#roots weekly rambles

[sussex-roots-allotment]

Super productive day today! Started out with some elderflower and raspberry cordial made by the fabulous J before weeding the fruit cage and planting out the tomatoes in the polytunnel.

Also managed a few extra tasks like preparing the birdbath and sorting the tottering towers of ASDA crates with our homemade fertiliser!

Also many thanks to T for the delicious chocolate and rice krispie cake!

[jeanmoreaux]

have the really really bad feeling i will be url hopping quite a bit this year so don’t be surprised to see wherepoetsdie or minyardx return at one point or another

[moralesispunk]

it is WINDY where I am in Scotland today but it got me thinking about being outside with husband/bf! simon riley on a windy day

you were just going to the shops, needing to get some things for dinner, but Simon insisted on coming. he patiently walks up and down the aisles with you, swapping the basket you had first picked up for a trolley.

"might as well just do a food shop while we're here," you said, throwing another thing into the trolley and Simon just nodded because anything for you.

by the end the trolley is packed with your weekly shop and Simon is pushing it towards the door. you're walking beside him, a hand tucked around his elbow as you ramble about plans for dinner that week, some lunches you can make for work, maybe get a takeaway tonight though? it is Saturday after all...

Simon just hums, throwing in a "sounds good" or "what about a spag bol Wednesday?" but then the doors open and...

it's like a storm without rain, the trees at the other end of the car park and shaking and swaying until it looks like they're about to rip out from the roots and you gasp beside him but he just chuckles.

"just hold on and stay behind me," he says and so you do, fingers clinging to his jumper and Simon's big, broad form taking the brunt of the wind.

he fights through it like it's nothing, making it to the car all the while you're laughing and having the hood of your jumper whipped around as you cling to Simon against the oncoming wind.

he gets you inside, closing the door behind you, and then gets to packing the food into the boot. you watch as other shoppers walk quickly with the wind pushing at their back or fight against the wind to get to the car. the boot slams and you watch simon take the trolley back, laughing at how he looks like he's walking on a windless day compared to everyone else, and then your heart warms when you see him help a lil old lady back to her car, winking at you when he catches your eye through the window.

(and he absolutely gets back in the car and nods his head towards the car parked a few down, to the lady waving at him now she's safe and sound, and says to you "just my other wife/spouse")

[silverag09]

5am rambling about Sky cause my sleep schedule is severely wack - includes personal headcannons about lore lmao- everything below the cut so you don’t get blasted with a billion words ✨

Heads up: this is not a fun silly Headcannon. It is

s a d.

You’ve been warned. There is a cute little doodle at the very bottom of this to make it up to anybody who reads this tho

This mainly pertains to moth players and Eden, I came up with this after watching a few folk’s own lore videos on their sky kid’s backstories and whatnot- imagine

Yknow all the moths you’ve adopted, guided through the world and befriended in the process? Once they enter Eden, that has the potential to determine their entire fate.

The moth’s who enter Eden, with or without your help, have to make it through. One way or another. Or, they don’t. They quit halfway through because they’re too afraid, or they don’t understand what they’re meant to do. Some manage to make it through Eden, but then think that’s the end of the game. No more, no seasons, no travelling spirits, no upcoming events, nothing.

I imagine the moths who never fully make it through Eden simply just.. die, in a sense. Their light, their soul, whatever you may call it, was not strong enough to withstand the storm and they simply perish and become one of the many statues trapped there, until you eventually come for your next run and free them.

Alternatively, the ones who make it out but quit shortly after - they were corrupted in some form by Eden - namely, the same power that may or may not have corrupted Resh - the Eden elder and/or king. I have my own theories about Resh too- but that’s for another time. They don’t continue, so their light/wings don’t grow stronger. Almost like an infection, they don’t have the strength to fight off the ‘virus’ (the corruption) as time passes, they remain stagnant and the corruption chips away at them until they ‘die’.

The sky kids who’ve fallen to corruption eventually return to either the wasteland or eden. Those who find themselves in the wasteland deteriorate slowly over time, transforming into crabs or simply dying, their bodies becoming seeds for dark plants to take root. Those who end up back in Eden aren’t so fortunate to have such a peaceful end. And I’m using the term peaceful very, very lightly.

Those who returned to Eden are back in the direct line of contamination from, as stated previously, the same power that corrupted Resh - their bodies rapidly deteriorate and give out on them, their remaining light unable to stay strong enough to stave off death. They don’t remain ‘dead’ for long though, the remains mutating into dark dragons or other beings of pure darkness. They wander aimlessly, trying to find any source of light in the hopes that they can relight the fire they lost, have the hope that - as minuscule as it may be - they can return to the lands of Sky and return to their normal life. The consciousness of the child who’s been mutated remains partially intact, that’s the only reason they’re still hunting down anything that gives off warmth - but they’re not aware of what they’ve become. All they know is that they’re cold, and that other sky kids run away from them no matter what they do.

