#like I know I'd think different things but until I find time to reread I have to look at whathever 2021 me thought

[placeholdercornerworks]

Sometime I just wanna take every manga on my list and just reread it

#a bit of an oversemplification #but there are literally certain mangas I read in 2021 on which I'm sure I'd have a wildly different opinion on #or a similar but more well formed opinion #so seeing this “offending mangas” in my list just kinda iffs me #like I know I'd think different things but until I find time to reread I have to look at whathever 2021 me thought

[maxwell-grant]

hi. you've mentioned Donald Duck a few times in your posts, with scrooge being one step removed from pulp heroes, Donalds Paparinik (Italian superhero identity which I love, the new PK Adventures where lovely) in terms of their relation to the Diabolik line of European superheroes and Donalds general tendency to run head first down slippery slopes. so I'm wondering if you have any further thoughts on his comics and weird place in the superhero/pulp world

Oh God, do I. I mostly wanna talk about the superhero side of things but I feel like it's worth mentioning I grew up with Donald Duck comics, specifically the Carl Barks ones. The picture above wasn't taken by me but I own and recognize like 7 of the books in it, my mom always bought these that collected several of his stories and had these beautiful painting covers so we could read them together, and I still flip through them on occasion and love them very much (I really wanna buy a translated edition of Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck to read with her but those cost a liver). Donald Duck was one of my childhood hyperfixations and I got my hands on all the comics and movies and cartoons I could find with him, and I actually did read several of the Italian comics, I could go down the stationery right now and grab 5. I first stumbled on Paperinik via those, and for long I didn't think much of it, because Donald Duck moonlighting as a superhero for decades isn't the kind of thing that comes up often. I just thought Paperinik was a weird but funny idea for the longest time and always liked rereading a story where he puts on the costume to scare a rich jerk into leaving his granny's farm alone. And THEN I stumbled onto PKNA, Paperinik New Adventures, and oh my god this rules so much.

Actually one of the best superhero comics I've ever read, it's just constantly and consistently doing these wild absurd stories and swings into genre territory and quality storytelling. It's famous for opening it's first issue with aliens genociding an entire planet and I thought that was kinda overselled, and it's not frequently this dark (sometimes it actually gets darker though, and I probably stopped before it could really get there), but it is a very weird comic. It's more akin to Fantastic Four's serialized consistency than any kind of graphic novel prestige storyline but it is frequently so good at what it does, even the lamer issues are still worth reading. I like describing it as Donald Duck falling headfirst into Batman-level resources, forced to deal with Superman problems (on both the "huge sci-fi horrors" and "people being really, really irresponsible dicks" ends), while trying to stay Ditko's Spider-Man and failing. These do not feel quite like any Donald Duck comics I'd read before and while they would hold up with a different character, I do think they deserve credit for how they make it still always feel like you're reading a Donald Duck story, if a slightly different one. In fact I'd even say PKNA actually makes the concept feel more suited for Donald Duck in a way that brought the idea full circle.

To those of you that don't know, Paperinik started as a villain, or more of a revenge fantasy. By that point there was a tradition of doing a lot of parody stories with Donald that started in 1953. By the late 60s, readers were dissatisfied with Donald Duck always constantly being mistreated by the rest of the supporting cast and losing unfairly, so it was decided to have one of those parodies feature Donald Duck as uncovering the fortune and resources of "Fantomius" and becoming a masked rogue able to get back at them by achieving the impossible, in that he both steals from Scrooge and defeats Gladstone's luck by framing him for it.

He had a stint as a master thief until it was decided it made him too mean, so he morphed into a superhero trying to overcome his prior bad reputation and using his new skills and gadgets (still prone to malfunctioning) to deal with his typical rogues and new ones, and having the admiration of his nephews who don't know that Unca Donald and Paperinik are the same. PKNA, in turn, was sort of a reboot, shedding the previous history and pretty much getting rid of Donald's traditional supporting cast and having Donald stumble onto a different set of resources and means to fight crime, but keeping the idea of Donald Duck having a superhero alter-ego that nobody suspects. The scale and menace of the threats he's up against DRASTICALLY increases, and if anything that fact is crucial to what allows these to still feel like Donald Duck stories, even with Paperinik being a genuinely impressive and cool hero able to save the world. Nobody believes Donald Duck could be a cool and impressive person if he tried, and so Paperinik becomes not just a power fantasy, or a call to something better or be someone better, but it becomes a key component of Donald Duck stories: a thankless job he's expected to do that he doesn't want to do until his pride or something crucial is on the line. These are still parables about human failures and what can be learned from them.

I'd even say a big part of why they succeed is because they introduce a character who can pick up Donald's slack as a comically unpleasant ill-tempered grouch in need of a lesson protagonist in Angus Fangus, a character who's sort of J Jonah Jameson meets Harvey Bullock. Angus has it out for Paperinik and gets up to a lot of the antics you would traditionally expect Donald to be doing if this was a classic Donald Duck comic (and even has a Gladstone-esque rival of his own in another reporter), and getting to learn lessons and be humbled and even have his own set of impressive moments. The choice to give an entirely new cast around Donald greatly added to the comic's ability to experiment and do new things while still keeping the core of Donald.

I actually like a lot of these new dynamics better than the ones he traditionally has, I love The Raider and Lyla and One and oh god Xadhoom, Xadhoom is so fucking cool, such a cool design and name, this powerful roaring supernova stickbug alien person in a crusade of murderous vengeance who names herself her language's equivalent of creditor because the death of her entire planet is the DEBT SHE WILL COLLECT IN BLOOD ENERGY and she is just the most 90s anti-hero ever made except she's stuck in a Donald Duck comic getting into comedic situations and learning to laugh and feel emotions and learn from her mistakes again whether she likes it or not. These two are so good together.

Even with a superhero lair and supercomputer and gadgetry handed to him, Donald Duck is so comically outmatched against his opponents he still winds up winning through guile and will and comedic trickery. Donald desperately wishes he could go on self-serving ventures or just sit at home and enjoy tv, and not get dragged into dealing with murderous alien invasions, or cyberpunk revenge stories, or collapsing future timelines, and still having to solve those problems so there's a world to come back. The stories are frequently fun and they are prevailingly comedic and very good at it too, but they also get a lot out of taking weird turns into unexpected territory.

I haven't finished it because I wasn't able to find it in full or keep track of what's the og series and what's the reboot, still trying to sort that out, but god what a find this series is. What a great strange turn in the history of this great strange character.

#replies tag #donald duck #disney #pkna #paperinik #paperinik new adventures #xadhoom #disney ducks #duck comics

[gamerbearmira]

Mama Isa

I was rereading the first few chapters of Mama Isa on AO3, and it really made me think about the way both Isabella and Alma view themselves and their actions, they both do things "for their family" Isabella takes her kids and leaves so they wouldn't be mistreated, and Alma considers her actions of pressuring the family and serving the community as ensuring that the miracle that protects them stays strong, they are both doing extreme things in order to protect their loved ones, the big difference is Alma didn't realize she was going overboard and actually hurting her family, while Isabella is very much aware of how hard leaving the Encanto was on the others and knows her actions, even if they were necessary, were extreme. It's really interesting to compare the two in this AU, I'd love to see a confrontation between just the two of them, where these similar motivations but different ideas and actions really clash, I would imagine it would go similarly to the argument Abuela had with Agustin in canon, "you need to come home Isabella, think of the family!" "I am! That's exactly why I took them and left! I was thinking of them and their happiness!"

YOU REREAD…I’M SOBBING…THANK YOU???? 😭

Anyway yes. Both definitely are extreme. But like you said, Isabela is fully aware. That’s actually why she said that if they really wanted to, they could stay (of course, Isabela still would’ve taken up the raising them role). She knows how much it can and will affect them, and that’s why she tries to be the best moral support, even years after the fact.

Alma actually does find out where they went. She has gone to them on three separate occasions, and each time it basically turned into a screaming match, all of which Isabela won. Alma believes she knows better, and that what she’s doing is right. She first tries to convince Isabela (and probably herself, let’s be real) that if they come home, it will be way better than the life that Isabela (and Dolores) has worked so hard to build for them.

—————

“Alma, you need to go home,” Isabela said, a cactus popping up as she seethed at Alma. Why she had come back, again, was baffling.

“Isabela, you need to come home. Your family misses you, you can’t keep doing this!” Alma pleaded, though her patience was wearing then. Isabela whipped around, her eyes boring into Alma.

