#no; I don't just want to watch random people in this genre; I've go specific people I really like

[medicinemane]

Ok, can I just complain about what has just clicked to me that it's actually a full on trend with youtube thumbnails?

Fucking sick of the pointing arrow with "winner?" every fucking time there's anything that involves any kind of competition these days

Saw it a little, thought it was dumb, but it's becoming more and more and more common and... and I'm not even that mad at the people who do it cause I get it, but fuck I'm sick of it and fuck I'm kinda sick of... of if it's working the people who have shiny brain and click cause oh! must find out, or if it's not working the youtube algorithm for I guess making it seem like it work

Actually I suppose I just am fucking tired of the whole culture that leads to it in the first place of fucking gotta have jingling keys at all time, gotta fucking consume, always need something to consume

Fuck man, I'm almost glad that some days like the past couple I've just kind of sat around in malaise, bored out of my mind while not being able get myself to do anything I wanted or find anything that was entertaining... but like, fuck, I think I'd rather get like that sometimes but know how to just sit through it than have to have new content every second of every day or else

(And this isn't a straw man and this isn't railing against the youth or something, I know a dude that's like that who is a bit older than I am)

"Winner?", man, just fucking pitch me what's happening and I'll watch it or not

[desceros]

I gotta know, gotta ask- HOW do you write the way that you do?? How does one get to that point? I've been wanting to write fanfics for awhile now, but I don't know where to start, and just... do you have any advice at all for beginners? Because you're like... really good at what you do!!

thank you so much!! that's really kind of you to say :') as for beginner tips hmmmm let's see... i'll give some specific fandom tips, then some general writing tips to kind of mix it up for you!

read/watch/etc the media carefully: specifically i mean to watch it not as a viewer, but as someone with an eye on character. pay attention to the way characters talk. what words do they use? what do they say when they're surprised? angry? sad? tired? do they change their words based on who they're talking to or where they are?

read fanworks that exist already: whenever i plan on writing for a new fandom, i'll go over to ao3 and read a few fan works. then, i take note. what are some common tropes i see? what did this author do that i liked? what did this author do that made their version of this character feel off to me? is this a fandom that likes one-shots or chaptered fics? (though you certainly don't have to see these as a rule; for example, i write long one-shots regardless of what everyone else does, just bc that's what i enjoy writing the most!) this'll help you get your writing voice in your head.

write!!!!: don't worry about writing something you're going to publish just yet. in fact, explicitly tell yourself that you're Not going to publish anything yet. but start writing. to get a prompt, you can 1) go to random word generator, get a verb, and write your character doing that verb; 2) go to one of the myriad of prompt tumblrs, a few of my favorites i have linked here; 3) pick a line of dialogue from the show that sticks out in your mind and have it be the first line of dialogue for something completely different; 4) go over to tvtropes and hit random trope until you find something that inspires a fic. then, write it! focus on getting it finished. remember, you're not publishing it, so it doesn't matter how "good" it is. just that it's finished. then, once you feel confident that you have their voice down in your head, you can start writing stuff to be published. that takes ALL the pressure off your first few attempts!

study up on basic grammar: so the thing that's really going to set you apart from other authors at first glance is your grammar. do you know to vs too vs two? their vs they're vs there? effect vs affect? breath vs breathe? lose vs loose? do you put your punctuation in the correct place? do you have proper spacing for your paragraphs? do you change paragraphs for each speaker, or do you have multiple people speaking in the same paragraph? these are things that will grind at a reader's opinion of your skill, such that even if you have an amazing story, they will hit their tolerated limit and back out. the grammarly blog is a really good resource, and if you have a specific question (e.g. "how do i punctuate dialogue?" "what is the correct spacing for an em-dash?" "), you can just google it and get the answer. this will increase your skills—and thus your confidence—immensely.

learn some cool words: so, disclaimer, i used to read the dictionary when i was a kid. i don't recommend that. but what you should do is get dictionary.com word of the day in your email, and also just. go to a thesaurus and look up words. see what other words orbit the ones you know. the more words you know, the greater your toolbox in painting a picture for your readers. you can also achieve this by reading a lot, both inside and outside of the genre that you're looking to write, which i also recommend.

***give it time!***: i just turned 33, and i started writing when i was in kindergarten when i finished everything on the bookshelf and wanted something new to read. so it's been almost exactly thirty years that i've been writing. i have an english minor with an emphasis in creative writing. with a few exceptions when my wrist is unhappy with me, i write at least 500-ish words every day. i've participated in national novel writing month almost every year since 2008. i write a lot, and i've been writing for a very long time. everything that you see me post is the culmination of all of that. being creative is like a muscle; the more you do it, the more consistently you do it, the easier it gets and the more cool shit you can do. but it's really hard in the beginning. you don't start deadlifting 400 lbs, and you don't look at someone who is deadlifting 400 lbs and think wow why can't i do that?! i must just not be very good i should give up because i'm never going to be able to do that :( no!!! that person has spent years getting to that point. and, if you start now and work consistently, little by little, someday you'll deadlift 400 lbs and you'll be like. wow!! look at me!! i did that!! writing is the same thing. start now, allow yourself to be a beginner, enjoy being a beginner (because wow, how fun is it learning something new?!), and just work a little bit every day until you look up and see what you're capable of!!

[animereviewsbykyranskye]

My current top 15 Anime and why

Because why the fuck not. I'm doing top 15 so that I have some variety behind it. Otherwise I would just be gushing non stop XD

Apparently numbers go big now - AND THEY GO SMALLER IF YOU TRY TO TYPE IN THE SAME LINE AS THEM???

comparison:

15

15 -

DA HECK????

(Edit: I was going to colour all the numbers because I wanted a rainbow. WHY THE FUCK FOR THEY CHANGE TO SMALL WHEN YOU COLOUR THEM??????)

Guess the titles of the anime get a small heading. Anyways. Onto the actual list!

15

Technoroid OVERMIND

Ayo. Starting out with a really random one. So if anyone were to look at my Anilist then they might be a bit confused. I decided I'd keep movies out of here as well as anything I haven't specifically finished. Also takt op. Destiny needs a re evaluation.

Anyways. This premise is so sick and I feel like they managed it really well. The characters were all really fun and the music was fantastic which is honestly the most important thing about Idol shows. I really like idol shows but often struggle with the stupid drama in them that just leads to seasons upon seasons that didn't need to happen or wouldn't actually happen.

In this they're just androids. The fantasy twist works so well for the genre and I honestly don't know why it isn't done more often. This way they can bullshit the drama and it actually makes sense.

Honestly my favourite character was Kite. He was great and his voice always gave me shivers. Especially his piece in the closing. Damn.

I don't want to go into full reviews with this, rather just gushing about things I like and stuff. I really don't think this got the recognition it deserves - probably because of it's deviation from the norm - but it would be cool to get some sort of sequel.

(Edit: There's a manga releasing apparently. Imma check that out.)

14

UniteUp!

Continuing on with the trend of idol animes apparently. UniteUp! was so good. As I mentioned in my Reviews while I watch of the show, it felt so grounded and real that other idol shows just don't seem to capture. These were all real people with real problems dealing with real life.

I also like how we had such a large cast of characters but it never really felt overwhelming as they focused on group dynamics and specific individuals rather than trying to cram every single person into their own arcs.

Once again the music was fantastic and by god was this show pretty gay. Honestly I don't know what the sentiments of others are, but the Anela duo definitely weren't straight and neither were Akira and Daiki. That bath scene says it all.

Anyways. If you want a fun time with a really solid idol anime, please check it out. I saw earlier that we're getting a season two soon. I am so looking forward to it.

