#like no one says things like that in english please adapt it a bit more so it sounds natural

[pancake-breakfast]

Been watching through Link Click with my brother for Sibling Anime Night and, as this is my second watch, there are all these little details that are just driving me crazy. I have to remember not to say a darn thing because he doesn't know yet, but geez. They put some thought into this. They knew what they were doing.

Here are a few:

Qiao Ling telling Cheng Xiaoshi that Lu Guang is way more mature than him despite being the younger of the two.

Near the end of the first episode (in the sub), Lu Guang very insistently tells Cheng Xiaoshi to never ask about the future.

In the Noodle Lesbians episode, Cheng Xiaoshi telling Lu Guang, "Just because you don't see a glimmer of hope doesn't mean it's not hiding somewhere," and Lu Guang's expression fading into this soft smile as he chuckles, as if he's thinking, "It's just like you to say something like that."

In the basketball episode, how jealous Lu Guang sounds when Cheng Xiaoshi high-fives someone else.

When Cheng Xiaoshi runs out to start warning people about the earthquake, Lu Guang gritting his teeth and shouting, "You can't save them. They are already dead!" And then hurriedly lecturing Cheng Xiaoshi on how much of a fixed point death is no matter how much you might want to change it. "No matter how hard this is, you can't alter their fates!"

Lu Guang: "The future that we now know could completely disappear." (dub) "It could even cause the disappearance of the life we have now." (sub)

In the Aunt May arc, the three superheroes that our main three dress up as being the Star of Justice, Bringing Hope (Cheng Xiaoshi), Star of Courage, Conquering Fear (Lu Guang), and Star of Wisdom, Lighting the Way (sub)/Serving Knowledge (dub) (Qiao Ling). Gods, I could write an essay just on that.

I just... I just wanna grab some of these characters and shake them. Maybe slap them a few times. Why they gotta be like this?

[hotwaterandmilk]

2024 English language manga releases I'm enjoying

Here are a couple of titles I've picked up in English so far this year that I've enjoyed. Most of these I read digitally in Japanese for one or two volumes a couple of years back, but opted to wait and purchase the English print versions for my collection.

I feel like all of these books are worth the purchase price, but don't have the energy to do individual posts for each of them. So here's a very smooshed together post covering a few 2024 reads.

GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! from Yen Press

Akechi Ushiro is a heavily flawed, hard-working woman whose disregard for her own wellbeing results in her coming face-to-face with her equally flawed guardian spirit, Masako. The pair decide to combine their forces and begin tackling the obstacles in Ushiro's life using curses.

Hiruzuka Miyako's darkly funny tale of a woman taking control of her life alongside her queer sister spirit is such a delight . Featuring a rough-and-ready art style that helps underscore the macabre elements at play, the entire first volume is scathing in its humour and unashamed in its portrayal of Ushiro's flaws. I was surprised when this one got picked up by Yen Press a while back, but so happy to see it enjoying a stateside release. If you're after something that doesn't always play nice, GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! might well be for you.

Edit: If you haven't read it before, this Japanese interview with Hiruzuka is worth reading for a bit more on her background and the creation of the series.

Pass the Monster Meat, Milady! (Akujiki Reijou to Kyouketsu Koushaku) from Kodansha USA

A sweet little fantasy romance between two individuals who find solace in one another despite being reviled by the general public for their interest in monsters. One loves defeating monsters in battle while the other loves cooking them!

Melphiera is a smart, capable heroine while Aristide Rogier du Galbraith is a dashing and supportive hero. The manga art is a bit low in detail, but the characters and story are absolutely worth your time. I'd love to see the LNs that the manga adapts in English someday too. I mentioned in tags before this whole series gives me the types of vibes I enjoy in historical fantasy romance novels, so if you like that kind of content this might be a good title to check out (or recommend to friends who appreciate romantasy but haven't tried manga before).

In The Name of The Mermaid Princess (Mio no Na no Moto ni) from VIZ Media

In a country where being "unhuman" or in some way supernaturally inclined is seen as a curse rather than a blessing, Princess Mio takes medications to suppress her mermaid-esque traits and please her father. Her perspective changes when Yuri, a tutor from her fiance's home kingdom, encourages her to be herself and embrace the things that make her different.

I've seen people say this is a bit too obvious in its parallels between fantasy oppression and IRL issues, but this is a Ribon manga for young girls so yeah it's on the nose but I think it works for the audience it has in mind. Tashiro Miya's artwork here is gorgeous and both leads are quite endearing (Mio is SO freakin adorable I can'ttttt). Overall a solid little series with nicely packaged volumes for those after something for a younger audience.

The Moon on a Rainy Night (Amayo no Tsuki) from Kodansha USA

A romantic slice-of-life tale featuring two high school girls, one of whom is a budding pianist (Saki) and the other a loner who is hard of hearing (Kanon).

I don't normally go much on high school romance but the way this series blends classic GL melodrama tropes with genuine issues in an earnest manner works for me. While we see things more from Saki's viewpoint as she eagerly tries to learn more about Kanon and tries to figure out her own sexuality, we do also come to understand Kanon's thwarted ambitions and the difficulties she has with letting people in.

Kuzushiro's art is quite whispy and cute, with all the characters tending to look quite well-realised on the page. While I prefer romances that feature a character with disability to centre their perspective, I do feel this does a decent job of portraying both girls as they try to navigate their deepening relationship. YMMV on this though, particularly if you are d/Deaf or hard of hearing.

Sketchy from Kodansha USA

Ako is living an unfulfilling life with a dull job and even duller boyfriend, but she suddenly finds herself thrust into a whole new world upon encountering a mysterious young skateboarder.

Sketchy, while ostensibly about women taking up skateboarding is more a snapshot of their individual lives and the role having a hobby plays once you're no longer a child. Ako's story particularly resonates with me (I literally worked her job at a similar age) but all the characters prove interesting in their own way.

Makihirochi's art is a bit more experimental than others on this list and may not be to everyone's taste, but I do think Sketchy is still worth checking out even if you're not entirely sold on the art (which I think has improved since I first became familiar with her work through Itsuka Tiffany de Choushoku o in Comic Bunch). Titles like this, which, let's face it, have low level of mainstream appeal, don't often get English language releases so I highly recommend supporting this one if you have the opportunity to do so.

[gyummigon]

nocturnal fears | beomgyu

beomgyu x gen!reader

୨୧ word count: 1k ୨୧ genre: fluff, some angst ୨୧ summary: practically a conversation with beomgyu, sitting on two swings at two in the morning. yeah, i don't know how to summarize this. ୨୧ n/a: english isn’t my first language. warning about text written with a dangerous amount of sleep and without any editing

"What the hell is the point of this?"

The nocturnal scenery around you was not as romantic as you would have expected from a foolish outing at two in the morning, the coherence of your thoughts was more and more consumed by your need to sleep, you felt dizzy after swinging on the swing for who knows how long and, for better or worse, Beomgyu was in one of those taciturn facets in which he conveyed to you the serenity and security of closing your eyes and not wanting to open them.

Your sleepy voice interrupted the soft humming coming from Beomgyu's throat. The boy tilted his head to look at you and curled the corners of his lips into a smile.

"You said you needed me." He explained in a soothing voice, as if it was the most logical reasoning and solved every last blank in your question. You let out a sigh that eventually turned into a laugh. Deep down it was no surprise either, this was Beomgyu with his spontaneous and generally inexplicable behavior.

"Beomgyu, yes, I say things like that all the time, you know that. Was it really necessary to meet at this time of night? You have to get up early tomorrow."

Beomgyu pursed his lips and shrugged. His body was ridiculously large compared to the swing, so he only had to lean forward a little to hug his legs. "Finding time to sleep isn't complicated," he whispered.

"And what is? Allowing me to fall asleep early?"

He didn't bother to answer. Instead, he sighed fondly and, after another long silence, said, "I just missed you tonight".

You bit the inside of your mouth when you heard that, but you couldn't stop the nervous laughter that escaped your mouth. "Beomgyu, you're a fool," you said and tapped his shoulder without much force. Beomgyu's smile widened when he heard you, and before you could move your hand away, he took your hand between his fingers and ran the warmth of his fingertips over your skin.

"I know," he reached out with his hand and grabbed the rope of your swing to pull you towards him, for a moment you thought he was going to kiss you, but all he did was look deeply into your eyes. "I know you never wanted to be on the swing at this hour," he said, and his voice couldn't have sounded more sincere. "I just... I was a little scared and wanted some of your protection."

You leaned your head into his and closed your eyes as the puff of his breath hit your lips. "Scared of what?"

"Scared of me, of you, of being yours, of not being yours," he confessed in a small whisper. "It's too much to take in, all these changes... We're growing up, and it scares me. You, my friends, even my parents, everyone around me seems to be adapting; easily or not, but they are doing it. I feel like I'm still in the same place, drifting, nothing pleases me, nothing makes me feel whole. I am afraid that the time will come when my dissatisfaction will separate us, that I will be left behind while you move forward and we will inevitably have to say goodbye”.

You took a few seconds to digest his words, unable to help but be moved by his sincerity and the tenderness in his voice. It never occurred to you that Beomgyu had those feelings. Although you knew of his sensitivity and attachment to small things, you had not been aware of those concerns until then.

