#like you don’t have to focus on world building so you can focus on characterization

[bethisblogging]

It’s really funny to me that everyone is talking about fanfiction in an almost mainstream way.

When I was in college (c. 2016/17) I wrote an essay on how it was an underrated form of media that had a lot of benefits for both the creators and the consumers, and discussed that basically authors had been writing fanfiction of other works for hundreds of years.

Flash forward to 2024 and I could not tell you the last time I read or wrote fanfic. The desire is just. Gone.

[godsfavoritescientist]

Billford Fic Recs: Part 1

Everything on this list is rated either Gen or Teen, so it’s accessible for the sex-repulsed billford fans out there. Part 2 will be all the fics that don’t fit within those ratings! Everything on this list (aside from the still-updating one) is a completed fic that was written year/s before Book of Bill came out. Most of these are under 5k words, and while most of them are pre-betrayal and canon compliant, there’s a few that cover different eras in the timeline and AUs. These are some of my all-time favorite billford fics, plus some bill-centric fics at the end of the list.

A Change of Scenery, by Nelja https://archiveofourown.org/works/10914882 Pre-betrayal, Ford’s perspective, 4k words

This fic really nails the devotion-to-the-point-of-obsession that Ford had for Bill. It’s one of the very first fics I think of when someone asks for recommendations. Really really top tier stuff. I wish there were more fics that had this same tone and a central focus on Ford’s obsessive worship of Bill. I can’t do this fic justice, you just have to experience the writing for yourself.

The Writing of Destiny, by Nelja https://archiveofourown.org/works/6256570 Pre-betrayal, Ford’s perspective, 1k words

This fic says so much with so few words. It goes over Ford’s feelings for Bill, as well as some moments in Ford’s life that led up to becoming the kind of person who would fall for Bill.

Devote, by orphan_account https://archiveofourown.org/works/8783656 Pre-betrayal, Ford’s perspective, 600 words

Ford gets a tattoo. This one is also chock full of the obsessive devotion Ford had for Bill. It’s a delicious little peek into how potent his feelings for Bill were.

Loose from the Lever, by clockheartedcrocodile https://archiveofourown.org/works/32120011/chapters/79575955 Pre-betrayal, mostly Fiddleford’s outside perspective, 9k words

The imagery and voice in this one is fucking impeccable. Best I’ve ever read on ao3. It’s also an absolutely chilling read. Fiddleford can sort of piece together the fact that Ford is working with… someone. And meanwhile, Ford’s relationship with Bill in this one is gut-wrenching to see. Bill is cold and calculating in ways that are arguably disproven by the book of bill, but it’s still such a believable read on their relationship.

Now You See, by MaryPSue https://archiveofourown.org/works/8134141 Mostly pre-betrayal, AU where Bill comes through the portal in the 80’s, 4k words

Only billford if you squint. This one’s about Ford undergoing a slow body horror transformation while building the portal. Bill stops him from enlisting Fiddleford’s help, and his uneasiness and isolation is so palpable. This fic is good at building atmosphere.

The Ol’ Three Legged Waltz, by equilateralromance https://archiveofourown.org/works/35691013 Pre-betrayal, AU where Bill is upfront about a lot more things from the start, 3.5k

This one has such a unique writing style, it feels very romantic in the classic sense of the word, like it was written in an era gone by. Their relationship is very soft and tender in this one, a win for fluff fans everywhere. It’s about the first time Bill possesses Ford, and is a very sweet what-if for a world where Bill is better at letting Ford in, emotionally speaking.

Stars in my black and blue sky, by idrilhadhafang https://archiveofourown.org/works/41989533 Ford reminisces on how much he used to love Bill. 1k words

Solid characterization in this one. It’s short and to-the-point and feels true to canon.

Weirdpocalypse, by completetheory https://archiveofourown.org/works/20798036 Post-canon, Bill visits Ford’s dreams, 1k words

This one’s a really interesting take on why Weirdmageddon failed. Very bittersweet.

One Stage of Grief, by Fooeyburr https://archiveofourown.org/works/13969392 Post-betrayal, Ford in the multiverse grappling with how he feels about Bill, 8k words

This one is all about Ford obsessing over what he had with Bill while refusing to come to terms with the fact that he cared about Bill! Which is all set up/framed by some fun multiverse worldbuilding, too. - Bonus round: Bill-centric fics -

Wasting Away Again in the Goldilocks Zone, by ckret2 https://archiveofourown.org/works/57714430/chapters/147167545 Post-canon, Bill dragged kicking and screaming down a very long road towards redemption, updates weekly and will end up being hundreds of thousands of words at minimum.

This is the fic for Bill growing and changing as a person in post-canon. Every single doubt and hesitation you might have about whether Bill is even capable of change? It’s absolutely taken into account in this one. Seriously, its characterization of Bill is so scarily good that it accidentally predicted a mountain of things that got revealed in the Book of Bill. If you invest your time in one super long fic in your life, make it this one.

A Romance of Many Dimensions, by Haley3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/20796845/chapters/49427522 Covers the span of Bill’s entire life in detail. Finished work. 250k words

A breathtakingly ambitious fic that consistently knocks it out of the park. There are so many things I could say about this fic that I don’t even know where to start. I feel a lot of things about this fic. If you’ve ever wanted a fic that delves into Bill’s psyche and is tragic in its (pre-tbob) canon compliance, and has an opening set in flatland that approaches things from a really creative angle, and has my favorite interpretation of the axolotl, and rewires your whole brain, then this is the fic for you. Feels a bit reductive when it covers Bill’s time interacting with Native Americans on earth, but otherwise one of The Fics of All Time.

[olderthannetfic]

Reading some of the recent-ish asks on your blog got me thinking about 1st person fic. I personally am not fond of it, but I think it’s largely a matter of characterization? It’s already difficult for a lot of writers to get character voice across in dialogue, so sustaining it in personal narration over an entire fic can be even more of a challenge.

And if a writer is able to keep a consistent character voice, it then runs into the problem of whether my idea of that character’s internal narration matches this particular fic writer’s. Most of the time, it does not, with the only common exception I’ve seen being fics where the canon includes either some mind reading or first-person narration from the character in question.

The end result is that I am very quick to back out of a fic written in first-person, not because I think it’s a bad style but because I don’t have confidence in the character voice fitting what I want from that fandom.

On the other hand, I am completely open to professional and original fic written in first person, mostly because I am being introduced to a new character with the perspective already established. I am also more open to reading a first-person fic from a side character or OC point of view than from a main character or one I’m strongly attached to, though those run into the same issues as all OC fic do (personal preference being minimal OC focus, but I have greatly enjoyed “outsider perspective” fics in this style in the past).

First person just feels like a very specific tool, and I’ve definitely read fic where it was used poorly, but mostly I’ve decided I’m not really up for taking the gamble when I have other options to explore. A lot of the worst first-person fic I’ve read have definitely felt like the perspective was an excuse to “tell not show”, often with alternating perspectives so you could be sure both sides of the ship thought the other was really hot! I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not something I personally find satisfying or seek out for my own enjoyment.

To me, first person is most effective to build intimacy and character depth with the perspective character and their interactions with the world around them. When it’s done well, it’s spectacular for strong character identity.

--

I think people underestimate how much third needs to show characterization in narration to be good, but yeah, first is more in your face when it sucks.

[turretistrying]

The Caged Bird and The Chased Mouse

Part 1! \/

Okay so this idea wont leave me, genshin Sagau, classic isekai imposter scenario, but you didnt do the main sumeru story quest yet (like i did on my account, I did everything else, except the story when it came out). I’m so sorry if I mess up characterization, spelling, or general writing structure, I don’t write often.

