#this is messy but i hope its comprehensible!!!!

[skitskatdacat63]

Tradition vs Modernity vs Comradery

+ context & lore:

In the first drawing, Fernando is wearing a capote de paseo, which is what bullfighters wear before the match begins, as seen below:

In the second, Seb is shouting the very familiar "Olé" which is shouted by the crowd to praise the matador. He's a little brat, so of course he's yelling it for himself, but he did get many 💐

The third(which was a random sketch I had that I didn't think I'd finish tonight, so ignore if its messy) has very important context to me. Before going to the final act and killing the bull, matadors dedicate their montera(hat)(and symbolically: their kill) to a a specific person in the audience(or just the public as a whole.) Seb and Fernando are finally in the same color! Seb is bowing!!! And Fernando is honoring Seb!!!! Also ignore that I drew Seb's post-retirement hair. Though, maybe this drawing is supposed to represent Fernando making a dedication to his now-gone rival 😔(Seb: stop telling people im dead!)

Now, some more lore :D

So I talked about this in my last matador post but I'll expand more. I think it's very funny to characterize Fernando in this au as this fun-hating traditionalist. Because you have to understand; he's only this way when it comes to Seb. Because you absolutely KNOW he was doing silly, unserious shit back when he was younger. But absolutely god forbid Seb do anything silly.

It's very ironic because there literally is a part in the third act of a bull fight where it's basically encouraged to be a bit silly. This is a tad morbid, but basically right before they deliver the killing blow, some show their mastery over the bull by doing some superfluous action(ex. kissing the bull, kneeling in front of the bull.) There's some guy who literally would lean on the bull and mime taking a call. But anyways, Seb would def do this. I've not been able to draw it exactly how I want, but he would bend down and do his little bull horn symbol and mime charging at the bull. (Fernando, trying to make up reasons to hate Seb: oh my god, look at this blatant disrespect, look how he is disrespecting the bull, I cannot believe how rude this boy is!)

Also there's something to be said about how the matador shows mastery over the bull by kissing it or bowing to it...and Seb is technically the bull in this au and Fernando is the matador. There's just this unfortunate level of weird power inbalance that still lingers even though their rivalry is over and can't be affected anymore. There was no succinct answer about who truly was better because Seb was forced out of it. So there's always gonna be this level of "is he just pitying me? Is he just mocking me? Is he just patronizing me?" on Seb's part whenever Fernando praises him or makes dedications to him. And Fernando's always going to be haunted by the fact that there's no answer to who is truly better because he'll never know if Seb had reached his full potential or not. Anyways, they also have nasty sex while wearing their costumes and do weird bull/matador roleplay :)

[fate-defiant]

i have two, no three fancomics in me rn and it's rotten work it's such rotten work

[peachsayshi]

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ EX-BOYFRIEND HCS (feat. Gojo, Geto, Nanami, Choso) 

minors / ageless / blank blogs dni

ˋ°•*⁀➷  tags: angsty, mentions of break ups, mentions of make ups, mentions of commitment issues, I’m keeping all of this kind of vague.  

ˋ°•*⁀➷  notes: decided to finally edit up this post that I wrote xo I hope you enjoy it! feedback/reblogs are always appreciated <3 

wc: 1,204

gojo:

he understood why you ended things with him. he’s not an easy man to love, he doesn’t exist in a world where a life can simply be built. he didn’t fight you on your decision or beg you to change your mind. there is nothing he can offer in return which is why he conceded in letting you go, even though the choice destroyed him beyond comprehension. this is the first time he’s ever felt truly broken and he chooses not to cross paths with you for the sake of his own wellbeing. 

but still, he can never fully erase you from his life. you were his pretty light, the spark of happiness that brought him profound joy. he can’t help but succumb to an opportunity of sneaking back in, even in the smallest of ways. besides, the break up didn’t end with fighting or hateful words, it was amicable - so, why can’t he show any signs of fondness? 

these excuses come with every birthday, holiday or special occasion. you always receive a thoughtful gift wrapped up in a pretty bow. gojo never includes a card, but the way your heart seizes up tells you that it is from him. it lingers in your mind that he still thinks about you, even though you are trying to move on. your heart fights you on every decision you make. you would meet bachelors who would exude perfection but they don’t even come close to the man you once loved. satoru gojo may no longer hold space in your life, but the painful reality is that there’s a void inside you that only he can fill. 

geto: 

the man who stole your heart - there’s an ache in the place where the muscle once resided. he snatched it away without even knowing, and disappeared into the shadows. you don’t hear from him at all, not even a single text or a phone call. the silence is absolutely haunting - he doesn’t know the hurt is the reason why you hate him, but how its also a reminder of just how much you love him. he makes time stand still - and your world stops moving. 

suguru should know better - this way is easier (or so he thinks), he had his reasons (or so he thinks). he spends his days analyzing this decision - dissects it, pries it open and pokes at it in all angles. every conclusion leads to him acknowledging that you deserve far more than what he can give you. but still it becomes his obsession, his source of contention and irritation. it’s not like he hasn’t done this before, but why can’t he snip the last tether that’s tugging at his heart? 

it’s him showing up in the middle of the night, taking in the stunned expression on your face after months of zero contact. he holds you with so much care when he apologizes, begs you to take him back as he whispers sweet words in your ear. you’re not proud of the way you melt right into arms, or how easily you invite him to your bed. you hate that you would let him break your heart a thousand times over, not knowing that he’'ll fight to his last breath just to mend it back together. 

nanami: 

messy is the only word to describe the break up. somehow it wasn’t even a one sided decision, but a point where neither of you were willing to carry on. the heartbreaking thing is that the two of you didn’t just end a relationship, you ended an entire life together. nanami never went into anything half-assed, and that included what he shared with you. now, he sits in his new apartment, most of his things still packed in boxes, and he can’t bring himself to settle down. you were the only home he’s ever grown to love and he can’t help but think what it was about this particular fight that defined the course of your relationship.

nanami was mature about the aftermath, but his removed behavior made you feel small, made you wonder if he was truly unaffected by the pain of separation. as you divide up your life you ponder if he’s reconsidering the entire decision as well. this whole blow up felt so stupid to you now, a minor blimp in the beautiful story of your love together. you knew he wasn’t good at expressing himself in the moment, but when he finally left the key to your place behind, everything came crashing down at once. 

you both have a hard time referring to each other as exes. you both still speak about one another with such tenderness. your loved ones pushed you both into seeking each other out, but neither of you were willing to disturb the other’s peace. you’ve both done enough damage, caused enough hurt that would last a lifetime. it’s only by chance that you stumble into him at a new coffee shop - like fate itself worked hard to ensure you swung the door open just as he stepped through the threshold, that your bodies collided at the right moment so you can see the missing half of your soul in each other’s eyes. 

choso: 

“can we at least be friends?” - how were you supposed to say no after you had just broken him. this man whose sweet heart radiated nothing but gold even though his eyes were full of sadness. he didn't ask you questions as to why you felt the need to end this, didn’t push your decision even though things were going relatively well. you were so thankful because the extent to which he loved you was petrifiying. you just needed to find yourself for a moment - to catch your breath, and ground your feet after floating on air. 

it’s hard to ignore that choso shared your body and heart. your friendship is so different, and you can’t help but feel like you were tiptoeing around a minefield. he looks at you with immense hope, and that optimism weakens your will. you don’t want to sell him any dreams unless you were sure yourself. so you try your best to keep things platonic - you make sure that you are never alone with him for too long, give other suitors a chance for casual flings, and even go as far as setting choso up on a date. 

you’ve somehow convinced yourself that this is good for you both, until choso asks “do you hate me?” - it hurts seeing him break before your eyes, listening to him question you if you’re doing all this because you don’t want him around you anymore. he tells you that it hurts and you don’t know how to justify any of your actions by using your fear as an excuse. he’s given you no reason to think he won’t cherish your love, and all you can think about is making him smile. waking up tangled between the sheet with him makes you feel sick. your heart races when his arm squeezes around your waist, when his lips brush softly against the back of your neck and you’re burrowing yourself deeper into this hole with no idea how to make it out safely. 

