#my editing skills aren't what they used to be.........but i think i made it cute enough

[angelicsjn]

oh dang, i just found your blog today and i really like the concept of jae. before (if you do) take him out, can you please head canon on how we met him/how he got obsessed? also love the whole concept of your blog

Hi! I'm so sorry for my lack of being alive. I'm here, ready to write and bang these requests out. Thank you for all the requests, love, and support.

Thank you very much!!

JAE 'NIKO' LEE

Due to Jae's fame and job, he doesn't meet many people outside of his lifestyle. So when he meets you it's a big deal.

He automatically likes the fact you both live different lives and would actually prefer it if he were the one who'd provide. It gives him more control.

He has good eyes, and he knows how and who to pick. He picked you.

Jae 'bumped' into you, masked and clothed in all black to avoid being recognised and when he realises you didn't recognise him — even after hearing his voice and seeing his eyes, he falls instantly.

He likes the fact that he's a mystery to you. You don't know him, his life, anything at all. He's a random person on the streets.

He quickly turns into the stranger at your doorstep, getting familiar with your house, how you live, the windows you keep open to the fact you leave the back door unlocked because you lock the gate.

(he climbs over the gate, that won't stop him.)

He memorises your daily routine, who your friends are, and who he will get rid of. He makes note of even the smallest of things to what's your comfort food and what perfume you use the most.

He will even steal your perfume and replace it with a new one. He could have kept the new one, but it wasn't yours. Didn't hold your fingerprints and memories.

You had forgotten about the stranger you bumped into, but the stranger now knew everything about you.

Over the time of working as an idol, he paid close attention to the IT workers, especially the ones that would hack into things, usually to upvotes during comebacks and yearly awards.

He used those skills to hack into your things, keep a close eye on you when he's busy. Into the cameras outside your home to edit himself out after each visit but to see who you take home. Your phone to see who you're messaging and what photos he could keep.

All in all, he's your classic stalker.

Since he knows your life inside out, he knows it's about time you met him.

He did this smoothly, naturally, and you never suspected a thing.

You work two jobs, you had a late night shift, and they're the worst. You go home around 4AM, and by 1, you're bored out of your mind.

That's when a handsome stranger walked through, most of his face covered with a cap, which he pulled off, ruffling his dark hair as he ordered a drink.

You were honestly captivated. He's so beautiful.

Things went well. You have so much in common!

You made the joke of, 'Are you sure you aren't a stalker?' Whe. You express how alike you are, he jokes back: 'maybe I am. I stalk you everywhere. I'm just that obsessed' and it becomes a joke.

You think he's so funny and silly, little do you know he's quite literally telling you the truth.

He asks for your number before the night ends, and of course, you say yes.

After that, a wonderful bond is created.

You speak all the time. He doesn't tell you his job. He did say he works in entertainment, not that he's an idol. He wants to keep that side of him away from you.

He's so supportive and so so sweet you have moments where you think, 'do I deserve this? He's so perfect.'

He's the type to send you a sweet paragraph after a bad day, to reassure you, to send small things to your house 'just because it reminded me of you'

He's honestly the most perfect man you could ask for.

He's so romantic and asks you to be his officially on a cute date, something he knew you'd like. How could you say no? He's amazing.

"I know that people have hurt you before. I understand. I know it'll take time for you to show your full self to me. I know we will have bad days and arguments and moments where we wish we never met. But I will love all those moments because I love you. I know it's fast to say that, but I do. I love you. Everything about you. You're the light in the dark that I've been looking for all my life, and I won't let that go.

You're mine, forever and always."

[nightlight-stardust-and-rain]

Polaris re-reads Nanbaka, in chronological order.

(beware of spoilers if you haven't gone past the Anime or if you stopped reading at some point I guess?)

This manga is so fucking sparkly. Love it.

You know, I had forgotten that the first time we see Samon he's in the warden's office. They are actually pretty close aren't they? It's a surprisingly wholesome relationship.

Love how Musashi is homicidal for a grand total of like three chapters and the instant he loses his powers (pretty much a wish he's had for years) he becomes the chillest, kindest guy. I had completely forgotten how many languages he speaks, this guy is insane.

Love how Musashi's wearing a skirt and no one says anything about it.

He's such an absolute nerd despite his appearance.

Jyugo's and Musashi's relationship is so cute. Puppies.

Fascinated by the workings of Samon's tail. Like this is clearly a tail but texture-wise it is clearly a belt. Way too smooth to be a tail. What the hell.

Tsukumo my beloved. Him and Jyugo being awkward beans who have no idea how their real selves are and have no idea how normal society functions together... Solidarity baby.

I love Samon's tattoos, they're so cool.

Uno meeting Musashi was actually so wholesome. Uno realizes this scary guy is actually timid and sincere and nice and goes oh well, no choice but to adopt him now. We already have Jyugo, what's one more. It's in moments like these where you see how truly kind Uno is.

Uno inviting Musashi to the game room!!

Samon as a whole. My beloved.

Mao why are you so mean. I wonder if what he's saying is true tho like he is absolutely the type to make shit up just to get under Samon's skin. (edit, a lot of chapters later : indeed there were bad rumors about building 5. Because Mao made them all up ! Dude how petty are you!)

Getting Aiolia-Aiolios vibes from Enki and Samon. You know, elder brother's a "traitor" therefore the younger brother is distrusted?

Samon is actually a good teacher. That's neat.

Completely forgot he actually swears a lot? It's fun.

In Qi's backstory, he's not wearing any (eyeliner?) makeup. I think it's sweet that he is wearing makeup in prison, he's more free (ironically) to express himself! Also it's so cute that Samon provides makeup for his inmates. (though he seems to be wearing nail polish in the flashbacks. At this point I am genuinely wondering if everyone wearing nail polish is a manga feature instead of Actual In-Universe nail polish)

It's so incredibly sweet that the building 5 inmates see Samon as the one who's giving them a second chance and helping them become better people. Like really all you would need to cure Samon's self-esteem issues would be to give him mind-reading powers and an hour with his inmates.

(chapter 91) really I can't with them. Qi holds Samon in such high esteem! That's genuine respect! And Samon trusting Qi and telling him that his skills (that have been used for such terrible things before!) are valuable and useful and good! And taking his inmates to see the gardens using a loophole to authorize it even thought it seems to be forbidden!

Samon being the one to reconnect Upa with his family! It was so wholesome...... Samon is just such a great guy, no wonder his inmates like him so much. He deserves it!

Kshshsh what do you mean the reason Honey and Trois are in this top prison despite committing the pettiest theft ever is because their escape attempts from previous prisons were actually about a hundred times more fucking intense and bloody than the crimes that landed them here in the first place?? Unfuckingbelievable. They cannot be real.

Jyugo having yet another crisis about the meaning of his existence. Baby it's not that deep, the meaning of existence is to be happy and enjoy life. You're overthinking again (very justified tho. Fuck Elf).

Love the contrast between Honey's special skill (extremely technical, extremely delicate, really hard to handle, extremely specific) and Trois' (Things That Make Huge Explosions). It mirrors the contrast between their personalities, Honey's being explosive and Trois' being sly. They're made for each other (I don't ship them, but it's very clear they're a package deal).

Honey finding out Tsukumo's a celebrity and keeping quiet about it because that's what Tsukumo wants is actually really cute. He's an asshole but he's not bad.

This chapter where they all exchange hair colors - Musashi with blonde-pink hair was surprisingly cute.

Samon can feel people's presence? That's fascinating. Enki can probably do it too given some of his comments. How does it works.

Enki's uniform is so ugly. Baby why did you think this red and this green together was a good idea.

Musashi being vulnerable with Yozakura! And talking to him! And Yozakura believing in him! And the way Musashi changed Yozakura too! It's because of Musashi that he thought about asking for Enki's motives, that he understood that criminals are not evil ! It's sweet.

Enki being offered an opportunity to ask for help and denying it. I wonder how many times he's done that. Motherfucker your brother adores you, would it kill you to open up a little for once.

"you wouldn't understand" fuck you Enki, Yozakura might be one of the only ones who would understand (on account of having listened to Musashi's story and believed it). Also that's a flimsy excuse when you didn't even try to make people understand!!

Kiji is scary. And good at feelings, which is arguably more terrifying in a manga like that.

I know Hajime's violence is meant to be comedic but uh. I don't really like how prompt he is to beating up the inmates or his coworkers.

Samon still believing in Inori even after his betrayal and the cruel things he said...... I love him. Hope Inori knew the amount of faith Samon had in him.

But also Samon baby you need to stop blaming yourself for everything that's just not healthy.

The other guards being worried about Samon working too much... That's sweet.

Samon and Hajime working together are undefeatable uh.

Me during the entire Enki arc : *chanting without stopping* someone give Samon a hug someone give Samon a hug someone give Samon a hug-

It's cool that Samon knows how to use all the different weapons that the guards of building 5 use.

Inori is pretty good. It's sweet how he thinks that Samon's strength is believing in others. I think it's nice that he's trying to spare Samon a confrontation with Enki because he knows Samon still believes in his brother, like, yeah guys stop blaming Samon for hesitating to fight his brother whom he adores.

Aw, Samon's learning to rely on his subordinates! Good for you baby!

the flashback about the organ trafficking case :( Samon tries so hard to help Enki and Enji just rejects his help so harshly.... I mean I'm pretty sure he was trying to protect Samon from the consequences of his actions but he simply did not have to be cruel about it. That kind of stuff, when said by someone you love and admire so much, stays with you for years if not your whole life. It's no wonder Samon's got self-esteem issues with a brother like that really.

Jyugo having his 56th identity crisis of the month. And I'm sorry to tell you it's nowhere near done!

