#reading one of the most well written stories youve ever read that has SUCH a grip on your soul and gg to ao3 and finding NOTHING

[microwaving-tesilid-argente]

someone left a comment on the fic and from their typing style it isn't even any of you guys i know here... 🥹 it was all worth it

[nights-at-crystarium]

i just wanted to pop by and gush about how incredibly well written vivi is because GOD. his story unfolding has made me reconsider several story beats about my wol and thats an amazing thing

theres two things that i think uve done especially well with his storytelling, being that vivi feels like an almost complete enigma to the reader, despite how intimate this story is, and the fact that vivi feels incredibly human - almost TOO human to be comfortable with

so to elaborate on the first point - i think a lot of us (and certainly i can) echo thancreds sentiment that he doesn't know vivian rell, because as intimate as this story can get with his pov, in the end, much like someone you'd meet in real life, we don't know much about him before the point we meet him, and any glimpses we get just signal that theres so much more to him than we get to see. and as much as we DO know about him, i find that every time he does one of his blank, furrowed stares that signal he's thinking something, my brain practically lights on fire trying to figure out what he's considering. to that end i really like how enigmatic uve made him from a storytelling perspective, because it makes him feel so much more real!!! i honestly look forward a lot to learning more fragments (heh) of him and slowly piecing together a puzzle of him as the story goes on. i just want to rotate him in my head lol

but also, this does segue into my other point really well, which is the fact that vivis position as wol really seems to wear on him, and he seems for lack of a better word, completely exhausted! i know (myself included) write their wols with a trait of an almost unbreakable, iron will, which is very much still true in vivis case (again, anyone who gets to the point of shadowbringers without flat out giving up is incredibly strong by default) but showing him at his wits end, exhausted with the burdens of a hero, someone just so throughly *done* with what is, realistically, a pretty shit job is well... yeah! of course he is! he's only human, and he's what, saved the world 3 times now? seen countless die before him, powerless to save them, of course he's numb. the fact that the most defining experiences of the first for him are filled with mostly such... benign experiences, and that the major, climatic moments of shadowbringers get as much fanfare as a forlong gaze, or a like. him hanging out with his fairy bestie is such a cool storytelling decision. (also before i ramble about this the decision to not even show tesleen is such an excellent decision bc like. it makes sense for him for this to not be such a significant moment. shes just another death, another tally to the thousands hes already seen. or maybe im reading WAYYY too hard into a decision to not highjack this love story with plot) basically, what i've been gushing about is the fact that vivi feels very much like a whole person, and is probably one of the most well realised wols ive ever read about. and his relationships with the world leaders, and this impossible burden hes forced to shoulder has gotten me to reconsider how i write my wol, because yeah! any hero might be strong-willed and resilient, but theyre still human, and the burden of a warrior of light is maybe, a little too much for anyone to bear.

i hope u could at least make something out of my rambles, but honestly to sum it all up i am incredibly captivated by vivi. i originally read fragments because i like ANY wolgraha content but now, i come back almost exclusively to see how vivi's story unfolds, and how graha eventually comes into the fold too. hes such a fascinating character, and i think youve done an incredible job of creating a well rounded hero, full of humanity!!! (also, if you want, feel free to post this on ur blog!!)

I think I shat myself like 5 times while reading this (positive)

Vivi being an enigma wasn't really part of the plan. We have a pool that's his lore, things I wanna tell, and a bottleneck through which it has to go. The comic format forces me to consider what bits of info to deliver when, there's only so much I can tell at a time. One deliberate choice I made is completely burn the bridge between ARR and ShB, skip, leave it empty. That already sparks questions when we see a different Vivi at the beginning of ShB (and gives me leeway, time to write with more nuance, I didn't Think about HW-SB in such scrupulous detail as ShB).

I wanted to tell a primarily ShB story from the start, but had less ambition, and planned to condense the angsty bits that you're reading nowadays into an infodump told by Vivi to no one (to the reader). Changing the receiving party to a tangible character who's eager to learn (Exarch) made the info easier to digest and anchored it in the world. This change, fwiw, happened in like 2022 while I drew the ARR arc, saw the warm reception, and got more excited about my thing. I constantly learn and try to improve, writing's a new toy that brings me tons of fun.

So, when I learned the new trick - telling things through other characters - I thought, why not make everyone slightly wrong, or rather, with a specific snapshot of Vivi in their head. Same happens irl, people only know the version of you that they're exposed to, the only person who knows the full and real you is you.

That brings me to the next point, why Vivi feels so human: I made him not as a wol/hero, but a guy I wanna ship with Exarch, his foil. Obligatory note it was dumb of me to ignore Emet's existence in that case, but that's already changed. Exarch denies himself the simple human joys, he plots his own fucking death, so I thought I'd give him a guy that teaches him how to enjoy being alive again. That was THE foundation of Vivi, his core. He's a manic pixie dream boy.

Then I started asking how and why: why he falls for Exarch specifically instead of ARRRaha? He's confident, selfish, casual (these traits are what Exarch lacks), emotionally intelligent, where did that come from? He must've had an utterly normal life and loving family before he became a hero. He grew up being appreciated and happy. OH, then his ass must LOATHE the current situation because he can't go back to that normal life! So on, so forth.

i find that every time he does one of his blank, furrowed stares that signal he's thinking something, my brain practically lights on fire trying to figure out what he's considering.

This's me carefully dropping the breadcrumbs and hoping that you notice them, and you go HOLY SHIT BREADCRUMBS, this's so validating ;w; <3 This's overtly called a story hook, though I prefer "door". So far this story's only opened doors, as in hinted at more stuff without immediately showing it. I love it when questions get delayed answers, when you get time to stew on it and build up anticipation, then, when the door finally closes, it's much more satisfying. I keep in mind all the doors I've opened, if something provokes a question, it's by design.

(also before i ramble about this the decision to not even show tesleen is such an excellent decision bc like. it makes sense for him for this to not be such a significant moment. shes just another death, another tally to the thousands hes already seen. or maybe im reading WAYYY too hard into a decision to not highjack this love story with plot)

You're 100% correct!! I'm not retelling the canon ShB story from a default wol pov, this's a custom thing focused on ships, therefore anything that doesn't contribute to said ships gets cut. You may read what's NOT shown as what Vivi doesn't pay attention to.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, this gave me so much motivation like you wouldn't know ;//////;

[kaeyapilled]

hey! your kaeya takes are so real!!! I was wondering if you had any good fic recs?? I want to read something that has good kaeya characterization (+bonus if it's ragbros that isn't just them crying and hugging it out like you were talking about) and am tired of scrolling through tags

!! omg thank you im so honored to hear that people like my takes lol

fic recs huh!! i have some!! do you mind it if most of them are about child kaeya? (i hadnt realized how many of my bookmarks focused on his childhood until i went through them all lmao) hopefully it isnt all stuff youve already read before! here goes:

A Horse Makes for a Stable Life by FollowerofMercy – Wanting to test the boundaries of his host’s goodwill, Kaeya asks for a pony for his birthday. He didn’t expect Crepus to deliver. Or, the story in which things get uncomfortably real for young Kaeya.

do you like kaeya and crepus interactions!! because this fic explores their dynamic in suuuuch a nice way that felt very refreshing to see portrayed!! perfect ratio of hurt to comfort in my opinion. overall quite lighthearted compared to my other recs though lol. good exploration of kaeyas inner conflict since a young age. yeah i love it and recommend it

I'm gonna miss your love when it's gone by imaginarypasta – A selection of scenes from Kaeya's childhood related to his relationships with his fathers, and all they have led him to be.

this one is so good!!!! i feel like its rare to see kaeyas biological father portrayed as anything other than a heartless asshole, and this fic explored kaeyas relationship with him in such a nice manner that makes for a very melancholic and. i guess bittersweet story that takes into consideration the nuance of the situation in a way that i really dont see super often. the parts about kaeyas relationship w crepus are also really well done i love it. oh and the khaenri'ah lore the author takes some liberty with is really really interesting!!

not bad for a walk on death's doorstep by b_attery – Fear is a knife’s edge. Fear is a killer. Fear is how you know you’re still alive.

my bookmark of this work said "literally the best kaeya character study ive ever read" and honestly i still stand by that. the word flow is great and the exploration of fear as such an intrinsic part of kaeya's life and as the driving force for most of his actions and feelings and responses. it's so good!!! this one contemplates kaeyas childhood both before and after his arrival in mondstadt and goes until after diluc's return. absolutely recommend it!!

