#saw a post that was like 'wrote this for me but you can read it too I guess'

[sl-vega]

Hello there again! I was the one who asked about the Hiori piece and oh. my. god I just read your continuation of it and lost my mind!! Your work continuously exceeds expectations IT WAS AMAZING!!! The way you put research in and made it like accurate to a real life scenario was such a great touch. You also wrote it so fast?? The moment I saw your post I ran to go read it and needless to say it was fantastic! The little moments between Hiori and Karasu were hilarious and them bumping into reader?? Actual gold. If you ever did feel like writing that part three I would eat that up so fast. Thank you so so much for considering my ask. Reading it seriously made my day!!! Looking forward to seeing more of your writing in the future; I seriously can’t thank you enough I’m go reread that piece in the meantime and burn it into my brain!!

[ 🪽 ] - AND I'M HEAD OVER HEELS - hiori yo

✮⋆˙ hiori's more or less come to terms with the fact that he's head over heels for you-thanks to karasu's top tier wingmanning (read; teasing) and the two of you have gotten pretty close! only problem is that he has zero idea whether you feel the same way. unfortunately on your end, you're having a pretty hard time figuring out your feelings as well

cw/additional notes; potentially ooc, itty bitty spoilers for season 2 if you haven't watched it, indented text is used to represent flashbacks, (this fic has two other parts prior to this, and unlike the others it's harder to read as a standalone, so i'd recommend reading the first 2 parts liked below <3)

part one // part two // part three

-> divider creds to @cafekitsune

You tossed and turned in your bed, the fluffy and soft blankets draped over your body providing no refuge from the constant whirlwind of emotions going through your head.

You flipped over to lay down on your back as you held up the small tube of lip gloss so the waning moonlight would pass through the translucent plastic encasing the cosmetic.

You had used a ridiculously large amount in the little time you had owned it...

This was so unlike you, all worked up over something as small and simple as this? It was but a simple gift from one of your classmates, and it was just a thank you present!

So why the hell was it messing with your head so much?

Why did replaying the memory of Hiori gently pulling you aside during lunch just to hand it to you make your heart race? The mere recollection of his hand brushing against your's give you butterflies? It wasn't like this all those times you had lent him a pen during class, or when you ran into him at the mall-

-Wait...you saw him at the mall, in a freakin' makeup store. Buying something. Buying a gift. A gift for someone 'special' as his friend had phrased it.

Holy shit.

Did Hiori like you?

That simple possibility - the mere idea of it - makes your face flush, and the butterflies return once more. You'd be lying if you said that you hated the idea of him having feelings for you.

"(Y/N)? Could I speak with ya' for a sec'?" You turned around to the source of the familiar voice, it was Hiori, with that same soft and polite smile on his face, the same one he always had whenever you two talked, or when you caught his gaze during class. "Hm? Oh, hey Hiori! Of course ya' can." You waved off your friend, telling her you'd meet up with her later at your usual lunch place, while waiting for Hiori to say whatever he pulled you aside for.A few seconds after your friend was out of sight Hiori extended his arm and handed you a small light pink gift bag. Eyes widening momentarily, you took the bag from his hands and offered a quick bow whilst saying your thanks. "Hiori...it's not a special occasion or anythin' so why'd ya'..?" "Oh, well yer' always doin' favours for me and lending me stuff during class, so it's the least I could do." And there it was, that same smile again, you seemed to grow fonder of it every second you spent in this moment. After noticing his expectant gaze, you realized you should probably open it, and you did, moving aside the tissue paper used to stuff the bag, you lifted out a nicely packaged tube of lip gloss with pink graphics across 'CANMAKE CANDY WRAP LIP' it read out in a cute text. "Ya' mentioned how much you hated yer' lips being dry, so I thought it would be a good gift for you." He remembered that? You honestly just mentioned it to him in passing because you wanted to make small talk, but, that was really sweet of him. "Thanks Hiori." It was a whisper, bashful and soft, like how you only wanted him to hear it, he looked like he was about to open his mouth and say something again, but before the words could fall from his lips, he was cut off by another one of your friends calling your name. "-Oh, you should probably get going now, I wouldn't wanna keep ya' here." He chuckled silently, like a soft melody that waded it's way towards your ears, he gave you a quick nod before taking a few steps away. And before he left, he gave you that same smile, once more.

Ever since that occurrence, you'd always find yourself in positions where you sought him out, always finding excuses to talk to him, finding the most obscure reasons just to be in his presence.

