#sincerely i think a lot of people who are really skilled writers are kind of crazy

[pomefioredove]

Hey follow-up,

Please disregard that last ask I forgot to put it under anonymous.

If it’s not too much trouble and if you feel alright answering would you mind answering it from here

Sincerely, the person who sent the ask like 1min ago.

Don’t worry this is in no way a request, I wanted to know your take on this thought I was rereading your good ending And I was wondering how do you think. The third, the first years, and the staff would react to finding out Yuu was planning to secretly leave before they were sold off, like during the announcement? I was thinking about it, like I would just bounce. Instead of being, essentially, someone’s property. Yk? Also I apologize i am aware that this is a heavy topic. If you don’t feel comfortable answering this pls let me know.

this got buried in my inbox sorry, but I can definitely talk about my thoughts on this, warning for bad english probably

the story I wrote is inherently kind of... dark, and that was intentional. I don't think I did a very good job at expressing that, which I why I haven't touched that storyline in a long time. but it was always meant to go hand-in-hand with what already happens in canon, that yuu just becomes crowley's pawn, and the boys are so egotistical and so competitive with each other that yuu's feelings and wellbeing are ignored as a result. we love these characters but, really, with the exception of very few, they couldn't care less about yuu as a person (perhaps this is a little nihilistic of me to say, but that's the impression I got).

I do really like reading concepts about yuu running away from nrc, multiple different authors I admire have written about it, simply because we all know that yuu is very unsafe and likely unhappy there, in canon. it's not an unlikely thought.

though, again, because most of these boys just... don't ask, or don't understand, or just don't even think about yuu's emotional state, I feel like yuu running away in ANY story would take them by complete surprise. again, I love these guys, but they're still... villains. they're all so wrapped up in their own lives, their own problems, their own egos, that they just... don't even think about others. or very few of them do, anyway.

I think characters like vil and rook would be able to catch the signs. vil, if anyone, would intervene somehow, but I don't think rook would. ace and deuce miiight be able to tell that something was off, depending on how yuu would go about it (i.e. looking for new places to live, planning a date to escape etc) but both of them could be easily convinced that they're fine.

again, this is the prefect we're talking about; yuu has been put in a position of responsibility against their will, and they're seen as capable and mature as a result. the idea that they could be suffering from a mental breakdown, or planning to run away, is laughable to those who know them.

in the story I wrote, the same logic applies. yuu's feelings are never taken into consideration, and the boys just assume yuu is fine with it because they seem so responsible. their autonomy is never questioned, just like in canon. a lot of other writers have done very similar stories because, well, the concept is already canonical. likewise I tried to express that the boys don't even realize how serious the situation is, again because they're oblivious to everyone but themselves, and in all endings it's just like yuu moves to a new dorm. there's also the good ending. and some more. though again I think I did a bad job at expressing that. I think my english skills had something to do with it, and maybe I shouldn't have written the happy endings that people requested, I feel I started losing the original point by then. (I've thought about this a lot already).

but yuu running away makes sense. it makes sense even in canon.

there are very few things that I think that are holding yuu back from running away

at the beginning of the series, yuu literally knows no one in this world, and no place to go. they don't even know what exists outside nrc

yuu has no money

again, crowley controls yuu (and frequently blackmails and guilt trips them about it???)

yuu and grim are bonded and yuu couldn't leave without him

but there are ways. I'm honestly surprised that yuu running away to nbc isn't more common in fics because it makes complete sense to me. like, if I was in that position, post-glomas, I wouldn't want to leave noble bell in the first place.

cause I know that rollo would help yuu, support them, kill crowley threaten crowley right back if he tried anything, and grim could continue studying to be a mage at noble bell.

this concept has been living in my brain since november but that's something for another day.

as for who would be affected?

in an alternate universe, yuu running away is what causes malleus' overblot. this... kind of goes hand-in-hand with my nbc au, but it works either way.

ace and deuce and epel would be heartbroken. I can see all three of them beating themselves up about not having seen the signs before. I imagine vil pulls them through the worst of it, even though he feels a similar sense of guilt for not having been able to help.

a lot of characters I feel would just... not care. or be mildly concerned and that's it. I'm talking about canon yuu here, and from what I could pick up... yeah. a lot of the boys would either say they saw it coming, express some disappointment, or just... couldn't be bothered.

RIDDLE. I think riddle would be really upset.

I think the staff, especially trein, would have seen it coming. they wouldn't be surprised, knowing how yuu is treated. their main concern would be yuu's safety.

then there's rook who like. okay. hear me out on this. so rook can find yuu with his unique magic. and I think he would track them down, out of curiosity. but he wouldn't interfere with their life unless they were in serious danger. like, in my nbc au, I don't think rook would even tell anyone that yuu is there. he can tell they're happier, and being taken care of, so... why bother?

there are a lot of other thoughts I have on this but that about sums it up for now.

[macfrog]

Hi!! A couple things to share —

First, i just finished SCOM. You should be so proud of yourself for such an emotionally tactile story you’ve built, particularly in such a short timeline. I don't have kids and have made medical choices not to have kids, but reading this broke my heart in two thinking about how beautiful an experience this is for reader & Joel, and imagining this for myself in such a lovely way. It felt so real. I think you really captured people as they are. And I think that’s actually really hard to do in a sincere way. It’s easy to fall into dramatics as a writer, but to let feelings and experiences and nuance tell their own story isn’t easy. Idk if that makes sense but I hope it does 💕

Second, there’s so much shit going down in this fandom right now and being new to it all in the last 2 years and probably elderly at 35 years old I don’t really know what to make of it all, except to thank you for all the joy you’ve given me via your writing. I found CLM on AO3 and have since loved SoF and all your one shots. I’m not terribly vocal with comments etc bc I tend to lurk but I think you and so many other fic authors deserve so much credit for sharing your creativity and skills so freely. I have an English lit background and I’m constantly in awe of the storytelling gifts that exist across this fandom. You deserve more respect than you get and I’m sad to see so much negativity. Please know there are more supporters than you might think ❤️

hello! i hope you're well, non. this is so kind of you, thank you so much 🤍

that's what fiction is for, right? planting our feet in these worlds we wouldn't otherwise know, living through the characters. playing pretend for a little while. i had a lot of fun doing that while writing it so i'm honored you had the same fun reading it!

your second point - please feel free to lurk away for as long as you like! i totally get those feelings with everything that's been going on. it can be a lot sometimes. there are countless incredibly talented people who are genuinely wonderful humans in this corner of the internet, and i wish we all felt a little more comfortable to just exist and post our silly stories here.

i really, really appreciate you saying that 🤍 my vibe on here has always and will always be that as long as you're kind, you're welcome around here - in whichever way you'd like to be. lurk, like, reblog, send a message. whatever you feel comfortable doing, i'm more than happy for you to do. i think a lot of writers would feel the same! x

[doctorweebmd]

Hiii i saw some other asks but they all had like 4 emojis so now idk if this is too much im so sorry if it is, hopefully you can answer all if you want to! Hope you have a great day! 💞🤩🧠(katsuki)🤗🍦🎶

lol anon are you kidding?! I LOVE talking about myself and my writing you are doing ME the favor hahaha

💞- Who's your comfort character?

Hmmm you know I actually never really thought about the 'definition' of what a comfort character is. Like, what's the difference between that and a favorite character? I looked it up and read a thinkpiece or two... (this is not supposed to be that deep I knoowwwwww i'm sorrryyy) but if we go by what I read, like a pseudo-parasocial-relationship, about who I think about when I'm upset or who motivates me in real life or who I just vibe with in general I'd say...

Izuku Midoriya. I can't even explain it. Like, if it doesn't have Deku in it, I ain't interested (BNHA fandom-wise.) He's flawed and overly sensitive and works SO SO HARD and is so sincere and GOOD and also INSANE SOMETIMES and he's just. My favorite. Literally no other MC can do it like him.

🤩- Who is your favorite character to write?

Hahhaha oh jeez I think my favorite to write might be Katsuki. I also really love writing Akutagawa. They both have a very particular manner of speech that I think brings a LOT of character to narration. I also write writing them both because getting a read into their inner minds is super fun, because we, as the audience, don't really get to hear their internal monologues. What do they think about? How do they think about it? Their heads are SO fucked, I just love picking them apart piece by piece lmao

🧠- Pick a character, and I'll tell you my favorite headcanon for them. (Katsuki)

That he's hopelessly, painfully in love with Izuku and he thinks its unrequited.

Just joking....

...Unless?

No but this is kinda hard. My thoughts about Katsuki are actively changing with canon. He's changed so much in canon. I guess this isn't a fun one, but I truly do believe Katsuki has a... difficult... relationship with his mother. They're too similar and the kind of shit she's said about him seems really cruel and backhanded. I also wouldn't be surprised if he instilled some of Katsuki's dislike of 'quirkless' Izuku. Mitsuki doesn't strike me as the kind of woman that ever really hugged Katsuki or told him that she loved him, she expected perfection from him and he GAVE her that. I also think, at least in part, his 'bad boy act' (because we know, WE KNOW its an act) is a way to rebel against her. No hate towards Mitsuki but I think across every universe she's shaped Katsuki's self-hatred and extreme pride and belief that he's not worthy of gentleness or affection. Erhem.

Wow I made myself sad with that. Oh moms. You sure are... something.

🤗 - What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

Haha I'm not sure I'm qualified to give advice! I'll definitely do my best.

I echo what lots of other people say. Just write. Whatever it is. With whatever skill you have. Get whatever story you have in your head down. It doesn't have to be perfect. Or even complete. The act of putting it into words is insanely valuable. You won't even notice yourself becoming a better writer, but it happens almost naturally.

One saying I kinda live by is 'if you build it, they will come.' None of your ideas are too 'niche' or too 'weird.' Different people connect to different concepts. Some of my most rewarding writing experiences have been from writing shit that I legitimately thought no one would read. Keep at it. Recognition is not an indicator of quality. The right people will find you.

Write your thoughts down. Even if you think its stupid. You'd be surprised how much you revisit things. I often use text-to-speech for ideas or dialogue when I'm driving. This I've started doing more recently, but when you cut things out of your writing, save them in another document or at the bottom.

Obviously, read. The more you read, the better you'll write. We're all Frankenstein amalgamations of our favorite authors. Again, you won't know what will flip a switch in your brain until you give it a shot, right? I hate to say it, but sometimes 'classics' can be that inspiration. They're survived this long for a reason. 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and 'East of Eden' both changed my brain chemistry and they were high school reading assignments....

Gosh. I mean, not to be cheesy, but just have fun with it. Its a hobby and its supposed to bring you joy. Don't worry about updating schedules or word counts or stats. Write whats in you and let it blossom, ya know?

🍦- What's the sweetest fic you've created so far?

Oh jeez this is also hard because I write like... a ton of porn.

BUT. I think my sweetest fic is Battle of the Bands.