Hundred-Watt Light by pepperjuice – A story about ten years of contingency plans and holding your own hand. (Because how else are you supposed to live with a weight too big to hold all alone?)

this. this rewired my brain forever. this holds the title of best kaeya character study ever along with the previous one i talked about. definitely mind the tags because it primarily deals with suicidal ideation and thoughts so, if that's a trigger then it's best to not read this one lol but still it is SO good and it explores kaeya's inner conflicts and awful coping mechanisms after having such a heavy burden thrusted upon him at an extremely early age with no good support of any kind. i absolutely love this fic it's very dear to me and i think about it sooo often it truly altered my brain chemistry

things fall apart by kernsing – Happy eighteenth, Diluc.

finally some ragbros content! sadly it isnt the reconciliation you asked for it's about when things fell apart. this is one of my favorite ever renditions of how it all went down on That Day - it reshaped some of my own headcanons, actually. this one is more from diluc's pov than kaeya's, and it's written really really well, and explores diluc's grief over his father's death in SUCH an amazing and interesting way!! and the way it parallels kaeya's own emotions and that is exactly what causes them to fight is extremely tasty i loved it. read it it's good

okay i can probably find some more but this is enough for one post i think. deeply sorry for not delivering the good ragbros reconciliation content.. i tbh haven't gathered a lot.. but i hope you and whoever else reads this enjoys these! thank you for the ask <3

[camcorderrevival]

to you, what's the difference between eleven/amy and twelve/clara? which one do you ship more and why? (i'm guessing the answer to the second is pretty obvious but i'm curious about your answer)

i think the biggest difference, beyond like narrative and theme, is that twelveclara gets more breathing room in the series. obviously youve got the relationship between clara and danny, and missy and twelve (and missy and clara to some extent), but twelveclara is very much given the centre stage. the viewer's attention is meant to be on them, the show is about them (for good reason). the other relationships function as ways to explore twelve and clara as separate characters, of course, but they also very much work emphasise the relationship between the two as well.

and like. elevenamy isnt some super niche relationship with no screentime or development. theyre the core of s5,6,7a just like twelveclara is the core s8&9. (and just like ninerose is the core s1, and tenmartha is the core of s3. whether you read them as romantic or platonic or whatever, the doctor & companion dynamics foster a kind of intimacy that keeps the show interesting and moving forward).

but you definitely more get the sense that, especially in s6, the dynamic is fighting for space with amyrory/elevenriver. the show gets stuck in a weird place where it is trying to convince the viewer that the satisfying conclusion for all of these characters is amyrory and elevenriver, but the story ends if amy really chooses rory in any meaningful way (and thats no good if youre trying to get two and bit series out of it). so youve got elevenamy which is the driving point of the narrative and somewhat more interesting/dynamic than amyrory, and amyrory which feels (to me) like a much more stuck, static point but the show really wants you to believe that its satisfying and interesting (without ever putting much effort into it, because that would detract too much from the core relationship). both relationships suffer from that weird balance that gets struck.

twelveclara does not face that same weirdness so the relationship gets more room to develop (or in their case devolve into a spiral of self-destruction and timeline altering) (yay).

beyond that difference in narrative space. i think both relationships deal with some similar themes (because they are the themes that haunt most of moffat's time as showrunner, and some of the episodes that he wrote for rtd). memory, stories, identity in the other.

but there are also quite different points. elevenamy takes on a more religious tone (especially in tgc + tgww). amy isnt doctorified to the same extent as clara, so the narrative surrounding identity in the other differs.

elevenamy basically imprint on each other as children and tie themselves around that point of connection, they cant help but deify each other (they r cathyheathcliff). doctorclara (because eleven's relevant in this for a little bit) are tied together by missy (fate. prophecy. your sometimes-ex who thinks you'd get on really well with this brunette woman whos got problems. insult/compliment??) and then progressively become more and more like each other till they have to be cosmically separated. and they want to be like each other because theyre obsessed with each other, of course, but also because they think that it'll give them more control over everything.

amy leaves the doctor because shes convinced he'll always leave her so she needs to stay with her safety blanket backup husband so she never ever has to be alone again (and she'll never ever be lonely little amelia pond again). clara leaves (not really) twelve because of the aforementioned cosmic separation.

amy puts the doctor in her childrens book. twelve puts clara in a song.

lastly, i will always bat for twelveclara whenever wherever. but theyre good. theyre well-written and they crash and burn so beautifully. there's not much to say. elevenamy is so interesting firstly because theyve lived in my brain forever im normal like that, secondly because the writing gets so awkward at points that there's hundreds and millions of things to say. so i love them very much sorry to twelveclara.

[elderberries-and-honey]

hey idk if youve answered this but whats ur writing process like? im think of doing a story like decades challenge but ive never anything outside of gameplay really. also how far in advance do you plan is it like this gen or gens in the future? sorry for rambling

Hello! First, you don't ever have to apologize for rambling to me; I love a good ramble! And second, if you're wanting to do the decades challenge, I suggest going for it! It has really helped me find a medium to channel my love for writing and learn history along the way.

To answer your second question of how far in advance I plan, I do plan multiple generations at once. I have a basic outline from 1890 to the mid 1920's already planned out, and this includes Ozzy, Atticus and future children and most of the side characters as well like Beth, Millie and Valerie.

As for my process, it's a little more in-depth and I use a website called Milanote for note taking and tracking birthdays and Google Docs for a bigger spreadsheet and writing the story.

Sometimes I have the full scene already written out in advance, but most of the time, it will be few sentences to get the juices flowing or something I wrote down at a different time. I write small things all the time, like little pieces of dialogue, or a good prose that I don't want to forget.

I personally need to see what the scene will look like before I write it out. Mostly because if I write something, and then can't find a pose for it, I get frustrated. So I shoot the scene first, edit the photos, put them into a Tumblr draft, and then finish the writing with the photos there for me to look at. Lately, I've been taking a few photos and then the rest of the scene comes to me while I'm shooting, so I stop taking photos and write it down before I forget.

Anyway, once all the photos are taken and the first draft is finished, I copy and paste what I've just written into my Google Docs. From there, I let it do it's grammar / spell check thing (mostly because I have it set to British-English so I want to catch American spellings of things and change them for me), reread it and put it back into the draft on Tumblr.

After that, I read the scene outloud back to myself. This helps me catch any weird grammar errors that the computer missed, or any repetitive use of a word & then I replace them (I have an extension that looks for synonms for me). I also just feel reading it outloud back to yourself, helps you read it like it's a story vs you just like...saying what's happening, if that makes sense? Like if I'm finding myself bored just by saying it outloud, it will probably be boring to read.

I do this multiple times over before I decide I'm satisfied, and I usually do it one more time before I publish the post. After I like what I've written, I copy and paste that back into my Google Doc because I consider this "my hard copy".

There is also a lot more organization that goes into it than just this, so if you want to know how I organize things, I'd be happy to explain that as well. It's a lot of spreadsheets and notetaking, but you don't have to do that if you don't want to.

And, this is just what works for me, I can't stress that enough! Other people write the scene before they shoot, and that's perfectly fine too. My process has changed overtime and it's taken a bit of trial and error, but this is just what feels the most natural for me.

I hope this helps somewhat and isn't too overwhelming. You can always do more gameplay than writing if that's what works for you, or build a story with gameplay. So don't let this scare or intimidate you! Either way, good luck with your decades challenge!

[bluntz420x]

082223

Is old age catching up with you? i guess

Would you rather be hot or cold? cold. i can get warmer.

Can you sleep through thunderstorms? yes. sometimes i sleep deeper in a good rain.

What does it take to get you out of bed early (before 9 am)? there has to be a reason.

Ever spent the night in a tent? yes.

Is it ever okay for a woman to ask out a man? yeah dude, lol. if i didnt do that, i wouldnt have had more than half the relationships ive had.

Do people confide in you? yes. perhaps too much.

Ever been around someone who makes you feel stupid? sure. not in a while though.

How often do you use instant messenger? uh, on a computer, only when im working.

What do you call your grandparents? the only living one is gram. dedo and busia have passed.

What do you do when you have trouble falling asleep? read a book.

Have you ever cried while reading a book? LOL uh, i think so. i got choked up on the last one. the cat "dying" really made me sad.

How many college degrees do you want? none.

Where do you call home? the place where i live with my family.

Would you ever attend a black tie formal event? sure lol.

Do you like animals? mostly.

Have you ever written anything longer than 10 pages? yes. i used to write hella stories back in the day.

