#the planned stuff ehhhh not very good

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

LITERALLY JUST WROTE THE WORST MOST DISAPPOINTING CLIMAX OF HALLOWED BODIES BUT AT LEAST IT’S WRITTEN!!!!!!

[blackknight-kai]

Hi! Honestly i have so much to ask you! So if i get overwhelming or annoying please let me know!

This ask is geared more towards Halloween!

What if we dress up for D/O and Wukong (separate, please), for halloween. Costumes with some flair, and plans a secretive trick on both of them! Can we get them to participate for trick or treating/handing out candy, pumpking carving, horror movie marathon things? ^-^

Sorry for being late on this one!!!! Work is ugh 😭🤣 hope you like this! I wrote it while standing in line to vote today and I hope no one looked over my shoulder 🫡

DO/WK and Halloween…

Oh boy.

I think he’d LOVE this holiday. While Destined One is reserved I think both he and Wukong, being the cheeky monkey he is would LOVE the idea of “trick or treat” and would take it to heart. Would absolutely play pranks as often as he could. If you don’t have a treat on you when he asks? Sucks to suck you’re going to find yourself at his mercy for whatever hellish thing he had planned. Hope you have a good sense of humor.

*Horror Movies: He WILL scare the shit out of you after you watch them together. Can’t help it. He loves pranking you and don’t worry he will snuggle you after but he’s gonna wanna make you jump and scream as he creeps around the house.

*Trick or treating: He can shape shift and I do NOT doubt for a second he would make you take him while he pretends to be a kid in some costume. He will LOVE getting candy and will be happy with his hoard after. Be ready to hold his hand or he might run off to scare others or gets too excitable and will accidentally leave you behind. (He loves this because it means he can be clingy with you)

*You playing a prank on him/trick or treat? Depends…he might let it slide or he might get you back 10x worse….🤣 don’t challenge him. He finds you and your attempts cute. But he’s a master of trickery. He may pretend to be put out about it though too just to make you feel better. If you MANAGE to catch him off guard? Oh he’s proud but at the same time you’re gonna get it 😈.

(little bit of nsfw at the end)

Destined One:

- [ ] Honestly doesn’t care about horror movies or handing out candy. Just wants to spend time with you.

- [ ] Will hand out candy with you, finds the kids cute but mostly just stands behind you or gently hands out candy.

- [ ] Older kids? Might scare the shit out of them for a snicker.

- [ ] Dresses in whatever you put him in. As long as you tell him he looks good he’s all for it.

- [ ] Loves eating treats with you and making them with you, again is more of a participant that goes alone with you.

- [ ] Helps you decorate and might pick a few things out that he finds interesting, likes the more gory stuff.

- [ ] Haunted houses? Ehhhh might need some convincing because honestly he might struggle with differentiating “danger” and “fun”. Especially with you screaming next to him.

- [ ] Although, once he gets cozy he just LOVES you clinging on to him (even if you’re playing it up). Makes him feel like your protector and strong.

- [ ] Movies, he will watch them with you. Won’t say much and just enjoys being cuddled up with you. Will LOVE if you cuddle closer to him at night in bed because you’re “scared”. On the off chance he gets absorbed in it and actually jumps while watching a movie, no he didn’t. Will deny it with his whole chest.

- [ ] Pumpkin carving? He’s gonna like cutting it up and it probably pretty neat about to. He definitely like showing you his “art” and wants your praise. Keep an eye on the guts of the pumpkin though, you might find him flicking it at you or sticking it down your shirt.

- [ ] Not a party guy but he will go with you, had fun with you and any games that are played. Very good at them usually too. Enjoys whatever drink you pass to him and might go hunt some more down if he likes it enough. Absolutely shares his food hoard with you because he’s snacking the whole night.

Wukong

- [ ] Oh man is he excited. He LOVES candy- you probably have to buy SEVERAL bags to keep him out of them/make sure you have some for the kids.

- [ ] He’s that excitable adult that coos and crows about how cute or cool a kids costume is. Loves giving the candy out to them (in handfuls so watch him).

- [ ] Yeah he’s gonna scare people too. Probably makes a few kids cry and laughs about it.

- [ ] Let him pick his costume. It will either be the most hilarious thing you’ve ever seen or sexy as hell because he is the STAR here okay?

- [ ] If he loves the candy you KNOW he loves the food and treats.

- [ ] LOVES decorating, the scarier the better.

- [ ] He’s going to have a blast at haunted houses. Well, once he gets over that it’s for FUN and they aren’t for beating up/sparring with.

- [ ] Hes going to laugh at you if you get scared and boast about how “Ol Sun will protect you don’t worry”. If you don’t scare easy that’s okay, play it up and watch his chest puff up because he thinks he’s protecting you. He will try tos care the scare actors.

- [ ] Movies? Hit or miss with him. He’s not scared but he might nitpick stuff and be annoying or he will try to scare you while you watch them together. Might whisper his own scary stories to you. Likes them gory. Will laugh and cackle the more gruesome it is and your reaction to it. He will say he’s cuddling you because you were so scared, even if you weren’t but it’s his excuse.

- [ ] Pumpkin carving? Yeah. You’re trusting HIM with a knife? Maybe just let him rip its guts out. He will like that part. He’s gonna be obnoxious with it too and squish the pumpkin guts and make gross sounds. Monkey CHILD. His pumpkin is going to be so gross - like vomiting pumpkin guts and stuff. Pumpkin is everywhere.

- [ ] Party animal. While he will stick close to you most of the time, if he disappears don’t be surprised because he is DEFINITELY causing mischief and making himself the center of attention. Loves any game involving food or just winning in general. Likes the themed drinks too.

NSFW for both:

- [ ] You dressing up for him after things are over/maybe as a costume change? Slutty costume or just something he finds appealing????? HELL YEAH he’s on board. He LOVES this holiday.

- [ ] His tail is gonna be GOING. Swishing this way and that and he’s going to be stalking you around the house like a salivating wolf.

- [ ] Kudos if you spend the whole day teasing him with your outfit, he’s gonna be READY and amped to have you. Might not resist honestly….you may find yourself at his mercy a few times that day/night.

- [ ] Likes showing you off because “LOOK AT THEM THEY ARE MINE!” Hopefully someone doesn’t show TOO much interest in you though because he’s gonna mark his territory with marks on your neck and rubbing against you pointedly.

- [ ] Or at a party DO would hover near you while SWK would keep a watchful eye from near by.

- [ ] Definitely into costume play. He is soooooo ready bite it off you or tear it off you with his claws. (Probably be teasing his tail under the fabric all day too)

- [ ] Sharing candy or treats sensually

- [ ] Some of his “tricks” might be on the sexy side. Where he teases the ever loving shit out of you before leaving you on the cusp and doesn’t let you orgasm.

- [ ] If you like him in certain costumes???? Yes. He’s gonna fuck you in it / you fuck him (whatever floats that boat).

- [ ] If you’re into the whole “prey runs and monster catches” kink? Yeah he’s ready for that too. He will chase you down and have you.

[justcallmesakira]

hihihihi AUGH i love ur work sm?!! omg if u can fyodor with a younger sister (she has the same level of intelligence of him and works in the doa and his organaization) who is dating dazai? :) I know there are some but i need crack and suggestive!!1

ty and er bye good luck take ur time!

