#my feelings on this book aren't strong btw

[rimouskis]

okay for me i found the gideon the ninth audiobook narration kind of off putting, the voice actress just wasn't my vibe, but once i physically read it and like developed my own like narrative voices for all the characters i really got into it. it's also one that's meant to be read and reread with a lot of foreshadowing and clues and worldbuilding that can be confusing on a first read but on rereads are super engaging and really click. the second book messes around with different pov structures and flashbacks that seemingly contradict the first book until various plot things are revealed

(also there was a post that said something along the lines of "all the narrators in the locked tomb series are people who are constantly three steps removed from having any clue what's going on" and while i really loved that aspect i know lots of people find it frustrating)

I liked the voice actress! I was amused by her accent, haha, but I'm easy in that way. I typically love books with lost of foreshadowing and delicate plot things going on, but I felt, like.. so disconnected from the actual plot in a bad way.

[spoilers below!]

like I think it started off in a very promising way... gideon wants to escape, the escape fails, she gets whisked off-world... but as soon as they got onto first house I always felt like I was waiting for some higher stakes to connect gideon to the goings-on.

in a way I think harrow might have been a better POV character for this first book? she, imo, had more of a personal stake in winning. I personally didn't really get why gideon would need to care much about "winning" and ascending to lyctorhood. harrow... sure, I get that: she wants to obtain power since she's destroyed her house and family by being curious and not following rules, but when it came to gideon I just kept thinking, "why do you care? why wouldn't you want to run away? what is keeping you here (emotionally)?"

I also think the "lesbians in space!" bit was oversold, which was a slight bummer for me 😅 I LOVE ROMANCE I would have probably been happier if gideon and harrow had done a little "oh shit feelings reveal" moment halfway through the novel. I get that it isn't a romance buuuuut with all the chatter about it I almost wish it was! I do respect the fact that almost all the main characters were women and there were a lot of conflicts between them that were, like, "okay cool this is a Lesbian Narrative" but alas I am a romance girlie at heart.

back to the plot: I think gideon lacked motivation and stakes. I think she needed a more personal connection that was more clearly revealed to the audience. I LOOOOVE Big Reveals in books, but I like when they're deftly done. personally I felt the end fight (that took up like a solid hour of narration, I'm not going to lie ahaha) was basically an excuse to tie gideon up and have characters monologue at each other to explain why they care at all about the plot.

when we finally get the reveal that gideon and harrow have a shared past of being the only surviving children of the ninth and that gideon was feared for surviving the nerve gas, I was like: cool. when we got the reveal that gideon felt guilty for killing harrow's parents, I was like: ahaha wait. because we should have found that out much, much sooner as readers.

if muir had spent more time doing character work with gideon and delving into her headspace during the trials, I might have been more engaged during them AND we wouldn't have needed an infodump at the end. it MAYBE could have worked if harrow hadn't known about gideon's involvement at all (so there would be more stakes: I Must Keep My Secret From Harrow), but harrow knew everything [except for the precise "I'm personally culpable for their deaths" emotion gideon had, but even that was like... immediately introduced and immediately resolved, so we didn't even get any tension between them about it!].

I'll compare it to one of my favorite books ever, the queen of attolia. if you haven't read it, stop reading this post NOW and go read it, because I'm about to spoil the big twist that had me yelling in my car when I got to its section in its audiobook:

when it was revealed that Eugenides was in love with Irene, and had been in love with her when she cut his hand off, and had STAYED in love with her, and had pursued her once again and taken her because he STILL LOVED HER AFTER WHAT SHE DID TO HIM, AND THAT WAS WHY HER ACTIONS WEIGHED HEAVILY ON HER, AND THAT WAS WHY HE CONTINUED FORTH IN THE WAR, I was GOBSMACKED and I was like OH EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE, but the only reason I felt satisfied about it was because leading up to that, Gen and Irene both had other motivating factors to be involved in the plot. the reveal of Gen's feelings radically deepened that investment, but there WAS investment there in the first place.

and back to gideon the ninth: I felt SO removed from the plot, and gideon felt uninvested in the plot, and we had this HUGE swath of characters when all I really wanted to focus on was gideon and harrow and what the fuck was going on between them!

I think confused and removed narrators can be done well, but gideon the ninth didn't quite hit for me. I think a big part of it is how HYPED this book has been on the corners of booklr and booktok I've seen. Like, I had high expectations, and that's always dangerous!

I liked the humor, and I found gideon fun, and I want more of gideon and harrow, but the book as a whole didn't quite give me what I was looking for. that's okay! not everything is for everyone, but I'm glad I read it and was able to get an idea of what everyone was buzzing about

[artharakka]

Can I ask you where have you found inspiration for your art? For example I've noticed you have a very specific (and beautiful) way you draw jewelry and clothing. The shapes are very organic yet grounded at the same time, give a bit of a Nausicaä vibes, as well as art noveau meets iron age.

Honestly I could go on and on about the beautiful details of your art but I don't want to seem too fangirlish :D

Ohhh thank you I love those comparisons 🧡 Because I didn't even know those are the vibes I was going for but yeah that's great actually... This is like when one of you made a playlist inspired by my art... (I still have that saved btw! 🧡 And I still cannot believe!!). Here's a little Rhiam drawing with some jewelry she doesn't (yet) have in canon (earrings she does have but she cannot use them yet)

But what are my inspirations hmmmmmmm many! Idk even what all I have inhaled into my art but I try to list something (this got long so rest under cut):

Nature 🌿 I love both mundane (sparrows, plants growing from asphalt cracks, moss covered street signs... the little details) and grand formations that fill me with awe. There's something about things so vast that take my breath away. Like oceans, mountains, high cliffs, endless tundra, wind so strong you could lean against it, ancient stone that has been scraped visible by massive sheets of ice thousands of years ago. (But I'm guilty of not being that impressed by conventional beauty of average gardens. Aren't people tired of only finding planted blooming flowers beautiful!). Most often I'm drawing inspiration from nature familiar to me, that being Nordic/Scandinavian ones.

I already said nature but birds deserve a special mention! Agh I just love those funky little animals 🦅

Stories! I love making stories, I think they help me grasp and go over my thoughts. I love pouring myself into my characters, it makes them feel both personal but also makes it easier to talk about myself to my fellow storytellers. I'd love to do a long graphic novel or write a book one day, but I also love making ttrpg stories just for and with our little group 🧡 For a long time I felt kinda bad that I wasn't doing "real art" that wasn't just illustrations of my characters. But then I realised doing art for arts sake doesn't really inspire me. I don't want to do art that I'd think would be easily consumable nor do I have any great performance to create with my art. I just love to illustrate stories and tell stories through my art and I think that's great! I still love seeing and experiencing artworks that aren't this illustrative, I just don't have the motivation to do that myself. But I can get really excited of works like Emma J��äskeläinen's granite sculptures!

Other artists! There are two categories I think: 1) those whose work I've seen (usually irl) and whose technique or themes or symbolism facinates me. I usually don't want to create similar art, or replicate their style, or medium even. But there's something about them, a feeling of awe or they feel formidable. Or there's something clever about them that lets me have this sense of epiphany. For example, Jääskeläinen who I already mentioned, Marcel Dzama, Merja Palin, Helena Vaari, Marika Mäkelä, to name a few I've seen lately-ish. And then 2) there are artists whose stories and/or style inspires me and influences my art. One of the biggest inspirations to my softer line art style was and is @albabbgg. @serpentface has some really cool worldbuilding and designs, I think they were also a great influence to how I draw bodies these days. @wiltkingart has also very cool shapes and genders in his paintings. @sanctus-ingenium 's stories and art have been a huge inspiration lately. And to list a few others now that I started: @pangur-and-grim/@greer-art, @beidak-art, @elemei, @emilylorange, @pansylair, @cy-lindric, @psrj, @lokorum

And many others I'm probably forgetting now! I also have a side blog @sancta-cessatrix where I occasionally reblog cool art, check tags #art #inspiration

[witchthewriter]

⁺₊‧₊⁺‧₊⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐄! ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ ⁺‧⁺‧

I've been on this site for a while now, so I thought I would tell you all who Witch the Writer really is 🧙🏻‍♀️🔮🪄

𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒅𝒐 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒆?

