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crowsintheforest · 26 days ago

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it's been a few weeks, by the time I post this, since I finished wind and truth. mostly I wanted to write out my thoughts as best I can, think on it some more, because for the first 48h after I finished I mostly was just laying around like

this got out of control so putting my thoughts behind a cut. tl;dr, book good, I have lots of thoughts, can't wait for 2031 or whenever we get book 6 (and also the next mistborn trilogy, ghostblood trilogy, my guy)

overall, I really liked it! sanderson makes very breezy high fantasy books: characters who are easy to love, big world-shaking plots with strong small-scale interpersonal stuff, themes of love despite the horrors, and some of the most fascinating magic systems around. we got to see a bunch of that last one all tossed together, with all the world hopping going on.

it's been really neat seeing sanderson improve as a writer. while I don't think this is necessarily my favorite sanderson book (or my favorite stormlight, for that matter), WaT shows off how much he's grown as a writer and a storyteller. using 1400 pages to maximally show 10 days of story, across multiple perspectives, nations, and worlds, gives him a lot of room to expand to a breaking point, and he manages to hold it all together, even weaving themes of the power of collaboration and interpersonal responsibility, the false promise of acceptance without responsibility, the value of redemption through choosing over and over again to change, and how kaladin stormblessed is able to be exactly where he's needed at just the right time.

(extremely minor nitpick, but I do wish he'd lay off of using literally so often)

the plot was fine, and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to keep track, even with fifteen billion things going on (if you're reading this far, you probably know what this book is about, but here's my best shot: over the course of 10 days before the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny of dalinar v odium, dalinar and navani try to figure out why Honor died and end up with the worst babysitting gig; shallan tries to do a stabby and gets sucked into said history along with rlain and renarin, who are just figuring themselves out a bit; kaladin and szeth go on a murder road trip to szeth's home of shinovar; adolin tries his best to keep azir from falling to odium's forces; and venli desperately tries to find a home for her people and herself).

that was long. so I think the easiest way for me to do this is go character by character. so let's start.

I wrote so much I'm sorry

kaladin stormblessed: my emotional support bridgeboy going out there emotionally supporting the most mentally unwell people in this book. his dance with syl was a bright spot (even as szeth got kidnapped for murdering), and he's grown so much. I called him taking the herald position pretty much from the moment it opened for szeth, but that didn't make the journey he's on any less glorious. he's finally going to get a fucking break and hopefully help himself and the others heal. herald of second chances indeed.

also kudos to kal for getting tf out of the line of succession dalinar tried to en-dad him with by fucking off to a completely separate planet. maximum avoidance of lighteyed-ness through maximum acceptance of responsibility. I love him so much.

shallan davar: comparatively, not quite the depth I would have liked for shallan? but like kaladin, a lot of her emotional growth and development was in oathbringer/RoW, so getting to see her cut loose and accept herself, and use that acceptance for maximum output/knife was great. she and kelsier are going to fuck each other up and I am going to giggle with glee.

adolin kholin: I loved adolin before this book, I loved adolin during this book, and I will love adolin forever. his journey in this book is an interesting parallel to dalinar's and kaladin's, accepting his relative lack of supernatural power but also embracing his role as a leader and a helper. he helped maya! he helped his armor spren! he helped yanagawn!!! he used a candelabra in a duel!!!!! finally, he made the leap about oaths v promises before dalinar did, which strikes me as very adolin and also deeply sad because dalinar's dead and adolin never got to tell his dad about his realizations.

quick ot3 aside: I'm not okay that it's kaladin's gifts to shallan (boots to ground her) and adolin (a sword to support him) that got them both through their wedding. I'm not okay that kaladin is the first person they think about to improve themselves, after their spouse. I'm not okay that kaladin thinks of them as inspiration, and hope, and the drink with friends he's never going to get because his body's fuckin buried in shinovar and no one knows he helped to reforge the oathpact. I'm not okay about any of this.

dalinar kholin: so that oaths v promises thing? that dalinar has to accept because, as navani told him halfway through, he's gotta listen before he jumps, even when they're in agreement? yeah. breaking his oath to force a cosmere-level intervention, and make the other shards deal with odium. trading his life, his soul, his freedom, and his legacy, so that others might survive. and he dies protecting his grand-nephew. one of my favorite war criminals in fiction. I'll miss him very much.

szeth-son-neturo: did not expect him to give up his oaths in his apotheosis. in retrospect, very well foreshadowed, and I love that it is a decision that he took into himself, with hope for a future he never thought he deserved. his pokemon trainer journey through shinovar had some great fights in it, but idk, for all that he was the flashback character this time around, I don't feel like I learned anything new about him. maybe this is the end of his story, and I'm okay with that. hey sando can we meet his wife in the next books, she seems cool (and helped him bury kaladin's body for their first interaction, that's wild).

navani kholin: needed more of her. not sure how, and what we got was good, but...agh. I think she suffers the most from the condensed timescale post-RoW.

gavinor kholin: lol sanderson pulled an angel-and-conner on us. I had to put the book down for this one, I was giggling so hard for the wrong reasons. goofy ass twist my guy. based on a rugpull of navani losing the kid that I didn't entirely accept. can't wait for adolin to run into him in the future

sigzil: reading this book after reading the sunlit man was an exercise in emotional devastation and I will never get over sigzil finding himself, finally, and then willingly giving it up to save his spren and his comrades. fuck moash, seriously.

lift and vasher: what a duo. good luck with this one, vasher, you're going to train up a terror. you deserve it, after, what, Mad Sciencing your way to anti-light? for someone so smart, you're a dumbass.

hey btw where is vivenna, can't wait for that reunion (aka vivenna trying to gut vasher, which he deserves, what the fuck were you doing with gavilar my dude)

renarin kholin and rlain: much like navani, I feel like they kind of got the short shrift, although theirs feels less bad I think? navani felt like her continuation got cut short, but renarin and rlain both feel like their story is just beginning. which is probably the point? anyways, I like them both very much, more please. gay love saved the planet.

venli: really liked where we ended up with venli, who not only came to terms somewhat with her past devastation against her own people, but made the call to reach out to her enemies in order to forge peace. something about renarin and rlain's decision for a chance for the future via freedom of the imprisoned over continued oppression in the name of stability; paralleling venli and the singers' choice to reach out to jasnah, their oppressors and enemies, to mark their own space and nation? it's so good. I'm probably the most excited about this particular plot/nation-building moving forward.

thaidakar: kelsier what the fuck are you doing and why did you inquisitor one of your eyes, you know what happened to your brother (oh no now I'm sad about mistborn series 1 again)

jasnah kholin: you know what I realized, writing all this up, that led to jasnah's downfall? she hasn't really changed this whole series so far. journey before destination, you know? unlike pretty much everyone else, she thought she'd already finished her journey. she's the fourth ideal pretty much before the series even starts (maybe? I might be wrong), she's the smartest person in the world, she's taken steps to fill what she thinks is her weakness (strength on the front lines). but she never acknowledged that she could be fatally flawed, that she made terrible mistakes in what she thought was good, and never reconsidered her position as potentially hypocritical. I know we're getting jasnah flashbacks late in the series, so I'm excited to see where she goes in the future, but boy her shit got rocked by fen and odium.

hoid: lol. lololol. looooooooool.

#lauren hush #stormlight archive #stormlight 5 spoilers #wat spoilers #cosmere #this is so so so so so so so long #extremely rambly #doesn't even talk about the plot much #just several hundred words of ranting how much I love these characters

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midnight-mourning · 5 months ago

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Good morning, mourning! is it possible for you to show us how you make an outline for writing a chapter sometime in the future? like what does your first rough rough draft look like?🤔

also whats your favorite vine/meme at the moment?🫣

Hi pip!!

I can actually show you RIGHT NOW as I keep all my outlines (for the most part) saved in their respective chapters

*added a read more post-answering bc this got LONG lol*

So, it's sometimes a bit dependent on the fic, what I'm writing at the time, and where I'm at in the process. I usually have two different methods I stick to and typically combine in some manner:

bulleted list of important scenes/ideas to expand out upon from there (typically how I start out ideas for oneshots)

big blurb paragraph of a flow of ideas from start to finish (typically how I start out chapter-based fics, and what I do for Confused Spirit)

From there, I'll then combine the two methods in some way if it's a oneshot, and if I'm struggling to get the words flowing for a chapter-based fic, I'll use the list to expand out upon things I wrote originally. For example, this was ch. 34's outline (spoilers for those who haven't read it yet):

and then the list I added once I got started properly, which I crosssed out as I went along. Fun fact, you can see where I hit a moment of greatness in that last bullet and the chapter came together as a whole from there:

the blacked out is things I've pushed back for later (or just general spoiler stuff), so you can see that inital plans and even those I make WHILE writing the chapter are still subject to change as I go into actually writing it. Another good example would be from ch. 32:

in this case, I went back and added to the original outline (I think you can tell where lmao) and didn't utilize a list

I'd love to find chekov's gun, bc that one was REALLY good if I'm remembering correctly but I think it's buried somewhere in the Dialogue Dump unfortunately 😔

