#i LOVE your descriptions though so so so evocative!!

[adagioapassionato]

Thinking about…0.1 flaws and all by wave to earth

Having grown to love wave to earth in the last year, I was so, so excited for their first ever studio album! It did not disappoint at all and I have been playing it on repeat since it came out. If I were to sum up this album in a few words, they would be “love in a day.” The two sides of the album come together beautifully to represent the many ways of experiencing love and heartbreak, while associating them with the progression of a single day. wave to earth’s music is unique because it always evokes not just a specific feeling, but a specific picture or scene in my mind.

1. bad

The first track on A-side, ‘bad’, begins with an almost playful melody on the guitar, and is perfect for signaling the start of this day of love. The narrator sings of deciding to let themselves out of the house on this day, which seemingly turns into the best decision they could have made – they meet the person they love, and realize that their day could only go well if they spend it with them. The music used beautifully conveys this very message. The first verse, where they describe “Lately, life’s so boring/I’ve been watching Netflix all day alone…”, is accompanied by somewhat melancholy tones on the guitar, alongside a softer drum accompaniment and bass. However, the tone of the music brightens with “When I went to the park/I recognized you at a glance”, and as they end the pre-chorus with “We already know that we’ll be together”, the drums and bass play the same rhythm together, much louder, conveying the happiness of finally meeting someone you love. Similarly, the tone of the music is brighter through the second verse, which describes being with this person. wave to earth’s English lyrics rarely rhyme – but in the second pre-chorus, vocalist Daniel rhymes “I recognized you at a glance/Face to face, we smiled/And I finally held your hands” – as though his day and life fall into the right rhythm when he’s with this person. Also, while his voice is bare and unaccompanied through the first part of the chorus, he adds harmonies on the final line ‘And I finally held your hands,’ giving the impression that this same harmony enters his life as soon as he holds hands with the one he loves. The playful melody of the guitar, and the slow description of Daniel moving out of his house alongside the lyrics “coffee in the morning” create the perfect atmosphere of the beginning of a sunny morning of happiness, and starts off our journey with wave to earth through their day of love.

2. sunny days

The next two tracks, ‘sunny days’ and ‘peach eyes’, could signify the passing of a sunny morning and afternoon with someone you love. sunny days has a bright and refreshing sound. I particularly liked the lyric, “we melt this love and recreate it/as we imagine it/that’s how we make sunny days.” I always enjoy how Daniel writes lyrics that transcend the boundaries of different kinds of love. This one suggests that love can be whatever you want it to be, whatever you make it to be, and that’s how you create a lasting love with someone that adds sunlight and happiness to your life. Although the songs have romantic undertones, I found it just as easy to relate songs like ‘bad’ and ‘sunny days’ to spending a fun day with my friends. I think Daniel really does “melt love and recreate it” with such lyrics! The most evocative part of these songs, I think, is that the use of imagery in the lyrics brings to life the yellow glow of sunlight, “the beautiful scenery of the streets” and “the chirping of birds.”

3. peach eyes

‘peach eyes’ continues a similar theme, with a slightly lower sound that resembles admiring the one you love. This contrasts the higher and brighter tone of ‘sunny days’ that conveys the joy of being with your favourite person. The lyric “peach eyes” was a bit confusing to me at first, but bassist John Cha describes that the song was inspired by the band’s first international performance at a festival in Thailand, where the innocent happiness of the fans’ eyes evoked the phrase “peach eyes”. With this context, the song was even more heartwarming – ‘peach eyes’ suggests a softness, gentleness and calmness in the eyes of someone you love. The song suggests that this person grows ever more important to the narrator, with lyrics like “how many songs I write”, “how could I not rely/on you, peach eyes”, and finally “besides I won’t find nobody/to give my whole life, it’s you.” ‘peach eyes’ has a more late-afternoon vibe – the narrator describes “blue skies”, but then “you’ll be my sunlight” – although the sun is setting slowly, the brightness of their companion’s existence makes it feel as though the sun is still lighting up their day. This song comforts me and makes me smile and dance along a lot!

Together, I think these songs show the peaking and climax of a day, alongside the peak of love in a relationship – as the sun reaches its peak, so does the love the narrator has for the person they sing about.

4. evening glow 

‘evening glow’ is an interestingly contrasting song that sounds like a transition between the former sunny glow of the album, towards a slowly setting sun and a slowly ending love. The melodies of the song are soothing and have a nostalgic, romantic feel, but the lyrics are laced with twinges of sadness. The bright electric piano at the beginning, along with the lyrics, “If I feel broken/you will find me” create the impression of a love song, but the following lyrics – “Those useless words were falling apart on me/I’m struggling in my world” immediately destroy those impressions and come as a shock. While the opening melodies are soothing to the ear, the line “I might be full of flaws” sounds dissonant, almost out of tune – it conveys a theme like ‘flaws and all’ perfectly, and the next line “but you will crave my heart” is sung in a soothing, gentle tone, seemingly a comforting acceptance of those very flaws.

This song sounds like a mix between sadness and denial over being hurt by someone you love. The first verses use lyrics with an imperative tone: “you will find me”, “I might be full of flaws/ but you will crave my heart” – as though trying to convince oneself that this person couldn’t truly hurt you, they’d continue loving you as you are and save you when you feel broken. But the chorus reflects on being hurt by the person in a painfully sad way – “I’m broken/So take me to the evening glow/And lay me down on the sun/The tender sun.” It makes the pain caused seem almost romantic, desirable and something that the narrator wants to hold close and accept. The narrator seems to hope that if they get close enough to the “sun” that brightened up their days earlier, laying down on it despite its heat, they may feel less broken. They hope that the hurt this person caused them may lessen as they try and hold on to the glow of the setting sun, to the beauty of their fading love.

5. pink horizon and

6. pink

Hearing the studio version of this years-old song was the most satisfying thing about this album, and ‘pink’ is definitely my favourite song! Combining ‘pink’ with its intro, ‘pink horizon,’ is perfect in creating a dream-like feel. The experience of listening to ‘pink’ was a hundred times more amazing with ‘pink horizon’ to go with it, and I rarely listen to the two songs separately now. ‘pink horizon’ creates a cinematic picture of a pink sunset in my mind, from the fading in of the scene to a full shot of a field bathed in pink light, an image created by the soft piano at the beginning. As other instruments join in, the image grows clearer and paints itself, transitioning into the beginnings of ‘pink’.

‘pink’ feels like a memory remembered while experiencing the sunset. The lyrics seem to construct a dream world – “Everything is free here/A heart that spreads and flies.” The narrator seems to run trying to hold on to this dream – “I ran through the grass until my shoes were worn out/While the sun sets” – they try to grasp the fading love as they run towards the setting sun, holding on to this last beautiful memory. “I drew you/Your beautiful appearance,” they say – they need to draw in the image of the person they love, create this last beautiful memory so they can find a reason to hold on to a love that is fading. The fleeting nature of the relationship and the day is seen as the narrator goes on to say “The day passes by so fast/Almost as if it will be forgotten.”

The romantic vibes created by the melodies on the chorus, and the gentle guitar and saxophone at the end of the song, add to its dreamy vibe and create an even deeper sense of nostalgia, but also one of yearning and grasping for something faraway. With this song, we see the end of the day – the sun sets and it begins to rain, as the narrator sings “Around the time the raindrops burst/Will I miss you?” This song is beautifully comforting and the melodies are truly so satisfying to listen to. It’s a song that I hold so close to my heart – I played it on repeat once I’d had a few listens out of the album!

7. calla

‘calla’ continues on from the previous track, beginning with “It’s raining hard today…” The song continues the theme of a fading love, this time with the narrator giving their all to saving this fading relationship. “It’s raining hard today/It’s a bit too much for me/I know it will make you smile/So let ourselves get wet inside the rain.” The narrator allows themselves to be wet in the rain although it isn’t what they enjoy, just to see a smile on the face of the one they love. As their world “fills with the scent” of the one they love – as they see them happy, they glimpse their past love in their lover’s smile, they hope this moment is forever, and not a “daydream.”

The narrator describes their relationship as a calla lily – after they grow, these flowers enter a period of dormancy after which they regrow and bloom again. Thus, they see their fading love as something temporary – they hope that just like a calla lily, this love can grow back after its temporary death. Maybe this moment of happiness means that their love can be saved, that it can grow back to be the beautiful calla lily it once was. The narrator wants to put in every effort to ensure their love grows back – “If you don’t have enough sunlight/I’ll blow the clouds away/Calla.” They try to bring back the sunny days and bright light that characterised the beginning of their relationship, as described in the first few tracks of the album. Although the narrator tries to ‘get wet inside the rain’ at the beginning of this song, catering to their companion’s feelings, they once again try to bring the sun, their conception of happiness, back into their love and relationship.

