#it's so hard to pick because I don't usually have an overall favorite

[ixiot-ghostrebel]

Ok ok. I'm back from the dead, And with another headcannon! following my last music related ask

What if after the characters hear our music they start subconsciously humming, or even singing it? After all the creator never has their computer volume on... exept this time we do! And we hear venti, or Barbara, or another character singing our favorite song A LOT. So much so that instead of the usual voices it's all song references and lyrics... I imagine it going something like this:

(venti dies) "don't worry... I'm never going to let you down.."

OR

(Barbara's afk) "la- La- LA- ehem, I'm working late because I'm a singer~"

Well a long night of trying to find out if it was an event mihoyo planned or something else is surely waiting right?

- 🦇

OMG HI 🦇 ANON HRUUUU

Dwdw, Ghost Rebel's been dead as well—you have not been the only one, rest assured 🥲

For this request, I won't be really focusing much on what music the Reader listens to (entirely up to you imo), so apologies if this affects your reading experience!

(The Request 🦇 Anon Mentioned)

Ayo, They Know My MUSIC ✨😎

(Warning: Might be OOC!)

Who would've thought that all that singing pays off—now, all musicians and bards of Teyvat are reciting Their Almighty Grace's ballads like they're some holy, ancient harmonies (to them, it probably is—somehow—)

Let's see what our favorite ones have been up to! :D

Venti

With the amount of times you vibed to your songs, Venti's picked them up by listening through the wind. You can 100% assume that he is vibing to it, no matter what time or moment.

People thought he was singing his own ballads when he was humming your songs, when, in fact, he's listening to you jamming out in the distance.

So imagine your shock when you hear Venti sing your song. It was as shocking as Venti without his wine.

"Hehe~ Their Grace looks so flabbergasted!" Venti in the bg just cheering over the fact he made you shocked at his impression of your song!

Bro has zero regrets for breaking the Fourth Wall.

Barbara

Girlie is singing her heart out in the Church of Favonius, and everyone's there for it. 100% she has become the true Idol of Mondstadt.

Super excited and nervous at the same time when you put her in your party team (for whatever reason, only you will know), because this is a chance to show off her practice. She wants to impress you with the song she's heard you sing and hum to countless of times!

So the moment she let it slip through her idle animation, imagine her embarrassment as you flip out, questioning your life choices and your sleep deprivation

"S-Surely, I didn't scare Their Almighty Grace all too badly...?" Barbara's twiddling her fingers, contemplating if she should've done that in the first place, only to be reassured when the other nuns of the church mention that you were screaming how good it was (Ex. "HELLO???? BARBARA???? THAT WAS SO GOOD HELLO??? VOICE ACTOR BE POPPING OFF MAYBE??? THIS GLITCH IS AWESOME!")

Yes, she's doing this again. Add her back to her team. Now. :)

Xinyan

Oh, she is going to rock'n'roll hard after this. She is definitely going to make a rock cover of your song and play it all through Liyue!

Gurl's on her merry way, practicing with her guitar and singing loud and proud! Yunjin be cheering her on in the background as she masters that small snippet of your favorite song >:D

And when it's her time to shine? When you finally give her the chance to perform? Sure, she's nervous—she's only got one shot, and who knows when the next one will come—but she's gonna rock this song with everything she's got, heart, soul, and mind!

The moment you see it happening, Xinyan's a little too into it to care of your reaction at first, pretty much having a blast at the lyrics and overall music composition.

But after? "Whoo, I sure hope Their Grace liked it...Maybe I should've taken in how they were reacting instead of going all out, hehe..." Her legs are kind of shaking from her nerves, but she swears she's fine!

Upon seeing how the citizens of Liyue Harbor are acting though, and with the amount of positive comments her friends kept giving her, Xinyan is calling her performance an absolute success!

She is definitely doing this again—10/10!

Ghost Rebel Side Notes: THIS TOOK TOO LONG TO MAKE I AM SO SORRY UGHHHH. I hate it when I say I'd be active and then the next thing I know, I'm being bombarded with irl problems >:(

Anyways! A few updates as I'm writing this: I am no longer taking Sagau Genshin requests for now (even if I might still be writing for a few—there's some waiting in my inbox that I gotta get to), as I need a break to recharge my batteries. However: HSR and Wuthering Waves are free and up for requests, so don't be shy to shoot your shots there!

✦ Check out The Ghost Rebel’s Blog Description & Info Page to See if Their Mailbox is Open! ✦

[thatdisasterauthor]

Let's talk cover art!

Firstly, here is the first official look at the full jacket for my new book!

Camp Daze has had a really wandering path to publication, which I'll talk more about later, but back when I still didn't know what I wanted to do with it exactly, I got this crystal clear image of what I wanted the cover to look like. So I created that cover, just the front cover at the time, as more of a portfolio piece than anything. But even though it was meant to just be a portfolio piece, I loved it so damn much, and it stuck in my head hard. When I did finally decide to self publish the book, I knew I had to use this cover.

Usually, I go through a lot more iterations for my covers when it comes time to finally publish things, but this one has just stuck with me over the years as I tried to bring this novel out into the world. Back in 2023 some of you may remember I tested another cover featuring two of the main characters, and did some tumblr polls to see what people liked most, and the tent cover won by a LANDSLIDE each time. (That other cover, or the art from it anyway, will still be available other ways! Just not as THE cover for the book.)

I think the very stark, simplistic nature of the cover fits the themes of the book really well. It's do or die and all they've got is the resources in their camp--represented by the tent, the resources of the wilderness--represented by the mountains/forest, and the looming/hovering threat of a nuclear war that they don't actually know that much about. When it came time to create the full wraparound version of the cover, I added in a little archery target on the back cover because archery plays a major roll in their survival as well.

Colors wise, everything was built around the green tents. The tents are based off of the ones at my own childhood summer camp, and they play a big roll in how the camp manages to create better shelter for themselves. I think found a purple that worked well with the green because, well, they're in Colorado and "purple mountains majesty" and all that. Then it was just filling in other areas with colors that fit within the scheme. I kept everything a little more muted mostly because I just like more muted color schemes.

For the back cover I picked a few lines from the book that, I think, capture the overall vibe of the book which is "if we try, we MIGHT die, but if we DON'T try then we WILL die, so we may as well try."

And shoutout to @gallusrostromegalus for helping me write a new author bio while I was flailing around in the discord chat having a minor identity crisis, lol. The new bio kicks ass, even in this shortened version.

Something that is very important to me is to make sure cover artists are always credited, so I do have a credit for that under my author bio even though my cover artist is also, ya know, me. Just trying to set precedent so more people will start doing things like that.

So yeah! That's how this cover came together. I think it's one of my favorite covers I've ever done.

You can back the Kickstarter here to get your own special edition copy of this book!

[darling-i-read-it]

Hi how are you? 😃 May I request some headcanons of RE characters (you choose, i can't choose because I like most of them 😅 ) with a reader who worked 13 days straight and has insomnia so they're pretty much in autopilot or zombie mode at the end of that but are more polite then usual? I hope I don't have to work that many days in a row again 😩

HI yes i can relate as someone who doesn't know how to say no to picking up shifts. my record is only ten days thought, rest in peace my love that sounds HORRIFIC. i chose some guys at random (along with chris and leon, my favorites lol) i hope you enjoy!

Chris Redfield

literally him too

this man has never known a good nights sleep since he was like 21 and even then it was kind of rocky

he has less sympathy because of it. to him it's kind of normal

he works like no one else has ever worked because he cares about his cause. it's a bit hard for him to understand that not everyone does in the case of work

he feels bad seeing you this way though and he knows it

he may have done it before but seeing you go through the zombie nature was affecting him now. you were his person, his safe spot, and you weren't safe

once the sympathy comes it doesn't leave

calls your boss!!!!

on your phone!!!

he's so scary. he's a scary big man. tall. big. large. so large.

they gave you three days off in a row actually

they also mentioned to not have your boyfriend call on your phone again because of professional reasons and it wasn't until then that you knew he even called

you were so out of it you hadn't checked your outgoing calls (and why would you?)

anything he can do to help, he will. just ask it of him.

The two of you sat in front of the TV. His arm was over your shoulder as you leaned against him, more comfortable now than you had been in weeks.

"You hungry?" he questioned, glancing down at you.

"I could eat."

"Anything specific?" You glanced up at him, meeting your eyes. He could read your look. You wanted him to go and get food. He narrowed his eyes, playfully. "It's late."

"I know. I'm being silly."

"Well I didn't say no."

Leon Kennedy

Leon is the most likely on this list to also have some sort of insomnia. He can't even talk against you either because he has the same exact issues

working too much, not sleeping enough

he drinks sometimes till he can't feel the effects of either

so who is he to say that you should go to bed or that working so much was destructive?

despite it being hypocritical, he sees the overall exhaustion within you

you're suddenly quietly polite, you have nothing in you to fight against him, even when he makes his normal banter and you don't return it

that's what really affected him. until you got rest, you could never really be back to him. your polite tired nature made him want to protect you. you were his, he couldn't let you go on like this

he showed up at your work

he didn't chew out your boss, no, he just 'brought you lunch' and then politely demanded that you be given two days off

he may have brought a weapon. it wasn't very good of him but then again, neither was having someone work 13 days straight

you promised him that you would do it for him next time

"What about when you go off to Japan for a month and I know you aren't sleeping?" you questioned. You sat in bed together, eyes heavy, no work in the morning.

"If you were in Japan I couldn't know if you were sleeping either," he pointed out.

"I feel like you would find a way." He smiled, that charming gentle smile. Comforting, homey.

"You're right. I would." You rolled your eyes.

Carlos Oliveira

was a fierce advocate for you taking a day off and is mid contact with your boss

he doesn't care if it was your choice. he really doesn't. he loves but you but damn if he won't let you go through that again

you're so quiet that it scares him sometimes. the life in your eyes is just barely there

he is a bit of a workaholic himself sometimes but he knows how to take breaks. he prides himself in being able to separate himself from that when he can

he tries to lull you to sleep (like you don't know what he's trying to do)

you're stubborn and he knows this and you're also far too tired to admit how tired you actually are

the kind of boyfriend to give you tea and hope it does the trick. to give you massages, make you listen to him talk so much that hopefully you'll fall asleep in his lap

he adores you to pieces. he really does. how can he bear to see you like this?

it's like you're a zombie and not the bad kind. he wanted you to spend the whole day in bed and again, he will call your boss on your behalf, he'll pay for the rent if he can, he doesn't care

he'll do whatever he can to save you from the fate of another awful night like that

His hand massaged your shoulders as you sat together on the couch. You had been silent for a while and although it used to worry him, he was just happy to have you beside him.

"No work tomorrow," he mentioned quietly.

