#without really weaving in the theme of ‘what’s the purpose of life’

[yachl]

i really like when they adapt a series in a way that suits the new medium + provides alternate but harmonious development to the original series. adaptations don’t need to be 100% faithful to the original storyline as long as they remains faithful to the original themes and purposes

[devdirt]

Hollow Knight vs. Vivziepop character design language

I know it's kind of a wildcard comparison but Vivziepop is a fan of Hollow Knight and its designs. I wanted to explore how shape language, color usage and storytelling in design are used in both properties.

NPC designs do a great job at telling you the character's personality or occupation without being overly detailed. One well placed trait does wonders, like Cornifer with his bundles of maps or Tuk and her hoarding, scrap salvaging hobbies. Paired with the world it tells two people doing their best to survive their dying realm, one by mapping out the twists and turns and the other by scraping up whatever she can find from abandoned civilization.

Now when we look at visual storytelling in Hazbin there are some good details! Alastor's outfit design and trademark microphone give you old timey host vibes right away. Niffty (my angel) sports a poodle skirt, kerchief around her neck and apron, also telling you her occupation and time period she's likely from. Everyone in this show has a big toothy grin but hers plays well into her hyperactive and always happy personality.

But there are also really poor moments of character storytelling. Everything about Beelzebub has already been said. She doesn't read as gluttony, she doesn't read as a bee, and she doesn't read as an animal tamer. When I look at her I see every other wolf character Viv has ever done. If Jayjay is party wolf and Loona is goth wolf then Beelzebub is lava lamp wolf.

The sins are mostly misses for me. They don't read as their sins or their circus related occupations. Asmodeus has fire powers but doesn't read as fire spinner. Mammon doesn't give off greed at ALL but the jester look works (which is also wrong because he's a CLOWN apparently, not a jester.) And don't get me started on this one.

This is not Lucifer.

Nothing about this reads angel, devil or even pride. This design goes all in on the ringmaster design, which is great for the circus theme! But the apple on the hat is the closest we get to this being Lucifer. I didn't even notice the snake on his hat because it looks like a worm for the apple, and they both cover the crown.

Add a second apple on the cane. Okay, so we know for sure this is supposed to be Lucifer but...why? It's another Beelzebub moment where you're left wondering why the design went in this direction. "Apple" shouldn't be the only giveaway here for the most important man in the world these stories are being told in.

Now let's see the celestial leader of Hollow Knight.

That is a god.

Removing all story context, this is incredibly quick to read. Large wings, all white, glowing yellow eyes and a crown. It looks celestial and it doesn't even need color, which is the point!

Now lets view them both within their stories. Is there visual storytelling when compared to other characters and the world around then?

Hollownest is a dark world where every character is dully colored. The Radiance and her power stick out with a glow, juxtaposing themselves with the dark as the light.

Lucifer does not look any different than most of the Hazbin cast. He has all the red, the same sharp toothed grin, the same body type as 90% of the cast of both Hazbin and Helluva Boss. If you lined him up with everyone else somebody like Asmodeus would be chosen as the obvious leader of Hell with his stature and power in the design alone.

Simplicity can tell an entire story while overextending your designs can muddy it.

Hollow Knight relies on few details and minimal storytelling yet it weaves a tale of an usurped kingdom and a god fighting for revenge. You are void, the world is dull, and god is bright and beautiful and terrifying to your way of life.

Vivziepop wants to weave a complex tale but utterly fails to do so with her designs. I purposely did not bring up Cherri Bomb, Sir Pentious or Stolas' designs since they have elements that were taken from other people and properties. I wanted to focus on what she made with her own hands, and when I narrow it down I do not see the story being told or even what side some characters are supposed to be on. Adam and the exterminators look the same as any demon. The leaders of Hell mostly sink into the ocean of overdone details. When everybody is trying so hard to stand out nobody stands out.

[ddarker-dreams]

Calcified Cage.

Yan Bucciarati x F Reader x Yan Fugo.

A glimpse into a "bad end" from Scarlet Ribbons.

Warnings: Yandere themes, unhealthy relationships, implied power imbalance. Word count: 1.5k.

Pannacotta Fugo knew on an intrinsic level that nothing good was to come from this private meeting with Bucciarati. 

For someone who prefers to make judgments on empirical merit, this odd bout of premonition felt uncharacteristic, further adding to his unease. For all intents and purposes, it shouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary. Bucciarati often consulted him in private over various Passione concerns. 

In private, yes, but never in the total seclusion of his humble home along Napoli’s outskirts. 

Fugo can count the number of times he’s been here on one hand. Normally, if Bruno needed to discuss an issue with Fugo, he’d ask him to stay behind after the gang finished eating their meal at Libeccio. The mixing of business and home life is considered taboo in this profession. Although Bucciarati is a bachelor who lives by himself, Fugo figured that he adhered to this unspoken virtue on principle alone. 

When Fugo finishes reading the letter in his grasp, it’s no longer a mystery why his leader has taken these precautions. The paper trembles like a leaf in the wind, Fugo’s grasp on it weakening. 

“You understand what this means, don’t you?”

Bucciarati’s voice sounds far away, despite his position a few feet across the table. Ringing resounds in Fugo’s ears, quiet at first, yet building in an all-consuming crescendo. The melody it weaves is melancholic at its core. A tragedy cast by the indifferent divine, thrusting him into the spotlight, where he stumbles through his lines as a lead character. 

He has to tell himself to breathe. 

Inhale. 

For if what’s written crawls into reality— 

Exhale. 

—He’ll no longer have a reason to.

Fugo downs a glass of water his host generously had the forethought to provide. His fingers grip the rim tight enough that his knuckles nearly turn as white as his complexion. 

“Are you asking for my legal counsel?” he manages to get out. There’s a rasp in his voice that he can’t hide, regardless of his best efforts. He can feel his collected mask melting from his face like wax on a candle. There won’t be any welding it back into place once it’s gone. It’ll require time to mold one in its predecessor's likeness — time he most certainly doesn’t have.

“No,” Bucciarati gives an answer he somehow already expected. “I want to hear your personal opinion.” 

“My… personal opinion? Is that really necessary?”

“It is.” 

It shouldn’t be. This is about as black and white as a dilemma can get. Trying to mix the colors on a palette to form gray would be impossible; a fool’s wish. The shades are so diametrically opposed that he’d sooner find success in combining oil and water. 

His esophagus burns like he’d just drunk hard liquor instead of water. 

“This is… good,” he fights back a wince at the wooden delivery, “For— for her, I mean.” 

Something tells him that even if he had put on the performance of a lifetime, Bucciarati still wouldn’t have believed him. 

“For her,” Bucciarati echoes dryly.

Fugo inwardly curses his clumsy word choice. There’s no point in concealing his cards, he may as well have just laid them all out for Bucciarati’s viewing pleasure. He loosens his tie. The quiet intensity radiating from Bucciarati is suffocating. He’s reminded then that while he greatly cares for and respects the man sitting across from him, Bruno Bucciarati is, at his core, a mobster. 

And there’s nothing more dangerous than a mobster who feels his family is under threat. 

You are, in essence, the heart of Bucciarati’s ragtag team. 

This letter is proposing to transplant you into another body. An objectively healthier body. 

To do without you would be to live as a dead man walking. 

Fugo feels the phantom pain as if his chest cavity was being split in half by spectral hands. No anesthetic, no scalpel. Just raw, brutish force. Your nonsensical questions he pretends to find irritating are his veins. The blueberry pancakes dutifully arranged in a smiley face on his birthday, the arterioles; how you reach for his hand in crowded areas so as not to get lost, the capillaries. 

You are snowball fights and hot cocoa in the winter, beach trips and shared gelato in the summer. 

(“I can’t ever decide which flavor I want,” you’d lament, wilting all the while. It never took long for you to blossom again. “I know! Fugo, get this flavor, and I’ll get this one. That way I can try both!” 

He’d sigh and pretend to consider it as if he hadn’t made up his mind the second you smiled at him. “Fine. I’d rather not hear you complaining if you ordered something you don’t like, so… just this once.” 

“Just this once,” you repeated. 

He’s never turned down your request in the times you’ve asked since). 

Bucciarati leans back in his seat. He crosses his legs, folds his hands onto his lap, and smiles. Fugo is so put off by this shift in demeanor, the dissonance both perplexing and unsettling him. He sets the damning paper down for the temporary reprieve straightening it out provides. It points west, toward the window behind Bucciarati, where the sun’s final rays for the day crawl through. 

“You love her,” Bucciarati says it as casually as one describing the weather. 

Fugo’s entire body goes numb. 

“... I do.” 

“Do you love her enough to make her hate you?” 

He’s been on the defensive throughout this entire interaction. He’ll allow himself one retort, one provocation. 

“Do you?” 

The softening of Bucciarati’s expression says it all. 

“We shouldn’t be having this conversation if I didn’t.” 

Right. Fugo isn’t sure if this is a conversation so much as it is an interview, his most pivotal test since joining Passione’s ranks. For once, he didn’t need to study. Passing with flying colors isn’t the issue. It’s deciphering the purposefully cryptic manner that Bucciarati has been conducting himself that poses an obstacle. 

However, when he stares into Bucciarati’s resolute eyes, he thinks he might be starting to crack the code. 

The promise he made to himself to reprise his role of an obsequious soldato is broken as easily as it was made. 

“Forgive me for being blunt, Bucciarati,” he means it too, “But what exactly are you getting at here?” 

“I won’t be able to conceal this for long.” 

Nausea swirls inside him and bile claws its way up his throat. He swallows it down, despite how dry his mouth feels. 

“The way I see it, we have two choices,” Bucciarati takes a deep breath. Pausing like this must mean he doesn’t savor the flavor of what he’ll say next. “Her happiness or ours.” 

It’s debt that brought you into Passione and debt that’ll keep you here. Fugo considered how you were taken advantage of in such a desperate position truly unfortunate. Cruel, even. The offer of a loan that’d take considerable financial strain off your family. You didn’t know to look for jargon that’d increase the interest rate to something unholy, Passione was clever like that. 

The worst mistake of your life is what led you to be the best thing in his — and so many others would attest the same.  

However…

You are bright, but even the most radiant light is destined to flicker. 

Living under the same roof as you for two years has taught Fugo much. He sees it, how you hesitate to take the phone when he tells you your parents are on the line. He hears the telling hitch in your voice when you spin another falsehood about why you can’t come home for the holidays again this year. He feels the wetness on your pillowcase when he goes into your room to retrieve a book you borrowed from him. 

Your debt is what shackles you here and this letter is offering to break the chains. 

You've successfully won over many key individuals during your tenure. The would-be benefactor who penned this letter — Signore Conti — had deep influences and even deeper pockets. His wife had taken a particular liking to you during a bodyguard assignment. She must've caught wind of your predicament somehow and beseeched her husband to intervene.

Fugo sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "There's really no other way?"

"I'm open to suggestions, Fugo."

Questioning Bucciarati's resolve is just a weak attempt to stall for time. For Fugo to still be sitting here, even entertaining the possibility of snuffing out your future for the sake of maintaining his, he must've already made up his mind. The mere implication of Bucciarati's designs would've inspired righteous anger in most — not this internal weighing of pros and cons Fugo is neatly arranging on a scale.

"... We'll need to handle this delicately," Fugo says. His stomach feels like it's turning inside out. "We can't outright reject an offer like this from such an influential figure, it'd be considered an insult. Accept it on her behalf. Then... to ensure she can't go anywhere, I'll reach out to our contact in the bank and have her account frozen."

Bucciarati steeples his fingers. "It's a start."

That night, innumerable plans are formed, with you unknowingly starring as the centerpiece.

No matter how cruel, how unfair, it is silently agreed upon that you are their lifeblood, an organ essential to their survival.

And a heart cannot remain in place without the bones that make up its cage.

[syrena-del-mar]

La Pluie: A Tale of Tender Hearts

It's already been a week since La Pluie has ended and I'm still left in awe of how unsuspecting this show was presented and just how lovely it turned out to be. I tend to have the attention span of a gnat when it comes to shows that I consume, but La Pluie has been different. Starting with the cameo of Nora Robert's MacKade Brothers, I find that La Pluie has challenged me to look beyond what meets the eye at first glance and really engage with the message that they are attempting to convey. La Pluie asks you to watch the characters challenge their own beliefs while also challenging your own beliefs of the romance tropes they utilize.