Writing has always been part of my life. It was the thing that I was good at. Always in the top English class at school - whenever I couldn't get high marks in English; it really tore down my confidence.

But what really generated my love for writing was fanfiction. That's what kept me going in the hardest time of my life. Especially custom made fanfics with a character that I was shipped with.

And I just want to give back to people who may be in that state of mind. Who feel like they can't talk about their interests to other people because they feel awkward or weird (btw you aren't. you're allowed to like what you like. as long as it doesn't hurt you or others.)

𝑯𝒐𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒆𝒔

Reading, writing, collecting rings, journaling, tarot. I'm also collecting as many books as I can because I want to have my own library where people can take whichever book they wish.

I also have hyperfixiations due to my autism; so I'll go in hard when something peaks my interest...

𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚

INFJ

Chaotic Good

Gryffindor

Aquarius Sun, Capricorn Moon, Aries Rising, Pisces Venus

I'm a passionate person and have strong opinions. I will always stand up for what I believe in, no matter how scared I feel. That usually ends up with me being labelled, 'the loud-mouthed man-hating feminist'. But I believe in progression and equality, so if that's what I get called, so be it!

To sum myself up:

Intelligent/witty

Easily overwhelmed (the autism)

Very sympathetic/empathetic

Open-minded & Progressive

Love to laugh and make others laugh too

Sensitive and have a very strong sense of intuition

𝑨𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄

I love cottagecore, I'm very witchy but also a little grunge and gothic at the same time.

𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒔

Learning - especially witchcraft, watching tv, day-dreaming, listening and discovering new music, I love being at home, writing and then taking a reading break. I adore baths and constantly buy items from Lush.

𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒔

(other than the usual injustices of sexism, racism, and homophobia), I strongly dislike spiders and will scream whenever I see one. I don't like close-minded people, or those who make fun of others. I hate passive-aggressiveness, large crowds and loud sudden noises.

𝑳𝒊𝒍 𝒇𝒖𝒏 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒆

Have shaved my head. Asked my stepdad for his clippers and went into the bathroom and ...hacked at my hair. It was very liberating, I think every woman should do it at least once in her lifetime

I adore animals - I have 2 cats and dog!

Bought a tattoo gun from the internet and I tattoo myself. I do the majority of my own piercings as well. I like to learn how to do things like that. I've kinda learned how to do hair and do mine, my mum's and my nunna's.

[jardin-de-limaginaire]

May I request a Mischa Bachinski x reader where the reader is subtlety flirting with him and one of the members of the choir helps him realize that he’s in love with the reader. Thanks 😊

Oooooh, that sounds very adorable! Here's your order of a Mischa Bachinski x reader one shot where (Y/N) subtly flirts with Mischa and Mischa doesn't admit to his feelings, until the choir helps him admit it! (Btw I wrote this at school on my phone so it's not the best quality of writing, but it's honest work)

Have a good day/night anon <3(and also to the person reading this :D)

(Tw: None!)

word count: 1,189 words

I won't say I'm in love (Mischa Bachinski x gn!reader fluff)

𝓜𝓲𝓼𝓬𝓱𝓪'𝓼 𝓟𝓞𝓥

"You're very handsome today, Mischa!" I looked at (Y/N) who just complimented me while we were doing our algebra homework at the school library. I grinned at them.

"Thanks bro!" I said, making a fist out of my hand so that we can fist bump. Me and (Y/N) have been homies since I first came to Canada. They helped me with my YouTube channel, they help me feel better after my parents act like I don't exist, and they help me with my homework when I don't understand, just like right now.

As I was waiting for my fist bump, I saw (Y/N) looking sad. What is wrong? Do they not understand this exercise. But they are way smarter at me when it comes to math, especially at algebra. I can try helping them with this exercise, since its easy.

"Hey bro, do you need help?" I asked. They looked at me and then their cheeks became warmer. Are they ill? I put my hand on their forehead, and their cheeks became even more warmer, but their forehead remained cold.

"You have very smooth yet strong hands." They smirked at me.

"Oh you're not sick. That's good!" I said as I got back to writing. I heard them sigh for some reason, but when I looked at them, they were writing., with a bored expression. They are probably not feeling well. We should really go to the pharmacy after school.

We were writing some more, and helping eachother.

As we were writing, (Y/N) put a hand on my hand, and looked at me in the eyes.

"Mischa I really have to take something out of my chest...I-" "Mr/Ms/Mx (L/N), Mr Lewis wants to talk to you about the upcoming math contest." I saw a teacher come to get (Y/N), so that our math teacher, Mr Lewis, can prepare them for the contest. I saw (Y/N) have an angry expression.

"Ugh, killjoy...I'm coming!" (Y/N) muttered the first part so that no one could hear them. Before they left, they ruffled my hair and ran to the teacher. My cheeks became warmer. What is this feeling? Am I also sick?

"Mischa, I didn't think you would be here out of all places." I suddenly got out of my thoughts as someone spoke from behind me. It was the ginger from the choir, Ocean, together with Noel, Constance, the new girl...I believe Penny was her name, and Ricky.

"Why is your face that red. You look redder than Ocean's hair" Noel giggled for some reason, and Ocean started glaring at him. "OH I'M JUST...sweaty?" I laughed nervously trying to hide my face.

Ricky sat next to me and started writing in his notebook. "He's lying" was written on the paper.

"Mischa, did you see a girl...or boy...or somebody that made you blush?" Asked Constance, looking nervously at the ground.

"Ooooohhhh, the angriest boy in town has a little crush on somebody," Noel said before putting his hand to his mouth. "Wonder who is the lucky fella" He giggled like a girl.

"With who were you hanging out today? Maybe they are the reason why he's blushing." The new girl said in a quiet voice.

"Good idea, Penelope!" Said Ocean. The new girl gave an awkward laugh before saying: "My name is Penny, not Penelope..."

"Oh, I'm so sorry Penny! I keep forgetting since you're so new here!" Ocean said with sadness in her voice before looking at me and giving me a devilish smirk.

"So...Who did you hang out with, Mischa?" Asked Ocean.

"You aren't a cop! You can't ask me these stupid questions." I said as I covered my face with a book.

"C'mon, Mishka! Would you please tell me who you hung out with to little ol' me?" Noel asked as he sat next to me and put his finger on his cheeks, which created dimples, and gave me puppy eyes.

"Ok, fine! I hung out with (Y/N) since they're my homie." I responded. Both Ocean and Noel said "Ooohhh!" As they were flapping their hands. Why did they react like that?

"Seems like somebody's in love!" Laughed Constance. What are they talking about? (Y/N) is my bro, my homie, my dawg, my bestie, my everything...WHAT AM I EVEN SAYING, THEY ARE ONLY MY FRIEND.

"Pft, nah. It's not like I think of them every second." I laughed awkwardly.

"C'mon Mischa, just admit it, you like (Y/N) more than a friend," Noel said, looking bored of everything I say.

