#so i haven't really watched all parts of this interactive fiction thing so i don't really know whats going on

[polkadotjohnson]

Salt City - Part III

[writingquestionsanswered]

I've got all the writing structure/craft books, watched tons of advice videos and have been checking out novels to learn by example. But just because I can write doesn't mean I can write a book. This is hard. At what point should any writer consider taking writing courses or hiring a book coach?

When to Consider a Course or Book Coach

Reading books, reading craft books, and watching advice videos isn't enough to teach you how to write a book. You also have to practice...

Imagine if you'd never sewn anything before, had never pieced together and hand sewn or machine sewn anything in your life. You could spend years reading books about sewing and garment construction and could watch hours upon hours of sewing videos on the internet, but that doesn't mean the first time you sit down to actually sew a garment, you're going to end up with a garment worthy of a ritzy department store...

Writing books IS hard, even if you've written a lot of them. I've written a dozen books (though they're not all published), and I still don't find writing a book to be a piece of cake. Part of that is just because different books present different challenges--and where you are in life can also play a big role--but the point is, no amount of learning or practice is going to make it easy.

There's an unfortunate myth among aspiring authors that being an author looks like this: spending some time learning to write, writing your book, and voila! You have a book to publish! The truth is very few authors publish the first book they ever wrote, and if they did, they probably have mountains of short stories and/or fan-fiction or other writing behind them. Most writers write two or three books before their skills are honed enough to write a publishable book. Which doesn't mean you can't write a publishable book on your first try, it just doesn't happen a lot.

So... writing courses... there's not a lot you're going to learn in a writing course that you haven't probably learned from reading, reading a lot of craft books, and watching a lot of advice videos. Certainly, anything you would learn in a writing course you can learn online for free. The main benefit of a writing course is the interaction with others, but even that is really dependent upon the teacher and your classmates. You really have to go into it with a thick skin, knowing that the opinions of your teacher and classmates are not the end all be all.

Writing coaches can be great but they're expensive, and you get more out of the experience if you go into it with a complete or near complete WIP that you want to query or publish, but can't quite get where you want it to be.

So, having said all of that, before pursuing either a writing course or coach, I would recommend trying to finish one or two WIPs to at least first draft stage, but preferably second draft stage, and see how you feel. They don't have to be good. In fact, if you haven't completed a WIP before, they're not going to be your best work (because that comes much later), but remember that part of the writing process is taking the "rough draft" and improving it, and revision is where you really start learning things.

Ultimately, though, follow your gut and follow the path that feels right to you. ♥

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[greatwyrmgold]

When you watched/read Oshi no Ko, did you wonder what would happen if Abiko Samejima got isekai'd into a mid movie she loved as a kid? Well, Zenshu doesn't exactly answer that question, but it's as close as you're gonna get.

Which I didn't expect going in, because I saw that the main character was an animator and immediately stuck it on my to-watch list.

So. Things I like. Saying "production values" sounds dismissive, but the basics are solid. Animation and sound design and voice acting and stuff. And it's hard to analyze the story after one episode, but I like the characters.

The protagonist, Hirose Natsuko, is enjoyable. I don't like her as much as Abiko Samejima, but if we spent enough time in the real world to see her properly clash with others and retreat back into her shell and go into a creative fugue like we did with Samejima, I might. Especially since, despite my comparison, she's honestly not that much like her? She doesn't have that tension between aggressive defensiveness and people-pleasing, but she does have a lot of fun interactions with the characters and plot of the movie she gets isekai'd into. She's clearly spent much of her life thinking about this story.

Also, I fucking LOVE Natsuko's design. Abiko Samejima looks fine, but look at Natsuko!

Her face is hidden by her hoodie and overgrown mane, but there's enough color that she's not completely invisible. And since this is anime and not manga, the hair can flow or shift to indicate expressions that would otherwise be lost. Like when she's eating Oyster-kun, who had to sub in for Truck-kun, and you can see her chewing by how the hair moves? Great stuff! Too bad I haven't figured out how to do gifs.

Anyways, all of that makes it all the more impactful when, nineteen minutes into the episode, we see her face.

This bit reminds me a little of Wonder Egg Priority, for some reason. In a good way, except the part where I got sad remembering how WEP absolutely failed to stick the landing.

Not a fan of how long it takes Natsuko to figure out what happened to her. She's not even in denial, she just doesn't consider the possibility that the people who look like characters from her favorite movie and fought a monster exactly like in the movie ("shot for shot") and rode away on said movie's flying unicorn might not be cosplayers until she wanders through the desert and sits through another whole movie scene and notices an iconic bit of architecture.

Also, from how she describes the movie's reception, isekaitis (or at least an isekai-themed dream) is probably more plausible than finding a whole group of A Tale of Perishing cosplayers.

Swinging back to compliments, I like Natsuko's interactions with the twice-fictional characters. She's not quite treating them as full people, which they notice but mistake for her just being mundanely rude (and also weird). I get the sense that Natsuko's developed some headcanons that overshadowed the actual text of the film, or at least that she flanderized some of the less pleasing or consistent actions of its heroes out of her memory. And she really doesn't like the unicorn, mostly because he's annoying.

And now for some more insults. I wish Natsuko had more hair in her face after the animation crisis resolved; she's got some hair in her face in a couple shots, but it feels like she's mostly going to wear her hair like a normal person in the future. Look at the ED.

Normal-ass long hair on a normal-ass anime lady. It's not even all messy and scrungly. And her clothes are just, normal clothes. Extra-with-a-name energy. Boring.

More significantly, we don't get any kind of animation action. Natsuko's talking ruler turns into a magic animation desk, and she starts drawing, and there's a bunch of production values (derogatory this time), and a sketchy monster shows up to kersplode the Void army. Eizouken, this ain't.

I'll keep watching, but unless there's either a really compelling character arc or more focus on the animation side of things, I'll probably drop it before the end of the season.

