#wild friend has some insane reading skills

[okamirayne]

*a wild friend calmly walks over and dumps a mountain of cried through tissues on the ground*

I blame you and I know you're not sorry! How dare you ruin my taste in romance, I can only truly enjoy the genre now if its as painful and raw and tender as these two

The end of Requiem? I just can't even, you beautiful beautiful monster you! The ache, the blood and sinew in the way they crave each other, the gentle flow of time when they're at peace together...*adds another tissue to the mountain*

I mean, everything about this series is good, like Kakashi and Genma and that world weary heaviness, or just Ino and Choji being good beans, the lead in to Kusagakure...but honey, I am as addicted to you ShikaNeji as they are to each other

And when I put it into perspective it gets even more heart-rending because they're just kids! Like, the depth of their feelings is already incredible on its own but when I think that these are teenagers...in a better world they'd be so fucking lucky to find each other that young...but in this one...

Puuh!

I'd also like to point out that one of my favourite recurring elements of this whole series is Shikamaru and Neji instinctively and simultaneously leaping to each other's protection. I live for stuff like this!

Also the fact that you found a way to get Neji hammered twice is absolutely incredible, I take my hat off and pull out snack and tea from it for you because that's some heavy magic

Anyway, onto the next!!!

*the wild friend dives into the mountain of tissues like Scrooge McDuck and doesn't emerge again*

*a wild friend calmly walks over and dumps a mountain of cried through tissues on the ground*

I blame you and I know you're not sorry!

Only because you shared that super sad dream with me and now we're both weighing the impact of the pain trains that we clearly enjoy driving...*sniffles subtly into teacup*

The end of Requiem?

DUDE! Like, how the hell are you reading this fast? I mean seriously, are you absorbing words through osmosis...I am...honestly astounded...but also, deeply touched that you're so engrossed in the BtB madness...wow....

I just can't even, you beautiful beautiful monster you!

I do try...

Now, if I step out of my amusement into the overgrown territory of warm fuzzy feels...I gotta say I'm a tangled hot mess -- as in, nuclear meltdown coloured by Hinata's complexion.

Thank you so much for what you shared here...I get hit all at once with the overwhelming gratitude and it's humbling and heartening in ways that result in me repeatedly failing to translate my feelings into words. Just know, it hits. And I feel it. For a long time.

It was a treat to be able to write that bond as you described it, and I'm so happy that you've connected with it and are impacted by it as a much as I was whilst writing it.

I'd also like to point out that one of my favourite recurring elements of this whole series is Shikamaru and Neji instinctively and simultaneously leaping to each other's protection. I live for stuff like this!

YES!

Also the fact that you found a way to get Neji hammered twice is absolutely incredible, I take my hat off and pull out snack and tea from it for you because that's some heavy magic

Ha! Well...just can't resist a drunken, drugged, or heavily dosed and dopey Hyuga! Shikamaru needs some of that himself, I think. *evil plot bunnies hatch*

Whoa. Godspeed, my dear Wild Friend. Though I don't think you need it at the rate you are powering through those chapters...bloody hell, what are you running on? DO TELL ALL.

*leaves out tea, treats, tissues and a bucket of grateful tears* 💜💜💜💜💜💜

[bigwishes]

Since I heard you’ve got a few of those vials back in stock - perhaps I could get some for this new group of lads I’ve taken on for the year. Hopefully it’ll give my team the edge!

Sure thing coach! anything for a friend. Although surely you know that players "enhancing" themselves never goes the way they want it to, but no matter all your players have already picked out a vial from the shop.

Thought they'd all get the same vial? nah not enough of this stuff to go around but why dont we check in with some of your players to see how they are going.

--

First there is Kyle, a block you were hoping to be your star player of the season, 7ft tall with the same amount of muscle as some of the blokes training for Mr Olympia! all at the age of 24, the dude sure was going places on the field, playing ruby he could basically just carry the ball from one side of the field to the other, anyone who'd try to tackle him would basically just bounce right off. I see he took a vial called "Prince Power". A pretty unusal choice for a guy that massive to pick up a vial like this but hey who am I to judge.

I see Kyle has shrunk down from 7ft to 5 and all that muscle seems to have evaporated. I guess he didn't read the back of the bottle or maybe he wanted a change of scene because "Prince Power" turns whoever drinks it into a power bottom who drools at the smell of another mans musk and needs a big strong knight in shining armour to come rescue him from practically anything...yeah he might be useless on the field now, unless you want to take one of the enemy players off the field by having Kyle here..."distract" him behind the goals half way through the game.

--

We of course also have Tyler, a bloke who only really started trying to get big when you signed him for his skills. 22 and 5.5ft the guy wasn't much wider than a twig which is why I think "Wall 'o' Mass" caught his eye, very popular in the muscle fetish community but providing Tyler is good at math he should be able to work out the correct dosage lets check on him now.

Wow he has really beefed all the way up in a matter of hours, good for him, 1/4 of a bottle was a good starting point now he can-.....what's that? Tyler took more? well I'm sure he didn't- oh, he wanted to be bigger than Kyle and be the new star player? SO HE DRANK THE WHOLE BOTTLE? man someone get this man a couch to get comfortable because I give it 40 minutes before he is swollen into a massive meathead who is unable to move, well the vial wasn't called "Wall 'o' Mass" for nothing, drinking the whole thing means you'll turn into a bodybuilder so big all you can do is flex, a literal wall of mass.

Boy will he be kicking himself when he finds out what happened to Kyle, bro threw away his mobility for nothing.

-------

What about Jake? well Jake did the smart thing, he wanted enough mass to be able to move freely but also drop anyone who tried to tackle him, so I sent him over to our Bear section, although I can't tell you which one he took I was busy taking stock in the back.

The man is definitely going through some changes, nice muscle growth definition, I see he has become insanely hairy. What else will happen? well let's check which one he took now that I'm free, hmmm, oh man, none of your players are fucking smart are they bro, Jake could have taken anything off the shelf to get the results he wanted but he had to take "Wild Bear". No that doesn't mean he's a bear with a wild partying side. Let's put it this way man, I'd hide any cans of salmon you got lying around and maybe send animal control around to his house in the morning, looks like the zoo will be getting a new exhibit and you'll be looking for a new player.

[gentil-minou]

MDZS Daycare AU where Wangxian are co-lead teachers for a class of 10-18 month old babies and have a secret of their own.

---

Lan Wangji is the morning lead teacher while Wei Wuxian is the evening lead, and their shifts overlap for about 5 hours which is where max chaos ensues.

Mianmian, the assistant teacher in the mornings, and Mo Xuanyu, the assistant in the afternoons, like to confer over their findings when they take their breaks during nap time, leaving their heads in the classroom to...stare? Glare? at each other. They're not sure.

When Mianmian gets in for her shift at 8am, Lan Wangji is already there with the youngest kid on their roster, Wen Yuan, who always gets dropped off first every morning before she even arrives.

The babies trickle, with a mixture of tears and giggles, and of course a complete mood turn around once their caregivers have left them, A-Qing especially who goes from sobbing bloody murder to laughing maniacally as soon as her dads leave.

Lan Wangji keeps the morning peaceful with circle time and baby meditation which is mostly him and Mianmian trying to get the babies to sit still and somehow succeeding? Lan Wangji has to be magic.

They read a few books and sing some cute songs with the babies and it's all really nice and tranquil.

Then at 10AM, Wei Wuxian comes in and all hell breaks loose.

Where Lan Wangji is all about structured play meant to engage the babies' fine motor skills, Wei Wuxian is a "let them run free and wild" type.

His favorite activity is to cover a peace of long sheet paper in puddles of paint and let the babies go wild. Sometimes Mianmian and Lan Wangji are able to get smocks on them first…but most of the time there's a frantic clothing change before lunch so the babies don't fall asleep in paint covered clothing.

Mianmian has no idea how Jingyi always manages to get pain in his diaper, but yeah. Always.

She's trying to change as many babies as she can while she watches Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian argue again about Wei Wuxian's plans for the afternoon activity, which is really just "collect mud during out walk from outside and bring it inside!"

Lan Wangji glares at him with his mouth in a straight line while Wei Wuxian is clearly trying to not laugh at his face. At least little A-Yuan is there tugging on their pants to act as a cute buffer. No one can ever resist little A-Yuan.

He still hasn't learned how to crawl yet, so he scoots around everywhere on his butt which is insanely adorable. And he recently learned how to say "Ge!" and Wei Wuxian just about burst into tears the first time he did.

