#and maybe better writers and more time to develop stuff

[ruby-red-inky-blue]

3, 7 and 23 for the fic writer ask game <3

3. What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics?

in medias res beginnings. you will not catch me writing an actual introductory paragraph unless forced to lol

I have a very poor and incomplete visual imagination, so my writing tends to be pretty light on visual descriptions. I think I focus much more on sounds and sensory input (temperature, touch, texture etc.)

loneliness tends to be a big theme, sort of due to who I am as a person

also, a search for roots and "your people" is big in most things I write. Courtesy of being a child of the aftershocks of my country having been two countries until just before I was born, and the world my family came from effectively no longer existing. That feeling of not quite belonging in the place you are, but also no longer in the place you came from, is very accessible to me, and I always find it so rewarding and interesting to write about.

i love late-night phone conversations, car conversations etc. Anything that lets me get two people talking without looking at each other (and ideally, without needing a bazillion dialogue tags and descriptions in-between lol). I don't know if that's just because I like closed-off characters or if it means I also suck at intimacy with eye contact, but I think there's a type of conversation you can lead in those circumstances that doesn't happen in other situations!

Texts!!! Letters!!! Comm messages!! Not even necessarily because I'm such a sucker for epistolary writing (even though, GOD, I am), but because of time stamps and dates. That's such a handy narration tool - you can say so much about a character just by showing response times. I use it literally whenever I can lol

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

See, the thing is, I think worldbuilding is one of my weakest skills in writing. Part of that is the aforementioned lack of visual imagination - I can describe alien fauna all goddamn day, I still won't see the flowers unless someone drew them for me. So I tend to either forget about that or end up not including a lot because it sounds clunky to me. (This is a huge reason why I'm so uncomfortable writing in-universe Star Wars fic - we have such titans of Star Wars worldbuilding in the fandom, like my forever writing hero @melyzard... I simply can't compete, and I don't feel like I'm necessarily getting better at it with practice? And I don't really know enough about the lore to just use that instead.)

This also carries over to my modern AUs, though - I'm always really focused on networks of people, and I do develop fairly intricate backstories for individuals. But with broader stuff like factions or concrete political situations, that tends to stay pretty vague unless it's actually part of the plot (and... occasionally even then, looking at the bad guys in The World Through a Scope, lol). And for geographical, physical settings, it's WAY worse. I wrote that 160k novel of a fanfic and honestly cannot say in what city it's set, and I still maintain it barely matters (except it can't be desert-adjacent). I can picture two rooms in the story's main apartment (modelled largely off my friend's first apartment), and the psychiatrist's practice (literally my mum's medical practice, just slightly nicer).

I think the only time I did enough "worldbuilding" to impress anyone were the two times I literally just wrote about the city I live in in very specific situations, so the worldbuilding was all just... real world things: Spiel ohne Grenzen (Dresden just before the Wall fell) and In den Herzen ist's warm (Dresden at Christmas).

... or possibly, weirdly enough, in this little sort of period AU!fic, which is somehow far more visually dense in my head than most others (but also I did steal liberally from Johnny Cash songs for this one so maybe that's why): The Caretaker

Idk, I guess this question goes back to my readers - did my worldbuilding ever stand out to you?

(I actually surprised myself by managing to build a decent campaign world for my dnd game for all the above reasons. It turned out interesting, decently varied and with a lot of interconnections and politics. I did base a lot of it on history and stories from elsewhere, but I think I mixed and matched enough to make it unique enough. It's like... pretty good? And that is high praise from someone as critical as me lol)

23. What’s a trope, AU, or concept you’ve never written, but would like to?

I've never really written your classic bedsharing fic, though that was kind of what I was shooting for with Cold Comfort.

Also, I think I have yet to try my hand on Outsider Perspectives! Which is kind of wild, because I love those fics... although it's probably because up until very recently, I did not really enjoy Making Up A Guy. Real weird problem for a long-time passionate writer! But I just... I always need a starting point, my brain refuses to start from nothing. I did write some stuff from Bodhi's perspective, I guess that kind of counts. But I'd like to try my hand at a complete outsider one of these days!

Questions for Fic Writers!

[vikingpoteto]

my favorite part of the Green Arrow lore is that Ollie constantly tells his kids to shoot him. If they're being mind controlled, confused or for any reason, his go to strategy is to go "sweetie, would shooting me make you feel better? if so, you can do it, it's fine" and it always causes the kid to snap back to reality. Ollie is the og "the real you would never pass a chance to die" and his family is always so repulsed by the idea of hurting him that they come back to their senses.

[alltimefail]

ATTENTION DEAD BOYS FANDOM:

We have some unfinished business and a case to solve: The Case of the Curious Cancellation! 💀🔎

Here are the ways you can help (be sure to read until the end).

I'm not sure how many people here on Tumblr are also over on DBDA Twitter, but there have been MANY developments in the last 24 hours and it's important for all of us to be on the same page if we're going to have a chance in hell of saving our show.

First and foremost, we need to get Dead Boy Detectives in the Netflix Top 10 again. This means running it as much as possible. Read about that below:

(SOURCE x)

As the graphic says, the goal is to have it running on a loop constantly, as much as you physically can. Be sure to have some level of volume on or else it won't count. If you're on Twitter be sure to post your rewatch (photos of your tv, commentary, etc.) with the hashtag #ReviveDeadBoyDetectives !!!

Also, there's no better time to do this: the Tweet below brings up a great point! 👍

(SOURCE x)

Second, and easiest thing: KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE SHOW AND CREATING CONTENT ABOUT THE SHOW. Analysis, fics, fanart, shitposts, gif sets, memes, tik tok videos, so on - do not stop! Reblog other people's stuff and talk about it! Give fics kudos, comment, make fic rec lists and post that WIP or sketch! The most important thing to remember is to TAG YOUR POSTS AND CREATIONS. We need to trend!!! On Tumblr make sure you continue tagging your posts as you probably already are (look at my tags on this post if you need help, and remember not to use "DBD" on here because that is another fandom! We use DBDA here). On Twitter you want to use the hashtag #ReviveDeadBoyDetectives for the rewatch and #SaveDeadBoyDetectives is a popular one, too. You can also use #DeadBoyDetectives. Hell, I usually use all three if I can! Hashtag every post you make about Dead Boys, no matter how annoying or "cringe" you may feel. Flood the fucking tag and do not stop.

Third, everyone needs to sign and keep circulating the petition. We've surpassed 5,000 signatures in a day which is fantastic, but we need more. Get everyone you know to sign it; tell them it takes no more than 15 seconds. Be annoying until they do it just to shut you up.

Fourth, request "Dead Boy Detectives Season 2" through Netflix's support website. It's a small thing but if we all do this a couple times a day it will get their attention. They really do vet these suggestions, and an influx of requests for a canceled show will raise eyebrows.

Lastly, if you decide to write Netflix (via email or a letter - their office address has been floating around) please remember to stay concise and professional. Don't curse at them, don't call names. State that you are disappointed with the cancellation of the show, maybe add an anecdote about what it meant to you, and I would even recommend attaching some articles that emphasize people's displeasure with the platform abandoning shows on a whim and Netflix's flippant attitude toward queer shows in particular. Dead Boy Detective Agency on Twitter has retweeted every article on this topic so far, you can find their page here.