Hiori was headed to the front office to do some printing? Oh, what a surprise! You had to go there too! Hiori was helping with clean up duty after P.E? Well so were you! If Hiori had to do something, you found some kind of excuse to do it with him.

Occasionally, when seeking solace away from the rest of your usual friend group, you'd sometimes find Hiori sitting in a secluded staircase on his phone, sometimes playing a game, or just spacing out while listening to music.

You adored these moments.

He'd let you join him, just sitting in silence together with the occasional quip of how you've been doing, or about whatever was going on in class, but, for the most part, it was peaceful, just a shared moment of solitude between the two of you.

You learned a lot about Hiori just from spending time with him, no words needed. He didn't seem particularly close to anyone, but was on good terms with everyone. He always had yakult on him, and was more than willing to share with you. If he had ear buds or headphones in, he was always listening to a soundtrack to a video game he played.

And yet, he still seemed like an enigma.

Sure, on paper he seemed like a pretty normal boy. He did fairly well in school, played soccer (and was quite proficient at it), he spent most of his free time playing games, and he was an all around good kid.

But there were a lot of other things that added to his character. Little quirks and habits you would pick up on.

He never mentioned his home life, nor his parents - you thought it would be best not to pry. You heard from a few of your classmates that they were professional athletes, it would explain his own athletic abilities.

All the food he ate was always nicely served and portioned out in his bento box, and he had a strange habit of calorie counting that you had picked up on. Again, you thought it was best not to pry.

Hiori Yo was fascinating to you. You wanted to figure him out more than anything. You found yourself talking about him a lot, intentional or not.

"(Y/N), did ya' hear about that new convenience store by the station? Me and Mizuki are gonna check it out after school." "Oh yeah, Hiori was telling me about it!"

At first, it was simple things like; 'Hiori mentioned that!' or 'Hiori said he liked this.' and such, raised a few eye brows, but nothing that made your friends too curious - not yet at least.

"(Y/N)! Me and Ena are going to go shopping this Saturday, wanna come with?" "Oh, sorry, I promised Hiori that I'd study with him. Next time though!"

Then it was the small study dates that always happened to feature Hiori, sometimes other people would tag along as well, but the only consistent person that you always made sure was there was him. This was when everyone started picking up on your strange affection for the boy.

"Me and the others are planning to watch my brother's soccer game this weekend, are you free? Or let me guess, Hiori-" "I actually promised I'd come to his youth team's game...Another time...? Oh! Wait- isn't your brother on Bambi Osaka?" "Yeah..? Why?-" "Perfect! So is Hiori, I'll see you guys there then!"

And so, little by little, Hiori Yo began bleeding into your personal life. Dragging him into little meetings with your friends, slowly becoming your favourite conversation topic.

And now, you were wasting away in your bedroom thinking about him when you could be getting your much deserved (and needed) rest after a long week of school.

But it's not like you could hide from this. Hide from whatever was going on between you and Hiori. Or at least what could start happening between the two of you.

Maybe he did like you.

And maybe, you didn't mind that.

And maybe, just maybe, you liked him too.

🍓 TAGLIST; @shrii-kk @sharks-3

[meluksis]

I wanna say my opinion

English is not my native language! Maybe I wrote something wrong, maybe I read the post wrong

1.

I understand that men need more fics about their fav characters. As a woman I have enough content with Jinx, and I think it’s hard if you can’t get as much fanfics as you want

BUT

The authors themselves decide for which gender it is more comfortable for them to write, and have the right to reject any request.

If you want more fanfics, you can write them yourself, or write a request to an author who writes for men. I saw a few of them.

+ Most fanfics by tag Jinx x reader are for gender neutral reader. It means you can read them, it doesn't matter if you're a man, a woman or a non-binary person

2.

We don’t know Jinx’s canonical sexuality. She might be bisexual even if she likes Ekko. And even if she is straight, it’s fine to write Jinx x fem reader fics, as much as it’s fine to write Cait x male reader or Vi x male reader. They are fictional. They don’t give a shit about those fics. I don’t think it’s disgusting or something. And I think it works both ways. We can write gay fics about straight characters, and straight fics about gays.

3.

I don’t understand this whole dni thing. Whether it’s men/minors/whatever dni. Like, why do you care about who read your fics? I might don’t understand something, it’s not necessary to hate me, but I, like, really don’t get it.

4.

“G!p and male reader are the same thing!”

