#the writing process is ridiculous

[caelum-in-the-avatarverse]

*harass harass* Tell me about the buddhism books you've been reading caelummmmm. Tell me how they intersect with ATLA and your thoughts on EBWF

*sweats*

So the more I read about Eastern Philosophy, the more I realize I'll probably never fully grasp it, lol. Ironically I think Buddhism's answer to this realization is "Yes, that's the POINT."

I'll be honest - I'm not reading anything overly academic or deep. I needed to get in on the ground level of understanding, so I literally read through Buddhism for Dummies, Taoism for Dummies, and Hinduism for Dummies. All three were very interesting and informative!

For me, trying to understand Buddhism is kinda like trying to hold smoke, my hands are in it but I can't seem to grasp it. I feel like I get it when I'm reading about it but once I put the book down the concept just eludes me. (If anyone's got any reading suggestions for understanding Buddhist philosophy, feel free to rec them to me!)

One thing that stuck out to me, though - the Three Jewels. The Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, or the teacher, his teachings, and the spiritual community) are a pretty important part of Buddhism, which means they ought to be a pretty important part of Air Nomad culture as well. I'm guessing there should be some sort of Buddha-like enlightened teacher figure in the Air Nomads' distant past... Also there's so many different schools of Buddhism, makes me wonder at the differences there must've been between Air Temples.

Also the fact that these things are called the Three Jewels, and we have the Feanorions, who are also related to three jewels...idk, I just find that funny.

There's also the whole concept of a finger pointing at the moon, or the word used to describe something is not the something itself, and...well, elves are word nerds, so I feel like there's gonna be some interesting conversation around that at some point.

I really enjoyed learning about Hinduism. Growing up, India as a concept was basically "that place where we send missionaries", so it was nice to finally, like, learn about Hinduism on its own terms without that Sunday School overlay. It was a little hard to wrap my head around some of the concepts with the avatars and how all the gods are manifestations of the main gods and it really takes the concept of "everything is connected" to a whole other level, but it was really cool stuff!

Taoism was pretty cool to learn about too, but I can't remember any specifics right now.

...And I haven't gone any deeper into any of this yet because I took a tangent and dove into Tibetan history. I wanted to read Prisoners of Shangri-La by Donald S. Lopez Jr. because it was recommended in this post, but the point of that book is to deconstruct the harm done by Orientalism and Tibetan stereotypes, and I very quickly realized I had no idea what any of these Orientalist Tibetan stereotypes it was talking about were, so I went and read Tibet: A History by Sam Van Schaik to get a better grasp of the background. It helped a lot, and I started on Prisoners of Shangri-La again, but then a library book I requested a month ago finally came in, so everything's been put on hold while I read about how the 1920s Florida real estate boom led to the Great Depression. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[caelum-in-the-avatarverse]

lol maybe to celebrate I should get back to writing those 15 prompts for the 15th anniversary

atla turning 20 next year in 2025... 😳

[franeridart]

The Housecat Philosophy - Ep 37

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[ruvviks]

finally got around making a proper outfit reference sheet for nathan! he likes wearing dark clothes which really emphasizes just how pale he is. he was a STEM developer at MOBIUS for nine years what did you expect </3 click for higher resolution and to get a closer look at all the details! outfits from left to right: his gear for the evil within 2, 1am convenience store trip, his mobius gear, and an improvised outfit for my own fictional the evil within 3 =^)

taglist (opt in/out)

@shellibisshe, @florbelles, @ncytiri, @hibernationsuit, @stars-of-the-heart;

@lestatlioncunt, @katsigian, @radioactiveshitstorm, @estevnys, @adelaidedrubman;

@celticwoman, @rindemption, @carlosoliveiraa, @noirapocalypto, @dickytwister;

@killerspinal, @euryalex, @ri-a-rose, @velocitic, @thedeadthree;

@jacobseed, @swordcoasts

[faeriekit]

I think I've decided that I see cinema the same way I see ballet, and other art forms I have little to no experience with; I can tell that impressive things are happening, but without a rubric to tell me exactly what elements we're looking to maximize and analyze in this art form, it kind of means...nothing to me?? You really do have to sit there and have someone walk you through how the dancer is looking to make this visual effect with their movement which is enhanced by the costume in this way and that they trained for years to be able to pull this move off because despite looking effortless it actually takes this much physical strength to pull off and this much time to master...

Everyone who keeps telling me that art appreciation is simple and that people are dumb for not getting fine art owes me eight hundred dollars. Appreciation of individual art forms has to be paid in hours of educational time and experience with that art form. Almost no one has the free time to participate even if they somehow magically know where to go to find the resources on what made this work special or cool or interesting or unique or what have you. Stop ridiculing people that have no way to know the secret hidden backstory of every cool art piece they stumble upon while in the world. If you really want people to appreciate it, tell them why it is cool.

