#i love every character of course but she's always been particularly special to me tbh

[tuiyla]

I know you must be fed up with these type of questions but this really confuses me.Why did Finn get away with everything but not Rachel? They was both creators favs right? Yet Rachel always got called out and humiliated ( despite getting her way) yet finn didn’t do you think it was because he was a guy? We all know the writers was sexist

Bold of you to assume I'll ever get tired of calling out the writers' sexism and particularly their treatment of golden boy Finn 😌

Here's the thing: the fans so often treat Finn and Rachel as if the narrative had them on the same level. It didn't. Rachel was the main character if we had to say and the original three pillars of Glee were Will, Finn and Rachel but there's markedly a difference between how Finchel's characters were treated. The fans see Rachel get all the solos and overall, despite some bumps in the road, get everything she ever wanted, and think that equals Finn's infuriating never called out, never dealing with consequences treatment. I personally think they're very different in this way.

Was Rachel also treated in a special way, sure. But Finn is on this pedestal both in and out of universe, the popular kid who graces these losers with his light. I’m only slightly exaggerating in that. And yet Rachel, the main representative of our underdogs, is the one the show thinks needs humbling. I mean, she kinda does, but Finn is never treated like the other popular kids are. They’re all ~problematic~, bullies and shallow and etc. And make no mistake, Quinn does not get the Finn treatment and nor does Santana or Puck or really anyone else. Puck being the key ch here as another guy, who is treated overall better by the narrative imo but Finn’s pedestal seems like a special one here.

What I’m getting at is that, imo, it was only a sexism thing as much as it was a character type thing. Were they genderswapped and the main leads were a loser guy and a popular girl, idk how different it would have been. And that’s not me dismissing the very real fact that Finn got away with murder because he was a guy as that aspect of his character is part of why he was the golden boy to begin with. Again, look at how the Cheerios were constantly villainized for similar things. But maybe sexism doesn’t explain all of it? And tbh I feel like comparing Rachel to Finn doesn’t really tell us just how much he was favoure dby the writers. Because Rachel was as well but in more obvious and, dare I say, understandable aspects. She gets the most songs because Lea Michele gets the most songs. But Rachel also had so many more learning moments. And lest we forget, the show explicitly states many times that Finn is an oh so much better person than she is. All that despite the receipts of Finn’s actions.

Wow, this is getting away from me. So I’ll just add this: on a character and in-universe level, it strikes me how differently they reacted to accountability. And look, do I have a Rachel bias here? Of course, I love her and famously dislike Finn more every day. But when Rachel messes up the narrative treats it as such and she's told she sucks. She acknowledges her flaws, apologizes most of the time and shows such humanity. Rachel is very flawed and her flaws are such that she often treats others less than ideally, but she has these come back to earth moments. And Finn never really has that accountability, to the detriment of his character.

So, TL;DR: is it because he was a guy? Not just that. There’s a mountain of difference between Rachel’s and the other girls’ treatment, too. But his status as the popular guy, the “nice” guy does play a role. At the end of the day it’s just that the writers envisioned Rachel as a flawed character who needed humbling and Finn as someone who just needed a space to show how great he was, imo. In that sense, Rachel wasn’t as much of a favourite but it worked out better for her anyway.

[comradekatara]

a little baby mai for may 1st ❤️

[another-miracle]

Alright so I’ve been wanting to do this since forever but it’s Obiyuki week, and since I have nothing to show for it (oops), I’m going to make a post about some of the great Obiyuki content (and creators) this fandom has been so blessed with over the past few years. So here goes:

@sabraeal (check her out on AO3): Tbh, Jen’s writing is so very inspiring. I have never been more blessed to be a part of a fandom with someone as talented and down-to-earth as her. I feel like my writing has improved so much just from reading how she tells her stories. I remember I used to struggle a lot with story flow, and would get endlessly caught up in descriptors. Jen’s stories have shown me that you don’t have to stay there just to make your story pretty - you can use so many other things; dialogue, inner thoughts; to move your readers. So thank you Jen for your lovely fiction! Some of her stories that I love, love, love!!

Seven Suitors for Shirayuki: One of my first Obiyuki fics, and gosh I was completely blown away when I first read this. It’s like finding the ocean after years of puddle jumping (in the words of Sarah Kay) HAHA. Literally, I’ve never read such eloquent and lovingly-created fanfiction (and probably fiction) in my life. 

The Wide Florida Bay series: Let it never be said that modern AUs are cheesy. I remember being completely put off by the notion of having the characters I loved in a modern setting (because that’s not where the belonged!!) but Jen does it again with this modern AU that has me completely sold! This AU is so intricately crafted down to the last detail, I’m so in awe of how much it corresponds to canon. I also love love all the added elements to Obi (like his backstory (Bob and Gayle!!) and him joining in on the research as well!) Absolutely amazing!

Sensitive Negotiations: Ahhhh this is more of a guilty pleasure of mine because I’m a sucker for drunken confessions. Although not complete, it’s enough resolution to keep me happy hehe. I love how Jen has depicted how much Obi respects and loves his mistress, and protects her from the evil that is alcohol HAHA. ‘tis great and heartwarming and hilariously heart wrenching as well!

@bubblesthemonsterartist (check her out on AO3): JoannaaaAAAaaaaAAA (i.e. me screaming as I jump head first into her fics) Man, Joanna is so so so so good at writing angst and hurt/comfort. I absolutely adore that broken vulnerability that she portrays in her characters, and that strength that comes after healing. Her fics are some I always love to come back to when life gets hard and I need a good cry preceding a pick me up to move forward. Thank you Joanna!! Some special mentions:

Watchtower series: The second! fic I read as a virgin Obiyuki shipper (ew that sounds weird). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reread this series. There’s so much P A I N and it hurts so good. A very realistic continuation of canon that paints a background of how court life may be Too Much for plebeians like Shirayuki and Obi (haha) and a heartbreaking portrayal of broken relationships and betrayal between trusted ones. Gosh I’ve made it sound so depressing, but it actually turns out really great (all the newfound family feels!!!) Do check it out!

i am become death: this is just absolute poetry! It depicts one’s descent into madness, stopping short of losing oneself, and then finding meaning again. Brilliant imagery and a terribly chilling take on what-could-have-been a terrible Tanbarun arc if things went wrong. Superb!

I Should’ve Met You Yesterday: I fell completely in love with this AU. I mean put dad!Obi together with I-really-want-to-help-but-also-you’re-hot!Shirayuki (mostly dad!Obi tbh, haha) and you get a ridiculously adorable fic with a dash of pulling-at-your-heartstrings. So cute and so lovely. A must-read!

@ruleofexception (check her out on AO3): I feel like Beth (i hope I got your name right sobs - if not, I’m terribly sorry) was like a co-creator sister to me at one point. I remember this one time during one of the Obiyukiweeks (haha who am i kidding I only participated in the 2017 one), we ended up pretty invested in each other’s fics haha. Thank you for that wonderful dynamic - I really never experienced that in any fandom before :) 

Unwilling: Yup, this is the one I was talking about. I remember being so incredibly hyped up by it and wondering what would come next (it was when I went for an overseas conference too haha couldn’t concentrate oops) and being so happy that it was Obiyuki week and I would know what would happen the next day! I love love loved the descriptions used here, particularly the ones about the beast/monsters inside of Obi - just so beautiful!

Knowing You: this premise was so interesting and adorable. But also if I had a voice in my head, I would really think I was going crazy hahaha. But I love how this turned out in the end <3 (I know it’s not ended fully yet, but where it is now just makes me really happy hehe). I loved how Beth resolves tension and pieces together parts of the story into a very good resolution that makes you feel like reading her story was absolutely worth it (((:

Damned: Ah yes, the premise where I’m still squinting my eyes at and wondering what’s going on and WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN OMG THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME. An extremely poignant narrative of a post-apocalyptic world (set outside canon of course) that doesn’t feel overdone in the slightest! This fic triggers fear and joy in all the right places, and you really feel like that interactions between characters are so real. So good!

@infinitelystrangemachinex (check her out on AO3): By far the fic writer who has one of the best descriptors I’ve ever seen. The scene just falls into place with every word in a way that reminds me of an artist painting on a canvas with a magical paintbrush. You get immersed immediately. Amazing, amazing writing.

Fugue in Three: I remember describing this fic as something that tears my skin from bone, because of how excruciatingly painful (in a good way) it was to read about Ryuu calling Obi “Dad”. Whatever she wrote about how Obi reacted to that, I felt it too - gosh did I feel it too- that choking in the throat, that pounding in the heart to the brain, I FELT IT when I read this fic. So powerful and so poignant. Extremely humbled after reading this, and so inspired!

 Saint Elmo’s Fire: Another fic that throws you immediately into the scene and leaves you gasping for breath. The writing really puts you in the characters’ shoes and it’s as if you’re the one clawing for breath, or struggling to keep warm and gosh- if only I could write like this one day. 

The Automaton Heart: Something a bit more light-hearted and lovely. I love the slow descent into love between the two - so cute, yet so real. Another Modern AU that I love (that breaks my heart sobbles) love it hehe!

Ok definitely not done, but it’s late. I’ll do a part 2 when I have time!!! There are so many more!!!

[moviegroovies]

so to me, one of the hallmarks of a good piece of media is people willingly thinking about the characters after it’s over.

obviously, this isn’t like, a 100% success rate kind of thing. there are objectively good, enjoyable pieces of media out there that have no “fandom” type presence on the internet, because, while it exhibited great worldbuilding/storytelling/framing/what have you, it just wasn’t made up of the kinds of characters that people latch on to; the joke about avatar (2009) having less than 100 fics on ao3 despite being the best selling movie of all time for a solid decade is well known because of this phenomenon exactly. amazing cgi, solid plot, but at the end of the day, not that many people cared about jake sully. even still, i think this character-imprinting thing has an important, often overlooked role in intrinsically endearing people to movies that, outside of this factor, might be easily forgettable or even outright disliked. 

case in point: my movie of the day/week/month (how often do i post on this blog, anyway?)....

that’s right, lads, today i’m going to talk about the lost boys. 

if you’ve seen the lost boys, you’ll probably know that it’s not like, objectively, a masterpiece. in fact, if i were feeling particularly uncharitable, it would be easy for me to describe it as a fairly straightforward, low-budget horror b-movie, with a aesop-heavy and simplistic plot and a penchant for cheesy special effects, saved only by its rockin’ soundtrack.

...but i won’t.

i won’t, because using that description would leave out a detail i think it’s completely unfair of me not to touch on: the characters. i love them!! i was hooked from just about the very start of the movie by david’s creepy, affably evil leadership style, sam’s dorky little brother-ness, and michael’s 3cool5school airs. each of the characters, down to the frog brothers (named edgar and allan after the esteemed mr. poe, which really tickled me), the other lost boys, grandpa, lucy, and max, have their own distinct quirkiness that makes them memorable and draws me to want to explore more of their world, more of their stories. 

not enough to watch the infamous direct-to-dvd sequels, of course, but you get what i’m saying. 

there’s an old tip in writing that says something along the lines of “good characters can save a bad plot, but a good plot can’t save bad characters,” and that pretty much sums up my thoughts exactly on this movie. like, the plot itself is pretty much the message ‘peer pressure is bad’ wrapped up in some ugly monster makeup; not exactly cult classic material. however, like i’ve said, the characters and the fact that we get genuine, endearing interactions between them outside of just furthering the plot save it from the dumpster fire and, together, put together a story greater than the sum of its parts. no, it’s not a fuckin’ cinematic masterpiece by any stretch of the words, but it’s a fun movie, and there’s a reason i’ve watched it four times in the past three days, you know? 