WARNING FOR: Swearing (F-word and thats it)

So let me set the scene:

You have been isekai’ d into the Genshin world and you’re the creator but its an imposter situation. You’ve been to every other region and have been chased out, betrayed by characters you love and trust. You venture into Sumeru, with an idea of the layout but no clue of what will come next when you step into Sumeru City.

You walk into Sumeru City, amazed by the architecture in person but wary of what might happen if people catch a glimpse of your face. You wander around, just listening to conversations and seeing what foods they have to offer, eventually ending up near the Academiya. You consider if you want to set foot into the daunting structure, considering it looks guarded well and if something went wrong you’d be in the deepest trouble, unsure how the Archon of the region would react to you (poorly you assume). But against your best judgement you start walking in, far too curious for your own good. You get a handful of steps into the building until you run into who looks like a playable character, one you haven’t met before but vaguely remember from the leaks. With grey hair and skin tight shirt, look at you with suspicious, I mean who wouldn’t be suspicious of someone in a cloak that you can’t see their face.

“….” He stares at you with an intense gaze, as if we can see right through your disguise, you’re hoping he can’t actually do that.

“Well it seems we have a newcomer, hello there.” He finally speaks, “My akasha doesn’t seem to know who you are, are you new to Sumeru?”

‘Akasha?’ You think, regretting the fact you didn’t play the story quests before getting sent here. You stay silent, unsure how to respond.

“Are you, or are you not? I’d like an answer or else i’m afraid I’ll have to call the guards.” He adds the last part, to add pressure to you.

“Yes, yes! I’m new to Sumeru and I thought I might take a look at the illustrious Aca- uhm, Academiya!” You mess up on the last part, nearly forgetting the name of the building you’re in.

The grey hair man gives a hum in acknowledgment, but doesn’t give any indication that he fully believes you. You’re getting more nervous as the pause stretches on and curse at your idiotic curiosity, you’re praying to whatever higher being thats left in Tevyat to have this guy to let you go. He starts to circle you, taking in your outfit and body language.

“Alright, well, do make sure you don’t cause too much of distraction, the students need their focus.” He finally breaks his silence and gets out of your way. You let out the biggest breath out in relief, the guy absolutely catches it but you don’t care enough at the moment while your body pumps adrenaline. You debate with yourself if you actually want to continue in self or just run out, but decide it’d look far more suspicious to just run out after that exchange. You give a nod to him and start walking to the main door, you’re able to see some books so you assume you’re walking into a library.

Once you enter room and get near the middle, you’re in awe of how large the room is, how high the books reach, and just how many books are crammed in one room. You imagine you could start reading and wouldn’t finish all the books in the library by the time you die. You start walking around the room, with an odd feeling as you walk around, as if someone was watching you, but you brush it off as someone took notice of the weirdo walking through their space. Once you finish that you start your walk out of the Academiya, entirely done of it’s stuffy feeling that you’d mostly ignored.

As you walked out your foot catches a ledge making you fall to the floor, with your hood pulling back enough to show your face, you yelp.

You catch yourself before your face makes contact with the floor, not taking notice that the hood had fallen back. People started to look where the noise came from and stare in shock at seeing the creator’s- no, the Imposters face. You notice the attention on you and reach up to the hood, and pale when you realize what had happened.

You book it.

You run back into the Akademiya, with a vague idea of an escape ruin, you take left and start running up the wooden ramp. You can hear calls of “GET THEM” behind you, thats starting to gain on you. You run through the almost maze-like path with your feet pounding on the stone with students looking at you with bewilderment. Your cloak flipping behind you as you start to get closer to the top, with your ripped clothes underneath showcasing your struggles from the other three Nations.

You reach the top and jump forward, avoiding the spears of guards and get to the large green door, unsure of what’s behind but hoping, hoping to the fake stars above that it’s a safe place. You struggle to get it open but get yourself in and quickly slam the doors shut. You can hear pounding but it doesn’t seem like the door is going to open, you slowly step away and turn around to assess the room you’ve entered. As you look to the orb in the middle to walk forward to get a better look of what seemed to be inside-

Oh your stars.

That’s a fucking child.

What the fuck.

You stare in shock at the little girl seemingly trapped in a green orb in a large empty room. She’s looking at you.

You start walking even closer, she follows the movement. She isn’t scared or mad or venomous, she just watches. You try reaching your hand up to touch her prison, only then realizing that it was too high up for you to touch. She seems to understand what you want to do and touches the wall of her prison, a ghost of a hand touch. You sit down after a few minutes of starring at each other, and yawn. You havent slept in a while due to circumstances, so you lay your head down knowing that any second they could come and get you but honestly, you just wanted a rest and get away from this new reality you’ve found yourself in. You drift off and all you hear is..

“Everything will be okay.”

_____________________________________________

Okay so,, i really hope people like this, this was just my thought to the screen and I’m very willing to make a part two!

I also added a doodle because i done know thought it’d add to the story

[another-lost-mc]

is it bad that as much as i like your ocs (theyre amazing, i love them!), i really miss seeing you write for the canon characters

You know, that’s valid. The proportion of Canon and OC content here lately has been way off. It’s sort of the elephant in the room I ignore every time I think about Obey Me and my inspiration automatically focuses on the world building or OC potential instead.

There’s a few reasons why I’ve been less interested in writing canon lately.

1. Disappointment with Nightbringer. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure why this game exists (except to overhaul the franchise’s monetization structure). The premise and lore payoff hasn’t been that great for me personally - it feels more like an AU rather than a canon addition/continuation of the OG game. It feels like we still end up with more loose ends and questions that we don’t have (and may never get) answers for. I’m still waiting for Raphael and Mephisto to be dateable, by the way. As a result, my focus when writing OM content has been using the OG story/characterization using the odd piece from NB that makes sense, and that leads into…

2. My favourite parts of Obey Me are under-developed in canon. I enjoy most of the canon cast, I really do. But I want more Celestial Realm lore, I want more Michael (and not NB HM Lesson 20 Michael), I want more angels in general. They’ve mentioned Uriel a couple times now, give me that angel please and thank you! (No longer relevant, I wrote a version of him myself.)

The world feels so empty at times but there’s so much potential. Parts of the Devildom are more fleshed out with NB adding to it, but what about the other realms? What’s going on with the Sorcerer’s Society and the reapers? I never know if the interesting hints of lore we get are truly relevant or if it’s just something the game decided was convenient for a plot point and never gets mentioned again. NB has been great for Solomon fans since it’s practically a Solomon x MC fanfic written with a forced roommates trope, and that might be the best thing about it from a lore perspective.

My OCs were originally meant to explore gaps in the world and give the canon characters room to grow beyond the one or two defining traits the game keeps repeating over and over. I like writing Mammon when I can have him interact with Karasu, I like imagining the types of angels other exchange students might meet in the Celestial Realm, I like giving a name and personality to the mysterious owner of The Fall where so many events and Devilgram stories take place. Admittedly, it was refreshing to see that other people enjoyed reading about them or imagining them paired with their own MCs/OCs too. I call them the OC Fan Club with genuine affection.

3. It’s not something I talk about often but before I began writing fanfiction, I was mostly focused on concepts or outlines for original stories. Writing supernatural and horror themes always been my interest as a writer so anything with demons/angels/other monstrous races automatically catches my eye.