“Doing what? Keeping my family safe? My actual family? Because as far as I’m concerned, they,” Isabela gestured to Casita, where she knew the rest of the family had been called to by Dolores, and probably Mariano. “Are my only family. You are no family of mine. The only abuela I have is Abuela Guzmán.”

Alma clenched her jaw, her eyes widening. This wasn’t the first time Isabela had argued with her, had done this whole thing. And it wouldn’t be the last, not until she got the magic and her family back. “Isabela, this whole life you’ve made up? It isn’t real! None of this is good for you, you are poisoning them-“

“Poisoning them? Seriously? You are the one who poisoned our minds for years. Because of my decision to take my family and leave. And this “life” is not made up! It is fpvery real, and whether you accept it or not, I’m not leaving, you aren’t taking anyone from me!” Isabela yelled, stomping her foot. T more cacti sprouted and tangled vines appeared. Townspeople we’re gathering, looking upon Alma with distaste, whispering about her.

“You need to come home, Isabela, think of the family!” Alma yelled back. She had to make Isabela see. See that she needed to come home.

“I am! That’s exactly why I took them and left! I was think of them and their happiness!” Isabela said, getting in Alma’ face. “Unlike you, I put my family before a stupid candle!”

—————

Oop 🤕 the beef is REAL

Random art lol

#my asks #my asks are open #encanto #encanto au #au #encanto alma #encanto isabela #encanto mirabel #encanto antonio #encanto luisa #encanto camilo #encanto dolores #encanto mariano #mama Isabela AU #mama Isa AU

[goshdangronpa]

sorry to barge into your inbox, but I'd love to hear your take on Ibuki's childhood!

No need to apologize! My inbox is always open, especially for those who want to talk about Best Character.

So I just reread what I wrote for my friend (shout-out to @specificyeetcapacity !) and I should clarify: what I wrote is her life story before HPA. Not strictly about her childhood, per se, but it does include it! Gonna put it all under a Read More.

Here's a vision I have of how Ibuki Mioda grew into her current self ...

She was always a free spirit as a kid. Chipper, energetic, and friendly. She was always well-liked among her classmates just for being herself. Her parents tolerated it, and they nurtured her various phases until an interest in music won out, but they believed she'd grow out of it. They were firm about it. So were her teachers, less enthused about her individuality, and so were other authority figures in her life.

And she learned. Going into whatever is the Japanese equivalent of middle school, she tamped down her impulses in front of others, fitting in like a big girl should. But there was always music, and perhaps it was that withheld desire to express herself that fueled her hours of daily practice. Then came the band: she and a few like-minded girls found each other, jammed for fun, and realized that they're actually pretty good (especially Ibuki). They got serious.

Sometimes, it takes years. Sometimes, it just takes one viral video of one performance, starring a guitarist who, though fairly composed, can't contain her near-virtuosity with her instrument nor her exuberance. (Think of that Nyango Cat drummer video.) Suddenly, record deal. Hit singles. Nationwide tour. All in quick succession. The band becomes the hottest name in light music, a rep that only gets boosted when management promotes them as being in competition with another band comprised of all boys.

But Ibuki doesn't mind that other band - she digs their music. This whole battle of the sexes thing is ... phony. But her group sees the perks and plays into it, so Ibuki must too. Can't stand out, remember? Gotta be a team player, follow the crowd, and that's how you find success. Then Ibuki’s tastes lead her away from light music and toward a heavier sound. But she can't explore it - light music is their forte, their bread and butter! Don't mess with the money, don't mess with the formula, just dial down the Ibuki a little and keep strumming your silly songs! Doesn't she care about unity?

Yes. She does. A band needs a sense of unity to achieve harmony and reach their goals, and without it, they'll spend more time squabbling instead of making music. So, at the height of their fame, she leaves the band.

It's the hardest thing she's ever done. Never mind the challenges of going solo, which have taken down many a frontperson with way more years and experience. She connected with her bandmates, her friends, more than anyone before, and she severed that very connection herself. But then, they weren't letting her be herself. Maybe they never got to know who she really is, because she had to tone it down for the sake of ... who? Not herself, now that she thinks of it. For all the fun she had, for all the success she achieved, it also brought her a lot of pain. No matter what, not everyone will like her or vibe with her. Even when she tries to be someone different.

Then she receives a priceless recognition of her talent. Hope's Peak Academy extends her an invitation to join the student body as the Ultimate ... Light Musician. Well, she won't say no to the invite. Buuut she won't keep pretending to be something she's not. They won't get the Ultimate Light Musician. They'll get Ibuki Mioda, the maniac metalhead with devil horn hair, abrasive tunes about things like teen pregnancy, and a whole lotta personality.

She's as sweet and energetic as in her kid days. Maybe more so after the way some people have treated her, giving her an even greater empathy along with some sharper powers of observation. What's changed is just changing back to being unapologetically herself ...

Even if she does get lonely sometimes.

Thanks for asking for my take! I'd be happy to hear what you think as well. Feel free any time to barge into my inbox or message me :3

#danganronpa #ibuki mioda #sdr2 #goodbye despair #super danganronpa 2

[itwoodbeprefect]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 🤍

thank you!! ❤ sooo @actingcamplibrarian also sent me this one, and i'm going to take this opportunity to cheat (shamelessly!) and just. give another five fics. because there are more than ten of them on ao3, and because i can.

so again (mhuahaha), from five different fandoms, in no particular order:

-

Silly wrong but vivid right [sga, john/rodney]

i adore this now, but i went through a weird thing while writing it where i really loved the first half, and then i had to end it somehow and i came up with something that i didn't like very much, and i ended up posting it anyway because i still liked the first half a lot and felt it deserved to see the light of day. which is interesting to me because when i reread it now it doesn't feel wildly out of balance at all, and it all fits just fine, and i just still really really like the idea of 1) gay john getting some freedom and actually taking it, 2) rodney on the sidelines having Weird Feelings about it and drawing a very wrong conclusion, and 3) both of them still being idiots, at the end of the day.

-

Tell me the sky is falling now [starsky/hutch]

i like the way i opened this! and the way it ended too, and nearly all of what's in the middle. most of all though i like starsky Finding Out and being confused and maybe trying to freak out but hutch is right there, and he loves hutch, and he doesn't want to freak hutch out, and then he comes to some other conclusions, because it's hutch, and he's starsky, and that's the important part. this is one of those fics that i keep sort of almost rewriting in the sense that i have very similar ideas for a story and then have to try to figure out how to bend that new idea into a shape that's at least slightly unique so i don't actually end up writing a pale imitation of this one.

-

Cause if we’re all gonna die (Now’s the time to be alive) [h50, steve/danny]

in terms of my h50 fic this is definitely on the older side, but i still firmly stand by the headcanon behind this, i like that it has a good dosis of team banter, and it has some lines that i think of fondly from time to time, like this: He tumbles until he’s kissing Danny, awkwardly boxing Danny and his soft heat in against the cold and rough wall, not quite sure yet if this big bang is a creation myth or a mass extinction event. and, of course, taking the sappiness a step further still: Everything that comes after this point in time will forever be witnessed by eyes that have to send images off to be processed in a brain that also stores the memory of this kiss, which logically and inescapably prevents anything from ever being experienced the same as before.

-

Coming Up Aces [911, eddie/buck]

i don't know if i'd call this one a favorite writing-wise (at least overall - there are definitely parts that i do really like), but it does rank on a list of favorite fics i've written in the sense that, just. the way people connect with fic like this means something to me. and one of the things it means is that there should be more ace rep in (mainstream) media so people don't have to have these huge epiphany-like moments only while reading fic, but another is just feelings, big and warm and human.

-

Abandon your sad history (and meet me in the fire) [top gun, iceman/maverick]

top gun is A Movie, for sure, and i'd been trying to write some fic for it for a while when this finally came together. i loved playing with identities here, and the extended metaphors pretty much wrote themselves (iceman!), and every time i reread it and come to the line that mentions iceman is drinking an old fashioned while trying to fend off maverick's very queer advances i give myself a little pat on the back for subtle jokes.

#my fic #i was going to give the mr. blandings fic as the last one but then i came across the top gun one and that edged it out #but mr. blandings is here too in my heart. you ask me for five fics and i give you eleven #* #tag stuff #h50 #starsky and hutch #top gun #911 #sga

[measuringbliss]

Spider-Man Read-Through 056: The Frightful Four!!! (SSM 41-43)

MASTERPOST

The last time, Peter became a lizard for a while. Fun stuff!

In this issue, mysterious enemies try to seem menacing and utterly fail, homophobia, as well as special guests and the best villain ever!

