#i'll be taking a break from challenges too. i like them and they inspire me to write things i otherwise wouldn't (like this)

[sisterdivinium]

Rating: Mature Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Category: Gen Relationship: Sister Camila & Sister Lilith (Warrior Nun) Characters: Sister Camila (Warrior Nun), Sister Lilith (Warrior Nun), Yasmine Amunet, Mother Superion (Warrior Nun), Jillian Salvius, Father Vincent (Warrior Nun) Additional Tags: Rated for some gore

"To see the friend, not the demon… Camila had both hands atop Lilith’s in trying to yank herself free, but she dared to detach one of them and raise it towards her foe, to her face, aiming to stroke her cheek." Scarce as it is, all evidence points to the same culprit... Camila is sure she is the only one who can uncover the truth.

[angelatmidnight1]

I just started Baldur's Gate 3 and would love some ler! tword hesdcanons for Astarion if you're feeling inspired? I saw some of his lines on YouTube Shorts and he's literally the reason I'm now playing, Lord help me. 😭🤣 I'm super early game(like, just met him, Shadowheart and Gale) but I do know what species he is, and know a certain something he tries at camp at some point- 👀

I will definitely write a tword fic for him at some point because the need for him to wreck me is strong, but some headcanons to encourage me to keep going to see the story, as I adjust to the gameplay and how it works would be so appreciated! ❤️ Again, only if you feel inspired for it though, no pressure and I hope you're staying hydrated lovely! 😊

A/N: Sure! Astarion's the reason I bought the game too. I saw a few clips of him on TikTok and added the game to cart 😅 I have a reader/Astarion fic somewhere in my drafts, but please tag me whenever you create yours. I'd love to see :D

Anyways, here's ler!Astarion. I hope I captured his personality okay. I'll add a tiny warning that this may come off a tad spicy, cause it's Astarion haha, but it isn't NSFW.

Ler!Astarion Tickle Headcanons

“Darling, you’re ticklish? Aha, how adorable.”

Astarion’s had a couple centuries to practice the art of gentle, and sometimes ticklish, touches. Of course he takes up the opportunity to work his craft. 

He’ll say the sweetest things to beckon his lee closer, with fleeting touches along sides and hips. “Come here, my dear. I promise I’ll be as gentle as a babe. Just a bit closer, hm?”

More words, sweet as honey, until he has his lee pinned under him. No matter the position, he wants physical contact the whole time. “Mm, I always did enjoy how you looked beneath me.”

He loves it when his lees become shy and flustered. It encourages his flirtatious antics even more. But, if they don’t? That’s okay. He loves a good challenge. 

Astarion’s touch is deliberate, but light and teasy. He takes his time to find the spots that make his lee squeal, and claws over it with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “My, you are a sensitive little thing, aren’t you?”

Eye contact is huge with Astarion; he drinks in his lees’ every reaction to his tickles. Every little giggle, gasp, squeak. His lee has never looked more beautiful, and he’s sure to tell them just that.

Speaking of drinking, it’s too tempting not to think about all of the blood pumping through his lee’s veins while he tickles them. He won’t drink without permission, but that doesn’t mean he can’t indulge in other ways.

“I could eat you right up, darling. And you know what? I think I will..” 

Astarion knows how to use his fangs with just enough pressure to tickle, and if he’s especially close with his lee, nowhere is safe from his nibbles. 

His favorite place to nibble are necks, but he’s also fond of ribs, hips, and thighs. He’ll love if his lee is especially sensitive to his light biting. “Gods, you are delectable. And those precious little giggles of yours just make you all the more sweeter.~” 

He could tease and tickle his lee all night, but if they truly need a break, he’ll ease off…just expect him to be a lil’ pouty. 

“Stop? Already? But, I was having so much fun. And I can tell that you were, too. Must we end our playtime so soon? …Oh, fine. Just promise I won’t have to wait too long before I can have you again.”

Of course, Astarion doesn’t always have to have an easy time with his lees. He loves it when they’re stern or, if anything, when they don’t want to admit how ticklish they are.

“Pft, if you’re not ticklish, then I’m not a vampire. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I find it rather cute. You can look a beast dead in its eye, so long as it doesn’t wiggle its claws at you, hah.”

He, like most, if not all vampires, loves a good hunt. He can and will pursue obstinate lees for fun. Having stealth on his side is a huge advantage. 

His fancy, airier voice turns growly when he’s on the hunt. And, those honeyed words become devilish taunts. 

“You might want to run faster, darling. I’m right behind you.~ Perhaps if you surrender, I’ll be merciful.” 

Astarion gets a huge ego boost if he manages to get a stubborn lee laughing. "My name sounds wonderful on your lips. But, I would love to hear a 'please'."

If he has to hunt his lee down, it'll be awhile before he lets them go. "You're all mine, tav. Laugh for me~."

[honeeslust]

Toji Fushiguro | The box

🖤 I'll be honest. I drew inspiration for this after watching Dexter. But initially,  there was that comment from a reader on wattpad asking for a fic where homeless Toji fucks us in a box.

… Also, @biscuitsngravie @blkkizzat @littlemochabunni @ryomens-vixen have me stuck on Toji who calls you mama/mamas. Like are you kidding me?? I'm folding immediately!

Anyway….

Challenge accepted!

🖤I suck at TW’s but maybe this Toji is manipulative and posessive. Its not crazy but just know its implied.

🖤 WC 3K+ (it’s a bit jumpy cause i really didn’t proof read. My bad. Im tired 😩)

Wait!!

is that..?

No that can't be.

I'm trippin'.

In all of .5 seconds, that's what races through your thoughts when you caught sight of him. No way that Adonis-looking creep who just winked at you was your toxic AF ex.

The one who got your car towed last year, maxed out your discover card and put your boss in a cast for 6 weeks. All that after you had bailed him out for. Although…your boss might've had that coming to him.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

He just had to be at this bar of all places?

Eyeing... NO!  Eye fucking you, as you moved your body to the music. How long had he been watching you?

Toji stood back, confident that he had stolen your attention away from your date. He hated the way he was touching you, but wouldn't cause a scene. Not unless he had to.

He preferred this anyway. He knew what he was doing. Getting under your skin a little before dragging you back into the 3ring circus that was his life. How could you blame him? You'd left him so suddenly and he couldn't handle that. No! He refused to handle that.

He just wanted you to know how bad he wished he could take back all the dumb shit he put you through before. It wasn't his fault. The only reason he maxed out your card gambling was to get the cash he needed to buy back that Cadillac Deville he stole from your uncle. He didn't know it was a prize winning collectors item. too bad you never gave him a chance to say that.

Meanwhile, there you are on the dancefloor. Acting as if you didn't care.

Nope! There was no familiar pang of excitement rippling through you. There wasn't a need to feel those hands on you instead of the ones that were touching you now. You were easily ignoring that tight black tee he wore. Your eyes were not drawn to that faint line running down the center, barely concealing that line between his abs that you loved to carve out with your tongue.

Pathetic. You're fucking pathetic y/n. Thats what you thought as you ground your hips against the guy you were dancing with, wishing you had any substantial amount of will power in you to just disappear out the back door.

Shiiit! Suddenly the hands on your waist brought your attention back to them. Ugghh. you weren't in the mood to dump him. You were more inclined to hurry this along to let your ex scratch that itch that only he could.

Maybe......

After all, he didn't know where you lived now. Just one night wouldn't hurt. Yeah. Fuck it!

Uhh, my friends here, sorry I gotta go. you hollar  into your dates ear.

As what would likely be the dumbest decision you could ever make had your feet moving in his direction. You could almost see the 4th wall breaking and a little blurred out blip of yourself screaming over your shoulder, look at this big bobble headed ass dummy!! Bitch! What the fuck are you doing?

You ignored the blaring red flags and ear ringing sirens going off in your head and proceeded to exit the sea of swaying bodies.

You make your way to the bar where he sits, a conceited grin on his face, that scar on his lip pulling to the side damn near making you forget just how much he was all kinds of wrong.

He stares you down, not a hint of shame in his eye as his enamoured gaze swept from your lips to your chest and down to your hips.

He pulls you into a soul pleasing hug,  chrushing your body against his, nuzzling his nose into your neck and telling you how good you looked. You shuddered, feeling a tattooed hand possessively gripping your ass and squeezeing too tight.

Cmere. Missed you mamas.

He smells all cedery and sweet, probably some expensive shit he stole from someone elses gym bag. Ether way, the scent clouded your judgement with the memories of the damage he could do with just that hand alone.

He'd once clocked a guy so hard he swallowed his own teeth. You remember the way he just couldn't stand it when someone thought they could have what was his. It was brutal. But damn, that look in his eye was everything... fuck.