"BUT I DON'T! Like yeah, they're smart, sweet...handsome/pretty.........Oh god, I think I'm really in love!" I said in shock.

"HURRAY HE ADMITTED!" Wrote Ricky in the notebook, with a grin on his face.

"Go get 'em, champ!" Said Noel as he and Ocean pushed me out the door.

"HEY, I FORGOT MY PHONE!" I yelled as I was trying to get inside the school library, but I couldn't.

"Nuh-huh! Not until you admit your feelings for them!" Giggled Ocean together with Noel.

"BUT WHAT IF THEY DON'T ACCEPT MY LOVE?" I asked.

"They will! Didn't you see what lovey Dovey puppy dog eyes they give you every time we are at choir practice? They'll 100% accept your love!" Said Noel.

As I had nothing else to do, I decided to search for them.

(𝓨/𝓝)'𝓼 𝓟𝓞𝓥

"Goodbye, Mr/Ms/Mx (L/N)! See you next Wednesday at the math contest!" Said Mr. Lewis and I waved back.

I was ready for the upcoming math contest, yet I'm still nervous. Not because of the math contest, but because I have to admit my feelings to Mischa at some point...

Speaking about Mischa, he came running toward me and hugged me, while flinging me through the air.

Wait, what is happening????

He put me back down, and got on one knee, and took off his cap.

"My dear (Y/N). I have finally got back to my senses, which have told me that you are the one for me. You were always there for me, through my ups and downs. When I look into your eyes, I don't see the boy I am, but the man I have to become to be with you. I'll love you for all of eternity, but only if you accept, and even if you don't accept, I'll still love you. Now, will you accept my simple declaration of love for you?" He said, holding my hand.

I was on the verge of tears, and got on my knee, and hugged him. "YES!YEYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYEYES!" I kept repeating the word "Yes" until I started crying. He hugged me back, and started crying too.

𝓞𝓬𝓮𝓪𝓷'𝓼 𝓟𝓞𝓥

"I was right! They really are in love with each other!" I said and smirked at Noel.

He rolled his eyes while groaning, and gave me 5 dollars. "Well played Satan,. well played!"

THE END

𝑅𝑒𝒷𝓁𝑜𝑔 >> 𝐿𝒾𝓀𝑒 (𝒩𝑜𝓉 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝒸𝒾𝓃𝑔, 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝐼 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓈𝓉𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓇𝓈)

[bonebabbles]

A Forest Divided: BEGIN

I'm so happy im finally at the book where Clear Sky's mom calls him a bitch. I cannot wait for this. I'm kept alive on fumes.

Also wolf mention;

This is less "ecological nitpick" and more wondering what they think of wolves? DOTC is like... a weird mix of America and England. Appalachian Scafells. Scaffalachia.

Wolves are extinct in England but we do have them in America... though I'm not sure if we had them between 1910 - 1950, when DOTC takes place.

Anyway, big dream thing again where all the leaders are called together so StarClan can hand them the plot again. This moment stands out;

fuck you mean, "If he hadn't let her leave"? She left because he was getting people killed, throwing disabled people out of his Clan, and fighting with her publicly while bossing her around, why the hell are you phrasing it as "LET HER LEAVE"?? She left BECAUSE you were so controlling

"If only I had been even worse u_u" -Clear Sky

Anyway the StarClan cats are angry that no one has followed their vague order to "grow and spread." ok. At the very least, we get to watch Clear Sky get yelled at by a baby so that's cool

"It's so good to see you, my very first fridged girl :D"

"FUCK YOURSELF SIDEWAYS"

I love you Fluttering Bird, BEST Quiet Rain kit, no contest, I love you I love you I love you.

Clear Sky sees everyone hanging out with each other in the dream but no one wants to talk to him, and for the FIRST time, EVER, SOMEONE FINALLY TELLS HIM IT IS HIS FAULT.

This is building up to how he needs a wife though, btw. Star Flower is a reward for being good now, so he'll have "someone to care for him" and defend him against the horrible ordeal of People Being Mad At Him. She is an object for Clear Sky's narrative.

As cathartic as it is that finally, someone's mad at him, you're supposed to feel bad that they're being so harsh. To the dictator. Who got more than half of the dead cats in this dream killed.

I'm not being hyperbolic about the wife-thing btw. That's just what's written.

Spoiler alert for the rest of the book: He tries to control his family again and they say no, because what he's supposed to do is find contentedness in Star Flower. His new wife. She becomes a Clear Sky Stan and acts as a writer mouthpiece for how cool and strong he is.

And THAT. THAT is why they were always going to waste Star Flower. They aren't telling a story about how Clear Sky is just like One Eye, and that he effectively got out-dictator'd by a bigger boot, and that he has to reflect on that. No, they're playing this completely straight, One Eye was a point of reference. He's what ""EVIL"" is supposed to look like, to contrast Clear Sky, who was NOT evil.

So they don't think there COULD BE a person who encourages his worse instincts, the way the fandom wants Star Flower to do. He doesn't HAVE worse instincts, his ""abuse"" was just love misapplied. Or, more accurately, it can't be abuse if it was based in real love.

Star Flower is not a person. She is a sexy lamp for Clear Sky to win.

[dianethepisceswitch]

The Seven Deadly Sins

This post will contain spoilers for all of Twisted Wonderland, including the main books, events, and cards may be referenced. This is your only warning.

For those who are unacquainted with the concept of the seven deadly sins, let me explain briefly.

The seven deadly sins are basically sins that you should never commit/act upon. Acting upon them can "inspire further sin". These sins include pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. There were two sins that were removed from this list, vainglory and acedia.

Pride is basically like having a big ego and being full of yourself.

"consciousness of one's own dignity"

Vainglory is just being prideful and bragging

inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements; excessive vanity.

They're pretty much the same thing, so they got lumped in together.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Greed:

"intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food"

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Lust:

"very strong sexual desire"

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Envy is just being jealous, to put it simply

"a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck."

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Gluttony is being a fatass eating a lot of food(me)

"habitual greed or excess in eating."

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Wrath is extreme anger

"an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat."

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Sloth:

"reluctance to work or make an effort; laziness."

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

The 8th sin, acedia, is:

"spiritual or mental sloth; apathy."

I did a bit of extra reading on this one, and it pretty much sounds like depression.

"a state of listlessness or torpor, of not caring or not being concerned with one's position or condition in the world. In ancient Greece akidía literally meant an inert state without pain or care...In modern times it has been taken up by literary figures and connected to depression."

If you take a moment to think about it, you can see how these sins can connect to certain characters.

Riddle is wrath, this one is obvious. Riddle has a reputation for being easily angered, so him representing the sin of wrath makes the most sense.

Leona is sloth. He's lazy. It's obvious he does care about things, but he doesn't care enough to make an effort. He also displays the sin of pride, though I feel like sloth is a better choice because his laziness is more apparent as opposed to his pride.

Azul is greed. C'mon, he's completely capitalist. He's greedy in two ways. One, his money. That's one of the most important things to him, hence why he buys ingredients "for the low low price of free", according to Jade. Two, his power. It's clear that he values his power above all else, which is why he goes completely insane once Leona destroys his golden contracts.

Jamil is envy. He's envious of Kalim, not because of his status, but more so his lifestyle. Kalim will get praised and thanked for doing the bare minimum, whereas Jamil could plan a whole banquet and not get a single thanks. No praise or gratitude for anything he does, because it all goes to Kalim. I was going to put lust, because of Jafar, but I'm going to try and keep my reasoning strictly canon to Twisted Wonderland.

