#Also I'm pretty sure I shared this story in another post but why am I worried about that?

[oneatlatime]

The Tales of Ba Sing Se PART 1

Once upon a time in Ba Sing Se, the Gaang got Appa back. The end. Please?

This title sounds rather expositiony, but last episode was already a plot/exposition dump, and a rather dark one at that. So who knows? Not me.

Sokka hun I think you're supposed to shave with a blade slightly less substantial than that.

I am fascinated by the hair loopies. I always thought that they were braided in, but they clip in. Does she have a magnet in her braid that they clip in to? A lego type system?

CAT

Toph's morning routine is uncomfortably close to mine.

I know Toph likes being slobby to stick it to the man, but wouldn't it also help with her spatial awareness if she's always sporting a healthy coating of earth? Maybe she can sense where her limbs are better or something?

"Spa day!" "Do I have to?" UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE GUYS.

That has got to be torture. How would you like a pumice stone to the eyeballs?

Now THAT'S a healthy coating of earth.

You're not usually into that stuff? You got dolled up last episode.

Are there voice acting awards? Because whoever voiced these guys needs one. I have never in my life heard such perfectly distilled middle school clique bitch impression.

That's cathartic.

Katara's smothering/mothering tendencies usually annoy me, but it's a good thing those means girls happened when Katara was around, because this calls for serious hugs. I almost want to say that it's out of character to see Toph not be 100% sure of herself, but I think it adds character instead.

Do you think anyone's ever told Toph before that she's really pretty? Ever?

That's a good hug.

Is this short stories? Like an anthology? TALES of Ba Sing Se. Like day in the life? Ok. I'm going to break this up for ease of reading/writing.

The Tale of Iroh

If Iroh hadn't distinguished himself by making the best tea in the city, he would have come to everyone's attention anyway by single handedly fixing everyone's personal problems.

Bending soccer. Why didn't I think of that?

His voice is funny in this scene. Also isn't honour a fire nation thing?

One of my absolute favourite things about Iroh is that his philosophical side is always balanced out by a practical side. He's always philosophising but he's also always grounded. Sometimes hightailing it is what needs doing. Sometimes your sister is crazy and needs to go down.

You know you're bad at crime when your poor stance actually offends the guy you're mugging.

I also like how Iroh really doesn't moralise. He'll teach this guy what conditions the moonflower likes; he'll teach this guy how to mug better. Knowledge is for sharing, no judgment attached!

Random mugger speedruns Zuko's arc.

So pretty. It's been a while since there's been good pretty.

oh shit

ok

Now I have questions!

The Tale of Aang

Writers take note: You see this sad face? You see what you've done to my boy? You can reverse it with one simple trick! GIVE HIM APPA BACK.

I love this. Can't help Appa, so Aang helps every other animal in Ba Sing Se instead.

I want to know what this is. Monkey panther?

I didn't realise until now how tall platypus bears were.

CABBAGE GUY! HI!

Actual dragonflies. Punny.

I love these. My nomination for cutest atla animal.

I hope that wasn't required agricultural land. Should have put the zoo near the drill instead. That land already looked close to salted.

This was some Toph level bending. Love to see Aang's skills progress.

Turtle seal's got competition for cutest animal.

Just call this portion the petting zoo and it's a win.

The Tale of Sokka

Something I don't talk about enough is Sokka's supernatural skill with that boomerang. The realistic explanation is that he's spent every spare minute since receiving it honing his skills by chucking it at random piles of snow, but I like to think he's a boomerang bender. Actually wouldn't boomerang bending be a manifestation of latent airbending tendencies?

I make this face at lasagne.

I may have to make another Sokka's Stupid Faces post.

There is nothing oaflike about falling out of a window and into a Haiku. He was even polite about it!

Somebody introduce Sokka to flyting.

Forget about being a warrior, Aang needs to end this war yesterday so that Sokka can go be a poet. Warrior poet. He's way too creative to waste on cannon fodder.

Poetry bouncer. The longer I think about that the funnier it gets.

Betrayed by hubris.

A Poetry bouncer. Who comes up with this stuff? How do you come up with that? I keep thinking about a poetry bouncer and I keep giggling.

I'm breaking this post here as I'm reaching the image limit. Part 2 coming immediately!

[sanctus-ingenium]

I'd looove to hear a little about your worldbuilding process if you don't mind sharing. How do you go about it? I know you have shared in a few posts already but just wanna know moree. Also where did it all begin? What inspired you? (eating it all uppp!!!)

hi!! I know I wrote a big long thing like last year or the year before about the process to making a setting but I cannot be arsed to find it rn so here's some disconnected thoughts

Overall I don't really make Headworlds or Worldbuilding Projects the way a lot of people do (which is why u keep hearing me say 'setting' over and over) because mainly what I make are stories in the order of characters -> plot -> world. those three things have to serve one another in that order of importance, so the world itself bends to serve the narrative. for example, ultimately idgaf where the holy beasts' skeletons come from, that is not important because the beasts are basically just a big plot device to serve the story. i can make some post-hoc justifications for their existence (and i did) but at the end of the day it will not and does not matter how they work or where they come from. the world is full of mysteries that will never be solved because the characters are not in a position to solve them. aside from a single border conflict, the world outside the mezian empire is nebulous and unimportant.

I don't enjoy working in a world -> narrative order because what I want to produce isn't just a series of info posts or artpieces about a setting, but a closed and self-contained story which is the justification for the entire world's existence. Headworlds that are all world and no character don't interest me.

So basically in the process of worldbuilding, I have to serve the story. A while back I made a post about continental history around Inver, all these wars and occupations and schisms and so on. All of those exist solely to provide a particular political climate, justification for Aquitan's theocratic structure, and the spread of the southern church north into Inver. I already had the idea of this church, that it would be integral to the country as a main political faction, so now I have to figure out how it got there and the political ramifications of that. It's all worldbuilding for sure, but it's a support structure underneath the story about how that church eventually changes world history, because i wanted to write a story about a church lol.

I guess if I wanted to explain The Process for a world -> characters setting i'd just be giving you How To Write A Story 101 lol. But basically: I think of a concept which interests me (big mechs yay). Then I think of a conflict that might arise (where does the fuel come from? who controls that supply? what might that do to the concentration of power in this area?). Then I put a character in what I consider to be the most interesting position to observe the effects of this conflict (a knight, an enginesmith, an exile), and honestly the main plot generally writes itself after that. I extrapolate the hook from that.

In terms of characters, I try to avoid calling them 'ocs' because in my mind 'oc' tends to be a very static stand-alone thing. Like I couldn't make a useful ref sheet of my characters because they are all changed by the story. I couldn't say 'he has a carefree personality' because in a few chapters no he fucking won't. in the same way i struggle a LOT to talk about my Siren setting which as close to a specbio 'headworld' as i'm ever gonna get, because I am worldbuilding in vastly different time periods at once in a world which is always changing, i can't make a post about for example a map of Siren because that's just a map from one era, I'd need to make a dozen maps to show how things change, how time affects it all, etc.

Because nothing is ever static and everything is in flux, pretty much the only way I can handle a setting like this is, again, just to focus on a few small stories centered around a cast of characters separated by time (i have... 4 distinct stories in Siren. maybe more). this is actually a frustrating barrier to me sharing any information at all about this place lol i'm the struggler

Where did it all begin? When I was 11 I used to write stories in my copybooks in class. There has never been a time where I was not making stories and where my stories were not the only important thing at all to me, superseding literally everything else. I learned how to draw digitally in 2011 because I wanted to draw my characters.

