#this trope only exists in my head btw

[inamagicalhallucination]

my favorite sskk trope is ppl like akutagawa’s acquaintances meeting atsushi and being flabbergasted that the sweetest, purest, softest, can do no wrong-est guy is with mr grumpy pants and no one believing akutagawa when he says that atsushi is actually feral

so essentially ppl having a very soft baby boy uwu perspective of atsushi just becuz he’s sweet and smiles a lot and so on 

but akutagawa obviously knows atsushi since theyre dating so he’s like ‘guys. guys no. guys yesterday i told him he should eat something other than chazuke and he tried to bite me. guys. guys please believe me.’

[crehador]

mulled it over for a while and ultimately decided i'm really digging this arajin-matakara fight, because like

the whole series has set up arajin as a piece of shit fuckhead (and i LOVE that for him) but this whole lying to matakara about wanting to be a honki people thing... is like the one thing he did not actually do

i get real rambly under the cut but tl;dr the way matakara treats arajin is the way arajin treats mahoro and that is suuuch a juicy parallel to me

throughout the whole series arajin has been not at all subtly trying to get away from these fights

could he have been more direct about that with matakara? sure maybe! but matakara was really ignoring all the signs that arajin is not who he thinks he is

which is such a delicious parallel to how arajin willfully ignores all the signs that mahoro is not into him

like. matakara built this version of arajin up in his head, with all these unreasonable, unrealistic, and honestly unfair? expectations based off some past foolishness from when they were very small children. he's clinging to this version of arajin that only exists in his head and has basically shown zero evidence of existing in real life

(yes arajin shows crumbs of courage but i think the scales are tipped pretty heavily towards his I DO NOT WANT ANY PART OF THIS moments)

this fight between them was like if arajin were to blow up at mahoro like "you've been leading me on this whole time!" when obviously. lol. no she has not

she did initially! just like tiny arajin as a child had those honki people ambitions! his ambitions may have been genuine, while mahoro feigned interest in him with malicious intent, but they're same in the sense that after that initial story beat, they have consistently demonstrated that actually no what happened back then no longer applies (whether because they grew out of it, in arajin's case, or they were faking interest in the first place, in mahoro's case)

but arajin is blinded by what he wants (mahoro) and ignores the reality of mahoro snubbing him at every turn, and matakara does the same, ignoring the reality of arajin really just... being extremely reluctant to have anything at all to do with him

anyway that's the main thing i'm chewing on and loving here, but ALSO i think the story paints this parallel in such an interesting way because like

matakara is just a big sweet ouppy dog of a boy! it's so so so easy to feel sorry for him, to root for him, to think the best of him. which i still do btw, in fact this episode made me like him more than i already did

because matakara is so uwu angelboy perfect, and arajin is such a dickhead, it's easy to instinctively think oh matakara must be completely right to be hurt and arajin must have hurt him. even if that isn't the case! this doesn't make arajin any less of a dickhead, but he's a dickhead mainly for other reasons

the fact that they've been set up as the perfect epitome of the Pure Boy and the Pervy Boy tropes is just such clever framing for this parallel between them, because i imagine a lot of viewers, if told what mataakara is doing to arajin is what arajin is doing to mahoro, would be like omg wtf no my pure angel baby is nothing like that disgusting freak?

except in this case! he literally is!! which is brilliant!!! i think it adds nuance to both matakara's character and arajin's character at the same time, making it so it's not just one of them is Perfect and one of them is Wrong All The Time

what's even better is that this made sense for matakara, like his reaction breaks him out of the Pure Angel mold but doesn't feel out of character. his emotions are already running high with what happened to his brother, plus akutaro is malewife mansplain manipulating him behind the scenes, so of course he feels like he's driven towards this emotional high that leads to this blowup

the groundwork was already laid out, and it wasn't even subtle. it was right on the surface! but this episode really highlighted how matakara's way of treating arajin is so much like arajin's way of treating mahoro and how inevitable it was that things would reach this point

(there are moments, even in this episode, that are in hindsight so clearly setting up this parallel! like arajin trying to talk to mahoro during lunch, mahoro CLEARLY not interested, making viewers think ugh arajin get a clue. then matakara often IMMEDIATELY coming in to try to talk to arajin, when arajin is the one who clearly isn't interested, making viewers think boo arajin be nicer to him! like i think the show deliberately set the audience up to have those emotional reactions, and this is the moment where the rug is pulled out from under us, so to speak, where it becomes even more obvious that... wait... double standard much?)

anyway. personally my only gripe with this episode is i wished they'd done more with aniki than just pseudo-fridge him, and hope they do still do more with him in the coming eps? but kind of understandable if they don't, because it is just a one-cour show after all

the actual blowup between arajin and matakara was just. mawh, chef's kiss. perfect

[snaillock]

hi!! it's me again 😭😭 I was going to ask for one of my favs, my boy Barou ☹️ I love this trope and even more with his personality 😓. So yk he's like so strong characted and it's like 🤨😠 well what about a small drable(? (I think it's called that way, like a little fic? bcs rules say u don't write much of that and I don't want to press 😿) when he's like that even with m reader (when they're in public) but in an affectionate way? like angry love, and when they're alone he's a complete cutie pay 🤭 I love him so much please 😭😭

anyways if you can do that please it would be great! take care!!

i’m sorry this took a while to finish😭 for some reason, i was having so much trouble writing this so i hope it’s to your satisfaction. also bc of this request, the rules have since been updated cause there were worded very very poorly (my bad) but it should be all good. hopefully there will be no more confusion from now on

tags: male reader, barou’s loving insults w.c: 0.3k

“barou!” you yelled out before running towards him and wrapping your arms around him, “great job at practice today!”

“god, don’t do this around here, you idiot,” barou complained while glancing back at his teammates but still hugged you back.

“oh please, me being here doesn’t take away from your king status.”

he rolled his eyes and released you, “shut up and let’s head home already, dumbass.”

you giggled and grabbed his hand, “alrighty you asshole.”

“ugh,” he groaned and averted his eyes away from you but didn’t pull his hand away, “don’t embarrass me in front of the team”

“why do you care about what they think?” you raised an eyebrow in amusement, “you once told me that ‘they’re a bunch of lowlife servants that only exist to live under your rule’”

“whatever let’s just go already, you damn loser”

once you got to barou’s house, you immediately dropped your backpack on his bedroom floor and flopped onto his bed.

“nope! bag at the door and no uniform on the bed.”

“come on… you’re really going to make me sit on the floor, baby?” you whined, already relaxing in his bed.

“don’t think you can sweet talk me of all people just because you’re my boyfriend.” he crossed his arms.

“yes i can. now get over here.” you patted the spot right next to you.

barou glared at you in disbelief before sighing and giving in, sitting right next to you. you grinned and threw your arms around him, leaning on his shoulder. “see you can’t resist me because you love me!”

he rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around you. “yeah unfortunately you’re right. i do really love you,” he said, unable to hold back an adoring smile. he then kissed your forehead. “you damn idiot.”

taglist(if you want to be added let me know!): @userwithlotsoftime (ty for asking to be in a taglist btw!)

[strawberryraviegutz]

I really REALLY hate those kinds of stupid “hot take” posts. I think they’re just garbage to purposely farm more discourse to cause infighting, but I’ve been holding this in for so long and I need to get it out of my system so here it goes.

Alastor fans are allowed to dislike Valentino. Valentino was made to be a dislikable Villain while Alastor BY VIV’S OWN WORDS is a chaotic neutral antihero based off of Dexter with a moral code. Of course people are gonna like Alastor more than Valentino. The antihero/vigilante is a very popular beloved trope. I mean just look at Magneto and Venom.

You guys claim to want more nuanced characters but when we try and tell you that Alastor is more nuanced BASED OFF OF EVIDENCE FROM THE CREATOR and little possible context clues in the show we get accused of “babying/woobifying him”(as if Val fans haven’t done that to Val). This isn’t a hit piece against all Val fans/simps btw. I may hate that moth, but you guys should be allowed like him without receiving hate and or death threats.

It’s not “hypocrisy” to dislike Valentino or the Vees and like Alastor for the reasons I said above and the four of them aren’t comparable. Yeah they share some traits but overall the only thing Alastor and the Vees have in common are the mistreatment of the souls they own. Like I said, Val fans shouldn’t be attacked for liking him but the thing is…if you’re gonna preach those words then do the same for Alastor fans/simps because we get attacked too.

(Again it’s not all Val stans but it sure it a lot of them. I’ve all so seen Val haters do it too.) Yall claim not to harass people over fictional characters yet will go under Alastor posts and or discussion threads and be like “Uhm actually him and Valentino are the same🤓☝️”.

“He’s worse than Val” “Why can’t we just have a good villain” “Just accept that Alastor is a villain stop babying him” when we’re just minding our own business. Not to mention people going under fanart of Angel! Alastor and being like “erm actually he’d never go to heaven🤪”.

Along with yall bullying the hell out of Alastor selfshippers/simps and using tumblr sexyman as an insult(which reaks of internalized misogyny btw because majority of Alastor simps are women + women are always the first to be made fun of when it comes to characters that Classify as tumblr sexymen being found attractive by them or any character you personally wouldn’t find attractive.)

And yall going around and keep calling Alastor ugly under posts about people gushing about him and i don’t mean lighthearted jokes either because i make fun of the back of his head sometimes too. And full blown harassment. When an Alastor fan provided evidence of Alastor being a more nuanced character which were clips from Viv’s streams, people in the comments and qrts were being extremely rude and dismissive. It got so bad that op deleted the og tweet.

