#what? a metaphor? from me? no wayyyyy

[quodekash]

I’ve been working on this Soundwin fic for nearly a week now, and I finally finished it!! It’s not much but I wanted to get something out before the last episode. (but my only goal was 'get it done before episode 12 comes out'. and here I am, finishing it literally half a day before episode 12 comes out. gotta love the adhd and not being able to finish anything until right before the deadline (at least I’m consistent))

this is kind of a thank you to all my mutuals for all of their amazing fics, although it’s definitely nowhere near the quality of theirs (I love you guys!!)

anyway, here’s the link and summary! I hope you like it!!

Summary: Sound as the waves and the sea, Win as the wind and the air. When Sound’s temperature rises and Win’s speed picks up, they become a cyclone; powerful and destructive, angry and dangerous. But there is a moment of still, of calm, when they look into each other’s eyes. The eye of the storm. Everything settles down. The sea stops thrashing. The wind stops whipping. And they enjoy the moment, the wind creating light ripples along the surface of the sea, while the sea tickles the wind lightly and waits for a reaction.

[percyjacksonnerd101010100110]

here is pretty much undeniable byler proof and i actually need you guys to stay with me here because like this is gonna take a while

so just to start with; Mike was worried about Will as soon as he went missing. Like right there. He was terrified that he would lose Will. He thought about him all the damn time. Literally cried in his mother’s arms. Was the FIRST one to hug him when they got him hospitalized. HE LITERALLY PUT HIS HEAD ON WILLS CHEST TO HEAR HIS HEARTBEAT. Literally what more do you want from that??

second reason: the van scene. just the van scene itself. But specifically the painting part of the van scene. When Will gave Mike the painting he was literally grinning. Smiling so hard at that moment. But yk what happened when Will told him that El commissioned it? his face immediately fucking dropped. Like I’m sorry, who in their right mind would see that as heterosexual activity?? NO FUCKING BODY.

and here we go with the whole THEYRE ALWAYS STARING AT EACH OTHERS FUCKING LIPS. LIKE ITS CONSTANT. In the movie theatre scene in the beginning of season 3 is a prime example. THE MOTHERFUCKING VAN SCENE. MIKE WAS STARINGGGGGG AT WILLS LIPS. LITERALLY COULD NOT MAKE DIRECT EYE CONTACT. LIKE DAMN.

Another one is a thing i reblogged so credits to the original poster for this idea but there are food metaphors about homosexuality. at the end of season 4 when Robin and Vickie are making the sandwiches, something was said by Robin about peanut butter sandwiches being “monstrosities” i believe, or something of that nature. This is about how peanut butter and peanut butter (which is referring to two people of the same gender) shouldn’t belong together, and Vickie thinks its okay, and its not bad. Which pretty much confirms that Vickie is not straight, however i dont think that this has been confirmed by the Duffer Brothers. Now in the pizza place scene when Argyle and El are trying to get Mike to eat pineapple pizza. He calls it blasphemous, and when they finally get him to try it he says that it isn’t that bad. He said that it was good. This is referring to the fact that homosexuality is frowned upon by many people, but Mike is basically saying that it isn’t that bad. Like thats basically our comfirmation of Mike being queer, or maybe we’re just looking wayyyyy too into it.

there is so much more and i will add to this as i remember things, but lmk what you guys think!

[gregorycddie]

was tagged by @revoltinglesbians (thanks!) to make a poll of the top 5 on my spotify on repeat playlist (i had to cook the books a bit bc there were some songs on there i didn't even remember + did not want to overload it w the voidz or classic soft rock)

i will tag @panicdiscoes @bogskeletons @noradurstig @nerdyten and @bansheesofinisherin2022

propaganda + videos for each down the line

david pack - i just can't let go

i cannot really explain it but this song enchanted me, i didn't think much of it but then i immediately needed to hear it 3 more times after. you get it or you don't i guess. dulcet tones & harmonies from these three lads. the softest of soft rock, the final bosses of yacht rock. sidenote: the editing on this video is bonkers, i love boomer internet aesthetics

2. the voidz - 7 horses

this ones good if you like the voidz songs where it kinda feels like julian's about to cry. the instrumental break at 3:00 *chef's kiss*

3. james taylor - i was a fool to care

don't underestimate this one bc you're like yeah yeah i know this song. once you get a proper listen, this feels like eating a delicious piece of candy and immediately wanting another taste (the outro alone begs to be put on loop). just 3 min of not doing too much, nothing flashy, just smooth like the first vanilla taste of a good mint tic tac or smthg. i am bad at metaphors but i love soft rock okay

4. willow - wanted (ft. kamasi washington)

jazz babeey!! a willow song w kamasi is basically how far into the genre im familiar with. anyway i Love how the verses feel like you're running down a street. music to do a stanky bassline face to. isn't it crazy that she's my age and this was like her sixth album or smtg

5. backstreet boys - that's the way i like it

that's right, an album cut from backstreet boys' debut US album. i do feel like i was put onto this earth to intensely enjoy late 90s-early 2000s swedish produced pop for us teen acts and this is just one example of the songs i love. listen to the bridge!! that's! the! wayyyyy that i liiiike it, That Is The Way iii liiiiiike iiiiit!

[saltyr3mix]

YOU! This is me asking you to talk about mazes and the shenanigans inside them.

OK OK OK OK OK O KO K OPKO

Today's thoughts!

accidentally found myself re-watching the "She drove me to madness" (episode 31) today.

AND THAT EPISODE HAD SOME OF IF NOT THE BIGGEST FORESHADOWING IN THE ENTIRE SERIES AND I COMPLETELY FORGOT.

Also made me realize C!Ayngel is SHIT at advice and always has been. i thought it was a one time thing. but she has been telling to bury everything FOR YEARS APPARENTLY SO LIKE THAT IS A THING.

AND LIKE. IT ALL MAKES SENSE LOOKING BACK.

