#that's ZS writing for you though

[demonzoro]

10 Questions for Writers

tagged by @incalamity, THANK YOU <3 ignore that this is a billion years late, my love

How many works do you have on AO3? 9! though one of them is discontinued/on hiatus.

What's your total AO3 word count? ao3 is down rn lol i guess we'll never know.

What fandoms do you write for? one piece & jjk! though i have wips for bleach, dc, and castlevania.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? always, always! i always appreciate the effort people put into articulating why they enjoyed the fic, or that they enjoyed it at all. i'm always hungry for validation/feedback.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? uhh not to my knowledge!

Have you ever co-written a fic before? no, not sure if i could do it

What's your all-time favourite ship? that's so difficult... to write, probably zs - i'm very picky with how they're portrayed, so i find them a fun challenge! to read, probably superb4t (dc) or n4pollya (tmfu).

What are your writing strengths? not quite sure! descriptive narration, i think? when i don't get too carried away with stuffing in random headcanons/tone shifts at inopportune moments.

What are your writing weaknesses? keeping focus of what the scene is suppose to achieve :') i'm not a great planner when it comes to writing, so i often ramble or jump around in tenses/tones, get carried away by a turn of phrase or train of thought.

First fandom you wrote for? quite possibly harry potter? hmm.

tagging: @slydiddledeedee @post-and-out @theroyalsavage @phantomofthehoepera @avspol @wellfine aaand anyone who sees this and wants to do this!

[spindrifters]

Umm, unpopular opinion but I feel like the ATYD fic really ruined the perception and canon traits of MWPP&Co. Especially amongst the Gen Zs who think reading a used HP book will make them seem like they're supporting the terf compared to reading a queer fanfic is neutral ground. 😶

okay real talk, though? it's nothing to do with atyd itself as a work of art. I really enjoyed the fic! however! something really interesting happened here. which is........

*drumroll* *elevator music* *dun dun dun*

the covid pandemic.

and specifically the way it coincided with the advent of tiktok.

people were looking for community, and they couldn't find it physically because they were on lockdown, so they found it online instead. which is, I posit, the reason atyd went viral in the first place. source: idk I've been on the internet for a while. but that fic finished posting TWO YEARS before it went viral. I think @broomsticks might have the stats for us. if not, sorry bout the tag, I'm on glass of wine #3. so people found community -- in the foraging niche, in the sourdough breadmaking niche, in the fanfiction niche. first with dracotok, then marauderstok, and I'm fairly sure atyd being the fic was nothing more than luck of the draw. tiktok introduced a whole new group of people to fandom, in a way that had never happened before. a way that was.........

*gasp*

mainstream.

suddenly reading and writing fanfiction isn't the dark secret you keep from your friends and loved ones, it's something you gush about on tiktok with your full government face. (which is lovely, by the way, just new.) (and not only a gen z phenomenon, for the record, though largely centered on them due to tiktok's demographics.) and for many people, their first introduction to marauders fanfiction was atyd. so what had been just one interpretation out of hundreds of thousands, if not millions of fics, becomes the focalized point off which this new swath of fandom is basing their perception.

so. I kind of agree. but I'd blame covid/tiktok rather than the fic or author itself.

[meoproject]

Yeah. Well. Val knows Beriith is tall compared to her, but she lacked context as to how tall Beriith is compared other members of his race. And. Hm. Yeah. Beriith is tall, even compared to his own kind. Not, like, unnaturally so? but tall enough for other goets to note it as a significant feature of his.

I also never draw Val's and Beriith's actual height difference unless it's a full body picture :') she's just lunking around several Scully boxes so she can fit in the frame better.

(the map also isn't a representation of any region in the story/world, i haven't made any maps for the world so i had to whip up something map-like for this piece.)

(also Goet language isnt like. a real conlang and not even a real cipher, its just nonsense, i should redo the font too.)

BONUS!

One significant Beriith feature that I can't really convey well is that he speaks with a noticeable accent. I've thought about phonetic accents a lot (thanks to another of my projects which has a character with severe speech impediment of not having lips) and since the balance of fun and annoying is quite delicate, I don't really write them out unless I really have to, and even then I'd downplay it. Beriith's accent isn't meant to be to thick anyway.

More accent talk under cut for those interested.

If we take "middle common" (the language Val and Beriith speak with each other) to be non-diegetic "English", Beriith has, in comparison, fairly flat intonation, and he trills his Rs and has some trouble with "ng" sounds and Ws, which he generally pronounces more like Vs. He also pronounces "th" sounds leaning towards Zs, which sorta runs into the slight logic bomb of "wait, doesn't his name end in 'th', but the watsonian explanation is, of course, that transliteration of his name from Goet to middle common isn't perfect and the h just implies a sightly softened t sound :) (the doylist explanation is, of course, that I decided the name before figuring out how accents work, but if you explain it away, it's not a mistake, just worldbuilding!)

As mentioned before, Beriith's accent isn't thick or anything, definitely not Hollywood-thick, but everyone who hears him speak either knows where he's from or wants to guess where he's from (though you can know but looking at him, Goets are distinct enough, but you know what I mean.)

