#i don't really know and i'm a very has to write in chronological order writer when doing these things

[the-one-who-lambs]

uhh hello!! sorry if this is a tall order LOL but I wanna ask, do you have any narilamb fanfic recs? :D I already read yours and I really like bamsara’s and I’m waiting for epicaandk’s to update (that one is my fav ever <3) but idk what to read now lol

Tall order?? Naaaaah, I'm always happy to give recs. Oh boy, I'm gonna go in reverse chronological order.

If you've read all of my narilamb fics (have you seriously? I'm impressed, that's probably well over half the 150k+ I've written for this damn fandom. Also, to anyone seeing this from a reblog, my stuff is over at onethirdofimpossible!) then here we go!

You already mentioned it, but The Rehabilitation of Death is excellent so far! This one is by @bamsara who is new to the CotL fandom but apparently not new to fanfic writing; they have a really popular FNAF fic and I assume the well-deserved attention this fic's been getting is a byproduct of the popularity they've already gotten in other fandoms. :D Welcome, bamsara! Many of the fic writers in this fandom are friends with each other already, but we don't bite if you wanna say hi.

Feel No Evil and Language Barrier, both by @payasita. I always love how payasita portrays this duo (in both digital art and writing), with so much sass and repressed loneliness, knowing they're stuck together for eternity and making the best of it. (And maybe falling in love, depending on how dense Narinder keeps being.) What makes these come alive for me is how well thought out the setting is outside the Lamb and Narinder. The descriptions and weight of emotions really pop here.

LITERALLY ANYTHING written by pavi / @i-eat-deodorant. Depending on how spicy you want your fics to be he has even more here. Character analysis, diction, pacing, etc. are consistently 10/10. Top-quality banter between a sassy Lamb and tired old man Narinder. We constantly bounce ideas off each other and inspire each other a lot but I promise I'm not hyping him up just because he's my friend oh my god please just go bless your eyes.

It Was For You, O Death by blueberry-muffin-massacre (if they have a tumblr, let me know so I can tag!). An intriguing alternative ending to the final battle wherein the Lamb chooses a secret third option by refusing to give up the Red Crown and still observing Narinder as the God of Death. So many details are so well thought out and duality their relationship is nicely characterized-- both genuine care for each other and also quite unhealthy. A fine line treaded well!

Confessional by jusmove (again, lmk if they have a tumblr). Been a while since I've read it, but I love how the Lamb chips at Narinder's very carefully built emotional walls. Their personalities are very well fleshed out here, especially Narinder's cognitive dissonance at being able to process love.

Confession by @thewitchoftheweed. I didn't expect a part two to this one, but my god I was so thrilled when it did update. Narinder and Lamb with their unique and parallel loneliness and their fucked-up sense of everything. Their relationship is very rocky here, and I love how they navigate it: with tension and eventual, pained acceptance. Mind the rating.

Of Character Development and Being Dense by @calliecature. A short and sweet narilamb classic. They're both mutually pining and one of them is too emotionally repressed to realize it. Guess who.

Not An Offering, But a Gift by @checkplzjuliet. Small confession fic. I especially love how Narinder's descriptions twist the knife of his situation here, and how Lambert is a total foil for him! There are a lot of good things happening in such a short span, which is impressive.

Also, if you think you've read all my narilamb fics... I do have a secret one out there too. Just so you know.

Happy reading!

I'm already friends with many of the people here, but if any of the writers I've tagged have been kinda wanting to reach out for a while but feel a little anxious... Don't be. I've made my best friends in this fandom by literally just waiting for some of my readers to get over whatever assumption they have that I'm cool and say hi. Or being the more confident one first.

[spaceorphan18]

The Rogue and Gambit Project : The Muir Island Saga

The first time we see Rogue and Gambit on the same page together is the cover of Uncanny X-Men #275 - which was one of those VERY SPECIAL ISSUES that put everyone on the cover. No, this is not a part of the Muir Island Saga -- but belongs to the previous arcs (Savage Land and Space Shenanigans). Still, it's pretty cool to see them on the cover together.

So, here's the thing about the Muir Island Saga - the next arc of the comics - despite dealing with the same adversary, and spending time with the same group of people, we never see Rogue and Gambit mix. In fact - (something I'll point out in detail in a minute) - it's almost comical how much they seem to be ships passing in the night. It's almost as if it's done purposely.

I know that years (and years and years and years) later - we'll get a retcon of their first meeting. And I really thought a lot about whether or not I should talk about that here... and, not to disappoint some of you, but I'm not going to (for now). Because I kind of want to tackle this project from a chronological point of view. To experience things as they were happening without the added layers of what we'll get next. And the retcon kind of, gets into a whole lot of issues I don't want to dig into yet. So, I promise, I'll talk about Kelly Thompson's Mini when we get there, we're just... a very long way off from that.

In the meantime, the thing about this arc that's so fascinating is trying to pinpoint how they could meet. And when. And why. And thing I keep coming back to is... comics don't make a whole lot of sense, y'all.

Let's dive in...

Uncanny X-Men #278

The whole premise of The Muir Island Saga is that the Shadow King wants to get out of the Astral Plane and kind of brainwashes the residents of Muir Island (including the X-Men) in order to do it. Don't ask me to make sense of it, I'm just the recapper!

The real purpose of the whole thing is to reshuffle the line, which had been in such flux up until this point. The X-Office was getting ready to launch the new Adjectiveless X-Men book, and Chris Claremont was getting ready to depart after 17 years of being the sole author of X-Men. Things were definitely changing and this saga finally gets all the pieces to where they need to be.

As an aside, I do find it fascinating that the beginning of Rogue and Gambit's relationship coincides with all of these changes. Not only is the decade changing, but X-Men's status quo is about to be really shaken up after being a relatively steady book for a very, very long time. It's just kind of neat that the endings and beginnings happening on an external level are also happening with our characters as well.

Uncanny X-Men #278

For some context, after the destruction of the mansion after the Inferno crossover, and after remaining X-Men all ended up going through the Siege Perilous after the Australian era, Muir Island, home of (brilliant scientist and ex-Xavier lover) Moira MacTaggart became the home of a new (and short lived) group of X-Men. I can only assume that's why Rogue returned here after her little side adventure in the Savage Land.

Though I should point out that Rogue has ZERO idea who is alive and who is dead other than the people who are already on the island. I kind of wonder what her future plans would have been if the other X-Men never showed up. Anyway... though, there really isn't any full explanation as to why Rogue went back to Muir Island other than they had no intention of writing her out of the book, and they needed all the X-Men to be in one place.

How does she feel about the events of the Savage Land? What really happened with her and Magneto? The answer is -- who cares, we're done with that plot now and moving on until another comic book writer decides to tug on that loose plot thread. :P

Uncanny X-Men #278

What is important to know that the Shadow King is mind controlling everyone. And... he does so with Rogue by making out with her after she's been in the shower? What??

Look, I'm not going to claim this stuff makes a whole lot of sense. But I can fanwank it a little...

The Shadow King's whole deal is that he's trying to corrupt everyone and bring them to their most evil (because, you know, that's what evil villains do). And with Rogue - he plays on her sense of touch. Back in the old days, Rogue used kissing as her primary way of stealing people's powers. And on top of that, one of her deepest rooted struggles (as of obvious statement isn't obvious) is the fact that she isn't able to have physical contact. So the Shadow King is tapping into both of those things, and, as the whole 'temptation' quote insinuates - him letting her give into her desires allows him to brainwash her.

Now, do I really believe she'd be enticed this easily? Can the Shadow King have that deep a hold on anyone? That is for you to decide, fair reader.

It's at least my interpretation. Honestly, I think there's a bigger part of me that wonders if they really just wanted to see Rogue making out with someone because because they can.

Meanwhile, on the opposite page, guess who is landing with the rest of the X-Men who just returning from space? That's right, everyone can relax. Gambit has arrived. ;) They're now in the same place... so if we can only get them to the same panel...

Uncanny X-Men #278

Alright guys, time to play the logistics game... these two panels are on opposite pages. Gambit, fresh off his plane, ends up running into Multiple Man - and they have a little fight. Meanwhile, Rogue runs into Wolverine and Jubilee - and they have a little fight. Are you following me? Good! Cause it's going to get crazier from here.

