#this chapter was really tricky which is why I think it took me so long

[immortalonus]

Face to Face Fanart Chapter 45 (P2)

It took a long while, but here's the long awaited page 2!

Thoughts under the cut.

So after months and months of art block, followed by a couple more months trying to solve said art block through the power of making more art, I finally managed to get this into a state I was reasonably happy with.

Historically, my works tend to be very stiff, and finding a way to adequately express that huge explosion in panel one took a long time--I really had to think around my own habits and predilections. In the end, it was worth it, as there's a lot more motion here than almost anything I think I've drawn before.

Panel two went much more quickly, if only because I had a solid year of thought and practice to help me out. I knew exactly what I wanted, it just took a while to do. Bones are attention hungry on a good day, especially finger bones. Technically, they're just rectangular prisms with attitude, but practically? Nailing all those curving planes and swells you need to make them look organic was a tricky. And don't get me started on teeth, which have all the same issues, but smaller.

In addition to the big bang of the portal incident, Danny, caught midway through his death and (partial) rejuvenation was something I really wanted to draw the reader's eye to as they looked through the piece. When I was reading this particular chapter of Face to Face, Danny's dialogue really stuck with me. You could tell that he absolutely didn't want to remember dying, and the fact that he did was a major facet in why he rejected his ghost half so much and for so long.

I wanted to visually emphasize the horror of the moment, to underscore why he might be compelled to do that, and how hard it must have been to hide the pain and terror from his family and friends.

So yeah, if you haven't read @dp-marvel94's Face to Face yet, you totally should. It's a labor of love, and a nearly complete, with only two chapters to go before the finale. If you like Fenton-Phantom friendships, Jack and Maddie as caring parents, and themes of self acceptance, I recommend giving this one a go.

[trappedinafantasy37]

I guess I'll start my Daedra questions with one I've been curious since the beginning (since I think about this stuff way too much). What build was Daedra originally? Like class level division, notable feats or fun things you did/memorable moments that never made it into the story? Did it change for the story?

Also, which Tav voice? I have big feelings about all of them :3

Lots of good questions @alicelufenia! This will be a bit of a long one.

I'll do the easiest question first, Voice 4.

Before I get into it, since many people don't know what Daedra looks like, here's some Daedra spam:

Daedra's build

Her split was 5/3/4 Gloomstalker Ranger / Assassin Rogue / War Cleric of Lolth. I picked this build because Gortash describes Durge as an assassin so I wanted to go a full stealth build which is where the Gloomstalker Assassin came in. I also knew from the beginning that I was going to have her be a cleric of Lolth, but it was more for roleplay rather than any mechanic. I picked war domain because war actually is one of Lolth's domains (with the other one being Trickery. And we know from Shadowheart just how absolutely atrocious Trickery domain is). I started Daedra as a Ranger and then took the cleric dip at level 2. Afterwards, I focused getting ranger and rogue to their desired levels before finishing off with cleric in Act 3.

Like I said, I picked cleric more for the roleplay aspect rather than the mechanics. So, I did not anticipate how much synergy there would be with war domain. With War Domain you get a war priest charge in which you get an extra attack for the turn. So, you can start the game off being able to do two attacks. And then once you get 3 Ranger, you get Dread Ambusher which gives you an extra attack at the beginning of the turn. So for the very first turn, you can attack three times. Once you get to 5 ranger, you get the Extra Attack like with the other martial classes. So on the very first turn, you can attack four times.

Daedra also had all the brain worms (there actually are enough worms in the game in which you can max out two characters). For feats, she had Sharpshooter and Ability improvement for Dex (with Auntie Ethel's boon she has max Dex at 20).

Gear: Frayed Drow Hood, Deathstalker Mantle, Spidersilk Armor, Craterflesh Gloves (I forgot to give her in the story), Disintegrating Night Walkers

Jewelry: Amulet of Bhaal (gave to Minthara in the story), Shifting Corpus Ring (gave to Shadowheart in the story), Eversight Ring (gave to Minthara in the story)

Weapons: Justiciar's Scimitar, Knife of the Undermountain King (gave to Minthara in the story), and the Deadshot

Lemme tell ya, this build is nasty. It got to the point where it felt like Daedra was soloing the game. There were some times where Daedra would kill everyone in the first turn (so Minthara and Shadowheart never even got a hit off) and this was in Tactician! If Daedra didn't end the fight, then Shadowheart and Minthara would. The only time things were really tricky was during the major boss fights. But, even on the major bosses, if I had Daedra focus on the boss alone, she could get them very low on HP in the first turn. Daedra absolutely humiliated Orin.

Story Cuts

Now, onto the things that never made it into the story. First, Wyll and Karlach. Yes, I did initially have it so that Wyll and Karlach were in the story. But, I realized when I actually starting writing that Wyll and Karlach would not let the grove raid stand, so they died in the grove raid which was really hard for me to do. I also thought it was just beautifully tragic that Minthara was the one to kill Karlach in just the worst and most painful way possible.

Second change, I had initially planned a chapter were the elves met Ethel and Araj in Act 3. The reason why I wanted to do it was to kind of show how Daedra is starting to indulge on her urges as she would have chosen to kill Lora (the mom) completely on her own without discussing it with Shadowheart and Minthara. I also wanted to have Minthara interact with Araj as House Baenre was the one responsible for the destruction of House Oblodra and I wanted to have this interaction in which Araj would ask Minthara if she was here to finish the job her house didn't. But, when it came time to actually write the chapter, I really didn't want to do it, so I didn't.

Third change, I had two chapters planned in which the elves would destroy the Foundry and then go kill Gortash. Later that night, Daedra and Minthara would sneak back into Wyrm's Rock so Minthara can sit on a dead man's throne and then fuck Daedra on it. But when I was thinking about it, I couldn't find any logical reason to do so other than "just because". Minthara had made an alliance with Gortash and wanted to keep it until it proved inconvenient. But, it never proved inconvenient so there was no reason for Minthara to turn on Gortash and destroy the Foundry.

Fourth change was Mizora. I actually did have three chapters in which Mizora would just randomly show up just to be a pain in the ass. Because Mizora is a little upset that she lost her "favorite little pet" and she knows Minthara is the reason why. So, Mizora shows up and basically tells Minthara, "if I can't play with my pet anymore, I will play with yours" and Mizora just starts tormenting Daedra. There was a moment where Mizora stole Daedra's old bow and snapped it in half (which was the reason why Daedra bought the Dead Shot in Chapter 38), another moment where Mizora actually threw Daedra off the bridge between Wyrm's Rock and the Lower City, and another moment in which Mizora not only revealed the locations of the elves and broke their stealth in the fight with Dolor in Chapter 39 but she was also the one who snitched to the Fist Guards and prompted the chase. I cut Mizora from the story because I really could not find a reason as to why she would be there without Wyll other than "just because".

Another thing that didn't make it into the story was Withers! But, this was not actually intentional. I just forgot to write him in there and when I realized he was missing I didn't feel like going back and writing him. You see, I already knew from the get-go that Bhaal was gonna murk Daedra (that was a very hard in stone decision I made very early on as I was always going to have it so that Minthara killed Orin). So the question of resurrection became very tricky for me to answer, and I almost didn't resurrect Daedra. And then I remembered, Lolth is right there. The next tricky question was determining whether or not Lolth is actually willing to resurrect someone, at least with their soul intact and not as puppets. But, from the lore I've read, Lolth would resurrect a drow if she had really good reason to.

I also had a One Shot planned called "Dread Ambusher" that was meant to take place during the events of Chapter 38: Old Acquaintances. At the end of that chapter, Daedra sneaks back into the mansion in the middle of the night and Minthara questions if Daedra killed someone. "Dread Ambusher" was meant to go over those events. In this one shot, Daedra actually does sneak out of the mansion with the intent to kill someone and she runs into Orin. And the two of them hunt together, and they both enjoy their time together. Daedra even begins to feel somewhat of a sibling bond with Orin and how nice it is to have someone around that doesn't look down on her for her urges or treat her like a child. And Daedra ends up killing someone that Minthara told her not to (the victim was a patriar and someone who most certainly would be noticed if they went missing) and Orin almost convinces Daedra to kill children. But, Daedra reigns back some self control and spares the kids, but she injures herself as a means of control. This is why she is limping when she returns to the mansion and its because she has a massive stab wound in her leg. The reason this was cut was because I had ended up finishing the entire fic before I got around to writing the one shot. So, when the publications in AO3 caught up to Chapter 38, I had lost the steam to write this one shot and could not find the willpower to do so. But, I do want to be clear, just because I did not write it does not mean it doesn't happen. The events that I had planned for this one shot all actually do happen that night and are canon to the story.

There were also a few more one shots that I had wanted to do but also ran out of steam. There was gonna be a one shot that took place immediately after Chapter 44: Parting Wisdom in which Jaheira would get all the elves high, because they needed that good self medication to help them get through their damn problems and stop all this "woe is me" nonsense. I thought it would have been really funny to write Minthara completely zooted out of her mind. Another one shot meant to take place after Chapter 44 that I called the "One Eyed Paladin" in which Minthara is training and learning how to fight again now that she only has one eye and her depth perception was off. During the training, Minthara gets extremely frustrated with herself and starts beating herself up in which Daedra actually calms her down and helps her.

