#so now I’m stuck in this fandom discord filled with people who I don’t understand JESUS I’m an idiot 😭

[angeltaxidermy]

some advice for u guys… if u start writing fic for a pairing u don’t enjoy, don’t enter fandom events bc it will feel like a PRISON SENTENCE

[starlightinhumanform]

Discordant

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Ships: Platonic Logince

Summary: Based on the amazing @tscampfireau (specifically this brilliant ask)!!~   When Logan gets caught up in questioning his identity, he can’t sleep and he knows that if stays in that tent any longer, he may actually lose his mind. He didn’t consider that playing his guitar in the middle of the night would wake one of his friends up.

Warnings (in order of strength): Some Angst, Discussions of Gender/Sexuality, Mild Language Throughout, (please tell me if anything needs to be added)

Genre: Angst With a Happy Ending, Human (Highschool) AU

A/N: You don’t need to be familiar with this AU to understand this fic, but your life will be so so much better if you do check it out. I honestly enjoyed writing this so much. My love for music and the outdoors really popped out in this and I love the characters in this universe. Also I got the opportunity to stretch my platonic-writing muscles! It was so interesting to talk about questioning when that’s something I’m very familiar with. But enough rambling!!  I hope you like reading this as much I enjoyed writing it! Love you all 🖤✨

Ao3 Link    Fic Masterpost    Fic Request Info

Logan stared at the thick woven thread that made up the material of above him. It was dark green, just thin enough to allow the moon’s glow to bleed through. Outside, the crickets sang brightly and the sound seemed to beckon him through the zippered door of the tent.

In the sleeping bag next to him, Remus was snoring at a volume level that could rival a chainsaw. Logan hardly knew this guy, but his breathing pattern was becoming increasingly ingrained in Logan’s brain.

He was tired and his head hurt but sleep was apparently not an option. Too many thoughts buzzed around in his head, filling his mind with a drone that built up pressure and made it hard to do anything but stare with glazed over eyes.

It was suffocating. It was overwhelming. It was wrong. Logan was supposed to be the one who knew everything, who always had things under control and had the answer to every question. But he didn’t have the answers- not this time, not about himself.

Logan turned his head to stare at the sleeping teenagers next to him. He had taken the spot closest to the edge of the tent so from here, he could see the entire group packed next to each other in the too-small-for-all-of-them tent. They all looked so peaceful, passed out after a day of questionable shenanigans in the surrounding woods.

Logan didn’t even try to push away the twinges of envy that were creeping into his mind. He wanted the peace that they had- and he didn’t just mean sleep. Everyone else in this tiny little tent was so sure of themselves; they knew exactly who they were and what they were. Even Virgil (who was generally excepted by all as The Baby) was comfortable and open about their nonbinary identity. They had all seemingly outgrown their questioning stages of life. And here was Logan. Stuck. Glitching. Like a thread of himself had gotten snagged and now the whole thing was unraveling.

He didn’t know who he liked or how he liked them. He didn’t know who he was. And it was eating him away.

Logan threw his head back into the pillow behind him. He just wanted to close his eyes and drift to darkness, ignore all of the question marks in his head until later. But if the past few hours proved anything, it was that he wasn’t going to sleep tonight. It would make more sense just to give up on the whole futile attempt.

He glanced sideways again at the pile. None of the others had shifted in minutes. They wouldn’t notice if he got up and left for a few minutes, would they? On his other side, his guitar was wedged between the side of the tent and his sleeping bag. He could just grab it and leave for a little while and the others would never notice.

Before Logan was really conscious of his actions, he was already tiptoeing past the tangle of bodies with the neck of his guitar in his grip.

The relief of stepping outside was physical. His shoulders relaxed immediately and the pressure in his head subsided. A warm breeze played the scent of firs through his hair. Far above, the stars stared down like a thousand shining eyes. He gazed back lovingly.

A few feet ahead of him, the last embers of the fire were quietly fading away. He grimaced slightly at the fact that the other hadn’t put the fire out completely but he couldn’t help appreciating the beauty of the warm glow that burrowed out from the dead ashes.

Logan sat down on one of the logs they had rolled over earlier. The quietness was starting to creep back over him; the charm of the crickets fading to white noise the colour of dirty snow as a thousand questions regained their throne in his mind.

He hung his head and tried to memorize the patchwork of leaves and pine needles beneath his bare feet. There was no pattern- just a mess. It reminded Logan of himself. Logan liked things that were clear and made sense but no matter how hard he tried, he could find nothing familiar or reasonable within himself.

Logan strummed a chord. He didn’t even think about it, no thought going towards the note or the sound he was creating. He just wanted to feel it. Strings pressing into the pads of his fingertips. Neck lying securely in his palm. Body resting against his lap. Vibration moving comfortingly from the guitar to his chest.

His fingers swept down the neck, catching the next note before the echo of the last had a chance to fade away. He found another note and chased it all the way up to the second fret. His fingers danced over the strings, weaving together a melody as his thoughts wandered else where.

Logan had spent years thinking he was straight; it was kind of the “default” of society. But then he learned that guys were an option and, hey, that sounded kind of nice too. When he hit middle school, people started to talk about attraction- er- differently and he thought maybe he was asexual. But that didn’t feel quite right either. It made him wonder exactly how he felt at all.  For a while he wondered if he had ever been attracted to anyone. He thought for sure he would know what love was like. Maybe he just hadn’t experienced it yet. Maybe he was just a late bloomer. Maybe he had felt it and just didn’t know it.

He was brought back to reality when a drop of water hit the top of his hand. He blinked up the sky, trying to find the source of rain in the cloudless sky. He squinted up at the stars, damp eyelashes flickering against his skin. It was only then that he realized he was crying, tears dripping off of his cheekbones and running off of his jaw.

He shook his head and started playing again. He was pressing against the fretboard so hard that his fingers were beginning to feel like he had been playing for an hour. The muscles in his hand were sore and he could feel the strings digging little trenches into his skin. He ignored the sensation and picked the rhythm up.

Things didn’t get easier when gender butted its ugly head into the discussion. It changed everything. Maybe it wasn’t supposed to change everything and maybe it shouldn’t have changed everything but to Logan, it did. How the hell was Logan supposed to put a finger on his sexuality if he didn’t even have a gender to contextualize it in? Logan kept using the same pronouns because it was easier, because maybe he was just imaging it, because maybe he just wanted attention. He just wanted a box to check, just tiny little square he could stand in and say “Hey this feels ok.”

The body of his guitar dug sharply into Logan’s chest as a shuddering sob brought him slumping forward. He didn’t stop playing. He couldn’t stop playing. It was the only thing that he he understood right now.

He let the weight of his body fall completely over the curve of the guitar. The hum of the strings carried directly from the instrument and into his chest where it echoed back until he wasn’t even sure where the sound was coming from. It was just one long harmony, tiny whimpers mixing with melancholy strums that called into the darkness around him. If only an answer would step out of those empty, lonely woods.

Logan started as a hand landed lightly across his shoulders, causing him to jump and spin around.

Roman was standing there, one of Remus’ old volleyball jerseys hanging off of him and making him look like a neon-coloured ghost. His hair stuck up at ridiculous angles but his face couldn’t be more serious, “Logan? Are you ok?”

Logan hurried to wipe his face clear of tears, “Oh yeah. Why are you out here?”

Roman laughed without humor as he took a seat down next to Logan, “I think I could ask you the same thing.”

“I just couldn’t sleep,” Logan shrugged.

“So you decided to play your guitar loud enough to wake me up?”

Logan stared into the maze of trees so didn’t have to look at Roman, “Sorry about that.”

Next to him, Logan heard Roman sigh, “No you don’t have to apologize. I just want to know what’s wrong.”

Logan kept staring a mile ahead. He wasn’t exactly the best at talking about things like this, about himself. Besides he hadn’t ever mentioned this to anyone before. Whenever the others discussed their sexualities or genders he would step back and go quiet, walled off by his own confusion. He didn’t know how to join the conversation when his experience seemed so, so different than theirs. He would probably seem like an alien to them- so unsure of himself while they seemed so comfortable. Maybe they would decide he didn’t belong after all. He didn’t know how to join the conversation and he sure as hell didn’t know how to begin it.

