#it's really well written (although i sometimes do not vibe with the translation)

[tenrose]

So far I love the secret history 😌

[baiwu-jinji]

i apologize in advance if this ask sounds kinda weird, but i'm kinda curious to hear your thoughts on how the narrative treats qi rong, mostly because i think interacting only with the eng version/fandom might take some context from his character. i've seen people complaining that some fans woobify him too much, others complaining that some people treat him as a pure hate-sink when he's more than that. while i do think he's a multi-layered character, i do sometimes get the feeling that mxtx did not go easy on him, with the revised version being even crazier than before (some even say he was given a bit of onesided incestuous subtext with xl, but i wonder if that interpretation isn't just the result of weirdly translated lines in eng). i think this might be because he strikes me as a meta personification of sorts for toxic fans who place their identity and self-worth on just one person they completely idolize, and when that person is shown to be imperfect they immediately turn against them, and we know mxtx has had experience with those kinds of people.

i do think he's largely meant to be seen as unsympathetic overall, though i think there's strong nuances with his character as well. since his childhood he always lacked something and never really had a well formed identity, his prince name being symbolic of his life. he projected himself onto xl in life, and he kept on absorving the worst traits of the people around his life without really understanding them in order to feel powerful and important, from the xianle nobles to the signature traits of the other calamities. he also strikes me as very... "little brother"-coded, in the sense that he keeps looking for any sort of recognition and seems unable to mature. even when he hates xl i think he still somewhat craves his attention, and qr only developed a bit when he was forced to let go of this role by accidentally becoming a father instead. i think it's also interesting that he started out a lot like his father, but ended up sharing the fate of his mother.

i do wonder how the cn fandom views him and if he's nearly as divisive as he is here. i'd also be pretty interested in seeing some meta about him from cn fans. again, it feels like some context is missing by not speaking the language the book was originally written in...

Hi! I think the narrative basically takes the same stance as Xie Lian in its attitude towards Qi Rong, which is the sort of "I can't love you but I don't want to hate you, the best I could give you is indifference". I agree that Qi Rong isn't meant to be lovable, but MXTX isn't dismissive of him as a character either - she devoted almost an entire chapter to Qi Rong's death, let him speak his mind, and gave him some form of closure.

Qi Rong having onesided incestuous subtext with XL (!!) in the revised version is...very interesting haha, I haven't read the revised version so I can't know (someone please tell me where to get the revised version ><). Although I want to speculate that even if there is some incestuous vibes, it's not truly sexual - it's probably libido directed the wrong way when you're lusting over someone else's identity, but not over that person per se. Qi Rong lusts over XL's identity in the sense that he wants to be XL - or rather he wants to be perfect, worshipped, all-powerful etc. (bit of digression, there's an underrated psychological thriller called Cracks starring Eva Green, if you watch it you'll know what I mean)

I don't have the impression that he's truly divisive in the Chinese fandom, but then I don't engage with the Chinese fandom that much so I could totally be wrong. And I don't think any context is missing for English readers either (except maybe the humour of QR's obscene language might be lost in translation?) because human nature is the same everywhere, and Qi Rong's distorted psyche is more a matter of human nature than cultural context.

As for Chinese fandom's view of QR, there's this great meta I translated and posted a few days ago, and I found some other opinion pieces about Qi Rong on Zhihu (Chinese equivalent of Reddit), as you'll see they're quite diverse.

A lot of Chinese readers say that what stands out most about Qi Rong is his comedic role in the story because his cursing and name-calling are really funny; a lot of people also mention being really touched by his self-sacrifice to save Guzi. I found this one post that has a similar view to yours, which is QR represents MXTX's toxic fans:

"I always felt it's the author admonishing her fans in an implicit way not to be as crazy as Qi Rong [...] My guess is that the author can't ask her fans outright not to act in this way because that would hurt people who support her but are immature, however she can't turn a blind eye to these people going around provoking more resentment, so she creates QR to remind her fans not to be like QR, or they'd appear as unlikable as QR to the public. But the author still feels symathy for thse fans, so she didn't depict their representation in the novel as totally incorrigible - QR retains some humanity and is a little adorable when he starts to care about people."

I also saw opinions about the narrative (or rather Xie Lian) not going easy on Qi Rong, like this one:

"Xie Lian is clearly a very good person but why is he so heartless to QR? He eventually treated QR as a joke and a burden, but QR was once a true follower of his. At first I thought XL was perfect and cares about everyone, but he never really cared for his cousin. When I read that XL felt neither joy nor sorrow when QR died saving Guzi, my heart chilled. If XL could forgive the masses who betrayed and reviled him, why can't he forgive his cousin who once followed him whole-heartedly?"

There're also people saying that Qi Rong's potential divisiveness is what makes him a great villain, like this post:

"What MXTX's well-received villains have in common is a tragic childhood and not being loved growing up, and they only have a soft spot for one person. Although these villains did horrible deeds and are unrepentant, they all reserve some kindness in their heart for the only person who's good to them. This contrast is striking and touching, yet most likely to cause controversy. Therefore, MXTX knows very clearly how to create a memorable villain, and I admire that."

Someone else says when they read about Qi Rong they "don't know whether to laugh or cry" (XL's signature emotion hehe). They add that "this is where MXTX is successful in writing a villain - you both hate and pity him; he's infuriating, but you don't really want to see him die either."

Another view is that since Qi Rong has no filter, he sometimes serves as the truth-telling voice. For example, when XL wanted to keep Lang Qianqiu in the dark about the truth of the Gilded Banquet Massacre, Qi Rong blurted out the truth.

There's also a question posted on Zhihu that asks why people like Qi Rong, and there're some interesting answers. There's one post that says "I find him attractive because he's depicted as alluringly ghostly in a lot of fan art like vampires in Twilight" haha

Another post says they like Qi Rong "because he's guilelessly wicked, while XL and Hua Cheng are hypocrites" emmmmm

Another one says they like Qi Rong because "being Xie Lian is exhausting, he's so wronged but he just endures it all, while Qi Rong just launches verbal assults whenever someone rubs him the wrong way, it's so cathartic. The most difficult thing in the world is to be a good person, because as soon as you do one thing wrong, everyone criticises you; but if you're a bad person, even if you did just one good thing, everyone praises you for it and shows you pity".

[geographer746]

ENGLISH VERSION

the heads @madisonthetimewalker are so cool that I wanted to share my own (^_^)

(in general, the heads will be mostly about all the dragons because I, well, I love them all very much..)

(the translation may be crooked thanks to Yandex translator😊)

(DISCLAIMER EVERYTHING THAT WILL BE WRITTEN BELOW IS PURELY MY FANTASY, I DO NOT URGE YOU TO LOVE IT IF YOU DO NOT LIKE IT, DO NOT READ!!!!!)

(disclaimer 2 there is no information at all about some characters, so I made it up^)

(disclaimer 3 I did not play games, and did not read all the works related to wakfu so the information may not be the same as in the original or vice versa, but I don't care gee gee)

1) there is a lot between Tanafita and Ratrosk..A bad relationship

2) in the era of Wakfu, Ratrosk lives his "human life", works somewhere in the fields, collects wheat, sometimes lies on hay with a spike in his teeth, looks at clouds and thinks about the impermanence of non-existence

3) Draconirus, although he is a dragon of dreams and nightmares, he does not really sleep

4) He smokes a pipe (know that there is not always tobacco🚬🌿💨

5) I do not know how I got to this point, but..Uronigrid and Helioborosus are women.

(it's just that we don't know anything about them at all, so they're women to me. moreover, there are few female dragons, why not)

7) Uronigrid and Helioboros are the daughters of the Great Dragon (haha, the Yugo and Adamai plus more relatives)

8) Uronigrida is always very angry and aggressive, she appreciates balance and hates "sinners", it seems that she does not love her children, but she can be soft and loving

9) Helioborosa is the complete opposite of Uronigrid, she is kind and cheerful, maybe a little stupid and trusting, but if she becomes serious / make her angry..save your asses, she loves his children VERY much, and in principle everyone

10)I sincerely believe that Dardondakal and Jahash were friends, bro all that

11) he misses him very much😔

12) Dardondakal appears at a random moment from dofus and begins "And your father ....!" and tells a "very funny story" about Jahash, Joris "uh well ok -_-"

13) He is VERY TALKATIVE, at first glance it seems serious, but if he starts talking, then there is no stopping him (Jahash is the same)

14)Gresgalion has a vibe a grandfather who drinks tea 24/7 and tells stories from his youth or a kind older brother who always takes care of the younger ones

15) I don't really like the way it looks, so I imagine it more like this

16) Krulaklakoss doesn't like that others can't pronounce his name normally, but he doesn't like it himself

17) he's still that bitch bitch, even though the white dragon

18) I'm thinking about the fact that he specifically 🔞 with crocubuli to annoy the Grougalorasalar

19) if these two meet, the world 12 will not live here, even the gods and all the eggs of the world will not help

20) The Gargoylone doesn't give a fuck about everything, he just sleeps somewhere

21) it is better not to wake him up

22) The one-whose-name-cannot-be-called is the same child who was fucked up by older brothers in childhood, so he grew up hating the whole world

23) Grougalorasalar loved his family very much

24) in general, I see him as a very good father, well, yes, they killed millions of people together, so what🙄

25) blames himself for Crocoburio's death and still can't forgive himself for it

26) as we see in the movie, Julit has a sword, so I imagine Jahash had a two-handed sword

(as a person who has been playing genshin for 4 fucking years, I couldn't help but give an example of a weapon that he could have)

and so we have Wolf's Doom, the Lighthouse of the Reed Sea, the Song of Broken Pines, but they would be in light shades to match Jahash

27) dragons of black/white fire can create weapons from it

since Jahash has a two-handed man, I see Dardondakal with a sword, he is like D'Artagnan and also has his mustache

I saw this picture in pinterest (xs who is the author) but I think such a two-handed sword would suit Grougalorasalar (in general, you understood this pattern, right?)

Krulaklakoss (I couldn't find a normal photo of the captain's sword, well, we have something)

Gresgaulion (and again a Chinese casino without normal photos, well, in general, several one-handed swords)

He-whose-name-can't-uh knives like Juzo Suzuki from Tokyo Ghoul, I think they have a similar vibe both fucked up

Gargoylone uh don't know the axe? It's hard with him

28) Aguabrial, Terracourial and Aerafal I like to see them in human form dressed in costumes and Ignemical who walks semi naked\

29) (as far as I know, it is not clear where Yugo and Adamai are now in the waven) but I like to imagine that during the waven Yugo, Adamai and Joris are sitting somewhere in a tavern, maybe at Albert's with mugs of beer, Yoris and Adamai smoke, sit silent and Yugo he just whines that life is shit, honestly Joris is just there for company, he doesn't know what he's doing there or how it happened.

30) after the death of the soul, I send it to the extern, if a person has sinned, his soul remains here, no, it goes to the incarnation for rebirth (eh, like a canon??)

31) there is a prison for sinners in ekstornam (crocoburio and bolgrot hello)

32) there is such bullshit as the "court of death" where sinners (both people and gods) are judged by Tanafite and Uronigrid with Helioborosa

33) in order to weaken God and put him in prison, you need to kill almost all of his followers, the god Uginag and his race do this

34) Adamai swearing (rarely but aptly)

35)Dragons have a very strange sense of humor, no one understands it, even other dragons

36)Dragons =cats

Sensitive tail

they sleep a lot

produce a different aspect of sounds

they see well in low light conditions

mustache for touch (for some)

37) all the gods are drunks

38)To get drunk with a dragon, you need something high - grade or strong and in large quantities (I don 't know a few cases of 100- degree vodka ? or an ancient grandfather's moonshine?)