This post probably had more detail than you were probably expecting, but I did want to talk about all the things that I almost did, but didn't do. Really good questions! Keep 'em coming folks!

[veryace-ficrecs]

could you do some heart pirate centric fics?

of course!! []~(￣▽￣)~*

Heart Pirates Centric Fic Recs

it takes every organ by Anonymous - Rated T

It really is hilarious that any pirate crew would use a submarine, rather than a ship. Who would want to go down, instead of having room to go up? Who would rather be below water, with nowhere to stretch one's wings, than be close to the skies? Law thinks about the twines of thorns on his back, the scaled feathers on Penguin's and Shachi's. None of them can even fly anyway, so fuck it. If they can't go up, they'll just go down instead. (Or: Law, the flightless pirate captain of a flightless pirate crew in a world where most everybody has wings, through the eyes of all those who matter.)

Reliving a Nightmare by PumpkinPieTimb - Rated T

Grand Line is where the infamous Devil Fruits come from. Fruits that can grant its eater a unique ability that can either be so stupid it would make you question why it even exists, or so overpowered that you'd think the user is a god. Speaking of Devil Fruit users with overpowered abilities, did you know that some can alter time? Or, in this case, a person's age? Because Penguin sure as hell didn't. It was wild, like any other thing in the Grand Line. It was unpredictable. Unknown. Unheard of. Hence, the lack of proper response. "This can't be happening," Shachi muttered in disbelief beside him. "This-- this is a dream. I'm dreaming, right? Someone pinch me-- fuck, punch me." He laughed hysterically.

Bioluminescent Hearts by Harmonica_Smile (Rescue_Remedy) - Rated T

"No bodies?" Blackbeard fumed. Doc Q and Stronger had bounced across rocky Winner Island when that bear had gone all Sulong and knocked them out. Van Augur's range for warping wasn't that great, and was tricky over open water. He could sharpshoot the skin of a hangnail, but the bear was fast. If he'd managed to get a shot in, they could've finished the Mink off, and pulled the shitty doctor from the water, taken his heart and returned triumphant. Once the horse had woken up. *contains spoilers for chapter 1081*

Visiting Home by Nehszriah - Rated M

Law wants to go back to Flevance to run some tests on the remaining Amber Lead, though the excursion turns into another sort of thing entirely.

on grandma's baking and also grand larceny by Chockyyyy - Rated T

Law always felt most in control standing at the head of a table, a map sprawled before him to guide each person into their place. He thrived on well-oiled machines and plans that ran bump-free. These kinds of things were good stress relievers for him and carrying them out was a good stress reliever for his crew. Simple logic. Thus: here he was. “The information we need is held inside a trapped and guarded office, but there's a massive banquet occurring that night that will give us a better shot with the lowered security. Several of you will be infiltrating the party, keeping an ear out, and if needed, providing distractions. What we’re after is classified to hell and back; as long as we get out, there's no way those nobles will admit it was stolen if that means they had it in the first place.” “Dibs on the dress!” Shachi called in the silence after Law’s spiel.

Forty-Two Superior Teeth by Harmonica_Smile (Rescue_Remedy) - Rated T

Law, Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin: Kids growing into their dreams on Swallow Island.

echo by MuffinsInSummer - Rated G

the clock strikes midnight - it's October 7th, Law is drunk, he doesn't plan on celebrating his birthday until he sees the treasure chest that has the fruit he's been searching for so long. The Nagi Nagi no Mi. "Hey sorry it took so long. Just in time too." "This is..." (or in which I forget Law's birthday minutes after it hits midnight AGAIN in my country and I write this to make up for it. Sorry Law.)

[liketheletter-l]

F H Q U V

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ASK THIS IS SO EXCITING!!! OMG!!!

F: Share a snippet of one of your favorite dialogue scenes you've written and explain why you're proud of it.

hmmmmm. okay i really wanted to share something i HAVEN'T posted but i think i have to do the argument in scotch gambit chapter 2, so here's a snippet:

i spent like an entire month on this argument, making sure there was tension, tweaking the meanness level, etc etc. i'm a big fan of the way it all dovetails and i think the rhythm & pacing of the whole scene turned out really well. Also i love my donnie lines. he's probably my favorite character to write dialogue for

rest under the cut:

H: How would you describe your style?

OOOH i like this question a lot. i would say: very conversational. full of...Flavor. others have described my writing as like saturated which i think tracks. im pretty sure it would taste like sour candy

Q: How do you feel about collaborations?

LOVE THEM!!! SO MUCH FUN!!!

U: Share three of your favorite fic writers and explain why you like them so much.

Okay im going to do fic writers that are not my friends (Yet 😏) bc that seems more fair (but please check out radish and rem and russ and dandy)

@magicalspacedragon (ao3)

god the fucking. The. i don't even have the words to express how much i love this author's writing it's (goes on to express in words) it's just so fucking VISCERAL and full to the brim with personality. This is the type of shit that makes me really THINK about the characters and their motivations and it makes me want to write self-indulgent thinkpieces and characters studies and i just AHAGRARUAGRHGERHGEUYGA';6'35PL63;.' im normal

2. @turtleinsoup (turtlesoupswimmer on ao3)

the lemonade leak is one of the best fics i've ever read dude. The pacing the fucking BUILDUP but i would honestly read this author's grocery lists. their style is So enriching to read it is like a treat for my brain. Literally countless times reading their work i've had to close my laptop and stare at a wall for ten minutes like How Did They Do That. i've been thinking nonstop about their reincarnation au "and again" so you should read that if you want to be really fucked up about twins

3. @stillateenageabomination (ao3)

This author ended my life with "eight long months" and then just kept resurrecting me and killing me again with their whumptober series. Holy fucking fuck. this person is REDEFINING the whump genre guys Literally doing angst like no other. Every fucking time i read a stillateenageabomination fic it moves into the apartment complex of my brain permanently. RENT FREE.

honorable mention: @i-logophile for writing "the glass pawn" one of my Favorite Fucking Fics of Ever. i hope you write many more things in the future because i will devour all of them ravenously holy fuck that fic is so good

V: If you could write the sequel/prequel to any fic out there NOT written by yourself, what would it be?

this is tricky because there are a lot of unfinished fics out there i would love to explore the rest of but wouldn't want to be like "well i'd write a sequel because THEY'RE NOT FINISHING IT FAST ENOUGH 🙄" cuz not only is that rude it would send me directly to Hypocrite Hell

Buuut in terms of fics that are like, well and truly finished, i would fucking love to see the aftermath of "skinning the children for a war drum" by @jumpinginmuddypuddles. this fucking fic is so good. The leo chapter exploded me and all the boys have such strong characterization and interesting backstories and i'd love to see them interact and learn to trust each other/become a family again🥺

---

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS ASK! SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO ANSWER ILY!!!

[spookyshipperfics]

The Finer Things (Case Fic Complete)

This fake/pretend relationship case fic topped off with some Diana angst is finally complete. I've neglected chapter updates on Tumblr, so here is my attempt to make up for that.

Find it: a03 / Fandom: The X-Files / Rating: Explicit

Part of the Do You Like Scary Movies? series

Tagging @today-in-fic

What is it About? Scully and Mulder are sent undercover onboard a luxury train to investigate the presence of a suspicious and undocumented train car. Playing a wealthy married couple is tricky, but they run into even bigger issues when an unwelcomed agent gets sent in for backup.

Sample from Chapter 5: The cocktail car was exactly how she left it. Crowded and loud. Mulder was now by the bar, chatting to what looked like a young couple.

“Hey, Chrissy,” Mulder announced when he spotted her. “This is Brad and Mike. They’re headed to Vegas on their honeymoon.”

Scully nodded to the couple and gave her congratulations. One good look at her, and Mulder’s brow furrowed. “Are you okay?”

“Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Of course.” His hand had already found hers and was leading her away. “I’ll catch up with you, fellas, later,” he called over his shoulder.

Scully scanned the room. There wasn’t really anywhere private to stand, which was probably why Mulder dragged her toward the designated dance area.

“I don’t dance,” she whined, even as her hands slipped over his shoulders and his found a home on her waist.

“We’ve danced before,” he countered. “Now, what’s wrong?”

She wanted to scream the name Diana, but their cover forced her to speak in riddles. “That woman… the new passenger we met—”

“Irina?”

She nodded. “I let her use our private bathroom.”

“That was nice of you.”

“Well, my niceness was rewarded with her jumping down my throat. She disagreed with the conclusion we reached last night, and she let me know.”

“I think she’s been drinking.”

She scoffed. “Why do you always make excuses for her?”

“I don’t always make excuses for her. I just met her.” He emphasized the last sentence to subtly remind her they were undercover in a packed room of people.

Scully took a step closer. “She’s rude.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I know it doesn’t mean as much coming from me, but she shouldn’t have confronted you like that.”

“I think she’s interested in you.” The statement came out before she could stop it.

“Too bad I’m married.”

Butterflies started in her stomach. Their wings were weighed down by envy and uncertainty. It was like Arcadia all over again. “She wants to sleep with you.” Scully tried to say it clear and detached, but the quiver of her lip betrayed her.

Mulder grabbed her chin, tilting her head until their eyes locked. “I’m not interested in her.”

“She’s your type… was your type.”

He scoffed, the hand on her face dropping back to her waist. “If you think I’m still interested in her, then you haven’t been paying attention.”