But maybe now was the time to try, “Roman, have you ever felt lost?”

“You do remember how we met, right?” Logan could hear the ruthful smile that tugged on Roman’s mouth.

Logan turned to face him, unsure of where exactly this was going, “Yeah. In our freshman year.”

“Your freshman year. My repeat year.”

“Oh. Right,” Logan didn’t know what to say; he got the feeling he wasn’t really supposed to say anything yet.

Roman nodded like he was having a silent conversation in his head with someone else and they had just made a good point, “The year before and the start of that year, I had never felt more lost in my life. I couldn’t keep up with the year I was supposed to be with. I didn’t fit in with the incoming class and I didn’t know anyone there. I was separated from my twin for the first time ever. And I was still struggling to come to terms with my identity as a guy. I was cut off from my friends, my family, the people around me, even myself.”

“So what changed?”

“I met you,” Roman smiled warmly.

Logan felt his eyebrows weave together, “How did I do anything?”

“You gave me a place to stand, somewhere safe that I always knew would be there while I figured everything else out. You gave me a friend. You were always so there that you gave me the room to find myself.”

“Oh,” But that was exactly the problem. Because he wasn’t there, he had no clue where he was.

“So yes,” Roman bumped his shoulder into Logan’s, “I’ve been lost before. And you helped me find myself and my friends and even my brother again.”

“Oh,” Logan cursed in his head. He must sound stupid, but he didn’t know what else to say.

Roman leaned sideways to nudge Logan with his shoulder again, “You obviously didn’t ask me that just so you could hear some sappy rant; what’s up?”

Logan moved the guitar off of his lap and set it down in an attempt to buy time. He was staring off again, half hoping that if he stared into the dark woods long enough he would just melt into them. The other half wanted to explode and tell Roman every single thought bouncing through his mind. He sat forward with his elbows on his knees, “I’m lost.”

“Ok,” Roman spoke slowly, confusion evident in his tone as he began to rub his hand over the plane of Logan’s shoulders, “How are you lost?”

“It’s going to sound stupid,” A laugh escaped Logan in a breathy wheeze; it sounded sickly to his own ears, but he was far away. There was no humor in his voice but the situation could only be described as ridiculous. He was out here, in the middle of the night, sobbing like a man whose heart had been broken- and over what? Because he couldn’t decide who to crush on? He shook his head; he was obviously making too big of a deal out all of this, “It doesn’t really matter.”

Roman gave a similarly humorless laugh, “I’ve seen you cry- what? Maybe three times? This matters.”

“I’m just questioning a lot of things.”

“What sort of things?” Roman was clearly trying to draw more information out of him.

Logan teetered for a moment, stuck on the top of the fence and too scared to jump down. Except that’s where he always was, wasn’t it? Always questioning, always unsure, always overthinking things, always analyzing the path and never actually taking a step forward. He took a shaky deep breath. Maybe it was time to take the leap, “My gender. My sexuality. It’s like I don’t know where I fit in with all of it.”

“Oh.”

A beat of silence played into the night, filling the space between them with the quiet murmur that trees whisper at the dead of night. Under any other circumstances, Logan would have found it beautiful. Now it just served as an indication that he had said something wrong. He found himself counting out the measures as he held his breath and wished he could fill the painful space with something, anything. He wanted to start playing his guitar again, get completely lost in it, and pretend nothing else existed. He settled for clearing his throat.

“Do you need to?” Roman interrupted the silence.

“I’m sorry, what do you mean?” Logan sat up so Roman could see his confused expression.

“I mean, do you need to know right now?”

Logan couldn’t keep the annoyance out of his voice, “Yes, I need to know right now. I want to know who I am!”

Roman clamped his hands down on Logan’s shoulders, making eye contact so intense it made Logan squirm, “Logan, listen to me. You are more than your sexuality. You are more than your gender. You are brilliant and funny and the only person who has ever been patient enough to tutor me. You’re one of my very best friends and that has nothing to do with who you like or what pronouns you use.”

Logan glanced away, the pressure from Roman’s eyes and words far too great for him to hold on to. He tried to avoid that gaze, but more importantly he wanted to avoid the heaviness of what Roman had said. It meant too much. He tried to resort back to his annoyance, “How can you say that? You changed your pronouns; they sure as hell mean a lot to you. Why can’t they matter to me?”

He wanted his voice to sound bitter, to bite, to cut down what Roman had said. But his words were a whimper and nothing more than a plea. He dissolved into tears again and sank into Roman’s side, “Why can’t it matter to me? Why can’t I know too?”

Logan felt Roman wrap his arms around his upper body. He usually hated contact like this but right now it was exactly what he needed; it was grounding, Roman’s sturdy arms giving himself to hold onto through it all.

He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that. It was kind of like dreaming- just fragments of broken thoughts floating through darkness. Roman’s shirt smelled like fire smoke and the scent drifted through’s Logan’s head along with everything else. He seemed to be thinking nothing and everything all at the same time. He didn’t know how to make sense of any of it.

Eventually he sat up, wiping his eyes and brushing his hair back into place as if that could save the shreds of his dignity, “Sorry about that.”

Roman had moved his arms when Logan sat up and he seemed tempted to wrap them around Logan again, “What? No, it’s ok.”

Logan shifted from side to side, “I just... I feel like such an outsider. Not knowing, I mean. You’re all so confident and I’m just lost. It feels like I’m missing a piece of myself. How do I find it?”

Roman seemed to take a moment to think, running his hands through his hair and staring off into the distance. When he turned back to Logan, his eyes were warm and full of little thoughts that bumped around the edges, “I think the first step is accepting that you can’t force it. Then you can just wait until you find something that feels right. And that might take a little while, but that’s ok. You’ll figure it out eventually- you always do. The problem you need to work on is being patient; everything will fall into place once it’s ready to.”

“Yeah, well, being patient isn’t exactly my strong suit,” Logan huffed a laugh up into the twinkling sky, “I hate seeing a problem and not being able to solve it or know the answer.”

“Logan, look at me.”

Roman’s voice came out in one low line of sound. It was more of a command than anything else and Logan felt compelled to turn.

“You’re not some math problem or crossword puzzle. There’s no x to solve for and the sooner you accept that, the easier it’s going to be for you to relax and let the answers come when they will.”

Logan glared at him for a moment because, as horrible as it was to admit, Roman was making a lot of sense. He sighed, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Roman gave him one of the sunshine smiles he had grown famous for at their school, “Thanks, Teach.”

They sat there comfortably silent for a few moments. Wind rustled the trees around them and the final embers dissolved into ashes. The moon basked the entire scene in an ethereal, cold light. For once, Logan felt like he could reflect the peacefulness around himself.

“And Logan? Don’t be afraid to talk to us. We’d all be happy to give you answers- or at least, the best answers we can. If I’m being honest, I don’t know if anyone is ever completely sure about this sort of stuff. How was it that you described the brain- ‘a couple pounds of gray tissue that reacts to electrical currents’ ? We’re humans and we’re messy and it can be hard to figure out what all those electrical currents mean. But we’ll help as much as we can. Hell, I’ll go to the library with you and we can spend the entire day there researching sexualities and identities if you want.”

“Thank you, Roman. That-“ Logan paused to take a deep breath. The sincerity and dedication in Roman’s words had a way of weakening his own voice until it was hard to speak in anything but a thin waver, “That means a lot.”

“No problem,” Roman gave him a smile that meant so much more than his casual words. He held it for a moment before trading it for a playful wink, “Now can I ask for a favour?”

Logan laughed and reached for his guitar, knowing what was coming, “Sure.”

“Play that song I like?”

“Already on it.”

The strings were cool, comfortable beneath the warmth of his fingers. His hand slipped quickly into the melody as Roman began humming. Logan would figure things out. It might take a while but for now, Roman was singing and the trees were whispering their song and the moon was turning everything silver and he could stay here a little bit longer.