To be fair though, right now A-Yuan calls everything "Ge".

His teachers, including Mianmian? Ge.

Friends? Ge.

His carrots? Ge.

His bunny stuffy? Ge.

Naturally, nobody minds at all.

Around lunch time, when half of the babies are nodding off in either their simple rice dishes or mess of mashed something, Mo Xuanyu comes in to help them get the babies ready for bedtime. They spend half the time getting Wei Wuxian to lower his voice, with Lan Wangji sending him a dirty look.

It's funny because Mianmian has seen Wei Wuxian fill in as the only head when Lan Wangji was out. He absolutely knows how to be quiet at nap time.

Makes sense why he just smirks at Lan Wangji instead of really watching his volume.

Once the babies are all asleep, the head teachers confer over their lesson plans while rubbing the backs of the few stragglers who never quite sleep as fast, Mianmian and Mo Xuanyu go out for a walk and eat their lunch.

There, Mianmian fills Mo Xuanyu in on the day's anctics, which mostly just becomes a chance for them to gossip about their lead teachers.

"They're insane, I swear," Mo Xuanyu says as he takes the cheese off his pizza slice and eats the bread and cheese separately for…some reason. "Like how did they even start working together?"

"I heard Yanli had them placed together because they requested it." Mianmian eats her pizza normally, thank you, with extra pineapple and ham and mayo drizzled all over.

"God they're like obsessed with each other, I swear."

They head back in just as Zizhen starts crying, waking all the other babies and then they're off, Mo Xuanyu heading diaper duty this time while Mianmian gets their afternoon snacks ready. Wei Wuxian reads a book with way more theatricality than necessary for babies who probably don't have the ability to understand yet, but they watch him, enraptured by his voice as Lan Wangji puts their sleeping mats away.

Mianmian leaves soon after, once the babies are seated with their cheerios and blueberries and sippy cups, leaving Mo Xuanyu to help out with the afternoon shift.

They take the babies out in a walk using a giant baby wagon that honestly looks like it belongs on a rollercoaster and Mo Xuanyu is a bit put out that he can't fit in the seats. He's tried. They checked.

They take the babies on a promenade around the waterfront area where their daycare is, Wei Wuxian flittering about grabbing sticks and leaves for sensory exploration and pointing out all the cool birds. At the same time, Lan Wangji stands perfectly stoic and vigilant for passersby trying to take pictures of a kid they don't know (like who does that???) as well as a sniffley nose.

Usually that sniffley nose is Wei Wuxian, who is getting more energy out than any of the babies. Lan Wangji hands him a tissue all the same.

They get back in soon after, which is around when Lan Wangji has to leave to get to his night classes for his Masters in Early Childhood Education.

Mo Xuanyu heads up the afternoon circle time, singing songs and making up the lyrics cause he really never had the chance to learn nursery rhymes when he was a kid. He watches from the corner of his eyes as the head teachers mutter something to each other by the door, heads close together. But he can't focus for long when Jingyi has decided to climb on top of A-Yuan who is, for whatever reason, perfectly unbothered.

Lan Wangji leaves and Wei Wuxian joins them, taking over circle time. That's when the real fun begins.

Wei Wuxian's goal at the end of they day is to tire the babies out as much as possible so their poor parents won't have a hard time getting them to rest.

Mo Xuanyu thinks that's just an excuse for all the caffeine he drinks kicking in.

They start with one of the messier art activities Wei Wuxian can't get away with when Lan Wangji is around, usually involving some bits of natures that he'd dub "unhygienic".

"Pfft," Wei Wuxian tells Mo Xuanyu, for the thousandth time. "Everyone needs to eat dirt. Builds immunity."

Mo Xuanyu isn't sure that's how it works, but at least the babies love splashing in mud and sticking leaves to pieces of paper.

Once they change the babies into a second set of spare clothes, it's dance party time. The best time actually.

Babies can't really dance, but it's cute watching them wiggle their little butts and try. Wei Wuxian usually picks at least one kid to dance to Old McDonald with, spinning them around and around.

Usually the baby he picks is A-Yuan. They're not supposed to have favorites, but well Mo Xuanyu can't blame him. He is the cutest.

Sometimes they get noise complaints from the other classrooms, especially the actual baby room with the 3 month to 9 month old and their sleep schedule that are basically all the time.

Wei Wuxian typically just smooths it over by bringing Jin Ling over to join their party.

It's technically not allowed, and theoretically they should be careful since he's the boss' son and all, but Wei Wuxian is the boss' adopted brother and anyways the teachers on the baby baby room just give him a grateful look for keeping the colic baby busy and away from their splitting eardrums.

Once the dance part is over and Wei Wuxian and Mo Xuanyu are lying on the carpet, letting the babies crawl over them in some attempt at "building movement skills", they get a bit of a reprieve before the real challenge of the day starts.

Pick up time.

This is when Wei Wuxian actually listens to Lan Wangji's suggestions for small group play, and they divide into three groups, one with independent play in the pretend area for the older babies that are more toddlers now and two others focused on sensory exploration and fine motor skills. Fancy words for saying the dollhouse area, the playdough zone (monitored by Mo Xuanyu because these babies will absolutely eat it) and the puzzle table that Wei Wuxian keeps an eye on as he greets the parents.

He's great with them, seriously. The parents love Wei Wuxian. It's like a switch flips and he goes from chaos gremlin to genius in childcare, offering really well thought out explanations for the activities the kids engaged in as he hands their artwork to the parents.

They ask him to babysit all the time, but Wei Wuxian deflects and makes some excuse about having busy evenings and weekends, then gestures to Mo Xuanyu who always needs the extra cash.

Mo Xuanyu is always struck with awe at this. He has a lot to learn from Wei-qianbei.

Sometimes the parents join them a bit for play, but a lot of the times, they just leave. Bustling their babies up in their coats with extra cuddles and taking them home, happy to spend a few hours with them before bedtime.

It's Mo Xuanyu's favorite time of the day actually. A good parent's unconditional love for their kid, who can resist?

The last one to leave, is, of course, poor little A-Yuan sitting at the puzzle table with Wei Wuxian. Once the second to last kid leaves, usually Jingyi screaming down the hall as his amused mom follows sedately after him, Wei Wuxian gives Mo Xuanyu a tired smile and tells him he can go.

"Are you sure? I can help clean up?"

The room looks like a tornado ran through it, every time. Mo Xuanyu always feels guilty leaving early, but he has night classes…so…

Wei Wuxian waves him off, "Don't sweat it, I have to stay a bit later anyways. I've got this."

Mo Xuanyu relents and goes over to smack a wet kiss on A-Yuan's chubby cheek before he leaves. He gets a gummy smile as his reward, and he and Wei Wuxian laugh as he leaves the room.

Mo Xuanyu can't help but feel a little sad for A-Yuan. The first to arrive and the last to leave. His parents must be so busy. He hoped they get to spend time with him on the weekends at least, hopefully.

The classroom is always quiet this time in the evening, and Wei Wuxian fluffs A-Yuan's messy mop of hair before he stands up.

"Well, A-Yuan…shall we clean up before your baba gets here?"

It doesn't take long actually, and Wei Wuxian has only just finished putting the toys away and is about to start on the mess in the sink when A-Yuan's other dad arrives.

Lan Zhan always come by after his last class to pick them up. He usually has a line of tension across his forehead, the long day having finally gotten to him.

Wei Wuxian smooths it out with gentle kiss and a hug, and asks "Who annoyed my poor husband today? Should I go beat them up for you?"

Lan Zhan's stiff shoulders droop as he relaxes into Wei Wuxian's embrace, releasing an exhausted sigh.

"Su She," he mutters into Wei Wuxian's neck, lips pressed against the soft silk of his skin.

Wei Wuxian snorts, "Of course. I'll get him for you, baby. Make him wish he never thought about messing with you."

Wei Wuxian runs his fingers through Lan Zhan's hair, luxuriating in the moment, before their son pipes up, not one to be ignored for long.

"Ge!"

His dad share a private laugh. "One of these days you'll call for us properly, right little bunny?" Wei Wuxian says, lifting A-Yuan into the air and smiling at his sweet giggles. "Come on, try it. Ba-ba. A-Die. Ba-ba." He sounds the letters out and points to him and Lan Zhan in turn, so there can be no mistake.

A-Yuan just tilts his head in confusion and gives them a puzzled look. "Ge?"

Wei Wuxian heaves a weary sigh as Lan Zhan takes A-Yuan from him and cuddles him against his chest. "Well, at least I tried. I'll just finish up here, and then we can head home, mmkay?"

