#defeatist reigen

[liarian]

Living in reverse (Part 4)

Like every Wednesday, Tome ate breakfast still in her pajamas, the TV in the background, while reading the news on her cell phone. Advantages of her shift at the museum not starting until twelve o'clock. There was something gratifying about being able to take mornings easy without having to suffer the stress of rush hour.

Without much interest, Tome slid her finger across the screen of her cell phone scrolling through headlines. Nothing interesting seemed to have happened that day. The days in Seasoning City had been tremendously dull since Mob had moved in right out of high school. Gone were the days of the Psycho Helmet cult or the sacred tree but also the utter destruction of his out-of-control powers. Reigen had never gotten around to telling her what had happened that day and asking Mob seemed like the perfect recipe for disaster. Maybe leaving was the best thing he could have done. The memories had to be painful for Mob but Tome missed the Telepathy club or the days Mob would visit them in the office. Those had been good times. Now it was strange if they all managed to get together once a year. With Saruta they still saw each other from time to time but she hadn't heard from the others for months. Even the LINE groups had died out over time.

Getting melancholic was never worth it. People came and went. The last she had heard, Takenaka had gotten married a few months ago. Tome was still staring blankly at her cell phone screen when Serizawa's name jumped out at her mid-read. Their almost daily conversations were usually filled with pictures of weird things they had seen during the day and cat videos, but it was rare for him to call. A feeling of apprehension cramped her stomach. Setting the mug down on the table, she picked up the phone. She just hoped they were okay.

Reigen and Serizawa had broken up.

Tome still couldn't quite believe it when her footsteps led her to the door of Spirits and Such. Knowing Reigen, he shouldn't have told anyone. After a couple of phone calls and calling in a few favors, Tome had managed to switch shifts. Serizawa hadn't even had to ask. She didn't need to hear the tone of his voice to know he was worried. And he wasn't the only one. Reigen was one of his favorite people but she knew him well enough to know that he was also a moron who cared about everyone but himself.

The blinds were still down, the office in gloom when Tome finally opened the door. For a moment, she thought no one was there.

"Tome? What are you doing here?" Reigen asked getting up with a start. Tome had to have caught him completely off guard judging by his disheveled appearance. "I thought you were working today."

"I just wanted to see how you were doing." Tome sat down in the chair in front of the desk and rested her elbows on the wood. "Serizawa told me."

"What did he tell you?" Reigen nibbled on his big toenail, unable to focus his gaze anywhere.

"Just that, that you broke up."

"Ah! That." Reigen dropped back against the back of the chair, gaze lost in the ceiling. "Then that's final."

"You want to talk? You know I don't care-"

"I'm fine." Reigen interrupted her before she could finish the sentence. Sitting up properly again, the mask was perfectly in place, his business smile flawless and his grandiloquent gestures downplaying it. "Sooner or later it was bound to happen."

"And that's it, you're not going to try to fix it?" Tome could hardly believe what she was hearing. "I thought things were going well between you two. It was almost disgusting to see you together. I don't get it. It's not the first time you've had a fight and we're talking about you two, there's no way you can't work it out."

Tome had always dreamed of finding someone who understood her as well as Reigen and Serizawa understood each other. Their relationship had always made her a little envious when they often gave the impression that they didn't even need to open their mouths to know what the other needed. Reigen had always come first for Serizawa. The idea of them not being together was almost unthinkable. 

"What's the point, it wouldn't do any good." Reigen massaged the bridge of his nose. "No, when all that's happening is that he's tired of me. It would only be prolonging the agony."

"Are you listening to yourself, Serizawa still cares about you!"

"And you think I don't care? But he's the one who decided to break up. He's the one who's tired of my bullshit. What do you expect me to do?"

"I didn't know you were a coward." Tome mused.

Maybe she was being unfair, but she could not stand it any longer when Reigen got defeatist.

[creativenicocorner]

20 questions for fic writers

Tagged by nobody! I saw this and felt like doing it to get back in the writing groove of things and maybe procrastinate just a teeny bit ♡

Tagging @babblish @dreamcrow @niemalsetwas @mangatxt @plantpretender and anyone else who would like to!! Also no hard feelings if you don't feel like doing this

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

32 and counting!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

605,281 and counting!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I used to do a LOT of Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons) but a few things happened in the show / movie that made me feel... idk, I'm on a bit of a break for the time being. I also write a couple of Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game) fics to explore my silly DnD OCs While my current writing obsessions being Discworld - Terry Pratchett and モブサイコ100 | Mob Psycho 100 

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Unbecoming 2 Electric Boogaloo (ToA)

Terpsichore - The Comedy of the Danse Macabre - ACT I (ToA)

Cold Green Tea and Colder Feet (mp100)

We'll Meet Again (ToA)

A Study of Avium and Apium (ToA)

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

I do!! I try to respond to all comments!! I can't always promise my response will be prompt, and sometimes I get in my own head and feel...worried? As if my response will somehow sway someone to not want to keep reading? But that's a me thing I'm working through Long answer short: Yes! I do respond to comments!! I adore them and they make me so very very happy!! Honestly a comment can be such a game changer, and a relief to my heart and I just HAVE to express my gratitude for taking the time to tell me such nice words!! I'll always try to respond to them!

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

Hmmm I have yet to finish the fic with the angstiest ending planned. I don't tend to write angst unless there is an ending that has some level of hope and happiness in it - for now.

But yeah, I suppose Unbecoming 2 Electric Boogaloo and The Last Changeling will eventually have some pretty angsty endings.