The tone of this song is decidedly sadder compared to the previous ones – while they contained a nostalgic yet dreamy and romantic feel, this song’s melodies speak purely of yearning, of pain that stems from love. The song ends with the plain sound of only the bass and the drums – these instruments, which usually create rhythm, play with no accompaniment. This could show that the relationship has truly ended – without the melody and music holding it together and drawing it forward, all that’s left is the rhythm, the structure: the memory of what once was.

8. love.

From the outset, I could tell this was a song that was filled with emotion and had been made with a lot of effort, heart, and, well, love. The melodies convey a love so overwhelming and powerful. I learned that the song is very special and describes the love Daniel has for his fellow band members and others he loves, and describes how they help him live with love. I read the lyrics in English and I almost felt that there was nothing more I can say that he hasn’t already said. There’s nothing more I can add that wouldn’t tamper with the deep feeling and pure heart Daniel put into this song. But I love this song so much I had to write something about it.

The song progresses in a crescendo that seems to match the growing love and gratefulness in Daniel’s heart towards the people he loves. The first verse starts with a soft tone and mellow music, while the pre-chorus picks up both in loudness and as the notes progress upwards in pitch. As it transitions into the chorus, with the lines “Finally, the world is mine,” we hear a clear declaration of this love. The second pre-chorus and chorus truly showcase the rising and peaking of the crescendo – “Finally, our world is perfect/With love/With love”. Once again, the notes progress upwards in pitch and sound harmonious, reflecting this world that feels perfect just by being filled with love.

The choruses, with the lyrics “After I grew and healed in my small heart/It breaks, hardens and melts/Only then can I see my eternity.” And then, “Like a small wave/My small heart/Is broken and pushed/And melts into you/Only then can I see my eternity.” These lyrics seem to describe the healing force of love – how it helps you grow and heal but also can truly shake your heart and alter the way you feel and see the world, causing a shift in your mind that really does last for eternity. He captures beautifully the sudden, lasting change, but also the comfort and healing that a long-lasting love can bring.

Especially during the second chorus, the main melody on the guitar sounds to me like an incoming and retreating wave, mirroring the lyrics and the nature of the love Daniel sings about here. Another thing I love about this song is how harmonious it sounds – the melodies are very pleasing to my ears and feel consonant enough to be from the same scale. But when I tried to sing this song, I realized how many notes are actually flat and require you to take on a pitch you would not normally expect. I think that conveys so much meaning. That when you love someone, you’re willing to subvert your own comforts and expectations if it means it’d make them happy. It also shows that though any love and person is flawed, it will always seem perfect to you because you value it so much. You accept it with all its quirks and imperfections.

I’m really moved by how genuinely and beautifully love is conveyed in this song, and yet it is left open to interpretation what kind of love one associates this with. I think that this is a beautiful conclusion to the A-side. Even through growing to love and value someone, being hurt by them and trying to save a relationship that fails, there are different kinds of love, and even through all the pain and flaws that come with it, it’s still truly what makes our world perfect and worth living in.

9. homesick

This track opens B-side, its melodies creating a forlorn feeling of a misty, freezing winter day. As A-side transitions from day to night, it can also transition from sunny, happy days of love to rainy, cold days of heartbreak and loneliness.

This song seems to convey remembering a lost love in a more painful manner, seeing the dreams of the relationship you hoped to have break in front of you – “all I wanted was to fly high/I can’t believe my wings are broken/and fell against the sky”. The chord progression on piano for this sounds dark and purposefully dissonant, as though signifying a deeply entrenched pain. Similarly, the rhythms are slow and seem almost to stick, as though they refuse to move forward, resembling the freezing, misty tones of this song. The tone with which Daniel sings this is also something I’d never heard him do before – it really amazed me! His voice sounds silvery and fairy-like, resembling ice crystallising on tree branches. In this way, he really conveys the feeling of being heartbroken on a cold winter day, wishing to return “home”, to the dreams he created, although his house is now “gone.”

The lyrics “I can’t believe my wings are broken/and fell against the sky”, when contrasted with the songs on the A-side of the album, really reminded me of the story of Icarus. It seems as though in chasing this love that resembled the sun and holding it close, even laying on it (evening glow), he flew too close to the sun, and the wings of love that helped him fly and dream melted, much like Icarus’. He now freezes in the cold, starkly contrasting the warmth of the sun that he had just been experiencing.

10. dried flower

This was a song I was already planning to write about! wave to earth released the songs ‘daisy.’, ‘calla’ and ‘dried flower’, which beautifully describe the flowering and withering of love. ‘dried flower’ seems to serve the same purpose here, following the song ‘calla’ with its story.

While the lyrics of ‘calla’ conveyed some hope of saving the relationship, this song seems to show the narrator finally accepting that what they so cherished has now withered away, beyond saving. ‘calla’ suggested, “the whole world/is getting filled with your scent”, but ‘dried flower’ contrasts this with “the scent of love has been dried out/the words you gave me have been already dried out.” A similar contrast is seen with “If you don’t have enough sunlight/I’ll blow the clouds away, calla”, and “There will be no blossoms for us/We don’t have any wetness, no sunlight.” While in ‘calla’, the narrator tried to enjoy the rain and bring the sun back to rejuvenate the dying flower of the relationship, they now accept that there’s nothing that could possibly allow their love to grow back like a calla lily – there isn’t even a semblance of a flower left to shower with sunshine or rain, there’s no love left to save.

Here too, the melodies are dark and dissonant, which emphasises the sadness of the song, but also the distance between the narrator and their companion. Particularly, the notes of the saxophone at the end add to this dark, painful aura. I wished ‘daisy.’ had been on the album somewhere too to complete this beautiful trio of songs – all the same, dried flower is painfully beautiful!

11. sunburn

‘sunburn’ seems to describe the delayed pain of being too close to someone who was like the sun – finally feeling the unbearable pain of aloneness, of loving someone too bright for you. The song puts a different spin on the ‘sunny days’ of A-side – instead of beautiful scenery, the surroundings, much like their feelings, are like a wasteland of “rubbish filth” where the sun has “gone black”, throwing “smoky haze” in their eyes. Although it’s dark, late at night, the narrator still feels the burning pain of the sunburn. They wait for the morning to cool down the unbearable heat – they hope tomorrow will be better, but the air still feels hot, they cannot escape the painful memories of a lost love.

Once again, Daniel’s tone of voice conveys these emotions perfectly. He uses a raspy tone when he sings, “smoky haze in my eyes”, as though it is in fact burning him as he tries to see. Additionally, his voice is subdued and seems to blend with the instruments – rather than the focus being on his singing, the production of the song creates a slight clash between the vocals and the instruments, as though he really is being suffocated in a wasteland of heat and burning sunlight.

The instrumental break before the final chorus and outro was also really interesting to listen to. The saxophone sound seems dissonant alongside the other instruments, and the use of pitch bends further add to the pain that the song conveys. It suggests confusion and hurt, a multitude of thoughts and memories that don’t seem to agree with each other. The fast beats on the drums also suggest spiraling through your mind as you sift through past memories and relive the hurt they put you through. I truly love the way this song is sung, written and arranged with its evocative sounds and imagery!

12. akira

‘akira’ is an interlude that presents a calmer mood compared to the highly emotional and painful tones of the previous tracks on B-side. It has a cleaner, brighter sound. It was interesting to hear a track by wave to earth arranged without a guitar, but the bright piano sound with the drums and bass adds to the calmer, lo-fi feel of this interlude. I enjoyed how I could identify the melodies and sounds that each instrument was playing on its own while also forming a whole. The bouncy rhythms come together with the brighter melodies, possibly to symbolise a sort of slow acceptance of the confusion and pain conveyed in the past few tracks.

13. nouvelle vague

Continuing on from ‘akira’s’ more hopeful tones, nouvelle vague (which means new wave, I just found out to write this!) seems to describe a change of heart, a sudden seed of hope that begins to grow. The narrator seems to realise that although they have been through such hardships before, it’s an opportunity for them to learn and grow again – “It seems like we’ve been on this sharp road before/If the soles of your feet are worn out/You’ll grow all over again.” They want to move ahead now with no expectations for the future, leaving behind a past of pain and simply taking life as it comes (“The place to go back to is fogged up now/If we go forward, will there be something to see?/I really have no expectations”). The narrator tries to hold on to this ‘new wave’ of hope, hoping it doesn’t fade away and they can truly ensure it grows and fills their heart up completely. The melodies seem to convey excitement, mystery and anticipation. The saxophone is used in a versatile way in this album – first conveying nostalgia, romance, confusion, and now, in this song, hope.

