#spent more time generating pretty pictures than i have writing so far

[cuffmeinblack]

Richard Jackdaw.

[easy-there-leftovers]

I See You, Darling

[Astarion x reader] The idea never left my mind, and I so very badly need this right now. Heavily inspired by this cutscene where Tav chooses a dialogue option and Astarion's eyes just deviate-- (gif above, just wait for his eyes to look at you WKDKWKDK) |Word count: 2k.| Based off of this post I made.

Part 2 here!!

Also, this is more heavy on the world building rather than dialogue. If I end up making this a series, I might write with more dialogue in mind but it was just necessary to do this first afhjaqfbnjkafbnebn--

A story in which an overworked art student longs for a fictional character that they've devoted so much of their time to.

Alternatively; Astarion realizes there's someone else watching him. And he can't wait to get acquainted with them.

————━─━────༺༻────━─━————

One.

Two.

Three.

It takes you three seconds to comprehend what just happened. Three seconds for you to try and save the progress you’ve already made so far. Three seconds for you to feel the chill of dread run up your spine. 

You’ll admit, perhaps you were simply tired. Attending a prestigious school for the arts doesn’t exactly leave you with much free time to indulge in more calming forms of recreation. Your course requires you to consume a wide array of media to expand your library of creativity, after all. All in the name of generating more interesting media to entrance and enthrall your audience with your original work. 

Maybe all the moving pictures and swimming texts have caused you to greatly misunderstand what you are seeing. Surely, your favorite character isn’t looking directly at you, right?

Right?

But before that, let’s review what might have happened earlier to explain just what exactly in gods name is happening.

Shall we?

——

You purchased the game a few months back. “Baldur’s Gate 3.” A game that took the players and immersed them in the world of Dungeons & Dragons, introducing them to the mechanics of tabletop RPG as they did. It seemed interesting enough. And if the concept of character creation and storytelling didn’t sell you on the idea of it, the pretty faces on the cover certainly did.

So, with the little money you could spare from your part time job at your own institution’s library, and with what little sanity you had left to argue with, you impulsively bought said game. And it was fun. Exhilarating. Electrifying. 

Until you ran into a problem.

Astarion. The rogue, elven vampire that you have chosen to romance after careful deliberation. You scoffed to yourself. He was one of the biggest reasons why you purchased the blasted game at all. You’ve carefully studied the character in all his glory, from his striking carmine eyes and delicate unstained curls, to his aptitude for bloodshed and all manners of gore. He was such an interesting character, giving you more and more reason to pursue him as the story progressed. Yet the same can’t be said about your relationship with him. Or at least your “Tav’s” relationship with him. 

You’ve had some difficulty in deepening your relationship with the ex-magistrate. It seemed as if no matter what options you chose, no matter what manner of advances you made, he’d be quick to dismiss you. Painting you as a desperate little pup as he did. Denying you the opportunity of further knowing him. You’ve created and overwritten more save slots than you'd like to admit, perusing each one to select different lines of dialogue only to be rejected time and time again.

You thought it strange. But perhaps this was simply the way his route was meant to unfold. He was such an incredibly complex character after all. Perhaps this was meant to prove the party’s loyalty. 

But that didn’t stop you from being frustrated with other aspects of the gameplay. You've spent countless nights hunched on your work chair, back curving like a dead bug as you analyzed each and every possible outcome in combat. Eyes, bloodshot from cutting your sleeping hours short, just to endure the story until you were at an appropriate place to log out. And hair, flicking and curling out in different directions due to you weaving your hands through them in exasperation. 

You saw your reflection on your screen as it darkened to load the next scene and you couldn't help but stare at your character in slight envy. You know full well that however you designed them, it wouldn’t affect how the others perceived you, and yet you couldn’t help but pretty them up for your own interest. You designed it with yourself in mind, but making them far more attractive than you would ever be. Effortlessly beautiful as they stirred to wake up in the forest you settled in for camp.

How could Astarion ever turn this beautiful being away? If not for their heroism, then surely their looks would be enough to draw him in, no?

And speak of the devil. Once you could control your character again, you readied them to interact with your sharply dressed companion. Wanting to try your luck once more as the bright sun shone upon your character like a promise of a new day. Unfortunately, you’re greeted with a look of boredom, oh so familiar, that you sigh. “I hope you’re not here to beg—” Mocking him, echoing the words you’ve come to expect with faux mirth in your voice. But you cut yourself short when you realize he has yet to say anything. 

Strange.

 What’s even stranger is that he's just staring at you. Well,--- he’s staring at Tav. Your character.

“What the fuck…?” You move your mouse around, clicking to try and toggle the dialogue options to no avail, screen stuck in a cinematic close up of his face. Much like how the camera always pans when awaiting your response. 

However, unlike the common script of his actions that you’re used to, the one that you’ve memorized like a well practiced dance, his eyes smoothly glide off of your character and onto you. 

You freeze, but your heart doesn’t. The beating of your chest growing stronger the longer he looks at you. Eyes, blood red like rubies, boring into your own. He regards you, blinks, and then smiles that deviously charming smile of his before your screen turns dark. Your computer turns off, and you stare in shock of what just happened.

‘No fucking way, no fucking way, no fucking way—‘ You’re not delusional, right? Sure, you’re tired, but no fucking way did you just imagine one of the hottest characters you’ve seen in a while break the fourth wall just to fuck with you.

You laugh to yourself.

Yes, you’re just tired. Nothing like a good four hours of sleep can’t remedy. Although, as you get up from your chair, foolish as it may seem, you grab a used shirt from your floor, and hang it on your computer in the case that those piercing eyes come to life once again while you sleep.

——

You stir awake after your short slumber. Your body, heavy like lead, though not at all a feeling foreign to you. You think about what happened last night, wondering if it was all a dream. Yet as you get ready for the day, you notice your dirtied clothing still on your computer. Covering it as if it were a petrifying doll from a horror movie. You feel childish for doing so, reasoning that you were simply stressed from the events that taken place prior and removed the cloth.

As you did, your screen was brought back to life. Showing you the next night as if your little "tryst" with Astarion never happened. An entire thirty minutes or so of progress seemingly gone. Thankfully, you saved just before your game went haywire and you attempted to load up your last slot. 

Zzzt Zzzzt!

Alas, your game was not cooperating once again. You tried the save just before that and the same error screen presented itself to you. ‘Maybe this is a sign that I should just fucking work instead.’ Irritated at the thought, you moved to log out of the game but a familiar voice convinces you otherwise as the screen returns to normal. 

“Why, hello pup. How was your awfully short slumber?” 

‘Is this— a romance scene?!’ Astarion had never initiated an interaction before! Perhaps the game gods were granting you mercy. Or maybe, something you did last night might have given way for this line of dialogue to open up. Regardless, you happily took the opportunity and began reading your choices.

“Why, hello pup. How was your awfully short slumber?” ━─━────༺༻────━─━

Well. Thank you.

It’s none of your concern, fangs.

Better now that you’re here.

What happened last night?

━─━────༺༻────━─━

What…did happen last night? You don’t recall anything past the blackening of your screen, but it looks like you did something after that which caused this dialogue.

You don’t want to squander this opportunity, who knows when this will happen again, but your curiosity gets the best of you. So you save, and choose option 4. 

“Oh, you poor thing. Spooked you, did I?” He laughs, seemingly taking in the look of confusion that graces both yours and Tav’s face.

“What do you think happened last night?”

“My fucking game crashed.” You answer automatically.

Tav moves to open their mouth but is silenced with a tut. “Not you, spawn.” His eyes crinkle at the corners in amusement, but the way his mouth is pulled in a tightly-lipped smile offers you further insight otherwise. 

“I need your answer.” His eyes are on you yet again, and you feel the world begin to spin.

——

You stir awake after your short slumber. Your body, heavy like lead, though not at all a feeling foreign to you. You think about what happened last night, wondering if it was all a dream. Yet as you plan to get ready for the day, you notice you’re not exactly in a state to do so. You expected to wake at dawn, the dark and cool air to greet you as it fills your room and envelops your walls. Instead, you wake to see an endless amount of evergreen and the smell of the dark and damp grass beneath you filling your senses.

And if spending hours, weeks, months, of playing this damned game has taught you anything, you know that you now reside in the heart of the forest that you usually set up camp in. But this time, you're far from your bedroll and the fire that your party created.

One.

Two.

Three.

It takes you three seconds to comprehend what just happened. Three seconds for you to try and save the progress you’ve already made so far to no avail. Three seconds for you to feel the chill of dread run up your spine. 

And this chill so does love playing games.

You clamber away on your knees when you hear that deep chuckle of his emanate from right beside your ear. Creating as much distance to inspect this figure you’ve yet to face.

You see Astarion in all his vampiric glory. ‘Well, for a vampire spawn, I guess.’ You comment to yourself. Crimson eyes, darker than you imagined, with full, dark lashes contrasting his pallid skin and pure hair that glow under the moonlight. An unsettling, and cursedly attractive, smirk curls onto his lips. His ivory fangs on full display as he does.

“It seems as if those useless artifacts were worth something.” He marvels at his handiwork, his prize, and approaches it with confidence. 

“Well, your character certainly is more ‘prettied up.’” He circles you, carefully appraising his newest asset, and grins. “But you are far more intriguing.”

A simple, “What the fuck?” is all you can muster.

“Although, you are very cute. Cheeky little pup, aren’t you?” He jests.

A simple, “What the fuck?” is all you can muster which earns you a click of his tongue in response.

“You’re not broken, are you? Or am I to anticipate your little ‘what the fuck?’s as your only contribution?” Long, and incredibly masculine, fingers crawl and curl to grasp your chin like a spider. 

“I’ve waited months to have you. And now here you are, finally within my grasp.” The statement causes something to stir within you.

“What do you mean, ‘months?” 

He narrows his eyes, possibly trying to comprehend your stupidity.

“I’ve been watching you. Waiting, for the right moment. Interacting with this– caricature of yourself until you could deny yourself of me no more.” Blood rushes to your head. Your cheeks burning in embarrassment for seeming overly eager. And in panic as his intentions have yet to be cleared.

“And now that I’m here? Do you want to kill me?” You feel your heartbeat in your ears, awaiting his response. Your eyes wide in fear, yet trying to fake heroic bravado in the attempts to gain the upperhand.

And in this moment, he thinks you absolutely invigorating.

“Oh no, sweet pet. I’ve waited far too long for that. I’m going to make you mine.”

————━─━────༺༻────━─━————

Should I make this into a series? "The adventures of a misplaced artist in Baldur's Gate!!" Or something like that. Let me know, lol

[sunshinesteviee]

omggg i loved the prompts you posted! emotional intimacy and pillow talk is just *chefs kiss*, if youre looking for prompts maybe:

❝  you always touch me just the right way.  ❞ &❝  do you even realize what you do to me?  ❞

with reader and steve whispering to each other in the dark, it doesn't have to be smut! I just thought steve would love to hear his girl say that to him after when they're cuddling. you can ignore this if you dont like it tho haahahah

i'm so so sorry this took forever to get to; i've had a lot going on, but finally got around to writing it!! i hope you like it! wc: 703

-

Steve is already under the sheets again by the time you re-emerge from the bathroom in your underwear and one of his shirts. He’s sprawled out on his back, sheets bunched around his waist, bare torso on display in a way that makes you want to jump his bones, even though you’ve just had sex. A soft smile stretches across his face when he notices you standing in the doorway, and he reaches an arm out towards you, motioning for you to get back in bed with him. You can’t resist him, not even for a second, and flick the bathroom lights off, flooding your bedroom in darkness. 

You don’t need lights to find your way back to bed, and crawl up the length of it, flopping into Steve’s waiting arms. Your landing next to him is maybe a bit too aggressive, as he groans, “Oof, baby, jeez. Warn a guy the next time you’re gonna body slam him.”

“Sorry, baby,” you giggle, shimmying underneath the sheets to press your body into his. Your hand slides across his bare chest as you turn to your side and press your cheek into his shoulder, one leg hitching up over his. 

“‘S okay,” he murmurs in reply, voice muffled by your hair as he kisses the top of your head. You can’t see his face, but you can hear the smile in his voice; you can picture his soft hazel eyes and his pretty freckles as his lips tug up at the corners. He’s beautiful inside and out, and you want nothing more than to spend forever just like this. 

A large, warm hand settling against the exposed skin of your thigh draws you out of your thoughts. Steve’s touch is gentle as his fingertips draw down the back of your thigh toward your knee to keep you pressed close, the pad of his thumb rubbing soothing circles onto the inside of your knee. He presses another kiss to the crown of your head as he asks quietly, “You okay?”

“Mhm,” you reply somewhat absentmindedly, tilting your chin up so you can press a kiss in return to your sweet boyfriend’s jaw. 

“Was it okay for you?” 