(a good chunk of that reason was me slowly losing my grip on my sanity as i frantically put in the dvd over and over again, desperately trying to make myself attracted to kiefer sutherland so i could enjoy the movie to the fullest extent of my ability. i’m proud to announce a perfect success rate, and a slightly degraded sense of taste in men, reflecting the completion of that goal. 

if you too want to find something to lust after beyond his objectively ugly as sin face, trust me when i say it’s all in the voice. mmmmm) 

my favorite thing that the lost boys did was the exploration of different types of friendship and familial bonds. that’s the most striking thing about the movie for me; not only are the characters individuals whom i would like to explore, their interactions with each other are touching and worth exploring in their own right. there’s definitely something about some stories that drives people to write fanfiction (or is that just me? ha ha), and imo, the lost boys totally has it. in fact, while the fandom is sitting pretty at 600+ fics on ao3 (take that, avatar), i was honestly sort of surprised there weren’t more, exploring all the interesting ‘what if’s’ the film presented, and expounding on the bonds that we got to see the effects of in the limited screentime we had. 

what i liked about those bonds was that there were such a multitude of them. there were quite a few platonic bonds making up the crux of the movie (being, in my opinion, much more interesting than the main romantic bond which was explored through star and michael, although isn’t that kind of always the case in these 80′s teen movies? i can’t think of a single designated couple i was actually invested in except for veronica sawyer and jason dean... ferris bueller and sloane peterson, maybe? but i also feel like those two were making a cameron sandwich, so idk if it counts lol), but the way they were treated was cool in that they were unique: we got to see two different kinds of sibling bonds, with michael and sam emerson joking around in an easy, teasing way that totally screamed “wow, this movie was written by someone who actually has a brother” to me (isn’t it sad that some people have clearly never so much as seen a set of siblings in their life, judging by the way they write them?) while edgar and allan frog seem to take themselves more seriously, like a pair of army buddies, we got to see the pack-like bond of the lost boys and the (mostly) good-natured way they hazed michael into their group before things went to shit with them, we got to see star (and some of the lost boys, if you pay attention) being protective and maternal around laddie, and we got to see the uneasy alliance turned nerdy friendship between the frogs and sam. there are also three parent-child bonds that get explored, between lucy and her father (it’s a pretty sweet take on the kindhearted grown child taking care of senile-ish father thing) and lucy and her boys, each of which she has a distinct relationship with: sam is the baby, while michael she seems to level with and trust more, even after he starts getting into trouble and acting up. 

then of course there are two (three, if you count the widow johnson/grandpa emerson subplot, which.... i totally do) romantic relationships: star and michael falling in a sort of love-at-first-sight passionate relationship that soon dooms mikey and eventually saves star, while lucy tries her best to get back into the dating game with max, who is nefarious, of course, but also a little bit sad. remember what i said about what-ifs? i would love to see a fic exploring what might have happened had max’s plan worked out after all, but i guess that’s neither here nor there.

not to be a blatant slash shipper jumping on any two male characters who move or anything, but i think possibly the most important/influential relationship in the whole thing was that between david and michael; michael, obviously, got drawn into the lost boys’ circle by his insta-attraction to star, but he sticks around because of david. he pretty much ignores star once they get to the cliff that night, his attention focused on david because he’s there, and he’s intense, and michael is kind of a dumb bi bitch totally captivated. he drinks max’s blood at david’s taunting, and in direct opposition to star’s advice. there’s a lot i could say on this subject but tbh i’m running out of steam, so that might be a thing for a whole different post.

basically, there are a lot of cool interactions in this movie, and i think a lot of film makers could take note of that. even critically acclaimed, award winning movies being made in today’s world tend to fail to hit that special note, that character-imprintation which makes the audience not only stay engaged to the end, but also to care. not every movie needs that, of course; not everything can launch a darkhorse fandom the way the lost boys has, and honestly, not everything should... unless it’s trying to cater to my interests, in which case, well. 

if all movies were made to cater to my interests, i would have the time of my fucking life, but it’d probably be dark days for the rest of y’all.

thinking about it now, the lack of that element is kind of what makes me wary of the horror genre in the first place; i find so many of those movies just boring as all hell, because they’re too into the “scaring” thing without any of the “caring” thing. people, if we don’t care about the characters we’re watching, then who the fuck gives a shit if they get devoured by shitsucking vampires, anyway? finding the lost boys, a “horror” (i guess i use the term loosely) movie which relied heavily on those character interactions was honestly a godsend, because THIS is what i want to see more of. going down that line of thought, i think it’s honestly a shame and a half that the sequels which joel schumacher planned never got to see the light of day (and, of course, that we were instead left with the tribe, which for the life of me i refuse to fucking watch). the interactions between the lost boys could have been the most interesting part of the movie, if only they had been spotlighted a bit more. that would have been the case in the proposed prequel, the beginning, which would see the boys start out before they became vampires at all. reading about the script for that is honestly sending me, tbh. we could have seen that, and what we got instead were “sequels” that focused mainly on the frogs, when they connected to the original movie at all? where’s the fucking justice?

whatever. that’s the one thing about this franchise i never could stomach; all the damn frog brothers.

(till next time!)

[far-cry-all-the-time]

22 questions

Got tagged on two 11 questions tag by @casifer-fan and @daddy-joseph-seed so I decided to put them together... :)

—

1. You have to live in the video game you played last which one would it be?

It was either FC5 or Fallout 4, can’t remember. I would probably die pretty quick in both tbh but if I get to meet Jacob or Hancock before, I’m okay with dying lol.

2. Do you have an oc, do you and your oc have some common characteristics?

I have OCs, yup. In fact here’s my OC Masterlist if you wanna check it out (x). And yes, I think each of my OCs and I have some common characteristics.

3. If you could live on any place in this world where would it be?

Definitely somewhere north cause I HATE hot weather... Probably Scotland because I love it so much. I’d probably also love Iceland but since I’ve never been I can’t really tell.

4. John, Jacob, Joseph or Faith which one of the Seeds is your favorite one and why?

Okay first of all : I love them all so fucking much it’s crazy wow. But I love them all differently.

First of all, there’s the ones who grew on me (aka, the two babies of the family). Yup, didn’t particularly like John and Faith at first. Still not a huge fan of Faith if I’m being honest, but she definitely has a good side (I won’t get into it right now cause I could talk for hours lol).

Then there’s Joseph. I love him a lot and heck yeah I’d join the Project at Eden’s Gate just for him. I mean, he’s the Father !!! But, despite how much I love him and what an awesome character he is, there’s just no special “connection” I guess.

And then... *sigh*. My love. The one and only Jacob Seed. I can’t express how much I love that character. I think he might be my favorite game characters ever actually. I am amazed by his past, his philosophy and pretty much everything about him. He is soooo freaking interesting !!!!

So yup, Jake’s my favorite.

5. Baking or cooking?

Baking.

6. Any announced video game you’re most excited about?

Cyberpunk 2077 babyyy !!

7. Do you remember your first impression when you played FC5 for the first time?

Hell yeah I do. I mostly remember the first time I saw a trailer for it (the one where you don’t even see the characters but it’s just like the mood of the game and the landscapes and it’s pretty creepy... here it is) and I was just like “damn that looks different” and I just couldn’t wait to play.

And then I did and I was really having fun and all, but I realized how special that game was when I entered the Whitetails Mountains tbh. Jacob’s region is what sold the game for me.

8. First movie crush?

... Colin Firth in Nanny McPhee (2005).

9. Apart from (drawing and) writing what are your hobbies?

I love playing the ukulele (even if I’m bad at it), watching tv-shows or movies, reading, filming videos, partying, boat rides, paddle, journaling, making jewelry, petting my cats, annnnd so on.

10. Favorite food?

Idk... mashed potatoes ?

11. Last but not least do you prefer long or short hair?

Hmm short hair I guess but it depends.

—

1. If you had to spend seven years post collapse with one Seed in their bunker, who would you pick and why?

Okay so even tho Jacob is the love of my life, I don’t think I’d choose him. I’m a pretty pessimistic person and I feel like we’d both depress each other and it wouldn’t end well lol. So probably Joseph... I feel like he’d be able to calm me down and he’d know how to make me stay as hopeful as possible...

2. What would your last meal on earth be?

Mashed potatoooooes. 😂 Nah idk but probably something really unhealthy that I wouldn’t normally allow myself to eat...

3. Have you played any of the other Far Cry games?

Hell yeah !!!! Started with Far Cry 3 and played every game since.

4. If you could travel back in time for a day, where would you go?

Beat Generation !!! I wanna get On The Road with Jack Kerouac for a day.

5. Which Gun for Hire is your favourite, and do you always travel with them?

My boy Nick Rye !!! I don’t always travel with him cause I like to be stealthy and he just fires away as soon as he sees an Peggie lol.

6. Do you game on xbox, playstation or PC or a combination of the three?

Mostly Xbox !

7. What is the best thing about you?

Huuu idk... I guess I like talking about literally anything so if you have a weird hobby or interest I’ll just listen to you talk about it for like 10+ hours without being bored.

8. Do you have any siblings?

Nope.

9. What’s your favorite movie genre?

Don’t think I have one tbh. I like all genres.

10. What would the perfect date night be?

Probably just pizza at my house while watching a cute tv-show like B99 or something. Sounds pretty cliché but I think it’s just a perfect night, regardless of it being a date or not.

And something a bit more original, I’d probably go to a zoo or to a botanical garden (I love gardens a lot) or something and just walk around and have fun.

11. If you could save Jacob, Faith or John, who would you chose to save and why?

Of course my first instinct would be to save Jacob, but I feel like he wouldn’t forgive me for letting his baby brother die. Say what you want but Jacob KNEW he was going to die (heck, he literally trained the deputy to kill him but, again, not getting into that right now cause I could talk for houuurs)... So I think he more or less accepted his fate and he doesn’t particularly wants to be saved.

So yeah, I’d probably save John.

[hcpefulmarshmallow]

Please excuse me as I deviate from this blog’s usual theme of pretending to be a really clever Danganronpa blog, so I can pretend to be a really clever Steven Universe blog for a single post. As I’m sure you’re all aware, a movie in the franchise was recently released, prompting me to rewatch the series for  the umpteenth time. Not that I needed prompting, of course. During this rewatch, I noticed two particularly noteworthy points I can’t believe haven’t occurred to me yet; but now they have, I can’t get them out of my head. I feel like I’m going to implode if I don’t share them, so here we we are, internet. Two very valuable observations that will ChaNGe ThE waY YoU vIEW ThIS chARacTeR! 

 Both noteworthy points relate, of course, to the light of my life, love of my heart, the stars in my sky, Lapis Lazuli. The background image for my phone’s keypad. The reason I have a playlist on spotify called “*John Mulaney Voice* That’s My Wife!” which is literally just Jennifer Paz’s music. A character so special to me, she joins the likes of Nagito Komaeda and The Doctor in the pantheon of fictional characters I adore on a level that is unparalleled and borderline concerning. A character I like a very lot.

 The first note I have is just a simple observation, but a cute one. And to explain this, I must talk about Garnet (which, tbh, I’m always down to do). Garnet has future vision, a power which allows her to see different potential futures, but it has it’s limits. It is established that the reason she didn’t know Rose was actually Pink was because she never thought to question Rose, and therefore never pried into the different futures her decisions would bring about never questioned her at all. In another episode, Garnet’s future vision becomes unreliable and she falters, learning that it’s because she still sees Steven as a young child in need of her help instead of someone who is mature and responsible. Once she alters her perception, her powers are again on point. This demonstrates a level of work that must be done for her visions to be accurate. 

 As accurate as, say, predicting exactly where and when on the beach Lapis will throw her barn. 