14. so real

‘so real’ is really a magnificent conclusion to this album. The sound was beyond anything I expected. The beginning starts out soft, resembling the melodies of wave to earth’s ‘ocean floor’. The verses have a reflective tone – the narrator has been changed by the pain they have been through, in a way that’s difficult for them to explain. However, it seems they wonder about what could’ve been had they done something different – “take me to the bridge/I just wanna see the river/Tell me what’s your wish/I can’t make it real/But I’m just curious.” While they can’t change how things are now, they can’t help but wonder what could’ve been if they’d been able to fulfill their wish. The river seems to represent something of a crystal ball to me here – they can gaze into its waters and visualise all the things that could have been.

In my mind, I saw the song progress such that the narrator peers into the river and sees all the possibilities of love, heartbreak, everything that could’ve happened if things had worked out differently for them, all at once. I see the silence in the middle of the song, followed by the fast-paced instrumental break, to convey just this. The fast, jerky drum beats and the smoother rhythm on the saxophone seem to show a speeding reel of possibilities and scenarios – just as one imagines all the things that could have, but did not happen, rushing through their mind, the music conveys this same experience. I think the title ‘so real’ thus encompasses this perfectly. It’s an experience that is ‘so real’ – it’s real, relatable to everyone who wonders how they got to the point they’re currently at. It’s an experience that feels ‘so real’ – imagining things that could have happened in such detail that they almost come to life before you, but they are still in your head. It is a track that truly brings together all facets of wave to earth’s expression, and is a perfect conclusion to this album.

This was a review that I was both scared to write, and that took me ages to write. Life meddles with things and I kept getting interrupted while writing this, although I love this album with my whole heart and wanted desperately to write a review since even before it came out. It was difficult to convey my thoughts when I wasn’t able to anchor myself purely on analyzing the meanings of lyrics. wave to earth use music and melodies as much as their lyrics to convey the emotions in their songs, and with my slightly limited knowledge of how to explain certain musical concepts and sounds, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to convey my impressions clearly. Overall, though, I think ‘flaws and all’ truly is filled with every single aspect and feeling of wave to earth. It’s an album made with a lot of love and care, and I feel that each musical choice was intentional and conveys something deeply meaningful. It’s an album that I hold very close to my heart – I hope I have been able to express my impressions of it clearly!

References:

pink - adapted from pink english lyric video

love. - adapted from love. english lyric video

nouvelle vague

[epitomereally]

Meet Me at Midnight by @the-starryknight

This was an absolutely favorite from this year’s H/D Wireless & I’m so happy Starry let me bind it! It features a gorgeous healing craftsman Harry, a prickly but soft Draco, and an incredible ensemble cast of Harry’s friends, who all love and take such good care of him, while working towards bettering the world. Starry’s writing is so lush and evocative. The dreamscapes, 4 Jonquil Place & Chiara, and all of Harry’s woodworking pieces are so beautifully described, and I tried to do this atmosphere justice in my binding.

This was a fic where the binding sprang into my head fully formed while reading. I was struck by the description of Chiara, vines growing all over her body, and the gorgeous blues and greens throughout the story, which inspired both the illustrations and the colors throughout. I went fully maximalist with the illustrations, and leant very literally into the dreaming & waking up motif. We have growing vines at each chapter header, which slowly open up into morning glories. On the cover, I’ve illustrated poppies to fit with the dream motif, and then a dahlia, because I love them :) this was also my first time making headbands and I love the pop of emerald & seaform that they add. I also was so happy with the bookcloth; I spent a long time looking for a deep, rich blue. It was surprisingly hard to find a highly saturated dark blue!

The dedication comes from @sitp-recs recommendation. It’s officially the longest dedication I’ve ever put in, but I couldn’t shorten it!

This fic is, first and foremost, a love letter. Not only to Drarry but mainly to creators, artists and crafters, who are struggling with burnout and feeling defeated, uninspired, maybe even useless. This was a realistic portrayal of how devastating it feels to lose the grip on our creative muse, the very thing that gives us purpose and gets us through the mundane by making our lives extraordinary. This Harry represents so many of us feeling lost and discouraged and broken, but Starry generously mends all pieces…This fic is full of hope and understanding, it’s about love but also about friendship, self-care, resistance and the importance of fighting for political change no matter how seemingly small or unimportant.

Many thanks also to @a-gay-old-time for their cover painting tutorial & also for answering my ask about how they bind flatback books. This bind wouldn’t be possible without your help & you have been a huge inspiration for me in taking up fanbinding!

Body font: Alegraya

Title font: Venose

Dropcaps: Fleur Corner Caps

Endpapers: Craft Consortium Ink Drops in Ocean

Bookcloth: Japanese Asahi bookcloth in navy blue (here from Oregon Art Supply & I also assume Navy from Talas is the same color, though it's hard to tell over the monitor) - thanks for pointing this out, @pandamomentum)

[ernmark]

As an extension of your post about epithets, I'm wondering if you can help me pin down what it is about the use of phrases like "those eyes" or "that mouth" that have started to just drive me bonkers when I read some fanfic. At times I come across it and it feels completely natural, and other times it feels like a somewhat lazy shorthand for expressing a character's admiration. Thank you!

I can't speak with certainty, because this isn't a problem that's come up enough in my own fandoms for me to really analyze it in context, but I'll give it my best guess.

Phrases like "those eyes" and "that mouth" work most effectively for me when they're a reference back to a previous description. Maybe those eyes are really exceptional. For instance, Sir Damien in The Penumbra Podcast goes on at length about Lord Arum's violet eyes to the point that "those violet eyes..." are already a recurring motif inside the work, so the fics that use the phrase are all calling back to that.

Sometimes, though, you'll get writers refer to features that don't make any sense in the situation. I've seen lots of complaints brought up about prose describing a character's "plush lips" and "fine ass" when the actor portraying that character very decidedly has neither of those things-- often completely ignoring the qualities that the character actually does have in favor of the generic "sexy" ones.

Often, "that [body part]" carries a very strong sexual connotation, particularly about what the POV character would very much like to be doing to "that mouth/those thighs/those arms/that neck/whatever". They tend to work best in my opinion when the point-of-view character has very specific fantasies/memories that are described, or at least implied, on the page. But sometimes you'll get that phrasing from a character where it doesn't make sense for them to be thinking of the other person in those terms. Maybe they're sexually inexperienced in a way where specific fantasies seem out of character, or their preferences within the narration veer very sharply in one direction but the designated body part implies otherwise (for example, the writer's gone on at length about them exclusively liking to bottom but describing the other person as if their intention is to top them-- not out of irony or subtext, but because that's a generic "attractive feature").

I think it also ought to be said that which features are emphasized, and the adjectives used to emphasize them, work best when they're deliberately chosen to build a specific effect-- is the other person's vibe elegant, or brutal, or delicate, or whatever? Picking qualities and features that reinforce that vibe can be super evocative and feel much more personal than sticking to the standards. In a recent fandom I'm in, one character is singled out as being exceptionally strong in the canon, and specifically noteworthy to the character that he's frequently shipped with. Consequently, a lot is done with his love interest thirsting over the breadth and power of the character's shoulders. Shoulders weren't sexy before, but they sure as hell are now.

TL;DR: if I had to guess at what makes that phrase fall flat, it would be a lack of specificity to the actual character, or an inconsistency with the way the people in the scene are characterized.

[isagrimorie]

[initial reactions] Critical Role C3x65

(This took a while to do because the first one I wrote vanished when I hit 'undo' to undo one action and it erased everything).

SO. Many things happened!

Out of the gate, Laudna aired her frustration about how Team Wildemount seemed to have had a better time than their team. And everything FCG, Imogen, and Fearne said just made things worse.

Until Laudna let out the 'And your new best friend' thing with Imogen and Frida. Imogen looked so bewildered, her 'excuse me???'

Ashton remains the heart of the group, I love that Ashton missed Chetney and his shenanigans (even though Laudna looked like she was a second away from throttling him). And I'm glad they were able to talk to FCG to calm down a little. FCG was working on my final nerve when they internalized Laudna's frustrations and made it all about them. It feels like Ashton had an epiphany and realization after seeing Laudna's breakdown, it was a wake-up call. Also for them, Bells Hells is:

We also get to learn more about Ashton's backstory and maybe they didn't pursue the direct Hishari line but maybe they can pursue that question in Zephra.