Val, by the way, speaks the most generic middle common imaginable, like only a step or two below news casters; that's by design (of her parents). They sent her (and her siblings) to a school that specifically taught middle-common without any strong regional accents to give her the most easily-understood accent imaginable. Her family are big into business, mostly in export/import, so her parents figured out having children with neutral, easy to understand, "trustworthy" way of speaking would be the best. Yes, this means Val's parents have a completely different accent than she does, and Val speaks their variation of Elvish with a middle common accent. It does cause some bitterness, Val is kinda... not okay with it, but since her studies are all in middle common anyway it's kinda... whatever, not good but could be worse, but her younger sister is especially upset with not really knowing Elvish that well.

Val is fluent in three languages, middle common, high common (it's occasionally used as a language of magic studies, it's kind of an older version of middle common, or rather a version that has more in common with the older version of the language and branched out a bit differently) and Elvish. Beriith is fluent in like five languages and conversational in several more and "can sort of understand" in many more.

(this wasnt the vignette i was talking about earlier but i needed to get this out of my system.)

[destinyc1020]

The thing is that the Challengers script was sitting on a shelf gathering dust because nobody had expressed any interest in optioning it. It even made the "Black List" of the best scripts that had not been optioned by any producer. So the movie was only made because Amy Pascal offered it to Z. Just like M&M was only made because Z asked Sam to write something for her. Zs character is black but the script doesn't really dwell on it. A change made from the original script is that the movie actually shows Tashi's parents and shows that Tashi's mom is the babysitter for Tashi and Art's daughter. Z mentioned that she didn't think that Tashi would trust a stranger with her daughter and that she's really close to her parents. She also mentions that her ruthless competitive spirit comes from not coming from wealth unlike Patrick and Art and that she can understand the pressure that Tashi is under due to her own background and the pressure to be perfect and not fuck up

Z has talked about how she was supposed to work on a project with Nia DaCosta but the project fell apart at the last minute. Many of us think this was A White Lie. The director of Space Jam 2 is black and Z was brought on the project at a late stage by Ryan Coogler because he wanted more star power to help sell the movie. The problem that Z faces playing the protagonist in a predominantly black cast is the the director may be accused of being colorist. Jordan Peele who like Z has a white mom and black dad, has talked about hiring dark skinned black actors in leading roles in his projects because they rarely get these opportunities in Hollywood. So I see her leading a predominantly black ensemble only if she plays a real person like Ronnie Spector. I think that sometimes fans don't realize that Z has not really worked in a lot of projects, and given her recent statements, her output may further slow down. It's not easy to get these multimillion $ projects made

Thanks Anon. 😊 I agree with some of your sentiments.

My thing though is, why does it have to be either/or?

Do people forget that big-name actors can be in ensemble films? Z was just in a huge ensemble film ("Dune: Part 2"). She doesn't always have to be the "lead". 🤷🏾‍♀️

In fact, "Challengers" is her first lead role. But she could be a co-lead in a film with a predom. Black cast. A darker actress could be the main lead, and Z could be a co-lead. 🤷🏾‍♀️

I think some ppl forget that big actors don't ALWAYS have to be the main lead in a film. In fact, I think it's actually smart to switch it up every now and then tbh. 👀

There's nothing wrong with doing ensemble films, or taking a smaller role simply because you want to work with a certain director or a certain phenomenal cast, even though you might not be first-billed.

It's also a LOT less pressure on your shoulders as an actor if the film tanks or doesn't do as well as hoped. 👀

[blue-howlite]

Being their significant other headcanons, Forgotten Hill edition

Featuring Ethan McMillan and Nathan McMillan.

Warnings: literally these two are a warning of its own. If you know the game then you don't need any more warnings, you know what you're getting into. Some gore-ish stuff but it's on the average Forgotten Hill gore-ish level.

Yn = Your name

Ethan

If you're Ethan's lover, you'll have to get used to seeing his experiments. You don't have to like them, but if you could show some curiosity...

He has a hard time balancing his work at the clinic and his private life with you. He'll often overwork himself and you'll have to drag him out of the hospital so that he can rest.

He loves physical contact. He basically melts whenever you hug him or hold his face.

However if you hold his hands... well, it's complicated. His hands are what he uses to operate, to block them is telling him to not use them. So he might instinctively pull away when you hold his hand while he is still on working hours. Holding his arm is fine though.

His love language? Quality time together dear. Doesn't matter if it's home or the clinic, he's happy as long as he gets to spend time with you and he appreciates when you come looking for him because he has to come home from work, even if he won't admit it.

...also he created a creature just for keeping you safe. Forgotten Hill is a strange place and he knows it, so you'll have a "pet" with rather long claws and teeth to protect you whenever you go.

Which usually is to and from the clinic because of your workaholic of a husband that you have to drag home.

And about husband.

You two got married. Doesn't matter if you're someone from Forgotten Hill that he knows since he was a kid of you're from somewhere else, even sometime else. He's putting a ring on that finger in a few years max, he's traditional like that.

He always wears his ring of course. Now the thing is, he almost lost it once while operating on a patient, so... he just implanted it over his heart. You can see the ring's outline on his chest. Romantic, isn't he?

He doesn't use many pet names. "My love" now and then, maybe "My beloved". If you want to use some more original pet names for him you can, but you'll get a lot of side eyes from him.

The urge to call this man "kitty" what is wrong with me.

He likes sleeping with you- get back horny disgraces. I'm taking about catching the Zs.

He usually prefers to sleep each on your own side of the bed- but maybe hold something of him, like his hand or his arm.

But if you want to sleep while holding him or being held by him, go ahead, he'll comply.

