#it's just a big undertaking because the plot is so complex

[allsassnoclass]

For AU Game: Raven Cycle AU? -Annie

@carouselstars

STOP i saw this and gasped because i literally have 20k of a raven cycle au already typed up (prologue posted here back in the day) you don't even know how excited the thought of this makes me you don't even know!!!!!!

Michael, as Ronan's parallel, doesn't have a thing about secrets like Ronan does (RONAN'S SECOND SECRET WAS--), but instead has a thing about promises. How long after someone dies are you allowed to break your promise to them? How do you keep a promise to yourself when you also hate yourself? Is it enough to keep yourself safe for someone else because you promised them you would, not because you want to for yourself?

Niall Horan makes a beautiful appearance as a Henry Cheng parallel, and the Vancouver Crowd is actually the UK Crowd (aka 1d)

Ashton built a soundproof room in Monmouth (former factory turned home for 3 rich teenage boarding school boys) so that he can drum when his insomnia kicks in. He and Michael used to joke about forming a band that only practices late at night when neither of them can sleep

i cannot describe to you exactly how much i want to write the almost-kiss with ashton and luke. literally the thing that inspired this whole journey i'm on. it's a pretty standard scene to include so maybe it doesn't count for something like this but i would LOVE to write that scene (so i guess the fun fact would be there's an almost-kiss scene in the first book)

i would make this a three-fic series rather than a four-fic one by managing to combine the dream thieves and blue lily, lily blue. this would mostly be accomplished by doing away with the villany of kavinsky, smushing him and jesse dittley together and making them both roy. who knows how i'm handling greenmantle (i certainly don't)

fun bonus fact, the main character parallels are as follows: ashton as gansey, luke as blue, michael as ronan, calum as adam, ryan flemming as noah. the ladies of fox way would largely stay the same (there is no one else who could replace them in the 5sos public circle lol) with the exception of maura, who would of course be replaced by Liz. persephone and calla have a slightly larger role in this, as I am doing away with neeve altogether because i simply do not vibe with her :)

in general, a raven cycle au i think would need to be shifted a decent amount in order to make it work, if only because there is So Much going on and the characters are so distinct. i personally have never seen the point of completely copying a book/movie and just switching out the character names, and the characters in the raven cycle are so unique and the story is decently character driven, so things would have to change with our boys taking their place. ashton is still definitely a gansey-esq character, but he also feels a lot more external pressure because i've added a whole side plot with his grandfather (i am insane) and external pressure caused by needing to uphold a positive public image for his mother's political career. i am in no way making mr. hood abusive, but the poverty still impacts calum significantly. however, his choice to move into st. agnes is caused by his sacrifice to cabeswater and his dad finally getting a better job and moving to washington dc (calum is trapped not by his home circumstances, but by the sacrifice he made. he wants to get out of henrietta, but when he's finally offered the chance his loyalty to his friends prevents him from doing so). michael is an only child and i cast him as a character with plot-important siblings, and the lack of declan and matthew is definitely going to change things for his story.

overall, i think the changes would ensure that this au would still be fresh and enjoyable for fans of the book series, while keeping with the spirit of the series and general large plot. if there are people who haven't read trc and want to after reading the fic, they'll still be surprised and delighted by maggie's characters and writing as well (although i would recommend reading the book series first as she's obviously going to tell it much better than me lol).

obviously i talked a lot more with this one than prompted lol but in my defense i have been brainstorming this since 2020. it's a good time! i love thinking about it!

Send me a potential AU and I'll tell you five fun facts that would happen in a story

[edgeray]

Ray! 🍅 anon here, I said I wasn't going to request but there's one idea I've been really, REALLY itching at.

So you know how you reblogged "cold nights" by beiibeii? Yeah about that... I think I cooked an angst idea of this on a related tangent? (If you choose to write this, ofc)

How about Mother!Reader who is faced with the same scenario of Arle neglecting them to the point that she loses hope in their relationship? Think of the angst when the children constantly remind their Father of important dates but she's away or somehow missing most of them because of work. To the point reader just implies for them to stop trying and accepts the fact that they married Arlecchino but is now simply the Knave's wife? Like even the children can see them losing hope which is why they sometimes lowkey plead with their Father to actually pay more attention to Mother. Mother marrying Father means that Mother is strong but behind their strong facade you can see their sadness! You can feel their loneliness! And their sense of isolation and sorrowful acceptance of their new reality. And Arle does not pick up on the subtle signs until it's Too Late. Like. Reader in the coffin Late.

And as the Knave's wife Reader does need to undertake missions like in "I am Fine in Your Arms" but because reader has lost so much hope in living a wife outside of being the Knave's wife, reader does not make an effort to return alive. The angst of the burial, maybe the children blaming their Father etc. The really young ones aside, I don't think they would be actively angry with their Father, just very, VERY, disappointed. HotH would lose its warmth for a while before Lyney, Lynette and Freminet try their best to build it back (but of course, it never becomes as warm as it used to be)

Whether or not you choose to give this one a happy ending is up to you, but on my end the only happy ending that I cooked up for them is that Arle wakes up in the next Samsara with all these memories of losing Reader and prevents the relationship from going South in the first place. (Bonus points if Reader also has the memories and compares it to how they were treated by Arle previously, makes a comparison, and goes "How I wish this were my Arle" without knowing that it actually IS their Arle, just acknowledging she fucked up BIG time and is now making heavy amends for it. and Arle Knows because of that look that Reader gives her, sorrow and joy in a complex blend.)

...I think by now you can tell that I'm an angst writer too HAHSHHSHA Nobody leaves my fics without getting a knife and I promise it's just for the plot (like we always say).

I've still been keeping up with your writings (Beauty and The Beast actually fits, holy-) (Someone send Siren!Arle a whole farmhouse of ham for her consumption please) and yes I agree that you've been pumping out bangers after bangers. (I mean. Given that, you probably can afford to be a little indulgent? If writing this much quality about your muse doesn't give you the OK to put your hands all over them, abs and all, what does?)

As always, prioritise your sanity and schedule first, stay well rested and hydrated!

Lost Warmth

(Arlecchino x GN! Reader)

A/N -  Link to my momma's (@beiibeiii) piece right here. If I see you read this before reading the masterpiece I just linked, know that I am a very disappointed axolotl. 😔  Anyways, you might be able to tell just how long this has been sitting in my inbox… haha… my bad guys. T^T. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to write more angst. :3 And thank you for the additional comments 🍅 anon. I do have quite a soft spot for siren! arle, seeing that she was my first request (and requested from my momma :3). Wanted this to be a little longer, but I do have to wake up earlier tomorrow, so this is what you get T^T. Hopefully it's still good. Content warnings / info - angst, character death (duh), reader is referred to as ‘Mother’ but is otherwise GN!, 1.4k words

Cold is a feeling you've long gotten used to. Cold is your husband's dismissal of your existence, with every interaction ending with her blunt words and back towards you, leaving you with a crumbling heart. Cold are the long nights as you anxiously wait for Arlecchino's appearance for a candlelit dinner you spent half the day preparing, only for her never to return until you fell to exhaustion on the couch, a flower bouquet that remains unreceived in your hands. Cold is the creeping loneliness in the late hours of the night, when you've finally grown tired of anticipating someone that will never come, and returned to bed alone. Cold is the way you shiver underneath the thickest of blankets, no one's body warmth to sink into, no one's softly whispered words into your ear to drift you to sleep. Cold is when instead of your husband, only dim stars, a bottle of liquor, and the tears that stream your face join you in bed.

When was the last time you had felt warmth? 

You recall when the Knave first started courting you, how gentlemanly she was for such a rumored cruel Harbinger. You were first just a caretaker of the House of the Hearth, this small orphanage which you quickly found to be home for you. You couldn't help but adore the endearing children, watching as you slowly became a staple in this family. Despite your best efforts of hiding it, Arlecchino noticed when you snuck in the occasional pastry or cake from the town's most lavious bakery for the children, out of your own paycheck as well. It was then, your husband admitted, when she first fell for you. It had taken her months of encouragement from her ‘pestering’ children before she asked you out, and it was impossible to not fall for her charm.

How could you not? Not when she held you like you were her world. Not when she viewed you higher than the Tsaritsa herself. Not when her touch was heavenly, her words silky and sweet. When she proposed to you, your heart leapt with levity, and you thought your life was perfect now. A warm house, fitted with warm parents, that was what you had had, you had never felt so content. 

Then came the long nights. Nights when she trudged home later than usual, where she fell asleep without a word but sunk into your arms still. Then she started forgetting, forgetting about the dates and birthdays, and anniversaries more and more. At first, you chalked it up to her demanding Harbinger duties, but as time grew and the excuses started to run out, the perfect life you knew was crumbling. 

You became aware of this two years after your marriage when you had been preparing dinner for the two of you once she arrived home, slow cooking a steak since the early hours of the morning. Just as you exited the kitchen, you heard some children surrounding your husband before she left for another Harbinger meeting, telling her that you had a surprise for her once she came home and how excited you were for her to enjoy a new recipe you created. Your heart swelled with hope and appreciation for your children, especially when Arlecchino promised she would return in time. 

You should have known better.

You ate your tear-ridden steak alone and went to bed, leaving the steak out for her for whenever she returned home. Just like how you fell asleep, you woke up without your husband's presence, and when you arrived at the kitchen, the meat and the note besides the plate were untouched. 

You tried to eat the cold steak for lunch as well. You threw it away at the first bite. That day, you gathered your children, pleading them not to ‘pester’ Father with more reminders, as she was very busy. All that you gained back from the children was pitied expressions, and the agony in your chest worsened. Your children could pity you, but your husband couldn't? Even with your husband's coldness, you still carried out your Mother role, if only for the children. You cannot deny that the children's antics helped you forget the ever-present void inside you, caused by Arlecchino. 