Her mind sifted through recent memories. The kiss that never happened in his hallway. Mulder’s love confession in a hospital room. His needy behavior on Christmas Eve. She’d wanted him for so long, and for the first time, she allowed herself to believe that he wanted her the same way. That maybe Diana was the push she needed instead of the obstacle she initially saw her as.

“I wouldn’t know,” she responded. “We don’t usually talk about stuff like that.”

“Maybe we should start,” he challenged. “I meant what I said before. You look beautiful.” The statement was oozing with the same sincerity as earlier. Scully couldn’t help but drop her gaze.

“Thank you,” she said after a moment.

“It’s just so different than how I normally see you.”

She peered up. “Is that bad?”

“No. I wish I could see you like this more. Surrounded by the finer things in life. Dressed up. Dancing. Sitting across from me at fancy dinners.”

“I didn’t realize you liked those types of activities?”

“I like doing them with you.”

Her cheeks burned with the declaration. She took another step closer. There was no space between their bodies, and Mulder’s hands lowered on her waist, fingers hovering just above the curve of her butt. “That’s what certified besties are for,” she remarked.

He froze in place, their poor attempt at dancing coming to a sudden halt. “That’s the thing,” he said. “I don’t just want you as a best friend.”

Her heart pounded with anticipation. “How else do you want me then?”

“Like this,” he uttered as he leaned forward.

She knew a kiss was coming but still couldn’t prepare herself for how it felt. For the electric feeling of Mulder’s warm mouth on hers. For the way one of his hands threaded through her hair and tugged her impossibly closer. This was what she wanted to do in Arcadia. Hell, this was what she wanted to do since she’d shook his hand six years ago. The arousal between her legs was proof.

She reluctantly pulled back only because what she desired to do next couldn’t take place in the middle of the cocktail car. “I’m suddenly feeling like going back to the room.”

Mulder’s lips quirked into a smile. “Funny you say that. I was just thinking the same thing,” he said as he interlaced his fingers with hers.

Find the rest on a03

[ladythornofrivia]

The Imperfection of Sound

In a world of sound, reader is deaf. Until she meets Ran Haitani, who shows her that life is more than just hoping for a miracle.

Pair: Ran x Reader

Part: Five-part series

Warning: Mature Content

(If you’re under 18, I’m sorry but you can’t read this)

Author’s Note: Sorry for the wait. I want to make the second chapter to be great. So much has been going on this month, but here I am, watching a funny Filipino movie, then downloading Webtoons which I should’ve done a long time ago. Is it too late to start? Oh, and the Filipino movie I watch is on Netflix, and then I also watched Bridgerton. I’m also thankful that you guys enjoy the stories I wrote; you have no idea how much it means to me that it captures your attention. I also wanted to say that I hope you guys are doing okay, being happy and well. 🥹

(Please report if someone decides to plagiarizes/steals my work. And notify me. Thank you.)

Chapter 2: This Feeling…

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Everyday, every minute and second, in weeks, months and years, Ran acquires to make everything perfect. Appearances are a must. First impressions last, unless making a greater impression for the next occasion, which occasions turned to daily events.

But for the first time, he’s distressed. Beyond the ultimate perfection, it created another layer of fear to achieve more perfectionism.

For the first weeks, it took you a while to open up with Ran. Though Ran is used to girls throwing themselves at him whether in person or phone, he tried his best to communicate with you without going too fast with a ‘bang’.

Though a while it took, everything fell into place within 3 months. Everything was a success. Though one day, after their busy hours, they started texting each other non-stop, then a summon of simple 20 questions and facts about themselves. Then they twist a game into a more fun one by doing two truths and a lie.

(y/n): I want to make our conversation more interesting.

Ran: 😏 What kind of interesting? 😉

(y/n): don’t get any dirty minded ideas, Ran.

Ran: Why do you assume I’m thinking something dirty?

(y/n): the wink emoji. The side smirk emoji. 😂 i know everything. I see all.

Ran: what do you mean? I’m just sitting here anticipating, darling. Teasing you is so fun to watch, Sauron, the eye that sees all.

(y/n) is typing…

(y/n): it’ll be simple and quick.

Ran: Go on, I’m still here, waiting. 😉😏

(y/n): two truths and a lie. We have to tells facts about ourselves, and you have to guess which one is a lie, same goes for me. Self-explanatory.

Ran: alright. Bring it. 😎

(y/n): i used to ice skate, I won a dance competition at the age of 13, and I can do 3 sign languages—Japanese, English and Italian.

Ran: 🤔 hmmm…interesting…

(y/n): what? What are you thinking at the moment?

Ran: nothing, I feel as if you can do it all. So much sophistication in you. 😏😉

In an instant, you found yourself tucking half of your face in the sheets, flushing heat from his comment. But you regathered yourself that Ran Haitani is capable of making alluring comments to any girl. Not even the air condition would cool down the hot shivers on your limbs and hands, with tiny tingles tickling on your fingertips.

(y/n): so, which is the lie?

Ran: the second one.

Smiling, you typed, “wrong! It’s the first one. Your turn!”

Ran: I have own some designs from Mont Blanc. I’m a part-time model and an actor. I own a building at Roppongi.

(y/n): hmmmm…

Ran: did i offend you? 😱😥

(y/n): not really. I thought it’d be…ordinary like mine.

Ran: what do you mean?

(y/n): my accomplishments felt so mundane compare to yours.but it’s riveting.

Ran: which one?

(y/n): if anything, they all sound like you. Tricky…I have to say an actor or model.

Ran: you’re right! You chose your answer wisely.

(y/n): but you do look like a model. You’re tall and you have nice hair and good bone structure on your legs and a nice complexion. What’s your secret on making your hair look nice? Why do guys always have longer and healthier locks than mine? 😂

Ran: believe me if I say that maintaining hairstyle is hard. Good bone structure on my legs?

(y/n): yeah, we girls have to get used to being pretty. Being pretty cost a lot of hurt. Well you’re tall. Like a giant.

Ran: a handsome giant, I hope? 🙈

(y/n): like one of the fairy tales.

Ran: that’s not what I meant. I meant to say that when it comes to hair salons, they have their prices ranged up. A tall handsome giant, maybe? A confirmation from a talented, sophisticated lady? 🥺

(y/n): I wish everything is cheap. Life isn’t fair. You’re like a tall elvish prince, I’d say.

Ran: I agree. But when it comes to money, anyone can pretty much do anything. As long as everything is legal. Elvish prince? Lord of the Rings?

(y/n): you know it! 🤭🫣

(y/n): I always wanted to become a ballerina, but I dislocated my leg and foot in the process at a young age. I used to dye my hair blonde a lot. And I used to go to homeschool.

Ran: dislocated? Are you okay?

(y/n): 😂. You have to pick which one is a lie.

Ran: if I have to guess…homeschool!

(y/n): nope! Dyeing my hair blonde. I wouldn’t risk it. My head is too precious to be ruined.

Ran: is your leg okay?

(y/n): I’m okay. I can walk and sit perfectly. But if I slip, it tends to get worse. So I had to be careful.

Ran: want me to help you?

(y/n): you don’t have to, actually. I’ve been pretty cautious ever since I was a little girl.

Ran: I can help you to get to a location. I have a car. Driving is not an issue for me.

(y/n): very kind of you, Ran, but I’d rather get exercise for my leg. I don’t want to rely on anyone for the burdens I’ve been carrying for my whole life.

Ran couldn’t let you go on a risky route. He’ll have to find a way to make an excuse to help you, to ease your burdens.

Ran: I overslept over a day. I can cook food. I…have my eyes and heart set on someone.

Your heart skipped a beat. You were sure that your mind is still present, not strayed by the last fact about Ran. He has his eyes set on someone.

Nah, that can’t be. His love life is his precious kingdom—his kingdom of roppongi. You already know this by now. A part of you felt like your heart is screeched into an imploded shock.

Drinking water to calm the burn in your chest and throat, you licked your lips dry, focusing on other facts.

Ran: (y/n)?

(y/n): sorry, I was thinking long and hard on this. They all sound like you.

Ran: are you sure about that? You might want to think long and hard again. 🙈 i know what’s long and hard, if you catch my drift.

(y/n): maybe…the second one?

Ran: you got it!

You couldn’t breathe anymore. Your head turned with hot spiraling motion, even when sitting still. You drank another bottle of water.

(y/n): that was fun! 🤭👏

Ran: do you play video games?

(y/n): no, unfortunately. Besides, I suck at playing video games. I watched a lot of dramas.

Ran: drama?

(y/n): you wouldn’t be interested in it.

Ran: tell me, anyway. 😊🫣

Your heart skipped a beat again, but with your watered eyes prickle, engaging on changing your inner channel to a happier one.

(y/n): um, I either watch Underworld—which is NOT a drama, but rather a supernatural action movie, or I would watch those cheesy romantic movies. Like ‘the fault in our stars’ or anything with historical drama. Sometimes I watch a lot of cartoons like Shrek or anything that has musical parts on it. Putting on subtitles is part of the routine.

Ran: you should invite me sometime.

The hitched on your throat came, nearly choking. Almost as if you’re rendered speechless.

(y/n): are you sure? I mean, there are some parts that are boring. I can set up Fast & Furious or any of the action movies you prefer, like ones with money heist or something.

Ran: it’s okay. Besides, my brother is trying to host a party at the building I live in.