1. No

2. If you think so, what’s stopping you from reading g!p reader fics?)

So yeah, I mean, i get your position in some way, but mostly man wtf

[elrielsgarden]

A lovely friend sent me this post today, which is a screenshot of a comment I posted on IG. Likely this was found on this very Tumblr page, where I shared this comment to make a point about Elain and the hate she receives from people in the fandom.

What can I say to get what I wrote here into your head?

“Feyre is a beautiful character, and to dismiss her is to dismiss every reader who identifies with her”?

“Nesta is a beautiful character, and to dismiss her is to dismiss every reader who identifies with her”?

Both of those statements are also true. But I don’t usually need to defend Feyre or Nesta or the people who read their stories and saw something of themselves in the characters.

That’s such a large part—if not the largest—of why we read: to live a thousand lives, to connect with characters, to see parts of ourselves in these characters.

Allow me to define “identify” for you:

To identify with a character is not to self-insert. “Self-insert” by definition is not something a reader does; it is actually a literary device, where the author writes themselves into a story as a character within it. By definition I cannot “self-insert” myself into Elain’s character because I did not write her story.

I read Elain’s story, same as every reader. Whether you choose to see what Sarah J. Maas wrote and described in canon is up to you.

I, and the beautiful people who love Elain and Elriel (which also includes the large majority of casual readers outside the online fandom), will understand the words written and believe them, too. We feel no need to make Gwyn, Elain, Lucien, Azriel, and sometimes even Nesta into people they aren’t—just to make our theories and head cannons work. We simply don’t need to, because we understand the character on the page.

I will always defend Elain. I will always defend the readers who identify with her. I will always defend Azriel. I will always defend Feyre. I will always defend Nesta. I will always defend Gwyn. The list continues. And every time, I will defend who they are based solely in the words of Sarah J. Maas in the ACOTAR series. To defend them is not to excuse faults or flaws, but it is to support a reading of the text that comprehends the whole picture of their character.

I will say it again, as I said in that original comment.

Elain Archeron is a beautiful character, and to dismiss her is to dissmiss every reader who identifies with her gentle soul. 🌸

[dearfuturehusbandblog]

I'm Not Sure How To Feel...

Dear Future Husband,

Wow. I almost wrote Deaf Uture Husband, which is either ironic or a Freudian slip of the fingers, because that's literally what this post is about.

I grew up with a disabled, lazy, mostly-absentee, so-many-other-problems, father.

And someone just sent me the resume for someone similar.

Now, the truth is, I don't know him all that well.

But I do know that he's deaf (aka disabled). And that (at least in the beginning, especially around the divorce) he has been kind of an absentee father. And that he was kind of pushed into working despite not really wanting to, so he basically works a minimum wage job.

I know all this because he's the ex of a family friend.

Yeah.

Also he's a lot younger than me, which on it's face isn't necessarily a problem, but it's the lack of maturity more than the "youngness" that bothers me.

The friend who sent the resume is one of the absolute sweetest people you could ever meet in your life.

We were in middle and high school together, though we didn't share too many classes and weren't in the same social circles, so at the time we were more acquaintances than friends.

But recently I signed up to bring them a meal after she gave birth and I've since been helping her out with the kids a few times a week and we've definitely moved from acquaintances to friends.

Since it's been less than 2 months though, we are still getting to know each other and I'm not sure if the resume was her idea or her husband's. I don't even really know if they actually know him or just read the resume and thought it sounded good for me. But she had asked me if the last name had ever come across my desk before and I just thought to myself "it caaaan't be who I think it is...." so I told her to feel free to send it over, because the best case scenario is that it's someone I've never heard of and the worst case scenario is I just say no thank you.

I considered how to word it when I saw that it was exactly who I thought it was, and ended up just telling her how funny it was that I actually did know who he was and that it was just not shayich for a bunch of reasons, but I'd keep him in mind for others.

Diplomatic, closed the subject, and now we can move on.

Or can we....?

Because this is the second guy suggested to me this year who is a little off.

And I know that kind of comes with the territory of being an "older single".

And I know that people think that I'm the sweetest person and therefore would entertain the idea of these guys because I come across as a nonjudgemental person, the exact type these guys would need to marry.

But at the same time, I'd like to think people deem me worthy of at least a 6, you know?

Neither of these guys are ugly, per se, but they're just ambitionless.

And I know, look who's talking, right? But the truth is, I do have ambitions, I just have no way to make them happen because I don't have the mazal for it.

These guys could have all the mazal in the world, but they just kind of couldn't care less, I guess.

They kind of lack personality.