What inspires me? Everything lol. I actually don't have time to Consume Media much, I struggle watching movies or tv and I mostly hate video games because I would much rather be productive and sitting and watching a screen feels like a waste of my time. but I like reading books because I can take them with me on my phone. I get ideas from all sources but mostly non-media sources, like obviously mythology but also my history with the church and my scientific education. Usually nonfictional sources interest me the most (i was going to write a whole story that was a post-apocalyptic plague plot based on canine transmissible venereal cancer haha and even to this day that's where "the Immortal Hound" title comes from, little easter egg in inver)

[kangals]

way back in 2014, probably a few weeks or months after you posted that picture of boone with the stick on his head, i checked your blog out and so dearly enjoyed all the dogposting that i followed. i think you were the first dogblr blog i actually followed at the time, but it's been ages and my memory is bad, so i'm not fully sure. it wasn't long before then--2012 i think?--that i had gotten a new dog of my own, a border collie. iirc he and boone were just about the same age.

in 2018 i lost that blog i'd followed you with, and a lot of connections with it. i didn't return until 2021, and when i did, i didn't refollow most of the old blogs; i don't think i even really went looking for them. it took me a while to get back into the swing of using tumblr.

last september, my border collie had a sharp health decline, and i had to say goodbye. it's not the first time i've had to put a pet down, but i think it was the hardest. i'm still not over it. even just typing this now, i feel raw.

then in march or so, i made a new fandom friend who knows you, and i enthusiastically recalled following you before and how much i enjoyed it. i didn't even know about stellina, and now there's kep too! but... i also didn't know you'd lost boone. i followed because i still really enjoy your blog, and i love your collies too. and butters!!! so glad she's still here!

idk what made me look tonight... maybe because i talked about my old border collie with someone today. i went looking for the posts immediately around when you lost boone, because i guess some part of me wanted to know what happened. i spent the better part of an hour (maybe longer?) reading posts from the weeks before the decline, and then the loss, and then the deluge of old boone pictures after, and i've been crying pretty much the whole time just reading your posts and tags about him.

and this is a long and windy way to get to saying thank you. i'm glad you shared your grief, though that seems like a weird thing to say. there's something cathartic about crying over someone else's dog when you still hurt about your own, and knowing you're not alone in that kind of sorrow. boone was such a beautiful boy. i'll never forget that silly post that made me check your blog out in the first place, or the years of posts i stuck around for after. i wish i'd remembered to follow sooner, but the archive is still there, and it's so fun looking through all those old posts about him and his quirks and antics. he was amazing.

sorry for the length of this, i just... really wanted you to know that he touched yet another life, i guess. and i've been so deeply enjoying your posts about stellina and kep. i know it'll be a year soon... i hope there's some peace in how things have gone since he passed, and i hope the anniversary isn't too hard on you. thank you for sharing him with us.

i've been on tumblr for 14 years and this is, genuinely, the nicest ask i think i've ever been sent.

thank you - sincerely. there's been a lot of times over the course of this blog that i've felt like i was oversharing, or talking about pointless things only i cared about. i still so frequently start typing out a post only to stop mid-sentence and delete it because i can't help but think "no one cares about this." possibly it's why i like to talk about my pets so much - they're not me, but i'm the one who knows them best, so i get to say "hey look at this" and ramble and have people say "i'm looking" back. when boone passed, i lost that filter and i poured my grief out into this blog because it was the closest outlet i had. and to have hundreds of people not only acknowledge this but to commiserate, to reassure, to share their own stories - that helped healed me more than i can put into words. it's exactly as you said: there's a catharsis in grieving together.

i am sorry you also had to say goodbye. i wish i could say it gets easier, but i think that would be defeating the point of grief. your grief is your love and damn it if there isn't any act more loving in the world than choosing to say goodbye to an old, loyal dog. you think of how dogs were domesticated tens of thousands of years ago, of how human society and dogs have developed intertwined, of how we have records of ancient greeks and romans carving loving epitaths on their dog's graves, of how a prehistoric dog's skull was found with a bone placed in it's mouth after death, and you wonder if grieving a dog isn't one of the most consistent experiences in the whole of human history that there is.

i'm glad to know that this could bring you some comfort, in some way. it's incredibly touching to know that you kept me and boone in your thoughts for all this time. i am doing ok - i've been reflecting a lot as we approach the one-year mark. i'm not sure if i'll be able to condense those thoughts down into coherent words, but i'll do my best. i hope that my silly little pets continue to bring you some happiness, and that you've found peace with your own grief.

thank you, again - this is extremely touching and means a hell of a lot to me.

[rinamars]

after i shared my erwin fic recs, someone said that they were interested in some levi fic recs as well, sooo here i am! again, i should mention that most of these include explicit content, so read with caution! let us begin

these are titles i've already mentioned in my erwin post, but i OBVIOUSLY have to talk about them again: for the eruri x reader enjoyers, the entire fictional universe created by shinzouing is something that can't be missed (this is a story of the sea, certain obscure things, beyond the sea). peak writing. 10000/10.

again, for the eruri x reader enjoyers, something else i've already mentioned: two lovers by feelingthorny. the pining, silent affection, and body worship her writing contains are simply unmatched!!

(whenever feelingthorny and shinzouing include a "my love(s)" in their writing, especially if spoken by erwin, an angel is born)

how can i write a fic recs post without mentioning something by @riewritten?? i can't!! her delicious fic heap of solace was my introduction to her incredible writing, and oh man, what a wonderful journey it has been

now, i don't do much reading here on tumblr (which is why this post is 99% focused on ao3 fics) but i do know that there are so many gems to be found on here! i'm sure you all know them already, but i'm just going to mention them anyway: @levmada, @anlian-aishang, @jayteacups and @happybird16 are incredible authors, and they'll definitely fill the levi-shaped hole in your heart

back to ao3, feelingthorny has also written another incredible fic, expiring soon. this modern au is over 200k words but it's sooo worth it, it's not slow burn at all but the pining, oh man, the pining! i cried when she released the last chapter, it was a wonderful read

this one is probably the levi fic i'm the most attached to. lessons in patience by almondblossoms1000 was the very first university au i read, and i wasn't expecting to love it so much! i loved it so much, in fact, that it ended up inspiring me to write my own fic (even though it's not a levi fic). it's your tipical slow burn, fake relationship, frenemies (?) to lovers type of thing, and it's sooo enjoyable

another excellent university au is the feeling's mutual by wellitcouldbeworse3! i understand that these au's aren't everyone's cup of tea, but MAN i love them. this one is a proper enemies/academic rivals to lovers slow burn, and yeah, it might be an overdone trope, but do i look like i care? i LOVED it and YOU might, too ;)

third and last university au i'm going to recommend is percolate by heichoe. this one is restricted to ao3 users only, but MAN. personally, requesting an ao3 account just for this one fic would be worth the wait. it's another scrumptious enemies to lovers slow burn with a side of coffee shop au... can't you tell i find these tropes absolutely endearing? READ IT

i remember binging on this one last september in one afternoon, as a treat to myself after passing a scary exam, and i simply couldn't put the phone down: something about us by katonyx is a mix of royal au (reader is a princess, levi is her bodyguard), slow burn (duh) and murder mystery with a well deserved happy ending

high strung by HopelessCaseOfDaydreaming was hot. that's all i'm going to say. h o t

for the category "insanely good fics that made me cry for some reason even though i really really enjoyed them": orange zest and homemade vanilla extract by nylondreams!! it's a modern au, and i feel like this is a pretty accurate depiction of levi's relationship with physical intimacy

i read this ONCE all the way back in september but i still remember this one made me feel so many things. [watch me fall apart, watch me fall apart] by djmarinizela is a slow burn college au. it involves a relationship between a student and her professor, but the rating is green. uh, i think i cried after finishing it (it's a one-shot)

thank you for your attention, and happy reading ;)

