#evil little commas

[silverstarfics]

I'm losing my mind. I put a semicolon and spellchecker doesn't like it.

So I put a comma instead and...

IT STILL DOESN'T LIKE IT!! WHAT DOES IT WANT FROM ME??

[shivawne]

shiv’s handwriting >>>

[bsd-bibliophile]

I composed my last will and testament, my suicide note. One hundred pages that I entitled “Memories.” “Memories” is now considered my maiden work. I wanted to set down, without the least ornamentation, all the evil I’d done since childhood. This was in the autumn of my twenty-fourth year. I sat in the cottage gazing out at an abandoned garden overgrown with weeds, utterly devoid of the ability to laugh or smile. It was, once again, my intention to die. Call it affectation if you will. I was full of myself. I regarded life as a drama. Or, rather, I regarded drama as life. I was no longer of use to anyone…I hadn’t a single thing to live for. I resolved that I, as one of the fools, one of the doomed, would faithfully play out the role in which fate had cast me, the sad, servile role of one who must inevitably lose…I had written my suicide note, the testament of my infancy and boyhood, the first-hand account of a hateful child, but that testament, rather than freeing me, became a burning obsession that cast a faint light into the empty darkness. I couldn’t die yet. “Memories” alone wasn’t enough. Having revealed that much, I now wanted to set it all down, to make a clean breast of my entire life until then, to confess everything. But there seemed no end to it. First, I wrote about the [double suicide] at Kamakura,  No good. That didn’t say it all, somehow. I wrote another piece, and still I was unsatisfied. I sighed and began another. It was a series of little commas; the final period never came.

Dazai Osamu, “Eight Scenes from Tokyo” from Self Portraits

[otrtbs]

this is going to sound so strange, so I apologize, I promise I'm normal I just have a really good memory. But I randomly noticed that the word count for Art Heist, Baby! has gone up a few hundred words, & I was wondering if you're adding to it? I remember a little while ago you posted on here about wanting to secretly add scenes to fuck with evil tiktokers who were illegally binding your book (a noble pursuit) but I would love to read the extra scenes! Even if it means rereading the whole thing, I am honestly always looking for an excuse. So yeah, I was just wondering. Thanks! <3

SCREAM!! hello!!! no not strange don’t worry you’re so good!!!

i am currently in the process of trying to edit it (<- says girl who is moving veryyyyy slowly through it. like im on chapter 4)

it’s mainly to clean it up and make it readable to other people outside of me! so not a *whole* lot is being added to it aside from, like, commas n stuff. i am desperately trying to keep the integrity of ahb! as originally written (<- says girl who constantly twitches her eye and wants to scrap chapters as i read through it, but i breathe through it)

i mean, there will be a few sentence changes and variations but hopefully nothing too noticeable and nothing like added scenes (i’m pretty sure. as of right now. the plan is NOT. to do that. for real.)

so i hope this clears things up a little!! <33

[cerriddwenluna]

Happy final Six Some Sentence Sunday of the year!

Don't you just love it when the last day of the year is a Sunday? It just feels so tidy to start a new year on the first day of a new week lol

I'm still working on Pas de Deux, my story for @esilher as part of the @klainesecretsanta2023, of which I've just posted the next chapter.

Instead of some sentences, I have decided to share six lessons I learnt this year, either about writing, about myself (as a writer), or just through my writing. Thank you to everyone who's been a part of my process this year, and I'll see you all tomorrow for even more fandom love! 💖

Writing is fun. Harder than most things I've ever done, but fun.

Being evil can be fun, too. Just not indefinitely.

If you put on one specific playlist every time you work on your multichaptered WIP, you might as well call yourself Pavlov because now you can't write without it. Sigh.

If I ever hire @quizasvivamos to edit something for me professionally, she should charge me per comma. She'll get rich in no time.

My family is weird. But that's okay, French culture is too. That superstitious custom we have of obsessively making eye contact with each other when we toast or click glasses, just so we won't have seven years of bad sex, is not just us being nuts. Apparently it's a thing in France, too. I'm still gonna keep joking around with grandma about it not mattering for us anyway, though.

Community. We all need it, and I love the one I found in this fandom more than I can put into words. With 7 siblings, I never thought I needed many friends, but what I didn't realise was that I was just waiting for you all to arrive. I love each and everyone of you, no matter if we're friends, mutuals, followers or just passing each other in the tags. You've made my life richer than I thought it could be, so thank you for that.

And on that note, a special shout out to all the people who've been a direct influence on my journey this year as both a writer and a person. There are many more I could name, but at that rate we'll be here till next year ;)

@quizasvivamos, @sarnith, @jayne89, @special-bc-ur-part-of-it, @datshitrandom, @little-escapist, @forabeatofadrum, @caramelcoffeeaddict, @jinglejavey, @rockitmans, @mynonah, @esilher, @fallevs 💕

[crepes-suzette-373]

Garuda, Judge, Germa 66, The Divine

@sangerie Perfect timing that you bring up Garuda in your reply, because I remembered a while ago that I didn't check what Judge's current belt looks like when I made that other post and I was just about to make a new post about my findings.