Owen was so scared to tell anyone what he was really feeling. and took the role of the stone cold protector so that way others could feel the safety he never had. BUT AT THE SAME TIME HE TOOK IT TO FAR. WAYYYYY TO FAR.

i have always thought the only way to really 'fix' things was to have what ever moral reconsideration happen after the reunion. but...they really did push him to that. i always though Owen was over exaggerating with his puppet metaphor. "Like no dude no one is forcing you to be a jerk"

but they really did. like they villianized him for not being a leader. but when he was a leader they hated leadership and thought he was to controlling. there was no right answer for him.

does this make his actions ok in slightest? absolutely not. BUT its fun to think about a world where instead of encouraging his behavior of locking away any sort of fear and using him as a shield and someone to idolize. the clearing members would realize how it was affecting him and pull him away from that mindset.

if only they had noticed the signs sooner. but....thats what makes it all a tragedy is it not?

i could talk for hours on this episode alone. if anyone wants more of my unhinged outsiders rambles

[azalea-romanoff]

HAPPY AUTISM AWARENESS DAY!

First: happy autism awareness day to all my mun/mods with autism or who have characters with autism. (in my case, it's both!)

So in honour of Autism Awareness Day and month, I'd like to tell you all about my levels of autism <3

Tics and Fidgets: I'm on the spectrum such that I have a lot of tics and fidgets. Usually it's the repititions which feel nice, and it can often annoy others. I have a tendency to: click my tongue, snap my fingers, flap my hands, rock back and forth, and i make popping sounds. the more subtle tics are pulling my hair, picking my fingernails.

Poor Eye contact: Poor eye contact with me is only with people i don't know or during stressful situations. like if i'm in a meeting with Nick Fury, i'll be fine. but if i'm greeting new agents? hell no. (//ooc: i can talk to my class teacher just fine, but with maybe the delivery man, a cashier, i can't look them in the eyes.).

Abnormal Posture: ...as an agent, this is a huge no-no. the only reason i got the job is because my abnormal posture is literally me just keeping my fists clenched at all times, and keeping my left foot a bit more in front of the other. a tense fighting stance if you will. Convenient!

Anxiety: Shockingly, it's low! I only get anxious in places which are too loud or too far from home. loud places make me really anxious because it means i have too many thoughts in my head and too many things to process at a time. and being deaf, too, with hearing aids, it makes it 100x tougher. Sorry, but Azalea Romanoff-Maximoff isn't the girl you take to a party or a club.

Social Difficulty: I have moderately high social difficulty. as in, i have trouble communicating my thoughts when in big groups, and making friends is a bit...daunting as a task. And sometimes i miss on non-verbal cues like sarcasm, subtle joking, even a few metaphors here and there. So iF YOU NEED A SPECIFIC BIRTHDAY GIFT, TELL ME TO MY FACE. DON'T HINT IT-? I WILL LITERALLY NOT GET YOUR POINT.

Noise Sensitivity: ...have you met me? i am VERY sensitive to noise. Vacuum cleaners, power drills, gunshot sounds (//ooc: movies, especially), someone typing loudly on their laptop, so many of these day-to-day sounds drive me to a meltdown sometimes because it's just so annoying.

Abnormal/Flat Speech: Nope. Most people can tell how i'm feeling by my voice, except in situations where i'm confused on how to react. like if someone says they're pregnant, i'll just say 'oh, nice.' like, are you happy or sad or like-? eH???

Fixations: I have plenty. But my biggest ones? Top Three: Animals, History, Space. iF i get bored, i will literally talk about this for hours, and dare you show even an iota of interest in the same, my friend you're gonna be there a WHILE.

Depression: only on sensory overload days, or on days where i randomly get sad. a result of the anxiety, honestly. i think wayyyyy too many 'what if' scenarios.

Aggression: And finally, I'm not a very aggressive person. Only if i'm very overstimulated, if i'm not being heard, or if i'm just having a bad day in general, i might break a pencil or two. maybe throw a few books down a shelf.

BONUS: soooo i hate the colour yellow or anything that is yellow. like, i haven't ever touched a banana. my favourite colour is red, and my favourite animal is the panda. i hate the feeling of shag carpets and i don't like the feeling of nylon on skin. i don't like the scratchiness of yarn and i don't like the sound of chalk on a chalkboard. i do like the hum of an air conditioner though, and looking outside a window helps calm me down.

SO that's all about my autism! I hope i made you all aware! Reach out to any fellow autistic people you may know, and do find out about their fixations, if they're non-verbal or verbal. accept them for who they are, don't try and fix them.

autism isn't a disease. our minds are just wired differently. if you can figure out how a complex video game works within 24 hours, how hard can a person be?

🤟 love you all!

bellow is my autism spectrum evaluation results (mod's) for people who are close to me, like @moongirlwidow @wandabug @supermilkshakebanana @nevaeh-daughterofvalcarol @capt-carter-mostly-official @esmerxyaugusta and @pietro-maximoff-official <3

[fishcop]

may i request your full, unfiltered thoughts on william wisp?

oh absolutely absolutely you can

this question has fully opened up flood gates in my head you don’t even know ‼️

OK SO WILLIAM WISP HES GREAT HES MY FAVORITE JRWI CHARACTER

he isn’t the archetype of the one smart character because he’s wayyyyy too cringefail for that

spoilers of course of course

I love love love his parallels with Dakota (Dakota who’s so morally set in the right and rigid direction vs William who sways on the line so much that it feels like the tightrope metaphor wasn’t just for losing control of his powers, it’s also about how with just a few actions his morals can sway very quickly as well and even tumble off the deep end.)

his parallels with vyncent too and how he’s running away from his past while vyncent a trying his best go get back to it! the scene with Kamuri broke me dude you don’t even knowwwww

it hit way to close to home with the ‘feeling like you’re inherently worse than everyone else, and letting that stop you from feeling like you can do anything.’ THE WAY HE LOST AND GOT HIS POWERS ABCK IS SO. FUCKING COOL TO ME