You can also use graphics such as the ones below to affirm that the cancellation was unjust.

(Source 1, Source 2)

I know this feels like a lot: know your limits and take care of yourself. Whether you do every single one of these things or just a few of these things, every llittle bit helps!

Even in the worst case scenario where nothing changes, this gesture will mean so much to everyone who made this show. We owe it to the writers, cast, crew, and each other to TRY. We can all agree that this show deserves at least another season and if Netflix isn't going to do it, they need to be open to selling it to someone who will. We cannot keep allowing them to axe these queer and diverse shows with little regard for their customers and their employees, but also because it sets a harmful standard in the industry that is destroying television.

Let's crack this case and bring our agency back! I truly believe in this community!! 💜 We can do this!!

If there are any spelling errors or issues with links let me know! I did this on mobile because I want to mobilize this information as quickly as possible! I'll be adding on to this with new developments and can answer any questions you all might have. Lets save our show!

[jweekgoji]

more yandere d-16 !!!

Yandere!D-16/Reader [hcs]

tw: unhealthy obsession, possessiveness, overprotectiveness, jealousy, yandere themes word count: ~880 additional tags: gender-neutral reader, cogless!reader. a/n: I think other writers already made various posts about yandere!D but why not have 2 cakes?

D-16 is one of the individuals from the main 4 that you would never suspect of having an unhealthy obsession with you. I mean, look at him, a total sweetheart! He would never become a cruel and ruthless tyrant in the future, nuh-uh.

Just like Orion, if he sets his optics on someone, D-16 will make sure that no harm will be caused to you. He lacks some strength to stand up for himself at the beginning, but if someone he deeply adores needs his help, he lets himself forget about the protocols and rush in to help you.

Once he checks that you're okay, that is the moment he has to lecture you about your own safety. He has a little grumpy side, grumbling 'you shouldn't have disobeyed our supervisor!' when the bigger bot accused you of slacking off, but it is actually because he's concerned. The side of his face still hurts, too, after getting punched for sticking his nose into someone else's business.

Yandere D-16 is nothing like Megatron. Never, never expect him to be violent with you or with someone else. He is still innocent, in some way, uncorrupted from the yet-to-be realization of the truth.

Like I mention in the first sentence in the beginning paragraph, D-16 doesn't show any bright yandere traits. It somehow parallels with the style of his life and how he looks in the society of the lower class bots. The grayish paint job, the way he tries to stay out of trouble and follow the rules set by the higher-ups. Even when he's jealous or insecure, which is tied to the object of his obsession, he's not the mech to jump into the fight right away.

^ I think he'd rather stay silent and keep up with his responsibilities if he notices some other bot being a little too affectionate with you. He knows there's not much time for all the relationship stuff; therefore, it will be ridiculous to demand anything from you. It's even harder when you're a close friend of his, someone close enough to stay around but not enough to develop the feelings into something more.

Yandere!D-16 is overprotective with a tiny bit of jealousy. He wants to tell you how much he adores you. The way you lighten up his mood after the last incident Orion put him through, this just makes him all warm and happy inside. These feelings only motivate him to work even harder since he believes that in the future, in much better circumstances, it is the best time to finally confess. It might be a little insecure if you think about that, but probably just realistic, as he thinks.

^ The more time passes, the harder it gets to keep his own emotions in control. At one point, if you continue being a reckless cogless bot, causing trouble here and there, or maybe you're that weak-willed, that can't clearly tell 'no' to others (especially if they're all flirty and too nice with you!) he'd confront you about it, pressing in the corner.

^ How could you be so blind! Can't you see the obvious? You're so, so infuriating sometimes. It doesn't help that sometimes his own thoughts get darker. He never acts upon them, but even thinking about doing something violent towards someone who hurt you in any way...One day, he might snap and tell you everything he thinks about it. The question is, will you take him seriously?

^ At the same moment, his overprotective side wants to smack some sense into you. He can't keep his optics on both Orion and you now; give him some break! When he tells you to stop doing whatever the problem is, his jealous side also shows up. If only you could be his, all of that wouldn't happen. He'd keep you close to his side forever; he would make sure that no one will hurt you once you tell him that 'I love you too'.

Until then, he's content with just looking at you from far, far away. You might now even spare a glance at him during the whole day, and he would already be on cloud nine just because he saw you today. D's optics truly are the mirror of his spark. The way those big, bright orange optics widen the moment you walk past Orion and him, his friend is already having that knowing smirk. Oh yes, D-16 is so screwed.

Yandere!D-16 will idolize someone he loves so deeply. He just believes you're so...so perfect for him. It's like he is blessed by Primus himself every time he's in your presence. He can't explain why his spark beats faster every time you're in his sight, but Primes, help him! He's not even sure he deserves you at that point. Of course, you're both in lower class, but for him, it doesn't make sense at all. He can't do much as just a miner with no cog, but his loyalty, dedication and protection towards you are guaranteed. Good thing he's one of the strongest bots among the other miners; he's willing to be at your service any time of the day.

[michanvalentine]

I just read a post here on Tumblr. I don’t feel like making some elaborate speech—because I’m lazy. And honestly, it would be pointless.

All I’ll say is this: in a massive game like BG3, reducing a character to a single narrative arc—especially an evil one, and especially when the vast majority of first-time players tend to take the hero path—would be a huge mistake.

If that were the case, Astarion would make no sense in any heroic playthrough and would just get staked at the first opportunity. Or maybe a little later, especially if you’re playing consistently. All morally ambiguous characters in BG3 follow the same good/evil final pattern: either they stay on the path forced onto them by others (almost always abusers), or they break free and carve out their own.

It’s literally the theme of the game, for fuck’s sake—you don’t need a degree to get it. Even the song “I Want to Live” is about that. They’re designed to reflect the player’s choices and playstyle, to be adaptable so that everyone—especially players who are morally thoughtful—can enjoy them and face meaningful dilemmas.

I honestly can’t understand this need to strip Astarion of all his nuance, inner contradictions, strengths, and his potential to be something else—and flatten him into some monstrous, evil being who wants nothing but blood and power. It’s so frustrating.

I mean, seriously—the devs and writers busted their asses to deliver an immersive, complex, and emotionally layered experience, and despite all of that being crystal clear in the game, people still insist on chopping off pieces of it to make a version of the character that fits their narrative—but which is, in truth, just a mutilated shell.

And no, this has nothing to do with which of Astarion’s arcs is better, cooler, or more “valid,” for the record. People can play however the hell they want.

What it does have to do with is the absurd assumption that he has no alternative to ascension. That he has no duality. That he isn’t as adaptable as the others, and that he’s some kind of monolithic character who—unlike literally every other character in any media ever—has no arc of transformation, no narrative development, no complexity.

And that’s such a ridiculous thing to even think, especially when you consider that Astarion is one of the companions who clearly received the most attention from the dev team. Seriously, at that point it’s just another slap in the face to poor Wyll, who’s out there being completely forgotten.

