#something something feedback loops

[melodyofthevoid]

17, 24, 39 for the writing asks! (you can do all or pick and choose idk)

17. Talk to me about the minutiae of your current WIP. Tell me about the lore, the history, the detail, the things that won’t make it in the text.

Sure! Right now the thing I'm working on is a Magnus Archives style statement that involves elements of my original story Fading Reflections. It was borne out of Shmunter and I's listen through of the podcast (obvi), but we started talking about how different characters might have their own statements and what that might look like. Then the idea hit me for one about a ~cursed mirror~ and it's been going since then.

It's been super fun to write, as things have been... very slow in the writing department as of late lmao. I haven't churned out 2k words in a day like that in a while. The phrasing and language just popped into my head which is just the most magical feeling.

As for things that won't make it, we had a lot of concepts for spooky things to occur, for the sister to notice her twin's reflection warping over time but I felt like that'd get repetitive after a while.

24. How much prep work do you put into your stories? What does that look like for you? Do you enjoy this part or do you just want to get on with it?

I swing wildly between detailed prep and just going off of sheer vibes. My typical happy medium is doing loose plot points and writing out what I want to hit, then working off of that outline. It helps keep me on track and works as a sort of checklist. They're often very meme-y/not serious at all which is fine because I just need to know what happens.

For my larger uh... well projects is a bit of a misnomer as it implies I'm actively working on them, we'll just call them ideas for now, I've been doing a shit ton of world building and constructing to put my stories together. Each lore document is different, the one for my Sun/Moon story is the most detailed in terms of having an outlined plot, but because that's more of a game concept planning it is very different (I have no idea what I'm doing).

I'm generally torn on planning because I adore knowing where I'm going and what I'm doing. On the one hand, planning is great because it helps when I get stuck. On the other hand, you can get stuck during planning which is extra shitty. That, and getting lost in the ~grand scope~ of a project and then doing... none of it.

Hopefully I figure out a better balance eventually.

39. What keeps you writing when you feel like giving up?

My friends, mostly. I want to get better at writing simply for myself, and I do indulge, don't get me wrong, but as I've said before I was lucky to have a massive amount of feedback right out the gate but now that I'm generally quieter with my original works it's a bit discouraging. I send my stuff to my friends and they're super supportive and it keeps me going because I know people who want to read my works.

[voiider]

I need codependent Danny/Jason as a little treat (for me) and I love the idea of them having some sort of instant connection the moment they meet (bc ghost stuff idk)

Danny who's been dropped in Gotham with no way home (alt universe??) and he's been here for 36 hours and having a Very bad time senses a liminal being and immediately latches onto them heedless of the fact that his new best friend is shooting at some seedy guys in an alley and goes off about how stressed he is and how he can't make it back to the ghost zone and what a bad day he's been having (and it's important to note Danny is a littol ghost boy literally hanging off of Jason's neck as he floats aimlessly) and Jason is like "who are you??" And Danny is like "oh sorry I'm Danny lol" and then just continues lamenting his woes

And honestly ? This might as well happen. Nothing about this Danny guy(is he human?) gives Jason a bad vibe and tbh he's never felt more calm and level headed before so he just keeps up his usual Red Hood patrol and doesn't even think about it when he heads back to a safehouse and feeds Danny dinner (breakfast) before crashing for half the day

The only thing I actually need is Jason meeting up with the bats for some sort of Intel meeting and they're like "uhhh who's that" and Jason is like "that's Danny." And does not elaborate (very ".... What do you have there?" "A smoothie" vibes)

And it takes them a while to realize that these two have known each other for less than 12 hours and are literally attached at the hip

[canisalbus]

How do you draw so frequently???

I'm starting to think I probably have some passive ADHD so I end up always admiring ppl who can just constantly do stuff, it's like a dream, your art is also like a dream, Vasco is also a sweet dream, I really like Vasco, he looks really sweet

I set aside a little bit of time every evening just to draw, it's become almost like a wind down routine for me. It helps if I don't treat it as serious 100% effort hard mode art time, I usually multitask a little on the side, watch a movie or take breaks to do little chores around the house and art just sort of happens if it happens. Lately I've been making mostly personal low pressure feel-good pieces.