Don’t go around and claim to be against cringe culture but then make fun of people for finding Alastor attractive. And for goodness sake STOP FUCKING CALLING HIM A SLAVE OWNER. And yes he owns souls but that doesn’t matter.

Alastor is canonically half black and its overall disgusting to slap the label “slave owner” onto him knowing damn well that he grew up in the Jim Crow era of America in the Deep South of Louisiana. His existence as a mixed black person back then was basically considered an abomination. With how terrible it was for black people back then, Alastor probably bore witness to a lot of messed up shit growing up and if that’s the case then it’s no wonder he’s so messed up in the head.

This type of behavior has been going on since the days where we only had the pilot and it’s only gotten worse since the show came out. As soon as I saw that scene with husk and Alastor in hell’s greatest dad I automatically knew what was coming. I’m not saying that Alastor Is a good person nor am I saying that what he did to husk was ok. But to go after/make fun of Alastor fans,purposely denying evidence of his character while in the same breath preach against bullying people over liking certain characters makes YOU the hypocrites. So much for anti-harassment. I’m tired. Bye.

[eoieopda]

CONGRATS ON THE MILESTONE BABY, here have some flowers 💐

here i come with a humble request 🫡

i was thinking of a hobi + secret relationship trope... maybe smutty too if you're up for it lol 👉🏽👈🏽

can't wait for the drabbles you're gonna write omg 😭🤲🏽

what lua wants, lua gets 🫡 tbh i think this is one of my favorite things i’ve ever written, so tysm for unwittingly setting that stage 🫣

the one where hoseok plays with fire

pairing: degenerate!hoseok x afab!reader type: (d) angst, smut (18+) | wc: 1.6k au: secret/forbidden relationship, rival gangs, romeo & juliet kinda vibes 🤫 cw: acknowledgement of membership in street gangs but just to explain the dynamic (no depictions of gang activity); minor threat (not the band, just the potential consequences of their actions); public (ish?) sex; unprotected p in v penetration; not much in the way of foreplay because i’m operating under a word limit, lol; biting, a lil bit; gratuitous imagery of hoseok wearing chains 🫣 a/n: this popped into my head while listening to $20 by boygenius on reeeeepeeeeaaaaat. def check out this song (and the record!) there’s a direct quote from the song in the dialogue, btw. credit for that bolded bit goes to julien thee baker.

There’s a decommissioned junkyard outside of town. It sits within a constellation of run-down warehouses and empty parking lots, and has a gravitational pull all its own. Finding it doesn’t take much, just fifteen minutes on the expressway, two turns at perpetually-blinking traffic lights, and a specific strain of desperation not many will ever know the likes of. It’s desolate and depressing, but despite all that, it’s a sanctuary.

A hill to die on.

You’d spent more time there lately than you’d ever be free to admit. A veritable coffee stain on a map, you’re not sure that its existence on that side street was anyone’s conscious decision. Likewise, you can’t say for certain that the drop of its name would mean anything to anyone. It means everything to you, however, so asking after recognition isn’t a risk you’re willing to take.

You’re risking enough as it is.

As is usually the case, you’re the first to arrive. When you do, you ignore the dirt that kicks up with every step and swirls around your bare ankles; and you keep walking until you reach your usual perch. The bare-bones, American-made t-top sits where it seemingly always has: on cinder blocks. It’s older than you by thirty years or so, but it groans with vigor when you grip hard to the frame, slide your foot over the exposed wheel hub, and hoist yourself onto the hood.

The bare skin on the back of your thighs is chilled instantly by the paint-chipped metal below you. It loses more and more of its smoothness the longer it sits out, exposed to the elements, but then again, so do you. Maybe that’s why this spot is a hard-fought favorite of yours.

Your crows’ nest, your perfect vantage point. A place to sit and play look-out while your eager eyes scan the driveway ahead.

You hear him before you see him, but that’s purposeful. Hoseok kills the headlamp on his motorcycle before he comes anywhere near the junkyard — just in case, baby. The rumble of his four-stroke engine is one you can feel in your stomach long after he shuts it off. Even when he parks that pristine, second-hand Hyosung somewhere only he’d be able to find it again. Still, when he finally steps under the yellow glow of the street lamp — your only source of light, save for the moon — and he’s all you see.

Hoseok keeps his pace casual as he makes his way to you, but his anticipation is visible in his posture. He’s swallowing words, based on the blatant twitch of his jaw. Always clenched to keep from calling out to you, as if the abandoned area wasn’t chosen for its ability to keep your secrets.

With much more ease than you, he jumps and pulls himself up to the car hood to meet you. The metal creaks under the weight of his body, but when it hovers over you, it’s a sigh of relief. A millisecond can’t pass by before he cages your head in between his arms — palms pressed against the dusty windshield — and swoops down to capture your kiss.

“Missed you,” he mumbles against your lips. His tone is low, hushed, and yet still sandpaper-course in a way that screams I mean it. The distance at which his limited words keep you is contrary to the way he holds you — close to the chest like your feelings are as fleeting as moments like this, gently as if you’ll break apart in his hands.

Like he loves you.

Your fingers instinctively thread themselves in his wind-swept hair — no helmet, no surprise there — and now it’s his turn to sigh. Hoseok tries to pull away, likely to gaze at you the way he always wants to, but you claim his bottom lip between your teeth and refuse to let him — this — go.

It sounds so silly without full use of his mouth:

“Baby,” he warns.

You release him with a smirk, brushing the tip of your nose against his. There’s enough fondness in his eyes to drown in and you would, in a heartbeat, if time was ever on your side.

“Good girl.”

The delicate, cuban-link chain around his neck glints in the half-light. Little slivers of silver dance across your own collarbone as it sways in the space between your bodies. A little constellation, guiding you North from your southside trap to a home you can’t have.

You, who can never seem to leave well-enough alone, run the thin, interlocking rectangles between the tips of your thumb and middle finger. You know you shouldn’t, but you pout, “You’re late.”

Hoseok’s expression says more than he does. You hear, “I know,” but you see, “I didn’t have a choice and I never will.”

He grunts when he sits up onto his knees. Wordlessly, he spills over your side and collects into a puddle in the space next to you. Once he settles, he stares up at the sky. You know he’s focused on something even further away.

“Did someone follow?” You ask gently.

Hand slipping easily into his, your fingers interlock. Links in a chain. Never an accessory to be worn in public.

Hoseok’s mouth pulls up slightly at one corner; and you know what that looks means. It means twenty minutes down the drain, shaking a tail before he can make his way to you. It means that, next time, you may need to find a different hiding spot.

The arm furthest from yours is draped over his abdomen. He moves it, and you move to hover in the space he’s cleared for you. Anchored with your knees on either side of his hips, you cup his jaw with the hand not holding his. For you, he lets himself soften, leans into the warmth of your palm.

You don’t normally say the obvious out loud, but reality doesn’t always stay in the cage you try to lock it in. “We’re playing with fire.”

“In another life,” Hoseok replies wistfully while his fingernails scratch — affectionately, teasingly, cautiously — down the expanse of your bare thigh. “We were arsonists.”

When he kisses you a second time, it’s enough for you to forget where you are. No longer in a junkyard on the outskirts of town, no longer on opposite sides of a line in the dirt, no longer trying to shove flowers into the front of a shotgun.

It’s enough.

It’s routine. You hike up the hem of your dress while he unzips his black jeans. Those are pushed down while your thong is pushed to the side; and so is the thought that this is the most of him you can have. You don’t get all of him, can’t lave your needy tongue over all of him, because it’s not safe to love him with all the layers cast aside. It’s practical, promotes a quick getaway in the event one is needed.

It’s enough, you think again, like repetition will make it true.

It’s perfect. Both of you keen when he enters you. Your thighs tremble; your walls grip him tight as they reacclimate to the stretch his cock demands. Hoseok notices your rapid blinking when you settle down on him. He knows without having to ask, kisses you through an ache that isn’t physical at all. It, like him, stays where it’s kept: in the left side of your rib cage.

“Shit,” he grunts. “Feel so perfect, baby — fuck.”

You roll your hips against him, taking him all the way and dragging the curve of his cock over that secret spot inside you. Aren’t they all? His fingernails leave impermanent, crescent indents in your thighs. You try not to care that the moon looming overhead is unapologetically full — and present every night.

There’s a newfound desperation in the way Hoseok clings to you. He digs the heels of his boots into the Stringray’s hood, hands pulling you down onto his cock while he fucks upwards into you. It drives him insane when you swirl your hips with him buried inside you, so you do, smirking like the devil.

You burrow into his neck to leave wet, open-mouthed kisses on any hint of skin you find. As you do, your fingers return to his hair and tie themselves off. If you chain yourself to him this way, maybe you can stay this way.

A quick nip at his neck unearths a groan that makes your cunt flutter around him. Tragically, no sign of you or your teeth is left behind on the side of his throat. Still, you kiss it better, whispering, “Could fuck you like this forever, baby.”

“Oh, my love,” his breath is hot against your ear when he chuckles darkly, “You hear the way your pussy is gushing all over my cock? You won’t last forever.”

His thrusts deepen. Hoseok is dead-set on unraveling you, thread by thread.

“In fact —”

Your teeth pinch his lobe. Hoseok snaps his hips forcefully in response, and your gasp echoes over the rusted squeak of a worn-out suspension. It briefly overpowers the muted slap of his pelvis colliding with the underside of your thighs. It doesn’t compare with his breathless laugh, though, not by a long-shot.

“Little vampire,” he chides you with a grin that takes effort. You mewl when his fingertips press bruises into the flesh of your ass. “Don’t think you’ll last another minute.”

