#I wrote a meta I guess 😅

[chocomd]

ATLA rewatch: The Storm

Holy crap the parallels between Aang and Zuko in this episode are really hitting deep!!

The episode starts out with beautiful weather and clear skies (not counting Aang's nightmare in the beginning), with no sign of a storm on the horizon. Just like how in the past, the events that would overturn Aang's and Zuko's lives would come suddenly and out of nowhere.

Then we get Aang fearful of the prospect of an impending storm and running away when the fisherman accuses him of abandoning the world, while Zuko wants to plow through and almost ends up dueling his own lieutenant over the issue of respect (until Iroh breaks them up).

When the flashbacks begin, Aang is playing with the other Air Nomad kids, and Zuko wants to join the meeting in the war room and Iroh lets him in. Both are in their usual, everyday settings and nothing seems out of place. Although there are hints that not everything is hunky dory, like Aang being the only master airbender among the kids and Zuko wanting to enter the war room without being explicitly permitted or expected to be there in the first place.

And then the events that lead to their emotional isolation. Aang being told that he's the Avatar, and being set apart by the monks as their savior and being left out from games by the other kids because he's now out of their league. Zuko watching in horror as a general proposes sacrificing an entire division to achieve a greater goal, and speaking out among the men leading the war with an objection that they do not share.

The consequences: The monks decide to send Aang away to make his isolation complete; the Fire Lord isolates Zuko even further by ordering him to fight an Agni Kai against (so Zuko believes) one of the very people in the group among whom he most wished to be accepted.

And what results afterwards is disastrous. Aang overhears the monks and runs away, only to be swallowed up by the storm and wake up one hundred years later in a world where his people no longer exist. Zuko discovers that he is to duel his own father, and submits to him in a sign of respect, which at this point Ozai deems to be the wrong response and burns his face and banishes Zuko until he finds the Avatar - a hopeless and impossible task.

Both Aang and Zuko have lost everything, and not only that - they place the blame on themselves, which gives rise to a deep sense of shame and also anger and intense emotional reactions whenever further loss is threatened (Aang with losing Katara and Appa; Zuko obsessed with regaining his honor through capturing the Avatar).

But when the literal storm worsens, both of them relive the events that led to their isolation in the first place. Aang goes out into the storm again, this time not to run away, but to save someone who needs him (the episode opens with a nightmare about his friends and his people saying "We need you, Aang," which is also repeated by Gyatso in a flashback). Zuko, who Lt. Jee accused of only caring about himself, climbs a ladder to rescue the helmsman from falling.

The storm slams Aang and his friends under the water, just like the time he ran away - but this time, he is able to save himself AND them. Zuko spots Aang flying over the ship, and he has the opportunity to go after him, but instead of risking the lives of his crew to achieve the greater goal of capturing the Avatar, he lets him go. And it's only after Aang and Zuko have redeemed or have vindicated their past actions in this way that they enter the eye of the storm, a place of calm that finally offers relief. And it's in this place where things are set right that Aang and Zuko exchange their first look that isn't one of hostility - they are seeing each other, really seeing each other for the first time.

[grimalkinmessor]

AFO keeps all the OFA users corpses AU but while he has the others bodies in the nomu tank he keeps yoichi's body in his bedroom💀(but anon! Why does afo have all the other users bodies in a tank but yoichi's in his bed?!) Cuz their corpses don't deserve comfort and shall be turned into disfigured nomus!! Yoichi... eh, he's a difficult case. Let's just say afo nomufied his body to an extent where it can't rot. Kinda like a "living" doll without the soul or he found a very powerful meta early on that somehow allowed him to preserve yoichi's corpse very well(shush this is an au, not canon where his body was blown to pieces😭) uh I'm going to you for this cuz ur afofa stories are very good and I wanna know your opinions, thoughts and own story forming ideas if you were the one doing this au of afo just treating yoichi's stasised corpse as a precious doll/ or him being like "haha, my little brother is just in an eternal coma, he's not dead, just sleeping and that pesky all might has his soul somewhere that I just need to get to wake him up haha awww🥺look at him he's so adorable when he's SLEEPING" anyway I just wanna know how you'll do about this with afos creep factor n stuff

Okay that last bit made me laugh XD

Garaki, watching AFO cradle Yoichi's corpse to his chest as he works: Uh—

Takashi: He's resting :)

Though tbh Anon, I'm more concerned with the fact that he's got the OTHER holders' bodies than I am that he's got Yoichi's—because of course he has Yoichi's. The man's got Brocon written in neon across his forehead why WOULDN'T he?? We all know what he's doing with it 😭

For how I'd write it though,,,,,eehh I probably wouldn't?? Just because most of my focus is usually on Yoichi, how he thinks and feels and what he goes through and commits, and in an AU where he's just a corpse, well, I guess I just wouldn't be able to hold the premise long enough to do something interesting with it. You might get a necro oneshot out of me at best, maybe a literal corpse bride wedding that AFO forces all his minions to attend (+ drags the nomu OFA corpses to out of spite), but other than that I got nothing 😅 Nothing long term anyway. I'd read it if someone else wrote it though! I definitely like the premise itself! :D

[know-the-way]

Continued Stages of Falling Down the Miss Fisher Rabbit Hole

I’m gonna be real - I wish I could watch things in chronological order, I really do, but my ADHD brain just doesn’t work like that. So, I’ve bounced all around the different seasons and my overall thoughts are a jumbled mess. However, there are some things - in chronological order - that I just continue to go feral over the more I look at them, so I’m gonna share with the class. (P.S. Thank you so much for the warm welcome! You’re all very lovely and I just hope I don’t fuck that up by being annoying 😅… Uh… yep. Anyway, have a nice day! Lots of nonsense and a wee bit of meta below!)

- “Perhaps we could allow ourselves one candle?” “I think I could cope with that.”

Mmhm, listen here you cheeky fuckers, I see you. Whoever wrote this show learned the art of subtle symbolism and slow burn majesty, and while I am HERE for it, I also just… ya know… *pushes heads together* kiss already.