ITS ALL DESERVED AND FOUGHT AND CLAWED FOR!! HES the one who in the end, has to make the choice to keep going even despite his chances being handed to him on a platter earlier on. All his revives were given to him for free which he took for granted and it’s sooo clear in the finale when he finally notices that. ghostknife is so funny to me yes little guy go go pine for a whole campaign‼️

I wholeheartedly support Williams rights and very, very long list of intriguing wrongs

if there were like a moral scale or something he’d be so grounded compared to the other two but like so grounded that his moral scale goes into the negatives and that’s so cool because I love characters with flaws that are their fault, that they have made real horrible mistakes. I love characters that stray the line of ‘I couldn’t have done anything different’ while knowing full well that they could’ve but can just simmer in regret. I love characters with problems that you can’t say ‘it’s not your fault’ but they still deserve a chance anyways

I love how he gets confident when he’s in control, and he deals with fear by being in control of it, and as long as he’s master of the horrors the horrors aren’t so bad. Cause like in season one, it’s scary that mal has Kamuri in a bottle and what he could do with it… but if William knew, if he had control, then it wouldn’t be so terrifying. The bell tech ordeal was so stressful but he’s only calm when he is the one pulling the strings. I think this has something to do with how little he was in deadwood pre death- so many ghosts! So if he tries to rationalize it becomes less scary. Especially with the prime force and heroes, they keep him and pd in the dark and he’s terrified of not knowing what’s going on because look at what happened to Ashe! Where were the heroes! In his mind it’s flawed but it would be less flawed if he had more controllll

THIS ALSO GOES FOR THE WISPS! THEYRE unpredictable they’re finicky they’re tricksters (heh) and he’s scared of his own powersss. Allow me to be poetic and metaphorical for a sec because they’re very literally like fire (the wisps,) unruly and unpredictable but William is so fixated on how they could burn him that the warmth, the light, all the good elements of a flame are lost in fear. FEAR OF DEATH, FEAR OF NOT COMING BACK, FEAR OF LOSING AND LOSING FINITELYYY

AND NOW HES IN A PLACE WHERE HE KNOWS HES STRONG ENOUGH TO EXPLORE THE WORLD AND HIS POWERS AFTER BEING TRAPPED IN HIS HEAD FOR SO LONG

YEP THATS MY THOUGHTS. SUPER DUPER UNFILTERED AND CONFUSING AND DISCONNECTED BUT WHAT CAN I SAY I SPIN JRWI CHARACTERS AROUND IN MY HEAD LIKE A MICROWAVE

thanks for the ask :D

[payjayy]

the Huang twins are blatantly transphobic. Let's be real.

Trans Day Of Visibility 2021, remember that? The blatant queerbaiting tweet followed by that "clips and graphics may not be canon"? We moved away from that WAYYYYY too quickly.

TPOT 2, remember that? The scene written by Satomi with Gaty and Two that everyone interpreted as a trans metaphor? Satomi and Pokey got fired some weeks later for "creative differences".

"But they have trans people in the crew!!!!!!" "But they have nonbinary characters!!!!!" Virtue Signaling. Google it. Also don't act like the characters are good trans rep. Because they're not. It's TRASH.

Y'all need to learn that transphobia can be much more subtle than you can ever imagine.

And if you call me "operation huangfall" then you're a whole new kinda stupid because I am allowed to criticize this shitty ass show with that shitty ass crew

Hey, trans person here! What

[huntunderironskies]

Any tips for expanding on a Hunt by the different Pure Tribes? I’ve been thinking about how the Predator Kings would be direct hunters, in that you know they’re coming after encountering/escaping them once, although it’ll mean little if you’re not prepared since they’re the that’ll hunt unless you or they are dead, but I’m not sure how the Ivory Claws or Fire-Touched would hunt aside from some similarities to the Iron Masters & Bone Shadows

So one thing that's always fascinated me about Forsaken is the concept of bloodless hunts. I'd be remiss to not say that the Fire-Touched are probably the most okay with the concept. They've always been comparatively less violent than the Pure Tribes, which isn't saying much. It's not that they're less vicious, it's just they prefer to be subtle until they really aren't. Faith is the virus that must spread, and you can't infect a corpse. Going on a hunt to recruit people or steal territory isn't unheard of.

Fire-Touched talk. A lot. They're happy to do it, in fact, and they will give you a chance for diplomacy. It's not your fault you're ignorant, after all. You will know they're coming. The thing is, they're not happy with your death. Actually, they'd like to avoid it, but if you can't bend to what they want—to what Rabid Wolf wants—you might just need to. If you won't bend the knee, that's when things start getting scary.

It's your loved ones turning against you, and that plague of hatred suddenly spreading across your entire social safety net. It's not just you and the people around you getting physically sick, they're also becoming metaphorically sick, and this can extend to your territory itself if a Fire-Touched ritemaster figures out how to target spirits.

That's not to say that Fire-Touched can't hunt more directly, but they are less likely to do it and more likely to leave (badly injured whether psychologically or physically) survivors of a hunt. Mechanically they don't have as much staying power as the other Pure Tribes do and a lot of their Gifts run towards the indirect and socially manipulative.

Genuinely I think that Fire-Touched are the meanest as well. A lot of Pure Tribes are pretty cavalier about forcing humans to become Claimed but the Fire-Touched are probably the worst about it. They'll still try to ensure it's the right kind of spirits because they're pretty serious about respecting the Shadow but that doesn't really make things any better. For whatever reason within some groups I've been in they've gotten a reputation as the "nicest" or most sympathetic of the Pure Tribes when they are...not. Not saying they're unilaterally evil in the slightest because Forsaken has wayyyyy more nuance than that but, you know.

Side note, I think it helps here that their Tribal Oath is the only one that upholds a tenant that human morality generally values? Like, you're usually told as a kid lying is always bad (even though most ethicists are going to agree that the issue is complicated) and theirs is all about not permitting lies while some of the Forsaken Tribal Oaths can kind of be...a lot. That's neither here nor there though.