And I know I have friends who are all personality who married very mild guys, but I feel like I need someone who I can have a conversation with. Someone I can be a bit combative with (in a healthy way). Someone with thoughts and ideas and who wants to do things.

Does this mean I just don't come off as my authentic self to the people who are trying to set me up? (Not that I really think I'm ready for marriage yet, but since Hashem works in mysterious ways, I don't just shoot down whatever ideas are floated my way)

The first guy who was suggested to me this year I did actually go out with. Since I was away for the summer and he was staying like an hour and a half away from where I was staying, he took a bus to come meet me, which I totally didn't expect to happen.

He was nice enough, but awkward and probably on the spectrum. I did most of the talking and it was like pulling teeth to get him to open up about most things, so I kept it light and did mostly ice breaker type conversation while we walked around a park a little bit. Then I drove him to catch his bus and that was kind of it.

The girl who wanted us to go out was an old family friend I hadn't seen in at least 15 years, but I ran into her at a simcha and she had her mom (who used to be a shadchan) do the shadchan thing.

Just based on his resume, I had a feeling it wasn't going to work out because hashkafically we were in two different places, but I figured if he was up to meet, then the least I could do was give him an hour or two of my time, because maybe I'd know someone who is right for him.

The friend later told me that he never dates because he's too shy and she'd been trying to get him to go out for several years and I was the first person he'd said yes to. She tried to get me to go on another date with him, but like I said, hashkafically we were just on two different pages though if he's interested in talking tachlis, I'll go out again, but he kind of agreed because he didn't want a second date either. (She kind of figured if she could get me to say yes then maybe he would too. I think she's just trying to get him out of his little rut, though I don't know if he wants to leave it, to be honest...)

For example, I'm looking for someone for whom attending minyan is important, whereas he prefers to daven by himself, if at all.

And I'm looking for someone who has a regular learning seder multiple days a week, at the very least over the phone if they're unable to connect in person, and he learns about once a week, if at all.

I want a Shabbos table that revolves around Torah, sefarim, and zemiros. And he... I guess doesn't?

In general I'm just looking for someone more serious about and more settled in their yiddishkeit and I didn't get that impression of him in the resume or in person (and then the shadchan confirmed those impressions too).

And as for this second guy I was just suggested... I get the feeling it's the same type of situation. I've met him several times and he just reminds me so much of my father in terms of his apathy towards yiddishkeit and being a father.

That's not at all what I'm looking for.

And I know this friend who sent the resume for this second guy sees the world through such positive, beautiful glasses, but I can't help thinking that it's kind of offensive people think that little of me.

Again, maybe that's not at all what she was thinking. Maybe she doesn't actually know him and was just passing along the resume for someone who on paper looks great. I mean, the resume looks decent. The blurb is short and hits all the important positive points, so from the outside it is similar to what I'm looking for.

But knowing the person and the way things went down with the divorce and everything definitely changes the whole perspective. His ex was literally in tears on multiple occasions that he seemed so disinterested in his role as a father and just showing up and being present when the kids wanted him.

So I guess at this point I'm just hoping she doesn't actually know him and was just passing along the resume because it looks decent.

Either way, dear future husband, he is not you. Neither of them are. I can say that with confidence.

-LivelyHeart

[dervampireprince]

when you read your own than/ares fic and remember how much you love ares unexpectedly being soft and insecure and he's afraid of hurting than, whereas than's just been staring at ares arms all day and can't stop thinking about getting fisted and how full he'd feel and asks ares and ares is so concerned that he's going to hurt thanatos but they prepare thanatos well and he takes ares fist and ares just watching in awe that someone trusts him this much to want and have his hands that have wrought so much inside of them. so yeah just those thoughts going around in my head while I'm sick.

[dni minors, dni blogs that have no 18+ age listed in their bio]

[meownotgood]

I will finish this by halloween I will finish this by october 31st I will finish it I CAN!!! I CAN DO IT

[eddiemunsonsmum]

Just saw this comment on a story posted a month ago.

*cries in Eddie Munson Solo Series no one wanted to read, interact with or request for*

No shade to the person that commented this on their own fic if you recognize it. It's not their fault. I'm not mad at them. More crying in the tags.

[unriding]

Me sneaking into your asks with this drabble:

Disclaimer: I have yet to get a good grasp of Moze's character so this might be a bit OOC and on your side as well (sorry). I did my best. Also, this was inspired by the post you made abt telling Moze your tasks for the day | 600+ words (not proofread)

.

.

.