He apologized for that didn't he?

If memory served, and it did now that he was standing in front of you looking all kinds of tall tan and handsome.

Yeah, he did. With his tongue until you thought your heart would actually stop if he didn't.

Now you were thinking, Was what he did really that bad? It was just uncle Earl. Who didn't even come to your 3rd grade dance recital cause he had the flu.

Your morals had died about two shots ago and what ever self preservation you had left had fucked right off into oblivion.

Now, instead of that nervous ache in your gut telling you he'd hurt you all over again, there was a fire burning. The flames stoked by the thrill of not knowing how this would end up. But you simply didn’t care. As long as tonight, you ended up on underneath him.

Hmm. If that dress was any tighter I might have to actually get a fancy job to buy you more.

Maybe you should just buy a shirt that ain't so fucking tight it's screamin I don't fit you!

Ouch he mocks you, laughing at your terrible dis. You're agitated already. Just what he hoped for.

Hmm. He nods drawing his lower lip under his teeth.

That's too bad.

What's that? You asked leaning to hear him over the music.

It's a shame. He ain't fuckin' you right. I can tell.

'Fuck. Why did he have to say that? Here we fuckin go!'

Excuse me. The fuck is that supposed to mean?

Half yelling, your world tilts a little and suddenly you're aware of the light buzz that seaking up on you.

You need some dick just ask.

Your eyes rolled skyward. His smart ass mouth getting to you more than you expected it too. You were getting ready to tell him exactly how far he could fuck off. But you froze, feeling Tojis eyes still on you like all he was waiting for was even the slightest indication that you were ready.

You don't know shit Toji.

You gonna leave your boyfriend hangin like that? He teases.

You follow his gaze to the guy across the way who was likely realizing your "friend" was stealing you away. Damnit! You didn't mean for that to happen like that.

Sorry, you mouth out with a shrug before turning your attention back to the dark haired man damn near breathing down your neck.

Everything happening was so irrational. You were imagining the taste the cheap beer on his breath. Normally the prickly ale scent would turn your stomach, but now you were about 30 seconds from letting him drag you off into one of these restrooms. Just to get a taste of it off his lips.

What's the matter? Can't decide on which it's not you it's me speeches to give him?

Fuck You! you blurted out fighting the smile coming to you lips.  You think you know every fucking thing, thats your fuckin problem.

His laugh rumbles in his chest. That smile too beautiful to accept coming from such an asshole.

He leans in, placing his hand under your bar stool and pulling it closer. A sly hand slips over your thigh, touching just under the hem of your dress. Please do. He teases, brushing his finger back and forth until your pulse staggered behind your ribs. Tell me how I'm wrong then, mamas.

First of all I ain't fuckin him. You breathed out when you fully intended on yelling it. You assumed wrong. That's not my man.

Yeah? He says with a darker look about his eye, causing a moment of prolonged eye contact. Ok. Guess I stand corrected then.

Guess you do! You agreed, the look you gave telling him everything your body already did.

You ready to go?

You scoff, playing off your immediate will to jump up and down screaming yes.

God you're such a fuckin creep. Does this usually work for you?

I think we're both about to find out.

I can't stand you. Is what you said but you were making your way toward the door with him.

Once you're out of the building his impatient lips descend upon you. Hungrily and breathlessly.

Why don't you get us an uber so we can go to your place. He says lining your collar bone with kisses.

You almost pulled your phone out. But for once you listened to that voice. Stick to the plan. He doesn't know where you live so keep it that way.

You push against his shoulders, you get the uber. And we're going to your place.

I'm banned from Uber he says moving his hips against yours causing you to wrap your legs around him.

God Toji you accidentally moan when he clutches your nipple between his teeth and follows the searing pain with his tongue. He carries you along, kissing and marking your neck and chest as you clung to him.

Fine. Your choice. We're not far anyway.

What does that mean?

His mouth is so good to you, and your overly sensitive body to really question anything. He kisses and nips, leaving you to barely notice the awkward empty hallway he sneaks you into.

Hold it. Let me get the key. He says setting you on your feet. Imagine your surprise when he goes for the padlock in the door.

The fuck is that. You say gasping for air as your eyes struggle to focus. The hell are we??

Toji, are we in a fucking storage unit??

You ask eyes still searching the place.

He cups your face, kissing your lips once again. Shut up. Once I'm fucking you it'll feel like the ritz baby.

He raises the sliding door and the loud ricochet makes you jump as you plucked your lips away from his.

Wait. There's no fucking way Im about to do this. Am I? That's what you said grinding against his palm the moment he shoved his hand between your legs, expertly nudging that answer towards a yes.

Every moment you stood there questioning how low you were setting your standards was a second too long for him. You got away from him and now he needed to show you exactly why you found your self ready to be slutted out in a fucking box.

As soon as your foot crossed into that tin square, he shut the gate behind you. He had a point to make. That much was evident in the way he shoved your skirt up over your ass and dragged your pussy into his face where he inhaled the scent of your arousal.

His nose tickles, making you giggle out loud.

Do that again. -shit makes me want to fuck you till you can't stand pretty slut.

his words registered as a million little tingles in your core. All of which needed to be sought after, one by one until everything wrong about this felt right.

He tears  the lacy thong from you waist. Slipping his fingers through the wetness, he drags a slick path between your folds. Making your soft moans rattle from your chest no matter how hard you tried to quiet them.

Mmmmhmm. I knew you missed me. He groans shoving his digits inside you.

Fuck y/n you're tight. When's the last time you fucked.

Your cheeks burned as you looked away, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing you hadn't been with anyone since him.

You'd be able to take me by now if you hadn't left me. He rasped out as if he wasn't damn near busting out of his pants at the chance to eat you six ways to Sunday.

He brings his tongue down gently against your clit at first. Giving soft intenttional flicks meant to test how sensitive you were. You writhed and twisted, shivering away from his tongue, making him force your trembling cunt back to his lips. Sssss-stop fucking runnin' in y/n, I need you dripping if I'm gonna fit Mamas.

You did more than just drip. You came down in torrents. You were elated, manipulated by satisfaction blooming in those those impossibly emerld eyes. His fingers working madly against the tight wet womb seizing up around them.

Tears pricked the corners of your eyes. It was so much robbing you of your sanity, so many sensations overwhelming you. The slurp. The smacks.  His middle and index fingers pulsing in and out. His tongue tending to that aching clit. A pleasurable heat swelling and releasing, over and over again.

Every climax up until now has sent so much satisfaction through you that every muscle in your body is wrought with exhaustion. But he doesn't care that you can't move.

He lays you on the cot in the corner. Making you side eye him a moment before. Damn. This was the the most outlandish shit you'd ever done. But shit. Toji looked so fucking good it hurt. His shirt comes over his head and those jeans come off.

He gives himself a few preparory strokes before smacking that heavy cock head against your clit, laughing as you jolted again and again and cried out for him to finally fuck you.

He arches, guiding himself inside, your swollen cunt pulsing and pulling him in. The slow descent into your gummy wet entrance warrants him the chance to really get to see the way he spreads you.

When he finally bottoms out, youre lustful mewls are echoing out through the hollow metal walls, putting a certain emphasis on the sound of his name erupting from your lips.

Sssss fuck mamas. He stills, tucked deep inside you, his dick jumping at the sound of your voice.

You can't keep this pussy away from me baby. His hips rock steady, fucking you into the sorry excuse for a mattress, loving the way he can fuck you plain stupid. Fuck, I could break you right now y/n.

You were always the prettiest little slut when you took this dick. Baby. Look at you. Why would you ever take this pussy from me Y/n?

The harsh slaps to your tits drags you back into your body. He ruts into you, teasing your clit back and forth, breaking you all over again until you were dripping once more, this time around his cock as he slowed the rock of his hips.

cmere he says flipping you onto your stomach and dragging your hips back. He pushes your shoulders to the bed, and slips his finger around and around the messy display before him.

Sssssss You'll take me back won't you?

Shit. You're ready to say it. But you bite bike your moans. No no no. Do NOT take him back.

Answer me mamas. He grunts out, prodding your puffy wet clit with kisses from his dick.

Let me hear you say it. He taunts, pushing in, pulling out. Pushing in, pulling out.

Fuck you growled fighting tooth and nail not to give in. But fuck, everytime he pushed in, you gushed, every time he pulled out you cried, desperately clenching around nothing.

Fuck Toji. Fuck me please.

His hand burns at the back of your neck. A second later your braids/wig/locks/curls are tangled up with his fingers when he palms the back of your head like a Spalding and snatches your body back against him, leaving nothing between you. Nothing to stop him from making you his all over again.

