#it was the hardest thing picking just ten ���� there are so many more Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Who do you think are the ten core characters of the series? Is there a difference for you between importance to narrative/narrative roles and regularity in appearance for you?

Yeah, appearance count and narrative role aren't the same thing. Like, a character can be super plot-relevant or relevant to the themes but not have much on-page time.

And it's a damn hard question. Like, HP has so many characters, but a lot of them are like, random NPCs, so let's see if I can do this without bias for my favorites (since the bias is here). The order isn't necessarily in the right order, but it's the order in which they came to my mind.

The first 3 core characters for the plot/narrative are obvious:

1. Harry Potter

2. Voldemort

3. Dumbledore

I think Harry is an obvious choice as the main character and narrator. I don't think he needs further explanation.

Dumbledore and Voldemort are examples of characters who technically don't have as much on-page time but are so incredibly integral to the narrative. I mean, in book 7, Voldemort is barely there, and Dumbledore is dead, but both of them are still at the helm of the narrative.

So, yeah, these gotta be the top 3.

The next 3, I think, are:

4. Ron Weasley

5. Hermione Granger

6. Severus Snape

Like, Ron and Hermione are Harry's best friends. They are super integral to the plot and narrative of the books and appear more than any other character besides Harry. Ron represents the wizarding world, he is the main member of Harry's surrogate family (the Weasleys) so he's so incredibly integral. Hermione is the brilliant muggleborn, she is eleven both for her active part in the story and also for what she is in this world with the blood status tensions.

Snape, while not appearing as much, is instrumental to the narrative as a whole and to how the plot goes down. Snape, as the double-triple agent that he is, is also pretty representative of the story's themes of love and sacrifice, which supports his narrative importance.

Then, the final 4 to reach 10 are a bit of a struggle for me, and I feel my biases rearing their head, but I'd go:

7. Sirius Black

Sirius is the first real parental figure who's competent and whom Harry truly trusts. Sirius' existence is both important to the themes (the black sheep of the Black family) and more so to Harry's personal arc. His death and Harry's grief over it are so prevalent in Harry's story far into Deathly Hallows. Also, he's relevant to the Secret Keeper plot and James' and Lily's deaths.

8. Reberus Hagrid

Hagrid is the person who introduces so many of the ideas we know of as part of the Wizarding World. He's Harry's (and ours) first guide to the magical world and remains instrumental in getting Harry and Co useful information throughout the books.

9. Peter Pettigrew

I mean, none of us would be here without this rat. He got James and Lily killed, he resurrected Voldemort, and he then accidentally saved Harry at Malfoy Manor. He's surprisingly important.

Number 10 was the hardest, and I considered a few characters, but I decided to go with:

10. Lily Potter

Lily has little to no page time. We don't know about her as much as we know about James, but I think she's more integral to Harry's story. She represents love strong enough to rebound a killing curse. She saved Harry, and her sacrifice protects him quite literally throughout the books. It's why he defeats Quirrell in book 1, it caused Voldemort to keep him alive long enough to escape in book 4, and it's potentially why he came back after dying. Lily and her death are big themes in the books for what it represents and what she represents more than just her as a character.

Both Lily and James haunt Harry's narrative, but I feel Lily does so a bit more. There's a reason "you have your mother's eyes" is emphasized so much. Harry at his core, is more similar to Lily than James. That and the love Lily represents are core aspects of the story.

So, these are my picks, I tried to be as objective as I could, 🤷🏻‍♀️

[pinkfey]

tagged by the lovely @risingsh0t and @thedeadthree; tysm angels 😚💕💕

tagging @rosebarsoap @lvllns @tethrras @maxthetruman @celticwoman @sorctiefling @sotc @aelyosos @dannyburke @elgaravel @florbelles @gortash @ortanthaig @pavus @bhalspawn @aemondtargeryen @rosykims @rosenfey @mrs-theirin @sylkana @waspgrave @yharnams @aelyosos @southernreaches @rococoelf @druidgroves @vyrantium @ustalav @nocticulas @cryptwood @aeronbracken @wincott @kymal @statichvm @morrigano @jamessunderlandgf @shadowglens @aezyrraeshh @rynegaias @avvidstarion @hylfystt @anoramactir @deadrlngers @calenhads @bryoria @claudiawolf @nsewell @onewingedangels and YOU!!!!!!

major apologies for any double tagging/missed tags/etc; i tried to tag ppl who afaik are still active and also remember all the new urls as best i could ☺️🌼

[pokemon-ash-aus]

Cuteness!

Cuteness

Timeline: Present

Alternative Universe: Swap Maturity AU

May grinned, chuckling as her new friends gathered closer and closer, tied into it by a certain missing ebony.

The awkward atmosphere was still plenty palpable, but the more they talked and mingled, the more many of them had realized they all had quiet a bit in common.

And yes, May was going to get at Ash for forgetting to mention how many cool people he knew. The dude had the memory of swiss cheese at times, which still baffled all of them on plenty of occassion.

"Anyone got any insight in Ash." Brock tilted his head, the ten year old mullishly picking at his pokedex. "I thought, he was gonna be here sooner."

"Either Indigo held him up, or he got lost." Max grinned, taking the plate offered to him by Bonnie. "You know how they are."

"Just cause we know it, doesnt mean we get it." Came the grumble, Brock glaring at the plate of chicken offered to him.

"Worse comes to worse, we get a Jenny and preform a search party." May waved a hand, feeling her phone vibrate for the briefest of seconds before she flipped it open. "Man- they choose the worse timing, it would have been a great search party too."

"They're here?" Dawn prodded, leaning to look over her shoulder.

It didn't really matter much, as they all felt the smallest tug of a teleportation, ears popping at the subtle change of atmosphere.

Suddenly, they heard the thundering of footsteps, watching Peach burst in with the flamboyance only ten year olds seem to manage.

"HELLO!" She threw her arms up and threw her head back, like a tiny little rockstar in the making. "WE ARE LATE CAUSE OF THE TERRORS!"

May snickered, rolling her eyes as Indigo came running in shortly after, hair askewed and desperately trying to fix it. His face was tickled pink, burning brighter as he glanced at everyone.

"Oh fuck." Indigo breathed out, wincing slightly when Misty shot him a glare. "For the record, here and now, I wanna say we've had a hellish few months, we didn't actively choose to not tell you."

"Gogo, what are you even talking-," And Bonnie's sentence trailed off, the older teen sitting up straight as her mouth dropped open.

And May followed her line of sight, taking in Ash as he sluggishly walked in, eye bags bruised and hair frazzled.

Still, when he caught their eyes, he grinned, face considerably brightening.

"Come on now." He drawled sarcastically, shifting his shoulder slightly. "This isnt the weirdest thing you caught me doing."

And May's eyes traveled down, right into the two kids settled neatly into Ash's arms.

One child, couldn't have been older than two, peered over the swaddled blanket he was in. Big red-brown eyes stared right back at her, a pout settled on his lips. The kid has black hair from what she could tell, contrasting against paler skin.

The other child must have been only a year older. Maybe three? Maybe not. But he was a small bit bigger. Black hair toussled with streaks of pink, big blue eyes glancing at everyone nervously as he tried his hardest to sink into Ash's shirt. Unlike the other one, he had a tanner skin, nearly the same tone as Ash's.

May completely froze, barely registering any sound as her eyes darted from Ash, to the two children in his arms.

"What the fuck," Iris dropped her plate onto the table, blinking slowly as she stepped forward, then back, then forward again.

"Oh yeah-" Ash lifted up baby number 1, the two year old scrunching his face and making an odd movement with his hand. "This is Red, Red Ketchum. He's 2 years old and he can't speak very well, so we've been teaching him sign."

The baby made another movement with his hands, coordinated in a way that May had an inkling she knew less and more than she was supposed to.

"And this-" Ash lifted up baby number 2, the Toddler having a vice grip on ash's shirt, uncaring of the way he dragged Ash's shirt and jacket up. "Is King, King Ketchum. He's 3 years old, but he doesnt like people very much. Just give him a bit of time to get used to everyone."

The silence might have been much more all consuming, if it wasnt for the way that Indigo and Peach both walked to the center table to start serving themselves food, one looking exhausted and the other gleeful.

"Cute kids." Serena mumured out, her eyes still wide as she turned to look at everyone else. "So, where did you even... Did you- did you make them?"

And Ash's demeanor fell, an annoyed look to his face that would have made her flinch is May hadn't known her friend.