Samon's and Enki's grandpa is weird. And their parents don't seem super good either. Did these kids have any good adults?? No wonder they've got issues relying on others.

"the strength I wish for is not something you can understand" Enki, baby, he's five. Of course he can't understand. You gotta explain at least a little bit.

The Gokuu brothers are on a interestingly similar wavenleght but they gotta learn to communicate with words.

Babies Noriko and Samon... They're so cute. Samon adding to his goal to become stronger so he can stand close to Noriko without fainting! So she won't be lonely! Definitely siblings. It's a different relationship from the one with Enki because he was already strong enough to touch Noriko to begin with while Samon really put in the effort for her. No saying Noriko's and Enki's relationship is lesser, I'm just biased because Samon's my favorite.

Noriko being able to say, to know without a doubt that she is not a monster thanks to Enki and Samon... That's love right there.

You know I was wondering why Noriko didn't believe in people despite having Samon and Enki and Houzuki but.

Holy SHIT

Her family imprisoned her. In a CAVE. For TEN YEARS??? When she didn't do anything?? Death for all of them.

Samon doubting Enki is framed as a bad things but like. He was literally there when "Enki" killed someone. I don't blame him for not automatically thinking of mind-control.

Is Kiji actually good at feelings or is he there to explain the internal reasoning of someone who won't do an internal monologue?

Samon using Noriko's ki shield.... That's love, too.

Awww, his tattoos are reminders of Noriko's lessons!

Samon promising to help his big siblings because they always try to do everything themselves... He's so precious.

That's also very painful, because I remember what comes next.

The more I see of Enki's and Samon's makeup the more I feel like they're birthmarks or something. Samon had it when he was five!

Ah, "what comes next" is here. SOMEBODY GIVE SAMON A FUCKING HUG.

Well, that's not quite a hug, but a headpat, a good cry, and a "you still have family here" is good enough. Well done, Inori.

Somehow getting the flashback of when everything was okay right after that hurts so much.

The warden patted Samon's head twice onscreen and absolutely many more times offscreen. It's hilarious and cute. She's not immune to his charms.

"I'm not that tall" Enki baby have you heard of a certain river in Egypt by any chance.

First of all. Samon sitting on Inori's shoulders is cute. Second, the fact that he needs to do that to look his brother in the eye, rofl.

It's interesting to think that Samon and Jyugo are linked now. Samon's siblings have changed Jyugo... Even if with the way those things tend to work, Jyugo will forget about them and they won't be mentioned again :(

"did my habitual truancy backfire?" Qi I love you so much-

(chapter 159) Qi and Musashi being nerds together was actually so cute. I wish we could see them interact more often.

The bath guys are fucking insane. Nanbaka really is a comedy.

Musashi asked Hitoshi if he could maybe talk to Qi again !!! That's so fucking cute. They're friends!! Good for them!! People who have had a hard life making friends again!!

Several of the dogs of building 4 have piercings!! Kshshshsh this is too much

Mao is still holding a grudge for Samon blaming him and saying he hated him when they were, what, Nine ? Ten? Is a bit, man, get over it. I personally think that Mao does feel guilty (even tho I'm pretty sure the bad guys would've found Noriko even without him, he did play a part in it) and can't deal with that so he is projecting the blame on someone else....

The biggest mystery of the manga is actually : does the warden have a really bad case of resting bitch face or is Hajime just really bad at reading people's faces?

Sometimes I forget some of those people are real adults. What do you mean Yamato's got a daughter. That changes his whole character.

There's quite a bit of teasing Samon about his intelligence or lack thereof but to be honest I don't really see where it comes from?

Literally two seconds after I wrote this : ah.

So he ranked last in the prisons written exam....

Come to think of it did he even have formal education??

"maybe he was just searching for a human who wouldn't die when wreathed in flames" and he found one :((((

! Noriko and Enki mentioned several chapters later! That's good, Jyugo hasn't forgotten the lessons they taught him yet.

Aw.... Musashi turning off his fire right when he could have killed Jyugo easily... And losing his sight in the process.... :( I love him

When Musashi talked about their past he made it sound like he turned homicidal the instant he saw the blades... Without mentioning that he apparently could have killed Jyugo but chose not to. I wonder if he didn't say anything about that because he thought Jyugo or the guards wouldn't believe him?

Jyugo didn't know Noriko and Enki were dead :(((

Love the dress Musashi's wearing in the flashback.

Wish he had kept the longer hair....

Jyugo clocked Musashi as a good guy the instant he met him. So cute. It's also interesting that he said that they were the same because 1) he didn't know Musashi had powers or a past with the man with the scar at this point, and 2) this might have been the first time Jyugo actually felt companionship, which is awesome for my they are siblings agenda.

Musashi sneaking out of his cell just to go to the library. I love him so much and as a fellow bookworm, I approve.

Aw, Musashi's teaching Jyugo things. That's sweet. I wonder if anyone else taught Jyugo things before?

Jyugo getting severely beat up just to bring Musashi a book... And he used to say that he didn't have any wants before. Clearly he always had at least one and it was making his friends happy.

Jyugo pointing out that Musashi's bad at sneaking and that's because our boy is a goody-two-shoes lmao. This flashback really shows that Musashi was just a good kid who did literally nothing wrong. He got framed and his life was destroyed just because of the way he was born :(

Aw, they really were good friends.

Which makes the falling out worse. Musashi felt betrayed because he thought Jyugo worked with the ones who destroyed his life and Jyugo felt betrayed because his (probably) first close friend attacked him for seemingly no reason. And technically they were both right :( such a mess

It is. So interesting that before using the shackles to harm Musashi he had barely thought about them. Getting them off was his goal since the start of the manga so it made it seem like he'd been focused on that since the shackles appeared but actually he paid them no mind at all until they were used to harm his only friend. The one reason why he wanted to find the man with the scar and get the shackles off is because they were the reason Musashi wouldn't talk to him (technically correct). The man "ruined everything" as I think Jyugo's said before, but only now do we discover that "everything" was his relationship with Musashi. He was really important to Jyugo, much more than just a simple former cellmate. It's just so.... To discover that his whole reason to live (finding the man with the scar) was actually about Musashi all along! It's huge! I joke about them being siblings but man I had forgotten how much they genuinely loved each other.

As someone who also thinks Musashi is great I relate :D

Musashi was actually investigating uh. I love when we get reminded of how smart he is.

Musashi trusting Jyugo because he never called Musashi a monster is kinda cute but also baby, you have the lowest standards. That's the bare minimum!!

Jyugo crying on Musashi..... I'm telling you they're siblings! Also it's sweet how Musashi doesn't panic at all despite very obviously having never experienced this level of emotion coming from Jyugo.

Aw, he was patching him up in the flashback.

Jyugo calling Musashi's warmth "like the sun"..... I love both of them and their relationship.

Alrlkshakl Musashi feeling bad about winning money in a drinking contest...... He is so fucking earnest. I love him so much. Also he looks good in non-black-and-red clothes.

Aw, he's teaching Hitoshi languages. It's sweet, and nice that he has company.

One big consequence of what happened to him is that he's bad at believing that when he speaks he will be heard and believed. It's really good that he's learning to speak up! All of them need therapy but I guess it's a start.

Ikkaku baby you need sooo much therapy. But so does everyone else so I guess you fit right in.

His nails are like claws. Cannot help but think of the practical aspects. How do you even scratch yourself without taking flesh off.

He was the one who gave Musashi his blindfold? That's.... Interesting given that he had no way to know that Musashi would be blinded. So his blindfold really is some random straps of leather (?) ? Does it says something about Musashi's feelings for Ikkaku that he kept it all this time? Or does he just not care since he can't see what he's wearing.

His fucking toenails are long and pointy ?? Not only does that seems impractical, it also seems unhealthy!

Musashi not wanting to fight Ikkaku because he helped him before... And trying to talk to him... He's so good and it's not working in his favor :(

Hmmm. So Zakuro's and Ikkaku's goal was to escape with Musashi and Jyugo?... Not sure if I believe it yet.

(really funny how they both point blank refused to leave without even taking a second to consider. Sorry, all the people they love are in this prison, there's literally no reason to leave)

Musashi seeing right through Ikkaku wanting to use him was so funny. In your face, motherfucker.

Turns out I was right to not believe in Ikkaku and Zakuro.

You know I feel like Musashi and Ikkaku could be great friends if Ikkaku was less of an asshole. Introverted friend and extroverted friend.

Musashi using physics to fight Ikkaku! And the dogs saying that Musashi's true strength is his mind! I really love when the manga reminds us how smart he is.

Him deducing Ikkaku's motives and how he was at the center of many things!! I really love how smart he is.

Lmao the contrast between Musashi's and Ikkaku's fight (bloody and dramatic) and Jyugo's and Zakuro's fight (over in five minutes because Jyugo's a weakling).

Aw, Zakuro :(

Yeesh. Dude really went through it. That's no way to live. No wonder he's a little bit insane.

And even with everything that happened to him, he still wanted to help someone in the same situation as him! What a good kid.

Jyugo's unthinking faith in Musashi is killing me. He knows Musashi won't turn on him or Zakuro, because that's just how it is! He also knows Musashi will win his fight, because he's strong. That's just how it is. He believes in Musashi so much!!.

Musashi tricking Ikkaku into close combat to win his fight! And using Hitoshi's sword because he's been fighting for Hitoshi too! He's so smart and cool I love him so much. I'm repeating myself about him being smart and it's because I really appreciate it.

Ikkaku getting captured by dogs.... Rofl. Just what he deserves.

Pretty sure that's where I stopped last time I read nanbaka. So from now on everything is new!

I know this is meant to be comedic but I don't think beating up a very traumatized guy is a very good idea??

Woof. Uno's fucking savage.

What the fuck is up with Dread.

