#i'm reading utopia for the plot

[jewishcissiekj]

OH MY GOD (and Mindee) (from Uncanny X-Men #514)

[ace-and-ranty]

...I'm gonna blaspheme here and. I'll admit it.

This is also the plot of Stephenie Meyer's other novel, The Host.

Why yes, it is one of my favorite novels ever that deeply impacted my personality, why do you ask.

Symbiosis isn't just mutualism. Parasitism is symbiosis. It's uncomfortable to confront parasitic relationships if you want to see your human ideas of good and bad reflected in Nature.

But gazing into something huge and utterly Other, being uncomfortable means you're engaging your mind with it. "Uncomfortable" is actually a whole spectrum of emotions that become a vivid and satisfying rainbow.

There was a post a while back with some artwork of Dendrogaster, a crustacean that parasitizes starfish, and its body is like this branching fractal of fleshy lobes made to fit inside the body of the starfish mirroring its structure, and I was absolutely horrified to look at this, and this horror was the same emotion as a strangely visceral wave of sympathy for this parasite.

Creative works about parasites often invoke the horror of bodily invasion, which is visceral and strong for me, but this artwork inverted that horror, instead showing the horror of being made so perfectly for fitting within someone else that you lose everything you are and become unrecognizable.

I also think of the post about the cowbird chick. It's awful that the bird pushes its siblings out of the nest as it grows, and the mama feeds it because she instinctively must feed her chick, but the cowbird is just a baby. Was it wrong for him to hatch, to be alive, to be hungry, to be a baby and to need love?

Symbiosis is intensely beautiful, and sometimes it's beautiful because it's grotesque and terrible. Of course, the symbiosis between two organisms isn't an allegory for a relationship, it just is a relationship, but looking at the way organisms become entwined feels like you're seeing things that, if words described them, would also be human experiences.

Being invaded by a parasite is a horror of powerlessness and loss of autonomy, but being a parasite is also defined by powerlessness. In many cases, the parasite will die without the host, but the host can live without the parasite. I wonder why it is expected to sympathize with one and not the other.

Your immune system fights against internal parasites like a tapeworm...Imagine being a tapeworm. The body of your host is your universe. Do you find your world to be kind? Benevolent? Does your god love you?

Sometimes people call disabled people "parasites." When I think about my future sometimes I'm uncertain and afraid.

But when a rare non-photosynthetic orchid blooms in the forest, this is not the forest's weakness and failure, but its crowning glory.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

2025 book bingo time 📚

want a completely arbitrary set of reading goals for 2025? want to try something new in your literary diet but don't know where to start? just like a challenge for the sake of a challenge? just love a good game of bingo?

boy do I have something for you!

for anyone planning to participate, please know that I LOVE attention and talking about books, so I would be STOKED to be tagged on any and all updates about what you're reading or planning to read. I'm so, so excited to see all the different ways these prompts get filled, especially if and when they bring people away from the kinds of things they normally read. not to mention snag some new reading recs myself, hopefully!

and of course, I want to know whenever somebody gets a bingo - and ESPECIALLY if somebody fills the whole board! I don't have any prizes for you, but I can offer a sense of accomplishment :)

note that this is designed to be played as 1 book = 1 space, so even if you read, say, a fantasy graphic novel published in 1923 from an indie publisher that has a bat on the cover, you'd only cross off one space. I'm not a cop and I'm not in charge of what you read, so if it sparks more joy to check off multiple spaces per book then go nuts, but I am throwing that disclaimer out there.

EDIT: the 2025 book bingo challenge is now also on storygraph, thanks to @obi-wann-cannoli!

DOUBLE EDIT: there is also now a discord server for the book bingo, thanks to @drivingmebonkas! you can join it here!

wondering what some of these spaces mean? seeking a couple recommendations to get you started? no idea what a zine even is, let alone how to make one? worry not! I have a guide to all 25 prompts, including recommendations + an example of what I'll be reading throughout the year to fulfill each space. read on beneath the cut!

Literary Fiction: I find that a lot of people are reluctant to check out literary fiction, as it’s often written off as not being about anything but adultery and divorce. If this is you, I implore you to take a chance, acknowledge that adultery and divorce are compelling sometimes, and also remember that lit fic has a lot more to offer than that. At Writer’s Digest, Michael Woodson describes literary fiction as “less of a genre than a category,” which “focuses on style, character, and theme over plot.” My recommendations include Raven Leilani’s Luster, Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, and Melissa Broder’s Milk Fed. 

I’ll be reading: Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

2. Short Story Collection: You know, a bunch of short stories together in one book? It doesn’t get much more self-explanatory than that. Could be a collection of stories by a single author or an anthology—it’s up to you! I recommend checking out Mariana Enríquez’s The Dangers of Smoking in Bed (translated by Megan McDowell), Nalo Hopkinson’s Falling in Love With Hominids, and Kim Fu’s Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century. 

I’ll be reading: Your Utopia by Bora Chung and translated by Anton Hur 

3. A Sequel: It could be one that you’ve been meaning to get around to, one that’s not releasing until 2025, or the sequel to something you read to cross off another space on this very bingo sheet!

I’ll be reading: Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao, sequel to 2021’s Iron Widow 

4. Childhood Favorite: Go back and read a book you loved as a child, tween, or teen! There’s no wrong answer here; anything from a YA novel to a picture book would be just lovely, and I can’t wait to see what people pick for this option! I’m not sure which of my old favorites I’ll be revisiting yet—should I go for the warm and fuzzy Casson Family series, or straight towards the mindfucky sci-fi of Interstellar Piggy? Or maybe I’ll go see how Artemis Fowl holds up...

5. 20th Century Speculative Fiction: For those not familiar with the term, speculative fiction can encapsulate science fiction, fantasy, and anything else that falls into the unreal. You’re spoiled for iconic choices here: the 20th century gave us Le Guin’s Left Hand of Darkness, Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale, Butler’s Parable of the Sower and Kindred, L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, the beginning of Pratchett’s Discworld series, Diana Wynne Jones’ Howls’ Moving Castle, and countless others.

I’ll be reading: Dawn by Octavia E. Butler, love of my literary life 💜

6. Fantasy: Fantasy comes in a thousand different shades, from contemporary urban wizards with day jobs at the office to high fantasy spellslingers chasing dragons away from castles. Some examples I’ve adored are N.K. Jemisin’s The Killing Moon, C.L. Polk’s Witchmark, Fonda Lee’s Jade City, and Nghi Vo’s Empress of Salt and Fortune.

I’ll be reading: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty  

7. Published Before 1950: This one could not be more straightforward if I tried. You have all of human history (or at least, all the parts that have surviving literature), just not the last 75 years. Dig deep! 

I’ll be reading: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, published in 1938 

8. Independent Publisher: Did you guys know that just five publishing companies (Penguin Random House, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette Book Group) are responsible for 80% of books published in the US each year, and 25% of books globally? Break away from the big five and see what some small presses are putting out! If you need some ideas about where to start, check out this list of nearly 300 independent publishers with notes on what kind of books they put out!

I’ll be reading: Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ and translated by Lin King, from Graywolf Press

9. Graphic Novel/Comic Book/Manga: Despite my personal obsession with Batman, the world of comic books is sooo much wider than Gotham City—or anything else that DC and Marvel have to offer. If superheroes aren’t your speed, check out the Southern gothic of Carmen Maria Machado and Dani Strips’ comic The Low, Low Woods, splash around in Kat Leyh’s graphic novel Thirsty Mermaids, or stop waiting for a new season of Dungeon Meshi and go read Ryoko Kui’s manga, translated to English by Taylor Engel. 

I’ll be reading: The Fade, by Aabria Iyengar and Mari Costa

10. Animal on the Cover: Yes, yes, don’t judge a book by its cover—but do go find one with a critter on the cover and give it a read! Absolutely no other requirements here, get silly with it.

I’ll be reading: Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

11. Set in a Country You Have Never Visited: Fiction or nonfiction, doesn’t matter so long as it gives you a little glimpse of a country you’ve never visited in real life. If you’ve somehow visited every country currently recognized in the world, then I guess you get to go read something set in space.

I’ll be reading: A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon and Kim Sanho, translated by Anton Hur 

12. Science Fiction: A genre just as diverse as fantasy, with a little something for everybody! I recommend Becky Chambers’ Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet for those who want to kiss an alien in the stars and Jessamine Chan’s The School for Good Mothers for those who want a surveillance state dystopia that hits much closer to home.  

I’ll be reading: Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase

13. 2025 Debut Author: Read a book by someone who’s releasing their first book in 2025. Fic or nonfic, any genre, no further requirements. Not quite a free space, but pretty close!

I’ll be reading: Liquid: A Love Story by Mariam Rahmani, coming out March 11

14. Memoir: Per Wikipedia, a memoir is “any nonfiction narrative writing based on the author’s personal memories.” Some are funny, some are heartbreaking, some are both! I recommend Carman Maria Machado’s In the Dream House and Roxane Gay’s Hunger, because I tend to lean heartbreaking! 

I’ll be reading: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. Again, I like heartbreaking!

15. Read a Zine, Make a Zine: Not familiar with zines? No problem! Check out some of these digital archives for inspiration, and then craft your own zine with this simple guide (or do it your own way, I’m not in charge of you). 

