#it's so weird to me to think that i'm 'inspiring' or 'nostalgic'

[friend-shaped-but]

Yugandhar liveblog part 3

I broke my record today, for the past two parts I was only able to read 6-7 pages in one sitting, but today I read 18 pages in one sitting, and I'm super happy about it!!

It's so idk how to describe it, but the descriptions of olden style kitchen utensils reminded me of my grandmother's kitchen. I realized then that I do know a lot of the words, I had just forgotten them after moving out and us getting a new kitchen setup which didn't contain a lot of traditional utensils.

The names Yashoda uses for Krishna, "Chhakulya", "Sonya" are nicknames I was called as a kid. My cousin had told me that the first section was going to be very cute and I had not counted on it being THIS cute... or nostalgic, more like.

I noticed a similarity with Mrityunjay here... Radha tells Karna to not play by the river much, and Yashoda also tells Krishna to not play by the yamuna that much. Now. They're both little shits who disobeyed that thing but ig that's another similarity.

I was reminded of @sambhavami's fortune teller scene when I read that same scene in this and then I checked when Shri Krishna serial was released, was a solid 6 years before this book got published. That scene has(possibly) inspired so many people, damn. I feel like I need to watch that. But yeah, that monologue went on for 3-ish pages and I had to work REALLY hard to not lose track or get bored.

We're BACK to framing Krishna as a thinker/philosopher in this and I am eating that shit up.

We're deifying Krishna from the time he's a baby and I am NAWT here from it. I'd have loved it more if it was gradual.

SANKUDADA. that's it that's the next bullet point

EKANANGA REP MY BELOVED. 3 MENTIONS OF HER IN A SINGLE PAGE. was the author thinking, "surhut can have eka scenes. as a treat." before I was even born?? This shit is so cute mannnnn, lemme quote the lines "I began to turn, but stopped when I felt someone- a little kid- grab my leg. That was my little sister, about two years old, the sister who called me kutnadada and whom I loved more than life, Ekananga- ekaa. She never used to leave my side. She smiled so sweetly that I couldn't help but pick her up. I kissed her forehead and ruffled her hair and handed her off to dada."

Hmm I don't like the part about names in mathura seeming familiar to him or him having spidey senses for Devaki. idk man it's weird

Ok I have now acquired lots of inspo for Gopaverse and ohot and my other wip about Sutasoma as well. I'm so glad

The friends' overreverance also reads very weird. Dude don't start that shit so soon, wait until he's killed a few monsters... But I have a feeling that isn't going to be included in this. Issok valid but it still feels a bit rushed. Then again our working assumption is that he is telling this while on his deathbed so I can forgive the pacing ig.

The radha scenes either feel awkward or I am too aroace for this shit

ANOTHER similarity btwn Mrityunjay and Yugandhar: The DELICIOUS internal conflict. The barrage of questions they get about themselves their identity and their place in the world.

FINALLY the wrestling scenes are starting thank you sir for giving me excellent worldbuilding I love this. I've tabbed this for both worldbuilding AND character(Bheem, Vishoka, Panchalya, Sutasoma) building.

"I felt like the entirety of Gokul was my home now.

ok stopping for now, will continue later. It's also finals month in April so next post will be late

Part 1 Prev

Obligatory song rec: halla dhoom dhadakka- Pandavaas

[kittwix]

Joestars and their Music Taste

i kinda wanted to do a bit of character analysis. i love music and one of my favorite things to do is assigning characters specific songs/genres/and musicians. it helps that jojo is already heavily inspired by music, but i kinda wanted to do a different approach.

will be covering both realistic depictions of their respective time periods (e.g 1880s, 1930s, 1980s, etc.) but just to also be really fun is a modernized version.. who would they love or listen to nowadays or in general?

THESE ARE MY HEADCANONS BTW!!

Jonathan Joestar

1880s

I actually had to do a bit of research and listen to some music. This era of romantic, classical and opera music was popular and prominent at the time. I can tell Jonathan is a fan of classical music specifically, he loves the orchestral compositions and I'm sure his father at some point disciplined him on learning a few chords on the piano. During his studies at school or maybe when he's practicing for his Rugby plays, he likes to listen to a few songs to get him inspired or motivated

Some examples:

Flute Concerto in G Major: I. Spiritoso - Giovanni Battista Pergolesi

Gymnopédie no. 1 - Erik Satie

"The Planets" Suite for Large Orchestra Op.32: IV. Jupiter, The Bringer Of Jollity - Gustav Holst

Modern Days

Oh Jonathan.. how you would've loved psychadelic rock and pop music. I think Jonathan would absolutely favor 60s-70s music, they have an old school feeling that would make him feel nostalgic and lively. If you're in the car and turn on 60s-70s radio he will keep repeatedly asking "Who's this?" "What's this called?" "This sounds really nice..". Now you'd catch him listening to the same songs or the same musicians in his own time while he's writing down something in his book or when he's working out.

Some of his favorite artists:

The Beatles

Fleetwood Mac

Simon & Garfunkel

Some of his favorite songs:

Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac

Something Stupid - Frank Sinatra

Maggie May - Rod Stewart

Joseph Joestar

1930s-1940s

This is a big jump from the 1800s and around this time there was a shift in music genres that were popular. Swing-jazz, Blues, Country, and even some Latin music were hits. I think Joseph in his prime would engage with lively and dancey music, it compliments his bold personality so well anyways that he'd be into that. The type to see any chick in the dance halls and would wanna dance with her.

Some of his favorites:

Pistol Packin' Mama - Bing Crosby

Sing, Sing, Sing - Benny Goodman

Good Rockin' Tonight - Roy Brown

Modern Days

It's already canonically implied that Joseph would listen to weird and quirky musicians from the 80s like "Weird Al" Yankovic. So to just piggyback on that, I'd say he would love equally or similarly unique and obscure music like that, especially at his old age where he allows himself to not be serious at times. But don't get me wrong, he loves his classic rock music as well.

Some of his favorite artists:

The B-52's

Oingo Boingo

The Buggles

Some of his favorite songs:

You Really Got Me - Oingo Boingo

Rock Lobster - The B-52's

The Safety Dance - Men Without Hats

Jotaro Kujo

1980s

Contrary to popular belief, I don't think Jotaro solemnly listen to grunge or metal music. If I remember correctly, it's canonically been confirmed by Araki that his favorite musician is Toshinobu Kubota. So, that leads me to believe that Jotaro likes to listen to soul and R&B music. Maybe it has to do with the smooth rhythm and emotional singing that calms Jotaro down and compliments his introverted exterior.

Some of his favorite artists:

Micheal Jackson

Tears for Fears

Luther Vandross

Some of his favorite songs:

Africa - TOTO

Everyone Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears

Never Too Much - Luther Vandross

Modern Days

Like I said, he likes a lot of soul and R&B music but instead of like heavy death metal I can see Jotaro listening to more gothic rock and what people call "divorced dad" music for a more alternative scene. After having Jolyne, he'll jot down reports for his Marine Bio job while listening to Foo Fighters or Alice in Chains.

Some of his favorite artists:

The Cure

Nirvana

Foo Fighters

Some of his favorite songs:

West End Girls - Pet Shop Boys

In Bloom - Nirvana

We Die Young - Alice in Chains

Josuke Higashikata

1990s

Possibly my favorite joestar to scroll through Spotify with because his music taste and vibes are so good and groovy. It's obvious that he's inspired and loves Prince, so with that in mind he would definitely be a 80s-90s funky pop kind of guy. I can also see him really love 90s Eurodance, the type of guy to dance alone in his room or sing in front of the mirror in the bathroom as he does his hair.