13

Trigun Stampede

Damn! I don't even know what to really say about this one. The visuals are absolutely stunning - there is no doubt about that. The score and the characters are excellent. And how dare they leave us on that cliff hanger.

I have absolutely no history with this story and still need to watch and read the originally but I am really looking forward to seeing how the story adapts between the three.

You can ask my partner. I've already said we're watching everything trigun related as soon as we are done with our current show.

I'm really looking forward to season two. And especially seeing how this all pans out. Apparently there will be tears according to the fandom. Concern.

12

Re-main

Damn this show came out of nowhere for me. I watched it quite awhile ago and have been meaning to rewatch it again.

The premise is definitely a sports anime but honestly so different. All because of one thing. The fact that he is an amnesiac is such a fascinating concept to work with - especially with how he was before (trying not to spoil - can't remember when this comes up in the anime)

And then the ending?? Damn. They seriously set up that cliff hanger and I really hope this show gets a sequel.

I really can't say too much about it without giving away some spoilers but damn does it change up the formula and do it so fucking well.

11

Given

Given is great. Such a pure but heartbreaking portrayal of love on one side with such conflicting but also nurturing views on the other. Having the different realtionships throughout this is really well done how they all bounce off of each other. Especially when they entertwine it with the music.

As it is said. That is how they communicate - through the music.

I'm busy catching up with the manga and really hope the anime continues with it.

Also the fucking is just fucking gorgeous. It has no write to hit you that hard.

Also - something else that shouldn't be allowed to hit you that hard. Damn Mafuyu has had a difficult past. We love how he learns to heal and grow with Uenoyama at his side.

Anyways, moving on.

10

Bakuten!!

Okay. Who said a sports anime could be this pretty.

I love the art style and the music throughout all of this. I love the portayal and the evolution of these character - seriously all their arcs are great. The interactions of the team is so tangible and real.

I watch a lot of sports anime and I often struggle with some of the drama used within the sports - it feels like the only thing that ever fuels the story is the matches. Whereas in Bakuten - the character seriously fuel the story. You can understand their motivations much more than just - I want to play this sport and be the best!

I also feel like they really captured everything really well in the movie. The whole concept of wanting to sore is great and really well executed.

I also love the interactions they have with the other team. It's not just a once off competition or practice match that they face each other. We actually get tangible characters for the whole team and see how much they two teams are similar to one another. It's a very healthy rivalry that isn't normally this expanded on in sports anime.

9

Sasaki and Miyano

Yesssssss. These two are just absolutely amazing. Their whole story arc and relationship is just tooth rottingly sweet. They bounce off of each other so well.

And I love the fact of how slow the actual story is. They meet at the start of Miyanos first year (from what I know - I still need to read the novels) and sasaki's second and they only end up confessing just before graduation happens. It really plays out well and is so healthy.

There is no problematic elements like in so many BL stories which is such a breath of fresh air. And the fact that sasaki is very specific about making sure to maintain boundaries to ensure that miyano is comfortable is also excellent.

On a slightly different note - I still need to see the Hirano and Kagiura movie. Been dying to watch it. I've been keeping up to date with both manga and both of these stories are amazing. I love the dichotomy of the two stories and how they are coming to their own realisations of their feelings in honestly very different ways.

I also recently watched the dub of the anime due to some videos on tiktok. Fucking hell it is absolutely hilarious. Kellen Goff as Sasaki has no reason for being that good. Seriously. Damn.

8

Link Click

On a completely different note. Damn this one makes you questions your own morals and reality as you know it.

I really don't want to get into this one much as I do believe watching it blind is the best way to go.

The art style is fantastic and that opening hits like a truck it is so good. The characters just click (pun not intended) and you just understand their motivations and don't know which side to side with most of the time. It brings about such high moral dilemmas that will seriously mess with your brain sometimes and there is one episode that will likely make you cry.

Anyways. Season 2 has just started airing and I am so ready for it.

7

Buddy Daddies

Why did a show about two queer platonic dudes who adopt a child while beings assassins hit so damn hard.

The show jumps between episodes with backstory and episodes with them just being good dads and it is balanced so well. This anime won't end up getting a sequel most likely with how it ended but damn I wouldn't say no to one.

Rei is my favourite character and I relate to him far too much. His interactions with the world are so fascinating and his whole arc with Miri is honestly some of the best media I've seen.

I absolutely loved watching this show weekly and it always brightened up my day when I realised a new episode would be up.

If you would like further thoughts on this one then check the Reviews while I watch on it for more chaos.

6

No Game No Life

So. This was the first ever anime that I ever watched. It was a random recomendation from a friend. Look at where we are today.

This show is honestly just so fun. The characters are silly and the whole plot is just absolute chaos. I really enjoy the games aspect and how it was all incorporated into the world.

I can't even really say much about it. It is just a guilty pleasure of mine and will always hold a special place in my heart.

Also. Please can it just get a second season already.

5

Assassination Classroom

So. Unlike everything else on the list - this one I only finished really recently. My partner and I were watching it together. And to put it out there straight away. I cried. That ending was far too emotional.

I really enjoyed the humour throughout the whole thing as well as the constant underlying dread of the whole situation.

They also really played out Koro-senseis backstory really well. The teasing to it was excellent. I must say though that one of the twists seriously came out of left field. Like damn.

I've just recently bought the boxset and am reading through the manga. Once again. It's absolutely amazing.

Also the openings of them all jumping are absolutely fucking hilarious and you can't tell me otherwise.

If you want to know what officially sold me on the show was just in the first episode. (Note we watched in dub)

Don't ask me why but I found this to be the most hilarious thing ever. The absurdity and the line delivery was magnificent. I annoy my partner by quoting it atleast once a day.

4

Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan

Speaking of comedies. This show has no right to be this good. The absudist dead pan comedy in the middle of whats meant to be a TV show is such a random premise but just works so well.

Due to the nature of the show, the characters are extremely relateable. I especially love Kumatani and Kikaku.

If your on the same side of anime tiktok that I am then you have definitely seen/heard snippets of the dub.

I think this was the first anime that I originally watched in sub and then tried it in dub and actually enjoyed it. (I often find that whatever I originally watched it in is the only one I can watch it in - it's very difficult for me to change it)

The voice acting on both sides just works perfectly for the show. And that final episode and how they did it was the best thing ever.

Please just give it a try.

3

Angel Beats

Okay. Time for a hard hitter. This comedy like assassintaion classroom is fucking excellent but will make you cry, like damn.

In complete and utter contrast to No game no life, this was the second anime I had ever watched. I had found a video that gave some suggestions and thought I would give this one a try. When I say it destoryed me, I mean it literally. I constantly think about the end of this and I absolutely love revisiting it.

The twist and turns along the way are fascinating and I love how each one alters the characters and the narrative. Each of the characters feel unique - even the lesser developed side characters - with fascinating and complex backstories.

The whole thing just makes you question your own place in life.

2

Moriarty the Patriot

Another one I just randomly tried because I saw a video on tiktok. The first episode immediately pulled me in. I thought it was just going to be some simple detective story (At the time I didn't know much about Sherlock Holmes and who Moriaty was so I didn't have any of that to guide me into this story.) But nope.

I keep saying this but in this one I really mean it. The characters are built so well. The dichotomy between William and Sherlock - as the fandom would probably agree - is just amazing. How they bounce off of each other - i don't even know how to really descirbe it.

Honestly just go watch it.

And if you enjoyed the anime - please go check out the manga too. If the anime was done well - then the manga is done to lamost perfection.

This show was what got me into reading and then eventually buying manga. I now have every single one that is out.

