#elsie rambles about her stories

[merricatblackwoods]

oh look its hotd oc fixit fanfic idea i will never write (that is connected to my got fanfic i will also never write)

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

The Secret Portal, Draft One

The people have spoken. Here's my school project I wrote when I was 10.

At fifteen pages, it was the longest in the class by far! (Our minimum requirement was two pages, which most barely reached)

I also got a 100% on it!

Instead of the regular taglist for TSP, tagging the people I tagged in the original poll -- @gracehosborn @illarian-rambling @mk-writes-stuff @elsie-writes @mysticstarlightduck @little-peril-stories @buffythevampirelover @willtheweaver @eccaiia @winterandwords @thepeculiarbird @televisionjester @finchwrites @theeccentricraven @awritingcaitlin @sleepywriter00 @dyrewrites @somethingclevermahogony @writeintrees @thebejeweledwatercat @theelfauthor @cadotoast @space-writes @sunset-a-story

Can't believe I have to put a warning on this, but--

CW: children are threatened with a firearm but don't worry no one gets hurt and they aren't even that scared; brief Harry Potter reference

Word count: 2.3k

Est. reading time: 7-11 minutes

The following is transcribed exactly as written, save for my use of multi-colored text, which I'm not gonna waste my time adding in.

****

~“Come on, Aurora!” I shouted to my friend, Aurora Flité, who wasn't moving from her seat at school. “Alexia, the bell hasn’t…” she started RRRIIINNNGGG!!! “Oh, wait! ‘The bell hasn’t rang yet’!” I joked. Aurora sighed, shook her head, and pushed herself up saying, “Ha, ha, ha!” “Bye Mrs. Kat!” we called. “Oh, wait Alexia,” Mrs. Kat, my teacher, called. “I found this.” She handed me my metal detector. “I found it on the floor. It said, ‘Redinés’ on it, so, I guessed it was yours.” “Thanks.” I said. “Bye, girls!” she called after us. We walk out of Little Rock Elementary. The beautiful blanket of May flowers stretched out all the way… to my house. <3 I sighed. Nothing was better than… “AAAHHH!!!” I whirled around. Aurora had disappeared! I moved the grass where she had been standing. A rock. A metal rock? I stood up, confused. I put my bag down, next to Aurora’s (which she probably dropped) and felt the rock with my hand. “AAAHHH!!!” I screamed.

EVERYTHING WENT BLACK

************

~I opened my eyes. Was I lying in snow? I forced myself up. Wait… it wasn't snow… it was… CLOUDS?!?!?!?! OK. I am dreaming. I thought.I pinched my self. OW! No, wasn't dreaming. “Aurora! Aurora!!! I called. NO ANSWER. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a house. I crossed my fingers and hoped this was the right house. I knocked on the door and waited... and waited... and waited... and waited… and soon, I started to walk away when an elderly woman opened the door. “Hello!” she said, cheerfully. “Hihaveyouseenagirlwithblackishbrownredhair?” I blurted out. “Herhairflowsuptoherwaist.” “Wha...OH! Yeah, I’ve seen her. She went that way.” the woman said, pointing to her right. I ===zoomed off! “Oh! And watch out for my pet, Bobby!” I thought Bobby was a very hyper puppy that could trample me but, I had to continue my search. I soon found her upside down tangled in vines. I charged towards her. “HEADS UP!” I warned. I pulled on the vines. “AAHH!” she screamed. “umph!” she said as she hit the ground. I brushed the hair out of my eyes, when suddenly… “RRRROOOOAAAARRRR!!!!” We both whirled around. A dragon!! “Run for it, Aurora!” I breathed. We charged towards the house and banged on the door. “LET US IN!!” we shouted. “DRAGON ALERT!” “Come in girls!” the woman said, cheerfully. “Oh, and you too, Bobby!” “BOBBY?!” Aurora said weakly, and fainted... RIGHT ON TOP OF ME.

****

Aurora woke up a few minutes later and found me in the living room. “Where am I?” “The lady’s, Lizzy’s, house.” “Oh, yeah right.” We heard a clatter in the kitchen. We figured it was Lizzy or Bobby, but when we walked in a boy about 16 years old, was standing there. “Hey, you must be Alexia and Aurora! I’m George.” When I shook his hand, he seemed strong, but he didn’t look strong. “Hi,” a voice said behind us. A 17-18ish years old girl was smiling at us. “I’m Carly.” Suddenly, we heard laughter in the other room. We ran towards the noise. We found them in Lizzy’s bedroom. Lizzy and her husband were on the bed. “Oh, Aurora and Alexia, right?” he said. “I’m Theodore Majg. But you can call me Ted.” Suddenly, we heard a knock at the door.” “I’ll get it.” Lizzy sang, as she ran to get the door. “Alexia! Aurora! Someone’s here to see you!” she called a minute later. For US? HERE?! We ran towards the door. A man was there. He wore a very big black hat that covered his face. He also wore a long, black cape. There was only one thing I knew: We didn’t know this guy. The man in black pulled out a gun. A GUN! “Show me the treasure or everyone DIES!” What treasure??? I thought Aurora was about to faint when she said, “OK. we don’t know who you are or what treasure, but if you tell us, we might be able to help.” I thought the man was probably FURIOUS. Instead, he said, “Well, it’s what you call… a metal detector.”

****

~I couldn’t move. He wanted something that was in my pocket! “Um… about that...uh…” the words sounded as fake as they were. “It’s in Lizzy room!” Aurora and I ran in the other room. “I need to hide this!” I yanked out the “treasure”. “Why does he want this?” Aurora asked me. “The portal. The portal brought us here. In Cloud City!” (I named it Cloud City since we were in the clouds.) “The portal is metal. I explained. “I think he wants to use the metal detector to find the portal, destroy it, and keep us from going back to Arkansas!” Aurora looked bewildered. Suddenly, she snatched the metal detector out of my hands and jumped off the bed. “We still havn’t found it!” she shouted. Then, she THREW open the dresser drawer JAMMED the metal detector in, and SLAMMED the drawer shut! “Uhhh!” she grunted as loud as she could. “We just CAN’T find it!” she groaned. Wow! My BFF is a WONDERFUL actor. We went back out into the living room. “I’m sorry, sir. But we can’t find it. You can come back another day.” I said. “TOMORROW!” he shouted. When he left, I felt like fainting myself.