"Beomgyu..." was the only thing you could say, you were not prepared for this conversation, let alone at this time of night and under the circumstances they were in: stupidly sitting on two swings that could barely support the weight of your bodies. "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere without you," you said before lifting an arm and wrapping it around his neck. You pulled him to you and let his head rest on your shoulder.

"That's why I came to you tonight." His hands traveled to your back to embrace you, as softly as his words, "because I can go all day without sleep, but I can't bear the thought of being away from you."

"Sweetheart..."

"I talk too much, I know," he laughed awkwardly. "But you're so perfect and I'm so fucked up. I want to be good for you, I want to see you walk proudly by my side. I don't want to let you down."

You sighed and took his chin to make his eyes look at you. The closeness of his face to yours, of his lips to yours, made you want to do nothing more than kiss him. He seemed to think the same. "Could you listen to me for a second?"

"Could you kiss me?"

You laughed and shook your head. "Listen to me first."

Beomgyu, without letting go of the swing rope, pressed his head a little against your shoulder and stretched up to kiss your neck. "I hear you." He murmured and leaned against you a little more, his hand resting on your stomach, right on the edge of your sweatshirt.

"Stop distracting me, I'm trying to say something intelligent, okay?" you groaned, though you couldn't sound serious enough. "I want to... I want to find the most useful way to convince you that I'm with you, that every step you take is a step I take, and if you back down, I'll back down with you. There is no way that growing up can separate us, because if I'm honest with you, the passage of time only makes me more certain that you are the man I want to walk beside."

A silence stretched between the two of you for a few seconds until Beomgyu broke it with a kiss, the contact of his lips against yours was brief and he released you almost immediately, hesitant, as if hesitating whether to speak or continue kissing you. His face became serious, but there was a smile in the back of his eyes, "Fuck, shut up or I'll propose to you right here".

© gyummigon | all rights reserved. copying or adaptation prohibited

[unknownfacelessfanfictions]

Okay, I've seen this done wrong often now, so a quick guide to the beautiful German language especially regarding nicknames.

It's rather easy in ENglish, because you can use every nickname, like "my love" or "my darling" for every person of every sex. IN Germany, that is unfortunately a bit more complicated, because in Germany we gender everything. The door is feminine, the table masculine, the pig neutral and so on and so on. Because of that we adapt our words, especially possesive pronouns.

Just, a quick example, below is a table with all the different ways to say "my".

In German we change the pronoun or "adapt" it regarding the "genus" (gender), Numerus (number) and "Fall" (cause). There are four cases in the German language, Nominativ, Genitiv, Dativ, Akkusativ.

I won't explain them all, because that would be too difficult. However, this is why it's not enough to put "my" in Google translate. Or just "love". You can't translate things word for word into another language, you need context [btw don't use Google translate. It's really not that good]

EXAMPLE:

"My love" [as in, the feeling I feel]

[My love for him...]

"Meine Liebe"

[Meine Liebe für ihn....]

"My love" (as a nickname)

"Meine Liebe" (addressing someone of the female gender)

"Mein Lieber" (addressing someone of the male gender)

However "Liebe/Lieber" is not necessarily the best way to translate it, because it's more like a "my dear". You can go with "Meine Liebste/Mein Liebster" but that's very old-fashioned, like 19th century kind of old-fashioned.

What I also often find is "Liebchen" (though I've never seen it written correctly". It's alright I guess, but I personally have never heard someone say it.

DON'T JUST TRANSLATE RANDOM PETNAMES FROM ENGLISH TO ANOTHER LANGUAGE

Yes, "Honig" is the german word for "honey" but noone calls their s/o that?! At least I've never heard of it. Just do your research, please

Another important thing when writing about a German character:

Like in many languages, like French for example, there are two ways to directly address one person:

The informal way "Du"

And the formal way "Sie".

Unless your two characters are in a working relationship and suddendly declare their love, don't ever use "Ich liebe Sie." That's like saying "I love you Sir/Madame." If your characters know each other informaly, adress each other with first name etc. it's ALWAYS "Ich liebe dich."

Please, if you write for a character, that speaks a language you don't, translate everything in context, even if you only need one word. Don't use Google Translate. If you can, ask native speakers. I can asure you, most are happy to help.

I am, if anybody has questions regarding translations. It just makes the whole reading expirience more pleasant and makes you look like a better writer.

[anarchy-and-piglins]

MORE OF HUMAN!TECHNO AND ALIEN!BEEDUO THINKING TECHNO IS A LITTLE KID 😿😿😿

(part one) - (part two)

Back on earth, Techno very briefly had a gig as a babysitter.

It's a little funny, considering he doesn't even like children. But for some reason, kids just seem to be drawn to him. Techno used to be a big hit at a distant nephew's birthday parties too, where the adults gladly left the little ones with him so they could drink store-bought wine and gossip. And since small talk is about the only thing Techno dislikes more than children, he never complained.

And maybe some part of him feels weirdly proud that he has the same effect on the tiny pig alien thing, who looks up at with him so much admiration.

Bee and Boo were startingly quick in leaving Techno alone with their child, especially since Techno still hasn't been able to communicate with them. Either they really trust him, or they don't see him as a threat. Probably the second one, hard as it is for Techno's pride to bear. He's more or less figured out that these two don't realize he's an adult.

Techno mostly has himself to thank for that.

Michael - that's the kid's name, or close enough from what Techno can make out from the guttural grunts it makes - is a toddler. Or whatever the closest thing is in his species. Techno, aimless and trying to get his non-hostility across to the much more powerful and dangerous aliens around, had adapted early on by mimicking Michael to appear as harmless as possible.

He just didn't expect the message to come across this literally.

Lacking the English vocabulary needed to clear up the misunderstanding (and also maybe halfway aware that this misunderstanding could be the only thing standing between him and these aliens throwing him out of an airlock), Techno decided it was a fair price to pay for survival.

And as stated, kids like him.

With another small snort, Michael turns over one of the colorful cards on the table. Techno had some trouble piecing together the rules of the game at first, but he thinks he gets it now. He only lets Michael win half the time or so.

"Nice try," Techno says. He lays a card out of his hand onto the table. "But better luck next time."

Michael's ears flick and he grunts in playful annoyance a few times. Techno laughs. It's... almost adorable? In so far a humanoid pig alien thing can be adorable.

A static hum from the doorway makes him flinch and look over. Despite everything, his time in the arena still left Techno jumpy - constantly on guard.

But it's just Boo checking on them. Their tall frame has to hunch to look at them, too tall to fit.

Michael vocalizes a bit more but then stomps his little hooves. He's happy. Hoof stomping is good.

Boo chitters back, pleased. And then they look over at Techno.

Techno kind of awkwardly stares for a moment. Before replying in the only language he knows they get. He lifts his feet and brings them down on the metal spaceship flooring three times.

He's happy too.

Boo hums again, louder. Then they wander off to do whatever it is adult aliens do, leaving Techno and Michael to their game.

[riiwrites]

Do you have any tips or advice on writing,your way with words truly is amazing-♦️

thank you sm lovely anon, this is such a sweet compliment 🥹

i’m not good with tips or writing tbh, like one day I just started this blog and started writing and now I’m here I guess 😭 (funfact i acc ran an IT fanfiction blog back when I was like 11 this is not my proudest moment I shouldn’t have even been on this app)

i’m a big fan of english literature and always have been, im taking higher english next year for s5 and I’ve learned quite a bit tbh that I think can help!

1. my teacher always tells me to not repeat the same words over and over again. like for example :

“character watches s/o walk into the room with their bright smile and bright eyes”

instead, you could say :

“character watches s/o walk into the room with their beaming smile and bright eyes”

personally in my opinion repetition is good for both writing and poetry but using more adapted words can really elevate your writing. but that’s just my opinion on what it does for me and i try my best not to repeat the same words consistently. if you struggle to think of more advanced words you can use google because that’s quite literally what i do but you can also use a thesaurus, they’re quite helpful i used to use them in primary school for writing :)

2. another tip i can think of is using techniques of writing, this also goes for poetry too (as im currently having to study for my english exam on poetry). there’s a few techniques you can use in writing fanfiction such as

- metaphors (an implied comparison eg. “my mum has a heart of gold” - meaning my mum is a kind hearted woman. she is)

- similes (similar to a metaphor but it’s a direct comparison, typically used in the forms of “like a” or “as” eg. “she was as cold as ice” - meaning that her personality and demeanour is rather cold and stern.)

- personification (similar to a metaphor also but this connects human characteristics such as personalities or emotions to a non living thing eg. “the trees danced in the wind” - trees cant dance like a human can, but the way they bristle in the wind can make it seem like they’re dancing)

i know some of these people would’ve already heard about but i thought I’d add in the examples and explanations just to clarify it for people who are confused and want to learn about it

this isn’t a MUST you have to include in your writing or anything but these are just tips on ways you can elevate your writing and personification is specifically good for describing scenery so the reader can feel more engaged within the story :). these are only a few of the techniques i use so if you wish to hear about more please do feel free to shoot me an ask.