 In the episode Reunited, Lapis returns to Beach City for the showdown with the Diamonds, and Garnet knows to distract Blue long enough for Lapis to carry the barn from the moon and throw it onto the exact spot Blue is standing. This decision was Lapis’ alone, the series makes that explicit by having every attempt to sway her into becoming a CG fail spectacularly. It’s a decision she needed to make for herself, by herself, and she did. Since Garnet saw it coming, she must’ve therefore been looking for such an outcome, otherwise this decision would’ve been as much of a surprise to her as it was to everyone else. Therefore, Garnet was keeping an eye on Lapis’ choices; therefore, she believed that Lapis had the strength to stand and fight, even after running away so many times. That’s pretty cool. 

 The last thing is...different. It’s a small implication of the character’s timeline that says a lot about who she is. Let’s start from the beginning (don’t worry, I’ll keep it brief). Lapis used to work for Homeworld, following their orders. She was caught up in the war on Earth, mistaken for a CG, then Trapped In A Mirror™. Left where she was dropped at the Homeworld Warp, and eventually picked up by Pearl and stored. There’s a line later on where she remarks to Steven that, for all the time she’s been on Earth, she barely saw any of it. Remember that. 

 After being released, she sucked up the ocean in an attempt to get home, Steven healed her gen so she could leave, she was captured by Jasper and Peridot, Garnet was Stronger Than You, she fused with Jasper and became Malachite at the bottom of the ocean in an interesting metaphor for a toxic relationship, the CGs found them, broke them apart, Lapis was unconscious for a while, tried to go home but realised she couldn’t because she’d betrayed homeworld to protect Steven, Steven showed her around a little bit, she decided to live at the barn, fought with Peridot, make good with her, and the Rubies arrived. 

 That brings us to the episode Hit The Diamond, in which Garnet splits so Ruby can pose as one of the enemy Rubies, and Sapphire joins the CG’s baseball team. Ruby and Sapphire struggle to be apart, and spend most of the game giggling and making coy remarks and googly eyes at one another. 

 At one point, Steven notices and asks what they’re doing, to which Lapis answers immediately and without hesitation, and correctly mind you: “Flirting”. 

 How does Lapis know what flirting is? Let alone, how can she even recognise it on sight?? Up to this point she’s had no exposure to Earth culture, and Homeworld doesn’t seem like a place that would encourage that kind of thing?? So how does she know what flirting is, huh?? Huh??? Am I expected to believe that she was a total ladykiller back on Homeworld, because I can. We’ve seen hints of her personality beneath all the trauma, and she’s quite fun and playful. I can totally believe she was a flirt in a place where the concept would be considered quite rebellious. Is that what you’re telling me, Rebecca?? Is it????? Are there some gems who instinctively know how to flirt without being taught what it is, and do, right beneath the Diamonds’ noses??????? Is Lapis one of them?????????? I need answers.

[galadrieljones]

Ship-a-thon!

tagged by @idrelle-miocovani and @pikapeppa, and I’m finally getting around to it!! Thank you!!

1. First ship you ever wrote fic for:

Technically it was self-insert fic for the Backstreet Boys, *NSync, and Hanson in like, 1997. More realistically, it was Solavellan, summer of 2016. 

2. Ship you write the most now:

Right now, I’m pretty much only writing Arthur Morgan x Mary Beth Gaskill for the Red Dead Redemption 2 fandom (in a fast-growing chapter fic called A Funeral). Ships I meaningfully hope to get back to are Aloy x Nil (Horizon: Zero Dawn) and Sene x Ameridan (I still have a lot up my sleeve for them). I feel Sene and Solas have mostly been retired, at least in their canon divergent fix-it iteration. But of course, with DA4 developments, I am always likely to get back to their more tragic, awful canon circumstances. Lol. 

3. Ship you read the most now:

When I read fanfic, I still mostly read Solavellan and Dragon Age fanfic, especially now that, for the time being, I’ve moved on from writing for the fandom. I try to stick faithful to my friends who are magnificent DA writers. I’m slowly combing my way through fics by @ladylike-foxes @bearly-tolerable @ellstersmash and @buttsonthebeach right now, and of course I always look forward to @thevikingwoman‘s Temporal Arrangements updates <3 Note that I am MASSIVELY slow when it comes to reading, particularly catching up on longfics, so you may not know I’m there at all till I whisper my way into the comments section all at once when I catch up....

4. Newest ship:

Arthur Morgan x Mary Beth Gaskill, Red Dead Redemption 2. This is a very rare pair, and I’m stoked for the readership I’ve accumulated so far at AO3 (and to a MUCH lesser extent, on tumblr). I’m not altogether sure why it’s so rare lol, but Mary Beth IS a low profile character for sure, and most of the fic I see for Arthur seems to be the second person Reader x Arthur, which is a sub-genre I’m not terribly familiar with. I do have theories that Mary Beth might have been the originally planned love interest for Arthur, and I know I’m not alone in that at least. There just aren’t a lot of other content creators for the ship right now, which is fine lol. I’m cool being the captain of this ship.

I also have some newer ships that I love, even if I don’t actively ship them? Like Arthur x Charles and Arthur x Albert Mason. I REALLY like viewing these as complex platonic relationships, particularly Arthur and Charles, who I see as platonic comrades fighting in a losing war (never romantic), but I’ve seen some beautiful art and writing for both of these as romantic ships and really like to see what people come up with.

5. Rare ship you wanna read more of:

I’d love to see some more Ameridan x Lavellan ships out there!! I know they exist. I also am definitely meaning to get into @a-shakespearean-in-paris‘s Arthur x Charlotte fic, another RDR2 rare pair.

6. Your taboo ship:

Most of the time, I give no fucks about what people want to ship. The only thing that legitimately freaks me out is Joel x Ellie from The Last of Us. That, to me, is gnarly af and I’m actually like, morally opposed to the pairing. I’m definitely a little squicked by Arthur x Dutch in RDR2, though I don’t have any moral issues with it. I just don’t like it personally. In the end, 99.9% of the time, I say ship and let ship. 

7. They never met in canon ship:  

I don’t think I have one of these. Unless you count Solas x Ghilan’nain. Though I guess they DID meet in canon? Idk lol.

8. Your unexpected ship:

Lavellan x Ameridan and Lavellan x Abelas. Tbh when I first got here, I never understood these sorts of canon divergent ships. It was bizarre to me. But after hanging out for a year or so and finding new ways to explore the story, I ended up being so fascinated by the prospect of Sene in a post-Trespasser world, attempting to move on from Solas, and her complicated relationships with other ancient and quasi-ancient elves. 

Also, Aloy x Nil for HZD. This ship grew out of my own writing and not really much out of the game. I think Nil’s role in Aloy’s life is supremely unique, and I explored it in a one-shot, which became a yet-unfinished chapter fic that I’d really like to get back to one day.  

9. The ship you always forget to give love to:

Morrigan x Warden Cousland. I feel like I don’t see a ton of other Morrigan x Warden ships (except you @buttsonthebeach!!) and I have always loved the complexities of the ship. 

10. Ship your OC with a canon character (if applicable):

See #8 lol. I’ve shipped Sene Lavellan with every ancient elf there is lol. I’ve also got a Lavellan x Blackwall ship, which I wrote about briefly in my probably-abandoned fic Unsigned.

I’ve also got a very loose concept for an OC x Joel ship in The Last of Us that I never wrote about. Her name is Cynthia. She’s a widow, and she’s got a sixteen-year-old son. The two find their way to Tommy’s compound in Jackson at some point post-TLoU. I had an idea for a canon divergent fic in which Joel and Cynthia get married, and shortly thereafter, during an attack on the compound, Joel and Cynthia’s son end up captured and held hostage by the Fireflies. Cynthia and Ellie then must set out on a journey to rescue them. Cynthia is a skilled trap-maker, a little like Bill, but even more specialized. She teaches Ellie how to make some badass traps. Add this to my long list of fics I would love nothing more to write, but I have no time to write them. 

11. Ship you’re embarrassed to ship:

I’m a grown-ass woman I have no embarrassment lol.

12. Your most romantic ship:

Sene and Solas. But also maybe Arthur x Mary Beth. I’m not sure which is more “romantic.” I don’t really do “sweep me off my feet whirlwind romance” writing. Though, of course, they’re romantic in some sense. 

13. Your sexiest ship:

That would be Sene Lavellan x Ameridan, for sure.

14. Your most tragic ship:

Ugh. Probably Sene Lavellan x Abelas. I have not written as much about them as I should have. Their story is quite complete in my mind and has a few endings. 

My Nume Lavellan x Blackwall ship is also pretty sad.

15. A ship you want more content for:

I always want more Iwyn Lavellan x Solas content by @thevikingwoman. In any and all forms, though my favorite story for them so far is Temporal Arrangements. <3

tagging @bearly-tolerable @wrenbee @a-shakespearean-in-paris @ladylike-foxes @lyrium-lovesong @buttsonthebeach @ellstersmash @ocean-in-my-rebel-soul ^_^

[indcliblee-blog]

hey there demons, it’s me...sam ( she / her, twenty one, est timezone ) and y’all are so talented. i am not worthy, but ANYWAYS. character info under the cut. lmk if you wanna plot!

*　charlie heaton, cis male, he/him, oc　━━　riverdale’s very own HARRISON IRVING is now twenty three years old. they have lived in town for twenty one years, and pop never forgot their regular ━ earl grey tea with milk and sugar. you’ll likely find the car thief/ghoulie around the house of the dead, probably pretending he doesn’t care about anyone but himself. their friends on the southside will tell you all about how they’re pensive, resourceful and charming, but others might describe them as aloof or sarcastic. oh well, no matter how you feel about irving, you can’t deny that they somehow manage to make that huge scar over their right eye look cool.　━━　

so, first thing���s first. irving is one of those people who goes by his last name and 99.9% of the entire population doesn’t even realize that irving...isn’t his first name. only Special People™ are allowed to call him harrison ( or harry as his mom called him ). anyone else does and he’ll Fite but...nobody knows his name is harrison so like. why would you randomly call him that.

anyways. irving was born to an english mother in leeds. who is his father? what happened to him? why has the man literally never been in his life? irving doesn’t know! he does know that his mom moved the two of them out to america when he was about a year old, and then finally settled in riverdale by the time he was two.

he does in fact have an accent. ur welcome. except it’s usually not very pronounced although the more pissed off he is, the british-er he gets lmao. also tends to use british slang words for No Good Reason considering everyone usually needs a minute to figure out what he’s referring to when he says: “trainers” “chips” “queue” “takeaway” “lift” u get it. s/o to his very british mum for all of that.

has lived in the southside since he was two years old and has always been familiar with the ghoulies because his mom has been buying drugs from them for as long as he can remember. she worked tons of jobs all across town over the years in order to support her habit during his childhood. and what did she do to support irving? not much tbh, BUT. irving has always loved her very very dearly.

of course, no one else in riverdale ever seemed to care for the woman at all, but hey. she was a teen mom ( later formerly ) with well - known drug addiction issues and a revolving door of shitty “boyfriends” so. being labelled one of the trashiest women in town was inevitable and there was nothing she could really do about it. people were gonna say whatever they wanted and that was that. she got along just fine anyhow, mostly by shamelessly taking on any jobs, dinners, coins, etc offered to her by townspeople who were honestly just giving her pity handouts. anything so she could afford her drugs, you know?

irving was often left fending for himself out on the streets and since it never killed him ig he did okay? fell in with the ghoulies pretty quickly as a teen attending southside high since he was already familiar with them. they welcomed him into The Squad and they quickly became the family he never had. aw. he’s incredibly loyal to the ghoulies but possible wc! he might’ve had a few serpent / future serpent friends who he left behind upon joining up with the ghoulies.

by then he was already good at breaking into cars, but the ghoulies taught him how to actually steal them and not to brag on him or anything, but these days he’s damn good at it & street racing too! 100% intending to brag on him now — irving here is a really good street racer and everyone knows it. if you’re driving against him then sorry but you’re probably gonna lose. that’s life ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

isn’t a bad fighter either, but generally won’t be the ghoulie who’s starting shit. absolutely will back up his friends though, so...watch out for that

deals in the same drugs as all the other ghoulies and might indulge himself from time to time, mostly for recreational purposes. smokes way too many cigarettes and will light up indoors if he needs a fix. no fucks given.

