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ace-of-clubs-and-diamonds · 1 year

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Heyyyyy first fic of 2023! I haven’t written anything substantial in a few months, so I figured, why not write something super self-indulgent to get back into the swing of things? I don’t see Sandie from Last Night in Soho getting much attention. But I love her. So this happened!

I wrote this for myself and that shows in the reader’s behavior, but of course anyone can read this. For those of you who do, I hope you enjoy! Let’s go.

Perfect Stranger

AO3 Link: Here

Pairing: Sandie Collins x GN Reader

Rating: SFW

Word count: 4,473

Content warnings: Alcohol consumption, some overstimulation (not the sexy kind), angst, fluff, making out, Reader is an anxious emotional mess because so am I

The club was blisteringly, overwhelmingly alive. An assault on every sense at once.

Jazzy music blared throughout the club, half-drowning out the loud chatter and shrill laughter of the other patrons. The sounds of glasses clinking and shoes tapping against the floor as people danced somehow managed to pierce through the noise and straight to your ringing eardrums. It was warm. Unbearably warm from the heat of crowded, moving bodies. There was already a fine sheen of sweat coating your skin and sticking to your clothes. You shifted uncomfortably in your seat and slid your hands against the cold exterior of your glass.

The cheer and raucousness was infectious, spreading from person to person like a disease of laughter and mirth.

But you remained untouched.

If anything, the joyous crowd only made you feel more alone.

You took a sip of your drink. It was still blessedly cool.

That was something, at least.

A nearby woman cackled with laughter at something her companion said. Someone grazed your back as they passed. You went stiff. Everything was vibrating inside of you. Your skin was too tight, too close, every little sensation was making it shrink further, making it harder to breathe.

Why did you even agree to come here in the first place?

Your friends probably wouldn’t notice if you left anyway. Sure, they were the ones who’d convinced you to dress in your best clothes and tag along. But they’d disappeared to dance with some pretty strangers a while ago. You hadn’t seen them since.

Had they forgotten about you?

The thought that made your heart dip.

They couldn’t have… could they?

Wait a little longer. See if they come back. They probably hadn’t forgotten you, they were just a bit occupied and had lost track of time having fun. Surely. Surely you could wait a little longer. Sit here and listen to the music and people and laughter and the squeak of shoes and rustle of beads and clicking of ice against glass and… the feel of your clothes sticking to your body as you roasted like a turkey… and tried very hard not to focus on the pounding in your head…

Your chest felt too small for your lungs.

“A tequila sunrise please.” The polished voice came from your left, and it came from startlingly close as an arm brushed your side.

You jerked at the sudden contact. The air left your body as every nerve jittered and screeched. With every noise and texture and bright light and melancholy thought ringing through your head, the words formed instant and bitter on your tongue – “Do you FUCKING mind? Can’t a bitch get some personal fucking space here?”

You snapped your head towards the patron next to you.

And immediately snapped it back shut. The words died on your tongue.

The most ethereal woman you had ever seen stared back at you. All sharp cheekbones and big brown doe eyes and blonde hair styled in a perfect up-do. Her dress was made of crimson beading that swayed and glittered with every movement, with a deep red lipstick to match. Even just the way she held herself was so inhumanly graceful. Even just raising a hand to brush a strand of hair out of the way, even just shifting her gaze to meet yours, was done with a wraithlike poise and grace.

You blinked at her.

“Sorry about that,” she said smoothly. She said it with such slick ease that coming from anyone else, it would’ve felt fake. But the look on her face was so openly sincere, you couldn’t help but believe her.

The blistering frustration quickly shriveled into nothing. Instead, a tinge of shame blossomed in your chest for getting so furious at a stranger over something so small.

“Nono, it’s fine, it’s totally fine,” you quickly assured her. You barely stopped yourself from apologizing to her instead. I’m sorry I’m such a bitch. My friends left me to go dance and probably fuck with strangers, and I wasn’t expected to run into YOU. I’m feeling deeply inadequate and lonely right now. Please don’t mind me.

She arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow at you. And looked at you – really looked at you – in a way that made you feel like a bug pinned to a board.

The shame rose.

“Sorry, I…” You trailed off. You weren’t even sure what you wanted to say.

Silence fell between you two.

She was a stranger to you. You were a stranger to her. You were two perfectly random strangers who had happened to bump into each other on a Friday night in a club that was practically busting at the seams with people. It did not matter that your skin felt too tight for your body. It did not matter that your chest was too tight for your lungs. It did not matter that you felt deeply, terrifyingly alone in that very moment. It did not matter that you felt inexplicably drawn to her, as if she was a lifeline cast out into the sea of people.

She was a complete stranger.

She had no obligation towards you.

Was a pretty face all it took to make your head spin? Really? Were you that desperate?

“Here you go, Miss.” The bartender slid the bright orange drink across the counter towards her. She grabbed it with nimble fingers, shot him a half-smirk and a “Thanks”, and made to move away.

Your heart hollowed. Faced with the utter loneliness in the blistering hell of the club, you squeezed your eyes shut and drew in a shaky breath. This was a mistake this was such a fucking mistake –

“Sandie.”

You startled, head snapping up to meet her gaze. She was, again, unexpectedly close to you. And, again, staring at you with an almost unnerving intensity.

Your mind whirled. “Huh?”

“Sandie,” she repeated. “My name is Sandie.”

She was talking to you. She had sat down next to you. She seemed intent on engaging you. A stranger.

Her name was Sandie.

You managed to get your own name out. She tilted her head slightly, thoughtfully, before taking a sip of her drink and speaking again.

“So.” Sandie propped her head against her hand, a casual gesture rendered oddly graceful. “What brings you to the café?”

“Um.” You fiddled with your drink as you tried to sort out your own thoughts. Relief and confusion warred inside of you. Your isolation had been so sharp that you’d internally begged her to stay, to take an interest in you. And now that she had… you couldn’t help but wonder why. Why you, of all people? “Well. My friends wanted to come here. And they convinced me to come too. Uh. They wanted to let loose and have some fun. I mean, it is a Friday night, after all. Perfect time for it, right?”

“Everyone else certainly seems to think so.” She cast a critical eye towards the dancing and laughing crowd, releasing you from her intensity for just a moment. You drew in a shaky, nervous breath.. Then she turned back to you, pinning you again. “So where are your friends?”

Ah. Yeah.

That.

You swallowed past the little lump that had formed in your throat. “They’re…” They were out doing God knows what with a bunch of strangers after tossing you away at the first convenience. As if you were nothing more than a candy wrapper, a formality. “They’re somewhere. Dancing. Probably.”

You twisted around, scanning the crowd for their faces or a flash of a familiar color. Surely, they were somewhere…

…How long had you been sitting here?

“Ahhh.”

You turned back to her, frowning. “What?” She had a knowing look on her face all of a sudden.

She took another delicate sip from her drink. How did she manage to make every little motion and gesture look so effortlessly graceful?

“Let me guess. They’re off pursuing boys and left you here all alone.”

You flinched. Well, when she said it aloud like that…

It really was quite sad and pathetic, wasn’t it? You could see the pity shining in her eyes. It grated against something inside of you.

What did you even want at this point?

You tore your gaze from her. There were too many emotions broiling inside you to recognize. Everything was just… too much. The music and laughter suddenly seemed so much louder, so much more grating, clawing against your eardrums and your brain.

“I don’t want your pity,” you said through gritted teeth.

“I’m not giving you my pity,” she said, tone sharp as a knife.

A tingle crept up your spine as you caught a glimpse of something else behind the pretty, polished exterior. Something that gave you pause, something that made your heart beat a little faster.

…Maybe you’d been wrong. Maybe it hadn’t been pity in her eyes. Maybe it had been something else, something closer to the thoughtful, calculated gleam that shone there now. Or even if it had been pity, there was no trace of it there now.