He’s asked you before, usually equal parts sincerity and in jest, and it’s always dorky and endearing. The question makes you want to laugh, though; Steve is, by far, the most generous and skilled lover you’ve ever had, and to suggest anything otherwise is ludicrous. But you humor him nonetheless, appreciating that he cares that you enjoy yourself, “Yeah, Stevie, of course. Do you even realize what you do to me?”

You can feel his laugh more than you can hear it with your head on his chest. His hand sweeps along the length of your thigh again as he asks, “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” you murmur as you place your hand on your boyfriend’s chest, fingertips tracing delicately over freckles and moles, along the edges of rough scars adorning his sides, “that you always make me feel good. You always touch me just the right way. Swear you know my body better than I do sometimes.”

Steve laughs again, softer this time, as if a little flustered. His hand closes around your shoulder and he pulls you in even closer, lips pressing to your forehead in a light kiss, “Hope so. ‘Ve spent enough time getting acquainted.”

Letting out a groan, you push your face into Steve’s chest, which pulls another giggle out of him, “Ugh, shut up! I’m trying to be serious, and you’re being a perv.” And even though you’re trying to admonish him, you can’t help but to dissolve into giggles, too, the sound muffled against his skin as he holds you close. 

When the giggling from the both of you finally subsides, Steve gets serious, lips pursed as he pushes a few stray hairs out of your face. The tip of his nose rubs against yours as he leans in and whispers, “I love you. Ya know that? And you make me feel the same way.” And then, before you can reply, Steve leans in and presses his lips to yours. Kisses you like he’ll never be able to get enough. Like this might be his last chance, even though you plan on kissing him like this for the rest of your life.

"I love you, too, Stevie."

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

do my worst cal? Well let's see 😘

⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️ (I'm downloading this for the Monday ao3 downtime and I wanna see how far I'm going to get 😁)

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿

🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨

🌌🌌🌌🌌

🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

Enjoy your long weekend! Do you have any plans apart from a tiny bit 😅 of writing? It's the beginning of the summer holidays here, so the kids are celebrating with lots of screen time and I with lots of editing 😁

HII!!! Yessss this is the kind of challenge that excites me DAMN.

And thank you! Not a lot of plans here! I spent the day yesterday relaxing by beautiful Lake Huron, so that's mainly it.

Good luck to you and the kiddos as the summer rolls on!

Here we go...

42 (Jesus) for ⚡️ (I hope you enjoy it!!!):

---

It could all be very grating, but Eddie finds that he’s smiling and laughing at the cute little things she says more than he’d have thought. Eddie can’t say he enjoys extended time with little kids, generally. And maybe it’s just that the longer he’s with Buck, the more Jee is pretty much a niece to him, and he does love her, in that extended family sort of way. But maybe… Maybe the truth is just that it’s nice having a little kid in the house.

Eddie’s not going to lie and say he’s not a little nostalgic for when Christopher was this age. Not that time in his life - fuck that - but when Chris was tiny and needed him all the time. When Christopher giggled at the silliest jokes instead of being wittier than Eddie. He loves being a parent to a young man, who makes him insanely proud every day. But he also loved being a parent to a sweet, funny little kid. 

And it strikes him… Maybe he just does love being a parent. Maybe it’s not as Chris-exclusive as he thought. 

He’s spoken a bit about it with Frank, based on his conversations with his own father and Buck. In four months of deliberating, he’s never been able to come to a concrete resolution. Figuring out what he wants versus what he thinks he deserves. He knows he keeps holding all the mistakes he’s made against himself, like demerit points in the decision to see if his parenting license should be renewed. But now he’s sitting at the coffee table in the living room with Buck, Chris, and Jee, and Chris is patiently trying to explain that they have other, more fun games they could play with her, and Eddie is wondering if maybe Buck was right. Maybe he’s been looking at this all wrong. 

If Eddie was the same person right now as he’d been when Christopher was born, yeah, he probably shouldn’t be considering having another kid with anyone, regardless of how much better of a fit they are for him. But he’s not. He’s changed. And look at his life now. Look at what his life could be, if he keeps trending in this direction. 

They set Jee up on the air mattress in the living room to sleep. When Buck is done helping her get ready for bed and making sure her teeth are brushed, Jee comes running down the hallway towards Eddie - clad in a shooting-star print purple onesie - and gives Eddie a gentle little hug. 

“Goodnight, Uncle Eddie,” she says in a sing-song voice. 

Eddie’s heart melts. She’s never called him that before. Which means someone - Maddie or Chim or both - has been using it organically around her. Again, Eddie feels struck by how different and right the picture of family in his life has been feeling lately. 

“Goodnight, sweetie,” he says, returning her hug. “I hope you have good dreams.”

“You too!” She exclaims brightly, then lets go of him to return to Buck. 

Eddie makes his way towards their bedroom, and listens to Buck tucking Jee in in the other room. He’s reading her a story that Maddie packed in her overnight back. Eddie lays on the bed and tries to think about the future. He thinks about how nice it might be to have someone to read bedtime stories too, again. Especially now that he has someone else there to read with him. 

So Maddie obviously launched some sort of biological warfare on Eddie through the use of poor, innocent Jee-Yun. The kid can’t help being charming and adorable. The worst part is, it worked. Eddie thinks he kind of wants one. 

---

15 for 🌊:

---

“Okay, Buck.” Eddie smiles. “Good. It suits you better.”

Buck smiles sort of crookedly. “Maybe it does.”

Eddie takes another healthy sip of his coffee. He hopes Buck realizes they are extending far beyond plausible deniability of that straight label he’d mentioned when Eddie came to the bar. 

“So, uh, I think we were just talking about how you couldn’t stop thinking about me for an entire year?” Buck prompts. 

Yep. Heterosexual line marker trampled over several talking points ago.  

“You left an impression,” Eddie admits. He’s not too proud to say it.

All flirtatious energy wipes from Buck’s features, replaced by a startling display of sincerity.

“Will you please tell me what happened?”

---

21 for ❤️‍🩹:

---

Chris swallows. There’s a lump in his throat that feels like gravel. 

“I said something really mean to him.” Christopher admits. 

“I heard,” Buck says.

“He told you?” Christopher whines, pulling away from Buck. 

Which can only mean one thing, right? If Dad told Buck that Chris forbade him from falling in love with him, then they both must know that the other feels that way. Maybe they were already in love with each other, and all Chris did was hold the inevitable hostage. 

“Yeah, well, we had a long wait at the hospital and he was pretty upset. Cut him some slack on this one, kid.”

Christopher sighs. “Are you mad at me?”

Buck shakes his head. “I think I was a little disappointed when he told me. But, now that you’ve told me how you’re feeling, I’m pretty sure I get it.”

“I think I was wrong,” Christopher sighs. 

“You need to talk to him, Chris.” Buck says again. “Your dad just wants you to be happy.”

---

18 for 🌿:

---

“Jee looks out for you, too, because she’s a great big cousin.”

“Mhm,” Nico nods.

“So, see? Everything is okay. Dad just needs a bit of time to think about what happened, okay?”

“Okay,” Nico agrees. 

Eddie smiles at his youngest son. “What do you say we go out there with Dad and eat some dinner?”

Nico looks back at his LEGO blocks and weighs his options. It’s a sad state of affairs that both Eddie and Buck combined may not measure up to some manufactured plastic blocks, but Eddie does love how focused Nico gets when something inspires his creativity. 

“Okay, Dad.” Nico says. “Let’s go.”

Eddie presses a final kiss to Nico’s forehead before Nico tears ahead of him out towards the kitchen. And, really, Eddie thinks things are mostly solved. Buck will process. They’ll talk to Nico about Margaret and Phillip together, even though Nico will never have to see them again. Case closed. 

---

21 for 🚨:

---

Eddie strains down into the well pipe and grabs Hayden’s tiny hand. Eddie imagines if he wasn’t wearing thick gloves, it would feel like grabbing at an ice block. 

“There we go,” Eddie pants. “There we go. Almost there.”

He’s getting ready to pull Hayden towards him when his thirty minute timer goes off. 

Shit. 

“No, no, no,” Eddie panics aloud. 

He feels the sharp tug of the rope against his harness, ripping him from Hayden’s grasp.

“NO!” Eddie shouts, uselessly, as if they could possibly hear him. “NOT NOW!”

He’s pulled up and up, each inch of distance decreasing Hayden’s chances of survival. Eddie can’t let this kid die. 

“Hayden!” He screams. He wonders if this is what is was like for Buck when the tsunami tore him from Christopher, magnified by a million because of their connection and the higher likelihood of Buck’s own death. 

Buck did whatever it took to save Chris. Eddie will do that for this boy. Consequences be damned. 

He pulls out his knife, brings it to the rope yanking him from Hayden, and cuts. 

---

12 for 🌌:

---

“I’ll put a timer on for five minutes, and we give ourselves that, and then you really have to leave,” Buck explains. 

“I don’t know,” Eddie mumbles.

Yes. Yes, he does know. He wants it. He wants whatever five minutes of sin can get him. 

“Okay, well,” Buck pulls out his phone and begins tapping. “You have five minutes to make a choice.”

“Wait!” Eddie exclaims.

Buck taps the start on the timer and flips the phone screen around to show Eddie the ticking clock. He’s wasting seconds here. 

---

15 for 🩸:

---

His skin feels hypersensitive to every touch or draft of air. His eyes strain against the light. 

Eddie feels like he’s been unconscious for a hundred years. He feels like he’s resurfaced from being dropped to the bottom of the ocean. 

It takes him a moment to situate himself. He’s in a hospital bed, hooked up to monitors. Once he figures this out, it takes him another few moments to remember why. The memory of Kim pinning him against the wall, his blood spilling from her mouth, elicits a frightened groan in him. How the hell did he survive that? How the hell is he here?

His pathetic fucking mewling causes a stir to the left of his bed. 

“Eddie?” 

Buck’s voice rings out like music, and Eddie is surprised at how nice he finds the sound. Has Buck’s voice always been that nice? He wants to float towards it, like it could ease his otherwise persistent discomfort.  Eddie can’t float towards Buck. All he can do is emit another raspy, pained grunt of confirmation that he is, in fact, awake.

[celestie0]

hiiiiii ellieeeee! I stopped by to say thank you for kickoff! Def one of the best gojo fics I’ve read. I love the way you characterised all our boys, especially Gojo and Geto.

if you don’t mind me asking, do you have any personal headcanons/character background for kickoff geto?? He’s sooooo charming and I’d die for him 😭😭😭😭

AHHH thanks darling you’re so sweet <33 i’m so happy u enjoy kickoff :”) it is my pleasure to share my lil fic w you!!

omg yes i do have another ask in my inbox from an anon that also wanted kickoff geto headcanons and i’ve been saving it for when i can think of some 🤣 i’m planning on writing a spinoff series for him some day so i wanted to give it some serious thought aaa

i can share some notes i’ve thought of so far tho (very loose n subject to change):

1. kickoff geto n gojo have been friends since they’ve basically been in diapers, they know each others families very well n gojo’s mother dotes on him just as much as she dotes on gojo lol. he’s basically a second son to her haha

2. kickoff geto became interested in soccer when gojo’s dad took him n gojo to a pro soccer game once when they were kids (core memory bc they got to skip school to go lol). he wasn’t insanely infatuated w the sport like gojo was but he tagged along in practices n tryouts n stuff then realized he was pretty decent at it

3. lol this is kinda hyper specific to the spinoff series i had in mind, but i can imagine kickoff geto has a loooooot of younger siblings. like i’m talkin maybe he’s the eldest of like six or seven kids. it’s the reason why he’s kinda calm n collected n also pretty observant (i.e. when he told reader to be safe when he saw her going to meet kai) it’s also why he’s not all that alarmed by gojo’s idiocracy at times cuz he’s used to being around toddlers LOL ✋🏼😭 but yea all eldest siblings i know kind of have the personality i’ve given him w sorta the patience n softspoken but vigilant etc so this made sense to me. also he literally raises two kiddos in the show so i see it fitting HAHA

4. i have hc this before but he has almost exclusively dated only sorority girls, and he’s mostly only into sorority girls in general. idk he just finds he can relate to them more and their social circles, i can picture him being kinda exclusive w who he lets into his close group of friends as opposed to kickoff gojo who just wants to know everyone’s entire life history the second he meets them LMFAO but yea, i think my inspo for this hc came from the fact that canon geto only likes/respects sorcerers 💀 i don’t mean to say this as he shuns anyone that isn’t in greek life LOL i just think the ppl that he’d consider his close friends are those that he’s spent a lot of time getting to know at frat/sorority social events

5. he plays defense on the team!! and i think i did hc what his major is before but i forgot 😭…idk let’s just say he’s a psych major that makes sense to me 🤣

LOL damn i wrote a lot more than i thought i would sdfgkkhfd but hopefully this kinda gives more insight to his character!! i’ll def do some official headcanons for him some day :)

[wyrm-in-a-closet]

Science fact of the day- Saturn!