NOW. TIME TO TALK ABOUT HIS SCAR. it’s located on the right side of his face and spans from forehead to cheek, cuts right through the delicate skin of his eyelid and even damages his actual eye rather severely. if you’re picturing anakin skywalker’s face scar in revenge of the sith then you’re right except irving’s is worse. he has about 40% vision left in his right eye ( probably...ofc he’s never actually had it looked at by a doctor ) which is both good and bad because obviously it’s a pretty blatant vulnerability, but most people tend to assume he’s completely blind in that eye and then they’re in for *seamus finnegan vc* a bit of a nasty shock. as for how he got the scar, it’s...not a v interesting story tbh. he was about 15 - 16, got into it with his mom’s latest boyfriend drunkard & all around garbage human being and the guy p much tried to carve his face off with a broken beer bottle. yikes

oh, about his mom. she’s dead now. overdosed to the surprise of absolutely no one. irving was eighteen at the time and actually was the one to find her on their living room couch. naturally he was Sad™ but in this house we absolutely do not properly express our emotions

and now we’re in the present. these days you’ll most likely irving hanging with the other ghoulies, boosting cars either for them or for cash, winning street races, possibly reading a book or two or fifty

this is already a novel but i have more so let’s do rapid fire fun facts!

most people’s first impression of him is probably that he’s aloof. doesn’t even talk much around other ghoulies, but won’t hesitate if he’s got something to say. something usually being a sarcastic remark.

been arrested plenty of times, in and out of juvie & jail his whole life.

acts like he doesn’t care about anyone but himself + like he has -4 morals but that’s such a LIE LMAO. catch him refusing to steal from anyone he knows to have less than him, being kind to animals, holding open the door for people, using common manners, bringing his favorite old librarian lady her beloved butterscotch candies and saying it’s because he’s just trying to avoid being fined for returning books late when it’s actually just because he loves that old lady and knows she loves those awful candies

about the library, btw. if he’s not hanging with the other ghoulies then he’s probably there, lowkey skulking around the shelves. his mom started taking him every once in a while as a kid, figuring that letting him check out a bunch of books would keep him occupied for a while and it did. he’s LOVED to read ever since & can often be found with his nose in a book. actually loves to talk about his favorite books, but rarely gets the chance. aw.

known for being a particularly vicious and resourceful fighter. good with knives and guns, but the main thing you’ve gotta watch out for with him is the fact that HE WILL FUCKING BITE YOU WTF. like. blood running down his chin & everything. horrifying, truly.

so like, lowkey soft for those he cares about but will attack if provoked

ANYWAY, i think we’re all tired of me by this point and that is completely valid so just message me if you wanna plot! i have nothing super specific in mind and want all the plots tbh. i’m super excited to write with you all!

[prodigalborn-blog]

So  I  reached  ²⁰⁰  followers  like  a  few  months  ago     & &    I’m  sure  I  have  some  kind  of  excuse  here  for  not  doing  one  of  these  sooner  ,  but  we  both  know  it’s  bullshit  so  here’s  to  me  feeling  particularly  mushy  this  morning  .

SPECIAL  THANK-YOU’S

@dionadaiir

Listen  ,  I  know  we  haven’t  spoken  or  interacted  in  a  while  because  I’m  still  scrambling  to  find  all  of  my  latent  threads     & &    to  actually  motivate  myself  (  not  just  on  this  blog  but  in  life  )  ,  but  I  want  you  to  know  that  your  blog  is  still  one  of  my  all-time  faves  ,     & &    I  absolutely  adore  Eden  with  all  of  my  terrible  ,  sinning  heart  .  To  be  honest  ,  I  really  miss  our  interactions  ,     & &    I  hope  we  can  do  something  again  really  soon  because  Ludger  also  misses  his  favorite  Skyhold  bartender  /  Musical  cohort  .

@holykniight

LISTEN  ,  you  are  a  fucking  GEM  ok  ?  If  u  n  Eli  were  a  stack  of  pancakes  I  wouldn’t  even  need  to  use  syrup  bc  you’re  both  already  so  fuckin  sweet  I  could  D  I    E  .  Honestly  ,  everytime  I  see  the  two  of  you  on  my  dash  I  s2g  I  shed  a  fucking  tear  bc  I’m  witnessing  something  so  breathtaking  in  the  making  .  Honestly  ,  I  am  so  psyched  to  get  off  my  ass     & &    make  something  happen  between  these  two  bc  Ludger  n  Eli  would  make  such  good  brothers  it’s  insane  ???  they’re  both  such  big  babies  who  don’t  want  to  get  attached     & &    i’m  LI  VIN  G  .  FOLLOW  FOR  LIFE  .

@honeycut​

I  MISS  YOU  ,  YOU  HOE  .  LUDGER  NEEDS  YOUR  HAWKE     & &    HER  DUMB  CUTE  FACE     & &    HER  DUMB  CUTE  HAIR     & &    HER  DUMB  CUTE  THIGHS     & &    HER  DUMB  CUTE  LETHAL  ATTITUDE  .  But  in  all  seriousness  ,  I  just  needed  to  put  you  here  bc  I  love  you  n  your  blog  .  Your  hawke  is  a  gem  honestly  I’m  super  gay  for  her  .  She  deserves  way  better  than  Ludger    ❝  I  talk  straight  from  my  ass  hole  ❞    Trevelyan  .

@praesiidio

*  rubs  my  little  gay  hands  together  *  Alright  sweetheart  ,  get  ready  for  this  .  Your  muses  are  the  actual  definition  of  my  sexuality  .  If  I  wasn’t  already  GAY  AS  FUCK  ,  these  girls  would  be  keeping  me  up  at  night  .  I  don’t  think  there’s  a  single  muse  you’ve  made  that  I  haven’t  absolutely  adored  ,     & &    Junko  specifically  got  me  fucked  up  holy  shit  .  I  want  her  to  crush  my  head  like  a  watermelon  ??  ?  But  I  also  want  her  to  stroke  my  hair     & &    lay  my  head  on  her  lap  until  I  fall  asleep  like  I’m  a  good  boy     & &    I  deserve  love  (  This  may  coincidentally  be  also  what  Ludger  wants  but  I’ll  get  to  that  later  )  .  I  utterly  ADORE  her  character  ,     & &    her  mun  is  one  of  the  most  creative  people  I’ve  met  here  honestly  .  Ilu  so  much  babe  

@psiithuros

GOD  .  Okay  so  I  fucking  love  you  already  darling  .  Every  goddamn  conversation  we  have  makes  me  laugh  my  ass  off  for  some  reason  ,     & &    every  time  I  go  on  discord  whether  it’s  to  reply  to  you  or  not  I  smile  when  I  see  your  dumb  ass  tag  /  icon  .  By  the  ancients  ,  we  need  to  do  more  plotting  because  you’re  an  absolute  deity     & &    a  treasure  to  have  around  tbh  .  Need  me  more  of  this  .

@theyarewistful

(     & &    your  many  amazing  blogs  )  Alright  ,  get  your  tissues  ready  bc  I’m  about  to  make  it  rain  .  I  recently  had  one  of  my  worst  moments  on  here  a  while  back  ,  I’m  not  sure  because  I  think  I  blocked  some  of  it  out  of  my  memory  .  Anyway  ,  you  were  one  of  the  first  people  to  come  to  me  privately     & &    you  were  so  generous     & &    kind     & &    just  completely     & &    utterly  understanding  of  my  situation  .  I  was  honestly  ready  to  delete  my  blog  ,  for  reasons  that  I’m  not  even  sure  of  anymore  because  it’s  all  so  foggy     & &    I  don’t  care  to  remember  ,  but  you  managed  to  talk  me  down     & &    for  that  I’m  exceedingly  grateful  .  I  owe  you  things  I  don’t  think  I  can  repay  at  the  moment  but  I  hope  to  in  the  future  .  You’re  an  incredible  roleplay  partner  ,     & &    an  even  more  incredible  friend  .  I’ll  always  be  here  for  anything  you  need  ,  you  just  have  to  name  it  .

@valorcorrupt

Okay  so  I  know  we  haven’t  interacted  ,  but  I’ve  been  trying  to  work  up  the  courage  recently  to  thank  you  for  that  incredibly  kind  message  you  sent  during  a  particularly  trying  time  I  was  having  .  I  recall  deleting  the  post  because  I  didn’t  want  to  clog  my  blog  with  negativity  ,  but  I  could  never  seem  to  find  the  words  to  thank  you  .  So  ,  naturally  ,  this  is  the  opportune  time  .  You’re  an  amazingly  kind  person  ,     & &    it  shows  .  Also  quality  blog  . 👌

@virassxn

Okay,  wow,  listen  ….  I  must  have  stared  at  a  blank  google  document  for  about  a  solid  eight  minutes  before  I  started  typing  this  because  I  couldn’t  find  the  words  ,  honestly  .  You  were  one  of  the  first  people  I  started  interacting  with  on  here     & &    consequently  you  were  one  of  the  few  people  still  active  that  had  a  hand  in  helping  me  with  Ludger’s  character  development  which  means  more  than  I  can  actually  say  .     & &    then  there’s  Cyrran  of  course  ,  who  I  can  honestly  say  on  my  own  is  Ludger’s  greatest  love  ,  because  he’s  always  there  every  time  I’m  listening  to  a  song  or  a  movie  or  anything  that  has  even  slightest  romantic  context  .  Every  single  interaction  between  them  has  chemistry  bursting  from  the  seams     & &    it’s  fucking  incredible  to  me     & &    every  single  time  I’m  grinning  like  an  idiot  .  It  feels  incredible  to  be  playing  something  so  impossibly  pure  despite  having  a  muse  who’s  so  ….  Not  .  I’m  just  incredibly  thankful  for  all  of  our  interactions  ,  ic     & &    ooc  .  I  hope  if  you’re  still  in  England  you’re  having  the  time  of  your  life  honestly  ,  you’re  a  doll  ,     & &    thank  you  so  much  for  being  apart  of  this  .

@xrbitrium

HELLO  YOU  HOE  YOU  BETTER  NOT  BE  SURPRISED  YOU’RE  HERE  .  GOD  okay  I  fucking  love  you     & &    harellan  .  I  want  both  of  you  to  adopt  me     & &    Ludger  tbh  .  I  NEED  MORE  OF  THESE  TWO  .  IN  .  MY  .      L  I  F  E  .      GOD  BLESS  EVERYBODY  SAY  AMEN  . 🙏

PEOPLE  I’M  SCHOOLYARD  CRUSHING  ON 

@arsuledin  ,  @asomniari  ,  @compassionsblade  ,  @couldntbcloved  ,  @hemorrhaging  ,  @muteblade​  ,  @youriinquisitorialness

​​       

FOLLOW  FOREVER

Honestly  ???  ?  If  you  weren’t  mentioned  specifically  ,  I  probably  want  to  plot  or  interact  with  you  .  Some  of  the  people  mentioned  above  I  haven’t   even  interacted  with  .  So  come  @  me  .  This  is  just  so  you  all  know  that  you’re  appreciated  .

[baibaos]

First Half of 2017 Fic Rec

A compilation of some of the fics that I’ve enjoyed this year [with little glimpses into the stories and comments about them, do check them out to see the actual summaries and do support the authors if you enjoy them as well 💕]:

trndsttrs of seoul by chimint || yoonmin, namjin || t || wip

chatfic; jimin is a cinnamon roll and yoongi is whipped™.