"Oh, let me tell you all what happened." He sighed, striding forward with a story on his shoulders and 2 toddlers in his arms.

Oh, May was gonna remember this day forever.

[mosylufanfic]

Answer the Questions and Tag 5 Fanfic Authors

Tagged by @rifle-yes, the fool

1. How did you get into writing fanfiction?

See answer #3 below, but the short version is that I started writing and posting stories at the Derbyshire Writer's Guild, a Jane Austen fanfic site. And it's all been downhill from there.

2. How many fandoms have you written in?

Oh boy. Hang on. This is a hard one because multiple of my fandoms are like, within a larger fandom? So there's a good amount under the Star Wars umbrella, and a bunch of Jane Austen, and a lot of DCTV. Going back and counting the major fandoms (the ones I remember being really into and doing several fics for, as opposed to just one or two to scratch an itch), I think it's seven. If you do count the one-offs, it's more like 12 or 15. Look, I've been on many fic sites and I'm still trying to get off my ass and archive everything on AO3. It's hard!

3. How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

Pretty much since forever? I remember writing Little Mermaid fic in fourth grade, although I didn't really have that word for it at the time. And there was an epic (and epically bad) Star Wars sequel that I worked on for years in my tweens. I started posting fic online at 19 when I realized that was a thing I could do (see #1). So in terms of writing fic that I shared with other fans, 24 years.

4. Do you read or write more fanfiction?

Definitely read, although there are times where it's a close run thing.

5. What is one way you’ve improved as a writer?

I think my worldbuilding has improved over the years. I never did it on purpose, but I see a definite uptick in how deeply I think about the worlds I'm writing in and the various implications of that for the characters.

6. What’s the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

Oh so many things! I freaking love research. I think the most morbid (and mathiest) was trying to estimate how much air a man had available in a 10x10 space buried underground.

7. What’s your favorite type of comment to receive on your work?

This is like asking what kind of cake is best, but I do love the ones that pick up on something I didn't even realize about the story. I had one recently that pointed out a shift in language that signaled deeper and more focused intimacy in the course of a smut scene. And I was like, ". . . huh. Well, I'll be. That sure did happen."

8. What’s the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

I think probably the Space!Paperwork in Lost & Found was the fringiest thing I've ever done.

9. What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

Oh, man, longfics. I often come up with an idea and I just know from the shape of it that it's going to be a a monster. And then I have to decide if I want to go through all the work of plotting and writing thousands and tens of thousands of words. That's why I have so many one-shots that are basically "pilot episodes" for longfics that will never be written.

10. What is the easiest type?

Modern AUs, especially high school AUs. There's so much there that's already known to the readers that I can just laser-focus on the part that's interesting to me.

11. Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

I do a lot of my writing on Gdocs. I know they're the devil, but I might be settled down to work on four or five different machines throughout the course of my day, and half that time is on the public floor where I have to look available to help people. So to me, it's better to be able to quickly sign into a website and tap out that quick scene than to try and hide my phone under the desk and write on that horrible little keyboard. (I'll do that too, but only when I have no other option.)

Longfics get ported into Scrivener when they get too unwieldy for Gdocs, but I'm still more likely to write scenes in Gdocs and paste them into the Scrivener file when I'm done.

12. What is something you’ve been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

Probably some of the longfics that are knocking around in my brain, especially the ones that concern areas of the Star Wars canon that I never really got into.

13. What made you choose your username?

It's a nickname my mom used to call me when I was a teenager, and when I was picking my AIM screen name in college, that's what I went with. Actually, I had another one first that was objectively cooler, but I forgot the password to that account and either I was too dumb to reset it or there wasn't functionality for that. So mosylu it was. I also decided at the time that it would be my Internet Identity, and it still is.

Tagging @andorerso, @hedgiwithapen, @incognitajones, @colleybri, and @youareiron-andyouarestrong

[andorerso]

Answer the Questions and Tag 5 Fanfic Authors

thanks for the tag @mosylufanfic <3

1. How did you get into writing fanfiction?

I started reading fanfiction when I was very young, maybe 10-11? and it pretty much immediately made me want to write my own stories. early attempts were... unsuccessful, but I always had a lot of ideas and I just wanted to get them out there... so I did

2. How many fandoms have you written in?

in reverse chronological order: Rogue One/Andor, GoT/ASOIAF, She-Ra, Grisha-verse/Nikolai Series, The Raven Cycle, American Horror Story, Reign, Pretty Little Liars, The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, Twilight

and some I have never published but did write for: The Witcher, Dishonored, Magnificent Century: Kösem

so that's 14 fandoms total

3. How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

well, my first attempt was at 14 but I pretty much immediately abandoned that story after posting. I tried again at 16 and have been writing pretty consistently ever since. so it's been more than ten years, almost fifteen

4. Do you read or write more fanfiction?

lately I'm writing more than I'm reading, however in general over the years, it's definitely read. I've consumed so many!

5. What is one way you’ve improved as a writer?

I think my action has gotten better recently? it's still far from my strength but being forced to write some action scenes in recent stories definitely improved that area... who would have thought?

6. What’s the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

I've researched many weird stuff over the years but idk, I'm blanking on specifics

7. What’s your favorite type of comment to receive on your work?

I love it when people yell and curse at me <33

8. What’s the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

idk if I've ever written something truly fringe... actually maybe the dildo fic?

9. What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

smut! which is funny because I've spent the last month writing nothing but that. but smut is hardddddd

10. What is the easiest type?

I'm seconding modern AUs, that's my comfort genre, and I'm also very well-versed in anything paranormal

11. Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

I switched from Word to Scrivener a few years ago, and I haven't looked back. Word would probably still work, but Scrivener is just very convenient, I can have all the things in one place, and it makes things so easy

12. What is something you’ve been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

well, sex pollen belonged to this category, but I've just gotten over that! other than that, I've been going back and forth about this apocalypse/zombie exes to lovers longfic for months now, because it's intimidating as hell for many reasons, and it would be a lot of work which I may not have the time for currently, but there's so many parts of it that I love and want to write. mainly this very specific scene that will not leave my brain, but absolutely would not work without the proper background and build-up.... sigh

13. What made you choose your username?

here or on ao3? on ao3, it's wintersend (winter's end) and like. I can't even remember why I picked it. it's so random, I've never used it before and never since. I think it may have had something to do with the fact that I'm a winter child, and I was also into GoT at the time... I genuinely don't know

and here.... hmmm idk if I should tell you guys.... it's very niche, you wouldn't get it

tagging @frostbitepandaaaaa @quarantineddreamer @fulcrumstardust @flythesail @luciechat

[incorrectcoldflashblog]

Answer the Questions and Tag 5 Fanfic Authors

Thank you so much to @kitkatt0430 for tagging me <3

1. How did you get into writing fanfiction?

Well, I got back into Coldflash in a big way a couple years ago, and kind of got frustrated not really seeing anything new in the tag, lol. Desperation is usually my biggest motivator to do anything. If I had unlimited new Coldflash fics coming out, I probably would never have written my own tbh.

2. How many fandoms have you written in?

Just the one. I used to do translations for a different fandom, though, so maybe two depending on if translating counts.

3. How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

My own? Only a year and a half. Translating, maybe roughly ten years.

4. Do you read or write more fanfiction?

I probably write more now, but you wouldn’t know it because I’m such a slow writer!

5. What is one way you’ve improved as a writer?

Oh, I feel like my English has definitely gotten better since I started writing regularly. I always felt obligated to put a little disclaimer at the bottom, like please be nice to me, this isn’t my first language, lol. I feel a little bit more confident about it now (although I still obsessively google every sentence and word).

6. What’s the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

I mean, thanks to Chapter 4 of What Happens in Vegas I know now way more than I ever needed to know about tornado sirens, considering we don’t have them in my country, lol. I also ended up doing extensive (and totally pointless) research about the ancient Sumerian city-state of Ur (located in the South of what is now modern-day Iraq), which is where Len/Cold was supposed to be from in my AU where he was a genie. For those who are unaware, Ur fell in about 2000 BC and had a very famous poem written about it. Here is the cheery opening of 11 stanzas of misery:

For the gods have abandoned us

like migrating birds they have gone

Ur is destroyed, bitter is its lament

The country's blood now fills its holes like hot bronze in a mould

Bodies dissolve like fat in the sun. Our temple is destroyed

Smoke lies on our city like a shroud.

blood flows as the river does

the lamenting of men and women

sadness abounds

Ur is no more

7. What’s your favorite type of comment to receive on your work?

I always appreciate when people point out the parts they liked. But honestly I’m happy for people to comment at all, especially on older fics :)

8. What’s the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

I don’t know that anything I’ve written can be considered fringe, lol. I do have a Lisa/Iris WIP, which I assume would be more of a rarepair, but I only have one scene written for it so who knows if I’ll ever finish it. I guess the Genie AU was kind of strange.

