#decided to read a practical guide to evil first

[sistersorrow]

Back in July, I had a problem: I had finished Nona the Ninth and realised I had no idea when Alecto the Ninth would come out

I didn't feel like picking out a new novel to read every 10 days or so, so I decided I'd pick one very long book and hope it tided me over until a release date was given

So on the 19th of July 2024, I started reading Worm, and a bit over three months later, I read the final line of the final chapter on October 23rd

I have had many thoughts about this book while reading it, and since I haven't had access to the internet for the last two week, I've also had many thoughts after reading it, mainly thoughts where I was drafting this post (despite thinking about my draft for five days, now that I'm finally writing it, I can feel the whole thing fading from my mind)

TL;DR: I genuinely think the ending didn't happen

Yes, the whole "It was all a dream/purgatory" angle is very cliche, but it's a very common theory in the Worm fandom for a reason (one of those reasons being Wildbow jokingly saying Taylor's in purgatory)

For me, that reason is that Taylor is way too okay with the state of her life after Golden Morning

Throughout the book, Taylor has a consistent pattern of behaviour where she sees a problem or has a goal, decides on a means of realising that goal/fixing the problem, with anyone who attempts to get in her way being treated as part of the problem, allowing her to more easily justify using ever escalating acts of incredible violence to terrorise them into either helping her or getting out of her way

Taylor, by her own admission lives for conflict because for her things make the most sense when she has a very clear target to oppose and doesn't have to think past the near future because in the present the target is actively trying to kill her, and there are people who simply refuse to listen to her when she talks about ways to deal with the problem

Her, I dunno, ascension(?) to Khepri is just that pattern of behaviour taken to its logical extreme: the problems are Scion and people refusing to fight Scion or not working together, so she resolves the issue by resolving the issue of their free will and makes them fight in concert to bully Golden Space Jesus into killing himself

Despite the Speck arc being 174 pages of Taylor's brain being formatted by a fragment of an alien god as it remove any aspect of her personality that doesn't either facilitate acts of violence or think of new ways to commit acts of violence, Taylor has never been more herself than in that moment, hell, when she finishes scouring the multiverse for capes to turn into superpowered people puppets for her slave swarm and faces down the most powerful being to walk the earth as she realises she's beginning to forget where her mother's grave is, she stops to think about how nice it is that everyone is finally working together for once, just like she always wanted

The kind of person who does that to herself and others simply is not going to be able to adjust to civilian life, where she's going to continue to be exposed to the systemic failings that frustrated her into being Skitter in the first place only now without the tools or resources she used to effect change back on her Earth

At best, Interlude: End Taylor would be horribly depressed, and at worst feel like she's been placed in her own personal hell

For this reason, I genuinely think Contessa realised there was no coming back from what Taylor had become and decided to end her there, with the final interlude being a dying dream cooked up by her shard or something just before their connection was fatally severed, and honestly, I'm completely fine with that cause it feels like a natural conclusion for her arc, even if dream theories are always a bit contentious

[gliphyartfan]

Your dear double anon has returned

Anyway, I hope you had a good night's sleep and breakfast, because I'm back with more thoughts on LU I had this at 4am when I couldn't sleep (that's exactly why this sounds so far-fetched and mixed, perhaps a little meaningless(?)

I've been thinking a lot about Villain Chain lately, you know, by cloudninetonine. Also in humans are hylian space orc reader but that comes later and thinking a lot about cloudninetonine basically since I reread his/her mess au.

This is all set in mess au, in fact.

So far I have only found three writings that involve them and I have not found any more, which is a shame, because I'm interested in the concept of when a hero is a villain and a villain is a hero, I've always been a fan of role reversals in any context.

And one of the writings I read was about how they became like this when their guide/Reader/player died and they made a huge statue for them as a tomb and they see the guide/Reader/player from the original chain and kidnap them to maintain it and so on (this no has minimal relevance, I just woke up very talkative, although I'm sure I sent you messages yesterday)

Yeah, wrong, but I've kept them in mind because, remember the yandere version of cloudninetonine's chain? Where they're older and guide/reader/player isn't really their guide/reader/player but they think it is? Well, here I came up with an interesting continuation.

guide/reader/player is not really the guide from the original chain either.

Whether it's Dark Link or Villain Chain, they corner the reader and are like 'aha! You have no escape, little guide' and with a blank expression guide simply (when the adrenaline and fear have passed), grabs the blade of the sword that is pointing at their neck and bends it.

Here is the first clue that something is wrong, if it is Dark Link, whether by this action or not, he realizes that there is something wrong with the guide, it is not as he remembers it. If it is Villain Chain, there is bewilderment because the guide who described that shadow that plans to betray them did not resemble the guide they had before them who was not affected by magic, potions or weapons.

is not the guide that Dark Link remembers or that he described to Villain Chain because it turns out that is not the guide either, Reader is a guide but not of that specific chain.

Either because Hylia was confused or she searched for a stronger guide/Reader to stop Dark Link she simply looked for a Reader/Guide who she felt had even a modicum of power over the Hylians and found Guide/Reader from Human are Hylians Space Orc.

But that's where my train of thought ends.

Looking back after getting a proper night's sleep and reading this out loud, I feel like this was so far-fetched but my tired, sleep-deprived brain couldn't figure it out in time.I'm not particularly satisfied with these ideas, but perhaps I'll salvage something for the future.

Or maybe I'm thinking of ideas for a Villain Guide/Reader/player getting to know everyone, seeing as how no one has really done anything like this and some players can be evil in video games.

—double anon (since you already know my problem with Tumblr and the fact that I have to send at least two messages for one to arrive, I wasn't sure if I should give myself a name because my attention span It's null and void and I bounce from fandom to fandom every week. and I disappear the moment I decide to give myself a anon name, but I've been paying attention to Linked Universe for over a month, and I think that's reason enough to know that I won't disappear anytime soon, although I have your Tumblr profile saved in my Google bookmarks anyway so I'll still come visit even if it disappears)

This is a doozy. (Quite the long one, tad overwhelming. 😅) I’m not that familiar with villain chain? Let’s see what I can do with what I can figure out.

One thing I realized is that When Reader sees how the Villain Chain practically worships them, they’re baffled.

To this Reader, adventure games are meant to be just that, games.

The idea that she’d be revered as an actual deity is unsettling, and she’s torn between keeping up the act to protect herself or leveling with them. If she lets on that she isn’t their Guide, the Chain only becomes more obsessed, deciding she needs saving from whatever memories she’s ‘lost.’

And if she realized the Chain has suffered from the loss of THEIR Guide, Reader tries to gently reason with them, perhaps offering compassion?

Big mistake sadly. The moment they show even a hint of softness, the Chain decides Reader has truly “returned” to them. They double down on their devotion, misinterpreting kindness as affection, and it fuels their possessiveness.

To jog ‘memories,’ the Villain Chain might recreate locations or scenes from the past with the old Guide.

They could go to absurd lengths ya know, clearing whole areas, painting fake backdrops, even dressing up in the same worn, ragged clothes they had when they met the Guide. Reader plays along, but she’s constantly trying to figure out an escape plan, as she now knows nothing she says or does will convince them she’s not their Guide.

The Chain takes turns watching Reader, monitoring her behavior for signs that she’s “returning” to them. This means Reader can hardly go anywhere without someone at her side or in the shadows. Even a sigh or a glance could be analyzed endlessly.

Twilight would try to remind Reader of the old days by isolating her in forests or mountainous regions, telling tales of their past escapades.

He thinks being in these familiar places will awaken her ‘true self.’ But when this doesn’t work, he only becomes more frustrated, insisting that Reader must remember and that her real memories are just buried.

Hyrule would repeatedly try to heal Reader, convinced they’re suffering from some curse.

Every time Reader resists or tells him to stop, he assumes it’s the curse talking and only becomes more insistent, going as far as sneaking healing spells while she’s asleep or distracted.

[delusionalwritingsofagay]

Eddie Munson's Guide to Surviving Your Boyfriend's Period

Pairing : Eddie Munson x Male Trans reader Tags: Trans Reade, Mentions of weed, Fluff, Established relationship, Mentions of period, body dysphoria Word count :1076

Eddie cracked an eye open, the faint morning light filtering through the Slayer posters plastered across his bedroom window. He groaned softly, the remnants of last night’s smoke session clinging to his brain like a stubborn riff. He glanced over at the other figure sprawled across his mattress. (insert name).

(insert name) was a beautiful disaster, even asleep. His  hair was a tangled mess against the pillow Wayne had begrudgingly let Eddie steal from the living room, and one arm was flung dramatically over his head. Eddie smiled. He loved watching (insert name) sleep. He looked… peaceful. Something Eddie knew (insert name) didn’t often get to be.

Then, Eddie noticed it. A dark stain blooming on the faded floral sheet.

Shit.

He immediately knew what it was. (insert name) had told him about how dysphoric he got around his period, how much he hated dealing with it. He hated the feeling of being “feminine,” even though Eddie thought he was the most manly man he knew, period or no period. Eddie had listened, really listened, committing the details to memory. He hadn't wanted (insert name) to feel embarrassed or ashamed around him, and he certainly didn't want him to feel alone.

