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wecandoit · 6 months

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Hi everyone! I've been doing this challenge called 30 days of intentionality (30doi) and I thought I'd explain how I'm doing it in case anyone wants to join in! I have no prompts for this one bc it is by nature quite personal.

THE CHALLENGE

Similar to the 30 days of productivity challenge, this one is really open to interpretation. Anyone can do it and mold it however they like, I'm just here to give a little bit of guidance to those who need it.

For me, intentions include 'keeping in good health', 'studying for my dream job', 'working towards my career', 'maintaining and building good friendships'.

If you're unsure about how to format your posts, this is what i include:

- date - intentions (if you make these vague, it's a good idea to elaborate on how you plan to achieve your intentions) - a recommendation (current reads, songs, movies, videos, etc) - reflection - tags with #30doi here's an example of one of my 30doi posts for reference

other notes:

I usually update my post throughout the day, crossing out the stuff I've done and adding in a reflection before bed if i can.

You can do this challenge manually, I sometimes write my intentions down on paper for a few days and then transcribe (you don't have to transcribe)

This challenge should be for you, don't worry about posting consistently, or making your posts pretty. the important thing is that you are being intentional with your day.

Even if you don't physically post or write your intentions, try to think to yourself what they might be each day, and try your best to meet those.

Off-days are okay, in fact, they are what make this challenge a real challenge. if you're just running on the momentum of having had a perfect streak, there's no difficulty in this

Tag your posts under the tag #30doi so that others can see your posts and interact (including me)

if you want a reblog, i track the tag #heydilli which can be used for non-challenge posts too

That's all I can think of for now, but like I said, the 30doi is open to interpretation and i am by no means taking credit for 'creating' the challenge. like i mentioned for the 30dop, i don't really believe these challenges can be created. Below the cut is a rant about intentionality and my reasons for doing this challenge if you want to have a read.

Hope to see your posts and progress, xx dilli 🤍

What is intentionality?

We all know what intentions are—your purpose and meaning behind doing something. Intentionality is bigger, it is "the structure which gives meaning to experience." Intentionality is your capacity to have intentions. Having intentions governs how you perceive every experience you have. Take this example: if your intention for tonight is to wind down and relax, settling down in front of the TV will be viewed as a way to rest, reset, recover. If however, your intention for tonight is finish up uni work, watching TV will be viewed as a way that you procrastinate and avoid doing your work. Your perception of anything, then, is informed by your intentions. Without intentions, anything that you do can seem pointless. I often have a never-ending list of assignments, but if I don't actively intend to do work, watching Youtube all night doesn't seem like a bad thing—after all, it's not like I intended to do anything else with my time.

Why am I doing this challenge?

Lately I find myself moving through my daily routine rather mindlessly. I do a bit of schoolwork here, a bit of mindless scrolling there, but I don't really know why I'm doing these things. I have goals that I'm working towards, but they seem distant and unaffected by my day-to-day choices. In reality, though, the choices that I make every day are what determine whether I reach my goals, where I will be and what kind of person I am in five or ten or however many years. By setting intentions, I will make it clear what I should be doing and why it is important that I do it. The idea is that by merely logging my intentions and results over these 30days, I will subconsciously be predisposed to fulfil those intentions

Read more about intentionality here

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emberglowfox · 9 months

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okay a few people have asked now abt steelheart redux so i will do my best to give an overview the maelstrom of vague thoughts it consists of at the moment

basically, steelheart is the oc story i've been posting a shitton of on and off for the past while. steelheart redux refers specifically to its latest iteration, which is completely (mostly) sci-fi and mech driven as opposed to the standard dragon rider story it was before.

it focuses primarily on these guys!

arthur is a human, while zarian is a DRACO, specifically a v1, which i will elaborate on below the readmore bc this is a little long haha

the setup for the story is essentially this:

the DRACOs (version 1, aka v1s) are big draconic mechs that are basically the equivalent of a super high-tech fighter jet with some other bells and whistles, the most notable being that they're pretty much human powered. but to be efficiently powered long-term, they have to be (or have part of them, really) permanently fused to a human host (or any living creature, technically, but humans are what they're like. made for).

despite all that, stuff surrounding their creation goes pretty well for a while, until the v1s mysteriously 'wake up'-- as in, suddenly attain self-aware consciousness, and start talking to their hosts (known as pilots) who understandably take this pretty badly. it's like if the fighter jet you've been flying around and are also kind of biologically fused to suddenly grew a brain and started asking about your day. things get even worse when the company producing the v1s attempts to like. undo this by forcing out an update patch, which has the unintended effect of corrupting the (previously entirely benevolent, just curious) v1s and turning them into crazed murder machines. stuff is bad for a while.

the ACTUAL story takes place 15 years after this, when stuff still isn't amazing but has mostly evened out. the company responsible for the v1s collapsed in the initial chaos, but from its ashes came a new company, Defenex, which has been producing DRACO v2s. they're the sleeker, badder cousins to the v1, made for the sole purpose of protecting towns from and hunting down remaining v1s. they're also, very critically, Not Mysteriously Self-Aware like the v1s are (or. were?) which is good.

the plot follows arthur steele, a fifteen year old boy living in one of the surviving cities, who through a series of accidents comes to be permanently fused to a (mysteriously un-murderous but distinctly unhappy) v1 calling himself Zarian. at first, his goal is to get Zarian removed from his back so they can go their separate ways and he can go back to his unremarkable, relatively safe life. unfortunately, this does not go according to plan. at all. but in the process, they start learning more about the mysterious origins of the DRACO incident and asking questions some people REALLY don't want answered. along the way, they make a few friends, come to actually like each other, and accidentally develop a reputation as Public Enemy #1, Definitely Evil, Kill On Sight. oops.

and that's the gist! i know... a lot of what happens, within that window, but most stuff isn't like nailed down clearly or in order yet, because i've discovered that while i am good with coming up with originally story ideas, actually plotting one from start to finish, coherently and satisfactorily, does NOT come naturally to me at all.

but, at the very least, it has become a fun brain playground and happiness generator, because i am veeery attached to these guys. moreso than i ever have gotten about my own ocs in my whole life tbh

#if u have specific questions feel free but i hope this is like. a legible world overview #so much happens here though. they almost die in a rite-aid. they blackmail a grown adult. they meet god(?) and hes annoying. its a blast #sparks speaks #steelheart redux #sparks art #steelheart redux lore

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fancifulplaguerat · 11 months

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I wish there were more dialogues between Victor and Daniil about death because honestly those conversations seem the most revealing about Daniil’s conception of it. Daniil’s skepticism towards Victor’s more mental, philosophical view suggests that Daniil conceives of life and death in a much more tangible, physiological way, which is more revealing about Daniil’s philosophy and work than most of the text. I will admit it drives me up the wall in ways I cannot articulate that it’s so vague exactly what Daniil’s objective is, and what his research entails. We get so little insight, but Isidor’s letter and his celebrity status indicate that he is established in his field, but that’s about all, perhaps besides that infamous and offhand comment that Daniil has reanimated someone (???). In my endeavor to get my bachelor’s degree in Dankovsky I gather that Daniil is likely focused on achieving longevity through something like preventing tissue death or aging; a physiological solution that is rather than the Kains’ mental one.

