#I don't know where to begin

[foodsies4me]

I really like your bolos series! Though, each chapter I wonder ‘is this when the trainees come in and hijack the story’ so that’s a new development. Never had that thought before when reading a fic😂

Anyway, I’m really enjoying the story so far and getting already attached to Alec’s new gaggle of children and your other OCs

Could you say something about the setting/worldbuilding? Is it the same as your Golden series? In terms of Alec’s standing with other institutes and the clave and how things are with the downworld and things like that (Don’t feel pressured to answer!)

I am delighted to hear that thought crosses your mind. No the trainees aren't at the hijacking the fic point quite yet, though the rookies sure are doing their best to pick up the slack, but they'll get there. And when they do, the poor inhabitants of the Spiral Labyrinth won't know what hit them.😂

I am sorry for the long ramble that's going to come your way, but talking about worldbuilding is something that puts me straight into infodump mode.

The worldbuilding is slightly different between Bolos/Bridges and the Golden series (that is getting another spinoff because of a particular someone who knows who they are). Alec is only an Acting Head at the moment though that's going to change because the Clave aren't the only ones that can be scheming in the background, whereas in the Golden series, he becomes the HOTI pretty early in the fic. Standing wise, Alec has earned himself a LOT of brownie points/respect in the eyes of those present during the meeting with Magnus. So, he's got a pretty good standing at the moment with several institute heads, which will help later in the story.

The Mumbai incident is still a thing that happened, though, so maybe not brownie points everywhere. Also, that means that the backstory for Arjun getting to the institute is still the same. Then again, the backstory for most trainees - not that any of it has really been given - is mostly the same between Bridges/Bolos and the Golden series. The only exception I can think of is Max, who didn't have his traumatic near-death experience after Maryse and Robert failed at being parents again.

The situation with the downworld is completely different from the Golden series. Without giving away too much, there is a reason Magnus is acting the way he is, and as you can guess the Clave/shadowhunters are mostly to blame for it. The dynamic with the Elders is also different given that a lot of downworlders live in the Spiral Labyrinth at the moment and the warlocks don't want to simply rule over the others, so to speak. Also, Magnus' dynamic with the rest of the downworld is very different for reasons already mentioned in passing but will be mentioned in more detail in later chapters. But yeah, Magnus is a far bigger deal in this fic than he is in the Golden series, even with him being one of the Elders in the Golden series.

Some of the worldbuilding when it comes to the cultural aspect is similar. The different names and forms of address still play a role (and one day I will get to writing down the Nephilim naming thing in a chapter without the muse deciding to throw it out in favor of something else). The greetings are different though! As are the marriage traditions, outside of the gold for shadowhunters and blue for warlocks. Also, the family oath that Alec used isn't a thing in the Golden series.

The dynamic at the institute is slightly different as well. Alec's shadowhunters still respect him, but he's not as close with some of his fellow shadowhunters as he is in the Golden series because the "let's ridicule the latest bigot, who decides to be awful"-punishment isn't a thing. And, nothing to build a good rapport with your shadowhunters than to have them watch as you kick an asshole's ass while you're wearing a ridiculous outfit.

I ended up rambling a bit more than anticipated, oops. But yeah, these are some of the differences/similarities between both verses.

#foodsies rambles #foodsies writes #thank you for asking #I have so much worldbuilding for both fics #I don't know where to begin #also the spiral labyrinth is different #but that's all I'm saying #because spoilers

[impishtubist]

OKAY I HAVE FINISHED THE TEMERAIRE BOOKS, WHO WANTS TO COME LEAVE SOME PROMPTS IN MY INBOX?

#temeraire #william laurence #tenzing tharkay #john granby #my head is spinning with so many half-formed ideas #i don't know where to begin #i would die for tharkay #and i am a multishipper at heart

[hostiae]

do you ever look at all of your drafts/asks and get so hype to answer things that you just stare bc you don't know where to start? bc this is me.

#ooc. // #I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN #bc i want to write EVERYTHING #i always let things get out of control

[visual-explorxtion]

Geez, I wonder why...