Internet Archives: https://archive.org/details/zines

Gay Zine Archive Project: https://gittings.qzap.org/ 

POC Zine Project: https://poczineproject.tumblr.com/ 

Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/collections/zine-web-archive/ 

16. Essay Collection: Like a short story collection, but it’s nonfiction now. Some of my favorites include Samantha Irby’s We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, Elaine Castillo’s How to Read Now, Aimee Nezhukhumatathil’s World of Wonders, and Cathy Park Hong’s Minor Feelings.

I’ll be reading: A Little Devil in America: In Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib 

17. 2024 Award Winner: What award? Any award you like! And boy, there are tons to pick from. Any book that won any award in the year 2024 is free game. If you need some places to start looking, check out some of these:

Lambda Literary Awards, for excellence in LGBT literature: https://lambdaliterary.org/awards__trashed/2024-winners/ 

The Alex Awards, for adult books with crossover appeal for teen readers: https://www.ala.org/yalsa/alex-awards 

Ignyte Awards, celebrating diversity in speculative fiction: https://ignyteawards.fiyahlitmag.com/2024-results/  

Women's Prize for Fiction (self explanatory) https://womensprize.com/prizes/womens-prize-for-fiction/

Others: https://www.bookbrowse.com/awards/ 

I’ll be reading: Biography of X by Catherine Lacey, winner of the 2024 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction

18. Nonfiction: Learn Something New: I know very little about archaeology, anthropology, or any other fields that involve studying ancient cities, but Annalee Newitz’s Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age was some of the most fun I had with nonfiction in 2024, because every page brought a brand new discovery. For 2025, find a nonfiction book about a topic you don’t know ANYTHING about, and learn something new!

I’ll be reading: Cooling the Tropics: Ice, Indigeneity, and Hawaiian Refreshment by Hi’ilei Julia Kawehipuaakahaopulani Hobart

19. Social Justice & Activism: Read a book about a social issue, the history of an activist movement, or brush up on a guiding philosophy or ideology. Arm yourself with knowledge, besties, because I have a feeling we’re going to need it! if you need a good place to start, why not try Angela Davis' Race, Women & Class, Mariame Kaba's We Do This 'Til We Free Us, or Molly Smith and Juno Mac's Revolting Prostitutes?

I’ll be reading: White Feminism: From Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind by Koa Beck

20. Romance Novel: Listen to me. Fucking listen to me. I mean a ROMANCE. NOVEL. Not a novel that incidentally has a romance in it. Romance novel, motherfucker. Go check out the romance section and have some whimsy as two people fall in love through the most contrived series of events ever conceived. If you really need a romance that makes you feel smart (that’s still sexy and messy as hell), try Akwaeke Emezi’s You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty.

I’ll be reading: Go Luck Yourself by Sara Raasche  

21. Read and Make a Recipe: Could be a cookbook, could be a recipe you yoinked from the New York Times, could be something your grandparents lovingly wrote down by hand. Could be as complex or as simple as you like, just make something tasty! Some cookbooks I’ve enjoyed are Sohla El-Waylly’s Start Here, Dan Pashman’s Mission Impastable, and John Wang and Storm Garner’s The World Eats Here.

22. Horror: Slashers, zombies, haunted houses, creeping paranoia, you name it! It’s time to get spooky and scary with all kinds of things going bump in the night. Maybe this is the year to finally keep up with Dracula Daily? Not for me, I'm not doing that, but you could!

I’ll be reading: I Was A Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

23. Published in the Aughts: A throwback, but not too far back. Read something published between 2000 and 2009. Maybe it’s time to finally get into Twilight? (For legal reasons, that’s a joke.)

I’ll be reading: The Sluts by Dennis Cooper, published in 2004

24. Historical Fiction: You know, fiction that takes place in a bygone era! Please remember, this isn’t just about reading a book that’s old; we have a separate prompt for that! This is about reading something that takes place in the past relative to the time it was written. Pride and Prejudice is historical to us, but was contemporary when Austen wrote it. Think of Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half, Markus Zusak's The Book Thief, or history + a bit of fantasy in book's like R.F. Kuang's Babel.

I’ll be reading: The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

Bookseller or Librarian Recommendation: This one is fun, and something I always like to do when I’m travelling and visiting a new bookstore. Ask a bookseller or librarian to recommend something they’ve liked, and check it out! If going in person isn’t feasible, many bookstores and libraries have staff picks on their websites, and the Indie Next List is a monthly list of independent booksellers’ favorite new releases. 

I’ll be reading: The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich, which I bought at Erdrich’s bookstore, Birchbark Books, this summer :)

lastly: tagging people who asked to be tagged to make sure they didn't miss this! @thebisexualwreckoning @perfunctoryperfusions @reallyinkyhands come get your bingo sheet!

[bambiihee]

FROM UTOPIA AND BACK ˒˒ 이희승 〔 TEASER 〕

♫ listen to the playlist here!

pairing。 » lee heeseung x fem!reader 𓄵feat。 the rest of enhypen, giselle and winter from aespa, lia and ryujin from itzy, yunjin from lsfm, named oc boyfriend

genre。angst, smut, porn with plot, unhappy ending

warnings。» explicit language and sexual content, drug use, mentions of marijuana and prescription pills, dealer!heeseung, good girl!reader, college au, fraternities and sororities, ex fwbs to ???, corruption kink, vaginal fingering, squirting, dirty talk, praise kink, cheating/infidelity, piv, unprotected sex, facefucking, facials, meanie!heeseung, semi-public sex, more tags to be added. everything is terrible and everyone sucks. current word count。9k (final wc ~ 25-30k)

teaser word count。1.3k

bambii's note。» now that i'm officially a third of the way through this fic, I wanted to share a little teaser of what's to come!! this fic is literally my fucking baby and I really hope you guys are as excited about reading this as i am writing it. let me know if you want to be tagged for when it releases! I'm not making any solid promises due to my event and the other fics I'm working on, but I'm really hoping to be done with this thing by mid to late august. I'm not comfortable setting an official release date until I'm much closer to the finish line.

If you were sober, you would be in full blown panic mode, but the weed is making it difficult to really care. It wasn’t as if you were missing some big test or anything, and Heeseung skipped class all of the time and no one ever batted an eye… and maybe, just maybe, you didn’t want this moment to end. You and Heeseung together in his car like nothing had ever happened between you, like everything was just as it was when you thought you had his heart. 

“This is what I mean when I say you think too much.” Heeseung shakes his head and lights thankfully not another joint but a cigarette. “Nobody cares if you don’t show up to a class or two. Just tell them you were sick or something if they’re really that nosy. Besides, we’re the only people on this side of the parking lot right now. It’s not like somebody’s going to see you.”

“I don’t know, Hee…”

“Come on, stay with me a little longer. Just until you’re sober. I missed you.” and there he goes again, with his big, sparkly Bambi eyes, gazing down at you like he needs your permission to breathe. You hate him, hate how manipulative he is and how good he is at it. You hate how confident you were that you could beat him at his own game, yet here you are, falling for the same old tricks like you never learned your lesson. 

“I haven’t missed you.” you mutter petulantly. It doesn’t sound believable even to your own ears. 

Heeseung grins like it was a compliment. “Oh, yeah? Jinyoung keeping you satisfied?”

He spreads his legs wider, to the point it’s almost obscene. You swallow hard and avert your eyes from his very inviting lap. Memories of being perched on that lap tug at you like unraveling threads, slowly breaking you down; grinding up against him in this very backseat, moaning into each other's hot mouths, sliding your hands along his built thighs when you got on your knees for him, only because the touch made him shudder. How easily he made you feel like you never had before, cocky and laidback and effortless as if he wasn’t even trying. How he would talk you through it, the words branded into your brain, ringing in your ears when you’re touching yourself at night. You’ve made yourself cum to the memory of what “good girl” sounded like coming from his lips. 

“He is keeping me satisfied, actually.” you insist. Somehow, you sound even less believable than you did before. “I’ve been getting out of my shell more now that we’re together; he keeps me from rotting away in my bedroom every day.”

“Are you sure? ‘Cause Friday night you looked fucking miserable.” Heeseung cocks his head, eyes glittering with mirth. “Anyway, that’s not the kind of satisfied I’m talking about.”

You stiffen, a rising heat flushing your neck and cheeks. “Heeseung.” you warn him, though it sounds more like a desperate plea. 

“I’m just asking. Is it wrong to be curious?” he croons, grin widening. It’s not hard to imagine the pitchfork and the horns, red and twisted and hiding underneath his equally red hair. “He must be fucking you right if you’re defending him this much.” 

“I’m not having this fucking conversation with you, Lee.” you wish you had more control over your voice, like Heeseung did. You wish you didn’t sound so cornered and weak. 

“Does he make you feel good? Better than me?” Heeseung leans in and his thick, musky cologne invades your senses, clouds your mind worse than the weed. The familiar, enticing scent works through you as if you were one of Pavolv’s dogs, notes of wood and amber with a hint of marijuana and cigarette smoke, so unmistakingly Heeseung that it makes your thighs clench. It reminds you of nights you used to spend with him, twisted together on his mattress, wearing his clothes like he and you were something more than… you weren’t even friends. Confidants, maybe. Business partners. Two strangers in a deal; you wanted his drugs and he wanted your body. 

He still wants your body. He tells you as much with his arms caging you against the headrest, heavy on top of you and staring you down like a predator. His sultry gaze sets your skin on fire, the heat settling deep in your gut. “Does he fuck you every night like I did? Does he make you squirt as easily as I can? Does he eat your pussy the way you like?”