Also, let's keep track of Rogue's clothes because... ooff, yeah, the continuity is worse than the story line.

Uncanny X-Men #279

Before I get into it - I need to state that Uncanny X-Men 279 is the issue where Chris Claremont just up and quit during the middle. He'll be back to wrap up his run in the new X-Men book (that we'll get to after this) but I'm sure the nonsense going on in the X-Office didn't help the clarity of this story...

Anyway, the next time we see either Gambit or Rogue is here... in the next issue. What happened between Rogue and Wolverine/Jubilee? How did Gambit handle Multiple Man? Who knows! But now Gambit is with Wolverine and Jubilee and Rogue is nowhere to be seen.

Also - that's the third 'bang, you dead joke' in, like, five issues. Good lord, Claremont, if this wasn't your final Uncanny issue (for now) I'd say give it a rest. I will say, though, I almost included the entire three pages of Wolverine/Jubilee/Gambit because they are that delicious, and easily the best thing about this entire arc.

Uncanny X-Men #279

On the next page, we see Rogue again - where she is taking on Forge. Note the wardrobe change? Did she have time to add more clothes after her 'fight' with Wolverine? Is any of this making sense yet? No? Okay... onto the X-Factor issue...

X-Factor #69

This is literally the next time we see Rogue - after Forge shoots her with a ray gun that stops the mind control. Did the ray gun just change her outfit as well? Was the previous outfit too evil?? Or was it just that artists Andy Kubert and Whilce Portacio just have zero communication when getting these issues out? (Honestly, I do not blame the artists - I do blame editorial though.)

X-Factor #69

Meanwhile, where is Gambit you ask??

Alright, guys, this is where we're at -- Forge has un-mind controlled Rogue, Wolverine, and Banshee. Meanwhile, Gambit, Psylocke, Jubilee and the Muir Island peeps are still under the Shadow King. And now X-Factor (the original five X-Men - Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Angel, and Beast) are now involved. All of them are running around the island. Only, it's X-Factor who finds the rest of the mind controlled - not Forge and crew...

Also, in case you'd like me to make it more confusing, Mystique has arrived in disguise (with Nick Fury), while all this mind control is doing wonders for Charles Xavier's son, Legion, who is about to go a little crazy.

Uncanny X-Men #280

Classic cover is classic. Also, Rogue still has more of her clothes! Don't grow too attached to them.

Uncanny X-Men #280

See, I told you not to get too attached to Rogue's clothes. Apparently, when Legion went crazy and caused an explosion, it blew off all her clothes. Miraculously, no one else had this issue. I guess Jean just used her telekinetic powers to keep hers on.

Uncanny X-Men #280

And on the other side of this really not very big island is the B-team. B for brainwashed. Yes - the two teams are going to meet! Yes, a big, huge battle is about to ensue!

Uncanny X-Men #280

Gambit is going to take on Wolverine (for the 100th time it seems) while Rogue will take on Strong Guy. Every non-brainwashed X-Man is going to take on every other brainwashed X-Man. Except for Rogue v Gambit. We don't get to see that. They do not share any panels together. Not even in the big group scenes. None. Nothing. Absolutely zero.

They just knew it'd be too much...

(Honestly, I am a little curious as to why this was. It almost does feel intentional at this point.)

Anyway, the battle ends. The Shadow King is vanquished (for now) -- and has the hilariously villain closing line of "No!!! I WAS SO CLOSE!!" And all that's left is to wrap up this little ditty...

Uncanny X-Men #280

I just need to talk about Rogue's clothes again. Her panties are barely hanging on by a thread, but her gloves are perfectly intact. How convenient.

Anyway, the last line of this comic reads: The End, and The Beginning. How appropriate...

Here we are, guys. The first issue where Rogue and Gambit end up on panel together. Are you ready for this??

Let's talk about X-Factor #70

X-Factor #70

Most of the issue revolves around Xavier trying to get into Legion's head while the rest of the group is either waiting around in the hospital room or tying up loose plot threads around the island.

So... how much time has passed? It's unclear - but enough that Rogue's had enough time to find some clothes that have not been ripped to shreds.

Anyway - one of the loose plot threads is dealing with Mystique's "death" that happened ages ago. Turns out she faked it and had been pretending to be Val Cooper for a while now. Rogue had seen news of the "death" and this is their reunion.

Great, now that that's squared away, we get one of my favorite sequences in comics... the chain letting everyone know that Xavier is okay ;)

X-Factor #70

Idk why, but I love this little sequence. I love the random 'no smoking' sign. I love Gambit freaking Polaris out. I love that Jubilee just does not give a shit. And I love that Rogue doesn't seem to either.

Anyway... now to the moment y'all have been patiently waiting for...

I present to you -- Rogue and Gambit's first on panel moment!

X-Factor #70

It's sort of anticlimactic, isn't it?

While Xavier's - what do we do with fourteen X-Men - is rather iconic, the art here is... meh. I'm so glad Jim Lee is going to redesign a lot of the characters. Gambit just does not look good in the yellow costume (also, he does not have his headsock on here for some reason). Meanwhile, even Rogue looks a little off here (though this is the X-Factor book and not Uncanny).

And... we're left with a bunch of open questions. Just how did Rogue and Gambit meet? What was their first interaction like? What is their dynamic at the very beginning? As I said before -- Kelly Thompson will one day answer these questions -- both brilliantly and unbelievably.

If you were looking for any kind of set up going into the relaunch, I'm sorry to say that what I've laid out for you is what we've got. So, introductions are open to interpretation...

My own version...?

Gambit: *speaking flirtations French to Rogue* Rogue: Wolverine - who is this? Wolverine: Storm brought back some Cajun leftovers from her time as a de-aged thief. Gambit: How about a kiss, chere? Rogue: How about I punch you?

And thus a dynamic was born. ;)

Next up: We're finally going to really get into it with X-Men #1-3!

[samsblades]

mari, can you give more writimg tips? <3 like how do u plan for your fics & how do you organize your ideas

absolutely my love!!

so, as i mentioned before i like to do very casual outlines in bullet point format for most of my planning! it's usually just word vomit and uses slang and casual language (at least at first) so that i don't feel pressured to be writing anything "good."

for pretty much all of my fics that i do planning for, this outline is the only thing that i do, especially because i mostly write shorter stuff and don't really feel the need for anything else. i'll try and put my process of creating an outline into steps so that it's a little easier to break down, though these are not strict steps at all, and may happen in a different order depending on a number of things like what you already have (or don't have) inspiration for, the time you have, etc.

⊹ STEP ONE the first thing i do is write down the basic idea in my planning document! which could mean a fic idea i thought of myself or a request i received! for those, i just copy and paste the exact wording of the request to be sure i'm not missing anything. right underneath that is where i do my planning/outline.

⊹ STEP TWO i'll probably start with broad ideas. this could the setting, anything that i already know i want to be writing about in this fic, themes, or the general relationship between characters. you might start with basic information about the main character (reader or oc or whoever), especially information pertinent to the fic and character who you're writing for.

⊹ STEP THREE from step two, it usually leads me to more details about the fic. i could already have had the idea of the exact scenario of the fic, so i might just start writing out the general plot right then and there! but also, i might be working with a more vague scenario. in the case, i want to make sure i know (if i don't already) what the setting is, why the characters are in the situation they are, or how they got here. maybe you're thinking about the first interaction between the characters, or the main character's background if that's necessary for the fic.

