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podcastenthusiast · 8 months ago

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Dead Boy Detectives Fic Rec List

Mostly payneland <3 I will update as I find more fics.

“I don’t like this, mate,” Charles muttered.

The Things We Can, and Cannot, Do by MDJensen

Paul Rowland is dead. It's not just that, though.

Oh, Lonely Bones, Have You Forgotten? by DontOffendTheBees

“No,” Edwin agreed, gravely. “Nor do I.”

Frankly, taking this case was probably an unwise decision. The meagre payment offered by the sickly-looking ghost of the old groundskeeper would fall far, far short of the emotional cost of the expedition. And yet when Edwin had looked over to Charles and met his eyes, there had been no doubt, no hesitation. Perhaps it was the notion of unfinished business; that mysterious force that compelled ghosts to sites of personal trauma as sirens compelled sailors to the unforgiving rocks. Perhaps they were both mere gluttons for punishment.

Either way, they were here now. It was with heavy hearts and wary eyes that on the evening of June twenty-sixth, Edwin and Charles – along with Crystal – set foot once more on the grounds of St. Hilarion's School for Boys. In which a very, very old case is re-opened.

Mom Says It's My Turn to Jump on the Grenade by RoseGanymede95

Charles tried to pay attention, because Edwin was really upset, and Charles still didn’t understand why, and it seemed like this might be important. It was just, they’d been at this for a while, and Edwin kept asking him the same questions and not leaving him time to answer, so. His mind may have wandered a bit to how he would reinforce the next cricket bat. His attention snapped back to the present when Edwin said, “This can’t happen. You can’t risk this, I can’t be the reason you risk it. You have to move on.” “Move on?” Charles repeated blankly. “Move on from what?” “From here, Charles!” Edwin shouted, suddenly furious again, suddenly shouting even though his eyes were filled with tears. “You have to go with Death! You have to leave!” “I don’t want to go with Her,” Charles said, nonplussed. “Fine, that’s your business, but you can’t keep hanging around me!” Edwin snapped. Charles’ world suddenly tilted on its axis, sending everything askew. “I can’t?” he asked, his voice small, his heart wide open and exposed.

Let me bleed instead of you by mellxncollie

The question rang like a cracked bell in what had only just become someplace Edwin had started to contemplate calling home. “What was Hell like?” - Charles and Edwin keep secrets from one another. The list isn't long, but it's not empty. Eventually, they start tumbling out in soft whispers, in tear-reddened eyes, in shocked expressions, in choked up phrases.

Or, 40 years and 8 secrets.

Indelible by Arisprite

Charles is feeling a lot and also not much at all in the immediate aftermath of returning from Hell. He also can tell Edwin is wearing thin from holding himself together. Who wouldn't be, after that? It's okay, though. Charles can take care of him, and he always always will.

Done Running by Asidian

Charles has gone a peculiar off color, all the blood blanched from his cheeks. He glances to the arm, and then back up to Edwin's face. "Any break's a bad break, innit?"

"Some have more drawbacks than others," says Edwin, detached and scholarly. "For instance, unless the nerves are compromised, it is possible to make use of the injured arm in cases of extreme –"

"Bloody hell," breathes Charles.

Joi de Vivre by olympus_mons

Edwin Payne crawls out of Hell twice. Somehow, his problems begin in the aftermath.

so many ways to give in by piilu

“I think there’s something really wrong with me, mate,” Charles sobs, the remains of the bat falling from his hand. ---- Charles struggles with his anger issues. Again.

A Room of One's Own by DarkStars (Worlds_Okayest_Goalie)

Crystal is so tired of watching Charles and Edwin stare longingly at each other. OR 5 times Crystal tells Charles and Edwin to get a room and 1 time they do.

Shape Me by dearheartdont

At least twice a year Charles and his mum packed their cases and caught a train to Birmingham, leaving his dad behind with a freezer full of carefully labelled Tupperware.

Charles Rowland and his relationship with his extended family and heritage.

(Part of a series of snapshots of Charles’ life in the 1980s.)

half of my soul, as the poets say by thegirlofthorns

Edwin existed, just as Charles had. Charles, who occupied a space in loving memory. A much-deserved space – Edwin would have wanted it no other way – but the core of him wanted to scream that he had been here, too. He never would be again, but he had lived, and he had breathed and laughed and moved with too much frippery and frill to continue on breathing, and he had been a whole person, once. And it had not mattered. So looked at CHARLES ROWLAND through tears, allowed himself to. Even Charles's hammer on metal on stone was not enough to dull the pain, but it was enough to remind him that he was still here, even if he was no longer living. It was an awful sound, a jarring sound, and tears shone in Charles’s eyes as he focused intently on carving out the A in his surname, but it was something. They were there, together, and they were feeling.

- Or, Charles finds Edwin's unmarked grave and will, in the lightest of terms, not be having it.

Terrible, Horrible, No Good, and Very Bad by hibye

It was about the torture. The torture he was experiencing presently, and also every minute of every hour of every day, standing alongside Edwin Payne and saying nothing out of the ordinary at all.

O Spirit From The Great Beyond! by InTwainFiction

Edwin is ignoring Charles.

They haven't spoken in almost twelve hours, and all because of a little incident involving some puppies. Yes, said incident may have been Charles' fault, but he has apologised a million times.

Charles is getting desperate to find a way to get Edwin to talk to him again, and a little walk away from the office provides just the thing Charles needs.

He hopes it will get Edwin to talk to him, but at the very least it will be a laugh.

a beautiful day to say goodbye by ofstitches

“The house is… sad,” the client responds.

“Again, we can’t help with selling the house. Maybe try some decorations. That’ll brighten the old place up,” Charles suggests.

“No, you misunderstand. The house doesn’t look sad. The house is sad. It is depressed.”

“How do you figure?” Edwin says, sitting up in his chair now that the client has said something potentially interesting.

or A new case brings up old feelings, and maybe something more.

A Heaven Like They Talk About by LikeMmCookies

After managing to piss off yet another witch, Edwin and Charles are cursed as punishment. Bewildered, powerless, and lacking answers, they face their greatest challenge yet: being human again.

With Edwin doing novel things like picking out shampoo and wearing different pants, Charles finds his body reacting in strange ways to his best friend. He questions if these are new feelings, or if they'd been there all along.

But the biggest question remains - do they stay alive or do they find a way to go back?

being unknown by The_IPRE

Edwin does know Charles, or at least he likes to think that he does. He knows that Charles is far better with the clients than he is, quick to offer a smile or extend sympathy while Edwin is far more interested in delving deeper into the details of the case. He knows that Charles has a wicked swing with his cricket bat, but prefers to leave that as a second resort when he believes there's a way for them to come to a compromise. He knows that Charles chooses to hope for the best from people, even after having seen the worst they have to offer–and in fact, having been killed by it.

As Charles sits in front of him, the strain in his shoulders at odds with the easy grin on his face, Edwin wonders how much of his friend he is failing to see. -- 5 times Edwin didn't press the issue, and one time he did.

The Kind of Light That Means Just Love (When My Baby Smiles at Me) by DontOffendTheBees

“Charles,” Edwin admonished, gently closing his book with a finger tucked between the pages to hold his place. “I have asked you to stop fooling around with that contraption and get some work done.”

“I have been!” Charles defended, gesturing broadly at the higgledy-piggledy array of items around him. Evidently, taking stock of the contents of his bag of tricks was an expansive task. “Taking a break.” He snatched the small square of paper from the Polaroid camera and began to shake it with abandon. In which Charles partakes in some amateur ghost photography, and Edwin (fondly) bemoans the futility of the exercise.

The Good Left Undone by plutosheaven

Help comes from unlikely places when Edwin is once again faced with a threat worse than death.

the phantoms here will never have their fill by ahyperactivehero (ahyperactiverhero)

Poltergeists are created when a ghost experiences extreme emotional distress. Poltergeists are notoriously hard to reign in, and they almost never gently move on. Neither Edwin nor Charles ever imagined it would happen to them.

Basically, five times where the Dead Boy Detective Agency dealt with the threat of a poltergeist.

XXX

“Once you choose to go down the poltergeist route there is no coming back,” Edwin said. “And I will have no choice but to follow you.”

“You can’t do that mate,” Charles said. His voice had cleared up some, his form less wavy.

“Then do not go where I cannot follow,” Edwin said.

Form 239, Schedule L by sanctuary_for_all

At the top of a small pile of papers was a copy of Form 239, Schedule L, filled out with achingly familiar handwriting. At the top, the word "Approved" was stamped in large red letters.

This Darkness, Enduring by kickingtheladder

“Your son is gone,” they tell her. “It was… an Act of God.”

She cannot think of a single thing to say for a very long moment. And then she has many things to say, most of which are not at all appropriate for polite company. --- Edwin Payne's mother, before and after.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by kickingtheladder

“Your son is gone," they tell her. "He ran away." She doesn't say anything. --- Charles Rowland's mother, afterwards.

dreaming of the things you said / hoping that it's meant by ohmyfuckinggod420

Edwin turns away with a deep breath, ignoring the fluttering in his stomach. His non-existent, ghostly stomach. It seems so ridiculously cruel and on theme for his current situation. Not only is he in love with his best friend, and not only does his best friend not love him back, but he’s feeling things that he shouldn’t be feeling on top of things that he physically should not be able to feel. or

The gang is back in London. Niko is gone, Crystal is on the cusp of a breakdown, Charles is still a flirt, and Edwin is... trying his best.

Oh, and he keeps feeling his pulse. As a ghost. A very dead ghost.

The trouble really never ends.

the ghost of the past that you live in by ObsessedWithFandom

It didn’t start as much. As anything, really. Charles noticed him in the hallways only because he was new, which was rare in Year 11, and because he smiled shyly whenever Charles said hi. Aysar, he’d introduced himself, and Charles liked the way the syllables formed in his mouth. He wanted to be Aysar’s friend.

Or: five boys Charles didn't date, and one he did.

Aftermath by sophisticatedyet

“What are you humming?”

Charles’ polo muffled his question, and the pause before Charles answered was so long that Edwin wondered if he hadn’t heard him at all. But then he said, "A lullaby.”

The answer made Edwin smile bemusedly. “Why? I can't fall asleep.”

“Yeah, duh, I know. It's just meant to soothing.”

“Oh.” Edwin rested his head back against Charles’ chest. “I suppose I do feel quite soothed.”

Dance the Night by Gruoch

“What is that?” Crystal asks, looking Edwin up and down with an expression of abject befuddlement that borders on disgust.

“It is my disguise,” Edwin replies a little stiffly in response to her tone. “You told me to wear a disguise.”

“You look like Margaret Thatcher,” Crystal says flatly. “You’re going undercover at a nightclub, not a library. This—“ she plucks at Edwin’s long tweed skirt, her lip curling— “is not appropriate nightclub attire. You’re gonna attract too much attention.”

“I thought attracting attention was the point of this ludicrous exercise,” Edwin snaps back.

“Yes, the right kind of attention,” Crystal stresses. “This—” she waves a hand broadly at him—“will get the wrong kind of attention.”