- Hearing Phryne say “I’m looking for my daughter” when she was searching for Jane in Queen of the Flowers. *clutches chest* Owwww. Her progression from “ugh, kids” to “this one’s okay, I guess” to “she is a part of me and to wrench her away would be akin to removing my very heart.” Just… yes. I will always love that dynamic. But I also appreciated Phryne emphasizing that Jane’s mum would always be her mum. I feel like there’s normally a focus on the child needing to choose between their biological or adoptive parents and it was refreshing that they allowed room for both of those relationships with Jane to exist equally.

- Maybe it’s just me, but whyyyyy does this exchange feel so domestic? There’s something about Jack just sitting there, marveling at her being in her own element, telling Hugh “of course” when he asks if Phryne knows judo (‘cause he knows her well enough to not be shocked anymore - like ‘of course she knows judo and speaks 8 languages and flies planes, it’s common sense Collins, get with the program’), and already knowing the answer to his suspicion about the “dangerous weapon.” It all just has an air of ‘gently teasing my spouse of 10 years in front of people because I know it winds them up and that’s our love language’ about it.

I’m also kind of curious how long Phryne has been practicing martial arts. Was it a ‘from childhood’ thing or a ‘from a traumatic event that made learning this skill feel necessary’ thing? If that fic hasn’t been written yet, I’d love to read one.

- “This time, you’re an accomplice. And unless you plan on killing Inspector Robinson yourself, he’ll make sure you hang.”

Again… I could so easily be reaching, but to me this comes off very much like “once my husband finds out what you’ve done to me, he will spend every waking moment ensuring your demise.” Couple that with Jack carrying her out like Prince Fucking Valiant and… yeah. #FERAL

- The fact that he wasn’t already holding her hand, but she was reaching for him… 🥺 The hurt/comfort goblin that lives in my brain: thriving. Just… fuck me up.

I still have two episodes of season 2 to finish, but so far my overall summary is that - by episode 3 - they’re together. Together, together. Don’t even care that it’s not “official,” don’t care that they don’t say it explicitly… they’re committed to each other in every way that matters, so they are bloody together. Just need them to realize that and accept it. For all our sakes.

[fanfictionroxs]

Someone wrote a whole 1000000 word analysis because I said that "Binghe that bitch slept with Shen Yuan's corpse" ... or something on those lines 😭😭😭😭

My dear.. my friend.. I jest. Is all. I WAS JOKING OH LORDIE WHAT THE FUCK 😭😭😭😭😭

But also I'm slightly pleased that someone felt so much rage just because of 1 line I wrote that they went onto write an entire amazing meta.. kinda making me blush 😳😳😳

No seriously because like.. attention? I don't know her.. oh to be noticed.. I feel like airplane reading cucumber's hate comments... are we soulmates? Will we meet after transmigrating into a shitty novel I write? OH MY GOD IS THIS IS A SIGN FROM THE GODS THAT I'LL FINALLY WRITE A NOVEL AAAHHHHHH

lmao but all things aside no hate towards the person who wrote the post. It was very good from the little bits I read (I kind of ran away because I guess I was feeling embarrassed at that time 😭🤣🤣🤣😅😅😅). Also really sorry if I hurt their feelings about little Bingmei (I know how it feels to get hate for your beloved blorbo). He's an unhinged sweetie and I was simply joking like people do on the internet 🤣😁

[to-proudly-go]

Fic tag game!

Thank you @mischievouschan4 for tagging me! 💛💛💛 It looked fun and I'm glad I got to answer these questions!

How many works do you have on ao3?

I currently have 8 works in my account!

What's your ao3 word count?

Only 5871 words! I only write ficlets so it's not a surprise (but honestly longer than my school essays...😂)

What fandoms do you write for?

Only 2 with published fics for now: One Punch Man and Star Wars! (mostly because I focus on fanart more than fanfic though I do wanna write more, the words just won't words sometimes 😅)

What are your top five fics by kudos?

Welp I only have 8 works so I guess I'll just give the top 1 if that's alright??? And it's a Saigenos fic - Sleeping Sensei with 230 kudos!

Do you respond to comments?

As much as I can! Sometimes I see the comments late so I dither on whether I should give a response or not...(but I cherish every single one! 💛)

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

Oh lordy (I cry as I realize I only wrote 2 happy fics including the wips)

But I think this one! - Kisses before chores (another Saigenos)

Do you get hate on fics?

So far no! Everyone's been sweet actually 🥹

Do you write smut? What kind?

Ehe (yes and it's mlm and wlw though both are unfinished 😭 I despair)

Do you write cross-overs?

I haven't tried but I wouldn't be surprised if one day I get an idea, I guess

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope! Thankfully

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope! Though I'd be very happy if someone did

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

I haven't but that would be exciting!!

What's your all time favourite ship?

Don't ask this of me I'm begging you (though on swordpoint I might answer Obikin because that's my current fixation and I love them so much they give me life)

What's your WIP you like to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Oh damn too many to mention actually I am scared of opening my gdocs again 😂 And most of them are original stories, not fics (may my OCs forgive me for abandoning them I still love you and think of you fondly every now and then)

What are your writing strengths?

Angst angst very descriptive and poetic angst and more angst (a friend of mine who is also a writer neary threw away my phone in pain after reading my star wars fic and meta post. I considered it a compliment, coming from them who also writes beautiful angst)

What are your writing weaknesses?

Writing long fics! I write mostly based on vibes and feelings that I want to express in as few words as possible, mmmaaaybe because I was a poem writer first before trying on fics (what is plot I don't know her 😂)

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I'm all for it! English is not my first language and I think it'd be fun to insert some jokes and cuss words from another language 😅 (although I haven't tried it yet)

First fandom you wrote for?

I think it was for Kingsman! Although it's still a wip until now in my docs and I may never publish it, idk yet!

Favourite fic you've ever written?

