#so they'll likely be gone by the time the book is published

[pangur-and-grim]

in June of last year, I went briefly manic and wrote a book in a month. it contains: dragons, spaceships, old man wizard yaoi, and an extremely concussed elf.

since then, I've spent a stupid amount of time 1) editing the book, bc it turns out you can't actually write something publishable in a month, 2) querying 100+ literary agents, 3) receiving 70+ rejections and a whole lot of silence, and 4) FINALLY GETTING AN AGENT!

the next step is sending the book out to publishers, to see who bites.

it'll be a long time before I see any money though, so in the meantime I'm selling enamel pins! pre-orders are open at greerstothers.com

[shijiujun]

A Summary: The Spirealm | 致命游戏 (Kaleidoscope of Death 死亡万花筒 Live Action) & Why You Should (Eventually) Watch It

Talk about the most short-lived drama release ever, not even totalling two hours if I recall. Creating this summary as I've seen a handful of confused friends, so here it goes!

It's going to be a long review because I sped through all 78 episodes and only properly watched the first two doors, but I got you. You'll get both the brief book rundown and the drama parts!

If you just wanna see the bromance (LOVE) parts please skip to section 4!!!!

1. Overview

Title: The Spirealm (kinda awful I'm sorry it's a mouthful) or 致命游戏 which means fatal game

Adapted From: Danmei (BL) Kaleidoscope of Death by Xi Zixu

Novel Prints: There are GORGEOUS Thai, Vietnamese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese versions printed, AND Singapore publisher Rosmei has signed the license for the ENGLISH version, probably going on sale this year (preview is here). You can still access fan translations by Taida on I think wordpress and someone else on Tumblr sorry bad memory (they did half and half each) if you'd like to read it for context. It is one of my FAVE danmeis EVER and I am a die-hard OG book fan, check out my full danmei review here.

Total Episodes: 78 (20 minutes each with the exception of last episode which 10 minutes, with several BTS not that I think we will get to see all of them yet)

Where to Watch (LOL): Erm considering that iQIYI China AND International took the episodes down, there is no legal way to watch this, BUT thanks to some cnetz with super fast and great wifi, we managed to get ripped HD versions without subs. iQIYI is very hard on copyright though, they've taken down several subbed and unsubbed versions already on YouTube, but you should type the titles of show into Twitter and the top tags will tell you where to access the raws and very little subbed episodes, that may also be taken down at any point. I have the Chinese raws but as it's hosted on a cloud, I had to pay to access it.

Main Characters: Lin Qiushi & Ruan Nanzhu/Ruan Baijie (in the novel) and Ling Jiushi & Ruan Nanzhu/Ruan Baijie (in the drama)

Produced By: iQIYI so for SURE they won't film it fully BL even if the original is, but I've seen enough bromance cuts

Main Actors: Xia Zhiguang (Ruan Nanzhu/Ruan Baijie) + Huang Junjie (Ling Jiushi)

2. Summary

Book (drama follows closely if not removing the supernatural premises): Lin Qiushi, a designer, opens the door to his home one day from inside and sees 12 iron doors outside. Confused, he opens one of them and arrives at a snow covered village in the mid of winter, and meets Ruan Baijie, who's a pretty, unusually tall and whiny/timid woman. They realise that they're in a horrifying door game, and they'll have to find a door and a key to get out, while battling a long-haired, human-eating deity. They, along with a few others, have to survive day after day until they get out, and on the first night, two people have died in gory ways. Ruan Baijie and Lin Qiushi partner each other, and despite seemingly timid and crying all the time, she saves Lin Qiushi a few times mysteriously, and Lin Qiushi finds himself trusting in Ruan Baijie.

They get through the door together and when they leave successfully, Lin Qiushi realizes that the people who died in the door will die in real life by some freak accident too - car accidents, forced suicides, a robbery gone wrong, a lift trapped in the air and going ablaze, and more. That night, Lin Qiushi wakes up to see a super handsome and tall Ruan Nanzhu at his bedside and this man feels familiar to him, but he can't put a finger on it. All he can think of when Ruan Nanzhu says his name is Ruan Baijie (ahem he would later find out who it is of course). Ruan Nanzhu takes him to his mansion in the suburbs where he meets a group of other people just like them, who're forced to go through the doors for survival. Ruan Nanzhu then invites him to join Obsidian, his organization.

Through various doors, Lin Qiushi grows and supports a super intelligent and powerful Ruan Nanzhu, falls in love with him, gets through many many scary doors with him and some of their other team members, makes friends, loses them to the cruelty of the doors as they ponder over what the door means, and what being alive/dying means.

And at the end of it, at the end of of it all, when they're all good and living their life, Lin Qiushi also finds out what Ruan Nanzhu's secret is, and the lengths to which Ruan Nanzhu went to, just to be with him.

Drama: Ling Jiushi is a VR game designer who gets pulled into a game, and he meets Ruan Baijie (in his male form) right off the bat (SO NOT CROSSDRESSING I AM SAD). All the parts are actually the same as the novel, albeit with the game setting and Ling Jiushi and Ruan Nanzhu's identity adjustments to suit the game premise. Most of the other doors and their lines are the same, just that the ending is a bit more confusing than it could be. There's a big bad as well and they actually show the opposing organizations when in the novel, these other organizations aside from Obsidian didn't even actually have a face or goal to them.

3. Characters

^ Them in the book (based on manhua that never got to go live LOL) (RNZ/RBJ left, LQS right)

^ Them in the show (LJS left, RNZ right)

Ruan Nanzhu/Ruan Baijie: MY HANDSOME CROSSDRESSING INTELLIGENT ALOOF BUT WHINY (WHEN IT COMES TO LIN QIUSHI) SASSY BOSS!!!! He's super mysterious and super thick-skinned too, and all he wants is Lin Qiushi's attention the moment he meets him. He's intrigued by Lin Qiushi's calm and his brains and the way he handles things, and has a lot of trust for him right from the get-go. This is also shown in the drama itself. As the leader of Obsidian, he cares a lot for his team members and his friends even if he doesn't show it most of the time, and the last thing he wants to do is lose Lin Qiushi, and he would do ANYTHING for Lin Qiushi, ANYTHING!!! Just look at him whining:

Ling Jiushi (Lin Qiushi): In the novel he's super calm, has quite a lot of brains, a little bit of a blur in the beginning but he's super smart as well. Worries a lot for Ruan Nanzhu and is also a loyal friend to some of his only friends, and feels a lot when he loses them. Falls gradually in love with Ruan Nanzhu in the novel, like they just belong together. In this drama, Ling Jiushi holds that same trust for Ruan Nanzhu, but in demeanour he seems a bit more like a klutz and and not as cool as he was in the novel, but I guess it's acceptable. Literally like the only thing he loves more than RNZ (maybe) is his cat Chestnut LOL and RNZ is NOT really happy about that but Chestnut LOVES RNZ

Yixie and Qianli: CUTEST TWINS ;-; WHO TREAT RNZ and LQS as their big brothers LOOK AT THEM BOWING AND RNZ/LJS like parents LMAO

A handful of other characters who will keep turning up and get your hearts ;-;

4. ALL FAVE BROMANCE MOMENTS + TROPES

THEY TOUCH EACH OTHER A LOT LIKE HOLDING HANDS AND TOUCHING FACES, PIGGY BACKING?!?! DID I MENTION FACE TOUCHING

WHUMP WHUMP WHUMP WHUMP THEY HELP EACH OTHER WHEN HURT OR GET HURT FOR EACH OTHER

AND WHEN THEY WAKE UP IN BED THE OTHER IS AT THEIR BEDSIDE

AND DID I MENTION HE FEEDS HIM IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

AND THAT THEY DATED UNDER THE FIREWORKS LIKE THE NOVEL DOES NOT EVEN HAVE THIS SHIT

AND THE KABEDONS

AND FINALLY RUAN NANZHU RIZZ OMG

5. Settings

They REALLY OUTDID THEMSELVES. THIS JUST FROM DOORS 1-6:

THEY LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THE NOVEL DESCRIBED!!!!

6. Overall Thoughts

PROS: This was NOT a cheap production, I'm telling you, they followed the cases very well and there're a lot of super recognisable lines, if not ALL of them, even if they changed the cases a little. I think they did it because in the novel originally, the author DOES leave a lot of details hanging like someone dies and you know he had a background and there are some shady things happening but the author NEVER actually goes into detail. So the drama did their best to cover these loopholes, even if it felt a little awkward at times. Money went into settings and attires and every damn thing, this looks EXPENSIVE. And if you've ever imagined each door and the bosses inside in your head, you might have felt chills go down your spine because damn did they really colour the book's settings for me (despite its differences). DID I MENTION that Xia Zhiguang really got the damn memo and he was a passable Ruan Nanzhu/Ruan Baijie who knew how to turn on his BL eyes. PLUS they really did some of the character deaths really well - they're technically some of the biggest parts of this story so ;-; (not two main of course)

CONS (maybe): They did away with the supernatural/horror premise and replaced it with a GAME premise, which means that there's a scientific element to it and the try to explain away stuff with the game, including the ending. I don't 100% get the ending, but the feel/vibe is about the same. Might not be for hardcore reader fans tho! They skipped out on a couple of doors, some of which were my faves, but it's fine, it's long enough LOL. They give away/explain some of the clues and surprises super early which means you don't get that added boom at the back as well. Despite that, I have to say they tried to round up the loopholes from the book as much as they could and give it an explanation while tying elements/conspiracies across doors (probably also to save cast fees LOL). And as always it's not a solid ending, it's an open confusing one, and even more confusing than the book itself because THERE IS NO CERTAIN HAPPILY EVER AFTER WITH HUBBY for it (there is in the book tho, they live together happily every after). Secondl,y, I'd say HJJ's acting is a bit stiff and OOC compared to the novel, but Xia Zhiguang really made up for it.

-------

HOPE THIS HELPS YOU GUYS!!! But I guess if you need subs it's going to be a long LONGGGG ride, considering that iQIYI doesn't seem to be going to be able to put it up anytime soon CRIES.

[usmsgutterson]

The Collector - S.R x Hotchner! Reader

Oooookay!! I've developed a little bit of a pattern of having m u l t i p l e spencer reid fics out with only a few days between and I feel like my current wip is going in a direction I don't really like, so this is just a cute little fic because I feel the urge to publish something instead of watching more criminal minds or editing my current wip to fix it's course.