****

~That night, I couldn’t sleep a wink. I closed my eyes, trying to go to sleep. My mind was only focused on the metal detector. I thought of a safe place for it, out of the house. Then… I drifted… away….

****

~When I woke up the next morning, I had a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach that the metal detector was gone. I was about to say, “Aurora! Get up!” When suddenly… BOOP! BOOP! BOOP! BOOP! I screamed. Aurora screamed. We both rolled off the couches, which was where we were sleeping. Oh, by the way, that was Ted’s alarm clock. “Aurora,” I said. “I think we should check the drawer for the You-Know-What.” “Why do we ne-” But I was already running into the room. She sighed, and ran after me. She found me digging though Lizzy’s drawer. “Not here.” I told her. “Oh no!” Aurora exclaimed. “He broke in!” “Check the back door.” I ordered. She ran to the back door. I zoomed to the front. “Locked!” Aurora called. “Same here!” I called back. “Girls!” Lizzy’s voice called come here!” Aurora and I ran towards her voice. We found her in the kitchen sitting down on a chair. “Sit there,” Lizzy pointed to 2 seats in front of her. “You’re 10, right?” We nodded. Uh-oh. I knew what was coming. “Your parents found out when they were your age. You 2--like your family, and every one in this house--have…” Oh my gosh!!! I gave Aurora the Don’t Even Think About Fainting! look. She nodded. “...magical...abilities.”

****

~I knew it. Aurora--thankfully--didn’t faint. Whew! “Like what?” Aurora asked. “Well,” Lizzy said. “I can see through walls.” Our mouths fell open. “For example,” Lizzy went on “Ted is naked and in the shower.” Aurora looked like she was about to puke. “What’s mine?” she asked. “Well,” Lizzy stated, “Yours Aurora, is… Oh! Yeah! You can read minds!” Aurora’s face lit up. “COOL!” Oh my gosh! This is freaky! I thought. “Alexia,” Aurora said looking at me. “You are thinking Oh my gosh. This is freaky! Correct?” I nodded. My mouth was still open. “What’s mine?” I asked, even though I knew what the answer probably was. “Alexia, yours is transportation. You can transport objects, people, and animals to different places.”

****

~Wow! I knew it. I looked at Aurora’s glasses, closed my eyes, and focused on the table POP! I opened my eyes, and looked at the table. The glasses were there. Aurora started to reach for her glasses. I grinned. POP! They were on her lap. POP! They were on my head. POP! They were on her face. “Not funny!” Aurora looked annoyed, but she was biting her lip trying not to laugh. She then turned to Lizzy. “How close do I have to be to read minds?” she asked. “15 yards.” Lizzy answered. “I thought Aurora was done with questions, but, oh no! “You said everyone in this house had abilities! What’s Ted’s? What’s George’s? What’s Carly’s?” Lizzy sighed. “Wel, Ted has super-hearing for a mile. George has super-strenght. And Carly can pick up a pencial with her mind, and write something she’s working on sketching with her mind.” After ALL of that, I REALLY thought Aurora would be done with questions (expecialy if she could read minds) but, she wasn't. “Cool! You also said our families have abilities. What’s Mom’s? What’s Dad’s? What’s Robert’s? What’s Marie-Sue’s? What’s Julian’s? What’s Mrs. Redinés’? What’s Mr. Redinés’? What’s Kelly’s?” Oh my gosh, HOW CAN 1 GIRL HAVE THAT MANY QUESTIONS!? But Lizzy didn’t seem to mind. “Your mom can make things appear out of thin air. Your dad can embarass enemies. Robert can make his voice super loud and it can be heard for 3 miles when he taps his chest. Marie Sue can talk to animals. Tamara has X-Ray vision. And Julian can turn into animals.” Lizzy then turned to me. “Your mom can turn invisible. Your dad has a photographic memory. A Kelly can get in a full conversation ½ klm away.” OMG!!! This was waaaaay to much for me to handle. I absoultely positivley wanted to faint. But then it hit me. The metal detector was gone because of me! I didn’t even know where it was! Ding-Dong! Oh no! The man in black was here!! Wait! I can transport things! My mind focused on the metal detector. POP! The metal detector was safe. For now, at least. I ran towards the door. “Lizzy,” I whispered. “Do you know him?” I pointed to the door. “Take off his hat, Alexia.” I focused on his hat. POP! The hat was next to Ted (who had came out of the shower.) “How did this…” I gave him the Cut It Out! look. He nodded. “Now?” I asked Lizzy. She pushed her curly, gray hair out of her eyes and said, “Yes. He is an evil sorcerer named Warlock LV.” All of a sudden, I remembered Lizzy’s own words: “You can transport objects, people, and animals.” People. I can transport people. BAM! BAM! BAM! My mind focused on Warlock LV. POP! He was 0.6 klm away from us. “I heard a splash.” Ted said suddenly. “He’s at the pool.” I looked at him in surprise. But then I remembered that he could hear a mile away, and 0.6 klm is a mile. I ran into the living room. About a minute later, I had Lizzy, Ted, Aurora, George, and Carly living room with me. (I’d transported them) “I have a plan.” I said.

****

I tied my hair in braids to keep the hair--brown-mess off my shoulder. I made sure my scarlett dress was straight. I fumbled with my glasses. Even though it was my plan, I was REALLY nervous. Aurora and Ted were at the front of the house, waiting to hear him. (“Him” is Warlock LV.) Finally, “I hear him!” Ted called out. That was Carly’s cue. She made out 15-yard mark by picking up a chalk with her mind, drew a line and wrote: Don’t cross this line! Or else! And that’s exactly what we meant.