In Moze's eyes, you reminded him of a dog catching a case of the zoomies.

You were quite literally everywhere. He'd find you talking to someone one moment before you're rushing off to do something else entirely the next. It seemed like you had quite a lot on your plate as of recently. Tasks, things you wanted to do, and so much more spinning around that mind of yours. You've told him a bit of your plans so he has a general idea. But seeing you juggling all of those tasks at once makes both admiration and concern bloom in his chest.

One time, Moze found you carrying a box filled with items. It would've been amusing to him how comical it was that the items piled so high— he could barely see you behind it. However, he did worry right after given how you almost tripped over something. He managed to catch you and the items before both came crashing all over the floor.

He insisted on helping you carry the items to wherever its destination was. It took a bit of pursuasion on his side. Convincing you that it truly wasn't a bother to him at all, and that he'd be very much glad to be of assistance to you.

"I need to get these delivered first. Then go stop by the shop to buy some things. After that…" You go on to ramble about the things you had to do to help get a better vision on what else you had to do. "Oh, no… I messed up." The smile on your face dropping at the thought that had slipped your mind until that moment. "I forgot to invite Jiaoqiu to dinner with the others—"

"It's tomorrow evening, right? He knows. I mentioned it last time when I spoke to him." Moze says with a calm tone.

You blink at him, slightly caught off-guard by the man beside you. Though it's immediately replaced with relief and gratitude. The smile on your face already back, lighting up your features once more. Infectious as always, it makes the corners of his lips tug upwards as well. A small part of him feels quite proud to have been able to help you ease your worries even by a bit.

And this is when you start noticing it.

Did you mention that you're running out of a certain skincare product, but you can't find the time to stop by the store to buy it? Moze conveniently has to stop by near the store and buys it for you. Did you also mention that you wanted to do a certain task but keep forgetting about it? He gently reminds you about it via message or verbal if he's nearby. Did you also happen to mention that you've been meaning to try out a certain desert from a cafe, but the schedule simply doesn't seem to allow you? No fear, he passes by the store to buy you the treat.

Moze doesn't see you as someone incapable of handling things by yourself. To him, he simply sees it as a way to show his care. If making a quick stop somewhere, sending you a small reminder of something you had to do that day, or even helping you out with the tasks you need to accomplish, makes you smile? Gives you a chance to take a break? Let you worry less about the things you need to do? It's worth it in his eyes.

He does his best to avoid making you feel like you're bothering or troubling him (you really aren't). Most of the time, he does them discrcetly and casually. Partially, since he's also scared that you'll think he's weird or a creep for acting like that.

Please don't think of him badly.

Moze truly means well.

[sysig]

Special Counseling (Patreon)

[seaslimes]

Every time I see those posts about the AO3 F/F to M/M ratios, all I can think is:

Okay, excellent point. But what if you just wrote it?

Like. Yeah, man, I'm sure it's discouraging to see raw numbers talking about how your ship doesn't get the rep it needs. But when you get down to numbers... sometimes the difference within fandoms is less than 500 more M/M works than F/F works. That's actionable. You can fill that gap with a fraction of the people liking / reblogging posts about F/F erasure.

Sometimes the gap is bigger. It's like, 1000 more works are tagged M/M. 2000, or more. Yeah, that's a big gap, but you could make it one less. If every person liking or reblogging a post about the disparity of ship fics on AO3, that number would shrink drastically, or outright disappear.

IDK. I write F/F. I write M/M too, as well as M/F. But I write F/F, and when I see that sorta post. It doesn't feel like a call to action. It feels like somehow, in some way, I'm not doing enough when I post up fanfiction for free about stuff I like.

It makes me feel like I should stop sharing my F/F work, that it doesn't matter, that people don't recognize the effort or love or time that goes into it. Even beyond that, I feel discouraged about the work I have put out, because thousands of words written all about an F/F pairing are only seen in that raw stat format.

"There's X M/M fics and Y F/F fics." Yes, I know, and that has to suck. But look at how many people wrote F/F fics! Have you commented on each of those F/F fics? Have you given kudos? Did you feel inspired to write or draw because of those F/F fics? That's what fandom is for. That's why we create. If that's not inspiring you to "close the gap" on those stats, I don't know what to say.

[theood]

you wanna talk about the House Hen? Lets talk about the House!