Hoseok is a lot of things; and while frustrating is one of them, wrong rarely is.

It’s white hot, the uncontrolled pleasure burning through your core, and your vision matches when your wildfire orgasm ignites. Fingers searching for purchase grip tight to his jacket. Your heavy head dips forward as you cry out. Like always, you fall apart at the seams over him.

Slumped against him, he envelopes you in his arms as he fucks straight through your high and into his. Spent in every way that matters, you can’t fight off the sob that starts in the pits of your chest and crawls out of your mouth. The shiver down your spine can’t be blamed on the wind.

“Hey,” Hoseok murmurs, petal soft, “Baby, no, don’t cry.”

He takes your face in your hands and leaves you no choice but to look at him. With concern wearing creases into his forehead, he smatters kisses on every part of your crestfallen face. He whispers promises between each as he goes.

It’s okay — We’ll figure this out — I love you — We’ll be alright, you and me — I love you.

And even if it’s not all true, it’s enough.

Enough to keep you going.

Enough to glue your broken pieces back together.

Enough to keep you both from noticing the faint hum of an engine in the driveway.

[devyuence]

Controversial take: People's hatred for Mew is related to their attachment to real life ship which takes the fun out of Only Friends (at least on their end)

This is going to be my random thoughts and I had a couple of shots of gin and tonic while writing this so excuse me. I am gonna mix up the real-life and fictional scenarios so sue me, I guess.

Before anything else, I like ForceBook a lot but I can understand if TopMew will not end up together. For the most part, I see Top as a person I can never like in real life and you cannot blame me if he just gives me bad vibes.

However, I want to know more about him and how their story unfolds. I actually want TopMew to pull a 188 Men's Group wife-chasing crematorium trope (look it up) or an ending like Cruel Intentions.

In addition, even if I will be proven wrong soon, I will still defend Mew. He is just complex and reminds me of myself. Someone who just wants to graduate with flying colors in an Asian society (SEA to be exact) then came along Boston pestering him about his virginity.

Now you know my biases, let's get to the real reason why I used the said title.

People are hating Mew for cock-blocking Ray and Sand. Calling him names and anything but never Ray. Never Ray. I am actually glad that happened because at least Sand knows that Ray is still hung up on Mew—even if some viewers will say that it is not love but more of the idea that he loves Mew. Again, Ray is still hung up on Mew (or has lingering feelings) and I am glad he stopped what they are doing. At least Sand had a heads-up, a warning that he is just a rebound.

If we go back from last week, people hate Mew for ditching Ray and P'Jojo had to explain that Boston and Syrup forced him to go home with Top. You will not see people making threads gaining hundreds of likes of how Boston is a bad friend for Ray—it is always Mew that is the face of betrayal. Never Boston because he is not a threat. Or Neo. Or Mark. Unless Nick hooks up with Sand. Lol.

This leads me to the conclusion that some of the viewer's hatred for Mew (or Book) stems from how he intervenes with the existing ship. People nitpick everything he does. Some shippers feel threatened about his existence—may it be in the series or real life. His ghost ship with Khao (or Ray with Mew) annoys the hell out of people. In some clips with Khao and Book sailing RayMew, fans are saying First is jealous and Khao should pay attention to him. This is somehow converted to how people pity Sand even more and dislike Mew in the series. Ray can be an alcoholic and Mew saves his ass multiple times but Ray can never do wrong. Even if he wants to drive while drunk. Never Ray because Ray is Khaotung. LOL.

Some are also saying that only Ray cared for his friend group when in the very first episode, the first cut at that, Mew is picking up Ray's drunk ass. Hell, he even reprimanded him (R) for picking fights while drunk. Now, people are saying that Ray should have continued the deed with Sand instead of taking care of his friend who does not care about him. That or people throwing a pity party for Ray by being a true friend when it was implied that Mew is always the table keeper, taking care of his drunk ass and it did not happen only once.

I know some of you are raising your eyebrows right now but I mean, everyone just tends to nitpick about Mew. Or Book. Before, I had seen people calling him bland and boring. Like a cardboard without personality. People are like: How the hell Ray even like him? Now that he is showing his true colors, people are calling him scheming and manipulative.

When Mew did not let Top go further from his advancements, some are criticizing him for acting like a kid and virgin (he is btw). When Top did not pick up his calls, people are saying that he is evil and manipulative. That he deserves it. When Boston does something problematic, people will say he just have insecurities and unresolved daddy issues. When Nick installed that in the car, people will say that he is just in love and obsessed. When Ray wants to crash his car, it is because he has mommy issues. That they are just kids and needs guidance but Mew? Mew is hated for acting like a kid aka stopping Top when he realized he is not ready. That he deserves getting cheated on. That he is the most evil guy. Hell, even Top, according to viewers cannot be an assault victim because he is not played by an actor who is a crowd favorite.

See what I mean people? Like make up your minds. You love to psychoanalyze other character's personalities and why they are behaving but Mew (even Top) has no excuses. Heh.

In addition, people are questioning why Mew did not call Syrup or Boston. Bruh, Syrup cannot drive. Boston is yeah, Boston. Also, some viewers say that Ray does not really love Mew but is in love with the idea of him or because Mew cares for him. Some even theorized that he has an Oedipus Complex. Now tell me, Mew does not care about Ray but the reason why Ray is still hung up on Mew is because he is caring? Make it make sense, please.

Some viewers will disagree with me, especially those who have a strong attachment to their own ship, but I wonder if they are still having fun going through hoops and hoops and throwing pity parties over characters? I, for real will still defend Mew but I acknowledge that he is gray. I wonder if they will combust if we get a RayMew kiss in the next episode? I wonder how they feel seeing everyone in the Only Friends casts are friendly with each other?

Anyway, I just said what I said.

If your hatred for a character is unreasonable and you see him as a threat (esp in real life). I think you need to reevaluate and ask yourself why. Or maybe you just need a Sand, a shrink. Either way, everyone in OF needs therapy.

Cheers to people who consume this drama for pure bliss and whatnot. The not-too-invested crowd with real ships. The messy crowd.

If the show is not for you and you want chummy cutesy BLs, you can save yourself, honey. This is Jojo we are talking about. If you think that you have the right to watch despite nitpicking everything (I mean we all have the freedom), okay. Please feel free to do so.

However, if you think this will not affect how others, even the directors, will see your fandom, I am speaking in general, well, you are in for a ride. Idk, be sensible I guess.

I do not even know how from an OF meta, I ended up saying something about fandoms. Guess alcohol in your system really does wonders. I will never hate the actors for their fans though. I just think that this is something that people need to think about.

Like if you have seen the reception in the F app and T app, it's more welcoming but the former chicken app? It is a more restrictive echo chamber that dismisses discussion because again, it is dominated by big accounts of shippers.

We are only in Episode 3, I hope everyone is ready for the chaos not just in the show but in the fandoms.

Anyway, I am done editing this. Hate me but I said what I said.

PS. For the Mew defenders out there, hi! I love you! For my cutesy Forcebook fans, how is it that we like unproblematic besties? Toughen up though! It's gonna be a war zone.

From your resident Mew defender until the end

XOXO, Yue.

[joys-of-everyday]

MXTX's women

Let's do ✨discourse™✨

Addendum: I checked out twitter (x now?) for the first time in ages and... um... maybe this isn't a good time for discourse. But hey, I love mxtx so I'm just going to do a Shen Yuan and pretend absolutely everything is fine.

I feel like a lot of the discourse around MXTX and sexism don't hit the mark? Things like 'there are few female characters', 'the female characters die', 'the female characters don't hold positions of power' are not indications as to whether a piece of work standing on its own is sexist. For example, you could write an entire novel about a sexless robot (which miserably fails the Bechdel test because there is only one character) and that says nothing about whether the work itself is sexist. This is an caricature of an example and of course, overall trends give a very different picture to individual works, so its not to take such works off the hook either. Similarly, including sexist troupes isn't inherently sexist, but equally arguing something is a 'critique' isn't a shield against criticism. Critique can be done badly, critique can become outdated, critique itself can be critiqued.

But equally the counterargument to this can't entirely be 'but look at x, y, and z - aren't they great female characters?'. Look, I love mxtx's women. I can write essays (plural) about mxtx's women. Many people already have. Then again, Eowyn from lotr is arguably a pretty deep character, but I would have problems if lotr was the best example of female representation we could come up with. The point being, the existence (or lack thereof) of strong female characters isn't (entirely) the point, even though it's often made out to be. Don't get me wrong, good female representation without strong female characters is... erm... hard. But if it was the crux of the argument, the discourse could be killed in three tumblr posts.

The bigger question(s) (possibly) is: What is its intent? How is that intent received?

SVSSS, MDZS, and TGCF are all extremely different pieces of work. SVSSS in particular stands out, because at its heart, it is satire. While debates around what kind of comedy is and isn't good exist independently of SVSSS, needless to say, judging satire in the same way you would say a murder mystery or a romantic fantasy is not advisable. Sha Hualing is a sexy demon lady whose clothes rip off in the middle of a battle. Why? Because that's saying something about a particular trope of a particular genre.

(Side note: I have opinions on how we shove different BLs together when they really shouldn't be under the same umbrella and how this muddies the discourse unnecessarily. I'm talking about Killing Stalking btw)

For SVSSS, if you get it, you get it (it's impossible to read without understanding this). While some loose threads exist about how female characters could have been more developed... man, do you know how much development my boy Mu Qingfang got? You're not sexist if you punch everyone (only half ironic here). (In terms of character development I also think this might be a fandom thing as well as a SVSSS thing.) But I think more relevantly, SVSSS tells you something about the way MXTX writes critique.