[sphireath-wisp]

Can you do Blue Lock Rin x female reader x Sae? The reader is a very sweet and kind girl. The Itoshi brothers are fighting for her love.

Sypnosis: The ask above!!

Warnings: Love angle, unclear ending, all characters are aged-up, mild cursing, messy interchanging grammar

Notes: You didn't exactly specify how you wanted the story to end. Neither did you say whether you wanted Rin to get with the reader or Sae to get with the reader? Thus, I made it more of a big situationship. (I didn't have much to work with and I wanted to stay in bounds instead of straying further from your ask and making my own story)

Featuring: Rin x F! Reader x Sae

"So, this is what you were up to, Sae?" Sae clicks his tongue at the sound of Rin's voice. He had hoped that dragging you alone with him to a booth near the back of the club would have let Rin off of his trail. This suffocating crowd wasn't doing him any good, especially when they failed to slow Rin down.

Rin, on the other hand, is irritated beyond words. Even with the bright lights in the club, he can still see the bright red flush of your cheeks and bare skin. You're wasted, drunk beyond comprehension and he can tell from your slurred speech.

You're on Sae's lap, forehead resting against his shoulder as his hands pretend to hold up upright - both Sae and Rin know Sae wants to hold you.

The sight alone causes Rin's hands to ball into fists. The blood in his veins feels like they've reached a boiling point, his gut churns uncomfortably when you give him that glazed-eye look. He's never wanted to be his brother so bad.

You feel a hand wrap around your wrist. "Come on, (Name). We're leaving." Rin declares.

"You're leaving. (Name)'s with me." Sae speaks up, hand holding your other wrist when Rin tugs you off of his lap. Sae's frown visibly deepens. He doesn't like you leaving - he realizes.

You stumble between the two. The world is spinning when you stand up and the ground looks distorted. The alcohol has its own strong effect on you, you can barely stand up and, unluckily or not, they take notice.

Rin takes action first, tugging you in his direction and allowing you to rest your head on his chest. His body has a mind of its own when his hand snakes around your waist. Sae, however, just had to intervene and pull you away from him just when he was getting comfortable.

"Fucking moron, can't you see she's wasted? I'm not leaving her like this. I'm bringing her home." Rin hasn't let go of your wrist.

"I know what I'm doing, Rin. Go home," Sae's words are firm, eyes narrowing at Rin and earning a glare from him. "Tugging her back and forth like a ragdoll, you don't know how to treat a girl right."

There's an almost deafening silence between you three. You're too disoriented to really hear the snarky comments exchanged except for the loud music blasting through the speakers. Chills shoot up your spine when Rin places his hand on the small of your back. Sae stands his ground and his hand find their space on your shoulder, fingers invasively going under the strap of your top.

"(Name)'s going home with me, Sae."

"You can't decide shit for her."

"What? You wanna ask her yourself?" Rin's tone is mocking, eyes rolling at his older brother. "If you have eyes, you can clearly see that she's drunk."

"She'd still want to stay with me, drunk or not." Sae's eye twitches. "Right, (Name)?"

You blink, dazed from the alcohol. Everything's a blur and you stagger back and forth. If it wasn't for them, you'd probably have fallen down by now.

"...Huh?" you blurt out after a moment.

"(Name)," Rin begins, speaking slowly so you can process things, "Do you want to go home with me or stay with Sae?"

[payattentiontothescreen]

Some of My Favorite Queer Relationship Arcs

This is not a comprehensive list by any means. These are just a few stand-outs for me.

Fig Faeth and Ayda Aguefort

There are two major things I love about Fig and Ayda. The first one is that Fig wasn’t into the idea of a real relationship before Ayda came along. Beyond her rendezvous with adult men (which were disturbing at best), Fig never sought a relationship. As someone with a lot of experience as a teenage disaster, I see a lot of myself in Fig. Her meeting Ayda completely changed her view of relationships and herself. The second thing is that Ayda was originally supposed to be a fetch quest side character. Emily became attached to her, so she became a major NPC. Not only does that represent one of my favorite parts of playing D&D (ask me about the time I bumped an NPC’s status by flirting with him), but Ayda’s story on its own is just so powerful. A Black, autistic lesbian being loved and accepted, not just by Fig, but all the Bad Kids. I just love them so much.

Dana and Rachel

They never break up. Dana and Rachel have so many hurdles, so many obstacles they have to overcome. It looks like they’re about to break up a couple of times, but they never do. It is amazing to see a queer couple go through so much bullshit that never breaks their relationship. It is an amazing, mature relationship between two admittedly immature women. Also, Ashly Burch, my beloved.

Beverly Toegold V and Erlin Kindleaf (I couldn't find a gif of them)

Another teen actual-play couple, I couldn’t help myself. Honestly, they’re just so sweet. I think part of the reason I love them so much is because I wasn’t expecting queer relationships when I started listening to NADDPod. Shortsighted, I know. Their relationship is so adorable. The thing that really drives it home for me is Bev’s whole thing with Terran. Hear me out. They mention this in the episode, but Bev and Erlin aren’t actually in a relationship when Terran shows up. They’re dating, but dating without having a label when you’re a teenager is basically just being friends and knowing you like each other. I don’t blame Bev for kissing Terran. Like I said with Fig, I have a lot of experience as a teenage disaster. The fact that Bev was so shaken up by his momentary lapse in judgment that he insisted on sleeping in separate beds from Moonshine and Hardwon says a lot to me.

TK Strand and Carlos Reyes

These boys cannot catch a break. They are so messy and insane and I love them for it. One of my absolute favorite relationship dynamics is “they will always find their way back to each other.” TK and Carlos embody this perfectly. Whether it’s emotionally, mentally, or physically, they will always find their way home. To each other. The drama did get a bit tedious, especially with their break-up between seasons 2 and 3. But they love each other so much and that love is beautiful to watch.

There are obviously more queer relationships that I love. This list is in no way complete. These are the ones that I have been thinking about a lot recently. Hope y'all are having a good pride month. I'll see you soon!

[sometipsygnostalgic]

Bit of thought and discussion last night over what makes a competent, effective movie vs a deep or interesting movie with Star Wars as our target.

So to highlight it in the most obvious way: George Lucas's movies are complex with deep plots, but are not well-written and fun to watch. So the prequels gained this reputation for being a bit of a slog because no matter how much Lucas loved this story he crafted, the way it was presented was lacklustre.

Meanwhile Disney tries to make a "competent" and entertaining movie with every attempt. Every marvel movie... before Endgame... was very entertaining and well-directed, regardless of if there was anything worth thinking about later.

When it came to Star Wars, Disney really struggled with this.

The Force Awakens is definitely a competent movie that hits all the beats they wanted it to. It has those good Classic Star Wars feelings, weighty lightsaber combat, a core cast that you love watching interact, and an emotional centre. It does the job it's supposed to, perfectly, whereas not taking a SINGLE risk with the franchise. It desperately doesn't want to be associated with Lucas's "boring power bloaty" prequels.

Of course the film recieves criticism for this, because it's just copying A New Hope without adding any new dna to the franchise. Every critic can see what Disney was doing, making a nostalgic star wars theme park, and they say they want Disney to deliver in the next movie.