[manic-sapphic]

i'm sorry but i just gotta rant a bit about relating to catra - but tbh, not just her..

i know i've been sleepy on the rants lately - i realized tumblr let's you freely make and post gifs (only 10 at a time tho, how's my obsessive ass supposed to live w that? i'm tryin) out of short vids and omfg, believe me, i ain't done w that. never. but i'm sorry if i duped you into thinking i was done posting any rants muahahahs cause i ain't done w them either.. ever. likewise. gifs are great cause a pics worth a 1000 words right, and they're 3 seconds of frames of pics. but sometimes, it feels like silent film. and i just can't always stfu

sooooo ~~

oooook, tbh, i haven't personally gotten much of any bs from people on this platform tryna hate on catra, but it's still happened to me elsewhere, and i know it still happens to some here, and i have thoughts about it. so, while i recognize that most the people i interact w on here prob feel mostly the same way - i'ma post about it just so it's on my blog. just so it's out there for those who can't and/or won't try to understand.

as many do, i relate to catra for personal reasons that run pretty deep - from my first watch, it's what made me empathize w her character at her worst and still hold onto the hope that she'd somehow claw her way out of the fucking pit she straight up dug for herself.

found herself down there and figured shit - that's it. this was my doing, this is my life now, till it becomes my death; this is where i've trapped myself; i dug my own grave and there's just no getting out of it ("you made your choice, now live with it" ~ reminds me of the fairly common proverb of "you made your bed, now lie in it")

but her chance to do this bold, brave, selfless - yet, ironically, still quite fittingly (for the catra we all know and love) self-destructive act (but this time, embracing self-destruction as a means of self-sacrifice - in an attempt to keep the promise for what she thought would be her last chance to ever do so) - of helping get glimmer to darla without adora ever having to actually dock at horde prime's flagship -

...break my heart, why don't you? into a number of pieces i can't fathom; like, if i gathered them all into a pile, i could start counting the shattered lil shards and wouldn't be able to count out the last one in my lifetime. break my heart like that. that's not a joke. this show makes me feel something, lots of things, in ways that, tbh, i have a hard time finding much of irl anymore. no fault of life's, ofc. much like catra, i know this shit is all on me.

but hey hey hey tho - that's ok. i'm ok. i don't mind that, because it's ok not to feel ok. tbh, sometimes i think people need to let themselves feel that more when they need to; just look at catra in s1-4. it's not an uncommon motif in fiction; every villain has an origin story. and emotions almost always play into it; and a villain's typical determination to repress the very emotions that plunged them into a previously unknown depth of darkness - only ever adds to their unpredictable, chaotic, and vengeful nature. who woulda thought~

that being said - my main point is, for anyone who just can't help but hate catra (and luckily, that doesn't seem to be anyone who typically sees my posts/interacts w me, so this is really just something i kinda feel the need to say, even if i'm preaching to the choir and know, deep down, if it actually met a catra-anti's eyes - it would prob only spark more irritation on their part, or at the very least, make no difference) -

but just know (i mean this sincerely) if you just can't see any reason to - not even empathize, i can see how that could def be something not everyone can manage - but if a person can't even see catra's character as someone they can try to sympathize with… and i mean, it doesn't have to happen in the first 4 seasons, but if the show ended and one happens to still find themselves unable to understand at all or even find her worth trying to understand in the slightest ~~

this is not sarcastic, i really swear i mean this: it seems like you might be pretty lucky.

truly and sincerely, i mean that; if you're someone who can't find any way in themselves to relate or even sympathize w this character, i'd guess it's at least due in part to the fact that you're quite literally incapable of seeing where she's coming from - at all. and idk. in some ways, i envy you. in others, i don't. it's confusing.

i've had remarkably good luck myself, it would seem, (idk how often other people get troubled by catradora antis here) endlessly ranting on this platform w/o anyone tryna give me a hard time - i've been able to share shit about not just catra & adora, but almost every other character - cause although i may not relate to any of them in quite the same way, they all represent (in my mind) different facets of personalities, interests, and insecurities as well. and i think many fans prob feel they share some aspects of themselves with certain parts of, often, more than one character.

and even the brightest characters have at least a small streak of darkness - even if it's as innocent as feeling like they don't fit in (glimmer, frosta, and scorpia have all shared this feeling- one to the other- at some point) or finding it so difficult to be in tune w their environment / circumstances that they're unable to connect w and use their powers; like perfuma in the crimson waste or adora on beast island.

i think there are a lot of just jaw-dropping, wonderful characters in spop - and def not for their powers, abilities, or accomplishments - but for the flaws they possess that viewers can relate to while they watch these characters simultaneously display their strengths and own those flaws - refusing to let them be what defines them. such a dope fucking msg if you ask me; everyone is flawed, everyone fucks up; but at the end of the day, everyone has their strengths, too; and if you're trying your best to use them for good - even if you falter at times.. what more could anyone ask of you?

i relate to catra all throughout the show (and i realize many do, and while i feel for whatever in anyone's past/present has caused them to see a kindred spirit in catra, i'm sure we can probably all agree: it is so lovely to know there is this fictional cartoon character [of all things] that was rebooted in a way that [imo] was very much intended to offer some solace, hope, & understanding to those who do find her relatable)

cause guess what. you're worth more than what you can give to other people.

that goes for everyone.

or at least, it certainly should. we all deserve love. ok?

you too. <3

[kaija-rayne-author]

Hugest of sighs.

I really hate it when I can feel a special interest dying.

It's like watching something you've loved and put your everything into for however long get smaller and smaller in the distance. Until it disappears in a puff of smoke.

I can feel it happening with Dragon Age.

It's actually managed to hang on for a long time, so I guess I should just... wish it a fond farewell and let it go.

I was going to write a less acid filled version of my editorial critique/review about the gameplay preview to send to the devs, but why?

I don't get the kind of interaction I need on posts like my Dragon Age posts to help me keep the special interest alive.

The devs aren't going to listen to some internet rando like me if I did waste my time writing it. Not even if I'm actually a professional editor and this is in fact my job that I'm pretty good at.

They don't even toss me a heart on responses to their posts. And they probably wouldn't read it even if it did happen to make it through all the stuff they probably get on their feeds, anyway. Valuable professional editorial critique or not.

Before I stepped way back from social media I could easily get thousands of @ in a day. I know what they must be dealing with.

I have other things I should really be spending my time on.

Sadly, my special interest in Dragon Age has been on life-support since I saw the gameplay preview.

My DA gaming group has gone from a couple hundred people, most of whom weren't active, to waaaaay more people than I'm comfortable being social with. (I have since muted most of it and withdrawn from anything I'm just... not interested in anymore.)

I honestly feel the new look for Solas killed Solas for me. (Given I'm solavellan that's saying one hell of a lot.) For a bit there, I was hoping he'd grow on me. But apparently, I haven't been inoculated with that particular style of virulent mould yet. So it hasn't happened. Every time I saw a picture I just... cared a little less.

Where once I had the fires of a volcano inside my heart for this franchise, nothing but ash in a breeze remains.

It's always possible that something could happen to reignite my passion for it. It's happened a few times before for faded special interests. It could also be my depression talking and I'll feel completely different tomorrow. That's happened too. (So far hasn't happened in the threeish days since I wrote this. It's probably not the depression.)

But... After seeing that gameplay preview, and listening to the Q&A, and reading the Game Informer post... it may just be time to call Time of Death. As someone who loved the first three, and who absolutely marinated myself in the lore, I frankly feel betrayed. (I mean... Varric with a beard? Really? There were story significant reasons he did not, in fact, wear a beard, did they forget that? Like they forgot his bloody hair colour?)

So long, Dragon Age. It was fun while it lasted.