Adding on to that, I write a lot of scene ideas/mainly dialogue for things that happen in the future as the ideas don't typically come to me in chronological order. the party from 33? like a month into writing the story. the team meeting Michael? mid-arc 2. Chekov's gun? the start to midway point in the first couple days of writing and then basically finished within by the middle of august (started in July for those that don't know)

My point being that there's a lot of things that I have saved for certain arcs/plot points that I then insert into their proper place in the story once I find where that is. For arc 3 in particular I took the approach of gathering all the dialogue i KNOW was going to be in the arc, wrote my lil blurbs for all the chapters, and then started placing them accordingly. stuff has (and probably will continue to) gotten shuffled around, but for the most part has stayed in their original places.

a rough rough draft beyond that is basically adding to those base scene ideas (sometimes in order, sometimes not) typically writing dialogue and then filling in the blanks from there! sometimes if I'm lucky I can write a chapter from (mostly) start to finish in a span of four hours or so but that's only when i'm REALLY cookin'

Sorry for the super long winded response, didn't realize how much I wrote until I did it 😅

TL;DR, blurb of ideas, organize those ideas/add to them or adjust, full send it from there (with the potential help of some dialogue along the way)

As for my fav vine/meme currently? Probably the lump fish guy, everytime someone says 'very mindful, very demure' (I am not on tiktok so I do NOT understand this one) I instantly think 'very beautiful, very powerful'

thanks so much for the lovely ask!!! <3 <3 <3

#really am just out here outing myself like this #happy to do it though this was very fun to be asked and to blab about #I don't know what anyone's expectations were #but yes #this is legit how I do it lmao #I'm mad I couldn't find ch. 15's outline #i KNOW i saved it #if it's not the dialogue dump it may be in one of her sister locations #yes that was intended I find myself to be very funny #mourning murmurs #Confused spirit #Confused spirit spoilers #dca fic #fnaf dca #dca fandom #fnaf sun #fnaf moon #fnaf daycare attendant #x reader

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danieyells · 7 months ago

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In Tokyo debunkers I have been thinking about the first years and what they have in common.I think all of them are short-sighted or have tunnel vision this isn't a bad trait

I may be wrong on this or miss remembering so if I'm wrong please correct it.Please excuse the formatting I'm on mobile and the length.

Leo-

He is the easiest one for this,the speech that Alan gave him at the end of vagastorm kinda sums up lot of leo problems.There was a post about Leo possibly self-sabotage or disregard for his own self, there's merit look at the scene of Leo,Alan and Thoma.

He may have figured out that Alan wasn't going to hurt him but Thoma was a complete wild card in that situation,he was grabbing his axe.Along with setting up the PC,he used her to his liking and was planning to fuck her over after the fact.Image if his planned success what would have happened most likely no more access to the PC if she believes her boasting does not work.That means no more spying on Thoma and Alan.

Please tell me if this has any weight.I have to go to work.Thank you

Sorry this took so long, anon! I wanted to reply earlier but I thought that maybe mobile wasn't showing parts of the message(it sounded kind of like you were going to list the ways the other first-years were short-sighted/prone to tunnel vision) so I wanted to check it on desktop and my Taiga brain ADHD made me keep forgetting 8'D Excuse me for rambling so much, I get a little long-winded! TL;DR, I do think you're right, although Leo isn't as careless as you think, and I think Sho isn't really prone to tunnel vision or short-sightedness beyond that he seems to bounce between interests somewhat easily.

Yeah, I agree that the first years are a little prone to tunnel vision--like, they all must have come here with something in mind and that something will expand in their time here. Ritsu intended to acquire clients--particularly the famous and wealthy Frostheimers who are prone to controversy and scandal. Ren has implied some issues with his family so he possibly did this to escape the responsibilities of home--and now he has to try and escape the responsibilities of work too. Sho. . .I think Sho is the least short-sighted of them in a sense? Sho seems very much like he takes things day by day and he does whatever catches his interest and whatever makes things easiest for Leo, even if it means he gets in trouble when Leo should've. He's really intelligent and has a plethora of hobbies and interests, although he puts a lot of his passion in cooking and tends to drop most other things that aren't sports. And Leo, like he said, came here expecting it to be a lot more fun to be around other people who made pacts with demons, and he acts like he only cares about thrills, profits, and having a good time. Most of them don't care about others or only care about others in superficial ways that benefit them(again, with the exception of Sho who at least seems to be more good-natured and considerate so far, unless Leo is telling the truth when he says Sho acts that way to get and keep customers, which wouldn't make sense since Sho only recently started the food truck.)

About the meeting in the car, both of them were reaching for their weapons, not just Tohma. Because they didn't know what was happening when they were summoned to the car by the other but they were both confused, so they suspected foul play and prepared for a fight either way. They may have been about to fight each other, suspecting the other wasn't actually themself, frankly. I think they had their hands on their weapons before that panel was shown. See how they both already have their hands off to their sides by the time Leo pops in, after they both get confused? Reaching for their weapons was happening before Leo made himself known.

But Leo is smart enough to know Alan wouldn't let him get hurt even if Tohma started swinging--although I imagine he was being sarcastic when he said he didn't think Tohma knew who he was and he knew Tohma wouldn't just start attacking him mindlessly. Tohma was at the entrance ceremony(he already saw Tohma's information with Darkwick so he would have recognized him anyway, and he could probably ascertain from how diligent Tohma is that he would also recognize Leo already) and he also knew Tohma knew of him from when he listened in on them previously. Even if Tohma did pull out his weapon, Alan would have recognized Leo and his voice when he started speaking and protected him. Leo knows who his muscle is. He wouldn't have had put himself in a situation he didn't think he couldn't safely get out of. He does this kind of thing far too much to not know his exits--not to mention, you don't immediately hurt or kill someone who pulled something like he did. You get information first. It's just the smart thing to do, especially when they're already worried about a spy. (Plus you can't just willy nilly try and kill motherfuckers on campus. The likelihood that Tohma was actually going to try and kill, or even injure, him was slim to none.)

As for convincing the PC their power didn't work, they already knew it worked from when they used it in Frostheim. They just wouldn't think it always worked. He would still be able to ask them to come and use it on the basis of 'let's see if we can get it to work.' He'd be claiming it'd help them, because if they don't know what does and doesn't cause it to work, they and Darkwick would want to figure it out--and since he would be able to say 'it seems like it works when we use it together' they'd end up relying on him to help them understand when it does and doesn't work. The PC just probably wouldn't be sent on missions with them due to being a liability. Also, he could still spy on Tohma and Alan--just not while they're in the soundproofed car. He mentions in the campus chat that they likely have more than one place they meet up(unless he wasn't spying on Tohma and Alan at that point, but somebody else), and he also plants bugs in the car according to his home screen dialogues(although they get destroyed.) He'd be able to spy on them less, but it's not like they only ever meet in there, and I'm sure he'd figure that out quickly enough.

You have to remember what the guy does for a living outside of being an influencer--he corners rich people and basically makes them give up money in exchange for him not releasing information they'd wanna keep private. His proper introduction is at the "mercy" of a guy with a knife who's clearly threatened to stab him multiple times based on the multiple stabbed pillows around them, summoning Sho to help him. He puts himself in danger all the time, but he always has at least one way to be backed up. He was second in scholastic ability among all the first years. He's extremely intelligent and clever. Yes, he is short-sighted, but that's in terms of making things work. He'll treat the symptoms without resolving the problem if he can, like Alan said--if it gets the desired result who cares if it's right or wrong in the long run? But he's not so careless that he'd put himself into that much danger with no backup plan--although he is careless enough to put himself in the danger in the first place, but. Everything involves risks.

The problem is that backup plans can fall through and understandings of situations can too. Like Alan said, he does need to take better care of himself because he absolutely is careless--not extraordinarily so imo, but definitely careless. Leo is willing to put himself in danger for an end goal, but it's not like he runs into things with no plan and no backup. Leo is smart enough to get things to work with his wits and his words 99% of the time, but that one percent is gonna get him in real trouble eventually--and we've already seen his plans partially fall through two or three times(although two were after they served their purposes.) Alan realized when Sho wouldn't eat the spicy donuts that he and Leo lied about who was at fault for their acting outside of the scope of their mission. Even at the end of the encounter with the anomaly, Sho ended up telling the [half?] truth and backing up that the PC was able to buff his stigma instead of going on with their deal, which Leo hadn't expected. And the PC and Alan, in Alan's character story, end up investigating the actual circumstances behind Jun and Takeru's deaths. He's used to things working out for him and going his way, so he doesn't consider enough what could happen if they don't. Short-sighted, yeah, careless, yes but not as much so as you might think. Calculated risks, normally really good at math. But sometimes you get the math wrong.