He carefully slid out of bed, trying not to jostle (insert name). Now was the time for Operation: Period Saviour.

Eddie gently nudged (insert name)’s shoulder.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” he murmured, trying for a casual tone. “Time to rise and shine.”

(insert name) groaned and rolled over, burying his face in the pillow. “Five more minutes…”

“Nah, man, gotta get up,” Eddie pressed, more firmly this time. “I, uh, I think you might want to hop in the shower.”

(insert name) blinked blearily at him, confusion clouding his features. “Shower? Why?”

Eddie hesitated, unsure how to broach the subject without making (insert name) feel worse. He decided to just rip the band-aid off.

“Dude, you, uh… you started your period last night. There’s a bit of a mess. Don’t freak out, But seriously, shower time.”

(insert name)’s eyes widened, and he sat bolt upright, clutching the blanket to his chest. His face flushed a deep, mortified red.

“Oh, god,” he whispered, his voice tight with shame. “I… I’m so sorry, Eddie. I didn’t…”

Eddie knelt beside the bed, taking (insert name)’s hand. “Hey, hey, none of that. It’s not your fault, okay? It happens. And I’m prepared. Seriously, don’t sweat it. Just go take a hot shower. I’ll have everything ready for you when you get out.”

He gave (insert name)’s hand a reassuring squeeze before standing up. “Go on, scram. I’ll leave some clean clothes on the bed for you.”

(insert name) still looked mortified, but he nodded slowly and shuffled towards the bathroom. Eddie watched him go, a wave of protectiveness washing over him. He hated seeing (insert name) like this, vulnerable and ashamed. He wished he could take all the pain away.

He grabbed a pair of his own old jeans and a black Sabbath t-shirt from the dresser, adding a clean pair of boxers. He laid them on top of the chair he used to hold his clean clothes, along with the package of pads. He knew (insert name) hated them, but they were a necessary evil.

He padded quietly into the living room. Wayne was already gone, probably off to some construction site or other. Good. Fewer questions. 

First priority: Damage control. Eddie grabbed the spare set of sheets Wayne kept in the hall closet, the ones that smelled faintly of mothballs and disappointment. Back in the bedroom, he wrestled the soiled sheet off the bed, stuffing it into the laundry basket. He replaced it with the clean one, smoothing out the wrinkles with a practiced hand.

Next: Comfort. He headed to the kitchen, pulling out a hot water bottle from under the sink, a relic from Wayne's childhood. He filled it with hot water and secured the lid, testing the temperature against his wrist before setting it aside. Then, he raided the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water and the family-sized Hershey’s bar he’d been saving for a particularly depressing D&D session.

Eddie grabbed a mug and filled it with water, placing it next to the chocolate bar and the hot water bottle on the bedside table. He wanted (insert name) to feel safe, cared for, and normal. He wanted him to know that this didn’t change anything.

The sound of the shower running filled the small trailer. Eddie sat on his bed, taking a deep breath.

When the shower finally stopped, He heard the bathroom door creak open and braced himself.

(insert name) emerged, wrapped in a towel, his hair dripping wet. He looked… better. The shower had washed away some of the shame, but his eyes still held a hint of vulnerability.

“Thanks, Eddie,” he said quietly, avoiding eye contact. “For… for everything.”

“Hey, no problem, man,” Eddie replied, trying to sound nonchalant. “That’s what boyfriends are for, right? Changing bloody sheets and providing emergency chocolate rations.”

A small smile flickered across (insert name)’s face. “Yeah, I guess so.”

He reached for the clothes Eddie had laid out, disappearing into the bathroom to change. Eddie perched on the edge of the bed, drumming his fingers against his knee. He was determined to make (insert name) feel better.

When (insert name) reappeared, dressed in Eddie’s clothes, he looked… comfortable. The oversized jeans and t-shirt swallowed his frame, but somehow, he still managed to look incredibly handsome.

He sat down beside Eddie on the bed, pulling the blanket around himself. “I hate this,” he mumbled, staring at his hands. “I hate feeling like this.”

Eddie put his arm around (insert name)’s shoulders, pulling him closer. “I know, baby I know. But it’s okay. You’re okay. And I’m here.”

He picked up the hot water bottle and placed it in (insert name)’s lap. “Here, this might help with the cramps.”

(insert name) leaned into Eddie’s side, burying his face in his shoulder. “Thanks,” he whispered again, his voice muffled.

Eddie held him tight, stroking his hair. He knew he couldn’t magically make (insert name)’s dysphoria disappear, but he could offer comfort.

Eddie grinned. ”how about we crank up some Iron Maiden and eat this entire chocolate bar? My treat.”

(insert name) chuckled. “Sounds like a plan.”

Eddie grabbed the chocolate bar and tore it open, handing a large piece to (insert name).

[callireads]

Introduction

Hi! Call me Calli - it's short for my main handle, @callipraxia. That's a nonsense word which came about when I started trying to combine word roots in a way that sounded comprehensible, since I had the vague impression that was how screen names worked. Pretty sure I got it wrong, but so it goes. As stated in the blog summary, I had been keeping up with my reading in a notebook for a few years, but after keeping up with it for that long, I...still managed to finally lose the thing. Tumblr is, er, decidedly harder to misplace, so I decided to make a side blog as a replacement that I can put hyperlinks in, and now here I am.

Relevant facts about me in the event that anyone else reads this and wonders where I'm coming from: I'm a woman in my thirties, from the Southern United States, and I have a Master's degree in English education. I work in an education-related field, but I'm not a teacher. I own a lot of books, and most of them were acquired at Friends of the Library fill-a-bag sales, where, a few times a year, I can get as many books as I can persuade to fit inside a paper grocery bag for ten bucks. Between acquiring so many of my books that way, being a writer, and having a tendency to flit between intense interests at unpredictable intervals, my personal library is...eclectic, shall we say, so there's probably no real way to pin down a theme for this blog other than that it is, well, the things Calli reads. Most of it is nonfiction these days, but a solid month of YA novels is never out of the question and long digressions into RPG sourcebooks are actually pretty common at the moment. Just depends on what my brain's latched onto at any given time, really.

The Books

January 2025

Guards, Guards! - Terry Pratchett

The House of My Mother - Shari Franke

Men at Arms - Terry Pratchett (1/28)

The Beginner’s Guide to Runes - Josh Simonds (1/30)

February 2025

The Korean Myths: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, and Legends - Heinz Insu Fenkl and Bella Myŏng-wŏl Dalton-Fenkl (2/11)

The Chinese Myths: A Guide to the Gods and Legends - Tao Tao Liu (2/13)

The Japanese Myths: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, and Spirits - Joshua Frydman (2/17)

The Japanese Yokai Handbook: A Guide to the Spookiest Ghosts, Demons, Monsters, and Evil Creatures from Japanese Folklore - Masami Kinoshita (2/17)

The Aztec Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Stories and Legends - Camilla Townsend (2/18)

Discourses of the Elders: The Aztec Huehuetlatolli, A First English Translation - Sebastian Purcell (2/25)

The Egyptian Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Gods and Legends - Garry J. Shaw (2/27)

The Norse Myths: A Guide to the Gods and Heroes - Carolyne Larrington (2/28)

March 2025

The Wandering Mind: What Medieval Monks Tell Us About Distraction - Jamie Kreiner (3/2)

Women and the Religious Life in Premodern Europe - Patricia Ranft (3/4)

Uncomfortable Conversations With A Jew - Emmanuel Acho and Noa Tishby (3/7)

How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book - Liel Leibovitz (3/10)

Living Theravada: Demystifying the People, Places, and Practices of a Buddhist Tradition - Brooke Schedneck (3/13)

The Diary Keepers: World War II in the Netherlands, as Written By The People Who Lived Through It - Nina Siegal (3/14)

The Eastern Orthodox Church: A New History - John Anthony McGuckin (3/19)

Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout - Cal Newport (3/21)

Process: The Writing Lives of Great Authors - Sarah Stodola (3/25)

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work - Mason Currey (3/27)

Cloistered: My Years as a Nun - Catherine Coldstream

April 2025

1. Nazi Wives: The Women at the Top of Hitler’s Germany - James Wyllie (4/8)

May 2025

June 2025

July 2025

August 2025

September 2025

October 2025

November 2025

December 2025

[chihuahuawashere]

Guide dog!

As kids Perona and Kuina tried everything they can to make sure that Zoro doesn’t get lost. As big sisters it was their duty to make sure that their little brother is safe.

But they didn’t realize how hard the job will be. He’ll be practicing with his wooden swords one second and in the blink of an eye his gone. Literally /poof/ and the girls panic every single time. And don’t get then wrong they really tried everything.

They tried teaching him how to read a map and how to tell form his left to his right but nothing really seems to click for him. It’s like his brain was switched on backwards or there was no switch in that part of his brain.

Which was so confusing to them because he’s a really smart kid academically from reading to writing to math but this one life skill that he needs in order to survive isn’t working and it’s making his sisters more and more worried as they get older.