If you want to be added to my Sanders Sides fic taglist, just send an ask or reply to this post :p 

~ @phan-fander @abi-beehive @fandomfan315 @cas-is-a-hunter @reggieleigh07 @endless-rain-of-words ~

[thecrenellations]

“Warmed by the sun and cooled by the sea breeze, she was busy with her thoughts.”

“All I wanted to do was lie in the dry prickly grass with my feet in a ditch forever. I could be a convenient sort of milemarker, I thought. Get to the thief and you know you are halfway to Methana. Wherever Methana might be.”

“his thoughts circled like birds that couldn’t find a perch”

“[my thoughts] churned against one another like waves in a storm”

“Relius was left behind in the quiet room, considering a new philosophy”

“It seemed like hours that he sat on the small stool by the bed, lost in his thoughts -- or whatever he had in his head that approximated thoughts.”

“Who knows but that you will get up to find that the world has inverted itself yet again?”

on finishing Return of the Thief:

HELLO I finished rott ... several days ago, now, and I am just stopping by to say that it was a LOT, and I look forward to seeing what everyone has been thinking, feeling, and drawing ... once I’ve taken a little more time away to wrap my head around it. I hope everyone has been having the reading and discussing experience that’s right for them. I’ve been thinking of all of you/all of us this week!

I don’t really know what this post is; the first time I tried writing the note above, it turned into a ton of book-adjacent feelings, so I’ll stick some of that down below, if anyone feels like reading me being introspectively lachrymose (it’s way more about me than it is about the book).

I also drew these two moments, one we saw and one we didn’t:

L: “I saw Kamet approach Teleus, who’d propped himself against a crenellated wall.” Big shoutout to the CRENELLATIONS in this final scene! Also to Kamet’s thoughtfulness :,)

R: “I’ve arranged for them to both be in the garden at the same time, entirely alone. We’ll see which one leaves alive.” wtf Gen

......

So, so, so, I finished rott, and ... wow. It’s a lot to take in, and it was definitely the most intense reading experience of my life (mentally/emotionally and also physically, in terms of heart rate/ability to sleep and otherwise function this week, oops). It’s interesting - I’d been thinking a lot about how this would be my first and only time reading a qt book just as it came out, with everyone else, since I was suspiciously fortunate and ended up with advance copies of the last two. I’d had a month or more with both ACoK and TaT before being able to jump into discussions, and I hadn’t realized until finishing this book how that might be necessary for me. I’d though I’d be eager to return to Sounis (which I still think is great for centralized, detailed conversations) and dip my toe into Discord (which sounds very fun all around), and of course to find out what everyone thought here! Turns out I am NOT ready … even though I took notes, read much slower than that one guy’s amended army speed calculations, and got to holler along with an indispensable friend who started reading at the same time, I still need some time to attempt to wrap my head around everything this book contained.

I have problems with perfectionism and weird expectations for myself in my relationship with these books – from the moment mwt announced rott, I focused on not feeling “ready” for it to happen so quickly – I wouldn’t be able to reread the existing series infinite times, or finally read Vorkosigan and Lymond and all of Rosemary Sutcliff, or reread Dalemark. Or make the art I wanted, or be truly part of Sounis again, or move forward enough that my own life didn’t feel exactly the same as in spring 2017, just more stuck. The book is out, and while I am still a bit stuck, I am different than I was in 2017 in lots of ways, even if it’s not as obvious a difference as between 2010 and 2017. A small one is my engagement with the fandom and people here! I’m pretty sure I used to just be a series of posts occasionally floating by (a decent thing to be, don’t get me wrong), and I often wonder what I seem like as a person for those who just know me here, but now I occasionally make stuff and talk to people (and even got to meet one through a coincidence that still amazes me)!

So while I’ve made some progress letting go of some of those feelings of never being ready, it’s possible that this is part of where I’m coming from now. If I NEVER COME BACK TO TUMBLR, I will certainly have fallen into that trap, but I do think I’ll be back soon. I know that these books aren’t something a reader can ever perfectly understand, especially alone, and I know they’ve been so deeply meaningful and formative because of my interactions with others and exposure to how they experience the stories and characters. (This means YOU!) The last few months have been particularly amazing, with all the rereads and anticipation. I am so grateful for that, and a new book coming out is only the beginning… of course.

Nearly 450 pages of new qt just did a number on me, and I need to take it in for a bit, reread, fill up my Mitt notebook, and make some “so, so, so” graphs (and maybe update that Valentine’s Day post) to COPE! But I am genuinely looking forward to catching up soon, and I’m truly wishing everyone the reading/discussing experience they need right now! About the book itself, I will say: so much of it made me really, really happy, and there were a few things that I truly NEVER expected to see. Some of it made me sad, mostly in a good way, because mwt writes like she does. Some of it made my heart pound even harder as I read sentence by sentence, eyes creeping down the page with my bookmark blocking what came next. And before I started the book, I got to sit with it for a few hours in a quiet park on a gently breezy and sunny day … I’ll never be the perfect reader, but that felt right.

This totally turned into a Formal Letter of Absence, as if my presence here is vital or something, but if this isn’t an occasion to toss out some emotions for all to see, what is? And it’s also possible that typing all this up has helped me work through a lot of these feelings and I’ll be back tomorrow, lol.

You read this far, here are two hasty doodles of Sophos and a horse he has an awful lot in common with, and Pheris under the table, observing some embroidered ~foreshadowing~ with his wonderful eye for detail.

<3

[carry-on-big-bang]

FAQ

Here is a big list of questions that we’ve gotten over the years/ things we want to clarify. We hope that this is a helpful tool for you. Each section has a big section header with individual questions under each of those. The sections are in the order as followed: general, Before signing up, Writer, Artist, Explicit content, Partner problems, Claiming, Dropping out, Check-ins, and Posting.

Who are the mods and where can I find them?

The mod for these events is currently Mod Simon and Mod Autumn. You can find us at @isthisisagoodkiss (Mod Simon) and @angelsfalling16 @Autumn)

What event is happening right now?

Right now we are hosting the Carry On Big Bang 2021, our fourth event.

What does that mean?

A big bang is a collaborative fandom event in which writers and artists come together to create masterpieces. Basically, the writers write a bunch of (usually quite long) fic and the artists choose one each (“claiming”) and make art for the fic. Then it will all be posted more or less at once in an explosion of fanwork.

Before signing up

1. How do I sign up?

We will post a link to the writer google form and artist google form on both tumblr and the discord server. Anyone can apply. You must provide your email, other contact information, and agree to our rules.

2. Do I need experience or a certain age to participate?

No! Though we do ask that participants under 18 do not make explicit fic or art.

3. What is a “pinch-hitter”?

A pinch-hitter is someone who is willing to cover for others. This usually only applies to artists, but is vice versa with writers. If someone drops out we will send an email out to those who said yes to being a pinch-hitter and ask someone to step in.

4. Can I sign up as both an artist and a writer?

Yes!

5. Do I need to have a certain skill level to participate?

No. We welcome all skill levels. Doesn’t matter if you’ve been writing/ creating art for one day or 10 years!

6. How many projects per person?

You can do as many as you would like. We ask you to keep your limits in mind though.

7. Why do you need my tumblr? What about discord? Why both?

We ask for these things because it’s another way to contact participants. We usually only resort to using these when someone hasn’t responded to a check-in through email.

8. What if my contact information changes?

Just send one of the mods a message with your past contact info and what you would like it changed to and we can fix that right up.

9. Will we get reminders about check-ins and posting?

Yes! We send out an email when the check-ins go live and those that haven’t responded once the due date is a day or two away will receive another email. On the final day of the check-in we will send out a reminder through tumblr/discord to those who have still not checked in.

10. I heard there was a discord. What’s that about?

We use our discord as a place to answer questions, bring people together, and give participants a space to talk about their works (without going too much into detail). There are separate channels for artists and writers as well as some general channels. We also have participants who participated in years past who have stuck around.

11. What timezone are dates set in?

PST. That’s where Mod Simon lives and seems like a pretty good “true end of the day” time.

12. What time of day do emails go out?

We don’t have a specific time that emails go out, but it’ll usually be between 9 am and 2 pm PST.