In other words, the sky kids who don’t make it through are eternally trapped, until you provide them brief respite through freeing them during your weekly/monthly/etc runs. That’s why you see them in orbit sometimes. Those who can’t or refuse to continue perish, to put it very bluntly. I imagine after a certain length of time, their remaining consciousness fades entirely and all that’s left is a monster of darkness, wandering with nothing but subjecting others to the same fate as it fell to on its mind, taking out the envy, anger, and spite that got left behind on the poor souls it finds - those that have wandered where they should never have gone.

———————————————————

Ngl the only reason I came up was this is cause I wanted all the players who’ve quit at Eden, before/in/after, to have a purpose. It sounds bad when I put it like that but idk how else to put it— my old account, I started just before season of dreams started and I quit the same week cause I didn’t want to go through Eden, and I was unaware there was more to the game aside from “fly through pretty world, talk to old spirit looking things, die.” I returned to the game midway through season of remembrance, and I’m very glad I did. I don’t have a lot of headcannons for lore or anything like that, but this is one of them, and as sad as it is- I like it. I love the krill, I love the dark creatures and I love the light creatures too. I feel like the dark creatures don’t get enough love sometimes and I wanted to make something dedicated to them - and, again, it’s sad, but this makes me love them even more- even if I fell asleep by accident while playing that one time and got attacked by the krill and crabs so many times that I got sent to the pity room. Meh.

Anyways, here’s a doodle of my skykid and his buddies to make you less sad 👌

[thewisebyers]

I Feel So Good if I Just Say the Word (R.B x Reader)

prompt: reader is in love with her best friend Robin and has a hard time saying it; based off Sussudio by Phil Collins, takes place in 1985 (only because Breakfast Club and No Jacket Required came out that year, no canon events happen) warning(s): internalized homophobia, a little angsty but happy ending, not proof-read, not edited so let me know if there’s any errors requested?: no but this song screams Robin and i needed to write for my girl word count: 1.9k

There's a girl that's been on my mind All the time Sussusudio

"Put on something" Robin pleaded from the plush bean bag chairs you had set up down in your basement. You were trying to pick out the perfect movie to watch with your best friend but you were having a hard time choosing between two movies. Breakfast Club or Carrie? Breakfast Club was newer; only coming out earlier that year but Carrie was one of your favorites. You always rooted for Carrie; the poor girl was just trying to survive high school. You knew what that was like all too well and maybe that was why you resonated with Carrie a little too much. You just wished you were normal; instead you questioned who you were and why you didn't like boys like the other girls in your class. You'd pretend to check out Billy's butt like the other girls in your class but you didn't get the appeal; boys' butts were usually flatter than a pancake.

"Breakfast Club or Carrie?" you turned toward your friend holding each tape beside your head to show her her limited options. She scrunched her nose but pointed to Breakfast Club, you were a bit disappointed but popped the VHS into the player anyway. After pressing play, you quickly make your way back next to your friend. She hands you the bowl of fresh popped popcorn you had finished preparing on the stove before she had arrived for your weekly movie marathon. Marathon was pushing it; the two of you watched about one and a half movies before talking over the rest of the second movie and then forgetting about the TV completely. "Did you see how short Faith Gilmore cut her bangs?" Robin started; not even five minutes into the movie. You giggled at the memory; Faith walking into third period with part of her bangs sticking up because they just wouldn't flatten correctly.

Before you knew it; the two of you were absorbed in each other, forgetting the movie entirely. You listened as she rambled about a test she surely flunked because she forgot to study. You scowled her because you had spent the night together and she had never mentioned a test; you would have made her study instead of gossiping over magazines and gushing about the new Phil Collins album that had been out for a few months now. Robin didn't understand your obsession with the album but you found yourself rewinding  the first song over and over again on your cassette player. She makes me nervous and makes me scared.

Her smile lit up her entire her face and you swore you could get lost counting the freckles on her freckle splattered face; your heart ached in a way that you wished it wouldn't. You weren't supposed to feel this way; not about girls. Not about your best friend. Her body was turned towards yours; blanketed knees touching, fabric getting in the way of physical contact. You felt your cheeks grow warm at the thought of entangling your legs in hers and rubbing the soft skin of her thigh. Your body suddenly felt too warm and you had to fling the blanket off of you but in the process you accidentally knock the popcorn off of your lap. "Shit," you curse as popcorn flies everywhere.

Robin raises an eyebrow. "Okay, spaz, what was that about?" she questions while picking popcorn off of her lap. She had a few pieces in her hair and you cursed yourself again for being such an idiot. Your face burned as you frantically began picking up the popcorn; you didn't answer her, refusing to look at her. How could you explain yourself? Sorry I got too deep in thought about how adorable your smile is. No, never. You knew Robin liked girls as well; you had been best friends for so long and she had confided in you were she was struggling with her feelings. You didn't say anything at the time but her telling you about her sexuality had made you realize your own. When Robin said she liked girls it was like something had clicked in your brain and suddenly you were seeing girls in that way. "Okay," Robin says slowly, stretching out the word, after you didn't answer; putting an emphasizing the 'o'.