"Mn." Lan Wangji nods as A-Yuan burrows into his shoulder with a sleepy sigh. He presses a kiss against the soft baby hair that grows wild on A-Yuan's head, swinging them gently back and forth as Wei Ying putters about and straightens the rest of the room.

He always wants to make the room prefect for Lan Wangji when he comes in early tomorrow morning. It brings a small smile to Lan Wangji's face thinking of the level of consideration his husband gives him, even with their conflicting teaching styles.

After this, they'll head home and enjoy a nice simple meal, spend an hour with A-Yuan just the three of them, before bathtime and bed.

Then, Lan Wangji and Wei Ying will have their own time, just for them.

Tomorrow, it will all repeat.

Maybe it's not the most conventional lifestyle in the world, but there's little Lan Wangji can complain about when he gets to spend every day with his husband and son, doing what they love, together.

fin.

(threadfic here)

[yanderes-galore]

Craig from South Park romantic concept, please?????

Sure! Aged up as usual, this may take place after a break up with Tweek but it's left vague. Up to you! Hope you like it anyway.

Yandere! Craig Tucker Concept

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Stalking, Violence, Manipulation, Threats, Murder, Slight jealousy, Forced relationship.

Craig is someone who's hard to read.

He's stoic and apathetic, he rarely shows emotion unless it's something like anger.

He's also rarely smiling and often looks bored.

In fact he prefers to be left alone.

If he had an obsession it would be under the radar for a long time.

Craig wouldn't show it to anyone including his obsession.

Craig would be observing and slightly jealous at times.

It's really hard to get a yandere behavior for him as he isn't very emotional.

He's unpredictable which makes him a bit of a wild card to his darling.

Not even close friends really know what he's thinking in terms of you.

Craig would stalk but not really obsessively.

Some days he just wants to follow you.

If you ask about it he'll say it's a coincidence or tell you not to worry about it.

You'd think he hates you as he has such a blank and bored stare.

He also flips you off sometimes.

Craig does care for you, it's just in his own way.

Unpredictable yanderes can be dangerous.

They're either so insane they're unpredictable...

Or they are nearly unreadable in personality.

Craig happens to be the second one.

Although the obsession is there.

He keeps note on who's around you from a distance.

Craig is a skilled fighter and is sometimes violent when pushed.

If he didn't like someone around you then he'd plan a way to beat them up.

Only then do they know how obsessive he is of you.

Craig has a crush on you but not many know it.

Mostly because if they did then they run the risk of Craig finding out-

Craig feels he'll tell you when he wants to.

For now he's happy just watching you from a distance.

Although at some point he is going to show more hints.

Craig is around you a lot more when he feels ready to ease into his crush.

You even become part of Craig's gang (Clyde, Jimmy, Tolkien, and Tweek I think).

It's strange to join the group but Craig says you'll fit in.

It's really just a way to get you closer.

When he is eventually affectionate, it's minimal.

Quick hugs, a kiss, arm over the shoulder, he isn't really one for it.

Craig just likes your company when he eventually gets you to date.

It takes awhile for him to show you he loves you.

Although he continues to beat people up around you in private.

His gang actually begins to fear the rumors about him.

Even Tweek starts to fidget more than normal.

You have no idea how dangerous Craig can be and he's next to you all the time.

Even when you're dating he's still violent.

You can only hope someone doesn't set him off.

He doesn't have anger issues, in fact it's hard to tell.

You just have no idea when he decides he's jealous enough to bother.

Craig is the type of yandere that's dangerous when he wants to be.

He'd pick fights or even murder in private and there's enough rumors that people stay away.

Which is fine for him, it keeps people away from you.

He likes that.

Craig probably would not kidnap unless he needs to and he's only affectionate in small amounts.

If you tried to leave him, he'd threaten you.

Not like a threat full of anger or sadness...

But a threat so void of emotion it frightens you.

In the most deadpan voice ever, Craig could threaten to lock you in his house or hurt your family if you left.

Which leaves you silent, almost peeing yourself, while Craig goes off to do something else.

While Craig is unpredictable he'll watch his behavior if you keep your attention on him.

You don't really have a choice anyways with his threats... which he will definitely see through to the end.

[susandsnell]

@forthegothicheroine​ - the ask got deleted in a wild mishap, but here are the Which books I’d recommend to various Batman Villains! (thank you so much for this btw -- absolutely juicy question and I had a thrill imagining any scenario where I’d be in such a position as to be recommending them things! 

Harley Quinn - Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, naturally! Things not appearing what they seem, the plot twists, the self-reclamation, the romance, overcoming abuse - I think she’d really enjoy it! Conversely, I think Zola’s Thérèse Raquin would speak to her and maybe help her process some things regarding her bad patterns in criminal relationships. 

Poison Ivy - Gotta keep with the plants theme and give her The Weeds by Katy Simpson Smith, the tale of two women botanists from two different time periods whose entries framed around each type of plant and its uses explores a different theme/moment in their lives, usually relating to gendered violence and resilience to such. It’s even got a sapphic subplot, so really it’s made for her. Rumour has it that the Matt Reeves Batverse for her is planned to be inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Rappacini’s Daughter, which has me insanely excited -- so I’d throw that on the list as well. To switch gears from just the plants, I think that she’d really enjoy the sheer depth of devotion between women on display in My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix. 

Riddler - I feel like any mystery novel you give the guy is going to end in “I simply would have _____, RIP to [protagonist’s/antagonist’s name] But I, Edward Nygma/Nigma/Nashton Am Different”. Guy probably went into a full rage about how stupidly Franklin Clarke from The ABC Murders got caught after all the trouble he took with the puzzle-clues. after so I think I’d give him Walter Tevis’ The Queen’s Gambit since a lot of iterations show him having a fondness for chess (and the genuine skill in the writing), and Beth’s arc with difficult beginnings, addiction struggles, resilience and alienation would resonate with him if he ever would admit to it. I also think Gogol would suit him well; I see him enjoying the humour in short works like The Nose, but Dead Souls’ protagonist really suits him as a trickster conman who entertains the possibility of doing better.

Scarecrow - Oh, this is the big one. Hardest one on the list, because Crane’s probably the best-read on the list considering his original motive of wanting to heist money to fund getting books, and his Year One backstory working this into his horrific childhood probably cemented this, so odds are he’s read most of them already, especially the classics! But I did like the suggestion in your fic The Most Poetical Topic he hasn’t read Stephen King’s Carrie, since that’s the shoo-in. I do think he’d also get a kick out of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s works for modern gothics - Mexican Gothic and the use of the spores is up his alley in particular! Lindqvist‘s Let the Right One In with the cute little murder couple of vampire kids who absolutely obliterate bullies and find connection in being outsiders is probably his wish fulfilment jam, let’s be real. And because I’m me, I’d also insist on him reading The Moth Diaries by Rachel Klein because it’s essential reading imo and the psychological horror “is there a vampire or is it untreated grief and mental illness” plotline would tickle him. 

Two-Face - Handing him a copy of Phantom of the Opera is probably a great way to get him to flip the coin on whether he’s shooting you or drowning you, so I’d say I’d get Harvey some more legal-related literature. He’s probably a fan of Atticus Finch, so hand him a better John Grisham, a good Perry Mason tale, or Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities especially. And of course, Dumas’ Count of Monte Cristo. We’re counting on you, Harv!!! 

Penguin - Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind was all but made for Oswald, especially the more grotesque iterations. It practically feels like proto-Burton!Oswald, although most iterations could probably get a lot out of the themes of abandonment and difficulty, the grotesque, and the ebb and flow of affections and power depending on one’s usefulness. The protagonist is even named after an animal to signify unwantedness!! But privately, I think Oswald likes his cozy mysteries too. 

Mr. Freeze - The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery -- really, hear me out, because while the book is only directly about grief and a new lease on life at the end, there’s the grief throughout for a life not lived, and I think he’d enjoy its little quotidian charms and the way it speaks of finding appreciation while you’re here. Otherwise, I’d say Terry Pratchett’s Nation, which is one of the other most immensely powerful explorations of grief. It also involves quite a few scientists for his bias!! 

Mad Hatter - Lewis Carroll’s works are his bread and butter, but I’d be very curious to see his thoughts on The Screwtape Letters. Otherwise I think I’d have to hand him a copy of The Stepford Wives with a sticky-note foreword of: “THIS IS A CAUTIONARY TALE, NOT AN INSTRUCTION MANUAL”. 