What do you wear to sleep? usually tee shirt and undies, but sometimes i wear some pajama pants, to avoid my legs sweating on each other and waking me up.

What do you look forward to most in the next 2 months? all this financial problem shit to be behind me.

How important is it for a significant other to be good with kids? its honestly not that important, but my husband already had a son coming into the relationship, so he needed to be a good dad otherwise i would have negatively judged him and we would not have been able to last nearly as long as we have lol.

Do you have anyone who is a surrogate parent/sibling to you? my cousin is more like my sister. i dont know anyone good enough to carry the mantle of surrogate parent. those people are usually transient in my life.

Ever fallen asleep sitting up? yeah lol. see the first question.

Can you snap your fingers? pretty soundlessly.

Can you wink? yes.

Do you wear a belt? nope.

Any jewelry in the room you’re in? probably lots, on humans.

What song explains how you feel about love? off the top of my head, i do not know.

Do you know how to play pool? What about foosball? i know how to do both, very vaguely, and if i happen to do well, i promise its a total fluke lol.

Have you ever finished reading an entire book in a day? yeah, maybe one time.

Ever known anyone who was a tomboy? yeah, me and my gang from 5th-7th grade lol.

What is something that begins with Z? Zebra. <- fair enough

What kind of person do you hope to be when you’re 35 years old? thats next year LOL. i like who i am now. i bet i will like who i am next year. might not be too different.

How many keys do you carry with you? one.

Have you ever been IN a wedding? yeah.

Does hardship make a person stronger? unfortunately yes.

What comes to mind when you think of pregnancy? ew. no thank you.

Have you ever attended a professional sporting event? yes.

What is your favorite brand of clothing? i dont follow brands.

Which do you value more, intellect or work ethic? i only care about someone's work ethic if i work with them. since i dont care to make more friends at my workplace, i value intellect.

Have you ever been covered in mud? probably not.

What U.S. cities have you not visited that you would like to visit? these cities arent special. if youve been to one, youve been to them all.

Which do you watch more, ESPN or MTV? MTV.

How well do you know the people you live with? very well.

Do you have any heroes? not really.

Ever been to a cabin on a mountain? yes. gorgeous. highly recommended.

Do you want to be married and have a family of your own later in life? i am married, i do not want my own babies, i met my stepson when he was 5. life has been fucking good to me, dude.

How hard is it for you to stay on task? LOL depends on the task.

Ever lost your voice? not really.

Do you take your time when making an important decision? i try to. its not always easy.

Could you handle being away from home for weeks at a time for your job? probably not.

Are you a cautious person? i try to be, but not too cautious.

Do you chew gum? not really.

Do you own any jerseys? nope.

Do you have a song stuck in your head? not currently.

Do you like your job? yeah its fine.

Is there anything worrying you right now? i guess im worried. more like just feeling negative about it, lol. worried implies idk how things are gonna turn out imo, and thats just not how i feel.

[mihai-florescu]

ngl I don't really wanna get into Enstars (because I feel like it will ruin my life) but GOD are some of them extremely gender??? Can they stop, please, I can't steal all of that gender at once

Theyre not only extremely gender, but they actually discuss this topic! Cuz you have Arashi who's a trans woman and i think her story is nicely done, but you also have some other characters who discuss the way they look and how they feel about it etcetc

[wangxianficrecs]

Follower Recs

Stories I haven’t read yet, but clearly need to put on my ever-expanding List.

~*~

Welcome back queen [Thank you, it’s so lovely to be back!] if ur still doing follower recs I gotta recommend I would wait for a thousand years by bleuett it’s soooooooo good

[This one was actually recced to me by two different people, the other of whom said, “ Maybe I'm crying a little so I feel like a should recommend ‘I would wait for a thousand years’ by bleuett on ao3.”]... it’s def. on my List!

I would wait for a thousand years

by bleuett (T, 10k, wangxian)

Summary:  During the worst of winter, a traveler comes to stay at Lan Wangji's inn. He wears a red ribbon in his hair.

“Do you see the rabbit?” Wei Ying asks and points at the moon. “That’s the moon rabbit, he helps make Chang’e more immortality elixir. He keeps Chang’e company.”

“I do not wish the rabbit for company,” Lan Wangji says tightly. “You are the one I want by my side.”

“And I’m here, Lan Zhan. If you go to the moon, I’ll follow you, I’ll always be here now.”

~*~

I just read a great fic by aisthuu "every love story is a ghost story", didn't see it in your recs so wanted to recommend it! LWJ is a guqin composer and teacher, buys a cheap guqin off eBay which ends up being attached to WWX's spirit from canon era. It's bittersweet, LWJ deals with Lan's homophobia (implicit in a Lan way) and his feelings towards the ghost. This is author's only ao3 fic and honestly I don't remember how I stumbled upon it, but I'm happy I did and hope you will enjoy it too!  [I’ve recently read this one, and loved it!]

every love story is a ghost story

by aisthuu (M, 59k, wangxian, my bookmark)

Summary:  The man is in Lan Zhan’s bed. Did they—he begins to wonder, eyes trailing to where the man’s body lies under the blanket. Had Lan Zhan—?

Then the sleep-fog clears and Lan Zhan realizes that the young man isn’t quite opaque around the edges.

“You’re a spirit.”

The spirit narrows its eyes. “I’m so much more than that.”

(Lan Zhan buys a guqin off eBay for a suspiciously low price, only to find that it’s haunted. And now there’s a ghost in his bed.)

~*~

Ok so I absolutely have to rec "see you yesterday" by glyphic. It's a wip, but it's currently at 101k so there's a whole lot there, and it's terrible and wonderful and beautiful all at once. The way the backstory of canon events is adapted to the modern-with-cultivation setting is brilliant, and then there's the amnesia, and then there's the time loop. This fic lives permanently rent-free in my brain.

see you yesterday

by glyphic (M, 101k, wangxian, WIP)

Summary:  

Wei Ying 21:09 hey lan zhan what’s the weirdest way youve died

Lan Zhan 21:11 Falling encyclopedias.

Wei Ying 21:12 omg no way that’s so rude turning books against you???

Lan Zhan 21:13 A betrayal I will never forget.

On Halloween night, an exiled demonic cultivator and a Lan disciple get stuck in a time-loop, find each other, and try to figure it all out.

~*~

If you are looking for recs for yourself I absolutely love (the complete!) story Just as the Snow Melts by draechali on AO3. It's a canon divergence where everyone lives, even WWX! ~ @airmidcelt

Just as the Snow Melts

by draechaeli (T, 67k, wangxian)

Summary:  Like a snowy mountain top in spring the residents of the Burial Mounds trickled down the mountain and joined the flow of society.

“I went to the Burial Mounds,” Lan WangJi said.

“Ah, yeah… I’m sorry Lan Zhan,” replied Wei WuXian, “I hadn’t thought anyone would come to visit. I am still not sure how it happened; I brought A-Yuan to Yiling to play by the river and then ended up somehow teaching a bunch of children swimming and writing along with him.”

~*~

Hello! It's come to my attention that you have not as yet read Grandmaster of Meme-onic Cultivation! Please do! It's the only thing that gave me joy during 2020 😆 like proper belly laughs and disney villain style cackling. It is a wip, and it is long but so so worth it!! The author has reworked the entire canon through these message crystals and still conveys complex characters despite the tricky format. It's just so good!! Highly highly recommend it! ❤ ~ @theladypeartree  [Oh!  I’ve been subscribed to this one, and know that @swaglexander-the-great is a reliable provider of Hilarity, so I’m excited for it to be finished!]

Grandmaster of Meme-onic Cultivation 

by Hades_the_Blingking (T, 49k, wangxian, WIP)

Summary:  The Untamed universe is exactly the same, except everybody has magical crystals that have a suspiciously familiar messaging system. The story is pretty much the same as the show, except everyone lives!! (so minor changes).

or in which Wei WuXian tries his darndest to date Lan Zhan, Jiang Cheng possibly has a aneurysm, Jin ZiXuan is still the most awkward human alive, and Xue Yang makes me write some VERY cursed things. Written in chatfic format! :3

~*~

Chomrafy on AO3 deserves love and encouragement; she’s written a body of compact, poetic, and eloquent shortfics each of which can stand alone, but that comprise an intricately cross-referential and mostly internally-consistent universe. They’re grouped as chapters in works according to theme; for example, “in cupped hands” focuses upon Jin Ling and his second-generation baggage; “Departure in Autumn” portrays the last years of WWX’s first life. Follow the tag “Chomrafy’s MDZS shortfics.” [I don’t see this tag?]

in cupped hands

by chomrafy (G, 2k, wangxian)

Summary:  Of secrets, of futures, of love. A Jin Ling-centric collection of 200-word fics.