She begins to pick up popcorn which makes you feel worse for some reason; like you shouldn't have ruined the mood to begin with. Like you shouldn't have a crush on your best friend. Your hands begin to shake and before you can stop yourself; a stream of tears begins running down your face. "Hey! Whoa!" Robin exclaims once she notices the tears and sniffles; she throws the popcorn she had been collecting back on the ground before moving over to you and grabbing your shoulders. "I was just kidding. Are you okay? It's really no big deal. It's just pop-"

"It's not that," you cut her off; you felt raw and exposed like you shouldn't be crying right now. You really shouldn't be crying right now but sobs shook your body as you look down at the half-empty bowl in your lap. You couldn't look at her and you needed a moment. "Excuse me," you said quickly, getting up and running up the basement stairs. Robin didn't know if she should follow or finish help cleaning up the popcorn; she decided to do the latter figuring you needed a moment and she didn't want you to have to worry about the mess when you returned. But she'd be lying if she said she wasn't confused; what had happened to make you suddenly burst out like that? Were you okay?

Once the mess was cleaned up, Robin took the bowl full of floor popcorn and went upstairs to throw away the food and to also find you. She dumped the snack into the trashcan and put the empty bowl into the sink. "Y/N?" she called from the kitchen. She started making her way down the hall towards your bedroom; stopping to smile at your sixth grade that your mom kept hanging in the hallway. You hated it; your braces were very present and were basically the star of the show. You look beautiful, your mom had said but you just didn't believe her. It was Robin's  favorite picture of you ever because she had been giving the cameraman bunny ears to try to get you to smile because you hated your braces. "Y/N?" she said again, knocking on your door. The room right at the end of the hall. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, in her sweet raspy voice.

The softness made you want to melt and your heart began to race again. Your face flushed when you realized there was no avoiding this-her. A sigh rumbled through your body as you sat against your door; your heart ached knowing Robin was on the other side, worried about you. You didn't know what to say, what to do. Maybe if you were so quiet she'd just disappear. But she wouldn't; she'd worry and wait the whole night if she had to. "Y/N?" she repeated; worry creeping in her voice. She tried to open to door but it was locked. "Y/N? Come on, what's going on? Are you okay?" She tried the door again; as if it would magically open for her if she tried enough times.

You quickly got up from your spot; standing in front of the locked door. "I'm in love with you," you finally blurted out, not being able to hold it in any longer. You instantly wished you could take the words back but now the air was thick with anticipation and anxiety. Your body shook as the silence was eating you alive; devouring you, leaving your stomach in knots. Tears begin pooling in your eyes again; panic taking over when you heard clicking noises coming from your lock. Was she trying to pick your lock? Oh my god she was trying to pick your lock. You quickly leaned your weight against the door as she tried to make her way into the room. "No! Don't!" But it was too late; it was like Robin had suddenly become the strongest person in the world because she was pushing her way in despite your best efforts.

You turn away from her once she's made her way into your room; you couldn't face her. You couldn’t look at her, you felt sick. You were ruining your friendship right then and there but you couldn't take it back. You couldn't get her out of your head; your only thoughts were her and her dorky smile and how she smelled like vanilla and old books despite you hardly seeing her reading anything besides a magazine or an assignment for school. "Look at me," she turns your body by placing her hands on your shoulders and forcing your face close to hers. "You don't have to say it again," she breathed, her cheeks glowing a shade of crimson. "I just-I love you too and I don't want you to think you can't tell me anything because- fuck! I've been in love with you since you moved to Hawkins!" she admitted, throwing her hands up in exaggeration. That was in third grade; when Dick Robertson kicked dirt in your face (because you were new and because he could) and Robin pushed him into the mud, telling him next time she'd push him in front of the tire swing. You didn't think she'd actually do and later on she admitted she wouldn't have but the two of you still laughed at the look on his face.

Your face burned at her admission; had she really liked your this entire time? Every sleepover? Every lingering glance that you thought maybe something was there. There had been something there; from both of you and you had never realized. Had she told you she liked girls because she wanted to know how you'd react? To know if you liked her too? Well you did; it just had taken you a painfully long time to fucking realize it. Had she really liked you this entire time and you didn't realize it? "Really?" you finally found your voice; quieter and softer than usual but it was all you could muster. She nodded; moving her hands to hold your face to look at her. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of blue you had ever seen in your life and you knew you could get lost in them if you left yourself. You wanted to get lost in them; in her. As if reading you thought; her eyes flickered to your lips before closing the space between your lips.

She tasted like cherry chapstick, a peppermint she had been sucking on earlier, and the salty popcorn the two of you had been sharing before you spilt it everywhere. It was a beautiful combination that had your mind going completely blank as you kissed your best friend back. You had only ever imagined kissing Robin; wondering exactly what she tasted like and now you couldn't get enough. Your hands gripped the front of her t-shirt; as if she'd float away if you let go, you kissed over and over until you were both out of breath. "Weird way of getting out of watching Breakfast Club," she said once you were apart and she had caught her breath from your frenzied kissing. You just laughed; relief filling your body as your watched your friend with what you could only call heart-filled eyes. You pull her into another kiss before she can say anything else; happy to be honest with yourself and free to be with the girl you couldn't get off your mind.

[loftec]

Last week's Weekly Tag Wednesday!

Because I was festival prepping last week and had zero time for anything else but now I'm back and ready for some tags! Thank you @wehangout @mmmichyyy @michellemisfit for the tag (and also @deedala & @jrooc for the picrew tags!) <3

Name and A03 handle: lofty / loftec

Current Location: Sofa, living room.