13. What parts of my information will be shared with others?

We will share your email address and tumblr handle with your partner, but nobody else. If you do not have a tumblr, then we will share your discord username and 4 digit code.

14. I missed sign-ups. Can I still participate?

Unfortunately, no. We feel like we give a significant amount of time for people to sign-up. We’d be glad to have you next year, though!

Writer

1. When can I start writing?

You can start writing whenever you want! We suggest that you start before the second check-in on May 1st.

2. How much can I write?

The minimum word count is 4,000 words, but beyond that you have free rein.

3. What happens if my plot changes?

If this happens after you’ve submitted your fic concept and before preview day, send one of the mods a message and fill out the form again. If it happens after teams have been announced just talk to your partner about it.

4. The minimum word count for fics is 4k. How does that work for chaptered fics?

If your first chapter is more than 4k words, then post just that on your day of posting and finish posting after July 31st when all of the posting for the event is complete. If your first chapter is less than 4k words then post as many chapters as it takes for you to get across the 4k words mark on your posting date.

5. What if I don’t know what my word count for my fic will be?

Just give us an estimate. It doesn’t matter to the mods if your mind on this changes, just be sure to talk to your partner.

6. Can we co-write?

Yes! We have a place on the form for you to put the email and tumblr handle of your co-writer. If you have a co-writer, we only need one of you to fill out the check-ins but if both (or more) of you want to do it, you’re welcome! The artist for the cowriters still must fill out the check-ins as usual.

7. Can we write tropes/AUs that have been used in past COBB events?

Of course!

8. How will we send in our fic concepts?

We will send out an email to writers on February 19th with a link to a google form for you to fill out.

9. Can I write AUs, crossovers and the like as well?

Yep!

10. Do I need to include Snowbaz?

No. You can write whatever.

11. Are writers required to have a beta reader?

No.

12. Do I need to have an AO3 account?

You do not, but we recommend it.

Artist

1. What is Preview Day?

Preview Day is the day in which all fic concepts are posted on airtable and available for all artists to see. Claiming has not started yet so this gives artists time to see which fics they might be interested in making art for.

2. When can I start making art?

You can start making art when you know your team. We recommend also talking with your writer about your art.

3. Is there a limit to how much art I can make?

Nope!

Explicit Content

1. Do I need to be a certain age to make explicit content?

We ask that participants under 18 do not make any explicit content.

2. Can I make explicit art?

You can, but we will not have it on the masterpost that you send in. You can, however, post a link to it on that post.

Partner Problems

1. My partner isn’t being respectful. What do I do?

Tell the moderators and we will have a talk to them as well as possibly kick them out of the event.

2. What if my partner doesn’t respond?

Send the mods a message and we will try to contact them.

Claiming

1. How do I claim a fic?

We will send out an email to all artists on February 24th with a link to a google form where you will put your top three fic concepts.

2. Where will the fic concepts be posted for claiming?

On airtable! We will send an email out to artists with a link on February 23rd.

Dropping Out

1. What happens if I want to drop out?

You should communicate with your partner about dropping out and then send us an email at carryonbigbang@gmail.com

2. What happens if my partner drops out?

You will have to decide whether you want to keep going with your project or drop out as well. If you want to drop out, just tell us. If you’d like to keep going we will send out an email asking for someone to step in and work with you. We should have you a new partner within a week.

Check-ins

1. Who needs to fill out the check-ins?

Everyone on your team must fill out the check-ins (unless you have cowriters. Then only one of the cowriters has to fill out the check-ins. More info can be found above in the writer section).

2. When must my response for check-ins be turned in by?

A week after they open. The first check-in must be turned in by March 19th. The second by May 7th. And the 3rd by June 8th.

3. How do check-ins work?

We will send an email out to all participants on the day of the check-in (March 13th, May 1st, and June 2nd) with a link to the check-in. You will fill out the form answering how your progress is coming and if you need help with anything. It should take about 5-10 minutes to fill out each form.

4. What if I don’t have access to the internet when a check-in or posting happens?

If you know prior to the check-in that you won’t have internet access send one of the mods an email and we can give you the form early. If you do not know prior, then message us once you have access again and we’ll be understanding. If this happens during posting your partner can submit your masterpost. Make sure that both people have access to the fic and art!

5. Are check-ins mandatory?

Yes.

6. What if I’m too late to turn in a response for a check-in?

Try not to be too late, especially since we’re giving you a week to submit them, but we’ll be understanding.

7. I’m working on two teams. What should I do for the check-ins?

You should fill out the form once for every team that you’re on. There’s also a place for notes on the form. Be sure to tell us which partner you’re working with for each submission.

Posting

1. When should I post my works?

Posting will take place between June 16th and June 30th. You will be assigned a day to post based on your preferences.

2. Where should I post my works?

You can post them wherever!

3. What will posting look like?

First, you and your partner will post your things where you would like. Then, one of you will compile a masterpost that you will submit to our tumblr and we will post it.

4. Will there be an AO3 collection to add my works to?

Yep! More information about that will come out in June.

5. Is there a certain time of day that our fic/art should be posted?

No but if you can do it before 11 pm PST on your assigned day that would be great.

6. How do I submit my masterpost?

On our blog, there is “Submit your masterpost”. Click on that and it will take you to the place you should put in the masterpost. Make sure to click “submit” at the bottom. The information for what a masterpost should look like will come out in June. If you want another example you can look at older submissions.

7. Why do our projects need to be done by the 3rd check-in?

We have this as a deadline because it means that there is extra time should you need it.

8. What do I do if I think my part of the project won’t be done by the posting date?

Talk to your partner about what you should do and then send a message to the mods, preferably before June 9th.

[heartfeltheart]

Alchemy: Tiny Steps

Chapters: 22/45 Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist/Harry Potter Rating: T Relationships: Edward/Winry, Lan Fan/Ling, and May/Alphonse. Primary Characters: Edward Elric, Severus Snape Additional Tags: Crossover, Teacher!Edward, BrOtp Edward/Severus. Sassy beyond measure. Pro!Snape Series: Part 2 of 9. Summary: Part two of the Alchemy Series.  Politics. Either you love it, hate it or you live it. For Alchemy Teacher Edward Elric, he lives it, hates it and loves it when he gets the upper hand. Here is to another year of hell… D/C: I do not own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist. Discord: La Red(Mesh Mash of… stuff.): https://discord.gg/KYjmVAb Alchemy Series: https://discord.gg/DejEYNJ

"One week. One week. Truth is punishing me. He is testing me." Alphonse kept muttering under his breath, as he watched Tuesday's class walked through the door of his brother's Alchemy class. Well, his class too next year. The main problem Alphonse had been that he wasn't prepared to fully take over his brother and his teaching style. He must continue on with Edward style of teaching and not his own, this is his year not his own. The reason for taking over for the week, Edward is still under guard of Madam Pomfrey's care for the semi-mild concussion to a severer one due to an unfortunate encounter with the school's poltergeist. Peeves had caused his brother to fall down some flights of stairs. There is no telling how long Edward will be decommissioned for the injury and recovery.

Edward will be okay, just needs to rest and the potions and magical remedies are helping the healing process to go faster. Here's hoping that he has a fast recovery.

With sigh, Alphonse pushed himself away from the desk he was leaning on when he heard the familiar ring of the bell. The classroom is filled to the brim with students, from first to seventh years. From the looks of it, he could already sense who has to leave and who could possibly stay. Picking up a clipboard from the desk and looked down to see that today's class focused on teaching the students the non-magical aspect in alchemy. He let out a mental sigh of relief at seeing Edward's side notes, showing that four students from the original class are in today's class, peer teaching by the looks of it.

Fred Weasley: He along with his brother, George Weasley, show a great aptitude in Alchemy. Remember who is who, they may be the same, but they are not. This Weasley still needs to have a deeper understanding the laws but still is miles ahead of his peers. It is noted that when he and his brother are together, their minds seemed to be linked together and are able to reach no bounds in their research. Warning: Chronic Pranksters.