I love the whole thing with the Duskmaven. I love the vision and the realization that Vax is still suffering in that Orb.

The vision the Matron of Ravens gave to Orym, Fearne, and Chetney was fantastic. Matt’s description was so evocative. And then the doors slamming except instead of doors its the white mask of the Matron. She’s in mourning.

I continue to adore the differing views about gods, I love that both Ashton and Laudna’s view is— they don’t need to worship the gods to save them and the world. And after everything Ashton went through, maybe it’s the gods turn to reach for him, and that for Laudna, just like with FRIDA, her faith belongs with the people she’s with.

Let’s talk about Fearne’s ‘I won’t lose anyone else’? Because she’s not as vocal about it. But she’s equally as traumatized losing people but also she might not be possessive of her sexual and romantic partners but friends? Fearne is possessive of. Orym is her best friend!

I also love that Chetney had to deal with the consequences of his actions. He forgot about it but Matt didn’t!

Fearne and FCG are scrying for Ludinus and Liliana and find… that they’re both on the Rudius moon!

Even Ira is on the moon! So. I feel like the end game for this is Bells Hells going to the moon, on a race against time to stop Ludinus for doing his final thing to free Predathos (who will then eat him). I don’t know why Lililana is still following Ludinus since it’s obvious his promises were bunk, but I suppose sunk cost fallacy is a thing.

Also as Aabria said: “Are we all dancing around the fact y’all need to go to the moon?” Because she was RIGHT! They were dancing around the fact they’re all going to have to go to the moon! Thus kickstarting Exandria’s Space Race!

And now to the MAIN THING.

I love actually, that this whole thing with them: the misunderstanding, the kiss all happened with Imogen’s ability to passively mind read shut off. I also love that it all comes in the heels of Laudna airing out her frustrations. Because this time Imogen has to really talk to Laudna, she can’t just get the mental vibe from her. They have to talk. IMO this is the best thing that’s ever happened to both of them, I think they both relied on the fact that Imogen can just ‘hear’ Laudna’s thoughts.

Laudna never minded that Imogen can hear Laudna’s thoughts. But I love that Imogen not hearing Laudna’s thoughts at first pass is actually good for them. Because now Imogen has to learn how to communicate with Laudna through words and sometimes she’s off the mark — the first part where almost everything Imogen said just upset Laudna, to Imogen’s tentative: “Can I kiss you? Because I’m not sure anymore.”

Also, ‘Can I kiss you?’ both did and didn’t come out of nowhere this is a direct continuation of Laudna and Imogen’s conversation the eve of the Solstice. It all started with:

IMOGEN: I don’t know, since you came back, I’ve been almost scared to say anything. [a beat] LAUDNA: Say what? And Imogen did confess to Laudna but Laudna didn’t get it! And then the next second, they were separated from each other.

I can imagine Imogen thinking the next time she gets to see Laudna again she’s not going to chicken out and then Laudna misinterpreting her friendship with FRIDA seems to have resolved Imogen further. Her bewildered: “Excuse me???” was everything.

And then there’s Laudna’s everything, her stress and her breakdown, and fear that her worst self is her only self when it’s the furthest from the truth. Imogen would follow Laudna into the dark because she also feels the calls of temptation. She used to hate her powers but she’s accepted her powers and learned to love it because without her powers she would never have met Laudna.

But also, Laudna being in her Regency Romance era (to coincide with Laura’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ era) they are so compatible with that Regency Romance with a large serving of Gothic romance.

I’m so intrigued at how both Laudna and Imogen are keeping their change of status from best friends to dating to themselves but it also makes sense they want to figure this thing they have with each other away from other people’s input and feelings.

I also can’t wait for Laudna’s new outfit and Pate backpack home.

And now they're in Zephra, off to one of the most beautiful places in Exandria when everything's on the edge of tipping into something. I can't wait to watch the next episode!

Also, it took awhile but I finally got to finish this not so initial reactions. Thanks, tumblr for the delay!

[pencap]

Hey your poetry is so pretty and evoking and I've gotten back into practicing fiction writing in recent years but in my own criticism I don't think my prose is very evocative. It gets the job done and I think my stories are readable and enjoyable, but I don't think my descriptive language is particularly striking and I would like to improve on that! Sometimes I read and the author has used such creative brilliant metaphors and descriptors etc and it comes across as artistic genius. So, if you have any tips and time to share them I would love to hear about how you select your descriptors, if there's any advice you've heard before on this, etc. <3 feel like my brain simply can't come up with creative language after my decade long break lol

Hello, darling! Thank you for the kind words. I don't exactly have a formal process, but I can share some of what works for me.

The simplest, truest, and least fun advice I have is just this: practice. Practice, practice, practice. The more descriptive writing you do, the better you'll become at it. It's much easier said than done, I know--it's been months since I've posted anything here myself--but it's unfortunately true.

But beyond that, in terms of strategies, I have a couple. I think "evocative" can mean a lot of things, but it sounds like you're specifically thinking about description (as opposed to, say, emotionally evocative) so I'll focus on that. I'm gonna reference january 2nd a bunch, just for concrete examples.

Having a clear image to start with always helps. So when I wrote january 2nd, for example, I had a vivid mental image of an empty beach at dawn, practically abandoned 24 hours after thousands of people crowded together to watch the first sunrise of the year. The stretched out horizon, the dark blue twilight overhead and pale hazy dawn on the eastern edge, the shy peek of the topmost edge of the sun, the soothing ceaseless rush of the waves, the clear expanse and white-foam edges of the water, all of it. The loneliness of it, sure, but also the freedom of it. The quiet and the peace.

It also helps ot have a why. What are you trying to achieve with your description? Often in poetry I'm going for a specific emotional or visual effect, so I try to focus as much as I can on the pieces that resonate for that. In january 2nd, it was the horizon in particular. Nothing in the poem actually mentions a beach, even though that's part of my mental image, because the beach wasn't as important or effective. The sky and the horizon is what worked for the emotional tone, for me. Specifically their openness. Not the light, not the darkness, not the water, but being open, so that's what the first stanza revolves around.

If you're going for "fresh" / "interesting" / "unexpected" / etc. I like to play around with one of three things. One is transferring descriptors from one target to another. (In january 2nd, I take crowded from jostling people on the beach and transfer it to the horizon.) I think these are most fun when you take human(-adjacent) descriptors and put it on inanimate objects / the environment, but that's just my taste. Another trick is to try for hyphenates, which didn't come up in january 2nd. But two of my recent favourites are in Precious: sleep-warm and heartbeat-quiet. sleep-warm is about evoking both the cozy comfort of sleep and the warmth of holding a living, breathing animal in your hands. heartbeat-quiet is about both the volume and the intimacy and the repetitive rhythm of it. The thrid trick is simple and boring and exhilarating when it works, and that's playing around with synonyms. I remember sacred weight of the untouched being difficult. Is it sacred or precious or treasured or holy? Is it untouched or new or young or innocent or unsullied or pure? Try them out and pick the one that feels right, or at least feels the best.

Sometimes I'll think about sound, though not in janary 2nd. soothing ceaseless rush a few paragraphs ago was a deliberate sound-based choice, though. That repeated s-sound feels and sounds like waves. Sometimes I'll think about rhythm, although that's a bit more important in poetry than prose. Sometimes I'll think about length--of the overall description, of the specific phrase or sentence, of the words themselves. Rule of three feels good to me and you'll very often see me write things in triplets (young and fresh and new), frankly a bit more often than I wish I did. Short words can bring emphasis, or abruptness, or simplicity. Long descriptions can be more flowing, fluid, relaxed.

Almost every and any element of language can be leveraged for descriptive power. You'll rarely if every use all of them at once, but it's fun to try many of them out. Maybe you'll figure out versions that feel easiest or best for you.

Alright, I think that's long enough! If you had a specific line or poem in mind, I'm happy to break it down further. Caveat that some of the pieces on this blog are quite old and I might not entirely remember what went through my mind years and years ago, of course.

[shadowgast-recs-weekly]

Shadowgast Recs: Featuring Cats

This week, we have a dozen mostly-fluffy fics that feature Caleb and Essek's cats - sometimes Frumpkin, sometimes the ones that come after. Dig in after the cut - and as always, if you liked them, don't be afraid to kudos and comment!

You don’t understand, we don’t hold hands. by comradeartemis (1435,Teen) Warnings: none

In a modern AU, Caleb and Essek are teachers and Frumpkin has a habit of showing up on zoom

Reccer says: It's very cute!