I've had a l o t of thoughts about spencer with hotchner! reader who's also an author and bibliophile, and while yeah, that's the premise for my current WIP, it's also a point in this one (they'll be two different depictions in two different settings) because I just can't stop thinking about it. The concept has me wholly entranced.

The fic title is riffed from the song The Collector by Searows because I listened to that while writing this one and I am simply too lazy to come up with something else.

Fic type - fluff with some hurt/comforty undertones

Warnings - there are mentions of a difficult case (not specified), there are mentions of sharks (hammerheads are blabbed about a la reidsplaining, and thresher sharks are mentioned), and this one is not edited beyond bare bones because I whipped it up in an hour and a half and wanted to get it out as soon as possible.

When Spencer gets home, the part of him that actively seeks you out is a little anxious not to find you in the living room, lounging on the couch while drinking tea and reading a book like you usually are when he gets home after a case, but it takes him a second before he remembers why the routine has changed.

You, a very accomplished author and person both, are writing again. Your agreement with the publishing house that's been with you since you were seventeen states that you have to have one book out every year, and while sometimes your books don't require a lot of research, a fair bit of the time they require at least or two of it before the drafting process begins.

And, Spencer remembers, you like to write in what he knows to be your domain--since you'd moved into a house that was almost too big for just the two of you, you've had a little home library. It's floor to ceiling with shelves, and the ceilings are pretty freakin' high out, taller than Spencer is by around four feet. You need a ladder to get to some of the stuff you read, and the walls are lined with more than 1,000 books that both you and Spencer had read in varying languages.

He sets his messenger bag down at a chair in the dining room table and pretty much makes a beeline for you from there--it's been a tough case. He's spent the last two weeks in Nevada and while he did get the chance to see Ethan while he was there, the case itself took a toll on his mental health and he just wants to steal one minute of your time.

He opens the door quietly in an effort not to disturb you, but it hardly works. You turn around when the door croaks because the hinges are rusted to hell and neither you or Spencer has had the time to put some WD-40 on them to stop the squeaking.

When you see him, your face breaks out into a grin. "Hey, Spence," you greet. He steps into the room, closing the door behind him as you approach, and like you know exactly what he needs, you pull him into a tight hug.

"How'd you know?"

"Aaron texted," you answer. "While you guys were on the way back--said you looked a little worse for wear. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he answers. "Just--case took a lot out of me, and I really missed you."

You've developed, over the last ten years of the relationship, the sort of innate ability to read Spencer like he's an open book, and you know he doesn't really want to talk about it so you don't push him.

"I'm right here," you respond, squeezing him just a little. You've missed him too, while he's been gone, but that feels like bullshit because you always miss him when he's away. Every single time, without fail, when you have to go to bed alone, you find yourself putting on one of his work shirts because it smells like him and spending the night all yearny because you miss him until you fall asleep.

When you pull away, your head tilts on instinct. "You okay?" You ask again. "What are you thinking? I can see the cogs turning in that handsome brain of yours, Spence."

"I'm sorry for interrupting," he says. "I know that you're working, Y/N, and--"

"You're not interrupting anything," you answer. "Aaron told me you'd be coming back today and I've been hopped up on caffeinated tea waiting for you to get home. I've been trying to do a bit of research with regards to the book I'm supposed to start next week, but I haven't been able to focus because you're the only thing I can think about."

Spencer smiles softly, and you turn your laptop off and then shut it before pulling him back in.

You bury your face in the crook of his neck before you can stop yourself, really--you've missed him like hell, and when you feel him do the same to you, you know that he's really been through hell since he was last in Virginia.

The two of you hug for a lot longer than either of you initially expect. You don't pull away until Spencer does, which must be fifteen minutes gone.

"We're staying in tonight," you murmur, e/c eyes meeting his brown ones. "Ordering pizza or pasta or--something good, and we're going to watch the shark documentary we saw on Netflix the day before you left."

"You've decided, have you?" Spencer asks, a teasing smile threatening to poke at the corners of his lips.

"Yeah," you nod. "And Penelope sent me her recipe for carrot muffins so I'm gonna make those to eat as a snack, and I've really missed your voice so I--just talk, Spence. Please."

You're grabbing him by the hand and leading him out to your kitchen as you speak, and when he starts rambling per your request, you're grabbing a mixing bowl and a spatula.

"Hammerhead sharks are a lot more interesting than they seem," Spencer begins. "Their scientific name is Syphrnidae, they keep to a carnivorous diet and they live 20-30 years on average while in the wild. They use their heads to help them hunt for their food, which is primarily stingrays as well as other kinds of rays, squids and crustaceans that live on the ocean floor. There are nine different species of hammerhead and with a length of an average 13-20 feet, the great hammerhead is one of the largest sharks in the world and it's the largest species of the nine in the Syphrnidae family."

As he talks, you get yourself busy with the baking, happy to let Spencer ramble until he runs out of breath because you've missed the sound of his voice. By the time the carrot muffins are in the oven, he's moved from hammerhead sharks to thrasher sharks and when you've closed it, he's stopped talking and is just--looking at you like you're the love of his life.

"What?" You ask, noticing his gaze.

Spencer shakes his head as though he means to clear his thoughts from it, shrugs, and says, "nothing."

You laugh. "I call bullshit," you say. "Just because my brother went on to be one of the profilin' types and I became an author doesn't mean I can't read you like an open book, Spence. What's going on in your head?"

He leans against the counter top, crosses his arms over his chest, and smiles.

"You fell in love with "one of the profilin' types", Y/N," he says. "And, yeah, you can read me like an open book. Never thought to be closed around you, and a decade gone, I am reaping the benefits."

"Yeah?" You ask, putting your dishes into the sink and giving them a rinse so that they're not mucky when they go into the dishwasher. "How so?"

"I'm home after two weeks on one of the roughest cases of my career," he says. "And I get to come home to you. That makes me feel lucky in and of itself."

"Yeah?" You repeat, turning to him with a grin as you wipe the water off of your hands and onto the nearest dry washcloth. "You're sure that the whole--the whole double PhD in Creative Writing and Psych, or the multiple pieces I've written that've been put into reputable news sources, or all of the books I've written since we met when I was nineteen and you were twenty--that has fuck all to do with it?"

He reaches out, his hands gracing your hips with a touch so delicate that it's almost intoxicating. "I fell in love with you for you, Y/N," he says. "Not your accomplishments, though boasting about you does have it's bonuses."

Your arms wrap around his shoulders. "I love you too, Spence."

"Because of my genius, or in spite of it?"

"Because of it, but it's not the only reason," you murmur. "I love you because of how kind you are, how courageous you are in the face of danger. I love you for your occasional sarcasm and the rambles that it seems nobody else in your office really enjoys. I love you because of earl grey tea on sunday mornings and forehead kisses when you're coming home from a case at three in the morning. I love you for who you are, not everything you've done."

When he finally kisses you, he tastes like earl grey tea and mint, and you love it--you love him so much that it just about consumes you whole, but you're happy to let it if it comes to that.

When Spencer pulls away, his brown eyes meeting yours just before your foreheads touch, he breathes in.

"It's good to be home," he whispers. "Amazing to be home, actually."

You laugh, kissing him quickly before turning your attention to the living room. You take him with you, the two of you waddle-walking because you don't want to separate after days spent only communicating through phone calls and facetimes.

When you finally plop onto the couch, you let yourself be held by him, and man, does it feel amazing.

[claudemblems]

Bookish Romance | Malleus + Leona Headcanons

Summary: How Malleus and Leona act with an s/o that loves to read and go shopping for books

Notes: I only just finished the Savanaclaw chapter but that's not going to stop me from writing for Malleus

Malleus Draconia

Finds you unbelievably adorable.

Though he doesn't quite understand how fictional stories can make you so excited, he's just glad to see you have something that makes you so happy.

"Child of Man, could you tell me what you find so fascinating about these stories? I wish to know what exactly intrigues you. Perhaps, if it is within my power, I can recreate the scenes with you."

100% turns into his dragon form just so you can soar through the sky on him like the characters in your fantasy novel. What, you didn't expect him to do this for you? Don't you know how much Malleus Draconia, crown prince of Briar Valley, is willing to make all of your dreams come true?

He'll even rope the rest of the dorm into these reenactments. You need princes fighting for your hand in marriage? Good thing Diasomnia has 3 other willing members! (They didn't actually get a say in all of this).

It's a bit embarrassing for them, but they don't mind it too much. The boys adore you, and they'll do anything to see you and Malleus smile. Sebek and Silver will still insist they're only doing it for their young master, though (they're just shy okay).

If there's a certain book you can't find or that has gone out of print, Malleus ensures that you WILL get it no matter what. If that means using his royal title and demanding a publishing house to make an extra copy just for you, he won't hesitate to do so.

You've tried to keep yourself from mentioning you want things now because they keep mysteriously showing up at your door. You appreciate Malleus' thoughtfulness, but you know he drives his staff crazy; they're the ones who have to fetch your gifts on his behalf.

Malleus truly has no impulse control when he wants to spoil you, which is all the time.

He LOVES when you cuddle up next to him by the fireplace and read your books aloud to him. The stories are always entertaining, but more than anything, he just enjoys listening to your voice.

Even better if you fall asleep on him in the middle of it. It makes his heart flutter in his chest every time.

He'll quietly carry you back to your room, careful to mark the place in your book where you stopped before giving you a kiss on the forehead, bidding you goodnight.

He wonders if you'd like to have him read stories to you, too. Perhaps you'd like to hear a classic fairytale. He knows a delightful one about fairies and sleeping princesses.

Leona Kingscholar

Oh no, he's got it bad for you.

He's not really into reading books that much himself, but there's something so heartwarming watching how your eyes light up when you spot your favorite series in a bookstore or how you make grabby hands trying to reach a volume from the top shelf.

You're ridiculously cute. He won't admit it to you, but it's blatantly obvious to everyone else.

He will, however, tease you relentlessly.

He has no problem grabbing the book you want and holding it above your head, just far enough out of reach, a smug smirk on his face.

"You've gotta work to get it, Herbivore." "Just give me my book, Leona!!! 😠"

The angry pout you give him makes his heart go all soft and mushy. Who gave you the right to be so adorable? It only spurs on his teasing side even more, if only just so he can look at your adorable expressions.