"Don't talk about work," you whispered. He nodded, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you closer.

"Sorry." You looked at him at your side. "I think I might lock you in the bedroom so you can get some sleep."

"You know that's not how that works," you whispered, though you smiled at the gesture anyway.

"It's how it should work."

Ethan Winters

Ethan understands better than most how hard it can be to let things slide

he knows that working sometimes helps. it helps the silence in his head when all he can focus on is that he's so tired and the has to work

because he understands, he also has a certain degree of protection he has over you

he knows what it feels like to be unable to feel his eyelids anymore because they're so heavy

the very second you have off he demands that you stay inside

he would rather you be laying down and not moving for a while if he could stand it, allowing you to bask in the quietness

he would make you promise him that you would try your hardest to sleep because he thought that once exhaustion came over you it would be too hard not to

he wanted to tell you about how hard it was for him after the Baker house to sleep because he had so many bad memories that he didn't want to relive

he tries to relate to you about that. he wants you to know that sometimes his bed is a demon in and of itself

insists you take time off afterwards. he doesn't care how it happens but you need a day of rest and that's final

"They'll probably need me in sooner," you admitted, quietly. He shook his head over dinner. He had made it for you that night, happily, some of your favorite foods.

"Two days minimum," he said.

"You're not my boss Ethan," you told him honestly but he shook his head. He was having none of it.

"You should quit."

"I know. But I can't."

"I know," he hummed, shaking his head. "Two days. Two. In a row."

[semisolidmind]

Hi there, how are you?

So I came across your eternal servants au pic, and I was just wondering how would the dynamics change between the twice as bad duo and Peaches if she was their master? And how would they be the same or at least similar?

No pressure to answer obviously, I was just curious because it's such a cool pic.

(eh. i cant think of a good reason for her to be their master in my au, so ill just describe what my reader would be like as the master in @emelinstriker 's universe)

reader is a very benevolent master. she doesn't want to punish her champions. and it's only partially because...she doesn't think she can? they're all incredibly powerful, so...what right does she have as a relatively normal human to enact any sort of repercussions on them?

however, she also doesn't want them to kill if they can help it. i imagine she would attempt to talk any enemies down first (if she's present) before one of her fellas has to step in and take the aggressor out.

i really can't see reader giving orders to the champions unless she has to. it just feels so...wrong to give them commands, like they're nothing more than machines. she feels a sense of remorse for the champions. reader can't help but wonder who they were before.

reader doesn't play favorites. mostly because all of the champions unsettle her to some degree. she just can't get used to the idea that these powerful beings are at her beck and call.

however, wukong, macaque, mk, and azure are the ones she interacts with the most. the others seek her out as well (as is their want), but at least one of these four are never far from her side.

(i know it's just a cute collab w/ @theweepingegg and it's not canon, but bean mk is a cutie, so that's how he'll appear here) lil guy mk follows reader around like a duckling. reader genuinely can't help but baby him, he's just too cute. he'll tug on her skirts for attention and look up at her with those big ol eyes; she has to pick him up, she can't resist. it doesn't matter that he's capable of incredible violence, he's just a lil guy!

idk exactly how the masters are usually "acquired," but i imagine that reader was living a fairly normal life before she was nabbed and brought to the palace. she takes an exhausted pride in the fact that she didn't freak out as bad as she could have. and y'know, in spite of the way she got there, reader really hasn't minded having all this free time.

if the palace has a library, that's where you can usually find reader. she feels safer in there than anywhere else.

the only champion who gives reader a hard time is mink (of course). however, it's less in a "genuinely doesn't like her" kinda way and more in a "teasing her because he thinks it's funny and otherwise doesn't mind her" kinda way. he thinks it's funny to rile her up, knowing she won't actually punish him. the others don't really voice their opinions on the masters, so i think mink's attitude is a good indicator for whether a master is a good one.

overall, reader tries her best to be a good master. she knows her champions are doing their best.

[maxwell-grant]

do you have any favorite batman henchmen?

I put a lot of stock into how a Batman work tackles the resident henchmen and assistants and organization surrounding any specific Batrogue and how those intersect with each other so yes, absolutely I have Bat-henchman opinions, and favorites per villain. I'm gonna about pick about one or two among my favorites and name a few honorable mentions, with one exception and that's Rhino, Scarface's muscle. I know he's sort of a package deal with Mugsy, and Mugsy's pretty good too, but Rhino's the one I love.

I have a huge amount of fondness for Rhino and Rhino specifically because of his showing in "Read my Lips", as one of my favorite musical pieces for the series is the leitmotif that plays specifically for Rhino's moments in the opening heist and his brawl with Batman in the climax, and frankly he earns a top spot for me solely on the basis that he has his own theme and it's a banger on top of that. Scarface is exactly the kind of Bat-villain you want funny stereotypical cartoon gangsters attached to, and the big dumb grunt archetype is always more fun when paired with a proportionally much smaller partner or boss. And in Rhino's case, not only is he a titanically strong wall of muscle taking orders from a hand-held puppet dressed like a gangster, but cowering in fear when said puppet gets angry at him and relieved when reminded that he's too stupid to betray da boss. They made a lot with very little out of a bit character and it makes me love the episode so much more, and again, he has his own theme song and it opens the episode even, pretty hard to top that.

Penguin: My favorite overall has usually been Lark, specifically the version of her that was introduced in Tony Daniel's run. Like with Rhino and Scarface, the tiny funny-looking Oswald Cobblepot having a tall, intimidating lady chaffeur following him around makes for good contrast, and although I didn't like "Bullies" much at all, I really liked that scene of them being on friendly terms with each other, how much Penguin trusts her with his life and what he does. I like she is not abiding by any kind of formal dress code, like everyone else who tends to work at the Lounge, she's got almost like a punk thing that really contrasts with Oswald's own outfits and I always liked that, her individuality.

A more recent favorite would be Lili Kwan from Penguin: One Bad Day, someone who is far more marginalized than Oswald, and someone who was marginalized and pushed aside BY Oswald, but who joins up with him because he is the best lesser evil she is going to get and because they have enough in common that he can relate to her and respect her and ensure she is respected, but she pointedly does not mince words around him and does not entertain Oswald's delusions and self-loathing. She kinda demands Oswald to be the better class of criminal he paints himself as, to learn from his mistakes and earn having her by his side because "a king can't have illusions", and that's an incredibly interesting dynamic to me, this person with a vision of what Penguin and his empire should be like and in a position to have Penguin listen to her about it, not just muscle by his side but a voice in his ear pushing him to get his head in the game, be someone who deserves the loyalty he has from the underprivileged and the outcasts he claims to be a part of.

Honorable mentions would be the Red Triangle Gang from Batman Returns. I don't think they would really belong in any other version of the Penguin, and I have some very mixed feelings on Returns still, but I like the history they have with this Oswald and I like them in the movie proper, my favorite is the Poodle Lady for no real reason. I would also name the Kabuki Twins from The Batman cartoon, and Mr Decondor from The Batman Audio Adventures.

Joker: I gotta go with Bob the Goon, the Number One Guy. He is not even called Bob the Goon in the movie, he's just become so emblematic a figure for goons everywhere that he earns that name, Bob the Goon. See, I actually don't think the Joker should employ clowns in his gang, I think if you have more than one clown going around doing crimes, then they're not that special individually, I don't see the Joker surrounding himself with people who look or act even half as outlandish as himself, and that’s part of why Bob works for me, this comically ordinary schlub grunt who nevertheless endears himself to our sympathies for putting up with the Joker, being endlessly loyal to Napier before and after his accident. We like him in no small part because the Joker clearly likes this guy as much as he's capable of liking anyone on the planet, which is why it actually lands when the Joker guns him down just to vent. Rest in peace Bob, an example to low-lives everywhere.

If I had to name another favorite, and one I think works better on a reocurring basis, it would be Charlie Charleyhorse, from The Batman Audio Adventures. Charleyhorse has the mannerisms of a smooth-talking wise guy and is the guy who handles the day-to-day businesses of the Joker, sweet-talking recruits and negotiating deals and convincing rookies to eat poison and even hosting his broadcasts, and in contrast to the other villain sidekicks in the show who provide comedic contrast he is this very efficient, very charming and dangerous man, fully cognizant of the cruelty he's assisting and the man he works for. To me he feels like a very organic way of establishing how much more dangerous the Joker is compared to the other villains, that he runs his disorganized crime with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine, that behind all the chaos and mayhem there is an unfathomably brilliant mind at work and a smart, affable businessman to act as a conduit between that mind and the city, as if the Joker plucked the ghost of Jack Napier from his soul and found a sweet deal that lets them both happily exist.

Honorable mentions would be Prank, from The Batman cartoon. I think Joker gunning for his own Robin is an idea with legs (Harley never really counted in that regard), I really liked his design, a perfect combination of Robin aesthetics with a clown/jester motif, and I thought he had one of the more interesting set-ups for a "Joker corrupts people into extensions of him" story, definitely one of the better Joker episodes in that show. Other honorable mentions would be Jackanapes and Captain Clown from TAS, because the Joker getting unreasonably attached to a horrible giant clown android is a pretty funny concept to me.

Riddler: God, what a perfect character Miss Tuesday is. Pairing up the self-obsessed artist of crime with the harshest critic of all, the disinterested judgemental teenager, is such a perfect combo and it does so much to breathe new life into a very classic take on Riddler. The fact that she regularly stays in touch and coordinates stuff with other villain interns is amazing and part of the incredible worldbuilding The Batman Audio Adventures has in general. Miss Tuesday is this physical embodiment of ennui to deflate his cartwheeling histerics, manifesting every bit of self-awareness that the Riddler completely ignores, annoying him just as much as he annoys everyone else (her included).

It's punctuated by her being casually murderous to an extent that even surprises him, and the fact that she is just as smart as he is, so by the standards he lives his life by, he can't brush her off as another small-minded knuckle-dragging ignoramus like he does with everyone else, no, he can't tell himself that she simply doesn't understand what he is doing. She does understand him, she is just not that impressed by him, and Eddie will simply have to roll with the barbs and work harder if he is to prove himself. She is the closest The Riddler has to a conscience and thus her job is not to push him towards any kind of moral self-improvement or an approach to his work that doesn't involve murder and terrorism, but to dunk cold water on his head and call him cringe when he gets in too deep or for doing this instead of, like, making money off this crap or something.

The other candidate would be the Riddler's Followers from The Batman. They're not a concept I think would work for a more traditional version of The Riddler, but God they work SO well for that movie and that version of him, marking Eddie Nigma's transition from malajusted murderer into not just a supervillain with a city-destroying plot, not just the rise of supervillains as a thing Gotham is gonna have to deal with forever, but as a sickness aimed at the heart of the city, and a sickness that Batman is indirectly responsible for and that he must owe up to. I really like how The Riddler: Year One elaborates on them with "He doesn't trust people. But numbers never lie." His "henchmen" are numbers, numbers on a screen he never has to actually interact with, but can still send on to be proxies of him, embodiments of how much bigger this is than anything Batman could have imagined it being.