Are you shocked, are you impressed, are you terrified yet? *snickers*

After using his powers to give his late paper to Professor Slater, Spider-Man interrupts Meteor Man at a microwave exhibition (...). We met this antagonist previously in Team Up, which shows you exactly how important he is. Bill Foster, whomst I know from Ant-Man and the Wasp (the movie) but who apparently has a different position, is giving a lecture nearby, but gets the opportunity to lend him a hand as Giant-Man.

The art actually has a lot of trouble trying to convey how big exactly Giant Man is supposed to be. There's perspective, and then there's whatever is going on here.

Meteor Man gets away, they track him down, and Giant-Man casually drops in his internal monologue that's he's dying of radioactive poisoning. Wow. Um. Alright.

They fight, Meteor Man gets to grow bigger, but...

Oh, between twelve and thirty feet? How audacious. How incredible. Show us, dude.

Okay, this is better! Actually a nice page.

That... was an issue alright.

Issue #42 has a neat cover!

Peter is trapped in traffic and ends up swinging to his class boat ride thingy.

I love this, because half the time I barely register that Marcy Kane and Debra Whitman are different characters. Digital issues (hey, have you seen these clean screenshots? Much better!)!

My opinions on each character: Philip is alright, I need him to have more of a personality. Marcy sucks, been there, done that (although I just read a spoiler about her and what the fuck, I'm curious to see how THAT plays out). Steve is hot and adorable. No opinion on Sloan and Debra.

I'm glad to see Peter's social life though. I still feel like these characters aren't anywhere as solid as the previous cast was, but I think jumping between both magazines really doesn't help either.

I missed you, hon.

No but seriously, I'd be interested to reread SSM only focusing on it, I think it's probably a stronger experience.

Marcy Kane immediately aggros Pete, but Connors interrupts them. Meanwhile, the Frightful Four aren't far away! We've got the Sandman, the Wizard, Electro and the Trapster (who even is that? :p).

They do a bit of mischief, and I'm pretty sure that cop is homophobic. "PARTNERS?", he says (lmao).

On the boat, Peter wonders whether he has a crush on Marcy (nooo) when Debra arrives.

Some depth? Wow.

Anyway, before Peter settles on whether he wants a relationship with our desperate lady, the Human Torch cockblocks him.

Why is this so funny?

She feels guilty about Peter getting away, and...

New, rare poses!

Hell yeah. Sorry for the amount of screenshots but I really enjoy looking at these!

It wasn't the Human Torch, however, only our Frightful Four! The Wizard created a suit imitating the Torch and gives it to Electro.

Our hero doesn't get fooled for long, and a fight quickly breaks.

A hilarious moment is Spidey trying to figure out who's attacking him. The Sinister Six? No, the Frightful Four after replacing Madam Medusa with Electro? No, it's actually the Frightful Four after replacing the Brute with Electro! What a mess hahahaha

In his own words, Spidey's fighting a "foursome". *snickers again*

The fight goes badly for Spidey, until... Electro interrupts everybody because now, he wants to know who's under the mask.

They sure are a bunch of idiots.

Their plan is to impersonate Spidey and eliminate the Fantastic Four. Uh-huh, sure. And the story continues in FF #218!

This is a really cool first page.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA ALRIGHT

The Human Torch acts extremely gay with "Spider-Man" in this scene. He gets knocked out. The Thing and the security system are also quickly neutralized, but as our villains enter the building, Sue wakes up... she finds her brother, but is quickly attacked and subsequently, knocked out. And just when Mr. Fantastic gets unconscious as well, Spidey arrives!

The ensuing fight is fun, and at last, all's well.

Anyway, SSM #43!

OH THIS IS GORGEOUS. THE SHADING ON PETER'S SHIRT. I LOVE IT. His face, not so much... Anyway, Steve and Peter being bros, hell yeah!

So bandits have broken into ESU and use Debra as a hostage. They get their stuff and get away, but not without Peter throwing a gadget of his at their car.

Handsome.

His spider-tracer leads him to a twink.

And what an ugly twink. Especially compared to this highly stylish Belladonna, what the heck, I love her.

I think I've been spoiled something on Roderick Kingsley, but we'll see how it goes.

Anyways, Belladonna wants to steal Roderick's ideas, apparently. Spidey decides to intervene. The villains get away, and Roderick's annoyed that Spidey ruined his apartment with the fight. However, our hero surmises that Belladonna wanted chemicals for her special gas.

The next day, at the Daily Globe, Sandy Jones is quickly charmed by Peter and she explains that Roderick is rumored to steal his designs. Plus, he has a show that night! Peter easily gets the assignment, and goes to his lab to work on countering Bella's gas.

I love that second panel, it's a very strong one.

Debra's here, she bought what was on Peter's list. He's so happy he asks her on a date, to which she obviously agrees. I would too, girl.

Turns out what Peter was searching for was vinegar. He worries about reactivating his ulcer, which is a nice callback to a storyline from like, ASM 80 something. That's cool!

This feels like a Pretty Little Liars storyline, I love it. Seriously, I love this issue! Also, Peter very pretty.

Anyway, Spidey stops the bandits, but Belladonna gets away!

Oh, I really went from bored at very excited throughout this post, wow! Hell yeah.

#spider-man #comics #peter parker #belladonna #fashion #fantastic four #comic books

[biwenqing]

My Thoughts on: Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

I picked this up after I finished my reread of Golden Stage/Terrace, looking for a relationship that felt similarly balanced. I think I found it, but the books are also so different it would be a disservice to compare them. Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know is very much a story of the fantastic with lots of playing with tropes (which is a soft spot of mine). You can read the details on the Carrd and you can read the translation here on WordPress.

Things I adored:

The characters: Just about every one of the main characters (except for the ones you were supposed to hate/dislike) are delightful! Moral codes are all over the map, but that's what made it so great. No one was fully good or bad, and the story explores the ways that work in this world. The characterizations were delightful, especially considering that the POV does shift around a lot. There are some characters' POVs that would feel a bit dragged out now and then, but that was so rare and usually ended in advancing the plot so masterfully, I could easily forgive it.  

The premise: The fan-favorite character/secondary male love interest of a terrible hetero romance novel has said novel dropped on his head with a note asking him to fix the reader hated ending. It seems like a simple set up, but it gets so complicated and the ways it dives into some of the existential questions that comes up when you find you are a character in a story is masterful. I don't want to say more because I don't want to spoil it - I went in unspoiled and the twists that came up around the premise delighted me!

The worldbuilding: This had some of the most detailed and specific descriptions of the way cultivation worked (advancing and regressing in levels), as well as details on different cultivation paths to follow. At first, it felt like a lot, until it became clear how important it was to the story as a whole. By the time I was five chapters in, I no longer felt it was clunky and instead leaned into the insight it provided. 

Ties into characters but I feel needs its own shout-out - the female characters: There are three main ones, the "female lead" of the romance novel, and two high-ranking leaders in the demonic sect. They are all so different from each other and the stereotypes I feared would plague them were subverted or played with masterfully. Definitely shipping potential abounds between all three too, if that sweetens the deal. Support women's wrongs!!!

The romance: terrible bastard men miscommunicate at each other. Okay, not really, it's a lot more complicated than that. I will note that this is definitely a plot-heavy story so if you are looking for a more heavily romance focused, it might not be for you. But if you LOVE slow burn, unrequited love that is actually mutual, leveling of power imbalances so the relationship works better, exploring toxic and non-toxic possessiveness, power couples, and in a lot of ways friends to lovers, this story is for you!

Things I didn't like:

I don't think I have any? I couldn't read it fast enough? Like I said, some places would slow down a little, but it usually made sense in the context of a story that spanned so many decades.

Content Warnings:

Do pay attention to what is mentioned on the summaries. I think I'd more strongly warn for rape - the victim is a male character  assaulted by a female character, and it is brushed off in a way that made me uncomfortable, but I think that was also sort of the point? It does happen off screen. The male character ends up marrying the character who assaulted him sooooo... yeah. Be aware of that and take care of yourself! 

#devil venerable also wants to know #wenren e #yin hanjiang #qiu congxue i love youuuuu shu yanyan i love youuuuuuuuu #a talks #baili qingmiao #qiu congxue #shu yanyan

[darthfrodophantom]

7 days until the final chapter of A Secret Uncovered! One week left!

Today we have 7 things I wish I did differently while writing this story. It's normal for an author to go back and look at their old works (especially from 17 years ago!) and find things they wish they did differently, and here are mine.

