#i feel like this update has different vibes than my updates usually do and I don't like it but idk how to fix it

[bardofavon]

not to be controversial bc I know this is like…not in line with shifting opinions on fanfic comment culture but if there’s a glaring typo in my work I will NOT be offended by pointing it out. if ao3 fucks up the formatting…I will also not be offended by having this pointed out…

‘looking forward to the next update’ and ‘I hope you update soon!’ are different vibes than a demand, and should be read in good faith because a reader is finding their way to tell you how much they love it. I will not be mad at this.

‘I don’t usually like this ship but this fic made me feel something’ is also incredibly high praise. I’m not going to get mad at this.

even ‘I love this fic but I’m curious about why you made [x] choice’ is just another way a reader is engaging in and putting thought into your work.

I just feel like a lot of authors take any comment that’s not perfectly articulated glowing praise in the exact manner they’re hoping to receive it in bad faith.

fic engagement has been dropping across the board over the last several years, and yes it’s frustrating but it isn’t as though I can’t see how it happens. comment anxiety can be a real thing. the last thing anyone wants to do is offend an author they love, and that means sometimes people default to silence.

idk where I’m going with this I guess aside from saying unless a comment is outright attacking me I’m never going to get mad at it, and I think a lot of authors should feel the same way. ESPECIALLY TYPOS PLZ GOD POINT OUT MY TYPOS.

[synergysilhouette]

"Batman: Caped Crusader" review

Binge-watched this show, and I wanted to be one of many people to share my thoughts on this--plus I was spurred on by getting a wish of mine granted from the show. Make sure to check out the show if you can!

The animation is beautiful--I know this is a weird comparison, but soemthing about the animation reminds me of 2010s Scooby Doo animated films, and I kind of adore that.

The voice acting was...fine--I can't tell if it was poor performances or poor direction; Hamish's Bruce Wayne sounds too raspy/rugged some of the time, like he's still playing Batman, and many of the other actors felt like they were just reading lines rather than performing lines, not enough emotion. IDK if they're more used to live-action work, but voice-acting is a different ballgame, since your voice is all you have to convey the character. A lot of performances fell flat for me, but it wasn't 100% unbearable, just underwhelming. I have some people I'd recommend instead (both familiar to the role and otherwise), but I don't wanna start anything.

LOVED Harley (but not her costume)--Jamie Chung had one of the better performances in the group, and I really LOVED the angle they did for Harley; I feel like the media often flanderizes her as the goofy crazy chick, so seeing her actually utilize her psychology skills (like I've been asking for!) is so satisfying. That said, the outfit has GOT TO GO. Gold and black is gorgeous, but it ples in comparison to her black and red look. And a weird nit-pick; when I first saw the stills, I was under the impression she was wearing a carnival-esque mask rather than face paint, and I find that idea a lot creepier. I wish we'd gotten more of Harley's antics--and even seeing her get close to Bruce in the way she did with Barbara and Renee--before revealing her as a big bad to the public. And I appreciate that she isn't 100% evil; she is doing what she believes is a noble cause, just doing it in an illegal and unethical way. I needed a backstory!

Not enough Batman--Maybe it's just me, but it definitely felt like there were some episodes where Bruce and Batman were supporting characters and more focus was on the GCPD. While I don't mind it too much, I enjoy superhero shows for the superheroes, not the heroes; this is why I had a love/hate relationship with "Gotham."

Batman (and Bruce) isn't quite likeable enough--In earlier incarnations, Batman was more kind and caring before becoming more emotionally closed off with time, but here he's that way from the get-go. Not to mention that Bruce Wayne puts on a facade around everyone, even people he trusts (he probably did that anyway; I can't remember), and his session with Harleen really frustrated me because I don't expect his walls to come down immediately, I don't expect them to be this high this early. I wanted him to be a bit warmer and transparent, rather than curt and cold like he's usually seen in the show. I feel like this is an issue often seen in comics, too; people prioritize Batman's "coolness" and thus push his feelings to the wayside.

Using underrated and familiar villains--I'm sure the real experts are gonna chew me out for this one, but as someone who got into comics in the 2010s and didn't catch up on the acclaimed 90s series, it was fun to see villains I loved and villains I didn't know; one of the best things a popular property can do is use underrated characters, since it helps the show feel original and fresh (thus why "Teen Titans" is so enjoyable; the whole franchise is underrated).

Too modern for the 1940s--I can't put my fingers on it exactly, but the vibes feel too modern; I assume the 1940s was for aesthetics, but since everything else feels updated (from the way people talk to Harley and Renee seemingly being open about their feelings for each other), I don't think it was a wise choice to have it both ways. I see no reason not to have it in modern-day, but I suppose you'd have to get more creative with technology.

Barbara and the Robins--First off, I should've gambled with someone that Jason would be a redhead; I'd have made SO MUCH money. Secondly, I'm not crazy about how all four kids are orphans; If I recall correctly, both Carrie and Stephanie's parents were alive when they joined the Batfamily. In any case, I'm confused on why Barbara is significantly older than them when they're all supposed to be within the same age bracket (I think; someone has told me otherwise since posting this, so I could be wrong). Not to mention, a part of me worries that because of the quartet's young ages and Barbara getting so much screentime as a lawyer, we won't get any of them as Robins or Batgirls unless something drastic happens, and/or we get a time jump.

Overall, I think my biggest gripes are the voice acting and how Batman/Bruce Wayne is written. That said, I enjoyed the show overall. IDK why HBO Max dropped it. Hopefully season 2 will introduce Poison Ivy, Catman, Tim Drake, Ghostmaker, and Gardener, since the finale already showed us a certain someone who IS coming to Gotham.

[utopya-cc]

(Preview) Valentine Update | Passionate Gifts 0.2

For The Full Mod Description, Click Here:

0.2 Update :

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well! And I hope you had a great time with this new year. 

Now, let's jump into the Update! This is Valentine's Update; I have really rushed it to get ready on time for Valentine's Day. I hope that you will like it 🥰 : 

I am really excited to share this update with you. It's a small idea, but I think it will suit the game and the Valentine's vibe. 

When we use the in-game (give a romantic gift) interaction. Your sim will receive back a flower gift with a message. I do really like this feature as the idea of it is something so common in real life. 

Flowers with love cards are the most universal gifts to consider giving to your loved ones. But I didn't like how they implemented it in the game, as there is no animation for the love card, and the Flower is just a plain rose; it should usually be a bouquet. The in-game animation is cute but doesn't feel like an intimate/romantic interaction.

So I have made my own. This isn't an override. This a new interaction that you can find on the Passionate Gifts pie menu, 

You will find a new pie menu called Passionate Gifts on the romantic menu. The new interaction will be there:

The interaction will cost your sims some Simoleons, and the price will depend on the type of each gift.