Love in media is always romanticized and dramatized as something that is designed by the stars and predesignated in fate. In a world in which La Pluie takes place, it makes sense why people want to believe in the notion that the one you can hear is your soulmate. Humans are bound to creating answers out of what is unknown and confusing. La Pluie uses all the world-building that they established to subvert the notion of a destined love and instead utilized it to emphasize the active and deliberate choice to love someone and maintain a relationship, even when you're faced with challenges. They subverted the 'stars aligned' trope to show that love is an intentional commitment and ongoing effort, no amount of destiny is going to be sufficient to keep a relationship alive.

I think another running theme, though mostly in the undercurrent of the show, is that any form of love without work just ends up hurting all parties involved. La Pluie, for all intents and purposes, is a romance drama, but they allowed themselves to show so many different types of love. Love is often wrapped up in the idea of consisting solely of eros, and this is especially true in any romance drama, but La Pluie did such a good job at depicting different forms of love. And how they all take the conscious effort to keep the love alive, whether it be romantic, friendly, or familial. Each of these forms of love take a shit ton of work and effort to cultivate and keep safe, without it misunderstandings brew and resentment grows.

If episode 11 really focused on that for familial love, this final episode really continued to cement that message into the relationships of our main four. Lomfon stuck to his guns and publicly professed his feelings through his project, but a starry-eyed edited collage does not mean anything and Tien essentially states as such. Saengtien didn't let himself have hope until Lomfon verbally stated that he was in love with him. Lomfon, who used to be a bit proud, finally learned how to fully communicate. It was a long journey and he fucked up more than once, but he made the effort and he grew as a person from his mistakes. Their whole arch from frenemies to friends to lovers was weaved through the show. Their development depended on how they communicated and if they were even able to communicate. You can't start any relationship, whether friendship or more, if you can't learn to communicate.

Lomfon's biggest fuck-up came from the lack of communication, he expressed vague ideas to Saengtien, but was never nearly as forward as he was in the final episode. He learned his lesson at the cost of his relationship with Tien, both romantically and as his friend. He even warns Tien that he'll show him through his actions as well, and he does. Meanwhile Tien, who has been sidelined his whole life, has finally found his own place of comfort in Lomfon. As I've seen @bengiyo say multiple times throughout his reviews, there's no magical dick that will solve ones problems, and that rings true here. Saengtien will always be one to willing self-sacrifice in order to protect those that he loves, but this time around Lomfon will be there to look out for him. To have his best interests and welfare at heart. There's finally someone in his corner.

Saengtai... Oh Saengtai, I had such a love-hate relationship with his character because he was so finnicky and frustrating throughout the whole show. That signifies that both La Pluie and Title did a good job, because I don't necessarily believe that he was supposed to be a loveable protagonist. We finally get full-blown development from him, and he for once becomes pro-active in his life. It came full circle that Tai had to utilize both his words and his actions to salvage his relationship with Patts, after shunning him out for years. Now without the soulmate connection to assist, Tai has to put in the work to locate Patts.

It was never the lack of love that was the problem in their relationship, it wasn't even that their love was flimsily based on a notion of soulmates, but rather Tai had to unlearn his self-absorbed tendencies for Patts. A relationship won't survive in the long-term if it's one party that gives and gives, especially not when Patts has reiterated the need for Tai's affirmation of their love and relationship. This time, it finally clicked for Saengtai that he needs to communicate his care. Actions may speak louder than words, but if you're conducting yourself in a manner that is contradictory (even with the best intentions), those actions are obscured. Patt's needed that verbal confirmation and Tai finally learned how to give it. They love each other beyond the soulmate bond, they love each other because they choose to do so.

Tai finally came to that realization and understanding because he was forced to face the reality of his own parents and their bond. Saengtai was a traumatized kid of divorce who had their same ailment, it's not crazy that his understanding of love was shaken. He just didn't realize that there was no loss of love between his parents, their love had just taken on a different form. His parents loved each other, but they knew that they weren't good for each other. Priorities had changed and expectations clashed, their separation was a choice to salvage their love. The catalyst of his initial questioning of the soulmate bond brought him the answer that he needed to hear after destroying his own bond. Love is work. Love will always be work. It just depends on you to choose to work with it.

This show will always be a memorable one for me. It probed on ideas that romance shows and novels tend to shy away from, glossing over the fact that no relationship can survive without work. Love is a choice. We will never know if the choice we make will work things out or if it'll cause us the pain that we want to shield ourselves from, but without making that choice, we seclude ourselves. We rob ourselves of experiences in fear. Instead of fantasizing about allowing destiny leading us to who we love, we need to take control. People aren't simply meant for each other, they work to become meant for each other.

La Pluie is more than just another romantic BL, as the story unfolds, it allowed us (the viewers) to witness every single characters' journey of self-discovery, vulnerability, and gradual understanding of what it means to love and be in love. It's not a high stakes drama and it was never meant to be, instead from the first episode we were made aware that this was a show that was going to challenge deep-seated beliefs of the characters. In a world that was built around such a otherworldly, fictional disease, it allowed for an in-depth analysis of what it means to find love and what it means to keep it alive. This show was never meant to be a simple soulmate trope BL, and that much was clear when it set its mission statement in the first episode. It only continues to reiterate that idea as it concluded with this last message from Saengtai.

"In the end, the hearing-loss and soul-mate stuff are still questions that no one finds an answer. Or in fact, no one chooses to find an answer anymore. Because whether or not we know, it doesn't have anything to do with the path each person chooses. And, we will never know whether the paths we choose are the best ones. At least, we get to choose our own paths, instead of destiny determining it for us. There may be sadness, happiness, struggles, or convenience. But all in all, it's the meaning of life. I wish you all a happy journey in life."

For my last La Pluie post, I just want to say a big thank you to @lurkingshan, @bengiyo, @shouldiusemyname, @wen-kexing-apologist, @neuroticbookworm, @sunshinechay @shortpplfedup, @heretherebedork, and so many other users for posting such thoughtful insights that really made this show even more enjoyable to watch. I used so many metas that you all made as a stepping stone for my own ideas. The show was already enjoyable as it was, but the community made this experience even better.

Also, @lurkingshan brought to my attention all the negative reviews La Pluie has been getting on MyDramaList, so on a whim I decided to leave an overall review on the show. So if you fell in love with this show just as much as I did or even enjoyed it, here's the link to that, feel free to upvote mine and any other of the other positive reviews!

[muzzleroars]

have u ever heard end-world normopathy by ghost and pals. that along with scapegoat do crazy ultrakill flavored shit to my brain its insane

oouuughhhh HUGE vibes of the creation running past the creator and changing into something they would see with hatred, as a perversion of their vision without regard for the life of the creation itself. which. is such an important theme in this game to me as the thread that runs through the angels, the machines, and hell itself. each was made with a strict purpose yet, by the incompetence or arrogance of their makers, turned into something unable to properly be controlled in their own weakness. both god and (likely) humanity attempted to rectify this with subjugation and abandonment, but as the testament said, they cannot unmake what has been done. and with them gone, see how the creations turn into what they feared, how hell governs itself and makes sport of the damned of its own accord; how the machines flood into its halls and devour the already dead to steal their immortality; how gabriel, the brightest in heaven, turns apostate and similarly robs the high angels of their eternal gift. and all the damage done is the fruit of those who made them.

of course both of these songs give me just. major gabriel/v1/v2 vibes the most, but hell is there as an encompassing element in the background of it all. because i think in a way, all of their purposes have fucked with them but their reactions to gaining autonomy in the face of that design is drastically different. for all of them the job they were given upon birth is inescapable, it defines their identity, but how it weaves in with their free will is unique. v1 has warped its sense of war over time, corrupted mind twisting it into a being meant to forever create war and strife rather than just fight in it. it's drive is not for blood but for battle, infinite and inescapable. they made it, but its time never came. v2 is meant to bring peace but it is based in the same violence, it knows its time is over in a world so atrophied with a purpose that was always confused besides. they made it, but it was neglected. gabriel is an angel without a god or master, his static existence collapsed in on itself into the sham it always was. god made him, but he was lied to. and then hell surrounds all of it, made as a place of eternal torment and damnation to know nothing else, never meant to have a mind yet living and breathing and doing nothing but evil. god made it, but it was abandoned.

in this way i think of hell and v1 as parallels a lot while gabriel and v2 are closer in proximity - the former two have abandoned their creators right back, have rid themselves of those expectations and, if they think on their creators at all, may only view them with disdain or perhaps self-satisfaction. they are both far-gone, but i think there is a part of them that has the am conundrum - they do as they please, yet something in them is irreparably bound to their creators no matter what they accomplish (hell in particular is absolutely am-adjacent). gabriel and v2 are angrier in their abandonment, bitter in how lost they are now and what their creators have wrought for them. freedom isn't easy, they didn't ask for it, yet they have no choice when they know too much and the world they're in demands it of them in a sense. and neither of them, even if given the chance, could go back to what they once were (gabriel especially has entirely left the cave) all of it asks what it means to be created with a purpose, and if that really is better than being created aimlessly. SORRY this got on a little bit of a tangent, but these songs really just made my mind run off with this theme and it's one that drives me crazy!!!

[contrappostoes]

what makes steel ball run your favorite jjba part? <3

HIIIII GOOD JOJO MORNING and thank you for giving me a question to ponder over my toast this morning hehe 💏☕️

I've said it before but the main reason I love jojo in general has more to do with how fun it is to watch araki evolve his approach to storytelling and his art style from part to part...like jojo is silly and fun and by no means a perfectly executed story, but I think araki is uniquely radical in his creative approach in a way that's thrilling to watch! a big part of my enjoyment of sbr stems from the fact you can tell it's the product of 20 years of araki experimenting with his approach to major & minor character writing, fight construction, pacing, weaving in & delivering on themes, working with setting & his chosen genre in an engaging way, using paneling & art style to create atmosphere, etc. and he's able to deliver on nearly every front. it's by no means a perfect story (beginning is painfully slow, the zombie horse & magic thread that appeared exactly once, final fight happening AFTER the story's emotional climax, etc.), but when considered within the context of parts 1-7, it's his most well-rounded & complex work by far imo - that's played a huge role in my enjoyment of it!

and then of course there's specific aspects to steel ball run that are kind of like catnip to me personally!

johnny not being an easily likeable protagonist, and who has a character arc more complex than "selfish guy learns about the meaning of friendship" - too much to go into for this ask, but I particularly love how at the start of sbr johnny's perspective on his life and purpose is coming from a place of deep pain & a feeling of helplessness over his ability to exert control over his life...there's no short, clear path to fixing the psychological impact of his cold upbringing, the guilt & sense of responsibility he felt for his brother's death, the way the artificial sense of self-worth he obtained through celebrity backfired horribly on him, the abuse and abandonment he experienced after he was paralyzed. his arc isn't about trying to leave all this behind and transforming him into a perfect, fixed person - it's a bumpy road!! even as he grows, throughout sbr we see him continue to be selfish, irresponsible, lacking in confidence, overly reliant on others, even violent. and of course he has to grapple with obtaining and losing the corpse parts over & over again, and what that implies for his internal sense of meaning. I think the conflict he has about valentine's offer in their final fight (trying to avoid spoilers about specifics but AUGH) is one of my favorite character moments in all of jojo because it perfectly illustrates how despite all the growth he's experienced with gyro during the race, there is still a part of him that will have to fight against the impulse to let his pain, guilt, and perceived lack of agency drive his actions. by the end of sbr he's become a person who is more at peace with himself, someone with a quiet confidence and sense of purpose and agency he's had to build from scratch - he's taken the long way, but the shortest road is the detour. best jojo forever TO MEEEE

johnny & gyro as co-protagonists as opposed to primary and secondary characters. they are hands down the best written jojo & jobro duo, one really could not carry the story without the other. the way gyro's lessons and how they're delivered (and to an extent, tusk's evolution as well) represent key points in the growth of johnny and gyro together and as individuals....crying wailing gnashing my teeth because there's a million things I could say about this but I'd like to direct everyone to this wiki entry because whoever wrote it composed an entire essay that says it better than I ever could

the sbr race as a west to east affair instead of an east to west affair, it turns the western genre on its head a bit in a way I find really satisfying. steel ball run masquerades as a story about adventure, but its emotional core is about the characters taking the long way back home to themselves - to do this, they have to go far away from their physical roots (both east of the race's starting point) and must take a long time to return. it adds an even more bittersweet element to johnny's final action of delivering gyro's body back to his family in naples. beyond being the decent thing to do, it's an act that honors the work gyro did to figure out how the ability and duty that's been placed on his shoulders can be used in a way that doesn't require him to abandon the compassion, optimism, and even the struggles that make him who he is - this is the emotional weight & character significance the act of returning home holds in sbr's story

the side characters are genuinely interesting, they have their own fleshed out reasons for being in the race that are actually relevant to the story. they're not all perfectly executed (justice for soundman -_-) but it makes for a much more dynamic feeling cast and a more engaging read!

the mid-to-late sbr art style is my favorite by far. it feels so cinematic and adds a sense of drama that's so fitting for the setting and genre! the real turning point for me was gyro's fight with ringo roadagain, where araki starts using more close up, highly detailed "shots" and adds dialogue only sparingly to create a palpable sense of tension appropriate for a shootout. it's spectacular

once you get past the first like 30 chapters (ouch) almost every fight has a sense of relevance and purpose to the larger story. sbr's fights might not be the most bombastic in concept compared with other jojo parts, but I much prefer a fight where the stakes can really be felt to a fight that seems to be stuck in there so araki can explore some fun stand idea. sbr gets bonus points in my book for having some incredible fights where the emotional stakes are especially high - sugar mountain arc's shootout with the eleven men, civil war, johnny vs valentine to name a few!