Favorite picrew (don't have one? you can skip this or do this one)? I can't remember if I have a favourite one, so I'll just do this one!

The "SF" probably stands for something, but I immediately thought of Svensk Filmindustri and thought that was fun.

What's one thing you want in a picrew?

MORE GLASSES OPTIONS omg please. Colour and shape. I also really love it when I can build the hair in sections so I can colour my roots differently than the rest of the hair. Also, worse hair options. Come on, normalise 'I've got no hair texture or interest or time to do anything about it'. I feel like an imposter whenever I pick one of these perfectly swooshy dos.

Favourite thing you’ve created (or seen created) for the fandom?

None the wiser

Why is it your favourite? It's mad to think about but it was the first thing I decided to make for this fandom, and I'm still working on it (very very slowly) I don't know if I've ever spent this much time and effort on anything else. It's very special to me.

Did it come easily or was it hard to create? Both, right now it's very hard, but it usually comes back around.

Last ao3 fic you commented on? A Dead Boy Detectives fic, I'm pretty sure.

Biggest WIP heartache you’ve ever experienced? I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't usually read WIPs, not really because they're unfinished but because I don't often read long fic lol. My ideal fic for reading is a concise 5k oneshot, I am a terrible hypocrite.

Favorite trope or head cannon you like included in a fanfic? I do love a good outside perspective on Ian and Mickey's relationship not fully getting their dynamic and misunderstanding their special flavour of love. Also really like different canon-divergent stories where they get separated in different moments and then reunited in the future in various ways.

Least favourite? For most ships / fandoms I read fic of, I usually develop a set of icks that cause me to click out more or less immediately, often it's to do with a certain nickname or expression or act that I can't physically stand, or, you know, which signal a fundamental mismatch between mine and the author's focus/interests/views. Unfortunately, any mention of anything happening after season 5 has become a bit of an ick for me, which is deeply unfair to writers who embrace the later half of the show.

Secret or surprising kink or trope? No, I'm extremely basic tbh. My favourite time to read fic for a new fandom is always at the very start when everybody is writing the same super basic story over and over again.

Describe how you feel after you’ve created something new? The best feeling is when I know I've written the last sentence of a story or a chapter, it's always so clear that this, this is it, that's where it ends. I feel really accomplished and complete in that moment and it's great. Then there's still hours and hours of editing after that and it's usually 4 in the morning and I'm feeling slightly unhinged when I actually post.

Top hype man you have that always helps you get across the finish line: I tend to keep to myself when I'm working on something, but I can always rely on @mittimellan @wideblueskies & @the-rat-wins if I ever need to ramble about anything.

It's been a bad day, you turn to the fandom and you _____? Lurk and enjoy the good vibes and crafts. I probably also find something in my bookmarks that I've already read a thousand times and read it again.

[potatolucy]

Week 9-12 of my weekly one chunk biome project

Weeping Void

Rooted Wastelands

Pillars of Plainness

Bamboo Canopy

And all of the builds so far

Really happy with how all of the past four turned out. I'm really starting to feel I'm getting better at terrain building because of this :)

Btw, I only post these here every 4 weeks because I don't wanna keep filling the tags with my small little builds, but would people be interested if I started posted these weekly here from now on? I already do that on Twitter, but I could ramble a little more about each specific biome if people would be interested.

[whispydaze]

"Love"

I have such a crazy outlook on what “love” is, and it’s wholly subjective to the internet. The internet, in some cases, has normal outlooks on “love”, but these types of things build up on the consumer of said media, creating an idealistic, completely irrational expectation when it comes to love. Expectations have been written by people who I don’t know the name of, by people who, to me, only exist through ceramic-hardened glass and pixels. My outlook on love is beautiful. It’s completely trusting and full of smiles. It’s me controlling my emotions, expressing these to my partner in an entirely healthy manner while also being that reciprocal for said partner. My expectations are what I deem minimal. A partner who: listens to my words, appreciates and respects my emotions, doesn’t leave me to deal with my emotions, listens to my rambling (even if you’ve heard it before, you’ll hear it again), can respect when I need time alone without taking it to heart. Love is words, it’s expressing your mind rawly to your partner. It doesn’t matter how ugly the words are or how beautiful they are. It’s so important to me to be able to share my vehement emotions and it’s just as important I hear it from my partner too. Love is time, and making the time to spend with my partner is valuable to me. Making the time to talk, to exist soul-to-soul with one another is so meaningful to me and has to be done weekly where possible. I truly aspire to be an easygoing partner, someone my soulmate doesn’t have to worry about, someone who is a joy to love. I don’t want to be argumentative, I don’t want to be untrusting. These negative outlooks on how I love have all rooted from social media, they aren’t who I am. I just wish I could reset my heart in the sense that my love is passionate and true, rather than based off of someone else.

[dirty-droid]

Huge same lmao

I remember as a kid some characters were becoming my favourites PRECISELY because they were badly hurt or traumatised and watching it I was like "oh damn, I feel so bad for them, it makes me feel an EMOTION."