He's just that much in love with you to enjoy things that he wouldn't usually like.

Nathan

If you're Nathan's lover, get ready to help him stringing the puppets he creates. He'll fully teach you how to do it so you can do it together!

He doesn't feel like the Puppet Theatre is a job, rather, it's his hobby. So he's usually pretty good at balancing work and personal life.

Except when he hyper focuses on a new play. He doesn't really realise he's doing it, but he might spend more time in the theatre than with you. He'll make it up to you once things is over though.

He likes to hold and touch you. You can do the same to him, but he prefers it when he's the one initiating. Just one of his quirks I guess.

His love language is physical affection. He just likes to touch you. He'll be stitching a puppet while laying his head on your shoulder, or writing a script with a hand and caressing your hand with the other.

He doesn't like you going around Forgotten Hill alone, usually if you have to go somewhere he'll be with you, especially at night.

He's a bit unconventional, he doesn't feel the need to marry you. However, he will get you matching rings to point out your relationship.

He likes calling you by your name, but he also likes to call you "My love" and, well... pretty much anything with "my" in front of it. If you do that too... yeah he's not letting you go.

And about letting go.

He's holding you whenever you sleep together. Doesn't matter what, he is holding you. He won't close his eyes until you're asleep into his arms.

If you go out on your own he'll wait for you to come back. If you're late he'll start to get anxious and might come out to look for you.

He just doesn't want to lose someone he loves so much so don't you ever leave him.

@choco435

[hantenguclonesimp-minuszoha]

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑.

Note: This is for every adult user who chooses to consume my content.

Let's skip straight to the point. Master Chef Rose is a minor. Scary!!‼️‼️😱😱😱😱

Alright, seriously though, Rose is a minor.

———

How old?

None of your business, really. However, take into consideration that everything you read and interact with is written by a minor. I'm not trying scare you away or anything or even say that you shouldn't interact with me at all, in fact, please do interact because apparently Tumblr is a place where people don't like to do much and it can make you feel as if it ain't good enough. I quite frankly do not give a rat's ass about discussing NSFW that revolve FICTIONAL CHARACTERS, I'm just warning you.

Let's get into more detail, shall we? (If you're interested)

OP has been writing NSFW for 2+ years – that's what the Internet does to you, snowflakes – and does not intend on stopping. I'm not new to writing fanfiction, I've got the whole gist. I am not telling you to stay off of my page, this is only a warning. You can do whatever you want here – just don't be an ass. Don't be shy to request, Idk who you are or if you're even an adult but usually such things scare the millennials and old Zs off.

There is, however, one thing I would like to ask of you.

Should you choose to follow me on my other socials, I politely ask you not to message me at all (pretty easy, really). Some past events have made me very skeptical of people, so please respect that. This is for your safety and mine which should be pretty obvious. So, my Discord is off limits. I make exceptions for those of 20 and down since the gap isn't too huge, but anyone above the age of twenty is a no-go, at least when it comes to more private interactions such as DM on other socials (goofy convos are exceptions). We can interact in the comment section and reblogs, but that's as far as things will go. Pretty easy to understand, right? Nice!

Anyways, enjoy your stay and happy reading!

[ozym4ndi4s]

List of Bullet Train handwriting headcanons I came up with earlier today because I'm a fucking nerd

I like graphology

Ladybug

Small-ish middle zones

Lower i dots

Writes perfectly on the societal line on notebook paper

Writes slower

Slightly illegible

Medium pressure

Distance between words are normal, distance between letters are closer

Tangerine

This man writes in fucking cursive there's no changing my mind

The most illegible of everyone except Yuichi

Medium-light pressure (yes I'm basing this off of how he said that tangerines are adaptable shush)

He writes so fast he would get done with writing essays in 20 minutes max

Sharper letters

Letters are slightly farther apart than Ladybug's, same distance between words though

Lemon

Medium-heavy pressure

Struggled with learning how to write when younger

He writes in all caps, no excuses

Sharper letters

Crosses his Zs

Letters are closer, words spread apart a bit

Prince

Look up every red flag you can find in graphology that could signal psychopath, sadist, or just not right, this bitch has got it

Disregards. The. Societal. Lines

Screams "menace to society" but not in a good way

Yuichi

The lowest of low t bars

Convex curve

It takes five minutes to read one fucking sentence his handwriting is too fucking messy

Medium pressure

Words are WAY far apart, and letters are WAY too close

Literally everything that screams low self esteem

If you have any suggestions, or anything you don't agree with, please let me know!!

[dreams-and-drabbles]

Hi, it's me again! You probably already know what my request is <3 Will you write me more romantic headcannons with Take on various topics?? (though nsfw, though just romance, it doesn't matter) Only more. Thank you in advance

Welcome back!!! It’s great to see you again!!! I’d be happy to fulfill your request, Anon !!!

SNUGGLES W/ TAKEMIKAZUCHI (…)

When in the comfort of your home, he’s absolutely a snuggle bug. He’s prone to randomly laying his head on your shoulder, or surprising you with a hug from behind—

He’s more reserved in public, of course, but he is absolutely going to hold your hand. Should you be too tired to walk, well, it’s absolutely no one else’s business if he carried you home…

He has a hidden soft spot for you doing his hair, and while he may ‘complain’, the moment you stop running your hands through it— Well, he didn’t really mean for you to stop. He’s actually rather fond of the action. It’s really just a matter of pride that keeps him from admitting as much.

He likes reading to you in the evenings, and takes great pleasure in helping you fall asleep, in this way— He doesn’t mind in the slightest having you snuggle up against him to catch some Zs. In fact, he may be prone to falling asleep himself, curled up against you…

He is incredibly ticklish. This is something you discovered by mistake, when you playfully squeezed between his ribs and he shrieked. Yes, shrieked— The sound surprised him as much as it did you, and the both of you promised to never mention that again.

INTRODUCING TAKEMIKAZUCHI AS YOUR S/O (…) | TAKEMIKAZUCHI INTRODUCING YOU AS HIS S/O (…)

Surprisingly, he makes a good, if not lasting impression. He takes a lot of pride in your relationship, and is incredibly doting towards you both at home, and in the presence of others. He’s perfectly polite but makes it clear that you’re taken— To strangers, the two of you may seem like newlyweds, with how close the two of you often are.

Your friends either absolutely love him or hate his guts— There’s really no in between, and you’re quite thankful they don’t know his true identity, as they’d probably never recover from the shock… Takemikazuchi, to his credit, is an incredibly skilled actor. He fills the role of playful and doting boyfriend quite well, and absolutely does his research on human customs. Sometimes, even you, almost forget his true identity— He’s just that good.

Going out on ‘public dates’ is something that you both find quite entertaining. You’re often invited to couple’s events and double dates, as it’s quite clear to anyone who’s seen you two together, that you’re in a dedicated relationship— Even those, you haven’t officially told, don’t take long to figure out the manner of your bond. ((“It’s the way you look at each other”, one person said— “It’s like it’s the only two of you in the world…” ))

When he first introduced you as his significant other, you were petrified— Dating someone such as himself was rather taboo, after all, and you were unsure of what to expect. You definitely didn’t expect to be gushed over and dubbed ‘Michi’s incredibly cute almost-human—‘ That was the last thing on the list of your expectations, yet somehow, you found yourself with a rather large group of self proclaimed ‘bodyguards’. At least, you wouldn’t have to worry about any creatures from the far shore snatching you up…

Somehow or another, you have convinced everyone that you’re engaged, and are just shy about admitting it— Even those that you’re incredibly close to, keep hinting at wanting invitations to the wedding, which completely puzzles you. After a certain point, you introduced each other to new faces, the responses you received changed to — You’re not married yet?’ or ‘Congratulations!!!’

TAKEMIKAZUCHI AND JEALOUSY (…)

He’s not the type to get jealous easily, as you’re both pretty clear about your relationship with each other— In fact, you can count the number of times you’ve seen him jealous on a single hand.

When he is jealous, however, you can tell almost immediately— He squeezes your hand a bit tighter and seems far more tense. His confident and easygoing demeanour shifts into one of cold indifference towards the others around the two of you. He’s not outright rude to others, which you greatly appreciate, but it’s easy to tell that he doesn’t want to be there—

Fortunately, he’s easily consoled, a gentle and reassuring squeeze of his hand, and a smile solely for him, and he’s perfectly relaxed once more—

He may or may not be a bit more affectionate than usual, after getting jealous, which you find incredibly cute and rather funny. He’s not at all the type to be insecure about things, but sometimes when he sees you close with others like that, he feels oddly left out—

Takemikazuchi’s way of saying he was jealous is by stating ‘I misjudged.’ It’s a phrase you’ve heard only a few times from him, and one that always leaves you fairly flustered… It’s not often that he lets down his pride enough to say something like that, and that he does so for you, leaves an incredibly warm feeling in your chest…

[kura-reviews]

Mountain Dew Pitch Black review

Those of you who know me, know that this one has a lot of weight to it.

Originally a Halloween limited edition flavor in the early 2000s, I was lucky enough to try it in its original run. I loved it instantly, and I always wanted to see it and taste it again. Over the years there were a few limited time re-releases and I bought as much of it as I could when it was available, but it always left store shelves again and again, and I lamented the time we had apart.

2016's DEWcision campaign put the venerable Baja Blast against Pitch Black to a vote for which would become a permanent offering. My love for Baja Blast was only topped by Pitch Black, and I voted accordingly. I felt lucky that my vote ended up for the winner, but it was not to be - my area rarely stocked Pitch Black even then, and according to the Mountain Dew fandom wiki, it disappeared entirely from store shelves yet again in 2019.

My hopes remained that I would once again be reunited with my beloved. When I heard the news last fall that a new can design was leaked, I was beyond excited, especially when the rumors turned out to be true. Another limited run of my favorite pop (or soda, for those of you who call it that)! Even with a brand new zero sugar variant, as is my preference. I could not believe how lucky I felt. It was to be a limited time product starting in January 2023.

Yet still, it remained hard to find in my area. A few stores carried a single row of 12-pack cans of the original flavor, but Zero Sugar was nowhere to be found. I managed to find some of the regular at a grocery store, and then again two final cases buried in a display at a convenience store. As I write this review, I am sipping the final can I could find.

Now, the review, with just a bit more waffling because I truly can't resist.