Timothy Jerkins: Needs a huge dose of reality that not everyone is a stepping stone to supposed success. Appears to selfish and narcissistic, give him a hawk's eye and he'll be a replica to Mustang. The only difference… he makes Mustang look like a saint in terms of personality. Shows aptitude in the laws and understanding of the laws but does not understand how it fits in with the human side of it all. Warning: Unlike Mustang, he actually sees people as true chess pieces.

Kasey State: Where do I start? She grew up in an orphanage, said place made no stance that they even cared for her in her physical, mental, emotional and… there's no end on how much they fucked her up. She shows great critical thinking skills but shows little to no skills in non-magical subjects but is more than willing to over pile her work to get ahead. Talk to the house-elves to have food 'randomly' appear by her whenever she looks hungry and ensure it's easy on the stomach. If you suspect anything, inform her Head of House, she'll take care of it.

Elfrida Hopkirk: Very studious but always leaves everything for the last minute. It's that Ravenclaw side of her, having the brains and smarts gives them the excuse of doing things last minute with the assumption they fully understand the subject. She get's it but her heads is stuck in the clouds with that mindset. Needs to understand non-magical concepts and perhaps move her to Wednesday class. (If you are reading this Al, at least I know when to ask questions until I fully understand what the hell I'm doing before I slack off. She doesn't.)Kasey State: Grew up in an orphanage that sees her nothing more than a paycheck they are paid to supposedly to take care of her. Gave her a shitty education before coming here to this place. I swear, when I first saw her, she looked like she was starved. Have the house-elves set out extra meals for her. Needs a huge refresher in her studies but is very eager to learn. Warning: Don't visit the orphanage. Have Madam Sprout do it.

Alphonse couldn't help but smile softly at his brother's notes on his students, noticing the finer details in them. Details that need to be seen. Fred will be no problem, give him advanced work and have him help out the others. Timothy would help him, but needs to understand the human concepts of life. He'll have to break Elfrida out of that habit if hers. Kasey… Edward had once previously mentioned a student that grew up in an orphanage. Seeing said student in front of him, he could see how desperately she is trying to herself in her clothing, and failing desperately. After traveling for so long as he did and seeing the consequences of war, starvation is one of the many atrocities in humanity.

"Welcome to Alchemy, my name is Professor Elric, Mr. Elric your slated teacher is currently indisposed. Yes, we are related. No, we are not related in that way. He is my older brother. I am engaged. I am very happy with her." Alphonse couldn't help but show his utter disappointment how more than half the class visibly deflate. Seems like a lot of his fans are in class and now has to find a way to weed out the fans from the actual students.

-.-

Severus sat beside Edward's bed, a book in hand and a cup of black tea in the other. It was his turn to take care of Edward when Alphonse isn't around to make him stay in bed. Fortunately he was put into a magic induced sleep and it appears it is doing wonders for his healing process. Even so, here's hoping there won't be any long term effects. On the night table besides the bed is a package of stone cakes sent by Hagrid, one of the many forms of apologies from the half-giant.

There was no need to apologize, Edward in his medical induced haze that it wasn't anyone's fault. Animal's just have a tendency on harming him for the hell of it. This only caused Hagrid to burst into tears once more.

"What are we going to do with you…" Severus sighed, placing the now empty cup of tea on the night table and putting the book on the bed. He continued on talking as if Edward was actually listening and responding instead of being unconscious. "Not even a month in, and you already got yourself in this condition… don't give me that look. You have a tendency to get hurt, lost, maimed, insulting the wrong person, or a combination, which results with you in his sort of outcome… What did I say? Don't give me that look… Ugh… you are impossible."

-.-

"Should we accept this proposal?"

"If we do, it would allow us to put more heirs up front to become the next emperor or empress."

"He still has to pick…"

"Instead of possibly only have one choice from ever respective clan, there would be more. Everyone has an equal opportunity, from the smallest to the largest of clans."

"The only prerequisite he has is that they must attend the new school the Emperor is currently creating with the help of Amestris and Magical Great Britain."

"I like this proposal… providing an equal opportunity and dealing with that bothersome marriage law."

"Don't get me started… The Emperor's father keep taking our daughters, sisters, nieces and granddaughters without much of a care."

"Let's not forget… even the ones that were married or promised to someone were not off limits for him…"

"What if he does the same as his father?"

"Don't make me laugh. I've seen that Amestrian threaten him that if he ever does anything to offend that woman's honor, then he will be the one to beat him senseless."

"Can he do that?"

"From what I've heard, he could... He's not the only one who threatened Emperor Ling."

-.-

Mustang mentally grumbled to himself as he left Grumman's office, he was just kicked out of his leader's office while his Captain stayed behind. It was suspicious to say the least. Maybe there is something going on without his knowledge? There are constant whispers behind his and Hawkeye's back, all of them revolving around this upcoming law that will permanently change the military. Whatever it is… it has to be big…

-.-

"I had made a list of all possibly candidates for once the Anti-Fraternization laws are abolished, so that you know who I approve from greatest to least." Grumman handed his granddaughter a long list of possible candidates for supposed marriage.

Riza's hand were shaking at what her grandfather had just told her, the answers to all those whispers, innuendos, and so on. Her grandfather, the Fuhrer of Amestris, is removing one of the biggest laws the Military has for who knows how long. The only problem is that… why is he giving her a list of candidates for marriage?

"I am going to be officially announcing everyone you are my granddaughter, to avoid having issues of my own."

Riza gave the old man a deadpanned expression, she swore that Roy took a lot after Grumman than she cares to admit. "The list?"

"What? I am giving you my approval to anyone you choose from the list as a possible partner in the future and not worry about me. Plus, once word get's out who you are to me, there would be marriage proposals just for your connection to myself. I want to make sure you know who would be a good possible candidate for yourself."

"Why did you have General Mustang leave the room? Shouldn't he hear the news?"

"I'll leave that for you, I'll be making everything official at the end of the month."

"Thank you?"

-.-

"I'm the twelfth person on this list?!" Roy didn't bother to hide his look of utter disbelief and dismay at the list Riza just presented him with. "How in Truth's name did Havoc get to be number four while I'm twelve! And both Armstrong's are the first two on the list! ugh!"

Jean, for his own part, slowly hid underneath his desk to avoid his head officer's wrath.

"Sir… you're missing the point." Vato called out from his spot in the office, he was scanning through the paperwork that was required to officially abolished the anti-fraternization law.

"How are you above me by one!" Roy called out to Vato, pointing accusingly at him. "How are all of you above me!"

"You could see his pride being demolished bit by bit…" Heymans whispered out to his comrades with a chuckle but stopped with Riza glared at all of them.

"They should just make it official now…" Kain sighed.

"I'm just waiting until Hawkeye slap some sense into him." Jean whispered out from his spot from underneath his desk.

Roy snapped his fingers and ignited the list up in flames. He promptly ran his hands through his hair in frustration. So, this was what was being hidden from Riza and himself, Truth… he already had plans to get rid of that law down the line. This puts a wrench into his plans. His plans involve… it involves Riza helping him bring it down under Maes's name.

Who was their main supporter…

"…I wanted to romantically propose to you…"

"Sir, the law hasn't been abolished yet."

"Is that a yes or no?"

"You haven't asked me anything yet."

[amynchan]

I got tagged by @tiffotcf.  XD

Rules: Answer 10 questions, write 10 questions, and tag 10 people

le questions:

1.If you could write anywhere, where would you write?

       1a. What is the weather there?

                some kind of mild weather with natural noise.  Either it’s mildly sunny (definitely not going to burn me again.  nope nope) or it’s raining enough to give me enough ambiance.  Just the taptaptaptap of the rain and the distant and pleasant roll of thunder.  Yes, please.

       1b. What do you hear/ are listening to?

                   Whatever sounds are around me.  Usually water-related.  I imagine either the aforementioned rain scene or sitting around next to a river.  It’s either tripping along, carrying with it the sounds of the lake its passed from and the birds of the air and the wind rustling through the branches, or its falling off a rock and into the caverns below, splashing melodiously into the pool below and perhaps I’m hiding underneath an outcropping of rock.  Just enough to keep me out of the sun’s rays, but enough to keep me pleasantly warm.