****

“I know what he’s thinking!” Aurora blurted out a few minutes later. “He’s thinking: ‘Don’t Cross This LINE! Or else! Ha! Stupid kids!’.” Wow. “Lizzy!” I called. “Remember the alarm!” A few minutes later, we heard… ERRRH! That meant Lizzy saw Warlock LV, and that was also George’s cue. He literally busted down the door, ran down the block, and threw Warlock LV up! This was my chance. My mind focused on him and I transported him far away. (I don’t even know where!) “We did it!” we shouted. Then Aurora tapped me on the shoulder. “Alexia, where is the metal detector?” I smiled. “Come on!” I walked into the kitchen, and pointed to the cookie jar on top of the refridgerator. I looked at Aurora. Her mouth was hanging open. I smiled, transported the metal detector down, and walked to the door. “Bye,” we called. “Bye, bye!” they called back. When Aurora and I stepped outside, we heard a roar. “Bye, Bobby!” we waved and it seemed like he waved back.

****

“I found it!” We had just reached the portal. I had been using the metal detector to find it. “I’ll go first.” Aurora said. She took a deep breath, stepped in, and disappeared. I looked around 1 last time. I told myself I can come back anytime. I sighed, closed my eyes, took one step, and fell back to Earth…

****

FLOP! I was back on Earth. I looked up., Aurora was standing there. I forced myself up, and looked at the school, 3:00PM?! But… I looked at the date on my watch, May 15, 2013!? No time had passed since we left. “Let’s… go...home.” I said.

****

I was exhausted! “Hi, Alexia!” my little sister, Kelly, said. She looked happy to see me. Something clicked. Kelly’s best friend, Nellie, had powers too. Nellie once looked like she was floating. I ran to the phone and saw my mom disappear into thin air. And then, my dad started to recite the entire 1st chapter of the 7th Harry Potter book, word for word! I grabbed the phone, dialed Aurora’s numbered and told her to bring Julian and Tamara.

****

On the way to the school, while Julian, Kelly, and Nellie were ahead of us, Tamara, Aurora, and I were talking about our powers. Tamara, Aurora, and I all agreed that Nellie’s magical ability was floating. All of a sudden… “AAAHHH!!!” We looked up. Julian and Nellie were looking down at the portal. “Wait for us, Kelly!” they shouted and jumped after her…………

And

I

knew

exactly

what

was

about

to

happen.

[mk-writes-stuff]

Two Truths and a Lie

Rules: post a 24-hour poll with two truths and a lie about an OC and get your followers to guess which one is the lie.

Thanks @kaylinalexanderbooks for the tag (I swear I’ll get to the other game you tagged me in soon)! Going to do this for Nellie this time :)

Feel free to ask any questions you have and lmk what you think!

Passing this one on to @elsie-writes @marigold-clouds @spitefulbull @sunset-a-story and @illarian-rambling

[somethingclevermahogony]

AITA Tag

Rules: Make an Am I The Asshole? post (look at r/amita or r/AITA for examples if you haven’t seen them) for an OC. The community will then vote to see who is the asshole in the given scenario.

Thank you for the tags @willtheweaver and @mundanemoongirl!

AITA for killing my tyrannical uncle (and indirectly his entire family)?

So long story, my father used to be king of Labisa. I'll admit he wasn't the best king, anyway, my uncle lead a coup and tried to kill my father. My father escaped but my half-brother (an eight year-old btw) was killed and my (ex)step-mother ended up marrying my uncle :/

My father lived as a guest at the court of the Fapacha in Apuna. That's where I was born. My father constantly told me stories about Labisa when I was growing up and about how one day we would return. Unfortunately our family illness got him before that could ever happen. So I decided to return and reclaim the throne myself. I spoke with people from Labisa and the surrounding cities and they all agreed that my uncle was a tyrant and a wasteful ruler. I went there myself and saw how many beggars were on the street and how unkempt the temples were. It was terrible. And yet my uncle was covered in gold and silk.

I killed him. I killed my uncle, and my eldest cousin. I took his crown and I am king now. If it had just been a matter of killing my uncle I wouldn't be making this post, he was a greedy monster who needed to be killed. But it was the other people that got hurt. I only killed my uncle and eldest cousin (older than me) directly, but one of my collaborators went behind my back and killed all of my other cousins and aunts, including the children. Additionally some of the Makurians I hired went a bit crazy and killed a couple people. I skinned the rogue Makurians in retribution for what they did to the innocent people (something that I never ordered them to do.) But the person who ordered the murder of the royal family was a Kishite and a Nobleman, someone that was integral to this plan working at all. He is the king of a vassal city, who is essential to the stability of Labisa. I can't punish him without there being serious repercussions.

Am I the asshole for starting this whole endeavour in the first place and am I the asshole for not punishing the nobleman, even though doing so would cause more problems?

Update: I just found out that one of my cousins escaped. Part of me is relieved, but a larger part of me is horrified. I know what I would do in their place. I'll have to get rid of her, unfortunately.

Tagging @illarian-rambling, @kaylinalexanderbooks , @elsie-writes, @mk-writes-stuff, @roach-pizza

[spideronthesun]

WIP Questionnaire

Thank you for tagging me @mundanemoongirl ! Looks like something fun to work over coffee. I am tagging @amaiguri @elsie-writes @melpomene-grey @illarian-rambling and anyone else who wants to do it!

I will be putting my answers under read more.

What was the first part of your wip that you created?

My characters, of course. They were the first ones that came to life before the story started to fall into its place. But I already had this WIP in works for a few years before I fully started working on it. I just was not ready to write it.

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

Tantric's Breakdown. I think it is an amazing song and captures some of the essence of my story.