Honorable mentions would be the classic duo of Query and Echo, and much like Bob, we gotta bring up his henchgirl Molly from the Batman 66 pilot two-parter, who tragically died by falling into the Batcave's nuclear reactor. "What a way to go-go".

Two-Face: It's common for Two-Face to have twin sets of named thugs but I can't say any of them have ever been particularly memorable to me, but one that does stick out to me is Benny from Long Shadows. I'm of the opinion that if any Batman villain should be establishing a working relationship with a henchman/assistant, if any Batman villain really needs to be depicted putting in the work as far as convincing people to work for him, it should be Two-Face, the former widely-beloved District Attorney/politician turned crimelord who somehow stays a dominant player in the Gotham underworld despite everything stacked against him (his face, his reputation, his past being public record, the coin-based decisions, etc). I think Two-Face needs to be some degree of charismatic and conversational and convincing, he's someone with more tangential history in this world than the other villains and should be willing and able to engage with people at any level, even if, and especially if, he's going to betray or save them at the flip of a coin, and the closest anyone's ever come to capturing that for me has been Benny, this guy who's willing to question Two-Face's decisions and is smart and sensible and generally pleasant enough that Two-Face lets him do it (with some limits, of course) and lets him in on what he's planning. Being drawn by Mark Bagley, who can convey a lot of expression and personality on any character, is definitely a bonus.

Scarecrow: Not so much of a henchmen since this was technically a villain team-up, but Scream Queen as she was featured in that Brave and the Bold segment has literally nothing in common with comics Scream Queen as debuted in Scare Tactics to the point she is a new character in every way. I like comics Scream Queen quite a lot, and I wouldn't want her to be any kind of underling to Scarecrow, but BATB Scream Queen is a very cool design and concept and in general I think Scarecrow could stand to have some cool and inventive henchmen, I wouldn't be opposed to seeing BATB Scream Queen turn up again so long as she had a different name. I'm also extremely partial to the Strawmen and the idea of him employing former students and offering them teaching exercises mid-crime.

Bane: There's really only one form of Bane henchmen that matter and it's Bird, Zombie and Trogg, the Fabulous Five to his Doc Savage (I always felt like there could be two more members to actually make them five, I know it doesn't have to be an exact reference but). I like them as they are in regular canon but my favorite depiction of them so far has been in the Batman 66 comic by Jeff Parker, which retrofits Bane to fit the 66 aesthetic and tone by further emphasizing his lucha motif, and having his Fabulous Three all dress up in distinct masks of their own referencing existing iconic luchadore characters.

Black Mask: I think the False Face Society is one of the more interesting parts of Black Mask's concept and it really doesn't come up enough, and when it does it gets folded into just being a name for his gangster lackeys instead of the weird cult aspect it acquired when it was folded into his character, I'd like to see that stuff get folded back in.

Hugo Strange: Honestly I love all of Hugo's varied forms of henchmen over the years, all of them have their place in the grand tapestry of his designs (I'm not too big on Sanjay from Batman and the Monster Men, there is stuff to like about their dynamic but I don't think the pulp racial manservant is a thing deserving of the charming throwback treatment). The gangsters from his debut, the androids/mannequins, Night Scourge, the TYGER guards/troopers from Arkham City, the mind-controlled villains and inmates from his Deathstroke arc, and of course the Monster Men. I do prefer the horrific body horror kaijus from Night of the Monster Men, but I also like the mutated giants, especially when they dress up in oversized trenchcoats and slouch hats.

There are a few others but I'm lastly gonna say Mr.Freeze and his polar bears Notchka and Shaka, from Batman and Mr.Freeze: Subzero. I'm not opposed to Mr.Freeze having regular henchmen, or even ice-themed henchmen like in Batman and Robin, there are ways to have it make sense, but the polar bears I think have this sort of almost innocent fairytale logic to them that just fits Mr.Freeze and his imagery a lot better, abstract guardians of the concept of the arctic that Mr.Freeze claims dominion over. Even at their most benign, you can't extricate human henchmen from the inherent brutality of their profession, but when it's trained animals defending a master, it's easier to find innocence and sympathy, traits that fit well with Mr.Freeze. If there's anything in that movie I remember, it's the bittersweet ending where they walk off into a blizzard together, his sole two companions into this new life he's cursed with.

Does it really make any sense for Mr.Freeze's established skillset and character for him to have a duo of trained polar bears on call to do crimes with, the way Penguin and Catwoman have their own trained animals? No. Is it corny? Arguably yes. Do I think it's cool? Is it a cool image? Very much so, and when it comes to Batman, that tends to be the final word in things.

[vampkittyxoxo]

Hi!!! Could you do romantic X headcanons for Lawrie and 8-BIT? If you don't accept two characters at time for headcanons you can pick which one you want! Also could the reader be a robot? For the pronouns everything is fine even if I would prefer gender neutral or fem pronouns!

So sorry if this is bad worded it's my first time requesting something and English is not my first language 😭🙏

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Hello!! Thank you for your request! I can do two characters don’t worry!

╔═*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═╗

8-Bit with a robot partner —

~ For starters, it took a LONG time to get 8-Bit to want anything to do with you. Much less than if you were a human, but still, you really had to bide your time with him.

~ He was very reluctant to talk past any simple small talk, and his usual speaking patterns kept his replies vague and sort of mysterious, in a way.

~ If you ever get him to open up, you’re probably the first person (robot?) to ever do so. And that’s exactly why he catches feelings for you.

~ He definitely doesn’t understand his feelings at first— he thinks that since he’s an arcade cabinet, he shouldn’t feel anything romantic. But after some soul searching and self help (google) he comes to the conclusion that he does, in fact, have a crush on you.

~ Would he ever confess to you? No. Not in a million years would he ever take the risk of losing the one person that he could talk to and rely on. Thankfully, you’re willing to take that risk!

~ When you confess to him, he is bewildered. He cannot fathom that someone would like him back. It’s a miracle he didn’t blow a fuse when you told him, whether it be in person or through any other means.

~ 8-Bit is very nervous at the start of the relationship, but he tries his best. Chances are good you would be his first for everything. But with nurturing and reassurance, he quickly gets over his anxiety after the first initial month or so.

~ He tries his hardest to keep his temper cool around you, and tells you time and time again that if he gets mad, it isn’t your fault. If he ever yelled at you, he would delete all his code immediately.

~ Despite all his rage, he loves playing co-op games with you, or just watching you play a game. As small tokens of love, he’ll buy you games you like/want, dlc, even merchandise of your favorite franchises. I wouldn’t say gift giving is his love language, he just likes spoiling you from time to time.

~ Regarding physical touch, it takes him quite a while to get used to it. You would have to start small, with just hand holding, then slowly ease your way into cuddling or anything of the sort.

~ He appreciates that your also a robot, meaning you can relate more to… whatever issues robots have. This also means 8-Bit is a lot more knowledgeable on robot first aid, and should something go wrong, he can easily patch you up.

~ Overall, it’s a lengthy process, but in the end 8-Bit does love you and cares for you a lot. It might be hard for him to properly express it, but he isn’t opposed to leaving you love notes around the place for you to find.

Lawrie with a robot partner —

~ Another stubborn, angry robot.

~ It’s real hard to talk to him. Harder than it is for 8-Bit, because Lawrie already has a best friend— Larry. He doesn’t see a need to be buddy buddy with anyone else.

~ You still try, and try… and try. Making any excuse to see him, to bring him anything he likes, help him with small errands… Yet he just sees you as an acquaintance.

~ That’s not to say he doesn’t find you attractive, or a potential partner. Oh no, he’s crushing *hard*, but he is just amazing at covering it up.

~ He gets all his gushing out to Larry, who has to bear to hear it all (he loves seeing his brother so happy).

“God, and you know what they did today?!”

“Ooo what! What!!”

“They handed me a pen when I needed it!!”

“OH MY GOD LAWRIE marry them already please”

~ The longer you stick around, the more open Lawrie gets. Slowly, over the course of a month, his little crush turns into a like. A *like like*.

~ Unlike 8-Bit, Lawrie actually *will* ask you out. But very discreetly. He asks if you would stay with him for longer, just to keep him company while sorting through files and other mundane tasks. After a week of this, he’ll finally ask you out on a date, but “just as friends”…

~ Dinner dates aren’t really… applicable to robots such as yourselves. So, you opt to roam Starr Park past his shift. He offers to pay for just about everything, since he was the one to ask you out anyway (and definitely not because he likes you haha…)

~ If you touch him at all, he’ll react with annoyance, but that is most definitely not how he feels… at all.

~ After the first date, he tells Larry all about it, who then encourages Lawrie to ask you to be his partner. Lawrie is very skeptical at first, and really doubts Larry’s advice, but goes for it anyway.

~ He asks you casually whenever your around his work, hardly batting an eye on the outside. But trust me, he’s freaking out internally. When you say yes, he genuinely gets flustered and turns red (can robots blush…?). He accidentally says “thank you”.

~ In a relationship, Lawrie isn’t all that bad. He sets in place some basic boundaries for the both of you, in an almost formal meeting delivery. This is mostly just to avoid future issues.

~ Unlike his brother, Lawrie is not very touchy, especially at first. It takes him almost two weeks to ask to hold your hand, and another week to… sort of kiss you? Whatever the robot equivalent is.

~ He isn’t one to spontaneously purchase gifts for you— he keeps that for when you two go out together. Instead, he prefers doing small acts of service for you, like taking on chores (even if you don’t live together) and bringing you drinks or food while watching movies together. He gives you prince(ss) treatment.

~ The only problems I can foresee is him being too harsh or rough at times. If you two are play fighting, he might accidentally shoot a rubber band at you too hard or hurt you in some way. He honestly doesn’t mean to, and always makes sure your okay and holds you after.

~ In all, he’s a good man. Larry is so happy his brother finally found someone, because honestly… he never thought Lawrie would.

╚═*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═╝

I hope this was good! Im not too familiar with 8-Bit but thankfully someone on reddit analyzed his personality.

Requests are open <3

[tex-now]

Best Commissioned song from each character except I don't know anything about instruments and am bad at describing things.