Okay, Ivory Claws next. Disclaimer, they're the Pure Tribe I tend to use the least, though when I ran a campaign set in Ohio they had a presence because one of my players was really interested in incorporating them into the character's backstory.

I'll say outright they're probably the hardest to pin down in terms of a style. Ivory Claws get compared to Storm Lords a lot but I think in a weird way it's almost more interesting to contrast them against the Hunters in Darkness while using Predator Kings as the foils to the Storm Lords.

I think Ivory Claws do best when it's emphasized that they're the ones who control the world. Just in general, but especially on the hunt. A Hunter in Darkness is very focused on their one little bit of territory and usually a specific place they've cultivated and may not even want to share much with their packmates (depending on their own personality and local traditions) but Ivory Claws get everything. They have money, social resources, spirit court allies, the entire world is at their claws. And that's without getting into the fact they pretty frequently experiment on themselves to perfect the werewolf condition. They exemplify werewolves as gods of the hunt.

You know what happens to the people who defy gods, right? Silver Wolf is also hurt, angry, and very, very vengeful, significantly more than the other two (plus Sky Hunter if you want to count in one of Chris Allen's Tribes) and because IMO Ivory Claws tend to skew towards the Flesh in a lot of regards, Ivory Claws are probably prone to calling a Hunt over seemingly minor offenses especially since their Sacred Prey is a bit floaty in terms of what it can encompass. It helps keep them balanced.

Predator Kings...yeah, they hunt like wolves. There's something comparatively very uncomplicated about them. They're not predictable, they are very good at what they do and hunting like wolves means hunting, not treating it like a military operation the way Blood Talons do. Once they get to the actual killing part, it's over pretty fast, but the lead-in takes place over a few days. I do think one really interesting angle that 2e incorporates is that they're also the most obsessive over Pangaea and have both rites and Merits that can make the world closer to what Pangaea was. This strongly suggests that, more than any other werewolf, Taga Dam is now a huge part of their spiritual life and identity. I actually quite like this angle, it gives them more of a thing than just "grrr civilization bad." I've always had a certain soft spot for them (inasmuch as you can for a Pure Tribe) and felt like they get misused a lot, so I can appreciate it.

[aaronstveit]

Hi! What is a zero draft? I'm not sure I've heard that before. But I will also send you some numbers! 31, 33, 36, 37, 39, and 46!

hi anon!!! thank you for asking <33333 i'm gonna answer this one under a read more because it got away from me a bit

omg i am so excited to introduce you to the concept of the zero draft. so a zero draft is sort of like a document that's between an outline and a first draft, and it's almost like an information dump for your WIP. there are no real rules to it but the way i do it is i pretty much just type out everything i'm thinking like i'm talking aloud. so parts of it are actual lines that will probably end up in my wip and then some parts are just like "He says something about fate here, I'll expand the metaphor later." and i'll just go through the entire story like that because it's easier for me to put together something resembling a plot when i'm just talking it out (in a google doc) than when i'm actually trying to "plot" or "outline." i hope this makes sense? if not, this article is very helpful i think! again there are no actual Rules to it, just do whatever works for you! it works for me because of how my brain is but everyone is different of course etc etc <333

31. Do you start with the characters or the plot when writing?

um probably more the characters? plot does NOT come easily to me and it's a huge fight for me to actually come up with one, i usually start with vague concepts and let the characters propel it forward!

33. Do you want to be published some day?

oh sigh what a question. theoretically yes i would love to actually finish one of my original wips and get it published but in practice there is soooooo much about publishing that i find very frightening. i am not a social media darling and if i wrote a book and it ended up on a booksamillion booktok table i'd do something that got me put on the evening news. but yes i would actually like to like, write something original and put it into the world for people to see one day. theoretically.

36. How do you write kissing scenes?

gonna be honest i usually cringe my way through it. writing physical intimacy is NOT a strength of mine and there are really only so many words you can break out before you start to sound ridiculous. other people are amazing at this but unfortunately all i can really do is throw in some metaphors and try focusing more on the emotions than the physical act.

37. How do you choose where to end a chapter?

i pretty much just give up at some point... okay that's a bit of a lie. while i do suck at all forms of endings, i do generally (think that i) have a sense for good emotional stopping points. i base my chapter endings wayyyyy more on emotion than actual plot. OH and it also depends on POV. like for instance in deep end i have 3 different POVs happening and sometimes i'll get to a scene and be like wait this should be in someone else's POV so i know i have to close things up for this chapter and start the next one. otherwise though i usually like to stop at a semi-emotional moment so a reader is mostly satisfied but left ready for the next chapter!

39. Share a snippet from a WIP

oh god oh fuck um. here is a bit from deep end !

This must be horrible for you, Enjolras had said. And he wasn’t wrong, not even a bit. Every second of it has been horrible for Grantaire. The way his shoes stuck to the floor of the Corinthe, the bartender’s familiar smile. Enjolras’ chaste pink lips, his half-unbuttoned shirt. The crowded street. The smell of the inside of the taxi. The stairs, Enjolras’ weight against his side, the smell of Enjolras’ breath, Enjolras’ voice in his ear, Enjolras, everything fucking Enjolras. Grantaire wonders if this is another trap, if he’s gotta chew through the bone to get out of it. But he can’t, he knows he can’t. He’s all bled out. Carving his way out of this trap will kill him.  (Staying in the trap will kill him, too, he thinks. But there isn’t really anything else to do about it now.)

46. How would you describe your style? (Character/emotion/action-driven, etc)

is dialogue-driven an option? because my plots are completely driven by dialogue it's kind of ridiculous. otherwise i would say emotionally driven. possibly too emotionally driven. i have a lot of emotions and i like throwing them all at my google doc to see what sticks. unfortunately this results in a lot of suffering for my characters BUT i have fun and that's all that matters!

get to know your fic writer!

[dj-of-the-coven]

4 + 5 for Beat and 9 + 21 for Neku!