1

Yuri!!! on ICE

Did I make the title gay? Yes.

Okayyyyy. This is just going to be me going on about how much I love this show. Bare with me.

So I was in an anime watching slump just before I picked up this show. I had been seeing some videos popping up talking about it and decided to give it a try (this was in 2020)

I immediately fell in love with this show. Literally everything about it. I ended up rewatching it three times over the course of a week. It got to a point where I was so upset that there wasn't more content for it that I just cried for half a day. (Ask my partner - it was chaos)

This show is the reason I now read fanfiction - all because I found a way to technically have more content for it.

This show holds such an important place in my heart that I sincerely cannot express it properly.

If you've never watched it - go give it a try. It would mean a lot - and hopefully one day we might get a season two.

----

Thanks for reading, if you managed to get to this point. I find it interesting how my explanations managed to slowly get shorter throughout the list as I just started becoming more emotional than factual.

I hope you enjoyed it and maybe grabbed a recommendation or two. If you'd like to know more or hear me ramble on more about anything in particular then please let me know.

[yurisorcerer]

God.

OK. So, this requires a little context. In a Discord server I'm in, they're groupwatching every KyoAni show. Starting today, they got to Haruhi Suzumiya and are going to be watching an episode per day until we finish it. I'm not gonna write about every single episode of this show---I've seen it several times at this point so while I have a fair bit to say about most episodes it's just a lot of effort for a series I don't think many people here on tumblr specifically care about anymore---I do wanna write about this one

because, like can you fucking IMAGINE opening an anime like this in 2024? It'd be impossible. When an anime in the present day wants to make a big impact it'll go for laser focus, trying to present its absolute best foot forward, or a grandiose overlength premiere like Oshi no Ko or Frieren or something. The idea of opening your anime with *this* is just....I mean, even at the time it was baffling. I watched Haruhi a couple years after it aired and I remember being SO confused. What was this? Why is the first episode of this show---a show that aired deliberately out of order, by the way. I'm calling it the first episode here but if you're going by DVD order it's one of the last---some weird, deliberately bad student film that has a snarky narrator CinemaSins-ing over top of it?

The short answer is just that from the very beginning, the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya has a somewhat antagonistic relationship with its audience. Haruhi herself, as we'll learn in upcoming episodes, is kind of a really unpleasant person before eventually getting better. And I'm not going to claim that this show invented the idea of having your title character be a complete jackoff---it did not---but at the very least, it felt new at the time. (Contrast that to nowadays where every two-bit isekai has a total fuckboy who you're clearly supposed to love from episode 1 anyway.) So the first episode is kind of a....I hate this term, but almost a troll move I guess? More than anything, it's supposed to be *confusing.*

Improbably, this worked, and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya became, for both better and worse, one of the defining anime of its era. It's been nearly 20 years and I have no idea how this happened.

Some amount can probably be attributable to the charisma of Haruhi herself---she sucks, but she makes an *impression*---but none of that is really present here since she doesn't show up until the end of the episode for the big mic drop moment, a moment where we get slightly more of an idea of what this show even actually is.

I think honestly the charm of the deliberately bad film might have been a factor. The thing is completely nonsensical; we have Mikuru running around in a bunny outfit doing plugs for random local businesses while vying for the affection of Itsuki. Itskuki himself plays a character best described as "on-screen" and "present." Mikuru's big rival both in love and for the fate of the Earth (?!?!) is Yuki, who wears a fucking awesome witch hat throughout most of the episode. At one point, in scenes that seemed utterly baffling without the context that later episodes would provide, Mikuru's eye appears to actually change color and fire a beam from it, and Shamisen the cat talks like a person. This shit was weird! Even at the time.

Also the bit where she fires a gun and goes "aaaah!" as the recoil gets out of control is still funny to me 16 years later. Many things about me have changed since I first watched this show but apparently my sense of humor isn't one of them.

Haruhi Suzumiya as a series is really important to me in that it was one of the first things I watched that was REALLY OBVIOUSLY "anime." There wasn't the plausible deniability you got with something that aired on Toonami (and thus was visible to anyone with cable TV) or one of the common entry-level access points like Cowboy Bebop or such, which are considered classics not just of their medium but of their *genre* and thus didn't carry the same stigma. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is an anime-ass anime, with its bunnygirl outfits and improbable high school antics and psychic powers and aliens and yadda yadda. When I first started watching the series I was vaguely embarrassed about my interest in Japanese cartoons, by the time I'd finished it, I had an actual fucking SOS Brigade patch on my jacket. No less a figure than Tatsuki Fujimoto said that the series was responsible for turning his generation into otaku, and, anecdotally, he's pretty much right about that; most otaku I know of my age had a Haruhi phase at some point. (That's part of why Aya Hirano playing Makima in the Chainsaw Man stage play was such a big deal. It's not just that she's an incredible actress---although she is---that's fucking Haruhi playing Makima, man.)

Its success is also partly responsible for the light novel adaptation hellscape we now live in, so I'm not going to shy away from criticizing it either. Right off the bat there's a really uncomfortable kind of semi-"ironic" sexualization of Mikuru, helpfully lampshaded by Kyon as the film's narrator. This does not let up at any point throughout the show and is probably the worst thing about the series (although it doesn't reach its nadir for a while, if I recall). I'm not a fan.

Other than that element, I think as far as first episodes go, I wouldn't mind if more shows went back to this approach. There's something to be said for just baffling your audience into submission.

[arcielee]

Interview With a Writer

I know I usually do Ewanverse or HotD, but I fell in love with this story. Thank you @bhxrdy for indulging me and answering my questions. 💜 As always, Interview With a Writer is my ongoing series of the talented souls on Tumblr and ao3, and their brilliant writing!

Dividers by @saradika

Name: bhxrdy

Story: timeless

Paring: modern Finan x original female character

Warnings: Explicit/18+, be mindful of chapter warnings!

So, when did you start writing?

I started really writing, like 10 years ago now - right into 2013. I had discovered and gotten very into (I'm shy to say) k-pop, and at the time, social media was new to me. I had joined a couple of forums here and there, but really got into the thick of it once I joined Twitter and Tumblr. It was also then - for the 1st time - that I found out about fanfiction, which was an unfamiliar concept to me.

Its a bit blurry, but I remember I started reading a few stories here and there about my fave group at the time and - I don't remember the specifics but - I had eventually started coming up with wild scenarios, small ideas here and there, that I wanted to put down on paper.

Writing in general was relatively new to me (a few years before, when I was in high school, I was writing "poems" and other notes in a massive emo-like notebook - all because of a boy of course), so the idea of creating something substantial, like the fics I had read so far, was a bit terrifying but also kind of exciting because I stumbled on something brand new to me and was dying to be part of it along with some new online friends I had made (which I unfortunately lost touch with over the years).

Within the span of 2013-2015, I wrote 28 stories (on a 3rd party site) - a mix of one shots and multi-chaptered fics, which includes 2 unfinished stories - which were left to die by 2017-2018. I had finished school and started working, which totally changed my routine. The lack of interactions in the fandom didn't help either as by then, it was pretty much dying from the band's moving on and eventually disbanding. The stories are still there, my account is still there, as I don't have the heart to take it down. I've spent so much time on them, and loved every genre I wrote. I either went fluffly fluff or super angst and dark, all of them fun to write.

After that I moved away from the fandom as well and just the k-pop scene in general. I took a hiatus from writing altogether too - the will of it had died so I mostly focused on editing. And then, I started back again in 2020, wrote a couple of stuff on Tumblr (for the 1st time) until I stopped again a few months later. The inspiration stopped and I just couldn't bring myself to write anymore. So I moved away.