I do think you're not wrong as far as most of them being a little short-sighted though. The only one I kinda disagree with is Sho, but even Sho's like. . .he only cares about his interests, but he goes through with what other people want from him anyway sometimes? Like he tends to train with Alan in The Pit despite complaining about it a lot, enough so that Alan doesn't have to use the punching bag in his room as much when he trains since he can spar with Sho instead. He's also constantly doing whatever Leo wants despite seeming to dislike it, and letting himself take the fall for Leo's bad behavior. But maybe that follower mentality is a sort of short-sightedness and tunnel vision as well. . .then again, like he said to Hyde, "If I can use you to get ahead, I'm doing it." That's not really very short-sighted at all, he clearly has other things in mind. . .but it's hard to tell with Sho. We rarely see his motivations. Like I can't really pin down what Sho is. . .after in life. But also, Sho cycles through interests(with the exception of cooking and maybe basketball) frequently, so I get the feeling that's the point. Sho doesn't know what he wants either, and he follows who and whatever seems most interesting. When the PC says he could make money off of cooking, he takes a shine to that idea and immediately opens up a food truck. Fortunately he seems to like cooking and serving food for others a lot, because he's sticking to it at the moment.

#leo kurosagi #danie yells at tokyo debunker #danie yells answers #danie yells with anons

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humming-pokemon-helpers · 8 months ago

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Realizing there’s a lot of posts I’ve been meaning to make this month and haven’t. Namely some Pride Month stuff. (Really hoping next month is Sloth Month with how things are going around here.)

So first up, a very happy (end of) pride month to everyone! That means everyone from human to Pokémon, from somewhere in between to totally different. And of course, for people on every part of, or outside, the LGBTQ+ rainbow. Our experiences are all incredibly different and colored by our circumstances, but they’re all equally valuable, and worthy of pride.

Being ourselves can be tough, but it’s so worth finding the people we love and care about, whether friends, family, partners, or just us. So a late happy Pride! (This feels a little generic… but I promise the sentiment is true!)

//Mini OOC corner below the cut, sort of a vent but more of a “what’s going on with mod” if anyone’s been wondering why I’m a lot less active.

//To keep things simple, I’m really sorry I’m so inactive lately (and before anybody says “that doesn’t need an apology”, I’m more apologizing to myself!). I keep thinking I want to do things that are really cool, and finish out the storylines I have scripted, and interact with everyone’s posts here because you all are amazing! Genuinely, I want that more than a lot of things!!

//But my mental health for whatever reason has been kicking my ASS lately. It feels so hard to open up Tumblr, to jot down my ideas, to start typing, and then to edit things down afterwards because I’m so concerned about being long winded and whether anybody even cares (which is stupid, because I care and that should be enough!!)

//The tl;dr is that I’m exhausted daily lately, I’m not sure why, and I’m hoping and praying to get to the bottom of it soon, but I still wanted to apologize for taking so long to get around to anything and for dropping a lot of connections I’ve had here! If you’ve been wondering where I am, I promise I still care, it just takes a lot for me to exist here through nobody’s fault but my own. I’m still going to try to be here though. :)

//Also I’m going to be largely absent next week for a totally different reason but I’ll try to either post or schedule posts along the way!! Nice one-sided chat? Nice one-sided chat.

#pokeblogging #pkmn irl #//sorry if i’m blabbing too much under the comments i just. wanted to get things out there!

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pain-in-the-butler · 6 months ago

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Hello, this is just a kindly, no-pressure ask for your rant/essay/critique, if you still like what you wrote. I am very curious what you have to say :)

Ah, hi there... Kind of you to drop in and I guess I should expect a little bit of gentle prodding. I do feel sheepish about my radio silence, particularly after I made a whole separate post talking about how I went off answering your ask. In fact, I wrote a whole 3.5k words, and even edited it a few times but ultimately I've struggled to make myself happy with it as a good response to your question, and I'm far too passionate to give myself any grace when it comes to talking about this subject.

But it isn't just nitpicking about the way I've written that's slowing me down. See, back when I was a little English major still in college and finally learning the correct way to write a paper for the first time in my life, I struggled with conclusions. A lot of people do. All I was really told was that I wasn't supposed to use conclusions to summarize my paper but rather to bring in new information. I thought that was pretty stupid, but I was determined to get it right.

At some point, I came upon a technique for writing conclusions that I continued to use for every paper for the rest of my life. Thanks to a borderline ADHD brain and general disorganization, I would often start writing essays only with an idea of what I wanted to say and no idea why I wanted to say it. It wasn't until I reached the end of the paper that I'd finally get what my own point was.

So I'd write the entire essay out in one go and first write the conclusion as if it was a summary of my paper. Next I'd reread the whole thing to make sure my summary made sense. And then I'd take that summary, make it my opening paragraph, edit it so it sounded less like an ending, reread the paper a third time, and then finally write a proper concluding paragraph that did at last bring new information to the reader. I know it sounds like a lot of extra work, but if you struggle with essays too, give it a try.

In conclusion... I wrote a long-winded, rambling essay for your ask, only to get to the end and realize what it was I really wanted to say. And when I realized what I really wanted to say, my essay no longer looked very strong to my own eyes.

Of course I haven't touched it with a ten-foot pole since I recognized this, out of annoyance with myself. But now that I've given it a few weeks to sit on the back burner, maybe I won't hate it so much anymore. I'll give it another read soon and determine what's best to do: finagle it or start over from scratch.

Sorry this is such an extremely extra and unnecessary process, I can't help my nature. I've only been stewing about how much I wish Black Butler was different for at least seven years. The last thing I want to do is sound flimsy when I finally put all my thoughts in order.

Tl;dr, thanks for bearing with me. I promise I haven't forgotten 🫡

#asks #and hopefully I don't sound any bit annoyed at your asking; I'm not at all. thanks again for wanting to hear my thoughts!

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timeskip · 1 day ago

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I FINISHED UMINEKO!!!!!!!!

In answer arcs I have 83.5 hours (this includes time idling, which I did more of than I'd have liked. I also played with a voice acting mod, so I spent more time listening to the voices than someone would spend simply reading it) which added to the question arcs playtime means I spent 172.4 hours with it over the past 3 months and 19 days ^-^

Mostly spoiler free overall thoughts:

I feel like Umineko is exactly the kind of story it's trying to be. Any criticism I throw at it is meaningless in that it's not TRYING to be what I want. And that's beautiful. It's a story about mysteries, what it means to create one and what it means to hide the truth. It's about family, how family hurts and helps you, about hope for the future and staying alive for it. It's about how without love the truth cannot be seen. There's a lotttt of things that Umineko is about, and I think overall it hits the mark really well in what it wants to do. And I admire it deeply. It takes some HUGE swings.

However, I feel like it didn't hit me as much as I wanted it to. But!!!! Certain parts (episodes 6 and 3, in particular) I felt were SO INCREDIBLY PEAK, and I enjoyed it the whole way through. It was consistently engaging even when it was confusing, but I feel like I, someone who struggles to create in depth theories on mysteries, am not the target audience for a story like this. And that's fine!! But even though I have theories, it does mean that the ambiguity keeps me from understanding "the truth," which is so vital to understanding the reasons for the game, and for the mystery. But then again, the point is that it's ambiguous. I respect that a lot, even though sometimes it felt like it was unclear in a way that didn't suit what I want from stories.

I also loved the characters, Erika was my favorite because there's something deeply wrong with her, but in general I just LOVE LOVE LOVE the amount of fucked up women in the game. I'll put a spoilery tierlist under the cut ^^

Ultimately I think where it suffers most is that it's unfocused. It's so long and winding, and in a way that fits with what it is, but I feel like there's just so many characters and plot points that the themes end up shifting and changing too much over the course of the story. Episode 1 is a completely different story from episodes 5-8, which is both good and bad. I don't dislike unfocused stories btw (Hunter x Hunter is a favorite of mine and that's really unfocused) but Umineko tries to do SO MUCH, especially with Beatrice, that I can't get a hold on what it's trying to say. Some characters I feel didn't have full clear arcs despite being initially presented as major characters, for example. It's just something that happens, though. I don't hate it for that by any means.

(It's really hard to explain why Umineko didn't hit me as hard as I wanted it to but hopefully you understand my vague feelings...!!)

tl;dr: It's a really good story, an amazing feat that it even exists in the way it does, and while certain things didn't work for me, it was an amazing experience.

---

Spoilery thoughts, especially on the very end of episode 8:

First, the promised tier list: (I have to split it into two images sorry lol)

Not ordered at all within tiers 🫶 I hope my taste isn't too bad (whether Erika being my favorite is good or bad taste... is up to you)

AS FOR EPISODE 8... I really loved Ange's development. I mentioned in a previous post that it's not really the kind of story I want to read about suicide, and that is still true, I feel like the way it SHOWS her dying and only THEN do we get her choosing to live is... odd? Anyways this is all in that past post. I really loved Ange's arc at the end, her hope and her despair both. The fact that the story was ABOUT HER all the time, that she wanted to break into the catbox... oughhh what an amazing twist on the story. So good.

When I say that Umineko can feel unfocused, it ALLOWS for something like that. We thought the story was about Battler, but it's ACTUALLY about Ange, and about her love for Battler, and it's about Battler's love for Beatrice... it's all really good. I wish it was focused more on that, it would've made it hit harder for me, but whatever. It's exactly the story it needs to be.

And the Tohya thing. Augh. Omg. Battler surviving even as he dies. He's able to live on the same way, even if "Ushiromiya Battler" was unable to leave Rokkenjima. Him not being able to be Battler anymore is kind of perfect for him, and becoming Tohya... yeah... really good... I love the mystery author thing, and I love that Ange is trying to give hopes to people the same way Battler gave hope to her. It's a good ending! It's so completely unrelated to the start, and yet it works. It IS what episode 8 was leading to.