[raviosrupees]

LINKED UNIVERSE ZOMBIESS

woooft hey friends, its been a while but LU never left my brain or my heart and i stumbled across a very interesting idea

Zombie Apocalypse AU for Linked Universe.

It could either be modern world or in their world, personally I like the modern world, it offers a lot of interesting tropes.

So minor CW for mention of hospitals, zombies, potential gore, guns and violence, all the stuff that comes with zombie apocalypses, ya know? :P

Hyrule I see being one of the ones closest to the outbreak when it happens, so he's been in survival mode for a while. He's eating anything edible he comes across. Old moldy fruit, dog kibble and water still in toilets are all on his menu. He never stays in any area for long, and often travels through the wilderness from town to town. Extremely skittish, doesn't trust anyone.

Wild woke up in a hospital after being in a coma for a while, and was just completely out of it, barely remembers a thing, and wakes up in a completely empty hospital. Since he basically had no real recovery period, he just goes absolutely feral from day one. Has secret worries he's actually a zombie.

Time works an office job, and has been beaten down with the stresses of modern life for a while now, and as soon as the outbreak happened he left work and headed to his nephews ranch out in Ordon. He feels a bit guilty for relishing in the freedom of it all, how he doesnt have to go to work everyday. Exhausted from trying to keep all these kids alive.

Twilight is out in the middle of nowhere, on his ranch, and wouldn't have even known there was an apocalypse until his uncle came over. Generally completely at peace with the whole thing, with some concern for loved ones, but passive. Until dem blasted zombers went for his goats. Adopts all the stray pets that no longer had homes and takes care of them. Has a full backup generator.

Sky seems like just a silly guy who bumbled his way to safety. Really good at helping the others open up and talk through their issues. When it comes to hand to hand combat though he takes the zombies down easily, and always comes through without a scratch. He's the guy that you'd think would be harmless but is actually a beast. Can tell when danger is coming by reading the signals wild birds give.

Four is an exhausted mechanic, the voice of reason, and is very excited to get to use their skills for more interesting things, ie. hotwiring cars, making bullets, and the creation and repair of other such weapons. Hard to keep track of, has a tendency to disappear and reappear like nothing happened.

Legend is a full on apocalypse prepper. There is nothing you can do to convince me otherwise. His uncle was also a knight/military man, so I think of Legend as a kind of begrudging army brat. He's got the full army bunker with floor to ceiling shelves of medicine, canned food, water bottles, and likely a lot of firearms. Legend strikes me as pretty trigger happy, he's also super paranoid and doesn't really want to share with anyone. Has to be coaxed out of his super secure storm cellar. More scared of losing anyone he tries to protect that anything. Give us more redneck conspiracy theorist comic relief legend.

Warriors is a former military man who lost his squadron in the outbreak and now will do anything to keep his new family alive. He joined military school really young, and it kind of messed him up because it hadn't been what he wanted, so he's really protective of Wind. Always feels insanely bad about killing the zombies, because he still sees them as people.

Wind is a feral child, who said fuck middle school and all this, stole some knives and set off. He's hell bent on finding his sister who ended up at one of the refugee camps. Really good at swiping stuff off other people. Doesn't trust anyone besides War. Helps Legend makes maps of the areas around them, devises neat traps to kill zombies. Surprisingly cold blooded when fighting.

BONUS: They find Ravio after they found themselves in need of supplies and Legend is like, "I know a guy" and takes them to an outpost sort of place where Ravio has a little shop tent set up. Super sleazy, salesman chatting them up for a couple extra caps. Legend is really good at bargaining.

[raw-law]

My turn to be a tad bit late.. Missed me, gentlemen? I was a bit busy these past days.

Trust me, I certaintly don't mind handing out criticism if necessary in the past as well as in the future. Avoiding offense at all cost is something implemented in today's society so deeply that it really reinforces people pleaser nature and makes it so hard to find people big enough to go out of their way to understand someone else, especially someone they're not close with/they don't have to keep up harmony with. To limit out of false pride is embarrassing. However.. Being asked for it is certaintly rare. You two are something, you know? Yes.. Yes. Mhm. I understand Misa in a way, I do. The shadow of such a polite, well behaved individual must be intriguing. I must say, Light, for someone constantly performing, you're doing spectacular. Though I do admit I would like to see you slip up once in a while and reveal more of Kira, I think that'd be amusing for both me AND Ryuzaki. Keyword Ryuzaki.. keyword criticism.. Isn't it a shame, Light? Not only certain statements or your.. homoerotic poem, your entire joint blog indicates the significance of your friendship and yet your friend is new to indulging in the note of his brilliance? That doesn't sound coextensive. With analytical skills of your kind, there's no doubt you see him the way I am capable of seeing him. And others do.. No wonder he's seeking a lovely lady. Maybe you should make your friends feel a little more cherished, Light. Right, Ryuzaki? Unfortunately I can't serve with the adoration of a sweet lady, because I'm male. However as you may have noticed I'm well versed in capacity if you don't mind the masculinity.. ahem... Anyways.. Books. Words. Literature. I'm just fucking with you btw. Partly, that is. Light, those are exceptional choices. I only recently got into literature so I'm starting off with classics like Kafka, Wilde, Shakespeare etc. (though the latter is more poems which I do enjoy to read and analyze just as much) - So Light, you were quite helpful and I actually started reading Someone Who Will Love You In All Your Damaged Glory based on your recommendation because that spoke to me the most. I'm certainly liking it and I'll keep you updated. From what I have taken out of your poems, your writing style is similar to mine as well. That was a pleasant surprise. We also have the same mbti, at least based on your latest result. Anyway, Ryuzaki.. I can heavily relate. I'm an insanely fast reader and yet I'm pretty slow with reading, if that makes sense. I'm just very easily.. understimulated? I guess. English is not my native language, hahaha. So yes, scanning through word after word without being able to shift your attention comes heavy to me too. Some books and poems are absolutely worth it though. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is an adorable choice. Not everything has to be particularly sophisticated, I feel like when you live in your head a lot (which I do, because I'm never not analyzing and observing) - it is relieving to read/watch something that isn't mentally demanding because it has zero chances of overwhelming us. I have many interests and hobbies, and when I say many I sincerely mean it, so if I used full capacity of my brain power for every single one of them I would have none left for social interaction. I do have to thank you two for the motivation to start writing poems again, btw. I will send it your way if you're interested + if it's any good.. How did you two get into poetry?

Also.. Happy belated birthday to Ryuzaki. Please keep on being your twisted, charming self. I'm also honored to know you'd let me participate in an anon debate. Maybe not a good idea though. I don't like to be careful or sensitive with my opinions and debates. Are you some kind of sadist? You couldn't possibly want that.

-🩶

L:

honestly, yes. what can i say, i like reading other people's thoughts, and it's a little hard to not notice another's absence. hopefully your busy days aren't too stressful though, and i wish you luck in whatever you have going on.

i agree about that bit of avoiding offense though. i think the world needs more people who can disagree with each other without it being seen as a personal attack. or maybe that's just my bias for debate speaking. either way i do know we could also use more of kira in the world..... (i know what you are, light..)

i don't remember ever saying i was seeking a "lovely lady"... but i do swing both ways, if that's what you're asking.

glad to know i'm not the only with that weird reading issue... understimulated probably is the best way to describe it. i can also relate to that bit about never not analyzing. that probably explains why i lean towards more casual literature. i'm glad you've been able to take up poetry again. i'd be delighted to see what you write. "any good" or not, i'd still be very interested, so long as you're comfortable sharing, of course. as for why i got interested in poetry... well.. i watched Dead Poets Society, and anybody who has seen that film should be able to put the pieces together from then on.

and thank you for the wishes, hah. but yes, i am a sadist. that is exactly what i want. you'll have a chaotic translator interpreting for you anyways. however that could either ease or augment the tensions. either way, it works for my amusement. so please do consider joining anyhow. do it "for the vine", as they say. :)

Light:

Hey, first of all I'm so sorry that I took so long to answer, this ask has been sitting in our inbox for forever. I've been really busy these past few weeks, and I wanted to save it for when I could sit down and properly think about what I wanted to say.

I suppose that the world does, like you've said, need more people who are willing to criticise and more people who are willing to accept constructive feedback without taking it to be an attack on their personal self. We've become a very...fake society, in that way, rarely giving our honest opinions on anything---this place's become so complicated to live in. It's saddening.