⊹ STEP FOUR hopefully, fleshing out more basic details has led me to a point in the plot that i can start with. (maybe it's a case fic for supernatural, and step three has gotten me the details of the case. so maybe, reader has just discovered these details themselves, so we start of in a motel room and reader telling sam what they found out.) great if it's the beginning, no worries if it's not. starting anywhere at all is always the most helpful thing for me! that's when i start just writing out the rest of the plot, usually in chronological order from that plot point. from there, it's just a series of "and then sam does this," and "then you're like blah blah blah," and "when this happens, so-and-so does this," just leading from one action or happening to the next until i've outlined the whole plot. sometimes it ends where i think it will, sometimes not!

i do not stick to this perfectly by any stretch. i definitely like having a general outline, but i can also be a pretty spontaneous writer. if i have the inspiration to start writing prose immediately, then i will! and then i might get stuck and start the outline 1k words in, or even only a few hundred words in. when i get stuck, i start an outline.

and sometimes, i quit the outline before i've gotten to what i perceive to be the ending, and just start writing what i have so far. i might need to go back and finish the outline in order to finish, or i might be in such a groove that i finish the fic without finishing the outline. for longer fics, though, i definitely tend to want a whole outline because it's easier to write the rest when i know where i'm trying to end.

and again, sometimes these step happen way out of order. i might skip two and three and go straight to four if i have an idea of where to start already, and then might need to go back to those steps if i'm missing the basics as i go (i might not though, it could all sort of just fall into place). i also tend to think about fics a lot before i actually start writing anything down, so i might have a mental outline first too.

as for organizing my ideas, this planning is pretty much the extent of it. i can be a pretty disorganized person honestly, and my ideas might be all over the place LOL. for the most part, though, i try to keep all my ideas for one fic in the same place, but there's not much of a system to it, just whatever i thought of first! but honestly my ideas and brainstorming document that i use for all of my fics is a complete mess heh.

as always, sweet anon you and all others are more than welcome to ask for any more tips, clarification, examples, or anything else you might be curious about!! muah muah <33 happy writing!!

[malinaa]

2024 WRITING REVIEW

tagged: no one <3 i just like doing these things yearly tagging: board of directors yet again i'd tag u here but this is mostly fic-based . . . anyway!!! @userautumn | @seek--rest | @nerdylizj | @vechter | @the-flying-robins | @posallys | @blackbatcass | & anyone else i'm missing sorryyyyyyyyy this is me tagging u... TAG UR IT!!

number of stories posted to ao3: this has been my saddest writing year btw . . . anyway i wrote 8 oneshots

word counted posted for last year: 17,547 i'm going to shoot myself (unposted / ofic / nonfic all adds up to a whopping 45k. yet again i will literally shoot myself) this is arguably my worst writing year since 2018 which . was a miserable year for me personally

fandoms i wrote for: in chronological order it's the hunger games -> pjo (tv) -> batman

pairings: everlark and posally for thg and pjo. all of my batman fic was gen

stories with the most

KUDOS: hereditary (batman) with 631 BOOKMARKS: hereditary (batman) again with 320 COMMENT THREADS: hereditary (batman) AGAIN with 25

work i’m most proud of (and why): uhhh maybe prayer in the night (batman) for no other reason besides liking it while writing it

work i’m least proud of (and why): pandora's jar (pjo) i just don't think it's my best unforch

share or describe a favorite review you received: lichrally any comment from sway <3 kissing u on the mouth. but also this one bc it made me giggle like thank u

This is pure fire. Is absurd how you were able to perfectly capture the essence of Leigh's writing and use it for smut 👀 Like, most of these fic are very enjoyable in a fan service sense but lack of cohesiveness and good writing. You instead wrote the most hot and fantastic thing one-shot I ever read. I wish I was able to do the same. 💕💕💕☝️

a time when writing was really, really hard: this entire fucking year. i never want to feel this AGAIN. NEVER. i'm so fucking serious what the literal fuck was that

a scene or character you wrote that surprised you: the entirety of pandora's jar (pjo) because every time i write posally i always think it's the last time and it keeps surprising me

a favorite excerpt of your writing: the thing is my best writing's in my ofic but i shan't be sharing that so i guess this excerpt from birdcage (batman)??

They’ve fought enough times that all their arguments are born running and die just as fast—just as bloody. But this one grew in the dark, feeding off the tense silence until it let out its first piercing cry.

how did you grow as a writer last year: i got weirder. if nothing else at least i got weirder

how do you hope to grow this year: if i could write more 😭

who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer, beta, cheerleader, etc.): fnh / board etc u know how it is i'm in ur walls etc

anything from your real life show up in your writing last year: quite literally nothing. thank god

any new wisdom you can share with other writers: sometimes vibes will not sustain u in the long term

any projects you’re looking to starting (or finishing) this year: finish draft 1 of my novel-play-whatever-the-hell-it-is... and maybe work on all the world's a stage a bit . . . see u guys next year <3

[cinnamonest]

I know nothing about Persona let alone Goro Akechi but after reading the bsf and yan profile post I want to give this man a hug (and my tits). His story seems so sad ;-; and he's so pretty and for what?? 💢

Honestly, as much as I enjoy genshin I never truly found it to have any meaningful or extremely well written characters (which is not a bad thing, I just can't take them seriously when they all look like that lmao). All credit to making me think twice about them goes to writers and artists in the fandom. So the change in content feels soooooo nice. Made me appreciate your writing in another way

I've heard about Persona a LOT for years, but I didn't have a huge drive to play it until your liveposting (p.s I love the LP so much) and especially the posts with that one insane policeman guy who is a loser (affectionate, also giving him my pussy). Any recs? 😅

HE IS MY BABY BOY you're so right he is so pretty 😖😖😖 Akechi is genuinely an excellently written character, and Persona 5 Royal is one of the few games I think fully deserves to be so hyped as it is.

Tbh I think the problem genshin and similar games has is that there's so many characters, you have to essentially go out of your way to dig into lore to get anything beyond surface level from them. This happens a lot in series with lots of characters — like with Danganronpa for example, your experience of a lot of characters completely changes upon playing their free time events. A lot of genshin characters get very little screen time on the main story, so all their characterization is in their quests, lines, and character profile content. Which to be fair, with a game of this nature that's kinda the only way to really do it, so, I'm just glad they give us that extra content tbh. I've played some gachas that would introduce new characters but give very little beyond a design and name which is kinda sad when you want to know more about the lil guy you're playing with.

But AAAAAAAAAAAAAA thank you so much anon I am going to ramble here, but I'll put a tl;dr at the bottom!

Soooo if you want to get into Persona, I'd recommend the series in a certain order with some notes. There's 5 main entries in the series and a lot of spinoffs.

A word of advice in general with marathoning a game series: with any series it's a good idea to play in order of chronological and thus technological progression, especially if you intend to play the series back to back, otherwise going from a more recent game to an older one can damper your experience due to the decrease in graphical quality, gameplay smoothness, and general content quantity.

However for this series, the ideal order to play really depends on the factors of 1) which version of Persona 3 you choose to play, and 2) if you want to play Persona 1 & 2.

Regarding Persona 1 and 2: These are some of those games where your enjoyment will strongly depend on whether or not you're a person who is okay with some of the frustrations, limitations and slowness/jankiness common to old games (they came out between 1996-1999). I know some people don't mind or see it as a sort of vintage charm, while others get very frustrated with that — if you're the latter, I'd recommend saving yourself the frustration and skipping them, but if you like old games or have a high tolerance for jankiness, you could start here. I will also say that, even amongst the vintage/90s games fan crowd, P2 is definitely more popular and considered better than P1. It's also much better on the aforementioned issues.

Also, unless you have an original PlayStation or PSP, you'll have to emulate these.

Regarding Persona 3: there's several versions — the original came out in like 2006, then there was a remake version called P3 FES which added an epilogue (which is being added to the recent remake soon anyway), then a PSP remake called Persona 3 Portable (which has ports on modern consoles), then the most recent remake, Persona 3 Reload, came out just a few months ago in 2024.

Obviously the newest remake has vastly improved graphics and added lots of gameplay content. However, one of the biggest differences is that P3 Portable had the option to play as a female protagonist — this altered a lot of aspects of the game and is exclusive to that version (which has disappointed a lot of people hoping she'd be in the 2024 remake), so you can't play as her if you play Reload (unless, I believe, you play PC, there's a volunteer team currently making a mod for her).

Personally, I bought P3 Reload, and couldn't get into it, so I dropped it. Then I bought P3P on a whim and LOVE it so far. Getting to play as the girl protagonist makes a massive difference in my opinion, and more than compensates for the older graphics/gameplay. It's not just the romance routes either, her dialogue options, interactions, music, and overall vibe is different enough that it changes the feel of the story.