Tell me I can come back. I can make it all up to you. Baby?

He kisses around your ear, his hand cutting off your air supply just enough to make your head spin outta control from the mind numbing climax creeping up on you. You heard me mamas? I'll do it right now. He brags, hitting your spot.

You hated that it felt different, like your pussy was trying to get used to him all over again. Like you were ready to fall for him and all his bullshit. Consequences be damned. It hurt so good that you cried down your thigh, shaking and whining in perfect pain and pleasure.

Fuck Toji. I swear- nngh I hate your ass so bad.

Na nah nah darling. You don't get it do that. Not when this pussy is gripping my dick the way it is.

His fingers clench handfuls of your flesh and he drags his hips back and forth, every pump shallow but intense. Nudging and nudging and nudging until you were on edge again. 

Fuck he was right. You loved it. You wanted this. You needed this.

You'll always be my pretty lil slut? won't you? I've ruined you, and you like it. Let me hear dat shit mama, say it!!

I- I'm ruined. I'm no fucking good. I'm just your slut Toji, please. Ugh.

I can move all my shit back in?

Yes!

Toji was feral. Using his strength to prop you up and keep fucking you. He could still taste you on his tongue and you were coming so hard he couldn't pull out if he tried.

Shit! You must want me to come in you, don't you mamas?

Yesss. I want your cum. Cum in me please. You cry out as he pinches and tugs at your nipples, his tongue ghosting your ear.

He bucks faster. That's what the fuck I thought.

Your skin claps against his, ensuring anyone in the building most definitely could hear him beating down your slutty walls.

Tell that curly headed JT looking fuck I'll kill him if he calls you again.

Mhhmm. Yes Toji, yess. He could ask you anything right now and the answer would always be yes.

Whoahh! He sputters spurting his release against your swollen cervix. Satisfied, he pulls out leaving you empty and aching. Just a dumb fucked out bimbo with her ass out as he gleamed at the lewd display.

He slips his thumb over your clit, catching the bit that leakes out of you. Ah ah, don't waste any, he says shoving it back inside. Let's go. You gotta eat at least 3 plan bs for how much you just sucked outta me.

Ok you manage to whimper, lying flat, wincing as your walls contracted and the pain set in.

You lie there spent, officially dicked stupid.

Hey mamas, lemme ask you something.

What Toji?

Can I hook my ps5 up to the big tv?

Listen. I know he didn't fuck us in a box per a literal sense but hey. This was fun. What do you think?

[tarlosweeklyprompts]

THE TORTURED WRITER CHALLENGE

Hello and welcome to Tarlos Weekly Prompts newest event! I know I said that this would come sooner but life has been busy and I didn't have the time to commit to making the event as I wanted to. We know that Taylor Swift is a pretty big musician - love her or hate her, she's written a lot of good songs that can inspire some pretty amazing fics. This event will be taking inspiration from her songs and the general vibes of her music to create breathtaking fics that I know this fandom can create. If you have any questions, please let me know! I know that she has a lot of songs, not all of them will be listed here but I hope that you guys enjoy the ones that are picked! I can't wait to see what everyone writes!

This event will run until July 31st.

Rules:

Accepted works: fic's, moldboards, fanart, gifs, etc.

All works need to be new works.

All works need to be Tarlos centric

All works need to be properly tagged.

All work needs to be posted by 5 p.m. est time on July 31st, 2024

Tag the blog (@tarlosweeklyprompts ) I'm tracking the tag #twpeventttwc

Prompt's do not have to be claimed. Just pick one (or more) and write your fic.

Song Title Prompts (you can use the theme of the song, lyrics, or vibes to create your fic):

Nothing New

loml

Closure

Vigilante Shit

Right Where You Left Me

The Manuscript

Untouchable

Now That We Don't Talk

Call It What You Want

Invisible String

Champagne Problems

Love Story

the 1

Mine

Lover

Lyric Prompts:

I used to switch out these Kens, I'd just ghost / Rip the Band-Aid off and skip town like an asshole outlaw (Hits Different)

No amount of freedom gets you clean / I've still got you all over me (You All Over Me)

The skeletons in both our closets plotted hard to fuck this up (Cowboy Like Me)

Please don't ever become a stranger whose laugh I could recognize anywhere (New Year's Day)

You drew stars around my scars but now I'm bleeding (Cardigan)

Barefoot in the kitchen / Sacred new beginnings / That became my religion (Cornelia Street)

Old habits die screaming (The Black Dog)

I snuck in through the garden gate / Every night that summer just to seal my fate (Cruel Summer)

It never ever occurred to you / That I can't say 'hello' to you / And risk another goodbye (I Almost Do)

You call me up again just to break my like a promise / So casually cruel in the name of being honest (All Too Well)

You dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor (Is It Over Now?)

And I wouldn't marry me either / A pathological people pleaser (You're Losing Me)

The altar is my hips/ Religion's in your lips/ Even if it's a false god/ We'd still worship this love... / I know heaven's a thing / I go there when you touch me (False God)

I've been spending the last eight months / thinking all love ever does / is break and burn and end / but on a Wednesday in a cafe / I watched it begin again (Begin Again)

Don't blame me, love made me crazy / If it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right / Lord save me my drug is my baby / I'll be usin' for the rest of my life (Don't Blame Me)

[greenhorn-art]

Prince of Shadows, Lord of Thieves by alkat

Fandom: The King's Avatar | 全职高手

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Category: Gen

Words: 1 929

Once upon a time, their exploits were immortalized by artists and writers across the tapestry of history. Once upon a time, they were worshipped as gods and reviled as demons. None of that stopped the Met from stealing all their shit.

About the Book

FONTS: Alegreya [Google Fonts], Lato [Google Fonts]

IMAGES: all art made by myself @greenhorn-art for this fic

MATERIALS: regular ol' printer paper (8.5"x11", 20lb, 96 bright); ~2-2.5mm binder's board; Neenah cardstock (8.5"x11", 65lb, bright white); Cialux bookcloth (black); waxed linen thread (30/3 size, white); wheat paste (1:4 flour:water); paste wax (from a friend, unknown ingredients&quantities, some kind of wax and turpentine/mineral spirits)

PROGRAMS USED: Affinity Publisher 2; Affinity Designer 2; Bookbinder JS | Renegade's Community Imposer (settings: Quarto, snug against binding edge, custom signatures of 2, 1, 2 sheets).

Text & QR codes printed with colour laser printer (duplex, flip long edge), images printed with inkjet printer. QR codes generated with LibreOffice Writer, snipped, saved, and inserted where needed.

BINDING: quarto (quarter-letter) size, sewn board binding with french link stitch and breakaway spine.

.

So this one all started because the visual of HST's outfit was so fun that I was possessed by a visceral need to draw it. Inspiration slapped me across my mind's eye, and much like a medieval knight being slapped in the face by a glove (which didn't actually happen, that's a myth that sprung from the throwing down of a gauntlet. but that's beside the point), I felt bound to take up the challenge. Which lead me to draw a few more, and then I ended up binding the whole thing.

(Also, I find it really amusing that the famous Terracotta Warriors were just storage for YXs stuff. And the gang going 'shopping' at various exhibits for gifts for friends/family,, like that sure is SOME window shopping! I can hear it now: 'Oooh I'll take one one those SMASH, and that SHATTER, and throw in some of those CRASH, they're going to love these! 😇'. All in all, it was a fun little read, and fun little project! :D)

About the Art

Because this was initially a one-off drawing I tried a new art style (and struggled to at least not stray too far for the rest). It was fun and helped me think more about shape and visual focus, instead of being caught up in the details.

The crow (based off of image ID: 4039963 from Rawpixel) and the red umbrella on the front cover were filled curves made with the pen tool. The illustrations' poses were based off of a combination of images found on Google and photos taken by myself.

Pinterest is awful for sources, but it would have been handy to pin the references I'd googled. Only remembered to save the one of a man sitting at a desk. (I deliberately searched for someone sitting with bad posture because YX is described as being "slumped" over the desk. I figure that since "the laws of physics held no meaning to ["cursed souls eschewed by the natural order"]", they'd also be immune to mundane things like discomfort from sitting hunched over for too long. Back pain images were a gold mine! All I had to do was choose one with lighting that would give me a silhouette.)

The Myriad Manifestations Umbrellas and illustrations were drawn in Procreate.

I opted for a more plain umbrella design because it's not (presumably) a fantastical weapon in this story. Though the initial version did have YX cradling the donghua!MMU.

For the scene breaks I inserted the images, pinned them inline as character, and adjusted height and baseline in the pinning menu to fit.

