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sunbloomdew · 3 months

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I played the "Fields of Mistria" Demo! Here's my thoughts:

(that title sounds like something a youtuber would say auuughhhhhhhh)

I found out about this game completely randomly and decided to give the demo a try. And surprisingly, or maybe not at all, I am completely taken with it and i can't wait to see how the game will develop! :D

So for now, until the 5th of August arrives, here's what i liked, disliked and what i wish to see in "Fields of Mistria" in the future <3

strap in yall it's a bit long. but there are photos! like. three of them skfjdkhfksj

Things I liked:

You don’t choose your character model’s sex. Also because all of the models being roughly the same size, there’s freedom to imagine your characters’ body type however you want. Surprisingly I also don't recall any of the characters assuming your gender based on your pronouns, which is nice.

Multiple pronouns options! My one suggestion would be to add a She/He option as well ^_^

Wide range of skin tones available. There’s currently 36 in the demo. (to compare, Stardew Valley has 24 and 10 of them are unusual colours like blue or green)

The fact that you can set your birthday on the calendar, although it doesn’t seem to do anything for now. In one of my playthroughs I set my birthday on the 3rd day of Spring, and the only thing that appeared was a pop up saying “It’s your birthday!”. Understandable, this is only the demo after all. I wonder if the early access will have characters react to your birthday and maybe even give you some gifts!

The few available hairstyles are really nice. My absolute favourite thing about hair in the demo was that it has a moving animation! Small detail but it really delighted me.

Same goes for clothes, they are cute!

The customization isn't locked and you can create a couple of outfits you can swap any time! You can also change everything about your character's looks at any time, including their pronouns.

The predetermined palette of colours you can choose your hair colour from is pretty good. There’s 40 colours so far.

I have a small problem with the opening cutscene but the rest of the beginning cutscenes are good! I like the one when you arrive at the bridge and meet Balor and the camera slides to him. And the Juniper cutscene haha

Now that I mentioned NPCs, I really like the cute, personalized animations they have, like Adeline snapping her fingers, Balor flicking his hair before walking away, Celine working in her garden, Josephine and Hemlock singing.

I absolutely love all of the character designs in this game. The 90s anime artstyle, colours, their poses and expressions. I really feel like this is the thing that really drew me to try this game as I wasn’t interested in a new farming simulator. But here I am! All with the power of anime. For example, here are the designs of the romanceable characters! The photo is from the Fields of Mistria website:

Another huge NPC win for me is that the characters interact with each other a lot! I noticed that a lot of them meet during the day and talk with little dialogue bubbles. It feels like the townspeople know each other quite well, I hope we get to learn even more about them and their dynamics!

One of the best things about interacting with characters is that you can talk to them multiple times during the day, getting a bunch of different dialogues. Once you talk to someone you have to wait either for them to change their location or for one of the other characters to approach them, to talk. I really like it since it means you get to interact with everyone couple times a day and it honestly makes the game more enjoyable.

From the little crumbs of lore we got, I am really intrigued about the setting. Prior to the player’s arrival to Mistria, the region has been hit by an earthquake. The disaster caused the main trading route bridge to collapse, the area getting destroyed and a lot of residents leaving the town. The town leader Adeline (daughter of a Baroness and Baron of Mistria) with her brother, Eiland's, help comes up with the idea to seek out an adventurer who could help to revitalize the town. We learn that Mistria is part of the Kingdom of Aldaria (so we have a monarchy), it has its own guardian deities and rich ancient history with the Sleeping Dragon Inn being a historical landmark and that magic is not hidden from people who can’t use it (Juniper freely uses magic in front of the kids in her cutscene after completing her request). Some characters offer some little hits to what their story might be about: Balor says that compared to Elsie he didn’t have a good time in the Capital, and other characters note how he is mysterious and obtains his wares in unknown ways. Elsie is a retired socialite from the Capital with many past romance stories to share, she probably knows a lot of interesting titbits about the Capital and people there. Juniper says that there’s something suspicious about Celine and Juniper herself is stuck in a town she doesn’t really seem to like but seemingly has something she needs to achieve here. When you meet March he slips for a second and says “I- We have everything under control” so it seems he views the player’s arrival as a threat to him in some way (emotionally i presume, not literally). Errol used to be a miner, Hayden can possibly talk to animals? And so much more. And of course, there’s the statue of dragon Caldarus who appears to be a marriageable character…? Anyways, I can’t wait to learn more about this setting!

I loved that you can talk with animals like Dozy and Henrietta, give them gifts and pet them. I really hope we can do the same with our pet.

The interior designs of all the buildings is extremely cute! I really like all of them, my favourite must be the Sleeping Dragon Inn, Celine’s cottage and the Carpenter’s Shop. Plus Elsie’s room at the manor and Hayden’s house.

I also like the beach a lot. It just feels nice and there’s a light house and I sure do love a light house /reference plus there's good ambience there

If you go to the manor there’s a portrait of the Baroness, the Baron and little Adeline and Eiland over the fireplace in the dining room :3

I really like Holt’s dad jokes. Pierre could never-

Guys I need Valen I need her

You are able to swim! It’s really cool and the animation is cute. Plus you can dive in certain spots to find stuff.

You can hold down the button to eat a bunch of food if you have multiple of something.

Saving your game having a form of a diary is very cute and I love that. Same with the crystal orb serving as a weather channel.

Fighting monsters feels dynamic! You actually have to put some thought into learning each individual monster’s behaviour and attack patterns. It’s challenging but not too hard. But they do quite a bit of damage at the start. Fighting that red mushroom felt like playing “Baba Jaga patrzy” again haha.

And speaking of fighting, i like our own character's fighting moves! But it took a bit to get used to them since they make the character move and it's not just. clicking with the mouse repeatedly skdhfjsf

I like the sound design!

Soundtrack is very nice. Not all of it is very memorable but it’s nice while you listen to it and it fits the game. There are some tracks that already got stuck in my head :] I like the one that plays at the Blacksmith, it’s intense for no reason, just like March lol

I cannot stop gushing about the characters, so far even just from the designs they all feel like they have distinct personalities and each one of them has their own thing going on. They all feel so warm and welcoming even if their actions aren’t (looking at you March). I don’t know, something about the artstyle, the pixels, design and colour palette just has me very enamoured with them. I really hope their character arcs or stories will deliver.

I like Caldarus. And the music that plays when he first speaks to us in our dream.

The museum is so nice. Also I love that Errol is an actual character we can talk to… Unlike another museum curator I know /j

You can buy stuff from shops even if no one is around!

Level tenth of the Mines… I’m SO intrigued

I like that there’s magic and can’t wait to see what other spells we can learn!

You can craft at the crafting station in town even if you don’t have the necessary materials on your person, but they are in chests at the farmhouse. As long as the stuff you need is in your chests you can craft stuff which is pretty cool.

Lastly, what I really loved about playing the demo is that not once did I feel rushed to do anything. Farming simulators often make you feel like you have to maximize your time in the day *cough* SDV *cough* and I do enjoy that sometimes, but other times I just want to chill. Somehow Fields of Mistria demo achieves this feeling of not having to rush and playing at your own pace and it feels great.

Things I disliked:

Not a lot of things mentioned here are going to be stuff I actively disliked, more like felt annoyed or confused by. And before any of my little complaints gets the “this is only a demo!” response, let me assure you: I am aware. If things change before or after the early release that’s great! This is specifically what I find ‘meh’ about the demo so far.

When the opening cutscene in Adeline’s office starts playing the room is positioned oddly on the screen. I think it’s so later the camera can follow the characters’ movements but when the cutscene starts and you only see the bottom half of the room at an angle, it feels really weird, like the room wasn’t centred by accident.

I’d love for the character creator to have the option to rotate the model of your character. I think it would be good to see what the options you picked look like from different angles before you jump into the game. Although the customization isn’t locked and you can change how you look whenever. Still, this could be a nice option

So I just said that the colour palette for hair is pretty good. Can’t say the same about the other ones, for eyes and clothes. The colours we get aren’t bad but I feel like there’s too little of them. Speaking of eye colours…

Choosing the eye colour is annoying. Once you pick an eye shape (cool feature btw) a window pops up in the middle of the screen with eye colours. The icons are too small to see the eye colour properly, especially when you want to compare the darker colours. I had to move my face closer to the screen to see what was I picking. And after you pick something the window disappears and you can see the colour you chose on the model. Okay, cool but now if I want to try out different options it I have to open the window again. Constantly opening the colours window to check other options is tedious and a bit frustrating. What I think would be good instead is once you click to choose the colours, next to the options appears a close up of your character model, and the window doesn’t close until you click an “X” button. To sum up my main problems are colour options visibility and the colour picking mechanic. Hair colour and colours for clothes and other stuff is picked in the same way BUT all of those elements are bigger than the four pixels the eyes are made out of.

The controls are not obvious. The game shows you to progress dialogues with “E” key but nothing aside from that. I didn’t realise until the last day of my first playthrough that you can jump, because in my previous experiences, 2D RPG, and especially farming simulator games don’t usually have that option, and the only instance of jumping happened in a cutscene, so I thought it was just an animation for the cutscene. I think it would be a good opportunity to use that moment in the cutscene for brief player interaction so they can learn how to jump, however silly that sounds. I think the player’s experience would benefit from a controls tutorial, in form of a window popping up or them showing up on the side of the screen like in Stardew Valley on the first day.

While interior designs are really cool I feel like the outside is kinda empty. Not so much the building but the areas around them. It is felt the most in the empty stretches of land outside the town but running through the paved roads in it can also feel a bit odd. Like the area is too empty. It’s definitely not a problem on the farm due to all the overgrown grass but everywhere else you really feel like it’s just a flat stretch of nothing. I think adding some more details could be nice, maybe some streetlights, plants, a bit more texture on surfaces.

I had a really odd moment that took me out entirely. While playing the demo you can get Juniper’s request on the board to bring her a Lilac. Once you complete it, a cutscene set at the bathhouse will start playing right away, regardless of where were you when you completed the request. This felt incredibly jarring to me. The first time I did this request I gave the Lilac at the bathhouse, but the second time it was late evening at Valen’s house. So it was pretty surprising to be essentially teleported to a completely different place. I don’t think it’s a great mechanic. It would be better if a cutscene set at a specific place on the map started when you arrive there, to help it feel more coherent.

As much as I like the warm and cozy feel of the characters, it felt like there wasn’t a lot of variety in reactions to the player’s arrival. Everyone except I think literally one person is all cheery. I don’t mind this that much, cause the community being excited for your arrival feels sweet. It makes sense with the story too, the player is there to help out around the town, and who living there wouldn’t be happy about that? I just really hope the character’s don’t end up with poorly defined personalities, that’s my main concern for now about the story. It would be tragic if the game only ended up having cute designs but nothing else. Needless to say I have pretty high hopes for the final version! I really hope it works out and I’m 100% rooting for the team.

The inventory system had me kinda confused at the start. The spaces are all in one line in game but once you open your journal they’re stacked on top of each other? Yeah took me a bit to get used to that, and I’m not sure how I feel about it still.

The user interface is very cute, I have one problem though. It’s hard to tell what a lot of the little icons mean, for example, when you open the chest there’s a chest icon next to the two arrows that sort stuff. I have no clue what it does and when you’re hovering over it, it doesn’t have a name or an explanation either.

You can’t hold down mouse button to use tools continuously. This is because when you upgrade your tools, for example a pickaxe, when you hold it down you get to mine more spaces at the same time. I’m not sure if that exchange is worth it.

You have to click one by one if you want to throw multiple items out in the inventory trashcan.

It’s a shame you can’t land on rocks/big water lily leaves on the water. And you can’t walk into the sea, you have to specifically jump into it. This isn’t really a complaint, I just think I’d be cool if you could just slowly walk into the sea. Like slowly getting submerged.

I feel like the scroll wheel directions are odd… Scrolling upwards will move you to the right of the inventory but I feel like it should be the other way… Maybe it can be changed later in settings.

The buildings on the map are not named. It would be nice if, when you hover over an area you see its name.

Credits get blurry when moving. It hurt my eyes :(

Things I hope to see in the Early Access (and in the game in general):

Interactivity within interiors. So like looking at bookshelves to see what books a character has, reading letters or notebooks that were left out, finding some stuff in their drawers… Basically snooping haha. Oh and more interactivity with objects placed outside too. Right now there are some signs and items you can't interact with, like that tent by the dig site.

More settings for in-game scale! It would be cool if there was one between 3x and 2x, like a 2.5x.

The ability to sell stuff directly at shops. Sometimes you need money but waiting until the next day would ruin your plans.

Sitting! I wanna sit in spots next to the characters and vibe :]

While I do like available colours, I think adding a colour wheel or sliders would be neat.

I wonder what are gender identities and sexual orientations of the characters :]

More clothes and hair options obviously! And furniture as well

What gets implemented for the player’s birthday

How the museum exhibition will look like :D

Lastly, I might be way out of my depth with this one but it would be cool if the romanceable characters could also move in with you platonically… Or if there was a character like Krobus, a little friend you can invite to live with you <3

And that's it :] sorry for the stardew comparison, it's like the only farming sim i'm very familiar with

I've been enjoying playing the demo a lot and i definitely will play more before it closes. And i will for sure be following the development and waiting for the early access in august!

it was a really fun experience over all and if ur interested i reccomend you try it out :D

cya

#sunbloom talks #gamer hours #fields of mistria #indie games #cozy games #indiegamedev #indiedev #farming rpg #farming sim #90s anime

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thelovelyghostwriter · 6 months

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Answers are below:

AO3 Handle

This is easy. Numbkid.

It has been a pen-name since I was a kid. I was an emo kid who liked Linkin Park's Numb.