The Kains are nefarious to no end but I find the concept of their “immortality” fascinating. That Victor and Georgiy “die” to give themselves up in service of the memory of their dead loved ones, of essentially being stuck in perpetual grief. It doesn’t even seem that effective, considering the frankly impractical soul-swapping shenanigans. But while the game’s text communicates that the Kains have triumphed over death, there’s only one instance I can remember of Daniil expressing this view; in the Haruspex Route, he says “[The Kains] conquered death. And that is why I live. We have a lot in common.” Otherwise, Daniil is rather skeptical towards Victor’s explanations, which I feel ties into how he views the Polyhedron; it’s the single most important thing to Daniil, but not for its actual ability or purpose. Even in Artemy’s route, when Daniil is most starry-eyed for the Kains, his main goal in preserving the Polyhedron is both to prove that possibility is not immutable, and as revenge against Aglaya. In the Haruspex Route, he describes the Polyhedron as “a miracle capable of pushing humanity towards a new breakthrough” and when he chooses to save the Polyhedron: “It is a delicate fortress that holds veritable proof that however well-established our notions of possibility are, they still fail to account for what may or may not exist. This is the bastion I am willing to fight for.” Besides that moment in Artemy’s route, Daniil seems to primarily view the Polyhedron as a symbol for humanity’s achievements and possibility, rather than a vessel for immortality, which makes sense given that while Daniil so loves the Polyhedron, almost every character in the game emphasizes that he doesn’t actually understand it.

I’m especially interested in how the Stamatins talk about the Polyhedron, such a Peter saying that “To fall in love with [the Polyhedron], you have to have a vivid imagination... and a huge heart” and that the Tower is for “lovers, dreamers, and poets” all of which Daniil staunchly says he is not, which is where I want to touch on a particular dichotomy in his character. Daniil is first and foremost rational, and quick to shoot down anything he thinks is irrational. I notice he’s prone to accuse people of speaking poetically when they explain the more miraculous aspects of the Town to him, like he refuses to believe anything even slightly misaligned with his rigid, rational worldview. He seems downright obsessed with the rational; in his route, he tells Andrey “Madness is frightening... It’s the only thing I’m truly afraid of,” which gets elaborated on to Katerina: “And I, a champion of reason, fear madness over anything else.” But then he has these rather fantastical goals, and longs for miracles, and professes to take philosophy rather seriously. Perhaps Daniil’s idealism is focused through a lens of perceived rationality, but I also wonder if Daniil is imposing that rationality on himself. Even if he doesn’t truly “understand” the Polyhedron, his appreciation for it still suggests he is an imaginative and emotional person. There even seems a sense that his imaginative disposition is something he lost, considering when he tells Kaspar, “thank you for bringing me back to my childhood, if only for a moment. I’ve already forgotten what it’s like...” He also says, “[Artemy] will speak the language of the scary tales of our long-lost childhood—the language I've forgotten already.” Of course these quotes can be taken many ways, but given that Daniil is a utopian, it reads as though he could be scornful towards the absolute rationalism of adulthood, and misses the hopeful idealism and easy imagination of being young.

This is speculation, but I wonder if Daniil’s obsession is a response to people accusing his work of being improbable or even ridiculous, as Isidor writes: “there is an observable case that would quell the obscurants that reject the research of death, aging, and necrosis as a subject that lacks academic viability.” Perhaps he is afraid of being viewed as anything but a Sensible Scientist, and God forbid, a poet

#pathologic #daniil dankovsky #patho.txt

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writing-hat · 28 days

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Out of curiosity, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to.

how would jay (from your fic) react to seeing or hearing about Arrakore?

SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG TO ANSWER I needed to figure out how it would happen (idk if this is complete or not but it should be)

anyway bbnb!jay meeting Arrakore!

oh he would FREAK OUT

Like, real and heavy panic attacks that make me absolutely tense every time I write them

He would not feel safe every time he's around Arrakore, and panic alone in a room as soon as he can or something I think.

because Nadakhan kept lying to him about how djinns really were (for intimidation purposes mainly, but also because he was pursuing his own sort of ideal that lead to him getting banished from his homeworld (I'll explain all that in another fic that's taking me a while to write dw about it for now)), Jay is going to think Arrakore has to be lying all the time, or at the very least playing with them

He might even think Arrakore might be planning revenge for his people, like Nadakhan had, or is at the very least working with him or something

First scenario. First meeting might be Jay freaking out with his powers going insane, and him actually loosing control for the first time in a while. This might lead to Arrakore trying to help him control his powers, only for everything to get worse.

Or, second scenario, Jay might attack on purpose, trying to get rid of someone he knows is an enemy. There's no way that djinn would be on their side, and his friends trust him cuz they don't remember. That's it. Nya? She trusts the guy, but she can be wrong, and that's okay. He'll do the dirty work for her

3rd scenario would be Jay not attacking, after being told by the others not to, but being tense, not letting him out of his sight for even a second. Or trying to avoid him.

If it's during his amnesia, I'm considering the first or third being more of what could happen. I do like the idea of him not knowing why he's so scared, why he's so terrified of someone he's never known

Maybe even have Nadakhan's face replacing the Arrakore's every now and then, and him not really knowing what to do

I have multiple ideas mainly because I'm not done with my fic, and I have not decided on what the resolution of his emotions or powers is going to be. I mean, I have something I consider a vague idea, but based on how I handle it, Jay is going to have more or less control of himself whenever things like those are going to happen to him

Also, depending on whether Arrakore knows it's because of Nadakhan or not, his actions are going to be very much different as well

Cuz he knows how much of a twisted bastard the banished prince was, and he knows he must've done something terrible if Jay panics whenever he sees him like that

The worst in this, is that I see Arrakore being a kind and good soul, always trying to help out the lightning ninja

only for it to ultimately fail

But yeah! Overall, Jay would be terrified, and not trusting of Arrakore. He'd even try to get rid of him at all cost, and if he understands that his friends trust that guy, then he might try to do that behind their backs. I am one to believe Jay would be ruthless when it comes to a situation that is serious, especially if it's to protect his friends

An even twisted way for things to happen, would Jay taking sorta revenge about Nadakhan on Arrakore. How? Plenty of ideas there, idk if you guys want me to elaborate cuz this is already VERY long (and I'm sorry about that MJKERRLGK I digress easily help)

(Of course this would be resolved but it would take TIME. so so much TIME. And I am one to take time and write a lot when it comes to comfort and all so yea.)

thank you for the ask!! and I hope this answered properly

see you around!

#anonymous asks are scary #hat's words #hat's fics #bbnb #bending but never breaking #arrakore #jay #this actually makes me wanna write about it #but I have too much to finish #maybe once I clean a bit my unfinished fics zgelhsrts #thanks for the ask!! sorry again for taking so long to answer argh

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allthesunlightwecansee · 1 month

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The (Un)seriousness of My Practice

I just got done watching a short podcast episode on being an unserious witch, and it helped me to articulate some thoughts and feelings that I’ve been having over the past year. About a year ago now, I had a kind of breakthrough where I figured out how to connect with witchcraft and paganism, instead of vaguely calling myself a “person who wishes they were more spiritual,” like I had for several years prior to that. Not to sound like a YA romance novel, but my spiritualism was a slow build up that then hit me all at once that year. As I’m sure a lot of people on Tumblr will relate to, it was a really exciting seven months or so of figuring myself out before life got really stressful and overwhelming, and my spirituality kind of fell to the wayside. However, even during that period of excitement, it wasn’t like I was performing spells every day or doing elaborate rituals and ceremonies like some witches do (though I’m well aware the vast majority do not). Instead, that year involved a lot of reading and learning and altar building, since I am a collector at heart. I think I finally settled into kind of a routine with my spirituality, which I have come to accept, even though it isn’t what I thought it would look like.