9. What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

Longfics ;-; God, I’ve gained so much respect for people who can do that consistently for 60+ chapters, or over multiple fics in a series. My longfic isn’t even that long, comparatively, and I still feel like I will never get it done.

10. What is the easiest type?

One-shots, my beloved.

11. Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

On my laptop. I just use Word and I prefer to write in the morning, which isn’t super ideal because it only leaves me the weekend to really get into it.

12. What is something you’ve been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

I’m too nervous to start more longfics at the moment because I feel like two is my absolute limit but I’d love to be able to write both the TATBILB-inspired fic I had in mind and the Future Fic that I sometimes play around with. I’d have to finish at least one of my longer projects first, or maybe try to get the whole thing written before posting it but I’m usually too impatient to do that!

13. What made you choose your username?

My username is captainicecube and I picked it because it’s roughly how Captain Cold was translated in the French dub. They translated it as Captain Glaçons (Captain Icecubes), which always makes me laugh whenever I think about it because it’s so stupid XD

Tagging @crestfallercanyon @joanthangroff @tiger-in-the-flightdeck @softboydepot and @moriavis

[happter-n-friends]

Dear the Minecraft Flexers,

I crunched the numbers, and in order to make a 1.18 world-height netherite beacon, the absolute ULTIMATE Minecraft flex, you would have to place down 21,979,799 netherite blocks (404^3÷3-1). To craft that many netherite blocks, you need to mine 791,272,764 ancient debris, a cube of ancient debris almost a kilometer tall. For the Americans, it’s a cube about 10 lady liberties stacked atop one another.

Since the average ancient debris per chunk in the nether is ~1.65, you need to completely excavate 479,559,273 chunks, or a 350 by 350 kilometer area of the nether. For a quick size comparison for you to understand just how absolutely huge that is, this is how a square that size would look on the Moon. Every pixel represents 1 kilometer. That excavation hole would be visible on the moon, from earth, with the unaided eye. You would have to excavate all of Ireland, and north Ireland, and a bit more, just for the one netherite beacon.

Assuming every bed in the nether always breaks a perfect sphere 7 blocks wide, a volume of 179 blocks, you would need the completely LUDICROUS 82,302,016,014 (82.3 Billion) beds to do the job. Over ten beds for every human alive right now. All of those beds can make a square that is wider than the entire earth just for breaking all of that nether. 

Ancient debris is blastproof, so you’re gonna have to mine it all by hand. On average, a netherite pickaxe with unbreaking 3 can break 8,128 blocks before breaking without mending. Just to mine the netherite for the beacon, you need to go through 97,351 and a half unbreaking 3 netherite pickaxes, costing you yet another 389,404 ancient debris, about 40.5 million more beds, and another 7.772 km square from the nether.

Not even mentioning the 48 years and 10 months you would have to spend on mining alone, with efficiency 5 and haste 2 beacons. It is a completely, and utterly impossible feat. Unless you have 1,000 people mining ancient debris, it would only take just over 2 and a half weeks of pure mining. Realistically, with the time to get all the chests, shulker boxes, EXP farms for the mending netherite picks, setting up the haste 2 beacons, eating (in-game), blocking up lava, getting netherite for said picks, fighting nether mobs, getting the wool and wood for the beds, the travelling, actually making the hole to put the netherite pyramid in, people having breaks for sleep, school, work, and using the bathroom, it would take at least a year to complete if 1,000 players were trying their hardest to make the ultimate beacon flex.

It would be the project to end all projects to make a large server for that one purpose. Would probably be a huge thing for the Minecraft community. 1,000 players out to get a 1.18 world height pure netherite beacon. Minecraft’s biggest project. If hundreds of people watched a brit as he drained a Minecraft ocean over streams for weeks, imagine how many people would watch 1,000 people work together for Minecraft’s biggest flex ever. That would actually be a really cool idea.

-Sincerely at 2:51 am, Happter & Friends

Inspired by Austin Hourigan’s THE SCIENCE on Game Theory

This would actually be amazing, I want this to happen. /srs

[tenthousandyearsx]

"One of the hardest things to do with a novel is to stop writing it for a while, do something else, fulfill this engagement or that commitment or whatever, and pick it up exactly where you left it and carry on as if nothing had happened. You will have changed; the story will have drifted off course, like a ship when the engines stop and there’s no anchor to keep it in place; when you get back on board, you have to warm the engines up, start the great bulk of the ship moving through the water again, work out your position, check the compass bearing, steer carefully to bring it back on track … all that energy wasted on doing something that wouldn’t have been necessary at all if you’d just kept going!

But once you’ve established a daily rhythm of work, you’ll find it energising and sustaining in itself. Even when it’s not going well. This is a strange thing, but I’ve noticed it many times: a bad day’s work is a lot better than no day’s work at all. At least if you’ve written 500 words, or 1000 words, or whatever you discover is your most comfortable daily rate of production, the words are there to work on later. And when you do visit them in a month’s time, or whenever it is, you often find that they’re not so bad after all.

The question authors get asked more than any other is “Where do you get your ideas from?” And we all find a way of answering which we hope isn’t arrogant or discouraging. What I usually say is “I don’t know where they come from, but I know where they come to: they come to my desk, and if I’m not there, they go away again.” That’s just another way of emphasising the importance of regular work.

You know which page of a novel is the most difficult to write? It’s page 70. The first page is easy: it’s exciting, it’s new, a whole world lies in front of you. The last page is easy: you’ve got there at last, you know what’s going to happen, all you have to do is find a resonant closing sentence. But page 70 is where the misery strikes. All the initial excitement has drained away; you’ve begun to see all the hideous problems you’ve set yourself; you are horribly aware of the minute size of your own talent compared to the colossal proportions of the task you’ve undertaken; that’s when you really want to give up. When I hit page 70 with my very first novel, I thought: I’m never going to finish this. I’ll never make it. But then stubbornness set in, and I thought: well, if I reach page 100, that’ll be something. If I get there, I reckon I can make it to the end, wherever that is. And 100 is only 30 pages away, and if I write 3 pages every day, I can get there in ten days … why don’t I just try to do that? So I did. It was a terrible novel, but I finished it."

Philip Pullman – NaNoWriMo Pep Talk

[rosesakura]

Hi! I’m here for the questions for fic writers :)

How about!!! 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13, 14. I know this is ridiculous and a lot so feel free to pick and choose!! I’m just very curious and passionate about your writing. Sending hugs and lots of love <3

I literally forgot all about this ask omg!! Okay woo let's gooooo. Under the cut because, you know, it's me.

2. Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to?

Unequal social status. The whole Princess and the Pauper thing I kinda vibe with. It depends a lot on the characters I'm working with tbh -- some tropes fit some fandoms better than others. But in terms of hq, definitely this trope!

3. Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?

Love triangles, particularly like if it’s the Main Plot. I have been scarred from the 2010s where every teen piece of media had a fuckin love triangle like bitch I am OVER IT. Plus it’s like, someone always gets their heart broken and I don’t like that. I actually could go on and on about this but I won't make you read an essay haha

5. Share one of your strengths.

I actually hate you for always making me reflect on my work -.- I have no idea what my strengths are… I guess I’m good at idea generating lmfao I always have a million ideas?

9. Which fic has been the hardest to write?

Haaaaands down the stars are already dead. Not only because it’s such a heavy topic and I’m so worried about how I handle it, but also because it’s shifted away from romance, which I’m more comfortable writing, into a study on grief, which is much more complex. 

10. Which fic has been the easiest to write?

Oop I’m gonna mention 2. Unravel was relatively easy because I had so many scenes and specific ideas I wanted to write out. I planned it out pretty okay and had so many details in brainstorming that I could draw from if I was stuck. Though my one story, Something Safe was written in less than a day when I was at work. I had so many feelings about those characters and the video game that it just flowed right onto the page.

13. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Show emotions; Tell feelings. Came across this on a tumblr post on pinterest. I mostly use it as a reminder to ensure I don’t ramble too much with descriptions or get carried away and to remind myself to focus on the emotions of the characters, because that’s usually the most important part to me. It's really more of a guideline.