Then comes The Last Jedi, where Disney's lack of direction became incredibly obvious. Rian Johnson took the Force Awakens critique FAR TOO MUCH to heart and made The Last Jedi the complete opposite - Everything TFA did, TLJ did in the opposite way. So instead of being a hero in waiting, Luke Skywalker is disappointing to Rey, he's ran away and fallen into squalor and he immediately throws away the lightsaber that brought him to tears at the end of the first film. And instead of leaning on the new trio everyone was excited about, Johnson splits them up permanently, with no interaction at all in the movie.

The Last Jedi tries to make itself more interesting by forcing threads into places that do not fit. Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy isn't a messy dark character, he's a starry eyed optimist, but this movie takes the easiest and cheapest route possible to turn him into something he's not because the author wants a darker more questionable story and has only got this one film to make it that way. The movie also leans hard into everything Disney was trying to avoid with the first one, long boring segments of whacky hijinks.

As a result a lot of writers have respect for Johnson's attempts to diverge from Disney tradition of super safe movies, his attempts to add stuff to Star Wars and make a unique film, but it completely fails as a competent movie and it fails as a competent story because there are too many authors clearly fighting with each other.

Movie 3... I've not seen it. I do know a lot about it, and Abrams spends the whole thing once again undoing everything Johnson did and trying to return to a safe Star Wars. TOO safe. To the extent that the plot completely lacks any comprehension because it needs to warp the story so much to return to the beaten path.

Somehow, Palpatine returned!! What the fuck!!! And why was this revealed in Fortnite???

Why are they puppeting Carrie Fisher's corpse?

Rise of Skywalker is disney at its worst because they have gone from being super safe to trying to return something adventurous to the safe path, without any degree of originality or creativity. I don't think a single actual writer worked on that film. It was all just direction to make epic setpieces, the pursuit of a "competent and entertaining" film instead of the ninth part of a story.

They are also repeatedly having to do this with Marvel. They have the lost the ability to do their own stuff with Marvel and are following a variety of comic plots, because that's "safe", right? But no, the comic goes to all sorts of crazy places, which gets in the way of making a competent and cohesive film. So theyre trying to get rid of some of that complexity, enough to make the writing bad, but not enough for Marvel to become coherent because that would require actually creating new stories and not following the basic, highly profitable guidelines of Marvel comics.

[multiplicity-positivity]

So I I am a anti endo and have seen this quote a lot recently in Endo spaces and was wondering if you could explain the quote the to me its “future is plural” to me cus to it sounds like Endo systems want more children to get traumatized and because of that become a system

we have seen a lot of anti-endos twisting and misrepresenting the words of others who use this phrase, leading folks in both plural and did/osdd communities to believe that “the future is plural” means those who say this want to traumatize all children so everyone becomes a did/osdd system.

let us assure you, that is not at all what “the future is plural” means.

“the future is plural” is about plural acceptance. it’s about fighting for a future where the general public is knowledgeable about plurality. a future where systems can exist openly as plural and not be discriminated against for simply being themselves.

it is not at all about making everyone else plural. like seriously. if someone said “the future is stem” or “the future is queer” would that mean they are advocating for literally everyone in the world to go into stem or become queer themselves? absolutely not. and “the future is plural” as a phrase is no different.

it’s about plural acceptance. it’s about plural advocacy and understanding. it always has been, from what we know about the phrase. we are not pushing for a future where literally everyone is plural omg… the only people who have claimed this are anti-endos.

and it is absolutely worth pointing out, that there are many, many systems out there whose plurality did not form from trauma. like, that is the whole meat of endogenic plurality - it exists as a label to describe systems who formed without trauma playing a role. it’s baffling to see so many anti-endos say in the same sentence “endos (aka nontraumagenic systems, systems who formed without trauma) want children to be traumatized so that they form systems” because like… endogenic systems do not think that way about plurality. that is specifically an anti-endo talking point. so it’s quite strange how so many folks are certain this is what endos believe, when it’s just not??

our host wrote a post on our personal blog with his own take on the phrase.

we hope this helps. sorry if this comes across as kind of abrasive, that’s not our intention at all. we are very tired of seeing so many people say that “the future is plural = purposefully traumatizing kids so that they end up developing a dissociative disorder.” we’re not sure if people are purposefully misunderstanding other posts, or if there’s some sort of issue with reading comprehension, or what.

but “the future is plural” is not at all about traumatizing children. it never has been. it’s always been about plural acceptance and advocacy.

[minisgatewaytoinsanity]

Mood: Woke up the other night to thoughts about shapeshifting!Dream - and with words ready and asking to be written down...

Hob drifts back into awareness, slowly, bonelessly content, utterly relaxed and warm. He sighs. There’s a solid weight on his chest, loose limbs wrapped around him, and he sighs again. Dream’s still here. He blinks his eyes open but instead of meeting blue he encounters fathomless black, barely a star in sight. All of Dream’s beautiful, painfully familiar form is a bit fuzzy around the edges.

“What are you doing?” Hob whispers.

Dream solidifies, eyes turning silvery blue. “Nothing.”

“Please,” Hob murmurs, carefully touching two fingers to Dream’s now slightly furrowed brow. The frown’s barely perceptible but Hob knows it’s there. He reaches further up, into impossibly messy raven strands, in further disarray after what they did earlier – in the Waking for a change which is still, always a wondrous thing, Hob’s hands in Dream’s hair, bodies intertwined, fervently touching and coming together. “Don’t stop on my account.”

Dream wears that expression that very clearly says, ‘Humans, chimneys, playing cards, self-driving cars, chat bots, still hoping for world peace and a cure for all ills’. Not convinced then.

“You know I don’t mind, right? Whatever form you choose.”

Dream’s eyes turn black again. “What if I don’t choose?” And he shifts.

Hob cannot describe what he sees. Words fail him, his thoughts tumbling in wild disarray. Dream’s so beyond human comprehension tonight. Hob has watched him change into a lot of different things by now, dreams and nightmares alike, monstrous and beautiful, strange and alien, but this is, it’s – more somehow. It’s not a solid form. It could be a concept of sorts, a fleeting moment of something, anything, everything. It’s ever-changing or maybe simply never-ending.

The best Hob can come up with are some ideas and associations, absurd and chaotic. They appear to him in one second, gone, null and void in the next. There’s an ancient tree, its roots far and wide in damp earth, fog rising from warm soil after a thunderstorm. It’s a laugh, careless and free, elicited by a moment of pure, easy joy, celebrating life and its wonders. It’s a star blinking into existence in the vastness of the universe, gone again in a moment of time, in a white-hot fiery explosion, billions of years conflating to seconds.

There’s a feeling of freedom, tainted and strengthened by confinement. He glimpses a nebula, winding through space, a mountain lion, poised on a ridge, ready to strike, an otter, gliding through a lake, droplets of water sparkling in its fur like diamonds, a grain of sand in a desert. It’s the desert itself, hot and hostile, gorgeously cold, covered by a blanket of stars. The images keep changing faster than Hob can perceive them. There’s hope and compassion and pain. It’s too much and never enough.

Whatever it is, it’s Dream, and it coils around Hob, caressing and stroking and petting. And he did not expect it to be this gentle, this tender. He imagined it to be a blizzard or a hurricane, a tsunami perhaps, something he could barely endure. Instead it’s all soft and sweet. It’s so ancient and powerful and yet it decides to worship him. He wants to reach back, but it’s impossible, there’s nothing to touch, not for him, nothing humanly palpable, so he lays there, drowning in happiness, hoping that Dream can hear his thoughts, feel what he feels.

“Hobsie,” it echoes in his mind, and it should be amusing – he hasn’t heard this in centuries, certainly not from Dream, occasionally from himself, in a moment of self-mockery, rarely in fond memory. It should be funny. It’s not. It makes him choke up and need and want.