Some of his favorite musicians:

Prince

ABBA

George Micheal

Some of his favorite songs:

Everything She Wants - Wham!

Vibeology - Paula Abdul

Kiss - Prince

Modern Days

His music taste would still fall under the pop, dancey category and just something thats disgustingly catchy. Maybe he's a little older but its still the same old Josuke and he'd be a fan of a lot of things that are kinda trendy. I would say he likes songs that feel very summer like as well, something he can listen to that fits the mood as he drives with the windows down in a sunny day.

Some of favorite artists:

Lady Gaga

Justin Timberlake

Britney Spears

Some of his favorite songs:

Rock Your Body - Justin Timberlake

Judas - Lady Gaga

Bye Bye Bye - *NSYNC

Giorno Giovanna

2000s

Considering that his favorite musician is Jeff Beck, I'm under the assumption that Giorno likes a lot of progressive rock and jazzy rock. Something that'll make him feel heroic and badass but nothing extremely heavy either.

Some of his favorite artist:

Ozzy Osbourne

Black Sabbath

Steely Dan

Some of his favorite songs:

Do It Again - Steely Dan

Another Brick in the Wall, Pt.2 - Pink Floyd

Heaven and Hell - Black Sabbath

Modern Days

His music pretty much stays the same, not to say that he isn't interested in newer music but they don't stick long enough for him to remember. He kinda likes staying in the past kind of thing when it comes with songs he liked, but there happens to be a few songs that he likes that are much more newer generation. As long as its something easy to listen to, he'll typically enjoy it.

Some of his favorite artists:

Laufey

The White Stripes

The Cranberries

Some of his favorite songs:

Elephant - bôa

Linger - The Cranberries

Falling Behind - Laufey

Jolyne Cujoh

2010s

Jolyne seems like the type to like whatever is kinda trending at the moment. Kinda leans more into the pop-punk and dance music more than anything, matches her brash attitude and rebellious lifestyle. She likes to let loose, wants to jam out and dance stupidly, she could care less about how people react.

Some of her favorite artists:

Avril Lavigne

Paramore

X-Ray Spex

Some of her favorite songs:

Sk8er Boi - Avril Lavigne

Rebel Girl - Bikini Kill

Deceptacon - Le Tigre

Modern Days

Like I said before, she would also really be into the dance pop and club music, especially if she's out with friends. The kind of music she'd really dance to if she was drunk or high out of her mind.

Some of her favorite artists:

Kesha

Nicki Minaj

Olivia Rodrigo

Some of her favorite songs:

California Girls - Katy Perry

Roman Holiday - Nicki Minaj

We Found Love - Rihanna

Johnny Joestar

1890s

Unlike his alternate counterpart, Johnny was a lot more rebellious who sleezed around with girls and was just a bratty, spoiled kid. His kind of music for these times would be something along with ragtime and upbeat songs that he would bop his head to. Nothing orchestral, all band music.

Some of his favorite songs include:

The Entertainer - Scott Joplin

The Sycamore - Scott Joplin, Alessandro Simonetto

Sunflower Slow Drag - Scott Joplin, Scott Hayden, Alessandro Simonetto

Modern Days

Honestly, and maybe this is a bit basic and too obvious, but he would definitely be into country music. Hell, I bet he started listening to it and the Blue's later on in his life since these songs talk about the hardships of life and what not. Doesn't change here either. Thinking about him line dancing with Gyro.

Some of his favorite artists:

Johnny Cash

Chris Stapleton

Turnpike Troubadours

Some of his favorite songs:

That's My Kind of Night - Luke Bryan

Long Hot Summer Day - Turnpike Troubadours

9 to 5 - Dolly Parton

Josuke (Gappy) Higashikata

2010s

I don't believe Gappy has a favorite musician or an artist, honestly he only cares about recovering his memory at the moment and figuring out who he is. Honestly, he probably only ever listens to the music that Daiya or Yasuho would play and it's mostly girly pop music but not like he cares.

Some of his favorite artists(?):

Rihanna

Beyonce

Britney Spears

Some of his favorite songs(?):

Wannabe - Spice Girls

Barbie Girl - Aqua

Oops!... I Did It Again - Britney Spears

Modern Days

Well now that he's capable of discovering more music, he seems to really like classic rock and Eurodances. He likes it when the music is upbeat and fast, keeps him on his toes and he likes the rhythm that makes his body instinctively move with.

Some of his favorite artists:

Journey

Queen

KISS

Some of his favorite songs:

Who's Crying Now - Journey

Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love - Van Halen

Be My Lover - La Bouche

Jodio Joestar

2020s

The most recent Jojo, with his story taking place in the recent times as of now, so pretty much most of the music that we know already exist and more. However, Jodio is appears to me as someone very free spirited. A lot of younger people, myself included, these days are into R&B and rap music and it seems to fit Jodio's situation at the moment. He likes music that are catchy, tell a story, and overall describes the stuff he goes through.

Some of his favorite artists:

2Pac

Kendrick Lamar

Nas

Some of his favorite songs:

Juicy - Biggie Smalls ("The Notorious B.I.G")

C.R.E.A.M (Cash Rules Everything Around Me) - Wu-Tang Clan

The World is Yours - Nas

More music

Considering he's still the most recent, despite listening to rap music, I can see him also ocassionally tuning in to whatever Dragona is playing in their car. They spend a lot of time together, 9/10, Dragona always the one in control of the music and again it's usually a lot of girly pop music and or R&B songs.

Some of his favorite artists:

SZA

Dua Lipa

Doja Cat

Some of his favorite songs:

Kill Bill - SZA

Espresso - Sabrina Carpenter

Attracted to You - PinkPantheress

this was fun! brb im gonna make a playlist for everyone now, maybe i should do jobros and or jofoes next lmaoo

masterlist!

[shiny-jr]

Hi Shiny! Recently I’ve came back from my long hiatus to the twst fandom and I remember you write for twst so I binged your fics and hcs (sorry for the spam likes because I’m just super invested in what you write) and holy heck I LOVE LOVE LOVE your writings for twst??? especially the imposter AU like AAAAAAAAAAA HAHAHAH THE ANGST IS SO GOOD BUT I ENJOYED IT SO MUCH I want to see the boys suffer after realizing who we are like AUGHH

As a huge fan of your old original works (esp coughs you know what series hehe Hent my beloved), I noticed a significant improvement in your writing style when I started reading your twst fics. Your pacing feels a bit better now? I’m not sure how to describe it but it’s the perfect blend of toe-curling anticipation without suffocating or drawling too much. I adore your quotev writing days but oh my you absolutely ate and left no crumbs with how you write on tumblr. Looking back of your old works (because I still love rereading some of them), it just makes me kind of nostalgic on how years have passed ksjdjdj this is kind of weird but I just want to say that your writing is one of the things that inspire me even until now haha this love mail is super cheesy but I can’t help it because I just love reading what you create!

That explains a lot. Whenever I see anyone's pfp and username pop up a lot on my notifications, I go "huh..." and just realize they're probably binge reading or just discovered my profile. So, I was kinda right in this case.