You whimper and squirm underneath him, unable to meet his eyes. It’s agonizing just how easily he can turn you on, your belly fluttering with hot, sticky arousal from hardly anything at all. “You’re disgusting.” you spit at him, though you don’t sound nearly as angry as you would like. It’s just what Heeseung was hoping you would say.

He beams. “Oh fuck, he doesn’t, does he? Parades you around like a trophy but can’t even please you right— do you put up with it for the stability? Fake moaning in his ear so he feels like a man?”

You shake your head violently, too overwhelmed to speak.

“Can he even make you cum?”

You don’t stop shaking your head. 

Heeseung laughs, a sharp, startling bark directly in your face. He forces you to look up at him with his fingers gripped tight around your chin, his calloused fingertips digging into the fat of your cheeks. There’s a fire burning in his eyes, hungry and dangerous, all consuming with how the burning heat of his gaze overtakes your body. “I knew it. I’ve been listening to girls complain about how bad of a lay he was for years. Bet he talked big game, too. How long have you been having to finish yourself off after he falls asleep? Are your fingers even enough anymore or did you get some toys? Do you still think of me when you’re fucking yourself? Wishing it was me between those thighs?” 

“Heeseung, stop.” you plead with him again, but you make no move to stop him when his hand comes to rest heavy on your inner thigh. 

“Now that’s disgusting. It’s fucking criminal, having you like that and not ruining you.” he continues, warm breath tickling your ear and nose. The smell of ash on his lips tempts you for a taste. “You’re so fucking pretty when you’re falling apart. Used to make you cum until you couldn’t anymore, remember baby? Poor, smart girl all stressed out and needing me to fuck her stupid. ‘Til your sweet little head’s all empty and your pussy’s shaped like me. Fuck, that’s why you’re really here, isn’t it? You’re all pent up, seeking any kind of release— it’s not really my weed you want, baby. You need me to make you cum.” 

His hand slides higher, underneath your skirt and your sweater, pinky finger ghosting over the gusset of your panties. You want to fight him, push him off and away, but you’re frozen underneath his searing touch. Just the tips of his fingers and the ghost of his lips across your jaw is enough to get your pussy soaking, dampening your panties and making your hips twitch. Heeseung can no doubt feel the wet spot, growing bolder with two of his long thick fingers tracing the outline of your pussy lips. You grab ahold of his hoodie sleeve, clutching desperately to ground yourself and keep from grinding up into his hand. 

“We can’t,” you mewl pathetically, baked brain spinning from how fast your carefully constructed walls are coming down. It’s a shame. You spent months working on them.

Still, even as you deny him, you don’t try to stop him when he cups your hot, throbbing cunt in his palm and presses down, rewarding your gasp with a deceptively chaste kiss to your neck. “Just say it and I’ll give you what you want, princess. Tell me what you need from me.”

[cripplecharacters]

I'm autistic and I've been wanting to write autistic characters for a long time, but, when I come up with a story/character idea, I don't really know how autism could fit into it.

I've written a story about time travel and thought of having one of the main characters as autistic, but I didn't end up doing it because I couldn't figure out what her special needs, difficulties and special interests were and when and how put that between the plot and I still can't really figure out how to incorporate autistic characters into a non-autism-centered plot and flesh out autistic characters. Do you have any advice on how to "fit autism into characters and plots", or more specifically, "how do I start having the subject of autism in mind while developing characters and the plot of my stories to apply it better?"

Hi asker,

The truth is you can't necessarily start with just autism in mind and develop a non-autism plot around it. I'm sure it's possible, but that doesn't seem super easy to me at all. You kind of need the plot and the characters to develop together. Only one at a time and it’ll fall apart, generally speaking.

What, overall, has been what hasn't worked? What about the time travel didn't work? What about your plot made it hard for you to incorporate an autistic character?

I can't tell you how to write A Plot, because this has to be your own thing. But I can tell you that pretty much any plot can have an autistic character. Here is a list of plots I’ve read, very summarized, with autistic characters as a protagonist or a large part of the plot:

slice of life where the general conflict comes from interpersonal relationships and the struggle of navigating these; characters are children and adults like

realistic fiction where the autistic protagonist’s best friend goes missing and she wants to find her

horror where four friends are stuck in a house in the woods, with a killer on the lose and one of the friends is autistic

romance (with all the romance conventions) where one or both people are autistic

realistic fiction where an autistic child may or may not be guilty of a crime (i think i've actually read like 3 of these?)

horror ocean expedition where the journalist brought on board is autistic

historical 1980s middle grade where the autistic nonverbal higher support needs protagonist is in foster care and special ed struggling with missing her missing sister as well as people underestimating her

historical 1930s books where the protagonist’s older sister is autistic and the plot is both normal slice of life stuff and living in Alcatraz stuff

neurodivergent utopia/dystopia with rock candy robots and lost children

middle grade books where the plot focuses on heavier themes like abuse, drugs, death, or whatnot

autistic woman learning to live by herself after the death of her mother

gothic horror where, after a marriage of convenience, the autistic protagonist discovers her husband is being haunted

These are just books that I personally have read (many are middle grade fiction because I just like reading middle grade), many years ago, and just off the top of my head. So there is a bias here of "books I personally know of and in genres I personally enjoy." But I wanted to include them to show you that there's a lot of things you can do, even if just from the perspective of "things this one person has read."

See how different they all can be from each other? You can basically stick an autistic character anywhere. You can think of a plot and then think, "how would my character act/react to this?"

Think about it this way: In real life, various autistic people lead incredibly different lives. And that's without even adding in the elements you can introduce in fiction that don't exist in real life, like time travel or mermaids or dragons or little gray aliens or telekinesis or whatever it is.

I know you're autistic as well, but I think you should research various different presentations of autism. Autism is pretty heterogenous, even with characteristics in common. That might help you get inspired on a particular path for a story, or a specific character path.

Something else that might help you is to create a plot, and then think about how you would react to it. Then tweak that reaction to something that better fits your story.

Honestly, genuinely, it can be difficult to think of this – but the only way out is through.

Hope this helps,

mod sparrow

[youareatragedy]

Feyre's stans get so angry and say, "People are such misogynists that they think Feyre becoming a mom made her useless." Well, what exactly makes them think she hasn't been useless ever since ACOFAS? No one actually cares about what she wants or tells them to do unless Rhys gives his approval too.

What exactly did she do in HOFAS that made her seem "not useless"? She stood there and delivered one or two lines that could have been said by anyone without changing the impact. When people said it was a mistake to make Feyre pregnant so quickly, it was because we already knew SJM wouldn't be capable of doing justice to a pregnant woman or a mother, whether as a main character or even as an important side character (except Yrene).

And you want to know why I at least, thought that? Because both SJM and the fandom have cared more about the Batboys ever since ACOMAF. Feyre is largely known for being Rhysand's mate or for being a painter. Not a warrior or a leader, except for her decorative "High Lady" title. I know this because I (and I'm sure many others) heard about Rhys and those bats before I even read ACOTAR. I only learned Feyre's name when I actually read the book.

What exactly did they think would happen to Feyre, who has contributed less and less ever since the war, when she's no longer the FMC? They want to cry "misogynist"? Direct that to SJM. We're not the misogynists. I and so many others said that it was a mistake to make Feyre pregnant this early.

She is a GODDAMN immortal, and she got pregnant at 22! Think about that. That's SJM's internalized misogyny showing. SJM could have made her an actual feminist icon. A person hungry to learn because now she has the money and resources to get smarter. She could have been a great and compassionate leader or an advocate for the oppressed females in her court. There were so many things she could have done. Instead, SJM made her open a painting studio in her elitist utopia and get pregnant as her "happy ending"? That's SJM's misogyny, not ours.

SJM made Feyre pregnant and focused on taking care of Nyx, causing her to miss out on so much in ACOSF and HOFAS. SJM made Feyre a mother and then made her invisible. That’s SJM's misogyny. Why blame the readers for pointing it out?

And they hate that Nesta became the "cool one" with a healthier, actual friendship with the Valkyries. They're jealous that Nesta has a friendship where they all genuinely respect one another, where Gwyn and Emerie would never let Cassian hide important health information about Nesta from her, unlike the IC with Feyre in that ridiculous pregnancy plot.

Oh, I know how jealous her "stans" and Nesta ant!s are. They're angry that Nesta is still integral even after her book and in another series. And yet somehow we’re the misogynists?

Lol cry harder. Hate on SJM for her inability to write a story where a woman can be a mother and still be a badass instead of sidelining her entirely. Hate her misogyny.

[peachesyeo]

Player 1117 0002 - in the garden

word count - 2.6k pairings - gamecharacters!ateez ot8 x fem!reader (ft. txt) genre - fantasy au, dark romance au, obsessive/yandere elements. chapter warnings - some violence scenes

author's notes - I'M BACK! Can we make this a monthly update? Yes or Yes?

thank you @sousydive for beta reading! thank you @ja3hwa for helping me, i love you!!

network: @newworldnet

back to masterlist?

"I don't want to be friends with Kim Hongjoong."

Hongjoong's smile faded, splintering like a crack spreading across a porcelain mask. However, he quickly recovered, his eyes shining with tears as the table fell silent.

"Y/n-ah..." Yeonjun started awkwardly, unsure how to salvage the situation. Your father cleared his throat, signaling for the servants to serve the dishes. The silence was soon broken as the dining table came to life with the sound of light, animated chatter.

For some reason, the adults did not want to get involved in this matter. Unbeknownst to you, your three brothers exchanged worried glances, shifting their eyes from you to Hongjoong. You ignored their looks, focusing solely on the food in front of you.