---

I messed up and completely forgot to check when I made that other post. That was just more of an idle thought, though, not something I really wanted to analyse or make theories out of. This one is the (conspiracy) theory/analysis post.

Artistically this is big enough difference that I cannot chalk it off as "simplification/wonky artwork because of image size":

Plus, the "simpler" shape from the MADS flashbacks would be drawn long after the WCI arc. So this has to be a purposeful change on sensei's part.

What was it beforehand and why the change? What is the newer shape supposed to be?

So anyway, that realisation prompted me to look into Karura (the Japanese interpretation of Garuda) because I thought the current belt shape looks like the helmet Judge is wearing, which in turn vaguely reminds me of headdresses in Buddhist gods' statuary.

I think there could be connection between the two in terms of design:

Like, his hair could look reminiscent of the Karura's "fire halo".

The Karura in Japan is a being who is heavily associated with flames (which happens to also look like number 6 spirals in the statue, very interestingly). Some Buddhist teaching even say the Karura either manifests itself as flames, or lends its flames in support to other deities.

Karura's "fire halo" behind Fudou Myou'ou:

This I find to be even more curious, because in the first place Garuda is divine being, and Garuda's "holy flame" is something that purifies evil. Judge seems to be awful in every way, so why give him a nickname that's based on a holy being? Is this just irony, or is this a hint that there's something weird going on that has yet to be revealed? (something in their ancient history?)

Also, about the "69" in the skull's eyes. Even Sanji's Stealth Black/Osoba Mask belt has that "69" element, even if it's in the little wings on the sides and not the skull's eyes. Is that symbol so important that it needs to be everywhere? (to sangerie, if you see this: Niji's belt still has that 69, even much later in the cover story, it just sometimes look wonky in the art because it's too small)

That symbol is known in Japan as "two tomoe" (considered different from yin yang by the Japanese). A tomoe is that comma like shape, and the Germa one is specifically the "right curling" one, because there are versions of it that goes the opposite direction.

A tomoe is also a divine symbol, so it's very frequently seen as the "crest" of shrines. Funnily enough the origin of the tomoe symbol is actually water, but I'm not sure if sensei would go out of his way to research that. If he was using this as a purposeful symbol I feel like he's using it more in the generic divine/shrine related usage.

It's a symbol you see in the drums used by the the Raijin (god of thunder), which also was the design inspiration for Enel.

Interesting thunder/lightning connection there. It's 3, though, and not 2, so I'm not sure if this means anything.

You see that exact symbol with just two in Wano, though it's turned 90 degrees anticlockwise:

I have wondered multiple times if the Vinsmokes have connection to Wano in their past. Even literally just a few hours ago I made a post mentioning the same thing. I always worry that I'm making too deep of a reach, but every now and then I still wonder.

It also has historical connection in Japan, since a two tomoe design is a common samurai crest. I highly doubt it's related to this, but that exact "69" shaped crest is the crest strongly associated with the 47 Ronin.

The interesting thing about the 47 Ronin is that even though they're typically celebrated as heroes who defeated an evil lord even to this day, by historical accounts the 47 ronin were actually the ones in the wrong and the guy they had revenge on wasn't a tyrant or corrupt official. Still, I don't think this has any relevance.

I mean, there's nothing about Germa that suggests that "they seem evil, but actually they're secretly good".

I will admit there is a part of me that is developing a suspicion that there could be a random twist where Germa's whole point was "their motivation/end goal is not bad, but their methods is what's really absolutely disgusting" for various reasons. As in, what if their desire to conquer the North Blue is not just for greed or power, but for a bigger goal beyond it, and this "bigger goal" might not be entirely bad.

I doubt it, because so far everything that we've been shown is just nasty. I'm just automatically suspicious because the World Government labelled them evil, and I don't trust WG.

It could just be something like "they're so evil, that even demons are disgusted", though.

[phoebe-delia]

One Day More (Harry Potter Version)

Okay I have written a little HP-themed parody of "One Day More" from Les Miserables. Because it wouldn't leave my mind once I thought of it.

I'm sorry if this doesn't make much sense to read over text, especially the ending since it's technically a bunch of characters singing their parts until they all come together for the last few lines. If you're not familiar with Les Mis I suggest you listen to the song before you try to read the lyrics.

ALSO a few notes here. I have put commas and dashes in order to indicate the rhythm at which certain words are said to fit with the timing/rhythm of the original lyrics, if that makes any sense. Also this IGNORES some of canon. Dumbledore is alive, and I basically just sorta wrote what I wanted without regard for what had actually *happened* on the day before the war.

Also, yes, this takes place (in my AU) the day before the final battle.

Here's a link to the original song.