Oh god, my old projects. They're still there, untouched, collecting dust. One day, I will have the energy to complete them... Maybe. Hopefully. ANYWAYS–– I'm glad you like my most recent projects! And I'm very happy to hear that you believe I've improved, as I like to believe I've gotten better.

Don't worry, I don't think your message is cheesy at all. I think it's sweet and I always love hearing from readers. It helps motivate me to continue forward with my projects, current and future.

[edenspoem]

HI queen! I just want to start out by saying you are one of my fav fic writers ever!!!! Like top 2 omg your style is so distinct and unique to me and I really want to start writing fics. I was wondering if you had any tips for beginner writers?

first off, thank you so much! second off, i have given lots of writing tips in the past, but as someone who's still learning and experimenting here and there, i think i've picked up more as i've gone on. get ready for a yapfest.

there are some that stay true, such as simplicity over complexity. i struggle trying to dilute all the thoughts in my head into a simple, readable form that doesn't have specific jargon or 20 complex words in one paragraph, but it's gotten visibly better. if you look at my earliest work vs my newest work, there is a big difference. most classic literature (like pride and prejudice, little women, etc.) (save for the illiad & odyssey: those are some ancient books.. with ancient words..) isn't so complicated. sure, the writing is still quite matured, but it's also paced and humble. just write what comes to mind; don't pick at it's potential "flaws". the truest writing is flawed and real, not processed and automated (for the love of all good, never use a.i. bad for the environment, bad for the creative world.)

read books, enrich yourself in movies, trace the ups and downs of stories. inspiration doesn't hurt. starting with cliche tropes is not "boring" at all. they're building blocks. i've found the more overdone tropes, with my own twists and turns woven through, to be the most enjoyable. infiltration (my best fic yet, imo. not even sure nvfe topped it.. it flopped really) was quite literally pulled from the actual tlou2 plot and just.. twisted. thrown for a loop. it filled in a blank. and i feel like that plot, for apocalypse-centered stories, is quite common. angry person seeking revenge finds random person in the wrong place at the wrong time and interrogates them. like omg do yourself some literary justice and write those cheesy and cliche stories. not everything has to be newfangled and odd all the time. it can be, but if it tortures you to come up with ideas, then it's better to take a step back.

on another note, write about the things close to home. i refer to interests, real life, experiences, nostalgia, etc. don't force yourself to write others experiences or others requests. most collect dust in my inbox because they just don't quite fit in the frame of my mind. and when i do end up writing them, i take forever because i have no clue where to begin or how to end. i get so giddy thinking about equestrian!ellie because i've been a horse girl since the age of like.. five. it really hits home. i just never have the time to because of 1. work or 2. pressuring myself to write plots that i'm just so.. done with. confused about. and then they never get finished! i'm literally about to start romanticizing my job because writing about it would be so fun. it's weird. and specific. but also funny.

take the way songs, memories, movies, games, etc. make you feel and turn them into fics. not necessarily what they remind you of, but just that.. feeling you get. playing skyrim gets me all nostalgic and adventurous and like i need to be looking out a window longingly.. and then i encapsulate that feeling and baboom thief!ellie or something. if it makes you feel good, (Not Sexually) then writing about it will probably be a breeze. if it makes you feel nothing, don't! it just won't hit as good. nostalgia is literally so powerful.

if you want genuine tips, like when it gets down to the nitty gritty and grammar.. accuracy.. writing-level stuff, then here's some quick do's and do NOTs (only if it matters to you): use simple epithets, don't be afraid to re-use those epithets, shorten your dialogue tags/try not to cram too many actions into one, show emotion tell feelings (read this here), it's okay to re-use words, try to keep paragraphs a maximum of 6 or so sentences; spacing your writing out is so important. (story-wise and just because big paragraphs can be genuinely impossible to read). remember your pov (reader is the main pov, they feel things, but notice others reactions. unless you're writing 3rd person, which if you're using "you" and not "i" or "they", it's 2nd person, the reader doesn't know what xxx is feeling. they can assume or estimate based on whatever xxx is doing. you also can't exactly write "your cheeks turned red" because, well, that's exclusive, but also because that's superficial. if you're blushing, you can tell by 1. a sear in your cheeks or 2. someone else pointing it out) this is more nitpicky, but if you want to get serious with writing realistically, remembering your pov is important. otherwise i don't think most people care. but unfortunately i'm a perfectionist and need it to survive. lastly, sometimes, one sentence can describe an entire paragraph. you don't always need the details.

this is all i can think of.. been in and out of a writing slump but i'm slowly picking myself back up by reading. these are just my personal tips. just try to have fun because at the end of the day: it's fanfiction. hope this helps!

[davycoquette]

Questionnaire~

Thank you for the tag, @drchenquill!

1. Is writing a hobby or way of life?

I always call it a hobby, but almost always prefixed with some form of, "greatest," "most important," or "favorite." I think way of life fits a helluva lot better. I've been writing since I can remember.

2. A journal full of writing notes or a clean, completed manuscript?

The journal one. I have like 900 I'm actively writing in at this very moment.

3. Who (or what) is your writing inspiration?

Cormac McCarthy. The love I have for my shitty characters. The agonizing unignorable need to put words on paper or screen.

4.Which is worse: someone you "idolize" reading your first draft or listening to you sing?

The singing one. I am not ashamed of my writing, but I have been taught to be ashamed of my singing lmfao. Which is weird and dumb because singing isn't something I go around telling people I can do decently - I don't tell people, "Oh, I sing," or, "I'm a singer." So, I have nothing to prove on that front, yet... I don't think I could make a peep of noise if someone said, "Sing me a song." Meanwhile, even when my writing's not at it's best, I'm like, "Yeah, I'm a writer. Here's some shit I wrote that isn't good. Sometimes I write good stuff, though."

5. Has writing from someone else's POV ever changed your own perspective?

I mean... in the literal sense, sure. A story looks different from the eyes of a character. By the same token, it helps me "understand" when people make choices I've not personally made. I think, for this reason, it's important to write about characters with different belief systems than we have - to write about them as sympathetic people with complex emotions. Not just to villainize or cathartically punish them, but to explore why people do the things they do and what life events might drive them in that direction. But cathartic character murder has its time and place, and who am I suggest what others write? Y'all do y'all.

6. Tumblr, AO3, LiveJournal, or FFN?

I have not used LiveJournal since I was a teen - is it still a thing people use??? That sounds nostalgic and fun. Not sure what FFN is; something to do with fanfiction? I only write original fiction, so that rules it out if so. AO3 is very cool, but the interface isn't my favorite. Also fanfic-heavy, so I never know if I've got a place there. Tumblr always freaked me right the fuck out, but the Writeblr community has proven to be my favorite writing community I've discovered online. And in a very short timespan, I might add!

7. AO3 wordcount, and are you satisfied with it?

I do not use AO3 but wordcounts can never be high enough 😎

8. What movie/book/fic gripped you irrevocably?

Probably too many to count. Little House on the Prairie A Separate Peace The Road Fight Club (recently rewatching this was humbling because it showed me how much of my writerly personality seems to be inspired by the way it rearranged my brain chemicals) Bullet Train (I fucken love this movie) Lawn Dogs Box of Moonlight Harold and Maude (book & movie) Pride and Prejudice (book & movie)

9. What’s the highest compliment you’ve ever been given, and have you been given it?

I've received some absolute banger compliments, and I don't want to dismiss any in favor of others. My favorite compliments are often ...questions? Just things that let me know people really did read, absorb, and are interested in things I wrote. Also, my love language is when people think about me of their own volition. So, any time people come to me apropos of nothing or say "this reminds me of you/your characters/your writing, I giggle and kick my feet and do a lil' happy dance.