39) Dragons have well-developed all senses, and they also have a so-called "sixth sense"

40)Joris's eye is always twitching from nerves

41) he generally has such severe sleep problems

(I still have heads, but I'm too lazy, then)

that's all, if after reading my heads it seemed to you that I was fucked up, know that I am😉👍

I'm preparing a post with 18+ heads, isn't that possible here? there will also be heads in modern au and a deadly file called songs associations with characters maybe maybe I'll finish the memes well xs

and that's it thank you all so far

[the-art-of-sanshoku]

Manga Recommendations from Things I Read in 2023

I wanted to make an end of the year post highlighting things I read last year and want others to know about! I tried focusing on manga that don't have anime adaptions (although a few of these are getting ones soon) and covering a variety of genres. Anyway, let's get right into it with:

Ikoku Nikki (Tomoko Yamashita)

Status: Complete, 54 Chapters, unlicensed - complete fan translation (Note: When I say something is licensed or not this only refers to having an English release.)

Genre: Josei, SOL, Drama

Synopsis: After the loss of her parents, 15 year old Asa finds herself in the custody of her aunt Makio Koudai. Makio, the introverted novelist, has no experience with children but will do what she can for Asa.

While this isn’t an ordered list I will start with what is probably my favorite manga I read this year. Ikoku Nikki is a very cathartic read for me as there are a lot of adult characters who are just trying to figure things out (although this also applies to the teen characters, but it’s just more relatable with the characters closer to my age). Figuring out how to like yourself even when you don’t fit to society's “norms”, figuring out how to process traumas from growing up that still affect you well into your 20s and 30s and beyond, figuring out how to love others, figuring out who “you” even are.  And it’s written and worded so lovely and deliberately that sometimes it says something and just puts into words a feeling you’ve had for forever but were never able to express and all of a sudden it just makes sense.

The cast is diverse and I think everyone can find someone to relate to. There are neurodiverse characters, and characters that widely spread the LGBTQIA + spectrum. But they don’t feel trope-y or anything, they’re just well fleshed out and well realized people. Ikoku Nikki just has a very “understanding” vibe that is just comforting to read and be seen by media. In a way it was a little of a life changing (life affirming?) read for me and I highly recommend it to anyone, and I pray it gets an official English release in the future so I can add it to my collection and support the author properly.

Tenkaichi: Nihon Saikyou Bugeisha Ketteisen (Yousuke Nakamaru & Kyoutarou Azuma)

Status: Releasing, 32 Chapters, unlicensed - ongoing fan translation

Genre: Action, Battle Royale, Seinen

Synopsis: 16 historical figures participate in a grandiose tournament of 1v1 battles to determine Nobunaga’s successor

On the opposite end of the manga spectrum we have Tenkaichi, which is just a very fun read. And sometimes I feel kind of crazy how little I’ve seen this talked about online by anyone, as it’s a super quality battle manga. It feels like a manga written by battle manga lovers for battle manga lovers, and in the author’s notes you can see this to be true. They love unpredictable battles with over the top powers and larger than life characters and they deliver. Tenkaichi lacks a “main character” so every fight feels like either side could win and I have even been surprised by a few outcomes of the battles. And even without a main character, the characters that exist are just super cool and easy to pick one to root for. They also usually become a bit more fleshed out via backstories so they’re not super shallow either. The art, paneling, and character designs are also really good, if you like fighting manga at all check this out.

Medalist (Ikada Tsuruma)

Status: Releasing, 36 Chapters, licensed 

Genre: Sports, Drama, Seinen

Synopsis: A cinnamon roll coach and his cinnamon roll student aim to make her a gold medalist level skater

Medalist is a classic underdog story that is really elevated by its superb main characters and art. Inori and Tsukasa are a very silly and endearing duo, but are also incredibly dedicated and hardworking that make them impossible not to root for. Their relationship and belief in each other really forms the core of the manga. The art can be really funny with silly faces, but also really intense and beautiful to capture the figure skating and emotions of the skaters pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into their work. Each competition feels really thrilling and has you on the edge of your seat, and it does a good job of getting into the specifics of the scoring so you can follow along. It’s inspirational in the way that great sports manga are, it just makes you want to work hard to become someone you can be proud of.

Souboutei Kowasubeshi (Kazuhiro Fujita)

Status: Complete, 250 Chapters, unlicensed - complete fan translation

Genre: Supernatural, Horror, Action, Shounen

Synopsis: A lovecraftian mansion poses a threat to Japan. To handle this, a team of supernatural/paranormal/spiritual experts are sent in along with - a scrungly artist?

Kazuhiro Fujita is a mangaka that I feel is super underrated in the west. Despite getting anime adaptations of 2 of his works in Ushio to Tora and Karakuri Circus (although the Karakuri adaption was not the best unfortunately), I feel that these were overlooked and he doesn’t really get talked about. Which is a shame because I think he’s a really great mangaka. He’s been around since the 90’s, and you can tell through his artstyle and storytelling style. Despite Souboutei coming out in 2016 it still feels very old school shounen, but this isn’t a bad thing at all. Fujita’s manga are full of heart and his artwork really exaggerates faces and body language to communicate the character’s feelings. I like his manga a lot because from the start it will often tell you “the big bad” and the whole manga will build up this antagonist until a satisfying end and climax. It doesn’t introduce new threats, or powerscale indefinitely, or pad its runtime with unnecessary filler, it starts - brings you through an emotional rollercoaster of twists and turns - and then ends.

Souboutei is no different in this regard. It builds and builds on the primary antagonist (in this case the mansion of Souboutei) and its mysteries to make a journey full of intrigue where you want to keep turning the page to find out more. The mansion is also a great setting that becomes a character in its own right, a twisting labyrinth full of malice and various horrors. Fujita also always makes a unique cast of characters with varied motivations, ages, character designs, and abilities that make each memorable and likeable. Fujita also likes to make every little detail count and sometimes add to the main plot where you least expect. Being a shounen there’s also plenty of action, and his battles feel creative and the abilities are inventive to make for some exciting fights. Souboutei has a bonus for the main character being an artist and having large themes on passion and creation and “what is art” that gave me an extra layer of enjoyment. Also it must be said that Sakamaki Deido would totally be a hit as a tumblr sexyman if this manga had any fanbase at all. But whether you read Souboutei or one of his other works, I hope you give Fujita a try.

Rojica to Rakkasei (Kinome)

Status: Complete, 25 Chapters, unlicensed - has complete fan translation

Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, SOL, Seinen

Synopsis: The titular characters Rojica and Rakka spend wacky days in their wacky world.

Rojica to Rakkasei is a breath of fresh air with a fantasy world that’s just plain weird and unique. A lot of manga fantasy lately feel like derivative goblins and dragons and slimes type worlds in medieval european-esque settings. Not Rojica though, it kind of feels almost like surreal and absurdist manga, but doesn’t go quite that far so it’s easier to follow as a series of episodic adventures. It’s a short, creative read that I enjoyed from start to finish. 

Witch Hat Atelier (Kamome Shirahama)

Status: Releasing, 74 Chapters, licensed

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Drama, SOL, Seinen

Synopsis: In this world there are people born as witches who can wield magic to help others. Or at least that’s what the world is made to think. After one fateful day, ordinary girl Coco, will learn the truth behind magic and become a witch apprentice.

Speaking of refreshing fantasy worlds, Witch Hat Atelier is a wonderful manga with great worldbuilding and setting. The “magic system” used in the manga is unique and feels very naturally woven into the world and society. This magic is harshly regulated and has many rules of its use, but Witch Hat Atelier lives by the creed “restrictions breed creativity” to create interesting solutions to difficult scenarios. The characters are delightful, focusing more on a younger cast of aspiring and bright girls who aim to become witches proper. Their struggles to make a magic unique to them and find their own voice in society make them a relatable bunch. Kamome Shirahama’s artsyle and paneling is also to die for, I love just looking at this manga. This manga isn’t all just school life and rainbows though, there’s a dark undercurrent to the story in the form of the antagonists the “Brim Hats” that bring some extra excitement and thrill to the story as well.  Just a brilliant manga. Also the only manga with my little meow meow Qifrey

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth (Uoto)

Status: Complete, 62 Chapters, recently licensed

Genre: Historical, Drama, Seinen

Synopsis: We’re studying heliocentrism! But it’s the 1400s…

A manga that really touched me on its themes of legacy, and passing knowledge down to new generations. This manga focuses on the secret studies of those who look at the stars and dare to challenge the current knowledge of the world. It takes place in Poland, which is a rather unique setting, in the 1400s. The constant threat of the inquisitors is felt at all times and our characters are left to question if this pursuit of knowledge is worth the weight of risk. What is the worth of my life? What is my purpose? What does it mean to be fulfilled? Philosophical, romantic (in a literary sense), and profound, this manga stands out among the crowd.

Futari Ashita mo Sorenari ni (Suzuyuki)

Status: Complete, 87 Chapters, recently licensed

Genre: Romance, Comedy, SOL, Seinen

Synopsis: Long term couple moves in together - fluff ensues

This is likely my favorite romance manga as it is one of the few to depict fluffy domestic life with your partner. Finding manga that deal with established relationships can be hard, but to find one about a healthy romance where the characters just live together and love each other and feel like adults and not the blushy “oooh she h-hh-holding my hand??” teenager mentality is a super fresh and nice thing to read (although I like those kinds of romances too, it’s just a bit oversaturated of a market comparatively). It’s a feel good romcom SOL with pretty much zero drama which some people may not like, but it had me grinning from ear to ear like a madman the whole time. If you like cute domestic fluff it’s a must read. Doesn’t overstay its welcome and has a great ending.

I have some more manga I want to talk about, but this post is pretty long so there will maybe be a part 2 ^.^

[coffeebanana]

20 questions for Fic Writers

Omg it took me ages to get to this but better late than never! Thanks for the tags @rosie-b, @monpetitchattriste, @lesbitorte, @kasienda and @celestialtitania!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Um. 107*... It's possible that I have a problem 😂

(*one is on anon. more on that later adfdsd)

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

801,972!!! (fun fact i was just below 800k the first time i got tagged in this game so i was like "oh well i'm posting a new chapter tomorrow...i'll do this game after that so i can pass that milestone!" and then i posted the chapter but it took me close to a week to do this ahaha)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

mostly just ml. i have a few spop fics too but i don't really write for that fandom anymore. or at least not right now.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Gah. okay. I'm going to answer this honestly but to do that I first need to explain that my most kudoed fic is on anon because I'm annoyed it's my most kudoed fic aksjfbksdb. Like. It's only so popular because there's a bit of lila salt? and really the fic isn't about that but i don't really write that kind of thing anymore and i don't want ppl coming to my profile and sorting by kudos and seeing that first. There are other things i'd do a lot differently in that fic now too ahaha.

Break a Leg

Cards Against Ladybug's Identity

Ladybug And The Tramp Stamp

Imaginary Friends

The Sun Will Rise Again

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do!! I reply to pretty much every comment--unless it's particularly rude/rubs me the wrong way. I know commenting takes time and I appreciate the effort ppl put into it so I like to give my thanks back!