"Fyodor with a sister dating Dazai''

Sypnosis: Your rat brother is anything but happy about the fact that you are dating his only enemy on earth! Good luck on surviving!!!

Genre: crack, suggestive at the end

Warnings: bombing, terrorizz, , mentions of maniupulative behaviour, mentions of verlaine, roblox radgoll, loads of simping words, me being down bad, making out (lol), your mom

A/N: my reqs are currently closed but ehhhh who cares lol also THIS WAS SO HARD TO WRITE HONESTLY- pls enjoy and reblog i tried my best--- *dies of mental ilness*

How bro-

JUST HOW DID U DO THAT W/O HIM BLASTING DAZAIS INTERNAL ORGANS? 🤯🤯🤯

No bcs fyodor did not even plan to let u meet dazai but ofcourse bcs of the dead apple tower and stuff and since then he had completly fallen inlove with you whether you are dostoevskys sister or not

He prob asked u to do a waltz with him in the mukokukokurokito or whatver the phuck that towers name was when you entered the castle with your brother

Fyodor WAS NOT happy because he saw the flirty glint in dazais eyes when u came

If looks cold kill-.. (KILL ME, RUSSIAN ZADD😍😍---)

And all you went was giggles and flirting back

Fyodor is prob gonna get his own medicine bcs they two are so like each other??? but he still couldnt believe how you with such high intelligence could fall for him???

(fyodor take your anemic medication first)

Dazai obv had some skeptics after you but like the manwhore he is and prob slept with the entierty of yokohama! ofc hes gonna court you as if you might not just use him!!!

Very (not) normal behaviour indeed!!

HELP YOU KNOW THAT ONE INDIAN RIZZLER VS. UWU CAT??? HES LITERLY THAT BUT

Dazai: "I fucked your sister she be screaming high pitch😈" fyodor: "What did you say, you little child i will crush your skull 😡😡😡should have known when i smile, I also play cello, i can be anything Уву"

that was UWU in russian btw-

But in all serious he will try maniupultaing you or gaslighting you into leaving dazai, he cant leave his only family to a man he does not trust! fyodor doesnt even trust himself-

fyodors gonna act a bit more colder then usual bcs of the fact HIS sister is dating someone and that someone is his enemy

Honeslty you go up to say chuuya whos like "why do i get deja vu-" *flashback to verlaine* you: "First time?"

But ofc since you are also extremely smart you somehow convinced him (after playing roblox radgoll with him for 8 hours) to let you atleast join date with dazai

I bet you rizzed up dazai by "He said his favourite colour was blue, so i blew him up😍💣"

*insert proud brother noises*

He speaks in russian or any slavic language whenever you three are in a gathering to mostly embarress dazai

I have seen some hcs on dazai being a collarbone biter so if you were off shoulder shirts and fyodor sees them by chance hes going to glare at you as if you are covered in mud :33

"Sister,,,what. is. that." *nasty side eye to the love bite on your neck*

Dazai 100% one time randomly pulled you into the alley and started aggresively making out with you with his hands literly sprawling all over your body like hes daddy long legs or sth-

Bcs HE KNEW that fyodor had cctv set in that part of the city and fyodor would be raging at the fact that the sluttiest man is touching his precious sister like that

bros gonna forgot abt human rights- oh wait hes russian

IF HE EVER CATCHES YOU TWO THO--

Like making out on some bed or sth hes actually no LIKE ACTUALLY GOING TO throw a whole ass cabinet at dazai with a face full of nothing but malice-

"How dare, an inhuman animal like you touch my very sister" "BRO CHILL I AM YOUR BROTHER-IN-LAW--"

And your just trying to stop your brother from commiting murder even though that his hobby ^^

fyodor finally forgot he had anemia bcs now all his focus was to give dazai the most painful death know to the medieval period\

Good luck on stoping your brother from poking a fork in your lovers eye in family dinners!!

A/N: guys ik i am doing the valentines req pls be patient i am trying my best!! i have a relly bad mental health rn so yeahhh-

Divider crds!: @cafekitsune

tags! @silverbladexyz @biscuits-lovely-corner @riiwrites @heartsfourdazai @tojifile @atsquie @atlasnessie @chuuyasboner @yosanosboner @ruanais @darling--angst

[warnadudenexttime]

Ok here’s my personal rewrite on “the sides have a nice day” video

DISCLAIMER: if you infact like that video, that’s so real, so valid, good for you, I’m just here to change it a lil into something I think makes more sense/fits the characters better-

I think the premise is fine, but the execution is ehhhh- like look, I’ll keep the original spirit of the video and keep the big 3 inside it cause I know thomas likes them. So I’ll keep logicality then prinxiety then demus. Thumbs up? HWJAJSJ

I think the part of the video that probably needs the smallest tweaking is the first portion with Logan and Patton. It’s fine enough, Patton wanting to do something nice for Logan? Makes perfect sense, dude loves Logan. But the explanation as to why Patton is accidentally ruining Logan’s like- fun day experience? Is like, bro you’re SHJSJSS really running with innocent stupid doe eye’d Patton characterization rn huh?

Consider this instead, so instead of Patton was stupid “oh I didn’t realize the videos were just edited together! That’s why they went super fast!” Just say he was really excited to see Logan enjoying things, he got caught up in his excitement/feelings. Like to just say, oh he’s dumb and didn’t notice at all lol hurts- cause we know Patton is really emotionally intelligent and he would be able to notice at least after a while. So have Logan stop him, and Patton apologize and realize he just let his emotions cloud his goal of giving Logan a nice day. Ok good.

Next one. So, Virgil is giving Roman a good day, I get why- you know. You wanna push that new Roman and Virgil hating Janus friendship. But this whole section makes Virgil look like the biggest a**hole HEJAJSJ- like he’s making Roman uncomfortable or scared throughout it all and he doesn’t notice until the end where Roman basically self projects and is really sad HEJAJSJ I understand you wanted this to be an opportunity for Roman to feel better- or the comedy that is Roman reacting to Virgil sucking at being… a good friend- but consider this!

Roman sees that Patton gave Logan a good day and Roman’s like, he needs something to cheer him up, get his mind off being a downer of a prince. So he’s gonna one up Patton and give virgil a good day! Virgil! The dude who’s like doom and gloom! But if you still wanna have that comedy of something going wrong. Instead of it to where virgil is giving Roman choices he thinks he may likes but then turns out it’s just stuff virgil enjoys- have it be Roman giving stuff he enjoys and thinking “well if I like it, it’s great, so virgil will like it too!” But instead it twists into something virgil likes!

Follow me here, for example. Roman gives Virgil the option of sharing adventure stories, something he enjoys. But Virgil ends up telling Roman a spooky story which freaks Roman out and Roman’s like well that failed! It didn’t go according to my plan! And he keeps offering choices he would like, but virgil twists it into something he would enjoy or it just ends up like that.

And by the end Roman feels awful, he thinks it must have sucked and wants to apologize to Virgil. But Virgil’s like no dude I had an absolutely great day you’re a really good friend, you knew exactly what I like! So that way you get the sweet moment at the end but also the comedy of Roman reacting to things going poorly inbetween. I think it as well just makes more sense for Roman to do that initiative and go for something like this.