Also all the Erika stuff was such a treat. She and Ange are the same for so long until Ange is able to break out of being a Witch of Truth, and their parallels make both of their characters stronger. And Bernkastel and Lambdadelta were such interesting characters at the end too!!! I loved seeing their fight, and their weird witchy love for each other. So fun.

The catbox itself is such a perfect story. It's a mystery that can be replicated, a tragedy that both exists and does not exist. Without an observer, the truth is hidden. This is what Beatrice wanted, as tragic as she was ;-; It's a good story!!

As for the mystery... I feel like I still can't fully understand the implications of Kanon *not existing*... But it's fine. I'll either figure it out or I won't. Unrelated to the mystery, I also feel like some of the incest/child abuse is brushed over a bit too fast, but that's.......... I don't even know what to feel about that. I don't understand why Shannon (assuming she's Yasu...) didn't tell George about the incest thing, unless. I mean. she WAS planning to create a tragedy on Rokkenjima, wasn't she??? I don't understand it, and I hope I can figure out what it means when I think deeper on it (+ read other people's thoughts + Confession...)

Anyways yay yippee what a fun story!!! I'll be thinking thoughts about it for a while I think!!! I spent a lot of time with it and I'm glad I took the leap to start this 1 million+ word long VN ^-^

#percy plays umineko

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intrepiddreamx · 2 years ago

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What Human bands and artists do you think Variks would be into? Does Meren try an show him some music?

To preface this answer, it needs to be said that Eliksni music is very different from what humans are accustomed to. This is vaguely alluded to in Destiny Lore. Most notably, this excerpt from Two-Drink Minimum:

Since this scene takes place in an Eliksni club, the "staccato clicks and thumping" are likely a reference to some kind of alien music - Eliksni music, in this case. The verbage and tone used by the perspective character, Crow, seem to support this view. (It's either that or he really isn't down with the post-Collapse Top 100 Hottest Dance Beats. His loss.)

By the same token, Human music probably comes off as very strange to an Eliksni. Perhaps some who have closer associations with humanity have come to tolerate it, but even then, it's an acquired taste. There may be some lore out there that supports this, however, I'd need to do some digging...

Okay, now that that's out of the way, on to Variks. The tl;dr is that he simply doesn't enjoy human music. At all (maybe with one or two exceptions).

But wait, there's lore! From the Skolas: Captured Grimoire Card:

Variks obviously thinks highly of his own people's music, going so far as to note that he finds the pre-Whirlwind composition "beautiful". If we dig into Variks' lore as a whole, he spends an inordinate amount of time reminiscing on the glory days of Riis (the splendor of their civilization, the strict cultural decorum, the fashion, the technology, etc). In his mind, pre-Whirlwind Riis was the absolute pinnacle of Eliksni society, and no one is going to tell him otherwise.

All that said, any human composition (musical or otherwise) simply isn't going to live up to his standards. Add in the two species' differing definitions of what passes for music, and it's an even harder sell for an old nostalgic Scribe like Variks.

That's not to say he hasn't dabbled in listening to Human musical compositions. Living among the Awoken for decades (and later the Guardians) has surely afforded him ample opportunity to sample many facets of humanity's music. I just don't think he'd enjoy most of it (especially when he's so clearly hung up on millennia-old Riis music). Then again, I don't think he'd be particularly keen on whatever passes for "modern day" Eliksni musical works...

The one exception, as far as Human music is concerned, may be old pre-Golden Age Classical (if it ain't Baroque, don't fix it, ya know?). I think he'd have at least some appreciation for calmer, more orchestral melodies, even if it doesn't exactly resonate with his culture's idea of music. You probably won't catch him listening to it in his down time, though.

As for Meren Hale (OC), she would 100% make Variks listen to Human music. Pre-Golden Age, Golden Age, Post-Collapse, City Age, you name it! She's probably got a whole playlist on standby and is just waiting to fire it up after their evening tea session. Of course, Variks would politely listen, but Meren never manages to sell him on any of it. His standard response is that each and every song is "interesting", and not in an enthusiastic way, either.

Anyway, if you'd hoped Variks was secretly into Coldplay or Imagine Dragons or something, I'm sorry to let you down. It's Eliksni music or nothing, baby (maybe with the occasional Tchaikovsky melody thrown in).

Thank you so much for the Ask! (even if I was a bit long-winded). Hit me with your Variks questions any time!

#destiny 2 #variks #eliksni #meren hale #ask

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wisteriagoesvroom · 1 year ago

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🏎️💨 THE FORMULA 1 TAG GAME! 🏎️💨:

stealing this from the timeline...

+ zero pressure tags (but i love reading these!) - @lecrep @souvenir116 @fueledbyremembering @thinkingaboutfilm11 @supercollide @fireopaal @callsign-shortstack @thatguywasvaping @linewire @buryawoman and whoever else wants to do it.

1. Who or what got you into F1?

charles edits on tiktok + drive to survive, lmao. i'm one of those bitches. sorry not sorry!

but! i will say! what greg james said about f1 resonated with me because i have never ever really cared about physics or engineering in any deep or substantial way. and now, i am avidly reading people like supermak's incredible posts talking about downforce or apexes or deltas and car configs, looking at the charts and the data, and i just think that is a really fun place to be.

f1blr and f1 fandom so far has been a nice confirmation that multiple things can be true - yes we want to make the vroom vroom boys kiss, but we also care deeply about the ethics of the sport, the growth, about driver + team stories, driver pipelines and equity and race excitement and engineering. i think it's really cool these things can coexist.

the sport never should be one thing to one group of people, you know? (wow that ended up longer than i thought.)

2. Who was the very first F1 driver you supported? Do you support them now? Have your opinions on them differed or stayed the same since then?

charles, and still charles lmao. unfortunately.

i am an oscar piastri enthusiast also. i think there's a bit of recency bias at work here but he's come swimming like a fledgling shark into the shallows with his deadpan personality and i'm just very intrigued by His Whole Thing.

i want good things for yuki! and lewis! my GOAT!! give the man his 8th :( (it probably isn't happening but lets' not manifest that.......)

TL;DR it's been a joy getting to "know" the grid (or at least as much of their public persona will tell us) and getting into the lore. *shaky hands* the LORE!

also nobody asked, but, schumacher was an omnipresent name when i was growing up - which might give away my age - but he always felt like an old school driver. in the sense of his mythos, his mystery, his dominance of the track. that era of f1 is over and the sport only moves on and evolves, but in the same way his presence felt a lot more removed and unrelatable to me, and far away. the speed of technology now and broadcasting and social content makes f1 feel more fun and accessible. it feels a lot nicer to find fandom spaces like f1blr where there are different audiences (female, queer, a variety of ages and backgrounds etc) yelling about the same things.

it's just a different time, not a value judgment. but i am enjoying it.

3. Who’s your current favourite F1 driver?

see above, but i'm 100% here for lestappen having a track battle next year only for oscar to pip them to the podium in one of the races lmao. i think it'd be amazing.

4. Is there a driver pairing or pairings you support? What made you attracted to that pairing in the first place?

*long sigh* once again lestappen baybee... the lore... the parallels... the sun-moonism.... the enemies-to-rivals-to-friends-and-gay-rival-soulmates-something

i like other pairings too like in my about me post - landoscar, galex, blabla. my dark horses are riccussell (george/daniel) and groto (george/toto).

something about that greyhound, very wound-up, very upper-middle-class, highly-strung, born-to-want-but-not-to-always-win english george:

5. Do your parents, siblings or relatives have a favourite team and/or favourite driver(s)?

i got my sister into f1 at around the same time but she's not indicated any preference on drivers yet tbh. she's a casual fan. must be nice being normal.

6. Do you have any favourite races? Are there any that stand out to you the most?

haven't seen enough of them to say, 'cus i only started following like two months ago as the season was winding down. i looooved Vegas '23 though and the legendary charles overtake. he's just so fucking smart and cunning when he's given the conditions and the car to be. watching Abu Dhabi '21 on replay was also a TRIP.

7. Do you have a favourite circuit? Can be from the past or from the current calendar.

i'm still learning them. but i'm mildly curious about the old tracks like nürburgring - it was from a totally different era of the sport and it'd be nice to rebalance the long tracks with the current spectacle of street races even though that doesn't seem to be where the sport's moving towards.

8. Have you ever been to an F1 race in real life? Feel free to tell us your experience going to one if you like.

i actually live in a place with a track... i had a free ticket for general access once many years ago but that was pre-f1 hyperfixation, and at that point i didn't understand the appeal at all. idk.

i feel like f1 is actually a better experience for me to watch on tv as a fan.... probably blasphemy i know.

9. Have you ever met an F1 driver in real life?

no and idk that i would because i've seen celebrities in person in the past and it's usually so quick and transactional because they're surrounded by hordes of handlers and/or they're usually running somewhere even if it's a fan-focused interaction.

THAT SAID! i would love to attend a talk by Lewis or just generally hear what he has to say, because what he's done is so beyond f1 at this point and he always shows up in terms of advocacy and speaking up, in recent years, where it really matters. he's a fascinating figure, sometimes contradictory, sometimes controversial, but i definitely would love to hear what he has to say.