“I’m offering you a way out of here. Unless you think your friends are coming back.”

Uncertainty settled low in your gut.

Did you? Did you really think they’d come back? And if they did… how long would it take?

Which was better – running off somewhere with a stranger like they had, or being left behind as an afterthought?

“Okay.” The word left out your mouth before you could overthink it.

Sandie’s painted-red lips curved upward. “Well then.” She offered a hand, fingers unfurling. “Shall we?”

You paused. Just for a moment.

Fuck it.

You took her hand.

What else was there to do?

A flash of a smile was all you caught before she pulled you off the barstool with far more strength than you’d been expecting. Your heart flew into your throat as you left your half-finished drinks behind. Your mind whirled with worries and what-ifs. What if your friends came back what if this went terribly wrong what if you were setting yourself up for disappointment–?

The two of you wove through the crowd. Ducked whirling dancers and thrown out arms and people who didn’t bother to look where they were going. A few elbows and hands managed to bump into you, sending a startled spike of adrenaline through your nerves. Sandie, on the other hand, seemed almost untouchable, gliding past people effortlessly as the crowd seemed to part for her.

She hauled you through the crowd, past the dance floor, up the stairs. You caught a glimpse of your reflections along the mirrored walls, meeting your own wide-eyed gaze.

And then, in the blink of an eye, you were outside. Bursting through the doors of the club, out of the suffocating warmness and ceaseless noise and into the wet, cool night. The drum of falling rain swallowed the noise of Soho. The glow of lights and neon signs was diffused by the torrent, and the people were scarce, scurrying to and fro under umbrellas and coats and seeking shelter in any shop or restaurant they could find.

The cold rain was a balm against your heated, sticky skin. Every ounce of tension melted from your body. Unable to resist, you closed your eyes and tipped your head back. Rain streamed down your face, down your scalp and neck and against your eyelids. You soaked in the chill and the white noise. And the strange feeling of freedom that replaced the weight on your shoulders. You felt like you could breathe again.

God.

It was sheer bliss.

You felt a tug on your arm and opened your eyes. Sandie was smiling. In a way that was different than in the club – wider and freer and… genuine. But with that knowing look that had been there before.

“Come on,” she shouted over the rain. “I’m going to take you someplace better.”

“Where?”

“You’ll see!”

She tugged on your arm again, and you followed, picking up speed to match her near-run. Alarm bells went off in your head – it was raining and dark and wet, what if you slipped? But she maneuvered you with the same ease she had in the club, as if she knew every step to a dance you weren’t privy to.

She shot a glance back at you, her expression filled with playful delight. It was infectious, and you found yourself grinning back at her, a laugh threatening to escape you. You ran down the sidewalks, splashing through puddles and giggling together like a couple of children playing in the rain.

You felt so damn free.

What was it about her, about this person you’d met maybe ten minutes ago, that made you want to grow wings and fly through the streets? What was it about her that made you feel like you were doing that exact thing right now?

A chance encounter. That’s all it had been. An unusual chance encounter.

But it had quickly become… something else entirely. It wasn’t necessarily unwelcome.

She stopped with no warning. You nearly crashed right into her, the beads of her dress rustling as you did so. It looked like a dress of blood in the dark, each strand of beads moving and glittering like falling rivulets.

She was… really pretty.

Sandie half-turned to meet your gaze. You were far closer than was appropriate, and you quickly stepped back. Warmth unfurled in your cheeks.

“Here we are,” she said.

You frowned. You didn’t see a sign of any kind. Hidden perhaps by the darkness. But a warm glow emanated from the large window in front of you. A counter, loaves of bread and various desserts, black and white tile floors and pastel pink walls…

“Where’s here?”

She didn’t quite answer. Instead, she slid her hand to your upper arm, leaving a trail of warmth in her wake. “Someplace special.”

Sandie guided you inside. A bell chimed as the door swung open, and you were hit by the warmth of the place compared to the icy rain outside. Unlike the club, which had been warm in a sticky, oppressive way, this place was warm like a hug welcoming you in. The smell of fresh bread and butter and cinnamon flooded your senses. There were only a few people here – two people behind the counter and a young man sitting alone in the corner, reading a newspaper and eating a cinnamon roll. Sandie shot him a strange look, eyes narrowing and lip curling just barely. A half-formed question was stopped short when she looked back to you, expression suddenly serene and confident.

Once again, you were struck by just how stunning she was. Even with her hair sticking to her neck and exposed shoulders, even with her makeup starting to run a bit. And how confident she was, as if she knew how she looked and how people – you – reacted to her.

You nervously smoothed your own clothes down. You were sure you looked like a drowned animal in comparison. The warmth of the place only made you more aware of how soaked you were, and how you were dripping rain all over the shiny floors. You winced.

Well, that was certainly the downside to getting wet. The wetness.

“Sandie! Is that you girl?” the 50-something woman behind the counter asked. “You’re going to catch your death running out in the rain like that.” She squinted disapprovingly at you two. You shied under her unfamiliar gaze, but Sandie seemed completely undeterred.

“Oh I can handle the sniffles for a few days.” Sandie pushed a wet strand of hair out of her face and gave the woman a confident smirk. “It would be the least of my problems.”

You frowned. What did that mean?

“It’d make your problems a lot worse,” the woman countered.

Sandie gave a delicate half-shrug, as if to say, Oh well.

The woman’s stern expression shifted to you, then. You fought to keep from fidgeting uncomfortably or shrinking further under her gaze. Though the hand still on your arm soothed you, somewhat. More than it should have, really.

“Who’s your friend?”

Sandie introduced you with the confidence and ease of introducing a long-time acquaintance. It sent a spark of warmth through your insides. “We met at the Café de Paris and decided it wasn’t quite our crowd tonight. Thought it would be better here.”

The woman snorted. “Well I’m no Café de Paris, but you’re perfectly welcome. Especially in this weather.” Her expression softened, just slightly, “What can I get for you two?”

Sandie turned to you. “Any requests?” she asked coyly.

“Um.” Act normal for once goddammit. You glanced at the rows of breads and pastries on display. French loaves, cinnamon rolls, croissants, scones, tarts, pies, cupcakes, cream puffs, things you didn’t know the names of and things you didn’t even recognize – there were so many options, and they all had your mouth watering. “I… don’t know. There’s a lot to choose from…”

“Alright then.” She eyed the display. “How about something simple, then?” She paused. “A cupcake?”

“Sure.” Couldn’t really go wrong with a cupcake.

The woman nodded and gestured to the younger person beside her. They grabbed a couple of cupcakes, Sandie dug around the small handbag she’d been carrying and paid, and you retrieved your treats. The older woman plugged the money into a cash register as you bit into your cupcake.

Soft, warm, sweet. Just a cupcake. Nothing fancy. But perfectly comforting nonetheless.

“Well? What do you think?” Sandie raised her eyebrows at you expectantly. A little hopefully, even. You got the distinct sense that she really, really wanted you to like this place.

And… you did. You felt calmer more at ease. The pounding in your head and buzzing in your veins had faded almost completely. Running through the rain, going to a bakery, spending time with a pretty girl. Such quiet, ordinary things compared to the glitzy, hellish ostentatiousness of the Café de Paris. Small and soothing and more intimate. It was exactly what you’d needed.

And somehow, she had known it.

Just by looking at you and talking to you for a few minutes.

“It’s… it’s perfect.” You hesitated, heart rate picking up, before gently, cautiously placing your free hand on her arm, just as she’d done before. She didn’t shy away, didn’t shrug you off. If anything, she seemed to lean towards you, just a little bit. Just enough that you questioned whether you’d imagined it.