Ch.1: Jin Ling repays a debt (JL, JC, & WWX). Ch.2: Jin Ling and a ghost in the mirror. (JL & JYL) Ch.3: A matter of friends (JL & the other kids) Ch.4: In this house we don't keep dogs (JC & WWX) Ch.5: In the end, he remains silent (JL & uncles) Ch.6: A first night hunt, of sorts (JL & the other kids) Ch.7: Jin Ling, forgiving, forgetting (JL & LXC & JGY) Ch.8: Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling argue (JL, JC, & WWX) Ch.9: Jin Ling and his father (JL & JC) Ch.10: Jin Ling speaks up (JL, JC, & WWX) Ch.11: Jin Ling and a piece of home (JL, JC, & WWX)

Departure in Autumn

by chomrafy (not rated, 6k)

Summary:  Four perspectives. A steady march to the end.

Ch.1: Because if anything happens to them, Wen Qing would never be able to heal with these hands again. Ch.2: As long as this is still home, Jiang Yanli will wait as long as she needs to. Ch.3: Five times Jiang Cheng reaches for Wei Wuxian, one time he turns away. Ch.4: Whether the road is broad or narrow, bright or dark, they would have to keep walking. Wei Wuxian digs Wen Qing's grave.

~*~

Hello, hope all is going well. I don't have an ask, by I do have a recommendation. I read this fic a while ago and found it again. I just wanted to recommend this for everyone. Let me know what you think please. Thank you. [Oh!  This one’s in my To Read list, but  I’d forgotten about it.  Mmmm, fox!wwx and dragon!lwj.]

Ten miles of Lotus Flowers

by Yukirin_Snow

M, 274k, wangxian

Summary:  He was a mischievous fox spirit, wreaking havoc where he went, about to depart on a journey that would span centuries.

He was a heavenly prince, a proud dragon destined to ascend the throne to become emperor.

Neither expected their paths to collide over the span of three lives.

~*~

I forgot if it was your blog 😥 that recommended “Bestseller” (when Wei Wuxian writes the Xianxia cut-sleeve equivalent of Fifty Shades of Grey, based entirely on his experiences with Lan Wangji, he doesn’t expect it to become the next big hit) (https://archiveofourown.org/works/21528316/chapters/51318766)

But OMG IT WAS HILARIOUS!!! I LOVED IT!! And if it wasn’t your blog, I’m so sorry for how weird this sounds 😭😭😭😭 I just loved this fic so much that I have to tell it to someone 😢 [It’s on my List, but I haven’t read it yet!]

Bestseller

by pupeez4eva

M, 8k, wangxian

Summary:  He had written the book to prove a point. It was never supposed to be a big thing, and he certainly never intended for everyone — Jiang Cheng, Zewu-Jun, the Juniors, literally everyone— to be reading about his sex life.

Oh God, he definitely needed to make sure Lan Zhan didn’t find out about this.

(Or, when Wei Wuxian writes the Xianxia cut-sleeve equivalent of Fifty Shades of Grey, based entirely on his experiences with Lan Wangji, he doesn’t expect it to become the next big hit).

~*~

I’d like to rec On Your Marks, Get Set, Bake! by @blackwiresgrowonherhead

It’s one of my absolute favorites and I laughed out loud so many times when reading it

on your marks, get set, bake!

by BlackWiresOnHerHead

G, 41k, wei wuxian & juniors

Summary:  Jin Ling resumes thumping on the door to room 721, and the small collection of freshmen starts chanting “Senior Wei! Senior Wei! Senior Wei!” with increasing volume until finally Wei Wuxian opens the door.

“Yes?” he says with his widest, most innocent eyes.

“Senior Wei!” demands Lan Jingyi, shoving himself to the front of the group. “Why didn’t you tell us you’re a contestant on this year’s season of The Great Gusu Bake Off?!?”

--

Several months ago, college student Wei Wuxian secretly competed in the most popular reality show in the country. The show starts airing in the fall. The freshmen in his dorm collectively lose their minds.

~*~

If you're in the mood for v. short ridiculous fun fic, may I suggest My chain hits my chest/When I'm bangin' on the radio by x_los It's 2k modern cultivators AU, featuring WWX calling LWJ's sword Bitchin' [omg I’m laughing so hard] and I think it's more fun going in blind?

My chain hits my chest/When I'm bangin' on the radio

by x_los

T, 2k, wangxian

Summary:  Lan Wangji finds he doesn't even need to call for help for Wei Wuxian to come running.

[engagemachine]

Hey :) same anon from before, I think thats so cute for their first valentines day as an official couple! I have to ask because you know him best, would he humor her and maybe even do a lil something for her too? Or do you think he'd never be caught dead showing someone affection on that holiday? Idk I just want Taylor happy and I love love Love those beautiful moments when Mr. J loves on her. I live for it. Taylor getting butterflies gives me butterflies lol. Also, I write fanfics myself (nowhere near as amazing as anything youve created of course ) but like if I did a tribute fic does that make you happy? Or do you feel that that kind of makes them out of character? I just don't want to step on your toes or like veer off from the personality and dynamic you have given them and their relationship. I've thought about doing it for so long, If not though I TOTALLY understand! She's yours and I could only hope to capture those two the way you do.

Omg anon... please... this ask just made my entire day. 😍

Okay, first thing, because this excites me the most: YES, you can write a tribute fic and I'd LOVE that. I've got several fics written by friends/other readers lined up in the proverbial queue, however, all of them are scenes that take place in a more "advanced" stage of Taylor and J's relationship, which is why they have not been posted yet. But they're absolutely amazing, and I do not say that lightly. One of my readers (who is new to the Joker and new to writing) writes the Joker better than I do. I swear I read her fic all the time in an effort to try and capture the same essence that she managed to. It's a one-shot told entirely from the Joker's POV (a "missing" scene from JK) and it's just flat-out phenomenal. It's also the darkest thing I've ever read -- darker than anything that even I've written, so I have to preface that story by saying it's not for the faint of heart, and it'll make you hate the Joker (as you should).

And another wonderful and amazing friend of mine is like a machine the way she pumps out fic after fic. She's got several in progress and a couple that have already been finished, and man, I just adore her writing. She really understands both Taylor and the Joker, as well as the ins and outs of their unique dynamic. I've never seen anyone do Taylor justice like this reader has. It's like reading my own writing, which is totally wild!

ANYWAY, all of that is to say that I am more than happy to read a tribute fic -- I just ask that you allow me to read it privately first, if at all possible (and only if has to do with Burn -- if it's a tribute fic for Clockwork or JK, projects that are already finished -- then I have no problem with that being posted straight away). The reasoning for this is that I have a loooot of stuff coming up in Burn, and I don't want to have certain milestones in their relationship "spoiled" for readers before I can reach them in Burn, if that makes sense.

But yes, please, please, pleaaaaase write a fic! Also, you don't even have to share it with others if you don't want to, I was just working under the assumption that you did, but of course you don't have to if that makes you uncomfortable or if you'd just rather keep it private. But do know that my readers would love whatever you have to share, and I have some of the most lovely and supportive readers out there. FOR REAL.)

Okay now back to your Valentine's Day question: the Joker's so volatile, so it's always hard to account for his behavior in any sort of way that's definitive (it just depends on his mood, what he aims to gain from said interaction, etc.) but I think (as he is wont to do) he'd humor her in this particular instance. He's not going out of his way to do anything for her, most likely -- not unless it's something that's going to humiliate her (like, um, buying her something she'd be way too embarrassed to wear or use... if ya catch my drift) -- but he'd definitely be hamming it up for her as she fawns over him and dotes on him. Maybe she's even getting him to watch a romantic movie with her, mostly as an excuse to cuddle on the couch -- but then she chooses the Titanic not realizing she's gonna be sobbing like a baby at the end, and now her make-up's all ruined and she's sad, but at least Mr. J is rubbing her back while she cries into his chest.

She's probably wailing about how she's ruined their romantic night in, and he just pats her back with a chuckle and tells her he can think of a few ways to salvage their "date".

