artist who glued the paintbrush to their own hand, a ship captain who never got out of their boat by the principle of the matter; being just equal to the person above who despises the craft.

What is more embarrassing, being equal to the person who despises the craft you sacrificed a piece of your soul to, or stumbling into such passionate mastery for a thing you hate that it will eclipse everything else that defines you?

I want to bully both of them so much over this. I would be so mean, I think I could make them cry (making traumatized youths cry is actually not that much of a flex, to be honest, but I think I could do it).

Oh, Dimitri? That boy is already crying because he could honestly fit into both categories and he feels like a loser in either one. Needs to avenge the ghosts of his father and friends, oh wait revenge is the motive of selfish monsters, but it is the duty of kings to wield the sword, but how much is duty just an excuse to hide our inadequacies, but how much is this introspection genuine self-reflection and how much of it is shirking a grim obligation to our kingdom and comrades, but should this bloody work be something we are obliged to do, yes it should, no it should not; and on and on Dimitri's stream of consciousness goes.

Dimitri is bullying himself half the time, there is no sport in it. I could just giggle at him, call him pathetic, and walk away without elaborating. Dimitri would do most of the work for me and beeline to the training yard to process his tears through breaking the training dolls.

It is my belief that the protagonists of FE3H are admirable people (so many of their supports are friends and colleagues expressing favour or admiration), but also we could easily bully all three of them. Traumatized youths are easy to bully, and it is okay because they're fictional and the audience loves it when fake people suffer (affectionately, I love it too).

This is the mindset you should get into when writing Kronya, Solon, Thales and such as. Misanthropic, and hating on poor neurodivergent children. Channel your pure awfulness into it.

[syoddeye]

I love your writing so much and I was wondering if you could share I don’t know maybe your thought process or if you took classes or something I don’t know 👉🏼👈🏼 I’m obsessed with your writing style 😭

hi! thanks so much. i'm a little gobsmacked. i've struggled with my self-confidence lately and this is really kind.

i haven't taken writing classes since college. i only started writing fiction again two-ish years ago. i've had to unlearn and relearn a lot, and there is still so much room to grow and many ways to improve.

my writing style is an amorphous blob. i try to shape it a little differently for each project. with every fic i write, i am constantly asking:

flow: is it too choppy? is it too long? what's more important to the story in this moment—action or introspection?

vocabulary: would the character know/use this word to describe something/someone? does it fit the vibe to throw out a word like 'selachian'? or would 'shark-like' make more sense? this isn't always a hard-and-fast rule. if i want to emphasize the vibe, i go with the two-dollar word.

am i sticking to my theme? have i used a motif enough/too much? at what point am i sticking the audience's face into the message vs what do i want them to discover for themselves?

etc.

i don't know if that makes sense, so here are a couple examples:

down the hatch: funny, irreverent, and horny. badger (reader) has lost her marbles and manners. i favor shorter and punchier sentences, and a simpler vocabulary. less poetics. slang and swearing.

you want to hurl a pastry. a knife. a stick of dynamite. you couldn’t miss people, couldn’t want some around. not these dickhead invaders. john’s eyes say it all. underscore their intentions. they’re sticking around and digging in. potentially inviting more fucking soldier types underground.

reminiscent: literally a sensory story. runt (reader) is an omega with a condition that heightens her sense of smell to an unbearable degree, so i lean into a vocabulary that reflects that. she's also grieving, isolated, clever, and introverted, leading to a lot of self-reflection and observation.

You tiptoe and peer inside. It’s difficult to see in the dark, but you smell him. Leather and tobacco. Cedar and amber. Myrrh, tilled soil, and poppies. How on the nose for a soldier to smell like death itself. But poking through the thick, funereal brume is juniper and pine. The hours preceding heavy snowfall. It’s an odd combination, grounding and sharp, petrous and serene. A graveyard in the dead of winter.

cygnet, plucked: more romanticism, more poetics, but still simple. one goal was to emphasize shy's lack of experience with humanity, and to keep the horror of the premise rose-tinted.