Probably my first ever published OPM fic In the aftermath (I hurt mysef writing this 😭)

Thank you again for the tag my dear!!!! I had fun 💛💛💛

If you've been tagged already or don't want to do the game then don't mind me, darlings! Anyone interested can also join in the fun!!!

@virahaus @isinnedforcake @tideswept @spikybanana

[jessepinwheel]

🤯😅⛔ for the emoji questions!

sorry for the delay on this one I literally forgot it was in my inbox

🤯 What's a genre you struggle with as a writer (ex. romance, action, etc.)?

at the risk of sounding like an arrogant prick I don't feel like I struggle that much with most writing. writing stories are all pretty similar from a methodological standpoint I think, whether it's romance or action or horror, it's just a question of what kind of messages/emotion you want to get across through what strategies.

but that's not a super helpful answer. I guess things I don't really write a lot are romance? (although I'm not sure I'd say that either because relationships are a huge part of my stories, just not ones that involve kissing) and I guess also smut because I mostly find it boring and have no desire to write it

😅 What's a story or scene you've created that you're a smidge embarrassed exists?

well there's like 6k of a Supernatural casefic in one of my folders featuring one of my OCs does that count?

⛔ Do you have a fic you started, but scrapped?

well probably the most prominent one is transistor, that one obi-wan time loop story that I wrote like 30k for and then decided to stop writing because making it the way I wanted it was either going to require deleting like 10k words or to go on for way too long

there's also an a companion piece to dielectric breakdown (called corona discharge) which was going to pretty much be a rex point of view story covering parts of the main story and how he dealt with cody leaving, but I decided that I was not adding anything useful enough to really follow through all the way

but besides that I have a lot of unfinished works in my writing folder that I'm not entirely sure I'll come back to but which I also haven't officially axed. to name a few:

jamais vu: the ace attorney fic where phoenix goes back in time and ends up pretending to be his own uncle

houndstooth: a blackwell series fic where after the events of the last game rosa has amnesia and now joey has to deal with both having a body and also that

entrainment: a bleach fic that's kind of a pokespe fusion where ichigo gets pokemon and also accidentally makes a contract with pokemon satan (giratina)

event horizon: the kirby fic in which meta knight deals with ptsd after being stuck in the mirror from amazing mirror

memento: a pokemon sun/moon fic in which nanu gets fucking owned and washes up on the shore amnesiac because unbeknownst to him he just got eaten by a dimensional wormhole and he appears to be in a world where he died or disappeared a long time ago

eutectic: a naruto fic where kakashi gets sent back in time to an alternate dimension where kannabi bridge went fine and alternate world kakashi grew up to be an asshole so our kakashi decides to solve the plot of naruto by causing problems on purpose (committing lots of murder) and making life really annoying for alternate world asshole kakashi and also becoming haku's murder dad

I have a lot of stories that will probably never see the light of day, y'all just don't see them since I don't post anything unless they're done or there's a really solid plan to finish them

send me fanfic writer emoji asks

[demonslayedher]

Hello Buriburi senpai! I hope you're doing well! <3 I had this totally random thought some time ago that I immediately wrote it down and saved it so I could send it to you and hear what you thought about it 😅

Okay so, we know that demons mainly eat and prefer eating human flesh/organs/blood, but that in some cases they might also eat animal flesh (like how Tamayo did in the past) and even other demons (stated to happen at the Final Selection).

While this was an anime-only moment (so we can't be 100% sure if it's really canon to the series) in the first episode of the Mugen Train Arc the Slasher expresses disgust towards a beef bento, and since it's canon that demons can't eat human food, we could assume that they only like eating raw flesh, be it animal or human. They might not like flesh if it's cooked or seasoned with other human spices/seasonings/sauces.

So: demons love human flesh; they can also eat animal flesh and other demons' flesh; but they can't eat human food and maybe cooked flesh as well.

But here come my doubts. What counts as human food? Are fruits and vegetables also considered human foods? Could demons drink water? Does fish fall under the animal-flesh criteria? Would demons be able to eat raw fish or sushi?

Anon, this is a series of questions after my own meta heart analysis heart, and I have wondered many of the same things about what does and does not count. As, to my knowledge, there isn't any statement where lines may be drawn. At some level, it may depend on each demon.

To start, and you may have already seen it, but this is my extensive analysis of how eating humans seems to work, at least based on varied canon evidence. As there is a lack of consistency and dietary preferences, I think there's a lot of variation for each demon, and their level of tolerance for "human food" and "not-human flesh" probably varies as well, whatever those categories mean. I'm going to start making a couple of assumptions with no explicit basis in canon: 1. "Human food" is in a category of anything non-edible to a demon. Dirt, for example, may be non-edible. Whether they would have a violent reaction as they do with "human food" or if they would simply throw it up or expel it through their skin (or out the other end, if they work like that, though I assume they don't have to because demons aren't even limited to using mouths to consume victims), that may depend on the substance. The main problematic substance that comes to mind is clothing. (Mostly, I'm wondering what Douma did about this.) 2. Humans are edible due to demons having formerly been humans, hence, why their close genetic relations are especially nutritious to them. This may also be why they are able to consume other demons, even if they are not as satiating. It has never been stated what Chachamaru consumes, but by this logic, I assume cat blood.