It’s a little mean to say, but half-baked worlds like the Devildom are a lot of fun to use as a foundation for expanding my own ideas. The OC story I’ve been working on is one way for me to write longer and more complex pieces which is the type I like most. Granted, it includes nearly the entire game cast and it explores the Devildom and Celestial Realm in ways that tie together some of my favourite personal headcanons and characterization. It focuses on angel characters and the history/culture of the Celestial Realm which are two of my main interests for this game. It’s a huge project - the outline is nearly 20k words on its own, it’s practically a novel divided into four sections with 30+ chapters and an epilogue. I can’t even express how excited I am when I get to work on this.

That being said, I do like writing canon content and I’ve been missing it more lately. I got burnt out when it felt like I was losing interest in NB and was pushing myself to keep writing anyway which isn’t great.

Today someone left a nice comment on something I wrote a while back, an angst piece for the demon brothers. I haven’t read it in a while and after going back and re-reading it, I was like, “Huh, I don’t remember liking this as much as I do.” And then I remembered something in my drafts that’s been rotting away, half-edited and ignored, and realized that I wanted to finish it. So, I’ve been slowly tinkering with things while I work on my angels’ story. Some of my plans are ambitious and real life distractions (mostly health related, like my recent bout of COVID) haven’t helped.

If I learned anything about my writing since starting this blog, it’s that:

writing what you’re passionate about is more fulfilling than writing what seems trendy or popular

giving and receiving feedback and fostering friendships/supporting each other keeps the community thriving

self care self care self care

Anyway. My goal has always been to write about the things I love about the game world and the things I create that are inspired by it. It’s a delicate balancing act that I’m still working on.

[catihere]

Alternative Hades and Persephone retelling idea (a comedy):

- After asking Zeus for advice, Hades kidnaps Kore like in the myth: black horses, magic and not consensual;

- he kinda regrets it for the moment because he thinks the lovely Kore would reject him terrified after what he did, but Kore turns out to be a bad bitch. She’s like ‘Okay, where the actual fuck did you bring me?! For a king, you’d say you’d have better cOuRTiNg strategies… At least greet me properly, you pathetic motherfucker! You just take me like that? Like I’m some kind of prize? Do you think I haven’t got better things to do than ruling your silly little realm?’ And Hades is just… baffled. And head over heels.

- we get tiny glimses of their interactions, but the main focus is Demeter, being devastated by the sudden loss of her daughter and going onto a detective-like quest in the mortal realm to find her. Hecate helps Demeter interrogate gods and humans to slowly make their way to the truth. It culminates, in like seventh out of eight episodes, with the meeting with Helios. After that, they return to Olympus in order to demand justice from the god of justice himself.

- meanwhile, Kore isn’t that sassy anymore because she can feel how she’s slowly breaking into pieces because of the separation between her and her world. Her mother and everything she’s loves. And I don’t really know how to characterize Hades in this scenario so I’ll leave it up to you.

- at the end, Demeter wins a fight with Zeus and manages to obtain the compromise we all know about. Persephone slowly starts her journey to finds herself again and balance her new life. The end.

Bonuses: Demeter and Hecate are a power couple of badass women;

Persephone builds her garden in the realm of Hades to comunicate with Demeter when they’re away from each other;

Hermes is an awkard fluffball when he has to transport Persephone because he once tried to court her and… let’s say it didn’t go really well (for him)…

Let me know what you think of this idea and what I can improve! 💜

@0lympian-c0uncil @incorrectgreekgods

[cursedvibes]

Idk if I’m the only one who feels a bit sentimental about ch240-243. It’s just got me thinking about how there’s actually someone for everyone. Like you know how people might think they’re weird or they’re being perceived as strange and off-putting by those around them but, in fact, there will ALWAYS be someone who matches your vibe and celebrates your individuality. What a beautiful thing connection is.

I’m not even sure if it’s intended by Gege but the last 7? chapters have been greatly influenced by themes of loneliness and connection and (in my opinion) Takaba and Kenjaku are no exception. Both somewhat lonely in what they do, in what they’re passionate about, both are misunderstood and perceived as “weirdos” by those around them, finding each other and being able to connect through comedy, giving each other what they longed for (Kenny’s “it’s been centuries since my heart danced like this” and Takaba’s “my dream stage… I don’t want this to end”). It’s just… wow?

Also I saw a little analysis about how there are two roles in Japanese comedy-duos, basically one person is telling the jokes and acting weird and the other is acting more serious by fending off the partner’s jokes, so in ch.243 it was Kenny and Takaba, respectively. Takaba’s talent as a comedian shone through as he’s generally more serious and his previous attempts to act as the one who cracks the jokes all the time led him to failure (ch241). But now, thanks to Kenny taking up the “unserious” role he was finally able to finesse his performance. This is such a unique battle out of everything we previously had… “I don’t want this to end” me too Takaba… me too…

P.S. im kinda manifesting that one day you’ll write a fic about these two 🥲 I absolutely adore your works

There's always someone out there who matches you perfectly and it might be the person you least expect, like Japan's worst terrorist or a depressed comedian. Sometimes it also might take you a millennia to find that person, but that makes it all the more worth it when you do.

No but seriously, I totally understand you. It's amazing how Gege managed to build up such a deep connection between Kenjaku and Takaba and thereby not only gave us some much needed further characterization for one of our main villains, but also fleshed out someone who used to be only a comedic side character. Although the fact that Takaba would have more depth was already foreshadowed in his introduction. If anything, him becoming a comedic sidekick was more surprising.

The focus on loneliness, love and being able to connect with other people in the last chapters was very intentional I think and I honestly like how much the approach to these themes differs between Kenjaku and Sukuna. Besides my problems with the Gojo vs Sukuna fight, those topics were brushed on there, but not really explored in depth. Until we got Takaba vs Kenjaku. The main difference here and what allowed us to get a deeper understanding of the themes and how they relates to these two characters is that contrary to Sukuna's fights, Takaba and Kenjaku's fight was more a dialogue where they both discussed their feelings on building connections and became a better person through it. Both of them learned something new (also about themselves) and came out of it as changed people. It's not just one person barraging the other with their issues or slapping their egos around.

Yorozu vs Sukuna is very self-serving. Yorozu is lonely and she thinks having Sukuna by her side will help her, but she is ultimately not interested in really connecting to him, she just projects her own issues onto him. She says herself that having his corpse would be enough. She wants to own him, her attraction to him is because she sees herself in him and her love is a love of herself, there isn't really anything romantic or sexual to it. Similarly, Sukuna has no interest in her either. The fight is only there so he can try out the new CT he just got. Both are essentially in their own world and while it is nice that Yorozu makes a weapon for him, they don't actually connect. Yorozu wants to teach Sukuna her understanding of love, but he already has his own and neither of them budge on their positions or make concessions.

Gojo vs Sukuna is a bit difficult to summarize because it's kinda all over the place and we don't get much from either of them in terms of character development or thoughts in general until the last chapter. Still, it's again someone trying to build a one-sided connection to Sukuna, wanting to teach him love and failing. I would say Gojo is a little more successful than Yorozu because at least Sukuna acknowledges him and says he will remember him. Gojo says he didn't manage to reach Sukuna and teach him "love", but he left an emotional impact. Sukuna changed Gojo to a degree, but only so much as in he killed him and thereby shoved him off the pedestal he put himself on and what kept him from having equal relationships with people. Bit late for that and it won't actually have any long-lasting consequences for Gojo because well he's dead, but it's something. Ultimately, there is no change in Sukuna's character however. There is a physical impact on him from the fight, but not much in terms of emotions. He isn't forced to reconsider any of his positions, he isn't challenged in his character. If anything it only got reinforced because he's confirmed to be "the strongest".