In which the gang returns home to discover something sinister stalking London’s party scene after dark, Edwin lets his hair down, Charles’ confidence is shaken, and Crystal pursues a new lease on life (and hopefully doesn’t die in the process).

Everywhere, Everything (wanna love you) by WildCookieKeef

Freedom, as it seems, is suffocating. Decades spent running away from death herself and yet now more than ever does Edwin feel restless. Hell is behind him for the second time. He might’ve escaped his fate of eternal torture, but rabidly approaching are revelations he would’ve kept buried for far longer.

He’d never be so flustered and disorganized if it hadn’t been for Crystal or the Cat King or Monty or the Night Nurse or that horrible witch Esther or Simon, god not Simon, or practically reenacting old Greek tales with his best mate or. . .

No. It’s no one’s fault but his own. If he could sleep he’s sure he’d have nightmares.

Of what? There’s lots to choose from, but he can just feel it. Maybe some spirit malady has taken root in his body. He can sense the tension under his skin. Aches of pain that he knows aren’t physical.

He never should’ve told Charles. What was he thinking?

or After the end of S1, Edwin reasons that Charles rejected his confession and fears the worst while trying to suffer silently. Charles is very bad at letting Edwin suffer in peace.

the eight layers of hell, reversed by Zairielon

There's a lot that Edwin and Charles don't talk about. Frankly, after 30 years together, you don't have to say much for the other person to get the point. But Port Townsend and Crystal and Niko knocked their dynamic off-kilter, and by the time they return to London and finally get back to "normal," "normal" has changed. "Normal" is now Crystal's bright laughter, Niko's earnest affection, and Edwin's faint smiles. "Normal" is an unnameable ball of emotions tangled up in Charles' chest. "Normal" is Edwin looking at him, and Charles hearing those words all over again.

Charles, I'm in love with you.

OR, Charles figures out what it means that Edwin is the only person in the world he'd run into Hell for.

When We Walk Together We Tend To Walk Alone by UneducatedAuthor

She’s never unexpected, but she’s always a surprise. And when Charles meets her, it's nothing like the nightmare he's built up in his own head, being split away from Edwin and cursed to an afterlife without him. She's kind and gentle and familiar, and she gives him a chance to say goodbye to his mother.

Or, the one where Charles meets Death. They have a lot to talk about. But it's okay. They have time.

it's you that i hold on to by lrvzender

A pair of lips press shakily on his temple. Charles Rowland’s blood definitely runs hot, Edwin decides, definitely.

“You’re not asking anything, mate. But you have to understand that you are worth saving, a thousand times over. You are worth knowing, Edwin.”

Something bigger than the whole, wide sky. Something bigger than death, perhaps.

(where Edwin does not ask to be known, but Charles knows anyway)

and your song, it haunts me like hunger does the crow by kay_cricketed

After they return to London, Charles notices an escalation in people approaching Edwin with their attentions. Which is fine! It's not that Charles is jealous. He wants Edwin to be happy and to have a chance at a fulfilling relationship, yeah? The problem is, Charles is aware that Edwin is unpracticed with these kinds of emotions and other people, and it would be very easy for someone to take advantage. And that’s not going to happen, not on Charles’ watch.

To make matters worse, the admirers are getting a little too intense. And Charles is starting to suspect there's more at work than everyone realizing his best mate is brills.

(Or: In which the damage to Edwin's soul across years of torture has had an unusual effect, and Charles needs to fix it before he's compelled to violence. Again.)

trína chéile, le chéile, claochlaithe / entangled, together, transformed by theroyalsavage

Edwin Payne and Charles Roland are not Orpheus and Eurydice. They are not tragic figures of myth, children of gods and spirits, immortalized in verse by the poets of old. They’re nothing special at all – just two boys too stubborn to move on. With that said, however… Edwin must admit that there are certain similarities.

Came up from that lake of fire by ghostinthelibrary

"Are you a zombie?” Niko peers into Edwin’s eyes. “Because the Night Nurse told me zombies exist. Do you hunger for brains, Edwin?”

“Hardly.” Remembering being splattered with gray matter in the not-so-distant past, Edwin shudders. He cannot imagine consuming it. “I’m not a zombie.”

“What about a vampire?” She almost looks excited by the prospect. “We’re only a couple of hours from Forks. It would be perfect!”” When they’re caught during their escape from Hell, Charles and Edwin have no choice but to make a deal: they have one hundred days to find and entrap a powerful, malevolent spirit, or both of their souls are forfeit. But when they’re both temporarily restored to living bodies to aid in their search, being alive brings with it a host of new feelings, which neither of them know how to cope with, especially as their deadline looms closer and their quarry proves increasingly dangerous.

Unbreakable by Asexual_Enjolras

Edwin feels as though he owes Charles an apology because he cannot offer support to his best friend in the same way that Crystal can. And Charles tells him exactly where to stick that apology the moment he does.

Or, Edwin feels like he is broken and Charles does not agree.

after the insects have laid their claim by lolotr

“Where are you buried, do you’ve any idea?”

“My body was never found,” he replies softly. “There is a memorial marker next to my parents’ graves, but my remains are not there.”

The idea is so horrifying that it stuns Charles into silence for a couple seconds. “I didn’t know that. Why didn’t I know that?”

Edwin’s shoulders tense. “The whole thing is bloody tragic enough as it is.”

Grabbing his wrist, Charles begins marching them back in the direction of the pond they used to get here. Edwin doesn’t resist, but he does argue, because of course he does. “Charles, where are we going?”

“St. Hilarion’s. We’ve got a new case, don’t we?”

Hold This by RoseGanymede95

“Alright, listen,” Charles said, after trying not to think at all for at least five minutes. “Hear me out.”

“Any ideas?” Edwin asked, not looking up from his page.

“It’s just. What would actually happen if you cut my hand off?”

Edwin jerked his head up so fast, Charles wondered that he didn’t brain himself against the stone wall. He looked more offended than he had when he found out about the live snake in Charles’ bag.

“What the hell kind of a question is that?” He hissed.

“I’m not saying we should do it!” Charles backpedaled. “I’m just curious! These cuffs make us proper solid, don’t they? We could probably lop it off and get me out.”

“No,” said Edwin emphatically. “We are not discussing this. I don’t want you getting any ideas and chewing your own arm off like a trapped weasel.”

“Not my whole arm, just my hand.”

the start of something beautiful (the spoiler-free remix) by KiaraSayre

Four cases from the Dead Boy Detectives casebook, featuring amnesia, corporeality, a time loop, and a chill hang sesh.

If I'm Batman, You're Robin by ahyperactivehero

Charles misses a lot of things from life. One of those is the movies. Edwin volunteers to go with him.

XXX

“Batman Returns?” Edwin asked, reading the title. “What sort of creature is a Batman?”

Charles couldn’t help the bark of a laugh he let out. “No, he’s not a creature, mate. He’s a superhero.” At the totally blank look on Edwin’s face he tried again. “He’s like a detective. But he fights crime with his fists, too.”

“Ah,” Edwin said with a knowing look. “One of your heroes, I see.”

offer me that deathless death by websters_lieb

It takes the better part of two days for Charles’s body to even be found, and in the end, Edwin is forced to turn on all the lights in the gymnasium attic where Charles had died in order to get a janitor to come upstairs. No one had even been looking for him, yet. - or Edwin and Charles attend a funeral, look for a gravestone, and decide to become detectives.

Edwin's Payne tolerance by RabidWatermelon

Charles knew Edwin had a high pain tolerance. How could he not, having endured the tortures of hell? He just didn’t expect it to be so… useful.

AKA I want to write drabbles about Edwin's pain tolerance because I think it's something that would come up over thirty years together and be mildly concerning to someone who went through abuse in life. No fixed plot or posting schedule. Will update tags as chapter come out w new content.

The Case of Edwin's Missing Notebook by thewalkingstone

Edwin forgot his notebook at the office.

Not a problem. He prided himself on having an excellent memory. He certainly liked to jot down notes as he worked, but it wasn’t like he couldn’t work without it. He would just have to remember things until they returned to the office.

It was fine. He was a professional, and professionals did not delay an investigation because they forgot their notebook. OR Just months after escaping Hell, Edwin accidentally forgets his notebook on a case. He does not handle it well. Luckily, his new best mate is there to help him out.

The Scenic Route by DontOffendTheBees

"Cheer up, Edwin," said Charles, brightly. "Might never happen."

Edwin gave Charles a look so haughty it had its own title. "It very much has happened, Charles." He sniffed and straightened out his newspaper with attitude, the rustle of it loud and sharp as a whip crack. "I don't see why we couldn't have simply hopped through the mirror and met Crystal there."

"At this point, Edwin, I'm in total fucking agreement," said Crystal, not opening her eyes. She was burrowed under her coat like a blanket, doing her best to make the uncomfortable upright seat look like a cosy bed. Fortunately this train car was basically empty, so she had space to stretch across two seats – and no one close by to comment on the floating newspaper across the table and the fact she was having a barney with it. "You're like, the worst person to travel with." In which the agency takes the scenic route to their next case; and Edwin finally receives some answers he's been waiting for.

what some circumstance stole by Chrome

For a magic-user intent on siphoning pain for power, both Hob Gadling and Edwin Payne represent unique opportunities. United in dire circumstances, a man incapable of dying and a boy long dead forge an unusual friendship--and try to survive the experience. --- “When you died,” Hob said. “How old were you?” “Sixteen.” “That,” Hob said, “Is awful.” Edwin shrugged. “Life is, I’m afraid,” he said. “Can be wonderful, too,” Hob said. “I promise.”

#dead boy detectives #dead boy detective agency #dbda #edwin payne #charles rowland #payneland #crystal palace #dbda fanfic #cj's fic recs

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midnight-bay-if · 29 days ago

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OMG i just have to say the way you write your characters is amazing! Often times when I read books with a large cast of characters a lot of the characters feel like the same and their characters aren't the most distinct but each and every one of the RO's feels like their own individual, with their own voice. If someone threw a random quote from one of your characters in my direction i feel like i could easily distinguish which characters said it because they are each so unique, which is amazing writing on your behalf! 👏 I'm currently working on my own IF and I was wondering if you had any tips on making unique characters or just writting in general? And I hope that your feeling better after your illness and that your writting is going smoothly <3

This is such a nice compliment! 🥺 I'm a little speechless, haha. But this is precisely why I like answering asks from each character's POV. It's great practice, and I've learned a lot about my own characters doing it that way.

Firstly, do not be afraid to start with a trope. They can be great stepping stones to get you started. For me, the beginning stepping stone for the wider story was Umbra. I was going through a really personally tough time when I created them. I needed a way to voice my desperation. Then came N, and with them came the devil on my shoulder. I played around with the character tropes I've loved for so long while figuring out the greater story after. So much of The Midnight Bay was designed alongside the characters.

Empathising with your characters will help you find their struggle and voice. It can be uncomfortable for me to write Umbra at times because so much of my own anxiety has been put into that character, but some people will connect with it, and that's important.