Kojiro's cute.

Tauro seems good.

Wow, Jemi and Jeni are flat-out monsters.

Tauro is a good guy! I like him :)

Aw, Jun is great.

Hm.

Fuck Rokudo.

Ban :(((

Tauro really is a good guy.... It's good that he at least got to learn that his sister was alive before he died.

FUCK ROKUDO.

The one bright point in this backstory was Jemi and Jeni getting what they deserved (a violent death)

There's a lion lady! Love her design

..... Knowing this manga, is it a lady?

(chapter 236) Lmao Jyugo confirming that Musashi got his power back and his only reaction is "could you heat up my hot chocolate? :3". What's funnier is Musashi doing it despite being mildly offended.

!! Musashi accepting that his power is a part of him !!!

And obviously the first thing this absolute nerd does about it is trying to study his own power. What else.

Lololol Jyugo burning his tongue and Musashi scolding him but the next panel you can see Musashi holding a glass of water. He's such an older brother. The sibling energy in this chapter is off the charts.

Jyugo pointing at Musashi and Musashi scolding him is killing me for several reasons : first of all, the fact that Musashi is blind. Which means that he knew Jyugo was pointing just because he knows Jyugo well !! I love them so much. Also, once again, the big brother energy is strong. And, lastly, I feel like this is giving us a glimpse of how their relationship was before all the drama : Jyugo did say Musashi was teaching him things, and with that little interaction I am now 100% sure that "things" included basic manners. They're so sweet.

Musashi's getting out of the underground!! :D

Musashi stopping Zakuro from falling and telling him he was overwhelmed at the number of people too and it's okay to go at your own speed and you don't have to force yourself into everything right away and everything will be okay eventually 🥺 he's so good......

Aw, Musashi and Zakuro are pairing up at cards, that's cute.

Zakuro is such an awkward bean, but I like that he's awkward in a markedly different way than Jyugo. They have different traumas so it makes sense.

The bath guys scare even Upa!! Wow :D

Yozakura saying that he'll do his best to be useful to Shin and Shin being an ass about it. Fuck you man, leave our beloved dog alone.

That said, them bonding over their dislike of Hajime is hilarious (even funnier that they dislike him for the same reason).

Hitoshi being indestructible will never get old.

Yamato's wife and Nadeshiko meeting the mercenary brothers made me so uneasy. Please please please get away from them.

Ikkaku and Kojiro being friends is sweet. Even assholes like Ikkaku deserve friends I guess.

Ikkaku was the one who tattooed Musashi? How interesting.

Ikkaku saying that Musashi's power is great because Musashi is the one who has it... He really does respects Musashi. It really does feel like they could've been genuine friends in another setting.

Love the casual background Musashi-Jyugo interactions. Jyugo failing a test and Musashi bopping him on the head with said test. The reason he's irritated is probably because he tried teaching Jyugo stuff and it didn't stick haha

Wow, didn't think we'd be getting new supervisors at this point.

Is that a fucking sarcophagus.

Snake person!! Snake person!! Snake person!! :D

Shin being weirded out by the supervisors like any normal person would is so funny because 1) it implies that even the more normal guards are not, in fact, up to the in-universe standard of normal and 2) Shin is a goddamn weirdo, what do you mean he's the first one who's being reasonable about the supervisors' weirdness??

Kitsune-looking supervisor : *takes off his mask* *there's another mask underneath!* *wait, no, that's just his face*

Building 4 is the building of education? Oh, no wonder Musashi ended up here.

I don't like Shin, but his reactions to the supervisors introducing themselves are gold. Or maybe they're glass? *badum tsss*

(completely in accord with him about building 12's supervisor tho)

Building 12 is the building of the sun? What does that even mean.

Hajime didn't say what building 13 was of......

Some of the buildings like the building of art and the building of education make sense but some of the others... Do not.

I really like that Shin brought up Enki because I was scared he'd be forgotten. In a lot of mangas or books, things that happen earlier seem to have a tendency to be forgotten so I was afraid that'd happen to Enki and Noriko.

Orochi, I like you, but you're being suspicious.

Honestly, several of these people being some kind of immortal is not that surprising.

Love Kiji's culture. I feel like he and Musashi would get along.

It's interesting that Kiji and Samon were able to feel Elf's presence (Samon somewhat more clearly than Kiji?) despite not having elf cells.

Hmmm. I may have to revoke my dislike of Shin.

More Musashi flashbacks !! Yes !!

You know, he looks more tiny in the flashbacks.

Love how curious and analytic he was about Ikkaku. This guy just always wants to know things uh.

Musashi "recognizing" Ikkaku is interesting. Is there some sort of link between people with powers?

Ikkaku's a good actor, uh?

Maybe I've just been reading too many Clone Wars fics but it feels like naming someone, as Ikkaku does here, is significant.

Despite that and him being friendly and helpful, Musashi never really trusted him, which turned out to be the correct decision.

It's interesting that Musashi is still able to guess that Ikkaku's hiding something despite not really knowing him.

! He's hiding a place from the others (except Kojiro) !

(they really are friends uh)

He doesn't have elf cells ?

Me, five minutes ago : he vomited ink?? Nah, why would it be ink.

Me now : it was ink

Ikkaku letting the prison think that he was weaker than he was looked like really good power control but in actuality he was poisoning himself to not fry them all when he lost his temper. Guess his control was not as good as it looked.

We already knew those guys were somewhat evil but yikes. The casual mention of torture.

Interesting that his feelings about the man with the scar seem real. He probably used those to convince Musashi that he was actually against him.

Talking sharks :D

Ikkaku telling one of the sharks that he said to not go to the river because it was dangerous.... Uh! He cares about them!

Ikkaku eating raw crocodile. Baby what are doing.

Fuck these rich kids. Leave the sharks alone >:(

Ikkaku being mean but only to motivate Kojiro... It's... Sorta sweet in a twisted way?

Kojiro's first instinct being to talk it out.... Baby.... :(

And getting splattered with the blood of his friend for it!! Fuck these rich kids.

Feels like Ikkaku's trying to make Kojiro tougher so he will survive. It's a twisted way of caring but it's still caring.

Can't believe this guy is seeking vengeance for Jeni. Of all people.

Kojiro still giving one last chance to these assholes........

And these assholes not taking it! Man, have you got no sense of self-preservation? Or any sense at all? When someone who's got your life in their hands tell you he'll spare you if you apologize, you grovel ! Even if the apology is a lie!

Holy shit Kojiro has a lot of shark friends.

Awww. Ikkaku helped the dying shark! He was so talking shit when he said these cruel things to Kojiro!

It's so sweet that he helped Kojiro even though he's really weak right now and Kojiro probably didn't need his help.... Ah, can't help it, I like him again.

He cares about Kojiro's freedom so much!! Of course it might be because Elf having a bigger presence in Kojiro could mean trouble for his plans.... But still! That speech he gave Kojiro! He really does care! (I'm shipping them now)

Kojiro deciding to have fun. That's his goal in life and he's sticking to it. You go baby!

He was a child soldier? Are we finally getting some Ikkaku backstory?? :D

No way his nails grew back just because he got his power back up. That's not how it works.

Looking at the sharks closer.... Do some of them have tattoos ?? Did Ikkaku tattoo these sharks?? :D

A freaking megalodon???

*firm nod* Kojiro's powers are actually of cartoonish origin. There's no other way.

"it's fine, he's not my real dad" so it's fine if he dies just because he isn't your biological parent? Kid. :/

"I don't see gods as something to be worshipped, I see them as something to pick fights with". This old man is cool. And would enjoy building 5.

Aw, the kid was just being a tsundere [saying this, it threw aside a large rock]. Their backstory is cute. Two people who lost their families finding a new one with each other :) it's cute how worried he is.

Kojiro's too good for this world.

Ikkaku really isn't as ruthless as he makes himself look, uh.

The both of them making friends with the cops who came to arrest them. It's so light-hearted.

Yikes, the zodiac fishermen escaped a very messy death by like five minutes.

Taura!! Lady are you freaking haunted ??

Lion lady is not a lady

:(((

(chapter 266) Rock is being suspicious. Does this guy maybe..... Comes from money? I'm not very good at deductions so I'm probably super wrong but oh well.

(chapter 269) I should've expected Trois' calm personality to be a good match for Musashi.

Lmao, Nico asking Musashi to warm up his drink. I smell a running gag coming.

Jyugo giving Musashi a stupid nickname behind his back.... Sibling behavior I tell you.

This Chimney lady is so fun.

Liang getting some Naruto-style therapy! He needs it honestly. Or rather he needs actual therapy but I'll take what I can get.

Nanbaka really is a comedy. This is just like Hajime using Hitoshi as a club.

What a missed opportunity for Nico to go "just like a manga".

Rock also getting some mid-fight therapy.... Honesty I'm mostly having second-hand embarassment because everyone who watched the match could hear what they were saying.

I cannot believe that this joke of a match ended up being so important to Rock's and Liang's character development.

Their friendship is sweet tho.

This Chimney lady is so goddamn extra. Love her.

I was right about Rock ??? Uh. That doesn't usually happen.

RIP building 6, victims of their own aesthetic.

Is that a fucking watermelon vampire!!! :D

He made his cape out of curtains!!

Uno's fucking ruthless. My beloved.

The watermelon vampire is so bitchy ! :D

Tsukumo, I had not realized I missed you but I definitely did.

The inmates can get certifications! That's really good.

Lmao. Tsukumo casually taking commissions to act like a ninja for five minutes because it makes the inmates happy.

Why do I only now notice that Nico's teeth are fucked up.

The vampire's bitchiness is no longer funny. We go back to eating the rich I guess, even if I don't like watermelon.