Anyways, on to literature. You can probably tell that I do enjoy it quite a bit, I guess. And I'm glad you're enjoying our recommendations. As I've mentioned before, English isn't my native language as well, but it is a fun language to play around with, and I'm proficient enough in it to enjoy some literature in my free time. I'm a fast reader, and so far I'm on the lookout for new books to consume, so...feel free to recommend any of your favourites or what's on your current reading list. And if you'd like, you can also share some of your writings on this blog, I'm sure we'll like it very much!

Have a good day, Silver Heart Anon. Wishing you the best for whatever you'd like to accomplish.

[thenightisland]

tagged by the lovely @mellowthorn for a rote Q&A thingy under the cut bc it's long

Favourite RotE Book: assassin's quest and fool's fate are constantly vying for the number one slot and the answer changes day by day

Why: on aq days it's bc that's the book that took this series from "wow i really like this" to "oh i'm going to be obsessed with these for the rest of my life huh." it has, i think, the best ending. it has my favorite chapter (ch 20 jhaampe my beloved). parts of it hit very close to home. on ff days it's bc well ff is insane. no book has ever gotten the reaction out of me that that one did. i do not cry at books; it made me cry seven times. it has such excellent payoff for stuff that was set up in the earliest books (rh queen of playing the long game). most heartwrenchingly beautiful moments on earth just chapter after chapter of them.

Top Three Favourite Characters: i think i am one of the few people whose favorite character genuinely is fitz lol. beloved obv number two. after that the answer also changes every day but i'm very partial to web and kettricken.

Top Three Least Favourite Characters: this may be biased due to me being neck deep in ship of destiny at the moment, but 98% of the men in lst need to be set on fire

Favourite Ship (of the floating kind): paragon

Top Three Favourite Ships (of the people kind): (keeping our venn diagram overlap answers) Fitzloved, Burrich/Chivalry, Patience/Lacey

Would you rather be Witted or Skilled: skilled. it seems so handy with the healing and prolonging your life. and i get traumatized enough by animal death as it is without introducing the wit to that equation.

If you were Witted, what animal would you bond with?: some kind of bird

Would you rather live in the Outislands, the Mountain Kingdom, the Six Duchies, Bingtown, the Rain Wilds, Kelsingra, Jamaillia, the Pirate Isles, or Fool’s Homeland?: practicality says bingtown bc i like being relatively warm and by the ocean and not get fantasy radiation poisoning from where i live but...but kelsingra is so fucking neat

How were you introduced to the books? a friend of mine on here always posted about them and our tastes overlapped so much that despite the fact that at the time i said i didn't like fantasy and wouldn't read it, i figured if this friend of mine liked these books there must be a reason. i read the left hand of darkness bc she posted about it too and when i mentioned reading it to her she was like "lol yeah it's hard for me to separate it from fool's fate" so i thought "maybe it's time to read those books then"

Share a quote you love: somewhat abridged for length's sake, from RA, and was one of those bits i count as early warning sign of my impending obsession lol:

“ ‘Not all men are destined for greatness,’ I reminded him

‘Are you sure, Fitz? Are you sure? What good is a life lived as if it made no difference at all to the great life of the world? A sadder thing I cannot imagine. Why should not a mother say to herself, if I raise this child aright, if I love and care for her, she shall live a life that brings joy to those about her, and thus I have changed the world? Why should not the farmer that plants a seed say to his neighbor, this seed I plant today will feed someone, and that is how I change the world today?’

‘This is philosophy, Fool. I have never had time to study such things.’

‘No, Fitz, this is life. And no one has time not to think of such things. Each creature in the world should consider this thing, every moment of the heart’s beating. Otherwise, what is the point of arising each day?…You create possibilities….I have seen the end of the world, Fitz. Seen it woven as plainly as I’ve seen my birth. Oh, not in your lifetime, nor even mine. But shall we be happy, to say that we live in the dusk rather than the full night? Shall we rejoice that we shall only suffer, while your offspring will be the ones to know the torments of the damned? Shall this be why we do not act?’ ”

also and underrated one from FA:

“Oh, the things we discover and the things we learn, much too late. Worse are the secrets that are not secrets, the sorrows we live with but do not admit to one another.”

i have also thought about "every nuance of his grace as familiar to me as the drawing of breath" literally every day but that's a given if there's a sappy line you can be sure i am thinking about it nonstop without a moment's peace

[okamirayne]

*a wild friend just phases into existence before you*

SO! 14 chapters into this masterpiece - I was surprised at my reading speed but then I remembered I once read 14 books in 7 days so I'm actually dallying right now - and can I just say I love how you connected the different groups into the same coherent narrative

Like, how you go from the kids to Kakashi and Genma to Ibiki and so on, it's very dynamic. I hate switching povs usually cuz they tend to slow shit down but you manage to keep everything feeling smooth and fluent. Quite the feat

Also, I adore the dynamic between Neji and Tenten. She deserves so much more than canon gave her and I get the vague feeling you agree xD

I'm also still very intrigued with how you write DID. Media portrayal tends to be very monotone if not malicious, you go for a very nuanced and appropriately unsettling portrayal that feels very respectful. Like, yeah it's terrifying, not because it immediately makes someone do evil shit (Criminal Minds!) but because changes in the mental landscape of a person are really fucking scary.

I'd also like to say you deserve a reward for managing the fucking 180 in the ShikaNeji dynamic compared to BtB without making it redundant. Lots of writers fall into the same patterns over and over until it becomes stale, you absolutely do not belong in that group

Uuuuuum, yeah that's it for now. I won't talk about That Man because I don't want to think about him *sniffs disdainfully* what a turd

So back to it I hop!

*the wild friend just drops onto the floor and keeps reading*

Dammit, Wild Friend...you're getting my Dastardly Twins emotional...

I'm so damned chuffed by this amazing feedback you're generously taking the time out to leave me...Thank You.

Also, I adore the dynamic between Neji and Tenten. She deserves so much more than canon gave her and I get the vague feeling you agree xD

Oh absolutely. I'd have loved to explore her more. I know Kishimoto's focus was predominantly on the male characters (understandably, I suppose, given the genre), which is why the women are interesting to flesh out. Especially secondary characters. I mean don't get me wrong, a deep-dive into Sakura would also be interesting. I touched on it a bit in HHU, but it's too easy to go down character rabbit holes. Must. Contain. Myself.

I'm also still very intrigued with how you write DID.

Thank you, Wild Friend. I hope it was respectfully written within the bounds of creative licence and storytelling. I had to do my homework surrounding this condition for an OC. No research is wasted.

I'd also like to say you deserve a reward for managing the fucking 180 in the ShikaNeji dynamic compared to BtB without making it redundant. Lots of writers fall into the same patterns over and over until it becomes stale, you absolutely do not belong in that group

I'm super happy you think so, Luv. Fortunately their own personal arcs help a lot with that...until of course....THE UNSPEAKABLE CANON HAPPENING...

[ohraicodoll]

Thank you so much for Red. It’s crazy how much I relate to her. We don’t live in a post apocalyptic world but we all live in our own worlds and sometimes it can feel like us vs them which Red helps me to navigate. She has helped me to feel less ashamed about the way my brain has turned out.

She’s so cathartic and has shown me that even when someone is as rough and ready, or completely rejecting of anything good that comes their way because they ‘don’t deserve it’ or that they will wreck it that some people could them her regardless. If that makes sense.

I especially love the new Tommy x Red friend post that just made me feel so fucking validated again! The way that Red has unusual ways of showing her love/gratitude and the people in her life just try to understand it until they do with no questioning!? To be loved in a way that is so accommodating and significant blows my mind. I know you’re writing fiction but sometimes discovering that this very specific thing is addressed and taken care of by another human being in the world is insane and has given me a bit of hope for my future.

It’s so soothing and Cathartic to read your work . I spent some of my childhood in survival mode and it never truly leaves you. You’ve written it so realistically I am in amazement with every piece of the puzzle you post.

I wish I had an ounce of your talent so that I could explain my love and gratitude for you in a way that was comprehensible. I’m sorry, I just had to say something now though, I’ve been having a weird couple of days and your writing is one of my only forms of escapism.

I am so interested in what inspired you to create such a specifically complex female character like her. I consume a lot of media, have read and literally studied the new era of woman (still hard to give them a specific name) and no character has ever come close to Red. Your talent blows my mind.

Thank you Sam.

Oh goodness, did you make me cry ❤❤

I'm so glad you feel seen and feel a bit of representation and catharsis with her. That's just all I can hope is that you all love the characters I create and the stories as much as I do. You've all kept me motivated and inspired to write her (especially as fast as I have haha).