The honeycomb drips viscous gold, pooling in the flat of a salted biscuit before spilling over your lips. John hums, pleased, pressing the next bite to your mouth. You chew, tasting the wildflowers.

general tips:

take ample breaks

read more

analyze your favorite author's works (i stare longingly at my mutuals)

find and study writing resources (@/peachesofteal has a great list)

pursue other creative hobbies to scratch the itch when you can't bring yourself to write

lmao, i am so sorry i carried on like this, but you caught me in a chatty mood. i hope this is helpful. i am definitely not an expert.

[brujawrites]

✧ ˚ · . 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 — 

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏: "𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞," | masterlist | next chapter

contains: suguru x female reader, shoko ieri, college au, modern setting, college!suguru, english major!suguru, pining, slow burn, inspired by lana del rey lyrics, 18+ ONLY MDNI

synopsis: meet reader! see how suguru and reader's paths have crossed before and why we're especially excited to see him in class this final semester. chapter 1 of a series so there's alot of background being set up!! ao3 - kofi - playlist - pinterest

"sometimes I feel like i've got a war in my mind, I wanna get off but I keep riding the ride, I never really noticed that I had to decide to play someone's game, or live my own life -- and now I do. I wanna move out of the black, into the blue,"

— "Get Free", Lana Del Rey

Suguru Geto was so cool to you. He just exudes an air of captivating mystery, a quality that draws you in. You found a reflection of yourself in him — the curious, introspective soul that found joy in dissecting and analyzing literature and movies for the sheer pleasure of finding a deeper meaning in art. This was a stark contrast to the persona you currently inhabited. Ever since you got everything you thought you wanted by joining the sorority, there’s this “hot girl” facade you’ve been keeping up. You had to, at least you tell yourself that. Being Vice President of the sorority, the hair and nail appointments every couple weeks, the packed schedule every single week, consumed by obligations at work, for the sorority, date functions, or mixers with fraternities — it was everything you thought you wanted. 

The past two years had been hard in an unconventional way. You were suddenly best friends with over 60 girls, learning about what it meant to be a ‘sister’, navigating your academic life, new found social life, & trying to not fail miserably. 

Meeting Suguru in Spanish class two years ago may have actually been around the time things started to get overwhelming. The sight of him walking into the bustling lecture hall remains etched in your memory. His raven black hair gracefully framed his cheekbones, a striking contrast to his fatigued expression. He calmly looked around the room for a potential seat when his gaze suddenly met yours, his velvety dark eyes sending what felt like a jolt of electricity through you. Immediately, you looked away, intimidated by such abrupt intimacy. As the moment drifted away, you couldn’t help but steal more glances, mesmerized by the effortless allure of his hair half-tied, and admiring the contrast between his hair and the crisp white of his band tee. Your hungry eyes lingered on the sight of his strong, lightly tanned forearm, the muscles flexing as he set his bag on the ground in front of his feet. 

A small smirk played on your lips as the facts informed the fiction, aligning your romanticized narrative with reality — you liked him. You wanted him… right? It seemed like a recurring pattern, a new infatuation added to your roster each semester, you were starting to hate how your mind went to those places when looking at complete strangers. He settled into his seat a few rows ahead, to your right. The rest of the hour-long class went by as your attention wavered from the professor's lecture to the constant pings of the pledge class' group chat on your laptop, all while thoughts of this enigmatic boy swirled through your mind. What was it about him? Obviously, his looks played a role — he was undeniably attractive! But there was an unspoken allure about him that resonated with you. Something remarkably genuine.

He was attractive, but not like the frat boys you had started to learn — those confident, almost arrogantly charming boys supported by the rowdy group of self identified brothers. Suguru stood apart in that way, his demeanor stoic, shrouded in enigma. You, on the other hand, were no different than those frat boys. Donning your Greek letters, surrounded by sisters at parties or on campus, you exuded a confidence that was empowering. But when you’re all alone, face to face with a cute guy, maintaining prolonged eye contact feels like you’re in over your head. 

A twinge of disappointment grew inside you as the realization set in; you haven’t changed. You hadn’t felt the profound shift you had envisioned when justifying your sorority membership to friends back home. College was supposed to be a fresh start, a chance to compensate for feeling like a loser in high school. Encountering someone like Suguru served to remind your of your discomfort within your own skin, in your clothes. Despite this, you pressed on, going through the motions because you thought that was what would make you happy. You thought it was what you wanted. 