[tsukidrama]

j anon ♡

the coolest mf on the planet sent me a review of my most favorite fic i've ever written. i ended up breaking it up for ease of reading as we both ramble more than usual (this is not an issue, you know how i love to talk)

links:

cold hands, cold heart part 2 [nsfw]

(and also part 1 too just in case)

i didn't want the ask to leave my inbox because i've been rereading this every day recently 🥺 you're amazing, can i just say that?

IM LITERALLY SOO GAYY FOR WRITING THAT QLDHEKSJ AND SO ARE YOU FOR THOSE BEIN UR FAVORITE PARTS IWLEUKJDS. seriously though, thank you!! i don't even know how to properly respond to this i just start kicking my little legs happily. the imagery rly is what pulls you into the story 😩 ngl i wrote this so that i would know what it felt like to be there with her in that moment but it's sooo endearing and sweet to hear other people's reactions to reading it, especially for the emotional aspects and not just the steamy bits. omg j, the experience of being understood 💕

oh damn yeah i see why you say that! it's the heavy visual imagery and the association with the moon, too. it makes me feel so 🥰 to know that somebody is out there and making connections between my different works 🥺 that's so personal and i love you so much for it holy shit.

and thank you for the validation too, i feel so seen!! exactly! all the details are essential to the plot and to the experience i'm describing, it literally could not have been shorter. hell, if anything, i could have made it longer.

NONO ITS NOT DUMB AT ALL OMFG THIS IS HONESTLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE COMMENTS YOUVE EVER MADE! LMAO I HAD TO GIVE IT IT'S OWN SPOTLIGHT WLKEJHWKDJF I AGREE SO HARD! in canon there is no way in hell that they'd have the time or care to make sure their pubes are shaved. i dont like when people give them hairless pussies, i know it's not that deep but i feel strongly about it qjsnemmddn

in my humble personal opinion, Annie would TOTALLY have a bush anyway. always, even in modern AUs. lmao she doesn't give a fuck, and anybody that would take issue with that just wouldn't get anywhere near her pussy to begin with! also pubes are sexy, i said what i said. it's like a welcome mat yknow? soft and inviting.... honey,, i'm home!

YEP THATS IT THATS THE FIC. that's the best way anyone has ever summed up the central point as well as "Annie opened up and gave herself to reader while still holding back deep down". yowch! my heart hurts.

hnmng... yeah. hehe. wouldn't you just die? every single time i reread that scene it still has the same effect of like, needing to hide and bury my face away lololol. why thank you! i do my best to try to do realistic smut in general, it makes me feel closer to them.

GIRL.... you're over here like "does this make sense???" and i'm over here shrieking and dancing because this is like,,, what i've always thought about the fic. nobody but one other friend and my literal wife has ever pointed out to me that they don't think the story is just about sex. like yeah obv they fuck so in that regard it is, but it's not about getting laid. it's about a genuine moment of connection between Annie and somebody who has a very pure love for her, even if it is to the point of naievity. especially if it's to the point of naievity.

they care about each other so much :') it takes a lot to make her cold heart melt (pun intended)... i guess i got you too! aHA caught you slippin ;))

thank you 🥺💕💕 like yeah it's just fanfic but it was also a character study, and my only way of giving a fictional character the love and gentleness that i feel she deserves 💕 I LOVE HER SOOO MUCCHHH 🥺😵

girl stoppp that's such a mood. you should see my drafts. recently i wrote the phrase "in the barn" three times all in the same sentence, it made me cackle. while writing I jus let the spirit flow thru me...... and then i edit like a madwoman to make sure that it's not chickenscratch gobbledygook because it often is at first. lmao i'm not always as well-spoken as people seem to think.

i think that the awkwardness is actually essential! especially since it's their first time. but like i was saying earlier about liking things to be realistic: when having sex, soemtimes you accidentally get trapped in an awkward angle, or slip and smack your partner in the face. it's messy and wet and sweet and funny, and my goal is for my writing to reflect that.

drljlakjdfh like a wwe match 😂 positions are important and worth describing in my opinion! i'm glad you don't think it's too much though, sometimes i worry that it is.

yesssssss kldjfhkaj thank you!!! for the millionth time thank you! hheheh i love the gentle and sweet talking during smut, it means everything to my soft heart. shockingly i haven't written more smut for Annie (it's because i loooooove her it's so EMBARRASSING actually! I used to be smut queen) but i swear to god just u wait until i post more and you see how consistent i am with reader doing things that she likes.... reader remembers.... and do i seem like the kind of person who is going leave my beloved princess and the queen of my LIFE unsatisfied??? i'd die first

I LOVED IT!! sorry i took a while to post my response though! i went back and forth between not wanting to publish it at all (literally i want it in my ask box forever i can never let go) and then being too overwhelmed by my feels to respond coherently akljfdhlasjd I just have a lot to say and so many feelings, I MISS YOU BTW

[yakocchi]

FALL in Love with the Prince (Royal Garden) // Voiced Mini Stories

youve heard of spring, but what about fall wow innovative wait what happened to summer Luckily, this event is coinciding with the first few days of the election, so at least scoring high in this event isn’t a complete waste. tho the social election is essentially just a clout contest for ballad fans and then some... so maybe it is kind of a waste 

ok but i don’t understand why the reqs to get each mini prince are so high. like the highest singular prize is at 3300, but to get one mini prince you need to give the chara 1200. 1200*8 characters = 9600 to get them all??? that’s just bad calculus. they look dumb by themselves too so excuse me staff-

Translations behind the cut!

Glenn (CV. Ishikawa Kaito)

[G]: “If you’re talking ‘painting’, it’s quite difficult to do. There’s the profundity of it, and also maintaining artistic balance...” [G]: “B-Because I’m not saying that I’m bad at it, really! Don’t get the wrong idea, all right?” [G]: “It’s just that when it comes to autumn, it’s known as the season of the arts... That’s just a bit of my train of thought there.” [G]: “I, for a little bit, particularly studied the arts to that extent... N-Never mind, forget it.”

There’s an expression (and Glenn uses it here):「芸術の秋」”autumn of the arts” (or “autumn is for the fine arts”).  To put it very briefly, this concept was popularized back in the 1900s from government-sponsored art exhibitions that became a fall tradition over the years.

Zain (CV. Hirakawa Daisuke)

[Z]: “If you are to discuss ‘autumn’, what do you like about it?” [Z]: “Huh?... Fine art, you say?” [Z]: “Right now, are you not thinking about food instead?” [Z]: (laughs) “’How do you know that’? It is written all over your face, you know.” [Z]: “You are truly easy to read. Then, shall we go and have some delicious food together?”

Joshua (CV. Namikawa Daisuke)

[J]: “Your tennis skills have improved from before.” [J]: “That is all thanks to my guidance?” [J]: “...I-Is that so?” [J]: “That may be so, but your technical skill has still a long way to go.” [J]: “From this moment on, I shall continue guiding you with great vigor!”

Edward (CV. Okitsu Kazuyuki)

[E]: “Are you willing to show me the kite design you have made?” [E]: “Since it is the autumn of the arts, after all...” [E]: “The infinite potential that you have hidden inside the painting on this canvas— it simply will not let go of my interest on it.” [E]: “As I had thought, you are not simply just my partner—” [E]: “But also as my exclusive designer, your existence is a one of a kind.”

Keith (CV. Kondo Takashi)

[K]: “If we’re talking ‘fall’, it’s gotta be wine!” [K]: “...Jeez, are you drunk already?” [K]: “What’s wrong? If you want me to kiss you, then how about you try and do it yourself...?” [K]: “Pfft, you did pretty well, didn’t ya? Here’s your reward.” (kisses)

Roberto (CV. Kimura Ryohei)

[R]: “Alriiight, let’s have our fill of the ‘autumn of appetites’!” [R]: “’Cause even more than a dinner at a 3-star restaurant— to me, you’re the best meal I could ever have.” [R]: “...I won’t let you escape from me, you know?” [R]: “Mangiamo~!”

「食欲の秋」”Autumn of Appetites” (aka autumn is the season to get ur grub on) is another phrase but u probably didn’t need me to tell u that lol cookin like a chef im a five three-star michelin honestly surprised the writers know that a fancy restaurant is 3 stars but maybe im just the dumb dumb that didn’t know that until like a few years ago. rip

Wilfred (CV. Sakurai Takahiro)

[W]: “If we’re on the topic of autumn, one would expect reading, right?” [W]: “The nights are long and quiet, so you can make quite some progress... one would assume that, however—” [W]: “Unexpectedly, I end up thinking about unrelated things, like ‘what are you doing right now?’” [W]: “Nowadays, I feel like my reading is slowing down.”