In particular I really REALLY love the epilogue chapter. That Katsuki and Izuku go on tour together.... that they have matching tattoos instead of wedding bands... THAT THEY GET MARRIED AND LIVE THEIR DREAM TOGETHER.... plus. like. the SLOW SLOW SLOW burn of it all. the love songs. the yearning. making music of feelings you cannot say aloud. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

🎶- Do you listen to music while you write? What song have you been playing on loop lately?

oh definitely! its kind of become an unintentional tradition. i generally start a new playlist for every fic and add things 'vibe-wise' that i already know, then randomize and add songs on that way. It sets the stage, in a weird way. And when I'm stuck, I often look for new songs for the playlist (obviously looking up lyrics and the like) so its inspiration on inspiration!

Lately I've been.... listening to some music from my emo-esque high school and early college years. I've listened to 'Death for My Birthday' by Say Anything a lot. Their self-titled album is actually pretty decent. Hate Everyone, Do Better, Less Cute, Eloise, Crush'd, Cemetery, Narcissus, I Hate You More Than I Hate My Period are all great.

But I'm also writing The Path To Paradise, so I'm listening to my 'To Hell and Back' playlist while writing it (I'm roadtripwithlucifer on Spotify.) I really like Carve Me Open by Silences but all the playlists are solid tbh. in MY honest opinion.

AHHHh THANK yOU FOR THE QUESTIONS ANON i hope the responses are okay!!! as always i ranted and overthought everything apologies forever and ever

[glorfindel-of-imladris]

19 and 38 for the writers ask 🌻💛

19. Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going?

I started writing very early. I can't remember if I've been writing anything else before I wrote fanfiction, but I was 12-13 when I wrote my first Yuu Yuu Hakusho fic. It definitely sucked lmao, but the important thing is that I did it. I think kids who want to write should just go for it.

Before writing though, I definitely read a lot, both fiction and non-fiction alike. I think reading is important in writing because it feeds the skill. Read from people who write better than you. Now back in the day of door-to-door salesmen selling encyclopedia sets (did I just date myself), my parents just went and bought every damn collection they found, and I was just the kind of obedient Asian child who thought, “Oh my parents bought all these books. I should read them!” 😂 I therefore went through the lit classics (on top of amassing a lot of obscure science trivia lol). In the fiction collection, my favorite book was Heidi, but also I dreamt of the day that Alice in Wonderland would make sense lmao, so I read it often. There was also a book of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales that I loved a lot, and that likely started my love affair with fairy tales (and later, fairy tale tropes in fanfic looool). As I grew older though, style-wise, I think eventually the writers who most influenced the way I write were Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, Charlotte Brontë, Anne Rice (though I hate to admit it now akdhjs), and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.

In school, I alternated between being an artist and a writer in school newspapers from grade school to high school. In university, I opted to join the literary folio over newspaper. I was part of the art and the poetry sub-groups. I think this was an important decision because apart from just writing, the group spent a lot of time reading. I also took a lot of literature electives around this time (because of course my majors were nowhere near art or writing 🥲). I loved close reading sessions the most, and I sincerely think that learning to be a good reader was the best thing I could have done for myself as a writer.

As for bumps, there were a lot! University is when I realised I cannot write professionally. My personality is not cut out for heavy critique, and I lose my drive when assigned topics as opposed to derping around waiting for a muse I get along with to come along. I am also not a disciplined writer, and even now I struggle with regular writing schedules.

After university, I still wrote here and there. By the time I entered the workforce, my writing was pretty solid, so I got a lot of side projects related to writing even though that's not my part of my day job. On the side, I also teach part-time in university, so there is some academic writing going on (albeit Very Slowly™). I also recently had the chance to write for a local publication on LGBTQIA+ issues, which I'd like to continue in the future. But over the years, I have been most active and most regularly wrote for fandom. I hyperfixate like crazy, and some days it's the only way I keep sane. I think fandom is the single most important thing that keeps my love for writing alive.

Where I'm going: I hope to continue writing. I do believe we grow wiser with age. There are things I appreciate more now than I did a decade ago, and I think that seeps into my writing. Our writing inevitably grows with us and I think that's wonderful. I can't wait to read what I can write at 70.

38. What is something about your writing process YOU think is Really Weird? If you are comfortable, please share. If you’re not comfortable, what do you think cats say about us?

I write my fics on my phone. I have been told this is Weird™.

[bookwyrminspiration]

I think a part of their being less fanfics is that a some of people who wrote fanfic left the fandom due to the long gaps between unlocked and Stellarlune, as well as them not liking Stellarlune.

This is shown in the way that there is a lot of AU fics or post-canon fics. While a lot fo people do enjoy writing canon-complimentary fics, it’s not something everyone is interested in, plus canon right now is kind of weird so it’s easier to just ignore it.

Also, it seems that a lot of the fandom is older now, so we are more critical of our work and have less time/motivation to write fanfic, even if we want to. Plus, as people get older, they are more aware of how characters are out of character in our writing and they therefore feel the need to make them all in character.

To add on to that, the hits to likes/kudos to comments ratio is so freaking off it’s not even funny. There’s less engagement, which leads people to believe that they are not good at writing, which means that they shouldn’t post anything.

I know what I said isn’t true for everyone, but that does feel like that’s what is happening. I am just speaking based off of what I see and experience. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

What are your thoughts on this Quil? Do you agree or disagree? Do you think this will continue or will it be resolved with the next book?

Sincerely, ⚙️

(PS I wanted to say that I did read your Kam one shot and while I didn’t really fully process what was going on, I did enjoy reading it. You did a good job at nailing their characters. When I have the time, I will properly explain every feeling that I have.)

That's a fair observation--the one thing I'd say to your comments about older fandom members leaving and current older members having less time is that fandom is always in flux. There's always new people joining and others leaving, at least here, but it doesn't seem like as many of the newer people are fic writers. Like there were some popular fanartists who aren't in the fandom anymore, but we still have popular fanartists who have joined since. And my anecdotal observation is that that doesn't seem to be happening with fic writers as much--but again, that's a casual observation not a vetted one so I may be off or just not seeing new writers myself

Though our fandom is in a weird place right now with longer wait times and the story taking an unexpected direction, so I'm sure that also has an impact. I don't think there's any one thing that's responsible, there's an intersection of different things that impact people in different ways. I'm really just focusing on one that we have more control over. We can't control all the other factors, but we can collaboratively make a supportive, encouraging space for writers of all skill levels and interests! And I think it would be neat to do so!

As for the hit/like/kudos ratio, it is disheartening at times. Though I do think we shouldn't be basing our self-worth and opinions of our writing on interaction. If someone feels shitty about their writing/skill level because of low interaction I believe they should reflect and work to disconnect that sense of self from others' opinions, not that we need to interact to make them feel better. That is something for them to work through for themselves

But at the same time, it would be naive to completely ignore how interaction shapes writing and creation in general in fandom spaces. Because it does play a role for many. Fandom spaces are a community, and community is built on interaction and support!

I have no way of knowing what will happen with the next book or what the fandom will look like--like I said, it's always changing, and my time blindness makes it very difficult for me personally to see and understand the cycle of slumps and activity. But I think we, as a fandom, do have the opportunity to take some measure of control over this.

We can choose how to react to what we see and what kind of space we want to create. We could wait for the next book and just kinda see what happens, or we could make an active effort now to interact with writers and their work when we read it, and to separate our sense of worth from the amount of interaction we get.

That doesn't mean everyone has to go out and read tons of fic and leave the longest comments in the world, just that I think many of us (and this 100% includes me too) could put in a small amount of more effort to interact with fics and writers to support fic in fandoms in a variety of ways.

I'll leave it there for now, but there is always more to be said so don't take everything as the entirety of my thoughts. The main point of my post commenting on how I saw less fic was me going "hmm, I can't control everything else happening, but interaction and encouragement is very helpful for writers and something within my control and I want to support writers more than I do currently". I'm not intending to make some grand sweeping statement or push others to do things, it's just what I've reflected on and what I want to do about it :)

[bixbythemartian]

I actually think this is one of TWO big problems with writing advice.

I think the second problem is that a lot of the more popular writing advice that isn't for beginners is specific to Stephen King.

I'm not blaming Stephen, here, mind you. I still have On Writing, it's still a great writing book. I recommend it to anybody who wants to start writing, with the caveat that you take only what is useful, and leave the rest behind.

It's not the damned bible.

He says at a couple of different points that how applicable his advice is going to vary, but some of his advice still became gospel in the writing scene, and that aggravates me.

(It is a book that means a lot to me, personally, and I also sincerely doubt that he had any clue the book was going to become nearly as influential as it did. Somehow it was both a book about writing advice and kind of a memoir, which is a tough row to hoe.)

Kill Your Darlings was something where the idea didn't originate with him, but I'm fairly sure the phrase did, and he's the one who popularized it.

And he had a great point, and it's been sort of stretched and warped over time to not mean what it meant. He was talking about the really great bit you really love that actually doesn't work for the rest of the piece- but he's talking about the editing phase, here. Not the part where you're putting your brain on the page, but when you're going back and making things work.

The other big one is the thing about adverbs. I can't swear that he for sure originated this idea that adverbs are a bad evil thing to use, but up to that point, I don't remember it being A Thing, about using adverbs. I remember that becoming more and more of a thing after On Writing. Maybe I'm wrong, and again, if I'm not, it's not his fault. I'm not blaming Stephen King for it, just trying to explain why this is maybe not as widely applicable as it is claimed to be.

Stephen King has a kind of plain-spoken writing style that seems very bare bones. The reason he reaches for adverbs is that it can be kind of scary, having something be that bare bones. It's a style that works for him, and it means that he needs to eschew adverbs whenever possible, because his writing style is weaker with adverbs.

This is not universally true.

Writing styles are as varied as the writers who use them. Someone with a more verbose and flowery writing style is going to probably want to use the hell out of adverbs- in the right way. They don't always weaken writing, they weaken Stephen King's specific style of writing because his writing is meant to be very plainspoken and stripped bare of artifice, and I imagine it suits him and how he thinks about writing best. Additionally, he grew up in an era where adverbs were SUPER common in writing (particularly the type of comics he grew up loving and reading), which means he does overuse them and rely on them when he doesn't need them- it's a meeting of where his upbringing and his writing style clash. This is advice that is kind of specific to him, in particular.

If you write like Stephen King, this may be genuinely useful advice, but it's not one size fits all, and it's a shame that this is one of the Big Things that came out of his On Writing book. Probably because it's pithy, but it's not his best advice by even a little bit.

Here's the thing I think people should have taken away from On Writing- build yourself a writer toolbox.

He talks about this in the book. You need to learn the grammar skills you need to write. You can't break the rules unless you know 'em, right? You aren't always going to follow them, but you need to know how they apply to break them correctly.

Also, and he points this out, if you're okay enough at the language to be writing and reading, you already have an inherent understanding of grammar- learning more is just a naming of the parts, by this point. (I might be indirectly quoting him, here, but I'm not sure. I'm trying to sum up what I remember about this bit of the book.)