“Dream. I love you so fucking much,” he manages, voice raspy and raw, laid bare.

There’s a solid weight on his chest, loose limbs wrapped around him. 

“Hobsie,” Dream says again, eyes blue but with a hint of starlight, before he leans down for a proper kiss.

Read it on AO3: What is your substance, whereof are you made by Mini

[azullumi]

do u have any tips on how to get ideas and form thoughts 🚕 i love ur fics !!! how do u get inspired :O

i will try my best to answer your question in a comprehensive way nonnieeee!!

a few tips that i can give in getting writing ideas and forming thoughts are:

write all of the your ideas down in a notebook even if u think they are cringy or corny (sometimes those ones turn out the best). i have a notebook of ideas and i’ll show a page of how mine looks like; it doesn’t have to look organized haha i like mine messy and cluttered. basically, you just put everything you want there and you can look through it when you’re running out of ideas or when you want to look for a certain something

read a lot!! i know it can be kind of cliche but reading books will help you more in writing. trust me, i swear.

don’t be afraid to use prompts or tropes for your ideas. that’s all yeah.

you can use your experiences like real-life interactions, events, and such!! (i do it all the time and it really helps in creating somewhat realistic situations that feels so real and fleshed out bcs its what happened to you). also you could twist it into your narrative like how you wished the situation should have happened and ended and what you wished you heard or said. writing gives you the freedom of imagination and lets you express your thoughts and feelings without repercussions

just let it all happen. just write, vomit those words out, let your thoughts spill into your writing, just let it happen. you don’t have to worry of the grammar as you write, you can check that later.

challenge yourself in writing!! you are free to write whoever and whatever you want. you have the freedom in your hands but you must be aware of the boundaries or lines that you must not cross ^^

keep on writing (never back down never what!?) ignore the grammatical errors, the mistakes, everything, it’s all part of the experience. as long as you’re enjoying what you’re doing and you love it (learn to love the art of writing)

anywaysss!! i’m glad that u love my fics AUGHHH <33 it makes me happy gosh and to answer your question, honestly i get inspired mostly by song lyrics!! listen to music as you write, it will help i swear. it helps set your mood and give you more ideas toooo!! i tend to get inspired through many things so there’s that ^^ I THINK THATS ALL? I HOPE I WAS HELPFUL AND I MANAGED TO ANDWER UR QUESTIONS 😭😭 pls dont hesitate to ask for clarifications and such bcs i can be confusing at timessss MWAA TAKE CARE AND STAY HYDRATED

[phosphophillight]

i saw one of your oc arts and please please tell me about them!!

(more specifically i saw the one you captioned "designed what remiel looked like as a kid today" and-- !!!!! the colors!!! the shading!!! it's amazing)

AHHH HELLO!!! THANK YOU SO MUCHH

I’ll do my best to explain it! I’d like to mention that the artwork isn’t actually a canon scene that happens and is moreso? symbolical 🤧 If that makes sense.

The characters name’s are Soleil (she uses any pronouns! In case me switching them gets confusing!) and Remiel, Remiel being the kid, obv.

I’ll have to go into my world building deets a lil so . apologies for that bc it’s usually kind of loaded😓

Soleil is something I call a guardian. A guardian is basically a piece of The Sky, a personification of sorts. The Sky is sort of like a god. In the very, detached, concept beyond your comprehension kind of way, that doesn’t communicate or really intervene as itself. Simply just. exist as the biggest thing, the thing everything else branches off from.

And Soleil, is one of many guardians. A guardian is the heart of a universe! They emerge in empty spaces within the ether, and fill it with a world that directly parallels their consciousness, their feelings etc.

Soleil is special in the way he interacts with everything around her. In a way she can hear all the faint melodies of everything that exists, including the sky itself! Which she actually kind of, hates! He thinks the sounds coming from The Sky are always very melancholic and upsetting. Therefore when Soleil finally gets to make their own world, a sort of veil appears, that hides The Sky away from her world, and “silences” the sounds.

Inherently, Soleil also shares the same melody with The Sky, as they are a part of it whether he likes it or not, but he refuses to acknowledge this. Drowning out their own sound, the sound of The Sky, with the sound of every living being on their world.

The world continues to thrive in this fashion, with Soleil existing as a distant observer to her creation for a loooong time until one day. A kid is born and this kid? Has the same melody as The Sky. This kid, is Remiel!

Remiel is a lot of things, I can say A LOT about his childhood, which I won’t get into right now as It’s not important to the context of the drawing. Main things that he is, that matters right now, is that he’s quite literally Soleil’s perception of The Sky, hidden deep somewhere in their subconscious, becoming a real physical tangible person in the world that emerged from their feelings!

This frustrates Soleil, they tried SO HARD to keep that sound out of the choir, to tune it out, to drown it out and now its back.

Okay so to sum it all up here. Soleil is created by The Sky, and is a piece of The Sky. Remiel is created by Soleil, but represents The Sky.

If, for simplicity’s sake I refer to The Sky as Soleil’s mom, to make the dynamic easier to understand, Soleil is Remiel’s “mom”, but Remiel is a literal representation of Soleil’s view of her own “mom” which Soleil hates, but despite this she’s also a lot like and shares many traits with her “mom”. And it’s just a big mess of, I’m your creator (mom), but you’re my creator, but we’re also similar, we are the same, but we’re not the same, you made me and I made you. And so forth.

Remiel doesn’t grow up to be the best person, that’s why I chose to draw him as a child. I think that’s especially when the interpretation of this dynamic as more familial hits hardest, because it could also be seen as directly reversing the dynamic, where Sol is a very old thing, as old as their universe quite literally, and Remiel is just a kid, about to hear a lot of things he wont like. ^_^

The more maternal interpretation also makes me upset /pos as Soleil’s issue is not really with Remiel or The Sky, but it’s with herself and her feeling stuck, unable to detach herself from their creator and it’s misery.

Sorry this is kinda messy n all over the place I hope I could get the main idea across at least😓 THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN! For the ask and the compliment :3 It means a lot!

[formicarum-rex]

ive been on cohost on-and-off since november, and i think im going to stick with it (famous last words, i know, but i am genuinely enjoying my time there, meeting some nice people and enjoying the posts that come across my dash)

home page

my blog

general observations, differences between here and tumblr (both good and bad), and caveats under the cut

the ability to use html and css in posts is fantastic, and while i do sometimes miss being able to change the formatting with a simple highlight like on tumblr, the added abilities to customize more than makes up for that. i've only used it a bit myself, but plan to use it more going forward, and you can get some fantastic shitposts on your dash because of this. note that only posts are hyper-customizable. blogs themselves aren't as customizable as on tumblr (think the default/mobile theme here)

i think their pro-privacy, anti-algorithm, anti-numbers philosophy is admirable. it's not perfect-- funding is a continual trouble, although they have plans for making it sustainable.

as with all smaller websites, it is a bit of an echo-chamber and has its share of drama and controversy.

the fewer number of people also lead to there being fewer good posts than on here, especially if you have niche interests, but my dash is still quite active, and i have to check it at least once a day to keep up-to-date.

if you edit your original post, all reblogged versions of the post are updated as well.

it has a comprehensive cw system built into posts, more reminiscent of mastodon than tumblr. there is discourse about its use or over-use, but on the whole i think this is a big improvement.

i (thankfully) haven't run into anybody or any post that required blocking or silencing or muting yet, but the options are there and thorough.

related, there is a no-nonsense attitude towards bigotry. i havent run into any bad eggs myself, but from what i've been given to understand they are sniped more or less as soon as they're discovered. there may be moderation issues as the website expands (this is one issue where places split up into smaller groups like mastodon have benefits) but as of right now, it seems to be working just fine, and better than tumblr.