Kshshshsh Tsukumo making traps in other people's buildings. Baby. Why. (it's even funnier than if he was doing it in his own building, but it'd be highly illegal either way)

The building 6 inmates have the range : they're mostly (Bio excluded, perhaps?) complete goofballs, and they're also dangerous and competent when in their own territory.

Two of them assuming that Jyugo's blades are a costume is such a normal reaction. Obviously if you saw someone with blades for arms you'd assume it was a prop, duh. That said they also have in their group someone who can somewhat manipulate illnesses by biting people or himself so.....

I thought "curse" was just a fancy way of saying poison but no, as it turns out curses and other supernatural occurrences are very much real in nanbaka. Deer lord.

Holy cow. Uno's playing 5d chess every time he fights.

So Rock can just. Flat-out. See and hear ghosts?? Because ghosts are real in this manga?? Jfc what are the chances it's never useful or even mentioned once the Halloween event ends.

The building 6 guard going "the last obstacle is A Lot of Really Difficult locks!!" and everyone from building 13 (+ Honey) going "ah." was pure gold. Those locks have met their natural enemy.

Oh dear. Mister watermelon vampire takes his sleep Very Seriously. How relatable (except for the firearms).

The whole coffin is a weapon. Wow. This really is a crack manga. How does mister watermelon vampire even manages to lift it? He's a noodle.

Sure just give an inmate an extremely dangerous weapon. Like, that doesn't seem very wise (of course the alternative was him dying so I guess it's alright).

So V was a literal, actual slave. Wonderful. He needs so much therapy.

"it's one thing after another!" you've done it, Hajime. You've summarized the entire manga.

V needs sooo much therapy.

Yikes. All these years Rock thought that V had killed himself because of him (in a convoluted way)? That's got to have left a mark.

Lololol and during this extremely violent sequence of events, Tsukumo and Honey were just serenely cooking breakfast. Are The rooms here soundproof??

Lmao. Jyugo can be so sneaky! Asking Tsukumo to convince Honey to help because he remembers Honey's a huge fan of Tsukumo! And Tsukumo just going along with it without a single question!

Tsukumo is no good at being a ninja but he is very good at costumes and disguises.

Oh! He just changed the color of his hair because he is now able to control the hair-changing disease he caught from Nico! Turns out he is not that good at disguises haha.

Bio's and Nico's powers are science-induced rather than being natural....

V baby you are way too extreme. Also embarrassing. Calm down.

Hajime is good at feelings (this is a threat).

It's a very agressive form of therapy and it's only by plot device that it works honestly.

Jyugo getting stuck in the coffin with the vampire..... And there was only one coffin!

In addition to being a watermelon vampire, he's also periodically possessed?? There is such a thing as too much for one character.... But that's not the case here, that guy's great.

Tsumuji (mask person) is really cute. Wonder if he's trans. That'd be great.

I'm glad I was wrong about ghosts not being relevant past building 6 :)

What do you mean the ghost's name is hell. Lmao.

When Taura got possessed, her entire appearance (clothes included) changed, but Isou didn't remark on it at all, which makes me think that he can't see the change. So either the change is entirely spiritual therefore only people who can see ghosts can see it, or there is actually no change and it's just for the sake of the reader. Leaning towards the first option tho.

It's sweet that Tauro was here with Taura and Hell the whole time. They got more time together :)

Hell's backstory killed me. It was just a gigantic accident haha

Jun..... Ban....

:(

:/

The one bright point in this is that Ikkaku looks good in normal clothes.

The man with the scar's face is definitely plot relevant.

Freeing the togabito seems like a noble goal but tbh I have less than zero trust in him or elf or the doctor.

I don't even need to say anything about the alien (except are they actually an alien or a togabito).

The inmates call him Sith?? Which star wars fan was responsible for this.

Absolutely fascinated by the fact that Tauro and Mei seems to know each other.... Relatively well? Were they friends?? Hmmm. I say exes.

Taura has a whole ass cow tail. And it's not even disguised as a belt like Samon's and Mao's. What the fuck. Is that normal.

Aw, baby Enki fighting the tiger supervisor with one finger just like Samon fought Rock! The parallels!

What counts as a togabito? Musashi's and Ikkaku's powers are obvious, but what about Hitoshi's ability to go through a concrete wall without a scratch? What about Hajime's strength? Do these three people who are exceedingly cat-like count?

Tengu!! Oh I love his hair.

It's sweet that he's friends with his supervisor.

Yamada and his snakes are so cute.

We've seen, like, five people from building 7 and I can already tell it's fucking insane.

Musashi's way too candid.

Tanaka, Yamada and Tengu's friendship is cute.

Lmao, Musashi calling Yozakura to help in the battle solely because he felt that Yozakura wanted to participate and he'd have felt bad if Yozakura couldn't have fun. Fire boy is doing this for entertainment and nothing else. He's super chill because he literally has nothing to lose.

Aw, Musashi's become even cooler! Also, don't call it a water wall if it's an ice wall.

Musashi being resigned about everyone hating him because he used his powers in public... :( he had zero doubt that he was going to be treated like a monster again :'(

But then! Everyone cheering and so many people saying that he and his power were cool and awesome!! :') I bet it healed something.

Sophia's a cutie who deserves better.

Oh dear, maybe it's a red herring but if she has the power of sleep it may interact interestingly with a watermelon vampire who apparently gets possessed while asleep.

I know Samon, Kiji, and Yozakura are meant to be closer to the warden because of their thematic but it's still sweet how they get excited when they see her for the first time in a while :)

Musashi and Jyugo bickering was cute too.

Lmao. Hitoshi's invincible. I love him.

Oh dear. I had forgotten that the vampire's not the only one who can get possessed when unconscious.

(for future me reading that later and not getting which capter I am referencing, Jyugo just got possessed by elf)

Oh no, mister watermelon vampire got kidnapped by highly unsavory characters :(

I believe that one of the reasons Hajime is so irritated by Samon is that Samon gets him. Hajime, as we've seen with his rather violent therapy speeches, is rather good at understanding people's motives, but I don't think he is used to being understood (which is exactly what Samon is doing).

Aw, the mummy person is cute.

Samon and Ruka bonding over destroying people who speak ill of Enki was fun too.

Ruka is so sly. It's fun!

Ruka didn't know Enki was dead... :(

Aw, Samon picking Ruka for the fight because if they win, Ruka will be able to visit Enki's grave.... He's so sweet I can't.

Samon is too good for this world.

Uno wondering when Samon and Ruka got so close is funny because I like perplexed POV but also sweet because Uno is so fucking observant he'd have noticed if the closeness was not genuine, which means it is! I'm happy for Samon and Ruka :)

[ideas-on-paper]

Monster Hunter Tri Diary, Part 5: Slaying Jaggi(a) & supplies for Kelbi horn medicine

For previous entries, search for #monster hunter tri diary

I've only realized now that "Moga Woods" is the proper name used in English instead of "Moga Forest". It's technically not that much of a difference, but I went back and edited it in my other entries to avoid confusion.

Also, I've summarized everything interesting from the villager conversations under "Village Talk".

Disclaimer: Text is paraphrased from my localization and might slightly deviate from the English version.

Quest: Farm Aid

Before starting out with the quest, I cleaned up my inventory a little. I threw out the harpoons and the BBQ spit, so now I only have potions, steaks, bugnets, and pickaxes in my bag. As for the whetstones, I know where to find those on the Deserted Island, so I can gather them myself if I need them.

I could already upgrade my Iron Sword+ into a Buster Sword, but since the second path with the Rugged Great Sword gives more damage and sharpness, I'll wait for now. (For the upgrade to the Rugged Great Sword, you need Great Jaggi Claws, so I'll have to hunt a Great Jaggi first.)

Head Farmer in the quest description: "A stubborn herd of Jaggi has infested my farm!" Hilariously, the actual quest is about hunting Jaggia, not Jaggi (if you don't take the subquest into account). I guess technically, Jaggia are just female Jaggi, but it's still a bit odd since the Head Farmer insisted they're having trouble with Jaggi.

"The vermin eats whatever it can find - roots and stuff like that." Whaaat? Now you're just pulling my leg - why should carnivorous bird wyverns eat roots? All of this seems kinda fishy somehow... (Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the Jaggi attacking the farm is just an excuse to get rid of them. Like the villagers were annoyed by the Jaggi, submitted some vaguely plausible reason to the Guild why they want them gone, and the Guild approved of it and made it into a quest.)

Man, these Jaggi got skills - one of them just attacked me, spun around in my direction and bit me! They must've been training while I wasn't looking.

When all the Jaggi in area 2 are dead, the Aptonoth return. Sweet - I guess they feel safe now that there aren't any carnivores around.

Jaggia are tough - I need so many hits with the Great Sword until they go down. Good thing I already upgraded it once!

It's cute how some of the small monsters share moves with their big counterparts. For example, the Jaggia have the same hipcheck as the Great Jaggi, in miniature format.

And there we go - kill quests are usually over pretty fast. xD Still, I always like to use the opportunity to snatch some other stuff from gathering spots as well. If you can't carry everything, make sure you at least pick up the stuff from the blue ones.

Return to Moga Village (day)

Head Farmer: "The Guild informed me you've taken care of the Jaggi herd. Nice of them to make it official and all that, but I rather would've liked a visit from the cute receptionist." Wait... Is that? This old geezer just was lovesick for the Guild Sweetheart (whatever you may think of that), so he made up a quest and hoped she’d come over? Jeez...

And then he just hands me some bomb casings as a reward. I mean, I'm grateful, but... How did you get these? Why do you even have them? Couldn't you have used them to make something to scare the Jaggi away yourself? (What are you hiding from me, Head Farmer?!)