Something that I find a bit intimidating about the Internet in general is seeing people who look like they have everything put together. Some practicing witches online clearly do make their whole lives revolve around their practice, particularly those who have turned it into a career via social media or YouTube. That’s a perfectly acceptable way to practice obviously, but it does mean that online spaces tend to feel a little gatekept sometimes when it comes to unserious witchcraft. I would definitely label my practice as being unserious; I rarely create spells at this point, I am very colloquial with the deities that I work with and honor, some of my altars are built almost solely around my need to house certain books (though I am quite deliberate in what deities I create altars for), I enjoy collecting crystals over working spells, and a lot of my spirituality revolves around feeling and the visual, physical objects that I have acquired for my various altars. I can think of several witchcraft Youtubers that I like and whose content I enjoy that would say that I am not a witch because of how I practice, which doesn’t reflect how I actually feel about myself and my practice. For me, spirituality feels more fluid than that. The fact that I create some spells and hold sacred space for my deities still falls under the realm of witchcraft, even though that’s not what works for other people. I have found that having discrete alters for different deities and purposes, makes it easier for me to connect with my spirituality, because I find that adding to altars, lighting, candles, leaving long-term spells, and other forms of magic work better for me personally.

Because of that, while I am not a serious witch in that witchcraft and spirituality do not rule my life, the practice that I do have, however minimal, does fill a gap that was missing in my life. I have also realized that a minimal practice isn’t a bad thing; it’s why their entire podcasts devoted to small magical practices (my favorite is Demystifying Magic), in addition to YouTube channels and accounts that depict serious career witches. It also means that I still keep my other hobbies, and that witchcraft has not become my primary “hobby,” so to speak. I have collected action figures and dolls for over a decade now, which encompasses all of my teenage and adult life. While I know some witches abide by notions of lowering consumption and just generally having a quieter living space, my living space is completely decked out in my various collections, and that hasn’t changed since I pinned down an evolving form of my spirituality. I think some people would see me as incredibly unserious for doing that, but I don’t feel as though one part of myself has to eclipse the other, just because it is more metaphysical in nature. I also know that I have a lot more learning and growing to do in my practice as I figure out what I believe in and what I want to take with me, but I don’t anticipate the physicality of how I practice changing anytime soon. In other words, my unserious practice doesn’t have less value just because it is not elaborate, and I am more secure in that now than I was a few months ago.

#paganism #witchcraft #hellenism #hellenic polytheism #altar #personal

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baldursyourgate · 8 months

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Patch 2 Karlach got an entirely new ending huh 👀 Karlach ending vid & personal speculations for Minthara's extra content under the cut. Spoilers of course!

youtube

^Here's the video. The content of it is brand new, I literally couldn't find any of these lines in the datamine that was compiled at release (03/08/2023).

I wonder if they're going to do something similar for Minthara. There is an ending where we go back to Menzoberranzan👀

Previously, Karlach fans asked for another Karlach ending where her heart is fixed. That wasn't exactly what they asked for, but it's an ending where she lives nonetheless. So, wish fulfilled-ish? Meanwhile...

The request for Minthara's content so far is much more vague, thus making it more difficult to predict what extra content will be added in (if they were to do that)... Most were asking for Larian to patch her bugged lines and improve the overall lack of content. We never got to experience her romanced lines after Act 1 other than some crumbs and the datamine, so there was not really "the one" storyline-specific thing being asked for.

I am purposely ignoring the pregnancy plotline, it seems that the IGN article hinted that it truly is cut content from an earlier iteration of her character.

What I want & I think would be nice as extra Minthara content: More content of her being vulnerable after opening up to Tav would be super duper nice. I think I could draw somewhat of a parallel with Astarion's romance (from the little I know of it). Started off strong and physical, but more emotionally involved as it progressed, and in the end, it's the emotional connection that is the most fulfilling.

Her character is very power & control, but in the end...

even if the player didn't seize control of the elder brain, she forgives them because she's in love with them. I want to see more of that connection, more of it being built up. In the datamine right now, there's just that alurlssrin scene and that's it. Can we get a kiss from her 🥺 or a more romantic sex scene 🥺 pls Larian if you're reading this.

After all, it wasn't just the goblin afterparty altar scene that got most of us into Minthara, it was equal part that line where she promised she would take us as consort in Menzoberranzan too.

For non-romanced Minthara content, I'm actually not sure what could be added in other than an epilogue ending slide. Ending slides would benefit all companions and not just her, but yeah. I'm also curious on her lineage, but I'm not sure if that'd ever get elaborated upon.

Bottom line: I need her romance content in game & that elfsong tavern epilogue with her in game. For the extra content I hope we get new content that further her romantic connection with Tav 🥺and something more for the ending would be super nice too.

We're literally the most patient fans ever if I do say so myself lol. If Larian could pull this off not only would they please many of their longtime fans*, but it'd be incredible marketing/public relation move for them. Fixing Minthara's content might also encourage more players to replay and do an evil playthrough if they haven't done so.

*I feel like a lot of us who are fans of Minthara because we were here since Early Access and some solely played an evil playthrough for her. A few of my friends who played the game for the first time just straight up do good path, and Minthara was no more than another enemy to slaughter. Die hard, long time fans make for good evangelist marketer, word-of-mouth spreader and dedicated wiki editors. Larian's already got enough good rep, but the complaints has started to roll in, first on her & Karlach's content, then overall for Act 3, so I think a proper patching of Minthara and extra content would be golden tbh. Or maybe that's just the marketer/Minthara enjoyer in me talking. whopps.

And what do you think would make for nice additional content? Lmk!

#minthara #bg3 spoilers

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pansy2005 · 1 month

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I am actually very curious on ur thoughts on Dallon if u are willing to elaborate…if not then I respect that too 🫡

i cannot respect mormon men. also i think his whole thing is kind of annoying.

But it’s mostly the mormon thing. anyone who tries to reconcile being an active participant in the lds church and being even vaguely “progressive” and accepting of queer ppl is either being actively disingenuous or is deeply trapped in cognitive dissonance (many such cases). and it’s hard bcuz i don’t know how active he is i mean maybe he’s stopped going truly idk but like… the way he like specifically acknowledges his queer fans but doesn’t acknowledge the queer youth suicide epidemic in utah and how the church created that and perpetuates that (maybe he has i don’t pay attention to him so plz correct me if i’m wrong)

just like. knowing what i know about the church and their beliefs. it’s very hard for me to not feel like he’s being kind of disingenuous! and i don’t even think it’s necessarily on purpose cuz a lot of mormons have to turn off logical thinking to square all of their dissonant beliefs. but i feel like he should know better as popular and successful as he’s been.

and this is like a personal thing obviously bcuz there are queer mormons right but i think they’re just still deeply entwined in cognitive dissonance. but even if you take out the entire queer issue there’s the sexual abuse issue and like. how can you continue to be a part of that. how can you not denounce that! and that’s not even to start on the racism… i simply can’t respect practicing mormons at this point in time. like you have the internet. this shit isn’t exactly secret.