That concern quickly snowballed into a full-fledged personal identity crisis, intensifying by the time you were twenty-one. Everyone your age experienced that overwhelming anxiety about the trajectory life seemed to be going in, right? You were pretty aware that these insecurities stemmed from your less than wonderful experiences in grade school. The desire to be accepted, to belong, felt deceptively straightforward but in reality, it was complex. Seeking validation through association of status started to overshadow authentic connections, a realization that took two years to hit. Stepping down from the exhaustive responsibilities of the exec board of your sorority, a position that took way too much time and stress, you now craved a final semester dedicated to your genuine pleasure. No more putting on a facade, no more living for appearances. 

So, when you trudged through the cold, grey January air to your senior seminar to find three or four other students, you immediately slipped into your unnatural facade, feigning interest in your phone screen instead of others around you that actually held your interest. So much for not living up to appearances, you thought silently to yourself when he walked in. 

Suguru Geto. The name alone sent a jolt through you, so seeing him walk into the room sent a surge of excitement swiftly followed by a pang of panic. Today, he looked impeccable. His hair effortlessly framing his features, a brown flannel that accentuated out the deep hues in his eyes, paired with a white crewneck & off-white khakis. Simple, but something about it brought on a flush of warmth over your body. As he moved closer to your side of the classroom, the facade threatened to crumble. Buried in your phone, pretending to text your roommate, Utahime, just trying to avoid the prospect of awkward eye contact or embarrass yourself by speaking to him. 

Your attention is lifted from the screen when the desk in front of you starts to shift. Suguru stood before you, unfastening his backpack, meeting your gaze. You silently hoped your flushed cheeks weren’t betraying your emotions as you offered the boy a friendly grin. After all, the two of you knew each other. A soft smile grew on his lips before he turned away, settling into his seat before class.

Yeah, you think to yourself, recalling that you and Suguru had crossed paths before, that it wasn't a fantasy you made up. Last Spring you took that boring poetry theory class together. That professor was super strict & everyone in the class realized it at the same time when he revealed the daunting project: reconstructing a Wikipedia page for an ancient poem. You got a B for the midterm, Suguru got a D and was shocked to see your grade so much higher than his. “Everyone got a super low score,” you remember him rationalizing, a touch of defeat in his tone. There was nothing you could really say back to him thanks to the slight intimidation that comes from talking to someone so effortlessly cool. Handsome, even. 

“Yeah, I’m not entirely sure how I managed that score either. I didn’t really know what I was doing.” You admitted, not intending to mislead, but also recognizing you had no actual insight to give.

“I’m gonna call Shoko and see what she got. See ya later,” he waved before strolling over to the bike rack, phone already at his ear with Shoko on the dial. You tentatively wave back, feeling a peculiar sensation settling in your stomach. You noticed Shoko and Suguru in class together, but they’re dynamic never struck you as particularly flirtatious. They were definitely close though. It was funny for you to think back to the immense crush you had on him the spring semester one year before, only for fall semester to roll by — out of sight, out of mind. And then, there you were a year later.

The digital clock on the wall hit 9:30 right as the professor entered, exchanging morning greetings before setting up the projector. The first class of your last semester is starting now, causing a subtle flutter in your stomach. It was surreal that just four years ago you got lost in this exact building during orientation week. You had experienced a myriad of changes within yourself since starting university. Why did you feel such shame about it? Because it’s not you, you quietly reasoned to yourself. As Suguru adjusted in his seat in front of you, his hair and big shoulders encroaching on your desk space, the subtle whiff of his black-cherry scented cologne served as a gentle reminder of your conundrum. 

Okay, so you’re into him.

This time, you silently told yourself, you’re actually going to do more to get to know him. Usually, your interest in men gravitates towards fraternity-affiliated boys, but after two years of mingling with them, nothing felt truly authentic, worthwhile, or genuine. Reflecting on the time an upperclassman in another sorority was gushing about her parents meeting through Greek life at a mixer — you could barely mask your dismay at the notion of finding a lifelong partner within that circle. Gradually, you learned to adapt to navigate those environments with copious amounts of alcohol among other substances. They served as a mask, veiling the disdain some of those young men would bring out in your expression. Their thoughtlessness with their dicks and carelessness with their words often left you repulsed and disheartened..