#i don't know where to begin #resident evil

[linusbenjamin]

just seen spiderman across the spider verse. truly magnificent, phenomenal, amazing, incredible, speechles.

#spoilers ahead! #i don't know where to begin #first i cried a lot. it was more emotional than the first one. #it was really fast. i don't think i even blinked once from start to finish. #but i lost it when i saw andrew's spiderman and the whole speech during that scene. i certainly wasn't expecting that 😭 #it deserves a 10 from imdb. #spider man: across the spider verse #about

[becausethathappens]

this is why i drive.

#i don't know where to begin #hot idiots #four ring circus #when link looks at the monitor you know things are off the rails #.mp4

[jensenknowsdeanbetterthanyou]

For the next three months I am going to be reblogging Jensen content from the last week and there’ll still likely be 100+ posts in my drafts...

me handling all the content right now....

#like wtf #jensen ackles #i love it but also c'mon give us a break here #i don't know where to begin

[fleshadept]

looking at (vetted) gofundmes for people trying to escape palestine and i don't know how many of you actually click on the gofundme links you reblog but i would like to point out, for what it's worth, just how amazing it is that so many have raised so much money. it may overall feel like a drop in the ocean but the fact that several gofundmes have raised tens of thousands of dollars is amazing. it is so expensive to leave gaza right now, and people still need money after they escape. but regardless of what propaganda the US, UK, canada, and other western nations are trying to pump out, people across the world are doing what they can to help these people survive. many of them are still very far from their goals (like this one and this one and this one) and some of them are very close to high goals (like this one), and some of them have reached almost double their original goal.

and that's not even addressing direct aid or organizations that take continuous donations for distribution of food, menstrual products, etc. the PCRF has raised $16,000,000 of their target goal of $20,000,000 to fund current aid and long-term relief efforts in gaza. ANERA's febuary 13th update discusses the material ways they helped palestinians today:

(ANERA donate link)

my point is, it often feels like the world is turning a blind eye to palestine. but i would like to point out that there is an important difference between "the world" and "western political leaders and media narratives". a breathtaking amount of real people, the people who make up the world, are trying to help. in the face of israel attempting to commit genocide, the world is saying No. These people deserve to live. and literally sending millions of dollars internationally, through the internet connection that israel has desperately been trying to destroy.

it may not feel like it matters in the grand scheme of things. but to the people who get fresh clothes, or a hot meal, or blankets, or the kids who get new toys, or to the people who are able to bring their families to safety, it matters to them. go make someone's day better. i've linked so many options with ways to do that.

#free palestine #cricket chirps #palestine #gaza #if you feel overwhelmed and don't know where to begin #i recommend deciding on a total amount of money to donate (e.g. $20 $100 etc) #and deciding you will either donate it all in one place or split it between a few places #do what you can!!! it will always be helpful no matter how little #1k #5k #10k #20k

[uncanny-tranny]

I recall saying this before, but it bears repeating:

There could be a billion trans people in the world and it still wouldn't be a bad thing because being trans is not a bad thing. Even if the rate of people discovering they are trans is "disproportionate" to trends from decades ago, that is not a bad thing. In fact, it's a natural consequence for there being more trans people being able to stay alive, and, overall, being able to live in a slightly more tolerant world. You'd only see that as a bad thing if you actively didn't want trans people to either live or live a life that facilitates wellness.

#trans #transgender #lgbt #lgbtq #ftm #mtf #nonbinary #like even with there being more OPEN AND OUT trans people there are still more cis people by volume #even in my high school with three trans girls and three trans guys (including me) and a few NB people... #...there were still a THOUSAND cis kids going to school with us. imagine complaining when cis people are still 'dominant' #i don't know what my secondary school's population is because it's a big campus so you can deal with high school stats lol #like thank gd we are beginning to live in a world where the trans population CAN grow #i want there to be more trans people. because trans people will continue to be trans #we will continue being trans no matter what laws you put into place. no matter how dangerous you make the world for us... #...we will continue to be trans whether or not you approve. and that's fucking beautiful. i want us to live. i want us to eat well. #i want us to not worry about anything in this world. and that's going to happen one day. it will happen just like the sun rises each morning #if that is a threat to you then that is your own fault - your own self-destructive and sad thoughts about people and our world #and that is not my burden to carry - i have my own.