You never learned the reason for Arlecchino's behavior, why she had grown so cold towards you. Now, you suppose, you would never know.  

Red fills your hazy vision as you lay on the ground, your entire body aching and fatigued, desperate gasps for air while your heart pounds in your eardrums. Your side was sliced, and the crimson liquid quickly poured out of the wound while you tried to stop the bleeding, but to no avail. 

This is your end, you think to yourself as you weakly turn on your side, every nerve in your body protesting against the movement. Your bloodied hand comes into view, your engagement and wedding ring gleaming slightly underneath the blood. The rings bring your thoughts to Arlecchino–oh, how you imagine the common disappointment in her otherwise apathetic expression, disappointment at your mission's failure. Your eyes bubbled and blurred with tears, vivid memories of your wedding flashing through your mind. The wedding ring is beautiful, still polished with that bold scarlet, the same color of her eyes, the same eyes you could never stop drowning in.

Would she even know your absence? Would she ever acknowledge you, treat you properly like her partner even if you did return? You doubt it. Did you want to return a cold bed, to a husband that does not love you, to a house no longer warm? 

It's warm. 

Your body feels like fire courses through your veins as you feel inexplicably hot, yet it's a welcomed heat. It's the first time you've felt this, but it feels familiar, comforting, like a hearth, and you want nothing more than to surrender to it. It soothes your heartbeat and calms your breath, easing your body as if you were to sink into the most plush of beds, swallowed by the thickest of blankets. The warmth coils around you, wrapping you like a cozy embrace, evoking you to sleep. Your eyes flutter shutter, a faint smile plastered on your lips.

It feels just like Peruere's arms. 

— 

Arlecchino receives a letter addressed to her on the third day you've been sent on a mission. The contents make her drop the paper, and she rushes outside, without an additional word, leaving the House. 

The children do not see her until she returns late into the night, a body wrapped in cloth in her arms. Arlecchino raised her children to be smart, to be attentive, to be logical. Whose body it is, they realize with little difficulty. 

The children weep that night. Arlecchino does not. How can she, when her source of emotions is gone? 

The burial takes place soon afterwards. As your body is placed into the ground, Arlecchino can feel the weight of her children's stare on her back. The charged tension between her and the children is palpable without words. She cannot discern which of the two reactions cut deeper. The seething fury underneath the oppressive grief for the young ones, having to lose another parent, or the crushing dismay inhabited by the older ones, specifically the twins and Freminet. 

Their thoughts are clear, even when none of them speak out loud. 

How could you fail Mother?

The House of the Hearth no longer suits the orphanage's name, not with your missing presence. There is no warmth, no matter how much the trio tries to fuel a lost flame. Even with Arlecchin's pyro vision, it is futile.

Arlecchino stands before your gravestone, a bouquet of your favorite flowers in her hand, and she rests it beside the other bouquets by your grave. Six bouquets in total, for each day after your burial. 

“For all the flowers, I should have given you, my love,” she whispers as she addresses you, glancing up to the heavens. The last two words make her feel like a fraud, undeserving of calling you hers, when she had clearly never shown so. 

Arlecchino, the Knave, the Fatui Harbinger, does not plead, does not beg, does not kneel. However, her knees drop to her dirt, and she grovels. “Please… wait for me one more time, my dear. Once I meet you again, I promise I'll never leave you alone, I'll never let you out of my arms again.”

There is no reply. 

Arlecchino feels cold. 

[canyousonicme]

Doctor Who's Alex Kingston on hiding River Song's biggest spoiler

"I'm very good at keeping secrets."

"She's not a companion, she's a wife!" Alex Kingston is quick to correct about her beloved Doctor Who character River Song.

And she's completely right. River Song is unlike any other Doctor Who character, first introduced in 2008's Silence in the Library and spanning multiple eras in one of the most complex and glorious timelines to ever grace the show.

"She's the most incredible character to play, and certainly when the role was offered to me, I had obviously no idea of the journey that both she and I would be undertaking - because obviously in the very first Silence in the Library story, she dies," Kingston exclusively tells RadioTimes.com.

"So, I just thought it was a two-episode job. Little did I know! I also didn't really know the personalities of Russell [T Davies] or Steven Moffat, and if I had, maybe I would have had an inkling that there must be more than this."

River's had countless adventures since she was first introduced more than a decade ago - she's appeared on-screen with three different incarnations of the Doctor and, in her work with Big Finish, Kingston has collaborated with every single living actor to have played the Time Lord.

But there's one particular scene that many fans will never forget. In the emotional season 6 episode A Good Man Goes to War, River reveals to Karen Gillan's Amy and Arthur Darvill's Rory that she's their daughter, Melody, providing a plot twist for the ages.

In an incredibly apt turn of events, showrunner Moffat told Kingston about the reveal a good six weeks before everyone else, with the actress having to keep the explosive secret to herself because... well, spoilers.

"On this particular occasion, I was asked whether I'd be available, and Steven also contacted me and basically gave me the rundown of the storyline ahead of anybody else knowing," she recalls.

"He didn't want [the other actors] to know, because I think he didn't want their performances in any way to be altered with that knowledge - and also, in a funny sort of way, in the episodes that we had filmed prior, I didn't know either.

"The performances that you get from all of the actors are incredibly true, because there is no knowledge about who you really are or what you're going to reveal.

"I quite liked that, because you literally play - and, in fact, one always has to do this with Steven because he has so many threads that he's just tossed out to drift on the wind, until he decides to pull that thread back in and tie it up with something else. So you just have to literally play the moment all the time and not think about anything else.

"So, when Steven did give me this insight, I had a very big secret that I had to keep. The other actors, Karen, Arthur and Matt, they knew that I had a secret and I just wasn't going to tell them.

"There were bribes and all sorts of things... but I wasn't going to give the secret away. Even on the filming day, the script didn't have the reveal in it.

"Steven didn't put it in the script because he didn't want any of the crew to know and he didn't want that storyline and that secret to somehow get out before the audience actually saw it for the first time on television.

[goron-king-darunia]

Annon-Guy: Have you ever watched Edward Scissorhands?

And have you read the IDW Sonic Comics?

I have seen Edward Scissorhands, but not recently. I would fail a pop quiz, but I know the general premise and plot. As for the IDW Sonic Comics, I am aware of them, and the Metal Virus Saga was a big enough thing that I have a few reviews and summaries of it in my Watch Later on Youtube because everyone was talking about it. But no, I've never actually read any of the Sonic Comics. The closest I've gotten to reading them independently was reading some of the pages from that notorious comic by Ken Penders where Sonic wasn't allowed to be properly devastated that his children got erased from existence, same comic that is also notorious for being the jumping off point for Ken Penders' Lara Su Chronicles comic that took a bajillion years and a giant middle finger to Sega to get published. And I only read the pages that were shown in a devastating roast of Ken's material in a sort of "this is why you need to 'Kill Your Darlings'" type post on Tumblr because, like, on the one hand I 100% understand the appeal of exploring what domestic life is like for the cast once they're able to actually grow up and have lives. But when the overarching plot is badly explained timey wimey nonsense that comes out of nowhere, isn't allowed to have a proper emotional impact anywhere that it should, and gets resolved in a handful of too-short and yet way-too-long issues, yeah. A story like that isn't going to do any of its elements well.

I've heard good things about the Sonic comics, and even the ones Ken Penders got his mitts on have some good in them. You can tell the Echidnas were Ken's Special Little Guys, and honestly, as a Knuckles fan, I 100% understand. I've just never actually had the time to dedicate to reading them. Hence why video summaries are my current go-to for whenever I do have the time. It's amazing but a bit bittersweet that there's so much art out there and so many stories, but I'll probably never get to all of the stuff I want to get to. There's just too much cool stuff for one human being to experience. Homestuck was a massive thing, and I have quite a few friends who were into all of it. And I tried picking it up once. But it's such a massive undertaking that I might just have to settle for a synopsis if the interest ever hits me again. Hell, One Piece is a massive big deal now, with the Live Action version on Netflix roping a lot of first time viewers in, and I think the main appeal is how much it truncates. You definitely miss out on the finer details and elements of story-telling with the live action version, but for a manga with chapters and episodes in the THOUSANDS, I 100% understand why the Live Action series or even the movie arcs are a much more appealing way to get into the behemoth of One Piece than reading or watching the whole thing. I was into One Piece back before it was "cool" here in the states and even I'm so massively behind on One Piece because it started becoming more important to save up and not spend money buying the physical manga, so I stopped reading, and the availability of the anime was locked behind crunchyroll or funimation's own service for a long time, so it became harder to watch too. Because back when I was watching it, it was a 4Kids Dub that was free on over the air broadcast. So I'm only able to catch up on anything now because it became such a massive success that it's easy to get to the stuff I need now.

That said, the Sonic Comic dub you sent my way with the Halloween story was cute. A little simplistic story-wise, but, hey, there's only so complex you can get with a Halloween Story. Especially in a comic that targets all ages. So if you're asking because you want to hit me up with some stuff, I can try to keep up. No promises. But I'd be willing to take a look at a few of the good IDW Sonic Comics if you've got some to recommend.

[margindoodles2407]

Okay people wanted to hear about my Original Zelda Game Concept so

Here Tis

Title- The Legend of Zelda: Hero’s Spirit

Game Mechanic- Literally just. A game that cares about the Timeline.

Plot:

A Dark Souls Aesthetic, but with the heart and humor of a Zelda game. I just want to amp up all the character designs to 5000, if you get what I mean.

Well I don’t really know how it would start yet but the idea is that it’s like. The FINAL Zelda game. The last one in the timeline. And there’s these dark whisperings of the Return of the Demon King.

Basically the plot revolves around finally cohesively tying up the timeline. Ganondorf remembers the previous incarnations of Link. He knows how to beat you. He’s been killed by you time and time again. He is out for blood- or, an end to the cycle. See, it torments him. He hasn’t completely lost his humanity. He wants it to end. 