(y/n): why don’t you join him? I mean, you told me before that you can do DJ.I’m sure the people you want to see will be there.

Ran: I want to get away from party life for once. Are you interested in going to a party?

(y/n): I haven’t been into one since the prom.

Ran: we never have a prom here.

(y/n): I know, you’re very wild, unlike me.

Ran: taming is the only way for me to cooperate with somebody.

(y/n): I’m sure someone will tame you one of these times. Maybe sooner than later. I have to go to sleep. My eyes are getting heavy. I’ll text you whenever I can. 😴

Ran’s hands are coated in sweat, reading the last message you sent. Under the lying world of darkness, even a dimmed screen on his phone, he was sure he’s been sparked brighter. The movements shifted in his bed with his limbs were somewhat hyper and awake.

You, on the other hand, are lying. Your eyes weren’t getting heavier. You wish your heart would stop listening and responding from his messages. All of this, will be nothing in the end but just a thin string of temporary comfort. This will all be but a smoke and mirrors to you.

This feeling….you couldn’t survive it. Your inner voices unruly spiked, then drowned.

Like Scarlett O’Hara said, ‘I’ll think about it tomorrow.’ Is a way for you to forget what he previously declared.

Meanwhile…

“Fuck, why did I say that I set my eyes and heart on someone…” Ran scolded himself, throwing himself on the tucked bed. “I’m so stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid! It’s not like she’ll make a big deal out of it…right? I’m sure she’ll forget. By the time tomorrow, she’ll talk to me again, like nothing occurs. And I’ll talk to her, too. I’ll just go to take for a walk…”

“Ran, it’s time to go!” Rindou interrupted through the closed door. “We can’t miss the party!”

With Ran’s head hung low, he said, “Guess not.”

Taglist: @colored-tr-panels @galactict3a @onyx-blossom @f1yh1gh @glamourkills18 @akemiixx01 @penguinlovestowrite @mrssano04 @sehunnies-hunnie96

[quarterqueens]

How painful/difficult was it to write L’s godawful fic in Stay?

ghfgijf ok so it was actually incredibly difficult but possibly not in the way it might seem. those passages took me nearly twice as long to write as the entire remainder of the chapter.

my concept(tm) with those passages was that they had to be objectively bad but also something that could realistically be popular in-universe & which L could realistically think was good. also they had to be tolerable for irl readers to read.

imo. L's whole thing is he's got no idea how to string a functional sentence together and doesn't really know how irl sex works, but he's got a fairly good sense of what feels emotionally resonant and does not pull punches, especially re: trauma. (also light is completely missing the point with L's sex scenes -- like they're not great works of art and L is genuinely a bit confused about certain mechanics of irl sex, but he's not trying to be realistic, he's trying to write ungodly horny hentai tropes. so that's why people in-universe like them.)

from a meta perspective, they also had to be pleasant for the actual real-life readers of stay. to do that i kind of used fairy tale styles and in particular hans christian anderson to structure the prose -- like that particular way of chunking dialogue & exposition was designed to sound simple and off-the-cuff, so imo it's a good basis for making 'bad' writing that's nonetheless enjoyable to read. it's incredibly tricky to write & requires an ungodly amount of editing but it sounds like you just tossed it thoughtlessly off the top of your head, which in-universe is what L is doing.

ANYWAY all this just to say. it was incredibly fun but also incredibly difficult and i have every intention of writing more of it. sorry this was possibly a more in depth answer than you wanted fgkhfgh. also as a rule i don't write actual porn in public BUT i did write some of the sfw bits while waiting for a bus & i was literally terrified someone would look over my shoulder and see me creating that fghjfg.

[quietbooklion]

Thoughts on: Toichiro

Alrighty, folks. We're finally here at the Twilight Faction! Took me a while to finish the Common Story and Toichiro's story since I was busy with IRL stuff but here I am now finally talking about this lovable trickster.

Given that it's been a good while since I've last read any of the Twilight Faction stories, I had a vague remembrance of what Toichiro's story was about but re-reading it this last week not only helped me remember what his story was about, it also made me remember why I liked him so much.

*This review will contain spoilers, you have been warned*

Toichiro lives up to being a kitsune: He can be deceptive, teasing, and tricky. But he's also kind, caring, and has a deep sense of determination. It's easy to think he's some kind of trickster, which he is, don't get me wrong. But he's a guy who not only wants what's best for his clan, but for those closest to him, in both the Kitsune village and the Capital. Not to mention this dude has no sense of frugality in him and enjoys spending his money on fancy stuff. To which I say: pop off, king.

He's a man who says it as it is and I like that bluntness about him. He's not afraid to voice his opinions and though they can border on being a bit mean, there's still some truth to what he says. And I enjoyed it when Futaba or any of the other guys challenge him on his views. Not only that, but Toichirio shows great growth from realizing that it's OK to ask for help, to rely on others all while still accomplishing his goal of being the next leader.

To add to this, I think he has the greatest sense of conviction out of everyone in the game (sorry Ginnojo). When you get around to reading the part where he and Futaba are in the Kitsune village after the Senkitai attacked them, its there where his true ideals shine. And I loved every minute of this! Toichiro swallows his pride and tells Futaba that he wants to support the people who had helped him in the past. He doesn't want to be the leader for selfish reasons but for something good. He's willing to move heaven and earth for it. He isn't going to let anyone or anything stop him for showing just how thankful he is to those who supported him. This man truly know what it means to be humble. I love this sly, sexy fox.

Unfortunately, there is one thing that I really didn't like. His ending kind of disappointed me. It wasn't an egregious ending as I did still like it. But I wished things would've turned out differently because in all honesty, his ending was anticlimactic. Basically, Futaba finally helps awaken Toichiro's ninth tail and he was able to use the full power of the Kyubi and drive back the Senkitai. You would think that it solves his story arc right? Kind of??? And this is where my disappointment shows because not long after this, his ninth tail disappears and he's back to living in the capital. Like, really? All that effort into helping him get his ninth tail and it just disappears in the next chapter??? I understand it was so he could stay in the Capital and be with Futaba but I wish it felt more satisfying. I was still satisfied with the story overall, but I wished it ended slightly different.

Even with a somewhat lackluster ending, I still think that Toichiro's route was great. Near perfection. Now I'm looking forward to reading the event stories he's in to get more lore. Overall, a great character and a great story.

4/5 stars.

[magpiefngrl]

whats the easiest thing you find to write and the hardest? And why do you think that is? e.g dialogue, action, description, flashbacks, letters, chapter titles (LOL), smut, etc?

Hello!

Chapter titles LOL! They can be hard, right? I only ever used chapter titles in 9 ½ Days and they were locations, but I'm actually using them in my original romance. They're not super imaginative or whatever, but my instinct says to come up with a title for each chapter, and so that's what I do.

OK so easiest things for me to write:

--dialogue. Idk if "easy" is the right word, because I do spend a ginormous amount of time revising it. It's A. a very important aspect of writing for me, B. something I always notice in other stories whether good or bad, and C. I'm pretty pleased with my dialogue in many fics and I consider it a strength of mine. So, Idk if I it's an easy thing for me to write, or simply something I care a lot about and so I don't mind the effort required to get it right.

--descriptions. I enjoy writing descriptions and making a setting evocative and vivid. I often see people on tumblr say that they struggle with them, but for me it was never an issue. Idk why this is an easy thing for me. Possibly because when I went backpacking a long time ago, I'd write regular emails to a list of friends and I'd have to describe where I was? (it was before social media, so no insta or facebook with the uploading of images to show what a destination looked like. No cheating. I had to rely on words.) Perhaps that was good training. I was away for months. I also love creating atmosphere and mood in my stories, and descriptions are a way to do that. I enjoy them--maybe it's as simple as that.

Hardest things for me to write:

--plot. Ugh. UGH. U G H . I'm mostly a pantser, I discover the story as I write, which is often a joy (I was so surprised at how some of my stories developed), but it's also, very often, a nightmare. I think I'm getting better at coming up with plot, but it's not something I do easily.

--exposition. I do wonder: does anyone find this easy? Exposition is such a fkn nightmare. There's zero joy in this lol. Figuring out how to let the reader know necessary information in an organic way, at the moment they need it, without overwhelming them with details or underwhelming them so they're lost, and to make it as seamless and invisible as possible: this is so fkn hard. And it's something fanfic doesn't really prepare one for, so I've no skill for it.

Hard but enjoyable challenges:

--voice. When I get the right voice for a story, the words flow. That isn't particularly hard. The hard part is coming up with it. Figuring it out. Involves a lot of trial and error.

--the relationship progression. 9 ½ Days took forever to write, precisely because it required taking two people who hated each other in chapter one and gradually, organically, slowly but not too slowly because I wasn't planning to write 200k, making them fall in love. It's tricky. I've read publ. romances where this falls flat. Either they get together too quickly or too slowly or too abruptly. One day they're at each other's throats, the next they're in love, and you feel you missed a step or a chapter or something. In fandom, many fics often begin with the two characters already in love with each other, but that means the most significant part of the romance has happened off page. It's not something I'm interested in writing. I mainly write romance these days, so nailing a good relationship progression is my main challenge, but one that interests me.