(now the last thing missing to complete the trio is an eruri fic recs post, let me know if you want it ok 🤲🏻)

[brilla-brilla-estrellita]

An ask game for writers to procrastinate working on you WIP(s)

Whoaaaa thank you for the tags @shrekgogurt, @bookish-bogwitch, @thewholelemon, @cutestkilla, @monbons, @drowninginships, and @blackberrysummerblog! I'm pretty sure that's everyone! I love being tagged in shit.

1. 🦈Tell us the name of your/ one of your WIP(s): So you just like... have names for them? Before you post them?

I will say that for once, a name did come to me, so one of them is tentatively titled Fettuccine and Foreplay, but I might change it because Foreplay is misleading. I'm sorry to say that it is not smutty, and the events are questionably even foreplay. But the alliteration. And Fettuccine and Flirting just doesn't have the same ring to it.

2. 🍄Describe your WIP/one of your WIP(s) in the format of “___ + ___ =___” God, why am I so bad at this?

Nevermore Academy + Penny = offensive assumptions, defensive students, and a magical breakthrough waiting to happen

3. 🌍What tags or warnings will one of your WIP(s) need if you intend to share it? uhhhhhh. I don't usually think about tags until I'm ready to post, so I am not prepared for this question... I can't really think of anything. Which makes me feel like my stories are hella boring.

Update after finishing and rediscovering an old wip: fluff! yay fluff.

4. 🧭An alternative title to one of your WIP(s)? Alternative titles??? So not only do you have titles, you also have extras laying about????

I guess I already talked about it in #1, but Fettuccine and Flirting. I do not like it.

5. ⚠️Which WIP you're most likely to finish or update next? Probably the Fettuccine one. It's a one-shot and a good portion done (almost ready for a beta, I think?). I like to write the whole story before I start posting, so the Wednesday x CO crossover is going to take a goooooood while. Idk how many chapters it is yet, I just know it's more than 3.

6. 💾What is your document of your WIP/ a WIP called? (not the stories actual title but what you’ve saved it as) I think my most interesting one is called Sundays With Gran. It's more of a drabble that I might work into a story at some point than it is an actual WIP though. But my actual WIPs have uninteresting names.

7. 🖍Post Any sentence(s) from your WIP.

It’s especially hard to believe in this reality when there’s a glow, a sparkle, a buzz around even the most mundane of sights when Simon is involved.

That's not even from a WIP I've already mentioned. I rediscovered this one while looking at document titles for this post!

8. ♻️A scrapped idea for your current WIP. I have one fic, the one from #7, where I originally wanted musings from each of the main 4, which each describing what's happening through focusing on a different sense or set of senses. Like Simon would be taste or touch, Penny would be sound, Baz would be sight, and Shep would be touch or smell. But that felt too restrictive. Senses are still a big part of it, of course, and there may still be strong affinities for one sense over another for each character, but they'll experience with the most appropriate sense for the moment.

9. 🤔What’s a story you’d love to write but haven’t even started yet? I really want to write more CO x Heartstopper (which we're calling Snowstopper because we're so clever) fics, but I'm making good progress on these other two and I'm afraid I'll lose the momentum if I start on the next Snowstopper idea. So I'll leave that for Kat to start in the meantime.

10. 🤡How many WIPS are you actively working on? At the beginning of this post, 2. As of #7, 3!

11. 🛠Is there a scene or anything in the WIP you are struggling with right now? So many! I think I need to rewrite much of what started the Wednesday x CO fic. The entire first two chapters don't feel quite in character for Penny.

And then most of this rediscovered fic, for now called Tiny Dots. (Hey look! A title!) Like I said before, it's character musings, and I'm not sure how to string them together in a way that feels cohesive.

12. ❤️Not a question, just a second Kudos to send.

I feel like I procrastinated on this procrastination game for so long that everyone else has already done it! I'm sorry if you've already been tagged 100 times, and especially if you've already done it and I missed it, buuuuut: @onepintobean @martsonmars @facewithoutheart umm... if you haven't been tagged, but want to be tagged, consider yourself tagged (or tell me and I'll update this post with your tag and no one has to know).

[hollyethecurious]

CS WIP Wednesday Challenge - Week 2

Week 2

👵 Your oldest posted WIP (can you even remember what year it was when that one first went up?)

So, when I read this week's challenge... I cringed.

Why, you may ask?

Because my oldest posted WIP is one I've pretty much given up on. In fact, I have two unfinished WIPS that, at the moment, I have pretty much written off and have resigned myself to the probability of never finishing. I completely lost steam on them and have zero intentions of trying to muster up any inspiration for them when I have other stories I am actively passionate about.

You have no idea how much it pains me to say that, but that's the truth of the matter and I'm really sorry to disappoint any of you who were hoping I might get back to them during this challenge.

That said... I do have one unfinished, posted fic that I am actively working on and that I focused my efforts towards updating this past week.

Pan Says...

I am thrilled to report that the next chapter is finished and is currently being looked over by my betas. As soon as they've gone over it, I will share it with all of you.

I also wanted to share that in addition to Pan Says... I've been hard at work on my CS Grimm AU for the @cssns, and added roughly 11k words on it this week! I can't wait to share it with y'all!

I want to thank @captainswanwipwednesdays once again for putting this challenge together, and appreciate all the love, support, and patience y'all have shown us struggling authors.

Enjoy this snippet from Part Nine of Pan Says... and be on the look out for the full chapter, which will be posting soon!

“I don’t know who you are, or what sort of game you’re playing at, but this isn’t funny!” Emma glanced at the monitor overhead, the timer quickly counting down the minutes she had left to try and convince David that she was really Emma, that she was alive, and in need of his help. “David Robert Nolan, shut the fuck up and listen to me!” she yelled over the receiver. “What did you just call me?” “I called you by your full government name,” she said. “David Robert, after your father, Nolan. Or would you prefer I call you Charming like Mary Margaret does?” “How do you know--” “Because it’s me, David! It’s Emma! I’m alive and I need your help!” “Emma?” he questioned over the line, the hope she knew he wasn’t sure he should dare to feel leaking into his tone. “Is it really you? How? Where are you? Where have you been? Who did they pull out of the--” “Just listen, okay?” she interrupted as the time rapidly dwindled. “I don’t know who that woman was or how he faked my death, but I was abducted three weeks ago by someone who calls himself Pan. I was taken from outside the police station after dropping off a skip. I was tasered. I’m here with a man named Captain Killian Jones. He has a brother named Liam, who also was led to believe that Killian was missing for reasons other than kidnapping. I need you to find him. He’ll be trying to get a hold of you, because Killian just called him, too, and let him know what’s been going on.” She flicked her gaze to Killian, still looking shell-shocked from the emotionally charged conversation he’d had with his brother. He’d wanted to stay by her side whilst she made her call, but she’d told him to go sit and take a moment. They’d be there for one another later. It was why they’d chosen to wait and make these calls before turning in for the night. So they could just lay in bed and hold each other in the aftermath. “What has been going on?” David demanded, bringing Emma’s focus back to her brother. “Why would this Pan person take you? What has he… are you alright? Has he hurt you? Did you escape, is that why you’re calling now? Do I need to come get--” “No, we haven’t escaped. We… we sort of… earned a reward. Look. It’s too much to explain right now. I’m going to give you some specs of the place we’re being held in. Write them down so you can give them to the police.” Emma waited as David searched for a pen and paper, her heart thudding wildly in her chest as the timer continued to draw closer to zero.