Some people assume it's a form of sadism, but imo it's like the exact opposite. You want them to be hurt because it makes you feel compassion for them and the emotion of it is so strong it's addicting. Like no other thing makes you root for a character as strongly as living through their traumatic experience with them

(while at the same time just being told about some sad backstory doesn't always work and sometimes accomplishes the exact opposite because it feels like an author is cheating by attempting to make you, as a viewer, feel sympathy without actually making you live with them through some shit. Also the opposite is true, and characters that are nothing but a punching bag of the narrative are getting exhausting to tolerate pretty damn fast)

I see you've seen my tags 😅 yeah I had a whole phase in middle school, when H*rry P*tter was popular, being obsessed with Sirius Black and all the depression and abuse and suffering in his story, like THAT was my first fandom experience.

I don't have anything against the sadism, but I think a lot of it is just more, like, masochism. It's a way of processing your own unspoken trauma, I was getting bullied at school, in a controlling environment at home, and my autism was still undiagnosed, ya boy wasn't doing well at those young ages and it's so cathartic to know that you're not alone.

It is absolutely addicting though, the high stakes, the big emotions, the way that fear passes through you when it's not real. I think I had a little bit of a fandom theory the other day, because we've all seen the posts about how a mediocre, or even shitty piece of media will drive a fandom nuts because it gives you something to latch onto long term in a way that something that's truly really well done won't. Eventually you run out of things you talk about, right? Well I think the exception is something that's well done- but fucked up. Hannibal still trends weekly around here, and it was executed wonderfully, it's a very well done story... And it's fucked up. It's spicy, it's different, it gives it that staying power

I'm rambling, but I totally agree on that show/tell thing, i think it's just... Maybe it's the predictability too, a punching bag is just gonna keep being a punching bag. And a sad backstory for a character you don't like is only going to be annoying because you weren't going to like them in the first place!

[sussex-roots-allotment]

Lovely sunny session today! We spent most of it demolishing watermelon brought by our wonderful B and the rest topping up the beds with compost.

Fortunately the compost delivery was right outside the gate instead of halfway down the hill, making our job much easier than it was last year!

[sarandipitywrites]

Writeblr Interview Tag

@cowboybrunch tagged me for this - thank you! Go read her responses here

Tagging @breath-of-eternity, @darkangel319, @kingragnarok-writes, @ryns-ramblings, @wildswrites, and an open tag for anyone who wants to answer! Copy/pasteable template's under the cut.

Short stories, novels, or poems?

Novels, both to read and write. I just don't tend to seek out short stories or poetry to read, for whatever reason (legitimately don't know why - I enjoy it when I do read it?), and whenever I try to write something a bit shorter, it quickly becomes... not shorter.

What genre do you prefer reading?

I'll read most genres, but it seems like I usually end up reading speculative fiction/sci fi/fantasy.

Are you a planner or a write as I go kind of person?

Planner - I usually want at least a rough outline of a scene before I start writing. I find that breaking the writing up into two steps takes the pressure off of the actual 'writing' part and lets me focus more on prose/characterization/the fun shit because Past Saran already did the hard part :P

What music do you listen to while writing?

Ambient music/sounds that 'fit' what I'm writing, lately with binauaral beats layered under it. Nothing with words. Words going in ears = no words coming out of fingers

Favorite books/movies?

Books? LOTS. No Gods, No Monsters; Frankenstein; The Heart Principle; Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe; On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous; No Longer Human; etc etc etc Movies? Spirited Away.

Any current WIPs?

Spark Signature (high fantasy sci fi heist thriller; most current WIP; I am presently being very annoying about it) The Art of Empty Space (fantasy/paranormal mystery romance; WIP intro is no longer accurate; on hold because it has mutated beyond my control and I am slightly afraid of it) Dead Roots, Dark Water (dystopian fantasy adventure; Jak & Daxter fanfiction; currently on final draft and being updated weekly) Ambition is a Lonely Tower (paranormal mystery thriler; literally have not worked on this since I started posting writeblr stuff so it doesn't have a WIP intro but I am not giving up on this damn it)

Create a character description of yourself: 

Constantly messing with something (hair, face, nails, the springy cat toy in the pocket of every single one of their jackets); gets anxious when they don't have earbuds or earplugs available; sits like a pretzel; forgets everything within 5 minutes if they don't write it down; avoids wearing "real people clothes" where possible; when forced to go outside, wears a t-shirt, baggy jeans, combat boots, and a jacket

Do you like incorporating actual people you know into your writing?

Technically no? I use pieces from actual people I know, for sure, but there's no one character who's 'basically x.' Now it sounds like I'm over here sewing together chimera characters from people I know, oof

Are you kill happy with your characters?

Depends on the story, I guess. Nobody's died (yet) in AES. Murder's kind of a whole Thing in Spark. And DRDW... uh. Let's not talk about that one (sorry, half of my OCs).

Coffee or Tea while writing?

Coffee in the morning, tea in the evening.

Slow or fast writer?

All or nothing! It really depends on: 1. whether or not I have an outline (scene-level outline = words go fast) 2. my headspace (Sludge Brain day = no words. Fuck your outline)

If you were in a fantasy world, what would you be?