(literally the cutest thing ever, i reread it every day. jungkook calls yoonmin ‘dadgi’ and ‘jimom’ respectively (which is so fcking cute nghhh) and namjoon is the captain of the ship and they all ship ym - all concepts i am 100% up for. something to brighten up your day ^^)

Seven Days (Or The One Where Min Yoongi Asks Out Park Jimin Because Of A Girl) by minyoongayashell || yoonmin || bg taekook, namjin || m || wip || tw sexual content (but like, no actual sex)

seven days au; jimin is called “cheot-nal ye” or “first day yes”. basically he’s famous at school for agreeing to date the first person who asks him out on the first day of the week - 100% of the time, he breaks off the relationship at the end of the week and the cycle repeats itself. now, yoongi hates this girl in class and she wants to ask jimin out. naturally, he has to beat her to it.

(the manga was such a sweet thing and the fic gets me so excited. i don’t read a lot of high school aus, but this one is special! it’s not updated very frequently, but it’s definitely worth a read.)

Bullet Boy by sugamins || yoonmin || e || tw homophobia/sexual content || wip || tw references to drug use/depression

in which yoongi’s an underground rapper and jimin collabs with other rappers to break into the scene and flash forward into the future, they are caught up in a ‘scandal the likes of which the industry has never seen before.’

(the writing is so amazing, wow, it’s only on the first third chapter but the author makes it feel so promising. i kid you not, i actually messaged them and fangirled embarrassingly bc I am that kind of person. also ! underground yoonmin !)

Hiraeth by haruguk || taekook, yoonmin, platonic yoonkook || not rated but probably e || 100k || tw sexual content/graphic content/drug abuse/mental instability/psychosis || tw referenced child abuse/cheating/alcohol abuse/self-harm (basically a lot of warnings!)

diary of an oxygen thief au; perfect fratboy jeongguk gets off of breaking hearts, but he can’t quite do the same to kim taehyung. “hurt people hurt people.” read the warnings carefully!

(basically this fic broke my heart time and time again and everyone has probably already read this but i still must rec it bc it is that good.)

tats'n'thots by Death_Impala || taekook || bg yoonmin || not rated but probably m || 12k || tw sexual content

tattoo artist au; taehyung to jeongguk: “I feel inspired, and I want to work with you, so how about this: let me tattoo you in any way I want, free of charge – with your input of course.” also, bottom jk. c:

(i am trash for the using-your-body-as-a-canvas trope and similarly, or even more so, for bottom bby jk. :’) this fic is a blessing. taekook and art obviously belong in the same sentence.)

Idiosyncratic by jiminsfw || taekook || e || 19k || tw sexual content/knots/ruts/usual abo things

a/b/o au; taehyung and jungkook are an alpha/alpha couple, and no one thinks that alpha/alpha couples can last. involves ruts and switching and so much emotion.

(this was a particularly interesting read bc it took me forever to find a fic with alpha/alpha taekook! alpha/alpha taekook nghhh it’s just the cutest thing, a little sad, but ultimately very fluffy.)

Mileage May Vary by rix || taekook || e || 80k || tw sexual content/age difference/strip clubs/recreational drug use

“Jeongguk is a stripper with a penchant for trouble. Taehyung is curious.” taehyung is nine years older than jk, who has a prince albert btw. bottom jk as always. sort of soft sugar daddy tae? but not really.

(once again i am trash for bottom jk. and all of rix’s fics are so good ;A; the quality just gets better and better. also, tae is once-divorced, heads up. in rix’s words, nothing really happens but still, it’s so enjoyable. <3)

spring day by Bangtanbananas || yoonmin, taekook, namjin || e || 70.9k || tw violence/graphic content/sexual content/mpreg/heats/usual abo things

wolf au; only 5% (i think) of wolves find their fated mates (but most wolves believe they don’t actually exist bc soulmates?), and although jimin dreamt of finding his when he was a pup, he didn’t actually expect to in the mysterious alpha from the mountains.

(i crave shit like this bc wolves + a/b/o + pack dynamics is just - c: omega jm and alpha yg, yes please. seokjin is the real mvp.)

half feral, but just right by themelonlord || yoonmin, platonic jikook || e || wip || tw discrimination/bullying/graphic content (but not really)/probably sexual content || tw referenced child abuse

a/b/o au; in a world where alphas are considered little more than rabid animals, yoongi’s just trying to scrape by and achieve his dreams. but then he meets omega park jimin and his pseudo little brother, young alpha jeon jeongguk.

(yoonmin with their son /dongsaeng jjk is evidently my absolute favourite thing. :’) i was dreaming about an au where the alphas are victimised for a change a week before i discovered this fic and i wanted to cry bc it was better than i could ever imagine it to be.)

Laugh and I Love You by ifisayhiyousayoops || jinkook || bg vmin || e || 21.9k || tw sexual content

canonverse; seokjin and jungkook are just - so domestic and codependent. literally it. the softest slice-of-life on this side of the internet.

(jinkook has always been my guilty pleasure and i love them. bratty btm bby jk is basically my religion? i’m this fic is so well written! it’s very gentle and sweet and wow. i love love.)

time follows you (and fades) by thebestofme || yoonmin || bg taekook || t || 17k

hogwarts au; half-veela jimin finds himself in slytherin house and falling for slytherin prince, min yoongi. alternatively, jimin is so pretty and yoongi just wants to love him.

(slytherin yoonmin! yoongi is such a sweetheart and he has a pet kneazle named holly. :’) jeongguk is also adorable, i’m so weak. the first part is in jm’s pov and the second one’s in yg’s, so you literally get two sides of the story. i am trash for hogwarts aus and i’ve probably read all of them, and this one is such a gem!)

Once Upon A Dream by yururin || yoonmin || t || 17k

“soulmates AU where you can see a glimpse of your past life on the eve of your 18th birthday and Jimin dreams of a forbidden Joseon era love story with an upperclassman Min Yoongi, popular basketball player in uni, 18384/10 out of his reach”

(what is sin - it doesn’t exist. this entire thing is so soft and cute and pure. a great pick-me-up!)

glub glub glub by rabbitme || yoonmin || g || 6.7k

sort of chat fic that begins with jimin and yoongi missing each other.

(such purity. i love love. basically ym travelling, together and apart. ot7 interaction is something to look forward to, as well. it’s so fluffy, please read this and be blessed.)

light side of the moon by themelonlord || yoonmin, namjin, taekook, 95line || e || 80.8k || tw brief graphic content (blood)/sexual content

wolf au; jimin moves into a quiet town and befriends kim taehyung, who subsequently changes his life.

(it is such a lovely story, very pure, very gentle, with filth. :’) nothing really happens; it’s just a story about a boy who finds himself loving a man who can turn into a wolf. the ot7 is strong in this one. highly recommended if 95line and puppy piles make you smile.)

King of My Heart by wanderment || taekook || t || 17.7k

jeon jeongguk is the youngest son of the king of korea. taehyung is a friend of a friend - and a fan, but don’t let jeongguk know that. yet.

(a very wholesome and pure fic. they’re all rich college kids in this; minus namjin who are jk’s bodyguards. it feels short when you read it, but definitely very enjoyable. it’ll make you smile.)

The Victorious V and his Vast, Venturesome Heart by aprofessorstale || taekook, yoonmin || e || wip || tw sexual content/identity crises?

canonverse; taehyung is in love with love. jimin doesn’t believe in it.

(this is probably one of the best non-aus i’ve read in forever. it’s very introspective, incredibly heavy when it comes to discussions of sexuality and identity. it is very well-written and the author had captured their personalities well, while sticking to a timeline mostly following reality. (basically everything happens post-ynwa era) taekook are complicated and as are yoonmin, and while the story isn’t over yet, it is definitely worth the read. nam2seok are the resident straights and they deserve to be loved. on that note! yg is demisexual, rejoice.)

I Wrote This For You by chikichikichuu || yoonmin, taekook || bg namjin || t || wip || tw referenced depression/self-harm

the “cliffhanging heartbreaking motherfucking breakthrough debut novel” you will not read this story frustrates jungkook enough for him to send an aggressive e-mail to his newly proclaimed favourite author, min yoongi. (or, yoonmin through jungkook’s eyes. painful, yet worth it. taekook are relationship goals, basically, and everything is seemingly lovely until it isn’t. it hasn’t been updated since february ::) but it’s the kind of story that you can’t stop thinking about. suffer with me. <3)

a silhouette of new by mygz || yoonmin || m || wip || tw sexual content

sugar daddy gone wrong au chatfic; an unknown number sends jimin a message, thinking he’s a sugar baby.

(very very cute! i look forward to this a lot. yoongi and jm are both very natural and very adorable, spicy and sweet. uwu seriously something to look forward to if you’re into fluffy and sexy sugar daddy au chatfics.)

Lurking Shadows by GrandDragon03 || taekook, yoonmin, nam2seok, platonic yoonminkook || m || wip || tw violence

monster hunter au; jungkook is taken in as an apprentice by the legendary (and also married) hunter pair, min yoongi and park jimin.

(this is so good? the world-building is a+. please read if you want to see yoonmin with their son jk and good writing. the summary is in first person, but the story itself isn’t written that way, i promise. jk is a reckless prodigy but yoongi’s working on it.)

A New World by lonelyonion || taekook, yoonmin, nam2seok || e || wip || tw graphic content/violence/character death

super powers/not today au; “Jeon Jungkook was born to save the world, that’s a fact. Everything else, that was spontaneous.”

(this needs more attention! it’s still very short but very well-written and i am sooo excited for where this is headed. there are also not enough nam2seok fics in the world. :’) also! author says not to worry about the character death, but let’s see.)

Breathless by makkurokuro93 || yoonmin || bg namjin || e || 37k || tw sexual content

swim team au; after an unexpected break from the athletic world, yoongi finds himself back in south korea as their national team’s new coach. everything is almost the same as when he left, except, now, there’s park jimin.

(admittedly i haven’t finished this yet. 🤷 but! it seems very promising and there’s a nuance to the writing that colours everything in this sort of hazy blue filter. it’s just really pretty, wow. i say this bc i haven’t gotten to the smutty bits yet, tbh. what i’ve seen of the characterisations are brilliant! will update this when i finish reading. ;; let’s scream together.)

Impractical Magic by springrain21 || yoonmin || t || 16.8k || tw dismembered toes/spirits

witch au; yoongi is the worst witch jimin has ever met, basically.

(so so so cute! thank you to the original creator of the tumblr post that inspired this entire thing bc it just makes me so happy. yg is such an endearing character, and jm obviously feels the same way. you will fall in love.)

[dachi-chan25]

The Eyes of the Dragon (1987)

What is it about?

King Roland rules over the Kingdom of Delain, unknown to him, Flagg his magician has been plotting Delain’s downfall for centuries (he returns and disapears from the Kingdom taking diferent identities) and only his two sons Peter and Thomas can stop him.