His favorite thing besides napping is watching you ramble on about the plot of a book or your favorite characters. You get so animated when you talk and he can visibly see the joy beaming on your face. He's so used to dry conversations with other people that he isn't used to someone talking so earnestly with him, or rather, excitedly rambling about nonsensical things. It's intoxicating.

You'll be several minutes into your tangent when you look over and see Leona, head resting in his hand, gazing at you with the fondest smile you swear you've ever seen him wear.

Your heart can't help but skip a beat at the sight. Is this how he looks at you when you're too lost in your own world to notice? The thought makes your cheeks flush.

"Herbivore, you didn't finish telling me about what happened next. You can't just leave me on a cliffhanger like that."

And once again, your eyes are shining with delight as you continue gushing over your favorite book. Leona can't hold back his growing smile, no matter how hard he tries.

Out of all the herbivores he's met in his lifetime, you are truly the most endearing of them all.

[stormblessed95]

i get the whole ignoring tkkrs to be at peace but i hope ppl won't stop calling them out for their mistranslations, misinformation, misleading things cause it's been yrs and there are still so many lies and theories that are harmful has came from them and yet the whole fandom uses it without asking for the credibility of it.

The whole "jk hates jm" has came from tkkrs only and now is widely spread in the whole fandom, the "jm sleeps with bangppd and bangppd wants to push jkk to hide tkk" narrative is their #1 theory that they still use and the whole kpop uses that bangpd and jm shit to drags jm. The jikook does fanservice narrative has came from them which everyone easily associates with jkk cause that's what they have been told by the majority of the fandom which is tkkrs.

It's been two yrs and they still say the atomix ot7 dinner was tk date when there's proof of ppl who work at atomix saying it was ot7 dinner after their white house speech. You ask them once to show where did jungkook booked the restaurant and they'll go silent cause they just made that up cause jungkook is always the sugar daddy of every ship and others the sugar baby. There's not a single receipt or proof to say jk booked it but they made a whole au out of it Cause miss mina aka @/dionysustkk and tkklives lives say so.

It's been 6 yrs and they still use tkklives rainbow SS saying gcft was a vminkook trip when the only thing my guy jm did was told both JK and TH that he wants to visit japan. For yrs both jk nd jm has talked about the Tokyo trip nd not even a single time they said it was supposed to a vminkook trip or tae was supposed to be with them. Yrs later in their book which was published THIS yr of 2023 and never in that book there's a mention of tae and Tokyo trip together and mind you the book has been gone by checking through each nd every member so all that said in the book has been approved by all the members.

I have been here for like 4 yrs nd every single time i find a tk moment 95% of them are turned out to be false nd made by tkkrs. They love cropping memebrs out of pictures to make it seem like only tk went somewhere out but you ask someone else nd you'll find other members right there but were just cut out by tkkrs. It's so hard to find a tkkr who doesn't hate jkk, jm nd call don't call them fanservice.

Even now if you go to any of the sns nd see comments under any of the jkk video you'll see atleast one comment saying "jk was forced to join with jm, he wanted to go with tae but couldn't because of his tattoes and jk doens't even have jm's no, jk said they're coworkers" cause just three days back i was watching a jkk video on yt nd out of habit i was scrolling through cmnts nd this was the first comment under the pinned comment.

Whenever someone enters the fandom they get corrupted by tkklives channel with her 500k subscribers where all she does is manipulate shit cause ever since she made that channel 3 days after gcft nd gave them the "Tokyo trip was supposed to be vminkook" she's their mother savior who fills all their DeLuSiOnAls and she just knows how to do it.

Ppl starts hating on jm just over a ship and no matter how many times y'all say "jkkrs nd tkkrs are same" they will never be cause there's a big difference in the number of deranged ppl in jkk nd tk fandom. Yes i agree there's ppl in jkk fandom that are just as deranged as tkkrs but again the difference in number is like earth nd sky. Jkk fandom is not even half in no of tkkrs even lizkook shippers are more worldwide than jkkrs. Jkkrs deluled themselves in their own Little bubble with some 100 people but when a tkkr make a delulu tweet they deluled themselves along of some 10k other tkkrs and that is the number of difference in deranged ppl in both ships. No other shipper has harassed so many brands that work with BTS who has to put Stories about calling out tkkrs, no other shippers got blocked by polyc (their tatto artist especially jk's) nd got put on story, no other shippers has harassed other models or ppl calling them cosplayers cause they couldn't handle to see their fav holding hands with a woman in another country to the point the person has to put Stories after Stories to ask ppl to stop. No other fandom has got made fun of the way Kpopies made fun of hmlvrart and embarrassed armys. No matter how many times y'all say both are same they're not.

not saying ppl should engage in all things tkkrs say but i hope everyone call them out where it's due.

I won't lie to you, I did mostly just skim this because are you new here?

Lol I don't need the lecture about needing to correct tkkrs when they spread misinformation.... Thanks though. Sorry, I've got that covered though!

I get what you are saying though.

[ronnieafterdark]

Starting this side blog off with a bang, here's some previews of some fics I'm working on. Who knows if they'll ever be published! I certainly don't.

Fic one:

Mike narrows his eyes as continues to watch the camera footage, his chin nestled in the crook of his hand. He watches as the trespasser fidgets with a book, as if they're trying to read but they can't take in any of the words. Like when you read an entire page and realize you were zoned out for most of it so you have to go back and read it again. This person broke into a building to read a book? That's really fucking ballsy. He wants to confront this person (because that's, you know, one of his number one job duties) but he can't help but think about the last time he ‘confronted a criminal’ at a security gig. His eyes drift over to the dust-covered intercom to the side of the monitors which has gone unused for the entirety of his tenure at Freddy's (and probably for the past few decades, too). He would say that there's absolutely no shot that it still works, but, then again, the owner of this place tends to place a weird amount of care in keeping things functional. He knows how to use a modern intercom (he used to be in charge of announcements over the intercom at an aquarium he worked at once—his boss thought he had a great radio voice, or something. That was until he flubbed one of this lines, accidentally saying ‘testicles’ instead of ‘tentacles’... Yeah, he wasn't on announcement duty anymore from then on), but he has no idea how an intercom from the eighties would work. It should be pretty intuitive, he figures.

Fic two:

"You act like you think I care about you," you say, rolling your eyes. "I don't think that. In fact, I want nothing less than for you to care about me," he mutters, voice suddenly growing colder, his previous playfulness dissipating. "And why is that?" You ask, eyes meeting his. "Because I don't care about you. I don't want my apathy to be unreciprocated." You nod, a quick breath leaving your nose. "Gotcha." "You know," he shrugs, leaning back in his chair and kicking his feet up on his desk, "you should probably stop worrying about me as much as you do. Between the two of us, do you really think I'm the one who's most likely to have a bounty on their head? You're the one who does all the killing." You glare at him. "Well that's a real fucking comforting thought, but I assure you that I don't have to worry about myself. Nobody stands a chance against me." He sighs, resigning to your stubbornness. "Fine. Just remember that you can never be too careful."

Fic three:

I'm the one who first notices it— no, wait, I think he notices first. He can be a bit of a baby at times and he gets all dramatic over the turbulence. He's the first to say ‘something seems wrong’, but because Derek is Derek, it sounds something more like: "What the fuck is up with this damn thing? It's shaking like a goddamn druggie going through withdrawal. Hold on... Look at that. Look at the fuckin'... System... Thing." Error: server maintenance. "The hell does that mean?" "It's like when you can't play a video game because they have to do something with the server," I respond, taking a closer look. "That's a lot of error signs. How do we fix whatever's going on?" "Fuck if I know. I'm not an engineer." "I don't want to touch anything and make it worse." He gets up, standing next to me and gazing at the ever-increasing amount of error messages on the screen. Error: unable to connect to server. "What, so we can't use Bluetooth anymore? 'Least I don't have to hear your damn music anymore," I mutter. Error: piloting system down. "Oh, that sounds bad—" Error: controls disabled. "Controls disabled? Wait, does that mean—" Error: engine disabled. "Engine disabled? Holy shit— Derek! We're crashing!" Derek's head whips around, immediately locking eyes with me. Pure panic. He lurches forward, grabbing hold of my shoulders and—

[prettyiwa]

I do not authorize the translation or reposting of my work.

(previous) Relationship: Miyuki Kazuya x F!Reader Rating: SFW Content Tags: POV Miyuki Kazuya, Childhood Best Friends to Lovers, Soulmates (if you squint), Brief Mention of Grief, Adolescent Teasing, Light Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hints of Jealousy, One (1) Instance of Profanity (guys, it's me.), Concerned Miyukis (Toku makes an appearance), the Author Has Unrealistic Expectations About Seating on Public Transit, Reference to Kazuya's Name Etymology Summary: What are best friends for if not dragging into playing catch or forcing to model for your art? Word Count: 3,100

A/N: Let me know if you'd like to be tagged for future updates. I cannot promise a timeline/schedule for when they'll be published, but the option's there if you want it.

@tyga-lily, @no1frogfan, @bajiissofine (since you'll be reading the first in a bit)

He forgets how old both of you were, but it was around the time you were learning how to ride a bike. It was you who went first, terrified and unable to find your words. Absolutely petrified. Maybe your nerves carried over but he remembers feeling antsy, too. All he really knows is, you started calming down when he ran alongside the bike—as fast as he could, anyway. He shouted at you and you heard him clearly, despite high emotions and adrenaline.

I’m right beside you.

When it was his turn, you said the same thing.

Age 13 (Almost 14) | August 23

With the exception of you sitting on the benches next to his bag, Kazuya’s alone on the practice grounds. The upperclassmen left a while ago, uninterested in bettering themselves beyond regular practice, and the players in his year left not too long after. Adults still hover at the top of the hill, chatting with one another before they’ll eventually head home, taking the remaining teammates with them, but he’s not counting on them. They aren’t gonna help him keep practicing, so he’s not worried about them. It makes things difficult, but not impossible.

You’re here, so it’s definitely not impossible.

Kazuya approaches you, calling your name, unable to stop his grin from growing. You look up from your sketchbook with a smile of your own, but it drops the moment he tosses the ball into the air. By the time he’s caught it, your smile has turned into a frown and your nose is back in your book.

“C’mon. Just ten more minutes. Play with me for ten minutes.”

“I don’t want to play with you for ten more minutes because it’s never just ten minutes.”