On our own time, in our own way by royalgreen (allyoop) (1576,Teen) Warnings: none

Essek learns about New Years wedding traditions. Essek then panics.

Reccer says: It's extremely cute and fluffy

(Do I wanna know?) If this feelin' flows both ways? by Criticalpancake (17758,Mature) Warnings: none

Caleb and Essek go from friends with benefits to something more with the help of Frumpkin

Reccer says: It's a soft, very pleasant Modern AU set in the post-97 feeling of being attracted to each other but not sure where they stand - and both are more comfortable showing affection to the cats than other people

Herding Cats by roundandtalented (3258,General) Warnings: none

Essek keeps on bringing home cats, for a very loose definition of cats

Reccer says: It's sweet and soft and there's a little bit of humor

a piece of me that's always somehwere else by essektheylyss (midnightindigo) (4718,Teen) Warnings: None

The small black cat that Caleb has taken in does not like Essek, until he very much so does.

Reccer says: Very sweet and fluffy, with just enough of a hint of angst to make it tasty

Familiar by Timbrene (8793,Teen) Warnings: none

Essek's interactions with Frumpkin, before and after the campaign

Reccer says: There's a lot of touching descriptions of Essek learning about cats, interspersed with a lot of yearning

A King in Cat's Clothes by royalgreen (allyoop) (1544,Teen) Warnings: No warnings

Caleb owns a cat cafe, and Frumpkin is very suspicious of Caleb's new friend.

Reccer says: Frumpkin's POV is amazing and hilarious. Frumpkin does not forgive and does not forget, even though Caleb and Essek are well on their way to becoming soft domestic boyfriends.

Troublemaker by SaltCore (1309,General) Warnings: none

Essek deals with an unruly kitten. Caleb is smitten.

Reccer says: It feels extremely true to life and all the more adorable for it.

Smoke Sting, Strangled Pulse by thetickingclock (783,Teen) Warnings: Major Character Death, Lifespan Angst

Two different castings of Find Familiar

Reccer says: It's a short piece, and little bittersweet, but it's very evocative

a healer’s gift by toneofjoy (7280,General) Warnings: None

When one of Caleb’s cats falls suddenly ill, he seeks help from a druid healer.

Reccer says: This is a cat owner’s dream. It will make you want to give your cat a smooch and maybe cry into their fur, in a good way.

Traveling Elf AMBUSHED by WILD BEASTS by Professor_Rye (2709,General) Warnings: none

Based on a certain cute video, Essek finds himself targetted by a number of stray cats on the side of the road

Reccer says: It's tooth-rottingly sweet. Just completely adorable

In the Cat’s Tongue by Interrobang (1367,General) Warnings: None

Caleb gets a magic item that lets him cast speak with animals. He learns secrets from the cats.

Reccer says: I commissioned this and it definitely exceeded expectations! It’s SO sweet, and it’s funny, and it’s like a heated blanket on a cold day. This is definitely every pet owner’s wish fulfillment fic.

Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast. And hey! Don’t forget to leave comments and kudos for the lovely authors!

Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week’s theme is going to feature a number of Essiks - pre episode 97 fic!

[mariana-oconnor]

The Illustrious Client pt 2

Last time we were dealing with a hypnotist, it seemed, who was doing everything short of tying women to railway tracks and twirling his moustaches to show Holmes how evil he is.

Honestly, it's probably a little surprising that it's taken this long for hypnotism to show up in these stories, as it seems right up ACD's alley

And we're about to meet an old friend of Holmes' who has simply never come up before.

...a huge, coarse, red-faced, scorbutic man, with a pair of vivid black eyes which were the only external sign of the very cunning mind within.

"Scorbutic" apparently means affected by scurvy, which I had never come across before. Does that mean his gums are bleeding? The NHS tells me it might also mean red or blue spots on the skin.

Mr Johnson, may I introduce you to the joys of... fruit and veg.

Please stop your gums from bleeding. Please.

...a slim, flame-like young woman with a pale, intense face, youthful, and yet so worn with sin and sorrow that one read the terrible years which had left their leprous mark upon her.

From scurvy to leprosy, once again being particularly flattering in your descriptions, Watson. Though I do love the 'flame-like' here. That's very evocative.

“Hell, London, gets me every time. Same address for Porky Shinwell. We're old mates, Porky, you and I. But, by cripes! there is another who ought to be down in a lower hell than we if there was any justice in the world!"

I like Kitty. I hope she doesn't die. She feels like a parody of a Victorian cockney character. It's beautiful.

There was an intensity of hatred in her white, set face and her blazing eyes such as woman seldom and man never can attain.

I guess women are just better at hating things?

Does it though? Idek, such a weird thing to divide by gender.

"He would speak of someone in his velvet way and then look at me with a steady eye and say: ‘He died within a month.’"

This guy really needs to stop telling people about the crimes he's committed. I get that you're an arrogant dickhead, but surely there must be some room for brains in your head beside all that hubris. Maybe think before you speak? And don't just think 'oh how awesome and evil I am tee hee hee'.

I'm sorry, I just get annoyed when I see bad guys making such obvious, preventable mistakes. At least be good at being evil, if you're going to do it. Do it properly.

"It's a book he has—a brown leather book with a lock, and his arms in gold on the outside. I think he was a bit drunk that night, or he would not have shown it to me.”

Oh for- Do you write it all down? Tell me you don't have a very secret evil diary of all your very secret evil deeds. Please... Please don't be that guy.

I get that this is realistic, because serial killers and horrible people do take trophies. But still...

Also, Adelbert is a name I've heard of before but never actually seen used.

“No good,” said Shinwell Johnson with the decided voice of the expert. “No fence wants stuff of that sort that you can neither melt nor sell.”

Shinwell Johnson here reminding us not only that he exists and that he is a criminal, but also possibly the most competent criminal in this story. Good for him.

“I am not out for money. Let me see this man in the mud, and I've got all I've worked for—in the mud with my foot on his cursed face. That's my price."

Vengeance!!!

Yes. I like Kitty a lot.

"If your head is inclined to swell, my dear Watson, take a course of Miss Violet de Merville."

S-tier line. This is just perfection. I love it.

"I pictured to her the awful position of the woman who only wakes to a man's character after she is his wife—a woman who has to submit to be caressed by bloody hands and lecherous lips. I spared her nothing—the shame, the fear, the agony, the hopelessness of it all."

Holmes going hard. I feel disgusted and I'm just getting the description of the description. This story has a lot of excellent turns of phrase in it. This section is particularly repellent.

"'...you needn't look at me like that, my fine lady, for you may be lower than I am before you are through with it.’"

Kitty is the best and I want her to be in every story from now on. You tell her. Go for the throat. I know it's not going to work, but yes!

"And it did. Their blow fell—or his blow rather, for never could I believe that the lady was privy to it."

So women are capable of more hatred than men, but they aren't capable of things like this. You have a very confused and tangled view of gender, Watson. Who hurt you?

But they eloped, didn't they? But then she'd definitely be privy to that.

"There, black upon yellow, was the terrible news-sheet: Murderous Attack Upon Sherlock Holmes"

Well, I suppose in a way that's better... because clearly he's not dead. And also that means that Holmes will have some sort of evidence against him.

Adelbert really needs to learn not to overplay his hand. If you're so sure that nothing can go wrong, just... wait it out. She'll marry you and everything will be fine. Patience.

[f1crecs]

'Megaverse Monday - Week Three

if your fic is on this list and you don’t want it to be, please let us know and we will remove it immediately, no questions asked. we have contacted most of the authors on this list, but sometimes people fall through the gaps - just pop us a message🤍

have a pairing you want us to do next? please read the faqs and then head to the inbox.

don’t forget to give the authors featured on this list some love in the form of kudos, bookmarks, and comments

did you know that this fandom has one of the highest percentages of a/b/o content? join us as we celebrate the fandom’s incredible omegaverse works every ’megaverse monday. 🤍

Alex/George

nsfw: Strange River by @love-leah | E | 2.8k

George and Alex are two alpha friends who share a flat. George sees Alex naked one day, and becomes consumed by want. The longing in this fic is palpable. George's sensory experience of Alex, especially that of his scent, is described so evocatively and clearly you feel like you could almost be in the room, drowning in the sweet buttery smell George is smelling. And when George needs him most, Alex is there, treating him with love and care.