The author wrote one scene break differently than the others, using multiple empty paragraphs instead of just one. Following suit, I used a different image for that particular break. I wanted to reference vampires somewhere, so for that break I made two bloody spots resembling bite marks. The blood spots were made with a group of shapes in Designer.

On cover design:

Because the MMU is what sparks the whole heist, I wanted it on the front cover.

Earlier iterations involved a full cover spread with a man's shadow standing before a shattered glass case, with a plaque mounted on the wall to the left providing information. The plaque was formatted like a museum label and had the author, date published, title, event collection, and story description. I'd also added a QR code to it. Ultimately, I abandoned the concept because it was difficult to decipher what is was when only looking a one cover at a time.

My second idea for the cover would have been a bookcloth-only cover with a cut-out of the MMU on the front, acting like a window showing off an image of the MMU on paper below it. (Inspired by the work of a number of folks over on Renegade's Discord. Here's a few examples gleaned from a quick search: szynkaaa's lung cutouts, some of EHyde's books, and the front cover of Spock's massive all-in-one TGCF). As fun as that would have been to try out, I felt it didn't quite suit the style of the art so I nixed that too.

Eventually I landed on the back cover design with the Met exhibition webpage. At last, I felt that the back & white and simple-shapes-background went with the artwork. The webpage viewed on the phone is based off of the Met's actual website. I took a snip/screenshot of the Met's logo from the banner at the top, then looked at their exhibitions' pages and eyeballed it to create my own. (Threw in the QR because I wanted the easy access to the fic online on the back cover). I chose to use a phone screen rather than I computer monitor because it worked better composition-wise. And besides, while YX may be allergic to owning a phone, SMC is not. I imagine that she saw the news while on her phone then messaged him.

The front cover came together after that. An umbrella for the MMU, and a pop of red. One of YX's messenger crows. A black shape in the background similar to the back cover's, sort of creating a spotlight over the umbrella and placing the rest of the cover in shadow.

Trying New Things: Applying a protective finish to printed covers

Over on the Renegade Bindery Discord, folks have spoken about using a beeswax & turpentine/mineral spirits 50-50 mix to seal printed covers (thank you Kate). According to my dad that's just a paste wax, so he threw 3 different ones at me and said 'have at it'.

I tested them out using the same paper and inkjet I'll use for the cover. I was looking at 1) whether the paste wax affected the paper colour or print quality, and 2) the finish. After applying one coat each and buffing them out I had my winner. Then I applied & buffed two more coats to it and tested 3) water resistance by dripping tea on it. The liquid beaded up and wiped away without staining -- good, three coats will work nicely.

(Test results: Mystery paste wax from a friend wins.

The commercial SC Johnson Paste Wax Original formula (intended for woodworking) has a nice dry shiny finish, but coloured the paper slightly brown -> disqualified

My dad's homemade stuff has a nice shiny/satin finish and didn't change paper's colour, but it felt slightly tacky even after buffing it -- maybe I didn't buff it enough?

The gifted paste wax has a matte finish, didn't change paper's colour (in the image below this one has 3 coats. The paper is now slightly off-white, but still acceptable), and while not as dry-to-touch as the Johnson it was not as tacky as the other homemade stuff.)

When I print out my quarto covers, I print front and back covers side-by-side on the same page*, with some guides to ensure I'm cutting and gluing in the correct place. (The guides mark the boundaries of the covers and start of the turn-ins, and stop at the edge of where I cut. Before cutting I flip it over to mark the guides [see marks indicated in image below] on the wrong side and connect them so I can see where to glue/place book. Then flip it back over to cut, right side up.)

*I'm being economical here at the cost of possible warping damage. This layout means that I'm only using one sheet of paper, but the grain is running in the wrong direction (across the book instead of preferred head-to-tail/top-bottom). This could cause warping issues, but I'm OK with that. I'm hoping that by just gluing at the edges, instead of pasting down the whole thing, warping will be minimized. (I use wrong-grain endpapers most of the time with larger books anyways).

I applied the paste wax before cutting out the covers, working carefully to avoid accidentally creasing/bending the paper (which happened twice, but it was minimal and I hardly notice it). Doing so before cutting ensured that the cover material was completely covered. Even the turn-ins -- something I later came to regret. After all, wax is used specifically so that things don't stick to it. It made it rather difficult to drum on the endpapers because I was trying to glue something down onto a waxy surface. It all worked out in the end -- perhaps due to the fact that there were multiple layers of wheat paste which could adhere to each other, followed by being squashed in a press.

[waitmyturtles]

GMMTV 2024 Part 2, let's go

I've had my MULTIPLE cawfees and I'm watching the GMMTV Part 2 trailers. @my-rose-tinted-glasses, this one's for you!

TL;DR what I'm excited for: Ossan's Love with trepidation; Revamp: The Undead, I'm first in line; The Ex-Morning with open arms; Us, once we have a better sense of the screenplay; Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist, drop it like it's hot, Mark; Thame-Po, boys look gewd

****

1) Ossan's Love: THE KEY WORDS BEING "INSPIRED BY"

If I take away the inclination to do any sort of comparisons to the Japanese version whatsoever ("INSPIRED BY"), I'm thrilled that EarthMix get to do romcom. Earth at this level of baka is utterly unbelievable to me, you are too smokin' hot, boy, but try to bring it, because if you do, and it's a success, then I'll be fucking really impressed.

2) Leap Day: Looks scary. Gun!

3) The Heart Killers: ...

Man. Man! First in muscle shirts and an earring, kisses pushed up against walls, etc. Where have we seen this before. Lemme guess, they all get together in the end. I would like to force myself to be excited about this somehow, Jojo on 10 Things, but. I haven't been there with JoongDunk yet, either, so actually, they seemed kinda refreshing against the FK vibes, ha. Anyway, this reignited my OF burnout, which I'm honestly trying to ignore as I get close to re-watching The Eclipse for my Old GMMTV Challenge project. @my-rose-tinted-glasses, my trust issues switch is flipped to "on."

(Get Jojo away from ships, please. He had Tay kissing Joss and Mild in the same year AFTER Dark Blue Kiss. He fucking doesn't need to use ships.)

4) Friendshit Forever: no subs, seems intense, the gals are smokin', NEW AND BOUN?! Hate to say it, but even without knowing what this is exactly about, I'm intrigued? My Boun! New and Boun!

5) Perfect 10 Liners: They're letting New Siwaj do 30 episodes, folks. I have no predictions on this one, y'all will have to tell me if it's good. Perth is back with New Siwaj directing after 2018's Love By Chance. If they give Chimon a little comedy, I'll be happy. I asked for Junior again, but maybe I wasn't expecting him to go to school, but I will admit I like JuniorMark together, and if they get to helm 10 episodes as the center stars, then good for them! Maybe that'll be the bit of this series that I watch.

6) Us: I believe in this screenplay more than how 23.5 is working out. I think Fon Kanittha needs more stuff on her plate to play around with to make a great show. This trailer was great. I'm watching My Precious the Series now (after having watched the movie this past weekend, which I was disappointed by -- the series is MUCH better, and going better than 23.5), and I'm seeing that Fon does stuff very well, background community building that gives us macro- and micro-level understandings of her characters. If those levels are Sing Harit, I'm here for it, that was an unexpected appearance, but if he's recalling the strength he brought to Todd in Not Me, then I'm a happy camper.

7) Hide and Sis: I love Piploy. Wednesday Club was a total holiday trash watch for me last year, but I loved her a lot. Looks like they're promoting this as a multi-generational show with known older actors, the approach of which I like. Everyone hates each other and maybe tries to kill each other; Keeping Up With the Thai Kardashians, maybe? Surprise, Gawin's a cop. Chimon as murderer, I'll support that.

8) Thame-Po: This looks cute. I'll consider a pre-order! Separately, I happen to adore cute Lego from LYKN, so good on those dudes for getting a show, and I like that William is pushing his boundaries outside of music.

9) Break-Up Service: I am happy that Off has gotten this kind of sneaky love romcom (?) role.

10) Revamp: The Undead: I'm here for it. I'm so happy for BounPrem. I'm happy to see some strong support dudes in Kay and Mark in this project. I haven't watched My Only 12%, so I don't know from Santa, but I know a lot of friends love him. I am totally seated. GMMTV is really the BL Machine, huh, absorbing this project.

11) Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist: Do not get me wrong, I am very excited about this; I am just wondering if Baby Ohm needs a little workshopping to get more diversity in his expressions. But I am very excited, Mark looks SO DOWN and ready to lead. View! Jimmy! I'm good with this.