“Okay… what do you want to do, then? Can’t be as fun as playing baseball.” He knows what you’d rather be doing, you art nerd, but he’ll ask anyway.

“I’d rather be drawing.”

“Ha! I knew it, art nerd!”

Your brows scrunch together and he can almost hear you call him baseball geek before his coach calls out to you both, interrupting whatever you were gonna say.

“Hey! Are you kids coming along? It won’t be light out for much longer.”

That catches your attention, making you jump to your feet to address him. Offering a slight bow, you call out, “We’ll be okay to travel alone.” Kazuya’s smirk grows again, knowing you’d only say that if you planned on helping him anyway. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t push himself too hard. Thank you!”

Coach seems satisfied, but Namikawa’s dad isn’t.

“What about your mothers? Won’t they worry?”

Even though it’s supposed to be hot, late summer, it feels cold. Kazuya looks at you and notices the way you freeze up. Coach leans over and Kazuya knows what he’s saying, even without hearing it. Your shared reality for the last six years, but it bothers you a whole lot more than it bothers him.

Your grip around your sketchbook tightens and his smile is gone when he shouts back, “We’re fine. My dad knows where we are. You guys shouldn't wait for us.”

“Kazuya, you’re being kinda rude,” you mutter, turning to face him. He doesn’t like the way your smile’s disappeared.

“I don’t care about that.”

Coach doesn’t either, it looks like, because he bids you both good evening, reminding Kazuya that practice starts later tomorrow.

You return to your spot on the bench and he stands there a bit longer, wondering why people have to make things into something they’re not. What would it have mattered what your guys’ moms think? It doesn’t since they don’t. Glancing your way, he sees that you’re still frowning and he remembers it’s always been a little harder on you, especially since your dad won’t do anything to help, but there’s not a whole lot he can do about that.

Tossing the ball into the air, he catches it, again and again, higher and higher each time.

“Stop moving so much.”

He catches the ball once more, looking over at you, watching him from just atop your sketchbook. Again.

“I can’t stop moving,” he says, tossing the ball up, up, up. “I’m practicing.”

“You don’t even have to practice right now. You did that for three hours already. It’s just you.”

You’re still moping, so he decides to goad you, just a bit. “This’ll go faster if you pick up the ball and help.”

Glaring at him, you scoff. “How could that possibly help?”

“If I get used to your crappy and wild pitches, I’ll be able to catch anything.”

That does it. His smile returns in full when you close your sketchbook and almost slam it down beside you, looking like you want to fight.

“I’m going to end you, baseball geek.”

He can’t contain his laughter, not when your pride prevents you from taking any slight lying down. “Practice with me and then you can sketch all you want.”

“Alright. Fine. Jackass.”

He laughs again as you start to warm up your shoulder, but your scowl only deepens. He knows that once you get going, you’ll actually enjoy playing with him—getting you to start is always the hard part. He doesn’t understand why, especially since it didn’t use to be like this. You used to enjoy playing with him and do it willingly. But things change, he supposes. Like what Akari said yesterday (though he’s pretty sure she only said it to annoy Kazuya). Her comment festers and he tries to remember how you reacted and it’s enough for him to laugh again.

“So vulgar! How do you expect to make other friends or find a boyfriend with a mouth like that?!”

For a couple of minutes you don’t say anything, focusing on warming up while shooting him a withering glare once or twice. You raise your hand to ask for the ball, catching it without flinching or looking away and it makes him excited.

“I make friends fine.” There’s a crawling under his skin when you say that, a light itch that doesn’t really go anywhere. He opens and closes his mitt, hoping you’ll throw your first pitch and he can forget about it. “No one would even want me to be their girlfriend so long as you’re around.”

Or not. You could say that and the itching could get worse and it could feel like something heavy’s twisting his stomach. The dropping in his chest reminds him of those dreams he sometimes has where he’s falling.

He shouldn’t have asked.

You throw your first pitch with more control than you usually exhibit. He doesn’t have a retort or a compliment to offer and he thinks he can hear Akari laughing at him. “So what? You want me to stop hanging around as much?”

You catch the ball he throws your way and he can tell that, at the very least, you aren’t upset at the question about your mom anymore. He sees it in your eyes as you wind up—you don’t even have to say it. He hears you clearly simply by being the person to catch your pitches. Harder than you usually do and with better aim than you usually have. Maybe his comments went too far this time.

Waiting until you have the ball again, you answer before you throw. “No. I’d rather be friends with you than have some boyfriend.”

It’s like you’re spitting the word, like it’s the worst insult he could’ve thrown your way, but he doesn’t care. That twisting stops and the itching does, too. The way the ball nestles into his mitt tells him you’re still mad, but it’s hard to focus on that because his heart stops completely, turning him cold before burning him up. Heat spreads across his face and he feels dumbfounded until you call out to him, expecting the ball.

Throughout the rest of your practice, you don’t say much more, letting your pitches speak for you. That’s fine—your words won’t stop replaying in his ears anyway. All in all, he shouldn’t push you. You’re not an actual pitcher, despite the promise you show and the way the girl’s team would probably love to have you. It’s getting dark but he likes this.

He likes playing like this with you. No matter how much of a fuss you make, you always end up having fun, too. He likes that he can understand you perfectly when you throw the ball his way. It reminds him of when things were a little bit easier. The natural light is running out and you complain that you’re getting hungry, meaning he can’t keep this up much longer.

The distance between the field and the bus stop seems shorter than usual, filled with him trying to get you to admit you had fun, no different from any other time you two do this. He gets nothing but non-answers and he knows you’re still annoyed with him, so it’s no surprise when you pull out your sketchbook the moment you two are seated on the bus.

At first, you don’t mind when he leans on you, looking over your shoulder as you touch up what you had been working on earlier. Most of the pages are filled with him, but he spots his teammates there as well. The bus continues on its route and gradually empties as it always does around this spot at this time of night and you push him away.

“Hey, what’s that for?”

“Shut it. I want to draw you. You said I could.”

He sighs, giving up whatever fight he planned on giving. It’s not the worst thing ever and he kinda likes the attention you give him, especially since it means you won’t be angry with him for as long. As you try to steady the pages, you end up lowering your sketchbook and he gets caught on the fact that you’re using the purple pencil again. You always seem to use it when you draw him, but he can see Namikawa and his coach in orange and red at the bottom of the page, just beneath your hand.

“You always draw me in purple, but you draw Namikawa in orange.”

“Okay?”

You don’t stop sketching, only looking up for reference. He knows that look—like you’re not only seeing him, but seeing through him. Sometimes he hates that look, but he imagines it can’t feel that much different when you sit at his games and practices.

“Why?”

“Why…? Why do I draw you using purple?” Your brows scrunch together and your tongue peeks out as you try to get the lines just right.

“Yeah. Why not orange or red?”

“Because you’re not.”

“I’m not what?”

“You’re not orange or red. You’re purple.” Spoken like the truth. Something known, like the depth of the Mariana Trench being over 11,000 meters or that the sun will always set and that he’ll seek out baseball when it rises again or that you’ll call his name and he’ll come running. Kazuya doesn’t quite understand how you’ve made this your truth.

As if you can feel his confusion, you look up, properly. Your face relaxes and you tilt your head back before saying, “You’ve always been purple. Does it really bother you?”

Again, you say it like it’s a fact.

But he considers your question and comes to the conclusion that it doesn’t bother him. Not really. “I guess not.”

Nodding before returning to the page, you take a moment before speaking again. “Kazuya, I don’t remember asking since we were kids.”

“Asking what?”

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Oh.”

What a silly question, but you’re an artist, so it makes sense that you’d ask him something like that. While he thinks, wondering whether he even has a favorite color, you grab his chin and move back into position.

“Uh, I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it.”

“What about orange?”

It’s a nice color. Reminds him of summer and how hot it gets and how much fun he has. It reminds him of you a little bit. “I like it. It’s warm.”

“It is. It’s connected to sunshine and happiness.”

“No kidding? What about red?” He likes that, too, but it’s everywhere. Not that it’s a bad thing, but there has to be a reason for that.

You hum, tilting your head to the side before answering. “Protection and strength, I think.”

“What about purple?”

Why do you think he’s always been purple?

“Well… it was hard to get, for dye and paint and stuff, so only royalty and people at the top had access to it—”

He laughs and you pull him into position again. “What, so you think I’m some kind of royal?”

It’s your turn to laugh, and it’s the infectious kind that drags him in, too. Your pencil pauses for a moment and you look at him. “No, you idiot. Maybe it’s because of your name or because you’re jersey number two on the field. I don’t know. I mean, I can’t think of anyone who’s all that better at catching than you.”

There’s a catcher that comes to mind, but he can’t be bothered to think of him when you give a compliment like that. Even if you tell him you don’t know a thing about baseball (which is an absolute lie) and you tell him that your opinion on the sport shouldn’t matter, it does. You continue your thought and he’s unable to put away his cheeky smile.

“I read somewhere that purple sometimes means strength and drive. I don’t know. That all seems like you.”

“I suppose so.” You return his smile before gently closing your sketchbook, denying him the opportunity to see how much progress you’ve made. The bus comes to a stop and he follows you off it, happy when you take a moment to wait for him instead of just going ahead. “So… what’s your favorite color?”

You glance in his direction before taking a step in the direction of home. “Purple.”

“Oh, so you draw me purple because it’s your favorite color and I’m your favorite person.”

“No!” He snickers at your reaction, at the playful way you push his shoulder, glad to have pushed the right button at least once today. “Purple’s my favorite color because I’m always drawing you and you’ve always been purple.”

His words die on his tongue and he can’t tell why. He wants to respond (maybe tease you some more) but he can’t find any words. A smirk forms on your lips, happy that he’s being quiet. The two of you walk in silence for a couple minutes and it’s not until you’re a block away from home do you turn to him with that smile that means you’re up to no good.

“Y’know… Tanaka-sensei was complaining that sometimes purple can be really difficult to print. Maybe that’s why you’re purple. You’re just difficult.”

“Seriously?”

Your laughter echoes down the street before you skip in front of him, stopping in front of his house as he catches up.

“Hey, don’t you wanna stay and eat? I don’t think your dad’ll have anything at home.”

“Nah, that’s why I have to get home. I might need to make something.” You say that, but you glance toward the lights that are still on in the factory.

“You’re going to end up poisoning you both. Just stay and eat with us. It won’t take too long.”

“I shouldn’t.” Even though it looks like you want to.