Thoughts: -I FUCKING LOVED IT. Ok, but seriously this is so good? The fantasy setting is 10/10, I just honestly loved everything about Delain and I hope to see more of this Kingdom in future Stephen King’s books and the THING with the dragon !!!!!!!! I won’t spoil anything but the dragon ends up being super important. -Queen Sasha is my bae, for real she is amazing and that lesson she gives Peter, I just– I’ll add it to the quotes section cuz yassss she is my type of queen. -I love that the thing that saves Peter is not his swordmanship or any of the other ‘masculine’ traits often elavated on a heroic character like him but a femenine coded skill such as weaving, YES you read that right a MAN saved his own life by WEAVING and being PATIENT like !!!!!!! this is such an amazing subversion of the 'princeess in the tower’ trope’ OH and this skill he aquired by playing with his mother’s doll house and this btw was approved by his dad. -Thomas, gooooosh I have so many conflicting feelings about him tbh, like at first I felt really sorry about him cuz he just wasn’t good at a lot of stuff and big bro Peter was EVERYTHING you know the golden boy who can’t do no wrong and Thomas inferiority complex was real af and yeah it was sad, and then I grew to dislike him cuz god he really is an asshole with Peter and I kinda wanted to shake him and slap him but at the end he gets to be a hero with the ability he HAD and shared with his dad and actively decides to change his toxic behaviour and feelings and aghhhhhh he is such a complex character and I couldn’t help but love him with all my heart. -That asshole Flagg, of course he is the Dark Man from the Stand and the Dark Tower, you know he lives for Chaos and yeah hope he dies a painful death a thousand times, still an amazing villian tho.Actually I am very much looking forward to the final confrontation between him and Thomas. -The side characters I LOVED, Dennis, Ben, Penya, Naomi and my fluffy girl Frisky <3

TV/Movie adaptations: NONE ( seriously wtf???? I need me a mini series of this Netflix pls step up!!!)

Quotes:

“Kings grow must awfully big and that’s why they have to be specially careful; for a very big person could curso smaller ones under his feet just taking a walk or turning around, or sitting down quickly in the wrong place. Bad Kings do such things often. I think even good Kings cannot avoid doing them sometimes.”

“He knew as well as we in our own world do that the road to hell is paved with good intentions–but he also knew that, for human beings, good intentions are sometimes all there are. Angels may be safe from damnation, but human beings are less fortunate things, and for them hell is always close.”

“I think that real friendship always makes us feel such sweet gratitude, because the world almost always seems like a very hard desert, and the flowers that grow there seem to grow against such high odds.”

"One of the great things about tales is how fast time may pass when not much of note is happening. Real life is never that way, and it is probably a good thing.”

“Guilt is like a sore, endlessly fascinating, and the guilty party feels compelled to examine it and pick at it, so that it never really heals.”

“Oh, I suppose all men of intelligence know how fragile such things as Law and Justice and Civilization really are, but it’s not a thing they think of willingly, because it disturbs one’s rest and plays hob with one’s appetite.”

“People’s minds, particularly the minds of children, are like wells—deep wells full of sweet water. And sometimes, when a particular thought is too unpleasant to bear, the person who has that thought will lock it into a heavy box and throw it into that well. He listens for the splash … and then the box is gone. Except it is not, of course. Not really.”

“Did they all live happily ever after? They did not. No one ever does, in spite of what the stories may say. They had their good days, as you do, and they had their bad days, and you know about those. They had their victories, as you do, and they had their defeats, and you know about those, too. There were times when they felt ashamed of themselves, knowing that they had not done their best, and there were times when they knew they had stood where their God had meant them to stand. All I’m trying to say is that they lived as well as they could, each and every one of them; some lived longer than others, but all lived well, and bravely, and I love them all, and am not ashamed of my love.”

Next Book: "The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three”

[howlsmovinglibrary]

I was tagged by @logarithmicpanda thank you!

1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?

The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Knowles. I borrowed it off a friend when I was a bright and bushy first year lit student and literally haven’t touched it because I spent the next three years drowning in Chaucer and the last two years since graduating avoiding all classics.

2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?

I’m currently reading the Spiritwalker trilogy by Kate Elliot, I’ve just finished Cold Fire and I’m about to start Cold Steel. After that I’m probably going to read Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty (locked room murder mystery IN SPACE WITH CLONES).

3. Which book does everyone like and you hated?

Throne of Glass lol

4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel, I’ve tried like, 4 times.

5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?”

In theory, Lord of the Rings. If I do the masters course I want to do, I’ll have to read it before then as it will definitely be a compulsory text, but if not, there’s…..so many fantasy books with female characters that I could read instead!

6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?

It really depends for me. Normally I’m very much a ‘no spoilers’ person – but if a book is going in a direction I don’t like (particularly romance wise), I may skip ahead just to prepare myself for inevitable disappointment.

7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?

Oh my god for me this isn’t even a question. Definitely ‘interesting asides’. I love hearing about writers’ lives and writing processes. Like, I feel like the number of cats an author owns is *incredibly important*. And did you know the Strange the Dreamer was originally one book, and that Lazlo wasn’t the protagonist? Have you read N.K. Jemisin’s awesome interview of herself at the end of The Killing Moon? If I Was Your Girl also has a really interesting appendix that I think really puts the book in context. Gosh everyone should read acknowledgements literally everyone.

8. Which book character would you switch places with?

Ooh this such a cool question!! I’m going to say Agniezska in Uprooted. There’s so many fantasy worlds I love but they’re all pretty shitty for women, at least Uprooted’s world isn’t! And if you know how the book ends, all of that scary middle section would be so much more chill.

 9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?

Clockwork Prince will always remind me of my university interviews. I stayed in Oxford for interviews for a week, and by the end I was exhausted and stressed. But the interviews finished on the day that CP came out, so I bought it on the way to the station, along with some super fancy chocolate, and then got on a train and read it solid for four and a half hours. (It’s a happy memory, because I got in!)

 10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.

My friend and I organised for Patrick Rothfuss to come to our university to give a talk about his Worldbuilders charity (and writing, obvs). The reason he could make it is because he was already at a fantasy convention in the UK at the time. But the fantasy con had given him too many freebies to take back to the US with him so….Patrick Rothfuss personally gave me 10 books, and heard me screaming like a fanatic when he left the room to get his taxi.

 11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?

No, I haven’t, really :/ I’ve given a lot of special people books for their birthdays, though.

 12. Which book has been with you to the most places?

Tamora Pierce’s Wild Magic series travelled all the way from the UK to New Zealand with me, and I took them everywhere – on the whale watching boat, to the Kiwi sanctuary, on a glacier……

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?

Lol as an English lit student this is pretty much isn’t a thing for me. However, I read Beowulf for my university personal statement, as it was a compulsory first year text for the course I wanted to take, and hated it, but when I studied it in first year I freaking loved it.

14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?

I really want to hear the story behind this question because I have never found anything strange in a book. Are you ok, OP?

15. Used or brand new?

Whatever is cheapest, tbh. 

16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?

*crouches in protective foetal position on the floor and whispers* I have never read any Stephen King D: D: D: 

17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?

Howl’s Moving Castle is this, for me. And Lord of the Rings (the films have more action, and less talk of trees). 

18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?

Fifty Shades of Grey because they can’t even show graphic sex in a movie like what else is left?????? 

19. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question? 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, obviously. 

20. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

@b00kstorebabe (although she’s not really on tumblr anymore).

I’m tagging: @theinkstainsblog, @nerdishfeels, @books-are-portals, @magic-in-every-book

[syrvses-blog]

❝ ┅ THIS GOT LONG. | QUESTIONNAIRE. |

everything you could ever want to know about syrus is under the cut.

death tw, smoking tw, alochol mention

❝ ┅ BASICS.

Full name: seung-jun han

Any nicknames?: syrus (please call him that), hades

Age: 27 (holla @ yo ridiculously young mob boss)

Birthday/Zodiac sign: january 7 // capricorn

Height: 6′2

Any tattoos, piercings?: no piercings, but he does have a few tattoos. the first and most prominent one reads “you will always be fond of me. i represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to admit” located on his right rib cage. this was done both because he is a nerd for classical literature and because the quote reminds him of his father, whom he never wants to become. he also has ( these ) two, in honor of cronus (eye) and his deceased best friend (rose), who died in a similar time span.

❝ ┅ FAVORITES.

Sound: yasmin’s voice…jk jk the small sounds that echo against the walls of a silent space. a clock ticking, methodical and orderly. the scribbling of a wooden pencil, curious and erratic. the turning of a novel’s page and the certain sense of completion, of progress that comes with it. the muffled bass of club nyra hammering below his feet. the various beats of life in the dead of stillness that keeps him on task, keeps him enthralled in his work.

Color: surprise, surprise, black. but, likewise – white. in fact, his flat above club nyra is nearly completely white with tiny pops of color, such as that in the green apples that sit on the marble counters of the kitchen area. even more surprising, he’s also rather fond of warm neutrals, such as those found on his blog. in complete contrast to his flat, his actual apartment that can be found in ever changing locations across nyc is very warm, very home-y, and washed in those soft oranges and browns.

Person: may he rest in peace, cronus. though his friend found deceased years ago does come in as a close second, no one has altered his life more than harvey johnson. the first father figure in his life to ever truly love him as son, to ever truly look at him and not see a tool or a potential weapon, but as a human being. he has fought for years to preserve the work cronus has done to promote the olympians, and he will continue to work tirelessly for the man who proved to him not all is bad in the world syrus was raised in.

Memory: for his twelfth birthday, his father took him and his now deceased friend to the metropolitan museum of art. whenever the story was shared (by his friend more so than syrus, who rarely speaks of his past), his friend would always claim that the museum “broke” syrus, who had always been a more reserved, professional person. this is because in those few hours, syrus was, for one of the few times in his life, a kid. having always been a nerd and especially a nerd for things that are old, being surrounded by so much history and being able to see the influences of the history he read on the artwork made him genuinely giddy. though his friend and father certainly weren’t as enthused as he was, they entertained him by allowing him to drag them around as he rattled on about certain eras and certain paintings and possible influences. he has a particular memory of a tour guide with long, dark hair and a friendly voice joking to her clients that they should simply follow him around instead of her as their group passed him by. this whole ordeal was a complete surprise to him, seeing as he thought his father was simply taking him and his friend out to breakfast, and though he usually isn’t a fan of surprises, this one was undoubtedly appreciated.

Place: he has three. the first is the metropolitan museum of art for the reasons described earlier. the second is the new york public library. it is no secret or shock that syrus is obsessed with books and with reading, so a place stocked with millions of books is a dream come true for the man. every single time he walks in he has a moment similar to the one in beauty and the beast when the beast guides belle into the library. of his few complaints about being a mob boss, not being able to read more is definitely one of them. continuing forward, his third and final favorite place is club nyra, minutes before it opens. he has a circular couch in corner raised up a few inches that he usually does business with other club owners in, and occasionally he’ll slide into the white leather seats with some paperwork for the club before the doors allow the mass of people to flow in. in his seat in the intersection, he can view the bartender wiping down the bar in the middle back of the club one final time and the dj readying the track list in the other far end. with the dancers stretching and julian speaking to one of the various workers and the faint smell of vanilla (proven to make people happier) in the air, it truly is a priceless scene. once the doors open at 11 pm sharp, the setting isn’t ruined by the influx of people. instead, it is enhanced, for seeing the success of the club he rebuilt essentially on his own brings him a joy little else can bring.

Vice: oh, syrus and his nicotine. he knows what it’s doing to his body and he knows that he’ll probably pass due to lung cancer if he lives long enough to develop it, but the addiction doesn’t seem to care. he doesn’t drink, primarily because he genuinely doesn’t like alcohol aside from a few of the club nyra speciality drinks and he will sip on wine to seem professional. likewise, he doesn’t dabble in any other drugs, nor is he a slave to sex. his only physical vice, truly, is the packet of cigarettes in his suit jacket’s pocket. to steal madi’s (current medusa/octavia) idea of my favorite vice for syrus, since nicotine is certainly his favorite vice, i have to admit–i love how unfeeling and unempathetic syrus is in times of betrayal or when people fail to meet his expectations of perfection. in my head he truly is horrifying when in “scary syrus” mode. if a character is having a meeting with syrus and they know they’ve disappointed him, they should be prepared for the absolute coldest aura surrounding a merciless man who won’t accept excuses, regardless of how valid they are. this is my favorite vice primarily because it’s so much fun to write and fits how i originally conceived syrus to be all the time (like honestly i was going to originally use these gifs a lot tbh). but, then he sort of turned into a very formal, very intelligent CEO with a Nerd Dad part tucked under all that professionalism and distance. i still love him with all my life, but there is something so satisfying about writing syrus when he is in his pique of ruthlessness.