Your face grew warm despite yourself. “Thank you for bringing me here,” you said quickly. “It’s nice. Really nice, actually.”

The beads of Sandie’s dress rustled as she shifted a little, leaned in just a little bit more. You definitely weren’t imagining that. “I thought you could use a change of scenery. You looked like you’d rather be anywhere else in the world.”

Ohhh wonderful. You had been obvious, hadn’t you?

“How did you know?” you asked hesitantly.

“I’ve been there. Different circumstances but… I recognized the look on your face. I’ve seen it the mirror quite a bit myself.” A delicate shrug. A concerning seriousness to her expression.

You were again reminded that she was a stranger. Someone you knew nothing about. You had no idea who she really was, no idea what she’d been through or experienced.

And yet she had dragged you out of your little hell and run through the rain with you and brought you here.

You tried to ignore the emotion fluttering inside your chest.

“Well… thank you. Again. I really appreciate it.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I have one other place I want to take you.”

“Where?”

She discarded her cupcake wrapper into a small trash bin, and exchanged a quick thank you and goodbye with the woman behind the counter.

Then you were back out in the freezing cold rain. The warmth of the bakery evaporated in an instant. A stab of regret went through your heart – why did you have to leave, it was so warm and nice in there – but quickly vanished as the rush of freedom and caress of rain returned. You ran through the streets, giggling and casting glances at each other. With most people cooped up inside to escape the downpour, it was as if you two were the only ones in the world.

It certainly felt that way. If the nervous flurry of your heart was anything to go by.

Sandie came to a sudden stop, dragging you into a covered doorway and pressing you against the old wooden door. Your pulse skyrocketed, cheeks flaring with heat as her gaze bore into you. Unable to bear her intensity, you scrambled for something else to stare at, fixing your gaze over her shoulder long enough to see that the colorful neon lights and glowing display windows had shifted into a quieter, more residential area. There wasn’t another soul in sight.

She planted a hand on the door, just by your shoulder. Half-trapping you in, even as her other hand delicately held yours. Your gaze, inevitably, wandered back to her.

She looked at you through her eyelashes. A faint blush had spread over her cheeks, and her rain-disheveled hair and slightly-smudged makeup made her seem just a little bit wilder. That hidden something peeked back out behind the curtain. Something just a little bit dangerous, a little bit strangely morbid. A thrill went up your spine at the thought.

“Don’t tell me,” she said, slightly out of breath, “that I’m imagining things.”

“Wh–”

Her fingers curled under your chin, her grip firm but delicate. Forcing you to hold her gaze as your heart hammered so loud you were sure she could hear it.

“And don’t you dare think that I haven’t noticed.”

Your mind whirled, unable to land on a coherent thought. “Noticed what?”

“You. And how you’ve been looking at me.”

Oh.

Oh shit.

“I’m so sorry,” you blurted. “I didn’t mean to be creepy or anything, you’ve just been so nice and–” And beautiful and stunning and unreal and gorgeous and genuine and actually made an effort for me when so many others haven’t and I just feel some kind of connect–

“Stop.” Two fingers pressed against your lips to silence you. Your thoughts came to an immediate, screeching halt. “I’ve been looked at quite a lot, believe me. You weren’t creepy.” Her gaze flickered down to where her fingers met your lips, and her voice softened. “You weren’t anything of the sort.”

If you burned any hotter, you were going to burst into flames. From embarrassment or something else… you weren’t sure.

She looked down at your lips again, her own parting slightly. She leaned in.

The doorway and the nighttime rain offered a veil to hide you from prying eyes.

Her lips met the corner of your mouth. Gentle, feather-light. More of a slow, lingering brush of skin than a proper kiss. But it stole your breath anyway, made you freeze where you stood as your heart thundered in your ears.

You couldn’t have moved if you wanted to.

Not that you wanted to be anywhere else in the world but here, now, with her breath caressing your lips and the faint scent of sweet perfume enveloping your senses.

She leaned back, just a little, enough to peer at your face and gauge your reaction. Almost by accident, your hands flew out and caught her waist. Keeping her in place. An apology was half-formed on your tongue before you’d even finished the motion. But it withered at her sudden inhale and her hands cupping your face.

She was warm. Warm warm warm, a beacon of warmth and light and something dangerously alluring.

A tiny smile graced her lips. “There you are. Isn’t that better?”

You had to agree. Not that you were really given a chance to, because she was already leaning in again. Your eyes fluttered shut as you met her this time.

Soft and warm. Her lipstick just a little tacky from wear and rain. She moved her mouth against yours, as if wordlessly murmuring against your skin, and you were powerless to do anything but follow her lead. Her hands gently cradled your face. Your own fingers curled into the beaded strings of her dress.

You felt dizzy. Deliciously, pleasantly dizzy.

She was addicting.

Sandie tilted her head, just a little, changing the angle and deepening the kiss. You readily let her tongue press into you, let her slowly, sweetly explore you. She tasted like the icing of the cupcakes you had gotten, as well as something else, something barely-there but stronger and richer.

You whimpered a little. If you hadn’t been pressed against the door and desperately holding onto her, you would’ve collapsed by now. You were certain.

She broke the kiss long enough to hush you. You shivered again and pulled her in tighter, enclosing her in your arms as much as you could. Warm fingers slid from your cheek down to your neck. Her thumbs brushed your jaw.

You had just met her. But your head was spinning enough that, for a moment, you really thought you might be in love with her.

Calm down. Take a breath. Breathe. Don’t do something stupid and weird her out.

Sandie tilted her head, examining your face. She pursed her lips slightly. “I have a feeling you think too much.”

An awkward laugh escaped you. “Yeah… you could say that.”

“Well.” She paused, as if thinking over her next words. “This is where I live.” She nodded to the door behind you. “Unless you have somewhere else to be… you could always come in for a while.”

Your stomach fluttered at the invitation. She knew very well that you had nowhere else to be. That’s why she’d grabbed you in the first place. You had zero obligations to the friends who’d abandoned you for their own pretty strangers. And you had a strange feeling that if you said no, you would part ways and never see her again. It was an odd, uneasy feeling that crept up your spine to your neck.

But if you said yes…

You debated. And then you decided.

You were the one to lean in this time, to capture her lips in a kiss and make her sigh against you. It made you stomach twist itself into knots, made your heart stutter. Made you take in a nervous breath when you parted.

“I think that would be nice, actually,” you said softly.

Sandie smiled. Beautiful and genuine and with just an edge of hesitant hopefulness. The only sign of hesitance you’d seen from her all night. Your heart nearly burst out of your chest and into her hands right there and then.

A chance with the perfect stranger you’d met at the club.

Just a chance.

#ace writes #sandie collins #sandie collins x reader #i've never written for sandie before so hopefully her characterization is okay #also i edited this very quickly #so there might be some mistakes lmao

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otlwoozi · 5 months

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I think what I find most puzzling about the meltdown people are having about this group of idols watching the show is that it’s like they expect them to analyze and research each piece of media they consume for anything “problematic,” which most people don’t! I decided to do a Google of the show last night when this mess started and honestly nothing on Wikipedia or anything indicated ANYTHING wrong. Same with a brief Google of the manga’s author. I’m not saying the author hasn’t done or said or written things that I wouldn’t be okay with but I find it surprising that people believe idols are really sitting here carefully looking up everything they read or watch instead of what they all did, which is throw on a recommended anime with dark themes.