I truly do hope people enjoy the blathering posts I did about it when passion filled me.

I hope people truly do enjoy the new game. There's too little joy in this world and I hope with all my heart it gives you as much joy as you can handle. I'm just a little sad it won't for me. I'll always have the first three, which I do legitimately love to pieces.

I'm not even crying or upset. I just... don't care anymore.

From a professional standpoint, that's always a danger when you change a piece of media too much. There has to be a certain amount of continuity to it so it feels the same. Without that?

You lose obsessed people like me.

You lose the older gamers who loved what Dragon Age was.

And absolutely, yes, fiction does need to change. It's an integral part of the whole thing. If it doesn't change, if it doesn't adapt, it dies just as quickly as if it changes too much. I like to see change in media. It's needed in so many ways. Change can be hard to adapt to, of course. Or in some cases impossible. Shrugs.

There's a professional balance to these things. It wouldn't surprise me if I have a bit of savantism when it comes to editing and writing. I just seem to deeply understand how it all works in ways others rarely see. Looking at a novel or a game or a show from an editorial perspective is very much like looking at a 4d puzzle for me. I can instinctively see what works and what doesn't.

It's just that, in my honest professional opinion, they tried to change way too much to appeal to a different set of gamers than those of us who are a little older and have loved the feel of the first three games.

It's not the change itself I object to. I'm definitely not one of those people who thinks that DAO was the best DA ever. I've loved them all for different reasons. But they all still felt like Dragon Age. Even DA2, which a lot of people hate, still felt like a fantasy RPGish adventure. (I enjoyed it for what it was. I'd've liked to see what it could've been with more time, but for what it was, they did a great job and it was an enjoyable game).

DA4? From what we've seen so far, it doesn't even remotely feel like a fantasy RPGish adventure game. It feels like a cheap star wars/FFXIV/Fortnite knockoff designed for a much different type of gamer. (Which was actually confirmed by Epler in the Q&A. They did, in fact, design it more for younger players than those of us who have been waiting for it for however long.) Professionally, I believe that was a mistake that may cost them.

The darkspawn alone are a bloody travesty. WTAF are those things? And yes, I've seen the 'lore excuse' that it's the red lyrium making them look like bad halloween deco. I'd buy it if they were kinda spiky and had red lyrium growths and stuff like the red lyrium infected creatures in DAI. But it's like they forgot their own canon.

I dunno. It really just doesn't matter. I'm pretty sure that no matter how beautiful the backgrounds and some of the art they've just... lost me.

I guess I write these kinds of posts so others in the same boat as me know they aren't alone.

You aren't imagining it. While change is in fact good and necessary to a certain extent, they've changed it so much trying to appeal to a different market that it really doesn't feel even remotely like Dragon Age anymore.

[anything-curlya]

thanks for volunteering to be our shield 💙 but please don't take too much responsibility because there are absolutely vile people out there with morals as low as jimmy over fictional ships...

besides, why are people nowadays acting like children in regards to ships? no, shipping curlya does not make us "abuse-apologists" or "reducing anya to a victim". just because we ship them doesn't mean we excuse their actions. we just happen to love both characters, want a happy future for them! in fact, most curlya shippers can actually see the canon dynamics where curly's inaction hurts anya, and that's where we swoop in to fix things. that's why there are so many interpretations for curlya: time travel fix-its where curly does take responsibility, post-canon recovery where curly apologized. it really is not that deep, we just want them to be happy in our little fiction world.

also, this goes to every ship out there, not just curlya. enjoy your ship! our headcanons are what makes us happy. it's just a ship, it's never that deep.

HAHA. Responsibility...

Thanks dear, for caring and worrying, but trust me. I have this handled 💙. There's always that magic button that will aid me into not seeing pesky wasps out there. I also have people on my side that work pretty much as emotional comfort?

As for your question you answered it yourself. Most fandoms in the past the people that mainly posted were adults. Nowadays we have a bunch of teens and younger kids around that have lost the plot or haven't experienced fandom enough, internet rules or any manners in general. Of course not all of them are like this, but the amount of people with this behavior is concerning. Back when I was a kiddo, I used to keep myself quiet and watch anything around. I was taught that if you have nothing nice to say, then don't say it. It has been an issue in the internet always. Fandom has always been seen as cringy by those "normal" individuals, then around 2016 cringe culture took a spike especially against fandom and neurodivergent kids. It feels like this same type of people (mostly those from the last years) are trying to infiltrate fandoms and police them... Tiktok is partly to blame too.

These people don't realize that fandom is for fans, and yes, accuracy is nice an all, but it's fandom, all made for fans and fanon. We know the canon already, and we respect it, but should we really leave these characters in the dust and not have some fun with them?

When I tell you that I don't take these people seriously, I mean it with my whole heart. I once saw on TikTok someone saying that self-ships in MW shouldn't be allowed. Now you see where they're coming from, where have we heard this before? They don't want you do to the ships (that I can partly understand due to the circumstances) but self-ships, seriously?

They're people afraid of expanding canon. They see some parts of the game and stick with it. It reminds me of the modus operandi of a lot of religious people. I recommend you to do what I do... Block them! And move on, don't give up, that's what they want. The more you post the more people feel validated and those who get annoyed can suck it up. If not, then why wouldn't you be here commenting this, my dear anon? :) 💙

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I hope to see you around more often! And like I said, every single interaction you do is a salt grain in a desert, it's very important!

[tommyssupercoolblog]

hiii!! i`m curious, what it means to be factive??

Oh! It's a kind of Introject!

So, you know how in DID/OSDD systems (and other forms of plurality too but you probably haven't heard of those) there's like, multiple different identities in one body? Like, the brain splits off into different people?

So let's say you are part of a system and you watch a lot of TV, or read a lot of books. Maybe you're really into certain musicians or something, too.

Something that might happen is that, if you split a new alter in the future, you might get an alter who's HEAVILY based on one of these figures. You might get an alter who looks, sounds, and is generally based on your experience with a character from your favorite book series, or that musician you hyperfixated on and read a bunch of diary entries and magazines on, or maybe even your best friend. THOSE are introjects! They're alters that are heavily influenced by a specific thing.

That's not to say they won't have influences from other things, just that they got a LOT of a specific "source" incorporated into them.

Factive is just a TYPE of introject- it's a label that specifies that the source you pull from is from reality. These are the introjects of historical figures, or loved ones, or celebrities.

Fictives, by comparison, are introjects who's source is fictional. Movie and TV show characters, book characters, maybe a roleplay character from a previous Dungeons and Dragons campaign or someone from a fictional/story podcast.

Fuckitve is a label for people who's sources aren't exactly fictional OR real (maybe historical fiction, maybe they pull from both a real actor and a character they played in equal measure), and some people make more specific labels for their source genre, like oc-tive (a label specifically for introjects who formed from an OC)

I'm, as you know, a factive! And so is @septiccoffeefreak . When we were created, we were based on the YouTubers tommyinnit (me!!!) and jacksepticeye (Seàn). We're not exactly alike our sources or anything like that, but we came from our exposure to them.