[rxttenfish]

bellanda and laudanda are both so alike to each other in personality and they both fucking hate it so much. it endlessly irritates both of them to see any comparison to themselves in the other and this endlessly fuels just how much they hate each other overall.

[napping-sapphic]

i want to fall in love in a way that always gives me something positive to think of like i want to love someone so much that i know i can send my thoughts in their direction to calm myself down and get away from everything else for a bit i don’t know i guess i just want something good to think about

[qoldenskies]

Hhhh just started thinking about. Donnie being terrified to sign again. Maybe they don’t notice its absence at first, since he doesn’t like talking in general. But then he gets sick or something and losing his voice, and instead of having that easy convenience, Donnie freaks out every time they try to ask him something because he knows using sign isn’t good enough.

HNGGHGHHHHH i could also see a trend of him trying to talk through verbal shutdowns and just hurting himself more, because signing is just associated with the abuse for him now. and the whole thing with being told to use his words is going to seriously influence the way that he communicates. he's kind of lost sight of the fact that they're usually pretty good at reading his nonverbal cues/mannerisms (and they'll become a lot better at it now that theyre adjusting because theyre going to be hyper-aware of his feelings, they'll be super vigilant) because his first instinct to protect himself is to stammer out an explanation, even if he really doesnt need to.

i think he'll really struggle to be concise because any slightly pointed question about where he was or what he was doing is going to make him freak out and feel like he has to cover all his bases. the fact that they're going to have some separation anxiety with him isn't going to help, if they dont know where he is they're not going to react in a levelheaded fashion and that just sounds like itd start a feedback loop of panic LMAO

[maspers]

"So you're bisexual?"

Yah.

"But you're heteroromantic."

Yah.

"So you're basically just straight with extra steps."

Nope. There's one VERY important difference between me and a straight person.

"Oh yeah? What's that."

I enjoy movies full of hot people WAY more.

[gonna-win-gotta-try]

something something whole never being truly himself around anybody and and always keeping parts of him to himself.

something something soul being whole’s self.

something something whole accidentally pushing soul further away from him and never letting him come out in any way.

something something soul doesn’t understand what he’s doing wrong to deserve to be imprisoned in the headspace while heart and mind get to be with whole outside.

something something soul getting mixed messages when Harmonia says He love it.

is this anything?

[spooky-dice]

btw everything going on with kristen and cassandra is good and in-character you just don’t know her like i do lol

[selfinflictedgunshotwound]

sorry for only saying this type of shit lately but i kinda wanna drive a car straight into a brick wall at the highest speed possible

[sforzesco]

Oh my god would you elaborate on the parallels you see between Octavian and Caligula?

ABSOLUTELY

That he was given to adultery not even his friends deny, although it is true that they excuse it as committed not from passion but from policy, the more readily to get track of his adversaries' designs through the women of their households. Mark Antony charged him, besides his hasty marriage with Livia, with taking the wife of an ex-consul from her husband's dining-room before his very eyes into a bed-chamber, and bringing her back to the table with her hair in disorder and her ears glowing; that Scribonia was divorced because she expressed her resentment too freely at the excessive influence of a rival; that his friends acted as his panders, and stripped and inspected matrons and well-grown girls, as if Toranius the slave-dealer were putting them up for sale. Antony also writes to Augustus himself in the following familiar terms, when he had not yet wholly broken with him privately or publicly: "What has made such a change in you? Because I lie with the queen? She is my wife. Am I just beginning this, or was it nine years ago? What then of you — do you lie only with Drusilla? Good luck to you if when you read this letter you have not been with Tertulla or Terentilla or Rufilla or Salvia Titisenia, or all of them. Does it matter where or with whom you take your pleasure?"