The first thing Alex does, after George tries and he thinks succeeds in locking up his muscles enough to hide a helpless, humiliating little rut orgasm against his sheets, is make George eat a roll of soft, sweet bread spread with butter. "Why do you have so much oil everywhere?" he asks after that, untangling George's quilt from around one of his calves, one hand deft and warm where it's cupped around George's knee, holding him still. George doesn't answer. What's he going to say, I wanted to feel like an omega ? He can't focus anyway, because then Alex is undressing, George's eyes catching on the scar, the dark, sparse hair on Alex's chest, the plane of his stomach.

Charles/Max

nsfw: closest i get by @nyoomfruits | E | 4.8k Charles smells Max in pre-rut without scent blockers for the first time at a party and immediately knows he wants to have sex with him. And of course there are absolutely no feelings involved from either side. A/B/O is all about the scents and this fic has a way of describing scents that almost makes you smell them yourself, beautiful descriptions that truly paint a picture. I loved Charles as the omega being very forward and suggesting that they spend Max rut together while Max is the voice of reason trying to argue that its a bad idea, but not wanting to explain why. The sexual tension and desperation is through the roof but these boys have absolutely no feelings for each other - right? Highly recommend going straight on to the sequel (heart held close) after finishing this!

'“Charles, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Max says, and he’s frowning now, even though his nose twitches again. And it’s that little gesture, that small hint that Max might be into this too, that has Charles push. “You don’t have to like, protect my innocence or whatever. I’ve spent ruts with Alphas before, I know the deal.” For some reason, Max’s eye twitches. “It doesn’t have to be a big deal or anything, right? It can be just about the sex, nothing else.” He steps forward, into Max’s space. Reaches out a hand, lets it run over Max’s cheek, leans a little closer. “Just sex,” he whispers, in the ever diminishing space between them as Max leans into his touch. “Fuck,” Max whispers, screwing his eyes shut, breathing deeply through his mouth. “I shouldn’t, I really shouldn’t-“'

[gojonanami]

Dearest Sab,

As someone who currently studies English literature, I am absolutely, wholeheartedly and utterly obsessed with 'The Ethics of Relationships'!

It is such a good series! It's probably one of the best, if not the best, series that I've ever read on Tumblr.

I actually really enjoyed this chapter. I think it really responded well to the previous chapters, and it worked really well as a set-up for the final instalment.

As I am writing now and reflecting upon your work, which I read for the first time yesterday, the first scenes that spring to mind are Suguru's scene of self-reflection and Reader's dream of having an engagement party. 

Personally, I am a huge fan of how you write Suguru in general, and I adore and cherish your Professor Geto, and I just really appreciated how you tackled Suguru's mental deliberation. I thought it was relatable, true to Suguru's character, and just really interesting to read.

As for the engagement party scene, I think I was so surprised to read it that when I read it, I just let out a small little gasp, and a little small 'oh no', and it was just so sad because it just hinted at the potential of what could have been. (I am so happy that the ending is going to be a happy one for them!) I think the dream motif worked really well here, and I love how it echoes and responds to previous parts while being harmonious, cool and insightful. 

I adore your writing style. I really do. I love that your writing strikes the balance of being clean and slick, and descriptive and evocative. I love that your writing reads as though it's been edited, well thought-through, and I love how it's paced. I think you're really, really talented. 

This series is a true joy to read, and I always get really excited whenever I see updates regarding this series! I'm really excited to read chapter six!

hi bb 🥹 — this was very kind especially from a fellow lit major!! I was a lit major in college too!! that is very sweet 💕😭 feels like very high praise I feel undeserving of but I appreciate it so so much 🫣🫶😭

I’m so glad you enjoyed the part — it really was set up for the next part and I really feel like parts 2 and 5 very much served as set up for the next part that they followed but were very necessary nonetheless

It truly makes me so warm when someone says I write suguru well because in an AU, I still want the essence of the character to be there and for you to say that it is, means so so much.

yes the engagement definitely is reader’s subconscious thinking about what was supposed to be next for them in the future and the loss of that hits her all over again. I had to bring back the dreams and the dreaded “ring”-ing again hahah

you’re very very kind — honestly I don’t edit much, which sounds like a brag but it really isn’t. I wish my brain was fit for it or that I had time to do it. I truly am just making this up as I go along with some loose ideas that turn into something. so it makes me all happy when someone says they enjoy my work as it is because it truly is in its rawest forms in someway

thank you so much for your kind words and for being here and continuing to read!! I’m doing my best to make sure the last part lives up to expectations 🥹💕😭 love you babe 🫶🫣🥹😭

[somekindofadeviant]

Darla and Spike, the rarest pair in the polycule. The wonderfully caustic blondes. I think this might be one of the rarest non-crack pairs in the fandom, honestly, though they lived together for at least 20 years. We might not see them interact much with each other on-screen but we know they absolutely DID away from our view. There's so much room to fill in there in that negative space, and with two characters who have such compelling forces of personality.

Here's some of my favourites from what exists.

Warning: Some of these fics are hosted on old archives, warnings may be absent or non-exhaustive. They may contain, amongst other things, noncon and torture and oodles of murders. If you want detailed or specific warnings for a fic, please DM me or ask in the notes.

Sinews of the Heart by icemink - After Angel refuses to turn Darla, she goes looking for another member of her family to save her from the illness that is killing her. Gorgeous. Beautiful characterisation. I would happily read 5 million words more of this if it existed. Rating: Explicit, Era: A:tS Season 2/BtVS Season 5 Fearful Symmetry by icemink - Oh hey more DOES exist. This is the continuation of Sinews of the Heart. Sadly it seems to be a perma-WiP at 15 chapters, but it's still very worth reading. While Sinews is pure Spike/Darla, this one's working towards a Spike/Darla/Angel pairing. Rating: Explicit, Era: A:tS Season 2, Incomplete Lessons on a Ledge by icemink - A fun little smutty romp. Spike's troublemaking leaves Darla and him stranded, however will they pass the time? Rating: Explicit, Era: 1880

Family Reunion by Glassdarkly - Darla was afraid that without a soul she wouldn't be able to love her son. What if she was wrong? Or right, depending on your perspective. I'm beginning to think I'm unable to do a rec list without at least one Glassdarkly fic. Family Reunion is brutal, dark, and enthralling. When this author warns you it's one of their darkfics, you better listen to them, they're a master of the craft, it's a horror tale that will stab you in the gut then twist the blade. The location setting in this tale is one of my absolute favourites, it's so perfectly detailed you feel present there with every sense, it's as much a character as any of the humans or demons. Rating: Explicit, Era: 2007 (mostly) Paternity Suit by Glassdarkly - Did I at least one? Make that a few. This one sees Darla tracking Spike down after The Gift/Heartthrob with a task in mind and hoo boy does it hit right in the soft places. Darla at her ruthlessly cunning bestworst, and Spike at his broken apart inside crumpled up bestworst. Rating: Mature, Era: AU Post-BtVS Season 5 Brief Encounter by Glassdarkly - At a time of change and a final parting of the ways, a long-kept family secret comes to light. A post-war piece that, among other things, answers why Spike was so suspicious of Angel in School Hard in contrast to their time on the submarine. Vividly evocative descriptions and atmosphere as always, fantastic historical detail too. Rating: Mature, Era: 1947

Revenge by DeborahMM - Darla grows tired of Angelus's attentions to Drusilla and decides to take her revenge. Exquisitely naughty and a bit bloody. Rating: Explicit, Era: 1880 or 1881

Giving Him The Moon by Peasant - Okay so this is actually a Fanged Four piece, and the primary ships in it are Angelus/Spike and probably Darla/Angelus, but damn if it doesn't have some of my absolute favourite Darla and fledgling Spike interactions, and it's a lovely take on Darla in particular. It's Spike being forced to learn Fyarl and a nice take on the frustrations of struggling to learn a new language. Rating: Explicit, Era: 1887

Triangles Are Falling by lillianmorgan - A delicious messed up encounter between punk Spike and Farrah-hair Darla that has some gorgeous character voices and a sneaky lil sting in the tail. Rating: Explicit, Era: 1977 Entertainment and Spectacle by lillianmorgan - A double drabble. What Darla sees in William, and what William sees in Darla. There's something so vividly intense about the dynamic Lillian crafts between these two. Rating: Teen+, Era: Victorian Cracking the Code by lillianmorgan - A lovely little moment on the way to the theatre. The language here is just a delight, derring-do indeed! Rating: Teen+, Era: Victorian Raging Against the Dying Light by lillianmorgan - Ah, poor dumb Spike all hopped up and out of his head on Slayer blood and on his most gloriously dumb shit vs Darla at one of her worst moments bound up in loss. Rating: Mature, Era: 1900