3. one last tip that comes from me in my experience of writing is actually educating yourself by reading some writings you’re interested in. one thing I’ve learned about writing is that you can gain experience by becoming influenced by other people’s writings on any part of the internet. not like plagiarism of course but i mean you can become inspired by the way they write and adapt your own writing style.

i’ve learned so much from my beautiful and amazing moots and they’re all just so talented, im forever grateful and proud for each and one of them :)

but i hope this helps ♦️ anon, and YOU are my first official emoji anon HEHEHE SO THANK YOU!! and i will be adding more to this tip list if i think of anything.

and please remember, anyone can be a writer. it doesn’t matter wherever you’re a natural or if you’re “inexperienced”. we all engage and write in different styles and ways and that’s what making writing such a beautiful thing to contribute in. so don’t give up and if you need anything at all don’t be afraid to message me, i hope you’ve given this a read and again, i hope it helps. <3

[olympiansowl]

I’m gonna do a thread of why I think that Miriel will live. First, I’m not exactly a Tolkien expert, I still have to finish a lot of his books, but I’m gonna point out why I think killing her isn’t the best choice, not only from the “I love her and she’s my fav” line but from the “it doesn’t make sense to me as audience/reader" line. And, at the end, i will say why I think she will die. I am torn on this topic.

1 - The hints i talked about previously. Galadriel tells Miriel that she doesn't have to choose the path of fear and that she can choose the path of faith. We see that Miriel is really afraid of that faith because her father was forced out of his throne for it and, at the top, because she knows Numenor will be destroyed. She, eventually, makes a choice and we see that she has chosen faith. In the books, we know very little about her, but in the series we are actually seeing how much of an effort she’s making to follow the right path. Another hint, that might not be a hint, is the scene with that wood dolls (I don’t know the name in English, sorry) and Galadriel is saving Miriel from a dark place. Might hint that maybe something different will save Miriel in the end and it also might mean that she actually just accepted the Gods and made the right choice. Another one, that might be my favorite one: the DAMN EAGLES! Really, every single time we saw them in adaptation, it was to save someone. They saved Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, Thorin and his whole company…I know the eagle it’s sign on the scene, it shows that Miriel is the rightful Queen and in the books we see that they also disappear bc of her grandfather and bc of Pharazon, but they’re connected to the Gods, so I’m a little bit hopeful.

2 - THE GODS! Forgive me, guys, but Gods are supposed to be merciful, you know? Specially those Gods! Like, they know who tries and who doesn’t. They send giant birds to coronations and they also made clouds, like eagles but in clouds, appear on the sky to warn Numenor that they weren’t pleasing them. They see everything and not her efforts? Like bitch please there’s no way they don’t see that Miriel has been suffering like Jesus!

3 - Why her death doesn’t make sense to me in the books and why it won’t make sense if she dies like that in the series: she’s a good one. And the really, extremely good ones that I read about didn’t die. Not only that, but like I said, that woman is suffering too much to just die? When we watch a series that a woman suffers too much, she never dies. I can point a lot of female characters that suffered for at least three lives and are still out there surviving the most dangerous and traumatizing things. For me, it didn’t make sense for Tolkien to kill her just for the sake of narrative because her death doesn’t impact other arcs. Numenor was already destroyed, she was not a Queen anymore because she didn’t have a kingdom. I think he just killed her because he didn’t want to go too much into her, because it doesn’t make sense for a man that portrays faith in the way he does, to just kill of a character that has been faithful and tried to do the best for her people. In the series, she’s more explored and we actually see her efforts. She got blinded, usurped, might be forced to marry, will pass through a damn trial with a giant sea monster…all that, and all that fucking magic, and girl can’t be saved? Be fr. The actress said she had to get a license, so Miriel will probably be underwater for a time and I do believe Numenorians have some elvish blood on them, even if it’s little…she has to live.

4 - Now as a viewer. I heard, don’t know if it’s true, that they can change how a character will die, but not if that person will survive or not. Like Saruman. He dies in a different way, but still dies. So, to me, as a viewer and seeing how they’re writing female characters, it would make more sense for Miriel to die in battle. And on the last battle, alongside the others. Miriel seems to be more rational, so I have trouble thinking that she might just die while trying to make everything right. I am not the producers or the writers, so I don’t know how they would write the rest of her arc, but I could only hope to see her with Elendil, building a new kingdom. I also want to know the point of Earien. I love the actress and I know that the character is young but like…she helped usurp a Queen, using her faith against her…the same faith her father has 🤡 and she’s doing all that bc her brother decided to go to war. He could’ve stayed but he wanted to go. Why tf this girl is blaming Miriel?

5 - As a viewer again: yes, for her to die in Numenor and all might make sense bc she fought to save that damn city, but she’s also worried about its people. Like, all the faithful are supposed to leave the island and those are the ones that are faithful not only to the gods, but to her…why would she stay on that damn city? She knows how this story will end.

7 - Why I think she might die: her arc with Elendil. I love them so much it hurts, but I think they’re going to build the “she’s going to make something out of me” kinda o story line. He became her eyes and she will teach him what she knows about being a leader. Lloyd said something like that in an interview and I couldn’t agree more, because she will hear what he sees and he will hear her interpretations. The feelings they have for each other will affect their path and her death will be his ultimate push to be a leader and honor her memory. What I think to be incredibly sad is that she will drown, trying to save her city. And his late wife also drowned while trying to save their son. A parallel, a sad one.

8 - What I hope for: hope is the last one to go. I would like to see her being saved by the eagle and marrying Elendil, or at least building the city with him. It would be amazing.

9 - Make noise on social media if y’all want the magical eagle to save that woman.

[physalian]

What No One Tells You About Writing 8— “Anyone can write a book”

Yes. But actually no. I say “writing is easy” in that it doesn’t take a degree and textbook learning to understand. You can get an English or lit degree if you want, but writing is incredibly subjective. It’s not even like an art degree that has you study different mediums and historical styles. “Writing is easy” in that it’s about feeling, and instinct, and a little bit of common sense. Anyone can do it in that it doesn’t take financial investment to start. Steal a tchotchke pen and paper from a hotel room—you’ve got all the tools you need. I have a communications degree and 9 years of experience, and I'm about to publish my first supernatural fantasy novel.

Writing is not easy, however, if any of the following applies to you:

You want to make enough money to do this full time

You want to appeal to mass audiences

You want to be a NYT bestseller**** or get an adaptation

You want to be regarded as the best of your generation and fill bookstore shelves

1. It takes a healthy dose of self-awareness and a reality check

 I beta’d for an author who thought that he was comparable to GRRM, the author of A Song of Ice and Fire, because both have adult themes in their book and if GRRM can do it, why can’t he? The sheer vastness of the divide between ASOIAF and this awful, awful manuscript wasn’t worth putting into words for the amount I was being paid, though I tried.

Yes, you can write whatever you want. Yes, you can write to please yourself and stroke your ego. You can write the hammiest wish-fulfillment author insert that you desire. But you can’t expect anyone else to want to read or pay money for it. It’s great to have confidence as an author and envision your success, but starting right off the bat with “everyone will love this book because I’m really smart and I love this book” is only going to leave you bitter and penniless.

2. You might be an expert in your given field, doesn’t automatically make you an expert at storycrafting

I really, truly want the above godawful toe wart of a human (who tried to justify pedophilia in his book with the Israel-Palestine conflict) to stop featuring in my writing advice, but I know he’s not the only person out there who thinks like this. You might have a doctorate in engineering, medicine, political science, chemistry, physics, history, paleontology—any field you want. That does not mean you can successfully translate your expertise into a well-crafted and compelling narrative. It means you can write a college textbook lecturing your readers for 300 pages. Heck, if you can't explain what you do like I'm 5 years old, then you're not an expert in your field.

Elements of good storytelling include well-rounded characters, solid pacing, compelling themes and motifs, an engaging main conflict and character arcs and edge-of-your-seat action, romance, debates, and arguments. It’s so much more than “I’m going to write a textbook, but have my character tell it to you, and everyone will love it”.

They won’t.

3. “I’m gonna be a millionaire like JKR”

The frustrating thing about making money writing is that at the end of the day, you are still selling a product. Which means that it doesn’t matter how amazing you think it is, if it’s not what sells. The Fifty Shades series is hardly a poetic epic with deep, meaningful characters and themes, but it sold. It got adaptations. Why? Because it was a product people wanted and its writing style appeals to mass audiences who aren’t entertained by fluffy, antiquated prose. I hated the Divergent books. They soullessly and shamelessly fed off the success of Hunger Games. But they sold because “teen dystopia HP houses” was what audiences craved and what Hollywood was pushing to make movies out of.

Personally I don’t have any nostalgia for Harry Potter and I both wish I did so I could have one more beloved series and fandom to participate in, but also am glad I don’t because of JKR. HP is chock full of plot holes and “fuck it we’ll do it live” worldbuilding and so many concepts that look cool on paper until you really start thinking about it.

JKR didn’t make a million dollars because she wrote the greatest fantasy series. JKR made a million dollars because she wrote a book that sells every goddamn piece of lore for $15.99 or more and collects on all those sweet, sweet royalties. She understood that she’s selling a product, not just a story, selling everything from Slytherin ties and wizarding robes to golden snitches, sorting hats, wands, chocolate frogs, and every other prop seen in the movies.