The idea about Red came because I kinda got tired of only finding pure smut or timid characters in the TLOU fic tag. I love both but Tess was not timid and was more the dominant in the relationship. And I fully get that Joel radiates "I'll take care of you" dom energy but at this point in the apocalypse I doubt there would be many people left that didn't have some aggression in them or that need taking care of. I love character analysis too much to do the same type of character.

I've always been drawn to rage characters. I wrote a whole book series when I was a teen centered around one. And I think I wanted to go back to that since my character in my Sandman series is the opposite. Dahlia is an exploration of trauma responses, especially around acts of anger because that's what I experience. But I started writing with action and violence and someone who is angry all the time and motivated by rage and I wanted to go back to it because writing a character that lacks the moral responses to killing is fascinating. So often we get characters that regret or are remorseful around killing and I don't think that's Joel.

So it was a combo of just writing someone who doesn't regret her violence, doesn't regret killing, and has been alone in the wild for a long time focused only on surviving that they never thought they'd get more. Someone who is accepted for their violence and rage. And that's Red. She is a bunch of fractured pieces held together with string with no coping skills and Joel and Ellie love her either way.

There's the her before the Outbreak, the her that was broken by her sister (who she sees in Ellie), there's the her that was with her group, the her after being alone for years and years, and then the her with Joel and Ellie. Joel never shies away from her and may actually be drawn to her more because of it since there's a piece of that in him. This story is about being seen and accepting your ugliness.

I think being able to jump all over her timeline and continuously build her has been so wonderful and fun. Requests and prompts have been great in building her (though I do change some to make sure they fit the world and who she is). I fully acknowledge she's not a reader but an OC but I cannot write a character who is a blank slate because your past and history dictate your personality and actions (and tbh, most Readers are actually OC's without names or descriptions. I'm old, the x Reader/You thing is new but also just a relabeling of OC's)

I don't know how other writers write, but these characters fully inhabit me when I focus on them. It's why it's hard to switch between stories and characters at time because I can only see through their eyes. I feel their natural body movements, their conversations flow in my head and usually I have to race to write them down somewhere for later. Red is very much a part of me and it's been a joy to explore her and bring her to you all.

So much love and thankfulness to you all ❤❤

[livingfictionsystem]

5/10. Spoilers below.

[SPOILERS]

Ever get burned by your toxic queer crush so bad that you assimilate to a tentacle-wielding hivemind? We've all been there, haven't we?

So, first, compliments. The reason this book is at a 2.5 and not a 2 is because it has some legitimately beautiful passages. Its descriptions of emotions in metaphors and similes almost made me a bit jealous. Bianca was also an interesting character. I found myself more tuned in whenever she was on the page, just because I knew she was going to insist upon some unhinged rubbish. She was a sharp contrast to the protagonists, which were unfortunately dull by comparison. Or maybe just dull without the comparison.

The Gelet society was actually intriguing, I'll give you that. No idea why it was immediately decided to be a perfect utopia that was so much better than humans, but I did like how the collective memory and everything worked.

The follies: One of the draws is that this is supposed to be a planet that doesn't rotate, so that half of it is in ice, and the other half is broiled to death by sunlight. I was wondering how that would factor into the plot. Answer: It kind of doesn't. If I hadn't read the back of the summary, I would have forgotten that incredibly notable aspect of the world entirely.

Xiosphant is supposed to be this insanely oppressive regime but other than insisting on routine, it never gets into what manner of flawed stance it forces onto its citizens. It's vaguely described instead of shown. Similar with Argelo, actually. It's supposed to be lawless and carefree but you never really see that. They may as well have had the characters just stop in a shared tavern on the road and not even make it---nothing really hinged on them Having to be in Argelo, despite taking an entire half the book to make it there and change the setting. The narration told us *everything* about the different languages, the sorts of foods in each place, the separate mannerisms---Even though none of this actually factored into the plot. The book left me a near expert on the grammar rules of Xiosphant, but told me next to nothing about why there's a revolution that needs to happen.

The pacing. Gods, the pacing. The first quarter or so was paced rationally, then they spend forever and a half in Argelo, just having conversations that could have just been exposition. Reading became a chore for this book. I was beginning to dread it. Everything happened at the pace of a snail. Then when it actually got interesting, it raced towards the ending quick enough to give one whiplash. A revolt they talk about during the ENTIRE story happens OFF-PAGE. Excuse me???

Like I mentioned, the main characters are really just... bad. You have Sophie, whose main personality traits are Passive and Pining, and somehow she's going to end up the saviour of the world. All while having the survival skills of a particularly inept dodo. You have Mouth, who has the inner processing time of a Windows 7 computer and makes you sit there for the duration. And for someone described as being so gruff and wild, she just kind of shrugs at just about everything going on after getting to Argelo. Alyssa is literally there so that Mouth has dialogue when Sophie's not in the scene. She's supposed to be Mouth's best friend, but literally can't maintain a cohesive personality long enough to be her own person. Bianca, as I mentioned, was interesting, but it was just fascinating the way that she was more or less considered radical, pushy, and annoying starting a revolution on behalf of the dying planet. She was, yes, intolerable, but it was odd the way she was talking about liberation and the rest of the cast essentially responded with, 'Idk let's play another game.' What? But how she slowly grew to become unhinged and awful was a cool slow burn. But I do mean Slow.

WHY did they call alien creatures the names of animals that already existed? If they have tentacles and live in ice, why call them 'Crocodiles'??? And there was a strange predatory animal called 'Bison' that eat half the cast. You already named a city XIOSPHANT, for heaven's sake, just make up a new name!

Maybe if I were more of a fan of sci-fi, I would have appreciated this better. I initially read this for the queer aspect and all it is is an unrequited, unhealthy crush.

I was relieved to get to the end of it.

-Xanthe 🪶

[ur-friendly-nbhd-cardassian]

🛒🎶🦅 for the writer asks :)

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

Angst :). I'm impossible, I just can't let my characters enjoy life. Things just don't make sense to me without it. And I need things to make sense, otherwise I can't write them. I often brainstorm for long hours before I write a particularly difficult scene, just to figure out what makes sense. And it's usually angsty, because that's life for ya.

I tend to put stuff from my own life in them, too, things I'm trying to process. Writing lets me explore them safely, figure out what to do irl. That includes uneasy parenthood, narcissistic partners and friends, inability to fit anywhere and so on. Recently, though, I try to use it consciously to increase my irl satisfaction by writing how I would like my life to go. Mainly the relationships, romantic and otherwise. Instead of having fun writing about assholes (Dukat, Gortash), I try to help my OCs grow and stop being drawn to such figures and instead appreciate a good guy in their life (Damar, Halsin). I feel like it works, because in the past any project that started with an asshole didn't get far - probably part of my "must-make-sense" approach, because deep down I knew the people I made my OCs into wouldn't be happy with those guys.

Despite being bi, I can't help but write hetero pairings. I want to break this habit at some point, but the thing is I'm not sure if I have the necessary... knowledge xD. It's all very fresh to me (and kinda scary). Everything in due time, I guess :).

🎶 Do you listen to music while you write? What song have you been playing on loop lately?

I love listening to music while writing, it sets the mood. I tend to create new playlists for each project now, as I've realized how tied to the music the story becomes - and how easy it is to get back into that groove whenever I listen to that specific list. I pick a song or two and let Spotify help me find new music to write to, so I can have a completely fresh feeling :)

My most recent Spotify list for writing the sequel to my DS9 novel 'The Casualty' is here (playing on a loop right now, lol):

(Just to be perfectly clear, being on this site, if there is anything at all un-kosher with the songs or the artists, I have no idea and very little interest, I need the music and that's that.)

🦅 Do you outline fics or fly by the seat of your pants?

I always thought I was best in chaos and uncertainty, unrestricted, but I hardly ever finished a story. Ever since I wrote TC - which I outlined at least partially (outlined and re-outlined as my direction changed) and collected an insane amount of notes for - and actually finished it, I realized you need both to actually complete a quality project :D.

You engage your creativity while pantsing, coming up with wild stuff that makes the story worth reading, and you utilize your logical skills when you outline, so you know what you're doing, where you're going - if you happen to get lost during pantsing, you can easily find the lost thread thanks to your outline. So now I try to outline what's needed and pant the rest.