10. What defines your writing style?

Gritty, casual. If it was art, it'd be the kind with the sketchlines still visible. Deep, silly. Visceral, I hope.

Taglist and blank template under the cut!

@albatris

@capnmachete

@harmonic-melodii

@illarian-rambling

@michellekarnold

@nathaniel-zellos

@sableglass

@saturnine-saturneight

1. Is writing a hobby or way of life?

2. A journal full of writing notes or a clean, completed manuscript?

3. Who (or what) is your writing inspiration?

4.Which is worse: someone you "idolize" reading your first draft or listening to you sing?

5. Has writing from someone else's POV ever changed your own perspective?

6. Tumblr, AO3, LiveJournal, or FFN?

7. AO3 wordcount, and are you satisfied with it?

8. What movie/book/fic gripped you irrevocably?

9. What’s the highest compliment you’ve ever been given, and have you been given it?

10. What defines your writing style?

[vira-shifts]

DRs I plan to make scripts of/shift to:

Gosh, I just spent months not making ANY shifting attempts. I'm back into it now. Currently reworking plans for my Waiting Room (it's going to be a cross between a Waiting Room and it's own DR) as well as DR I don't feel like sharing quite yet...

Anyways, I'm making this list mostly for myself to keep me motivated in my shifting journey, but also to inspire anyone else to make their own DRs based on these:

Stardew Valley DR - Heard someone say it would be cool to shift somewhere where everything is pixelated. Not sure if I want that to be for this DR or if I just want to shift to a "realistic" looking Stardew Valley. To anyone who has shifted here, let me know what it's like for you I'm curious!

Spirited Away DR - Gods I love Studio Ghibli movies so much I plan on possibly shifting to Howl's Moving Castle as well, but I've always loved the spirit world in Spirited Away and wanted to know what it is like to live in and experience it from the POV of a bathhouse worker.

Backrooms/Liminal Space DR - I actually started a script for this a while back. It's going to take me a lot longer to script this one than most because I don't want there to be too many monsters or creepy stuff. Just enough to be exciting, but primarily I want to explore and try to find my way out of a liminal space world alongside a community of other survivors who no clipped there with me.

Space Exploration/Romance DR - There's a game called "Haven" that encapsulates this idea pretty well. Basically it would be me and my S/O exploring and living on an alien world. Cozy and chill, maybe a little bit of fighting here and there but nothing too extreme. I love exploring and adventuring and doing that alongside a romantic partner sounds like something right up my alley.

Little Nightmares DR - To those who know what this game is, you'd probably think I'm crazy for wanting to shift here, but here me out! There's something about the aesthetic of this game that just makes me feel so at peace and oddly nostalgic in a way I can't quite describe in words. Lots of safety affirmations so I'm never caught or eaten by any of the monsters!

Cryptid Town DR - Sleepy little town somewhere in the middle of nowhere that seems to be a hotspot for the supernatural and weird. Like a mix of Gravity Falls and Welcome to Nightvale.

[magnoliaroad]

Magnolia Road is Moving + Exciting Projects!

Hi there - Rizu here! It's been about a year since I last posted an update here. Life got really busy and pulled me away from Petz. As life calmed down I had the itch to return to some unfinished petz projects! Here's a look at some of the things I've been working on. The major one being the launch of my new home - Magnolia Road on Neocities! Keep reading for more details!

When I first launched this tumblr blog, I wanted a platform that didn't require a whole lot of set-up to get started. While it has served its usefulness as my first home in the Petz community, I need more room for the amount of content that I'm planning on making.

So I've been quietly working on a complete website overhaul and it's been such a blast. I think it will serve me better as a home for my crew and petz content. For the foreseeable future I am planning on keeping this tumblr for long-form write-ups on Petz things.

Without further ado, check it out here.

Not everything on the website is finished but I've put the 'good enough' stamp on it for now. I'm looking forward to fleshing out the pages more with some exciting content.

On that note...

Projects!

Something that I've wanted to do for a while is to create more custom content for Petz 5. Though Petz 4 is the community favorite, I feel Petz 5 has a lot of nostalgic charm and a lot of potential for quality of life upgrades. Despite Petz 5's glitches and bugs, I've by and large have learned to live around them without too much trouble and largely prefer some aspects of Petz 5 over Petz 4, such as the expanded color palette for playscenes, weather, day/night cycles, being able to carry all the toyz with you, etc.

With the new content that I am working on, I hope to inspire some more love for Petz 5 and make it a more welcoming home for your Petz!

So what am I working on? I've been working on a MASSIVE rework of the Petz 5 playscenes. They are quite dated and an eye-store in some instances.

So here's a sneak peek of what I've got going so far. These are not finished yet so these may change a bit!

I'm going for a Luxury Living theme based off of neutral beiges, greys, and gold, with a touch of rococo. I've painstakingly fixed the window sprites (they're a pixelized mess in the original), replaced the garden backdrop with my renovated back yard (see below), and gave the night scene some gentle spot lighting. No more ugly orange floor and yellow fridge.

Continuing on the Luxury Living theme, the family room gets an upgrade.

This one definitely needs more work before it is done but here's my Cozy Cabin themed room.

I've always disliked the original snow scene in that all the trees look like lifeless lumpy snow blobs. I wanted to bring back some greenery and make the scene look more vibrant. I replaced the really bland skyboxes with more realistic skies, with the night scene featuring an aurora borealis.

Inspired by my love for Lilly Pulitzer prints, this beach remodel is a more colorful upgrade over the original. I've recolored the sand to look more like....sand and less like this weird ugly yellow sand the original had. I'm planning to make a daytime one as well.

Salon upgrade. This one is very incomplete, so expect this one to change a bit. The original dresser is so hideous that it's hard to make it look "better".

And finally, perhaps my pièce de résistance and my most time consuming overhaul was the backyard. The original looks so junky with its broken fence, muted colors, and lack of landscaping. It definitely needed some more life to it. I hope I achieved that with my 4 seasons remake of the back yard. To say it was a challenge is an understatement. I had to make 3 versions for EACH season. Day, night, and stormy versions. So 12 BMPs along with the edited leaf sprites. The fall leaves are not stills - they are recolors of the original animated sprites and move in the actual playscene! I was excited to be able to pull this one off and I'm happy with how it turned out.

And lastly I've reworked the Petz 5 carrying case skin with a template that makes it easy to come up with new carrying case skins quickly.

Here's just one of the many carrying case skins that I have planned. This one matches the pattern featured in the beach remodel.

And there you have it! These are all works in progress and I can't wait to share more updates with you all. As always, thank you for stopping by!

[vikenticomeshome]

Official "Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century" Character Bios

"Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century" is a super nostalgic show to me. We didn't have cable when I was growing up, so I watched shows like that one, "The Magic School Bus", "Stargate Infinity", and "Archie's Weird Mysteries" on the Fox Box back in the day.

Now, the archives that I was able to find from the old DIC site don't have very much content for the show. they just have the synopsis and a short clip.