You sure can chase trends and I’m sure Divergent is somebody’s favorite book and you can hock chocolate frogs. Everyone’s writing goals are different.

4. “But GRRM did it” (or, adhering to genre expectations)

Circling back to this one. Once again, you can write whatever you want, no one is stopping you. However, books are products and if what’s in the summary and on the cover isn’t what’s on the pages, you’re going to upset and annoy your readers. For example, if I slap a chiseled six-pack of man meat on my book cover with flowy calligraphy for the title that reads something like Sex and Pink Champagne and my summary is all about how protagonist girl gets the adonis of her dreams, you’re not going to be happy if, 200 pages in, the plot detours and Mr. Sexy fucks off to sell NFTs.

It doesn’t meet genre expectations.

GoT kicks off with incest and child defenestration. It tells you *exactly* what you’re getting into immediately. You can subvert plot expectations all you want. You can subvert tropes and archetypes and throw in all kinds of twists and turns. But if you’re writing a YA novel and 100 pages in after campfire songs and the power of friendship, Protagonist gets assaulted in a 7-11 parking lot because you wanted to be ~edgy~ you’re going to piss off your readers.

Take Mulan for example. It has a dramatic tonal shift so powerful, the musical stops being a musical because it’s traumatized. Mulan doesn’t drop in the grizzled and horrifying wasteland of a battlefield with thousands of dead soldiers in an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It’s already a war movie, the possibility is already there.

If you want to write adult content, then write a book for audiences who are prepared for and want to read adult content. Otherwise you’re setting yourself up for failure.

5. “Okay but it’s not entertaining”

Your first job as an author is to entertain (your second is to do it responsibly imo). There’s millions of books out there—why should someone read yours? Whether that’s entertainment through a feel-good romance or a gut-wrenching tragedy, you need to keep convincing your readers to stay invested in the story, otherwise they can and will put it down to read something else. No one is obligated to read your book to the end.

So, yeah your protagonist might have all the elements of your own personal tragedies and it sure is meaningful to you, but the way you wrote it is incredibly boring and no one will care. It might be the most brilliant heist plot ever conceived, but you focused on all the wrong elements, the pacing is whack, and your protagonist is annoying, so no one will read it.

Very few individual elements can be good enough to carry the entire manuscript and the likelihood of an author being really good at one thing and awful at the rest is slim. Readers can quit a book over the most arbitrary reasons. Do you want to die on a hill of “I’m not changing my annoying protagonist, I’m right and they will see”? They won’t. The arguments authors get into with me over how I hated their protagonist or I told them which parts were boring and dragged because I “didn’t understand the story” are pointless. If it’s boring or confusing or annoying, no one will read it.

6. First Drafts are drafts for a reason

Actually writing is less than half the time and effort spent on getting a book to publication. Probably less than a quarter. The rest of that time is spent editing and rewriting. Some first drafts will be better than others, not arguing that, but your first run through your story has a non-zero chance of needing revisions, even for something as small as typos and punctuation.

You have to edit for pacing and tonal shifts, erroneous details and entire scenes, character inconsistencies and goals. You have to make sure your conversations flow believably, that you hit every talking point that scene requires. You have to make sure your character’s motivations don’t create plot holes and that they’re always on track like a real person and not a creation of your imagination. You have to make sure your action scenes and sex scenes are legible and as thrilling for a reader as they are for you. You have to make sure your worldbuilding is consistent and logical and easy to understand.

Some people outline heavily before starting page one. Some people have a sticky note of “beginning middle end” and run off that. Some have whole folders of different documents to keep track of all their elements. Everyone’s writing process is different, but it is a process, not a one-and-done. It requires revisions, seeking feedback, implementing that feedback, and more revisions until it’s as good as it can be.

Yes, you need to edit. No, you’re not the writing god who penned perfection on your first try. Maybe a piece of your story is perfect on the first draft, but not the whole thing from start to finish. It’s okay that your story isn’t what you thought it would be when you started, and it’s no failing of you as a writer to need edits or even massive changes. It happens to everyone.

7. “Writing is easy, thus it’s not a real job”

Really the notion that creatives are lesser than corporate business people solving problems that their business created. But specifically for writing, the idea that it’s just putting words on a page, thus it’s easy and anyone can do it, so it’s not impressive or deserving of praise and you really need a real job (you probably will because writing doesn’t make much money for most people, but that’s just how it shakes out).

I know ENNS won’t appeal to everyone. I know there will be people who hate my characters, who don’t understand them or don’t agree with their philosophies or find my writing trite and too lean and not ~immersive~. I know there’ll be homophobes out there who won’t even read it but hear about it and make assumptions and will leave me crap reviews. I know it’s not the greatest supernatural fantasy novel ever written.

I’m not in it to make money or get a movie deal and see my merch all over the shelves and get my own theme park. I write so that even one reader might see themselves in my characters and know they’re not alone. So that even one reader has one of my characters as their favorite and that character motivates them to do the Thing or keep moving forward or be brave enough to finally do whatever they’ve been too afraid to attempt before. I want to help people, even if at the end of the day, my writing only helps myself.

Yes I need supplemental income (who doesn’t these days). It’s the way of the world. But I’m doing what I love in my free time and it is a real job because it takes work, and it might not have monetary value but its value to me is priceless.

[ac3may]

"Are You Expecting Someone?" (Millie Bright x Reader)

One thing about me is I love a bit of fluff! I couldn’t leave Millie all heartbroken and sad :(( I hope y'all enjoy and thank you to @wosoobsessed for giving me my first request

Part 1 | Part 2

Request: “If you could do something angsty that would be great maybe they have an argument over something silly where they are shouting at eachother and then Millie says something very hurtful by accident and the reader gets rly upset and storms out to go stay with her parents and then a few days later Millie finds her and apologises” ~ @wosoobsessed

Words: 1.9k

It had been several days since Y/N had walked out on Millie and it was the longest either had gone without speaking to the other in the year since they’d met. 

Showing up on your parent's doorstep with a duffle bag over one shoulder and tears running down your cheeks you were immediately embraced. Your mum pulled you into the house, fretting over and caring for you. 

Feeling a childlike comfort from being back in your parent's home you had spent the past few days curling up with them on the sofa for movie nights and completing mundane errands.

You were attempting to enjoy your time with them as if nothing had happened; until you were alone in bed, listening to the horrors of English weather beyond your window panes. 

At which point all thoughts would turn to Millie. To the hurt she made you feel but also to the desire for her to be with you, warming you in her arms as you listen to the wind and rain outside.

The thought of texting the blonde had crossed your mind more than once as you lay under your mountains of blankets. But the overwhelming guilt you felt before and due to your walkout was almost suffocating. And the hurt you felt when Millie’s words echoed through your mind still burned you every time.

• • •

A week. Millie had spent a week in an empty home, moving through her day-to-day tasks robotically. She’d walk the dogs, she’d go to training, she’d come home, she’d eat dinner, and she’d go to bed. 

Most of the Chelsea girls seemed to adapt to avoiding their vice-captain and the attitude she had gained over the days. A number of them continued to make an effort to engage with her though, whether it’s Sam always aiming to gain a giggle or Madga trying to initiate a safe space to talk. Each of them received the cold shoulder. Millie didn’t feel she deserved the empathy her friends were offering. 

Unknowingly to either, she found herself in the same place as Y/N each night. Laying in regret, self-loathing and misery. After powering emotionlessly through the day she allows herself to feel, to feel all the guilt which flooded her the moment she heard the door close.

• • •

Day seven, a week apart, also coincided with Chelsea Match Day-1. Walking into Cobham the first thing the defender heard was Emma Hayes’ voice calling out to her.

“Millie! In my office, please.” With an instinctual roll of her eyes, she follows behind her manager, taking a seat opposite her. 

Slouching uncomfortably in her seat, Millie feels like a school child awaiting punishment in the headteacher's office. Scanning over one of her most senior players, evidently emotionally drained, Emma lets out a sympathetic sigh before beginning the conversation she’d been hoping she wouldn’t have to have all week. 

As Millie listens she fights to upkeep her stoic expression. Emma expresses that her attitude this week had not been appropriate, that her football had been lacking, and eventually informs that she will not be making the starting line-up the following day. The news is surprising but Millie knows it shouldn’t be.

“We’ve allowed you some time to see if things would change but this is now having a knock-on effect on the team and that’s something that can’t continue. Millie, I have known you for many years now, I care for you deeply, and I’ve never seen you this way. I’m concerned and I’d like you to tell me if there’s anything we can do to help. I need you to know while we’re a workplace we are also here to support you. Is there anything you need to or would like to talk about? Would you like me to organise a therapy session for you?”

As she gazes upon the woman who has been such a staple in her life for so many years she can't continue to fight the tears which begin to well in her eyes. Emma meets the younger blonde's eyes as she finishes her speech, and the tears begin to fall; “Emma, I fucked up…”

• • •

Since being home you had tried to distract yourself with as many positive habits as you possibly could in hopes to divert the sympathetic gazes your parents would send your way. They had provided simple comfort the night you arrived, not wanting to pressure you and simply allowing you to cry it out in their arms over mugs of hot chocolate. But since that day had become increasingly more worried as you adamantly refused to address the situation. Especially as they’d noticed your previous two favourite topics, Millie and your business, had been dropped from all conversation.