Yakov (CV. Yasumoto Hiroki)

[Y]: “Autumn is the most ideal season for hunting.” [Y]: “But, although I can predict the movement of any animal,” [Y]: “When it comes to only your thoughts, I cannot predict such.” [Y]: “You are the one and only woman who can entertain me.”

phew hope everything on here made it ok. boring rl story but I’ve been out of power for essentially 20+ hours today so that was... something. you know those times where you regret not having those useful-in-niche-situations stuff like portable chargers yea that was the day all right

[latetaektalk]

content creator year in review

tagged by: @luvdsc @yeojaa @gamerkooks thanks to all of you 💖

first creation and most recent creation of 2020: 

unspoken rules is my first creation of 2020 and i honestly i cringe so hard thinking about this one sadf like, i feel like it was so obvious that i had literally no idea what i was doing and was just writing for the sake of writing something? i dont know. not a fan of that fanfic asdfad

my most recent creation would be my love to hate you series

one of your favorite creations from 2020: 

even though i would change a few things now, it definitely has to be after i left you! ive never written such a long fic and in such a short time too!! my baby really

a creation you’re really proud of: 

i mean id say after i left you again, but i think aside from that one, im also really proud of my love to hate you series! its gonna be a long series and the fact that i havent lost motivation yet, really surprises me,, so im really proud of myself for that

a creation that took you forever:  

oh definitely how to love,, i put it on hiatus almost right away after posting it... still passionate abt the idea and premise of the fic tho. definitely gonna rewrite that fic!!

a creation from 2020 that received the most notes:  

my baby, after i left you !!

a creation you think deserved more notes:  

uh i dont know honestly? but i think if i had to name one of my fics, it’d be my the one that got away fic maybe. like, i also cringe reading that one, but i think some parts are actually good

a new fandom you joined and a creation you made for it:  

wouldnt say i joined the nct fandom because i had been listening to them since their debut, but i definitely did get into them more this year. and so far ive only written two-ish pieces for them: the one that got away and how to love

a creation you made that breaks your heart:  

hm, i guess the one that got away because i was feeling very sad when i was writing that,, 

a ‘simple’ creation that you really love:  

i dont know, but i guess the one that got away fic is my most simple fic? its just friends to lovers, but aside from that one (because i think ive mentioned that fic about twenty times now), i would say my break up with me series

a creation that was inspired by another one:  

hm, i guess my love to hate you series is kinda inspired by after i left you because i really wanted to write a proper fake dating au after that one!

a favorite creation created by someone else:  

oh my god, i have soo many and im sure im forgetting a few fics, but here are some that i still think about on a daily basis and why i love them so much:

reasons to say i love you by @onherwings​

probably has one of the best twists ever,, like i still remember how shocked i was when i got the ending and how i had to put down my phone and think for a second becuase oh my god. a+ angst really!

dumbing down of love, b-side and ellipsism by @luvdsc​

look, ddol is a romcom in story form, period. like, i laughed and screamed while reading it. b-side just took my heart and smashed it!! ellipsism... just broke me honestly sadfsf like i have a love-hate realtionship with that story because god, it is so well written and completely blew my mind, but on the other hand, it genuinely hurts so much

if not forever by @cosmoguk​

genuinely so in love with this drabble! i felt so much while reading it and im so sorry lira i havent gotten around to reviewing it properly because god, this drabble deserves so much love!

maybe so by @joonary​

the dialogue is hands down some of the best ive ever read!! and in general, im really in love with the relationship between the characters and the characters themselves,, its really such a great and fleshed out story!!

roseraie, they don’t love you like i love you by @yeojaa​

roeraie just hurts on a whole new level,, god, i kinda hate jungkook in this story asfasd they dont love you like i love you is kinda the opposite tho!! not only is the fic really well written (but everything by erin is so), the couple is also super interesting and fun- ugh, just go read it

primroses by @softguks​

crushed my heart. pulverised it. smashed it into tiny little pieces,, i genuinely have no words for this fic except read it because this is a masterpiece and will absolutely leave you in tears

for heartache by @sketchguk

this story just made me feel some type of way. i cant really describe it or put it into words,, reading this just made me sad in a way i cant describe? but in the best way possible,, the greatest fic to read right now!!

sun & moon by @ppangjae

you want a good fake dating au and enemies to lovers au? you read this one!! this wont disappoint, trust me. (i know i havent reviewed this properly yet, but i will get around to it!!)

hm i just realised this kinda turned into a fic rec list, but whatever i dont care,, all of the writers/stories deserve so much love so!!

some of your favorite content creators from the year:  

honestly everyone i just mentioned and everyone ive reblogged on my fic recs blog. 

and for good measure, another couple more creations of yours that you love:  i think ive mentioned almost everything on my masterlist except love of my list and goodnight, so here!! go check out those two fics, do gotta say i cringe at both of them

tagging: i think most people have already done this, so im honestly not sure who im gonna tag? but here a few people whose answers id be really interested in! if youve done it already, sorry! @masterninjacow @cosmoguk @onherwings @dreamiesdotcom @joonary @gyukult @cafemiya @ppangjae

[blue-bird-lamentation]

this the story post: melohax[.]tumblr[.]com/post/639167543643340800/warning-spoilers-ahoy-only-read-this-if-youve the game has like so many secret scenes it shocked me

Thank you so much for the link!!!

I really liked reading it. I tried to skip the hikikomori route part as I will try to calmly play it, but I‘ve read a few and, as a person who saw that seen of a man trying to cut a tree and saying “you’re not my son” it intrigued me a lot what kind of information I will get from there.

I’m still puzzled and still didn’t try to see what would happen if I collected the wrong letters and if I has opened the door to Mari.

I went far on this answer and wrote a lot of random topics that are also mentioned in that post and other things I remembered too. It’s still too messy, but my memory is fresh and I decided to write about what I was thinking, even if not organized. Sorry for using your ask, but I was inspired by the link, which I think it’s a very interesting reading. I’m also sorry for the mistakes and I may come back later to correct them. There are so many fascinating things in the game, and so many others I haven’t yet explored, besided I feel good writting all of this as it is kind of asfixiating to thing about it and not having anyone to discuss it with.

This game was a rollercoaster. I knew from the begining that the cute artstyle and the pastel colours in the begining were deceiving, especially when you start in a weird whitespace room and take a knife. Omori as a black and white coloured character among the other paster colours also felt weird.

One really interesting comment I received from my brother when he watched me playing a bit, in a fight, was  “oh your character is the real neutral one, the others seem happy” while all of them were in neutral mode. Also his happy expression was scary and he was the one who got to maniac aside from villains (at least for me). The fact he has a knife intrigued me a lot if I should really fight but at first it looked like there were no consequences (aside from feeling tremendously bad for being called bunny killer. Also about these little enemies, it’s interesting how many of them were bunnies when the person we find who has a bunny is Aubrey, which is also the girl from the group that is now “against us”, at least most of the time in the real world).

Also about the knife, there are two other moments that totally hit me:

- the suicide in whitespace, which could foreshadow his suicide in some routes, but is also the means to wake up;

- Kel and Aubrey in the real world who call us out for bringing a knife, which, since the begining, was the correct thing to do.

I really wonder a lot about his family and their decisions.

It’s been 4 years. I wonder if Sunny’s mom ever put him into some kind of therapy, I wonder if her absence was on purpose because she wanted him to say goodbye to his old friends one last time. I wonder if Kel’s visit wasn’t a coincidence. I wonder if Hero coming back was also part of a last chance to bring Sunny back. I don’t know if the other route answers it, but seeing the notes and messages that mother leaves, she seems to be worried about him. I would say a mix of worry and fear, so there must be some strong reason why she’s not there besides going to buy some furniture or whatever.

Saying this, I think only Sunny’s parents know more or less what happened, but not from their son’s mouth, from autopsy report perhaps. The house was adapted to the changes: no family picture, as opposed to what I saw in Kel’s house (and I wonder if it’s only because of Mari or also with his father too as described by the cutting tree scene. I had thought this was directed to Omori and not to Sunny, but this is also part of the dream realm, so it could be Sunny’s interpretation to the end of his parents marriage which was related to Mari’s death), Mari’s bed is gone (which made the scene when she knocks the door even creepier. I never got to open the door because I was scared, but I’m also curious). Also about the 4 years,  I liked the detail of the 4th floor sign in Last Resort, which was resting there on the floor, as the number is also cursed because it symbolizes death.