Also to be honest, unfortunately p*do moments or content show up a lot in animes or mangas and it IS unacceptable but it happens in tons of them so I have no idea (because I haven’t read this one) why people are flipping out so hard.

oh yeah i definitely agree with your first point. i do not look up the director of every movie i watch, i just watch a trailer and decide for myself - casual media consumption! there is a lot of people coming out from the woodworks to say that anyone in anime communities knows the suspicious reputation of the mangaka and manga, while ommitting that manga fans r substantially less vocal than fans of the anime, which had largely been adjusted to be more palatable when adapted, AND that the first season of the anime is NOT where a lot of the screengrabs ppl are sharing are from.

altho the last bit i’ll have say im not all for desensitization of “unacceptable” content in manga, while fiction is fiction and an exploration in it is not indicative of real life intent, i don’t like that the industry does it with no real story purposes. i can only talk about the anime since i havent read the manga but all the scenes that are harder to watch are in service of a pretty good story.

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smokeybrandreviews · 2 years

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Look Up

I am absolutely intrigued by the trajectory of Jordan Peel’s directorial career. Get Out was a phenomenal film, lousy with creativity and a frank message that people need to hear. I enjoyed every second of that film and, as a black dude, that sh*t hits home harder than it should. I imagine that same sentiment is shared by a lot of those who share my melanated experiences. Us was more a mixed bag for me. I didn’t care for the film as a whole, the execution left a lot to be desired, but i loved the imagery and, holy sh*t, can Lupita Nyong'o act! Still, Us was substantially less than Get Out and felt more like a cash grab than a proper film crafted with precision. For me, Nope is that film. This thing feels like a proper follow up to Get Out. It’s a completely different vibe than Get Out, Peel’s definitely not trying to capture that same energy like it felt with Us, and tells a very heartfelt story about character relationships.

Of course, there are themes that run through this thing and function as the core point of this film, the cost of spectacle, and i loved all of that. For me, however, it was the relationship between the two main characters that really kept me invested. I think Nope is one of the best films I've seen all year, right behind the utter brilliance that is Everything Everywhere All At Once. A few days ago, a friend of mine sent me the review Logan Paul wrote for Nope and i was stunned. I did not understand how someone could sit through that film’s entire run time, and get everything wrong. This thing was a review written by someone who refused to engage with the film on anything but a superficial level and i was just flabbergasted that Paul was so upset by a film he, very obviously, didn’t understand. I wanted to address his “objections” in this essay because, like, what film did you watch, bro?

1. No one was curious how a quarter got shot through a man’s face and killed him? Or why a key was lodged in the backside of the horse he was riding?

This was explained in the film. It was assumed that the sh*t fell out of an airplane. There have been cases where frozen toilet waste has caused property damage or injury because it was prematurely released while the plane was in still flight. It’s not a stretch to think random trash fell out of a plane.

2. Why/how did the shoe stand upright on the set of Gordy’s Home? This one I'm sure has a reason but i haven’t found anything that makes sense.

These aren’t direct flashbacks, they are Jupe’s memories of those events. The shoe wasn’t really standing upright but that’s how Jupe remembers it after years of seeing it standing in that display case. In my opinion, that whole retelling is from the perspective of an unreliable narrator. The trauma of witnessing that sh*t firsthand f*cked Jupe up and he’s coloring it in a way that allows him to function as an adult. Seriously, Gordy massacred the entire crew. Why would he stop and give Jupe a fist bump instead of tearing off his face, too? It’s more likely that Gordy was about to give the child Jupe exactly what he gave everyone else, until his brains got blown the f*ck out JFK style. There is no way Jupe would want to revisit that entire scenario in it’s horrible truth. No one would. That's why we, the audience, don’t see the real horror of the attack, because Jupe refuses to recognize the reality of that brutality or how close he was to being another victim, himself.

3. The deep-voiced cinematographer was cryptic for no reason other than to be cryptic. You’re telling me this guy was willing to die because he wanted better lighting to capture the ET? For real?

Yes. Yes, that’s exactly it. Holst was very clear about capturing “the Oprah Shot” and how it was a fool’s errand because, surprise-surprise, the cinematographer had tried his entire career to do just that! More to the point, his life was already ending. Between the raspy voice, his gaunt appearance, and those pills he was popping, i imagine Holst was on his way out sooner than later. This was his last, great, opportunity to get that Oprah Shot. I imagine he weighed his options and judged getting his shot at the cost of going head first down the gullet of an alien, was preferable to the slow death of what i assume is some form of throat or lung cancer.

4. Same note: Man on the motorcycle. Why was his voice deep and robotic, framed to be an antagonist who’d have a grand reveal? Mystery solely for the sake of mystery is confusing and leaves too may open ends for a viewer trying to invest themselves in a story line.

This one actually hurts. It’s called misdirect. This sh*t is a tool they teach you in school during creative writing exercises. You’re supposed to see this character and think, “Who the f*ck is that? Is he part of the guv’ment? Does he know about the horse-gulper? Why the f*ck did he show up at that exact moment? How long has he been tracking these events?” When it turns out it’s just some nameless TMZ asshole trying to capitalize on the traumatic events happening, you understand it’s just another example of the main theme in this film; The cost of capturing spectacle. This man was literally going to die and demanded that OJ get the shot. This one character is the most transparent and heavy handed example of the message in this film and Paul did not understand it. This dude IS Logan Paul and that sh*t flew right over his head.

5. My next point - The story line is all over the place. In a crowd of forty people, the actress who was mauled on the set of Gordy’s Home was there... Why? Shock factor because of her scarring? Does she come to all of them? Did she come before the ET feedings?

This thing literally only has an A and B plot, and the B plot wraps up well before the climax of this film. What is this dude even talking about? Anyway, in regards to the other part of this ridiculous question, simple answer is that Jupe invited her. Complicated answer, spectacle but not in the way Paul has expressed. Jupe was very kind when he introduced Mary Jo and made specific note to tell the audience that she was his first crush. Imagine how weirdly conflicted his feelings are toward her now. I mean, he kept her shoe and put it on display like some macabre trophy. He’s stared at that thing every day he’s had it. Mans sells people time with a room full of the most egregious trauma he’s ever experienced, as an Air BnB. That childhood lust and adult guilt probably have something to do with it, for sure, but i think he genuinely cares for May Jo and wanted her there to see his big return to the spotlight.

6. Jupe has trauma with the phenomena of commercializing predators for profit, and for the last six months, has been feeding horses to an ET in the sky... But what about before that? What is the purpose of that creepy cowboy theme park?

It’s very easily inferred that Jupe, after the Great Chimpanzee Massacre of 1997, never recovered fully and likely spiraled into straight up depravity as a teenager/ young adult. You see this with child stars all the time. I imagine Jupe went broke but was able to find a way to trade on his trauma, the spectacle of the worst thing which very happened to him, and needed the park as a place to stage these morbid little misadventures. The alien thing isn’t the first time Jupe has done something like this. I imagine he’s been making money on Gordy’s Big Day for some time. That park, much like the TMZ reporter and Holst’s death, is a very transparent framing device for this film’s theme and it’s so goddamn weird Logan f*cking Paul keeps missing the point.

7. Why was so much emphasis placed on the names of the horses. They had title cards... Why?

Pretty sure that has everything to do with the fact that the horses are such an integral plot device for the film. They are what’s keeping the ET around. They are what Jupe is using to profit off it’s spectacle. It’s a whole ass livelihood for OJ. It’s a point of contention for the relationship between the Haywoods. Hell, they even name the alien Jean-Jacket, the moniker given to the horse that was taken away from Em. The horses are important to the story being told. Naming the acts of this film after the principal Equidae, not only makes sense but affirms their importance to the narrative.

8. Why was Barbie Ferreira, an incredible acting talent, so underutilized in this movie? Why was she even in the movie?

I agree Barbie was woefully underutilized and i would have loved her to have more of a presence in this film but it was just a cameo. A cameo, bro. Like, you know, Arnold popping up in The Rundown? I hear Paul’s a big Rock fan. I’m sure he’s seen The Rundown. That’s a cameo. It’s a thing where a star pops up long enough for the audience to go, “Oh sh*t! that’s so-and-so!” Like McConaughey in Wolf of Wall Street. That’s what Barbie was doing. A cameo.