This is like, what, your hammer, your screwdriver, yeah? Most tool boxes have those. What else you fill your tool box is going to super depend on what you write, your personal writing style, and your personal flaws and foibles in writing, and probably six other factors I'm forgetting off the top of my head.

Are you writing horror? You maybe need to read a lot of horror, study horror even. If you're into romance, read romance. You know? This is still nuts and bolts stuff, but the tools you need are going to be different, depending on your preferred genre and your writing style. If you're trying to write inclusively, there's some other stuff you're gonna need to put in your toolbox- how your preferred genre handles race and gender and sexuality and disabilities, and how to avoid those common foibles.

Also, go back and read some of your older stuff, stuff you haven't looked at in a while, and figure out where the flaws are, and where the good meat is.

These are all just places to start. I don't know what all you need in your tool box. The toolbox of a plumber and the toolbox of a carpenter are going to have some things in common, but they're going to have very different specialty tools. And you are going to meet two plumbers who have very different preferred specialty tools.

That was the point of the toolbox metaphor in the first place. It's gonna be your toolbox.

The other thing that I wish people took away from the book is that writing is a form of telepathy, a type of magic that's real and tangible and every day and beautiful.

okay love you bye

i think the problem with most widespread writing advice is that it's meant for writers just starting out and not meant to be applied to All Levels Of Writing.

like "show don't tell" is meant to encourage a new writer to think of different ways to describe something beside The Obvious and push them to observe how different uses of words can affect the reader. it does NOT mean "never outright state what is going on ever."

the common advice to cut out things that aren't essential to the story is to give new writers a better handle on how to PLOT a story-writers generally have to start out telling stories with Very Obvious conflicts and plot beats before they gain enough control of the form to tell more subtle ones. it doesn't mean characters talking to each other casually is evil.

"start in the middle" is a piece of advice meant for beginning writers who often have much bigger story ideas than they can feasibly put to paper. they don't have the writing experience to know which parts of their ideas they can execute well (or at all). starting in the middle then means writing the part with the most conflict and interesting things happening first (which is easier for a beginner) and, most importantly, gets them out of the planning stage and actually writing. it does not mean exposition is evil and your story should always start with something Big and Dramatic.

the thing with writing advice is that it's not one-size-fits-all, and writers should discard any advice that they've outgrown or doesn't serve them any more. the craft of storytelling is about learning how good stories are built and made from the smallest to the largest scale, not following a bunch of arbitrary rules to the letter.

[teliateanna]

✨ Up Next: Letters of His Love

My current WIP is called Letters of His Love and here's some info:

🩷 A prequel to a 2-Part (possibly 3) series

🩷 Written in journal/letter form

🩷 An obsessed, freaky, secret admirer (or stalker however you view it 🤭)

✨ My Current Thoughts ✨

This story has been a long time coming. I remember the day that I saw this cover... I was scrolling through people's stories on IG when I saw this cover as a premade from K. Nicole on May 21, 2021. I got it and it's been sitting in my photo album ever since.

Something that I find a little interesting about this, is that at the time, I wasn't writing as Telia Teanna, I was writing as Black Cherrie. As I think back, I never saw myself writing erotica under my name 😂. If y'all know by now... y'all know my shit be a lil off the wall sometimes lmao.

Some things are just meant to be, though, I guess.

Like, Telia Teanna is my birth name. First and middle. It's sacred to me and I only recently have begun to understand what it means to and for me and who I am. My thought process behind this story and even the fact that I had put my name on it holds more weight than I would have ever expected.

Have you ever found yourself doing something but you don't really understand why you did it? This was one of those moments for me.

This cover has been sitting in my photo album for almost three years without as much as a second thought. It wasn't until I completed Wet Dreams On Lockdown: The Female C.O and Ridin' For You, Too that this story began calling out to me again.

I fell in love with the cover upon first glance and the concept of what this story is now, is a lot different than it was I bought it all of those years ago, but it's the same all at the same time…

This story is special...

I always knew it was from the moment that I saw the cover.

A lot of time has gone by since then and I have grown tremendously as a writer. That's what's been the most exciting about this project for me. The anticipation of showing how much I’ve grown in my craft and an opportunity to flex some of my development skills.

I have finally begun to cultivate a writing style that works for me and helps me tell the kind of stories that I feel in my heart. I know that I have a special, yet, magical ability to birth new age fairytalez of love and lust that will leave a lasting impact long after I stop writing...

My intention to always showcase the power of turning pain into pleasure is strong. Through seductive words and enticing fantasies, I bring peace and healing not only to myself but to those like me. The voiceless. The damaged. The invisible. The neglected...

It is through our pleasure that we can often the source of and put an end to our pain and find the uncondictional love, acceptance, and compassion that we are all searching for.

I am finally in ripe soil for me to be able to tell this story. And I can’t wait to tell it 💕.

Stay tuned for more updates as I work on this story.

Sincerely,

Telia Teanna 😘

[prettyboykatsuki]

do u have advice for anyone who wants to start writing

uhhh im pretty jaded about creative stuff so ill try to give some no bs advice

1. make sure you're writing for the right reasons. it's normal to want validation and to share your writing - that's why we share what we do. but be realistic about your expectations when coming into it and understand that you should ultimately be your own audience. writing solely for attention will burn you out and make you more jaded then you already are lmao, so write most of all because you like it. never do anything that doesn't bring you happiness.

especially considering how terrible the interaction is currently lol

2. read a lot, preferably for things that have nothing to do with your fandom. not only bc the risk of plagiarism, but also because the key to improving as a writer is improving your technique and you need to understand that technique beyond the scope of your fandom works so your writing has novelty and freshness to it. explore different medias of story-telling and make it applicable to your writing. i watch a lot of video essays and that has a big influence on me, so find what inspires you. but also, read literature, read different genres etc.

3. writing is just a hobby for many, but it's also a skill and it requires time, effort, and patience. good writers make it look easy, but just starting out it isn't. the only way to improve is by writing a lot and reading your own work with a critical eye (which is also something you have to develop over time.) note that that doesn't mean to be negative about your work - but know how to improve on your own and being self-sufficient is also what it means to be a good writer.

i wrote for many years before i ever wrote for this fandom since i was like?? 11 or 12 i've been doing it most of my life but i only started to take it seriously when i was around 15.

4. as an extension - writing is a discipline. and you have to really love it to keep doing it or to do it consistently. i say this a lot but writing is basically the only thing i do aside from cooking and playing games but it's essentially my only creative outlet which is why im able to spend so much time on it. i go to work and then immediately write when im home etc.,

and im not saying you have to be like me (im insane) but i am saying that the only way to improve in your writing is doing it a lot. it's a skill, a muscle and you have to work it out for it to get stronger.

5. i really don't want to sound discouraging but i really do say this to everyone that writing is hard and that there are tons of growing pains when you start to do it. so manage your expectations and also understand that you'll slowly have to navigate your relationship with it. it's really fulfilling but there are tons of situations that you'll have to learn to deal with, especially if you decide to post which is a whole other can of worms

tldr ;; read a lot and take what you notice in your reading and apply it more generally to your writing. write frequently and manage your expectations. and good luck!! i am cheering for you

[irrigos]

Honestly I'm kind of thinking rn that golems have become so thoroughly appropriated (especially in sci-fi/fantasy) that a lot of people don't even know that they're actually from a specific culture, and they just assume they're a neutral thing. I see people do that a lot with creatures from Native American folklore, where people will have like... windigos or thunderbirds and not think twice about it. Which doesn't make it GOOD, but that's just my theory as to how we got to this point.

I'd never seen that blog post before, actually. That's... hm. Like, to be much more generous than I think is deserved, I can sympathize with the struggle of wanting your historical fantasy world to be inclusive while also wanting it to be historical, but like... idk maybe don't advertise how hard you think it is to include people of color? I'm reminded of something I heard about a while ago, where the author of the Bridgerton novels explained why there was so little diversity in her books, and the answer was basically, these are romance novels, and if the main characters behave racistly on screen (like someone of their station would in that period), nobody would like them or want to hear about them falling in love and whatnot, but if they don't, there would need to be some sort of explanation for why they're the only person in the Regency era who isn't racist. (Admittedly, this is only a half-remembered anecdote, so I might be recalling it totally wrong lmao)

And, I mean, I'm a writer, and a holder of many non-marginalized identities, so I can see where the quandary comes from. You want your characters to be likable, you want your setting to be historical, and you don't want to court an audience who thinks racism is good, and the easiest way to satisfy all these things is to just never have it come up at all. But also, that's the cowards route! And it's doubly cowardly to say, as this blog post does, "well if I have a black person who ISN'T a servant, it'll seem like tokenism!!! But if I only have black servants, people will say I'm racist!!!!" because like... there have been lots of marginalized people in a lot of different parts of society, and the only reason we imagine them as homogeneously white (and Christian and ablebodied etc etc etc) is because so many creatives made that exact same decision when it comes to representing the past. (Hilariously, AK's example of a thing that would seem like tokenism was "a nineteenth-century black policeman", when one picosecond of Googling taught me that England's first black police officer joined the force in 1837) To me, it just feels like... well to put it simply, seems like a skill issue! Maybe if you wrote better, you could figure out how to write stories that actually reflect the world as it actually exists, which is, yknow, diverse.

I'm excited about MotR, and about how FBG seems to be putting in a lot of effort into having sincere representation of Jews in the game. It's long overdue! And I hope it's good, because I like when things are good. And, frankly, I'd love it if we got more Clay Man content in FL! Part of my frustration is that like... they're a part of the game's world, but it feels like it's so rare that they ever really ADD anything to it. They're usually just doing physical labor in the background, which is a role that could be filled by any other creature in the Neath. And they also rarely get any actual character or interority (which is why I really like the Clay Highwayman's story, even though he's really not a good depiction of a golem. At least he's got like... feelings, and opinions, and stuff to say about being clay.) I do think that FBG is, in general, at least TRYING to add more diversity to the world, so that's good I guess. I mean, sometimes I think the attempts come across as clumsy or half-hearted or only draw attention to how bad things have been up until now, but... well, it's something I watch with interest, and will continue to do so.

Anyway, I have only read a few Pratchett novels, but they're really good! I don't want to hold anyone to the standard of Pratchett, because he really was an exceptional talent and managed to craft a world that feels authentically diverse and prejudiced and funny and sincere all at once. I'm not saying "Fallen London is bad because it's not as good as Discworld!" because that's not a fair comparison! But I do think it's kind of illuminating to read some Discworld and see how it handles things that FL is trying to do, but very differently than FL does, either because of the difference of medium (Fl is a video game, Discworld is a series of novels. obviously.) or tone or perspective, or any number of other reasons.

okay, I finished reading Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett, and i have some opinions on it, and about Clay Men in Fallen London. Shocker, I know. Irrigos? Having opinions? I'm only 80% opinions by volume!