Well obviously finish it sooner. That will forever be my biggest regret. Yes, my writing matured over time and I think that helped convey some of the bigger themes towards the end, but I know I lost a lot of people and momentum by waiting this long too.

Not build it up so much in my mind that I got too scared to finish it. That became one of my major obstacles in completing this chapter. I kept fearing that it wouldn't be good enough and then I feared that it wouldn't be worth the wait. I'm hoping I'm wrong and it was just imposter syndrome.

Some things...did not age well and really feel their age. I’ve worked hard to remove those from the rewrite on AO3 and really they were a big part of my inspiration for doing the rewrite.

Lack of emotion in the initial reveal to his parents. It was...quick and incredibly superficial. But I also was not a great writer back then (this was only my second fanfic I ever posted) and I think I didn't quite know how to do it justice more. That’s also been expanded upon in the new version, but it was always a regret of mine.

The cringe. There is so much cringe in the early chapters. I know some people find it charming, but it was hard to see as I reread this. So I’ve hopefully fixed a lot of that too.

The runon sentences. I was so bad about those for a time. I had this phase where I read someone else write like that and I thought that meant it was okay. That was a mistake that I've been working to correct in the new version.

The title. I wish I had picked something flashier, especially with all the cool titles that people have for fics now. 

So there, a little peek into some of the things I wish went differently as I look back on this story 17 years later with older, fresher eyes.

Countdown List: 10 things that happened since I last posted a chapter 9 people I'd like to thank 8 of my favorite memories 7 things I wish I did differently

#danny phantom #danny phantom fanfiction #fanfiction #a secret uncovered #countdown to a secret uncovered #countdown #7 days #one week to go everyone! #I hope you're excited! #I know I am!

[whump-side]

Whump Challenge

I got tagged by @whump-captain to participate in the challenge. If you see this and want to participate, feel free! Don't by shy~ 1. Favorite whump trope(s)? Anything that'll make a whumpee bleed from the side. Shot, stabbed, you name it !

2. Least favorite whump trope(s)? I'm really not into whump with a whumper or pet whump. 

3. Top 3 whump scenes and why? No.6 episode 11. Oh man, this whole episode goes so hard, if you know, you know Detective Conan Chapter 251-254. I remember obsessively rereading these chapters as a 8yo kid No third place because there are 100 scenes fighting for the 3rd place in my head so I'll leave this empty

4. Top 3 characters to whump and why? Lance from Voltron. I love goofballs getting whumped. The switch between their goofy personalities to just pain, yes. Kaeya from Genshin. If anyone has good whump fanfics, please send them this way. This man is a walking whumpee Can't think of a 3rd character so I'll say my OC Birb 

5. Favorite fandom for whump (show, series, etc)? Anime/manga, animated show (Voltron, Avatar, in these kind of styles where adults look like adults) or Webtoons 

6. Do you prefer written or watchable whump? Watchable but I also enjoy written 

7. Do you also like hurt/comfort? Hell yes ! 

8. What do you think the difference between hurt/comfort and whump is? Hurt/comfort : gentle pat pat to soothe the pain Whump : stab stab to do the pain 

9. How would you explain whump to someone who’s not familiar with it? Angst but add pain, blood and injuries to it. 

10. Is there any old whump you particularly enjoy? (say, pre 2000?) It's gonna be 2000 exactly : Mulan. The moment when she realised she got hurt by Shan Yu. 

11. Why do you think you like whump? Good question it's always been there since I was really young. 

12. When did you realize you liked whump? Never, as mentioned before, it kinda was there all the time. 

13. Favorite posts with whump (gifsets, picspams, etc) ✨Art✨ 

14. Are you “out” to people in real life? My bff know that I love "angst" especially when it's bloody. I think I told them once that I found the whump community, but I'm sure I didn't say the word whump specifically 

15. How did you find the whump community? I was probably looking at "injured" or similar tags until I think I found an anime whump gifset and connected the dots when I saw the tag "whump" 

16. Any unusual mediums you like for whump (plays, music, vlogs, etc)? Stock photos. With enough imaginations, lots of things can be whumpy. It's like using a filter but with your brain. 

17. Any meta about whump you’ve been dying to share? None that I think of at the moment. 

18. Whump fic(s) you’d love to see? I'd love to read some Thoma whump from Genshin Impact. Haven't check now if there's something new with him 

19. Whump you’re looking forward to? (Maybe something teased or something you haven’t seen yet?) I am well fed with whump at the moment 👌 

20. Top 3 favorite whump fics? Oh god. I never save fics and then regret it when I want to read them again. The Purity of Sin by IcyPanther. I red it in one sitting before going to bed and then I realized it's 4am when I was finished There was a fanfic with Lance getting pneumonia while being stranded with Shiro and I can't find it ;-; A fic with my fem!Hawkle and Fenris my bff wrote me a few years ago 👌

21. Tropes you think are overdone? Whumper/Whumpee and captive whump. Let whumpees be hurt by nature in the wild far from any humans for a change. 

22. Tropes you think we could use more of? Environmental whump or whump without a whumper. 

23. Favorite sites/archives for consuming whump? Tumblr, AO3, Pinterest, Youtube 

24. Have your whump preferences changed recently? If so, why? Recently nothing has changed, but I'm always down to explore new tropes. Like I did with a tiny whumpee some times ago

#whumpchallenge #whump challenge #whump game #sorry for the long post I can't make the read more thingie work for some reasons

[devitalise]

omg imo I could've sworn there was at least one full week left of november for some reason but dec 1 is on friday BYE locking myself up to finish my books 🏃‍♀️ HOW WAS YOUR NOVEMBER READING!! are you already in the holiday spirit are you planning on reading/watching some holiday related things to get you there? this one's rando, but do you have any favorite holiday foods/desserts/drinks you're excited to indulge in during this last month o 2023 ☃️

november being 30 days always goes by SO quickly she knows we're ready for the main event. november was a very good reading month for me let's get into the

november book wrap up

Small Island by Andrea Levy

i finished this pretty early on in novembr, my thoughts are along the same lines as my goodreads review: Great piece of historical fiction. I found parts of this so funny and I'm not sure if that was the original intention but I did have a giggle! The humour was found moreso in Gilbert and Hortense who are just so, so different to each other and Hortense's wilful misunderstanding and naivete as she tries to be a Model Minority was just so funny it was a much needed brevity compared to the heaviness of the rest of the story. Such foul racist thoughts that can be burdensome after a while, though. Yeah! I don't need to read the POV of a white British man stationed in India in the second world war ever again, actually! I enjoyed reading though.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin

reread this because I hadn't picked up a high fantasy book I'd actually enjoyed in a little while. Great! I love ASOIAF as a series love returning to a known entity. I can't find my copies of A Storm of Swords or A Clash of Kings so continuing my reread is on pause until those unearth themselves.

Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

Brilliant! So, so atmospheric. Incredible translation to me, obviously I won't know for sure until there ever comes a day where I can read Polish, but I got so much of the story out of this. It was just so cool and not what I expected at all going into it. I've never read anything like it before so getting to grips with all of the quirks of the style, subject and character was its on experience.

Butcher's Crossing by John Williams

Stoner was one of my top 2022 reads, so I saved this knowing that I'd like it. Rachel Cusk coded. It didn't blow me away like Stoner did, but I appreciate these are two very different books with completely different approaches. Where Stoner is so insular, things are kind of bursting in Butcher's Crossing. William isn't a complete active character, but he's participating in his life. Really cool setting, one of the most tense books I've read which I find can fall short in books with more action but the way tension builds and builds and builds in these fraught interactions between the four men on the mountain is fucking incredible. Immediately watched the film after this, and I love Nicolas Cage as much as the next person, but it fell short for me as an adaptation and as a film, sadly! Will be reading Augustus very soon as the last novel Williams' acknowledges as his own work.

The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage

Another Western! Apparently I couldn't get enough! Not long finished this, so bear with for complete thoughts. Realised that I haven't read a book with such a sinister character in a while. Phil is sinister and strange and he's complicated, and I just really liked this book! Took me a while to get through because it is so dense at parts, but I think playing the long game definitely paid off. I love books that can make life so dramatic, all of the small stuff builds up to this big moment kind of thing. Netflix removed this film??? Will be making time to watch it this weekend for sure!