[theminecraftbee]

also you know what while we're at it. went back to get a clip of. bdubs briefly seriously thinking scar was going to send cleo pictures of his chest irl. for some reason,

#hermitcraft #bdoubleo100 #goodtimeswithscar #zombiecleo #suggestive #GOD THERE ARE. SO MANY GOOD CLIPS FROM THIS STREAM #I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN. i love the clockers what is wrong with them.

[carlyraejepsans]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

#THERE'S SO MUCH STUFF I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN #BUT THE OUTFITS. FUCK #WHY ARE THERE RED HEARTS COMING OUT OF ALL OF THEM #THE CUSTOM 404 PAGE NOT FOUND FOR DESS #THE SHADOW SAX GUY IN THE SHOWER #YOU JUST GOT LANCERED #THE WEATHER GUYS #ICE-E CREEPYPASTA #HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK #deltarune #deltarune spoilers #kris #susie #ralsei

[ladykeyleth]

my unsuspecting friend: so what's critical role about

me: it's an improv D&D show centered in collaborative storytelling, with complex multi-layered characters in a rich fantasy setting

critical role:

#I don't even know where to begin honestly I just #critical role #mal rambles

[front-facing-pokemon]

#chespin #AND THUS‚ WE BEGIN THE SIXTH GENERATION!!! #now. this is one of my all-time faves because this was my psmd partner. and we all know how everyone feels about psmd #how i. feel about psmd. correct #also that one ASMR video that the japanese pokémon kids tv channel posted with chespin is like absolutely prime #if you don't know about the fact that the pokémon company japan made canon pokémon ASMR‚ then this is your reminder #that they did indeed do that. they did a chespin mukbang. i think if you just google chespin mukbang you'll probably find it #it was called like “chespin happy snack time” or some shit i think. they also did one for charmander where it's sitting by a campfire #go look 'em up they're cute

[canisalbus]

hi i ride motorcycle year round and wanted to chime in. for vasco's small around-town trips he'd probably be fine with his ears free, but for longer trips at higher speeds or when its cold out he'd want them protected. probably by tucking them under his chin into the collar of a jacket and then putting a scarf or bandana on. also goggles would be helpful if a full helmet wasn't wanted. since they're in europe and around italy specifically he could have a nice ducati (fast rockety sport bikes) or a cafe racer (much more like a motorized bicycle but they can still have a lot of power) a cafe racer would offer a lot of seat space for machete to be thoroughly uncomfortable in lol

i love your ocs they're great thanks for all the cool art :)

.

#oh that's really good practical advice actually! I've never riden a motorcycle so I wouldn't even know where to begin #the ears tucked under the jacket collar is a smart way to go about it #having hard time choosing a bike for him there's too many options #it looks like lots of ducatis have a very sleek and sporty vibe to them #loving the bright colors and the shapely design #cafe racers on the other hand come across as iconic looking to me and could potentially have a sort of vintage aura which I personally like #and the flat topline (I'm sorry I don't possess the right vocabulary for these things) that some of them have is visually pleasing #they'd be a nightmare to draw though since the frame is a lot less covered and there's a ton of complex mechanical detail in the midsection #bike viscera if you will #I don't know but it's fun to think about #thank you for chiming in! this was genuinely helpful #answered #anonymous #modern au

[mewtwo24]

I finally finished reading the fourth volume of svsss in full, and thing is--the first time through I only read the bingqiu content because I was ravenous for more of their happy ending.

Turns out that was a perilous mistake.