2. Ships I write

Currently, mostly Kuraneon. Occassionally there are other HxH pairings like Hisomachi, Tserriednich/Theta, Chrollo/Neon and Ponzu/Pokkle.

3. Ships I read

Pretty much anything I get curious about.

4. When i started writing

11 years old. That was more than a decade ago, even before AO3 was founded.

5. First fic I wrote

I did write something when I was 11 on FF.net. I did delete it because of the poor language use and the fact that it was cringe.

I did remember the title, it was "Can I heal your broken heart" which was a CoAi fanfic.

6. Favourite fic I wrote

There are a lot that I have written over the years. Just to name a few:

I like writing angst, so this is probably the most painful one. Also the longest one-chapter fic I have ever written (13K words).

I think this is my favourite Hisomachi fic. I really enjoyed writing them in a whimsical fantasy setting. It was also pure comedy and fluff.

My very first Tserriednich/Theta central fic, with Hisomachi and Kuraneon pairings as well. I had fun writing Tserriednich in a very psychological thriller type of way.

I loved writing Kuraneon hate-sex. There was something raw and hot about this.

7. Hardest fic I wrote

There were a few fics that were written with much difficulty, for various reasons.

The longest, completed fic I have ever written. It was difficult because half-way because I lost interest in Detective Conan as a series. I have always liked the CoAi pairing, but grew frustrated with how the series was going. Add on to my depression in the 2014-2016 era (this was written from 2015-2018) + adolescent teen angst + readers pressuring me to continue, and you get a recipe for disaster. Incredibly difficult for me to write given the circumstances. I also didn't think it was good and there were people complaining on Wattpad so I thought the efforts were in vain. I was so frustrated that I vowed never to write for this series ever again. Don't know if I'm gonna hold up to that promise but it has been 6 years, so I'm not sure if I'll love this series enough to write for it again. Maybe a one-shot, who knows.

8. Most research-intensive fic I wrote

This one is very obvious. The amount of stuff I had to learn to write how the mafia works in HxH and also how Nen works. Also the HxH world building. Whew. Very heavy stuff. It is paying off though.

9. Fic that is most dear to me

I am going with the first fanfic I have ever discovered.

This fic was first written in 2005, I discovered it just a tad a few years later. I was mindblown by the fact that people could just write about established characters and make up scenarios, lmao. It fulfilled my shipper desires that Conan and Ai would get together! Somehow after like a while, it inspired me to write my own fics. So this was the start of everything.

10. Favourite trope to write

I don't know, I don't really have a trope. There are common things I liked exploring:

Mafia theme

Greed and money

Desires and Death

Sexual temptation

Psychological thriller

Occassionally I do write the happier fics and I think I can pull it off, but that's not where my interests lie.

11. Something I wouldn't write

Hmm... I don't have boundaries, I think? I love exploring different genres, themes and even the most messed up situations. I like dark fics, I do want to write thrillers.

Probably just fics about real people. Like those celebrity fics, like those "my mom sold me to One Direction" or something. It's just weird writing about real people for me.

I also don't really do requests anymore. I would hate to write a ship that I wasn't 100% on board with.

12. Favourite scene I ever wrote

Hmm, this is quite tough. Probably the part where Theta reads a letter from Tserriednich in "Like Turkeys Voting for Christmas".

Dear Theta, The newspapers told me about your tremendous error that led to the chaos during Sara’s winter concert - how an exhilarating event had burst into madness. Pity poor Sara though. Once was a bright star among the upper echelons, had fallen so gracefully in a blink of an eye. I fantasise that you wonder before going to bed if that error was an unfortunate anomaly, or had been stuck to you like an inherent gene. Like Sara, millions of individuals undergo their life like an inverted curve - the struggle to go up and then come rolling down the hills. Do you find it humiliating that you, once a trustworthy royal head bodyguard, had been demoted to a security for a talentless celebrity rumoured to had fucked her way up to the top in Hollywood? And more so that even in this meagre position, you had failed? Do you believe that failing your career in protecting your client, would be equivalent to having failed to save the inner child wailing deep within yourself? I would reassure you, my dear Theta, that you are competent. A fine specimen of the female human species. Which is why I had no doubt of choosing you to watch my back. It is unfortunate however, that you chose to stab it. Why would you do that, my dear Theta? We were having so much fun - our intimate bantering had been forever etched to my memories. I had often backtracked at which pinnacle moment my behaviour became intolerant for you: you had always turned the other cheek whenever a new collection of mine was delivered; and the personal matters of my fucked up royal family had been more or less familiar with you. The screams of women getting out of their shells never fazed you either. Somehow, you believe that me unlocking the powers of Nen would be a Pandora’s box; and that was where you drew the line. But really, who are you to deny me my potential? That is the riddle that has perplexed me. The temptation to open your mind and pick on the neurons for an answer is too high, but I digress. Needless to say, an utter disappointment when you decided to take the role of Delilah, attempting to defeat the lion that she feared would devour the world. Has it ever occurred to you that your role in the narrative would not be against me, but besides me? Did you fear that I would have disposed of you after learning Nen from you, dispose of you like the poor trash that you think you are? If that is so, you have greatly underestimated my generosity. With my sibling, the self-proclaimed winner, had met the untimely death, the Kakin throne had been left vacant. I think it's time for me not only to rule, but my bloodline for eternity. Join me, Theta, this is my offer to you. Since this time of the year is to celebrate generosity, companionship and forgiveness, I propose both of us do the same. Allow me to show my generosity by giving you something that few had done: justice. The King might be the most important piece, but the Queen is his most prized protector. Once somebody has offended you, they have done the same to me. You spent Christmas by yourself last year. I will be sure that this year will be different. Until then, please enjoy the gift I have sent you. Some animals really need to keep their hands to themselves. - Prince Tserriednich Hui Guo Rou

Then she finds a severed hand inside the gift box sent to her. The hand belonged to a man that tried to molest her earlier in the fic.

13. Where I get inspiration from

Pretty much anything, depending on the topic. Sometimes I just go like "hey I got an idea!"

14. Hardest scene I ever wrote

So far the argument between Kurapika and Neon in the latest chapter Glam Gas Land in Strange Bedfellows. I wanted to write an argument where both of them had a valid point.

15. Favourite characterisation I wrote

Always Kurapika. He is SO fun to explore. I love writing him a good ol' angst scene. I think the angstiest I have him in is "The Rabbit Died".

16. Sequel I would write, if I had the time

There are two.

One was the "Neon Nostrade is a Pop Star/Idol AU". I wrote "In Star-struck Awe". The sequel was supposed to be this:

I only wrote the first chapter. But this sequel was supposed to be the story where the media finds out that Kurapika and Neon are dating. I plan to make changes to both fics and set it to the 2000s. I want to make references to the 2000s music industry scene, mixing up Neon's Pop Idol character with Britney Spears, Paris Hilton etc. The 2000s were also very brutal to famous female celebrities, so it will be a fun fic project.

Another sequel I planned to write was from "Black Veil". I have not posted the fic sequel yet, but I plan to expand from this. Since in Black Veil, Kurapika finds an alternate universe where he got married to Neon and had kids, with the Kurta clan still alive. Since he got back to his own world, he explains that Neon is actually in the ICU where nothing can wake her up. There is a plant in the Dark Continent to cure all diseases. So I want to write a sequel on that.

17. Story I wanna write, but don't think people will enjoy reading

I think just really dark fics. For Kuraneon, I kind of wanna write another dark fic with the tag "infanticide". Go figure.

I also am tempted to write a Gin/Sherry fic. I don't know, I think this ship is dark and interesting.

18. A line from a WIP

"Kurapika had enquired to one of the townsfolk for The Owl's location"

19. A recent comment that made you smile

Pretty much any comments from @anotherworldash ! She has very long comments that made me smile so much!

20. A discontinued work that I would have loved to finish

There are two.

Of Marigolds and Dragonflies.

This fic was a Hiei/Botan fic that I have abandoned. I made the mistake of having to post more chapters, when it could be a standalone one-shot fic. It begins after 1 year of death anniversary of Hiei and Botan's unborn child, and they have broken up over it.

I actually had a good vision for this fic, but I kinda moved onto another fandom. Perhaps I can just post the first chapter of the fic, I think this is a good standalone.

The Outsiders.

The other fic is this one. It's a crossover fic between Detective Conan and Tokyo Ghoul.

I had this idea of Conan being a detective and going around to solve ghoul-related cases. But alas, I kind of got tired of Detective Conan; so I dropped it. Once in a while I see CoAi content for my own amusement, but I'm sort of done writing for it. Don't know if I'll pick up this idea again.

21. Fic writers I admire

I think I admired a few of them back when FFnet was still the norm, but they stopped working on fanfics.

22. A story I recommend

After Hours by Cb_w.

A story by @anotherworldash

A Vampire AU where Neon is a vampire and Kurapika is a vampire hunter.

The Sleeping Beauty in the Bathtub by Cb_w.

Definitely one of my fave darker Kuraneon stories.

#kuraneon #kuraneo #most fics are kuraneon but some are hiei/botan and coai

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redinbluee · 2 years

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Chainsaw Man, ch 121

(Hi, I’ll start doing Chainsaw man updates/analysis for every chapter now since I rlly want to talk about it (I have no one to talk to about it irl, and I like to express my thoughts on things). I apologise for my poor grammar in advance- my writing style is rant-like and difficult to read, I hope it’ll get better as I do more of these. CSM has been my biggest interest for so long and I just love it soso much so feel free to talk to me about it anytime!)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyways, to today’s chapter- (121, Theory of Happiness) Spoiler warning!!

I’ll start with the title. This is probably my favourite title so far, not only does it summarise the message of the chapter well, it really resonates with me as well. It’s interesting to see how different people attain their happiness, while some people are constantly in a cheery mood, others might find it more difficult to gain happiness. Not only this, people attain happiness from all sorts of things. You can’t just ask someone to “be happy”, happiness is a naturally occurring emotional response that could not be forced. A lot of the recent chapters focus on relationships and how one may gain happiness through these connections. Asa is in a situation right now where is just so lonely, she has lost everyone in her life and is currently at a very low point. She gains happiness in the early chapters and then looses them in the blink of an eye. Her happiness is temporary, short lived. I feel terrible for her. Whereas Denji receives all this attention from groups of thirsty fans, but he seeks for a deep emotional connection- someone who is willing to accept the boy behind the facade and love him for who he really is. Asa has a high quality of life, there’s no evidence of her being broke, and she lives in nice conditions. But she is alone, her parents are gone- there’s no one she can talk to, no one to reassure her and tell her that she matters. Denji on the other hand, has lived a terrible life, and has lived in the worst of conditions. He was starving, broke, uneducated- but he was able to attain minimal happiness through the smallest of things, talking about his dreams with Pochita- finding small things in his life to be grateful of. I love this contrast that Fujimoto made.

Interestingly, just a few days ago- I was talking with my mom. I was going through a depressive episode and I began talking about how I find it so difficult to attain my happiness. I’m financially stable, I have a great family, and I’m living a rather fortunate life- then why am I so sad all the time. I get all emotional over minor things, I worry too much and it tears me apart. And my mom agreed, she felt the same. I felt like a brat, a terrible child, I knew perfectly that there were people all around me suffering to much greater extents but I was only worrying about myself. This chapter came out at a perfect time.

Asa lights up to the minimal attention someone gives her- she’s so starved from love it makes me want to cry. She gets so confident the moment Denji gives her the smallest compliment, and she quickly gets so emotionally affected by abandonment. It was also sad and funny to see how much Asa was trying to cope with her situation last chapter- I love her monologues and long-winded infodumps, I do the exact same. It makes me feel less alone. Asa struggles to admit that she desperately needs this love right now- her happiness almost depends on the people around her. She holds a distinct set of values that guide her through life without realising that she contradicts it- she makes up he mind that she prefers isolation then immediately gets all flustered when Yoshida does the bare minimum. I wish she could realise how much she needs a secure friendship right now- Asa being so sad right now makes me want to disintegrate.

The chainsaw plush on the first page was cute. I wonder who put it there- I bet it was Iseumi. There were several moments in the chapter that reminded me of the reoccurring theme of “fame” in CSM so far and I would like to elaborate on it. Just from the plush, we can see that Chainsaw Man is a famous and impactful figure in the world of CSM right now, there have been several mentions of Chainsaw Man merchandise so far- like the chainsaw man bun and stickers that were talked about in 98. There is also the chainsaw man open call that might occur soon. We have managed to get a glimpse about how the public views and treats Chainsaw man, we see all these false claims about him in 103- while some people almost objectify CSM and worship him like a god (cough cough Iseumi), some despise him. While Chainsaw man is constantly being showered with praise, and at the same time- hate. All of this is directed towards a figure who is entirely a facade. No one knows about the broke, single father boy that lies beneath the mask. A high schooler who is a loser, who is lonely, who is under the control of a demonic gremlin child at home. Yoshida mentioned the importance of “parasocial relationships” on the third page of today’s chapter, I found that interesting- it almost felt like Fujimoto was referring to his own audience. About their obsession with his characters, their obsession with him as a writer without knowing who he really is. The chainsaw man figure lies helpless, defensiveness on the couch, listening to Asa and Yoshida’s conversation- he hears everything, but does not have the power to interfere. That’s the same as Denji’s situation, he is literally Chainsaw Man, a highly recognised and appreciated figure- but he is unable to be recognised for his true self. He is under the control of two people- Yoshida, who prevents him from breaking this facade and revealing his true identity to the public. Denji first-handedly hears all this criticism about chainsaw man in 103, but is then immediately shut off when he tries to prove his point. Denji has no voice in society, no one listens to him, know one appreciates him for who he is. And Nayuta, someone who controls Denji’s relationships with people, shutting them out from his life and harming them. Despite Chainsaw Man getting all this fame, none of them is directed towards Denji. I think the next few chapters will heavily explore with his relationship with playing the role of Chainsaw Man- is it really worth it, pretending to be someone else your whole life just to feed of ungenuine praise?