ARGH I could go on and on but these are just some of the big reasons sorry for the essay ily 💕💋

[skepticbeliever-bookclub]

Hello friends and shippers! 

It is still January, and it’s cold and dark and sort of miserable in the Northern Hemisphere, so the book club was definitely looking for something to warm us up. 

Our theme this past week was Shyan+, and we had nominations for all permutations of Shane and Ryan plus an extra! There’s an amazing variety of options in this fandom, which is a wonderful thing, and with a close vote, we selected To The Sun by blacktofade featuring the Shane/Sara/Ryan combination as our read this week. 

It’s domestic, it’s comforting, it’s bittersweet in the way that all the best ten years later fics tend to be. It features our usual suspects, in a wildly different era of their lives than the one they were all in in 2019, and it’s done with great care and presence of mind. 

Rating: Explicit

Summary: 

Life is weird. Ten years after Unsolved ends, Shane’s married with a kid and Ryan accidentally bumps into him at a gas station in Illinois.

Book Club Thoughts:

it's really excellently written. it's beautiful simple prose that never feels overwritten.

I love the balance of it with the tide swaying towards hope.

i really love that their reunion is a chance encounter. it's like fate, which is how i feel about their whole damn relationship.

one of the most excellent establishings of a past without using literal flashback i've seen in fic.

the way [the author] weaves in the memories from past encounters and writes them in the scene so it feels heavy, meaningful, purposeful.

There's this sensation of thinking you have managed to fully get over something and then being faced with it again and discovering that all the feelings you'd managed to forget are still there that gets captured really strongly and accurately through the story.

it's understanding not just who they are, but who that means they will be. incredibly aware writing.

Polyamory and absence and reunion. All were handled so well.

I love in reunion fics when the characters are better together older.

I want to mention "Ghoul Man". that's so cute.

there's nothing quite like the idea of turning all of BuzzFeed Unsolved into children's stories featuring Ghoul Man.

bear is the perfect writing of a lab, they are such good dogs and this writer knows the truth of that fact.

What sticks with me most from this is  how much the domesticity of Shane and Sara’s life means to Ryan. It doesn’t put him off, but drags him in. Because it’s them, everything is different but it’s still them.

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[mediaevalmusereads]

A Night to Surrender. By Tessa Dare. Avon, 2011.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Genre: historical romance

Series: Spindle Cove #1

Summary: Spindle Cove is the destination of choice for certain types of well-bred young ladies: the painfully shy, young wives disenchanted with matrimony, and young girls too enchanted with the wrong men; it is a haven for those who live there.

Victor Bramwell, the new Earl of Rycliff, knows he doesn't belong here. So far as he can tell, there's nothing in this place but spinsters... and sheep. But he has no choice, he has orders to gather a militia. It's a simple mission, made complicated by the spirited, exquisite Susanna Finch—a woman who is determined to save her personal utopia from the invasion of Bram's makeshift army.

Susanna has no use for aggravating men; Bram has sworn off interfering women. The scene is set for an epic battle... but who can be named the winner when both have so much to lose?

***Full review below.***

Content Warnings: explicit sexual content, internalized ableism, medical trauma, blood, description of a physical injury

Overview: I realized I started at book 2 and read this whole series without going back to the beginning, so here we are. I very much like Tessa Dare's Spindle Cove series, as a whole, and the first installment is a good setup. While there were things here and there that didn't quite gel with me, the book was overall a solid romance novel, so it gets 4 stars from me.

Writing: The writing in this book is about what you would expect of a Dare novel. It's quick, it's humorous, and readers will have no trouble following the action. Dare also does a really good job of weaving her themes together and setting up ideas at the beginning of the novel, bringing them together once again towards the end. It made the book as a whole feel carefully planned and coherent, and for that, I think Dare deserves a lot of credit.

Plot: The non-romance plot of this book follows Victor "Bram" Bramwell, a lieutenant colonel who finds himself "promoted" to Earl of Rycliff following a wartime injury. He is tasked with running a volunteer militia to prove his fitness for war, and if he does well, he may be given back his military post. The problem is that the only major settlement on his lands is Spindle Cove - a seaside retreat for gently-bred ladies.

Susanna Finch is the daughter of a famous gunsmith, and before Bram came to town, she was the defacto figurehead. Now, with Bram and his militia threatening the peace and safety of Spindle Cove, she must figure out a way to get Bram what he wants without risking the way of life the women have built for themselves.

What I liked most about the plot was the exploration of what it meant for men to have "purpose" and why women's spaces are so threatening to the patriarchy. For a large portion of this book, Bram and his companions maintain that the Spindle Cove way of life has emasculated the men living there, but the more we read, the more clear it is that patriarchy poses a threat to all. I will admit, I wasn't wholly on board with this plot at first; there were some instances where it felt like Susanna and Spindle Cove were being asked to carve out a space for men, even though the village itself was set up as a haven for women to escape patriarchy. Over time, I came around, in part because the message was less about male and female spaces but more about making a space where everyone felt comfortable.

Characters: Susanna, our heroine, is stubborn, independent, and wonderfully spirited. It's easy to be on her side because she cares so desperately for her friends and for Spindle Cove as a whole. I found her struggle with her relationship with her father to be compelling and complicated, and her history as a healer to be moving. If I had any complaint, I would say that Susanna is a bit too easy to forgive, especially after the men come barreling into the local tea shop and almost kill someone. In my view, Susanna could have taken Bram and the others more to task for insisting on masculine spaces when doing so causes so much hurt and destruction. It would have been a good opportunity to explore questions of why women-centered spaced are important, but Susanna doesn't quite go far enough.

Bram, our hero, is fairly easy to sympathize with due to his abundance of internalized ableism and associating self worth with "action." Bram is single minded in his pursuit of returning to his old life, but his injury is such that he will never be physically the same as before. Thus, a large part of his arc involves learning to build a new life and find a new purpose, and that's something I think a lot of people can understand. I do think, however, that Dare should have leaned harder into him for his thoughts about gender. While Bram does change and does end up softening his stance, he also goes into Spindle Cove with rigid ideas about men and women. While Dare does a good job challenging this in some places, I think more of these rigid ideas could have been taken to task.

Supporting characters were fun and enriched the story. A lot of them will figure as protagonists in subsequent Spindle Cove books, so if you'd like a more in depth assessment, feel free to check out my other reviews. But suffice it to say, the secondary characters made for both a charming community at Spindle Cove, and even Bram's companions (bull headed as they are) grew on me.

Romance: The romance between Susanna and Bram was fine. I really liked the trust and intimacy that they built later in the book, and I enjoyed their battle of wills that made the two of them rivals (to lovers). Bram's hunger for physical touch was endearing, and Susanna's insistence on giving Bram what he needed (versus what he wanted) made for some compelling emotional intimacy. The only thing that wasn't quite my jam was the speed at which their lust developed. I personally find it preposterous when the hero and heroine have such raging lust for one another from the get go, and Bram and Susanna's physical attraction was a little ridiculous at first. Over time, though, their physical longing felt balanced by their emotional longing, so things got better as their relationship developed.

TL;DR: A Night to Surrender is a strong introduction to the Spindle Cove series, pitting to stubborn, headstrong protagonists against one another while also exploring the gendered expectations of "purpose." While there were things here and there that weren't to my personal taste, overall, I found the concept of Spindle Cove intriguing and I look forward to reading more Dare novels.

[tarotnoob]

Pick a Card: The qualities the Universe sees in you; what career would suit you?

Sorry if that seems dark, I’m still working with this cheap smartphone after my Google Pixel’s battery warped. Feel free to zoom in on the crystals, I purposely hid their meanings. I will give you a bit of info about you as a person, and give you a list of the (potential) careers that suit you. Of course, there could be more careers as along as it fits the theme of your personality/characteristics/skills.

Use your intuition to pick your pile(s), and then scroll down!

PILE 1

These certainly synchronized well without trying, and although I’m not counting all the BTS “Be” photocards, I did actually shuffle them anyway when I used them to cover up your crystal meaning; so I find it very interesting and helpful to see that J-Hope fell out for you.

As a person, I would sense that you’re someone who’s been through pain, but also healed or is currently on that journey toward healing. And, you might say, well that’s vague and everyone goes through that; however, 1: not everyone chooses to heal 2. not everyone chooses to heal and then help, some people continue the cycle of abuse/pain inflicted onto them 3. this is the kind of healing/pain that results in a life purpose in which some function or medium, action, or work that revolves around helping others. Not just being kind to others out of compassion and empathy, though that’s probably a given, I mean, your profession will revolve around this desire to heal, help, teach.

I feel like “release”, “pain”, “heal” are the keywords that would surround any career you choose, whether it’s to heal yourself, others, or both.

There’s a lot of greens here, with some red, purple, indigo: Heart, root, crown, third-eye chakra. Your intuition is strong, your empathy and compassion are strong, root would indicate the healing process and grounding through that or through some type of activity, crown is that spiritual/greater purpose aspect.

Which also fits in with this Self oracle; this card reads like the idea of the Higher Self, except it’s still referring to this incarnation’s soul, accepting of all parts, separate from the ego, understanding its place in the universe, so there would have to be some type of spiritual awakening that’s occurred for you or will. There’s a sense of awareness about how spiritual things work, which may also be an element in your ability and even DESIRE to do healing work.

For you, I feel you would be excellent in any career involving helping, healing, teaching, opening up people’s minds/hearts to something greater than themselves, to also assist them in getting on their life purpose path.

Careers: Spiritual healer (tarot, reiki, mediumship, etc...); teacher/professor; therapist;psychologist/psychiatrist; doctor/nurse/physical therapist; special needs; social worker; counselor; any type of rehabilitation; acupuncture; writer; journalist; comedian; religious positions; publishing; podcasts; or any other career in which “storytelling” is used to heal or heal yourself by expressing your emotions/thoughts, like screenplays, music, poetry, artist, designer, etc...

There’s definitely a strong focus here on using “words” to heal, so it’s definitely a call to all the artists out there or anyone who can weave writing/storytelling into their healing arts. Doctors may heal, but storytelling isn’t really part of that, so I definitely sense this is more toward people who feel comfortable using words/stories to express a healing element. Pictures count as words, too. Any type of physical manifestation of a feeling or vision is a reflection of thoughts.

There could even be opportunities for a career as a lawyer, judge, or even some type of other criminal/law component-job. Politics is also possible.

But, these are only if you have the intention of helping/healing/making a positive change in the community/world.