My ao3 | ff.net | buy me a coffee | add to tag list | Curious? Come Ask Me!

[goodluckclove]

On Being Seen

I'll warn you in advance, friends and colleagues - I might not have quite an optimistic take on this one. In advance I'll say that I'm totally all right, there's no need to comfort or fawn or worry. It's just been a pretty crazy couple of days and it's sort of left me in a kind of perturbed state of mind.

I feel as if I've developed a reputation on Writeblr as someone strongly supportive of other writers through their struggles and successes, and I figure it might be useful to see that I speak as someone who has their fair share of doubts. Consider it a show of neurosis that supports me as your steadfast advocate in creative growth and potential.

I'll put it under a read more. It's nothing triggering I don't think, I'm just a little embarrassed to have it fully visible under what I still consider to be a relatively professional space. Or at least a space for me as a professional whose brand involves not being very professional.

Nevertheless.

I debated for a long time self-publishing Blind Trust. I went back and forth every so often for weeks, and my poor wife had to deal with the brunt of my strange excuses not to do it. It really came down to one big question, which was...why?

Why am I publishing this? And for money, no less? That's weird. Why would anybody support that? It wouldn't deter me from writing if I never published any of the Songbird Elegies. I'd still write them. I've been writing stories for almost 20 years that no one has ever read and no one will probably ever read.

Sure, I have the fantasies of relative cult notoriety. People making fanart of my characters and sharing weird memes about my plot points. Finding comfort in the words and stories I've created to comfort myself. When I was still considered schizoaffective my dad gave me a copy of Flow My Tears the Policeman Said by Philip K. Dick and said that he was "like us". If that happened to someone else with one of my books it would mean the world to me.

Then again, would it? Because in my actual, real, physical life I am terrible at taking praise. It's like trying to catch a ball from the other side of a brick wall. If you ever pass me on the street I'm guaranteed to be wearing soundproof headphones and blasting music to keep anyone from talking to me. You might catch my eye and I'll smile and nod, maybe toss a compliment your way, but if you try to have a conversation and I do not know you I will absolutely just keep walking. I can't do it.

I love people and I'm terrified of people. It's always been this way.

It's easier online. I mean it when I say that I'm open to anyone here just starting a conversation with me about anything. There's already the unspoken assumption that we're all already weird, so I don't have to think too hard about your motivations. But still, large amounts of praise and positive reinforcement make me deeply uncomfortable. I've been trying to work on that for years, but I find most advice on building self-worth deeply unhelpful.

It's not like I'd prefer hate. I think I'm just not used to being noticed either way.

This is the first time I've made an honest effort to put my work, and by proxy myself (all writers are brands now, says the publishing industry as a whole) on display online. And for the most part it's been great! I enjoy the connections I've made here. The promise of making more. There are so many skilled storytellers here that it gives me a lot of hope and excitement for the future of literature.

But it's weird. It's really weird.

Most of the time I see it as another social media client. I stand by the posts I make and do them for fun, but I also do them to maintain a presence and draw in more attention. I studied to do things like this for work before. I picked like three social media management tactics that I thought I could remember when I was 18 and just stuck by them. And then occasionally I go oh wait. This isn't some nonprofit. This isn't a start-up for tech assholes. This is me.

And that's weird.

It's not a massive following I have, but it's more than I've ever had before under my own personal and creative writing. I published short stories and articles, but I never heard anything from them. There are short stories I have on online journals that I genuinely do not know if anyone has read. Here, I see people like things and I'm like huh. I feel like a mummy or a ghoul. I do not understand what people are doing.

One part of my brain takes this information and says that it's probably proof that when I publish Blind Trust, some people will buy it. People have expressed interest already. Which means they're probably interested, I think. I post excerpts of my writing and people seem to enjoy it enough to click a button or leave a comment. That's cool. I don't get why it happens, but it's very cool and it makes me happy.

At the same time there's this undercurrent of paranoia. I don't get it. And I don't think I ever will. That's essentially been my only coping mechanism for publishing at this point - I don't know if it'll work, but I might as well try and if I do something will probably happen.

I know I'm a writer. At this point it would be ridiculous to say I wasn't. I'm a professional, working writer, and experienced enough to know that saying all that doesn't say much in terms of quality.

Am I a good writer? I don't really know what that means. I like Blind Trust. I'm reading it for the fourth time as I edit it again and I genuinely enjoy it. So someone who thinks like me and has similar tastes to myself might feel the same way. I don't really know who that person might be. Statistically I imagine they have to exist somewhere. And that there's at least a handful of them.

Imposter Syndrome is real and I don't think it ever goes away. I'd like to think that it's one of those things where you think about it less and less, and this is just the first night in maybe five months that I'm really thinking about it.

I'm not expecting to make a ton of money off my first book. In fact, I probably will be sick from anxiety with any purchase I get for the first year, because it means that someone spent human money on writing I am happy to just give them for free.

But this is going to be my job. I want this to be my job so I can spend more time doing it. Because I've dedicated so much time to doing all of this, it means I get to spend a lot of my day getting other writers to write even a little bit of their own stories. And that's so important to me.

I don't know. I don't really have a neat end to this. I'm forcing myself to actually follow through with posting it, and then to continue keeping it up even though it feels incredibly vulnerable to be, in my opinion, this self-indulgent and whiny. It's insecure. I'm still insecure. I'm in therapy and on medication and there's more shit I got to do in life.

Still, I'm telling myself that my version of being a Professional Writer is to showcase emotional pitfalls like this. Newer writers might know that you can sometimes have a night where you might not be in despair, per say, but certainly deep confusion, and then come back the next day and keep on working. I stand by what I mean when I say that the craft should not be entirely miserable. It is still maybe 25% inconvenient to me, and I am currently in that less-desirable quarter.

So what am I doing? Wife got us Jersey Mike's, so I had a yummy sandwich. Kafka is sitting on my calves, just behind my laptop monitor. I'm listening to my soul/funk playlist while Wife plays Hell Divers for the first time. Later we're going to play a board game.

But for now, I'm going to keep editing my goddamned novel.

Blind Trust out in June. Get ready people, because I'm not.