Ichika (Hoshi wo Tsunagu): eh it's good. I don't really like any of her songs and this one is the best out of all of them. (I'm sorry bbg). Runner up is Made To Order

Saki (Tera Tera): What do you want me to say. Tera Tera is Tera Tera bro. Okay no lol it's a really good song and extremely catchy, the guitar is very fun and ichika saki and miku and a wonderful trio. Aioi is the runner up

Shiho (Peaky Peaky): I want 🎸🎸 to be 🎸🎸 legit-

What do you expect. The guitars. The basically trio of KAITO shiho and ichika. SHIHO. it's so catchy and funky and fun, which isn't normally something Leo/Need gets to be in their songs (which is fine I just wish they got more spunky stuff). Kaito is really well tuned and the guitar goes so fucking hard along with shiho and ichikas vocals. runner up is purpose

Honami (Flyway): literally gorgeous. Like. What else do I say. It's so different from Leoni's usual songs and it's better for it? Like the violins and whatever string instrument they're using is beautiful while still having some guitar or bass in there (I think) is just a wonderful mix of instruments and I wish they got to branch out more like that. Don't even get me started on the vocals HONAMI IS KILLING IT HERE. ichika's voice when the key changes is fucking amazing and everything about this song makes me want to scream. Ily honami. Runner up is Regulus

Airi (Momoiro no kagi): Holy fuck the everything about this song is just. Phenomenal. Everyone's vocals are on point, the instruments used are soft while still carrying, just like Airi's voice, like it was made for her (because. Well. It was.) This song is a lot different from her other songs and while I love (most of) them, this one is special to me because it's just so unlike her other ones and allows us to see a different side of her voice, one that's more melancholy. I'm going to stop here omg airi I love you sm. Runner up is Parasol Cider

Shizuku (Metamo RE:BORN): this song is so fucking stimmy and bouncy I ADORE it. The little click clacks in the background, the percussion doing absolute wonders, the vocals being so bouncy and matching the instrumentals perfectly, the buildup in the bridge (?) Is fucking amazing omg. Bopping so hard to this song it's so fun. Runner up is Hug

Haruka (Ai No Material): THE BEGINNING. THE SPARKLY SOUNDS. THE FUCKING VOCALS. everything about this song is so beautiful. I love everything about this song (except MEIKO'S tuning but. That's a whole other issue.) The chorus is so happy but in that calm, almost reserved way that reminds me of Haruka. It feels like floating on a teardrop. The guitar solo is good and so are all the parts after it omg. The soft quiet moment before the song picks up again for the end makes me want to bop my head i cant this song makes me so happy. THE ENDING ALSO. OH MY GOD. I CAN'T. I LOVE THIS SONG SM. runner up is float planner

Minori (World Wide Wander): this song is so fucking good. Why did y'all never tell me. This used to be in the bottom now it's one of my favorites. This song is so non-minori but it's literally perfect for her at the same time? The guitars, the overall... Vibe it gives off, you wouldn't expect a song like this from MMJ but they pull it off flawlessly. The guitars were an unorthodox choice but once again are actually really good. Also airi in this song omfg she sounds so good I can't- just. It's so catchy and fun I love it. Runner up is Teamate

An (Overthrow): I am so sorry An. This song is good. Rin's tuning is good and the chorus is great. The part where akito and an go off is good. I think this song does a good job of displaying everyone's unrest and upset after learning about such earth-shattering news. But it's nothing amazing to me. Runner up is Awake Now

Toya (Utsuro wo Aogu): everything about this song is so great. GOD. like. Holy shit Toya. The instrumentals are super good and do a fuck ton for the song, but the vocals are definitely a highlight in particular. Everyone sounds amazing and the girls acting as almost backup singers while still having their time to shine in the song is really charming to me. Of course the part where everyone says a part of their partner's name makes me want to rip at the walls/pos. But the part right after that makes me want to get up and scream omg. Everyone is on their A-game in this song and that makes this songs so fucking amazing omg. "Runner up" is blender

Okay so this was written pre-blender and now my opinions have changed blender is the best Toya comm but I don't feel like writing another analysis so it's the runner up

Kohane (Hitsuji ga ippiki): EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SONG IS PERFECT. the vocals the tuning the instrumentals the everything. Everyone is pulling their weight and akina and jiena went OFF in the recording studio. The buildup is so fucking good you don't understand. And Akina's like. Rolling of her Rs at the end killed me dead/pos. Kohane got to shine in a way she NEVER does in other songs and really got an opportunity to show how she can fit so so well into grungier songs and also MEIKO'S tuning is good for once so we all knew this song was gonna be a banger. Runner up is Beat Eater

Akito (Cinema): This song singlehandedly made me love Akito. And it's the first song to make me cry. I LOVE Cinema. The song to me isn't catchy or anything that scratches my brain but it's so fucking good that I love it a lot anyway. The lyrics speak to me a lot because of my experiences with not feeling like enough, wanting to give up but pushing through anyway because maybe, maybe one day I'll be able to be someone with something. But the lyrics progressively get more hopeful throughout the song, and I get more hopeful along with them. I don't have to wait around for the day to come when I can make that day today or smth. Idk man that song fucks me up. Like. A lot. Runner ups are Moonlight AND CRaZY

Kanade (Tricologe): I don't have much to say about this song. It's funky and fun and literally Kanade's only good comm (I'm sorry samsa). The vocals are good and I like Miku's tuning in this song. Um. Kanade's vocals are really good. NILFRUITS being commissioned for Kanade of all people is really surprising but done really well. Idk man this song really is good I just don't have anything much to say about it. Runner up is Kanadetomosusora

Ena (Nomad): all of ena's songs are around the same level of good but nomad beats out the others because of just how much of an improvement the full version is. I Nandesu is good either way and so is Infinitely Gray, but Nomad's full version is so much of a glow up in comparison to the game version that I can't help but appreciate it more. That and mizuki and Ena murder this song with their phenomenal vocals so this one takes the cake. The instrumentals are as per usual good and the like. Idk what it is but the little high pitched noise that plays is so so good. I love it. Runner up is I Nandesu

Mizuki (Kitty): you know what this song shouldn't be my favorite. It's just. So. Fucking. Catchy. It was the song I listened to the most over the summer. I was playing it non-stop and it somehow became my favorite that way. The guitars in particular goes so fucking hard in this song for no gaddamn reason and Ena's "1, 2, 3, 4" followed by the mizumafu part was a fatal combination. This song was nothing to me at the beginning because I was low-key tired of electric guitar but this song is so absurdly good it kinda trumps that. How did this happen. Runner up is IDSMILE

Mafuyu (Bug): Everything in this song is perfect and it was my favorite song in the entire game for so long. You don't understand. The instrumentals the hard intense beats and the fast pace. It's addicting. The small little noises and vocals that they added are so so good. But what really majes this song is mafuyu. This song has the best vocals in the entire game and Mafuyu is the reason why. The buildup then the sudden key change with Mafuyu fucking belting like she never has before. I stim so fucking hard to this song. Niigo has literally never sounded better than in this song and no other Nightcord song has been able to top this one since. Runner up is Jackpot Sad Girl

Rui (Showtime Ruler): this song is really good I like it. The lyrics are super sweet the instrumentals are so fun and spunky and so very Rui. Everything about this song is Rui. The instrumental the lyrics the fucking 3DMV. The little robot sounds in the bg (listen with headphones to hear it better.) Tsukasa and Rui's solos nearing the end of the song are so fucking good. This song is the embodiment of fun and quirkyness and Rui in general it makes me sick I love this song. The guitars are also really fun. Runner up is Donketsu

Nene (Glory Steady Go!): NENE!!!! THE GIRL!!!! Now THIS is how you make a song featuring mainly a duet between the VS and the Character of the song (im sorry leoni ilysm just not your songs). Nene is so perfect in this song, she sounds so free and happy in a way she doesn't normally mainly because she gets so many solo lines WHICH IS A GOOD THING!! ITS HER SONG IT'S ABOUT HER!!! The others do a perfect job of enhancing nene's vocals while still having a spot to shine without taking the focus away from Nene. The line distribution in this song is masterful and that's one of the main reasons why I love it so damn much. The instrumentals are fun as fuck and encapsulate Nene really well for me, still being chaotic and fun (because it's wondersho) but still keeping that slight subdued-ness that Nene has. It feels like Nene letting loose and just. Letting herself be a bit less... Reserved? She sounds like she's having a good time I mean. Luka is tuned really well here and adds a lot to the song, which is a trend in Luka comms. The small chants and tiny little noises of laughter and screams and talking is just so great man. The moment before the final chorus where Nene is like "you guys are a headache but doing shows with everyone is super fun!" While slightly crying I fucking hate wandasho I need to run them over oh my fucking god they love each other so much. That's it. That's what this song makes me feel. The song doesn't just feel like Nene cutting herself loose it feels like her letting herself get caught up in the rest of wandasho's antics. She's letting herself be influenced by the rest of wandasho and by a result the song is more chaotic than what you'd expect from Nene. Because Nene would have never gotten to this point without her friends. Without wandasho. I'm gonna fucking cry omg Nene is literally the best character in this game omg. Runner up is Hoshizora no Melody

Emu (Kira pipi Kira pika): this song is perfect. It's perfection. It's literally one of the best songs in the entire game. Words cannot describe how much I love this song. The instrumentals are amazing, but they also don't go as hard in favor of letting the voices shine instead. And the fucking voices. Emu sounds really cute here, matching the songs tempo to near perfection, but honestly I have to give this song to the entire group as a whole (which makes a lot of thematic sense considering how integral her friends are to her as a person and by extent her story). The small little exchanges and rapid-switching from one singer to another does a perfect job of keeping the energy high and fanciful, and when the song does slow down, it feels just the right amount of somber (especially since this song is so happy otherwise) while picking back up in a natural and very impactful way. It mirrors the relationship in wondersho; whenever Emu is feeling down and needs some reassurance, the others are always there to pick her back up and help her get going again. this song feels like it's telling you a story; the story of Wonderlands x Showtime, the story of Emu learning to move on and go to her next adventure with her friends omfg I love Emu so fucking much I would kill for her. Runner up is Niccori ^^ Survey Theme

And last, but definitely not least...

Tsukasa (Mr. Showtime): Okay. Okay okay okay. This. Fucking. Song. I literally cannot type because I keep getting swept up in the fucking PERFECTION that is Mr. Showtime. This song is the best song in the entire game. And I do NOT say this lightly. The instrumentals. The vocals. Luka. FUCKING TSUKASA TENMA. Oh my fuckinf god. Everyone and everything in this damn song is fucking PERFECT, this is Wonderlands x Showtime pushed to their fucking limits with how fucking hard they can go with a song. This feels like something straight out of a fucking musical and I mean that in the highest of praises. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, is on their fucking A-game here. Tsukasa of course steals the show with his PHENOMENAL vocals, but Rui Nene and Emu are not taking a backseat in this song. Holy shit it is the opposite. They carry this song on their fucking backs (along with tsukasa) because if they weren't there the song would be SO much worse. Like so much. God this song is so smooth and seamless and mesmerizing, it's too easy to get swept up in the song and dance along with it. It makes you want to get up and dance. Actually no I'm nowhere near done this song makes me want to CRY OMFG. I'm abt to go into specifics about EVERYTHING be Warned.