#i will religiously discriminate against dallon weekes. amen

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cryptid-crawly · 1 year

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Advice for Writing Fanfic

Assume your readers know what’s up. People read fanfic because they are, well, fans. Write with the assumption that your readers know the basics of the source material.

Don’t rewrite canon scenes unless you’ve significantly changed them. Whether it’s and AU or canon divergence, reading a play-by-play of the exact same scene as in canon (or one nearly identical with few or cosmetic changes) gets really old really fast. If there’s an important minor change, reference it in an original scene. If nothing changed and it’s canon divergence, your readers will assume it’s the same as canon. Want to rewrite an iconic canon scene in some vastly different AU? Change it up. Identify what elements of the scene are the most important and make something new that keeps the essence of those things.

Do not change your tags after the fact. To elaborate: this *specifically* means that you shouldn’t tag your fic with something only to go “ah-ha! It was a red herring!” and delete the tag later. Don’t do that. (A very dramatic example is tagging the fic as Everyone Lives/No One Dies and then deleting that later so you can have a surprise character death). Yeah, you might change your mind. In that case, let your readers know in the Author’s notes. But don’t do this on purpose.

Don’t worry about spoiling your plot. Have the greatest plot ever? Awesome! But people aren’t reading fanfic for new and original ideas (it’s transformative work for a reason). It’s great to write a complex and compelling story, but remember that first and foremost, people read fanfic to have a comfortable and familiar experience. It really really sucks to read 50k of something only to have a new tag/element thrown in as a surprise twist, when you intentionally try to filter that stuff out.

Write your summary to reflect what tropes/ships/setting your fic will have. This is part of not worrying about spoilers. Again, you may have a fantastic idea, but if you’re too afraid of spoiling it you may leave out too many details in the summary and people won’t be interested. Let your readers know what this story is about! Don’t be afraid to spoil some of the plot—I guarantee you it will make some people excited to “get to that point” in the fic. (For example, if character A secretly being a werewolf is an early plot twist, maybe don’t worry so much about revealing that in the summary?)

Don’t say you suck at summaries in the summary. Just trust me on this one. Write a summary like you’re convincing yourself to read the fic. Slap it on and go.

Stop using greenette, [color]-ette etc. That’s not done in published fiction.

Read published fiction. I don’t care what you read but read some of it occasionally. Otherwise you get used to the way that other fanfic writers write and ily all and am blown away by the creativity people put out into the world but many writers are new and learning and you’ll pick up bad habits. I personally recommend reading literary classics because 8 times out of 10 the writing is legit good. Not always, but it’s easier to guarantee good quality then just picking a random book.

Write for yourself. Yeah, whatever, this is lame advice. But it’s also true. Write what you want to read, otherwise you probably won’t have any fun. Eventually you’ll get to a point where you’re confident in your writing and you can go back and read your stuff and go “I am the funniest motherfucker in the room” and you’ll be right. (Replace “funniest” with whatever genre term applies to you. Like “angstiest”. Ignore that that isn’t a word.)

Comment on other people’s fics with questions. So technically this goes with the read published works one but it applies to both. The point is to develop literary analysis skills. When you read anything, think about it. Vague and unhelpful advice? Hell yeah that is. So if you want some concrete starting places: when you’re reading fic, ask yourself if you agree with how the author characterized your fav. Why did they act that way? Would you have written it that way? And engage with the author! This doesn’t mean point-blank saying “well I would’ve written it like this…” but if you notice a character decision you agree/disagree on or is interesting, simply ask “hey [xyz] scene/moment was interesting, why did you decide [blorbo] would do that?” Understand why authors made the choices they did in their writing. Learn. Grow. Flourish. Take over the world.

Occasionally revisit the source material. Reread or watch it or whatever applies. Dump fanon out of your head and think about the source. Please. I love you all, but please. Thank you.

To anyone who writes fanfic: I love you and thank you for sharing with the world. Hope this helps.

#thanks for coming to my Ted talk #writing advice #fanfic writing advice #fanfic writing #fanfic advice #idk wtf to tag this #read it and internalize it thank you #i have fallen into some of these pitfalls before #we are all susceptible #not the red herring tag thing tho but I have seen that #don’t do that #as someone who consumes a lot of fic the rewriting of canon scenes is my hill to die on #like it’s not a fanfic writing sin but by god #i suffer #AND AGAIN #i too have fallen astray #and done that

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beatricebidelaire · 1 year

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cracking the mystery

Esme shares her theory about Lemony Snicket with Ernest.

~1.1k. Esme Squalor. Ernest Denouement. mentions of Lemony Snicket and Beatrice Baudelaire. vaguely implied Bertrand/Ernest towards the end.

****

“Like, what is with your stupid organization’s tendencies to invent a secret third triplet identity that doesn’t actually exist? Is this written in your rulebook? Eye-tattoo 101?” Esme says, while adjusting the elaborate hat on her head.

“Eye tattoo 101,” Ernest repeats dryly.

“Eye tattoo, or whatever your organization’s called,” she waves a hand airly, her purple nails sparkling under the light. “I don’t really care.”

“Uh huh,” Ernest says. “And, pray tell, what gave you that impression?”

Esme glances at him, condescension in her eyes clear, as she explains, “Well, there’s you and your brother and your so-called urban legend third triplet, for one. I have yet to discern what the purpose of that one is, and frankly, I don’t have any interest in that anyway. But the other one is obvious.”

“Oh, really? Do enlighten me,” Ernest drawls.

She looks at him, as if she’s looking at an idiot. “Well, I obviously mean the fake secret third triplet of Jacques and Kit. Lemony Snicket? Have you ever heard a name that sounds faker than that? Lemony? Even Dewey is a better choice.”

“You can’t accuse someone of being fake and nonexistent just because they wrote unfavorable reviews of you in the newspaper,” Ernest says mildly. “You’re an actress. Which means that as your fame grows, you’ll get fans and also people who strongly dislike your performances.”

Esme glares at him. “Don’t patronise me,” she scowls. “I know how fame works, I’m not naive. But this Lemony is very obviously a made up fake name, and I’ve cracked the mystery behind it.”

Ernest waits, expectantly.

“It’s very obviously Beatrice Baudelaire’s pseudonym that she uses to write in Daily Punctilio’s theater column!” Esme cries. “She uses that to prop herself up, compliment her own performances, while slandering me! She thinks I don’t know, but I see right through her!”

“That’s -” Ernest pauses. “Actually, that’s something I can totally believe she’s capable of doing.”

“That’s exactly the kind of thing she will do, in order to steal more roles from me!” Esme says viciously. “She invents this pseudonym and makes it sound like Jacques Snicket and Kit Snicket’s third secret triplet, but ha! I see through all the lies! I know Jacques and Kit are just twins, just like you and Frank are just twins!”

“If Baudelaire wants to invent a pseudonym to write in the theater column, why not - I don’t know, literally any other name? Why does it have to be the third Snicket triplet?”