[ja3yun]

OMG THAT LAST CHAPTER WAS SO FREAKIIN GOOD ❤️‍🔥 aj you write the best storylines, i swear!!! i hope you have enough energy left to read another lengthy ask because i'm about to dump some stuff!

the memory box!!! the photos inside (and the way you described how soonyeol and hee looked in some of those photos) gave me the impression that she's not just his minder, but she's also someone who holds a special place in his heart. like omg that was such a heartwarming moment! 😭 plus the fact that he said he would everything for her???!! (and has been doing so for years?!) 😭 for sure this is what i looked like reading about their story 👉🏻🥺

i also loved jay and soonyeol's backstory! that made me pretty sad tbh. what jay went thru pre-doll life? my heart broke for him!! 😔

ok we come to my favorite part!! after that scene where yn declined hee's offer, i was really convined that jaeyun kind of saved her there. it was not his intention cos obvs he has no idea what's happening between hee and yn at that time, but like somehow the universe, or fate, or whatever metaphysical intervention it was stepped in. cos like what are the odds right?! that jaeyun kept looking for yn at THAT exact moment?! creating the perfect distraction that would bring her back to her senses?!? AND THEN come jongseong's conversation with yn... and i was like OMG AJ I LOVE YOUR BRAIN YOU ARE A GENIUS!!?!?

seriously babe i hope you never lose your passion for writing!!! you are such an amazing storyteller and thank you so so much for sharing your world with us! 💕

special mention: "Honestly, you should have known, he fucks you like he was part of the incubus club." - am i weird for laughing at this?! lmao srsly this was so unique it's so funnyy!!

– 🌊

the memory box!! i didn't include it but there's little bracelets from jaeyun and hoons old glasses that are laying in the bottom! idk why i didnt end up putting it in the final cut but theres a little smthn!

i KNEW you would get the jaeyun bit, like baby we are so locked in its crazy. tbh i'm just happy some people caught it!

really, i love writing so much and i never get bored of it - probably why i end up posting 187382 stories - but i'm so grateful to be able to share them with you <3

ilysm 🌊 and i can't ever repay you for investing your precious time in my writing <3

[skylarbee]

Is it just me but watching the interaction with Miles and Al. Alex seems to not only not initiate a hug he also pushes Miles away while Miles is so eager to talk to him etc. Body language is not good. Also maybe it’s Miles that wants to keep the friendship going. Like we know of Alex wants someone around he’ll have them around and be affectionate. What if Miles is just like all his other exs? Once he loses interest it’s very obvious, the lack of sightings together, lack of physical affection. I really do believe there’s a distance in them. In so many ways. Musically, aesthetically, artistically, insteresta. What if they are just two old friends, who do love each other, but, at least for Alex, they are just not that into each other? I love Milex but im also realistic. What if their friendship isn’t some big breakup but like a distancing? My hopes for TLSP3 is nonexistent. Anyone else care to chime in? Sorry for the incoherence🖤

i understand your concerns lovely, and things are definitely different than before. but even in older concerts when miles joined them, there were plenty times when it was miles who went up to alex, and it's alex who let go first. it would seem like miles wants it to work more, but the fact that he has social media and posts about alex, while alex doesn't also affects our thinking, even if we don't realise it. alex has absolutely no way of telling us anything about miles, and he disappears for long periods of times, no wonder we think he's more disinterested, but this could be far from the truth.

there is one thing that you did get wrong, anon, and that is that miles is "just another ex". the connection they have is something beyond our understanding, and i'm sure most of us have never experienced something even close to what they have. the way they complete and understand each other is something that is hard to believe it even exists. as to alex's body language, he seemed a bit emotional, disconnected and nervous (and still put on a 10/10 show!) for the entirety of the last gig, and it's no wonder why. he was staring off into space and didn't even realise that he was waiting for miles to bring him back to reality. but even after their little handshake before 505, when alex looks equally as lost, he seems to liven up and prepare himself after miles goes over to him. i don't believe he loves miles any less, i think he's still his safe space. their kisses at london night 3 were something else.

while they might not see each other as often as they used to, miles has mentioned a good couple of times that they hang around his place, and anyways, he doesn't have to tell us anything. they might see and talk to each other a lot more than we think. speaking of interests, i want to believe that they're still pretty tight. i remember when miles posted a song on his story and then a few days later it appeared on am's pre-show playlist. this is just one thing, but they've always liked the same things, or if i want to be more precise, alex has always adapted whatever miles was into, let it be music, films, clothes, and whatever else. but let us also remember that time and distance changes people, of course their interests are gonna change too, but this doesn't have to be a negative thing. at least they have new things to share with each other and more to talk about! hahah

i'd love to hear other people's thoughts, but don't be too worried, anon. this last leg of am's tour showed us that they're still very fond of each other. why else would miles describe it as 'paradise' and 'the week of his life'? and why would alex so unashamedly serenade miles for an entire night?

[hotcheetohatredwastaken]

20 questions for fic writers

I was tagged on this by @unexpectedstormy ! I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to respond like it was a chain or make my own post, so I just went for it

1. How many works do you have on A03?

Two. There will be more coming, because Blood Drops on Roses is just arc one of this story, and there's a lot of snippets for Prologue floating around.

Blood Drops on Roses: Linked Universe

BDOR Prologue: The Yiga and The Sheikah

2. What's your total A03 word count?

51,493 words since mid-August, when I finally got an account XD I've been a lurker for YEARS ya'll.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Linked Universe only, so far.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

See above XD I hope to get enough fics out there that I can sort my work like that, but for now it's just those two.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes, I respond as soon as I can, they are like crack to me. Maybe because I'm new to sharing my work or something, but I would die for each and every one of you that leaves even as much as a <3

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

NONE OF MY FICS ARE FINISHED YET AAAAAAAAAA. Arc 1's ending is going to be pretty angsty though.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Hm, I see that this questionnaire is not meant for me. There is a Prologue section "The Trap" that I'll be putting out soon through, its ending is pretty sweet I would say.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not yet. I am afraid that it's gonna happen, but so far everyone has been so nice, so I hope not D:

9. Do you write smut?

Nah. Don't really read it either. Just not my thing.

10. Do you write crossovers?

I mean unless you count LU as a crossover between all the Link's respective fandoms, no

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Gosh I hope not. How does one steal a fic?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. If I ever get good enough at Spanish, I would like to take a crack at translating my own fic once its all published, but it would probably be laughably terrible. Eh, practice is practice.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not yet. Hey @needfantasticstories, I think Clippy Wind and Pug Sky need to go on some adventures together, don't you?

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Tbh I don't really ship. I do think Malon/Time and Legend/Ravio are cute though. I'm just not really interested in exploring the romantic side of stories, even in published literature.

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Geez I hope that I finish all of Arc 2 at this point. But I may be too early into the game to answer this.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Heck if I know. I had someone say in my comment section that they liked how I characterize people, so we'll go with that.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I write too much and probably in too much detail. Sometimes it would be better to say "They crossed the bridge and set up camp" but nooooooooooo lets add 7,000 words to this already bloated fic.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Italics. I was about to whip out my decade of Latin for part of this fic, but I decided against it because I'm pretentious but not that pretentious. Also because I still don't understand word order at ALL.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Now that I'm thinking about it, I think I have some fanfic from the dog series of Warrior Cats lurking somewhere that I wrote when I was like 12. Survivors, or something? I should probably go delete it, I'm sure it's trash. I'm scared to even look, it probably hasn't seen the light of day since I wrote it.