12) The Dark Dice: High School Squid Game, I can't

13) The Ex-Morning: I gotta admit. This kind of moment is one of the reasons why I'm so happy doing the OGMMTVC. The big-ass smile I had on my face seeing KristSingto again, even though I really wasn't the biggest fan of SOTUS -- I've done a whole accountability turn on Krist after seeing him in Be My Favorite, and I appreciate that this show will go meta on the KristSingto background. It fucking sucks that Shadow sucked, because Singto is such a good actor, just seems like his scripts are here and there lately, but anyway. Aof Noppharnach writing this? Last Twilight ended cringe, but I'm still an Aof girlie, so I am 100% excited for this.

14) Scarlet Heart Thailand: That wasn't really a trailer, but considering the reputation the base story has in Asia and globally, I like, business-wise, what this means for GMMTV, a historical that will have appeal to multiple generations. I understand the original novel for this, Bu Bu Jing Xin, isn't translated into English, and that's a bummer, because it seems like this Thai version, which has already been dramatized in China and Korea, is based squarely on the novel. Fuck Win. These were the kinds of shows I loved as a kid when I watched Asian shows with my folks, so I have to admit that I'm intrigued, but I would have liked to see a meatier trailer.

That's it!

[sincerely-sofie]

Check-in for 01/28/24

It's been a while since I did one of these. Time to remedy that!

I've been doing well in my assignments, but due to some registration issues at the start of the semester I was unable to sign up for any web development or programming classes :< It's nice to take a break, but I'm really worried about getting stagnant in those skills, and maybe even losing what I've learned over time.

This is where a couple of new projects come in: A blorbo database and a tool for drawing pokemon from memory. These things are going to keep me avoid stagnancy and help me develop my web dev and Python programming skills, and I'm real excited to talk about them.

First up, let's talk about that tool for drawing pokemon from memory. I love drawing pokemon from memory, but it's a bit of a struggle to find tools online that work well for a solo experience when you're doing this challenge alone. So I made a program in PyGame to solve this problem, and I've actually already completed it! It was a great learning experience when it came to getting a taste of APIs, and PokeAPI really helped me do all the heavy lifting with it. I also ended up using ChatGPT to help me understand how to phrase my questions and the things I needed to research. This is the end result:

If you click "Get Random Pokemon", the program will provide a pokemon's name. The point of it is to draw the pokemon as best as you remember it, and then click "Show Pokemon Image" to see how you did. You will then have the option to get a new random pokemon, which clears the image from the window.

There's a lot of stuff I don't understand about how the program works--- APIs evade my understanding, and Tkinter is a dark art beyond my comprehension. But I was able to make a program that solved a genuine problem for me for the first time, and that's super exciting to me!

Now, for web development--- long story short, I'm making a website dedicated to cataloguing my OCs that's very much inspired by tumblr user @snekkerdoodles's personal site on neocities, which I regularly stare at in an effort to motivate myself to make cool things like it (everyone reading this should check his page out IMMEDIATELY and tell him how cool it is). Here's the screenshots of the WIP I'm chipping away at right now:

I don't have much to say about it, as the interesting stuff will really be the content of the pages, and I still have yet to finish the template page I'll be filling with my OCs' information. However, I can say that I'm very upset with the lack of proper teaching that took place in the first (and currently only) college web dev class I've taken. I spent an entire semester doing my own research to learn everything they were supposed to be teaching us. I'm still very peeved about that.

To summarize this very rambling post I'm too sleepy to edit properly, I'm making a digital blorbo encyclopedia, and I finished making a little desktop app thingy, which means I need to summon a new programming project. I'm tempted to make it a video game... maybe I should turn back to that visual novel idea I had ages ago and boot up RenPy!

[thana-topsy]

Hello! I hope this isn't too much of a loaded question, but do you have any general tips for writing? I'd like to give fanfic writing a shot at some point.

Not at all! I'm always happy to talk shop about writing! As far as general tips go, there are some things that I think everyone could benefit from, so I'll try to condense my opinions and suggestions into A Numbered List. (We'll limit it to 5 suggestions for now).

Read Actively I mean this in the sense of really chewing on whatever it is you're reading. Dig into the meat of That One Paragraph and look for things you enjoy, things that tickle your brain. I'll give an example from something I read recently, which is our lovely @kookaburra1701's newest story "Aristeia" "They crested the final hillock; Mor Khazgur dominated the shallow valley below. When she had been younger, Borgakh had often imagined the longhouse was a lazy cat asleep on a bright green rug, curled up against the rocks of the Druadach Mountains. When the stronghold’s goats were pastured in the glade, they played the role of mice scurrying about under the cat’s nose." I was just ENAMORED by this passage. The whimsy, the rhythm of some the repeating consonants -- stronghold's goats, glade -- and just the imagery it drummed up, reminding me of those fanciful imaginings of my own childhood. So don't just read a lot, but read actively. Read works that inspire you, authors that impress you, and subject matter that's similar to the type of stuff you want to be writing. And think about why you like the things your like, and draw that inspiration into your own writing. Imitate your heroes until you're no longer imitating and it's just how you write.

Accept Constructive Criticism This one is always a challenge in the beginning. The Ego is a powerful little devil, and it'll try to confuse you. It'll tell you that your value is tied to the words on the page. But I'm here to tell you that YOU are NOT the words on the page. Take an objective stance on your prose and your plot. Everyone starts somewhere and (hopefully) nobody ever stops learning or improving. NOTE: Notice I said constructive criticism. This does not mean you should let people tear your work into shreds in bad faith. Listen to people who want to see you improve and also find joy in the craft of writing.

Read Your Writing Out Loud This is kind of self-explanatory. You'll get a really good feel for your own rhythm and flow VERY easily this way. And you'll catch almost any mistakes right away.

Cut All Unnecessary Words This is getting into the technical side of things, but why not? One of the first books I read on the craft of writing (whose title unfortunately escapes my mind at the moment) contained this advice, and it is STILL something I struggle with. Obviously, when you have a character with a specific voice, sometimes they get flowery in their internal speech and observations. I'll use Aiden as an example: "The fort loomed over them, massive and severe. Aiden attempted to judge the architecture and found he wasn’t quite sure what race or nation could have possibly built it. Or when it was built, for that matter. Second era, perhaps? The design seemed more Breton than Nord: austere, angular, and formal. But so close to the Velothi mountains, it could have been Imperial."  I bolded words that don't actually add anything of value to the descriptions here. We lose nothing by cutting them out. But they're how Aiden thinks about the world around him. So I keep them to give shape to his internal processing. I'd say to try to write without these kinds of flavor words first, then start adding them in. Learn the rules before you break them, or break the habit before it becomes the ONLY way you write.

Write Every Day This one is tough in the beginning, but it's so crucial to becoming a better writer. WRITE. EVERY. DAY. Even if it's just 200 words, do it. Make it your little morning ritual or evening wind-down. Pick a time that's just for you and your words. Close all your tabs, put your phone on silent, and just write. Be alone with the world that you are trying to create. And soon enough, you'll find that you can't go a day without writing something. And what a joy that is.

That's my list! I hope you found these tips useful! I also recommend reading books on the craft of writing, too.

Best of luck on your journey! You have infinite possibilities before you.

[thedragonagebigbang]

Bang Creator Interview: Tumblr: @oxygenforthewicked  |  AO3: Oxygenforthewicked

The Collaboration period has begun! In these quiet months before works are due, we want to foster a sense of excitement, camaraderie, and celebration among our participants. To that end, all participants were given the option of a formal interview by our mod, Dema, or an informal “ask-game” survey. We hope you enjoy getting to know our phenomenal creators as much as we have!

10 Reasons Why Rift Hopping Is Probably Hazardous to Your Health (Hint: Cassandra Is One of Them)

Gin and Dema talk process, inspiration, and what to do when a character kicks down your door

Dema: Since this is a Big Bang I'll start there: have you done one before? If you have, what made you want to do it again? If not: what made you wanna give it a go? 

Gin: I've considered being a part of a Big Bang event before but I haven't actually done one yet. However, after seeing all of the fics and artwork that came out of other bangs last year, I got a better feel for it and decided I wanted to give it a try!

Dema: So exciting! Are you finding that this process feels different from how you usually write?

Gin: Not really, honestly. I've done NaNoWriMo in the past, and this feels similar in terms of working towards a set goal. I think the big difference (and better difference, honestly) is that this is much more community-centered, and the goal is to finish the project instead of just reaching a word count minimum. That in and of itself is a really refreshing new challenge.

Dema: When you tackle a project like this, what does that look like for you?

Gin: Usually I like to prepare a concept/vague outline first, write out in more detail the major plot points, create a mood playlist, and just start writing! I do tend to carve out time for writing, too, as that helps me focus better.