I'd get eaten by a demonic chicken or some shit within like five minutes. Assuming I didn't have a horribly quick and embarrassing death, I'd like to be an alchemist or something like that. Give people those Good Plants

Most fav book cliche:

Enemies to lovers/friends, or friends to enemies, or really any big shift in relationship dynamic. Do that well and I love you and your characters forever

Least favorite cliche:

The 'if only they would talk to each other' thing - if one conversation that the characters are fully capable of having (but won't) is the only reason for the conflict, I'm out. Especially if there's no good reason for them to be avoiding the conversation. I'm not sure if this is even a cliche, but it's what I thought of :D

Favorite scene to write?

I love writing 'calm' scenes with tension just under the surface. And any scene that lets me fuck with perception/senses. Love it when a scene isn't straightforward

Reason for writing?

Lots of reasons! It's by far the thing I get the most satisfaction and enjoyment from; I get to write (and therefore read) the stories I want/need to read; free therapy supplement; I have lots of thoughts and ideas and little guys in my head and giving it all somewhere to go helps my brain be a lot quieter (it's still pretty noisy in there though, not gonna lie)

Short stories, novels, or poems?

What genre do you prefer reading?

Are you a planner or a write as I go kind of person?

What music do you listen to while writing?

Favorite books/movies?

Any current WIPs?

Create a character description of yourself: 

Do you like incorporating actual people you know into your writing?

Are you kill happy with your characters?

Coffee or Tea while writing?

Slow or fast writer?

If you were in a fantasy world, what would you be?

Most fav book cliche:

Least favorite cliche:

Favorite scene to write?

Reason for writing?

[justabigassnerd]

omg y'all THE STRICTLY SEMI'S WERE EVERYTHING

Layton and Nikita slaying once again and getting another 40 was so iconic of them and very much deserved I love them so much!

also Bobby doing so well made me so happy, he's really doing so well and I hope he makes it to the finals, I've been rooting for him and Layton since the beginning (and it totally has nothing to do with the fact that I was once in Bobby's presence that one time when I was younger)

anyway's there's your weekly Strictly rambles from yours truly

much love <3

[stabthroughme]

Get to Know Me/Masterpost

Hi! I created this separate tumblr for the same reason I created my separate ao3: peace of mind to not give a single flying fuck about what people think of me/what I post/what I write/what I enjoy.

Prompts/suggestions for ficlets are always gonna be open, though I can't promise you I won't go a liiiiitle overboard. If an idea takes root it takes root.

I don't choose the hyperfixation, the hyperfixation chooses me. I've added a lil masterpost under the cut so I can keep updating the works I've uploaded to Ao3 that I love. Might end up posting some Tumblr Only fics, who knows.

If it weren't clear enough, antis this is not a blog for you. If you decide to include me in your own curated internet experience that's your own damn fault.

Kinktober 2023: I will eventually finish up all my prompts, I set all them up but I decided to try Kinktober on September 28 while also knowing I'd plan to do NaNoWriMo. So I didn't get all that far in. Ships vary.

Weight of a Coward's Heart: TimDami being bad at feelings feat. Damian taking revenge on someone who hurt Tim and Tim having Not Cis Thoughts About His Existence. Revenge (bloody and tortury revenge) is definitely a love language wdym?

AUs:

Someone Who Loves You Wouldn't Do This: Please heed the tags Mafia AU series updating weekly. The League of Assassins does still exist but otherwise the Wayne family are all mafia/mob fuckers, and so are the Queens. Roy and Jason friendship, Jericho/Joey Wilson content (im love him he's my baby), JayDick.

The Greatest Thing We Lost: Part 1

Rambles:

Damian and pigeons: I just think Damian might relate a little strongly to these birds.

[exileseverafter]

The Author of Exiles Rereads All Of Exiles Published So Far

That's right, I did it. In preparation for Book 4, I started rereading something I started writing...like...ten years ago or something. And you know what? It's pretty good! Turns out I like my stuff!

Behind the cut are a lot of rambling thoughts on each book, along with anything I might have done differently. Mild spoilers, but mostly just authorial navel-gazing.

Book One thoughts: Hey, did you know that if you're making any kind of longform work you should consider taking notes on things like character hair/eye color and background details? And also, it's good to have a beta reader? Because I don't know if I had either at the time of book one! And there are sooo many little continuity errors I noticed! They aren't things you're likely to catch unless you're looking for them, but it makes me think I want to go back at some point and not rewrite book one entirely, but just edit it a little. Fix some errors. It's still solid, and I'm pretty sure me being the author is the only reason it kind of felt like that "Spot the Errors" episode of Garfield and Friends. (Side note: If you can find it on the web, please watch the Garfield and Friends episode "Mistakes Will Happen." It's one of the funniest things ever, with far too many jokes to catch in one viewing for something that predates the internet.)

Also, it turns out that if you try to read something by downloading it in PDF form off of AO3 and putting it on your phone via Kindle, it does unholy things to the formatting. So I do not recommend reading Exiles (or anything else) like that.