there's no general within-post search for the sake of privacy and to limit harassment opportunities, but unlike tumblr, the tag search is functional. in addition, all posts with tags you've bookmarked show up in a separate, single tab on your dash, in proper chronological, non-algo'd order, which is a good way to discover new people to follow and posts to reblog. this is similar to "your tags" on tumblr, but unlike tumblr, i trust it to work

i haven't used this yet, but sideblogs are able to comment, ask, like, follow, etc, separately. no more "follows from [main url]"

in general, i like the vibes better than pillowfort, the other tumblr replacement site, and its a much more satisfying tumblr replacement than mastodon, because, well, its not like twitter (although i do like mastodon for other reasons).

there are some odd things that differentiate it from tumblr that you have to get used to at best, and can be extremely frustrating at worst:

notes cant be viewed per-post. they're all under your notification tab, chronologically listed. this hasnt been a problem for me, but i understand that this can get messy if you have a lot of followers/notes

if you are not OP, you cannot view others' reblogs. i've found that this is mostly fine, but it does mean you cant dive into the notes to see if anyone has added anything you'd like to reblog instead of the version on your dash. changing this is one of the most requested features. it doesn't seem to conflict with the site's anti-numbers ideals as long as it only lists contentful reblogs (those with additions), so i'm hopeful it will be added.

OP is not notified of tags on reblogs. all comments that are towards OP and not towards your followers belong in the comments. unlike other things in this list, this isn't a downside so much as a neutral difference that has taken me a long time to get used to.

the comments are generally important. reblog chains are still used, but comments (replies) are more functional than they are on tumblr, with proper ability to reply in comment threads and a better UI. they are used more often on cohost than on here, especially if you want to start a convo with OP and others viewing the post. as far as i can tell, everyone can see every comment, unlike the reblogs.

photoset layouts are not as flexible as on tumblr

no DMs

discovery hasn't been a big issue for me as someone who is primarily a reader/viewer (if anything, the functional tagging system and unified bookmarked tags tab makes it easier), but ive heard that for creators it can be frustrating

i am under the impression that pillowfort is the place to go for specifically fandom posting. more fandom people have been joining cohost though, especially since a bunch of tumblr people joined a couple weeks ago.

i realize this isn't exactly a hard sell, but want people to be aware of potential downsides before creating an account. despite these things, i really do urge you to check it out if youre interested! it's a good place :)

[ely--sia]

02: amor vincit omnia

amor vincit omnia - love conquers all; miguel o'hara x reader fantasy au in which miguel is a powerful, famed knight of the queen and you are but a lowly commoner he rescues out of the blue... and you find that despite everything, the world is still kind. between the cracks in the boulder, a small bloom of defiance makes a show.

<- previous chapter next chapter ->

the final sparks of fire are finally swallowed by the dark of the night and there is nothing left where your home used to stand. at least, that is what you hope. you do not wish to see what is left. you cannot bear to. you turn your head, opting to stare past the now-calm steed and into the hollow forest instead. you are afraid that if you do look, then you will see that it is not all gone. that the village people, the baker that used to give you spare bread, the old carpenter who would give you his spare wood, the ‘whores’ of the small village who used to care for you as their own sister, the mothers, the fathers, the old and young, would all be lying still alive, silently begging for you to come back, for you to save them.

you fear that you will see their moving mouths fiercely cursing you for leaving them, for not dying together. you silently beg them for their forgiveness. your arms wrap themselves around you, trying to give you comfort from the hungry night, but they are not enough to ease your red eyes and your burning throat. you will not cry, you swear. you may bleed, you may fall, you may be hurt and maimed beyond comprehension, but you swear that you will not cry. as you blink furiously, trying to push the tears back, a gentle wind flows towards you from the forest. it brings you the comfort that was missing from your own arms as it embraces you, gently kissing your forehead and reddened cheeks. and it is as if the wind had heard all of your promises from before, because it caresses your face, telling you that it was okay. that for you, the heavens will turn the other cheek.

then, the knight returns. you feel him before you hear him and hear him before you see him. his footsteps are heavy and tired, and as he gets close, you can feel the ground thrum, as if the soil is whispering its praises for him. he is surprisingly quiet. what you hear first are not the sound of his footsteps but a sigh that falls from his lips. you want to turn around to look at him once more, but you cannot find the courage in yourself to even try. he walks towards his horse, not sparing you even a simple glance. you take the chance to look at him more carefully now. his tan, battle-worn skin somehow seems to glow, even beneath the layers of his sweat and the scars and the ashes from the fire. his hair, an ebony brown, is messy and swept back. i could almost see his muscles rippling beneath his heavy, gray-blue armor as he moves. a large, heavy sword hangs from his hip and with the way he moves so effortlessly, it makes you think that maybe you could wield it just as easily too. everything about him, even his face, screams strength. his sharp nose, set jaw, and broad brows all portray his authority. perhaps his face itself was one of the widely sought-after divine keys, you think to yourself. his plush lips part slightly and you see that he has fangs. even in the dark of night, you can see them glinting. its shining almost hypnotizes you, daring you to prick your finger on them, to see your crimson blood stain the perfect white of his fangs. his eyes finally turn to you, sharp and harrowed. they search you, and his brows furrow even more. you worry that if they somehow find a way to come even closer than they were currently, then they would touch. you are petrified. the red of the fire was nothing compared to the vermillion of his eyes. finally, he mutters something under his breath, quite clearly cursing his fate.

“come,” he says after a long pause. he seems reluctant at first, but he never moves away or comes closer. he waits for you to make your way to him in your own time as he stands there, unwavering.

you realize that you are given a choice. you could run. you could become a free person once more, perhaps taking this chance to explore the world. after all, you have no home. maybe you could finally go see the ocean that your mother had loved. despite having gone as a small child, you do not remember it now that you are all grown up. but something holds you back. maybe you are too tired. maybe the fear was catching up to you now, freezing your legs. you stand still, caught at a crossroads. every rational thought tells you to run, to never stop and never look back. you beg your own body to start moving, to run until all hell break loose, yet you are still staring at the knight and you are still glued to the forest floor, barefoot. despite all rationality and all thought, you cannot help but look up at the knight’s face. everything in your body was telling you to step forward, to follow the stranger. you silently pray that the gods will protect you as you find yourself gravitating towards him. and as your feet finally slowly lift off the wet dirt one by one, you swear that you feel warm hands pushing against your back, silently encouraging and guiding you as they sent you off.

and so, you find yourself on his steed, sitting in front of him as he grabbed the reins tight. he tells you to pull the cloak around you and to never show your face. he makes sure to tell you that it is imperative that your identity remain a secret, for you to practically disappear. it makes you realize that you were never supposed to escape any of it. you were a dead man walking, an anomaly of fate. a deep chill settles into your bones as you realize your situation. it is a disgusting, disgusting mix of fear and guilt and relief. they refuse to mix like water and oil, yet forced into your body, it threatens to burst you open. however, even with the cloak, you doubt that you are inconspicuous, but regardless, you do as he says. maybe he was not the brightest, you think to yourself, but he still saved you, and you decide that you at least owe him this. everything is a blur as the horse takes off into the night, leading a group of what you gather to be around 20 other men. his thick arms are by your side and his broad chest is flush against your back as you sit, tense, on the horse. he smells like the iron of his armor and the ashes of the fire now long-gone. and there is a hint of something warmer too, maybe cinnamon or sunlight or vanilla. this scent envelops you until all you can smell is him, even as you race through the forest. his body around you radiates warmth, and against the cold wind and the undoubtedly scary things that you had experienced today, there is comfort in his warmth.