And then this year, TLK happened and I just had the inspiration back on the tip of my fingers, just swirling in my brain and was dying to write it down, so I gave it another shot and wrote my first Finan fanfic. It was very rusty getting back into it after so long but I'm glad I did because I got to meet amazing people which I'm grateful for.

I have a tendency of daydreaming a lot, I can easily get lost it my own head. Finding out I could actually just write them down, liberating everything I held up and see them face to face vs. just thinking about them, became a whole new ball game.

Where did the plot for timeless come from?

It hit me out of nowhere and happened when I was re-watching The Originals (TVD spin off). I'm not sure how, but it physically/literally stopped me in my tracks (mind you I wasn't doing anything special, just going to the kitchen to get a snack) as if I was hit on the head with it, like, "Yes! omg! shit! this is it!!"

I immediately picked up my phone and started typing random thoughts and notes down for the story. It was very rough, just generalized ideas of what could happen. Some of those ideas did change trajectory from where they started, but I'm hoping they were good changes and worth the story telling 😊

Watching The Originals helped with the inspiration. I knew Finan was always meant to be cursed, I just had to figure out the best way to present it. I also drew inspiration from other witch shows like Charmed, A Discovery of Witches, and BTVS. I love anything related to the supernatural and witchcraft, so it was fun coming up with the initial layout of the story.

At the beginning, I debated if it should be a one-shot or multi-chapter based on how much I had come up with. I was 99% sure I would stick with the one-shot, but eventually the 1% took over and I just went from there...the lines took a life of their own.

Explain your interpretation of Finan. What drives him? Why is he the way he is in timeless?

I was mostly trying to stay true to how his character was built on the show and transport that in writing within the concept of the story (I'm sure I've strayed, but hopefully that's alright).

When we first meet Finan, he's infiltrated modern day life as if he was part of that world, always. Then he meets a woman on a random night and everything changes for him.

Thinking of it this way, the man has been by himself for a thousand years - the life he knew, his family, his friends - everything from his past has disappeared and he is all alone, and so he was just at this point in his existence where he was done with everything, partly discouraged from being immortal, partly begrudgingly accepting of his fate as a man who will never die.

But then he meets Rebecca, a woman who has no inkling whatsoever of who Finan is, i.e. their meet up was random passing of time in the(ir) universe. Once they meet, his life alters. She was the light at the end of a tunnel, she was a beacon of hope. Meeting her, befriending her - he found purpose again. He was ready to fight again, to live like a normal man again.

Throughout the story, I tried to focus on this aspect specifically - on the basis that he is hopeful to become a free man again. And though, there is conflict within himself, to the point he was ready to give up again, I'd like to think that Rebecca was simply someone he needed in his life. Not because of what she could do for him, but because of who she was, as a character, as a person to him. She put her life on hold for him and in return, the universe gave them something that everyone wants - to love and be loved and not be so alone in the world.

Finan, having been alone for a century, found his drive through Rebecca - through her presence, always standing by his side and fighting for him. Them falling in love was an added bonus.

Do you feel Rebecca/Bex complement Finan in this?

I would like to think that she does, because she gave him a new spark into his life, allowing him to feel truly alive again - which was something he had been deprived off since his original lifetime (i.e. since the TLK era).

With Bex's stubbornness driving him insane at times, I think it also helped him on the hope aspect - she was willing to go to the ends of the earth for him, for someone she had just met all because she wanted to make things right, to help him (a stranger, when they met) find peace. She wasn't reluctant about it nor did he even ask for help (he was the apprehensive/suspicious one). And I believe, at the end of the day, it all came down to how they felt about each other from the night they met. They unintentionally nurtured a connection they created until it became so immense, they ended up wearing it naturally, like a second skin.

Not only was she his anchor to the world of the living, Bex had become the part of him that died a long time ago. This makes me believe - in a some kind of weird way - that she was his soulmate. That, despite the heaviness of the curse, Finan was meant to cross path with her, that the(ir) universe gave him a break in the form of a kind-hearted and stubborn as a mule witch. A woman who would end up gifting him a second chance, and the opportunity to experience the good aspect of life again (as well as love).

Where did the dreams and the curse lore come from?

The dreams part of the story was inspired by The Originals, as there is the concept of the “other side” where non-resting souls are (the cemetery/graveyard scene description was inspired by the one they have on the show) - so I leveraged it and made it so Bex was forced into contact with another witch while sleeping instead of through a spell (as she had no reason to contact the dead while awake).

For the curse, I knew what I wanted out of it as it was already part of the original draft when I first came up with this story idea. I knew where it was taking me and how I would want it built - the reasoning behind it though was a bit if the tough part which I had also integrated into the storyline with Bex losing her shit over it.

Any chance of a sequel? Or do have anything else you are working on next?

So, unfortunately no sequel. But it does not mean I haven't thought of an epilogue - or kind of. Just random scenes with Bex of what life is after the ending that randomly play out in my head. I don't think I'll want to write them mostly because I want to keep the ending as is.

I'm working through a few other stories at the moment. The priority ones are for Osferth (a one-chaptered drabble for your 1k celebration, and a multi-chaptered fic which will also tap into the supernatural concept), which I am hoping to get started - officially - very soon!

I have some others dangling as well, which should eventually come soon as well - this includes Finan, Sihtric and Aemond.

Do you have a personal favorite story you'd like to share?

There are so many to choose from! We Were Something, Don't You Think? by Maggie (@inthedayswhenlandswerefew), as well as Comet Donati and Have You No Idea That You’re In Deep?

Some other favorites include Wolf-Heart by @gemini-mama, Crimes of Passion by @itbmojojoejo, Sanctuary by @st-eve-barnes, and Winterwood by @lonnson

There is also a myriad of Finan x Aisling (OFC) fics by @persephones-journey which are heart-wrenching and good.

And Fire in Her Eyes by @emilyhufflepufftlk is another amazing one for Finan fans.

[skypiea]

(I'm with you with regards to the "quite easily I like it" OP post btw! Just wanna make that clear ^^;;) I almost wonder if the gripes are like, in part people who see how the women are drawn and base All Their Opinions of the series on that. That or they got mad at the clown thing Tumblr did and just decided to hate the series for it. Or they're just a little hater, honestly anything can apply. I'm not a fan of OP, haven't seen a second of it to make a decision, but like. 5 or 6 (including you- im not just a random, im just really shy LOL) of my friends are, and the one thing keeping me off from watching it is the fact that it's one of the longest animes still going- And I almost wonder if that also has a part to play in the "lol how can u watch one piece" thing people have going on. Also, have you seen the bananawanis yet?? I don't go here but I love them.

Thanks for the message! I hope you don't mind a bit of rambling (all that I'm capable of, always).

The thing is, I think there are plenty of things to criticize about one piece. I’ve seen and had many thoughtful discussions about elements of the work that can easily be considered harmful stereotypes, as well as some well-intentioned ideas that I think were executed in a subpar and clumsy manner. Some of these are directly a result of the author being only 1 guy with 1 lived experience, some are the result of broader issues in the shonen genre.

And these discussions are great! Everyone is better off for having thought about these potentially damaging aspects deeper, and it’s incredibly important to be able to recognize that an author you respect and follow isn’t perfect and doesn’t need defending over every single thing. And at the same time, I fully respect anyone who has no interest in getting into the work because they don’t want to put up with any of the parts that are far from perfect.