14. What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Don’t use adverbs. You can pry adverbs from my cold dead hands. I actually dislike writing advice that so specifically says Do Not Do. It makes me immediately feel bad if I see something on the list that I do when I write and I think writing is so specific and personal to each writer that advice like that just isn't that helpful.

[keicordelle]

Brain is still mush but I'm bored and can only watch so much anime in one sitting, so I figured I'd pick and choose some of those 2023 in Review writer asks to answer

1. What’s something new that you tried in a fic this year? How did it turn out and would you do it again?

Dabbled a bit at the start of the year with some darker themes in smut. I think it turned out pretty well, but I definitely learned I just prefer to write sweet, romantic, and consensual. I'll play with it more at some point, I'm sure, but I think I've found my niche.

2. How many fics did you work on this year? (They don’t have to be finished or published!)

55! 43 of which are published atm

4. What piece of media inspired you the most?

BG3, definitely. Even if I still haven't posted anything for it yet :P

5. What fandom(s) did you write for this year?

FFXIV, Genshin Impact, BG3, and that one Hades fic that I really hadn't intended to write

7. What character(s) captured your heart?

Astarion. I expected to like him because he's a sassy vampire. I did not expect to identify with him as much as I do. I don't doubt he will be firmly lodged in my heart for years to come.

9. What fic meant the most to you to write?

The Soft Green Glow of Affection. I didn't really expect this fic to mean so much to me, but the softness between Aether and Xiao really hit home. Love offering solace to a tortured soul. (Not at all a theme with me, no siree)

12. What fic was the most difficult to write? Did you finish it?

Beneath the Human Guise was my first time working with a threesome, and it was a hell of a challenge keeping pronouns and names straight, not to mention being sure I hit the dynamic I was looking for. I'm really happy with how it turned out tho

13. What fic was the easiest to write?

To Soothe the Suffering of Ten Thousand Years was surprisingly easy to write! I love writing scar exploration, but I didn't expect it to flow quite as smoothly as it did

14. What were your shortest and longest fics this year?

Shortest: The Warmth of Home at 849 words Longest: The Daily Inconveniences of an Au Ra at 39, 341 (though admittedly some of that is from 2022 -- I still think just the 2023 additions would push it to the longest fic of the year tho)

15. Rec a fic you wrote or posted in 2023

No Regrets! This fic was the precursor to my Thanuri fic A First for Everything, and I'm still very very proud of how it turned out. Sweet Emmanicard first time <3

18. What was the hardest fic to title?

They're all hard /o\ But I think that honor has to go to Rinse and Repeat. That's the fic where I gave up and phoned a friend to help title it

19. Share your favorite opening line

"Oh for the love of all creation, save us both from this torment and just go ask him to fuck you, would you?"

from The Alternative Uses of Aetherial Shackles. I like how jarring it is, and how it definitely mirrors the startle Eros would be feeling to have his daydreams interrupted by such a demand.

20. Share your favorite ending line

By the time I awoke, Estinien was gone.

from Just for Tonight. Love me a bittersweet ending.

21. Share your favorite piece of dialogue

Answered here

25. What did you use to write? (e.g. writing programs, paper & pen, etc.)

I write exclusively in the Notes app on my phone and then transfer it over to Word to edit it

29. If this were an awards show, who would you thank?

Ahem. I would like to thank my friend Zena for being the most excellent sounding board/cheerleader/occasional unwitting beta reader. Also my friend Kore for being infinitely more adept at titling things than I am and for being so willing to help me with that. And above all else, I'd like to thank my fans: everyone who commented, kudosed, and read my works this year. You make it worth all the hardship that is writing <3

30. What’s something that you want to write in 2024?

2024 is going to be the year of series, I think! I look forward to continuing with A First for Everything, and I've also got 2 different BG3 series in the works: one a self-indulgent Kazstarion piece, and one centred around Gale! Plus a few shorter multi-chaptered thinks I'd like to work on for Genshin. I look forward to sharing more about them all!

[glitterdustcyclops]

Ten Fave Characters from Ten Fandoms

I started this post years ago and gave up halfway through, but I thought it would be interesting to revisit it. To see if my thoughts had changed since then, and to add in some new fandoms I've been into. The thing is, I've always struggled to pick my Single Favorite Character in any given media, because I am a total sucker for a good ensemble cast, and most of the time I'm more interested in the dynamics of the different relationships between characters than I am in the individual characters themselves. But you know, I do still have my blorbos, same as everyone else. So here are ten of them, from ten different fandoms, in no particular order (with a general warning that there will be spoilers):

1. Steven (Steven universe)

My son, my muffin, light of my life, best boy!! Honestly, how could I not put him first? Steven Universe is and always will be It™ for me, My Thing, and I could probably write essays for days (and in fact, I have) about the themes, characters, story arcs, design, music, everything to do with this fucking show. And while I love literally everyone in Beach City to bits, you know I gotta give a special shout out to our boy Steven. Watching him grow up over the years was a genuine delight, and the conclusion of his arc being a pretty obvious transgender acceptance allegory at the exact same time I was coming to accept my own trans identity was an extra special treat on top. It will never stop blowing my socks clean off just how revolutionary a character like Steven was at the time (and shamefully, continues to be), especially in media aimed at young kids. A boy hero whose strength and power comes from his empathy, from his kindness, from the women in his life. He is literally surrounded by a team of powerful alien warrior women, descended from the Princess of Alien Space Rock Royalty, and never once does the narrative even slightly question the fact that he idolizes the women in his life. Steven fights with a rose-colored shield and loves singing and laughing and his big sisters and love, and his whole arc was about learning how to take these feminine influences and come into his own power with them, to be the kind of hero he wanted to be. At the end of the day, no matter what else Steven was, he was above all himself. And he was loved for it, completely, unreservedly, without question. How fucking magical is that? (And thank god we finally got him some therapy, this poor lil muffin).

2. Donna Noble (Doctor Who)

Best companion 5ever, fite me. I love Donna for so many reasons, but most of all I love her relationship with Ten, which is easily one of my top five brotps of all time. She challenged him and snarked at him and dared him to be better, and he tried his hardest to do it, because he wanted to be worthy of her companionship. And they were just so good together!!! Ahhh!!!!! Donna Noble was introduced as a rather abrasive figure, loud and sarcastic without apology in a way female characters frequently aren’t allowed to be, especially in the dark times of the late 2000s. But she was also shown to be really deeply kind, overflowing with empathy for all of the people and creatures around her. And not only that, but she was quite literally the Most Important Woman in the Universe because of it. Your faves could simply never, I’m sorry. Ten + Donna will forever be my ultimate fav season, my fav companion, my favorite everything of Doctor Who forever and always. (Also David Tennant & Catherine Tate’s irl chemistry is the best, they are just so good whenever they’re together on screen.)

3. Iron Bull (Dragon Age Inquisition)

It is almost impossible for me to pick my favorite character from Dragon Age more than any other series because I really do love them all too much. I mean, Hawke, my disaster bisexual? Fenris, my moody little porcupine? Dorian? Sera? Leliana? VARRIC?!?! To me one of the defining features of Dragon Age are its excellent ensemble casts. The fascinating dynamics between all these messed up weirdos trying their best to save the world. But if I had to pick one guy, the one who definitely surprised me with how absolutely head-over-heels in love I fell with him, well then I have to give it up to the Big Man himself, our beloved Iron Bull. I remember when it was first announced we were getting a Qunari love interest, and not only was he a Big McLarge Huge Warrior Guy, he was pansexual. I was braced for a walking punchline, leering and making jokes and flirting with everyone in a really crass way (not that there’s anything wrong with that, just you know, it’s been done before). But what I got instead was a burnt-out professional liar with a determined love for softness, for pleasure. Bull is an incisively intelligent and brutally calculating man who is willing to turn his back on his country and everything he's ever known, to become an outcast, just to stick up for the people he loves the most. Dude's got layers. He loves dawnstone because it's pretty and pink, he totally gets off on fighting dragons, he calls Vivienne ma'am and plays mindchess with Solas in his spare time. And obviously, of course, him being a loving dom who gives you a place to be something other than the literal Herald of Andraste was just the icing and sprinkles on top of this already delicious slice of beefcake.