[Dumbledore:] One day more A day that divination long forebode

The seeds I planted then will now be sowed. The orphaned babe from decades past

Will fin'lly fill his fate at last One day more [Harry:]

My life-long war could be near end

Will—I-see-days, beyond tomorrow? [Dumbledore:] One day more [Ron & Hermione:]

How long we wasted in denial

But what, is left I’ll share entirely

[Draco:] How have months undone my life? [Ron & Hermione:] I regret the pain I’ve caused [Draco:] How’s my enemy my hero? [Ron & Hermione:] All the pride I let consume [Draco:]

Could it be I’ve been so wrong? [Ron & Hermione:] I will fight here by your side [Draco:] Could he ever take my hand? [Remus:]

I’ll avenge them one by one

[Harry:]

All I’ve done has led to now

[Remus:]

But their deaths won’t be in vain

[Harry:]

I will do what’s right and just

[Remus:]

Victory now won’t bring them back

[Harry:]

Riddle’s reign will end with me

[Remus:] But my marauders fight with me! [All:] The time is now The day is here [Dumbledore:] One day more! [Voldemort:] One more day till I’m triumphant

I’ll be on my well-earned throne

They are foolish child fighters

They will soon learn to obey [Dumbledore:] One day more! [Bellatrix & Greyback:] Little tyrant tykes

Screamin’ for their mums

Fun to teach ‘em lessons

About who’s in charge Spook ‘em with a sneer

Hit ‘em with a hex See ‘em runnin, squealin

Like a pen of pigs! [The D.A. Students:]

This is not a war we started

This is not a fight we chose

But if they won’t lend an ear

We will shout our battle cries

This ends with our generation

Evil won’t win on our watch

Stand your ground and raise your wands

[Harry:] My place is here I fight with you! [Dumbledore:] One day more!

[[ALL SUNG AT THE SAME TIME]]

[Ron & Hermione:]

How long we wasted in denial

I swear I’ll never leave your side

And all the time I’ve got I’ll give you [Draco:] Could he ever take my hand? [Voldemort:]

I will finally kill that Potter

Now his luck is all run out

They will see that he’s no hero

They will worship me instead [Dumbledore:] One day more! [Bellatrix & Greyback:] Little tyrant tykes

Screamin’ for their mums

Fun to teach ‘em lessons

About who’s in charge [Voldemort:] One more day till I’m triumphant

I’ll be on my well-earned throne

They are foolish child fighters Tomorrow fills the prophecy [Dumbledore:] Tomorrow is the fated day Tomorrow fills the prophecy [All:] Tomorrow nothing that we’ve known will ever be the same again One more fight One more war One day more!

[walleeli]

Want to discuss something about Stampede that’s been plaguing me. SPOILERS for both Trigun Stampede and Trigun Maximum incoming…

I’ve seen a couple posts recently where people have said that Vash’s characterization in Stampede as having always been a goody-two shoes worsens his character (or like, makes it flat or boring or whatever.) and tbh I totally agree. HOWEVER COMMA. I don’t think it will end up having been accurate of him in the adaptation as we continue. And I think its possible it isn’t true now if you happen to know exactly what to look for… this is about to get long.

So I got into Trigun as a whole just a few months ago. And my experience was I watched 98, then tristamp, and THEN read trimax. So that’s my frame of reference and the order in which I experienced the different characterizations.

I want to talk about this scene at the beginning of episode 12 of tristamp.

Because when I first saw it, heard it, I figured it was Vash speaking. And when it panned out to reveal Knives

I was surprised. And a little confused. It didn’t line up with what I, at the time, thought to be true of their characters. The more clear cut “good” and “evil” being the only version I’d ever really experienced. (Maybe 98 did a better job with Vash’s characterization as a child than I am remembering??? But I feel like it was pretty similar to tristamp??? Could absolutely be wrong but either way the point stands that based on my memory at the time the scene was odd to me.)

The scene is so brief and there’s so much other shit going on in the rest of the episode that it left my mind pretty quickly. Until I was reading through Vash and Knives’s backstories in trimax and texting my brother about how I had no idea how deep Vash’s character was in the source material. It was at that point that I told him I was honestly kind of miffed with the handling of his character in Stampede, as I felt it did a disservice to him. And he actually was the one to remind me that Orange has already demonstrated an enjoyment of unreliable narration in tristamp. Specifically I am thinking of hearing in episode 1 that Vash gave Knives the code he needed to take down the SEEDS ships vs seeing in episode 11 that he didn't give it to him for that purpose AT ALL and also the ending of episode 8 showing young teen Knives as scowling and standing tall vs episode 9 showing him rattled and on his knees (obviously we also still get the scowling later but YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. PROBABLY.)