Ok so, this last one… it still hurts me so badly to hear Janus say “I’ve convinced Thomas to lean into his intrusive thoughts today” GOD IT HURTS SO BADLYYYY like not only is that such a misrepresentation of what intrusive thoughts are supposed to be, they’re not silly tik tok impulsive thoughts I’m gonna- ok I’m getting off topic.

I’m gonna be real this section is going to be very biased because I don’t like Janus and Remus being close besties, I’m admitting that here so you already know what we are getting into. I just don’t think self preservation, someone trying to keep Thomas at the top and in good health would be like HELL YEAH THOMAS DANGLE YOUR PHONE OFF A BRIDGE GO BANG UP A CAR GO TO JAIL FOR ALL I CARE! But anyways.

The whole joke at the end is, wow Patton and Virgil kinda suck at doing this but I Janus can give that little freak a good day so easily!

Here’s my pitch, have Remus at the end pop up to say, this video has gotten too mushy and feelingy and all that sh-t I’m gonna give Janus a bad day because why not! Seeing him in misery is fun!

And then just have short sections of Janus outsmarting Remus everytime he tries to give him a bad choice, Janus ends up flipping it somehow to something he would enjoy. Kinda like WTIT where Remus is like OH NO YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO OPEN THE DOOR! Then he gets stabbed because he’s stupid. I think this just personally makes more sense to me, then like- yes Janus would probably wanna show up the others but I can’t see him leaning into intrusive thoughts. But as I said, I’m biased.

So yeah there’s my rewrite of that video this was long but yeah :3 if you didn’t like this rewrite and/or prefer the original you’re so valid! Anything here is just my opinion and obviously isn’t the actual best approach.

[lilyacorn]

Yandere delinquent x gn!tutor reader part 4!

The hangout date

This is the first part of yandere delinquent

Yandere delinquent- who’s been doing well during his tests, so of course, theres gotta be a reward! He was thinking of the reward way before the bad scores he’d get. Some cute rewards some… ehhhh more “fun” rewards lewd

Yandere delinquent- who decides to make the reward a “hangout!” Date “Why not the mall?”

Yandere delinquent- who specifically made sure to wear the outfit of your favorite color so he could match your eyes! “This is good right?” While looking in the mirror. He keeps info about u in his diary! Even stuff you never told him…

Yandere delinquent- who’s been waiting for this day ever since well ever! He even saved up to buy you stuff like a good friend! boyfriend.He doesn’t bother buying cigarettes since hes busy daydreaming about this day! “…nice! Just enough to impress them with my money!” With a little smile.

Yandere delinquent- who spent hours of planning the perfect “hangout!” date

Yandere delinquent- He also made sure that he’d choose a restaurant that fit your tastes! You never told him your favorite food…

Yandere delinquent- who arrived to the mall too early! “…ah, fuck-“ it’s not his fault he was too excited to “hang out!” Ehem. Date

Yandere delinquent- who roamed around the mall because you haven’t arrived. He also bought something at a jewelry store~ i wonder why hehe

Yandere delinquent- who quickly met up with you and ate a very nice restaurant. Does he even have enough money “is the food good? please tell me it is…”

Yandere delinquent-who offers to watch a movie with you “wanna watch a movie? Please? Pls say yes”with a puppy like smile

Yandere delinquent- who tries so hard to ignore the other guy sitting next to you and how they keep flirting talking to you before the movie!! He’s just jealous of the contact

Yandere delinquent- who follows the guy to the bathroom during the movie and dealt beat up with him…

Yandere delinquent- who slowly initiates contact by slowly moving closer as you watch the movie… i mean srs so little like 1 inch closer every 2 minutes

Yandere delinquent- who at the end of the “hang out” date shows you something he bought earlier at the jewelry store. “Uhm, here!” Flushed ears and cheeks as he gives you a paper bag.

Yandere delinquent- who gets excited when you open it and its a ring… is he tryin to propose- “do you like it?” With a happy smile.

Yandere delinquent- who gave you the right sized ring i wonder how he knows your ring size… “do you like it?” With a goofy smile.

Yandere delinquent- who offers to walk you home, “uhm sorry if its like really weird but! Can i walk you home? Please”

Would you let yandere delinquent walk you home?

Do u guys want a part 5 of this where reader invites him to their house? (considering this is part 4)

[ashthewaterghoul]

🎃 and 👻 for the WIP ask game, please and thank you 🖤🖤🖤

Seestor!!! (I always read your name in Nihil's voice for some reason lol) Thank you for the ask! :D

🎃Do you have any favourite brainstorming techniques? How do you like to gather ideas for your wip?

I like to try and plan and stuff but a lot of it is what I make up as I go along. Like, take Even The Brightest Stars Burn Out, I knew that Phantom was going to go through the ringer with their mental health, and I knew they were going to have a suic*de attempt (cheery ik) but getting there was a lot of making stuff up. Like the whole dreamshifting ability that made them see Dew's nightmare then accidentally claw their neck and visit the afterlife for a sec. All just kinda made up as I wrote it lol.

Sometimes I get ideas from hcs I come up with, sometimes it's other people's stuff and I do always try to credit where I can!!

👻Can you tease some wip ideas that have been haunting you/something you want to write in the future?

Ehhhh, got some very angsty ideas for mine and @bloodysyren 's fic A Cosmic Collision, Dew's not going to be having a good time at all for a while lol

But there will be some sassy Rain so at least there's that? 😂

Also, got a plan for the 'Mountain finding an abandoned kit who turns out to be Phantom and he raises them' fic, just need to actually start writing it. (I'm not obsessed with Phantom, what are you talking about?)

[klutzyroses]

hi ! Could I request (Ikemen Sengoku) Kenshin's, Mitsuhide's and Yukimura's reaction/scenerio to finding out y/n is pregnant ?? Their first reaction and maybe some afterthoughts , would they prefer girl or boy are they anxious stuff like that ^^

IkeSen HCs: Pregnant SO

Suitors: Mitsuhide, Kenshin, Yukimura

Mitsuhide

Oh ho...what a surprise.

To be honest, it wouldn't be too shocking that he probably figured out she was pregnant before she did.

He is happy of course, though he will likely focus on teasing her about it.

But inside he is just a little conflicted about being a parent, let alone about whether he would make for a good one. He has no doubt that Y/N will be a splendid mother. Him as a father....debatable.

However, he will resolve to be there for her and take care of her every step of the way, she will want for nothing.

He finds himself deep in thought ever since discovering her pregnancy. Contemplating. Planning. He wants this child to grow up happy and safe, but he also knows life tends to have other plans.

If he had to choose between genders, he'd pick a little girl. He will unabashedly say he'd a little girl to spoil and tease as much as he teases his little mouse.

"Now wouldn't that be fun, hm?"

Kenshin

He...almost doesn't understand what she is talking about?

A child? Inside her? What was it doing there?

Logically he knows how it got there but...

His initial reaction may not be the best, as he is not entirely sure how to take it, not because he necessarily upset, even if he may seem that way at first.

He may come off as sullen or despondent at first, but that's only out of shock and maybe some worry.

He doesn't consider it a bad thing when he settles and actually thinks about it. Truth be told, the more he does think about it, the more he likes the idea of having a child with Y/N. A bit apprehensive but glad, even if he doesn't say as much.