Kashimo vs Sukuna is another instance of someone coming with their issues to Sukuna and pressuring him to fix them. Kashimo wants to build a connection to Sukuna and I think they are actually more genuine with their intentions than Yorozu, but there is still a one-sided connection. Their relationship isn't balanced. Sukuna is supposed to give out wisdom, but Kashimo has nothing to offer him and while it is nice that we got a deeper look into his philosophy, there is nothing he really gained from his interaction with Kashimo. We are learning new things about Sukuna, but he doesn't. I think this will only happen when we get to Yuuji vs Sukuna because Yuuji affects Sukuna on a deeper level than any of the other three. He's the only one that can meaningfully challenge Sukuna because they would finally leave the premise of Sukuna's whole worldview (strength) behind. But we'll see.

Takaba vs Kenjaku is very different. If we were to compare it to the formula of the previous fights, Takaba comes up saying "Let me teach you about love (comedy/fun)" and Kenjaku's response is "Oh I've actually been dying to hear about this. Give me your best shot." Since the start of the Yuki fight Gege has put more emphasis on showing us that Kenjaku is essentially just bored and lonely. They want to connect to people, that is the easiest way to entertain them as well and they don't actually enjoy entertainment without having anyone to share it with, but they and their longstanding goals are what's hindering them. Their plan distanced them from their closest friend and left them quite desperately searching for new companions. Their plan also motivates them to kill Culling Game players, despite them seeing it actually as a waste of potential. That's how they entered the fight. They want to be entertained and they want a new friend. Takaba offers that to them.

I think initially Takaba's offer wasn't entirely sincere, just a ploy to distract them. He might've been already interested in Kenjaku's motivations for causing all this suffering, but he didn't actually expect them to connect so well and so quickly over their shared interest in comedy. First, Takaba gets challenged however. We learn he wants a partner just as much as Kenjaku. He can't enjoy comedy anymore because he needs a partner to succeed in his performance and deep down he is actually just searching for someone who understands him. Due to getting so fixated on performing successfully and pushing himself to lean into types of performances he doesn't actually like that much (playing the funny man), just for the approval of others, he also ended up pushing the people he did perform with away. He couldn't take any criticism and only continued further down the wrong path, leaving him depressed. A less extreme version of how Kenjaku tended to isolate themselves and subconsciously worked against their own interests.

Kenjaku makes him realize what he actually wants, that he has to change himself, his approach to comedy and that he needs to actually try to connect to people and not shy away from it in fear of criticism. This is already different from the previous fights. They both have an investment in the other and want more than simply beating the other person into following their worldview.

Then we get Takaba forcing Kenjaku to reflect on themselves and what they actually want. Despite how persuasive his CT is, Kenjaku's realization that they are having fun in playing around with these silly scenarios and that they for once are actually enjoying the Culling Game for what it is (a chance to meet interesting players, not just a stepping stone for something greater) doesn't seem to be fake. The nature of his CT also makes them realize that if they want to survive they have no choice, but to open themselves up a little bit and cooperate with each other. That's when both of them finally reach their true goal.

They have to work together because that's the only way Takaba can fulfil his wish to perform comedy with a partner, someone he actually connects with and who understands him. It also provides Kenjaku with the friend they have been looking for. Someone equal (as a comedy partner would be, Takaba is able to keep up with their imagination, just how they countered his made-up scenarios earlier), who won't bore them. As Kenjaku said afterwards, they actually had fun, despite the quite mundane scenario. There was cursed energy involved, but what made them actually enjoy the show was the trading of jokes and improvisations they both had to keep up with. It doesn't need some world-shattering CT to entertain Kenjaku, they just previously lacked that connection that would make them appreciate the entertainment they are getting more.

As you said, the positions they take during the show is important here too. They started out with Kenjaku as the straight man and critic and Takaba doing goofy antics as the funny man. Both roles that don't really suit either of them, which is also part of why Takaba never managed to be funny in the past. During the show Takaba is finally able to make his true personality shine and have people understand and like him, despite how he can come off as quite serious. Kenjaku on the other hand was able to be as silly as they want to be. They kept that part of their personality down previously because it would only distract them from their goal and fulfilling their carefully curated plan. We see the evidence at the end of the chapter. As soon as Kenjaku gives into that part of their personality and gets lost in their performance with Takaba, they get taken out and their merger plan is compromised. By indulging in what they actually want, they lost control over their proclaimed long-standing goals (probably, we will see how things develop).

I've seen Kenjaku's "you were super funny" compared to Sukuna's "stand proud", but that doesn't quite work, I think. Sukuna is comparing Jogo to himself and complementing him for how much he managed to measure up, while Kenjaku is commenting on how they enjoyed their fight together or more specifically the comedy show. They reassured Takaba that he is funny, but they don't view it as him having measured up to some standard they set. That is primarily because they could only achieve that goal together. Their comedy relied on a partner and they both only had fun because they had each other. Alone it would be meaningless. The entire point of their stand-up show was that the "fight" wasn't a competition anymore.

Takaba and Kenjaku were able to become partners and form a connection because they were actually able to open up to each other and take the other's personality and character into consideration. That's what differentiates them from the previous three fights and is also why they were successful where Yorozu, Gojo and Kashimo failed.

Kenjaku is open to change and new experiences and after some convincing embraces the connection they are being offered, while Sukuna stays almost completely closed off to others (with the exception of Uraume it seems).

It really was a great fight and it's very unfortunate that it is over and ended the way it did. We'll see how things develop. I would be really interested in seeing if and how Kenjaku's connection to Takaba might influence them in the future and how they will approach their merger plan. Currently it seems like Yuuta kind of ruined all the progress in terms of character development they made thanks to Takaba, but who knows...

If you're interested, I did write a fanfic about the two, where I also vented my feelings about their relationship a bit :)

[night-market-if]

Hey! I recently found this and just got done with the free demo, and while I look forward to play the full thing I just had to come here and sign my praises for the pacing with Milo.

As someone who in real life is a real quick judge of emotional connection, it’s the first time I’ve read an IF where the slight interest happens at the same time as I realise I want to romance them. While I know one can argue the chapter 2 kiss is questionable at best (for as many times as I read it I still feel bad picking it as a canon choice, even though I love it oh so dearly.), for me the fact that the moment I read ‘Pleasure District’ I thought “Oh, I hope we get a flirt option about that, I already want MC to kiss him so bad, please let MC make a flirty joke about it.” and then there was, in fact, a whole kiss.

So just, having Milo, MC, and I all go “Yeah, that was a bit intense, but not complaining.” was just, I don’t even have words for the delight. In fact I sat with it for a few minutes and reminded myself there would most likely not be another kiss until at least the last third, if even in the first book at all.

And then chapter 3 came with its “c’mere”, dancing in the streets, and a second (or first) kiss, so utterly soft and tender? I know I am blabbering, but I am not exaggerating when I say that is by far my favourite romance (Interactive or otherwise) that I’ve ever read. You know there’s something or probably many somethings weighing on his shoulders, there is so much to Milo one doesn’t know and that he may never wish to share, but there is also so much innate trust and joy—It’s so well written. I wish I had the eloquent words to say this properly and professionally, but all I can say is it makes me so fond, and so patiently curious for the day I learn what troubles him.

I’ll shush now, though, as this is already way too long. I just felt you deserved to know, even if it’s incoherent, that you’re a wonderful writer of romance and friendship and worldbuilding and character—and I am very much looking forward to getting my little grabbers on the full book and learning what the night market has in store.

Thank you! I am so happy to hear that you've enjoyed what you read so far. And I do try to really focus on character development and world building. That is incredibly important to me.

With only having read the demo, I can say that you are in for a very wild ride on your Milo romance. But, there is a lot of depth and layers to that romance and a lot of really kind moments as well as heartbreak. Going into book 2 I'm trying to keep the same momentum with that level of characterization.