The New Gift:

Love letter Bouquet - $50 Simoleons

Features Of the Mods:

New highly detailed animation with their own sounds

A new pie menu for the new interactions

New icons for each Gift that will suit their own animation

Each interaction has its own buffs for both the gifter and the receiver.

Notification to showcase the love letter after each gift given,

Realistic animations for each object

Possible outcomes:

Your sim will also get a Flirty moodlet with some different buffs. For each role in the animations:

And, of course, a Love Letter. Your sim will receive a notification that will contain the Love letter. All the messages are different from the in-game ones. They are all custom-made. Let me know if you have any other ones, and I may add them in future updates!

The interactions are more intimate than the in-game ones, so your sims have to at least have their first kiss. and have more than 20% of romance or the pie menu won't show up

I think this mod will be a great addition to the game, especially storytelling-wise,

Known Bugs

Everything seems to be working well so far. I haven't encountered any bugs, but please report any you may encounter.

This mod is BG-compatible.

The mod will be enhanced further in the future with New Gifts and Animations!!!

The interactions shouldn't be played autonomously,

It's better to wait until the animation is finished and the queue is clear before playing another one.

Requirement :

This mod needs the XML injector by Scumbumbo. You can download it here: https://scumbumbomods.com/xml-injector

How to install :

Just put both my mod and the XML injector script into your Sims 4 Mods folder.

Delete The older version. Leave just the Updated one.

DOWNLOAD: 

[simdertalia]

a little update

If anyone has noticed that I haven't posted as many huge sets this month, there has been some things going on at home.

This past week I have been taking care of my partner. They are having a bit of an emergency issue that came up and have a procedure at the hospital. Since they are feeling quite bad, I am needed to be attentive and need to go out and get things, I am not able to work on CC items the entire day like usual. I've been at their side, making food, laundering some items, and cleaning up, just making sure they have everything they need. I will be back to the usual when they are feeling better, hopefully in a few days from now. Like usual I have tons of stuff in my WIP folder.

Any well-wishes and good vibes are certainly welcome, I've been a worried nervous wreck 💗💗💗 And I hope all of you are healthy and well.

----------Update September 10th-------------

This is unfortunately, & worryingly, taking much longer than "a few days". My partner has been through all kinds of uncomfortable tests, a hospital procedure, and we are now waiting to see a different specialist (I'm trying not to write too much so as to respect their privacy).

It has also started affecting me as I myself have chronic pain and illness that worsens with stress. But I am still doing the best I can to take care of them (while also trying to work from home and also work on CC), and when I've been feeling bad they take care of me too.

I hope you all are doing well, and are healthy! 💗💗💗

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Do you think that Malleus would’ve had a different/harsher reaction to someone other than Silver being “awake”?

Also on a less serious note, that entire interaction gave me the vibes of an older sibling getting mad at a younger sibling for playing a game “wrong” which is odd bc I don’t really see Malleus and Silver as having that dynamic usually. I doubt it was purposeful but it was all that was running through my mind when reading the translations.

On the contrary, I feel like Malleus is madder that it's Silver who is "awake" and openly defying him than if it were anyone else doing it. (Yes, Yuu and Grim are also present but it is Silver and Silver alone who willfully turns down Malleus's manipulative tactics to get him to stay there in bliss and also "wakes" Sebek to join his cause.) I still think Malleus would be upset and try to force anyone else that was awake back into a slumber (as we see with Malleus attacking Silver, Sebek, Yuu, and Grim at the end of part 3 update), but the fact that it's Silver confronting him hits a particular nerve.

Firstly, Silver is someone that Malleus has known for years (even if it's a relationship of a prince and his knight), so it hurts close to home that this person with whom Malleus shares a bond with is disagreeing with him on such a big issue. It feels like a betrayal, especially considering that knights are supposed to be loyal to their masters. And even more importantly, Silver has also known Lilia--the character that triggered Malleus's initial anxieties regarding loneliness and the loss of loved ones--for years as well. In this way, they are all connected in a “found family” sense. Of all people, Silver should be the one who understands how Malleus is feeling and would theoretically support him, yet Silver instead denies and actively opposes Malleus's way of thinking, calling it "just a bad dream". Consider also that Silver rarely, if ever, raises his voice--so when he does yell, it's significant and big deal. Yeah, he'll raise his volume to like, call out for Malleus if he's looking for the young master, but Silver does not usually shout to the point where his voice breaks. The only other instance I can think of when Silver gets legitimately upset and yells is during Endless Halloween Night when he was concerned about the safety of Malleus and Lilia and also rightfully mad that it turned out to be an elaborate trick. The second instance is here and now, in book 7. In the scene where Silver rejects the happiness of being able to stay in his childhood home in the forest with Lilia forever and ever, he becomes a foil character to Malleus, the metaphorical light to his darkness. Both Silver and Malleus have a personal connection with Lilia and are deeply saddened by Lilia's departure (and potential death). The difference between them is that Silver is accepting it as an inevitability even if it hurts his feelings and he'll miss his father greatly... whereas Malleus stubbornly refuses to accept it. At that moment, Malleus is looking at a "mirror" (a common motif in Twisted Wonderland) of himself, at someone who IS able to deal with reality, no matter how cruel or harsh it is to them or what joy reality deprives them of. They are both fiercely demonstrating their love for Lilia in just as fierce(ly) opposing ways.

Here is Silver, staring his master right in the face and declaring that the dream Malleus is forcing on them is twisted and wrong, and that he won't have Malleus violating the final request Lilia made to them: to see him off with a smile. This dream isn't what Silver's father wanted, so he's willing to defy even his lord and make himself go through saying good-bye to Lilia to see that the wish is fulfilled. The nature of Silver’s UM even stands in direct opposition to Malleus’s. Silver is, quite literally, the sword to Malleus (the dragon).

WHAT'S CRAZY IS YOU CAN HEAR SILVER'S VOICE CRACKING BEFORE HE REJECTS THE DREAM'S VERY TEMPTING OFFER. Silver even confesses that he would like nothing more than to take Lilia's hand and to live out the rest of their lives together. It would be so, so, SO easy for him to embrace this convenient world where all his dreams come true and his father never leaves. But Silver would rather take the hard route and live "awake" being aware of life's difficulties and experiencing pain than live in denial and blissful ignorance (a route which Malleus has chosen to pursue). That's the thing with book 7; Malleus may technically BE "awake", but in reality he's (metaphorically) still dreaming, because he's constantly averting his eyes away from the truth, from reality, and from genuinely "waking".

... Anyway, that was all to say that I think Malleus is more upset that it's Silver--someone whom he has an established relationship and extensive history with, someone who is so alike him yet also different in very glaringly obvious ways--opposing him instead of another person.

[r-0-x-4-s]

epic: the musical ranking to my likings (to be updated every album release!)