He will feel infinitely more protective of her, being extra picky about who is near, how near they are and for how long. This particularly applies to Shingen.

He will cut any potential threat to her and his unborn child to pieces.

He doesn't think too much about the gender but...perhaps a boy? And then the next baby will be a girl. In that order.

"Why settle for just one of them? We will have both."

Yukimura

Ehhhh!?!

He is broken. Has ceases to function.

He feels as though she is joking at first but no, she is very much carrying a baby.

His baby no less... Well of course its his, there would be no way it could be anyone else's!

Yuki is...losing his mind a little here. He is just short of mentally running around in circles, as though she is already in labour.

Of course he is overjoyed in ways that can't be described. Once the shock has dissipated, he will pick her up and spin her around, his smile capable of lighting up the night sky with it's brightness.

He does worry about being a good father to the baby, but he vows in his heart he will do everything in his power to be there for his child.

He may not mind the gender of the baby, but if asked, he may say he would prefer a girl. If asked why, he may stutter and grumble that he just wants one, avoiding eye contact and his cheeks tinting red a bit.

"...I want her to be as pretty as Y/N..."

🌸

[qoldenskies]

Yes yes yes I love ask games :3

14, 21, and 76? (for CL specifically on the last one!!)

14. how do you write emotional scenes? Do you ever feel what the characters feel? Do you draw from personal experiences?

i am a verrrryyyy sensitive person who's had a fair share of panic attacks (my record was uhhh three in a row in one school day! i think i was in seventh grade? but it was once a day for pretty much my whole sophmore year it was NASTY, especially because i had fits that could last hourrsss) so i really claw deep into my own experiences when i write guilt and spiraling thoughts, it's not really cathartic or triggering for me but it helps me get into their brains a little!! although i HAVE cracked at couple of scenes, never into tears but sometimes i find myself holding my breath or feeling a pit in my stomach. i was actually hyperventilating a little when i wrote cw ch11 it was craaaazy

really i think the thing ive tried to emphasize the most was to go out of my way not to make it... detached, i guess? its a limited third person pov so im thinking in the way they see the world, how things go in and out of focus, etc etc. it can fuck with the prose but i think punchy simplicity works well especially when it comes to scenes with despair/fear (i think of that one line "He was feverish and delirious. He was scared and alone. It was so dark." in CL because goddd he's just a kidddddd.,,,,,)

idk im mostly eyeballing like everything i dont have any concrete advice

21. Would you ever collaborate with another writer for a story?

oh for sure at some point, maybe!! although i go at an extremely fast pace and my mind is always racing, and when i used to try to collaborate with my friends with ocs and stuff i always got. frustrated always having to consult them, so i would end up in my own little bubble and i always felt like such an asshole :( im worried i would end up doing something like that if i did, although i dont think i had problems doing it back in like 2019 so maybe? fanfic might be different, especially since its a lot more linear

its an appealing idea for sureeee, especially if i have a lot of synergy with the other person and i dont feel awkward presenting ideas LOL

76. Did you have any ideas that didn’t make the final cut of [Fanfic Name]?

ive gotten some ideas that i thought up AFTERWARDS, but when it comes to CL as i was writing it hmmm yeah i actually cut a couple of things because i put it out a little precooked,, originally i thought i was gonna release it on halloween!!

it was mostly in regards to the early stuff, little scenes that i thought would round out the pacing that i cut because i couldnt find any inspiration for them, but when it comes to the nasty abuse i will say: i was originally planning to show the beatdown in the hallway, and i wanted to rewrite the family meeting to make it worse. i've ACTUALLY been cornered like that by my family before (for uh. asking for therapy of all things, it's in the Traumatic Experience log, but its been years and they've all apologized and changed dw), although not to that extent, so i felt like i couldve made it longer. just make it crueler and crueler and crueler. and then i thought about it and was like Ehhhh raph wouldn't allow that he's not that far gone yet LOL. dude i was originally going to make them tear into EVERYTHING i could possibly think up. down to his little verbal quirks and the way he stands (and that's less from MY personal experience and more the way that i've seen people ONLINE shit talk others, especially neurodivergent lolcows. it was a very good source of inspiration). it was very close to getting nasstyyyyy.

OH and i wanted donnie to stay with april a little longer but it didnt turn out that way, i got her into the story like i wanted so success (and his absence gave them space to plan the murder attempt)

[centrally-unplanned]

I have begun watching House of the Dragon btw - it is fun! I like it just fine. I think the core cast is very good - Emmy D'Arcy & Olivia Cooke imbue a ton of pathos into their roles while keeping everything grounded, and Matt Smith, I mean he is Matt Smith I don't think anyone alive holds a candle to him when it comes to bringing aggressively compensating levels of caustic superiority to a character. They work these scripts really well.

I think the core of the changes are right. The Dance of Dragons, in the books, is a Madness of War story; everyone is an asshole. Rhaenyra is a murderous autocrat, Alicent is a scheming backstabber, both sides are run by awful people. Those awful people sometimes do glorious things, but their glory or loves are in service of foolish ends that destroy the Targaryen dynasty and ruin the country for the common man. It is told as a history book after the fact, and I really like it - I know some don't, but I think as a match to the medium it works well.

That was never gonna work on TV. There is the idea of doing the "everyman" approach, where the main characters are commonfolk soldiers trying to survive or the like. Not saying no one could make that work, but it is a problem of adaptation; the source material gives you nothing to work with there. It is a story of queens and battles, it would tonally be a mismatch to the previous Game of Thrones show as a brand, as an audience expectation, but (unlike say the Hobbit) a mismatch with the source material as well. And doing like a high concept "historian's tale" ehhhh again someone could do it but that is a risky bet. Telling a period drama is what the market can bear, and the story's details are amazing for a period drama; it just needs protagonists.

So you change up the characters. Rhaenyra is now motivated by justice and a desire to rule well alongside ambition, Alicent believes Viserys changed his mind at the last minute, miscommunications and the chaos of war cause the most heinous early actions as opposed to pure malice. I think this works well because the core darker elements are also preserved; the fear that Rhaenyra must kill Alicent's sons to preserve her rule motivates Alicent to roll the dice, her character doesn't matter so much for that dynamic, and so on for other changes. The story's core is still there, but now it has more depth to it, more realistic political dilemmas causing the level of tragedy.

I do think they are going a bit too far on a few of these tracks though? The latest episode (S02E03) screams of modern morality mucking things up as Rhaenyra, despite the fact that she murdered the King's son and the opposing faction is openly mobilizing armies to attack, is not only saying "let's give peace a chance" (that is fine) but refusing to do anything proactive to prep for the alternative. Her counselors propose flying around via dragon to make houses join her cause, and she is like "no, we can't use them, it's too violent"...then don't use them. Just threaten to use them, fucking bluff, get people on your side. Burn just one little household, as a treat. Be trying to make deals with Lord Paramounts, be gathering sellswords, show us something active so you don't look incompetent.

I feel the same way about Viserys deathbed statements to Alicent that trick her into thinking he changed his mind - why do you need this? You already did all that work showing me that Alicent felt she had to put her sons in power to protect them, that most of the council was already planning to do it, and all that season of buildup. Just let that good, justified stuff happen without a silly name mixup from a dying guy. Let Alicent be a little evil.