He can try once more—

“How else are you supposed to finish your drawing?”

A smile appears on your face, nice and wide and one he only sees when you’re really happy with him. “Seriously? You’d sit still for me?”

“Yeah!” If it gets you some proper food tonight, yeah.

You bite your bottom lip, chewing on it while you think. “Could you do that tomorrow? I gotta make sure he’s good.”

That feeling in his chest gets smaller and his smile feels heavier, but he still makes it come. “Yeah, I’ll do it tomorrow.”

The light inside the factory turns off and you both turn as the metal doors shut, bringing Dad and Kusaga outside. After locking the doors, Dad catches sight of you both, walking forward after wishing Kusaga a good night.

“You two are out late. Did Kazuya keep you at practice again?”

“Nope! He was helping me with my art today.”

Dad gives him a look that tells him he knows better, but he simply asks you, “Can I take a look?”

Flipping through the pages, you land on the ones of today, bringing it to him. “This is what I was able to do while he was practicing, but this is what he helped me with after.”

Dad takes a moment to look through your sketches, the same ones Kazuya peeked at earlier. You never let him see how far you got with the sketch from the bus and it bothers him a little that Dad gets to see it first. But you’re trying to save him from another lecture about keeping you out too late, so he’ll leave it alone.

“You’ve improved quite a bit.”

“Thank you! I’ve been working at it as hard as Kazuya’s been working on baseball, I think. I can’t let him be the only one with talent here.” Dad laughs but that doesn’t stop your smile from starting to slip away. “I should start heading home. Dad’s waiting for me.”

His dad looks at him briefly before turning to you. Part of him hopes he’ll invite you to stay for dinner because you suck at telling parents no, but a larger part of him knows that Dad wouldn’t do that.

“You good to travel alone? Kazuya and I could walk you.”

“No, it’s okay. Thank you for offering!”

“Alright. Tell your dad I said hi.”

You wave to them both as you continue heading down the street, turning away without much of a smile. Dad turns to him again but, before he can say anything, Kazuya speaks up.

“Can I walk her home anyway?” He thinks about it for a moment, glancing the way you’re going, and Kazuya adds, “It’s just around the corner.”

That seems to do the trick and Dad extends his hand, gesturing to Kazuya’s bag. “That’ll be fine. I’ll get started on dinner.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

Kazuya doesn’t give him any time to respond, hurrying after you like you had called. Even if you didn’t call his name, he’s sure he heard it anyway.

Promises We Exchanged Fic Page | Daiya no Ace Masterlist | Next

[anticidic]

I was looking into writing fanfics do you got any advice for that?

👀👀 hi there!! sure!!

The number one tip I have for getting into writing just in general, not even fanfiction, is to read. A LOT. And I don't mean only reading fanfictions. Reading published novels is really important to picking up general writing elements like pacing, story beats, characterization and character development, and how to set a mood if there's something in particular you like writing.

I just so happen to love writing angst and suspense, so I read a lot of detective noirs and horror books to learn how to pick up on conveying tension and inner turmoil, doubt, etc. etc. It also exposes you to a wider vocabulary, helps with describing senses, how to write good dialogue, all of that fun stuff.

Getting the words down in the first place is the hardest part. Editing can always come later. Some of my rough drafts for fics are ROUGH. And I mean ROUGH. Like, I have stupid placeholders all over the place, but I leave them when I'm feeling stumped and just need to move on to the next scene because I've spent too long trying to come up with something. You can always come back to a certain part later. Just get words down. Even if you think it sounds bad or makes no sense. I've sometimes written endings before I even wrote the beginning to a fic. I've written fun parts first as preparation for writing something boring or angsty.

With that out of the way, a big roadblock to writing can be motivation/inspiration. There are so many days where I come home from work wanting to write but I'm just dead to the world and don't feel like it. But sometimes the motivation to write won't always come to you. It can take days, weeks, months for that motivation to hit, so you can't always rely on it. Sometimes if you want to write, you just have to sit down and push yourself. For me, at least, getting those first few words/sentences down is always the hardest, then when I get in the groove, I can knock out like 5k words in a few hours.

But if you're REALLY not in the mood, like if you can tell you're stressed or really have things on your mind, it's best to not push it. Pushing it is more so if you're in the mindset of 'ehhh I WANNA write but I don't reaaaally feel like it' and not when you're genuinely in a bad mood or something. When I really don't want to write, I just chill out and don't push it because that can make things worse. Always take care of yourself!! It's a hobby meant to be fun!!

For inspiration or "getting in the mood" I like to listen to certain songs or playlists that fit a particular mood or fit something that I'm currently working on. I also like to scroll for hours looking at fanart, and many times has that given me the inspiration to either come up with an idea or to get back to what I was doing. Then I like reading and coming up with my own headcanons! I think that's the most fun part of fanfic, tbh. I have headcanons for my fanfics and they'll vary from one story to another depending on the setting and the characters.

Like, one story I have Dazai set in a universe where he loves sweets. Peaches, in particular. In another, he likes bitter things and drinks his coffee black. Just those tiny things.

And sometimes inspiration has hit me when I've just gotten up to get some air or gone to do dishes, or something. It's WILD when and where the muse can strike. I've had things come to me while I was showering, and sometimes while driving. So if you're struggling to get anything down on paper, sometimes walking away for a bit is the best you can do and come back later.

I also like to have my phone on me at all times with the Note app because I've had snippets come to mind that I thought would be really cool to include in my long fics or for a new oneshot, so having something you can conveniently jot your ideas down before you forget them also helps!! Any little bit counts in the long term, whether it's one word or whatever.

But yeah, fanfiction is plenty of fun, and at times it can be taxing. There may be times you have to write a boring scene for the sake of plot advancement, and other times where you just wanna throw your hands up and scream because you've been staring at a blank page for hours. But it's important to remember about having fun in the end, and taking breaks as needed for yourself. 😊 Writing fanfic has been a really rewarding experience to me, and it's been eye-opening reading stuff back from when I first started writing to now and seeing how I've improved!

[my-deer-friend]

Good luck on your source-finding journey friend! I am so interested in the process of tracking down sources and documents, but I've never done it before. Can you explain your process or do you have any tips?

Hi anon! Thanks for the ask. This is not a research guide, just some pointers I've found useful (as someone trained in other forms of academic research who learned how to work with archives).

First things first – forget google. Google scholar is decent for tracking down secondary academic sources (though hardly comprehensive), but with a few notable exceptions, archive databases that hold primary source materials are not indexed on normal search engines. Instead, you need to spend some time finding the repositories where your sought-after documents are likely to be, and then running your searches inside those.

The one thing google is useful for is to see if someone has already gone to the trouble of formally publishing the documents you're looking for. You'll want to search for things like "papers of...", "correspondence of...", or "writings of...". If you get a result, see if you can find that book on google books, archive.org, or at your local library (definitely don't check on libgen, because downloading a free book would be bad and awful and terrible of you 🤫).

These collected editions are not always reliable (especially older ones, since there was a lot of gratuitous editing going on). So, to be rigorous, you still want to see if you can find the actual, original source.

The easiest starting point for tracking those down is to find a secondary source that has already done most of the work for you. A reliable book or academic article will cite its primary sources, which should include which archive or collection the author found the document in.

If you are immeasurably lucky, you will find that respoitory online, and it will have a fully-digitised collection their holdings, and a reliable, searchable index based on keywords and transcripts. In that case, just type in your search term and enjoy.

(Note: the search functionality on these sites is often very wonky. Always try several versions of your search term, and play around with the filters and boolean operators.)

But those sites are rare. If you're less (but still a little bit) lucky, you'll find an academic institution or research archive that has at least published a document called a finding aid. There should be one for each grouping of documents in their holdings (for example for one historical figure's papers, or for a specific bequest) which gives a summary of the contents and is used for on-site tracking of the physical items (these will have call or accession numbers, location of the documents, etc.). Finding aids vary immensely in quality and level of detail ("miscellaneous other papers" my behated).

If you do indeed find a record for something you want to look at (and it hasn't been digitised), you need to figure out the process for requesting the document. This varies hugely depending on the institution (with differing lead times, querying methods, fees, limitations, and ensuing publication/reproduction rights) and is virtually always explained somewhere on their website. Mostly, they'll ask you to complete a form, or to send an email following a template. Don't expect a quick reply, and don't expect digital copies to be free.

Of course, this all presumes that the instituton that holds your materials 1) has a website and 2) has actually put useful things on it. Sometimes, you just need to enquire. I followed up on a footnote I saw in a hundred-year-old book that gave the location of some letters, found the local town library that was mentioned and emailed them about it. (Yes, they had them, and the librarian I corresponded with was simply delightful and very eager to help.)

Be courteous and clear when you email these folks. They will almost always want to know your name, your contact details, a clear description of what you are looking for (the more detail the better), a summary of your research project, and whether you intend to publish the documents you are requesting – so save a few back-and-forth emails by providing that information upfront. They are very happy to answer requests from independent or hobby researchers, so don't let that hold you back.

The least helpful of all, in my experience, are holders of private collections. They simply don't have any incentive to take time out of their day to help you, and usually aren't trained librarians or archivists so they don't know what they have, or where it is, or how to give you access. (I tear up sometimes when I think of all the documents that are lying in some manor house attic, because someone forgot they were there or thought no one would be interested.) Sometimes they will respond (eventually) to an email query; often it's just a black hole.

I hope that helps! In all frankness, much of this is dull, repetitive work that all-too-frequently leads to dead ends (but it's so good when you succeed). Persistence and patience are key.

[theglitchywriterboi]

Part of me wants to reach out to some old teachers of mine but for one I'm worried none will remember me [like I was one kid out of probably hundreds] & the other thing I have nothing to show for my time. I'm unemployed, not in college [or a graduate of it], unpublished, no music out, etc. It's not that I think they'll judge me for my current place in life, it's more so I want something to show them how far I've come, but I haven't really gone anywhere in my life currently. Maybe I'm over thinking. Like I wanted to wait until I've had at least one book published so at least I can go "I'm an author officially" but I write so so slow so it'll probably be another five years until I'm able to spit something out....