Anyways my brother and I kept talking about it and I was saying it's still weird that we see all those scenes of Vash being this like. Happy-go-lucky kid when that's not what you get from trimax until after the blank ticket talk. And he suggested what I am currently choosing to believe to be true: the sequence of events has been reordered. And flashbacks we get of like, their first birthday and stuff, actually take place after they find Tesla. (In Stampede’s canon I mean.)

This is the only other time we see kid Vash seeming more closed off/somber/whatever. Obviously Knives has already taken some sort of turn. He’s certainly not in finger guns mode anymore LMAO.

Obviously this is just wild and maybe ungrounded speculation at this point. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Orange pulls the rug out from under us a bit in season 2. And I sincerely hope they do.

[ladyhindsight]

We are half-way through the book, and it feels like going nowhere. Team Good is trying to find a way to help Jace, sure, while doing some side quests. Sebastian and Jace are progressing with their own plan as well, and Clary just hangs along not really actively trying to find out anything but to build rapport with Sebastian and make out with Jace. It all seems so aimless at the moment.

Chapter opens up with Alec returning to Magnus’ place after the meet-up with Camille.

A way to make your character to look more dumb than probably intended is to do this. Because what purpose does it serve how long does it take for Alec to realize this insignificant thing?

→ “but the living room was glowing with the blue-white flame coming from the pentagram.”

Alec goes to sleep next to Magnus who had different ideas than sleeping, and we cut to Simon and Isabelle having difficulties cuddling.

Astute observation. Also, it’s always childhood and nostalgia when Simon thinks of Clary. Isabelle will later in this book make a great point about this, but Simon never really gives up that aspect of Clary and his relationship to move forward and grow up, does he.

Just in the previous chapter I said that it’s such an outlandish take for any Shadowhunter to be inclined to think like this. Obviously individual opinions exist and not everyone necessarily likes them, but the fact that it’s one cause of the whole point that makes them Nephilim in the first place, it’s ridiculous that the scars are made such a point of beauty/ugliness in this book.

More so is the opinion that Isabelle presents here, that girls aren’t supposed to be covered in scars. Who thinks that? Where does he get that? What is the influence behind this idea that girls specifically are supposed to be unscarred? Warrior women and daughters of Raziel aren’t supposed to be scarred when they too use runes?

This is so idiotic and more a mundane issue, which for all the superiority the Nephilim feel towards them should make them think it all stupid.

Simon is also hungry and Isabelle tries to seduce him to drink from her. Simon resist but Isabelle is insistent, from which we could draw some parallel points that no means no, but:

This is unintentionally hilarious.

Simon is worried that he drank too much.

I’m going to need some peer-reviewed studies on this. Sure, blood volume as in plasma is replaced and can be replaced quickly, which means even quicker for the Shadowhunters. But even with Shadowhunters and they hyper blood, hemoglobin will take weeks, so does it really help if you’re going to be anemic? No.

Cut to Jace and Clary, and Clary is surprised that Sebastian told her the truth, that he didn’t feed the human girl to the vampire girl.

The writing does it utmost to teeter the edge of maybe we can trust Sebastian and give him a chance, but it doesn’t really work when you have child murder on your tally. Doesn’t need feverish mulling-over when you've witnessed firsthand and secondhand the evil Sebastian is capable of. Clary is neither that worried about the human girl Sebastian dragged along, she just wonders whether Sebastian lied about her fate and is to be trusted.

I don’t know where the jeans appeared because it was told in the chapter 8 that: “The drawers held camisoles and underwear, tops in cotton and silk, skirts but no jeans or pants.” And this is the only wardrobe that Clary utilizes in the moving house of Sebastian. Though obviously Sebastian or Jace could’ve gone and bought her some.

They truly know each other so well.

I'm just taking a dig, they don't have to know or can't know each little thing about each other, but it's funny because otherwise the writing really likes to tell you just that.

Again, the em dashes function like a comma, a colon, or parenthesis. Like commas and parentheses, em dashes set off extra information, and here they are intended as a colon but used like parenthesis. Without the em dashes the sentence here in the excerpt would go like this:

She looked away from him and busied herself putting together a breakfast plate from what was on the table, the chewy, round kind.

→ and sliced bacon that was the chewy, round kind.

Or something.

Much like me with all of Clare's writing. Why, why, why...

The motion he is doing is still running, not floating.

→ making it look like he was running in the air.

Clary doesn’t know Jace can cook eggs, and Jace doesn’t know Clary doesn’t like eggs. Also Clary doesn’t know how to tell Jace she doesn’t like eggs.

Imagine not being able to voice your dislikes because the other one might get disappointed. Imagine just answering Jace’s question: “Neither, I don’t like eggs.” But no, we needed a stupid segue to relationship wisdom from Sebastian, since Clare doesn’t realize that even these tiniest of things and inconsistencies eat away the actual consistency of her narrative she sometimes manages.

Why does he need to strip at all?

Oh, right. For another character-defining moment.

There will be another point also in the book that refers to this same point. Why does it matter where to rune is placed? Because the series has barely told us anything about the workings of runes, it has barely made any sense with the use of them.