You have to learn from the Spirits of Past Links. Think the Hero’s Shade, but like. Dialed up to 10,000. And all the temples revolve around a specific Link. It goes in more or less reverse-timeline order (I say more or less because some things ARE out of order, and the BIG dungeon-temples are only the main console games. The lesser console games get mini temples that function more like Shrines)

Temples (I'll make individual posts about them as ideas come to me):

Hero of Hyrule: Primordial Sorcerer (it’s gotta be the first temple. you know, “it’s dangerous to go alone” and all that)

Hero of the Wild: Calamity-Feller

Hero of Legend: Undertaker of Ordeals

Hero of Winds: Conductor of Tempests

Hero of Twilight: Twilit Wolf

Hero of Time (I can't decide what I want his boss title to be. I'm caught between Symphonic Anachronism and Master of Masks and a secret third option that I haven't discovered. If you have any ideas let me know!)

Hero of the Skies: Forger of Destinies

And then the Shrine-esque Temples would be as follows:

Shrine of the Four Sword (Minish Cap/Four Swords): Would function as a weapon repair/upgrade site.

Shrine of Spirits (Spirit Tracks): Would allow you to communicate with the Spirits of the Heroes of the Temples you've beaten. I... don't know what this would do story-wise yet, but I think it might be something like the Hint Glasses in ALBW? Like if you were stuck on a story segment you could ask them for help? I don't know.

Shrine of Light and Dark (A Link Between Worlds): Magic Upgrades. Let me explain this one. The "Dungeon Item" of the Zelda 1&2 Dungeon is the Magic Meter. And at the end, you get the first Spirit (you need the spirits of the heroes to repair a broken Master Sword), the Spirit of Magic, which gives you the Magic Meter and the Spells from Zelda 2. At the Shrine of Light and Dark, you can learn the magic found in other games.

Shrine of Warriors (Hyrule Warriors): Combat Training (think the Test of Strength shrines). The more temples you've completed, the harder and more complex the fighting is.

So yeah! That's the idea! Feel free to ask me questions- it would be AMAZINGLY helpful and would help me flesh the concept out. Thanks for reading!

[animebw]

Short Reflection: Gridman Universe

In some respects, Gridman Universe was nothing like the movie I expected it to be. I came in prepared for a multiversal mashup or Trigger's series of high-concept sentai reimaginings, and that's definitely what I got. But I also got something a lot weirder and wilder, a movie that in many ways is trying to be a definitive statement on the nature of Gridman itself. It's a film deeply obsessed with its own concept and place in the world, not simply as a means of reference-pandering for longtime sentai fans but as an examination of what it even means to exist as a story like this to exist and have meaning and let meaning be taken from it that may not even be there. And yet at the same time, it's also a big goofy crossover that feels like playing with all the toys in your toybox at once without caring much about making it all make sense because isn't the point of having fun to just, you know, have fun?

Which seems only fitting. Gridman and Dynazenon have been one of the most conceptually bizarre undertakings in Trigger's history, marrying the Saturday morning cartoon spirit of Ultraman with more existential, metaphysical themes and an eclectic directing style that feels more like a proper successor to Evangelion than anything else besides the Rebuilds. It's simultaneously pretentiously highbrow and shamelessly lowbrow, while also being just kind of unapologetically normiecore somewhere in the middle with how it depicts the awkward mundanity of normal life juxtaposed with mecha-on-kaiju action and universe-reshaping cosmic high concepts. It's a bizarre concoction that by all rights shouldn't work, and yet it does? Somehow, director Akira Amemiya has figured out how to make all these disparate tones sing together in harmony, and the result has been one of anime's most singular voices in the modern era. And this movie is just that on the biggest scale imaginable, throwing all restrictions to the wind and seeing just how far it can push this absurd, experimental niche it's carved for itself.

At least on paper, the plot is simple. Gridman protagonist Yuta Hibiki is working up the courage to ask out his crush Rikka Takarada, but that's all thrown into chaos when kaiju once again start appearing in his world. It soon becomes clear that some unknown threat is starting to merge universes together, leading to the cast of Dynazenon crashing into Gridman's world and kaiju going on the rampage. So the two groups must put their giant robots together- both metaphorically and literally- to face down the new threat and put the universe back in order. It's an extremely by-the-numbers setup for a crossover movie... at least until we get into the back half and reveal the nature of what's actually happening. And then things get so high-concept and reality bending that it's honestly kind of funny. I won't spoil the reveal of what's actually going on cause it's worth discovering yourself, but suffice to say, not only does it answer a lot of long-standing questions about the nature of this world in the trippiest way possible, it also sets up Gridman Universe as an answer to the question of its own existence.

See, in many ways, the mismatch at the heart of Gridman's aesthetics is the entire thematic point it's trying to make. Why redo a simple, straightforward sentai show as something so weighty and almost intellectual in its presentation? Why attach so much existentialism and cinematic complexity to something that's still, at heart, about punching big monsters in the face? Or, more broadly, why do we, as people, seek to draw meaning from art, even art as simple as giant robots fighting Godzilla? These questions may have been floating in the background of both TV shows, but they are the driving force of Gridman Universe. There are multiple times when characters will comment on the nature of Gridman, as a character, as a concept, as an idea, as an active force with a tangible effect on the world. The ultimate reveal of what's going on entirely rests on pushing this question to its logical extreme. It's simultaneously a celebration, interrogation, and deconstruction of the lizard-brain desire for popcorn entertainment and our ability to read deeper meanings where they may not actually exist, and whether or not it matters what a piece of art "intended" as long as you found something powerful in it.

There are so many ways a metatextual metaphor this tangled and self-fellating should have fallen apart. And yet, once again, by some magic, it all makes sense. Yes, the movie seems to say, Gridman is all these things. It's absurd rock-em sock-em action that speaks to your inner child, and it's weird-ass mind-bending sci-fi, and it's genuinely grounded naturalism that perfectly captures that particular teenage mindset of half-sleeping your way through life as you figure your shit out trying to put the world's bigger, more existential questions out of mind because hay, kaiju or not, you've still got college exams to worry about, right? It's all of these things at once, and it has a right to be all of these things at once, and you have the right to find power in them no matter how silly it may seem on the outside. And it justifies it all by once again just doing it all really, really fucking well. It's a bizarre, purposefully overthought stream of consciousness that's all about the importance of letting ourselves overthink the stories we love, putting our own meaning into them and forging our own relationship with them to better understand ourselves as individuals and a collective. It's an argument for art as an active conversation, even with something as simple and silly as this.

And yet, there's a problem.

See, while this movie is billed as a Gridman x Dynazenon crossover, it's really more of a Gridman movie. The title Gridman Universe is not an accident: this movie is centered on Gridman and its cast of characters first and foremost, with the Dynazenon crew mostly playing backup and hanging around for some character banter. Yomogi, Yume, Gauma, and all the rest are bit players meant to spice of a narrative that's all about Hibiki and his desire to go steady with Rikka. And unfortunately, this ends up confirming something I've believed ever since this series started:

The main cast of Gridamn is the single most boring aspect of this entire Gridman experiment.

Look, I'm sorry, but Hibiki sucks. He's an utter void of character and personality, as blank a blank slate as you can possibly get. Even your average isekai potato-kun tends to come off as smug and self-satisfied thanks to the power fantasy that guides the author's writing process, and while that's definitely obnoxious, it's at least something. But Hibiki's entire existence in both the show and movie is little more than taking in information, making bland observations, and spouting generic hero motivations whenever it's time for an action scene to happen. And you could maybe justify that in the show because he's technically a dormant passenger in his own body for most of that, but now that he's back to normal in the movie, it's painfully clear that the central figure around which this entire franchise revolves is little more than featureless white noise.

And that only becomes clearer when contrasted against the Dynazenon crew. I had my issues with Dynazenon- much weaker villains, no real standout moments- but the reason I ultimately prefer it to Gridman is because everyone in its cast is full of life and personality. They're all still awkward, mumblecore teenagers for the most part, but they're believably awkward, mumblecore teenagers who come by their personalities with purpose and meaning. So you've got Hibiki and his pals bumming around not being much of anything while the script insists on putting all the focus on them, while you've got this much more interesting crew running circles around them in basically every interaction they have. Seriously, every second Yomogi is on screen is basically walking proof of how to write a "generic" protagonist well in contrast to Hibiki's extreme nothingburger of an existence. Yes, Akane Shinjou was a spectacular character, but it's clear that Gridman put all its writing chops into her and no one else, but Dynazenon spread it out evenly. And now that she's gone, there's nothing left to distract from how much the people at the core of this narrative just don't measure up to their much more interesting backup singers.

And that's not even going into the "romance" that's supposed to be the emotional center of this whole affair. Hibiki and Rikka's love story is one of the most generic "boy pines after girl until she falls for him" plots I've seen in a long time. The fact it's merely boring instead of actively painful is wholly thanks to how damn good both their voice actors are at selling the scenes between them; whatever chemistry these two have is wholly thanks to how good Yuuya Hirose and Yume Miyamoto are at playing believably low-key teenagers navigating the liminal space of a changing relationship. But the writing just gives them nothing to play off of, and it never feels like anything more than a one-sided crush on Hibiki's end, which makes Rikka's eventual reciprocation feel wholly unjustified. Which only stands out more in contrast with Yomogi and Yume's utterly natural couple dynamic and- hilariously- Rikka's own unresolved feelings for Akane. Yes, the most blatant queerbait this side of Kumirei makes another brief appearance in this movie, and the brief twenty seconds it takes up have more believable chemistry, intimacy, and yearning to be together than the entire rest of the movie trying to sell you on the watered-down heterosexual alternative. Talk about an unforced error.

