#no idea if i have the will to make 8 sets but i am compelled
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Walton Goggins as The Ghoul/Cooper Howard in Fallout (2024-)
#fallout#fallout 2024#walton goggins#wgogginsedit#tvedit#mygifs#no idea if i have the will to make 8 sets but i am compelled#he is my boy after all
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hello i saw u tagged jimmy solidarity on that "free my man he did none of that. he did a bunch of other shit though" post and i am incredibly compelled by the implications here. please may i have an essay on the subject
YOU MAY.
Okay so we’re gonna be specifically talking about Empires SMP Season 2 Jimmy (henceforth, Jimmy,) and the way he conducts himself, how those actions reflect on him, versus how he sees himself (and how the fandom sees him in turn). Welcome to my Ted Talk.
The most important thing to understand about Jimmy is that he lies. He lies about everything, and convinces himself that his lie is true to the point where he really thinks it is. Take, for example, a moment in Sausage’s episode 41 [full exchange from 9:10 - 19:37] where Jimmy kills Sausage, and then when Sausage, followed by fWhip, return to Tumble Town to discuss the murder, Jimmy blatantly lies about the altercation to fWhip, claiming “[Sausage] came over, and he assaulted me, fWhip!” Jimmy insists that it was Sausage who physically started it, despite that being completely untrue. Jimmy then goes on to deny having killed Sausage Sausage at all, sounding affronted at the idea and demanding to see the player head that drops on death. fWhip asks how many levels Sausage has, which is none, and Jimmy claims that Sausage must have used all his experience. Jimmy denies and lies, and when fWhip goes looking for Sausage’s things, finding them in Jimmy’s storage, Jimmy acts shocked, saying “I think I’m being set up! […] I’m gonna leave this conversation, you do what you gotta do, but I don’t think I’m the bad guy here.” As if Jimmy didn’t explicitly kill Sausage moments ago!! As if it isn’t his fault!!!
And the problem here, the core problem, is that so many people just… believe him. They take Jimmy’s words at face value and assume that he’s always a reliable narrator in his own stories, despite the fact that it couldn’t be further from the case. The issue is less that people assign New and Different problems to Jimmy, more that they strip him of any wrongdoing at all, making him out to be some sad little pathetic wet cat who didn’t deserve it. And— don’t get me wrong, he is extremely sad, but he also did it to himself.
I think one of the more interesting ways to illustrate this, is to talk about the way Jimmy perceives himself. From the start of the season, he always insists on being called “The Sheriff.” He’s not Jimmy, he’s The Sheriff, and throughout the season, he can be seen constantly insisting upon and chasing after that title. He wants respect— or, his version of respect. What he really wants is a yes man. This difference can very clearly be seen in the way he treats the two deputies he had throughout the season.
When fWhip was the deputy, it’s because he wanted to be. He sought Jimmy out because he wanted to be Jimmy’s right hand man, and Jimmy let him. fWhip consistently referred to Jimmy as The Sheriff, upholding Jimmy’s version of the laws as best he could. And, there really is something to be said about the fact that fWhip, as a goblin, inherently didn’t understand the concept of arbitrary laws, or that sort of morality at all, and was only one, upholding it because he cared about Jimmy, but two, treating the laws as Jimmy treated them— i.e, making a shrine for that which Jimmy made a church for, but that’s a whole separate essay that I want to write at some point. Either way, he was good to Jimmy, though their time together was short. He made Jimmy a home away from home in Gobland [fWhip episode 8 timestamp 20:28] and helped Jimmy win the court trial by serving as his lawyer in the case against Joel [Trial best seen in Jimmy’s episode 10 starts at 3:03]. After fWhip was fired, he went around Tumble Town noting down a bunch of “laws” that Jimmy was breaking. I wrote a whole post about this set of interactions already [here] but the short version is this: In fWhip’s episode 12 [5:54], he goes around and marks down all the laws that he’s saying Jimmy is breaking around Tumble Town. […] Of the seven instances that fWhip writes down, SIX of them almost directly relate to Jimmy not taking good care of himself or his empire. To me, it almost reads more like he cares about Jimmy, and is worried about him.
All this to say, that fWhip didn’t Respect The Sheriff as much as he Cared About Jimmy. And that’s an important distinction— he cared about Jimmy, the person. He had this whole veneer of respecting the laws— laws that he didn’t really understand— because he cared about Jimmy. And Jimmy fired him for a prank— one that wasn’t specifically targeted or malicious— because he saw that as Disrespecting The Sheriff. He didn’t want someone who Cared About Jimmy, he wanted someone who Respected The Sheriff. And fWhip wasn’t that.
Enter Scar.
During the Hermitcraft crossover, Scar started gunning for the position as deputy because he wanted the shiny deputy badge. That was it, that was the reason, and Scar acted accordingly. Everything was about acting like he Respected The Sheriff, even when he was blatantly breaking one of the core laws, wearing another player’s hat— both the sheriff hat [Jimmy episode 19 4:07] as well as trading away a sheriff hat, and being seen wearing one of Scott’s Chromia hats [Jimmy episode 22 14:27]. In this episode, Scar backhandedly compliments Jimmy, “oh, you’re just a… cute big guy, aren’t you?” to which Jimmy seems uncertain, asking “I’m real big, right?” to which Scar says he is. Jimmy then asks him about the Chromia hat Scar wears, and Scar tells him that he traded one of the sheriff hats to Scott. Jimmy gets upset at Scar, but before he can get properly mad, Scar distracts him by showing off a new section of Tumble Town that he made. Scar wears the mask of respect for just long enough to get the badge. When Jimmy gives him the badge, he says he has something else that he wants to give Scar as well. “I have found something real special for you, real special.” Scar says “I already got something special, this badge.” Jimmy says “you mean our friendship?” Which Scar dubiously agrees to. This is the last time Jimmy sees Scar before the hermits leave— Scar got what he wanted, and that was all. And yet, Jimmy hired him, because Scar put on the show. Scar was his yes man, Scar Respected The Sheriff, even if he didn’t Care About Jimmy.
He does it to himself, Jimmy does. He pushes away anyone that tries to care about him as a person, and surrounds himself with people that will be his yes men, his little sidekicks, anyone that holds the sheriff title in high regard. It’s why he takes so well to the Old Sheriff, who treats the sheriff title with the same reverence that he does, respecting the title of sheriff without actually respecting Jimmy much at all.
The thing about Jimmy is that he causes his own problems, and they’re all his fault. Yes he is crushingly lonely, and filled with self hatred, but he actively surrounds himself with it. It’s not that people are just inherently mean to him, he is almost asking them to be, by pushing away anyone that seems to care about him as a person.