This is really long and rambling, and I WOULD apologize for that, but, idk man you chose to read it.

anyway, I'm gonna preface this by saying that I am not Jewish. I've been pretty forthcoming about that on here, I think, given that every post I make somehow becomes about how I was raised Catholic.

so... the Clay Men are golems, yeah? I don't think I really need to argue that that's so, and even if I did, I'm not really sure how I would (or, rather, I don't know how someone would disagree, beyond "but they're not CALLED golems")

I've always thought the Clay Men were such an odd addition to Fallen London, because like... why are there golems here? In folklore, the golem was made to protect the Jewish people (in the most famous story, the golem was made by Rabbi Loew in 16th century Prague to protect the Jewish ghetto from pogroms and blood libel) but like... there's no imperiled Jewish community in Fallen London. I mean, I don't think there's been any mention of any Jewish community whatsoever. So why are there golems? What purpose do they serve?

I know in canon, they were created by the King with a Hundred Hearts. But I'm not really sure... why. The lore wiki says that the Clay Men come into existence when the King dreams (but also, the article on Clay Men on that wiki doesn't cite any sources, and has a big banner saying it doesn't meet their citation requirements and might contain theories and headcanons. So I can't verify where in the game it says that). I know the King's backstory and all, and I know why he's a city, but I just don't really see why that resulted in the creation of a race of golems. Not really sure how his divorce was aided by the presence of an entire race of swole mud dudes, but... well what do I know

Anyway, the reason that I read Feet of Clay is because it's all about golems, and also... it's kind of the only answer I can think of for why there are golems in this game? I mean, golems aren't really a staple of the Victorian era, like Jack the Ripper or Sherlock Holmes, and they're not a staple of the cosmic horror genre (that the game at least makes a lot of gestures towards), like squid people or uncaring cosmic entities. And it doesn't seem like any of the FL founders were Jewish, or had any particular attachment to the golem as a folkloric character, so like... why? This is just a theory, and I might be totally off-base, but the best reason I can think of is that the Discworld books are incredibly famous and iconic and (especially in the UK) ubiquitous, and... they have golems, I guess? I don't know, I'm grasping at straws here because I have NOTHING. I understand all the talking animals and the fish people and sentient cities from space, but the golems? The golems confound me.

Especially after reading Feet of Clay, I just wish Fallen London would actually DO something with the Clay Men. There's been a few stories focused on Clay Men, but... well I've made no secrets about the fact that they've been the ones I enjoyed least. I think The Clay Man's Arm is gross, I think Factory of Favours is boring, I think the Comtessa storyline is... idk uncomfortably racially coded? ("Rich young white woman is kidnapped and killed by someone that is less than human but still undeniably A Man who claims to be in love with her" is uh. literally a plot point in Birth of a Nation? That really famous 1915 movie about how awesome the KKK are?)

The golems in Discworld are such a rich thematic vein-- they function as allegory for Jews, for oppressed workers, for automation, for the power of words in general. What is the narrative purpose of the Clay Men? What do they add by being in the story? What would be different if any given Clay Man that shows up in a story was replaced by a human? In Feet of Clay, you couldn't replace the golems with humans, because the story would cease to function. If you replaced the Clay Men in the Comtessa story line or in Factory of Favours with a human, or a Rubbery, or literally any other being that exists in the Neath, what would really be different, narratively and thematically? In my opinion, not a whole hell of a lot! So why are they here???

Anyway, I'm hoping that Mask of the Rose has more meat on this particular narrative bone. I know FBG has mentioned several times how much research they're putting into representing Jewish characters in MotR, and I know there's going to be a Clay Man lodging in Horatia's, too, and if David and Rachel don't have something to say about the fact that golems are real, I'm gonna riot.

Also, I couldn't think of a good way to work it into this post, but I really like this Jacob Geller video about the golem.

Thank u for reading all this mess. If you have any thoughts about Clay Men and what they mean, uh... well, let me know, because I'm stumped.

TL;DR:

[dandelionwhisp]

Credit

An Automaton AU ft. Azul

Automaton Au by @jackplushie !!

I hope I’ve done some justice to all the amazing writers I’ve seen writing this au. Enjoy and thank you for reading! <3

—————————————————

“Oh wow- Your files are so well organized!” A fellow scavenger friend of yours came over to hang out and talk about your recent finds.

“Everything is in a specific place and labeled too! Blueprints, notes, maps and diagrams, even costs of machinery!”

You had shut down your automatons for the day so they wouldn’t cause a ruckus, after all yours were known to be a bit... unpredictable around other people.

“Hm? Oh- nah none of that was me. Azul, organized those stuff. Like all of it. He’s incredibly skilled.” You shrugged honestly, smiling to yourself as you remembered jolting awake at night, only to see Azul copying all your papers and placing them in neat folders despite you never asking for it. “He works pretty hard.”

“Azul?... Oh- oh your bot? You give credit to your bots..?”

“I mean- yeah? I didn’t do any of it after all.”

Your friend hummed. “I guess that makes sense. Sorry I’m just so used to people taking full credit of what their bot did.”

You shook your head irritably. “Credit should be given where credit is due.” You both made soft conversation as an onlooker gazed at you in shock. Not that it showed on his face. After all. He was supposed to be completely shut down.

Azul often scoffed at his masters, those who believed they had any power over him and took the credit for his hard work. Once information was handed over, Azul was the one in control now. Despite this, he is still just a bot. Humans had created many failsafes in case of malfunctions and to think with a mind of your own as an automaton made to serve, was definitely considered a malfunction.

Everything would be wiped and taken away from him and like trash, he was thrown aside. He would never feel that stability of power again.

Until you came along. Eyes shining, you were perfect for him. Easy to manipulate, naive and excited over every little thing you found rotting in abandonment within the dump outside your home. You were his savior, his client. His victim.

But he had learned his lesson. This time, he would be more cautious. He would do things for you without being asked to under the pretense of “repaying a debt” as he called it, he would let you become dependent and cocky like every human does. He would suck it up when you took the credit for his efforts in order to benefit him in the long run.

But you didn’t. No none of his past experiences could prepare him for the way you checked in on him as he worked, asking if he wasn’t burning himself out (literally) or the way you thanked him sincerely for his hard work. Azul was never worried over, never thanked.

He suffered to take revenge on those who wronged him. But how was he supposed to take revenge on someone who only did him right? For now, at least.

So as he waited, hidden behind a curtain, Azul trained his eyes on you and your friend conversing happily.

‘Credit should be given where credit is due.’ you had said.

It wasn’t the first time you exercised that belief. Even as you received strange looks from others who would’ve done differently, you always gave credit where it was due.

“Ruggie found those parts for me actually. He’s got a sharp eye!”

“No, no, I didn’t make that- Trey did. Pretty good right? Let me tell you about the time he made some brownies...”

“I didn’t put this together on my own. Jamil and Jade gave a lot of guidance too. They’re really helpful with repairs and stuff.”

“Kalim and Epel had a hand in cleaning the house with me the other day! There were some stumbles but it was probably the most fun I had cleaning my garage ever.”

“Isn’t my makeup amazing?? Vil is so good with it and I can’t believe how talented he is— yes I know he’s a bot it’s still cool though!”

To be praised. To be referred to as an equal. It is unheard of for automatons to receive that kind of treatment. Ever. Until they met you. And they would do anything to keep you.

“Thanks for having me over! Haha if you ever don’t need your Azul bot, then send him over to my house- I could use that hardworking efficiency.”

“Pfft alright I’ll ask him about it.” Your friend rolled their eyes with a laugh and waved goodbye.

You picked up the food remnants of your friend’s visit and put everything away in the rare silence of your home. There was usually always some machinery whirring or clicking coming from your bots- if not the endless chatter from the more talkative ones.

Making your way over to the translucent curtain draped over the bots you thought so fondly of, you dusted Azul off and fixed his glasses with a gentle smile. The same one you wore when he was nothing but broken scraps with nothing to offer.

“Azul, you could probably be assigned to someone really rich and powerful with better living conditions than a scavenger like me.” You touched his face gently. “I’m sorry you’re stuck with me for now.”

Just as you powered him on, his hand shot out to grab your wrist. Yelping in surprise, your eyes met with his periwinkle ones glimmering with something unknown.

“A-Azul?”

You wince as his grip becomes tighter and more unforgiving, sure to leave a mark. Just as he wants.

He brings your hand up, pressing your palm to his lips in a manner too intimate for an automaton to be capable of. Tears welled up in your eyes at the sensation of pain and tenderness from him as he whispers against your skin.

“I will never serve any one else but you. No one. Not even you can tear me away from being yours. Or you mine.”

You gave this poor little octobot a chance to experience something he had never even dreamed was possible before, and you can’t possibly think about letting him go anytime soon because you were different. So he would treat you differently.

The day you took him in, you made a deal. A deal that enabled equal and opposite care between the two of you.

Credit should be given where credit is due, and Azul feels as though he hasn’t given enough credit for all the kindness you’ve shown him.

The automaton intertwines his fingers with your own, sending shivers down your spine, and flashes a smile similar to that of a businessman who scored a good deal.

Hitched breathing and heart thumping, he brings you to his chest. Somehow cold yet burning against your skin.

“You’re mine.” he repeated, commandingly. desperately.

You signed the contract marked upon his manmade heart, so won’t you let him stick around? Don’t worry, it’s just until the contract ends.

And as for how long it stays active?

Indefinitely.

[high-pot-in-noose]

It's actually kinda trippy for me that my online identity is more or less 'a writer'. I love literature, writing, and so on, of course, (except the actual typing part) but it makes me wonder how I got here, to be this way.

For the first two decades of my life, anyone who knew me could be asked about what kind of person I was, and everyone would say without hesitation, "an artist." Family, friends, classmates, teachers, people who only knew of me by word-of-mouth — if they knew nothing else about me, they'd still know that [my name] meant 'artist.' I was the stereotype of an art kid, the kind you might find in a cartoon. Paint on my hands and clothes; expensive mediums kept carefully in my day-to-day bag; partially finished projects always on-hand to start working on no matter where or when.

No one, not even myself, looked at me and thought, "writer." The only writing I did was in English class, and only non-fiction. I was garbage at fiction — I spent so much time on art, I literally did not know how conversations worked; my dialogues felt like they were written by a new and confused AI.

Well, that's not completely true — I wrote 'poetry,' too. But I will be perfectly honest with myself about it for the first time in my life — what I put to paper back then was not really poetry, it was doodling with letters. I used flowery language and metaphors to describe scenarios that went nowhere, that meant nothing, that didn't come from any sort of sincerity, just for the lovely way it sounded and felt being read aloud. It was another medium that I used to create pretty pictures of fake things, but meant to be seen in your mind instead of with your eyes. They didn't mean anything.

Actually none of my art ever meant anything.

At lot of my best works were just things I cobbled together for fun, just to see what the end result would look like. And then people would see them and be like, "Oh, this is so powerful. It's so heavy, I'm tearing up. What does it mean?" And then I would pull bullshit out of my ass for it, saying this and that as I looked over the painting or sculpture and try to see what it was that person was apparently seeing.