3. Who are your favorite characters you've made? Why?

My personal favorite is Ametista. She is quite a complex and interesting character to write. I love working on her chapters the most. And based on what the other people said to me in the past, it appears that Edvardas or Robertas are more of everyone's favorites. Which I get it. Edvardas is frustrated when it comes to magic, he's skeptic about it, and constantly debates his beliefs. He used to be a bad boy and even he believes he has become a monotonous and dull adult. And Robertas is a sweetheart. He's very loving, sweet and caring.

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

This one is difficult! I left this question for the last to answer it later. But maybe Percy Jackson?

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

Since I been busy editing right now, I found myself writing new chapters since I came up with a few fun ideas that are worth exploring. So right now I am struggling with being a huge overwriter. Guess this is what happens when you end up with tons of ideas and you want all of them to end up on page.

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

Plenty! My boys have a black kitten as a familiar after Adamas found her and brought her home. Medeina has a spider familiar. Even a mere mention of spiders frightens Danielius, so you can only imagine how he reacts to her familiar, and how much he is not a fan. But they will grow to like to each other.

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

Trains, cars, bikes.

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

I am currently outlining new chapters so I could work on them over the weekend.

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

Found family, dysfunctional family relationships, old secrets, a rural setting. Hopefully that darker themes won't scare people away.

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

I hope people fall in love with my story and characters. This would be the biggest reward for me. I would love a reader coming up with their own theories and discussing them with the others. I also would love to see fanart for it someday.

[caramelmochacrow]

i know someone probably did this already but!! i screenshot-ed parts of the story where they talked about surprisingly important stuff when it comes to fic writing for these girls? like. how yoba academy works and how influential miyu, kurumi and miiko's families are.

i'll share it here so people can save the hassle of trying to find this info for their fics!!! (even tho a lot of people have probably read this before me)

extra stuff under the cut: (i ramble how the classes work and other things)

abyssmare's classes are:

neo - vocals class (same class as kyoko)

wero - performing arts class (same class as towa noa and ibuki)

elsie - media and arts class or regular class

sophia - media and arts class or regular class

im not sure on elsie and soap's since michiru hasn't stated what her class is at this point in time, i might learn what it is if i continue catching up w the story.

anyway! notes/how i think the classes work

media and arts (MnA to make my life easier) might have the same amount of education as art schools (since yoba used to be an art school) for the artists while for people like shinobu it must have something to do with learning how the entertainment industry works/how to get yourself to start somewhere in that industry.

shinobu being in the MnA rather than music must imply being in the music classes need you to use an instrument rather than how to compose music. (rei is the only person among the yoba units to play an instrument and is the only person in the music course)

regular course must mean the regular subjects for the students (academics and such) but from what i recall from the past events, area conversations, anime and manga the other classes still indulge in academics somewhat just not as much compared to those in the regular course.

peaky back in middle school must've originally chose the regular course before deciding to take up the MnA courses so it will help w performing/future careers. (kyoko = vocals, shinobu = MnA, yuka = video, esora = design)

esora taking up design implies that she is the one who makes the outfits of peaky and also because she's stage designer and negotiator for what/where their venues will be. (in road to d4fes she did set up a whole event by herself iirc)

lyrilily family/arisugawa/rich girl world notes

hayate and kokoa are rich yes but not AS rich compared to miyu kurumi and miiko. they must be around the same status as haruna's family.

miyu's family is the riches out of the four of them since kokoa specifically used the words 'former zaibatsu' to explain her status.

zaibatsu (literally wealthy clique or rich clan) is an industrial/financial integrated business who has an influence so huge over specific parts of japan's economy in WWII. this means that her family, the sakuradas, were super important back in the day, giving them a very heightened status in the business world.

miiko's father is the head of an international group company, so her connections are all over the world. (this is also the reason she knows so many languages)

kurumi's family is one of japan's biggest companies, it doesnt state it so but it might have a connection with technology or is something else entirely.

haruna's family seems to just have a lot of money or her family came from a very rich bloodline, either way, it seems her parents/family isnt known for anything notable that kokoa would remember compared to the other three. (this must be the reason why she acts so high class compared to the other lyrilily members, to fit in w these girls that have family w big and vast connections in different businesses)

the shimizus (esora's family) must be around the same influence as the sakuradas since yuka stated in the manga that she is super well known even among rich girls.

i guess this counts as me liveblogging huh. sorry.

[whatsnewalycat]

Hey I rewatched the movie Eighth Grade this weekend and I want to process my feelings. Totally understand if not one human reads this fucking novella, I just gotta organize my thoughts, and I’m putting them here in case it resonates with anyone. Below the cut because L O N G.

(tldr: this movie is fucking brilliant, a masterfully told coming-of-age story. I mean that. And you should watch it)

First of all, I love how awkward Kayla is.

Elsie Fisher fucking murdered it in this role. It’s palpable how uncomfortable Kayla is in her own skin. The way she carries herself, and projects her online persona, and acts in real life, it’s painful how those things merge and give us a picture of who she is really and who she desperately wants to be. It’s deeply, deeply relatable. The entire movie, but especially the first half, I couldn’t stop squirming in my seat, because I remember feeling exactly like that at that age.

The videos Kayla posts with her tips. Ok. It’s fucking brilliant how Bo Burnham (writer and director) spliced those videos with what she’s really going through. It’s obvious she has no idea what she’s talking about, because she’s just rambling on and really saying nothing at all. And it’s so uncomfortable to sit through. She’s making these videos as a way to inspire herself to be a person she thinks is worthy of connection. It’s establishing authority and “big voice narration” spun on its head and I love it so so so much.

Now the aspect of technology and social media. The first quarter of the movie we see that she is constantly on her phone. She’s scrolling Instagram and liking everything her school mates post, commenting on their pictures, etc. Again, she’s projecting this online persona that is outgoing and cheerful and cool. But we see that none of these people actually acknowledge her presence IRL.

When her phone screen shatters, then she cuts her scrolling thumb on the screen, it’s a turning point in the storyline. Her old way of doing things, only reaching out for human connection through the safety of her online persona, has literally made her bleed. It’s not necessarily a catalyst as much as it is a symbol, but she’s on her phone less from this point onward.