Suetonius, Augustus

He respected neither his own chastity nor that of anyone else. He is said to have had unnatural relations with Marcus Lepidus, the pantomimic actor Mnester, and certain hostages. Valerius Catullus, a young man of a consular family, publicly proclaimed that he had violated the emperor and worn himself out in commerce with him. To say nothing of his incest with his sisters and his notorious passion for the concubine Pyrallis, there was scarcely any woman of rank whom he did not approach. These as a rule he invited to dinner with their husbands, and as they passed by the foot of his couch, he would inspect them critically and deliberately, as if buying slaves, even putting out his hand and lifting up the face of anyone who looked down in modesty; then as often as the fancy took him he would leave the room, sending for the one who pleased him best, and returning soon afterward with evident signs of what had occurred, he would openly commend or criticise his partner, recounting her charms or defects and commenting on her conduct. To some he personally sent a bill of divorce in the name of their absent husbands, and had it entered in the public records.

Suetonius, Caligula

it runs in the family!

[intertexts]

they call me guy whos going to write fic.........................

[icescrabblerjerky]

I love the lore that Emmrich is a Horse who sleeps standing up because there is no bed in his ENORMOUS quarters but I also fucking hate that Rook sleeps on a leather couch with no linen and no pillows. IDK what the temperature and/or humidity is in that room but ffs bioware give us a goddamn BED.

[definitelynotshouting]

HI. HELLO. SORRY. i heard we’re talking about hunger au + the others finding out about fucked up stuff that grian’s doing

i’m obsessed with the potions. in order to die (which he doesn’t even *want*, or at least doesnt think he wants, he just believes it’s the safest option) he has to corrupt his friends’ attempt to help him. healing potions have been like. the only thing he’s conceded on for his own comfort. tango is super excited when he learns about them bc 1. it’s something actionable and immediate thatll directly help, and 2. grian gets noticeably… not hopeful, exactly, but definitely more responsive the few times that they’re talking about the potions. which. i’m sure tango will feel really good about after the fact (assuming the plan happens).

and then mumbo overextended himself making a *gold farm* entirely for potions and pearl “got carried away” collecting netherrack. it’s so clearly a priority for them. how are they going to react when grian hurts himself using them?? when they find out that they don’t do anything notable in the first place *except* give him a way to hurt himself?? after potions almost killed him the FIRST time??????? augh. i think about it so much

(also i heard we could pick emojis so im picking 📞 ty <3)

You're more than welcome to pick an emoji!! :D i honestly love it, i love seeing regulars in my inbox its like having people wave at me from across the street whenever they send in asks hehe :]

Man, the potions..... yeah the potions are crazy dude, i can see why everyone is obsessed with them. I havent exactly made a post on this yet, but healing potions don't actually do anything for a Watcher's structural code (theyre designed for Player surface code specifically, so they arent even fully compatible with Watcher surface code), which makes him conceding on them even more painful, because the others are latching onto this single one opportunity to help and its not even actually helping. Its being used, in fact, to eventually hurt him. Nobody is gonna like that.

Im really glad how everyone's desperate attempts at getting the potion ingredients are being picked up on in fic, especially since those references been sorta randomly sprinkled in throughout the chapters (usually through dialogue). Yeah they are.. thats gonna be Fun when they find out the truth on that one >:] ive had the scene for that in mind for AGES and i cannot WAIT to finally get it out there for everyone to see, because man. Its gonna be visceral, i'll tell you that

Im so so glad you like what im doing here enough to be rotating it in your brain like this!!! :D i shake your hand we sit and spin the potions like rotisserie chicken

[hidingoutbackstage]

*dumbass voice* maybe rereading my script again will fix me!

[eruditic-akechi]

Thinking about how whenever Rhine eventually does have a breakdown (because who are we kidding that's the only way she's ever gonna stop being emotionally constipated even if for a few business days) it's probably something small and insignificant that causes her to break. Rationally she knows it shouldn't upset her this much but she just can't stop crying and the entire time she's apologizing to whoever witnesses it because she knows it's stupid and she's stupid for crying over it! But like,,, anyone who's known her for 5 minutes would never be upset because it's the first time she's cried over herself (and not something like something Andersdotter wrote) in at least a decade:(