There is more than one whiff of "boys rush to war while women in their wisdom counsel restraint" in this show, and it is a bad look. For one it is a little sexist, and for two by mixing it with modern sensibilities, they look like rubes in their non-modern war. God forbid a woman do a single coup, that is my gender equality.

Hopefully they get this out their system as the war ramps up - I do think they will.

[eraserisms]

@ravenbled / Shota twin sent in these from here!

☀ Does the mun listen to you while writing or not?

"I don't know if the word listen is the the accurate word. I feel like we're almost always in synch with one another. That is at least, when he is actually writing instead of pacing the house like a lunatic trying to convince his brain to get some words out. It's just that sometimes neither of us have the mental capacity to get things done around here. Either I'm not in the mood to co-operate, we're both tired from work, or there are too many external factors going on in our lives"

✍ Has the mun some special talents beside writing?

"He probably would tell you that he doesn't have any talents, unless you count being able to put in exactly 30 dollars of gas into a car, or however much you want in it." "His friends would say that he has a talent for cooking, but he is his own worst critic. He loves to cook for others, but doesn't like working in the industry. It's tireless and unrewarding. He often says that being a cook is like being a 'starving artist who won't starve' and says that they won't starve only on the basis that they're cooks. They would be able to not go hungry by eating family meal at work and for the fact that they know how to stretch out ingredients. If you want to do well in the culinary industry, you have to be great. And he'll tell you that he's only a good enough of a line-cook to work Mother's Day brunch at the Olive Garden. Nothing higher than that. He isn't good enough to be able to handle the pressure of fine dining and Michelin stared restaurants." Shota gave a toss of his head in thought before letting out a soft 'tch' of a laugh. His lips even dared to curled up into his rarely seen true smile. "And I'd say....well, I don't know if I'd consider it a talent but, he can be a quick thinker when the time calls for it. His rapid responses likely comes from working in hospitals or from being a cook and having to sometimes think on the fly. When it comes to himself he is the type of person who freezes up or shuts down. However, he is like Izuku in a way, and if it's another person or party involved, he can usually spring into action to help rather quickly. I'd even say it's heroic of him, but he'd say it's just human decency. "

🌟 Is there any genres the mun doesn’t enjoy writing but you enjoy being part of?

"Ehhhh, I don't think it's a matter of not liking certain themes or implications. D.A. is pretty open as far as what he is willing to write with people. Out of all thread types, he doesn't really like writing smut and doesn't plan on writing it on this blog. The only person he ever writes smut with is a close friend that he has known for over 10 years. In fact, they even met on this website. It doesn't really bother me all that much, but I'd like to get laid at least once in a while." Shota's mouth curled into a mischievous smirk. "But I guess I'm okay with it just being implied. A lay is a lay whether its written in detail or not." Considering there were few things that D.A. wasn't interested in writing, it caused Shota to pause briefly. His lips pursed in thought, trying to think of something else that wasn't common for his mun to write. "Another thing he doesn't write often is fighting. No matter if it's a physical fighting or a verbal fight, he isn't a particularity strong writer in those genres. That's not to say that he doesn't take pleasure in writing fighting scenes; he just isn't very good at it. In cases of fighting, depending on who he is writing, he is afraid to write characters as over-powered, especially me given the nature of my quirk. Alternatively he is anxious about making the mistake of leading a fight into a direction that his partner doesn't want it to go in. I suppose that's what plotting and out-of-character stuff is for though. I think that's why he made that last post about wanting to have a rival based thread so he can practice that." "As far as writing verbal disputes goes, he is always concerned that his arguments aren't going to make sense, or he'll end up not knowing what to say to a well-made point. Once again, this applies to a person like me who is driven by logic. That isn't to say that he isn't driven by that, but sometimes in his personal life, his emotions can override his reason."

[dracothedeatheatingcupcake-ao3]

Hello, this is for that 'Send me a ship' thing. And the ship I'm sending is sokka/zuko please! Have a lovely day-

Ooooh, good one! I love Zukka, so this will be fun, ha.

I'll put the answers in a read more since it's very long, ha.

Send me a ship and I’ll tell you…

Who asks the other on dates: I think they both would, you know? They would alternate date ideas, with Sokka prefering more like... educational type dates, like going to libraries, while Zuko would prolly like more chill dates, like having a picnic by the turtle duck pond.

Who is the bigger cuddler: Sokka. Zuko does not strike me as a very clingy person, but Sokka would attach to you like a pentapus and not let go.

Who initiates holding hands more often: Hm... I think Sokka again, since like I said in the previous answer, he strikes me as a more physically affectionate person. After all, he was raised in the south pole, so he had to be comfortable cuddling close to stay warm.

Who remembers anniversaries: I think Zuko... they're both terrible at it, but Zuko seems like the more quietly romantic type who would want to do things on anniversaries. Sokka would want to, but his brain is constantly thinking up new things and he forgets the important dates. Not that Zuko minds it, ha.

Who is more possessive: Zuko. In my eyes, Zuko is a possessive person given all he lost as a kid. He holds the things he loves very close to his chest (metaphorically) and hates letting them leave his sight for even a moment. Plus, I think in The Beach he was a bit possessive of Mai, right? I don't remember since I dislike that episode and don't rewatch it often, ha. But also Sokka doesn't strike me as a possessive person.

Who gets more jealous: Zuko again for the reasons above.

Who is more protective: Hm... I'd say Sokka, if only because he's been the unofficial protector of the Gaang for so long that it's become a part of him and he's deathly protective of everyone he loves, but Zuko especially since Zuko seems bound and determined to get himself killed.

Who is more likely to cheat: Neither. They're both fiercely loyal and would NEVER betray the other like that.

Who initiates sexy times the most: Ehhhh I don't like thinking of this stuff too much, so I can't really say.

Who dislikes PDA the most: Zuko, if only because he was raised in a very conservative, restrictive family who never touched each other gently, especially after his mother left. PDA makes Zuko anxious that someone will come and make him stop or something.

Who kills the spider: Neither. They make Katara or Toph do it.

Who asks the the other to marry them: They both do. They both have an elaborate plan to ask the other to marry them, but both backfire spectacularly (like Momo steals the engagement necklace that Sokka spent months perfecting, or Aang misremembers what he was supposed to say and sends Sokka in the complete opposite direction of where Zuko requested he send Sokka, etc.) and they eventually just show one another the engagement item they got/made, and laugh over their stupidity.

Who buys the other flowers or gifts: They both do equally. Zuko likes to give thoughtful gifts that he carefully picked out, while Sokka gives things he found on the ground that he thought was neat, like a cool rock or a flower from the garden. Sokka also does the thoughtful gifts sometimes, but he prefers giving small things that made him think of Zuko throughout the day.

Who would bring up possibly having kids: I think it would be Zuko at first, if only because he has to have an heir for the throne, but Sokka would be 100% on board and would actually be much more excited (and nervous) that Zuko once the idea is planted in his head.