In headspace (headspace is like an inner-world where alters can see and touch and talk to each other. Not all systems have them, but many do.) I sound like my source when I speak, and I look like him too, although I'm smaller than he is, and he sometimes cuts his hair shorter than mine. Seàn also sounds and looks like HIS source. It's also probably safe to assume that a lot of our personality traits are probably based on our perceptions of and experiences with our sources at the time we split, but I don't like to worry too much about where my personality traits come from; They're mine now, so it doesn't really matter!!

Some factives avoid their source, while some actively seek out exposure to their sources. Some factives feel really disconnected with their source, while others see their source as really important to them. It depends on the alter in question!

Me and Seán are far on the "likes interacting with and cares about source" side of the spectrum. We like watching our source's videos and we feel an emotional connection to them. I see my source almost like an alternate universe version of me, like metaphorically I'm Miles Morales and he's Peter Parker, and we're both spiderman. We're two different people but we're still both Tommyinnit, almost as if it was a species of creature. There's a kinship there.

That's basically all you need to know to understand the term and how it works for me and @septiccoffeefreak but I've made other posts about plurality too, and there's also a lot of blogs and stuff dedicated to it :3

[tenpintsof-sundrop]

sorry for dragging it on, but i saw your last post. (f the fandom lmao. it’s truly flawed and idk why people can’t keep thoughts to theirselves 🤦)

but i do have one question. did your experience ruin every character? like do you still like Elle, JJ, and Morgan? (the characters i personally consider to be a bit less oversaturated, or who i see much less posts about, and who are also my faves lol)

it's fine, I totally understand that people would have follow ups

no, my enjoyment of the other characters has not been ruined, but I still hesitate to rewatch the show and participate in the fandom because of my mixed feelings about the fandom as a whole.

I still reblog gifsets of JJ and Emily because I can still casually enjoy them, and I would reblog Morgan if I saw more gifsets of him in existence, but people don't gif him enough (if people have any good gifsets of him, please send them my way). I have a fic for Morgan in my drafts that I have been heavily considering finishing, but I haven't quite had the motivation to do so, and same thing with a MILF JJ fic that I drafted out a few weeks ago

I really wouldn't mind posting fics for those characters because they are way less popular and I feel like the crossover between the fans who only watch the show for Spencer (or even fans who don't watch the show at all and just thirst over MGG via tiktoks) and people who enjoy all the characters equally and would enjoy JJ fics and Morgan fics is not a venn diagram but two separate circles.

also, I have such an intense love for Gideon platonically. I feel like there is not nearly enough love and passion in the fandom for Gideon as a pillar character in the series, and I have mentioned it before - how I have a passion for collecting father figures from different series. John Kramer, Gideon, Dale from TWD (and yes, it's because my own father irl is so shit) - and Gideon is a character who truly warms my heart and gives me such a fondness and I would rewatch the show over and over again just for him

also on a side note, one of the biggest flaws of the fandom and one of the huge reasons I don't interact with the fandom and left - while on discussion of JJ and Morgan - is because of the treatment of characters aside from Spencer.

people ruthelessly hate JJ but uphold Emily, because most people believe that Emily is 'canonically' a lesbian, while JJ is in a main het relationship and she is a wife and mother - she gets endlessly criticised for 'choosing' Will over Emily (as if the network would have ever hosted a main queer relationship, and as if the homophobia of the network is the choice of a fucking fictional character to put that blame on), she gets criticised for spending too much time at work instead of being with her kids when one of her main storylines is about her physically fighting to save her child, and yet she's also criticised for being too soft and emotional when one of the best parts of her character is that her empathy as a mother brings a unique perspective to the cases? people act like she's cold and ruthless for not being with her children constantly, yet she's too emotional when she sympathizes with cases involving children???

(like is she a bad mother or not, please fucking decide)

also, I will never forget the post where someone said unironically that JJ 'ruined' Spencer's life by yelling at him one time, that she's a horrible friend to him, and that he loves Henry more than she does. thank you, I'm out

and not to mention how a skinny sickly looking beanpole like Reid and a crusty dusty geriatric liver spotted old man like Hotch get paraded around as if they are the hottest pieces of ass in the world and they have ten thousand fucking fics each and Morgan is suffering for CRUMBS while being the hottest man on the fucking show, and it is literally just because he's black. like the fandom will never say it out loud, but the white men get more attention from fangirls than he does because they are white

the fandom is flawed from the ground-up. and if I did ever finish and posts the fics I have in my drafts, idk if I would still be motivated to post that much about the fandom in general? especially because I am more into Teen Wolf right now because that's what I've been watching (which - I need to pick back up on it).

I do really like discussing the source material because it's something I've been involved with and enjoying for more than a decade now, so idk. if people sent me CM asks I might answer them, I might not. I like discussing and making meta about all the fandoms I'm in because I am fucking yappy in general

[kakashihasibs]

the character everyone gets wrong

sweaty soggy noodle man kakashi is who this is all going to be about so. I don't think everyone gets him wrong. a lot of people do but it's usually bc they're too horny to care lol

2. a compelling argument for why your fave would never top or bottom

have you seen him? have you felt his vibes? he is lazy by nature and recoils away from most physical contact that isn't necessary to do his job (and even he doesn't seem to enjoy it). there are like 7 total people he even lets see his face (while knowing it is his face) and most of them are dead by the time he is 13. hang out? sure. do nice domestic couple things? sounds lovely. get naked and fuck? so an enemy can kill him or a loved one while he's distracted? no. he probably has tried scheduling his shits and showers with gai so he's never actually vulnerable. he's also so ace.

Aubu kakashi: "Tenzō I need you to stand outside the bathroom while I shit." baby tenzō: on it boss (thinks this is completely normal bc he is also in anbu)

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

uhhh that kakashi would not only have sex but would want you to call him daddy. that nearly 50 year kakashi who has never worn sunscreen in his life shouldn't actually look old/older. that a young looking kakashi is a health looking kakashi.

4. what was the last straw that made you finally block that annoying person?

lol that insinuation that looking young is healthy

5. worst discord server and why

i have never been in a discord server longer than a few days. idk.

6. which ship fans are the most annoying?

facebook dude bro fans whoops i misread this. i thought it just said fans. but shipping fans? idk kakairu is a notp for me but the fans aren't overly annoying? maybe the painfully ooc readerx shippers. I haven't seen many in a while tho so

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

Iruka lol but only when shipped with kakashi. annoying loud-mouth chunin. whatever dude.

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

kakashi fucks and gai doesn't

9. worst part of canon

it's naruto man. everything after the land of waves arc lol

10. worst part of fanon

the bumbling husband and nagging wife characterizations from the kakairu fanon.