❝ ┅ HAVE THEY EVER...

Been in love?: he has never been in love, nope! nor does he ever see himself being in love or getting married. to revive an old meme, my thoughts and feelings towards this are ( x ).

Done drugs?: his entire list of drug use starts and ends with his cigarettes.

Killed someone?: yes, of course. he is a mob boss, after all. he has killed 17 people and could tell you the names of all of them. names are actually quite important to syrus, seeing as he’s unusually terrible with them unless he has a reason to remember them. when he was younger, part of his training with his father was memorizing the names of everyone in the olympians. unfortunately, because syrus’ mother disappeared when he was two and he didn’t know the cause of her disappearance was something that would be so important to his beliefs until 18 years later, he never learned her name and doesn’t know it now. he also has no real way to learn her name, being that he has no contact with his family in korea and little access to the conventional methods of finding her name.

Betrayed someone’s trust?: aside from the whole “splitting from old olympus,” never.

Had their heart broken?: with the death of cronus and his friend, yes. but, in the implied sense of via the loss (whether it be through break up or through some other method) of a significant other, nope.

Lost someone?: far too many people.

❝ ┅ DO THEY...

Have any pets?: ah yes, the infamous dog megara (but her friends call her “meg”) – a border collie that he loves more than life itself. he adopted the dog when meg was quite young, probably around 1-2 years old, after his father passed away seven years ago. he absolutely adores and would happily be with her over most human beings.

Have a family they still talk to?: they’re all dead or chillin’ out in korea, so nah! the only family he would want to talk to even would be his mother, but being that she died when he was two, it would be sort of a difficult situation without a medium. perhaps he would also enjoy speaking to his extended family, seeing as he doesn’t know the name of his mother and would rather enjoy having that knowledge.

Have a best friend?: that’s…iffy territory? like, he trusts julian/dionysus quite a bit because he does manage club nyra but that’s definitely a very father/son relationship despite syrus being the younger of the two. likewise, he’s rather close with octavia/medusa and felicia/cerberus, though the former is certainly more of a working relationship and he’s sleeping with the latter despite also having a working relationship. continuing, he’s also decent friends with kit/icarus, though it’s more of an unconventional friendship. friends are quite difficult for him with his position and personality, but best friends are particularly hard to come by since that implies a certain level of trust that syrus hasn’t had with anyone since that friend.

Want to get married and/or have kids?: as mentioned earlier, syrus, at this very moment, never sees himself getting married. but, if he did find the right person (insert finger guns), he’d happily marry. he simply would never predict this for himself since he has issues with trusting people completely due to being ridiculously independent/worried about endangering those he’s close to. as for kids? oh god, though syrus is really just Dad somewhere under all that formal business talk, he is absolutely horrible with children. perhaps it is because he doesn’t quite know how to communicate with people who do not understand his language. but, i’m sure if (when) he does marry, he’ll be so enraptured with the person he’s with, he’d be more than glad to have children with them.

Want to leave?: if this question was posed not even ten years ago, syrus would have most certainly confirmed that he did want to leave and was planning on opening his own business in a place as far away as korea. but, being that he now has club nyra and a duty to protect cronus’ legacy from crumbling under the wrong hands, he could never picture himself leaving. his sense of duty to cronus and to the people who depend on him is far too strong for him to allow himself to fade away. he simply must protect his people, must protect the few things in life that keep him from falling into a state of complete roboticism.

❝ ┅ THIS OR THAT?

Phone call or text? face to face conversation? yes? no? anyways, though he sees the appeal and necessity of both with texts doing well for quick updates, organizing plans, and stealth operations, he prefers to call. when in “scary syrus” mode, as i like to call it, he can be rather terse. but, with the people he actually would like to call for reasons other than business, he can become very loquacious and quite the storyteller. furthermore, he enjoys hearing people’s voices when they speak, it adds on a sense of reality to the conversation.

Wealth or loyalty? regardless of the fact that syrus is a wealthy man himself and does enjoy the comfort of wealth, at the end of the day, he’d take loyalty over wealth without second thought. he may be seen as the ultimate traitor to old olympus, but his loyalty to cronus and to the people who follow him under new olympus spans far beyond the average human and he values loyalty from others just the same. though all human life is irreplaceable to syrus, those that prove themselves loyal to a strong cause and prepared to meet the expectations required to further that cause are especially valued.

Love or lust? n…either? syrus doesn’t have feelings–only a strong moral compass. joking, joking mostly. on a serious note, though he remains largely unaware of the benefits of love and how much he would love being in love at the moment, once he does get a hold of himself – love, all the way. lust is nice and he certainly won’t complain about it, but ultimately he would much prefer to be in love than in lust. wow i’m making him sound so soft those of y’all who don’t know syrus are going to be So Surprised when you interact with him and He’s So Not Soft.

5 Friends or 100 Acquaintances? 100 acquaintances, or “contacts,” as syrus would refer to them as. 100 people for him to reach out to to help advertise a new night at club nyra or to potentially persuade into doing something for the furthering of new olympus. in syrus’ mind, friends either leave with too much information or die and shake him out of his phlegmatic state. but, if he has 100 loyal acquaintances who know him to be trustworthy, then he’s set.

Summer or winter? winter!! wow, hades, you’re so surprising. albeit that summer is arguably a more profitable time for club nyra, syrus without a doubt prefers winter. this may be because i don’t think he owns a short sleeved shirt and his typical attire is a full on suit, or it may be because he runs both of his spaces at a below average temperature and enjoys it completely. winter is the time of year when the temperature outside matches the temperature of his homes, if not is far colder (which may be better).

❝ ┅ OTHERS.

Wanted plots/connections:

everyone: comes to new olympus k bye

new olympus: i’d love to plot with how and why the other character came to new olympus. what did syrus offer, whether it be an actual offer such as safety or just what made him seem better over zeus? did they have a past together or something? also, syrus makes a very good trainer if you need someone to help your character learn to punch someone.

old olympus: syrus grew up in the mob, so if your character has been in the olympians for a while, then chances are they knew each other. did they work together? did they get along/not get along? was syrus just some mystical figure in the background?

titans: this is a tad harder being that the titans were in germany for so long. but, if they’re a more recent titan addition, i’d love to have some like tension-y thing with syrus if they were active members of the olympians. he’d feel a little miffed that they chose to join the titans but skipped out on new olympus.

neutral: someone could be his neighbor at wherever his apartment is now! furthermore, if they are ex-olympians, we can develop a past from there. anything with club nyra could work out too!! whether it be someone was hitting on your character drunk and syrus kicked them out or they’re just regulars at club nyra.

anyone: my son adopts your child because syrus needs a million fake kids. also possible is to play off of syrus’ dad side where syrus finds your character drunk/hurt/etc and takes care of them. alternatively, we could have our characters start a book club.

[artlessictoan]

Also, Smoke Into The Sand w/ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15! OoO As a side-note I haven't read this yet (SHAME ON ME BC I WANNA) and i'm SUPER interested in it!

asdfjskdjskdjfsk this is gonna get long fukc

What inspired you to write the fic this way?

my main goal with sits was to make it read like an old myth or storybook, an old tale that would be passed down for generations, the majority of the fic is written in that style exactly, but the overall story definitely is (and it does come through a bit more in how the backstory is told and some of the more important scenes)

that said, the main narrative is written much more slice-of-life-y, one of my biggest inspirations for this fic is the manga monogatari (bride’s story), it’s a really nice series that explores the daily life of people in various areas along the silk road, it has that simple, everyday life feel that i love and really wanted to write into sits! that’s where the random details about desert living and the tribe’s lifestyle come in (warning for anyone who might want to check out mono though: it does have an arranged marriage between a 20 yr old woman and a 12 yr old boy, it’s being played as a more platonic/familial relationship thus far but i can totally understand why it would put people off, so just a heads-up before anyone jumps in)

What scene did you first put down?

the first scene i actually started writing was the very first scene! but the very first scene, the one that spawned this entire fic i haven’t actually gotten to yet, it’s gonna be v near the end and i’m dying to finally reveal it because it’s gonna be Big.. but i shalln’t spoil it here, just something for my readers to look forwards to

What’s your favorite line of narration?

ok so like i said i’m shit at remembering any of what i write and it’s a bit more than just a line but fuck it:

Gaara froze, in fact, everything did. The soft whistling ofthe wind cut off into eerie silence, the constantly shifting sand stopped witha suddenness that was entirely unnatural, Naruto glanced away for a second andsaw that some grains were being held in the air, perfectly still. He turned hisgaze back to the spirit before him, his expression hadn’t changed at all, hewas still glaring, but his eyes were unfocussed, like they weren’t reallylooking at him.

Naruto was too scared to move, to speak; hecould only stare and pray that he hadn’t just sealed his own death warrant.

What’s your favorite line of dialogue?

again, not a line, but i really love this exchange between nart and ameno so effing much:

“So mature… You’re growing up too fast, how am I ever goingto keep up?” she asked, mostly to herself judging from the distant look on herface.

He slowly drew his hand back once her face wasdry and gave her a confused look. “You won’t have to; I’ll just carry you withme.

What part was hardest to write?

well i might just be saying this cause it’s the most recent struggle i faced (among many) but the chapter six reALLY killed me. trying to find the right way to describe the exhaustion and constant fear took many, many weeks and i’m still not sure i really nailed it (hopefully something i’ll be able to fix in the next chap)

What makes this fic special or different from all your other fics?

other than being the first multi-chap fic i’ve ever written, this is actually one of my oldest fic ideas ever, seriously it’s been kicking around in my head for a good five years or so now so there’s that

it also happens to contain basically All of my Special Interests; naruto, deserts, nomadic culture, boring minutia, swords.... honestly the only thing it’s missing is cats (though i’m sure i can find some way to work them in too..)

and, honestly, this is kinda my magnum opus? or at least that’s how i’ve always thought of it, i had actually planned to not start writing it until i’d already done a few other fics because i wanted to make sure my writing skill was at its best before starting such an ambitious fic.. yeah that didn’t happen, but i think that’s actually worked out alright, jumping in with a harder fic right at the start of my writing ‘career’ has been a bit of a crash-course and taught me a heck of a lot, i still think it’s gonna be one of the best things i ever write though. it just has a very special place in my heart

Where did the title come from?

well tbh i’m kinda shit at titles, so i usually just hunt through the first chap looking for any particularly poetic-sounding line that would work (though in this case it does have a nice little easter egg, since in arab folklore jinn are made of smoke!)

Did any real people or events inspire any part of it?

hmm not really? the whole thing is meant to be very fantastical and unreal (despite all the slice-of-life stuff), the only real-world insp comes from my research into bedouin lifestyle and such

What do you like best about this fic?

gaara! i mean ofc i like him in anything but this version of gaa - silent, detached, barely human, incredibly complex - is one of my faves and he’s really fun to write, we’ll be finding out more about him as the fic goes on and when we do it’ll make his actions before now both more understandable and less at the same time (he’s quite the paradox)

What do you like least about this fic?

the inconsistency. i feel like i must’ve gone through about ten different writing styles throughout the course of it and it bothers me that i haven’t quite got that storybook feel i was always aiming for, i’ll probably do a rewrite when i’ve got more experience under my belt and try to make the whole thing a bit more cohesive

What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?

as with btc, i mostly listen to soundtracks, since songs with lyrics really distract me when writing, since i like to try and match the music i listen to to the setting/tone of what i’m writing i try to listen to classical middle-eastern music (though i’ve had a hard time finding many albums of just instrumental stuff, if anyone has any recs i’d love you forever!)

in addition to that there’s the soundtracks of Journey, Bastion, Dreamfall Chapters and the Prince of Persia games and for instrumental artists i really like Break of Reality and Tina Guo for sits insp!