“relax. you won’t fall,” he finally says. he looms over you as he says this, leaning next to your ear. you can feel his warm breath against you. it was unavoidable, truly. otherwise, with the rushing wind and the thick cloak around you, you will not have heard him (or so the knight tries to convince himself).

you do not know what to say. because despite what he has told you, you are almost sure you will fall. what good would all of this have been if you fell from the tall, racing steed and died in the middle of the dark forest? you simply shrink even more into him. you swear you can almost see him roll his eyes, but you could not care less. if he is to find your cling for life laughable, then so be it. you much rather value your life than his view of you.

“i will not let you fall, so for the love of everything good, stop being so tense,” he growls, clearly frustrated and tired. and he is true to his word. he leans more forward and holds you with one arm, leaving the rein to his other, “and if you do fall, then i will not just leave you there. this is ridiculous.”

you still look back at his face, expression riddled with worry. he is a strong man. you know that he is capable of ensuring your safety. and he had just rescued you, so he would not kill you if he had even a shred of rationality. still, there was an unexplainable fear. and there is tiredness too. oh, how tired you are. the fear keeps you awake, but your body screams simultaneously for you to rest. if there was truly a hell, then you felt that this would be close to what it would feel like. and the knight seems to notice this too. your tiredness, your anxiety, everything. he looks down at you for just a moment, meeting your eyes. something changes, and for a second, his eyes turn soft. for a moment, you see a flash of sympathy and understanding.

“just…” he pauses. he is reluctant, trying to choose his next words carefully, “just rest.”

he says this in a soft voice, unlike anything he has said to you before. it bleeds honesty, and it apparently has some effect on you. you slowly nod and try to relax, letting out a breath. you lean into the knight’s chest, and you try to find a beat to the steed’s furious gallop. you wrap the black cloak around you tighter, burying your face into it. in the distance, you can hear someone calling out to him, voice a mix of disbelief and anger and curiosity. without even hearing the words, you know that they are asking about you. and you grow a little curious too. who are you? you are no longer the small child of your parents. you are no longer the young adult of the small village in the woods. everything that deems you as you seems to have disappeared, and you wonder if you will disappear soon as well. will you be razed to the ground too, just as your home had just been? will you dissolve into sea foam, like in one of the stories that your mother had told you as a child? the knight just looks ahead, gritting his teeth as he unknowingly brings himself closer to you, but you don’t look back to see the knight’s response. you just look ahead, over the dark mane of the horse and into the forest with an empty gaze. the tears from before have never really gone away. your eyes sting, but you try and convince yourself that it is just because of the wind stinging your eyes. you know it is not. it cannot be. the wind has been nothing but gentle and soft to you. you hold your breath, hoping, praying that, somehow, the halted breathing would take your tears away, but it does not work. and the more you think about it, the worse it becomes. you know the knight knows. with his keen senses, there is no way he does not know. you glance back, eyes red and teary, and he looks away with a soft scoff. this is a kindness, and you are infinitely grateful for it. from the distance, the wind comes to you bearing the smells of home, and you swear that you hear your old friends and neighbors. you swear that you can feel your mother’s soft touch and your father’s warmth. they all tell you the same thing: you are okay, you are forgiven, you are loved, you are free. and hidden in the night, you let your tears fall.

-

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a/n: yay more miguel!!!! reader feels a lot of guilt still about being the sole survivor but also miguel is veryv eyr awkward :(( also because i am not spanish and do not speak spanish and i am the only person writing this (no help :(( ), i dont think i will be adding any spanish into it because as a foreign language speaker i know how cringy misused langauge can be!!! but if any native speakers want to help i would totally be open to it!!!

thank you so much for reading!!! <33

[imakemywings]

Sapphic Book Recs

Moving outside the realm of fanning out over characters we already know, here are a few book recommendations that feature or center F/F relationships. (Note: I am NOT including comprehensive trigger warnings--please mind your triggers if you choose to check any of these out!)

The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir - My personal favorite on the list. If you’re into the F/F lit scene at all, I’m sure you’ve heard of these. TLT is a masterpiece of modern fantasy and has enough moments where its glib tone gives way into something raw and real that it keeps the stakes high and the reader invested. The characters jump off the page and the worldbuilding is colorful and strange. However, if you’re easily squicked by gore, you might want to give these a pass--necromancy is a central pillar of the world and Muir does not hold back on the ick factor.

Recommend if you:

Like stories that keep you guessing

Like messy characters

Savor a bit of codependency in your F/F

The Burning Kingdoms trilogy by Tasha Suri - TBK is a fantasy series set in a fictional country inspired by ancient India. Suri weaves together the stories of several characters and does an excellent job of showing how her two main protagonists--Priya and Malini--are torn between their attraction to each other and the roles of responsibility they choose to take up. Suri also does an excellent job of allowing the female characters to drive the plot, even where they don’t exist in positions of power. (Longer review here)

Recommend if you:

Want female-focused fantasy

Enjoy the push and pull of “duty vs. love”

Enjoy multi-POV stories that unfold gradually

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters - Fingersmith is a period romance piece that involves deceit, heist plans, and falling in love with the mark. This is one of those books where re-reading it a second time will definitely feel different than the first go. Waters does a great job with the interplay of the characters’ motivations which are gradually revealed throughout the book.

Recommend if you:

Enjoy spy/heist stories

Love it when characters lie to each other

Are mostly looking for romance

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon - An epic high fantasy novel clocking in at over 800 pages, Priory covers a lot of ground and a lot of fantasy staples. Ead, an outsider to the court of Inys, has taken it upon herself to secretly guard the queen for reasons of her own--with the results you might hope for as she gets closer to Sabran.

Recommend if you:

Enjoy a romantic subplot but don't want it to take over the action

Enjoy multi-POV stories that unfold gradually

Like the tension of "duty vs. love”

Want an epic dragon-on-dragon fight

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston - If you just really want something lighthearted and if you’re a big reader of fanfiction, this might be your choice. OLS is a fluffy piece that relies heavily on the found family trope with just a dash of fantasy. The standout character is definitely love interest Jane, a suave, confident butch who sweeps protag August off her feet from day one. (Longer review here)

Recommend if you:

Are mostly looking for romance

Do not want lots of angst

Prefer a story where everyone gets along

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - I debated including this one, because it is not explicitly F/F, which is going to be a deal-breaker for some people. But honestly the romantic and sexual undertones of Lily and Snow Flower’s relationship come across so strong I’m willing to put it up here. This book is set in 19th century China and centers around the intense friendship of two women, starting from childhood and through their adulthood. This one will take you on an emotional ride for sure. A film came out based on this, but in short my review on that is: the book is better!