Errors aside, god, this was nostalgic. One reason I started this reread was to get back into the heads of the characters, and it all started coming back to me right away. I can go oh, there's where I figured out how this would end. That's when this first comes up. Neat! Also there are some genuine accidental foreshadowing bits that lead into book three, of all things.

Book Two thoughts: Wow, this is long. It's easily the longest of the three, and I'm not sure how well the pacing holds up in retrospect. I was very much writing as a "weekly serial" rather than a novel at this point, and it shows for better or worse. There are chapters where I can tell I was just trying to get something up. Did you know if you write something with regular updates, it's a good idea to have a backlog instead of just writing week to week?

That said, this is where I started to shake off the constraints of "everything must be rooted in some preexisting fairy tale" and I think that's for the best. I started pulling inspiration from 50s pulp sci fi, Little Shop of Horrors, what people in the 90s thought VR was going to be like, and buddy cop flicks. I was figuring out my gender at the time I introduced Rem Tera, and wanted a nonbinary character whose issues were not centered around what were Nonbinary Character Tropes at the time, i.e. 'figuring out nonbinary was a thing, explaining it to others, which bathroom to use, etc.'

I also like playing with scale in unusual ways, and one thing I wanted to lean into was how to create a threatening antagonist who was a few inches tall in a world where people came in giant size. It turns out the answer is 'give him some big monsters to command and scary levels of manipulative charisma.' Lord Germain, you are the worst but I am so proud of you.

Note: I think there may be a chapter missing from the original Jukepop posting. I'll try to go through and fix it soon.

Still also very happy with the final arc, even if the story does a bit of narrative water treading to get there. This book has the most 'quiet time' with the characters, and I think in the long run it helped me flesh out the relationships established in book one and the new ones forming in book two. Especially since book three is pretty story-heavy. Speaking of! Book Three thoughts: Wow, this is like post-timeskip One Piece where one thing just leads right into another. It's unsurprising, since a lot of the plot threads laid in books one and two really activate here. Libra and Valerian have a been a presence from the beginning and Blue was hinted at as far as the Moonflower Market. So yes, I was sitting on those for a while and happy to set them off here.

No Reflection is probably the most difficult original fic work I've written so far. To give you an example, I started it too soon after finishing Of Rot and Bloom and was stalled out for years afterwards. The good news is that like any creative project that isn't made of expiring materials, you can pick a story up at any time. One day I finally decided to ditch the chapter I was stuck on, write something else and start the ball rolling again.

And it worked! I finished it. More or less. There's something of a Nona the Ninth/Alecto the Ninth "book 3 and 4 are part of a piece" feeling to the end of Book Three, but I do try to end on at least a climactic element. There are just a lot more cliffhangers this time around.

Man, I'm mean to Basil in this book and this isn't even his book! Poor guy is gonna have it rough in Book Four.

ALSO, there are at least two missing chapters, and they're important ones that reveal major plot elements. In fact, one is right in the climax. I need to fix that ASAP. Presumably AO3 lets you insert chapters? I'll figure out how.

So, what does this mean for Book Four? It means it's definitely happening, though I don't want to say it's happening immediately. Maybe after the New Year. I have some chapters prewritten for Book Four I want to revise, and this time I'm making sure I have a healthy backlog and a plot outline worked out.

For everyone who's read any part of Exiles, thanks so much for supporting me thus far! I really appreciate it. Wouldn't be able to keep up this much enthusiasm without you. And if you're thinking of writing (or drawing, or animating) your own original thing, my advice is just to do it! Just jump in. Yeah, it won't be perfect, but you'll learn by doing, and an imperfect story that exists is always better than the idealized one trapped in your head.

[rockislandadultreads]

Book Recommendations: Tolkien Reading Day 

Learn more about Tolkien Reading Day and the Tolkien Society here! 

The Science of Middle-Earth edited by Roland Lehoucq, Loïc Mangin, Jean-Sébastien Steyer and illustrated by Arnaud Rafaelian

The world J.R.R. Tolkien created is one of the most beloved in all of literature, and continues to capture hearts and imaginations around the world. From Oxford to ComiCon, the Middle Earth is analyzed and interpreted through a multitude of perspectives.

But one essential facet of Tolkien and his Middle Earth has been overlooked: science. This great writer, creator of worlds and unforgettable character, and inventor of language was also a scientific autodidact, with an innate interest and grasp of botany, paleontologist and geologist, with additional passions for archeology and chemistry.

Tolkien was an acute observer of flora and fauna and mined the minds of his scientific friends about ocean currents and volcanoes. It is these layers science that give his imaginary universe—and the creatures and characters that inhabit it—such concreteness. Within this gorgeously illustrated edition, a range of scientists—from astrophysicists to physicians, botanists to volcanologists—explore Tolkien’s novels, poems, and letters to reveal their fascinating scientific roots.

Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit by Corey Olsen

The Hobbit is one of the most widely read and best-loved books of the twentieth century. In December 2012, millions were introduced or reintroduced to J.R.R. Tolkien's classic with the arrival of the first of two film adaptations by acclaimed director Peter Jackson. Exploring The Hobbit is a fun, thoughtful, and insightful companion volume, designed to bring a thorough and original new reading of this great work to a general audience. Professor Corey Olsen (also known as the Tolkien Professor) will take readers on an in-depth journey through The Hobbit chapter by chapter, revealing the stories within the story: the dark desires of dwarves and the sublime laughter of elves, the nature of evil and its hopelessness, the mystery of divine providence and human choice, and, most of all, the revolutions within the life of Bilbo Baggins. Exploring The Hobbit is a book that will make The Hobbit come alive for readers as never before.