“Why do you and your brother invent a third triplet?” Esme shoots back. “Why do anyone in your dumb eye tattoo organization do anything? I sure as hell don’t know. You people have never been the most reasonable bunch. I assume this is some kind of weird protocol your organization has, when it comes to twins.”

“If I remember correctly, ‘Lemony Snicket’ once wrote in the theater column about how he’s dating Beatrice Baudelaire.”

“Exactly! Which further proves ‘Lemony Snicket’ doesn’t actually exist!” Esme says triumphantly.

“Okay, hold up,” Ernest says. “I couldn’t care less about Beatrice Baudelaire and I have never understood her appeal, but I am quite aware that many do, and you can’t possibly claim that Lemony Snicket doesn’t exist just because you think no one will want to date Baudelaire. Many people in fact are madly in love with her - many people without taste, that is.”

“Yes, I know that,” Esme says impatiently. “But do you think she would still be sleeping with me if she has a boyfriend?”

Ernest blinks. “What? You - I thought you hate her.”

“Of course I do, so what?” Esme demands.

“So nothing, I guess. I’m just surprised. Did not know I have to add you to the list of people without taste, but looks like I misjudged,” Ernest shrugs.

“I’m not in love with her or anything so stupid as that. I’m just sleeping with her. Sometimes. In order to better steal her stuff.”

“Uh huh, if you say so,” Ernest says skeptically.

“Anyway, obviously Baudelaire just made up this fake boyfriend identity who’s also Jacques Snicket and Kit Snicket’s secret third triplet, using this identity to write about how good of an actress she is, also dropping clues about not being single to fend off overzealous fans AND simultaneously showing off that she’s taken.”

Ernest Denouement, who knows for a fact that Lemony Snicket is very real, wants to say ‘do you really think Baudelaire would do something like this?” But after giving it some thought, he has to admit that, to this point so far, everything Esme just said still quite sounded like something Beatrice Baudelaire would do.

The problem with Beatrice Baudelaire, Ernest thinks, is that she would do anything. Nothing sounds too improbable for her. She is, for all intents and purposes, everyone’s wildest nightmare. Except people seem to think of her as some kind of lovely daydream.

“You met Olaf?” He asks, abruptly.

She blinks. “Who? Oh wait, The Count’s son?”

“The one and only,” Ernest confirms.

“Heard of him,” she shrugs. “I can’t tell if he’s Beatrice’s worst enemy or her best friend.”

“Same difference,” he says dismissively. Olaf’s been out of The City recently, something concerning The Count and family business, so it’s no wonder that Esme hasn’t yet had the chance to meet Beatrice Baudelaire’s brother in everything but name. “Anyway, if you ever do get the chance to, do mention this delightful theory of yours to him.”

She scoffs. “It’s not a theory. I know. Just because you’re a skeptic doesn’t mean it isn’t true.”

“Sure, sure,” he says, without any sincerity. “Do mention your ‘not a theory’ to him, then.”

****

“Hey, how was your day?” Ernest says, talking into the phone as he leans against the railings on the balcony just outside one of the hotel rooms.

“Sort of busy, although K and I did find some time to squeeze in a pairs tournament in between,” Bertrand replies, from the other end of the phone.

Ernest laughs. “That doesn’t sound very busy at all. How did you guys do?”

“67%. Would have been higher if we hadn’t doubled a 3 hearts and let them make four.”

Ernest whistles. “Oooh. 3 hearts doubled, that’s spicy, you gotta tell me the hand next time you come over. That said, 67%’s not bad overall. Anyway, I heard the funniest theory today that I desperately need to share with someone.”

Bertrand grins wryly. “Go ahead.”

“You sitting down for this? If not, please do so immediately. Anyway, here goes: Lemony Snicket is Beatrice Baudelaire’s pseudonym.”

#asoue #esme squalor #ernest denouement #my writing

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coldshrugs · 1 year

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oblivious

characters: aymeric de borel, estinien varlineau, io laithe (wol) word count: 1590 rating: general; some swearing but this is pre-estinio pining note: vague references to endwalker happenings.

Nearly a year has passed since Aymeric last visited Ala Mhigo. He finds the city as lovely as ever; beautifully laminated red stone carved into labyrinthine streets, elaborately-adorned domed roofs, and enormous granite griffins standing guard beneath the midday sun. These sights are the stark opposite of his snow-covered, gray Ishgard, yet the two nations have found enough common ground to forge bonds of allyship that, at least for his part, go beyond official accord.

As friends and allies gather to announce the recent fruits of their labors, it is with a heavy heart that he excuses himself to return home. Lucia is more than an extension of his command now. She has come into her own, and he is not the only person who needs her. Difficult as it may be, he must say farewell.

He descends the palace steps, shielding his eyes from the sun’s glare with a gloved hand. A small crowd is gathered at the landing, but it’s another flight down before he recognizes their faces. General Aldynn and Maxima, and ah, the guests of the hour.

The Scions of the Seventh Dawn are in top form. Armed for the worst, they need no uniform to feign confidence and cohesion. The eight of them are a unit, flawlessly in sync. Their presence alone should lift the spirits of those who await their arrival in the palace, even with worry lines creasing their brows.

But there is one among them who will unequivocally bolster the Contingent inside, as she always does, intentionally or not.

The Warrior of Light stands near the rear of her entourage, something that has not changed over the years. Though her escapades have won the hearts and minds of the realm, the woman behind the fame is reserved and soft-spoken, often shying away from attention if her voice isn’t needed. Oddly enough, she seems in good spirits today. A company of hundreds awaits an address from the Scions–from her–yet Io is beaming.

Most unusual...

Estinien stands by her side, arms folded across his chest. His posture is as uninviting as ever, but there is something relaxed about his stance. He looks at home among the Scions–more than he ever did with the Knights Dragoon or any military order. Relief washes over Aymeric; he’d prayed this would be a good change for his friend, that he would finally find his people and purpose after a life filled with painful memories and the near-unquenchable thirst for vengeance. The Fury has indeed smiled upon him.

From his vantage on the stairs, Aymeric watches the pair. They observe the others chatting around them, their attention split between the larger conversation and quietly-spoken words between themselves.

Is… is Estinien smiling?

Aymeric is close enough to call to them without being inappropriate. “My friends!” He says, bounding eagerly down the last of the stone steps. “Full glad am I to see you all before I take my leave of the city.”

Thancred reaches for a handshake, clapping him on the elbow, and Urianger sweeps into a bow far deeper than his station deserves. The Leveilleur twins bow as well, curt and polite. Alphinaud smiles. “Lord Commander, what a welcome surprise! Are you not staying for the meeting?”

Aymeric explains his involvement and Lucia’s deft handling of Ishgard’s hand in the Ilsabard Contingent, but his attention is on his oldest comrade. Estinien leans into Io and whispers something unintelligible, and she covers her mouth to keep from laughing and responds in kind.

Hm.

With the other pleasantries finished and the Scions continuing their business, Aymeric steps through the small crowd and toward his friend. Suddenly something far more interesting than wartime geopolitics is brewing, and Aymeric won’t find this in his pile of reports from the front. He extends a hand. “You seem to be settling in rather well, Estinien. Tis good to see you.”

Estinien clasps his wrist, and Aymeric tugs him into a tight embrace.