Wandering into the kitchen, clad in athletic attire, you go about making the smoothie bowl which had become a lunchtime staple of your day throughout the week. 

“Good morning darling, how are you today?” Your dad looks up from the newspaper he’d been flipping through as you enter the room, coffee steaming on the table.

“Fine!” You nod, “just been to the gym.” Your casual conversation is interrupted by the shrill of the doorbell ringing. Making confused eye contact with your father you ask, “are you expecting someone?” Receiving a simple shake of the head in return you notice he’s making no effort to move and head to the front of the house yourself. Pulling open the door you're faced with a sight you least expect. Staring face to face with the blonde you’d been missing you can’t help but freeze.

Despite being the one who stood outside your family home Millie seems equally as shocked to see you. The two of you simply stand there. Staring at each other. For several minutes. 

“Y/N/N,” Millie is the first to find her voice as she lets out a deep sigh and her face floods with emotion, “I missed you so much.”

She reaches out a hand as if to grab yours when sudden realisation crosses her face and her arm falls limp. “I am so sorry!” She begins insistently, “I was so out of order! With everything! And-” Feeling the howling wind and seeing spits of rain begin to dampen her hair you tug on her arm interrupting the apologies that had begun spewing out of her mouth. 

You do your best to sneak Millie past your parents, knowing them seeing her will only spark further integration and you want to be sure of the outcome between you first. 

Eventually arriving in your childhood bedroom you push a nerve-filled Millie onto the single bed and begin pacing back and forth trying to find your words.

A groan for the woman on the bed breaks you from your thoughts, head snapping to the blonde instantly with a raise of your eyebrows. Quickly you notice the reason for the complaint. Her eyes are running over your body, eventually settling back on your face as she notices the attention she’s gained.

“You’re killing me Y/N, please!” Looking over your sports bra and legging-clad body one last time she shakes her head free of thoughts and pulls off her hoodie. 

You can't help but laugh as she throws the item toward you, despite the upset she had caused you she was still your Millie and the moment of normality settled a level of nerves within you. “Put it on please?” She begs, “and then sit down with me, I’ve been thinking about this moment all week, I just need you to listen. Please?” 

Looking down at the sweatshirt you nod reluctantly, tugging the item over your head it falls oversized around you. The scent that engulfs you almost springs tears to your eyes, the comfort it brings is one you had been dreaming of for multiple weeks now.

Creating sweater paws over your hands, you take a seat on your bed, back resting against the wall and knees to your chest. Mille’s eyes follow you as you settle yourself into a comfortable position, eyes meeting hers expectantly as you wait for her to speak. 

“Y/N/N I don’t even know how I can make it up to you. I was entirely out of order. I don’t want to make excuses but I want to explain why I said all those awful things. I didn’t mean any of it, I promise. I just got scared. Some of the girls had been teasing me because you weren’t there and usually you are. I guess they got in my head and I convinced myself you wanted to leave me so unconsciously I thought pushing you away would stop me getting hurt,” taking a regretful sigh she lifts your chin gently, your eyes meeting, “I was so, so wrong! It only made it hurt more knowing how much pain I put you in. I promise you, watching you walk out that door will always be my biggest regret. I know you might not be ready now but I will be right here when you decide to forgive me. No matter how long it takes.”

Just allowing yourself to sit in Millie’s presence and process her words you stay silent. However, this evidently concerns her as she pulls her hand hesitantly from its place on your face and begins anxiously fidgeting her hands before making a move to stand. At the sight, your eyes grow wide and a hand instinctively reaches out to latch with hers. The thought of her leaving you again is the last thing you want. Looking back towards you Millie’s eyes soften as you gaze at her with an innocent vulnerability, “can- can I ask you something?”

Gripping your hand tighter as you stumble over your words the blonde nods, “anything baby.”

Inhaling deeply you manage to blurt the question which had been swirling in your mind the most all week, “why didn’t you follow me out?” The mere thought of why Millie hadn’t followed behind you that day was enough to bring you to tears. Had she wanted you to leave? Had you become an inconvenience? Had she found someone better?

In stunned silence Millie sits stoic, opening and closing her mouth like a fish, she can’t quite believe the words she’d heard.  After several moments of your nerves increasing by the second, your girlfriend finally rediscovers her voice, “is- is that what you wanted?” She seems genuinely confused as she says, “I wanted to give you space. I thought you wanted space!”

Snapping your eyes from your tangled fingers to Millie’s face you watch as her lip begins to tremble and her eyes begin to water. Clutching tight with one hand you lift the other to settle carefully on her cheek, ”please don't give me space,” you whisper, “that’s the last thing I want with you.”

Millie still appears unsure despite your reassurance, “I promise,” you insist gently. You link your pinkie fingers together and bring hers to your lips, creating the most intimate contact since you reunited.

“I can’t promise to forget everything immediately, this is something we will need to discuss. But I know you were hurt and tired so I forgive you.” You speak softly but seriously, Millie listens intently and nods in understanding. Looking at her, really being with her for the first time in several weeks you can’t help but request the one thing that’s been on your mind. “But please,” Millie is serious, ready to do anything you want, “can you just hold me for a while?” A smile breaks out on your girlfriend's face immediately, unbridled joy emitting from her at your words. She can’t help but chuckle at the innocent puppy eyes you send her as she opens her arms wide and encourages you into them. 

 Your head lays on Millie’s chest and her chin rests atop it, fingers smoothing through your hair and with a single kiss to your hairline she whispers, “I love you Y/N L/N.”

[spanishskulduggery]

learned the word "porfa" on spanishdict today and i read its just a shorter version of "por favor"

in your experience, do you see it used often?

and if so like, are there any more notable words that native spanish speakers say differently than ppl who are learning?

like sometimes i listen to ppl learning english, and they're good and also really formal and stuff but like, a native english speaker has less formal way of saying it?

if this makes sense

Yes, porfa is used somewhat frequently as very informal "please" and it's especially used online as a kind of endearing "pretty please". It's not appropriate for anything formal, but in everyday Spanish porfa can be used if you're trying to be a bit cutesy or have fun

Also por is often shortened to po and para is often shortened to pa. So you might see pa ti "for you" instead of para ti. One joke is like pa él y paella "for him and for her" but with pa ella "for her" looking like the word paella

Other expressions I've seen that you can adopt:

holi / holis / holitas = hola = hi [slang] aló = hello [from "hello", kind of slang but sometimes German-ish] chao / chau = ciao / bye [informal and fairly common] bye / bai bai = bye [adapted from English, informal] Nos vemos. = See you later. [lit. "we will see each other"; standard Spanish] ¿Ontas? = ¿Dónde estás? [though ontas is sometimes used as like... idk a fuckboy kinda thing like "where you at" or "you up?" like someone messaging you for sex/attention might say that; definitely slang but makes sense when you hear it] ¿Qué tal? = How are you? / What's up? [standard Spanish] ¿Qué hay (de nuevo)? = What's new? [standard Spanish] ¿Qué onda? = What's up? [informal, I think understood in most places but to me I associate it with Mexico because of that song] ¿Cómo va? / ¿Cómo te va? = How's it going? / How's it going for you? [standard Spanish; but you can hear it in the song Oye cómo va] ¡Buenas! = Hey! / Hi! [this is because of the expressions buen día "good day", buenos días "good day/hello", buenas tardes "good evening", and buenas noches "good night" all using bueno/a... Essentially ¡buenas! is a just all around "hello"... one of the youtubers I follow frequently starts his videos with muy buenas a todos which is like "hey everyone"; I feel like it's informal and a bit slang, but also widely recognized and understood]

I personally if I'm being cutesy and saying "hello", I will say things like holanda instead of hola [please also note: holanda means "Holland" OR it can be "fine linen" or "doilies"]

I've also been known to say ola "wave", olla "pot", holá which is just hola with added whimsy etc etc

-

In texting you see even more slang, like xk meaning porque "because" or sometimes x k? / xk? as por qué "why?"

This is because por is also the word used for multiplication (x), so tres por tres is "three times three" or "three multiplied by three", shortened in math as 3 x 3

And if you want to be cutesy - like almost obnoxious - and say adiosito that's something like "toodle-oo"; it's just a little adiós

-

Some additional regional things I know: ¿Qué lo que? "What's up?" which is Dominican and I think is sometimes used in the Caribbean.

And also ¿Quiubo? for "What's up?" or "How's it going?" which is more Central American.

...

I would also add ajá for "uh-huh", na for "nah" or ni modo or qué va "no way", sip for "yup", lo que sea "whatever", ay which is just a general "oof" or "yikes" or "ow" or "oh wow" like a general negative surprise word, and eh being "hey" as both a greeting and interjection

And every so often my friend from Puerto Rico will use jamón instead of jamás to be "never ever", like "that's a definite no" or "never gonna happen" - it's sort of a bigger jamás but if you didn't know the context you'd think it was "ham"

You will also sometimes see pos used instead of pues so it could be "well/then"

In Chile po is used a lot, kind of like an affirmative but used so often it's kind of like staying "of course"

And I don't know if this is used widely but clarostá is sometimes used as "of course", but it can be understood to be a more rural or country bumpkin kind of way of speaking...