Thank you again for all your kind words. I love reading the long rants that come in. It makes me feel like I'm on the right path. :)

[eclectic-sassycoweyes]

🛼🥤 for the writing asks!

Hii and thank you!!! ☺️ those two go so well together too! Although I can’t roller skate and it’s probably irresponsible to do it with a straw in you mouth even if you can…..🤔 - sorry! Where were we hehe 🙃

🛼 ⇢ describe your latest wip with five emojis

😏🐖💤🤬🤒

🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love

This fandom is so full of talent it’s literally insane. The last month or so after I got back from a trip that came after a year of stress with moving, finishing my degree, and traveling, I’ve finally had time and spoons to actually find the words to tell more of my favorite authors how much I love their fics!!! So I’m going to go with 2 fics that are absolutely amazing and deserves all the love in the world but which I haven’t gotten to giving that love yet !!

(I’m an essay-or-nothing type of word person with words flying around in halves in my brain when I try to focus so even though I’m practicing commenting can be a struggle/something that takes a lot of time and focus for me and I’ll be leaving for a month again tomorrow so I’m actually glad to be able to rec these two fics and the authors know how much I love them before that!!!🙃)

The entire Knave Verse by @liminalmemories21 ! Again, I would have to write an essay to describe everything that’s incredible about this and maybe one day I will. I’ll just say that it’s seriously a masterpiece! The concept is so fun and original, the characterizations (both canon and oc’s) are so amazing.

The excitement and intrigue, the play with time and when we get to know details and understand connections as readers! The Tarlos of it all. Adorableness, fluff, angst and some👌smut, banter, how their relationship develops over the stories! And the art recs and the way they’re described through TK and @liminalmemories21 will convert anyone not already interested in art !!!!

To build a home by @freneticfloetry

This was one of the first fics I read when I joined this fandom, amidst the stress of it all so I never gave it the love it deserved. When I get back from my trip, I would actually love to give it a re-read and enjoy it all over again, so maybe an essay will also be dumped into the comments on this too😅

It’s one of my favorite fics ! It’s so well paced, beautiful and domestic and realistic and just wonderfully written, like anything by freneticfloetry, just, the pace and flow and descriptions and vividness that seem effortless! Again, the characterization and backstory we get is amazing, and so is the Tarlos relationship! Apart from that, I remember also loving the conversations between Carlos and other characters! And how much we get of Gwyn and especially a very cute baby Jonah🥰

I don’t remember many of the details since it’s been a year or so, I just remember really loving it and seeing it as one of those Canon Compliant Classics/Fundamental Readings 🌼

[befuddled-calico-whump]

Dude you have no idea how envious I am of your ability to not only come up with a solid idea/plot for a series, but then manage multiple main characters and their dynamics and make it a cohesive, good story. What is your secret. How do you do it. I want to start a series with multiple main characters, but I don’t know where to start. All of your world building is just brilliant and how you manage to create multiple different series all in varying fictional settings, with unique plots and characters, tell me your secrets. Please. And also how you include whump in your work without always making that the focus- >>>. You’re an amazingly talented writer and artist like holy shit.

😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️🥺❤️❤️❤️❤️🥺🥺🥺❤️❤️ THANK YOU SO MUCH❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I don't know how qualified I am to give writing advice, but I feel like it's important to say I definitely didn't used to be good at ensemble casts

I've written a l o t of ensemble-type stories, mostly because I used to base most of my characters on friends, and wanted to include everyone. And honestly, that can be a good place to start. The styles, traits, hobbies, etc of people you know, or even yourself, can serve as inspiration for characters. And since you've seen these hobbies and habits in action, it can give another layer of life to it :)

Something else that helps, that I actually do a lot, is using the "Five Man Band" trope as a template. The FMB consists of five characters, each with their own archetype, usually working together towards a common goal.

You have your leader (self-explanatory, the one who calls the shots); lancer (a foil to the leader, the one who questions them the most); big guy (either the most physically powerful, or the one who solves problems with fists); smart guy (the one who falls back on intelligence, usually stereotyped as a nerd); and heart (emotional center of the team, usually the most sensitive and/or best at de-escalation).

While only using the listed/expected traits can lead to flat characters, it's a pretty good foundation to start with, that can help you determine how each character fits within the story, as well as how they'd react to each situation. When creating T$$ characters, I started with this and kept building.

Some other things that I think helps when trying to characterize a big cast:

- Have a "cheat sheet" for your main characters that lists things like what phrases they tend to use, how descriptive they are, whether they use big words, what they tend to notice when they're somewhere new, etc.

- If you swap POVs, have them reference hobbies, personal history, family, etc, even if it's somewhat subtle. For example, Character A might compare a new acquaintance to a wizard in their favorite fantasy novel, and Character B might use a lot of bird-themed descriptions and metaphors because their mother was an ornithologist

- Okay, this one is slightly more out there, but playing DnD or other TTRPGs helps a lot. Creating a character and pretending to be them, especially when there are other people around who might spring scenarios on you that you don't expect, is great practice for getting into characters' heads for your writing

- Putting new characters through "what would you do" type scenarios. Not even necessarily writing a whole scene out (though that can help you solidify a voice), but just mentally Putting the Guy in Situations and figuring out how they'd react.

Really hope this was helpful, and thank you again!!

[progmetol]

So, you know that one post you made here (https://www.tumblr.com/cringineer-gaming/696420948878000128?source=share)? I was just wondering what exactly you would consider good characterization of engineer.

(Sorry if this comes off as rude, I'm just curious.)

Well first let me talk about what I think is bad characterization. A lot of people seem to portray him as very submissive and soft, which I don’t think is the case. He’s polite, and he may be short, but what we see of him in game and in the comics is that he is very comfortable in his own skin, enough to make threats with confidence (not to say he doesn’t have insecurities, mind you. He’s just used to it). Basically what I’m saying is that he is much more assertive than I see people portray him as. He is designed as a traditionally masculine character, and while I’m not saying he can’t have insecurities, I prefer when authors respect that. There isn’t enough writing where masculine characters deal with problems in a healthy manner either and Engineer, being a calm and collected character, would be a perfect canvas for that.

Another thing: a lot of time writers will take one aspect of his personality (usually the robotics stuff) and make it all he cares and thinks about. That’s… not how most people function. Yeah he may like to build stuff for his job, he definitely does, he enjoys it. But the man’s allowed to have other hobbies, and he does (he’s a talented musician, going off his taunts). But even beyond that, say his only interest truly was robotics: there’s still other things outside of hobbies that people enjoy if that makes sense. Sorry I think this point was a little confusing.

And this point is also somewhat related to the last but not really. It is very obvious when the writer has no idea what an engineer actually does or how we think/work. Dell is an engineer, he’s going to think like one- rational, practical, logical, etc. and oftentimes this doesn’t come through in writing at all when it should, because ffs this is a character’s core thought processes. Even outside of engineering this would be apparent. If there’s anything you are going to apply to his whole personality, this is it. But even aside from thought processes, people will also equate being an engineer to a mechanic or similar trade, which is uh. Far from the truth. Otherwise we wouldn’t have to go through four-five years of school to get our degrees. Engineering is not simply physically fixing things, it is applying math and science to solve problems. Most of it is designing things to do such. It is a very elaborate field and frankly reducing it to something akin to a trade is a missed opportunity. That being said Engineer clearly has a lot of real world experience so he probably knows how to fix a good amount of things and can intuitively know how they might work. But don’t make this the focus. It shouldn’t be.

There’s probably more that I missed but these are the three major ones for now.