Vil is pride. Vil is very prideful when it comes to himself, and Rook and Vil's other fans aren't helping. Vil has high self-esteem, which is good. However, assuming you watched chapter 5, you would've seen what happened when someone hurts his pride. He goes "evil berserker mode". When his pride gets hurt, bad things happen. If you look at the song lyrics of "Absolutely Beautiful"(a banger btw), this point becomes much more clear as well. He puts himself above others, and views himself as more important.

Idia is acedia. It's really obvious Idia has depression. Given his backstory and the way he acts, it would be weird if he didn't. Just like Leona, you can tell he cares, but he just can't bring himself to care, physically or mentally. He stays in his room, refuses to socialize, and if he has to attend class, he just goes via tablet. This is clearly depression, and remember, depression is pretty much acedia.

Malleus is lust. Ok, hear me out. It could happen. I know I put the definition up top, but technically it's possible to lust for someone or something non-sexually.

"In fact, sometimes lust has nothing to do with sexual desire. It can be “intense enthusiasm; zest,” which is closer to its earlier meanings of “pleasure,” “delight” and “inclination.”"

So it would be possible for Malleus to be lusting for Yuu, in a friendship way. Or perhaps Aniplex will cater to the simps and make it sexual, though I doubt it.

Grim is gluttony. I feel the prologue monster was either overblot Grim, or foreshadowing to overblot Grim. Either way, Grim is a glutton, he LOVES food. If he can eat it, he will. Blot stones, grass, etc.

[thesarahshay]

A Dorothy Sayers Primer

I initially wrote this for any Shipwrecked fans who loved Honeymoon Homicide and are now curious about Dorothy L. Sayers (the author Sinead named Tracey's fictional detective after) or Busman's Honeymoon (the Sayers novel that the script was inspired by), but it works for anyone who's curious about the Lord Peter Wimsey series! Here's some info to get you started.

For Shipwrecked fans: Busman's Honeymoon is the final book Sayers wrote in the Lord Peter Wimsey series, so unfortunately you can't start there (trust me, it'd be like watching the musical episode of Buffy first). Lucky for you, the whole series is delightful!

The elevator pitch: Lord Peter Wimsey, a wealthy and amusing English aristocrat, solves murders in 1920s and '30s London with his friend Chief Inspector Parker of Scotland Yard and his faithful valet Bunter. Why you should read it: Highlights of the series include Lord Peter's nonstop literary references (guy was basically an old-timey meme factory) and the fact that, more often than not, the books are about some bigger concept in addition to having a nice tricky mystery to solve. Topics Sayers tackled include everything from the place of women in society to the way countries fail their veterans.

There are three possible ways to read them, depending on your preference.

Read the series in chronological order. The best way, IMO! The first book is Whose Body and it's delightful, but I have heard some people say they found the earlier books harder to get into until after they had read the Harriet books, hence method #2. Admittedly, she develops Peter's character a lot over the course of the series, so the Peter we initially meet has a lot of growing to do.

Read the Harriet Vane books first. About a third of the way through the series, Lord Peter meets a mystery novelist named Harriet Vane, and their relationship is covered over four of the seven books that follow: Strong Poison (book 5), Have His Carcase (book 7), Gaudy Night (book 10), and Busman's Honeymoon (book 11). It is entirely possible to read just these four and feel you've gotten a complete arc.

Read the first book, and if you're not entirely sold, skip ahead to Strong Poison. I was talked into method #2 so I can't knock it, but I usually recommend #3 for people who aren't totally sold on the premise. At least give Whose Body a try, but if you're not feeling it and/or just want to get to the relationship stuff, read the Harriet books and then go back and fill in the gaps as you like.

There you go, more information than you possibly could have wanted! Now you can choose your method and get over to your local library to get started (btw, If you plan to go the audiobook route, I recommend seeking out the versions read by Ian Carmichael). EXTRA INFORMATION (aka I'm sorry I'm like this)

Content warning: It's the 1920s, so there's gonna be some racism, classism, fatphobia, and sexism. But if you've read Agatha Christie, this is mild by comparison. There are a few slurs and references to stereotypes, but when Sayers writes an actual minority character they're complex, sympathetic human beings. For my fellow Jews, be warned that the victim in Whose Body is Jewish, but it's not a hate crime and the Jewish characters are all cool.

Other works by Sayers: This primer is focused on the Wimsey books because they were her main writing output, and everything else she did kind of requires a caveat or is in a very different vein: she wrote some plays and nonfiction, primarily about Christianity, and a translation of Dante's The Divine Comedy which I understand is very well regarded. Her only other novels were all co-written with other authors, and in my opinion don't feel particularly Sayersesque. If you read all the Wimsey books and collections and want more, The Documents in the Case is decent. I haven't read most of the rest: I am a fan, not an expert!

A full list of the novels and short story collections in order (because I'm a completist, sorry not sorry):

Whose Body (1923) Clouds of Witness (1926) Unnatural Death (1927) * Lord Peter Views the Body (1928) [collection] The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1928) Strong Poison (1930) Five Red Herrings (1931) Have His Carcase (1932) Murder Must Advertise (1933) * Hangman's Holiday (1933) [collection] The Nine Tailors (1934) Gaudy Night (1935) Busman's Honeymoon (1937) * In the Teeth of the Evidence (1939) [collection] Posthumous: Lord Peter (1972) [collection of all the Lord Peter short stories] Thrones, Dominations (1998) [novel by Jill Paton-Walsh**, using an incomplete manuscript Sayers started for a twelfth Lord Peter book; questionably canon, but worth reading] The Complete Stories (2002) [collection of all Sayers' short stories]

*The collections are listed in publication order, but the stories therein happen at different periods of Peter's life and can be read any time.

**Paton-Walsh wrote three more Wimsey novels after completing Thrones, Dominations, but they should be viewed purely as fanfic (I personally do not care for them).

[bcbdrums]

For the Headcanon ask board, can you do number 3 and 5?

Thanks for the ask and sorry for answering so late!! Uhhhh.... Uhhhh... You gave me tricky ones!

3. Romantic headcanon for fave ship.

Okay so my fave romantic ship is actually SoMa. You probably were hoping for another pair from me though heheh so I'll do two for this one.

I'm realizing that I'm not good at thinking of romantic headcanons for SoMa, because I see them as kids and not getting too romantic till post-canon... So I guess these are more just...intimacies? I like the idea that Soul helps Maka on and off with her boots. Look at those things... They are HEAVY. And I honestly can't tell without going back to look at screenshots but it looks as if the metal? Is an external thing, kind of like the spikes you put on snow boots to walk through ice? It looks like the metal may be its own thing altogether that she wears just for combat's sake. Which...well man, her legs must be strong. But yeah... I feel like Soul helps her on/off with her boots. Which is quite a personal thing. And then Maka, I feel like she does Soul's laundry and specifically hand-washes his head bands for him. Rich boy don't know how to do laundry when he first comes to the academy, fight me... And rather than make fun of him, Maka just...helps. And with the head bands specifically she takes that extra care because they're important to him, to the look he's after. And she never says a word about it, and he probably only shyly and guiltily tells her thanks every other week or so. They don't talk about it. It's just something she does. And then...I like to think he lets her hear him play. Like if he's sitting in his room, writing a new song on his guitar... She creeps up to the door to listen, peering in the crack... He left it open to let her know she's welcome. And she just sits there silently listening to him compose, knowing that in itself is a gift. And he lets his soul be seen in that way, cuz that's so deeply personal.

As for Spirit and Stein, which is who I assume you were really asking about... Shockingly I prefer them platonically, but on the romantic side... And this is all post-canon thoughts for me, for these two, btw.