If you didn't notice, SVSSS is critique on two levels. First is the blatant critique of the harem genre, and the second is more subtle critique on BL, on fandoms, on webnovels, on literature. But while we get Shen Qingqiu's commentary guiding us through the first bit, this drops during the second bit. It takes Shen Qingqiu so long to realise that what he's living through is a crazy mishmash of BL tropes that the only narration you get on this is Pure Confusion. To realise Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu's early interactions is commentary on the 'dark and obsessive love' trope, you need to immediately realise that Shen Qingqiu telling you Luo Binghe is trying to kill him is just... Wrong. So (possibly, ofc I've no idea what's going on in the author's head) the intent is critique. But intent is meaningless without it being conveyed to the reader. So how are we meant to 'realise' what is going on?

Firstly, MXTX tells you. Shen Qingqiu goes: 'damn Luo Binghe isn't acting like in those weird danmei novels' and you're meant to go 'oh weird danmei novels I know about those'. Second is her very obvious use of tropes (even flagged!). 'Clothes rip/disappear in the middle of a serious situation, isn't this weird? Where have we seen that before?'. And thirdly, by introducing a sense of absurdity. Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu's relationship is presented in such an unconventional way (the master-disciple pair which generated a famous porno!) that it forces you to engage with it critically.

Okay, so what does that have to do with sexism? Take MDZS. We have a set of very tropey characters - 'the older sister', 'the scary mother', 'the strong independent woman', 'the damsel in distress'. We have explorations and subversions that go beyond tropes: Jiang Yanli's character shaped by her experiences in an abuse household, Yu Ziyuan's pride and loyalty, Wen Qing's well... everything, and Mianmian needs no explanation. We have flags to tell us we are meant to care about these issues: most obviously Mianmian experiencing gendered harassment for speaking up. All the women die! Yeah, isn't that a problem. Because it's the women sacrificing themselves, women silently taking on burdens, women chained by the circumstances of the world around them and still making choices about what is important to them (and it's often not themselves). The women aren't in positions of power/aren't shown to be as competent as the men! They're literally put down when they speak up, and don't the wives have a great time with their husbands. MDZS is critique of society. MDZS's women too are a critique of the society they (we) live in.

But not all critique is good critique! The first way that critique can fail is if it just isn't registered as critique by the reader. And this isn't always on the reader. If the author isn't clear enough on this, then they have failed to execute the intent of their work. And to this extent, I've heard enough people say that MDZS is maybe sexist as a first reaction (myself included) to think that yeah, maybe this wasn't well done. The flags are scarce. The subversions of tropes are subtle enough to be missed in it's entirety. Then again, MDZS often ends up as people's gateway piece into danmei, when it is probably better understood with more context - for me, coming back to MDZS after a big BL reading spree was exceptionally enlightening. As to whether it could have been better done in the bounds of the genre, without detracting from the banging story it was... I honestly don't know.

One way to go about it is, well... TGCF. Here everything is laid out to you to an almost bizarre degree. 'Look, isn't this a Hard Question' the narrative stops to tell you at multiple points, from Bai Wuxiang and Xie Lian's back and forths, to 'I don't know if what I did was right' speeches on a regular basis (maybe not regular but it was enough to notice). The troupes are still there but their twists are far more obvious. Xuan Ji is the 'deranged woman' who is (we are told multiple times) surprisingly normal and competent when she isn't around Pei Ming. Yushi Huang and Banyue are just obviously strong, competent, and in positions of power. Shi Qingxuan shines in all of her wonder, kindness, and unfortune. The flags are more glaring as well: Just Pei Ming's Existence, Ling Wen's whole backstory, Jian Lan's tragedy... And it probably worked? Since people seem to complain significantly less about any supposed sexism of TGCF.

Do I like it? I like elements of it. Ling Wen is honestly great.

But I love the subtlety with which MDZS weaves its themes and tbh I think some of the magic was lost there. (I love TGCF to bits for different reasons but yeah)

Does MXTX's writing of women merit discussion? Of course, everything merits discussion. Particularly MXTX's works which rely so heavily on genre tropes to craft themes. Is MXTX's work sexist? Idk, I would say no, but these things are Hard Questions.

But my feeling? My true feeling? At the very least, it is So. Much. Better. than a huge amount of work that tries to be feminist and pitifully fails.

My current pet peeve is the 'strong independent woman'. Depicting a sexist society then including a 'strong independent women' with no true appreciation of the realistic struggles she would face, as if the only barriers that we face within these societies is to stop being a loser... is worse in my books than not including any women at all. Or 'strong independent women' who turn out to be utterly pathetic and in constant need of saving. Or 'strong independent women' who have no other personality than being the 'strong independent woman'. The intent here is to come across as feminist and progressive without critically engaging in anything. It's paper thin.

Ultimately, the core theme of MDZS and TGCF isn't about women's experiences (whereas SVSSS is, I would argue, right into the nooks and crannies). Do these works explore such themes to the extent it explore privilege, conflict, and oppression? Not really. But you can't do everything - the role of an author is inherently about choosing what to prioritise. And given what it does do, I think it does some pretty neat things.

[heywriters]

I don't know if this has happened to you, but, I know that when it comes to fiction I know there is a lot of similar ideas going around when it comes to a certain character or situation, specially if they are popular.

And for some reason, sometimes I feel kinda scared of posting things that already exist. And I've seen some... authors getting beef for it, cause

A) No. I'm not ripping off your work. I swear, the idea of x character doing x thing came to me in a random moment while doing a mundane thing.

B) I know some other fiction authors inspire others (Wich is cool) but that leaves me with 3 questions.

1. When does the line of similar ideas and a complete rip off blurs?

2. Thoughts of this?

3. How to avoid it?

Thanks! Sorry if it's too much. Recently followed your blog in hopes to improve my writing (quite effective btw) You've been incredibly helpful ♥️.

It's essentially only a rip-off if you're profiting off it financially, and even then it's probably legal (see competitive movie studios releasing similar movies at the same time).

You really only need to be aware of plagiarism, and that's easy to avoid since plagiarism is extremely intentional (e.g. copy/paste and say you wrote it).

If you're just writing a similar story without knowing or intending for it to be similar, you're completely within your rights. Reference/inspiration have always been allowed regardless who complains.

If your worries are based on the Two Cakes allegory [You bake a nice cake for a party only to find someone else has already brought a cake, but the partygoers don't care because, hey, TWO cakes!] then there isn't really a problem. Readers are always content to have multiple stories containing their fave subject material, tropes, archetypes, etc.

If your worries are based on a fear of others, excuse me but screw'em. Maybe you're in a toxic online group/fandom, or maybe the problem is actually bigger in your head than in reality. Either way, screw'em. And if your work is in any way fanfiction, the only thing that would ever deserve backlash in this regard is outright plagiarism (stealing scenes word-for-word, copying OCs, etc).

Lastly, it's highly likely that whatever you're nervous you've copied was itself copied from something else. Many writers have come to me or other writeblrs because they are afraid their concept is copying some big franchise. My advice is always to find what that big story used for inspiration. Instead of their work, find the source material (or the thing they are being sued for plagiarizing, lol). Once you confirm for yourself that nothing is original, you can breathe easier writing whatever you want.

—

+ If you enjoy my blog and appreciate my advice, consider visiting my ko-fi and Buy Me A Coffee! 🤗

[saiidahyunie]

you are such a good writer i am genuienly crying!!!!

ykykykykyk my bday is on the 20th december. ......

like if you have time.... maybe you could write a chaeyoung fic... maybeeee....

maybe something angsty + including them as art lovers... like chae using reader as a muse and her art gets sadder and sadder from time to time...

she fits the art trope so well ugh it hurts me, so here's my thoughts on this.

chaeyoung deserves the entire world btw

--

it all started with a stupid semester long project for your art class. you were late and the professor thought it was a good idea to pair you up with the last person you would ever want to be with. 

most of the classmates were in awe that the professor thought it would be a challenging task to pair up you with chaeyoung as you two were the best and brightest in terms of the creative minds you and her shared.

what they didn’t know was that about thirty minutes prior, you and chaeyoung were in a complete accident out of nowhere that gave both of you guys a really bad first impression.

the project itself didn’t have to be started right away, you just continued to show your talents through multiple works of sketches and paintings in your professor’s monthly competition. nobody else came close, it was always you and chaeyoung head to head as her’s were a complete contrast to your style.

“i love y/n’s works so much!” 

“chaeyoung’s send a message i don’t know if you guys can see it.” 

“it’s almost as if they’re speaking to each other through their art.”

you hear the things your classmates would compliment or compare, but it was never about seeing who was better no–more like trying to pry about each other’s minds and emotions.

aside from all the numerous things and assignments, you and chaeyoung somehow manage to go to an art museum together despite the bitterness when she turned you down, but she came back around only because for the sake of drawing inspiration.

i think it would’ve been a good idea to just get lost in the museum by yourself, but you end up sticking with chaeyoung as you follow her around as she studied the more sad and darker works.

eventually you and her stumble across a piece where it’s a simple machine in the middle that’s closed off by glass panes. you watch the machine clean itself of the leaking oil that’s spilling around, almost like it’s enslaved for its entire existence.

you meet up with chaeyoung at the center of the piece where it shows the name of the artwork titled: can’t help myself. you found the title to be fitting since it literally shows the machine working for its entire existence.

“we should probably go now, the museum is about to close.” you say to chaeyoung as you turn to look at her, catching a tear falling down her cheek. you would try to comfort her as it hurt to see her like this especially in public, but you decide to do nothing as you take a couple steps back to give her space. 