When it comes to finding a character's voice, it's best to start with their background. Consider how the character got to their position and how it has affected them. Their psychology will determine a lot about what they say and how they say it. But equally as important is what they choose not to say, and why.

Their personalities are going to play a large role in their speech. For example, S is a tactician, smart, to the point, but can turn on the charm when desired. All good things, right? Well, yes and no. They have a bit of a hero complex and will always put their teammates in the most advantageous position, even to their own detriment. A fatal flaw of character will always make your characters more interesting. Their best traits can also be their greatest weakness.

Sometimes, it can be fun to switch up which aspect of a character you choose to keep secret. Taj wears all their flaws out in the open, unlike the others. They stand out against the others because their softer side is what is secret.

Also, this is an old tip that gets passed around quite a bit, but it's one I think about a lot; could each of your main characters work as the story's protagonist? Are they fleshed out enough to work as a main character? Can you imagine following them through the main story and still have a compelling story to tell? If the answer is no, consider why not - what's missing?

I'm fighting my imposter syndrome right now in order to deliver these tips, but hopefully, they are helpful and don't come across as pretentious, haha.

This is going to be an anticlimactic final point, but it deserves saying. Writing often is going to be the biggest help. Even if you can only manage a couple of lines a day, it'll help. Some days I really struggle; my imposter syndrome takes over and I feel utterly hopeless. On days like that, I'll search my inbox for a new ask to inspire me, reread my favourite novels or move onto another scene entirely to unstick my brain from its patterns. The most important thing is to have fun with it.

Anyway, hopefully, this was at least slightly helpful. I fear I have just rambled nonsensically, but it's pretty accurate to what my process is like, haha.

Thank you again for such a kind message. It really helped brighten up my day since this illness has been lingering much longer than I would like. I'm getting better as the days go by now, and I'm hoping to get back to work on chapters 3 and 4 starting tomorrow :)

#ask answer #this made me a little teary eyed #especially since my imposter syndrome has been especially bad recently

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scribe-of-hael · 5 months ago

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The Path to Hell is paved with good intentions

I think what is interesting is the drive that is the Autobots and Decpeticons. Mostly the cause of the Decpeticons and Megatron himself.

Alot of the time we see Megatron to be a crazy, battle hungry, warlord whos hel bent of causing destruction, conquering all in his path and who cares only about his goal to rule.

Over the years we have seen many version of Megatron. From silly goofy villain who's somtiems could acutally be a threat like in g1, to pash, cold, cunning like TFA, to being a crazy war lord who is incredibly cruel in TFP.

But these versions are mostly a Megatron who came from fighting, or had no good intentions to begin with besides being selfish or power hungry.

Then you have TFE and IDW/IDW2 (and possibly tf one). A different apprich to a character. Some may say its to make someone who has done cruel things as more sympathetic. But I think adds depth and personality.

Giving more than a crazy leader with silly goons, to a person who genuinely thought at the beginning, "I want things to change, for the better ,because it is broken"

Much howOptimus, the humble data clerk (hate he is a cop in idw tbh) and the hard working miner. Your everyday ppl, going through diffenrt struggles and honestly. I think woukd be fair to say that Orion wouldn't know the struggles of lower level bots that don't even have proper names..

Like D-16. The mech whis become Megatron.

Both Optimus and Megatron i think wnates to see a change , but how they both went about it i what added the conflict.

These two are basically your average everyday people. Megatron was an average everyday person. He wasn't born into the pits, net a warrior. A worker.

I think with alot of cartoon "villains" to we get older and started to see from a adult perspective. "Oh wait they are making sense." And how MESSED up the situation even was to drive these characters to this point.

Its no longer good vs evil, it is two ideals fighting aginst each other. What was once a fight for what these two sides believes in, turned into warfare and blood shed. To the mentality of Megatron being

"I can't trust anyone to right thing, besides me. I am the only one who can fix this, I can lead us."

You know what I could also see Optimus having the SAME mentality when comes to fighting megatron and restoring Cybertron. They are very much two sides of the same coin. I think that's what adds to the conflict between them. Optimus could be one bad day away from becoming Megatron onnthe sense of wanting to control the situation despite what costs just to not se Megatron when.

And you know he HAS done this. Yeeting the allspark for one to not let Megatron have ir but at the cost of Cybteron and its occupance. It was a loose loose situation regardless.

When it comes to alt-modist mentality, this high class vs low class, and the corruption of Cybertron. It is no wonder why so many people believes in the Decpeticon causes.

The reason why I clung so hard to Transformers Earthspark Megatron is because this was a break out from his character. To later learn it definitely took inspo from IDW who explored this character further sealed my admiration for him.

No one in the tf universe is less or more guilty. Both sides have done HORRIBLE things. Experimentation, brutality, killing innocence and their own soldiers just to get the won up. The autobots are not without their own blood shed. Only SOME of the autobots have a bit more regard for life and the planet they sit on. It doenst mean all of them do, and it doenst mean people within the groups around Optimus like it. But because they are painted as good guys we exapect them to.

Its when Decpeticons seem to take an interest in life do I find it way more compelling because it is out of their characteristics. They are the "bad guys"

Knockout being interested in Human cinema

Thundercracker being into writing and making movies

They are still PEOPLE. With interests and hobbies, internal conflicts and hesitations.

To see a Megatron not only fight aginst his own army , but take a human, a HUMAN as a friend that he TRUSTS?! That he gave up his Cybertronian already mode UP FOR?! Thats a bug FUCKING deal.

Just the contrast to TFW Megs to say TFP. Tfp depsite it beingbbetter for camouflage NEVER changes his alt mode. He is never willing to acutally change, he is so deeply rooted in what he is, who he is. What he is doing. That he is unwilling to change to the surroundings. No the surrounding will change BECAUSE of him.

While TFE realized a change was needed to fix things, to work together, to show I AM CHANGING, I WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING.

This is not a Slander Optimus rant or a WOW Megatron is such a great guy essay.

Was mostly me rambling.

#Megatron #transformers #optimus prime #orion pax #maccadam #Rambles #tfa megatron #tfp megatron #tf earthspark #earthspark megatron #idw megatron #tf one #tf one megatron #I will stand by tfe megs #I love him #I wish we got to see more of his past with dotty #What drive him to that point instead of saying it #I wanna see it #Show me damn it

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forcebook · 28 days ago

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Hello there, do you mind sharing your favorite bls of 2024? Thanks!

hi! honestly i suck at keeping track of shows and ranking them asdfghjkl i want to keep better track next year tho and maybe even make some celebratory gifsets but we shall see!

and since you asked for it, i decided to check mdl and do a deep dive on which shows have aged well in my mind and score lmao

my top rated dramas of 2024 are:

love for love’s sake

my only 5 stars drama of the year. doesn’t surprise me at all. this show took me completely my storm at the beginning of the year. it has such a compelling story and it’s so efficient on so many levels. but most importantly, it sticks the landing. it gives closure to a story that wasn’t even finished. and it does so well. the definition of lightning in a bottle!

love in the big city

this show made me feel emotions unknown to humanity so i get my rating asdfghjkl felt really personal to me. it is also incredibly efficient and very necessary!

knock knock boys!

i said it halfway through its run and i’ll say it again: one of the best bls of 2024. no wonder i rated it this high asdfghjkl within its premise it promised very little and delivered soooo much with some incredible takes. while i love when bls do new things, to me a story told well is fantastic regardless of how cliché it might be to some. and knock knock boys manages to feel very familiar but also very refreshing with the way it handled some topics. super funny and it stuck the landing to me. in a completely different way from love for love’s sake but very satisfying!

jack & joker: u steal my heart!

this is the thai bl of the year to me. for all the conversations it started, interesting characters, refreshing plot and also for existing purely on the love and dedication of its creators. while it is not perfect, i do hope that when we look back on 2024, we see it as the year of jack and joker

century of love

i’ve loved daouoffroad since love in translation. i was a bit skeptical of century of love at first but i ended up loving it a lot. i’m also not surprised at all this made my top 5 asdfghjkl

now i would like to add a few shows that haven’t finished airing yet but had most of their run in 2024 and i’m pretty sure they’re going to be in top rated dramas

miseinen (our youth)

it is the japanese bl of the year to me. hands down. i could rant but at the same time i have no words asdfghjkl this show goes beyond efficiency or even sticking the landing (which i hope they do), but it’s the whole vibe. because while incredibly sad, you can see how much love and care exists in it. the characters are so alive and so complex and beautiful and godddd i love them. 10/10 no notes

see your love

came out of nowhere promising very little and delivered one of the best bls of 2024 imo. i don’t even remember when was the last time i felt compelled to gif a taiwanese bl but this show is sooo inspiring and fun and important. i just love it

caged again

this show promised nothing except wacky plot and delivered such a hilarious and compelling and heartfelt story. i love when i get these little surprises. shall live on in my heart

honorable mentions:

let's eat together, aki and haru 2: more please!

my only other 5 stars of the year. but it’s a movie so i didn’t include it up there. still. it’s a nearly flawless execution of a beautiful genre that i love: queer stories revolving around food and domesticity. it delivered exactly what it promised efficiently and i loooooove it so much!!!!!

sugar dog life

also came out of nowhere promising nothing and delivered a really solid little story, also revolving around food and domesticity. can you tell i’m biased lmao

the rebound

BALL IS LIFE!!!!!! we need more bls about sports. asap. we don’t have enough!!!! and this show was a surprise to me. i ended up super invested for the most part and i do think it stands out in the tiny little corner of bl sports therefore it deserves an honorable mention

blue canvas of youthful days

chinese bls always have a special place in my heart for fighting so hard to exist. this one is no exception. it got taken down when it first started airing and i’m glad they managed to release all of it eventually. it’s far from being perfect but i was still thoroughly invested in it. i love the main couple with my entire heart. and i’m soooooo grateful they got their happy ending!!

monster next door

as a deeply introverted person, this is the representation i needed asdfghjkl it felt refreshing and a conversation worth having about respecting introverts and other people’s ways of living. plus diew is autistic to me (source: i’m autistic) and it was an overall good show!!! bigpark my beloveds!!

and that’s it! thank you for asking 💕

#anonymous #mj got mail!

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prettycottonmouthlamia · 9 months ago

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My re-reading project has gone reasonably well, my ADHD is still untreated so I often have a lot of trouble actually starting (Who is Real consistently created this roadblock in my mind for whatever reason), but it was re-reading Under Tides that has had me sitting down and digesting it for some time.

Under Tides has a dramatically different tone from pretty much every single other event that I've read so far. It's a very moody work, dramatically more so than previous events (and, definitely in comparison to Stultifera Navis), both in story direction and in art direction. The residents of Sal Viento are drawn in a way I find really compelling for the nature of the story: they look like they've had the life and energy sucked out of them, and share the same muted palettes with the Inquisitors. It really makes the Abyssal Hunters standout in comparison to the rest of the world, in Skadi's vivid reds, Gladiia's blues, and Specter's monochrome colors.