Thanks for the ask!

ask me about writing

[darlingpoppet]

Fic wrap-up 2023

Words published: 87,832 according to the AO3 stats… the first two chapters of WTDF were actually published last year but I guess since I also published some stuff not on AO3 yet it mostly makes up for it haha

3 fanfics with the most kudos in 2023:

1. Closest To My Heart (156)

2. Where The Dead Forget (137)

3. Flourishing Into Greatness (119)

(As of 12/29)

Your first fanfic in 2023:

I published WTDF Ch 3 in January, but the first new fic I started & finished in 2023 was LoveSick Arrows (wrote in Feb, submitted in March, published in May)

Your last fanfic in 2023:

WTDF Ch 6! Maybe not as far along as I originally envisioned but progress is progress! I’m doing my best uwu

Favorite opening line from a fic in 2023:

Zagreus stumbles upon the glade where Patroclus resides, and not for the first time, the sight of him makes his breath hitch a little. From chapter 2 of Closest To My Heart

I feel like I’m much better at writing endings than beginnings so answering this one was a bit tricky for me… I suppose I like this one best because it set the tone right away & has me asking questions about it (why does spotting Patroclus make Zagreus’ breath hitch? Why isn’t it the first time??) I also really like the ending to this chapter too but uhhh it’s kind of a bummer lmao

Favorite closing line from a fic in 2023:

At last. Everything will now be as it once was. From Closest To My Heart

I love it for all the layers of context that makes it hit harder, the contrast with a passage saying the opposite in the previous chapter, etc

My other favorite closing line is the one from LoveSick Arrows, which simply goes: “The pleasure is all mine,” he answers. But it doesn’t really have much impact out of context… you also need the question asked at the beginning of the scene & everything in between but it’s too long for purposes of this meme lol

Oh and since I mentioned it earlier, here’s also the ending to Closest To My Heart Ch 2: It is only when he spots a golden spear among the collection that his body catches up with the rest of him, and he vomits, suddenly and violently onto the ground before it, like a libation poured onto a sacred altar.

Fic I’m most proud of in 2023:

I’ve been saying all year that Closest To My Heart is the one I’m most proud of because I was totally ~in the zone~ the entire time I was writing it and it came out exactly the way I envisioned it, so I can say it’s the fic from 2023 I can look back on as representative of where my writing abilities were this year (like Upon A Lazy Bed was for 2022)

BUT when I really think about it I’m also super proud of myself for working so hard on Where The Dead Forget this year! It’s going gradually and seems to get longer the more I work on it but I spent a TON of time thinking about it, writing, taking notes, and doing my best to tell a long form narrative for the first time ever and I’m super proud of myself for simply attempting a challenge like this. I had to overcome a really nasty month-long case of writer’s block in order to finish chapter 4 which was AGONY since it still took another three months after that to finally complete… so overcoming all that felt SO good and I feel like if I could overcome that I can overcome anything. I said from the beginning that I don’t think it’ll reinvent the wheel or anything with this story, but I’m enjoying the process of telling a version of these tropes and myths.

[otakween]

I'm Standing on a Million Lives - Volume 15

I'm impressed that this series has made it this far. Literally no one talks about it, but there are much dumber things being published, so I guess it deserves its spot. It's definitely a mixed bag of highs and lows, but I'm mostly enjoying the ride. Still have no clue how many volumes there's going to be. No end in sight yet.

Ch. 70

Iu is goin badass mode and I'm loving it. Kinda giving Joan of Arc vibes.

The disconnect between Iu casually chopping off someone's fingers in one panel and then freaking out because she killed someone in the next was pretty wacky. Like...girl...what did you think was going to happen? Either way, I guess she got over the shock pretty quick because by the end of the chapter she's just slaughtering everyone lol.

It's kind of surprising that it took the characters this long to be worshipped for their immortality/resurrection ability. Then again, I guess living long isn't as rare in this world since there are sorcerers and dragon bishops and what not.

Ch. 71

This chapter was 100% fantasy politics. It was a struggle reading through all those silly made up names, but there were some interesting nuggets here and there.

We're jumping from one hot button to the next, first was human trafficking as seen in...many places, and next was attacks on journalistic freedom which the characters compare to recent events in Hong Kong.

I hope they give the new girl more to do than be a genki background character. She's on the cover after all! I will say her singing Immigrant Song was pretty hilarious. Certified Shrek moment.

It's kinda funny how this world/game uses community service as its goal. It's not like a twisted death game where you have to kill the other players you just have to...contribute to society lol. I guess that's what makes it interesting because the challenges take a lot more brain/strategy than a death game or RPG-style game might.

Ch. 72

Eh, this chapter was kinda messy. Overall I enjoyed it, but why did they have to bring in a damn awkward narrator every two seconds!? The mangaka does this occasionally and it drives me nuts. This story does not need a narrator and it definitely doesn't need one spelling out exactly what's going on to the reader! It took me out of the story every time. :(

I did like Iu's internal struggle and her analysis of the tricky spot she's been put in. As I've said before, this mangaka is skilled at explaining difficult concepts (politics, sociology, war strategy etc.)

Thank God they sent Glen to help Iu and not Yusuke. This way it's a child asking an adult for help and not a "dumb" woman needing a man. Also, Iu needed Glen because she's emotionally intelligent (unlike Yusuke) and was good at calming her down and validating her choice.

Ch. 73

Okay, I kinda struggled to stay awake reading this one, it was a pretty boring info dump about the politics of the area Yusuke's in and how neither side is great.

Changing someone's entire political trajectory with one song? What is this, an idol anime!? (That scene was stupid lol)

The concept of force feeding someone monster meat to turn them into a berserker is pretty chilling. Fantasy human trafficking is even more brutal than irl trafficking I guess.

I continue to really dislike the made up names of this world. In this chapter it was the Sotaga vs. the Faida. IDK why but they just don't sound like real names to me, my brain rejects them. (IDK what magic makes some made up names sound good and others sound like you threw Scrabble letters at the wall...)

Ch. 74

This chapter was all about berserkers and how they relate to all of the ongoing storylines. I find this kind of fantasy slavery pretty interesting. Instead of IRL slavery where slaves were/are used for work, they're transformed into mindless weapons. Very dark, but I could see this kind of exploitation happening if monsters were real.

Of course the main big bad, president dude is wearing a turban...as this whole arc is a thinly veiled reference to extremists in the middle east. (Just feels weird to make this fantasy world so similar to the real world).

Some pretty brutal kills in this chapter, especially Ling getting curb stomped. I do enjoy that most of the gore is stake-less so it can get extreme like that. (Well I say "gore" but the player character deaths are actually bloodless).

Damn, dat fanservice at the end there. Overall this series hasn't been that fanservicey so it feels a little weird when it's tossed in like that. The art was decent, so I ain't mad.

The over-the-top evil all around (including Yotsuya's sociopathy) is a little eye-roll worthy. Verging into cringey edgy territory a bit.

[h-worksrambles]

Well, I got caught up with Remember the Flowers. And considering that doing so left me an emotional wreck at 4 in the morning. I don’t think it’s a surprise that I have a lot to say.

Now before I get into my spoiler heavy thoughts I want to say one thing: Play Remember the Flowers. I don’t care if you’re not a furry. Just do it. I cannot recommend it enough. If you want a genuinely good and refreshing isekai story with memorable characters, gorgeous art and music, an excellent sense of mystery and incredibly emotional payoffs, you will get all of that and more here, even in its current WIP state. The 13 chapters currently available are worth the experience alone (and it’s free by the way).

Now with that said, allow me talk about just why this game made such an impression on me. FULL SPOILERS FOR UP TO CHAPTER 13 BELOW. DO NOT READ ON IF YOU HAVEN’T PLAYED.

First and foremost, the structure and delivery of the story is fantastic. You experience the plot over the course of story arcs of about 4-5 chapters each, and every single one does incredible work escalating upon it itself. The pacing is something of a slow burn but every chapter still provides plenty of interesting character interactions and new things to learn about the world. And the payoff comes with the finale of each arc, all of which somehow managed to one up each other in their dramatic weight. The first arc already managed to end on the emotional gut punch of Cooper’s betrayal. The second arc took great advantage of Cyrus dealing with that emotional fallout and trying to adjust to the new status quo despite being more afraid and distrusting than ever, before the devastating revelations of his own past. The third arc has an absolute beautiful exploration of the characters’ relationship, seeing Cyrus becoming truly comfortable around this found family, many of them starting to heal from their own traumas in the fight against Resoom, before leading to an emotional tour de force that completes Cyrus’ character growth beautifully. While I think the dystopian world is interesting, I think it’s this execution and craft of of this story that really elevates it to something special.

Speaking of the characters, they’re also a delight. It’s honestly impressive that most of the actual main cast are as compelling as they are when none of them actually show up until roughly 5 hours in. Pretty much every character with prominent screentime in the first few hours is a red herring. Diana and Damion, who are first introduced as lovable supporting figures in Cyrus’ life who he longs to reunite with, turn out to be long gone given the game’s twist about its timespan. And Cooper, who is effectively the second main character when the story starts is…well we’ll get to that.