God Games - i think i died the first time i heard Aphrodite, all the gods, its such a fun song, i love Athena

No Longer You - prophecy song and foreshadowing 🔝 just my vibe

Just a Man - the man, the legend, the myth, would feel like a crime not putting it in the top 3

My Goodbye - i can feel Athena's and Ody hearts break, i love singing along, "You're Just a Man" chorus... chills! i love Athena pt. 2

Scylla - i love evil women doing evil shit "Drown in your sorrows and fears!!!" 💃YAS QUEEN, Eurylochus' coming out+ "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES" yeah epic survival song

Suffering - i love evil women doing evil shit pt. 2, the love Ody has for Penelope>>>, such a funny song to sing along, "Penelope, why, You know I'm too shy 👉👈"

Done For - CIRCE!!! i love evil women doing evil shit pt. 3, i love circe

Wouldn't You Like - every God song is such a banger, hermes is a delight and i love his zany laughter

Ruthlessness - finally the Ocean Saga shows up! (no i totally didnt fear to write down this word *hides in dyslexic cave* i feel always proud if i can pronounce it right first try) this song is very much a slay

Remember Them - chills

Survive - yeah epic survival song pt. 2, aot vibes, i love how this one and polyphemus are attached, true epicness

Keep Your Friends Close - silly song i love with my whole heart, Aeolous is so cute!!

There Are Other Ways - CIRCE!! i love her!!

Little Wolf - why does Antino sound so good and suave, i always imagined him like a disgusting pig <3, i love Athena pt. 3

Thunder Bringer - Zeus has such a distant regal vibe, the "But we'll die/ I know" HEART BREAKING

Warrior of the Mind - a classic, maybe The Classic, i love Athena pt. 4

The Horse and the Infant -SUCH A GREAT OPENING OF THE ALBUM!! first look at zeus and so many greek "heroes" mentions!!

We'll Be Fine - Athena and Telemachus!! just this, she's not the Step-Aunt... she's the Aunt who stepped up!!! i love Athena pt. 5

Open Arms - Such a hawaiian shirt song fr fr

Puppeteer - it took me some time to warm up to it (cus of the rap, i don't listen to it usually) BUT ITS SO SILLY!!

Polyphemus - I really like the middle to end part, when Ody tries to talk his way out of the cave, and the end connecting to Survive its what we call a slay

Luck Runs Out - maybe i just dont really like the Ocean Saga lol, tho this song is very very cool, (remember seeing it in lmk video and thats what forced me to listen to the epic musical in full) before anyone comes for me THIS SONG IS GOOD BUT I LIKE EVERYTHING ABOVE IT MORE

Love in Paradise - CALYPSO IS SO GOOD!??? tho apart from her verses i don't really like anything else :(

The Underworld - everytime i get reminded Full Speed Ahead exists a part of my soul dies, tho right after "Bye, Mom" THE SONG BECOMES ONE OF MY FAVES

Monster - i think this is the song i quote the most irl, i think its low just cus its too fast for me to sing along 😭 and also its less iconic than The Underworld

Legendary - i like this a lot! such a good "I Want" Disney type song!

Mutiny - now im wondering if i should put this higher, but the problem is that (apart from the last 3 and the top 4) EVERY SONG IS INTERCHANGABLE, THEY ARE ALL GREAT IN THEIR WAY

Full Speed Ahead - the bane of my existência, i skip it 50% of the times, still has great moments like Polited and "Penelope is waiting for me"

Different Beast - the bane of my existência pt. 2, always a skip, unless im in the shower, then i would sing along while >:(

Storm - the bane of my existência pt. 3, ALWAYS A SKIP, IF IM IN THE SHOWER I GET OUT TO SKIP IT, IF STORM HAS NO HATERS IM DEAD

[mykpopwire]

exclusive interview: BANG YONGGUK shares moments from 'III' US TOUR 2024, challenges, future plans and more.

Q: Congratulations on completing your ‘III’ The US TOUR 2024! How did you feel to successfully wrapped up a full month of concert?

I want to say thank you so much to the fans who gave me so much inspiration and love. Without them, I couldn't carry out the schedule. It felt like we performed together in every performance.

Q: What was it like during the tour? Any moments that you want to share with fans?

I sang all the songs on my new album live. It was just released, and it was really special that so many people sang it together. These were moments where I felt deeply in my heart how much they loved me and my music.

Q: You’ve been to Europe, Asia, America, almost all over the world. Did you perform differently each time or did you try to convey the same experience?

Usually, I make one chapter of setlist for a tour. I think I naturally take the ending and encore songs according to the atmosphere of each city or country. After a year-long tour, we prepare a new set list from the next year. That's why I think I put a lot of time and thought into making a set list for the tour.

Q: Can you describe the atmosphere and vibe of your tour that will make people want to attend again and again?

It's hard to fill up the entire 2 hours by myself. I think it's a special moment that the fans fill the empty space on the stage together. I'm not a good speaker, so I'm going to sing at least one more song live rather than a comment. I feel like I'm performing together with the fans. I think that creates an atmosphere where my performances become special.

Q: Performing every other day must have been challenging for you. How do you keep your energy and voice healthy throughout the tour?

It's not easy. This time, there were performances that I was not in good condition, and there were moments when I blamed myself. I refrain from going out as much as possible and stay inside the hotel only before the performance. I only take a light walk when I go outside. It's important to save energy and prevent other illnesses. Sometimes, my manager comes to check if I'm alive, and I think it's the only time I've met someone. Unfortunately, that's how I keep myself in good shape and protect myself throughout the tour. (laughs)

Q: What should we look forward to from your next plan?

I'm preparing for a new project in summer, and I've been planning it slowly since the U.S. The moment I came back to Korea after the tour, I haven't had a day off yet.

Q: In the future, when people look back at Bang Yongguk and the music you’ve made, is there a certain way you would like it to be seen or remembered?

I like to hear that Bang Yongguk's music is like Bang Yongguk. If people remember me as an artist who has his own style, regardless of the chart rankings and album sales, I think my career has succeeded just by hearing that. That's why I make music.

Q: To all your fans and listeners who wants to know and learn more about Bang Yongguk, what is the best way for them to do so?

I hope you listen to my first full-length album, "BANGYONGGUK." I think you'll know more about me. And I don't think I'll be able to make an album like that in the future. (laughs)

Listen to Bang Yongguk's "BANGYONGGUK" here!

Q: Thank you so much for spending some time with MY K-POP WIRE! Any last words to your fans?

I would like to express my love and respect to the fans who always give us a lot of love. Please continue to show your interest and support for that way I will show as an artist,  Bang Yongguk. I will be back. Thank you.

*photo courtesy of YY Entertainment

Don’t forget to like, follow and subscribe to MY K-POP WIRE for more K-Pop interview, debut, comeback and event updates!

X (Twitter): mykpopwire

Instagram: mykpopwire

TikTok: mykpopwire

Facebook: MY K-POP WIRE

YouTube: MY K-POP WIRE

Connect with BANG YONGGUK!