It was creepy to see a dead body fall from the sky while Asa was contemplating suicide. It was unexpected and impactful.

This almost reminds me of Asa’s reoccurring dream. She runs through the corridor, trying to not step on the dead chickens that obstruct her path. She couldn’t help but step on them- getting close to the impending darkness that lies ahead. Asa walks across the path, clouded by her own thoughts. Then boom- dead person falls from the sky. Asa had no control over the situation, she just happened to be there when the dead body fell off. Same as the dream. The chapter ends with people staring down at her from a tall building- The gaze is intrusive, accusational. Almost as if Asa had just fucked up- then the chapter ends on this cliffhanger. (And we have to wait 14 days)

The panelling was beautiful in this chapter, Fujimoto has done it again. The contrast between Denji and Asa’s expression on page 10 was (chef’s kiss). While Denji is trying to convince himself that Chainsaw Man will bring him happiness (a false sense of happiness), Asa looks awful- she looks so sad. I expect that Denji will get a reality check soon, then fall into Asa’s current position as well.

Second coolest page was page 5, bravo Fujimoto. Dude built the suspense by zooming into Asa’s face and Yoshida’s lips then boom- (next page) Yoshida steps out of the closet and breaks the tension. Props for coming out

I’m getting tired, that’s it for now

Side note- I love how Nayuta slapped Denji’s ass ahhaaha

#csm #chainsaw man #csm 121 #asa mitaka #denji #yoshida hirofumi #asaden #yoshida is so gay ily #autism #denji hayakawa #Chainsaw man 121 #Chainsaw man #Asa #csm analysis

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smalltownfae · 1 year

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Top 10 Favourite Middle Grade Books

I say middle grade, but I am including young YA too and at least one that is categorized as for children. Either way, this is my current top favourite books for younger audiences (I would say before the age of 15). I have read some of these many years ago and I haven’t reread them since so this is according to my memory of the feelings I had at the time. It is bound to change as I read more books. I don’t read many books for younger audiences nowadays, but I think they are charming and I have a soft spot for those published before the 00s because it feels nostalgic to me somehow.

1 - Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

This is one of my favourite books in general. It would be in my top 10 favourite books of all time because I love the Howl, Sophie and the humour so much. I’ve watched the studio ghibli adaptation first and even though I thought it was beautiful visually I ended up thinking the story just ok and I found it weird that the second half was so much different from the first half of the movie. A few years later, a friend that loves Realm of the Elderlings made me attempt the book and since we have many media tastes in common I did. It was the best decision ever because I completely loved it. The characters have so much more personality and the story makes much more sense.

The book is about Sophie’s character growth, but Howl feels as equally important. It is very funny and I love the banter between the two main characters, but it’s also very creative and a little bit mysterious. It’s such an incredibly well plotted story about making your own destiny and finding your own power and it’s also about family and caring for others. It’s just a very charming book that I read 3 times already even though I read it for the first time only 3 years ago or so. It’s also really short so that helps.

“If I give you a hint and tell you it's a hint, it will be information.”

2 - The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

I read this series of 5 books last year and this year I finished the short story collection. This series feels very nostalgic to me because it has many classic fantasy tropes. It’s a coming of age story about a boy named Taran that wants to go on adventures, but when he finds himself in the middle of that he just longs to go home and it’s also a story about magic leaving the world and the pain of those who left and those who stay. A very classic tale with some similarities to Lord of the Rings, beautifully told and it feels very cosy. It’s also inspired by Welsh mythology and it has morals woven into it for children, but done in a clever way.

I know I watched the Disney adaptation titled the Black Cauldron once as a kid, but I don’t remember anything about it because I didn’t care for the movie. From what I’ve heard they made a mess of trying to combine the first two books and it lost the charm of the source material.

“There is much to be known… and above all much to be loved, be in the turn of the seasons or the shape of a river pebble. Indeed, the more we find to love, the more we add to the measure of our hearts.”

3 - The Changeling Sea by Patricia A. McKillip

This is the only McKillip book I read that I think is suited for younger audiences. The other ones feel like older YA to me. A friend made me see the similarities this book has with Howl’s Moving Castle in terms of plot, but this book is not as funny. It is sad and sometimes melodramatic. It follows a young girl that lost her father to the sea as she gets involved in the mystery surrounding a prince. The girl works at an inn near the sea and I found the setting very cosy. The story is magical and tackles the subjects of greed, identity and family.

A lot of McKillip’s books feel like original fairy tales and are told in a lyrical prose. This is one of the most straight forward and easy to follow out of all her books.

“I don’t know what to do. What must I do? I belong to the sea and it will not let me in, and I cannot bear this land and it will not let me go.”

4 - The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

I enjoy the movie (which I once again watched many years before I read this), but I like the book more. The writing style is beautiful and the story, much like McKillip’s books, feels like an original fairy tale. It follows a unicorn that overhears that she is the last of her kind so she goes on an adventure to see if that’s true. She finds some companions along the way and there is an evil guy. On the surface, it’s a traditional fantasy story, but it has some little changes that make it more interesting. Once again, it’s a story about identity (I really like those) and can be a bit melodramatic.

“Take me with you. For laughs, for luck, for the unknown. Take me with you.”

5 - The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

This book could be higher if it wasn’t for Mr. Toad. I really didn’t like him or the plot around him, but I love everything else so much that it is still currently in 5th place. The writing in this is really pretty and charming and the animal characters are adorable for the most part. I don’t even tend to like books about anthropormorphic animals, but since this one worked so well for me that I want to try more of those.

This is a story about the lives of four wood creatures. That’s it. It doesn’t seem like much, but I always enjoyed slice of life and scenes where the characters just talk and reveal bits of themselves so this was great. There is a lot of thinking about having a home and if it would be more fullfilling to stay in one place or to go on an adventure.

This book is put in all the cottagecore recommendation lists and for a good reason. It’s really nice and comfortable like a warm blanket (if you forget Mr. Toad exists, that is).

“Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing.”

6 - His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

So, this could be higher if the two books that followed the first one were as good. The first one is still my favourite, but I still enjoyed the other two (especially one particular scene in the last book). The first one was the only book in this trilogy to make me tear up though and books that make me cry usually get on the top of my lists. It’s just the way it is. I don’t think this one needs an introduction. The themes about religion are cool and I love Lyra and her mother.

Once again, I watched the movie first and I didn’t hate it (which seems to be an unpopular opinion). A few years after I decided to try the books because someone reminded me of their existence and they were pretty good. This placement in the top is mostly due to that first one though.

“The idea hovered and shimmered delicately, like a soap bubble, and she dared not even look at it directly in case it burst. But she was familiar with the way of ideas, and she let it shimmer, looking away, thinking about something else.”

7 - The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco

This is probably the book I read the longest time ago on this list, except from the one in 10th place. All I remember about it is that the Velveteen Rabbit wanted so much to be a real rabbit and that it made me cry. I definitely need to reread it, but I remember really really liking it at the time.

“You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.”

8 - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

I only read the first one and I am unsure if I will ever continue. If I do I will have to reread it. I remember really liking it, but it had heavy religious messages here and there. The tv show improved upon it. Still, it had a pretty writing style and the characters were really charming. I loved Anne and her adoptive “parents”, Diana and Gilbert. This is also another book that would fit in cottagecore lists. It has a similar atmosphere to The Wind in the Willows.

“People laugh at me because I use big words. But if you have big ideas, you have to use big words to express them, haven't you?”

9 - Coraline by Neil Gaiman

I remember the movie more than I remember the book, to be honest. I know that there were differences between the original and the adaptation but I only remember a few things. This was an interesting creepy tale and I liked it a bit more than The Graveyard Book so here it is. I need to reread this one soon.

“Now you people have names. That's because you don't know who you are. We know who we are, so we don't need names.”

10 - The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I haven’t read this one since primary school. I remember really liking it though and there was a fox in it, which was enough for child me. It had some really cute messages about connecting with others and I remember vaguely that every planet the little prince talked about had his own moral message, but I only remember the greed one. This is another book I want to reread soon.

“In those days, I didn't understand anything. I should have judged her according to her actions, not her words. She perfumed my planet and lit up my life. I should never have run away! I ought to have realized the tenderness underlying her silly pretensions. Flowers are so contradictory! But I was too young to know how to love her.”

#top 10 favourite books #top middle grade books #howl's moving castle #the chronicles of prydain #the last unicorn #the changeling sea #the wind in the willows #the little prince #coraline #anne of green gables #his dark materials #the velveteen rabbit #andi recs

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hwapetals · 2 years

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baked with love!

the title is so unoriginal im sorry, hope u enjoy it though! this is my first fic on here so reblogs and likes are appreciated <3! constructive criticism is as well and this wasnt really proofread oops

pairing: bakery owner!seonghwa + domestic!seonghwa x gender neutral reader

genre: fluff

warnings: mentions of food and baking

word count: 3129 words

story starts under the cut! main story is sectioned into 3 with a bonus part at the end

PREP!

the sweet scent of fresh croissants and a variety of cakes attacked (y/n)'s nose, making their stomach grumble and mouth water in response.

"my god, i'm starving. the smell is NOT helping one bit," (y/n) mumbled to themselves, tapping their foot impatiently as they stood in line.

(y/n) hated their job. sure, it paid a lot but it didn't make them happy. it took countless sleepless nights and they found themselves with a huge workload every day.

the only thing helping them hold on was their lunch breaks. they were extremely thankful that they were situated in an area where there were shops everywhere, mostly food shops.

they had tried quite a few stores but this one pastry shop in particular had caught their interest and one of their favourite places to eat at now, making them a regular there.

(y/n)'s thoughts were quickly interrupted by the queue moving in front of them, making them be at the front of the line to face the cashier now.

"what would you like— oh, hey! (y/n), right?" the male said to them. he was kitted out in a white long sleeved blouse and a blue apron with a checkered pattern with a small logo stitched in the corner.

he also had a pair of round glasses on and (y/n) could recognize him from the name tag attached to his blouse.

"oh, seonghwa! it's a pleasure to see you. you normally don't work the register, what's the special occasion?" (y/n) greeted him enthusiastically, the male matching their bright smile with his own.

“we’re currently training a new intern in the back and the cashier is having a day off today to go to a wedding so i’m taking his place for now. did you want your regular order?"

"oh, that's cool!! and i was planning to get something different today, but i'm not sure what to get so, surprise me, will ya?" (y/n) said, pulling out a 20 dollar bill from their wallet and placing it on the glass counter.

"will do! i'll bring you your change when i serve you," seonghwa said with a nod, sliding the bill into the cash register, before handing over a plastic table sign with the number 18 printed on it.

"thank you!" (y/n) said, taking it and walking towards a nearby table, directly in sight of the cash register.

their lunch times were slightly later than the typical office worker's so the café was usually quite uncrowded and quiet, allowing them to fully relax and eat in peace.

they pulled out their phone and plugged in an earphone into their ear, before putting on some music and opening their emails to check for any important emails to take note of.

unluckily for them, their boss had emailed them saying that the document originally intended to be sent out the week after was brought forward to the next day, making (y/n) sigh in response, shutting their phone off and place in on the table in front of them.

"god, this job fucking sucks. why does my boss always do this to me?" (y/n) mumbled in exasperation, not noticing the man approaching them wiith a tray of their food.

"hey, you alright?" seonghwa questioned with a concerned expression, setting down the tray onto the table gently.

"yeah, i'm fine. just work stuff, you know?"

"ah, understandable. wanna talk about it? the café isn't busy, i can keep you company for a bit," he offered, putting his hands in front of him neatly as he awaited their response.

"it would be great but the real question is, do you mind me rambling for a bit?"

"oh, of course not. i'm willing to listen and help you out if needed,"

"you're too sweet. thank you," (y/n) said with an appreciative smile, beckoning seonghwa to come sit next to them.

"it's no worries, gotta look out for one of my favourite customers!" seonghwa said, scooting closer to (y/n).

"so, where shall i start? there's so much i want to talk shit about," (y/n) said, slumping into the cushioned bench, with a loud sigh.

all seonghwa could do while (y/n) ranted away was to nod and make small remarks so they knew he had his whole attention on them. it wasn't that hard for him to pay attention to them, though.

after fifteen minutes, (y/n) stopped talking and just let out another loud sigh, checking their phone to see that their lunch break was almost over.

"well, it looks like i have to leave to continue working. it was nice chatting with you, it was more one-sided, actually. sorry about that. thank you a lot though, i appreciate it," (y/n) said, flashing a brighter smile to seonghwa and finishing the rest of the strawberry milk that seonghwa had made for them.

"oh, no! i didn't mind it at all. thank YOU for confiding in me. did you like the strawberry milk and apple pie?" seonghwa said, getting up as (y/n) did the same, dusting off his apron.

"of course! it was delicious. i'll take my leave now, i'll be able to work better, thanks to you," (y/n) replied, putting their phone into their small bag, preparing to head off before they felt seonghwa grab their wrist, making them turn to face him.

"sorry if this is a bit… sudden. would you like to maybe work here? we're looking for new workers and i need an extra pair of hands to help me with managing stuff anyways," seonghwa asked sheepishly, releasing his grip on (y/n)'s wrist while mumbling an apology.

"that sounds pretty good, actually. but i'm still kind of scared, to be honest. but i'll definitely think about it!"

"take your time! it's alright if you decide not to, it’s just an offer!”

“i’ll keep it in mind! i’ll see you tomorrow during my lunch break again,” (y/n) said, pushing an earphone in their ear before waving at seonghwa before scurrying out the door hurriedly as they felt their phone vibrate from a text from their coworker.