Okay so the instrumentals are perfect. Literally perfect. The saxophone (I think) is THE MAIN REASON WHY THIS SONG IS PERFECT. i have no idea what kinda percussion that is in the background but it does a perfect job of keeping you following along with the beat so I never go off track. The piano is SO GOOD. I know it's most major appearance is in the beginning but you can hear it if you listen closely, right before the chorus, kinda like a lead-in to it? It makes me sick. Hitoshizuku x yamaP put crack cocaine into these instrumentals. And no I'm not done btw. I have no fucking idea what it is but the like. Percussion. In the part where tsukasa is holding the balloons (In the 2dmv) is great. And I love that part. The instrumentals atp have only stopped like once so the sudden lack of saxophone and other stuff makes this moment more impactful and makes it HURT I LOVE THIS SONG. Another thing I'd like to mention is that they have never gone so fucking hard on the instrumentals before. There are a BUNCH of subtle changes, such as putting more or less emphasis on an instrument and stuff like that. How do I say this the song feels like it follows along with the vocalists and adjusts things depending on the current mood of the characters. Dare I say. Like a musical

Idek what to call it but the SFX are also amazing. The tape reel in the part after the first chorus and the clapping before the Intermission part always gets me really excited. I'm also including the little small noises that the others make and classifying them as sound effects. Emu and Tsukasa's little cheer in the part right before the second chorus is so good I rewind it over and over again I hate them they make me sick.

And now the vocals. I am going to be going on an incoherent rant now. Tsukasa is obviously the lead but he's also the leader of this song, so yes he gets the most impactful parts but it also feels like he directs when the rest of the cast respond (0:19-0:23 is a good example of what I mean), like he calls and they call back to him i guess? words are hard. Anyway the vocals are so well coordinated and perfect. Every character gets to have their own moment and the way the song switches from vocalist to vocalist (a perfect example is 2:37-2:44 if you're confused) keeps the song from ever feeling stagnant which then means I always get distracted by it cause it keeps you engaged the entire time.

I'm not good at interpreting lyrics but the lyrics hurt me/ pos. Read them and you'll understand. The double meanings hurt meeee- tsukasa loves his friends so much he loves being an actor so much he wants to keep going he wants to hold on he wants to remember he is so full of determination and love and that is a potent combination. I love you tsukasa tenma. Can you tell I like tsukasa tenma. Fuckkkkkkkk. Runner up is 88* and Filament Fever

Okay that's it! You can definitely tell where my biases kicked in and it's very obvious I know nothing about instruments but otherwise I think this is okay. Thank you for reading and if you have any input to add please do I would love to hear it

[adobe-outdesign]

if you’re reviewing neopets could you review vandagyre ? i’m not sure if this is unpopular or not, but their design just seems so…. soulless. it looks like a littlest pet shop, or any toy you could find at a claire’s. it looks like it was designed to be sold as a toy. plus some of their colors (mutant 😑) are not so good. anyway apparently i have a lot of opinions on them and i’m wondering if you do too

Being the latest species of Neopet introduced to the site, Vandagyre have always been somewhat contentious. I will say that I really like how TNT picked a panda bear as the basis for these guys instead of giving us cat or dragon or whatever. I also like that they have owl features mixed in, making them a neat hybrid animal that's not too close to anything that exists IRL. Visually, I also like how the cream areas break up the main color, and the little details of the stripes on the tail and wings. For the most part, they're a pretty welcome addition.

However, that said, there's just something slightly off about these guys that's hard to articulate. They just look very... stiff? And like, obviously they're going to look stiff, because a lot of pets post customization do, and the fact that we don't have a pre-customization version to compare probably only makes them look even more rigid.

But I think the issue goes beyond just the pose. Look at how the legs are just basically rectangles with no knees (see: how Blumaroos have a curved leg), or the complete lack of neck/sloped shoulders, or just the shape of the eyes in general and how they're not really centered within the eye rings. It's just very off.

Here's some excellent art by user synthaphone that, while intending to be a UC version, really shows off some of those underlying anatomy problems. See here how the legs have a knee and distinct foot, how the eye shape is different, etc. It's a world of difference—and there's no reason the "converted" version couldn't look as good as this.

Favorite Colours:

I think that Vandagyres also have a problem where a lot of classic colors just don't look that good on them. These reviews are focused on the positives, so we won't get into that here (unless you guys want me to). There are at least a few really good ones though:

Christmas: One of the best Vandagyre colors by a long shot, Christmas Vandagyres get a lovely winter cloak with multiple layers and a staff that makes its fist look less weird. It's Christmas-y without feeling too cheesy or overdone, with a balanced color palette and lots of good details.

What's particularly nice about this color is that the base (right) is based off a snowy owl and is quite nice in its own right, making it great for customization or just as a complete color.

Spotted: Spotted pets usually aren't anything interesting in the slightest, but this one's actually quite pretty. It's based off a barn owl, but not to the point of feeling overly realistic or out-of-place compared to Neopets' usual style. The subtle brown palette is also very nice.

Plushie: Admittedly I do think this one gets over-detailed in areas like the ears, tail/wings,that plant stitching on the arm, and the chest, but the overall look is still nice. I like how it manages to have a very colorful but coherent palette, and the amount of different colors and pattern fabrics make it a treat to look at.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Hi

I need some book recommendations

I want to get back into reading but I’m finding it hard since my dyspraxia and ADD diagnoses

I want to read more fiction as I usually read non fiction

So first, I read a lot of thriller books. Adventure thriller, murder thriller, legal thriller. I'm not really into women's fiction as much as I used to be, but I do read them from time to time. (I hope some people will jump in the comments with recommendations for that genre since I'm not very current.) I do like a good historical fiction or a dystopian/alternative reality book.

I'll do series first, in case that's your speed, and then individual recommendations.

Series/Authors

Dan Brown, Lee Child, James Patterson - I'm specifically suggesting these because they have short chapters. A friend of mine with ADHD (which I know is different from ADD) swears by authors with short chapters or short stories because it's easier to find a natural stopping point when her ADHD acts up and she can't stay focused. (I also like them too; Dan Brown more than the others. Digital Fortress and Deception Point are my favorites; the Robert Langston series is ok but I've never picked up those books again. I reread Digital Fortress and Deception Point almost every year.)

Marcia Clark has two series, one about a prosecutor and one about a defense attorney. Both are enjoyable, and one of them (I can't remember the title but it's part of the prosecutor series) is essentially a retelling of the OJ case. (Marcia is one of the prosecutors from the OJ trial.)

Stacey Abrams is a compelling legal fiction writer (she doesn't get into politics in her fiction books) and I like her Avery Keene series (I can't vouch for the books she wrote under her pen name).

Meg Cabot for more lighthearted reads. She has two series that are my go-tos whenever I need something light and quick.

Heather Wells. Heather is a former pop star (think Britney) who is a dorm advisor in NYC and her landlord is a private investigator that she has the hots for...who also happens to be the older brother of her ex-boyfriend, who is also a pop star. It's rom com + mystery.

The Boy series - these are epistolary novels, where everything is happening in emails, text messages, voicemails, newspaper articles.

Recently I've been reading Alex Michaelides and Eric La Salle. Both are thrillers/adventure-type books. I will warn you now; Eric's series deals with the Catholic Church abuse scandal, which I know is touchy for a lot of people for many different reasons. (Though that said, there is a twist in Eric's Laws of Depravity that I did not see coming at all, and usually I can suss these out.)

Always a good read is the Maggie Hope series, by Susan Elia MacNeal. She's a WW2 spy and gets into shenanigans. There are some dark parts of the series but overall, it's fun.

Individual Books

Thirteen by Steve Cavanaugh blew my mind. A serial killer sits on a jury, and that's all I'm going to tell you.

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead. I've recommended it a few times here on tumblr. It's about a utopian society that regulates religion. It's part of an incomplete trilogy (the publisher cancelled the series for poor sales). The first book (this one) is better than the second.

Murdle. It's like Wordle or Quordle but with mysteries. It's a puzzle book but each puzzle is like a short story.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. WW2 spy novel that takes place at Bletchley Park. Kate's grandmother makes an appearance. :)

Several People are Typing by Calvin Kasulke. An epistolary novel that takes place over IM/DM. It's a little weird but a bit silly. A very light and easy read.

The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart. Part sci-fi, part crime thriller. The Paradox Hotel sits at the "end of earth" next to a port for time travel. January is an employee at the hotel who must make sure that the time travellers don't bring anything back they're not supposed to. It's like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel + the Loki series + Doctor Who.

The Company of the Dead by David Kowalsky. Time travelers save the Titanic and the ripple effect through history. It's some heady shit, but it's a really interesting theory about what today would be like if the Titanic (and its shipload of rich people - that's important to remember) never sank.

If anyone else wants to add to these book recommendations, please do! Submit in the comments or asks. I'll use the tag #reading list for all of these.

[lolotr]

fanfic author 20 questions!

I am late to the party, but i was tagged by @shadowquill17, thanks my love <3 <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

51

2. What’s your total AO3 wordcount?

162,166 total words! Not too shabby

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I've written for a bunch of fandoms, but these days it's mostly Dead Boy Detectives. in theory i have other fandoms, but none that i'm so feral for at the moment

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

all of them are DBD which is kind of astonishing to me, this fandom never ceases to amaze 1. after the insects have laid their claim 2. like breathing 3. terms of endearment 4. a certain step towards falling in love 5. you can throw a party full of everyone you know

5. Do you respond to comments?

yes, every single one, no matter how old the fic is! i might be a little slow or miss one every so often, but i really try hard to respond to every one i get. comments mean the absolute world to me, so i want to thank everyone who takes time out of their day to tell me they enjoyed my work <3 <3 i also LOVE when fanfic writers respond to me, so i assume other people do, too

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

i am an angst with a happy ending sort of bitch, but probably one of the fics i wrote during the Nothing Much To Do Radio Silence (TM) when we were all losing our minds with no updates. haven't read those in forever, so maybe Something to Do, Someone to Blame? or maybe it isn't cinema that i wrote for Nothing Like the Sun? or maybe Tropes for Keleidotrope?