And the biggest disappointment: I didn't even get any new Felynes (I would've at least expected that, since the Head Farmer claimed it would make them "feel better".) So basically, I just killed a bunch of Jaggi(a) because the Head Farmer wanted a date with the Guild Sweetheart he didn't get anyway. Great.

Btw, the "rarer" plants also cost more resources to cultivate. Waterblock Seeds cost 20 resource points per cycle, and Might Seeds cost 80 per cycle (in fact, if I were to cultivate Might Seeds for 3 cycles, it would use up all of my current resource points).

Out of curiosity, I carried the Poogie to my house before the last quest to see if it would stay there. Turns out it doesn't - I suppose I'll always have to go to the farm before setting out on quests to cuddle my Poogie, then. (Because even if it's just a rumor, we will religiously cuddle our Poogies to get that bonus chance for rare quest rewards.)

Also, I bought the first Book of Combos from the item shop. The irony is that when I had the book in my box, I actually failed to combine a Bugnet once and an Iron Pickaxe twice. xD (Considering this, it's almost miraculous how I managed to combine an iron pickaxe in the field twice, with just 75% success.)

Quest: Prescription Pick-Up

For the purpose of this quest, I'll bring along my Sword & Shield again so I can stun the Kelbi (even upgraded it once for a little more damage output). Also, I threw out the potions for now, since the first-aid meds should be enough and the Kelbi most likely aren't going to tear me to pieces.

Medicine Man: "Congestion, back aches, performance anxiety - my patients are going to the dogs! Two Kelbi horns would cure all of them." I thought Kelbi horns only helped against stomach problems. Now they're said to work against back aches and psychological stress as well? What kind of wonder drug is this?

Guild Sweetheart: "Come back safe and sound, alright?" Aww, don't worry - I will. :-)

I only realized now that you actually get 5 first-aid meds from the supply box instead of the usual 3. Very generous.

You only get Warm Pelts if you slay the Kelbi. Makes sense, since you can't skin them without killing them.

However, stunning them also adds to the kill count, apparently? (At least the Kelbi I stunned were counted as "kills" for the subquest.)

There are lots of Kelbi in area 7. Time to farm some Kelbi horns for my own stock, now that I've got the two required for the quest safely in my bag. (As the Guild teaches us: Never help someone without taking something for yourself.)

If you hurt the female Kelbi, they just try to run away. Meanwhile, if you attack the male Kelbi, they actually fight back. I guess that's because male Kelbi are more aggressive when provoked? (They are MH's deer, after all.)

After farming some horns and materials from the Kelbi (and probably almost driving the Moga Woods’ population to extinction), I'm gonna do my usual round to gather some items for extra cash. (The Red Coral Stones you find in the underwater areas are - as their description says - a great way to make quick money. You almost always get some from piles of bones strewn across the ocean floor, so you can easily get a stack of ten which is worth a good sum.)

Funnily enough, touching the tentacles of the jellyfish (like swimming below them) doesn't do any damage.

Contrary to their description as "submissive herbivores" that "panic when danger is present", the Epioth defend the other members of their flock if you attack them! (They'll give you one swipe with the tail, then swim away.)

If you're fighting close to the surface and the camera is positioned outside the water, the fighting sounds are actually muffled. I gotta say, that's a really cool detail!

If you stay around for a bit, you can watch the Epioth grazing on the ocean floor. Their description does say they "subsist on water grasses and moss", so I suppose they're something like the manatees of the MH world.

Another thing that's great about the subquests is that especially during the early game, they're a great way to earn some extra money. I've got 1100 zenny from the total quest reward, as opposed to just 500 from the main quest. (Plus 2450 zenny from all the account items I gathered.)

Village Talk

Guild Sweetheart: "How's the hunt going? I was super busy around here. Taking a walk, yoga... Oh, and I played with the piglet on the farm. Such a cute thing! Yeah, this was really an exhausting day." Yeah, relaxing is really a tough job. (Also, Idk, but it's hilarious to me that she seems to go to the farm pretty regularly. So, you know, it shouldn't be such a rare thing for the Head Farmer to see her?)

I gotta say though, the Head Farmer gives off serious grandpa vibes. He just forgot about what the special fertilizer does and says "I'm getting too old for this..." xD Maybe you should just start drawing your pension, eh?

Village Chief: "Hold on! Don't say anything. I can read it in your face: "She wants me to pluck mushrooms!""  Well, he obviously knows how things work in the Hunter's Guild... xD

"Don't forget that the Lagiacrus out there is still a danger. You never know when it shows up and... HELP, BEHIND YOU! Haha, just kidding, hunter!" Very funny.

"Everything can happen on a hunt, so you've got to be ready for anything." Perfect summary of Monster Hunter, actually. (However, more often than not, "be ready for anything" actually means "be ready for all kinds of exceptionally stupid coincidences".)

The Chief tells us that the farm is situated on a "cliff near the village". That actually makes sense, since you can see a panorama of Moga in the background at the farm's entrance; so, it can't be in the immediate vicinity of the village. Still, since there doesn't seem to be a path directly connecting the village and the farm, I wonder if they also go there by boat?

"The Outfitter only thinks about the ultimate weapon. If there really was something like an ultimate weapon, of course every hunter in the world would use it. Actually, it's only about preferences. Somewhere out there, there's the ideal weapon for YOU, and that one you have to look for!" Nicely said. Everyone has a different playstyle, so the weapon which is ideal for you might be entirely unfitting for someone else. It goes even farther than that, too: The definition of "ideal" is literally different for every person, so although it might sound cheesy, you really have to listen to your heart and do what's fulfilling to you.

Chief's son: "These torches from the fireplace are for the villagers, but... It's too dangerous bringing them into the village. Do you want to burn everything down?" Would you care to tell me, then, why there's a large torch standing right behind you?

"These buzzing Bnahabra are so annoying." Oh, trust me, they're not nearly as bad as the Vespoids from the 1st and 2nd gen. The Vespoids paralyze you, like, with every second sting - until now, the Bnahabra haven't paralyzed me once. (Tbh, I have a feeling the Bnahabra might be the response to MH fans raging over the Vespoids; so, Capcom just decided to make something like a "Vespoid light".)

Item vendor: "You can use barrel bombs underwater, too. A triumph of science!" Now that you mention it: It actually is noteworthy that you can use barrel bombs underwater. Back in Freedom Unite, you literally couldn't use them if it was raining in the jungle at night. Considering that Large Barrel Bombs are made with gunpowder, this actually makes sense, since gunpowder won't ignite if it's wet. I suppose they finally figured out how to put the gunpowder in a waterproof capsule, then.

"A Needleberry works wonders against stress at acupuncture points." So Needleberries are used for acupuncture - nice to know.

Gossip Lady: "Whenever monsters get to close to the village, we scare them with bombs." Since you're all so adamant about not bringing any torches/fire into the village, the same would probably go for bombs. So, if they're blowing up any bombs, they're most likely doing near the entrance to the village in area 1 (where you start out if you go hunting in the Moga Woods).

So, the Gossip Lady tells me about stunning Kelbi to cut off their horns (a little late, but thanks anyway), and there's a little pun at the end where she says "You don't know if the Kelbi are "down" for it? I don't get it." (Funny that she doesn't seem to understand any wordplays aside from her own. xD) I'm not sure if my translation above is accurate, but this line is actually pretty funny in my localization: It uses an idiom that means "up for it", but the literal translation of the word would be "buck", as in roebuck (the closest English adjective I can find to it is "horny", but that has kind of a different implication... xD).

Smith: "All products that leave my artisan shop have a hundred years gurantee!" Well, I hope so - I'll make sure to hold you to it.

"Be careful about storing iron equipment! It rusts in the salty wind!" I believe that - also, it's gonna make the job of my Felyne housekeeper so much easier if I take good care of it myself.

Chamberlyne: "I make your bed every day so you can always take a nap. And then there's the laundry and cleaning everything up... You're lucky that Felynes love cleanliness!" You know, if it was up to me, you'd get a medal for "employee of the month". Housekeeping may not be the most popular job, but without the help of our trusty Felyne, our daily routine would most likely be a mess. (That Felynes love cleanliness is kinda a cute detail, though; it definitely shows they're cats. xD)

"Did you see the large windmill over there? It's my job to repair it if it's broken. Quite a lot of work." What?! Not only is the Felyne charged with doing all the housekeeping for me, they're also obliged to step in as a construction worker if need be? Seriously, give this kitty a break...

Meanwhile, I can't afford to take a break since I still have some quests to do. Next time, there's gonna be some more aquatic action when we tackle the Sunken Treasures and Goldenfish quests. See ya then!

To be continued

[shiningstages]

Making a simplified muselist carrd at midnight is Totally very productive and the right thing to do at this hour!! ( Hopefully I’ll finish that / actually write stuff tomorrow or Friday ).

[stray-kids-react]

Doing WAP dance perfectly

(If you don't know what WAP is. It's a suggestive dance with a lot of twerking and grinding.)

Masterlist

...

Bang Chan

° Chan always called you cute, you would try your hardest to be hot... But he'd still see you as an adorable lil bean. You became worried that he didn't see you in a sexual way at all, and decided to see if you could possibly get him flustered by doing such a dirty dance.

° You wore the sexiest outfit in your closet, leaving barely anything to the imagination. You walked into Chan's studio with a large trench coat hiding the treat you had in store for your boyfriend. Noticing Chan was alone, you decided to let the coat drop to your feet.

° Blush crept onto his cheeks, bottom lip bittne by his teeth. It was making a mark on him, until you started the music. That song was too much of a meme to be sexy to him, especially since Felix tried to attempt it in front of him once and gave up half way.

° Even if you looked extremely sexy while pounding into the ground, he couldn't help but giggle by the choice of song. If it were something more sensual and romantic, than he would be on the ground with you. But WAP turned him off quite a bit.