I think they're actually absurdly gentle with each other, when it comes to physical things. Too much past baggage for both of them individually and together, so they are extremely cautious together and make no assumptions. And if ever things heat up they take a step back and make sure they're both okay. They take things at their pace, neither rushing ahead of the other. Also, Spirit is the one in charge lol. Also I think they spend a lot of quiet time together. Spirit reading some deep book about the history of witch-kind, Stein next to him on the couch studying weapon soul anatomy on his laptop. Till one of them falls asleep against the other, and then oh well trapped forever now guess it's nap time. Just...quiet intimacies like that. They've been together so long that words aren't that necessary; just being together is enough. They already know what the other is thinking. Apparently I'm not creative with romance lol.

5. A crossover related headcanon.

Ho-boy. I don't care for crossovers, lol. But here we go...

Guess I'll pick Kim Possible because it's the thing I have spent the most time in for the last four or five years. (My gosh who let me do that oh it was me oops.)

Mental image of Stein looking at Dr. Drakken, the two sizing each other up, noting each other's similar scars... (my gosh I have a type and that type is mad scientist apparently) and Stein privately thinking to himself... Why is this guy blue? Why's his girlfriend green and have these crazy powers that def aren't soul wavelength? Gotta "befriend" these people and then dissect them.

Meanwhile Dr. Drakken is looking at the screw in Stein's head like, boy you got a screw loose for sure if that's in fact real and how are you still alive? Are you a zombie? Feeling a little scared of him.

Until. Spirit just de-transforms out of Stein's hands and Drakken is like....human weapon??? Okay time to "befriend" these people and figure out how to get my own human weapons.

Basically, mad scientists figuring out how to manipulate the other toward their personal goals.

I'm not creative lol I'm sorry. Crossovers are just not where my thoughts go. Hope it was entertaining enough anyway.

Thanks for the ask!

[wedreamedlove]

I can rarely make a connection between L&N's chapter titles and the chapters themselves (except for Osborn and Wretched Love/Because I Felt Love). Do you have any interpretations of your own about the chapter titles?

what you brought up actually isn't a chapter title, it's the pv title or title for a chunk of main chapters and, in my opinion, applies to all of the men because they all make an appearance in the main chapters even if they aren't the spotlight of the chapter itself (which is who the actual chapter title refers to).

light and night actually uses a lot of classic literature for their chapter titles too btw so i'll be linking some!

Chapter 1: Turning Point of Fate 命运的拐点 = pretty self-explanatory because our game starts here.

Chapter 2: The Time In Between 时间针脚 = "an ordinary woman using her talent and courage to transform herself first into a prestigious couturier..." and then more.

Chapter 3: The Ocean and Flame 海水与火焰 = we're introduced to Evan and Osborn here, respectively the ocean and flame, although Osborn also has strong ocean themes.

Chapter 4: The Journey of Edward 爱德华之旅 = the novel itself "contains several themes involving loss and recovery, kindness and compassion, and the journey to self-discovery" and this is a chapter where the heroine and Sariel get closer together, as well as hints at their past together.

Chapter 5: His Border 他的边境线 = a chapter that delves more into Evan and his circumstances.

Chapter 6: The Cage and the Bird 囚笼与飞鸟 = where the heroine starts getting caught up in things and Charlie's introduction.

Chapter 7: If This Was The Finale 假如是终曲 = many "death shadows" appear here, like Osborn's car explosion, the heroine taking Charlie's russian roulette pill, Sariel's accelerating degeneration, and the burn victim who tried to commit suicide.

Chapter 8: Belated Midsummer 迟来的盛夏 = Jesse's introduction!

PV 9-10: FLAME AND ASHES 直至燃为灰烬 = everything starts escalating and falling apart.

Chapter 9: Enslaved Heart 被奴役的心 = Evan testing the heroine but realizing he's caught the feels.

Chapter 10: Ward No. 6 六号病房 = Charlie's philosophical and social conflict in his profession as a doctor.

PV 11-12: THE SILENT (CALL FOR HELP) 听不见的呼救 = the light and night men start catching on fire here, except for Osborn.

Chapter 11: Walking With Sin 与罪同行 = Charlie trying to save people in the hospital but the hospital itself being... well... and Jesse's path of revenge.

Chapter 12: The Savage Game 蛮荒游戏 = Sariel getting poisoned by the spirit clan and Evan starting to distance himself from the heroine as he sinks deeper into his chessboard.

PV 13-14: A BUSTED FLUSH 失败者的失败 = where all the men start losing their respective positions.

Chapter 13: Witness of the Past 过去的证人 = the debut of Osborn's other half and past.

Chapter 14: Border Crossing Angel 越界天使 = the cliffhanger where Charlie went from being a doctor to a killer.

PV 15-16: FOR WHOM THE SUN RISES 太阳为谁而升 = pretty sure this is a homage to Ernest Hemingway's book and how everyone is involved with each other.

Chapter 15: A Murder 一次谋杀 = the repercussions of Sun Taizhong's death and all the people that got dragged into it. there's also more metaphorical deaths like the heroine's memory of Sariel.

Chapter 16: Before the Storm 暴雨来临前 = ironic because this sets up Sariel and Osborn's flags and most of Evan's focus here until the end where he loses everything.

PV 17-18: WRETCHED LOVE 由于感到了爱 = look at what love made Evan do! imprisonment! look at what both Osborns are going through! look at how the heroine was about to die for Sariel! look at Sariel live with his perceived sin for the heroine!

Chapter 17: The Third Bang 第三声巨响 = there really are three iconic bangs that define Osborn's chapter here and the plot beats.

Chapter 18: Amongst All of Nature 在万物之中 = this one's hard to explain but it's like Sariel's zen about his death and everything else, but also how the universe actually isn't against them and things start taking a better turn at the very end.

NEW SEASON PV 1-3: WHITE THAN WHITE 大雪化为乌有 = both ominous and optimistic because snow and ice can be seen as bad and it's finally melting to show everyone's true colors underneath, which can be good or bad.

Chapter 1: Following the Past 沿往事而行 = pretty self-explanatory since we go really deep into Sariel's past here.

Chapter 2: Whenever I Hesitate 每当彷徨时 = applies to both Jesse and the heroine's growth in this chapter.

Chapter 3: A Sublime Disease 崇高的疾病 = Charlie's fight against DEA and his father.

coincidentally, the new chapters have released and their titles are below... very ominous sounding and my guess is that it will be Charlie, Osborn, and Evan in that order.

PV 4-6: ANOTHER FAREWELL 从再见走向再见

Chapter 4: Apoptotic Narcissus 凋亡的水山

Chapter 5: The Person who Eats Memories 吃回忆的人

Chapter 6: Runaway Mustang 野马私奔

[atherix]

PARENT TRAP AU BELOVED the brainrot is never ending<3

Any specific thoughts you feel like sharing?/nf

-🍂

God I love this au <3

LOOK. The scene in my head where Scar comes downstairs to talk to Mumbo about something and just stopping at the door to the den, seeing Mumbo and Grian and the twins and seeing how happy they all look, laughing together and looking like a family... and the slow realization that THAT'S the life Grum wants... that there's no place for him and Tubbo in that picture perfect life... the moment he makes the choice to end things with Mumbo so he can reconcile with Grian bc he doesn't even consider that Mumbo could date BOTH of them... all the moments leading up to this, from the moment Scar and Mumbo met (a total meet-cute btw, they both made absolute fools of themselves and then laughed about it for hours and bonded over their kids) through the dates and meeting each other's kid when they decided they were serious... the proposal, moving in together... all leading to this moment where Scar realizes Mumbo is still in love with Grian... It just lives rent free in my HEAD.