Who is more nervous to meet the parents: Well, technically speaking they have already met each others parents, but when meeting them as a romantic partner, definitely Zuko. Given his impossibly strained relationship with his own father, not to mention the fact he was Sokka's enemy and once terrorized the Southern Water Tribe, he'd be absolutely terrified that Hakoda will hate him and will forbid him from ever dating Sokka. Sokka would have to talk him down at least 10 times from a panic attack before the first official meeting. It ends up that the fears were completely unfounded since Hakoda respects Zuko greatly and is proud of how far he's come.

Who sleeps on the couch when the other is angry: Ehhh I honestly don't know... I'd say Sokka maybe? Not much reasoning on that. It's almost 1 am here and I'm too tired to think up more, ha.

Who tries to make up first after arguments: For petty arguments, Sokka, since Zuko is too stubborn and prideful to concede first. But if Zuko truly is at fault and he knows it, Zuko would be the first to own up and apologize sincerely.

Who tells the other they love them more often: Sokka says it more often verbally, again because he was raised in a physically and emotionally open environment while Zuko was raised with Ozai and Azula so... yeah. However, Zuko would show his love more often in small ways, which I'd give an example of but again I'm very tired and can't remember the example I thought up a minute ago, sorry.

[what-ive-been-reading]

Harrow the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir

One Sentence Summary:

Lobotomized nun realizes God and his Angels suck so so much.

Did I Like It?

Yes and no. I'm probably not going to read it again for a long while because of the second person writing style. Like, I GOT IT right away and I really did like what it was immediately communicating to the reader, but god damn were the third person "flashbacks" a breath of fresh air. It was like surfacing from my own personal River.

That said, Tamsyn Muir is an expert of her craft and her voice carried me through this book. On my first reading attempt right after Gideon I actually stopped reading for months because I hated the prose. Fortunately, I just couldn't stop thinking about the juicy implications and all that angst waiting for me to crack open and slurp down like so much bone marrow. It was absolutely worth it.

If you're reading the book and you don't "get" or enjoy the second person perspective: just get through it. It'll be worth it, I promise.

This book is so good it makes me feel stupider for having read it. It's like it laid bare all my inadequacies with my own writing. This is a good thing. I think it's still distinctly Upmarket, but it sure as hell isn't Commercial. Many sections are downright Literary.

In short: if you liked Gideon, you need to read it. Simple as.

Would Another Me Have Liked It?

God, probably not? There's a 50/50 chance pretentious teenage me would have thought this was either revolutionary or pretentious. It's kind of both, and that's what makes it so good. It plays it all with a straight face.

I think 17 year old me would've put it on the same shelf as House of Leaves and The Gunslinger. Do with that what you will.

Expanded Thoughts:

THE IDEA OF THE PROSE DRIPS WITH ANGST AND CONTEXT BUT UGH

Undead bees are such a cool concept and I think that it paints what could've been a very boring and samey concept (world devouring space monsters) in a really unique way. Hive structure, colony orders, cooking vibrations, and having your mind fracture when you look at them all works SO well.

Unlike the first book, the humor landed much better this time for me. Again, I still think Gideon the Ninth was funny but sometimes it tried a little too hard. I do not feel that way about Harrow the Ninth.

Much like the first book, nothing here is surprising but that's okay. Some people I talked to about reading the book seemed shocked that I had figured so much out so instantly? Like, I do find that weird but I think it's very much a reader issue rather than a writer issue. Tamsyn Muir doesn't seek to surprise you. Tamsyn Muir hangs the Sword of Damocles above your head and occasionally gestures towards it as if to say "Eh? EHHHH???" while you worry about when it will eventually fall.

For real, just read the Dramatis Personae of these books and you'll figure out like 50% of what's happening, which makes figuring out the rest while reading easy. You have Uno. It literally comes free with your XBox.

I respect Tamsyn Muir's dedication to putting these two kids through the wringer. Honestly? I hope they never meet.

I WAS absolutely wrong about the girl in the Tomb. I thought that was going to be Nona but very clearly that is not the case. Excited to see what that's all about. Surely Harrow isn't going to do anything dangerous. She's so stable. If I came to this series when it was still a trilogy, however, I would have made the same called shot and landed exactly where I intended.

Man this series loves dinner parties. I really enjoy how characters just get to breathe for the vast majority of these books. The action scenes are great and all, but that's not why I'm here.

The book plays with death so well. Genuinely the stuff in the River might be some of the most fun I've had with a fantasy setting in an extremely long time.

When they're explaining why THEY showed up in the River, I picked up on the plan and said out loud "There is no way this stupid poem is going to show up now" but then it does and it works and it was EXTREMELY impactful. Christ what a finale. Ortus, man. What an excellent expansion for a character.

Called Shots:

Have they said it's the Earth Solar System yet? I feel like maybe they have? It's very clearly Earth, right? Did they say it in Gideon and just never bring it up again? It's nine planets, dog. You really think I'll be tricked by the First House actually being the third planet? You made the Ninth Pluto.

Who's Nona? Harrow's in the river, Gideon's where she is, and there are no other Ninth House teenagers. I think we have a real One Body Problem on our hands? Although John could probably fix that Gideon issue lickity split.

The rest of the galaxy is like, normal ass people who are under constant threat from the imperialist goths. Please this would be so funny if true.

[turtle-to-dragon]

a return to goal-setting and logging and blogging

I figured it's time to start using this space more like I did before. A lot has happened in my life since I last posted personal stuff; I've changed my profession, moved back to my hometown, returned to my first and most beloved martial arts school, started Chinese sword training, had a few pleasant encounters with HEMA practicioners, started teaching kung fu again...

I haven't trained as consistently as I'd have liked, and I had some months where I didn't exercise or move or do much of anything, at all. Fortunately, that's behind me now, and I'm back at a state of mind where I feel comfortable setting martial arts related goals again.

Now I know it's important to keep it as specific and measurable and actionable as possible, and I *also* know that it's probably important to not plan too much at once... but ehhhh. I'll just try to be kind to myself and keep the daily actions small and short enough to not overwhelm myself. At the same time I know I need consistency and a plan to achieve those things.

My goals;

(re)learn the Sword Hand Form, so I can perform it fluidly, with intent, in a way that I would be able to teach it to others, by September.

optimize the Leopard Form, so that I can perform it fluidly, with intent and appropriate depth and the character of the animal, by mid August.

get good at deep stances so I can maintain them comfortably for a minute (horse stance, reversed bow stance, empty stance) on each side.

get better with the leopard kick (which is a sneaky one, pretending to go all straight and then at the very last moment turning inward or outward)

get better with the leopard strikes (the circular in the straight, the straight in the circular, as my teacher said)

learn the 3 Principles Sword Form (san cai jian) so that I can perform it correctly, with intent, with body-sword-movement, with a partner, by December.

establish a sword training routine so that it becomes part of my daily life. start with maybe ten minutes a day, keep a checklist with drills to practice nearby, and re-evaluate after two weeks if this actually helps with anything.

pain-free, strong right shoulder, so I can go through 2 x 1.5 hours of sword training or regular kung fu training per week, or so I can get into push-up position, or hold a focus mitt against serious punches and kicks without pain... By stability and mobility exercises on every second day (alternating with leg work)

pain-free, stable left ankle, so I can go through 2 x 1.5 hours of kung fu training on mats per week, including jumping and standing on one leg without falling over or being in pain for days... by stability and mobility exercises on every second day (alternating with shoulder stuff)

improve endurance so I can sprint up one or two flights of stairs without feeling like I might die. I'll probably start with a C25K training program again, and training with stairs would probably help as well. What doesn't help is that I abhor starting this kind of training because it feels so miserable. (That's probably me wanting too much, too soon...)