Sometimes it feels like Astarion fans themselves throw out bullshit takes just to piss off other Astarion fans. I’m relatively new to the fandom and this stuff still leaves me speechless. There’s a difference between talking about preferences and headcanons, and talking about facts.

People even go as far as speaking on behalf of the devs—what they supposedly intended or didn’t intend during the design and writing process. Like… really? You’re in their heads now? Everyone’s a Mind Flayer when it suits them, huh?

[lets-try-some-writing]

I love your head cannons for the bots and how they deal with well humans and their biology. (^-^)

But what if the bots eyes/optics take in light in different ways (or they may just you know see different then us)

Humans as you probably know we can only see stuff on the visible light spectrum. So let’s say the kids are having a sleepover at the base and the bots have the lights cus nighttime and stuff. But the bots can see just fine while the kids are maybe blindly trying to find their way around. (so sorry if this doesn’t make any sense. I’m not super good at spelling out what I mean 😭)

I'm not even a writer for Hazbro and I think it's gotta be all but canon that Cybertronians see things differently. They come from a foreign world with wildly different weather conditions, habitats, plant life, etc. Honestly, due to Cybertron constantly wandering close to and then away from stars, I can see generations of Cybertronians being more adapted to different conditions (thank you Primus for the continual updates. Your dev skill are appreciated).

Picture it! Back in the first age, I do imagine the Primes were essentially built to handle any and all light conditions due to Cybertron wandering around and still developing. But after them? Bots from the Age of the Predacons were likely adapted to incredibly bright areas. Predacons themselves had yellow or orange optics, most likely to handle the glare. So why not other Cybertronian wildlife? I can see them all having that yellow glow in order to deal with the brightness, but in return, all of them were probably largely blind in darker areas. They most likely relied on other senses to maneuver since they were so specialized.

After the whole affair that wiped out the Predacons, it's safe to assume that at least for a while, Cybertron moved away from the nearest star and entered a darker phase. With that in mind, the abundance of blue optics makes sense. Blue would be best for heightening contrast in a more diverse environment. When there is sunlight to worry about, blue optics have enough variety to let Bots handle it and then also be able to operate in the dark too. Certainly a loss of ability in regards to bright lights, but then again, blue optics likely became more widespread around the time the Quints dropped in and the Cybertronian empire expanded.

Then with Cybertron doing its usual wandering course, it had to have wandered farther from the stars eventually. At which point, the good ol red optics likely came into play. With darkness growing more prevalent, why wouldn't Primus update the newest batch of Cybertronians to have more red optics among them? Still plenty of blues to handle the lights of cities and screens, but now with a healthy dose of red to deal with the natural gloom. Red only became associated with Decepticons and evil because most of the lower class had red optics, better suited to the dark and their designated role as servant class citizens.

Green, pink, purple, and other varieties of optic coloration likely popped up randomly or in response to short bursts of change in the light conditions on Cybertron. Rare, but highly specialized.

In conclusion, I do imagine different colors of optics come with each generation. The reason most are red or blue is because they came from the Golden Age or the Age of Rust. With that in mind, the Autobots having blue optics would probably grant them a far wider spectrum to view the world in. While the kids are bumbling in the dark, the bots are moving just fine because, on Cybertron blue optics are well suited to handle reasonable levels of all light conditions. Put them in a dark enough hole and they'll struggle. But Earth's darkness? Not really an issue. Nothing like the deep caverns of Cybertron.

That got a little out of hand, but there's my ramble about optics and vision and all that.

[01zfan]

i love this account, i love riize, i love writing for riize, and i love writing for you guys. but it has gotten to a point in my life where i feel like this is taking away focus from the writing i need to be doing in my life. i have also been distracted from things in my life that i need to start focusing on. so i say with an extremely heavy heart that 01zfan is officially closed.

when i started this account a little over a year ago i was going through some stuff. not to overshare all the dramatic details of my life but the main reason i started this account was because i was going through a major crisis with my screenplay. i was so scared because i was at a point where writing it was requiring a little more brain power than what i was used to, and agh. it just became easier to write fic especially for riize than to focus on anything else.

somewhere along the way, this account became kind of like a lifeline for me and my love for writing. you guys really really helped me alot with how i want things to be put out and how i want my stories to be told. whether i have or haven't become a better writer here is up for debate, but i can say i have gotten better at portraying certain concepts and the creative outlet i had on this account was truly amazing and one of a kind. it's always been nice receiving askz and comments about my work and seeing that you guys understood my vision and such. this has been such a validating experience for me as someone who wants to share stories with the world.

for a while i did entertain the idea of writing way less here, or just becoming a drabble esque account, but that doesn't work for me either. i know i am leaving with two stories unfinished, but i think that my desire to stay on this account will keep me from ever finishing them. i am unfortunately the type of person that puts my all into one thing, and if i'm still active on this account longer in any capacity i'd be putting my all into this instead of things i need to be doing.

although i will be gone, don't be sad! the writing community for riize is so plentiful and talented and growing everyday. you guys won’t even notice i'm gone heh. i hope riize’s new comeback will bring creative and good writers to the community. i really do hate leaving you guys without the final two installations of rock the house, but i do think now is my time to go. i’m just happy i was able to post the things in my drafts for you guys and do one final commission. i hope you guys are also happy with the fics i have already written. a year and some change but we did so much!

but i really really want to say i'm really grateful for everyone here. the hardest part about leaving is leaving you guys without fics on every sunday and/or thursday! i want to thank you all, because you guys are the first people that made me realize my writing is worth something tangible and something worth developing and working on. i'm grateful for you guys just as i'm grateful for riize for motivating me to do all of these crazy writings. thank you guys truly. i am so grateful. thank you for letting me be 01zfan.

(just because i am gone, doesn't mean that i won't be around. i do love to indulge in fic every now and then and i've made good friends on here that i want to continue to support. and once again, i have two unfinished stories that i really want to share with you guys. maybe. just maybe they will be here. maybe.)

[miriadalia]

Things you can comment on the fanfics you love when you have no idea what to say

From what takes less time to what takes more

~show those writers your love, please!! They do it for free T-T and they deserve better

1. Emojis

You know the vibe of the fic you're reading, chose the ones that suit it better.

❤❤❤

💔💔💔

🙈🔥🔥

You may think this is kind of stupid, but trust me, it is NOT for the writer. It shows you've read until the end of the chapter and that you liked it so much that you decided to say it publicly. Your presence means A LOT.

Also, leaving kudos or votes takes literally just 1 second, what are you doing NOT doing that?? 🤨🤨🤨

2. Simple phrases

I loved it so much!!

Can't wait for the next chapter!!

This was just so good 😍

Amazing as always, keep it up!! 🙌🏼

Writing is a lonely work if you think about it. When I'm in a writer's block, just one sentence can hype me up for the rest of the day and give me the spirit I need 💪🏽

3. The emotions you felt

Yes, you DO matter. That fanfic author cares more about your opinion than your stupid ex so you better write to them instead 🧐

The plotwist was so unexpected, I'm shocked 😱

You can't end with that cliffhanger, how am I supposed to wait another week??