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

gosh, so many. again, i write mostly happy ending stuff, so it's hard to pick just one. maybe my fourth favorite public building to visit, if i had to pick one that hasn't been mentioned already. though after the insects have laid their claim has a VERY happy and corny ending that i will forever be proud of haha

8. Do you get hate on fics?

no, thank goodness

9. Do you write smut?

yeah! i'm new to it, but it's a lot of fun

10. Do you write crossovers?

not usually, but i'll stick characters from one universe into a similar universe because something resonates (like Heartstopper Squared or The Quest of the Maddening Mace), but i don't usually write characters meeting or anything like that.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of! *fingers crossed*

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

no, but if anyone wants to do so, just make sure to tag me in it and go right ahead!

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

yeah! i have stuff in progress (that we haven't worked on in a while sorry @courfaeriedust) but i've also definitely written collabs that i've published, i think?

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

Charles and Edwin from Dead Boy Detectives have such a special place in my heart, and I really hope this hyperfixation doesn't go anywhere, but in terms of pure longevity? Merlin and Arthur from BBC Merlin. I've been reading that shit for a decade. Special shoutout to Alex and Henry from Red, White, and Royal Blue, and Drew and Harrison from Keleidotrope, because I'm still insane about you all too, don't worry.

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

THAT IS QUITTER TALK AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT. but to give a kind of cutesie answer, i'm not sure i'll ever be done with the libraryverse. there's so much story there, and i keep having ideas for it, so maybe i'll be able to keep playing in it forever. that would be kind of nice.

16. What are your writing strengths?

why are you making me say nice things about myself. why. overall, i think i'm good at dialogue. i actually wrote a whole manuscript in instant messages because i love writing dialogue so much. i'm pretty good at getting into characters' voices, whether they're my own or someone else's, and i find a lot of joy in writing everything from banter to flirting to meaningful conversations (but some of those are easier than others lol)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

action, descriptions, things that aren't dialogue. i also tend to keep my writing kind of short, so i don't always allow for moments to breathe the way they should.

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

woooooof the only other language i speak is hebrew (and not amazingly well) so probably not. if i ever got good enough at another language, maybe? but english is my first and by far my strongest language, so I don't think i'd ever be able to express myself well

19. First fandom you wrote for?

as far as i remember, Lord of the Rings. (no you will never find it.)

20. Favorite fics you’ve written?

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE, THEY'RE ALL MY CHILDREN. how about this, you tell ME what your fave stories of mine are, because im tired of linking things. and because i thrive on praise lol

i am too lazy to tag people specifically, so anyone who writes fic is welcome to answer!

[t00thpasteface]

I forgot if I've already asked you this question, but who is your number one favorite Fictional Antagonist from Media? Rules are as follows; feel free to ignore:

If you want to choose a recurring villain like Bowser or The Joker, you have to choose a particular incarnation of this character. Like Alan Moore's Joker or Paper Mario 64's Bowser.

Specific Characters/Entities Only. You can't say, "Haunted Houses that aren't haunted by, like, a single ghost or anything in particular" like my mom wanted to. She settled firmly on "The Overlook Hotel" and she's a stronger person for it.

Villainous Duos like Boris & Natasha are accepted.

People have a hard time picking a #1, so you're allowed to list as many runner-ups as you like. Listen to your heart.

Protagonists who are their own worst enemies don't count!

Villainous characters who are protagonists in their story are very begrudgingly accepted. Whether or not George Costanza (A Villainous Protagonist) or Detective Columbo (A Heroic Antagonist) count is beyond the scope of this paper.

Thank you for your time!

hmmmm!! that's a really interesting question to chew on actually.

i'm not usually drawn to villains or villain-driven stories, outside of games that necessitate it as a gameplay mechanic or genre staple a la mario games or your standard JRPGs. and i wouldn't call a glorified game mechanic a character if they really don't do much besides throw barrels at the player to jump over. porky and giygas are exceptions but honestly not much; they aren't very complicated characters, even though they're snappily written, and most of where they shine is just the fact that they're one well-placed load-bearing piece in a larger cohesive narrative. they don't really capture my attention outside of their gameplay role.

i'm overall much more compelled by Romantic with a capital R stories about internal, oftentimes more abstracted struggles. i mean, i don't have to tell you that my favorite books EVER are "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and "The Great Gatsby," both of which play with deuteragonists as foils to the narrator that inevitably spiral and leave the reader with something of a thought exercise regarding the intersection of nature versus nurture, intent versus action, past versus future, et cetera. the characters themselves are symbolic of sociological concepts so much larger than themselves, and because of that, they can't truly be classified into "hero" or "villian", because the topics those books grapple with are so incredibly messy and morally-fuzzy that the characters who exemplify them must reflect that same complexity and nuance.

as soon as a story starts to veer towards "all our problems are caused by One Guy who we can remove from the equation forever," it usually loses me, or if nothing else it just makes me zone out when the villain and his evil army of doom is on screen until we're back to introspective character-building moments between the protags, deuterags, etc. i'm the boring guy who likes slow, dialogue-driven things more than flashy show tunes.

ALL THAT BEING SAID......

villains really only shine (for me) if they're funny as fuck. that's the one way they can really get my attention as a character that has, by definition, been written into a unilaterally negative role that must be booed. they get to be FUNNY! and they get to be my favorite kind of funny: insane slapstick funny. i like seeing cartoony villains get absolutely pulverized, thrown around like wet dishrags, set on fire, flung off cliffs, you name it. the zanier the better. so here's my own elite 4 in ascending order:

fourth is 2012 avengers movie Loki. very hammy, very showy, extremely puncheable face, and he takes SO much physical punishment and writhes like a worm the whole time. super fun.

third is pokemon's Archie. emerald is my favorite game but archie SHINES in alpha sapphire. he's such a huge personality and he takes hits with a smile. and then he gets a big fuzzy redemption at the end because this is a game for kids, but even that is so over-the-top cornball that i just laugh and smile the whole time instead of rolling my eyes. a good wholesome time was had by all.

second is Mr. Burns in the simpsons. let me preface this by saying i really don't watch anything after, ehhhh, i'd say season 8 or 9, because that's about where my box sets ended growing up. any episode where Mr. Burns gets some slapstick gags about his incredibly frail body that runs on pure evil is a good episode. i especially love "the springfield files," "homer the smithers," "homer at the bat," and "who shot mr burns" parts 1 and 2.

and my favorite is undoubtedly Sheldon J. Plankton. similar situation as simpsons; i don't watch anything after seasons 1-3 and the first movie. he commands every single scene he's in, which is especially impressive given that he's literally just a single tiny copepod. he's got the best villain laugh EVER. he's even a delight in the game "battle for bikini bottom"... you GOTTA check out BFBB Rehydrated if you like the spirit and snark of the early seasons. i love him in "walking small," "F.U.N.," "the algae's always greener," and of course, the movie. he's evil! he's diabolical!! he's LEMON SCENTED!!!!

[thedragonchilde]

Ship meme spam round one

1- Who is the most affectionate?

Please, Chibodee is the king of casual affection! It doesn't actually occur as easily to Domon, but he gets really into it, so it's all good.

2-Big spoon/Little spoon?

Chibodee is absolutely big spoon... unless he falls asleep first, then all bets are off

3-Most common argument?

Tough call. What's likely for them is brief heated arguments, but, like... the thing they're arguing about isn't the real problem. (So I guess technically these proxy arguments are really about communication, and the ways they both fail at it when upset - and things do improve once a blowout fight brings that into the open.)

4-Favorite non-sexual activity?

I feel like sparring is the obvious answer here

5-Who is most likely to carry the other?

I would pay actual money to see Domon pick up Chibodee. I'm sure he could, of course, but it's just a funny visual.

6-What is their favorite feature of their partner’s?

Assuming this means physical features, it's a tie on Chibodee's behalf - he pays particular attention to people's eyes, and Domon's dark fiery eyes are no exception... but Domon also has the perfect ass. On the flip side, Domon doesn't quite get why he would have to pick just one thing. Does ‘smile’ count as a feature?

7-What’s the first thing that changes when they realize they have feelings for the other?

Knowing he has no chance at that point, Chibodee busts his ass to make sure that nothing changes between them (the last thing he needs is Domon getting wise)... which works out okay until he blurts it out to the other Shuffles. So I suppose the first thing that changes is the rest of the gang (particularly George) having increasing awkward moments where they keep a suspiciously close eye out for any rise in tension between the two.

When Domon finally realizes his feelings down the line, he actually comes out with it fairly quickly - but not before some uncharacteristic fumbling, a not-incorrect accusation that Chibodee is hiding something from him, and a very loaded sparring session.

8-Nicknames? & if so, how did they originate?

Nothing really in the way of affectionate pet names, not that Chibodee didn't try

9-Who worries the most?

I have to give it to broody Domon. If Chibodee does, he usually tries to play it off.

10-Who remembers what the other one always orders at a restaurant?

Chibodee, but mostly because Domon has predictable taste

11-Who tops?

You speak as though that wouldn't be competitive

12-Who initiates kisses?

At first, definitely Chibodee, though he's got to be careful about it, because the whole thing is still shaky territory for Domon and steamrolling him isn't going to help. Eventually, it evens out a little more (and Domon can be surprisingly thoughtful about it)

13-Who reaches for the other’s hand first?

Whoever needs it. Encouragement via hand-holding is one stripe of affection that comes very naturally for them.

14-Who kisses the hardest?

I mean, they both have a lot of pent-up passion

15-Who wakes up first?

Domon. Old habits die hard.

16-Who wants to stay in bed just a little longer?

Chibodee's a fairly early riser himself (when he's not hung over), but lord help you if you get him up before he's good and ready

17-Who says I love you first?

...I'll be honest, I'm still working this one out, especially if the L word isn't dropped in the initial confession

18-Who leaves little notes in the other’s one lunch? (Bonus: what does it usually say?)

I'm honestly not sure I see this happening??

19-Who tells their family/friends about their relationship first?

Once it actually happens? I don't think Domon is capable of not telling people

20-What do their family/friends think of their relationship?

Dr Kasshu is terribly confused. Rain has some complicated thoughts, but is overall happy for Domon, and honestly a little relieved. Allenby idly wonders if that (Domon being into guys) is why she never really stood a chance. Argo cautiously approves. Sai has a lot to process. George laughs and asks Chibodee how he managed that miracle. The gals are pleasantly shocked, and $10 says at least one of them feels the need to give Domon the obligatory protective sister speech. (If this is a timeline where Kyoji and/or Schwarz is around, he/they had a feeling it would go this way.)

21-Who is more likely to start dancing with the other?

I'm not sure I see this happening either

22-Who cooks more/who is better at cooking?

Why do I get the feeling Domon might actually have picked up some skills in the wilderness? Nothing fancy, but.

23-Who comes up with cheesy pick up lines?

Chibodee, no question

24-Who whispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear during inappropriate times?