BEGIN SYNOPSIS

The world's greatest detective has returned - and this time, he's fighting crime in the brave new world of the 22nd century! Sherlock Holmes has been brought back from the grave to battle Professor James Moriarty, the only adversary Holmes ever considered an equal. Moriarty, accidentally cloned by an unscrupulous scientist, is determined to dominate the crime-free world of the future. To help Holmes stop him, the personality of Holmes' loyal friend and companion, Dr. Watson is programmed into the brain of an android. Co-produced with Scottish Television, this series is visually highlighted by a striking blend of traditional 2-D and 3-D CGI animation. Each thrilling, action-packed mystery is inspired by one of the actual literary classics of Arthur Conan Doyle

END SYNOPSIS

While we're on the official synopsis, I noticed something that doesn't actually line-up with the story of the show. Perhaps it is a remnant of an earlier draft of the concept that slipped through. It claims that Moriarty was "accidentally" cloned. In the proper series, the unscrupulous scientist, Martin Fenwick, cloned Moriarty deliberately. He traveled to Reichenbach Falls, found Moriarty's preserved corpse, and took DNA from him. It was Fenwick's intention that Moriarty would become his henchman. Naturally, Moriarty made himself boss instead.

Anyway, while DIC didn't provide much information, there was another group that had more.

Kidsnet.org was a group that produced supplementary educational materials for various kids shows and movies from back in the day. Their website is still viewable in the WayBack machine.

They had a combination poster and study guide for "Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century".

This is where we get the official character bios, with the blessing of Fox, DIC, and Scottish Television. Before I figured out the original source, I had seen these bios on fan-sites in low-quality cropped forms. I couldn't find any existing postings of the high-quality versions of the bios, so it may have only existed on the WayBack Machine. Well, now I'm posting the high-quality versions here.

Big thanks to suburbanbanshee.net, the fan-site that showed off the cropped versions and provided the link to kidsnet.org.

BEGIN SHERLOCK HOLMES BIO

Sherlock Holmes, the world's greatest detective, is a gentleman with a keen sense of tradition and a wry wit who still wears his trademark cape and deerstalker hat. When Holmes is involved in a case he tunes out everything else around him because he's always thinking, solving mysteries and fighting crime with his brain, not his brawn.

END SHERLOCK HOLMES BIO

To be fair, he does plenty of cane fighting in the show as well. He also appears to have kicked his drug habits for this incarnation.

BEGIN DR. JOHN WATSON BIO

The John Watson of old was a physician, a writer and a bit of a bungler. Now, his personality has been programmed into the brain of an android. He is very logical and precise when it comes to handling details, but at a loss when faced with situations that don't make sense to his brand of logic (precisely the circumstances where Holmes shines).

END DR. JOHN WATSON BIO

I feel like this bio doesn't really give either the 19th century Watson or the 22nd century Watson proper respect. The 19th century Watson was one of the few people that Holmes genuinely cared about, and he was instrumental to solving several cases. The 22nd Century Watson has a magic scanner that allows him to find evidence that Holmes could not gather with only his eyes and brains.

BEGIN INSPECTOR ELIZABETH "BETH" LESTRADE BIO

Lestrade is impetuous and volatile, the exact opposite of Holmes. The two often clash over how to handle cases. Lestrade's ancestor was a Scotland Yard inspector who worked with Holmes on many cases in the 19th century. Lestrade often locks horns with her New Scotland Yard boss, Chief Inspector Grayson, who grows impatient with he impulsive ways. Lestrade is Holmes's and Watson's guide to the manners, mores and the technology of the London of the future.

END INSPECTOR ELIZABETH "BETH" LESTRADE BIO

Some of the wording here is weird to me. I can understand her acting as a guide to Holmes as he adjusts to the 22nd century. However, Watson is a Scottland Yard robot who already has all of that information. Reading the original Watson's journals allowed him to take on the original Watson's personality as his own. However, that didn't wipe out his 22nd century knowledge.

Her special move is a flying kick.

BEGIN PROFESSOR JAMES MORIARTY BIO

With his extensive knowledge of mathematics and philosophy, Moriarty's brilliance is undeniable. Just as in the 19th century, however, Holmes' evil adversary uses his profound intellect to pursue power and wreak havoc. His mastery of 22nd century computer allows him to control his futuristic crime wave over cyberspace. Professor Moriarty has become a twisted half-man, half-machine bent on world domination.

END PROFESSOR JAMES MORIARTY BIO

Okay, there are a few things here that aren't reflected in the final show. They must be remnants of an earlier draft of the concept. While Moriarty runs a wide variety of evil schemes, the Internet is never a prominent part of his schemes. I can think of two examples where the Internet was involved. There was "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire Lot", which involved hacking into banking systems. They talk about the systems being drained by the titular vampire, but there's never any mention of money or data being stolen. The systems are just taken offline and are temporarily unable to be brought back up. And then, there was "The Adventure of the Mazarin Chip", where Moriarty created a prefect virtual recreation of the Prime Minister's office and used it to break the economy.

And what are they talking about with him being half-man, half-machine? The final show never suggests that he is anything other than a fully organic clone. I like the idea of Cyborg Moriarty, but the show didn't go for it in the end.

BEGIN BAKER STREET IRREGULARS BIO

This diverse band of street kids is Holmes's secret weapon in his war on crime. Wiggins, the 16 year old leader with boxing training and a photographic memory, 11 year old Tennyson, the match and computer whiz, and 12 year old Deidre, a precocious, reformed scam artist are Holmes's eyes and ears in the streets of New London.

END BAKER STREET IRREGULARS BIO

I don't remember Wiggins being described as having a photographic memory in the show, so maybe this is something that was changed. He does mention training as a boxer though.

Huh. I always figured Deidre was around 14 or 15. But no, the official materials say she is only 12. Either way, she is presented as a reformed con artist. In the episode "The Secret Safe", she tells Holmes about a shop that will act as a fence for expensive stolen goods, which is worrying.

We never see the kids' families, nor do we get much insight into their home lives. We don't get a good view on why they got into pulling cons. We see Deidre's bedroom during "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire Lot". So, we know she has somewhere to live. It looks pretty comfy, and it isn't falling apart. But that's the most insight that the show gives us into her home life. I don't think we ever see inside Wiggin's or Tennyson's homes.

I don't remember many interactions between Holmes and the new Irregulars outside of case-solving. However, plenty of fans reason that Holmes has been helping them get a proper education and move away from pulling cons.

I do wish the kids had gotten individual bios. Because all three were crammed together into one bio, we don't get much information on them.

And there we have it. I should make some posts with my thoughts on various episodes, similar to what I start doing with Cyberchase. Given that this show is finished with 26 episodes, while Cyberchase is on-going with 148 episodes so far, that would be the easier task.

[unlikelyjapan]

s2e2 rewatch notes

Back on the horse - less wine this time, but probably some of the same analysis you've heard before:

Carmy + Syd all matchy-matchy walking down the hall to "She Drives Me Crazy" by fine young cannibals <3 - and Carmy so badly wants to learn more details about her Dad in that scene.

After sawing open the locker, Carmy immediately passes the hat to Richie (knowing that will give him the kind of comfort he needs) and then instantly moves to self-soothing himself by asking Sydney over to the apartment to work on the menu.

Someone on here already pointed this out, but I didn't see how marked it was until a rewatch - Marcus was *totally* trying to divert Syd's attention right after the invite by requesting "more inspiration" (even syd seems surprised by the timing). There wasn't even a scene break, so we can't blame it on editing - they're really working OT to draw our attention to the 'triangle'.