Excuse me, I will now lock into my room and cry all night, thank you 💔

I've read some people saying they won't comment how they felt because they feel ashamed or shy. Take it as if you were about to post a tweet or comment on a friend IG's story 👍🏻

4. One piece of dialogue/prose that really amazed you

Oof 🔥 this happened to me a few weeks ago and that comment still lives in my mind rent free. There's no better way to compliment a writer's work than to highlight something they wrote that left a true impression on you.

And it literally takes no time:

[Insert piece of dialogue], oh she didn't just say that, imma throw hands 🤬🤬

[Insert piece of a description], I could really see it with my own eyes, loved how you described it!

5. Hopes and wishes for future chapters

C'mon, you're going to comment this anyway with some of your fandom mutuals or friends, why don't let the writer know that too?? COPY AND PASTE IT ✍✍

I just need Chatacter A and Chatacter B to kiss, how long is it gonna take?? 😩

Watching that scene in [Canon series name] would have been awesome!! Maybe in future seasons 👀👀

I hope [Ship Name] don't break up in the next chapter, they are so cute 😭

6. Character discussion

Okay, we're entering deeper waters here.

But the truth is: if you love that fanfic that much is because the characters really resonated with you. So express your first thoughts without any fear:

[Chatacter Name] is so important to me, like you have no idea. All the things they went through... But they still manage to be a better person ❤

[Chatacter Name] was so forgotten in [Movie/Series Name], I'm glad they're getting the development they deserved here!

7. Scene discussion

Again, you might think the comment section is no place to start "fangirling" over the stuff you liked. But IT IS!! And the writer wants to know your thoughts on their work, especially if your opinion is all positive 💞

This will take more time, sure. But if you're going to write it anyways for other people, COPY AND PASTE AGAIN, hon!

8. How this story is impacting your fan life (or even personal life)

You don't need to overshare, but simple comments like:

Your fic has really changed the way I think about [Character Name]'s decisions, I feel like I can understand them better now.

This story has motivated me to rewatch all the episodes again 😢 the nostalgia!!!

What you did with [Character's situation] was incredible! I've been there myself and I could have not explain it better 😔

... They will be the ones the writer will remember the most, I can assure you that.

9. A simple THANK YOU

At the end of the day, fanfic and fanart creators only have your feedback to rely on when the block or discouragement hits... This is about showing appreciation to someone you may not know at all, but that has brighten your day with their creations and efforts ❤

[nanowrimo]

How to Use Meal Scenes to Develop Characters, Relationships, and Your World

Worldbuilding can sound complicated, but why not make it a little more simple by focusing on food? It may be the domestic touch you need! NaNo Participant Lacey Pfalz talks about using meal scenes to develop your world and your characters.

There’s one thing that remains a universal human truth: we love food! While our perspectives on food might differ, people all across the globe gather together during mealtimes — and thus, mealtimes are made memorable.

Meal scenes can also help your story in a few key ways, especially if it’s fantasy, science fiction or historical fiction.

Meal Scenes for Worldbuilding

If we’re using food for worldbuilding purposes, does that mean we can say we’re worldcooking?

Just kidding! Worldbuilding, especially in historical fiction, science fiction, and fantasy, is an integral part of what you must do as a writer (In truth, it’s also important for writers from other genres, but we’re specializing in these three today).

Meal scenes can be an important part of the worldbuilding process. Food is intrinsically tied to a culture or a country, or even a small region. That’s why it’s important, when building your own world, to take time to figure out the bare minimum of what your characters will be eating.

Let’s do an example. Your world is fantasy, your kingdom set beside a wide river. Perhaps your capital city, where much of the action is located, is surrounded by wetland.

If this is the case, what types of food would likely grow there? Seafood, fished from the large river, might be your characters’ staple proteins, while rice might grow better than another grain because of your kingdom’s wetlands. Fruit, perhaps even coconuts, might be the sweet stuff your main character loves to devour.

Remember that your world directly affects what types of food your characters will be having: is there coffee in space? What about in Byzantine Turkey or your new riverside kingdom?

Shannon Chakraborty does a phenomenal job with this in her fantasy series The Daevabad Trilogy, which is set in the eighteenth century across the Middle East. Her first book, The City of Brass, is especially good at showcasing the often-fragrant dishes of the various cultures across this region of the world (some copies of the book even have a short list of recipes from the book that foodies can try whipping up for themselves).

While her book is set within the fantastical world of the Djinn, her food is based upon recipes that have been preserved for centuries.

There’s one small reminder with all of this: it’s important not to get too caught up in describing each dish so much that you end up taking the focus away from the characters in a meal scene. Meal scenes can be breaks from fast action, but they should also continue the plot.

Meal Scenes for Developing Characters & Relationships

Character development can be hard, especially if you have a handful of characters that you love! But in order to make your readers love them too, you have to show them interacting with the world around them.

That guy we love to hate? Maybe he’s a loner who has grown up eating by himself. Having him forced to sit and eat with a group of people who have known each other for years might be an awkward moment for him, but it helps readers to learn more about his own worldview — and it might just help get him out of his shell, or at least off the love-to-hate list.

Besides helping you develop a single character, writing meal scenes with some of your characters can also help readers learn more about the relationship between your characters.

Let’s say you have your main character, MC. MC leans over and steals a French fry from her best friend. There’s no issue, right? That’s because they like each other, and the best friend has likely eaten with MC before, and knows she enjoys stealing food from other people’s plates.

But when MC tries it again, this time with the guy sitting next to her, he whacks her hand to stop her from stealing. This sparks an argument that seems, at least to everyone else watching it, pointless, but readers will know from the rest of the story that they’re the enemies-to-lovers trope. This argument is just one of many before they finally acknowledge their feelings towards one another.

See how that worked? A meal scene wasn’t useless; it pulled the story along by giving readers another taste of the enemies-to-lovers trope that so many enjoy reading.

If you need a more visible example of how this can play out, try watching a movie like Pride & Prejudice, (the book is amazing, but I’m suggesting the movie as a visual aid). The movie does a great job showcasing just how different the members of the Bennet family are individually, how they act around each other, and how they act around company.

There’s often little action in meal scenes, so they’re not meant to be overused. The plot should also still be there — take the cringey proposal scene between Mr. Collins and Elizabeth in Pride & Prejudice, for example, which follows directly after a meal when the rest of her family abandons her. In this case, the plot (and Mr. Collins’ advances) ruin her meal.

Perhaps your meal scene is the much-needed respite in between battling fierce aliens for planet Earth, or the first time your main character’s enemy-to-lover has entered her home. Either way, meal scenes are an important way to immerse your readers in what kind of world they’re imagining as well as showcasing how your characters act and — more importantly — how they act around each other.