YEAAAAH GAMERS ITS MY FAVORITE PLANET WOOOOOOO- i like saturn okay. she's just really pretty for one. Also it has beautiful rings too. The origin of these rings is a bit uncertain- right now, there are three general theories, which are: 1. the rings have been around since Saturn's formations, and were initially much more massive, but are now relatively light, 2. They were formed more recently by a collision of some sort, possibly between two moons, and 3. they were formed by a single moon which fell too close to Saturn, and was torn apart by tidal forces (the Roche Limit). These later two theories generally have the rings as younger, about 300 million ish years old. That would mean these rings have been around for less time than life existed on Earth's land. We do know that the rings won't be around forever- various data gives the rings a lifetime of anywhere from about 100 million years to around a billion years, although the higher number is significantly less likely.

In many ways, Saturn is similar to it's larger and more massive cousin, Jupiter. It's almost entirely hydrogen and oxygen, it's history is similar and also tied to Jupiter's, and it's radius is within the same ballpark. However, since Saturn is far less massive, that means Saturn has a very low density- in fact, it's less than water. If you had a planet sized bath tub, then a lot of very very bad things would happen, but if you ignored those things and put Saturn in it, it would float!

Saturn has been visited by a few spacecraft. Most notably, Voyager 1 and 2 both flew by it on their solar system grand tours, although when voyager 1 saw titan, scientists were so interested in it that they changed voyager 2's course so that it could get a close flyby, at the cost of a flyby of Uranus and Neptune. The most important mission to visit Saturn, however, is Cassini. Cassini was launched in 1997, alongside the Huygens probe (which went into Titan's atmosphere). Cassini arrived in 2004, and spent years orbiting Saturn, taking picturing and preforming science on both it and it's moons. It's initial mission was only 3 years long- however, after being incredibly succesful for those three years, it's mission was extended for another 2 years, then it earned nearly 7 more, and then its finale stage which lasted four months. in total, it spent 13 years around Saturn. Cassini's mission came to a close when it was burned up in Saturn's atmosphere, to avoid the possibility of it crashing into any of Saturn's moons and contaminating them.

Cassini is my all time favorite space mission for a few reasons. It studied my favorite planet, it preformed absolutely incredibly, and it went out in a honestly tragic way that i just kinda love. But also, it took what might be my favorite image of all time: The Day the Earth Smiled. The Day the Earth Smiled is a composite image (meaning it's made up of hundreds of smaller pictures taken at slightly different times, which are then combined) which shows Saturn eclipsing the sun, with its rings incredibly visible. Many of Saturn's moons are visible, in addition to the planets Mars, Venus, and importantly, Earth. NASA made the fact that the picture would be taken public, and encouraged people to look up into the sky to wave and smile towards the camera, billions of kilometers away. we're all there! I was just 6 years old at the time, but I'm there! and so are you!!!!!

anyways so i sobbed a normal amount writing todays science fact

[ne0ngenisis]

Let's talk about my BABIES

(in order of acquisition)

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Number One! ThinkPad T440p! (Not actually named)

This was a bit of an impulse purchase, as all of my laptops have been in the last threeish months. I knew of the trans girl stereotype of ThinkPads and Linux, and I wanted that. Especially because my laptop at the time was a crappy HP Stream (pictured underneath the ThinkPad) that couldn't run Windows without crashing constantly.

So I did some research and found out that this was the last model with socketed processors, and just kinda went for it! It arrived in much better condition than the pics suggested so I imagine the seller picked the wrong laptop out of the pile, but I'm not complaining.

It truly was nothing special when it was new, but I've upgraded it quite a bit since then! A 2C/4T 2.4GHz i3-4000M to a 4c/8t 3.7GHz i7-4800MQ, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD! It took me about five hours to install and configure Arch Linux on here, and that was with the guidance of friends who are a lot nerdier than me and I actually cried like, twice, out of frustration... BUT, it's been a solid performer ever since.

It cost me about $170 after everything I've done to it, but I still need to replace the screen on it with a 1080p IPS model, because the 768p TN panel is now literally the worst laptop screen I own. Apple seriously had better ones 12 years before this.

---

Number two! 12" iBook G3/500, "Baby"

Baby features in my current profile banner, as it's the laptop I carry around with me all the time to write on the go. The battery life is still pretty fantastic for its age, and it's super cute and small (the same depth as my ThinkPad not including the thicc battery, but about 2" narrower due to 4:3 aspect ratio).

I also picked this one up on a whim, because I was taken by an Apple hyperfixation, and also the image of a coffee shop hipster writing on an iBook. This one isn't a clamshell, love it or hate it, but I love it.

It's the very earliest model from 2001, with a 500MHz G3, 64MB of built-in RAM, and a CD-ROM drive. The original 10GB hard drive was missing so I went through the painstaking process of digging down to where it belongs and installing a 40GB IDE laptop drive I LITERALLY found in the trash.

I also spent $17 on a pair of working batteries and ended up with one that lasts for a good 4.5 hours when all you're doing is word processing, which I was and generally still do. Very close to factory battery life. I also spent about $16 on a charger because I didn't have one yet.

At first, I put Mac OS 9.2.2 on here, because it didn't have enough RAM for OS X as far as I could tell. Once I got the RAM upgrade (now 576MB, 64MB built-in + 512MB module), I installed OSX Tiger on here as well.

It's got some old OS9 games like Diablo II, Quake, Warcraft II, and I actually still own a physical copy of Riven on CD, so those all work on there. And I'm also using it to write, of course. However! It could not run Halo: Combat Evolved. Which led me to more purchases, lmao. I have considered doing a logic board swap to a faster CPU but that would be a daunting task...

It ended up costing me about $90, after the laptop, ram upgrade, charger, and working batteries.

---

Number three! 14" iBook G4/1.07, "Ghost"

Ghost is a funny one. Also driven by impulse, in this case, to have an old Mac laptop that could play Halo. I actually received it on the same day as the next one on this list. This is a 2004 1.07GHz 14" iBook G4 with 256MB of built-in RAM and a 256MB module for a total of 512MB, and a combo drive, I believe. This one actually came with a 1GB module in it, and an Airport card, but I swapped some parts around to make my G4 PowerBook more usable.

It was incredibly cursed, including weird freezing and crashes, refusing to install updates and to mount USB devices, and then it just stopped seeing the hard drive all together. I took it apart twice, once to take the hard drive out to discover it was the original 40GB Apple branded hard drive, and another to put it back in once it started booting in my PowerBook G4 (number 4 on the list), and all the cursedness went away somehow!

I still named it Ghost in honor of the cursedness.

I don't have a good battery for it at this time. Right now the only working 14" iBook battery I have (which I paid like $35 for) lasts about an hour, and the 12" battery I have in there now dies at a seemingly random percentage around 60% because the battery isn't reporting its capacity correctly. I did design and order a 3D printed adapter bracket thing so maybe I can stop using fucking masking tape to hold the battery in. It may become more used than my 12" once I get the battery, entirely due to the larger screen and faster processor.

I did have to replace the F12 key, because the original one was missing. This was made a lot easier by having the PowerBook G4 which we'll go over next. Now it's like an accent escape key for a fancy mechanical keyboard, or a gold tooth!

This one actually cost me the least out of all of them, at $69, including the battery I'm not even using, and it came with a second charger, which is good! Though, I guess with the 3D printed battery adapter you can up that price to $80. Or lower it to $44 if the battery doesn't count!

---

Number four! 15" PowerBook G4/1.33G, "Alice"

Alice was purchased just days later than my iBook G4, but showed up on the same day. And boy, she was a basket case. I have named her Alice because of "Al" being the elemental symbol for Aluminum, as she's a 2004 Aluminum PowerBook G4, with a 1.33GHz processor and 1.5GB of RAM. It originally came with 512MB of RAM in two modules, but I put in a 512MB stick I found in the trash, plus the 1GB module and the Airport card from the iBook G4 to make it a more usable laptop in the modern day.

The problems were immediate when I got it plugged in for the first time, as there was seemingly no display, until I noticed the dark screen started to change colors. There was a picture... there was just no backlight. To my surprise, the sketchy looking aftermarket battery actually worked fine still, and it was good for about 3.5 hours of use.

Getting it hooked up to an external display, I started to notice that the trackpad button didn't work either. It's a good thing these parts were cheap.

I actually tried fixing the backlight inverter myself, as the issue was there was a coil that had detached itself from the board. My jank soldering work lasted about 15 minutes before it made a buzzing sound and one of the little wire stubs came detached from the side of the coil. RIP.

A week or so later, the backlight inverter and trackpad cable show up, and me being able to actually use the laptop properly shows even more problems. It won't sleep when it's plugged in. But only when it's plugged in. I can't get into the boot picker. Five of the keys on the keyboard also don't work. As it turns out, all of these problems are keyboard problems, and that fixed all of them.

Basket case-ness is different from cursedness. I knew what parts needed replacing on the PowerBook. The iBook just misbehaved until it suddenly stopped misbehaving.

It cost me about $95, including the laptop itself, the backlight inverter board, trackpad ribbon cable, and a glorious (pure sex to type on) new-old stock keyboard.

---

Number Five! Late 06 15" MacBook Pro, 2.16GHz C2D, "Dolores"

My MacBook Pro. As with the others, it was an impulse purchase, though it's required the most extreme repairs of any of these laptops so far. It's a Late 2006 15" model, with a Core 2 Duo T7400, and pre-upgraded to the maximum of 3GB of RAM and a 120GB SSD. It came with all sorts of goodies, including an 85-watt MagSafe charger, copies of iWork and iLife 2009, the original recovery DVDs for 10.4.8 Tiger, and a hard copy of OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard. What it did not include was a battery.

Initially I tried booting it up from nothing, and it would get stuck on a white or blue screen sometime after the Apple logo disappeared, and the same would happen when I put the Snow Leopard DVD into the drive. When I put the Tiger DVDs in, it would install the OS fine, but the resulting install wouldn't boot either. And then I noticed the artifacting.

I knew that this was a possibility with basically any model of pre-unibody MacBook Pro. All of them have graphics issues, though the '07 and '08 models have it a lot worse than the '06 models. I end up complaining about this on a Discord server, and another queer nerd tells me that the boot failure is probably because of the GPU being marginal, and since it's an ATI Radeon GPU instead of an Nvidia GPU, a reflow might help it.

So... I take it apart for the second time that day, after the first time to repaste the CPU, Northbridge, and GPU, and I bathe the GPU in 350°C air from my rework station for about 6 minutes, letting the board rest for 20 minutes before I reapply thermal paste again and reassemble it. Now it boots into MacOS fine. I installed Snow Leopard and updated to Lion, and it's been fine since, though the 32-bit EFI firmware has caused some issues with attempts to get Linux working on the damn thing, though I'm told the GPU could just be playing nice with MacOS but still not good enough to work in Linux.

I tried getting a battery off of eBay, a cheap replacement battery, but it only half works. It powers the laptop, but it won't show up in the OS to show any percentage or capacity, and it won't charge either. So I bought a single-use battery. I'm trying to message the seller and get my money back right now.

It has cost me about $74 including the cost of the crappy essentially single use battery. I'll probably get an actually good one from OWC eventually, because I want to be able to use this laptop as a daily at some point.

---

Well, that's it! For now. I also have my eyes set on a mid 2009 white MacBook but that will be a later kind of thing. Not right now, while there's still work to be done on my other laptops.

[scribbledsilver]

Happy STS! If someone was looking for your characters, how would they describe them to people? What features would they most pick out to distinguish them from a crowd?

Ooh, good question. It's a tiny bit tricky to answer right now, 'cos I'm just lately getting back into writing after not being able to for most of a decade, so all my stories are in the early planning stages (meaning so are the characters' appearances).

I do have a pretty good grasp of the main characters in Life List, though:

Birdie: a tall (between 5'10 & 6ft), broad, light-medium brown skinned, woman, in her 60s (though you'd be forgiven for thinking she was still in her 50s). She has tightly curled, mixed-type, medium brown hair, which she keeps firmly contained in a large, low bun, at the nape of her neck. She tends to accompany this formal hairstyle with equally fomal (but sturdy & practical) skirt suits, in bold (but not overly bright) colours & basic patterns.

A retired teacher (at a private boarding school), she has a somewhat stiff & formal bearing, but is far more open & friendly than she seems, so don't be afraid to approach her. As she has excellent diction & a low, but resonant, carrying voice, you may be able to hear her as well as see her, even when surrounded by people.

Su: Small & wiry, with long hair in a single braid - theoretically falling straight down her back, but more often flung over one (or both) shoulder, or even wrapped around her neck like a scarf - her richly brown skin shows signs of long hours spent outdoors. Even though her petite frame may be difficult to spot through a crowd, her active - & creative - nature means she has a surprising affinity (for someone in their 30s) for clambering on, under, or over things - usually in order to point her professional lens at them.

