#SORRY FOR NOT POSTING FOR ONE THOUSAND YEARS

[ghost-in-a-flowercrown]

i was going to caption this with 'she is so special to me' but honestly if she's NOT special to you ... are u like feeling okay...? /j

[wolfgirlfloof]

Something I appreciate about Hortus de Escapismo is how it portrays the Laterans and non-Laterans, especially in contrast to each other. Guide Ahead already gave us the angel ethnostate vs multi-racial heretics, which made for a pretty effective if blatant commentary on Laterano. And while it might seem Hortus is kind of repeating the same formula, I think it's got something subtler going on with interesting implications.

On one side we have the abbey's inhabitants: sankta, sarkaz and all other races--hell, even a seaborn for a moment. Are there cracks here and there? Of course, that's a whole plot point. But it can't be denied there is genuine camaraderie and self-sacrifice going on between these people who are simply trying to survive together (which is what makes those cracks all the more volatile).

Contrast this with the Laterans, who are dysfunctional as hell. Lemuen, Oren, Richele, and Spuria; I can't say I fully parsed everything happening between them on a moment-to-moment basis, but it was overall apparent that none of these people trust each other. Even though they're friends and classmates and colleagues, even though they're working for the good of the same state, even though they're sankta who can literally read each other's minds. There's just this constant mess of cahoots and conspiracy and treachery and bitter friction, and it takes the threat of an Innsmouth-Jonestown crossover event to get them to finally work together.

I thought it was a nice way to show more of Laterano's flaws. It's one of their core themes that they aren't as great as they say they are, but you'd think they would, at the least, have blessed harmony thanks to their literal hivemind. But evidently that isn't true either. And again, these are agents at the highest levels of the government. If they're this dysfunctional, what does that say for Laterano as a whole?

Which leads me into thinking about what the future of Laterano might have in store. I've seen some folks point out how these events have these greatly compelling premises that don't actually resolve any of the issues they bring up. Laterano only remains Laterano. And this is true! But I think it's intentional, setting up a slow burn of a regional conflict. The Lateran state is holding together, the status quo remains unchanged, the Law is content. But for how much longer? Guiding Ahead introduced us to the divide in Laterano on a broad level, the state vs heretics. Hortus de Escapismo shows the cracks within the state, narrowing in on individuals who nominally should be on the same side but aren't. The next logical narrative step would be seeing the state finally cracking apart from whatever looming danger the Law sainted Federico to deal with.

Some sort of schism, perhaps; that seems like the sort of existential threat that would directly threaten the Law's directive of preserving the Sankta. Law's awareness of it would also imply it's an internal threat, something festering in the hearts and minds of Sankta and thus one It's able to sense (at least that's what makes sense to me. We don't actually know how the Law works, so it could very well just have random magic prophetic abilities). And especially with the constant background pressure of trying to legitimize their Summit of Nations, what better way to drive that issue to the forefront by throwing Laterano into utter political chaos?

[devilmaywrite]

Chris Redfield, Jake Muller, Carlos Oliviera and Piers Nivans with a shy S/O with little to no experience in romantic relationships headcannon. Reader doesn't have much age difference with the guys. Help a thirsty bitch here.

i've yet to write for resident evil and i haven't played the games in a while so if this is ooc, no it isn't <3 rbs/feedback much appreciated

Jake:

He's never really been in a relationship either. Anything in that realm has likely been kept brief and physical. So he's a little lost when he realizes he has feelings for you. But he's not entirely against pursuing you, it'll just take him a bit to work up the courage.

LOVES that you're shy because it's that much funnier to fuck with you, which he's constantly doing. He loves to tease you, poke at you, mess with your hair, etc etc. But it's all in good fun; he just likes to see you get worked up or flustered.

He's smug and it can seem like he's had years of experience because of his confidence but you'll see him stumble here and there. But he's quick to pick himself back up, most of the time anyway.

He does find some comfort in the fact that you've had little romantic experience. It makes him feel less like a fish out of water. But he'll tease you for this too because it's in his nature.

Dates with Jake are usually low-key and low-budget, not that he’s really in a bad way financially, he just prefers this over more extravagant things since that’s not really his scene. He isn’t much of a romantic though that’s not to say he isn’t loving, in his own way.