If falling in love with Hongjoong is the reason why Eternity became a broken kingdom, that just gives you more reason to avoid him. Now that you are 'Choi Y/n', there is no way you are going to let the fall of Eternity happen. The characters you see in the game are living and breathing, and even though you've only interacted with your older brothers for a short while, it feels as if you've known them your entire life. How could you still let the same plot from the game unfold?

But why can't you remember who killed Yeonjun?

A small voice at the back of your head nags ominously, whispering that something is wrong, that you have forgotten something very, very important. But what is it? What have you forgotten?

The rest of the dinner went by in a blur. When your plate was clean, you wiped your mouth neatly with the napkin Yeonjun had fetched for you earlier. You got off your seat and turned to your parents.

“Thank you for the dinner,” you started, ignoring the piercing gaze of Hongjoong. “I shall excuse myself.”

“Alright,” your father replied, his voice warm yet slightly concerned. Your mother gave a small nod, her eyes filled with unspoken questions. You bowed to the Queen of Mist, who inclined her head to you, and gave a quick bow to Hongjoong.

You felt Hongjoong's gaze follow you as you left the dining room. You walked down the hallway alone, each step echoing in the quiet halls. As you reached your room, you dismissed the servants and closed the door behind you before you leaned against it, taking a deep breath.

You’re scared. 

Hongjoong is a good actor. But his crocodile tears did not fool you, not when you knew the plot of Utopia. If you had not known what kind of person he is, you would have fallen into his web of deceits.

Get a grip on yourself, Y/n-ah.

Seonghwa knew that his prince was not in a good mood. 

He stood behind Hongjoong, watching the prince roll a brooch between his fingers. Hongjoong’s expression was hidden in the darkness of the flickering candle, but Seonghwa knew he was thinking. 

He couldn’t help but wonder why Hongjoong was in such a bad mood. Did something happen at the dinner with the Chois? Seonghwa thought of the dinners he had attended with Hongjoong back at Mist. Anger crept into his thoughts as a strange black mist gathered at the tips of his fingers. Was his prince ridiculed? Did they insult his highness?

“Hwa.” Seonghwa cleared his thoughts, his attention immediately shifting to his prince. Hongjoong was looking up at him with a lost expression on his face. “What do you know about the Star of Eternity?”

Seonghwa’s fingers curled into a fist. Was the Princess of Eternity the reason for Hongjoong’s mood? He quickly skimmed through his memory, trying to recall what he had heard about the Princess before.

“There wasn’t much news about her, except that the Chois are very protective of her,” Seonghwa replied carefully. Hongjoong looked at the brooch in his hand, a troubled expression on his face.

“Protective?” he repeated, his voice tinged with a manic edge. Suddenly, a crazed smile twisted his lips. Hongjoong laughed loudly, slamming the brooch into the couch. “No, no, no… She saw right through me, Seonghwa-ah…” His laughter turned into unsettling giggles as he spun around to face Seonghwa. His eyes were wild with excitement as he kneeled on the couch, gripping the attendant’s arm with a vice-like hold. “Isn’t it exciting, Hwa? Someone who saw through me… Even Mother fell for my innocent facade…”

“Your highness…” Seonghwa began, his eyes filled with a mix of intrigue and worry.

“Such an interesting person, the Star of Eternity…” Hongjoong muttered, his tone a disturbing mix of fascination and obsession. Seonghwa bowed his head slightly. “Do you know how she looked at me, Hwa? She didn’t trust me, not one bit!” Hongjoong sighed dreamily, loosening his hold on Seonghwa. “She’s not as easy as we thought, Hwa, no…”

“Do you want to get rid of her then, your highness?” Seonghwa asked, treading carefully.

Hongjoong’s smile vanished, replaced by an eerie stillness. His eyes flickered with a dangerous light as he considered Seonghwa’s words. “Get rid of the Star?” he repeated slowly, leaning towards Seonghwa. The older boy immediately let his knee fall to the ground, bowing his head. “My apologies, your highness-”

The attendant held his breath, bracing for the blow. True enough, a force threw him up in the air and sent him flying backwards into the wall while something sharp grazed his cheeks. Seonghwa let out a groan as he wiped the corner of his bleeding lips, picking himself up. Hongjoong looked at him from the couch, his eyes cold and unfeeling. 

“Hwa.�� Hongjoong called. Seonghwa crawled onto his knees, hearing the appending thunderstorm in Hongjoong’s seemingly calm voice. “Do you know why I left Wooyoung back in Mist?” Of course Seonghwa knew why. Wooyoung is Hongjoong’s younger half-brother, a result of the drunken King of Mist, who had forced the Queen’s maid into serving him whilst the Queen had just given birth to Hongjoong. The maid, who is loyal to his mother, had begged for the Queen’s forgiveness, and died shortly after giving birth to Wooyoung. 

The other royalties looked down on Wooyoung because of his birthing, but the young prince paid them no attention. In fact, Seonghwa thinks that that brat does not see himself as a prince at all. He was always out of the castle, creating havoc and pranks on the other prince and princess. 

But at the same time, that troublemaker is loyal to Hongjoong. He has no intentions of the throne, and sees Hongjoong as his only master, just like Seonghwa.

“Wooyoung is a good boy, but he likes to question my decisions.” Hongjoong answered his own question, picking up the brooch he was previously playing with. “But Hwa, you know better than to do that, don’t you?”

Seonghwa’s breath hitched. “Yes, your highness.” He answered.

“Good. Don’t let Mother see you in this state, Hwa.”

You frowned at the boy in front of you. Hongjoong stood before you, looking as innocent as a young foal. “Greetings to the Star of Eternity, may peace be ever in your favour.”

“Greetings to the Prince, may peace be ever in your favour,” you replied, setting down your cup of tea. After transmigrating into Y/n’s body, you had retained her memories and most of her behaviours. Y/n would often have a tea session by herself in the Royal Garden of the Eternity Palace, sometimes joined by her brothers if they had the time. However, you had only just started drinking your first cup of tea when Hongjoong barged into the garden with another tall teenager behind him.

At first, you paid no attention to him. The only thought in your mind was to keep Hongjoong as far away from you as possible. “What has brought the Prince into my garden?” you questioned coldly, your eyes conveying your dislike. Hongjoong looked a little hurt, his golden eyes staring sadly at you as though you had done something tragically wrong to him.

“Would you let me join you, your highness?” Hongjoong asked, with a hint of cautiousness in his voice. You opened your mouth to refute, but accidentally met the gaze of that boy behind him. 

Long black hair, green eyes. A strong jawline, sharp cheekbones, and full, plump lips. This was Park Seonghwa, Hongjoong’s loyal attendant.

Park Seonghwa was one of the more popular characters in Utopia. He was a commoner on the streets who had pledged his loyalty to Hongjoong after being saved by him from an illegal magician’s tower. As an experiment, Seonghwa was different from ordinary men, and his elemental powers included the mysterious mist magic.

There wasn’t much detailed description of his display of power that you could remember, but one thing was certain: Seonghwa was not what he seemed to be.

In Jiwon’s route, Seonghwa was an elegant man who could make her blush with the simplest gestures. His charm was undeniable, and he expressed his affection through numerous courting gifts. From delicate roses and precious stones to exquisite clothes and even rare animals, Seonghwa spared no expense in showing his devotion.

One scene stood out vividly in your memory. Seonghwa had presented Jiwon with a precious tiara crafted from the finest amethyst after Mist had conquered Eternity. The tiara was breathtaking, its deep purple stone shimmering with a brilliance that captivated everyone who saw it.

But there was more to the amethyst than its beauty. That stone on the tiara was once part of the crown your father wore. It was the one precious stone that symbolised the enduring power and legacy of your family. Seeing it on the tiara was a stark reminder of the fall of Eternity and the painful loss of your kingdom.

In Y/n’s route, however, Seonghwa is no more than a cruel lapdog of Hongjoong. No matter how many times you have tried to court him, he has not once trusted you. Your brows furrowed at the thought of the amount of currencies you have spent to make choices for Seonghwa’s affection level to just go past fifty percent. 

Stupid currency, what a scam. 

“Your highness?” Hongjoong called out, noticing that your attention had swayed from him. His voice, tinged with irritation, cut through your thoughts. He frowned, following your gaze. His jaw tightened when he realised you were staring at Seonghwa, and that his attendant was the one who had distracted you from him.

Hongjoong’s eyes darkened with a mix of annoyance and jealousy. The prince moved swiftly in front of Seonghwa, blocking him from your view. “Your highness,” he repeated, his voice more insistent, drawing your gaze back to him. “May I join you for a cup of tea?”

You blinked, pulling your thoughts away from Seonghwa and back to the prince in front of you. Most of Hongjoong’s flaming red hair was tucked away into the black beret he was wearing, decorated with rubies. His golden eyes peered out at you from under his fringe, and you shook your head, steeling yourself against his intense gaze.

“You’re not welcomed here, Prince of Mist.” You said slowly, each word deliberate and firm. “As I said before, I don’t want to be friends with you, so do not come close to me.”

A sudden chill crept up your spine after you have said those words. You hear one of your maids gasp at your boldness, but you didn’t care. Behind Hongjoong, Seonghwa could feel his anger rising. How can anyone treat his prince like this? He thought, biting the inside of his cheeks while keeping his head low. His fingers twitched as a small cloud of dark mist began to form around it.

No, he couldn’t take this lying down.