X (Twitter): @BAP_Bangyongguk

Instagram: bangstergram

YouTube: BANG YONGGUK

Soundcloud: BANG YONGGUK 

[dragonflight203]

Some thoughts as I replay Mass Effect 1:

-Hackett is one of the ones to recommend Shepard as a spectre. No wonder he feels comfortable calling them up for missions through the game. He probably feels Shepard owes them a few.

-One of Joker's first lines is that he doesn't like having spectres on board. That tune changes quite quickly.

-The game eases into aliens. For the few couple of hours the player only interacts with humans and one turian. Another turian is shown in a cutscene. Geth, which are basically advanced robots, are enemies you can kill without guilt. It's not until the citadel that the game really embraces alien diversity. Bioware's wariness on how comfortable players would be about aliens shows very clearly.

-During the Eden Prime drop scene Kaidan is the one to ask about survivors. Of course he is. Kaidan, you paragon.

-Everyone learned about aliens in school. Everyone is an adult. First contact was 30 odd years ago. How exactly did the curriculum get updated so quickly that everyone learned about this in school? Bioware, your timelines make me cry.

-Manuel definitely got hit by the beacon at some point. Interesting that he also saw Saren, but his speech is so confusing no one realizes he's talking about a second turian.

-Nihlus may feel differently about humans than Saren, but he is Saren's student. He skipped all the survivors and made a beeline to the beacon. He's not cruel, but he is efficient. The beacon is the priority.

-Nihlus, we hardly knew ya. Every time I replay it's always surprising how short his screen time is. And those faces when he interacts with Saren... Bioware did a very good job on making him nonhuman but still recognizably expressive. The difference in facial expressions between ME1 and MEA are light years.

-Benezia is clearly used to Saren's tantrums. She dodged like it's something she does on a regular basis.

-Kaidan, about informing the Council about Saren: "Makes sense. They'd probably like to know he's not working for them anymore." Love this man.

-Kaidan only gets migraines. Having experienced one recently, that's a big only. And he's soldier that's frequently in combat. I hope the future has excellent pain killers.

-For this playthrough I'm planning to have Tali and Liara as companions, so I'm skipping everything on the Citadel that isn't necessary or unique to the first visit until I pick them up. It makes the game feel quite different. I usually spend hours on the Citadel during my first visit; this time I'm leaving quite quickly.

-Pallin's skepticism about humanity makes more sense when Harkin is considered. Harkin was the first human in C-Sec, he's corrupt as hell, and humanity did a lot behind the scenes to protect him. Pallin's big on following the law no matter what. No wonder he's not impressed by humanity.

-Anderson has extreme tunnel vision about Saren. From the minute he's mentioned he's convinced Saren's behind it and he's doing it solely out of hatred of humanity. He repeatedly brings this up.

Meanwhile, in the game I get the vibe that Saren doesn't care about humanity too much. He doesn't like them, he might antagonize them if the opportunity comes up, but they're not worth the bother to put actual effort into tormenting. Humanity just isn't that important to him.

-Love those silent interactions between council members where they just look at each other. Again, the difference between ME1 and MEA is stark.

-Going by the Geth core Tali retrieved, Saren considers Eden Prime a victory. The tantrum he threw indicates otherwise. Does he really consider it a victory, or is that just a speech he gave to motivate the Geth?

-At this time, I'm not convinced Anderson believes in the Reapers. He still thinks it's Saren, he just doesn't think it's worth debating Shepard on it.

-I genuinely like Udina as a character. I'd hate to be around him, but he's determined to do a good job, pragmatic, and truly devoted to humanity. Also nice to have someone around who pushes back against Shepard. ME3 wastes him.

-Garrus mentions that he rose in the ranks through C-Sec. What was his actual rank? Detective or the like, I presume. Pallin knows who he is, and that's impressive considering the number of officers there are. Even with Castis as a father.

-Tali mentions Quarian overseers to the Geth when speaking to Shepard. The game definitely pushes the slavery parallels with the Geth, even in ME1. "Overseer" is not the first term I'd use for supervising machinery. Or maybe that's the American cultural bias showing through.

-Everyone info dumps in ME1. Everyone. Enjoyable, but a bit exhausting at the start of the game when it feels continuous.

-Liara in ME1 is a completely different character than in ME2 and ME3. I'm hesitant to consider the change natural growth. It's a shame, because ME1 Liara has quite a bit of potential. They didn't need to rework her character for the later games.

-First time playing on Insanity, and I'm surprised at the lack of trouble I've had so far. Everyone says the battle with the krogan at the end of Therum is difficult, but I only died once. I might regret this later, when I get to the Uncharted worlds...

Edit: Fix spellings

[my-castles-crumbling]

HIYA CAS ❤️ It’s wolfstar anon!!!!!! Remember me? Guess what? ME AND CLARA ARE DATING NOW! 

So turns out she’s had a massive crush on me for ages. Which, you know, seems obvious in hindsight. 

So imma just tell u what’s happened and then like- the adivce I need. Cool? 

SO BASICALLY I’ve been tryna keep outta my house over the summer cause my parents work from home and it’s not civilised, so I usually go out and chill with my mates. 

SO like two weeks ago (we’ve hung out a lot these are just the important ones okay?) I text Clara and ask if it’s cool for me to drop by cause it’s like 9am and she’s usually still asleep, but she texts back that she’s awake cause she’s got these awful period cramps (being a person with a uterus can fucking suck right?) so I go to her place, it’s past town so I pick up some of those like heat up pad thingys that stick to you cause she likes tho and said they were out and obviously snacks and then, because she’s in pain and i’m a sucker, watch Taylor Swift videos and the Era Tour with her (AGAIN). 

Nothing against Taylor just not my vibe. Also i’ve watched it with Clara SO MANY TIMES cause she loves it that I know like every song. 

Anyway, we’re sat in her room watching it and I realise that i’m being a fucking idiot. I always forget to consider romance just cause- idk it doesn’t occur to me 😭 BUT Clara is amazing and also, I need to chill. She’s my friend most of all, I should just TALK to her. 

ANYWAYS so last week I got my head out my arse and told her about what i’d been thinking about, and she admitted she DOES LIKE ME, and has for a while. 

Sometimes I feel like i’m not being as genuine as other people you know? Like, Clara has fancied me for a while and I didn’t even notice? And I don’t really know how I feel. I just find romance and stuff like that so hard, because it’s never been THAT important to me. 

But now it is because it’s Clara.

I didn’t ask her out until like three days ago. After we talked last week, I told her that her admitting she likes me won’t fuck with our friendship, but that I have like no idea how i’m feeling so i’d get back to her, but in the meantime she can vibe and know that we’re cool.

And I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Like how am I supposed to know if I fancy her or not? Sure I do things for her I wouldn’t do for other people, because I care more, but maybe i’m just a dick to other people? I DONT KNOW CASSSSS. 

