#post smthn. alas.

[hickeygender]

keep opening my docs, re reading the partial chapters i have written up, and closing my docs, ad infinitum. i want to finish and post ch 1 but like. that means i'll have to write it. sometimes i'll get on a roll when writing something only to stop at a certain point, but then jumping back in is akin to pulling teeth bc it feels like i've quite literally lost the plot and things have no flow, especially wrt to dialogue. hate and malice and agony and suffering on planet earth

[fellamarsh]

another thing i've been trying to do recently is read more self-published stuff. "but fell," you say, "you're a self-published author. surely you've been reading self-published stuff all along" and then i laugh for so long in response we both become uncomfortable.

see, the fear (which has for a long time been killing my mind) that i'll read other self-published stuff and find out that it's so much better than mine that i might as well stop writing forever kept me from doing that basically ever. i have a hard time not unfavorably comparing my work to others and had convinced myself i was being smart by withholding an avenue of de-motivation (reader: i was not being smart). it also doesn't help that i'm pretty low income and have a hard time spending money on books i haven't already read, and that self-published stuff isn't always available at the library---but really a lot of it was just me being a coward. which i'm working on. i could talk about how this particular cowardice is Very Silly, but i think enough has been said about it on writeblr and in the Writing Space in general that i don't feel the need to (though i will if anyone wants me to).

instead, i wanna talk about the self-published things i have read in the past few months and ask about the self-published things you love!

so: what happened was i got real sick, and while i was real sick i (naturally) read over 200,000 words of ace attorney fan fiction in the span of a few days. eventually i got bored of it (and also maybe annoyed at how people were characterizing some of my guys), but i still wanted to read something gay and romantic and nice, something i knew was gonna end happily, which isn't my typical fare.

now you may be saying (having gotten over all the uncomfortable laughter from earlier) "fell, you write gay romance. what do you mean that's not your typical fare?" listen. until a couple months ago i hadn't read a cut and dry romance novel since before i finished college. for context: i graduated in 2015. i know it doesn't make sense. i'm a guy who doesn't make sense.

but in this case it worked to my advantage. not the not making sense thing, but the not having read Published Romance in 1000 years thing. I didn't know where to start. I was very skeptical of everything the library had Available Now in the Gay Fantasy Romance category. what if it was all bad and also not good?

and then i scrolled past the familiar cover of our very own @ashen-crest's A Rival Most Vial.

now this was comfortable territory! this was a novel by a very nice writeblr person whose posts i enjoy! i already loosely knew the plot, i was familiar with the characters, i knew the names of things like rosemond street and the griffin's claw and that ambrose had blue hair and that at the end of it all there would definitely be Boyfriends. i didn't have to worry that this would be bad! i only had to worry that it would be really good!

but i wasn't worried about that, because i was officially Not Writing at the time, and because why the hell hadn't i read this book yet Ash literally emailed me some very kind words last year when my cat died??

Y'all, I devoured ARMV. If you haven't read it yet---especially if cozy fantasy is more your thing than it is mine---you should check it out Immediately. It was fun! It was heartwarming! It was sweet and earnest and confident! I was delighted to find it was occasionally hot! Ambrose and Eli snuggled up into my sick exhausted heart and found a permanent little place there. (Especially Ambrose. I have such a thing for Stiff Guys who Kind of Suck for Tragic Backstory Reasons and are So So Lonely They Don't Even Realize It. gawd)

(And a very small part of my brain spent the whole time wondering why I had been so afraid to really engage with the work my community is doing. The community that I'm in. The one I'm a part of. Why?! Maybe more on that later.)

But from there the curse was broken! I immediately devoured @stjohnstarling's What Manner of Man in a similar sort of frenzy (and hooooly shit guys am I excited for the expanded, finalized version to come out at the end of next month!) and started digging into @lurinatftbn's The Flower that Bloomed Nowhere (which I can already tell is going to be an All Time Favorite).