Photography, modeling... I see that in “the self” card...  there’s a sense of taking people who are “fragmented” and putting them back together again.

Really a career in which your intentions are coming from your heart in a way that there’s a conscious understanding that we (the collective) are connected and with that mindset, there’s a call to do good because that’s why we’re here.

My point is there’s something bigger drawing you/pushing you toward a healing career. It’s more than just “that sounds fun” or “my parents would like me to become that.” Several figures in these cards are touching their heart space and also there’s books, letters, etc... You get the idea.

I also feel like you’re not a sullen person in the sense that you hold a lot of anger or resentment, that you may even on the surface appear jolly, happy, have a good sense of humor and in private perhaps you are more quiet, reflective.

But, very much so I do also see a career in which interacting with others, especially one-on-one literally or as in one-on-one: your book and the reader; your song and the listener; your food and the diner, etc...

---

PILE 2

Sadly, I wrote out a very long and thorough description for Pile 2, but it got eaten by Tumblr. Maybe that’s part of the message, though, as this was the only Pile where - besides the careers - there was a very extensive personal message for you. I’ll try to bring back as much detail as the first time, if I can remember.

Here are some common themes for this pile: There is the sense that you have warrior energy but at the same time, you’ve built armor around yourself. To be honest, the fact you have Jimin as your photocard that fell out is really what shaped my opinion of the pile (no need to ask why, just trust me, and I like Jimin very much). The Destroyer card, which... has a couple of meanings. It can be about self-sabotage and it’s also about using objects, success, money, accomplishments as a symbol of recognition or success - not to realize that material things are temporary and don’t necessarily hold that type of value.

I do think this is a pile that weighs success against such things or has in the past. The destroyer reminded me of the wolf from Neverending story. It is the power behind the “Nothing” which tries to, basically, destroy that universe/world.

When I think about this, i see it as if... say some type of wound or incident happened when you were younger and it left a type of metaphorical scar on your soul, that scar kind of necrofied (that’s a word right) and turned into a black marble, and then all of this scar tissue formed around it. And that feels like a metaphor for all the armor imagery I’m seeing in these cards. This is something that has influenced your attitude in a lot of ways, particularly about yourself. I sense some issues with insecurity and comparing yourself to others, in terms of success or what you have, looks - but all of this comparison stems from that insecurity, lack of self-love. I’m not saying you aren’t confident, in fact I feel like this is the energy of an ambitious boss, but that’s tied into a desire to prove yourself, which, as I said, comes from this black marble wound you picked up somewhere. In fact, if it’s not this lifetime I was wondering if it’s something passed on from a previous lifetime(s), because it’s a very DEEP wound and I do sense that it’s... so much more than like - feeling neglected or abandoned as a kid or being bullied. It feels spiritually deeper and engrained.

Anyway, that’s what’s pushed you in the direction of wanting to achieve a certain lifestyle that reflects your success, your worth, your value, etc...

That type of ambition (when I first wrote your description) made me feel you’d be excellent in business, jobs where there’s some type of competition that keeps you excited and (not bored), that may change up frequently, where there’s a clear way of climbing the career ladder. I see you as potential CEOs, leaders of startups, PR moguls, social media masters. People who want a job in which they have some sense of power and authority. Not to do wicked things (although it’s possible you could be slightly overbearing, perhaps this is a pile for a lot of fire signs as it has that type of creative, fiery, independent, thirsty energy).

You’d be someone quite driven, so any field where you can be badass or have people perceive that you are. I don’t see this as being strictly - like... a practical job, no regular 9 to 5 stuff, not stuck in a boxy office. I see offices with views, in a cool building, working in modern offices if not for yourself, starting your own creative business ventures or fresh ventures with a lot of risk, exciting travel jobs. You could be flight attendants. I mean it does have the energy of superstar actors, singers, musicians.... there’s that Leo feeling of someone who wants attention and has this hungry ambition where they’d probably do a fair amount to be on top - just keep in mind that things come and go, that things aren’t always permanent and that things don’t determine your true value. What does - in theory - is who you are as a person, how you feel about yourself, are you doing it for you or the approval of others. And I’m not shaming, that’s quite normal, but that’s really a drive of the ego and it’s okay to think and reflect on why it is you feel so motivated to prove yourself when you don’t have to prove anything to anyone except maybe yourself.

So, again - apply that to jobs where you can show off. I do see you as not faking this. You’re very capable as like... project managers, you’d make good agents for people, real estate agents, radio personalities, the kind of people who drive to LA in a car with nothing to become an actor or something, you could be a fancy concierge in a well known hotel in Paris... bc you attach “prestige” to your job title. 

You get the idea... on the other hand since it seems I’ve been brow-beating you over materialism and attachment to things and titles - there’s also a sense that you want to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I see this in the nature card. Not to get all therapist on you, but perhaps bc you couldn’t protect yourself or just bc it’s right, there’s a sense of wanting to protect the “weak.” I’m not saying you’re a super social justice warrior though you may be, in fact I sense more of a disdain for people in general, so this is only about 1. young children 2. animals 3. the planet. You’re not looking out for the average person, just those that can’t defend themselves, so you may also be a leader in anything to do with protecting the environment, this could include being like a vegan chef or working for green peace, working as a diplomat, being a caretaker of young children or the infirm, it is possible you could be a nurse (specifically one who treats the old and young), or a lawyer - like environmental lawyer or one of those lawyers who would defend the immigrant children who got separated from their parents after crossing from Mexico to the US... you know there’s passion and ambition BUT you have a soft spot when people are being picked on. I mean you may pick on average people bc ur like bro we’re equal, i’ll take you on - but kids and animals, even if  you don’t LIKE kids, you wouldn’t stand for someone to mistreat them.

And for some of you you may have already been through this process of removing self sabotaging behavior or talk where you told yourself you weren’t good enough, etc... but it was probably part of your cycle. I feel like the destroyer was that sense of self-sabotage and darkness within you that drives you forward. 7 of swords has that “bitter” feeling to it here and also looks like, well, a stegosaurus, lol, like another instance of you surrounding yourself with these blades so no one will get near you and you’re still carrying them and the root is something “hidden.” But fool and child nature show that you aren’t a bad person, that you’re just reacting to some wound where you felt left behind or neglected or unappreciated. And that left this destroyer black hole, but the crystal wants you to learn self love, to treasure that more than success and such. I mean, I want you to BE successful, and you will be bc you’re capable and brave and ambitious and smart and clever and organized BUT I don’t want you to feel you have to prove yourself through high salaries and nice condos and the best wines and designer clothes - like treat yourself as you deserve it but status isn’t indicative of worth... you’re great as you are, nothing to prove. Love yourself.

---

Pile 3

On the one hand, I think pile three could have careers in any kind of mystical realm, if there’s also an aspect of the job where you’re doing, say, tarot out on the open via blog, youtube, etsy. There are plenty of cards to suggest talents in a spiritual job with agape, shaman, and magician. But with the crystal card and networker (and magician again), I also think there is an online aspect. All those cards are about communication, communication networks, etc...

By that default, this is a pile where you’d excel in the communication fields: publishing, radio broadcast, marketing, journalism, PR. Shamans can also be doctors, politicians, etc... (see pile 1). But this pile doesn’t necessarily have a “healer” aspect to it. This is like a. mystical skills 2. networking skills 3. communication skills. You don’t have to have spiritual skills, though. This is definitely not a tarot reader pile only, I don’t even feel that’s an aspect of it other than by default. This is more “communications” jobs.

Also, singer pops out. Poet. But, again, this is if you actually share your music to an online community or go to physical locations and share it. I also don’t feel this is a behind the scenes working in the music industry either.

What I see in the Shaman card, too, is a sense of learning, a sense of understanding your own darkness, a sense of being some sort of spiritual conduit between heaven and earth. We could say some artistic talents are just divine given, but unlike Pile 1, it’s not about healing, it’s about... purpose?

Agape is interesting because it’s... finding wonder in something physical... but it’s a divine wonder. If you were to see the grand canyon or some other really amazing physical/earth... landscape... and in that moment you feel this sort of divine wonder and humility. You might also really like Yuri on Ice xD

The Jenna card reminds me a bit of a nun, too. So there are several... spiritual but also religious themes within these cards...  there’s also a repeating theme about surrender and moving on, letting go.

Besides all communication jobs and online spiritual gigs, I see things like poet, singer, actor, specifically if any of you are studying opera. I see spiritual or religious leaders. I actually have a friend who worked in intense data programming whatever on the East Coast and such and such happened, she became a nun and moved to Scotland or something. 

I also see a teacher, but it would be religion, philosophy, history. Librarian. Someone who does research on said topics. Create documentaries, especially about nature or the human story, sociology. There’s also a sense of action. Like, you do something, you create something. It’s not sitting at a desk or being told what to do, I don’t feel this is any kind of service work.

I guess what I see it as is someone who “spreads a gospel.” And you can say gospel is anything that feels like a “truth.” And that truth is also spread through a “large” community or system via you or what you do. 

Documentary work feels right on the money, though. But like I said, it would have to be about anything that brings a sense of wonder. I feel like you’re more comfortable as an observer, behind a camera. I guess in that way you’re not really a youtube tarot reader... there’s humility to this pile, it’s not a show off pile. If you are in the spotlight it’s... not about you. I think it’ll be a job where you see or display something to do with the bigger picture. The bigger world. And there’s a sense of objectivity to it instead of trying to push a particular narrative, which is why nature documentaries or photography, still paintings, come to mind.

Poems and songs because they’re very short and capture a moment or single feeling... I included the cards that hid the crystal meaning and so far they’ve actually been spot on. I shuffled the bts photocards like I would oracles, and JK is actually someone who’s done documentary/video/photography work, he also draws, writes, sings. But he’s an introvert and he said once about filmwork that he liked doing videos bc a photo sometimes needs a description but a film, people get what you’re trying to say (in theory). He’s a Virgo by the way, with a Libra venus and a leo/virgo cusped moon, I think. And in the Magician card, it’s ruled by Mercury (which rules Gemini/virgo) The other card is a swords/air sign. My point being that if you need to know further if this is your pile, this is an earth-air pile. Air is about communication, earth is about... the earth, haha, grounding. So communication plus earth equals... nature documentaries.

There’s nature imagery, there’s a sense of stillness, self discovery, spiritual learning, humility, and... wonder. Also, moving forward, letting go.

In terms of working for others alone, I’m drawn more toward alone or in your job working for others you have a lot of independence to do your thing. 

Well, you get the idea, and let me look for any personal messages that seem important, as well. Jenna’s face reminds me of Billie Eilish. Oh, I also wanted to say I thought you might be a bit of a job nomad. You may go through several jobs before you find the ideal one or perhaps you simply move around bc you do freelance videography or whatever form of... work.

I’m mostly seeing emphasis on the throat chakra and using it in your career, how your throat chakra has to do with your alignment/purpose. Like I said, you tend to be a close observer of people or the things around you, more so than the average person. You probably like to people watch or go outside and watch the trees or clouds or sky, you have a fascination with nature or natural monuments. I want to say you may like to wear white, but I think the white outfits in two of these cards is more about... the “purity” tied to these moments of wonder/inspiration. I think in terms of “moving on” from anything, that nature is a healer for you. You’re wise, you have the ability to teach but also be a student.

I’m suddenly getting Death vibes so perhaps some of you had a near death experience or a very striking spiritual transformation. Or some experience that kind of “spooked” you. 

And oh also possibly an interest in space, astronomy, astrology as that would also fall under a natural phenomenon that induces wonder. But I also see the sea/ocean, as well. Marine biology, diving, astronomer, astronaut, mountain climber, haha. The agape card makes me think of something jungkook mentioned recently about how he relaxes in a dark room, a single candle on, listening to music, and that’s also a bit of a vibe for this pile. You probably meditate, do yoga, etc... and you can “purify” your soul through throat chakra activities... and... yeah. That felt repetitive, but... there are probably a lot of jobs I don’t know about that encompass this sort of feeling, so I wanted to be over-thorough. Hopefully Tumblr won’t delete this like it did Pile 2 when I went to save draft!

---

PILE 4

Not that poet hasn’t slid in to a couple other piles as an option, but this one clearly speaks it. There are other piles that mention a job centered around the throat chakra or communication, but this pile seems very specific.