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

A physical comic that i can carry around with me and read on the train or at coffee shops and not have to look at a screen (cause I spend wayyyyy too long online as it is). I love books but Beat's character design is so cool I feel like it'd be a shame not to use it, and twewy's art style as a whole is a huge draw for me. It sucks that the non-digital format would eliminate the possibility of music though. Either way, I think comics would be a perfect way to get across specifically Beat's inner feelings. He's creative and loving and angry and sometimes a little broody. The more abstract artistic direction that comics can take in terms of expressing those feelings would lend well to him--he doesn't need words to show how much he loves people, he's practically bursting with it so much you can see the aura around his body. A comic can actually depict that, just like it can depict his other emotions in a more visual, visceral way that emphasize how he feels over how he speaks.

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

Aside from his canon themes, Come Out Swinging by The Offspring is the first song on my Beat playlist for a reason, babay!!!!

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

With Neku? Oh yeah. He's quiet and calm, but likes music enough that me playing guitar or uke probably wouldn't bother him. I'd let him share use of my record player. It's also a plus that he likes graffiti, cause it'd be really fun to go tagging with him if he wanted to hang out. My only big thing when it comes to roommates is that I fucking love cooking and if he's gonna live in my house then he's gotta accept that I will be making his food. That's how it is.

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

Hmm... well, my current WIP is the first time that I've written Neku at length, and so far my favorite thing to do with him has been to put him through a metaphorical paper shredder for the sake of character development and Themes. He was practically made for that. My least favorite thing about writing him (at least in my current work) is that I feel like I need to do calculus to decide how he reacts to stuff, but I think that's mostly because I'm extremely serious about my longform writing and I treat it like I'm trying to get the damn thing published

[whatifdavek]

Sheesh, if this isn’t boiling hot to you, I’m afraid to know what is. Have you ever considered moving down south? Like...Wayyyyy down south? At least someone is enjoying this, I guess there really is a silver lining to everything. Sunbathing on Hoth? What a metaphor, I’m intrigued. It sounds like your ideal climate is tropical-esque? Or, do you prefer more of a dry, desert heat? 

It sounds like you’ve got an eventful few months coming up! Traveling is great, I’ve always enjoyed it myself. I wish I got to do more of it too. Between work and everyday life, it sometimes feels impossible. But, I digress. Shreveport, LA, and Lima? I couldn’t imagine. I have to ask- is this driving or flying? Send Lima a big ‘hello’ from me, would you?

It sounds like you’re having a great time, that’s awesome. 

whatifdavek​:

Listen, I’ve always subscribed to the ‘to each their own’ method of thinking, but I for one am not looking forward to it. Warm is good, boiling hot is something completely different. That’s just me though, if you’re looking forward to it, I hope you enjoy it. Any big plans for a summer send-off?

And I agree, but this isn’t boiling hot to me, whereas what y’all call ‘winter’ around here is colder than sunbathing on Hoth.

Still hoping to get some travel in. Right now it looks like the dates are lining up for October for us (me and my friends from back home) meeting up in Shreveport, which is fine by me as I miss Halloweens back home and this will give me a chance to have one. But I should be able to get out to L.A. before that to visit with my VMBFF, Evie, and I’ll fit traveling to Lima to visit everyone there either between the two or on my way back from Shreveport.

But as far as sending Summer off... not really; just making the most of every last second of sunshine and warmth I can get. 

[hella1975]

What's your favorite cryptid/legend?

you ever get an ask that makes u gasp in excitement and if it was a physical object you'd be holding it very close to ur chest? that's me with this omg GET IN LOSER WE'RE GETTING INTO ONE OF HELLA'S OLDEST HYPERFIXATIONS

okay you should have seen this coming but unfortunately i can't just give you ONE so you can have a top 5 list. i've had to research this shit for as long as i've been writing fantasy aka YEARS so i am super super nerdy on this. like my niche knowledge of legends both globally and locally is..... extensive

1) very basic but DRAGONS - the fact that almost every single culture mentions some form of dragons despite never communicating it with each other is something that absolutely FASCINATES me. same hat with mermaids bc you can find them in almost every culture's mythology in some form or another but i just really fucking love dragons so they get to be on the list <3

2) the legends of king arthur - god i was about to say how OBSESSED i was with this when i was younger but spoiler alert i still can't get enough of it and bbc's merlin did NOTHING but exacerbate it. i went to cornwall this summer with my friends and a lot of arthurian legend stems from that area, the way i DRAGGED those girls on a tour lmfaooo. and i already knew all of it too

3) witches - ask me about their history. ask me about witchcraft through a feminist lense. ask me about witch trials all over the globe. i can give you names and death tolls. i can-

4) black dogs - i think these are also called hellhounds? but one of the first stories i ever wrote that was properly set out as an actual book featured black dogs and ever since i've thought they are the COOLEST thing. and people have used it as a metaphor for depression too and my mum really liked that idea so she tends to use it a lot and idk i just think they're neat

5) the hyrda - wayyyyy before i even got into percy jackson and became absolutely obsessed with mythology, specifically ancient greek mythology, my primary school had a book on myths and legends and i thought it was the COOLEST thing, and one page i really vividly remember is the page on hydras. to this day i still think the concept of them is fucking batshit and i shove them into every story i can shamelessly

[flabbergasties]

So I just finished Dickinson and I’m not sure how I feel about the ending. I liked the ending sequence of Emily in her room and then the beach scene but the rest of the episode felt a bit like a let down. I was disappointed that we didn’t get to see her rejoin her family at the end after Higginson left when the whole season was about her trying to bring them together and she also never got to talk to her dad again after episode 8 which I found a bit odd. And of course it felt wrong for her to have no interactions with Sue in the series finale. Could I get your thoughts on the last episode please? I always like to get a second opinion when I’m disappointed by a show

alsdkfjal yes i am always here to talk dickinson, let's do this

I think the last episode, like all the episodes, is imperfect. It helps me to view it as what it is: a separate entity completely from the series itself. To me, episode 9 is the finale. Episode 10 is like...an ode. It feels almost like what Alena wanted to write all along — and it's written, really, like a One Act play. I see wayyyyy more theatre in it than in other episodes, and it's got a totally different stylistic tone.