This piece, on top of just being absolutely breathtaking honestly, is a really good example. Sal Viento sits, tilted in ruins into the sea, but at this angle it feels impossible to tell where the land begins and where the ocean meets the city. It makes Sal Viento feel very isolated from the world, and it is in many ways, and I in particular like the way the support structures at the right, now broken and falling apart, make Sal Viento feel skeletal. How much has been destroyed, taken by the sea? It's great.

But Skadi is the only splash of color. Skadi's red stand out amongst the very muted blues, the blues that feel barely distinguishable from the dismal grays of rain clouds and brackish water, and the sterile colors of Sal Viento. Skadi and the Hunters are the only splash of life in this landscape; even the Inquisitors cannot be said to do this, because much if not all of what the Inquisitors leave in their wake is death.

But it's also a much darker story than usually, and that's a bit surprising considering how much fare Arknights up to this point has had with the ideas of corporate corruption, discrimination, and cleansing. It's a lot to do with how the characters are positioned to each other: the people of Sal Viento are almost zombie-like, being slowly eaten away from ingestion of Seaborn flesh, and are intensely paranoid and disapproving of outsiders. Only Anita stands out amongst them, a beacon of innocence and curiosity that hasn't been stamped out yet by the constant erosion of the tides. Skadi and Gladiia are both oppositional to each other and oppositional to everyone else in the story. There's no real sense of cooperation or camaraderie between any of the characters outside of Anita, which creates a really rather oppressive atmosphere. The dark parts of Talulah's story in Chapter 8 stand in contrast to the warmer parts of her relationship to Alina, Frostnova, and Patriot, and it stands in contrast with Amiya and Ch'en. Maria Nearl's attempted assassination at the hands of the KGCC stands stark against Marcus and Zofia's support of her and her naive ideals.

There's no contrast in Under Tides, it's a constant gloomy, dark feeling, it's being in a cave that's constantly damp, dripping, and moist. That works really well for the type of story it wants to be, especially for its climax moment, where the first time character's connect with each other, it is portrayed in the form of a mental breakdown.

"She is a monster. She murders her own kind. She for her own kind murders her own kind. She by her own kind murders her own kind. The eyes of the people in the streets are filled with warmth. They don't know anything. The eyes from the research institutes and in the tents are filled with ice. When the hunters sleep, there are patrollers guarding. No. Those aren't guards. That night patrol doesn't serve the hunters. The patrollers are waiting for the hunters to become monsters."

Aside from her, anyone and everyone probably knew. Sea monster. And–she has already committed the gravest sin...

I killed it. I killed her. I killed Him.

There's some questionable writing decisions made in this chapter, especially with the way that Anita and Irene have a habit of narrating action scenes in dialogue, but this will not be what I criticize. This is the climax of the story: where the truth of the matter, where Skadi understanding the bizarre idiosyncrasies of her biology and what they mean, causes her identity to collapse, leaving Skadi to try and grab at anything she can.

And she grabs onto being a monster.

Becoming a Seaborn is in some ways both an invasion and a form of acceptance. Your biology changes, but the outcome is not a guarantee. Skadi only avoids her fate here because Gladiia deliberately took a massive injury as a trap. If that hadn't been intentional, if Gladiia truly took a mortal wound, Skadi would have fallen right there.

"Your neural cells are rapidly metabolizing. Remember, you are a hunter. They can't do anything to you."

It's truth and its untruth. The extent to which Skadi's condition can be directly tied to her biology is questionable: we've already seen this questioned in Skadi's own monologue. But as long as Skadi remembers that she is a hunter, that she has a purpose and can resist, she'll be fine.

It's good, it's a fantastic climax that leads to the rather nice and cathartic reunion amongst the Abyssal Hunters. Really liked this event.

#arknights #under tides #abyssal hunters

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ennn · 4 months ago

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What do you think is the narrative point of the show, like where do you think it's headed with its message/what do yoy think Agatha's arc here is?

Hi Anon! You know, I think there are a lot of specifics about the show we don’t know at the moment but one thing I think that’s pretty clear is Agatha’s intended arc.

1. Agatha's true deep-buried goal is to find a coven, a family

Schaeffer spells it out quite clearly across a number of interviews, here's one (source):

But I think what you can get from the earliest episodes is that, yes, she wants power, right? That's her superficial goal. That's her super objective. But that can't be it, right? That's boring. What's underneath it? And it's it's fairly clear from the beginning that she reluctantly wants community, that this is a covenless witch who, deep down, wants a coven.

2. The biggest obstacle to what Agatha really wants is Agatha herself

Of course most notorious witch-killer (whose original coven and mom tried to execute) isn't going to find a coven easily. The protagonist and antagonist here is Agatha All Along. From the same interview:

We had to sort of chart a course. The way I defined Agatha—prior to the room, prior to anything—is that she's a liar, that it's just masks. This show is about pulling that mask all the way off. And what do we see? What is under the mask? ... For Agatha, she's in the way of her own thing. And it's much more of a subtext and a fabric that we then exploit and explore deeper into the show.

3. The Road will compel Agatha to reveal her truth

To succeed at the Road, as the show has already pointed out you're supposed to need a "coven true" (sorry Agatha it's not a "coven two").

In the production brief for the show, it's further elaborated on that this means the coven has to really work as a team:

And the key to surviving the Witches' Road is that the coven needs to be like a Seal Team 6 of witches. They need to be really in lock step with each other, and almost instinctively know what every witch is going to do before they do it.

Now to do this, it's clear that these witches (and not just Agatha) have got to start bonding more and if not trust each other, at least understand each other. Who is Agatha beneath the rumours and reputation? We've already seen glimpses of what's behind Agatha's masks — the hurt, and the humanity she's hidden away — and we're certainly going to get more.

I find it interesting that the show has remained ambiguous whether Agatha has really done the Road before at all, because if she had she would have completed her arc right? If the Road is supposed to give you what you're missing or seeking.

Now while I think Agatha's arc is pretty clear, the specifics are all up in the air, which is what keeps us tuned in to the show.

How will she get her power back? What is she willing to sacrifice? What decisions will she make? And to discover Agatha's truth and appreciate her journey, we (and the coven members) will also need to learn more about Agatha's backstory, the choices and circumstances that led Agatha up to this point.

And I think the ultimate message of the show here is the power of community, of having your own coven, especially when you are part of a minority, because you really can't do it alone.

#agatha all along #tv: agatha all along #anon #asks #AAA meta

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hayatheauthor · 1 year ago

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting a Compelling Storyline

I'll warn you, this is a long one. I kind of took 'comprehensive guide' a little too seriously.

You have a fantastic concept burning at the edges of your imagination, a collection of characters whispering their stories to you, and a world just waiting to be explored. But how do you weave all these elements into a story that grips readers and refuses to let go? The answer lies in effective plot planning.

A well-crafted plot isn't just a sequence of events; it's a carefully orchestrated symphony that takes readers on an unforgettable ride. Whether you're an experienced writer or someone trying to start their first book, here are my personal steps to crafting a compelling storyline with good plot planning.

Step 1: Idea Generation and Conceptualization

Every great story begins with a spark of inspiration. It's that moment when an idea ignites in your mind and beckons you to explore its potential. The journey from a fleeting thought to a fully-fledged concept is an exhilarating one, and it all starts with idea generation and conceptualization.

Techniques for Idea Generation

Mind Mapping

Grab a piece of paper or use a digital tool to create a mind map. Write your central idea in the middle and branch out with related concepts, characters, themes, and settings. Mind mapping can help you visualize the connections and possibilities within your idea.

Bullet journalling

Bullet journalling is my personal favourite way to generate ideas for your WIP. Get a piece of paper or open a Word/Docs document and create three different sections: world, characters, and plot. Now add facts to each of those sections that you've come up with so far.

You can even go a step ahead and create more detailed sections, for example, you could do this for your different characters or different places in your world. Usually, one bullet point leads to the next and once you have an idea of everything you've already established you'll naturally start adding more to it.

Blurting

Talk to someone about your WIP, or pretend that you're talking to someone and write down everything that comes to mind. You can even use AI tools like ChatGPT and ask it to hold a conversation with you about your WIP. Tell it to ask you questions along the way, this will get the wheels turning and even help fill plot holes.

Prompts and Challenges

Explore writing prompts or challenges to spark your creativity. Websites, books, or even random word generators can provide the nudge you need to generate fresh ideas.

Refining Your Concept

Once you have a collection of ideas, it's time to refine and shape them into a cohesive concept.

Identify Themes

What themes or messages do you want to convey through your story? Is it a tale of redemption, the power of friendship, or the consequences of ambition? Pinpointing your core themes will guide your storytelling and also give you a clear image of the end goal.

Find Your Angle

Consider what makes your idea unique. How can you approach a familiar concept from a fresh perspective? For example, if you're doing a classic murder mystery, what makes your book different from others? Take some time to look up titles similar to your WIP and find any repetitive themes/patterns.

Maybe most murder mysteries end with the partner being the killer, or maybe the fantasy books written in the same mythology as your WIP's all involve a war. Knowing what is currently a popular trend in the market can give you a clear idea of where you can be different from comparable titles. This is especially important for genres like horror and romance.

Develop a Premise

Your premise is the foundation of your story. It's the "what if?" question that drives your narrative. For instance, "What if an ordinary high school student discovers they have the ability to control time?" You need to have a solid premise before you even think about writing your story.

Step 2: Character Development and Motivation

Characters are the beating heart of your story, and crafting them with depth and authenticity is key to creating a narrative that truly captivates. Your characters often leave more of a lasting impact on your readers than the plot itself.

Think of it this way: a good plot will get you readers, but memorable characters will get you fans. Some of the largest communities in the book space all run on the readers' fondness for certain characters rather than the story itself. Yes, your story and the way you tell it is very important, but nobody wants to listen to the story of a boring person.

Bringing Characters to Life

Personal Histories

Delve into your characters' pasts. What experiences shaped them into who they are today? A traumatic childhood or a life-changing event can influence their motivations and behaviours. Maybe your antagonist has a soft spot for single parents because their mother was the only person who cared for them. Maybe the love interest seems like a sunshine character because they feel the need to always seem put-together and perfect.

Physical Traits

This might sound obvious enough, after all a character's appearance is the first thing people think of when visualising, however, many authors fail to have a clear image of their character's physical traits which can lead to inconsistent or boring descriptions. Sure, your protagonist can have bushy hair and brown eyes, but what else?

Think about their body type, height, fashion sense, the way they carry themselves, walk, and sound. Do they have a random mole at the back of their neck? Do they always smell like a certain perfume because their dead father gifted it to them? It's important for you to have a clear image of who you're writing.

Strengths and Flaws

Just like real people, characters have strengths and weaknesses. These traits affect their decisions and interactions. A courageous hero might also struggle with recklessness, adding complexity to their personality. It's easy to create 2D characters by using tropes or shallow descriptions 'an all-powerful villain' 'the chosen one who trained their whole life and is perfect', but 3D characters are what will actually catch your readers' attention.

There's a reason why people often love the grey characters, the anti-heroes or anti-villains. Those who have complex personalities that make them seem human. This makes us empathise with the characters, and as a writer, it also helps you think of your characters as real people with flaws and problems.