It has been 10 months and it doesnt stop I keep reading this fucking thing and connecting more dots

YEAAAAH I need need need to finish it. Everyone pray tomorrow I'm taken over by a beast again. There's so much to SAY about the chunk I read. The thoughts I have about Navidson and his relationship to the house, how it changed, Johnny's slipping of reality, lying, forgetting, omitting, forgetting he didn't say, what's even real anymore? Or, how when Navidson was assuming he was already dead (I mean, of course he is. Who witnesses his own death), his blabbering went right to his brother. Where is Tom? Is this where you ended up? Don't look down. Always the funny one. Always the self-sacrifice. Whisked away. He was his brother's keeper. Of course it was followed with Karen. And you can't count the ramblings of a man facing his own death but also. Doomed from the start. Always. The text was warning us. RAUGH. Those two made me think of another pair of siblings in different media

[halfelven]

love random not even logged in readers just dropping their 'constructive criticism' on your 100k+ story that you're putting online entirely for free. this is just a rant btw

"You obviously have a great talent and I think you should work on honing it some. As much as I’ve enjoyed the story, there are a few things that stand out that you might consider looking at. I feel like the story isn’t sure what it wants to be at times; is it character driven or plot driven? It doesn’t flow smoothly because sometimes we have these wonderful character vignettes, like Illumi and Kalluto on a road trip or Kite/Leorio/Gon/Killua in an apartment where plot doesn’t really feel important, followed by what feels like heavily plot driven beats, like Kalluto and the spiders. In addition, it contributes to confusion because sometimes we see established characterization turned on its head. Especially the weird way everyone all of a sudden just sort of was OK with Kalluto being a spider and then working with Illumi when they just went to all that trouble to escape him? It all kind of feels forced and not natural. You know?

Anyway, I’ll definitely keep reading and look forward to seeing what happens."

first: love you trying to sound legitimate with your "in addition" like this is some kind of writer's workshop. second: in what way would I, the writer, think that an incomplete part of my story in which the reader does not yet know most of the main motivations (they are only hinted at so far) feels forced and not natural when I know what's happening, where it is going (and where I haven't had other readers comment with confusion about that part)

and moving on. don't do this. also like i said this is a wip in and no, no one is cool with Kalluto being a spider and no they're not cool working with Illumi, really. it was already established that some of them /have/ been working with Illumi before this~ he's someone that they know. like have you never been in a seriously dangerous situation that you just have to get through before you get back to what you want?*** also at this point Chrollo's real motive hasn't been entirely revealed.

Killua keeps changing his mind about what he's doing because he's a scared kid whose self-hatred is destroying him from the inside out. the POV is so tight that I have to keep dropping reminders that what is stated in the narrative is often not true! Illumi's POV, for example, keeps showing Killua as really loving him and being happy he's around but struggling with a desire for freedom, while with Killua's POV he's terrified of Illumi most of the time. like how is that not obviously a distorted POV where you can't trust the narrator?

"where plot doesn’t really feel important, followed by what feels like heavily plot driven beats"

this part is especially irritating because it's like yeah that's how I want to write it? this isn't a published novel. I don't have to commit to making sure every scene is important to the plot. I can spend time writing a full scene about someone drinking a glass of water and then 13 chapters in a row that are for moving the plot forward. I didn't even tag it as a novel... I did tag it for unreliable narration and I keep getting annoyed that people keep ignoring that.

"I feel like the story isn’t sure what it wants to be at times; is it character driven or plot driven?"

it's both??? it's neither??? it's a fanfic??? why do I keep getting comments lately where people are expecting me to adhere to like fucking publishing standards. this keeps up and I will write a chapter which is entirely about a minor character drinking a glass of water. watch me. I'll write one about phinks drinking a glass of water and you'll like it*

"Overall, the story is good and presented a compelling alternative to CA. Look, each fan has their own opinion on CA and I know I didn’t like it. I think it was a product of what Togashi was going through as he began to experience health issues and then finding himself right back where he said he wasn’t going to be mentally after he ended his earlier manga. We can never know for sure, but it certainly had a “watch it all burn vibe” to it near the end. I honestly believe he wanted it to end with the finality of Gon’s suicide as a capstone statement, but was probably convinced to go a different route, which kinda of left a jarring feel in the narrative and culminated in a rather unsatisfying end to Gon and Killua’s journey. Despite that, I am very reluctant to read fics where the events of CA are erased or grossly modified and honestly yours is really the first long AU/alternate timeline I’ve enjoyed"