Another thing that happens around this time in the storyline: she gets her Time Capsule. It has “the coolest girl in the world” adorned on the lid, and she knows the video she has on the usb drive inside is her going into 6th grade with the hopes and dreams of becoming cool and making friends. She understands that she’s exactly the same as when she entered middle school, and her way of attempting to make connections has failed.

So she goes forward knowing she has to do the scariest thing: put herself out there. Try to talk to people in real life. She goes to Kennedy’s pool party, even though it gives her a literal panic attack, and the guy she has a crush on acknowledges her existence for the first time ever. And it is exactly the encouragement/reinforcement she needed to show her that this is good. It propels her forward instead of backwards into the safety of her shell.

For her, this is life-changing. She thinks this is a new beginning where these cool people are going to let her into their club and she will have friends. But when Kayla talks to Kennedy the next school day, and gives her a note to thank her for inviting her to the party, Kennedy and Steph are engulfed in their phones and barely acknowledge Kayla’s presence. She’s still fucking invisible to them.

Quick sidebar: the birthday gift Kayla gives Kennedy is a card game that obviously is one she has played with her dad. The cold reaction that Kennedy gives to the gift reinforces Kayla’s belief that the things she genuinely enjoys are not cool. That she is this weird girl (as she puts it in her vlog) and not worthy of belonging.

Another quick sidebar: the fucking school shooting drill, holy fuck. How desensitized all these literal children are to the threat of a mass shooting. WOOF. Again, bravo, Bo Burnham.

Then there’s the high school shadow. We meet Olivia, who is 1) to Kayla, obviously cool, and 2) to me, obviously the kind of person who has a history of intense short-term relationships. The way she so brazenly tells Kayla that she feels like they’re best friends, it’s fucking telling. I had a friend like this in middle/high school. It’s very Evie Zamora in Thirteen. It’s not real. And we know this, but Kayla doesn’t. She wants a best friend so fucking bad. It’s literally on her to-do list, and she (understandably) mistakes Olivia’s faux connection as real.

She hangs out with Olivia and her friends at the mall. She feels like she’s finally cool. But there’s Gabe who tells her “I’m not quiet, you’re quiet” and that’s like… a major tender spot for Kayla. Anyway, Olivia, who should have been a protector for Kayla, leaves her ward in an unsafe situation with Riley, and that’s really shitty of her.

Fucking Riley. He preys on Kayla’s naïvety. He knows that she wants to be cool, especially cool in the eyes of Olivia, and tries to take advantage of that. And here’s the part where I’m going to start crying. Because our girl Kayla says no. She goes against her desire to be cool and vehemently, LOUDLY, insists NO. And, in her skewed understanding, thinks that her saying no was cowardly. But it wasn’t. It was so fucking brave. She listened to her inner knowing and stood up for it, even though it meant potentially giving up the things she wanted the most: being cool and having a best friend.

When she and her dad burn the Time Capsule, she’s burning her dream of being the coolest girl in the world. Being (what she has learned to be) cool isn’t what she thought it would be. She thought it would mean connection and belonging, but time and time again throughout this story, it has only meant she has to compromise her values and her true self.

Ok now let’s talk about Kayla and her dad. Her dad loves her so much. Throughout the story that he’s trying to coax her out of her shell and be herself, but Kayla ignores his advice. But when they’re burning the Time Capsule, she opens up to him. Instead of pushing him away, we see her express her inner pain out loud. This is the first time in the story she allows her real self to be seen. It’s vulnerable, and again, so fucking brave.

And her dad… fuck. He says the most perfect things. He tells her his truth, which is that she’s fucking wrong, and she is cool. It’s just that her previous definition of cool was skewed.

We find out that Kayla’s mom abandoned her as a child. And although her dad tried his hardest, there was always going to be a part of her that thinks her true self is defective and not worthy of connection, love, and belonging. But that’s not true. And her dad helps her see that.

From that point, we see her live her goddamn truth. She’s still awkward and quiet, but that’s not a fault, it’s just part of who she is. She hangs out with Gabe, who is kind of a dork and not obsessed with trying to be cool, and it’s SO FUCKING CUTE I LOVE IT. At graduation, Kayla confronts Kennedy about how shitty she made her feel. It’s amazing.

By the end, she’s transformed into someone who understands that true connection comes from your true self, and anything short of that is unfulfilling.

Anyway. Idk if it’s because I deeply identify with Kayla on so many levels (i had an Olivia, and a Riley, and a mother who abandoned me as a baby, and a single father who raised me, and was just so fucking awkward and lonely throughout childhood), but it’s my favorite goddamn coming-of-age tale, ever. A masterpiece. Please watch lol.

[kalmeria]

turns out im unable of collecting my thoughts properly so im just gonna do this as a ramble

about abyssmare and the latest story released in d4dj english

and this. the chapter titles. a countdown.

and what is in each chapter? the other abyssmare members’ first meetings with neo

and how they came to join the unit

and neo tells them what do you see. you only see me. or you see the world that’s the same.

like yeah we talk about the neo and sophia codependency but it’s all of them.

sophia doesnt want to live anymore but then ends up dedicating her life, herself to neo.

elsie had her life laid out for her, she has never even thought about going against that. the thought of going against father’s wishes was unimaginable. until neo came along. and it chenged her.

weronika was reigning as the queen in her own world. unbeatable champion. until neo took that title away from her and now all she wants is to defeat her.

they all revolve around her. neo neo neo. their god the savior their ruler the center of it all.

everything about abyssmare hinges upon the fact that neo is perfect and unbeatable. this is the world they all live in including neo. this is their abyss.

and when neo breaks. it all falls apart. everything.

because they havent had any kind of actual support system. and they dont know how to deal with any of this. collapse.

-

theres something to be said about how it is after this that we get to see them in a school environment. how these larger than life figures are now shown outside of their unit. and like regular people. the illusion is broken.