9. Way to strip all the life from from a phenomenal actor, Daniel Kaluuya, by casting him in as possibly the most mundane, vanilla character I've ever seen. Not a question I'm just pissed.

Okay, i know i said the other one hurt but this one really hurts. I’ve seen a few of his performances and i kind of feel like Paul doesn’t understand acting. Kaluuya, in contrast to Palmer, gave what is known as a subdued performance. Some people are chill. Some people are introverted. Some people are quietly passionate. All of these can describe Kaluuya’s OJ. It informs the character’s perspective on life and the loving yet prickly relationship he has with Em; Someone who has a far more extroverted and boisterous personality. This is definitely Palmer’s movie by Kaluuya matched her scene for scene.

10. An extraterrestrial creature that is advanced enough to fully shape-shift, activate an anti-electromagnetic field, propel itself in any direction quickly and quietly, can’t tell the difference between a plastic inflatable and viable meat? NOPE.

Yup. Paul fundamentally misunderstands what this creature is. or, rather, how it does what it can do. This thing is an animal from space. All of that sh*t dude pointed but above, is just it’s natural biological processes. I can go super deep into what i think the origin of all that is, probably some sort of laughably powerful organic electromagnetic generator, but i digress. It doesn’t know the difference between meat and plastic. There are several scenes where it’s seen evacuating a ton of inorganic material after it eats. That’s literally how Otis Sr. died and kicked off this entire series of events. This thing is not intelligent in the same way humans are. It’s a feral animal that defending it’s feeding grounds. That inflatable was the first thing it’s seen that was large enough to be a threat and can reach it in the sky. Of course it would attack. It wasn’t trying to “eat” it per say, but more remove it permanently. What better way to do that than devour it whole?

I love Peele, the effects and aesthetic, but my thesis is this: I can feel him attempting to recreate the shock from Get Out and Us. Mystery, violent allure, and cinematic choices made for the sake of reaction instead of legitimate contribution to the story line killed this movie for me.

It’s funny because this describes Us. Us was the shallow attempt to recapture the energy of Get Out. It was the rushed follow up in order to capitalize on the buzz. Us, while good in it’s own ways, was no where near as dope as the critics would want you to believe. It’s not a bad film, it just doesn’t feel like a Peele film. Nope feels like something he did create. It feels like a proper follow up to Get Out. Free from the shackles of expectation, Peele gave us something that he wanted to make. Us was the one for them, Nope is the one for him.

Ultimately, i think Paul was too lazy to do the work Peele trusts his audience with in order to get the most out of his films. Mans is real strong at “Show don’t Tell” but that falls by the wayside when people don’t want to meet you halfway. I think Us kind of set an uneasy precedent that it’s okay to be lazy when watching one of Peele’s films. While Get Out was clever in it’s execution, probably because Peele had this narrative rattling around in his head for some years, Us didn’t have that same time to stew. It feels very haphazardly thrown together and never really becomes a cohesive product, in my opinion. Nope doesn’t have those same issues but it is hindered by the stigma left with all the hand-holding and blatant exposition of Us. Peele is growing as a director and made a film that he wanted to see. I don’t think Paul, and a large number of people apparently, picked up on that. Sh*t’s kind of funny because, for all of the foreshadowing and visual storytelling present, the “this one is for me” aspect was presented with all the subtlety of a jackhammer, yet people (Paul) still missed that sh*t. Nope is exceptional film making which tells a very nuanced, dynamic story, with a truly deft touch. It’s an outstanding movie with a bevy of subtext and even more messaging, but you have to actually be present for the experience to see all of that. If you’re looking to just get told a story with none of that, with absolutely no cinematic merit, why even watch film, bro?

#Nope #Jordan Peele #Logan Paul #Some ol' bullsh*t

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agallimaufryofoddments · 1 year

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hi!

i'm someone who is about as passionate about baccano!'s ongoing legacy as you are and i've followed you for a while. i know you're pretty much singlehandedly running the wiki and i'd like to help, but i don't have much experience in editing wikis and i know there's a lot to cover, so i don't know where to start---is there anything big that needs to be done that you haven't managed to find the time for?

Dear Anonymous, Thank you for reaching out about contributing to the Baccano! Wiki. I'm grateful! Your timing couldn't be better. If I'm to want help, I need to provide prospective wiki newcomers better guidance than the outdated to-do lists on Special:Community. My language there was abstruse when it needed to be simple and direct.

don’t know where to start—is there anything big that needs to be done that you haven’t managed to find the time for?

Everything. Biggest include...

Character articles: empty sections (chrono!); many stubs; rewrites

LN chapter articles: many don’t exist; many that do have no content.

References: Most articles lack but need citations.

Character articles are most wikis’ popular class of articles by far, yet many on B! Wiki lack developed chronology or personality sections (or have some that need rewrites). Some are just stubs. Filling out empty sections of major characters’ articles would be a great starting task, since, pragmatically speaking, these are viewed far more than minor chars’ articles. It’s pretty embarrassing when one of the wiki’s consistent ‘top 10 most viewed articles per month’ doesn’t have a thorough chronology section (aka Huey Laforet).

The stub category conveniently gathers articles w/o substantial content in one place, so diving into that one is another obvious option. Far more stub articles exist than those included in the category—c.f. all the empty LN chapter articles—but stubs are usually immediately obvious anyway. That’s how I started editing on B! Wiki; I looked around, grabbed the nearest empty article or redlink, and began adding new content.

As you gain experience and confidence as an editor, you’ll find yourself naturally drifting to and fro “whatever needs editing” on an as-needed, per-interest basis. Editing is a non-linear process. Don’t feel like you have to restrict yourself to one article at a time. Meanwhile, if you notice typos, weird formatting, or false info, go ahead and change those on the way! Minor edits all add up over time. Cumulative progress.

I’d like to say that adding new content is a bit more important (a bit “Bigger”) than rewriting existing content, but please don’t hesitate to rewrite awful prose! I must admit that Personality Sections can by tricky to write and are most susceptible to bias + personal interpretation, so you may find it easier to start with the more straightforward chronology sections anyway.

(By the way: always assume I’m talking about the desktop version of the wiki. Mobile editing, unsurprisingly, is a nightmare. 0/10 don't try.)

Editing 101

Read the Help Pages for advice about getting started on & editing all wikis. Don't stress about strictly following my Manual of Style for the B! Wiki since I haven't; it's as dusty as B! Wiki's to-do lists and the Community Portal to which I should have linked. Adhere to precedent except when precedent is bad, like in the articles where I once wrote overdetailed, dubiously written chrono sections.

I recommend creating a FANDOM account if you want to take credit for your contributions w/o sacrificing privacy. You can edit without an account, but your edits will be signed with your I.P. address. You need an account if you want to access a file's File Page.

Any article with a big EDIT button at its top can be edited on the spot via the Visual Editor or Source Editor. The former tends to be favored by new editors since it's more user-friendly; the latter is preferred by more experienced users like me who prefer accuracy and control. It’s easy to get the hang of wikitext if you’ve ever written in something as basic as markdown, so I do encourage the wikitext/Source approach.

Once in the editor, you can either add new or alter existing content. This can be as simple as inserting new facts, citations or files into an article or fixing typos, SPAG, vandalism, and incorrect information. It can be as intensive as writing entire content sections from scratch, rewriting existing ones, or creating a new article altogether.

I suggest backing up what you’re writing while you’re writing so that your draft isn’t left to the mercy of the browser & PC gods. I have lost MANY paragraphs-long WIP edits to articles because of browser crashes, so I try to copy-paste what I’m writing into a notepad or my browser’s built-in notes. This is another point in favor of source editing, since copy-pasting rich text can be a nightmare.