I still often get caught in the editing circle, though, where I come back to a story after a while, re-read it and edit it (and get excited about it), but by the time I get to the end of what I have, I lose all will to write xD. My AO3 has a few things I still struggle to finish and probably shouldn't have published them - but hey, even unfinished things have their value.

Thanks, anon, that was very sweet of you <3 I had fun answering these questions. I have so much to say about my writing it's kinda choking me when I can't xD - but I never quite know how to just spill that stuff into the void... so, thanks again <3

Asks based on » https://www.tumblr.com/ur-friendly-nbhd-cardassian/754236014551252992?source=share

[sociallyawkward--fics]

hi xy time for what is becoming my annual checkin! how are u! i feel like since its been abt a year i have to infodump abt all my character development hold on i'll speedrun it. my pronouns r it/its zhey/zhem or (less preferred) they/them. and i have settled on those. it/its is the only one thats ever given me gender euphoria, took 4 years but i got there. ummm realized i have autism (undiagnosed). love the stimming and the being insane abt fictional characters the rest isnt that great. got anxiety meds!!!!! oh my god xy!!!! life is so good now antidepressants r a girls best friend. also. hold on ur never gonna believe this. i have adhd meds now. the crowd goes wild. was like yea doc idk i just think the anxiety meds r not improving my ability to focus what was that u said abt adhd^__^ n she was like hmmmm ok i cant diagnose u but i can give u this adderall u dont need a diagnosis for n if its like glory hallelujah we'll just assume u have it and GLORY HALLELUJAH. ive cleaned my room like more times in the past few months than i have my entire life im WINNING. i cant rly feel if its working but i'll sit down to write or smth n i wont get distracted every 5 seconds n the mental block that keeps me from doing things is gone!!!!! life changing stuff just wish i had it before my grades fuckin woooo splat. um my gpa is 2.2 weighted im like. ok well now that i have adhd meds im working on it -H (i feel like. ok i think tumblr made it so ur asks can be longer but fuck all those liberals n their woke agenda (joke) i am all abt tradition babey i'll be back for a pt 2 rq)

ummm rly into books love books. "thats old news h everyone knows that" but like im being wonderfully unnormal abt them<3 there was this one series the ascendance trilogy n i was fucking OBSESSED w it when i was younger n i learned there was a 4th n 5th book recently so like. the trilogy thing was a fuckin lie. but i obviously had to reread the series so i could read the new books n im still so obsessed w the series its so banger for a middlegrade series. got so unnormal abt it i made a 7hr playlist for the main character bc everyone elses sucked so much ass i just had to. still in the process of rereading but yeah. also theres this OTHER series the raven cycle i read recently n im also obsessed w that these series r all like my ideal books they hit all my favorite tropes. yeah just being rly unnormal abt books thats my current obsession. also. drawing. im so good at it u wouldnt believe. next fuckin van gogh right here. n honestly i dont even care abt going off anon it just bothers me bc my ROUTINE. the TRADITION. its just not the same. but i'll go off it just for u to show u some of my banger art. at a stage where im pretty frustrated at my limitations but that doesnt mean i cant recognize that im fucking awesome ok hold on again -H but yea ok to finish up what have u been up to! tempted to just ask what shows/game/etc uve been into but also i am exerting a little of my brain power to realize some ppls lives dont revolve around those. so just liek what have u been spending a lot of time doing. how is writing going! wait what r ur drawing skills just out of curiosity draw smth for me (if ur comfy ofc n dw i completely understand if it fuckin sucks taht was me just over a year ago) -H (when i was younger i used to think that ppl couldnt be good at writing n drawing they had to choose one. exerted my baby brain power to be like. it takes too long to get good at them u can only do one. then saw a book w the cover art credited to the author n i was like woahhh this is fuckin crazy living my younger selfs pipe dream)

----------

The way I have had a reminder on my phone to answer these asks for MONTHS but my executive function has been GARBAGE i am so sorry my friend it was not intentional to leave this sitting for so long i am so sorry!!! (also between the two of us this got Long so i am putting a read more so i don't take up a big block of people's dash in my return from the dead lol)

thank you for pronouns update! congrats on meds!! i gotta get me some of those so i can Detroit: Become Functional lol. I am rooting for you with your GPA!!! Also lol, love that we are following tradition of multiple asks still even with the tumblr updates letting asks be way longer now lol, it is just Familiar To Us

I will have to look into the ascendance trilogy!! My sibling is also obsessed with the raven cycle, but i have not read it yet (still debating if i want to or not, have been for YEARS lol, because i keep hearing "author problematic" and then never remember Why because i have Goldfish Memory). I will not post your off-anon ask with the artwork unless you want me to (want you to feel comfy on the blog and sending asks and I know you prefer anon!), but i will say that your art is AWESOME, my friend!! you are SO good and you're only going to keep getting better! I am glad you enjoy it!

Also bestie. This is a neurodivergent space lol, my life also revolves around shows/games/books/etc. they are the only thing that make the monotony of life and job-having under a neurotypical capitalistic society bearable lol. I actually have been getting back into reading ACTUAL BOOKS lately which feels GREAT (because reading Actual Books when i am so tired and Non-Functioning all the time is Hard lol), i am finally going through my seemingly-endless TBR and also have reread some old faves this year. Games-wise, the only thing i ever think about is still the Dragon Age games, Alistair is the love and light of my life lol. Show-wise.... i am in Limbo because of the Exhaustion, tragically, and also just waiting on new seasons (OFMD). Witcher has a new season out, but i have not watched it yet because Energy and also i have no motivation to because the last season they put out was so bad (even if i hear this one is good, i have lost trust lol)

Writing is. Not quite going lol. I have not finished a fanfic in ages, and also have made little to no progress on any of my original work attempts either, tragically. Hopefully things look up for me soon cuz I wanna get stuff DONE again lol, this blog has become so quiet and near obsolete because i cannot FINISH anything and it is TRAGIC.

Also, I have little-to-no drawing skills, but I also unfortunately do not have much energy to apply to drawing you a picture atm :(( maybe someday. Sometimes I can draw something that makes me go "omg i am not Awful, maybe I could actually put thoughts and energy into learning this as a skill" and other times it is like "i will never put pencil to paper (or stylus to screen) ever again" lol. Maybe someday when i am doing Better again i will hopefully have the energy to draw you something!!

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (06/05/23)

Reviews and thoughts under the cut

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (9/10)

This book has been hyped up to the moon and back, so I was a little nervous going in, but I really enjoyed it! This book was packed to the brim with action, and I loved the romance. It is fundamentally a fantasy romance with the romance taking precedence over logic occasionally, but it was just so enjoyable to read. There's always something going on, I absolutely loved the worldbuilding, and the dragons, both their magic and personalities, were engaging and likable. Also, Yarros does a great job foreshadowing twists without over-compensating, which is an issue I run into frequently. I refrained from giving this book a 10/10 for two reasons. First, it is pretty cliche, and second, while I liked Violet and her skills, her personality is kind of cookie-cutter for NA romantasy protagonists.

Blood Bonds by J. Bree (8/10)

I pushed through this one last night so I could include it in the post. I will say that I hit a block with this one. It starts out with a ton of action and then it just kind of stalls in the middle. Oleander expresses frustration about being protected and doing nothing, and I was right there with her. Honestly, a lot of the action is starting to feel recycled in this book; the Resistance has like one plan of attack. The huge upside is Oleander's bonds. We're finally getting to properly know them, and North in particular has a miraculous redemption arc. As of right now, my favorites of them are Gryphon and Atlas. The reason this book is an 8 instead of a 7 is an absolutely crazy, jaw-dropping, insane plot twist at the end.

Into the Wild by Erin Hunter (8/10)

I am rereading the Warriors series with some of my friends, so this is the beginning of a hefty endeavor, especially considering how much more has been published since I last read it. While I remember some crazy stuff from this series, the first book is pretty standard. Honestly, you could probably transplant this plot into a high fantasy and nothing would be amiss. I do appreciate that even with a name like ShadowClan and their constant antagonism towards ThunderClan, the Erins did not decide to just straight make an entire Clan evil and instead create a corrupt ruler instead. As someone who has read the books before and is now like twice the target age, everything's very predictable, but I can definitely see some twists taking a fourth grader by surprise.