"Chan! I wanted to be sexy... Am I not hot?"

"Of course you are hot, it's just the song."

Lee Know

° Minho is a tease who loves you very much, but is not a fan of that trend. He can't help but cringe when he sees someone do it in public for everyone to see, he doesn't know why but it just effects him a lot in all of the wrong ways. But you didn't know this.

° While he alone in the dance practice room, you walked in with WAP blaring from your phone. You then put it on the bench and began to dance along with it perfectly, the phone was recording everything. Including Minho's uncomfortable expression.

° He was impressed by your hips, but the whole song and trend gave him terrible flashbacks to the tiktok he witnessed before. Even if he wanted to smile, it came off very fake or turned into some mixture of cringe and fake happiness.

° Minho did not want to hurt your feelings, but he truly couldn't help it when you did the WAP dance. You thought he was teasing you and trying to annoy you, and you continue to think that til this day. But he was truly not impressed by that trend that you did.

"I know you secretly loved it, don't deny it."

"Oh trust me, I won't deny anything."

Changbin

° You were trying so hard to learn this dance, you wanted to do it for yourself and to also impress your boyfriend. Even when you failed miserabley, Changbin still sent hearts of encouragement and asked if you could give him another show of it.

° He would be lying if he denied that he didn't get a tiny bit turned on when you pounded into the ground, but he didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable so he didn't tell you unless you noticed or asked him about it. Which you did a couple of times.

° Wonders how your body can move so smoothly while doing such harsh and sexual moves, especially when it comes to the twerking. You challenged Changbin to twerk with you, and you weren't surprised when he was actually pretty good at it.

° Will record the challenge, helping you edit it and re recording it if you don't like the final product. Changbin is supportive of your interests and even if he isn't overly into WAP, he finds anything you do breathtaking. And think your better than Cardi B herself.

"I swear you are better than Cardi B babe."

"Stop buttering me up lover boy."

Hyunjin

° Truly conflicted. He is impressed by your dance skills, but also doesn't want your followers to see you dancing so proactively. He wants to be the only one to see you acting this way, but he also finds it a bit amusing on how serious you seem.

° Your dancing to a song called 'Wet Ass Pussy' and yet your face seems like your doing an interview at the job of your dreams. This will calm his nerves a tiny bit, knowing you aren't doing this to get attention. But rather because you're bored and wanted to.

° Will sometimes hum along to the song while it's playing, getting shy if he reads out the dirty lyrics about sex. Even though it has become more of a meme than a sensual getting it on song, it still makes him flustered because of how raunchy it is.

° Claps when you've finally succeeded the dance, smiling proudly since he saw how hard you worked for a non benefitial trend. Once you posted the challenge, he would like and save it immediately. Secretly watching it while he goes on tour.

"Does it hurt when you hump the ground?"

"You get used to it after a while."

Han

° Knew that you were going to want to do it, you like to try out different trends to see if you like them or not. He just wasn't expecting to see you do WAP so closely, he thought he'd scroll through tik tok and then you'd be twerking on his feed.

° He was scrolling through Instagram when you got up and began to do the dance, he was trying to comprehend what was going on since you did so out of the blue. Became your personal cheerleader when you went into the splits, hyping you up quite a bit.

° Won't see it as a sensual dance, is more impressed than turned on. He'll high five you afterwards, and then 'high fives' your toosh for doing most of the work. You will become flustered with his compliments, giggling as he drums your bottom teasingly.

° Goes through your social media accounts later, to make sure there aren't any pervs commenting degrading things. If he sees any he'll report them, knowing he is the only one to say things such as 'that's some fine peice of ass' to you.

"Baby, are you scrolling my comments?"

"mhm, there are some creepy followers."

Felix

° Tik tok master, already knows all of the moves and probably taught you them. Felix likes to boost your confidence up and become your own personal happiness, even if you thought you looked cringey and horrid in the video, he'd tell you the opposite.

° Won't force you to do it in front of people or even post the video, even though you look amazing he still doesn't mind if keeping it private. Is a protective sunshine who would feel a bit of relief if you didn't post it, but would never ever admit that to you.

° When you were your best friend was visiting, you both decided to attempt the popular trend. She stopped half way through do to laughter, while you kept going. Felix rushed to you from the kitchen, beginning to throw money on you to enhance the laughter.

° If you get embarrassed when dialing one of the many attempts, he'll comfort you and shower you with kisses til you feel better. Over all he is a sweetheart who cherishes your happiness, and he'll do anything to hear your beautiful laugh and see your smile.

"Don't be shy love *kiss* you were great. *kiss*."

"The kisses make me more shy Felix."

Seungmin

° Knew you were on tik tok, and witnessed you attempt a couple of trends, mosy dance challenges. But never expected you to do WAP, you both were generally introverted and were much more soft with each other in public rather than all over each other.

° Even in photos of you two together, the most anyone will see is hand holding. That's why many people were surprised to see you doing such a bold and raunchy dance for many people to see, the reason behind it was a dare from your close friend.

° A staff member showed him the video, giggling as they couldn't beleive what you did. Seungmin smiled, seeing you so confident and bold made him feel proud. He wasn't upset or jealous in the slightest, he was extactic to see you be so confident.

° When he arrived home, you asked him about his opinion on the video. He could tell you didn't like it and were self conscious about it. So instead o replying at first, he embraced you in a gentle hug. Rubbing your shoulder blades as he complimented you.

"You looked stunning in the video."

"A-are you sure? Don't lie to me Seungmin."

Jeongin

° Stray kids knew you for as long as they knew Jeongin, you were his best friend turned lover and they saw you as family. That is why it made it 10x more awkward for both you and Jeongin when Felix noticed your newest post on tik tok.

° You thought you saved it privately, and did NOT want it to be public due to having such an open account with many followers. Your family even followed your account, so this made you nearly pass out knowing many people have already seen this video.

° You immediately deleted the video, even though it was far too late. Jeongin was a bit shy from witnessing you do such a raunchy dance, but he wanted to comfort you nonetheless. His ears were bright pink as you clung onto him, trying to calm down.

° A couple days after the incident, Minho and Han would tease you lightly. Jeongin occasionally joined in, unless he noticed you became very flustered and would then put a stop to the teasing. He still found it adorable how embarrassed you were of the video.

"What if my mom saw this!?"

"... What if she didn't. There is a chance."

[ehbunnehsblog]

So someone made this post I thought was really cool and I wanted to answer it the person who made the post goes by @buh-beep so please go give that post a like and follow them with all that said here are the questions

1. What is the oldest doll you own?

Probably my Beautiful Crissy doll from 1968 although that may not be the date for that exact doll she is pretty old. She was made by the company ideal.

2. What is the doll you got most recently?

My Bratz Collecters Yasmin from 2018 by MGA. When I lived with my mom she bought her for me I think she gave me a card and we got it. I don't have her or any of these dolls anymore since I don't live with my mother for personal reasons.

3. Favorite Type of Doll?

Hands down Bratz. They have been my absolute fave since I was a little girl and i still love them their fashion, makeup just everything really is iconic and I really believe that they might have the same impact as Barbie once I get older. Now if we talk about favorite lines? That will have to be for another time.

4. Least Favorite Type of Doll?

Pinkie Cooper. It's cute I had one but I was just not interested in the dolls sadly I definitely think it was an interesting idea though and its probably perfect for some people I just never knew where she would fit in with my other dolls. Also when I saw my cousin and his ex they had stuff for me and for some reason I could only take two things home and my mom sorta had me take her home when I could have had a Hannah Montana doll so rip :p

5. How many dolls do you own?

Zero now rip but honestly idk. I had mostly Bratz and sorta collected but now I might genuinely try to collect them.

6. What is a doll you had and wish you still did?

Tan Bratz Passion 4 Fashion Cloe. I still really wish I kept her but I was going through this dumb phase where I just stopped caring about my dolls and we had this science project in school and I did mine on hair dye and dyed her hair using some fruit or something and gave her away. If anyone knows where I can get her (hopefully for cheap) please tell me I really loved her she was also one of my friends absolute favorites.

7. What does your wish list look like?

A lotta Bratz mostly but that would be a very long list so to save you the details two of the series I want are the Tokyo a Gogo dolls, Formal Funk and Flashback Fever.

8. Prettiest Doll you Own?

Honestly have no clue all of them are gorgeous but I think one of my prettiest is definitely Rock Angelz Sasha I would love to own more Sasha dolls shes so gorgeous.

9. Ugliest Doll you own but love anyways?

I don't think I own any ugly ones really just ones that had messed up hair so I don't really have anything to add here. Actually hmm maybe my first edition Cameron and Dylan Bratz dolls they are still cool though.

10. Cutest Doll you own?

Either my Barbie Peek a Boos or my Mindy Mint Chocolate Chip Yummyland doll. I love Bratz but I really wish I saw more cutesy but fashionable dolls I believe they should bring back Yummyland dolls they smell so dang good and because kids love slim maybe they could add a small bottle (in a shape of a drink) that smells nice too? Idk lol.

11. Biggest Doll you own?

A Barbie doll that is I believe 28" in size after that I would say my Beautiful Crissy Doll and than my Yummyland doll.

12. Smallest doll you own?

All of my Barbie Peekaboos and Polly Pockets. Since Polly came back I think Mattel has the perfect chance to bring back Barbie Peek a Boos. They are pretty small so I kept them in a basket I am used to the size of Bratz I find them easier to hold over Barbie Peek a Boos or Polly's.

13. What doll in your collection is worth most?

Hmm probably Beautiful Crissy tbh I wanted her because when i was in grade 8 i watched these old vintage commercials on YouTube and i saw her and i just thought she was one of the most gorgeous dolls. I don't have her now because again shes at my moms but I don't think I could sell her shes just really cute and I think dolls from that time and older are special and tell a story and show a different time.