I find fascinating how the complexity of the situation is represented in the dream world. His team is composed by his old friends, which are human. Mari and Basil are also human but they weren’t totally present. Mari is the safe point and overprotective of Omori, but she is also the element who encourages him to face his fears. As he faces his fears, he unravels more information about what he repressed, also helped by the presence of the blackspace Basil. But it’s ironic as the more he unravels, the more corrupted the story seems to evolve, but also the more they lose the main purpose of rescuing Basil, which is more evident in the deeper well.

I believe the human figures are the most important to him, and then there are the elements that combine real world figures with fantasy, as the candyshop girl and the fiction space boyfriend. Each story is fascinating but it also makes you lose focus on what you were supposed to do. And in my case, there was a point where I just wanted to wander around in these stories because I was to afraid to face the real story that was masked by this fictional colourful world.

These olde friends represent perhaps what Sunny never wanted to have lost, but also what he does not want to face.

When Sunny woke up in the hospital, I first followed the kids, and no, that wasn’t the right path. That was the safe path, where there is no confrontation with reality. As it was when Sunny was with company. I think it is Aubrey who says he doesn’t like to be alone, and well, that was me the whole game, imploring to not be left alone, because once the character was alone, his world seemed to be corrupted by the black space, which was also a stepping stone to reach the truth, the dark truth.

And I really like how this is all Sunny’s mental effort, which, I would say, it’s helped by him leaving his house and meeting his friends once again, as well as facing Basil one more time.

I was really sad with how the story developed. What started I was assuming it was a facing your fears story, transformed into an overcoming someone’s death, which at first I thought it would be Basil’s, to go to Mari (which was a total mystery to me why had she died (my ingenuity believed it could have been some traffic accident or something else) at first), to go to save Basil again, but now with some dark remarks about the character himself. In the middle of this development, first time the character wakes up, it is clear that the dream world character is not the same as the real world one, age wise, but is part of him.

I had written that at first I was reluctant about the fights, but well, they were necessary to me to face the villains of each arc. But at the same time thery were never too difficult (I think the most difficult part to me was to be strong enough for the Dino Dig and the rest was pretty easy). When, at the end Sunny had to face Omori I was shocked. So, the guy I had been training which was very seemingly sadistic, did I simply train him so that if Sunny wanted to face his trauma, he would hunt him with his strenght? Like the stronger I made him, ther bigger the reluctance to overcome the past. And while this sadistic character seems to be what I would compare to a Chara in Undertale, to me it was the harsh self conscious, critical part of him who could never forgive for what he had done. And which was also manifested as the monster surrounding him and Basil. It was their perception that what they had done was unforgivable, but at the same time neither of them wanted to carry that burden alone: Sunny “forgot” it, Basil manifests it by making those toxic remarks like “you aren’t going to leave me alone again, are you?”.

I don’t know if we get to see more of Basil’s backstory but he also got me curious. I think that what both of them did was bad, but given what happened between Sunny and Mari, it was really hard to know how to face it. I don’t think it makes them willingly villains, but scared children who were very self conscious and didn’t know what would happen if people found it out.

However, hadn’t Basil been there, Sunny would have been found right away next to Mari’s corpse. So I wonder what led Basil to propose such idea and to make Sunny’s burden heavier, which made him ambiguity of his disappearance with the will to save him as a friend.

I don’t think it was an ill intention, but Basil created excuses to protect Sunny because he was important to him and to the group. As the photo album showed, Sunny was the younger element, seen as the baby of the group, and he was shy, but he loved his friends even if he looked the most expressionless.

I think these elements awoke in him the need to protect Sunny from the darkness that lied ahead his actions, but he didn’t realise how heavy of a burden that would be. At the same time he probably had some issued regardin expectations and self worth which probably told him that they could never be tied to such a cruel action, even if it was accidental.

In my perspective he didn’t see the dark shadow surrounding Sunny at the time, but he engraved the memory as an act not commited by Sunny but by something surrounding him, pretty much like when he started attacking him at the end.

I like to think that, good ending wise, the malevolent side, Omori is not necessarily a potential evil that was always within Sunny, but the self guilt and lack of self worth. The fact the Sunny wouldn’t leave the house and didn’t even take good care of his health shows it. He is self destructive, because guilt consumes him, not a person who needs to apply suffering in the outter world for his own satisfaction. The whole struggle is within Sunny and not ot become a bad person per se.

Some of Basil’s dialogue was too much for me, mainly when he kept repeating for Sunny to not leave him. However I totally understand why. Sunny covered the what had happened while Sunny had to live those years knowing what they had done, as if he was the only one carrying the burden.

It’s a real complicated story where everyone was the victim.

It was so hard to see how sad and angry Aubrey was, and how she had to make new friends to overcome, how alone she was all the time. How Kel kept being such a good person, however had to move away because he didn’t know how to face the others, afraid of being misinterpreted. Hero’s pictures with Mari break me everytime. “A match made in heaven” Basil had written in the description of one of the photos. The fact that he is the element in the group that cooks, but 4 years later he had given up. The fact he can’t face Mari’s grave. The way Kel describes his struggle over Mari’s death. The way he didn’t make new friends in college, although he says it was lack of time. Basil is completely broken and can’t even touch the camera anymore and tries to “destroy” the old memories, which Aubrey discovers. Sunny’s parents, as their life turned upside down. And probably everyone around was too afraid to know how to act around them.

I really like how despite everything, the human figure that Sunny creates of Mari is forgiveful and so cheerful. Mari is such a good influence that wants to help him overcome the trauma for himself (especially when she helps him overcoming the fear of drowning and calls him Sunny for the first time. The ways she asked for his forgiveness for pushing him so hard into playing the recital. It is still part of Sunny’s dream but it’s so in Mari’s character. I believe this part is also connected to the scene where we see her saving Sunny in the real world).

I will end this text here. I will eventually come back to it, and to the omori tag, because this is certainly a very good game with a lot of space for debate and reflection.

[yeoldontknow]

Do you have any advice about writing? For new people that post on this platform 💗

Do you have any advice on writing? Because your writing style is so flowey and overall AMAZING. just a starter writer here that needs tips and advice to start a blog. Thank you💗

hey there! welcome to tumblr! its so lovely that youre thinking about writing and joining the community. thats so exciting! im uncertain if you mean writing like...in general just writing, or if you mean posting your writing? it feels like in both cases its more blog creation and getting the work out there than it is writing? 

i will say - thank you for these wonderful compliments to my style! this is so sweet i am so so happy you enjoy my writing (in the case of the second ask) however the first and most important bit of advice i could give anyone is ~

=> do not try to write like anyone other than yourself. its true the more you read the more your vocabulary grows, the more you get inspired, the more you will experiment with ‘voice’ in your writing. and thats good! thats how you develop your own style. the more you write the more your voice gets honed, your style develops.

if you try to write like someone else it might feel fine at first, but honestly thats not sustainable. you are starting to write because you have a story to tell, and no one can tell that story as you can. if someone else were to do it, yes it could be the same plot and same narrative, but the experience of being in that world and the interacting between the characters will be wildly different. no one can tell a story as you can, so honor your own style. it does not exist anywhere else but in you. 

but yeah as for creating a blog and posting your writing i really think its easy to get caught up in the notion of notes and followers, especially here. the only places ive ever written fic are here, livejournal way back when that was a thing, and AO3. and the only site where ive seen a focus on follower count or note count has been here. so keep the following in mind: everyone starts at 0 followers. 

ive been here for three years and while i can say, yeah, notes and followers are nice - there is no logical reason behind those numbers so its best to ignore them. someone can follow you and unfollow you - and that is fine because thats a choice entirely up to them. it is out of your control. sometimes tags dont work so less people might see your story. that is out of your control. sometimes one story does really well note wise and the other doesnt gain as much traction - yet another thing out of your control. 

these are numbers you have absolutely no power over, so they do not deserve to control your power. the more you feed into the metrics and the stats, the less fun writing becomes. so please, please, dont walk into posting your blog with the hope of achieving some number that an algorithm decides. post your stories for fun. because they make you happy. 

ive found that writing on tumblr is a direct experience of the quote ‘if you build it they will come.’ i am by no means an enormously large blog, but over time ive carved out a community of readership and everyone in it makes me insanely happy. just write to have a good time. people will sense that energy and come and read and they, too, will have a good time with you.

and another bit for starting your blog - if you want to start, just start! like really, it is that simple. if youre wanting this, then youve kind of already decided for yourself that you want to be here, in the fandom, sharing the ideas in your head. and that, more than anything, is a powerful experience. i think, for me at least, writing fanfiction is a method of connecting with my inner child; any hobby is a method of play, and we are happier and healthier as people when we do the things we want to do. if you want this, do it. trust me, it will makes you so happy. 

when it comes to posting your works, theres some general advice thats good too. make sure you warn adequately for triggers; tag your story well so it can be found in searches. joining networks is a great way to get your work out there AND to make some friends. every network ive ever been in has a discord or a kkt group chat and some of my closest friends have been found through those networks. 

the rest youll learn over time. the more you write, the more you interact (as with anything, what you put out is what you will receive), the more you spend time growing into the site, your blog will change and evolve and your writing/posting style will change. again some things cant change - again, warning for triggers, ensuring people can see your word count and the pairing, etc - but youll figure out how you want things to look as you go. that, too, is the fun of writing.

good luck! and have fun!