It really depends on what you value more — 2024-tier visual quality/gameplay and the epilogue, versus the Female Protagonist experience, so just pick which you prefer.

For the order thing, if you choose to play P3P (or the original/FES for whatever reason), I'd start here, but if you want to play Reload, I'd play it either last or just before P5 Royal.

Moving on, Persona 4: Golden and Persona 5: Royal are both the definitive editions of their respective games. They're remakes of the originals with a lot of added content, and unlike Persona 3, there's no reason to play the older versions over these. Notably their themes/vibes are kinda opposite of each other (big city world-scale societal rebellion versus small rural town murder mystery), I wouldn't say either story is better or worse, they're not really comparable and more a matter of personal taste.

As for the stories, admittedly if you've read my posts, you've essentially already been spoiled on the identity of the killers, but honestly it's still worth experiencing the story, there's multiple big plot twists before and after the reveals regarding Akechi/Adachi.

I would play Persona 5 Royal last, largely because it's widely considered the best entry to the series and is by far the longest. However if you only intend to play one game, it should definitely be P5 Royal. The only real flaw to P5 is it's much easier than previous games.

From here, there's a few more spinoff games, whether or not you want to play them really just depends on if you enjoy the genre. There's a bit of lore in some of them but nothing critical.

Dancing All Night/Starlight/Moonlight - dancing rhythm games

Arena Ultimax - fighting game, acts as an epilogue to P3&4

Persona Q 1&2

These are Nintendo DS spinoffs with chibi style art. I haven't played these and admittedly don't know much about them, I think they're dungeon crawler genre? It's popular for the aspect of which it involves the characters of the different main games, so you get to see them interact with each other.

The downside is that these games are oddly expensive, I think because there weren't too many copies. I intend to get them eventually.

Persona 5 Tactica/Strikers:

These are P5 spinoffs that put the cast in alternate stories, strikers is the closest to a true sequel from my understanding, tactica is more of a dungeon-crawler. I didn't get them because Akechi isn't in strikers and is just minor dlc for tactica.

The Phantom X

This is upcoming I believe, it's going to be a mobile game with a new cast.

The TL;DR of my advice:

- Play P2 only if you're into vintage gaming

- Play P1 only if you're REALLY into vintage gaming

- Play Persona 3 Portable if you really value the female protagonist/male character romance experience, otherwise play Persona 3 Reload

- If you play the original Persona 3, FES, or P3 Portable: start with that, then P4 Golden, then P5 Royal

- If you play Persona 3 Reload: play P4 Golden FIRST, then both P5 Royal and P3 Reload in either order.

- Play the spinoffs just based on what type of games you like, if any.

[littlespoonevan]

15, 17, 18 (for the fic writer asks)

thank you, friend!!!!

15. favorite weather for writing

oooh this is interesting! idk if i've ever thought about it before but i suppose when it's overcast/raining??? bc then i feel like i can write to my heart's content without feeling like i have to leave the house lol

16. talk about your writing and editing process

okay so usually i tend to edit in 5k stints (unless it's a short fic, in which case i'll just write the whole thing first) so every 5k or so i'll stop and reread/edit what i have so far. i pretty much always reread 3 times: once to see the general vibe of what i have/catch obvious mistakes, once to make proper changes, and then once to double check spelling/grammar errors etc after making said changes. and then i'll reread the whole thing in full once (but maybe twice) before posting.

i also always write in chronological order but i don't like making outlines/plans so i'm very much a 'follow the vibe' writer in that sense askdjfh

17. if you keep them, share a deleted sentence or paragraph from a published fic

okay so i don't think i actually have any deleted scenes from a published fic??? it's rare i'd change/remove a scene entirely so i don't tend to keep them but i did start writing a fic after 7x01 that basically immediately became irrelevant with the bi buck arc and i apparently still have that on my laptop, so here have that instead lmao:

-

Breaking up with Natalia feels…anticlimactic.

When he’d wanted to break up with Taylor he’d drawn it out for weeks. Months, if he’s being honest. Because he was afraid to be alone. Because a silent, selfish part of him was hoping she’d do the hard part for him. Because she was supposed to be it.

Even though it was glaringly obvious that she wasn’t.

When they ended he told himself he wasn’t going to rush again. He didn’t want to make the same mistakes. Didn’t want to pick the wrong couch again.

But then Natalia had looked at him with so much fascination. She took on all his shit, all his trauma, and she didn’t flinch. If anything, it seemed to make her like him more.

The problem is that it seemed to be the only thing she liked.

And it’s probably not a fair assessment of her because she really is nice and beautiful and smart but the more time they spend together, the more he feels like she doesn’t really like him. She likes the version of him she’s put together in her head. The version he’d let her create in all those early conversations.

I feel like she sees me.

He told Eddie that after his first date with her.

It’s embarrassing to think about that now, with the slightly awkward but still civil breakup conversation replaying in his head.

He thinks it’s that, that might be throwing him for a loop so much – that she hadn’t seemed to mind when he explained he didn’t think things were working out. She was a little disappointed but she didn’t try to fight him on it; he supposes she’s used to dealing with endings in her line of work.

And now he’s wondering how he could’ve let himself get sucked in again, how he could’ve convinced himself all over again that he’d found the one by falling too hard, too fast.

Eddie says, “What’s the point in dating if you don’t think that you might end up together in the long run?” when Buck brings it up over dinner at his place after the Chris dating intervention.

Buck throws his balled up napkin at him and says, “Sorry, I forgot I was asking the nester.”

Eddie rolls his eyes but doesn’t bite back, reaching for another slice of pizza. “I’m just saying. Isn’t the whole idea that you date someone in the hopes that they’ll be the person you spend the rest of your life with?”

“Is that what you think about Marisol?”

Eddie immediately makes a face and Buck feels privately vindicated.

He shouldn’t; it’s not fair. Marisol is nice and Buck has no reason to dislike her but the ghost of Ana Flores still lingers in the back of his mind.

“It’s a little early for me to know that,” Eddie says.

Buck scoffs. “But you just said-“

“I’m not saying I don’t see a future with her,” Eddie cuts in. “Just that I don’t know what that future is yet.”

The words make something sour twist in Buck’s chest and he takes a swig of his beer to dispel it. He’s happy for Eddie, happy that he’s putting himself back out there because he deserves to fall in love again. There’s just…a part of him that doesn’t like it when Eddie’s in a relationship.

Which is incredibly fucking stupid and possessive and something Buck would go to his grave with before he’d ever admit it out loud.

He just feels like they drift apart when they’re not single – not even because they don’t see each other all the time. It’s more like they don’t know how to interact with each other. He doesn’t know why or, well, it’s not exactly a thread he likes to pull on all that often.

It hasn’t happened much yet with Marisol but she and Eddie seem to be taking things slow.

Buck counts it as a small miracle and redirects the conversation to the point he’d first been trying to make.

“I just don’t know how I got it so wrong again,” he says. “With Natalia, I mean.”

Eddie’s expression immediately softens and he leans forward, propping his forearm on the dining table and pulling himself closer to Buck.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Eddie tells him, as gentle as every other reprieve he’s ever offered Buck.

Yeah, I know you did.

I knew you wouldn’t.

You’re the guy who likes to fix things.

You don’t have to be anything for anybody.

You didn’t end up like you.

“You thought she saw a side to you no one else did,” he says now. “And you wanted to believe in that.”

Buck groans, burying his face in his hands. “Don’t remind me,” he mutters. Dropping his hands, he slumps back in his chair. “I don’t know why I thought her being excited by my near death experience meant something different. Of course it was interesting to her; she wasn’t there when it happened.”

She wasn’t the one sitting vigil at his hospital bedside. She wasn’t the one begging for him to wake up.

He thinks at the time it felt good because she was the only one not treating him with kid gloves. He can recognise now his family probably had a pretty good reason for treating him that way.

Eddie doesn’t respond right away but Buck can tell he’s thinking of an answer, choosing his words carefully

[anitabrassi]

To be honest, I don't see my Camaro fic as nonconsensual at all. Sure, it describes uncomfortable sex, a dare, but I thought it was pretty obvious Alex was more than willing to go along with it. Or are my views crooked? 😳 Maybe I do need to look inside myself and reflect.