“Alright,” the disappointment in your professor’s voice snapped your attention back to the room. “Well, you were expected to have had that reading done for today’s discussion. Given that only two of you have actually taken the initiative of checking their emails before class, we’ll need to end early. Check your email for Thursday’s assignment as I’ll be sending it out briefly.” The sound of zipping bags and shuffling papers filled the room as the Professor’s words trailed off, students preparing to leave. Both you and Suguru remained seated, attentive. Hot, you thought. A man with respect for women speaking. “Thursday’s discussion will cover today’s missed discussion along with the planned agenda for our second meeting. See you then.”

She nodded briefly in your direction, and a faint warmth spread across your cheeks from the unexpected attention. Only two of you completed the reading? That caught your curiosity, and it seemed Suguru shared that sentiment. Pivoting in his seat to face you, his grin returning with your flush. “Hey,” his voice, smooth and gentle, made the corners of your mouth instinctively curve upwards. 

“Hi,” you replied with a playful smirk, casually tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. 

“Did you do the reading?” Suguru’s voice lowered, his gaze discreetly scanning a few classmates nearby. You responded with a nod and a soft giggle. 

“Did you?” You teased back, your own voice barely above a whisper. You felt like jelly when he rewarded you with a chuckle. Oh man, you thought silently.

“Yeah, I did. It’s just... none of it really made sense. Wondering if you might have some notes or something you could share,” he admitted as you both gathered your belongings, preparing to leave. You suddenly felt self conscious about your outfit, conscious of his attention. You and Suguru were unintentionally matched with your puffy, white turtleneck and shades of brown from your plaid mini skirt complementing his flannel. The leather knee high riding boots didn’t exactly match his black Converse in style, but certainly in color — you just worried it was too… girly. You hoped he wouldn’t write you off for your affiliation to Greek life. 

“Um, I did read it, but I have a bit of a weird approach... Do you have a class next or are you free for a bit?” the words spilled out before you could second guess yourself. Yes, keep going, you urged yourself silently as you led the conversation with Suguru into the hall. He can’t make assumptions without knowing you, you reminded yourself. He nodded agreeably, indicating he had some time to spare, then suggested grabbing a table at the coffee shop near campus. As you exited the building together, you decided it was time to let him see the real you. 

[amayaonly1]

Verses Unwritten: A Rap Odyssey

Eminem x Rapper!OC

Verse 4

About: Eminem's journey back to form takes an unexpected turn in the studio when his focus shifts from the track to Genji, the quiet yet sharp presence in his creative space. While Dre sees her as a rare talent with a knack for refining music, Eminem starts noticing how her contributions resonate beyond sound. As they collaborate on a song he had not visited for a few years, the charged atmosphere between them sparks more than just artistic synergy, hinting at deeper connections and possibilities.

"Verses Unwritten: A Rap Odyssey" Chapter List: Verse 1 | Verse 2 | Verse 3 | Verse 4 | Verse 5 | Verse 6 | Verse 7 | Verse 8 | Verse 9 | Verse 10 | Verse 11 | Verse 12 | Verse 13 | Verse 14 | Verse 15 | Verse 16 | Verse 17 | Verse 18 | Verse 19 | Verse 20 | Verse 21 | Verse 22 | Verse 23 | Verse 24 | Verse 25 | Verse 26 | Verse 27

Disclaimer: This work is a work of fiction, and any involvement of the character Genji is purely fictional and not representative of any real person.

Eminem leaned back in his swivel chair, letting the beat flow through the studio speakers. "We Made You" was in the bag, polished and ready to drop. The track had everything a satire needed: biting humour, ridiculous wordplay, and that larger-than-life energy only Dre could produce. But it wasn't Dre who lingered on his mind; it was her.

Genji wasn't loud about her contributions, but she didn't need to be. The subtleties in her work left an imprint, so much so that now, even when the studio was silent, he could hear echoes of her ideas. Maybe it was the way she operated — precise and intentional — or maybe it was her quiet confidence. Either way, it was enough to make him wonder what else he hadn't noticed about her.