I happened to shuffle all the bts photocards I was just using to cover up the crystal meanings, and you got RM, who is the rapper of the group. His style of writing is very poetic; outside of BTS, he has this album called Mono, and it is... it has the most incredible atmosphere to it that it feels like poetry rap. That’s how he writes anyway, he takes a very philosophical but artistic approach, plays with words and metaphors and language, and I see that here with the page of swords and hermit. There’s a sense of studying language in those two cards, so someone who... is an interpreter, who speaks multiple languages and uses that in their job, speech therapist, studies the... science behind words, etymology? Isn’t that what it is? Studies the written word, such as... philosophy... or would teach English. Also ironic I said translator and RM is the one who translates for BTS when they do English interviews. The poet looks like they’re singing, too, but I feel more that rather than say “singer” this pile is connected to... language, writing, words, studying them or there’s an intellectual pursuit around language. Archivist, researcher, librarian. Someone who’d work at the Smithsonian and could decipher Egyptian or Sumerian, etc... or archaeologist even. Or working with religious or spiritual texts. Working in a museum and archiving... I think even coding could fall under this, using coding to create things, studying coding or web programming, etc...  I guess it could be any job in which there’s knowledge and communication involved. More on the technical side. Engineer even, but again that’s like using the language of “math” to create.

I went to look up the flame oracle and the first line is “In sanskrit...” so again haha another tie to language. It also says at the end “it is likely that The Poet, The Mystic, or The Shaman” would call to you with the language of the flame. so again, “language”, “poet”. Shaman is a card that showed up in pile 3 so you could always check that out and I was almost going to say I feel something tied to pile 3 but that’s only bc pile 3 was the throat chakra jobs. But the flame card reminds me of ace of wands, it’s about inner vitality... however I felt through this description of the card that there was another message about having a passion for language, history, and ancient civilizations, their knowledge.

And Fairy Stone is a sacred stone found in canada, sacred to the native peoples who live there, so again, an appreciation for culture, history, knowledge, what’s “sacred” to a group of people, etc...  and there’s also elements of Magician vibe to it, as well, with the sense of manifesting success. The aspect of Geneva we’d be drawn to is probably the “knowing” but I also feel ambition, too. Ambition fits with the flame card, the flames around page of swords, flame on the hermit’s staff. But... that makes me think of that greek story or whatever about when the gods gave humans fire... and it was like... giving them knowledge. I’m sensing a very specific, repeating pattern here. I suppose you could also make a great tour guide of these types of places.

Pretty sure you get the idea of what the job could involve whether I named it specifically or not.

And as a personal message, what do I see - well you’d have to be extremely intelligent, as in book smart, read a lot, have a passion for ancient civilizations or culture, societies, architecture, old writings, etc... you might have a fascination with language. You might do a lot of writing yourself, if not songs or poetry or fiction, then keeping a journal or coding. You might do a lot of deep thinking in general, be a passionate communicator, especially about topics you’re very interested in...  you might already collect... specific objects. They don’t have to be crystals or stones or historical stuff, but maybe. However, it reminds me that RM collects bonzai plants and these ... robot figure things. So, yeah I feel you may have collections of specific things. Maybe you even collect books or a specific author’s books, might have a library at home or at least a decent bookshelf, might be a bit on the nerdy side, might think a lot like an earth sign, maybe sometimes... not rigid per se but almost like... structure to thoughts even if they’re artistic. You might be clumsy, you might sometimes lack common sense or like a lower social IQ... as in occasionally socially awkward. That’s me thinking of RM, because I do feel there’s fire energy even if it’s not prominent in your chart, there’s passion... enthusiasm... confidence, ambition.

But I think that passion would be directed at your hobbies/interests/job.

I think you’re probably quick-witted, though. Maybe even sarcastic.

I also want to say diplomat bc I see with the poet speaking there’s the doves, so it’s like someone who can speak and with their words create peace, so orator, politician, motivational speaker. You might be known for having eyes that stand out or an intense stare. You may have an interest in... the fantasy genre or have an interest in art, able to see stories through works of art or architecture. You’d enjoy going to a big city and visiting all the art museums.

I don’t see any advice or warnings or...  I think that about wraps it up, Pile 4.

[bluexiao]

#a beautiful disaster

CHARACTERS. Kazuha; gn! reader

THEMES. first meetings. angst ofc. kind of hurt/comfort to hurt again.

NOTES. kind of inspired by heather :)) happy happy birthday kazu<3 this is just a short one :D

Writing Commissions || Send a Kofi

The first time you met KAZUHA was a disaster—a beautiful disaster.

The world was upside down at that time, a cloud brimming above your head as its rain in an incessant downpour. Blasting them all with the loud music, you drowned yourself with the beats you had with your bluetooth speaker—one that you actually just brought a few days ago. You basked into the peacefulness that the lyrics and tune, its threads weaving along the seams of your brain, calming you down and setting your mind straight slowly but surely, just like how it would every single time you get stressed. This, apparently, is one of the most effective ways in trying to figure out things when everything seems as chaotic as ever. This is the only way, but with the knocking on your door breaking the peace that this moment brought, it is proving to be difficult to ignore whoever was bothering you at this very moment.

Pushing yourself up from your chair, you head on to the door and only opened it slightly, peeking on to the person only to pull it back wide by the time you realized who it was.

“Kaedehara Kazuha… right?” you questioned with an inevitable frown, brows furrowed at the sight of the boy--well, it was not like you treated him a stranger. Nonetheless, he is an acquaintance, a student who studies in the same course as you and wills to be a writer as well. Of what sort or any specifics were out of your mind for you never really bothered looking into it. You just knew that he’s a classmate of yours and that’s it.

So for what purpose shall be his visit then?

He might have noticed the irritation written all over your face or heard it from the tone you used with his name. That’s good, then. However, instead of apologizing and walking off like nothing occurred, saying that he’ll just come back next time, the opposite thing happens anyway.

He smiles, one that you couldn’t figure if it was forced or genuine, but it looked very natural to him, anyway.

“I’m looking for Xinyan, is she here?’

Your brow raises, “Xinyan?”Ah,yes, your roommate. You almost forgot you even had one, “She’s not. She said she’ll be out for a little whi-”

“Then I’ll just stay and wait for her.”

“Sure, just-Wait what?” you halted in your words and sealedyour mouth shut as you examined the look on his face, especially those plum eyes of his. He seemed… amused and confident. Is he really looking for your roommate? At this time?

Well, it’s not like you could argue with him, not after unconsciously agreeing without even thinking about it.

Sighing exasperatedly, you went on and opened the door, letting the boy in and deciding you’ll just have to ask Xinyan through a text. After sending in one, he was already sitting on your shared couch with your roommate, which then prompted you to feel that tug in your heart to be accommodating since he was still someone whom you know… at the very least.

“Would you like a soda?” you hesitatingly inquired.

He smiled again at that time--does he have a lot of smiles? You inquired to yourself. Because this one seemed a tinge relaxed than the other ones, you suppose.

“Yes, please.”

Apparently, that time, he came in because of your loud music and he was about to complain to you when he felt the need not to--to accompany you instead. That was according to him when you two had gotten into a relationship. Oh yes, you did. After that night was a series of days where you and him hanged out with each other and eventually became lovers.

Ah, how lovely it was to think about how such a disastrous day could end with meeting the love of your life, that was what you’ve always thought.

Was.

Birds fly and love shatters, as would how tree trunks break when the wind had pushed it too much, leaves leave when it wants—leaving the trunks empty and dry, all alone.

Your relationship, just like the first meeting, was a lovely disaster--but the latter word was too much both of you had to pull away and let go.

It was a mutual agreement nonetheless. It just didn’t work out.

But you sure hoped it did, especially now as you watch from afar, eyes cautiously and hesitatingly landing on him with another person—his new significant other, you guessed. Who else does he look at someone like that aside from… you.

Yes, you--the one he used to prioritize most of the time, even more than himself. Only now, he had grown tired of it--you had grown tired of it. Why did you even grew exhausted, anyway?

Questions, questions, but the result was right in front of you before you could even formulate an answer. He had flew away from you now--maybe even for the better.

TAGLIST (pls send an ask to be added!)

@softlybeloved @rim0na @icecappa @cozykaii @scaraslover @beastielevi @cursedraiden @thesatanofpizza @izayanna @stellumi @coco-goat-milk @nonniechan @m3gitsune @thispenguinrocks @chuubear @kiyoobi @catisnerd @ventislatte @weakestpoint @pinkfei-main @aweebstuff @zhongchi14

[trainingdummyrabbit]

okok so in response to that last post. hear me out ok listen. mrd spoilers.

theyre so right though. listen. in regards to mrd i totally get like, the talk of wanting a sequel or a series or an extension or any of that stuff, bc its a short game! its short and simple and the way it ends is very up in the air with a lot of things! but honestly i really think that in most cases, adding another part to the story would do it a huge disservice. 

because mrd is a complete, self-contained story. it happens within itself, its viewpoint almost completely revolves around the main three and... honestly very little else. there Are other characters, but they exist mostly as glimpses, as ways to shape and define the characters and the way they think and grow.

and they do grow. and they do change. they lose themselves and find themselves. and because of the way that the story completes itself, it comes to a complete stop. because its a story about endings. its a story about death and coming to terms with it, what it means to leave a mark on the world, what that mark can be. and in a sense, that theme resolves itself with the death of mad rat. the story moves on with him, so the story ends with him as well. 

theres characters that move on, sure, with heart having another shot at life and ratgod’s,.. dubious living status, but the fact that they move forward without the audience means so much given the meaning of the story. because there are some things you wont get to see! the fact that their futures arent defined gives so much to what the story stands for! because for mad rat, there is no more story to be told. for heart, that story is undecided, its open: it could be anything or nothing or anything in between. we aren’t meant to see it because it’s out of our hands now.

and then there’s that theme of intentional incompleteness (that i could go on an even longer ramble about) that permeates the narrative, and even that manages to tie its way in to mad rat’s fate. something about the tie between a constantly spinning wheel vs the decision to take that loop and end it yourself, leaving an endless process incomplete as you take that choice for yourself. its leaving a purposeful hole, about letting that absence define itself. in which the lack of an ending is an ending despite the contradiction. meaning in emptiness.

and there certainly could be things left to address with heart-- that grief that comes with it, the figuring out what to do next, being given life and learning what to do with it. not to mention the possibility of rat god still kicking around: there certainly could be something. it’s a thread to continue weaving. but even then, leaving that up to interpretation feels like it holds so much more meaning. it certainly could be canonically expanded upon, and it could certainly be interesting! but weaving something entirely new from something like this feels incredibly difficult. not saying i wouldnt love to see it be pulled off. 

but truly, there is so much meaning that can be packed into a silence, leaving things up to interpretation to define and expand upon. that act of wondering and dreaming and creating in a state of uncertainty, in a story that is no longer in your hands-- it holds a lot of power, in my eyes. idk, i just think abt it a lot.