10. Do you have a favourite F1 car? If so, what is it?

i am partial to that black and gold lotus from the 80s, ngl:

and this 7up car (jordan 191?) which with the fujifilm sponsorship is just peak 90s:

11. Do you have a favourite one win wonder?

does charles count as a one win wonder............ fight me in the comments

12. Do you have any favourite quotes from the F1 world? This can either be inspirational or hilarious.

"don't waste it" from seb vettel to charles on seb's last day

#tag game #this became an essay #but whatever #what is tumblr for if not being indulgent in longform

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dutifullylazybread · 1 year ago

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I am so in love with your story Deeply and Immovably So. I am heavily invested, I am a bit embarrassed to say that right as I found your story I was writing my own fic falling into the same theme of Tav and Rolan living in the tower together. I am currently rewriting my story to make sure I keep our stories different.

I guess I wanted to ask you a question, how did you mange to write a story all in one go? I tend to write in fragments and post my chapters one at a time. I guess If you could give me some advice on writing series and how you approach it?

Your amazing and can't wait for the chapter update on Friday!

I'm so glad you like the story!! :D. I'm honestly not worried about there being similarities between our fics. One key point for Rolan's character is establishing a home for his family after what happens in Elturel. On top of that, Tav (even a Balduran Tav) doesn't actually have a home that we can ever visit, so gravitating towards staying in the tower makes a lot of sense! So if that is a big part of your story and it would be strongly affected by you changing that part of it, don't feel like you must make those revisions. I'd rather you be happy with where you story is than worry about similarities like that. Regardless, I'm really excited to read your fic! If you'd like, please drop me a link when you begin posting! :)

As far as how I wrote the fic all out? I won't lie, I haven't really ever thought about my process, so when you asked, I sorta resembled Patrick (more below the image, I promise!):

That being said though, I can definitely share how I wrote the fic and how I am working with the story now, but my big rule with writing is that writers should do what works best for them--what works for me might not necessarily work for someone else. So if what works best for you is posting as you finish chapters, then absolutely do that. There are some extremely talented writers in the Rolan x Tav corner that do the same or something similar. If you haven't read @underdark-dreams's A Strand to Climb, @lemonsrosesandlavender's Sharp Teeth, or @graysparrowao3's What If Rolan Was A Companion? I highly recommend them (and not just these fics--the rest of their repertoires are delicious too!).

This is my tl;dr for my explanation below--I can be super long-winded (I'm sorry about that!!). Like I said, this is what works for me, but if you don't think these things jive with you, then do what you feel is best for you and your story. :)

Write the story out first. Don't edit until you have finished the fic.

If you run into a writing wall, work on a different scene and come back later.

While it's fun to add in details, a lot of that can be supplied during your editing/revisions stages. Worrying too much about this can bog you down when you're in the middle of writing.

Don't immediately jump into editing your story after finishing a chapter. Take anywhere from a few days to a week to let the draft sit before you work on it again.

Avoid burnout - take care of yourself and take brain breaks.

Here are the longer explanations:

Write the story out first. Don't edit until you have finished writing the fic.

I started writing the Rolan x Tav story as my NaNoWriMo project back in November and I kept working on it through December. For those who may not be familiar, NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month, and the goal is to write 50,000 words in a month. These do not have to be good words, they just have to be words on a page. So already out of the gate, I knew that, if I wrote this fic, it might not be well-written at first, but it would be a story. I had to give myself permission to write a bad draft, basically, and that is sometimes the hardest thing in the world (I am still irked by it). If you're anything like me, the thought of not having perfection on the page during a first writing pass feels awful. BUT I do sincerely believe it is why I wrote as much as I did in two months. Because I just focused on writing and not editing. And, if I could tell I was getting close to hitting a wall, I would make a note in my manuscript to come back, and then I'd keep writing the chapter. My notes are parentheses that basically say (Add more detail here), (make scene more sexy), (Review dialogue exchange). It's really weird to write down, but when I'm writing and struggling, it honestly feels like my brain is coming up against an actual wall. Basically, I'm giving myself a headache. BUT this is my warning sign to come back later, because I'm getting too lost in the weeds and I won't be happy with the end result of whatever I force out.

2. If you run into a writing wall, work on a different scene and come back later.

The rationale for coming back and working through the wall later comes from a combination of reasons: 1) From past experience, forcing myself through a block can work, but it is the most agonizing experience ever. And it is exhausting. Writing can be exhausting, that is okay. BUT, what if I force myself through the block and then I'm unhappy with the result? For me personally, pushing against a block/wall can feed into burnout. So 2) it's better to take a break and work on a part of the story that I am excited to pursue and then revisit the wall later, because 3) if you let yourself take a brain break, you're going to come back and find that the wall isn't really a wall anymore. If anything, it's a really fun idea. You just needed to come back when the lighting was different.

3. While it's fun to add in details, a lot of that can be supplied during your editing/revisions stages. Worrying too much about this can bog you down when you're in the middle of writing.

I find that, while I am in the drafting stages, I often write at a pelt. I do my best to write the first draft well, but I write so quickly that I might not pause to ask, "So what does the setting look like exactly? What color is the sky? How does the Chionthar look at this moment? What does it smell like?" Some of those details might make it in while I'm drafting, but I think that I focus in on those during editing/revision, because that is when I let myself slow down and focus on the details.

4. Don't immediately jump into editing your story after finishing a chapter. Take anywhere from a few days to a week to let the draft sit before you work on it again.

Due to how I wrote this fic, I didn't actually revisit a lot of these chapters until about a month or two later. And that has led to a combination of "Hey, this isn't too bad," to "What were you thinking??" BUT, I do sit quite firmly in the camp that taking a few days to just breathe and not immediately jumping into editing helped give me a fresh perspective. When we spend so much time working on our stories, it goes without saying that we are very close to what we are working on, and sometimes that can work against us. SO, putting some distance between yourself and the chapter in question can help you identify what needs to be cleaned up/revised when you return to it.

5. Avoid burnout - take care of yourself and take brain breaks.

In my experience, one thing that stopped me from working on long fics was burnout. For previous fanfic projects I tried to work on, all of my free time would be poured into writing, and not a lot of it would be used to relax. I would work on these stories nonstop. I would argue that this is probably why several long-form fanfictions don't get finished by several writers (and that's not even considering how school, work, and family obligations might also take a toll on your energy). The last thing you want is to feel apathetic or frustrated over the thought of working on your story, so taking the time to relax and take care of yourself. While I think having a writing habit is extremely helpful, I also think taking an evening to just relax once a week is just as nice. Typically, I start writing around 7 pm every night, and I'll wrap up around 10:30 pm - 11:00 pm. BUT, I don't do any intense work on Mondays (since that is D&D night in my house).

I hope that this helps! But again, do what you think is best for you. I'm super excited to read your fic!!! :D

#darcy writes #darcy rambles #darcy replies #writing #creative writer #creative writing #fanfiction writer #fanfic writing #fanfiction

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bisexualjohnseed · 1 year ago

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Hi, sorry to bother you but I wanted to ask if you think that Wesker is attracted to Rebecca (bc of easter egg, Wesker Mode in RE0)? I would like to enjoy posts about Wesker but that kinda keeps me from doing it since it would be extremely creepy if he actually got a thing for her since she's only 18.

Hi!!! It's no bother at all. This exact topic has haunted me for a long time, actually, so I'd love an excuse to ramble about it.

TL;DR: No, I don't think that Wesker is attracted to Rebecca. Take it with a grain of salt, have fun, and enjoy the sunglasses man to your hearts content.

---

Since Capcom nor the original RE2 team have ever come out with their exact intentions behind the Rebecca photo, we can only really speculate what they were trying to do there. Were they trying to hint that Wesker has some weird sexual obsession with Rebecca? Unlikely, IMO. Were they trying to sprinkle a little secret fan service into their game? YES, definitely!

It was pretty common for games of that era- especially Japanese games- to add some kind of fan service like that into their games, devs loved that shit. Still do. But because fan service has basically no reason behind it, they usually ended up adding it in really weird and random ways. In RE2, the only real place it would have made sense for the photo to be would have been the S.T.A.R.S office and, my guess is, since Chris's desk already had a lot of items connected to it, Wesker's desk just was the next logical conclusion for them. Re2make was just playing to nostalgia.

You also have to realize that if he really did have a thing for her, that probably would have come up at some point in literally any other way. Wesker mode in RE0 is explicitly just a fun little costume mode and an act of fan service in its own right. There isn't any changes to the story, cutscenes, or dialogue, only gameplay. As well, if he had a thing for her, you'd think it would have been considered important enough that OTHER games might have used it as a plot point. Like, re5, maybe? Perhaps they would have put her in Jill's role, or made Wesker come after her in some other way. Instead, she's just an unlockable companion for Chris, nothing more.

Anyway, sorry for such a long-winded answer to your question, but NO, I don't think Wesker is attracted to Rebecca. I think he is just a victim of unfortunate circumstances that have implicated him in having a thing for a girl literally 20 years his junior. Maybe I'm wrong, but as it stands I think you're safe to enjoy him as much as you damn well please, as long as you just don't think about it all too hard.