Carmy's "at least you can rely on him. Is your mom cool" - "So, your dad...." man he's really needling her, this episode is a lot of him trying to connect and getting (nicely) rebuffed - I can't imagine how those soft slights play over in his messed-up head.

Sugar's whole toilet monologue "We don't try new things - we keep doing the exact same things with the exact same people" followed in the next beat by "Who doesn't want easy? Who doesn't want to just be fucking okay?" was a (maybe too tidy) synopsis for the whole series. It's Ebra vs. Tina's perspectives. It's Carmy with Claire vs. Syd. It's Richie's aversion to change vs. understanding his life needs to move on by force.

To be honest, the whole saccharine meet-cute vs. Syd with her Dad parallel play was harder to sit through the second time, but I did it:

The Radiator story was offered up about Syd's mom being more competent than Emmanuel, and how that made her so attractive to him. This is followed by Syd revealing how high the stakes and sacrifices are with her and Carmy with the relationship restaurant.

Emmanuel has an inkling that Carmy is "the man" from the radiator story, and (protective dad-mode activated) his daughter as far too equally competent and vulnerable for such an arrangement (which is on the nose, given these scenes are spliced with foreshadowing at the grocery store).

Followed by Syd revealing how high the stakes and sacrifice are with her and Carmy and the pursuit of the restaurant - her dad seeing carmy as "the man" and her as far too competent for such a hashed arrangement.

Emmanuel says "The restaurants - they're hard and they don't work out" - it's almost like he's echoing/warning her about a relationship with Carmy. "It doesn't mean that YOU won't" - this is literally how all conversations go with concerned parents after you bust out a spontaneous engagement announcement, ha.

Syd gives the classic rebuttal - "I'm in a better place in my life - I've learned a lot of lessons - I know what I'm doing"

After he asks if she trusts him, and after a quiet moment she scoffs - it's almost like she's thinking about saying something else before she pivots and talks about it being weird that she's older than her mom was when she died now, bringing it back to something she knows he can relate to.

She also doesn't quite believe she's "just as wonderful" as her mom - and/or can't take compliments. Syds are made in the same factory that Carmy's come from I guess *sobs*

MEANWHILE - standard meet-cute stuff and bashful Carm, until Carmy almost seems taken aback when Claire says ""because I wanted to understand it" re: the whole broken-arm thing. He takes a beat, looking away, before stuttering his throwaway "th...that was at roosevelt?" line. It obviously derailed him, as it doesn't compute with his idea of care.

I didn't catch this before, but the conviction in the whole "Because you're the bear and I remember you" line delivery is more forceful and less murmured than all the other lines - if you think she's guessing/nostalgic/riffing with him here, I have a bridge to sell you. She talks with Fak, Tiff etc - girl is on her game with reconissance.

[raccoonfallsharder]

idk if u remember string cheese anon but hi, it's me

honestly I might just send asks occasionally when I do mundane things that I think rocket would have interesting reactions to because I'm bored :P

I think he'd find coloring books really weird at first but then secretly do urs when u aren't looking (and if he's anything like me, he would see one of those "adult" ones that's needlessly complicated with the patterns and despise it for doing too much, but maybe he wants it to be complicated. it's overwhelming for me tho lmao)

ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ STRING CHEESE NONNIE. how could i possibly forget you? please. you inspired some of my most delightful imaginings in the last few weeks and i am grateful for your presence in my asks!

no pressure but if you DO decide to send mundane things you think rocket would have an interest in, i would be eternally delighted

as you know, of course, rocket didn't really get a childhood. even the lovely memories he might've had playing tag with lylla & teefs & floor are more bittersweet than nostalgic. so when you tell him that coloring is relaxing and meditative and that it reminds you of being a little kid, he just blinks at you, and scoffs, and goes about his day.

but he pays attention. he watches you. and you seem to really enjoy it. and rocket doesn't like to miss out, so after you go to bed one night, he flips through your coloring book and opens your box of crayons.

they smell weird. waxy. he likes the feel of the fibrous paper wrappers under his fingers, though.

maybe if he had torn out the pages he'd ended up coloring, you wouldn't have noticed his additions so quickly. or if he'd just been more normal about his coloring. but rocket's style is too meticulous. unique. the colors he chooses don't always make sense - how d'you know? you ain't been around the universe long enough yet to say what's weird an' what's not, he reminds you smugly when you confront him. on the other hand, you realize that you have no idea what the high evolutionary did to his eyes. maybe he still can't see red - or maybe he sees more colors than a terran human like yourself could even dream of. either way, each stroke of color is deliberately applied. in fact, rocket's probably one of those people who adds more detail into the pictures: makes the boring humans look like other lifeforms he met once, or changes their clothes to reflect something he saw one time on a space station out in the lumyra system. i imagine he's actually really good at drawing in a particular, precise sort of way - he maybe hasn't consumed a lot of narrative or conceptual art, but he can glance at a mechanical diagram and flawlessly recreate it years later.

in any case, he's realized you're right. there's something relaxing about it - pulling color out across a soft sheet of paper. changing it. making something of it. it's liberating. it's freeing. he can do whatever he wants. go wherever he wants. he particularly likes it when you bring out older coloring books - the waxy smell has grown on him, combined with the scent of the shabby-soft, faded paper. he likes the simpler images over the more complex ones, too - but mostly because it leaves him more room to create what he wants on the page.

next time mantis stops by, she brings some coloring books that quill had sent along from terra. you and rocket pour over them, exploring each page. after he's done with captain-shit for the night, he takes a break from the new ship he's been building to sit with you and color in the common area.

it ain't like being a kid again, he tells you one night, thoughtfully.

you blink over at him. what?

coloring, he says. it ain't like being a kid again.

you wait, looking over at him while he thoughtfully selects another crayon.

being a kid was bein in a cage, he tells you quietly, turning his eyes back to his page and pressing the waxy tip into the paper. he doesn't look up.

this is like flyin.

[otakween]

Digimon Tamers - Episode 14

Oh snap! The plot be plottin'! Yamaki's (finally learned his name) plot to destroy all digimon fails spectacularly and instead he creates a rift between both worlds and -checks notes- Mihiramon (a perfect level) comes through. We also get a bunch of new stuff introduced this time: using cards to digivolve, Takato being "connected" to Guilmon, and Guilmon's perfect digivolution MegaloGrowmon! Still don't fully know what's going on, but there are more mysteries to solve now which means I'm more invested :)

Notes:

That skyscraper they keep showing with the two towers...is that a real building in Shibuya or something made up for the anime? I tried googling this, but found nothing.

The silhouetted digimon flying into their doom was pretty creepy. Kinda reminds me of all of the souls floating around in the Underworld in Hercules (but like...in the sky instead)

So the enemy digimon acknowledge that they were created by humans but they only obey their "God." For a second I was like "but isn't your God supposed to be your creator??" but that's not necessarily the case in a lot of polytheistic religions, so I guess anything goes.

Yamaki casually chokes out Jian and Terriermon barely reacts ("that guy's rude!") lol wtf

Two very ugly digimon designs in this episode: Mihiramon (weird name) and MegaloGrowmon. Mihiramon looks like he was designed by an 8 year old (I had to laugh when they showed his nunchuck tail) and MegaloGrowmon is just profoundly derpy. Kinda looks like it hurts to be him and he's lost a lot of ability to emote because there's way too much going on with his face.