You can infer that it matters where the rune is placed. But what runes work best and placed where? Maybe this is not necessary knowledge for the story to work, and maybe I'm just too pendantic about it, but since it is made a point that each rune is placed on a specific place here, I'd personally like to know why those places exactly.

Maryse then gets her one and only PoV.

Jem is so insistent on separating Jace as Herondale that it isn’t even subtle. “Your son” would suffice. (he does say that after though)

Case in point. Also there is no consistency as to what names the Silent Brothers even use.

I just love this exchange because Maryse tells Jem what’s what! And yes, Jem, you did, with your obsession of Jace's Herondale-ness.

YES, HE WAS. And the mentality like you are the reason he did not get to be! Also, what does this even meeeeean???

Cut back to Team Evil. They are on a mission to do something, after hanging around the town for ages, but Clary doesn’t know what they are after. (A chunk of adamas)

This book just loves “subtly” incorporating the incest theme. The sibling love theme just continues and continues, and I am tired and sickened at the “subtlety” under which Clare thinks she operates, though I get why Sebastian phrases it like this.

Why was it so difficult to leave Jace and Clary to wait outside somewhere? Because plot couldn’t happen.

Truly the peak of Jace’s training.

We end the chapter with this cliffhanger but no worries, Clary will experience her warrior awakening in the next chapter, which was actually kind of nice. All the other stuff in this chapter, not so much, which is not a good fanfare for what is coming next.

[wanderingwriter87]

Evil Author Day 2023

Not that evil, actually. This scene was part of a planned midquel to "a comma in the middle of a phrase" but it probably stands on its own.

***

He wore his hair longer and looser now - most people did, but he thought it particularly suited him. The traditional military style with the stiff pomade wasn't practical in a post-war bombardment zone. 

Then again, Julian remembered him that way. Would it be wise to appear different in their first face to face conversation since the end of the war?

After a good deal of deliberation, he elected to tie it back so that it wasn't terribly noticeable, but slung the excess over his shoulder so the doctor could comment on it if he wished to. 

"Garak!" Even over the holovid, the sparkle in his eyes was evident. "You look - oh, you look fantastic. The climate must really be doing wonders for you."

"Hmm," said Garak, eloquently. "And you haven't aged a day, I see."

The boyish smile was back. "You're not a very good liar these days, are you? I know I look like hell."

He really didn't.

"You really don't," Garak said. With a casual motion, he flicked the rest of his hair back behind his shoulder. Just as he'd hoped, Julian's eyes followed the movement like it was the springball at a particularly high-stakes match.

"Your hair!" he enthused, jumping a little in his seat. "Is that -" He cut himself off with a laugh. "I'm sorry, I just remembered how you feel about the word ponytail."

"Try comparing the back of any Cardassian's head to the ass of some - beast of burden, and see how it goes for you."

"Don't get me sidetracked! Your hair!"

"Yes, I know."

"It's long!"

"Surely you've noticed the old styles are coming back into fashion since the war. In the end, it was more politically expedient to blend in than to keep styling it the way I used to."

"Oh, I'm certain that's all you were thinking! It suits you."

"You think so?"

"Very much," Julian murmured. "Do you ever braid it? You know, like Dr. Parmak?"

"I haven't," Garak said. It was close enough to the truth. "It's…unusual to do, except under particular circumstances. It's known to have a sort of spiritual significance. Parmak started doing it to himself years ago as a sort of political statement, and it became a signature look for the dissidents of the time. I don't know how it would come across if I started doing it."

"Well, maybe just in private then," said Julian, leaning in a little closer. "I'm quite good with my hands, you know."

"Are you trying to seduce me into letting you braid my hair?"

"Why, is it working?"

"You are an exceedingly strange man."

"Look, I just like doing it. It's soothing. And I haven't dated anyone with long hair in a while so I -"

He very clearly realized what he'd said and stopped abruptly, eyes widening. He swallowed dryly, and Garak sat there watching him, just letting him suffer. The councilor didn't bother hiding the little smile that tugged at his lips, though. 

"I just mean," Julian said at last, everything coming out in a breathless rush, "I just mean it can be a bit intimate so I wouldn't just go around - but you I have been - well, we've known each other a long time and it's not -"

"Doctor -"

"I know we've been - I know we've always - you know, and I figured, well, you practically begged me to come to Cardassia so -"

"I did not beg!" Garak exclaimed. 

"- and I'm not saying I didn't want to, I really, really do, but I - I always come on too strong. And it always ruins everything."

"Doctor…" No. "Julian…"

That got his attention. His head snapped up, eyes still wild and anxious. 

"Julian, you won't scare me off. Surely you know that by now."

"You say that…"

"And I mean it. When we met, I was numb. It was all just a buzz of white noise and nothing. You were the first thing that felt real. Even after you brought me back to the land of the living, I wanted…I always wanted more. More conversation, more of your time, more of your smiles and prying questions and fits of righteous anger. It was never, ever too much. You were never too much."