An inveterate wearer of t-shirrs & jeans, she nevertheless has a feminine streak, which she combines with a love of her Pakistani heritage, often augmenting her simple outfits with an unobtrusive piece of traditionally inspired jewellery, or a bright scarf in traditional patterns, which you may be able to see as you get closer.

Bonus: the as-yet-unnamed lifestyle journalist (with aspirations of investigative journalism) that follows the ladies around, hoping for a scoop (as described by Su, probably):

An idiot in a suit.

Weirdly fond of bright blue socks.

Moves like a cartoon - sort of sideways, in both directions at once.

His mustache looks like it came out of a vintage movie. His suit looks like it came out of the laundry basket (of a vintage movie set).

Why would you wear vertical stripes when you're already long & skinny? Especially those stripes.

Why the hat?

(His fashion sense may evolve with time, but I keep picturing him in either the most boring, featureless, crushed suit known to man, or in a vintage-esque striped number, the type generally worn with straw boater & cane, often in a dance number! Or a barbershop quartet, actually - maybe that's his hobby. The bright blue socks that he wears with any & all outfits are an established fact, however.)

[scatterbrainedart]

Being a slow artist with a short attention span is hell because I literally do not have the energy to finish anything ever. My drawing process is literally just me sketching the same thing over and over because I wasn't able to focus enough on it to make it good the first time. To make ANYTHING I have to be quick, just to make sure it exists, and then I go back and refine it and make it GOOD.

It really does not help that I struggle a lot with picturing stuff in my head, especially 3D things. This means that I have to highly rely on references or just muscle memory, which is another reason to why my sketches usually start out rather skewed.

Because of both of these things, I tend to trace photos. Now, here me out here alright. I don't trace other people's art, that's not what this is. When I say tracing, I mean drawing over my reference picture to get the general anatomy right, and then I shift it to look how I want it to look (make limbs longer/shorter ect.). I don't do it because I'm unable to draw the anatomy. I know that with enough trial and error I can do it no problem, but it takes a LOT of time and effort. Time and effort that I'd gladly cut out of the process if I'm able.

I don't even use just one reference most of the time. I tend to put a bunch together, even just for poses, so that is a whole thing within itself. For example, here’s my reference versus final for this old drawing. I started out with changing the proportions of the photo, mixed a bunch together, and then continued to edit the sketch once I had the bases down. This still takes a lot of time and energy, but it makes the process less intimidating to me. This drawing took 16 hours to make all in all, which I’d say is pretty standard for me. It can take anything between 5-40 hours depending on the complexity of the piece.

But it’s kinda funny because you can so clearly see where my energy starts to run out in a sketch’s first draft. It’s literally a visual representation of the deterioration of my attention span. It’s kinda neat, even if it sucks ass.

Just wanted to touch on this a bit in case other people relate to struggling with this, and because I don’t believe in gatekeeping helpful tools and tips. I still practise anatomy and I take time to study stylisation and art techniques, all quite regularly. When I trace photos, I tend to trace shapes more than I trace lines. I don’t do this because I’m unable to draw good anatomy on my own, but because it’s a good way to entertain my focus for longer by removing that specific bit of trial and error. Here, for example, Isa piece in which I didn’t use any references at all. It showcases that deterioration of focus that I talked about earlier very well. I drew the first version all in one sitting (which took around 6.5 hours) and you can clearly see how I didn’t have enough energy for the background and was rushing to finish it before my energy was completely drained because of all the time I spent on the characters.

In the second version, I completely redid the background (which took about 2 hours) while leaving the characters as they were. The trees in the far background still suffers from a bit of that focus deterioration, but it overall looks a LOT better than it did initially. And it was all a matter of how good my energy and focus levels were as I drew them, not on a lack of skills. The same gos for when I’m drawing literally anything else.

I recently took a step back from leaning as heavily on references as I normally do because it felt like such a weakness, but the only thing that really happened was me drawing significantly less and still getting one of the worst burn outs I’ve had in years. So much so that I was seriously considering just stopping making art completely, including writing. That’s how tired I got. The only thing I really have to present from that time are these little clay sculptures, because that was the only thing I could bring myself to make.

Anyway, I'm getting off topic. What I'm trying to say is that it's okay to trace photos if that's what helps you draw. It's okay to lean on tools to an extent, as long as you learn the basics and don't use them as a reason not to practise or improv. And don't use them as a bible to follow to a T. Use them as guidelines, and stray from them when needed. Sometimes the better looking drawing is the one with slightly incorrect anatomy because brains are weird and sometimes what is less realistic just reads better. So don't be afraid to trace, but also don't be afraid to stylise your drawings and stray from the reference photos.

Lastly, and I cannot stress this enough, DO NOT TRACE OTHER PEOPLE'S ART. Trace photos. It's okay to do for practise as a part of a study of another artist's art style, but don't post it. If you really want to, you can ask the artist personally if they are okay with it or not. Some are, some aren't. That's something to be respected. But I'd recommend to entierly refrain from that outside of studies. Not only because it's kinda scummy, but also because it won't help you much in the long run as the artist's anatomy very well could be off and it'd affect your own piece. It's a loose loose situation, really, and absolutely NOT what I am encouraging here. Alright? Alright. Good we're in an agreement here.

[mcl38]

new article written by lando for the telegraph dropped! this time about golfing (embarrassing. embarrassing that i’ve even read it but way more embarrassing for him). AND this time it’s actually paywalled, not like the other times. so please please don’t pay money to the telegraph - i will literally 100% always be posting these articles in full with a day or two delay at most. anyways, article under the cut as always, enjoy the read

I cannot wait to get back in the car this weekend. Spa is one of my favourite circuits and it’s always a thrill to race there. I’m also feeling particularly refreshed right now – both mentally and physically – after a brilliant holiday out in Spain and Portugal during F1’s summer break. I spent the first week in Ibiza and Formentera with friends and family, travelling between the islands and generally chilling out. Then in the second I went on a bit of a road trip with my buddies Max Fewtrell and Tom Bale, who are old karting team-mates from back in the day.

I say road trip but the truth is it was a golf trip. We played every morning and then travelled on to our next destination later in the day, going from Alicante to Marbella, Sotogrande to the Algarve, and ending up in Porto. It was utterly glorious. 

Yes, my name is Lando Norris. And yes, I am a golf addict.

I thought I would use my column this week to write a little bit about my relationship with golf, as it seems to have become a thing. I'm always getting asked about it in interviews.

Believe me, no one is more surprised than I am that a game I had never really played until three years ago has become such a big part of my life but somehow it has. I probably have Carlos Sainz to thank for that. 

[picture of lando’s car at spa last year, i assume during quali but it’s just him spraying rain everywhere. fun times last year eh]

It was Carlos who introduced me to golf when we were team-mates at McLaren in 2019. We started at Topgolf in Surrey, near the team’s headquarters in Woking. Then he suggested I have a go out on the course. I was hooked from the word go.

It helped that Max and Tom took it up at the same time. We’re all pretty competitive so that helped to get the juices flowing. And slowly, over time, it’s just become part of my routine. I now play almost every day that I’m able to.

Am I obsessed? Yes, a little. I use an App called TheGrint, which keeps track of every shot. But don’t think it’s an unhealthy obsession (of course, you can become a golf bore but I try very hard not to be one, although I am attempting to get my girlfriend into it, so far unsuccessfully!) It’s my relaxation away from the paddock. A place where I can go to clear my head and forget about apexes and braking points.

For me, that is my primary motivation for doing it: clearing my head. I know there’s always talk of ‘cross-pollination’ when sportspeople take up other sports. There’s a long list of sportsmen and women who have taken up golf, from Gareth Bale to Steph Curry to Michael Jordan. And I guess there are potential benefits in terms of concentration, focus, and ability to deal with adversity. I probably get more frustrated out on the course than I do in the car.

But essentially I do it because I enjoy it. Which is ironic considering the pain it causes me. Right now I’m pretty frustrated with my game. I’m probably not doing enough lessons and I’m not seeing the progress I want to see. The driver is a particular issue (ironically). I don’t think I took it out of the bag for the last three days of the road trip. I do that classic thing of trying to hit it 100 times harder than the rest of my clubs, with predictable results! But I also have a few gremlins going on in my short game.

I actually need to get it a bit under control as I’m playing in the Pro-Am at Wentworth in a couple of weeks – in between the Dutch and Italian races – which is pretty nerve racking. I’ll probably be more nervous doing that than driving in an F1 race. I’ve played in a Pro-Am before, at the Dubai Desert Classic, when I was paired with Bernd Wiesberger. But there will be so many more people at Wentworth, and obviously on home soil a lot of them will know me. I don’t want to embarrass myself, especially as everyone knows how much I love golf!

[lando in dubai on the golf course with like some guy named bernd but not the safety car guy. i’m guessing a golfer? i assume the ppl who r actually into golf r also subscribed to the telegraph and can go there to check, venn diagram just a circle and all that]

I’m not yet sure who I’ll be paired with but there’s plenty of potential for embarrassment. But I’m looking forward to it. It will be an experience, with the crowds lining the fairways and galleries around the greens. 

Maybe I’ll get a few tips off Carlos. I reckon he’s probably the best golfer among us F1 drivers. Him or Lance Stroll. I think they must be off six or seven whereas I’m currently off 14.5, having been down at 12 or 13. Alex Albon is another I’ve played with in Monaco. It’s definitely a growing thing in F1, although I haven’t been able to tempt George Russell yet. 

Going into this weekend I’m comfortable with my fitness, and with how hard I’ve been working this year. For me, it felt important to relax and clear my head over the summer break. Golf helps me to do that. I’ll arrive in Spa fit, ready and re-energised, if a little sunburnt after my golfing road trip in 39C heat.

[koqabear]

hit me with your killshot, baby (C.YJ)

Summary:

It was a small, quiet town you had decided to move into. One that you could help with any healing or magical needs. What you didn’t expect, however, was to face a demon too powerful for your own good. The worst part? Seems like he’s gotten attached.

Yeonjun x reader/ demon!yeonjun x witch!reader

Genre: fantasy, enemies to ?? thriller(?), angst if you squint me thinks

Word count: 3.0K

Warnings: general physical fighting/violence, mentions of scars, burns, bones breaking, knives, blood, fire, descriptions of pain (let me know if I should add anything!)

a/n: This might get another part if it gets a good response <3 Writing fantasy is rlly fun for me as well, I’m so glad that this is the story that got me out of my writers block lmao

comments and reblogs are always welcome and much appreciated, hope you guys enjoy! <3

Disclaimer!! Absolutely nothing about this story is accurate or real, anything and everything that mc the witch does is made up!

It was about three in the morning when you got the call.

“Hello?” You said, eyes squinted as you had just been woken up from your sleep. The line remained silent for a moment, leaving you to wonder if this was a scam caller. You spoke again, only to hear hasty footsteps becoming louder, presumably running towards the phone.

“Hello?!” The voice called out, the loud exclamation causing you to jolt awake. “Oh my god, oh my god!” Their exasperated voice rang through your line, and you stood to get properly dressed, already anticipating their request.

“Where do you live?” You asked sharply, grabbing the keys to your car and waiting for their answer. They stuttered out their address, the sounds of the rain coming into your ear. They were now outside.

“Please come quick, this spirit has been bothering me for weeks now, I could have sworn they were harmless-“ they cried into the phone, only to get cut off by your stern command.

“Leave your home. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”

They agreed, their voice quiet and shaky, and you hung up, beginning to drive to your new task.

It was no secret your town had a problem with the supernatural. That was the whole reason you lived here.

‘The town witch’ was what they called you. You remember moving to this small town the moment you turned eighteen, the rumors of the paranormal town beckoning you to help. With potions and incantations by your side, you were the best damn thing this place had ever gotten. But that was six years ago, and you were young and naive. The scars and burns that riddled your body only served to prove your progress, marking your place in this town permanently.

You sighed, your grip on your steering wheel weak. You were, after all, the only help these people had. Late night calls like this were beginning to become much too common recently, leading you to wonder if something, or someone, new was beginning to pester this poor town.

You arrived at the house, the thunderstorm only helping to provide a stereotypical atmosphere for you to work in. You got out your car, pulling your coat tightly against your body, the wind around you strong enough to hinder your footsteps.

The two story home before you rattled in protest, the front door swinging open the moment you got close enough. You felt your heart begin to race, beginning to question if this was truly worth it. It seems that whatever had been pestering the homeowner was no small ghost. Walking inside, you were met with the dark and empty home, the hardwood floor beneath you creaking in protest as you carefully walked around, the house seemingly calming the moment you entered.