[ridiasfangirlings]

if you had to introduce someone to k project with the intention of getting them into the series, where would you tell them to start from? im honestly torn between LSW, the side:red novel or MOR

Honestly? The first season of the anime. It’s uneven but it does a good job introducing the world and the main cast, and it’s a good jumping off point to get into the other side materials based on which characters a person is most drawn to. The issue that I think comes up when you start with the side materials is they don’t all do as much to explain the larger ‘world’ of the series because it’s assumed the reader already knows about the basic Slate and Kings thing, most of that is just given a quick ‘as you well know’ nod. Season one can definitely be confusing (I think it holds up much better on second watch when you know what to look for and can see some of the more subtle stuff they’re doing) but it does at least make most of the worldbuilding stuff pretty clear. LSW I think is probably the weakest of the ones you mentioned on this point, it pretty much assumes anyone reading knows what kind of setting this is and mostly just nods at the parts that are relevant for the story, which could be troublesome for a new person going in blind.

MOR has a better sense of worldbuilding but I think still has a general ‘feeling’ of assumed knowledge, to me that one feels very much like a companion series that won’t hold up as well on its own (it also spoils the whole thing with Totsuka’s death in the final chapters, I feel like it works better reading this one after you’ve seen season one so the end scene of episode one with Colorless hits better). I also think MOR doesn’t work as well as a jumping in point because the early chapters are focused almost entirely on minor characters who barely have any lines in the series proper, I think starting with that one would give someone an incorrect idea of what/who the series is about — even DOB would technically be better here because its focus is a bit more narrowed, Awashima gets a chapter early on and Fushimi remains a consistent focus throughout and he’s at least more of a main character than the alphabet squad are. I also feel like the emotional heft of the last couple chapters doesn’t work as well if you aren’t already attached to these characters, I think it’s just stronger when there’s already a base to work from. 

Side Red I think would actually be a good entry point outside of the anime though, the main drawback probably being that as a novel it might be seen as less accessible than the anime. Actually if we were going for ‘best entry point besides the anime’ my pick would probably be read Side Red and then watch the Seven Stories Side Blue. Side Red I think works really well as a prologue to the series, it brings in the worldbuilding elements and hints at future developments without outright spoiling them and gives good characterization to the Homra top three as well as Anna, Yata and Fushimi, all of whom are main characters, and it brings in things like the state of Mikoto’s Sword and the previous S4. Side Blue then makes a good prologue of the ‘other side,’ though I think the anime actually manages to do better than the novel on this one. Side Blue was written very early in the game and I think it shows, I feel like Munakata is written more manipulative and antagonistic than he is in the rest of the series and the novel has the same issue as MOR where it spends a lot of time with Hidaka and co., who then go on to not really matter all that much in the anime proper. The Seven Stories adaptation narrows that focus more around Munakata, smooths out some of the characterization issues without completely softening them, adds some flashbacks for additional world building and hints at the wider picture with the Greens at the end. If we’re not starting with the anime I would probably say start with Side Red and Blue and then go into season one, and then from there choose where to go next based on which characters caught the viewer’s eye the most.

[thattimdrakeguy]

I STILL REALLY LIKE TITANS UNITED - Issue 2

I haven’t had a chance to read issue 2 until today despite it being out for weeks, and it’s made me really sad, but I’m still really really enjoying it that I can finally read it.

They still have such a good Timmy in it, and he’s still the main perspective we see stuff through which I really really enjoy. It takes good use of his naturally curious and light-hearted nature, to get information for the audience, while keeping the heavy stuff from being too hard to read level of heavy. It’s such a good use of his character.

I imagine Titans fans aren’t happy that an infant is the lead of a comic that’s supposed to be about their favorite characters. But since I am a massive Tim Drake fan, it’s a bit hard for me not to be happy. Especially when Tim has such great art and characterization. Though, I totally understand if Titans fans aren’t the most pleased with it. I’d hate to have a Young Justice book use another character as the main lead.

I’m such a sucker for moralistic Timmy. He was one of the most serious about the no kill rule, I absolutely hated it when they would act like he’d be a killer. It was such a misunderstanding of Tim. Tim became Robin not because of his brains but because of his good hearted spirit. When they started ignoring that, and thinking he was some brilliant tactician, it really ruined who Tim was meant to be. So I adore moments like this. It’s this sort of thing that makes Timmy feel like Timmy.

And I love the world-building in this cute little moment. It’s simple but this is the stuff that really makes stuff come together. Think of it like the glue that keeps the loose parts on. It’d technically stay together without it. But you know it’s much better with it.

And the few sensitive moments. The art is really good. You can feel Timmy’s sorrows and anxiety. It’s great great stuff. Some of the best art I’ve seen from DC lately. Everyone looks like themselves, it’s dynamic, the colors are colorful and dull just in the places it needs to be. It’s masterful work. Truly some of the best I’ve seen in years.

(I still have much more to say. I put this here because I have a habit of forgetting to put it here, and I’m not for certain when a good point to put this is at.)

Plus, it keeps tiny Tim alive and well, which is a seal of quality in my book nearly every time. You’d be surprised how many comics just draw Tim like anybody else--or maybe you wouldn’t actually, DC Comics is notoriously awful these days. But trust me, it’s good when Timmy is actually drawn to be small and baby-faced. It was always saddening to see a character like Tim who was described quite well, not match his description. No one likes it when their fav isn’t drawn right--Well, that isn’t true, I’ve actually seen somebody adamantly hate it when their fav is drawn right and it freaks me out because of the creepy undertones. But let’s focus on the good here, shall we?

And here’s some random panels I don’t have much to say about but I really enjoy. I think it’s weirdly cute how easy it is for Timmy to be manhandled. Like he’s already tiny, but to Mammoth he is like--the size of a literal newborn baby instead of a figurative one.

Plus, Timmy’s well-drawn each time which makes it so much better on top of that.

Here’s him being man-handled again, but in a character scene.

See, the main plot of this comic is that someone changed the universe around to be this dark universe, and everyone but baby Tim-Tim here (He’s 16, I know, I’m not gonna stop calling him that) for whatever reason that is.

Justice League was killed, and Jason was plain executed as Robin this time around, and no one knows who Tim is. But I love this mix of panic, and anxiety with the situation mixed with Timmy’s enthusiasm for being Robin, and determination that he has for himself and his goals.

You truly feel his love and passion for being Robin, and throughout it there’s a sense of obliviousness and naiveté, that while not nearly as heightened as it is during his origin story, is still there in a way that isn’t represented too often that I really appreciate here. Because again, so many people get this idea that Tim was Robin because of his intelligence. That’s not the case. He messes up the first criminal mystery he gets himself into and if anything shows he probably shouldn’t be Robin to Dick in his first story. It was always about his passion, enthusiasm, idealism, and dedication to helping people that got him to be brought up as Robin the Boy Wonder.

And I get much more of a sense of that here, which I honestly quite love, because whether or not it was done intentionally, it gets back to the heart of what made Timmy Drake work so well back when he was introduced, and shows a lot of the stuff that’s been ignored for so long that it’s made Tim--well, not very interesting anymore.

He even comes in to help when told not to. Which is very reminiscent of the story of pre-Robin Tim, where Tim had to make his own judgment call to help Bruce when Bruce had told him not to. And Bruce told him that sometimes it was okay to break the rules, as long as it’s done intelligently.

After this moment Timmy’s even accepted as Robin again in this new bended reality. I’m not sure if this is all intentional, but it feels like it’s really building Tim back up as a character in ways I wish other recent series would have. Instead of writers just doing whatever they please with him.