[peaky-shelby]

just re read the lil scenario you wrote bw Taylor and Ky after their last match and it made my heart swooon, I was wondering if by any chance if you got the time could you write out a scenario where she’s sick and still working herself to a point of exhaustion and he takes care of her subtly doing and saying things that shows us how in love with this girl he is.

also I love your work a lil too much if you were to publish any work or direct/screen write any movie I’d watch it without a second thought you are genuinely incredibly talented can’t wait to see the stuff you’ll put out in the future 🤍🤍

first of thank you so so much for reading!! I love you so much!! You're all getting free copies of my first book🫡

_________

Taylor sits on the kitchen of the campus alone, blows her nose on a tissue. One of many around the table.

Clock on her phone says 9pm. She is typing quickly. Her eyes red from the cold she has and the blue light of the screen.

Kylian walks in, takes a quick glance at her but doesn't say anything. She doesn't even acknowledge him.

She sneezes and coughs on one of the tissues while Kylian is pouring water on a glass. He takes the glass and leaves it next to her without saying anything.

He walks back the cupboards looking for something.

She sees the water, unconsciously taking it and drinking some while still typing with one hand.

Kylian lights the kettle, the water brewing.

She turns around finally realizing he is there.

Taylor: i sent you home an hour ago.

Kylian: i had a meeting with Galtier. What about you?

Taylor: if i go home I'll fall asleep. I need to finish.

Kylian : yourself?

Taylor: (groaning) hilarious

Kylian: (smiling) i know.

Taylor turns back at the computer. Continues writing. Her hand reaches for the last tissue on the box.

Kylian notices. He exchanges the empty box with a new one. She doesn't even realize as she reaches for an other tissue.

The kettle stops. Kylian pours most of the water on a cup. Then throws just a little on another. He Takes a chamomile pack and let's it sink on the full cup. The water gaining color slowly.

Taylor: (without turning to face him) can i have a cup too?

Kylian smiles to himself.

Kylian: (acts like he is annoyed) for fucks shakes

Taylor: stop whining.

Kylian picks up the cup and leaves it next to her. He pretends his cup is full as well and begins to sip on the warm water while standing over her.

Kylian: you know the campus has to close. You need to go home.

Taylor: Ney said it closes at midnight.

Kylian rolls his eyes. He bites on his lip.

Kylian : only when the whole team is here or Galtier.

Taylor: (still typing) thought you said you had a meeting

Kylian shuts his eyes, like he said something wrong.

Kylian: yeah but you know he's gone now. I'm going too. They'll lock you inside.

Taylor stops. She looks at him, scared.

Taylor: they'd do that?

Kylian: (lifting his cup to his lips) has happened three times to me.

Taylor: shit!

She closes her laptop. And searches for her bag.

Kylian: drink your cup first. It shouldn't go to waste.

Taylor's lifts it up and drinks it quickly. Kylian smiles behind his cup. She picks all her stuff and goes to leave. She forgets the box with the tissue.

Kylian grabs it for her. Smiling like he just won a match.

________

hint hint hint similar scenarios are coming soon in the actual universe of the story ✨ wrote this very exhausted after 12 of work and a headache so I'm sorry if it sucks.🥺😭

[til-f]

You're not crazy. It is depressing.

It's frusterating-- we've been waiting a long time for a screen adaptation that is true to the PJO books. It's what anybody who's into a great series wants, and it's always been a point of contention. Look at the Lord of the Rings 1978 animated movie (hell, look at the Peter Jackson movies). Look at Dune. His dark materials (aka the Golden compass) series. We're not alone people. Sometimes, I feel like maybe we shouldn't have high expectations for book to screen adaptations.

However, a LOT of great books and series have had AMAZING screen adaptations. You all know the ones. It's absolutely reasonable to want the movie or show to match the book as best it can, especially when they stay true to the original series.

This is our second chance for a better screen adaptation. Our second chance. It's even more frusterating that rick is putting his Stamp of Approval 🤡 on every episode

I think Rick is completely delusional about what his fans want. I think he's delusional about his fanbase itself. I don't think he grasps that a lot of the people watching the show are people who read the books AS CHILDREN, but are NOT children anymore. Rick just recently published COTG. And the intended audience for that book was clearly for somebody who's 10 years old, and not people who have been following the long sets of series for many years, who expect more depth with these characters. We've been anticipating a good screen adaptation for 15 years now.

I think Rick has gone L O O P Y 💀 because it IS weird. It's really fucking weird why he's approved for the show to be so different from the books. All with a dumb smile plastered on his face (sorry rick) . Screen adaptation or not-- if you're going to do it-- then fucking do it true to the books.

I did not expect the show to suck so bad. Nobody did. However, I can't really care that much. And who knows. Maybe they'll get their shit together for season 2 🤣🤣

[1dmonthlyficroundup]

1D Monthly Fic Roundup

Hi, and welcome to the 1D Monthly Fic Roundup for December 2022! Below you’ll find 1D fics that were all published this month in the order they were submitted to the blog. We hope you’ll check out these new fics! If you would like to submit your own fic, please check this post on how to submit or visit our blog @1dmonthlyficroundup​. You can find all our other posts here.

Happy reading!

🔹All I know is I'm in trouble (cause the atmosphere's so cold) by  we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed (T, 8k, Louis/Harry)

While on a holiday with his best mate Zayn, Louis meets Harry, who seems to dislike him from the start. It's just his luck he ends up getting stuck on a ski lift with Harry. Except maybe the universe knows better and he really is lucky.

🔹Here where you should be by @lunarheslwt (G, 19k, Harry/Louis)

“I’m spending Christmas alone.” Harry would never have thought of himself as dramatic, but he could swear he felt his heart lurch at the quiet admission. “Huh?” “Just me, myself and I,” Louis joked, giving a little laugh. “It’s about to be a very….ah, silent night.” And Harry was so distraught at this news, that he didn’t even chuckle at the pun. “Louis,” he said dumbly, voice betraying how upsetting he found the idea. The sparkle in Louis’ eyes dulled further. “Don’t you worry about me, Harry,” Louis soothed, “It’s not that big a deal-” “-Would you like to spend Christmas with me?” And what. the. fuck. Why did he ask that to someone who was essentially a stranger?

Or, when Harry, an anxious alpha, found himself panicking over last minute Christmas shopping, he found comfort in the kind omega shop assistant, Louis. He wasn't meant to invite the omega home for Christmas when he found out that he's spending Christmas alone. He wasn't meant to catch feelings. Hell, he wasn't even meant to be able to go home for the holiday. It was shaping up to be a Christmas full of surprises.

🔹Mistletoe's For Two by crimsontheory / @ireallysawanangel (E, 90k, Louis/Harry)

After an encounter in a coffee shop with the rudest man he's ever met, Louis hopes the city is just big enough that he'll never bump into him again. When he spots that man at a bar the following evening, a plan begins to form. They both need dates for their respective Christmas parties and decide to use each other for their own benefit. They'll help one another through the holidays and then 'break it off' on New Year's, then agree to never see each other again. Developing feelings was not part of the plan.

Or, an enemies to lovers fake dating advent fic.

🔹One for the Books by @neondiamond (M, 25k, Louis/Harry)

When Harry decides to move to London a few weeks before Christmas to pursue his dream and become the new owner of a bookshop after seeing an ad online, everyone he knows tells him he must be out of his mind. As he gets acquainted with his new life and meets a handful of incredible individuals—one of which he happens to grow particularly fond of—he slowly comes to the realisation that it may just be the best decision he's ever made.

Or the one where there’s a bookshop, a cat, OT5 friendship, a budding romance, and all the festive vibes.

🔹when did i first know? i always knew by eynap / @panye (E, 7k, Niall/Shawn Mendes)

Shawn has thought about marrying Niall more times than he can count, but there’s a palpable difference in the way he feels around kids now. It’s gone from an immeasurable amount of love for being Uncle Shawn to Harry and Louis' children, to wanting to experience these moments for himself with his own kids.

He has a feeling that has a lot to do with the way he feels about Niall, too.

Or, it takes Christmas Eve spent with two dads, four uncles, and two children under 6 for Shawn to realize he might want kids of his own. He's nervous Niall won't feel the same way.

🔹The Holes of My Sweater by yourdelicatepov / @harrysmaison (NR, 31k, Louis/Harry)

Harry dusts off the flour from all over his body. His cheeks hurt from how much he laughed. Louis' face is flushed from it, brown hair looking like a nest. Yet Louis' eyes are lit with so much joy, bluer than the oceans, laughter dancing in the little green specks. Harry feels himself get lost in them, Louis looking right back. 'Has Louis always looked this pretty?' He can't help but think.They're snapped out of their trance by the sound of the oven beeping. Harry blinks. Louis is covered from head to toe in flour, looking an absolute mess. Why did Harry think he looked pretty?

Or, Harry is the new teacher, Louis helps him settle in, it's the sweater weather and no one's falling in love with their new, kind and charming best friend. No. One. (includes, harry's cat being 'the mood' all the time, zayn pining for liam, lilo never getting along and niall throwing parties every chance he gets which may or may not willingly trigger these friends to convert into lovers)

🔹find our place by @nouies (NR, 3k, Zayn/Louis)

“Fuck!” Louis says as he hangs up the phone and turns it off. He hopes the call didn’t connect, otherwise he would have to change his number. Again.

🔹make you mine this season by @disgruntledkittenface (M, 28k, Zayn/Harry & Louis/Nick Grimshaw)

After Harry’s Christmas plans fall through, she decides to surprise her best friend Nick in New York. Unfortunately, Nick decided to surprise her in San Francisco at the same time. When they realize what happened, they each resign themselves to staying and spending time in the other’s city. Harry tries to make the best of things, making elaborate plans to distract herself from feeling lonely, while Nick is just looking forward to her first real vacation from her hectic job in years. Neither of them will have the Christmas that they expected, but maybe they’ll each get the one that they need.

🔹Charm Your Pants Off by 4ureyesonly28 / @evilovesyou (G, 2k, Harry/Louis)

When Harry hurt himself in front of all of his coworkers, he thought his Christmas Eve couldn’t get any worse. That was, until he ended up in an actual ambulance.

Perhaps the gentle and ridiculously attractive doctor he meets at the hospital can make his trip (pun absolutely intended) worth it?

🔹Late Night Talking by @kingsofeverything (E, 53k, Louis/Harry)

Louis Tomlinson has a new album coming out and a second world tour on the horizon. Promo season gets underway with a stop at Late Night Talking, the late night show hosted by Harry Styles, and Harry Styles just happens to be the man who blew a chance to date Louis a decade ago.