Ultimately, Gridman Universe is at its best when it embraces the philosophy at its core. As a showcase of everything worthwhile about this franchise- the believable teenage moodiness, the overturned-toybox action sensibilities, the willingness to go trippy and weird and artistically ambitious- it's as good as this franchise has even been. As an argument for being such a bizarre mishmash in the first place, it's the stuff of high concept metafictional wet dreams. But if it wanted to be a true masterpiece, it needed to tie all those wonderful elements to a central narrative and a main protagonist that were actually worth a damn. Yes, we can find meaning in even the silliest of stories, but we can just as easily find even the most ambitious experiments lacking. And until Gridman figures out how to make its main cast even half as interesting as their spinoff bretheren, then this story's ability to reach me will always remain a half-measure. For that, I give Gridman Universe a score of:

6.5/10

Man, it feels good to be home again. Hopefully I'll find the energy to start watching more anime now that I'm on vacation. Fingers crossed!

[grim-faux]

This definitely helps a lot, I have to try it or adapt it to myself. Thank you so much. I want to take advantage and ask you, as a writer you are, some advice for writing your drafts and dialogues clearly. I mean, I usually write a paragraph describing what happens at each moment, but I think it is a fairly orthodox method.

Shore ting. Rough drafts and the sort are probably the easiest to get done - if you've seen the post that tells you cold turkey.

Just write the damn thing. Tell YOURSELF the story, write out what needs to be said. You want to get the descriptions, story elements, dialogue - all down. Especially when you have a tight schedule and not a lot of work time.

Drafts can benefit from a good, organized outline - or an Outline that stacks out events, scenes, and the rough dialogue content. If you're still working on specifics to your story, or you have the setting and environment firmly fixed in your brain, but you're struggling with the dialogue. Anything. And an outline can be as complex as you want it, maybe you'll write out a very detailed paragraph that you'll implant into the story itself because it was written and hit all the nuances and descriptions you needed. The same goes for dialogue - You might have brief sentences describing the scene at its bare bones, but go ham entirely on this dialogue interaction and get the whole thing scripted out. If you're struggling with a scene leading to that dialogue, or you have a scene rolling but you haven't decided the direction of the dialogue, inserting bare bones basics of your idea can benefit keeping that creative juice rolling.

Another big aspect of a draft is pacing. Which can be the trickiest concept when drafting or getting a story written. What scenes do you want to focus on? Why are they important? How do they progress the plot, the story themes you want to cover? Where are you taking the reader, and why? Because in story pacing can cover a day or an hours worth of time, in a few paragraphs - if it's not integral to the story. Like a movie montage. Or, if certain scenes and events are important, the character might spend an extended amount of time working through the scenes - i.e., paragraphs or chapters. But in your story, you have to incorporate the components that are important and interesting, and fulfil the readers need for rewards for the questions we have. In pacing your readers progress through the story, you're informing them of the events as they transpire, as they are important to your plot; you also need to keep the reader fixed in the environment so they know where they are, in reference to the characters. It might work in some cases to dump a lot of exposition onto the readers lap to get them up to speed, but for some it can be a turn off to have a lot of information to take in all at once. You can trust your process of writing that when you are giving the details at the right time, your reader will be enticed and follow, and will learn about the story at increments that are easy to understand. This can be essential to extensive world building projects, because the invested reader will stay involved with the work and keep absorbing details - then that becomes a process and relationship between the writer and reader, where both are undertaking a journey to learn about a realm that is entirely fabricated. The writer tells a story piece by piece, and the reader returns because there is always something to return to.

A good method for helping with elements like pacing and description details, is try taking the time to evaluate a graphic novel or any other rich story telling comic book media, like mangas and the sort. You can think of each panel incorporated into this visual novel as segments of paragraphs - even the little boxes that say something like WHAMO! because recall, a paragraph can be as long or as short, or a single word - its a tool at your disposal. A paragraph breaks up the flow of thought, it changes the perspective or anticipation of the reader - much like the graphic novel changes the 'camera' to view each scenes. The panels give to readers what is need to know at each moment, where and what a character is experiencing. Panels sometimes overlap, sometimes they are interesting shapes or wedge between two dynamic panels. That is how the visual story is being fed to the reader/observer, and it can be very similar to how we tell story with paragraphs - some brief paragraph inserts go over a characters internal thoughts, or a cluster of paragraphs in a sequence cover an extensive establishing scene where the characters will exist for an extended period of time. It's always important to recall pacing though, and how much in terms of details the reader needs to know.

This is also valuable to how incorporating dialogue works with in the story itself, and how to pace conversations with certain actions - dynamic or passive. Think how the reader should experience this dialogue, and what it will define of the characters. Even a purely dialogue scene can describe to the reader what is happening, or what the character is doing.

"I cannot tell you how irate I am with this situation. Ingrates! All of them! Wait. Why is my door locked?"

"Er, did no one deliver the notice? You've been replaced."

Without any context, this brief can determine a lot of different things. The first speaker is angry, and they are trying to get through a door - a door that they no longer have access to. The second speaker elaborates some news which the speaker was not given, which in itself could imply a lot of different situations - no one cared, there's been a disturbance in hierarchy, or the first speaker is very unpopular. But as I've said, a draft can be as complex or simple as you need it, so long as you can get the details down and get the general mood or theme you want to convey. All of this might shift as you elaborate the broader idea of your story, so it depends on what and where you want it all to go.

Show, don't tell. Give the reader freedom to experience the story, use their emotions and perceptions to internalize a scene. In some situations it is important to elaborate why a character feels a certain way, or why they undertake a certain action. If a character is being swept away in a river, the reader does not need to be told, Gabriel flung his arms from the frothing rapids seeking the bank, a branch, anything or he would drown under the merciless waves. The description feels more visceral and desperate if it's described, Gabriel flung his arms from the frothing rapids and lashed at sharp rocks, his fingernails ripped at wood and mud before he plunged beneath the foam. Both sentences convey the same stakes, are very similar in terms of the situation and what Gabriel needs to achieve, but the latter sentence does not need to elaborate why Gabriel is panicked and flailing - it's in the moment and immersive, wherein Gabriel and the reader are both fighting to find a handhold, but fail and are sent beneath the river's rapids. Rather tell the reader what Gabriel feels, I want to immerse my reader with the sensation and panic the character is enduring. At the same time, the process is a balance of what you need the reader to feel and keeping them adhered to the story as it unfolds. It is always okay to detach the reader from the character and exposition when it is helpful or necessary. Don't become so fixed with telling the perfect story, that the process ostracizes the readers capacity to relate or interpret what is happening, or why we should be invested.

I hope all this is helpful to the drafting process. A lot of this is also finding your style and voice in the narrative, how you choose to choreograph scenes and approach the plot. It factors into how you choose to assemble the general idea of the story, for the eventual scope of the character and readers journey. And all of that comes down to getting it written, not getting overwhelmed or hung up with an instant perfect process.

Again, if there are additional questions or anything I should clarify - coz this is a lot of stuff, feel free to ask. Im far from perfect when it comes to following my own rules, but I do have methods to my madness. And the whole writing process is good for experienced writers to review and share with others, since its a learning process that never ends.

[abybweisse]

I haven’t paid that much attention to the Mother3 theory because I’m simply not familiar with that game, but I was wondering, if Kuro is heavily based off of Mother3, how much of the story is even original? One thing that confuses me is why Toboso would want to base her story so heavily off of another, especially since that would spoil many plot twists.

The value of using a framework

She's able to add originality everywhere in how she tells the story, actually.

She switches up the parallels and splits them between different characters. For example: she has Baldo in a wheat field, trying to reach his wife and son, and Sebastian just pops up... instead of having our earl and Sebastian literally wandering through a field of sunflowers and following Rachel's ghost. However, this is a trope, by now, so most readers wouldn't even think it's odd, if our earl and Sebastian did that in... say... a dream sequence, either in the main story or a side chapter. She's got Undertaker paralleling a few characters, and one of them, Dr. Andonuts, is partly paralleled by Sieglinde.

There's something else she has done to make her story more layered and complex: Though most of it parallels Mother3, several characters and plot elements parallel previous games in the series. And, of course, there are characters and plot points I haven't (yet) found parallels for! Oh, and let's not forget ideas borrowed from the folklores of various cultures, classic literature, flower language, historical people and events, historical places, anachronistic elements, and pop culture. Combine it all, and it makes for a very interesting story.

This reply was going to be much longer, but Tumblr lost the large chunks of text I'd just tried to save, so I'm gonna try to make this quick. Mother3 (and the whole series) isn't even all that original, as it shares a ton of parallels with Harry Potter (which is older) and tales of King Arthur. The main reason I say it's more directly based on Mother3 is because she openly parodies the game in the first four chapters of Kuroshitsuji, and most of the game parallels I've found come from that third installment.

I can think of three big reasons why she might base Black Butler so heavily on a game like Mother3 (and the game series, in general):

When Mother3 came out, seriously delayed, on April 20, 2006, she probably bought a copy and played it. Enough for it to really appeal to her. There was a ton of hype leading up to its release. And I wouldn't be surprised if it had enough of an effect on her that she'd want to incorporate elements of it into the concept she'd come up with for a story about a demon butler.

She made illustrations for Sebastian, etc. by 6/6/06, right? Not even two months after the game's release. And ch1 was published in September 2006. That's not a lot of time to formulate a story that you hope gets picked up for serialization. The first five chapters, or at least the first four, were written before the series got the full green light. So, part of the decision could be a matter of convenience. Not laziness, but it's definitely easier and faster to start with a pre-existing framework.

The first two games in the series have localizations, but Mother3 does not. She even jokes about that in ch1, when Chlaus tells the earl how hard it was to find this "game" (the drug evidence that's inside the game packaging). Despite begging from international EarthBound fans (because that's the localized name for the series), Mother3 has yet to have an official international release, and it likely never will. If you are going to use a game as a framework, it might help to focus on one that you know very well... and it'll be appreciated by local fans... but the world at large isn't as likely to notice the connections. There is a patched translation by Tomato, but it's not too easy to come by these days.