BAKING!

seonghwa and (y/n) leaned against the kitchen counter, both finally being able to relax after a busy day of work, both having to clean, bake and serve constantly throughout the day alongside a few other workers. this day was especially busy due to it being valentine’s day and (y/n)'s suggestion to make the menu themed specially for holidays which boosted customer rates.

"you know whats so funny? our bakery is the most popular during valentines day but we ourselves don’t have anyone to celebrate it with,” (y/n) noted, glancing over at seonghwa who laughed in response.

“you’re right, it is pretty ironic. we could change that, actually,” seonghwa said, turning his head to face (y/n).

“how do you suggest we do that?” (y/n) questioned, raising their eyebrow at seonghwa’s statement, before they were caught off guard by him turning around and using his hands to pin them between the counter and his body.

"oh? how bold," (y/n) teased, looking up to meet his eyes. they were awfully close to each other and (y/n) was panicking but they weren't going to let that show.

(y/n) had liked him for a while now, but they didn’t change much in how they were interacting with him, it seemed subtle to them at least. but seonghwa had definitely noticed their ‘subtle’ change in behaviour when in interactions with him. he noticed how nicer they began to treat him and how flustered they got when he flirted back with them amongst other small things they did.

seonghwa had his eye on them for a while now, but he wasn’t going to make a move until the right time. it killed him having to wait but seeing their reactions to every little thing he did was entertaining to him. it was worth the wait, he would say. he wasn’t going to deny that he enjoyed seeing them flustered, rather he found it cute.

“mmm, one of us had to be direct eventually,” seonghwa said, moving in closer to lessen the gap, making (y/n)'s face flush redder as their eyes flickered away, gulping in nervousness.

“eyes on me, darling. would be rude if i didn’t pay attention to you while you’re talking, right?” seonghwa purred, using his thumb and index finger to gently grab their chin to successfully guide their eyes back onto him. he smiled smugly, seeing their eyes lock on to his.

(y/n) was definitely unfamiliar with this side of seonghwa, mostly only seeing his kind and sweet side. they couldn’t deny that they found how he was acting at that moment was rather attractive.

(y/n) was conflicted as to what to do. it was painfully obvious that he was flirting with them but it was more than that, they felt. be direct or back off? they were afraid that making the wrong move would destroy their relationship.

seonghwa laughed, moving backwards slightly, after seeing (y/n)'s reaction to his previous action, before he was caught off guard by (y/n) pulling his tie forward harshly, their lips meeting with his.

he happily reciprocated the kiss, tilting his head and using his hands to hold their waist as (y/n) wrapped their arms around his neck. it felt like an eternity but they weren’t complaining. they wanted this feeling to last forever. his soft lips against theirs and his warm hands holding their waist, before they pulled apart to (y/n) and seonghwa’s dismay.

“damn. that was better than i thought it would be,” (y/n) said, smiling, as seonghwa grinned back, this time his face redder than before. it had just sunk in what happened and seonghwa was extremely embarrassed but happy.

“how’s that for being direct?” (y/n) teased, staring at the male who was looking away, his hand covering the bottom half of his face, clearing his throat while (y/n) readjusted themselves so that they were now not leaning against the counter.

“very great. ten out of ten. would do it again,” seonghwa mumbled out, attempting to look back at (y/n) and failing miserably. (y/n) laughed at his ‘review’ of the kiss, making a remark of how he sounded like a really bad food critic.

“okay, on a more serious note, i need to ask this now. what are we?”

“mm, whatever you want. we can make it official now or take it slow and go on some dates and stuff,”

“if you don’t mind, we could take it slow, go on some dates and see if we’re compatible as a couple, you know? not saying that it wouldn’t work out!!” (y/n) suggested, panicking at the last bit as they didn’t want him to get the wrong idea.

“no, no. i get you. i’d like that too,” seonghwa said with a warm smile, taking (y/n)'s hand in his.

“shall we talk more about this over a movie and some instant ramen?” seonghwa asked, awaiting (y/n)'s response.

“sounds great! never pegged you as an instant ramen kinda guy, though,”

“shhh, it’s a guilty pleasure of mine,”

SERVING!

(y/n)'s eyes opened widely, in response to their stomach loudly grumbling in the early hours of the morning.

it was barely bright enough to see outside, but the faint silhouette of the sun shining indicated to them that it was time to get up. normally, they would get up earlier to go to the bakery to prep for business but since it was a public holiday, they were allowed to wake up later and do whatever they wanted for a few hours.

(y/n)'s turned to the side of their king sized bed, shared with their significant other, with a frown after realizing that he wasn't there, quietly whining in slight annoyance before they stretched their limbs and sat up, kicking the thick blanket off their body.

they continued on with their morning routine that included sitting on the bed for an extra 10 minutes before going to brush their teeth and sleepily going to the living room to go on social media.

there was a certain familiar smell going around the house that (y/n) very much recognized and enjoyed. the scent of the butter of the crust, the mouthwatering spices and the aroma of the main and best ingredient of the pastry made (y/n) salivate. it was very surprising to (y/n) that apple pie became one of their favourite desserts, considering they weren’t a fan of it before with its mushy insides and overwhelming spices at times, but it made sense somewhat because they were literally dating the best baker they knew. biased? sure, but it didn’t matter to them.

they swung open the door quietly and peeked their head out to the living room and the kitchen. the apartment was small but cozy, and definitely an upgrade from their old apartment. the smell only got stronger, prompting them to walk out. they were greeted with the sight of their boyfriend, seonghwa, humming to himself as he stood in front of the stove, stirring as ingredients were neatly placed next to each other on the countertop.

(y/n) sneaked behind him, before placing their hands on his waist and burying their face into his shoulder.

“good morning! what’re you making?” (y/n) asked, tip-toeing to peek at whatever he was cooking in the pot.

“i’m making apple pie and strawberry milk! and also strawberry jam for the bakery, we’re planning to release scones as part of our menu,” seonghwa replied, leaning into (y/n)'s touch as he stirred constantly to avoid anything burning.

“oh, sounds great!! do you need any help?”

“no, not really! just go put something on on the tv or something and i’ll be out with the food soon,”

“alright, i’ll go put on some breaking bad and clean up the bedroom real quick,” (y/n) said, releasing their grip on seonghwa before scurrying off to do what they said before. several minutes passed, before seonghwa’s voice rang, summoning (y/n) to the dining area instantaneously.

on the table, there were two porcelain plates with apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a mint leaf neatly placed on top of it. a see-through glass cup was at the left side of it, containing a layer of chunky homemade strawberry syrup with fresh milk layered on top of it, a bubble tea straw inside, leaning against the edge of the cup.

(y/n) sat next to seonghwa, fidgeting with their hands in anticipation and excitement, as they stared down at the food, before glancing back at seonghwa who raised his eyebrow, beckoning them to try the apple pie and strawberry milk.

seonghwa watched as (y/n) happily began to dig into the pastry and drink, smiling to himself as he watched them enjoy it. the one thing in the world that made him the happiest would be seeing his significant other enjoy whatever he made for them. it was definitely great that he had a partner who shared the same passion regarding baking and cooking like him.

he couldn’t wish for anything better than this.

BONUS SCENE!

(y/n) yawned, rubbing their eyes before they continued to type away at their keyboard. it was around 2 am, and they were almost done with the new menu design. they took a sip of their lukewarm black coffee, letting out a soft sigh of satisfaction, the coffee giving them a little more energy.

“mm, what’re you doing awake at this time?” a soft voice rang out from behind (y/n), making them turn around abruptly to see it was their boyfriend, seonghwa, who was leaning against the door frame.

“oh, i’m just finishing up the menu so we can get it printed by afternoon,” (y/n) said, facing seonghwa with a tired smile. they knew that they didn’t have to get it done this early but they just wanted to for some reason.

“nope, we’re going to bed right now. it’s cold without you,” seonghwa said, making (y/n) laugh at his second statement.

“nah, i wanna get this done quickly and i’ll go to bed. i won’t take long, go get some rest, you need it more than me,” (y/n) said, with no intention of changing their mind which seonghwa could notice. he sighed, walking up to them to wrap his arms around their shoulders.

“okay, okay, fine. what if i make you something real quick? i’d feel bad if i didn’t help you or anything,” seonghwa suggested, (y/n) sleepily insisting that he should go back to bed and that he doesn’t need to do that for them, making him scoff.

“no, i insist, you deserve it for working so hard," seonghwa said, releasing his grip from (y/n) who whined in response to his stubborness, glaring at the male who just laughed and left the room to go to the kitchen.

all (y/n) could do was sigh and continue to work while they listened closely to the sounds of plates clinking and the sizzling of food as they took sips of their coffee in short intervals.

after around 20 minutes or so, seonghwa came into the room, holding a plate and set it down next to (y/n)'s laptop. they quickly took a peek at it, their eyes lighting up after seeing the golden brown exterior of french toast, with maple syrup and condensed milk drizzled over it and a small square of cold butter placed in the middle of it.

now that they were closer to it, they could smell the eggy scent of the perfectly cooked piece of toast and the subtle aroma of the maple syrup drizzled over it.

"thank you. for this. i appreciate it," (y/n) said, glancing over their shoulder to look at seonghwa whos lips stretched into a wide smile after hearing what they said.

“anything for you!” seonghwa replied, quickly kissing the cheek of (y/n) who rolled their eyes jokingly, looking back at their laptop.

“god, you’re the cheesiest person i know,”

“and you love that, don’t you?”

“no comment,”

“damn. i just got rejected, i’m so heartbroken,” seonghwa said, feigning sadness to evoke a laugh out of (y/n).

“don’t take it personally, sweetheart. now, go to bed, you need your sleep,” (y/n) instructed, continuing to type quickly and move images around with their mouse.

“nope, i’ll stay here until you’re done,”

“no, you’re going to bed. how about this? i’ll finish the food, you go to bed and i’ll work there beside you instead. and no exceptions! i want to finish this today,” (y/n) suggested, turning again to look up at seonghwa who frowned and began to protest until they shot him a look which made him whine again but leave the room.

“what a child, i still love him though,” (y/n) said to themselves with a laugh, before starting to dig into the food he made for them.

END!

#ateez fanfic #seonghwa fanfic #seonghwa x reader #seonghwa fluff #seonghwa imagines #ateez imagines #seonghwa scenarios

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star-arcana · 3 months

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My first Impression on Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door's Remake!!!

Long intro incoming, skip it to the *Star, if you want to rush to the first impresssion proper .

**Stars if ou want immiediately the gameplay, starting first with the combat and then with the exploration side.

***Stars if you want the story, the perhaps most interesting aspect, as usual with many beloved RPG's.

And, finally:

****Stars for a the most brief conclusion on this.

Hello everyone, your favourite arcana is here, Star-Arcana and I am here to write here my first impressions, not a full review on Paper Mario TTYD's Remake on the Switch and what I think about it.

Yep I am not going here spoiler free, since I want to mention some important events in the story (as well as other Mario RPG's like Super Paper Mario for instance), as I am already spoiled on the story for most of the stuff and now what happens, so don't read what I wrote here if you want to remain unspoiled, 'til completion of the game by your own time and pace. So do it like Edge and be against Spoilers here, she hates Spoilers, doesn't she?

Starting off, I am a huge Mario RPG fan as some of my favourite games were from that branche of the highly esteemed Mario Franchise, since he is the one I grew up with as a kid the most, other than DK, Pokemon and Smash...So I was always going to like that game, as many other people who liked these type of games said that this game is really great and ultimately I wanted to play another Paper Mario since my last one; Super Paper Mario when it came out. So, as I expected and hoped, I love that game already and it is super fun in not just gameplay, but also story. Plain and simple, it is the Mario RPG I would have loved to play as a kid back then, had I known of it's existence, but since I am an adult now, I can try it and be really happy with it, after all, adulthood still brings me much fun, if not more so than as a kid with that freedom compared to back then,hehehe...

Anway back to the topic at hand, I started to play that game for over a week, currently having finished the brutal Wrestling challenge against Rawk Hawk, the jerkiest Chicken out there, and found the yellow Crystal Star and I am currently in Rogueport and try to clean up some older levels for the coming loom in the Twilight Woods. I wanted to start this run a bit earlier, but due another game taking me longer to complete, as it was a very difficult quasi-permadeath run with Prince of Persia The Lost Crown, I was delayed until I could start TTYD last monday. Thus I got to play very recently the remake of one of the most prestigeous Mario RPG's of all time, the Gamecube's Thousand Years Door.

*Now that I made my thoughts clear, I go over this game now more throughtly:

It is a turn-based RPG within a semi open world that you explore in search of 7 Crystal Stars, as you became entangled in a millenia long secret of the town of Rogueport, sitting atop the ruins of an ancient City. You, as Mario, were brought here by Peach, who came in possesssion of an ancient treasure map leading to the Stars needed to open a Door with the same name as the title; The Thousand Years Door. You go to that town and after getting in trouble with a bunch of evil-doers known as the X-Naunts and eventually finding a treasure Map for the 7 Crystal Stars, you journey begins. You will encounter several friends on your journey and foes as well amd have to navigate through a wacky and colorful world of Paper that shines as bright as any children book with cute pictures here or a great fairy tale book.

Anyway this post will be divided into two parts, gameplay and story, and as I want to get over the least fun (but not unfuuny) part first, the gameplay!