       1c. What are you drinking/eating?

                   Water.  This one’s near constant whenever I write, I always have water with me.

2.If you could come up with any story, your dream story, what would the setting be?

              Honestly, I almost never think of the setting.  I’m always thinking of the emotions that are going on.  But if pressed, I’d say I’d want a steampunk setting.  There’s just something about steampunk that looks so cool!

3. Do you have any preferred patterns for setting yourself up to write or rituals that help you get into the flow?

               Not at the moment, no.  I’ve been trying to get myself back into it, and right now my number one thing is to not be laying on my bed when I go to type out stories.  Sit upright at my desk, water bottle next to me, and tiny distractions laid out on my bed and away.  I also, if I can, try to close out of Chrome and Discord, as they’re my biggest distractors.

4 Can you write for just a few moments at a time here and there or do you need larger chunks of time to even get started?

               It’s difficult for me to just hop back into a work I’ve started and left, honestly.  So while I can write up a story very quickly in a few minutes, if I have something longer, I’m going to need time to reimmerse myself in the story so I can pick it up again.  So...  Short drabbles and oneshots:  few moments.  Longer stories:  need more time to get back into it.

5. What is your favorite piece of work?

               That’s difficult because it feels like it fluctuates all the time.  One of the more consistent pieces of fanfiction that I’ve enjoyed reading over the years is for a fandom I’m actually not really a part of.  It’s called Circle Unbroken for The Elder Scroll series.  I can (and have) gone on literal rants about all the things I love to hate and hate to love about it.  And love to love, tbvh.  It’s just really well written and leaves plenty for imaginations such as my own to go off on little bunny trails.

6. What is its main theme? What about it holds you so deeply?

               I suppose the main theme I take away from it right now is ‘Change always happens’ while simultaneously being ‘some things never change’.  As for what about it holds me so deeply, I find something either relateable or sympathetic about every single main character, and there are many of them.  They’re all fleshed out to the point of anyone saying ‘huh...  there could be an entire plot about this one character.’  I can hate the actions of the villain while understanding his motives and each of the MCs has their own view of how things ought to be handled.  I think the optimistic nature of the Dragonborn is often played off for laughs and underestimated, but I don’t expect anything less at this point.

7. Pick a character you are writing/like to write, where is their favorite place to go?

               hmmm...  I write characters based on my mood, but I have a go-to in almost every fandom.  With Miraculous Ladybug, I lean towards writing the contemplative side of Marinette or the sadder sides of Adrien.  In Soul Eater, Maka is my main gal for just about anything.  When it comes to Ghost Hunt, I love to write for either Naru when I’m feeling broody or contemplative or want to express something or Mai when I’m feeling kind of giggly or silly.  When I wrote for Black Cat, Saya was my main gal.  Just because, at the time, she was who I identified with the absolute most.

                 Marinette likes to hide in her room while Adrien needs to get out of his own house and headspace.  Maka can go literally anywhere, but her favorite spot is wherever a calmer version of Soul is.  Naru likes to be sequestered away from everybody else while Mai likes to be in the thick of things in the base or in the lobby of SPR.  Saya was always a ghost in my stories, so her favorite spot was wherever Train was.

8. What is their favorite sound? food? time of day?

               Marinette’s favorite sound is the thrum of her sewing machine and laughter.  Adrien’s is the noises of the city streets at night.  Maka’s favorite sounds are book pages turning and soft wind.  Naru’s favorite is silence interrupted only by tea drinking time (which is sacred).  Mai loves to hear people talk and be animated and happy.  Saya likes cicadas and singing.

                 Marinette loves croissants.  She lives in a bakery, there’s only so much sweetness you can stand!  XD  Adrien, on the other hand, would do anything for a cookie. Maka likes to eat basically anything that won’t make a mess on her books, but she’ll stash the book for a slice of pizza or a sandwich.  She ain’t super picky.  Naru’s all about that tea while Mai probably wants to head downstairs to the cafe for a sweet.  Saya likes her ramune, tbh.

                 Marinette’s favorite time is evening.  It’s so pretty and the colors fill her with inspiration.  Adrien likes the night time, where he can at least pretend that the bars on his window aren’t there.  Maka prefers the morning.  It’s the best time to get things done.  Naru actually doesn’t have a preference for a specific time of day, he just wants to get things done.  Mai’s more of an afternoon person, especially after she’s been given the blissful gift of sleep.  Saya enjoys the night time since it’s when she has the best shot of being coporeal.

9. What would the character you were just thinking of have to say about you?

                 Marinette:  She’s trying her best!

                 Adrien:  I think she’s a good person

                 Maka:  What is she even doing?

                 Naru:  Pumpkin.

                 Mai:  She seems nice!

                 Saya:  You abandoned me!

10. When you are stuck how much compassion do you show yourself?

               Not as much as I should, tbh.  But I don’t have a good way of dealing with it either, so there’s that...

MY TURN TO ASK QUESTIONS!

When did you start writing fanfiction?

Is there a particular story of yours that you’re super proud of?  (Link!!)

What would you say is the most evil thing you’ve done in your writing?

Write it by hand first or just type it straight on the computer?

Have you ever thought of writing poetry?

How many fandoms can you handle at one time?

How many hours of sleep do you get when you’re working on a story?

What inspired you to write fanfiction in the first place?

Do you tell people IRL that you write fanfiction?

What is the happiest thing you’ve ever done in any of your fanfictions?

I CHOOSE!!!

@thelastpilot, @snavej, @unsung-knight, @sky-rose-of-night, @s0me-writer, @axis2800, @ladylynse, @samuel-sadi, @hchano, @midnightstarlightwrites

[ellehletoile]

About me as a writer

I was tagged by @itsalwaysmiyukikazuya​!! Thank u darling <3

1. How did you come up with your username and what does it mean?

It actually comes from my first ever nickname I used when I started, you know, the internet thing. It was awful so when I grew up a bit I renamed myself. (It’s funnily also the first sound of my actual name). 

2. Which fanfic of yours has the most feedback? (Bookmarks/ Subscriptions/ Hits/ Kudos) 

How To Crush is the one with most feedback in all fronts. Still impressed, if I’m honest.

3. What is your AO3 profile icon and why did you choose it? 

Iwaizumi being great and handsome, because you know, Iwaizumi, being great and handsome.

4. Do you have any regular/ favorite commenters? 

There aren’t really any regular commenters? Although I do cherish all the comments, because I know it’s not usual to actually leave them (and they are for the most part the most beautiful things ever). 

5. Is there a fanfic you keep going back to read again and again? 

Not at the moment. I haven’t been reading much fanfic lately, but I do have some authors I usually go back to when I feel like reading something I’ve already read. 

6. How many stories are you subscribed to? How many do you have bookmarked? 

4 suscriptions, 34 bookmarks. 

7. Which AU do you find yourself writing the most? 

I honestly don’t have an specific AU? I love trying new things, new settings and new environments where I can put the characters. 

8. How many people are subscribed and bookmarked to you in total? (You can view this on the stats page). 

Bookmarks 438, Subscriptions 78

9. Is there something you’d like to write about but are afraid of people judging you for it?

Not really? If I don’t write something is usually because I don’t feel myself prepared enough to do so, but I don’t tend to restrict my writing by third parties’ hypothetical opinions. (At least not yet, anyway).

10. Is there anything you’d like to be better at? Writing certain scenes or genres, replying to comments, updating better, etc.

Omg, everything? I feel my style is pretty awful lately (as in, I have no decent style at all), I should practice more to develop stories through characters actions instead of forcing stories into characters, English vocab (this is pretty important lol), character development and construction… and so on and on.

11. Do you write rarepairs or popular ships more often? 

I don’t usually write rarepairs? I do have some but I don’t feel ready to write them (SuguTora, I’m staring at you), so I basically go to the popular ships (Iwaoi, hello?). 

12. How many stories have you posted on AO3 to this day? 

16.

13. How many stories do you have saved in/ with your writing program? Like wips?

7, plus random ideas I will probably never write.