okay first of all, I love the CA arc. but I had to split a point off where Kite was going to survive. why do you have to leave this whole paragraph about how you think Togashi was or wasn't going to go with the CA on my fanfic? I didn't even write this as 'oh look at my alternative to CA bc I hated CA' I don't really look forward to hearing comments about how random people didn't like so and so aspect of the story that I'm basing my story off of. I've never written fanfic for a story that I didn't like (except for some things that I don't have published I wrote at a request for friends for a fandom they were into that I wasn't really) and yeah I've wanted to 'fix' aspects (like tolkien's treatment of women for example) but I am not looking for your 'this is what I hated about the source material' comments on my stories

tired of getting comments with little 'oh I didn't like your style at first but now I do' or 'here's how to fix your story!' unsolicited advice from people who aren't better writers than me (I don't even want it from people who would be better writers than me on stuff I'm just doing for fun and for free)

when did stuff like this become normal? at least don't be a coward and be not logged in so you can't even get a response notification. like girl they aren't cool with it! why do you think everyone is on guard standing around like they're in a fucking hostage situation? how do you see such wildly different interpretations from different character's POVs and think it's not intentional? what part about Kite watching Killua like a fucking hawk makes you think he's going to let Illumi take him after this?

like if you've never had to smile and pretend to be cool with your abuser (pretend to love them) or someone who was threatening you to keep someone else safe then good for you! it fucking sucks! also don't know how to explain to you what a child who is growing up in an extremely isolated abusive situation goes through (though I keep writing about it in this story you should catch on...) but it's a million back and forths with emotion and feelings--especially if their abuser does (to in some way or to some degree) love them. and it is often blaming themselves. I'm not letting my years of studying human psychology and child development go to waste here**

is this story perfect? no but I'm not gonna hire an editor for a fanfic. and everyone's interpretations of characters will be different. especially with child characters who are going through huge changes in the world around them and their personal lives. part of the appeal of fanfiction is 'who would they become if this happened instead?' *sorry I keep writing about starving and not having clean drinking water but I will never stop because that's what I grew up with and it's hell. also phinks drinking water would be compelling since I assume he'd have harder access to clean drinking water

**hunter x hunter is also one of the only stories I have encountered with characters who have backgrounds as fucked up as mine and Togashi's interest in human psychology really stands out.

***like good for you but that was most of my life and you sometimes just have to shut up and get through it. and no I will not put my notes in the right order bc I'm not being paid enough****

****I'm being paid nothing

[infizero]

came to the startling realization just now that there are people who actually think light was totally fine and all his evilness came from the death note. ermmm. loud incorrect buzzer

[ziracona]

I know I say this every time I read my own work, but Speak for the Dead really is the best chapter in ILM.

“Well, you know for the first time in a long time this actually feels like fall?”

Jane Romero was smiling at him, sitting propped up against a tree in what had sort of become her usual ‘therapy’ corner in the past almost two weeks. And she was right, it did feel like fall. The air wasn’t as sharply cold as normal, and honestly ‘sharply’ cold was a nice break in and of itself when it happened—usually the weather here was somehow just cold—cold with no adjectives attached. But today it was nicer. It was the kind of waiting fall cold that came when it wasn’t biting outside yet, and it was almost pleasant. A promise of a change in the seasons. Tapp wondered why.

The trees hadn’t started to change color with it, or fall in piles, and as far as he’d gathered there weren’t seasons in here. Everything looked the same. Tall, thick woods, undergrowth and moss and rocks and fallen logs, a slight breeze on and off. Dark sky overhead, full moon, at this point long since throwing off everyone’s idea of what day and night were supposed to mean. All the usual. Except, somehow, the kind of cold in the weather. Who knew, maybe nothing had changed. Maybe they had just started to feel better.

LIKE. Those opening lines mean nothing but environmental flavor when you read them. But they’re a lead in for the thesis of the entire chapter.

“Well, you know for the first time in a long time this actually feels like fall?” - A promise of a change in the seasons. - Who knew, maybe nothing had changed. Maybe they had just started to feel better.

Like that’s it. Speak for the Dead is about a lot of things, but at its heart it’s about healing. It’s about forgiveness and healing, that exists between the living and the dead. It’s about how you can only speak for them, by speaking for them. Not how you want to punish yourself or live for them, but by how you know they would forgive you, or would ask you to live. Very little other than exchanges of information happen, but so much happens at the same time. All of it significant. It’s hope. It’s about how Tapp (and Meg) have spent every day here fighting in their own way to cope with the agony and failure of their lives, and the loss of people they couldn’t save, and have only dug their wounds deeper. About love. About nothing stoping the lambs from screaming except accepting that they want to let you go.