I guess you could say it "spoiled" the twin plot twist, for me, since I realized as early as December 2015 that:

There have to be twins

They are mirror twins

The older twin dies

The older twin gets reanimated

The older twin is working with or for an adversary

The twins become adversaries

The twins must confront each other

The younger twin should prevail

The younger twin must give its soul to the demon

If the older twin gets control of the demon, it could spell doom for the world

But, I don't feel "spoiled" by it, since I see it (and other potential spoilers) as jumping-off points, where she can make changes to it all... and for me, that's where the real plot twists come in. How does she deviate from Mother3 (and its predecessors) in ways that still parallel but make her story unique?

And that keeps me really intrigued... not my reading experience spoiled. It's been reinterpreted, not copied. The differences are just as interesting as the similarities.

[gretchensinister]

I’m thinking a little bit about big science fiction/fantasy stories and the challenge of adaptation.

The way I see it, these are the things at play

people really like visually impressive science fiction and fantasy

a lot of the the the overwhelming visual effect is best in a movie theater

a significant number of science fiction and fantasy stories that would be great with a big-screen adaptation aren’t the kind of thing that can be adapted well into one, two, or even three movies

The option that’s most available today would be a high-budget miniseries, and that can definitely work, but sometimes the big screen is really where it’s at. The theater experience is an often unacknowledged but important part of the experience.

I wonder if there might be a way to split the difference and have a format that is a “theater miniseries.” A theater miniseries would

have one overall ticket sold for all parts--higher than a regular movie, but less than the cost of a movie per part, in my perfect world

have parts that would max out at 90 minutes (or close to)

have parts released weekly, every two weeks, or monthly, until the series was done (the series would be complete BEFORE the first part was released)

This would have the advantage of: hopefully stemming the tide of ridiculously long running times for science fiction and fantasy movies while allowing everything important to be kept in, and allowing these stories to follow more complex plots because there’s more room and not like a year or two of waiting between pieces of the same story.

And yes I know that this would be such a huge undertaking and investment that it would just result in more heaps of comic book adaptation sludge...but I can think of plenty of actually interesting stories that would be great in a format like this. So let me dream

[petracore101]

Hello lovely friends and followers...

I’ll just out with it- I am not going to be posting RWBY content anymore. I don’t think I’ll keep watching at all, honestly. I’ll try to discuss why below, but regardless, I will still be around, just not for RWBY. And if you’re feeling rough about all this too, and want a sympathetic ear to talk through things with, please reach out. My inbox is open. <3

tldr; It feels like the heart of the show, the depth and nuance I have always loved about it, is just... gone.

It’s not a new feeling; those of you who have been following me awhile know I felt largely the same after V7. The journey was skipped to get to the destination. At the time, I had hoped it was just a product of circumstance- of taking on new writers, switching up the way they did things, and trying to juggle so many new characters... but this volume has solidified for me that it’s not a temporary shift. This is the new normal.

And that does hurt, because RWBY has been a big part of my life for... well, about 8 years now. I was drawn in the moment the red trailer dropped, and only grew more invested from there. Since the very beginning, I’ve watched the show and it’s characters grow with its creators, and been able to grow alongside them. Even when I had to take a break from the FNDM circa V5 (because the discourse around the Faunus arc got... unpleasant), I kept watching and engaging with those I could trust, because RWBY remained important to me. I’ve loved v1-6 dearly, despite their flaws, because the emotional core of the show has always shone through. And the belief in that core is what’s kept me here so long. But now the story just feels... gutted. And as much as it breaks my heart, I don’t think it can come back from that.

For two volumes now, I’ve felt as though the story has been rushing through the plot points without consideration for characters or their growth, while leaning heavily on shock value to make up for the lack of emotional depth. It’s become almost entirely a plot-centered narrative, leaving its intense character moments detached from or outright opposed to those character’s arcs. And because of this, it has relied on stunning the audience with increasingly brutal and sudden reveals, while skimming over or outright ignoring opportunities for nuance and emotional complexity. It feels desperate, using the characters’ pain for cheap emotional jabs rather than actually engaging with that pain or it’s consequences. And that results in it seeming to play the core character tropes straight rather than taking the time to subvert them in any meaningful way, because doing so would require engaging with their emotions beyond a surface level. For me, that engagement, that depth, that subversion, has always been a crucial part of the show, and the foundation of its story. It’s the hook that grabbed me in the first place, way back when I first heard Monty discussing the idea behind the new project he and his friends were undertaking. But now, all the narratives I have been invested in just ring hollow, as if they’re dolls imitating past movements, without any of the soul that first gave them meaning. The story isn’t about the journey, it’s just a collection of the major events that define it, with nothing deep connecting them. Gone too is the persistent hopepunk feel of the first 6 volumes- the quiet moments of hope and self reflection replaced instead with a breakneck sprint through an increasingly tone deaf plot. Everything that kept me engaged, kept me invested is just... not there anymore. It hasn’t been for two volumes. And this finale was the final nail in the coffin.

I do want to make it clear that I don’t say any of this to turn anyone off the show- I’m glad for those who still enjoy it, and I truly hope you continue to do so. Maybe you disagree with me completely, or perhaps this new normal is exactly what you’re looking for. I’m certainly not going to judge anyone for that. And even if it’s not what you want it to be, you may just want to keep enjoying it casually, or are simply not ready to let go of something that means so much to you. I don’t want to imply I have any kind of problem with that either. Because truly, I hope everyone still watching enjoys whatever they have in store. I just know that I... can’t.

And as much as it hurts to say goodbye, I also know that clinging to what feels like a shell of the show I’ve fell in love with 8 years ago would only ruin my enjoyment of the parts I do love. For me, RWBY ended at V6. We said goodbye to those we lost, resolved to carry on with their memory bolstering our spirits. Then, with that beautiful send off, started a new chapter... and that’s where I want to leave it.

So goodbye, RWBY.

I’ll remember you fondly.

[maozijun]

Mao Zijun Xing Fan Interview

Removing the “adonis of period-costume dramas” label, and returning to a Republican era drama

Before Killer and Healer (or KillHeal hence), Mao Zijun had not filmed a republican drama in a long time. For almost the past five years, the audience’s impression of him has been his costume dramas, such as Qin Wuyan from The Legend of Chusen, An Qinxu from The Glory of Tang Dynasty, Yin Yiren from The Legend of Haolan, and so on and so forth. Because most of his dramas are costume dramas, as it happens, offers that come to him are the costume dramas.

Thus, when an offer for KillHeal, a TV drama about “drug crackdown” set in Republican China, appeared before Mao Zijun, he accepted it without a second thought. “At the time, I felt that I didn’t want to keep shooting costume dramas.”

If “costume drama” is a tag the audience associates with Mao Zijun’s role and acting, we can also claim that “zen,” “placid,” and “easy-going” are impressions he leaves on most people. Other than for the purpose of promoting the broadcasts of his new dramas, he seldom appears in public. If he “wasn’t at home, [he’d] be hanging out, or watching movies.” To the public, it’s as if he’s been “spirited away.” As a regular whose name ranks on the “skilled actor without due fame” chart, regardless how many times he’s been asked about the matter, his response has always been “I really haven’t paid it much attention.” His response may seem like a pleasantry, but he means it from the bottom of his heart.

Mao Zijun knows that ever since he became an actor, his career has been successful for the most part without any major setbacks, and he’s met many great people along the way. From his first TV drama Beauty's Rival in Palace when he cooperated with Lin Xinru, he stumbled into the entertainment industry and was swept along despite his inexperience and unworldliness. Including Director Yu Zheng who was willing to give him the male lead roles for The Legend of Haolan and The Matriarch. “So I thought I’ve had good luck. I’ve met people who appreciated me and were willing to give me opportunities. I’m very grateful.”

Mao Zijun’s “zen” attitude, however, doesn’t extend to everything he does. When there’s a role he really wants, his “wolf-like ambition” is brought out. When it comes choosing projects, he doesn’t compromise either. “I think everyone has the desire to strive for things they don't have; regardless of where you are in life, you wish to become better, you wish that you can climb higher. It’s a never-ending climb.”

Regardless of whether he’s gained fame and popularity, or remains a fine wine waiting to be discovered, “becoming better” is a creed he lives by and acts upon.

- 01 - Shooting KillHeal was an effortless process

What made Mao Zijun “return” to KillHeal after a long separation from republican dramas was its story and Jiang Yuelou’s personality. Jiang Yuelou is a morally grey character: a police officer and Chief of the Inspection Department. He's made law enforcement and drug crackdown his lifelong war, and it’s an undertaking he’s willing to sacrifice his life for. Although a patient with manic depression (known as bipolar disorder in modern clinical terms)--which results in his irritable, violent, and stubborn personality and tendency to be a lone wolf--he’s upright at his core, and there’s a gentle side to him deep down.

When Mao Zijun saw the script, he knew that this character had a lot of potential and creative room to work with. Precisely because of the great amount of creative room, on top of Jiang Yuelou’s vivid and distinct personality, filming for KillHeal was a relatively easy-going process for Mao Zijun despite the character’s lifelong angst and suffering. The character was rich and human per se, “so there was no need to brood over some things,” and it could be rather realistically portrayed. By the same token, the more one could ease himself into character, the better the final results.

Many actors determine the difficulty of portraying a character by criterion of the character’s degree of complexity, or their own compatibility with the character. In this respect, Mao Zijun is somewhat different: his criterion is whether the character can spontaneously come to life in the mind’s eye. “When you’ve read the entire script and discover that the character is very vivid and lifelike--his motives, intentions, behaviour and course of actions, all of which constitutes his rich psychological wiring--you will be able to portray him with relative ease, and not based on whether he’s similar to you. “Compatibility is only one aspect.”