Lacey Pfalz is a travel journalist by day, hopeful author by night. She belongs to the class of graduates she dubs the Class of COVID-19, having graduated with a double major in history and writing at Wisconsin Lutheran College in 2020. Her writing passions include fantasy, science fiction and historical fiction (with a little bit of romance, of course!). As someone with a physical disability, it’s her dream to write a fantasy series featuring a main character like her. Header Image by Jack Sparrow

[yes-no-maybe-soo]

hi hi hi! this is @syslut :3 i just recently followed your lovely blog and i’ve always loved how passionately you talk about our dear loverboi.

on to the point: do you have any theories sylus’s upcoming main story branch?! 👀👀👀 saw your tags here :3

i am so excited and lowkey anxious; i smell angst 😭🤚

Aaaa thank you so much for your kind words ❤️ It means so much to me that you guys enjoy my yapping 💞 (love the @/syslut username btw!)

Ok so re: the main story and angst, these lines from Sylus' birthday event have been stuck on my mind for days and made me more and more anxious the longer I mull them over

(And there's also these lines from Greedy Heart)

I've consumed works of fiction since I was a wee thing and in my experience lines like these never herald sunshine or rainbows. On the contrary they often foreshadow that one or both characters are pretty much cooked... same as when a character in a show says that today is their last day before retirement. You know the dude will be dead by the end of the episode ;-; I get a similar feeling of dread here.

That is not to say that I believe that Sylus or MC will (perma) die or anything, especially not in the upcoming branch. The game is still very fresh with lots more content to come, not to mention that you can't really kill off main characters in an otome gacha (thank god). However, I do believe that the angst we will get will still be extremely painful. Paperfold are masters at the art of twisting the knife and giving us all PTSD.

My prediction is that something bad will happen to MC — she'll be abducted, injured, maybe even temporarily killed, or all three — and we will get to witness Sylus be properly enraged and afraid. We haven't seen him in either state yet, since very few things truly get under his skin. Most of the time he is nonchalant or even bored in the face of threats. He projects nigh invincibility to his opponents and even to MC. He has no discernible weaknesses... or at least, as far as his enemies are aware (for now).

But we know better. The only times we've ever seen Sylus approaching a state of anger or fear have involved MC. He gets upset at himself in battle mode if MCs health is low by the end of it, and he also yells out in alarm for her to "look out!" if he sees her about to get hit by Wanderers. And recently in his birthday card he was visibly worried for her when she fell. The writers have made the fact that MC is Sylus' weakness clear even before Sylus himself stated it outright. And now that he has, I am 99.9% certain that it will be utilized in the plot at some point. Like I've said before, the LADS writers seldom include stuff like this without some sort of intent. It's not just meant to be wholesome fluff imo. Maybe it will even lead to Sylus actually being (temporarily) defeated in order to save MC?

However, whether this will happen in the upcoming branch I am less certain about. It might be too premature for that. But I'm not ruling it out completely.

What is basically 100% certain though is that something angsty will happen, and that we will be in pain. My reasons for believing this are

The main branches for the OG3 were all angsty.

We have been fed a suspicious amount of fluff and sunshine lately. Which will make the angst hit even harder. Which, knowing Paperfold, is exactly the plan. They're lulling us into a false sense of security.

Angst or an intense situation of some sort would be a great vehicle for character development for both Sylus and MC, as well as for furher deepening their relationship.

The main story and branches have involved lore. And you know what LADS lore means right? Exactly. Emotional suffering. For both the characters and us.

It's a bit tricky to guess what said angst or lore will be though since for one we don't know at which point in time the branch will take place. Will MC still have the same opinions and feelings re: Sylus as when she left him in the main story? Or will enough time have passed that they are more intimate? Weren't the latter the case with the OG3? Or am I misremembering?

Furthermore, in the case of the OG3 their branches were based off the third anecdotes. And seeing as Sylus still doesn't have that... well, his will clearly have to be based off of something else. Unless they decide to drop the anecdotes at the same time? Please God let that be the case! We are so lore starved over here... not to mention free companion starved... 😓

My best guess right now is that the Beyond Cloudfall myth will come into play somehow. Maybe MC will regain some memories, or maybe Sylus will finally reveal his dragon form?

As for theories outside angst, I think it's pretty safe to say that we will learn more about EVER and the Eye of Aether, or at least aether cores in general. Most of all I want answers regarding what is up with Sylus' right eye. Who put the aether core there and when? His eye has clearly been special for a long time, as far back as in Beyond Cloudfall. I'm doubting we'll be getting a definitive answer for that here though. LADS likes drip-feeding its info and lore after all.

Anyway, that's really as far as I feel comfortable going with my theories and speculations rn. I apologize for the extremely long and rambling answer dhdjdfj I always get super carried away with topics like these 😅 if you guys have any theories, then please don't hesitate to add on to this ♡

[tigerqueen767]

Helluva Boss Season Finale

So a homophobic client shows up and tells IMP to kill her husband for leaving her for a man and cheating (possibly.) IMP attempt to try and kill him but then Blizto can't do it cause of his feefees and cause he sees himself in that man. Forget that Blizto has killed many people for petty reasons before (Spring Broken is a good example, he literally killed tons of random people, many of which were probably gay, just because of a bet) and forget that he chastised Moxxie for doing the exact same thing (weird how Mox didn't bring that up honestly) NO, you can't criticize this gay man because he's so cute and gay. That's the message Viv is sending.

The moral of this episode is that if you criticize Stolas and Blizto's relationship, you're homophobic. Wowww... Just wow!

It couldn't possibly be because these two have absolutely no chemistry and only know eachother because of sex. It couldn't possibly be because Stolas made a creepy and predatory deal with Blizto. It couldn't possibly be because Stolas is a terrible person who lied to his daughter and is written terribly. Forget that Stolas risked his life for his fuck buddy when he should have stayed with his daughter. Forget that Blizto never wanted a serious relationship until now just because that's what the writers want. Forget everything I said and just sit back and watch Blizto and Stolas dance on the balcony since it's the only thing Viv cares about.

Stolizt is the only thing Viv cares about. That's what this episode proves once and for all. Their relationship is the only thing that had any meaningful continuity in season 1. Everything else was episodic material.

Maybe in Season 3 we'll focus on other things but it won't make up for the trainwreck of a Season this was.

Now, because I don't just want to be negative, let me talk about how this Season could have been 1000 times better. Let me offer a fix.

This Season would have been great if it split it's screen time 70-30 between the IMP stuff and the Stolas stuff. Let every member of IMP shine in their own episode. It's not like there isn't enough time. Explore Millie's prejudice against Hellhounds (cause we all know she doesn't respect Hellhounds.) Explore Millie's wrath and how it might help and hinder her. It might lead to devastating consequences depending on who she chooses to fight and why. Shoot first and ask questions later is not a good principle and I feel like that's exactly what she does. Have Loona and Via actually hang out! Show us how her timidness and introversion make that relationship start off rocky. Show us how she changes from a person who can barely hold a conversation in the Queen Bee episode to a person that would have a bunch of friends over for Sinsmas. That development WAS. NOT. THERE!!