And man, Grum's very sudden realization that he just gave up the family he had for the one he never did... that Grian wasn't going to stay, that Mumbo had no intention to ask Grian to stay... coming home to find Mumbo sitting alone on the couch and asking where Tubbo is, bc Tubbo didn't come home from school with him... finding out Scar and Mumbo had split, that Scar took Tubbo and left... the fact that this news didn't make him happy like he thought it would... all the homey little touches Scar put in the home being gone- the blanket on the back of the couch, the books on the shelf, the ridiculously cute and cartoony dishes Tubbo loved... just how quiet the house is now that they're gone... how sad Mumbo is, despite trying to look strong for Grum... and now Grum is part of a custody agreement and won't even be there with Mumbo half the time either... just the moment he realizes how badly he just fucked Mumbo's life up...

And Grian confronting Mumbo about always giving up without any kind of fight... Mumbo defending himself, saying he can't make someone stay when they want to leave... Grian saying "do you really think he wanted to leave? do you really think I wanted to leave?" and revealing he never wanted to leave Mumbo, he left bc it felt like Mumbo didn't want him anymore and Mumbo did nothing to prove otherwise bc he's a wet noodle of a man who's so focused on the people he loves being happy that he doesn't even stop to wonder if they're doing what will make them happy or what they think will make him happy... and just "are you really going to just sit there and let him walk away? again?" and just hjgfjk 🥺

And Grum and Jrum deciding no, this isn't how it's gonna end and tracking Scar and Tubbo down. Them showing up at their front door and Tubbo answering the door. Tubbo telling them to leave bc they got what they wanted, right, so why are you even here, and Grum finally apologizing for everything he'd said and done over the years their dads were together and asking Tubbo to help them get Mumbo and Scar back together bc Mumbo loves Scar and Scar only left bc of Grum/Grum and Jrum's plan/Grian, an just... Tubbo's reluctance to trust them at all... saying how much it hurt his dad and how he doesn't want to help Grum hurt him more... doesn't want to help Grum hurt Tubbo... that Grum never wanted to be a family so why now... and just hhhghjgfjhj

I love them so much 🥺 Most dysfunctional family but they love each other so much and just hhhjgjf it really is the little things, like Scar making breakfast in the morning but now he's gone and Mumbo is the one cooking but his pancakes aren't as fluffy as Scar's and the eggs are scrambled instead of over easy...... all those little additions to his life that he took for granted, now gone and realizing just how much Scar did for him, for them, because they were a family, and now his family is damaged and torn bc he wanted a family he didn't even remember........

[kagiura-akira]

I just finished reading "I'll love you if you let me" and I'm currently making my way through writing a comprehensible appreciation comment. (Since ao3 was down I have lots of things to say because downloading the fic meant I could annotate a ton on little details)

Having said that and being a film student I'm kinda obssessed with the movies you choose to reference and the way you did it. (The whole talk about Jennifer's body had laughter so much that I couldn't concentrate on them having a moment lol.)

The scene of howl's moving castle is so cute too because the way Kagi guesses that Hirano will mention it before he does showcases how much they know each other. However, if he could guess that it means Hirano must either: mention the movie frequently or show that he really really likes it.

What is it? Why does he likes it so much? Do you have any headcanon about it? (Sorry if I'm sounding overbearing I just really liked the fic and wanted to hear your thoughts on the relation between Hirano and Howl's moving castle)

nonono it's not overbearing I just finished reading your comment too I think. :)

I had it in my head that they'd probably watched it at some point. idk "that's my girl" is something I personally immediately associate with it even though I'm a way bigger fan of the book than the movie (HUGE fan of the book series btw), so more than Hirano not knowing anything other than HMC that has that kind of line, it was mostly me not knowing another movie that says that. 😂 LOL I hope that's not disappointing cause I didn't have any real intention behind it when I first wrote it, but I have some ideas on Hirano's movie preferences, at least. I'm gonna put a cut cause my answer is getting long sjcjsjf

Given they watch movies together somewhat frequently, I think it's only natural at some point one of them is a Miyazaki movie, and for him to mention it by name is most likely because they'd watched it recently in my mind. I'm of the mindset that Hirano likes a good psychological thriller to keep his mind busy, but sometimes when he's too tired to think, he'll like a nice feel good movie he can enjoy as-is. ☺️ Not that there aren't things to analyze or appreciate in the fluffier movies, but a movie that doesn't mindfuck you is just inherently easier to digest. LOL

I mentioned in my other reply too but Jennifer's Body being used as a bad horror movie for them to watch took some deep diving into the movie again. There's a part in the story that one of them mentions I think the slippery squirrel thing? And they say that it's probably a dig at the region the characters live in. Of course there's no way for either of them to know that, but I had to make mention of it somewhere because the regional humor in the movie is much more appreciable now that I like live in that area of the midwest 😂 I have for several years now but I didn't when the movie came out bc I was still in college then, so watching it now makes it funnier.

"That is the most 'Wisconsin' thing I've ever heard you say" is a favorite phrase in our house lmaooo

I don't have too many preconceptions on Kagi's movie interests but I firmly believe he loves a good drama, especially a romance. Kagi a k drama enthusiast by accident??? Quite possibly. He's definitely a crier, but I don't think he would seek sad movies or scenes out on his own. I can see him accidentally getting hooked on a drama and being a blubbering mess, so Hirano asks why he's still watching it, but he insists he's too invested now and he has to keep suffering through it just to see the happy ending or else it'll haunt him for life. LOL He's probably prone to liking comedies and sports movies as well, but I can't see him having too many strong negative opinions or genres he hates. I can see Hirano being pickier (not by genre but by synopsis - the man's got high standards for the movie blurb 😂) but he's likely to not say anything if it's something Kagi really wants to watch. He'd probably just focus on watching Kagi's reactions instead of the movie itself.

As for howls moving castle, I think it's possible that the movie resonates with Hirano a little bit. Sophie in particular I feel like he could sympathize with. Not because she feels old/dull and has this complex about being a failure (and is keeping herself locked under the spell herself but that's a book revelation and not the movie), but I am assuming you've seen it so like. You know the kind of special hell the inside of the castle was like before she came along. Lol her distaste for the chaos and disarray probably resonates with Hirano feeling like that with Kagi sometimes. Kagi is inherently flirtatious with him, too, so howl being a big flirt is another parallel to Kagi. But again Howl and his vanity and basically womanizing personality is more apparent in the book so I don't remember how much of it is apparent in the movie.

I can see Hirano resonating highly with Sophie, even if Kagi's similarities Howl aren't super strong or apparent. If they were to watch it more than once I'm sure he would be a little more analytical in his second watching experience and think about some deeper character analysis. That would be about when he starts drawing parallels

[hms-tardimpala]

I saw your tags on my master and commander post and it took me like a full minute to realize when you said one of your top 3 ships you meant relationship and not tallship 😂😂😂

I was definitely watching it for the boats, the sets, and the depiction of sailing culture in the time period. It's wild that they actually did some of thr filming in the Galapagos islands.

They really made it hard not to ship Aubrey and Maturin, though, eh? They literally play duets with each other!!!

I'd love to hear some of your favorite thoughts about the movie if you want, but also no pressure if you don't feel like it or don't have time.

Okay, so. First of all, I'm not very good at talking about media I love past saying "I love it". The people of the server astonish me with their analysis skills. So I'll just say what I really like/what I thought was well executed. And I won't be able not to mention the books, sorry. THANK YOU for allowing me to talk about something I love, though.