🔹A Very Darling Christmas by @aquamarinedaffodil (M, 133k, Harry/Louis)

It’s Harry’s first holiday season since he opened the little bakery at Astor Square and according to his best friend Zayn, he is hopelessly unprepared. With the start of the local Christmas market right around the corner and an already hectic schedule, Harry really can’t afford to get distracted.

Then again, neither can Louis, who is in the middle of directing rehearsals for a winter musical with his drama class and promised his colleague Niall that he’d focus all of his energy on the musical.

But you know what they say: promises are like pie crusts — made to be broken.

🔹The Hour of Us by sitandadmire / @louistomlionson (M, 5k, Niall/Harry/Louis)

Harry loves her quiet life with her two partners, Niall and Louis. But one day, her magic starts acting up. Will Harry be able to figure out what's happening, how to fix it, and soon?

Or: the modern witches AU where Niall collects spell books, Harry is fascinated by plants, and Louis is ready to protect them at all costs.

🔹The Streetlights Are All Saying Your Name by LiveLaughLoveLarry / @loveislarryislove (M, 4k, Niall/Shawn Mendes)

The roar of the crowd is still thrumming in his bones as Shawn steps off the stage, feeling like he’s riding on a cloud of music and marijuana smoke. As he descends the stairs, he sees Niall, hands in his pockets, smiling as bright as the stage lights. “You were amazing,” Niall tells him, pulling him into a tight hug. “Fucking killed it, as always.”Shawn squirms in his arms. “I’m all sweaty and gross.”“Don’t care.” Niall rubs his cheek against Shawn’s. “Smells like you. Plus it gives me an excuse to join you in the shower when we get back to the hotel.”Shawn laughs. “You know you don’t need an excuse,” he says. “Open invitation, any time.”

Or, Niall comes to visit Shawn at the Jingle Ball performances, and afterwards they spend some time in their hotel room together, reminiscing on old holiday memories and making new ones together.

🔹they say looks can kill (and i might try) by LiveLaughLoveLarry / @loveislarryislove (M, 18k, Louis/Harry)

There is little Louis loves more than the look on a would-be criminal’s face when he falls from the sky. They never see it coming – which seems ridiculous, since they live in a city with dozens of superheroes. But then again, most of those “heroes” are CowellCorp’s pet monkeys, and CowellCorp isn’t all that concerned with helping ordinary folks.

Louis is, though. So when he looks into an alley and spots a man gripping a woman’s arm hard enough to bruise, he does the logical thing: he fires an arrow that neatly peels the man’s hat off his head and pins it to the wall behind him.

Isn’t that what anyone would do?

Once, Louis walked the streets as Ranger, a proud member of the CowellCorp Crusaders. With their training and tech, he thought he'd be able to fight evil and protect those in need.

Then he realized the evil people needed protecting from was the very company that had built him into a "hero" in the first place.

Now he walks those same streets as Rogue, a vigilante who makes his own justice - and he's making damn sure that justice is coming for CowellCorp too.

🔹I Keep Looking For Magic by @lululawrence (NR, 36k, Louis/Harry)

Harry loves Christmas, but this year is special. After ten years of boyfriends all failing to ever meet Harry's family, Harry has a fiance to introduce and things are looking like they will be perfect.

Until they break up.

Harry cannot go home alone when he had promised to bring a significant other again. This leaves him with little choice but to find someone to pretend they are his fiance.

Surely nothing could go wrong with this plan.

🔹Silver-White Winters by @lululawrence (NR, 9k, OT5)

Liam Payne had learned many things as a bartender. He'd learned when people needed to talk, or when they needed a gentle smile. He now knew when they wanted advice or someone to just agree with them. He also had come to recognize when someone was past the limit and needed to be told no.

But when it came to holidays, Liam had learned that when people came into the Neighborhood Pub alone on Christmas Eve, it was for a reason.

Niall, Zayn, Harry, and Louis all definitely have their own reasons for showing up at Liam's bar alone on Christmas Eve. With the help of a surprise winter storm, none of them will have a reason to be alone for long.

🔹love drunk, waiting on a miracle by @hellolovers13 (E, 30k, Louis/Harry)

Christmas inspired Coffeshop AU

Harry has a bit of a crush on a customer. Thankfully, the feeling is mutual.

These are their first 24 days together.

🔹Treat You Like A Gentleman by @justanothershadeofblue (E, 12k, Harry/Louis)

5 times that Harry Styles was unsatisfied by his dates, and one time Louis Tomlinson helped him find what he had been missing.

🔹no amount of words by @justanothershadeofblue (M, 7k, Louis/Harry)

a series of canon-complaint angsty vignettes that follow Harry and Louis through the years

Tears

🔹Just You and I (a starry sky) by @justanothershadeofblue (E, 7k, Harry/Louis)

"getting accidentally pregnant by his childhood best friend-with-benefits" was definitely not on Harry Styles' holiday to-do list - but apparently it's what has happened, so now he has to figure out how to tell Louis without ruining Louis' birthday, their family holiday, oh, and literally everything else about their lives. Oops?

🔹California stars by @justanothershadeofblue (M, 27k, Louis/Harry)

A month in the life (and diary) of one Harry Edward Styles, miner-become-farmer in the brand new state of California, and his hired hand, one Louis Tomlinson. AKA Harry goes to San Francisco for supplies, but ends up with more than he bargained for.

An Advent Calendar fic.

🔹the prettiest customer (and the cutest barista) by fearsparks / @onlythebravest (G, 1k, Louis/Harry)

“So there’s this guy,” Harry repeated. “And I really like him.”

“Is he cute?”

“The cutest,” Harry said with a bright smile, turning around to face Louis. His cheeks felt warm, but he ignored it, pushed past it. “Prettiest boy I’ve ever seen.”

“Ooh, tell me more.” Louis rested his head in his hand.

(Louis is the pretty customer that comes in and orders hot chocolate while Harry is the cute barista that takes his order.)

🔹party behaviour by fearsparks / @onlythebravest (T, 1k, Harry/Louis)

“Harry darling, get me a beer.”

Without looking at him, Harry flipped Louis off, causing Louis’ group of friends to laugh and ooh some more.

“Why’s he doing that?” Anya asked.

Harry lifted one shoulder in half a shrug as he said, “He’s just trying to show off to his friends. No big deal.”

(Harry and Louis are at a party, where their behaviours aren't exactly the best.)

🔹If you ever feel alone (Don't) by @beardyboyzx (G, 9k, Louis/Harry)

Louis is too busy worrying about helping his mum and paying the bills to let himself enjoy his teenage years and hang out with his friends. Enter Harry, who will help him reconcile with his friend and understand the difference between feeling lonely and being alone.

🔹Softer, Softest by @berzerkshires , @littleroverlouis (E, 1k, Louis/Harry)

A lazy Sunday afternoon of Harry appreciating the softness of Lou's body.

🔹Perfume Purgatory by @littleroverlouis (T, 4k, Louis/Harry)

Louis is enduring the purgatory of selling perfume as a seasonal employee at the department store where her girlfriend, Harry, is employed.

She still hates the mall but needs the extra cash to purchase Harry a special gift.

🔹Snow Squalls & Kitty Paws by @littleroverlouis (G, 8k, Harry/louis)

Louis and Zayn own The Future is Meow, a bookstore-slash-cat café, and are spreading the holiday cheer to their customers this Christmas Eve. A few morning snow flakes turn into a full-blown blizzard and before they know it, the safest place for them and their employees to spend the night is the bookstore.

Shop regular and object of Louis' affections, Harry, is also snowed in with them— as is another man who Harry seems more than friendly with.

Will it be a Christmas miracle if Louis survives the snow squalls, a seemingly unrequited crush, and a curmudgeonly tortoiseshell cat?

🔹we were lucky once, I could be lucky again by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed (M, 4k, Louis/Liam)

It all started with a big battle. One of those big end of the world battles where Louis feels so incredibly powerless, where he knows he won’t be able to do anything but stand on the sidelines and wait for Liam to come back. Not to downplay his own abilities, which in some circles are considered formidable, but when it comes to true danger – well, there is only one Slayer.

The Slayer.

Into every generation and all that, Louis knows it, but that doesn’t mean that he has to like it when Liam puts himself in danger every night. It’s bad enough when it’s just your run of the mill vampire, it’s different when words like apocalypse and end of the world get thrown around. Liam takes it in stride, as he always does, jokes about how they need to come up with a plural form of apocalypse because they’ve lived through more than one in their time on the Hellmouth, but there’s always this tightness in Louis’ chest when he watches Liam head out to another battle, unsure whether or not he’s going to come back.

Unsure if this will be the last time he’ll see him and he’ll have to live with his regrets for years to come. With the thoughts of what could have happened.

🔹Ho Ho Hopefully by safetyfilm / @larrieblr (T, 5k, Louis/Harry)

Attached to the gift, just under the bow, was a paper tag, and Harry wished desperately that he could write his own name there. ‘To Louis, from Harry.’ What a dream that would be. He’d grown fond of Louis over the time that he’d been watching him, wishing that he could be part of Louis’ life, of his world, regardless of the fact that the only thing Harry had ever known was working for Father Christmas—or Nicholas, as he’d preferred to be called. The one where Harry is an elf in Santa’s workshop, and Louis is one of the humans he’s been assigned to.

🔹It's All Come and Go by @haztobegood (E, 2k, Louis/Orville Peck)

“Truck stops are like the original Grindr.” - Orville Peck, Coachella 2022

🔹Change of Plans by @haztobegood (G, 2k, Louis/Harry)

Harry and Louis plan to visit their families over Christmas. Sometimes, plans don't work out.

🔹Stole My Heart by @haztobegood (NR, 2k, Louis/Harry)

“Oh my god, Niall.” The door slams shut as Harry rushes into the flat. He’s still panting from his rush to get away from the scene of his crime. “You won’t believe what just happened!”

Niall is sitting on the couch in their tiny living room. He looks up from his laptop. “What happened?”

“The worst thing. I’ll never recover. I just reached into a box of free samples outside that new chicken restaurant. Only it wasn’t free samples. It was a man. Holding a box of chicken nuggets. His chicken nuggets. I stole this man’s food, Niall!”

🔹St. Elena by @allwaswell16 (NR, 1k, Louis/Harry)

When Harry’s illness worsened, the crew of the Ace of Spades sailed to the island home of Captain Grim.