14. Doll you will never buy and why?

Lamilly and American Girls. I know these dolls especially American Girls are very popular for a lot of people but I am not really into dolls that are supposed to be like me I like fashion dolls mostly or really cutesy dolls. I think American Dolls are pretty iconic in their own way but I just can't see me owning one and for Lamilly same deal I feel like its trying to put down other dolls and make Lamilly seem superior and I just don't dig it. I don't like Barbie's a whole lot but I dislike like Lamilly I think it's a good message but it just feels meh? Idk other dolls I will never own are Blythe's I have this thing with dolls with eyes like that and I think it would probably spook me a bit.

15. Strangest doll you own?

Pinkie Cooper hands down. Again she just doesn't fit anywhere and shes so odd and really stands out from the others not that that's always a bad thing but as someone who is mostly into Bratz, Monster High and Ever After High she just doesn't go anywhere although she would probably fit in maybe with the EAH dolls. Another is probably the big Barbie like I didn't want her I just got her as a Christmas present one year and yeah that's that.

16. Biggest Doll Related Regret?

Giving away that Cloe doll I will always regret that also almost wanting to sell my Bratz and not bringing my dolls with me when I left my moms and went to my dads. Also I just wanna say my dad is the coolest and one day we had a nice convo about toys and stuff it was pretty rad.

17. What's the most important aspect of a doll in your opinion?

I just want to say I absolutely love this question this is the main reason why I wanted to make this post. I believe the most important aspect is if the owner finds joy in that doll because if you don't we wouldn't have so many people collecting dolls and dolls wouldn't be sold. I think dolls are very important and can build up good skills. Another important aspect is if you can pose the doll and depending on if it's a fashion dolls is if it has good clothes and good fabric all of these are so important but as long as people find joy that's the most important.

18. What's your doll related pet peeve

People are gonna hate this and I apologize but I find it difficult to watch or look at people changing the dolls like not in clothes changing but repaints it's cool and some of them are absolutely gorgeous but sometimes I have a bit of a pet peeve of them mostly because I am so worried that I will never find those dolls because people use them and repaint them. Their aren't many Bratz repaints though so I don't get bothered too much and when they do repaints they make the faces so pretty and I would love for MGA to use some of the screenings some of these people use because they look so good.

19. When did you start collecting dolls?

This might be an odd opinion but I think that anyone can be a doll collector even if they don't mean to be like for me I don't call myself a doll collector but I sorta am? Even though I never meant to be but now I do want to collect but it started with Bratz when I was young but now I want to take it a bit more seriously.

20. Have any doll related stories?

Well I never first fought anyone I was way too young lol but I do have two good stories number 1 is on Christmas a few years back my grandparents before they both passed bought me a Holiday Yasmin doll from 2007 don't know how they found it but they did and I loved that doll but again at my moms rip another one is one Christmas I got two of the same Bratz Cade dolls and for the longest time I thought it was Dylan because the doll looked exactly like Dylan does in the movies and shows lol! I might go into more stories on my dolls because there are a few that I really like.

With all of these questions answered I will once again ask people who see this to go like and follow @buh-beep who made the original post. This was intended for doll collectors I believe personally I don't call myself a collector but as someone who loves dolls I thought this would be fun and it really was if anyone wants to this I suggest it. Its really fun and I like sharing this stuff with you guys.

☆With all that said I hope you liked this post. Please give me a follow i post a lot of stuff like this☆

[minijeong]

Kudos to you for sleeping, even if it is 8:30am!!! Thank you so much for your incredible hard work this comeback, it's so amazing to have you as a content creator and I know that you're doing tons of work that we aren't seeing on tumblr for izone fans on other platforms. I legit was not expecting to be so emotional about this comeback but I WAS and I love Iz*one so much, my heart feels like it'll burst. Can we get more of your thoughts on the comeback? Thank you so much for everything.

thanks for your support as always! tbh i was so sure i was gonna sleep instead of staying up bc i went out the entire day... but i couldnt stop thinking about izone...

honestly theres a point in time for kpop groups when they begin to evolve from idols to artists... and i feel like that is starting to happen to izone

im honestly so freaking happy about fiesta because it’s so much more than i imagined it would be. tbh usually when fans freak out about the dance i cant really trust it most of the time, but after seeing wizone reactions to the showcase on twt i really wanted to believe... and im so glad that they delivered

their dancing feels so genuine to me and it feels like theyre all on the same page and there isnt a single member throwing off the balance and they all have the same fire and intention in their eyes. i dont know how to explain it but my heart can feel how much they value respect and take seriously the stage and the music and the fans. and this honestly reflects back into the people that work with them; the staff, videographers, stylists, etc. the video editing was amazing for mv. the outfits were perfect for the dance both visually and as well for comfort for dancing (the boots are comfy to dance in... much better than violeta shoes). 

can you imagine how much further they’ll continue to grow if theyve already improved and achieved this much in this amount of time?

before i go into small and random thoughts i had imma end it off and say 

stream fiesta and listen to my baby’s ballad thx for coming to my ted talk

small random things i noticed:

yenas dancing is absolutely stunning. she always jokes around and get called a joker and a bluffer and then yuri laughs and says yena needs more practice... but to be able to convey through dance and performance at this level you need to think a LOT and work A LOT i love her

eunbi got given parts that made use of her vocal range and her voice came out so strong... and spaceship made me feel things

there are small parts in the choreo that are “between moves” but they keep focus and also kept that clean... they really went to that level of detail...

ahn yujins growth is freaking scary... and she learned how to dance as a tall person to match short members (this is actually a skill LOL i got yelled at in practice for like 4 months straight for it until i learned)

chaeyeon can include head parts in choreography while keeping the camera’s intention is kind of super insane

im worried for some of their knees in that one leg down part (except for chaewon and yujin who are v stable)

when hitomi did textures in her part i fking cheered my heart out even though it was one second LOL

ive never felt an idol step on my so hard until chaewon’s first part when she threw down and stomped girl GET IT. she also looks down on u like ur a piece of shit i love it we love our swearing girl crush legend

i dont know how two people are able to share a dance break when the formation stays the same and they dont share centre but chaewon and chaeyeon did it

yuri at 4s going down wow

there are times when cheonjae ahn yujin really slows her moves down and takes her time and makes us feel it and i love that

theres a part where they throw their arms up and yujin is in the centre and she doesnt throw her arms up all the way to match everyone elses arm height and that was peak intellectual

whoever izones choreographer is theyve been respecting the music since forever and i appreciate that

theres always one idol in a group that doesnt hold the camera long enough at the end of their part and izone used to have that as well but it doesnt happen anymore wtf

the dance lets eunbi show off her strength rather than going for elegance and i think she slapped me a few times and bonked me with her hips a few times but i encourage that

i love yujinnies hair

hitomis stage presence improved so much i freaking love her

i want yena fancam shes so good

u might be wondering why i care about textures so much but textures are THE thing that kpop always lacked which thus took away the meaning from the dance. u cant always punch and u cant always make things soft and izone GETS IT

chaeyeon dancing looks so happy and that makes me happy 

little main vocal nako is my love

wonyoungs vocal improvement is crazy

the way yuri says hwalryeohan in her chorus ohmygoodness

yena’s chorus in spaceship where she showed us vocal prowess by not going falsetto on the high note

yuri spacebuns

mombi in denim

dimple aegyo yujin in spaceship bridge

the way sakura manipulated me into giffing her first

the way my heart screams CUTE whenever i see nako

the thing on yuris ear idk what it is but it cool

that entire choreo is a left butt workout LOL

the way yena runs up to the centre in spaceship chorus

eunbi slapped me again

miyawaki sakura readjusting her positioning at the end to make a perfect diagonal without sacrificing the dance is classic miyawaki pro behaviour

how is minju’s smile so perfect... esp in her first part...

the way yuri smiles in spaceship but also the way yuri smiles in ayayaya 

izone makes their own genre its not cute its not girlcrush its everything mixed together and anything you could possibly want it to be i dont make the rules it just happened this way

[mittensmorgul]

Hey mittens! I have a new friend on tumblr who is struggling. She wants to be a writer but her fics aren't being seen. She's frustrated. She wants to give up. I've given her the best advice I can give. I'm a small blog but I keep writing all the time. Trying to give her advice, but not sure what else I can do. She's in her mid twenties, lives at home, doesn't have a job or a car but desperately wants to. She's stuck and needs help. What else can I do and what advice would you give? Thank you!

Heck, I have no idea. D:

Write good? >.>

(haaaaa three hours after I started typing this, with the intent of replying privately, I’ve officially invested too much time in it not to post it… under a cut for length, and because I have officially run out of mental energy and real-world time for dealing with it for today…)

I mean, I see advice all the time on how to get seen/noticed around here, and half the advice conflicts with the other half. It’s hard to even guess what worked for anyone sometimes.

There’s networks she could join (I have no idea how networks work, and I’ve been here nine years, so someone who actually uses networks would probably be better to ask about how to do that, but I do know that the point of them is for a group of people to see/reblog member works, so that might help her get noticed).

There’s also things like Profound Bond and Writers of Destiel. These are discord groups, but they both have a tumblr presence (especially @profoundnet which she could look into.) They run challenges, have a really vibrant community over on discord with hundreds of members, and regularly reblog member works on tumblr.

Plus, making friends, working with beta readers or other writing partners will help find new friends and followers who will help spread her works, too. Volunteering to beta read when a “bigger” writer puts out a call can also help– not only in building friendships with other authors but also gaining experience with writing as well as editing.