What was it that they were seeing? I still don't know; those things I made are still just colorful lines and dots and swirls on a receptive surface that made a pattern just by coincidence. Just splashes of paint that fell in a form that happened to mean a feeling in the eyes of someone who saw it. They don't mean anything, they're not saying anything, they're just lying to everyone that they do, and I lied along with them because I didn't want to hurt anyone by saying that they're seeing love when there's actually none.

I suppose that's why I don't make art anymore. I got tired of lying. And these days my artistic skills are so degraded I can't even fake it anymore even if I wanted to. It's more honest this way, I think.

I think I like myself better as a writer. When something I write evokes a sentiment, it's because I intended to, and what's felt is exactly what's meant to be felt. Words can mean many things, but I know exactly what those things mean, and so every interpretation is by design. If it hurts, if it enrages, if it makes the reader laugh — yes, that's what it means, that's what I mean.

And so I feel a little more understood. And so I think I'm also more understanding. You know what I feel, I know what you feel, and we're feeling it together like we're sitting next to next even though were separated by thousands of miles. You'll never know me as Artist (a lie), that thing I used to think I was, but you know me as Writer (the truth), what I am and still will be.

[clairiere]

SFX interview with Pedro Pascal

The latest issue (Jan. 2021) of SFX magazine carries a 2-page interview, which took place after the S2 premiere (technically right after The Passenger). It’s pretty good, and insightful given what took place.

This Charming Mando

Shortly after the launch of the second episode of season two, SFX caught up with the Mandalorian himself, Pedro Pascal, speaking from Budapest.

words: Adam Tanswell

There are tons of fun and interesting ways that The Mandalorian ties into Star Wars canon. Are you aware of all the Easter eggs when you’re working on the show?

There’s plenty that are pointed out to me and there’s plenty that are obvious, but I think it would be impossible for me to remember them all. On top of the Easter eggs, what I love the most is the reference to very specific genres of cinema.

Can you give us an example of that from the second season?

For season two, the set of the second episode [“The Passenger”] was the first set that I walked on to. It was this shipwrecked Razor Crest on this snowy set, and I’d seen the illustrations of the spiders that were so incredible. The spiders hatching out of those eggs were right out of Alien. Working on the show fires off all of these references to me. And then, of course, there are the specific references to the Star Wars past as well. It’s impossible to keep up with everything, but it’s endlessly fascinating.

What did you enjoy the most about working on the first episode of season two, “The Marshal”?

Working with Timothy Olyphant and being on Tatooine with Jon Favreau was incredible. I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this, but you wouldn’t believe the kind of rehearsal that the three of us had early on for that episode, in order to understand and block a sequence. You know the scene where we’re in the bar and then we step out to the main square of the town to see the Krayt Dragon? We had to rehearse it virtually first. We put on these mechanisms [VR headsets] with remote controls where we were literally able to be in a virtual world. We were actually able to rehearse it all before getting on the set. We were able to physically block the scene, which was crazy to me.

How would you describe the relationship between the Mandalorian and the Child in season two?

Through all of the action, adventure and special effects of the show, the core of it is this relationship between the Mandalorian and the Child. In spite of, and within, the largeness of it all, their story gets more intimate and deeper, which is the ultimate risk for somebody like the Mandalorian. It’s a huge risk to be vulnerable and to develop attachments, so it’s a very special relationship that we see unfold this year.

How does it feel to share the spotlight with the Child?

Honestly, it’s been an amazing experience because you get to witness a very, very unique show come to life. This isn’t my diplomatic answer; I mean this sincerely. To be part of a project like this is a unique experience for everyone, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to take the position as the central star because it’s not just me. There’s the Child and many, many others involved. There’s the incredible Industrial Light & Magic people, who have created this character of the Child that everyone has fallen in love with. Plus, there’s the production design team and every single department that’s involved in creating this experience, along with Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, who are the ultimate parents of this show.

Talking of whom, what’s it like to work with Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni at the helm on a day to day basis?

The success of the show is because of their storytelling skills, as well as their fascination and their very, very, very pure love of Star Wars. It’s funny, because I have to figure out to the best of my abilities where I can contribute to achieve the success of it in every way. I saw images for the show when they were first talking to me about the project. Back then, I saw illustrations of the Child and it was the reason why I said yes to the project.

Have there been any changes to your iconic costume in season two to make it more comfortable for you?

The costume actually got a little heavier in season two. We ended the first season with him upgrading his armour. In order to have a more cinematic shine on the breastplate, it meant that some pieces were a little heavier than last year’s version

What are the themes and underlying messages of the second season that resonate with you the most?

These are very classic tales of good and evil, and how it all exists inside of us. It’s also about the journey towards the light, if that makes any sense. With my character specifically, I love that there’s this ruthless person whose physical identity is kept from the world around him – and possibly a psychological identity that’s kept from himself – but he starts to discover himself through this relationship with a vulnerable but very powerful creature. He follows his heart and does the right thing, no matter how it is against one’s practice or creed or what’s convenient. For me, that would be the prevailing message. It’s a much more intimate message than the broad strokes that can be painted onto the story as a whole. On a basic level, it’s about fighting for good.

It’s a huge deal to be such an iconic part of the Star Wars universe. Were you ready for the fame and attention that comes along with a project like this?

To be honest, I think it would be challenging for any human being. I’ve certainly been navigating how to honour being part of something as iconic as this to the best of my ability. It’s definitely a challenging, intimidating and exciting experience. It’s all of those things.

You play an iconic hero in The Mandalorian, but who were your heroes when you were growing up?

I had so many heroes. I would have to say my parents are my obvious heroes for ushering in the introduction of so many heroes, either through cinema or literature. And I continue to add more and more people to the list. As a child, Indiana Jones was definitely my personal hero. And as I got older, I remember the writer James Baldwin really, really influenced my mind and my life. I introduced myself to his writing when I was around 19 years old and he has definitely been a hero to me.

How does it feel to be a Star Wars hero?

I think it’s a beautiful thing because I can see the effect of a show like this on the children of my friends. It isn’t anything like I’ve experienced before. I love to see the look on their face if their parents tell them, “This is the Mandalorian”. There’s usually some confusion at first, because there isn’t a lot of association to this face as far as the role is concerned – but they seem to understand that somebody needs to be behind the mask. It’s somebody’s voice and it’s somebody’s limbs. It’s a magical feeling to see children’s eyes light up like that. If only I could carry around the Child everywhere, then I would really be winning!

Would definitely recommend buying the issue if you can, print or digital (via Zinio or any other platform), to show your support.

[lovee-infected]

I enjoy reading character analysis to understand them more and I've also noticed that some insert fics are like too exagerated and their personalities are far from the canon twst. I think some writers are just basing their fics to others and and makes conclusion about it and ignore important details or text on their cards?* And as a reader, I do sometimes think that "this" character are like that. Like Vil, being portrayed as narcisstic and beauty obssessed charac, I think he isnt like that and theres more to him than we think. Sorry for the long ask✌️

You're totally valid anon and I see your point, you know while I agree that each idea and interpretation on characters is worthy on its own and no one is bound to having a specific opinion or belief, getting too wild with personal fantasies and ignoring the originals can totally ruin the writing. Characters are often mischaracterized especially in reader insert fics and the most annoying part is that almost everyone is making the same mistakes about him-! Like some of the noticable mistakes would be:

(1) Femininely has nothing to do with Vil's terms of beauty

Oh lord what can I say- It's even against what Vil himself directly said through chapter five and how he cleared his point on male and female equal, and you can tell he is pretty strict about it.

Like did you just forget what he told Epel when he complained that he doesn't want to act like a girl: “a boy getting embarrassed about ‘acting like a girl,’ -- what year is your head stuck in??? did you take a time machine from 100 years ago??”

He doesn't seem to be one to appreciate the concept of labeling beauty as a female-only thing and on the other hand, he doesn't really seem to like the way women can be looked down on while being compared to men either. He seeks equality, and beauty wasn't ever defined as a feminine act in his dictionary; while there are tons of requests asking for: Vil forcing their trans s/o to wear more feminine clothes/ Vil asking their fem! s/o to wear more feminine stuff an look cuter/Vil complimenting s/o's appearance for not being feminine enough/... And literally TONS of requests like this. Please, you're forgetting one the most important parts of his personality, he considers male and female to be equal and it's so hecking important to show that he holds respect for all genders nonetheless.

(2) Vil's maturity is often ignored

Honestly, within all twst characters Vil's maturity on its own really impresses me. From the way he speaks to how serious and sincere he is all I gotta say is this man is waaay different from the way he's charactetized in most of the fics. Idk why but, he's sometimes charactetized as a guy who's ready to boil you alive if you dare touch any of his expensive make up pallettes or eyeshadows. Oh please, Vil isn't an angry child.

Also he often decides to keep his anger in, though you can tell when he's mad by just looking at his face. Clinching fists, trying not to talk and most likely, walking off or asking people to leave him alone until he calms down a bit is most likely his usual way of expressing his anger, but I've seen him being described as a loud, feral figure like Riddle is! Oh god no- Are you just ignoring how calm and collected Vil often tends to be?

(3) What's with the potato fetish?

While it's canon that Vil can sometimes call people around him potato. You may like to know that in some languages, potato is translated as "Apple of the ground", which can be an interesting reason of him using this nickname for people.

Watching Vil call students potatoes can be as entertaining as watching Malleus play with his tamagotchi, but again, it's important to realize that you don't have to only use potato when you're thinking of what Vil might say in a reader insert/situation!

Come on there are hundreds of different statements and sentences you can use other than just 'potatoes' and it'll get boring to read him saying the same nick name over and over in a fic. Good lord of course this isn't the only word he uses in communication so please try to avoid using it too much. This, is NOT the only word that he knows to use! (Seriously though I've seen being used like 6 times in a 500-word drabble)

(4) Please avoid spreading false information about him and his personality

Funny how I'm saying it here, but don't forget that you do not own him! Vil Schoenheit is a property of Disney/ Aniplex and all, which means that no one can certainly decide on his sexuality/ background/ unexplained character details unless it's officially announced.

Why am I saying this? Because some people are seriously going to far! I've seen people attacking others saying that Vil's pronouns are She/Her and not He/ Him like: EXCUSE ME...???

I don't want to get into details explaining how this drama is going but I've got to say something anyway, YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE ON HIS PRONOUNS! None of us do!

It's totally okay to have your personal preferences on his pronouns or anything else, but you must avoid spreading such information and forcing them on others as long as they aren't confirmed! Please keep your headcanons for yourself and don't confuse the fandom with them. Everyone's free to have their own headcanons but it's never okay to force them on others!

(5) Vil has a LOT to talk about other than just beauty!

Man... sometimes I feel like the fandom is just doing him dirty. Most of the reader inserts, fics , and even Vil memes have something to do with beauty while it's important to try and look through his personality as well instead of just sticking with the beauty aspect.