**As I said, it is a turn based RPG within a semi open world that is very much alike other such games, like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger and Pokémon. However it differs in a few ways, like the battlefield being a huge theater stage, with a live audience here to watch you, that can be either Toads, Koopas, Goombas and many other creatures across this journey. Know that they exist first, they will be relevant later. Going on, you can order Mario and your teamates to attack an enemy, defend themselves from them, heal HP or use any kind of moves like analysing the foe or just swallowing them and spitting them out. Certian actions however, cost action points, here called Flower Points (FP for short), and you can and you can only win by beating the enemy by making their HP drop to 0. But the biggest diffrence being there is that you can like, in the Mario and Luigi games, influence the way attacks and commands are executedby fulfilling several commands like pressing B on a foe when jumping and stomping on them, or having to press the analog stick Left or hold and press ZR. You can even add extra flare by adding style to the attacks, like pressing A at the right moment. Each move has diffrent conditions for styles, which can be properly learned by the right timing and by the Battle Master, a Pink Toad that looks like a Kung Fu Warrior, so better check her out if you want to get better.

Also the way you can minimize and even cancel damage is rather interesting; You can either guard yourself with A, when the foe attacks and expect either no or little damage, but the more rewarding, but trickier to master Super Guard, not just nullifies damage, it can also send a small portion of the damage back at it's sender, but the window of setting it up is super short and if you fail, you end up being hurt for full damage. On your journey, you collect the Stars that will open new path ways for you, but will also give your special moves that can devastate and even break fights, like the Earth Power skill that will deal big damage against your foes or Clock out which, if executed well, immobilize your enemies for 3 WHOLE turns, which made the Grubble Boss Fight a cakewalk. These Special moves needs Star power for their execution and if you attain one, you will get more and more of these points as your MAX number in total. If you used up Star power, you need to refill them by gaining appeal from the crowd via the Appeal tactic to increase it, or execute your skills very well with the aforementioned stylish moves and thus you get them all filled. However the Crowd and even the battlefield can make life hard for you, both IRL and here, since enemies can throw stuff at you from the seats, if you don't counter them with X fast enough, or the studio can have Buckets fall at you for instance, and thus recieve damage or get dizzyness and thus can miss a few attacks for a turn. However enemies can also be hurt occationally by this and lights when falling down on you can eletrify you and thus increase your attack potential. The Stage can also have some projectors freeze either you or your foe and thus get the freeze effect. So this game demands you to pay attention to the combat, lest it gets the better of you.

Items also exist that can like any boxstandard RPG Heal your HP or FP, increase stats, remove negative conditions or inflict them on your enemies and they are all over the map, but you also get Badges that either give Mario or his partners new moves, increase their defense and offense in certian conditions or increase FP usage, Max HP the amounts of them are near endless, so just know the badges exist. There is however a limit to the amount of badges you can equip as some of them either take up no badge points, and thus can always be equipped, but others take up more points, up to even 6 ones and if your BP limit is reached, you cannot equip anymore of them.

However there is a way to increase your max BP points, and also your HP and FP, by gaining enough Star Points (not to be confused with Star Power), which you will get all your stats refilled and can choose 3 of the slots to be increased, HP and FP can be increased by 5 points and BP by 3 points. Choose wisely, as you need to figure out where you want to lay importance in the most.

With this overall, the combat is fun and I want to explore more of it, but I also found it pretty easy and not as hard as I thought it would be, given this game being really old, and games used to be harder back then. Anyway the game's massive array of powerful ablilites, rather predicable and even weak enemies, as well as items being very easy to find, I have almost Max capacity if we include storage in there. I never ever lost any real fight, I didn't died just once!!! Even Rawk Hawk couldn't push me that far and he was almost able to K.Omy little Yoshi friend I cutely named Yoshigon, combining Yoshi with the last syllbes of Sargon's name, the protagonist of Prince of Persia The Lost Crown, since both of them are young, hot-headed warriors trained by skilled masters, in Yoshigon's case, it's a he, Mario!!! Ahem...With the additon of most commands being rather easy to perform, unless you also want to master Multibounce and Power Bounce with max appeal, you really have a rather easy time, and that is ok, too, since good games don't need to be hard, but fun. So, this is not the game to flex too much your skills with unless you mastered every single attack...but maybe I am too overconfident, and the game will surprise me.

The exploration side was also a rather fun endaevor, even if I wished there was a way to mark all places you cannot explore right now with an in-game feature, as making screen shots on my Switch is not super duper funny. Still the game has a lot of value in the exploration side, since the puzzles are hard enough to be engaging and not too much of a shore to deal with, even if I was a bit confused at times, luckily my teamates helped me via tips to finish the harder ones. They are also good at showcasing the new abilities and advantages you get with new gears, powers and teamates who can help you with places that seem intraversable, by making you be placed in those situations and thus get a feel as to how and when you need these powers like the grids in the Hooktail Castle or the X-marked places where you need to stomp, but only can do it once you have it. There many such places and I always see it as a good sign of game design to make the player clear when they need them by creating this sense of helplessness and confusion and then lifting it with a new ability, power or friend that helps you deal with it. Especially the whole quest within the Great Tree where the Punies live is one I enjoyed on this front the most as well as the Glitz Pit's dirty dealing, and...you know what I loved all the places...I will just mention a place where I really felt tested my mind the most, and that was the Great Tree where the Puni; You have to figure out how to lead a horde of these little Pikmin-like creatures into the dangerous dungeon in which they could get lost in should they fall into a chasm, as you need depending on your progression, a number of them to complete puzzles and open pathways, as this dungeon has locks that will only be openned when for instance 101 of these little fellas stand on the pedestal you place them there via placing a Puni orb on said pedestals to attract them. For instance I had them to cross two gaps by placing them there and have a teamate summon a gust of wind to push them into the gap, where a little water puddle is, to have them then be lift up as bubbles. Before this I have to remove the orb and place it to the pedestal on the side I want them there and after 2 more gusts, they entered the place I wanted them too. The Punies are also followed by what might be the most catchy track in the game so far, it gives me this huge Pikmin x Patapon vibe I love so much, here is the track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs1nnHXIr7A

Pikmin x Patapon crossover when?

However I felt that one puzzle wasn't obvious and that was the movable wall in the locker for lower level fighters in the Glitz Pit, as I needed to ask for advice to get in there, so I hope that better puzzles will come where I won't depend too much on this. With that said and being done, I loved the exploration and the new windows coming forth for me when I get new members and powers, I just wish it would be easier to keep track on them easier as to not miss them, soemthing like in PoP TLC, where you screenshot in game a place and memorize them. So all in all good riddles, even if some could be more obvious.

Now we come to the main meat, the Story

*** Mario RPG's have a good reputation with storytelling as it uses the most simple story and conflict in video gaming history as setting for some of the whackiest, funniest and most elegantly and gorgeously told stories within that silly Mario world of wonder and fun. They also adds dimensions to the world that few spin off from the Mario series can pull off and ultimately made us think and apprieciate the Plumber and his friends a little bit more and helped gaining many fans for him, as well as enriching our lives, such a game was Super Paper Mario to me, as it made me so engage seeing these characters put into new and wacky situations that forced them to adapt to this, like Mario having Peach at his side who is not always happy with everyone crushing on her and fighting back, Bowser having to work with mario despite wanting to grill him, and poor Luigi being treated like 2nd fiddle by everyone with him even being brainwashed and controlled by the final boss of the game, not unlike what will happen with Peach in the story of TTYD game...Yeah, spoilers...Anway the story is as follows, about getting the treasure of Rogueport underneath the city, where a Door, named the Thousand Years Door, is sealed, containing the mystery of the old town. You see, before Rogueport came into being, there was a burstling and thriving city that was destroyed in a dark, apocalpystic storm that saw the earth shook and the sky turn black within minutes and then...the city Vanished, and afterwards, a new city was built, Rogueport, above the ruins of that ancient civilization. Peach, wanting to escape her own castle stumbled on an old lady gifting her a box containing a treasure map and in her gullible curiosity, she did and got involved with the X-Nauts and captured. X-Nauts are a bunch never-do-wellers seeking that treasure as well. Mario came at the behest of Peach into this town and after saving a young woman, who wanted to research the ruins of Rogueport, from the the X-Nauts, they met with her professor and fond a treasure map containing info on the 7 Crystal Stars that can open the Thousand Years Door...So our adventures begins with us finding these Crystal Stars, uncovering the secrests of the door with twists and turns awaiting us.

However I wanna focus on the parts of the game I did enjoy the most and and express my most sincere of opinions:

Mario TTYD is to me a very well made story so far with fun dialogue I can not perfectly remember, but can always rewatch, as I recorded that game, but the stuff I remember the most for instance, is ultimately the fun I had with Mario and his teamates, which is what I wanna focus most on here. You are not alone in this game and Mario is accompanied by some of the wierdest people in the Mario world, like the young woman we saved from the evil-doers. The cheerful and curious Goombella, a Goomba and archeology student. She is really smart and puckly with a golden heart as her Ponytail, putting aside the cliche as these Fungi beings of stupidity and evil, serving as the meat grinders for Bowser's army. Goombella is also really fun and I vibe with her curiosity of places and people a lot, like how she described a gatekeeper as really nice, or vibin with me and Mario on becoming Champions at the Glitz Pit and fighting our way here. She helps you in game with telling you who the NPC you can talk with is and even was perplexed by us asking her about Luigi, saying this is your brother, you should know him. She however is also good at giving detailed information on other characters and enemies, as she can tattle foes in battle and give you info on them with flavorful text, like how Vivian is really cute, even cuter than herself, which made her a bit jealous in the remake of her and not thinking much of the ParaKoopa just describing them as what they are; Koopas with Wings. Another I like is how she described often people like Mowz, a rogue Mowser as some wierdo that flirts too much with Mario, and jokes that she probably wants to just win the record of biggest flirt ever or the time she dissed the Goombas living below Rogueport, after they treatened us, as stinky with their manners as the sewer they live in, as they probably got it from there!!! Point is, she is fun and really valuable due to her knowledge and I always have her first in my battles. Though my memories aren't perfect, rewatching my gameplay, will help recover some of it. I just love how they made a species of these grunts being so multifaceted beings with their own goals and affiliations. The other Goomba NPC's no affliliated with Bowser, and Goombella's professor Frankly, another Goomba, helps breaks these sterotypes as well. Thus Goombella, a Goomba is one of us, and not just praising Mario as world famous hero, but even fighting against Bowser, who I will get later in too. Goombella is to me Rabbid Peach, if she studied Archeology and wasn't into being an influencer.

After aquiring the Treasure map, we venture into Petalburg to find the first Cyrstal Star, Koops is a Koopa, a young lad that wants to aid us in our Quest to find the Dragon that took his Papa's life, that Dragon being Hooktail, the ruler of Hooktail Castle. She terrorized the village of Petalburg and kidnapped many villagers. Koops grew up without his Pa and has become rather timid, until he had enough and when he saw Mario in action, he gained the courage to challenge his Father's kiler, and wants to fight for his Girlfriend Koopie, who doesn't want him to proof himself like this...she likes him the way he is and wants him alive, but he won't bunge! Upon challenging and defeating that Dragon, we find out that his dad is still alive and well, due to Koopa shells being super durable, they can even survive decades long exposure to Dragon Stomach Acid...ew...anyway the Dragon is dead I since I found her death a bit funny, and I really wanna take revenge for Koops, I headcanon Hooktail's ultimate fate like this:

Yeah, vengeance is delicious...anyway we get the Crystal star and Koops decided to join us and help us out in our quest to save Peach. He is rather simple, but really cool and again, breaks like Goombella stereotypes of Koopa as weak-imbeciles serving Bowser, and having real connections and family...Koopa are really interesing it seems. Just with Goobella, he helps to add novelties in these rather simple species and his overall charming looks and personality with these cool connections, makes him really awesome!!! I love him! His Shell Guard and shell tosses are really powerful weapons and I relied on him more to deal damage than most members, as he can target more than one enemy. Anyway He is not the only member and we have another one I really like, despite me not expecting it!

Enter the glamorous and poise Flurrie, a Wind Ghost once famous as an actress in Rogueport until she had enough of that lifestyle and decded to live in the Boggly Woods to have a less tumultuous life and a more chill one. She begins her debut after we find her lost Necklace back after it was robbed of her by the Three Shadow Sirens (called just Three Shadows). These Shadows being send by the X-Nauts to terminate Mario, all the while gushing at how hot he is, to them I will get later, just now they existed and were a thing. With her ability to create Gust,we could pass through the Secret entrance to the Great Tree in the Boggly Woods, where the Puni named Punio asked for help, after the X-Nauts invaded his home and took Great tree for themselves. She is surprisingly nuanced in her positon despite being a bit too vain to leave her necklace, her past as a influencer and sometimes her flirty nature really added some humor, especially when Mario attracts several women in this game...Mario is after all a superhero, that helps with the ladies I guess. Anyway what is not vain is her love for the Punies who adore her singing and wants to protect her neightbors from these invaders. She ultimately helped us and her abilities are all good, especially her gust instant killling foes, her body slam being reliable and her draining kiss hurting and healing her. She is pretty much Flying/Fairy type and I find her amusing, especially when it comes to her views on the show life and her showing interest in Mario...which alwas cracks me up and makes me happy, since Mario is someone I really love, I even cosplayed as him, just ask my friends! We get in the Great Tree our 2nd Crystal Star.

Then there is a member I do really love and that is the Baby Yoshi you get in Glitzville, where we protect him from becoming food for Mr.Hoggle's most famous Hot Dog stand. That Yoshi hatched and I named him Yoshigon, as I already explained, by combining Yoshi and Sargon into one name; Yoshigon. Like the Immortal Sargon from Prince of Persia The Lost Crown, he is a hot-headed young warrior and I love that kid. He is soo cute and feisty, he challenges everyone and his skills are the most easy to learn and pull off, even if I messed it up nearly with him against Rawk Hawk. But We Rawked that Bird and his skills proved invaluable against that boss who used a Crystal Star against us, but he was a joke...unlike Yoshigon, who just shred them to pieces!