Considering the timing of when this anime came out, I bet Matrix Evolution was inspired by the coolness of The Matrix for sure. I doubt the name has much meaning aside from sounding neat.

Lots of big hits to the digimon in this one, Renamon falls off of a sky scraper and makes a huge dent in the concrete below and yet apparently takes zero fall damage. Growmon gets his entire side chomped on by Mihiramon and is also okay I guess (maybe digivolving to MegaloGrowmon healed him?)

Galgomon is apparently just braindead because he fully shoots at the open air for a weirdly long time during his fight. Also...apparently he can run out of ammo which I didn't see coming. How the heck does that work? Where does the ammo come from? When he runs out is that it until he de-digivolves and then digivolves again? So many questions...

So Takato is linked to Guilmon physically and was able to create him from a drawing...there's gotta be some connection there...

Suddenly Takato's friends are okay with him being an IRL digimon tamer. I guess they had to fully see him in action to respect it. Seems a little two faced of them...

Culumon was pretty prominent in the matrix evolution sequence...(but why tho)

Megalomon's digivolution sequence was in that charming early CGI. Doesn't look fantastic, but it's nostalgic. I think I can see some improvement from earlier seasons at least. Actually I think these mecha-esque designs sometimes look better in the CGI and then look awkward in the 2D animation.

[phrandallanton]

Dream I had

I was friends/living with Randal and Sebastian. I also think my dad was there as like our guardian or something. We played weird stupid games and the house had a leak so there was just water to our calves the whole time. I kept imagining how cool it would be if I made a really realistic nightmare Chica cosplay and got into this nasty water. Then we got food and I was telling my dad I wanted to go back home. I guess he wasn't my dad in my dream. That or I wanted Randal and Sebastian to get out of our house I was getting sick of them lol.

Then my mom got some designer job but then she gave it to me because I'd be better at it I guess.I'm now in this weird laboratory, gives off the vibe of a horror video game map you would of played on the Playstation 2. Green and gray, nostalgic feeling. I have to create some character where their main focus where their sandals but those sandals had to give off lots of sex appeal.

There was these group of people smoking and on a couch talking to me. They where in the same job I was and I was talking to them. They main lady that was talking to me had a hookah pipe, had red curly hair but not like ginger like actually dyed red hair, a yellow dress, and winged eyeliner. They all loved me cause of how I was so interested in character designing and how much I already knew. Then people where going outside to see 4th of July fire works but outside the whole house was like a carnival and kids where all dressed up like it was Halloween.

I went back outside and I want to say I met back up with Randal and Sebastian but I honestly don't remember. I then walked around the whole Halloween like carnival. This kid that was probably 15-16 that was wearing a wolf outfit then came up to me, he was trying to get with me or something. I told him something on the lines of "No you're not old enough for and I'm not interested in dating right now" and he imedently left all mad.

I then nearly got hit by a go cart. And then there was pig racing but there was no fence. So then a pig came out and tried to attack me. It was extreamly round and big buy the head was small and looked like a humans face more then a pig's. I climbed a pole trying to get away from it but the pig could climb too. Then the the guy who was talking about the pig race started to tell everyone about how these pigs could climb and are also really dangerous. I some how got down.

The dream ended after I got inspired for the lady with sex appealing sandals and then went back into the lab to get on this weird computer thing. But I couldn't work the programs cause it was like people could only use sertant things at a time, and I overall didn't know where to go so I asked the lady next to me. Everyone then got mad and made fun I was a newbie.

The end.

8/10

It was off putting but playing in the dirty water with Randal while Sebastian complained about it being gross was fun. Also sex appealing sandals, like not that the shoe gives you more sex appeal it's just the shoe that's sex appealing is really funny to me.

[hpowellsmith]

March Reading

I read a lot of books this month, and had great luck with how much I enjoyed them! Favourites are bolded.

Brute: Stories of Dark Desire, Masculinity & Rough Trade - ed. Steve Berman

A collection of dark erotica stories about queer men: a variety of horror, thriller, and character studies. Some didn't entirely land for me as they were just a bit too gruesome for me to entirely enjoy, but I did love 'Dark, Firm, and Dry' by Rien Gray, 'Dick Pig' by Ian Muneshwar, and 'The Boy Who Went Forth To Learn What Fear Was by LC Von Hessen'; 'Suitcase Sam' by Tom Cardamone was horrific enough to disturb me afterwards. There were a few trans guy protagonists but amid a lot of lovingly-described gigantic cis men, trans men didn't get described as objects of desire; it made me realise how much I'd like to read more erotica or steamy romance where a trans man is written in the lavish/idealised/thirsty way a lot of the cis men were in this collection. It was also interesting that most of the protagonists were strongly submissive; it's sparked off a lot of offline conversations about erotic fiction and depictions of kink therein, and my own thoughts about how I write erotic scenes (though I don't consider what I write intensely kinky). I'd enjoy writing more about this subject but I'm not sure Tumblr is the place for it; maybe a blogpost one day?

Love Kills Twice - Rien Gray

I adored this high-heat F/NBi romantic suspense book. The characters were hot and appealing, with a lot of substance and groundedness to them along with it. The plot was tight and I devoured the whole thing at top speed. Much recommended!

The Salt Path - Raynor Winn

A memoir about a fifty-year-old farmer and her husband who became homeless and walked England's South West Coast Path. Powerful and evocative in places: I enjoyed it, though some of the descriptions and dialogue of the people encountered melted into one another a bit. I'm realising that I rather like these people-hit-rock-bottom-and-walk-in-the-wilderness-about-it books. They always inspire me to look outward and get outdoors, albeit in a lower-key way.

The Eye in the Door - Pat Barker (reread)

This was quite nostalgic for me, because I read it a long time ago (before the first in the series, actually). I like elements of it more than Regeneration - getting to know Billy Prior better, the city scenes, depiction of queerness and homophobia beyond what Siegfried Sassoon talks about in Regeneration, some of the socialist politics and class consciousness - but the main plot hadn't fully stuck with me. I think I see why: there are several long sequences that I found hard to focus on, and some of it is a bit strange, veering into depictions of multiple-personality-disorder that have been pretty debunked nowadays. Still, I enjoyed revisiting it. The sense that William Rivers is on the verge of breakdown feels palpable and gripping.

Love Bleeds Deep - Rien Gray

Justine and Campbell are on a not-so-idyllic not-exactly-honeymoon in France, growing accustomed to life together and the combination of enjoying a private life and Campbell's deadly occupation. This doesn't shy away from the psychological damage both leads have suffered, while also showing exactly how much they mean to each other. Again I loved it just as much as the first one.

Love Burns Bright - Rien Gray

So many romance books focus on the sexy getting-together part, and sequels don't always keep the spark going. But this series is so good for that and for keeping the emotional connections between the gorgeous characters. In this one, we meet Justine's family, which is already fraught as Justine wasn't in a position to be in touch with them for a long time - but things soon get complicated. I loved it.

A Love So Dark - Rien Gray

Such a good finale for an amazing dark queer romance series! The relationship between Justine and Campbell is beautifully drawn and as hot as ever - no weird misunderstandings or other relationship-drama nonsense - but their situation is anything but settled as some consequences from earlier books come back to haunt them. What a fantastic series this is! Some of the books I've read about nonbinary characters treat them as learning opportunities, or as nice best friends, or as a vehicle for positive rep, and I can't tell you how refreshing it is to see a fully-formed, hot, flawed, adult nonbinary character making their way through excellent thriller plots. I love Campbell and Justine and I'm sorry to see them go, but it was an amazing ride with them.