Making the player care about the resistance team when they effectively replace the people you thought were the main cast promised to be a tricky business. Fortunately, the game pulls it off marvellously as these guys are a joy. Aaron is an absolutely precious character, and if you follow my blog you’ll know I’ve gushed about him (and what absolute husband material he is) already. It’s very easy to warm to Aaron very quickly. He’s attentive and affectionate as a friend to Cyrus, especially at a point where Cyrus really needs that kind of friend, consistently selfless, a good leader. He almost feels like Mr. Perfect when you meet him. And that’s because he’s trying so SO hard to be. Learning the truth in Chapter 13 of his journey from an impoverished orphan, to a bitter thug hell-bent on violence, to a man genuinely inspired to fight for what he loves recontextualises his past kindness, but not in a bad way. He acts this way because he’s determined to prove to himself and to others that he’s not the killer he used to be. And he’s clearly holding himself to a high standard, afraid that anything less than his best would be enough to make Cyrus see him as the monster he still believes he is. Even now knowing little about his history with his lover Xavier and the role that played in redeeming him, there’s something powerful in just how much of an inspiration he was to Aaron. We don’t know fully who Xavier was. But we can definitely see who Aaron is now and that is an unequivocally good person. By the time it really becomes apparent that Aaron as being set up as the actual love interest, it’s very easy to already fall for him.

And the rest of the cast is also excellent. Canto’s standoffish nature is contrasted by the fact that he’s just genuinely a funny and entertaining presence in the narrative. Karin’s boundless enthusiasm and energy, mixed with a punch first, ask questions latter attitude but also a genuine love for her friends is consistently endearing. Vita’s quiet, business like manner conceals a character who ends up becoming a kindred spirit, one of the few who can really understand what Cyrus is going through. And their own steady growth to overcome the damage done to them physically and emotionally by Resoom leads to some truly poignant payoffs. Silver, despite being the last character to be introduced properly, more than makes up for it with a strong first impression. His quickly blooming friendship with Cyrus is a pleasant contrast that prevents him feeling the ‘edgy dude with a sad backstory’ trope. In fact, watching Cyrus and Silver empathise with each other over their experiences in one scene, and comfortably joke around each other as roomies in the next, feels natural and cathartic.

These guys genuinely feel like a found family before long. Cyrus’ steadily growing attachment to them feels earned. And seeing him heal from the terrible things he’s endured with a group of people who love and support him is incredibly heartwarming.

But I want to focus my discussion on two characters who particularly stuck with me. The first is the resident bastion of controversy, Cooper, or Lance I guess I should say. Suffice to say my earlier post about how I knew he was a polarising character but was liking him so far aged…interestingly to say the least. Seeing Cooper’s early impression of a rough around the edges bad boy with moments of emotional sincerity quickly come crashing down as he’s revealed to be a selfish merc willing to sacrifice innocent lives for a quick buck was a horrible shock to be sure. The story succeeds at making you genuinely like Cooper and his seeming budding friendship with Cyrus. Which makes the reveal all the more heartwrenching. Any kind of ‘I can fix him’ charm is utterly dismantled. Because even if that was real, even if there was a connection here, Lance still chose to throw that away. And we know now it’s not the first time he’s thrown away people he cares for out of selfishness. Still, piece of scum though he is, I was hoping Lance would make a reappearance eventually as I was genuinely curious where they were planning to take his character next. Especially as Cyrus meets and tries to bond with Lance’s former teammates who themselves have been hurt by the guy in the past.

What really fascinated me was when we started changing perspective to follow what happened to Lance after he sold out Cyrus. It was definitely interesting to see him at such a low point. Having all his actions bite him in the ass seemed to make him briefly realise how much he’s screwed himself and everyone around him. While spiralling in self loathing he’s forced to admit what a despicable person he’s been and even expresses regret for what he did to Cyrus. It’s clear that there’s a lot of anger, bitterness at his life, grief over his lost friend and pure simple selfishness that’s brought him to this point. But maybe, just maybe, spending time with Cyrus, did make him start to remember what it’s like to actually give a damn about someone else and to be cared about in turn. Reminded him of everything he’s thrown away. For one moment, you think he might be starting to get it. Might be taking that first step to be a better man like you’ve seen hints he’s capable of being…

And then when Artemis brings his old team up, and all those feelings of anger, jealousy, grief and resentment, that thickheaded belief that he’s the victim in all this, comes back full force. And before you know it, he’s in too deep, utterly in Resoom’s pocket and unable to get out of it if he even wanted to, It reminds me of that one scene from Bojack. ‘You can’t keep doing shitty things and then feel bad about it like that makes it ok.’ Much like that show, there’s something so maddening about seeing someone who has the potential to be better being so close to a breakthrough only to slide right back into the same self destructive impulses and be right back where they started.

This man is a fascinating trainwreck of character and I want to study him with a microscope like a cockroach but he also makes me want to rip my hair out. Despite being one of the most despicable members of the cast, he’s probably the one I’m most interested to see where his character goes. As a foil to a cast who all have baggage and have all done bad stuff in the past, but all ultimately make the effort to be better and work for something other than themselves, Lance makes a very effective counterpart. While they collectively heal, he is continuing to spiral, and I can’t wait for the inevitable confrontation, however it turns out.

And last of all I want to talk about our protagonist, Cyrus Cantwell, who might be my favourite member of the entire cast. The first few chapters do a good job establishing Cyrus as a protagonist with a refreshing amount of backbone and spirit given his situation. His back and forth with Lance (pre-reveal) establishes him as someone determined to get home, but increasingly frustrated over his powerlessness in this new setting. He’s inquisitive, intelligent and empathetic but he doesn’t put up with people’s crap, all of which makes him pretty immediately likable. But it’s the second arc where he really comes into his own as a character. Having been sold out by the one person he’d formed any attachment to in this strange new world, Cyrus’ dynamic to the resistance team is very different. He’s much more guarded. Much more jaded, dead set on getting away from his apparent rescuers pretty much from the word ‘go.’ But he slowly starts to respond to their unconditional warmth and kindness, the kind he hasn’t experienced in a very, very long time. And he’s gonna need it because this leads directly into the emotional turmoil that is Chapter 9.

This is probably ‘that one moment’ for people who’ve played the game. The truth finally comes out. Cyrus’ history as a test subject of Resoom for 300 years. Centuries of traumatic suffering locked away in his lost memories. And worst of all, the earth shattering revelation that Damion, Diana, his parents, all the loved ones in his scraps of memory he’s been trying to get back to, are all long since dead and gone. The life Cyrus once had is gone and he can never get it back. The delivery of this scene is phenomenal and Cyrus’ reaction over the next few days, from sheer emotional numbness until he finally lets himself feel it with Aaron’s help, is agonising.

…And yet. Despite everything, Cyrus slowly recovers. Over the third arc we see him carve out a new routine at the resistance base. His new friends support him in that process, and he in turn does what he can to help them. All of which builds up to one more emotional tour de force, yes, even more than the last two.

Cyrus’ return to his old home, after centuries of decay, is a devastating moment of grief, but it’s also one of genuine catharthis. Cyrus is able to say goodbye to the life he left behind and let go. But not before he finds one last gift (and this is what had me almost sobbing at my computer). A final set of messages and parting gifts left buried as a time capsule by his loved ones, knowing they’ll never see him again. Throughout this story, Cyrus has been asking himself who he is in this new reality, with or without his memories. He’s been pulled into a resistance against a despicable organisation who ruined his life, but he’s not sure what he’s fighting for. Seeing these last messages reminds of what kind of person he was and is. The empathy and concern for others and dedication he’s always had. And now he’s ready to fight for both the family he’s lost and the one he’s gained. So they can all live the life they deserved. It’s a beautiful resolution to an arc of self actualisation and identity that we’ve seen play out over all 13 chapters. And I for one can’t wait to see where we go next.

There’s a lot to love about Remember the Flowers: Its beautiful art, with every character design full of striking personality. The deliberate, excellent pacing of its story and reveals. Or the emotional, poignant journey of self discovery and healing at its core. And I have faith that it’s only going to get even more remarkable from here.

[bugcatcherwill]

Wait I just read the recent chapter….and I feel like the reason link laughed is he was in kobb’s position once with going to the bathroom in rito village.

Now it makes you think…how does each race in hyrule do hygiene like bathrooms or just daily hygiene?

For monsters it seems they rather do business in a bush, and daily hygiene varies depending on the monster’s race or subspecies (like elemental users)

Like: does rezek ever wash it and ashen’s cloak/robes? Same goes for sledge, kobb and their hinox friend’s loin cloths like do they wash them? Does zayl need to sunbathe to helps it’s camouflage ability or empty out/fill up its ‘spit’ pouch (how I imagine lizalfos can spit out of water)

Or for not main cast: lynels take a hour or 2 to groom their horse lower half’s and not to mention their manes

Of corse zora, rito and gorons must have special hygiene needs too, because for gerudo and hylian and sheikah (and yiga) hygiene is the same bathrooms or showering, washing clothes, etc.

The way I see it is that because monsters seem to have a more nomadic lifestyle based on their camps of BoTW/ToTK, they'd have a policy of "we don't know how long we're gonna be here, so do your business far from camp".

Honestly I've kinda been leaving out general daily habits/hygiene of the monsters because I know it'd probably be a snoozefest for most people, and it's one of those "assume they're maintaining basic hygiene" moments of writing a world, much like you don't have to write when characters take a piss because it's just assumed they find time to in-between scenes. It's like how it took me 57 chapters to mention Kobb going to the bathroom and I only really did it for a funny little gag lmao.