“Must you?” A resigned sigh ruffles Aymeric’s hair. After a few seconds, the hug is accepted, and Estinien lifts a hand to pat his back twice. Good enough.

“Yes, always,” Aymeric says, releasing the cantankerous bastard and turning to the Champion. Her eyes are alight with amusement at the sudden display of affection. “Mistress Io, how is he doing? I trust you see that he’s eating enough? Avoiding moogle-infested lands?”

She glances over at Estinien, mild surprise raising her brows, but he offers only a shrug in response.

“What did I tell you?” Estinien's voice is dripping with a lighthearted smugness that Aymeric can only describe as playful. His brows knit.

“Wonderful to see you, Ser Aymeric. But I’m afraid I’ve been instructed to tell you only that Estinien is getting on well. Offering details could come at a great personal cost–he knows where I live now.” Io’s soft laugh bubbles through her words.

Was that what he whispered as Aymeric came down the stairs?

He hums, “Instructed or coerced? So long as ‘getting on well’ is the truth of the matter, I should have no cause for concern. Perhaps I–”

“Laithe, Varlineau–” Raubahn calls, one heavy foot on the steps, ready to make the trek to the palace. The other Scions have left without them. “Shall we?”

Io’s smile is a tight line, “Right behind you, General.” She turns to Estinien and the smile softens. “But you should stay a moment and catch up. For such dear friends, you don’t spend nearly enough time together. I will live vicariously through your tardiness, and you might be spared the clumsy speech they’ll ask me to give.”

Estinien snorts a breath of laughter, and Aymeric balks, blinking in wide-eyed shock. Neither seems to notice him and if they do, they do not care.

Estinien nods as Io turns away, trailing behind the general, and Aymeric gives her a short bow.

The dragoon's gaze follows her up the steps, half-entranced, almost as if he has forgotten where he is and next to whom he's standing. Aymeric does not miss the way his eyes pass over her form–soft, protective, bordering on desperate.

Aymeric clears his throat once Io begins the second flight of stairs. “Getting on well, indeed, aren’t you?”

He drags his stare back to Aymeric, squinting against the sun gleaming off his blue and gold armor. “They pay me generously and provide lodging. Besides, someone must make sure the boy keeps himself out of trouble. All these fucking academics–rattling off endless facts and theories, frequently wanting for common sense.”

“And Mistress Io?”

“What about her?”

Of course he's oblivious. In the early days of their knighthood, Estinien was popular among the young onlookers that would gather to watch the new recruits spar. More than a few approached him with charged suggestions, but so singular was his focus, so sharp his rage, that word soon spread his affection was an impossibility. He would have some small number of short affairs over the years that followed, a need for distraction perhaps? But this… this is a shade of Estinien he has not seen in all the long years they have been acquainted.

The man is smitten.

“The two of you seem closer than I remember.” Aymeric considers his next question carefully. Estinien is as likely to hit him with his lance or walk away without a word as he is to answer. “What do you think of her? Of working with her so closely?”

He makes a low, rumbled sound Aymeric is familiar with, thinking over his reply. "Io is a force, but surely that is not news to you. The realm has no shortage of problems; big or small, she treats every last godsdamn farmer, shopkeep, and wailing child as if they were you. Too good for the lot of us."

He crosses his arms again, meeting Aymeric's eye. "Why do you ask? You still correspond with her on occasion, do you not? She is as much your friend as mine."

He cannot see it, right in front of him, plain as day.

"Mm, perhaps 'friend' is erroneous in both cases. Nevertheless, I am pleased you have someone like her," Aymeric pauses, "for support, of course, as you adjust to– what was it again?– 'all these fucking academics.' Though, I am confident they are thrilled to have you on their side."

Estinien leans back on his heels, chuckling at Aymeric’s weak-voiced swear. “Aye, they’re a hospitable group.” He glances up the stairs. Io and General Aldynn are inside now, and though his face does not betray him, there is a gravity to his pining. It pulls at him. He takes a step forward, clapping Aymeric on the shoulder. “I should go inside. It was good to see you, my friend. Give my regards to our brothers in arms, will you?”

He begins his ascent, taking the first several steps in twos.

“Estinien,” Aymeric calls, blocking the harsh light with his hand once more. “When you figure it out, I hope you reach for what you want. You deserve nothing less than happiness, brother.”

His brows knot with confusion. Then he grins, eyes narrow and spirited. “Save your tender words for the House of Lords, Aymeric. I assure you, I am fine.” He waves, continuing his climb, up and up, and Aymeric watches until he reaches the door, then heaves a sigh, unable to hide his smile as he makes for the aetheryte plaza.

There is something terribly romantic about it: with calamity looming in the distance, perhaps even heroes might find the time to fall in love.

#azia writes #io/estinien #io laithe #continuing the tradition of posting fic very late and fleeing #love that autocorrect tries to change estinio to 'destined'. yes yes they are #idk i just thought it would be really funny that no one else has noticed something brewing between these two #but aymeric sees them for five seconds and KNOWS

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temporarilyunstable · 8 months

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Hi, I like your cover pic. Are you a fan of ShizuAka? Do you think the show is pushing them as a couple? Since they have a not so big age gap? Compare to Kogami?

Hello! Yes I am a HUGE fan... I shipped them since this scene when PPFI premiered:

I was alone for a bit and was a little afraid to talk about them and then a few months later some fans started to notice it too (@oatbrew answering a bunch of asks a few months after PPFI aired, one of which was anon sent by @shikkokans who is probably my closest sounding board when it comes to shizuaka these days whoops I went on a tangent). Anyway, Jay's answers and the awakened interest in it gave me a bit of courage to be embarrassingly annoying about them and began using the tag shizuaka (chose that over akashizu bec it sounded weird lol), then I began writing fics and shoving it down everyone's throats (this is mostly on twitter but i do occasionally do it here as well 🤪).

To be honest I think it's too early to say anything about shizuaka, but I'm not gonna lie, the possibilities are there— I can talk about them so much especially the supplementary materials (novels, deleted script, profiling 3) that I think were purposely removed from the show (OR intentionally added bec these were published after the show aired— could be either) but for now it's nothing. And, well I always like to say there's nothing there, but there's everything to jump off from, if that makes sense. Doesn't take a lot for me to ship but for me to ship this hard it's because there's solid potential and I can't unsee the connections... sorry for being vague! It's because shizuaka is such a small ship right now and I have so much fun with it, I have already seen some fans who mock it because it's a threat to koaka if it does happen. I never stopped shipping koaka, just been shipping them differently from before and with shizuaka I truly don't mind sharing with people who are genuinely interested and not here to yuck my yum, know what I mean?

I will say this. If last March 27, 2020 I called it a crack ship, I cannot, in all my capacity as an audience and a PP fan be able to say the same about them with the information I have now. I'm sorry for the long non-answer but you got me started and I just love them so much so sorry if this is annoying to read... if you're still interested please send me another ask and I'll be happy to elaborate 😊.

As for the "pushing", I think that anyone who walks into psycho pass expecting romance and specially those really seeking validation through "canon status" is setting themselves up for disappointment (not saying you are by the way, this is just a general observation). PP is really not that kind of show. The best any ship fan could hope for is screen time - and meaningful screen time at that. This is why koaka is the most popular ship (in non-JP speaking countries), because despite the fact that creators can say what their intentions were (eg koaka are platonic comrade buddies) and the audience absolutely refusing to see otherwise, the story has already established koaka's relationship to be the most important of the series so far. The audience can make of that what they will, the creators are not stopping fans from doing so buuuuut I also get this feeling they're the kind of team who do not want their intentions to be brushed over by fans hence the "course-correcting" that happened in the midst of promoting PPP (note: THIS IS JUST MY INTERPRETATION).