[pocmuzings]

i know youve answered this in the past and if you dont know any thats fine but do you have any group recs cause im desperate and the tags are so clogged

i do answer this every now and then , but im happy to look for fresh stuff ! as always , check out my REC TAG bc that has some REALLY AMAZING looking things . but i’ve scoured the tags and below are some other rps ive found that get my stamp of approval and look particularly amazing ( good work to all of u !!! )

 @outsidehq : they’re in my rec tag but honestly they deserve another shoutout . the WORK they have put in . it just immerses you straight away into the world and the plot . this is a god damn INCREDIBLE rp , and u guys know i love horror rps but i literally am SO BLOWN AWAY by this one in particular ! couldn’t rec them more !

@effectfm : looks awesome ! until dawn is making a comeback and i LOVE IT ! they’re primarily based on discord i think , but genuinely i have big love for them and their google doc with all the information is thorough and amazing , so even if u’ve never played the game - you totally will know what its about and whats happening ! great job to them , and the writing is fantastic !

@woodshorehq : is genuinely one of the prettiest , most aesthetically pleasing rps ive seen in a hot second like holy SHIT i am OBSESSED with the main ? i’m not usually a multifandom person AT ALL so this just goes to show how amazing the rp looks because i’d genuinely join in a heartbeat ! fantastic work to them , they have converted me !!!

@opalshq​ : what a fucking incredibly extensive , detailed , well thought out rp and plot and process ! this is fantastic looking dark academia rp , and honestly the standards have been lifted just looking and reading over everything ! wow ! im semi biased but also not because this should be everyone’s latest obsession !!!! so much hardwork and dedication put into it , and it shows ! its so beautiful . . . JEEZ ! i hope u all are clicking on it and checking it tf out and admiring it with me !

@yateshq : another dark academia rp i’m now obsessed with ! just cute , super beautiful and looking to be super diverse too ! a great layout and a super nice admin ! what more could u want ?? the plot is written amazingly , and i love the juiciness of it all ! drama WILL ensure there !

@ensemblehq : im certain i’ve rec’d it before but i don’t care ! what an amazing rp . im consistently blown away by it , and everytime i click on the main i fall in love all over again ! i literally love a skeleton rp and its so rare to have EVERY skeleton be so amazing to read about and learn and want to apply for ? like PHEW the talent of the admins !

@turquoisehq : i LOVE subplot rps and im so glad to see them making a comeback !  i dearly missed seeing them ! also the taken list looks really good to me , and thats a BIG thing for me so good job to the admins and players for fostering a diverse place , bc thats a big deal !

@sclubhq : the subplots and character plots are SO well written and intricately-laid-together . i love it . the overall vibe of the rp is just so weirdly Summer-y and comforting . like i feel relaxed just looking at the rp ?? utterly obsessed with the plots and tbh i just wanna watch off the side like a Freak and see what happens to everyone and all the muses bc it reads so well and so juicily !!!

@merryteasers : its just a teaser blog so far but who knew id so easily get suckered into a robin hood inspired rp ?? i did NOT know this was smth id be interested and needed until right this second  ! absolutely can’t wait to see more of them in the tags , because they’re doing a wonderful job and have definitely gotten me hooked thus far !

@littlepondhq: i wanna SCREAM this is such a cute rp ? like so so so cute and sweet looking im obsessed with it wow . skeleton rp ? a last summer before going off the college setting ? this has g written all over it ! i LOVE these sort of plots , about friendship and romance and SUMMER , and i love love LOVE when rps can get u hooked easily and just feel Nostalgic and thats what i definitely feel checking out this rp !

@colloportushq : this is a very unique hp looking rp and i am in AWE of that bc genuinely its a very hard thing to make a hp rp a bit Different and they have done EXACTLY that for this rp  . plus the skeletons are written incredibly well , they read like poetry , its so beautiful ? i have fallen in love with the world and the writing and every skeleton , genuinely BIG CLAPS to this group ! 

@crownshqs : if you love royalty and period type of rps then this seems like the holy grail ! i’ve never EVER seen a rp with so much information and story mapped out . its INCREDIBLE , i don’t know how u guys did it but wow ! theres a whole world and universe built here and its so strong and incredibly well written !!! 

@xmenfm : i am so excited because i LOVE xmen so much and i am so so happy to see an xmen rp in the tags !!! and they look amazing ! the colour scheme is CHEFS KISS ! the taken fcs with the canon characters ? literally shake me to my core , this is the most incredible list of characters i’ve ever seen , i am QUAKING AND SHAKING i am utterly in awe , i think im in love with this entire group

@alonghq : friends buying two houses together , next to each other ??? being best friends ? doing best friend things ? god i love rps based entirely on friendship , thats so god damn POWERFUL i LOVE IT theres so much u can DO HERE in this rp , bc its all about friendship and everyone knows everyone and the skeletons are DELIGHTFUL !!! big love !

[loopy777]

you seem to hold Fullmetal Alchemist in very high regard. whats your thoughts on it, and if youve seen both the original anime and read the manga whats your thoughts on each iteration?

My path of discovery is that I started with the Brotherhood anime, then watched the original anime, and then collected the complete manga via the omnibus editions. FMA has the distinction of being one of two manga series I own (aside from sampler volumes I get at conventions), the other being the Legend of Zelda stuff.

Basically, I think the manga and Brotherhood are one of the most thematically consistent stories I’ve ever encountered, and that’s on top of it being a sprawling epic and also one of the tightest and most intricate thrillers I’ve encountered. Basically, it’s hard for me to talk about this series without using “most” and “-est” a lot. Yes, the story has flaws -- everything does -- but it’s still something I regard with outright awe at how well it works.

I don’t have a preference between Brotherhood and the manga. The manga is the expanded version, but thanks to my fast reading pace, I can blow through the whole series in a short amount of time whenever I want to relive it. Brotherhood had to make compromises both due to the original anime adapting some stuff, and also having to excise some stuff for pacing, but I think it does a mostly good job and I love the production value. I even own it on Blu-Ray. I just don’t often have the time to do a rewatch, and I don’t think I could just pick out an episode here and there to watch. It’s one big epic to me.

I also really like the dub, and it’s too bad Vic Mignogna is scum. I haven’t tried rewatching the series since I found out about him, but I hope I’ll be able to ignore that. Vic never working another day in his life in the anime industry will probably help.

The first anime... tried. I admit that I’m probably biased because of seeing Brotherhood first and how much I admire it, but I think the material original to the first anime is far weaker, and it goes more and more off the rails as the series goes on. Plotlines are continued, yes, but it drops some of the themes established by the early episodes, and the cast shrinks to the point where the big final battle for the fate of multiple nations is a messy brawl in a basement. (And what was with (SPOILERS) throwing the baby around?) The movie finale was just outright written poorly, in my opinion. I don’t know where the whole idea of (SPOILERS) the parallel worlds thing came from, but it almost feels like an escape hatch that the creative team tried to use to indulge their true interests.

For fun, I’ll go through my favorite characters: Al (so pure! as the kids say), Winry (I’m obligated to like all dedicated engineers), Mei Chan (she kicks butt and her romantic infatuation with Al is funny), Roy Mustang (I’m of the opinion that the story implies he’s not a womanizer, that’s a cover he uses for his operations), Hawkeye (the coolest), Scar (such a great complex character), Kimblee (I love to hate this jerk, and his story had a nice finish), Greed 1/2 (I love practical baddies), General Olivier Mira Armstrong, and of course her brother MAJOR ALEX LOUIS ARMSTRONG!! I’m probably also forgetting my love for a few, because this cast is seriously huge.