But before he could do anything, Hongjoong took a step forward. You straightened your back, your eyes wide with alertness. “May I have a word with you in private, your highness?” Hongjoong asked, his silky voice laced with forced politeness. “Just this once.”

You gripped the hem of your skirt, your gaze shifting from Hongjoong to Seonghwa. After a moment's hesitation, you nodded. “Leave us,” you commanded, and your maids bowed respectfully to Hongjoong before quietly exiting the garden. Hongjoong was only thirteen years old; what danger could he pose? Besides, you recalled that his powers hadn't developed until he was fifteen. Seonghwa gave Hongjoong a long look, before bowing and leaving as well.

There was a moment of silence when the both of you were finally alone. Hongjoong advanced forwards and you tensed up, gripping the arms of your chair tightly. “Do not come closer, Prince of Mist.” You warned, as Hongjoong paused, his expression unreadable. 

"I have a question, your highness," he began, his voice steady but with an underlying chill that seemed to lower the temperature around you. "As far as I am aware, yesterday was our first meeting, correct?" Hongjoong's long fingers toyed with a brooch on his collar. "I do not recall having done anything to warrant your dislike, your highness."

"I simply do not like you, Prince of Mist," you said coldly. For a moment, you thought Hongjoong was about to cry. Pools of liquid gathered in his eyes as he stared at you, but the emotion within them told a different story.

He’s not sad, you realised. 

And then Hongjoong started to laugh. Tears of amusement rolled down his eyes as he grip the back of another chair for support, his laughter reverberating around the garden. You frowned, not understanding which part of the conversation was funny. 

But you sensed something was amiss. Hongjoong breathed heavily, wiping the tears from his face. "You amuse me, my Star," he sighed, his intense gaze sending goosebumps along your skin. "You're the first, my Star."

The first person to see through him, the first person to not fall for his mask, and the first person to so blatantly show dislike towards him. Hongjoong licked his lips, and without warning, he pounced on you, leaning dangerously close. Your mouth opened in a silent scream as Hongjoong placed his hands on either side of you, trapping you in the small space of the chair.

“Let’s get engaged, my Star.” His words sent your eyes widening, shocking you. The Prince of Mist slid down towards the floor, kneeling in front of you. His head laid on your lap, his eyes boring into yours. “Our mothers would be elated at this news, no?”

At the mention of your mother, you finally found your strength back. You kicked Hongjoong off you, standing up so fast that the chair was knocked over. Hongjoong fell backwards onto the floor, his snake-like eyes capturing your attempt to escape from him. 

“If you come close to me, Kim Hongjoong,” your voice was shaking as you pulled a long hairpin out from your long hair, causing it to fall over your shoulders. Pointing the sharp end of the hairpin at Hongjoong, you tried to control the trembles on your arm. “I’ll stab you with this pin. Have I made myself clear?”

Your chest rises and falls quickly as you watch Hongjoong pick himself up, patting off the dust on his clothes. “As you wish, my Star.” He answered, a smirk playing on his lips. You were aware of the possessiveness in his voice, gripping your hairpin tighter. “But this isn’t over yet, my Star.”

When Hongjoong left, your legs finally gave way and you collapsed in relief. When the maids entered, they were surprised to find you sitting on the ground with your hair untied. As they helped you to your feet, you turned to them with a cold expression. 'Not a word to my brothers,' you commanded. 'If my brothers hear anything about the Prince of Mist's meeting with me, be prepared to face the consequences.”

“Yes, your highness.”

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i do not own the dividers nor pictures used in banner. all credit goes to their original owners.

owner of animated / 18+ banner ; owner of floral divider

[sarksarkos]

Supergirl '60: Sometimes You Can Have Nice Things

I had to take some time off from this weird comic blog thingy due to some personal stress. It's fortunate that the next few comics on my to-do list are some genuinely sweet comics about Supergirl, who is one of my favorite characters. Welcome to the gutters!

Yes, sometimes, comics are about people you like having a nice time, and then you read them and go "oh, that's nice. Good for them!" As much as I rib on these comics for their storytelling choices, a lot of the appeal of Superman comics of this era is a sense of honest, good-hearted fun. These aren't life-or-death struggles, they're just characters who enjoy each other's company having a good time.

The Supergirl story from Action Comics #267 is the first encounter between Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes. Like they did with Superboy back when they first appeared, they play a few games with her beforehand, performing a few clandestine feats out of costume and hinting that they know her secret identity.

After a little fun, the Legionnaires reveal themselves as being Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Lad, the three founders of the Legion of Super-Heroes. In the original published version of the story, they identify themselves as the children of the original founders, using Marty McFly logic, but later reprints would change that part of the story. It's an interesting bit of story because they don't retcon it away, they just pretend it never happened.

The Legion invite Supergirl to visit the future with them and see all the wonders of the 30th century. It's meant to be a fully automated utopia where labor is obsolete, but judging by their ice cream technology, our standards of living have taken a nosedive. Only nine flavors in the year 2960? Baskin-Robbins had more than that in 1949! I mean, okay, they're space flavors, and I am interested to see how they gave ice cream the flavor of a planet hot enough to melt lead, but still.

Supergirl and the audience are introduced to Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, and Invisible Kid, three long-time members of the team. The Legion is still very functionalist, with the characters not having much development beyond their unique abilities. In fact, they don't even do anything in this story besides show off their abilities once each. I'm reasonably sure that Colossal Boy is the first superhero with the power to embiggen himself, which would be interesting if he actually did anything with it.

Supergirl passes her super-initiation test by digging a tunnel through the earth, but gets rejected because a lump of Red Kryptonite causes her to age into an adult. That is barely a disqualifying factor for Jury Duty let alone a team of superheroes. Then again, they are kids, and nothing's more sacred than "no adults in the secret club."

I haven't mentioned Red Kryptonite before, because it's the kind of comic book element I dislike. Each lump of Red Kryptonite has a different effect on Kryptonians that are exposed to it. The effects could be anything from shrinking to uncontrolled hair growth to turning into an ant-man. Each effect is temporary and each lump only works once. I'm not fond of it because it's such a naked plot device with no internal logic or consistency. I think Smallville did it best by giving it a standard effect of lowering a Kryptonian's inhibitions, but its more common form has been left in the Silver Age where it belongs.

Nevertheless, Supergirl would go on to join the Legion, in a much better story.

Action Comics #270 gives us the story "Supergirl's Busiest Day," which is exactly what it says on the tin. She does everything a supergirl could possibly get up to. This comic shows Supergirl's impulsive side and her yearning for adventure. Superman was already settling into his persona as Clark Kent, a man with the personality of a display mannequin, but Supergirl was young and vital and wanted to be out saving the world and having adventures.

This day, while Superman is off on a space adventure, Supergirl is responsible for the safety of the earth and all her friends. And my god, her friends just cannot stay saved. Krypto goes off on a walkabout in space and gets trapped by an alien dog catcher. Atlantis is under attack by an evil merman with a magic trident. Batman and Robin have a cave-in and are slowly running out of oxygen. Supergirl has to handle all of that while keeping her existence a secret, and by the end even she's getting exhausted.

Once Supergirl comes back to Earth, he calls Supergirl to the Fortress of Solitude, and the poor girl is worried that after all her hard work she's going to get super-grounded. But nope, it turns out that everyone in the comic was taking part in a big show to give her a day of adventure, and why? Because it's her birthday! Everyone gets together to have a big party with a statue and super-gifts and a cake the size of a small car.

This is the kind of twist that these comics use, like, every other issue or so. The protagonist goes through a series of bizarre events, and it's revealed that it was just a big hoax set up by somebody - usually Superman - without their knowledge. Sometimes and it's all a big laugh at their expense, or some kind of patronizing attempt to keep them out of the loop, or a complicated rigamarole to avoid a ten-minute conversation. This story works for me because it's a twist on the twist. They're not trying to prank Supergirl or hide important information from her, they're going to great lengths to make her feel celebrated. It's still an improbable amount of effort and a flimsy excuse for a narrative payoff, but it leaves a better taste in my mouth so I'm willing to cut it some slack for that.

Until next time!

[betty-fran]

While talking to N recently about Star Trek (all my recent chatting leads to this, and I'm pretty sure my sister hates it), we got caught up in the topic of utopianism and how it's depicted in TOS, which got me thinking about a couple of things, so it's a little not-really-quality-near-philosophical rambling...

We tend to perceive the idea of ​​utopia as that promised land, that ultimate outcome to which humanity should strive, the pure creation that is opposed to the absolute destruction of dystopia. But in our multi-tonal, ambiguous, contradictory world, where change is the only constant and where the constancy of laws is only an attempt to resist the chaos of entropy, this forever remains in the realm of the impossible, and utopian becomes a household word for naive, idealistic dreams, completely disconnected from reality. And in this perception, in my opinion, we lose the most important idea that the concept of utopia carries, and which completely changes the angle of its perception and attitude towards it. Utopia is not an ultimate outcome, but a striving towards it. Not the destination, but the journey itself. The path that we can choose. We'll never reach this abstract ideal world, because it contradicts existence itself, but we can try to become better and kinder ourselves.

And that's the utopianism of the original Star Trek. The 23rd century we're shown (obviously) isn't perfect, but it's striving for it. TOS, and this is probably the most accurate comparison I've found for myself, is a kind of message in a bottle left to us by Roddenberry. It tells us not "this is what the ideal future should be like," but "this is what the path to it should be like." And there is a noticeable difference between these two things.