Jake is young but still immature for his age. Probably due to the shitstorm that has been his life, as he'd probably put it. So this does pose some issues that you'll have to figure out together but Jake is resistant in admitting the fact that he has flaws he needs to work on. 

He’s also not great in the emotional support aspect at first. It’s not that he doesn’t care, it’s just that he doesn’t really know how to comfort you. On the flip side, he has a hard time coming to you with struggles of his own since he’s used to handling things on his own. So lack of communication and emotional availability are going to be common issues early on in your relationship. 

Chris: 

He's married to the job so he honestly hasn't had too much experience in the realm of romance.

He doesn't have that big of an issue with expressing this though. He figures it's best to at least be semi-transparent about it. So he's willing to try and figure it out with you! He's honestly a little relieved that you're nearly in the same boat as him.

Since you're shy, he tries to take the lead and is pretty successful. He's kind and a gentlemen (or least, he tries to be) and probably quite traditional in this aspect so expect flowers, dinner dates -- the whole nine yards. But with time, he’ll find that he prefers to just have nice date nights at home. He likes the domesticity. 

Once settled in a relationship, it's likely that you're not going to see him often. Since, like I said, he's married to the job and likely not willing to retire any time soon. 

He has a whole plethora of issues (alcoholism at some points, betrayals, his life basically being a horror movie, etc) and this can often cause a lot of problems within your relationship that he's not quite sure how to handle it since he's had little experience so this is something that you'll, again, have to figure out together. Not that he’s asking you to fix him but your support and patience is much appreciated.

He is much better with communication than Jake is but not perfect by any means. He also struggles with coming to you for emotional support at first. But he overcomes this as he gets more comfortable with you. He’s a little more apt to get physical when you need comfort; he usually just defaults to bear hugs since he’s not always the best with words. 

Carlos:

Probably has the most experience out of the 4. Nothing too long term but enough to be confident in this aspect. So he’s happy to take the lead and help you figure things out. 

Finds your shyness rather endearing and will tease you about it as well, lovingly of course. But he does try to encourage you to come out of your shell. He’s never aggressive or pushy about it though, he’ll go at your pace.

He does encourage you to be vocal about your wants and needs if that’s something you struggle with since he’s not a mind-reader, and the absolute last thing he wants to do is overstep a boundary and/or make you uncomfortable. 

Carlos is a romantic at heart and he’s a big goof, so expect some cringe-worthy but endearing jokes and pick-up lines. Dates with him are never too extravagant since that’s not really his thing either but they’re intimate and well thought out. Most of the time anyway. He also counts ordering in and watching shitty action movies a date. 

He’s more emotionally available than the two mentioned above but he’s obviously not without his flaws. He’s been through a lot and he’s trying to work through it so your support is appreciated. He’s much more communicative as well and wants there to be a mutual support system, so he’s more inclined to be vulnerable with you and he wants you to do the same. 

Piers: 

Another one that’s married to the job. He’s never had much of a chance to really explore romantically since he’s always put most of his focus into either the military or the BSAA. He’s just never really had time for it but then he met you. So he made time. 

Piers is a little shy about this himself due to his inexperience but he tries his best to open and honest about his intentions with you. Which are, of course, nothing but the best. 

He also finds your shyness endearing and will tease you about it here and there but he isn’t too mean. But he’s also extra protective of you because of it. Like Carlos, he’ll encourage you to come out of your shell and to communicate with him if that’s something you struggle with. He’d hate to accidentally make you uncomfortable. 

Also a communication king. He’s straightforward and level-headed so there’s not much that you can’t just talk out with him. 

Piers is a little on the cheesier side, much to your surprise. But he’s a sweetheart. He’s more inclined to take you simpler dates, maybe to a more secluded restaurant or café. You’ll likely end up finding a special spot that is often the default for the two of you. Though he’ll spice it up here and there. 

[camelspit]

something something gisela would be taken more seriously as a villain if she were male

[csoisoi]

guys its vine

gUYS ITS EITA

ITS VINE

I LOVE HIM SM

im ecstatic to have just, arrived home after a full day of school, exhausted, to see vine and eita in the volume 28 extras

[kuuchuuburanko]

hi and welcome to my post-war delusional slice of life adjacent bleach au

[thatgayb1tchwhosimps4her]

I'm actually so in love w/ these little fuckers, you have no idea (even Ben, which I won't ever be saying again).