Recommend if you:

Are okay with ambiguous relationships

Like looking at what women’s private lives looked like in the past

Are looking for something dramatic/emotional

[dual-fantasy]

So much. Yes. the babyfication of mike(& the rest of the system to an extent) cause hes nervous sometimes and mentally ill makes me so mad. hes a bit of a dick and its okay. let him be a dick. he deserves it. let him be awful and gritty. scike ultimately would fail because of how much they just dont love each other. they end it on awful terms. anytime they're near each other they end up getting in a fistfight. mike kicks his ass every time. he'd have to be physically dragged off scott if anyone cared enough to stop him. jo cheers him on. people only get in the way of it when they realize scott might actually Die and even then its just a suggestion. Also, bit of an unpopular opinion in the fandom but I don't like zoke. I think they'd be friends after the show but they wouldn't date. mike grew a backbone after the show as well. he got cooler i reckon. its the mental illness though he stopped going to therapy after roti(also. i want to talk about how people completely forget that he actively sees a psychiatrist?? he is fucked in the head stop ignoring it) and somewhere through dating scott he just Stops Giving A Shit. he contracted scotts shark rabies or whatever and it made him evil. but its okay cause its mike. let him be evil. he deserves it. let him be mean to people. scike are absolutely awful for each other. their ''relationship'' is messy at most. nobody knows how they started dating it just happened one day. they yell at each other in the furniture displays at big stores and make everyone uncomfortable. they cant hang out together around anyone else cause 30 minutes in they get mad at each other and ruin the mood. actually the fandom interpretation of mike pisses me off so much. he is not a dainty little twink he has abs. that isnt just vitos italian superstrength(funniest fucking thing to me) or whatever hes strong as hell. let him beat someone up. let him be mean. he pushed scott into shark infested waters. he was a stupid boy in love with a pretty girl but hes also a dick. it means so much to me. hes an awful person sometimes and he absolutely deserves to be. half of the total drama fandom can not comprehend a mentally ill guy having complexities that make him a kind of bad person. hes a dog motif in a guard dog way. his bites worse then his bark. i do not frown on him being horrible i think he should be like that more. make mike mean twenty twenty four. td fandoms displayed him in such a horrific way i have to level the scales by making him the horrible person he deserves to be. not even in an angsty way he isn't sad and miserable. he should just be allowed to fuck scott up a lot. let him break some noses. I saw a post about brick and mike(no idea what the ship name is. bike ????) and i think they should be allowed to kiss just a little bit. brick frowns on him getting in fights but he isn't gonna stop it. scott deserves to get beaten up a little. mikes stupid and in love with brick though. tying into the guard dog motif. he comes home soaked in blood(probably scotts. none of its his own) and makes brick dinner cause hes actually the best boyfriend ever. just not to scott. theres no scike happy ending they dont become friends or learn to tolerate each other theyre forever bitter and hateful Grave Dog. i wrote this all in one sitting in 2 minutes i hope its somewhat comprehensible

YOU'RE SO REAL the fanon interpretation of mike actually drives me mad. like fucking insane. I hate it. I think the issue is that people don't want actual mental health representation they want the perks that come with being able to say he's mentally ill without actually having to see what mental illness is. they would rather die than realise nuances in his character. and your right the system has also had this happen but to a lesser extent. I like the fanon system more but only in the way that it's actually researched. in every other way it sucks. Ive seen it happen a lot with svetlana too. Its the obsession with easy troupes and simple characters that are easier to portray. they want characters to be more palletable so they erase their real character for the simplicity. it's bad

I think scike is literally never going to work out. it's always bad and it never improves and they're so terrible. they would never say they'll love eachother but they'll spend every waking moment imagining ways to destroy eachother. it's so bad and so good. mike is actually fucking killing Scott at one point. like his face is three hits from caving in. the only person to bother with helping him is brick because of "moral codes" or something. Cameron also wanted to help but he would get killed like. immediately. not even intentionally he would just get hit and crumple and die. everyone else is cheering them on tho. Anne Maria and B made a betting pool. lightning and dawn are announcing everything that happens like sports commentators.

I do not like zoke either because I don't like the way that Zoey was handled in canon. I think they should've made her weirder. she cannot be the "weird small town loser" if her only weird personality trait is a flower in her hair. she shouldve collected bones and made them into jewellery. they're friends but I can't see them dating. he stops caring after the show (and the reset button doesn't work!! it does not fucking work!! the system is still there!!) and decides to just be terrible. making up for the fanon bullshit my making him worse you're right.

and the Italian superstrength is easily one of the funniest explanations I've ever seen. in anything. Vito doesn't have fucking superpowers y'all mike is strong. he canonically does kickboxing!!! and is very passionate it!!! the show makes a point out of it!!! and also he can do everything that Svetlana can. even if he doesn't have the form or the practice in order to actually do it he could still theoretically do it. because Svetlana can only do what their body allows. mike is fucking jacked and incredibly strong he's just skinny. his ass is NOT a twink you all just hate nuances! he needs to beat up people. he needs to be worse. he needs to be terrible and horrible and cruel

and the guard dog motif is soooo good. weapon that's only used in necessity. bites not for enjoyment but for protection. able to fight but has the morality to restrain himself. he should be allowed to go crazy though. pleaseeee pretty please can he go crazy and silly and insane and violent. you're so real about brick and Mike I think they would be cute.

also DW I write all my posts in 2 minutes too that's why they're all incomprehensible

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

How do I know if a wip is finished? For example, I only have left a messy paragraph that contains a good idea I want to add but I just don’t like how it sounds and can’t find a way to make it sound better, and I feel like if I leave it like that the wip doesn’t look completed… I’m not sure to know what is lacking… Thanks in advance!

Thank you for your submission. I was a little uncertain about this question when you mentioned "paragraph," as I'm not sure if you meant "draft." However, I came to the conclusion that you were referring to including a story idea that you want to add, but it may not be fully developed to fit in your story. I hope I understood correctly and that I give you the right response. If you have any further inquiries, I'm always available to provide answers.

How to Know if a Work in Progress Novel is Finished

Introduction

As writers, one of the most challenging aspects of the creative process is knowing when to deem a novel as finished. concept of "finished" may vary for each writer, but there are some general guidelines that can help you determine if your work in progress novel is ready to be put out into the world. I'll try my best to help you explore those guidelines and provide useful tips to ensure you have a comprehensive understanding of when your novel is truly complete.

Defining a Finished Novel

Before delving into the signs of a completed novel, let's establish what it means for a novel to be "finished." In essence, a finished novel signifies that the writer has successfully crafted a cohesive story that satisfies both the plot development and character arcs. It implies that every loose end has been addressed, providing a sense of fulfillment to the readers. However, it is essential to recognize that each writer's process is unique, making "finished" a subjective concept.

General Guidelines

While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to determining when a novel is done, there are some crucial factors to consider:

Have you answered all of your major plot questions?

The first indication of a finished novel is ensuring that all essential plot questions have been resolved. Your readers should have a clear understanding of the storyline and its development. Address any lingering questions and tie up loose ends to provide a satisfactory conclusion.

Have you resolved all of your character arcs?

Characters play a significant role in drawing readers into the world of your novel. Thus, it is important to ensure that each character's arc has been effectively resolved. Characters should experience growth, change, and overcome their conflicts. Evaluate if your characters have undergone meaningful journeys and if their arcs contribute to the overall narrative.

Does the ending feel satisfying and complete?

The way a novel concludes can leave a lasting impression on readers. The ending should provide a sense of closure while leaving room for interpretation, if desired. Ensure that your novel's ending resonates emotionally, providing a fitting conclusion based on the story's overall tone and themes.

Have you read your novel aloud to yourself or to someone else?

Reading your work aloud can help identify any issues with sentence structure, flow, and pacing. By vocalizing the words, you gain a different perspective and can recognize any inconsistencies or areas that may require improvement. Additionally, consider sharing your work with a trusted listener who can provide valuable feedback from an external standpoint.

Do you still feel excited about your novel, or are you starting to feel bored or disengaged?

As a writer, your passion for your work should continue to burn bright until the very end. Examine your own emotions and gauge whether you still possess the excitement and engagement that compelled you to embark on this creative journey. If you find yourself growing bored or disinterested, it may be an indication that further work is required to rekindle the spark.

Seek feedback from beta readers or critique partners. (Great tip for your situation)

To gain an outside perspective on your novel, consider involving trusted beta readers or critique partners. They can provide valuable insights, highlighting areas that need improvement or clarification. By exposing your work to fresh eyes, you can obtain constructive criticism that ultimately enhances the overall quality of your novel.

Take a break from your novel and come back to it later.