Dema: How much time do you feel like you need in a chunk? (Me, interviewing: “So, writing. How Do You Do It. AND WHY??)

Gin: It depends. Sometimes I can write for several consecutive hours, other times my brain can only handle about thirty minutes. Either way, I know that as long as I get words on the page, I'm making progress! But creativity isn't something that can be forced, so if the words just aren't coming out, I'll take a break for a while and refresh my brain by reading a book or watching something. Once my creative battery is full again, I can knock out a huge chunk of the project, and that usually feels so much better than trying to strongarm my brain into getting words out.

Dema: Is there something you are reading or watching right now that is providing particular inspiration? Or if not inspiration, rejuvenation?

Gin: Yes, actually! I'm currently reading A Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, and it's been giving me all sorts of good inspiration.

Dema: Oh yes! I love that book. Is there anything in particular about it that's scratching the itch?

Gin: The lore and worldbuilding are both so interesting, but I'm also just very invested in the characters. This series so far has done a great job of creating a rich world with fleshed-out characters, an intricate magic system, and I love the complexity of the relationships. (In short, all of it!) 

Dema: Hard agree, I love those complicated characters and dynamics. Speaking of characters, when you're crafting an OC, what's your starting point? What was the spark that birthed Saeris, if you want to be more specific?

Gin: Most of the time, it's a picture or a song that sparks the initial concept. But there are other times when OCs kick down the door in my head and decide that they live there rent-free. Saeris was one of those characters. Admittedly, I did intend on creating Saeris for a specific project after reading The Horror of Hormak, but he was supposed to be a minor character that I was going to write once and never write again after that. (Boy was I wrong.) But what really sparked the inspiration for him was a photo I found while looking up references for gray eyes. The vibe of that photo just seemed like it fit him so well that his entire character quickly started unfolding bit by bit after that. I chose a name for him, a class, and all of it snowballed until he became my most fleshed-out character (and my favorite).

Dema: How long ago was that?

Gin: April 2022

Dema: Awwww! He’s two! 

Gin: LOL! It was when the event I was writing him for took place. 

Dema: I will not ask you if your Bang fic involves Saeris because I do not want to pry any spoilers from you, but thank you for your click-bait title and for your interview! Gin: Sounds good! And thank you!! It was very fun chatting.

[seas-storyarchive]

Random small prompts because I like to throw dodgeballs made of lead at our favorite demonic Creole cannibal.

[[MORE]]

1: Alastor makes alligator noises - how can he not, he's got those huge fucking teeth. The first time he does it, the entire hotel crew, including Lucifer himself, just all decide to sleep with a weapon beneath their pillows that night (bonus: lucifer calls up heaven and asks who the hell designed alligators and, after finding out they were technically relic dinosaurs, gives Alastor a wide birth of space for a bit)

2: Angel and Husk are arguing that there are things you can't wrestle. They have agreed that bobcats, donkeys, and anything from Australia and Florida is off limits, Charlie says alligators can't be wrestled. Alastor hears this, and takes it as a challenge - within 15 minutes, there is a wrecked and slightly swampy lobby, a 20 foot gator ("WHO THE FUCK let this psycho put these fucking things in his room!?") and a shirtless, banged up, and bleeding Alastor wrestling in the middle of the lobby. (Optional Radiorose, Rosie and him have just started dating, he missed the time for their date to start, and she comes over to give him an earful - ends up blushing and fanning herself at the sight of a shirtless, bloody Alastor, no longer mad)

3: judges the hotel staff in Louisianan. That is all.

4: turns off his mic and speaks in his actual voice - everyone's brains burst. Why would he cover that up? ("Hey, Smiles?" "Yes?" "Where did you say you came from?" "Louisiana." "Right, right. Say, um.. what uh.. ya know.." "Hm?" "Were you allowed your own seat on a bus." "Oh.. yeah I was.." "Husk! I was tryin' ta be sensitive about it!" "Pfft. See, he had a seat-" "Until a white person wanted it." *cue confused Charlie and Vaggie, guilty Lucifer, and the others vowing that should Al show his true form to them, they wouldn't let him feel bad.*)

5: they hear dogs barking loudly as it approaches the hotel, and someone screaming. Alastor busts into the hotel screaming and crying, grabbing onto Charlie's hands as he flings himself at her on his knees ("I'll tell you anything you want! I'll do whatever you want! Just don't let them eat me alive again!") Lucifer, inspired by this recent trauma dump and being a duck about it, makes rubber ducks that bark. And leaves them everywhere around the hotel - Vaggie even helping him hide them (Husk isn't a fan of dogs, but he's less of a fan of Alastor so he has a few too). Alastor's sanity is literally a thin thread, and he's seriously considering breaking his contract to either die again or pled with Charlie to break it and help him reform so he can fucking leave

[cilil]

🌿 for ask game. thank you!

🌿 ⇢ give some advice on writer's block and low creativity

Now I may be both a good and bad person to ask about that because I've been inspired and writing almost every day for 2 1/2 years straight now and, while there certainly were unproductive episodes in terms of output or low motivation or stress and anxiety keeping me away from writing itself, I always had inspiration in my head at least; I suppose you could say I've been somewhat "blessed" with keeping this up without putting in real conscious effort. I don't think there's a secret recipe either, but I'll try to give some helpful (?) ideas :)

So a good chunk of this is sadly, or at least I suspect it might be so, dependent on how prone to hyperfixation and how attached to an individual thing you are on a personal level. Speaking for myself, I'm the kind of person who always has their "one main thing" and sticks with it for several years at least (I was tenacious enough to spend 5 years doing my own thing in a dead fandom) and slowly digs deeper and deeper as time goes on. Others may change interests more frequently, be in several fandoms at once or experience greater fluctuations with high and low creativity. That leads us to my first point: Know who you are and work with that, don't try to be anyone else.

The second thing I think is important is to find a good balance between trying to be reliable and finish your stuff and give yourself some space to do whatever you feel like and fuck around. You may have heard creativity being compared to a river before and it's true: Too much human interference - for example straightening a river - can impact the environment around it negatively, and too much scheduling and deadlines and forcing yourself to be creative will impact your creativity negatively. Make sure you have the space to at least occasionally do what comes to mind. You should be working on project A, but you're feeling project B? Work on B for a while. The muses are moody.

Another thing that may seem a little contradictory at first, but I think is helpful: Keep at it. If you do whatever is your creative thing regularly, it's less of a "big deal" and threshold to cross every time, it becomes natural and a comforting part of your routine. For writers, drabble challenges and prompt events are examples for good tools to ensure you write at least semi-regularly. But again, please don't feel like you have to force yourself to create every single day, especially if you're someone who experiences periods of little to no creative energy. That's fine. Let yourself recharge. We're all different (in general what works for me doesn't have to work for everyone else).

Now if you do find yourself in a bit of a creative slump or lose passion for a project you used to enjoy a lot, here are some things you can try:

Take a break and do something else. Scratch a different itch. Have fun!

Put yourself in the right mood/mindset by looking for media that evokes the feelings/vibes needed for your project (note that this will work better for people who are highly sensitive or otherwise react/connect to media on an emotional level more strongly). Examples: A playlist, a specific song you associate with your work, a movie/book/game/etc that inspired you, artwork of a character

Talk about it with someone else. Be excited together. Ask for advice if needed. Or just talk through whatever block you have; you may not even consciously realize it, but just to have someone listening will help with explaining the situation to both them and yourself and clearing it up

Write a project list (I recommend either a spreadsheet or a handwritten one). Sometimes the crux with a project is simply all the disorganized noise around it and you begin to feel anxious which causes writer's block and/or kills your creativity. Writing a list can clear that up, make you feel more calm and collected and show you a clear way forward. Note: This applies to other situations in life too. Try it and I promise things will become easier to handle

That's all I can think of right now. Again I can't promise any of this is "the secret sauce, but maybe some of it can help someone :)

[applesaucesims]

Hi, what are some ways that you recommend to keep my decades challenge interesting as well as historically accurate??

Heyyy! That's a good question! I'll put my answer under the cut because it ended up a little bit longer. Sorry in advance lmao.

How to keep it interesting:

As for many legacy type gameplays and stories, one thing I find that helps is to shift the focus for every generation. I personally like to at least have an outline of what I like to focus on each generation. As an example, for my 1930s gen I knew I wanted to focus more on Emma and her friends, since I usually just focus on the family. Doing something "new" every now and then can help not getting bored, since otherwise legacies might feel repetitive (no matter if it's just gameplay or a story).