Motivations: The Why Behind the What

Goals and Desires

What do your characters want? Their goals drive the plot forward. A detective's desire to solve a mystery or a scientist's quest for a groundbreaking discovery sets the narrative in motion. Why is your protagonist doing what they are doing?

You could simply give yourself a generic answer like 'they want to save the people' or 'they're a good person' but this can lead to confusion in the long run. If as the writer you yourself can't understand your character's goals it will get very hard to showcase them to your readers. Try to pick apart each character and genuinely consider why they are the way they are.

Inner Conflicts

Characters often grapple with inner turmoil – the clash between their desires, values, and fears. This inner conflict adds layers of intrigue and reliability. Maybe your protagonist realises the antagonist's qualms with the government are actually valid and suffers from moral conflicts as they contemplate whether or not they are the 'good guy'. Inner conflict adds dimension to your characters which in turn makes it easier for your readers to empathise with them.

Step 3: Outlining the Key Plot Points

Now that you have a clear idea of what you want to write and who you want to write it with, it's time to consider the how. You have a story, but how do you want to tell it? Break down the key plot points that shape your narrative, creating a roadmap that guides your characters through their trials and triumphs.

The Building Blocks of Plot

The Inciting Incident

The spark that ignites your story. It's the moment when your protagonist's world is disrupted, setting them on a path of change. For example, in "The Hunger Games," Katniss Everdeen's sister being chosen for the Games is the inciting incident that propels her into the arena.

This can be a little harder to recognise in genres outside of SFF and horror. For a thriller novel, this moment could be the moment your protagonist uncovers a sketchy detail in their relative's death. In romance, it could be the moment your protagonist is introduced to the love interest.

Turning Points

These are pivotal moments that shift the course of your narrative. They introduce new challenges, reveal secrets, or force characters to make crucial decisions. Think of them as the gears that keep your story machine turning. It's important to have some sort of turning point in your story to keep things interesting.

Maybe the character your protagonist was suspecting throughout the first half of the book ends up having a solid alibi, or a seemingly innocent character suddenly seems sketchy.

The Climax

The peak of tension and conflict. It's the moment your characters face their biggest challenge and must make their ultimate choice. In "The Lord of the Rings," the climactic battle at Mount Doom decides the fate of Middle-earth. In a murder mystery, this can be the moment the real killer is unveiled, or in a rom-com, it could be when the love interest moves to a new city to follow the protagonist.

Falling Action and Resolution

As your story winds down, the falling action ties up loose ends and provides closure. Readers witness the aftermath of the climax, and the characters' arcs find resolution. This is the bit where you make sure you aren't leaving any plot holes behind. Remember that random character your protagonist suspected at the start of the book? What's their alibi, why did they suddenly get out of the picture?

Structuring Plot Points

Introduction of Stakes

Introduce what your characters stand to gain or lose early on. This creates a sense of urgency that propels them forward. What if your protagonist fails to complete their missions? What if the detective never unveils the killer's identity? What if your protagonist doesn't win over the love interest? Show your readers the worst possible outcome early on so they know why they should be rooting for your protagonist.

This doesn't necessarily have to be something big or scary. In Harry Potter, many of us wanted Harry to stay at Hogwarts because his life with the Dursleys was cruel and he deserved happiness. That was a small yet significant stake that made the readers empathetic and silently root for Harry.

Foreshadowing and Setup

Plant seeds of future events throughout your story. Foreshadowing builds anticipation and adds depth, making later plot developments more satisfying. I have written a lot of blogs that either cover or briefly mention foreshadowing so I'm going to keep this point a little short.

Foreshadowing helps your readers slowly piece everything together and have that 'I knew it!' or 'how did I not see this coming?' moment. It might also encourage them to turn back and reread your work to focus on the little hints you left throughout the book. Foreshadowing is especially important in murder mysteries.

Step 4: Subplots and Secondary Storylines

Subplots and secondary storylines are the secret ingredients that transform a good story into an unforgettable masterpiece. They add layers of intrigue, provide character development opportunities, and keep readers eagerly turning pages. If you're confused about what is a subplot and how to create one you can visit my previous blog that focuses on this topic.

The Role of Subplots

Enriching Character Arcs

Subplots allow secondary characters to shine. They can showcase different facets of your characters' personalities, revealing their strengths, weaknesses, growth, and relationships.

Theme Reinforcement

Subplots can explore and reinforce your story's themes from various angles. For instance, a romantic subplot can underscore the theme of love and sacrifice, in turn making your protagonist’s heroic death at the end of the novel seem more impactful. We all know Pepper’s reaction to Tony’s death in End Game made the moment more emotional.

While creating subplots and considering which one might be relevant to your book you should think of how this subplot would impact your end goal and whether it would help emotionally connect with your readers.

Parallel Journeys

Subplots can create parallel journeys that mirror or contrast with the main plot. This dynamic adds depth and resonance to your storytelling. Maybe the antagonist’s assistant has a similar backstory to your protagonist but while the protagonist was rescued by the government they were taken in by the antagonist. As the two geniuses face each other your protagonist can’t help but consider whether they would still be fighting for the ‘good’ side had their roles been switched.

Balancing The Main Plot and Subplots

Interconnectedness

Subplots shouldn't feel disconnected from the main plot. Instead, they should interact and influence each other, creating a harmonious narrative flow. Your subplot could help bring a satisfactory end to a certain arc of your story, or it could sow the roots for the important climactic moment of your book.

Pacing and Tension

Strategically introduce subplots to maintain pacing and tension. They can provide moments of relief or heightened drama, enhancing the overall reading experience.

Character Integration

Ensure that characters involved in subplots maintain relevance to the main plot. Their actions and decisions should contribute to the overarching story, even as they pursue their own paths. You should also think about whether or not your character is overshadowing the protagonist. In Harry Potter there were several characters such as Ginny, Luna and Neville with subplots and backstories of their own, however, they never overshadowed Harry’s tale.

Step 5: Crafting Scenes and Sequences

Welcome to the realm where the magic truly comes to life – crafting scenes that resonate, captivate, and propel your story forward. Scenes are the building blocks of your narrative, each one a window into your characters' world and emotions. They help infuse your story with tension, emotion, and unforgettable moments.

Again, this is a topic I’ve covered separately in another blog so I won’t go into too much detail here.

Scene Structure and Elements

Objective and Conflict

Every scene should have a purpose – a clear objective that drives the characters. Introduce conflict that challenges their goals and motivations, creating tension that keeps readers engaged.

Emotion and Stakes

Characters' emotions are the heartbeats of scenes. Amplify emotions by highlighting what's at stake for the characters. Whether it's a heated argument or a tender moment, emotions draw readers in.

Sequences: Crafting a Flow

Cause and Effect

Scenes connect through cause and effect. Each scene's outcome sets the stage for the next, creating a seamless flow that propels the narrative. A character's choice in one scene can reverberate and shape subsequent events.

Rising Action

Craft sequences with escalating tension. The stakes should intensify, drawing characters deeper into challenges and dilemmas. This creates a sense of anticipation that keeps readers eagerly turning pages.

Step 6: Mapping the Journey: Creating a Visual Plot Outline

Visualising your plot, characters, and world can be very hard sometimes. Let's be honest, words can only do so much and if you don't have a clear idea of what you want to show your readers you can end up going down a path of 'telling' them everything. This can take away from the point of your story and end up boring your readers. If you find it hard to visualise where you're going with your book, here are some tips that can help.

Visual Tools for Plot Planning

Timelines and Flowcharts

Create a timeline that outlines the sequence of major events, from inciting incidents to resolution. Flowcharts visually depict the interconnectedness of plot points, making it easy to track the evolution of your story. You can also cut out or add bits depending on how far along you are. This will also help you keep track of what scene/development should be introduced when and why.

Index Cards or Post-Its

Write down key scenes, plot developments, and character arcs on individual index cards or sticky notes. Arrange and rearrange them on a board or wall to visualize the narrative's flow. You can also do this if you're confused about the climax of your novel by adding different ideas to the post-its and putting them alongside the rest of the book's plot to see what things would look like from a reader's perspective.

Infusing Creativity

Playlists

Curate a playlist that captures the mood and emotions of your story. Music has the power to transport you to the heart of your narrative, helping you channel the right atmosphere while plotting. You can listen to this playlist every time you sit down to write WIP. With time, this will also help you overcome writer’s block since you can put on this playlist every time you struggle to get into the right writing mindset.

Moodboards/Pinterest Boards

Create a visual feast by collecting images, aesthetics, and visuals that embody your story's essence. Platforms like Pinterest allow you to craft moodboards that serve as visual touchstones. I would recommend creating a separate pinboard for every character so you can get a clear idea of their vibe and appearance. You can even refer to these every time you're writing about or from the perspective of a new character.

Step 7: Flexibility and Adaptability

As you embark on your writing journey, remember that stories have a life of their own. Embracing flexibility and adaptability is your compass through uncharted territories.

Allow characters to surprise you, let plots pivot, and themes emerge. Balancing structure with spontaneity ensures a dynamic narrative that resonates deeply. Listen to your characters, explore ethical complexities, and evolve alongside your story.

By staying open to the unexpected, you infuse your writing with authenticity and richness. Your plot outline is a guide, but your characters and themes have the power to shape the course. Embrace the unpredictable, and watch your story flourish beyond your imagination.

I hope this blog on A Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting a Compelling Storyline will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks?

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Haya’s book blog where I post writing and publishing tips for authors every Monday and Thursday! And don’t forget to head over to my TikTok and Instagram profiles @hayatheauthor to learn more about my WIP and writing journey!