I think, as my final note here, I wanna bring up a moment from Jimmy’s finale, episode 38. He and the Old sheriff, as they’re making their way to the Nether portal, discuss how fWhip only ever referred to himself as goblin fWhip, never as king. Jimmy says “I don’t think he ever held himself to the regard of being a king, and that— d’you know what? That sucks. He was my deputy for a while, he didn’t really think much of himself, I’m not gonna lie” [9:19]. I just find it interesting, that Jimmy says that it sucks how fWhip never called himself king— a title ostensibly higher than sheriff— and that fWhip was only a deputy. As if he thinks that fWhip could’ve been king, perhaps was worthy of the title, and just never took it— that he sees the taking of a title such as that to be so important, when for fWhip, it never was. I dunno, I just think there’s something to that. I think it says something about Jimmy and about the importance he places on titles that don’t really matter.
Jimmy ran away, in the end. He and the Old Sheriff ran far away from everything they ever knew. fWhip stayed, choosing to live out his days happily in the empire he helped to found. fWhip never took the title of king. Jimmy thinks he should’ve.
Isn’t that something?
#umbrify answers#ilexdiapason#thank you so much for this ask. i spent 3 hours drafting this response#I love empires. btw.#empires smp#jimmy solidarity#empires jimmy
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The ripple effect
So finally, it would seem the news from Hollywood are not good at all. A press release from SAG-AFTRA informs us that AMPTP/TPTB chose to drop the towel after a very long negotiation process (not a good sign, in my book), that continued even after their latest unacceptable offer, as you can read down below (https://x.com/sagaftra/status/1712368110253285730?s=20):
The mainstream media (always NYT, in this house) reported also on the studios' offer, which may or may not be helpful for understanding what exactly is at stake (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/business/media/actors-strike-talks-suspended.html?searchResultPosition=2):
Now that is a very hardball, completely insolent position. I am peeling my eyes in disbelief at the idea of offering 'further protections around the use of A.I.', when it was hoped that the use of A.I. would be treated as an exception, not as future reality the industry should work 'around'. This is what really is at stake, not the almost abusive allegation of 'unbearable economic burden' (that is a mafioso pretext) an 800 million USD yearly viewership bonus would supposedly entail. The real financial impact of such a compromise solution, as disclosed by SAG-AFTRA, is negligible: 'less than 57 cents/subscriber'.
And, to make things worse, it would seem the studios deliberately lied to the press, too (it would not be the first time - we shippers know it so well, eh?):
All this circus, despite a cataclysmic impact on California's economy:
(Sourced at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/21/realestate/writers-strike-rent-ny-la.html).
And that was the situation three weeks ago, when I found this article and promptly set it aside, waiting for the right moment to share it with you. And you know the situation is serious, when news like these are to be found not in the business, but in the real estate section of the newspaper. Along with this kind of comments, likely to suggest the possibility of unrest, if things go on like this:
People living in their flats without electricity or sleeping in their cars: it would seem this strike added unwanted insult to the drastic COVID injury in this particular sector of the labor market.
But what interested me the most about this whole affair was the ripple effect on the British film industry, in an attempt to see what is next for OL's Season 8. Thankfully, I didn't have to go very far and speculate more than the NYT did itself. Oh, and before Mordor starts shouting insanities, their LHR's correspondent paper, back in September, is called 'Hollywood Strikes Send a Chill Through Britain’s Film Industry' (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/19/business/hollywood-strikes-uk-filmmaking-industry.html):
Despite my unflappable optimism, I have to say that doesn't sound good at all, especially when you know this is precisely the case for OL, a production 'with stars who are SAG-AFTRA members' (or at least compelled to stand in solidarity with the strike, by SAG-AFTRA's own statement of conduct). I predict a very late start for the shooting of Season 8. And further unrest in the UK sector 'in the middle of next year' means that UK based and staffed productions may be fewer and less important, since that calendar announced by Equity could seriously compromise their promotion, a risk not many studios are willing to take. So less alternatives for both S&C, at least for the UK alone.
The writers' strike was a very long one - five months. I suppose the studios are willing to play for time and prefer a long stalemate of the negotiations with SAG-AFTRA, in the attempt of breaking the union consensus from the inside. With people's economies gone and the prospect of a dire, uncertain way ahead, there is no way SAG-AFTRA's compensations, mainly aimed at keeping people afloat with their rent costs, could cover the real impact on its members' everyday lives, on the long run. They would also prefer to foolishly cry over a fictitious 800 million USD 'burden' and not see the (at least) six times bigger negative impact on the local economy, which translates both in net losses of profit for thousands of businesses (mainly SMEs) and thousands of lost jobs.
And in the middle of all this, it would seem that Herself is on her way to the NYCC. Whatever for, sweet summer child, I would brazenly ask this strange, diminutive woman who started it all.
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fic writer meme
thank you [checks notes] @megafaunatic, @cairoscene, @englishsub, @yuebings, and @cafecliche for the tags ilu
1. How many works do you have on Ao3?
15! which is solidly 14 more than i ever expected to have on there when i made the account
2. What's your total Ao3 word count?
277,844
3. What fandoms do you write for?
on ao3: mdzs/cql, tgcf, shl, and dc. in groupchats/dms/my own head i’m running wild all over the place
4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
🐉 this river runs to you
💍 i’ll have you and you’ll have me
🪐 i will be chasing a starlight
⚔️ you’re the trouble that i always find
🌊 a wave crashes to shore
5. Do you respond to comments?
not often; i have made multiple attempts to start replying regularly but all have eventually failed in the face of me desperately wanting to show my earnest and genuine appreciation for each comment vs. wanting to hide my blushing face under a pillow every time. also, because of who i am as a person, each time i sat down to do it i ended up spending hours making little progress and eventually decided that i will make an effort to spend those hours writing or commenting on other fics instead. i am honored by each and every one though!!!
6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
while i tend to write angst it is always firmly of the “with a happy ending” sort. the one exception is my shortest fic (originally posted on twitter) never been away so long, which is more of an ambiguous/open ending with implied angst. i dooooo outline the eventual happy ending in the endnotes, though.
also as it CURRENTLY stands buy back the secrets ends on one hell of an angsty note, but there are two more chapters in the works to fix that.
7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
despite the wangxian star trek au having like 20k of deliriously happy post-misunderstanding sex, i think trrty has to have the happiest ending because not only does the fic end happily, but there are also multiple very happy codas in which wwx gets a good night’s sleep, finally gets to bang his dragon boyfriend, and, my personal fav, one by aubreyli where wangxian go flying in a thunderstorm.
8. Do you get hate on fics?
not so far, for which i am grateful but mostly lucky.
9. Do you write smut?
occasionally; on ao3 there’s the aforementioned trrty coda, plus the aforementioned cowritten wangxian pon farr sequence 💪
10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you have written?
hmm, i’m not opposed to crossovers—i’ve read some really fun ones (recent fav crossover read here)—but i’d have to be really compelled by both source materials and have a very clear vision for how they interact to want to write one myself. i’ve written a few fandom fusions (aforementioned wangxian star trek au; i also started a wangxian dragon age au but again, no dragon age characters were going to show up, just the world/setting) but no full-on crossovers. i did have one partially drafted wangxian fic that was going to have a hua cheng deus ex machina, alas.