And here we have one of the finest pages in modern comics history. It’s heartwarming, it’s satisfying ‘cause it’s given enough drama to have this be extra worth it, it’s adorable, and even a bit humorous because of how Tim is so small, he has to be picked up off his feet for the hug, and Dick still has to be hunched over as could be to put his head on Tim’s shoulder.

It’s so freaking adorable I adore it.

This moment could’ve been so cheesy had they not gone through the emotional and dramatic beats. And it would’ve been a bummer if they weren’t drawn well. But they went through the beats needed to make it work, while they both look practically perfect here.

And I adore this issue in general. If I had to be honest with myself, there’s a very easy argument that it’s too Timmy Drake focused for a Titans book, but I’m mostly just reviewing it from a Tim Drake fan’s perspective, and it’s really great.

If you haven’t already picked up issue one, do so and then pick up issue two, I haven’t read issue 3 yet, but I have a feeling it was also very good if it kept up this quality. It’s just a well-told story with strong characterization.

It isn’t weak or turns itself into some badly written, contradictory, sitcom like so many other comics of todays do. They don’t turn the characters into something different for some of the most depressingly lazy gags and jokes. 

Instead it actually feels like a comic that’s worth being released by one of the big two publishers, and is actually worth having an official seal instead of being some cheap written fan fiction. And that makes it a definite recommend.

If you like great comics, well-written stories, a well-characterized Tim Drake, and can handle the Titans taking a backseat in their own story, buy it in a heartbeat. It is certainly worth your time.

[doomsayings]

i'm curious.. what are some movies that you think are good adaptations of their books (like dracula, hill house, etc)? or movies that aren't the best adaptations but you would still recommend

HI ANON I LOVE THIS QUESTION!! Film adaptation of books is a topic that interests me deeply because I think there’s so many factors that go into whether or not an adaptation is successful, including things that are very subjective and situational… I’m definitely of the mind that an adaptation needn’t be super exact or faithful to be good, in fact some of my favorite adaptations take a lot of liberties with the source material to tell a better story via it’s given medium (film or tv), and intentionally use things specific to film like cinematography/sound/visual/design to translate the book onto screen

An example of an adaptation I loved, and that I think is an interesting case study of the subject at hand is crash (1996). I once uploaded a video of cronenberg’s press conference with the original author, JG Ballard, who personally loves the movie says during it that he think it’s best movie adaptation of a book ever lol Despite all the differences!!! Cronenberg dropped whole plot lines from the book (such as the Elizabeth Taylor one), went very minimalist on the script to focus on capturing the experience of the book.

The book itself is of course crazy non-stop bash of violent and erotic prose about car crashes, so I think it’s effective that Cronenberg spends so much time obsessively lingering over the sex and violence. It’s an approach slower and more clinical than the book BUT. I remember him saying that the point of the movie is that by the end, your sense of eroticism and it’s scope should have slowly shifted to accommodate the world of the movie. It’s the same effect the book has!! Which is why it works as an adaptation for me

You mention hill house, it’s really unfortunate that I don’t think it’s ever gotten a proper adaptation that I like though I’ve seen all of them :( I’ve said before on here that I really disliked Mike Flanagan’s approach, again, not because I dislike changes to a story! But bc I think the changes he made flattened the characters and relationships. I also think his style of directing isn’t capable of translating the gothic world of Shirley Jackson stories…he has too incessant of a need to overexplain his themes and none of the strange whimsy. I’ve actually said I think stoker 2013 is waaaaay more successful at emulating Shirley Jackson, and setting the tone for character like India/Merricat because of the directing. The strange and purposeful cinematography does so much to characterize India, in the same way that Jackson’s prose introduces us to Merricat’s rituals and magic…

SORRY THIS GOT REALLY LONG. In general I am very forgiving of adaptations if I personally think they are beautiful or fun (dracula 1992 and Roger Corman adapting Edgar Allen Poe, respectively). There are also some times where I actually enjoy the movie better than the book! (the talented mr. ripely or re-animator 1985). Like Stuart Gordon and his lovecraft adaptations, sometimes it really becomes a thing of its own, almost entirely separate from the books and I can still respect that too! Films can build up their own lore and canon, and i think it can be fun :)

[prettyboykatsuki]

So, guess who just finished reading won’t you lend me your faith, the shoujo manga fic for Rin. It’s me. I have much to say. I said I was gonna wait till the morning but I’m impatient and want you to know I absolutely loved and adored this fic.

I. Am. In love. With the reader. She’s literally so cute and I don’t know if it’s cause you wrote it in Rin’s pov but I fell in love with her?? She’s so endearing and I love her and I’d give the world for her oh my god. Her personality is so dorky and loud and loving and kind yet she’s so mature and caring for others and so incredibly sincere I would marry her if I had the chance. 

I will say reader made me cry I fucking love her so much. The birthday scene where she set it up and she had on the silly party hat and she just had her hands up presenting what she set up? That’s what made me cry, oh my god it was just so sweet I couldn’t handle it anymore. The entire build up of Rin’s birthday up to that moment just made me feel all soft and warm and mushy, reader is so sweet for making Rin’s birthday special and treating him on it. 

I do not know how to succinctly tell you that you wrote an incredible reader who took my heart and I literally fell in love with her and she made me cry and throughout the whole read I put down my phone multiple times to roll around in my bed and smile over her. She’s literally the love of my life I’d do anything for her and marry her if I had the chance.

OH. The scene where Rin realized he was in love? So still the birthday scene, I just think that was written incredibly well and the buildup of all of Rin’s emotions to that point throughout the whole fic was really well paced out and presented, BUT. When he was like “if she confesses I can’t lie to her?” His whole spiel? I was losing my mind.

I think they are the epitome of “fell first and fell harder”. Cause Rin once he realizes he not only likes her, but loves her and says he’s been grappling with it for only a little bit but it’s ripping him at the seams? And him causing that scene at school cause he’s irritated that he doesn’t see his girlfriend enough at school and can’t take it anymore? Yeah. yeah. 

I’m so sorry, I’m hung up on the reader. I genuinely can not put into words how much I love her. Her sniffling and crying because she’s worried about the fact that she’s not going to see Rin? It’s so human and she’s so worried and I want to comfort her, I adore her beyond words. She is just so full of love and she’s so verbal with it and she communicates and it’s refreshing and Rin needs someone like that for sure but god I LOVE her. 

I understand why in the writing process you kept saying you loved this reader. I get it, she’s so well written I adore her. Genuinely this is one of, if not the only, x reader I’ve read where the reader has such a refreshing, unique personality where it just made me love her so quickly. Like, I’m genuinely infatuated with her, I can’t describe it. 

Okay, gonna try and focus on Rin now, sorry, I just love her so much. BUT RIN. I think you characterized him so well, incredibly so. Like, the build up, all of it, the fact it took nearly a year for Rin to be comfortable enough and secure enough to recognize that he liked her and was in love with her, that feels correct for Rin, you know? I think the detail of him just kinda seeing her as an amorphous blob also makes sense? He really is not the type to care for looks. He’s so demisexual coded to me, but anyways. But I also think you got how awkward and somewhat uncomfortable he gets in social situations too, I feel like you nailed it. Like how he doesn’t like socializing with classmates so reader was the shield, how awkward he was feeling when talking to reader’s older brother, how irritated he was at those classmates at the end. 

But also his complicated emotions towards Sae; how he’s pretty sure his brother loves him now, but how he’s still not over or hasn’t fully come to terms or processed what Sae did to him in the past. I liked how you went over his morning routine where he legitimately thinks about his past with Sae, but I like how you detailed it as part of his meditation. Part of unraveling his heart and examining it. Wondering if it’ll always be this melancholic blue. Then followed by reader birthday breakfast, yippee. But double also, how the first time at the park where he was talking about how he feels towards Sae to her and how she says she wants to hug him and he lets her. That was sooooo. He needed that for real, I’m glad he indulged in that and hugged her back. 