4. Izzy Hands (Our Flag Means Death)

Oh boy. Hoo boy. Okay. We're getting into it now. Sometimes you just see an absolute miserable little rat bastard of a man and go "yes, that one, that one's mine thank you." While I love Stede for Gender Reasons and I love Ed because he's literally perfect, and the tender sweetness of Jim + Olu melt my heart into a pool of butter, and everyone else in the cast is absolutely spectacular, down to the guest roles, there's just something about Izzy. It’s undeniable. We love a complicated character round these parts, naturally, but also, how could you not be obsessed with one so singularly pathetic and yearning and just absolutely begging to be stepped on as Izzy motherfucking Hands. Just. His whole deal?? Imagine being so fucking married to the fictionalized persona you helped create of the man you've decided to devote your entire life to. Imagine knowing that the crumbs of affection you accept from him are the most that you could ever hope to get, because you and he just aren't made for anything else, you are Hard Men and this is a Violent, Terrible world. Until, suddenly, in walks this fucking prissy little nonce with no skills and all of the privilege, who by all rights should have been shot dead the second he set foot in Nassau, and somehow this fucking idiot manages to utterly bewitch your husband god Captain?? Who, it turns out, actually did want all of that lovely sweet softness you told yourself was Forbidden, For Reasons, and he is actually perfectly capable of showing warmth and devotion and care for someone, just not You. No, instead you are fated to watch your Captain and This Fucking Idiot fall in love, right in front of your face, and the rest of his floating insane asylum treat you like you're the bad guy here. Like, bitch, I would probably want to stab someone about that too!! (And that's not even getting into the Toe Thing, which. Jesus Christ. The Toe Thing). Also, he has the privilege of being portrayed by Con O'Neil, who I have the most atrocious of crushes on, so really, how could I not pick him?

5. Flint (Black Sails)

Speaking of Messed Up Gay Pirates. I know we can all relate to someone being so fundamentally angry about homophobia that he decides to declare war on all of Britain about it, right? No, but for real, James Flint McGraw’s entire arc, from earnest do-good Homosexual with politically radical beliefs to vengeful ginger murder-pirate to tired old man who gets to retire to a lifetime of gentle lovemaking with his recently-unburied Husband was something I never expected, but was utterly delighted by nonetheless. There is just so much seething rage burning under the surface of this man, that constant war between his tenderness, his capacity for love and care that was so cruelly ripped from him by such a corrupt system, and then his yearning for violence and vengeance. And, on top of that, the ways he relates to the women of the show; his entire co-dependant Thing with Miranda, which is so queer it’s almost beyond definition in the best way, and his Tired Gay Dad routine with Eleanor, and to a lesser extent, Madi. Plus, he’s damaged and hot and so so sad about it, and he looks so criminally good covered in blood it should actually be a crime. To this day the entirety of the “in the dark there is discovery” monologue fully lives rent free in my head, not to mention “my truest love, know no shame.” Ultimate blorbo status for sure.

6. Joan Watson (Elementary)

Confession time: I was definitely one of those people who was initially dubious and upset that they were doing yet another modern Sherlock Holmes adaptation, and not only that, but they were making Watson a woman! “Oh this is obviously an egregious No Homo attempt, fuck this show,” I thought, and I was fully prepared to write off the whole enterprise. But then I found out they had cast Lucy Liu as Watson and I was conflicted because, seriously, Lucy Liu, how could you not totally love her? I decided to give the first episode a shot and was delighted to discover that Miss Joan totally captured my heart from the literal moment she appeared on screen. I’ve never been the biggest fan of the original Holmes stories so take all my opinions with a grain of salt here, but I love that Joan is played as Watson who is an actual equal to Sherlock. Their dynamic is an honest-to-god partnership, instead of the tired trope of the Brilliant Amazing Perfect Special Genius Boy and the long-suffering idiot who puts up with him. You can really see what Sherlock sees in Joan, all the things he values in her: her strength and quiet brilliance, her inquisitiveness and determination, and how she utterly refuses to put up with his bullshit from like, day one. This is a Watson with healthy boundaries, y’all. She’s just such a wonderful character in her own right. She’s more than Sherlock’s blogger, she has a life and dreams and goals of her own, and the show respects that. And not only that, but there is not even a hint of any tired romance tropes between the two of them. Their quiet queerplatonic domestic partnership evolves in such a really lovely way across the series, it is one of the core dynamics of the show, and it’s so good. And each episode is an excuse to look at Lucy Liu in gorgeous outfits for an hour at a time, which I will happily take where I can find it. Good show. Criminally underrated.

7. Aziraphale (Good Omens)

Alright, I’ve got another shameful confession for you. I’ve never actually managed to finish reading Good Omens. I know I know, nail me to the cross. There was just something about the writing style that I could never fully get into, but I got far enough to know that Crowley and Aziraphale were totes in love 5ever, and even though I wouldn’t have understood why at the time, I really Related to Aziraphale for Some Mysterious Reason. Smash cut to 2019 and the first season of the TV version premiers and I’m watching Michael Sheen do all That as Aziraphale and a lightbulb pops on over my head and I just go oh. Gender!! There’s a tumblr post I love that talks about how Aziraphale is soft and effeminate and good, and that is such an important part of his character. He on-purpose cultivates a deliberately gay image because he relates to gay culture, because he identifies with being a maligned outcast to society the same way homosexuals were for most of the time he’s been on Earth. Our Angel loves food and pleasure and soft warm things, and that never stops him from being a hero. In fact, it is because of his hedonism and softness that he defies Heaven and Hell to literally save the day. To quote from that post directly, “He’s soft and queer and vain and he loves food and these are good qualities! These things are his and he wears them openly and defiantly and they make him strong in a way heaven doesn’t comprehend!” God, just, *slaps Aziraphale’s belly* this bad boy can hold so much gender. I love him endlessly.

8. GLaDOS (Portal 2)

So rarely in media are women allowed to be unhinged murderous lunatics, but GLaDOS carries that heavy burden on her beautiful robot shoulders admirably. I think sometimes the fanon characterization of her focuses a little too heavily on either the tragedy of her, of Caroline being forced into this body against her will, or on the whole Evil Dommy Mommy Step on Me Cold Calculating Badass thing, which is unfortunate, because GlaDOS is also completely fucking bonkers in the best way. Not a goddamn hinge anywhere to be found on this bitch, and that’s what makes her so special. She’s silly! And weird! Her toxic yuri mother-daughter Thing with Chell is endlessly compelling, and every line out of her mouth is an ice-cold banger. Also, she gets the special honor of being one of the few characters I’ve cosplayed as, and she is certainly one of the funnest to portray. To this day I still have the entirety of her wake-up speech from Portal 2 memorized. “Okay look. We both said a lot of things you’re going to regret. But I believe we can put our differences behind us. For science. You monster.” She’s incredible.

9. Yuna (FFX, FFX-2)

My first blorbo! Yuna Finalfantasy will always have a special place in my heart, for reasons I’m not sure I can properly articulate. FFX is one of The Games of All Time for me, I literally used to listen to the soundtrack as a lullaby, and to this day my dad and I can quote the dialogue along with the cutscenes. And Yuna’s arc just absolutely destroys me if I think too hard about it. She is just so good, she is quiet and gentle and sweet and absolutely drowning under the crushing enormity of her legacy, her mission, the fate of the goddamn literal world. And then she meets her match in the Manic Pixie Dream (Heh) Boy who gets her to open up and live a little, who makes her laugh and smile, and she really values him for it, for the discovery and possibility he represents for her. And then, the ultimate tragedy of him being the one to sacrifice for her, that she may live? Ugh!! It’s raining. On my face. To this day the scene of her Sending after Kilika just guts me, and the way she grows and changes and comes into her own over the course of FFX-2 breaks me down to my atoms. Best girl, no question.

10. Astarion (Baldur’s Gate 3)

Alright. Okay. Yes. I know. I’m going to try and make this entry not just a rehash of my last post about Astarion or unhinged gay screaming for 500 words but like. Come on. Look at him. I never played Baldur’s Gate during early access,  but when I found out that one of your potential love interests was a queer pretty-boy vampire with a Tragic Backstory involving a twisted Master/slave dynamic I was...intrigued, to say the least. What I did not expect was all of the depth and complexity that went into writing him and portraying him. It helps that Neil Newbon has an absolutely delicious voice, yes, but there is so much more there besides the surface level of him. In fact, that is the entire point of his arc! Seeing beyond the very pretty seductive mask he presents to the world, to the gaping wounds and barely-concealed traumas and fear and insecurities behind it, and choosing to love him for it anyway. And by loving him, the real him, you make space for him to find himself, to rescue himself. A man who has spent 200 years buried under ground surviving horrific abuse and becoming cruel and petty to cope, finding the strength within himself to heal, to choose to live and to love, honestly. That is so fucking powerful, I will literally never get over it.