(The HMS Surprise is definitely my number one tall ship, by the way 😁)

More than the Jack/Stephen ship, I'm into the Aubrey-Maturin series for the same reasons you watched the movie. I love the sea, naval history, the Napoleonic period, and ships. I also love books/films/shows that go into the social details of a historical period. Jane Austen style, you know. (the books have been described as "Jane Austen at sea" and it's so true)

I think the movie did that well. It portrays the hierachy and class rules in the Navy and british society at large at that time. It always takes the time to show that there can be leeway in this very codified environment, though: fraternisation when success is achieved against impossible odds, Jack allowing Stephen to be his rebel and to question his decisions when captains in the Royal Navy basically had the power of God on their ship, etc. These things couldn't necessarily happen on land, in England, but in this wooden world where men are driven to extremes, they are possible. The movie really makes it clear that Jack isn't the sole hero here, the whole crew is, and this is a group effort of every minute.

One of the layers of Jack and Stephen's relationship is how different their backgrounds are. Even without reading the books, you must have noticed how at odds with the rest of the characters Stephen is (and not only because he won't wear a uniform). Jack is a navy man through and through, since childhood, a red-blooded englishman who believes in and embodies the establishment, although he is able to recognize that there are rotten apples in the barrel and that the powers that be aren't necessarily wise or worth following. Stephen is a civillian: Irishman, catholic, physician, naturalist, an Age of Enlightenment man, who believes that the class system and monarchies are rotten and should give way to a more egalitarian regime. Still, he has a strong sense of duty and puts all his skills in the service of the Naval Intelligence (not shown in the movie), because Bonaparte is just worse than the british state. Stephen's lack of knowledge of/disregard for the ancestral customs of the Navy enables him to be a friend to Jack, an equal, when captains are supposed to be alone (see: Silver being a partner to Flint in a way Gates, a simple quartermaster, never was). They make each other better by disregarding the usual rules of british society in the privacy of their cabin (yeah, they canonically share the cabin, btw). Their use of first names for each other in the movie is a great example: at this time and between a captain and a surgeon, it should be totally inappropriate. (See: Flint calling Gates "Hal")

I like how the movie handles the theme of duty. The characters are in the military in wartime, so obviously they live and breathe duty. Jack's character and his relationship with Stephen are well written enough that it's 100% believable that he would go on an Achab-style quest for the Acheron, going beyond his orders, AND drop it to have Stephen operated on land because he's looking at that cello in his cabin and thinking that no, he can't do it, he can't sacrifice this one, duty be damned. I eat that up.

The fight choreography is amazing. The battle scene at the end is so obviously the result of a lot of talented people working very hard. The music makes your soul travel (the Boccherini string quintet is one of the sounds of love to me). The historical accuracy is crazy insane. (Except that in this particular context, it would make more sense for the enemy ship to be american, not french, like in the book, but eh, american movie. And once you accept this one, the rest is accurate as fuck). The clothes, the technology, the ship, the children at war, oh my it's so perfect. Every time you watch, you catch new details. It's funny! The books have great humor, and that carried over to the movie. It has great performances, too.

I just love it. It stands strong on its own, but when you've read the books, sure you see everything that's missing, but damn, few fandoms are blessed with such a good adaptation.

I can only recommend the books with all my heart, it's one of the rare series of which I can say that it changed me as a person and I'm better for it. The start can be rough because of the naval jargon (although you like ships already, so who knows), but in my experience you can just ignore it and your brain will absorb it and deduce the meaning from the situation as you go along. By the third book, you'll be convinced you can sail a tall ship and you'll be able to predict how the characters will fix damage/alter course/fight, etc. The books just score high on all the points you can expect them to hit.

Here are some posts to make you want to read the books because I can't help myself:

Sorry this was so long. Sorry it turned into a book recommendation. Sorry I rambled (I'm low on grammar and english fluency at this hour). Thank you for giving me the occasion to ramble. Love 💙

[literaticat]

How much does making lists like USA Today or NYT matter? My publisher keeps putting my books out around the same time as all the huge names in the business and it makes me feel like I'll never make it since the bar is inflated then, compared to colleagues releasing during quieter months who hit lists with way fewer sales. Should I try to push for a different season next time to have a better chance or does it truly not affect anything but my pride?

Meditation. Yoga. Zen practices. Sage. Votive candles. Whatever you need to do, do it to release this pressure from your psyche.

Is hitting a bestseller list nice? Of course it is. It's fun! It's exciting! It's a milestone, it's an ego boost, and if it happens, by all means celebrate! However:

Is hitting a list necessary to be a successful author? Nope. Many authors with wonderful careers (and, btw, enviable sales and lots of royalty $$!) have never hit a Bestseller List. TRULY.

Does hitting a list automatically mean you ARE successful? Nope. Plenty of books hit the list and then sink like a stone. Plenty of books hit the list -- even repeatedly -- but don't earn out.

Despite what it sometimes seems like on social media, MOST books never hit a bestseller list. That doesn't mean they aren't doing well, or that their authors are somehow failing. I've said it before and I meant it: I'd much rather my clients have steady sales for a long time than hit the list and then decline. Hitting the list is a sweet treat, but long-term strong and steady sales are a feast.

A bestseller list is simply a snapshot of *one week's sales* compared to other books that are also selling. It's not an arbiter of long-term success. And it's kinda arbitrary, tbh, based on metrics that we don't understand and have no control over. I have had books sell MORE in a given week (according to bookscan) than books that hit the NYT list, that didn't hit the list themselves. I've had books hit, say, the PW and Indie list, but not the NYT list, or the NYT list, but never the USA Today or PW list. So like ... ????

As for moving to a different season, that's certainly something you can broach with your agent and possibly have them broach with your publisher -- but they really do think through why certain books are on certain seasons. If they think it will sell better in Fall (or whatever), that's important. If your book is just perfect for back to school, or summer reading, or spooky season, or whatever, it will be on the season that is appropriate for that, and if you moved it to a different season, it might no longer be as appropriate. If a book comes out in February, maybe it lists because there's "less big competition" -- but there's less big competition because there are fewer customers in bookstores. You see the pros and cons there, right?

So if you do have that conversation, don't frame it as "HEY, MOVE MY BOOK SO IT MIGHT HAVE A BETTER CHANCE TO HIT THE LIST" but rather, "hey, I'm curious about the pub date - - I know a lot of big books come out in October (for example), but should I be worried that this will get lost in the shuffle?" And see what they say.

[l1nghuarchive]

HI THERE ASTRIE!!! I was browsing through ur blog when i realized. wait. i can request mystic messenger stuff???? WOH OMG????

Well as a die hard Yoosung simp, now i feel like ive been called upon by hatsune miku herself to request a Yoosung x reader where they dye their hair together (oneshots pspsps)

Ive never requested anything from u before, so feel free to decline this! and also. TAKE. UR. TIME. Idk if u know this from how i am on Amia's blog but. IF U ARENT TAKING CARE I WILL BE VV ANGRY >:( SO U BETTER NOT OVERWORK URSELF OR GRGRGRRRR

Pairing : Yoosung Kim x reader

Warnings : n/a (mention of rikas death ig?)

A/n : i actually took my time :') (1 week+) hope you enjoy this tho!! Btw you are NOT the mc and instead a college friend of yoosung.

COLLEGE was rather… Stressful to say the least, with you entering one of the best universities out in Korea you expected yourself to always do good in your studies and that is what you did. Though, you didn't expect yourself to befriend one of your classmates who didn't really enjoy studying as much which really made you wonder how he even got into SKY University perhaps by luck? But yet you heard that Yoosung got in with a scholarship and is going to be working for the corporate heir Jumin Han, of course silently you did envy him after all being on C&R's waiting list could only be achieved in your dreams..