The more fluent you are, the more your words will blend together so you'll end up with clarostá or claro está, or tol día for todo el día "all day", pa na for para nada, and that's actually how you get ontas from dónde estás

There are definitely bound to be others so if anyone else has any fun common slang greetings/goodbyes please let me know!

[obligitory-fma-blog]

I watched the second fma Netflix adaptation. Here’s the best of my notes:

They had the whole fma original soundtrack to use for this movie and tHEY DIDNT??

Purification arts of Xing?? Just call it Alcehestry like they do in the show?? (No I didn’t spell it right I was noting stuff as I went and didn’t look it up)

Okay the weird pause before Lan Fan pulled out the smoke bomb…

ITS AN ACTUAL BOMB?????

Lots of weird pauses and slow-mo’s to mimic anime fights but it reads weird as live action and I don’t like it

HUGHES THANK FUCK PLEASE MAKE THIS LESS WEIRD

Wtf never mind hi envy with your shit ass wig (I forgot they killed off Hughes in the first one 😭😭)

LAN FAN BODIED HIM LMAO

Ed really be like “you do you ig”

“Yeah people exploding today!” Is my favorite line so far. (English Captions with Japanese audio; this was the train hijacker guy from fma 03)

Ed’s expression when Mustang shows up is the most in character thing I will say that (after train stuff)

I will say they did better on characterization this time around I feel like they’re close to the actual characters

But it’s hard to get close to them since they aren’t, well, animated characters. Trying not to judge too harshly.

Not terrible so far actually

Okay nevermind about the cgi WHAT IS WITH XIAOMEI

“I mean, we’re just some decent human beings.” -Ed who wanted to leave Mei behind

GO OFF MEI YEAHHHH TELL HIM THE BITCH

Okay we’re gonna have a really awkward explosion-over-short moment that just will not work because it isn’t animated

GIRLIE ARE YOU HAVING A SEIZURE

Mei being a bitch back is warranted

They be running

“You’ll never catch me, tiny rice man!” -Mei (rice man?)

The dialogue being altered where Ed says he doesn’t have a god to pray to before scar kills him bothers me

I like Alphonse’s movements on the ground when he’s incapacitated, I think the cgi works well there

Hi Mustang good on you for saving your pseudo sons

Riza with the side eye lmao

The slowmo’s again like hello

ARMSTRONG HIIIII You look really fuckin weird tho But HIIIIII

Okay the flexing I can do without thanks it looks weird

Yes Breda why is he shirtless

The red eyes don’t look good either. (For scar)

N ow see why wouldn’t you put in a leitmotif for the brothers theme in this scene with Ed and Al and instead just put in sad piano that sounds vaguely similar to it

WHERES THE LINE ABOUT THEM BEING BROKEN BUT ALIVE WHY WOULD YOU CHANGE THAT

Riza being the best and putting her coat over Ed >>>>

Mustang go comfort your son’s PLEASE

Okay just ignore that I’m on the found family train

Girlie that looked like a bad PowerPoint presentation WHY WOULD YOU DO IT LIKE THAT?? (The part where the officer shot the ishvallen child)

Gluttony… hi… again…. Can’t wait for your cgi…. (It didn’t look as bad tbh)

Sorry but with the military uniform off and just the white collared shirt he looks LIKE A DAD LIKE CMON (Mustang)

“You’ve grown… at least I think.” -Hoenhiem, observational genius

“I think I like this scene better than canon a bit actually? Cause Ed gets to express his emotions more than just calling him a bastard

Okay Hoenhiem just ignore him??

Uh oh they have to walk back together

“Our hair matches :D” -Hoenhiem

Ed immediately takes his out of the ponytail

Im not gonna lie I chuckled at that

Also I love seeing Ed with his hair down we don’t get enough of that

“stop following me” -Ed

“we’re going to the same place? 😥” -Hoenhiem

Okay we’re talking about Xerxes instead of Ed and Al’s mom or…?

And the bitch is gone

YOURE GOING TO XERXES WITH AUTOMAIL YOU DUMBASS YOURE GONNA OVERHEAT

Ooooo love the look of Xerxes ruins

Awwww Winry’s parents :D we get more of them

They’re gonna die tho and I hate that :(

This is gonna be so hard wrenching actually-

GIRL IM GONNA CRY

5 minutes into Central and you’re already causing trouble, good job Ed

Al I feel like has the weakest characterization so far in this adaptation he’s just reacting to stuff rather than doing stuff as far as I’ve seen

Scar when Winry is having a breakdown🧍

Ruhroh Winry’s got a gun

Okay the slowmo makes more sense here

Ed saves the day :D

Also we finally see scars brother after getting no context on him

Good acting on Lan Fan’s part

Also why is this calling her Ran Fan? Is that a dub thing (they called Ling “Lin” but this was all in the captions so I’m confused)

“King Bradley is a Homonculus” very serious Ling “hUh.” -Ed

Any Mustang and Hughes content is good Mustang and Hughes content I don’t make the rules

Also it’s good they didn’t change the layout of Riza’s explanation montage for Ishval because it works really well in canon and translated pretty well to live action

Riza and Roy’s speeches near the end >>>

Oh great the bros are gonna try and catch scar alone this can only end well

Well they definitely didn’t catch him

WINRY HOW TF ARE YOU HERE??

MUSTANG WHY TF ARE YOU HERE???

Oh hi Riza :D

Mustang’s like “let ur gf speak to him if she wants like damn”

Ed’s like “bb girl if he says anything shitty I’ll fight for you”

WINRY GIRLBOSS LUV HER

“Hell no I don’t forgive you for shit, but I’m gonna patch you up anyway.” -Winry

Okay cool message, someone must endure pain if it means they can prevent further suffering and cycles of violence

Uh oh Gluttony escaped

He be runnin

YEAH ED AND AL SAVE UR DAD

YEAH SCAR SAVE WINRY

YEAHHHHHH

“Wait I won’t leave you behind” MUSTANG BEING A DAD AHEGWIWNWN

“Colonel your fight is elsewhere” SCREAMING

Oh hi envy

ED SAVINF LING

and they got eaten lmao

Yay we’re all trapped in Gluttony’s stomach :D

Envy is so cynical what a bitch lol

“Tf is a portal of truth 🧍” -Ling

Oh great we’re gonna get cgi envy this will go well right?

EW

Could be worse but

EW

Conclusion: it was okay. There were parts I genuinely liked. There are things that also bug me to no end. The soundtrack from the original series would’ve fit way better and a lot of times it sounded like an off brand marvel track. Acting and cgi was a lot better (at times.) An improvement on the first one, and a semi-worthwhile watch if you have nothing else to do and you like fma. Cannot and will never be a substitute for the original obviously. Seems like less of a cash grab and more of a genuine effort this time which I appreciate. Overall? 6.5/10

(Lemme know if y’all want my full notes version because it has way more of me screaming and being goofy)

[ashton-ryder]

bold what applies to your muse, italicize situational ones. feel free to add your own suggestions and carry it on.

tagged by: stolen from zach

tagging: steal it from zach

VOICE HC / MEME

► ACCENT  

“country” │ “backwoods” │ “sailor” │ “upper class” │ "small town" │ “city slicker” | foreign speaker │ refined  

► ELOQUENCE

educated │self-taught | uneducated | doesn’t use conjunctions │ shortens words | omits entire words on occasion | mixes up words │ just makes up their own words! │ archaic english │ dependent on mood or setting | doesn’t use contractions

► TONE

loud │ soft │ room volume │ high pitched │ low pitched │ steady | seductive │velvety │ speech impediment │ abrasive │ gruff │ shrill │ booming │ matter-of-fact │ toneless │ husky │ intimidating │gravelly │ breathy │ nasal │ vocal fry │ chatty │ condescending │ musical │ sarcastic │ suave │ world-weary │ brash │ no nonsense │ authoritative

► HABITS  

refers to self in third person│ incorporates different languages/terms/sayings │ uses gender-specific terms │ adapts to audience │ changes tone around animals or children │ shifts tone when lying │ gives others nicknames │ uses terms of respect towards others

► OTHER BITS

He lives in a softer vocal range, measured, steady and unassuming voice, making subtle sarcastic jokes and seemed like a quiet man until situation calls for it.

Such as when he's teaching a class or training recruits or on a mission or working, his voice can boom across a room and when he speaks like that, people listen.

He's been trying to wane off the habit more over the few years, but sometimes he still slips into the habit of using military terms, calling the hours by the hundreds, and only really catches himself when someone looks at him funny.

He's a very quiet laugher, a chuckle here, a scoff there, but if you're lucky to either have known him when he was younger or heard him with his guard down, he has a very charming, melodic laughter if it ever slips out with the brightest smiles, it's much rarer as he grew older, but it used to be known as the thing that draws people in.

He actually likes shortening names or using family names as nicknames a lot, a habit picked up from the marines, he responds to Ryder as quickly as he responds to Ashton or Ash.