It took Tamayo a very, very, considerable amount of willpower to be able to survive on corpses and animals, and I'm willing to bet those animals had to be mammals--as close as she could get to something more familiar like human flesh. If anything, I think fish, produce, rice, anything not-meat would be even less edible. When anime-only Speedy was disgusted by the scent of the bentou (which had more in it than just umai!meat), it's worth nothing that only was it not-human meat with outside flavorings, but it had undergone transformations via heat. The structural changes of cooking meat, as well as the structural changes it undergoes after death, may be what render it inedible to demons. I'm guessing Tamayo was only able to eat freshly killed, totally raw animals, and that the human corpses she ate from were as fresh as possible. Notably, she's stopped doing this once had a method of safely acquiring fresh human blood, as that's probably still much, much easier on her digestive system. It's one thing to survive so she can one day have revenge on Muzan, it's another thing to be functional enough to accomplish that. If she could function well enough on fresh animal blood, she probably would. If we still use "fresh blood of the same type of organism the demon formerly was" as the basis of analysis, then no, I don't think they could consume water either. Demons just don't get thirsty in the first place, and Douma isn't even able to consume sake, which he used to enjoy as a human. Coming back to Tamayo, and this is probably due to all the self-imposed dietary training, it is an accomplishment that she has managed to be able to enjoy koucha specifically. That's "black tea" to English speakers, and "red tea" to tea snobs. While this would be mostly water, it is also an infusion of oxidized tea leaves. While most are not fully fermented like "black" teas, having undergone this breakdown process might be part of what makes this plant material more edible to her than, say, green tea, which is not allowed to undergo oxidation. That would make it nutritionally closer to a fresh vegetable, which would probably induce the vomiting reflex.

But again, how recognizable does something need to be as "human food" for a demon's stomach to violently reject it? Maybe the bar is really low for some demons and higher for others, like the merely smell of it will be enough to make their stomach turn (like Speedy, but nobody feels bad for Speedy).

That all having been said, I'm really sad I don't know how to find this Japanese fan comic again, but I saw one once that had the Upper Moons throwing a hotpot welcome party for Kaigaku. Their pastime? A game seeing who can stomach it the best/longest. Fresh new Kaigaku doesn't even last a second with it in his mouth, Douma does pretty bad to. I don't remember for Akaza or Gyokko and Hantengu, but Daki & Gyutaro were the masters of this game because Daki often has to consume food in front of people in order to be convincing, so the artist drew a tiny Gyutaro inside her mouth rolling a containing ball of flesh around it, and then expelling it from her body later when it's convenient. Toward the ends of the game, Kokushibo was the absolute worst at keeping anything down. I have accepted the headcanons of that comic, especially Daki & Gyutaro, and assume Muzan employs similar methods of containment & disposal, which might also be what Douma does with leftover pieces of clothing after he's absorbed the flesh. Maybe whatever Shinobu's headpiece was made off tipped him off not to swallow it, like, "oh, now that would have me in for a tummyache."

[kayla1507]

i was wondering if you could explain what this refers to? “I’d guess it was tied to the original Marla/Connor deviant route” it was the last bullet point on one of your unused concept art posts (other unused concept art included marla at the gilmour hotel and the apartment from the hostage originally being daylight).

i feel like i only know the bare minimum when it comes to cut content 😅 i know marla was a cut fourth protagonist, but was there significant interaction between marla and connor? or am i just misinterpreting your comment and you meant that both deviant!marla or deviant!connor had a different route originally?

on that note, is there anywhere you’d recommend looking to find more cut content? every time i feel like i’ve got a good grasp on what was cut, suddenly a new post comes along which casually talks about 40 things i had no idea were cut casually, as if it was common knowledge 😭

tysm for any answer to either question!!

Hi, Anon. :)

The cut Marla-Connor deviant route was a reference to a “hidden” concept artwork by Florent Auguy which shows Markus watching an explosion at CyberLife HQ (”Lime Corporation”), after Marla banished him from Jericho during “Crossroads”. The artist confirmed on his Instagram that Markus is the lone figure standing on top of the bridge.

The file of this artwork is labeled florent-auguy-detroit-city-revolution. This confirms that despite the unusual daylight setting, the destruction of Lime Corporation/CyberLife HQ took place during the revolution.

There’s another artwork to this scene. It shows Connor, with his weapon drawn, facing off against CyberLife security guards in a narrow entryway.

It appears that Marla would’ve offered Deviant Connor the detonator to her bomb, or at least equipped him with explosives after recruiting him — just like North offers the detonator to Markus if he remains leader of Jericho. In another unused concept scene, Marla observes the vehicle containing radioactive cobalt alongside a man who isn’t Markus (possibly Connor).

So there might have been another dead-end path for CyberLife HQ, where instead of breaking into the warehouse, Connor rides up the elevator until the end to level 31 — and if he took the detonator from Marla, he could set off the explosives instead of just immediately being gunned down by the awaiting guards as it happens in canon.

During “Night of the Soul”, there was a third option alongside Demonstration and Revolution called Hostages. There’s no text attached to the option and we know nothing about it, other than it existed. I think it might’ve been an option for Leader Marla’s and Connor’s revolution given its extremist implication and the fact that Connor is also a hostage negotiator. But that’s purely speculation.

As for where to find cut content, my sources are mainly the Detroit: Become Human game files and concept art. A good bunch of cut dialogue and choices were never erased from the files. I've written down a compilation of cut dialogue in this post.

I wrote three bigger meta essays about the scrapped model of Lieutenant Gavin Reed, about the hidden meaning behind Ferndale’s murals and about scrapped options for Kara and Alice to visit the coffee shop and pharmacy if they stayed at the motel in chapter „On the Run“.

@konami-code-ao3 has written a lot about cut content on their tumblr blog and DragonBane0 on YouTube has restored multiple deleted sequences from the game, such as the cut Bad Boys at Pirate Cove, Connor’s cut victory speech and a cut Kamksi/RK900 ending sequence.

To see all my posts regarding cut content, type dbh cut content into the search option on my blog. :)

[waterhorseyblues-ao3]

I’m late with this but can you do 5, 15, and 16 for the fic writer asks? :)

Genuinely always forget i rb these things

5. What’s a fic idea you’ve had that you will never write?

I get a lot for fandoms I'm only half invested in so I don't have thr effort to write a fic. I also get ideas i just wanna say and don't wanna do anything with. I usually end up forgetting them later.

I guess the heavily meta Doctor Strange fic where he becomes aware he's in a fic. I think I found the format a bit restrictive and it felt like a lot of effort for a character I don't actually care that much about 😅

15. How do you come up with titles for your fics/chapters?

Sometimes the title comes first, sometimes it naturally names itself when I go to post, and sometimes I'm walking around in circled going "auuuauagaghh" until i give up and write some shit. A while ago i wrote a fic and all the chapters had themed titles. I shoulda stuck to that.