Because I started reading the airplane extras. And I swear to god. MXTX is trying to kill me

What do you MEAN demon lord Binghe was sitting on his big fucking throne. All stoic and forbidding. Surrounded by his demon generals who don't know shit about human courtship. Asking them what he should do, fully demoralized by constant rejections from sqq, only to have airplane tell him to act more pathetic and needy. Which is already hysterically funny and insane, UNTIL LBH'S RESPONSE IS THIS, KILLING ME INSTANTLY:

LUO BINGHE. WHY DOES HE SAY IT LIKE: "I already tried that, didn't work--nothing works :/ not mean, not maidenly, not housewife, not spicy, not capable disciple. Is doubling down on clingy really all it will take? What's a born hater with only one love in his life to do????"

The dichotomy of him sitting there like 'how can I reach the unfathomable depths of shizun's heart?' A HEART HE'S ALREADY WON OVER, MIND and then in the Holy Mausoleum solving the puzzle without blinking and being like 'oh yeah you just have to hit the acupoints, no sweat.' Literally the comedy writes itself I'm so--

How am I supposed to be normal about this. MXTX understands the juicy quintessential queer joy of a person with the world's power at their fingertips wishing only for love. Willing to do anything to earn that love, when unbeknownst to them it's already been freely given. Totally not screaming and yelling and clawing at the walls

And that's not even touching airplane's uproarious account of events. The way he's like 'lol what's next, lbh and sqq are best friends now? smfh' only to see lbh TACKLE SQQ LOVINGLY. FOR SQQ TO BE BASHFUL ABOUT IT BUT SO SO FOND OF THE LITTLE SCAMP. This when we've been experiencing sqq's constant inner monologue of 'I'm so cool and so dignified about my role, truly the epitome of propriety and poser-level fortitude.' Meanwhile, in their universe:

Airplane constantly flaming???? Sqq and lbh in his observations????? His absolute bewilderment and confusion????? Legendary. No notes every single second of this shit was hilarious.

Airplane's comment that sqq + older adolescent lbh traveling together was just watching a couple in their honeymoon phase. OR the fact that lbh is exceedingly petty and refuses to share their food in the wake of airplane's interruption of their time together, until sqq relents sheepishly and insists airplane eat what's left (ONLY AFTER PLACATING LBH WITH MORE FOOD FROM HIS PLATE, SOBBING)

Watching airplane salivate over Mobei-Jun and acting like that's totally normal behavior. Finding out mbj and airplane got together first. Finding out sqq encouraged airplane. LIKE THIS. WHILE HE IS STILL IN DENIAL ABOUT HIS OWN FEELINGS:

Mobei-jun clearly thinking their arrangement is a forever thing, heartbroken his human abandoned him with all the hapless fury of a scorned wife swept away by false promises of fidelity. Airplane writing demons to be the type to beat up their crush lovingly and still unable to connect the dots about mbj's feelings. Mbj letting him go and respecting his wishes, only relenting when there's indication airplane was poorly processing his own feelings and didn't actually want to leave. Mbj caring for him and listening to him as soon as airplane voices what he needs directly and with clarity. None of these gays are functional and it's everything to me

Unrelated, but I physically can't hold this information in anymore:

I'm still reeling from younger lbh having his sexual awakening from the image of sqq wrapped in the immortal binding cables. Condemn me as you like he was so, so real for that.

And no I will not be taking any comments about how luo bingge couldn't bear to see luo binghe cherished in ways he never got to have and all the haunting implications of that. I will also not be taking any comments about luo binghe's instinct to look for sqq in that alternate universe, only to be shaken to the very core to be unable to find his shizun anywhere. The unspeakable and latent horror of his relentless mind likely piecing together what happened, but unable to say it; to suspect what is true, and live with the harrowing confusion of his double's actions. To blame himself, to assume that he had let his anger get the better of him in that world and result in unspeakable folly...