And now I want to ask you what your favorite self-published books are so that I can read them, too, but I think I will in another post that doesn't dedicate so much space to talking about my various and sundry Issues and isn't Terminally Long

[accursedvoid]

I think I’d like ‘grey jedi’ more as a morality/order choice if it wasn’t called ‘grey JEDI’ and had its own cool separate name like Jedi & Sith have.

Cause otherwise it just feels too jedi adjacent/too attached to said order - when I’d rather my character(s) not be connected to either side of the sith/jedi and have an option for my grey to light jedi/siths that aren’t truly attached to their orders/starting to go rogue from them/don’t conform to them to like align with than just ‘light sider/dark sider’

That way ‘Grey jedi’ as a term could just be applied to jedi that aren’t ‘Temple Jedi’ or whatever which is what I usually think of when I hear that term (not a whole separate order as canon puts it)

[lycanthropthy]

not sure why rottmnt's trending, but im happy for us

[sylas-dove]

my toxic trait is that i really want people to care about my warrior cats ocs

[oysterie]

I swear a few days ago I saw a post w instructions on how to disable the new tv tab at the bottom but I did not save it and haven't seen it since did I imagine that or does anyone know how </3

[dolceterzo]

hiiiii i love your 31 days of ghost posts and pls don't take offense but wish you coul d make gifs or smthn more interresting than photosets feel like u would be great blog then. again no hate just like gifs better then photos if u can please thanks

screaming sdkfgjgn what kind of cackhanded ask is this. bro if i could make nice gifs i'd be making them - alas it's not a skill i've unlocked. there are literally a plethora of great gif makers for ghost, you don't need me! @demonlayercake - @ghuleh-recs - @sakuraspoke - @silverofthunder - @copias-juicebox - @hxcfairy - @preqvelle - @oldonemaster - @lilspacewolfie - @slavghoul - @cardi-c - @piratefoolery - @p1nkcanoe and I could go on! go forth, show them love!

edit: idk why half the blogs haven't linked, they're linked when i edit the post but not when i save it, hmmm

[jellazticious]

Upon seeing the pascal car post I got curious - what do you think the Pizza Tower (from ur AU) characters would like as their cars/motorcycles/etc? Just for fun lmfao

- 💎

Firstly, it's not au lol, it's just interpretation but thank you for the ask

Ahem

Peppino is loyal to his CRUSTY ASS vespa. He is not replacing it, that thing is on life support. Tho he can drive a car too if necessary

Noise defo owns every type of vehicle known to man with how rich his ass is, but alas

He doesn't know how to drive any of them, his ass doesn't have a license and he's banned from getting one. He just has his skateboard and jetpack for transport tho

Noisette 👏teleports 👏

I have no idea what Gustavo uses for transport oh gee. Can anyone help me on this one? I think he uses a deer or a bull. Man I'm so stumped you guys. If only there was a level in the game that can answer the question!

We all know Pepperman is a car jock. He probably owns like three identical cars from different companies, CUSTOM MADE. He used to have five identical cars but he crashed two of em. One for a performance art and the other because he thought it would be funny

Vigilante drives a truck and knows how to tame and ride a bunch of animals. He prefers the critters more, the truck is mostly for business reasons like produce delivery or smthn.

Fake Peppino uses his sheer fucking will to transport himself. Bro runs faster than Peppino in the boss fight, ain't no wayyyy

Pizzahead ALSO teleports but he crashes from the sky unlike Noisette who just spawns next to you. If not teleportation, he uses a fuck ass unicycle, Pizzaface or his own two legs to power walk without ceasing

Mr Stick uses anything but a vehicle cuz his ass is so Inspector Gadget. Okay maybe he also uses a car from the 80s

Gerome and John teleports

[lemonlilactea]

Fun fact: the V[ala] doc actually has more than what I posted, but I felt it was too long already and also idk if i wanna post my version of events post game? Not til I have it more. Concise or smthn

[kmgkmg]