Is there anything you wanted readers to learn from reading this fic?What did you learn from writing this fic?

hmm, well i’d love it if people learned a bit more about the cultures i’m writing about (and i’d like to learn more of that too tbh, i’m still finding out new things that i actually got wrong earlier on in the fic), maybe even get interested enough to go looking for more info themselves, because there’s a lot of stuff that i simply won’t be able to go into much detail about

as for myself, well ^that and also it’s just been a rEALLY good experience in so many small ways - writing longer fics, writing in general, character interaction, introspection, action, plotting, description, suspense, mystery..... i could go on but yeah, basically it’s helped me grow as an author in Every Single Way and i’m sure it’ll help ever more before it’s done!

[diamondarmored-blog1]

Just some stuff from yesterday’s post nothin’ special particularly--

@corditeheart  Idek, it's so small that people think one comment speaks for the entire fandom

INCOHERENT HOWLING NOISES. I can’t even comprehend this mindset. Clearly I am still a summer child who knows not the struggle of fandom veterans. I was relatively late to the party and it’s still my firm opinion that people can do what they want as long as it’s not in an attempt to overwrite someone else. I sort of assume everyone else feels like that as well, so it’s never occurred to me to take one comment as law.

@ahmyhotdog I can only speak from where I've been. Most people in this fandom are nice. This is true. I've met way more nicer people than not nice. But I think part of the issue is if you don't want to people with certain people for whatever reason then a lot of others just don't seem to play with you as well? Or it could just simply be once you find people you enjoy playing with you just end up not looking for new muns to play with.

That’s true, actually! So it could be partly down to misreading peoples’ motivations for doing that? I would usually assume it’s because our headcanons don’t mesh, though I will say that’s happened to me elsewhere. I don’t think it’s the fault of the collective though, I think there are just arseholes wherever you go. Idk, I hear “x is a bad fandom” and I think of Bloodborne (INB4 SOMEONE IS A BLOODBORNE PART TIMER AND TAKES OFFENCE... @ them, come on, man, you know exactly what I mean here. BB is a mushroom cloud on the horizon for everyone else). 

@eruditorem I’ve heard things but honestly ive never seen anything and everyone has been so welcoming??? so idk either. also i dont pick my nose, i pick my butt. i  mean... wait-- dont reply to that

Mostly adding this so everyone knows Bri picks her butt

@legendaryturk Hmm.  Well I'm kind of newish to the fandom at least for RP, and I think...things just go in cycles?  I've seen ups and downs in various fandoms - not just 8, but also ffvii, doctor who, mgs, and tons of other fandoms I've RPed in.  overall I'd say ff8 has been mostly welcoming to me? it's small, and tumblr being the animal it is, people may just flock toward others who share similar writing styles or fanon. Idk, if I find I have something in common with another mun, be it writing style or fanon ideas, I'll kind of squee with them over it, but I *never* do so with the intent of excluding others, kwim? that said, there are times where I feel like muns talk around me and there's a joke I'm not in on, but, I think that's just the beast that is tumblr, and not fandom related tbh.

You were in MGS tho//// / ?!?!?/q/1/

That part about not doing it with the intent to exclude is so important tbh. So far, I’m getting the impression that most of it is misunderstanding. I can’t imagine anyone I’ve come across so far being deliberately dickish in that way. Eg, there’s one person I can think of who doesn’t really want to acknowledge me, but that’s okay, cos I know they’re a heavy Seiferx[redacted] shipper and I’ve already said I’m not, so I’d not be much use to them. We still follow each other, though, and I can’t think that they’d be all like YOU CAN’T SIT WITH ME if I spoke to them.

@diosleighrp  There's douchenozzles in every fandom who try to dictate what other fans can and can't do. It's quite unfortunate, but there are just entitled brats everywhere.

I can’t say much about this, I haven’t had it! Idk why. Maybe I’m too babbymode for the haters to have found. I have had it elsewhere though so I know what you mean and you’re right, they are definitely lurking somewhere. They’re lurking everywhere. 

@lionseed Just like American politics, it's the small angry voices that get the most attention for some reason. Sometimes there's a bad experience, and people take that as proof the fandom is shit.

MMMM and there’s always people with a bad experience to talk about because nowhere’s perfect, so I guess it’s partly on the reader to be on it enough to realise that. I would like if people within the fandom wouldn’t say that about all currently participating members though :( Obviously people can talk about their experience, good or bad, but their experience is with a person, not all of us. 

@underplater Okay, so. I will say that what I've personally experienced with the ff8 fandom is a lot of, "oh wow, I really like your blog and your take on the character you're doing. That's wonderful!" "Oh awesome, do you maybe want to do something with her/him/me?" "Uh... Maybe." Which... Means no. And then people are always all, "You just keep doing you, dear, it's wonderful," but no one sends in memes or replies to stuff? And it just.. I always feel like I'm pressed up against the glass, looking in.So I'd say my experience with the ff8 comm has definitely been that it's very insular and hard to for me, personally speaking, to break in on. ... Sorry, I'm fairly sure this was about my comment earlier? I think I was the one who used insular.... Unless, of course, I guess the problem could be me? But if it is, I wish someone would tell me so that I could drop the muses and just stop cluttering up people's dashes.

JJKASHDJASHFGGHFJDSJJHH this hurt me to read and is the main reason I’ve made time to do this reply post rn. I couldn’t remember who said what, to be honest with you and it surprises me that it was you, purely because you’re always one of the first people to come to mind when I think of “the FFVIII community”, you seem like a valued part of it to me, even if you’re not one of the most active. YOU ARE DEFINITELY NOT THE PROBLEM. I can’t really say with 100% certainty what *is*. With the meme thing, I think it depends what it is. If someone reblogs one of those “send me x and I’ll tell you about y”, I try to send it, but if it’s a starter or something that feels thready, I won’t unless I have an idea to back it with, cos it doesn’t feel any different to writing an actual starter for me. I’d rather do that, but I won’t do it uninvited/randomly because that’s putting pressure on someone who didn’t ask for it. If a lot of people do the same as me and don’t mention it, then that could be a big factor because people can well end up waiting for each other to approach without realising it. It might also be something to do with you having multiple blogs (particularly Reno) and that altering your perception. The reason I say that is because I had the exact same thing myself, I had a male muse in a fandom and everyone loved him - mostly everyone wanted to lowkey do him tbh - and I had a female one who got comparatively zero attention because she wasn’t as accessible to such a wide audience. Ellone in particular is a complex character and it’s a sad fact that people tumblr-wide aren’t always into the idea of paying attention to something before they interact with it. Reno is much more easy to interact with in a casual way, since he’s had more exposure in source material and is widely regarded as being a fun, not-serious character (though I acknowledge he very likely IS, and I know from experience that you will have put a lot of thought into him - I love Reno and anything that gives him some substance). He attracts people from further afield, people who might have only seen Advent Children or only know him through fan works. Ellone doesn’t have a movie or much fanfic, and she’s not really subject of the most popular speculation (lbr - by that I mean “who she’s sleeping with”), so she doesn’t have that far a reach. Your Ellone is so valuable to the whole community, you have a hell of a lot to share in your headcanons and your ideas. I haven’t seen you use Julia too much yet, but I’m sure she’ll be that way too. I think you should pick one of those ideas, pick someone who seems like they could pull it off and tell them about it, because I’m so sure 90% if not 100% of us would thread them with you. That’s all I do tbh!! I’m always prepared for someone to say no, but mostly they’re happy to have been approached with an idea to use as a starting point. PLEASE DON’T DROP THEM. You’re not cluttering up anything. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s sad to see you inactive on her whenever you are, tbh. I don’t think you realise how essential she is. I know it’s a small, slow fandom, but anything you post raises the overall standard for the sheer fact you did it, and it had your characteristic level of consideration put in. Course, I’m probably biased, cos I think I can tell when people work more behind the scenes than out front on their muse and the related background and I appreciate that, always have.

@misplacedxheroics .... I'm hoping this is permitted that I comment, as it was my blog where you read this post. I'm only addressing what I've experienced in the community, not trying to speak for everyone here. In my personal experience with VIII, more often than not, I see a lot of the insular behavior mentioned. Several blogs that start up are made to feel so unwelcomed that they leave or close up shop. Then there are the pass/agg anons, the ones who attack strong female characters (OC or otherwise) and 'correct' headcanons for canon characters. Whoever the person is, I have to believe it's just one single person. But anons have begun to reach out and outright tell people who they can or can't write with, which is baffling. And lastly, I'm guilty of this, and I'll own it -- We also become so comfortable and so familiar with who we write with we don't try out other players. There's also the overlap of muns playing with 'private' blogs. To me, the word 'private' tells me I don't have access to them. So what's the bother in following or engaging if everyone who writes muses that are in the fandom closed off to the rest of us? I can't say how the fandom should be run, I know I'm the least liked person in this fandom but this is my experience. A very polarizing, cold and unwelcoming experience.  We need to communicate more among one another, set clear boundaries and maintain community and unity, imo.

I think private is just a word people slap on a blog to make it look legit these days, or as a get-out clause if they find themselves followed by some kind of My Immortal Eldritch horror. Least, that’s what I’ve seen in my travels. Private blogs seem to favour their existing friends, but be open to others who will bring them ideas. I had one blog I called private and that’s because I kept getting people saying “wanna rp?” and I’d be like “yeah okay” and they’d literally say “alright you come up with an idea then”. ? / / //???? Also... I’m trying to word this in the least mean-sounding way possible because I’m not one to shit on anyone’s parade, but if I’m really honest with you, I had to unfollow you on an older blog because you were posting vagues about people so often. I don’t mind when people vent, but it got to the point where it was almost every day someone was on blast and I felt like I’d walked in on a family argument. You can do what you want with your blog, it’s on me to unfollow if I don’t like it, so I did. But. Any oversensitive person seeing it probably assumed you meant them and that might have something to do with you finding it difficult to connect with people. You follow that up by slating the entire fandom when it’s not exactly a fandom problem, which makes people less likely to approach you as you’ve already indirectly blasted them. I’ve had people tell me more than once that you’ve posted something about me without naming me; notably when you made a point of reblogging that one anti-Xu post from an inactive account after saying you hate people who disagree with you “on purpose”. I had just posted a silly Xu support one liner that got a few reblogs. I don’t really have a fig to give whether it was about me or not, but it’s a good example of how a vaguepost causes negative ripples. If one person assumed that was about me, another ten probably guessed it was someone else. I was welcomed to the fandom with a couple of how-do-you-dos and an anon telling me to stay away from you or you’d bully me into deleting. That was the first of several. Then you got that anon telling you to stop sending me hate when you hadn’t (what basis did that have?), and one of your friends for some reason assumed I was the one who had sent it and demanded that “anon” show IP proof, which gives the impression that they’d been led to believe it was me for some reason. I know you said you didn’t understand the logic behind me saying that, but we’re both running Statcounter, you know as well as I do how it works and what the implications are of saying that. It’s also how I know the anons I’ve had that I’ve mentioned are not all one person. Maybe it really was a totally out-of-nowhere thing that person said, but when you combine it with the vagues and the assertions that there’s a split in the fandom that no one else (so far) has detected, it causes bigger problems than it would on its own. I’m not trying to put you on blast, this ain’t a callout post and I haven’t taken any of it to heart - it’s no big deal to me - I’m just trying to offer an outsiders’ perspective because I read this as you being honestly oblivious to it, and if I didn’t I’d either have to ignore your comment or lie to you, neither of which I think you’d appreciate - and I assume since you made the effort to drop in despite not following me that you would want a response.