Have Moxxie actually confront his fears. It looked like he was about to fight his dad but then he got tazed and his wife did all the work. Why? Have him stand up to Blizto finally and make Blizto respect him. Cause Blizto does not respect him. Look at the way he talks to him in Season 2 and tell me this is respectful. Plus, in the episode Truth Seekers he only congratulated Moxxie for killing well. That's it. He respects the work he does but not who he is as a person. That could have been explored in Season 2. That would have been a great arc.

As for Blizto show more of his relationship between him and his sister. Blizto brought Barbie up again in the finale and it sounds like they really want us to care about her character but she wasn't even in the flashback episode. In order to fix the flashback episode, get rid of Stolas! Don't make a flashback that includes Stolas at all. Just make it about life in the circus performing with Blizto, Barbie and Fizz.

And instead of a giant special episode about Fizz and his terrible boss how about an episode dedicated to Stolas and Via's relationship. Why not write a song about how they've lived their lives over the years. Show us what it was like to BE her.

I'm getting tired of writing now. I hope you enjoyed reading this, at least a little.

[notthequiettype]

what kinda comments do i have to leave on fic to get somebody to wife me up

asking for a friend

totally 100% non-ironically i believe this is one of the things that got harder after livejournal made itself inhospitable to fandom!! in the old days your fandom content and your carefully anonymized/restrained real life were basically on the same platform bc you could lock the private stuff down to people you trusted and there was SUCH an easy transition from commenting on fic to chatting in the comments of public posts to becoming friendly enough to get on someone's flist (uhhh this was like the lj version of mutuals) and then building a relationship from there

now to have this kind of escalation you've gotta be on like three websites and two apps and probably have to know how to navigate discord or something and i do not envy horny nerds who are trying to find each other in this era!!

that said, also 100% unironically, be enthusiastic and be genuine! it can be hard to get conversation going on ao3 bc i think it feels more ~formal to post your fic there and that can make it seem strange to just chat in the comments, but sometimes it happens anyway! and if it doesn't, a writer will likely remember your name when they see you on other sites (one of the great recommendations i would make to people who want to develop relationships of any kind in fandom is to pick a name, use it across platforms, and keep it--when i picked this one, i knew i wanted something that would transcend fandoms and that i wouldn't mind having attached to me for a long time, since i never envisioned this hobby being something i would want to give up) and be like, oh hey they were so nice about xyz on my fic! and, like compliments and small talk irl, that opens an avenue of connection!

not every one of these connections will turn into something else, but the ones that do are really wonderful, whether you end up being acquaintances or mutuals or friends or best friends foreverrrr, whether it ends up somewhere romantic, whether it's short-lived or not, those connections make your life better--there have been so so many times in my life where i felt too weird or too loud or too much and i have been so lucky that for most of it i have had people on the internet to help me realize that 1. those things probably aren't always true, 2. it doesn't matter if they are, i am still worth liking

but most of all, you can't have any of those things if you don't try! and that's scary and hard and it can be exhausting, but i think it's what we're really on earth to do, to find our people and tell them the horniest and most convoluted and insane things we've ever made up in our heads about some fictional guy or fictional versions of some guy and then maybe eventually fall in love about it

good luck, anon! i believe in you <3

[cartoonistcoop]

ShortBox Comics Member Interview: Sloane Hong

Throughout the month of October, the Cartoonist Cooperative will be sharing interviews with members of the Co-op who have a new comic available at the ShortBox Comics Fair 2024! 

NOTE: The Cartoonist Cooperative is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way formally connected with ShortBox.  

Today’s spotlight is Sloane Hong ( @plaest2k ) and their new comic for ShortBox, Expiry Date.

We’d love it if you could introduce yourself and tell us about your background in comics.

Sloane Hong: Kia ora, my name is Sloane Hong (she/her), I’m a Korean-tauiwi illustrator, comic artist and tattooer based in Aotearoa, New Zealand. I only started making comics professionally about five years ago but they’ve always been a significant part of my life for as long as I can remember.

Tell us more about your new comic?

SH: Expiry Date is an erotic, body horror, sci-fi short story about coming home from a long day at your shitty, minimum-wage job, crashing on your couch and fantasizing about how fucking good it would feel to just die.

I mean, it’s also about transness, labour rights, our relationship with our bodies and death under capitalism, etc but it’s mostly about shitty jobs.

My friend described it as “what if David Cronenberg was a transsexual dyke who grew up reading ero-guro”.

What are some early experiences as a cartoonist that shaped you or your process?

SH: My brother’s also an artist, probably better than I could ever be, and I basically owe any good taste I might have to him. Growing up, I always got home from school first so I’d sneak into his room to admire his drawings and read his comics. He had most of the usual stuff you’d find on any Korean kid’s shelf in the 90’s: Akira Toriyama, Masamune Shirow, Yoshito Usui, etc, and a couple of Korean manhwa that are all now damn-near impossible to find. As he got older, he started getting into American comics and brought home stuff like R. Crumb, Daniel Clowes, Fletcher Hanks, etc from the library.

But it’s not just that I had someone to introduce me to all this stuff, it’s the fact I’m six years younger than him and he was already reading this stuff earlier than most. So I think I started looking at all those misanthropic underground comics by horny white men when I was, like, what… about 10 years old?

Besides my brother, the trauma of working shitty jobs for years on end, The Terrible Boredom of Paradise, and this weird and fucked up miracle we call life are probably the wellsprings of both my inspiration and ceaseless burnout. 

Tell us about your creative process; how did you develop this comic and what are the steps you took to bring it to the final stage?

SH: I did something really stupid for the 2023 ShortBox Comics Fair. I have ADHD and one of the many ways it manifests is that I have a debilitating habit of overthinking my stories. “Are the themes too obvious? Is it too heavy handed? Are the motivations for this character clear enough? Is this the right way to phrase this? Is this the right word? Is this the right letter? Is this the right punctuation?” etc, etc.

On paper, it probably sounds like something every writer goes through but when I say debilitating, I mean interferes-with-my-ability-to-live-a-normal-life-kind of debilitating. It’s kind of impossible to articulate how bad it was but it got to a point where I was so sick of myself and all the stories I never finished that I said fuck it–maybe if I just jump into a comic with nothing but a stupid premise, no planning and an impending deadline, I won’t have time to think about all these inconsequential details. So I sat down and forced myself to write, pencil and ink a comic, page-by-page.

It was essentially an exercise in automatism: I was still thinking about draftsmanship, composition, flow and everything but I kinda just let the story tell itself by writing/ drawing whatever felt like a natural progression for the narrative.

That was how I ended up with Marrow, which was kinda funny because the whole point was to make a goofy, low-stakes comic about nothing to circumvent the pressure of having to write anything good. Instead I’d inadvertently made something that was layered and deeply intimate and won the sci-fi category in the 2024 Minicomic Awards. But, more importantly, the whole process helped bring everything together. It reminded me of something I used to tell young artists: developing a style isn’t something you really set out to do, it’s something that just happens. You don’t practice drawing to get better at drawing; you do it to better channel your voice. It’s only when you can stop thinking about how to move your hand that your heart can take the lead.

I’d forgotten my own advice. I was so concerned about the technical details of how to write a story that I was basically assembling components rather than writing anything at all. Marrow helped me realize I’d already internalized everything I needed to write long ago. I just needed to stop thinking.