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sundays-mutt · 11 months ago

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mutuals i know you don't know arthur morgan and a lot of you never will but i really need you to know how Moving and Compelling the cowboy game is like im being deranged of course and i do hyperfixate so often but arthur morgan is such a well written character he has such an amazing arc and genuinely it makes me sick thinking about him for more than a single minute. his entire story is based in this inevitable doom and its obvious from the beginning of the game that things are starting to go wrong. you learn about arthur slowly, and at the start - he's exactly the kind of man and protagonist you expect. he's cold and he's uncaring at least seemingly and he's awkward and he's badass and what every man who plays a game like this would want. but then he isn't. you start to play the game and you look at arthurs journal and you get to see him introspect and you get to view the sort of tenderness he sees the entire world with. he is so tender he is so thoughtful he is so considerate of nature and he takes so many things to heart. he has something to say and introspect of everyone he meets. he cares deeply about this world he's in and struggles so much to find a place with in. he admonishes himself and praises characters like charles who seem to be so good naturally. he believes deeply in his own evil and acts on, and he has a code sure - but he never feels good about what he does and it causes him such deep strife. he clings onto the life he has because its all he knows. being an outlaw is all he has ever known of himself, been like that since he was fourteen. just a boy and the two men who adopted him into his gang. he clings so desperately onto this belief that even when things fall apart, all arthur can hope for is that he can save those he cares about. its what he has always wanted deep down. its who he is which is someone who is sensitive and careful and wants deeply to live in a good world and be apart of a good world. the gang falls apart and everything goes to shit and where does that leave arthur? when young men and good men die? the man he admires as his father dies and whats left of them becomes the worst version of himself and so arthur, after all of this time, becomes his own man. at some point, he realizes what matters most to him is his brother and the woman he has a child with. and he realizes that he is simply afraid but what of exactly? of believing that he was good all along. of accepting that he has changed and that he was always good. its all so very complicated and shit starts to go down hill so quickly and just when you think it can't get worse - arthur goes to the doctor. hes sick. its tuberculosis. ailment that he received when he beat a man who couldn't pay his debts and committed a sin so great. arthur is going to die. he's sick. its not a bullet that will kill him but the weakness in his body. the same thing will happen to him in some crazy tragedy. arthur will give his life up for john and he won't regret it. he'll tell the shell of his father figure that he gave up everything for him. he will die alone in the mountains and see a stag bathed in yellow gold. but he will believe in goodness at the end because of a nun in saint denis and the woman mothering his little brothers child. he will believe deeply in the kindness of the world because he chooses to. arthur will die because he is doomed to die. there's nothing he can do except go, and he will never live to know what an impact he had on those around him. every life he's ever touched so profoundly effected by him and he never gets to find out. the man he used to admire so much, charles, buries arthur somewhere where the sun always rises. even in death he haunts the world of the game like a ghost. arthur morgan is dead and you'll hear him every where you go. john inherits his dead brothers journal and his guns and everything else and he learns a side to him he never knew. arthur morgan is dead and the world rippled in his absence like a drop of water pulsing through a lake. and he loved. most of all he loved the people around him. he loved.

#z.gen #arthur morgan #rdr2 spoilers #I HAVE TO KILL MYSELF

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oldbutchdanielcraig · 5 months ago

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what is Your take on the show possibly doing past dm in its entirety like how do you think it could be carried out cause i feel like everyone's main gripes are that it'll somehow fuck w the show's integrity/daniel couldn't possibly have forgotten Everything/it doesn't make sense with the storyline we currently have. i'm v curious as someone who loves the direction the show is taking but also wants to see assad and lbf devil their minions

first of all it's a little crazy to me that it could fuck with the show's integrity when the show in question is literally the "memory is a monster" show. like. regardless how you feel about the fact that the show did this they literally spent the last episode going "yeah the guy you think is the villain actually isn't, and everybody just fucking forgot or didn't know to begin with. which is how he got away with it." and keep in mind the villain in question is the guy who has been consistently erasing everybody's memories for fun and his own personal gain. so like. i think the show will survive if they introduce a romance b-plot and do so by saying "yup! daniel forgot before because armand made him!" anyway.

the one thing i'm curious about is the fact that in the books devil's minion era is intrinsically linked with lestat's show and akasha and so on and so forth. which it won't be in the show to the same degree because lestat isn't a rockstar in 1985. and by the time he is daniel is already a vampire. so it'll be interesting to see if that somehow is the defining factor of if/how they do it.

in terms of daniel and armand's relationship though i think it works really well? like i think it's very easy to say that in 1985 armand wiped daniel's memories instead of made him a vampire. i love the idea that night island happens, then daniel starts running away, and there's some overlap with his relationship with alice and armand. very easy for armand to see daniel in a near-death OD type situation and say yeah, nope, this is not happening again, we're breaking up and you can't remember me. (the breakup could happen a bunch of different ways also which maybe they'll go with! but i'm just sticking as close to book canon as i can rn) i think the trajectory of the relationship could stay just about the same. i think the one potential difference is like. well what happens after 1985? which is why i've really come to like the idea that in show verse there's the possibility of armand visiting daniel throughout the years until dubai happens. this potentially is where things get goofy, like. armand just restoring and deleting daniel's memories over and over again kind of like a cartoon villain. but iiiii like it for the fact that it implies armand can't stay away from him. and they'll be in love forever. i could probably talk about this forever but to sum it up like yeah. i think it could very realistically work. i think whatever they do will be compelling to me but i do feel just a little bit you can pry 70s-80s devil's minion out of my cold dead hands

#asks #iwtv #devil's minion #SORRY FOR THE LONG ASS POST. but also thank you for the question <3 #i want to see assad and lbf devil their minions too 😭#like really would be fine if they don't narratively but like. i want it all.#i'm big and greedy about them #also i do think the visions and lestat's show etc. like the actual plot of the dm chapter. contributes hugely to armand turning him #in the book. so since that won't happen in the show i think it'd be easier for him to resist

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chaifootsteps · 5 months ago

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Maybe this is weird for me to say but with how things are, I’m okay with how stolas is behaving now?

Hear me out. I think it’s too late to try and turn it into “love” and the story to me at least, is more compelling when stolas is increasingly abusive and horrible. With the audience confused by the contradiction between his romantic ideals and his abusive actions. That’s what abusers do, they confuse.

The thought of “is he really going to get away with this?” “Is he right or is he wrong?” keeps me watching and it is interesting to see his true dark, cruel, nasty side slowly start to come out. The turmoil he creates in Blitzø is compelling but absolutely not from a romantic slant. It makes you wonder if Blitzø will sacrifice himself for this man. This relationship is what Valentino and Angel Dust could have been. When stolas weepily shouts about all the times he’s “tried so hard to support (blitz), to spend time with (blitz)” how he “can’t just ignore all that” It’s gaslighting him. Saying that bringing up his abusiveness is ungrateful. “When have I ever hit you or called you a slur? You’re ignoring all the sacrifices I’ve made to support you. All the expensive gifts I bought you!” (Not a quote but an example)

Imagine if the audience was as conflicted about them? If Valentino had endured his own abuse by a pimp, and made Angel feel guilty over it and then minimise his own as Val just being “traumatised” And if all the times Valentino was abusive, both Angel Dust and us, are confused as to whether it was real or a paranoid hallucination caused by the drugs (a side effect of excessive PCP - his drug of choice.) that would be a very creative way to incorporate the drug into this story. Making you second guess yourself. Stolas chains Blitzø to him using a burden of guilt, if Valentino did the same he’d be terrifying.

Come to find out that the drugs are caused by Val spiking Angel dusts food, and his abuse was caught on one of Voxs spy cameras, proving its reality.

Rewrite aside, I don’t think it’s too late for medrano to turn this into a compelling, conflicting, and tragic story of intimate partner abuse.

Oh no, I agree 100%. Stolas descending into his worst impulses and just becoming the tragic monster he's been from the beginning is something I would be completely behind. To do that, however, Viv would have to abandon her dubiously consensual yaoi love story and she's shown no signs of being willing to do that. But if she pulls a trick card out of her sleeve and does it, hey, credit where credit is due!

#Anonymous #stolitz critical #stolas critical #actual blog post #viv stuff

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docholligay · 16 days ago

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On Journaling

I was nine years old when I got my first journal. Diary. Whatever. It was a cream colored book with gilt edged pages, a little drawing of a bay window framed with lace curtains and a teddy bear sitting, anxiously awaiting my story, on the front.

I don’t know why my parents bought it for me. It could have been anything. I loved to read anything I could get my hands on, I had started writing little stories and plays the year before, I was terribly interested in people and how they lived their lives. Perhaps the most compelling reasons was that we were a family with little money, and a diary was a lock that could be broken by a sharp thought was a cheap gift.

In any case, this is where the story of my journaling begins. A nine year old, with no real idea of what you tell a book about yourself. That first journal has details of my favorite foods, and color, and the inimitable line, “my crush is Pete.” It’s full of the sort of things I thought a diary should say. But I wrote in it every day, because that’s what you do. I’d read about diaries before. You write in them every day.

I still write something down about my day, every day. I have had very few breaks in this line of documentation. I still own, in boxes, probably 80% of the journals I’ve filled out. How I do it has changed over the years, as well as what I talk about, but the importance of doing it hasn’t.

But why? This isn’t a thing people do anymore, so why do i do it?

It’s important to me to understand my life, from my own perspective. Not only as myself, but as the person I am in that moment. I look back on journals from 18, 24, 30 year old me, and I think how interesting it is that I’m not this person anymore. Sometimes I don’t recognize her. I find her naive, or infuriating, or I feel immense pity for her, but I recognize her as I think I’ve been, not a thing i am. And feeling for her, helps me understand other people. If I could be someone I don’t recognize, but I know she was someone I understood, and felt for, and cheered for, I can do the same for other people, and I can understand who they are, or try.

To that end, my journals aren’t meant to be read by other people. They’re sometimes scattered, or what I talk about is small and pointless, either in its beauty or its pettiness. But most importantly, they are uncensored. They are what I am thinking. I don’t try to make myself readable, or likeable, I don’t care how what I say reflects on me, or my intentions. Some of the things I say are outright cruel. Some of the things I say about my friends makes it sound like I have romantic feelings for them, when really I’m just a bit of a capital-r Romantic and a sentimentalist, by myself in a locked room.

When I die, they will be burned without being read by anyone else. If I know I am dying, i will do it myself, and spare everyone the trouble. I have expressed to multiple close people, this must be done, and they have to keep each other honest, it is my one fucking request. I have to know this is true, or I would edit. I would start to SHAPE. I would rewrite a sentence to something more beautiful, or that makes me seem kinder, or more thoughtful. I would go back and black out things, so I could lie to others, and end up lying to myself, about who I was.

Why not simply take pictures? A picture tells me exactly how something looked, but it says nothing about me. It says nothing about my experience of it.

Taken from my journal, futzed around a bit because, well, that’s what I do when something has to be in front of an audience, but more or less as it was:

It’s the perfect time of year for a carnival. The air is cool and wet--it could never be anything else, here--and it would surprise me that it was December, if I wasn’t so keenly aware of the lies Charles Dickens willed into being. We’ve come before the great rush, so the black plastic laid over the grass is wide open, leaving me plenty of room to gawk at the hopeless garishness of it all. I went here for Lena, which is to say, for me, in my own way, and the perfection of its tacky brilliance sets a feeling of assurance in me. This was the right place to be.

Value seeking families in little bundles, toddlers in tow, go up and down the Bavarian Village, as I sip the worst mulled wine I’ve had in at least the last year, that cost me nine dollars. As it comes toward five, the lights begin to go up, setting a sort of neon magic over the place, the stalls selling exotic wares like cheese and fries, or buttermilk fried chicken, scenting the place, mixing with the damp and my oversweet mulled wine.

I like the couples best: Sharing a long pull of cheese between them, pushing a stroller together, arm in arm next to the little firepits that dot the place. There is nothing authentic here, I can here someone say, but I don’t agree. There is the rich authenticity of finding a reason to be together, out in the world. There is the reality of the couple that sits across from us at the ice bar, as we swap taking pictures. There’s the truth of a little girl taking her father’s hand.

There is a sort low-rent magic here, as the ferris wheel turns against the night sky. It’s too cloudy to see the stars, but in a place like this, you make your own. The oompah band in the Bavarian Village starts up again, and I decide to buy a beer this time.