[fancy-marshmallow]

thinking about the duality of twelfth night and hamlet this evening ...

[weirdly-specific-but-ok]

for whom good omens is being written

Hey maggots and the rest of the fandom, it's the Good Omens Mascot here. Today I read a post about this tweet:

The accompanying video genuinely made me cry. And I've been thinking about this for a long while, as far back as February, when I saw a lot of conflicting opinions on what people wanted from the third season. It really is true that no matter what you do, some people will be dissatisfied. But what matters is that Neil is writing this for Terry.

And I was reminded of some paragraphs from the Good Omens TV Companion, which I'd read in Amazon's sample excerpt of the book. I know this is a long post, but I really truly do think you all need to read these, I've done my best to select only the most important parts. Here you go:

'His Alzheimer's started progressing harder and faster than either of us had expected,' says Neil, referring to a period in which Terry recognized that despite everything he could no longer write. 'We had been friends for over thirty years, and during that time he had never asked me for anything. Then, out of the blue, I received an email from him with a special request. It read: “Listen, I know how busy you are. I know you don't have time to do this, but I want you to write the script for Good Omens. You are the only human being on this planet who has the passion, love and understanding for the old girl that I do. You have to do this for me so that I can see it." And I thought, “OK, if you put it like that then I'll do it."

'I had adapted my own work in the past, writing scripts for Death: The High Cost of Living and Sandman, but not a lot else was seen. I'd also written two episodes of Doctor Who, and so I felt like I knew what I was doing. Usually, having written something once I'd rather start something new, but having a very sick co-author saying I had to do this?' Neil spreads his hands as if the answer is clear to see. 'I had to step up to the plate.' A pause, then: 'All this took place in autumn 2014, around the time that the BBC radio adaptation of Good Omens was happening,' he continues, referring to the production scripted and co-directed by Dirk Maggs and starring Peter Serafinowicz and Mark Heap. ‘Terry had talked me into writing the TV adaptation, and I thought OK, I have a few years. Only I didn't have a few years,' he says. 'Terry was unconscious by December and dead by March.'

He pauses again. 'His passing took all of us by surprise,' Neil remembers. 'About a week later, I started writing, and it was very sad. The moments Terry felt closest to me were the moments I would get stuck during the writing process. In the old days, when we wrote the novel, I would send him what I'd done or phone him up. And he would say, "Aahh, the problem, Grasshopper, is in the way you phrase the question," and I would reply, "Just tell me what to do!" which somehow always started a conversation. 'In writing the script, there were times I'd really want to talk to Terry, and also places where I'd figure something out and do something really clever, and I would want to share it with him. So, instead, I would text Terry's former personal assistant, Rob Wilkins, now his representative on Earth. It was the nearest thing I had.'

(...) As Neil himself recognizes, this is an adaptation built upon the confidence that comes from three decades of writing for page and screen. But for all the wisdom of experience, he found that above all one factor guided him throughout the process. 'Terry isn't here, which leaves me as the guardian of the soul of the story,' he explains. 'It's funny because sometimes I found myself defending Terry's bits harder or more passionately than I would defend my own bits. Take Agnes Nutter,' he says, referring to what has become a key scene in the adaptation in which the seventeenth-century author of the book of prophecies foretelling the coming of the Antichrist is burned at the stake. ‘It was a huge, complicated and incredibly expensive shoot, with bonfires built and primed to explode as well as huge crowds in costume. It had to feel just like an English village in the 1640s, and of course everyone asked if there was a cheap way of doing it. 'One suggestion was that we could tell the story using old-fashioned woodcuts and have the narrator take us through what happened, but I just thought, “No”. Because I had brought aspects of the story like Crowley and the baby swap along to the mix, and Terry created Agnes Nutter. So, if I had cut out Agnes then I wouldn't be doing right by the person who gave me this job. Terry would've rolled over in his grave.'

And, finally, this paragraph:

"Once again, Neil cites the absence of his co-writer as his drive to ensure that Good Omens translated to the screen and remained true to the original vision. 'Terry's last request to me was to make this something he would be proud of. And so that has been my job.'"

I think that's so heartwrenchingly beautiful, and so I wanted you all to read this, too, just in case you (like me) don't have the Good Omens TV Companion. It adds another layer of depth and emotion to this already complex and amazing story that we all know and love.

Share this post, if you can, please, so that more people can read these excerpts :")

Tagging @neil-gaiman, @fuckyeahgoodomens and @orpiknight, even if you've definitely read these before :)