-

i dont really read ahead since the official tls are not too far behind the jp release so i dont know whats next. but i am really excited to see where they are going to go next. as the designated quote unquote antagonist unit and as the mirror to unichørd.

[flyingwide]

IM NOT WRITING IT I DONT HAVE TIME I HAVE OTHER THINGS TO WRITE

The man's wife cut into his rambling with a fond, "Cornelius! Let the young people talk!"

The man paused and looked back and forth between his younger companions. Elsie hoped she wasn't blushing. "Oh, I see," he said. "Of course. You've heard enough about an old man's adventures. I expect you'll want to get to know each other without this old goat hovering around."

"I would never presume—" the professor began at the same moment as Elsie told him, "It was an interesting story!" but he waved them both off.

"Keep your protestations for someone with more pride than I! The world belongs to the young, you know, and I'm sure we'll all have a chance to discuss this again when you're better acquainted." He let his wife pull him away with only a wave of his hand and a wink over his shoulder. Elsie was very sure she was blushing now.

The two stood there in silence for a moment before the professor bowed his head. "My sincere apologies," he said but sounded more amused than contrite. "I hadn't thought that I wore my fascination quite so blatantly." Those brown eyes that had arrested her from across the room were even more powerful up close, filled with warmth and mirth.

"You weren't forward, if that's what concerns you," she assured him.

"May I be now?" he asked. He held out his hand to her.

[anomalyaly]

hiyaaa some questions for ur mc! <3

🕰️- What’s your MCs backstory?

🥰- Does your MC have a partner and if so what are they like together?

😵‍💫- What is your MC like drunk?

🥀- What is your MCs biggest heartbreak?

Thanks so much for the ask!!

🕰️- What’s your MCs backstory?

Answered here!

🥰- Does your MC have a partner and if so what are they like together?

In my story, not yet.

Currently, she's considered betrothed in her family's eyes to Anthony Fairfax, the son of a wealthy (muggle) family. Their relationship is cordial, at best, but only when Elsie keeps quiet and lets him ramble on about himself. There's no connection there - it's very much a business arrangement.

It's taking her a while to reconcile her feelings for Sebastian because she was never really allowed to be open about how she feels when she was growing up. Sebastian is much more straightforward about how he feels and expresses affection physically. Right now it's little things like hand holding, which already took her by surprise as she didn't know how to respond to it, but she's slowly opening up more.

I have plans for how I want their relationship to go, but I don't want to spoil too much here. 🤭

😵‍💫- What is your MC like drunk?

I have plans for this too!

Elsie tends to be more uptight naturally and keeps things about herself locked up. Drinking...brings a lot of that to light. She becomes much more loose-lipped and emotional, even physically affectionate to the people she's close with because there's nothing in her brain overthinking everything. She's just acts on her feelings.

Which is exactly why she chooses not to drink after the first time she gets drunk by accident.

🥀- What is your MCs biggest heartbreak?

Her first biggest heartbreak was losing her grandmother.

Her second was realizing she was never going to please her parents, and that they didn't love her the way she needed.

Her third was losing Professor Fig.

[readerofoddities]

Second Time's the Charm masterpost

Welcome to the masterpost of my original story Second Time's the Charm!

Second Time's the Charm is an original story following the story of Princess Penelope Marie de Folio. Formerly the queen of her country, having become so through unsavory means, she has been sent back in time to be her fifteen/sixteen year old self in order to fix all of her mistakes

Character introduction posts

Penelope de Folio

Elsiana de Folio

Samael Beorn

Everine von Campa

Marion von Forgathe

Diana Yearwood

Text ramblings about the story

Penelope and Elsie's family

The Journal of Alberdo A. Wondreberg

Intro post

To be added onto as I share more! I hope you enjoy this and your day :)

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

OC interaction game

Thanks @willtheweaver here and @illarian-rambling here!

Rules: describe an OC and pair how they would interact with the given OCs from the people who tagged you!

Will's OC Fen

Fen is a crow. But he does not act like one, having grown up among the foxes of the forest. All his life, he has had to keep his identity a secret. For obvious reasons, Fen does not let too much of himself be known. What he does show is an understanding nature ,and a knack for bringing out the best in others. Storyteller, a good fighter, tracker, and cook, he is skilled in many arts, though you’d never know that from the way he stays humble and modest. He values friendship, and will support those he trust.

Katie's OC Daedryn

Daedryn is a lady knight with one eye and red hair. She's the divine Chosen of Loqang, god of rivers and loyalty. Due to this, she is fiercely loyal to whatever person or organization she has promised herself to, to the point of following orders for orders sake. Outside of battle, where she is a force to be reckoned with, she's very sweet, a little awkward, and loves to talk about her god, who she sees as her best friend.

My OC Lexi

Lexi is a middle school girl (12-13 in the first book) who's popular, talkative and energetic. She has more acquaintances than she can keep up with (but don't tell her that!!! They're all her close friends who she must hang out with and support!!), and a close circle of companions she may hold on a little too tight to. Metaphorically, as her haphephobia prevents her from wanting physical contact. She has a mini backyard garden and indulges in nerdy pop culture, at first for her sister, then she found out she liked it. Lexi is very organized - she has a color-coded schedule she Will Follow No Matter What and her high anxiety will flare up if things become unexpected.

Edit: I forgot to mention she has teleportation powers because I got distracted trying to be concise

Lexi and Fen

Well, Lexi does not have experience with sentient crows. Not sure if Fen talks to humans or not. If Lexi were to discover his identity, she might find it difficult to keep it a secret, but would feel like she Had To regardless, out of loyalty and being true to her word. Fen's knack for bringing out the best in others would definitely highlight Lexi's compassion and love for those around her, as well as the aforementioned loyalty. His humility and modesty would be a fun contrast to Lexi's self-confidence, which means she would try to make him embrace his accomplishments more, and maybe Fen would open up to her more once he trusted her. Their shared value of friendship and supportive nature would make them good friends I think. Who doesn't love the classic young girl + sentient animal dynamic?