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Mega CD - Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder

Title: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder / アイ・オブ・ザ・ビホルダー

Developer: Westwood Studios / Strategic Simulations Inc. / Opera House

Publisher: Pony Canyon

Release date: 22 April 1994

Catalogue No.: T-75014

Genre: RPG

The first thing that drew my attention to playing this game was the wonderfully designed graphics. It's not only the intro sequence, but also how the walls, the monsters, and especially the items dropped onto the floor look ... those still fascinate me regardless of the lower-res graphics here in comparison to the higher resolution ones of the PC-98, IBM PC, or Super Famicom versions. The soundtrack is the big highlight of this Mega CD release here, being the only Mega CD title that Yuzo Koshiro contributed to the soundtrack of. Yuzo Koshiro also provided a totally different soundtrack for the PC-98 release which was also published by Pony Canyon as well. It seems like he was going for a more Sonic Frontiers Cyberspace-ish soundtrack in retrospect, which I don't mind.

One interesting characteristic of the game that is missing from the rest of the series is its nonlinearity. At many places in the game, there are a lot of teleport portals that may allow you to skip a lot of levels. The same levels might be connected with different stairs from different places and there are a lot of different paths one can follow. On one occasion you can skip one level by falling into a pit that leads you directly in the spider level. There are many places to move around, special quests you can solve (for some of them you have to travel back to earlier levels), and so many interesting places you might have missed even if you are at the final level meeting the boss and two different ways to kill the beholder. Especially the nonlinearity feature because the portals is exploited in speed runs of the game finished in just ten minutes, something that could be impossible in EOB 2 or 3.

The controls and gameplay are also very well done and if someone can get used to moving around with the D-pad buttons on the Mega Drive controller and acting with the Sega mouse, one can become an expert in the game and cleverly pursue fights with even the hardest monsters by using the common side-stepping trick that works in all EOBs.

A very good early dungeon-crawling RPG, truly recommended for starters in the genre. Well worth picking up if you're a CRPG (computer RPG) fan like myself.

[tahri-nhupuju]

For Final Fantasy 14, with explanations under the read more:

Story Bread Crumbs: While there are a bunch of little lore details and stuff that become relevant later, and lots of like, one-off things that actually imply lots of unseen lore, most of the main story itself is pretty straightforward. If I'd used a scale of one to ten instead of just Yes, No, Kinda? I'd rate it like a 3 at most.

Respawn Mechanics Explained in Canon: Every time you die in this game it's canonically your character having a vision of one possible future outcome so you can learn to avoid it.

Ancient Ruined Civilization: World is trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of apocalypses, so take your fucking pick. Something recent like Belah'dia, Gelmorra, or Avalonia; something several millennia ago like Allag, or go back to the start of the timeline for Amaurot.

Interconnected World: Yes, kind of, with several routes via sea, land, and air, but not really more so than any other open world game/MMO?

Convoluted Online Play: Unless you're some poor sprout trying to use Duty Finder to pop the Bahamut Raids, multiplayer is pretty straightforward.

Jolly Wandered NPC: The Wandering Mistrel, the Minstrelling Wandered, and the Wandering Dramaturge all go from place to place, eagerly searching for new tales to tell (i.e. boss fights to invent the hard mode of via exaggeration)

Corrupt Religion: There is an entire expansion about this, but special shoutout to the church of Nald'thal for being based around indulgences, the brief Ala Mhigan Nymeia worship used to prop up the Mad King and root out his political opponents, and Eulmore for literally just being prosperity gospel with cannibalism.

Peaceful Hub Music: Waking Sands. That's it, that's the post.

Depressed Hub NPC: Thancred circa ARR.

Patches: What is Ungust if not Patches but Worse?

Troll Message: None that I can think of, unless you want to count community memes.

Hard But Fair: I mean kind of? It has different content at different tiers of challenge, but I doubt anyone would call anything other than the very top tiers particularly difficult, so I wouldn't apply it in the Souls sense.

Poison Swamp: Aurum Vale.

Mimics: Recurring enemies.

Dragons: These ones are aliens!

Dodge Roll: While several classes have dodge abilities, there are none that are a literal roll. Marked it Kinda for Dancer's En Avant, which is like the Bloodborne dodge but fancier.

Thicc Demon: Chuchulain.

Gods Ruined Everything: Kind of absolutely, but it wasn't really the gods fault as much as those that created the gods. Again, on a 1-to-10 scale this one's an 8 or 9.

Fashion Souls: Glamour is the true endgame.

Crystal Lizard: Marked this as maybe because I could swear I remember seeing crystal lizards, but I can't remember where.

Optional Boss Is The Hardest Fight: Boss Fight hard modes are canonically you telling the tale to a minstrel, who proceeds to embellish the fight for added drama, so by default the optional content is way harder. There's also Ultimates, the highest tier of content which is very much optional.

Large Guy In Armour: King Thordan, Golbez, Elidibus that one time, several recurring enemies, the list goes on.

So Many Ladders: An average amount of ladders, none of which are interactive.

Dual Boss Fight: Eden Ifrit and Garuda, Golbez and the Shadow Dragon, Nymeia and Althyk, certainly more I cannot remember at the moment.

Dark Souls of [...]: What are the Eden Raids if not the Dark Souls of Being Gay?

Verdict: BINGO!

Is your game like Dark Souls?

Are you tired of all these game journalists comparing your game to Dark Souls? Well, how about you use this handy bingo to find out if your game REALLY is like Dark Souls?

[subspencer]

spencer has been on a case for a couple weeks now, and he’s coming back tonight. his plane was delayed so he wouldn’t have gotten home until really late so you try your hardest to stay awake by doing different things that google says helps, and eventually you fall asleep reading a book or something and when spencer comes home he sees you and just moves you to get comfy and kisses your head, then you wake up and then some fluff or smut doesn’t matter<33

hiii i wrote this all last night! it’s a bit of both fluff and smut! 

wc: 1.4k    

According to Google, the scent of pumpkin was known to arouse men, especially when combined with the scent of lavender. So you lit a bunch of different candles, a few of both scents, plus dozens of smaller ones to line the windowsills. 

Chocolate is another aphrodisiac, as you’ve heard. You hand-dipped fresh strawberries in the fanciest chocolate money could buy, plating them up next two two champagne flutes and a chilled bottle of bubbly. It was the least you and Spencer deserved after weeks apart. 

Everything looked great, until he texted you at nine-thirty in the evening, at the time you were expecting his plane to land.

I’m so sorry, a massive storm came through. Plane never left. We’re getting back on now, hope to land in a few hours. 

Well, fuck. You were so prepared for him; all dressed up, glasses already poured, candles lit, and a set of new lingerie on.  

But it was only three hours. That’s all that separated you from Spencer, and after so many days, you could manage to busy yourself for a few hours. He was worth the wait. 

You passed eighty minutes by watching some tv, another twenty while playing a game on your phone, and twenty more by going back to the tv. Two hours down, one more to go. But you made the fatal mistake of having some of that champagne while you waited, and staying awake seemed harder to do with every passing minute.

With no coffee in the house to keep yourself up, you resorted to the internet again. The first search result was a listicle of tips and tricks:

1. Get Up and Walk Around  

Okay, done. And while you walked around, you also accomplished tip number four, “Eat a Healthy Snack to Boost Energy”. With a whole, peeled carrot in one hand, you paced around Spencer’s apartment while chomping on the vegetable for a good ten minutes. 

It worked, but only a little. So, you tried another item.

5. Start a Conversation to Wake Up Your Mind

It was a total bust. At goddamn eleven forty five in the evening, on a week night, not many people would be excited to pick up the phone. You tried a few numbers and all of them went to voice mail. 

On to the next one.

3. Give Your Eyes a Break

Okay, so no screens. You put your phone down, shut the television off, and walked over to Spencer’s bookcase. Running your fingers along their spines, you were in awe of how many books he had. It was too many to pick from, so instead, you went to his bedside table and picked up the book he was last reading in bed. 

You almost fell into the trap of sitting in bed to read it. You knew if you did that, you’d fall asleep right away. So you took it to the couch, grabbing one of his sweaters off his armchair on the way, and tossing it overhead.