The interaction with these characters is always a pleasure to be had and they aren't the only thing I really love about this game.

Peach being kidnapped might be a cliche, but the absurdity of her being held captive with an unlikely ally being here to help her. TEC, the main computer of the X-Nauts HQ, who fell in love with Peach at first sight and wants to learn from her what it means. Despite how absurd it sounds, I found it somewhat funny and endearing, even if Peach had to play along to get on his good side. It is somewhat wierd to revive such a story in 2024 where we want to get away of such dangerous romances with damsels where they googly-eyed someone and used them to escape, as it puts Peach in the "I can fix him" type, but it is cliche and I hope it has a good conclusion that isn't...creepy. And I hope no one uses this to manipulate him into becoming possessive of Peach by making him consumed with fear of rejection too much, we have a world already polluted with such unhealty views on romance and jerks incapable of taking it. I had been once in love and was rejected, it was not so hard to turn into a monster, so I hope no one polludes him!

And speaking of such jerks, Bowser really is at his best here when he is pathetic and wants Peach so much he picks fights with everyone around him and even got beaten by Mario in the most random fight ever, only to, predicably lose. I love that Bowser who can be somewhat intiminating and still be pathetic.

What is also pathetic are the Shadow Sirens led by Beldam, one of the most incompetent leaders I have ever seen, who blames her younger sister Vivian for everything wrong with her plans and for mistakes Beldam actually made, like losing the poster of Mario, which costed them precious time to find him. I feel bad for Vivian, I wanna see her stand up to Beldam, cuz Beldam sucks really. I have a foundness for these characters as they are charming and give me the comical villain trio vibe who can't do anything right from all the cartoons I saw and as a Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope fan, they are to me the precursors of the Spark Hunters, especially when one of them, like Vivian will, joined us. I am talking about Edge, who is not just a better leader than Beldam could ever hope to be, but also my favourite Mario character and Vivian as her predessesor, has a great place in my heart. What also I see at the heart of TTYD is a theme of love between family, let us think about it:

We first encountered a Koopa family that was reunited after the son defeated an evil Dragon, then we encountered the Puny Punio who cares deeply for his younger sister, Petuni, who was held in in captivity by the X-Nauts. After freeing her and the other Punies, she embraced her older brother Punio and gifted him a dried Mushroom that tasted awfully, but he still ate it with love for his sister in contrast to Beldam abusing and gaslighting Vivian into taking blame for the mistakes her older sister made. Another contrast is with Jolene, the secretary of Grubble, who leads the Glitz Pit league, having worked under cover to figure out what happened to the previous champion of Glitz Pit, her younger brother Prince Mush. They were both poor, but Mush did anything for his older sister and his parents and became a pro-fighter to help them, only to be killed by Grubble, whom's secret he found out, namely using the Crystal Star to drain from the Arena the power of all fighters to maintain his strong body, as he was once a pro-fighter. Rawk Hawk has since then taken the title of champion and is a massive cheater, who even tried to make us forfeit by locking us up in the Locker for the minor league, with the backing of Grubble of course. After both were beaten, the Crystal Star resonates with Jolene's love for her little brother and Mush returned to life, and thus reuniting the two sibling via love...it seems that the Crystal Star reacts to emotions like these and if love can really do it, then it makes sense for Peach to help Tec with love, in order to save the world, as that machine could realize the errors of his ways this, well, way. Maybe Vivian needs that love in order to get out of that hole with Beldam, whom I wanna finish with a Earth Power and some stomping. Peach I hope will get a more satifsying role than being the crush of a machine, this isn't All Tomorrows, this is Mario!

Luigi gets once again the short stick in the end, as he is a confirmed liar and no help at all...no wonder Dimentio claimed you, you are embarrassing before Nintendo grew to like you more...and I love modern Luigi far more than this version, especially Movie Luigi!!!

Anyway this concludes my first impressions and I hope the game doesn't dissapoint me from here, tell me your thoughts here on tumblr or twitter, see ya then, and bye!

#star arcana revelations #mario rpg #paper mario #the thousand year door #first impressions

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karinamay · 6 months

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I got tagged by the wonderful @cinnamontails-ff to talk about fanfic so let's go

1) How many works do you have on AO3? 33 apparently? Damn, that's actually way more than I thought okay okay.

2) What’s your total AO3 word count? 198,622 (that's hilariously low again when looking at the amount of works)

3) What fandoms do you write for? BG3 currently, I used to write a lot for CR and Detroit Evolution

4) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Arms unfolding (Critical Role, Caleb/Essek)

Uselessly devoted (Critical Role, Caleb/Jester)

Something small (Critical Role, Dorian/Dariax)

Three is company (Critical Role, Caleb/Jester/Essek)

The one that got away (BG3, Astarion/Tav)

5) Do you respond to comments? I try to, I really love getting comments and having little conversations with everyone but I'm also terrible with keeping up with my email notifications.

6) What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Wrong place, wrong time (Detroit Evolution, Nines/Gavin)

7) What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I almost always write happy endings honestly.. Tell her a story (tell her the honest truth) (Detroit Evolution, Ada/North) maybe?

8) Do you get hate on fics? I don't think I've ever had straight up hate, no.

9) Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yes, I'm very much a smutty oneshot writer, who occasionally branches out. What kind of smut? I don't know? Nothing extremely. Mainly F/M. The consensual kind. Good communication is a recurring topic. One of my most used tags is probably "dom/sub undertones"

10) Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I don't have any crossovers up and I don't plan on writing any. The most idiotic fic I have up on AO3 is a fanfic based on the google translate butchered script of Detroit Evolution called Camp Cyberlife (Anatomy) that I fully just wrote as a joke for a couple of friends.

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware.

12) Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope.

13) Have you ever co-written a fic before? Also no.

14) What’s your all time favorite ship? My all time favourite ship is Will/Elizabeth from PotC, but I don't read or write about that, they just live in my brain forever.

15) What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I have a WIP still up for a Detroit Evolution fic that I haven't touched in literal years, that I recently got a comment on. I reread it and now I personally am pissed at myself for never finishing it because it ends on a cliffhanger and I don't even remember what was supposed to happen.

16) What are your writing strengths? The thing I've been complimented on most across all fandoms is characterisation. I take a lot of care finding the voice of the characters I write, and from people's reactions that seems to work very well.

17) What are your writing weaknesses? Pacing. Pacing is hard.

18) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I think it's hard to not have it be confusing. I've thrown in a few words in a different language here and there a few times, but never more than that. I think there's definitely a place for it but it's hard to do it well.

19) First fandom you wrote for? Oof, um. I think that somewhere in the dephts of ff.net there's still a fic of mine for the shadowhunters universe that exists.

20) Favorite fic you’ve written? Recently probably The one that got away. That one is a little special to me because the Tav in there is a character very near and dear to my heart. Besides that I'm actually really really enjoying working on my current multichapter (with the most obnoxiously long title) High heeled heroes & reluctantly righteous rogues (BG3, Astarion/Tav).

#fanfic #tag game #iiiiii'm not tagging anyone because i barely have any writing friends on here I think #I forgot how much CR fic I've written jfc #it's just out there

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writingstuffandmore · 2 years

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The 9 Gems...

Pairing: EXO members (ot9)

Genre: Fluff

AU!: Fantasy

Word count: 677

Summary: A brief sneak peek into the university of magic...

A/N: First of all, wishing you a happy and healthy Merry Christmas in advance! I hope this Christmas brings immense happiness, good health and prosperity in your life and your family's lives too!

I hope you would like it dear @exo-xexo I tried to come with something sweet and different which lead to a new plot each and every time. I hope you will like my small idea :") with a small surprise at the end haha. @exols-silver-christmas Thanks for this year's event.

‘9 families, 9 people, 9 different personalities and 9 different powers yet they were one?’

A statement or like an unanswered question or thought that arose in everyone’s mind when they first heard about their families’ background but it didn’t matter when they saw their bond. The ‘Academia of Powers’ the university held its title and its reputation to the sky because the name did its justice for it was home to one of the finest power holders.

I know what you are thinking, is it like Harry Potter or X-Men? Not exactly, the academy is not just a place where people come and learn more about their powers and its potential but to supernatural creatures and those who were left abandoned by their families or were orphans. The humans who lived there learned about how to help the ones who had powers but were highly intelligent, their brains had a beautiful hold on the tasks and so did their hands and legs.

Anyways, we were talking about the 9 gentlemen right? The 9 fine gentlemen have their own story so to how they have reached the place they are and currently they are popularly known as the 9 gems for they have helped not only the university but others well.

At the university-

“Call the boys!!” a fine aged man said as his fingers skillfully and quickly were typing something on the laptop. The person nodded and dashed off the room and a few minutes later, a chatter was heard just outside the dean’s office before someone hushed everyone followed by a faint knock on the door.

“Sir, we may come in?” a husky voice said politely to which he got a reply of yes.

The young men entered the dean’s office, some had a scared look while the others were chill.

“Good morning, youngmen! Hope you are doing well. Mr Ooh and Mr Kim, why do you both seem nervous? Is there something going on?”

The two boys exchanged glances before speaking in unison, “Oh no sir. Thank you for your concern. It's just that we have an exam in 2 hours, so we are a bit nervous.” and bowed politely.

“Well exams are part and parcel but till the time you give your best shot. It only matters, yeah? Good Luck!! Anyways, we have an event coming up or should I say two most important competitions that challenges not only our reputation but our pride and potential as well, especially the 9 of you as the competition is organised by our fellow rivals and your most favourite nemesis, ‘The magic souls’ group. They have personally sent this invite and the dean of that university called me. So, this is our chance boys” The dean explained the whole competition and its structure and the rules that follow behind.

“But most importantly, your safety should be of utmost priority as we know the foul past that follows behind them of harming others. Mr Zhang, it would be a great opportunity for you to not only use your powers to heal others but to make the enemies taste their own medicine. ”

The boy with surname Zhang mischievously smiled as he had his plan ready and now he got the perfect opportunity

The boys nodded and spoke about their plans when they heard a loud thunder. “The weather seemed fine. How could be so-

“Sir, its Jongdae’s power. He might be helping the local farmers with the help of our hyung Minseok. That’s why there are seven of us.” Lay said to which the dean nodded. “You may leave now”

As the boys were about to leave, Baekhyun spoke “Sir, there is something you should be worried about. Do you remember the two halls you just got renovated and are outside the campus? It got destroyed” he said and sent a few videos and evidence while they quietly went away.

“Why did you do that?” Sehun asked. “You will see the effect during the competition with Magic Souls.” Kyungsoo said with a smirk as he understood the motive making Suho and Lay laugh.

Bonus: I remember you said your favourite member is Chen.. so, here is a mood board..

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h1myname1sv · 11 months

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Fic Writer 20 Questions

Thank you for tagging me @forloveofcodywan!!

1.) How many works do you have on ao3?

2.) What’s your ao3 word count?

430,621

3.) What fandoms do you write for?

MCU (mostly Loki and Daredevil, though I do branch out quite a bit), Star Wars (mainly the Prequels and Clone Wars), BBC Merlin...I believe those are my main fandoms currently. I am definitely not the type of writer to stick to one.

4.) What are your top five fics by kudos?

Four out of Five - One of my first DD fics when I was still trying to figure out how to write Matt, so I was very unsure about posting it and I genuinely do not know how it got so many kudos. Basically 4 times Matt does things without sight, and 1 time he absolutely can't. Lots of Matt and Avengers interactions.

Merlin's Beard! - Merlin and Arthur interrupt the final battle at Hogwarts and very casually save the day. Everyone is very confused, but they just go along with it because hey, Voldy's dead. Most definitely crack taken seriously.

Life Asked Death - The last fic in my Three of Us Against the World series! Gamora, Loki, and Nebula are actually really caring siblings, and they defeat Thanos and save the world together.

Not the Last Dragonlord - I just wanted to write a scenario in which Balinor survived, and he and Merlin get to figure out how to be father and son together. My first ever Merlin fic, too!

The World Will Pay - The first fic in my Three of Us Against the World series! We get to see how the three of them meet and get to know one another in Nebula's POV. Honestly, one of my favorite fics out of all the ones I've written.

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

Of course! They give me serotonin, and I want to give some serotonin back :)

6.) What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

The Reasonable Expectation of Deception - One of my Whumptober 2023 fics, with Thor and Loki wrapped up in an Infinity War AU. I don't want to give spoilers, exactly, but the Major Character Death tag is definitely there for a reason.

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

we're inches apart (and even closer at heart) - Matt/Nat is actually adorable and THEY GET MARRIED!!! :D

8.) Do you get hate on fics?

I think I've gotten one or two comments, but they're so insignificant I don't really remember them.

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

Nope. I don't believe I'm capable of it LOL

10.) Do you write cross overs? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I don't usually write cross overs, but I have written a few. For example, the aforementioned Merlin x Harry Potter crossover.

11.) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I hope not.

12.) Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don't think so.

13.) Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No. Writing is mostly a solitary enterprise for me, but if you have a really really really good fic idea then I would theoretically be willing to cowrite a fic with you.

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

Do I have to choose??? Codywan or Matt/Nat, maybe. (I feel like we should come up with a ship name for them. I've seen several, but no general consensus.)

15.) What’s a WIP you’d like to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I have no published WIPs because I always want to finish what I've started, but I have had a draft of The Curse sitting on my computer for quite a while. If you were wondering, it is indeed about a curse. Very creative working title, I know.

16.) What are your writing strengths?

Writing distinct POVs for different characters, probably. I do try my very best.

16.) What are your writing weaknesses?

Plot and action scenes. Sometimes, I don't know how to connect all the separate ideas I have in my head.