Look so like three days ago I decided to ask her out so that I could know. 

And we had an amazing date and it felt like nothing i’ve felt before but I felt guilty at the end cause it was like I was using her.  So I admitted I had no clue how I was feeling, and that I never get crushes on people first cause I never feel like that until I start feeling like that and I think maybe I always had a crush on her and mixed it up with friendship and how i’m a mess she should probably stay away from.

And then she told me she knows i’m a mess because she asked me out last year and we went on a whole date and she kissed my cheek and then I DIDNT REALISE IT FUCKING A DATE 😭

So… yeah. You’re now updated :)

Long story short, we’re dating and i’m hopefully not a dick ❤️

Also how the fuck do you know the difference between friendship and- not? Like, more? I feel like no one’s taught me EMOTIONS correctly 😭

Wow I am SOOOOOO SHOCKED :P

But for real as far as our question, this is a difficult one. Personally, I see more than friendship as someone who I care deeply about but also who I want deep intimacy with. Someone who I want in my future, but someone who I also crave closeness with in all ways. But some people don’t like certain types of intimacy for whatever reason and still feel romantic feelings, so people see romance differently depending on who it is.

I think honestly, you should give it a shot. If it starts to feel wrong, communicate that. Say you love her but just as a friend! Just keep the lines of communication open and be honest, that’s the best thing you can do 🥰

[spaceyaceface]

Ace's HL Writing Challenge

Well folks, we did it!!! After five long years, this blog has reached 1,100 followers, which is amazing!!! As a thank you, I wanted to celebrate your talent by doing a Hogwarts Legacy writing challenge! More inforamation under the cut :)

How it will work:

I'm keeping it pretty simple. The rules are down below. To sign up, simply send me an ask with the prompt number and character/ship you'll be writing for. For now, we'll do just one person per a prompt, but that may change depending on how much participation there is.

When you've written your work, just post here on tumblr and tag me! I'll be reblogging each of the works that are submitted and giving positive feedback!

The rules:

Must be focused on characters from Hogwarts Legacy. AUs, adding OCs, etc, is more than welcome, but make sure that it involves characters from the game.

That being said, it can be ANY characters from the game! It can be x reader/MC, ships of two characters from the game, or not have any romance and just the dynamics of different characters. Whatever tickles your fancy!

Please, no NSFW or smut. Keep things PG-13 for this one :)

No word limits---just have fun!

You don't need to use the exact prompt in your work. You can do so if you choose, or rephrase it, or just go off of vibes alone lol.

The Prompts:

I will keep this updated for what prompts are/aren't available. All of these are song lyrics, and a playlist of all the songs used is available down below :)

"I was never one for short endings or cheap goodbyes." @shiinzhon

2. "I still don't know how to get to you." @talesofesther Sebastian x Reader

3. "I hear a storm is coming in--My dear, is it all we've ever been?"

4. "You go to find another place for your sun to shine."

5. "For the record, I've made my hell."

6. "I will wait for you, though I can't wait forever."

7. "Let's dance until the sun aches, love until our bones break." @shadowtriovibes Sebastian x MC

8. "Expectation is the currency of fools, and I spent it on you." @boomingsmile

9. "Now I feel like I'm finally me."

10. "I pretended I could read your thoughts, now it's just the truth."

11. "I'm in love when you're around."

12. "Can you hold on just for a little while longer?"

13. "I lost you when I lost me."

14. "I've done so many things wrong, I don't know if I can do right."

15. "A man can never dream these kinds of things."

16. "If I shut my eyes, will you appear? Because I'm not me without you here."

17. "Lonely are the ones who fall from love."

18. "One look and it all falls down."

19. "Even while you hold me as I cry on the floor, I still don't know how to be yours."

20. "If you're leaving I gotta know why."

21. "All my emotions feel like explosions when you're around."

22. "I want to find a home and I want to share it with you." @shadowtriovibes MC x TBD

23. "I like you, say it back."

24. "How can I be the boy you dream about?” @ravenelyx Sebastian x MC

25. "Just so easy when the whole world fits inside of your arms."

26. "I hope I'm not the last of what the world gave you.”

27. "We thought love was something we weren't meant to find."

28. “I was afraid to let it happen, but now I cannot forget it.”

29. "I could cut my hands on your edges, but I won't pull away."

30. "I swore that I'd become a better man for you and I tried." @sallow-tales Sebastian x MC

31. "I usually hate these cliches, but loving you feels that way." @eggymf

32. "The funny thing about love is it makes you wait."

33. "It's hard to find an end to something that you keep beginning." @localravenclaw - Sebastian x f!MC

34. "It happened when I least expected it." @finalgirllx

35. "And we wait until one of us caves." @emptycauldron

Playlist link

[mikeylivesattheend]

Hi, I love Red Hood, Dimension Travel & Time Travel fics. Here are a 5 I enjoy that aren't immediately showing up if you sort by kudos on A03, basically. Don't forget to look at the tags! A lot of these have dark/angsty themes.

___

The Passing There by Ginevra_Benci

Dimension Travel, incomplete, 15k

Jason Todd awoke one morning from troubled dreams and found himself transformed into a monstrous—

No. God, he wished.

Metamorphosis, he could have handled. An easy fix. Hell, magic insect transformation was practically an everyday occurrence, in Gotham.

Just… not in this Gotham.

***

Jason Todd awakes one morning in a Gotham that “doesn’t like chaos”, and finds his feet.

I love the writing style here, it's updating regularly, and the plot is interesting without being too complicated.

This is the only incomplete fic here btw.

PLUTO. by Orpheusaki

Dimension Travel, complete, 22k

"I kill so others don't have to," Bruce states firmly and clearly. This entire situation didn't seem like it could get any more bizarre, what with Bruce sitting in the dark and polishing guns, but somehow it just has, "While you are here you will not kill."

Jason's throat is scratchy and dry with terror, but the insatiable feeling of being talked over and disregarded is a fresh wound. He can't back down from this if he tried, "I've killed. I still kill. Who the fuck do you think you are to stop me?"

Bruce gently sets down his gun, and picks up the blade beside him with practised ease. Jason's blood runs cold when the man wearing his father's face says, "You will die by my hand if you try."

(Jason meets a version of Bruce who has manifested his fears very differently.)

Honestly if you haven't read any of Orpheusaki's fics you should- immediately. I love fics that explore Bruce killing, and the vibes are so so right here.

This author also has another AMAZING dimension travel fic but it's abandoned I think so I cannot rec it in good conscience, sorry 😭

ghosts by roseworth

Time Travel, complete, 5k

Steph startled as a kid in a bright Robin costume jumped onto the roof in front of them.

A Robin costume she had only seen inside a glass case. A mop of curls she had only seen in pictures.

This was fucking Jason Todd.