Do try to put something in “Edit Summary” before publishing an edit. It’s okay if you forget; I have. (Sometimes I just can’t be bothered to when it’s the third “oopsie made a typo in what I just published” nija edit in two minutes). The reason it’s good practice is that edit summaries make consulting an article’s History Page easier. That’s where you can look at a history of edits and check previous versions of an article.

Remember that you can always ask me for assistance on my profile’s Talk Page. I’m also finally getting around to fixing the wiki forums / updating them for the latest skin, so those can be used as well.

Above: A screenshot of my first ever edits on the wiki, excluding ‘minor’-flagged edits and non-main Namespace edits. The numbers in green represent how many characters were added. The italicized parentheticals were my edit summaries. Elean, Fang, the Runoratas...these were all articles I’d opened only to be disappointed that they were stubs or empty. (In Jon’s case, I was so peeved Jon didn’t have an article I created one myself. Now that’s the spirit.) Anyone who has used the wiki as a fan will have been similarly disappointed somehow. So think about it from a fan’s perspective, if not your own, and take the initiative to contribute what you wish existed in the first place.

(Seriously, the Runorata Family article, for five years—from its creation in June 2010 until I edited it in Dec 2015—was literally just “Write the text of your article here! “ That was it. That was the page. The sort of page one should do something about.)

#Baccano!#Baccano #Baccano! Wiki #The Baccano! Wiki #wikia #wiki #fandom wiki #anonymous #asked and answered

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silkscream · 2 years

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hi all! ヾ(☆▽☆)

i’m trying very hard to work on some new material because i know that i haven’t written anything substantial in a while but i appreciate the love i get for my work that i see in my notes daily !! unfortunately since i had to get my laptop repaired and with my high rent my last paycheck barely covers both, not to mention i don’t have much left for basic necessities. if you’d like to help, feel free to hop over to my ko-fi. if you’d like to help me and don’t have paypal dm me and i can share my v/enmo!

otherwise, i’m very open to doing commissions. this includes longer form fic requests, edits, graphics for your blog/personal use/fics, tarot readings, etc.

my birthday is this friday so hopefully i can get something posted around this weekend <3

#ree.txt

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self-proclaimed-chaotic-good · 2 years

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Hope from the Shadows | Bruce Wayne x Reader

Prompt: Shadows

Words: 1532

Fandom: The Batman

A/N: Another late entry for Writer’s Month. School is starting up soon, so they might come in even later. I haven’t written for this emo meow meow in a while and it’s about time I changed that.

Summary: You did what you could to survive, but actions have consequences. You thought you were so clever, but they were always one step ahead. Your thoughts on the Batman were neutral until your boss got cocky and caught the attention of the masked man.

For the past three years, there had been a protector hiding in the shadows, waiting to strike. He watched over Gotham closely, quietly, until the rats came out to play. Who is the Batman? Why does he operate this way? What had led them down this path of seeking justice in this corrupted city?

The new mayor had a lot on her plate, but she made substantially more progress in bettering the city than her predecessors. Still, the streets aren’t safe yet, so the batman remained.

One would think that the rats would scatter after the flooding of the city, but, no, it only left the resilient ones standing. You saw the signs that your boss was one of those rats and you weren’t the only one. The world was tough and rent in the apartments away from the flooding districts hiked up. It was either keep your head low to keep your job, or stand up and report him, risking not only your career, but your life as well.

It was only a matter of time until Batman found out about the lab. Your boss was getting cocky and reckless, making it easier for the masked man to find him. The entire lab scrambled, trying to erase any evidence of illegal activity. Scientists were running around, making sure that nothing was left behind while the mob security surrounded the building, waiting for the bat to appear.

During all the chaos, you managed to sneak a usb drive into your jacket, following the others by shedding your lab coat and exiting the building. You exhaled slowly, training your eyes ahead and trying to relax your shoulders as you passed guard after guard. They didn’t have time to pat everyone down at the door, but when it came to your turn, they were not able to find the hidden pocket in your jacket and let you through.

You allowed yourself to breathe once you were in the safety of the car, your folded jacket visible in your peripheral vision just sitting there on your passenger seat containing information that could take down your boss for good. Anxiety was bubbling over as you pulled away from the building, debating whether to head straight home or keep driving to calm your nerves. You often wondered if all the scientists were being watched, making sure no one took anything that could ruin the whole operation.

You decided to take the long way around to your apartment, being careful of the reconstruction areas where they were actually going to make something of use instead of canceling the project due to money mysteriously going missing or funneling the money to their own personal ventures instead of actual affordable housing.

Mayor Real was a good one and during the first year after she was elected, the main priority was fixing up the mess that her predecessors had done to the city. It was slow going, but thanks to the Wayne Foundation that had been recently revived, they had enough funding to create programs that could actually help the people of Gotham.

Still, corruption and prejudice is systemic and weren’t going to go away just like that. Your boss paid well and you were actually doing what you studied for. The usb was just insurance.

Naively, you didn’t think anyone would be coming after you so soon. You were sure that you were careful. After the lab was raided, your boss had fled the scene with only a few goons in tow. Everyone else that remained in that building was arrested. Last thing you heard about them was that they refused to talk. Logically, the Batman would move on to other suspects to get information, you just didn’t think that anyone was aware of you.

The door was still locked and intact when you got home, so you had no reason to suspect anything. Still, the hairs on the back of your neck raised as you entered your apartment. You quickly turned on the lights, catching the reflection of water puddles on the floor, your eyes tracking to where they led. You closed the window that was wide open and grabbed the nearest wieldable object before approaching the small living room, reaching over with a shaky hand to turn on the light.

“You should lock your windows,” came a low raspy voice.

He stepped out of the shadows and into the light, the Batman himself, soaked and dripping rain water all over your floor. There must have been either something wrong with you or this city and your work was desensitizing you to occurrences like this, because you were not only cautious about his purpose for being here, you were also irritated that the floor and rug were now wet and you’d have to clean up after he leaves.

“I’m on the fifth floor,” you answered, putting down the umbrella you picked up.

He had no reply to that, though the corner of his lips turned up just a bit. He took a step forward, his hand slowly reaching out to show you a picture in a clear plastic sheet. “This man, is he your boss?”

“No.”

Technically, thanks to Batman and the cops, he was no longer your boss. You are out of a job until you find other employment or he manages to set up another base of operations. Whether you’d go back depends on the situation. You’ve heard of his big plans, but none have come to fruition as of yet. For now, you were doing what you had to to survive.

Even with the mask on, you could tell that he was not amused by your answer. If he knew you worked for him, why bother saying anything?

“Have you worked for him within the last two years?” He rephrased, blue eyes watching for any change in your expression.

You sighed, nodding. “Yes.”

“Have you been in contact with him recently?”

“No. Not since the raid.”

“Would you know where he’d go to hide? Any other location that he occupied?”

You shook your head. “How would I know? I’m just a scientist.”

“But you have something of value to them,” he said, “Something that would make them put surveillance on you.”

You frowned, shaking your head in disbelief as you stepped away from him. You were so careful. You made sure that you were in the cameras’ blindspot when you downloaded the files, the usb hidden in a safe under your bed. Locks were double and triple checked, but apparently not the window locks. Everyday you looked over your shoulder and took alternate routes home.

“It’s something that was not included in your files. Something that only the boss and the head scientist knew about,” Batman continued.

“What do you mean? Did they put a tracker on me? On everyone in the lab?” you asked.

He nodded slowly. “They created a type of trackable biological nanobots that they released into the ventilation system. It was in its prototype phase, but he must have suspected that there was a mole in his operation.”

“I wasn’t planning on releasing any information unless I had to,” you said quickly, as if it would change anything. “Surely, it wouldn’t have been released in the lab’s vents, either. It would ruin our research and we were all wearing masks.”