(Whereas episode 9 kind of shores up loose ends and leaves everyone happy, the way a series finale would.)

Seeing it, then, as a separate entity from the series does admittedly help me excuse some of the failings you mention...because the entire episode is existing more in metaphors than literals.

What I mean to say is that I don't think the Emily we're interacting with in Episode 10 is the same Emily that spent the whole season bringing her family together, or the whole series trying to get Sue, etc. etc.

I think the Emily we're interacting with in Episode 10 is like...the idea of Emily Dickinson. The mythos of her. The mythos of all of them: Lavinia, the cracked sister; Sue and Austin and the baby next door...

Idk lol that...doesn't make sense. And I don't want to come off like I'm saying the last episode is a grand work of art — because, as far as "making a cohesive show" it's probably bad practice to have the finale be ... about the idea ?? of your character ?? instead of your character herself ??

But it is an interesting perspective — an episode that captures the mythos of the historical figures as we know them instead of the characters you've made us fall in love with for three seasons.

And I think that mostly because I do actually sort of appreciate the way that Episode 10 leaves Sue as this sort of Wife and Protectress of Emily's Art. They're not with each other in the literal sense, but Sue is downstairs, entertaining Higginson as if Emily were her husband and she's meant to be a "wife." Using the one tool she's been able to hold onto amid all the trauma she's undergone: the tool of feminity. The tool of housewifery. Hostessing. "If I can create a home for this stranger — the way I have fought for years to create a home for myself — then I will get what I need" has been her motto since day one. And here, we're seeing it employed in order to protect Emily's legacy.

Something I believe irl Sue did for 27 years after Emily died — often, tragically, failing, but trying nonetheless.

And in that sense, I'm glad that Sue and Emily don't reunite in episode 10. Because they don't need to. Because they worked together *apart* for so, so long irl. And I think that last look upstairs exemplifies that: Sue is there, with Emily - Emily is there, with Sue - even though they're not together. It's not romantic or sexy but it's just...the truth of how irl Emily and Sue loved each other for a long time.

(Does it fit with the character arc of Show!Sue and Show!Emily? Lol no not in the slightest. So you can see where my dilemma is: Decent commentary on these people irl. Horrible consistency with the show itself.)

(And re: Emily/Mr. Dickinson - tbh I think the handling of the Emily/Mr. Dickinson dynamic was always a little flawed, and the fact that it's not picked up again before the finale is...not surprising to me. Disappointing, but not surprising.)

OKAY THIS GOT LONG I'M SORRY. I think the point of all this rambling is that Episode 10 is a halfway decent portrait of a poet in a one act stage show; it is not a very good ending to a three season Apple TV show (but I'm not sure it's trying to be a good ending to a three season Apple TV show).

[geometricalien]

oh dear i'm super duper late but I have a lot of questions about your wips!! I wanna know more about sick Akashi, nekoma pirate crew, BoKuroo/BokuAka midsommer, Pining + Jacket, The truth burns and destroys, feeling good, Punk Noya, Strawberry Blonde, sunspot and the merman au!!! Thanks babe <333

Hi Vee!!! This is it, I spent wayyyyy too long on this, I think my finger is cramping from typing. But thank you for asking, I love sharing my ideas, sorry if it’s incorherent.

This is super long so it’s under the cut, saving people room

Sick Akashi 

So, it’s based off of a line prompt “I’d like it if you’d stay” and as the title suggests, 3rd year Akashi gets sick, sorry Vee it’s not fatal, Furihata comes to Rakuzan to check on his friend after he doesn’t answer his phone. The entire premise is Akashi works himself sick with his various responsibilities he takes on as “perfectionist who can’t show any cracks at all”. I don’t want Bokushi Akashi showing up so it’s minus the mental break elements. (also technically in canon terms it's after they have merged so yeah) I feel like they deserve a cute little “nurse” the other from a sickness ficlet. And… maybe… sick Akashi confesses…….. It’s almost a writing challenge for me because Akashi has a more polite sophisticated way of thinking and speaking, so cough yep

The rest are Haikyuu aus so buckle in

NEKOMA PIRATE CREW 

Admittedly this is more loose, less of a solid idea. It’s Yaku centric, and how he went from a merchant from his grandfather’s company searching for lost merchandise and became the first mate who keeps track of the ship's finances and keeps their captain Kuroo on track. Other things of note, he meets Kuroo first as a pirate on another ship who stole his merchandise, Kenma is a sea witch (is that science or magic? That's always the question), and about halfway through the adventure they get Lev on board as a new member. So yeah! Kinda a fetch quest but on of my favorite fanfics is legitimately a fetch quest so it's okay fjdkaljf

BoKuroo/BokuAka Midsommer

This is based off of a fanart by desdelasombra my friend Shayla showed it to me and we threw this idea around together, we really don’t want to write it but it's also spectacular. So it's the movie Midsommar, right? Bokuto is a “gatherer” bringing his friends to come join in his village’s rituals. But we didn’t want anyone to die (except for Kenma sorry he’s dead as the substitute for the main character’s sister), so a grieving Kuroo comes with his boyfriend Bokuto, joined by their friends the smart studious and jaded Oikawa and bright bubbly Hinata. Obviously the three react badly to the first ritual and Bokuto doesn’t understand because for him it’s always been a joyful experience and he wanted to share it with his friends. A Lot of things happen, but most important is Akaashi and Kuroo dancing under the may pole together. BokuAka was in the past when Bokuto was home so part of this is them coming together as poly and escaping the final scene of the movie. Again this is very painful but that art is beautiful and the world is better for it being created

Pining + Jacket (KuroLev)