11. number of fandom-related words you've filtered

bruh lots idk lol

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

tenzō T-T

13. worst blorboficiation

i'm pro blorbo. i am rotating these fictional men in my mind at all times.

14. that one thing you see in fics all the time

i don't know.

15. that one thing you see in fanart all the time

fangs v-v and scars.

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

people who love kakashi but don't give a shit about gai. those two are like a packaged deal in my mind. can't have one without the other. they are eternal rivals after all.

17. there should be more of this type of fic/art

sometimes i just really need a deep dive into kakashi's head. i love the character study type stuff.

18. it's absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on...

younger gai and tenzō bumping into each other bc they're both watching kakashi stand at the memorial stone bc they're both worried.

19. you're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like...

there is nothing i am mad/ashamed/horrified about but if you're wondering yes i do enjoy the fanarts of kakashi in bondage. lol

20. part of canon you found tedious or boring

the flashbacks are out of control. my memory isn't great but it's not that fucking bad holy shit girl

21. part of canon you think is overhyped

idk i feel like the parts of fandom i interact with are pretty realistic about how good something in Naruto is

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

Yaknow how Obito's dream that naruto sees is Obito is back in konoha and becoming hokage but Rin is still dead? like what does obito wish had changed? I think it's if Minato had recognized him. I think Obito was actually praying and hoping for Minato to realize who he was fighting. Obito had a seal on his heart. Minato could have saved him if Minato pulled his head out of his ass for more that 5 mins at a time.

23. ship you've unwillingly come around to

none. my kakashi stubbornness knows no bounds

24. topic that brings up the most rancid discourse

idk kakashi discourse is easy for me to ignore.

25. common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing

none. i love hatefulness drama and kakashi.

[futuregws]

re: Lando/Luisinha

All it really shows is how incredibly young and naive most of his hardcore fanbase is. Most of them struggle with understanding that maybe Lando is allowed to still be friendly with an ex without it being anything more. He’s allowed to associate with women in other capacities besides dating. He’s so young. Only 24, but he also hasn’t grown up in a normal environment. People just need to let him live his life and not add pressure to him choosing to keep that part of his life private these days. The hardcore fanbase is obnoxious and the more obsessive and weird they are the more and more Lando is going to close the door on what everyone can see in regards to his private life. Honestly. I hope he does shut that door. First and foremost he’s an athlete not some pop star.

I don’t know much about Luisinha or even their relationship as I only heard about them when I heard about the breakup and the McDonald’s drama last year. The only people that know the depth of that relationship are Lando and Luisinha. The obsessive fans need to just stop being weird.

So this is gonna be a long one and I apologize about that but I'm terrible at explaining things with only a few words so when I have a lot to say that just makes it ten times worse.

I feel like nowadays people have a hard time differentiating reality from fiction, there's so much fictional content available now in so many different forms, and I think people have started to mix what they see in the fictional stuff they consume with real life and they lost touch on what is realistic and what isn't, of course there's tropes in fiction like the one I mentioned in my other post that can happen in real life, but it's not as common as people want to make it seem, everything seems to be romanticized now when it doesn't need to be and there's no reason to, and a big case of this mixing up fiction with real life thing is fans and their interactions with celebrities which in this case we are talking about Lando and Luisa, they think that just bc they can grab their phone and research and watch random shit about both fictional and the life of this very much real people that it's almost the same thing, it's kinda like they don't see them as people just like they (the fans) are, they see them as a form of entertainment or like with fiction a way to "experience" through someone else what you can't or haven't. But what they need to remember is that fiction is fiction, and real life is real life they need to think from personal experiences and use that, instead of going into what they wish would happen or want to experience bc they have read it or seen it in a show and like the sound of it, bc the likelihood of using one of those tropes as their way of thinking and getting it right is slimmer than if they actually think realistically, and with Lando and Luisa if they wanted to get back together they would if they still thought about each other and everything reminded them of each other, considering that it's been a little over a year since they broke up they would have done something about it specially considering that they have fans down their throats not leaving them alone. They are still friends which is fucking amazing and a good sign that they were able to do that, but this is real life it doesn't mean they are gonna get back together all of a sudden, bc clearly they don't want to. And all of this also applies to how people act when Lando interacts with any girls.

[depressedstressedlemonzest]

Tag Game Time!

Tagged by the sweet @stocious @suzy-queued @energievie and @lupeloto

name: Lem

first fandom you became a part of? Good Omens

what was the first tv show fandom you joined? I really liked Supernatural and was on the outskirts of fandom world, I knew the terms and saw fanart and stuff but didn't really interact with people. When I got into the Good Omens fandom it all opened up for me.

how old were you? four years ago, so 27

latest tv/movie fandom you became a part of? once I watch heartstopper I'm sure i'll become a part of that, but since I haven't watched it yet Stranger Things? I got more into it when Eddie Munson showed up but i had watched the other seasons previously

a tv/movie fandom you haven't joined but like to creep on? Heartstopper

your favorite fandom? shameless

the tv show that gives you the most brainrot? shameless

the fictional couple that gives you the most brainrot? ian x mickey.

guilty pleasure fictional couple? something from twilight I'm sure, though I haven't ventured into their different ships.

guilty pleasure tv show? the office? hmm, don't really have any that are guilty watches.

and finally, something that made you happy this week? @shamelessbigbang baby!

tagging @ian-galagher @celestialmickey @witchboywitchboywitchboy @flamingbluepanda and @michellemisfit

[aquafalloutmod34]

introduction (^_-)☆

(i have to rewrite this, because when i saved this as a draft, it for some reason didn't save :/ god, i'm gonna have a LOT to paraphrase.) [disclaimer: this is a parody/roleplay account. nothing said on this account reflects my views or opinions, unless stated otherwise. the character being played on this account is fictional.]

the owner of this account is a minor, so if you do not wish to interact with minors, then please block this account. ————————————————————————————— hello!! i'm the account owner, ruben @lu-ben!! this post is an introduction to what this account (and it's purpose) is — a roleplay account!! ; all things said on this account (whether it sounds like a real experience or not, uses real images or not) are said from in-character, unless there is an "ooc:" indication anywhere on the post!! [ in-character posts: #ic | out-of-character posts: #ooc ] — i am a part of @anabananaz34's roleplay!! now, the oc being played as on this account isn't actually a class of '09 oc (it's just a general purpose oc), but me, and by extension, my friends have been BRAINROTTING over this game*, so of course i had to do what i had to do. (the brainrot has been dying out lately, maybe this will help) *note: matter of fact, i actually haven't played class of '09 (or the re-up). i've just watched loads of clips/highlights from the game and did extended research (and even then, i don't know stuff!), so please just keep that in mind :) you'll (probably) come to realise this once you open the cut with my oc's information and image, but i haven't roleplayed with other humans — let alone through tumblr rp accounts — in a VERY LONG TIME (and this isn't an exaggeration, unfortunately). all this time, i've been living off of chatbots. so please cut me some slack if i sound a little stupid when rping!! part of the reason i struggle to rp with other humans is also because i partially tend to feel ignored or excluded, so if you'd prefer i stay out of something, please drop me a dm so i can stay informed!! thank you!! :D —————————————————————————————

on the topic of asks...