Lexi and Daedryn

As someone who also values loyalty and is respectful of superiors, Lexi would probably idolize Daedryn. Lexi also has trouble recognizing faults in those she values, so I believe they would understand each other. I would like to see Daedryn maybe take Lexi under her wing, making her a force to be reckoned with as well. Lexi is an enthusiastic learner. Lexi would be willing to listen about Daedryn's god, especially why he means so much to her, though Lexi would also be very excited to talk about her friends too! There may be some talking over each other, but I think they would have a cute dynamic.

Alright y'all let's pair people up with Lexi:

Tagging @gracehosborn @mk-writes-stuff @little-peril-stories @buffythevampirelover @elsie-writes @winterandwords @theeccentricraven @theelfauthor @space-writes @jezifster @theprissythumbelina @herrmannhalsteadproduction @i-can-even-burn-salad @oh-no-another-idea @eccaiia @dyrewrites + anyone else who'd like to do this fun tag!

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites + extra tag if you want to :)

[rou-luxe]

🎮🔺🖤 for the OC ask'-')/

also i'm curious, have you gone in depth about Elsie's Curse before? how does it work, what ability does it afford her, what's her fated tragic end, and what made you pick "The Juniper Tree" as the story reference?

omg thank you for enabling me to ramble

hehehehehdhdhdvd

🎮 "three of oc's favorite hobbies?"

Baking!! she sometimes gives some to Harry :3

Tailoring costumes (job)

Watching Liam in the theater 🥺 they're buddies

���️ "does your oc know how to use any weapons?"

mainly smaller, precise blades. she keeps a few on her at all times

🖤 "has your oc killed or seriously wounded anyone before? have they broken someone's heart and/or broken someone's trust?"

killed? yes. wounded? yes.

breaking heart / trust? technically yes

(all to one person) (they deserved it)

"curse?"

I mentioned it in her intro post ❤️❤️

in short, her tears have numbing properties for a certain amount of time.

it's very helpful for roger but... well!! 😇

people can build an immunity to it...

it doesn't heal anything. it just numbs. it still hurts after.

"tragic end?"

this is something I've been thinking about...

when at her most vulnerable, she will be hacked to pieces by someone who hates her

subject to change

"why the juniper tree?"

it's a really dark fairy tale. for what I had in mind for elsie, it was perfect

if you read it... caution advised. i've built an immunity to some vile subjects

[somethingclevermahogony]

OC Questionnaire

I was tagged by @elsie-writes , thank you! These are some of my favorite tags!

My Questions are:

What is your favorite piece or part of history?

What is your biggest fear?

What is your favorite flower?

These are characters from the first three books of my WIP series (formarly just one book), Testaments of the Green Sea.

What is your favorite piece or part of history?

Narul: "History? Um...I guess I never really thought about that sort of thing. Do legends count? Huma the Spiritblood is a story I really like...but I don't know how true those stories were."

Ninma: "Seha! Princess Seha! She was from Makur, but when she dueled Tamel, she almost won too. Tamel was so impressed that he made her his general! And then when Tamel came to Kishetal he sent her to find a place to found a great city! So she sailed down the Aratshin River and discovered the Great Lake and so she killed all those monsters and she talked to the ancient Kiriki and that's how it was decided where Labisa would be founded!"

Otilia: "The Arkodian kingdom. My father used to walk me through the old crumbling temples, the mantle of our fireplace was made from a piece of an old Arkodian temple. It's hundreds of years old but I still remember the paints were so vibrant. People still wear Arkodian jewelry when they can find it, it just seems like everything was so beautiful back then, I wish I could have seen the mountain sanctuaries of the spirit mothers."

Akard: "The reign of Tamel, 500 years of peace and prosperity, when Kishetal was one kingdom, when Kishites built the greatest palaces that the world has ever seen. Some day we will see that world again, soon I hope."

Istek: "Last night, I had wine, food, and these two." He gestures to his partners, Dati an Sihunu. "Does that count as history?"

Penetinos: "Arkodai, I would have loved to see the great furnaces where the sages and smiths worked together to make magic metals, to trap the elements themselves in mortal tools."

What is your biggest fear?

Narul: "That I'll forget the people that I care about."

Ninma: "That I'll end up like my family."

Otilia: "Hmm, I'm not entirely sure, once I would have said that it was my old husband trying to find me. But now I'd love to see him try it."

Akard: "I fear that when I die all of my work, all the work I've done to better this land will fall apart and that all of the terrible things I've had to do will have been for nothing."

Istek: "Being helpless."

Penetinos: "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure. For most of my life it was death, especially after I found about my illness, but now I've accepted it. I suppose I'm scared of dying and feeling like I'm not ready, like there was more I could have done."

What is your favorite flower?

Narul: "A hasir flower. You only see them in Kishetal, they bloom in autumn and they are so many shades of red and yellow and orange, it makes the hillside look like its on fire. And they smell sweet. I pick one any time I see them. I know I don't really look like the sort but..." He gestures to his massive frame "But, I like putting them in my beard and hair."

Ninma: "Hasir flowers! Narul gives me them."

Otilia: "Around Kalmanati where I grew up there were fields and fields of red poppies. I think I would say that those are my favorite."

Akard: "An apunina lotus, blue like a sapphire, when they bloom the entire river is perfumed."

Istek: "Flowers? Flowers hmm...not many of those at sea..." He turns to Sihunu. "What were the flowers growing around the spring where we met, those little purple ones?"

"Lavender?"

"That's it! Lavender!"

Penetinos: "The saffron crocus. They used to leave them at the temple where I served."

Your questions:

What is one embarassing memory from your childhood that you can't shake?

What would you take with you if you were trapped on a desert island for one week?

What is your favorite animal?

Tagging @roach-pizza , @pluttskutt , @illarian-rambling , @kaylinalexanderbooks and anyone else who is interested!