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
not that i’m aware of! it’s not something i really go looking for/concern myself with, but so far, like with fandom hate, i’m grateful to not have encountered it.
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
yes! my wangxian wedding fic was translated to russian.
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
i co-wrote seventy thousand words of published fic with @feyburner! and probably two hundred thousand words of unpublished fic and outlines and story ideas just for fun. even when we aren’t co-writing we tend to talk through our individual fics with each other so we’re pretty in sync when it comes to writing. i also spent like a year in @cairoscene’s DMs concocting whole outlines/zerodrafts for batfam fics together that i still cherish and reread (notable favs: tim drake ella enchanted au, concept where the waynes are cursed to suddenly feel nothing but apathy about tim and he has to deal with that, story where robin!tim gets de-aged and oops red hood is the first one to show up…). i’d say the OCBFEU is fic-adjacent and cowritten by a group of us. also shoutout to the mdzs threadfic @cafecliche and i brainstormed/zerodrafted where lan qiren gets cursed into an owl and post-cql wei wuxian is the one who unknowingly saves him.
14. What's your all time favorite ship?
oh yeah it’s [loud truck goes by]
15. What is a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
cyborg!wwx…i still think of you fondly. the only ao3 fic i’ve ever posted knowing i probably wouldn’t finish it but wanted to share just for fun.
16. What are your writing strengths?
pangs… mining little character details for humor (or, more often, for more pangs)… i also think i’ve really improved my action writing/pacing over the last few years.
17. What are your writing weaknesses?
i write actual drafts/prose fairly slowly, which can be frustrating for me. also like @yuebings i often get very caught up in trying to perfect one small part of a draft before moving on. ummmm describing outfits/settings for reasons other than immediate plot-relevant details, i’m terrible at that + remembering to do it—i literally make myself do a What Are We Looking At Here Pass while revising sometimes.
18. Thoughts of writing dialogue in another language in fics?
i’m not totally sure what this question is asking tbh, but it’s something i think can be done incredibly well—and, like with many things in storytelling, it’s the sort of thing where if you don’t actually speak the second language you need to be willing to put in work beyond a cursory google to try to achieve what you’re doing, and be willing to admit if it’s beyond your capabilities. i really like how the portuguese dialogue in bbts ended up and that’s 100% because @tigerjpg translated it for me and also already understood the scene/concept/characters; without them i would have found a different way to approach that scene. also, stylistically, i personally like when dialogue in other languages isn’t italicized unless there’s a real reason for it to be.
19. First fandom you wrote for?
oh it was [a second loud truck whooshes by]
20. Favorite fic you have written?
right now it’s bbts, because i think it’s also the fic i’ve had the most fun writing. trrty, though, will always hold a special place in my heart.
and i tag! @tlumeti, @burins, @smilebackwards, @bonesbuckleup, @hearteyeshayley, @sonosvegliato
#this was so fun thank you#also i loved getting tagged so many times because i could immediately go read everyone's writeups#like a very fun trip down memory lane#my fic
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Reasons to Hope (part one)
Pairing: Sam Kiszka x F!Reader
Summary: On a walk in the woods, Sam and Rose encounter someone in need of a friend.
Word Count: 2.4k
Warnings: language, mentions of sex, angry boss, toxic boyfriend, cheating, Rose Kiszka
Author's Note: I couldn't stop thinking about Dog Dad Sammy. Oops. I also am impatient so here is part one.
You'd had it. The week's heartache had finally caught up to you, and you needed to just get out. The office could feel so constricting, and the break room was certainly not where you wanted to spend your hour on lunch break. So, you headed for the woods.
You were lucky that your building was right next to a public recreation area. Skyneck Woods had all sorts of walking trails, fields, benches, playgrounds, and paths to enjoy. Here, it was almost as if the stressors of your job, your family, and your broken relationship couldn't reach you. Here, there were no deadlines, no tensions, and no checklists.
You grabbed a snack from your bag and set off onto one of the many trails. The further you went into the woods, the less you could hear the cars on the main road, the kids on the playground, and the static frustration in your head. It was a silent retreat, and for that you were grateful. After the reaming you'd just received from your boss, you needed silence. He'd been patient with you all week, but, when you forgot to place an important order, he had to lay it on you. And so, here you were. Boots in the dirt, heading for God-knows-where.
--*--
After the weekend you had with your long-distance boyfriend, you had admittedly been useless at the office. Apparently, it wasn't good enough for him to plan for a relaxed weekend in. He had insisted on going out when all you wanted to do was spend time on the couch watching Bachelor and eating Chinese. Just like you used to at home. You explained how exhausted you were, how you missed just getting to hold him, but he wasn't having it.
"God. Honestly, Y/N! It's like we never do shit anymore. I don't want to watch your stupid fucking show. And when was the last time we even fucked? Like-"
"Don, please-"
"I only see you every other weekend and it's like every time I do, you wanna play fucking house. I'm tired of spending my hard-earned money and time to drive all the way here just for this," he motioned to the living room, "and some mediocre head."
You weren't sure what compelled him to say such a stinging remark. But you knew exactly why your hand went up to slap him across the face. His hand caught your wrist, though, just before you could make contact and slap some decency into the man who was supposed to love you.
"Nice try. I'm out. If you need me I'll be at O'Leary's. Who knows? Maybe finding myself a lady willing to put out for once," he said as he slammed the door shut, leaving you alone in the apartment.
He'd been becoming more and more of a dick these past few months. Even his name was dick-ish. Donovan. Who the fuck named their kid Donovan? Worse, who thought it would be a good idea to date a guy named Donovan? You, apparently. It wasn't the first time he'd thrown a tantrum over something like this. Once you moved to Nashville while he stayed in St. Louis, things had started to change. He got angrier. Impatient. It was like the boy you fell in love with in college had morphed into someone you didn't know. Long gone were his sweet gestures and gentle caresses. No more were the "good morning" texts and the random flowers.
Not having the energy to cry when he left, you simply fell back onto the couch. You reached for your phone to check the time when you realized Donovan had left his by the pillow next to you. You hadn't meant to even look, but a notification caught your eye. A message.
Katie (8 min ago): You think so, baby? I'd say you were just as good.
Baby? Who the hell was calling him baby? Who was Katie? Oh, now this was something. Just as you were getting ready to helplessly text your best friend, Donovan came crashing through the front door once again.
"Fucking forgot my-"
"Who the fuck is Katie?" you interrupted. You stood up from your spot on the couch and marched over to the door, where he still stood in its frame. The instant look of shock on his face told you everything you needed to know. But he still played the game.
"Katie? Katie who? What are you-"
"Shut the fuck up. Katie." You threw the phone towards him and it clanged onto the vinyl floor. "Hmm?" You crossed your arms and waited, mostly so that you wouldn't ball your fists in his direction.
"Babe I don't know what you're trying to say here. Katie is on my sales team. We-"
"Your sales teammate calls you 'baby' now? That's fucking rich."