One day when Perona and Kuina had to wash the clothes in the river zoro really did wonder off and he was deep into the woods. And it took /hours/ to try and find him and once the sun has long set and it was dark dark they finally found Zoro chilling with some birds. And Perona had had enough she yelled “He just doesn’t want to walk in a straight line! It’s so simple” she really snapped at him for it. She thought that this was a cruel running joke and was over it.

And zoro being the baby brother was really shocked up by with and didn’t talk for a whole week after that. Honestly was just too scared to miss up and get yelled at again.

Kuina as the older sister scolded her and made her apologize and made Zoro apologize for running off (again)

But they were back at square one again. And honest to god they really tried everything they tired: 

At first it was holding on to one of their hands as they walk but he’ll get embarrassed and let go and wonder off

They’ll even from a line and hold onto rope kinda of like a kindergarten line (Kuina in the front Zoro in the middle and Perona in the back) but Zoro would still wonder off.

From having a backpack leash on him. (He takes it off and runs) he thinks that there to stupid looking

Trying tie rope on one hand and tying to one of there own hands (he CHEWS off the rope) and runs

They even had a backpack with a hole in it. And with the hole had dirt rocks dried petals anything so that when he ran off there’d be a trail behind him. It kinda of worked until he took it and the trail ran cold.

They even tried making little cards for him to carry and when he was lost to give it to someone so they can help him find his way back home. It’ll have his name his sisters name and their address. But that never worked because zoro was to prideful to admit when he was wrong

At this point Kuina and Perona were 15 and Zoro was 14 and he was getting really tired of his village and was looking for a was to run away any minute. And they still haven’t found a way to keep Zoro from getting lost.

That was until one day when Perona and Kuina were walking back home after being done grocery shopping they heard barking and splashing. Turns out some evil little kids were trying to drown a puppy in the river. Perona and Kuina dropped their bags and chased after the boys. Perona isn’t afraid to square up with and elementary schoolers.

While Perona was WWE body slamming the kids into one another Kuina ran into the river to safe the mutt. Once the kids were crying their way back to mommy Perona grabbing all the bags so Kuina can carry the tried wet pup back home.

To their surprise Zoro actually stayed home for once instead of running off. And he’s sure glad he did! He got to see a doggy! After helping Kuina wash him off and helping Perona make some food for the puppy they decided to keep the doggo.

But instead of imprinting on Kuina the pup imprinted on Zoro! But the dog acted just like he older sisters. Also tugging on Zoros shirt to go one way or bumping them head on Zoros leg to go another way and even fact snapping it get Zoros attention. And making sure that he followed his sisters.

It was like the dog /knew/ that zoro couldn’t walk in a straight line. And soon after the little puper became Zoros guide dog! And Perona and Kuina never really had to worry so much about him. They still worry don’t get them wrong! But they have one less thing to worry about now!

[glowingmushroom0]

Top Ten TBR for August

1. The Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (currently reading)

Back in December, I was re-watching a bunch of Zhao’s videos on YouTube and in one of them she was promoting her novel Iron Widow. While I’ve never been too into mecha-novels in sci-fi, I decided to give this one a try! I’ve been finding the mechanics of the mechs really interesting, and I find Zetian a very engaging character. It also helps that Zhao explains some of the history of the real-life Wu Zetian in two of her YouTube videos. I still haven’t finished the book, but I am pretty close to finishing it.

2. Epithet Erased: Prison of Plastic by Brendan Blaber (currently re-reading)

This novel is a part of the Epithet Erased series on JelloApocalypse’s YouTube channel, which also includes several trailers for this novel and a part of chapter 1 of the novel’s audiobook. I remember seeing the original show on YouTube when it was coming out and it’s a really fun series! This part of the novel focuses on the story of Molly Blyndeff, a twelve-year-old with an epithet, a power that depends on whatever word the epithet is based off of. The story focuses on Molly’s relationship with her older sister Lorelai, and how her friends support her and try to help her as she tries to stop her sister from expanding her dream world within their family’s toy store. I’m actually listening to the audiobook while writing this post! I really recommend the audiobook version of this novel, the voice actors did an excellent job!

3. Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austen

I actually was recommended this book a couple of years ago by an aunt and a cousin of mine. I had gone to a Catholic school and they both knew I was pan (I still haven’t come out to them as agender though, but that’s because I don’t see or talk to them very often). However, what actually convinced me to try the book was an old friend group that started a book club, and this was their first book. I still haven’t read it because I didn’t end up making it to the meetings, but I am interested in reading it.

4. The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

This novel I was interested in more from the author than the subject matter, but that doesn’t mean I’m not interested at all. I first read Jaigirdar’s Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating and really enjoyed it, so I wanted to read more of her works! That’s when I learned that this was her debut novel, and I wanted to compare the two. Plus, I will always find some joy from learning about different art forms through writing in novels. The most I know about henna so far is from a friend of mine who had another friend who wanted to practice henna on them. Because of that, I’d like to learn more about how Jaigirdar depicts henna artists.

5. A Queer Dharma: Yoga and Meditations for Liberation by Jacoby Ballard

I actually found this book at a book exchange that was at an LGBTQ+ friendly event. My friend and I are both interested in this book because we’re both into learning about different kinds of religion and how to express different kinds of spirituality. From what I’ve looked over with the book it talks about how queer people create their own spaces within Buddhism and yoga.

6. So This is Ever After by F. T. Lukens

I’ll go more in-depth with this particular choice in the next book, however the main reasons why I was interested in this novel is because I had already gotten a book from this author that I was pretty interested in. And after looking through another book of Lukens’s (or Lukens’), they also seemed to be really interested in fantasy, especially magic. I also thought it was an interesting idea that the story takes place after the typical “ever after” of defeating an evil king.

7. In Deeper Waters by F. T. Lukens

Now this is the novel that I originally found F.T. Lukens from, and the main reason why I was interested in reading this novel is because I love pirates. I also found myself hooked from just the summary of the novel. When people say a character is mysterious, I don’t really know if they’re going to be mysterious until they appear in the story. However, the summary does show how mysterious Athlen can be, considering he’s introduced as a prisoner on a burning ship. So, I’m interested in learning more about Athlen just from the summary.

8. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

This novel has a bit more controversial reason for why I want to read it. I originally got this book because it was popular, and I was vaguely interested, but then I started hearing about debates on whether this is good MLM (men-loving-men, not multi-level-marketing) representation. However, I then had another friend that’s a part of the queer community that read the book and he liked it. So I wanted to read the book to figure out my own opinion on the novel. Plus I thought it would be a good time to read it since the novel’s getting it’s own show soon. 

9. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Trans (But Were Afraid to Ask) by Brynn Tannehill

This book is less for me and more for family reasons. I’m not going to go into too much detail for privacy reasons, but a lot of my family still don’t quite understand much about what it exactly means to be transgender, especially not someone who’s under the non-binary umbrella. So I wanted to read this book and see if it’d be a good fit for some of my family members who do read.

10. Video Game Storytelling: What Every Developer Needs to Know about Narrative Techniques by Evan Skolnick

This book is more for my own learning and future career. My specific dream job is to create a video game story, which would go into scriptwriting. However, most of the creative writing advice and tips I’ve gotten were either for fiction in general, or for short stories and poetry. This book might be able to teach more about scriptwriting, but also how to develop scripts for video games.

[kneelingshadowsalome]

Piggybacking off the last ask about Simon and Sarah from your Love Conquers War series, I have some questions.

FYI: The first one is a little silly/cute, the second is a bit more serious and deals with miscarriage and infertility, so feel free to ignore/not answer this if it’s uncomfortable or triggering for you, IRL.

First, you mentioned that Simon was cool with one kid, for now. I had an evil little thought of “wouldn’t it be hilarious if the universe conspires/planets align and they get pregnant with twins on the first the first try?” I think poor Simon would have a panic attack at first, but then get super excited and proud in that masculine way (if you know you know 😉)

On to my second question: once Simon and Sarah decide they’re ready for kids, what if things don’t go how they’d imagined it going?

how would each of them react to a miscarriage or potentially struggling to conceive?

There’s so much secrecy and stigma surrounding miscarriages (they happen way more than one might initially expect) and there’s so many misconceptions about how late in life one is able to get pregnant, the fact that doctors refer to mothers who get pregnant after age 35 (even though that age is based on centuries old data from French peasants 🙃) it’s not something I see many fics (I can literally count on one hand the number I’ve read, and it’s under 5) tackle or talk about.

Heyy! 🩷 Answer to this adorable (also a bit angsty) ask is below the cut:

I had an evil little thought of “wouldn’t it be hilarious if the universe conspires/planets align and they get pregnant with twins on the first the first try?” I think poor Simon would have a panic attack at first, but then get super excited and proud in that masculine way (if you know you know 😉)

Aaaaaah! That's such a cute evil little thought!! I'm telling you my cheeks hurt from smiling when I read this, you're a genius 💕

Simon would have a minor panic attack for sure. He would also try to hide just how much he's freaking out. He would grow pale at their first ultrasound and mutter to himself "How's this even possible…" And Sarah only looks at him with a huge, smug smile on her face. Like she would be the happiest! And also think to herself "serves the man right for stalling things so long". The nurse would congratulate them and Simon would grow paler still.