16. At what point in the process do you come up with titles?

More often than not, just before posting when I am forced to title it.

'The Real Loki and Sylvie's Epic Guide to Being Super Fucking Awesome' came first and i had to figure out the fic second

'Dead Shaft' came when I'd written six chapters and cried to Cyn for an afternoon because I couldnt name it.

'Colours of Dusk' was originally 'Rose Quartz and Amethyst' during the planning stage, but it didn't feel right when I was working on it.

Usually my hand is forced and I have to invent something on spot despite how much I wish the chapter titles for GI were better

[semperintrepida]

Writing qs: 7, 11, 16&17 please. Thank you!

Hey, CA! I stuck the extra question in at the end. ;)

7. What do you think are the characteristics of your personal writing style? Would others agree?

Precision, which allows me to say a lot with a few words. Every word in a story has to serve a purpose. "Poetic" is what others often use to describe my style, and that comes from precision. I admire poets and their ability to evoke strong and memorable images within such tight wordcounts. I'm a terrible poet, but that doesn't mean I can't keep striving to be one in my own roundabout way.

I can't speak for others, they'd have to tell me themselves. 😅

11. What do you envy in other writers?

If I'm being truly honest, their popularity and stats. (Which is why I wrote a script that hides all stats on AO3, mine and everyone else's. Out of sight, out of mind.)

I guess I do envy writers who can produce huge wordcounts quickly.

16. Tried anything new with your writing lately? (style, POV, genre, fandom?)

This book I've been working on is a bit of a departure from my previous work. 😉 It's in 1st person present tense when I usually write in the traditional 3rd person past tense. It's darker in tone and far more complex. It's also long as fuck lol

17. Do you think readers perceive your work - or you - differently to you? What do you think would surprise your readers about your writing or your motivations?

ooh, this is a great question. I've gotten the sense that I'm intimidating, which amuses me greatly. My comments section and ask box are open, friends! But I don't spend a great deal of time worrying about it because the perception of others isn't something I can control.

I've been pretty open about my writing process and motivations for writing certain stories, so I can't think of any surprises there. Ahh! Here's one: I write the stories I want to read, but then I often can't read the stories I've written because all I see are the flaws. It's very, very difficult for me to read my own work without cringing.

24. Would you say your writing has changed over time?

oh I don't know... Someone go and read Kuno and then Breaking and tell me if I've gotten any better at this after a dozen years. 🤣

[Fun meta asks for writers]

[sky-squido]

🎯😅✨? owo

oooh storytime!!

🎯 Have any of your readers accurately guessed major plot points? Care to share which?

hmmmmm.... i used to care more about Plot Twists and Misdirection than i do now (you guys are NEVER going to guess what happens in Hey Four, Wanna Kill A Dragon With Me? >:3) but i do have one funny anecdote to share.

SPOILERS FOR TO ISOLATE SPOILERS FOR ONE OF THE BIGGEST IF NOT THE BIGGEST REVEALS IN A 170K WORD SKY-CENTRIC FIC OKAY IF YOU THINK YOU MIGHT ONE DAY POSSIBLY EVER READ THIS FIC, PLEASE SKIP DOWN TO THE NEXT QUESTION

interestingly enough, i can't really think of a particular ao3 comment that stood out as an "Oh Frick They're Onto Me." a lot of prediction/theory comments had enough wrong mixed in with the right that it didn't quite feel like they'd Cracked The Code or anything.

there is one exception.

it kind of shows, but the early chapters of To Isolate were actually livewritten on the LU Discord (i'm choosing to interpret the dramatic decrease in quality (that, evidence suggests, i am the only person intensely bothered by) as a *checks notes* meta-textual allegory for the chaotic, unfocused, disorganized, unclear way in which Sky is viewing the world given all the stuff he's dealing with.)

okay, anyway, i looked high and low for that livewrite—chances are it was on a side server i'm not in anymore—but basically this was REALLY EARLY ON, like chapter one or two, maybe, and it was at a bit where sky was just describing the behavior of whoever's cycle it was and someone on the discord was like "does X character think they're going to die or something??" and i was like O_O; kind of freaking out internally because FRICK if it's that easy to guess the big secret only 5k words in, the rest of this fic is about to get real hard to write real fast. fortunately, that person either forgot about or discarded that theory and nobody else ever brought it up again :D eventually we got to the point where emotionally-charged plot developments were happening interspersed with so much of the new information that people's desire to theorize seems to be overwhelmed by their desire to KEEP READING and then the sheer volume of sky's own theorizing and hypothesizing kind of unconsciously forces the reader down the same lines of reasoning as him and we manage to avoid poking massive holes in the story! woo!!! (massive props to poltea for helping orchestrate everything gosh she is so good at this—it's kind of terrifying! (yeah, to people who are scared of me because of to isolate, it's poltea you should really be scared of. she's the one in charge of the villain—i just write the boys))

anyway, yeah! none of my other fics rely on mystery and suspense quite like To Isolate, so i'm not quite so caught off guard when people see stuff coming in those fics than i am when they do in To Isolate.