She sat on the black leather sofa at the back of the room, her focus glued to the flickering waveform on her laptop screen, the device propped on a pillow resting on her lap. She wasn't involved in every track, unlike "We Made You", but her fingerprints had a way of sneaking into the sound. A subtle bassline here, a pitch-shifted vocal sample there; she had a knack for elevating the ordinary. Although she didn't call attention to it, he saw it. He always did.

"Alright, let's hear it back," Dre called, waving towards the booth.

Eminem nodded and leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table as "Hello" restarted. The beat hit hard — steady, relentless — but now there was a uniquely layered texture, almost conversational. Each instrumental seemed to talk back, with playful stabs of synths and bass drops, creating a dialogue between aggression and introspection. It gave the rhythm a depth he couldn't quite pin down. He threw a glance at Genji. Her attention was still fixated on whatever's on her laptop, but he knew. This had her written all over it.

As Dre started adjusting the mix, the rapper's attention drifted. He watched Genji scroll through her laptop, occasionally typing something. The dim glow of her screen highlighted her focus, and for a brief moment, he wondered what went on in her head while she worked so quietly. Eventually, he tore his gaze away, shaking his head to refocus as the track looped once more.

Eminem sat across from Dre in the small dining area within the studio complex. The latter was finishing up a burger while Eminem idly poked at his spaghetti, lost in thought.

"She's something, isn't she?" Dre asked casually, breaking the silence.

The rapper frowned, glancing up. "Who?"

Dre smirked knowingly, leaning back in his chair. "Genji. The kid's got talent. Never thought we'd see someone her age pulling their weight in here like that."

"Yeah, she's sharp," Eminem admitted, his tone professional. "She catches things others miss. That ear of hers? Insane. Makes the process smoother." He shrugged, looking back at his plate. "Can't really ask for more."

Dre studied him for a beat, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "That all?"

Eminem glanced up, narrowing his eyes slightly. "What're you gettin' at?"

"Nothing. Just saying. You two make a good team. Might even be able to bring out something fresh in you, y'know?"

Eminem huffed a laugh, shaking his head. "You act like I need 'fresh'. I've been doin' this long enough."

"True. But sometimes the best things come when you're not lookin' for 'em," said Dre, getting up and tossing his empty wrapper in the trash.

Eminem didn't reply, watching Dre leave the room. His words lingered, though, as he sat back and folded his arms. Genji's focus and skill had always stood out, but now Dre's comment had planted something new in his mind — a curiosity he couldn't quite shake.

He shook his head, muttering under his breath as he grabbed his plate. “Dre's trippin'. She's just the kid with the ear."

But as he made his way back to the studio, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe there was something more to the way she carried herself, the way she always seemed to know the right notes to elevate his music.

When Eminem stepped into the studio room, he found Genji already seated at the console, her fingers poised over the knobs as if she had been mid-adjustment. The quiet hum of the equipment filled the space, and she looked up at him with a calm yet expectant gaze.

"You're early," she said, swivelling her chair to face him.

He lingered by the doorway for a moment, watching her. The room's dim lighting cast her figure in a soft glow as she returned her focus to the console. He cleared his throat, stepping forward but stopping short of the workstation. "Didn't expect to see you here already," he murmured. His hesitation hung in the air, and for a brief moment, he glanced away, collecting his thoughts.

Genji raised an eyebrow, her expression curious but not pressing. "Dre sent me some songs that he wants me to work on," she replied lightly, gesturing at the console. "So I figured I'd get a head start after a quick lunch."

A wave of hesitation washed over him, memories swirling in his mind: the months in rehab, the nights spent staring at blank pages, wrestling with the shadows that crept into his thoughts. She tilted her head slightly, sensing his hesitation but staying quiet, giving him the space to find his words. Gripping the edge of the table as if grounding himself, he slid onto the swivel chair next to her.

"I've got something," he finally said, his voice quieter than usual, almost tentative. His eyes flicked to her, searching for her reaction.

She nodded once, her expression steady but attentive. "You want me to hear it?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said meekly with a nod. "It's called 'Beautiful'. Wrote it back in 2005, but it's not done."