Outlawed by Anna North

3/3 with Western's which is so out of left field for me I feel. Finished it today, but on my top 2023 shelf, for sure. I think reading these back-to-back has made me appreciate the difference in style and storytelling so much more. I was a bit nervous because I've found previous Reese Witherspoon book club picks really juvenile, and whilst this is way more accessible than BC or TPotD, there's still a lot of complexity that I was able to enjoy. I love communities and found families, and it just really got me reading this book about these "women" ostracized from society making something of their own at risk of imprisonment and hanging. Thought it was really neat :)

December Reads

I'm on the Kindle through to the end of the year (10 days to New York!) so I'll be getting a couple new titles to diversify my options more. I don't have anything set in stone but I did download pdf's of The Hunger Games series which I've never read before so I might do those.

My Christmas mood started on November 1st! Multiple plays of Ariana Grande's Christmas & Chill, and I've already watched a few Christmas films. I watched The Holiday for the first time recently and found it boring :( I'm not a Jude Law enjoyer sorry.

Oh I love a hot cider! Ferrero Rocher's, stuffing, anything Christmassy really! I'm also so excited for a Christmas in New York! I have an itinerary going and many pictures to take!

#book talk #djservo

[evilwickedme]

I know your drowning in fic requests, but do you know of any that deal well with Roy's addiction?

I've been sitting on this ask for nearly a month because I wanted to do it justice.

I'm not an addict and I don't know of any addicts in my life, or at least none that I'm close to. I don't want to just throw any fic I have saved with mentions of Roy's addiction at you, and I was hoping to find something I liked that wasn't jayroy, too. The problem with that is that the majority of good fics featuring Roy are jayroy - it's the most popular relationship when you check his character tag, so that's not really surprising - and there aren't that many fics that do more than mention Roy's addiction in passing anyway specifically because it's such a heavy subject. so this list is the best I've got, but that's just to say it's not necessarily the best there is or the best there could be.

to clarify: this is not a list of every fic I've enjoyed that discusses Roy's addiction, but rather a small list of ones I think both specifically focus on his addiction to some extent and that I think deal with it respectfully. also, while all of these are tagged as jayroy, not all of them are necessarily happy stories because of it.

the first fic that came to mind, almost immediately in fact, was sad eyes, bad guys, mouth full of white lies. it's a high school no capes au where Jason becomes Roy's tutor while Roy heads down the path to addiction. it's got some heavy stuff in it - one of Roy's friends dies from an overdose, for example. however, while this was the first fic that came to mind, that's mostly because of how ubiquitous the subject is in this fic, which is 88k words long. I feel like while this author really wanted to take its subject matter seriously, sometimes they still just fumbled the ball in a major way. it's a sincere attempt with some great moments and some not-so-great moments. happy ending.

Band Aids and Shades of Blue takes addiction very seriously and as such has a bad ending. the original fic chose not to use archive warnings, but I'll warn you anyway: Roy dies at the end, just when he resolves to get better. it actually fucking broke my heart. also, it's T rated but there's some scenes I would've tagged as explicit.

(for thy love is) better than wine is a short fic musing on the difference between addiction and want. it's also basically just porn.

Thirteen Months (or is It a Year?) is a fic that's explicitly about an unhealthy BDSM dynamic and features some pretty heavy hitters in that regard, please take care of yourself this is extremely dubious consent. Roy's getting better, and Jason is not.

finally we have Laughter Lines. my biggest warning for this is that it starts with robin!Jason in an explicitly ship fic and Roy does feel something with regards to this 15 y/o as a new adult and it's understandable if that's not your thing. however Roy specifically insists that nothing happen until Jason is an adult and Jason goes off and dies and becomes Red Hood, so you know, he's got his own shit going on. I'd also say this is the fic that is the least concerned with addiction, it's really a jayroy story first and foremost. the basic concept is that Jason and Roy grow close because Jason babysits Lian a bunch. I personally really enjoy this fic and I've reread it a couple of times, but it's perfectly understandable if my warning gave you the ick. at least this one has a happy ending tho.

anyway, this is the best of what I have. it's not a cheery list by any means, but I mean, that sort of comes with the territory when it comes to this subject. enjoy, I guess

#addiction #tw drug addiction #roy harper #jayroy #fic recs #dc fic #dc #gail speaks #ask #anonymous #this is one I'll forgive the must-reblog-for-more-fic-recs rule for #bc I suspect it's pretty niche and also just a heavy subject #but I'd obviously appreciate a reblog anyway

[siriuslytproblem28]

time has come. i finished crimson rivers.

this is gonna be a long one, and i don't mind if I'm the only one who's getting to its end, I'm writing this for me.

the thing is, i started reading it not being able to conceive just how devastatingly beautiful it is, everything about it. i saw people on tiktok freaking out, and the fact that it's a thg AU really caught me off guard, I'm a huge fan of the books and the movies, ever since i was a child (about 9 years ago) and I'm fairly new with jegulus (i only read like half of choices and some other tiny fics) but i don't know how to explain just how this masterpiece got me tight on a chockehold.

but then, it came to me, in the last chapter.

It's about hope. yeah it's s about growth too but that only comes with hope. everything around this is hope. i get it now.

in a way, i feel like I've grown with it too. i surely hoped to. it's different than anything I've ever read. not only cause it merges some of my favorite characters, stories and scenarios, or because it's sad and angsty and I'm dramatic, or because everyone was reading. it was because of that as much as it wasn't.

usually when i read these things i wish for them to never end. i go at my own pace since they're usually finished for months or even years and i take my time, stretching it as far as it goes, binging when i feel like, and it becomes an experience, my experience, playing with time and spending every day with the characters until i wake up and go to sleep thinking about them and pray not to find spoilers on the internet. I'd strech and stretch cause I've never been good at goodbyes, always hate them, the reversible and the irrevocable, but this time... it's weird...

i could read anything by zar and LOVE it no matter how long, I'd drink the words until i choked and spit them out just in time to take another mouthful. I'd swallow some, too. like poison, like tea.

but it made sense that this had to come to an end. not cause it's set in over 3000 pages, i didn't realize it was long as i was reading it, as a long time fic reader, i guess i was just used to read and read endlessly, how it seemed at the time. but this, i understood, i could see it coming to an end and i was at peace with it, i got it, and i was even happy for it, not to get rid of it, I'll miss this forever and might reread it in a low point in my life to give me comfort (yeah i know loll but towards the end there's comfort ok?)

but it made me have a better relationship with endings and change in general.

I've been known to dwel. on people, on things, on the past, on stories, anything. i cling to things as long as there's a tip to grip and i struggle to let go. to make peace with endings. crimson rivers came at first like a continuation to my habits, fitting perfectly in the angsty, sad story I'm so passionate about. brutal, cruel and awful, destroying me internally, with things i would relate to and the things i wouldn't. as closer to its end as it came, it became the antithesis. i understand why it had to end, i even agree, of course I'd read 75 more chapters but i don't feel the need to as much as i don't feel the need to know every detail about reggie and James's wedding.

I'm usually atractted by unsaid things, whispered kisses, silent words hung above those who kept their mouth shut when they shouldn't have, when speaking up would gain them time, precious and non conforming time.

but in cr the unsaid is said in so many ways, it's sang and screamed and still i found crevices between the realm of real and inagined words to foster my own thoughts and interpretations on the characters, on the story itself. i found myself bookmarking soooo many scenes and wanting line after line engraved in my mind, tattooed in my bones.

it's the most beautiful story I've ever read and i realized in the last chapter that it's about hope. right during regulus' dream, when evan says "is it not good enough that it has been you?" referring to regulus projecting evan in his dreams to counseling him, while all evan ever said to him might just have been regulus saying to himself. and then i was like "oh".

it was always about hope for me. regulus hoping james would see him, notice him, regulus hoping his name wouldn't be called, james and reggie hoping sirius would survive, regulus hoping to have his brother back, james hoping sirius would overcome his addiction and his trauma after the arena, james hoping he could ever have a chance with reggie, sirius hoping to be close to regulus again, and much later, hope for their love, the three of them, sirius building a bookshelf because he hoped james and regulus would eventually make it, james giving reggie his flowers hoping to make his day better, Reggie getting the flowers hoping someday he would invite james in...

i saw myself in regulus so much, that for the first time it really hit me how much i kin him, and i saw myself in james too, which is new to me, but only in a sense of being absolutely in love with someone and thinking they would never want you back, except for me they won't. but to love with such devotion, such hunger, i feel that, it connected me with this james in such a strong way, as i too would take anything this person would give me, the good and the bad.

i don't wanna spent too much time on more technical things like the world building, narrative, politics etc because i think we can all agree that it was perfectly done, full of complexity when it needed. i wanna focus in what i felt.

i love wolfstar here, i think it's the most healthy I've ever seen them, despite everything they went through. and I'm not saying this as the type of person who doesn't like atyd wolfstar because they're "toxic", i love atyd exactly for being so realistic in a sense that they're both traumatized kids in the 70's. of course they don't deal with shit the way we would know how to deal a little better now. i just think that they journey it's so beautiful, and it's about hope to, hope to have 5 more minutes together, hope to see them the next day, and eventually, every year, taking all they could ever get even if it meant only seeing each other once a year. and they eneded up with everything they deserved. a home and a family to fill it up with. it just makes me soooo fucking emotional.