The very structure of the plot in TOS, its similarity to the Odyssey in this journey lost in time and space (and emphasized isolated in it), makes it almost mythological. This is read in how the Enterprise, making its way through deep space, like that bottle with a message, carries within itself all the best that humanity is, but in a certain way, separates itself from the rest of the world. And this brings me back to thoughts that the 23rd century's reality that we are shown (obviously) isn't perfect, and that a (quite unconventional) captain like Kirk, as well as his (no less unconventional) entire crew, is still more of an exception than a rule there. Contrary to my expectations (largely dictated by what I've seen about him before), TOS Kirk as a character is generally very far from this idea of ​​Starfleet's golden boy and the model captain. That's what you could say about Pike, but Kirk, while obviously a good captain, is much more of a pirate than a soldier. In general, they are both, Kirk and Spock are not portrayed as people who truly fit into the environment in which they were raised. And although this is more logically explained in Spock, who has objective difficulties with (not) belonging to both of his heritages and is constantly in a state of in-between, it is in Kirk that it's especially feeling, in his, let's say, absolute impossibility of being not himself in the full (rather theatrical) manifestation of this, being inscribed in any specific normative role, which is noticeable both in his gender ambivalence/personal flexibility/amazing ability to change and in his frank discomfort with any roles that restrict his deeply personal freedom, and strangely enough, his integrity as a character is most fully expressed precisely in this chameleon-like versatility.

It was in @anghraine 's post about Kirk's queerness : "This is not only a vision of the future in general. It's a vision of the future that is decidedly imperfect but better enough to produce someone like this as a starship captain." and it very aptly and succinctly captures the very essence of what TOS is, and it really stuck in my head. Both K and S face some non-acceptance and rejection from others throughout the series, and they both have this "I only belong here on the bridge next to my people" mentality, not so much because it's their professional choice, but because it's really the only place where they can be themselves most fully, which feels like a certain conflict with the outside world (not that Vulcans or most Starfleet members are really particularly unorthodox), but at the same time, they can both exist in this space as they are, and be able to influence changes and try to make the world a little better, more open, more just, and less restricted. And importantly, while they are undoubtedly not-like-anyone different, they are not really forced to change themselves in TOS.

And this was, in my opinion, completely lost in the sequel films (which gave rise to both subsequent Kirk drift, and the general gradual moving away from utopianism and the emergence of Section 31), and which after TOS feel like a grounding, giving me a rather joyless feeling of longing for a lost dream, and where all the characters, and especially Kirk, try to fit into some much more socially acceptable, normative roles, thus seemingly reinforcing this concept of returning from heaven to earth, that they as they were in TOS cannot fit into this environment, this bitter understanding that there are things that will never be acceptable and understandable in society, there are parts of you that you have to lose, hide to survive in the real world, and it's all leaving TOS behind as a long-forgotten dream, a stolen moment of fullness of being. It feels less like the still imperfect, but moving towards it, reality of the original series, and more like the not-at-all-utopian side of 80s/familiar present. And while the films themselves are good, and have their own very special (a little bit sad-painful) charm, they completely contradict TOS in something very important to me personally, which makes me look at these things absolutely separately from each other (N and I are in the process of watching films now, and it gives us both mixed feelings). Even if we read this as an attempt to show the transition from youth to maturity, this inevitability of growing up-aging in which you must necessarily change, lose something visceral about yourself, and instead take on some socially acceptable role, I find this a rather outdated and not very healthy concept, because normal growing up-aging is not about losing yourself at all, but about returning to your true self, and taking into account everything that was shown to us in TOS, psychological changes that have occurred in characters in films are quite sad, and I really want to ask what happened during that time that made this possible? (envy of Star Wars' success and the lust for money, obviously, but that's another story).

In any case, I find that I discovered TOS somehow very timely for myself, and although I often see how TOS is perceived as a non-serious, pretty awkward, funny thing, I find it surprisingly meaningful, and for me, it's objectively a much more interesting thing to reflect on, and a much more important thing to take into the future.

Maybe it's all Roddenberry's spirit whispering in my ear that I should get back into filmmaking (and finally finish my deferred master's degree) so that one day I can reshoot this story.

[elbiotipo]

Finally read All Tomorrows last night and I know why people recommended it to me all the time, it was a very interesting piece of *biopunk* speculative evolution with a fascinating overarching story. It was also a breeze to read, I expected it would be long and a bit tiring (like Man After Man) but no, it was very illustrated and in fact it left you hungry for a bit more, I love the way it lets you fill in the gaps.

Of course, like always, it falls in the same old trope that biotechnology = bad and gross. It doesn't fall straight into saying biotechnology is evil, but the element of body horror is very, very, very much present in all the book. The fact that being warped into abominations is shown as the big event of human evolution reminds me of Man After Man, where "human evolution" doesn't occur "naturally" or as a result of, well, human selection, but as a result of a higher power messing with humans. All those strange beings we see in the book were not the ultimate result of environmental pressures, "artificial" selection or people bioengineering themselves. They were the result of fucked-up eldritch beings who wanted to make fucked-up humans. Which is kind of dissapointing if you are looking for a book that actually talks about future human evolution.

Which brings me to a discussion of the future of human evolution. Because, obviously, humans are evolving today. But I don't think we can see the real effect of biological evolution in the timescale we are managing as current humans. From a quick search, there have been only 500 generations since the arrival of agriculture and thus of all recorded or remembered history as we know it. That's not nearly enough biological time to see any major changes. Yes, there have been changes. And the development of human intelligence and brain size was quick and monumental, with many things we still don't really understand (like the origin of language and abstract thought). But do notice that the body plan of a modern human does not radically depart from Homo erectus, 2 million years ago.

Some authors like Olaf Stapledon (one of the great grandfathers of science fiction) in Last and First Men (which could be considered the 1930s version of All Tomorrows, in fact All Tomorrows to me is the modern Last and First Men) thought that we would continue to have evolutive pressures like natural selection and our species will continue evolving over millions of years. This is true as all species are still evolving including us, but in just a few decades we have discovered genetic engineering, and it won't be too long before, somehow, it is used in the path of our evolution. All Tomorrows of course talks about this with the Star People and later the Asteromorphs, but I believe it leaves out the prospect of humans guiding their own evolution for the (admitedly interesting) plot twist of the Qu changing them themselves.

What would have happened (or rather, what WILL happen) if humans are left to evolve by themselves? I'm sure that we will find somewhen. And I think that cosmetic genetic modification will be part of it, which is why I personally found the depiction of the Star People so boring. Now, I don't think every human will genetically modify themselves into supermodels, for starters, our parameters of attractiveness are based on culture and material conditions, and people will always seek variety, but I do think "sexual selection" would be a major part of human evolution, and that some forms like the Star People, as practical(?) as they are, just don't have the appeal. The utopia of the Star People should have been just as interesting as the dystopia of the Qu, with people experimenting new ways to adapt their bodies and self expression. Not to mention people adapting to the many strange environments of space by themselves (an old sci-fi trope). And of course, there would always be humans who don't want any of that, preferring to stay as they are, or return as they were. None, none of the Asteromorphs desired that at all?

Even in my own biopunk setting, however, the future of human evolution is something I only can see as far as a couple centuries on the future. Anything more than that, with the infinite possibilities of genetic engineering, makes me dizzy to contemplate. So I think All Tomorrows, for daring to do this billions of years in the future, is an amazing book.

[parsleysagerosemarytimemachine]

Go watch The Wheel of Time

So yeah, there's this TV show... season 3 of the Wheel of Time is going to start airing soon (March 13th, looks like), which means there's just enough time to get caught up on the first two seasons and come in for this one. If you're following me here, I think you'd really enjoy it - epic fantasy, queer normative characters, cool magic women, loyal swordsmen, complex politics, thoughtful worldbuilding, etc etc...

My other pitch for you is that if you like what Andor is doing for Star Wars, you'll probably really appreciate what this adaptation is doing for the story too. In the same way that Andor takes all the building blocks and puts together something new, the Wheel of Time is taking the material that the books gave, and building something for our fantasy present. I won't say that you should read 15 fantasy doorstoppers plus ancillary material (because that would be unkind) before watching the show, but I'll try to give a bit of context here to also explain why I think the show is worth it.

The thing to understand is that the Wheel of Time was part of the 90s high fantasy boom (book 1 literally published January of 1990), and followed/set the tone for a lot of imitators and descendants - a prophesied chosen one has to save the fantasy world from an all-consuming evil that only he can defeat. But the author (Robert Jordan) also does a lot of interesting things over the course of the series that weren't as replicated - a broad cast of characters who also get to take the spotlight, a lot of women with important roles in both the narrative and the world, complicated romantic situations (which _mostly_ took a backseat to heterosexual pairings, but were acknowledged to exist and be just fine, which was quite a thing for the 90s) and the length of the series allowed him to indulge in details of general worldbuilding such as fashion and clothing design (which exploded in cosplay), politics (both political maneuverings, and letting cultures and people expand beyond one-note country-of-hats), a complicated cast of villains and antagonists (not always the same thing) and history (where it's gradually revealed that the fantasy land is a fallen utopia, but also one with hundreds of years of intervening history as people keep living).

Now, would I recommend you rush out and read the books? As a very biased commentator, I still have to say it's very much of a time - there's some unexamined prejudices, there's some things that other authors have done better since, there's some books in the middle where the expanse of the plot started to get away from him (700 pages of not much happening; the book where one of the main trio of characters doesn't show up at all; the fact that he died before finishing it when mortality caught up with him) - but there's definitely enough interesting material that I still think fondly of the bones of it, and was excited to see what a TV show could make of it.