Chibodee is the easy answer here too, though there's a good chance that anything he says will take a few seconds to click for Domon, if it doesn't sail over his head entirely. If Domon were to do this, however, he'd be more effective, mostly by virtue of sheer bluntness.

25-Who needs more assurance?

Oh lord, in their own ways, both of them! The trouble is that, in their own ways, they both aren't great at seeking it out (Domon gets snippy and withdraws, Chibodee pulls the old "eyyy lmao I am totally OK no need to worry"), so it comes down to the other learning those cues

26-What would be their theme song?

...so I kind of have a playlist? https://open.spotify.com/user/thedragonchilde/playlist/7mT3I57SvEMps9Gz5AJl7O?si=1Je5GtALTpejsoA9ELWBLg

27-Who would sing to their child back to sleep?

Chibodee, no contest. He'd pass on his mom's lullaby.

28-What do they do when they’re away from each other?

Given that we're dealing with a fairly substantially long-distance relationship at first? Business as usual, though training has been known to get rougher when the stress of separation is particularly high

[queer-polls]

We did it guys, we reached 500 followers. Thank you so much for all the support and love I've received since the start of this blog in early June. I never thought that this would reach 500 followers but we did it. Thank you guys, this really means a lot to me, I love you

As announced earlier this week, I'll be doing a Q&A as a sort of special. Thank you for all your questions, I loved answering them and I hope you get to know me a little better

I'd love to know more about your journey and how you find out & accepted you were a lesbian :)

When I first heard about the LGBTQIA+ community around 5 years ago (yes, it took me a long time to find that out) when two of my friends discussed it, I thought that I was bi. It happened pretty fast, I heard about bisexuality and I thought "Hey, that sounds like me" (I have had feelings for a female friend of mine in 3rd grade and then in 5th grade for a different female friend and I thought it was platonic until I found out that one can like the same gender and I understood that those feelings weren't platonic). It started as bi with preference for guys, then it changed to bi with no preference, then I was bi with preference for girls (it might sound like a fast process but in reality, this happened across a 5 year time span) and around 4 months ago, I realized that I don't like guys at all and started identifiying as a lesbian. Since this was a really slow process for me, it wasn't hard to accept the fact that I liked guys less and less until there was no attraction left. It's still kinda hard for me because of my mom and sister that think I'm bi/pan (when I first came out as bi, they said that I am straight but I think they realizey they were wrong when I still identified as bi after 5 years) but I think it'll get better.

2. do you have a gf? if not do you want one? what would you want them to be like? <3

Sadly, no. I would love to have a girlfriend and I'll just describe my crush since she's gf material. She's nice and caring, she listens to my problems and offers advice, I love how she's getting excited about her hobbies (she usually talks faster than usual and her voice has a higher pitch, it's so fucking cute) and talking to her is really great since she actually cares about what you tell her (and she's hot but that's just the cherry on top).

3. have you ever questioned your gender?

Yes, it was a bit after I started identifiying as bi (about 4 and a half years ago) when I tried to get to know the community and that's when I found testimonials from trans people about their experiences as a trans person. Since I wasn't really like the other girls my age (all the other girls were wearing makeup, wearing dresses, listening to "girls music" and just fulfilling the overall "girls in puberty" stereotype and I hated makeup and dresses and was listening to music classified as "boys music"), I started questioning if I might be a trans guy. When reading those testimonials, I noticed trans guys and a lot of nonbinary people were feeling dysphoric because of their breasts and curves, which definitely wasn't the case for me. I also tried imagining how it would be if I came out as trans or nonbinary and I found out that I actually am pretty happy as a girl despite being different than the others.

4. did you ever question or think you were another identity before realising you are a lesbian?

Yeah, I thought I was bi for 5 years before I realizing I'm actually a lesbian. Bi was the only other label I've ever used and I've never questioned if I might be another identity before identifiying as a lesbian.

5. have you thought about using the intersex-inclusive version(s) of the progress flag for the blog avatar & banner?

Yes, and I might change it later. I didn't pick this version of the flag because the version I'm using is my favorite.

6. How many polls are okay to send at one time?

As many as you want, I'll usually post requested polls as fast a possible but if you're sending like 10 polls, it might take a while till they're all posten

7. do you have any queer idols/inspirations? do you have a favorite lgbtq+ book?do you have a favorite lgbtq+ movie or tv show?

My three queer idols are Billie Joe Armstrong (singer of Green Day), Freddie Mercury (singer of Queen) and Rob Halford (singer of Judas Priest). My favorite lgbtq+ book is "Boyfriend Material" by Alexis Hall and I don't really have a favorite lgbtq+ tv show or movie because I don't like the way lgbtq+ characters are portrayed on for example Netflix, it just doesn't feel right.

8. do you like cheese? If so, what’s your favourite cheese?

I love cheese. My favorite cheese is called "Biergartenkäse" ("Biergarten" is what Germans call the garden or just generally outside area of a restaurant that serves typically German food and "Käse" is just the German word for cheese) and yes, this is the most Bavarian Cheese to ever exist.

9. how would you describe your fashion/style and your aesthetic?

I usually wear dark (mostly black) clothes because I hate colored clothes (but I love socks in all different colors) and I wear way too many rings and necklaces (one of the necklaces has a really cool skull pendant and the other has a satanic symbol, I wear the second necklace to annoy people, I'm not really satanic). I'd also like to have a tongue and nose piercing, a few more earrings and a huge amount of tattoos but I'm a little scared that something is going wrong and do some serious damage to my body.

10. do you have any pets? <3

Yes, I have three cats, I might post some pictures if I've got cute ones.

11. I was wondering if you felt okay sharing your coming out story (if you're out irl) and how people reacted.

When I outed myself to my sister as bi she was like "Okay? I don't care" and when I told her that I had a crush on this girl from school, she kept hinting at it when we were eating dinner with our mom until my mom asked what she meant and I had to tell her. Her reaction was basically the same as my sister's but with the additional "you'll grow out of this phase" tone. I never officially outed myself to my dad cause he can be very homophobic but I've said "I'm gay" or similar things in his presence, so he might know. My grandparents know that I like girls because my grandma asked if I liked a guy and I told her I liked a girl and they were really chill about it. I'm officially out as a lesbian to my sister, my mom and my other grandma and it was basically the same as my mom's reaction to my bi outing. All of my friends are gay in some way, so all of them expected it or weren't too surprised.

12. your favourite: colour, tv show, movie, musician & animal :)

My favorite colors are a dark shade of purple, a dark shade of blue and black, Stranger Things is my favorite tv show, the best movie to ever exist is The Mummy (1999), my favorite band is Metallica (if you mean solo artist, it's either Ozzy Osbourne or Alice Cooper) and cats are the best animals.

13. what's your favourite food? :)

My favorite food is pizza and a typically German dish called "Currywurst".

14. What do you do for a living? If you’re in school, what are you studying?

I'm still in school and I'm looking into studying engineering at university after I've graduated.

15. Who’s your pick to win the Bundesliga next season?

FC Bayern cause I gotta support my fellow Bavarians.

16. Do you think the winner of the Euro deserved to win?

Spain was pretty good but I don't like the fact that they've won since they cheated in the game against Germany.

17. Do you support any football teams?(non-american football, like Bayern or Bochum)

Yes, definitely FC Bayern cause I love my Bavarians.

18. What is your favorite ask?

It's hard to pick because all were a joy answering but if I had to pick either 1 or 3.

19. How long do you plan to keep running this account?

As long as I have time and enjoy doing it (as of now, it'll definitely be at least a few months). I might take a break if I need it but I don't think that this blog will be inactive in the near future.

20. Will you invite other people onto this account or not (and why?)?

That depends on the person I'm inviting and the occasion that I'd be inviting them for. It would be someone I trust (I don't want anyone to do stuff with my account when I'm not 100% sure that they're not gonna fuck things up) and they should know something about the topic (Spreading fake news has always bothered me, so no, thank you), otherwise I wouldn't invite them. As of now, I'm not inviting anyone soon.

21. Favorite coming out story?

I've once read this story about a girl going to her brother to tell him that she likes girls and he says "ew, you actually like girls?" and then the girl asks if he's gay and he responds with "Do you think I dress like this for fun?". I don't remember where I found it but I think it's great.

22. Any question youve wanted to do but no one has asked for it?

Yes, I was waiting for someone to ask for my favorite song(s) but no one did. I'm still answering it because why not. My top 3 songs are Overlord by Lamb of God, Us against the World by Killswitch Engage and Scream with me by Mudvayne.

23. Do you plan to post just polls or most stuff (like informational posts, or reblogs?)

Maybe, I haven't really thought about it. I wanted to make a poll blog because I love answering polls, so I thought it might be fun but if there's an oppurtunity, then I might do something different.

24. Have you been to a Pride Event?

Sadly, no. Most of them are too far away and I'd have to take a friend with me because I hate going to places with lots of people all by myself. I'm definitely going to one in the future cause I'm sure it's a great experience.

25. Opinión on relationship anarchy and/or unconventional relationship styles?

As long as it's healthy for all partners and everything is consensual and no one is pressured to do anything, I'm cool with it.

26. Most of all, how has your day been? :3

Exhausting, who would have thought that kindergarten children are so annoying and energy-draining? I really hate kids and this stupid practicum is not doing anything to change that, in fact, it's making me hate kids even more.

That's it guys. Pretty long post but it was fun answering your questions. I hope I haven't forgotten anyone, if I have, please tell me, then I'll edit this post.

[olderthannetfic]

As someone who has had some fic really take off that I thought were pretty so-so and some do pretty low numbers that I thought were among my best, it really often has more to do with the particular fandom, ship and tropes than overall writing quality. A lot of the fics I've seen take off were ones that just scratched a particular itch no one else was scratching for a relatively popular ship. The less-popular ones are often for relatively rare ships and, especially, dynamics (I have a big thing for femslash involving older women especially villainous older women, and boy, talk about a thing that fandom has zero interest in. This isn't even a "complaining about people not liking femslash" thing; the femslash shippers, at least in my current fandoms, don't like it either! I've had people who are primarily femslash comment stuff like "I usually stay away from M/E-rated fics involving this character but this was really good" lol). I wrote those knowing they wouldn't do numbers, but because I really wanted to write them, and the people who like that stuff really liked it, which is all that matters to me.

Like, is writing quality a factor to some degree in fic popularity? Sure. If someone has SPAG errors everywhere or people are super OOC or whatever, then their fic probably won't be that popular no matter how many fan-favorite tropes it checks off. Similarly, if you look at the most-kudosed fics in a popular fandom, they might not be the *best* written fics in the fandom but they will usually still be in like the top 20th percentile for "writing quality" (which is highly subjective so it would be hard to do percentiles for that, but ykwim).