Yeah. Like I said.. maybe a bit much, but I'll try and figure it out.

.oO(goals for July and beyond...)

Other things, apart from the goals:

On Friday my new sword will be delivered, yay! Getting the shipping notification today made my Monday significantly better. More swords for everyone!

Looking forward to a HEMA introductory workshop on longsword in less than three weeks, with a kung fu sister and two other good friends <3

very much enjoying having a very motivated kung fu sister that matches me in thirst for knowledge and enthusiasm for this art.

My first kung fu teacher and my mom both said that they would like to be present during my next kung fu exam. I don't know yet when that will be, but I feel honored that they want to be there. And it feels kinda fitting, since they were both present at my very first training at this school, 22 years ago. ^_^

After tidying up my room, I now have (hopefully) enough space in my bedroom/living room to practice sword techniques. (Looking at you, ceiling lamp... Stay where you are!)

Okay, that's it for now. Off to actually train now :D

[forthesanityofstorytellers]

Author Ask Tag

Ooo I haven't done this one yet 😁😁 Was tagged by @anyablackwood (here) and @gummybugg (here), thanks you guys!

I mean technically you both tagged my main but this is my author profile so there, lol

ANYWAY

A quick light tagging of @moonluringfrost @adie-dee @astellarium @bloodlessheirbyjacques @winterandwords @afoolandathief

and on we go! Using Abracadabra for any WIP-related questions

1. What is the main lesson of your story (e.g. kindness, diversity, anti-war), and why did you choose it?

Be annoying a do crime? lol Ehhhh don't really have one. Though Rod (MC) does muse at the end:

My mother survives through me because I choose to remember her traditions. Whenever it is that I truly die, I will only live as long as my stories do. Beings, Terrans and otherwise, are easily forgotten. Stories and traditions are not. I guess that’s all any of us can truly strive for.

So...ig if there's a lesson of Abracadabra it's to make your story a good one? As in one that you like and are proud to have been a part of, one that those close to you will want to tell and close to them will want to tell, etc etc

2. What did you use as inspiration for your worldbuilding (like real-life cultures, animals, famous media, websites, etc.)?

I'd say 'not a lot' but in all honesty I took inspiration from probably a thousand different things and each bit was a thought or idea or small detail or something similar, and so I can't point to one thing and say 'yes, this inspired the world of Abracadabra'. Plus it's set on modern-day earth, so...I feel like the snippets of inspiration would be evident to those who watch/read the same things I do, lol

3. What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, and help readers grow as a person?

We both have very simple aims; to be entertained, to tell a good story, and to maybe play a trick or two.

4. How many chapters is your story going to have?

Right now it's standing at 29. I was hoping to get it up to at least 30 initially, and hopefully with the re-write I'll manage to get it up there. If for no other reason that to make it a nice round number, lol

5. Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

Original content. I plan to self-pub once it's done, but...I dunno, I'm entertaining other options. I mean I'm still going to self-pub once it's done, but I'm waffling between doing things like putting up done chapters on Tumblr. I also entertained the idea of using Neocities to make a blog where you can read all the stuff for free, using Substack for chapter releases before publishing, posting on Royal Road...etc.

6. When and why did you start writing?

In general? I started writing when I was 12 (I think, may have been before that) and it was legitimately reading Lloyd Alexander and thinking, "can I do this? Can I write like this?" and no one told me I couldn't, so I did. And now here we are.

For Abracadabra? I think I started writing it in 2016 as a part of a trilogy where each book followed a different MC with one large overlapping plotline so you got to see what the others were doing when they ran into a different MC. And said trilogy started because I began working with my dad (one of my biggest fantasy/storytelling influences) in my first actual collab. We were about halfway through the first book when he got diagnosed with cancer. By the time I got to the third book (now Abracadabra) I was on my own and felt I needed to finish the story. Possibly why Abracadabra has the 'lesson' about our lives being stories that live in other's hands.

7. Do you have any words of engagement for fellow writers of Writeblr? What other writers on Tumblr do you follow?

My dad had a saying. "I didn't cheat, I used all my resources to the best of my ability."

While hilarious and also said to cover up the fact that he was, in fact, cheating (and I can hear him saying that to me now, because he insisted to his dying day that it's not cheating and it's a mantra I'll adopt at opportune moments) man was also a genius, observant, and hacking computer systems in high school. In the 70s. So when we accused him of cheating on computer games, what he was saying in a hilarious and quippy way was "I figured out how to reprogram the game to bring my desires of how I want this game into the parameters of how it functions because I that is a thing I know how to do."

Point being, to other writeblrs...don't be afraid to use all your resources to the best of your ability. Cheat the hell out of the system.

...

Also back up all your digital shit. Save it in at least three different places, make sure one of them is in an offline format or - even better - an offline removable format (like a portable hard drive or usb, or even written down on physical paper). My first book took two years longer than it was supposed to because the laptop I was using crashed two days after I finished the first draft and three years of work went down the drain and the only thing I had left was about three pages of a cut scene I wrote in the middle of history class. I had to rebuild it from memory.

I mean, it turned out better I think, because I had at least three years of writing experience to build off of at that point and that's also likely why it went faster, but I also had a panic attack when it happened and that wasn't fun.

Also the writeblrs I follow tend to be a) ones that followed me first and b) ones that I looked at and went 'oh yes, I can be friends with this person' (usually because I have begun reblogging a bunch of stuff because it made me laugh or think or nod along or I agree with it or thought it was interesting or). Not always in that order, tho lol more of a social follower ig.

[talesfromasnarkylisa]

Lacey: Chapter 7

August 4th, 2023

I asked my boss if I could have some extra time off since I had worked overtime. He approved. This was great, since I needed some time to bait Lacey into looking like a scammer.

My first plan was to get Lacey to give me some advice on reader engagement. It was a semi-common scam in article writing spaces to pretend to offer helping a target to increase their follower count. This could be via expensive fake courses with links containing malware, promises to improve their search engine optimization which go nowhere, and so forth. Sometimes, the scammer would ask for advice first - and then turn it around and request “mutual feedback” to lure their target into the rest of the scam. 

I was going to get Lacey to ask me for advice first. Her last few messages reeked of desperation for popularity, so it seemed unlikely she would be the one to first give it. I checked through the server member list for Music Refined. Lucky for me, Lacey was online. I sent this message in the introductions chat.

Archer J (08/04/23, 4:30 PM): The name’s Archer J. My birthday’s 08/16/02. He/him, heteromantic and ace. I mostly write about tech and music. 

DMs are always open, unless you’re blocked. Feel free to ask me anything.

I then replied to one of Lacey’s messages in the general chat.

Lacey Hannah (08/04/23, 4:28 PM): Anyone listen to Paramore’s recent stuff?

Archer J (08/04/23, 4:31 PM): I do, still slaps.

The next step was to wait.

…

It didn’t take long for Lacey to show up in my DMs. Two minutes, to be exact. I thought it would have taken a few more days, but it did not.

Lacey Hannah (08/04/23, 4:33 PM): Hi! 