The look of raw emotion on Julian's face was almost too much to bear. Garak understood now, he thought, why the doctor had been reluctant to call. The urge to touch him, to soothe him in some way that words couldn't, twisted like a knife in his ribs. 

"Elim," he said, like he was trying out the taste of it. "I…"

"You were right," Garak cut in. "As much as it pains me to say it. This is - too difficult to discuss remotely. We'll come back to it when you arrive planetside."

Julian looked dazed. He nodded. "Okay," he said. "Yes. But I…"

"I know," said Garak firmly. "Please, Julian. Not now."

Annoyance seeped into his expression. "This was your idea, you know."

"Yes, and I really did want to discuss logistics. You're the one who got things off track."

"You flipped your hair at me! What was I supposed to do, not mention it? You'd never forgive me."

"Doctor, please. We need to discuss your accommodations."

"Starfleet's providing a stipend."

"Yes," Garak said, amused. "I'm the one who arranged for it. The money isn't the issue."

"Alright."

"I did attempt to reserve an apartment for you in the high-rise across from the Project, but there must have been some kind of mix-up, because they've filled all the spots again. Thankfully I have space for a guest until things are cleared up. If you don't object, of course - then you could set aside the stipend and use it for other expenses as they come up."

"Some kind of mix-up!" Julian echoed, with a grin. "Garak, you're unbelievable."

"I'm inviting you to be my guest, dear. You could be a little more polite."

"You're asking me to move in with you, is what you're doing. I can't believe I thought I was coming on too strong."

"Doctor, I'm offended."

"How many beds do you have, Garak?"

"...I was going to acquire another."

"You absolutely fucking weren't."

"I was! Just - only if you seemed put off by it."

"Oh my God."

"I didn't think you would be. You've been throwing yourself at me in your postscripts for a week now."

"That is hardly the point!"

"What is your point?"

"I don't know! I suppose that I'm just annoyed with myself for being so anxious about this whole situation when you're just as bad as I am. What an absurd pair we make."

"I'm not certain I appreciate that framing, but you seem to be feeling exceptionally fragile this evening, so I'll allow it."

Julian rolled his eyes. "Oh, thank you. I know you Cardassians are made of sterner stuff, so I'm grateful for the consideration."

[rhapsodyred-writes]

Thanks for tagging me @rhodophoria! I hope you're okay if I answer this on my writing blog!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Currently, ten.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

115,657 and good lord that's so much higher than I thought it would be.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Right now, just Undertale. It's been a long time since the hyperfixation has grabbed me hard enough to inspire me to write fic for anything but Undertale.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Across Enemy Lines (256)

When corporate doesn't understand family (35)

this is personal (23)

the Joy in the Slow (21)

Stars and Scars (15)

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

Not really? I probably should, for more interaction. I just get a little hidey sometimes, and I never really know what to say back.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably When corporate doesn't understand family, but since it's a collaborative work, I can't really take credit for the ending. I don't even think I was expecting it.

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

Hmm, hard to say. Tempted to say Neutral Evil with a Protective Streak.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Nope.

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

On occasion. I have a strange relationship with writing my own smut, so most of what I write will never be posted for others to read. For those following AEL, though... >:3c

If I'm writing smut solo I try to keep it short and sweet. I have a tendency to gloss over details because I get very embarrassed writing intimate details. With a good writing partner I can be a bit braver though!

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

In high school I started (and never finished) a crossover-self-insert fic of myself and some friends, with all the fictional boys we were collectively hyperfixating on. If I finished it, it would have been a disorganized mess. /lh

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I'm aware of, but I don't think I'd be against it.

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

Yes! I'm co-writing a fic currently! Also, everything on my AO3 is co-written lol. A lot of my solo writing is here on this blog! (Most of it doesn't count as fic though, because it circles mainly around my OCs.)

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

These days, it's almost all character x self. I don't ship characters together as much as I used to, and have been finding much more satisfaction in selfshipping lately!

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

There are any number of abandoned WIPs I'd like to pick back up, but know I won't or can't, for any number of reasons. Sometimes it's hard to do collaborative work on something when the hyperfixation yanks your writing partner in a different direction.

16. What are your writing strengths?

When I get in the groove, the words flow like spilled ink. Sometimes that translates to beautiful flowery prose, or contemplative introspection. I can write paragraphs of introspection and observation and not realize how much I've written where nothing has actually happened.

Also dialogue! I once had a school teacher tell me I was really good at dialogue, and that has stuck with me since.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Most of it boils down to making myself sit down and actually write. If I look at writing as a chore, my brain will refuse to do it, and while this isn't technically a writing weakness, it is something that very often keeps me from writing.

Timing is another thing. Remembering how much time has passed in universe, or what is a reasonable amount of Things to do in one in-universe day.