Even if you were to act a character completely different from yourself, “you can imagine yourself in his shoes--what he would say or do” because he’s such a vivid character. “You can effectively get into character.”

In crafting Jiang Yuelou, Mao Zijun largely relies on following the script, his character changing with the progression of the plot; as a result, Jiang Yuelou’s uncontrollable violence, uncompromising ways, and other destructive habits doesn’t extend beyond the character and affect the actor himself. Unlike other actors whose characters took a mental and physical toll on them, Mao Zijun isn’t a purely immersive actor.

“Filming for a movie may require more personal feelings and emotions, but for a TV series, I think it’s half-and-half. Except for particular emotional scenes, that is.” In KillHeal, for example, the emotion expressed through Jiang Yuelou’s eyes when he’s solving cases, or reaction to receiving news, are all achieved through acting techniques. But for scenes where he’s facing the death of his subordinates, his mother, his adoptive father, his brother, and other loved ones, his reactions and expressions of pain must be nuanced and highly faceted. Even for crying scenes, he must cry in widely differing ways. For these scenes, Mao Zijun must lend his own emotional faculties to the character.

However, he does not believe tears are the only way to express his character’s emotions. When his younger and less inexperienced co-star, Ian Yi, consults him about his worries of being unable to shed tears, Mao Zijun tells him, “Why must you shed tears? Tears do not mean everything. The more dramatic and emotionally heavy a scene is, the more you must relax yourself.”

Filming to Mao Zijun is in fact a creative process where he imagines the character, then completes him. Hence, for every character he has acted, Mao Zijun would forget about the character. In his next drama, he would similarly imagine the character, understand his character, and the cycle continues.

So far, he believes there has yet to be a character that requires a lot from him mentally and psychologically, or even one that took him a long time getting out of. But, he hopes he will encounter such a character; a character that can let him experience more, feel more, and empathize with more.

KillHeal was a project Mao Zijun worked on two years ago. Two years ago, he did everything he could to bring Jiang Yuelou into fruition. Looking back now, there are details that could be further refined or supplemented, but the current KillHeal is still to his satisfaction, from his performance and methods of expression, to the overall product that is his character. “As to whether it has met my expectations… Because the broadcast of KillHeal had been held off for so long, I was worried about if the drama would go out of date when it finally came out. But there haven't been such problems so there’s nothing else I’m unsatisfied with.”

- 02 - I’ve become increasingly sentimental

While Mao Zijun may not be a purely immersive actor, he is not a wholly rationalistic one either. It’s in his analysis of his characters and response after completing a character that is rational. This rationality is present in his logic, or his healing process after getting out of character, but not acting itself.

Rationality is perhaps a result of Mao Zijun’s own experiences and personality. He had no formal training in acting. He had good grades in high school, perhaps due to parental pressure and his own belief that good grades made life somewhat easier. After graduating from high school, Mao Zijun successfully got into Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics and majored in Auditing.

“Why had I chosen auditing? At that time, I thought auditing had good prospects. It wasn’t a complicated job either--I took math and the sciences in high school, so auditing isn’t hard.” After getting into university, his parents weren’t as strict as they were in high school, so he had the opportunity to “set himself free” and explore new options. Just like that, he started taking jobs for advertisements, and then acting.

“Beauty's Rival in Palace was especially looking for people to fill in roles at the time. Liu Che was an important character despite not having a lot of scenes, and they thought my appearance fit the role.” Mao Zijun laughed lightly, “Also because of my looks that I started acting.”

The profession of acting provided him with many new experiences, because every character was new and unlike the mechanical motions he had to go through everyday. “This is also the reason why I will persist on this path.”

As someone who changed career paths from the sciences to acting, Mao Zijun has never second-guessed his decisions. He thought of himself as lucky, and his path a smooth one. Many of his friends around him have changed their career paths because of setbacks or other reasons, but he hasn’t. His parents have given him understanding and support. “My parents would express their worries, but they would not try and make a decision for me. Every big decision I've made is my own choice.”

Mao Zijun is a Capricorn: steadiness and rationality are a big part of it. But because he’s been an actor for so long, he’s in fact becoming more and more sentimental. When he first started out in the industry, he would care about others’ views and opinions about him. But with time, they gradually ceased to bother him. This is one of the very few things that have changed about him since his debut.

As an actor with no formal training, but has still received praise and acknowledgement for his acting skills, he does not attribute it to natural talent. Instead, he attributes it to his own capacity for self-excavation. “I think as an actor, you are mining yourself (your talents and skills). For example, if you meet other good actors, good characters, you will be driven to tap into your natural talents. For many actors, rather saying they don’t have talent, they simply haven’t been given the chance to discover their potential.”

In Mao Zijun’s opinion, every actor has talent, it is only a matter of chance and whether they can encounter a great character.

- 03 - Try and lose the “let it be” attitude

Mao Zijun has been in the industry for more than ten years. Ten years’ time is enough to change the state of the entertainment industry and the actors in it. As a post-85 liner interacting with post-90s and -95s actors, he’s picked up a hobby of collecting tarot cards, and has been playing video games like Super Mario and Contra that came with the gaming console gifted to him by his fans.

Newcomers in the industry would abide to the instructions of senior artists and the director. If they met difficulties or discomfort in the process of the shoot, they could only learn to deal with it themselves. But the market has changed, with new genres, subject matters, and the actors, too, are young. These young actors can willfully express themselves and vent, unlike the older generation of actors who learned to put up with things.

These changes cannot be predicted. Just like how it happened in a few years’ time, when an actor may no longer have a large audience base like before--an audience who sits in front of the TV just to catch the airtime of a TV series. Mao Zijun, too, is no longer the unworldly and inexperienced newcomer he was.

If he had to draw a demarcation, he says it’s the year 2016. “Before 2016, although I was an actor by profession and had thought I took my job seriously, looking back now, I’d just been in a status quo of “passing time.” Life had been smooth for Mao Zijun: high school, university, getting a job. He hasn’t met any real obstacles. The efforts and hard work he thought he had been putting into his work were tantamount to what he could easily accomplish in his best and most favourable circumstances.

He strongly agrees with the view that actors need to experience pain and setbacks. But he thinks that’s only a part of it. An actor can experience some things, but he is not able to experience everything. To him, some experiences can be gained through reading novels. “The stories, including the thoughts and behaviours of characters, are enriching and detailed. If you’re not able to personally experience some things, you can experience them via other methods.”

Mao Zijun is a very carefree person. He takes on drama offers when he feels like it, and rejects it when he doesn’t. He’s content with hiding himself away from the public eye to take time off for himself. But now, even he doubts whether the “let himself be” attitude is appropriate. “I noticed that there was a gap, like the period of time after The Legend of Haolan finished airing to the airing of KillHeal now. During these two years, you had no other dramas on-air. Your fans want to see your new projects and content, but you couldn’t give them anything, yet they would still give you a lot of support. It would make you question, shouldn’t I be filming more projects for them?”

After questioning himself, Mao Zijun started taking on more projects. Even during the pandemic, he filmed a movie (no news yet), acted as a cameo in The Journey of Flower as the character Sha Qianmo, and filmed for The Matriarch. “Since my fans want to see me so badly, I’ll just have to act in more projects, I thought.”

In The Matriarch, he plays the role of Wei Liang’gong, a very kind, “moonlight” (unattainable) character--a character with all the wonderful traits and virtues of a person--much like the male version of Empress Fuca Rongyin from Story of Yanxi Palace (2018). “This costume drama depicts a very realistic portrayal of life during the period. Acting in this drama was more of a process of experiencing and feeling, using an everyday-life way of performing was quite nice.”

Mao Zijun doesn’t really care whether he’s famous or popular. Even to this day, other actors from the casts he’s worked with would offer him new projects. Speaking from this point, he thinks he’s lucky enough as it is. To him, a TV drama actor, a bit of fame and a lot of fame doesn’t hold much of a difference. In the long term, “fame” is only a matter of degree. “Unless you win an award--a prestigious film award, whether it be movies or TV films--how much fame is but a matter of quality.” What he must do now, and spare no effort, is to give himself more opportunities.

In retrospect, Mao Zijun has gotten the roles he wanted, and there’s really no regrets. What he desires perhaps lies in the future. Fortunately, there’s just enough time.

Writer: 77

WeChat ID: LJLX2013

Original Post

[batmansymbol]

Omg this chapter with Ron! And you posted a chapter count! I absolutely love your writing and this story ❤️ what did you used to think of Ron and what made you change your mind about him? I'm having similar feelings Tm

sweet anon!! thank you so much for reading and yaaay for the Feelings TM :) honestly, i’ve always loved Ron as a character. he feels so real to me, flawed but in a way that’s consistent with his strengths. it’s more my feelings on Ron & Hermione’s relationship that have changed over the years.

i had this debate with somebody a few years ago about the way Ron is portrayed in Goblet of Fire, and how that plays into many readers’ negative feelings surrounding Ron/Hermione ... idk, though. some of it i stand by, but since then, i’ve realized that i would have been perfectly, 100% happy with Ron and Hermione getting together if Ron hadn’t been so short-changed by the major plot beats of Deathly Hallows. i’ve started to feel that DH does a real disservice to the Ron of books 1-6.

first off, it seems so ridiculous that Ron would be the grouchiest one while Horcrux hunting, JKR claiming he’s used to a comfortable life at home?? Ron grew up in extreme poverty! His parents’ bank account in Chamber of Secrets is virtually empty!! With seven children, one underpaid working parent, and a family culture that refuses to accept help, I find it really hard to believe that the Weasleys didn’t struggle with food insecurity at some point in Ron’s life.

tbh, if anyone should have been the grouchiest during camping, it should’ve been hermione, lol. when has she ever handled stress particularly well? she’s gotten snappish during exam seasons dating back to the first book.

more rambly thoughts under cut

honestly, the way Ron’s prodigal subplot plays out in DH is, imo, the reason that many people leave the series dissatisfied that he and Hermione get together. We see a Horcrux-brainwashed Ron who’s uncharacteristically resentful and snide, then totally absent, and then, because Hermione is so furious with Ron when he returns, he spends part of the book forced into the role of a hen-pecked husband type, steeping in Hermione’s stony silence or making desperate attempts to placate her. When I was a kid, I read all this and got really annoyed with both Ron and Hermione. Now I’m just annoyed with the way it was written.