You breathed in slowly, attempting to steady your mind as you surveyed the house, recalling what the homeowner told you before hanging up. This had been going on for a while, but it seems that it only recently became too much for them. Whatever was in this home really liked the attention.

Before you were able to take another step forward, you were thrown off your feet, slamming into the wall to your left, the many picture frames and decorations falling before you with a loud crash. The door slammed shut, and you covered your head, bracing yourself as you felt the glass shards begin to be directed towards you.

It’s here, and it’s angry.

Just as the chaos around you finally dulled down, you were met with the sight of the trophy shelf in front of you beginning to shake, your eyes widening as you began to run. You muttered a quick incantation to help shield you, the dull sounds of impact that began to pound against your shield only serving to make you run faster.

The hallway in front of you suddenly seemed never-ending, it’s violet wallpaper becoming harder to see the more you ran. Was the house layout always like this? The hallway suddenly ended, leading you to an open room, quickly recognizing it as the living room. The lights suddenly flickered on, disturbing your concentration as you noticed a shadow walk past one of the doorways.

Seemingly knowing you perfectly, the spirit took this small wavering to throw a book in your direction, narrowly missing your face as you ducked to the side, only to get knocked to your knees as you felt a kick to your back, your disturbed concentration causing your spell to be broken.

You turned around in a haste, summoning your shield once more as you unsheathed the knife you had in your coat pockets.

“Show yourself!” You barked out, standing up as you surveyed the room. “I know you’re here.”

Silence.

The howling wind outside stopped, the flickering lights suddenly still at the sound of your voice. You gripped the handle of the knife harder, trying to not let the exhaustion seep into you. The lights began to slowly dim, a lit ember flickering in front of you, only to be followed by many more, swirling into a raging fire directly in front of you. You jumped back at the heat, the familiar sight making you frown in anticipation.

“You look tired,” the voice said, as smooth and elegant as you first remembered it, “Maybe I could fix that.”

Standing in front of you was no other than Yeonjun. Clad in black, his dark eyes stared into yours as he towered over you, his platform boots shining underneath the dull lights, his hair slicked back and pushed away from his face save for a few strands that hung to frame his face.

“Yeonjun.” You said, a feeling of anger stirring inside you the longer you stared at him

“It’s so nice to hear my name come from you again,” he sighed, taking a step toward you, only for you to step back in retaliation.

Yeonjun was none other than the first demon you tried to expel when you first came here. You had fought with every single potion and spell you spent years perfecting, only to leave hospitalized and unsure that he would return. However, as the years passed and no sign of him appeared, you had assumed that you had succeeded in your battle against him, any signs of hauntings or poltergeists disappearing after that day.

“You,” you snapped, everything finally piecing everything together. “You’re behind everything that’s been happening recently, aren’t you?” You took another step back as he began to laugh, throwing his head back as if you had just told him the funniest thing in the world. Slowly, he calmed himself down, his eyes playful as he took his sweet time responding to you.

“Maybe, why?” He said, beginning to walk towards you slowly. You held your ground, concentrating on keeping your shield steady, they grip on your knife tightening. He stopped centimeters away from it, the aura of the shield humming as his clothes grazed the perimeter, shocks emitting on impact.

“I missed you, you know,” He muttered, head leaning towards you teasingly as he stood just far enough to not be blasted away from your shield. “It wasn’t fun hopping from town to town, trying to mess with other witches that resided there. They were just too…”

“Weak.”

You were barely given a moment before the sight of Yeonjun’s bright eyes filled your vision, the feeling of a scorching heat overtaking your senses.

Yeonjun had trapped you in a ring of fire.

A pretty small one, too.

Slightly panicked, you looked around for any place you could escape, the memories of the last time you got so close to Yeonjun warning you to get as far from him as you could, only to find that it was just you and him, trapped in a space that wouldn’t even allow you to shift backwards.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, his voice taunting as he waited for your next move, “Claustrophobic?”

The weapon in your hand began to heat up, your mind working its hardest to form a plan that would work and let you come out alive. You already knew what this fire around you would do; It wasn’t a simple flame, and the scar on your chest that throbbed painfully in this demonic presence was enough proof of that.

The moment you had healed from your first encounter with Yeonjun, you had put all of the knowledge you had acquired from experience and older, more experienced witches into putting a weapon that would help you with violent demonic problems like him. It had taken you weeks of pure isolation and meditation to engrave the correct energy into the weapon, afraid to make any mistake that could lead to something drastic. By the time you were finished putting the last few touches on the weapon, (a protective incation; the words engraving themselves in fine print letter by letter as you poured the last of your energy into it,) you could barely stand, landing yourself at the house of a medic that specialized with witches.

“You’re lucky that you managed to come out of this with just drained energy,” He had told you one day, standing next to your cot and handing you a homemade medicine; its taste was horrendous, but it did the job.

“I’ve dealt with witches, succeeding or not, that had come out in a much worse condition. You’re very powerful, that much I can tell.” He confessed, his face sobering as he remembered why it was that you were there, “Whatever it is that you’re dealing with, I wish you luck.”

And now here you stand, the results of all your hard work and patience vibrating the more you concentrate on defeating the demon in front of you.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to try and hurt me with that,” Yeonjun laughed, watching the way your grip tightened the moment he landed his eyes on it, your knuckles turning white with the force, “You know your little knife can’t hurt me, right?”

While it was true that regular knives were nothing more but toys to him, you knew that what you were holding was not a regular knife.

But he didn’t.

You remained silent as you stared at him, quirking a brow to silently challenge him. He scoffed, rolling his eyes at your demeanor.

“Giving me the silent treatment now?” He said, pausing for a moment before looking back at you, “Fine. You think you can hurt me with that little kitchen knife?” With a single movement of his hands, the fire dwindled, going down until it was no more,

“Go ahead. Give it your best shot.”

You suppressed a smile.

Yeonjun was a lot of things. Strong, powerful, smart, hell, he was a bit attractive too.

But above all, he was cocky.

Slowly, and as subtly as you could, you adjusted your stance, your eyes never leaving his, ready to let your shield down to attack him.

“No games?”

His lips quirked up, his hands coming up to his sides to show you his full vulnerability.

“Fair and square. Here, I’ll even let you make the first move.” His pitch black eyes twinkled with his signature playfulness, his thoughts displaying to you loud and clear;

I thought you were smarter than this.

You fought the urge to scoff, and instead surveyed him for a moment, stepping back to give yourself a bit more room. He watched intently, his body language open and relaxed, clearly not threatened by you.

You lunged forward.

Before Yeonjun could move away, you swung your knife towards him, your stomach sinking as you missed your target, his neck, and sliced at his face instead. His head turned to the side, a hiss emitting from him as he turned back to you, the slash on his cheek burning into his skin, going deeper into his face as he began to bleed.

Except that wasn’t blood that came out of his face.

A thin liquid, pure black and mixed with the poison of your blade, trickled down his face. Slowly, he brought up a hand to his cheek, touching tentatively at his wound, observing the black substance that poured out of him, before turning back to you.

“Come on, you little vixen,” he groaned, the nickname that he called you from your first meeting rolling off his tongue smoothly, “Not the face!”

Cocky bastard.

But now that your first move was over, Yeonjun took a minute to crack his neck, the black liquid trailing down to his neck as he slowly rolled his head back, pausing for a second before straightening up, smiling at you sweetly.

“My turn.”

Right as you were going to activate your shield once more, Yeonjun ran to you, landing a solid punch to your stomach, sending you flying to the wall behind you, the wind being knocked out of you on impact as you crumbled to the floor. Looking up, you saw him lunge at you once more, mumbling your incantation for your shield, successfully knocking him back at the last second. Tumbling backward, Yeonjun layed on the floor as you slowly got back up, using the wall behind you as support, the wild and unhinged sound of Yeonjun’s laugh echoing off the walls.

“Oh, my little vixen,” he began, sitting up as he watched you regain your composure. “I missed this. I must admit, you have gotten stronger.” Standing back up slowly, you felt the room slowly heat up. You shifted, knowing what it was that he was about to do next.

“It’s exciting.”

Running towards him, you did your best to avoid the trail of fire that was now after you, ready to swing your knife at him as you got closer. Just as you were close enough to him, you swung towards his neck once more, the predictable movement allowing Yeonjun to step aside, only to get a kick to his chest, successfully knocking him down and allowing you to dive down, the fire that was about to pierce the center of your back flying instead to the wall in front of you, the loud boom barely covering Yeonjun’s scream as you dug your knife into his shoulder.

“Fuck!”

You towered over him, straddling his waist and putting as much weight as you could to keep him down. His hands immediately reached up to clasp over yours, attempting to pull the weapon out, only to have you retaliate by digging it into his skin more, his cursing filling up your ears as he struggled against you.

Your jaw clenched and you felt yourself begin to sweat, the same ring of fire from before beginning to enclose around you slowly with no signs of stopping. Your hands began to burn underneath Yeonjun’s touch, obviously his doing as he seemed to concentrate on attempting to scare you off with the same fire that landed you on the brink of death from your first encounter.

But you refused.

You refused to allow the demon to live any longer, to continue to terrorize innocent and defenseless people in your town, or in this world at all. And now that you had him under your grip, your hands struggling to successfully behead him, you weren’t going to let a little bit of pain scare you away.

Your hands began to numb under the heat of his skin, popping noises emitting from under his iron grip. He was attempting to break your hands, to render them useless, but with the adrenaline coursing through your veins, you pushed on, biting back your own groans of pain and trying to concentrate on your current task, and nothing else.

“Come on my vixen, give it up,” he said, his voice laced with pain and false confidence that he attempted to use in order to make you believe that he remained unaffected. But as your knife inched towards his neck, piercing through his skin and emitting a loud sizzling sound, you knew that it was all a bluff by the way he winced, a low grunt of pain escaping him.

“I really don’t want to hurt you, you know,” he confessed, the ring of fire snapping angrily at your legs, the heat making you want to faint from overexertion. But you continued to push on, much to Yeonjun’s annoyance. “Fine, you asked for it.”

He screwed his eyes shut, the ring of fire slightly calming down, along with his iron grip on your hands. Just as you were about to take this chance and behead him, you felt something coming.

You turned around.

A ball of pitch black fire, resembling a pure void, flew towards you.

It all happened so fast. Throwing you off of him, Yeonjun staggered away from you, watching silently as the void of black washed over you, your screams of agony causing him to look away, the slightest bit of pity washing over him.

This was it, wasn’t it?

You couldn’t move as this void of fire washed over you, a feeling as though every bone in your body was being broken and you were being turned inside out coarsed through your system, your screams ripping through your throat, the wish for death appearing in your heart.

But right as you felt as though you were going to black out, it stopped.

And Yeonjun stood over you.

He watched as you lay there, completely paralyzed with pain. It took a bit before you began to breathe again, your chest barely rising, the air flowing into you causing you pain. Slowly, you opened your eyes, Yeonjun’s face inches from yours, the dark liquid from his wounds dripping onto you.

“I almost feel sorry,” he whispered, his lips grazing yours. You tried to hold on, to finish your job, but the very effort of having to breathe exhausted you beyond belief. Slowly, he pressed his lips to yours, the kiss more of a half hearted apology as he lingered there for a second, his lips still against yours. His mind reeled at the feeling, and he pulled away, a soft smile on his face as he slowly brought his hand down, hesitating before caressing your exhausted face slowly, spreading his own blood on your face.

He grinned.

“I look forward to our next battle.”

And he was gone.

Tears pricked at your eyes, and you collapsed.

[the-original-skipps]

Fluffy Alphabet A-Z

Sano Manjiro aka Mikey

Note: Thank you so much for 100+ followers. I wouldn't have been able to get his far without your support. I'm super overjoyed and glad that you guys take the time to read my writing. I love you all very much as promised I hope you enjoy the fluffy alphabet! 💗

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

> Mikey likes to go for rides on his CB205T and he likes to bring you along. He just loves the feeling of the wind passing and your presence behind him. Maybe sharing some snacks while you both watch the sunset or the starry night sky, talking about random things. He just generally likes being around you even if you're both just sitting in silence.

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

> He admires your determination and strong will. Since Mikey is mentally weak, he admires those traits in other people. No matter what you'd always be there to scold him or comfort him. It reminds him of his older brother.

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

> Mikey instantly knows if you're feeling down, he just senses it. He'll bring you somewhere where they could both be alone maybe a park or he'll drive somewhere and sit you down. Mikey won't force you to tell him what's wrong but if you do he'll be listening intently. He's not the best at comforting people but makes sure to let you know that he's here for you.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

> Now this is a hard topic to answer. Mikey has pictured a future with his s/o, living in peace after all the rush during his teenage years. However, he doesn't see it happening because he knows it's best if he keeps his s/o away from him in the future.

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

> I'd say he's both but mostly on the passive side. He lets you take the lead since he doesn't know much about being in a relationship. He'll be given advice and teased by his close friends but he'll keep their words in mind.