Also commas. I tend to write like an 18th century poet in that I use way more commas than are strictly necessary.

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

I have conflicting feelings on this. On one hand, I love for people to be able to showcase that a fic is taking place in a certain part of the world based on language. On the other hand it reminds me a little of flipping to the back of a classic novel for end notes that give historical context to what I'm reading. It's good to have that context, but flipping to the back of the book to understand something takes me out of the experience.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The very first? That would probably have been Harry Potter, and I would have been about 12.

But the first fanfic I wrote was about my kindergarten best friend's imaginary friend, who was an anthropomorphic cat who wore his hat backwards, and I thought he was sooooo cool. (Technically I dictated it to my mom, who then wrote it, but it still counts.)

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Across Enemy Lines, and not only because I'm dating my co-writer. Our writing styles flow together so well, and it's been so much fun to work on!

Tagging @lady-of-disdain and @feral-fantic, but no pressure! Only if you want to do it!

[dgknightblue]

I feel so bad for my really small fandoms. No one reads a single fic of them.

Tmnt and Transformers are big and old and have so much!

While Wordgirl is getting bigger and bigger everyday- Atomic Betty is left in the dust.

I’ve tried writing but stopped after some time.

I don’t really try to read on Wattpad as often because it doesn’t filter very well.

I look at my small fandoms and feel a little sad.

When I branch out for other fandoms and they don’t have a lot- it’s certainly something.

I don’t know why I’m not using commas, but oh well!

Anyways!

I thought Atomic Betty was pretty good and I loved the theme song. The outfit is cute and the main villain is an evil alien cat!

Also the vague possibility of Betty having alien powers if her dad didn’t get them.

She was half alien and that wasn’t explored much.

BLACK HOLE ALIEN!!!

AuntieMatter is sisters with Atomic Betty’s grandmother- who is a normal human while AuntieMatter is a living black hole!!!

It skips a generation or something like that.

The idea of a super cute space police officer struggling with school and protection the galaxy is awesome! She has some cool friends too!

I’m not going to spoil it but I don’t know why I’m worried about that when it’s super old.

Whatever.

[princesssarisa]

Sleeping Beauty Spring: "Favourite Fairy Tales: Sleeping Beauty" (1984 animated short)

Favourite Fairy Tales is a 1984 British VHS compilation of four short animated fairy tale adaptations: Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Rumpelstiltskin, Little Red Riding Hood, and Sleeping Beauty. They were produced by Bill Melendez Productions, a studio co-founded by the same Bill Melendez who directed many of the classic Peanuts cartoons, and which had previously produced the 1979 animated version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Each short is roughly five to eight minutes long, and narrated by John Rhys-Davies, who also speaks the lines of every character.

Sleeping Beauty is the last short in the collection. Predictably, it offers a simple, straightforward retelling of the tale that combines details from both the Grimms' and Perrault's versions. The King and Queen long in vain for a child, until one day, as in the Grimms' tale, a frog foretells the Princess's birth to the Queen. When the Princess is born, six good fairies attend the feast, each one a beautiful young woman with a different hair color, hair style, and unique costume. (A refreshing change from so many other versions where the fairies all look alike.) Meanwhile, the villainous seventh fairy – whom the King and Queen forgot to invite because she had been missing and presumed dead for many years, as in Perrault's version – is a severe figure dressed in purple and with a tall headdress, who appears and vanishes in bursts of flame.

Fifteen years later, on her birthday, the Princess plays a game of hide and seek with her nurse, and she sneaks into a secluded tower room to hide. There, of course, she finds the evil fairy disguised as an old woman with a spinning wheel. When they find her asleep, the distraught King and Queen place her on a couch decked with flowers. But the fairy who altered the curse from death to sleep – a beauty dressed in gold, with long white hair – arrives and freezes the castle in place with her magic. This includes a pageboy comically frozen just as he's about to sneeze (the animators must have seen the 1955 German film version). Then a forest of briars grows around the castle and the story passes into legend.

A hundred years later, the Prince, who has heard the tale of Sleeping Beauty since childhood, is out hunting, and he pursues a stag into the briars around the castle. The briars part for him, he goes inside, and the ending plays out just as expected: the kiss, awakening, and happily ever after. The Prince and Princess are shown with children of their own, and the narrator tells us that the Princess became a beloved queen, who never forgot to invite anyone to celebrations.

The animation is simple and fairly crude, but colorful enough to appeal to children, and the medieval setting and the character designs are effective. The Princess, with her long dark hair adorned with pink roses, is appropriately beautiful in a way that's refreshingly different from Disney's Aurora. Meanwhile, John Rhys-Davies provides good narration, subtly altering his voice for each character but not to a silly degree.

An essential Sleeping Beauty this isn't, but as a simple introduction to the story for children, before they move on to more sophisticated versions, it works very well.