"I don't know what you want me to say. I don't even know her that well, like, she- Actually, no. No. I'm not going to explain myself to you. I haven't done whatever you're thinking. And fuck you for doubting me, Y/N." He with a final huff, he shoved the phone pointedly in his pocket, shut the door, and left.
Needless to say, your weekend ended with more screaming matches, a half-assed excuse, a confrontation with this Katie, and a bitter goodbye. Donovan was gone. You were finished. Though you knew it was a long time coming, and probably for the better, it still hurt. It still made you question what you could've done wrong. Why you weren't enough. What Katie had that you didn't.
--*--
With the events of this weekend replaying through your mind, you found a spot to sit some half-mile or so onto the path. Nobody was around, and it was midday, so you figured it was a good a time as any to let the dam welling in your chest break. Criss-crossed on the log, you let your head fall into your hands and wept.
You wept for the old you. The one who dreamed of a life with Donovan. Who imagined 3 little mini-you's running around a fenced-in yard while the two of you held hands.
You wept for the current you. The one who was hurting and betrayed and broken and helpless. Who couldn't seem to catch a break.
And you wept for the future you. The one who you didn't know yet. You prayed she was happy. You wished she was successful, and loved, and cherished. All the things you weren't.
It was a relief to be able to get it out. The pain you'd been holding in all week was too much to carry in silence. So, you didn't hold back. You allowed the sobs to come from deep within your chest, emptying out the caverns of your broken heart into nature. You remained like that until you thought you had no water left in your body to cry out.
Then, a shuffle of leaves caught your attention. You figured it was a squirrel or some critter just pattering around. But soon, the rustles got louder and closer, until finally you saw a dog skipping right towards you. Now, this would have been a welcome surprise if it weren't for the reality that the presence of a dog meant the presence of a human somewhere nearby.
"Rose! Rose Bud Kiszka," someone yelled, feigning severity. "Get back here- I have treats!" you heard a man calling down the path. You stood up to try and start walking away, but she was too quick. The dog had jumped into your lap and you were twisting and bending to keep her from licking right into your face. Her muddy paws were soiling your work pants with dirt and you tried to get her down, but it was no use.
"Rose! Shit. I'm so sorry-" Her owner had finally caught up. "Rose no!"
You managed to pull your face away from her excited sniffs to reply, "No, it's fine! Don't- oh!" Just as you spoke, she licked right into your mouth. Not the worst thing in the world, but definitely a little gross.
He wrangled her back by her harness and attached her to the end of the leash. "I'm so sorry. Seriously. I kinda assumed nobody would be out here so I let her off..."
You finally had a moment to look up at Rose's owner as he rambled on and- oh. He was... yeah. Your brain took a stalled out for a second taking in the attractive man before you when he spoke again.
"Are you- oh my God. I'm so sorry she made you upset. Did she hurt you? She's usually not-" He seemed overly apologetic. You realized, then, that your face was probably puffy, red, and dreary from the cry you just had. Snot was likely gathering somewhere on your face, and you clearly looked rough. And the poor guy thought it was because of his dog.
"No! Please. Don't apologize. I was just- it wasn't her! Promise." You gave him a small smile and beckoned for Rose to come towards you again, proving your point. He slowly led her over to your side again, though slightly more calm.
"What kind of dog is she?" you asked, changing the subject as quickly as possible from your emotional display.
"She's mainly a pit, but with bits of terrier and boxer mixed in. My little mutt girl. Aren't you, my Rosie?" he smooshed the top of her head with his hand and slipped into his doggie voice, causing you to chuckle. Cute.
"Aren't you just precious!" you agreed. "And how old?" By this point, she'd made herself comfortable sitting between your legs while her owner stood facing you.
"She just turned one year, actually. Still a pup!"
"Well she's lovely..."
You continued to pat her head as she sat in a glorious bliss. Clearly, she loved the attention.
"I'm Sam by the way," he smiled. "Mostly Polish with a bit of German and French mixed in. 24 years old." Oh. So he was funny too? And his teeth were perfect..
"Nice to meet you Sam. I'm Y/N." You stood up, wiping your now-dirty pants down, much to Rose's dismay. So, you reached down to satisfy her need for pats at all times. Sam quirked up an eyebrow, still hung up on the way that he'd found you.
"Are you sure you're okay...?" he pressed.
"Yeah! No. Sorry, I'm fine. Just... long day." You went to smooth your hair back, only to realize it had half-fallen out of place. Great.
"I get it. More than you know, unfortunately."
You rocked back and forth on your heels, feeling a little awkward, before deciding to put the man out of his presumed misery.
"Well, Sam, Rose. I hope you have a good walk! It's a beautiful day for it."
"Oh we will! But I'm not quite sure she's gonna want to move on," he suggested, looking down at Rose. "You might just have to join us."
"Don't let me ruin your walk! I was just gonna head back actually..." You looked down see Rose's snout exploring your left jacket pocket. Ah, yes. The snack you'd brought and neglected to eat. She found it.
"I don't know! I think she likes you too much. Walk with us? Just for a bit and then we'll see you off?" he insisted. You considered it for a moment before giving in. This Sam and his eyes were just too sweet to say no to.
"Alright then."
The three of you set off down the path together. Sam asked you a bit about yourself, your work, where you're from and what you're doing in Nashville now.
"It's a great city. Really. I've only been here a few years, but it already feels more like home than home ever was," he explained.
"Home?"
"Michigan. A random German town with a lot of Christmas decorations. And world famous chicken!"
"World-famous, you say?" You kicked up some rocks as you went, attempting to distract yourself from staring at his slender fingers on Rose's leash.
"That is exactly what I said. But I never said it was any good..." he peeked over at you with a sly smile.
You laughed nearly the whole walk and were amazed at his ability to set you, a total stranger, at ease. Conversation seemed to flow so easily. He spoke about his brothers and his sister. He asked for your thoughts on the Space Force and whether you think that we really landed on the moon or not. And the way he said things was so casual, yet elegant. He spoke of the beauty in the mundane things in life. He pointed out the colors on the trees as you passed by a particularly beautiful section of the woods. Sam mentioned that he was a big jazz guy and played music with his brothers, much to his father's pride. He stopped plenty of times to give Rose some love. By the time you neared the end of the path, finishing almost a two mile loop, it was hard to believe you'd only just met. As cliche as it sounded, it felt even more so.
"Thanks for convincing me to tag along. I needed that little break," you admitted. He only gave a shrug in response, as if to say I told you so. Looking at the time on your phone, you realized you only had a few more minutes to get back to the office. "Shit. I gotta run, though. My boss will literally kill me if I come back late."
"Okay, okay. At least text me when you get back? Just so I know you're alive?" He snuck the phone out of your hands and shot himself a message.
You: Sam Kiszka. Weird guy from the woods.