Shit.

-

(Robin!Steph and Bruce get sent back in time to when Jason was alive. Everyone has some realizations.)

Chef's kiss, Steph gets to see Jason & learn what he was like. Not super long, but it's great

Sisyphus by EventualToast

Time Travel, complete, 8k

"Jason Todd is, for the second time in his life, sixteen years old, mortally wounded and trapped in a coffin. And this time, he takes in all the details that scream it’s reality. In his memories, he can always see the white of the silk, feel the worms crawling through his skin, even though neither of those things were possible. Now, he’s in sterile darkness. He needs to get out of here."

Or Jason and Essence get stuck in an infinite timeloop.

I love love love fics that use Jason's All Caste backstory & the time travel is wonderful. I've reread this like 5 times ngl

Ad Infinitum; Modified by familiarities (twistsandturns)

Time Travel, complete, 9k

Tim is hunched over his computer, bouncing between a report for B (Batman, not Bruce) and a spreadsheet for B (Bruce, not Batman) when Jason stumbles into the cave. If it weren’t for the fact that Jason had been in a somewhat good mood lately, Tim probably would have been a little more concerned about this fact. Still, it’s weird when, instead of ignoring Tim’s existence like he usually does, Jason walks over to him directly and says, “I'm in a time loop and I don't know why. Fix it."

The outsider pov on a time loop is so well done, and I love seeing Jason change from afar

___

Uhh yeah that's it. I've read a lot more than these, but there are better rec lists to get those. These are just ones that tickle my brain. A lot of these authors are on Tumblr too, so thats neat.

[usagiverse]

Am I? Wow thanks for the welcome, and for that I noticed my username, was little weird read the name lol, but is fine call me Nerish.

I think you have a very adorable and cool drawing style, I really like how they all look so fluffy, and I think the expressions are really good. I want a Yuichi axolotl plush.

About the timeline, the antagonist make me feel curious if it's focused on the turtles enemies in which case it might refer more to Big Mama or Draxum, if it's Usagi Yojimbo I just think of Jei, if it's Space Usagi I think of Akira, losing that hand must have been a more satisfying scene than it actually was.

But, yes I meant more like Princess Miya (lovely name), the magical girls gave me Madoka Magica vibes, just me? I just can't with the designs are so pretty.

For the Usagis I hope they can fix their things, I understand the Miyamoto's POV, but how feels Yuichi? i'm just curious, for now I stop here, also goodluck with your anon doesn't eat the other user, your last update of princess Miya was most adorable, I think like Raph I want to put myself on the waitlist.

Nerish.. of course you're one of my earliest followers... (everyone is!)

Oh yes, an Axolotl Yuichi plush would be so good! And very sensory appealing, with his fin-like ears and cheeks. Yes. I want one too... For the timeline, I did just answer an ask about potential characters which do include potential villains! I have not yet read Space Usagi, but that might be an interesting one.. yes.. -takes notes- We'll see Neko Ninjas, Big Mama, (I don't think Draxum would fit well into the story, since he's a Yokai extremist-- he would have no reason to attack or prey on the people he swears to protect), the Krang will make an appearance in terms of the bad future from the movie (What are the Usagis up to in that time? How did they handle the Krang?) and yeah, you know, some of the feudal lords like Hebi and Hikiji, Jei, and some other stuff. It might be cool. Final Question : How Does Yuichi Feel? Well, at first, it seemed fine. Miyamoto (8) asks Yuichi (30) if he will be his sensei. Mizuki and Shuji are supportive, after all it's the Usagi way, so they tell their kid to ask Yuichi. Shuji thinks his brother is a much better samurai anyway. Miyamoto looks up to his uncle because of this fact (he adores his father as well) and this is when the two of them are the closest.

-- Miyamoto (9) watches Yuichi and Shuji (31) leave one day before scheduled training. Miyamoto is a little less than a year into his training, but he still isn't allowed to go on these particular errand runs with the twins. They are usually quick about it, but also extremely careful. Maybe when Miyamoto has more training, he can join them.

-- Some time has passed, and Yuichi (33) seems.. different. Maybe it's the bandage over his eye. The now open wound. The warm blood dripping down his face. Maybe it's the faces that Miyamoto (11) makes. Maybe it's the fabric on his skin, making him feel clammy. Claustrophobic. Annoyed. Panicked. Something is wrong. A voice in his head echoes the thoughts he relayed to his nephew. Miyamoto is doing his best, working as hard as he can, trying to get better, trying to please his Uncle. Why is he so different now? Miyamoto doesn't understand. He's in disbelief, he's angry and frustrated.

Being the oldest is hard. The weight of the world sits on your shoulders, and it's a task that even the strongest Samurai can't handle. But he has to. He has to protect his family, but he needs to teach Miyamoto. If he fails as a Sensei, then he's failed as an Uncle. A Brother. A Son. A Samurai. With Miyamoto's sudden disappearing habits, Yuichi is scared of what will happen if Miyamoto doesn't come back. Would he be the reason his brother no longer has a son? He would fail his family. He would have no honor. It's a crushing thought.

[tinysweetnight]

Thinking about it. Might as well do a world-building updates once in a while, just talking.

So what’s TinySweetNight up too? Let me tell you about it in small bullet lists containing updates about each world I have (if can be applied).

Vivarium

Newest world-building project to date. I seriously haven’t actually created a world I plan to stick with since STC and Pantheon like.. 4 years ago? I think Pantheon might be older but that is debatable if you go by which has the oldest character.

This world is like a perfect balance of interests for me personally, it’s an alchemist steampunk world that has almost like a Jim Henson crossed with treasure planet vibe. Homunculi, stained glass windows, bright open skies, and a bit of evil science.

First time I am experimenting with standard fantasy races like Elves, Orcs, Dwarves, etc.

I’ll have to dedicate a post solely for this because it’ll take me a while to explain the magic system here.

Pantheon

Everyone gets animal hands!!! And also an animal form unless your Calypso. I think this ties things better than having very strange specific rules about everything, this is supposed to be fairytale-like. Plus I should make the gods stronger.

Maybe removing Kostas and Aegeus. I love those suckers but, again, they make things too overly complicated and their influence has only been in backstory stuff, never in the main story- besides from a small one-off story with Mars, heir to Alynth. But I think I can remove them if I just say magic is just a bitch like that, monsters are might be Locke’s fault since he’s the god of magic. (But oh, Aegeus banter headcanons are so so funny) I would also have to figure out a different skill set for Charis if I do remove them.

Hydra finally got a title, aka what they were supposed to be the god of. Judgement!

Maverick is still not a catboy and never will be a catboy.

STC

Honestly, still pretty burnt out from this. Everything doesn’t seem.. good. Too edgy. Maybe I’m growing out of aahhhh blood, gore, fun spooks, etc. That usually doesn’t bother me as I’m a fan of campy slashers, but all the time it feels like the characters aren’t acting right. I can’t get them right when I think about them or plan anything with them, especially pertaining to Zstlo. There’s too much I want him to be but it’s all conflicting.