😅 What's a story or scene you've created that you're a smidge embarrassed exists?

oh jeez, only EVERYTHING i wrote in 2020.

okay, no, that's not the case. i reread What Hyrule Hadn't Seen recently to check something for a friend and i've looked back at some other stuff, too. they really hold up quite well, there's just... moments. gah, some of these little bits make me want to rewrite the entire fic or re-release an Updated Version with the lines and scenes edited out. there's little stuff like Legend saying some token bitter comment about the Goddess just because That's How Legend Gets Written often and i was newer to the fandom and didn't have the experience to say okay FIRST legend doesn't even know who hylia IS and SECOND, this isn't even her FAULT like she's NOT omnipotent and she needed like THREE contingencies to take down demise and was canonically injured in the fight and reincarnated herself so she could use the triforce, which is farore, din, and nayru's so she's literally canonically the weakest named goddess in the pantheon and THIRDLY i don't even think it makes sense for legend to be that bitter about his adventures—or at least if he is, i don't feel comfortable writing him that way without actually addressing why he feels that way and exploring it more. *ahem.*

other than little places where the boys feel blatantly out of character in hindsight, there's just. augh, there's paragraphs with too many adverbs and just rows of consecutive dialogue tags and yes, i know that that means my writing's getting better and that the original writing isn't necessarily bad and don't worry i'm not gonna delete or re-release anything. i just can't read some of it without cringing to death.

like—okay, my first fic, Turn Back Time. i haven't read this fic in its entirety in a VERY long time. i've tried, but i can't make it very far (i understand that this is on some people's list of favorite fics and there's nothing wrong with that! i loved it to death and was SO PROUD OF IT when i first finished it and i don't begrudge anyone for feeling that way about it now). let's just see how far i make it on this reread before i crawl under my desk.

augh, i'm one paragraph in and it's SO CLEAR this was a string of discord messages before it was a fic and i didn't go back and touch up the beginning when i realized i was Actually going to write it. other than little stylistic things that grate on my nerves and didn't used to, i don't really like writing the colors as four separate trains of thought running in four's head. it's The Way Four's Written, often, and as a new member of the fandom, i followed the trend but in hindsight, i just... no shade to people who write four with all the internal dialogue—i've read some of your stuff and absolutely love it—i've just never been able to handle it in a way i'm particularly happy with in my own writing.

like, these scenes aren't bad. they're not as good as my newer stuff, but i don't think they're bad. the stuff that grates on my nerves is the stuff that i know i wrote a certain way, not because i wanted to write it that way, but because i was just unthinkingly following the standard. i'm trying to think of analogy to describe the way i feel about this writing but i honestly can't. it's just—the problem isn't that i think it's bad (though a decently sized part of me does), it's that it's not me. it's that it's not how i would have written that character or that scene if i'd thought about it more. but i wasn't thinking, i was having fun, and that's totally within my rights. i just. i'm kind of embarrassed to have that under my name because it doesn't really feel like it's mine, like it's an accurate representation of what i feel or think. (don't worry, i'm not going to orphan anything).

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

aww, this is a really nice question to put after the last one <3

truth be told, i honestly really like my writing, for the most part. i'll sometimes go and reread my own fics and gasp like "I DID NOT DO THAT!!! OH MY GOODNESS I DID. HOW DARE I????" like,,, i have a really REALLY bad memory and so there are entire bits of my own fics that i've completely forgotten about and then i go back and reread and i'm blindsided by them like it's my first time reading it even though I WROTE IT. it's an experience, to be sure.

so... yeah! i like my writing! i like the way ideas fit together and the way character dynamics unfold and the way things tend to resolve. i like the way most of it still feels right, even months or years later, like yes, yes i wrote that and i'll write it again if i have to because that's exactly right. i dunno, writing is fun and it makes me happy and, evidence suggests, it makes other people happy, too. it's the highest praise i can give to say that something i made is making the world a little brighter, and i like to think my writing is doing that (even despite all the darkness it has to drag the characters through to make that happen)

anyway!!! thank you so much for the questions and have a lovely, restful rest of your weekend!!

[ten-cent-sleuth]

1 for questions for fic writers!

What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who has never read any of your work? (In other words, what do you think is the best introduction to your fics?)

Ooh, this is a tough one. Of all the questions, you sent this one! 😂 (I kid, of course; I am happy to see you in my inbox again, thank you for the ask!!)

I want to say Committed to the Cause because it is my pride and joy, it is for my #1 “I keep returning to this fandom please help me” ship, and it is a shining example of what and how I like to write. One tiiiny problem: it is not published yet, so you can’t actually read it. Alternatively, Of Graves, Of Worms, and Epitaphs is another WIP I have poured my heart and soul into; it shares CttC’s exemplariness of my style/taste but shows a different side because CttC is a total AU for Philinda (from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) while G/W/E is a S8 fix-it for GSR (from CSI; I wanted to include it for you, Mouse <3) (…sorry if you don’t ship GSR hwjfhdsjg). One tiiiny problem—can you guess what it is? xD

Not a Servant’s Dream is another AU but Addams Family meets Jane Eyre. It’s a good starting point because it’s fun, wholesome, and not too niche for the general fandom public but still makes clear my whumpy inclinations and my writing idiosyncrasies. However, it is also, uh…not published ksfhrjshgsj.

I would say my Mediatorverse is a practical introduction to my fics because the reader a) can choose from multiple fandoms to start with and b) will immediately see how self-indulgent my writing gets and how feral I am about my comfort characters, so if that ain’t their thing, they can dip early on. But of course: it is not published. :))

Basically, I tend to keep my projects close to my chest until they’re absolutely ready for the world. 😅

However, that would make for a rather unfruitful answer, so I present to you:

Never Lack, a SkippyPants one-shot, with a sequel in the works but uhh don’t hold your breath;

Nature’s Impossibilities, an MSR one-shot that I wrote for @/xfilesfanficexchange; and

Inextricably, a Lizzington one-shot, though this may be a controversial ship, w e l p.

All of these well demonstrate my wheelhouse, I’d say. Inextricably is likely the best demonstration of it, but it’s also likely the most Sus due to Lizzington lol and to some mature themes (it’s arguably the darkest of my AO3 fics, though not at all from everything I’ve written, including CttC and G/W/E). Nature’s Impossibilities shows what I can do when prompted (ily hyper-specific prompts, ily fic exchanges, ily fandom events), while Never Lack shows what I can do when completely unprompted (à la “the fic nobody asked for”). They’re both sorta conversation-heavy character study (not exactly meta character study, more like “Character B gets to ‘study’ Character A” kinda) type fics, so they’re on pretty equal footing as entries into my wheelhouse.