17.) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I think it's nice, as long as it's not so overdone that you might as well have written the whole fic in that language. I admire the people who can do it accurately.

18.) First fandom you wrote for?

Criminal Minds

19.) Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

I don't have ONE favorite (you can probably tell that I'm the indecisive type). I've already mentioned The World Will Pay, but I also really like Falling, which is from the same series, but written in Loki's POV. Halfway to Heaven was my Whumptober 2022 fic about a powerless Matt Murdock who still manages to go toe to toe with Fisk; Faith is a Dooku character study and sort of redemption fic. Basically, I just like all the ones that feel like I gave justice to my favorite characters, because I think all fics are kind of like love letters to our favorite characters, and we want to get it right. This may be ironic, because I tend to hurt my favorite characters, but let's not look too deeply at that.

No pressure tags: @mari--lace @sinivalkoista @peppersonironi and anyone else who'd like to join in!

#fanfic #tag game #ao3 #fanfic writers #fandom

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kaminokilljoy · 10 months

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OMGGG thank you for the tag @nedpilots!!! I am so normal about twenty one pilots definitely not going feral right now

7 + 1 twenty one pilots ask:

1. when/how did you discover them? + what was the first song you listened to?

I think I had known about them for a while just because they are so famous but I started really listening to them in like late 2021 (december?) from a 2010s music YouTube playlist (I hadn't listened to basically any music for a few years and I was trying to rediscover my music taste, slowly turned out to be way different than it was a few years ago) and slowly from there I kind of just started listening to more and more, it was originally a guilty habit but at some point I realized that I just love their music too much to pretend I didn't

and my first song was Stressed Out

2. have you been on concert(s)?

ohhh my god I really wanted to go to a concert in the scaled and icy tour but i felt like there was no way for me to so i haven't gone yet :( i really wanna go sometime in the future..

3. do you remember where you were when trench dropped (if you were a fan by then)?

I didn't really listen to them when Trench dropped

4. favourite thing about the clique?

Really creative!! Really intelligent when analyzing lore, the smallest clue/hint etc, amazing art, I saw a lot of really nice writing inspired by lyrics during Cliquetober

5. any memorable/funny/interesting quote (from interviews/bts footage/…) you especially like?

Slushieguys channel (I love that video with the ridiculous skits it always makes me laugh or grin)

banana prank

Excuse me couldyou please leave

6. what would you want to ask/tell them if you got the chance?

I think I really would first just want to tell them how much I love their music 😭 it has so many layers, its so well put together, so much meaning, hits so hard, literally makes me feel like im ascending to heaven

7. which tattoo would you like to know the meaning of (if you do)?

tyler's •|i|• Ø i+! ]

^ prev yeah same

which album cover do you like best? (from dasloddl)

uh oh its so hard for me to pick favorites on anything... umm.. I love the self titled and vessel covers especially bcs of their symbolism

I’d love to hear about some memorable moment you had because of this band, it can be anything, whatever you’re comfortable sharing <3 (from pantaloonwarrior)

Realizing a friend of a friend loves their music too and getting to talk about it with them!!! :]]]]]] I will tag them in this post

Also I guess this only vaguely relates but twenty one pilots was really my gateway into the music I currently listen to, somehow went from a random song on a hit 2010s playlist to like. whatever on earth I listen to now and I have them to thank for that

what do you think the genre/vibe of the next album is going to be? (from silverlininghills)

Based on the B&W pictures I have to say. hmm... like kind of grunge-y heavy I guess, but they aren't really known for being predictable are they haha

+1 for@kaminokilljoy : if the boys released a mashup of 2+ of their songs (think sai livestream version songs), which songs would you want to see mixed together?

OMG uhh... hm... How do you think Jumpsuit and Ode to Sleep would sound together?? Maybe thats a horrible choice but that's what came to mind,,, let me know ur thoughts!! Which song do you want to see?

Thank you so much again for the tag!! tagging @astronomicalunit32 @trjslimeball @mymy4444 @dmmyring(so sorry to bother you 😭😭 ,,, but if you want to answer id love to hear ur thoughts) and anybody else who listens :)

#twenty one pilots #21 pilots #tyler joseph #josh dun #ask game #nebula.nova

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skatingthinandice · 11 months

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i was tagged by @aethelreds thank you, i love these things!

How many works do you have on AO3?

70 (my sis has 4 works on the same account)

What's your total AO3 word count?

267,282

What fandoms do you write for?

Currently got WIPs for The Last Kingdom and Atlantis BBC, but I've written for 21 different fandoms so far

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Interlude (Downton Abbey), The Moon And Its Eclipse (Justice League), Drawn Together (The Last Kingdom), Be Here, With Me (Victoria) and Been Wishing For You (also Victoria)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do try to! In the past I've been a bit more hit and miss but these days I do eventually get around to it

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I usually write fix its, so the two that end with a main character death are probably the angstiest, so I'll rep You Will Betray Me (TTSS)

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

My Death in Paradise fics are pure fluff, but especially Evermore

Do you get hate on fics?

I did on ff.net (as everyone did) - on AO3, I'm tempted to say no but I did get one comment where I genuinely can't tell from the tone whether it was hate or not lmao

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Occasionally, and usually badly! I tend to struggle with action of any kind and it's difficult to know whether something is coming off as sexy or not. That being said, I'm attempting a smut fic right now... needless to say I haven't actually got to the smut part yet

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

The closest I've come is Heaven or High Water, which although was a Drumfred reincarnation fic, I did borrow storylines from Ripper Street and Man in an Orange Shirt to write it

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so, but I don't know if people might have translated some fics and not credited me, so maybe

Have you ever had a fic translated?

As above, maybe

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No but I have talked about it and brainstormed some ideas before

What's your all-time favourite ship?

Harry and Ruth from Spooks, they broke me in such a way I can't ever recover from it

What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Oh god there's loads by now, but I'll probably end up putting that Bridglar idea behind me at some point, which is annoying because I actually have a title and a summary which are the hardest parts except uhh the writing... and I'm drawing a blank there beyond the couple of vague sentences I've got

What are your writing strengths?

I've been told I'm good at showing not telling, which means a lot to me because I love visualising how a scene will play out and then writing that, and it's nice to know that other people have noticed it

What are your writing weaknesses?

How to get the flow right, definitely. Sometimes sentence after sentence just comes out right, but then the paragraph that follows just feels like it starts cold and doesn't link up. I've been particularly struggling with that for the last few months

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I've done it a few times for endearments because I like the way it sounds, but I don't do it a lot

First fandom you wrote for?

I think it was Harry Potter

Favourite fic you've ever written?

The answer to this question changes every time, but I did recently reread Give You My Devotion, the Ripper Street shaving fic I'd wanted to write for years, and I'm still so proud that I managed to deliver it

Tagging: @lordnochybaty @hammerbacks @torch-the-throne

#tag games #fanfic writing escapades

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mellowthorn · 11 months

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I was tagged by @gwenllian-in-the-abbey, thank you so much for the tag! (and sorry that it has taken me forever to do this)

How many works do you have on AO3?

Three currently (I’ve written more for other fandoms but I orphaned those years ago)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

55,643

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I only post for Realm of the Elderlings, but I also sometimes write Kingdom Hearts fics purely for myself

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Uhh, I only have three on my current account, but in order, Someone Other Than Us, After The Sun Has Set and then Ever Your Fool.

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

Yes, or at least I try to! I have a bad habit of thinking my response but never actually writing it down and then forgetting about it completely... But I try my best to remember to reply, even if it ends up taking a while.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Neither of my finished fics/oneshots have closed endings, so I guess it depends on what you imagine happens afterwards. Neither of them are exactly happy though.

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

I haven’t finished posting it yet, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise that After The Sun Has Set will soon take that title. I mean, it's already happier than anything else that I've written

8. Do you get hate on fics?

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

I do, occasionally. I don’t know exactly how to describe what kind, other than that my smut scenes tend to be quite sad?? I like using them as a way to explore or exaggerate some complicated character dynamic, and I guess that’s why they often turn into something at least a little uncomfortable. As much as I enjoy reading smut that’s all sexy and romantic, for some reason I can’t write it myself at all haha

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

Nah

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Nope

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

Fitzloved is my current favourite (and I've never been this intense about a ship before), though Zemyx (from Kingdom Hearts) is the one I always eventually return to

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

Last spring I wrote about 45k words of post-Assassin’s Fate happy ending AU. The outline for it is massive, and what I’ve written so far covers maybe one tenth at most. I know I will never have the patience to finish it, but somewhere at the back of my mind I refuse to let it go. I’ve been trying to see if I could turn parts of it into one-shots or something, but who knows what I’ll end up doing 🤷

16. What are your writing strengths?

I’d say I’m fairly good at characterization, as well as building up tragic and angsty scenarios. My favorite thing when writing fanfiction is to take some (usually sad) aspect of a character/relationship/etc and then dive deep into that, and I think I do it pretty well.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

My prose, especially detailed descriptions and creative similes and metaphors and the like. Writing those does not come naturally to me at all, and I feel like I often get stuck using cliches and specific words or phrases, and then have to spend half my time editing to make things less repetitive.

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

Not my thing, I prefer to keep everything in one language.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter, I think? Way back in like 2008 or 2009.

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

From RotE stuff, After the Sun Has Set. It’s the first time I’ve managed to fully write, edit and post a multi-chapter fic from start to finish, and that alone is a huge achievement for me. Writing every chapter from a different character’s PoV was also a really fun (if sometimes frustrating) challenge and I’m really glad to have done it. Outside of RotE, a few years back I wrote this super self-indulgent novel-length Zemyx fic. I never posted it anywhere and it’s kind of crap quality-wise so I never will, but since it’s basically just every romance trope I’ve ever liked, it’s fun to reread for comfort every once in a while.

#tag game #not going to tag anyone bc im so late to this and cant remember at all which of my mutuals have already done it

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jon-withnoh · 2 years

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Finally answering this question from @gayvillainera (from an ask game a while back).

“🍈 Who’s your blorbo and what are some of your favorite headcanons/ideas about them that repeatedly show up in your fics? Free pass to rant about blorbo opinions.“

I‘ve decided to go all out for this and will be giving you my opinions on Danny, Rebecca and Beatrice, since they‘re all POV characters in my current fic.

1) Danny: No fictional character has had this much of a chokehold on me since I first listened to Wicked in 2018. I don‘t think it‘s possible for me to get enough of this character. Every single actress, acting choice, (un-)official sequel or fic delights me. I love seeing what other people make of her. Personally, I see Danny as a person who knows what it‘s like to be extremely lonely. She has some interesting parallels with Ich in this regard — I imagine her as someone who probably grew up pretty isolated / did not have many friends or family, so when she started working for Rebecca, she was all too ready to pour all of her affection and devotion into her. Another interesting parallel between Danny and Ich is their lack of first names. Both Mrs Danvers and Mrs de Winter are names that almost double as (job) titles. What‘s devastating about Danny‘s name is that the more intimate name we do have for her is a nickname given to her by Rebecca. Almost every aspect of her life is defined by Rebecca and later her absence. In terms of writing her, I adored writing soft, stoic, traumatised Danny for Was Wird Aus Uns. As you‘ll see, Danny in Nie Wirst Du Mir Ganz Gehören is quite different — she still has that tenderness that I think comes through in almost all versions of her, but I‘m leaning into her jealousy and possessiveness over Rebecca a lot more. Bottom line, I adore Danny. I love her complexity and all-consuming yearning.

2) Rebecca: Rebecca fascinates me. I have trouble with readings that paint her as purely evil. The novel is a lot more subtle than that. Another thing that irks me about one-dimensional interpretations of Rebecca is that they have a tendency to leave out important context — for example that Rebecca would have had a much harder time divorcing Maxim than he would have divorcing her. In terms of my own reading of the character, as with Danny, I enjoy Rebecca‘s complexity. I like reading her and Maxim as two people who are actually quite similar in temperament, but have very different approaches to tradition and morality. For my current fic, I‘m trying to figure out Rebecca‘s motivations — what does she want? Does she love Danny and if so, in what way does she love Danny? I like playing around with the idea that putting on the mask of Mrs de Winter would have put quite the strain on Rebecca, no matter how proficient she was at it. She feels like a person who has never fully learned to identify and deal with her emotions, at least partly because Danny is so ready to deal with everything for her. I have a lot more thoughts but they‘re difficult to put into words, so you‘ll have to wait for my next few chapters :)

3) Beatrice: Darling Beatrice. I love her. My favourite Beatrice headcanon is that her marriage to Giles is purely platonic (I like to think of Giles as ace) and that these two are devoted life partners. Part of this headcanon is that Giles actually was the one to introduce Beatrice to her romantic life partner, a woman named Grace (stay tuned for my Beatrice backstory fic). Furthermore, I love Beatrice‘s ability to have chemistry with every single woman in the narrative. I can see her with pretty much everyone. In my current fics, Bee is about 8 years older than Maxim and since I mistakenly assumed Maxim is 45, that makes her 53. I wouldn‘t write Beatrich with this kind of age difference, but I can see it in different contexts. I don‘t want to spoil too much about my current fic, but I‘m in love with the idea that both Danny/Beatrice and Rebecca/Beatrice have hooked up/are hooking up and the messy dynamics this could lead to between the three of them.

I am not writing this on my phone so I‘ll probably post it and then be shocked by how long it is… Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my rambles, I‘m always happy to ramble more! I love these sad messed up women so much.

#rebecca das musical #mrs danvers #danvich #danbecca #Rebecca/Beatrice #Danbea #Beavers #Everyone‘s a mess and it delights me #Also please don‘t come for me I left out some of the more fucked up things on purpose #wheeee q&a time!