I'm trying to close things here so this doesn't become like a huuuuge post, so i wanna state that I'm amazed at the character development throughout the fic, especial when it comes to their traumas and such. like, reggie coming from such deep denial towards his love for james, up to the point he thought he could kill him, to admiting his love eventually, to be willing to step in a crimson river to die a horrible death to save him, to admiting his love in his own ways, to propose without james even noticing HELPPP, to literally having the 4 kids he wanted ever since he was a kid. him being able to let evan go too, honoring barty with the forge, mending his relationship with Sirius omgg thatt

i love how the story isn't just about the couples, the romantic love, i adore family dynamics, and sirius and reggie here, omggg they made me cry soo fuckinh much... i find sibling relationships so interesting maybe cause i spent 13 years being an only child, and now i have a 6 year old half sister who doesn't live with me, so i don't get to see her daily and we have the age difference. so like, i know we won't have the same dynamic as siblings living together or closer in age, and honestly i sometimes get scared we won't be close, or that i don't know how to be a big sister cause i still haven't had too much experience at it. but i also feel this need of protection towards her, especially cause she lives with my dad, which is... not a good person to be around, to put it bluntly. and i want her to have me as someone she can trust, i want to help her having to endure my dad and i want her to grow up in a better, healthier way than i did. so yeah, i relate to sirius and Reggie's story here as much as i don't...

and sirius and james friendship>>>>>>>> I've been a sirius kinnie ever since i got into the marauders fandom in 2020, and i have a james in my life, so their bond is really special to me, quite the embodiment if sunshine

remus here as well>>>>>>>>

i know i focused mainly on sirius, reggie and james but honestly i could spent days writing only about those three so i really can't be mentioning everyone else, I'll just say that i don't think any fic made me fall in love with as much characters as this one, even those i didn't know or didn't have their image clear in my mind from canon/other fics.

to close things up, i love how the narrative circles around itself, in the last few chapters things comes full circle, like reggie thanking Sirius for volunteering for him, which was the very core of regulus anger and guilt, so it shows how much he's grown, also when he says to aberforth that "my brother's responsible for his actions as i am for mine" or something, so finally seeing that he isn't responsible for everything bad in sirius life; sirius learning to have a healthy relationship with sex and his desire, remus and lilly making their way back to each other, two hearts beating, one person, james fucking knife kink FINALLY my boy had his way, i found it sooo cute and funny that reggie was trying to "protect" him hiding the daggers LMAOOO, sirius building again, james releasing the horcrux hornet into nature again after so many years, THE FUCKING "YOU'RE HESITATING LOVE" 😫😫😫😫😫 i swear, i thought this fic would be the death of me but it might've just saved my life...

like all the metaphors, all the elements that appear throughout the story to bear meaning and to signify something important, it enriches it soo much, james' flowers, the tree, regulus climbing and growing, the blood and the crimson river, the knitted hat, the snow, the rain, the fire, the fireplace, the bookshelf, the moon, the stars, ughhhh i swear to gooooooooooodddddddd the worst and best parallel, aberforth and albus are what regulus and sirius might've turned into. i am devasted by this, so i won't comment on it. for now.

i think this is it. I'll be forever grateful to zar for writing this masterpiece that changed and saved my life, and consumed it, filling my mind ever since october, and for getting to finish now with everyone. i swear i wanna print and bind this just to have it phisically.

I'll be making a playlist for cr and listen to it every time i miss it ❤️ this was a beautiful jorney, but I'm at peace with it ending now. thank you, zar, i will proceed to rear every other fanfic you wrote and will write.

#crimson rivers #jegulus #wolfstar #zeppazariel #sirius black #regulus black #james potter #remus lupin #ao3 #crimsonrivers spoilers #evan rosier #fanfic

[spookyserenades]

i don’t even know what to say after that chapter!!!! first off i started rereading from chapter 1 on the 6th and i didn’t finish until this morning (the 9th) 😭 girl you’ve written so much i’m just/// HOW? ALSO i had just finished rereading ch8 when you posted the new chapter and i had a genuine debate with myself about continuing in order or going right to 14 and i was alllmost good but i had just waited a month you know???? a girl’s gotta eat.

i honestly knocked right out after reading it, as much as i love mess i was NOT ready to process it and just went straight back to reading in the correct order the next morning. and now i’m here and i’ve read it a second time and Fuck.

my first semi-coherent thought is yoongi with his dark long hair in just sweatpants and a chain necklace is absolutely sinful i almost can’t breathe picturing it 😮‍💨 also he was Not on his best behavior this chapter lmaooo i love how confident and hot he is like MC is his girl but right in front of poor tae!!!!?! and then seokjin in the first half of the chapter (before my poor lovebug disappeared 🥺) was 🔥🔥. we’ve seen little sneak peaks of this side of him before but omg when he called her pretty girl i was like yes! jin i’m your pretty girl 💀

also much more tame but i love LOVE the mystery van duo they’re just so cute in there and i giggle at the jokes made at their expense. and i’m so excited to see joon and ggukie spend more time with mc (mayyyybe in dangerous situations where they mayyyybe feel protective of her idk idk) also this line: “Namjoon froze, before his expression dissolved into pure excitement, something Y/N hardly ever saw on his face unless there was some kind of pastry in front of him.” i snorted let the poor boy live?? joon was really just an overgrown puppy that scene.

and then my gentle cowboy (sorry jimin)!!!!! i’ve missed him so much. i loved the time him and mc spent with the horses and i’m reallyyy curious to know how he feels about mc and yoongi being together. like he was distancing himself bc he had a feeling but why? bc it made him uncomfortable? was it really just bc he was sad mc didn’t trust him? i know you can’t really answer but like i’m shaking my little coin can at you and asking humbly.

then there’s foxy who’s good at pretending like nothing bothers him but he definitely Seemed bothered when he first found out even if he covered it up and is going about like nothing’s different. which brings me to my baby bear!!!! 😭😭😭 oh taehyung :( what a way to end the chapter, if didn’t live for drama i’d be blocking you and throwing my phone 😅 i just need it to be march already, like thank god this is the shortest month lol —🪶

fjkdslafjda Hello love!!! LMAO You're right I've written so much I can hardly believe it,,, usually I'm one who struggles to finish my WIPs so I'm amazed that I've written this much for one story 💀

AHH I can't believe you read through all the chapters before the latest update oh my goodness!! I admire your speedy reading bestie ✨ OOF YEAH the visual of long haired Yoongi.. chain, sweats, no shirt... My new Roman Empire tbh. I'd totally eat him alive. He's also definitely eating up the fact that he's the only one who gets to kiss her (amongst other things lol) Poor Jin. I think he was gearing up to confess to her, and now he doesn't know WHAT to do 😭 But besides that, mmm the "pretty girl" term of endearment reallllyyyy does it for me, too. Especially hearing it from Seokjin.

THE MYSTERY GANG! I'm so excited for their upcoming adventures. I've wanted to get to this plot arc for so so so long, and finally it's here! I love the interactions between JK and Joon sm, too, they tick each other off but I think they're comfortable with one another. OO you BET they'll find themselves in dangerous situations, and between JK and wolf Joon, they'll fight tooth and nail to keep Y/N safe (hot). Joon loves his sweets, in Trouvaille and in IRL!!!

Jimin 🥺 He finally got a good scene this past update, I've missed him too! I said in a previous ask that when springtime rolls around, there will definitely be more scenes with him outside. They have to plant their little garden, and go for rides around the property! As for him with Yoongi/Y/N, I think Jimin was a little disappointed that he wasn't confided in, and perhaps thought that Y/N did deem him as trustworthy with that information :(

Oh yeah, Hoseok was definitely clocked! He's used to being so quick and clever, so I think him not being able to figure out that they were sneaking around made him feel weird. That said, Hoseok is quick to recover and roll with the punches. I think his friendship with Y/N is too important to him to risk being outwardly upset.... which leads me to Tae. Poor bastard 💀 He's totally one of the more jealous ones, and I think like Jimin, was disturbed that he wasn't told right away. I live for drama, too bestie!!! Wouldn't be Trouvaille if there weren't cliffhangers every update!