@ariel-seagull-wings, @thealmightyemprex, @comma-after-dearest, @the-blue-fairie, @autistic-prince-cinderella, @paexgo-rosa, @reds-revenge, @thatscarletflycatcher, @faintingheroine, @themousefromfantasyland

[courtofparrots]

20 Questions for Fic Authors

Thank you @resident-rats for tagging me!!

1. How many works do you have?

14!

2. What is your Ao3 word count?

85,507 (crazy bc I just started writing in November)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I started out with Jujutsu Kaisen, have done a little One Piece and one Castlevania, and now it's alllll Resident Evil

4. What are your top 5 fics by Kudos?

So all 5 are non-resi (just gigantic fandoms I was writing for) so instead of listing those I'll say my top fic by kudos is a JJK fic called Cancelled Plans (satosugu) and then my top RE fics are:

Getting ******** Instead of going to Therapy (would you believe this was my first Serennedy fic ever.... I'm sorry)

Haunted

The Science of a Soulmate

when you hold me, it holds me together

5. Do you respond to comments?

yes absolutely I LOVE comments and I love screaming about my fics with people who comment`

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh god I had a pretty angsty one hidden somewhere in my GeGo week stuff

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

uhhh the itafushi college au fic I wrote a while back, stick your tongue down my throat

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I haven't, no!

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

For sure, not as much recently (although I have posted a couple of things anon........) but I have a couple of smut drafts rn. I love writing stuff where the two partners are exploring new things about themselves, but I've experimented with all kinds.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest crossover you’ve ever written?

Haven't tried that!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nah my works not good enough for theft

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope

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

No but one (kind of?) in the works. Like early early conceptual stage tho

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

Well only two ships have rotted my brain enough to do things like make a whole ass Tumblr account and start writing fanfic in the first place so I'll give that award to satosugu and serennedy

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

Honestly? If I'm not going to have the energy to finish something I scrap it early on, so I don't have any of those yet.

16. What are your writing strengths?

NO IDEA. uhhhhhhhhhhhhh maybe atmosphere? I really don't know. I'm not trying to be self-deprecating I just don't think I have anything that qualifies as a strength, really.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

commas. and getting impatient, I could pace things slower sometimes.

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

I would be able to do it in Italian but I'm too self-conscious to try it for any other language

19. First fandom you wrote for?

JJK but I've since abandoned them bc season 2 was not that good and the fandom is Terrifying

20. Favourite fic you’ve written

Haunted is FOR SURE my favorite child. I doubt I'll outdo that one for a long time.

Tagging: @geddy-leesbian, @pappykins, @kerfanna, @wisecrackingeric-2, @fthechantry

[godlesslittlecreatures]

Creature's Petyr x Catelyn Masterlist, Part II

This is Part II of my Petyr x Catelyn Masterlist! This part is slightly more Tumblr-heavy than the last, though, like the last, it’s still mostly AO3 fics.

Pure, shameless smut, not even Smut With Themes. They’re teenagers, what can I tell ya ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

General rejection angst with nice turn of phrase.

Another early read. Beautiful turn of phrase. 

The Story of a Name by Bad_Faery

Probably my favorite of the locked ones, I revisit and even just think about this one regularly. Very interesting to see this relationship from a POV other than the two involved parties, and it's weirdly sweet to see it romanticized the way little Petyr would have wanted it to be.

This entire blog, good lord. I reread these alllllll the time. I’d dare to call the middle a comfort fic. Subby/bottom!Petyr and scar worship TM? My two favorite things! Yes please. Smut warning for the middle one.

I've saved the best for last. I believe I read the English translation on LiveJournal, but I couldn't find it for the life of me. You won't regret pulling Google Translate out for this one. No thoughts, head empty, just this fic, all the time. 

Honorable Mentions:

There Are No Victors Here by dropofrum

Not PxC per se, but there's one scene between the two of them, in the very beginning, that I think about all the time. BEAUTIFUL prose and well worth reading as general GoT fic/if you ship Robb and Marg maybe.

Okay, not PxC at all, but I read this the other night and it made me gush. It's so fucking sweet! Can we, as a fandom, PLEASE get more little!Petyr fluff, pre-Riverrun? There's something especially sweet and heartbreaking about seeing him so innocent. The friendly reminder that the fandom sometimes needs that though the man chose to become evil, he wasn't born that way. One of the two TV projects I'm currently writing and developing features a character named Taleo, it's always cool to see character names in the wild. 

As with the previous installment, I intend for this to be a living document - if you have any recommendations, my inbox is always open. And if any of the original authors of these fics stumble across my humble list, thank you for writing something that made people happy! I hope your skin is clear, your bank account has all the zeroes and commas your heart desires, and you are kissed lovingly and often. Happy reading, my fellow PxC shippers :)

[maxwells-thoughts]

Dictating my message to Siri: You are a cruel comma evil comma ugly little freak Period I hope you are smitten by the wrath of the lord dash even this is more than you deserve Period