And I’d like to add A Galling Yoke merely for the virtue of being a multichap. It’s not quite finished yet but it’s the closest I’ve ever gotten (other than with one-shots). It’s got whump, it’s got angst, it’s got casefic, it’s got plot/world weaving (just a term I use in my head for a part of my process, idrk how to explain it though rip), it’s got lovey-dovey stuff, so lots of my trademarks. However, since it doesn’t have as many of the “magnifying glass” hijinks as I like to get into with my fic writing, I’d hesitate to call it the best introduction to Me.

Gracious, this was a long, low-key incomprehensible answer. Very sorry! In short: for a launchpad into my brand of fanfiction, I would recommend my fic Inextricably if you can stomach it, and if not, two fics would work, either Nature’s Impossibilities (this option for more weightiness/poetry/whatever) or Never Lack (this option for more random blorbo mania).

[glitternightingale]

Yeah so I'm also here post-animation process video drop and your brilliant break-down about Bruno's belly. Hi! I’m not on Tumblr and hope you mind a long ask in lieu of reblogging/adding to your OP.

The confirmation has been validating, is one big thing. But is it weird that with regard to the three whats/whys in your break-down (artistic choice, chub, malnutrition), I was like “ah but couldn’t it be a little, or be some combo, of all three?" - said with an intonation à la Mirabel’s "and I think it's all because of me?" I think I'm a bit of the mind that his belly is round (and "disproportionate") more due to malnutrition than from having actual healthy adipose, based on its shape? and stuff, but that's probably me reading way too into things.

There's this other part of me that's also like, what are the chances that someone like Jared Bush, who does answer questions about the canon on his Twitter, would further confirm… or maybe not confirm per se, but shed a lil insight into some of the choices?

And and: have you been able to compare the 1st and final passes at the chase scene animation? I’m no artist, but I feel like I noticed a few differences between the two Brunos (using side-by-side screen grabs bc I am 100% Like That). Ex. when he’s running toward the camera and goes to leap for the pipe: in the 1st test his stomach actually looks larger than it does in the final test; and, in the final his chest/rib cage/sternum area... and kind of his whole frame tbh... look smaller and more... shrunken/visible. Which I’m sure makes sense since it’s the final version and stuff like the muscle rigging(?) gets tweaked, but I just found the changes interesting in light of your post, the discussion, and because process stuff is cool.

This is all over the place, sorry! Last thing I swear: I love your fic, WAACH - and your art! More and more with each chapter. Always so happy seeing a telltale alliterative title in an email from AO3 :)

Oh, it could definitely be all three! I actually only broke it up into sections to structure my mess of thoughts on the matter. Well, then I forgot to point out exactly that. 😅

Here's the link to the referred post: Bruno's Belly: Artistic Choice? Chub? Malnutrition?

Bruno's Belly (2): Artistic Choice? Chub? Malnutrition?

When I wrote the first little meta about this topic, I was also really thrown off by the frames you mentioned:

(I tried my best to keep them comparable, but the more rendered version is from a slightly different, more dynamic perspective.)

And then we have this, where his belly disappears completely:

I know nothing about professional 3D animation, but this difference really strikes me. It doesn't seem to serve the purpose of exaggerating the action (like stretch and squash, for example), so where -- and why -- did it go?

Please, if anyone who reads this is brave enough, ask Jared Bush on Twitter! I need a concrete explanation. 😭

I once came upon a post where people were discussing the notion that these two Brunos aren't even the same model in the final version of the movie (correct me if I remember it wrong):

At least there's continuity where Bruno's wrists and ankles are concerned and that is that they are skinny all the time:

Here's my humble opinion on the matter in general:

I absolutely agree with your take, anon, and I think that it makes too much sense for it to not be canon. I believe Bruno is malnourished (as mentioned in my latest part of WAACH) in both meanings of the word. My fic works with the implications that Bruno had too little food (and that it wasn't of great nutritional value), as well as a diet with little variety.

Extra:

I'm so glad you enjoy my fic! I'm always really scared that I'll ruin it with my updates and that everyone who keeps up with it will be disappointed. BUT! The next installment will be called "Building The Base" and you can already guess from the first letters who it'll focus on. 😉

[matan4il]

Thank you so much for answering my ask! I’m the nonnie who desperately needed hope 😅 unfortunately, I’m not overly observant in general. So even though I’m more than a casual viewer, I don’t always pick up on the connections/subtleties/symbolism/parallels until beautiful people like you point them out (thank you!) You make such GREAT point about the casual viewer maybe not seeing the Eddie/Ana breakup coming and the fact the the B/T relationship troubles are more obvious. That’s so interesting! If you had to guess, why do you think they’ve done that? I’ve never been pessimistic, but for some reason this season I’m feeling frustrated… your optimism gives me so much hope. Thank you!

Hi Nonnie! Awww, I'm so happy to hear from you! Thank you so much for writing to let me know you read my reply! :D *BIG hugs*

And I'm so happy I can help with my meta. Knowing it's something you enjoy makes it incredibly gratifying to write and post. Thank you again for the kindness, lovely!

I'm so glad what I wrote makes sense to you! ^u^ And why did they do that? If Taylor would have been a bit more invested in, I would say in order to make her r/s with Buck more meaningful. But the way they turned Taylor basically into a prop in s5 and the way none of her scenes with Buck seems to carry much weight so far makes me doubt this possibility. So my other theory is that they want to make the break up more meaningful ('coz really, that's all that's left if they're not gonna make her or the r/s meaningful). Which I guess is needed, 'coz external LIs that aren't end games on drama, they're usually there to be a building block along a character's romantic journey, and so far, Taylor doesn't seem to have helped Buck grow by a lot when they got together, there's only that little thing about him not chasing people who don't want him anymore, so she should presumably at least help him grow when their r/s ends...

Nonnie, I feel you. It's easy to get frustrated when we don't know if things are actually moving along. But I honestly think they are even when it doesn't necessarily feel that way!

Thank you so much again for your asks! I hope you're having a beautiful day! xoxox

To anyone else who sent me an ask, I am going through all of them, thank you so much for your patience! If you wanna check whether I've replied to yours yet, you can have a look at my ask tag. xoxox

[letthestorieslive]

2021 Fic Year in Review

Thanks @scribeoffate for the tag !