Interacting with other authors on tumblr, reblogging their work and commenting– even if it’s just “OH GOSH I LOVE THIS” kind of stuff– ESPECIALLY with other “smaller writers” and thereby spreading the word around about each other’s writing will help grow up a community around all of you.

None of us started out popular, you know? And “popularity” is definitely a relevant term. When I started writing fic, I lucked into a situation that I attempted to recreate with the Christmas collaboration thingy I ran, but ouch that proved to be way more work than I really had the time or energy for. I’d be happy to help others run that type of collab and offer advice, but heck if I’ll ever do one myself again. :P

A lot of fic challenges are a good way for new writers to get noticed, too. There’s a TON of challenges out there. Now, something like the DCBB or one of the other larger and more established challenges might not be the easiest place for a newbie writer to cut their teeth. There is A LOT that goes into challenges that newbies are just not prepared for (rules, deadlines, etc., because knowing how to write, edit, and post on a concrete deadline where others are relying on you to know what you’re doing without needing an undue amount of help from the mods isn’t something you want to learn on the fly in a high-pressure situation like that… there’s an assumption when signing up for something like the DCBB or the Pinefest that in doing so, a writer is CERTAIN that their skills– including TIME MANAGEMENT and the ability to collaborate with an artist and follow all the rules (YES, ALL OF THE RULES) and meet every deadline– are up to the task.

So, that said, I’d highly recommend some of the other smaller, more laid-back fandom challenges. There’s new ones popping up all the time, and a lot of them are geared toward specific types of fic (canon fic, certain tropes, etc.), so there’s a built-in audience for their work. Not to mention that in smaller challenges there’s actually more room for exposure, and not having your work drowned in a flood of hundreds of other long works, potentially many of them by already established authors, coming out in the same time period. Readers are literally spoiled for choice in those situations, and an “untested” author posting a 20k+ fic might fall by the wayside while “guaranteed thing” authors works get more attention, you know? Readers have a limited amount of time they can commit to reading, and with SO many choices available, are actually more likely go for the “tried and true” author they’re already familiar with before investing in an unknown author. Profound Bond is just starting the @casdeanflipfest, for example, with a smaller wordcount minimum, and therefore a more reasonable length work for readers to take a risk on an author they’re not familiar with. I might not have time, as a reader, to invest in every 60k fic that crosses my dash, but I will drop everything to read a 5k fic for half an hour, you know?

There’s also event-specific tags that offer opportunities to be seen by a wider audience. For example, for the last few days, the DCBB folks have been encouraging folks to tag Valentine’s Day themed works #dcvday. This is a very laid-back and casual way to put your works out to an audience who’s looking for exactly that type of thing, you know? Other situation-specific tags like this happen frequently (like Dean’s birthday fic, or the Destiel Anniversary fic, or holiday fic, for example).

There’s also fic collections. For example, right now the @destieltropecollection is collecting fics for this year’s lists: http://destieltropecollection.tumblr.com/post/182800717844/destieltropecollection-destiel-trope-collection. If you have fic that fits into any of these tropes, fill out the form and submit them to be added to the masterpost. They’ll be posted in May, a different trope’s list each day. People looking for that specific trope will have a handy list, and you can reach a whole new audience that way. :)

Take writing prompts, if that’s something you’re comfortable doing. People with cute lil fic ideas will LOVE you for fleshing out their ideas and turning them into something beautiful. Or GIVE writing prompts to other authors who accept them. You never know what sort of creative collaboration that might spark. If you have a fic idea based on someone’s post, by all means TALK TO THAT PERSON! Express your excitement about their idea, ask if it’s okay to turn their little headcanon or writing prompt into a longer fic, and I can almost guarantee that the original poster will be THRILLED.

Take fan art as writing prompts, as well! As much as authors Die Of Squee if an artist is inspired to draw something from one of our fics, ARTISTS ARE EQUALLY FILLED WITH SQUEE if you’re inspired to write fic based on their art. Just, if you do this, please please PLEASE actually communicate privately with the author or artist in question before you do anything with it. Make it clear you’re writing out of love for their thing, and not in a selfish grab for attention, you know? Otherwise it feels a little too much like stealing. It’s a fine line, but it’s all a matter of perception to everyone involved. That communication and collaboration is key.

That said, I think 99% of it all is pure luck. But because of that first challenge I did, the next fic I posted was (miraculously!) reviewed by destielfanfic, which I don’t think is the sort of exposure most authors get on their first long fic… This was also early 2015, when there was a sort of Boom Market for fic, and I don’t even think the atmosphere for fandom is still exactly the same, you know? It feels a lot more decentralized, and a lot of the “big writers” from back then have left the fandom entirely, or else don’t write much at all anymore.

But fandom is a cyclical thing like that. People come and go, popularity rises and falls. I think my best advice is to develop friendships with people who are in that same general region of that arc as you are, you know? Build a community, support each other.

I see bitter posts all the time about how “popular” people don’t want to support newcomers, and “elite cliques” of folks are conspiring to hold on to their popularity by keeping others down, and that’s just bullshit. The little group of people I generally hang in tumblr circles with have been my friends for years, at this point. Most of us are kinda stunned that we’re all still around, you know? We all showed up around the same time, and went through these sorts of struggles together. We’re still here, and most of us recognize that we’re only considered “popular” at all by attrition. We survived while other folks rage-quit the show or the fandom. I know that’s not a particularly encouraging-sounding bit of advice, but that’s literally how the vast majority of us got recognized. We just… didn’t quit.

I was blogging on this dumb site for four years before anyone really started to notice me. (and I still know that the perception of my personal popularity FAR outweighs my actual popularity, you know? I’m not one of the elite 1% of writers around here, and I know it, and I’m perfectly fine with that. I don’t post long fic serially, and that shows in my total hit counts on AO3. Serial posting artificially inflates hit counts, and keeps works at the top of the results page week after week, and I’d personally just rather post a complete fic to stand on its own. But that’s a dilemma for another post.) Then again, I started out mostly reading meta and squealing about the show, occasionally commenting, asking questions, or adding my thoughts to posts. I learned the lay of the land, so to speak (who was receptive to these sorts of additions and conversations starting on their posts and who wasn’t, and the social conventions surrounding it all), while lurking and not even really trying to get noticed. I made friends with people before I ever started writing fic.

(but I also have a background in original fiction writing, so I already knew quite a lot about author culture in general, and had a lot of experience writing myself before I started to write fic, which likely helped me personally quite a bit. I was able to jump into writing chat groups and had a bit of writing cred even before I published a single fic, because I’d been writing original novels and had already cultivated a group of “Professional Author Friends,” participated in writing critique groups (which comprise Alpha and Beta Reading in fanfic writing circles), and therefore knew how those social circles functioned, you know? I mean, some of the authors from my “Professional Author Friends” circle, who I’ve been friendly with for more than a decade now, have gone on to Big Things in Publishing. And clearly I never did… aah health crises that knocked me off that train. But I realized I’m happier writing fic, without all the pressures that come from professional publishing, so I still consider it a personal win. But I was able to take a lot of that knowledge and experience with networking and building communities with me and transfer it to fandom, so I know my experience is not everyone’s experience.)

I think the main key thing is to create that sort of community. A lot of new writers go directly to the perceived “most popular” authors in fandom, as if they somehow held the key to understanding how to become more popular, or expecting the “popular” bloggers to “pay it forward” and give them a hand up (whether it be through asking questions or reblogging their fic posts, beta reading for them or whatever it may be). But even there, there’s a limit to pretty much everyone’s time, in a real-life sort of fashion. The more popular or widespread an author’s works become, the more up and coming writers will also see their work, and I get how people want to hitch themselves to that, you know?

Not to mention, most of us are entirely baffled by being thought of as popular writers. And again, I’m still sort of on the fringe of that kind of Big Fandom Popularity myself, and still kinda baffled as to how I got here.

But we’re all just people, with limited amounts of time to engage with other people, and a limited number of spoons in our respective drawers for social engagement. I do TRY to do what I can, but between beta reading for my already-established writing buddies (which I still only have limited time for, I AM SO SORRY ELMIE I SEE THE THINGS AND WANT TO READ THE THINGS BUT I CAAAAAAAN’T AND I’M MAD ABOUT IT OKAY?!), and still want to engage with current canon and write and read meta about it, and still want to actually write my own fic, not to mention helping to run the Pinefest (even though Cass does the bulk of the behind the scenes work, I take on a lot of the day to day general upkeep of it all) and still have to engage with reality and my human family that I live with and like… pay my bills and cook dinner and all that boring shit, not to mention coping with those chronic illnesses that knocked me off the Professional Paid Writer train in the first place… it’s not easy to balance out, you know?

It’s not so much a function of “I got mine, so screw you.” I just needed to make that clear, since I’ve seen that sentiment bandied about recently (again), and it’s just insulting. I think the main takeaway here is that Fandom is a Baffling Ordeal, and the key to winning in any way is to build up a community around yourself. If you want to achieve success as a writer, push yourself to write better. Find people you trust to beta read for you. And maybe most importantly, never “promote” your own work with negativity.

I see way too many writers who add notes to their work like, “ugh this is probably terrible.” Just… never do that. Have confidence in yourself, love your own writing, or at least present it with enthusiasm, if you ever expect anyone else to take that risk and read your words, you know?

So really? It boils down to perseverance, networking, and putting in the work to become the best writer you can, with no small portion of sheer luck. There’s no secret magical formula to success, aside from building a community that makes you happy. I’ve discovered that people are really attracted to happiness and positive energy, you know?

Heck I’m worn out just from spending five hours on this post now, in between Real Life Adulting I needed to take care of for an hour. I hope it all makes sense, but I’m gonna go surf my dash for a while and hopefully recover enough brain power to do the rest of the stuff I need to today D: