#that's not a given nowadays so i'm very appreciative of that

[red-dragon-archfiend]

Kirby Star Allies is one of, if not my absolute favorite Kirby games, and I recognize while it's on paper one of the weaker entries in the core series, it appeals to me personally on multiple levels and I think I should revisit it more

[yandere-wishes]

Who are your fav authors on here, why and what are your fav fics from them?

Anon, I don't think you're aware of the beast you've just unleashed!

So strap in cause this is going to be long.

Right off the bat, we have, @thefudge. I'm trying so hard not to sound like a deranged fangirl right now. But trust me when I say that I am OBSESSED with every single thing they write! I have read their fics SO SO many times and It's impossible to pick a single favorite one. So here are my top 5

Waiting for the barbarians

Within you is everything I am

I won't be these clothes I burn

His little dead wife 

god complex

Honestly, guys go check out their work they have so many stories spanning countless fandoms. They're literally the ones that got me into Star Wars in the first place! @thefudge I SWEAR I'm not a crazy fangirl, I just really love your writing and works!!

@yandere-romanticaa goes without saying, I've been a HUGE fan of Ana's since literally forever. She was actually one of the Yandere blogs that inspired me to start writing on Tumblr. Again I can't pick just one of her works I love so here's a top 5 list

Wanna Be yours 

Yandere! William Moriarty 

Yandere! Miguel O'hara

Yandere! Nikolai #1 and #2

Yandere! Dazai comparisons

She writes for so many fandoms and updates very frequently. She's also such an amazing and fun person so hearing her stories is always a treat!! Love you lots bestie!!

@fragileheartbeats is another amazing author I love her frigid aesthetic and how it adds a layer of etherealness to all her stories. Her scenarios are magical and written in such a way they evoke such sweet feelings. Honestly reading her stories makes me feel like I'm wrapped in a blanket with hot chocolate watching as the snow silently falls outside. 

Cute little things that melt their hearts (jjk) 

White Swan (jjk) 

How it feels to be loved by them (jjk) 

First kiss (jjk) 

When they become dads (jjk) 

These five are my TOP FAV works from her they're honestly so well-written and utterly adorable!! Guys I'm not kidding go follow her, she is literally my wify!!

@irresistible-revolution

I'm new to their work. BUT "A Coffin Made of Glass" is so beautifully written. It's dead dove yet so utterly bewitching. It takes place in the space between famous Star Wars scenes and gives a more in-depth view of the character's actions and sentiments. 

@spacexseven, omg where do I even begin? Okay, so they just have such a natural way with words. Their stories flow SO smoothly it's honestly astonishing! They've written two Childe fics, "Broken Vows" and "Mandatory Obligations" that I'm wholly obsessed with. The dialogue they write also feels so natural and forthcoming, it's absolutely enticing!!

@rrairey another author whose work I've recently gotten into!! If you're a Sukuna fan then her blog is the place to go. 

Love

Sukuna vs Plushie (a literal BANGER!!)

Gojo vs Plushie

Trust

Bracelet

Seriously, go check out her work!! The way she writes dialogue between the characters and the reader is so utterly perfect. It makes you feel as if you are right there saying those exact words. The scenarios (although) fictional feel so real thanks to her wonderful writing style. 

@dear-yandere needs no introduction, she's a staple in the yandere community. Her stories always blend love and creepiness to a perfect extent. Can I take a moment to just appreciate how poetic and GORGEOUS all her stories are?? Like seriously!! "Almost god" is my favorite fanfic of ALL TIME!! And don't even get me started on "Cry for Me"!! 

This turned out long I don't think anyone was expecting an essay. To be honest I consume more fanfics than published books nowadays so I guess it's a given to have such a long list. 

[helluvapurf]

Thoughts on latest HB ep "Ghostf**kers" (*now that I've regained a bit more energy post-Halloween weekend lol*):

So the newest ep of HB has came & went from what I've seen- aaaand naturally feels like the best time for me to finally ramble about it now that its settled in my brain some more .3. Thoughts (+Spoilers) below~ NOTE: Most of this -does- get a lil rant-y below sooo... read at your own risk lol .w.;;

First things out of the way to start things off on a good note, the Pros:

To start off with... FINALLY we got some Millie focus for a major episode plot (-or more specifically, focus that doesn't get revolved back to Moxxie somehow lol)😭👏👏. Even if Millie's spotlight here did have to be shared with Blitz for a good chunk of the ep, their friendship was actually genuinely sweet & compelling to watch (esp. their backstory & how Millie was allowed to stand up for herself, give him space, BUT also coming around to acknowledging the good in Blitz, when it all came down to it🥺👏). Which ngl, after these previous episodes reigning down HARD on this dude... idk, just felt refreshingly wholesome to see for this series, yknow?😊

New villain Rolando was pretty cool, and surprisingly spooky to watch as the second-half went on oml- .o.;; While I'm still a teensy bit confused how his powers/demon lore work (at least to what we already know about Hell limitations crossing to the human world, ex. succubi & their crystals), his underwater monster vibe gave some fun visuals to watch up until the climax. I'm not 100% familiar with John Waters' works, but damnnn he should take up voice-acting more often ngl~ 👀

FINALLY MAMA TILLA MAKES AN (on-screen) APPEARANCE 😭😭Her whole vibe & Blitz's clear love and regret over what happened to her... hhhhh my whole heart ;n; 💔

That pink client lady (Rita, I think her name is?) who assigned the hotel mission? I dig her vibe, its cute~ :3

I.M.P. feeling like a legitimate workplace family for once, with even Loona & Moxxie getting a nice lil moment towards the end?? More. Of this. Please. 👌👌

Even with the lil undertones of the Stol*itz drama from the past couple eps, I very much appreciate Blitz (+the show itself) acknowledging that what's been going is NOT a breakup ('cause... yknow, they never actually dated to begin with lol🤷‍♀️). It may not 100% fix how messy that particular narrative's been handled as of late (which I'll get to in a sec-), but eh... its a start in the right direction, I guess? .3.

Enjoyed all the colorful flashback looks given, never would I have thought I needed mercenary!Millie with a fluffy ponytail til nowww hlkjlk😩❤️

Aaaand as for the not-so-good bits (imo), aka the Cons:

Pacing felt kiiiinda all-over-the-place, I'll admit; like one min we've got a whole intro & a half to deal with Blitz's whining fest (+some other pointless banter at the hotel)... then the next it feels like we're breezing past Rolando's whole presence as the "big bad" villain. Which... idk, I guess I shouldn't be too harsh on given the production drama behind-the-scenes (aka: the leaked content that had to be cut & redone awhile back)... buuuut yeah, its just one of those things you can't help but take notice of, critique-wise lol 🤷‍♀️

The humor wasn't... exactly at its strong point here, mainly just a lil overdone in the sex joke department imo though I guess thats kind of "par-for-the-course" in the Hellaverse series nowadays, so lol

Now, idk if this may be an unpopular opinion or not; but was I the only one who felt like Blitz's month-long mope fest over Stolas was rather... OOC, all things considered? .-. Like, okay its one thing for Blitz to still be (understandably) upset over how the last two eps went down (but being the "boss" he is, continues working anyway to keep I.M.P. afloat, like in the latest HB shorts)... but for Blitz of all people to just randomly use ALL his company's funds on useless junk, force his daughter Loona to stay up all night/not go home, drive Moxxie in a panic from all the budgeting issues this past month was just... wut- 🤦‍♀️ ...Mind you, this is meant to be the SAME Blitz who not even a few episodes ago begged Stolas to not take away the Grimoire (aka the key to his + his employee's livelihood), clearly being willing to do anything to not lose all that he holds dear. You seriously expect me to believe he'd be the type to throw that all away (for a WHOLE month)... all to simply whine over some blue-blooded bird not noticing him? ...Yeaaaaah sorry, but I'm gonna have to call bs on that, chief- 🙄

Kiiiinda tying in the last point, but as much as I enjoyed the tense thills gained from the "Rolando enters Blitz' mind to make him see his own flaws/past mistakes" sequence... I do have a few issues with some of these other "flashbacks" added to the mix: 1) Loona's groin kick towards Blitz in "Seeing Stars" (*wasn't Blitz's fault since ALL he did was tell her to be nice to clients... and was right about to apologize to Loona just seconds before the kick 😒*) 2) Blitz pushing Stolas' hand away in "Ozzies" (*which Blitz only did after Stolas hide his face/didn't defend Blitz during the song*) 3) Stolas' hurt expression at the end van scene of "Ozzie's" (*mind you, taking place while Blitz is rightfully standing up for himself/telling off Stolas for being a privileged creep all of S1*) 4) Stolas trying to present the Asmodean Crystal gift in "Full Moon" (*a whoooole mess in of itself I already covered prior-*) 5) Stolas angrily walking away from their pool fight + trash-talking Blitz in the "Motherf**kers" song + drunkenly dumping his problems on him + making out with a whole other dude in front of Blitz (*again, a huge mess I covered prior but TL;DR... most of that WASN'T fully-Blitz's fault in those instances??😑*)

Like... I dunno man, I don't mean to sound like I'm just ragging on Stolas per-episode as of late... but these last few points just keep giving me mixed signals than any genuine idea as to WHY Blitz even has these "feelings" growing for Stolas, atm?🤨For any canon couple in fiction, I WANT to see reasons for why they work best together, what kind of interests/aspects they've got in-common, what special "spark" is there that helps them stand out above all the other dynamics in-canon... but from what I see so far on Blitz's end (& the narrative continuing to guilt on him being "the problem")... it honestly feels more like he's only now fallen for Stolas out of pity... not because Blitz actually wants him for him, y'know? :/ Which... ngl, sounds like a really sad precedent to send for a main-endgame couple, regardless of series genre imo... 🤷‍♀️

-------

Soooo yeah, all that rant-y rambling aside... not a bad ep in the grand scheme of things! 👍👍Here's hoping the last few remaining eps (+possible shorts) for S2 keeps up the good work! 🙏

[plaguenevermore]

So, there's, not an easier way to really, come out and say what, exactly has happened in my personal life, I haven't made a serious post like this in a, very, very, very long time but, uh

On October 26th, at, exactly 9:20 am, my dad passed away due to his congestive heart conditions, and AFIB, which is a type of heart arrhythmia or abnormal heartbeat. Due to this, fluids, and blood weren't cycling through his body correctly and it caused severe issues to occur such as his kidneys to fail in what was, literally hours, to the point where doctors attempted dialysis on him quite exactly the moment I left the hospital when I visited him, however, it, didn't do anything and, he basically crashed in a day's time after being in and out of the hospital multiple times around the sum total of 25 days, more than, I think.

Now, I'm, clearly not doing the greatest after all of this, of course, I loved my dad, dearly. He was a kind, accepting, wonderful man who had his of course, crotchety old man moments, he was 72 when he passed, yet that never diminished any of the love in his heart that he had for me, and my mom, and just, everyone he ever met.

But I'm gonna ask YOU ALL for, help, and I know given the current situations cycling throughout the world, that I am, nothing but a, droplet within this sea of, completely deserving people begging for help due to the genocide, people going through their OWN problems, and I can understand that seeing the word, fundraiser, or, GoFundMe, can be a bit taxing, and jarring nowadays, however, yes, that's what this entire thing is.

My mom began a GoFundMe to help myself, and her, out after my dad's passing, and if you can donate that would be, WONDERFUL, I'm never, ever, gonna force anyone to just, shovel money into my direction, but it would be greatly appreciated if you have us in your thoughts and, maybe just, toss something in our direction.

Thank you for taking your time out of your day to, skim over this, I know I talk a lot and don't know when to shut up, but, for something like this, I'm hurting, and I need to just get off of my chest how much this is, affecting us.

[3-aem]

I just wanted to say I really like your art and appreciate that you share it with us. I know there are very vocal people out there who bring up past mistakes, but I and many others have seen you take accountability and change. I think this nk person is just chronically online and likes drama. Some people just cannot accept the fact that people can make mistakes and then grow. There is a common mentality nowadays of "once wrong, always wrong." Your work is beautiful, and we can see the hard work you put into it.

I'm normally a quiet reblogger but I'm sending this because I want you to know you still do have a lot of people who support you and your work!

i am relieved to hear this. all i want is to show i have taken accountability and changed. all i want is to prove my work is not ai. as long as my followers understand that i can feel some peace.

i want to be clear that im not saying i feel my mistakes were whatever. im also not sitting here buying into the belief that person is jealous. i hope i am making that clear. what i did was hurtful to some people, i want to acknowledge that. i have sat with this a long time. i eventually determined this to not be fair. especially line “whom you all love so much” which heavily suggests a gripe with the wrong thing, and not a genuine care that i have taken accountability.

i did not just remove the piece, i paid the artist double the profits and it was agreed upon and settled. i reached out to artists to apologize and ask for permission to keep certain works up. this is well documented.

but knowing this, because I told them Directly and they acknowledged they read it first, nk still proceeded to send two more callouts and linked a post where they accuse me of being ai and selling copied work for profit.

these are very heavy allegations that can destroy an artist and so it needs Ongoing substantial proof. Nk could not provide any but treated it as such. its careless disregard. so i agree they wanted a reaction. they do not actually care even if they claim to have followed me back at one point. like that means anything given the rest of the context.

the fact is i have lost many many mutuals and friends from this. i have since experienced multiple cases of using the same reference as another artist and being accused of copying and stealing from them because of this. See yunonai, that one draco malfoy fic, and that sad suguru where he’s touching his eyes. i no longer have the benefit of doubt for a lot of people. i can work on accepting that as my fault, my problem. but i cannot accept what nk specifically did.

the final straw for me was not that i woke up with a vendetta to settle. it was seeing other artists and creators doing the same things with no consequence. it was seeing them take far less accountability. while i sit and try hard to make things right only to be told repeatedly its not enough.

[crazysodomite]

i study gamedev and today's lecture was on the origins of the stealth genre... got to nerd out about constantine's mansion 😁 i mostly know abt the series from watching a friend play thru the first game but it was still very heartwarming to see it discussed! i have special permission from my prof to help and edit his presentations for future students (bc im a game history n genre nerd) and given ur the resident tumblr thief expert in my eyes, i wanted to ask what interesting facts should we mention abt the series' mechanics and their influence on the genre? what would a true thief fan like to not be overlooked in the genre wide discussion? sorry if it's a confusing question, i just like hearing people nerd out either way...

also just seeing u mention it in any context makes me very happy inside, brings back good memories :] did you know the stealth genre started with a prototype game about shoplifting? it then got bought by taito and turned into the 1980 lupin iii game!

umm i feel like im too doopid to really do thief and its mechanics justice... i dont think im a thief expert just a thief fan... i haven't played a lot of other stealth games except thief so it's hard for me to judge and compare!

one of my favorite analysis videos on thief from a person who just uploaded this banger and was never seen again...

i think nowadays the 'safe bet' is to not create anything too difficult or challenging for the player, sometimes rudimentary stealth mechanics are included to 'be an option' but stealth as an actual genre is pretty dead right now.

it's hard to imagine a game being created nowadays focused mostly on stealth, with complex mechanics and large sprawling levels without a minimap and objective marker pointing you where to go.

i think a lot of these things can be accessibility features or just things developers include to avoid player frustration. after all someone is probably going to get upset and quit the game if they spend hours walking around the map not understanding where they're supposed to go.

but in the end the levels themselves should be constructed to be able to be navigated without objective markers and minimaps. for example i rarely even look at the included map when im completing a thief level because i just kinda expect to complete the level and figure out what to do simply by exploring, listening to conversations, reading notes, paying attention to the environment, etc. though i do really appreciate being able to see which room i'm currently in on the map like in thief 2...

and i'm not even gonna lie i looked up guides for certain levels in thief because i couldn't figure out what to do, but i would rather have this point of frustration instead of a game i can just turn my brain off and press buttons at random to complete, that doesn't respect my intelligence at all. and thief games are far from perfect, especially since the devs were rushed and the company ended up going bankrupt, that's why its especially sad to not see any real thief successors or even an actual demand for a good stealth gaming experience.

there's a reason the community around thief is still going strong, developing FMs, discussing the game, creating huge campaigns, porting the game mechanics to a newer engine, etc. if the skeleton of thief wasn't good enough to warrant such a long lifespan none of that would happen! thief is so good, despite being a game literally older than me, that people would prefer to play a thief fm instead of whatever 'stealth mechanics' the newest AAA game cooked up. anyways heres my santances i hope you like them.

i would love for mechanics introduced in thief to be built upon with newer technology. for example more robust dynamic light mechanics like those introduced in deadly shadows (not pushed far enough sadly... but the possibilities are so exciting) as well as more robust audio and various other improvements that could be made if there was actual interest in stealth games anymore... i mean hell a lot of people who made FMs for thief went on to make other games (dishonored) but then those games still don't really hit like thief does.

okay im just gonna highlight some points bc i genuinely do not possess the capability to write in english. gets scared

I think an interesting comparison can be made between the light gem from thief and like, the 'detection meter' some games with 'stealth mechanics' have nowadays. What does the light gem do? It shows which light level you're currently in. There is predictability and consistency in how enemies react to you at different light levels. Your Actual Skill matters, not what perks you chose on the progression tree or what 'stealth skill' you used on your character. If you're at the lowest 'hidden' light level you are basically safe from enemies unless they walk into you and you can plan your next movement, if you're in a higher light level you need to pay close attention to enemies to not get spotted. Can you actually play the game without the light gem? I think yes, since your detection is mostly sound-based cues, and the light gem simply gives the player concrete information to play better and get predictable, skill based results. The 'detection meter' is there because most games don't really have light/shadow mechanics or robust stealth-based enemy AI. You need to visually show the player they've been spotted because in most games the sound design is not catered to stealth and you won't hear an enemy seeing you, or the level design is constructed in a way where you will be spotted by someone looking at you from across the map and not understand where that came from, etc. Frankly in most games you're not even put in situations where you can weave your way around enemies, follow them, sneak around them, etc. You can either press a button to knock them out from behind, or you 'discover' a passage that allows you to bypass all enemies since stealthing 'on the ground' is literally not possible because of the AI that like, spots you based on proximity and nothing else. Or there's like, a meter that goes up the longer you stay around the enemy before they spot you, etc.... You don't feel like you make your own stealthy way, using the tools and circumstances you've been given, and instead you just 'discover' the pre-determined 'stealthy way' intended by the devs.

Sound. I probably can't even name a game where sound matters more than in thief. Sound information is as important as visual information in thief. You can tell which specific level of alertness an enemy has simply by their voicelines. Different floor materials make different sound levels (which may not be super realistic, but it's a sacrifice thief makes for the sake of gameplay), different speeds you move at make different levels of sound, your items and arrows make sound, enemies can use sound to alert each other, etc. An enemy doesn't need to see you to be alerted, and you can hear how many enemies are in a room, what direction they are coming from, and if it's safe to come out of a room based on sound proximity. Also you can press your ear against a door to listen. I genuinely can't name another game that utilizes this.

Okay ummm.... Thief mechanics are robust enough to allow for all kinds of different playing styles. You can use your tools or you can not use any of them at all, you can knock everyone out or go completely undetected by anyone, the thief community makes up their own rulesets for playthroughs not intended by the devs at all, but those are still possible and fun to do.

Stop with the 3rd person view camera. More leaning from a corner and listening to your enemies, less 3rd person camera where you can see enemies while being completely safe and undetected. The first person view is extremely important to thief in my opinion, and adds an incredible amount of immersion. Also, thief never fucking takes away control from you to play an animation or a quick time event!!! It's infuriating when games do that !!!

Even dishonored, a game i actually really enjoyed, is still really lacking in stealth. You spend most of your time perched up on weirdly placed objects above your enemies that make it safe for you to basically teleport from place to place while being undetected by enemies. Dishonored has more of a focus on actually engaging and killing enemies, which imo is really unnecessary. I should actively avoid engaging with enemies in any way in a stealth game. In a perfect stealth game, no enemy sees or hears me at all, while i can still weave around them and pick their pockets, complete all my objectives while exploring a wide map that makes sense and is rewarding to explore, and be able to get out unscathed...

here are my new sentences 😁

[crusherthedoctor]

My hot take: Eggman doesn't get enough appreciation and he doesn't need to be something else to be good

What did you expect | Strongly agree | Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Strongly disagree

Calling Eggman underappreciated might sound bizarre on the surface, because how could one say that, right? He has plenty of fans. He gets loads of fanart. He's widely recognized as an iconic video game villain. Why would anyone claim that?

But when you stop to pay close attention, it's true. It's no secret that Sonic fans who frequently toss him aside in favor of other, "cooler" villains are all too common, even nowadays. It's no secret that fans of other IPs tend to look down on him, believing that this chicken-legged individual doesn't deserve to be in the same pantheon as the likes of Bowser and Ganondorf. It's no secret that fans like to paint him as something he's not out of the belief that it's the only way to flesh him out, and that he's one-dimensional as he is, even though they're perfectly fine with the villains who take his spotlight being one-dimensional for real. It's no secret that even those officially involved with the franchise seem to disregard him, given how many times he was upstaged in increasingly humiliating ways, and the way it's been brought back with a vengeance thanks to IDW and Frontiers.

Yet, even among fans who seemingly accept him as his real unrepentant self, there's sometimes an air of... patronization surrounding his discussion. Maybe I'm looking too deeply into certain phrasing, but when he's referred to as just a cackling baddie, or saying stuff like "after so many serious stories with epic god monsters, it's back to the good old simple days where it's just silly Eggman and his dumb plans"... you get the impression that he's not genuinely respected or seen as a credible and formidable antagonist. And for what? Because he loses to the hero? So do most villains. Because he has a goofy side? Other villains across fiction have that as well, some of them being praised specifically for it, so I don't understand why it's a bad thing here. Because the Time Eater had a so-so boss fight? As if the other 3D Super Sonic fights were much better.

The strange thing about fandom hijinks are their tendency to create opposite problems at the same time. In this case, while a lot has rightly been said about layered characters being simplified one way or the other by fans who aren't willing to see the full picture, things tend to go very differently when the character doesn't behave in an "obviously" layered manner. For all the internet's obsession with analyzing every angle of a character down to the bone, they swiftly throw that out the window when it's a wholly villain or a wholly good guy. Suddenly, what's there is never enough, they have to insert their own narratives that make no sense for the character in question, and it's welcomed with open arms instead of discouraged for missing the officially established layers. So you have Eggman being secretly good deep down, and caring about Maria for some reason, while Sonic is IDW's questionable idea of flawed even though he already had flaws to work with. Meet characters halfway they say, except for these ones apparently, becuse what canonical depth could they have amirite.

But anyway, I would never seriously say that I'm the only person on the planet who understands the ins and outs with Eggman's character, as that would be a very egotistical and Ken Penders-sounding thing to say lol. I'm just a fan who wants to do him justice with my fics, nothing more. But it really does feel next to impossible to find fans who are on the same wavelength in regards to him, because the amount of times where he's been misused or reduced to Sonic's frenemy is truly exasperating. You could argue that for basically any Sonic character at this point, but this has been going on a lot longer with Eggman than it has for probably any other cast member, with the possible exception of Amy, and even then, the issue surrounding her these days is completely different.

[pastelpinkalien]

My thoughts on subcultures and fashion

Alternative subcultures used to be so much more than just fashion, but right now it seems like people confuse the subcultures themselves with the fashions they're associated with.

Alt subcultures used to be about ideologies, lifestyle choices, social attitudes and often taste in music. Style was just one aspect of a subculture that was used to express yourself.

Nowadays it feels like people forgot about these aspects of alternative subcultures and primarily focus on the fashions. You see a lot of people calling others "not authentic" for not dressing a certain way, when in reality the way someone dresses and expresses themselves is a very personal and individual thing. The different alt subcultures influenced each other's styles, often making it hard to tell them apart just by looks. Some individuals within a subculture share its views but choose not to adopt the specific style, and that doesn't diminish their belonging to the group.

On the flip side, there are individuals who are solely interested in the fashions, without engaging with the people or identifying as part of the subculture - and that's perfectly fine. People have the freedom to dress and express themselves however they like. It's not okay to police others based on their individual style.

I remember when I was younger, I wanted to belong so badly. I tried so hard to be something I'm not. I used to listen to goth bands, even though I didn't like them, because I thought it was wrong to like the fashion when you don't like the music, given that it's primarily a music-based subculture.

Now I know that it isn't wrong to appreciate certain aspects of the goth style without actually 'being goth.' It's perfectly fine to admire elements of a subculture without fully identifying with it.

We shouldn't feel the need to change who we are to fit into a specific group. That's not what these subcultures are about. We should celebrate our individuality and beliefs, finding a sense of belonging in that authenticity.

[withered-rose-unbreakable-lotus]

So you want to listen to Alice Nine? (prt. 2)

Moving on with my suggestions for potential new Number Sixes, cause summarizing their work in one post was impossible, let's dive into the next era.

The "Golden" years, imo. The time that solidified them as the Princes of PSC (2008-2013 From "Mirror Ball" to "Shooting Stars")

I wouldn't like to talk about how things were in Japan, cause I wasn't there, but let me tell you foreign Number Sixes were going crazy about them in these eras. And the songs were super strong, like banger after banger, it made sense. (I almost had to separate this era into 2 more parts, cause I couldn't choose. There is so much to find here as a first listen imo)

To this day, this song gives me chills. The melody, THE PIANO WITH THE DRUMS UGH! xD Easy listen, fun song, back to full on anime song vibes but with elegance and...just listen. xD

It honestly saddens me that there are people nowadays disregarding how good this song is xD. I will admit though I don't like its live version. *nods* But the studio version is fun. And back when I became a fan it was EVERYWHERE! xD It was one of the 2-3 songs YT felt like suggesting me when it wanted to show me Alice Nine is an option close to my likes too. :P Also excuse me, but if you enjoy a good solo, you might as well choose this. Hiroto gets a solo, Tora, gets a solo and Saga as well. And Shou gets highs, hello? I get my fix on Nao solos from other songs, though. :P It's not bad here, on the contrary it keeps the rhythm fun and upbeat, it adds playfulness, it's just not given as much time to shine alone as I'd personally like.

Behold. The Anthem xD. Listen, I can tell you for a fact this song was super popular with Japanese fans as well, it'd become a joke. This was also the opening to the band's livestreams for the longest time and at some point they wanted to change it and hesitated but I don't remember if they eventually did. I still remember Tora questioning it xD. Is it time? Should we finally do it? xD I never expected such song would hold so many memories for me 13 years later but here we are.

Finally! My starter pokemon! xD This song made me their fan. It has everything I personally love, it had darker visuals than their usual, moodiness, mystery and soaring parts for grandeur. It's such a beautiful song, like a fairytale. Oh and Hiroto's solo. ;;

I was ready to make a funny visual here for you, but I chose mercy, cause I'm blabbering anyway xD. This is a very catchy song. I dunno if it has the power to make you a fan but it will definitely have you dancing around.

Another favorite in the foreign fandom from what I had seen back then. In part 1 of my Alice Nine recommendations, I had mentioned I'd talk vocal skill in a song in this part. This is the one. If anyone of you here sings, I'd like you to try sing this song while making sure you maintain as much of Japanese accent you can master, follow Shou's tone and get all the highs without running out of breath. If you've been singing for years you probably can do it. Personally, while I'm not a pro, not even close, I was surprised I ran this out of breath with this one, and my throat hurt. On the first bridge specifically. Cause I'm an Aguilera stan too so I know that when I run out of breath, the song is hard xD Like, you can't tell me he didn't have skill to sing this. Now live....this is the kind of song that strains your voice and well, with the years, it has lost lots of its oomph cause of Shou's struggles with his voice. But even back when he tried to hit every note and was way closer than nowadays, you could hear the pain. Very difficult song but very beautiful nonetheless.

This might or might not be a good first for you, it really depends on your taste but this to me is one of their most magical songs.

I personally wouldn't necessarily suggest this as a good first cause I took a bit of time to appreciate it more, myself, but look at the views. It was popular for sure, I remember that. And I admit it's catchy.

See for me this is better for a starter than Blue Flame, but it depends on taste. They both were popular when they came out but Blue Flame had more people's heart. It also had very strong imagery of the members, maybe that added to it. Anywho, I'm more of a "Heart of Gold" person. :P

And we close this era with Shooting Star. This one was a cute song for me, and I think it's easy to hear, that's why it's here. I wanted to add 2 more songs before that but tumblr limits me.

So I'm adding it here as honorable mentions: Do check "Daybreak" and "Himitsu" as well.

That’s all about this post, guys. Again, I’d have loved to do it all in one go, but tumblr... Next and final era in part 3.

I hope you find sth you like, if not, it’s ok, you might enjoy sth from other eras. But well, if you still don’t find sth, we all like different things, it’s alright, but yeah, this was an attempt to entice more people listen to one of my favorite bands, Alice Nine (their mid era, according to my understanding, at least, during which most of their songs seemed to be popular in both the Japanese and Western fandom).

[imonthemoonitsmadeofcheese]

Friends

I wanted to write more for Ikora week but I am so damn sick. I offer instead a handful of older Ikora-involved stories that I've never posted to Tumblr. This one is from Season of the Witch.

Link to Ao3 if you prefer to read it there.

“Drifter, what are you doing here?” Ikora Rey looked up in surprise as he entered her office.

“Oh hey, Rayray. I was just passing through. Thought I'd stop by. See how you're doing.” He walked in and sat down in one of the chairs on the other side of her desk, as though he did this all the time and this wasn’t the first time he had ever set foot in her office, as though this wasn’t a high security area that he had no clearance for and should not be capable of waltzing around in.

Ikora made a mental note to search through her room to ensure she still had all her belongings after he left.

“I'm fine, thank you.” Ikora carefully flipped her data pad face down on her desk to ensure the Hidden reports she had been reviewing on it could not be ‘accidentally’ read. “You've never …stopped by before. Why now?”

“Are ya really fine though?” He leaned forward, looking her in the eyes, smiling gently. “It's gotta be stressful watching someone you've known and cared for for so long turn into a hive god.”

So he wanted to talk about Eris. Everyone wanted to talk about Eris nowadays. Very well.

“It's not permanent.” A simple response. One she had given several times now to several people.

“We don't know that. She don't know that. And if she don't know that, we don't know that. But she'll be ok regardless.” He leaned back in the chair, seeming to enjoy how comfortable it was, his eyes wandering about the room appreciatively.

Ok regardless? What a thing to say. Then again, it was a very Drifter thing to say. His casual acceptance of terrible outcomes for other people was legendary. It seemed a bit callous, even for him, though.

“Will she?” Ikora had understood that Eris and the Drifter were friends now, potentially even closer if some of the more outlandish reports were to be believed. But for him to say that, did he even like her at all? As if becoming the one thing she’d devoted her entire existence to eradicating would somehow be acceptable to her? Was he actually that much of an asshole?

“Yeah. It's Eris. She's in her element. She knows what she's about. You, though, you've seen it happen.”

And there it was, the infamous coin had appeared, tumbling across his knuckles. The Drifter’s signature habit. At least he wasn’t bouncing it off of anything in her office. Yet.

“And watchin’ someone you care for transform into something else can be its own personal kind of hell. Ask me how I know. Can make a person feel powerless and alone, all kinds of awful stuff.”

His response was oddly empathetic. As though he and Ikora were old friends, not adversaries. And his plainly stated clear faith in Eris was a refreshing change from everyone else Ikora had been dealing with. Perhaps he wasn’t that much of an asshole.

“I thank you for your concern.” A tactful answer was best, yes. Was this visit some form of olive branch? But why?

“Takes one to know one, sister.” He winked.

The coin abruptly disappeared. Palmed into his hand, no doubt. Ikora had not previously witnessed his slight of hand up close. She had to admit, he was good. She stretched out her fingertips to lightly tap the face down data pad to make sure it was still there and had not… wandered.

“Ya know,” he continued, “sometimes the best thing you can do for someone in this type of situation is to put aside your fear and be proud of them, grateful you get to be one of the ones there to support."

“I… thank you for the advice.” What was his goal here?

“Advice? I ain't advicing nothin'. Just chatterin'. But I gotta say, when I found out it was the Vanguard's most powerful warlock looking after Moondust, making sure nothing gets in her way while she's doing her thing, I felt better. So, yeah, thanks for being there, from me, specifically.”

From him specifically? What did that mean?

“You're welcome.” Ikora kept her expression neutral, trying to discern his motivation. “How did you get in here anyway?”

“Airlock was open… but, speaking of getting in places, I gotta go. If you need anything though, you know how to find me.” He got up from the chair and started to walk out the door.

Ah, there it was. He was seeking to profit off of the situation. This was a commercially motivated visit, then. A reminder of his… services. Strange that he'd pick a time like this but perhaps he was especially strapped for cash.

“I'm sure you'd offer a fair price if I did.”

“Now, don't go spreading this around, but if it's to help Moondust, it's on the house.”

Ikora blinked, no longer trying to hide her confusion.

“I did not expect that from you.”

“Ha! Me neither, truth be told, but life is strange sometimes and things you didn't think could happen to you suddenly do. I'm all in on that wild beautiful badass witch, so if you need anything to help her, anything at all, you let me know, and I'll make it happen, you got that?”

Ikora’s eyes went wide at the overt affection in his description of Eris. Wild beautiful badass witch? Did he actually just say that? Was he being genuine?

“Drifter.”

“What?”

“Thank you.”

“Welcome. Although… there is one more thing.” He paused at the threshold of the room. His hand on the doorway.

Ikora’s eyes narrowed. “Yes?”

“I was thinkin, the Vanguard's most powerful warlock might be there for more than to just keep shit outta Eris' way.”

What was he getting at?

“Might be someone thinks there needs to be someone there to interfere if things get too dicey. Someone might even use the phrase ‘to put her down,’ as the case may be.

“I…”

When he said the phrase, ‘put her down,’ his expression and voice shifted. His friendly facade dropped and he stared into her eyes, watching her. Digging deep. He was searching for something. A snake attempting to determine whether or not what was in front of it was prey.

Ikora was instantly on high alert. Void energy ready in her fingertips. Her muscles tensed.

“Trust Eris.” Drifter spoke firmly and clearly, an edge to his voice. “If you ever think you should do… that… Don't.” The way he said the word “don’t”… it was like he was giving her an order. She’d never seen him so… assertive. Almost aggressive. No… protective.

“It won't come to that.” She gave him the same answer she’d given everyone else who had suggested it. The words were now practiced in her mouth, an affirmation of her faith in her friend. As though she could speak her faith into being.

“It won’t,” he agreed. “But don't ever make her wonder whether or not you're on her side… and, something you should know.”

What else? What was going on here?

“Yes?”

“I am… on her side, that is… and in anything that involves sides, Eris’ side is the side that I am on. So I will kindly ask that you also don't make me question which side you’re on either.”

Ikora felt a chill creep over her. This wasn’t a business visit or an olive branch. This was a warning.

“Are you… threatening me?”

His face immediately softened. “Naw.” He broke eye contact and his voice became gentle again. “Eris trusts you.”

He looked back at Ikora and his eyes were no longer cold and flat. “She loves you, even. I ain't about to go threatening anyone she cares for. You wouldn’t hurt her. Eris trusts you and I trust Eris. We’re cool.”

And just like that, he was back to the overly cheery ‘normal’ Drifter persona again, all smiles, like he was trying to sell you a used sparrow that would break down five minutes after you left with it. Harmless, shifty, with no hint of the menace he’d just shown moments before in her doorway.

“She needs you,” he continued, “and therefore I need you. And, seriously, we should be friends, because we really are both on the same side, here.”

“I see.” Ikora’s mouth was dry, watching the chameleon carefully for his next change in demeanor.

“Glad you do!” His eyes sparkled, as though they hadn’t just been the dead eyes of a killer considering its next victim a moment before. “Later!” He gave her a cheerful wave and walked out the door.

She heard his coin ping off the floor and walls of the hallway a few times, growing distant as he left.

Ikora stared at the open door for a few more minutes before she pushed a button on her desk. “Get me a full security audit of my office and the surrounding sectors for the past hour. Now.”

[y-rhywbeth2]

In a recent post you mentioned that nowadays, Myrkul covered death by natural causes.

Once again, I'm curious what Myrkul gets out of the Absolute hoax. Not a lot of natural death happening there.

The first time I played, the Lord of Bones seemingly held power over necromancy, given his contribution to the plot. But that's mostly Velsharoon's job, isn't it?

Could Myrkul use the Absolute's power to steal divine influence from Velsharoon? Is that even something he wants?

Moreover, would Velsharoon care at all that Myrkulites were raising an army? Considering he serves Mystra, would he have known / been alarmed by undead brains getting implanted with Netherese-powered atheism tadpoles?

I'm laughing at the idea that Velsharoon, who is listed as one of Jergal's enemies, might have been the first whistleblower against the Dead Three's shenanigans. (Also possibly the result of Kressa's necromancy getting repeatedly foiled by the first True Soul being a Deathstalker of Bhaal who just wouldn't stay dead.)

Not a damn clue. Myrkul's current domains are entropy, age, the elderly, death by natural causes, funerals, and he is basically patron god of the undead. If we were establishing an undead empire of sapient undead and powerful necromancers, that would likely further Myrkul's goals and his priesthood would ally themselves with necromancers and the unliving to guide them - it'd also be something Bhaal would be on board with, although Bane's going to insist on putting his brand name on a few hundred if he tries that. I don't see any alhoons in this mind flayer army though.

(While there has been some brief mention of one temple planning to conquer Calimshan (literally or metaphorically, I'm not sure), his lot aren't a military order and Myrkul doesn't direct his worshippers to rock the boat without cause because he doesn't have the follower numbers to waste.)

I would assume he's looking to recover his power by revisiting his mortal adventuring days (it worked the first time). He's a thousand-year-old former Greater Power and Lord of the Dead who has lost almost all of his offices to younger powers, forcing him to borrow a portfolio from Bhaal; Kelemvor is god of the dead and has the funeral industry covered (and Jergal serves the office of the Fugue Plane, so that's a potential 'ally' lost for Myrkul). Velsharoon ascended and became patron of necromancers and is associated with the undead. Most of Myrkul's worshippers are coming from humans, and the current generation of humans associates those deities with 'his' domains. He's also not in a great position to run off an pick a fight with Kelemvor, as far as I can see.

(I can also understand why Bhaal took this path... And why are you here, Bane??)

Considering that necromancy and undeath aren't heavily involved in the squid army, I don't think it concerns Velsharoon much past perhaps not wanting Myrkul to gain power, although it's also been said that Velsharoon writes Myrkul off as a has-been who should be put in a retirement home, so he might not be paying attention.

While Velsharoon encourages lichdom and undeath amongst his followers he also apparently doesn't care that much for undead, who are just tools and his necromancers tend to brand those under their control with his holy symbols as a flex. Myrkulytes who revere the undead as holy very much do not appreciate that, and as such Myrkul apparently has custody of the undead after the Second Sundering and they like him significantly more. (Hard to say what's going on with Velsharoon right now though, because he's not on the list of deities for the Faerûnian panthon rn (although it sounds like he's still around).

As for Mystra:

'While he professes service to Azuth (and through him, Mystra), Velsharoon actually encourages his followers to kill followers of these deities when they have a chance in order to vaunt his own power.' - Magic of Faerûn

If there's a way for him to gain standing from whistleblowing, maybe, but I don't think he bothers to communicate anything useful to her most of the time.

-

Strangely I actually root for Myrkul to win here, as Old Lord Skull is the more sympathetic of the evil monsters. Aside from just generally having more style; Both gods are revered by necromancers, and their priests aid necromancers and try to get them to follow their god's teachings on the topic. Velsharoon is patron of necromancers (= undead are tools and servants. Surrender to death is Bad), Myrkul the undead (= the undead are those who have entered the holy state of death, their continued power of the living is proof of death/Myrkul's might and is holy and we should aid them in their goals. And taking a comforting stance to the dying with accepting that death is natural, not to be feared and inevitable is Right and there's (hopefully) a better place for you far from the suffering and trials of life).

[skylarbee]

After seeing a post where it said that Miles no longer posted photos of him and Alex, I thought the same thing, they never appear together again, whether on Miles' IG or elsewhere, even if they are at the same party etc... Just a little hasty hug on stage and that's it. It seems like there is a fortress that has been built around Alex, (or that he himself built) As if they should no longer be seen together. This is why I am more and more skeptical about the possibility of a TLSP3, as if they had gone "too far" (and I'm not just talking about "milex") that saddens me, in done there I need to be reassured haha! Sorry for this rambling but I really appreciate your point of view and your analyzes ;)

first of all, thank you anon for your kind words, i really appreciate them!! <3 and don't worry about ramblings as you must know that it's all i do when answering an ask and it's what i'm gonna do now 😂

yeah, it is is saddening (and sometimes concerning) that we basically never see them together nowadays, but i think that if they were actually trying their hardest to hide then we wouldn't have spotted them at the scott walker tribute concert for example, or at that party or whatever where miles is in the background (where they both knew they could be photographed together at any time), or miles wouldn't have said many times that alex goes over to his place or they have dinner and such, or alex wouldn't have asked miles to support them in ireland (and the fact that these were the last shows... of course he wanted to end it with a bang -this could be interpreted in more ways than one-), etc. i thought that the hug in london was very very sweet and so intimate, and even the one in ireland in the dark was cute (the lack of sntm was weird), not to mention alex singing to and pointing at miles so unashamedly (c'mon, he must've known people would figure it out but didn't care). zackery's wedding was a weird one as they were seated apart from each other, but there is no way that they didn't talk to each other - there just isn't any evidence.

i know there are people who say that this is done deliberately by alex's pr team and because they saw the effects of the eycte tour and don't want people to start going crazy over them and ignore louise in the meantime and get the rumours starting about his sexuality... i'm not sure whether to believe this or not. it seems a bit too far-fetched, but who knows 🤷‍♀️ i wouldn't be too surprised it was at least a little true.

speaking of evidence, we know how hard louise tries to show off and exploits her boyfriend and how silly it all looks in the end... to me, miles not posting about alex just means that what they have is reserved for them and them only. the pictures miles has in his phone with/of alex are just theirs, their memories are just theirs, whenever they hang out and the moments they share are just theirs - and this is so important. love, in whatever form, shouldn't be used as a tool to make others jealous or to post in order to gain likes or get people talking - it should be something more private, more precious, something to share between the two of you that is yours only - this should be enough for happiness. maybe after eycte and the fans' reactions they decided to keep their relationship and their private life a little more private. besides, it was always the girlfriends that posted alex a lot and not miles, and i'm not sure he wasn't too big of a fan of that, given... well, everything we know about him, and this interview from 2016:

Like Chung, Bagley has been known to post a lot of pictures of herself looking impossibly attractive on Instagram. There she is posing with her dog, posing naked in the bath … but never, as far as I can tell, posing with Turner. Is that because he’d rather not be there? “I don’t recall submitting that request, but I’m not sorry about it if I’m not on there.”

i think that miles is just simply respecting what he knows about alex and his dislike of social media, and he knows that posting photos with alex would only result in getting more likes than usual and people saying that he's profiting off of his fame. alex and their relationship means more to him than a few likes and reposts.

[boyswhowawa]

The Undead Of Winter, Introduction

The Undead of Winter

two slugcats, forever bound to walk the world

things that will forever haunt them echo on the icy winds

things that will forever hurt them watch in dark shadows

but there is never a lack of hope for healing from the things that hide on the edge of your reality

[ A bit more info, Character references, and a special message at the end under the cut! ]

first things first,

The Saint, also called Wallow, White, or Blender

This little guy has gone through. Far. Far too much. But we'll see how things go for him from here

(Pronouns are He/Its)

The Artificer, also called Beasty, Bomber, Heretic, or Booster

This not so little guy has also been through a lot, she's become something a bit more than a little violent rodent nowadays though...

(Pronouns He/She/They)

almost Immediately when I shared the Saint's design with some friends, my friend @draagu (sorry if tagging's not alright let me know and I will nnot do it again) was like "I wanna hug him" (since then I've had at least 5 people say the same thing lasjdfl;akdfjs;aljsf [As they should this man needs many hugs])

so I doodled that

here's a goofier doodle of the two

also featuring a little cameo from some art by @pookapufferfishjsad;lfkjasdf because I did these twos' designs while me and pooka were doing some drawing together

(which was still really fun oh my goodness I'm excited to do it again sometime)

and now!!!

A little bit more of a serious (?? ish??) note

The Undead of Winter is a project I'm really excited for

it's not gonna be anything too massive, but I just hope all who choose to watch and view enjoy the show

this project is going to be very personal for me, I'm leaning on writing styles that comfort me, and choosing to share them because I think it'll be nice, and one thing that comforts me is big angst, and what follows, the big healing

so this is your warning that this one might hurt a little, but it's not my intention to leave you hurting reading this, and i'm sorry if it does

if you're interested in reading along, I'm gonna be tagging all posts related to it with #RW The Undead Of Winter, as well as #RW TUOW

also if you wanna post thoughts or anything like that, please, feel free to come into my asks, or post anything like that with those tags, I really appreciate anything, wether it's constructive criticism, just some gushing about stuff if you feel like it, some feelings it may have given you, or if you doodle anything

I wanna see all of that, preferably, ajsdl;fkaj

I'm gonna have fun doing this

thanks for bearing with me rambling

and i hope you have a good day

[that-imp-with-weed]

Many years ago I was a big fan of MH series. Can't say that now I love the dolls as much as I used to in my childhood, but they're the important piece of nostalgia for me. Also cartoons about monster folks will always be in my heart.

Now I'm watching their new reboot and absolutely agree with ppl who say dat nowadays MH have been turned into the dolls made ONLY for children despite the experiments with bodies complections. There aren't any goth and emo vibes else. Only colourful vanilla-looking teenagers.

For example, my dear Abby... I appreciate the fact that she was given more thick build body as a yeti, but this very innocent and simple appearance for firstly daring and independent ghoul really disappointed me( She worth wearing more unique clothes with interesting prints and fur due to her connection with winter ❄

New Bombinale looked gorgeous in the first concept)

I have big hopes for fans who will make cooler OOAKs devoted to their fav MH characters.

P. S. Thank you for noticing she still has got fangs) Also it was useful to explore concept-arts) I haven't been in fandom for a long time, so there were some difficulties, huh

[starkfish]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @meduseld! Because while I haven't written in awhile, I sure do love *talking* about writing :D Under the cut

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

A nice round 50.

2. What's your total ao3 word count? 337,459

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Nowadays not really any, lmao, but BACK IN THE DAY I was obviously primarily an ASOIAF writer, but I've also written for Harry Potter, Law and Order SVU, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Taken, and American Horror Story. And I loooooove talking about those fandoms that I write less frequently about so feel free if anyone had any questions, I would lap that shit right up.

4. Top five fics by kudos:

we're men of snow (we melt one day)

Rivers and Roads

this house no longer feels like home

And Maybe Someday Love

to stand outside your virtue (this one is probably the biggest surprise in the top 5 for me)

5. Do you respond to comments?

I was/am good at responding when a fic is newly posted but I'm not very good at it now, which is a shame on me because I still read and love every comment and I think people who take the time to leave comments on fics that are years old are super super rad. Usually I see it and get all giddy and then forget to respond and then feel weird responding much later, which is silly of me. I don't get a ton of comments anymore but I'm going to try and be better about answering because I do appreciate them!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Definitely Measures, that one is just an angst fest in general. Or hmm, A Myth of Devotion is a close second.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Aahahaha this is just making me realize how death is involved in like...all of my fics? So maybe Rivers and Roads since Ned and Cat get to be together at the end, despite the DEATH AND WAR around them? Or maybe that my lips would build a castle which finds Jon and Sansa together in Winterfell despite all the DEATH AND WAR THAT WAS AROUND THEM. Or maybe Wedding Bell Blues which is a fun modern AU despite the fact that Lyanna is unhappy in it. What can I say, I enjoy my angst.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not a lot, although I did just recently get someone angry that I tagged Ned/Ashara in 'Wedding Bell Blues', and honestly they weren't completely wrong but they were so obnoxious about it that the tag is staying there out of spite. And of course I used to get the requisite Catelyn hate but even that was pretty few and far between. My stuff is usually what it says on the tin and AO3 is a little bit more self selecting than other sites of the past.

9. Do you write smut?

Awwwww yis especially SMUT WITH FEELINGS.

10. Craziest crossover:

I'm not really a crossover babe, alas.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes, someone took 'Measures' and basically rewrote it word-for-word as a Downton Abbey fic and someone recognized it as my work (...actually was it you, @meduseld??) and brought it to my attention. Lmao also back when I was on a Desperate Housewives livejournal (BACK IN THE DAYS) I had a couple of ESL writers take parts of my fics and use them in theirs and the mod of the LJ community got SO MAD at me when I was like "...hey please don't do that!" But the incident with 'Measures' was definitely the most blatant.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, and I think it's very cool! I would never attempt to translate it back though lol. But it is very touching to me that someone would like my work enough to want to take the time to translate it so others can enjoy it. I'm always fine with it as long as proper credit is given. I have also had a podfic done on a Lyanna comment fic and that was also extremely cool! The person who did that had a lovely reading voice. =)

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not a published fic but I've done roleplay-y writing with a few friends before which was always fun!

14. All time favorite ship?

I don't know if I've penned more words, thought more thoughts, spent more time for any other ship more than Ned/Cat. <3 A close second to Elliot/Olivia in Law and Order SVU for goddamn longevity though. Still dragging me along, twenty years later.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Sadly I doubt I'll ever finish 'these are hard times for dreamers' because back in 2019 I only had the vaguest idea of where I wanted to go next and that has only gotten worse with time. I have also had a Lynesse fic half-written on my computer for probably like...five years at this point, BUT I think that's more likely to get finished at SOME point just because it is already around 4k words. But who knows WHEN.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Character work, especially internal thoughts, setting a mood/scene, etc.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Action scenes, getting from point A to point B to point C, especially concisely versus needing ten thousand words. I also think my dialogue is hit or miss, especially in a longer back-and-forth conversation.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I'll reference it if need be but usually try and avoid because I don't speak any other language fluently and don't want to make any foolish mistakes.

19. First fandom you wrote in?

Lmao SAILOR MOON (Geocities 5ever) and also I wrote some Pokemon stuff. I'm not even a little sorry.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

I think it's 'we're men of snow (we melt one day)' which makes it especially gratifying that it is my most popular. There are still bits I would clean up if I were rewriting it but on the whole I'm so pleased with how it turned out and it was also really nice that it was a gift for a friend for FandomAid (@catelyngrant) who gave me pretty free reign to do whatever I wanted. So I'm glad I was able to deliver something that I'm very happy with because she deserves it! I am also very partial to my Lysa Heroine Big Bang fic, 'The Girl in the Mirror'. I love writing Lysa and this was the most complete thing I ever wrote about her, and I loved getting to flesh out her backstory. Much as it is super fun to play in the AU sandbox, it is also a ton of fun to examine a part of canon that is left uncovered in the source material. Tagging @catelyngrant, @apprenticemockingbird, and anyone else who may be interested!

[seriouslysam8]

thank you for another amazing chapter. we all appreciate you and your writing so much, and we’re so lucky you take the time out of your day to create something so great.

i started reading this for hinny and i’m hooked because of blackinnon, idk how you did it but you’ve made me a fan of a ship i hadn’t even given much thought to before.

but this chapter!! i feel like sirius does respect tegan and obviously feels warmly towards her, and like he said she’s the perfect woman, but not for him. and he’s staying with her out of a mix of needing a sense of comfort, guilt because his hearts not really in it, but also maybe as a barrier between him and marlene. because he wouldn’t be able to justify not being with marlene if tegan wasn’t in the picture, and like you delved into in the chapter he’s scared to be with her because he cares about her. and that shows to me that marlene is the one for him because he doesn’t feel that way with tegan (at least not to the same extent). also the whole part where was thinking about how marlene is the person he wants to share all the parts of his life with had my whole heart because in my mind that’s one of the most important things to have in a relationship. someone who you not only trust to tell stuff to but also want to.

but ahhh the way you described it all was amazing. as a blackinnon fan (bc of you) i adored this chapter but also i cant wait for hot girl christmas not only bc of jealous sirius but honestly marlene deserves to have her own fun too.

and the scene at the end with cepheus and harry and sirius was so domestic and sweet i loved it

You know, when I started writing Brumous, I very much wanted it to be primarily a Hinny story. It still is. There's still a lot of Hinny. But I'm a thirty-something year old lady so I gravitate and find writing adults way easier than I do teenagers nowadays. So I find myself gravitating to more Sirius POVs and more Sirius centric storylines. The more I wrote Sirius' little love triangle, the more I just loved it.

Anyway, I'm really glad people are enjoying the Blackinnon aspect of the story and I've converted some people to ship them. I find giving Harry two loving godparents just makes me happy because I want that cute little cabbage to be happy, you know?

I'm not going to lie, I have the itch to write more Blackinnon centered stories and/or one-shots in the universe but I don't have any ideas right now.