"I will." You gave goodbye pets to Rose before scurrying as fast as you could towards the office and back to your desk. Settling in, you tried to look as unfazed as possible in front of your boss. Then, your phone dinged.
Maybe: Sam: Alive?
You smiled to yourself.
You: Yes! THANK GOD.
You quickly saved his number into your contacts.
Sam Kiszka 🐶: Glad to hear it. Drinks later? If you're not busy.
You: I'd love to. You pick where!
You had big plans with your couch that night, but you were she'd understand.
Sam Kiszka 🐶: O'Leary's, then. 8?
You: See ya then :)
(to be continued)
edit as of 2023: im so sorry I didnt make another part lol but im stuck. maybe one day Inspo will strike!
#sam kiszka#sammy gvf#gvf#greta van fleet#sam kiszka fic#sam kiszka fanfiction#sam kiszka fanfic#sam kiszka x reader#gvf fic#gvf fanfic#fluff#blurb#imagine#fanfic#fanfiction#fic#greta van fleet fic#Greta Van fleet fanfiction
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Ranking all the main range Big Finish Eighth Doctor Stories
(Excluding Multi Doctor stories)
(With bonus Eight and Charley special releases)
1. Caerdroia: Just delightful. Witty and cathartic-listened to it twice in one week. Such strong writing and acting, everyone has a moment to shine
2. Scherzo: Some of the best acting you will ever hear, stunning sound design and an awesome script. A masterpiece.
3. The Chimes of Midnight: Meticulous plotting and wonderful dialogue, a tight and constantly gripping story. I love the message about the value of life.
4. Seasons of Fear: Highly entertaining journey through history with a memorable villain and lots of quotable lines
5. The Silver Turk- Genuinely scary, stuffed with atmosphere, one of the best Cybermen stories ever
6. The Natural History of Fear: Excellent showcase for great acting and writing with unforgettable twists. I am fond of stories about shifting power dynamics, so this really appealed to me.
7. The Company of Friends: Each story is creative and well-constructed. The Doctor has convincing chemistry with all four companions (though Izzy suffers from weaker writing) Mary's story is an atmospheric highlight and it is amazing to have Fitz off the page for once.
8. The Girl Who Never Was: Does the difficult job of separating a great doctor/companion duo while keeping them both true to themselves by intelligently combining elements of other companion departures. Heartbreaking but satisfying.
9. Living Legend: A perfect slice of pure comedy, the leads are having a ball and are at their most likeable
10. Terror Firma: Gripping, great dialogue, and a twist that blew me away. A bit over ambitious for the run time, but so memorable and quotable.
11. Storm Warning: Energetic opening story which perfectly captures our two heroes from the get go. The setting is great as well.
12. Neverland: Expertly pays off what was set up in the preceding stories, with amazing concepts and can't miss character interactions
13. Other Lives: Love me a pure historical, especially one that gives each of the leads a compelling plot thread. Eight is so sweet in this it hurts.
14. If I Should Die Before I Wake: Great use of nuwho monsters to construct a twisty plot with lots of great moments between the leads.
15. Zagreus: Lives up to its reputation for being confusing, but it is also very entertaining and I admire the ambition. Plus Zagreus!Eight is a must listen.
16. The Witch From the Well: A smart blend of sci-fi and historical elements to tell a creepy and engaging story
17. The Faith Stealer: A solid story uplifted by delightful dialogue and great world building
18. Memory Lane: Does a lot with its off-beat, dream-like setting and I found the conclusion pretty unique while still fitting with the rest of the story.
20. Embrace the Darkness: Creepy concept and sound effects mixed with insight into the Doctor's character. I did get rather irritated with one of the side characters being stubbornly obstructive.
21. Solitaire: A tight, compelling showcase for Charley and the main villain, plus the idea of ventriloquist dummy!Eight is irresistible.
22. Invaders From Mars:A fun historical romp making the most of its inspired setting.
23. The Mummy Speaks!: Fast paced with some great dialogue and action set pieces. Gee the Gorilla is a star.
24. The Stones of Venice: The plot is messy, but it does a good job of continuing to develop the relationship between the Doctor and Charley.
25. Time Works: I just like the vibes on this one, a nice little self-contained fairy tale.
26. Absolution: Like C'rizz himself, kind of a mixed bag, but does a decent job of sending off my poor lizard/insect boy. The ending is a gut punch.
27. The Next Life: I really enjoyed Daphne Ashbrook in this, she's clearly having the time of her life, and she has great chemistry with McGann. Loved the villains ultimate fate. Did feel the leads were a bit out of character.
28. The Time of the Daleks: I like watching how protective the Doctor is of Charley here, and his sassy attitude towards the Daleks. Objectively, a bit of a slow story.
29. The Slaying of the Writhing Mass: Light and breezy story which has fun teaming up the Doctor and a kid for the adventure. Suffers a bit from separating the Doctor and Charley most of the story.
30. The Army of the Dead: A clichéd plot, but worth it to see the relationship developments between the Doctor and Mary.
31. Something Inside: This story is great for people who like hurt comfort. Which I do, though I prefer a bit more comfort. Otherwise, solid story if a little slow
32. The Last: Bleak, but does provide a fascinating look at the leads in extreme circumstances and helped me understand how the Divergent universe works. Did not like how Charley was written in this.
33. The Twilight Kingdom: It forces Charley to come off as irritating for plot reasons, but has some effective scenes and body horror.
34. The Heart of Orion: Improved sequel, with a better story and grasp on the characters than Sword of Orion. Still kind of middling.
35. Eclipse: Pretty unmemorable, if inoffensive; a generic sci fi story. I did like the ending.
36. Minuet in Hell: This is embarrassingly bad in many ways, especially in how women are treated. However, the parts with the Doctor are good, and I love everything with the Brig. Their meeting is fantastic.
37. The Sword of Orion: Objectively, it's perfectly functional. Subjectively, it is really dull. The leads are written to be the most generic Doctor and companion possible.
38. The Creed of the Kromons: This audio made me genuinely regret trying to eat breakfast in the car while listening. It's like they were trying to make the content as unpleasant as possible. Only good moment was the Doctor laughing about how stupid the villains were while they were torturing him. At least someone was having fun (for a moment).
39. Scaredy Cat: Deadly dull. Bad acting choices made by the main cast. The Doctor's moral compass is on holiday; not in an interesting way, just in a baffling way. It feels like the people making this just ran out of time, gave up and released something nobody particularly enjoyed, especially the audience.
Final thoughts: I adore Eight (now my current favorite Doctor), love Charley and Mary, like C'rizz and wish he had been better written. Loved most of these, and could recommend giving all but the last two a listen (the last two are in the running for worst Doctor Who story ever, and I'm pretty easy to please so I only have six or seven stories on that list).
I've been impressed with Big Finish so far, and I look forward to more Eighth Doctor.