To use a kind of weird analogy - let me explain, I swear it makes sense - I think it's kind of like the eternal question of if "how attractive you are" matters in terms of how often women get catcalled. I think the people who say it doesn't matter, it's purely about men having power over you, are both wrong and right. If you're too far out of the standards of heteronormative/cisnormative/white-normative (or whatever race for a particular country) conventional-attractiveness for women, you won't get catcalled all that much; for instance, I've been fat most of my adult life, and I rarely ever got catcalled until I lost a lot of weight, and then it became the more constant worry that I'd heard other women talk about, but could never relate to before. That said, the particular times I've been catcalled or had strange men be the creepiest to me in public, it was rarely ever related to me looking particularly stunning that day; in fact, oftentimes I looked like shit. (This was true even during the rare times I got catcalled when I was fat.) It absolutely was more about being in a vulnerable situation. Attractiveness does matter in terms of if you're seeing as catcall-worthy in the first place, but once you're above a certain minimum threshold of what is considered conventionally-attractive in women (just being very clear about this, because I don't think I was unattractive by my own personal standards when I was fat, I lost the weight for other reasons; and as a queer woman, I often find women attractive who are of a similar weight to where I was in the past), it ceases to matter: you'll get cat-called more or less, or worse or more mildly, depending primarily on other stuff.

The same is true with writing quality in fanfic, I think. It's a factor in terms of setting a baseline. But once you're above that baseline, it's way more up to other things. You could write the most gorgeous prose and do a super insightful character study or the sexiest smut or whatever and have it ignored because it's not what people are looking for in the tags. You could phone it in (assuming you're still a pretty good writer, so your phoned-in is still above that minimum quality threshold) and if you hit all the right notes for that fandom/that ship (and you're picking a fandom and ship with a lot of readers in the first place), you'll soak in the views and kudos and bookmarks.

--

I think there are plenty of people horny for f/f who like that exact thing, but they may not be hanging around a lot of parts of fandom because they just assume (often rightly) that they won't find anything they like there. They may not even be reading a lot of f/f fiction because life has not trained them to look for it.

but they will usually still be in like the top 20th percentile for "writing quality" (which is highly subjective so it would be hard to do percentiles for that, but ykwim).

I feel like the top 5 most kudosed are often something viral and meme-driven or really nasty porn that's godawful in every other way but is super hot if you like that trope. But yes, after the first few fics, a lot of top kudosed things are at least okay on a technical level.

--

That other anon who was concerned about their lack of popularity was explicit that they're writing original work.

I think the situation there is even worse than for fic because there's no such thing as picking an already-popular ship. You can pick dynamics that you perceive to be popular, but growing an original work audience is always fairly complex and has much more to do with marketing skills than writing skills once you, again, pass that minimum threshold of writing competence.

For some kinds of original writing, particularly fetish porn, you can trade on the familiarity of stock figures (The Nerd, The Jock, etc.), but the farther you get from stuff with easy keywords, the harder that is.

[ikemenomegas]

do you have any favorite headcanons for omega kakashi? love your blog -3-

Cooking Kakashi (insert cooking mama ver kakashi icon... which is a game I would play the hell out of. I want him to like me so bad...)

I love that Kakashi can canonically cook very well and that he likes cooking for his loved ones. Even though the first of those people are no longer here, it brings him a lot of peace to cook for his Alpha.

He likes that he made something with his own two hands that contributes to the joy and health of his loved ones. It’s also an act of living that makes him feel more human and cooking tasty food for himself was one of the things he used to ground himself during his worst moments or when he was alone after missions (a good weapon needs to be able to at least function -> (eventually) I am a person and it's okay to enjoy things because I deserve it).

He was not originally much of an experimenter, but he learned enough about the basics that he was able to start improving upon recipes. His recipes are full of annotations because even though he's got a stellar memory, he's old enough he knows there's only so much space up there. However, half of these notes only make sense to himself. Good luck trying to replicate those dishes...

He's not much of a "collector", anti-clutter Kakashi

So his preferred method of receiving affection is not gift giving.

However, Cooking Kakashi™️ might accept a few things. Recipe books are a little hard because Kakashi has to be interested in more than just two or three things in the book. He typically prefers to decide on these himself. He likes to work through everything in the book and pick out his favorites. If you tell him you want to buy it for him though, he'll let you. A bookshop date, anyone?

The one thing he does love is the cooking supplies you buy him. High quality ceramics, one of a kind glassware, accent-like cups or bowls. If you're careful about only buying a piece here and a piece there, it doesn't build up clutter, and it becomes a nice special occasion kind of gift. Hot pot is not his most favorite meal ever but he loves the donabe you got him.

He also doesn't have a lot of spare nesting materials, but if you can talk him into letting you take him to a nesting supply shop, he'll usually buy something (because he thinks you think he needs more soft things, which makes him feel cared for but can also get overwhelming on occasion).

Overall though, quality time and some physical touch are his preferred ways of receiving affection.

Cat person who has dogs Kakashi

Kakashi shows up whenever he wants or perfectly on time, prefers only certain people and usually small gatherings or being alone (although being alone with his Person doesn't really count as company), has a lot of very, let's call them specific, habits, is incredibly particular about certain things... and is also something of a prankster.

In a way it's very funny because he's the pack leader of his ninken.

Very respectful but incredibly kinky Kakashi.

Consent is sexy and Kakashi is the sexiest because he's the kind of person who won't act without permission. He's also the kind of person who's almost too shy to even think of his Alpha in an explicit way. This isn't a purity thing. It's just a him being shy and feeling undeserving thing. Have to be careful because he's the kind of sub to say "you can do anything to me, I don't mind" and mean it, and part of a long term relationship with Kakashi is teaching him about his own boundaries.

I'm a big fan "yes he does wear that many layers" Kakashi

Part of it is a feeling of security. But it makes me wonder if he just tends to run cold for some reason. Bundle him up in blankets and feed him soup.

The hospital is very grateful for Kakashi's mate. He tends to run away less if his mate is allowed to either stay with him while he recovering and there's a few times where he's been very happy to get discharged home earlier because Tsunade knows someone responsible and capable of getting Kakashi to sit still while he's getting better.

Lazy Kakashi

Kakashi doesn't hate being a ninja. I get the sense that he thinks ninja are necessary in the world, and he's seen both the good and bad that shinobi missions can do. He doesn't hate it, but he's tired of it.

There's a difference between working hard because you have to and because you want to. I'm a huge fan of lazy Kakashi, no work Kakashi! he doesn't want to go on tiring missions anymore and he certainly didn't love being hokage! don't make him! Let him stay at home every day and do whatever he wants to do, let him spend all day in bed with you and a book and his puppies if he wants!

That said, he's been a shinobi so long, he would miss the athleticism if he ever had to leave, he likes being skilled. That's why he goes back to doing non-combat and teaching jobs after retiring. But he leaves plenty of space for well earned leisure time.

Hobby Husband Kakashi

He's used to having somewhat structured time, so sometimes he has trouble picking something to do on his day off. After the war, he also has to figure out how to fill additional hours since he doesn't stare at the memorial stone all the time.

He actually does like to just try new things. He's the type who naturally ends up pretty good at almost everything he tries though so there's not much he pursues more than one or two times. Once he settles in with his mate, he likes to do things with you. It's more fun and fulfilling than doing activities alone. His favorite hobby is reading though. Reading usually gives him an idea of what he might want to try next.

[honoringthehorrific]

I watched Alien: Romulus and here's what I thought!

As always friends Spoilers under the cut!...👽

Gosh first can I apologize for not being as active recently? I've seen this movie 3 times and am just now getting to writing my review! Might as well torch me now! haha. Seriously though I'd like to stay active on this blog it's just hard to find stuff to talk about sometimes when I come away from these movies. I'd like to start this off by saying this is going to be a pretty glowing review. If you haven't seen Romulus, or any of the alien movies...What the hell are you doing here??? Get out! Go see it! If for some reason you cant get out and go see it please spare yourself spoilers until you can find it on streaming! This franchise from what i've seen so far is one of my favorites. If you love sci-fi, body horror, bad ass female leads, or slimy slithering creatures in general you should really give this one a chance.

I feel like a lot of people wanna talk about this so lets get it out of the way. Rook. The artificial person we meet when things start heating up. Obviously he is a CGI rendition of Ash's actor from the first movie Ian Holm. You may be screaming at me right now about ethics. How this took a job from an actor. How technology is bad because it's going to take work from actors. I hear you. I was on the fence about this too. In truth AI replacing human workers is a topic near and dear to my heart because it's something that worries me as an artist myself. However, Reading about how Alvarez got permission from Holm's widow. How Holm felt almost blacklisted from hollywood after so many years in the sci-fi and fantasy genres. It made my opinion of this soften. If that makes you disregard my review or even me as a person I understand. I'm happy I was able to give you my thoughts and that you gave me your time. Now, The CGI of Holm's face is....not the best? His eyes and mouth move strangely if you pay too close of attention however it was something I could easily ignore as the movie progressed. Overall however with the other effects I think this movie did very well! I loved the way the facehuggers looked and moved and we even got to see up close the egg laying...tube...thing? Forgive me I'm not well versed in facehugger anatomy. The chest burster actually having to work to burrow it's way out and the xenomorph's acid just all of it felt really great! I only very recently watched the second alien movie and I intend to watch the rest of the alien sequels in the near future so don't be upset with me! However it seems like if you've only seen the first two this one will make plenty sense. I've seen people complain about the pacing being really slow and the only thing I really have to say to that is...The first two movies, at least to me, felt equally as "slow." However I wouldn't necessarily say this is a slow movie! It kept me interested each step of the way. Usually I hate watching something that feels like it's dragging it's feet so I feel like if the movie were truly a drag someone with my attention span would have noticed. On the subject of noticing things this movie has a TON of fan service and nostalgia. There's quotes from the previous films, Visual references, and even a nod to the video game Isolation! Some people really lay on a lot of flack for that kind of thing but it's been 7 years since the last alien movie so it's kind of something I expected if that makes sense? Also If it's something I love, I'm usually a sucker for fan service! Yeah some of the quotes felt kinda off in the dialogue (Personally when Andy says he prefers the term artificial person, That felt like an off moment to me? I could be nit picking but it just felt like it didn't flow with the previous dialogue.) But over all I liked easter egg hunting on my second and third watch. In terms of characters there were some misses like Navarro where I really wanted to learn more about her but we don't really get the chance. We see and learn a lot about Andy and Raine's relationship as siblings but its hard to tell what the other's relationships are to each other until they outright say or are on their deathbeds.

Overall I liked the effects, the action, the pacing and the characters. It did fall flat in some spaces but honestly I think it's one of my favorite movies of the year next to Immaculate. 4.5/5 Facehuggers!