--

it’s almost the end of the semester and you and chaeyoung eventually get started on your collaborative project that ends up being a sculpture. since there was a dry period of inspiration, you and chaeyoung argue over who should do what.

“we’re out of options.” 

“no, you’re just not thinking hard enough.” chaeyoung retorts at you, scoffing as she continues to draw her heart away on her sketchbook.

“this was professor schick’s worst idea putting us as partners.” you shoot back as you sit across from her in the small vanity of the school’s art studio.

“i already told you i don’t want any part of this project, so this is all on you.” chaeyoung mumbles as nothing is heard except the scribbles of her pencil onto the paper. 

you shuffle forward and close her sketchbook, “you said we can do the sculpture, i’ll be the model.” chaeyoung stares at your shocking proposition and contemplates on the idea, given the fact that it’s almost due and there’s no time left, it seemed the only logical thing to do.

“okay, lets do it.” 

--

once chaeyoung got her art materials setup, you sat and took your position on the stool as chaeyoung got to work at molding the sculpture from your reference. 

it seemed like torture that you had to keep yourself up for what seemed like hours, chaeyoung took her time etching in the details of your unbuttoned shirt, exposing your midriff and just stopping right before the shirt parts at your breasts. 

you hear a smack on the canvas in front of you as she scooched back, facing the floor as you stepped down the elevated platform, making your way to her as you were genuinely concerned for her at this point. 

“chae, everything alright?” you ask as you kneel down to get a better look of her face.

she’s crying. 

“you have to tell me what’s going on, i don’t want to see you sad all the time.” you say to her as you try to place your hands on her shoulders, chaeyoung swatting them away instantly.

“i don’t know how you do it…” she mutters, “how can you be okay with us being like this?!” 

you step back to give her breathing room, still unsure about her feelings.

“what are you talking about-”

“i wish i could see the world through you!” chaeyoung exclaims, “i don’t want to be hurt like this anymore!” her voice breaking as the tears came streaming down.

pulling her in for a hug as she cries on your shoulder, “you don’t have to hold it all in anymore chae, i don’t want us to be enemies.” you say as the sadness comes over you as well.

who would’ve thought that opposites can be attracted in the most unexpected circumstances of pain. 

</3

hopefully you'll like this and thank you omg ur actually the sweetest i can't

[absolutebl]

Hey there! I get most of my bl recs from this blog, and I was reading through your Minato's Laundromat watch along post. I was going to watch it but the age gap really messes me up? In Old Fashion Cupcake they have a large age gap but they're still both adults. I suppose it's because of my own past, but a 17 year old with a 27 year old makes me uncomfortable. Would you be okay with the same age gap if it was irl, or only in fiction? Please take no offence to this question, btw, I'm trying to figure out if I should watch it or not.

Age Gap & BL - Taboo, Morality, Teenagers & Laundromats 

Ooo, age gap. Well this might just be another JBL whips ABL into a verbal frenzy situation. You ready? 

Age gap is one of those tropes that edges into taboo, so like the stepbrothers trope, you may have internalized trauma or cultural conditioning around it. 

You may never be able to watch these kinds of BLs no matter what I say or what Japan does about it. And that’s fine! Please know your own limits. 

Some of us have baggage around childhood, and allowing children to be children, and adults interfacing with children, and age of consent, and sexual awakening and maturity. 

But it means to talk about the romantic and erotic nature of an age gap romance, we gotta talk about culture for a moment.

When does a child become an adult? 

Certain cultures have a more fixed age of consent than others. Japan’s, as I talk about in my Coin watch along post, is more flexible than the USA, for example. 

Anthropologically speaking, this is something to examine about yourself. What constitutes “growing up” to you? 

Is it a fixed line you cross (like a birthday) - what we would call ascribed status, or is is a thing you earn = achieved status? Is it wisdom or education? 

In some places, it’s the moment a biological woman gets her period or after a biological man’s voice breaks. 

In others, it’s the moment she puts on a head scarf or lengthens her skirt. 

It’s the moment he kills his first big game or weaves feathers into his hair. 

In some places, it centers around controlling procreation and the feminine. 

In others, it is about protection and the fear of youth being exploited. 

In others, it’s about a transition from one role in the group to another new role in society. 

Everywhere it is about crossing a threshold. 

How big is that threshold, how wide that line? How much time does it occupy in our cultural consciousness? This is what teen’s grapple with. That liminal space between childhood and adulthood. How frustrating to have to exist there. How necessary to form cohesive identity. How do they know, how do we know, when they have crossed through and come out the other side? 

Who decides this for you? Who decides this ABOUT you? The government? The legal system? The family unit? Yourself? Your religion? A big fuck-off party? 

Why 18? Why 21? Why can 18 not fuck 17 but can fuck 21? Did you feel ready to date, to have sex, when you were 18? Or were you ready before that, after, never? Is sexuality even really an indication of adultness to you? 

Would I be okay with the same age gap if it was irl, or only in fiction?

My personal perspective:

I’ve talked about this before but I came into sexual identity and desire very early, but I didn’t really date or have sex until comparatively late, and it took me longer than that to unearth my own kinks and queerness. 

My parents were very permissive and I knew how to be safe and so I could have done anything I wanted to, probubly from 14 on, which is one of the reasons I didn’t. 

I’ve dated up to 10 years older, and over 10 years younger, but always individuals who were qualified as legal adults by any standards. 

I do think there are plenty of people too young for sex, by any definition. Certainly plenty of 18 year olds too young for it. 

I am personally squicked out by the idea of engaging in any level of intimacy with much younger lovers at this point in my life. It seems like too much work and boring and also a little gross. 

But I also believe in giving children responsibility, discipline, autonomy, freedom, and high functioning tasks. I do not agree with helicopter parenting or infantilization. I had my first job when I was 10. Outside the home. I liked it. I learned a lot. I traveled internationally alone for the first time when I was 8. This skews my perspective on what it means to be mature. 

Would I be okay with 17 + 27 IRL? 

Probubly not but it would depend on the power dynamic. If class, culture, finances, and/or gender made it clear the older person was calling all the shots while being in the position of power, I would be highly uncomfortable. I might even interfere. (If there’s a sugar daddy relationship going on I would probubly make inquiries as to the nature of the contract, and that the younger sub understood their dynamic properly. In the D/s world I do think Dominants have a responsibility to oversee other Dominants for abuse patterns.) 

In fiction, I am thinking of Alexis Hall’s For Real which is an excellent gay romance about a large age, wealth, life, experience, EVERYTHING gap where the Dom is a young college age kid and the sub is an established doctor. It’s brilliant and it tackles many of these things. I highly recommend it. 

Fiction allows for a certain amount of suspension of disbelief. Also it allows us to see into intimacy in a way we ordinarily can’t outside of our own lives.

Shin is younger but he is also VERY MUCH the aggressor. He makes all the first moves. They have not kissed, at these ages, and I do not think they will. 

I’m going to ask you a question.

How would this age dynamic make you feel if it were say: man 18 & woman 28, and he’s a freshman in college and she’s in a comfortingly genderized service job, say waitress? How about if he is a young CEO and she’s his secretary? 

Is part of the discomfort coming from the gayness? (Because in the west there is a long history of cultural association between gay & pedophile which is very insidious and his impacted the queer community quite severely, it may be acting on your subconscious.)  

Is part of the discomfort coming from the life state? High School. Is leaving high school actually a conference of maturity, or just a societal excuse we westerners use to sluff off our filial responsibility to our youth? 

Is it all about the fixed age? Is there really that a big a jump between 17 and 18 or does it just make us feel better because certain laws say 18 = adult? 

It’s worth making yourself uncomfortable with thought experiments around this dynamic to try to understand why you feel this way. After all, you gave me a thought experiment, I’m just returning the favor. 

But honestly this is part of Coin’s point. To make you think about what it means to be adult and mature. To make you uncomfortable as a watcher. 

Cupcake versus Coin

Okay the interesting thing about comparing Old Fashion Cupcake (AKA Cupcake) to Minato’s Laundromat (AKA Coin) is that they are actually quite similar. 

Younger seme by 10 years is the one doing the pursuing. 

Older uke behaves in a childish and flirtatious manner as part of his personality. 

Both semes are clearly sexually frustrated. 

Both have pined for a decade. 

Both narratives are from Japan. 

But in Cupcake the age gap almost amusing. Especially to some of us. That the characters are even worried about this kind of age gap, at their age? It’s silly. Why? 

Well, the age gap is there, but really these two are at the same life stage, so it’s not the driver of the story. Emotional maturity is. Learning how to love and appreciate yourself (and what time has beaten you into) so you can be open to affection and sensation and life. Togawa is defined by his willingness to participate in all the world has to offer - those HAMSTER cheeks, are a way of showing his unconsciousness indulgence in sensation. While Nozue is defined by his careful withdrawal, his unwillingness to participate, to take risks, and his own self-hatred and sadness because he KNOWS, he is mature enough to realize, that he did this to himself.

Neither Minato nor Shin are mature in this regard. Both characters are not self aware. Both characters lack emotional IQ. Shin is incapable of teaching Minato how to open himself back up to affection, because Shin does not have enough life experience to empathize with why Minato ran away and shut down in the first place. 

Shin is too young. He thinks he would never run. He thinks love is the answer. He thinks love is enough. 

It’s never is. 

Minato’s Laundromat is a high school student paired with a grown (if immature) man. Same character dynamics as Cupcake. Same age gap as Cupcake. But this narrative must face its age gap head on. And that’s why it’s making people uncomfortable. 