Personally, what I can’t stand is the tone of condescension people are very quick to take… I do not fault anyone for not digging the show's visual style, it's not for everyone. But I don't really appreciate the implication that I'm like, stupid or misogynist or cumbrained just because I enjoy the work overall. Or even because I do enjoy Oda's art; I think he is a really talented artist, but elements of his stylization are not always my favorite, including both his general figures for both women and men. This is not even starting to mention the incredible talents of many of the individual animators who work on the one piece anime, who all put a lot of their own amazing flair into adapting the work.

On the topic of the latter thing, I've truly never understood the length being a barrier to the ability to enjoy the work. It's always really baffled me...? I don't know if it's like, people who are only interested in getting into OP specifically to interact with the fandom, but in my opinion there's no actual factor that makes you need to catch up to current as fast as possible. In my mind, having so much of a new thing is wonderful for me; I'll have a lot of great story to enjoy, I can take it at my own pace, enjoy watching a bit at a time for a long time. I guess everyone just wants to be done with something as fast as possible these days... Pretty sad... Make it last and enjoy it lots :-)

I've gone on for long enough, but basically, I couldn't care less if anyone doesn't enjoy the same thing that I enjoy a lot--that's life! I simply can't stand being treated like some sort of idiot for liking it, and I'm done basically agreeing with those kinds of people by giving them any ground. None of this is a super serious problem of course, just a pet peeve... but what is a blog for if not talking at length about my silly little pet peeves ;-)

Of course I adore the Bananawani, as well as all the other fun and silly animals of the one piece world. I hope we'll see them again one day, it's been so long... Here's one of my favorite one piece species for you, the Lapin. Love these guys.

To finish off, I'm just going to include one of my favorite recent pieces of one piece's animation. Hope everyone's havin a lovely day ^_^

[icebluecyanide]

thanks @too-many-rooks for tagging me! This was fun :D

When was the last time you cried? Hmm probably this weekend after reading a few feel-good trans stories, like this one. I've been pretty tired so it doesn't take much to make me tear up when I'm alone. 😅

Do you have kids? Nope, maybe one day!

Do you use sarcasm a lot? I guess??? My family is very good at the type of sarcasm where you basically just lie with a straight face/without intonation and assume people will know from context that you don't really mean it. Sadly this does not always work which makes things awkward ahsdlfhs

What sports do you play? I guess running and working out at the gym? I used to play football and do judo as a kid tho.

What's the first thing you notice about people? Not sure! Probably clothes/general appearance, but nothing special I pay attention to.

What's your eye colour? Blue.

Scary movies or happy endings? 🤔🤔🤔 I don't think I've actually watched that many horror movies tbh? I like the genre but idk probably happy endings.

Any special talents? Nothing very special, but I guess I've got a pretty good memory for random details/stories. Which means that even twelve years later I could tell you some very specific episode details from s3 of TVD. 😅 Not very useful but on the plus side I can sometimes manage to make this work for stuff like remembering conversations or real life history lessons.

Where were you born? Not going to dox myself here, sorry haha

What are your hobbies? Writing, running, working out, reading/listening to audiobooks. I also enjoyed making gifs lately, tho sadly there isn't time enough after work for all of them.

Do you have pets? No. 😔

How tall are you? 174cm.

Favourite subject in school? I was really interested in a lot of subjects so probably a mix between maths and history and English (but also looooved the particle physics module we did towards the end).

Dream job? Honestly thinking the dream would be to have the whole day to write. Like one of those sweet gigs where you get to travel a bit and do research and then write your novel (or fanfic lbr). Tho I would probably hate writing if it became more of a job haha.

tagging @polarnacht1 and @rirren and @limnall and @protoindoeuropean and whoever else wants to do it!

[seggggga]

I'm currently reading Pet Semetary by Stephen King and, over the course of a few days, maybe a week, I've struggled to put it down. I've got about a chapter or two past part two of the book and it's just got so, incredibly intense and emotional to the point I've had to voluntarily place it down and stop reading.

(Spoilers under cut)

The book goes under the genre of horror, but a main element is grief as the book surrounds an Indian burial ground. So far, four people and a cat have died - this is only counting the main and recurring deaths, not the deaths of random rats or birds. Not many of them have really touched me (emotionally, but Victor's death was insanely graphic and gory and Zelda's had a fair share of squeamishness) apart from the most recent death; Gage's, the youngest child of the main family.

It wasn't the first mention of the funeral that teared me up, it was the events after and how his father -Louis-, mother -Rachel- and his sister, Ellie, reacted to it. Louis seemed the best out of all three of them, ignoring the fistfight with Rachel's father. Rachel and Ellie, however, seemed gravely affected. Rachel was often in hysterics and needed tranquilizers a couple of times. And Ellie was stuck in some sort of trance, holding the same photo and not speaking for days.

Louis' mind was obviously ready messed up with what happened with the family cat and all but this was just making him teeter off the edge of going completely insane. The specific vision of Gage at Disneyland was actually fairly emotional and when he and Ellie had a talk in the bathroom about the death. And how she cried for fifteen minutes, talking about God and how she'd eat Gage's cereal, watch his shows, sit in his chair and keep that Polaroid picture with her 24/7.

I only recently started getting into horror books, I got into movies a while ago. People say movies are worse over the fact the image is planted in your mind in a way, especially for gore. But, in my opinion, books are way worse psychologically over the fact you are imagining it and can morph it into whatever you want. This could lead to even more terrifying or scary imagines that the author intended. It messes with your mind way more than movies.

So far, it's a good book and I thoroughly recommend. Honesty, I'm getting into Stephen King and I'm considering buying IT or Carrie.

But, if you are wanting to introduce someone into horror, I don't consider starting with one of Stephen's. His books are amazing but are severe and could probably put someone off horror if they started off the bat with one of his works.

[georgia-stanway]

Tagged by @steeple-sinderby-wanderers 10 songs I've been listening to lately.

1. Parson's farewell (black sails version) I like the original but this version goes so hard. (So does the entire black sails soundtrack tbf)

2. Hadestown. The entire album but particularly How long? If you even remotely like musicals I cannot recommend it enough .

3. Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird from the Ballad of songbirds and snakes. I like the genre anyway and I'm a sucker for a soundtrack

4. Speaking of I've been rewatching Dr who which always prompts a dive into the soundtrack. This is Gallifrey has been particularly stuck on repeat this time round

5. Cry to the beat of the band by Sophie Ellis-Bexter. In what can only be described as an act of grief I watched the 2013 series of strictly and 12 year old me developed a crush on her and was extremely angry at the judges constantly favouring abbey Clancy (no idea whether this is true but it's what I felt in my heart) naturally I brought the album she promptly came out with. Everybody listening to murder on the dancefloor reminded me of it and it's not actually that bad.

6. Beethoven's 5th specifically the third movement. I went to a concert which featured it before Christmas and fuck me the third movement just slaps

7. P.R.O.T.E.C.T.T.R.A.N.S.K.I.D.S by Cheap dirty horse. Local band and given the current atmosphere sometimes you just feel like screaming at the top of your lungs

8. Take me to Church by hozier. The song of all time, ever present on most of my playlists.

9. Bottom of the river by delta Rae. The song that inspired my username (bottom of the river was already taken). Another one on most of my playlists.

10. Yma o hyd. I like going through random folk song playlists on YouTube and discovered it again and got stuck reminiscing about rare positive football moments. Also I keep meaning to email one of my distant Welsh cousins who's just started looking at the family tree because I've done a lot of research and every time I go to write it i basically just end up going hey did you know our common ancestor may have spoken cymraeg? In both a genuine question because I don't know the answer and in a isn't it sad how our family just completely lost the language way so I've been a bit in my Welsh heritage feels as well.

I'm terrible at tagging people so I'll just tag whoever wants to do it.

[not-poignant]

Hi Pia

I'm curious, do you enjoy reading fics with trauma recovery as much as you enjoy writing them?