Sometimes, distance is necessary to gain clarity. After completing your manuscript, set it aside for a while and engage in other activities. This break will allow you to approach your work with a fresh perspective when you return to it. Consider taking note of areas that stand out to you upon revisiting, as this may serve as an indicator of any remaining improvements or necessary edits.

Reasons Your WIP Might Be Lacking The ✨Spark✨

The plot is not clear or engaging.

The reader should be able to follow the plot easily and be invested in the outcome.

If the plot is confusing or boring, the reader will likely lose interest.

The characters are not well-developed.

The reader should be able to connect with the characters and understand their motivations.

If the characters are flat or one-dimensional, the reader will not care about what happens to them.

The setting is not well-described.

The reader should be able to picture the setting in their mind and feel like they are there.

If the setting is vague or poorly described, the reader will not be able to immerse themselves in the story.

The writing is not polished.

The prose should be clear, concise, and free of errors.

If the writing is clunky or full of errors, the reader will be distracted from the story.

The ending is not satisfying.

The ending should wrap up the plot in a satisfying way and leave the reader feeling fulfilled.

If the ending is rushed or unresolved, the reader will be left feeling unsatisfied.

How to Enhance the Appeal and Viability of Your Story Idea

In regards to your question, if i'm not mistakn i think you were saying you had a story idea and you couldn't quite polish it enough to fit it in your story but you feel as if you need to have it in your story

Consider the genre of your story. What kind of story are you trying to write? Once you know the genre, you can start to think about how your story idea fits within that genre. For example, if you're writing a mystery, you'll want to make sure your story idea has a strong sense of suspense and intrigue.

Think about the characters in your story. Who are the characters in your story? What are their motivations? What are their goals? Once you know your characters, you can start to think about how your story idea affects them. For example, if your story idea involves a character who is trying to solve a mystery, you'll want to make sure the mystery is something that the character is invested in solving.

Consider the setting of your story. Where does your story take place? What is the atmosphere of the setting? The setting can play a big role in creating the tone of your story. For example, if your story idea involves a character who is lost in a forest, you'll want to make sure the forest is described in a way that creates a sense of danger and suspense.

Think about the conflict in your story. What is the conflict in your story? What are the stakes? The conflict is what will keep your readers engaged. For example, if your story idea involves a character who is trying to save the world from an evil alien, you'll want to make sure the conflict is something that the reader can relate to and that the stakes are high.

Revise your story idea until it fits your story. Once you've considered all of these factors, you can start to revise your story idea until it fits your story perfectly. Don't be afraid to make changes and experiment until you find something that works.

Here are some additional tips:

Use strong verbs and adjectives. This will help to create a vivid picture in the reader's mind.

Be specific. Don't just say that your character is "lost." Say that they are "lost in a dark, stormy forest."

Use sensory details. This will help the reader to feel like they are there in the story.

Keep the reader guessing. Don't give away too much too soon.

End with a bang. The ending should leave the reader wanting more.

Conclusion

The question of when a novel is truly finished does not have a definitive answer. Ultimately, it is up to the individual writer to decide when their work is ready to be shared with the world. By following these general guidelines, you can develop a better sense of whether your novel has reached a point of completion. Remember that it is acceptable to acknowledge imperfections and move on to your next project. Furthermore, even after publication, you may continue to refine and enhance your work. Embrace the ongoing progression of your novel, and always remain open to making changes as needed.

Additional Tips:

Don't be afraid to let go of your novel, even if you're not completely satisfied with it. Moving forward and exploring new ideas is a natural part of the writing process.

Keep in mind that your novel is a work in progress, even after its publication. Opportunities for improvement may arise, so be open to making changes and updates as necessary.

Advice:

If you're still not sure if your novel is finished, don't hesitate to reach out to other writers for advice.

There are many online forums and communities where you can get feedback on your work.

The most important thing is to find a community of writers who support you and who can help you to reach your full potential as a writer.

Copyright © 2023 by Ren T.

TheWriteAdviceForWriters 2023

[caffernnn]

haru, makoto, and rin: soldier, poet, or king. who's who?

OOH this is fun hold on!!

For the soldier, I chose Rin. For him, there is always another battle on the horizon that he’s gearing up for — charging onward, teeth bared, because with dreams like his he knows he has to be ready to fight. He wields resilience in a death grip because he doesn’t know a life beyond fighting or dying trying. It gets him through a lot of battles, his attitude a valiant armor that propels him forward, but it doesn’t protect him from everything. When he’s left vulnerable, faced with the reality that his heart is still a soft and expanding thing shared (and stored in pieces) with people who can’t survive fighting on the same battlefields forever… He feigns blindness to it all or cracks down the middle. There’s life outside of duty, he knows that (acknowledges it in pieces), and part of why he fights is to give others the freedom to do that, but is that… allowed for him? Who is Rin if he doesn’t have a mission on the mind, a blade in his hand? Would anyone stay around long enough to find out? To think too much about the people closest to him choosing a different path would mean entertaining such questions, and he can’t afford another crack in his shield. So he trudges forward brash and bright and full (of dreams, of passion, of grief) for as long as he can.

The poet to me is Makoto. He is someone who is observant, especially of the people he holds close, and his duty has always been in support through translation, calls-to-action through gentle suggestions. In conversations, his words and sentences are carefully crafted, anecdotes and questions made to probe in politeness and subtlety, pauses and breaks thrown in when the branching thoughts or sentiments are meant to linger. He carries the precious feelings of those around him like a blazing torch, proud to share the light of those sentiments in a way that’s comprehensible, manageable, and words are his way of doing that. That’s what he’s good at: being the artist, crafting in an endless pursuit to convey and bolster all of the beauty and wonder and hope stored in the world around him. The harder part, a new way to wield his words that still feels foreign in his mouth, is acknowledging that he is as much a precious thing in the world worth the careful consideration of a poet or a reader as anyone else. He’s comfortable in the home of someone’s heart and can walk the halls happily until he’s stopped by the sight of a mirror.

Haru, for better or worse, is stuck as the king. It’s a position, whether earned or imposed, that leaves him on a tall throne with duties overflowing from his hands. Power is a funny thing, really — he’s expected to shine, to inspire, to lead, but there are rules to the whole thing, expectations on how he’s supposed to be that hero or that vision for everyone. He’s meant to be watched and listened to, viewed with reverence from afar, but not always understood. He loves his people and his kingdom but can’t help but hold his crown with ire at how everyone is bound to defer to its presence before acknowledging humanity, humility. It’s a feeling he doesn’t believe he’s fully allowed to express (and wouldn’t properly know how to if he could), because his desires for freedom are not to run from his community or the world, but to have the chance to join it. Haru wants connection, wants joy, wants to love who and what he loves with the freedom to make missteps and be messy, wants to know he can step away from all the noise when he needs to but is still reachable and tangible right after. For now, if wearing a crown is his way of loving his people, honoring their bonds by sticking to what he knows, giving them a reason to find their own dreams (and not leave him completely rejected or alone), he’ll do it.

The neat thing about these three is that they all have something to learn from the presence of each other. Rin sees the strength in others that they might not see in themselves and isn’t afraid to ask others to rise to the challenge of having a dream that ignites them. Haru, on the other hand, serves to show others that you can step away, change your trajectory, find purpose outside of constant battles and confusing obligations by looking to small joys and caring people. Makoto is the voice to remind them both that above all else they are still human, living beyond a dream or a sword or a crown with hope and grief etched into them, and getting to connect with that exact humanity is what makes them truly cared for and admirable to others. They all balance each other out, delivering these messages and lessons as they grow together, and reflecting back what they’ve learned when the other gets lost along the way. The three roles blend into each other, weaved together by complex duties and hopes/fears of life beyond them.