Another thing that keeps me wanting to play, is that I already have storylines in my head up to the 70s. Some are just vague plot points, some are basically a complete story, but it makes me excited for all of the future generations. This might just be a me thing though lol.

You might also get inspirations from all kinds of other stories, even if it's just small aspects. Not much more to that, but it's a good way to come up with new things.

Also, I know this sounds cheesy, but don't force yourself to just do anything when it doesn't feel right. If you feel stuck, you can do things like time skips. I did something like that at the end of the 1920s, speeding through the rest of the days by having Emma report important events in her diary. And, of course, taking breaks can always help restoring some motivation.

I personally also make Pinterest boards for my characters and stuff like that. It's fun and leads me to my next point: Making up personalities and aesthetics for your sims. Obviously, you would do that for main characters in a story, but I like to give a basic personality outline to side characters, too. It helps flesh everything out a bit. Also, I like to have certain "main colours" for my sims (yellow for Emma, teal/blue for Niall, rosy red for Ken, etc.). Idk how much this does for the story, but it makes dressing them and stuff more interesting to me personally.

TL;DR: Switch things up, take inspiration anywhere, don't stress yourself, and do what makes you happy.

Historical accuracy:

I'm personally a fashion history fiend, so this part is one of my favourite things about the challenge. I have a few books about this, too, but ofc internet research is a must. It's good to look up the fashion for the type of person you're dressing (age, class, job, etc.). The same counts for architecture and interiors. You can also make things like Pinterest boards for inspiration.

Honestly, you can get into as much detail as you want with the accuracy. Obviously, there are the basics like what technology exists, which are more important for immersion (ofc you wouldn't put a computer in a 1900s home lol). But sometimes small details like what pet breeds or plants are a thing at the time can be fun, too. For my ultimate decades challenge, I even made a sheet of what plants arrived in Germany at what time. But such things might not be seen in your story, so it's more about your own immersion.

Then, there is the thing with laws. If you base your story in a real country, it's good to research its laws throughout history. However, it's still your story, so you can adjust it as much as you feel comfortable with. I personally don't feel comfortable including racist laws in my story because I don't have any personal experience with that and don't think I could do it justice, even though I have done research in that field.

I do feel more comfortable including stuff about women's rights and lgbtq+ rights, since I'm a queer woman myself, with mostly queer friends, and have also studied those fields. But even then, I like to be a bit more lenient because I'm not gonna make a bunch of homophobic sims lmao. They're still like my babies.

Additionally, there were real people, too, that had achievements that would have been against the law (interracial marriages, successful working women, etc.), so it's not technically historically inaccurate. Your characters are still individuals, so they don't have to represent everything.

TL;DR: Do your research, adjust details to your liking, handle issues respectfully, and keep in mind that it's a fictional story in the end.

[zilodak]

Hi!! Really looking forward to your story, everything you've revealed so far looks absolutely beautiful! 🫶 May I ask how you usually plan for your story? Like what kind of method do you feel like is the best and most convenient for you?

Oh my writing process is chaotic. But if I were to break it down:

Research and inspirations: goes hand in hand with starting with ideas and honestly is forefront at every stage. I'll usually fall into a rabbit hole of non-fiction books, theories and articles for real life basis. I've been asking around and taking advantage of my surroundings to understand concepts I want to include in my writing! Whether that's field research or just going online to look at forums, I'll find inspiration and my answers through ways that aren't always so straightforward. The challenge is to know when it's time to stop researching and when it's too excessive. Dumping everytime you've learned into your story isn't going to work out, and most of the time you'll need to sort your research out.

Starting out with ideas: I usually do this on my notes app and it goes hand in hand with the research stage. I carry my phone every where I go and it's mostly somewhere within reach. So when I get an idea I jot it down! Even if it's in a broken language, as long as I can understand and get it down somewhere without it disappearing, then everything is fine!

Refining ideas: I'll usually use sticky notes for this. I'll put the idea I jotted down on paper onto sticky notes and stick it on my wall to organize it with my other ideas. If I dont like the idea anymore, if it doesn't fit with my vision, narrative, or makes it too clustered, I disregard the idea. My wall looks like the pepe silvia bit from always sunny atp. I'll make a list of what themes and visuals need to be on the forefront of the story for people to get the story. And then I'll delve deeper into what can be more subtextual, that might enhance the narrative, especially on re-reads. I'll also have a list of ideas that might be neat to include in the story but doesn't necessarily need to make it on there.

Organizing: I'll start off with events that NEED to be in the story, major plot beats, and then plot them on a narrative diagram. I'll then start filling in the gaps. I like to think about what happens between one major story beat to the next, how does it flow together, what needs to be done so that it builds up to them.

Script rough draft: I'll do this on my notes app as well. I like typing it out on my phone, because again, it's way more accessible than my computer. I don't beat my head over the grammar at this stage, as long as I can understand it, and what I was trying to go for, then everything is alright. I just basically blurt out everything, because I know I'll cut it down and edit it later with the later drafts.

Script draft (the stage I'm mostly at): I'll then re-type all of that on a Google docs document as a screenplay or script since my story is a comic. This draft is meant to be cleaner. Once I'm done with a draft, I'll rinse and repeat until I'm satisfied with the writing. I'll usually comment on my document and poke at things that don't make sense, things that I'm unsure about, or needs editing later. Just attacking the script basically. This stage takes me the longest because sometimes I need to come back to it a day or two later with a fresh mind and see if I understand. I'll also have some friends read over (not quite beta reading yet) to see if it makes sense and to ask them what they got took the story so far.

Beta and sensitivity readers: this one I'm still trying to figure out, and since I'm not at this stage yet I'm not exactly sure how this goes but I'll figure it out! I have a couple of people I've already asked to be my beta readers and I'll most probably ask them what they understood etc after they finish the whole thing. I'll ask them to critique and attack the script, to tell me what ideas they did or did not enjoy. I'm thinking of hiring sensitivity readers at this stage as well, since the topic is a rough one and I don't want to avoid falling into stereotypes or harmful biases. Sensitivity readers are good to catch those errors and potential fallacies before it goes out to the readers.

Final edits: it's exactly what that sounds like. Taking everything that was said, every feedback and criticism and working to improve on them if needed. You don't always need to abide by what other people say, but take them into consideration. I might share these improvements with my beta readers again to see what they think. Once I'm satisfied, that's the script done.

And then I'll start drawing :)

Keep in mind I'm no professional and I don't study literature at uni yet, so take this with a grain of salt but I hope that this was sort of helpful? At least?

[putsch]

Show me your EGOTION - A Carly Rae Repsen-inspired Blue Lock fan event!

All 11 fics in the collection are up, and you can read them all right here!

Previews for each fic below:

and i'll find your lips in the streetlights by akhikosanada | Kunigami Rensuke/Chigiri Hyoma, M, 10.6K

There had been a deathlessness, too, to the feeling that excavated itself from his sternum when he’d seen Kunigami standing at the arrivals terminal of Copenhagen airport—in the sense that Hyoma had thought it dead and gone and buried ever since they’d all left Blue Lock, ever since they’d been recruited by their U20 clubs and dragged to the other end of the world by the promise of victory. It’s only now that he’s here, that Hyoma feels the sharpness of Kunigami’s absence like a knife to the gut, the belated pain of loss surfacing faster than the realization. He should have known better, he notices now. Nobody makes him feel as deathless as Kunigami does. Chigiri, and Kunigami, and a summer weekend in Copenhagen.

you like making me wait for it by ganache | Kunigami Rensuke/Chigiri Hyoma, M, 7.5K

So Chigiri just has to stand there and watch as Bachira asks if Kunigami could (pretty please) drive him all the way out to Kagoshima. Has to stand there and watch as Kunigami looks over at him, smiles in that stupidly handsome way of his, and without even asking for any further details casually says, “Sure, I’d love to,” as if Chigiri isn’t going to go home tonight and try to dissect further meaning out of those four words. Kunigami and Chigiri go on a road trip together.

never let you come apart by Ethereally | Bachira-centric with side Bachisagi, M, 9.2K

After a disastrous season and a tryst with Isagi where neither of them got what they wanted, the monster resurfaces to help Bachira ruin all his friendships.

red lights i'll run by putsch | Kunigami Rensuke/Chigiri Hyoma, T, 6K

“What, trying to play the hero?” Chigiri raises an eyebrow with a challenging smirk. “Does that make you the spoiled princess then?” Kunigami fires back, sounding unamused. But he is playing along, and Chigiri will take that as something. Both Chigiri and Kunigami are trying to outrun something in their family, their past - they just didn't expect what would happen when they ran into each other. Both Chigiri and Kunigami are trying to outrun something in their family, their past - they just didn't expect what would happen when they ran into each other.