#doctor who#eighth doctor#big finish#charley pollard#c'rizz#mary shelley#storm warning#caerdroia#scherzo#zagreus#the chimes of midnight#the company of friends#the silver turk#the natural history of fear#seasons of fear#my stuff
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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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r u familiar with the enneagram system? if so, i'd be curious to know what u think dazai, akutagawa, yosano, or anyone else's type is. of course, that's just a suggestion. i really like ur blog and hope life's going well for u.
I am familiar with it!
I'm not a huge fan of it for several reasons that I won't get into here, and as a psychology student I do feel compelled to alert people that tests like the Enneagram and MBTI, while fun, are not statistically valid or empirically grounded, and that I absolutely hate how these kinds of pseudo-psychological tests are still sometimes used by companies in the hiring process. They have no place there.
But, like I said, they are fun to do and I think my young teenage self, who spent literal years trying to rework some of these tests to yield more consistent results when analyzing fictional characters, would like it if I gave it a shot!
I'll do Dazai, Akutagawa and Yosano, and I'll add in Atsushi, Kyouka and Tachihara because of the recent episodes. :)
Dazai: I think he kind of has to be a 5w4. (I hate it I hate it that's my type arghhhh) 5s tend to withdraw and become detached observers - their ideal is to become as knowledgeable, intelligent and competent in their area as possible. The 4 as a wing meanwhile gives this type an emotional underpinning it wouldn't normally have. The 4 wing makes the 5 desire more in the way of self-expression and makes them tend to turn their knowledge and information gathering about people over hard facts. While the 4 might be considered an alternative, as 4s tend to be melancholic and feel separate from the rest of the crowd, it's also too focused on self-expression to be right for Dazai's character. 5s may have similar feelings but they deal with it more by rationalizing these feelings or withdrawing from people. 5s also tend to move towards 7s when under stress or in a bad place, which typically involves frantic attempts at spontaneity or excitement in an attempt to not feel so drained, trapped or incompetent. When in a healthier mindset, they tend to move towards 8, which enables more assertive, leader-like, and protective behaviours.
Akutagawa: I'd say a true 3. 3s are all about achievement, objectives and competency - and about gaining recognition for it. While they are normally characterized as extraverted, I think the core is there in Akutagawa - the need to win above all else, the idea that love and recognition are based on accomplishment, the projecting of their own insecurities onto others. These are traits that are present even in Beast, and likely rooted in his survivalist mindset. Akutagawa will go about whatever means are required to succeed, and he is objective-driven and direct in his ambitions to an almost extreme degree. Under stress, they go to 9, which leads them to stubbornly continue on the path they have set and put themselves under immense pressure without questioning why or branching off to something different, likely out of familiarity with the struggle and a fear of revision. This is quite clear in the main universe, with Dazai's approval being one of the only things that matters to him and making him largely unable to see alternate paths and driving him to reckless action. In a healthier mindset, they move towards 6, which makes them more committed team players. This seems to be where Beast was going, and hopefully we see that with shin soukoku as well.
Yosano: I'd say type 8w9 for sure. 8s are protectors, powerful and assertive to avoid showing weakness or vulnerability. Nothing else really makes sense for Yosano; she's always been an assertive person, and she doesn't mince her words - she likes to get to the point quickly and get things done. She also projects an image of intimidation and doesn't reveal much about herself to her coworkers. The 9 wing brings a more mellow side to the type 8 and focuses their protectiveness more on places of safety - like the Agency for Yosano and how protective she is of it and the people in it! Under stress, 8s move to 5, which causes them to withdraw into themselves as they try to detach from what's going on and question themselves and their usual confidence... yeah... In a healthier setting, they move towards the 2, which enables them to put their confidence and control towards helping those who need it, instead of focusing only on minimizing their own vulnerability.
Atsushi: I waffled between 2 and 6 for him before deciding on 2w1. 2 makes sense with its emphasis on helping others to be needed and building an image of being someone who helps others so they don't have to bother/deal with their own issues. 6s are too suspicious and focused primarily on security to be a good match for Atsushi, who, while he doesn't want to be hurt anymore and loves having a supportive group of people to come back to, is uh. Often very reckless. The 1 wing is that undercurrent of not just doing helpful things for others, but of doing helpful things that are also morally right and just. Underdeveloped 1 can result in some black and white thinking, which Atsushi can be a bit prone to, especially early in the series. 2s can be prone to becoming strongly prideful via their good deeds, but they can crash hard if they neglect their own needs for too long or somehow "fail" another. They are not supposed to be "selfish", and I think we see Atsushi struggle to fit his own needs into his image of the "one who saves others" he thinks he needs to be to be worthy. When under stress, they tap into the sudden aggression of 8, which may cause them to try to exert power to stop feeling vulnerable, but the growth towards 4 lets them explore their own feelings and perceptions to figure out what they actually want.
Kyouka: Probably a 9w8. Kyouka has very simple, straightforward wants and needs - part of the beauty of her character is that while everyone is angsting over big picture things (and she does too, continuously questioning her own goodness and worthiness), she also pretty quickly gets to the heart of it - "the crepe was delicious" "i like bunnies and tofu" - her desires are all simple little things that bring her happiness and give her a reason to fight back. Seeing Kyouka come to life over the course of the series is genuinely one of BSD's biggest joys. 9s are all about comfort, repression of anger, "going with the flow", etc. They tend not to be incredibly assertive, but are supportive and can quickly turn obstinate and quietly protective if their stability and home are threatened. Under stress, they detach, go numb and essentially keep their heads down and do what they're told, which is reminiscent of how Kyouka was so distant at the beginning of the story. In a growth mindset, they move towards the 3, which allows them to actively pursue their goals, not just for others but for themselves. The 8 wing was chosen due to Kyouka's sudden action and decisiveness when someone/something she cares about is threatened - she's less concerned with the morality of the 1 and more about protecting what matters to her by any means.
Tachihara: I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sold on this but I'm thinking a 6w7. 6s are all about the group, and are hardworking and committed types, but also known for being skeptical, uncertain, and questioning. The thing about Tachi is that he's actually a pretty loyal dude, he's just unfortunately attached to two different groups... what's interesting is that the resolution to this conflict is related to his earlier proclamation that "orders make him who he is", and that loyalty to the boss' (Mori's) wishes is a crucial factor in his choice to stay with the Mafia. 6s tend to feel insecure without some stable structure around them and tend to like having some direction from others. At the same time, some of the indecisiveness and uncertainty is alleviated by the 7 wing, which brings a little more impulsiveness and energy to the usually muted 6. Under stress, 6s move towards 3s, which makes them feel the need to accomplish and succeed to "measure up" - I think about Tachihara always being compared to his brother until one day he just gave up. 6s move towards 9s when in growth, and this is at the core of what a 6 wants: they really crave security and belonging, and the 9 alleviates some of the suspicion the 6 carries and makes them feel more relaxed.
#i hope this was fun anon! love to hear your thoughts if you have them#these kinds of things are heavily biased by personal interpretation so if yours differ I'd love to hear#also i did this late at night so I'm not 100% sure this was well phrased but oh well#thanks for the ask!#bsd#bsd dazai#bsd akutagawa#bsd yosano#bsd atsushi#bsd kyouka#bsd tachihara#storyrambles
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Writing for your First Audience
Hello!