#thank you for asking me this specifically bc it gave me something to do on the bus #i also love talking about my favs and how theyre treated in their media #resident evil #albert wesker

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gregrulzok · 11 months ago

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Hello...Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

Hi !!

I wouldn't say I necessarily have a straightforward top 10 list as such ... But I'm not one to pass up and opportunity to infodump on anyone who'll indulge me !

I hope this is what you're looking for and, uh, buckle up. I'll include a TL;DR with each character to make your life easier, because knowing me, this is gonna get LONG.

Also potential spoilers for: Dungeon Meshi, Night in the Woods, Berserk, Devilman Crybaby, Arcane, Jujutsu Kaisen, Dimension 20: Fantasy High, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind.

Also note that Berserk and Devilman Crybaby are both NSFW sources. I don't mention anything explicit here, but be mindful when looking into it.

Laios Touden (Dungeon Meshi)

TL;DR: Excellent neurodivergent representation, complex and unique in how interesting he is, also just me IRL

I'll be honest in saying he isn't actually my favourite Dungeon Meshi character (that's probably Chilchuck), but he IS the one I think about the most.

I'm firmly of the opinion that Laios is intentionally written to be neurodivergent-coded, and I say this because he's incredibly nuanced and interesting in the way he portrays symptoms and signs of autism. Most canon autistic representation I see can be boiled down to "slightly quirky" with a dash of the same 3 symptoms, and the background of that, Laios is a breath of fresh air. He's socially inept, but not at all cold or inexpressive - quite the opposite, he's open and enthusiastic and optimistic. He's obsessive, not in a quirky jokey way, nor in the way of being a savant that knows everything off the top of his head - he genuinely feels like he's learning about his interest and ENJOYS learning about it, rather than being robotic in his hyperfixation. On top of that, the thing he's hyperfixated on is EXTREMELY realistic for a neurodivergent person - many of us do find interest in animals, in cryptids, in other living beings that are, well, other, because we spend our whole lives being alienated and separate from our peers and we seek that comfort in other places. Monsters are straightforward, they don't play mindgames. They are powerful, they don't let others push them around (Laios, mind, is also powerful - but he's a human, so his strength alone has never been enough to protect him). And after all, humans already hate him, they already treat him as an unwanted freak. Why shouldn't he find solace in creatures that are treated the same way he is?

I could go on and on about how amazing he is, but honestly a lot of what I have to say could be posts of their own and we'd be here all day. I'll say also that he's just ... Plain and honest relatable. I have not projected so hard onto a character in a long time.

Angus DeLaney (Night in the Woods)

TL;DR: Comfort Character Extraordinare

If Laios is good to my brain because he reminds me of myself, Angus is good to my brain because he reminds me of my boyfriend. This, I cannot deny.

He isn't the most complex character in the world, nor even in NitW - yet I think there's more to him than people give him credit for. I think he's excellent in filling the role he's given - a friend-of-a-friend, a near-stranger, the person in the friend group our protagonist is in, someone she knows, and yet doesn't, likes, and yet doesn't really vibe with. He's nuanced and deep, has a life of his own, and honestly I'm almost glad they didn't explore it fully. By having Mae only get a tiny glimpse into his life, after knowing him for so long and yet never really spending time with him, we get the sense that people are people whether or not they're in Mae's life. It gives a greater sense of depth to the world offered to us by the game. Mae's close friends she knows well aren't the only ones going through tough things, everyone has their own story, and sometimes she only gets a tiny hint of that, and sometimes she gets none at all. I think it's very true to life, and very smart.

As for Angus specifically, well. He's smart, warm, kind. He doesn't let his cynicism get in the way of his friends fun, nor does he let it stop him from taking their worries seriously. He shows affection through cooking, he makes dumb nerdy jokes, he's canonically more charismatic than you'd think, he wants to take care of everyone and doesn't know how to take care of himself, and he has a fantastic ass.

He reminds me of my boyfriend. What more can I ask for.

Griffith (Berserk) & Ryo Asuka (Devilman Crybaby)

TL;DR: Incredibly nuanced villains that I want to put on a little dish and dissect. Themes of light and purity as something evil, of good intentions (Griffith) and love (Ryo) as something horrifying.

I figure I could just combine these two, given how much they've impacted each-other's writing.

Griffith AND Ryo are both infinitely nuanced characters, in ways that are complimentary and yet still different enough.

I've made a few posts about Griffith (if only because I recently finished Berserk), and my opinion on him can be summarised as such: I think he's the best villain in fiction, in that he is afforded nuance and complexity, without having to take away his teeth and make him ultimately pathetic, unintimidating, or a sexyman. I think the most interesting part of Griffith is his politics, his drive to change the world, his willingness to sacrifice everything to the greater good to the point where it becomes apocalyptic. It's fascinating to watch a character be so wrapped in genuine and honest good intentions, to the point of destroying everything.

I don't think I've talked much about Ryo (I should rewatch Crybaby), which is really a shame because he's no less interesting. He takes an aspect of Griffith that I haven't talked much about (rather, Griffith takes an aspect of Ryo) - obsessive love and devotion to the point of destruction - and amps it up to an infinite degree. Unlike Griffith, who pushes aside his love for his political motivation, Ryo destroys everything and anything in his path to the one he loves - including that very person. He's possessive and obsessive, in a way that does end up feeling genuine, and his entire humanity is concentrated on his feelings to this one person.

Together, these characters represent a trope that I personally love - purity, beauty and light as something evil, something vile, something overwhelming and possessive (as contrasted by something dirty, something crude, something rough being real and human and kind).

I just find them fascinating.

Ekko (Arcane)

TL;DR: mmmm community centric anarchist punk king.

This is possibly the most self indulgent one. Arcane is a wonderful show entirely full of fascinating characters I love, and each one of them deserves an amount of words that even I don't possess to describe their greatness.

Ekko is no less cool and interesting for having less screen time, but if we're just being honest here for a second ...

I just love his vibe.

I love that he was a rowdy, shitty little kid that antagonised everyone he could. I love that as he grew, he got more serious, took on an air of responsibility, but he didn't lose his friendliness, his humour, his artistry. I love that he prioritizes fun and growth and community, not just survival. I love that he has authority as a leader, not through fear but through confidence, through respect. I love his scene with Vi, where he bites back at her for the first time, I love their hug, I love their bond. I love his fight with Jinx, I love that for a moment they're just kids playing a game, I love seeing the reality crash over him like a wave. I love the little tidbits we get of him as a kid, playing dumb pranks, practicing his punches.

And to be completely clear: HE IS THE ONLY CHARACTER THAT WAS CORRECT.

Heimerdinger, Jayce, Silco, Vander, Mel, every single leader in this show is either too preoccupied trying to preserve broken pieces of the past or they're speeding towards a future they don't understand.

Ekko says NONE OF THAT SHIT, takes up the punk anarchist mantel, and says "I am going to take care of the injured, the indisposed, the homeless, the sick, the children, because blind ideals mean nothing in the face of real poverty and struggle".

...Which is why I say it's self indulgent on my part. It's just because I fully agree with his ideologies.

Geto Suguru (Jujutsu Kaisen)

TL;DR: Another villain I absolutely love analyzing and dissecting. Beautifully written ideology and motivation that is fully understandable even if it's something any sane human would viscerally disagree with.

I've written post upon post on Geto, so I won't get too into it, but I still wanted to mention him. Another reason I won't talk too much here is because I've ultimately fallen out of love with JJK - sad, but true. In my opinion, the most interesting part of the show was, in fact, Geto.

Geto's ideology is incredibly well written. So, so many little details end up playing into it, it's set up so carefully and expertly that in the end it's incredibly easy to see how he ended up in the place he did. The death of his friends, the responsibility of Mimiko and Nanako, the way he's treated, the way his best friend is treated... Some of these things are big, some more subtle, but they all lay a brick in the foundation of one of the best villain arcs I can name. And if you can't tell, I'm a big fan of villains that genuinely believe what they preach. There's an air of sincerity about him, despite being a manipulative asshole, he isn't a selfish one.

I just think he's fascinating.

Fabian Aramais Seacaster (Dimension 20: Fantasy High)

TL;DR: Incredibly entertaining, and has informed the way I play my TTRPG characters.

A bit of a random one, and a more light-hearted one - I just love this silly little man.

Fabian is so unabashedly loud, silly, over the top. He makes such obvious, catastrophic mistakes, often after delivering such confident speeches about how awesome he is. And then he's allowed to have quiet moments - he can be somber, soft, sad, tragic. He loves his friends, but he can't bring himself to be obvious about it, but he wants so badly to express it. He has repressed trauma that we don't really get told - instead it's expressed through every desperate cry for attention and every subsequent moment of quiet reflection.

I've been playing TTRPGs for a little while now, but Fabian has fundamentally inspired me to be more confident, more nuanced, to take up more space at my table, and to not be scared to change the way my characters act based on the scene and mood and circumstance.

I just think he's neat !

Panacotta Fugo (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind + Purple Haze Feedback)

TL;DR: An underrated character that showcases burnout, gifted kid syndrome, and abandonment issues in a way I find particularly painful.