I love small details. I love that they played resident evil and how acutely aware Rin was of her presence before she started playing with his hair (I melted at that by the way, peak affection), how they talked about Ciguatera and how she poked at him for being such a boy and how he really is just a boy, reading a raunchy comic that’s still ultimately about romance, about how Rin was glad he went with her to get stationary because he had to glare at too many creeps, at how annoyed Rin was at the fact she regularly kept contact with his mom. OH, when Rin noticed that she wears a heart necklace under her uniform when they were cleaning the classroom. How all he could say was that she wasn’t in uniform and it’s all he was thinking when he took her to the mall to get stationary. I loved the fact that she would stomp her feet sometimes, like when Rin’s parents found them sleeping together and snapped a picture, how she kicked her feet. You always give the people you’re writing about very human traits or things they do and it just makes the read so easy and real, idk how to word it. 

It’s all of these little scenes, these little details that just make your fic feel so alive and so tangible and just so perfectly here. I don’t know how to describe it, but everything adds up to be a beautifully written and executed shoujo manga type beat fic that I was so excited for and finally had the time to read. 

But thank you for the food, incredible as usually, the buildup was perfect and I thought I was only going to tear up over the reader but her sincerity and genuine love made me actually cry at the birthday scene. I am a sap and a sucker for cute romance first. This is a long ass ask I’m so sorry ahdjsgdj

I feel like I said a lot of nothing, but TLDR: I’m so glad I read this, I love (LOVE) the reader, I loved watching Rin fall in love it was so wholesome, I love shoujo manga and the epilogue is cute (he’s so silly being petty).

sorry . it has been at least 3 days since ive recieved this ask and i simply wanted to give it the proper time and care when answering because it really made me blush and scream and cry so i apologize for the delay. i have a little time now so i hope this response is adequate enough to express my gratitude.

the main gist of this ask that im like. so absolutely delighted by is indeed your love for reader because (and i said this while writing as well) but reader is my absolute favorite character in the entire fic. i know it's supposed to be rin, and i do enjoy writing rin - but i think reader was the best part of writing this for me. i was honestly very nervous that people might find her too quirky and try-hard rather than endearing and uplifiting and lovely but i simply fell for her very hard in the process.

i have a tendency to write readers who are a little more callous along the edges so it as very refreshing and i think that kind of character is like. SO perfect for rin. you are absolutely right about "fell first but he fell harder" trope being them!! that was really the point of it all for me. she is so loving and so human and so kind.

and rin as a character is someone who has an almost monstorous view of himself. his self loathing just runs so deep and so hard that it was almost painfully sad writing some parts. IM REALLY GLAD MY DEMISEXUAL CODING OF HIM WAS PRESENT SDJKSSDKJ. like im genuinely glad it was picked up on bc it was so super intentional. esp w the part where he finds reader attractive but cant understand it.

WAAAAHHH HEARING YOU PICK UP ON ALL THESE LITTLE DETAILS MAKES ME WANT TO SOB AND SCREAM AND CRY. IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY. idk how to explain it but knowing that my words have reached u enough to rmb them like that just makes me so emotional. idk how to explain it....like its!! you know!! you know of me!!!! you know the things i wrote!! and memorized and enjoyed them even!!!! it makes me so indescribably happy that these little details like. resonated with you.

for rin in particular - i do not think he thinks very highly of very showy, very passionate love like he sees in movies. up until he meets reader he considers a lot of that bullshit because its so fake. but his lover for reader is truly just an amalgam of these little tiny moments where reader looked at him and saw him for exactly who and what he is. whether that be about sae or rins hatred for socializing. ultimately reader is a character who loves him wholly and unconditionally.

but rin doesn't learn that through her words, but her actions. she is kind and gentle and silly and honest and he needs her more than anything. i really have such a deep love for them, writing their story made me so emotional and i am so so so glad other people felt similiarly. im so glad the story resonated but this one esp bc i LOVE these two and would love to write more in their universe sometime.

ANYWAYS, thank u for this ask. thank u for the length. i weeped so much the day i read it and have thought about it every day since. im so exceedingly grateful. i cannot express it enough. THANK U SO KINDLY

[multifairyus]

Genuine question about the Legendborn series do you know how many books are set to be in the series ? Or is that it just those two that have come out ? Also if someone wanted to get into the series how would you persuade them to read it?

The Appeal of the Legendborn Cycle Series

According to Deon’s website, it was planned as a trilogy…the wording makes me hold out hope for more books, especially since it was announced in February that we’re getting a TV series

Onto how I’d persuade them to read it: whew boy do I have THOUGHTS

Tl; dr:

1. Magic system is enhanced by being grounded in reality; the book itself stays grounded by being easy to read while maintaining mystique and intrigue

2. Complex character interactions that arise naturally from strong characterizations and a dynamic plot allow for compelling love interests/a believable love triangle.

3. Themes of grief, identity, heritage, and agency are elevated by the unique perspective of a teenage black girl in the American south.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

• It’s a YA book, young adult. IDK how old you are or the people you wanna persuade. Most people stop reading before finishing high school and aren’t likely to pick up books that a) require a lot of background/genre knowledge to understand b) dense syntax and complicated plots. The Legendborn Cycle (TLC) being YA counters both of these issues. It’s audiobook is an excellent way to consume it, since ~500 pages is a big ask for people who aren’t readers all. Emotive with distinctive character voices.

• TLC subverts and/or reimagines major writing tropes in a way that is satisfying and compelling, not just as a “gotcha” to shock the audience. Getting into HOW exactly is major spoiler territory, but in general you could mention secret magical societies, lines of succession, love triangles, magic systems…you can’t build a story without tropes, but using them in interesting ways is how you circumvent it being cookie cutter.

• Very solid worldbuilding. It’s Urban Fantasy without forgetting the “Urban” part. While the plot doesn’t focus much on Onceborns, the fact that TLC touches on how a magical institution would last for centuries as a secret keeps things grounded without getting bogged down with worldbuilding details that don’t come into play later. Getting into Bloodmarked is spoiler territory…but you could mention how TLC has draws analogies between the consolidation, conservation, and enforcement of power within the Legendborn world and within real life society. That’s the focus in the first book. The second book sets up main characters to have even more dynamic character arcs as their worldview expands alongside the reader.

• Thus far, nothing feels like fluff or filler. All the worldbuilding, character dynamics/interactions, and plot threads are followed through, or set up for something later on. Callbacks and echos galore. Lots of rereading value.

• Bree, Nick, and Sel’s relationships are interesting BECAUSE of the plot, not the other way around. Their feelings for each other are informed by revelations in what they do *outside* of pining for each other. The “insta first love golden retriever” Nick and “secretly dedicated argumentative black cat” Sel have more depth than those tropes would imply. The same traits that manifest as romance to Bree, but look different to side characters—and especially to each other—while still being consistent overall. The fact that the two HAVE so much history with each other is entirely because of plot reasons, which means it will always carry weight in how they interact with each other and with Bree. You can argue that one romance is more compelling than the other (I am an unabashed Brelwyn/BreeSel endgame shipper) but you can’t argue that there is an actual dilemma for the main character, Bree—which is all that matters for a compelling love story, triangular or otherwise. AND it doesn’t subsume the whole plot—it’s adventure first and a romance second with plenty of room to fill in details yourself.

Okay I think that’s a good enough answer to your question without straight up ranting about how much I love this damn book series lol. Hope that was helpful!