Thank you for reading the newest update and sending me your love and thoughts, I loved hearing all of your theories 🥺💜

#asks #trouvaille #dana's thoughts #🪶 anon

[fennelwrites]

Can we have more baker Volo fluff, like he and reader get to know each other more please. Your writing’s so good I often find myself rereading your stuff.

(combining these two requests into one since i did a technical part two the other week!)

"So tell me about yourself."

You stared across your table at Volo, who smiled back at you sweetly. For once, the two of you aren't at Ginkgo, but a different restaurant. You'd recently gotten a raise at work, and Volo wanted to celebrate, so he took you out to dinner at one of his favorite local spots. It was small, but the appetizers you'd had so far were delicious, and you looked forward to your main course.

"What do you mean?" you asked. "You know a lot about me already."

"Not enough," he replied, winking at you. "I mean, I know where you work. I know how you like your coffee. I know the foods you like. But I want to know about you."

You blushed at his words, hoping the dim light of the restaurant obfuscated the pink on your cheeks. "I'm not sure there's much more to know, to be honest."

"Nonsense." Volo leaned closer, smiling at you like he had a secret. "You haven't told me where you like to be kissed the most."

Arceus. He was trying to kill you.

Stifling your nerves, you gave him your best flirty look. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

Volo laughed, and you giggled despite yourself. "Alright, I think we can table that particular discussion for later," he said between laughs. "But seriously. I'd love to know more about you."

The two of you talked for a bit, you offering little bits of information about yourself at his prompting. Occasionally, Volo would chime in with a comment or two, but it was mostly you running the show until your food arrived.

You ate in silence for a moment before you set your fork down. "Your turn now. Tell me about yourself."

Volo blushed--a rare sight, and one you treasured every time you got it--and didn't meet your gaze. "Oh, there's not much to--"

"Ah-ah," you interrupted. "I said pretty much the same thing and you made me talk about myself anyway. No excuses."

Volo laughed, leaning one elbow on the table. "Fair enough. What do you want to know?"

"Whatever you're willing to offer."

He thought for a moment, hooking his finger over his chin in contemplation. "Well, you know the basics already...How about I tell you how I met Togekiss?"

You nodded at him, picking up your fork to begin eating again.

Volo's eyes lit up as he began to speak, and you felt the love for his partner practically emanating from across the table. A smile crept onto your face as you listened to him. As the story ended, he trailed off, blushing as he noticed your smile. "Ah, sorry," he said, looking away from you sheepishly. "I tend to ramble when I get excited."

"Well," you replied, leaning towards him, "since I love hearing you talk..."

You placed a hand over his, reveling in his surprised expression.

"I'll just have to keep exciting you."

#volo #writing #volo x reader #volo/reader #pokemon volo #pokemon legends arceus #baker!volo #sorry if this is Bad it's past midnight and i'm tired lmao

[pan-magi]

I see that youve been a fan of magi for a long time, how do you cope with the lack of content and pretty much dead fandom? Ive been a long time fan or magi too and ive been trying to get my friends into magi.

Hi, Anon! I guess I have. It doesn't really feel like it though? I got into Magi early 2017 sometime and ran this blog for about 6 months or something until I vanished. This was meant to be my hyperfixation dump blog. The first one was Magi, and it... stayed Magi, lol.

This becomes very long but the tl;dr is Magi was more popular once upon a time and you can track down and return to older stuff with the lack of new content. And be honest to your friends about the ups and downs of what you like or what they could like about the series and keep conversations going with them.

At the time, I'll say Magi content was fairly active. The manga was ongoing but wrapping up, the main anime had ended but Adventures of Sinbad was only a year out or so. It wasn't anything to do with the series of why I left. More so I found new shiny things to focus on -- I had recently graduated college, yes, I'm old -- and fell out of love with tumblr more so than Magi and soon was not producing the content or consuming enough to stay interested in the series after it wrapped.

I'd love to give some great advice to stay interested in less popular series because I feel honored you asked. I can't claim to be good at it myself though. I got back into the series when I was sick late 2021 and binged everything. I re-watched the anime and then reread the manga when I got better.

You can try promoting it to your friends as good binge material. Magi does deal with themes you can sink your teeth into but it isn't super heavy. You don't realize how much you've gone through until you have.

I apologize for such a long answer. Let me try to get to your main point. I don't really think of it as something that's inactive or dead. The anime may be incomplete but the manga is done with. I don't think Ohtaka has much more to say on it, and that's why she has moved on to Orient. The series is wrapped- for better or worse. I'm not here to dissect how good or not the final arcs are. This is long enough and getting off topic XD. If you only have/can watch the anime then that's understandable. Accessibility and availability options are different for manga. For me, knowing the author has a complete version out there in some form and having access to it makes it easier. Content will come and go. Yes, I want more. I at least have a full course meal even if part of the dessert has disappeared into the ether.

Another thing that helps is that Magi is a young series. Not in the age range it appeals to but in how long it has been around. 14-15 years? Baby isn't old enough to drive in most places, lmao. The majority of fandoms I've been in are older or about as old as I am (30s). I am used to droughts in content and things coming in and out of popularity. Both in my ADHD-wired brain and by the fandom at large. I don't mean to say that younger fans are too fickle. As I said, I'm awful at it myself. There's a large gap of time (late 2017-2021) where my interests and priorities were elsewhere. I've only been active in the fandom for a few years at most.

I will say to help out try to explore the backlog of content if you have the chance and haven't already. New fan content may not be the most plentiful. Out of all the fandoms I follow the most relate to Magi and all of the tags are the quickest to breeze through what's new. It's sad. I haven't been active in this fandom for years, and there's stuff in its peak that I haven't gotten around to seeing that is still there for me to find. 14 years may not be that old in the grand scheme of things but that is still a long time for various fan art, fic, and other content to have been put up. If there's not enough new stuff to interest your friends, recommend older stuff you are aware of. Tumblr does not have the best search option and in my experience tags dry up after going back far enough even though I know older stuff exists. That is annoying and don't have a good counter on how to combat it.

Remember the old when you don't have enough new. Cycle through your favorite things at different intervals. Not for Magi specifically, but I reread some of my favorite fic that were over a decade old at the point of me discovering them. Now they're almost twice that age. One day go through one artist's backlog, then the next do someone else's, or read the fic that got you to love the fandom in the first place. If you get tired of older things or seen the same old too often- no worries! You can take a break or watch/read the series again (accessibility or availability again to be determined and yeah that majorly sucks). Scribble your own ideas down, regardless if you want to post them. Scratch that itch for you and no one else.

That is the best advice I can give. Try finding something else you haven't seen before or let yourself enjoy stuff you have. For your friends, this may sound counterintuitive but one thing I do when recommending stuff is give them a heads up as well on stuff they may not like. Like, mine is that I despise Aladdin being a little pervert. I've mentioned before how it turned me off the manga when I first picked it up at random. Don't try to catch them off guard by saying how wonderful something is and leaving out something that may turn them off. In my experience, that leads to annoyed friends. Give them the full picture, with spoilers being whatever you guys agree to, and let the strength of what you enjoy outweigh the caveats they have. Sometimes something is just not for them, and that is okay too. If they do start getting into Magi, keep the conversation up, ask them their favorite or least favorite thing, ship, how annoying and annoyingly charming Sinbad (or anyone) is, etc. Be someone to talk to about it even if they can't find new good shit to enjoy. Be that for each other. I dunno. I don't have friends irl who like Magi. If I did that's what'll I do. *shrug*

I am so sorry for the length and I don't feel as if I have been very helpful. I tried to edit it down and be as concise as I could. I can't do that on short notice or not being able to save drafts on asks. I hope this was a fun anecdotal read at least.

#magi #magi: the labyrinth of magic #magi labyrinth of magic #answered ask #lmao this ask coming in when i already had queued a post dreaming about season 3 #clearly i'm more starved for content than i appear #but yeah best advice is not limiting yourself to only new content #idfk how to answer asks #i'm sorry anon i'm sending you lots of hearts <3 <3 <3 #i answered this on my desktop so don't have access to emojis lol

[monstersinthecosmos]

VAMPTEMBER DAY 1: DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS

One of my favorite things to do, like one of my small pleasures in life, is to pair music with books so that like, I can listen to an album (or song or playlist or whatever works) while I read a book because I know that my brain will form vivid memories and then every time I hear those songs for the rest of my life I can have like this fun moment of remembering a story or a character or a scene or whatever. And it’s become this ritualistic thing I do to try on different albums with a book to find the best fit, and then I’m making an intentional commitment to that album for the rest of my life.