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

Well I've only got one big fic out right now so let's go with BDOR

@needfantasticstories and @somer-writes I'm kicking this your way.

[1000roughdrafts]

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hi everyone :) I have missed you all so much! I have been kicking myself these last two years for being gone for so long. Not only did I feel like I was letting y'all down, I felt like I was letting myself down. Writing is my biggest passion, and I felt like I abandoned it, and you. For context, before I left, I had Covid pretty bad, and am now suffering from long-term effects with my health because of it (that are thankfully more under control now). After having Covid I left a toxic relationship to unwittingly enter another, even more toxic and controlling relationship (whew is that a story!) and I learned that I have ADHD! (How fun is that!)

Anyway, to everyone that's still following me,

No seriously, thank you for sticking around!!

I have been working on some stuff for the last few months that I am so excited to share with y'all!

A few hours after this post will be a little Valentine's Day fluff fic to come out. Then in the coming weeks, I have a song inspired DeanxReader fic to be coming out labeled If You're Gonna Lie, and the following requests (under the read more with snippets of the fic) ready right now, to be queued. The requests will be coming out first, and then my own idea fics.

If you're interested in updating the tag list (whether that is adding your url, removing it or checking for accuracy) click here :) Next fic to be posted February 28th so if you want to update the tag list, be sure to do so before then :)

"Yes! Why does everyone keep asking me if I'm okay!" she growls, "first my dad, then John, now you!" She throws her hand onto her stomach to try to push away the pain. Sam is taken aback by this, and that's when he notices that her hand is held tightly on her stomach. Suddenly, it all makes sense. Sam is confident that this isn't Y/N, that Y/N is in there somewhere, fighting to be free from whatever demon is possessing her.

I hear my name in Dean's voice from a distance, but I'm surrounded by total darkness. I try so hard with all of my might to tell him I'm here, that it's okay, but the words don't come. Just as it takes all of my strength to open my eyes, but they burn. Everything burns. I don't even try to suppress the scream that bellows out of me. Taking as deep of a breath as I can, I'm scared for myself when it sounds and feels like I'm breathing a water and air mixture. "What's happening?" I manage to say, but Dean puts a finger to my lips. "No, no," he soothes, "no, just don't talk. It's okay," he says so gently, and as he maneuvers me into his lap I cry out in agonizing pain. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he says, then his voice switches into a shaky, fear filled yell for Castiel that hurts my heart almost as much as my wound hurts.

Y/N always felt like she had big shoes to fill, being third born after two boys. She never really formed a bond with John like the eldest Winchester had, despite her best efforts to impress the man. Her next role model was Dean, who became more of a father to her than John ever could be.  Up until her eleventh birthday Dean did her hair into pigtails, partly because he didn’t know how to do any other hair style, but mostly because he thought it was the cutest on her. He’d pack her and Sam’s lunch with snacks he’d bought from vending machines and even pretend to take her on hunts because he knew how eager she was to be just like him.  When she wasn’t learning about monsters and guns with Dean, she was spending her time with Sam. He’d help her with her homework, or play board and card games. They had as much in common as Y/N and Dean, neither Sam nor Y/N got along with John, and neither really knew their mothers. 

Speaking of requests, I'll leave them open for now but I can't promise all will be fulfilled as I try to get my groove. My schedule as I get back into things, I think, will be one fic every other week.

I also updated my master lists and will be posting them later today, to then put them all in one master master list lol

Thank you all for still being here and I hope you like what will be coming out soon :)

Current PermaTags @waywardblueshun @81mysteriouslyme @drakelover78 @soab1967 @shutupandfeedmethings @pollywantacracker666 @sonnierae26 @obsessed5sosfreak @tlovescoffee @hobby27 @cluz1babe @emptycanvasposts @suckmyapplejacks @sigrunsavestheday @flamencodiva

Dean @akshi8278 @squirrelnotsam @laxe-from-outer-space @ellewritesfix05 @cluz1babe @lyarr24 @mrspeacem1nusone @idksupernaturl @fandom-princess-forevermore @stoneyygirl

Sam @fangirlxwritesx67 @tlovescoffee @immafangirlmess @sizekinkshawty

[revenantghost]

[20 Question Fic Writer Game]

Tagged by @faindri and @pancake-breakfast!

How many works do you have on AO3?

18! Most are poetry collections, so a lot of smaller stories in one anthology.

What is your AO3 word count?

75,144

What fandoms do you write for?

Trigun is my main squeeze atm (and biggest in general, I have four projects for it which is double anything else--and the highest wordcount, too), but I've written for KinnPorsche, Sabikui Bisco, Danny Phantom, Vampire In The Garden, Sasaki to Miyano, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Goncharov (yeah... yeah), The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window, Signalis, Omori, Lycoris Recoil, and The Executioner and Her Way of Life

What are your top five fics by kudos?

No idea and I ain't looking! Trad publishing has me extremely scarred from some nasty comparison wars, so I have kudo and view counts blocked on ALL fics, including mine. From my kudos emails, though, Hallowboned has to be my top fic for sure. Last time I was paying attention most of my other fics didn't pass into triple digits by a long shot

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do!!! I adore comments, and I love chatting with folks, it really keeps me motivated and chugging along. I am... very behind on replying to the comments on my last chapter rn because I feel so awful and guilty about having to quit writing

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Uh... I don't write a ton of narrative fics, and I do love me some tragic poetry, but I guess the angstiest collection might be my Signalis one, Observable System Transcendence? But my Omori poem and the Trined Soul collection might be contenders, too

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I mean, Trembling Hands is a Trimax fix-it fic, so? Though the Sasaki and Miyano collection, Effortless Dreams, is definitely the most tooth-rotting fluff I've ever slapped onto the page

Do you get hate on fics?

Oh yeah, I've had my poetry called pretentious and also not good enough to be poetry lol. It's been a hot minute since that's happened, people are just jerks sometimes

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I used to! Porn with plot, my beloved. It would be interesting to explore in poetry format, but we'll see if I have the time who wants to commission some poetry porn from me lmao

Do you write crossovers?

Nah, not my cuppa

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yeah, many moons ago

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but that is one of the coolest things fandom does. Loving a thing so much you spend the time to painstakingly transform that art into something you can read and share in another language, bro??? Translators are amazing

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

I've worked pretty closely with artists a loooong time ago, but I've only written fics where I'm the sole writer. I have used other writers' ideas and outlines (with their permission, of course), but that's the closest

What's your all-time favourite ship?

I DON'T KNOW?!?! Shipping has never really been my main focus of media typically, but when one digs its teeth into me I go rabid in a completely feral but different way each time.

What's a WIP you'd like to finish but doubt you ever will?

))): All of them

Life feels kinda... really dire atm, it's hard to see ever writing again. However! God I want to finish Hallowboned SO BADLY!!! I have so many chapters written for it that I haven't even posted!!!!! Y'all haven't met Livio yet!!!!!! GAH 3:

What are your writing strengths?

Uh... ??? I'll be real, I've got no idea. I feel like I write so weirdly atm, it's hard for me to analyze in that kinda way

What are your writing weaknesses?

I tend to get really excited/into things and flit around and forget to explain or describe things sometimes. Thank god for having been well-trained to edit my own work. Not that I catch it all, but I try!!!

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I think it'd really cool, but I'd need a native speaker on hand to make sure I don't fuck it up in my own fic

First fandom you wrote for?