[mittai]

wait im curious what were those literary fiction you've read and enjoyed?

recent books i've read + my short blurb on them:

chronicle of a death foretold by gabriel garcía márquez. this novella is so good like it's now one my all-time favorites! it's about a murder that took place 27 years ago in public in the narrator's hometown and the killers were acquitted. the narrator comes back to investigate, not who did it, but how it could've possibly occurred without intervention. themes include: gender, fate vs free will, responsibility, agency, truth (fact, fiction & memory) etc. i also love márquez's prose style, it's incredibly light and beautiful. and he uses it to great effect in plot, characterization, and worldbuilding. the brevity of this novel is its strength, every word carries purpose and meaning. if i had to recommend one book on this list, this is it. this book manages to balance subtle nuance and pointed urgency, all written in truly lovely prose.

the hour of the star by clarice lispector. i really liked this book, but it may not be for everyone. the prose, narration, and pacing are definitely unusual, and it demands a patient and willing reader. however, i found it to be worth it. the book follows macabéa, a poor 19 year old girl living in the slums of rio de janeiro and works as a typist. the book narrates her life through the perspective of s.m. rodrigo, who is also a character in his own right. themes include: gender, selfhood, truth, language, class, and agency.

mrs dalloway by virginia woolf. this one was a reread. i read it way back in 9th grade, but i don't think i was a mature enough reader to appreciate it. and i also barely remembered it, so i picked it up recently. this is also a book that demands some patience (most of it is quite slow paced) and an open mind. the prose style is also experimental (less than lispector's), and the book's plot seems almost secondary at times. the characters are rarely traditional heroic protagonists, but often feel more human because of it. themes include: gender, class, time, communication & loneliness, private vs. public. i'd say this book's one weakness is probably its mellowness – it feels at times too easy to detach from, and is far less likely to linger with urgency in the reader's mind. i did however, enjoy woolf's prose, which managed to elevate both the setting, characters, and plot; as well as the plot's climax, which came late in the book, but felt well-written. also love love love the city of london as a setting and as a character in this book.

homegoing by yaa gyasi. this book's reputation is well-earned! the book follows two half-sisters in colonial africa, one who is enslaved and taken to the us, and the other who marries an englishman and remains in africa. it follows them and their children for several generations (in the us and in africa), until two of their descendants meet again. it manages an ambitious cast with dexterity – i never confused any of the characters, and it further manages to craft powerful stories that never get lost in the progression of generations. gyasi weaves into her stories motifs that haunt families generations down the line, and brings history to life. the story follows these families from colonial africa to the civil war to renaissance harlem to the modern-day, and gives us a portal into each of these time periods.

[giowritess]

Dull — Michael Corleone

masterlist. | michael corleone.

Pairing: Michael Corleone x fem!OC Tatiana van Doren

Plot: Tatiana and Michael have always been pushing each other’s buttons. One day, when confronting him about a deal that went south, their relationship takes a different path.

Warnings: cursing, sexual themes — choking, vaginal fingering, intercourse, unprotected sex, edging. 

Word-count: 2,555

Kinktober: prompts — • 4. begging • 10. against the wall • 11. hatesex • 12. fingering • 13. edging • 32. choking

Author’s note: Wassup people!!! Sorry for taking so long to write something. I finally wrote something about one of my all-time favorite characters, who doesn’t have a big fandom but should. If you don’t know what The Godfather is about, all you need to know is that they’re gangsters and this man is perfect. This lovely piece I wrote alongside the most precious being on universe that’s @pacinorose! I love you so much and I can’t thank you enough for entering my life. I haven’t written smut in four years and this is my first attempt at it. This is also my 1st official post for kinktober. About the banner/gif: @littlefreya​‘s inspired me to do one. The gif edition is mine, but I don’t know who the gif itself belongs to (let me know if you do). I really ope you all enjoy it! Also, not beta’d. xoxo 

     Tatiana van Doren was not a force to mess up with. The van Doren family and the Corleones had always been on each other’s bad side. Their mutual hatred transpassed the invisible strings of time and, all that despise, disdain and hostility towards each other carried on through generations and generations. It definitely hadn’t missed out on Tatiana van Doren and Michael Corleone, the oldest children to take over the two businesses.

      Interaction between the two of them was always hard. The only exceptions were when both had to attend any kind of social gatherings, where they had to maintain politeness and grace. Usually, they were always at each other’s throats like cat and rat, always pushing each other’s buttons to nothing but pure and inexplicable rage. Michael always made Tatiana turn into an angry beast who wouldn’t keep quiet, and she did the same thing to him. He couldn't even recognize himself when he was around her. Michael always tried his best to suppress his emotions and stay indifferent, but with her, he just couldn’t do that. He brought out the worse in her, and she did the same to him.

      So, that meant that business between them was nearly impossible. They'd joined forces against a common enemy and that involved mastering a hazardous business deal which included exchanging weapons imported from the docks. Of course, it hadn’t been easy to find something both agreed on.

      “Miss van Do-”, Michael’s secretary started to speak, standing in a flash from his chair in a futile attempt to try and stop her.

      Tatiana was on a warpath as she blasted through his office door and almost took it off its hinges. She didn’t give a damn about discretion and was ready to take out the revolver from her thigh holster and shoot any bastard that dared to stand in her way.

      Michael’s eyes were wide from the action as he snapped his head up from his work. His eyes soon narrowed when he saw exactly who had interrupted him and caused such a scene. Her dark, doe-eyes no longer had that sparkle full of mischief and teasing. Instead, they held complete and utter anger as she pierced holes into him, her chest weaving up and down in an erratic rhythm.

      “I tried to stop her, Mr Corleone. I’m sorr-,” his secretary started. Michael interrupted him putting his hand up, a gesture for him to be quiet before he silently dismissed him and he left both alone.

      Michael took a deep breath and finally brought his eyes back to the brunette girl. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with her day-to-day teasing and uncontrollable annoying mouth, that just wouldn’t close without spurting snarky comments about how he conducted his work.

      “Do you not listen, princess?” he asked with a calm voice,  his brow arching in question. He clenched his jaw so tightly he thought his teeth might crunch under the tension of his frustration, .

      Tatiana’s face completely fell in disbelief at his audacity, and her eyes soared into his so intensely the Corleone almost took a step back. Him calling her like that made her blood boil, and he knew that.

      “I’m sorry? I don’t fucking listen?!” the words started to violently fall from her lips, like bullets hitting their targets. “I told you not to move the contraband under a fucking full moon! We agreed on that! And what do you go and do?!” she asked, prodding her index finger towards him as she spoke. Her eyes were wild with fury as she looked at him.

      While she did her small angry speech, Michael couldn’t help but notice how well that floral-print summer dress hugged her body, leaving little to the imagination. To his imagination, that would happily fill in the gaps late at night, both when he couldn’t sleep and when he’d dream of her. Of course, his dark desires were well hidden as he kept a stern look and averted his eyes back to his desk. He moved his hand to align a piece of paper that fell as he stood up to confront the intruder in his office, shrugging her comment off with an emotionless glance.

      This only pissed her off more.

      “Who the fuck do you think you are?!” she continued, striding in front of him so she'd force him to make eye contact. She was fuming. “My men could’ve been caught because of you. Because you’re so fucking dull.”

      Her fast breathing matched his clenched body, and she couldn’t help but feel a shiver run right through her while he looked down into her eyes. He seemed to be staring right through her. They'd never been so close before and, by how he was staring at her, she couldn’t help but feel like a prey, about to be devoured by its predator.

      “You’re a dull fucking bastard,” she mumbled, not even a bit intimidated by him.

      He inhaled so quickly and sharply before he brought his hand up to her throat, she had no time to register what had happened. Tatiana winced as she felt the impact of her back hitting the wall, her eyes immediately locking onto his. She wasn’t surprised by his action. Instead, it surprised her with the effect it was having on her. Her body was tingling everywhere, sending shivers through her spine and sending a fire straight down to her core. The feeling of Michael’s strong hand clenched around her throat, not hurting but still strong enough to keep her in place, was doing more to her than she wanted to admit. That she would like to admit. He could squeeze the life out of her if he wanted to — the predator could easily devour his prey. But by the look on his eyes, she knew those weren’t his plans.

      She gathered her posture back up, that mischievous glint that he so much hated returning to her eyes. Even though she wanted to be devoured by him, she couldn’t help the words coming out of her mouth.

      “What are you going to do, Michael? Kill me,” she asked, her voice slower than usual, “or fuck me?” she rolled out the last words with the pop of her tongue, sounding almost like a purr.

      Unsurprisingly, he slammed his lips down to hers, pressing her further against the wall, his hand still strong on her throat. Then, he pulled away abruptly as his hand loosened its grip around her neck, uncertainty making its way to his mind. As Tatiana slowly opened her eyes, he thought that she was the most beautiful woman on Earth at that moment, without the ice wall she had built around herself. He knew that doing what she did, she had to protect herself, but she was even prettier when she didn’t need to hear that mask. And she definitely didn’t have to wear it around him. Michael could see straight through her without any effort.

      Tatiana could see his jaw clenching as she brought her hand to his neck, slowly dancing her fingertips over his skin. As they reached his face, her eyes repeatedly travelled from his lips to his eyes, which were following every single one of her movements with attention. His chocolate eyes softened at the look of longing in hers, but then it was gone as fast as it came as she smirked up at him. Her fingers finally reached his lips, tracing a line in them before moving her hand to the back of his neck and entwining in his soft hair as she stood on her tiptoes and brought her lips to his, pulling him closer by the neck. It was slow and sensual, giving each other to explore that uncharted path that they had been longing to discover for a long time now. His hand left her throat and travelled down her back, while the other found the back of her neck. Their kiss got needier and hungrier by the second, the mutual desire finally coming to light after being repressed and ignored for so long. They kissed until both couldn’t breathe, pulling away and kissing again, letting their tongues dance together in a harmony they could only find in each other.

      She could feel herself getting flushed, her skin hot, as if she could make fireworks explode every single time that sinful mouth of his made contact with her skin. He was kissing a path down her neck and her collarbone, quickly pulling down and exposing her breasts, begging for his attention. The shape of his erection pressed against her felt like hard marble, and it only made her even wetter than she already was, feeling her panties soaked.

      A moan left her lips as his hot mouth sucked on her breast, and Michael felt his cock twitch in pain at that heavenly sound. He hadn’t even touched her where she needed him the most, but she was already a panting mess from his kisses alone. He knew he was going to leave marks on her body as he sucked, kissed and bit every piece of skin available to his reach.

      Her heart skipped some beats as he started kneading on her thigh, her whole body tensing with expectation and anticipation as his hand went up slowly. She knew he was doing that on purpose — he wanted to torture her, and it was working. Michael finally found the hem of her underwear and stole the air out of her lungs when one of his fingers dipped down her cunt, meeting no restrain.

      “So wet for me,” he whispered in her ear, watching carefully every reaction that crossed her beautiful face.

      “Fuck,” she muttered.

      Tatiana had to cling to his white shirt as his finger swiftly entered her, moans and sighs leaving her mouth as they pleased. Her eyes fluttered closed as he started moving up and down, his finger soon joined by another, while his other hand remained on the side of her head.

      But his torture wasn’t going to end. When her heart started beating faster and her breathing got unstable, he slowed down, only to speed up again when her breathing went back to normal. Over and over and over again, lever letting her chase her high. He could see the eagerness and irritation on her face. The fact that she was entirely at his mercy and under his control only made him harder, if that was even possible.

      “Michael…” she moaned. He could hear the exasperation in her voice.

      “Yes, princess? he replied in a mocking tone, never stopping his movements.

      He knew how impatient she was growing.

      “I… I want you,” she admitted, making a smirk appear on the corner of his lips.

      God, how ironic it was for the roles to be inverted.

      “You’re gonna have to be more specific, darling,” he said, his hot breath against her neck.

       “I want you,” she repeated, this time staring into his eyes. Her voice was nothing but a desperate plea. “Your cock, buried deep inside me. Please," she muttered, almost whining. "Please, fuck me. Please!”

      Her raspy voice full of desire and need turned a switch inside of him. Having her beg for him was exactly what he wanted, and now he just couldn’t take it anymore. He wanted her too, badly, and he couldn’t wait to be inside her. Pulling his fingers out, he held her by her thighs as he picked her up and placed her on his desk, throwing its contents to the floor and not giving a fuck about it.

      Tatiana watched impatiently as he unbuckled his belt and finally released his cock, painfully hard. She couldn’t help but lick her lips as she wondered how it would feel on her mouth, against her tongue.

      And then he thrust into her, and she felt like her brain had short-circuited and stopped working. Was she even alive? Was she breathing?

      "Like this?" he asked, but she couldn’t even reply. "You like it when I fuck you like a whore?" his voice was almost aggressive, his hands holding tight on her hips where he knew would be purple tomorrow.

      A breathy "yes" left her lips, followed by a series of moans that only made him even closer, feeling the way her velvet walls enveloped him with perfection.

      "I bet,” she started to say, but a loud moan interrupted her, “you've… you’ve dreamed..." it was hard for her to finish her sentence, getting harder and harder to form coherent thoughts, "of this."

      Even with his cock thrusting in and out of her and hitting every right angle, making her roll her eyes with bliss and see stars, she still managed to be snarky.

      “All the fucking time," he growled back, and one of his hands found its way to her throat, squeezing lightly, testing the waters. His other hand was busy, rubbing circles in her clit that made her feel as if she was going to explode.