In a bid of hope, you never got out of that lingerie you put on for him, but now it was starting to get chilly. You promised yourself to take it off the second you heard his keys hit the door; he’d never have to know you were anything less than the perfectly seductive piece you were dressed up as. 

But, Jesus fucking Christ. Spencer reads some boring books.

Not boring, maybe, but ones that have words just in the damn title that you don’t even understand. You strained your mind through four of the pages, which took at least another twenty minutes anyways, and decided that was more than enough. 

You checked your phone again, hoping for a miracle. And it came to you in the form of a text from Spencer.

Just landed! 

Got news that all the roads are blocked off. Trains are closed, Morgan’s gonna drive me home, but it could still take at least an hour :(

There wasn’t even a moment to be excited about the first part before you swiped out of the messages app and angrily pulled up that listicle again. All the other suggestions were rubbish; you weren’t going to go exercise in a snowstorm, there wasn’t any fucking sunlight at past midnight, and you’d already drank tons of water. 

There was one item on the list you hadn’t tried yet.

2. Take a Nap to Take the Edge Off Sleepiness

That was tempting. Spencer did say it would be another hour, and as he’s informed you many times before, a twenty-minute nap was all it took to get the optimal nap in. 

You caved. But you made sure to set your phone alarm for twenty minutes out, and yet another after that just in case. Fluffing Spencer’s sofa cushions up, you tucked one under your head and laid down.

-

You woke up just moments before Spencer came home. He walked in to find you waiting for him, clad in the hottest red lingerie he’d ever laid eyes on. After weeks of being apart, he didn’t have the time for words. He dropped his bags at the door and wordlessly stormed over, bringing his hands to either side of your face and gripping you tightly as he covered your mouth with his own. 

Your mouths worked furiously together, and his hands dropped low on your hips before throwing all caution to the wind and palming your ass. With both hands just below your ass, he picked you up, wrapping your legs around his waist as he walked you to the wall and pinned you against it. Your pussy was leveled perfectly against his hard dick. He grinded himself against you, moaning at the sweet friction. His head was buried in your neck, sucking so deliciously. 

“Spencer,” you moaned his name, low and rolling, as he shifted your panties aside. “Mmm, feels so good baby.” 

He carefully set you down and dropped to his knees, putting his face between your legs instead. His tongue pressed along the length of your seam. You let your eyes close as you dropped your head back onto the wall.

“Fuck, Spencer!” you couldn’t stop moaning it. Every other breath became the sound of his name. 

And then, you felt a kiss on your forehead. And a palm on your shoulder. Your eyes flickered open, fully and for real this time.

Next thing you knew, Spencer was kneeling on the floor. Not between your legs, but by your side while you were laid out on the couch, gently shaking you awake.

“Hi,” he smiled as you finally blinked your eyes awake. “Havin’ a good dream, I hope?”

You grumbled, disappointed both that it wasn’t real, and that you’d fallen asleep. “No, no, it wasn’t supposed to be like this!” you pouted, sitting up. “I was supposed to wake up and, and –”

“Be ready for me?” He quirked a brow as he surveyed the room. 

There were dozens of blown-out candles under the open windows, carrying a cool evening breeze. An untouched plate of chocolate strawberries, and a less-untouched bottle of champagne. You, clad in something silky and red, that made you look like a present waiting to be unwrapped. And also, his chunky knit sweater. 

“I tried, I promise. I did everything, I even read that book of yours,” you gestured to it on the coffee table, barely cracked open.

“Well, it’s no wonder you fell asleep then,” he laughed. 

“I’m so sorry, Spence.” 

He only shook his head and pushed your shoulders back down until you were lying on the couch again. 

“Don’t apologize.” He pulled your knees closer to him, hooking the leg closest to him over his far shoulder and nestling himself inside. “To find my girlfriend waiting for me, in my home,” he stopped to kiss the inside of your knee, “in my sweater,” and then the other one, “and in this, too?” 

Spencer pushed up the hem of the sweater, exposing the fancy lingerie you had under. His large hands rested on your sides as he dove in to kiss your belly, right above the mesh garter belt you wore. From there, he kissed a line all the way down, stopping before reaching your panties.

“Well, that’s all I could’ve asked for.” He gave you a smirk before hooking one finger into your panties and pulling them to the side. He dragged his tongue over you. “So, why don’t you tell me what that dream was about?” 

[terresdebrume]

Where the heck do I start watching Critical Role ?

(Because if you're going to watch 400+ hours of something you might as well start with the one that suits you best)

This is an extended version of a response I wrote for @grilledkatniss .This post is meant to help you decide what actual play show to watch, and is focused on campaigns and related one-shots. Other CritRole shows such as Narrative Telephone and Talks Machina are not covered in this guide.

(Though if someone writes something for those shows, please let me know and I'll link them in this post).

Obligatory readmore to save your dashes.

Campaign 1 (LINK)

The first campaign of the game, features the group Vox Machina, whom you may know of through the upcoming animated show on amazon.

In my opinion, campaign one is the hardest one to get into for two reasons :

The show started by taking a pre-existing campaign to stream, which means no matter where you start you're picking up mid-story.

One player of the OG cast became more and more obnoxious on-stream until he left. He's one of the main reason many people recommend starting with episode 24. (The second being that ep 24 starts a new arc which makes it a little easier to catch up.)

It's the group's first campaign so the characters are a little more true-to-tropes than in the following ones, though they already have depth and really touching arcs so it's really a matter or what kind of story you want to watch.

Also, it being early show means you will see a lot of changes in the setup, including technical difficulties before they got big budgets, lots of semi-unrelated material in the videos (DDR parties, to name one) and overall it's very obvious the show and the cast were figuring things out.

As the OG campaign, C1 also comes with a number of related 3-4 hours one-shots, which means the runtime of the story is longer than the runtime of the campaign. All related one shots take place after the end of Vox Machina's main story though, so you can skip them and still know the essentials of what happened to them.

Canon VM one shots :

The Search for Grog (LINK) Starts a couple of days after the last episode of the campaign.

The Search for Bob (LINK) Starts about five minutes after the end of the Search for Grog.

Dalen's Closet (LINK) In which two PCs finally deal with a villain that's bugged them for a long time and get married. In that order.

The Adventures of the Darrington Brigade (LINK) In which a former/temporary member of Vox Machina recruits people to go adventuring for charity.

Note: There are also a bunch of not canon/only semi-canon one-shots set in the periphery of Vox Machina such as Marisha Ray's games of Honey Heist and a few Battle Royale one-shots. For the sake of brevity and simplicity, I'm leaving them out of this list.

Campaign 2 (LINK)

Campaign two starts about 20-25 years after the story of Vox Machina, and follows a group of adventurers called The Mighty Nein.

The first ten or so episodes contain no reference whatsoever to Campaign 1, which makes C2 the easiest one to get into so far, in my opinion. Story-wise, the plot is somewhat less structured than in C1, which gives the campaign a bit of a different feeling (both are really good, it's just a bit of a different vibe).

Also, by the time C2 starts, most of the technical issues are sorted out and they've figured out how to make their show work, so you'll definitely get a much slicker experience from the get go. There's still a bit of footing-finding in some areas (who describes actions, how and how much, for example) but overall by that point it's a well-working machine.

Campaign 2 comes with a related, non-canon one-shot in the form of a Vox Machina vs. Mighty Nein battle royale.

Exandria Unlimited (LINK)

A shorter (8 Episodes) campaign featuring part of the regular cast (Including Matt Mercer as a player) as well as three additional players and a new DM, Aabria Lyengar.

The story starts about six years after the end of Campaign 2 and takes the viewer back to Tal'Dorei, the continent where Vox Machina evolved. I haven't personally watched it yet, but from what I know I would say it's right behind C2 in terms of ease of getting into in that the characters come with few connections to campaign 1 or 2 and therefore few references to either of these things (I assume having three players plus a DM who were uninvolved with C1/C2 helped).

Bonus : it's only 8 episode so it's easier to see if following an actual play show is something you enjoy, although since the DM is different, there's a possibility you enjoy Aabria's DMing more than Matt's and miss her after, idk x)

Campaign 3 (LINK)

Campaign 3 started in November of 2021 and as such is still pretty short. The story starts about 30 years after C1 and so far has my favorite characters (totally personal tho, obviously).