An Ace of Spades timestamp from Zayn’s point of view

🔹If The Fates Allow by zita17 / @louisandtheaquarian (M, 25k, Louis/Harry)

A serendipitous meeting led former boy bander and current pop star Harry Styles to fall in love with a boy named Louis nine Christmases ago. Six Christmases ago, that boy left him to raise a baby that wasn’t Harry’s. And, well, Harry never quite got over that. But this year, he gets a second chance at first love.

A love letter to second chances, unconventional families, and Christmas in New York. Loosely inspired by James Arthur’s Emily and Dickens' A Christmas Carol featuring Liam, Niall, and Zayn as the ad hoc ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. The ingredients for this Christmas treat include a wallop of a blizzard, a pinch of angst, a dollop of fluff, several cups of clichés, and The Rockefeller Center skating rink as a supporting character.

Title is from Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. (Frank Sinatra or Judy Garland version, reader's choice!)

-Fic Fest-

🔹Louis Rare Pair Fest / @louisrarepairfest (Masterpost)

[kineticpenguin]

My mom watches a lot of MSNBC, and I can't help but notice it's heavy on Trump coverage. Well, the word "coverage" is doing some heavy lifting there: there isn't a whole lot of Trump news, so a lot of it is just having talking heads on to discuss and speculate on all things Trump, up to and including how bad it'd be if he got re-elected.

I get why liberals, especially boomer libs, tend to be all "vote blue no matter who." They're terrified of Trump and bingeing MSNBC is their version of doomscrolling. People talk about January 6th but Trump has been these people's bogeyman since November 8th 2016, oozing right past norms like an orange T-1000.

"Wait, he can just do that?"

But I honestly think the best case scenario for the Democrats would be Trump getting the nomination. He doesn't have Bannon to do his campaign strategizing for him, and his ability to campaign much at all might be curtailed by however his court battles shake out. Anyone who's ever worked for him with a shred of competence has either gone to jail as a result, had a complete falling out with him, and/or has published tell-all books about their time under him. His cult following is weird and loyal, but it's worth remembering that the dude has never won the popular vote, and he doesn't have the sort of strategists around who know where and how to game the election to finagle him an electoral college win like he did in 2016.

The second-best thing to a Trump nomination that could happen to the Biden campaign would be Biden finally going into the light, letting Harris coast in on the sympathy vote. I'd be more concerned about the B team.

Everyone likes to joke about the current band of losers in the Republican debates, "vying for which one of them won't be President." But just as none of them seem able to wrestle the Republican base out of Trump's grasp, none of them scare the normal people the way Trump does. Biden squandering political capital to be Bibi's Best Buddy would cost him a lot more against these guys. Scared voters "vote blue no matter who." Disgruntled and apathetic voters stay home.

The Lincoln Project/NeverTrumper types would happily go for a "normal" Republican like Christie. Their issues with Trump (and Trump wannabes like Desantis and Ramaswamy) are all about style, not substance. They'll happily back any Heritage Foundation stooge that knows how to act. This also means people with administration experience, subject matter expertise, y'know, competence, will go back to working to put these guys in office.

Also, frankly, Trump is a 77 year old man with a hot dog addiction. There's a nonzero chance he could just kick the bucket, forcing his legion of dipshits to settle down and fall in line behind just about any of these guys.

[lakecountylibrary]

Hi hi! I'm getting so tired of people trying to make arguments against libraries saying that by using a library you're failing to support the authors (monetarily). Like... do they think libraries are just stealing all these books without paying for them?? Any suggestions on how to set the record straight for these confused booklovers?

You betcha!

Point the First: As you rightly point out, libraries purchase these books that we are lending out.

What's more, we purchase them for more than what you pay when you purchase them from the retailer of your choice (especially if that retailer is Amazon.) We pay extra for library binding and then when the books fall apart after too much use, we pay again to buy replacement copies. And don't even get me started on the extortionate highway robbery er, *rather high* prices libraries pay for ebooks and e-audiobooks we lend out.

Point the Second: Well, maybe I'm biased. I'm a library after all. Let's ask the authors whose pockets we're supposedly picking.

Here's over 1000 authors who signed a petition supporting libraries when publishers and trade associations, in an attempt to defend their behavior toward libraries, tried to make a very similar argument to the one you mentioned.

(And, I know he doesn't have any social media and doesn't speak for all authors, but sometimes a specific example is better than a mob of over 1000: @neil-gaiman has long been vocal about his support of libraries. Here he is in The Guardian, far more eloquent than I have thus far been, on why libraries are deserving of your support as well.)

Point the Third: Libraries serve as points of discovery.

Maybe you don't want to take a risk on a new author. You can pick up the book at your library, discover you love it, and buy the entire rest of the 19-book series, and tell all your friends and your book club to read it, too. That supports an author far more than if you never read the book in the first place because you didn't want to pay for something you might hate.

(But LCPL, you say, I could just pirate it and eliminate the risk that way! Oh straw man, I say, did you not read point #1 in this excessively long response?)

(But LCPL, you moan, You don't have every book I want to read! Oh straw man, get thee to the purchase request page. If a library doesn't have the book, they'll have a way to get it. We here at LCPL can fill requests ~99% of the time, and that certainly puts more money in the pocket of an author than pirating the book.)

Anyhow. This answer has gone on quite long enough, and I thank you for reading this far. Here's the tl;dr: If you can buy a book and want to do so, fantastic! Do it! But don't feel guilty about using your library.

[no-white-dress]

Halestorm's Brightside is an extremely Darius Deamonne song, in this essay I will...

"Scared to death

Terrified

This is it

Welcome to your best life"

Darius is a character with an apparenty cold facade that hides so much on the inside, and it goes way deeper than it seems.

On the outside he seems to have it all. He's popular enough to have books published, he's a covenhead, the best in his field, he is in this privileged position next to Belos, and yet...

And yet he's scared and numb because he knows how he got there, he knows the price his position came with. And maybe he isn't sure it was worth the price anymore.

He has to act like he's happy with what he has in order to protect himself. We know the covenheads try to discredit each other all the time, so he can't show weaknesses such as sadness or resentment, let alone criticism towards the system or the Emperor.

"Breathe it in

Spit it out

Happy face

But I'm numb now

On the edge

Of alive

Sick of being

Sad on the inside

It's okay

I'm used to it

This is just the way it is"

But he chose that for himself, so now he has to play the part. That’s how it is, so he better go with it no matter how much it makes him sick.

Darius feels like a person who appreciates when people are as straightforward with him as he is, imagine how it feels to be stuck with people who constantly try to take advantage of others and go behind their backs.

"But I keep looking

On the bright side of life

'Cause it only gets darker

We all need something to keep believing

So I keep looking

On the bright side of life

'Cause it only gets harder

We all need something to keep us feeling

'Cause it only gets darker"

I strongly believe that, especially after the death of the previous Golden Guard, Darius did everything he could to look away from his own feelings and the issues he saw around him. He looks at the brightside, he focuses on himself, his image, his reputation, because that's the only thing that cannot be used against him if he polishes it enough.

I also believe him to be a person who suffers loneliness a lot, so the effort of shutting out everything else consumes him and makes him more bitter than he would be otherwise. His circle gets smaller and smaller until it's just him and Eberwolf. The previous Golden Guard is long gone, and all he sees in Hunter is a devote lap dog that reminds him of his loss.

"Fake a smile

And self-destruct

Count it down

Four, three, two, one "

But there comes a breaking point, and that is the Day of Unity. Something is wrong, he knows it, and he itches to find out just what that is.

"I'm over it

All the bullshit

And this fucked up world

I'm living in

Where everything

I'm choking on

Is supposed to help

And keep me hanging on"

When he finds out, oh, the urgency to find a solution is the only thing that keeps him from spiraling down. He worked for this to happen, not knowing what everything he did would lead to. And now it feels unstoppable, this promised paradise ready to destroy him. He reaches out to Raine, who he's been avoiding for years like all his old friends, and we know how that goes.

"Yeah, ain't it fun

So enjoy the ride

'Cause life's a bitch and then you die "

Entering Belos' mind is a desperate attempt, but hey, if he doesn't try he'll just die later, right? At least that keeps him busy, at least he's trying, maybe they'll find some info that gives them a chance.

"So I keep looking

On the bright side of life

'Cause it only gets darker

We all need something to keep believing

So I keep looking

On the bright side of life

'Cause it only gets harder

We all need something to keep us feeling

'Cause it only gets darker

'Cause it only gets darker

Scared to death

Freaking out

Remembering

This is what it's all about

That love kills

That love dies"

He pushed everyone away because he was afraid any sign of affection would be used against him and would put in danger his loved ones, like it happened with the previous Golden Guard. And what happened with Hunter after he showed the tiniest amount of interest in him? He got trapped in the Emperor's mind. Darius was involved and, while not directly responsible, he surely blames himself for that. He then tries to keep Hunter away from danger, and from himself too. He leaves him at Hexside, he sends him with Luz, he wants him to be safe, and safety isn't anywhere near Darius.

"But don't sweat it

Maybe in the next life

You'll be perfect

You'll be flawless

You'll be careless

With no problems

So this is it

Ain't it cool

It's everything you wanted but (nobody likes you)"

Do I even need to add anything? I'm just gonna repeat myself. He has everything people dream of but he still feels empty, unfulfilled, because he had to make himself unapproachable in order to preserve himself.

"So just keep looking

On the bright side of life

'Cause it only gets darker

We all need something to keep believing

So just keep looking

On the bright side of life

'Cause it only gets harder

We all need something to keep us feeling

'Cause it only gets darker

[...]

This is it

This is it

This is it ('cause it only gets darker)

'Cause it only gets darker"

Darius is resigned to this. He doesn't actively seek out connections anymore. They happen to him. In O Titan Where Art Thou he looks more relaxed, more at ease, and I think that’s because his mind snapped back to his Hexside days. Most of the people around him are his old friend group, so he goes back to how he used to be around them. The physical closeness he has with Raine is only comparable to that with Eberwolf, and even then, Darius isn't as annoyed as he is with Eberwolf in Eda's Requiem, because he isn't as tense. The few hours he spends with them affect him so deeply that he drops everything the moment he sees them in danger, he isn't willing to sacrifice any of them, any of his sincere connections anymore, even if it's hopeless. Maybe some part of him hopes they'll survive the spell, maybe he can't stand the thought of directly causing the death of his friends and prefers to go down with them and everyone else.