"Alright. Let's hear it."

He hesitated for a moment longer, then reached out and hit play.

Lately I've been hard to reach I've been too long on my own Everybody has their private world Where they can be alone

The room was filled with a haunting melody, soft synths and faint percussion accompanying his voice, weaving together into something both raw and evocative — the bones of a track he hadn't revisited in years. Eminem folded his arms, staring at the console as the music swelled. Memories of the track flooded back, the half-written verses he'd started during rehab in 2005, the pain and clarity captured in those moments. He hadn't touched it in years, not until now.

As the lyrics faded into the instrumental, he glanced at Genji. Her expression was unreadable, her gaze fixed on the console as if she were studying the track.

"What do you think?" he finally asked.

She then leaned back into the chair, exhaling softly. "It has potential," she said at last, her voice quieter than usual. "But it still feels... unresolved. Like it was waiting for something."

"I agree," he murmured, staring at the floor beneath him. "How do you think we can make it a better joint?"

Genji paused, her eyes meeting his, and for a fleeting moment, something softened in her expression. "Maybe," she began carefully. "We could add some layers. But... I don't wanna mess with it too much." She hesitated, then continued, her voice more tender now. "It sounds like it comes from somewhere deep."

His jaw tightened slightly, the weight of her words settling over him. "It does," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "And now that I listened to it again, I think it’s still missing something."

She leaned forward, her gaze intent but gentle as curiosity flickered in her eyes. "Like what?"

He hesitated, then grabbed a notebook from the table. "A third verse. Something to tie it all together."

The woman in front of him gave a small, understanding smile. "Yeah, that works," she said softly. "We’ll figure it out as we go along the way, aight?"

For the first time since they'd started, he met her gaze directly, and in her steady eyes, he saw not just a collaborator, but someone who understood. He nodded, the faintest trace of gratitude flickering across his face as his lips curled into a slight smile. "Aight."

As the track looped, Eminem found himself falling into the rhythm of the moment. Genji's presence made the process feel almost effortless. Her input wasn’t just technical; it was intuitive. She didn’t just tweak notes or refine lyrics; she understood the essence of the song, its need for vulnerability and resilience. Perhaps it came with years of experience; regardless, he appreciated that.

The rapper tapped the notebook with his pen, then glanced at her. "So, I've got these lines here for the third verse," he began, his tone cautious, "but I'm wondering how they land. What d'you think of this?" He cleared his throat, rapping:

Aunt Edna always told me: "Keep making that face, it'll get stuck like that." Meanwhile, I'm just standin' there Holdin' my tongue, tryin' to talk like this 'Til I stuck my tongue on that frozen Stop sign pole at eight-years-old I learned my lesson then, 'cause I wasn't Tryin' to impress my friends no mo'

Genji tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing in thought. "It's… raw; honest," she said slowly, her voice tinged with a softness that made him pause. "I like it. But do you want it to stay raw or build on it?"

"What would you do?"

She lightly placed the tip of her index and middle finger on the bottom of her lips — a habit he'd noticed whenever she's pondering. "If it were me," she began thoughtfully, "I'd keep it raw. The only additions I'll make are just some harmonics in the background."

Eminem studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah," he murmured, the faintest hint of a smile crossing his face. "That's not bad. Let's try it."

For hours, they worked in sync, piecing together the fragments of the song. Genji's subtle suggestions added vivid imagery to his raw lines, while her melodic tweaks gave the track a richer depth. The air in the studio felt charged, like the music wasn't the only thing connecting them.

Eminem leaned back in his chair, staring at the console as their latest take of "Beautiful" played softly in the background. The weight of the track hung heavy in the room, but the subtle touches Genji had added brought it into sharper focus.

"This album, it's different," she said softly, breaking the silence. She looked at him with a calm confidence that he'd come to associate with her. "It might be a challenge for you to immediately get back to rapping like you used to, but I think this album's got something your fans have been waiting for, a reminder of why they stuck with you."

He glanced at her, her steady conviction catching him off guard. "You really think that?"

She nodded, her expression unwavering. "Yeah, I do. It's still you. And after everything that's happened, people need to hear that."