Japan is using to Coin tackle notions of maturity but not just sexual awakening and desire, but how maturity translates to emotional intelligence and ownership of self. 

Both characters are mature in certain ways. 

Shin is the eldest of a large family, he’s basically raised his siblings, he’s taught himself to cook, he’s driven in his studies, he wants to become a doctor. He knows how to be a boyfriend, or he thinks he does. He knows what he desires. He knows how to ask and he knows how to flirt. Shin knows who he is and what he wants and that is mature, but also he is performing the role of a seme as he thinks it’s supposed to be undertaken. He is acting the role of the boyfriend that he has read about in his comic books, it’s not (yet) natural to him, the way it is to Togawa. But he doens’t realize this because he’s too young. 

Minato has two failed relationships behind him and a failed career. He knows what it is to hurt. He knows things don’t work out. He knows wanting a thing is not the same as having it and holding on. He has found his way to a kind of peace, and kind of inertia. Unlike Nozue, he is genuinely happy, he’s not at all lost, but he is hiding, and he is scared. But this he knows about himself. Minato is hiding that he is gay, he is acting in a way to fit back into his home, but at heart he is an open and honest person, naturally kind and gregarious, so he too is acting, performing a role, it’s just he knows it. 

Both Cupcake and Coin are about bravery, but in the one case we have a clear model example of how to be brave, an end goal, and it is Togawa. In the other we have conflict over bravery, because it means something different when you are at different life stages. 

Shin can be as brave as humanly possible, and he is constantly putting himself out there, constantly asking and begging and pushing Minato to give in to their desires. But while that may be a model of courage, it is not safe for Minato. Minato’s bravery is in resisting. Is in not giving in. And it will eventually be in hurting Shin to drive him away. Even lying to Shin about his feelings. 

Shin cannot be trusted because he is too young. For no other reason. The age gap is the problem because of life experience. This story isn’t really about whether it’s “okay” for them to sleep together because that is just not going to happen, no matter what Shin thinks. And any perceptive watcher with know this. (Also this is not dark JBL, dark JBL would have gone there.) 

Minato may be immature but he has a fixed moral compass. This story isn’t about that or sacrificing self for desire, those kinds of discourses are left to the older BLs and noona romances, Japan has already tackled it. They’re moving on. 

Shin can only be brave, it’s all he knows to try. He cannot be patient. He cannot give up. Minato can only be a coward, it’s all he’s ever been. His only experience is in taking a risk and hurting himself, or taking a risk by betraying his own identity and hurting others. 

Minato sees only one outcome: hurt, either his pain or Shin’s. His maturity will be in realizing that the right thing to do will hurt both of them. But for now he remains in limbo, unable to lie and say “I don’t want Shin,” because he is an honest person and he does want Shin. 

But also unable to say yes because everything in him is screaming that even if it were right, this is the wrong time. Shin is, by any measure, too young. Minato’s instinct is to run, but he has already run to his hometown and laundromat for safety. And now Shin is challenging him in that space too. 

This is what makes this show so tense. We know Minato will not crumble, but the challenge is constant and it is real. And it makes us all, including Minato and Shin, feel unsafe. 

Shin is making Minato’s place of refuge unsafe. Minato has nowhere else to go. That’s why this show it titled the way it is. 

The laundromat is being used as a metaphor for Minato’s life state.

That’s why each ep always opens and closes on the laundromat. That’s why Shin in ALWAYS depicted in doorways. Between inside and out, one room and another. 

Shin is shown coming inside Minato’s spaces. 

Shin is desperate to be invited into Minato’s home. 

Minato goes outside the building to confront Shin. 

Shin waits on the threshold, fainting from heatstroke. Because... he cannot wait. 

Because Shin is a teenager, his is in that liminal time of life. He is neither child nor adult. He is himself the spirit of transition. This series is using him occupying thresholds as a metaphor for his life state. He is both AT a threshold and IS a threshold. 

Shin is in motion, trying to fit, trying to occupy Minato’s space. In and out of the doorways of Minato’s safe little life, his laundromat. Minato who is ahead of him, settled, hiding under blankets, tending to his machines, embraced by his community, home.  

Shin thinks Minato is his home. Is his destination. 

And the horror of this show is that there is a distinct possibility that Shin is right. 

Minato knows this. 

And so do we.

It’s just this is not the right time. Shin hasn’t had a journey yet. You can’t come home, if you never leave it. And you can’t appreciate it, if you never go. That’s the nature of growing up. 

Shin may have found his nest. But is it his, if he never learned to fly? 

So it is Minato we must trust not to make a mistake. Because Shin is absolutely going to. Shin has put Minato in the position of having to push him out of the nest and watch him fall. Watch him get hurt. Watch him fly away. Minato who actually wants to be the safety net, who saves children from drowning, who wants so desperately to be loved. Minato is going to have to act in a way that is not only disingenuous to his own character, but that he knows Shin will see as a betrayal. Minato is going to have to hope that Shin will go away and grow up and realize that such a betrayal was actually an act of love. 

Wether you like this show will depend on whether you trust Minato to do that. Or trust the narrative. 

So I can’t answer whether you should watch it yet, because i don’t know. I do trust it. But this is Japan, they always surprise me. 

(source) 

[anamazingangie]

Is every fandom this petty or just this one? My god. This is the second time someone has implied I've plagiarized the majority of my fics and i'm just...sick of it.

Both times this has come from the HEAD MODS of the daemyra, helaemond, and rhaegon discords and it makes me really sad that they might treat other people like this too.

Can I prove these tweets are about me? No. But the dates line up with when my fics were published, the accusations are very similar to ones I received from their friend. Come to your own conclusion.

I don't have a twitter so I'm posting this here:

I HAVE READ TWO OF YOUR FICS. TWO.

I didn't know about your work until I had written hundreds of thousands of words for the Daemyra fandom (which you haven't written any content for, btw).

I liked them! But I'm just baffled how it could extrapolated that they inspired all my fics. The only remotely similar fic is my OT3 fic which also features pet names and BDSM.

But where yours is an extremely abusive/unhealthy/dub-con dynamic mine is a soft consensual agreement with different characters.

Like:

and

I'm not hating. I really enjoyed your fic. It's just gross to ownership over an entire lifestyle and multitude of kinks within a fandom because you feature some aspects of it in one fic. And then use that to claim you inspired *all* of an authors work.

It's really frustrating as an author not to mention highly inaccurate (let me reiterate, I've read two of her fics).

Before this I was a reader and I can't tell you how many BDSM Reylo or Darklina fics I read. Was this pettiness happening behind the scenes? Or is it JUST this fandom where big fish act entitled over common tropes?

Let me say again: THIS IS A MOD OF THE BIGGEST FANDOM SERVERS.

Like fuck, how many writers are you discouraging and turning away from the fandom with this? Because you feel possessive over tropes that have tens of thousands of results on A03. Just be better.

edit:

I guess I do have an only fans inspired fic too but I wrote it before I knew theirs existed. You don't have to believe me, but it was published back in December.

Here is me finding out their username in February. At this point I hadn't read ANY fics for the HotD fandom outside of Daemyra (which as of now I still don't think they've written for?) so I didn't know who they were until they talked about expanding the AU to include Daemyra.

I guess i'll ALSO say that T accused me of stealing my idea for Gauche from Cor because it was published the same day as a discussion about Cor writing a petwife Daemyra fic...which is true.

But T brought this up as a response to MY idea for a fic with this concept.

Also for the record, in my fic, she is a magical human that can literally turn into a cat so I don't see the cause for comparison to begin with but OK.

edit 2: still bitter, adding more.

So I originally left the Daemyra discord because of the main mod, T.

I was part of a discussion about a prompt someone else had submitted to the prompt thread in march. Several people seemed enthused about the idea of a tattoo AU and the topic was on my mind since I just got one.

I wrote the fic using the major plot points I came up with in the conversation.

I credited the convo as inspiring me because we were all brainstorming, right? I guess not. About six people accused me of copying all her ideas and shared screen shots of my fic alongside her "plot points" which were like..."the existence of gloves", despite this being against the rules.

This was all instigated by T who publicly called me out for it. I was originally confused, and then apologetic because I thought it was a conversation and I used the ideas *i* contributed as well as the original prompt that she was not the author of.

Not to mention "Tattoo AU" is a trope with 10k+ fics on A03. It isn't an original idea.

During this pile on she:

-Said I had done this many times before, mentioning the kitten!fic by name and implying there were others.

-Mocked me for not having a life/writing quickly before other people could use ideas.

-Claimed I didn't *really* get a tattoo or have the idea because I hadn't mentioned it before....on a HotD discord?

(is this proof enough? i didn't think i needed a fucking alibi)

Anyway. It all got deleted so I have no evidence, but you can see her tweets about it.

The other day, I gather another author was bullied off the server. And this is how they responded. THE IRONY.

"This type of attitude is what drives active and creative members of our community away."

Since when is that your concern??

"I want you all to read t’s message and really reflect on it."

I want T to read and reflect on it!!

Again: These are the head mods and creators of the community servers for these ships. Maybe practice what you fucking preach?

....

adding this is an edit so there is no link back to them;

They claim the tweets aren't about me. Maybe I’m wrong and this isn’t about me. But from my perspective: 

This was tweeted by Cor the day her friend (T) accused me of copying her plot line and idea for a fic, as well as doing this ‘many times before’ including with Cor’s pet wife AU.

Cor made a tweet accusing people of stealing ideas the same day as I reposted my fic that was, according to T, copied from Cor. 

To be clear, Cor NEVER said she felt this way to me. But given her lack of participation in the conversation where I was directly accused, and support of her friend after the fact, I thought It was implied.