Since today’s prompt is “Devil’s in the Details” it reminded me of how I listened to the album Battle for the Sun by Placebo on loop last time I reread The Tale of the Body Thief so I want to share how some of the songs connect with the book because it’s left a lasting impression on me!!! I recall making a playlist of like the gloomier half of the album that felt more thematically appropriate. =P

Just as a CW I wanna mention that there's a lot of suicide on this album just like there is in the book, please proceed with caution!

Battle for the Sun

Like obviously “battle for the SUN” herp derp feels like a vampire reference LOL but I think it also sets the scene for this book in particular which is about Lestat trying to see the sun again. But the album in general has a lot of messaging about suicide and survival. A lot of the songs (including this one) also talk about being alienated or facing adversity, as well, like not just the idea of survival but having to do it alone. 

So it just feels like, even LITERALLY this song feels like it’s about Lestat’s suicide attempt and setting the scene for him to do this ridiculous stunt that NO ONE is supporting him on lol. 

I will battle for the sun And I won't stop until I'm done You are getting in the way And I have nothing left to say I  will brush off all the dirt And I will pretend it didn't hurt  You are a black and heavy weight And I will not participate Dream brother, my killer, my lover

(also as a bonus, calling someone brother/killer/lover is SO Ricey lol and I love it bc it shows up on other Placebo albums as the concept of someone being EVERYTHING to you!)

For What It’s Worth

This one is so funny because it’s like perfect for Lestat in that it’s kinda bitchy/cynical and also so catchy and fun? LOL But it’s about someone just at the end of their rope, burnt out from helping everyone else when on one wants to help THEM. 

It’s funny in that Lestat context because like, I think he’s a character that struggles with his own self worth. Like he sits down at book writing time and he’s able to hype himself up and everything but we also see him go through these dark times and depressive episodes as well. TOBT is a great example because he starts the book with a suicide attempt and then he’s on this high to like DO A COOL ADVENTURE and literally NO ONE is supporting him. 

And like the extra layer is I think, despite struggling with his self worth, it’s like he has this split thinking where he has to contend with his own ego. He is sensitive to rejection and at the same time has an inflated sense of self. The concept of helping everyone else or the idea that being part of their lives makes them happier is such a funny idea because he exists like on his own island where no one else agrees with him or sees it the way he does. But it means he can mistreat people all he wants, without realizing it, and doesn’t take accountability for it until he realizes no one has his back anymore. 

The end of the century I said my goodbyes For what it's worth, I always aim to please But I nearly died For what it's worth Come on, lay with me 'Cause I'm on fire For what it's worth, I'd tear the sun in three To light up your eyes

And also this part of the song is so funny to me like I FEEL BRIAN MOLKO IS PERHAPS MORE SINCERE AND I’M NOT LAUGHING AT HIM but in vampire land it feels fitting to pair these extremely dramatic words with the song POPPING. 

No one cares when you're out on the street Picking up the pieces to make ends meet No one cares when you're down in the gutter Got no friends, got no lover

Devil in the Details

I love this song so much AND IT’S THE PROMPT TODAY and it’s just so beautiful and really hits that PLACEBO THING, you know the thing I mean like you can enjoy Placebo all day and then certain songs they just really hit their stride and it’s so good. 

All of my wrongs No more wicked ways Come back to haunt me, come what may He wrote the songs That I hoped to write someday Looks like the devil's here to stay Let me take you for a ride With the devil in the details We'll kiss and tremble with the light Everything is fine With the devil in the details We're gonna dance with him tonight

Just off the repetition of “looks like the devil’s here to stay” makes me so emotional LOL. 

ANYWAY so this concept really resonates with me for this book because Lestat’s entire story here is that we open with Lestat trying to kill himself, then has this chance to be human again, then realizes he’s still a monster even when he’s human. And the thing is like, he gets his body back, wins the game, it’s back to normal, and instead of changing his ways he doubles down and decides to continues to be evil. THE DEVIL’S HERE TO STAY, GUYS. 

I love this in line with like the entire reason I find villains to be compelling; we create a super hyperbolic situation to play with the idea of love and forgiveness and identity– in this situation it’s also an act of SELF LOVE for Lestat. Like the idea of him embracing himself as a flawed, sometimes evil, person is an act of unconditional self acceptance and I love that!!!!

The Never‐Ending Why

Sdhjgkffffffff the entire concept of this song is the contradiction that time heals and yet there’s not ENOUGH time to answer all the questions we have about the unknowable. 

I bring this up a lot when I talk about VC because I think about how we have to reframe the vampires’ psychology as immortals and what it means for things like forgiveness. Like some of these characters have done truly atrocious things to each other and IRL if someone did something like this it’s just OKAY, BANISHED IMMEDIATELY GOODBYE because we do not have the TIME to get through such a serious emotional wound. Vampires have nothing BUT time.

But I love it in regards to the suicide theme on the album of like, the acceptance that you don’t have enough time anyway, being okay with that. It’s something the vampires all struggle with. Being immortal seems to make them even more afraid of death. 

Julien

This is one of my fav songs on the album, I lose my mind every time I hear it. ALSO REMEMBER WHEN LESTAT MET JULIEN MAYFAIR AND YOU’D THINK THEY’D BE SO COMPATIBLE WITH EACH OTHER BUT THEY WERE JUST CATTY BITCHES THE WHOLE TIME LOL

Placebo had said this song is named after Julian from Less Than Zero (lol) and the song is about slowly killing yourself with drugs; references to “Julien” I think you could swap out for “cocaine” or whatever you want. 

Anyway since I’m still talking about Lestat it really can fit so much of his bullshit haha like he’s a person who never has enough and often behaves selfishly because of it. Like in this book he winds up isolating himself from everyone bc they go LESTAT NO and he’s like LESTAT YES! And it’s not just them like denying him having this beautiful experience, like there’s a very real danger to having his POWERFUL BODY on the loose.  

Fallen angels in the night And everyone is barred from Heaven Just one more hit to make it right But every one turns into seven Now that it's snowing in your brain Another ten will not placate you This ain't no killer for the pain This avalanche will suffocate you

You can run but you can't hide Because no one here gets out alive Find a friend in whom you can rely Julien, you're being taken for a ride You can run but you can't hide Because no one here gets out alive Find a friend in whom you can confide Julien, you're a slow motion suicide

I like the image of “slow motion suicide” too again in reference to a vampire’s relationship with time. It feels like it loses meaning for them, or can feel relative. And it’s sad because like whatever context you hear in a song like this it’s still about all the small ways we hurt ourselves and how it adds up. Like Lestat is a person who desperately needs companionship and wants to be loved and he constantly makes it harder for people to love him lol.

Breathe Underwater

This! Song! Is! So! Good!

It brings us back to a theme of survival after all the other stuff we just went through on this album haha. 

It's hard to reconcile What I've become With the wounded child Hiding deep inside

(This part always makes me think of Armand bc lol but anyway)

So back to that thing about how Lestat becomes human only to learn he’s still a monster lol. I FEEL LIKE, AND DON’T LET ME GO DOWN A RABBIT HOLE NOW, but like there’s a therapy thing about reparenting or protecting the wounded inner child, and learning to reframe your instincts as an adult who is not a wounded child. And it’s that old saying hurt people hurt people; sometimes we become a version of ourselves that we really dislike because we’re reacting to our trauma way past the threat of danger. 

And there’s a conflicting message in this song about like, breathing underwater (maybe the method to kill yourself) but then also saying “I’m coming up for air, I want to see another dawn.”  It’s like he’s finally sick of it and got the survival instinct at the last moment. 

Take my ego for a ride 'Cause there's nobody by my side It's getting hard to justify And it won't be long till I collide My weakness is laid bare As people stop and stare But it's the last time I swear

But to bring it back up one more time; the whole arc of this book is how he becomes human selfishly, risks his relationships for it, puts people in danger, and the whole time he's nearly dying and trying to reconcile with the idea of what he did to Claudia, only to come to the conclusion he'd do it again. It reads like the song; I can't take this anymore, I must drown myself, but I want to live. Lestat gets to the bottom in this book and really faces his mortality, comes up for air, and does it again.

Whew.

SO ANYWAY I DONT HAVE A GRACEFUL EXIT FOR ALL OF THIS just wanna repeat that I really love these songs and they remind me of Lestat LOL and the back and forth of despair to optimism/survival sounds so much like him! HE’S SO MOODY OKAY? 

#vamptember #vampire chronicles #lestat de lioncourt #placebo #tale of the body thief