He would be silent during the trip home, and Sarah knows that Simon is actually scared of happiness, not responsibility. She would tease him about it, joke around a bit, then try to calm him... The conversation would go something like this:

Sa: "Isn't it nice to know you're fertile...?"

Si: "I'm fertile? You're the one who's fertile."

Sa: "Well, we're fertile. Isn't that nice?"

Si: "Yeah. Sure. We need a bigger apartment."

I think Simon would guide his frustrations and fears to material things. He would make sure everything is ready and set for the baby(/babies? hah). And then the realization sinks in and YES he would be so proud and hyped. He would also be nodding to himself, deeming it's quite practical that they have two babies at the same time. Pure soldier's realism!

On to my second question: once Simon and Sarah decide they’re ready for kids, what if things don’t go how they’d imagined it going? How would each of them react to a miscarriage or potentially struggling to conceive?

I think Sarah would read and study everything there is to know about… everything! From how to increase chances of getting pregnant to having a healthy pregnancy to good parenting. They would both be aware of the fact that trying to conceive in their thirties is not a walk in the park, and would mentally brace themselves for setbacks. Still, if such setbacks hit, I think Sarah would suffer the most. She's a bit of an overthinker and has a tendency to go down in the dumps.

And Simon would suffer when he sees Sarah is suffering. Of course he would mourn the unborn child too, especially if the miscarriage(s) were to happen after the first trimester. But Simon, I think, has more buffer to things going to shit, so he would simply be there for Sarah and help her get out of the slump. Simon would be the one who sparks the hope for trying again. And again. And again. Until they succeed. He would never give up once the decision to have a child is made. ️Fertility treatments and other methods of assisting pregnancy aren't off the table either. I don't think they would go as far as adopting, though. They want to have little Simons & Sarahs 🙄🩷

[alicelufenia]

Results for A Practical Guide to Evil 10th anniversary fan poll

Some results are a bit of a surprise, a lot of others are to be expected.

Favorite Book

Wow that's no contest for 1st and 2nd huh. There's a whopping 27 vote gap between 2nd and 3rd (the biggest margin in any poll). Books 5 and 7 really do deserve 1st and 2nd respectfully, with nearly double of 3rd place. I still stand by my personal placement of book 2 being higher up, but I get it.

It's super close between books 5 and 7, and while I love 7 in its own way, there's just no topping book 5 for me. It's the closest to perfect this series gets; the stakes are low enough everything has time to naturally build up, the action, character moments, and politics are all really good, Twilight Liesse was phenomenal, and Catherine as the dark priestess of the drow was easily my favorite of her arcs.

I'm reminded of that interview ErraticEratta gave where originally Black was going to be the main character while guiding the newest villain named Priestess (ie., proto-Catherine), and early on he decided it'd be best if she was the main pov instead. So really she was always meant to be an evil priestess, good for her!

I also feel like it's a good sign a series sticks the landing when the last three books are the most popular. Though book 1 being last place is even more fair, it's a rough start compared to the literary luxury of the finale. Here's hoping the rewrite has addressed this (from what I've seen so far it very much does)

Favorite Chapter

A bit surprised Epilogue II made it to #1, but as far as final chapters go it does rank up there. Leaves an immaculate taste in your mouth for the setting and characters, while our main cast gets to sail off into the sunrise; the series had been about defying and playing around tropes for so long, and it's nice for our villain squad to get the heroic sendoff, they've earned it.

Not surprised at all A Hundred Battles is a super close 2nd, that is, like, half the reason book 5 is so beloved, it's basically a whole chapter where each next line is the best line ever.

Pleasantly surprised that Hollow;Hallow (not to be confused with Hallow;Hollow) made it to 3rd, though tying with Lost and Found makes placement a bit contentious. I honestly thought I'd be the only one to like that chapter as a whole, with maybe the ending with Ivah showing up in best scene or best lines, but glad to see I'm not alone.

The rest are all solid, very fitting nearly all favorite chapters are from books 5 or 7, with book 2's Madman pulling ahead as a spike of sheer brilliance in the early times.

Favorite Extra Chapter

One perk of coming to this series years after it wrapped, is I got all the extra chapters mixed in with my first reading, which was very much appreciated as opposed to having to remember when they were meant to be placed in the narrative.

It feels very fitting that Charlatan was the easy 1st place, followed by Kingfisher. Roland and Frederic are both some of my favorite heroes, maybe only Hanno beats them imo. Ye Mighty just slaps all over, one of Akua's greatest moments and the best drow pov chapter imo. The rest are all stand outs in their own ways, glad my contribution of Five Stories rated so high (no idea if others submitted it, but I sure did at least)

And last but definitely not least:

Favorite Character

Was there any doubt that Cat was gonna take this by such a large margin (17 ahead of 2nd place) I think not 😁

Granted I did place Akua as my #1 with Cat as the closest #2 you could possibly imagine, but that's mainly cause her entire character blew me away and genuinely surprised me at multiple points right up to the end. Easily the best character arc, and it's a literary tragedy that such a phenomenal redemption and enemies to lovers story is going to be known only to the handful of people who read the Guide. REALLY hoping the final published series reaches a wider audience, but if not I can at least yell about it on my blog to the 3 mutuals who actually read my Practical Guide posts lol

That aside, yeah of course Catherine Foundling is our top pick, this is a series where it's not only perfectly expected that the main character is your favorite, I think if you don't somehow love her to bits I have to wonder why you're here and how did you make it to the end lmao

Returning to the poll, the competition after Cat is fighting for their lives, every entry from 2nd to 6th are just 1 vote apart each. Which short of them all tying, is the closest to consensus I can see that it's anybody's game for runner up. Not surprising at all that both Kairos and Masego hit 2nd and 3rd respectively, Kairos being possibly the greatest actual villain in the series, and Masego is just fantastic, a delight from fire breathing pigs to mandatory lectures.

I'm a bit bummed that Cordelia is so low at 9th, but then she did take a while to grow on me. And when you're up against competition like Hakram, Amadeus, Akua and Abigail, it's an honor she was able to place in the final results.

Favorite Scenes, Lines, and Epigraphs

These sections all have a lot of crossover, and definitely is for the best they were left unranked, making these just a nice grab bag of "hey remember when- Hell yeah that was great!" moments. Rather than go through them, I'll just highlight some that stood out to me, especially if they were submitted more than once:

Masego comforting Catherine on the rooftop after she killed Amadeus.

AAAAAH yes 😭 this was so sweet and had me in tears it's so sad, FUCK. I think Masego might be the one genuinely healthy friendship Cat has throughout the books. No weird co-dependency, she embraced his being a huge nerd right from the word go and they have gradually grown closer while maintaining their own lives and interests. She managed to do friendship correct One(1) time, but man it was a great one

Nok shooting the Shining Prince

The one time Rule of Funny won out (also a lot more sinister on a reread when you realize the Bard basically set him up to be killed)

"Yoink" said the Thief and stole the sun.

GOD, JUST. What a cool moment! It reminds me that out of all the Woe I miss not seeing more with Vivienne the most. I'm really hoping the rewrite addresses that, she's such a great character with even the relative little we see of her, and like Akua, also goes through a surprising character arc.

“Your mistake, Queen of Blades, is in thinking that virtue is the province of Good. Every Tyrant who has ever claimed the Tower, every fool and every madman, had the seed of greatness in them. Courage, cleverness, ambition, will. We may lose our way, we may lose ourselves, but every time we get… a little closer. You think I am afraid of death? I am a droplet in the tide that will drown Creation. I take pride in this, even in my hour of failure. Empresses rise, Empresses fall. But the Tower? Oh, the Tower endures.” – Last words of Dread Empress Regalia the First

This just gives me shivers every time I read it. Also just realized Kairos was quoting Regalia with that "droplet in the tide" line.

“Then fear me, drow,” Akua Sahelian announced, “for I wield the power of friendship.”

damn I love her sm

Cat/Sve Noc V. Kurosiv

"Are you worthy?"

Also the scene before where Cat asks Sve Noc to trust her, the way she trusted them in the everdark when at their mercy. And later with Ivah ("...Maybe tomorrow.") and again when Sve Noc get resurrected and Akua heals Masego—look there's a reason I submitted it as my favorite chapter it's just full of incredible moments.

Catherine crossing the bridge into Keter not knowing if the Third would follow her.

Speaking of, Mud is also a favorite chapter, for this whole sequence. Catherine has given a lot of inspirational speeches throughout the series, but this one hits the hardest for then being followed by her marching out alone, shield and helmet and sword in hand, as the bars of Here They Come Again swell behind her, the Third taking the field.

It's the ultimate showing of why her soldiers follow her, why they love her and look up to her despite being a villain. Because she cares for and loves them as only a leader who has been right with them through the same hell and shit that they've been through can. Easily one of, if not her most defining and redeeming quality.