Maybe there is too much stuff going on in the STC, but that’s the point since it’s my sandbox do what I want, I’m not limiting myself to rules world. I have been thinking of boxing storylines into named stories so I can better manage everything.

But there is also the side that everyone else.. seems to like it way more than me. Maybe because I interact with people way more about it, and I found that people seem to like it way more than Pantheon because you get these crazy cool ideas, the setting itself is awesome, and the characters I come up with are cool in concept. But idk. I wish Pantheon or I hope Vivarium gets the same attention. Maybe it’s because Pantheon is more of a story than a setting other people can mess around in. Idk how Vivarium will turn out.

Outlander that is physically apart of the STC and rips open reality.

WhatsMyFace? Added.

Shepard got edgier but same problem as Zstlo.

[welcometojackass2022]

M (the boy) and I got dinner again yesterday and it was LOVELY so here’s an update now that it seems he may actually have feelings for me and is just incredibly scared because he’s never had a relationship before and might be scared of ruining our friendship:

Okay so first off, he doesn’t wanna risk making me go somewhere I don’t like so even when I tell him to pick he’ll still say three or four places and make me pick the one we actually go to. This time I picked a restaurant on our campus and we went there around 7:30! There was a big crowd and he was all nervous so we ordered online, got a table, I grabbed our food for both of us and then when we were filling our drinks and getting ketchup he clung to me like a kid clinging to his mom LMAO. He looked so lost when I went back to our table before he’d grabbed his ketchup. Anyway we sat at the table and talked until 10ish and it was a VERY good time. The energy felt different than usual, like we were closer and more intimate than before and neither of us felt the need to tone ourselves down. One thing about him that really came out yesterday is how unbelievably protective and worried he can get. I mentioned I have a tendency to get dizzy easily and have been exhausted a lot lately and he got concerned and googled anemia symptoms. Turns out I have all but 2 of the main symptoms. At that point he basically BEGGED me to start taking iron supplements and when I made a joke about not wanting to spend money he very sincerely said he’d happily pay for them himself if they’d make me feel better. (I ended up getting them today and he was happy I did!) he was also concerned cuz I’ve lost a lot of weight recently, and because I threw up Saturday morning from nausea due to not eating much the previous days.

He also gets worried for me in emotional ways. I was talking about an ex-friend of mine who’s a guy. M already dislikes this guy cuz he knows he treated me pretty bad and yesterday he really went in on him, saying nothing would ever make him like that guy in the slightest because of how disgusted he is about how he treated me and said how much of a piece of shit that guy is for trying to project a certain image onto me and for lovebombing me and then getting pissed when I just wanted to be friends. It was nice to hear. M’s the only guy who’s never objectified me or made me uncomfortable or insulted me/was mean to me as a “joke”. We discussed childhood hospital visits, us wanting to potentially go on a trip together some time, and how we both want to marry someone who has goals in life and actually wants to do something meaningful. He also complimented my writing skills cuz he knows I want to pursue writing as a career.

Interestingly enough, yesterday was also the first time I’ve ever heard him make dirty jokes! I had mentioned that me and one of my friends love dirty jokes, and after I said that he made a few. One about getting his cherry popped (not literally, he’s more of a Virgin than I am and that’s saying something), one about people who like to be choked, and at one point he said “pussy” which shocked me cuz he won’t even say boobs, he says breasts. It was hilarious, and it was nice to see him be less serious with me than he is with most. I also mentioned that I “test” men to see if they have bad tempers or not, and he asked if I’d ever tested him and sincerely wanted to know if he’d ever done anything to make me worried he had a temper. I told him no, he’s never done anything to worry me (he hasn’t), and he seemed relieved. He also said he’s never been annoyed or frustrated with me, so that’s good. He has a strangely protective vibe, like he wants to take care of me and keep me safe. I like it.

Anyway, after we left the restaurant around 10pm, we walked back towards my building. He knows I love looking at posters around campus, so he purposefully took me on a path with plenty of posters and stopped to look at them with me. Any time I’d stop to look at bugs or pick up a piece of trash, he’d immediately notice I wasn’t walking with him, turn to look for me, and then patiently watch me do whatever I was doing. Then he’d gently ask “all ready?” And I’d nod and walk back over to him and we’d keep walking. Usually we talk in front of his building, but mine was closer, so we stopped and talked there. We had a really funny conversation about tarot cards and zodiac signs where he made a couple of subtle jokes about tarot cards predicting that the two of us would be together or that he had appeared in my dreams (he actually has). We looked at bugs again and talked about whether we want to have our own rooms as married adults or not. At 10:40 he reminded me that I’d mentioned earlier that I had a paper I still needed to turn in by 11:59 (I’d totally forgotten), and then reminded me to take my medicine when I went back to my room. We hugged (super nice hug, I had on a tank top so there was a lot of skin to skin contact and I think the poor guy was a little hard. Plus I could feel his cheek pressed against my shoulder. Also this was in public so people could see us hugging for ten seconds straight lol), said goodnight, and that was that. Very sweet night. Felt good.

[spotsupstuff]

HOW are you so good at finding voice claims..give me ur power

JLKSDJSKLGJKCMK I LISTEN TO SHIT TON OF MUSIC I SUPPOSE? the more varied the better! from all over the world and as far into the years as possible and then the usual stuff like watching some videos, remembering shows that i used to like...

the Main thing i try to do when looking for voice claims is have an idea of what the characters main theme is. Disdain is an interesting case cuz i've gone thru three voices for her before settling on The One!

the key ideas with Disdain are: ghosts, england, tragedy, drowned victim, that specific ghostly blue/green which all come originally from This one. the song came first, character later

made Disdain a design and listened to this song while intensely looking at her face. figured out that this voice is too soft and too... royal, i suppose

so i focused at the song itself. it carries the specific Disdain™ vibes that i wish to respect and heed. the song is the foundation so i went on spotify and looked through the different covers of it. the Second version i landed on was this one

not bad but mmm.... lets look through some more versions. so i came to the Acapella Onion one

it was a comparison game between the two for a bit, staring into Disdain's face for like ten more minutes and then went with the Onion one because i like that it's more Brisk. a part of Disdain's thing is that she is very decisive. she wants Yes or No to her yes or no questions, she rarely uses words like "maybe" or "probably". when she Says something, she says it with Conviction. it's like a verbal karate chop to the throat. a karate chop is a fast, brisk thing, so the Onion version fits much better because of that

another reason why it's better is that it's less fancy, it's just voice and white noise, the way of speaking is more stripped/direct. interesting thing about Disdain's clothes design is that it's rather simple- her dress looks like a peasant one rather than something more worthy for a God. googling "england folk dress", you're gonna see some detailed glorious things, i could've taken inspiration There, but chose not to

so my voice claim choosing includes consideration of the personality, main theme of the design/character's story and the finalized design itself

i showed this new voice claim vid to my partner Just Now basically and he told me "you know, i feel like i would accept any voice that you would put on them" and like yeah, voice claims aren't really much of a rigid thing, you can be rather free with them. whether they fit to the character's face or not is a -so so gesture- way of going about it

so i quickly put together Zephyr's old (MALINDA) and updated (Zdenka Tichotová) voice claim

said he liked the old claim better! the thing is though that he doesn't really know Zephyr as a person