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger (9/10)

Another reread, I'm starting from the beginning of KotLC because I don't remember much. I find the plot to this book super engaging, especially for middle grade, and it does a great job setting up a conflict that will last for over nine installments. The pacing is great, keeping the major reveals for later without stalling in the middle, and there's a ton of fun worldbuilding. Sophie is, obviously, ridiculously overpowered, but that presents a ton of obstacles by itself, and I find it incredibly interesting that she has to deal with her own existence not fully being her own, a complex concept for middle grade. I will say that, while not unexpected, the weird focus on romance was a little grating at times. Connected to that, I'm sorry, but I just don't like Dex. I can tolerate him, but I think the breaking point is when Sophie tells him some really devastating news for her and he just focuses on what it means for him.

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Vol. 1 by Sing Shong (CR, 83%)

I've finally started reading ORV again! I hit a wall a couple of months back, but I've got the motivation again. I feel like taking this book at face value kind of leaves a lot of questions; it seems like a ton of plot development and worldbuilding with little if any attention to character. However, Kim Dokja is a very unreliable narrator in my opinion, and what he chooses to focus on is very telling. The conflict between his separation from the other characters, which is one of his main skills, and the natural human connection that blooms from these sorts of situations is so interesting. Also, I think I'm at a place where everything starts to pick up a little.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White (CR, 13%)

I just got an ARC of this one, and it's very good so far. Silas is a very interesting main character, and his reactions to be forced to suppress natural parts of himself, specifically his autism and gender, are visceral. While I'm a little squeamish, the medical content is well-written, and so far I'm picking up on some very complex family relationships. I'm looking forward to continuing!

Fire and Ice by Erin Hunter (CR, 2%)

Second book in the Warriors series, and I've barely started. I'll likely end up finishing it later this week!

[pretty-boys-book-club]

Just sending a lil random message because I was thinking about you recently (we haven't spoken in a bit) and I wanted to talk to you but these days? Every day is Head Empty day so ??

Anyways, I was trying to sleep some time last week and I was thinking abt the Movie 'Walk the Line' (very sad, wouldn't recommend it, personally), and when Reese Witherspoon's character (June Carter) said 'I got the laryngitis'. Then I was thinking about the word laryngitis and like, what's the etymology of a word like that? How many other words have 'lary' in them (and have related meanings). Like how in 'irrelevent' it's from relevant (it's French) which is like 'depending upon/helpful', which is from relevantem/relevens which is from the stem of Latin relevare which is to lessen/lighten, hence 'to help; assist; comfort, console', and how that is a little similar maybe to the word relieve and isn't that just wild how language has come about and I think of words as cousins?

Anyways I couldn't sleep for fucken hours and I was thinking things like this which may sound smart, but frequently I have to google 'how many 0s are in a million?' because my brain is stupid

Anyways (part three), I hope you're having a great time, or at least a good time, and you don't stub your toes on anything for at least a good while

OK, I ABSOLUTELY loved this message?

Whoever it was, I hope you know how comforting it is to know that, somewhere, some person was thinking about me and wanted to share an idea they had with me, this is so adorable

I love to think of words as cousins, and I love that illustration linguists use that shows all the world languages as one big tree, connected between them. it's insane to think that we, as humans, have this skill to learn new languages and change and adapt our worldview around them. like, i come from a bilingual household and i find it so crazy how sometimes i don't even notice when i switch languages bc i'm too focused on the emotion i'm trying to convey. and the fact that we as a species keep reading and repeating words from ages ago because we feel like they are saying something that is equally important to us as it was to the people who spoke them first it just sfghjkgfdfghjkjh it warms my heart and makes me feel so connected to the human experience, it's so weird

also, friend, you're not alone on staying up for hours thinking about things, but usually, when i've been lying on my bed for over an hour and can't sleep i just end up reading wikipedia articles at 2am. and then it's down the rabbithole, y'know? i start with something like searching a book i'm reading and end up on an entry about the religious habits of the Iberic peninsula before the common era and thats on being an anxious person with a really active brain. it frustrates me a bit because i could be spending the same time reading a book (the same one i was searching for, in fact) but instead i'll be reading a list of historical events in 1822, right?

I haven't stubbed your toes on anything for the longest time, but funnily enough, i've had this annoying cough (i tested and it's not the virus) so i think it could be, indeed, laryngitis.

may we wish for more good times

[weirdoldmanhoho]

I was gonna say, give me a list of ways Al completely outclasses Ed, but that might never end... howabout some thoughts on how the Resembool kids would spend their days? What kind of Calvin & Hobbs shenanigans did they get up to? How much did all the other kids fear/hate them. etc.

jafkldjafljdlsa you know me too well

(Look, I do love Ed a lot, I just feel like Al gets overlooked in some ways with Ed as the main character, so I just feel the need to sing his praises lol)

Oh my gosh, pure unadulterated insanity is what they got up to.

You have three incredibly brilliant child prodigies living in a very small town that likely has one school and a handful of teachers if not just one . They were probably SO BORED in class. Actually, we KNOW they didn't pay attention in class because that's actually canon lol. Ed and Al spent all their time reading alchemy books under the table and Winry literally slept through classes because she'd stayed up all night dismantling her radio to see how it worked or helping Pinako in the shop. They were so far ahead of the material being taught and so under-stimulated I bet they were absolutely terrible to teach. The only reason they didn't start skipping school completely is because none of them wanted to disappoint their parental guardians.

And then the chaos they got up to OUT of class - oh boy. The combination of skilled but not quite polished alchemy and engineering genius sounds like a wild combination.

How many weird things did they try to create? Ed reads one sci-fi book about robots and that's the whole afternoon right there. It never does start working, but it does manage to absolutely terrorize the neighbor's cat.

One time there's a new house being built and there's all this leftover scrap material and the three of them decide to build their own house because honestly, how hard can it be, right?? They construct a full fort and while it's not the prettiest thing ever, it does stand upright and attracts basically every other kid in the neighborhood to come play mock battles and sieges in it until one concerned parent demands Trisha make them tear it down before someone gets hurt. Every kid in Resembool mourns Fort Elricbell. Or Fort Rainbow. Or Fort Dragon. No one could agree on a name.

(And I know young Winry is depicted as being scared of alchemy, but I have to imagine that she got used to it growing up next to them. It became normal, and then it became a tool for shenanigans, and then it didn't become scary again until, well, you know. Afterwards.)

You know Winry tries to take apart like every piece of machinery in her house. Pinako is a terrible influence on this habit, because she completely understands the obsession, and she wants to encourage Winry to figure out how things work on her own. The only rule is that she has to figure out how to put it back together when she does.

Hohenheim is also, surprisingly, a big encourager of this because he loves encouraging learning and he's just so proud to see his best friend's granddaughter take after her.

Winry has one really faded memory she barely remembers of Ed and Al's kind of scary dad approaching her when she was over for dinner one night and telling her her grandma had said she's really interested in machines, then revealing a tiny wind-up automaton he found at the same kind of place he went shopping for vintage armor. (Winry still has it. It's been buried in a drawer in her room ever since Ed and Al's weird dad left and they got sad about it.)

They went on SO MANY adventures. They were certain that they were going to trek to the capitol once, packed bags full of snacks and chalk and clothes, and set off in the general direction and when it got dark, Trisha and Yuriy gathered them up and helped them set up a tent in the Rockbell's backyard, promising they could start up their journey to the capitol as soon as the sun was up. Ed tried to tell ghost stories and scare Winry, but he and Al both ended up being too scared to spend the entire night outside, and in the morning Winry smugly told them she won.

I think the other kids of Resembool maybe thought they were a little odd, but also loved them, because if you hung out with the Elrics and Winry for the day, YOU KNEW you were going to have the most fun and most crazy day of shenanigans ever. Al would go up to a group of kids at recess and be like hey, after school we're gonna try to dig a tunnel all the way to Aerugo because Winry told me it isn't possible, but Ed and I think that if you made sure to reinforce the structure of the walls so it doesn't collapse, and had enough people to dig, you absolutely could, so we're gonna prove her wrong, wanna help? Everyone would be like hell YES we do that sounds amazing. And then Trisha would have 15 kids in her backyard trying to dig a tunnel with Alphonse standing over them ordering them all around in a nicely organized system while Ed tries to figure out what the right alchemical circle would be for this situation and Winry tells them loudly several times that it wasn't going to work.

They were crazy smart kids with too much curiosity for their own good who grew up in a small country town where they could run free and if they did anything REALLY wild, Ms. Hart down the road would definitely let Trisha know, they got up to SO MUCH insanity.

(And when things go weird, the rest of the kids in town think, huh, it would be the Elrics, wouldn't it?)

Fantastic ask, thank you!! I loved thinking about this!! Also the association of young Resembool trio and Calvin & Hobbes is perfect.