Cold Comfort by ash_carpenter - Spike recognises that he and Darla are alike in envy and the craving of attention/affection from the other two, and gives her a little comfort or something akin to it. Bittersweet and beautiful. Rating: Mature, Era: Victorian

Idle Threats Does Not A Greatgrandsire Make by FemailoftheSpecies - Just working something out. Conflict resolution. A lil bit of brutal fun. Rating: Explicit, Era: Victorian Creative Differences by FemailoftheSpecies - William and Darla don't see eye to eye. Darla and Angelus, but it's all about William. A funny lil ficlet, with poetry. Of a sort. Rating: Mature (after a fashion), Era: Victorian

Waiting Room by loraineee - A liminal encounter. Just a conversation in the space between. Brief yet intriguing. Rating: Teen+, Era: Post-B:tVS Season 7, Pre-A:tS Season 5

Decadent by Kate Bolin - Darla deserves worship. Spike is barely worthy. A gorgeous fragment of reverence. Ecstasy and agony. Rating: Mature, Era: Unclear

Static by Foxinator - Another between-seasons piece in the summer following Season 5 of BtVS. Darla's looking for Dru to get some insight into what's happening to her body, but she runs into a grieving Spike instead. Just a moment, a conversation, but it captures the characters at a time so strange and pivotal for each of them. Rating: G, Era: Post-BtVS Season 5, Pre-BtVS Season 6

The Queen by aliceinsunnydale - The Illustrated A to Z Guide of Sex Positions for Women explains The Queen as: Get your subject to kneel at your feet and don't give them permission to rise until they've earned either a knighthood or your royal approval to stay for the night. A delicious pwp in a tailor's shop. Rating: Explicit, Era: Victorian

Sitting Together, Simply Observing by aliceinsunnydale - 'More often than not, when in court, Darla and Spike could be found sitting together, simply observing.' A quiet moment of bonding, quite sweet. Rating: G, Era: Victorian Spike/Darla - Five Times Kissed by aliceinsunnydale - Just as the title says. A nice series of snapshots mapping the changing ways the two see each other. Rating: Mature, Era: Pre-Series (Victorian through 1970s)

Home Sweet Home by Rebcake - When Spike is introduced in School Hard, it's clear he's been in Sunnydale before. Rebcake is a master of drabbles, and this is no exception. Rating: Teen+, Era: 1950s

Lessons from the Lady of the House by joycometh - Darla gives William a sorely needed education in a certain subject. Both delightful and amusing. Poor clueless Will or, rather, poor Drusilla. Rating: Explicit, Era: 1880

A Brighter Shade of Darkness by brutti ma buoni - Spike can learn a lot from Darla. He doesn't always enjoy it. A rather illuminating lil ficlet. Rating: Teen+, Era: 1893

Bloody Unnatural by snickfic - A missing scene, a moment of connection. Warm and caring and quite lovely, in a bittersweet way. Rating: Teen+, Era: BtVS Season 6 A Right Sorry Couple of Vamps by snickfic - Alive and human again, all Darla wants is the brief illusion of freedom, and maybe a beer. Naturally, she's just thrilled when she finds Spike, too...Another one that's quite sweet and caring, in an odd way. Rating: Teen+, Era: AtS Season 2

I'm Not Supposed To Be Like This by spuffyduds - Another missing scene in the summer of Buffy's death and Darla's pregnancy. This one may not be so warm and caring, but dang if it doesn't have some brilliant and funny moments instead. Features the Buffybot, too. Rating: Maure, Era: Post-BtVS Season 5, Pre-BtVS Season 6

The Point by carlyinrome - A neat little drabble. What is the point in William? Rating: Mature, Era: Victorian

Waiting For Alice by thawrecka - He is not afraid. She is not bothered. It is not real. When Spike is dragged over and over to that place, she is there. They cling to each other. Beautiful and bleakly arresting. Rating: Teen+, Era: A:tS Season 5

Vantage Ground by _-SuN-_ - Vivid imagery and lush lyrical language. Darla in the aftermath of her loss, spiralling, as she travels with the two children of the family. Rating: Mature, Era: Victorian

Adult Education by Vampire_Penguin - Darla teaches both her boys a lesson. Darla/Spike with Angelus kinda in the mix or, at least, very much adjacent. Wantonly wicked in the best kind of way. Rating: Mature (pushing Explicit), Era: Victorian

Darla: The Series by dessert_first - Okay but what if Angel Investigations but it was Darla's show instead of Angels, post-NFA instead of an AU, key roles gender-flipped, and yer dead favourites got screen time. Sadly this is a WiP last updated in 2005, but it's worth a read for some awesome moments and a brilliant set-up. Mostly ensemble with a lil Sparla in there. Rating: Explicit (in ch5), Era: Post-A:tS Season 5

[oldcoyote]

the thing is that it is impossible for your writing to cause harm. anyone who doesn't like your writing can immediately stop reading it, with absolutely no harm done.

if someone decides to read your writing even though it is causing them upset/boredom/whatever then that is completely ludicrous behaviour, and you are not responsible for it in any way.

however, what your writing absolutely does cause is joy! because people (including me) have read your writing and enjoyed it! it has made me smile many times! even though your fandoms are not always my fandoms, I continue to read your fic because a) the way you write characters really resonates with me, so I feel emotionally connected to them and b) I find your dialogue & descriptions really evocative, so that I often have very clear pictures of what's happening in my head.

there are lots of writers who are perfectly good, but those things don't happen when I read their writing. so I don't keep reading them! no harm done.

anyway this was a bit long, but I hope it gives you another perspective to consider.

ultimately I think you'll get through this, keep writing, and be stronger for it. sometimes life hurts, but you can't save yourself from hurt by cutting yourself off from joy.

much love x

i never actually thought about it that way - thank you for the new perspective! i agree that we are responsible for our own self care and consumption when it comes to things like reading, but in my haste to bolster my self-hatred i never considered that would apply to my writing. i always tend to see myself as the exception (as i am with things like fatphobia and ableism: i condemn it completely when it's leveled at anybody else, but when it applies to me it's true)

i have a lot of work to do, and desperately need a good therapist but all the books here are closed for the decent ones - and the bad ones are too awful to reconsider. i will keep searching

thank you so much for the advice, love. especially that last part - i will try to remember that 💛

[bogglebabbles]

Is there a place we can read your fics? Or if you don't want them read then what was your favorite part about writing them?

Not really, these days. I used to be active on AO3 on my old account but I've since abandoned it and the only fic on there is from ages ago (and isn't very good). These days, anyway, most of what I write is for video games and heavily features the OCs I use as protagonists, so I'm a lot more reticent to share with people who haven't already listened to me chatter at length about them.

I can't really pin down a favourite part of writing my most recent fics tbh. Not to sound negative but a lot of the reason I have so many WIPs is because I start them and realize it's Not Fun or turning out how I hoped so I end up abandoning them.

A little more positive though: my favourite part of writing in general is when I manage to write something so perfectly in-character that I can hear in my head what it is they're saying and I am briefly free of the spectre of 'he would not fucking say that'. I also love when I manage to write a turn of phrase that's evocative and unique; I will sit and stare at a nice line for AGES just to preen. Also, and this is a bit of a guilty pleasure and a lot of it gets edited out, I do really love just writing the most indulgent descriptions of the actual setting/atmosphere. I've realized lately that my ass loves a good tableau.

[irisfixation]

Does your interest (to put it lightly) in hypnosis affect how you run TTRPGs and GM?

How so?

Does it make you better in general, or in specific situations and scenes?

Does GMing improve your hypnosis?

Oh! This one's actually a really good question, and I think it varies both depending on the type of hypnosis and the type of tabletop campaign being ran. On the one hand, they're both heavily influenced by my time as a writer and photographer. I've put a lot of love into being able to visualize the world around me and describe it in evocative imagery - that blends into a lot of my action descriptions in TTRPGs (i've had friends describe them as 'cinematic') and visualization in hypnosis. I think the overlap between text-based hypnosis and ttrpgs is far more pronounced for us. Which makes sense; we've always preferred writing through text to speaking out loud in some ways, even to this day. The ability to clearly delineate paragraph breaks, cutting between scenes, etc. is much easier when writing - though not impossible when talking aloud (hint: swap between various different established 'voices' in order to forcibly adjust tone). In general, I'd say the two definitely feed back into one another. Lessons learned from hypnosis makes me better at centering the scene on my players' responses in TTRPG and more keen on noticing their reactions, lessons learned from writing helps enrich the flow of my inductions and scenes, and both help improve the act of immersing oneself into a role in general. (Don't ask me how much I cried at the end of my last ttrpgs, it doesn't matter, don't worry about it-)

I genuinely feel like art in general can be improved by just. trying different forms of art, growing a greater taste for words and image and narrative and emotion. Study psychology, study music, let fields flow back into one another. No passion is ever truly wasted.