[doodoosimp]

Doodles and discoveries of a cram school class walls

[badolmen]

I have zero authority on this I’m just making a personal observation but like. It’s really sad going through the notes of a writing/art prompt post and seeing nothing but jokes/‘witty’ one liners/sarcastic responses. A prompt is someone putting an idea out into the world and expecting it to inspire others, not to be a setup for someone else’s punchline. Stop trying to perform for an audience and start trying to connect with art.

[startanewdream]

Hi Mah, I’ve noticed a lot of writers saying their fics aren’t being commented on or reblogged as much as they were before, and that it’s been discouraging. I can’t speak why for everyone but this is my story. I used to comment and reblog everything because I appreciated the hard work everyone put in. I got inspired to write a few fics of my own, hoping I would get the same support or even suggestions on ways I could improve my writing from all the writers I looked up to, but I got nothing. I spent hours and days writing, reading articles, and watching YouTube videos on how to improve your writing, but I never got one comment, like, kudos, or reblog from any of the writers I showed my support to. I started to notice people had their own little friend/support group and would reblog and comment on each other's posts or stories, but not the newer writers unless you were a phenomenal writer. If you weren’t worth their time, then you were unnoticed and not appreciated. It didn’t matter that you wrote long detailed comments on every single chapter of their story and reblogged their stories, hoping it would get more attention to help encourage them. You and one other blogger were the only ones that I got a comment from, and I ended up unfollowing everyone except for you and the other blogger. I stopped writing, deleted my stories on one of my low days, and unfollowed everyone but you and the other blogger. I stayed away from the Harry Potter community for a while. You two are the only ones I will take time out of my day to write comments for. I’ve read other stories, but I don’t comment on theirs unless it's by a new writer. I try to show encouragement and give suggestions in ways I wish I would have gotten them. I just wanted to say thanks, and I've come across some great new writers through your blog. I’ve been absent for a long time, but I’m back now. I hope things have changed and everyone is more supportive of one another. I don’t know if people are hesitant to help other writers but they take 5 minutes out of their day to read their stories and write two lines of encouragement or heck even a pm on ways you think the story could be improved, newbies will appreciate it more than you’ll ever understand. I just think if you want a little love then you need to show a little love too.

Hey, Anon. I went back and forth on how to answer this because yes, I understand it, but also... not?

I really don’t want to sound dismissive; I get it, writing takes time and effort, you put a piece of your heart there, and when people don’t seem to notice it, you take it personally. I've been there as, in a way, all who has ever posted their fan work have been. It’s shitty.

But you cannot control anyone else. If you are writing and posting because you want people to comment and engage; don’t. It will drive you mad, trust me, because there is no bar that will ever suffice. Write for your own joy... and read and review for your own joy.

If you want criticism, ask for it, send a pm to those who answer it. Join a discord. The review section in a fanfic is not the place for it, it would be just rude. And accept that sometimes there is no problem, no reason for why your fic is unnoticed; no one has ever cracked the code for what makes a fic popular, and honestly, I am glad for it. It’s cliche, but true: you are the only one who can write your stories.

Finally, I get the if you want love you need to offer some love, but also... it sounds entitled? Threatening? I am not sure. Fanfics are for free; they are supposed to be fun. When they stop being something that you can enjoy, what is the whole point?

I am sorry you didn’t feel your effort was appreciated. I hope that, despite everything else, you loved giving voice to the characters, crafting a scenario out of nowhere, and spinning words into something that was real and yours. I hope you stick around.

[todayisafridaynight]

tumblr stop trying to copy twitter and for the love of god please improve your tagging system i just want to find A Post using keywords i know should work

[astrobei]

hi about to expose myself so hard for being nothing more than a giant sappy ball of sentiment and mush under a suni astrobi mask but ! apparently i’ve written over 250,000 words this year and that + all the positivity on the dash today has got me in a Mood okay!! (continue for proof of me being a Loser ⬇️)

ok yeah so according to my ao3 statistics i wrote over 250,000 words this year alone which is. that’s insane. especially considering i didn’t post anything until august so that’s EXTRA insane. you’re telling me i wrote 250,000 words in FOUR MONTHS? for reference, in all my past fandoms i wrote maybe one or two works and then dipped. mind you, the longest fic i wrote before this was 12k words. (yeah. i know.)