But anyways here's my lore-thoughts on it because now I'm in worldbuilding brainrot:

Bokoblins/Moblins/Hinoxes are similar to boars' tusks in that their large front teeth are constantly growing and they need to either file them down or have a diet that involves grinding down the teeth enough. Also like pigs/boars they're very sanitary and quite hygienic - even while under the Malice. However, because they have the ability to sweat unlike pigs they have much higher stamina akin to the human Hylians and don't need to rely on the classic mudbath to cool down. Although in lieu of a river to wash in, they may resort to sand or fine dirt which would also help keep away ticks since they're seldom fully clothed.

Lizalfos have a sort of "hydration sack" in their bodies that's connected from a hole under their tongue down to their stomach. So when they spit they're essentially spewing stored-up water mixed with stomach acid - which is why it hurts Link when he gets hit by it. It also acts as a reserve water supply that they can use to cool their body down when it gets too hot - basically a cold-blooded creature brute-forcing a sweating system which makes Lizalfos much hardier than ordinary reptiles. Their camo system is also just similar to chameleons except because they're a sentient species they're aware they can use it to blend in - unlike chameleons who just use it to convey mood.

Wizzrobe are tricky for this, due to being magical beings rather than biological, but how I imagine it is that if a Wizzrobe doesn't wash their robe out for long enough, they begin to have a lingering smell of their specific branch of magic. Like Rezek's cloak, for instance, would smell like ozone. While an Ice Wizzrobe would smell of an earthy frost, and a Fire Wizzrobe like smoldering charcoal.

And honestly the reason Lynel's haven't taken over all of Hyrule is because they keep getting their manes matted kjhlasdfjh

Honestly this is a great exercise to think about when I eventually get into post-BoTW because it'll be really interesting writing about how all the monster races navigate having to re-learn all this daily maintenance that the Malice would just do for them.

Also Rito probably take dust baths now that I think about it...

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

1)What is your most popular fic? Well, that's tricky, because I post on both ao3 and ff.net and there are wildly different results, and some are much longer than others. On ao3 it's To Love is to Hurt and on ff.net it's The Tauri: Fall (Our Mutual Destruction) which I'm working to get on ao3.

2)What is the fanfic you wish you got more response on? Most are a work in progress and aren't far yet and I understand that Sanctuary and/or darker themes aren't for everyone. Though probably Bird Cage.

3)What's a fic idea that you have and haven't written yet? Just one? (I have a lot) My original SG-1 story idea. A twist on the 'they lost Carter on a planet and she has a baby' trope.

4)Do you prefer writing multi-chapter or oneshot fanfictions? I've been having a lot of fun with oneshots lately, but definitely multi-chapter.

5)What rating do most your fics fall under? Teen and up. Just to be safe, though I've noticed it also gains more attention than general.

6)Have you written any fanfictions featuring OCs? If so, elaborate! Well, I've written Sam/Jack having a child, but Grace doesn't exactly seem like an OC. Come Now, Little One features an OC that is Sam's childhood friend, complete with wings. My Fantastic Beasts stories also feature OC Newt/Tina babies.

7)What's a troupe you love to write? I think this means trope? Um... hurt/comfort I guess, because I don't think I've really done any...

8)What kind of document do you use to you write? Microsoft Word? Google Docs? Straight in the AO3 text box? Just plain old WordPad that comes on the computer.

9)What’s your favorite line(s) or scene(s) that you have written? I don't remember specifically! I am fond of a lot of my unpublished story the Abnormal X-File, though. I also have a particular fondness for First Night and Pretending two very different stories that took me out of my comfort zones.

10)What are your top five fics by kudos or by reads? by kudos Two Kinds of Sparks , I Drive Your Truck , Mind Over Matter , Hooded , Bird Cage (Sparks and Hooded are Tumblr stories)

11)How many words do you have on AO3 (if you use that platform) 206, 713

12)Do you respond to comments, why or why not? Always. Because I want the readers to know I appreciate their feedback and I love it when an author responds to me.

13)Have you ever received hate on a fic? Yes. On ff.net my story Laundry Day (link is to ao3) prompted someone to tell me they were thanking me for making them look into finding out if they could block all further stories from only me because it was not the content they wanted to read.

14)Have you ever co-written a fic? No. But I would be interested in doing so with an author I've interacted with well on both their stories and mine.

15)Are there words, phrases, mannerisms or scenes you tend to use a lot? I like forehead/brow kisses a lot, because they convey emotion and can be used platonically. There are a lot more, but I can't think of the rest. :(

16)How long is your longest fic? Currently? 21 chapters.

17)Are there any writers and/of stories that you consider an influence? I'm new to the fanfic writer's community. But plenty of them. Sometimes their view point helps me understand a character.

18)Recommend someone else fic! (And tag them if they have a tumblr!) My tag list would be a mile long if I did everyone I want. Pretty much every writer I follow, but special shout-outs to @amphytrionwrites , @tinknevertalks , @galactic-pirates , and samsg1 on ao3 because they've written multiple favorites. :)

19)For the readers: send in your favorite fanfic, scene, title, phrase, etc. by the person who reblogged this!

(Yet Another) Fanfic Writer Ask Game!

What is your most popular fic?

What fanfic do you wish you got more response on?

What’s a fic idea that you have but haven’t written yet?

Do you prefer writing multi-chapter or oneshot fanfictions?

What rating do most of your fics fall under?

Have you written any fanfictions featuring OCs? If so, elaborate!

What’s a troupe you love to write?

What kind of document do you use to you write? Microsoft Word? Google Docs? Straight in the AO3 text box?

What’s your favorite line(s) or scene(s) that you have written?

What are your top five fics by kudos or by reads

How many words do you have on AO3 (if you use that platform)

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Have you ever co-written a fic?

Are there words, phrases, mannerisms or scenes you tend to use a lot?

How long is your longest fic?

Are there any writers and/of stories that you consider an influence?

Recommend someone else fic! (And tag them if they have a tumblr!)

For the readers: send in your favorite fanfic, scene, title, phrase, etc. by the person who reblogged this!

[darkx-the-dragon-kn1ght]

Chapter 43- Part 11

Ah heck, there it is! HERE COME THE FACADES!

Yeah…it's probably got Guts too. That's also something I tried to do too, only against Shade and with far less success.

Alright, unless Swellow knows a Fighting-type move, Wulfrum should have an easier time killing with Rock Slide.

Wha-!? Oh no, what's he sending out now-?

AH HECK IT'S THE PORYGON AGAIN, I GOTTA HEAL CRATER, GO GO GO-

Amnesia time! Let's see how much damage Porygon-Z does now!

I am never getting rid of this Quick Claw-

It still did more than half!? No, wait, maybe if I get her back to full HP, it'll be better.

WHERE ARE ALL THESE CRITS COMING FROM!?!

Uuuh…Jack?

No Jack.

Okay, I really need a better strategy against Porygon-Z, it's like…the one consistent roadblock for me in this fight. Noel, why are you making it so I'm annoyed with Porygon-Z, I'm supposed to appreciate Porygon! 

Well…looking in my box and at Poly, I remember completely how Download actually works now- it raises Attack or Sp. Attack based on which defense stat is lower for the opponent, which explains why it raised Attack against Bloom. 

At any rate…Noel's team isn't really based around the Field at all, is it? I mean, it kinda is- Cinccino with Bullet Seed, Sap Sipper Girafarig, Hidden Power Fire(s)...but compared to the other Gym Leaders so far, the benefits he gets from the Field seem kinda incidental. I'm not saying that as a bad thing, Noel's usual Gym arena was back at the Orphanage, of course his team wouldn't be built around Grassy Terrain, it makes total sense in hindsight. Not to mention all of them so far seem very competitively viable- and like, all the big boss Trainers so far have been, but like Noel takes that to a whole new level. 

Let me think…Ame said each member of Noel's team does only one thing. So those things appear to be…

Cinccino: Skill Link + King's Rock 

Bewear: Strong physical attacker?

Girafarig: Strong special attacker?

Swellow: Flame Orb + Facade (and maybe Guts)

Porygon-Z: Definitely a special sweeper 

Clefable: Clefable 

I have answers for most of these, but it's still the Porygon-Z that bothers me…what can I do? Could I…use a Dark-type for Psychic immunity? Actually, Karma would be good for that and Tri Attack immunity, and if I invest enough into his Sp. Defense he might even be able to live Hidden Power. Obsidian can be immune to Psychic too and resist Hidden Power while getting a damage boost from the Field, and I could switch her Ability to Flash Fire for extra immunity and firepower…but then again, Crystal has Light Screen still, which can just reduce the overall damage output outright, and he'll benefit from the conveniently-timed hail too…

Wait, no- I've got it! The perfect and most reliable way to take down Porygon-Z…

Frost and Mirror Coat! And if I give her the Focus Sash, she'll be guaranteed to live a special move, then send that damage doubled right back to Porygon-Z, and it should be enough to kill! 

Now- I guess I technically don't need to level up Frost for this plan, buuuut I'm gonna do it anyways because I think she deserves it.

Also uuuuh- prepping for the next round of Noel took so long I went to sleep, and I came back to Tanzan Cove the next day and it's no longer snowing-

Just goes to show the weather patterns of Chrysolia are as consistent as they are here in the Midwest I guess.

Actually, if it's raining now…maybe Wulfrum can handle Girafarig now, with some healing. I guess this means Crater can be the one I swap out for Frost.

Still not sure I like using up a Focus Sash like this, but…items are meant to be used, and this seems like a good place to use it, so…

Now, with those preparations out of the way…let's make this attempt the final one. Here we go!