break my heart and start again by cygnusknights | Bachira Meguru/Rin Itoshi/Isagi Yoichi, G, 8.1K, Chapter 1/3

The universe drops Bachira, Rin, and Isagi like bouncing balls into a closed box, setting them on an infinite collision course through the sacred vehicle that is the iAntiVirus roleplay forum.

the long way home by kiwiking | Bachira Meguru/Isagi Yoichi, T, 5.6K

They’ve been on the road for almost an hour, and Isagi has been blessedly respectful of Bachira’s silence, but something stale brews in between them, and Bachira knows he needs to say something soon. It would be unlike him otherwise. The expanse stretches for two decades, and the challenge is to leap.

warm blood by KiraInTheSky | Kunigami Rensuke/Chigiri Hyoma, M, 2.3K, Chapter 1/3

Kunigami can’t get a read on the situation, had he said something on the way to the hotel? Was there a problem at the airport he didn’t catch? He racks his brain for a response that will satisfy Chigiri and keep himself from getting chewed out for whatever unknown offense he might have committed. “You know I always do whatever you want.” The tightness in Chigiri’s jaw becomes more apparent. Fuck. Chigiri’s voice is quiet as he replies, now facing the car window, “That’s the thing isn’t it? It’s what I want, I just thought maybe this time you wanted it too.”

luci a sansiro by aprilisthecruellestmonth | Kunigami Rensuke/Chigiri Hyoma, E, 4.3K

There was a time —Hyoma thinks, while he splashes his ghastly expression with cold water— when dreaming about stolen kisses and heated skin, warm and flush against his own, used to leave him giddy and dreamy for the rest of his day, if not week. It’s a little pathetic now, if he is being honest with himself, and he would consider his past self to be nothing more than a fool, a teenager in love. Real life has always been different, regardless of Hyoma’s feelings on a lot of things, and it’s been clear for a long time. In which, Rensuke and Hyoma somehow find each other again.

cutting through the cracks of the concrete by alaudarum | Rin Itoshi/Isagi Yoichi, T, 5K, Chapter 1/2

“I’m job-hunting in NYC and trying to relocate. I need a place to stay.” Rin never was the sort who asked for anything straightforwardly. At least, not until now. “Can I stay with you?” Rin needs a favor. Isagi doesn't think he can ever say no to Rin.

if you know (what i mean) by bittermoons | Olivier Aiku/Sendo Shuuto, M, 3K

And you would think Shuto wouldn’t be here in the first place, as he and Aiku haven’t had a real conversation since The Bar Incident. How Sendo Shuto gets his Hollywood husband. Or, a love story.

favorite colour by caelam | Bachira Meguru/Isagi Yoichi, T, 3.8K, Chapter 1/4

Isagi Yoichi is a senior art student with a penchant for falling just below his eccentric professor’s demands. What should be the kickoff of his art career feels more and more like a dead end, his portfolio littered with paintings that don’t inspire ‘chemical reactions’ or can’t ‘turn a zero into a one’. Fate brings him a monster as a muse.

Enjoy!!

[heich0e]

Hi liv <3333 hope you're doing well :)

I've been a fan of yours for a long time, I love love loveeeee your works and also the little drabbles that you give us <333

I also used to write for hq, but now I can't think of anything new... Other animes don't appeal to me as much to do writing for them... maybe I've just grown out of it?? But still I don't want to leave this place... T-T

I love how you bring out so many ideas and how well you execute them <333 Your works feel so close to my heart, I just love them smmm>>>>>

But how do you stay inspired liv? A genuine question T-T ... Also, is there any anime in your opinion, which I should try? I really want to break my writer's block so bad...

I am so sorry liv, for sending this long ask. You can ignore it if you want to. Take care<3

hi babe i'm sorry this took me so long to reply to!! i am so grateful to have u here <3

i'm sorry to hear that you've hit a little bit of a bump w writing but that is SOOOO normal. interest in things can also fluctuate!! just because you feel you've grown out of it a bit rn does NOT in anyway mean you won't grow back towards it later. there are no rules abt stuff like this and you should go at your own pace!!

i am so flattered by all of the sweet things you said abt my writing, it rly rly means SO much to me. getting to share the things i write with other ppl and have them connect with the stories too is the most insane and deeply rewarding feeling. i genuinely don't know how to thank you enough for that!!

as for inspiration, i always struggle to communicate this because i feel like no matter how i say it, it comes out wrong. but i don't really have anything that inspires me. i've always been the type of writer who is overwhelmed suddenly by an idea without any warning—a line of dialogue, or a setting, or sometimes a fully fleshed out story just sort of appears in my head for no reason. i feel lucky in some ways, because i know so SO many people struggle with things like that but love to write, so it can be very challenging, so i absolutely recognize that i'm fortunate in that way. however it also means that my attention (and interest) can be fickle and fleeting. i'll be heavily invested in something for a short period of time before the next idea hits me, so i'm constantly jumping from plot to plot.

as for recommendations, that's a hard one!! it's difficult to rec something without knowing a bit more about your tastes, but i've recently been watching (and reading) wind breaker and i have really enjoyed it!! i think there are a lot of elements of that show that are reminiscent to haikyuu in ways you might like, but it's different enough that it's still exciting. another option (if you're looking for something to inspire you) is maybe to try watching something totally different from haikyuu? maybe a shoujo? seinen? the world is your oyster little guy!!

i hope you find something to inspire you soon, but it's not the end of the world if you don't! give yourself grace <3

[penna-nomen]

9 Favorite Books

Thanks for the tag @cultofsappho!

It was a pleasure to think about favorites, and it was a challenge. What can I say? English major who devours books, with 36 books marked as comfort reads in the Libby app! My favorites change at least monthly… So I went with some that are favorites because of the memories attached / impact on my life, and some that are favorite examples of a theme I enjoy.

Harold and the Purple Crayon series by Crockett Johnson - These are the first books I remember my Mom reading to me, and they're associated with my first memories of visiting a library. A couple of years ago I picked them up again to see if they were as delightful as I remembered, and they were! The themes of creativity wrapped themselves around my heart.

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen - This was the book that shook my world my first year in college, when I'd decided that "literature" meant depressing. It was a shock to realize the book really was SUPPOSED TO BE FUNNY. This and books inspired by it are frequent re-reads for me. Runner up is If On a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino, which I read my senior year.

The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett - My best friend in college recommended this when I mentioned that I was only reading class assignments and I'd gotten out of the habit of pleasure reading. The Discworld series pulled me back into reading for fun, and it inspired me to write again, so it will always have a place in my heart. Plus, Pratchett's style and sense of humor are truly amazing. And in case you're wondering, yes, I love Good Omens, too.

Absolutely, Positively by Jayne Ann Krentz - This represents my post-college romance phase. I picked this one because of the humor, the hints of sci-fi elements, and the fact that JAK's Seattle settings were one of the things that convinced me I'd like living in the Pacific Northwest. Runner up from my romance phase is Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie. I just this summer heard that she has new books out, and I really hope the new ones live up to my memories of snarky humor.

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li - Now we're moving on to themes and tropes I love. As a writer in the White Collar fandom, it's not a big surprise that I love a good heist story, and this one had excellent twists. Runner up is Little Thieves by Margaret Owen, which has a fantasy/fairy tale setting.

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall - This represents my love of stories about cooking and baking. Extra ingredients include romance, humor, and a well-balanced story about mental health. I've enjoyed several books by Alexis Hall, and I'm looking forward to reading more.

The Twelve Points of Caleb Canto by copperbadge on AO3 - Music, musicians, singers -- love, love love these elements. Plus a sweet love story for a neurodiverse character. Runner up is the Tinkered Starsong series by Gail Carriger -- so far I've read the first two books in the trilogy, and it's a fun combo of pop singers and sci-fi.

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells - I adore the whole Murderbot series, but if I had to pick a favorite, this would be it. This fills my need for sci-fi and snarky narrators, and sometimes it's nice to take a break from romances with an aroace lead character. And the audiobooks narrated by Kevin R Free perfectly capture the distinctive voice of Murderbot. These books got me through the time last year when I needed to escape from a toxic job and needed an escape from the pressures of job interviews. And I keep listening to the audiobooks now that I’m in a great job, because they're such perfection.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - This fills my need for gentle stories with limited conflict, the kind of stories that teachers used to tell me weren't valid. I have so many favorites in this category! Runners up include: A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Legends & Lattes, and Sal & Gabi Break the Universe.

Such a pleasure to think about books I love!

I'll gently tag @edupunkn00b and @silbrith and @thesymphonytrue if you want to participate