He's a little bit tone death, please don't ask him to sing or hum, it won't be pretty. He unfortunately did not inherit his mom's lovely singing voice, perhaps just a powerful booming voice for other things, like yelling at recruits.

The way he talks about the stars and the sky and space, there is a special endearing tone it his words, soft, humbling, full of wander and curiosity, the reminder of their insignificance on a tiny rock in space.

He becomes especially quiet when he drinks, similar to every time he goes quiet, a lot is running through his head. But when he drinks, it numbs everything out, as if finally enjoying the numbing silence while he still could, before reality comes rushing back at him.

► VOICE CLAIM REFERENCE:

tw: video reference below contains mentions of abuse (and also tw for my heart for luke mitchell crying)

[hexofvex]

We need you. I need you || Kamisato Ayato x Female!Reader

Premise: As the wife of the Yashiro Commissioner, it wasn't exactly your job to chase down escaping conspirators. Yet you did it anyways, and got injured in the process.

CW: reader is injured, a tiny bit of angst, more fluff tho, everything's well when it ends well, ayato might be ooc bcs this is my first x reader ever pls have mercy

WC: 1136 words

A/N: so i guess this is my official tumblr debut? Leaving my lurker era and entering my writer era. Also obligatory english is not my native language so I apologize for any accidental oopsies

──────────────────

This wasn't supposed to happen.

You were sure your plan was perfect. You had been following the secret meetings of Lord Sato and Lord Hamada for a few months, and you knew their every move.

At least, you thought you knew their every move.

Until you were notified that they were attempting to flee Inazuma, and in your desperate try to catch them, you rushed. You slipped, and you made mistakes. And in the commotion, you recieved a concerningly deep stab in your abdomen. Not the end you had envisioned for this operation.

And that was the reason why you were laying in your bed, bandaged, with your mind clearing up from the fogginess induced by the mixture of herbs the physician gave you so he could sew the wound without you being conscious, looking up at your sister-in-law, Ayaka. She was standing by your side with a worried look on her face. She had been standing outside of the room while you were getting medical treatement, and now she was waiting for you to become lucid.

You loved Ayaka, and you would like to say that the two of you were very close, despite her timidity. She was shy around you at first, but by the time of the wedding, you already considered each other sisters.

You lightly grazed her arm to attract her attention to the fact that you were finally there, just as much mentally as physically. Ayaka tensed up, obviously taken by surprise, and grabbed your hand.

"[Name]! It's alright now, you're safe. The physician took care of your wound."

You chuckled, feeling a rush of pain in your abdomen. "I messed up a bit didn't I? You know me, always getting in trouble..."

You could see a hint of a smile on Ayaka's face, the young woman recognizing your lighthearted atitude as a sign that you were in a good enough state to engage in your usual antics. But before she could say anything in response, the sliding doors opened and your husband rushed into the room, stopping at the sight of you.

Between the two of you, Ayato had always been the composed one, the one that was hard to shake by any kind of unpredictable situation. You guessed he had no choice, seeing how he had to become the pillar of the Kamisato Clan and brought it back from the point of decline. It had always been this way: you, the overwhelming force of Pyro, and him, the temperance and adaptability of Hydro.

Yet now, a rare thing occured. You saw a glimpse of fear on your husband's face. Not fear caused by your current state, as Ayaka said, you were safe now. But it was as if he realised the terrible things that could happen, things that he thought he had control over. He worked too hard to make sure he had the ability to keep everything in order and now, that order was threatened.

"Ayaka, please, could you give us a moment?"

Ayaka nodded towards her brother, looked at you once more and swiftly left the room. Ayato took her place by the side of your bed.

"Thoma told me everything. That he begged you not to go, and you insisted."

You cursed yourself internally. This was not a conversation you could have while laying down, so you attempted to at least sit upright, which turned out to be quite the challenge with a newly sutured wound. Noticing your struggle, Ayato helped you up and placed a big pillow behind you to create a support for you to lean onto.

"Ayato, I'm...I'm really sorry for what happened. They caught on and attempted to flee and I just couldn't let them get away with it. But what I did was reckless, and I apologize. It won't happen again. Did they...did they manage to get away?"

"No," came the answer, and you let out a sigh of relief. "The Shuumatsuban apprehended them after you lost consciousness. They were tailing you, they had reason to believe your life was endangered. And it seems they were right."

You looked down. He didn't sound angry with you, but that didn't make the situation any less embaressing for you and your bruised ego.

"I know. It was downright shameful. I was meant to catch them, not get stabbed and pass out. It was unbecoming of someone who is supposed to represent the Yashiro Commission. But I supposed I should thank my stars that no one was there to see it, except...a dozen soldiers or so and Thoma." You could feel yourself cringe.

"That is not exactly the problem here, my dear." Ayato grabbed your hands, holding them in his. "Everyone can get injured in a situation like this, and you aren't a soldier. You only just started your training. It's not a shame to not be able to fight."

You stayed silent, keeping your eyes in your lap.

"[Name]."

"....."

"[Name]. Look at me."

You slowly raised your head, forcing yourself to look into his eyes. Those eyes, who would always be commanding in the company of soldiers and other nobles, were now regarding you with gentleness.

"Do you feel like you have to prove yourself?"

"Perhaps."

"[Name]-"

"Yes. Of course I do, Ayato. I'm no longer the lady of a third rate clan. I am a member of the Kamisato Clan, and this family and the Yashiro Commission are my responsability. What kind of person would I be if I didn't react to something that threatens them both? If only I weren’t as weak as I am. I was lucky that the Shuumatsuban acted, but if they weren’t there-"

"[Name], even I do not act without knowing my agents are at the ready. You went there alone with Thoma. You were not weak, just reckless." Ayato cupped your face, bringing his closer. "But what you should do now is learn from this, not shame yourself over it. I was well aware that you would not be accustomed to being Lady Kamisato overnight when I married you. But you're learning everyday and I see the determination and potential in you. That's why I married you. This comission needs you. We need you. And I need you. So please, don't ever risk your life like this and please, don't live in the shadow of expectations and shame. I know what that can do to someone, and I won't let anyone I love go through it."

You looked at him, eyes wide. Injury be damned, you told yourself, and reached out to pull him in an embrace.

"I can't promise that I'll manage to do that. But I can swear to you that I'll try."

Ayato smiled, and hugged you tighter.

"Well if that's the case, I have faith that you will succeed, my love."

[captain-aralias]

9 books that are my favourites

tagged by @arenee1999 a few days ago, thank you <3 as i was writing this list in my head last night, i thought - this could be read as a list of my favourite fandoms and television/film adaptations, but hey ho. i did a degree in english lit or something.

harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban by JKR - no book has been so important to my life and i also just think it's a really fun mystery and i still like it, so - it's here, it's staying.

carry on by rainbow rowell - but of course. this one was quite important too.

pride and prejudice by jane austen - i don't think this has ever made a fav book list before, i think because i thought it was too basic, but damnit - this book is great, it influences the way i write enemies to lovers, i love the 1995 adaptation and all of austen's novels are bangers except mansfield park, which i keep trying to like but it sucks.

the once and future king by TH white - all my life i loved the movie 'camelot' and it's depiction of arthur. i only learned as an adult that it was TH white's gentle, earnest, thwarted arthur that they'd used <3 he's perfect. 'ill-made knight' is the best of the series, IMO

lieutenant hornblower by cs forester - i haven't read the books in ages, so maybe it's time for a re-read. the ioan grufford adaptation is great, i wish they'd do the later/earlier books too! BUT this early (in hornblower's life) book is my fav - the only one told from bush's POV as he struggles with how he loves hornblower but worries the guy wants to do a mutiny (which he totally does)

the folk of the air by holly black - a new entrant even though i've loved it for years, but i've decided i don't just think it's really good, it's so good that it's one of my favs. maybe the best of the trilogy is the middle book, 'wicked king' where jude is in power with limited support and they fall in love (or do they???). how the king of elfham learned to hate stories is also brilliant.

'the emperor mage' by tamora pierce. i've been waiting my whole life for the numair book and it was terrible, but her first three trilogies are my absolute crack, and this is the best book of those series IMO. the bit where numair tries to hit the emperor for implying he loves his student daine (which he does) while she's listening but disguised as a bird - and then he fakes his own death, and daine goes crazy... that bit has stayed with me for decades, i love it so much.

'night watch' by terry pratchett. i still feel late to properly loving pterry, but i've always liked this one and now i love it - vimes is my guy, i love the time travel, that he trains himself, that he resists both passively and when required actively. v good. my next fav is probably ... 'monstrous regiment', which i think is a bit more of a weird choice (unlike this one which is mega popular and also about all the things i like), but it just does everything right! oh, 'and 'going postal'.