So given the date of this tweet and that, I assumed this was about me.

Cor's tweet implying an author stole all their ideas from her was posted the same day as my bdsm AU. Given the context and date, it kind of seemed like that could be about me too?

Cor sent me 32 messages this morning. In them she (among other things) insisted they were about someone who was line-by-line copying her fics. Despite the many messages, no proof of that was shown. 

Maybe it is a big fucking coincidence but it sure felt targeted to me, which is why I made the post in the first place.

edit: I said she could send me screen shots of the plagiarism since she mentioned many times that she had them, and she blocked me so. Idk man.

Most of the messages were her calling me names and accusing me of outing her for writing a kink fic by mentioning it in the same post as her twitter.

For the record the account that fic is on was linked in her twitter bio while she was making those claims. The account has multiple fics co-authored by her other account that also has her full name.

The only thing that wasn't public was the discord convo which had no identifying information.

I didn't tag anyone in this post. I didn't want to start a witch hunt. I would LOVE for these tweets not to be about me.

But I thought they were (based on other experiences where they *confirmed* were about me) and wanted to share my side of things.

I now know multiple people who have had really bad experiences while writing for this fandom and it fucking sucks to be bullied out it.

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hello! I'm back again bc I need more help :3

Sadly it's not about the last story I was working on because I had to stop the project- but! I'm here now and I have a new idea and I wanna start working on it!

The only though is that...it was an idea that was inspired by a work that already exists. So I don't know what to do! Shpuld I take the idea and change it a bit so it's not exactly like the one they used? Should I not use it at all? Theese are the questu9ns that keep filling my head and it's only making me realize the line between inspiration and copying is a very fine line so...what do I do? What would you do? Please help me ;-;

Also, if you need more details, DM me, and again, tysm for being here on your page has helped me so much 🧡 (<- platonic heart btw)

The Line Between Copying and Inspiration

Here's the thing... the line between copying and inspiration really isn't that thin. It's actually quite thick. Consider this:

High school girl meets a handsome guy at school. After falling for him, she tumbles into her small town's hidden supernatural world. She gets involved with his supernatural family, finds out some of her own friends are supernatural, becomes the target of various supernatural foes, and even becomes a vampire herself eventually.

What story am I describing here? Twilight? Or The Vampire Diaries? It could be either one, and with some minor tweaks, it could be True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse, or any number of other supernatural love stories.

My point is, we tend to overthink similarities way too much when it comes to fiction. Most of these similarities actually fall under tropes, and tropes are actually a good and expected part of fiction. Tropes are the things that keep us coming back to the same types of story over and over again. They're why when a certain type of story becomes popular, there are suddenly several others just like it.

The key when being inspired by something is to take the thing and make it your own. Change it enough that it's not exactly like the thing that inspired you. For example, there are quite a few differences between Bella Swan and Elena Gilbert and their specific situations. So while they're so similar on the surface that you can write one paragraph and not know which is being referred to, if you go beneath the surface to all the specific details, they're actually quite different stories.

Here are some other posts to help:

Similarities vs Plagiarism Beta Reader Sees Similarity with Existing Character Taking Inspiration from Another Story’s Premise Afraid of Plagiarism Accusation

Have fun with your story!

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[doodle-pops]

Oh, hell yeahhh! I'm the anon who sent the ask about the modern girl trope, and I loved reading your thoughts :) But I had different ideas involving the reader! One idea I had was keeping her human but immortal....through some alternate universal logic I can come up with LOL. But trust, I'd want her humanity intact because there'd be a lot more dynamics between the old elven world and a modern human being. Another was a specific idea where I'd start my story. I was thinking of maybe at the very beginning of the story when Melian and Thingol first met in the forest (can't remember the details because it's been a hot min since I read the book)??? I was thinking that the reader wakes up in that forest after being isekaid into SILM. but they first think it's all a dream until, well yeah, the realization sets in like a big "WTF" moment. Is she tweaking hard right now or are there two gigantic (I'm assuming there'd be an insane height difference as the reader is a human) beings who look otherworldly gawking at her like she's completely alien???

The hardest part right now is tackling the multiple characters and the entirety of Tolkien's legendarium...it's a difficult goal to implement when you want to consider staying somewhat canonical and within ME logic. How would specific characters react to the reader? How would their relationship progress as the story goes on? How do I even give justice to a character; am I portraying them right? How will the readers existence affect the plot and the events--because that's a big part of SILM. You know...the wars and stuff.

Speaking of which, with the readers modern perspective and outlook on life, I think it'd make up for a pretty funny journey for not just the reader, but for everyone else involved. I can just imagine the reader trying to get used to the culture shock, as daunting as it is, and learn to accept the change of scenery. But sometimes she'd be faced with trials and tribulations, it's hard to keep calm sometimes. I can just imagine if there is ever a certain point where if the reader meets an unhinged character like Faenor, she'll definitely butt heads with them. Perhaps her personal moral and ethical compass is seen as........foreign. It would get heated, I'm sure, with all the "outdated" politics and standards within SILM. that the reader will be in for a ride!

BTW, do you think adding romance would do? I think about adding some romantic relationships between the reader and some characters, but I'm not sure how I'd pull it off...hmm...who'd even be a good candidate LOL??

Also, I wanted to come up with a reader who's probably an overworked desk worker, so her attitude at first would be: "I don't care, I'm not getting paid to fix anyone's problems," while simultaneously trying to make it alive for the next day.

Sorry I took so long, I've been busy running around the place 😖. But I'm liking these ideas 😯😯. They're intriguing!!

Given that you want to stay on par with the canon of the story, you can have moments where reader makes suggestions, however as mentioned, due to their morals and ethics being outdated and modernised compared to traditional ways, the character can have a moment of awareness but eventually return to their original plan. This only makes reader's relationship strained with the character.

You can also contribute to some of the discarded drafts Tolkien wrote for characters or fill in the plot holes for unspoken events by the loremasters. Like certain events that took place was believed to occur a particular way, however, you being there and having witnessed it can attest and say otherwise. Then observing that eavesdropping and miscommunication led to feuds between the groups of elves and so forth. Maybe have a moment where you break the truth to one of the main characters (preferably for an event that doesn't pertain to them, but showing how themes of hate and spite can lead to unnecessary consequences).

As for adding romance, that's solely your decision, but I can provide options to choose from if you're stuck in a dilemma.

You can have reader and character's relationship purely romantic.

A flirtatious relationship where both are aware of their feelings, unfortunately due to their future ahead, they wish for nothing intensely romantic. Sorta like a fling.

Mutual pinning which makes this more tragic.

Unrequited love

Purely friendship because there isn't anything wrong with being friends. Friendship tend to have some of the most heartbreaking emotions and moments.

Picking a character is something you could spin the wheel and select. because at the end of the day, they'll all be dead 🙈. The office worker vibes you want to include would bring so much humour, I'm here for it. Insert the, "don't speak to me until my shift begins" or the, "I'm here to work, not solve your problems unless you pay me overtime". 🤲

There's lots of themes being included, history, traditions, personalities and perspectives, differences, and the original silm lore to remember. The real question is, how in depth are you going with the lore and plot since the 1st Age had multiple events and you wish to begin from Melian meeting Thingol?

Like are you planning on skipping through big chunks of the years and focusing around the important events and the years before, during and after? I think this would save you the stress of focusing on every detail and you still get to mention history in the chapters.

[brookheimer]

So funny that you argue that pregnancy isn’t limited to just women and it’s not an inherently feminine thing so it’s not a sexist trope to utilize for an underdeveloped female character since it’s just a neutral thing and then argue that its good for shivs character because your tired of all the Butch Business Bitches or whatever the fuck you’ve made up in your head since she needs to desire to be feminine to be a good character

whhhhaaat the fuck. this is like... eight different strawmen fallacies at once. how did you do that genuinely how did you do that

okay. lemme run this down real quick the only way i know how: fuckin hs debate style. i'll go down the line by line:

pregnancy isn't limited to just women, it's not an inherently feminine thing, but it IS societally associated with women and femininity. like, it's a sad truth but it is a truth.

the existence of pregnancy in general in television is not a sexist trope! pregnancy exists in real life! when a woman you know gets pregnant, do you think that's sexist or something?

shiv isn't actually underdeveloped, man. the parts of her that are underdeveloped are the ones that she refuses to acknowledge, which are, coincidentally, the ones tied to 'femininity.' so yeah, i think that for a character who has been very very developed in her relationships with her family, her husband, her career, and everything else, i think that having her unpack her relationship with gender is a good thing and a way to develop her further.

it's good for shiv's character because it allows both her and us to explore the aspects of herself that she refuses to admit to as said above and in the post multiple times

i'm tired of "Butch Business Bitches or whatever the fuck [i've] made up in my head" ???????????? alright. okaay. ooookay. i'm not even gonna go here. i just answered another ask claiming there are No Career Women Who Get Abortions On Television which is apparently, seeing as you're saying that as well, an actual thing people somehow think! fucking believe me. i am ALL for butch business bitches. i just don't think that 'feminine' traits and values being considered weak and thus off-limits for any woman who hopes to be respected is a good thing, and i think women should be allowed to have nuances, and be butch business bitches who also want to fall in love -- if they want! and not if they don't! as long as it's about what they want, not what they feel like they need to do in order to survive in a male world

'she needs to desire to be feminine to be a good character.' uh huh yeah so that's not a thing i ever said or meant in my life, like ever? there are just a lot of women who base their personality and identity off a fundamental fear of femininity and being perceived as a woman -- i know, i was one for much of my life, that's why i like shiv and amy and other characters like them -- and maybe, just maybe, that's not actually a healthy or satisfactory way to live! doesn't mean they have to 'desire to be feminine,' just that they actually start to consider what they desire. again. see above. and also the actual post. which you will not do.

you dropped like all my args in the post btw. you'd lose both on VC and line-by-line even ignoring the unprofessional demeanor and lack of understanding of my original contentions. 0 speaker points. good night!