It has been a number of years since I was able to crack open a cold Pitch Black. And though the familiar Pitch Black flavor is very much present, my time away from drinking high fructose corn syrup-flavored drinks has given me a new sensitivity to the HFCS flavor, which cuts through the delicious grape and lingers in the mouth. This was disappointing to realize and hampered my enjoyment, especially given that I was only ever able to try the ZS variant once. Grape soda fans would enjoy it, but it still carries the signature Dew citrus undertone. The grape flavor is somewhat different than that which is found in candy or run-of-the-mill grape sodas, so even those who aren't big fans should try it if they can. Not guzzleable in my opinion. I never once discovered Pitch Black Zero Sugar in the wild, but my girlfriend saved me a single can from her travels. It was incredible. Everything I loved about the original but without the sugar. Such a smooth taste and feel in the mouth, without the HFCS aftertaste.

Regular is a 8/10. My memory had it rated at 10/10, but tastes change over time.

Zero Sugar, 10/10.

As of the time of writing this (mid-April 2023), this flavor is starting to disappear in stores. If you can still find it, it's worth checking out. But as time goes on, we'll just have to wait for another round of this special drink.

[cj-the-random-artist]

seeing as you don’t have an e or an n, I’m going to just go through the whole alphabet backwards until I hit one

so do you have a z?

You're not gonna believe this but I have 2 zs and I'm gonna talk about them both cuz they're both cool and I don't talk about either of them enough

So firstly is Zaahira

By the time she appears in the story she's in college, as are most of the rest of my characters, and she'd probably be majoring in botanical studies / biology. She really likes plants, has always maintained an interest in them from the time she was a kid, which makes a lot of sense given that her magical ability in this universe is being able to grow plants at increased speeds (think Perfuma from spop type thing, but maybe not quite as like... over the top / with a different set of limitations and she doesn't have any problems with cacti). Zaahira's a somewhat prickly character, she's not overly social and she can be a little closed off. But while she may come off as mean at times, it's not intentionally so.

A few notes about her- she's from Egypt, although her actual like... ethnic background (I think that's the right word???) is kind of a mess because of story related parentage reasons. Which I won't overly go into here. She's quite good at doing makeup, particularly eyeliner, she got into doing that in her freshman year of college when one of her roommates suggested she try it. She's fairly good at painting and drawing as well, though not as practiced in it as she is makeup.

Next Z character is Zander!

He's kind of one of my OGs, which means a few things- firstly, he's like 13 when the story starts because he's introduced in the very first act. Secondly, this means he's been an OC of mine for almost 7 years. He's an OG lol.

Some stuff about Zander!! He wears those glasses basically all the time except for when he's asleep because he can barely see without them, and they're really thick and kind of heavy. He qualifies as blind legally, but doesn't really need much other than his glasses and sometimes when it's really dark he just needs to hold onto Jesse's arm and he's fine. (Note: Jesse is another OC. Zander and him have been friends since they were like 5. This is a tangent so back to Zander). Near the end of the story, when Zander is in college, he probably studies video game design. He's not super technically smart necessarily, but he loves computers and he loves creating detailed concepts. He probably has dabbled in coding, concept art, and script writing and still isn't 100% sure what he wants to do.

Zander's generally pretty nice, but for some reason he and one of my other OCs, Lukas, just. Have an issue with each other. For like no reason. It gets resolved but they have an issue. But for the most part Zander is nice enough. He's quite extroverted and loves people and he can be a little blunt at times but he's also very honest and likes to lookout for people. He doesn't consider himself very responsible (he is, actually. Don't try to convince him of that he won't let you) but he's also technically the oldest out of my cast by a few months so while he's not generally looked to for things like magical advising (he technically has no magic abilities) he is looked to for moral support and impulse control.

That was a lot of words lol. But!! I finally has OCs for the letter you picked anon, so I hope this is satisfactory. Have good day <2

[rogueemmy]

IDK - the younger Gen Zs I know seem to think the trolls are a myth. Ya got your "aliens", big foot and the Loc Ness monster, the white kidnapping van - and trolls.

We work in a very public facing business - and take a lot of nonsense for it online. I mention the trolls when the new ones want to use adjectives with opinions or can't back up a fact. I can FEEL their eyes roll, their whole spirt roll!, like I've suggested the Tooth Fairy will pay out if you put plastic vampire teeth under your pillow.

And then they meet one - and many don't even think to avoid them. They want to explain - justify, rationalize, find common ground. They obsess for days that they let someone down, or worse, let these creatures impact their writing style. They often suffer in silence, afraid - not of the trolls - no, afraid of the judgement of a troll dressed as a "real person," or if they do recognize the creature, they fear the judgement of those who know.

The Zs won't ask for help, because that might be asking too much.

Until a troll breaks a Z, they are the boogie man of bygone days. After it happens, though, the Zs talk! They share experiences. They warn each other. THEN! Then they can be reached, in small groups.

Sometimes we could all use a reminder. (source)

[destinyc1020]

Even in a rhetorical wedding list, folks still doubting Timmy lol anyway...

This or That 😃 who/what wuld u choose n why. If its a person can b based on vibes, personality, talent, etc.

-Knowing the story on how TZ got back together or how they 1st met

-Jacob E or Trevor (lol)

-Zs Dune 2 press fashion or Zs Challengers press fashion

-NY or LA

-Toms fashion or Austin fashion

-Sydney or Kaia

-letitia or ayo

Oooo another game! Thanks Anon! 😁

You know what?? I like your game so much, that I'll put your questions in polls and will see what others say/think.

I'll put my answers to your question below and will hide them so that others aren't swayed by my answers lol.