“almost included a lil text abt hosh accidentally adding joshua to a gc that he meant to add vernon and gyu to....hosh wouldve sent something like "so how long do yall wanna bet it's going to be until they're engaged" and joshua would wait for everyone to place their bets and then be like "well now you all owe me money since we just got engaged" *sends a pic of his hand and an engagement ring* BUT ALAS. i settled on a dating anniversary instead. just know in that universe, they would eventually get married (an extra little epilogue just for you anon)”

ynshie….marriage…..real…..(i explode into tiny little pieces) i actually screamed and nearly rolled off my bed when i read “well now you all owe me money since we just got engaged” like i prayed for times like these FR!!! (i dont think ill ever get over ynshie ever this extra epilogue will live in my brain thank you so so much 😭😭🫶🫶)

also THERE WAS A PLAYLIST BREAKDOWN?? actually dropping everything to read it all while listening to the playlist im so excited to read it rn tysm <33

(also i just noticed that u posted a ww fic??? omw to read it rn . angst will not stop me) (i will eat my words soon)

-⛺️

put my reply under the cut so our message won't be too long on the dashboard but 😗🫳*picks up the little pieces of u one by one that have exploded*

BUT YEAHHHHH!!!! there are so many lil headcanons abt this fic anonnie!!!!!!!!!! since u like the lil nuggets.. i'll shower u in some unused photos and their What Ifs!!

1...firework/sparkler pic: remember the tweet after cabin wars when joshua realized how cute reader looked when they were happy...yeah reader would've had that realization too on the 4th!!!!! joshua probably asked vernon to take the pic and he would post it on main being kinda fuckboyish but reader and joshua would (obliviously) be flirting in the comments. like get together alr 🙄 2...vernon/josh preoccupied on their phones: reader would send this pic to hoshi and be like "they've been trying to figure out how to load a tiktok compilation vid onto the tv for the kids...who's gna tell them that i hid the remote? 😝" reader just being chaotic since hoshi would b gone that day for personal reasons or smthn 3...joshua bed pic: I WAS SOOOOO TEMPTED TO USE THIS ONE! the thing is though it looks soooooo like Professionally taken, yknow? but it would've been vernon being a little cupid, texting reader like "we mentioned your name and suddenly bro is wide awake" LIKE LOOK HOW PRECIOUS HE LOOKS???? it could pass for him being infatuated w you and UGHHH yeah!!

4...mud masks: the camp has rewarded the counselors for taking care of the campers all summer! free spa day for all of them! except nobody told joshua and hoshi where the mud bath was and the spa was nature themed so um. when they saw a pool outside of the changing rooms with mud, they automatically thought that it must be the place w rejuvenating mud for the skin! yeah no...it's just an old pool that hasn't been cleaned. so they have actual dirty mud/clay on their face. reader and vernon come back from buying snacks like ??????? how are you so muddy when we didn't even tell you where to go??? and reader takes that pic of them just utterly shocked like !!!!!! wym that pool wasn't even a part of the spa?!!??!! 5...karaoke night: again, a counselors only type of event. they would go to the local pub and have fun (maybe drink, maybe not idk!) but you and hoshi would encourage joshua to sing and vernon to rap! joshua would go after you kept whining, he's a sucker for you, and ofc start singing sunday morning. reader would tweet the video and caption it like "living up to the username i see @/sundaymorning" 6...pfp: ok this one is the most nugget of nuggets but i was considering making this joshua's pfp/icon for reader and joshua's texts! it would b for after they're together! i was gna add a bit abt how he makes funny faces to cheer reader up. he made that face one day during one of your facetimes, so you screenshotted it and always look at his contact pic when you feel down!

if you did get the chance to check out the breakdown i would b soooo interested to know which song(s) u think fits the series the best!! i def have my own picks for the ones i listened to a lot and used the most 🤭