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably Every Teardrop is a Waterfall. Although I think Girl Is A Gun is a strong contender too?

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Uh...well, most of my fics have happy or at least hopeful endings. I don't think I can narrow this down to just a few haha.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I don't think I've ever gotten hate? Definitely some comments that aren't super nice but nothing too bad. (now i've probably gone and jinxed it 😂)

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

um. a little tiny bit but not enough to have a particular kind LOL. i've only posted it once so far. but i also have Entangled, which will have smut in the next chapter--and that's angsty smut. which i suppose would be my brand of smut if i ever write any more

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

i haven't! i entertained the idea of an ml/spop crossover a couple years ago but i don't have any interest in it anymore. oh and i ALSO had an idea for a marigami spyxfamily crossover. but i don't know if i'll ever get around to that

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of! (*knocks on forehead since no wood is nearby*)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

no, but that would be super cool!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

i have not! a few times i've planned to write things with other ppl but nothing that ever really made it to the writing stage ahaha. although the littlebug vday zine is a collab in the form of a series--not exactly co-written but similar vibes

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

to write for, definitely the love square. and then catradora is so special to me because it got me back into writing and also i started IDing as a lesbian in part because i binged spop.

aside from that i can't really decide because like. there are so many shows i've seen and books i've read and ships i've loved for so many different reasons asdfbk. and then i have OC ships that only live in my head but that i love to play with sometimes before i fall asleep at night. so please don't make me choose!!

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

uh. i would say none of them? because it's only when i completely lose interest in a fic that i lose the belief i'll finish it. and that's only happened with maybe two of my wips i can think of?

16. What are your writing strengths?

Depicting emotions! And using the setting to do that by establishing the mood/tone/etc...

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

i guess like...self-doubt? not that i'm awful with it. in general i think i'm pretty good that way. but it's my biggest barrier to writing when i have periods where i get in my head about my writing, and it can make me overthink and not know if i LIKE my writing. and i think my writing is at its best when i'm having fun with it (which is probably true of most ppl), so...

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

i think it makes sense when the characters are actually speaking that language for a short time but aren't speaking it for most of the fic? like i have one ml AU set in new york so they're speaking english for most of it and i used french for the first couple lines that were french (and weaved the translations into the narrative). so that's the only time i do that personally--aside for maybe one word lines like bonjour--but as a reader it doesn't usually bother me when i see it used other ways

19. First fandom you wrote for?

ahaha the Vampire Academy book series. and NO you won't find those fics anywhere, even though they are still out there somewhere

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

currently Say Something. and i very much wish i could finish writing it, but it'll happen when it happens!

I think most people I would have tagged have probably been tagged by this point...likely more than once 😂. So whoever else wants to play should do so!!

[tenrousei-kuroi]

Anne Rice and her lawyers certainly left a mark on fanfiction history, lol. In elementary school, after watching Hellsing, I entered a vampire phase where I consumed any media with vampire stories I came across (Anne Rice, Vampire Hunter D, Blood+, the classics like Dracula and Carmilla, Nosferatu, and even Twilight). This led to my appreciation for authors and books that include a gloomy atmosphere and/or supernatural or mystical elements, such as the works of the Brönte sisters, Poe, Frankenstein, and Marion Zimmer Bradley. Generally, I enjoy flowery language and drama, and if the main character is miserable throughout the story, I'll probably like it (hello, Raskolnikov). I also dig multi-generational stories (like One Hundred Years of Solitude, Isabel Allende’s The House of Spirits, and The Maias by the Portuguese author Eca de Queiroz). From more contemporary authors, I tend to read popular book series (like The Hunger Games, Percy Jackson, Game of Thrones, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). There's nothing I've read that I find boring or dislike for any reason today, and similar kinds of books continue to catch my attention, so I'd say my tastes have remained consistent.

I think it's mostly works from Romanticism that influence and inspire me the most, but there's one author – Clarice Lispector – whose originality and unique prose blows me away. I believe Penguin has published her books translated into English (originally written in Portuguese), and she's one of my favorite authors. Her stories often have simple premises, but her strange and unique perspective on mundane things makes everything she writes feel different. I don't know of any other author that can get into a character's stream of thoughts quite like her. Her style is not for everyone – I remember a few of her books were recomended reading at my school and some of my friends complaining about not really liking it, fiding it sometimes nonsensical. 

Sometimes I pick books based on random quotes I come across on social media, which prompts me to look them up, read reviews, and, honestly, just by liking the cover and title (usually for when I'm just browsing in some bookstore . 

Regarding festivals, I'm considering participating in Black Brothers Fest or Padfoot Fest, if I manage to finish anything on time. I have several drafts on my laptop that I could work on, but I'll only sign up once I'm ready to post (although nothing motivates me more than a looming deadline). Looking forward to seeing you at Padfoot Fest!

Hold. Up.

There's a Black Brothers Fest?

.....

Just drop the pretense and call it Tenrousei-Kuroi fest lolol

Also Allende's for real! We did house of the Spirits in school, both the Spanish and the English versions as an exercise in studying the unique challenges of translating novels--the trickiness of carrying over tone and vibe without sacrificing meaning.

Do you read any Paulo Coelho? I have a few of his knocking around, as well. He seems to be the go-to author when my brother-in-law is looking for a Christmas gift for me >.<

[mistressheroine]

author interview

Thank you for the tags @gneebee & @im-immortal

Happy New Year everyone!

1. how many works do you have on AO3?

6

2. what's your total AO3 word count?

43,408

3. what fandoms do you write for?

The Walking Dead - Beth Greene/Daryl Dixon

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

Keep Me

A Stolen Moment

La Dame Blanche

I'll Be Home For Christmas

Something

5. do you respond to comments?

Yes, and I try my best to respond to every comment I get. I massively appreciate all the support and feedback I get so I try my best to acknowledge that.

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Something was definitely the angstiest thing I've written so far, although I do have a second part for La Dame Blanche in my notes that would probably beat it...

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I Want Your Midnights probably 😉

8. do you get hate on fics?

No, thankfully I haven't had any hate directed my way since I started posting earlier this year but I know it happens.

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

I want Your Midnights was my first attempt at writing smut and I gotta say I'm so proud of how it turned out. Writing smut always made me really nervous but once I got started it was actually so much fun and it's defintely something I plan to do again.

10. do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one you've written?

No, and I don't have any plans to.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of.

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

No.

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, although it sounds like it coulld be fun!

14. what's your all-time favourite ship?

Beth & Daryl - I am literally never getting over them.

15. what's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have a lot of ideas jotted down, snippets of fic ideas or scenes rather than stuff in my WIPs. I do intend to get around to them all eventually. I did have a whole Beth Lives idea that I came up with a while ago about her going back to the farm but I think it's more likely that the idea is going to get incorporated into Keep Me at some point rather than it growing into it's own story.

16. what are your writing strengths?

Oh wow, I don't know. I'm not very good at critquing myself. Hopefully keeping them as much in character as I can?

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

Right now I feel like action sequences (I'm trying to write some action sequences for the latest chapter of Keep Me) - creating the right vibe for them and building the suspense. I also think sometimes I'm in danger of repeating the same words a lot when describing something. Having the confidence to trust myself once I've written something out as well, I do look to @im-immortal for a lot of reassurance and I massive appreciate her taking the time to read the stuff I send to her 😊

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I did a bit of this in La Dame Blanche but I don't think I'd ever be confident enough to use more than a few words at a time. Google translate is notroious for messing stuff up and I wouldn't want to do it if I wasn't confident that I was getting it right.

19. first fandom you wrote for?

Alias on FF.net - I post one very short fic there once and then Something was originally posted over there back in 2014 but I didn't write anything from then until earlier on this year.

20. favourite fic you've written?

Keep Me has my heart right now because it's the biggest thing I've ever attempted, but writing I Want Your Midnights was so much fun and really made me feel more confident as a writer.

A lot of you have been tagged already so sorry if I'm tagging you again but anyone who wants to join in please do! @burningupasun @boltthrutheheart @sasusc @fairybellworld

[roxannarambles]

Hello, saw this floating around and decided to fill it out, since I'm just chilling right now.

I don't really like tagging people, don't want them to feel on the spot, so if you see this, consider yourself tagged if you so desire. ^_^

20 Questions for Fic Writers

1. How many works do you have on A03?

At the moment, 24, but I have more posted to my Tumblr than I do a03. I prefer it here (although the audience is smaller)

2. What's your total A03 word count?

Kind of an odd question. 479,942. I guess this is supposed to be flexing? But I really do feel like it's not the quantity that matters, it's the quality.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

In the past, many. (I didn't write for all of em but here's some of my previous fandoms) Currently I write for Pokemon.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

For complete fics, the top spots belong to some Owl House fics, the next is a short Breath of the Wild Sidlink fic, the next is my Legault/Heath Fire Emblem story, and then a compilation of Moomin stories for a Snufmin Week.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes. In my FF.net days, the norm seemed to be not to respond to comments. But these days, responding to comments seems to be the new norm. Besides, it's nice to thank people for taking the time out of their day to comment and for being such lovely human beings. Even if it IS really hard for me to think of how to thank them without sounding like a buffoooooon (I take a while to get around to it sometimes argh)

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I have never done that. I want hopeful stories because they give me hope. I think the world needs more of that right now.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

How do you even judge that? Sorry I gotta skip this one, I have no clue

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Very rarely. In Owl House fandom, there are two characters who are not biologically related, did not grow up together, do not share a parental figure, and are not familial in any capacity. However, because a large number of fans have decided they have a "sibling vibe," they've concluded that shipping them together is vile and anyone who does so should be witch-hunted, harassed, slandered, doxxed, and worse. So, I got hate for that occasionally! That's about it, though.

9. Do you write smut?

I did once. Never again, lol

10. Do you write crossovers?

I wrote a Moomin/Deltarune crossover for a while. Nobody read it, though. A shame, it was fun.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Why would you steal a fic? Well, it's the internet, I guess you see just about everything online eventually, but I've never even heard of that. Art theft? Sure. Usually so the person can scam folks into commissioning them. Fic theft though? Nope. That's a new one for me. This is not an invitation for folks to try it out, lol

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Somebody asked me permission once to do that! I told them yes. I never heard back from them though.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

A lifetime ago I did a round-robin fic with my friends. I don't think I could co-write a fic now though, honestly. I'm so very picky about my headcanons. I would be horrible to work with.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Man, that's tough. I guess probably Mulder/Scully (see question 19) just because it was my first ship and left such an impression on me.

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

'Second Chances.' It was such a cute story and so FUN. People loved it too. And I had it all planned out. But I left Owl House fandom before completing it. I never will return to it, I am too bitter with the final season of the show and the mainstream fans are also very tiresome to deal with.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Hmm. I'm getting to be pretty good at outlining things and figuring out the story's structure. tbh ~90% of my story is often done before I even start my first draft, either due to the vivid daydreams I have, trying stuff out and then trying different things out in my head (& the notes I take on said daydreams) or the progressively more specific outlines as I work things out. That said, there's definitely still stuff that simply does not work on paper that seemed so good in your head. And there's a lot of magic that just seems to spontaneously happen while writing the actual draft out, and it's so important to stay open to that. Whoops I am rambling. I guess in summary my strength is finding a satisfying ratio of outlining stuff vs. staying open to ideas and letting the story lead me in the direction it wants to go.

Also I think I'm pretty good at dialogue. Action/scene description is harder for me, but dialogue feels easy.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

My ideas tend to be very Big. I have great difficulty writing shorter stories. This sucks because I do not have limitless time and energy and I can sometimes bite off more than I can chew. I would love to write shorter stories so I can try out a larger number of ideas. I also want to improve my prose, I need some more variety in there, imo.

My primary weakness, though, is I only write as a form of escapism when I feel depressed. I want a healthier relationship with my writing and with fandom. Basically, I need to learn how to do things casually, to not let an interest consume me completely. I'll let you know if I figure out how to do that, no luck so far.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I'm a boring monolingual. I'm not going to write in another language unless I know at least a little about it. Toss in a few phrases or sentences, sure, but nothing more than that.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The X-Files. I was a Mulder/Scully shipper. We called it MSR back then, MulderScullyRomance. I was a young lass back then, and it was my induction to shipping and romance. I loved them because they had fantastic chemistry and a strong partnership built on trust and mutual respect, despite their differing worldviews and interests. Also because I really really liked Scully.

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

Hmmmmm. Tough to choose. I really like "Acquired Taste" because it was the first really long fan fiction I wrote and finished. (At least, I think? I had a long Stargate fic back in the day but we don't speak of that) And I wrote it after a really long break from writing fic (years and years). It has a very special place in my heart.

Is it my best work, though? Mmm. Not sure. I'm also pretty fond of "Ships That Pass in the Night," my longest work. I put my heart and soul into it and got so many comments/interactions, and it has a lot of happy memories.

I also really like some super short stories of mine, though. This one is 613 words long but I feel like it says everything my longer stories on Julinemo do. I also loved writing Support Conversations for Fire Emblem which force you to tell as much as you can in such an incredibly short format. (GBA-era Fire Emblem) I am so proud of those, they pushed me a lot as a writer.

I also like the fics I've done that are mostly genfic, because again, they involved trying something new. They tend to be my least popular 'cause ships reign supreme I guess. That's fine though, that's just the way fic writing goes.

[generalherasyndulla]

Fic Writer Interview.

Thanks for the tag @96percentdone

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

26 currently! (soon to be 28 in like a few days) 

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

43,438

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. Because of a Cupcake 

2. A Family’s Love 

3. Soft

4. Surprise

5. Playing the Cards Right 

Yeah that sounds about right. I do have a soft spot for all these fics, but Playing the Cards Right I’m actually still really proud of not gonna lie 

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes I usually do, they were nice enough to leave a comment for me, least I can do is respond to it. 

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Probably Not Quite since that one is based on a bad ending in the VN The in Fata Morgana and it doesn’t really get better for anyone in it. They’re still in bad end 1 at the end of the day.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Probably Soft although like all of my Sam and Max fics end pretty happily. But Soft is just them being gay and stargazing and that’s it really so I’d say that’s pretty happy  

7. Do you write crossovers?

Not really although my Poker Night 2 fic miiiight be one if only because the game itself is a crossover between several franchises having them hang out and play poker. 

But besides I’m not really big into crossovers (although I did have one idea see question 14 for more) 

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Honestly not that I can remember, I’m not a popular enough writer to hate. 

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I wrote one (1) whole smut (Surprise) and it was a joke and a gift for a friend. I don’t really see myself attempting it again anytime soon but we’ll see  

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don’t think so

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I do remember waaaay back in the fanfiction.net days someone did translate one of my fics. I don’t remember the language or fic though

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nope

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Michel and Giselle from The House in Fata Morgana babeeeeeeey

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Okay so I came up with a Sam and Max Phantom of the Opera AU where Sam was Raoul and Max was Christine and Lorne was the Phantom (because u know he has the vibes of someone who’d live in the basement of an Opera). The entire thing was gonna be a parody of the actual book because I’m a massive Phantom of the Opera fan while still being a Sam/Max fic.

I still think about it sometimes and have a whole first chapter written and saved on my laptop but idk if I’ll ever finish it. I’d like to, although it might not be in as ambitious as my initial idea.

15. What are your writing strengths?

I think my biggest strengths are my characterizations (I’m really good at nailing down that characters act and talk) and being able to write emotions/emotional shit

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

My biggest weakness is my inability to write an idea that’s longer than a oneshot. 

I’m also not great at describing actions and things but I’m working on it. 

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I’ve never really done it but I think it can work well depending on context I think

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Star Wars way back in my fanfiction.net days babeeeeeeey (they’re all since been deleted) 

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

Good Omens would be cool to write a fic for. It’s my favourite book after all and I do love the characters but I just have no ideas for it. Likewise Umineko is one of my fave things ever, yet I haven’t written any fic for it. Sad. 

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Okay so it’s a tie between Playing the Cards Right which I think is pretty funny and cute! also everyone in it is well characterized and The Act of Mourning and Moving On which I wrote of a TWEWY girls fanzine and I’m really proud of it. I think it’s a well done character/relationship study of the dynamic between Shoka and Ayano and I really really wish more people would read it. So read playing the cards right if u want a laugh, real the act of mourning and moving on if you want to be sad.

I don’t have anyone in mind to tag so. If you see this consider yourself tagged <333

[ohnomybreadsticks]

Ao3 WIP Tag Game!

I was tagged by @itshype - thank you for including me in your tag list <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 160! Which is an absolutely wild number to think about, tbqh

2. What's your AO3 word count? 917,682, although some of those aren't mine due to some of my longest works being shared RPs I posted

3. What fandoms do you write for? I have works mostly posted for Detroit: Become Human and the Witcher Netflix, but I've written a few for others, like Transistor and LotR. And now I have 2 that are original works!

4. What are your Top 5 Fics by Kudos?

Starting with most kudos:

1) More Than Enough (Witcher, E)

2) Alike in Both the Heart and Mind (DBH, E)

3) What's It Going to Take for You to Feel Good? (DBH, E)

4) Too Tired to Ask, but Not to Receive (Witcher)

5) In Which Gavin Learns to Love an Elder God (DBH)

shocker lmao, almost all of these prominently feature smutty sections!

5. Do you respond to comments? Always! If a reader has made a comment, I'll make sure to reply, even if it's just to say 'thank you' :) It just might take me a while to get to it sometimes

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? There Are No Atheists in Foxholes (DBH, E)! Can't get much more angsty than MCD lmao (altho does it count if he comes back in like 300 years?)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I am a fluffy gal usually lmao, almost all of my fics have happy sappy endings!

8. Do you get hate on fics? Thankfully no, I've never gotten any hate on my fics. Very grateful for that, but I'm very much not afraid of the block button.

9. Do you write smut? LOL I've written my fair share. I've got 41 E rated fics on AO3, and 17 M rated fics, so that's a decent amount of the spice. Lately though I haven't been feeling that vibe as much, so much so that the last bit of smut I wrote was quite difficult!

10. Do you write cross-overs? Mmmmmm not sure if I've written a traditional crossover, where characters from both franchises interacted... But I popped some Witcher characters into a LotR setting, and some DBH characters into a Witcher setting at some point!

11. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope, but I've had podfic made of my fic, which was incredibly flattering <3

12. Have you ever cowritten a fic before? Yep, several times.

13. What is a WIP you would like to finish but doubt you ever will? Mmmm...I don't tend to abandon WIPs, even if it takes me a long time to return. The few chaptered fics that are 'unfinished' on AO3 are the only ones I'll never return to

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship? I could never pick while I was in the trenches lmao, and now that I've been kind of out of my fandoms for a while I don't have an opinion either XD

15. What are you writing strengths? Folks always tell me my descriptions are engaging, which makes me happy because that's something I work very hard on. I hope my characters and their relationships are a strength as well

16. What are your writing weaknesses? Probably niche-ness lmao. I love to create a hyper-specific scenario that only I enjoy, so it doesn't reach any kind of audience. I also know I'm very bad at writing action sequences, which is why I never write them lmao

17. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I'm not a fan, tbh. Unless it's a language you're really familiar with, the chances of getting it wrong are too high. And the clunkiness of putting it in the fic makes it...oof.

18. First fandom you wrote for? For my own sanity I'll pass on this one lmao. My first AO3 fic was most certainly DBH

19. Favourite fic you’ve ever written? Also hard to choose...Privately I'm very fond of Let Me In (i'll be good to you, i swear) - any of my prairie-based fics hold a special place in my heart

20. What fic would you want to rewrite one day? Hard question - right now I'd have to say none! I'm very much a 'when it's done it's done' girlie

Tagging: @catoeirienind @sinclairsolutions but no pressure <3

[aecu]

nct 7 dream kinks and fav sex positions

cracking my knuckles.. alright let me tackle this

mark

just based off of his personality, he might be a bit vanilla to start, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t open to exploring a bit! i could see mark being into some light choking and i’m almost 100% he would not be able to resist slapping your ass a few times if he was hitting it from the back. he would never admit it, but he absolutely has a thing for cumming inside you. it’s filthy, but he loves the way his cum looks when it’s dripping out of you. i’ve definitely written him as a harder dom before, but overall he’s probably fairly tame sexually. my knowledge on sex positions is very limited so some of these answers might be a bit boring/predictable but i think he would really enjoy doggy and sometimes missionary when he’s not feeling like a nervous wreck

renjun

renjun is like my favorite kind of person.. i love writing about people with really artsy personalities (like him and ningning) because i feel like it translates so well into all the aspects of their lives!! he doesn’t seem like someone who would be very kinky (as a dom) but i think he loves embracing the romantic side of sex. i really like thinking of him as the type to have a playlist for whenever you guys have sex. i do think he’s a bit switch-y though! he’s not afraid to let you have your way with him when you’re in charge. although he’s not in my nct masochist line (yes i have one), he’s not opposed to you hurting him just a little. pulling his hair hard enough so that he knows you’re not playing around, edging him a couple times, just little things here and there. i’ve already said he loves really intimate sex so i think missionary is kind of a given favorite position, but also he can be a little lazy sometimes so he might just resort to fucking you on your side

jeno

hear me out. i know jeno is really muscular and he just has the vibe of someone who would be super dominant, but i really love the idea of him being a switch. he has a strength kink, there’s no doubt in my mind that he does, but i can’t be the only one who would find it hot if he let you dom him despite having more than enough strength to pin you down and take you if he really wanted to. anyway, he’s a sweet guy but he’s definitely not afraid to be mean. he loves that nice blend of praise and degradation that makes you feel like there’s butterflies inside you (pretty slut, etc), and pushing you so close to your breaking point before he finally lets you cum. sub wise, i think degrading him is my favorite concept i’ve ever come up with. riding him and telling him how useless he is while you look into his eyes.. it’s just my favorite thing ever. like teasing him about how he needs you to make him feel good and how he doesn’t know what to do with his big cock.. sorry guys as you can see i’m very passionate about this. anyway! his favorite positions.. loves taking you against the wall (meaning your chest to the wall while he fucks you from behind) and another standard doggy lover

haechan

(sorry in advance i’m largely biased here) THEE switch of nct dream. a bit of a sadomasochist, he can be so mean when he wants to and is also more than willing to let you rough him up a LOT. when i say he’s mean, i mean that he would probably love straight up degradation. obviously he’s okay with blending degradation and praise if that’s what you’re into, but he would love making you feel dirty with nothing but his words. telling you how filthy you are for letting him touch you.. he’s not afraid to make you cry either. he would play the doting dom role so well it makes my head spin. i don’t know how much he’d be into extreme physical sadism, like i don’t see him being someone who’s hitting you with paddles or anything like that, but he’s not against giving you a firm slap on the cheek either. when he’s subbing, he lives for your degradation. i’ve talked about this before, but haechan has openly said that he loves being scolded/yelled at, so i think it’s kind of a given that he likes it when you’re mean to him. he’s the type to like being on his knees for you, getting used in whatever way you see fit. and even if he refuses to admit it, he loves it when you edge him, ruin his orgasms or overstimulate him. it hurts in a way that he can’t get enough of.. if he’s domming, he’s willing to fuck you in whatever ways you’ll let him. i think he would enjoy missionary the most because it gives him clear access to your neck. if he’s subbing, i personally think he would love it when you ride him (cowgirl), but tie his hands up behind his back so that he can’t touch you.

jaemin

jaemin has always been kind of interesting to me. i see him the same way i see jaehyun (lazier dom), but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. he likes making you do a lot of the work because it gets him off whenever he sees you beg for him to do something. he can more active when he wants to though, another member who’s not above roughing you up and making you cry a bit. he’s not someone i can see subbing often, if at all, because i think he enjoys having control over you more than anything. the closest he gets to subbing is letting you take the lead, but still making it very clear that you aren’t who’s in charge. besides making you cry, he loves using condescending tones with you. confusing your poor, fogged up brain while he fucks you with phrases like “i thought you said you couldn’t cum anymore? but you’re cumming around me right now anyway. too dumb to know what you want.” it’s his favorite thing to do. regardless, he loves it when you ride him. it’s always his #1 choice over everything else

chenle

chenle is a little hard for me to read. he kind of gives me that same lazy dom energy as jaemin except he’s really just cruel to you sometimes. will flat out refuse to fuck you if you stop fucking yourself onto him when he tells you to, he’s willing to edge you for days and might even fuck you without letting you cum just to see how desperate he can get you.. i don’t know what you’d call this or if it’s even a kink but your desperation is what gets him off. he’d do anything to see how whiny you get before you can’t take it anymore and end up groveling at his feet, begging him to touch you. favorite position is doggy but you have to do 90% of the work

jisung

he would start off super vanilla, almost too afraid to touch you out of fear that he’ll do something wrong and humiliate himself. it would take him a decent amount of time before he gets comfortable enough to start experimenting with you and asking if you’re willing to try something new with him. maybe he sees a video of a girl getting choked or getting her face fucked, and it makes him curious to see what you would look like in that position. i don’t think he would end up being into something like slapping very much, he’s still far too afraid to hit you, but he thinks you look so beautiful with his hand around your neck. he could eat you out and finger you for hours too, he gets so much pleasure from seeing you cum around him. another one who loves cumming inside anytime you’ll allow it. probably likes missionary the most, i couldn’t see him being into anything aside from really standard/common positions

[hotdemonsummer]

Obey Me! and Angelology and Demonology

 alternatively titled Lets Get Into Lucifer

This is yet another long, long post about the lore of Obey Me! from the perspective of historical and theological angelology, and demonology or the study of angels and demons respectively, because I think it’s neat. I also talk way too much. I’m scared to check the word count on this.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert on anything, and certainly not on religion. I just like comparative theology. Also, spoilers for lesson 43/44.

What is an angel? And what, in turn, is a demon? It depends on who you ask. All religions that have angels have a general consensus that they are spiritual beings, intermediaries of some kind of higher power. Demons, on the other hand, are much more vague beyond general malevolence toward humanity. Any connection between the two is entirely dependent on the culture and religion in question. Some have angels but not demons, and many have vice versa.

There’s generally four kinds of spirits that are considered demons:

Dead people with extremely bad vibes (think mogwai, yuurei, and other revenants)

Neutral-to-malevolent energy, physical form optional (think djinni or yokai)

Cult subjects (including foreign gods and ancestor worship)

Corrupted angels (either fallen or Nephilim)

The word demon comes from the Greek δαίμων, or daimon, but the concept of a demon is much older than the Greeks. The original daimon had none of the malevolent, evil associations that we now think of. Instead, daimon just described a kind of powerful spiritual entity (for example, δαίμων is the term Euripides uses for the new god Dionysus in The Bacchae). What we think of as demons now didn’t exist in Greek culture, and the negative associations came when the Tanakh was translated from Hebrew to Greek, but even then shedim aren’t identical to the contemporary depiction of demons that we see in Obey Me!, which, like everything else in Western society, came about through the domination of Christianity.

Shedim, the precursor to the Christian demon, was more or less a term for false gods, a title for the various Levantine pagan gods (see: origin of Beelzebub, Belphegor, and pretty much every demon that starts with Bel- or Bal-). 

Obey Me! pretty much canonizes Type 2 and Type 4 demons, with characters like Diavolo, Barbatos, and Satan as Type 2 and the other brothers as Type 4. Historically, Beelzebub and Belphegor are Type 3 (Beelzebub and Belphegor being Levantine gods), Mammon being Type 2 (a general personification of Wealth, although Milton did write him as a Type 4 in Paradise Lost) and Asmodeus being somewhere in between Type 2 and 3 (being heavily derived from a Zoroastrian daeva of wrath). Lucifer is, historically, the only consistently Type 4 demon.

I don’t think I have to explain what a fallen angel is to any OM! fan. But I will. 

Let’s talk about these guys. We’re all familiar with Satan’s weird complex about Lucifer, and I’m sure we’re all equally familiar with how Satan and Lucifer are terms used interchangeably for whatever being is The Big Bad of Hell. However, they’re not synonymous.

Satan derives from the same Proto-Semitic root as shayatan, which... should be pretty obvious, but nonetheless has a pretty analogous role as a tempter of men in the Abrahamic religions. Beyond that “tempter of men” title, though, the actual details of what Satan is is incredibly varied, including whether or not “Satan” is a name or a title. In Christianity, the view of Satan as an extremely powerful and evil corrupter of man, wholly opposed to God, came around the Middle Ages, when witchcraft hysteria spread.

Lucifer, on the other hand, is simultaneously a figure originating in Christianity and much, much older than it. The term of course means “light-bringer”, and is heavily associated with the morning star, aka the planet Venus. To make a very long story short, many Mesopotamian, Levantine, and Mediterranean cultures saw the lowering of Venus toward the horizon at night and thought, “hey, thats a pretty neat image!” and created stories about heavenly beings falling toward the earth. Of course, they didn’t use the ‘term’ Lucifer, that’s Latin, and came from the Vulgate Bible.

The term Lucifer does not exclusively refer to The Evil Fallen Angel™ in Christian texts (some very sacred things like the Exsultet explicitly refer to Jesus as Lucifer), but it sure is the most popular interpretation. In works like Paradise Lost or the Divine Comedy, the general idea is that the angel Lucifer rebelled against God in some way and was cast out of Heaven, then becoming Satan, and thus the two are one and the same.

(inb4 some Quora-type chews me out for accuracy’s sake, the “lucifer” mentioned in Isaiah 14:12 refers not to any angel, but to a Babylonian king. The whole fallen angel thing, much like the beatitudes or Bethlehem or Christmas, is a fusion of pagan influences.)

In other words, Lucifer is always and has always been a fallen angel. Satan, on the other hand, doesn’t have those connections to angelhood, and the two figures have an undeniable connection despite their clear individual differences. Sound familiar?

The next question is then what kind of angel is Lucifer anyway? to which you might be thinking, wait, there are different kinds? Yes, holy shit, there are so many kinds of angels and very little consensus on what they are. In terms of Christian angelology (because again, Lucifer is a uniquely Christian/derivative Christian figure unless you exclude Leland’s Aradia which I don’t because lbr they were Italian anyways), most hierarchies are based on the work of this guy:

This man has the incredibly succinct name of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, and sometime in the 5th century he wrote a book called De Coelesti Hierarchia. It orders the *WTNV voice* hierarchy of angels into three levels called spheres, and each sphere has three sub-levels called choirs. Many, but not all, of the choirs are adopted from various Jewish angelic hierarchies. If you thought that it was just angels and then archangels were, like, the middle management version of angels then you are very wrong. I’m sorry that television lied.

You know who also lied? Tumblr dot com and any post that implies that the true form of angels is a big wheel with a bunch of eyes. That is, in fact, a descriptor for only one kind of angel: ophanim, or thrones. The depiction of angels runs the gamut from winged humanoids to multi-winged humanoids with multiple animal heads to burning snakes to vague heavenly mist.

Archangels and angels are the eighth and ninth lowest choirs of angels, respectively. Angels, or malakhim, are the default messengers of God and the choir from which guardian angels come from. Generally, if someone claims to have a message from God delivered to them, it will be an angel doing it. If it’s really important, it’ll be an archangel. Everyone else literally has more important things to do. No one’s getting visions from dominions.

Lucifer’s (the theological one) actual designation is kind of a mystery. Depending on the text, Lucifer has been described as a seraph (the highest), a cherub (the second highest), or an archangel (the eighth). According to Thomas Aquinas:

Lucifer, chief of the sinning angels, was probably the highest of all the angels. But there are some who think that Lucifer was highest only among the rebel angels.

Not very helpful, but hey. The question remains: what kind of angel is Lucifer, and this time I mean our Lucifer. 

We know that Michael, just like his namesake, is an archangel. We also know that (SPOILERS) Simeon, unlike his namesake, is an archangel as well (Simeon is a saint, not an angel.) Lucifer likely was at their level, if not higher.

However, Lucifer was also a six-winged angel, a depiction generally reserved for seraphim (and cherubim, but far less frequently).

Moreover, in terms of role, an angellic Lucifer fits well with that of the powers, the sixth choir. Powers are in charge of moving the heavenly bodies, and are depicted as powerful warriors dressed in beautiful armor. It's fitting for a being so closely tied to the morning star to be a power, after all.

So, with all that considered, what is Lucifer? 

Well, he’s a seraph (or saraph, technically). Why? Because Simeon is somehow a seraph and an archangel (I have already written too much to unpack that bullshit), and Mammon was a throne (remember those wheels with eyes?) and Beel was a cherub and therefore Lucifer had to be higher than both of them (interestingly big brother Mammon is in a lower choir than little brother Beel). This makes Michael kind of, well... weird, given the archangels’ low rank.

Some like to differentiate between archangel the eighth choir and Archangel, with a capital A, as a term for any high-ranking angel. While this is likely what Solmare is doing, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that this has zero basis in any religious text whatsoever and is solely done for the convenience of not remembering anything besides angel and archangel. Which is like, fine, but I’m a pedantic jerk who I found claims to the contrary while researching and I felt the need to correct that.

Anyways, the more you know.

[nanami-says]

Part V (2/3): chapters 58~60

Chapter 58

[About Sukuna’s fingers resonating with one another]

"The ones that possess an immense presence. The ones that are hiding. The ones that are already taken in by cursed spirits."

⇒ "1) The ones with too big presences. 2) The ones holding their breath. 3) The ones already absorbed by cursed spirits."

I added the numbers for explanation purposes, see below. 

"One of Sukuna's fingers was hidden by a cursed spirit. When Itadori consumed the finger in June, it released its cursed energy"

⇒ "The Sukuna fingers that had been absorbed were holding back their power [while] inside cursed spirits. Then they unleashed their cursed energy with Itadori's incarnation [of Sukuna] in June serving as a trigger."

Whelp. On top of extremely simplifying the explanation, they mixed up the kind of Sukuna finger involved here - it was very explicitly stated in the text that it was number 3) "absorbed" (assimilated) fingers, and not 2) "hiding" fingers. 

I guess saying that Itadori consumed the finger isn't wrong plot wise but it's actually referred to (here and many times more in the manga) as "incarnation"! The same word also gets used for the death painting brothers.

[Megumi remembering a conversation with Gojou] 

"I was surprised you asked me to train you"

⇒ "It's rare for you to ask me for a practice, Megumi"

"To train you" wasn't wrong but Gojou saying "it's rare" here points to it either happening occasionally or having happened in the past and I'm not sure "I was surprised" quite conveys that. 

"Are you feeling pressure because of Yuji's growth?"

⇒ "Did you get impatient after getting surpassed by Yuuji?"

Gojou actually says that Yuuji has surpassed Megumi here! Quite a different nuance from just "Yuji's growth".

"Megumi, your skill and potential are probably higher than Yuji's. All that’s left is the mental aspect"

⇒ “You know, Megumi, I think that both your real ability and potential are in no way inferior to Yuuji's. (...)"

Emphasis mine because pray tell, how does one reach the conclusion that "don't lose out to"/"aren't inferior to" equals to "are probably higher". “Skill” was fine btw but I’d probably go with “mindset” for the last line, personally.

[Gojou explaining why he thinks Megumi doesn’t know how to make a serious effort giving the baseball game as an example]

“Why did you bunt? You sacrificed yourself so that Nobara could advance. Well, good for you"

⇒ "Why did you make a sacrifice bunt? Did you want to advance Nobara to the next base even if it meant you'd be out yourself? That's commendable"

The nuance for the last line was just different - the word used there usually is just used as praise, either genuine or ironic but imo “good for you” has a different meaning. Also he says “out”  but it’s written as “death” (although that is sometimes the case in baseball as well.)

“But no matter how many allies you have around you, you'll always die alone"

⇒ “(...) when you die, you’re alone”

I tried to phrase it a bit closer to the original because I feel like the nuance may just be different for this line but can’t quite put a finger on the how.

[Gojou to Megumi]

"To die and then win, and dying victoriously are two completely different things, Megumi"

⇒ "To win by dying and to win even if you die are completely different, Megumi"

Emphasis by Gege. Ngl, I had no clue what the English was trying to say here… This is most likely what the line actually meant.

[Megumi regaining his consciousness after he blacked out from getting hit] 

 "How long was I out? Was my divine dog destroyed? No, my technique's finished"

Actually "my technique got undone". Putting it as "has finished" is imo both unclear and misleading. Similar situation as in ch. 1 (refer to part I).

[Lead-up to Megumi using a domain expansion for the first time]

"A jujutsu sorcerer's growth never comes easy"

⇒ "The growth curve of a sorcerer isn’t always gentle"

Mostly, the line was more intricate in the original but also the grammatical construction used here that they mistranslated as "never" actually means "not always [necessarily]” instead.

"Here we go!!"

Not really incorrect but it's kinda generic and I guess something like "I'm gonna do it!" is closer nuance wise. 

"With a firm base, skill and imagination, a person can change thanks to the slightest of events"

⇒ "A firm foundation, a handful of sense, and imagination. Then, [even] with a most insignificant opportunity, a person will change"

A pity they simplified "a handful of sense" into just "skill" here. Overall not really incorrect but I wanted to propose something that imo better conveys the original wording and vibe.

“Area expansion”

…”area”? What? Obviously this is actually “domain expansion”. I just don’t have words.

“Think bigger! My technique’s interpretation!”

First sentence actually referred to the second one, so it’s actually something like “Expand it!! The technique’s interpretation!!”

[Megumi to the cursed spirit after his shikigami deals it a finishing blow]

"Divine dog's claws even hurt it...You were no match!"

"(...) So something like piercing through you when you're not even paying attention was easy"

Less excitement, more dismissiveness, I’d say? Also, for the divine dog it’s actually specified that it’s “divine dog (totality)” and not just simply “divine dog”. The term appeared before in ch. 47.

Chapter 59

[Megumi talking about what he considers the basic rule for human interactions in a flashback to his middle school years]

"Basically, you shouldn't cross any line that violates another person's dignity. You should acknowledge each other's mutual existence. That's the rule. You ignored it and fed your stupid ego"

⇒ "In short, it's drawing a line in order not to jeopardise one another's dignity; [it’s] a process through which both parties can coexist. That's what the "rule" is”. You broke it, throwing your weight around and forcing everyone to walk on eggshells around you”

For the first sentence, Megumi says “it’s drawing a line”, so the nuance here was probably closer to “creating boundaries” rather than “crossing boundaries” like in the official English release. For the second sentence, the original literally says “the process through which one another’s existence is achieved”, so rather than acknowledging each other’s existence the sentiment is probably closer to live and let live? For the last sentence, they once again simplified it to the barest bones.

"I'll definitely tell Ikezawa and everyone today that we're not their lapdogs"

“You got this, Aida!”

"But we might be the next punching bags, so don't go overboard!"

Should be “Ikezawa and others'' and definitely “that I’m not their errand boy” for the smallest boy’s first line. If all of them were already being treated as errand boys like the way using the plural form here implies, the other student’s reply wouldn’t make sense.

[After Tsumiki sees Megumi has beaten up delinquents once again]

“You said you wouldn’t pick fights anymore”

“You’re not my mom”

⇒ (...) “Don’t act like you’re my guardian”

Imo the distinction is significant because there’s a possibility that Tsumiki as the older of the two probably did feel responsible for Megumi to an extent and acted accordingly, as if she was his guardian. 

Also, he doesn’t actually say “mom” - this is not the first time where the official English release opts for a gendered phrase where the original uses a neutral form. (Like making Yuuji say his grandpa was like a dad to him when he actually said parent all the way back in ch. 2.) 

[Megumi’s thoughts from back in the middle school]

"I hate bad guys with no brains and zero emotional capability. Walking around feeling proud. Disgusting."

⇒ "I hate bad people. The way they act like they’re superior, with their complete lack of imagination or sensitivity. Disgusting”

I guess I really dislike the way they worded it here, especially the “no brains” part since Megumi wasn’t really talking about intellect or smarts here but about imagination (and sensitivity), which he literally describes as being akin to "vacant lot", "empty lot", "raw land”, which is much more evocative.

"I hate goody-goodies forgiving bad people, justifying mercy. Makes me wanna puke"

⇒ "I hate good people. The way they forgive such bad people and perceive that act of forgiveness as something noble. They make me sick"

Mhm, way to just simplify the heck out of the whole line. I’m extra bothered by their use of “goody-goodies” here since this is yet another appearance of a rather formal word for “good person” (善人/zennin) in the original and which I’ve observed to be a very important part of the world-building in jjk. I discuss it at length in various previous installments, with notable examples including: ch. 9 (Megumi about Yuuji and about the kind of people he wants to save - part I), ch. 31 (Nanami and Yuuji’s conversation in the aftermath of the Junpei incident - part III 2/2), ch. 36 (Panda about Yuuji - part IV 2/5).

“Tsumiki, you’re a perfect example of a good person.”

See, the word he uses here to describe Tsumiki is the same as in the line above (善人) but because back then it got translated as “goody-goodies”, you’d never guess it since the vibes are just that different.

[Megumi reminiscing about meeting Gojou for the first time]

"In the first grade, my dad and Tsumiki's mom got married and separated just as quickly"

⇒ "When I was in the first grade of elementary school my father and Tsumiki’s mother, our respective single parents, got together and disappeared into thin air"

The original doesn’t mention marriage OR separation. Heck, especially for the second one, it doesn’t even come close to mentioning it?? I have no clue where they got this from. 

What I put as “got together” can also be translated as “to have a liaison with (a man or a woman)” (among others). Since Tsumiki’s surname is also “Fushiguro” in middle school, it’s possible that they were actually married and many Japanese fans seem to think that as well but it’s not explicitly stated, at least not here, so those are most likely speculations. 

As for mysterious “separation”, the word used here actually means "disappearance (of people intentionally concealing their whereabouts); unexplained disappearance", so imo the whole section means their parents got together and at some point both disappeared. As we learn at one point in the manga Touji first and Tsumiki’s mum sometime later. 

(Btw, one fan scanlation used “evaporation” here instead and while this is another possible translation of the word in question, imo from the context it’s clear that the intended meaning was the “unexplained disappearance” instead.)

Lastly, Megumi uses kind of formal expressions when referring to both his own dad and Tsumiki’s mum, which imo is indicative of the emotional distance.

[Tiny Megumi about teenager Gojou]

"A weirdo with white hair said"

⇒ "A suspicious man with white hair"

Needless to say, he doesn't actually call Gojou a weirdo.

[Gojou about Touji] 

"But he's a loser that just works for me. He left the family and had you."

⇒ "He's enough of a good-for-nothing to take aback even me. Basically, he left home and then had you."

Emphasis mine. Again, I literally have no clue where they got the translation they went with for this. “Works for me” - just what?? (Btw, one of the fan scans available for this had the latter part of this line mistakenly imply that Gojou had Megumi leave his house. The bit definitely referred to Touji leaving the Zen’in family.)

"You're something your dad used against the Zen'in family. His trump card"

⇒ “You’re something your father kept as his strongest card against the Zen’in family”

A bit of a different nuance than “your dad used” suggests.

"The divorce money makes sense now. I was sold to this Zen'in family"

⇒ "The mystery behind the funds for their disappearance got solved. Apparently, I was sold to this Zen’in family or something"

Again, the word for “divorce” doesn’t make an appearance ANYWHERE in this chapter, least of all this page. ...How. 

Once again - fan scans had this as money that also evaporated but neither it nor the official English release make sense, considering the line is followed up by “I was sold” as the explanation. So yeah, imo the first sentence definitely referred to the money Megumi considered necessary for Touji (and co’s) disappearance.

[Gojou referring to Touji basically selling Megumi off]

"Sucks, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it's annoying. Especially your attitude."

⇒ “It pisses you off, doesn’t it”

“Yeah, it does piss me off. Especially that lack of delicacy of yours”

I mentioned it multiple times but imo repetition in the original text tends to be done on purpose and as a device and imo this was another example where this was the case. Megumi borrows Gojou’s words here. (Which mean “to be irritated, “to be angry” and not “it sucks”.)

[Megumi continuing about Gojou]

"But that annoying guy wrote off the situation with the Zen'in family. He made a promise that we would work as sorcerers in the future. We would be collateral and receive financial support from Jujutsu High in exchange."

⇒"This man pisses me off, but it was him who cancelled the deal with the Zen'in family, and made it so we would receive financial support from the technical college with me working as a sorcerer in the future [serving] as collateral for it”

I don’t know why they’d translate it as “we would work” here since who the “we” would be supposed to even entail other than Megumi himself? Surely not Tsumiki. Or Gojou. Also, putting the next bit as “we would be collateral” makes it sound kind of dehumanising to me, ngl, whereas Megumi was talking about his labour here.

Also, the same phrase for “pisses off” as above got used once again, which makes it three times in a row, so imo that was definitely a deliberate stylistic choice on Gege’s part.