      He knew he was in good waters when his name left her ajar lips in a scream, Tatiana shutting her eyes closed, overwhelmed with the pleasure building up inside of her. Quite satisfied with himself, he applied a lot more pressure around her neck, and he felt her getting tighter around him.

      "Fucking you on my desk until you couldn't speak was all I wanted when you wouldn't shut up," he said, punctuating his last words with some particularly hard thrusts.

      "Michael," she moaned, almost begged, and his name on her voice could've made him come alone. It could easily turn into one of his favourite sounds, and he could get used to hearing it all day long.

      Well, he had fulfilled his goal — she was nothing but a moaning mess under him right now. She couldn’t form a sentence even if she wanted to, her brain simply wasn’t working. The only word that came out of her lips in-between moans and sighs at that moment, the only word she knew, was “Michael”, chanting his name like a prayer as if he was a god meant for her to praise.

      He admired her as she threw her head back in complete bliss, her eyes clenched tightly and her mouth agape as the pleasure overtook her. Her hands were gripping the edges of his mahogany desk so firmly that her knuckles were turning white. No one could say this was the mighty, feared Tatiana van Doren, cheeks red and flushed, out of breath and eyes out of focus, her breasts exposed, spread out on his desk while he impaled her with his cock, each time sending her over the edge and into oblivion. To him, she had never looked prettier.

      Michael was completely enthralled by her, mesmerized by the way she moved, her face, her expressions, the way she grasped his cock and made him see stars. It was as if she’d cast a spell on him, making him feel like no one had ever done before. Now that he finally had had a taste of her and her ferocity, he couldn’t let her go anymore. He couldn’t even understand how he’d gone so long without her, but now he knew he definitely couldn’t keep on without her.

      Who would have imagined all it’d take to tame a beast was another beast?

[sevensided]

how did you get into writing fic? i'd love to start but idk even where to begin! I loved adats so I was wondering do you have any advice?

Oh my goodness! I am so flattered you’ve asked me this. Yes, I can absolutely help. I’ll throw a bunch of rambling under the cut.

I started writing fic probably when I was... sixteen years old? A lot of my early works were oneshots. I couldn’t figure out how to do anything plot heavy for the life of me, so I just stuck to AUs or whatever I felt like. I wasn’t in any particular fandom -- I really wrote whatever I had ideas for. I remember I tried once to do a plot-heavy story and I received a review absolutely ripping it to shreds. Like, it was so cruel I cried lol. I ended up deleting the fic. Years later, I get what they were trying to say (basically, more substance, less style), but at the time it cut to the quick. Really, it was only when I was in my twenties that I started writing work that was longer and/or better.

The fandom that helped me actually write plot heavy work was a historical-based fandom. As I’m a historian, it was perfect. I got to use my research skills and knowledge to create works that, above all, aimed to feel authentic. I mainly read historical fiction, so I was familiar with how that genre worked. Miraculously, people loved my work. I think I wrote about ~200k in the period of a year? These were several short stories (20-40k) and a few oneshot filler fics. While I was part of this fandom I also helped organise a Big Bang which was a lot of hard work but was extremely rewarding. Along with that, I interacted mainly with other fic writers, so I spent a lot of time chatting to people about ideas and encouraging other writers, and it just created a lovely medley where no concept was impossible or any line of dialogue too difficult. We supported each other and it was truly like a little commune. I gradually stepped away from the fandom mainly because it was just a part of my life at a very specific time, and almost as soon as that time was over, my love for that story/ship faded, but I firmly believe I figured out a lot of how/what I do now purely through that experience.

Regarding ADATS

With ADATS, it stemmed entirely from wanting to “explain” three months in canon (at the end of season three). I was interested in the idea of season four setting up Will/Mike in canon, and I wanted to test the source material to see if I could draw from what already existed to create something authentic. I began with that simple idea: what happened from July to October in 1985? Then I thought about the major themes I wanted to hit -- family, friendship, coming of age, sexuality -- and I nested them around the bigger concept: how do I get Mike from being ostensibly straight to realising he is gay? That meant thinking of two steps: Mike discovering his attraction to guys; Mike discovering his attraction to Will. Those two concepts were separate “arcs” that needed addressing in different ways. Balance was key to weaving them together and making the reader feel like they knew what was coming (and that they felt smart for putting the pieces together) without just rushing through and going “now kiss!” That’s partly why ADATS needs a sequel, lol: because it’s not finished!

Writing process

The first thing I do when I start to get an idea is I write it down. Sounds obvious. But when you have a killer line of dialogue come to you in the shower and you think “I’ll remember that” -- reader, you will not remember it. You gotta get it down ASAP! I do that the whole way through, as generally I’ll be thinking of scenes I’m stuck on and then it’ll just come to me and I’ll quickly jot it down.

The next thing -- or what I do in the meantime -- is start structuring. I plan. I try to plan a lot. Sometimes it’s okay to write “and something happens here to get them here”, because you’ll figure it out later, but for the most part I’ve discovered that planning is like gold and you can’t get enough of it. I break my work up into generally 3-4 parts/sections, and I treat each section like a mini story. So each part needs a conflict and resolution, and it needs to flow into the next section. You need to have a feeling of things evolving and maturing. Once I’ve planned those little bits, I start thinking about the bigger plot arc and how I can drop in hints along the way. I’m probably not a subtle or skilled enough writer to yet pull off that sort of gasping twist you get in really excellent books, but I’m trying to get there. It’s hard, is what I’m trying to say, but that’s okay, because we’re all learning.

Then I generally do aesthetic stuff. Sounds stupid, probably. But nothing helps me get more into a mood than doing a Pinterest board or -- most of all -- making a Spotify mix. I start thinking about the vibe and the general atmosphere, and then I almost exclusively listen to that mix when I’m working. Sort of like muscle memory? Just to get the creative juices associated with that particular selection of songs.

Another thing I’ll do along with plot structure is character structure. This is a biggie. I mean, a story is nothing without characters. So I’ll just jot down a bunch of bullet points of characters and particular aspects that I want to highlight or remember. I hate continuity errors in fiction. Like, if someone says they work on Maple Street but later in the fic they’re working on Pine Street. I hate that. So I keep note of specific things that my main character might notice at repeated points in the story (colours, places, smells, names, sounds -- so they’re all consistent even as the narrative evolves). That’s another thing -- your characters’ motivations. Not everyone is going to be a huge player, but they all do serve a purpose. The most important character is obviously your main character. I personally think it’s important to let your M.C. be an arse at times. They’re going to be mean, they’re going to misinterpret things or fly off the handle... just let ‘em. Let them be wretched humans, and then bring them back and make them realise what they’ve done. Let them learn! I love consequences in fiction, lol.

At the same time, I’ll probably start writing. We’ve already written down some snippets of neat dialogue or descriptions, but now we should start the actual process. For me, I used to start at the beginning. Usually this was the most fleshed out anyway: I’ll have a clear idea of the beginning and the end, but nothing in the middle. These days, if I have a scene in mind that I can’t forget, I’ll just write it. It will possibly get scrapped or rewritten, but that’s okay, because at least you’ve got it down and now you can devote your brain power to something useful (like figuring out what the middle is supposed to be). I’ll have half a dozen of totally out of context scenes just littered in my Word document that I’ll add to as I go along. Eventually, though, you’re going to start writing properly, and that’s when you write your opening scene.

Opening scenes: super important. Every time I write a scene I think: what is the point of this? What do I want the reader to learn or takeaway? Sometimes you do have filler scenes, but they also serve a different purpose (perhaps to establish a group dynamic or to explore/describe a character’s surroundings). Mainly, though, every scene should push something forward in some way, whether it’s character development or a plot point. So, with an opening scene, I always think you have to establish: where you are; who you are; what they are doing; where they’ve come from (in a philosophical and practical sense); and where they’re going (ditto). That doesn’t have to happen in the first paragraph -- that would be silly. But if you sprinkle that information in over time it’ll gradually build up a picture of your character and that way the reader can get an idea of who they are. You basically need to give a snapshot of what your story is about. This also goes back to the character creator stuff: where they are at the start should be different to where they end up. How that happens is, of course, because of plot, and because you’ve structured everything to the nth degree, we’ve got a very clear progression of that character’s growth (/s easier said than done lol).

General advice

Write down everything: every idea, a bit of dialogue, a description, whatever. Write it down. Doesn’t have to be neat. Just has to be on paper. You can’t remember everything, so if you’re spending time trying to hold those things in your head, it’s taking up space for new ideas to come along.

Structure, plan, structure, plan. Sometimes it’s boring and I hate it. Other times, when I’ve not written in a few days and I open the Word doc and think wtf is this supposed to be, I am very grateful for Past Me for leaving such detailed notes. Seriously, it helps so much. Oneshots don’t really need planning, in my experience. You just get those out there. But multi-chaptered stories really do, even ones that “just” focus on a relationship.

Whatever you want to write, commit to it. Space goblins invade Hawkins? Do it. Eleven and Max find themselves in a cult akin to Midsommar (2019) and must escape? Yes. Just... whatever you want to do, remember that you’re writing it for you. Write what most interests you, what makes you when you reread it go AHHHHH I LOVE THIS!! Because that makes it a thousand times easier to actually get on with the writing when you enjoy what you’re doing.

Write a lot. Every day, if you can, or at least at designated times. Occasionally I have a very specific headspace/vibe I have to be in, but sometimes it just hits me and I’ll say to my partner “I need to write now” and just disappear, lol. The more you write the more you write. It’s so, so, so true. Cannot emphasise this enough. When I wrote that ~200k in twelve months? It was because I literally wrote every. day. Or near enough. Remember that some days you’ll write 200 words, and other days you’ll write 20k (this happened to me with ADATS -- part of the reason I finished it so quickly was because I had sprints of writing 10k+ at a time that only happened because I was in the rhythm of it). Write, write, write. Who cares if it’s crap! No one will see it until you are ready. In the meantime, just write!

Probably last of all (although I could go on and on) is connect with other writers. If you’re struggling to start, sometimes just talking about it can help a huge amount. I hope it goes without saying that you can message me whenever you want, anon or not, and I will talk to you. We can talk about ideas or I can beta stuff, whatever you want! Find like-minded people and talk to them about what you want to do. Another thing this helps is in advertising your work when you do publish. I see a lot of first time fic writers get super down because they publish their magnum opus on AO3 but no one comments. Honestly, it’s because no one knows you’ve published! You don’t have to be tooting your own horn every which way, but just actively talking about your work and even collaborating with other content creators with get you hyped and other people too (and the input and encouragement other fandom members give is just... out of this world. Anon messages helped me finish ADATS when I was really worried I wouldn’t [that’s the truth]. Seriously, support is everything). When you have people excited about your work, you get excited. It’s really as simple as that.

I could go on but this is already horrendously long. I hope even a bit of this helps! If you want to chat or have any more questions, just hit me up any time.

[mysimsloveaffair]

the “without fail” writing tag | by gilded-ghosts

rules: List five things that you, WITHOUT FAIL,  weave into or explore in your stories, whether it be specific themes or  tropes, character archetypes, allusions to other literary works, what have you! It really can be anything that you consistently include in your narratives for whatever reason. Then invite others to share theirs by tagging them!

@storiesbyjes2g, @capricornsim and @therichantsim, three incredibly talented writers tagged me for this. Thanks so much! Here goes...

1. Amazing Dads - I love to write amazing dads into my stories. Especially black dads, because, let's be honest - they tend to catch some flack in RL media. I've only ever been surrounded by incredible dads so I tend to navigate towards writing them. By the way, deadbeats come in all colors and races (and moms can be deadbeats, too), so when I do stray from the amazing dad model, color or race is not a deciding factor.

2. Flawed Characters - My characters mess up a lot. If you read my posts long enough, you will get upset at something that my characters do. I purposely give them at least one "negative" trait when I can, which allows me to explore the sometimes "ugly" side of being human (or, in this case, being a sim). 

3. Blunt Characters - I'm such a reserved, nonconfrontational person that I tend to write characters, particularly women, who are the exact opposite. I could never imagine saying or doing some of the things that my characters do and say, making it that much more fun to explore.