For example, through the Halloween event, I couldn't be any more surprised when Vil found the crying child who had lost their parents through the crowd and instead of just leaving them to headmaster or asking someone to take care of them he actually started to play with the child and entertrain and confront them on his own! That was probably one of his sweetest moments through the whole game and it really changed my mind about him! It was great to know that Vil as well can have a softer side when it comes to children, just imagine how good this can be used while writing a father AU for him!

His talents on the other hand need to be recognized, for example: his acting skills back in the ghost marriage proved how much of a great actor he can be and this can also give us lots of ideas to use in writings. On the other hand he's much of a celebrity on his own ( Woop- he's also got 2m followers on magicam) which gives us another great plot to write for him.

The way he is around close friends, how he compliments them and gets complimented by them in return, the way he manages Pomefiore and tries to put the students into doing their best in using their skills and lots of more interesting details that can be found through his stories are there to tell you that he's a lot more than just a beautiful Queen. A considerable part of his background as well is going to be released at he end of chapter 5 (Yes baby after the overblot Vil) and I hope that gives us all the opportunity to come up with stronger personalities and plots next time that we're describing or even, characterizing Vil!

Lmao I kind of rushed to finish this so I didn't get to talk about him as much as I wanted to, but hope that this is useful anyway.

[sharpe-lances]

LoT 7.07 A Woman’s Place is in the War Effort!

JOHN MENTION

Lmao not Gwyn asking “Who’s John?” and of course, it’d be Zari 2.0 who’d notice Gwyn’s resemblance to John 😂 typical Legends lol

NATE AND ZARI 1.0 MOVING IN TOGETHER

I sincerely hope Nate is not leaving the team, despite him living with Zari 1.0 in the totem. He said something about getting the team back to the present before moving in to the totem but he also said something about commuting from the totem to the team?????

So like I don’t really know what to expect: if Nick’s leaving the show or not (I hope he’s not)

A WOMAN’S PLACE IS IN THE WAR EFFORT

Omg. I am so proud of Astra this whole episode. Her management skills she learned in hell really helped her run the factory. I love how she turned the factory integrated because she must be familiar with how it feels to be a minority.

AND I REALLY HATE THOSE RACIST, SEXIST, AND MISOGYNIST PEOPLE. MR STAPLES DESERVED TO BE FROZEN FOREVER TBH. I hate how he got the credit for what Astra has done for the factory, but it was realistic, I guess. People don’t mostly give credit where credit is rightfully due and it sucks.

This season really highlights Astra’s growth (which is MUCH) from literally torturing people in hell to helping people no matter what it does to the timeline and I think it’s beautiful. I’m really proud of her and I wish John or her mother were there to see her bc I know they must be so proud too!

I love how LoT incorporates real-world problems that are still evident right now but at the same time never losing the foundation of the show like time travel problems and timeline problems while adding a hint of comedy. Like they were really able to balance wisely the serious and comedic tone of the show without leaning too much to the other. (There were really lots of meaningful conversations that happened this ep and I loved it)

ESPERASTRA AND BEHRASTRA

I don’t know about you but I ship BOTH!!

Esperastra’s “I hate you” and “I hate you too” and Behrastra’s “Special delivery for a special lady” I-

I’m curious if the writers are gonna write Astra into a relationship because they’ve been hinting so much about it. I kinda hope they will and I kinda hope they won’t bc I’m loving the Astra storylines we’re getting right now (being the strong, independent woman that she is) and I think if she has a romantic relationship with someone, the focus is more likely to be shifted there, but seeing Astra with a partner would be great too. So, idk.

TEAM DYNAMIC

Loved how Gary and Gwyn worked together! They’re really letting Gwyn work with the other Legends and I’m here for it. I just hope we saw more of them, though.

Nate, Behrad, and Zari 2.0 were a lovable trio. I missed watching the time bros together and I also missed Zari 2.0!! Behrad got to teach Nate about Persian culture while doing what he loves 🥺🥺🥺

Spooner and Astra delivering, as always! I kinda hoped they’d be paired with other Legends, but I think their pairing was only fitting for the plot so I’m alright with it.

I thought Gideon would be working together with Ava and Sara because of the stills but I guess I was wrong. I would have loved to see her interact with them more but 🤷🏽‍♀️

AVA AND SARA WORKING TOGETHER???? Idk why, but I missed it lol. I know they’ve been working together for the first few eps this season and were only separated in 7.06 but I missed seeing them together !!! Ava was hilarious and so adorable this whole ep, and Sara attacking Bishop was 🔥 (We’ve been sort-of deprived of fight scenes I’ll take any crumbs of action lol) Also… Sara’s “I already told you I am not leaving you again.” YES I’M HERE FOR AVALANCE CRUMBS I’LL TAKE WHAT I CAN GET

BISHOP

I have predicted (literally accurately) that Bishop’s gonna be redeemed only to end up dying as a kind of sacrifice or something. (Bishop’s salute at the end tho 🥺😭)

I was nervous at first that he was gonna take the time machine and leave the Legends but I guess he really had good intentions (the young him, at least).

AND BISHOP AND ZARI 2.0 INTERACTION???? Hilarious! I think this was the first and only episode (if I’m not mistaken) that Tala and Raffi got to be in a scene together. Regardless, I loved Zari 2.0 and Bishop’s interaction. They had some things in common and their conversations were just so funny lmao.

Also, might be unpopular opinion but I really found Bishop cute this episode. He was like a literal 6-years old (with Zari’s phone and Behrad’s food and the ‘aye-aye, Captain’ lmao) and he was so at-home in John’s manor dimension lol.

ALT!LEGENDS

I don’t wanna call them evil!Legends and evil!Gideon bc according to Gideon, maybe they’re just misunderstood!Gideon who cares about the timeline lmao

BUT MAN THAT WAS SO HOT 🥵🥵🥵🥵

I also kinda guessed we’re gonna take a peek at alt!Legends this ep, midseason finale and all. BUT OH MY GOD I WAS REALLY STOKED TO SEE THEM.

Alt!Sara was so hot I can’t wait to see her. I can’t wait to see alt!Legends in general, which, according to alt!Ava, “We are the real Legends.” (lowkey hoping we get to see alt!Sara and alt!Ava making out. I know they’re still gonna be together no matter the circumstance)

7B IS GONNA BE SO GOOD I CAN’T WAIT FOR IT I DON’T KNOW HOW I CAN SURVIVE THE HIATUS

SOME MORE THOUGHTS

There were so many gif-fable scenes this ep I can’t choose what.

S7 eps ranking !!

7.07

7.04

7.01

7.03

7.05

7.02

7.06

[rayofsunas]

valentines | diluc [3]

A/n: good evening everyone!! I know this story is kinda a slow start to things, but dw reader is actually in this chapter lol. my plan is too write one more part, which would be the finale :) let me know how you guys are liking the series so far <33 I feel like Diluc is sooooo ooc, sawwy... AND I also can’t remember if the Dawn Winery is Diluc’s home, but pretend it is for this if it isn’t- anyways, enjoy and stay safe!!

Summary: the ever so stoic diluc thought he was being secretive when sending anonymous letters and gifts to you during the week of valentine’s day but turns out everyone in mondstadt knew it was him, though thankfully had tight enough lips to not spill the beans to you. kaeya is of no help, so you go seeking answers yourself.

Parings: Diluc/Fem! Reader (for my other mini-series, there will be some gn ones!)

Warnings: valentines (yes, I’m late, shoot me), fluff, Diluc and Kaeya have a mother (the only reason this is a warning, is cause she’s a mood and I love her), swearing

Word count: 4.5k (I’m so proud and happy with this chapter :))

The letters were vague at first and you usually received them early in the morning, at first there was one. But now there was more than one letter, sometimes Cecilia flowers and even little gifts in a delicately wrapped box along with them. You assumed the writer was a serious night owl to have prepared this all and had sent them when you were asleep, leaving them as a sort of gift for you to wake up to in the morning. 

Though, originally, when you received the first handful of letters, you were creeped out, nervous for obvious reasons.

Who was this stranger sending letters of unworthy praise and admiration? Was their identity that much in danger, to have to be anonymous? And without an address as well... 

The more you read his or her letters, you learned that over four days, they were no threat. They couldn’t have been. Whoever they were, most likely was a young teen, caught in the webs of affection for the very first time, nervous to dip their toes into confrontation out of fear of being rejected. 

But the more you scanned the letters at night, reading them over like a series of detective novels, searching for any kind of clue, you realized this person was far too intelligent, smooth, and straight to the point, to be any kind of lovesick teen. That scenario, that possibility wasn’t possible in your mind. 

The only thing that made them seem like a confused teen was the fact that they sounded lost within their feelings, although straight to the point it was hard to decipher exactly what they were saying. Their words were often hidden behind a thick wall of glass; you could see them, but it was hard to grasp exactly what they were, the true meaning of it all. 

Was his or her adoration for you, really, truly love?

Was praising your skill too small of a thing to feel completely doused in love over?

You were never too sure. 

-

letter one.

I know this may seem odd, coming from a stranger. But I can assure you I am not a creep of any kind. I can’t help but say, I admire your skills in battle; you’re a force to be reckoned with. Please accept these Cecilia’s, I hope they aren’t too much nor are you allergic.

Best wishes.

This was the very first letter you received. Something you solely took for another Knight who you unknowingly, until now, of course, caught the attention of. You assumed that they were just praising you because they wished to be like you, of course, you accepted it with open arms. Praise for such a low profiled Knight felt nice.

letter two.

Hello. I realized I never specified an address for you to possibly reply to my letters with. It completely slipped my mind, my apologies. If it isn’t too much of a hassle, you could leave your letters at Barbatos’ Statue and I could do so as well. I also realized that sending letters to your home may seem... very weird and unsettling. I am sincerely sorry, my intentions weren’t to scare you. I am no creep, I can assure you we are acquaintances. Though, I would prefer to keep my identity hidden for right now. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes. 

This letter was completely apologetic, its entire body and being were sincere you could tell. Yes, you would agree, the letters sent directly to your home were unsettling. But if they were an acquaintance and they had no ill intentions, you had no reason to panic. 

letter three.

I received your letter and I’m very glad to hear you’re no longer panicked or creeped out. Those were never my intentions... I appreciate your willingness to communicate with me. It’s very kind and understanding of you. Also, to answer your question, I am a man. I hope that does not disappoint you... Looking forward to your next letter. 

Best wishes.

You were happy to finally figure out more of who this anonymous person was, and knowing they were a man helped you learn more about who they could be. The list of suspects you were acquainted and or friends with, decreased significantly. You didn’t have many guy friends or acquaintances. You could only name a handful. Was he even amongst that handful? People had different meanings of friends and acquaintances after all...

letter four.

I know this may seem too early, we’ve only been properly conversing for a day or two. But, I would like to say you’re one of a kind and I found myself lost for words when writing to you. I hope you’re faring well. Please stay safe. I heard there was a pretty nasty bar fight last night that transitioned into a bloodbath in the streets. Lots of people are upset right now, politics I assume... Nonetheless, stay safe. 

Best wishes.