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

> Mikey is pretty stubborn and doesn't like losing. If it's a petty harmless arguement, if he's wrong then he'll muttering an apology to you and completely forget about it. It's difficult to get into a serious argument with him unless it's something concerning him or Toman. Say the things he needs to hear even if himself doesn't agree with you. Then he'll leave to give himself space and think about things. Be patient with him because eventually he'll come around.

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

> Mikey is very grateful for you being by his side even though he thinks he doesn't deserve it. He appreciates every gesture you do for him from the big things and to the little things such as making him lunch or fixing his hair or just being by his side when he feels he's losing himself.

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

> Mikey doesn't hide things, if you ask him something he will directly answer you. He has no trouble talking about a past event since it already happened. Even though he doesn't want you getting involved with Toman, he still tells you about how they're doing or what they're up to. The only things he wouldn't share are his true feelings and his dark impulsivities since he doesn't want to scare you.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

> Just by being by Mikey's side you are a positive influence on him. It will take a long time but little by little he tries to open up about his true feelings and tries to rely on you more. Everytime you sense he's distancing himself, you would have to drag him back and knock some sense into him.

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

> Mikey is definitely the type to get jealous easily and his childish tendencies tend to come out. If he sees you getting too friendly with someone he'll keep staring until he's had enough and say "(Y/N) is mine, hmph!" With a cute pout on his face. Be sure to coddle him afterwards because he might give you the silent treatment.

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

> Mikey has no experience whatsoever. He has no idea how kisses work. It'll be super rare to get a kiss from Mikey since he's not used to being affectionate. If you're lucky he'll peck you on your cheek or kiss your hands occasionally. Your first kiss with him wasn't planned. Both of you were alone and you were just admiring him as he talked and pressed a light kiss on his lips. He was instantly shocked by what you did as he traces over his lips with his fingers but inside he's feeling all warm. He never knew kisses from you would have this kind of affect on him.

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

> It took long time for Mikey to realize that what he felt towards you was more than just friendship. He confessed this to Draken and he replied "huh, obviously you like them you idiot. Hurry up and go tell them." In which Mikey replies by telling Draken to do the same for Emma. It happened when he came to pick you up from school one day on his motorcycle and brought you to the riverside. "I finally understand what I feel, (Y/N). I like you... You don't have to give me an answer right away, I'll wait however long it takes..."

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

> Another hard topic to answer. When Mikey fell for you he fell hard. As much as he wants to spend the rest of his life in peace with you, it won't happen. That is until he goes through "certain changes" and let's say he did. You'll be riding with him on his motorcycle on Christmas until he stops at a certain place. He'll start talking about his past and the times you've spent together. Then talking about how much he appreciates you and thanks you then pops the question. The wedding will be small and privately held with only people close to him and you are invited.

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

> It is known that Mikey gives nicknames to those who are close to him. It depends on what your first name is. He'll most likely you use the first syllable of your name plus -chin, -cchi or -chy. Only when he's serious will he use your real name.

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

> Honestly, it can be really hard to tell unless you really observe Mikey. You would notice he stares at you longer, or everytime your name pops up in a conversation he's interested. Draken is definitely the first the notice this change in Mikey and teases him for it, while Mikey denys it. The others will slowly start to notice this too. Especially, when he bought an extra taiyaki and gave it to you. Takemichy's jaw dropped at the scene.

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

> Mikey won't be announcing to everyone that he has an s/o. However, if someone asks he'll answer honestly. I wouldn't use the word "brag" but he will say nice about you to others. For Mikey, intimate gestures such as kissing are only between the two of you. If someone catches the both of you, Mikey wouldn't be pleased.

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that's beneficial in a relationship.

> You wouldn't have to worry about anyone trying to flirt with you or trying to hurt you not when Mikey's around. Mikey cares deeply about you and would give his life to protect you. You wouldn't have to worry about other people trying to flirt with Mikey either since you already have his heart, he'll simple brush them off. He's loyal.

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

> As I have mentioned earlier, Mikey has no experience with relationships. You would have to teach him things. Still there will be moments that might seem simple to others but to you, you know it's a way Mikey shows his love for you. For example, draping his jacket over your shoulders or buying an extra snack so you could have some too. If he's not busy with Toman matters, he would want to spend his time with you.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

> Mikey would genuinely support your dreams and passions, telling you to never give up on them. He believes in you with his whole heart, and he knows you would be able to make your goals come true.

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

> He would like to try things he never experienced before with you, like taking pictures at the photo booth or going shopping for matching keychains. That being said, what Mikey likes the most is the constant reassurance that you're here for him. Routines like going riding on his motorcycle or just talking with you, it what he like most. He's scared that one day you'd leave him so these mundane routines assures him.

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

> You would think Mikey is the forgetful type but he actually pays attention to things. He'll notice you eyeing a certain item in a store or if you're lying to him. He genuinely cares about you and would like to know everything about you, even the shameful parts. Mikey has a hard time with emotions, he may not fully understand your troubles but he'll assure you that he'll be there for you.

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

> For Mikey to actually want to establish a relationship with someone. It means he sees you as an important person in his life. However, certain things would have to come before you such as his family and Toman. It is something you would have to understand when dating Mikey.

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

> Whenever he looks like he's spacing off during Toman meetings while he is paying attention to what's happening his mind can't help but wander towards you. About what you're currently doing or if you're at home safely. Before he starts the engine of his bike, or has nothing to do he fiddles with the keychain on his keys. It's the matching keychain you both have.

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

> Mikey is not known to be the most showy when it comes to showing his affections. It's the little things he does for only you, that shows how much he cares about you. Mikey secretly likes the affection you give him even if he denies it. It surprises him everytime you hug him or kiss him but he never stops you or tells you to stop. Just don't do it in front of Toman. Even if he doesn't want to, cuddle him as the big spoon and it'll make him really happy. Since he's so used to keeping a strong facade, cuddling with you gives him the impression that with you maybe he doesn't have to do that.

Y earning - How will they cope when they're missing their partner?

> Mikey will still act as the strong charismatic leader of Toman, where nothing fazes him. He won't outwardly show that he misses you but you can tell by the way he fiddles with his matching keychain or stares off into the distance that he misses you. He might even unconsciously blurt a quiet "I miss (Y/N)...."

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

> Mikey is willing to give his life away to protect you. Just you being with him is dangerous enough who knows who might be out to get him and easiest way they can do that is by getting you. If your safely is at risk even he likes you he would have to break up with you, keep you away from the danger. Because he utmostly cares about your well being and if anything happens to you, it will destroy him.

[logicheartsoul]

how to deal with poor fic reception? i have an ocxcanon series that i put a LOT of my heart/soul into. i just started posting the first few chs. bc it’s oc/canon + a smol fandom, i have no delusions abt how much attention it will get. it has gotten a nice number of kudos so far….but no comments. i’m trying to tell myself it’s OK but it’s kinda hard to feel OK…i’m not sure how to deal with this so i can still keep writing the whole series since i do love the story very very much

I guess it depends on the definition on what you mean by 'poor fic reception' because depending on the fandom and depending on how many fans are in it and how active it is, something that may have low numbers in a bigger, more active fandom, may actually be doing pretty well. I've been in a variety of very rare, small, niche fandoms and some extremely big, active ones. Something like 15 kudos in a small af fandom is pretty significant, coz the smaller the pool of people, the more likely most of the fans have seen it, you know? Even in a big fandom, 15 isn't bad either -- in all the content they had to choose from, those 15 decided to look at your work? That's pretty damn good I feel.

Just by the general nature of things, any fics that are primarily only oc/canon fic is gonna be harder to get more reception than if a fic has canon/canon only ship or if it's a fic with canon/canon and oc/canon. I could probably get into it, and there's lot of meta essays discussing the why's about it, but the fact is, it's just naturally harder to get more readers into it. Since you've mentioned about having no delusions about the attention, I'm sure you know the reasons that I do too.

It's good you got a lot of kudos so far! I dunno if you've seen the Meaning of Kudos post (which is a survey done by readers of ao3 on what they actually mean when they kudos a fic) but all those kudos do mean something, and it's all positive.

I totally understand though, wanting to hear what people think about the work and effort you've put into a story, and how it may seem like silence. A good thing to keep in mind is that [x] amount of people read your work and liked it. Sometimes it's hard to lose sight of it because it's numbers on a screen, but a good trick I've learned from someone is picture being in a room. Imagine the number of people you got for those kudos or hits. If it's 26, holy shit, that's 26 people, that's almost the start of a big party! If it's 100 or more, that's the size of a big college lecture class.

Another thing I know from reading fic for a long time and writing fic and being friends with fic writers for years, is that many people might enjoy the premise/idea of an on-going story but will wait for it to be completed before reading it. Some of them they got burned by amazing WIPs and then the authors abandoned the stories or it doesn't update for years or they have limited time to read fic and wanna read it all in one go. And even if people are reading your on-going fic, they sometimes don't comment for the same reason -- they want to save all their thoughts and opinions til the very end.

That being said, there's nothing wrong with asking in the author's notes about leaving a comment. Of course, not in a rude way, but something like 'oh I spent a lot of time working on this chapter this week because...[insert reason], I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments!' or something along those lines. Sometimes readers just need some nice encouragement to leave a comment, even if it's just an emoji reaction.

If the story is one you love writing, I hope you keep going at it! I hope these things might help make it easier, coz it can really get tough. But I hope it won't discourage you to keep going.

Now, if you want to potentially get more eyes to look at your work -- and therefore increase the chances of a reader who does comment to show up -- there are ways to do that. They're not all guaranteed, of course, and I've known MANY an amazing fic writer whose works can get overlooked for lots of reasons and the most popular work can be someone who's just managing to be striking it hot while the timing is right with the most popularly sought out tropes with decent enough execution on the ideas. Popularity does not equal skill and does NOT indicate people who are not popular enough are bad writers.

This response is getting kinda lengthy, so I'll leave it under the cut.

Some of that is of course making sure you're not posting in the AO3 dead zone hours (which I recently found out is a thing, wtf) (check this post out for more info ) so that it allows your chapter updates to show up on the front page of your pairing's tag and a better chance at new readers to see it.

There's also promoting the fic on a tumblr account (either a personal tumblr, a writing only tumblr, or a fandom only tumblr, whatever you want to choose) and using the right tags to get eyes on it (first 5 for it to show up on tagged pages and first 10 for in search results). Please don't use tags that have nothing to do with the fic --characters or pairings that aren't relevant -- because the fans of those tags will most likely just block you, but also it's easier to maintain tagging to relevant stuff as well. Also, it just makes fans of those characters or pairings annoyed, to the point of possibly writing posts about that very thing. And annoyed/mad fans will spread the knowledge of who is doing that kind of thing if they're mean/petty enough. Just better for everyone around to stick with fandoms, characters, and pairing tags that are relevant.

And don't be afraid to reblog your own work to promote it -- people have busy lives and also live in different timezones and countries and so whoever might be seeing might be like, 'oh! This fic updated!'

Another good tip is to regularly update but not post like 5 chapters at once. Max 2 chapters in one go is ok, but space out the chapter updates if you aren't already doing so. That allows people time to read each part through. The only exception I can think of for more than 2 chapters if it's like... the very end of the story, then people can be like 'oh this 20 chaptered fic is complete! I can start reading it now!'

Also, people love following authors they like on other platforms, so if you're comfortable with it, you can also leave in the author's notes the tumblr account you'd want them to interact with.

There's too making friends in the fandom you're in -- people who can understand and share your enthusiasm for why you wanna write this. Sometimes what we're searching for when wanting comments for our fics, other than validation, is just someone to connect to and seeing how what we created connected with them. Sometimes just getting a friend's comment can be better than a random person's.

And, while not all fandoms do this, some do, and that's to find a person or a fandom blog that helps promote other writers for their works and getting someone's eyes on it. Like a pairing/reading library or someone who routinely recs works and encourages others to send their fics in so they can check it out. That could also help! Of course, that's no guarantee the person or people running it WILL read it but sometimes you just gotta put yourself out there. You won't always strike but you never know.

Anyways, I hope all of this was helpful, anon! I do hope you get more good feedback on your fic, that someone will comment, and that you continue enjoying writing this story you love.

And of course, if none of this helps, sometimes it IS ok to step back and take a break. Take a break from the writing or in fandom, whether that's a day or a week or longer. No comments is not an indicator of your worth as a person or as a writer. Sometimes, stepping back to distract ourselves or to not think about it for awhile helps refocus it all.