[thedevillionaire]

coming from someone (me) who writes but can't bring themself to post fics... please please reblog your second answer to #17 of the writing asks list. it can't be lost beneath a cut. please. 😂😂😭😭😂😂😭😭

lol I'm glad you enjoyed it, anon. Um...sure. Here you go. 😅

me, writing snzfic: is this ridiculous?

also me: ridiculously hot?

writer me: no…just regular ridiculous.

also me: *makes random noises, wanders about* aaaaaaaAAAA

writer me: shut up. stop it. i'm pretty sure this could be ridiculous.

also me: I AM ON FIRE

writer me: yes but that's you, but the people readi...

also me: INCINERATE

me: (later, rereading) This is stupid and I’m not even turned on.

also me: (later the same day, rereading exactly the same thing) FFFFdfghjkhgrgrkk... *can’t function due to horniness*

[malaismere]

idk if I actually want to write it, but I was thinking, ‘hm, baldurs gate three is a pretty good set up to have a character from something else be Tav’ and obviously how could I not immediately think of Jester. Mostly because Tav has big ‘everybody loves Jester Lavorre’ energy.

just. the crystal clear image of her getting upset that she’s back at level one, and yelling at the traveler about it, which everyone else goes ‘okay whatever so she’s maybe a bit crazy, we can deal with it’ and then like the first time they set up camp he just actually shows up to apologize, because this plane is making him do *paperwork*

I’m kind of tempted to restat her as a warlock for said paperwork reasons, which would mean Wyll getting to watch her make a very casual deal and having Emotions about that. And obviously Shadowheart and Gale have their own fun angst about the God angle.

[ianthewife]

every single Val scene is an absolute banger (of nuclear variety) and it gets better by which i mean worse every time. as you can see i just listened to Val and her “mother”’s conversation. will be haunted by it to the end of it all. i don’t even have sufficient words for this whole situation, im just sitting with my head in my hands like Well Fuck, god help me i really can’t be having a religious experience+existential crisis+horrible heartbreak every single episode of this show jesus christ help us all

[babyseraphim]

guess who thought they finished their chapter, but then decided to rewrite 3/4 of it

fucking me

[ardentpoop]

I don’t think im cut out to be a Real Author for several (self-deprecating) reasons, but chief among them is that I WOULD be the type to have a nervous breakdown looking at my goodreads reviews every 2 seconds. which would probably make me fucking insufferable to be around

[demigod-shenanigans]

Now why in the world am I going back and forth about cutting a scene from this fic that isn’t even happening until the, like, second to last chapter when I haven’t even written most of the middle yet

[caelum-in-the-avatarverse]

Current mood: Throwing word spaghetti at the wall that is EBwF 4, waiting to see what sticks.

It’s all crap, but I can’t edit crap until I have crap to edit, y’know?

[shoutmonishere]

Vulnerable

So as it turns out, Taiki prefers to keeps his own problems to himself.

Shoutmon so happens to find this out.

Aka, analyzed Taiki too hard i wrote a short fic about it, which is just the much better version of this