And is there anything you enjoy writing but hate/dislike reading? And vice versa?

Hi anon!

I do enjoy reading fics with trauma recovery! It's mostly what I read when I'm looking for something longer, however, I don't like trauma recovery just because it's trauma recovery? It needs other stuff too. A lot of folks assumed I'd like the Steve/Bucky Marvel pairing because Bucky has PTSD, but I actually can't stand that pairing (though I like both characters) and don't care as much about those specific narratives of PTSD (interpersonal trauma recovery interests me more than military or natural disaster trauma recovery, for example).

I don't know if I enjoy reading fics with trauma recovery as much as I enjoy writing it. In fact I'd say that's not true anymore because I've read very few fics with trauma recovery since I started writing Falling Falling Stars and I kind of realised I could write exactly what I wanted. Ever since then, reading the fanfiction of other folks doing trauma recovery is a harder sell to me personally, though I still do look for hurt/comfort etc.

I do still reread old fics I love, and old novels with trauma recovery / hurt/comfort that I love. But I don't... reread that content as much as I write that content, so if we're talking about 'time spent reading trauma recovery' vs. 'time spent writing/editing trauma recovery' alone, then I would definitely like writing it more.

Most of the original novels I've recced here and on Goodreads, particularly in romance but not always, generally have trauma recovery as a centralised theme or major part of the story.

As for stuff I like writing but hate/dislike reading:

Horror and supernatural horror (can't watch it, don't love reading it, really enjoy writing it)

Stories that are too long (lol)

Probably other stuff I'm forgetting.

And for stuff I don't like writing but really like reading:

Like, too much to list! I don't like writing nonfiction novels but I read a ton of nonfiction novels, lol. I don't really like writing high literature but I still read it. I don't like writing plays for the stage but I'll read 'em.

I mean isn't this true of most writers? Most of what we haven't written and/or don't enjoy writing is often what we're still going to really love, because we can't do everything. Idk, I have no interest in writing The Great British Bake Off, but I really like watching it. I have no interest in writing police procedurals but I love watching them.

Specifically in terms of romance fic, I'm not sure. Probably areas where I'm extremely concerned about the level of work involved in making a slightly accurate fanfiction - like getting terminology, customs and costumes right in certain fandoms like say, Natsume's Book of Friends or Mo Dao Zu Shi, and the actual process of writing seems extremely intimidating but I like reading (or have liked reading) stories in those fandom/s where other people are willing to do that work. I've definitely been thinking about researching this a bit more with an intention to writing fic going forward though.

I can be a really lazy writer, but I'm also a writer who can really appreciate when another writer has done the hard yards in areas of fandom where I want to read, but writing fills me with :/ feelings. Like, I really respect when you can see an author's care and research, but it's not weighing down the page and I don't feel like I'm getting a lecture that feels like a Wiki page that's been condensed down. Some of my favourite fandoms for like weird random niche knowledge included Dragon Age: Inquisition, and that was a fandom where I ended up doing a ton of research myself (i.e. what did horses eat 200 years ago, how did you prepare and store their food).

In terms of genre, there's not a ton of difference honestly. I don't love writing or reading gen. I don't love writing or reading fluff in the absence of hurt/comfort. I don't love writing or reading hurt-no-comfort. Maybe the biggest one is that on the very rare occasion I'll read a heterosexual PWP that has a kink I'm really looking for, but I don't intend to ever write het again.

(Finally pressing post on this after forgetting I had it in my drafts for ages!)

[bicheetopuff]

I saw you commenting on the anime's decisions on how to characterize Bakugo. I get the anger, but my usual problem is I've seen this type of anger across several manga fandoms when anime studios change things unnecessarily, and the result is always the same. The anime studios keep doing whatever they are doing. I'm not saying the anger in invalid, just that I'm all out of craps to give about it because usually anime studios make whatever decisions they want. While Bones does seem to have a need to add filler and humor in where it isn't needed, they are more faithful than some anime studios I've seen. They at least keep to major plot points and don't try to entirely rewrite the tone of the series, which is a level of disrespect I've heard of happening before. Or worse, adding entire arcs and seasons that weren't originally there. So, I'm at least thankful that Bones mostly follows the manga, even if it does add filler. There are many other mangas that have gotten treated way worse XD. I'm not saying people can't complain about it btw, but I just think that Bones is far from the worst or even a particularly noteworthy offender as far as anime studios go.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Bones as a studio. Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood was a masterpiece from start to finish. Noragami was also great in my opinion, although I’m not sure how faithful to the manga they were cuz I haven’t read it. I’ve also heard really great things about Mob Psycho 100 although I haven’t read or watched it.

And yea they stay pretty faithful to mha as well but it’s just the small random things they choose to change that just adds up and makes me not want to watch the anime. And their filler/movies aren’t great because they’re not faithful to characterization specifically. No offense to anyone that likes the first movie specifically but, that movie was written like poorly written fanfiction. The characterization was awful.

But you’re right, there’s not much use in caring about the dumb things anime studios do especially when other great mangas were adapted far worse on screen, mainly in the seinen genre (Tokyo ghoul, The Promised Neverland and Berserk is what came to mind for me).

It’s just frustrating to see one of the best written characters in the story get completely undermined by the anime studio. Not even the anime studio, more so the directors most likely. There’s still plenty of anime only watchers that like bakugo but most of the time it’s cuz he’s “strong, loud, and tough,” not because of his actual development as a character because the anime doesn’t show his development well. Which it’s fine for the studio to continue to cater to the side of the audience that only cares about his brawn but I feel like there’s ways to do that without going backwards in his character development. But they just kinda keep doing it and it’s gonna make the more obvious parts of his development not make sense and considering how many more people watch the anime over reading the manga, mha in general might come across as poorly written and that generalization is gonna fall onto hori by the number of fans that only watch the anime.

Luckily though hori only really cares about his Japanese audience and I think a majority of fans there keep up with mha manga as much as they do the anime thanks to shonenjump so I’m not really worried. I’m just slightly frustrated and a little disappointed by how they’re handling his character so far this season (mainly cuz I know my irl friends are gonna talk mad shit about how much they hate him and I can’t say anything cuz manga spoilers) but at the end of the day I have no control of what the anime studio decides to do. If they fuck up, they fuck up and in Japan that’s gonna reflect more on them than it’ll reflect on hori so🤷🏽‍♀️

[silverquillsideas]

Hi.....Do you mind if I ask you some random thing? I used to love shounen and shoujo manga equally....But ever since I found BL manga 3 years ago, my interest in shoujosei (especially het romance) decrese a lot, and what I search for is just the dynamic between mc (male) and male lead...I don't want to read mc (female) and male lead or mc (male) and female lead...And what I want to read mostly are just mlm or wlw stories....

What do you think is happening to me? Is it really weird?

First off, I don’t mind at all! This is a really interesting question, and coincidentally I had somewhat of a similar journey after I discovered queer media.