Like, okay. I understand that JKR wanted to address, once and for all, Ron’s insecurities. Fair. And the forest scene where Ron saves Harry, then destroys Slytherin’s locket, is a good one: it both unveils Ron’s Harry/Hermione worries and offers Ron an act of heroism. That’s clearly what JKR was going for with this snippet of conversation:

‘You've sort of made up for it tonight,' said Harry. 'Getting the sword. Finishing off the Horcrux. Saving my life.'

'That makes me sound a lot cooler than I was,' Ron mumbled.

'Stuff like that always sounds cooler than it really was,' said Harry. 'I've been trying to tell you that for years.'

But this is basically it for the peak of Ron’s arc in the book, and I don’t think it goes far enough. I don’t think Ron needed to save Harry, to get reassurances from Harry, because that still fundamentally revolves around Harry. I think Ron needed to blossom out in a different, complementary direction—to develop the strength that we saw all the way back in Philosopher’s Stone: Ron is a strategist, and this is a war. I mean, come on. Chess is a war game!!!! lol

Imo, for the final book, Ron really deserved a sequence of leadership, designed, planned, and executed in his own way. (Maybe he could have designed the Gringotts or Ministry break-in?) Sure, JKR dropped the ball in books 2-6 developing his strategic strengths, but she still could have drawn on Ron’s groundedness, his deep knowledge of the Wizarding World, and his clear-eyed loyalty as a basis for him being the strategist of the group. She could have claimed that in Harry’s absence from the Quidditch team in HBP, Ron had continued to develop his strategic skills as a team leader.

Either way, Ron certainly shouldn’t have been detoured at Shell Cottage for months (!) because of bad luck with the Snatchers. I really feel he should have been undertaking something independent, ultimately proving to himself that he’s his own person outside the frame of Harry’s reference. Then, in service of the Ron/Hermione relationship, we could have seen Hermione’s admiration for Ron’s abilities and achievements in the way that Ron admires hers, which is especially necessary because neither Hermione nor the reader got to see Ron’s big Quidditch win in OotP..... aaaaaa

anyway, given all these feelings, you can see why i did what i did with the fic. i really feel that ron was short-changed at the last second instead of being able to display all the ways that he’s grown over the series (getting over his Harry-as-Champion complex in GoF, turning from self-hating Quidditch failure to triumphant Keeper in both OotP and HBP). but that’s life!!!

[joiedecombat]

Hi!! Can we hear more about the regency fae story?? It sounds really cool!

Of course!

In a way it was inspired by Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (the movie version) and its juxtaposition of the stifling social rules of the period with an actual life or death conflict looming ever-present over their heads. I find faeries more interesting than zombies in general, and way more suited to the Regency setting in specific, because it's not just a matter of combat-readiness and "remove the head or destroy the brain" and "be aware of the danger of being bitten." Faerie lore tends more to complex, idiosyncratic and Very Important rules that Absolutely Must Be Followed on pain of unpleasant consequences (don't eat faerie food, don't say "thank you," don't give them your name, etc), which has a lot in common with the stilted and restrictive rules of etiquette for the upper classes of the period.

The general concept is a fantasy version of Regency England where Faerie exists alongside the human world - mostly unseen, unpredictable and unknowable but definitely capable of affecting humans. Everybody knows about it but nobody talks about it openly because getting the attention of the fae is never a good idea.

These are old-school faeries, the ones people call "the Fair Folk" in the same way the ancient Greeks called the Furies "the Kindly Ones," not because they're beautiful necessarily but because the last thing you want to do is offend them. They don't think like humans, and they certainly don't act according to any kind of recognizable human morality. People unfortunate enough to be taken away to Faerie come back altered, if they come back at all, and even smaller forms of fae influence tend to be unnerving at best, and often as not much worse than unnerving.

So... people develop all these social rules and rituals to try to guard against coming under Their influence. Rules like "people must be introduced to one another by a mutual acquaintance (who can vouch for them as humans and not some random fae pretending to be human)" and rules about who can be alone together (the better to guard against faerie abductions) and all these other formal rituals of human interaction. Being known as fae-touched is a social kiss of death; being rumored to have fae blood is even worse.

And of course little to none of this is verifiable, concrete fact; it's all folk wisdom and stuff that's been trial-and-errored based on observations of what seems to have been effective in the past, and some of it is outright bullshit that's gained a varnish of apparent truth via time and repetition. The very rich and powerful, regardless, can afford more practical protections such as magic, and have a little more leeway as a result.

What I'll actually do with this setting, I haven't quite decided. One option is to use it for a whole-ass Pride and Prejudice retelling as per yesterday's post, which is a big complicated undertaking but could be interesting.

The other possibility is to draw inspiration from Pride and Prejudice and other Regency fiction and then do my own thing with it, which allows much more freedom with the plot but also obligates me to... come up with a plot. Probably something involving trying to rescue a sibling who's been abducted to Faerie. I'm still chewing on it.

[according-to-the-laura]

StackedNatural Day 57: 2x08, 13x06

StackedNatural Masterpost: [x]

November 16, 2021

2x08: Crossroad Blues

Written by: Sera Gamble

Directed by: Steve Boyum

Original air date: November 16, 2006

Plot Synopsis:

The people of a small town have been selling their souls to a crossroad demon.

Features:

Hellhounds intro, Dean is wanted by the FBI, death omens, crossroads deals, John’s deal.

My Thoughts:

This is one of those episodes that makes me wanna say “oouuuugghh” out loud but I can’t because I’m watching in my office over my lunch break. It is such a Deangirl episode and I am such a Deangirl.

I like episodes that demonstrate how smart Dean is despite not having much schooling. He’s so often made to look like the dumb jock brother to contrast to Sam, but he recognized the yarrow flowers by sight! He drew a backup devil’s trap!

He’s also extremely tortured in this episode, which is good for me because I live for the drama. He’s so furious at his dad for making the same deal that he’s about to make for Sam at the end of the season. He’s paralleled with the helpless woman who was dying of cancer. He’s vaguely suicidal and his guilt complex has some serious ammunition for the first time. His lip trembles when the crossroads demon talks about his dad! All this, and we’re so early in the series.

Also, I LOVE the effects for the hellhounds. Practical effects stand up so well to time, and the gouges appearing in the floor and the surgeon’s clothing really do it for me.

And Croatoan is coming next week, which is bound to make my DTA brainrot flare up.

Notable Lines:

“Who don’t want their life to mean something?”

“But what if she knew how much it cost? What if she knew it cost your soul? How do you think she'd feel?”

“Well, well, well. You'd sacrifice your life for someone else's. Like father, like son.”

“Because your misery's the whole point. It's too much fun to watch. Knowing how your daddy died for you, how he sold his soul. I mean, that's gotta hurt. It's all you ever think about. You wake up and your first thought is, "I can't do this anymore." You're all lit up with pain. I mean, you loved him so much. And it's all your fault.”

“See, people talk about hell, but it's just a word. It doesn't even come close to describing the real thing.”

Laura’s (completely subjective) Episode Rating: 8.5

IMdB Rating: 8.8

13x06: Tombstone

Written by: Davy Perez

Directed by: Nina Lopez-Corrado

Original air date: November 16, 2017

Plot Synopsis:

Castiel is reunited with Jack and together with Sam and Dean, they head to a sleepy old western town to investigate a murder. Dean gets to live out his boyhood fantasy when he comes face to face with a famous, gun-slinging outlaw.

Features:

Dodge City, Dean’s cowboy fetish, Destiel Texas Rangers, Athena the undertaker, Dave Mather the ghoul, Jack is forced to confront mortality and his own ability to kill.

My Thoughts:

Anyways not to be obnoxious but on my Vancouver trip we did see the alley where Cas and Dean hug, the highway where they where the cute little cowboy outfits, AND the Stampede Motel, which is actually a western wear store. They kept the Stampede Motel sign from the roof and put it on the side of the building though, which is very cute. Pictures coming soon, it was an awesome vacation. Speaking of Dean’s cute little outfit, I want that bolo tie, like, so bad.

I love Tombstone, it has everything. Big Destiel vibes, happy main characters, Jack and Cas, Dean dressing up in a little outfit, and a hard shift into angst in the back half. Also, the sound design and editing kicks ass.

The combination of the alley scene and the Jack-Cas reunion almost had me crying. Dean and Cas had a romantic Romeo+Juliet moment and Jack missed his dad so much! The Dean widower arc ends SO abruptly. Davy Perez said that grief was only about Cas, fuck Crowley and Mary, Dean is going to dance around and get excited about stirrup hangers now. Cas and Dean are going to act married and Cas is going to talk about Dean’s sleep habits.

A couple lore things that kind of annoyed me but can be handwaved by Chuck rewriting lore while the series is ongoing: Cas says God has no power in the empty, but in Inherit the Earth he pulls Lucifer out of it. We’ve already seen Cas bring someone recently dead back to life when he brought Bobby back at the end of Swan Song.

I love the Jack and Cas interactions in this episode. I wish all the ones that were in the script draft had made it to production, but I’m glad the ones that did make it are there. He gets a little bit of completely selfless parental love for the first time in his life and immediately understands why Kelly trusted Cas. Because of his capacity for LOVE. Don’t text I’m fine.

Everyone wants to help Jack so badly but they don’t give him any space to process and that’s what makes him feel like he has to leave. The only one he trusts to tell him the truth about the security guard having a family is Dean, because he knows from experience that Dean isn’t going to spare his feelings.