//

I guess to me there were moments where it felt ambiguous. Like you do the whole daring, rough side of it really well and for most of it you can see clearly that Alex is really into it. However this bit:

“Can you take me like this?” There is an intoxicating poke of blunt, warm glans into the flesh of Alex’s glute as Josh leans closer once again for a kiss on lips. There will be no gentle stretching today, no lazy siesta spent heating Alex up with expert fingering, because they decided to be dirty and nasty, and all that for a piece of engine. And maybe a desired piece of danger; they both like a piece of danger.

“Fuck no.” Alex laughs, nervously. He has no such superpowers.

Josh considers it for a second. “You have to try. Especially if you wanna drive that car,” he grins and ruffles Alex's hair on top of his head; then he puts the condom on, lubes up his hard dick with thick white sunscreen, smears some of it between Alex’s buttocks and wipes his hand on his own nape, already sunburnt. The sun kisses him from behind some more.

The blunt push and the stretch is almost unbearable. It’s somewhat much, much worse than Alex expected—"Oh fuck!"—and he tries to flinch away instinctively, but he’s trapped between Josh’s huge body and carosery of the car.

Maybe it’s just me being overly sensitive, but this is literally Alex saying no he can’t take it and then Josh doing it anyway. There’s no verbal or non-verbal consent from Alex here for what they’re about to do, in fact he’s literally just said no - that feels pretty much like the definition of dub con (or non con) to me. Obviously I understand that may not be your reading of it at all, but that’s how it came across to me as a reader. I love your writing so much but I personally would have liked a warning for this kind of content in the ao3 tags as it kind of blindsided me. Genuinely though I can’t stress how amazing a writer I think you are and I don’t want this to come across as negative because I admire your work so much! Please keep sharing your wonderful imagination with us 🙏

Well fuck, this is kinda my worst nightmare.

Because what I can tell - with my best conscience - is that it wasn't intended as nonconsensual scene at all. I'd never wrote straight-up smut fetishising sexual violence and using it as a way to get off, that's just not my jam. When I was writing this fic, I got clear vision for the scene, so I know Alex was fully consenting and really wanted to do it, even though he knew he is about to be challenged with some pain. “Fuck no.” Alex laughs. I consciously wrote he laughed about it and I really thought this will be enough to make the nuance.

(I also believe the rest of the story will put it into context a bit. I do not write this series in chronological order and Camaro fic is supposed to be situated somewhere in the middle of the timeline.)

I'm just afraid that if this is considered problematic, then I'm not fully able to asses what's hurtful and what's OK to just publish as it is without any warning ahead. I'm not very sensitive person; my family sometimes say I hardly have any feelings and that I have an emotional response of a rock. I guess it shows here.

[poolnoodling]

Fanfic Writer Interview

Thank you @detta-pica for the tag!!! this is a perfect way to jump back into fandom after a bit of a break :) super duper flattered you'd think of me, thank you.

How many works do you have on AO3?

only the two! after my debut this august. i hope for there to be maaaannny more in 2025 :)

Your top 5 stories by kudos/likes:

as i only have two posted works the order of kudos is:

nightcalls - JJK, satosugu, 8.4k words

unsurprising this is the higher of the two as this fic is porny and you guys are dogssss LOL i love it. i actually don't remember writing this fic because the conception-to-posting timeline was such a weird and short blur and i was down with a summer cold.

i'll often have an idea of a scene and branch off from that - with this one, i think i just liked the idea of a teeny forbidden meeting in the dark, specifically the climbing through the window. i don't remember when or how it turned abo but i surprised myself as i'm VERY particular with the trope! but i love how it turned out and you guys did too :') writing ST's POV was also particularly enjoyable for me.

2. my sea is blue (my sea is you) - JJK, satosugu, 10.9k words

my baby. my fondness for this fic has really grown since posting. and your comments are just - fuckkkk. still makes my day. i'm proud of myself for this once, but particularly i like the pacing, the chronology, and how i blended different tropes - it feels an easy story to me, and gentle, and warm, and deserved.

i sort of wrote this fic specifically for ao3 - i started with the idea of sharing a bed (classic) and thought fuck. ok. just write something and POST it. forget all the untouched WIPs (some of which i have had for YEARS) and just POST something finally. i just wanted to gauge what kind of response i'd get, if any, and more importantly how i'd feel about having my work out there in the open. it really was a springboard for me and it totally paid off <3

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

YES! every single one. i am so grateful when someone takes the time to tell me they liked my work because they literally don't need to, at ALL, but they DO, and i want to let them know i'm thankful for that. comments mean so much to me, and the interactions in the comment sections are my favourite of all - especially discussions!!

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

unposted and incomplete but probably the 3 part stsg canon fic i'm cooking, which figures. i'll likely leave the ending angsty/ambiguous - not even a spoiler, it's just that i wouldn't even attempt an all-round happy ending for HI arc because really, the tragedy is too irredeemable for me to work that particular miracle lmao

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

probably MSIB - definitely leaves you with the warm fuzzies

Do you write crossovers?

i wouldn't necessarily write a crossover where i'm blending characters from multiple fictional universes - that's maybe a stretch too far for my brain to infer those dynamics/interactions. BUT i have definitely written characters from one fandom into the fictional universe of another - so aus yes but specifically established fandom x established fandom instead of regular non-canon themes. for eg i have about 10k of a STSG walking dead au in my drafts (based from a very sophisticated end-to-end storyboard i scrawled in the back of my notebook during a 3 hour finance meeting - cooking on the clock is fkn hilarious)

i also have scrappy pieces here and there where i've mashed whatever nerdy obsessions i've got going on into whatever ship i'm fawning over - dig hard enough in my drafts and you'll find a 50k BTS/skyrim/demon slayer draft from lockdown LMAO

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

no! not yet LOL. and tbh i'd reject that kind of shit PRONTO. it's never made sense to me why someone would leave hate on someone else's brainchild when they can just....... exit the tab

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

fuk yea brother. intercourse is boring for me and difficult to write so i'd probably say i focus heavy on foreplay/build up, especially first times!!! i've actually stalled at multiple WIPs because i got to the intercourse part and lost all braincells.

literary wise, i like to write smut more towards the """poetic""" end of the spectrum rather than the more literal, action-by-action portrayal (though there's definitely a space and time for this too) - but really this is just a conscious cheat because i find smut generally pretty hard to write.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

i absolutely doubt it!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

no but would be completely open to this :)

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

ah. no. and i'd genuinely love to because there are some fkn amazing authors out there who i genuinely really admire, and whose ideas and techniques i think would blend so good with my own. HOWEVER i'd be the worst to collab with, and this is purely down to time and scheduling. i write fic on stolen time and as a result tend to take ages to produce something whole - if i ever found myself with a more open schedule i'd certainly be up for it, but don't see this happening sadly :(

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

such a hard question?! i don't actually HAVE that many ships but should probably say stsg because fuckkkk the tropes. the tropes you guys. there's just so much that's tasty about it. i won't get into it here but literally what is not to love?!? OTHER than this i'm a huge fan of televised media's most canon gay ships aka hannigram and stucky i'm a simple woman with simple pleasures what can i say

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

oh man. there could be quite a lot, but for fandoms other than stsg.

stsg-wise, there's the walking dead au i mentioned which could've reaaaally popped off but it would've been a behemoth of a thing that required time i don't have, PLUS i fell off TWD train as quickly as i got on it so the interest isn't necessarily there anymore. plot cooked though

What are your writing strengths?

i like this question. personally i think i excel with characterisation when i want to, and especially when it comes to dialogue. i genuinely find it so fun extrapolating from source material in terms of characters/personalities, really getting in their shoes, inferring their reactions, their speech, their psyches. i'm good at writing banter, and bickering, and teenhood, those sorts of back-and-forths, and i'd like to say there's realism in my interactions too, or at least i've been told this. i'd say writing angst is a strength of mine, though i haven't exactly released any yet, so this remains to be seen....

i also like my metaphors (maybe a bit too much), my silly flowery language, i like making writing PRETTY because i'm a shallow woman who struggles to exercise creativity when it comes to plot!