And one of the best decisions they made was to update it as they went - a key part of the story is that the world repeats, that time is a wheel and everything that has happened will happen again, and so this series is cast as another turning of the Wheel. They are making a show faithful to the spirit of the books, without feeling bound to imitate them. (This is, as you might expect, controversial in the fandom, but I'm very much of the camp that it's for the best.)

One of the first and most obvious changes happens right away. Where the books present the story from the viewpoint of the chosen hero discovering the mysteries of the wider world and the destiny thrust upon them; the show opens up from Moiraine's viewpoint instead - an elegant lady wizard and her faithful swordsman have come seeking a child of prophecy, and finds an embarrassment of riches; this remote village actually has _five_ young adults who might fit the bill (another good decision - adding three or four years to everyone for television, to put them firmly in the early-20s category so they can have more complicated and messy relationship drama rather than 'first love' awkwardness). When evil monsters attack, she defends the town with her magic (it looks so cool on screen!) and then spirits them all away for a tour of the world as she tries to figure out how to get them to save it.

So yeah, one of the first things it does is say 'sure this a story about saving the world - why don't we look at this through the knowledgeable and connected woman trying to balance the fate of the world with respecting the personhood of a young idiot (or 5, in this case), rather than the naive hero figuring themself out?' We get an early and important introduction to ideas that will come up throughout the books - that saving the world is a good goal, but there's going to be a lot of tough choices along the way. (Also fun to see from the inside as Moiraine plays the game of telling them 'don't worry, I magically can't lie to you' and then proceeds to mislead all of everyone anyway.) We also get so much more information about the White Tower (the woman-only wizard school, to be reductive), which is great because the White Tower and what happens there is so central to the eventual overall plot, but is only first seen or explained in the middle of book two.

Also, putting us in Moiraine's view lets all five get more equal footing, a thing that becomes more important as the book continues and it's apparent that they're all basically co-protagonists. Three boys, two girls, all with their own things going on, and all eventually critical to the fate of the world - so it's good to not bias us towards one hero to begin with, when one of the points Jordan works around to is that there _can't_ be just one prophesied hero; you need the power of friendship and political networking to stop ultimate evil.

Another good choice for TV is emphasizing a thing that Jordan tried to write (with varying degrees of success), that a world is going to have all sorts of people in it. The casting is pretty good about getting a bunch of non-white people on screen, both in major roles and as background actors. My queer heart is also warmed by the fact that, by aging up the characters a bit, they also get to show us a lot of non-normative sexuality as normal for their world. The world is just casually bi and also casually poly - a woman with two male lovers is unexceptional, two of our heroic boys think nothing of the implication that they might be dating, and Moiraine, our primary viewpoint, has an intense on-screen sapphic relationship with her boss. The advance screening of the first episode of season 3 confirms two of the chosen hero's eventual three wives are enthusiastically boning - before he's in the romantic picture, even; this was all alluded to in Jordan's original writing, but needed much more teasing out - here they've made sure to show it to you unmistakably on screen.

And then there's the villains. The Dark One has a variety of evil minions, the most powerful of which have been trapped outside of time since the Age of Legends. Back then, they had a variety of complicated relationships with the chosen hero who eventually defeated them, and they're not going to give that up just because it's been an age of the wheel and he's been reincarnated as someone who doesn't know them at all. The first seasons introduce us to the philosophical nihilist and the yandere stalker ex-girlfriend, and they're both fascinating as powerful manipulators and antagonists, but the end of S02 has freed the rest of them and I can't wait to see how it all plays out - I think if you're the only person in the world who remembers the existence of social media, maybe you're a bit justified in burning it all down rather than let that come back again? But also we're already seeing that it's not just that evil defeats itself - evil will actively fight and scheme against each other for tiny advantages and petty slights, and that's going to get more pronounced with more of them on screen. Plus they get cool evil outfits as fashionable people from another time.

So yeah, this is my pitch - go watch the Wheel of Time. It's on Amazon, so you know, find it where-ever. There's 16 episodes so far, with 8 coming up, and it's extremely welcoming to newcomers - I hope I've given you a bit of hope that it stands up with the best genre TV airing right now. And I'd love to talk to you about it!

[dana-chan-the-control-brain]

What are your favourite TSAMS AUs?

I love @emhm It really takes advantage of the Multiverse in a way I haven't seen done in many tsams fics before. Mainly because it's not restricted by the limitations of VRchat. So they cane get really wild with dimensional travel.

Like... Cringe Moon is an Alicorn and Cringe Solar is a transformer car and they are dating? .....Sure! why not!

Solar's Moon dies and his body is repurposed as a factory default Moon and is given as a gift to the Lonely Sun who was built without a Moon?

Ruin in EMHM is an entirely different character then Tsams Ruin and he's just......... Insane? He just wants to put on a show and torture and harm everyone in the process for complete control... maybe due to the lack of control he felt in his home dimension when his control was taken from him? ......Sure, why not!

Servant Sun and Lord Eclipse in EMHM are an iconic duo. Realizing their feelings really recently and are in a committed relationship. But overall live in a utopia with little problems. The Lord struggling with his own mental health and slowly starting to realize the pull and help he can be for Suns and Eclipses that suffer in the multiverse. Also discovering that in Lord Eclipse's Dimension, the Original Sun and Moon were FAR more hostile to him then even the Prime Dimension... which is why Lord is the way he is.

It takes advantage of Dimensions not being One for one copies of eachother that I just really appreciate.

Just be sure of the ratings. Because there is one chapter that is very non-consensual oral, but every other nsfw parts are consensual. And the tag "poorly justified robot sex" is there for a reason lol.

I just like all the different takes on different Suns and Eclipses through the multiverse.

It has a very large ensemble cast and it never feels too big to me. It puts the focus on exactly what they want to, and when the plot points converge it's very satisfying.

I also really love @kuuchaos Backstage Au. It is definitely a "four main characters" fic, but it keeps it very condensed and focused on the inner thoughts of the characters.

Because it REALLY picks apart Nexus's trauma and the hypocrisy of the family in a way that is lacking for me in canon tsams. (Just due to the nature of VR and having things explained to you rather then them actually happening. NMoon was imprisoned, treated like a criminal, shocked and violated before he actually did anything wrong and I will never that that go. I still like tsams as it is, but this will be something I will scream and yell at clouds for years to come to anyone who listens lol)

Also I am damn weak for SolarMoon you know me.

While "SolarNexus" is nice. I often miss the softness that came with New Moon.

Chill says "Why not both" XD

Nexus has his trauma and his family definitely left their scars. As well as the NSP that got extracted from him. Nexus is a changed person, but he still has that venerable soft side that I loved about NMoon as a character so much. If anything, Nexus is far softer because of his trauma and experiences and the personality disorders that developed due to how everything happened.

I absolutely love their softer take on Nexus.

I also like their take on Sunset. (darksun. I swear I prefer the name Sunset and I wish it was the default, because that's what a Dark Sun IS... the Sun setting. It's perfect)

Sunset is written as a canonical sociopath, but you can tell he has a weird fondness for Nexus. As his plans around him keep changing. He used him and manipulated him, obviously. But he keeps Nexus around just as a curiosity. Nexus is like a Moon he let in his home. He almost sees having Nexus around the same novelty as being an Exotic Pet owner and it's fascinating to me and I can't wait to see how Sunset develops throughout this thing.

I also read other fics. But I'm way behind but those are like the main two I am the most confident about.

[inthemaelstrom]

So we're about six weeks out from another "most important election of my lifetime" and it's predictably making me literally sick to my stomach. When Trumpacabra got elected in 2016, I threw myself into politics in a way I never had in my lifetime and it almost wrecked me. I was one of those people who never voted for religious reasons (long, separate story) and I felt I had to make up for lost time. By the time 2020 rolled around, I was an unhealthy mess. I had stopped reading. Everything. When I wasn't watching MSNBC and political commentators obsessively, I started consuming absolute junk TV: home improvement shows, crack paranormal ghost hunter crap, etc. Things with no plot, no emotional investment, no danger. No fear.

Right before the 2020 election, old fanfic friends from my days in the Master and Apprentice Star Wars listserv found me and saved me.

They dragged me back into fandom, introduced me to Discord, and got me writing again. I updated a story I hadn't touched in 5 years. I made new friends online and in RL. I got some great fiction and fic recs from those friends and discovered a subgenre called Hopepunk—low stakes fiction with very little if any violence and fear and with happy endings. (Becky Chambers writes a lot of what I read, and Amy Crook has also become a favorite.)

One morning, I had one of those really vivid, realistic, linear plot dreams that literally dragged me out of bed to the keyboard. It was a meet-cute modern au of The Phantom Menace's characters, set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I cranked out about 2000 words the first day. Then another 2000. Then another 2000. Then another 2000. And so on every damn day for the next four years until I had four novels, about 668k words, several timestamps written by three other collaborators who've come on board, some beautiful art I've been allowed to use, and now a fifth book in the works.

This is the Yooperverse.