I also refuse to talk about how heartrending it is to hear Tianlang-jun weakly say "In the end, I really can't bring myself to hate humans." The implication that the foolishness of that hope and bright-eyed fondness--the very thing that put him through such unspeakable agony--couldn't be beaten out of him entirely. To discover that his faith in Su Xiyan hadn't been misplaced, to the contrary: his beloved hadn't scorned him at all, but rather fought to the miserable end to protect the fruition of their genuine feelings of love when she couldn't protect tlj or herself.

How MXTX has sqq deliberately draw parallels between their situation and that of ygy+sj and tlj+sx; desperately wishing it might not be too late for them. The concept of breaking cycles of abuse and harm pervasive throughout the newly devised story, how it evolves for the better only when love takes the place of power, pride, and domination. How the moment sqq chooses vulnerability instead of saving face, the genre shifts to the so-called "cringe" girly genre where most if not every character is more fulfilled, more true to themselves. How the "male-oriented" former genre was aimlessly sensationalized and sexualized, how it was a sustained performance of aspirational toxic masculinity. How men objectify other men without end. All of the unspoken gendered implications that come with that.

Anyways. Going to go put my head in a sandbox and try to process everything I just witnessed because even a second reading is not enough to find a modicum of closure.

#svsss #bingqiu #moshang #i swear to god this series is just 'gay man who doesn't know shit inflicting his delusional reality on everyone else and inciting chaos' #and literally it's slapstick levels of hilarious every single time; mxtx never change #also i fully agree that we did not get NEARLY enough mobei-jun and sqh/airplane content #the amount of mental illness to mental illness communication going on there was astonishing #mobei-jun being afraid of his uncle and bringing sqh because that's the only person he trusts fully (WAILING NOISES) #sqh having a tantrum but running away because for the first time he was honest about his needs + his dissatisfaction with catering to other #how that reflects his narrative compulsions and how he felt forced to warp more creative story paths for the sake of survival as a writer #how sqq's restoration of much of his original intent--as well as mobei-jun's acceptance of his needs--helps airplane begin to heal #how his happiness begins; how just like sqq he wanders in such confusion and denial before he's forced to realize what truly matters to him #SHREK VOICE: STORIES HAVE. L A Y E R S #it feels like modern day shakespeare and when i say that i don't mean it in a hollow elevating sense i mean it more like #mxtx just hits that perfect balance of poignance but also hilarious concentric circles of botched communication and brainworms #okay but real talk for a minute? .........;-; #the way lbh constantly struggles with such a crushing feeling that he'll be abandoned over any little mishap/thing/problem #really hit me where it hurts??? if only because its so clearly an anxiety that stems from original goods' upbringing #the way it becomes even more heartrending when you think back to all the sect leaders clamoring that he should have been killed as an infan #that he should have been aborted as a fetus--insisting right in front of him that his birth was a mistake and a disgrace #over having demon blood in his veins. like my god that scene is so viscerally upsetting i struggle to read it #the way its so easy to see the demons as a manifestation of otherness in precipitated form #how both sqq and sqh are influenced by human rhetoric without evening meaning to--assuming the worst against their better judgment #how both sqq and sqh both struggle with their own otherness in different ways and only find solace when they begin to accept who they are #how their lovers (lbh and mbj respectively) both are willing to navigate those confusing waters with them #how both demons love them as they are--accept them as they are despite how difficult forgiveness of perceived betrayal is for them #ty mxtx for changing my brain chemistry #as i get older i have such a fondness for the messiness of thematic queer self-discovery and growth into self-acceptance #that and how youth can so easily be defined by perfectionistic self-harm and the violence of repression

[no-brain-just-akutagawa]

and the Oscar goes to...!

[ID: An edited two-panel meme. In the top picture Fedya has tears in his eyes and is visible shocked. The text reads "Oh no!". In the bottom picture Fedya is smiling. The text reads "Anyway". End ID]

#what is going on?? #bsd #bsd memes #bungou stray dogs #bsd spoilers #bungou stray dogs spoilers #bsd fedya #bsd original #posts with ids #I'm so lost #I have multiple meme ideas and don't even know where to begin #I need the translation #yes this is a promise that you'll get more memes (I plan at least two more) but I want context first