Swellow early this time? Alright, this is gonna get tricky, but…I think I know what to do. First, let's switch to Glare.

Not only for the Intimidate, but also…to paralyze it. That'll prevent the Flame Orb from going off, and while it'll still give a boost to Facade, Swellow will also be slowed down and have a chance to be stunned, both of which are much better for our purposes.

Now, we switch to Wulfrum to take the upcoming Facade…

Paralysis already paying dividends, nice. 

Now, here's the awkward part…will Noel switch to Porygon-Z again? Wulfrum isn't at full HP anymore so Swellow might be more emboldened to stay in and attack, and yet…hm. No, I'll switch back to Jack. If Swellow decides to attack with Facade, he'll be immune; if Noel switches to Porygon-Z, that'll give me a chance to heal Wulfrum for later.

Path 2 it is, time to sacrifice Jack to safely bring in Frost.

And now, the moment we've been waiting for…time for Mirror Coat to do its thing!

…Well, good thing Mirror Coat doesn't work like Protect or Detect.

Yes…yes…! Quench your bloodlust, Frost!!

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[dailyaudiobiblechronological]

9/1/2023 DAB Chronological Transcription

Ezekiel 18-19

Welcome to Daily Audio Bible Chronological, I'm China. Today is the first day of September. Welcome. What a joy to be here with you today as we jump into the month of September. Welcome. Here we are. And, you know, September's...it's a fun month. We got a couple birthdays in our family this month. But it's also one of the trickiest, weathering months you would think. It starts to get, you know, a little bit more cool. I'm not technically sure wouldn't fall as I think we got another month or two maybe, I'm not sure, don't know, don't quote me on that. But actually I feel like September is Tennessee's honest month and so we have those tricky days where it's like- it's 93, tomorrow it may be 72.The three days after that may be pushing 100 and if that doesn't say welcome to the South, I'd I don't know what does. But here we are excited about this month and this is actually our last month in the Old Testament together. In October, we will peak in the New Testament after nine long months of reading the Old Testament. Then we will finish off the year in the New Testament. So we are continuing in the book of Ezekiel today with chapters 18 through 19. We are in the English Standard version for this week.

Commentary:

So today the Lord is giving word that he is a God of righteousness, that he himself is what righteousness is defined by. And saying listen, when you live a life of righteousness, there will be an honoring and a blessing in that. And when you are living a life of righteousness and then you turn away from that there's consequences of that and basically he's addressing this situation that people are wanting to live as if their actions don't have consequences, as if the actions of their lives, of their ancestors, shouldn't have consequences, and when they do have consequences, all of a sudden God is not just in reality. We looked back all the way back to the beginning of this year, and every story that we have read, we see the hand of God. We see him declaring what he is going to do, whether it is destruction, or threats of destruction. We see that the Lord's hand and his heart is always for redemption and for restoration and that he is waiting to show grace and mercy to us. And yet the story goes we are people who...we'll choose anything but him. And so then there is a Lamentation, or the Princess of Israel and really, I think Lamentation is beautiful because I feel like I'm in a lot of- the culture of like the Capital C Church is...everything is awesome. And that like prosperity gospel and you know, kind of drifting away from the core of Christianity, the core of what we believe and why we believe it, which is that Jesus came, He lived a perfect life. He died on the cross for us, took our place, and so that we could have a way reconciled back to the Father and in that kind of like an action step for us is to have repentance, confessing of sins, to turn away from and to turn back to the Lord and to seek Him with our whole heart. And so we see the people in the Old Testament kind of having like half hearted, um, repentance moments and then turning right back to their ways and now that we're on the other side of the story, you know we we live on the other side where we have the knowledge of Jesus. We have received that salvation and we can read these stories and be remembered and be reminded. I'm going to not choose this vicious cycle of being in and being out, but I'm going to choose the...I'm going to choose today and who I'm going to serve, and it's going to be the Lord. And tomorrow I'm going to choose the Lord. And in any of the moments that I am living in, and the hard ones, the ones where I prayed for this, it didn't come to pass, or it didn't happen the way that I thought it would, or I'm believing, I'm thinking maybe the Lord is unjust. I'm thinking he's being unfair, but actually stepping into the sweet reality that he is a God of justice and he is a God of love and he is a sovereign king. 

Prayer:

And so, Father, I thank you for your hand. I thank you for your word. I pray that we would be a people who care to know your word and care to learn about you and read about you and understand more of your heart through Your word. And so God, I pray that we would be a people of integrity, people of righteousness. We would seek first your Kingdom. And everything else will be added to this. And, Lord, I thank you for your word. And I thank you, God, that we have it to guide and direct our steps. And I pray that it would do just that. And so, Father, I thank you for your nearness. I thank you for your presence, and it's in your name we pray. Amen.

Announcements:

Dailyaudiobible.com is our website. That's the place of connection where you can see what is happening here in the community, so be sure to check that out. If you'd like to get further connected, you can go to facebook.com/daily Audio Bible Chronological. It is a mouthful, but it is a great place for you to, you know, get connected, stay connected and to put a face with some of the names of the people that you have been praying for or that have been praying for you. That's a great place of connection. But that is all for today. I'm China. I love you, and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer Line:

This is Unashamed of the Gospel in Pennsylvania. I was calling in response to Faith filled Mama's prayer request for her son Moses. I just wanted to let her know that I will be praying for her and for Moses, I myself have an adopted son who deals with attachment disorder and today is Daniel's first day of school. So I'm praying for Daniel as well as Moses. So Lord just be with faith filled Mama give her peace and grace as she deals with their son Moses. Give Moses peace and comfort as he deals with a father who is away. And we just pray that you would give this, give this family a sense of your your whole experience throughout the the whole family. But they might they might know peace even as the father goes away. Let me just ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Hi family and good morning. I'm from Leicester in the UK. Glad to be calling back in today's the 28th of August. I've actually just finished this into yesterday's reading from China so it was the 27th. We went through a sequel which was really great thing in China just went to. What about the polls that came in from yet then as well. First of all faith filled Mama, thank you for calling in and sharing about the report. I've not heard about it before. I was glad to hear good news regarding the successful quadruple bypass healing process for your friend Angela. And definitely also keeping in prayer, Moses, your son and and and and and everything you mentioned and trust in God. White space for the provision for all you and your husband need and and helping deal with and handle and be strong and being wise and able and capable in this situation to help guidance still build him up and supply more he needs and to be able to manage as well. And definitely pray and trust God for the knowledge and encounter with Jesus Christ that would happen...Thank you as well for reminding about the situation that's recording previously as well of the lady about her son-in-law. 

Unfortunately, I had an accident. And they definitely have brain. And you commit by the grace of God for every supplier of your supply of grace and provision for them in the household that his wife and her her, her daughter. As I believe for physically, mentally, emotionally, every supply they need and just every resource and hope and rest embrace the Amen.

For brother Aaron for Houston as well thank you very much. Just really wanted to call and I should say acknowledge your your core and definitely let you know that regarding your cousin Kevin and his friend definitely I put them into prayer I'm joining praying with you regarding that and I do believe in strongly confident in God's provision and that he does indeed you know what to do and that prefer just to hope and help and strength and provision all they need. Likewise a man. Likewise. Thank you Lady came from Kentucky for sharing your thoughts on the world.

Good morning, Daily Audio Bible Chronological. This is the Green Thumb from Nebraska. This morning I'm asking for prayer for myself. I have been a bus driver, route and activity for 11 years. That's what I did after my kids all went to school so that I could be on their schedule. I am obviously, as my name says, I do Gardening Landscaping also in addition to that in the summers. So we have new administration at the school and they basically umm put up a actual job for a director of transportation which is pretty much the job that I have been doing at the school in addition to routes and stuff, but I just did never have an official job title. So they put it out there with umm....so that they could take other applicants. Today we get the results of those. It's August 31st. And I don't know what I'll do if I basically get demoted. I do have another job on the side that I can probably go full time but, just very anxious about it. And I'm typically not an anxious person at all, so if you guys could just pray for me. His will it'll be done by the time you hear this, but I hope I can call back with a praise report. Thank you all. Goodnight.

Hey y'all, hey, it's Simone from Texas calling to give a quick testimony. I have three kids. My youngest is a son and I remember carrying him and feeling like I was hearing God's say, he was going to grow up to be amazing and special. When he was three months old, they started seeing signs of something they weren't sure about and when he was six years old, because they completely missed it. After that, he was diagnosed with autism, with a specific learning disability. I remember going through a deep, deep depression and it was one of the things that kind of triggered me to want to take my life. In addition to many other things, because it was really hard. And so I remember praying I seen God to send me one teacher that was seeing him what I already know and what God has spoken to me about him when I was carrying him. But when I moved to Texas, got sent that one teacher and she rallied around him with me. And she helped me advocate for him. And all of these amazing teachers came on board. And in May he graduated with a regular high school diploma instead of special education. He went from all special education classes to all regular classes in high school. And yesterday I wept as I watched him walk into the building at the Community College. Um, guys, God is so amazing. And I spent four hours on the altar at my church yesterday just thanking God. Not asking for anything, just thanking God for being so good and amazing and wonderful. And I'm praying for all the parents who have children with special needs. It is so difficult. Hard but with God, all things and everything is possible. So I'm asking guys, please keep my son Ethan lifted in prayer...in his first year of college.