The Art of the Hobbit illustrated by J.R.R. Tolkien

When J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit, he was already an accomplished amateur artist, and drew illustrations for his book while it was still in manuscript. The Hobbit as first printed had ten black and white pictures, two maps, and binding and dust-jacket designs by its author. Later, Tolkien also painted five scenes for colour plates which are some of his best work. His illustrations for The Hobbit add an extra dimension to that remarkable book, and have long influenced how readers imagine Bilbo Baggins and his world.

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the publication of The Hobbit, the complete artwork created by the author for his story has been collected in The Art of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Including related pictures, more than one hundred sketches, drawings, paintings, maps, and plans are presented here, preliminary and alternate versions and experimental designs as well as finished art. Some of these images are now published for the first time, and others for the first time in colour. Fresh digital scans from the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford and Marquette University in Wisconsin allow Tolkien’s Hobbit pictures to be seen more vividly than ever before.

The Fellowship by Philip Zaleski & Carol Zaleski

C.S. Lewis is the twentieth century’s most widely read Christian writer and J.R.R. Tolkien its most beloved mythmaker. For three decades, they and their closest associates formed a literary club known as the Inklings, which met weekly in Lewis’s Oxford rooms and in nearby pubs. They discussed literature, religion, and ideas; read aloud from works in progress; took philosophical rambles in woods and fields; gave one another companionship and criticism; and, in the process, rewrote the cultural history of modern times.

In The Fellowship, Philip and Carol Zaleski offer the first complete rendering of the Inklings’ lives and works. C. S. Lewis accepts Jesus Christ while riding in the sidecar of his brother's motorcycle, maps the medieval and Renaissance mind, becomes a world-famous evangelist and moral satirist, and creates new forms of religiously attuned fiction while wrestling with personal crises. J.R.R. Tolkien transmutes an invented mythology into gripping story in The Lord of the Rings, while conducting groundbreaking Old English scholarship and elucidating, for family and friends, the Catholic teachings at the heart of his vision. Owen Barfield, a philosopher for whom language is the key to all mysteries, becomes Lewis's favorite sparring partner, and, for a time, Saul Bellow's chosen guru. And Charles Williams, poet, author of "supernatural shockers," and strange acolyte of romantic love, turns his everyday life into a mystical pageant.

Romantics who scorned rebellion, fantasists who prized reality, wartime writers who believed in hope, Christians with cosmic reach, the Inklings sought to revitalize literature and faith in the twentieth century's darkest years--and did so in dazzling style.

The Elven Cookbook by Robert Tuesley Anderson

From Elrond’s famous feasts at Rivendell to Galadriel’s gift of Lembas Bread to the Fellowship of the Ring, the foods made by Tolkien’s Elves are mysterious, ethereal, and elegant. The Elven Cookbook provides readers with an experience from the world of Tolkien like no other, featuring more than 80 delicious recipes inspired by the mythical race. With recipes such as Silmaril Breakfast Friands, Lúthien’s Asparagus Tart, and Rivendell Roast Lamb, this beautiful cookbook captures all the majesty and otherworldliness of the Elves’ way of life, and delivers a treat for your taste buds and imagination alike.

[hughjidiot]

Hugh Jidiot's Weekly Whatever #3

Since I'm stuck inside due to freaking arctic temperatures in my neck of the woods, I figured now is as good a time as any for another of my weekly ramblings.

Here's a funny story from my youth that I have no memory of: when I was two or three my mom was working at McDonald's. One night when she wasn't scheduled to work she got a frantic call from the management asking if she could come in due to being extremely short staffed, even offering her extra pay. When she told them she wouldn't be able to find a babysitter on such short notice, they just said to bring the kid in. So apparently I sat at the drive through window with my mom saying hello to every car that came through. And then when no one was watching me I crawled off and destroyed all the Happy Meal boxes.

I first tried soda when I was like 4, and I hated it so much that I went through my entire childhood and teenage years never once drinking soda. It wasn't until I was like 17 that my girlfriend at the time finally convinced me to try soda.

I still remember the first time I ordered soda at a restaurant when I was out at dinner with my extended family, and literally the entire table just turned and stared at me.

That being said, I actually don't like most types of soda. Cola, root beer, Mountain Dew, whatever the hell Dr. Pepper is, none of them taste that good to me. The only flavor of soda I genuinely like is lemon-lime.

When it comes to the big box brands, my favorites in order are Sprite, 7-Up and Starry. Starry used to be my favorite back when it was Sierra Mist. I know supposedly all they changed was the name but I swear they messed with the recipe too, it just does not taste the same any more.

Also I preferred canned drinks, followed by fountain and then bottled. I'm not sure if there's something different they do with the separate packing processes but I swear there's a difference in taste between the three.

And I think that's enough for now. Peace from the heart, my friends.