Again this is a line prompt about lending a jacket because it’s cold and it had so much potential for pining and who is the most pining bastard that I know? LEV and Shayla told me about KuroLev and somehow this happened. It’s currently going to be a sequence of drabbles of Lev pining after Kuroo, what else could you ask for? Uh? Lev confessing to Kuroo and them going out??? Sorry I can’t hear you over the exquisite angst and pain of one sided love that I want to explore

The truth burns and destroys

GOOD CHOICE, I began this on saturday night and it has earned a very special place in my heart. Sometimes I fear that my writing is like a lazy pool, sure it's nice and easy and smooth but there isn’t an intensity or raw emotions, BUT THIS this accomplishes what I want. And I’m really glad, its metaphor and imagery heavy but it really captures their emotions and thoughts without it sounding like I’m a 7th grader writing my first fanfiction glances to my abandoned wips from that time. Okay, Vee, I am a glutton for punishment and angst and I choose to pursue cheating fics. But specifically where and how they build the relationship up again after finding out. So, I was reading a KageHina cheating fic and how the character’s reacted felt off somehow so at midnight I wrote this snippet to fullfill my craving, you know what they say the best fanfiction is self indulgence. Here is a short excerpt,

He wants to brush this aside and continue their lives. He wants to wake up next to Tobio and still be seen the same way. He doesn't want anything to change. 

Tobio is his favorite book. He has read it time and time again. Highlighting, underlining, cherishing. So Shouyou is able to read the silent begging in his eyes. The right clenched fist. 

"Shouyou," a deafening pause "What is this?"

Please lie to me.

…

It stretches on. The eternity of silence. They sit together holding on to the last hope they have. Shouyou memorizes those beautiful hands, each crease and bump. Hands that helped shape him become who he is and that reached out unwaveringly. 

Tobio sighs a world ending sigh. 

Shouyou was the one who created their world, it's only fitting that Tobio is the one who destroys it.

In summary I like angst, I want to feel something 

Feeling good

AAA, okay uh, This is a BokuAka pop star au. Akaashi sings “feeling good” at a big charity event hosted by Akashi (... yes I am AkaFuri trash and I can and will sneak them in anything and everything I write) while he is singing he walks down a big staircase remembering moments in his relationship with Bokuto, how much they have grown and how much he loves him. I love the concept! But I tried to write smut in the beginning of it and OOF THATS A NO. I actually have the majority of it written but I do want to add more emotions and thoughts (the lazy pool writing) and make it Ao3 friendly because I have all of the lyrics for feeling good in it as “post signs” for what he sings and that’s against their rules. 1 major aspect of this fic is it's all leading up to the point where Akaashi says “I love you” for the first time to Bokuto after finishing the song, on stage, in front of everyone and on every screen broadcasting it.

Punk Noya

I have a love for feral boys, especially feral alternative punk boys (and girls and humans) so this whole idea is that Noya goes to another school for high school, embraces more punk aethsetics, and on the first day of the preliminary tournaments he hears the rumors about a high schooler in a gang, getting up to nasty things, and he decides to confront them. He finds Asahi, rants him out and leaves. The plot then follows canon, at the winter tournament Karasuno faces Dateko, Karasuno loses even more badly because Noya isn’t there. Asahi quits volleyball, BUT Asahi and Noya run into each other at the store and talk leading to friendship which leads to romance. Idk man, I want more punk haikyuu characters, it gives me life. Alt Yamaguchi is my favorite but onwards we go

Strawberry Blonde

!!!! So this is Mitski’s song and to give a vague idea this is a pining Kageyama fic where he tries to pull away from Hinata and that back fires. (I  do have more to say but I’ve been typing this for over an hour and I’m getting really tired fjkdaljl) There is one paragraph that I love, so here it is! Kageyama and Hinata are practicing by themselves outside of school and they are playing pepper (its a volleyball warm up practice routine where you partner up with someone pass, set, and spike the ball to each other sesquentially) Hinata goes to spike the ball and for a moment Kageyama sees it, 

They are at nationals and they made it to finals. The crowds are screaming, but everything except the court is thrown into shadows. They are at match point of the final set. Everything is at peak intensity and at the center is him. Flying in the air. Orange hair waving with the momentum. His loud take off echoing in the gym. Arm poised for the kill. Eyes sparking with ferocity and passion as he aims. And finally, tipping the world over is the loud slap of his hand, sending the ball to the far side of the court-

This was actually going to be finished and posted in time for Haikyuu season 4 coming out and the manga wrapping up.... clearly I failed my goal fjdaklfj

Sunspot

You don’t know this about me but I love royalty aus, and this is BokuAka Prince Akaashi and Knight Bokuto. This was a short snippet of this grand idea I have for them where they run away from Akaashi’s inherited destiny together. It has potential to be really wide and expansive with the differnet teams as different kingdoms (AGAIN ILLUSION OF CHOICE, that fic really influences me doesn’t it fjdskalj) But this was a short glance at Akaashi taking a break from studying and watching Bokuto and the other knights practice duel. The title comes from the fact that Bokuto is a sunspot in Akaashi’s life, and his day is substantially better basking in his golden shining light.

Merman au

I’m so glad you asked about this and its technically the one I’ve written the most for since it's actually the one I posted on my haikyuu writing side blog. But brief recap, long term it’s a BokuAka little mermaid au but instead of a sea witch it’s an underwater deity who makes “wishes” (it's a deal) with every royal who is born. And Akaashi has a lot of siblings: Ushijima, Oikawa, Suga, Terushima, and Hinata, and its in that order. So I have information on every sibling’s deal, what they wish for, what they give for it, what happens to them in the future, romantically and otherwise. But, this is the one I haven’t updated in over a year, I am working on it!! I’m currently on Koushi’s (suga’s) wish/deal, its just taking forever. If you want to learn more about it I’ll link it in parts  1  2  3  4

BUT I will work on Suga’s part and then Terushima’s and then to the meat of the idea with Akaashi. 

If you have made it this far, thanks, you are cool as always. My brain and fingers is ded. 