[parvulous-writings]

Stars //Sith!Obi-Wan x Pregnant!Reader

Request:   Heya! First of all, I just want to say, wow!!! I loved wvry word of the Vader x Reader you did, and reading your notes, I really don't mind it as an AU! I've never really read anything to do with Sith Obi-Wan before, though to be fair I only just got into Star Wars again 😅 This isn't really a request, but from what I can see from your posts, you seem to really like Obi-Wan, well, Ewan Mcgregor in general 😂I wanted to ask if you could write another x Reader, but this time a Sith Obi-Wan AU?Thanks for reading! -Red ❤ p.s, @rey-is-not-a-skywalker, you're welcome for requesting the sith x reader, I guess you're obsessed as I am 😂 p.s the second, I'm loving the new pfp!

Requested by: ​Red

Summary: The reader has some news for Sith Lord Obi-Wan Kenobi

Warnings: The reader is AFAB, pregnancy

Words: 1.7K

Notes: You would be correct in assuming I love Obi-Wan and Ewan McGregor as a whole. Also I’m glad you like the new pfp! I am also in love with it! :)  Did I self indulge with this oneshot? I think you know the answer. Leave me alone, I am too much of a simp at this point.  I have never been pregnant, so some of this may be inaccurate. 

Not my gif

An old Jedi’s fall from grace was a never a pretty sight to see, it was no glorious tale to tell from any side. It was full of hurt, pain, hatred, suffering. This was more than true for the fallen Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. His downfall was the least expected out of those who turned away from the light, he had always been the most loyal of men, the most faithful of soldiers.  Perhaps, in part at least, this was what drove him away from his original allegiance. He was an exceptional leader of course, the most fantastic of generals, but besides that, in the larger picture, to the Jedi Order as a whole he was nothing more than a faceless defender of the galaxy. Just another of the tens of thousands Jedi.  Another factor that led to the man’s path to the dark side, was you. What you made him feel. The passion, the love. An indescribable feeling, all he could say about it was that it was truly wonderful. He did not mind the fear, or the hatred that came with it, for you made it all worth it. The massive highs compared to the lows outweighed them greatly, and thus he gave it all for and to you. His passion, his loyalty, his love. Everything he had, every fiber of his being, he gave it all to you. If he could turn the worlds on theirs heads, and you gave the word, he’d do it. 

You had initially been shocked at the man’s sudden change of life-plans and of loyalty. Though, the more you thought about it, the more you began to convince yourself, perhaps he had made the right choice. He wasn’t so uptight in regards to public affection now- he’d often smother you with kisses in front of company, or hold your arm or hand as you wander about in cities or halls. Despite the Sith being the darker beings of the Force, the life you now lived was almost... Peaceful. After a while, you very much enjoyed it. There weren’t so many rules now, and you both felt free.  Though, not everything about your new life was free or peaceful. There were times that Obi-Wan was pulled away from you much like in the way he was during the times of the Republic and the Jedi Order. He’d be wrenched from your embrace for weeks or months at a time, and the holocom conversations you shared were not the same as actual conversations. The comforting presence you both gave to one another were missing, and it was painfully obvious to the pair of you. 

One particular night, whilst Obi-Wan had been away, you were staring out at the stars- each of them twinkling from their position on the blanket of the night from their positions thousands of light-years away. They fascinated you every night, though you knew some of the planetary systems by name and had visited a few yourself, you couldn’t help but imagine what could be hiding away on them,  what could be awaiting discovery. They also distracted you from something plaguing your mind on this particular night, something you needed to get off of your chest. It had been bothering you more and more over the last few days, ever since you had made the discovery. 

You are brought from your train of thought by the bleeping of your comm. You move leisurely to answer it, there was only one person who could be calling you at this time of night, but you knew he wouldn’t mind you taking a moment longer than usual. You answer your lover’s call, and a murmur on the other end of the line hushes- he must have been talking to someone as he awaited your answer. “Ah, my beloved.. I thought you had fallen asleep.” He mused quietly, his smug expression clear even through the blue hologram, and you can’t help but chuckle at him.  “No. I was looking out at the stars,” You tell him, plainly. Sunsets and night skies held a special place in both of your hearts; you had spent many nights on Coruscant looking out at them, telling each other the wishes you had made on shooting stars that you rarely saw. You heard Obi-Wan sighed quietly. He knew your habits when he was away, and what they meant. “I should be returning soon, my dear.” He assured you, lowering his voice to nothing more than a whisper. “I am trying to get this done, you know, but it’s not as easy as-”  “I know, I know.” You cut him off, wrapping your arms around yourself, looking down at the floor. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Obi-Wan’s brows furrows, clearly he’s noticed your odd behaviour. 

“Something’s bothering you.” Obi-Wan notes, tucking his hands into the sleeves of his long robe. “Tell me,” He demanded. Though his tone was soft, it was still very much a command. You start to shake your head at him.  “I would rather not... Not over the comm.” You start, looking over to his projection. He looks even more concerned than before- partially because you disobeyed an order from him, and partially because you were willingly withholding information from him. You never did either of those things, not with him. You were both in balance, and trusted each other completely. He knew this had to be incredibly serious for you to say something like this.  “Then I shall return immediately.” He no longer cared for his assignment; he would much prefer that he knew you were safe and out of harm’s way. You start to shake your head more frantically.  “No, Kenobi- you must finish the task the Emperor has given you, he-”  “Can wait.” Obi-Wan finished abruptly. You could tell from the way he stood and held himself- chest out, shoulders back, spine rigid and straight-  that he could not be swayed on this. “He can wait.” He repeated, wanting the words to sink in, for you more than himself. “I will be returning, whether you agree with me or not. I will be back by the morning.” And with that, those final harsh words, he ended the call. You sighed quietly, running your hands over your face in exasperation and stress. You hadn’t wanted to pull your lover away from the mission he had been given, you had wanted to wait just a few more days till he returned as had been planned. You sighed deeply, moving away from the comm, heading towards bed as you strip off your clothes.  You nestle under the covers, wrapping your arms around yourself for some comfort. 

By morning, you were well rested. As your eyes started to crack and flutter open, you became acutely aware of the arm around your waist, and the head buried into the back of your neck. You shuffle slightly to look over your shoulder, smiling slightly at the peaceful expression on the face of the sleeping man behind you. By rights, you didn’t even have to turn over to know that it was Obi-Wan, you knew the feel of his aura and his touch. Still, it provided a sense of comfort, knowing with more certainty that it was him. You shuffle round to face him fully, brushing some of his auburn locks away from his closed eyes. His nose scrunches ever so slightly at the contact; and he too starts to wake up. It’s a slow process for him, and always had been. Even during his time serving the Order; though your mornings together were few and far between, you had noticed this little pattern of his. His eyes crack open like yours had done, and a drowsy smile moves over his lips.  “Good morning, darling...” He yawned softly, before pressing a gentle kiss to your jaw. “You look stunning...” He told you, his lips still pressed against your skin as he gave you the compliment- no doubt the first of many that morning.  “You flatter me, Obi..” You murmur in reply, and presses kiss after feather-light kiss over your jaw and neck.  “I speak only the truth for you, my love...” He trailed off for a moment, as he started to push himself up onto his elbows. “Now... Onto business...” He mused, “You still need to tell me what’s bothering you.” He pointed out, and he was right, as he often was. “So, I would start talking, my dear.” 

Though his demeanour is playful, you know you shouldn’t argue this time around. You sit up, leaning against your pillows as your try to think of how to start talking about your recent discovery- despite it’s wonderful connotations, it was not as easy as one might think. “Obi...” You begin.  “Darling.” He replied, hardly missing a beat.  “I have some... Rather pleasing news.” He nods, prompting you to continue. “You... Are going to be a father.”  It takes him a moment to actually register your words, for their meaning to sink in. He practically tackles you back into the bed when it clicks somewhere in his mind, the widest smile on his face. He’s laughing breathlessly, hardly able to believe the news or contain his excitement because of it.  “Is it so?” He asked, his hand splaying over your stomach as he spoke. “My, my...” He mumbled- and it was moments like this that showed how much he had changed from his old ways. Had you given such news to him whilst he was still a Jedi- he would have panicked at first, asked if you wished to keep the child, and if you had done he would have likely asked you to leave to a slightly more rural planetary system. He had no fear now, and so didn’t need to ask you. He accepts it with ease in these times, and is more than happy to receive such news.  He had no fear in rearing a child now, so long as you wished for it too. He paused as this thought washed over him, then gave you a curious look. “Are we... Keeping the child?” He asked, and you couldn’t help but chuckle.  “I think we could be wonderful parents... If you’re not away so much.” You poke your finger into his chest.  “Alright... I will discuss it...” He mused, resting his head near you abdomen, gazing at it in wonder. He could hardly believe that your child- the fruits of both of you- was growing there, and he was more than just excited to meet his child. He pulled you close again, whispering sweet nothings and reassurances as the morning wound on, till you eventually fell asleep again in his arms, comforted by his presence. 

[yurimother]

LGBTQ Light Novel Review — I'm in Love with the Villainess

A stunningly profound, entertaining, and queer title that eclipses other isekai and Yuri series

There are few titles the general public seems to be as excited about as Inori and Hanagata's I'm in Love with the Villainess, as it has been sitting at or near the top of Amazon's LGBT Manga list for months and Twitter is consistently abuzz with the latest news on this isekai Yuri series. I was somewhat more skeptical, as I have had relatively poor experiences with isekai and fantasy Yuri. Still, my excitement went through the room, and I eagerly boarded the "hype train" upon the cover reveal for the third volume. Yuri families, where two women raise children together, are one of my greatest desires and something I rarely see portrayed in the genre. However, I still had mostly low expectations for the series going into the first volume. I looked forward to some light meandering comedy and typical boring trope-filled isekai shenanigans. However, I'm in Love with the Villainess more than exceeded my expectations. No, even this statement is far too moderate to describe how utterly stunned and blown away I was by Inori's creation. I'm in Love with the Villainess is completely shattering and easily one of the greatest light novels I have ever read. Thus, I have no choice to award a perfect 10/10 score, my first ever for a light novel.

After waking up in the world of her favorite otome game, Revolution, protagonist Rae is ecstatic to be faced to face with Claire Francois, the game's villainous rival. However, Rae never played Revolution for the thrill of romancing any of the three attractive young princes. She was always in love with Claire. She attends the academy and studies magic in the fantasy world alongside Claire, the princes, and various other supporting characters. Using her skills from the modern world and her encyclopedic knowledge of Revolution, Rae manipulates the situation to be close to Claire, becoming her maid, and garnering status and money along the way. As an inevitable conflict looms closer, Rea begins to enact plans to protect herself and Claire, many of which are not fully understood or explained until the finale fantastically reveals the reasons for her actions. There is a natural and steady pace to the narrative that awards readers’  predictions and attention to detail.

I'm in Love with the Villainess has some excellent supporting characters, all of whom have unique personalities, histories, and abilities, some of which are revealed by Rae's exposition and others naturally throughout the novel. However, the stars of the show are the central couple, Rae and Claire. Claire is an elite aristocrat and extremely bratty. She often sneers at commoners and makes her disdain of Rae very clear from early on. On paper, she sounds like the perfect villain and someone all readers would despise. However, Rae's utter devotion and infatuation with Claire is so sincere that we cannot help but be pulled in and adore Claire and all her tantrums. Rae is a delight herself, continually flirting and poking fun at Claire, which gets her verbally berated, much to her masochistic pleasure. However, she is also exceptionally cunning and intelligent, and some of the light novel's greatest joys are listening to her analyze a situation or watching one of her plans fall into place.

“Ah, I’m… Well, it doesn’t matter. I mean, it’s irrelevant to cuteness—because, Miss Claire, you are cute.” “Huh?!” She pulled away. It was perfect—such a pure reaction. “Miss Claire, you hate me, right?” “Of course!” “That’s fine. Please keep teasing me. I love it.”

The beginning of the book does not immediately clue one into its brilliance. Sure, Claire and Rea get some great one-liners as they bully each other, and the scenarios are authentic and fun, but it is nothing shattering. I was feeling pretty relaxed and having a lot of fun with the characters, their relationship, and the various slice-of-life style scenarios they encountered until one section, I remember the exact page, 81, as it stopped me dead in my tracks. I was flabbergasted and briefly frozen before shooting up out of bed, shouting expletives as I ran to my office to immediately record what I had just experienced. It all begins with the line, "Hey, Rae. Are you what they call gay?" What followed was one of the most thoughtful, condensed, informative, and nuanced discussions of gay and queer identity (both terms used in this scene) I have ever seen in Yuri. Everything from representation in media, the perceptions of and prejudices against gay people, and the role gender plays in romance for bisexual and gay people are analyzed. Its commentary is succinct yet so respectful and forthright that it could have only come from genuine experience, thus selling the book and its characters so much more.

"Queer people were still overwhelmingly closeted in this world, which was rife with prejudice and nurtured little understanding. As I noted, the queer people depicted in the story were either the sex fiends Claire imagined or the free-loving sort Lene had in mind. Diversity and acceptance were a long way off.”