I think my first piece of written fanwork was a Danny Phantom Quizilla thing lmao, I'm old. I don't remember what it was about, just that it was ANGSTY

Favourite fic you've ever written?

Ah?!?! Honestly, each project is so different and written from such a different place, I've got no idea. I'm proudest of Observable System Transcendence being my longest, most consistent project (outside of my Smaugust collection, which isn't a fan project), Hallowboned being the first thing that really inspired me in ages--and the most indulgent one lol. But each collection and fic and poem comes from such a different place, and it's hard to pull them apart and pick???

Tagging:

Whoever wants to hop in! :3

[leminhthinking]

"add something, if youd like" ok, here is something i used a throwaway account to comment on the Double MV. i didnt reread so i didnt remember anything about it sorry but there probably is mention about internalized ableism. also personal experience. its kinda shaped like a rant

posting it here now that i came out about being plural here. yeah.

tldr (theres another tldr at the end of it but it was from the time i commented and i want to add something else here) i love representations

I keep finding myself wanting to comment something under this video, but I know I'll say stuffs about myself that I feel would be unsafe to share using my main so I'm using this throwaway account to do it instead 😔

I just want to say that I'm so grateful that Mikoto and John (and maybe other alters in their system too? saying this just in case) were ever written. Being a system who had just discovered that only over a year ago, I can almost see myself, no, I can almost see *us* in every part of their story up until now. And in a way, I feel like I've also... grown with them? If that makes sense?

I have been following MILGRAM for quite a while, enough to be there when MeMe was just released. Back then, I still thought that I was certainly a singlet (didn't have DID), despite how one of my alters - I will refer to her as my sister from now - showed up pretty regularly at the time. That's why when I watched MeMe, I remember thinking to myself, "oh shit, this guy's just like me, and because [insert internalized ableism here] I'm saying he guilty then." But then we all know what's got confirmed 😂 Funniest thing is, a short while before that, I also came to term about being a system. Dammit, to think about it, it felt like a second confirmation 😭😭😭😭

Now that I have accepted who we really are, the release of Double and their second voice drama feels exceptionally special to me, as the host of our system. John and Mikoto's situation right now really reminds me of us last year. My sister and I specifically, respectively. At that time, I tried hard to deny the fact that I am not alone in my head, and that we are entirely separate people. It took me a while (with a few tarot spreads. fuck. I'm a Mikoto kinnie now) to know that we actually are... and some actual, honest conversations to know that she actually loved me, rather than wanting to harm me... Yeah. Yeah. You see what I'm talking about? That's why I'm really rooting for Mikoto and John to have better communication... Ah, maybe if Mikoto watched "his" own second trial MV, he would understand...

That being said, I'm still not sure on what to vote... When I first watched Double and listened to the second voice drama, I thought to myself, ouch, ok, guilty because John clearly seems to be the alter who knows more right now and that would keep him fronting more to interrogate. But after a while, my opinion... changed? I don't want Mikoto to be affected too much from the verdict and maybe going dormant because of that. John maybe still there for the interrogation but fuck, I don't think he's ever been without Mikoto for a long time and I'd hate to see his heart breaks. Maybe innocent is the better solution after all for the whole system, as it might soothe Mikoto's mood and his mindset. I also trust that MILGRAM's writer team know what they are doing and therefore would not "kill off" John. Maybe they will just let him be inactive for a while if they are voted innocent, given that he's finally satisfied with our decision...

(Yes, I do know innocent = forgiven and guilty = not forgiven and I'm deciding while knowing that. I'm just calling them innocent and guilty because I'm more used to it while speaking in English.)

Hmm, that was a longer rant than I expected. I don't know how to conclude really, so I'll say something that would sound entirely unrelated 😔 If I remember correctly, prisoners can hear us audiences right? If that's really true, I just want to scream to Mikoto and John that it's 100% ok to be a system! To not be alone inside your mind! To exist alongside another person in your system and love them! It's ok to just be yourselves! And please please please fucking find a way to communicate with each other!!!

Once again, thank you MILGRAM for letting them exist... I really hold them so dearly in our heart...

TL;DR: local system getting emotional over Mikoto and John, rooting for them to have better communication.

[shinigamer-136649]

The Reapers' Backstories

I'm sure that most know that the reapers' backstories are HIGHLY anticipated (at least on here), but I've always wondered how that would come into play. And... I've had an idea, but I'm not sure how much I like it. I don't know if anyone has talked about this before (sorry if you have), but the way I think the reaper's backstories will be revealed is...

Cinematic Records.

Which obviously comes with some alarming prospects considering just how one is able to view these records (unless there is a library of them like in the anime) - by getting injured, or, to view the complete record, killed.

The reapers have already shown themselves to be heavily involved with the plot of Black Butler, whether it be the need to subdue the demon walking around with no consequences or the threat of the dispatch deserter running free and obscuring the line between life and death. There's no chance that they all get out of this unscathed with the desperate strings of the web of conflict ensnaring everyone.

Here's my drawing of part of said web in ms paint which I feel may have ruined the vibe of this post but it's fine

I'm also not sure why some of the reapers would, in the story, want / need to share their backstory. I could maybe see if Sascha were to share theirs, and Othello's and Undertaker's will likely be revealed, but why would people such as Grell, Ronald, or William share theirs? I don't think they're going to be going around sharing the details of their suicide to everyone unless the situation really demands it - or if their sharing is unwilling.

Black Butler is not light on violence, and there's not many characters unwilling to resort to it. Undertaker will do pretty much anything to protect the Phantomhives, one of whom just so happens to be a Bizarre Doll, who aren't exactly welcomed by the Shinigami. However, Sebastian also finds it his duty to fight the Undertaker and Real Ciel, making the reapers either a potential ally, or, as we've seen twice before, a nuisance.

Although they may be forced to team up (considering the only hit Undertaker has ever taken in the series was from Grell and Sebastian working together, and even that barely made contact), the reapers and Sebastian have shown a mutual distrust toward each other. Once they get rid of their prime threat, they're going to go after each other. And where does that leave us? Where we started, with reapers getting injured and records spilling, possibly even before Undertaker is defeated.

(Plus, I find it unlikely Undertaker is the main villain of the whole series. Maybe all three of these forces will have to align, or they might even need a god's power if their foe is an angel or other supernatural entity... but that's a post for another day.)

Essentially, we can safely assume that reapers are going to get injured, and since there have been some very entertaining "hooks" so to speak about their backstories (Chapter 105 Sascha my beloved)... I wouldn't be surprised if, in a few years, we're going to be in Book of Flashbacks part 2

Even the possibility of non-shinigami using death-scythes isn't out of the question - they don't seem to be only physically able to be used by reapers, since we've seen Sebastian and Layla wield them. In fact, speaking of Layla, in chapter 191, we see this:

Layla has a death-scythe, or at least something so similar to one that it shares the same properties. I wouldn't be surprised if this metal ends up more widely distributed over the course of the series - it provides a huge advantage to whoever has it.

In conclusion (listen what else am i supposed to say to finish this)

Reapers such as Will, Grell, and Ronald likely wouldn't have an in-story reason to share their backstories as this would likely be. not a good experience for them

However, we have gotten a few "hooks" dropped about them.