God. Where do I even start.

Fugo speaks very deeply to some of my own trauma. The gutteral, albeit brief depiction of gifted child syndrome and the subsequent burnout that follows it felt incredibly, palpably real not only in the episodes we see his backstory in, but also in his general behaviour. In the way he still tries to act proper and composed, in the barely-restrained rage that bubbles over once in a while, in the severe guilt felt through these outbursts. Pretty much any time Fugo is on screen is a testament to his pain and his sheer desire to overcome it, which (as amazing this show is) I can't exactly say for most JJBA characters.

The abandonment issues are more personal to me than I'd like to get too deeply into - suffice it to say, being left behind without a thought, looking at people you came to think of as your family turn their backs on you and walk away, and realising for the first time that you weren't, in fact, a needed and cherished presence in their lives, but rather something easily parted with ... That shit hurts, and it hurts me very personally.

Araki has gone on record stating that he fell in love with Fugo as a character and came to see him as a personal friend. I believe him, if the genuine and subtle care poured into every crevice of his character is anything to go by.

Purple Haze Feedback isn't canon, but it is Araki-approved, and its the exact amount and type of Fugo content I was starving for after his extremely undercut role in part 5.

And I think that's it!

Was that 10? Who knows.

Either way sorry if this isn't what you were looking for - i think one look at my blog will tell you that I'm very prone to infodumping especially as it pertains to character analysis.

And if you read it this far... Holy shit, thank you !!

To be honest as I've fallen out of fandom spaces it's become incredibly hard to come up with characters I actually like, rather than ones I've projected my own stories onto and changed fundamentally.

Playing DND has NOT been helpful, it's increasingly difficult not to spend four hours talking about a PC I made that I really love instead of any actual character haha.

Either way thank you for the ask !! Like I said I love a good opportunity to infodump.

#laios touden #dungeon meshi #angus delaney #night in the woods #griffith #berserk #ryo asuka #devilman crybaby #ekko #arcane #geto suguru #jujutsu kaisen #fabian seacaster #fantasy high #panacotta fugo #jjba gold experience

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underratedvocaloidtournament · 7 months ago

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Is this tournament abandoned?

Teehee I really shouldve made a post XD Sorry for leaving it for too long I hope yall werent getting your hopes up </3

tl;dr- yes its abandoned, I got a ton of hate n didnt want to keep going

Yes, this is abandoned. If anyone would like to continue it on another account, I can give u the link/password to the bracket site n google doc w/ all the submissions, I just wont be continuing it. (Cant give u the password to this acct bcs its connected to my main...)

From the beginning I knew I would be corrected a lot, given that I started the tournament not even knowing "vocaloid" wasn't a catch-all for "vocal synth"!!! lol. I didn't know much abt vocal synths and wanted to know more, which is why I began this

Howeverrrr. Every poll I started earned me some form of hate or annoying ask in my inbox. "X is Y's worst song!! Why include it!!" (I didn't choose it. Also ar least send a replacement if u feel like that???) "You're being way too lax in the rules" (make ur own tournament) "You're being way too strict!!" (Make Your Own Tournament) "Why didn't you do xyz for this?" (Sorry? Idk??? Make ur own?????) "[long winded ask about how one character didnt win bcs the other was too popular and it was unfair]" (take it up with the submitter??? idk??? knew like three of these at the start). Among others that I dont want to venture into the inbox to paraphrase lolz

All of those can be constructive and helpful in their own right!! And many of them were!!! I greatly appreciate everyone who was kind in giving ideas for how to run the tournament, who to include, etc etc etc. All the asks ive answered and comments ive replied to are not the ones im talking about. Thank you all for your kindness ❤️ it is a loud minority doing this.

Eventually I took a short break for my finals (I'm graduated hs now!! yippee!!) and it was So refreshing not having every othe notif being an angry anon ToT so I kept putting off returning until now </3

Sorry for everyone who was excited </3 please forgive me ❤️

#didnt mean for this to be so long sorryyyyyyy #truely the majority of you have been so kind. Its very few ppl being rude its just soo annoying to deal w/

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arda-ancalima · 11 months ago

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hello arda! I saw you are an actual real life librarian (which maybe I should have realized earlier since you always reblog certified librarian posts) and I had a question! a while ago I was discouraged from checking out ebooks and audiobooks from my library using Libby because apparently they have to pay a royalty on each checkout? does this have a big impact on libraries?

Hi!! Thank you for the ask and for giving me something to do yesterday! It was super quiet at work and reading about Libby was more productive than staring into space thinking about your meow meow in training hehe.

[also I say librarian as shorthand for library assistant, I'm not a *librarian* librarian, one who Knows Stuff, my contributions are Knows the Alphabet (probably) and Is Under 40 (definitely)]

Also sorry I'm long winded, I can't not say something once I've thought it.

As a patron I can relate, I heard the same thing on tumblr and felt bad. But I asked a coworker about it, and she said since we get Libby along with a group of other libraries, we just pay a set fee a year - no matter how much our patrons use it, it'll be the same cost for us. She gets audiobooks all the time and has no qualms about it!

I saw on OverDrive's website (parent company I think, and the old app name) that there are multiple lending models which vary by publisher - some are pay-per-use, some you buy a license for a certain time or number of checkouts. The library can tailor the collection to their needs and choose how many titles someone can have out at once. With hoopla (similar service we do pay for directly), we set limits to downloads so we know it won't cost more than $x per patron per month. Any digital services would be budgeted for (probably, should be).

Maybe we're in the minority, but our library has adequate funding so we're happy to offer these things, and it makes us happy when people use our services. My coworker and I who do stats love to see the numbers go up like STONKS (coworker would not say that tho. again, only one under 40 here).

Some thoughts I've seen online (not from my own knowledge or experience) are it sounds like for some libraries, funding is very much tied to usage, so using Libby more could lead to more money going toward it, or to the library in general.

I also saw a comment about how it's not any different from using a public park or public school, and the people who use it do pay for it one way or another through taxes, or a yearly fee for a card, or something like that.

Anyway there's a bunch of thoughts which may or may not help or be related to your particular library. They'd probably be happy to tell you about it though! (especially if it's a slow day it's like please give me something to do)

TL;DR I'd guess if they're offering the service, they've budgeted for it. It's their job to decide if they can afford it and to set their own limits, and patrons have no way of knowing the costs/usage and are not obligated to worry about it. If you were in my system, I'd say to borrow anything you like!

#arda answers #thanks again for the ask!!

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ominousunflower · 2 years ago

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Lace or Leather (Author’s Note + Recap)

Howdy! As y’all know, it’s been a while since I updated my final Miraculous fic, so this post includes a recap of the story thus far. But first, I’d like to mention two important things about the fic. Specifically, 1) “canon” in the fic, and 2) the “incompleteness” of the Burgundy and Blush series.

Unfortunately, my explanation of those two things ended up being rather long-winded, so I’m linking to the full explanation here. I’ll include a TL;DR in this post—but if you have the chance, I’d appreciate if you read the full-length explanation! The TL;DR gives you the most essential info, but it doesn’t really properly explain everything.

And for your convenience: if you read that explanation post first, there’s a link at the end that links back to this recap post.

TL;DR:

This fic was originally written early/mid-Season 3 and stays true to the canon at that time, which means that we’re operating under the “you must not reveal your identity or else you’ll lose your Miraculous” rule. Hopefully that contextualizes the characters’ perspectives in Chapter 19, along with some of their decisions moving forward! (Also, I have seen very little of Season 4 and nothing from Season 5, so those two seasons—along with a substantial portion of Season 3—have no relevance to this fic.)

There was originally supposed to be a third fic in this series. Lace or Leather is a standalone fic and does NOT end with a cliffhanger, so rest assured that this story will still feel complete! However, there is one “arc” that won’t be explored in the fic, and I’m sorry for anyone who would’ve liked to see that part. There really isn’t a feasible or satisfactory way for me to include that.

And now, the recap, up through Chapter 18!

(Note: I included specific summaries for Chapters 9-18, since a lot of this fic takes place over a short period of time. Feel free to skip to whichever point you find most helpful!)

The first several chapters of the story involve Marinette entering a design competition that’s being hosted by Gabriel. Adrien offers to be her model, and they meet up so that Marinette can watch him try on outfits for inspiration, since she’s struggling to come up with a design. Throughout these chapters, Marinette also spends more time with Chat Noir, who she’s gradually getting to know better. Marinette seems to have romantic feelings for him, but she fervently denies this and insists that she still wants to pursue Adrien.

In Chapter 9, Alya calls Marinette after she spent the day “playing dress-up” with Adrien, and reports that he seems to have a crush on Marinette. Marinette doesn’t believe Alya, but tells her that even if Adrien does like her, he should wait until after the competition to ask her out. Alya notes that Marinette seems surprisingly unenthusiastic.

After that phone call, Marinette realizes that she’s in love with Chat Noir and starts to panic. An akuma attack interrupts her breakdown, and when she runs into Chat as Ladybug, he talks her through an anxiety attack. Afterward, Ladybug wonders if Chat has fallen out of love with her. He notices that something is bothering her and urges her to talk to someone, even if it’s not him.