Note: takes place somewhere in Hunters' timeline.

~~~

Shoutmon woke up confused, to muffled hiccups and sobs so late into the night.

And figuring out who it belonged to is just as disbeliefing.

"Taiki? Taiki, you alright?" He called out raspily from within the Xros Loader.

The sounds he heard earlier had quickly ceased before he is left to hang in silence- with what he believes to his partner's own shaky breath?

Before it could stretch on any longer than it should, he hears something shift around.

"Yeah, im alright." His partner replied. From the sound of his voice, he's definitely trying to put on a smiling voice.

It would have been convincing if only his voice weren't already quivering.

"I- uh, so happened to have heard some stuff. Was that you?"

Silence.

"Did... Did somethin' happen?"

More silence.

"Taiki?"

....

Ugh, that's it.

After a moment of even more silence, Shoutmon now engulfed by the Xros Loader's familiar, bright light, then forcefully pulls himself right out of it.

When he opened his eyes, he finds himself within the comfort of Taiki's bedroom, somewhere near foot of his bed.

The room is reasonably dark, but in spite of that, the gentle moonlight that peeked from the curtained window was more than enough to help him adjust.

It didn't take long for the king to lock eyes with his general's.

The boy was hunched, legs hugged close to his chest, tears still running down his already puffed eyes.

"S-sorry," He apologized hoarsely, now wiping at his tears. "Did i wake you up?"

"Taiki wh- that's besides the point!" The dragon whisper shouts. "Taiki, what happened?!"

"Shoutmon, i-it's okay."

"What happened."

"It's nothing."

"Taiki."

The brunette averted his eyes, contemplation washing up in his face briefly. Ruminating whether answering would be of any merit.

He then exhales, and then hugged himself tighter, further burying his face deeper into his arms and knees.

"I... i had a nightmare." He admitted meekly.

"A nightmare?"

"Mhm."

"Oh. Uh, what's it 'bout?"

Another look of contemplation.

"It was... about you."

"Uh huh, and...?"

"You.... Died. Again."

"Oh."

Right. He'd died, didn't he?

He'd almost forgotten how death was in the Human World, how heavy it's impact was for those who lost, how permanent it is compared to the Digital World.

"Taiki-" Shoutmon mumbled, his expression softening.

"It's- it's kinda dumb, i know." The boy managed to blubber out as he began curling in on himself more, avoiding eye contact.

"What!? No, dont apologize for that!" Shoutmon clambered up onto the bed. "If it got ya all teary eyed, then that shit ain't stupid!"

Atleast the dragon's usual vulgarity is able to get an amused snort out of the human.

"How long has it been going?"

"What?"

"The nightmares?"

"... A year ago, i think." He managed to croak out. "A while after you and everyone went back to your world."

"Have ya... mentioned this to anyone?"

"..... No. I- i told you, it's dumb."

"Taiki it ain't dumb-"

"It's dumb because you're okay!" He cried out, his voice barely holding itself together at this point.

"You're alive, you're not hurt anymore, i know that." The boy sobbed, now tugging at his hair. "But for some reason i just- i just keep worrying over nothing."

"Even if that were the case, that doesn't make it any less haunting, doesn't it?"

Taiki gazed at him for a moment before shaking his head 'no'.

"I- Look, Taiki." Shoutmon sighed as he sat in front of the him. "You're a tough guy, someone that cares a lot, that people could rely one. I've seen that first hand, and so have others."

"And we all appreciate that." He grins fondly. "We really do."

"However, that doesn't mean you need to carry your burdens alone." The dragon then gently places a hand on his shoulder.

"As Xros Heart, you've relied on us when it comes to the Bagra Army. And now that they're gone, you could still rely on us, but not only as your army or comrades, but as your friends."

"We've already had the fate of our world's placed on our shoulders," Shoutmon smiles as he reached to ruffle his hair. "So what does it matter when it's now your brain being mean to you?"

Taiki stared at him dumbfoundedly before breaking into a hearty laugh, covering his face with his arms.

"W-when did you start getting this wise?" Taiki chuckled, peering out at the dragon. "I thought you're no good at that?"

"Eh, i'unno." He shrugged as he pulls his hand out of the boy's hair. "I suppose that's what being king does to ya." And in response Taiki laughed a little harder.

"But i really meant what i said, okay?" The dragon reminded. "If there's somethin' bugging you, we've got your back. Im sure Akari, Zenjirou, and the others share that sentiment too."

Taiki could only nod in confirmation as he sniffled and rubbed at his eyes, finally letting himself unfurl from his position.

Then suddenly, the boy reached out and hugged him. "Thank you." He muttered tearily.

And naturally of course, he hugged him back. "No problem."

[malkaleh]

15. What fic of yours would you most like to rewrite?

I’m actually rewriting it right now! The OG OT3 verse fic was originally written as a crack fic one off that I did not expect to continue and uh, that was a lie apparently ;). But there were so many things I’d world built, so many storylines I wanted to expand/do at all that a rewrite just made sense. I’m calling it the extended edition but I think it’s really the definitive version, with the things I wanted to put in (Gregory Cromwell, the Liz Seymour- Gregory Cromwell courtship of convenience/spite to the Seymour Men to true love, Mary Boleyn/Jane Seymour storyline, Helen Norwich’s subplot (and Norwich In General), Norfolk’s storyline) and then I realised that the sequel I had written was also…needing to be rewritten. In a ‘oh I am allowed to write the long expanded story…people might be interested????’ Way.

And it’s kind of meant to mirror The Tudors TV show seasons in universe - also I knew where part three ended up mostly from the beginning but I only recently got the idea for the ending ending and I AM SO DELIGHTED BY IT.

Also there’s a scene in part III involving Thomas Cromwell that is going to make me INSANELY DELIGHTED TO WRITE.

thank you so much darling Nat friend.

[sheliesshattered]

the number of times that I've been actively researching a scientific topic in preparation for writing a sci-fi story that incorporates that topic

and then brand new info on that topic is released into the scientific community. while I'm in the midst of reading up on it

is too damn high, and honestly starting to get a little spooky

[junemermaid]

do you ever get that thing where you're shoulder-deep in a writing project and then suddenly stop because you're a bit too deep and the idea of finishing and sharing is just a bit too personal?

like, this is the inside of my brain and it occupies me every free moment and if I ever post it then everyone will know.

eh. what is writing but cracking your proverbial ribs open and dipping a quill in your heart's blood. what else is it.

but I would like to get this scene moving. so I've told the internet. usually that works.