14. Do you write down story ideas or just keep them in your head? 

Usually keep them in my head, till I decide is time to write them.

15. Have you ever co- authored a story? 

Nope.

16. How did you discover AO3? 

My best friend and tumblr, of course. 

17. Do you consider yourself to be a popular or famous author in your fandom(s) on AO3? 

Hell no.

18. Do you have a nickname or fandom name for your readers? 

I don’t.

19. Was there an author who inspired or encouraged you to write? 

Inspired? A ton. Fanfic writers are amazing, and reading them pushed me to write again after years of barely doing so. Encouraged as in actively pushing me to write, not really? At least not that I can recall. I do have a lot of support from the discord chats and my friends, though.

20. What writing advice would you give to a beginning author? 

Write what you love, write what you like. Write for yourself. Be kind to your own creations, love them no matter how “bad” or how “much better” they could be. Don’t compare yourself to others, let them be an inspiration and a challenge. Be gentle when your words don’t come out the way you want them. Read all those writers you admire, and then read those you don’t, and then read books you would have never read. But most of all, write whatever makes your heart sing and your soul feel weightless. It doesn’t matter if your prose and style are the most amazing thing out there, if you don’t love what you put on paper, love will never come out of the page. 

21. Do you plot out your stories or do you just figure it out as you go? 

I do the latter most of the time and it’s a mistake I’m trying to fix. I always end up stuck somewhere, and end up not finishing anything. I’m trying to outline the samurai AU i’m writing so this doesn’t happen (and I actually finish it).

22. Have you ever gotten a bad comment on a story? If so, what did you do? 

Not a bad comment per se, but I did have some “demanding” comments that pissed me off a big deal. So I just… ignored them. I thought of answering them explaining the entitlement of asking more of me is wrong, but I felt it’d been pointless, so I didn’t.

23. Is there a certain type of scene that you have a hard time writing? (Action, smut, etc). 

Action probably. Dances are hella hard as well. Also fluff? As in, “I’m gonna write fluff.” I suck at writing fluff consciously.

24. What story(s) are you working on now? 

Two secret santas and Iwaoi Samurai AU.

25. Do you plan your new projects before you finish your current ongoing story(s)?

Man, I have so many ideas at the same time. I’m too impatient to actually wait to finish stuff before starting a new thing.

26. Do you have a daily writing goal set for yourself? 

Writing everyday is the goal.

27. Do you think you’ve improved as a writer since you first started? 

Yes… at least I hope so.

28. What is your favorite story that you have written? 

If we are speaking about stories in general (not fanfic) I’d say the retelling I wrote of Momotarou last year. If it’s fanfic, then How To Crush, for it was the first fic I wrote purely out of love and it’s hella dear to me. 

29. What is your least favorite story that you have written?

I don’t really have one? All of them are good and bad in their way I guess? I can’t really pick one.

30. Where do you see yourself (as a writer) in 5 years?

Writing, hopefully. At least participating in various contests, maybe even publishing in lit, magazines? (and with at least two novels finished, HOPEFULLY).

31. What’s the easiest part about writing?

When I have figured out a character, just writing them and letting the story flow. I’ve found out that the simplest of ideas can be the most rewarding when you have a direct connection to the complexities of your character.

32. What is the hardest part about writing?

Being gentle to oneself, letting the words fill the page without judgement. Honestly, I need to stop correcting/editing before the story/chapter is done.

33. Why do you write?

I write to live my reality and to escape from it. To learn, to teach, to experiment. Writing is a door to half of the truths I hide inside, truths that aren’t always worded or even conscious. I write because every story is a part of me, and because every story is independent of me, and because sometimes I just want simple things life can’t provide, so I have to make them up myself. Sometimes I write because I need to understand, and sometimes I write because I don’t. 

I tag: @cheetahleopard @amajikies @allykat023 @flydeku. It’s, of course, optional, and really, whoever wants to do it, feel free!!

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Showa Genroku 5 – 13, 15 | Classicaloid 14 | Masamune-kun’s Revenge 2 | Osomatsu-san 16

(ep 5)

You can hear the sarcasm in his (Sukeroku’s) voice, even with only subs. Actually, both Kiku and Sukeroku have their sarcastic moments.

How does the charcoal not burn the cushion?

You can clearly tell she’s got him wrapped around her little finger. Pretty ambitious, in those times.

Apparently injured legs can feel when rain is coming…that sort of thing.

In an age without phones, there’s more need for socialisation.

Basically, this is the equivalent to a high school or uni play. Low budget as ever.

Tanuki…well, they’re pranksters. Of course.

It seems pretty sexist in this day and age, but back then…welp. Let’s not complain about comparisons between some so-called “good ol’ days” and the present.

(ep 6)

“I don’t need lectures from a bum like you.” – Especially a drunk bum…

Even if it’s selfish to take something because of the thrill…I do kinda miss my days of scanlation. It’s hard to get a thrill like the one I got when I did that. Heh heh. Well, 2017’s going to be another intense year filled with Japanese, because even though I’ve shifted my education once more, I stuck Japanese in there again.

The texture on the smoking pot is quite something. Huh.

That’s a biiiiiiig cicada…

Hey, a Yotaro. Is that Daiku Shirabe Yakumo 7th’s doing?

Miyokichi says “gokigenyou”. I have enough lip reading skills to detect that, at least.

Who wrote the signs at the rakugo stage? I wonder…

(ep 7)

There always seem to be more women during Kiku’s performances.

The humour in this is a bit slapstick, but that’s why Charlie Chaplin is a household name now, right?

How many Es are in Tennessee, anyway? I never kept count…4? Okay then.

The ear picker is a sign of romance and intimacy. In Japan, anyway.

Extra “that” in the subs.

“Master Bonsai” sounds like such a cliché.

The “slice of eye” technique is just so effective. I’m lucky I’m not a film school student, or else I wouldn’t be eloquent enough.

A two futatsume show wouldn’t sell. Didn’t you say that a few episodes ago, Sukeroku?

(ep 8)

The master’s (Bonsai’s) fanning himself so much, it must be summer.

You need to win favours for a shinuchi promo…hmph. Better note that on the wiki.

Come to think of it, this was the age of letters, wasn’t it? Sukeroku’s right.

The Sukeroku and Miyokichi scene is so powerful, you can’t look away from it.

Drinks solve everything for these guys…sheesh.

Sometimes antagonising Kiku ain’t the answer, Sukeroku.

Without Sukeroku, kiku just kept clinging on to his part…huh. This part suddenly made a lot more sense, now that ep 14’s clarified Yotaro’s purpose.

The thing about this show is that it’s quite the acquired taste – you come for the humour, stay for the drama…or something along those lines. I spotted Sukeroku’s name on the very right, by the way.

(ep 9)

The dressing room is the “comfort room” in Japanese.

Of course Kiku wouldn’t be Sukeroku’s partner in crime for something like pissing the masters off…

I think it was “Edo flair”, subbers, but it was kinda hard to notice…

With those tired eyes, Kiku looks like Jean Otus (of ACCA).

These foreboding shots of light on water…hmph.

Note Amano’s got a fan that says “Japan one” literally, but whether it implies he’s number one in Japan or something else is number one in Japan is entirely up to debate.

There was a typo in the subs, but since the erroneous part was “While her husband it out…”, unless the actual word is “is”...I dunno what the correct word is.

The angles in this show are part of the personality. However, as Hand Shakers tells us, too much of a good thing can spoil it. Good thing this toes the line properly.

“Storyteller” is the appropriate equivalent for rakugoka, but “storyteller” doesn’t seem to do a story about rakugo justice. You need the jargon to make the world come alive, I feel.

You can tell Haruko Kumota used to be a BL author before from the way Sukeroku and Kiku act and react in that end scene of the ep.

(ep 10)

The cat…and the box-in technique from Erased. Letting go…is a theme in this show. Didn’t I say that already?

The kanji for “7th generation” was pretty nasty in regards to stroke count. No wonder they simplified it.

Shinigami. Of course he’d unleash that on the audience. Watching again has allowed me to really study Kiku as a person.