“They say we only get one choice that matters,” I told her. “And maybe that’s true. So here’s my choice: I will not be a crab in your fucking bucket.” —Catherine Foundling to the Wandering Bard (B7 Ch67: And Justice For All - Redux)

The truly climactic moment of the final fight of the series. By end game characters' abilities to wield namelore reaches some truly absurd, basically reality warping levels (even outside the Bard's aspects), but here, this moment happened because Cat's bad leg pulled her thoughts back enough to reflect on herself, and thus avoid taking Yara's place.

And it's one of the best call backs, both to the very first epigraph about the one choice that matters, as well as the "crabs in a bucket" speech, not only my favorite of Catherine's speeches but also the most based she's ever been. This is that moment in the anime where the opening theme kicks in as bgm, now with the second verse and bridge!

Catherine and Akua’s last moments

Counting both the last numbered chapter and epilogue, YES. The way I was taken apart when Akua stepped up and basically saved Cat from the unhappy ending she thought she was fated to have. When Cat couldn't help but steal that one kiss after Akua's fate was truly sealed, finally able to be fully honest with her. I honestly think this might be the most anticipated "I love you" I've read. Over 3 million words have come to this moment.

[sunjinjo]

The ascent was so swift it took his breath away.

He was floating. He was glowing. Lines of brilliant blue ran up his wrists, across his chest, under the fabric of his clothes. He looked down at himself, and his held breath abruptly left him in a huff of involuntary laughter – he was glorious. At last.

Find my writing here on AO3! Sunjinjo | Archive of Our Own

Currently writing for this series: ✨Mended with Gold✨ - both long and short Wanderer-centric Genshin stories, as canon-compliant as possible, featuring his healing and self-expression in Sumeru, with lots of Nahida, the Aranara, and other characters by his side.

These are chronological as events happened ingame, but can all be read as standalones!

🍃The wind guides, the forest remembers (39,510 words, 8 chapters) - right after gaining his Vision in Inversion of Genesis, Wanderer goes for his first flight, ends up somewhere he didn't intend, and gets adopted by the Aranara for a while. Much-needed forest therapy ensues, as well as an unplanned tutorial on his new powers.

🌷Dream Flower (2,452 words) - coming to terms with the name the Traveler gave him, and the one that wasn't given as well.

🍵Warm Care, Bitter Truth (3,432 words) - It's a cold night up in the Divine Tree. Luckily there are ways to warm back up, inside and out.

⛅Enlightenment after the rain (2,663 words) - Haypasia returns to her meditation cave to pick up some supplies, but the cave already has an occupant. He seems impossibly familiar.

🌱It's Called Growth (1,786 words) - Nahida almost did something drastic when faced with the Dendro Dragon. Someone isn't taking it well.

🩹Papercut (1,413 words) - Nahida gets a papercut. Small and silly :P

🏅The Wishful Thinking of Idiots (56,724 words, 8 chapters) - The Akademiya Extravaganza, from Hat Guy's perspective. His (sharply opinionated) thoughts on the matter, what he was up to behind the scenes, and ways he interacted with the other contestants.

⚔On swords and those who wield them (10,902 words, 3 chapters) - Wanderer practices telling his true story through sword dance.

🌄Splendorous Skies (118,032 words, 17 chapters) - Khvarena of Good and Evil, with Wanderer in the Traveler's place by Sorush' side as her Yasnapati, standing against the Abyss.

📖Dark shapes flutter free (980 words) - The Wanderer (re)starts a little journal of haiku.

🌠Vantage Point (1,821 words) - the Traveler (me) giving out a gift on my own birthday, Teyvat style. Also, wishing my way to C6 Wanderer. ❤

🎉The Return of the Sabzeruz Festival (12,641 words) - Happy birthday, Nahida. ❤ The Sumeran festival event we didn't get. (2023 edition, before it was cool.)

⛲A Cage of Your Own Making (84,189 words, 8 chapters) - ‘It is forbidden to release any flying objects during the first three days of each month.’ Nahida and the Wanderer visit... different parts of Fontaine.

🌊No adventures on the mountain (1,067 words) - I'm not salty about that giant empty mountain in Sumeru's north. But the ocean is.

🎂This sweetness isn’t so bad (5,631 words) - It's just another ordinary day for the Wanderer. Until people look up his birthday in the Akademiya records.

🐟Rainjade Ovation (ongoing, chapter 1/10) - After finishing his essay on Fontainian law, the Wanderer earns himself a little holiday, accompanying a certain star performer in search of inspiration in Chenyu Vale. A Hero's Journey ensues, because of course.

🐝Heirs of lightning, breakers of silence (3,077 words) - the Wanderer's first meetings with the leader of the Temple of Silence. Busy bees, flying lotuses. :P

🎭At the mercy of the mages (8,977 words, 2 chapters) - the Wanderer is summoned to the Imaginarium Theater. His disappointment is immeasurable and his day is ruined. Moreso in chapter 2.

🐉The Light Beyond the End (84,387 words, 7 chapters) - Summertide Scales and Tales, from Wanderer's perspective. Sometimes, becoming a Hero is about deciding to help just one person, even if the title feels like a mockery. <3

🌺Chromatic Ode of Annoyance (ongoing, chapter 5/6) - it's Sabzeruz again. A certain introverted Wanderer is dragged into things even though he wanted to keep a bit more distance this time - and all his floating friends are included.

🎁Pleasant surprises, lighting the way (9,450 words) - Wanderer celebrates his birthday by means of card games, preemptive socializing, and a fairytale surprise party.

⛵As Though Waking from a Dream (2,143 words) - a Sumeran ship sets sail for Inazuma bearing a package. The Wanderer ponders a few things back on the shore.

...and more to come because I'm far from done with this lad :D

Also, set before all the others:

🍀Sapienta Oromasdis (19,891 words, 6 chapters) - Nahida is freed from her cage, and experiences a few things for the first time.

☔Wisdom's Shadow (36,512 words, 6 chapters) - Nahida deals with a comatose Scaramouche, and his inevitable wakeup.

🌸Unmade, Remade (uploading when fully finished, now writing chapter 3/12) - Inversion of Genesis, from Scaramouche / Wanderer's POV. Let's go through the wringer together this time.

Also also:

🍑Sunny Sky, an ongoing (GORGEOUS) comic drawn by the marvellous ✨Lumier✨ and supplied with written material by me, about her younger Scaramouche segment Kuni meeting my Kintsugi. Two rash puppet boys going on an adventure! :D

[digitalmidnight]

The Mouse Prince

Tom and Jerry, Swan Princess Au

Once upon a time, there was a king named Merlin who ruled a large and mighty kingdom. And yet, he was sad. What once had been a large family had been dwindled down to two by the evil sorcerer Rutherford. Him and his baby cousin, Jerry. 

On the baby’s first birthday, Kings and Queens came from all around to offer their gifts to Jerry. Among them was King Terrance and his chosen heir, Tom. 

I completed a fic and so will be uploading it on an actual schedule this time! 8 chapters, 1 chapter for every Friday remaining this year. It will be around 20k words completed (more or less depending on any editing I do)

Additional, rambling notes underneath Read more

So I rewatched Swan Princess and thought "Hey wait what if this instead" and it spiraled out of control into this fanfic. With Tom and Jerry of course.

There's technically no original characters in this! When the fic is completely posted, I'll make a list of the characters and where they came from. I did consider making the evil sorcerer to be the witch from Tom and Jerry and the Lost Dragon, but I didn't. Oh, well.

At first, I wanted to tag it as OOC. Now "out of character" is very hard for Tom and Jerry because, being honest here, I could probably justify almost every personality or relationship for them by cherry-picking episodes. I had to change Jerry in this fic from Odette's character to more based around himself in the 1992 movie. Tom, however, wasn't based on anything. If anything, I wrote him based on him from my detective fic, which does make him OOC. Then there's the fact they talk SO MUCH. Like, way too much for Tom and Jerry. Ultimately, I decided not to tag OOC because I could see them doing the actions at least.

So, to write this, I downloaded a transcript of the dialogue as a guide. However, I still had to create a vast majority of the dialogue. For starters, I changed character's personalities from their original characters, so there were several "HE WOULD NOT SAY THAT" moments I had to change. Then, there were several changed plot points, which meant I was making up a large portion of the ending's dialogue. For instance, Jerry is the one to come with the ideas, unlike Odette, who just kinda followed everyone else's lead. I had to make dialogue for when there was music, as this is not a musical fanfic. Then the small changes spiralled, and I had to make up almost every line of dialogue by the later chapters. This was overall pretty good practice for knowing where the plot goes, but needing to write the dialogue to get there.

This was cathartic as I fixed almost all of my personal plot issues with this movie from when I was a kid. Except for the fact I did remove every woman. Oops. I need to write a Tom and Jerry fic that passes the Bechdel Test one day.

I am working on the other 2 fics. About 5-6 chapters of this fic = 1 chapter of the other two. I haven't posted for practically a year! Oops!

[gentil-minou]

Background Info about OUAT for my MDZS fic

So I recognize not everyone has seen Once Upon a Time so this fic and premise might be a bit confusing. I wanted to make a short notes/guide in case people might be curious about the premise of the show and how it will fit into my fic specifically.