What are your writing weaknesses?

i've always said that i have difficulties with pacing. a lot of my WIPs are stalled because i struggle with scene length, the application of "filler" scenes, time passage, keeping it exciting... i usually get there in the end, but it's pacing i have to pay extra attention to, work on the hardest, and would probably appreciate feedback on the most if i ever showed my work to a beta reader.

then WORLDBUILDING. this is specific to aus. i could never truly enter the world of fantasy unless borrowing from an existing universe in an au type thing, which i have done before! but don't ask me to INVENT - i just don't have the brain for it! i'm not hugely plot orientated - and when i do have good ideas, they usually stay as that.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

i'm a typical useless brit and know no other languages so would probably leave this alone for fear of totally butchering something and offending. there is absolutely a place for this - i just wouldn't trust myself to execute it. there are so many ways to convey a character talking in a different language without running the risk of inserting a shitty google translation which i'd no doubt end up doing

What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

hmmm. honestly i think exploring nanami x haibara would give me so much room to drag my readers into an absolute pit of delicious pining and angst so probably that! i'd like to do this actually. opens notes app

this is really making me think.... probably CSM i could see myself venturing into. lots of fun and fucked up dynamics to play around with there. aki-centric i think.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

i have 30k of a canon hannigram fic sitting in my drafts that is completely shapeless and TOTALLY unfinished but fuck did i cooooook. idk what it is about hannigram that turns me into a poet but i fkn ate and it will likely NEVER see the light of day but it's probably what i'm most proud of, or what i enjoy going back and reading the most :) maybe i'll shape it up one day, we'll see.

thanks again for the tag! this was fun. as you can see i can fuckin yap for england given half the chance

i'm tagging @ihavethegrimoire and anyone who sees this and fancies having a go!! <3 <3

[cinnamontails-ff]

12. Do you write scenes in order, or do you jump around ?

25. What's your favorite part of the writing process ?

36. What fic are you the proudest of ?

❤️

Hiii! Thank you so much for the ask ❤

Do you write scenes in order, or do you jump around?

Whenever I start a new project, I allow myself to be messy. I jump around the story, write different scenes that may or may not be part of the final version -- anything to capitalize on that raw creative energy early on in the process. Later on, when I have a solid outline in place, I go a lot more chronologically because that is when scenes really need to flow into each other, character development has to be consistent, the plot has to move forward etc. But ultimately, I find both modes very useful for my process!

What's your favorite part of the writing process?

Drafting. I really like fast-drafting because a) it helps me be less of a perfectionist but also b) My favorite lines tend to be the ones that just sort of flew out of me while I was drafting. They're not the ones I can plan ahead of time -- they're the ones that make their way onto the page when I'm just letting the words flow. So, so often, I find myself sitting there, looking at what I've just written, and I genuinely don't know where it came from, but I know it works.

What fic are you the proudest of ?

Accountant's Guide. For many reasons, honestly, not just because it's by far my most successful fic (although yes, riding that high was pretty damn awesome). Writing this fic was such a unique experience for me. It was kind of how a lot of people who have never written in a longer format picture writing to be like. I was consumed with this story. I was writing through my lunch break, writing until late at night, writing every free minute of every day and genuinely loving it all. It came out so raw and so right all at once, like I wasn't writing the story so much as just letting it out into the open. I think that's part of why it's still my favorite story and the one I reread the most often. Because all I connect with it is joy.

I often think that maybe, I peaked with that story. That I'll never have a truly cathartic writing experience like that ever again. But even if that's the case, I'm so grateful I got to experience it at all, and I hope all you fellow writers get to have a story like that one day ❤

[venice-1987]

Tagged by @sagegreenfrogs ! Thanks for the tag. This seems fun!

Rules: make a new post with the names of all the files in your wip folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Tag as many people as you have wips. People send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, then post a little snippet or tell them something about it!

I'm also going to stick with Sorvus stuff, cause if I did every single Wip in my gay little google docs, we would be here all day. In chronological order (or close to chronological)

A doc written just after the release of season 6, simply titled "the dragon prince" (only about nine pages are WIP of a different project. The rest is the entirety of the Bluegrass AU posted on Ao3)

Another doc simply titled "the dragon prince misc. (And cat poem)" (Cat poem unrelated to Sorvus, just a poem equating cats and autism)

"You're family to me"

"Random Week in November with no Significance Whatsoever" (This one was my Sorvus week entries which were never posted for complications in real life. They really just need to be edited, so I may post them as a belated Week contribution)

"Errant knight"

"Split Loyalties"

And the most recent one, currently being written "We've a bird to find" which is pretty self explanatory

In all honesty, I was a bit surprised with how much I actually had relating to these dumb gay people (affectionate). A lot of the projects were too daunting and never finished, or just need to be edited and are done otherwise. I get very particular with what I post, but this is making me want to fine tune some things and post a few. Who knows

I also enjoy the random poetry I find between notes and sections that have nothing to do with the dragon prince. Its just something I thought of, and this dragon prince fanfic is the closest place to write it.

I don't have many Tumblr mutuals, and I think everyone in Sorvus nation that is a regular writer has already been tagged by each other, so I tag YOU! the person reading this post! It may be a bit of a cop out, but hey, I'm spreading the fun. Thanks for tagging me :) :P

[aaronstveit]

20, 40, 59, 60, 72, 74! have a whole load!

omg hi bestie!!!! thank you sm for asking omg 💛💛

20. Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

oh boy SO many patterns. i have a habit of rereading my own fics almost obsessively after posting them to try and think like what could be better, what do i wanna use again, etc and i pick up on a lot of things i almost wish i didn't </3 i write a LOT about craving intimacy but shying away from it, even fighting it, so that's cool. i also seem to describe directions three times. like "down, down, down" or "away, away, away." absolutely no idea what that is about but i can't stop.

40. If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

oooooooh this is such a good question. maybe the face painting scene from you can handle me! although honestly if anyone ever made a fanwork of any scene from anything i've written, ever, i would probably cry forever and ever

59. Does anyone in your personal life know you write fic? if not, would you tell anyone?

no they do not! i probably wouldn't tell anyone honestly because i keep fandom very separate from my personal life i guess? which for the record has very little to do with fandom in general and much more to do with me not liking people to know things about me

60. Have you had a writer you admire comment on your fic? What was that like?

well yes of course, you comment on my fics and it always makes me smile!! like genuinely makes my whole entire week <3 you are always so kind and you always manage to pick out a line i was really proud of :')

72. What order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else?

in a oneshot i will write chronologically but in a multi-chapter it's.... very different. like for deep end i wrote the first chapter and then a lot of the later scenes and now i'm going back in and zero drafting (mostly) chronologically now that i know vaguely where i'm going. when i get a scene idea for later though i write it immediately or else i WILL forget and i will be sooooo angry with myself. once i get to work on the first/second draft though i will only go in chronological order so that i can start really ironing out continuity errors/metaphors/motifs etc.

74. You’ve posted a fic anonymously. How would someone be able to guess that you’d written it?

i honestly think coco would be able to guess just based off straight vibes. as for anyone else..... see this is a hard one because i do think i have a vaguely distinct style of writing but it's hard to actually describe it, and a lot of the things i associate with my own writing (excessive em dash usage, too many commas, an alarming amount of adverbs) are really not that unique, especially not in fic. i don't mean this in a self-deprecating way btw i do actually like my style of writing but it's not what i would consider particularly Unique. maybe i would give myself away because i seem to be completely incapable of not making jokes about murder in my exr fics? that's genuinely all that comes to mind which is a bit alarming but here we are <3

get to know your fic writer!

[thirteenemeraldcats]

Sending thanks for the tag to the terrifyingly talented @jamiesfootball <3 <3 <3

Last Song:

Currently watching: Re-watching Daredevil (show of hands for everyone who's been personally victimised by @sighonaraa)

Three ships/dynamics: Roy Kent & crushing feelings of accountability, Jamie Tartt & crushing feelings in general, Me & productivity (please). The serious answer for my favourite dynamic is the 'I hate you - I tolerate you - Stop being funny - Why do I want to spend time with you - Get out of my house asshole - Get out of my HEART ASSHOLE - You're the other half of my soul you stupid bastard' pipeline :)

Favourite colour: Green! Hence the 'emerald' part of my URL. My wardrobe is almost exclusively black though :/ (I've been repeatedly told my clothes don't match my vibe and I am unsure if they were insulting my wardrobe or my vibe. The people saying that were 14-year-olds so there's every chance it was both.)