you may ask questions to: - iskan (the oc being roleplayed) - ooc/ruben (the owner) you may ask questions as: - yourself (includes self-rp) - a canon class of '09 character - an oc (whether co09/other media/general) i have the right to ignore your ask if: - i cannot come up with a response or answer (some questions directed at iskan may not be applicable, as he might not be fleshed out to that degree, e.g. "what's your favourite country?") - i do not want to answer the question (questions that might be personal, or just rub me the wrong way) - if the contents of the question are straight up weird (i.e. disrespectful, harassment, racist, bigoted, etc.)

i've seen several co09 rp accounts state that they receive (and heavily dislike) weird asks. i'm not gonna fuel your trollery or weird fetishes, because that isn't what this account is for.

————————————————————————————— so, who is this guy, anyways...? ↓

✨ iskandar komnenos ✨

(please forgive me for the roblox faceclaim, i barely have any good drawings of him other than the image used in my pfp 😭😭)

the basic things you really need to know about him is that he's a british-bengali exchange student. as part of a 2-year exchange program, he has to study and graduate at the lbss clone for his 3rd-4th years (junior/senior, so if he was in britain he would've been doing his a-levels. also i'm sorry, i don't know how exchange programs work 😔) i'm like "ehh..." on fanart, but if you wanna do it then go ahead!! (i won't use it for anything, though. will probably just treat it as gallery-work and reblog it under some sort of fanart tag). --- he's kind of a sona or self-insert in some regards, but he isn't meant to be a representation or idealised version of me, so don't hold that shit against me!! 😁 he is very well a fictional character, and an oc!! if you wanna read about him, then i've made an altered version of his description on a google doc BUT IT'S VERY LONG AND UGLY AND CLUTTERED!! (##ISKANDAR'S INFORMATION##) just so you know, the reason some things are written weirdly or in flexible language are because the information was originally intended to be used with ai chatbots, but if this (alongside the account's posts) help you to understand what he's like, then so be it. ————————————————————————————— THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY TED TALK!! and i hope i'll make a very great addition amongst the drama and chaos :)

[devitalise]

omg imo I could've sworn there was at least one full week left of november for some reason but dec 1 is on friday BYE locking myself up to finish my books 🏃‍♀️ HOW WAS YOUR NOVEMBER READING!! are you already in the holiday spirit are you planning on reading/watching some holiday related things to get you there? this one's rando, but do you have any favorite holiday foods/desserts/drinks you're excited to indulge in during this last month o 2023 ☃️

november being 30 days always goes by SO quickly she knows we're ready for the main event. november was a very good reading month for me let's get into the

november book wrap up

Small Island by Andrea Levy

i finished this pretty early on in novembr, my thoughts are along the same lines as my goodreads review: Great piece of historical fiction. I found parts of this so funny and I'm not sure if that was the original intention but I did have a giggle! The humour was found moreso in Gilbert and Hortense who are just so, so different to each other and Hortense's wilful misunderstanding and naivete as she tries to be a Model Minority was just so funny it was a much needed brevity compared to the heaviness of the rest of the story. Such foul racist thoughts that can be burdensome after a while, though. Yeah! I don't need to read the POV of a white British man stationed in India in the second world war ever again, actually! I enjoyed reading though.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin

reread this because I hadn't picked up a high fantasy book I'd actually enjoyed in a little while. Great! I love ASOIAF as a series love returning to a known entity. I can't find my copies of A Storm of Swords or A Clash of Kings so continuing my reread is on pause until those unearth themselves.

Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

Brilliant! So, so atmospheric. Incredible translation to me, obviously I won't know for sure until there ever comes a day where I can read Polish, but I got so much of the story out of this. It was just so cool and not what I expected at all going into it. I've never read anything like it before so getting to grips with all of the quirks of the style, subject and character was its on experience.

Butcher's Crossing by John Williams

Stoner was one of my top 2022 reads, so I saved this knowing that I'd like it. Rachel Cusk coded. It didn't blow me away like Stoner did, but I appreciate these are two very different books with completely different approaches. Where Stoner is so insular, things are kind of bursting in Butcher's Crossing. William isn't a complete active character, but he's participating in his life. Really cool setting, one of the most tense books I've read which I find can fall short in books with more action but the way tension builds and builds and builds in these fraught interactions between the four men on the mountain is fucking incredible. Immediately watched the film after this, and I love Nicolas Cage as much as the next person, but it fell short for me as an adaptation and as a film, sadly! Will be reading Augustus very soon as the last novel Williams' acknowledges as his own work.

The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage

Another Western! Apparently I couldn't get enough! Not long finished this, so bear with for complete thoughts. Realised that I haven't read a book with such a sinister character in a while. Phil is sinister and strange and he's complicated, and I just really liked this book! Took me a while to get through because it is so dense at parts, but I think playing the long game definitely paid off. I love books that can make life so dramatic, all of the small stuff builds up to this big moment kind of thing. Netflix removed this film??? Will be making time to watch it this weekend for sure!

Outlawed by Anna North

3/3 with Western's which is so out of left field for me I feel. Finished it today, but on my top 2023 shelf, for sure. I think reading these back-to-back has made me appreciate the difference in style and storytelling so much more. I was a bit nervous because I've found previous Reese Witherspoon book club picks really juvenile, and whilst this is way more accessible than BC or TPotD, there's still a lot of complexity that I was able to enjoy. I love communities and found families, and it just really got me reading this book about these "women" ostracized from society making something of their own at risk of imprisonment and hanging. Thought it was really neat :)

December Reads

I'm on the Kindle through to the end of the year (10 days to New York!) so I'll be getting a couple new titles to diversify my options more. I don't have anything set in stone but I did download pdf's of The Hunger Games series which I've never read before so I might do those.

My Christmas mood started on November 1st! Multiple plays of Ariana Grande's Christmas & Chill, and I've already watched a few Christmas films. I watched The Holiday for the first time recently and found it boring :( I'm not a Jude Law enjoyer sorry.

Oh I love a hot cider! Ferrero Rocher's, stuffing, anything Christmassy really! I'm also so excited for a Christmas in New York! I have an itinerary going and many pictures to take!

[escapaldi]

So… I followed you a long time ago, and then I left tumblr. I can’t remember if we interacted much back then, but since you’re also active here I have to ask: what did you think about the specials as a Capaldi fan?