[localplaguenurse]

Ngl I forgot dottore can shapeshift(which is weird because scaramouche lore rarely slip my mind) so anyways now I can officially say dottities are Canon and anyone who says otherwise will have to pry dottities from my cold dead hands as my ghost haunts their very existence.

I’m just saying Dottore would look good in drag also I just remembered what I wanted to say about gingko trees

So the title Gold As The Gingko Trees

Gold- soft precious metal

Ginkgo trees- common symbol of longevity

Ok besides the fact that gingko leaves are golden so ha ha gold as the gingko trees ha ha get it? Gold? Like the leaf?

Next soft and precious metal aka gold, soft and precious should be obvious it’s wifey, but metal? Well that’s obviously their connection to Morax, who is the god of geo, commerce, mora, and ceo of being broke as fuck certified Amber lord with sexy eyes.

Gingko trees. Longevity. Another dot that didn’t connect until yesterday after I got shampoo in my eyes, well there’s two meanings here. First is wifey’s marriage to our ceo of terrible money management, they’ve been married for let’s round it off to 4000 years for simplicity sake and yes yada yada immortals change slow, but seriously this man and his wife are in a committed relationship for 4000 years if that isn’t longevity of a relationship and the love of one person to another then idk what is. Next Wifey’s lifespan, now I don’t remember the specifics because if I go back and read it again now the words are gonna get jumbled up and ao3 doesn’t support my accessibility settings unless I download the fic which btw can I download your fics and put them in my emergency food folder in case ao3 goes down again anyways so I’m going purely off memory here but after Morax did the sexy bite of 87 but it was consensual unlike the bite of 87 and certainly one less death. Wifey now shares the same life span (or in my personal opinion “live longer” as in Morax would erode first before wifey just because he’s so much older and therefore have more bad memories to erode him and maybe one day I’ll tell you more about Morax eroding away but this is not the ask for it rn) oh my god tumblr is lagging if this gets deleted I’ll hurl okay so yeah second meaning of longevity is that wifey gets to live longer

So yeah other than the surface level meaning of the title I also love the more deeper meanings this has and oh my god I have to conclude this before I get forced out of the app and also I went brain to fingers with no filter so excuse any mad ramblings in between

Tldr I love the effort you put into this fic have a fennec

Love is stored in the fennec fox ears.

I love your take on the title a lot! Honestly the only problem is that in canon the two have only been married for 2000 years, but that’s still a long ass time, and let’s be honest, those two would still be hand in hand when the sun explodes if they’re lucky to live that long. You hit the nail on the head with the longevity thing, but it’s also because of this one story I read about six ginkgo trees in Hiroshima. The place had been nuked, but six ginkgo trees had survived and from what I can see, are still going. They can live up to 3000 years. That’s why I had that part at the end where Zhongli tells Childe about how ginkgo trees are a symbol of hope and strength, and how they fit wifey very well. They’ve been through a lot, and they still prospered.

So the thing about wifey’s lifespan is that they’re sharing it with Morax. I didn’t focus too much on what that actually means beyond wifey will live past their human life expectancy so long as Morax is alive. It’s mainly because the specifics weren’t super important at the time, just served as an explanation for why wifey’s still around in canon time, and so I could avoid the whole “immortal outlives lover” trope because I told myself I was gonna end this nicely. I need y’all to know though that I’ve been very tempted to write something for when Zhongli begins to erode, but I have a character sheet to make for a Strahd campaign and a divorce fic chapter to get to. So yeah, maybe I’ll save it for another ask :)

Dottore would look good in drag but do you know who would look great in drag? Pantalone. I take no criticism, argue with the wall, he would be a glamourous bitch.

[brotrustmeicanwrite]

In what ways do you actively seek inspiration and creativity to fuel your writing?

To be completely honest I’m the type of writer who got lucky in that department (severe untreated adhd). So 95% of the time I don’t have to actively seek out inspiration in order to write and instead the ideas try to assault me when I’m just peacefully walking down the road, minding my own business.

(btw yes I made this comic just to answer the question)

However there are still clear common origins of my ideas. So instead of giving advice that I don’t even use myself, I think the best I can do is show these origins and the little bit of active work I do put into finding inspo and hope this will still help those trying to seek inspiration.

The Origin Of Ideas

- (unconventional and honestly deranged) creative writing advice -

“I want to write a story about …”

Pics that burned themselves into my retinas and now live rent free in my brain‘s crevices

Throwing characters at each other like we’re smashing action figures together

“I want to write a story about … “

When I see other writers trying to come up with ideas, this is the kind of approach I see most often. It’s the only technique I use where I have to actively sit down and look for ideas and inspiration. Personally I don’t really like it, as it usually doesn’t lead me anywhere even near a working story. But that doesn’t mean this approach is inherently bad or that it isn’t just one that doesn’t fit specifically my personal way of thinking. As a matter of fact, the main project I’m working on right now is a result of doing exactly this. And originally just as a joke on top of that.

Using my own project “Mirrors Of Sands (MoS)” as an example I’ll show how I came up with ideas and inspiration for the story.

So, MoS originated from a comment I saw under yet another one of the 100s of generic reincarnation/ regression villainess manhwa I was reading around a year ago.

“Writers really only can write the same generic regression villainess bs nowadays.”

Along those lines. When I read that line I noticed that, despite ’villainess reincarnation’ having been the only thing I had been reading for months at that point, and also me being a writer, the thought of writing a story like that never even crossed my mind. So I decided to do it just for shits and giggles.

-> „I want to write a story about a villain regressing in a vaguely medieval noble European setting.“

So the most basic part of the inspiration for MoS obviously came from the media I enjoy, but what about beyond that? This is the part I personally don’t like about the „I want to write about“ approach. Most of the time when i decided to write a story about a specific thing or concept in the past, I ended up looking towards similar media and unconsciously imitating it, creating a cheap and soulless copy that I didn’t even like myself.

Because of this, when I decided to write MoS, I sat down and consciously made a list of all the tropes that these types of stories had in common and marked down which of them I liked enough to actually keep and which ones I wanted to change and why. This approach is quite theoretical as you can see, but it allowed me to get a clear picture of everything I actually wanted to write and gave me the opportunity to see clearly, from the very beginning, in which direction I wanted to take the idea away from the parts that I didn’t like.

If you think about it, this approach is kinda similar to a lot of headcanons in fanfiction in the sense that we take a pre-existing concept and actively adapt it in ways that we like more than the original.

Pics that burned themselves into my retinas and now live rent free in my brain‘s crevices

Almost all of my stories originate from a single scene that just randomly spawns in my head out of nowhere one day, usually based on some random thing I saw or heard months (if not years) earlier.

To give an example: the imagery of Yuu Otosaka from Charlotte jumping in front of of the moon is a really cool visual that first gave me the idea of a scene, where character A jumps from rooftop to rooftop in front of of the moon, just like Yuu, while being chased by some sort of organisation. Meanwhile character B witnesses it from below while walking down an alley and is immediately mesmerised by character A‘s grace and elegance.

This tiny, seconds long scene, that’s quite certainly been done before, evolved and changed over the years into 3 full, completely separate stories. One revolving around romance, one around A being an outlaw and the society that caused that and another about supernatural shenanigans. They could have been one story, but this one tiny idea gave me so much material to work with that I ended up dividing it up, simply because there was not enough room in a coherent story for all of it.

Now, I’m aware that my brain spitting out ideas like this is a result of it being extremely hyperactive due to severe 100% untreated adhd, so obviously not everyone can work like that. However, I believe that this pop up effect can be imitated even if you don’t have a brain that lets every cool pic you’ve ever seen live rent free in there, while the important stuff can’t afford the lease.

So here’s what I would do: get a journal and write down as much stuff, that could potentially inspire you as possible, whenever you encounter it. For me it’s scenes from media I enjoy, for you it might be poems, songs, a person you encounter, a rumor you overheard or anything else that you like. Alternatively/ additionally make a Pinterest folder and collect cool pics on boards with a specific theme. You could have an action scene board, a kiss during a winter ball board, a late night cooking board, a board about absolutely anything that you might think could possibly be even the tiniest bit inspirational to you some time later.

If you do that you’ll build yourself an easy to access collection that you can then go through at a later date when you need an idea. It’s no guarantee of course but maybe one of those things will spark the same way as that one random frame from an anime that I had watched in 6th grade did for me.

Throwing characters at each other like we’re smashing action figures together

Im sure you know what I mean with „smashing action figures together“ but when it comes to doing this with characters this might sound a bit weird. But I mean that sentence quite literally.

I guess this could technically also double as a writing exercise but sometimes when I’m bored, I like to take random characters or even just vague ideas of characters and put them in situations where they have to interact with each other. They can be OCs or characters from any media that you like in whatever situation you want. We’re essentially playing dolls in our head.

The goal of this „exercise“ is to play with character dynamics that I usually don’t write and I’ve had some really interesting ones develop from this in the past. In those cases my own ideas then became the inspiration for a completely new story or scene.

At the end of the day, to properly answer the question, most of my inspiration comes passively from all of the media that I consume and enjoy so I usually don’t actively seek out inspiration to fuel my writing. However I do hope that my little rant here may help one of the 10 people who are gonna see this post.

Happy Writing <3