Expiry Date was a continuation of that process and made in basically the same way. There was just significantly less stress involved now that I knew I could trust myself.

Mostly.

Read the rest of the interview HERE! And dont forget to check out the Shortbox Comics Fair to support these lovely creators!!

[jannywanny]

and while im on the quarry, i’d love to talk about abigail blyg. namely, the writers fumbled the bag so hard with her and i will never shut up about it.

i am probably the biggest abi stan on tumblr because i was staring the potential IN THE FACE just for it to fizzle out like that.

the game literally develops her so well as this witty and compassionate artist who’s a little more reserved than the average joe…and then throws her to the side after nick turns. REALLY???

like, she cries about it for a little bit and sits there for the rest of the game until she can either help kaitlyn, die in the cellar with emma, or fade into oblivion, never to be seen or heard from again. which in turn makes the fandom (and fanfiction writers) see her as this helpless damsel who cries all the time and can’t do anything for herself. GET OUT NO SHE’S NOT.

and yeah, i get that everyone can’t be a main character, but dude. for a game that prides itself on all the different endings is it really that different if your WHOLE GAME ends because a certain character dies?? what was stopping abi and emma from doing the lodge showdown with caleb? they’re down there anyway!! injustice, that’s what was stopping them. (i don’t care that they probably didn’t have a gun or any form of weaponry. it’s the thought that counts, alright? they’d better bunker down and get some silverware 🙂‍↕️)

can we tell i’m a little upset because they did my girl ashley like that too? her intelligence is ignored by the fandom because of the fact that she was REASONABLY UPSET that LITERAL MONSTERS were on the prowl!! SHE DEDUCED THAT THE PSYCHO STUFF WAS FAKE!! ABI MANAGED TO ESCAPE A WEREWOLF WITH NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE!!!! IT’S ICONIC ON EMILY BUT NOT ON HER?? WDYM SHE JUST KNEW TO STOP AND HOLD HER BREATH? IDC THAT ITS A GAMEPLAY MECHANIC, THAT AINT THE POINT.

idk how this became another ashley and abi support post. maybe it’s because my shaylas are severely misunderstood and i HATE IT I HATE IT.

[coraniaid]

buffy/angel

I think Buffy's relationship with Angel is a hugely important part of her character and something which is vital to understanding all of her future romantic relationships. Yeah, maybe Boreanaz isn't the world's best actor (or second best, or third best, or ...) but Angel's hardly the only character in the first couple of seasons whose actor could be doing a better job and at a certain point all of the clowning on him starts to feel a bit tedious. I honestly kind of hate the way some fans of other ships will try to handwave away the importance of this relationship and pretend that Buffy wasn't ever really in love with Angel or that she'd be fundamentally the same person if she'd never met him. It just feels like a total refusal to engage with what is actually happening on screen.

That said: I don't ship it, no.

1) Why don't you ship it?

For me there are three main issues.

First, there's a bit of a pacing issue. The late Season 1 dynamic -- Buffy is attracted to Angel but conflicted about the fact he's a vampire and they definitely aren't dating as such -- is pretty good, I think, if not anything groundbreaking. As Xander says early on, Angel is "a very attractive man". He's a mysterious older guy who shows up now and then whenever there's danger and he's very pretty and brooding and troubled and he gives Buffy his leather jacket when she's cold and tells her to keep it because it "looks better on you". Buffy is into him. I get it.

That's how we start Season 2, too. In When She Was Bad Buffy tells Angel "there is no us" and claims she didn't spend the summer "mooning over" him, but we also see that she missed him and she tries and fails to tell him that. In Reptile Boy Buffy admits to Willow that she's been dreaming about Angel a lot but insists that "the vampire thing" means she can't have a relationship with him; Willow later gets angry with Angel on Buffy's behalf and asks him why he can't make time for a cup of coffee.

But by What's My Line?, just four episodes later, Buffy and Angel are definitely dating (he takes her to the ice rink, she claims that Spike has crossed a line because "nobody messes with my boyfriend"). So that gives the show just three episodes to go from "Buffy is attracted to Angel but they aren't in any sort of relationship" to "wait, yes they are" and I'm not sure it manages it. (Especially because the question of their relationship doesn't even really come up in The Dark Age.)

Are they already dating in Halloween, when Buffy dresses up to impress Angel and he tells her she's "not like other girls"? Are they dating in Lie To Me, when Angel seems jealous of Buffy's newly arrived ex-crush Ford and Buffy tells Angel she loves him but doesn't know if she trusts him? This isn't a rhetorical question: I genuinely don't know. In the same episode Ford asks Buffy if Angel is her boyfriend and her reply is "No. Uh, yeah. Maybe." before she asks for a break from "the tough questions". The show needs Buffy and Angel to get together, for Surprise and Innocence and everything that follows, but it feels like large parts of their developing relationship must be happening entirely off-screen.

That ties into my second problem, which is ... well, I'm not sure the show is actually very good at writing this sort of romance plot? It's a teen supernatural drama set in a high school, so all these rituals of first dates and crushes and saying "I love you" for the first time and putting labels like "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" to things are hugely important to the characters, but I don't think they really matter to the writers much at all. And more broadly I don't think I really share the writers sense of what is and what isn't romantic. (As I've said before, the Riley stuff in Season 4 explicitly shows us what the writers think a healthy relationship for Buffy looks like and it's kind of awful?) The speech Angel gives Buffy in Halloween about she's not like other girls (because said girls were uniformly "dull, simpering morons" who he "hated") is obviously meant to be romantic, but ... uh. Yikes.

And it certainly doesn't help that a year and half later Angel will give Buffy the "not like other girls" speech again and describe a completely different set of girls who he finds boring and hateful. (A scene that is, again, portrayed in a way I really don't understand.) For that matter, it doesn't help that in Becoming (Part 1) we get a slight retcon when we see that Angel didn't actually meet Buffy for the first time in Welcome To The Hellmouth ("truth is, I thought you'd be taller") but actually ... well. Was driven past her school in a dark car with tinted windows to check her out while she was a fifteen year old high school student. (In context, I want to believe that this is a deliberate choice on the writers part to make us feel uneasy about the basis of the relationship -- just like the choice in I Only Have Eyes For You to parallel it to a relationship between a teenager and his adult teacher -- but in practice I'm not so sure! The Becoming flashback gets brought up again in Season 3 but the framing when it does seems to suggest it's a lot more romantic than I ever took it as being.)

I find it easy to believe Buffy would be attracted to Angel. I find it easy to believe she is (was) in love with him and that the fact she was forced to send him to hell still haunts her years later. I just don't really think the show does a good job of showing how she goes from being attracted to him and "mooning after" him to being in love with him and not even noticing when he vamps out. I think the viewer just needs to do too much of the work. (Maybe this is something where the show suffers from being watched on DVD or steaming services on demand rather than at most one episode per week. In real time, over a month passed between Reptile Boy and What's My Line? which is plenty of time for the audience's imagination to fill in some of the gaps. On my last season-long rewatch I think I watched the three intervening episodes over the course of two evenings.)