4. Character Growth - What's the point of writing a flawed character if they never show any growth? I'm big on growth and development because no one stays the same throughout their entire life. Circumstances, relationships, trials, and tribulations all work together to shape and mold characters. 

5. Generational Themes - Legacies are my favorite things to write because of the generational theme possibilities. Things that occur during one generation has consequences for the next generation and so on. It's fun once I get to the fifth or sixth generation, and I can look at how things got to be the way they are. 

6. Unplanned pregnancies (honorable mention) - I write legacies and a legacy requires a baby. If I don’t have time to go through the whole dating, engagement and marriage timeline, then surprise! We get a unplanned baby. (Actually, now that I think about it...have I ever actually planned a pregnancy in any of my stories? 🤣) 

I tag @treason-and-plot, @igglemouse, @alittledaylight and @anotherplumbob

[first-and-last-neocount]

Whumptober Day 6

While still falling under the definition of whump, I intentionally aimed for something a little less soul-crushing this time, since I figured I would be evoking some Feels with that last one. XD 

This one isn’t directly tied to anything else, and it shouldn’t be so heart-wrenching; it’s just me projecting pandemic feels all over poor Damien, because I’m an introvert who isn’t physically affectionate with more than a handful of my closest friends anyway, but even I really felt it when we all had to go months on end without touching another human being. Not fun, dude. 

Day 6 - Theme Chosen: Touch starved

Theoretically, it should never have happened. With the way their journey had gone so far, when he thought about it, Damien was almost surprised it hadn't happened sooner.

Trapped aboard the God's Glory for months on end, isolated from the crew by their enduring wariness of the Hunter and his companions, unable to hasten their progress and weighed down by the growing fear of what would be waiting for them when they made landfall again, Damien was slowly driving himself insane. With every day that passed, the knot of frustration and dread pulled tighter in his gut. His temper shortened in response, and by now he had grown so tense and snappish that he couldn't even blame the crew's avoidance of him entirely on Tarrant; he knew he wasn't exactly great company anymore.

The death of the girl from the Eastern Continent had only worsened his already foul mood. The toxic mixture of guilt, resentment, and panic that had filled him upon realizing what her death meant – that he himself would have to go back to feeding his dark companion, at least until they made landfall in Faraday – still lingered, even though it had been two days since Sisa's suicide. He'd been given those two days as a grace period, time to mentally prepare himself as best he could, but the Hunter had given him clear warning; tonight, the nightmares would start again.

All of this meant that, when Damien laid down in his bunk that night, he was wound tighter than a springbolt at full draw. He had fully expected the turmoil in his mind to keep him up for hours, but with the forced inactivity of being at sea came a paradoxical lethargy, and he wasn't alone with his circling thoughts for more than an hour or so before he gradually sank into an uneasy slumber.

The dreams came almost at once.

Vivid as all the Hunter's carefully-woven nightmares were, Damien could feel the awful wrenching shudder that went through the ship as the hull ground onto the unforgiving rocks, hear the shattering of wood and the screech of metal as they collided with the outcropping of black stone that had been masked by the thick fog lying over the turbulent waves. Terror ran like acid through his veins as the deck tilted under his feet, the ship listing badly as water flooded through the gaping hole in the bow; he grasped the rail to keep himself upright, the screams of the crew ringing in his ears – but as he stared down into the churning black ocean, something sparked in the back of his mind.

The dark waves. Drowning. A girl.

Sisa.

His awareness that it was a dream blended with the hot spike of rage at the thought of another innocent life lost to the Hunter's insatiable hunger, and the scene around him shattered like glass. The deck was level again, the ocean calm; the stars glimmered down from a cloudless night sky, the ship deathly quiet and seemingly deserted around him.

You're resistant tonight.

The Hunter's voice slithered through his mind, soft and thoughtful, edged with hunger – and reality bent around him once more.

The village of the Terata. The hideous corruption that had lurked beneath its veneer of normalcy. The acid sting of desperation in the air as the villagers made their supplication to their sadistic god. The illusion of childhood's innocence, and the terrible reality that it hid -

But the sight of the children made Damien's thoughts turn to Jenseny, and the grief that rose up and choked him was so strong that it nearly brought him awake, a cry of pain catching in his throat as the image of the village dissolved around him. Tarrant's will wrapped around him and pulled him back under, an almost soothing tenor to the thread of fae that stroked his mind.

Too raw, still. Perhaps...

Another shift, then another. Scenes of terror from Damien's memories, or half-formed fears of the future, woven into shape by Tarrant's power. Every vista that presented itself, though, Damien fought against; though his awareness of what was happening was subsumed at the beginning of each dream, his mind rebelled continuously, breaking through to lucidity each time and shredding the delicate fabric of the nightmare in the process. As one dreamscape dissolved and reformed into another, there was a moment where Damien surfaced enough to actually feel a bit guilty; he'd agreed to this deal after all, once in the rakhlands and again after Sisa had killed herself, and he didn't even know why his mind refused to settle enough to be fully immersed in any of the scenarios Tarrant was weaving.

That moment stretched as he lingered in unformed darkness, as though the Hunter had hesitated. Finally, new scenery shimmered into being. Still caught in that state of half-awareness, Damien watched the dream come to life around him, willing himself to just let go and fall into it -

The chamber that formed around him was the throne room of the Undying Prince's citadel.

Nothing else had taken shape yet. There was no time for it. Before any figures could form, before a single sound had echoed through the room, Damien's mind spun out of control. The terror he'd felt, realizing that he was once again powerless before a mortal tyrant with the power of a sadistic demon backing them; the utter grief that had devastated him when he realized that Jenseny was gone; the gutting betrayal of believing that the Hunter had betrayed them; the sheer blinding fear, realizing that Tarrant had still been an ally after all, and that he might pay for that with his life before Damien could reach him -

Damien snapped awake violently, breathing so hard that his chest ached and the room spun violently around him, nausea thick in his throat and his skin drenched in ice-cold sweat. He sat bolt upright in his bunk, clenching fistfuls of his sheets with shaking hands as he stared blindly at the wall of his cabin, adrenaline still coursing through his veins.

Before he had even coaxed his breathing back to something resembling a normal rate, there was a firm but quiet knock at his door.

Damien let his head fall forward, biting out a soft curse under his breath. It didn't take much luck to guess who would be knocking at his door at this hour – he was fairly sure he hadn't actually cried out aloud when he'd catapulted himself back into wakefulness, which meant there was only one other person likely to even be awake right now.

“Come in,” he said hoarsely.

The door opened, then clicked shut again. Damien didn't look up, his gaze still fixed on the crumpled bedclothes he was gripping with white knuckles, but he didn't need to visually confirm the identity of his visitor; he could feel the shift in the air, that insidious chill that the Hunter wore like a shroud. Swallowing back the bile that still roiled in his throat, Damien beat back his pride enough to offer a quiet apology.

“Sorry. I didn't do that on purpose. I don't know why I couldn't just...”

“I could hazard a guess.”

Startled, Damien finally looked up. Tarrant had stopped only a couple feet away, and was leaning against the cabin wall with his arms folded across his chest, regarding Damien thoughtfully. Despite the lack of hostility, the Knight still shivered a little under the scrutiny of those cold silver eyes. Cocking an eyebrow questioningly, he stared back at the adept.

“Alright, then. Let's hear it.”

Of course, the Hunter couldn't simply state his theory. He studied Damien a moment longer, then murmured, “You haven't been sleeping well, have you? Even before tonight.”

Damien frowned at him. “Not particularly, no. Why?”

“You're unable to settle yourself. You've been sleeping poorly, your mind is in turmoil, and don't think I haven't noticed your shortness with the crew – or forgotten your outburst the other day.” Damien winced a little at the reminder of how he'd blown up at the Hunter immediately after Sisa's suicide, but there was no judgement in the adept's tone or expression, only contemplation. “You don't have any close connections to most of those aboard, and if you'll forgive me the observation, you don't have an... intimate companion, this time around.”

Damien was drawing a breath to snap at the Hunter that he didn't see how, exactly, his relationship with Raysa was any of the adept's damn business – when it abruptly clicked in his head, and he deflated, staring at the adept.

“You're blaming touch starvation.” The words came out flat, more statement than question but tinged with disbelief. When Tarrant inclined his head slightly, Damien huffed out a humourless chuckle. “You can't be serious.”

“Why not?” Tarrant asked coolly, his gaze still locked on Damien, piercing and assessing. “It's a scientifically documented phenomenon. We've been at sea for months, and I doubt you've had more contact than accidentally brushing arms with one of the crew since we set sail. The common symptoms are irritability, anxiety, and depression. It strikes me as an entirely likely explanation.”

“Fine, then what the hell do you suggest I do about it?” Damien snapped, hating himself as he did so, because his fuse had never been so short and by the look on Tarrant's face he knew it too. “In case you failed to notice or give a damn, Rasya's dead, and I don't exactly have a long lineup of friends at hand to hug it out with. I guess you're just going to have to work a bit harder for your dinner.”

Tarrant's face had gone utterly blank for a moment at the mention of Rasya's name, and for a split second Damien wondered almost hysterically if he actually had forgotten – but the horrified thought was cut off when the adept said, in a tone as bland as one might use to discuss the weather, “There's another option.”

Damien stared at him for a moment. Tarrant gazed back, unruffled. Finally, the Knight said slowly, “Now I know you're definitely just messing with my head. You're not suggesting what it sounds like you're suggesting.”

“No need to look quite so scandalized, Vryce, I'm hardly propositioning you,” Tarrant said dryly, his tone infuriatingly amused. “You're correct, however, that skin contact is the only cure and your options in that department are limited. If you'd like, I certainly could continue mentally assaulting you for sustenance – you were undeniably producing enough terror and distress earlier, though I suspect you'll find that sort of feeding even more exhausting that the usual method, and I'll have to draw from you more frequently to compensate for the additional effort I'm expending.” He watched Damien pale, then quirked one fair eyebrow up, mouth twisting into a rare, wry grin. “Or, you could budge over a few inches.”

Damien hesitated for a moment longer; then, he groaned and shuffled himself sideways, pressing closer to the wall and leaving the outer edge of the bunk free.

“I hate you,” he announced flatly, watching the adept prowl gracefully across the small cabin toward him.

“Your feelings have been noted, Reverend.” In a few smooth movements Tarrant had kicked off his boots, slid his long frame elegantly onto the bunk, and reached out; caught completely off guard by the manhandling, Damien let himself be tugged almost effortlessly down and arranged to the Hunter's liking. He found himself facing the wall, a lean form pressed close against his back and one of the adept's arms a cool weight draped across his side. “Now get some sleep.”

A thousand replies crowded to the front of Damien's mind, but sheer confusion stayed his tongue from a sharp retort. As the initial shock faded, he realized how incredibly comfortable he actually was. He had certainly missed the weight of another body in bed with him over the last months; he had rarely slept alone since reaching adulthood, since he had almost continuously been in a relationship of one degree of seriousness or another and had always been the type to stay the night. He usually slept by himself only when he was travelling, and that had never been for as long a stretch of time as this voyage. Finding himself as the proverbial little spoon was considerably more novel, Damien's senses jangling a bit at the strangeness of being the one held instead of the one holding another – but as his instincts accepted that he was not in fact in any danger and relaxed, he found himself almost unwilling comforted. He could feel the Hunter breathing steadily against his back, and the deceptively human sensation unwound tension in his shoulders that Damien hadn't even known he had been carrying. Even though the adept's body was considerably cooler than a mortal human's would have been, he was still there, and Damien could feel his own skin tingling with a kind of sensory euphoria everywhere that the Hunter's weight rested against him.

Maybe there was something to the touch starvation theory after all, as much as it pained him to admit it.

The window to reply to the Hunter's comment slipped away, and Damien said nothing, just shifted and settled his head a little more comfortably onto the pillow. Tarrant's arm tightened a bit further around his waist, an undeniably grounding pressure, and Damien sighed without meaning to as a tiny panicked voice that had been babbling in the back of his mind for weeks went abruptly, blissfully quiet. He was far from ready to say that this had been a good idea, but he supposed it wouldn't hurt to stay this way for a few minutes, let Tarrant think that he'd at least given it a fair shot before he kicked the adept the hell out of his bunk...

Between one breath and the next, Damien fell asleep.