For me personally, it was because I found most het romances / media to be the reiteration of same basic tropes, the same sort of stereotypical damsel in distress girl saved by the stereotypical brave / handsome / chivalric guy (most generic shoujo mangas / het romance dramas etc) and I simply did not relate to that after a certain point. Compared to that, the plotlines of the shounen male mcs or even the male characters in shoujo itself, were more carefully developed, or just written with more care, which just goes to show that most writers of shounen / shoujo don’t really know or care to know about writing well fleshed out female characters. It’s an unfortunate bias that I think is found across most media/ shows (I’m in no way a media expert/ have any literary background, but this is my personal observation over the years. Of course, there are exceptions to this, I've found some stunningly made het webtoons / mangas / shows in recent years too!)

that aside, the other main reason why I too, only, almost exclusively have been watching queer media for years, is the fact that I came to the realisation that I myself was queer. That was why I tended to gravitate towards mostly queer media, be it mlm or wlw. I wanted to see stories that reflected my lived experiences, to feel that I wasn’t alone in this journey. I’m from a family and society where it’s not possible for me to come out or be open about myself (except few of my friends / cousins so on). So, in queer media, I found escapism from my own reality, in a way. I could relate to characters that were going through the same feelings, the same experiences, the same struggles as me. It is wish fulfilment, in a way. I can be happy for these fictional people in a way I wish people around me could be happy for me. It’s catharsis for me, personally. I can watch these character live meaningful lives, have meaningful relationships and poignant love stories, and at the back of my mind, there’s the wish that maybe someday, I could too. Queer media for me is hopeful, its joyous, and it’s a celebration of love that’s different from the 10000 different formulaic cishet stories that are being shoved in our faces from every corner :D

I don’t know if you are in the same boat, if you are exploring your sexuality / identity in your personal life, but if that’s the case, then just know this: you’re valid for whichever identity you choose for yourself! :D

If that’s not the case, then that’s okay too! Media and literature and art is for everyone, there doesn’t have to be any specific reason why people enjoy a certain genre of media! Some people like horror, some like romcoms, some like adventure and mystery, some like historical dramas, some might like queer media or political media with a strong social message, or even documentaries lmao. It’s personal preference, and “I just like this” is a good enough reason to watch any kind of media you want to! Nothing is weird about having a preference towards any genre of media that you like watching!

Sorry about the long-ish response, I started typing this and went on a tangent lol

Hope you’re having a good day/ night! :D

[tangleweave]

❓ — three adjectives that describe you

❤️ — what are some of your best qualities?

💔 — what are some of your worst qualities?

✨ — what would you change about yourself, if anything?

🎮 — favorite video game(s)?

🗒 — what is/are your favorite genre(s)/theme(s) to write?

🤔 — what genre(s)/theme(s) do you struggle to write the most?

😗 — what are some of your favorite things to do when you have some time to yourself?

💯 — share three random facts about yourself that your mutuals may not know about you.

❓ — Literate. Intelligent. Tall.

❤️ — Goddamn it, I need a safeword... Okay, I'll try five things.

1) I'm tenacious; when I say I'm going to do something, I mean it. 2) I prefer neatness to "organized chaos". 3) I genuinely and persistently want to help others who are experiencing difficulty. 4) I have a vast wealth of patience and I'm not easily angered. 5) I'm good at encouraging others.

💔 — This one's easier. Five things here, too.

1) Although I've said I'm going to do something, it'll be longer than you want it to be before I get around to it. 2) I'm not good at finishing projects I start (see: literally anything I write). 3) In my pursuit of helping others, I let my own priorities languish and spread myself too thin. 4) Conversely, I can be terribly oblivious to others' needs when pursuing the dopamine rush and will sometimes vanish or go silent at the most inopportune times. 5) I can be as much of an enabler as I am an encourager, and struggle to enforce boundaries I set, particularly with loved ones, because I have a hard time with people I love being mad at me.

✨ — I could do without the deficit of attention and the chronic anxiety. The rest is serviceable.

🎮 — I guess this needs a "five things" breakdown as well because there's no way I can limit it to just one.

1) Diablo series. 2) Rock Band series. 3) Pokémon series, core games plus Legends Arceus specifically. 4) Marvel's Spider-Man series. 5) Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor/War series.

(NOTE: The next three answers are copy/pasted from previous asks of the same questions. Forgive me!)

🗒 — I love writing action/adventure, suspense, angst, and romance. Usually I prefer writing within backdrops of modern-day realism, near-future sci-fi, and medieval fantasy.

🤔 — Horror. I'm really not good with this genre specifically. I also struggle mightily with the theme of hurt-no-comfort; if left unattended, I will dwell on this until I spiral, and it takes some doing to get me out.

😗 — I watch some niche corners of YouTube (gamers like Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, Game Grumps, and GrayStillPlays; quirky and gross stuff like Good Mythical Morning and Dr. Pimple Popper; food pr0n a la Binging With Babish, Worth It, and About To Eat). I listen to a lot of rock music, always on the search for the next progressive metal band I'll fall in love with (can't get enough of Unleash the Archers and Myrath, currently diving further into Battle Beast and Beast in Black). I have a decent collection of video games but I'm a little stuck on Pokémon at the moment (currently playing Sword, will be playing Violet when it comes out). Until earlier this year I was running a D&D campaign with a few folks lurking around various corners here on Tumblr; we're currently on hiatus but we mean to return to it sometime after the holiday season. But really, even though I struggle with it when left to my own devices... I love to write. Even if I don't mean for it to be anything professional, even if it's just a little drabble here or there... putting my thoughts down and assembling them into a story I think is worth telling has always been a love of mine.

💯 — Hmmm, three things...

1) I have a pretty impressive collection of tabletop games, but hardly anybody to play them with (and frequently no tabletop, either, mine tends to be covered in stuff). 2) Surely you've heard the trope of "I have a girlfriend, she lives in Canada!"? That was me. For about two years, I legitimately did have a girlfriend who lived in Canada. That relationship crashed and burned horrifically during the worst year of my life... but I'm grateful that it happened then, instead of after moving in together. 3) I've always had a love of writing, but it was only when I was a teenager that I learned fanfiction was a thing that others enjoyed and not just for one's own entertainment. Feeling that was a "safe" way of exposing my writing to others, I went to a Pokémon website and submitted chapters of a story I'd been working on. The chapters were highly rated and praised by the moderators, and I received fan email, which was a mind-blowing experience all its own. I struck up a few friendships among these fans. While most of those friendships have languished since, some are still strong, and one in particular went the distance. Yes... I married my own fangirl.

[absolutementality]

GHRB Media Log - Band Hero

Band Hero, Guitar Hero's spin-off not a spin-off which released 2 months after Guitar Hero 5 and uses GH5's engine. This game's name is weird as fuck, as it's not really a spin-off at all, and every game after GH3had full band (Guitar, Bass, Drums, Vocals) support anyway due to Rock Band releasing. Instead of using the typical Metal and Rock theming the Guitar Hero series had, they went with Pop music. I think it's quite a fun choice and is a decent change of pace music wise.

The career mode is set up just like every other non-artist Guitar Hero game, you are a band, do gigs, get fans. This game has a pretty decent artstyle for its career mode cutscenes, and it is kinda insane. You go from small town mall venue, to major pop awards, to FUCKING SPACE. Nothing bad about it, I think it works well enough and is basically identical to how career mode is set up in World Tour and 5. 5/BH introduced a challenge system when doing career mode, where if you're playing a specific instrument, you can get a special reward if you do their little challenge. For example, if you're playing bass on a specific song, if you hit a few hundred notes with up strumming you'll get a special bass. Van Halen (and I assume WT and Metallica) has a similar thing where you get rewards based on what you play, but career mode is based on what instrument you're playing, rather then having it on specific songs. You can play through the entirety of career mode with just one instrument, it's all just bonuses, and things like special characters are related to playing the gig rather then instruments.

A big thing this game has (well, 3, WT, and 5 also did this) is special guest characters/bands that are actual real life people! The fun part about it in this game is rather then it being iconic guitarists (Like Slash and Ozzy), it's pop artists that were popular at the time! Mainly it's the entirety of No Doubt (including Gwen Stefani), Taylor Swift (this was 2009, so her original popularity), and Adam Levine (the guy from Maroon 5). I personally think this is the game with the best special guests just because there's something really funny about having these characters singing Metallica and the like.