I wonder, are there full texts for these rakugo stories somewhere (like those books the apprentices memorise from)? I’d like to read them all someday, even if it’s just a testament to how much Japanese I’ve learnt.

In a world full of filial piety, the man really shouldn’t piss off his ancestors.

With that hat, Kiku looks like something out of Joker Game. Plus, even though the old person says “these days they have their televisions”, nowadays it’s “these days they have their phones and their internet” (in a spot of irony for me, LOL). In the end, technology will be too good for rakugo…and that’s what makes this show all the more interesting for me. Me, who wants to understand the past but still advance to the future.

For bad pun central, stop right here. The English “equivalents” to some of these Japanese puns really are kinda corny, and that’s saying something…since I’ve been looking at joke books since I was a kid.

How old is “old”, old man? If Konatsu’s calling you old, the internet is old.

(ep 11)

On the wall near Kiku are the signs “beer” and “tsukimi soba” (moon viewing soba). There’s another one past the one with a woman on it, but I can’t really make it out.

Oh, it’s the sign! Unfortunately I don’t know the second kanji, so I can’t tell you what it says.

This scene with the bag always makes me laugh. Every time, I tell you.

Konatsu’s got dango in her mouth. How do I explain dango…they’re sticky. Kinda like mochi. Never had them myself though.

I think ep 11 really shows how far Kiku’s come as a rakugoka.

(ep 12)

The word used for “inn” is ryokan. People tend to translate that as “(traditional) Japanese inn” in order to contrast with “hotel” and such.

The “chopsticks over the edge of the balcony” scene…now that I think of it, that is some heavy foreshadowing.

Is there a man who doesn’t like women? Probably.

Is it possible to make art using the spirit (behind it) alone?

Shibahama. Of course. Also, I’d never heard the term “a total lush” until this episode, I don’t think.

If only Sukeroku were like Kuma…haha. (sad tone)

I never thought about it until TV Tropes brought it up, but Miyokichi really is yandere.

When a grown man is driven to tears…you know stuff’s gone down.

Hey, there was no OP or ED on the ep now, was there?

(ep 13) [Trigger warnings: death, hell, political commentary etc..]

What is “inter[ring] the ashes”?

The world has had some horrors to get globalised like it is today…unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about it.

You put an end to oral traditions by not having anyone to pass them on…that’s the scary part of this show. Also, all the boxing in looks like Yakumo’s going to hang himself, and that’s the point. Which is even scarier.

I think this show’s only gone off model once.

Enma being the king of hell.

In English, Konatsu’s words are even more deceiving in regards to her “drink”.

Yotaro does the “bwong” bit more fast and lively than Yakumo.

Such a rebellious spirit (Konatsu) wouldn’t be right, tied down by marriage.

Oh yeah…I forgot they announced the “Rakugo Association President” thing in this ep.

“Lately all we hear about is deaths…” – Basically 2016 for the wider entertainment world. (Then came Trump. Aye carumba, what is the world coming to?)

Wait, do you want to shake Yotaro or the man who impregnated Konatsu?

I wonder how the reality of the Sukeroku scene played out…maybe it demonstrates his senility, interpreted one way.

Lilies, chrysanthemums and daisies…white is the symbol of death in Japan. (The chrysanthemums are yellow but the theme is the same.)

(ep 15)

Fresh new ep…well, I’ve been keeping this one since it first rolled out to the public, so it’s not entirely fresh. However, this is as fresh as it’ll get in regards to how the simulcast commentary goes.

Urk, why must CR be so insistent with turning “Descending Stories” into the title? It’s hardly convenient.

Imawa no Shinigami…I saw the video on ANN. It’s a nice song, but hard to put on repeat because the visuals are so good.

Whoa, even I can tell how fast Yota’s motormouthing, and I’m not even listening to it!

“Fussing to the shamisen”? What’s that?

She (Konatsu) clearly mouthed “papa”, and I think that word goes across multiple languages.

Huh. There’s no identifying name on this story, and it seems so crucial. That’s why I asked for a full guide of them (like the books that you sometimes see Kiku practising out of).

You can tell what books I’ve studied and the random things I’ve picked up from the quotes I can spout at a moment’s notice. For example: “…full of sound and fury, signifying nothing…”

Amaken’s eyes are funny while he gripes about the shinuchi’s role.

Who is this glasses guy? I can’t read the kanji…

Kappore. It’s something like this, anyway.

Was that a non-language-barrier pun? (About how the story suddenly switched to being about women in Yoshiwara.)

He’s (Yotaro’s) motormouthing again…

Higuchi really is a spanner in the works for Yakumo, eh? Especially because it turns out he’s the one who begged Yakumo for work the day 7th Yakumo collapsed. Karma’s such a pain in the butt, isn’t it?

Oh no! I-If Kiku dies next ep…where will the story be? Surely, we have Yotaro/Sukeroku and the Yakumo legacy, Konatsu and Higuchi, but I’ve learnt from the SGRS discord that Kikuhiko really is the glue of this work and this fandom. Don’t let him die or else we’ll all have a real funeral service for him…(well, maybe not that extreme, but people will be in real mourning due to a fictional character…and that’s bad.)

(Classicaloid 14)

I’ve seen from all the “best of 2016 anime” posts that Classicaloid’s gotten on to a lot of critical reviewers’ lists, but looking at my top 10, it didn’t make it. (If you’re wondering, it’s currently in spot 12 and since it’s a 2016 list, it won’t move up from there.) As for 2017, it’s currently in 4th place, but it’s likely to get debunked by later anime (Inuyashiki for one, since I’ve heard about it…if I hear about its source material while it’s still a manga, then its anime has a lot of promise!).

Beethes? On love? That’s new.

A capriccio is “following one’s fancy” according to Google-sensei, while I already knew poco a poco to be “little by little”.

Not all those foods Kanae listed are Russian, right? Pirozhki I know is Russian via YoI, but stroganoff clearly is not. To confirm my suspicions, I asked Google-sensei about gazpacho and that’s Spanish.

Gorbacho…? I might need to check that one over, but Sensei has nothing on it.

Those gyoza buddies have already appeared twice in this ep (excluding the OP) and both were in Kanae’s vicinity.

The foods listed are just local specialties of the area. Okonomiyaki is quite known as an Osakan one, that’s why.

They teach kids how to make vodka in this show…that’s slightly horrifying…Please don’t try making vodka at home, kids.

The birds…are so adorable! Ahh!

“Madol” appears to be a squashing together of “mad idol”.

This is actually very enlightening. At least from Bada’s perspective.

It’s not even the usual credits. It looks like karaoke…and that’s the entire point. There’s even lyrics!

(Masamune-kun 2)

The problem with Kirito-face (Masamune) is that he keeps going over his problems day by day, as if he can’t live without focussing on his revenge. Unfortunately, that’s the point of the show. I know it can do better than that! Plus, Heike Monogatari.

BL sandwich?

Okay, I’m definitely out of here. Ew. Fanservice without any particular reasoning is the worst.

(…but why did I leave the video long enough to find out that Makabe doesn’t even look adorable when stuttering? Yet another reason to leave.)

(Osomatsu-san ep 16)

The one episode I really liked (aside from the feels-getters), aka The Mad Max Parody…I think.

Manekineko behind the interview.

Apparently, Matsuno Matsunan can be read as “Matsuno Makkusu”, but the subs never explained that now, did they?

LOL, Iyami’s too visual kei in this.

Matsu in that case meaning “end”, but…you know���Matsu of the century…

The innuendo…it’s slghtly grating the second time ‘round, but it made me laugh the first time.

Welp, from that one segment, you basically learn how to make a successful non-Gintama…well, success…in Japan.

Highly relatable, but painful due to it being relatable.

Why is the Karamatsu!Ichimatsu not a meme like the Todomatsu face?

Matsu-cest…squick. Why do people ship that?

Technically, only fans of Karamatsu are Karamatsu girls…or boys.

Why is this second face not as memeful as the first?

With a series like this, you really have to be careful that it’s funny every time…because it’s only one third as funny the second time around, at least for this episode.