[hmdeath]

Hii, so I never had any interest in the dark romance genre until reading unravel. You’ve completely converted me. I’ve never read a fic so fantastic and evocative. I was wondering did any dark romance or erotica books inspire it ? I’m just so blown away by your writing

Omg!! 🥹 I'm so happy to have helped bring you into a new genre!

Gah that's such a tough question to answer really because I can never turn off my "writer brain" so I'm horribly picky about books. I actually barely read for a really long time! There are a few writers I idolize, specifically Erin Morgenstern for her gorgeous and evocative prose as well as Jacqueline Carey for her gorgeous descriptions and lush emotions, but I honestly can't say I read that much dark romance specifically these days. In my teen years, I read a bit of Anne Rice and a lot of Sherrilyn Kenyon, specifically her Dark Hunter series.

In terms of character exploration and general vibes, Unravel draws a lot from stories like Beauty and the Beast, Phantom of the Opera, Labyrinth, Heathers (the musical), and probably a hint of Jane Eyre/Jane Austen/Bridgerton in the "depressed yearning" category. Hikari herself is very inspired by shoujo manga heroines (think Tohru from Fruits Basket, Usagi from Sailor Moon, Ahiru from Princess Tutu) as well as Final Fantasy heroines like Rinoa Heartilly and Yuna.

In the end, any creative is just an amalgamation of the things they've loved throughout their life 😅 and their work reflects it! I've been lucky enough to experience higher education focused on creative writing, as well as written with some amazingly talented writing partners through my tumblr roleplay days in the Final Fantasy community as well as sharing writing through beta readers and critique groups. Thank you so much though!! I'm so happy you like my writing ❤️ and thank you for reading Unravel!!

[evergreen-dryad]

thoughts on snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see

I can relate to Lily. It has me thinking of the female relationships I've had (thought of my 2nd best friend and my cousin), while she is in the wrong with how she lashed out and betrayed Snow Flower's secrets, I still empathised with how she was so hurt and angry and proceeded to Pick Out Every Happy Memory

on laotong, the descriptions really encapsulate what it's like to be so bonded with your best female friend. Evokes memories and emotions I have

there's so much queer subtext. discuss. Accidentally queer? (Was this meant to be a gimmick to show how close they are with little boundaries?)

Lily: doesn't like sex at all with her husband, notably blushed while imagining Snow Flower's moans of pleasures in her laotong's bed 'But how do I say this without sounding like a husband' -thinks of SF's touch while husband is first touching her -her first priority is Snow Flower, gets tremendously jealous/betrayed of the thought of SF sharing an equivalent bond with other women (sworn sisterhood) -has only ever broken the rules for Snow Flower -SF: writes poetry to Lily about them being birds. I was pretty damn sure she was referring to Lily as the 'phoenix (together with her)' even in her sanzhaoshu poem when Lily got married. Just as Lily also wrote of her as a phoenix in hers.

also the iconic Li Bai poem they write on each other that every chinese kid learns as a kid made queer: Quiet Night Thought. They're each other's home.

-they also didn't have a choice in their laotong, but this was the one good thing they could have all their lives

ironic how Lily would end up being like her mother and her mother-in-law 'obey rules' -and how while she was like that wanting for Snow Flower's own good, it still hurt her because it was taken to an extreme, what should have been encouragement turned into excess criticism and blind solutions -but also sympathising that it's hard: when someone you love and want to support is constantly miserable, and you want to do what you can (and this you feel the other can) to fix the situation

for me it's a cautionary tale in a way. To love is to accept and to listen, instead of trying to fix all the time. "...but inside I also waged something like a man's battle between my true nature and the person I should have been."

What lured me in: historical setting, friendship between women specifically (wouldn't you love anyone who matched you in so many ways?)

Irony of the reveal later of reversed fate: the poor one marries rich, the rich has a downfall and marries poor)

writing techniques, what works for it:

accurate evocation of emotions

detailed description of foods, colours, along with lush historical setting. (The description of the caramelised taro!!! I WANT) Characterisation seems right to history, Lily might only seem close to a 'modern' woman thinking fate can be changed at the end because she has power as Lady Lu

pacing? Just right I think. Tone -solemn, serious.

plot and agency were a lot clearer with peony in love (same author, also loved this book a lot more), whereas this one only meant to show a relationship in its full (which makes sense as it is meant to be an autobiography in regret)

oohhh even though it starts at the end, how much later revealed still becomes a surprise! The little foreshadowing

characterisation: someone on goodreads said they flattened to 1D as they got older. Don't think that was the case, but that's somewhat apt for SF bcs her life was so miserable she became thus (and partly bcs they've both gotten busy so the perception of narrator too)

relationships between women all explored, and between parents and children. Heartwarming moment to see that fathers also loved their daughters. My heart hurt (pg 110 when MC left her home and family to be married, and they all sang as part of the wedding rites -"Thank you for raising a worthless daughter" "Goodbye, daughter") reminded by my family. The slight rebellions they could all take as women with nu shu, and how they could be there for each other. How the harsh life of a woman and its stages was shown in that era.

the tragedy at the end (how it started at the end and began with such a fascinatingly clear memory at 7 years old) of misunderstanding, how even if her life has almost been perfect, she misunderstood due to her upbringing.

It is about love. How the narrator and MC yearned for love all her life, and who couldn't sympathise? And in such a society harsh to women, tragedy was bound to occur. "What was the point of being Lady Lu if I didn't have love in my life?"

how helpless you can be in misfortune and stick to convention as a way to help

snow flower's character (both of them as kids having fun and learning from each other!). the ways love was shown between them and in their families.

[desertfangs]

20 Questions for Fic Writers! ✨

Tagged by @nothing-but-paisley - Thank you so much! 💖

1. How many works do you have on A03? 68! One more and I can never post again 😂 (66 of those are VC.)

2. What’s your total A03 word count? 315,352

3. What fandoms do you write for? The Vampire Chronicles. I have a couple of Merlin fics on my profile though, one I'm really proud of and one I lost steam on and never got far.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? Best Kept Secrets (Merlin), Night Out (my first Lestat/Daniel fic on Ao3), The Mundanity of Mortality, The Vampire Bar, and Series of Birthdays. Basically my oldest fics 😂

5. Do you respond to comments? Always!! Sometimes it takes me a while but I love replying to people who took the time to leave a comment. Every comment is a gift and so very appreciated! 💖

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Probably Turn Me to Dust, which is probably the angiest Devil's Minion fic I've ever written. I struggle with leaving things too angsty at the end though. 🤧 Or maybe In the Midst of Madness.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Most of my fics have a happy ending so that's really hard to pick. I hate leaving them sad okay! It makes me sad.

8. Do you get hate on fics? No, not on AO3 at least and not to my knowledge.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I do write smut! I enjoy writing how eroticism and intimacy can affect a relationship or how it's used to maybe put off other issues or even be a method of communication between two characters.

Armand and Daniel in particular really fascinate me with their intimate habits because they're so experimental in all ways, and at first it's a mortal and vampire, which is fun to play with. And once Daniel's a vampire, it's fun to explore how that changes how they engage with physical intimacy.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I do not! Or at least, I haven't yet.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not as far as I'm aware. I sure hope not!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not to my knowledge.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? I have! A long time ago. It's something I'd love to do again, it can be really fun!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? Devil's Minion! OTP baby.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I don't have one published currently that's unfinished (except that Merlin one and I'm probably never getting back to that). I have a few that I've started over the last year or so that may never get completed though.

16. What are your writing strengths? Dialogue! I don't always nail it but it's definitely a skill I'm proud of.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I'd like to get better at writing evocative descriptions, it's not something I'm great at.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I could manage some basic back and forth en français but I'm never really comfortable enough to do more than that.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Vampire Chronicles, baby! I wrote my first fic in math class in high school. I was not good at math.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? Oh gosh, I don't know how to choose. One that I'm exceptionally happy with is Five Times Daniel and Armand Almost Kissed During the Chase Years & One Time They Did.

tagging: @rebel-revenant, @leslutdepointedulac, @aunteat, @kaelio, @cinnamonclove @calipsan, @faerywhimsy and anyone else who wants to do it! And sorry for double tags or if you already posted this and I missed it while I was stuck grinding for capitalism all day.