Notable Lines:

“I… annoyed an ancient cosmic being so much that he sent me back.”

“I missed you so much.”

“All right, well… two salty hunters, one half-angel kid, and a dude who just came back from the dead. Again. Team Free Will 2.0. Here we go.”

“I said I needed a big win. We got Cas back. That's a pretty damn big win.”

“In Heaven, good’s a relative term.”

“I remember feeling safe.”

“I’m your Huckleberry.”

“No, you're not. I thought you were. I did. But… Like Sam said, we've all done bad. We all have blood on our hands. So if you're a monster, we're all monsters.”

Laura’s (completely subjective) Episode Rating: 9.3

IMdB Rating: 8.3

In Conclusion: Just a very stark difference between season 2 Dean and season 13 Dean that I’m noticing today. Season 13 his walls are so tight, season 2 he’s so vulnerable all the time.

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[missroserose]

Wednesday reading, sunny day edition

It’s a beautiful sunny day today, which might not seem like that big a deal except that we’ve had a string of of those brooding dark iron-grey days where there’s little difference between noon and twilight, other than night coming even earlier than usual.  So for all that it’s only supposed to last for a day or so, I’m glad to have the break.

What I’ve just finished reading

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, by Aleksander Solzhenitsyn.  I note right off the bat that the day Solzhenitsyn relates to us is a pretty good one, all told—the various gambles our title character undertakes in order to find minor alleviations to the privations of camp life (swiping an extra bowl of oatmeal at lunch, for instance, or hiding away a hacksaw blade in his mitten despite the threat of solitary confinement if it’s found during searches) all pay off, and he manages to avoid the ever-present threat of violence from either the guards or the other prisoners.  It’s a clever approach, as it both keeps the narrative from becoming unreadably depressing (it’s not hard to imagine what life is like on the less-good days) and also shows exactly how close to the line many prisoners live, as such tiny things bring such intense pleasure. 

That said...I think I’m supposed to admire our protagonist’s scrappy resourcefulness and determination to continue under such unforgiving circumstances—and I do!—but the strongest emotion that his story stirs in me is grief—there’s so much human potential being wasted in these camps and for such objectively ridiculous reasons.  I think that might ultimately be where I have trouble with so much Russian literature—culturally, so many of their stories involve people at the mercy of their environment, whether the harsh natural environment or the harsher artificially-constructed society.  And they either struggle against it and are miserable, or find some way to exist within it and find a measure of peace.  Whereas I, being by nature more of a big-picture person, just sort of sit here shaking my head and thinking but it doesn’t have to be like this...even though I realize that’s beside the point.  For those people living in that world, it does, because there’s nothing they can do to change it. 

I find that a very uncomfortable place to be in, mentally, which probably explains a lot about how tough I’ve found it to exist in America in 2020.

(@coffeeandchemicals​?  @thisisnotmolchanka?  I would love your input here.  Is my reading way off?)

What I’m currently reading

Tender Morsels, by Margo Lanagan.  This is definitely the sort of story that gives you pause before describing anyone’s “fairytale life”.  The stark and terrible realities of Liga’s life under the thumb of a cruel and controlling father, and then later as a woman unprotected, are softened a bit by some truly lovely prose that gives equal weight to the little poetic moments of beauty as to the deeply-engrained awfulness.  I appreciate the focus on Liga’s internality, as well—it does a lot to make her a character in her own right, rather than simply a victim.

Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir.  I’m about a fifth of the way in, and while the plot’s taking a little bit of time getting started, I am absolutely living for Gideon and Harrowhawk’s chemistry.  The sheer and utter loathing they harbor for each other, despite having been thrown together by circumstance, practically throws off sparks—I’ve found myself giggling maniacally more than once, which is probably disconcerting when I’m listening via headphones.  (Props to the audiobook narrator too; she clearly relishes these characters just as much as I do.)  I’m genuinely uncertain if I want this to be an enemies-to-lovers story or an enemies-to-world-shattering-nemeses story or some combination of the above; I may not be sure where their relationship (or the story) is going but I’m completely convinced it’s not going to be boring.

What I plan to read next

Honestly, I’m not sure right now; I’ve got a lot on my plate for the next couple of weeks so I have a feeling my current books will keep me occupied for the next week or two.  Still, there’s no shortage of books in my TBR pile...

Fanfiction spotlight

“Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea”, by @porthos4ever.  After the events of Dark City, Daniel Schreiber finds himself in the not-entirely-uncomfortable role of potential check to John Murdoch’s godlike powers.  But as his feelings grow, so does the complexity of the role he’s assigned himself.  Can love really exist when you hold the key to your near-omnipotent beloved’s destruction?  But without it, wouldn’t the imbalance of power tear the relationship apart?

If you know me at all, you know I adore complicated love stories, where the space between genuine affection and manipulation is grey and vast, and the balance of power tips back and forth unexpectedly.  This is a beautifully-written example—I love the way their growing trust allows them to navigate the choppy waters of their dynamic.  And I’m pretty sure there’s a very indirect reference to an early-2000s pop song in there, which I feel slightly smug for having picked up on.

[justowrites]

5, 9, and 11 for Pilgrimage, and 1, 3, 4, and 5 for Do You Hear the People Sing? (from your fanfic ask post!) 😊

For “Pilgrimage”: 

5. What was the hardest part to write?

Honestly? I think the hardest part for me was writing setting details. I’ve never been to Chicago, so I spent a LOT of time traveling around on Google Maps. Like, an embarrassingly long amount of time. And it took forever for me to settle on a neighborhood for Ricky to have lived in. Along with that, I think the scenes in chapter 3 with Ricky and Red running around the city were also difficult to write for the same reasons. I had to try to imagine what it would be like to see Chicago through Red’s eyes as a first-time tourist and Ricky’s as a jaded former resident. Some parts of the chapter still feel stilted to me because of it, but overall I have no regrets.

9. Were there any alternate versions of this fic?

Not entirely alternate versions, but some of the early events changed as the fic progressed. Originally, Ricky and Red were supposed to road trip to Chicago, but I found that (1) the timing wouldn’t work given schools only give Thanksgiving break for 2 days, typically, and (2) I didn’t have any major events to fill that span of time while they were driving. So I changed it to a flight instead. Otherwise, the major plot points - Ricky going back to Chicago, his mixed feelings about seeing his mom, Big Red accompanying him, Nini surprising him, and the overall theme of letting go of anger that no longer serves you were all part of the original concept. Everything else was just a bunch of little changes that added and shaped the final direction of the fic.

11. What do you like best about this fic?

Honestly? The overall message. To me, this is a story about learning to let go of anger. It is not a story about Ricky forgiving his mother for all the wrongs and harm she caused. At the end of the day, those are very complex things he’ll grapple with for a very long time. But the anger that he held onto for so long didn’t serve him. It only made him unhappy and bitter. It’s a story about finding the strength to let go of feelings that only serve to harm you, not for others but for yourself. It’s a message that I think I needed to take to heart, too, and one that I’m working on every day. 

For DYHTPS:

1. What inspired you to write the fic this way?

I read a few Rini songfics (shoutout 716ag) that I LOVED. The title of the fic was always going to be “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from Les Mis, and it was always going to be about a revue that turned into a revolution. After reading some of the songfics, I sort of had an aha moment and decided to make the latter chapters into mini songfics of their own. I felt like it fit the overall mood.

3. What’s your favorite line of narration?

From chapter 13: “He looks up at Nini, and he’s sure he looks like a mess: eyes puffy and red, hair askew, upper lip streaked with snot. But he smiles anyway. Bright and full and sincere. He holds her gaze. “I love you,” he says again. 

I like this one because there’s something that feels very honest about it. Both Ricky’s confession and the situation surrounding it. He looks like a mess, and he knows it, and for me, that somehow heightens the sincerity and shows how truly comfortable he is with Nini. He’s not embarrassed that he looks like this. He’s not self-conscious about it. All he’s doing is taking in her love for him and professing his love for her. I very rarely described my characters looking anything but their best, and when I did, there was always something aesthetic about it. But this moment was very human. There’s no getting around the fact that Ricky looks rough here. It was a learning moment for me, as a writer, and I’m trying to build in more honest looks at who my characters are now.

4. What’s your favorite line of dialogue?

Also from chapter 13: “Remember that time at the park when we were, like, eight? There was that wasp that kept flying around me and I was freaking out, and finally you shoved me out of the way and let it sting you because...”

 “...Because you’re allergic and I’m not,” he fills in the rest.

I like this exchange a lot because I didn’t get around to building out Ashlyn and EJ’s backstory very much in this series. Definitely not as much as I wanted to, anyway. But this exchange cut right to the heart of who they are to each other. It’s the truest sibling dynamic. They’re willing to do anything for one another. I felt like these lines helped illustrate that.

5. What was the hardest part to write?

Believe it or not, it was the prep work and lead-up to the revue. Those few chapters between when they hatch the idea and when it actually becomes reality. Mostly, I struggled with trying to balance the fact that it’s student-led with the fact that none of the students were main characters. And I realized quickly that I hadn’t fleshed them out as much as I would’ve liked. But I had to make it work, so I did. Also, as a teacher myself, I had to ignore all the moments where I bent the rules and realities of working in a school to make it fit the narrative. Let’s be honest, there’s no way they would’ve been able to pull off such a massive undertaking in real life. My senior class couldn’t even pull off a senior prank without the principal catching on, and my students once tried a mass dress code protest (which I lowkey support) that was nipped in the bud two days before it was supposed to go down. So yeah, that was also a struggle haha.

THANK YOU for these! It was really nice to go back into things I wrote in the past and think about them again. I’ve been blocked on the latest chapter of “The Opposite of Love is Indifference” so revisiting old works of mine really helped keep me in writer mode.