The setlist is pretty good out of what they chose. Fascination by Alphabeat, YMCA by The Village People, Whip It by Devo, Take What You Take by Lily Allen, just to name a few I specifically like. The game has, according to it's box, 65 songs on disk. It also has Bring Me to Life by Evanescence which is certainly a choice for this game, but it's a good song so I don't care. From what I remember hearing about this game's development, this game came from Neversoft wanting to do more music then just the typical genres Guitar Hero did, so there's a lot of weird but very good choices.

The game is entirely compatible with GH5's DLC (and for the most part backwards compatible with World Tour's DLC) so that means GH5 got pop DLC but it also means you can play a lot of weird songs in Band Hero, like Avenge Sevenfold and Metallica which don't fit the game's theme even a little. We got Owl City - Fireflies as DLC so I'm happy about that.

Something really funny to me, is that this game has sponsors. There's just random products sprinkled around the venues if you look for them. You'll just randomly see things like Coca-cola in the background. Which I only noticed, because I saw Sponsored By; Coca-Cola when I was watching the credits.

When I got to the later parts of the game, the game was struggling to run smoothly. I don't know if it was my computer/capture card messing up or my ps3 messing up or just general bad optimization but it was a struggle running any song on the space venue. Which sucks, because it is easily one of the best in the entire series. From what I've heard also, a sequel was meant to be made but never happened (most likely due to the general failure of Warriors of Rock) which sucks because a second Band Hero would have been amazing.

I give this game a 8/10 maybe 8.5/10. The Wii version is barely playable, and I mean just barely a consistent playable framerate that dips a lot, with freezes all the time, on top of just looking terrible on there. The Wii version did have interconnectivity with the DS port (which I don't have) but I don't think that's nowhere enough to redeem that version of the game. PS3 was fine for the most part and looked pretty good overall.

[emojifarm]

mcyt-anon here, i have a few responses

1 - i have not seen that clip, and if that is true / if you have proof, then that is a fair take on my point. i gave technoblade the mention because i don't hyper-analyze most mcyt i watch, and technoblade's charity was on my mind recently. but again, that's just one random youtuber from the dream SMP, which doesn't encompass all of mcyt

2 - that's why i said, in the second anon, that it would be better for a specific blog to do said research and to reblog the emojis instead of you.

3 - "As I previously said, I'm not making a broad assumption." you say, then say that you don't support "MCYT". it's like saying i don't support roleplay blogs because a few have been cringe and bad. yes, roleplay blogs are much different than minecraft youtubers, and there are people who will be issues in both communities, but as someone who likes to watch minecraft youtubers and who sees people making broad assumptions constantly in relation to communities people like, i wanted to try and explain it. because, the way you worded it, you were using the broad term and so it sounds like a broad assumption.

4 - i know my anons are quite rambly, but it confuses me when you say you don't support an entire genre of youtube. in an overall sense, it's not that deep, yes, but you were using broad terms to describe some bad people in a group.

i think the "you're acting like someone who uses not all men" idea is a silly argument too, since yes, it IS not all men. there are some problems with the patriarchy / misogyny that can affect most men and how they behave, but many who use that term also usually mean it to mean "cis white men with privilage who use it to harass people" and then generalize others and sometimes are even transphobic in their usage of the idea (seeing trans men or trans women as threats because of their connection with manhood, in whichever direction.)

also, my anons might not be "healthy", but i find reason in my reaction, since very often people who treat "mcyt" as a specific group of the minecraft youtuber genre also treat their fans as inherently toxic and seem to assume we all know every flaw and bad thing every mcyt has done, or assume most people who like mcytbrs somehow condone the bad things said youtubers have tried to hide or wave off. minecraft youtube. MCYT, is a general term, and it's really frustrating for people who use it to make it mean specifically youtubers they don't like or have a certain amount of subscribers/popularity or w/e. every youtuber who makes minecraft content on the regular is a minecraft youtuber.

tldr: you saying "MCYT" as an acronym is generalizing, even if you meant a certain selection of minecraft youtubers, and i was simply pointing out my frustration and issues with you generalizing that genre/type of youtubers.

You can just block me instead of sending me more essays, you know? I've said all that I'm going to say on this topic and starting a looping argument is not worth the time and energy. Again. Someone setting a boundary is not an invitation for you to nitpick said boundary.

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hi! I enjoy writing sci-fi and fantasy novels. I've never tried to publish any of them. However, now I'm considering trying to go pro, so I'd like to improve my skills. I've read the classics (Anatomy of a Story, Fantasy Fiction Formula and alike) and also found other good resources, as Brandon Sanderson's Youtube lectures. Do you know of other resources I should be checking, even if they're not specific for sci-fi/fantasy? (Sorry if this has many mistakes, my English is barely decent).

10 Resources for Improving Writing Skills

(Quick side note: your English is great! ♥)

Specific Recommendations:

1. The Emotion Thesaurus and others by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. This set of books so far covers everything from emotions and positive/negative traits to conflict and setting. Do a flip-through on Amazon to see if it's something you'd find helpful, but a lot of writers find them to be an invaluable resource. Especially The Emotion Thesaurus since it helps you with internal and external depictions of emotion.

2. Random House Word Menu. This book (along with The Describer's Dictonary and others) helps you locate words related to specific topics. For example, if you're trying to describe the weather, you go to the weather section and will find a whole bunch of weather-related words that can level up your description.

3. The Mood Guide to Fabric and Fashion. If you tend to include a lot of clothing and fabric descriptions, this guide is really helpful. Not only can it help you identify the fabric you're imagining, it tells you important things about the fabric (like how it's used) which can make a difference in your description.

4. The Elements of Writing by Strunk and White. Every writer should probably have a copy of this book handy. It's super helpful when you're not 100% sure about a particular punctuation use.

5. Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by Mignon Fogarty. This is another great resource for looking up grammatical questions. But you can always go straight to her blog/web site, too.

General Recommendations:

6. Books About Writing. There are zillions of books out there about writing method and process, and different ones work for different people, so the category is much too broad for recommending specific ones to people you don't know. However, anything that's recommended by writers or writing bloggers/vloggers you like are worth looking into. You can also find general recommendation lists. Just remember that most writing advice, method, structure, process, etc. is flexible. Learn about it and use what works for you.

7. Books About Genre. Of course, if you write in a specific genre, you will probably want to read books specific to method and process typical in the genre. Favorite genre writers/bloggers/vloggers and general lists are good sources here, too.

8. Genre Resource Books. There are so many good resource books for various genres. There are books dedicated to portraying accurate details for different eras and settings, books about clothing in different eras, books about survival skills and edible plants... any books like that are great resources for writers, depending on what you write.

9. YouTube Videos. There's honestly no better resource for writers than YouTube, because not only can you find documentaries on just about every topic under the sun, you can find videos that explain everything from gutting a fish to baking a medieval hand pie to how to dress a woman in the 14th century. It's also an amazing resource for researching setting or inspiration setting. For example, if you're writing a Dune-like fantasy set on a planet modeled after the Andalusia region of Spain, you can watch videos about Andalusia as well as sightseeing videos showing different areas, hikes through the wilderness, aerial videos of various areas, etc.

10. Google Street View. Google Earth and Google Street View are another great way to research setting/inspiration setting. Let's say your story is set during the California gold rush in a town that's no longer there. You can look up where it was on Google Earth/Maps and drag the Street View icon around to find areas that have street view, then "walk around" the area to get a ground view of the surroundings. It really helps you imagine your setting.

Have fun with your writing! ♥

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