Here’s the picture:

A picture shows me something, but when I read what I wrote, i REMEMBER it. I could now tell you a million other things about it, having read that. I remember the place we ate, with cheese served over some potato, and I remember the little girl who kept going up and down the food stall area because it was slightly suspended over the ground and made a pleasing clanking sound. I remember the gin and tonic with a cranberry in it I got from the bar nearby, and the stall across the way hawking a chance to win stuffed animals. I remember things better when a story is being told.

So that’s why I journal. To remember, for me. It is a way of exporting the memory to a different place, that I can hold onto.

#doc writes

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theamityelf · 10 months ago

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If you will can u give us more on the Warriors of Hope as Kamukuras??? Especially how Izuru acts w them?? I’ll take anything abt them that you can give

Okay, I'm going to start from the beginning. As far as how they got to be Kamukuras, I'm thinking the school already wanted to use young children, they were scouting Hope's Peak Elementary for kids who could feasibly go missing, and, when they found out about the UDG kids' home situations, they realized they had enough blackmail on their parents that they couldn't object to having their children used for the Kamukura Project.

Masaru would be a lot lower-energy once he's been Kamukurafied. His emotions have been suppressed, after all. He still has inklings of a "sporty" side, but after spending so much time in medical restraints, he only expresses that side of himself when no one is looking. And when he does, it doesn't resemble play at all. Most of the time, he moves slowly and languidly from place to place, his neck slack with boredom, but then when no one's eyes are on him he'll break into a sprint or climb. He makes regular escape attempts. The prospect of escaping the labs is the one thing focusing his energy. He doesn't really have a plan or objective for once he gets out; he just needs to get out. He needs to be where he isn't at anyone else's mercy.

He's hostile to the scientists, but it usually manifests harmlessly; most days, he's more obnoxious than anything. He'll correct people when they're incorrect about even the smallest thing. "You didn't know that, did you?" is pretty much his new catchphrase, as he's often rattling off highly specialized information they didn't ask for. When they do ask him questions, he'll answer in another language just to be inconvenient.

But also, every now and then, he will attack them, if they leave a syringe or scalpel in grabbable range of him. A few of them have been stabbed or slashed in some pretty important arteries. He might have killed some doctors.

His default expression is an angelic grin, because he knows it unsettles them.

Jataro I think would be highly introverted. He'd ignore the scientists more than anything. Most of his interactions with them would be swiping things from their pockets to take apart; his room is filled with disassembled pens and penlights that used to be theirs. Whenever he gets to hold an object in his hands, he feels compelled to strip it down to its base components. If he ever got his hands on a plant, he'd pull the leaves and petals off and generally rip it to tiny pieces. Same for small animals, etc. It's just something he does. He wouldn't say he likes it; he just does it.

He's not nearly as socially-inclined as Masaru. He doesn't talk to the scientists pretty much at all, but he talks out loud to himself a lot. Murmurs, really. Just a vocalized stream of consciousness. Sometimes he talks about the scientists, to himself, but he doesn't answer when they speak to him. He doesn't believe there's a point. He's nothing to them, after all. No matter what he says to them, they'll hurt him if it occurs to them that the project might benefit.

His default expression is blank. Sometimes he laughs, but it's more an energy outlet than an expression of any emotion.

Kotoko is always tense. She often hides. Like Masaru, she lashes out at the scientists, but unlike him, her goal is to cause them as much suffering as possible. She's not targeting the circulatory system; she's targeting the nervous system. She's breaking expensive equipment in expensive ways. Like Jataro's destructive streak except, again, her goal is to have as many unpleasant consequences for her captors as possible.

She is no longer triggered by the same word as before; now she is triggered by her old name.

Her default expression is just a haunting Kubrick stare.

Nagisa is pretty much exactly what they were trying to make. He answers their questions completely, truthfully, and clearly. If they ask him to kill someone, he'll do it. He has completely bought into the established power dynamic in which he is a tool. He is calm, emotionless, and excellent.

His default expression is normal, because he's learned how to do that.

And Monaca imitates. She copies the speech patterns and facial expressions of the scientists when she's with them, and does the same with her fellow Lil Kamukuras when she's with them. She's similar to Makoto, as far as being more focused on understanding others than being a person herself, but she doesn't reach the conclusion that things must matter because someone else cares; she feels they're all wrong to care about such pointless things.

The Lil Kamukuras all like each other well enough. In fact, they're quite attached to each other. The other Lil Kamumuras are the only ones who can get Jataro to eat, the only ones Kotoko won't hide from. They're often placed in the same room to observe what they'll do. They understand each other and get along much better than any of them gets along with the scientists. Except Nagisa; he considers himself a tool, doesn't feel a need to socialize with the other tools, and will not join in any escape attempts.

Monaca doesn't care about escaping in and of itself; she's just mirroring the other Lil Kamukuras.

Mahiru or Izuru is the one to find out about the Junior branch of the program. They go to break it up and free the subjects without the others; Nagito is a bit too chaotic, and there's an unspoken reluctance to involve the younger ones unnecessarily.

When the older Kamukuras free them, killing a lot of scientists in the process, they earn a bit of respect from the kids. Nagisa takes it in stride that the people he was made to serve are dead, so he should obey their killers now. Kotoko and Masaru get in on the killing as soon as the opportunity arrives and so have already fought alongside Izuru and Mahiru by the time they are formally introduced. Monaca goes with the flow as always, and Jataro goes wherever his friends go.

That said, Kotoko doesn't agree to go with them right away. She doesn't want to be locked up in a new place with stronger captors this time.

"If Blue Hair is adamant about going with our predecessors and Pink Hair is adamantly opposed, it means it's impossible for all of us to stay together," Jataro murmurs to himself.

"Do you want me to drag her?" Nagisa asks their predecessors.

"No," Mahiru answers. "We won't force any of you to come."

Izuru makes eye contact with Kotoko. She will have difficulty surviving on her own, and he has thus far had a perfect record of keeping his successors safe and close. He doesn't like leaving her. But if she dislikes being controlled this much, he supposes he can just watch out for her from a distance. He turns away.

And he only walks a few paces before he hears another set of footsteps join the children following him; Kotoko has decided to come after all. She just needed to know she wouldn't be forced to.

Despite the many rooms in Byakuya's mansion, the children share a room. Nagisa follows Izuru around, waiting for orders. Monaca, Masaru, and eventually Kotoko follow Nagito and join in his chaos. And Jataro sometimes secludes himself, sometimes tags along with the other children, and sometimes sticks to Makoto. He's a good listener.

Often, Jataro will just sit down with one of Byakuya's books, systematically tearing every page out of the binding. Nagisa takes to going behind him and mending them, since Izuru doesn't give him any orders except "Go play with your friends," and Mahiru just tells him, "Try to self-actualize." (And if he asks Byakuya, he'll tell him to fix the books.)

Nagito gladly becomes the one who gets the kids clothes, especially since they're constantly growing out of them. They aren't as willing as Makoto is to wear whatever he picks out, which adds an element of challenge, tailoring his choices to their tastes.

Izuru can tell from across the room if someone hasn't brushed their teeth.

"If I get a cavity, I'm qualified to give myself a filling," Masaru says.

"Brush. Now. Or no dessert tomorrow."

"Do you want me to brush his teeth?" Nagisa asks.

"No."

Kotoko finds a stray cat and keeps it in the room she shares with the other kids. She manages to keep it under wraps for about forty-eight hours (down to keeping herself and her friends completely clean of cat hair) before Izuru asks, "Is there an animal in this house?"

Makoto says, "Let her keep him. He's nice," casually revealing to everyone that he knew the whole time.

#danganronpa #kamukuras au #kamukura babies au #monaca towa #kotoko utsugi #nagisa shingetsu #jataro kemuri #masaru daimon #izuru kamukura #makoto naegi #byakuya togami #mahiru koizumi

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jerzwriter · 1 year ago

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The Morning

I promised myself I'd expand on my Eli x Zoe headcanon as we do the Wake the Dead reread; before too much time slips away, I decided to finally get started. This is an expansion/reimagination of the chat Eli and Zoe had by the fireplace on their first night in the lodge. Some of this dialogue is directly from the story. I hope you enjoy it.

Book: Wake the Dead Pairing: Eli Sipes x Zoe Rivera (F!MC) Words: 1,600 Rating: Teen Warnings: Mentions of death, loss Summary: When Zoe can't fall asleep on their first night in the lodge, she joins Eli at the fireplace and realizes he has more than one reason for being awake as well. A/N: @choicesjanuary2024 Day 31 - Beginnings, starting over. Double dipping in @choicesfebruary2024 - Eli & Zoe are at the very early stages of Philia/Friendship love, and they're on their way to Ludus/Flirtatious love, though Zoe will make that journey much quicker than Eli! Pragma (practical love) and Philautia self-love) fit in a little, too, but not as much. :)

Wake the Dead Masterlist | Full Masterlist

She’d blame the wind. The wind whipping against the rickety eaves overhead would be assigned fault if anyone asked why she was awake. But as she gazed blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling above, Zoe knew the wind would be falsely accused. Sitting up from the cold, wood floor, she stretched her arms over her head with a soft groan. She’d never thought much of her lumpy mattress back at The Tower, but compared to this, it may as well have been a cloud. She looked around the darkened room, subconsciously counting the bodies sleeping in their makeshift beds one by one, and the pit in her stomach grew when she was done. It wasn’t a nightmare; Ana, the one constant in her life, the person she loved above all else, was really gone. She watched over the others, not with anger, but envy. How did they do it? How could they just fall asleep when nothing in her world would ever be the same again.

A loud pop from a log crackling in the fireplace pulled her gaze in its direction. That’s when she saw Eli staring blankly into the fire, a forlorn look that matched the sentiment in her heart washed over his countenance. He said he’d watch over them as they slept, but it didn’t take much for Zoe to realize that wasn’t the only reason he was awake. Sliding out from under the dusty old quilt she had found, she quietly made her way over and sat across from the relative stranger.

“Hey,” she said with the slightest trace of a grin.

“Hey,” he replied, his eyes never retracting from the dancing flames. “You should be asleep.”

“So should you,” she countered.

The unspoken dare commanded his attention, taking him out of the trance he was in. His eyes lifted toward her, but in a moment, they were back on the ochre flames.

“Someone’s gotta keep watch,” he droned, voice devoid of emotion.

“True, but I’m awake now. So why don’t you get some sleep?”

A tiny smile crept across her face when Eli didn’t budge.

“Yeah, I thought so,” she replied smugly. “I appreciate you keeping watch, but that’s not the only reason you’re awake. Is it?”

“It’s just...” he sighed wearily. “It’s been a long day.”

Sensing the sadness in his voice, Zoe felt compelled to look away. Gazing down at her hands, she picked at a torn cuticle as the minutes ticked away.

“It sure has,” she whispered. “I’m sorry about your cabin.”

“It had to be done,” he said with a shrug, but the pain in his eyes told another story. “It wasn’t safe there anymore.”

“Still, if you hadn’t helped us, then....”

Eli silenced her with a wave of his hand.