“Jujutsu sorcerers. How stupid.

⇒ "Sorcerers, what even. How nonsensical"

Just proposing an alternate wording.

[Megumi about the curse Tsumiki got hit by]

"All we knew was that we didn't know anything. Tsumiki still sleeps."

The word used to describe Tsumiki’s state literally means “became bedridden”, which imo heavily implies she fell into a coma. “Still sleeps” is most likely a misunderstanding on the translator’s part since the word sounds like it’d mean that (but it doesn’t.)

[Megumi about Tsumiki]

"Always smiling and saying nice things"

⇒ “Always smiling and spouting lip service”

Another case where the translator seems to have translated the word based on the way it’s written as opposed to checking the actual meaning. (The “nice things” phrase.)

"It's not a bad thing to not forgive people. Megumi, that's your way of showing kindness."

⇒ “Not being able to forgive people isn’t a bad thing. That’s your kindness, Megumi”

It wasn’t just “not to forgive” but “not being able to forgive”! Which imo would imply the next line’s nuance was something similar to Tsumiki considering Megumi’s inability to forgive people to be something that stems from his kindness (e.g. because he can’t stand seeing injustice).

"Even spinning my short-comings in a positive light."

⇒ “She would affirm even my nature"

Imo this line was more of Tsumiki accepting Megumi as he is or at least that’s what the line says - makes sense with what I proposed for the line above too. Translating it the way they did in the official release kind of feels like overinterpreting.

"But even she would get upset when I hurt somebody. I was annoyed by the hypocrisy"

⇒ "But even such Tsumiki would get genuinely angry (...). I would get annoyed thinking she was a stickler to the rules and a hypocrite"

Emphasis mine. The phrase that the translators seem to have skipped here and I translated as "stickler to the rules" literally means "to play it safe", "to avoid trouble at all cost". 

"Yeah, I know. I was immature. I'm sorry so please wake up already"

“I’m sorry, I was a brat. I’ll apologise so just wake up already, stupid older sister”

Just a different nuance and tone for the whole line.

"All I did was get rid of the Yasohachi bridge curse. My sister's sleeping curse is a separate matter."

⇒ "This Yasohachi bridge curse was probably only overlapping with it, and the curse that caused Tsumiki to fall into a coma probably hasn't been lifted"

The official English release makes it sound like sleeping (or more correctly, the coma) was the nature of the curse that Tsumiki was put under, whereas imo the original indicates it just as its effect, which is an important distinction.

“As for the finger and Itadori…”

⇒ “What should I tell Itadori about the finger...”

The “tell”, “say” is only implied here but it’s pretty clear from the context that was the meaning. Also, he explicitly says “to Itadori” here.

[After the Yasohachi bridge curse got defeated by Megumi who then retrieved the Sukuna finger from it] 

"All of sudden I feel a presence. Did the finger get out of the barrier? Whoever took out the finger bearer is quite formidable."

⇒ “The huge presence that appeared all of sudden... Did Sukuna's finger get out of the barrier? If it was a sorcerer that exorcised the finger's host, they must be quite good......."

Emphasis mine on bits that got cut out in the official release. Because Esou was facing off Nobara, he probably assumed it’s likely there may be other sorcerers present and imo that’s what this line also suggests.

"Even so... The finger... Even if they fought against a special-grade and won, They more than likely didn't come out of it unscathed. I hope they're okay."

Just to clarify that the word used for “they” in the original indicates the speaker knows the people in question, so those were Nobara’s thoughts here.

 Chapter 60

[Esou to Yuuji and Nobara after he activates his wing king technique]

“Start running and turn your backs to me”

“Run. With your backs turned to me” would fit better nuance and mood wise. (Esou didn’t want to show his back to anyone so now he’s’ forcing them to show theirs.)

[Nobara to Yuuji after he scooped her up because she couldn’t run as fast as he could]

“I got your back”

“Okay”

“Okay” isn’t incorrect per se but the word has the nuance of “I’m counting on you”.

[Nobara to Yuuji after he speeded through the forest while carrying her, allowing them to escape from Esou's technique]

"Well done, you deserve some praise"

“Yeah, yeah”

“Just kidding. Thanks!”

⇒ "You have my praise." (...)

Actually a set phrase! Spoken from a rather elevated/superior POV, which is why Nobara later reiterates that she’s genuinely thankful. Also, I probably would just go with a period for “Thanks”, imo nuance wise it didn’t require an exclamation mark and it’s not there in the original either.

[Esou after Yuuji gets splashed with Kechizu’s blood]

"There's no need to worry. My younger brother's blood isn't the same quality as mine"

Actually "doesn't have the same properties like mine”.

"You wouldn't even die from mine unless you were drowned in it."

Much closer to something like "unless you were to bathe your whole body in it".

"But it does hurt like hell"

⇒ "But it does hurt to death"

Not really wrong meaning wise but in the original it was “to death” instead of “like hell”, which combined with a previous line was probably a wordplay. "You won't die but it does hurt to death"

[Esou explaining how his and Kechizu’s shared technique works]

"If you take in one of our brother's blood and if one brother activates a technique"

Idk if it's clear here but it most likely doesn't matter which brother does which (could even be the same one). Also, definitely should’ve been “the” or “this” for technique, since Esou has just stated on the same page he’s now going to start laying out how a specific technique of he and his brother’s functions.  

[Esou replying to Yuuji]

"Yes, the result is essentially poison. Our technique is 'decomposition'"

Should be “but what our technique is, is actually ‘decomposition’” nuance wise.

"It's activated now. In reality they'll be dead faster than that”

⇒ “Done with technique disclosure, so in reality (...)”

Emphasis mine. You know, the rule in jujutsu where if you explain your technique to your opponent, it gets a buff? “Activation” is just wrong here. 

While it’s not phrased as such, the phenomenon is first explained in ch. 20 during Nanami’s explanation to Yuuji (refer to part II 2/2). It also gets mentioned by name later in the manga but oftentimes the official release would either skip it or word it completely differently so it’s hard to tell, like in ch. 51, when Hanami realises Toudou has lied to him (part IV 5/5). 

[The history of how cursed wombs came to be]

"[In the beginning of the Meiji era] there was a girl with special genetic makeup who bore a cursed-spirit child"

Actually “with an idiosyncrasy that allowed her to get pregnant with the child of a cursed spirit”! Imo an important distinction since it’s not certain whether her first child that gets discussed here was born prematurely or not and the following pregnancies were all aborted.

"A child born of mixed blood - both cursed spirit and human.”

Skipped “grotesque child” at the end.

“It was a mysterious pregnancy. She would be ostracized by family and friends.”

⇒ "Starting from a pregnancy she had no recollection of, [followed by] the oppression from her kith and kin, it made her go insane"

This latter part of this section is filled to the brim with complicated language so I’m not entirely sure but I think this might’ve been the intended meaning of the line. The official translators were probably struggling with the vocabulary too, so they cut out some stuff entirely, to be precise - the go insane part. It’s the bit I’m not certain about myself but I scoured Japanese dictionaries and that’s the meaning that seemed to be the best fit among the options.  

Anyway, to reiterate - the bit about the pregnancy actually says that the girl herself didn’t even know (couldn’t remember) how it came to be. The part about the relatives doesn’t mention friends, it’s actually a set phrase that means “one's relatives by blood and marriage (in blood and law); one's kith and kin” - I went here with the latter since it’s shorter and fits the overall vibe of the line.

“She would hold the corpse of the child and flee to a temple in the mountains. The temple was run by jujutsu sorcerers. However, her luck had run out."

⇒ “(...) However, this was when her luck run out”

Other than the nuance in the last line, this isn’t mistranslated but the whole section just flowed differently in the original and felt less disjointed.

Also! One of the scanlations I’ve seen had it misspelled as “Noshitori” but the evil sorcerer’s name is actually “Kamo Noritoshi” (and yes, it’s the same as the young Kamo but the “toshi” is written with different characters).

"The child born from a cursed spirit and human would become a prisoner of intellectual curiosity"

⇒ "His [Kamo Noritoshi's] intellectual curiosity would be taken captive by children born between a cursed spirit and a human"

Very much the other way around. It's very clear in the original that the subject of the sentence was Kamo's intellectual curiosity and not the child.

"Death painting wombs: numbers 1-3. Cursed objects worthy of special grade."

Closer to "cursed objects powerful enough to be classified as special grade"

"Did cursed energy originate from a mother's hatred? No..."

It's specified here as "did their cursed energy" instead (emphasis mine), and the question is actually left unanswered......................................................... So yeah, congrats on getting rid of this very intended ambiguity. It's something like "or was it maybe--"

[About cursed wombs]

"For 150 years, with only the notion of one another's existence, they would survive, sealed away"

⇒ "For 150 years, they endured the seal, relying only on one another's existence"

"The notion" just doesn't capture the sentiment of the line at all, which imo is most likely the follow-up to the narrator's musings about the origin of the death painting's immense cursed energy. (See above.)

"We're siding with that cursed spirit."

Actually "siding with them", read as "them" but written as "the cursed spirits" - probably plural as the original literally says "the side of the cursed spirits", so it possibly means cursed spirits as a whole as well, aside of Mahito and co specifically. Remember, the brothers are actually half-humans too. I explain in depth the “written as but read as” device in part IV 4/5 (ch. 48, Toudou’s “my friend” phenomenon).

"The future that the cursed spirits have painted is more suited for us. But that's it. Forget about what we owe for our freedom"

Not incorrect per se but Chousou actually says “forget the debt we owe them of our incarnation”, which would make it yet another instance where the official English release has cut out the term entirely. (Emphasis mine.)

[Nobara after stating that a technique that assures a win as long as it hits an opponent is indeed powerful]

"I'm a bad match for you!!"

Actually “the worst match [possible]” - more confidence in the line! 

[Nobara to the death painting brothers after using Resonance on herself thus redirecting their attack back at them]

"Let's play a game of chicken, shall we?"

The actual wording is “contest of endurance”, I’m not entirely sure if the two have the same connotation.

[part v (3/3)]

[kanmom51]

Thinking of the early days. My belief is the shift in JM & JK’s relationship happened late August 2015.  Prior to that there was a sense of change in the way JK was acting around JM, the way he looked at him, the way he touched him, there was a feel of sexual tension in the way he was acting, but there wasn’t a sense of reciprocity, not yet.

This fansign takes place on July 4th 2015, just slightly before JK and JM took that leap to change the nature of their relationship, and that is why this moment is so damn strange and interesting to me.

JK is sat by JM.  His attention is on JM.  He is smiling.

Then RM reaches out and puts his arm around JM’s neck.  At this point you see the smile starting to disappear.  But when RM gets a hold of JM’s right wrist and pulls JM closer, hugging him, bringing their heads & faces closer together, JM also grabbing hold of RM’s right hand, that’s when JK turns his head away, like he can’t look at what was going on there.  

We wouldn’t have given it another thought if not for what came next.

JK is clearly upset.  He does turn his head back but refrains from looking at the two, averting his eyes, and head downwards.  In the meantime, RM still has his arm around JM’s neck, both sitting close together.  

JK is supposedly busy, or more like keeping himself busy, trying to avoid the situation that is clearly making him not only uncomfortable, but upset.  You can see it written all over his face.

But then comes the kicker.