[technicolorlove]

6 - "Um no, it doesn't matter if Weiss had grown or not. Adam is still a damn psychopath that'd sooner go for the kill than try to listen to anything that Weiss has to say." good thing I didnt say she should have a convo with him then! I said Blake and Weiss should talk about it. Y'know, the girl she's friends with who was a part of the same revolutionary force that adam was? "Sienna living and getting to talk to Weiss or even Ilia = the letdown not Adam." excellent point! the reason adam was still a let down though was because HE WAS BRANDED like AN ANIMAL?? is this a common fucking practice?? if we go off blake's body language when adam unmasks it clearly isnt that shocking to her. fuck yang doesnt even seem rattled by it? would weiss know that this happens? would she be horrified to find out that her father treated people like this? would that make her even more pissed off at him and make her epic own of his ass even better when she exposes how fucking unethical his work practices are along with his conspiracy against atlas in.. v7 or v8 i cant remember. "They do put in small moments here and there like the v7 scene between Weiss and Blake w/ Weiss seeing the SDC sign" wow.. one moment between them in the whole 5 volumes since weiss was racist. like you dont think that it would come up a little more often especially now in atlas? "On top of that there's a reason that Adam was kept to Blake and Yang, namely that Yang is everything Adam failed to be. Then on top of that is that no matter what they do they get people going after them, so they just set the entire thing to a metaphorical back-burner with some small bits here and there towards it." i dont care if he was kept to them like physically, i just think emotionally they should have discussed that shit with their team more lmao? especially after v6? like i get if they didnt wanna talk about their trauma earlier but like cmon they just killed someone wouldnt they wanna discuss that with their team?? blake seemed pretty fucked up about it afterwards we dont think we could have had a scene of them talking about it maybe at the start of v7? "Some of the problem is that you're forgetting that RWBY isn't that genre of show and again has bigger things happening." okay, so what genre is it then? generic fantasy? mcguffin centered fetch quest simulator? like, lets compare this to... fucking ATLA? a show about a group of kids settled with the weight of the world. THAT fuckin show has time for these kinds of character interactions, not relegated to small moments but whole episodes, they travel all over the globe to try and stop an oncoming apocalypse while collecting things(bending styles for aang) and oh hey zuko what are you doing here in my comparison to weiss schnee? (do not mention emerald and compare her to zuko please dont do that their arcs share superficial similarities but they are not the same, if anything emerald is this version of weiss you're talking about. i dont really care about her and shes sorta just been vaguely a dick riiiiight up until v6 when shes like "ohhh well.. maybe we're the bad guys?" and then does some more cinder worship until shes told off and goes from zero to hero over the span of.. like late v7 to late v8 she just clogging up the already bloated cast, and she barely appears in that fuckin epilogue [god i hope they dont do a fucking colonizer plot they are going to fuck it up just like they fucked up the racism]) Trust me, I love rwby, i love it so much it hurts. and when i bitch about it its because i wish it was so much better than it actually is. Like objectively its not that great writing wise. I lament missed potential and threads i think could have been handled better. I despise people who do "rewrites" that fundamentally change everything about the show except some names. Do I think they should course correct now? fuck no, we're in wayyyyy to deep. I really like v9 and it was tight and honestly weirdly enough the justice league crossover movies had some of my favorite weiss writing to date. Lemme wrap up before i get too rambly.

I wouldn't consider the crazy stalker ex angle a bad one for Adam (some people may disagree with me on this), but what I do wish had happened was building up to it more. And it sorta happened in this volume, where his oversight and cowardice at Haven resulted in him losing power. I just wish we had seen more of that fall yknow? How his desire for adoration and "justice" was fueled by his own ego. And the more power he lost the more the manipulative stalker ex boyfriend thing became prevalent. I also wish that his SDC brand went literally anywhere story wise. The fact that it's never brought up again (especially to WEISS) just sorta puts a big question mark on the end of his character. The fact that we don't even have a canon explanation for how he got it is even worse!! I have a lot of issues with how faunus are are used as a massive bludgeon with the word "RACISM" printed on it despite the writers' seeming unwillingness to actually discuss that topic. It takes Weiss all of two episodes to unlearn her prejudice but then she never uses any of her seemingly substantial power to actually DO anything about her father's business practices or for even make a switch to buying dust from local shops instead of straight from SDC itself. Imagine how much deeper Flint's jab at her would have been if we saw her actually trying to put in effort to undo the harm her family does to small businesses!!

I dunno I feel like they should have picked an angle for Adam and stuck with it. (Also i'm someone who likes Ironwood's fall and thinks it was well built up, so sue me)

[bayrut]

yes!!! the UUUuuuuUUUuuuUs part!!! (I also don’t know what it’s called) their vocals on here are just so strong!!! also metaphor wise it always seem surprising to me that they weren’t theatre kids 🤔

the song is really heartbreaking and yes who hurt luke??? I’d like to have words! but the songwriting credits for the track are just luke and josh ramsay (from mariana’s trench) which can heard in the cadence? of the lyrics (like the rhythm of it is very similar to a mariana’s trench song) and they released astoria on the same day as sgfg so I think??? maybe? the lyrics are tied a little more josh ramsay’s life than luke’s lol this is getting too into their personal stuff but yeah even how they sing it??? is painful??? luke’s capacity to sing like he’s hurting is just........ who hurt you man??? and it deserved wayyyyy better than target deluxe edition/bsides

it’s also because of “memories are pay-per-view” that I learned it wasn’t “paper view” which 🤷🏻‍♀️ I don’t know. but the second verse is definitely one of the best they’ve written and this is song is honestly one of their greatest tracks! they need to play it live please and also bring back this! sound!

oh okk okk i do not know much about josh or mariana's trench so yes maybe!!! then who hurt mr ramsay that bad??? I'm still up for a fight!!! But yes the emotion in the song i 😔💔 ok the paper view thing is funny sorry ily and yes sorry the second verse hurts too much maybe I'll pretend it does not exist... and yes amazing song they better sing it live soon or I'm gonna 🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