And this ties into my third problem, which is that while I believe her relationship with Angel is hugely important to Buffy it never really feels like Buffy means that much to Angel. And maybe that is on Boreanaz's acting, at least a little bit. Maybe a better actor would have done better in the role. I'm not sure they would have been able to do much with the material they were given, but it might have helped.

But it's also down to the writing. Both in Buffy -- when, because Buffy is the main character, we don't really get to see Angel's side of things at all -- but mostly because of how Angel is written in Angel. There was a very deliberate choice on the part of the Angel writers (specifically Greenwalt, I think?) to play up Angel's past relationship with Darla in a way that reframes his relationship with Buffy. And while I understand that decision from a writing point of view -- the show needs to give Angel's character more depth, it doesn't want to live forever in the shadow of its parent show, SMG can't keep making cameo appearances -- and I do really like Darla as a character, it does a huge disservice to Buffy.

Because the retcon means that, while Angel is the hugely important figure in Buffy's life and always will be, to Angel Buffy is ... just a teenage girl he saw one day who reminded him of his old lover Darla. Darla is to Angel what Angel is to Buffy. It doesn't sit at all well with either of those "not like other girls" speeches he gave her. We know now that Angel met somebody "exciting" centuries before Buffy was even born. We surely don't believe Angel when he tells Buffy he's been with "hundreds" of girls like Faith but Buffy is the only woman he's ever loved. There's just this fundamental asymmetry there that makes it really hard to be emotionally invested in the ship. (To be clear: the problem isn't that Buffy isn't the first person Angel's loved, it's that so much of their relationship on her show involves him repeatedly telling her that she was, only for it to be later revealed that this can't be true. It makes him fundamentally dishonest in a way I don't think he was originally written to be.)

2) What would have made you ship it?

Hand on heart I'm not sure anything could have made me ship it as such.

Maybe there's some version of Buffy in which Angel never left for LA and we didn't get those 1996 flashbacks in Becoming and Season 3 really played up Angel's time in hell and had him more slowly rebuild his strength and memories before starting to think about a relationship with Buffy again that I'd have got more invested in. Maybe if Angel had stayed in hell for longer, and only come back in Season 4 (and Buffy could have been hiding him not just from her friends but from the Initiative). But I don't really think so.

Season 2 of Buffy is really good -- maybe the show's best, honestly -- and a huge part of that is the whole Angel-losing-his-soul side of things. I wouldn't want to change that. But once you've gone through that arc, once you've done the "Buffy sleeps with a guy she likes and afterwards it like he's a whole new person and she never really knew him at all" metaphor, I don't think you can go back to the status quo.

3) Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

As I said above, I think it's a hugely important relationship for Buffy and I'm a little suspicious of people who try to pretend it isn't. I don't hate it: I just find it a little underwhelming in execution. Angel and Buffy do have some nice moments together before he loses his soul. I don't dislike Amends as much as some people do, and I think Buffy's speech to Angel about the importance of fighting day after day and never giving up is good. I like the fact Angel comes back to Sunnydale after Joyce dies to check in on Buffy. I even like his cameo in the finale. It's a bit perfunctory, sure, and there's more than a bit of the deus ex machina about the whole magical amulet thing, but it wouldn't have felt right to Buffy's story for him not to be there.

(She should have asked how Cordelia was doing while they were catching up though. Make him lie to her once more for old time's sake.)

[page-yerin]

literally going to fight someone about ninjago dr s3 because, before anyone flames me, this wasn’t the best season so far 😞

look I’m not the best at analyzing stuff like this but I do my fair share in writing and research so I do want to share my personal opinion on the story and etc.

you’re telling me Cole basically got ZERO SCREENTIME?? ZERO. NONE.

sora GOING WITH ARIN?? WHAT THE F- why. WHY. I’M LITERALLY GONNA JUMP I LOVE THEIR FRIENDSHIP BUT THAT IS NOT IT

I REALLY REALLY need to see Lloyd start crashing out about losing BOTH his students (i have no idea if Frak is considered his student because… he basically didn’t get focus either)

Ras’ bxtch ahh should go to hell just saying

the only thing I liked was MORRO THE LOML AND MY WIFE PIX AND JAYYYAYAYA MY LOVE

OH AND WYFY AND ROBY THEYRE SOOAJRJRJFJ we love supportive Kai that was the best part btw; theyre literally so father and daughter FIGHT W THE WALL ^^

to be completely honest, I feel like in general there was a lot of comedic moments and less storytelling. the only good storytelling part imo was Ras and Arin’s side: specifically Ras’ mfing manipulation over Arin.

tbf that part was always a masterpiece… not the literal manipulation though

and the part where Jay says Arin’s parents are alive… I’m gonna jump if Ras faked their deaths to use Arin like a fvcking puppet

The flashback of Sora and Arin meeting was definitely wholesome, but not… really… expected or like kind of random ig? I feel like they could have showed it through Arin and Sora maybe feeling guilty and remembering how they met or something, more-so Sora since she ends up going with Arin.

like I get they’re best friends and all but… I feel like more could’ve been done with that(?) to show Sora wanting to stay with Arin in the end, esp with the relationship between the ninja and Ras.

And FRAK. DID. NOT. GET. ENOUGH. …development? Character-wise

Frak suddenly going all “I don’t think you understand what being a ninja is” in the last or second to last episode to Arin, but we don’t see enough interaction to build his idea of that other than being a superfan of them in general

I will never stop saying this: they should give him some kind of arc in helping him switch over from Ras’ “anger and hate becomes strength” technique to the ninja’s. We clearly see him more aggressive on the obstacle course in the first episode, but that’s barely touched on later on…

i do like how Arin ends up being able to do object Spinjitzu well enough in the end by.. using his kindness or wtvr that was… to defeat Thunderfang (who will definitely come back and better die for basically killing Morro… he’s already dead but that’s not the point)

i don’t think redoing the merge can “bring back his parents” even if they were actually dead because despite all that talk on it reshaping reality… idk if that’s how things work

I am glad about Arin still stopping Ras from fighting at times and etc.; his character is probably the best here other than Ras imo

other than we have:

that part in the First Realm (or Land ig) where Frak freaks out about the Oni… dude you’re literally right next to one

frak is so real btw I love him, just wish he could be more refined in terms of character

never mind frak though, COLE BETTER HAVE A LOT MORE SCREENTIME IN PART 2; never gonna forgive the writers for this

Oh and Zane dying for the nth time, that was great

Sora and frak bickering… I take back the shipping from my last post, but I do get Sora for being pissed off a bit

And Lloyd saying “green is the best” I LOVE HIM HAHAHSJSJSJN<33

like I said, there was a lot of comedic relief and stuff: not to say it wasn’t funny bc I cackled at most of them, but the overall story just.. wasn’t what I expected

I stand by my case that season 2 is still the best dr season… at least so far

Idk like I said I’m not really good at this stuff and sometimes I change my mind after hearing others’ opinions so lemme know if you agree or if you wanna throw me to the Netherspace