Currently consuming: Hazelnut coffee & a banana. Delightful flavour combination- highly recommend

First ship: Adult me doesn't really get into shipping but baby me was allll over Robin/Starfire from Teen Titans

Relationship status: Single

Last Movie: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Enjoyed it! This franchise is consistently pretty good about adapting the source material. (Even if the books are always better). It did awaken a burning desire to re-read The Hunger Games trilogy, which I just straight up do not have time for.

Currently working on: I am plugging away at two Ted Lasso fics. First is a multi-chapter 5+1 style in which I contribute to the Sam & Jamie best-friends-agenda (which I cannot write in chronological order to save my life). The other is another long-ish one-shot Jamie & Roy crushing-feelings-vs-crushing-feelings-of-accountability from Jamie's POV, which is making me feel slightly guilty for doing this to him. Oops. I've got about 10 other things that I'm developing from ideas to outline but no idea if any/some/all will be written. As someone who as recently as the new year was like 'wow fic writers are amazing, I don't think I'd be able to do that' this is a very confusing but delightful experience.

I think basically everyone I know has already been tagged so consider this a free for all! I am waving foam fingers and colourful flags at everyonnneeee 💚

[piedoesnotequalpi]

7, 17, 27, 28!

Hi Finn thank you for this distraction

(Writer questions to help me survive the misery that is moving myself)

7. your preferred writing fonts

I'm very unoriginal, so I write everything in 12 point Times New Roman

17. talk about your writing and editing process

Writing process: I write in chronological order (because writing out of order is the WIP-killer for me). Sometimes I have a plan, sometimes I don't, but I do tend to spend far too much time going back and rereading what I've written.

Editing: When I reread like I mentioned above, I'll usually end up making small edits. I also pretty much always have someone do a final read-through before I post. This has historically been my ex (and he's still proofreading the juggling au), but Alex proofread the fic I wrote for Halloween and I have a couple irl friends that I occasionally bully into reading stuff for me. I'm not really someone who does a ton of drafts, but when I decide I need to rewrite a scene, I make a two column table, copy the part I'm rewriting into the left column, and do my rewrite in the right column.

27. your favorite part of the writing process

Writing a scene that I've been wanting to write for a while (since I can't write out of order)

28. your least favorite part of the writing process

I think just. having writer's block (original, I know). This is especially annoying if I Go Somewhere To Write, because my way of dealing with writer's block in that situation is to kind of just brute force my way through

[samsblades]

hey mari! do you have any tips on writing drafts and organizing your writing? i feel like i'm a very messy and inconsistent writer, my ideas are all over the place and i can't really connect or interlink them

hiya lovie! hmmm i'll do my best to give some tips!! i'm not hugely systematic, though i started organizing a bit more when i started using ellipsus as my main writing platform! i highly recommend checking it out as it's far more secure and ethical than google docs! and for me, easier to organize and customize! it's also targeted towards fanfic/creative writers so they have lots of great resources. and it's free!

very long response below the cut! i tend to get carried away when asked about writing tips LOL

in terms of plain old organization, i just have one overarching folder titled "samsblades" for all my stuff for this blog. and my main document is my wips document! ellipsus has this really nice feature of drafts for a single thing all stored in the same document, which you could use in a number of ways. i'm really weird and in general, i only write one wip at a time, so i use the main "final draft" document for whatever fic i'm writing at the moment. then i use the other drafts for brainstorming, as well as the next few fics i'm going to be writing so i can brainstorm those when i don't feel like writing my current fic. this is because i mostly write requests, and i do them in chronological order, so i just know exactly which order i'm writing my wips.

one of by biggest things for me in terms of organization and writing drafts is to always keep my planning doc separate from my actual writing doc. even if i end up copy and pasting a good chunk, i work way better with them separated.

once i'm done writing a fic, i delete the planning usually to clear up space, then transfer the fic to a different document/folder where i compile all finished works. then my main wip document is fresh and open!

in terms of feeling all over the place, i recommend having a doc where you can just dump all of your ideas! i just separate mine by fandom and character, but you could also further organize by genre or expected length. but it might help to allow there to be a centralized spot for rambling or half-baked ideas, or even complicated ideas! just so you don't have to search high and wide for that one thought you had but you don't remember where you put it.

and as i'm reading your ask over and over again it feels like you're asking a bit more about the writing process itself rather that technical organization i think, so apologies lol and let me have a go at that! i do think some of the same tips apply, especially the one about having a spot for writing full on prose and another for just brainstorming, but having them side by side/connected somehow. without that outline, i tend to get lost or stuck really fast.

in general though, outside of a messy bullet point outline, i do tend to be pretty fuck it we ball with fics, especially because i primarily write blurbs and oneshots which can feel a bit more straightforward. but if i'm doing a longer fic or something like that, i try to let those connections fall into place as much as they can as i write that outline. biggest thing for me in the outline is that i can just yap without trying to make it any good writing, and i can usually go at it and have interconnecting ideas come to me as i outline.

however, this doesn't always solve everything, so sometimes you need to take some time from wip or ask a friend for advice, or really work through it on your own by asking questions to yourself. start simple with things like "how can i make this get from point a to point b" and just list every possible way you can think of, even if it doesn't make sense. you may be hit with a stroke of genius, or may need to keep asking question. "okay, this might work, but brings up another problem. how can i fix that one." take it one step at a time for sure! the bigger picture is definitely important, but sometimes you need to look at smaller things before you can get to the end product.

and if you're feeling really stuck and need even more structured organization for drafts, you can look for writing templates online that will help you. another great thing about ellipsus is that they have a ton of available templates like for scene building, overall story planning, world building, characters, aus, etc! i'm trying to take advantage of these along with my normal methods for a series i'm working on, and they do help a lot with brainstorming!

hope at least one little thing in all this blabbing helps and lmk if there was anything i didn't address that you wanted tips for or if you have any other questions! thanks for bearing with me <333

[mythandlaur]

Code: July Day 8 - Sissi

Yeah now I'm just flat out going out of order because I don't have the energy to fight my whims just to stay chronological and I've wanted to write this one for a bit

While rewatching this episode it struck me there wasn't actually an RTTP at the end of it everyone involved still remembers the very last take. It was almost definitely a plot hole/writer oversight/meant to happen but cut for time/implied but I just leaned back and went "well. that could've been a problem."

...

"...Elizabeth?"

Sissi grunts, screwing her eyes shut and mashing her face deeper into the pillow. Her head is pounding, her eyes sting, and all of her limbs feel like lead--she definitely slept wrong and doesn't feel like dealing with this right now. "It's Sissi," she mumbles.

"Elizabeth, it's me."

Her eyes shoot open. Oh. Oh, that's her father's voice.

What's he doing in her room?

...Why isn't this her bed?

Sissi gasps and sits up so fast she nearly bowls over her father, who'd been leaning over her. She looks around in a panic--this isn't her room at all it's the infirmary she can see Yolanda rifling through a cabinet in the back why is she--

A wave of dizziness sends her back to the bed with a groan, and she squints her eyes practically shut as the pain behind her eyes turns sharp.

Her father returns to leaning over her with that same worried, tired (he's always tired) look, and she feels him gripping her wrist. "Please, don't strain yourself."

"Wh-what am I doing here," Sissi croaks. Her throat feels raw, like she's been screaming.

"You were passed out in the boiler room," Yolanda supplies, crossing the room and sticking a cold plastic device on Sissi's finger. "Stern came to get me, and I called Mr. Delmas."

"Ulrich...?" Her heart jumps for a moment (so he did care, at least a little!) but then the memories start trickling back, posing a bigger concern. "Wait--he was there, I remember! He was...he said..." The harder she tries to think about it, the worse her head gets, and she whines quietly instead of finishing the sentence.