'the princess bride' by s morgenstern william goldman. i haven't read this for ages either so maybe it shouldn't make the list, but i expect it's still pretty great. a mindfuck for a young child who has only seen the film and thinks all of the frame narrative must therefore be real... also, the film is like one of the best films ever and i have seen that super recently. if you haven't seen the home movie, do yourself a favour and watch it because it's a great way to enjoy the movie a-new.

no idea where this meme has been already. so just saying hello to some folks and if you'd like to do this meme and haven't done it already, please do! @giishu @orange-peony @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @carryonvisinata @alleycat0306 @fight-surrender @cows4247 @messofthejess @mysterioussheep

[rileytwenty]

IDIA || an Avatar story (x Neteyam)

Chapter 2

Masterlist

(English Na'vi)

"Idia?" Jake entered my tent. "Norm said you'd be in here. He also said you'd looked awfully pale when he passed you. You okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm only being asked to leave the only home I've ever really known to go and try to assimilate into the reef clan."

"You'll be fine, Idia. My family and I will have to adapt, too."

"You know, I can't even swim? No one ever taught me."

He paused a beat. "Seriously?"

"I hardly ever get to leave this place without my own ikran. No one in the clan can stand my presence. Who would have taught me? Norm? He's too busy with his plants." This was probably the most meaningful conversation I'd ever had with Jake.

"I'm... I'm sorry. It's just that Neytiri-"

"Thinks I'm a demon. Right." This attitude had been pent up a long while, and it was finally pouring out. I felt liberated. "I don't mind being ignored, okay? It's just how it is. But you're asking me to go out there and depend on you guys and on a clan I don't know when you've never been there for me before. It's hard."

He let his head drop into his hands. "I know, Idia, and I'm sorry. But this is trying for us all, alright? Could you try not being so difficult?"

For a fleeting second there, I thought I was getting somewhere with him. But no. He was only going to hear what he wanted. "Yeah, okay."

"So, you'll come?"

"I don't really have a choice."

"No, you don't. But I'm glad you made the right one." The man stood, patted me on the shoulder and left the tent.

This was really going to happen. Wrapping my head around that thought was a tough thing to do. I was going to be leaving Norm, the lab, the safety of the cave system. I was going to have to change my lifestyle to that of the reef people. Most challenging of all, I was going to have to learn how to swim.

-------------------------------------------------------

The leaving ceremony was two days later. I spent my remaining time at base camp in the lab with Norm, having him teaching me everything we knew about life on the reef, which really wasn't much. I suppose it was his way of trying to help me, and of saying goodbye. It wasn't a forever goodbye, I knew that, but it was going to be rough not to see his stupid face everyday.

One would have thought one of the kids died with how Neytiri was sobbing. I tried to understand, and I knew that her reaction was reasonable, but I couldn't relate. I liked this place because it was safe and predictable, but not because it felt like my home.

Tuk cried as we mounted the ikrans. Neytiri stroked her hair.

"Neytiri, please. Bob can't handle much more weight with the supplies he's already carrying. I'll take Tuk, you take Idia."

"Jake, not today." Neytiri loaded Tuk onto her ikran with finality. Jake sighed, looking at Bob and trying to figure out how to lessen the load. He eventually turned to his sons.

"I’m not taking her." Lo'ak announced loudly, already foreseeing his fathers request.

"Lo'ak!" Jake hissed in my defense. I was too stressed by the day's events to be bothered by Lo'ak's comment. "Neteyam, can your ikran handle taking her?"

"Yes, sir. We will be fine." Neteyam responded, already on his ikran. He extended a hand to me and I took it. Wordlessly, I stepped up and sat on the neck of the animal. He helped me adjust a bit so he could see properly.

"Ready?" Jake called. With a chorus of hollers as a reply, the ikrans were in the air, creating a beautiful flocking formation. I forgot how much I'd loved the feeling of flying.

The first half of the ride was wet, cold, and silent. That is, until the silence was finally broken by an annoyed Neteyam.

"Why don't you have your own ikran, huh?" I turned my head to look at him, not expecting him to speak to me at all let alone be so irritated.

"No one ever taught me how to form Tsaheylu."

"Well, you must have bonded with a direhorse before, it's not much differ-"

"No."

"What?"

"I've never bonded with anything before."

He craned his neck to read my face.

"Are you being serious?"

"Of course. Believe me, if someone had allowed me to come on an ikran bonding journey, I would've. Flying is amazing."

"Allowed you?"

I didn't respond to that, unsure of what he was asking. Neteyam took that as me having discomfort towards the topic and he respectfully let the conversation die back into silence.

The remainder of the trip was long and trying. I was very sore when we reached the sandy beaches of the Metkayina clan’s home.

We circled around on the ikrans, announcing our presence clearly before landing. A mob of Na’vi had formed on the other end of the sand strip where we’d landed, and they didn’t seem particularly welcoming.

“Leave it.” Jake warned Neytiri as she attempted to arm herself with her bow. She scoffed but put the weapon back and grabbed Tuk’s hand.

Neteyam copied his father’s peace-urging gesture with his arms, and we approached as a group.

The Olo’ektans spoke, and their mates hissed at one another. After a few minutes and some humiliation from Ronal, we were granted refuge.

“My children will show you our ways.” Tonowari gestured to the five of us forest Na’vi youths. We all nodded, except for Lo’ak who was practically drooling over the Olo’ektan’s daughter. I internally giggled at his boyish antics.

“Hello!” Said daughter cheered, shaking my hand. This was odd considering her mother just tantalized us over our dirty-blooded fingers. I instinctually smiled at her. “I’m Tsireya. I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”

taglist: @im-kaii @itsemy01

[wakraya]

My Experience With Roblox

Hey! Hi! Hello! I have just gone through some pretty frustrating stuff and I wanted to share some experiences I've had with the Scam Formerly Known As Roblox.

So let me tell you a little bit of a story.

Back in the day I used to be a small Roblox Creator. And when I say 'back in the day', I mean like a decade ago, before a lot of the current extremely shady monetization and exploitation practices weren't implemented yet. And mind you, there WAS the 'Builder's Club' and there was Buying Robux, but it wasn't as blatant, and you still had Tix as the Free Currency.

Roblox was a place where I found quite the community. I was still not all that good at English, and it was through interacting with others that I pretty much taught myself to speak English. I met some of my longest-lasting friendships, I had my first Hyperfixation... Hell- It even introduced me to Homestuck!

But then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.

And by the Fire Nation, I mean that Roblox updated something that broke several of the scripts inside of my game. It dropped without warning, without a Legacy option, and forced Creators to simply adapt and update. Now, it wasn't even anything too big- I believe all I had to do was add 2 lines of code to my scripts, and they'd be fixed.

But, you see. I was inspired to make my own place, because of the work of other Creators. A major inspiration, in fact, was a pretty legendary Bleach Fighting Game, whose... Maker hadn't been on in years.

That was the day I learned the words 'Backwards Compatibility' and realized that Roblox had unceremoniously broken a lot of classic things that now had no repair. Alongside security concerns and the increasing monetization of the place, I decided to simply leave and never look back.

... A few years back, I got an email, telling me that there'd been a successful login to my account.

I quickly got in, changed my password to complete nonsense, reiterated my distaste for the state of the site, and left.

I didn't think much of this event for half a decade, but today. Today I was trying to see if I'd gotten a verification email from a different thing, and I ended up rummaging my Spam Folder, only to find someone writing an email... Asking, politely, for trading of some of the limited items left on my archaic account.

Unsure if this was a scam or not, and wondering what 'cool' items I even could've had in my inventory (Apparently I've got some unique octopus that sells for 22K Robux or something? Shrug-) I decided to log into the site, and... Just on a whim, I checked my messages.

Every single message for the last several years going back were just scams, which truly speaks volumes to how the site had developed. But, more importantly. Going further back, I found people asking me to please come back, and fix the game... Or. 'Make it free'.

...

Apparently. Apparently. In the time I got hacked years ago. Before whoever did it changed my email or password. They had, effectively. Updated my old game, with a message that 'it was back', and monetized it.

Apparently for the past few years I've gotten an insignificant but existent stream of Robux from some poor kids or nostalgic people trying to get back into my game.

I immediately went to try and fix things, only to realize there were no Options to remove the 'pass', and I couldn't find a way to remove the monetization, either.

Now. Mind you. I was doing this on the Browser. Maybe from the client it would've been better, easier, and clearer, but let me tell you- I have not. Seen. SUCH a Hostile UI in my entire life trying to just. FIND what to do to stop this from happening, and eventually I just. Opted for privating and taking down the game entirely. It's broken anyway, after all.

Following that I tried to make a statement on the description of my account, only to see, in horror, that my 1000 word message turned entirely into ####### because apparently I'd written one too many banned terms, because I was, in fact, talking about my account getting hacked, and monetization.

I tried writing a few other messages, and I swear, that was one of the most aggressive content filters I've seen in my ENTIRE life. 'Consent', 'Whole', and several other completely innocent terms just constantly eaten by the censorship algorithm, making writing a new description one of the genuinely most frustrating experiences I've ever had with any website online.

So. I guess. There's not much I want to say here. I am mostly venting about what an awful, awful experience this whole thing is, but like... Seriously. The hacking and security was rampant back then, and I doubt it's any better now. Even if it was, the sheer scope of the scams and exploitation that this... Service is even allowed, is genuinely a Late-Capitalism Nightmare.

Anyway, that was a wretched experience, and as nostalgic as I am for Those Days, and as sure as I am that there's people who still love Roblox and who have made incredible friends through it...

That... Thing... Is a monument to Humanity's Hubris, and shouldn't exist-