Thus, Inori's writing's beauty exposed itself, and the book opened itself up to a delightful cycle. The narrative masterfully integrates isekai slice-of-life hijinks, like running a cross-dressing café or battling a giant slime with nuanced and challenging moments that dissect complicated topics. The latter mainly consists of a growing rift between the aristocracy and common people, mirroring real-world wealth gap issues, but the novel also touch on matters such as unequal prison sentencing and segregation. Every scene helped further the complexity of the characters and their relationships or else built onto the world of Revolution. Speaking of which, I'm in Love with the Villainess has some of the best worldbuilding ever seen in a light novel.

Initially, brief exposition establishes much of the world, which is adequate if not exciting. I will mark up to a casualty of the light novel's serialized nature, as it must present readers its setting immediately. However, Inori does not stop here. Through the narrative, new elements are established, such as a magic system and the kingdom's politics. Rea notes and describes how the world, while clearly based on medieval Europe, has many modern Japanese attributes, as Japanese game developers created it. Her pointing out the intersection of the two is fascinating. Furthermore, A great deal of time is spent establishing characters and organizations all have their own wants, agendas, and methods, many of which are not even directly involved with the story. Instead, they act as a background and help further contextualize others. For example, the Church publicly appears to lean towards supporting the commoners in their efforts for equality but has its own agenda of superseding the nobility. While they play little role in Rea and Claire’s adventure, they are one of numerous factors contributing to the unrest of the lower class. All these additions are interesting, and it never feels like the story or characters suffer for their inclusion, quite the opposite.

“The Bauer Kingdom had started a step behind other countries when it came to magical research. They dominated the surrounding countries in military strength, and this had made them complacent, leading them to underestimate the value of new magic technology until the best researchers had all been enticed to other countries. Even after the king came up with his magic-focused meritocratic policy, Bauer lagged behind.”

I can only make complaints by scraping the very bottom of the barrel. Hanagata's beautiful art is too infrequent to add much to the light novel, and many scenes crying for illustrations are left to the readers' imagination. However, Inori so wonderful writes the story that one hardly cares and can easily picture every moment with delight. Besides, the manga adaption will nullify this issue. Where I cannot complain at all is the spectacular translation by Jenn Yamazaki and Nibedita Sen, one of Seven Seas best (which is high praise considering the competition). Sure, I was slightly disappointed at first to see the adaptation left off honorifics, but the more I thought about the setting, the more sense it made. I am sure people much smarter than I gave the issue much more consideration, and I am happy with their decisions.

I'm in Love with the Villainess left me reeling with how pleasurable and powerful it was. The story and characters are such a joy, and I cannot wait to see Rea and Claire bully each other again in the next volume. Astounding worldbuilding and powerful, thought-provoking politics surround their antics and the high stakes plot. Every moment of their journey will enthrall readers as they squeal with glee at its hilarious set pieces or are shocked by its commentary of society's most significant challenges. Inori has created one of the most delightful, heartfelt, complex, profound, and genuinely queer light novel series ever. If you only read one thing I recommend this year, let it be I'm in Love with the Villainess.

Ratings: Story — 9 Characters — 10 Art — 5 LGBTQ — 10 Sexual Content — 2 Final — 10

Review copy provided by Seven Seas Entertainment

Purchase I’m in Love with the Villainess in digitally (9/23) and in print (11/10) today: https://amzn.to/32NEyG1

Supports creators by purchasing official releases.

[shihalyfie]

Regarding Konaka’s influence on Tamers (or how much he actually didn’t have)

(Rest assured that if you’ve had a conversation with me recently about this issue, I’m not vaguing you; this conversation has come up a lot in the last few weeks, especially in my private chats, so this is just me deciding that I should write something about this for once since it’s been weighing on my head lately.)

I think, right now, with what happened regarding the DigiFes debacle, a lot of people are having complicated feelings about how to feel about Tamers, and this is completely understandable. I think there are also some things that may be inevitably unavoidable, such as starting to second-guess certain nuances in the series and what they might lead to. All of that is perfectly reasonable, and in the end, it’s going to be up to everyone to decide how they feel.

In light of this, a lot of people have been bringing up the fact that, while Konaka was the head writer, he was by no means the only person working on it. This is very much true, but I’d like to add something else to the equation: this is an issue that goes much deeper than the usual claiming death of the author for the sake of sanity. The full picture is that Konaka has always had much less influence on the series than the fanbase tends to attribute to him. Official statements have been very clear as to not attribute the entire series to him, and, among all the other controversial statements he’s made, Konaka himself has at least been very active about crediting the other staff members as far as their influence on the series! The idea that he was the only person who ever did anything substantial for Tamers is something I’ve been warning against since long before any of this happened (if you want proof, I have a post from April with this sentiment in it), and right now we just happen to be seeing what’s basically the worst possible outcome of the fanbase constantly worshipping him like the only real creative heart behind the series to borderline cult-like levels...when that’s never been true, and has resulted in unfairly taking credit away from people who deserved it.

I’ll go into detail below, and I hope this can help people understand the situation better and sort out how they feel about it.

Note that I make references to his infamous blog in this post, which I’m deliberately refraining from directly linking for obvious reasons, but all of the information is still there, so it should be verifiable if you decide to look for it yourself.

Personally, I’ve always found it really bizarre how there’s been this obsession with portraying Konaka as some kind of auteur whom the entirety of Tamers depended on. I’m not saying this out of spite towards him, because, again, even he himself was very insistent on disclaiming credit for things he wasn’t actually responsible for (he was quite humble in this respect, actually). Not to mention that I think it’s a mistake in general to constantly pin a single person in a multi-person production as the sole heart behind it, and the Digimon fanbase has historically had this strange double standard behind it when it comes to uplifting him as the only heart behind Tamers when nobody says that about any of the head writers for...anything else. (How many times has Nishizono’s name ever popped up when talking about Adventure? People are usually more obsessed with talking about Kakudou or Seki.) Konaka’s work is certainly distinctive, but Tamers had a lot more going on besides just that.

In fact, based on his own statements on the matter and all of the other official information we’ve gotten about Tamers production, while you can’t really quantify such things, it’s generally been estimated that Konaka was responsible for something like only a fourth of the series. Which is an incredibly low amount compared to what the fanbase would have told you before all of this happened, because of this fixation that he must be the genius mastermind behind the whole series. Not only that, this “brilliant auteur” image of him was so inflated that people were attributing way more of 02 to him than he deserved; 02 episode 13 was the only thing he contributed to the series and he was specifically brought on as a “guest writer”, and the overall plot of the episode was determined by the rest of the production staff and not him -- but ask the fanbase and they’ll tell you stories about how he invented some grand planned arc for 02 that got cancelled, or even that Tamers exists because of a “writer revolt” from him and other writers not being allowed to do what they wanted. (You know, as much as I understand 02′s a controversial series, it would be really nice if people didn’t make up completely baseless stories like this just to scapegoat it...)

I honestly cannot emphasize enough how much of the problem we’re in right now has been horribly enabled by the weird pedestal the fanbase has been putting him on. This is to the point where there’s even been a double standard where some of the more unpopular/criticized elements of Tamers must not have been the fault of a brilliant writer like him, and in fact was forced on him by the executives (this excuse had always been brought up anytime someone doesn’t like something about Tamers, just to make sure the image of him as a perfect writer was maintained). Turns out, as per his own admission on the infamous blog, while he wasn’t the one who initially had the idea of putting Ryou in, the part that rubbed the fanbase the wrong way -- that he came in as an accomplished senior who was better than everyone and played up by everyone in the cast -- was unabashedly his idea (he apparently was enamored with the idea of having someone like Tuttle from the movie Brazil). Again, this is a weird scenario where even Konaka himself has been more humble about this issue than the fanbase’s perception of him; he fully admitted whenever he had trouble writing certain parts. For instance, he doesn’t actually like writing about alternate worlds, felt they were out of his comfort zone, and only wrote in the Digital World because the franchise needs one; he’d stated that if he’d had his way, the Digital World arc wouldn’t have come in as early as it did, which might be a pretty shocking statement for a Digimon fan to hear.

If you want even more specifics, here are some extremely major parts of the series that Konaka was not actually the one behind:

The character backgrounds. Konaka stated on his blog that he wasn’t interested in going too much into character backstories because he felt it was too plot-limiting to say that a character is the way they are thanks to something in their past or background (basically, he cares more about plot than character for the most part), and that he’s also not into worldbuilding. Certain things like Ruki going to a girls’ school were supplied by Seki, who infamously loves worldbuilding, family backgrounds, and character settings.

Certain nuances of Ruki’s character, especially the part where she’s pigeonholed into uncomfortable places due to being a girl, were informed by Yoshimura Genki, writer from Adventure and one of the head writers of 02 (who eventually would go on to create an entire career out of feminist cinema).

According to the posts on his blog, Impmon’s character arc didn’t have much input from Konaka himself and was largely written in by Maekawa Atsushi (also a writer from Adventure and one of the head writers of 02).

The whole concept of Yamaki being redeemable in the first place was something Konaka didn’t originally plan for; he’d initially intended to make him a straightforward antagonist, but, of all things, his Christmas song, combined with the input of the other writers (especially Maekawa) humanizing him, led to the development where Yamaki eventually changed sides and became sympathetic. (This makes Konaka’s recent stunt revolving around Yamaki a bit painfully ironic.)

The director, Kaizawa Yukio, was deliberately picked because he didn’t have experience on the prior series, for the sake of changing things up, and he spent Tamers as a period of studying what Digimon should be like. Based on what he’s hinted, it seems Konaka's writing style and choices were able to have as much influence as they did because Kaizawa approved of them -- that is to say, Konaka’s detailed imagery and descriptions were extensive enough that Kaizawa could go “sure, let’s go with that.” But in the end, nothing Konaka did would have gone through unless Kaizawa and Seki (among many others) didn’t also approve of it or provide input. Moreover, Kakudou Hiroyuki (director of Adventure and 02) has also been stated many times to have been a valuable consultant on invoking Digimon so that the new staff could understand what to aim for and how to get the right feel (and also assisted with providing stuff for the mythos, such as the Devas). Nevertheless, Kaizawa also seems to have had his own strong opinions and input on the story; he especially seems to get passionate when it comes to the topic of making the story something the kids watching it could relate to and imagine. (He would eventually go on to direct Frontier and Hunters, along with several episodes of the Adventure: reboot.)

So in other words, looking at this, a lot of these things that people emotionally connected to and loved about Tamers are things that literally were not his personal creation, and were largely contributed by the other writers! Of course, Konaka’s “creator thumbprint” is very obvious -- he was the head writer, after all -- and all of this had to go through his own vetting to make sure he personally liked it as well -- but nevertheless, you can see that this very much was a collaborative effort from head to toe, with him being very open about this fact himself. Insisting on making sure that this fact is well-known isn’t just a coping mechanism to try and remove his presence in the series, but rather a desire to get people to seriously stop giving him credit that really should be going to others (especially since, again, even he himself was very diligent about assigning that credit).

In the end, I’ll leave you with another thing to keep in mind: Konaka doesn’t get paid anymore for Tamers work (unless they make something new like the DigiFes thing), so continuing to buy Tamers merch and supporting the series through fanart and such will probably end up going more towards the Digimon IP as a whole. Basically, if we’re just talking about Tamers specifically, what degree this is going to matter is only really relevant to the content in the original series, which is now twenty years old and remains unchanged. By Konaka’s own admission, he wasn’t into all of these conspiracy theories until 2010 at the earliest, so while it’s understandable to be a bit wary about the themes in Tamers having traces of the base sentiment, the original series itself does not seem to be an outlet for alt-right propaganda, and it’s probably forcing it a bit much to read into it that way. Konaka’s also repeatedly insisted that all of his attempts at a Tamers sequel have been rejected and that he’s been doing increasingly strange swerves to get around members of the original cast not entirely being available, and the Japanese audience has turned out to not be very fond of the contents of the 2018 drama CD and the stage reading for reasons entirely separate from the politics, so it’s also unlikely we’ll be getting a Tamers sequel from him or something in the near future.

So -- at least for the time being -- what’s done with him is done, and the remaining question is how all of us feel about Tamers. I think everyone will have differing feelings on it, and that’s perfectly understandable. Personally, given everything I just said above, I’m going to continue treating it as a series very important to me, and one that many people (including, as it seems, a very different Konaka from twenty years ago) worked on with a lot of effort and love, although you may see me getting a bit more willing to be critical about the series and its themes thanks to my concerns about some of the sentiments in it and what they imply. I also completely understand that there are probably people whose associations are going to be much more hurt and who will have a much harder time seeing the series the same way ever again, and I think that’s reasonable as well. But at the very least, going forward, I hope all of us can understand the depth of this situation, give credit where it’s due, and not force credit where it’s not due.