It's not just The Fic That Saved Me, it's the place where I'm writing a vision of what the world could be like into being. A place where people with fucking obscene amounts of money don't spend it on themselves, or hoard it, or exploit other people to get more, but use it to help other people. It's a place where people who are bigoted dicks either get their comeuppance and crawl back under their rocks, or learn better and do better. It's a place where abused kids get rescued, everybody gets therapy and healthcare and is paid a living wage, people learn to value themselves and each other, and protect each other and defend each other. It's kinky and queer (although I'm neither) and above all, if not entirely safe to be both, I'm trying to write both things as just being another setting on the dryer. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It's not a utopia, by any means, because there are still assholes and the government is still ... the government, and capitalism is still a thing. There's some danger, especially in the first book, and there are accidents and illnesses and the vagaries of life. In the middle of the series, I had spinal surgery and was out of commission for a few months and that made me start thinking more about my main character dealing with aging and the limitations thereof. There's a LOT of mental health issues and the working through thereof, and a lot of ongoing process. Nobody's perfect. The world outside is still pretty much what it is. But in the little corners where my characters dwell, life is pretty dang good, sometimes great.

It's a vision of a life we all deserve. It's the thing I loved about Star Trek's universe, where people's basic needs are cared for and the obstacles to them developing their best selves removed. It's what I've loved about science fiction in general, especially Ursula LeGuin's: that opportunity to explore possibilities that are better than the present. It's modeled on the MacArthur Genius grants, but you don't have to prove your worthiness first. My main character invests in people's potential, young or old, with scholarships and grants and a steadying hand. His partner builds low or no-cost housing for people in need. There's an informal network of queer and straight kid rescuing going on under the noses of unfriendly governments and failed social service safety nets. The main characters build refuges, literal and emotional. They love each other fiercely and respectfully.

Right now, we're living in a country that is almost the antithesis of these ideas, for far too many of us. People are being manipulated by their fears, which are stoked by unscrupulous, lying shitbag politicians whose all too real evil would never make it past the pitch if you were going to try to sell it as a TV show or movie. They're consciously turning us on each other with lies about our common humanity, about the state of our country, about who and what's responsible for many of its faults, sewing suspicion and hate. And though the Yooperverse started as my personal comfort fic, I'm trying in my very small way to counteract what's happening in the world right now.

I've always believed in the power of story to change people's minds and lives, and I've experienced it myself. When I talk about story, I don't just mean fiction, though. I mean the narratives we tell ourselves and others about our own lives as a whole and day by day or moment by moment. I mean the stories we tell about each other when we're together, at the bar, at wakes, at a party. I mean the stories we invest in as fans in whatever kind of media we consume. I mean the stories we spin for ourselves and others to explain what the everloving fuck is wrong with the world.

Stories aren't separate from the world, they are the world. They tell it into being. They give it shape and purpose and meaning and a sense of possibility. Whatever stories we tell ourselves or each other about how things should be or how we should act as human beings (also called our "beliefs" or "morals" or "ethics"), they shape us, and we shape society. We are society, both together and as individuals. One person with a big voice and a story can tip a mass of people into either violence or solidarity.

I have no illusions that the Yooperverse will ever have that kind of power. It has a tiny audience on AO3 and Discord and it's mostly written for me to explore the things I feel deeply about, and wish I could do, and to teach myself to be a better person and live up to my own ideals. It's a world I'd like to manifest, to call into being, even in a small way. Even if it's just a story.

[mobumi]

Can I ask your top 10 fav fics ever (from any fandom, if you don't mind)?

Also, just curious, is there a story behind your name "mobumi "?

Hi thank you for the ask! :) My url is really random haha i wanted something with megumi in it but ran out of ideas and just combined Mob and Megumi who are two of my favorite characters!

I don't really have a top 10 of my fav fics. You see, i'm more of a writer than a reader and ever since i've started reading fanfictions, i've never really added them to my favorites so I can go back to them whenever I wanted to. Also, i haven't been on AO3 for that long and i forget so many times to bookmark the fics i like, but I'm really trying to change that. So yeah it's really difficult for me to tell you what are my 10 favorite fics ever :/

But there are a few that i bookmarked or found on my history, so at least here are the fics that i really liked to read recently:

Brother, I'm Not Homophobic, But I Don't Like Your Boyfriend by TheChaoticAce (JJK) - Funny and cute, i loved it so much!

Utopia by heartnoace (Ace of Diamond) - A rare pair with a very interesting plot, very creative, loved it!

along for the ride by capncrunchy (JJK) - So good, but haven't finished it yet

laundry and taxes by HamsterQinghua (JJK) - Everything everywhere all at one with itafushi and satosugu :)

Through the Lens by Talon9506 (Link Click) - So sweet, i love these kinds of fics!

Two Dads by Mel_Fushiguro (JJK) - This one was so funny!!

a bento for dr. kageyama by zukushou (Haikyuu!!) - I was grinning like an idiot reading this, i really enjoyed it!

Stay out of the Rain by Midotaka16 (One Piece) - Cuteness overload!!

Duty by hqnako_tsuki (One Piece) - Nice to read, cute zolu

Flattery Or An Insult by last_train_home (Ace of Diamond) - Another rare pair, but very cute even though my favorite ship is miyusawa :3

[bookwyrminspiration]

i've only read 2 volumes but i'm calling it now the morality and consequences of killing people in order to create a "utopia" is a side plot death note is actually about two guys playing increasingly fucked up 8d mind chess just to see who'd win

[coraniaid]

1, 11, 12, and 13 for the questions prompts? :)

1) What's your favorite book?

Um. Okay, this probably changes every time I'm asked, partly because I don't really reread fiction anymore: there's always something new to read instead. But I have very fond memories of Mary Gentle's ASH: A Secret History (which is technically one book, although it wasn't published that way in North America, probably because it's .... over 1100 pages). It (deservedly) won the BSFA Award for Best Novel and the Sidewise Award for Alternate History in 2000, but it doesn't seem to have been remembered much by history (which is ... sort of ironic, given the theme of the book, but largely just a shame).

It's about a fictional [Or Is She?] mercenary commander called Ash who lived in western Europe in the late 15th century, whose story is framed as a translation of a previously lost manuscript which has been discovered by an academic historian. We occasionally cut away from the 'translation' back to the present, where the historian is exchanging emails about the book with his editor. Attempting to describe the actual plot in any way would either be misleading or involve serious spoilers, but I think it's very good and worth reading. (Breaking it into four separate books, which the North American publication did, is a huge disservice to the author: you do not know where the story is going a quarter of the way through.)

11) What's a book you hate passionately?

Of things I've read recently: I really did not enjoy Ruthanna Emrys's A Half-Built Garden. It's not a genre I particularly like -- solarpunk, hopepunk, honestly I've never been sure what the difference is -- but a few people I usually trust about these things told me it wasn't like most other works in that genre. And, well, it's not. It's much much worse.

Politically asinine (I mean, I said it was hopepunk, so that's kind of a given, but this is very much one of those SF novels that presents a particularly nightmarish and thankfully unworkable future dystopian society, has the narrator smugly talk about it as though it were a utopia, just like they would if they'd grown up there, but gradually ... to your dawning horror ... you realise the author uncritically agrees with the narrator), historically ignorant (several characters give serious consideration to the idea that "maybe there wouldn't be so many wars if society was run by women with children", a take that would no doubt come as a shock to Catherine the Great and Indira Gandhi and Margaret Thatcher and ... to be fair I am paraphrasing from memory here but I don't think I'm paraphrasing very much), breathtakingly parochial (aliens make first contact with Earth, and -- to make sure they get a fair sample of all of Earth's different cultures and political traditions -- they select three different groups of humans to bring back to their home world; all three groups are (culturally) USAmerican, and two of the groups live within a hundred miles of each other) and most annoyingly of all just insufferably boring throughout. Probably the worst thing I've read this decade, certainly the worst thing I've forced myself to complete.

12) What's a trope you love?

The slightly snobbish answer to this question is that while I recognize tropes are useful in fanfiction, where I'm already familiar with the setting and the characters and I mostly want a hint of where the plot is going to go before I start reading, I find the whole TVTropes style approach to cataloguing fiction this way kind of off-putting. That -- although I can understand why market forces lead to it happening -- it's always kind of baffling to see explicit references to tropes on published, original fiction. Shouldn't establishing the characters as people I care about come first? Shouldn't you introduce me to the world you've created and set up the fundamental tensions you want to explore? Aren't there are any deeper themes or metaphors or allegories you'd like to me to think about? Isn't part of the fun of the plot not knowing where it's going in advance?

The less snobbish (and fundamentally no less honest) answer is that you can't really go wrong with enemies to lovers, as long as they're gay and there are at least two heartbreaking betrayals and at least one of them is an agent for a totalitarian imperial power (ideally but not exclusively In Space).

13) What's a trope you hate?

Not a trope as such but a particular trope name: I do live in some small but real fear that one day the AO3 definition of 'gay panic' will break containment and start appearing on the blurbs of actual books

Oh, and I hate the "smart people play chess" trope for multiple reasons. FIrst, as somebody who actually did play chess at a reasonably competitive level for a few years, I can promise you that people who are good at chess aren't particularly smart (assuming that the notion of 'intelligence' beyond very specific problem solving domains is a usefully quantifiable idea to begin with, which it isn't). Second, the way chess is depicted in fiction is ... uh, not good (if the character you've established as a chess prodigy smugly says 'check' and is then stunned by the fact that their opponent's very next move is to deliver checkmate, I can only conclude you don't know the first thing about chess; being able to look ahead literally one move is not a high bar to climb). But most of all, it's just ... really boring? Especially when fantasy novels introduce thinly-disguised chess variants in worlds that are supposed to be different to ours. At least make your brilliant tactical mastermind good at a game like backgammon or duplicate bridge or go or Starcraft or Pokemon or something. Not that those are any better as benchmarks for 'intelligence', but I'd at least get to see something a bit different.