You didn't expect to be dying your hair on the weekends where you could be studying for upcoming exams, well you didn't really have any choice with Yoosung's constant pleas. You both decided to dye your hair together since Yoosung's hair colour was fading as well,though your parents wouldn't have allowed you to dye your hair they aren't here to nag at you! So why not just live your life without the eyes of your parents?

You were lucky enough to convince your parents to pay for your tuition fees, after all you were a grown adult and should be finding a job instead of asking your parents for money. Though they did pay a crazy amount to get you in here, you still felt guilty for them spending so much on you.

Yoosung's voice awoken your train of thoughts before your vision cleared as you saw Yoosung snapping his fingers in front of you with a worried face.

"are you okay? You don't look too good.. I didn't put any hair dye on your eyes right!?!"

You shook your head before a calm smile on your face as both of you waited for your hair dye to dry, you weren't one for small chatter and often it was Yoosung who started conversations between you both though it was silent between you both it wasn't awkward at all and instead it just added to the calm atmosphere.

"So, how is RFA doing..? Do you perhaps plan on holding another party soon?"

You always refrained from talking about anything related to RFA after hearing that Yoosung's cousin had sadly passed away, comfort wasn't your strong suit but yet you still try and gave him encouraging words. Though you always wanted to attend a party held by the RFA and even if you got the chance, you knew it might clash with your studies after all you had always placed studies above all even when you were in high school. You never really went to parties, instead you were always cooped up in your own room reading or studying you technically weren't a loner. You still had friends but they weren't really in your inner circle and you only interacted with them when it was lunch.

You looked over to see Yoosung ranting about the new member of RFA with stars in his eyes, unknowingly a small smile dawned on your face for some reason your heart was slightly warm perhaps not used to this feeling of someone actually wanting to talk to you though you won't deny it isn't a good feeling.. You had always found yourself smiling and enjoying whenever Yoosung rants about his day or his games, was this what your books.. Call a crush?

Reqs are closed as of currently sorry! Likes, reblogs and follows are always appreciated tysm if u do any of those!

[the1stwintersoldier]

[Im bored, so ima make a thor x bucky x loki story cause I haven't seen one of those yet. Also, NO INCEST bc thays weird and before this starts their will probably be SWEARING, and probably in my other future books or whatever]

M-Me?

Buckys pov

I jolted awake as I heard loud bangs, threats, and screams. I sighed as I rolled my eyes and gently jumped out of bed. I quickly made my way to the kitchen where the noise was coming from. I stood at the doorway and coughed. As soon as I did so, both brothers looked at me while both of them had daggers to each other's throats, like literally. I sighed as I looked at the both of them while saying, "Can't you guys just stop fighting?." I said kinda pissed off, and annoyed that this was happening again. Soon, both of them backed off of each other, but both still had their daggers ready in case the other tried anything. I sighed once again in annoyance before speaking again. "Why can't you two not fight for the thrown for once?" I asked angrily. only to be laughed at by the pair. "ITS NOT FUNNY," I yelled at the ignorant brothers in front of me, only to be laughed at once again but harder. Only for loki to say. "Do you really think we would be fighting over that?" He said practically on the floor. "W-well yea. What else would you be fighting over? "You, stupid," thor replied, I stood their stunned for a bit before saying. "M-me?" But before i could say anything else, loki butted in saying. "Yes, you dumbass," they both suddenly started coming closer to me, I slowly started walking back, a little bit intimidated by both men. Soon, my back collided with the wall while two figures towered over me. I immediately turned as red as I felt a warm sensation on my lips, but it ended quite quickly but thankfully replaced by another pair of lips. After we pulled apart, I looked up only to stare into Loki's warm, dark eyes. They both soon took me to the lounge room, and before I could ask anything, they asked me, "So, who will it be?" I was still a bit baffled at the things that had just happened, but my mind started racing, confused on who to pick, if this was real, and what the fuck just happened. But I came to the conclusion that I wanted both. I took a deep breath in, hoping that they would say yes, happily, and not be disgusted with me. "I-I want b-both of y-you." I shut my eyes tightly only to feel two strong pairs of arms wrap around me. I slowly opened my eyes and asked them, "a-aren't you disgusted w-with m-me?" They both chuckled at my question while thor responded, saying,"we were hoping you'd say that. " they then both kissed the top of my head, then my cheaks, and then my lips I almost instantly turned bright red. Looking down, I whispered, "c-can we m-maybe g-go cuddle?" I asked a little shyly. They both smiled warmly as they both lifted my head with their fingers. I smiled shyly and took both their hands as I led them to my room to cuddle.

[Ik, ik, it's shit. suck it up, idrc, that much. Also, sorry for the quick and basic ass ending. idrk what to write, so if you have any suggestions, please tell me. just no incest, straight ships, or top bucky and only the Avengers. Sorry if that is too much to ask for, btw.]

[brw]

For the comic love asks: 5, 8, and 14 for Simon or Vision

5 - What’s your favorite comic book sibling relationship?

the siblingism of vision simon & eric is just so much to me... there's just something in the way eric genuinely has a lot of love, genuine love, and guilt & grief surrounding his younger brother but is unable to accept that simon isn't anything less than a flawless victim of some kind that he's angry & violent when simon challenges this, but still like... has his safety & his memory as his core motivation. writers have forgotten this but i haven't.

n the fact that simon who has Not Gone To Therapy Ever recreates the kind of abusive dynamic between him & eric with vision, with him perpetuating it now... the way he is clearly struggling to divorce family with mistreating each other & the way he puts his own wants & needs before everything else because he's allowed to now, even if it permanently damages his relationship with vision. they're so ugly & messy & marvel hasn't yet rounded off all their corners in a major way in the way that i feel has sort of happened to pietro wanda & lorna, or even billy & tommy, so i love them still.

8 - Who’s your favorite artist (fanon or canon)?

answered here!

14 - What’s your favorite thing about character [x]?

casual link to my 3k essay abt simon but to reiterate, i love how bad he is at being a superhero. if he wasn't gay & anxious he'd probably be a more handsome homelander. he literally just wants to star in shitty gay dramas & occasionally get a paycheck from a big hollywood action flick but the avengers keep calling him to fight evil thor or whatever n he's over it. he borrows so many motifs off other superheroes & does what they do but worse. like he's a super inventive genius like tony but he ends up being horrible at the business side of it all & does money laundering. he ends up in a coma for 10+ years but doesn't have any of steve's impressiveness. he's strong like thor & once took on hulk in an au but has a panic attack every time someone hits him. he's got all of the internal mental illness monologues that hank pym does but he barely gets better. he's just the worse at what he does it's so funny.

what i like abt vision is how much of a cunt they are like genuinely. a good vision likes fucking with people by going thru walls & floors, and likes to monologue about their own powers before they vaporise someone. they are dramatic, bitchy, and people should be thankful they are loving & dedicate their life to protecting people because they would be the best supervillain if they went down that route. they're a big robotic ball of violence clad in primary & a radical love for other people. they protect other people, but they will also very easily & eagerly beat the shit out of someone for harming their loved ones. they deserve a big power upgrade in the modern age, btw. they were literally described as the most powerful a.i. in the world & a lot of mutants hate a.i. vehemently. WHERE ARE THEY & WHY AREN'T THEY DOING MORE THINGSSSSS anyway i want at least one villain au of vision bc while i don't want that for 616 vision i do need to have vision's powers & reach be taken to their furthest potential, also let vision start using more pronouns pls it would fix them and also piss off tom king fanboys which i need.

comics you love ask game