Today's blog is mostly for newer to comics folks, though there's probably some useful stuff for old hats here too. As an editor, I see a LOT of scripts every year. Since I am reviewing a high-volume of them on a regular basis, I end up seeing some commonalities of both good practices and things that could make everyone down the line's life easier, so I thought I'd briefly talk about that!
Who Reads the Script vs. Who Reads the Comic
If you're making a comic and making it available to be read, the idea is you want someone reading the final product, right? The full execution of your (and your collaborators') ideas. But most of the time, unless you're quickly cartooning something, that final stage is not the initial execution of a comic. Exact workflows vary from person to person, team to team, but generally speaking, most comics start with a script that's going to be read and shared.
Think of a good mystery. As a reader, you're compelled by putting the pieces together, seeing what's going to happen next, being surprised or vindicated (or both) when a reveal does happen, and these things work in tandem to keep you turning pages. A good script is like that, but you have to make sure you're leaving very clear signposts for the people you're working with to properly put together the puzzle.
It's worth remembering at this point, that your comic is likely to have anywhere between 1 and 7 other people reading it at the script stage: an editor, a penciller/artist, possibly an inker, possibly a colorist, possibly a licensor, possibly a letterer, and possibly any of those sorts of people in duplicate! And because they are helping build and refine the story with you, they need to know what they're working on as early as possible.
The very basic version of that is something like if a baddie is giving their grandiose speech before they blow up a bank vault or whatever, if you know they're going to thumb a detonator on page 8, you should probably make sure you show the detonator while they're speechifying on page 7, just so the action tracks more easily for the reader. And, more importantly at the script stage, so your artist knows that they should be drawing the villain with detonator in hand before they press the button.
But there are a lot more complex versions, and a lot of those come down to formatting as much as the actual writing process.
Where Do You Put the Information
Again, a lot of this is going to come to personal preference between the people involved, but I would generally consider what information the rest of your team will need and flag it as early as possible. Some of my favorite scripts to read as an editor start out with a reference section before the script itself. Some writers I work with will provide short descriptions of the major locations or set-pieces and props. If there's reference available--something we've seen previously in the series and are revisiting--maybe they'll drop in some pictures. If there's a new character joining the cast, they might have a short description of their appearance and personality. Some folks even go so far as to flag ahead of Page 1 word 1 to call out if they've got specific requests for the lettering.
I am very grateful to my collaborators who don't mind that I don't tend to do that in my own scripts (though I try to be better). But I really appreciate it as an editor because it makes my life a lot easier knowing I can properly communicate that information not just to the rest of the team working on that issue's interiors, but also often by having that info and reference available for cover artists.
The other place I see those larger reference archives added is the back of the script. Generally, I find if the reference is at the back of the script, it tends to be more photo-heavy with ideas for locations or specific callouts for characters (or sometimes memes). It doesn't reduce the helpfulness or importance of the reference, but I do find reference in the back tends to be for broader picture ideas that help set a more specific sense of place or build upon a reference, rather than helping to dictate the action.
For myself, I tend to be a heavy in-script referencer. Which is to say, I add a lot of hyperlinks and comments to the things I have a specific idea on how they should look, as they enter the script. That's also a totally fine option, as long as you're planning your script for the other readers. Again, that's making sure the detonator's there before it's used, but it's also things like if you have a back-and-forth with your editor about something being unclear and you figure it out in the comments, make sure you also go back and add that clarity in the actual script so licensors or artists aren't having to track down and read through all your back-and-forth. Plus, as an editor, I tend to like to send licensors "clean" scripts, so I minimize the number of comments as much as possible.
With all that said, figure out what works for you and your partners. A couple of times I've gotten scripts with accompanying thumbnails (usually when the writer is a cartoonist in their own right) and those have specific compositional ideas or funny little details that might not get illuminated in the script as written. I've had some writers drop like one link early on in a script to a shared folder that has all the references or mood boards or whatever for an issue in a single place. I've worked with teams who have created shared inspiration boards and reference boards that make getting a fill-in artist on-board super easy.
Not Everyone Starts at the Start
I was talking with an artist friend at SDCC and she was mentioning how she likes to tackle issues in reverse page order. She reads it front to back, but then she starts drawing with the last page. Her reasoning, which makes a lot of sense, was starting at the back, she'll have the most energy for the most exciting pages, the cliffhanger or finale. And she'll know how things are set up at the end so as she works backwards to the front, she can keep continuity going because she already knows what she's supposed to be setting up. And I thought that was a very neat way of doing things!
I bring this up because it speaks to one of the most important things: like half of knowing how to format for the people you're working with is finding out how they work. And that's not always an option. I have heard a lot of folks talk about how--despite comics being collaborative--they haven't really had a chance to speak to the writer or the artist or whoever else they're working with. Which makes working with them really hard. As an editor, I tend to facilitate communication at the start, but if the creators ask to or seem like they should be in direct communication, I link them up ASAP.
All of which is to say, unless you're operating in total isolation, someone else is going to access your script and when they do, make sure you're making it illuminating for them so they can do their best job, rather than having to piece too much together on the go.
What I enjoyed this week:
Blank Check (Podcast), Craig of the Creek (Cartoon), Honkai Star Rail (Video game), My Adventures with Superman (Cartoon), the beach, The Broken Room by Peter Clines (Book), Crime Scene Kitchen (TV show), Dumbing of Age (Webcomic), Barbie (Movie), Guy's Grocery Games (TV show), Dungeons & Daddies (Podcast), not being at SDCC.
New Releases this week (7/26/2023):
Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors Summer Smash (Editor)
New Releases next week (8/2/2023):
Nothing from me!
Final Order Cut-Off next week (7/31/2023 - AKA Preorder Deadline)
Godzilla: Best of Mechagodzilla (Editor)
Sonic the Hedgehog #64 (Editor)
Plug:
No big announcements, but maybe join my Patreon! You get this same blog, but without this part plugging my Patreon! Plus you get extra stuff! This week, I'm putting up Jimmy Squarefoot for all $5 and up backers and have my first "something weird" coming out for $10 and up backers: a presentation about some best practices on moderating (and making presentations for) panels!
Pic of the Week:
Took the day after SDCC off to recover at the beach, so that's what's here, but the real pic of the week if Becca's series of Freddie and Laurie's summer vacation!
#comics editorial#comics#comic scripts#formatting#writingtips#be nice to your editor#And your artist#And everyone#please
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Maybe Aporia and/or Primo for the ask meme if you’re still doing them!