THE WONU FIC!!!!!!!! my friend is a wonu stan and i was texting her like... yeah almost done w the wonu angst.. and she was like WONWOO?? ANGST????? 🤲 it was soooo funny bcos she's v chill but she was eating up the little sections of the fic that i was sending her hehe

i also made two mbs on my other sb for the wonwoo fic: one based more on the vibes and one based on the aes! the one w wonwoo's face kinda flopped and i'm like 👁️ interesting... @ the followers on that blog

sorry for the late reply!! but hope u had a nice day <333

[moonstandardtime]

i wish i could. see. that would be pretty great i think

[matsumi101]

the urge to repeatedly slap the table as i scream whenever i see my comfort characters is strong right now

[oysterie]

im going to start calling honeybees invasive idc anymore

[gardenngoddess]

Okay so, I bought the seasonal pass x3 for season of remembrance with intentions of giving it to my friend Rex but alas, he’s not fond of the cosmetics. Having said that, I now have one extra pass to give to someone and have decided to do a raffle for it.

Uhm, i guess just interact with this post to be entered with a comment saying you want it or smthn.

Ends thursday night, winner will be announced publicly and contacted via dms

[hella1975]

im hella <3 welcome to my blog

not at all fandom specific here. if i have an interest then that's our interest now. look at my posts boy

i write on ao3! summary list of all my works here or directly on ao3 here

this includes the art of burning hi dont shout at me

find me on spotify/pinterest

link to my ko-fi! it's always much appreciated bc alas i am a student

taob also has a discord server! pls dont be intimidated i promise everyone's friendly

taob chapter-by-chapter summary and trigger warnings

general ask etiquette (pls read before sending me smthn!):

i loveee receiving asks, and they can be about anything and everything! doesnt have to be fandom specific or even fandom related. people send me asks about music, their days, their current gossip, their worries, things they think i'd like, etc etc. dont be shy!

i tend to answer asks in waves. this means 9 times out of 10 it will sit in my inbox for a couple weeks before i answer a bunch at a time. sorry if this sucks, but if u sent smthn and haven't received a response, i might just be waiting to answer it later!

i cannot, however, answer every single ask, even tho i try to eventually! sometimes it will take a VERY long time, or tumblr even eats asks, so it never hurts to resend it after a few weeks just to make sure ive seen it :) if i dont answer, it's never on purpose unless you're actively being a dick. please don't take it personally and don't be put off sending smthn again in future :)

i prioritise asks sent off anon over anon asks!

yes to compliments about my fics and expressing if u enjoy them. no to asking for updates. sometimes i will humour asks that politely wonder how the writing is going for a fic, but if you want to play it safe, leave it be. it does not motivate me and it is very repetitive.

if you send smthn rude, or demanding a fic update, or even so much as speak to me in a shitty way, im just gonna block you. i will give more grace to asks not sent on anon as i know sometimes tone is misinterpreted, but im gonna be so fr i truly do not give a fuck about giving the benefit of the doubt for an ask that's upset me in some way. ur just getting blocked!

dont speak to me in a way you dont want me responding with

[steelycunt]

swerving sliding skidding into your inbox like no one else’s business to ask for 48 + 61 + 62 for the ask game !!!

(also i’m still mad at u about the post-prank fic even tho we haven’t even gotten anything from it yet. mad in advance, we’ll say xx)

hello my light my love...i wish i could come on here and defend the postprank fic but i cant! if it goes to plan, it really will be THAT bad :)

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

would love to say smthn cool like a pomegranate...but alas. probably like. a blueberry. i think i'd do well being baked into a muffin

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

oh man?? i could sit here doing this one forever. but what immediately comes to mind and what will always come to mind is the fleabag finale fleabag/hot priest exchange: "I love you." "It'll pass." like how would you even get off of the ground after that

62. seven characters you relate to?

seven?? oh shit! oh man! uh! remus lupin (i'm so very, very tired and id like some tea). erin quinn from derry girls (we're a similar brand of lame). david rose from schitts creek (we're a similar brand of dick). sorry to be a succession mutual but cousin greg (similar brand of confused and bewildered). jo from little women (christ can i hear myself? i fucking wish). paddington bear (i think we want the same lifestyle). any florence pugh character (i also like to frown a lot).

weird asks!