“What’s done is done.” He closed his eyes, and memories ushered him back in time. Zoe swore she saw a hint of a smile on his lips, but it was gone the moment his eyes opened. “Someone I used to know always said, ‘Don’t’ sit in a pile of should.’ We did what we had to do... all of us. There’s no use lamenting it.”

He reached into his pocket and removed the papers Zoe saved. Unfolding them with care, his face visibly softening as he read.

“If you don’t mind me asking... what are they?”

“They’re schedules. Lists of chores and when to do them. My parents put them together for me and my brother,” he held a page in her direction. “This is my parent’s handwriting... and those scribbles? That’s where my kid brother tried to cross his chores out, hoping no one would notice.”

“Did it work?” Zoe smiled.

“With my parents? Not a chance! They never missed a thing.” He was silent for a long while. “Seeing their handwriting always brings me back.”

Zoe earnestly studied Eli. “Life must have been so much different for you. Growing up in The Tower, everything was so cold and regimented. I can’t imagine growing up in a home with a family...” Now, it was her words that slipped away.

“Everything has its advantages... and disadvantages, I suppose.”

“Yeah, but I bet your chores were more fun than sifting through moldy garbage searching for scrap metal.”

“Fun’s not the word I’d use. But it kept us alive... kept food on the table.”

“So tell me what it was like,” she asked, unaware of the genuine smile that had come to her face. “What was the first thing you did when you woke up in the morning.”

“Perimeter check. Make sure no drones had broken in during the night.” He chuckled to himself, remembering Zoe’s reaction when he pointed out she didn't know how to clear a room earlier that day. He wasn't making that mistake again. “I suppose I can show you how to do that in the morning.”

“Ha ha,” she replied, shooting him a sarcastic yet warm look. “And after that... what did you do next?”

Eli rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know. Probably checked the traps to see if we caught anything over night. If we did, it was a good day. Spared us the trouble of hunting.”

“Hunting? Eww,” she flinched. “I’m starting to understand the appeal of ration bars. Less brutality, less work.”

“Yeah,” he said with... was that a smile, “but not nearly as tasty.”

He turned his eyes back to the papers, his calloused fingers tracing the words. As he drifted into another world, Zoe inched closer.

“I’m surprised that’s what you wanted saved. Of all the things in the cabin, that was most important to you.”

“Everything in that cabin was important to me, and there were undoubtedly things that could have been more useful to us. But this... this is a part of them...”

“Is...” she hesitated. “Is your family... gone?”

Her words didn’t register at first, but when they did, he folded the papers and tucked them away in his pocket. Shooting a stern gaze her way.

“You shouldn’t have gone back for this. You put yourself at risk. The place was crawling with zombies; you could have been killed.”

“Yeah, but I wasn’t,” Zoe smirked. “And I don’t think we should sit in a pile of “could” any more than we should sit in a pile of “should.”

Eli’s eyes crinkled as he laughed. He laughed, and Zoe couldn’t understand why, but it filled her with warmth. She wasn’t sure of many things at this uncertain time, but she was sure that she wanted to make him laugh again.

“It doesn’t work as well that way,” he sighed. “See, sitting in a pile of should is a play on words... like sitting in a pile of sh.... you know. Never mind. I appreciate you doing this for me. It was very brave and very stupid.”

“And very worth it,” she said, their eyes meeting for a split second. “Now you have something to remember them by. I’d give anything to have something of Ana’s...” her voice cracked.

Eli looked over at Dirk, fast asleep on the couch, Ana’s knapsack serving as a pillow. “There has to be something in there?”

“Yeah,” Zoe whispered sadly. “He doesn't know it, but I’m stealing that fucker back from him.”

“Let me know when,” Eli smiled. “I’ll be happy to help. I really am very sorry about your sister... I... I know how that feels."

“Thanks,” Zoe looked away. “I suppose all our days are numbered, but when I woke yesterday... it was my birthday! It was my first day as a scout; I hadn't been that excited in so long... who knew I'd be running from The Tower that night... who knew I'd lose Ana,” she swallowed hard, doing all in her power to fight back tears. “I don’t know how I will survive without her.”

“Look, I know we just met, but I can tell you’re strong. I can see your resilience. You’ll get through it. It won’t be easy, and the pain will never fully go away. But the days will pass, and little by little, you’ll see... you’ll survive.”

“Survive,” she scoffed. “Sure, I’ll survive. But I had hoped that someday, I might actually live.”

“Well, that part’s up to you.”

“Have you lived?” She asked. “Since you lost your family...

“You should probably try to get some sleep, Zoe.”

“Ooorrr... you could just tell me you don’t want to talk about it.”

“Two things can be true at the same time,” he smirked.

“Fine,” she grumbled, heading back to her spot on the floor. She turned around, surprised to find him watching her. “Just one more question.”

Eli looked up with a raised brow.

“Why did you decide to join us?”

“What choice did I have?”

“Oh, you had a choice. You said you’ve been alone for a while; you could have continued and found a place on your own. Something tells me you would have been just fine on your own, Eli Sipes. So why come along with this ragtag bunch?”

“I figured it would be easier to survive in a group.”

“Survive,” she replied with sarcasm. “How about living, Eli?”

“I haven’t lived in a long, long time.”

“Hmm,” Zoe shrugged. “That could change. I guess that part’s up to you.”

Who was this woman throwing his words back at him... and why did he find it endearing instead of infuriating. A puff of air escaped him as he shook his head. “You know I don’t completely dislike you – why don’t you go to sleep before that changes.”

“Oh, you like me,” she teased. “You may be too stubborn to admit it yet, but you do. And I don’t blame you... I’m adorable!”

“Good night, Zoe.”

“Good night, Eli. I’ll see you in the morning.”

@choicesficwriterscreations @wakethedead-group-re-read

Tagging others separately

#wake the dead #wake the dead choices #choices fanfic #playchoices #playchoices fanfic #eli sipes #eli x zoe #eli sipes x f!mc #choices stories you play

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dc-al-coda · 3 months ago

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watched Bloom Into You a lil while ago & it was super adorable and melted my heart. The aquarium date was the cutest thing, it made me so happy I could cry. Also that ending theme is a total bop. I haven't read the manga, just saw the 13-episode series - still, it makes so much sense that the author started out writing Touhou doujinshi.

Considering the show on its own, without the manga to add context, it feels kinda incomplete. The characters have complicated discussions about romance that never really get resolved. It's most glaring with Maki: a character who reads as basically aroace, but doesn't really get enough screen time to exist outside the context of Yuu and Touko's relationship. But Yuu also expresses feelings that feel aroace-adjacent, spending so much time talking about having never felt love with anyone.

The story has drawn some criticism about how those aspects of the characters are handled, and I'd agree that if it were fully about exploring aroace identity then it didn't do a great job. But, that's not really what it's about - it's about the particular relationship between the two main characters, and their understandings of what "love" means.

From the very beginning of the show, Yuu talks about how she "knows what love means", basing her understanding on music and stories. She talks about how love feels like fireworks, like floating and reaching the stars. Because of this understanding, she then believes that the feelings she has for Touko aren't love, because she doesn't feel those specific things. What interests me, though, is the potential that Yuu might be wrong about love - or at least, it isn't as universally consistent of a feeling as she makes it out to be. Maybe "love" isn't some explosion of passion, but something more down-to-earth. At least, it feels that way for me.

In fact, I think the questioning and uncertainty, and the attempt to understand it all, is the driving force of the show. That's why the central plotline is about the student council holding a stage show. Both Touko and Yuu find themselves trying to follow pre-existing "scripts" for their lives. Touko tries to follow the script of what she though her sister was, and Yuu wants to follow the script of how love manifests. Both of them are challenged to move past those scripts -The show makes a point of how Touko's view of her sister isn't based on reality, but her own perception. Similarly, I've come to realize as an aro person that "love", as Yuu and I understood it, was simply thrust upon us by the world and shrunk the possibility space of how we could be. I had to work to break that script in my own life.

The show never explicitly states this idea - I wish that Yuu had been given some more explicit realizations along the same lines as Touko. I do think the final episode leans in that direction, though. Especially when Yuu says "People are self-contradictory. It's normal." She claims things are "normal" a few times throughout, but this instance feels the most genuine. Before, when Yuu said something was "normal", she meant that it was normal in the understood script of the world. But finally, in the aquarium, she makes a claim about normalcy just based on her own observations. The following scene, where Yuu and Touko improvise a scene from their stageplay, really enhances the feeling of accepting uncertainty.

If we don't read the show as being about a specific idea of "love", or the specific identities of the characters, then the whole thing feels more consistent. The plot of the stageplay even directly parallels Touko's arc: the main character, played by Touko, doesn't know her own identity and feels forced to choose one ("subtle" is not a word I would use to describe this show). Yuu is so determined to figure out how to love Touko, but how can she love someone who has such a tenuous grasp on her own personhood?

Maybe that's why Yuu and Touko are so compelling as a pair of characters - Yuu basically knows herself without knowing love, but Touko knows love while not knowing herself. Sayaka works as a contrast here - she knows how love feels, and knows herself, but Touko doesn't find love with her. Yuu and Touko both become interested in, and want something from each other, but their goals also contrast. Yuu wants to learn more about the experience of love with Touko. Meanwhile, Touko seems perfectly prepared (if not exactly happy) to just bask in the feelings she knows. She tells Yuu multiple times not to fall in love with her, because she doesn't like herself. In spite of this, Yuu's motivation shifts throughout the show - from trying to fall in love, to helping Touko come to terms with herself. The relationship feels a lot less one-sided once this shift happens.

The balance is important because initially, when Touko is expressing her feelings, she comes on REALLY strong. This has been noted by critics, and it's hard not to read Touko's constant attempts to touch and kiss Yuu early on as a little pushy. Especially when Yuu makes it explicit that the feelings aren't mutual. It's a risky tone for the show, and lasts a surprisingly long time - even up to the athletics day. And when Touko says stuff like "I don't know if I'll be able to hold back", it's kind of a red flag. Still, a lot of effort is made to have the characters discuss what is okay, and Yuu is able to establish some boundaries which Touko respects. By the end of the show, the characters have a much better understanding of each other, and they both seem mutually invested in a relationship of some kind.

As cute as the characters are together, the relationship doesn't seem to me like one that'll last very long. It feels more like a whirlwind romance that sweeps these girls up in newly discovered feelings. I think it does end up lasting a long time in the manga, which likely tracks with the added context. But even if the relationship does or doesn't end, it'd still be meaningful to both girls. That's why I like that the show ends on an inconclusive note. Yuu and Touko never form an explicit relationship, no identities are ever explicitly realized, and we never even see the stageplay that constitutes a majority of the plot. It works, though, because this is a story about a journey instead of a destination. Just watching these characters try to parse their complicated emotions and relationships (and their queer experiences) is captivating. It can be a little cringe-inducing to watch high school girls going through awkward phases, but that's ultimately what makes it relatable and utterly adorable as the characters make mistakes, learn, and grow. Through the journey, the characters find ways to bloom into themselves.

Anyway, thanks for reading

#anime #bloom into you #arospec #aromantic

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