Her words hit him harder than he expected. He chuckled, though the sound carried a faint edge of vulnerability. "Well, if you're wrong, guess I'll be stuck in the bargain bin with Vanilla Ice and one-hit wonders."

Genji smirked, shaking her head. "No chance. You're in a league of your own."

There was a beat of silence, the kind that felt charged. He studied her for a moment, the way her lips curved into a small smile, the way her hair caught the dim studio light. Without thinking, he muttered, "It's not just the music that's been different lately."

Her smile faltered, replaced by a look of curiosity and slight nervousness. "What do you mean?"

He hesitated, his gaze flickering to the console as if searching for an escape. "You," he said finally, his voice quieter. "Having you around… it changes things. Makes it easier to work through the mess in my head."

The words hung in the air, and he realised too late how they might’ve sounded. Genji's cheeks flushed faintly, and she quickly looked down at her lap, fiddling with the hem of her grey hoodie sleeves.

"Well," she said, her voice softer now. "Guess that means I'm doing my job right."

He huffed a laugh, trying to ease the tension, but the moment lingered between them. For a second, he thought about saying more, about teasing out what her reaction meant, but he let it go.

"Yeah," he said, his tone more casual now. "You are."

As they returned their focus to the track, the charged moment faded into the rhythm of their work. But the hint of something unsaid lingered, a subtle undertone in the melody they created together.

[pluralsword]

as far as Elita One's writing in One goes we think it's a bad sign that Elita's ability to pull chief of staff-esque leadership as second in command that OP could not possibly be present for all of and in fact needs a second person to handle since he has to be a generalist because of his position and he also needs to be kept out of the loop sometimes was something that was really only something one could infer from familiarity with Elita's previous appearance in media and possibly knowledge of how executive leadership works is generally a bad sign. The movie needed another 30 minutes to effectively show Elita is supposed to be the Russell Jackson or Jay Whitman to Presidents Dalton or McCord, or Commander Susan Ivanova or Elizabeth Lockley to Commander Sinclair or President Sheridan.

we didn't have that, so it's very easy to come away from the movie thinking Elita is being depicted as a more competent leader not so fun gal (even though she is shown to be fun) deferring to a recklessly creative dreamer Optimus Prime. We don't really get to see her advise him on policy except the time she defers to him, keep him from getting entangled in things that will kill him. we do get to see her take the lead on handling the Decepticons to make sure they follow through with the revoluton, but we don't get to see her lead a group of Autobots on her own. so it just. as much as we enjoyed One we felt like this and her not having another gal on her side to talk to who had a major role was one of the major points of the movie that could have been better. Arcee could have been given a larger role but that would have required more introspection on who Arcee is than the film was perhaps prepared to do (the visual artists sure seemed to understand what with the arcee design convergence they went for, and it would have been nice for that to be followed up on)

like. legit I think the only reason our immediate family we saw this with wasn't discussing the gender dynamics of the film (besides them asking where was Arcee in the film LMAO) was because we all had outside of film information from study about how government and revolutions work to fill in. we think we get what the movie was going for but Elita needed more interiority. So did Solus and Arcee. And Airachnid, frankly. What was her motive in any of this? Will we find out in a sequel?

The movie's main theme is bodily autonomy, which we loved! It was great! This is one of our favorite films, period, of anything! But that doesn't mean we think there wasn't room to improve. All art is like that, though, so please don't take this as a 'you can't enjoy TF One because trans feminism' and more as 'it would be nice to see more stories in the future that go deeper in the stories of fem-spectrum characters and gender expansive people when navigating this subject in science fiction, and especially when said characters are transforming alien robots. it would be nice to have a written as transfem character in a film you really need only ask a transfem to look over what you're doing and get one to voice one but godsdamn it would be cool if one was given a shot at writing' you get the idea

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Fiction Free-for-All Book Bracket Tournament: Round 2A

Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers series) by Becky Chambers

Endorsement from submitter: "The modern space opera, includes gays in space, found family, and delightful discussions in the social customs of different species"

Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.

Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

Science fiction, adventure, space, series, adult

Mooncakes, written by Suzanne Walker, illustrated by Wendy Xu

A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

Graphic novel, fantasy, cozy fantasy, romance, contemporary, young adult