In any case, PP never explicitly depicts romance, and you can count with your fingers ON ONE HAND the actual romantic scenes—by this I mean literal canon— not romantic as interpreted by fans. So no, I don't think the show is pushing for any ship at all, regardless of any age gaps. What I can guarantee is that the marketing team will sure as hell use that sweet sweet shipping fuel to earn a bit more money from merchandise sales 😉.

#psycho pass #shizuaka #akane tsunemori #shizuka homura #psycho pass 3 #moral of the story #canon is canon and it only matters when it serves you

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thefanficwriterscraft · 1 year

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Hi!! This is going to be very long-winded so I apologize in advance.

I just discovered you guys yesterday so I am catching up on episodes. Today I listened to the OC one and it really made me want to throw in my two cents about x reader/x you fanfic written in second person because as of this summer it was pretty much unknown to me and now it's all I write.

A little backstory on me -- I first started writing fanfiction at 13 for House MD believe it or not. Which tells you basically everything you need to know about me lmao. Actually, Jo, when I heard your username, pebblysand it actually triggered a deeply distant memory for me, like I had seen your name somewhere before. Then when you mentioned you also wrote for House MD I was sure that is where I had seen it. I was also in the Harry Potter fandom (moreso was there for Snape) but never wrote for HP.

Anyway, bringing us up to present day, in college I wrote for both Fable and Once Upon a Time, but after that I stopped writing fic for about 10 years. It wasn't until early June of last year that I fell in love with a certain metalhead that took the fandom world by storm -- Eddie Munson.

Coming back into fandom like this after being away for so many years was a bit of a shock for me. It took me a while to feel it out and find my place in it all, especially when it came to writing fanfic. Actually, this fandom was my first encounter with second person fic writing, in fact it is the most popular ship in the fandom -- Eddie x Reader. Even wildly more popular than Eddie x Steve (Steddie).

I immediately fell in love with this concept and thought it was actually quite brilliant because at the end of the day, that's what we want. To be able to insert ourselves into a story where Eddie falls in love with us. Not through some OC as was the norm before. But going further than that, what I really wanted to get into was that depending on the length of the story, these reader characters really are OCs. But because they are never given a physical description it is so much easier to insert yourself into their role in the story, which is why a lot of us read this kind of fic in the first place.

In the podcast, it seemed like the two of you didn't have a ton of experience reading this kind of fic, so I wanted to elaborate on the concept. In some cases, yes, people are writing based on request. Especially for oneshots and drabbles where characters can be a bit more vague. Physical descriptions are kept to a minimum as a standard, but in a lot of cases, people like myself do give their reader characters fully fleshed out backstories and room for character development just like any other leading character in a novel. The story I am writing at the moment is truly a novel with all the benchmarks of one, but written in second person.

You would think that this would defeat the purpose of x reader but quite the contrary, in my opinion. When reading second person it really allows you to immerse yourself into the story, for you to pretend to be someone else for a while. That's the real beauty of it for me, because I'm not constantly jarred by seeing someone else's name and picturing their OC as if I'm watching it from a 3rd person pov. It removes the barrier which typically turns me away from reading character x OC fic and allows me to really be immersed.

I adore this trend. I think it's the best thing to happen to fanfiction in recent years. It doesn't appeal to everyone, but it functions beautifully in storytelling.

I also adore this podcast that you've created together! It's a gift, thank you so much for it.

Thank you so much for this amazing message, this is so interesting. For anyone who needs context, our episode on OCs is here:

I (@pebblysand) will add my thoughts in here and I'll let @copper-dust reblog if she has anything to add.

Firstly, as a side note, the fact that you know my username from House is wild, thank you so much, I'm in awe that you remember me haha. Also, interestingly, one of my House fics (which only exists on ffn and is really bad) is actually from a second-person POV (though no reader insert). I haven't written second-person POV since but as I said on our POV episode, I really do like it when it's done well (which definitely wasn't the case in that fic, lol).

Regarding the reader-insert info you gave us, thank you so much, that is so interesting. As (I think) I said on the ep, the only fandom that I'm familiar with where I've seen this be quite an important trend is Peaky Blinders, though I have seen quite a few people talk about them on TikTok as well. I can imagine it being prominent in real people fandoms, I can see how it suits the appeal that you've described so well.

I think (IIRC) I was quite dismissive of this trend in the original episode, and for that I apologise. I think my struggle was very much rooted in what you're describing in your ask, which is that these reader-insert characters generally seem to be fully-fledged people! The ones I've skimmed through on Peaky Blinders seem to not only have a certain appearance but most importantly fully-fledged personalities. Thus, I've always struggled to see how a reader "inserts" themselves in them. To me, it feels like this is the complete opposite of a self-insert, it's like being asked to insert myself into someone who isn't all like me 😅. To give you an example, I'm someone who is quite loud IRL, so if I read a reader-insert that's like "you are small and quiet," I'm like, "well, no" 😆 and that kind of puts me off. But now that you've explained people use these to basically cosplay in the story as someone else, that makes a lot more sense. And, I can totally see how having a second-person narrative also helps with that because obviously, you're probably having an easier time including the character in the story.

I think I've also wondered at times if those reader-inserts aren't actually self-inserts on the part of the author, but I suppose that is just the same deep-rooted biases we all exhibit when it comes to assuming that there's a little bit of the author in every OC (which isn't true). And, also, as @incalculablepower said in their original ask, even if some OCs are self-inserts, there is nothing wrong with that, as long as they're well crafted.

So, yeah, thank you for reaching out and defending your trade, it really opened my eyes to some things. I don't think it's a trend I would particularly like to dive into - personally - but I can now totally see the appeal, and I definitely think that regardless of how you write them, creating OCs requires a lot of work and mastery of the craft, which is super commendable. This is making me want to do an episode on real people fandoms and reader-inserts now (lol), so if you'd like to come on to talk about that, give us a shout! I have so many questions haha.

#asked and answered #x reader

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unloneliest · 2 years

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🗂️ please??

hello! thank you for the ask & the chance to ramble about leverage!!! i hope you're cool with a long answer because good lord, this got very long.

the random headcanon: if the ot3 ends up parent figures to kids who would want to call them dad/mom/etc, i think eliot would be mom, not dad.

my reasoning: i've thought a lot about eliot (<-understatement) and one of the things that makes me SO emo about him & someting that's like, essential to my understanding of him is that i think the team is the first time he's able to safely be his full self in community with others. (this is a simplified version of my take on the team which i would LOVE to elaborate on some time but could write an entire separate essay about and isn't the point right now). i'm talking about this specifically in relation to his queerness, but i've viewed eliot as autistic since reading this meta & that's another angle i could go at all this from, too.