One way to put these into the story would be the Cinematic Records of the shinigami.

This makes sense because there is already a lot of conflict between Undertaker, Sebastian, and the reapers which will almost certainly lead to bloodshed at some point

We also know that death-scythes are becoming more widely distributed, so even if, say, the Undertaker is defeated by Sebastian and the reapers, it's not implausible that Sebastian could get his hands on a death scythe.

Not gonna lie I hope I'm wrong on this one I'm going to cry if any of the reapers end up dying.

[3rddimension]

I'll be completely honest, sometimes I have the same thought as the previous anon. Them still going through the effort to conceal it confuses me too sometimes. I know that they are against a "public" relationship because of the unnecessary pressure and opinions, but also, I don't traditionally consider just knowing that people are in a relationship as being all that "public".

Think of ANY figure you know who is in a relationship, and while we get occasional photos, appreciation posts, or a one-off video together, they don't share any intimate details about their day-to-day relationship, so fans have nothing to really attach themselves to and speculate about. Anthony, Amanda, Kimmy, Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, Eddy Burback, Ted Nivison, Jacksfilms, Alanah Pearce, James and Elyse Willems... those are just off the top of my head, but there's COUNTLESS people who are just okay with the world knowing.

So I'm always thinking, like, why are S and C so different in that regard?

I get that there might be some strange speculation and parasocial creeps, but like... S and C get that ANYWAYS, so how does that change by making it public knowledge at the bare minimum? I'm sure other creators also get weirdos in DMs, especially women (I def know Alanah Pearce gets weird comments on her relationship). But for S and C, the weirdos who wanted to find out (me, I am weirdos, lol) already found out, and they learned to tune out weirdos in all other aspects, so... I don't get why they don't just rip the band-aid.

But I know there's also another angle to it. The nature of S and C's job is very parasocial at its core. They had entire series on Pit diving into their dating lives and went into otherwise pretty imtimate details. Even beyond dating lives, they've had to share a TON of info about their lives simply for content. I think they both are ones to deeply appreciate keeping some things to themselves for that reason. And if their relationship is one of those things, then that's totally cool.

There's also some other less-expected reasons they might keep it private.

It's just a fact in the industry that women and fem-presenting influencers who *appear* single get more attention and followers. If people knew C wasn't single, she would probably lose male followers on IG instantly. How MUCH she would lose is debateable, but... that's a very real problem they might consider.

Another reason is C stated they've dealt with a stalker before, which got to the point of legal action, and that's a very traumatic experience. Not trying to upset any of her aggressively creepy fans can also be a good reason.

C might also want to conceal it because she very outwardly promotes her bi/pan identity, so she might want to avoid any snide remarks about her being in a "straight relationship". Yes, bi-exclusionary gay people are still out there and are still very annoying.

C might just not want any speculation about her role and successes at Smosh being attributed to her relationship with S. She's a very talented and dedicated performer, writer, and director, and she would probably prefer to keep that attributed to her and NOT her relationship.

At the end of the day, you're right, they have no obligation. However unnecessary we might think it is, or however different they might think they are from every other online creator who we know is in a relationship, it's their choice and we should always respect that.

So good for you to mentioned Alanah. She just posted one of the comment on her IG stories that's pretty much in line with what you said. It's related with her BF (Rahul Kohli) that just met up for a dinner with Mark Hamil who's costar with him in a movie.

As you can see she's pretty chill from this kind of comment and even post some occasionally. But this definitely different from people to people for sure. I'm sure Court and Shayne can handle it but maybe this is one of the reason why they're still effort to be private.

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: STILL NOT ready to share part one of chapter six (and am not totally sure that's happening this time around). So, this is another teaser from chapter six.

If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading part one of chapter one.

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. Ryan Wilder had just about everything taken from her when we met her, and she was doing her best to get it back. In this version of the story, that means taking some people down along the way. And, she's definitely no hero.

I won't keep you. I'm 35% done w/ this chapter, and have a goal to post it to Ao3 by the last Friday of the month. So, I gotta focus on my focus, and ask for y'all to send me all the positive vibes. Until then, here's another out of sequence and context peek at chapter six.

I appreciate you!

CHAPTER SIX SNEAK PEEK 3

Before retrieving the file they were sent to pick up from Catherine's home office, Evan stops in the kitchen to grab a bottle of Pellegrino for the road. They find Jonathan Cartwright sitting in Tommy's lap, and Beth propped on the table, leaning towards them both. 

Jonathan is playing in Tommy's hair, and Evan feels like they walked in on an intimate moment between the three of them, which is emphasized by the audible gasp heard in reaction to the discovery. Beth, Jonathan, and Tommy had gone out after brunch the day before, and Evan didn't think much of it but passed on joining, with the work week resuming the next day. Apparently, they were still going strong. Not knowing what else to do, Evan quickly turns and walks back out of the room. They want to get what they came for, and to banish all other thoughts from their mind. But, they're stopped by someone tugging their arm. 

Tommy: "Why did you rush off?"

Evan: "I'm in a hurry."

Tommy: "Because of that…?"

Evan: "Look, I know I'm pretty fluid, but poly just isn't my thing. To each their own, but I personally feel like there's plenty of me to go around and prefer someone who sees me as enough."

Tommy: "Babe, I'm all yours. You don't have to worry about that."

Evan: "Being pretty doesn't make me dumb."

Tommy gets close, so he can speak in Evan's ear. 

Tommy: "Of course not. I find your big brain very attractive, but you are also very pretty."

Evan doesn't pull away, but that doesn't mean things are okay.

Evan: "I'm also not easily manipulated. Whatever you're trying to pull on all of them, count me out. I want no parts of it."

Tommy: "I would never-"

Evan: "Wouldn't you though? I find it interesting that you're so suspicious of Robyn, considering. Maybe you've always just been projecting."

Tommy: "Look, I've been honest with you. And I'll continue to be, but neither of us is going to get anywhere if we don't take advantage of our opportunities. I need you to trust me. My success will be yours too. We're in this together, right?"

Evan doesn't know what to say. Kate is important to them, and so is Mary, and Robyn too for that matter. But they can't say they feel an allegiance to the elder Hamilton Kanes, or the evil twin. Moreover, this was only supposed to be a stepping stone, and maybe Tommy was right to remind Evan of that. They might have different tactics for their pursuits, but their goals weren't entirely dissimilar.

Evan: "I don't trust her…"

Evan nods in the direction of the kitchen, indicating Beth.

Tommy: "I'm not asking you to, but she likes to talk, and she doesn't like her parents very much. I'm learning a lot that I can leverage. Proximity to her is advantageous."

Evan sighs, and Tommy places a quick kiss on their cheek as a form of appreciation for the forgiveness. 

Evan: "I do have to go. Just remember what I said. And maybe take a shower? I can name every bar you traipsed through last night by how you smell."

And with that, still not totally thrilled, Evan leaves Tommy to whatever he was plotting and orchestrating before they arrived.

~~~~~

To be continued...

I've got two Fridays to finish this chapter. I believe I can do it. Do you? Lie to me if not. LOL!

Hopefully you've been following the Writer and Actor strikes. If not, now's the time to get informed. I support the people that gave us these characters and this story. They deserve to afford to eat and have health insurance while many of them are still in between jobs since they cancelled our show. #PayWriters #PayActors #StopCancellingDiverseShows