Valerin the Fair - Rien Gray

A beautifully-written fantasy novella, the first in the Out of True series about sapphic knights. The details are so lovely - they remind me of what I loved about the prose style in Spear by Nicola Griffith - and the intimate scenes are stunning. You can download this for free, so if this sounds like your cup of tea, do give it a look!

[two-reflections]

how you feel about your current WIP

Which one, hahahahaaa...

Thanks for asking, it's always good to do a WIP audit. Let's do it as a numbered list. Only going for the multi-chapter stories here. I also have a lot of oneshots in varying states of completion.

Non Warhammer 40k stories are under the Read More.

Carrion's Heir - Technically not a WIP, but not fully uploaded yet. It would have been a better story if I hadn't had to follow a set of prompts, but that was how the challenge I wrote it for worked. Still, I love the main character and his story arc. May come back to it in the future.

Of Steel and Flesh - Started off as a quick series of campaign-inspired drabbles, but became its own thing. I kind of love it and kind of hate it sometimes. Maybe I should have just left it as a bunch of tiny vignettes. I am committed to finishing it, though. Again, I care a lot about the main characters, and I REALLY like the Dark Mechanicum sect in it.

Even in Death - MY BELOVED. MY DARLING. MY SWEET, SELF-INDULGENT DREADNOUGHT-BASED BABY. Putting this one off to finish other projects hurts so bad. I want to write the rest of this ASAP.

[Unnamed Techmarine Story] - This is about my character Bai'keti's 30 years on Mars. It's less about his training and more about what being so far from his brothers and culture is like, the difficulty of adopting a new culture, and his intense friendship with another techmarine in training from the Dragonspears chapter. I'll probably never upload this one because I'm not too familiar with what Mars in 40k is like beyond "Admech and the Void Dragon live here." Plus, it's based on my own time as an International student at a particularly weird British University. It makes me feel nostalgic for the rare good times, and also SO freaking glad I survived my time and am not there any more. Hated my Uni so much. This WIP is also on the back burner at like 12k words, will probably pick it back up in the autumn.

[Unnamed Salamander Story] - The story of Val'ten's first year in the Salamanders' 6th company. Includes a romance between him and his brander priest, but it's mostly about various missions and adventures, how he settles to life as a Salamander brother, and his attempt to grow a little garden in his downtime. This one is my most long-term wh40k project since I came up with Val'ten in 2017 for a completely different (and much worse) fic. His story has been stuck at around 60k words for months because it's on the back burner while I finish other things, but this is the story I think about in the shower, when I'm waiting in a queue, when I'm on the train. It's so important to me.

Other fandoms and Original Work

The Name Within - A leftover from my Kingdom Hearts Days. It's about Isa straightening out his head after everything that happened in KH3, and coming to terms with perhaps never functioning like a normal human after experiencing literal dehumanization at a pivotal age. I've linked it because it's on Ao3, but I wouldn't bother checking it out, it's probably not worth reading unless you really like this one particular dude. It's been missing around two paragraphs to finish for years. I should just bash those out and finish it, but it's hard to find the keen for it now.

Big Name on Campus/The Dream He Was Given - Temporary names for two fanfics based on a very old Sci-Fi manga. One is a weird fix-it-fic, the other is based on the University career of my favourite character, the chronically ill director of a medical center. I know, another university story, but I swear this one's not primarily based on my experience; rather, on watching my parents' students over the years. Decent chance I will never finish these two, there's no English-speaking audience for this comic so they're only for me. I love BNOC, though. The other, I could take or leave.

Twisted Links - Original story. After a series of international incidents and corporate takeovers, HR Agent Marley from the Pan-Martian Corporation ends up as temporary site director for a radio telescope in the Caribbean with secret instructions to ensure the Corp's permanent control of the site. Unbeknownst to Marley, local engineer and anti-colonialism activist Victor is struggling to hide a rogue Pan-Martian AI which caused a major international incident several decades before. Will Victor be able to keep the AI secret, or will Marley find out that there's a second being living inside Victor's head? Whose vision for the future of the telescope will become reality, or will the whole place shut down? The first 20k words of this story secured me a first-class Master's degree, but just as I was gearing up to write the rest, the catastrophic demise of the telescope where I grew up happened. I miss this story and want to go back to it but... Trauma...

[kithtaehyung]

15, 16, 27, 32, 44 :3

HI FRANKIEEE love the pics so let's get it!

15.  How do you deal with writer’s block?

oooo definitely a location change is the first thing i try. so like, if i can't get any work done at home, i venture out and go to a cafe or somewhere else to try. if that doesn't work, i put it down and wait until something inspires me, whether from movies or shows or art!

16.  How many drafts do you need until you’re satisfied with a project?

lmfaooooo sometimes it's two, sometimes it's (draft) (redraft) (scraps) (mixed draft) (draft to post) (post), all separate docs lol

27.  Favourite line/scene

man, y'all.. i still really, really like the firepit scene in last november. but there's also a lot of scenes in three tangerines that are so dear to me, too. shout-out to that balcony that i find myself on, years later. or that kitchen, still so vivid in my mind and will forever be. if i can pick a favorite line for now.. it would be this one in fireworks:

More bursts of brilliance boom and break spots in the dark night, and you rest your cup on the railing before gripping the wood with both hands.  Hands down, this is the most content you’ve felt all night. And the most contemplative. You almost feel nostalgic for the exact same moment you’re living, which you didn’t think was possible until now. Your words leave you in puffs of white,  “It’s so weird how you can love something you’re afraid of.”

32.  Most difficult character to write

already answered this, but i would also go with a character that i haven't released yet! it's fashion ceo!taehyung, and he is.. quite the one to write lmfao

44.  How much research do you do?

depends on the subject matter! if i need to fact-check myself, then i'm gonna at least do the bare minimum. if there's something more extensive, then i'd do a little more work. since most of what i've written so far is slice of life, i haven't had to do too much!

these were amazing! thank you so so much for asking. it's actually really fun talking about these with y'all

writer ask game questions!

[ratgirlexe]

hi i just binged myosotis all at once and loved iittttt! This might be a weird question, but how long have you been reading hdg? Because halfway through the story i felt compelled to scroll back up and double-check the date it was first posted - it really reads like an early HDG work. I'm not sure I can thoroughly elucidate exactly what gives me that impression (because I'm pretty sleepy rn lol) but reading it really makes me feel like I'm back on ROM in 2021 after my daily check of the front page for more fics in "that weird new plant alien setting" :P

My sleep-deprived rambling aside, the sensation is vaguely nostalgic and deeply enjoyable. Thank you for your lovely story and I so so so look forward to more! I'll also probably binge everything else you've written in the coming days ^w^

Ah! This is such a nice compliment, thank you! I've only been reading for about 3 months, but a *lot* of what I've read has been older stuff. (it might be way *too* obvious) but Wellness Check was a huge inspiration for me, and a really wonderful story to read that I'll probably be thinking about in one way or another for the rest of my life. I don't necessarily know what the differences are between the older stuff and newer stuff, since I haven't read as much of the newer stuff folks have released, but hopefully I'll be able to get to some newer stories in time! Rambling aside, I really appreciate your readership and I'm glad that you're enjoying!