You can read the fic itself here on Ao3

Once Upon a Time is a show where characters from various western fairytales get cursed to live in modern day Maine. The hero is Emma, who is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming but was separated from them as a baby when the curse hit. She grew up in the real world and suffered the perils of foster care and other not fun realities, so by the time we meet her she's almost 30 and pretty jaded. Then, the son she gave up for adoption ten years ago finds her on her birthday. He says he's her son, Henry, and that she needs to follow him back to his hometown, to lift the curse set by the evil queen and help bring these fairytale characters back where they belong.

The fun part is, this evil queen, Regina is actually Henry's adoptive mom and the primary antagonist of season 1. And although Emma is skeptical of Henry's claims, she realizes she wants to be his mom after all and get to the bottoms of all the mystery surrounding the town and its odd inhabitants.

There's like so much more involved, like Emma's best friend actually ends up being her mom Snow White, and in one season they go to both Camelot and Hell, and also they play fast and loose with what a fairytale character is because the doctor is Victor Frankenstein. and pretty much everything gets fixed with True Love's Kiss it practically becomes an in-universe meme. The plot gets absolutely unhinged (I mean this with all the love in my heart, I adore this show), but I'm mostly drawing from the first season.

Mostly the bits I took from the show are the whole curse, except here the cultivation world is dragged into some American small town with no memories of where they're from. There are some hints that not everything is as it seems, like all the signs being in Chinese and no one being able to leave/contact the outside world. However, just like in the show, because of the curse the people in the town have no idea anything is wrong, they just believe this is all normal.

The show goes a bit further in that the town has basically been frozen in time while Emma aged 30 years, only unfreezing when she arrives. I decided to do away with that, so in my fic it's been about 5 years since they arrived and everyone aged normally.

Another important thing to remember is all the fairytale characters are basically growing up miserable and cursed with the exception of Regina, the evil queen who set the curse and acts as the mayor of the town. For instance, Snow White and Prince Charming are cursed to be separate as Prince Charming is both under a sleeping curse and engaged to someone else. Basically everything sucks then Emma comes and fixes it. That is something that will also be happening in my fic, and the first few chapters are about establishing the level of suck before we get to mystery involved.

The formatting of the show is also important. Similar to the MDZS novel, each episode features flashbacks to the fairytale land in the past that tells a bit more about the story happening in the present modern day. That's not something I can easily achieve in fic form, so instead at the end of each chapter (hopefully) I am including a once upon a time excerpt meant to tell clues about what happened to lead our characters to where they are. It's canon divergence from the burial mounds, as evidenced by the fact that in the first chapter Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian are already together in the burial mounds with A-Yuan and the Wens. I'm hoping to give more info at a steady pace, but the intention is to leave the readers as confused as Wei Wuxian and everyone else is.

Otherwise, besides the basic premise and a few easter eggs, the plot and characters in my fic are more true to MDZS and not at all to OUAT. For instance, Regina's role is taken by Lan Wangji but he is absolutely not the one who set the curse and is under it just like the others. There's more, but I won't spoil it.

Some of the bits of fun easter eggs I added were Wei Wuxian's Lilttle Apple Bug, based on Emma's yellow bug that basically becomes a character of its own in the show. Also his red leather jacket is based on hers too. The book A-Yuan shows Wei Wuxian is also based on the fairytale book Henry shows Emma, except I'm picturing it looking more like a more extravagent version of the books in the Cloud Recesses

I want to add more Easter eggs as we go but my main focus here is on MDZS than the show, but if you catch anything else you get a gold star!!!

Thanks for reading this mess if you did sdjkghd. I think I covered the main bits I wanted to clarify, but if you have any questions dont be afraid to reply or send an ask, or leave a comment on the fic! I'm having so much fun with this AU featuring two of my favorite fandoms, so yay!

[mangoisms]

hi i was wondering, i’ve been getting into writing lately, and i wanted to know, how do you decide on how to characterize your dc characters? i feel like you do such an amazing job and characterizing them all but when i try to write i can’t help but feel like I’m not quite doing them justice 😭

hiiii first of all thank you SO much for saying that you are too kind <333 also know that i am constantly trying to find my footing with that because it really can be so difficult.

and tbh.. hmm all i can really recommend is doing reading for whichever characters you’re interested in. for tim i did sooooo much reading and to be fair a lot of that reading was for a big oc project i had planned which has now been put on hold… unfortunately… and the fics i have for him were then practice to get into it since i felt like i was at a good point to start.

writing is also something i would recommend in conjunction with it, like build a foundation, then start writing, and adjust from there! i’ll be the dangerous ledge was really me finding my footing for his character and in circle k i felt like i finally had a solid grasp on him ^_^

but i also know the prospect of following reading guides can be intimidating… if you’re going for the bats, there are guides that showcase a general view which might be easier to get into.

like no man’s land, while a massive event, was pretty solid in terms of batfam representation (well, og batfam without jason and duke and damian). but there’s also gates of gotham, which is a little more ‘modern’ and just four issues and features some really great dick, damian, tim, and cass!!! also bruce wayne: murderer?/fugitive and batman: contagion!

team comics can also help i think so that might be something to look for? young justice (1998) is a lot of fun if you’re leaning into tim, there’s probably something with the teen titans for dick but i can’t speak too much on him. and like birds of prey for babs, that kind of thing!

there’s this guide i’ve mentioned for the batfam that has a general section for the batfam then breaks down by character. i also have a reading guide tag with some random characters, i think i have like, supergirl/kara danvers, roy harper, talia al ghul, wally, etc.

@lornahs also has a bunch of reading guides for a whole slew of dc characters that are also a little easier to approach too! for the flashfam and superfam and arrowfam (there are probably many others i am forgetting rn) i personally don’t have much for that (and you could find stuff for them on that blog i think)… though i will say, regardless of who you’re interested in, you can still glean a lot of information about others even in individually-focused comics ^_^ and wiki is useful here and there too! a small shortcut i wouldn’t recommend you lean too heavily on is basing characterizations off fics just because that can get.. tricky. i mean ultimately you can do what you’d like but personally!!! i try to stay away from that and stick to canon! some influences are okay but. it’s a balance. you know

another thing, with canon, is i would honestly recommend pre-flashpoint appearances. new-52 and rebirth can be tricky. tim was like, an entirely different person in new-52 and people hated it so much that when they did rebirth (well there were many reasons for another reboot and ooc-ness in Many Characters was a large factor) they restored him to his original origins. but also the tim in the rebirth now is just….. Hngh.

almost all of my characterizations are based on pre-flashpoint canon basically. dgmw the writing can be bad and so can the politics but idk i’m not fond of rebirth/modern comics LMAO so it’s a little like the lesser of two evils??? either way i’m definitely biased but this is what i do!

with this and lots and lots of practice (even if it’s not good!! maybe especially if it’s not good because you can look at it and see where to improve!!), that’s the best way to get into it i think!!!

i hope?? this was a little helpful!! if you have any questions, lmk i’m happy to help <333 and good luck too!!!

[thewritingarchives]

How to write fanfiction: A practical Guide

Fanfiction is supposed to be fun, both reading and writing it. One of the most fun parts of it is the fact that there are no rules, and that's why this is by no means intended to be a handbook that must be followed in order to write.

There are as many works out there as there are writers, and some of the best books were made breaking the rules of how writing 'is supposed to be'. I wanted to make a list of advice that I found useful to get over the fear of the blank page. It’ll probably not help absolutely everyone, but if you don’t know where to start, these might give you an idea on which way to go. 

1. When is it happening?

Is it a filler episode between two important episodes? Is it the aftermath of a tragedy that the show doesn’t dive on? Is it not even in the original timeline of the series? It doesn’t have to be an exact timestamp, but knowing if you’re writing pre-canon, post or in between can help you organize the characters’ thoughts and ideas, as well as the events that take place. 

2. Decide what is the story that you want to tell

Most of the times, it’s not enough to know which characters you want to use in your story to write a fanfiction; you need to know what you want to happen to them, too. Some people can just sit down and start writing without knowing where to go (and it’s a great exercise to do) but a great way to ensure that you’ll finish the project and won’t leave it as a w.i.p. is thinking about the story that you are trying to tell. It doesn’t need to be a huge story, which leads to the next tip…

3. If you’re just starting, keep it simple

If it’s your first time giving writing fanfiction a go, don’t dive straight in the 100 chapter novella; the chances of you not finishing it are big (it's a hard task, even for super experienced writers!), and it’ll only demotivate you; Instead, try starting with a one shot, and slowly working your way up longer works. This way, you can also practice developing your writing itself without having yet to care about the particular skills and abilities needed to write a longer piece. 

4. What’s the conflict of the story?

Even one-shots need a point of conflict; it’s one of the most important differences between a bulletpoint list of headcanons and a fanfiction. And it doesn’t need to be big, no one needs to be dying; If you’re writing a comfort fic, the conflict might as well be that there isn’t enough sugar to bake a cake. But conflict doesn’t only allow us to develop the story and the characters,it also help us see the story’s basic outline, thus making it easier to know what needs to be written to finish a piece. If we know what the conflict is, we have an easier time knowing what needs to be said in the introduction to set up to the middle of the story, and we know what problem needs to be solved in order to write the ending.