Total number of completed works :

4

Total word count :

13,298

Fandoms written in :

Teen Wolf

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d expected ?

It’s my first time writing so I definitely wrote more than I expected...

What’s your own favorite story of the year ?

I had a lot of fun writing Of Foxes and Wolves so let’s stick with this one !

Did you take any writing risks this year ?

The Kira Yukimura Week. I had decided to make something of each day and it had been what got me into writing. And it had not been that easy, so yeah kind of risky.

Do you have any fanfic or profic goals for the new year ?

Yes ! A little something for Teen Wolf Meta Week, probably one or two fics for Deaton Week, and if I can a fic for Scottuary Month ! 

Most popular story of the year ?

By kudos and by hits : Slumber Party, a late night exploring Kira and Stiles friendship 😊

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion :

Probably going to be The Yukimura’s many Tanabata, in which you can get some fluffy slices of life of the Yukimura family (with many feels).

Most fun story to write : 

Of Foxes and Wolves : 100% sure, 10/10 would recommand ! Because writing from Kira’s fullshift point of view was definitely something, and as I had no idea on how behave half-domesticated foxes, it was a wild game og guessing and observing dogs and people in the street... 😅🙄

Most unintentionally telling story :

The one that I’m posting soon, I think, kind of came out of nowwhere but I like it !

Biggest disappointment :

Not getting a lot of kudos and comment ? But I think it’s the case for everyone

Biggest surprise :

Enjoying sprinting ! The cool people on discord and here that I’ve met ! All the content ! 

tagging (probably almost always the same but I’m curious, hehe) @arewordsenough @edge0fmydesiree @theoceanismyinkwell @ksbbb @flyde @chcrrysprite

[all-chickens-are-trans]

2, 5, 16, 20 for the meta writing ask!💕

2. Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

I haven’t quite decided yet what my next project is going to be, and I just finished my current one. I have many, many WIP but it stresses me out to think about them, so instead: one future project I definitely want to do is a Wilde Hühner AU where they’re all adults and meet at the horse farm they went to in book 4. I’m most looking forward to exploring their changed dynamics, now that they’re all older and some of them have grown apart. I love the books, but they’re not without flaws, and I want to be able to have these characters work through some of the problems they faced as kids, that weren’t really acknowledged that much by the narrative. Like the way Melanie’s femininity is devalued, or Trude gets fat shamed a lot, and then some stuff like subtle slut shaming and overt homophobia. These kids deserve to learn and grow and I’m so excited to make that happen!

5. What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?

Oof, that’s a tough question?! I think the reason I write about these specific characters is that I identify with all of them at least a little. I think the most obvious choice would be Balthazar Jones from Nothing Much To Do, but then again, I haven’t written anything about Balthy in years. Right now, it might be Wilma from die Wilden Hühner. I mean, she’s gay, she has shitty parents, she’s using lies to protect herself, she’s an actress and a drama queen, she has big feelings and loads of fears, and she loves femmes - what’s not to project on? :D

Also, for that brief period where I wrote Troy x Abed Community fanfic, I heavily identified with Troy, because I, too, am an ADHD disaster and 100% in love with Abed.

16. Tried anything new with your writing lately? (style, POV, genre, fandom?)

I started writing more in German again this year, which I haven’t done much for years. It’s really helping me in a lot of ways, because English has become such a default for me. 

Also, I started writing a fanfic that was completely written as letters (and editorial notes on those letters). I’ve never done that before and oof, let me tell you, it’s not easy! Getting the characters’ voices down in letter format, trying to figure out what they would say, how introspective they are, etc.... Also, my default when writing romance is that no one ever wants to talk about their feelings and it’s all pining and angsting until somebody slips up and accidentally says something they didn’t mean to, and then the secret’s out. That doesn’t work in letters! People have to sit down and think when they write letters, and if you’re scared about your crush finding out about your feelings, you’ll probably consider every word you write twice or three times. So that was a challenge, and eventually I sadly gave up on it.

20.  Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

Hmm. Suddenly my writing doesn’t seem clever enough for any of that 😅 I guess what’s been on my mind a lot lately was my Tatort Göttingen fic about Charlotte Lindholm and Anaïs Schmitz. I’m not a big Tatort fan, but when I heard Florence Kasumba was going to be in a new one, I decided I had to watch it - and then she had the audacity to have immense amounts of chemistry with her new co-worker and I had no choice but to start shipping it obsessively. Of course I immediately started working on a big multichapter fanfic thing, but against all expectations, I actually got way more done than just one or two chapters? And I actually managed to post four installments and I was so sure that I could write the fifth, but then an annoying thing happened: I completely changed my mind about a character. Which, UGH, that’s so inconvenient and annoying this close to the end of a big thing. And I’m definitely not up for rewriting the whole thing, so I’m kind of stuck.

You know, in Tatort Göttingen, Charlotte is the new one in this team, and on her first day, she accidentally insults her new co-worker and then continues to accidentally flirt with her new co-worker’s husband. Which makes for an awkward and uncomfortable love triangle. Now, in my fic, I don’t really care much about the husband - I dislike him, he’s a cheating bastard and quite uninteresting in the show - and I kinda side-lined him by saying they have an open marriage and so the two ladies can do whatever they want and there’s not going to be that much relationship drama with the dude. I didn’t even care enough about him to get rid of him. 

But then?? I accidentally fell in love with him. Not with his actual canon version, but with his version in my fanfic, and fuck, now what? I’ve worked so hard to have these two ladies make bad decisions with each other and fall in love, and now there’s this dude that I suddenly care about. So now I need to consider his feelings as well, and redeem him a bit in this last chapter and UGH I’m so not prepared for that. 

So, there’s where I’m stuck. Polyamory is hard, friends. Redeeming boring one-dimensional dude characters is hard. Writing is hard. And I’m so stuck. UGH.