My answers 👇:

-Knowing the story on how TZ got back together or how they 1st met

Knowing the story on how TZ got back together HANDS DOWWWN! 😅 I don't really care how they first met lol. I think we kind of already know that? But I wanna know all of the details and tea on what they were each thinking and feeling during the breakup, why they broke up in the first place, and what they were thinking and feeling when they were deciding to get back together lol. 😁 (I'm just nosy lol)

-Jacob E or Trevor (lol)

Eww... Can I say neither?? 😅 Honestly? I'd have to go with JE on this one. Yea, JE cheated on several girlfriends too, but at least he didn't write a song detailing their sex life as a way to try to make amends. 🙄🤮

-Zs Dune 2 press fashion or Zs Challengers press fashion

Ohhhh this is too much Anon! 😭 Pleaaaase don't make me choose!!! 🙈

Okay, I'll say that I LOVED the fashion for both press tours. 😊 I liked how daring, interesting and AMAZING Z's fashion was for Dune Part 2. She was shutting the place down! 😅 I also appreciated the Challengers press tour clothing too. I loved how creative it was, and how it was very sports-themed, but still very feminine.

If I had to choose one though, I'd HAVE to say the Dune Part 2 Press tour clothing had me shook!!! Challengers had a lot of white and bridal type dresses which were cute, but Dune Part 2 made me go WOW! That robot-like costume she had for the London premiere alone....like, WOW lol. 😲😳🤯 The DP2 press tour clothing/styles were just more interesting to me. 😊

-NY or LA

Mmmm....for me personally? Or for Tomdaya?

If you're talking about me personally.... Both cities have their pros and cons! I like both cities, but if I had to choose, I'd have go to with LA lol. 😊

-Toms fashion or Austin fashion

Oh wow.... This is a tough one! 😂 Are we talking red carpet fashion? Or, just everyday fashion? Cuz umm...that can be two totally different things lol. 👀 😅

I'm not sure exactly what you're referring to (red carpet fashion, or just out and about fashion lol), so I'm just going to give you my thoughts.

Austin: I love Austin's red carpet fashion. He takes little risks here and there, and I like that. 😊 I never know what he's going to wear most of the time on the red carpet, so I like that he keeps me guessing lol. 😅 He tends to wear more baggier clothing (which is fine), but I love it when he wears things that are a little more form-fitting or with color. I think that's nice!

His everyday street-style fashion on the other hand.... 👀😩 Austin's just a simple guy honestly lol. He loves vintage stuff. He shops at thrift stores lol. So he's not really dressy in his casual down time. He's more like a t-shirt and hat kind of guy. I wanna burn the hats lol, but I kind of think he uses them mainly to try to hide and blend in the crowd so that people don't recognize him so easily.

Tom: Tom is European, so I'm automatically expecting his fashion and style sense to be better just in general compared to us Americans lol. 😂 When it comes to Tom's red carpet style, he tends to be more classic with the classic tux/suits, and tends to play it safe. He tends to wear some colors here and there though (FFH premiere, TCR premiere, GQ event, etc), and so I like it when it mixes things up a bit. 😊 I would love to see him take a few more risks with his red carpet style and wear some more daring things on the red carpet one day. I think it would be awesome!

Tom's everyday street style has changed drastically for the better over the years imo lol. He used to be a skinny jeans and jeans falling off the butt kinda guy lol. Now, he's got a more mature look and wears belts and argyle sweaters lol. Boy he's come a VERY long way! 😅 I think he's had a great style change over the years, and his look is more mature than it was back in 2017 lol. So I think his casual street style overall is great!

-Sydney or Kaia

I give both of them the slight side-eye.... 👀 (I don't like girls who seem to mess w/other women's men 🥴), but if I had to choose one, I'd say Sydney.

Sydney at least can act rotfl. 😅

-letitia or ayo

Ohhhhh this is a tough one Anon!! 😭😭 I like BOTH of them! I have a soft spot for Letitia. ❤️ I do like Ayo though. I just need to see more of her in her projects to have more of an appreciation for her. She's VERY talented though, and I'm rooting for her. 🥰

[dont-call-me-william]

hey handsome, as i write this it's going on 2 and i'm laying here next to you as you sleep. i know that it's late, but i haven't been able to catch any Zs yet myself. even though you're right here, i miss you. just wanted to write you a sweet note.. i haven't in a while, and it's always nice to get them. sorry… i know i suck, babe. anyway, i wanted to remind you that you're loved, and i couldn't have asked for a better (almost) husband.

gonna try to get some shut eye now. i love you so much, bills. xo, zay.

Hey babe. Couldn’t sleep? I had a minute after work to write back. Thank you for thinking of me. You know you’re the reason I sleep. You keep my head from taking me to places my thoughts don’t need to go. I know I tell you I love you a lot, but I should tell you I appreciate you. You don’t suck. I mean, you do…. But not like THAT. You’re my everything, and I love everything about you. I hope you get some rest baby. I must be sleeping good next to you. I love you, Xavier Drake soon to be Hargrove. ~💙 Billy

[apple-babbles]

Plane Ride to Heathrow

So... I guess I should actually start writing my whole UK journey before I grow older and my memories start messing with me.

(God I hope not, I'm already forgetful as I am.)

(But I'm also hoping that I won't weep as I'm writing this because of how nostalgic it's gonna be. Good, good times.)

Well, so, I've had some trips on the airplane. Some of the longer ones by the time I'm writing this would probably be 1) about 6 hours to Incheon, South Korea, 2) then around 9-10 hours to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and 3) lastly 16 hours to London, UK.