5. Outline the basics of the characters you are going to use

There are no laws that state that if you’re writing fanfiction, characters must be as close to canon as possible; But if you want to write them like this and you aren’t sure how, this tip is for you: think about every character you’re going to use and pick three adjectives that would describe them. Generally, to keep it balanced, I recommend picking one positive, one neutral, and one negative. Now, when your character is faced with a particular situation, ask yourself how would someone with those traits react? Once you write it, read it again. Does it feel like something that would actually happen in the book or the show? 

6. And they lived happily ever after?

So you wrote the whole story, and now you're struggling with giving it an end. Well, the first thing you need to know is that sometimes, no resolution is a resolution. Perhaps your characters don’t beat the bad evil at the end of the story; perhaps the lovers don’t end up together. What’s important is that, whatever happens, it's something that remains logical to the trouble that arose during the middle. 

These tips don’t work just for fanfiction, of course, but I tried focusing my advice on that particular type of writing. If they were helpful and you used them to write something, feel free to tag me! I would love to read it. Also, if you have any questions about writing, or want some general tips, feel free to come to my inbox and I’ll do my best to help. 

Until next time!

[kitsxni]

𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 !

name ✧ kira yukimura. age ✧ twenty three. sexuality ✧ pansexual. date of birth ✧ july 12th 1995. place of birth ✧ new york city. species ✧ kitsune. gender ✧ female. pronouns ✧ she/her. current location ✧ beacon hills.

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 !

bad habits ☾ not speaking her mind, staying up late to finish 'one more chapter'. hobbies ☾ educating herself, martial arts, reading. fears ☾ losing herself, deep water, spiders.

𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 !

faceclaim ◈ arden cho. height ◈ 5'3. hair colour ◈ brunette. eye colour ◈ brown.

𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘 !

kira yukimura was born on july 12th, 1995 in new york city. she grew up in a loving and tight-knit family, deeply rooted in her japanese/korean heritage. kira's parents, ken and noshiko yukimura, were both well-versed in the ancient ways of the kitsune, a mythical fox spirit with shape-shifting abilities and powerful energy manipulation. this legacy would play a pivotal role in Kira's life. from a young age, kira was exposed to her family's mystical practices and teachings, as her parents worked diligently to pass down their kitsune knowledge. in 2011, kira's family uprooted their lives and moved to beacon hills where her father, ken, got a job as a history teacher at beacon hills high school.

kira's life took a dramatic turn when she moved to the town. she was a quiet, intelligent, and diligent student, often choosing to blend into the background. however, her ordinary façade concealed a unique and remarkable secret. kira was a thunder kitsune, a rare and powerful breed of kitsune with the ability to manipulate electricity and generate potent energy. her abilities were inherited from her mother's side, a lineage steeped in ancient kitsune magic.

it was at beacon hills high that kira first crossed paths with scott mccall, stiles stilinski, and the rest of the supernatural group. in her sophomore year, kira caught the attention of scott, and his friends when she accidentally displayed her electric powers during a lacrosse game. as kira became more involved with scott's group, she discovered the rich history of supernatural occurrences in beacon hills. her family's unique knowledge and her own kitsune abilities made her a valuable asset in facing the various supernatural threats that plagued the town, including alpha werewolves, ancient spirits, and malevolent kitsune.

kira's character evolved throughout her time in beacon hills. she went from being a shy and reserved student to a brave and formidable member of the pack. her dedication to her friends and her growing relationship with scott only strengthened her resolve to protect those she cared about. kira's journey was fraught with challenges and sacrifices, but it was her unwavering loyalty, her love for her family and friends, and her innate kitsune abilities that ultimately made her a crucial player in the battle against supernatural evil in beacon hills.

after facing a series of intense supernatural threats and challenges in beacon hills, kira decided to take a journey of self-discovery and try to learn to master her kitsune abilities. she felt a deep responsibility to harness her powers and understand her heritage, which led her to leave her friends and family behind temporarily and travel to new mexico, a place known for its connection to spiritual practices and ancient rituals. during her time there, she sought out a kitsune mentor, someone who could guide her in unlocking the full potential of her abilities. she immersed herself in rigorous training, delving into the ancient teachings and rituals passed down through her family for generations. kira's training was arduous, pushing her physical and mental limits as she learned to control and manipulate her kitsune powers. she studied the history and mythology of kitsune in various cultures and honed her skills in energy manipulation, shape-shifting, and mastering her electrical abilities. throughout her training, kira encountered other supernatural beings, both allies and adversaries, who tested her newfound skills and pushed her to adapt and grow. she also uncovered secrets about her family's kitsune lineage and the unique abilities that set her apart from other kitsune.

as her training progressed, she began to develop a deep sense of self-confidence and purpose. her journey of self-discovery allowed her to embrace her kitsune heritage fully and understand the responsibilities that came with her extraordinary powers. after an extended period of training and personal growth, seven years to be exact, kira has returned to beacon hills as a more powerful and self-assured kitsune, ready to stand alongside her friends and continue the fight against supernatural threats.

[temple-of-mars]

♦️Nixe Spirit Talisman, Water Sprite Spirit Companion, Ritually Prepared Crystal talisman energetically linked to ONE Nixe Spirit named Laury. Dark magic♦️ Deep blue crystal talisman.

PLEASE READ ENTIRE LISTING THOROUGHLY BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO PURCHASE.

⚠️📝OUR PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS ARE OUR WRITTEN WORDS. THERE ARE OTHERS COPY-PASTING OUR PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS: We wrote this to inform buyers that there a few other sellers that have resorted to copy-pasting our unique descriptions, information, and sentences from our talismans, word for word, to sell their items. Our product descriptions are unique, authentic, and are written entirely by us. It's evident that our words were written first and are tailored to our specific products. Again, we have no association with any mimics who attempted this, nor do we have any association with any other shops. We offer quality products, experience, and service, which they will never be able to replicate.

THIS IS A PHYSICAL CRYSTAL WHICH WILL BE ENERGETICALLY LINKED TO ONE SPECIFIC SPIRIT. BY PURCHASING, YOU AGREE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND HOW TO WORK WITH AND HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH SPIRITS AND ENTITIES.

NO RETURNS OR EXCHANGES.

YOU MUST BE AN ADULT 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER TO PURCHASE FROM US. WE WILL NOT SELL MAGICAL PRODUCTS TO MINORS. Thank you for your understanding.

♦️Introduction to Nixe♦️

The Nixe are a specific type of shape shifting water sprites (water elementals) known throughout Germany. They love flowing fresh water of rivers, but sometimes will frequent small ponds. Female spirits are known as Nixe, while male spirits are called Nix. They have an enchanting mermaid-like appearance, and have bright, vibrant eyes. They're known for their abilities of enchantment via song. Their voices are powerful and compelling, whether they are singing or speaking to you. Their gaze is intense and mesmerizing. They have the unique ability of working with the element of water and utilizing this in their own magic. They have the ability of strong spellcasting and can direct and control energy via music and songs. They are attuned to natural environmental vibrational frequencies and can use sounds to their advantage. Nixe are known for their use of dark magic, especially when protecting rivers, ponds, lakes and aquatic environments.

♦️Introduction to Laury, a Nixe Spirit♦️

Laury is an adult female Nixe spirit. She has a fair complexion with some metallic blue scales, vibrant blue eyes, and blonde hair. She has a mesmerizing gaze and naturally smooth voice. She is considered a dark magic being.

Her personality is creative, musical, cunning, protective, dark, observant, and mysterious. She's a keen observer that can easily read other's intentions. She loves the outdoors, especially aquatic environments and plants. She especially prefers rivers. She enjoys a clean, quiet, serene environment. She enjoys practicing magic, singing, swimming, star gazing, relaxing in the moonlight, and viewing natural works of art. She has insightful and profound perspectives on things. She is compassionate towards those she cares about. She has a soft spot for families and animals.

She has the ability of strong spell casting through her own unique, haunting songs. She can use this for positive enchantments or baneful curses. She can direct evil eye energy at enemies through her intense glare, causing them bad luck. Additionally, she can spiritually cleanse an environment by washing away negative residual energy.

She's searching for a human companion to bond with and establish a strong friendship. She's been a hermit for years and seeks someone to talk to, guide, and have a joyful time with.

Be sure to treat her with respect. She won't tolerate disrespect.

You may experience flashes of blue light, changing lights or shadows that take on different shapes, you may hear trickling water or humming. You may experience phantom scents or hear tapping on walls.

OFFERINGS: Deep blue candles, lavender incense or candles, river rocks, grapes, bilberry, artwork of rivers or freshwater plants and animals.

Crystal is great for divinatory purposes and receiving answers from her. It acts as a conduit to her for requests. It can be utilized in ritual work for additional strength. Place near your pillow to receive dreams.

📝 PROVIDE INFORMATION: Please provide the name, age, date of birth of the intended recipient of this companion. Please clearly state if this is for you or someone else. The crystal talisman will then undergo a powerful ritual, energetically linking it to your new companion.