In Chapter 10, Marinette asks her parents for advice, explaining that she has feelings for two people. They reassure her that her feelings will make sense eventually; after all, she just realized her feelings for the second person earlier that morning. If she gives it time, she’ll eventually be in a better place to make a decision.

Later that night, Marinette is surprised to find Chat Noir on her balcony. He explains that it’s not the first time he’s visited without telling her—sometimes he needs to clear his head, but doesn’t want to bother her. They talk for a bit, and Marinette nearly kisses him, but the two of them end up knocking over a teacup before she can try. Since Marinette is worried about Chat, she offers to let him sleep over. They end up sharing the bed. Chat falls asleep first and seems have a nightmare, so Marinette wakes him up and assures him that he’s loved.

In Chapter 11, Marinette and Chat wake up together. Marinette is embarrassed about Chat seeing her first thing in the morning, but he thinks she’s cute. They talk some more, and Marinette reassures him that he he’s never imposing when he visits the Dupain-Chengs, and that he can consider himself part of the family.

While Marinette reheats some breakfast, she fishes for non-identifying personal details, such as what Chat’s room looks like. He admits that his room doesn’t really feel like it belongs to him. Somewhat concerningly, he notes that he’s probably due for a fight with his father, and mentions that the two of them hardly ever talk. Marinette offers him more reassurances and encouragement.

In Chapter 12, Adrien visits Marinette so that she can take his measurements. He has deviated from his usual style, and is wearing the leather jacket Marinette bought for him. The two of them are predictably flustered while Marinette measures Adrien, but they also banter and tease each other. Adrien opens up a bit about the issues he’s been having with his father.

He then tells Marinette about a photography project that he and Alya have been working on—as long as Adrien spends time constructively with his friends, his father allows them to hang out. (Apparently, though, Gabriel doesn’t like having Nino around; Nino is only allowed to wait in the foyer to walk Alya home.) Adrien shows Marinette some of his photos, and also tells her that he carries her lucky charm everywhere with him.

In Chapter 13, Marinette still can’t figure out a design, and she’s running out of time to submit one. As she’s talking to Tikki, she frets that she might end up rejecting Adrien if he confesses to her—but then she quickly backtracks, saying that she wouldn’t have a reason to reject him. Marinette decides the real problem is that Adrien isn’t opening up to other people quickly enough, which means that he’s not ready to be in a relationship with her. Before Tikki can dissuade her, Marinette transforms and travels to the Agreste mansion to speak with him as Ladybug.

Adrien doesn’t seem interested in discussing any of his insecurities, so the two agree to play video games instead. Ladybug unintentionally oversteps a boundary regarding the topic of Adrien’s father, and Adrien tells her that she’s out of line. Ladybug apologizes, and Adrien explains that while he’s aware his relationship with his father isn’t healthy—and that he tends to bottle things up until he explodes—he’s also allowed to keep things to himself.

Still, he says that he’d be happy if Ladybug checked in every now and then. She assures him that if he ever wants to talk, she’ll listen. It turns out that Adrien does want to talk about something: his crush on Marinette. Ladybug is stunned, but she manages to reassure him—although she ultimately suggests that Adrien should wait until the competition is over before pursuing Marinette.

In Chapter 14, Marinette and Adrien casually text each other, but now that Marinette knows he has romantic feelings for her, she keeps worrying about the tone of her texts. When Marinette mentions her conundrum to Tikki, Tikki says that she doesn’t see an issue with Marinette pursuing Chat; however, she refuses to recommend one boy over the other.

Later, Marinette meets with Alya for coffee. The two chat, and Alya says that Adrien made some interesting points about shipping Ladynoir—mainly, that it’s invasive, and that it forces the two superheroes to constantly dispel speculation about their relationship. Alya also notes that it seems like Ladybug and Chat Noir aren’t flirting as much lately, which Marinette takes as a sign that Chat really has stopped loving Ladybug. Marinette then mentions that she’s having trouble coming up with a design, and Alya offers some encouragement.

After an akuma attack, Ladybug tries to ask Chat Noir to grab coffee, but he tells her he’s busy. Ladybug points out that he’s stopped flirting with her, and asks if he’s ever going to flirt with her again. Chat notes, “It sounds like you’re asking a bigger question,” and Ladybug says that she might be. Chat asks for a raincheck on the conversation, since he needs to get back to an event before anyone notices that he’s gone.

In Chapter 15, Marinette has just finished sketching a very nice sleeve…and nothing else. Chat Noir shows up and detransforms so that he’s wearing pajamas and a masquerade mask. He vents that he had a frustrating day because his father forced him to go to an obnoxious party. He and Marinette end up joking about one of her celebrity crushes, but when Marinette jokes about Chat Noir’s “type” being “Ladybug”, he awkwardly admits that Ladybug isn’t the only girl he likes. Marinette wonders if he might have a crush on her civilian identity.

Once again, Marinette almost kisses him, but just barely resists the urge. She asks him if he wants to stay over again, and he says yes. Chat expresses regret that Marinette isn’t allowed to know his identity, since he’s tired of shutting people out. Then, changing the subject, he tells Marinette that he’s still waiting for her to make the lace shirt she “promised” him during a previous conversation.

Marinette confesses that she’s stumped on her contest design. Chat says that maybe she’s not feeling inspired, because “maybe you don’t want to design something for Adrien anymore.” He compares it to a song he once tried to write for a girl he loved, except his feelings changed halfway through it, and he wasn’t able to finish the song. Marinette realizes he must be talking about Ladybug. She protests and accuses Chat of “giving up” on Ladybug, which he objects to. He insists that he still has a valuable relationship with her, even if he’s not romantically interested.

Ultimately, Chat tells Marinette that she needs to design something she’s passionate about, and to stop worrying about whether the design “fits” Adrien as a person. When he jokingly complains that Adrien is getting a lace shirt instead of him, Marinette promises that she’ll make one for Chat, too. The two then go to bed. Marinette worries to herself that if she or Chat end up dating someone besides each other, they won’t remain close like they currently are.

In Chapter 16, Chat and Marinette wake up before school starts. Marinette fantasizes about a domestic life with him, and blurts out a question about how common Chat’s real first name is. He says that it’s pretty common (“definitely top fifty”), and Marinette asks if he can tell her, since it wouldn’t be identifying information. However, Chat says that it’s too risky. (“I guess you could look at a list and pick one to call me, but that’s no different than calling me Chat.”) Plagg shows up to tease the two lovebirds, and then Chat leaves so that Marinette can get ready for school.

At school, Alya and Nino ask about “Charles” (Chat Noir’s disguise at the masquerade dance in Burgundy and Blush). Alya then asks Adrien for his thoughts on Ladynoir, and Adrien says that he doesn’t support shipping real people. Nino is surprised, saying that Adrien used to be a huge fan of Ladynoir. Adrien then echoes Chat’s words about how the two superheroes can be close even if they’re not in a romantic relationship.

In Chapter 17, Marinette still can’t figure out a design. She meets up with Chat Noir as Ladybug and says she wants to continue their conversation from the day before. Ladybug expresses disappointment that he doesn’t love her anymore, which Chat disagrees with; he does love her, even if it’s not romantic. He asks why it matters, when she should be relieved—and Ladybug answers, “Because I’m in love with you.” She admits that she’s been anxious because she’s wondering why he stopped loving her.

Chat gets irritated and says that he hasn’t stopped loving her, and that he doesn’t love her less. He’s tired of everyone acting like platonic love is somehow inferior. He shares that he’s afraid to love people because his father always rejects him and forces him to buy his love, and because other people are constantly sticking their nose in his personal life. Ladybug says that he’s right, and that she was wrong to be dismissive; Chat says he’s sorry that she’s feeling hurt.

When Chat mentions an issue in his personal life, Ladybug offers to listen, but he says that he doesn’t want to ask her for advice about his romantic feelings for someone else. The two agree on a raincheck for the coffee date, and Ladybug ponders her feelings for Adrien and Chat Noir. She wonders if her bond with Adrien could ever be as strong as her bond with Chat, and whether she even has the patience to wait for that.

In Chapter 18, Marinette is still trying to finish her design for the competition; the deadline for her materials request form is in three days. She refuses to abandon her design for Adrien the way that Chat Noir abandoned his song for Ladybug.

Noticing Marinette’s art block, Tom tells her that he or Sabine will take her shopping for some fabric, so that Marinette can get work on a project that isn’t related to the contest. When Sabine takes her shopping, Marinette finds some gorgeous midnight blue lace that instantly reminds her of Chat Noir. After buying it, she immediately rushes home and creates an entire design for Chat’s shirt in one sitting. This success motivates Marinette to finish her design for Adrien as well.

Tikki notes that Marinette seems more excited about Chat’s design, but Marinette says that’s just because of burnout. Since she finished so close to the deadline, she goes to the Agreste mansion to submit the materials form in-person. She and Adrien chat for a bit, and Adrien admits that he begged his father to let him model for Marinette. Marinette thinks about how Adrien would say yes if she asked him out—and yet, it somehow feels like the wrong decision to ask him. She decides that it must be bad timing, since she’s stressed out from the contest. She then invites Adrien to visit over the weekend and play video games.

You can read Chapter 19 here!

#my fics #lace or leather

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