Hello! I know I've seen your name around before, so welcome back! Even when I wasn't posting on this blog specifically, I was still on tumblr posting fic and stuff, so even though there is a gap I've always been here.

Now, as far as the 60th anniversary specials: I haven't watched them and don't plan to for a long time. A long-winded and salty rant by me is under the cut.

To be honest, I haven't felt the need to watch any new Doctor Who since Capaldi and Moffat both left because it all sounded like boring and cringey fan fiction (derogatory) I wasn't really jiving with. If that makes sense? Then RTD came back on as a showrunner and I was severely disappointed because it felt like such a step backwards. Plus that Tennant was going to be in it? No thanks.

Like... I get that to a lot of people, his return makes these specials "feel like Doctor Who again". I've seen that statement a lot from both randos and people I know. Which, fine, whatever, I'm not begrudging people for it, but for a lot of folks saying that, the statement includes a bunch of the show that doesn't feel like Doctor Who to me. I came in w/s5 because of a series of events that turned me off to the show early on. I was nearly sixteen when s1 premiered in the UK. That should have stuck me in the prime demographic to not only love s1-4, but have a sort of nostalgia filter over it to help facilitate excitement over the 60th specials. Well, there's some problems with that.

I can't stand Rose Tyler and any reference to her as something positive makes me cringe. Doctor/Rose in any form makes me viscerally nope out of anything. She was not as likeable as people lead others to believe.

I've been Pavloved into disliking Tennant due to the oversaturation of his interpretation of the Doctor in the series and the fandom as a whole, despite the fact he's just meh. The Doctor is not his best role and in general he doesn't do it for me in the looks department, especially as the Doctor. Which, it's fine if you like watching him (I'm sure Georgia loves watching him and she is a very good sport about a lot of shit) and I know my DW experience has been enhanced by watching the pretty but I am a demographic outlier lol.

What I did see of s1-4 before I got into s5 was Rose being an idiot, getting a deeply unsettling feeling over Jack Harkness, being pissed off for Martha and Mickey and livid about Donna, being irritated by the Master and the angsty space Jesus shite, and thinking Ten and Donna would make a good couple actually.

Oh yeah, and very specifically I'm mad because I watched The End of Time Part 2, like, almost soon as I could, and knew immediately that Martha/Mickey was Pair the Spares Race Edition even though at that point I hadn't watched all of s1-4 and for all I knew they hit it off in an unseen-by-me episode for a reason that wasn't getting drunk over their mid-tier white exes hooking up. Like, I clocked that shit back in 2009. There was a lot of shit I was not clocking in 2009, but I caught onto that, which should be an embarrassment.

...and, like, I'm on the internet, so I've seen spoilers. It's difficult to not see spoilers. Some of the spoilers I love to see hello Fifteen's THIGHS we love us a good slutty Doctor and I do have one UK-based friend specifically whom I've talked to at length about the specials. My fiancé also has been watching this entire time w/o stopping since 2005 (bc he caught it all as it premiered here in the US and at least he got to watch s1 Billie Piper; I fault him for nothing), so he's been giving me updates on what's going on as well. He is a good man who has done saintly things like drive me across three state lines to meet Peter Capaldi at a Doctor Who convention, so... he's generally trustworthy, but also a lot more forgiving than I am. But he was also the one who broke to me the news about Rose Noble because he knew I'd get upset that she's not Donna Jr. So I've got some good fonts of information. They tell me that I'd like the second and third more than the first, that we've just got some extra Ten-Donna adventures, and that generally everything's stepped up a bit from Thirteen.

...but to me, a step up from Thirteen is still not a step towards where we need to go.

You can't go from Eleven and Twelve, an ancient eldritch god trapped in a body with the grace of a baby giraffe and a legit punk who punches diamond walls for his wife and racists for his daughter, respectively, to a Tory apologist who never really got a scary "I am the Doctor and you're stuck here with me now what a shame :)" moment like Nine through Twelve got and think that "a step up" from that is going to catch me. I'm not enticed by the prospect of another Ten-Donna adventure done by the man whose writing and showrunning kept me away from Doctor Who for so long. I. could. not. care. less. There is literally no nostalgia filter making this okay to me. I cannot see what other people see.

I don't want to be an anti, I don't want to be a NMD, but they keep pushing my fucking hand and now I'm sitting here having not watched new episodes of what is literally one of my favorite shows since before the pandemic, watching from an arm's length as it sort of caves in around itself, going and absolutely pissing away their chances at having a really cool, massive-multi-Doctor bonanza like no other. You could have twelve Doctors. TWELVE DOCTORS. Eleven if our most venerable just kinda taps out like nah I'm done unless you give me Bill's job from the Three Doctors special. Like, the fuck, y'all. That got whizzed right down the fucking leg. Did they even try? Did they get rebuffed? Whose decision was the 60th specials? Do they even like Doctor Who? Or are they part of the set that thought that Tennant's Doctor would never be topped?

So... yeah... that's the gist of it. I'm sure it's gonna take being sat down for a marathon by Mr. Nehs before I get into Doctor Who again, which is honestly sad. The BBC has hated this show and been visibly trying to run it into the ground since they decided to make the divisive decision of casting Matt Smith (which worked out great in the long run but having been on the internet at the time as that announcement I can assure you it was not received well) and now they've got Mouse Bucks and some straight-up boring as sin seasons/series under their belts and idk what in the hell's coming for us now.

[webbedphantom]

Aaron in the Spider-Verse

This is something I've thought about on occasion, though I've never done much with it because it's always so... awkward starting interactions with other superhero accounts (aside from MHA OCs for some reason-). I don't even know why, it's probably just from my experiences with them over on Twitter. The Persona verse was much more accepting of Aaron as a concept than most other Marvel accounts, so it's always been hard to reach out.

ANYWAYS, back on topic-

I don't think Aaron would really have much of a place in the Spider-Verse, at least the comic book one. To put it in layman terms, there are these things called totems, people embodying or empowered by different animals, and Spider Totems are special for some big multiversal thingy that holds all the worlds together for reasons I can't remember and don't feel like looking up. And there are even special-er totems that take on a specific role in some cycle or whatever-

Anyways, I bring all this up because Aaron isn't any of that. He has spider powers, but he's not a totem (because yes that can happen). Aaron's kind of an outlier, in both the Spider-Verse and among other Persona users, even other Jokers. The things that allow him to be both a Spider-Man and a Persona user are also the things that keep him from truly fitting in with either group.

I've even thrown around the idea of Aaron not being his world's Spider-Person, that it's actually his kid (whoever that turns out to be) who becomes their link to the Web of Life and Destiny. But maybe that's a bit too far.

I don't know, I just like Aaron being an outcast among outcasts for some reason.