ANYWAYS if we go backwards chronologically from the start of the team, eliot was previously known to be a lone wolf (as they all were) and before that he was working for moreau - and whatever you think happened there, there's no way you could describe that situation as safe. before that, he was in the military, & that would not have been a safe situation for him to be out about his queerness.

take a step further back in time, and we arrive at his life Before. we know eliot was disowned the night before he left home for bootcamp in an argument with his father. i am 100% convinced that he was disowned because he came out, either on purpose (causing the argument) or on accident (in the heat of the argument, which is what escalated it to a disownment). and that was when he was 18, and he never even tried going back - there's no way that the home & town eliot grew up in was safe to queerness, and i think he saw joining the military as his only way to get out. (i could also write an entire essay about my thoughts on this. i love him your honor).

all this is just backstory to reach my point of - i don't think eliot was able to safely be his full self before the team so i have no idea how he'd label his sexuality, and i also don't think that gender would've been on his radar at all. i don't think that the possibility of exploring his gender would've been anywhere near eliot's radar. but i do think eliot has Gender going on. i think that he's very conscious of the ways he performs heterosexual man as a gender, and that it's something he does on purpose to stay safe/unnoticed.

how on earth is this all one topic? well. i think if the ot3 ends up parent figures to kids, it would be nebulously some time after the series finale. (i haven't watched redemption yet, that doesn't factor into my thoughts at all, this is a disclaimer). i also think vaguely after s5 is the point in time where eliot might start beginning to stop performing the heterosexual man gender on purpose, in a way that he never has before. it's something he performed with intention, and i think he'd be stopping the performance with intention. i think it would be healing for him, and it's something i want for him very badly.

and it's why i think he'd never in a million years be dad to a kid. both for gender reasons and because of how his own dad was. i think eliot would be mom, or ma, and i love him, and believe it or not this post is me trying my absolute damndest to be brief.

send me a “📂“ for a random headcanon

postscript: there's two ideas i have that i couldn't fit into this smoothly but that feel very relevant.

eliot and sophie's friendship is something that already means SO much to me - it feels like they both found somebody that they had lost and were missing in one another. it makes me so SO so emo they're family. they're family. and i think sophie's a trans woman and thinking about her and eliot's connection thru the lens of them BOTH being gendery makes me like AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

we don't know a lot about eliot's family but he's implied the existence of siblings and he opened up a bit about his dad in the low low price job. but we never, not EVER, hear a single thing about his mom. and i think it's because the hurt is worse. i think she died before he was a teenager. i think she died when he was around molly thecarnivaljob's age. and i think she died of cancer because of how his voice sounds when he's rummaging through cars in the future job & says there's a pink breast cancer awareness ribbon on the mirror. thank you for coming to my bonus ted talk.

#leverage #eliot spencer #eliot #jam posts #leverage posting #i would absolutely love to elaborate on any of this if anyone at all is interested. i love i love i LOVE leverage so much #i also love putting eliot in situations. i have fic ideas that will likely never see the light of day and #one is that he ends up the legal guardian of a baby sometime after s3 and i would like to STUDY the effects of that on him #another is the idea i have for an au where he got out of the business a Bit before the team and ends up crossing paths with them anyways #but is like. different in a lot of ways! a lot of things would have to change for him to be okay getting out of the business and my eliot #of that au knows that she's bigender and is like. a part of the queer community in the places he lives & i think of her as ma spencer and i #love him your honor. i willl talk about ma spencer someday #bc i don't think i'm ever going to write that but i want my ma spencer au to be Out There at least #seriously thank you sm for this ask

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chriirahluvr · 1 year

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Europa: A Shallow Speculation on Theoretical Life

So I am in a mission design class this whole year, a very fun experience! We are honed in on Europa, which has led to me doing so much research specifically on Europa's surface and theorized subsurface ocean and its ability to house life.

I can make a million information posts about the process of life detection but I just want to make a silly overview of what I think life on Europa would look like if it were to exist! Just some fun speculative biology stuff, maybe with some art to come at a later date if I'm feeling inspired.

But, for today, I will just be setting some general rules!

All complex life would be aquatic or semi-aquatic at the very least, thanks to the four kilometers of ice separating the ocean from the EXTREMELY irradiated surface. I'm sure some rogue microorganisms could climb their way to the surface thanks to Europa's seismic activity, but the moon's surface is absolutely not suited to house life.

Europa's ocean is deep. When I say deep, I mean DEEP. It is estimated to be anywhere from 60 to 150 kilometers deep (40-100 miles). For context, Earth's Mariana Trench is just over 11 kilometers deep. That is just shy of 7 miles. I would be tempted to say that skin pigmentation would also be nonexistent, but radiation may lead to pigment being beneficial! I have found no sources about radiation levels within the ocean though, so this is something I am on the fence about. The pressure present at the bottom of the ocean also means that squishy anatomy would be preferred, at least at the ocean's floor!

Thanks to the 15 kilometer ice crust and a low amount of sunlight, eyes would serve little to no evolutionary purpose, at least for getting around (I will elaborate more later :D ). The primary sense Europa's critters would likely rely on is echolocation, which they would perceive as a "visual" environments kind of analogous to imaging sonar, see above! However, it would likely be much fuzzier of an image. Visual sonar is done through multiple scans over time, which would not be an efficient way to see your environment for an organism just trying to get around. They would just see vague shapes, which get more defined the closer they are. No color perception is allowed either, but it would be the best way to gather spatial information in a pitch black aquatic environment.

If reproduction is not asexual, I believe extreme sexual dimorphism would exist and also that sexual selection would primarily rely on sound. Perhaps some natural predators would learn to replicate the fuzzy appearance and mating call of its preferred prey as a way to lure in easy targets, or perhaps some species would even evolve primitive eyes and bioluminescence as a secondary sexual selection method, and as a way to weed out predators. They would not “see” the light, but rather sense it as a vibration. So, in essence, some animals may “hear”, more like feel, colors.

Now, about semi-aquatic Europan life!

I can imagine some ice-burrowing species emerging, as a sort of way to escape the chaos of an open ocean. They probably would not live too much higher than a few feet into the ice, however. They would likely have fatty bodies in order to effectively brave the cold, and thus would probably be scavengers or predators. I think the idea of some animals forming ant-like colonies within the ice surface is a fun one! Some predators adapted to traversing these burrows for easy prey would likely emerge from this as well. Unfortunately, a Europan ice ecosystem runs on the assumption that the ice which meets the ocean is the correct texture for animals to feasibly break through with the right evolutionary umph. The speculation is entertaining, though!

A lot of Europan life would probably be similar to fungi or algae on earth. This is because there is no feasible way to photosynthesize, but there are possible energy and mineral sources theorized to exist in the form of hydrothermal vents. Perhaps a colony would grow, with ‘roots' of some kind near a hydrothermal area, and “leaves” spread around to intake resources. Maybe carnivorous flora would exist in this way too! Algae type of organisms would likely just spread around hydrothermally active areas, and “photosynthesize” using the light produced by vents on the seafloor. Lots of small herbivores might feast on this algae, and become a food source for predators. A fun ecosystem!

Again, all of this speculation is just for fun :) It is not SUPER realistic, but as an enjoyer of speculative biology I like allowing my mind to wander while doing all my research for class. Perhaps I might start working on some phylogenetic trees in my free time. I may post some fun Europa science overviews and some of the graphics we are producing for our Huntsville presentation!

xoxo,

Zofia

#speculative biology #europa #aliens

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