🧿 ENERGETICALLY LINKED TALISMAN: The talisman serves as an established link to ONE specific spirit. Spirits and entities are energetically linked to talismans, NOT bound, and are free to go where they please, when they please. This means they are strongly associated with the talisman. They are NOT tied down to an object. Additionally, the talisman itself represents a valued sentimental connection between you and the entity or spirit. In Hexerei, it's very common to work with and befriend a variety of spirits. We treat spirits and entities with the utmost respect. We do NOT trap nor sell spirits and entities. We do not do anything without their express permission and interest. When you buy from us, you are NOT purchasing a spirit to own or collect; you are purchasing a friend-introduction product where we work to help you meet new friends and allies. Spirits and entities are NOT property, they are NOT servants, they are NOT to be toyed with. They should be approached as friends and allies, and with respect. Spirits and Entities are intelligent individuals with their own personalities, appearances, thoughts, feelings, wants, and free will who deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. Spirits and entities who are treated poorly will either abandon you, or even lash out. Spirits and entities who are deliberately ignored regularly may leave.

🔍 HOW TO USE: There are no special words or methods to activate this talisman, it works on its own accord. Communication is reliant on your own abilities, patience, and effort that you put forth. Place the talisman near you or hold in your hand while you relax in a distraction free environment. Communicate with your new companion out loud or telepathically. Results depend on the effort you put forth as well as your spirit and entity communication skills. You may receive answers via dreams, astral experiences, telepathically, through visions, intuition. You may be touched or perceive phantom scents. You may see flashes of energy or shadows. You may hear knocking on doors, windows and walls. You may receive answers via spirit box, automatic writing or typing, voice recorders, and paranormal devices. You may use this pendulum in conjunction with a pendulum board or spirit board. Pendulum is great for divinatory purposes and receiving answers from them. You may place this near your pillow to receive important dreams and messages from them. When talisman is not in use, place inside of a charging bag or wrap in a black cloth when you feel it needs to be recharged.

📸 DO YOU PROVIDE PHOTO PROOF OF CASTINGS? Yes, we provide photo proof of castings. When the casting or conjuration is complete, you will receive photo proof via Etsy messenger of the tea light candle we used for the casting, the name that you sent us which is handwritten on a piece of paper that we use for the casting. Please keep in mind, most of what we do goes beyond simply burning candles. We do not require candles for our magic to work; our spells are powerful with or without a candle burning. However, we do use tea light candles in the spells and conjurations that we offer here to assure buyers that their spell has been completed, and that we put the necessary time, effort, and energy into spellwork. The photo proof of the candle that we provide is only one aspect of the casting; there's more work and energy involved than just the candle shown. Our ritual methods are private, thorough, strong, and carefully thought out, and often involve astral work as well.

See our shop's about section and our policies for more information to frequently asked questions.

NO REFUNDS: We do NOT offer refunds. This is due to the nature of the products that we offer. By purchasing a product from our shop, you agree that you understand this and accept these terms. Most of what we sell is spelled talismans, all of which require our time, our effort, and our ingredients used. We do NOT offer refunds because we cannot get any of that back. Read the product descriptions thoroughly and understand what it is that you are interested in purchasing BEFORE you decide to make a purchase. If for some reason you are not satisfied with the product you received, send us a POLITE message and we'll work with you.

NO CANCELLATIONS

NO RETURNS OR EXCHANGES

*Sold as a tangible curio only

*DISCLAIMER: SOLD AS CURIO ONLY, FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY: All sellers of such metaphysical curios and spells MUST and rightfully SHOULD place this disclaimer on products to inform buyers. Spells and metaphysical curios are NOT in any way, shape or form a replacement for professional medical care, professional mental health care, doctors, lawyers, financial advisors, counselors, emergency services or law enforcement. Always seek out professional medical and mental health care from doctors immediately, do NOT wait. Spiritual work is NOT a replacement for physical or mental health care from licensed professionals. Spiritual work, spells and talismans are NOT to be used or expected to shield against physical attacks from other people, as they are NOT a replacement for professional help and emergency services; seek professional help immediately, do NOT wait. We won't be held responsible for any outcomes or lack thereof from those who have bought products or services from us, as metaphysical curios, talismans, and spells are sold for strictly entertainment purposes only. Spells may not always produce results in a way that you'd expect or like. We do NOT guarantee results. By purchasing this product, the buyer is completely, exclusively responsible for any and all outcomes or lack thereof and agrees to this upon purchase of our product or service(s). We are NOT responsible for any perceived paranormal backlash. We are NOT responsible for your actions to purchase from us. We do not respond to messages from known minors or sell to people under age 18. You MUST be an adult 18 years of age or older to make a purchase from our shop. By purchasing products or services from our shop, you agree that you are 18 years of age or older, you agree that you realize and completely understand that our products, are exclusively for entertainment purposes only and are non-refundable, and you as the buyer agree that YOU are completely, exclusively responsible for your purchase, as well as for any outcomes or lack thereof, and you agree that you will not hold us liable. We are NOT responsible for buyer's decisions, actions or uses of our products, buyers are exclusively responsible for their own individual actions.

🎨 💎Disclaimer: Please note that this crystal may appear to have variations in hue and may differ. This relies on your specific device monitor, as well as your device’s settings. Additionally, crystals may have natural imperfections.

[tadrinth]

Weird web fiction recs mostly for @centrally-unplanned (who did not ask for them) but also everyone. It's mostly progression fantasy, what can I say. It's also mostly things that got moved to Kindle. Or things that are just books on kindle.

Gonna assume everyone knows about Worm, Practical Guide to Evil, and HPMoR. Those are not deep cuts.

Beware of Chicken. MC gets isekaied into a Xanxia world and promptly says no thanks and goes off to start a farm. Slice of life early on, but eventually the cultivator bullshit does catch up with him a bit. The central joke has not gotten old yet. Shockingly good prose, I regularly get goosebumps reading this, a story about a farmer and his chicken, wat. Also moved to Kindle.

Blue Core. In the genre inspired by Dungeon Keeper games, MC wakes up as a living dungeon and decides that willing companions are more interesting than monsters. Unfortunately his dungeon form did not come with a very good manual and also a lot of problems show up at his doorstep. Steadily expanding scope over the course of the series, from capturing deer to shaping the fate of nations. NSFW chapters are marked. This might have gotten moved to Kindle unfortunately.

Dressed to Kill: A Monster LitRPG. Delightfully tight in scope, MC just wants to save her village, and to hell with getting awarded the wrong class, she's gonna make it work. By, yes, killing the monsters with a giant sewing needle and turning them into clothes. Started on Kindle.

Kitty Kat Kill Sat: she is a cat. She has a space station with an orbital death ray. The space station was not designed with paws in mind. Very cute and heartwarming and also the most brutal depiction of ADHD I've ever encountered. Kindle.

The Bee Dungeon: the main character is just a beekeeper. He was not supposed to be put in charge of a Tower of the Gods. But he did get to choose bees as his starting monster and he's just gonna do his best for his bees. Heartwarming and cozy. First book might be kindle by now.

EGS Comics: possibly the single worst ratio of real time to in comic time I've yet encountered. Lots of gender fuckery. Magic is a thing, how is the masquerade about it still going with cell phones. The art gets a lot better.

Schlock Mercenary: a finished webcomic, what the hell, that never happens. This isn't a deep cut, it's scifi, it updated every day for years, it goes from poop jokes to epic Galaxy spanning plots. It's funny, it's hard scifi, it's good stuff.

Order of the Stick: another long running webcomic, the writing has gotten really good lately. DND parody.

Sailor Nothing: very dark take on the age old magical girl question of 'wait aren't these basically child soldiers, isn't this kind of fucked up, shouldn't they have PTSD?'. Not sure if this is even around anymore. Depressing.

Cradle series by Will Wight: this isn't even web fic. This is just a delightfully westernized take on the cultivator genre. Purest progression fantasy. Takes a few books to really get going, but boy howdy does it get going. Finished series.

Perilous Waif: the rare scifi progression fantasy. Look, this is cringe. I cringe to admit the degree to which this book targets me with laser precision. I do enjoy reading about teenage girls dealing with crushes while also juggling more cybernetic body modifications than you can shake a stick at. Yes there are space Yakuza, why do you ask. Yes the FTL system is complicated and the implications thought through reasonably well. I think this is by the same guy who wrote the Time Braid Naruto fanfic, and yes, I do also enjoy watching Sakura go through a time loop until she's absurdly badass. Also this turns out to be a crossover fic and it should be a crack fic combination but it isn't. It does come out of left field and slap you upside the head like a large trout, but whatever, it's great, I don't even go there but it's great.

Hoard on royal road: what if you accidentally wound up with a bunch of famous female dragons as your wives and also had to do therapy at them and their fucked up teenage dragon kids. It's fine, the MC is very good at therapy.

If you don't mind abandoned fics, Super Minion. Tofu is a mad science experiment that busts out and winds up as a henchman. Lots of horror taken not very seriously. World building designed to allow maximum cape soup. Just delightful.