For the movie Spider-Verse though, he'd fit in alright. They don't really have totems as far as I know, and Aaron's definitely had a few canon events, at least in the main AU.

Though he also never has an Uncle Ben moment, since he didn't need one (Canonically, Joker helps that woman without a second thought, so he didn't need to learn anything to become a hero. Just needed to reaffirm the beliefs he already had). The closest he has is Shiho, but no matter the verse there is nothing he could've done to prevent what happened... yet he blames himself anyway, because of course he does.

So yeah, he'd fit in fine and relate to a bunch of the different Spiders. Though, I imagine as excited as he'd be by the idea of alternate realities (he's a massive nerd after all), he'd be a bit more conflicted on the idea of him being a part of some massive legacy. Like he wouldn't be sure if he deserved to be a part of it, and would be constantly terrified of tarnishing it in some way.

Something else I think would be interesting is meeting up with a few particular Spiders. Generally any Spider around his age would be someone he would grow attached to. It's hard to find people who just... get exactly what you're going through. He'd similarly bond pretty well with any Spider that started in their teens, and would take their advice to heart should they offer any.

But the biggest one has to be Miguel O'Hara (My favorite fictional character of all time!!) Because Spidey 2099 is literally the character he grew up reading, who inspired him in so many ways, who he partially based his outfit on, albeit subconsciously. And while Miguel isn't identical to the Prophet of Thor Aaron is such a big fan of, he's close enough that he'd recognize him immediately and fan boy his heart out.

This last part is gonna get into spoilers for Across the Spider-Verse, so if you somehow haven't seen it yet, first of all go watch it right now. This is a threat. Secondly, come back to this after you've seen it to see that-

So, let's talk about the Spider Society and canon. Aaron would probably be really excited about the place at first, super happy to be around other people like him, not to mention working alongside a guy who is all but living incarnation of his childhood hero. But over time, he'd get a bit... less so. Namely when it comes to the canon.

Aaron has two simple beliefs that are the core of who he is. "Inaction makes you complicit" and "There is always a better way."

In other words, if someone gets hurt and you had a chance to stop it, it's on you. And if you come across a situation that forces you to break or bend your moral code, you weren't looking hard enough.

Simple, a bit naive in some ways, but that's just who he is.

So finding out that the Spiders are actively letting people die for the sake of the multiverse... Yeah, he'd hate that.

I mean on one hand, he'd kinda understand because with that many lives at stake, of course you wouldn't want to risk it, but on the other "There's always another way." And it's the fact that they don't seem to be looking for it, that they seem content to just let people die to keep the status quo, that would really piss him off.

I do feel like he'd try to give them the benefit of the doubt at first, like wait a bit before doing anything to drastic and try to see things from their perspective, since he would want to get along with them, especially Miguel. But eventually, especially if someone's life is on the line, he's going to turn on them.

Originally when I thought up this idea, the life that was on the line was someone close to him, someone who's death would be a canon event. But while I do think that would still work, I realized it really doesn't have to be anyone from his universe, anyone he knows at all. Sure, it's impactful to see how far he'd go for someone he cares about, but I think it's even moreso if he goes that same distance for a complete stranger, not to mention totally in line with his character.

It would really tear him up inside to go against them, especially Miguel since he's again, basically his childhood hero on par with Batman and Sonic... But he's gotta stay true to his beliefs.

Now herein lies the issue with writing anything related to canon and the Spider-Verse movies-

We don't know who's right.

Yes, there are hints throughout the film that Miguel is wrong and that canon isn't what holds the multiverse together or that there is another way, but we don't know the how or why of it, nor what that other way is yet. Which is a pretty important thing to know when writing a story where two characters fight over something like this. And until Beyond the Spider-Verse comes out, the only way to really tell the kind of story that I want to tell, of Aaron going against the Society and desperately searching for either proof that they're wrong, or another way to keep the canon intact without letting people die, is to just make something up... which could end up being disproven whenever the movie eventually releases.

Which as someone who is obsessed with continuity, is not really something I want to happen-

So as much as I would like to write that stuff, I think I'd rather just wait for Beyond...

Still down to interact with other Spiders though. Just gotta work up the courage to... y'know, do that-

[ashe-reviews-things]

Mid-Year Freak Out Book Tag:

Best book you've read so far in 2023?

Maybe I'm biased because I just finished it (like a few hours ago) but Apples Never Fall - Liane Moriarty was so good. I love all the Liane Moriarty books I've read and I'd even go as far as to say she's my favorite author at the moment.

Best sequel you've read so far in 2023?

The Wicked Remain by Laura Pohl. I don't read too many series, but I actually thought this one was pretty charming. I preferred the first book, but still.

New release you haven't read yet, but want to?

I don't actually have one—

Most anticipated release for the second half of 2023?

Also don't have one— I have not been keeping up with what's coming out this year.

Biggest disappointment?

Emergency Contact - Mary H. K. Choi. I didn't finish this because I just didn't like the writing style or the main female character. I was pretty excited about it after reading the summary and requesting the audiobook, but I just didn't like it.

Biggest surprise?

The Other Side of Perfect - Mariko Turk. I didn't know a lot about it going into it, so I didn't have a lot of expectations. Maybe that was a good thing. I had such a fun time reading this.

New Favorite Author?

Another blank question~

Newest fictional crush?

I don't really have one but if I had to pick I'd actually go with Salvador from Hell Followed With Us.

Newest favorite character?

Darius from Darius the Great is Not Okay I guess? I'm not really too attached to most of the characters I read about this year but he stuck with me. Runner up is definitely Alina from The Other Side of Perfect. (Okay I would have said Salvador but I just used xem for the last one so Darius is really second and Alina is really third)

Book that made you cry?

Nothing has made me full-on cry, but The Other Side of Perfect did make my eyes water. Anything performing arts related can probably do that with my violin inferiority complex, but this hit especially hard because Alina loves ballet so much and can never really dance again after her injury. Like that must hurt so much.

Book that made you happy?

So this might be a weird one, but Hell Followed With Us - Jospeh White actually made me really happy. This books started my binge-reading of trans main character books and I think it's actually the first book with trans characters I've read after my gender realization? I loved that part. I loved how it felt so...trans. It makes me so happy to see more trans characters and to see trans people portrayed like this. Queer character interactions make me really happy. Also like every manga I've read this year too.

Book to movie adaptation you've seen this year?

Doesn't really count but I watched 10 Things I Hate About You which is a Taming of the Shrew retelling so kind of-

Favorite review you've written this year?

Not applicable to me <333

Most beautiful book you bought this year?

Hell Followed With Us has a very nice cover imo. (I keep mentioning the same books ik)

What books do you really need to read this year?

I really want to read Cemetery Boys - Aiden Thomas. Some others are These Violent Delights - Chloe Gong, Always the Almost - Edward Underhill, What Alice Forgot - Liane Moriarty.