Since I'm here on the subject of my UK trip, we'll talk about the last one.

For some context, I was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship to University College London in... you guessed it, London. And it would be my first time visiting a European country, let alone taking such a long journey. The 16-hour plane ride wasn't like straight without transit, though. I actually enjoy taking public transportation (bro, ain't no way I'm flying there on a private jet—I'm no Beyonce) including trains and buses, so sitting on the plane for hours would be no problem for me.

I began actual the trip from CGK, Jakarta, with the first destination to DXB, Dubai. I, along with my three other friends who also were about to start our studies at the same uni, departed with Emirates. We got the ticket for about... 9-10mio? Crazy expensive. However, I'm not kidding if I said I looked like someone who lived under a rock once I boarded the plane. It was probably the best one I've been in?

Look, as I said, it's my first time being in such a huge airplane like this. I'm so impressed by the tiny stars on the ceiling (love the purple shade as well) and how they lit up when the lights were out. So darn cute hello??? And the entertainment provided was also very complete; you'd get to explore recently-released movies, listen to some music, watch series, and even play some games—hence I think why they have this console-looking gadget as seen in the third picture. I did a little bit of everything; I watched several movies until I was sleepy, then switched to music to help me relax before catching some Zs. Oh, I forgot to mention one little detail; the flight was around midnight. I think we boarded when it was almost 1 A.M. in the morning.

Also, my cabin luggage was broken right before I was about to board. RIP. Luckily, my friends were helpful and one of them brought sellotape with them, so we stitched it to the broken part. It was one of the wheels, and the luggage made an annoyingly loud sound as I dragged it with me. Lordy.

Anyways, it took about 8 hours from Jakarta to Dubai. I think I slept through it, mostly, if not for my excitement exploring the screen in front of me. We were also given some bread and beverage—as seen in the third picture—which were quite enjoyable. I had no idea why I ordered juice because apparently the juice in all airlines is the same. As in they're quite superficial and rather too sweet for my liking. But either way, it was an enjoyable 8-hours flight.

We landed in DXB the next morning, around 10-ish. After dealing with the immigration and everything, we spent some time in DXB since we had about an 8-hour gap to the next flight. I mean, it was a long journey, but on the bright side I could explore DXB to the point I even memorized the isles and hallways and corridors, considering how awful I am at navigation.

The three of us decided to have lunch together and tried this Asian restaurant. We ordered those meals above—which unfortunately I can't remember what they're called. I mean, the one on the right surely tasted like fried rice (I think it tastes similar to biryani?) and the one on the right has a rather sweeter flavor. Either way, again, it was pretty delish, since I'd rather explore the food options than buy just some random chicken from fast food restaurants.

[nickgerlich]

Page By Page

I have always been an avid reader. It started when I was a mere lad, and my parents would buy me Hardy Boys Mysteries books, as well as take me to the library. My parents may not have been rich, but they provided a wealth of opportunity, and I am so happy that I ran with it.

As a writer today—in addition to my academic writing, I also write for several magazines and have been co-author of two books—I have come to realize that to be a good writer, one must first be a great reader. It’s kind of like photography. You learn from watching how others do it, and all that reading I did as a kid, and have continued to do as an adult, provides inspiration, new vocabulary, literary tropes, interesting twists and turns, and more. You can study text books all day long on it, but the real lessons learned are from those out there in the trenches doing the work.

As an adult, I have participated in book clubs, usually informal and mildly structured chat sessions. While we could have done these online, in the pre-COVID days the emphasis was on F2F.

COVID, of course, changed all that, forcing all of us into our cocoons and online for life, love, and work. Now that we continue to emerge in the post-COVID era (and I use that phrasing loosely, because I realize that COVID is still among us), we are finding ourselves doing a balance of both F2F and online.

And here is where all that book talk returns to the discussion. Book clubs are all the rage now among Gen-Zs and Millennials. It’s just that they don’t look a lot like how we did it in the past.

Rather than the typical high-brow book clubs of old, usually in someone’s living room with crackers and adult beverages to complement our insightful colloquy, book clubs are happening in breweries and even on group runs. Of course, if you can talk while you’re running, you’re really not running that hard. You’re socializing, but that’s OK. It’s better than being a couch potato.

And then there are social media gatherings, which can attract many thousands of people through the power of specific hashtags, like #BookTok on TikTok. That’s something your grandparents probably wouldn’t do, they—I mean we—of the tweed blazer with elbow pads set.

How we do it today, though, is not nearly as important as that we are doing it period. That’s the huge takeaway for me, and signals a renaissance in the making for the book industry. Aside from a temporary major bump during COVID, and subsequent minor decline, book sales overall are trending upward. Unit sales are up 30% since 2012.

This comes at a time when I had all but given up hope for a revival, thinking that reading had fallen by the wayside. My daughters read a lot of books while growing up, probably because they were surrounded by them in our house. It rubbed off. But I just did not see it elsewhere. I could see the decline in my students, because what comes out of a person’s mouth and keyboard is a function of what goes in the brain first. You can always tell when a person is well-read.

Fortunately, this is a situation that is correctible. Better yet, it is a breath of fresh air to learn of younger adults developing a passion for reading, and while it is an activity that we initially do alone out of necessity, it can be shared with others later in a group setting. And as we are seeing now, those groups can be real or virtual.