He was right. You weren’t cleared for such information, but you had heard talk from some of your fellow Knights that there was a pretty bad bar fight that carried out into the streets late last night. Multiple people had ended up in the dungeons, some still walked the streets whispering their opinions on an ancient conspiracy, though, you were unsure of what that exactly meant. 

Poison, sicknesses, and night terrors were a few of the most talked-about stressors for the fight. Who was to tell which ones were true though, if any. You assumed the truth was riddled in there somewhere though, it had to of been. Rumors often stemmed from an over extreme truth. 

What an unfortunate thing to hear, especially the week of Valentine's day. A week of love, already filled with a bitter hatred, not a good start. Thankfully, you had the letters, they kept you hopeful. The other person on the receiving end could also feel hopeful, so you hoped. You just hoped the situation wasn’t the start of something worse brewing.

Sadly, you weren’t cleared to investigate like you had heard Captain Kaeya was; despite how curious and nosy you were. Unfortunately, you were stuck with paperwork and training the younger Knights; you enjoyed the latter. But those were your duties this week, you couldn’t afford to stray from them. 

Hopefully, your anonymous admirer was alright and well. 

-

You hated to admit it. But over the last five days, you had become smitten. Some say, love at first sight, was impossible, a silly tale told to hopeless romantics who would believe anything. For someone who was not one of those people easy to fall in love with, truthfully, you were starting to believe the tales.

This anonymous man was so kind, well versed with words, so well versed that they moved mountains. You know for sure they had moved your heart. He wasn't willing to share a simple thing; his name. But he’d practically told you his life story, thrown it into your palms easily. Though vague, it was enough to help you understand him better and feel ultimately closer.

You’d learned he was a well-known guy, and as much as he accepted and loved the attention sometimes, it was tiring and draining the majority of the time. He’d said he was a protector of Mondstadt, someone who deeply cared for the townspeople and they're well beings. He’d make any deal, cross any sea, walk through hell with his head held high, just to protect them. He was also a brother, though never specified if he was older or younger, you assumed he was older when he said that he had a very annoying brother; only an older sibling could understand another's annoyance caused by a younger sibling. You could blame personal experience from your time around the younger Knights. You felt like an older sister to a lot of them without that older mentor figure. They weren’t all annoying, but they could share similar qualities at times when they didn't pay attention or learn paperwork completion formats.  

A name came to mind as he shared his vague life story. 

Kaeya Alberich. 

He was all of those things, except maybe for the last one. You knew Kaeya and Master Diluc were brothers, very close in age, but they weren’t blood-related, so twins were off the table; one was older than the other. Something was telling you it was the more flirtatious brother. He was the more outgoing of the two, spontaneous, he would surely be one behind the letters, right? But then wouldn’t he just approach you like normal? Hmmm. Maybe not. He did like to act mysterious, but maybe he was scared of rejection, who knows with Captain Kaeya. He was very hard to read. You couldn’t even tell half the time if he truly meant what he’d say when flirting with you or if he was just saying those things to tease you, maybe even make someone else jealous. 

You were curious, so you decided to approach him. Corner the Captain and demand an answer. He’d have to give you one, you wouldn’t leave his side. So that’s what you did, after your duties had finished around five in the afternoon, you waited outside the Knights headquarters. Hopefully, you’d catch him going in and out sometime soon, it was growing late. 

It was nearing six-thirty when you were getting ready to leave headquarters. Thinking, maybe this could wait tomorrow until you could catch the Captain at a reasonable time. But then he came strutting out of headquarters, his uncovered eye glistening with mischief, a smirk plastered on his handsome face. 

“Captain Kaeya, a word?” You interjected stepping in front of the man, stopping him from bounding down the steps deeper into the city. 

His face broke out in a grin, “Ah, Y/n! Nice to see you again, miss me did you?” 

“Not hardly, Captain.” You said, hoping you wouldn’t get in trouble for practically back-talking your superior. Your own Captain would never let you hear the end of it, the blonde man was a strict one. 

“You wound me,” The cryo user feigned pain. You could only chuckle nervously. “So, what is it you wanted to see me for?”

Your face heated up, burning like fire. “I have a question.”

“Shoot.” He said, hand going to rest sassily on his hip. 

“Are you the one writing me letters?” 

He laughed, sending waves of embarrassment through you. It shouldn’t have but now you felt stupid. Even if you held no romantic feelings for the Captain, he was way out of your league. He probably knew that. 

“Me? You flatter me!”

“No... I mean it,” You stated. “Is it you?”

His face turned serious. “Sadly, not.”

You huffed, heart, dropping to the floor. “Damn it,” You muttered, moving to sit on the stone steps of the Knights headquarters. Kaeya stayed standing, shadow blanketing over you, oddly silent. No flirtatious rebuttal, nothing, just silence. Odd. 

“You know something I don’t, I know you do.” You said, head hanging low. He laughed again. So, you were right.

“Of course, beautiful, I know a lot of things you don’t.” He taunted, eye dripping in mischief. 

“Very funny, Captain.” This wasn’t very funny, not at all. You weren’t laughing.

Suddenly, the Captain spoke up, “Speak to Diluc, I’m sure he knows, he has a very keen eye.”

Master Diluc? Wine tycoon Diluc? What did he have to do with this? He was always off doing his own thing, was it possible he knew anything at all?

“Master Diluc?”

“That’s what I said, yes.”

“You think he’d know who this person is?” You wondered. 

“Like I, he knows about lots of things, one being people.”

“Captain, I don’t like games, please just tell me.” You pleaded, eyes meeting his singular visible one. 

“When you beg, it’s cute,” He said catching you off guard. “See Diluc, he’ll know.” With that, he turned around and began walking off. 

“Wait!” You abruptly stood. “Do you know where I can find him?” 

“Dawn Winery.” You nearly froze on the spot. 

Dawn Winery? Wasn’t that Master Diluc’s residence? You possibly couldn’t, not at this hour either. Archons no...

“I’m sorry,” You hurriedly followed after the retreating figure. “I can’t possibly go there at this hour.”

“And why not?”

“Umm, Captain obvious, it seems inappropriate! People would think I’m going for other intentions!” Oh, if news got out that you went to Master Diluc’s residence late in the afternoon, and people assumed you had other intentions, this would surely be the end of you.

“But you’re not and you know that,” He said. “Are you always such a rule follower and strung up? Archons, you’re Diluc, but a girl version...” He commented.

He did have a point, but if someone saw a young woman entering the Dawn Winery of a bachelor late in the afternoon, suspicion would rise. It’s very conspicuous.

“Yes but-”

“Toodles, beautiful!” You stood still like a statue of ice, heart racing. 

“Bastard...”

-

Against better judgment, you ended up making the short walk to the Dawn Winery. You were hesitant to knock on the large doors though. Scared shitless, beyond nervous, only thinking what would others think? What would Master Diluc think? He’d probably shut the door on your face, leaving you like a frazzled idiot.

You probably stood pacing outside for fifteen minutes, before mustering up the courage to knock on the door. But you never got the chance, because you saw a woman with brown hair and a few gray strands peeking out of one of the first-floor windows. She had a small smile on her delicate face as she watched you. How long had she been there for...?

Your heart dropped the minute you’d been caught pacing, leaving you standing frozen. Eventually, the woman disappeared from the window, leaving you confused. But then the door whipped open with a gentle force and there she stood. 

She was a taller, slender woman with broad shoulders, wearing a simple dark green blouse black pants, black heeled boots with golden vine details were on her feet, making her even taller. If it weren’t for the gentle smile she gave you, she would’ve looked terrifying. 

“I saw you pacing outside for a while, I figured you’d muster up the courage to knock eventually.” She said without introduction.

Oh my... was this Master Diluc and Kaeya’s mother... She didn’t look like either of them, but who knows. You wanted to die, that’s for sure.

“I’m so sorry Miss,” You apologized. “I was just-”

“No worries!” She cheered, hands clasping tightly together. “Which one of my boys are you here for?”

So, she was their mother? Oh my... You shouldn’t have come like this, no not now. 

“Master Diluc...” You whispered nervously. Her smile only brightened, she was happy to hear that. 

“Ah I see, are his girlfriend?” Your chest wanted to explode.

“What?! No! I just, have a question for him...” You practically shrunk under her grey steel gaze and for that, began backing away from the intimidating, yet a kind woman. You were hoping to put some distance in between you two, but she moved along with you. “It’s not of importance to be here so late, I just- Kaeya sent me here and-”

“Ah I see, that one is trouble, I’m sorry you had to deal with him...” She seemed visibly distressed by the mention of the Cavalry Captain. You could relate. 

“It’s no problem, ma’am.” You reassured.

“Are you a Knight?” She suddenly asked, still no proper introduction. 

You nodded your head, her smile widened and brightened. 

“A respectable woman you are,” She praised. “And you’re beautiful? If one of my boys don’t marry you right now-” She carried on, you nearly choked on your saliva. “I’m sorry, I get carried away sometimes, I forgot to introduce myself!”

“My name is Victoria.” Finally, you thought. A name to fit her face. 

“Are you the boys' mother?” You suddenly asked. Manners, you reminded yourself. Remember to have manners and keep your curiosity to yourself. 

“Archons no!” She announced loudly, you jumped. “I’m a family friend of Diluc’s mother. You see, the boys were quite young when she passed, and they needed someone to help look after them, Master Crepus was quite a busy man. I stepped up and became a mother figure.”

“Ahh, I see,” You nodded. “I salute you for being able to help raise such gentlemen, must’ve been hard...” 

She laughed, “Not entirely, at first yes, but then it came naturally,”

“Where are my manners!” She suddenly exclaimed, grabbing your hand. “Come in! Diluc will be arriving soon, he’s out taking care of business.” With that, she dragged you into the mansion. 

The door slammed with a loud bang, and Victoria began walking through the downstairs level, almost excitedly. 

“Oh, um, thank you, ma’am.” You bowed your head in respect, watching confusedly as she disappeared into a hallway, before returning with a bottle of wine. 

“A drink?” She offered, showing off a bottle of wine, that just so happened to be the Ragnvindr’s specialty. 

“No, thank you, ma’am. I’m afraid I have an early morning tomorrow, a hangover would be a troubling start to my day.”

“Very good decision.” She praised, scrambling out of the room to look for what you assumed was a glass for her wine, leaving you once again alone. 

Glancing around the main entrance, you were left staring at very few portraits on the wall, framed maps, and personal memorabilia. One thing that stood out to you the most, a black insignia with a star and white skull, a Pirate insignia...

“A pirate insignia?” You whispered to yourself, confused. Captain Kaeya always told stories of pirates, his grandfather being one specifically. You always assumed he was lying... He wasn't. Maybe you should take back your disbelief in him. 

“That’s mine,” Victoria announced proudly, making herself known again. You jumped, startled, before turning to face the beautiful woman. She returned with a glass-like you thought she would and nearly emptied the entire wine bottle into it, cherry red contents filling to the brim.

You retract your statement about Captain Kaeya, he was still a fibber. 