"...Her oxygen levels are fine, and her blood pressure's evened out." Yolanda takes the device off of Sissi's finger. "Nothing seems to be wrong. Elizabeth, dear, when was the last time you ate something?"

Sissi doesn't even think to protest the name, because now that she thinks about it...she really doesn't know. "I...the last thing I remember is getting up this morning..."

That's not entirely true--it's bits and pieces, like a half-remembered nightmare, except was it really a nightmare if she felt like she could fly, with more energy than she's ever had? If she had that kind of power, Ulrich's club would have to listen to her, she wouldn't need the stupid--

Another gasp. "Daddy? Where's my Walkman?"

"Hm?" He looks a bit baffled at the question. "Oh, it seemed to have fallen. It's completely destroyed--I'll get you another one?"

"No!" The wail antagonizes Sissi's raw throat, but she doesn't care, trying to sit up again (and this time wisely leaning on the pillows for support). "Th-there was a minidisc in there I'd recorded on--I was gonna tell you--I heard Jeremie and Aelita talking in the hall last night and he was going on about how she wasn't really Aelita Stones and she wasn't even a human and--"

Her father sighs, shaking his head. "Yolanda, has anyone else come in lately babbling like this? I should get the pipes in the dormitory building checked..."

"No, sir, no more than usual. I think it's a good idea, but if there was a leak in the building, more kids would--"

"It wasn't a gas leak, Daddy, it was real!" She pounds her fists into the bed. "I heard it! I had proof! They were gonna tell me everything!"

"Elizabeth..."

Her father squeezes her wrist and she grinds her teeth because she doesn't want him to comfort her right now she wants him to listen to believe her she wants to cry angry tears because she'd been so close and what had happened and why had she been in the boiler room with a pipe standing over Ulrich like a maniac and why had he been so NICE to her when her head had gotten funny and she'd slumped to the floor and--

She doesn't resist when he gently pushes her shoulder until she's back down into a horizontal position. She shuts her eyes tight again, trying to keep her lip from wobbling and the rock in her throat from getting out and it's like her whole body's been wrung out like an old towel.

She feels his hand brush her hair away from her forehead. "I have to go now." Because he's busy, he's always busy, he's always been busy-- "Be good for Yolanda, all right? We can talk when you've had some time to recover."

"I love you, Daddy," she whimpers.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

He leans down to kiss her on the forehead, and it loosens the knot in her stomach just a bit, even as she hears his shoes clicking away from her.

...

There's a knock on the door. Yolanda glances over from where she'd been examining her shelves of supplies. "Come in?"

It had only been a few minutes since her father had left, but Sissi was wide awake now, and already starting to hate being in the infirmary for seemingly nothing. But...her head's still hurting, she's still kind of dizzy, and the last thing she wants is to fall on her face in front of half the school. She's sitting up now, crossing her arms and staring at the door as it's cracked open.

"Um...is Sissi still here?"

Her eyes widen, and she sits up straighter. "Ulrich?!"

"Hi." Peeking around the door, he gives that awkward, crooked little grin of his, along with a tiny wave. When Yolanda nods at him, he opens the door fully and steps inside, one hand in his jacket pocket. "I wanted to see how you were doing."

"Oh, I-I'm fine now." She immediately feels her stomach doing flips because he's talking to her, oh god, and with his voice so soft like that, get a hold of yourself. Something about his gaze cuts through her, though, and she ducks her chin a bit. "...My head hurts a little."

"I can imagine," he says, with a huff that's almost-just-barely a laugh. He glances over to Yolanda. "Can I talk to her for a sec?"

Yolanda nods. "I have to go and get a few things out of storage, actually. Make sure she stays in bed? I don't want her falling."

"Sure thing, Doc."

Ulrich gives her a cheeky little mock-salute and Sissi has to swallow a giggle that would definitely make her look stupid. Yolanda takes another few seconds to write a list, then leaves, shutting the door gently behind her.

Ulrich watches her go, then turns his gaze back on Sissi with an intensity that nearly stops her heart. His face is suddenly all harsh edges and seriousness as he leans on the side of her bed.

"I mean it, Sissi, how do you feel? Anything you can tell me."

"U-uh...Well, like I said, my head hurts, and I'm dizzy, just a bit...and my arms feel kinda..."

"Yeah?"

"...kinda like they're loaded with weights." Sissi winces, lifting her arm and stretching out her finger. "And now that you mention it, my shoulders ache pretty bad."

"What about your eyes?"

"They're a little stingy, I guess...?" She bites her lip. "Ulrich, what happened? I remember you were in the boiler room with me..."

"You don't remember anything else?"

"The last thing I remember is my alarm going off this morning."

Ulrich stands up straight, looking away from her and staring into the wall hard enough to burn a hole in it. She wonders, moreso than usual, just what's going on in his head.

"...Forget it," Ulrich mutters eventually.

Sissi blinks. "What?"

"It--you were just following me around, tripped down the boiler room stairs, it wasn't much of a thing."

Sissi doesn't want to feel it, not at him, but anger bubbles up in her chest. She sucks in a sharp breath through her nose. Does he think she's stupid? "You're lying," she says. "Why did I have that pipe? Why were you on the ground?"

"I said forget it, I don't know what you're talking about." Ulrich turns away from her completely, stuffing both hands deep into his jacket pocket.

She bristles, but when she speaks, her voice is terribly small. "You...you know what actually happened to me, don't you? I know what I saw."

Ulrich huffs, marching towards the door. Her fists clench.

"Ulrich! Just what is going on?!"

"See if I help save you again next time," she hears him grumble, before he disappears out of the infirmary--too fast for her to ask what he meant by that.

Sissi groans, flopping back onto the bed. He knows. There's no way he doesn't know. And she knows she wasn't imagining that scene in the boiler room. So why won't he tell her anything? Why is he keeping so many secrets? She's only kind of tolerating all of it because it's him and she wants to keep talking to him, and--

And there's something in her chest, an envy so easy to mistake for the other kind eating at her that she forgets it's there most days, but she feels it when she really looks at him and his club. A sort of...regret, a longing, an opportunity wasted, please let's talk this out, please let me explain, I only wanted to help you, I thought you were going to die and when people are in danger you tell the adults and they fix it why is what I did so wrong why won't you why--

"Elizabeth?"

Sissi startles. She hadn't even heard Yolanda come back in. "Yeah?" It comes out a little too snappy, and she realizes her whole body is stiff as a board.

Yolanda raises an eyebrow. "What's the matter? Did Stern agitate you?"

"Stern always agitates me," she mutters, closing her eyes again.

[chrismerle]

For the truth or dare ask game: 🛼 🍬 🌿 🧩

(le meme)

describe your latest wip with five emojis

fffffffff--//goes to google emojis

in chronological order:

🙃🙄🤨🥺😬

post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character

I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion so much as it's just me disagreeing with a popular headcanon. a lot of people decided after the Hazbin pilot came out that Alastor is being genuine/sincere when his voice doesn't have any static/radio effects over it and have continued to pass that off as canon fact now that the series is out, despite the fact that as far as I'm aware this has never been confirmed even on the wiki, and I don't ascribe to that headcanon, largely because I think it is dumb.

for one thing, his voice is entirely static-free when he says 'if you wish' while summoning Cheap Booze for Husk, so, like, there's not really anything there to be sincere about. for another, if you are not Rosie, then this man is allergic to genuine human connection and makes a hobby out of obfuscating what he wants, feels, or plans. he felt genuinely vulnerable one (1) time in the season and spent most of the finale song having a mental breakdown about it in the break room. he would not allow himself to have that big of a tell about what he's feeling.

give some advice on writer's block and low creativity

I have what I call the Two Sentences System? if I wanna write but it's just not working, I pick a WIP and just write two sentences. if I feel like I can keep going after that, great. if not, it was still two more sentences than I had before, and eventually two sentences add together to make many sentences.

what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

have you ever been to the roleplay boards on GaiaOnline? it's been several years since I was there, but at the time there was a ... very particular writing style that people were often expected to adopt in order to be considered "literate." I have stumbled over fics written in that style. I fled very quickly.