[imhereforscm]

Good morning ✨ 💛

HIIIII, SUGAR CUBES😘😘😘😘

It's 3:30 pm over here✨

Today was a cold day (not too cold. It was comfortable) and I LOVE IT🥺🥺❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ It rained a bit too and I really liked my outfit, sooo(⁠*⁠˘⁠︶⁠˘⁠*⁠)⁠.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡(⁠*⁠˘⁠︶⁠˘⁠*⁠)⁠.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡

And I had hot coffee after months, which was lovely(⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠³⁠˘⁠)⁠♥(⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠³⁠˘⁠)⁠♥(⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠³⁠˘⁠)⁠♥(⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠³⁠˘⁠)⁠♥

AND LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN🥺🥺🥺

(Rambling starts beneath the cut)

I MENTIONED ORDERING 3 BOOKS BEFORE AND THEY'RE FINALLY HERE

(It came in hardback and the texture is fabric-like AND BEAUTIFUL!!!! THE PAGES ARE BLACK AT THE CORNERS😭💖💖💖💖💖🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖)

The premise by Goodreads:

A love story between a vampire and a werewolf by the creator of the enormously popular Sarah's Scribbles comics.

Elsie the vampire is three hundred years old, but in all that time, she has never met her match. This all changes one night in a bar when she meets Jimmy, a charming werewolf with a wry sense of humor and a fondness for running wild during the full moon. Together they enjoy horror films and scary novels, shady strolls, fine dining (though never with garlic), and a genuine fondness for each other’s unusual habits, macabre lifestyles, and monstrous appetites.

First featured as a webcomic series on Tapas, Fangs chronicles the humor, sweetness, and awkwardness of meeting someone perfectly suited to you but also vastly different. Filled with Sarah Andersen’s beautiful gothic illustrations and relatable relationship humor, Fangs has all the makings of a cult classic.

Basically, it's a VERY cheesy story about a vampire and a werewolf dating, which is right up my alley!😩😩😩🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹 I love cheesy love!!! I am cheesy!! And it's a graphic novel🙃🙃✨✨

Premise by Goodreads:

Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic meets the Salem Witch trials in this haunting story about three sisters on a quest for revenge—and how love may be the only thing powerful enough to stop them.

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to save Bo, or save herself.

Premise by Goodreads:

A sumptuously magical, brand new take on a tale as old as time—read the Beast's side of the story at long last.

I am neither monster nor man—yet I am both.

I am the Beast.

The day I was cursed to this wretched existence was the day I was saved—although it did not feel so at the time.

My redemption sprung from contemptible roots; I am not proud of what I did the day her father happened upon my crumbling, isolated chateau. But if loneliness breeds desperation then I was desperate indeed, and I did what I felt I must. My shameful behaviour was unjustly rewarded.

My Isabeau. She opened my eyes, my mind and my heart; she taught me how to be human again.

And now I might lose her forever.

Lose yourself in this gorgeously rich and magical retelling of The Beauty and the Beast that finally lays bare the beast's heart.

I'M SO EXCITED FOR "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST" CONTENT!!!! I ADORE THIS FAIRY TALE SO MUCH!!!! THAT AND THE "QUEEN OF SNOW" ARE MY TWO FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES!!🤧🤧💖💖💖💖💖💖

So these were the books I got!(⁠*⁠＾⁠3⁠＾⁠)⁠/⁠～⁠♡ I wanna start Fangs RIGHT FREAKING NOW (⁠✯⁠ᴗ⁠✯⁠)(⁠✯⁠ᴗ⁠✯⁠)(⁠✯⁠ᴗ⁠✯⁠)(⁠✯⁠ᴗ⁠✯⁠)(⁠✯⁠ᴗ⁠✯⁠)

Also--

I got us another dog. I named it Rabbit. I already have Apple. And now I can have Rabbit and Apple!✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧ (rabbit apple)

BTW-

I'm gonna edit the next part of Two Different Worlds and then post it later during the day (if all goess well and/or I'm not too distracted by pretty books lol).

I wish you all a wonderful day and/or night, babes!!!

[caramelmochacrow]

im tearing up and crying about the CoA event story rn abt airi and her connection to unichord and abyssmare because of how her character of the teacher/advisor to tsubaki, kyoko and happy ara is evolved to being the idol/goal to be to neo because aria was to her just. aough.

her character (and artemis in general) went from the background to literally the most important figure in d4 ever is just. ough.

(cut cause i rambled)

something about how aria taught airi how to sing with emotion and love and that the reason tsubaki and kyoko are the amazing vocalists they are. something about how because airi sang, she helped rinku reconnect with muni, make new connections and not be lonely with the stars anymore is. ??? something about how because of that, rei found her love for piano again and gave a certain dj the confidence to reach d4fes???? like. aughhghghg. something about how because artemis formed, aoi is the person she is now which let her save tsubaki??? something about how because aoi is who she is, it helped hiiro get over her fears??? something about how because aoi recruited nagisa, she isnt a lonely wanderer anymore?? something about how artemis formed, photon gained this chance to find new sides of themselves they never knew existed??? something about how because artemis is the reason photon is here, it inspired lyrilily to be a unit???

something about how tsubaki and kyoko along with lumina (the literal embodiment of aria) taught neo how to sing with emotion paralleling to what aria did w airi??? something about how even if neo went through so much hardship, because of the voice and singing of aria, she helped sophia, weronika and elsie be saved and be who they are??? something about how because lumina is the embodiment of aria, she helped kokoa move on from her resentment of michiru??? something about how she helped kokoa, hayate and michiru not be lonely anymore???

something about how almost all of those people were about to go through what aria did, but because of the people around them made them able to keep singing??? something about how because of the passion and love she passed it helped them find people who will make sure that, no matter how many times they fall, will always find a way to return to that passion???

something about how because aria passed her love of singing to airi she is still helping so many people find passion and regained passion even after she died???

why is the writing for this franchise so good?