I’ll be understanding and say that reading is not for everyone. Some people have difficulties and disabilities. But for those who can, then I urge them to do. While the brain is technically not a muscle, it can grow stronger just like your quads and biceps. It’s just that you need to exercise it.

There’s hope for an industry as well as for a couple of generations. Keep consuming those words, and instill that desire in your kids. It’s an investment—just like my parents did—that will pay dividends years down the road.

Dr “Buy The Books” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[ecivons]

Zosan/Sanzo Fic list

I just wanted to make a list of the fics I've read/Fic recommendations for anyone out there. The ones in bold purple are my absolute favorites. (A lot have M/E ratings and Adult language)

Falling by sorrowfulcheese - The dialogue.. the pacing.. THE CRUST I loved it all. One of the first zs fics haha, it's only tag is fluff. It barely feels like fluff fluff, this is just Zosans personal brand of fluff.

Liquid Courage by sabershadowkat (E) - Sanji experiences drunk Zoro once and keeps trying to sleep with him. (!! some dubious consent the first time). The last line is what got me.

[I saved a lot of shadowsaberkat works, just scroll through their entire account if you're okay with M+ fics]

Alongside All The Way by sabershadowkat (E) - I liked the Adventures going on in the background of the fic. Sort of a compilation of Zoro and Sanji becoming more and more important to eachother

Bit by Bit by sabershadowkat - Getting together type beat. A few moments of Zoro slowly dealing with his emotions for Sanji.

Falling Blossoms by sabershadowkat - I'm usually picky about established but I love the way they write <3. It's short and sweet. Just a lil Zosan date.

Things Unsaid (E) - Established Relationship. Zoro gets injured and they're forced to wait out a snow storm while working through their relationship. (I love this person's characterization of them wayy too much)

Rules of Love (E) - It’s one of those fics.. (conflict, sex, resolution) just the way I like my Zosan. A little internalized homophobia on Sanji's part.

when you say by bluewalk - Unrequited Usosan. Zosan from the perspective of a pining Usopp. (Beautiful, a bit confusing but I loved reading it)

tricks out of your sleeves by bluewalk - Zoro and Sanji are forced to learn a few things about each other's past. IMO it's written pretty gen. I love the character exploration.

Myalgia by Salmon_Pink - An exploration of how Zoro and Sanji talk about thriller bark (they don’t). They used the mood prompt so well the tension was welling up in my chest the entire time.

Understandable by Salmon_Pink (M) - Another short fic by Salmon Pink because they write the two of them amazingly. Zoro and Sanji who will never be emotionally vulnerable with each other out loud.

destructivity is a poison that runs through our veins by wasteofmind (M.. its E to me) - They want to kill each other.

Residue of a Rainbow by Narcissistic_Ninny (E) - Zoro and Sanji go through a traumatic experience and maybe fall in love too. This person has amazing fics, but this is definitely my favorite. Zoro is good at hiding what he's thinking but you just know..

green with envy blues by adietxt - Really short fic with jealous Zoro. I saved it mainly because the narration is a little funny.

it's a long way forward by donutsandcoffee - Sanji can't smile because of a devil fruit. The strawhats love his smile..

you got that something by adietxt - Sanji is forced to stick to Zoro. Nothing but a bundle of fluff and self-indulgence that I enjoyed all the same.

(failed) Stewardship by LibbyLune - Soulmate AU. Sanji's has been dead for a long time. Author has such an amazing take on soulmates I love it. I love Luffy's especially. P.S. The authors note at the end made me fall to my knees.

the universe told me by rudimentaryflair - Soulmate AU. Zoro desperately hides his soul mark while learning about his nakama's. I like how its almost the opposite of how Zoro and Sanji were portrayed in the previous fic I recommended (when it comes to their opinions on soulmates). I love both though.

blood, salt and idiocy by rosie_peverell - Zoro gets a taste of his own medicine. (Sanji gets injured trying to save him). It's short and cute.

and then the sun came out by demonzoro (shrinewreck) - Takes place in pre-ts, post-ts and future. Zosan realizing they're "friends". Extremely Tender idk what to tell you.

a catalog of non-definitive acts by demonzoro (shrinewreck) - Zoro pines. Nothing I say could possibly convey the emotions this fic makes me feel. You just need to give it a read I promise.

for poor and poorer still by rudimentaryflair - Modern AU. Short and sweet. Zoro finally finds the perfect moment to propose.

how normal people do by rudimentaryflair - Namivivi Pov. This is so funny. I love the best friend drinking buddy dynamic of Nami and Zoro. This fic has funny moments that I remember in public and start laughing to myself about.

paging mr. swordsman by rosie_peverell - If I had a nickel for every Modern AU Zosan ficlet that takes place in a grocery store..

The Fall of a Hundred Things by LibbyLune - Sanji sleeps with Zoro after a party one night and it messes him up. Franky is the MVP of this fic. I love him. (Check out author for more good works)

End On A High Note by thisislegit - Modern AU. Established Sanji and Zoro have problems they need to talk about. (Oh how I love the ups and downs of a mundanely domestic relationship)

In Your Warm Embrace by marimoliciousness - Sanji is an idiot and realizes something about Zoro (himself). They get caught in a snowstorm.

migratory animals by donutsandcoffee - Sanji is strong in a way that fascinates Zoro

that's all for now!! I might consider adding more in the future.