JM turns to JK calls out to him twice, JK outright ignoring him. And it’s clear it’s not that he can’t hear him.  He is making a point of ignoring JM.  RM releases JM after the second time JK ignores JM.  JM starts saying J.. but then turns to the fans.

When JM finally calls JK for the third time JK looks at him indifferently, and then turns back towards the audience and does his heart sign, void of any emotions.

Even then, he just can’t overcome his anger/ annoyance, and although he does the heart sign for the fans, he does that with a straight face, not a hint of smile or smirk (well, there is emotion, but it isn’t a positive one).  He is so upset, that he can’t even force himself to smile for the fans, for army that he loves so much. That is something really really big.

And RM’s behaviour is as loud too.

RM removing his hand from JM when seeing JK’s reaction, that is big thing. His attention towards what will follow is also big.  Worried look towards JK, and when JK finally does the heart, all the time keeping this straight face, RM folds down laughing. Was he laughing because of the absurdity of the situation?  Was he laughing at JK’s reaction, just like he seems to laugh sometimes when JK cries? Did he laugh as a stress release, after he felt the issue was resolved? was it relief?

After doing the heart for the fans JM asks Hobi to do the same. JK’s facial expression changes immediately after turning and watching Hobi, but then becomes solemn again when turning back looking at RM and JM, staring at JM as he gets up.

 I have soooo many questions about this moment:

Why would JK be so upset seeing the interaction between RM and JM? Why would RM immediately remove his arm when he sees JK’s reaction?  Why the worried look on RM’s face?

JM too.  Why turn to JK at that point? Did he notice JK was upset?  Did he try to placate him?  Why? Why not just leave him alone if he noticed he was upset? Or maybe he didn’t notice JK’s reaction to start with.  Maybe he was unaware of the shift in his behaviour and that’s why he turned to him in the first place.  Did he realise what happened, that there was a shift in behaviour and what caused it? RM did, but I really don’t know if JM did.  Sometimes the ones around us see the whole picture, when we ourselves are blinded, being too close.

Idk.  This clip leaves me with so many unanswered questions.

I wish we had the bigger picture, meaning more than a few second clip, and including full proper translation.  We are unaware what happened before or after. 

Saying that, even though we don’t have the full full picture, I think it’s a stretch to say there isn’t a cause and effect here, as short as the clip is.  

JK is smiling…JM & RM interact…not only is JK no longer smiling, he is clearly upset… I don’t think it’s a stretch to conclude JK was upset from what was going on between RM & JM.  

 To me this incident brings to light the internal turmoil JK is going through at that point.

And yes, it’s an incident, because it affected not only JK’s behaviour towards JM or RM, but also his interaction with the fans, a big no no.  It’s clearly something we weren’t supposed to see.

JK is finding it hard to come to terms with what he is feeling, but it is affecting his surroundings, that are becoming aware there might be something going on with him.  

Another clip comes to mind with a similar vibe, although there it didn’t affect JK’s behaviour in front of the fans.  I’m talking about  BTS Bomb after KBS music bank 1st place 9 May 2015 (from 4.36min) – JK’s behaviour when JM is paying attention to Hobe,  the way JK averts his eyes when Jimin looks his way. He’s not happy, and the change of mood when Jimin does pay him attention pulling him by his shirt.  

My gut feeling is that at this point JM is unaware what is going on with JK, why he is acting all hot and cold.  That kind of hot and cold behaviour can be easily interpreted as dislike, not attraction.  

I think the members feel something is going on with JK, I mean, it’s hard not to notice it.  But what exactly, I don’t think they realise yet.  Is he crushing on JM?  Does he dislike JM?  Does JM rub him the wrong way?  Is it just him being a teenager? JK is all over the place with his behaviour.  And I wonder If this is what we get from a couple of clips, how was his behaviour off camera?  Was it that erratic too?  

What does make me happy is the fact that whatever he was going through, he was brave enough to face it and move forward.  And yes, I think JK was the one to make the first move and act on his feelings, not JM.

[shoosy]

Fanfic 20 Questions Game

Thanks for the tag @sleepy-poet <3333

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

19! hopefully more soon though... 😏😏

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

36888 (very small)

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

I have written for... 3.

• Sidemen

• Game Grumps

and obviously

• Slipknot

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

'It's Not All Roses' - 29

'Lover Boy' - 29

'Homiesexual' - 24

'Film Night' - 24

'Drunken Nights' - 23

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to because I honestly appreciate all the comments I get! Although sometimes I don't know how to reply because I'm so ecstatic over the fact other people like what i'm doing!

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

uh... oh. This one's quite hard, i most of the time leave a very ambiguous ending..

There is one which makes me really sad and kinda regret when reading back now and then there are another two which are quite inconclusive.

so. 1. 'Lost Cause'

2. 'Unforgettable Incident'

3. 'Flower Boy'

7. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

oh my lord, I honestly loved the end of my fic 'Partner In Crime' because it's so wholesome...

8. Do you write crossovers? If yes, what’s the craziest thing you’ve written?

I have never written a crossover! But im not against them. I just have a lot of slipknot fics in the works and kinda want to finish them before moving onto greater plains.

9. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yep. It sucked ass and made me nearly quit very early on. I wasn't prepared to be told to die. So yknow...

10. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I have written smut once and thought I did terrible, although I am an avid reader of the content. I may try again in the future but perhaps I'll just still to heavy fluff.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes. It was soul crushing.

12. Well. I think the twelfth question was something about had your fic ever been translated or something?

No.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

I have not! But honestly if anyone ever wants to then I'm down because I'd love to!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

i enjoy sid and shawn. but also anything that includes the tol men because... yknow height difference in fics.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

We do not speak about it. I HAVE 25 IN THE WORKS. there is this one specific one that I just can't progress in a direction I want but I really like the start scene, it's like a uh... haunted house kinda spooky vibe.

16. What are your writing strengths?

uh... I enjoy writing dialogue. and perhaps my varied language when describing certain things???

i dont really have any :[[

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

pacing. every fuckin time. I just can't get it to flow right in my opinion and have to use a time skip or something. it makes me feel SO bad.

18. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in fic?

I nearly did that recently! I'm definitely not against it and nearly wrote in French recently to be... yknow romantic 😏😏

19. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

The Sidemen (A YouTube Group) and I SUCKED. I was probably the worst writer on the surface of the earth. Punctuation and spelling out the window, like sis... 😬😬😬

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

omg... this a hard one. I love them all for different reasons like I love the crack text ones for dialogue but I also love the fluff value of some of my others.

Overall I'd say I like 'Partner In Crime' the most because it was the first fic where I posted it and it made me feel slightly proud to have made it. I also find myself going back now to read or compare certain aspects or scenes.

I’m not sure who to tag so.... some of my favs at the moment <3 @stickandpoke-infection @xlaceratedlullabiesx @ims0vain if you are interested!!!

[synesindri]

fic writer interview

i was tagged by @theoceanismyinkwell — thanks so much!! 

How many works do you have on AO3?

40 (although a few are drabbles...still)

What’s your total AO3 word count?

143 802 :D

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

5 on ao3, but really four because i listed the marvel ones in general MCU and the specific fandom. they are supernatural, what we do in the shadows, downton abbey, and thor. HOWEVER i have written for several and either didn’t publish those fics anywhere or posted them to sites before ao3 started and lost track of them lol. i think probably 8-10 total?

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Judges of Character (downton abbey, G) — explorations of george and sybbie’s reactions to thomas’s suicide attempt in s6 (HUGE thanks to @oleander4 for the inspiration for this one!!!)

Thomas Barrow and the Power of Friendship (downton abbey, T) — a series of character/relationship studies revolving around thomas

“Mr Barrow Has The Flu” (downton abbey, G) — daisy’s reaction to thomas’s "illness” in s6

Seize the Crown (what we do in the shadows, E) — uhhhh...indulgent hair pulling kink lol

Second Visitor (downton abbey, G) — daisy visits thomas after the thirsk fiar debacle

dang the downton abbey fandom really treated me well with kudos!! <3

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

yes!!! in part i respond because i love comments and i feel like responding to them encourages people to comment more, but mostly i respond because it gives me a chance to talk about the fic! when people pull out stuff i did on purpose to comment on, it’s really exciting to get to give the commenter a little more information about why i did that. and when they pull out something i didn’t even realize i was doing, i want to react to what they said and appreciate having something about my own writing called to my attention. i have probably failed to respond to a comment or two but i really do try and want to respond to all of them :D

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

uhhh probably Passive (thor, G) since it’s an infinity war thor-grieves-loki fic?  

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

i don’t...crossovers don’t particularly appeal to me usually. i don’t often think of ideas for them.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

aaahahaa ok no i have not (fingers crossed for it staying that way!!!) but i DID get a comment on a supernatural fic that was essentially someone going on a strange, aggressive rant about theological justifications for misogyny that were loosely related to the fic in question? that is also the only comment i’ve ever removed from a fic...

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

yee. idk if any particular kind? i don’t really enjoy writing smut tbh but i do sometimes just because i have some idea that i want to express that necessitates some sexy shenanigans. typically when i write smut it’s uhhh odd in one way or another? a bit creepy and/or unsettling? because that’s the vibe i enjoy writing. the weirdness makes it more entertaining for me to write than the sex does :p as a result it’s probably not very hot but you know, whatever lmao

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i’m aware of!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes!! Human Indulgence (supernatural, T, starring lucifer and lilith in one take on lilith’s corruption) was translated into spanish by Gordafabi. the translation is here!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

nah...not saying i wouldn’t, but i like to write alone with my thoughts mostly.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

samifer ✌️sorry about my amazing taste skskskskss

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

gawddd yeah...the thing informally known as the adversary-lawboy tapes is #1 on this list. i have a bunch of snippets of sam n lucifer chit chatting and generally having a weird time in sam’s head throughout s5 and especially in the interval between the “yes” and stull cemetery, but there’s no way i’ll ever actually turn it into anything solid. i’d also love to finish the fic in which gabriel acts like a sickly god and does a bunch of very sketchy things but again, there’s no way i’ll ever do it. RIP. 

fortunately neither of those is public so it doesn’t matter to anyone but me that they’ll stay WIPs forever :p

What are your writing strengths?

characterization, atmosphere/pacing, and pretty little prose stuff. i care a lot about these things and get comments on them so, hurray! (also i think i’m good at a tie-in gut-punch ending on occasion...heh)

What are your writing weaknesses?

i keep not actually writing anything!!! lmao but ok other than that i sometimes try to convey something too complicated without enough explanation. i also often write these really obnoxious sentences that you have to read the end of to understand the beginning...my thoughts are not at all linear lol. i do TRY to fix these things whilst editing but...i’m sure they still happen :/ 

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

i usually don’t because i assume most readers won’t understand it and i don’t want to make people skip around the page for the translation. i’ll do it if it’s short and is more of an easter egg than a crucial line, or if it’s a quote from something else.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

harry potter

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

you know...maybe “Mr Barrow Has The Flu” (linked above). i feel like i really landed all the emotional beats in that, and did daisy right. i’m also very pleased with Drawn and Quartered (spn, T). there’s another spn fic i wrote during my first pass through the fandom that i think about often but i won’t say what it is because i think about lines in isolation but am not that satisfied with the fic as a whole hahhaha

tagging (extremely optionally!!!) @fandom-space-princess @ophanir @lovetheirloves @venhedish @hotgirlsummersam @bluecookiesforrick @whisperoftheheart925 and anyone else who wants to do this!