“You were a pirate?” You asked, astonishment bubbling in your chest. You had so many questions for her, you secretly hoped Diluc would take even longer, just so you could listen to her stories. 

Victoria hummed, plopping onto a cherry red armchair, you still stood. 

”Badass...” You whispered to yourself, taking a seat on the nearby loveseat. 

”Thank you.” She beamed. 

“In my younger years of course. I haven’t been on a Pirate ship in a while. I haven’t seen my crew in years, either...” She reminisced. 

“You can’t be a day over thirty-five,” She smiled at your praise. “Why did you give it up? Being a Pirate, though uncertain at times, seems like loads of fun, filled with adventure.” She shrugged, taking a sip of her drink. 

“The boys lost their mother around the ages of eleven or twelve and I had just returned from months at sea,” She began. “They had run away from home to get into mischief when they met me at the gates; I think they’d been cooped at home for a while, they were grieving still....”

“Kaeya was excited to see my crew return home, infatuated with our stories. He clung to me for hours, with so many questions. Diluc on the other hand was just happy to finally not be bothered by his little brother,” 

Little brother? Kaeya? Wait did that mean-

“Master Crepus found them after he’d come searching, they’d been missing for hours and he was worried for obvious reasons. He attempted to take them home, Diluc was willing, Kaeya though clung to me. So, Master Crepus offered me a slower-paced life, looking after the boys and help keep them in check,” She continued, a smile on her face. “I agreed. They looked like they had gone through a lot and needed a mother figure. I was more than happy to look after them, I’d never had kids.” She ended her story there, swishing the red contents in her cup. 

“I guess that's the answer to your question,” 

“I was busy being a mother.” You smiled. Her story was inspiring, she was filled with pride despite leaving something she enjoyed behind, you could tell.

Leaning forward in your seat, you admitted, “You’re very admirable, I admire your drive to raise the boys. You’re an amazing woman and mother.”

“Thank you,” She blushed. “There is no perfect woman, no perfect mother, but your admiration for me is very telling, you share my qualities. If I’m as amazing as you say, you’d be an equally amazing mother to your own children.” Your face warmed at her compliment. 

“I’ve never thought about having children before... But, thank you.” She nodded, raising her glass in salute, before throwing the contents into the back of her throat. 

“A young girl such as yourself, curious, strong, loyal- You should accompany me one day if I ever find myself returning to swashbuckling adventures,”

“You’d be a great second mate.” The brunette admitted, sharp eyebrows wiggling with excitement. Was she hinting, no, offering for you to join her?

“I’m flattered. But I’m not so sure it would be right of a Knight to suddenly turn into a Pirate,” You giggled, she joined in. “No offense.”

“None was taken, sweetheart! I can understand. A Pirate would never think to become a Knight,” She explained. “Two different worlds, different rules, loyalties, and such.” 

The silence was deafening, but you had so many questions for the woman. Would she ever return to swashbuckling? Had she ever had any cool encounters? Did she feel like a badass? Archons, so many questions, very little time. 

“I believe I never caught your name, how rude and selfish of me.’ What’s your name beautiful?”

“Y/n Y/l/n, ma’am.” You said proudly. 

She smiled, “A pretty name for a pretty girl.” She praised, steel-gray eyes glistening like the stars. 

The door closing loudly caught your attention immediately, you stiffened on the spot. 

Master Diluc...

“Oh!” Victoria exclaimed, standing to her feet. “Diluc has arrived, my my, we talked for a long time,” Retreating towards the door, all you could hear were her heeled boots thumping against the wooden floorboards, matching the thumps of your beating heart surely. You watched uncomfortably as she helped the wine tycoon shrug his jacket off, poking fun at him every now and then. You could see by the way he tried to brush her off that he was flustered, he still hadn't seen you though, Victoria was persistent in her pestering; a mother's love, am I right?

“Diluc,” she started, voice echoing and bouncing off into the walls, traveling into the living room. “A beautiful, intelligent woman is here to see you. She says it’s not of importance, but with a woman of her beauty and admiration, you’ll make this the most important day in your life!” With that, her boots moving could be heard again and she was suddenly in the living room, a huge smile on her face, standing behind the loveseat you were sitting uncomfortably in. 

Another pair of boots could be heard, a heavier set this time, a jingling was heard as well, maybe keys? You weren’t sure... 

“Mother-” The tall man shut his mouth immediately as soon as he’d set his eyes on your figure. “Oh,” He approached, continuously looking between Victoria and you, probably wondering what the hell was going on.

“Miss Y/n,” He bowed his head respectively, though you were confused. You should be doing that instead, he was your superior in more ways than one. Standing to your feet, nearly tripping as well, you decided to greet him the same way, remembering your manners in your starstruck state. You couldn’t tell if it was from Victoria's story or the fact that Master Diluc was standing in front of you. Probably both. “W-what’re you doing here?” Master Diluc a stuttering mess? What an uncharacteristically shocking sight...

A slap sounded throughout the room, Victoria’s hand making contact with Diluc’s shoulder, ushering him forward, that’s what it was. “Diluc stop stuttering! Why are you suddenly flustered, huh?!” She exclaimed loudly, her son just stared at her embarrassed. Face turning shades of red. You giggled to yourself quietly.

“Mother!” 

“Sorry!” Her hands waved out in front of you, various gold dangling bracelets and chains on her wrists making a jingling sound. “I should be going now,” Te brunette then turned to you, taking your hands in her slender ones. “After talking to this eye-opening Knight, I think I should write to a few of my old comrades.” You smiled happily, hands squeezing hers gently. She was staring at you with pride as a mother would to their daughter. 

“Goodnight Y/n. I hope to see you again soon,” She waved you off, moving towards the stairs. “Come find me when you’re ready to leave behind those Knightly duties and join me for a voyage at sea, I’d love to show you my ship one day.” She beamed.

You nodded, seriously considering her offer. You hoped you as well would see her again, rather sooner than later. She was great company. You loved her deafening presence, an admirable woman she was. “Good night, ma’am.”  

As soon as she was gone up the stairs, Diluc awkwardly turned to face you. 

”She asked you to join her on her voyages I see.” He stated, trying to spark conversation. You nodded, fingers fiddling.

“Ya know, I’m considering that offer. It sounds fun.” You teased with a shrug, voice filled with sincerity. 

Master Diluc sent you a soft smile, “Yes. Life at sea does sound quite tiring, but I’m sure the adventures are worth it.”

“Agreed.”

Another deafening silence, Diluc looked like he wanted to say something.

“Can I get you anything? Wine, tea, juice...”

Not that though... You couldn’t help but giggle at the last part, he blushed. 

“Maybe next time, I’d love to be graced with your mother's presence again, maybe hear a few stories.”

“I’m sure she’d love that. Mother has many to tell.” He admitted with a proud smile,

You couldn’t wait to hear those stories truthfully, so entranced. You had never faced adventures quite like Victoria, never had even considered it, now you were though. Curse Victoria and her entrancement, though not literally, you held too much admiration for the woman to ever wish ill on her. 

”So, what can I do for you?” Diluc suddenly asked.

”Oh right!” You were left flustered. So wrapped up in your conversation, you had completely forgotten what you had come here for. Archons, what the hell.

“I had a question, but-”

You paused. 

Diluc’s eyebrows raised. “Yes?” He seemed to be hanging onto your every word. He was waiting for an answer for a long time. It seems he’d have to wait even longer...

“...I seemed to have forgotten.”

[🏷] TAGLIST (if you want to be removed from/added to this specific taglist let me know!)

@gladly-olus​ , @kyquu , @craptainlou , @mintydump , @chscklvr , @irisxiel , @minh0ree , @whatishappinesswhatislove , @rrintarou , @sorenthousand , @cvsmix , @nonniechan ,

3.7.21, rayofsunas

[fuwushiguro]

any advice for new writers?

Hi hi baby! It's 1am and I'm not wearing my glasses so if there's any spelling mistakes or typos.. no there isn't <3

My biggest piece of advice I always tell people is to just write, write anything, even if it's bad! You can look at what you don't like and break down why you don't like it and improve upon it or start from scratch! There's no pressure to share your work, keep at it until you're happy and confident with it. And honestly, even if it's not the best thing in the world, that's okay too! The fact that you've written something and feel happy enough to share it is amazing, there's bound to be someone who reads it and feels happier for seeing it. But again, you're under no obligation to share, do what feels right!

Writing notes is another good thing to do. I am a fiend for not making notes even though I know it'll help me in the long run. I usually get an idea and just run with it. But, I've been working on a new series and I have a MASSIVE google doc for it I share with @toyomitsus and @twicesangel where I write and organise everything and then they give me feedback and add stuff in too if they want.

Which leads into another piece of advice: talk to people about your ideas! Whether it's friends, family or other writers! I get REALLY inspired whenever I bounce ideas off the previously mentioned girls^ they are so supportive and kind and always make me feel really excited and confident in what I'm doing. We have phone calls to discuss things and ideas and we write drabbles, make headcanons, send memes etc. All things that fit in with specific characters and specific AUs and it's so fun.

Don't write anything you aren't excited about or it'll make you hate writing. Don't write something you don't want to because you think it'll get you more notes or attention or whatever. I feel like people can detect sincerity through blogs and writing and people can sort of see when you put your all into something or when your heart isn't in it. So prioritise things you really want to do, it's your blog after all! No one else's. It should be all about what inspires you and makes you happy and feel good.

I sometimes make specific playlists for certain fics or AUs. More often than not I will either listen to an entire album I know I like and fits with the vibe I'm going for or I will listen to one song on repeat for hours until I've finished writing. Lyrics inspire me a lot. I can think of an entire series from one lyric or melody or the way a certain part of the music makes me feel. My inner (ex) art student in me is also very inspired by visuals too like pictures and colours. Use your senses, they'll help you along the way. Even scents like sweets or perfumes may transport you somewhere.

Reading a lot definitely helps too I think. Seeing how other people write and taking what you do and don't like from that. I have a very specific way I like to write so I always get a little shocked if people don't write similarly to me but differences build experience.

I think writing, as I've already said, is really important. I have been writing on Tumblr for a year now and I can't believe how much I've improved from my first fan fic to what I write like now. Every time you write you improve. It's like honing any other skill. You may not realise it, I genuinely didn't, but you get more and more experience with every single thing you write. So don't hold back just because you're worried you aren't good enough. Everyone starts somewhere and everyone improves.

Be sure to take your time though. Don't feel obligated to write if you aren't in the mood for it and the same goes for sharing whatever you do write. Take plenty of breaks. Make sure you're comfortable when you're writing and are in a good headspace. And don't rush.

Other little finnicky things would be to figure out a tagging system. Make sure to tag things with appropriate trigger warnings and relevant character tags. And use a read more for longer works! It's very bothersome to have massive fics clog up the tags and people's dashboards.

Sorry this was so long and rambly and I'm sure there's tons of mistakes but I hope you get the.... jist? gist? u know what i mean 😭 have a lovely day or night and good luck to you and your writing endeavours!