“We found traces of it in the vents that lead to the break rooms and the bathrooms.”

“Of course. Shit!”

You smacked yourself on the forehead at your own lack of foresight. Everything felt too easy. Out of all the ways that you thought about how they kept track of the employees, biological nanobots should have been a possibility that you considered. The head scientist was a genius, always creating their own side projects and looking for ways to gain power and influence without being seen. While the big boss called the shots, nothing would have been possible without the head scientist.

“What do I do? If they can find where I am, no matter where I go and –”

You felt a heavy hand on your shoulder, snapping you out of the spiral you were starting to go down in. It was then you realized how close he was, how his presence was no longer intimidating, but comforting. Like a shield from danger rather than a darkness to be swallowed by. Still, how can he shield you from something that was already in your system? Who knows what else those nanobots could do?

He watched you carefully, noting the shiver of fear running through you. His eyes widened as your hand shot up to hold his arm, as if pleading for help from him. It reminded him of that day when he resolved to be a symbol of hope instead of vengeance, when the young boy reached out to take his hand to lead him out of the wreckage, when that woman squeezed his arm in gratitude for helping her before being lifted away by the helicopter.

“I may have a way,” he reassured softly, “It’s temporary, but we will need the doctor’s files to get rid of those tracker nanobots. Get your things and the usb, we need to go. Tonight.”

#writersmonth2022 #writer's month #bruce wayne x reader #the batman imagine #bruce wayne imagine #battinson x reader #batman x reader #battinson #the batman 2022 #dc imagine

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lucidmagic · 2 years

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God I hate burnout

I can’t concentrate, I’m exhausted, I haven’t written anything substantial, I’m just so unmotivated, while also being super anxious because… you know… the world around.

I just… ugh… it’s too much but nothing at all and it’s exhausting.

#personal #personal post #lucidmagic #personal life stuff #personal stuff

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haleykim84 · 2 years

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Whumpmas in July 2022

Day 1: (Re-)Introduce yourself and/or your creations

Hi!

I’m Haleykim, but I usually go by Haley or Kim (I still wish I’d picked a cooler username for myself!). I’ve been a member of the whump community for as long as I can remember. The first time I experienced whumperflies was when I watched Prince Philip in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty get captured, tied up and gagged, though of course I had no idea what whumperflies even were at the time :D

I’ve been in a ton of fandoms over the years, like The Hardy Boys, Stargate Atlantis and Young Justice. Currently I’m neck-deep into Voltron (Keith is just so whumpable – sorry, Keith) and I have a number of Voltron fics to my name, though I haven’t written anything substantial in a while. I’m trying though! There’s a slave fic that’s been in the works for ages, and I have several other WIPS clamoring for my attention. I also still have a few prompt requests sitting in my inbox that I’m determined to get around to (some day, I hope!).

As much as I love whump, I can’t handle fics that are mostly hurt and no comfort. To me the comfort is just as important (if not more) as the hurt part. I also cannot deal with unhappy endings or major character deaths.

I’m all about the friendship and found family feels <3

#whumpmas in july #day 1 #whump intro #wij2022

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kindness-ricochets · 2 years

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Would anyone be interested in beta-reading a Six of Crows fanfic?

Fic is a little over 4k and focuses on Jesper and Wylan visiting Colm after the events of Crooked Kingdom, addressing some of their trauma. I haven’t written anything substantial in a while and feel like it doesn’t really come together well. Any help would be appreciated!

If you’re interested, please let me know and thanks in advance!

help acquired, thank you!!!

#six of crows fanfic #six of crows #beta reader

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quiverwingquack · 26 days

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Worst part of writing is that like… feeling all your writing is bad when you haven’t written anything substantial in a while? Like I feel like everything I’ve written recently is trash and I want to edit it ten times over, but if I stop to edit, I’ll never actually get this idea out of my head. I just have to keep going even if I feel like it’s garbage until I’ve got that full first draft together

#mine!#anybody else get this. the word vomit stage.

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skenvs3000w24 · 3 months

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Nature Interpretation through Science

Hi everyone!

This week is an interesting blog post, as we don’t have any specific prompt to adhere to! With this in mind, I decided that I wanted to write about some of the topics brought up during this week's readings about “Nature Interpretation through Science.” This topic is certainly more familiar to me as a science student, but that isn’t to say I haven’t also thoroughly enjoyed our other topics. I think that nature interpretation through science is incredibly important, though, for considering global change and how to get people to care and be involved.

When I think of aspects of nature interpretation, science is arguably the one I should understand best and be able to make connections with. Something I hadn’t thought about, though, that was brought up by the reading “Convergence Between Science and Environmental Education” is that the way we are taught about science and the environment can be very different (Wals et al., 2014). As this reading describes, scientific education is often focused on teaching skills and knowledge, while environmental interpretation teaches about the synthesis and incorporation of values into behaviour (Wals et al., 2014). Both of these forms of education are important in their own right, but being able to combine them is especially important for making change. Scientific education provides a background, a framework, and the necessary knowledge for the kinds of change that environmental education teaches us to care about and consider the behaviours that need to be addressed (Wals et al., 2014).

Something that I also often find myself thinking about as I continue with my education at the University is the accessibility of scientific knowledge and literature. A lot of scientific writing is written in a way that just isn’t particularly approachable to someone who isn’t in a scientific field. Some examples of barriers that might prevent someone from being able to access or fully utilize scientific knowledge are excess jargon in writing and articles being put behind heavy paywalls. Personally, I feel scientific and environmental knowledge should be available to everyone and that more effort should be put into removing these barriers when they can be. By limiting jargon and making articles more widely accessible, more people will be inclined to listen to the ideas presented in these writings. This is especially important if we want people to be involved in making a substantial change, for example towards conservation. If people don’t understand issues or what changes they can make to help, they aren’t going to do anything unless they can access knowledge which will change that.

I hope some of what I’ve written this week resonates with people. Writing without a prompt is a little tricky, but I think this was a good thought exercise and I’m excited to see what everyone else decided to write about this week!

References

Wals, A. E., Brody, M., Dillon, J., & Stevenson, R. B. (2014). Convergence between science and environmental education. Science, 344(6184), 583–584. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1250515

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bellmo15-blog · 3 months

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I've Lost My Passion For Writing

The title of this journal isn’t a joke. I have seriously started to lose my passion that I once had for writing.

I’m sure by now a lot of you have noticed I haven’t been writing any stories of any kind. Or at least anything substantial. You could say that those two stories I have shared about those really awkward plays I saw as a child or the only time I’ve ever actually gotten to play on a real Gamecube while in hospital count as stories but those are more just me retelling events form my past that have stuck with me. And there’s a good reason I haven’t been writing a lot. I’ve HAVE tried to write proper stories. About my OC’s, about fictional characters I like, but I always never get very far into it and sometimes just stop entirely or get distracted by other things I have more fun doing. And there’s a good reason for THAT two. I just haven’t been enjoying writing as much. It’s one of those things I have slowly been coming to terms with a lot recently. In fact the only long form things I’ve even managed to get written up the past few months have both been satirical and if you couldn’t tell from how I wrote those, my way of venting about how modern critics are obsessed with hyperbole and being overly angry and also poking fun at that “Nintendo has FORGOTTEN about Super Mario” video because nothing say’s Nintendo has “””forgotten””” a property like releasing so many games in that franchise in the Switches now almost 7 year life cycle.