As well as several fics within the The Collected Tellings of Shigir and Other Changeling Folktales series which can be quite grim.

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

Another tricky question!! The majority my fics tend to have a happy ending planned despite the highs and lows I hope I manage to put my readers through.

Bit of a cop out answer I know, but it is what it is lol

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I've only had that happen to me once lol. Once so far and for the silliest reason that left me just shaking my head for the most part

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do! Not as often as my other stuff though. Hmm quite a bit of orgasm control I suppose.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

IVE WRITTEN ONE CROSSOVER AND ITS MY FAVORITE AND I HOPE THE STARS ALIGN FOR ME TO FINISH IT!!!

A Funny Old World MY BELOVED!!! It is essentially the Discworld and Mp100 crossover fic no one asked for hahaha

Quite literally "Reigen Arataka 🤝 Moist von Lipwig" the fic

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that...I'm aware of...

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Again not that I'm aware of...and no one has yet to approach me to do so. Though sometimes I think of translating it myself into Italian.

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

I have! It was a great time with @megan0013 on the 23rd chapter of their fic Fallout where we combined the Fallout story with my made up Changeling Folktales.

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

I'm too bisexual for this question, I have, like, a fat stack of ships I adore. But of the ones I've written (in no specific order of importance) I really love Adora Belle and Moist, Serizawa and Reigen, Barbara and Strickler, Mort and Ysabell, Polly and Mal, and the list just goes on haha

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

I don't think I appreciate the defeatist tone of this question haha. I'm sure I'll finish all of them...eventually. Some go in hibernation a little longer than others, that I won't lie. Hmm though, I'm going to be honest with myself the Terpsichore series seems to be the loftiest of goals at the moment. Who even knows when I'll finally finish it...but, like I said, I'd like to hold out hope that, someday it'll get done lol

16. What are your writing strengths?

I've been told I'm quite good at keeping characters in character, and my writing 'voice' is quite charming sometimes. I've also been told I'm quite good at writing cozy comfort fics. I hope, one day, I'll be able to add horror and suspense to the list of writing strengths.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Making things concise, I think. Sweet short and to the point. I'd love to get better at suspense and horror, just making readers sweat - you know?

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

Oh man I have a lot of Thoughts about this actually XPP here's hoping they make sense!!

Depends on the characters, and what language they are speaking and what language the characters know beyond what they are speaking.

I viscerally do not appreciate it when, okay... here's an example: Character A and Character B are both speaking Italian, because the characters are Italian - so even though the fic and author is writing in English we ALL know that Character A and Character B are speaking Italian - so why add in an English dialogue bits of actual Italian?? We all know they are speaking Italian to begin with!! UNLESS, for instance, Character B for a moment spoke in a regional dialect which is different than the standard language.

I tend to call this the "Silenzio Bruno!" situation. Why are you having a character who is supposedly already speaking in a language suddenly say something of that language. It shouldn't be "Silenzio Bruno!" but "Quiet Bruno!" though in some cases I get it...and who knows maybe it'll perk up the interest of people and kids to learn other languages but oof does it rub me the wrong way sometimes

Wait hmmm perhaps thats too confusing

OKAY

EXAMPLE: In Glow Worms I have Serizawa as half Brazilian (there's in fact a huge Brazilian population within Japan! As well as a huge Japanese population within Brazil! Here are two fascinating video essays on the subject if interested [X] [X]).

When Serizawa is speaking with Reigen it is clear and obvious they would speak Japanese amongst themselves and around them, I wouldn't include actual Japanese unless it's a word that I can't really translate well, or is very clearly specific within the Japanese language (the difference between writing 'screen door' and 'shoji door' - both doors, but evoke different specific things). However, when Serizawa speaks with his mother there are often times Portuguese would crop up - an indicator that Serizawa is no longer speaking Japanese in that moment, or phrase or sentence.

The same can be said with Moist von Lipwig, and when he's speaking Morporkian vs Überwaldian. It is agreed that everyone tends to speak Morporkian to some degree as a defect-o Lingua Franca Quirma, and when they're not they're very clearly not!

NOW! In those moments when characters are speaking another language I prefer either it's something that can be figured out via context clues, or a translation is provided either in a footnote or by the character(s) themselves. This is something I feel more confident with if a character is speaking Italian, because then I don't have to worry about translator engines not translating something properly lol But I try to be as respectful and accurate as possible, and if I can't then I wouldn't attempt it and describe in the text that Character A and Character B are speaking another language amongst themselves.

OR (and this is something else I'm doing in Glow Worms) I'll describe a character speaking another language, and another character acts as translator - this is something I always adored in Discworld when characters interact with The Librarian as well as Death of Rats.

Which, again, I try to approach as respectfully as possible. Language is important!! It's a culture and a thought process! And should always be treated with respect

WHEW! I hope this all made sense!!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Trollhunters!

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

I don't know about Favorite, but there are several that I'm very proud of myself with...

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Stupid Kid [working title] series, Hand Rolled, The Runaway's Gamble, AU REVOIR, to name a few. Several Trollhunter fics (especially Terpsichore, sometimes I look back on that and go "Wow I really wrote All of THAT?!")

And most recently: Glow Worms or rather: In the Depths of the Safflower Hills a fic that honestly? I find myself going back and rereading what I've written and posted more than once! And has helped me grow as a writer I think  

Welp! ___〆(・∀・) That's it for me folks! Thank you so VERY much for your interest, and I look forward to seeing your answers as well!

Best wishes! Nico ♡