anyways!! not to be gross and mushy and weird on main but i just wanted to thank everyone who follows this blog or has read my writing ever for literally being the Best <3 if you asked january suni what she thought she’d be doing in december, writing fanfiction would not have been anywhere near her list of guesses. so much changed for me so fast this year and i started writing again over the summer as a form of escapism, but i never expected to be welcomed into a community so fast !! coming on here and talking to people has literally been life changing and i’ve made some of my best friends ever in my whole life through this website and i am so thankful for that 🫂 it honestly blows my mind whenever someone tells me they look up to my writing or that they find me intimidating or if they express shock at me following them back or anything like that because i’m just me !! just some gal who cringes writing kiss scenes and can write tens of thousands of words on her phone but not a laptop. for some reason. (?)

i know i would not have been nearly as inspired if i hadn’t met all of you and i literally cannot express how grateful i am for all the friends i’ve made here !! just know that if we’ve ever talked, even just once, or if we’re mutuals or even if you’re here reading this !! i appreciate you all so so much and i can’t wait to go into 2023 with you guys <333 and let’s see if we can hit 500k words next year 🥳🥳🥳

[sassycordy]

so the gals at the @jumpingpuddlespodcast and I were chatting about the city of atlantis in between recording. and we started talking about the design of the city and how we would've loved if it had taken more of an inspiration from the greek/minoan/roman civilizations! (i truly believe the ancients were pretentious enough to walk around in togas lmfao) so i did a quick google search and these are some of my fav pics I've stumbled onto!

that first picture of the statues in a circle above a circle of water IS SO ATLANTIS CODED. @stargatelov3r actually highlighted that the circle of water could very much be a gate! and this is 100% canon to me now ahha. like im SURE the ancients had some secret caverns under the base where they did all kinds of shady rituals/experiments ahah.

once again, the amazing ash pointed out that of course the ancients would have statues of themselves all over the city lol. and I LOVE the idea of the statues being at the entrance of atlantis. (also obsessed with the different platforms that are separated by water + range in height !!!)

100% believe that the city had some sort of canal that ran in between all the platforms and connected the city! also the ARCHES AND THE BOATS MHMMMMM

an indor bathhouse !! the ancients definitely didn’t believe in private bathrooms unless you were on the council or extremely rich lmfao

I like to think there would be a bunch of these little temples on the water all over the city! each temple would be dedicated to a different god and they could have public services every once a while :)))))

THE COLUMNS !!!!!!!! it's actually a crime there weren't any in the show aha. and I love the no walls/open space in this pic! I love the idea of waking up to the ocean right outside (also ik this is kinda dangerous but we're gonna pretend this is before the wraith war so the ancients had unlimited ZPM energy hehe)

I feel like this one is self explanatory. except I think the monarchy was an outdated belief in ancient culture & they had more of a roman republic kinda vibe. but the throne is there for show ahha

all I have to say for this is W A T E R F A L L S !!! it’s what we deserved !!!!!

the arches. the sunlight. the little pond. the stairs. im just babbling now but OHMYNSOFSF (I like to think this is Elizabeth's private bath ahah)

also ash mentioned that it would've been cool to see the ancients have murals painted on the walls AND Y'ALLLLLLL. this is where the minoan influence comes into play! known for their bright colors and beautiful wall art, I can just picture images like this depicting the ancients and their history all over the city <33333

[hellgiven]

ya'll no offense if ya'll rp a mikaelson ( ily okay. pls so much ) but i can't express how happy i am to have stripped davina of the fandom. cause her being CONSTANTLY sacrificed/done wrong /fucked over just by/for that family makes me so sad. not to mention , the crappy writing post s3 of TO , of them resurrecting davina only so she could just resort to being nothing more but a love interest for kol. plssss she's so much more than that lmao. let's ignore the fact that she was proven to be one of the most powerful witches even without harvest girl strength. <-- the writers did that.

[whatareyoudoingwithamaserati]

You’d cut me open with a sword like it’s nothing, but you’re scared of me being in a little pain? Hypocrite.

— Illex Corva.

[dazzlerazz]

Ciel and Rhea have a duo alt named Zanado's Flowers which itself is a reference to a wip I have of them by the same name where Ciel and Rhea retire to Zanado to spend the rest of their lives together