Zephyr didn't originate from a song like Disdain did. Zephyr originated from a historical religiously important person and bravery itself. she has a freer range of places to choose from compared to Disdain's tunnel vision of My Jolly Sailor Bold covers

originally i chose Malinda because Zephyr is supposed to be a mix of French and Irish inspired and the singer covers and knows a lot about Irish tunes. the protion of song chosen Feels like freedom, from singing in Irish to just belting out a single tone straight from the heart. it sounds like defiance. that's what Zephyr is about

the thing is that i listened to some more Malinda stuff later, trying to imagine Zephyr singing it and well... Malinda is originally an American person. the curse of successful Americans rears its head again in the form of superficiality/faked Booming emotions and annoying pride (not sayin that every American has this but... the successful ones especially are so so likely to fall to it) and my Gods Zephyr can't have something like that stapled to her. she's supposed to be genuine and simple

so i went searching for something that is more anchored in humanity/the earth. when i want something like That i usually head either to my childhood or my czechoslovak spotify playlist jgslkgjklsd

Zdenka Tichotová has worked with Nedvedovci in folk-gospel band Spirituál Kvintent in the 70s and 80s. Nedvedovci often sung and wrote songs mourning not enough love in the world. or about freedom of the people here back when we had Lords here but also for example about freedom from the censorship of the Soviets. they are incredibly grounded and covered in the humane and miss Tichotová was bound to follow along with them

THAT's what i wanted for Zephyr more than anything. the fact that one could argue miss Tichotová's voice is "imperfect", not smooth, has traces of age in it makes it *even* better. because it sounds genuine. it's not some studio's idea of mechanical perfect, the One Good Take that then goes through editing and autotune and what not, it's Real and Honest

so that is also what i consider when choosing voice claims for my guys- some history of the voice, what the character symbolizes...

hope this helps at least a lil!!!

[claraxbarton]

You might have answered this before, BUT I’m a recent follower and curious ok!! Generally speaking, what is your writing process like? I’m genuinely so impressed by how many different fics you’ll have going simultaneously and they’re all updated SO frequently. AND THEY’RE ALL SO GOOD?? Like do you have vague plans/outlines or drafts that you expand on/edit? Your accountability post will mention writing a few thousand words and then there’s an update the same day and it’s written so well lmao it blows my MIND bc it seems like you just come up with the plot on the fly and then casually write a lil masterpiece after work like it’s nbd. All of this to say I appreciate your work so much ♥️

<3

So uh, to start off with, I'm guessing when you say you recently started following me, you're probably just reading my HRPF fics? I SAY that/ask that because I've bounced through a few fandoms and I kind of go back and forth between being VERY prolific and finishing up projects and kind of... losing steam.

To be fair to me and not to scare anyone off, before this year I have, for the last decade and change, been juggling two full time jobs, part time work, childcare and a lot of volunteer work PLUS trying to write so like, I'm cutting myself some slack on abandoned projects. Because I'm finally down to 1 full time job and 1 part time gig that is only during the summer. I will ALSO say, in December I switched meds for my anxiety/depression so I'm on a new dose, new meds for the first time in 5 years and I do think that's been really impactful in a positive way.

SO, exposition and TMI out of the way:

I wish I could say I had a really clear process that I follow every time, but I don't want to lie. I create docs with notes - I'm thinking about including those as an epilogue chapter on the fics I'm currently working on, if anyone is interested in my scribbles aside from myself and my beta - and SOMETIMES I create outlines. A lot of the time, I will write a chapter or two and THEN create the outline? That's what happened with Gold Rush, but also with Gold Rush, I have already deviated from the outline like... a lot.

I'm trying to be way more chill with myself than I used to be. I was in this deep grind of forcing myself to be productive because that's where my value was (@kangofu-cb is a real one and has been trying to beat this out of me for years. Beating with love). And I'll be honest, being kinder to myself and putting less pressure is, like, so far, so good.

I usually have about, like... a dozen or so fic ideas in my head at any one time (@dwisp can attest to the DAILY messages of 'hear me out' as can @kangofu-cb), but I uh, I really feel 4 long fic is my simultaneous max.

I also have a problem with like, so if you DO want to read some of my not HRPF stuff, I think a good primer is the WinterhawkHood month I did in October with a fic a day, and the consistent issue is: I feel like I'm really good at creating a premise and that premise wants to exist beyond 2-5k. So longfic is probably the format to best tell the stories I want to tell, but, like, writing shorter fic is a lot of fun? That also does NOT answer your question.

Oh! MUSIC! It's so so so so important to my process. I used to put on specific artists, like really get into a singular vibe for a fic. But these days it's just my routine sleepy sad girl playlists (name coined by a former assistant and like she wasn't wrong). Which also probably explains how much sad sack Leon there is in my current fics. I should probably like, get some new playlists going...

Uh, in terms of like, my style/my ideas... so my professional life is theatre adjacent, and I think because of that, dialogue and THE INCITING INCIDENT are really important to me. So usually any fic idea forms around the kernal of the meet ugly and some choice words.

Like, for Gold Rush, I absolutely started from the idea of Leon being a bitch to the press and getting a text from an unknown number/Matthew and it just grew from there.

For Playing Favorites, I absolutely wanted to have former camboy Vince realize his new... work colleague??? Adam Larsson knew he was a former camboy. Which is funny because that moment happens in the middle of the fic (which I AM going to update again soon, y'all might vote consistently for Gold Rush in the polls but this weekend I think it's gotta be some love for my two Lars&Dunn fics).

For Northern Attitude, that inciting incident is, uh, about to occur in ch4 that I'm currently working on. And it's. Well. Yeah. So I got the idea for that 'scene' if you will first and then figured it out backwards?

For Wildfire that, too, has an inciting incident that has yet to make it into a chapter. But she's coming soon.

So really, only Gold Rush started as the beginning as far as ideas went for me? That said, I still START at the beginning when I write. I used to scribble down scenes and then piece them in, but I honestly found it constrained me more than anything else and I'm aware that doesn't make much sense.

I feel like this entire answer is a total nonanswer of me just blathering away. I hope at least part of this is what you wanted and uh... sincerely? Thank you for asking. It means a lot and like, my process is weird and inconsistent but I do genuinely love to talk about my writing.