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the-blue-brand-wrestling-blog · 1 year

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The Blue Brand Wrestling Blog #1 - Wrestling News From This Past Weekend (WWE Payback, CM Punk & Tony Khan)

The Blue Brand Wrestling Blog

THEBLUEBRANDWRESTLINGBLOG.BLOGSPOT.COM

The Blue Brand Wrestling Blog #1

Wrestling News From This Past Weekend (WWE Payback, CM Punk & Tony Khan)

Hey there guys & girls,

I’m Andy Mac, AKA The Blue Brand owner and creator (@The_Blue_Brand) on X / Twitter. I thought I would delve into the world of blog writing and what better thing to write about than my favourite pastime Professional Wrestling.

I started watching WWF back in early 2000 around the time of the Royal Rumble. I was instantly hooked and became an avid fan of the great one, the brahma bull – The Rock! I was 100% invested in his battle with the Big Show around this time before heading towards WrestleMania 2000’s fatal four-way (McMahon in each corner) match against the champ Triple H, Mick Foley and The Big Show.

Since then, I’ve never looked back really, and I’ve been watching WWE for 23 years and counting. During this time, I’ve checked out TNA / Impact Wrestling, AEW and most recently Pro-Wrestling NOAH from Japan.

Anyway, maybe for a future blog I’ll write more about my introduction to the world of professional wrestling as a 9-year-old in the year 2000 and tell you who my favourites were. For now, I’m here to talk about this past weekend – 2nd & 3rd September and two stories I’ve decided to give my views on. Obviously, all opinions given are my own. Let’s get started –

WWE Payback – Saturday 2nd September 2023. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the PPG Paints Arena.

Seth “Freakin” Rollins (C) Vs Shinsuke Nakamura – Winner, Seth “Freakin” Rollins.

Match Length – 26:05.

I know most people coming out of this PLE are talking primarily about the women’s steel cage match between WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus and “The Man” Becky Lynch. Don’t get me wrong, this match was great and deserves all the praise and plaudits that is currently receiving, but for me personally the main event was the highlight.

First of all, it was extremely refreshing to see a different main event match at a PLE that didn’t include Roman Reigns or the Bloodline. Of course, I’m a huge fan of this storyline and the journey we’ve all been on the past few years, but it was nice to explore and experience something different.

In the build up to this match we got to see a ruthless and more aggressive side of Nakamura that we haven’t seen in a very long time. On top of that on the night of the PLE the company released an awesome animated promo package with Nakamura narrating over the top of it about what he planned to do to Rollins in their match. Rollins sold this well during the match – I also enjoyed the personal touch with Nakamura taking aim at Rollins family in the build-up.

Both men made their way to the ring, went through the usual introductions before the match got underway. Heading in to this one I had put money on Nakamura winning, especially with The Great Muta being in attendance. But in the end after a match that lasted just over 25 minutes, Seth Rollins managed to get the win with a curb stomp. This match was refreshing in sense that we had a babyface champion defending his title successfully in the main event of a WWE PLE. I also loved the fact that the pacing of the match was really well laid out. The match was telling the story of an injured Seth Rollins dealing with severe back issues that had been highlighted in the lead up to this match – So naturally as any good heel should do, Nakamura attacked and went on the offence with strong moves on the champions back. I’ve got to also give Michael Cole and Corey Graves huge credit for really selling the severity of the back injury and the pain Seth Rollins was having to deal with. My only critique of this match was the actual end, it felt quite abrupt, not due to match length, but maybe I’ve become to accustomed to multiple kick outs from finisher after finisher in Roman Reigns and AEW main event matches.

Initially I was disappointed it also ended the way it did for Nakamura, a clean loss after being so savage before and during the match. But thankfully once the PLE went off air Nakamura assaulted Rollins on the ramp. This feud still has legs, Nakamura can be a whiny but savage heel who feels embarrassed losing this World Title match in front of The Great Muta.

Let’s see how this one plays out on Monday Night RAW tonight!

Tony Khan and CM Punk – AEW Release CM Punk after (another) backstage fight

I’ll start this with Tony Khan – The list of job titles this man holds within the company alone should show why this doesn’t work. I know people will be quick to tell me The Elite are VP’s and have different roles within the company… But let’s face it, Tony holds all the real power and authority and he’s shown multiple times that he isn’t capable of being a strong leader or showing true authority to members of his roster who act out or behave unprofessionally. Let’s be honest, CM Punk should have been gone after the press conference and fight afterwards with The Elite last year, this all occurred after he defeated Jon Moxley for the AEW Championship at All Out 2022 last September. The fact Khan was willing to bring him back, basically create a whole new show for him and allow the carnage to continue and expected it to be smooth sailing says it all. What did he expect to happen? Can you imagine Vince McMahon allowing this to occur?

Now I’ll quickly discuss CM Punk – As I write this there are reports online about WWE actually being interested in CM Punk last year before WrestleMania. The idea of him returning at the Royal Rumble 2023 and being eliminated by Kevin Owens was proposed. This would supposedly lead to him facing Owens in the main event of WrestleMania night one. This apparently was actually considered by Vince McMahon and Triple H. These reports also note that Vince McMahon is open to Punk returning and Triple H would consider it, however he would want long-term story plans etc… in place. All of this makes sense if you consider Punk showed up at a Monday Night RAW earlier this year in the parking lot.

In conclusion, Tony Khan in my opinion needs to hire proper management that can be in between himself and the talent – Omega and The Young Bucks don’t count, sorry Tony. CM Punk, well, if he really does get one last chance with WWE, my advice would be –

Make a deal like Brock Lesnar / Goldberg – Work a set amount of dates, only work in the ring on PLE and have a set amount of TV appearances. Be a special attraction, be the star that you were between 2011 & 2014 in WWE.

Do as you’re told by Vince McMahon and Triple H – Learn from your mistakes in AEW. Yes, I blame Tony Khan for not being able to control his roster, but CM Punk also has to take responsibility for being a veteran who handles disagreements with fist fights. You can’t settle disagreements in this way in 2023.

I was a huge CM Punk fan back in his run with WWE, I couldn’t wait to see him in AEW. But due to a couple of fights and injuries, we were robbed of a full two year run and got a stop / start one year run. It’s a real shame, his career deserves to end better than this.

Anyway guys, I’ll stop rambling now. Thanks for reading if you managed to get through it all. I intend on trying to do between 2 to 3 of these posts per week as well as a few personal blogs and maybe even some gaming blogs (WWE 2K23 ‘My GM’ & TEW 2020 ‘Pro-Wrestling NOAH’ saves)

Please leave feedback, if it’s constructive then I’ll always appreciate it. I’m always happy to learn and to become better. Please keep it respectful though, everyone is entitled to an opinion.

Take it easy guys,

Andy

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hua-fei-hua · 1 year

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hey! i stumbled across you on ao3 through genshin (i think? that was in september i have no idea at this point), went to check out your profile and saw my hero academia works there. i am currently very much into it, so i was like let's gooo sooo I found B♭ and that has been a wild journey.

firstly, i don't have any experience with american school system, so a lot of worldbuilding was new for me. moreover, marching band is something from another universe(aka music lover but never got educated on the matter), so fic constantly challenged me with new details-concepts-vocabulary. stepping outside of your comfort zone while reading? great idea! i think i never learned so much from a fic while enjoying it so much ^^

secondly, i am simply amazed by sheer amount of effort you put into it. i decided to read in publishing order, so non-chronological really impressed me. you're honestly a mastermind being able to pull that off. also, having a song for every chapter with specifically picked out lyrics relevant to the content is so, so cool! the diversity of your playlists should be astonishing, i'm jealous :)

thirdly, the characters are just so real. i love all the canon references, i love the reactions that don't feel exagerrated or too mild. they are acting...exactly as i would expect them to in that circumstances and setting. i just accepted leads' ways of thinking and reflecting so naturally

i also read the extra notes when they were available and just...how much thought is put in is mezmerising. for some reason i never thought pulling directly from your life experiences when writing? but it actually makes a lot of sense and it brought me some ideas to try out so hehe ;)

as i am very smart and hadn't scrolled down on the order post, i didn't see until quite late in the reading that the end of perfect harmony is published as notes, so that was a surprise. i understand your reasons and the fact that you're not even in the fandom anymore, but you mentioned in some extra notes that it's ok to ask for them even if years passed so...here i am three years after, complimenting B♭ :D

anyway, i finished it a couple of days ago, and even the notes are quite detailed. images of described shenanigans popped into my head just like that, and i really appreciate that you published them and i got to know what happened next!!

i actually wondered why were the comments disabled since i really wanted to comment on a few chapters bc your work deserves it so much...but yeah, that's what led me here so i guess congrats, you get my thoughts all nicely packed in one place ^_^

there's probably a lot of specific pieces, details, ideas i liked about B♭, so that is merely a summary of exciting things i remember!

i'll say goodbye using my favourite oneshot title:

thank you for the music ✩°｡⋆⸜(ू｡•ω•｡)

not gonna lie i'm kind of obsessed w/the way you just glossed over the fact that you (probably) found me through my (anonymous) genshin fics, which means you jumped through the (minimum three) hoops required to get here, my (named) fandom blog, and then proceed to gush abt a bnha series i did. like i would assume that if someone put in the effort to find my other fandom fics from my genshin stuff, then there must've been smth really worth looking into w/the genshin stuff lmao

for the sake of my mutuals' dashboards, since this ask is so long i'm just gonna chuck the whole (long) answer under a cut lol

anyway yes Bb!! the amt of effort n planning i put into that series was legitimately insane. i made school schedules for EVERY SINGLE BNHA CHARACTER and PUT IT ON A SPREADSHEET so that i could PLAN WHO COULD WALK WITH WHOM TO THEIR NEXT CLASSES n have PLOT-RELEVANT CONVERSATIONS LIKE THAT. i made little profiles for each of the characters, where i chose their favorite musical key (and why), how many years/instruments they play, and gave them each a funny little quote/catchphrase!!!

what possessed me to do this for ~20 different characters i honestly could not tell you

i definitely loved working on Bb a lot. i remember sitting down three years ago, practically to the day by this point, n hashing out the events of every single chapter to the epilogue, then reorganizing them into a proper timeline (i also kept a calendar in my notes with the chapters in order), all while occasionally looking out my bedroom window n thinking how wonderfully bright n warm n sunny the world was becoming again. bc really, 2019 was a very struggle year for me, n i didn't take the time to appreciate the sunlight then the way i have every year since. from there, i worked off that very strict outline, and most of the note-chapters that were eventually put up are primarily just copy-pasted straight from there.

i remember being on youtube a lot for music recs when working on perfect harmony too!! a bunch of them changed in the years btwn walking away from the series n actually publishing the notes (which were actually published mid-december last year, then backdated to 2020 a few days later ahaha), with a number of the tour arc alternate chapter title songs coming from songs that didn't even exist at the time of the fic's original planning. my mp3 collection grew a lot during the planning phases of Bb lmao.

i'm glad the characters felt so real!!! while no one character was based entirely off one single person i knew irl, one could say that writing Bb was a bit of a love letter to my time in high school band in some places, both the events i partook in n the people i knew there. it was a very "write what you know" type of fic.

anyway haha yeah the end of my bnha days were not fun, but i still loved Bb enough to hold onto the idea of returning to it Soon(tm) that i put off publishing the chapter notes for almost two years. even then, that was a difficult decision for me to make bc a part of me wasn't ready to close that chapter of my life. i think ultimately it was the best decision to make though, since the fics are p heavily tied up in a much sadder part of my life that i'd just rather not return to.

the main reason comments were turned off of Bb (and indeed, the majority of my bnha fics) is most simply described as "resentment". it's different from how i feel abt my old snk fics (where i turned comments off of them so that i could pretend no one's really reading them anymore), which is more impersonal "oh my god i was so young back then and i give fewer than negative shits abt any mistakes i might've made on them or what anyone thinks of them" bc in bnha it's kind of hard to avoid the fact that i had a Name in the circles i typically traversed for a while. it wasn't that big of a name, but it's certainly more than nothing.

it's not really a feeling i like to dwell on, so i just archive-locked the responsible works n turned off comments for the most heinous culprits (mostly sparklers, but even tho i love Bb as a story, i do not love Bb as a publishing experience, if that makes sense), and for the most part, that keeps the resentment contained.

still, i'm genuinely happy that you enjoyed the au so much!!! i honestly love love love how goddamn SPECIFIC the premises are for this fic. the world was truly built with love, and the music puns for every title were always such a joy to come up with c':

thank you for the ask!!!! :D

#asks #kid-of-yesterday #long post #if you really did come here from my genshin fics last SEPTEMBER then boy howdy do i know Exactly which fic you came from #(if it was in september then it Must have been the saucy xv fic abt the sharp teeth bc pure identity didn't come out til oct)#i have a lot of Feelings abt my time in the bnha fandom that i just don't rlly like to talk abt publicly tbh #mostly bc (most of those Feelings are 'resentment' lmao) i try actively to not be a bitter person anymore #but also i hate admitting that people Knew me bc it feels like vanity or bragging #(bc if my name had ever been ''worth anything'' then why did Bb not garner the attention i'd hoped?)#i know that those thoughts aren't true n all but they're overall very complicated feelings #regarding how fandom at large treats fan creations and creators that ultimately led to my current decision to publish anonymously #ofc my feelings towards fandom n the fan-fan creator relationship have shifted w/time again n i do often consider just de-anoning #but it's... Tricky.... to say the least #haha sorry for unloading a little gloomily onto your lovely ask but i also think you deserve my honest thoughts #and not a saccharine falsehood / partial truth (oh hey that's the main thesis of rhythm lol)#ALSO to have an izch fic as your fave is exemplary taste when combined w/krbk #i am handing you a plaque that says 'certified good taste in ships'

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