Archer J (08/04/23, 4:34 PM): Hello there.

Lacey Hannah (08/04/23, 4:35 PM): Can I call you Archie?

Oh, she’s coming on strong, I thought to myself. This won’t look good on her to audiences. Especially since she’s a woman.

Archer J (08/04/23, 4:37 PM): I don’t mind.

Lacey Hannah (08/04/23, 4:39 PM): Ok then Archie

I’ve always admired your writing and your videos. You just have the smart guy factor that’s so damn charming. 

Archer J (08/04/23, 4:40 PM): Thank you.

I was starting to worry she’d never fall into my trap. Thankfully, she did.

Lacey Hannah (08/04/23, 4:42 PM): May I ask for some advice?

Archie J (08/04/23, 4:43 PM): Go ahead.

Lacey Hannah (08/04/23, 4:46 PM): I’m not very popular on Medium right now. Not really anywhere, but I’m gonna ask about Medium. I currently have like, 50 followers on my profile, even though some of my articles go viral. There’s definitely no consistent fanbase for me either. Do you know of any ways to get more people to follow me and be into my content consistently?

Time to spring my plan into action. I decided to suggest to her an old beginner publication I wrote a few articles for early on in my stint. Despite the publication’s popularity and the fact that the front page pieces were often commented on, my articles there didn’t take off at all. They received no claps, no replies, and few reads. It took me starting on Vocal and meeting Betty to actually gain more followers overall. This was perfect for Lacey.

Archer J (08/04/23, 4:51 PM): Why yes. There’s a publication called “Writer’s Delight” which is really popular. They have almost 100K followers. The articles published there also tend to get good engagement, with thousands of claps and dozens of comments. I published there. It took a few tries, but I got insane levels of viewership afterwards. It’s pretty easy to become a writer there, too. Just send them a properly spell checked piece and they’ll add you.

Lacey’s response surprised me.

Lacey Hannah (08/04/23, 4:54 PM): Ehhhh…I don’t know about that. I’ve written for a beginner’s publication before, and the most I got out of it was an editor reply. The admins were also kinda creepy.

Archer J (08/04/23, 4:56 PM): Which publication did you write for?

Lacey Hannah (08/04/23, 4:57 PM): Storytime.

Archer J (08/04/23, 5:00 PM): I see your problem. You chose a publication run by a bunch of rich people fixated on looking generous without actually giving their writers voices. Writer’s Delight is much more professional and diverse.

What a blatant lie I sent her, I thought to myself. Writer’s Delight has too many writers for all of them to make the front pages.

To compensate for my deception, I sent Lacey screenshots of my analytics before and after the time period when I published in Writer’s Delight. I conveniently ignored any other factors leading to my surge in fans.

Lacey Hannah (08/04/23, 5:04 PM): Oh, okay. I see what you’re getting at.

Archer J (08/04/23, 5:05 PM): So are you going to write for Writer’s Delight?

Lacey Hannah (08/04/23, 5:07 PM): I’ll think of it. 

Archer J (08/04/23, 5:08 PM): Great! 

Part 1 of my plan had just begun. Writer’s Delight wasn’t objectively better than Storytime ever was. Both had an undercurrent of toxic positivity and showed favoritism towards AI analysts (though not artists). The two main ways to get on the front pages were two strange extremes. Either write about thinly veiled spirituality and forgiveness or shady advancements in technology. The latter was more common in Writer’s Delight than in Storytime. 

Knowing Lacey, she’d never write either kind of article on her own terms. But if worse came to worst, her desire for more audience reach could result in her going down the rabbit hole of instant capitalistic startups. Back when I wrote for Writer’s Delight, some people helped promote the editors’ get-rich-quick schemes in exchange for having their article drafts queued faster. Perhaps Lacey would become one of them.

(Wattpad version: https://www.wattpad.com/1485931558-lacey-chapter-7)

[phantalgia]

Grand Adderall Experiment 2

So the day has gone by...and something happened.

Just PURE autonomic dysfunction. Oh my fucking god. It's still not over but this has been the worst experience with a dysautonomia episode I have EVER experienced. I barely even remember how it started.

I was watching YouTube videos, reading, completely engrossed within it. I think the adderall did help in that area? I had this like anxiety about doing this beforehand (especially turning on my computer) but I managed to get by it. But anyway, I was still feeling sick while doing it but I just dealt with it.

Then I went to the bathroom and it hit me. I don’t know exactly what came first. I think feeling faint? Badly. And I don’t know. I came out of the bathroom. Completely stiff as a board. My muscles were so stiff that theyre sore now after it.

My heart rate was 100+ bpm, and it even dropped to maybe 60! I was going in and out of these symptom waves some stronger than others. All while I have this flu like sensation that I still have and headache.

I didnt know what to do to make it better, walk around? Lay down? Sit? Stand up? It was confusing and I was scared but not nervous? It's hard to explain.

I get nauseous as hell and I feel like I’m needing the hospital and it's just getting bad. Nerve pain, tinnitus, stiffness, shaking, my heart is beating so hard that I felt it in my lower right abdomen. It was so noticable.

I really thought I was done for. But my priority was calming the fuck down. So that's where I am right now. I took some xanax, laid down, watched minecraft videos, did those tapping points and eventually it settled. It's still sensitive. Cant do anything crazy. Just slow.

After all this I felt my body go into parasympathetic mode. At least try to get into it. The xanax might have helped. But now it's somewhat settled...ehhhh. Still sensitive. But I got through the worst of it! Just gotta be careful getting up.

This was by far the worst episode. I didnt think I was gonna be able to eat food but I managed to do that! Although my stomach got really talkative! And I was feeling a little sick again. But I did that!

Another thing I noticed is when I get those dizziness/lightheaded waves. It starts at the base of my neck and shoots up to my scalp. And you know what? THATS WHERE I GET MY PHANTOM PAIN/HEAD ACHES WHEN I CANT FOCUS OR WHEN I EXERT MYSELF!! I HAD THIS SINCE SCHOOL! Silver lining I guess! So adderall helped teleport me back in time and notice things I brushed off! Weird! But whatever.

I need to come to some conclusion about adderall. My plan is to stop taking it. Maybe try it again the day after tomorrow one more time. I need a break at least. And to see how much of this was caused by the adderall. I think the hypertension and CNS stimulation wasn't good. Also feeling sensitive to emotions and anxiety while also being calm at the same time? Weird.

What was good? I felt mellow and chill. It was easier to focus, none to some rumination but it often fizzles away. Hyperactivity is reduced but not eliminated. I felt calm and anxious at the same time. I was able to read and watch stuff fine. However my short term memory or being able to memorize or think about what I consumed is. I don’t know. It feels like I didnt consume anything. But I did! I know what I watched and read and probably can vaguely say. But it feels like I didnt process it.

So I don’t know memory and thinking straight seems off. Adderall is a mixed bag outside of the autonomic dysfunction. Very conflicting. I want to write about what I learned today from what I read and or watched and see if I’m able to create something new and remember stuff.

Anyway. That's the update. I'll probably try again with adderall in the day after tomorrow. See what happens with my health tomorrow first. Otherwise. I'll just stop it and catch up with my doctor.

What a nightmare tonight...I’m glad it's sort of settled. I still feel sick