Three of the characters in this campaign are from Exandria Unlimited, one is from The Search for Grog & The Search for Bob One Shots, and another one has a strong connection to a place that played an important role in C1. What that means is that while you'll get the information you need to understand what's going on, having watched C1 will enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the show.

I didn't get the feeling that there were as many references to EXU so far, most likely because only three players out of eight participated in EXU--that being said, from what I've seen the plot is going to get into things that are more strongly connected to EXU soon, so there's also that to consider, I guess.

Tech wise, the show has Invested and is now in possession of possibly the raddest gaming setup ever x)

Also, later campaigns have a lot more Ashley Johnson, in case that plays a role for you xD

[lazykcdoodler]

Thoughts on Louie and Della's Relationship + which of the triplets is my vote for Most Likely to hold any sort of longterm grudge against their mom (and why it would be Huey)

I was looking through the Della Duck tag in my blog, when I came across some discourse about the Della-Louie relationship dynamic that I reblogged a while back. I was reading thru the comments and saw someone's HC about how S3 Louie might still hold a small grudge against Della for stealing the Spear of Selene.

And I'm like, no?? If any of the kids in S3 and beyond would hold any sort of substantial grudge against Della for taking the Spear, it would obviously be Huey.

Wait, why did I think that-

Then because Huey's not explored enough, I had to take a step back and think about why I thought of him as the most likely candidate.

First, to work thru my thoughts on Louie and Della's relationship, and why he's less likely to hold a grudge against her in the long run. To start things off, he and Della already had their big clash and make up in the S2 finale. Remember this?

Their small arc in S2 did important things for their character development. That's not to say that they'll never argue again, or that they won't ever have problems. I can certainly see Louie using the Spear as ammunition for a future fight, if things came to that. But Louie and Della have other traits in common, aside from sharp scheminess and their tendency to think that they're the smartest people in any room.

Louie and Della are communicators. Yes, they're both sly and manipulative. But their success in that department comes from their ability to understand people. Dewey might've inherited Della's impulsiveness and natural charisma- but his inclination toward dramatics, his need to be well liked by others, and his desire to stand out among his family and peers, all mean that Dewey is more likely than Louie (but not Huey) to keep secrets and his personal feelings quiet. Della and Louie? Much less so.

It took Louie less than a year to voice his insecurities about his capabilities as an adventurer to Huey. When their mom came back to the Manor, Louie voiced his personal concerns in the very same episode. Louie is a crier. He complains a lot. He's an excellent orator. By far, Louie is the easiest triplet to read as a character, because his thoughts and his intentions are made known to the audience very quickly.

On Della's side of the equation, it's strongly implied throughout the series that she served as the emotional translator between Donald and Scrooge. Don't get me wrong; Scrooge and Donald love each other very much, and they understand each other in a way that very few others do. But when wires get crossed and either of them clam up on their hurt feelings (or fight about other things to avoid the elephant in the room), Della comes in to mediate. She voices whatever the other person won't say out loud. But that deserves its own post.

Regardless of any trouble between Louie and Della, I'm sure of three things. 1) Della and Louie love and care about each other, 2) Della is trying her hardest, Louie doesn't like getting into fights, and he admires passion as a trait in other people, and 3) in spite of everything- despite how agreeable Huey is, or how Dewey's such a momma's boy- out of the boys, Della's relationship with Louie is probably the healthiest in the long run. When it comes to his feelings, Louie is the most emotionally honest triplet. If he beats around the bush, it won't be for long.

While Dewey and Della ride the same wavelength (which causes its own problems), she grounded Louie in Timephoon and said those infamous words because she's been in Louie's place before. She knows what scheming and selfishness got her and her family, and she doesn't want Louie to do the same thing. Because she knows she was harsh- and she knows she might've been too harsh, since she just began learning how to be an authority figure- Della is probably less confident with her ability to handle Louie properly. Which means she's more likely to go to Donald for help with Louie's issues, far more often than she might for Dewey and Huey. Louie will always let Della know where she stands with him. And while she won't take his shit, Della will listen and reciprocate his emotional honesty with her own.

Huey is not good at emotional honesty. Don't get me wrong, he's great at helping other people. But unlike Louie, Huey is as emotionally transparent with his insecurities as a steel bear trap.

So. Why Huey? As I mentioned above, he and Della have stuff in common. They enjoy video games and exploring. They're both outdoorsy. Della is giving this her best shot, and Huey's a kind kid. They get along fine, so obviously things must be fine. Right?

Rrriiiigggghhhhtttt. So, why do I think that Huey's the most likely of the triplets to have any residual resentment toward Della for taking the Spear?

Dewey admired Donald's commitment to his family, but he had to learn to respect him. Louie respected Donald's passion and work ethic, but he had to learn to admire him. Huey never had to learn any of that; Donald has held Huey's respect and admiration from Day 1.

Huey's uncle has a terrible temper. He's easily misunderstood by others. He's the hardest worker on the planet, but he's often underappreciated. Huey can relate. This intrinsic understanding is the root of Huey's longstanding admiration and respect for Donald's character and Donald's efforts. Despite their pre-series financial insecurities, Donald successfully raised three boys on his own while providing them with a relatively middle class lifestyle. Despite everything, Donald is rich in the love of his family and friends.

When it comes to Donald's difficulties with public society, out of his brothers, Huey is the most empathetic to their uncle's plight. He might not be a father of three, but Huey holds the best understanding of the responsibilities that Donald undertook on their behalf.

And therein lies the rub.

Huey Duck is the Responsible One. He works hard, takes his duties as the eldest triplet very seriously, and helps Donald wherever he can. Whether by serving as a vocal translator during a bank transaction, taking charge of his siblings when their uncle is away, or speaking in Donald's defense when his brothers call him boring or lame, Huey tries to makes things easier.

Della probably did some of those things for Donald when they were younger, and vice versa. I'm 99 percent sure that Donald has been teaching her how to AdultTM since she got back from the Moon.

(Because her impulsiveness got her stranded for 10 years).

Huey and Della love each other. They get along great. They have plenty in common. But Huey Duck is by-the-book, and naturally inclined toward hard work- just like his Uncle Donald. Della ripped up the book, took a shortcut, and had to learn to become hardworking the hard way. Huey Duck is the Responsible One. Della had to take a crash course in becoming a Responsible Authority Figure after Louie's scheming almost erased the family from history.

There are many reasons to admire Donald, but his ability to wrangle the three of them is probably near the top of Huey's list. If Donald wasn't responsible before the SOS Incident, he certainly learned to be. Huey has his own lifetime of trouble dealing with Louie's cons, Dewey's impulsiveness, and their collective recklessness and disregard for Huey's work and Huey's passions. They're difficult and infuriating, but Huey tries. And whenever Huey tries, his respect for Donald probably rises. Because Donald isn't their sibling- he's their uncle, their guardian, their first parent since the day the triplets hatched. While the triplets probably had honorary family in their lives long before they met Scrooge (apparently, Mouseton and Duckburg are very close to each other), Donald was HDL's only parent for 10 years.

Because Huey's mom was reckless, and got stranded on the Moon.

At least Huey knows where Louie and Dewey got it from. (It's bad enough, coming from them).

But Huey Duck is the oldest. He needs to be a figure of strength and capability. He needs to be a leader, needs to provide support, needs to be a good role model. His family relies on him for that sort of thing. Mom's been through a lot. Uncle Donald has been through a lot. Huey spent ten years watching his uncle go through a lot. Huey needs to set an example. He's the oldest- which means he needs to extend a hand, make an effort, and bury any proverbial hatchet even if it kills him a little.

(Huey wants things to run smoothly. Huey doesn't want to be a burden for others. Canonically, Huey locks away a lot of his own problems and internal anxieties...until his control slips. Huey hates it when that happens).

Let the record show that I love Della Duck. She's one of my favourite characters. I love how hard she tries, and she's come amazingly far. I'm sure Huey appreciates her efforts.

I'm not saying that canon Huey holds a grudge, or that he secretly resents his mom. I just think that out of all the triplets, he's who I'd pick as the most likely to do so. And unlike Louie and Dewey, Huey knows how to hide certain thoughts and feelings successfully. Huey can be anxious, but he can't be mean (he's already weird and nerdy, he can't afford to be mean). Huey has spent his entire life honing his control over his less...socially acceptable emotions. (Hello, Duke). If Huey has grudges about Della and the Spear or anyone and anything else, I have faith in his ability to hide those negative thoughts for a long, long time.

Until he can't.