To give you an idea of just how bad this has been, the last story about one of my OC’s I wrote was back in April of last year. It was a parody of the Peaches song from the Super Mario Bros movie but sung from the perspective of my girl Mikaela and she was singing about Nessa from Pokemon Sword and Shield as I do have the two in a relationship and loved that part from the film. And before that the last proper full story I wrote was in September of 2022 of Tom Nook from Animal Crossing finally being fed up with some people not paying off their loans at all and taking action tasking my sona Michael with collecting the debt from one of those residents who originally started as a joke OC I made for an April Fools day joke. That’s a pretty big gap to have as someone who is a writer which is actually why I originally tried experimenting with Micro Stories at first since they were only about like two or three paragraphs long and didn’t take much effort out of me. But even those I started to fall out of wanting to do.

So why have I stopped having a passion for something I use to love doing ever since I first started on DA? Well, it’s not for one single reason but actually a couple.

1; I’ve started to find it boring! No matter what I want to write, no matter how much I love the idea and no matter how much free time I end up getting so that I can do a lot of writing, usually about like 5 or 10 mins in I get board of writing and more often than not I end up thinking to myself “I would honestly rather be playing video games or watching a show I’ve been meaning to watch.” Plus, I can only write “this character said this” or describe what someone looks like or is wearing so much before I get bored.

2; Written work is something I’ve always struggled with anyway. I grew up on TV and video games and very little written stuff which might sound ironic coming from me but it’s true. I once tried reading one of the Harry Potter books as a child and I got one chapter in before thinking to myself “I’d honestly rather be watching the movie that’s based off this book.” Hell, I even tried reading the in game books in Skyrim but when I did I would always go “I’m spending my time in this game doing THIS instead of going on an epic and exciting quest?” The only time as a child I’ve ever read a book all the way though that wasn’t one of those ones that only had like two short paragraphs on each page and was like 15 pages long was in 2009 when a friend let me read an old Choose Your Own Adventure styled Super Mario book but that only because it was on a school trip, we were on a long train ride that took several hours and we weren’t allowed to bring our handheld games systems with us so there was practically nothing else to do. It’s a problem I have been trying to fix for many years and sometimes I do read stories on DA when I get the chance, but written works just always been something I’ve struggled with even as a child.

I mentioned before that this is an issue that my passion for this has been dwindling for a while and I’ve tried to find ways to get around this. At first it was writing little short stories to attach to my pics. I was mainly inspired to do this by the likes of other’s like IncredibleIntruder who like me is into hypnosis and especially belly dancing but also puts little short stories in the descriptions of the stuff he commissions and uploads to his page and still continues to do so to this day. I HAD experimented with this kind of stuff before coming across there content but it wasn't until I started seeing some of there commissions I really started to take my stories for my pics seriously. And I’d continue to do this for a lot of my commissions as well. Even if it was a pic the artist didn’t give me permission to upload like with that Symbiote Shantae and Rottytops pic I’d still write a story for it! And eventually, I just only wrote up a short synopsis of what happened in leading up to what we see in a pic in its description because I wasn’t having any fun with these stories anymore. Which again, sucks that I feel that way because I do think about this stuff a lot. Especially the pics based around my self insert sona, something I’m extremely proud to have created, because the whole reason that exists was born of decades of me having a hyper active imagination and always imagining myself actually in the worlds of the games I play, especially ones that let you play as customized characters such as Wii Sports Resort or Mario Kart Wii, and making up my own little Kingdom Hearts styled crossover universe but wasn’t just relegated to stuff belonging to a single property… And also the lore not being a headache to get used to.

For example, the pic of my sona becoming an Ankha Drone I had this whole story planned out while it was getting worked on of them walking into Ankha suddenly in their home on their island with two other Ankha Drones and would be the ones converting my sona into one of them. Then there’s the one of them in the coils of Naga Shantae which would have been right after an encounter with Risky Boots and both my sona and Shantae being very exhausted and Shantae offering some nice and snug coil hugs until we were both ready to head home. And the Techno Drone pic where the story would of involved them knowing about SuperTechno (the artist of that pic who’s sona turns characters into fembots) hypnotizing ladies into being his Fembots while still extending it to males, not being aware of the fact that many of the Fembots in Techno’s army were kidnapped, asking if he could allow himself to be a drone with one of the main reasons he wants this and allows himself to be hypnotized a fair bit is because of not having the best mental state, something I obviously am implying I sometimes have and this was my way of projecting onto them. Similarly, the Ashour Drone pic I got of my sona was going to have a story of them finding Shantae as an Ashour Drone and confused on why she’s the way she is which leads him back to Ammer (again, artist of that pic and who’s sona is a freelance hypnotist hypnotising willing people into being his Ashour Drones) and after looking into him and his drones a bit more offering to be one of his Ashour Drones for a similar reason to the Techno Drone one. Even my most recent pic of my Genie AU sona with Urbosa I tried to write a whole story of her originally finding the lamp and the two of them exchanging some dialogue before using hypnosis on her to influence her wish for a massage.

And yes, this applies to Mikaela pics as well. The collab I got with Violet Scales featuring both our OC’s I wanted to write a story of Mikaela stumbling upon a snake basket housing Jermisha during one of Mikaela’s erotic photoshoots as an explanation as to why she was already dressed in bedlah to begin with. The pic of Naga Mikaela mummified I wanted to write a story of her trying to surprise attack Eliza from Skullgirls to potentially add to her harem but backfiring and resulting in Naga Mikaela mummified by Eliza and coupled with some taunting from the 1000 year old Egyptian Vampire followed by her telling the Naga that she’s going to make a great display peace for her place. Even the pic of Naga Mikaela with Sharah I considered writing a story about her finding Sharah’s ring and putting it on not knowing that there was a cute genie girl inside and that’s how they met.

Hell, even writing this I struggled with doing and the only reason I pushed though was because it felt wrong to not have any new full-length stories without giving an explanation on why. Now at this point I’m sure a lot of you would be saying “Oh there’s an easy solution for this. Just use something like ChatBotGT or some other AI program to do the stories for you! Does all the work and gives you more time to do other things.” But I hope you NEVER fucking said that because telling me to use a style of generative content, which is notorious for being built of stealing other people’s work and passing it off as something ‘original’ just to get over my own lost desire to write is fucking stupid! Honestly, I think the better and more healthy option for me is to just stick with what I’ve been doing for the last few pics. Short descriptions and a brief summery that still add’s lore to my characters if needed. That might disappoint a lot of you who followed me solely for the writing but let me ask you this. What do you think is more important? Me forcing myself to slog though writing a story I’m not having fun writing and even if I do finish it my reaction will be more of a “thank God that’s over” reaction than any sort of positive one or doing shorter stuff that doesn’t take as much time to do and I know most people probably don’t even read anyway (sadly) so I can focus on what I enjoy more?

In fairness I knew this would happen eventually, because how many stories have you heard of creators who have lost their drive and motivation for what they enjoy doing? Need an example? How about Hideo Kojima who didn’t even want to work on Metal Gear Solid 4 originally because he just didn’t have the same passion for this franchise as he did once and the only reason he even agreed to work on 4 in the end was because of all the death threats he got from fans? Or how we almost got a new Jak and Daxter game in between the release of Uncharted 2 and The Last of Us but it ended up being cancelled because no one at Naughty Dog felt any motivation to make a new Jak game and they literally went “Are we really doing this because we want to or because of marketing reasons?” Or how about Geroge Lucas having to put up with so much hate and harassment from Star Wars fans though out the 2000’s just because of how he was telling the story that he created to the point where it just wasn’t fun for him anymore and gladly sold the franchise to Disney when offered without a second thought. (And before any revisionist historians try to comment “umm, no actually! That’s not it! Your just being a Disney apologist!” Clearly you don’t remember what George Lucas said in an interview one time before months before the Disney buy out. “Why would I make any more, when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a horrible person you are” anyone?)

So yeah, I’m sorry if this is sad news to anyone. But because I lack the passion I once had you really shouldn’t expect any new long stories for a good long while.

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