Did Primo over here but of course I will never turn down a chance to hoot and holler about Aporia....my BABYGIRLLLLL
First impression:
Impression now: well. WELL. let me tell you i did not think i was going to be the bitch who becomes obsessed with a niche anime character maybe 10 people care about but HERE I AM. IM A DIFFERENT PERSON NOW. I'VE MEGA EVOLVED. god like. what can i even fucking say. I love Aporia so goddamn much. They were really hiding one of the coolest and best yugioh villains and ygo guys in general way in the back of the half of 5ds nobody liked. and nobody told me!!!!!! had to get my brain blasted open all by myself!!! ough. OUGHH. MY FUCKIGN BABYGIRL!! MY MONSTER TRUCK!!!! MY WERELION.EXE!!!!!!!! LOVE OF MY LIFE
Favorite moment: it's gotta be the Afterglow Gambit. it just rules hard. and also that fucking scene of this gigantic sparking falling apart monster robot slowly sending all of his tiny tiny cards to the graveyard had me in stitches the first time, and at that moment i was like "oh this guy is definitely in my brain now. uh oh." we're coming up on the one year anniversary in a couple weeks. of the Aporiaing. god bless.
also shoutout to his entire Tag Force 6 storyline which just makes me insane from start to finish. he fixes your fridge.
Idea for a story: MFS ARENT READY FOR MY DUEL LINKS SET ONESHOT WHERE APORIA AND LUNA HAVE A REAL TALK™ ABOUT ALL THE SHIT HE PUT HER AND LEO THROUGH. THINKING ABOUT IT VERY MUCH.
Unpopular opinion: *grinding my teeth* HE'S A GOOD CHARACTER!!!!!! HE'S COOL AS FUCK!!!!!!!!!!! 80% OF YGO FANS EVEN 5DS PEOPLE DONT CARE BUT I CARE!!!!!!!! I CARE SO MUCH!!!! hes so compelling and has so much there despite only being in like 8 episodes on my hands and knees begging people to give the Way Back Chunk of 5Ds a chance....wahh
Favorite relationship: <:,) you know im on that DIVORCE SHIT!!! ZONEPORIA LIFE!!!!! my beautiful zoneporia hopelessshipping micronation. he was god's most loyal angel and then god just shot him in the head in front of everyone and im expected to be normal about it. well. (I also adore the potential of his relationship with the twins, especially Leo...Leo is my actual favorite 5ds character so his dynamic with Aporia definitely was like. the Aporia Brainworms Gateway. if Apo got to live they would be friends i know this for certain.)
Favorite headcanon: APORIA MY GIGANTIC BEAUTIFUL AUTISTIC ARO BISEXUAL ITALIAN/CUBAN TRANSFEM NONBINARY ROBOBEAST. IF WE GOT HIM A SUV SIZED SKATEBOARD HE COULD TONY HAWK PRO SKATE THAT SHIT JUST AS GOOD AS LESTER CAN.
#THANK YOUUUU i think about him every day it's not much but it's honest work. being Aporia Fan Numero Uno#ygo posting#asks#starry-knight-rayel#iliasterliker9000
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20 D20 Fanfics
My friend @remidyal ranked their fics once they had written 20 of them. I have just finished my 20th story so I’d figure I would do that too! Dice rules so 1 is the worst and 20 is the best
1. Drowning in the Ink
I had the thought ‘what if Rosamund and Gerard got caught when they went to find Elody’. I still think this is a good thought and want to re-explore it but my execution in this story wasn’t the best. Writing it before the finale was out meant I was working with half knowledge on a lot of characters that I think shows. Plus, I saw a lot of people on Tumblr saying the Princesses’ plan was actually good and I got annoyed at that and it definitely bled through in the story too much. I’ll probably redo and expand this one sometime in the future!
2. Old Habits
I often dislike my most recent creations. It’s got too much me on it still. I haven’t distanced myself from the art yet. So this one was me trying a few things outside of my comfort zone and I really don’t feel like any of them turned out as well as they could have. I can barely even speak of it at this point the emotions are too fresh!
3. Safety
Not much to say about this. Shortest thing I’ve ever written and I do like how it turned out but it’s definitely… short. I enjoy Gorgug and Adaine interacting, I enjoy Adaine scared, but nothing makes this little guy stand out.
4. Half Siblings are a Whole Deal
This one honestly isn’t even supposed to be good. It’s a direct retelling of canon featuring my OC, that premise isn’t going to win any Hugo awards! But it’s fun and I want to explore how Fig’s character would change if she wasn’t going through her family drama alone. If she had to be, heaven forbid, responsible. I do plan on continuing it! I’ve got some good ideas for the end that I’ve already set up.
5. Additions to the Beehive
I think this one is so low just because I didn’t really like the latest chapter I put out. Plus, I don’t really have a solid plan for this story. I have a few scenes I want to do, character beats and themes I want to flesh out, but exactly what’s going to happen is a mystery. The title’s really solid though.
6. Blight
Pains me to put this so low because Remidyal’s Poison series is so solid and Penelope Everpetal is so fun but I kinda stumbled through it. There’s a couple sections I straight up should have deleted and a couple more I should have added. I do think I got the right vibe down, though, and I really want to do more with Penelope in the future.
7. Sneaking In Sneaking Out
I’m going to be honest, I just wanted to write some scenes about sneaking into buildings. It was really fun and I felt clever writing it. I also liked making Aelwyn really really mean especially because Remidyal had posted Camp right before where she was pretty darn nice. Not much happening in this story but it was fun!
8. No Blood Relations
I dunno this one is fine. As stated before, exploring Fig having to go through her parents divorce with someone is very compelling. I also liked pitting Adaine and Fig against each other a little bit, it felt very real to how siblings of divorce act. Too real. I’m kind of blocking it out.
9. Tender Love and Care
I liked this one a lot. It’s supposed to be romance but I don’t think I really it comes through (because I’m bad with romance) but I really liked getting into a desperate Fabian’s head. I think I did well with the physical environment in this one too, something I usually struggle with. And the line at the end of Fabian’s section? Where it says ‘he prayed to the only god he ever believed in. “Kristen please.”’. I know I’m the one who wrote it but I think about it daily.
10. Ring a Bell
Right in the middle! I really like the chapters I have out for this one so far and I’m excited for the plan of where I’m taking it. Only time will tell if I can pull it off into being a good cohesive story but for now this bad boy has potential!
11. Please Wake Up, Please Don’t Sleep
My other Neverafter Fic! This one I am much more proud of. I think I really got the voices of all the characters down and managed to make an interesting little scene out of a relatively simple concept. Rosumand is just a teenager! Someone give her a hug I am begging.
12. For Want of Citizenship
I think this story is severely underrated honestly. I got Goldenhoard’s voice down pat and the pacing of the story flowed really well with nice details that I often forget to include to center the reader. Plus, it’s a ‘what if’ scenario that gnawed at me from the moment the pieces were in place and I was sad nothing ever came of it in canon. Patched a hole in my mind this story did.
13. Horrified Looks from Everyone in the Room
Ah, the story to start us off. My second highest kudos still. Which is wild. It’s a good fic for sure! I think Fabian’s and Riz’s sections both shone and it really started off my addiction of giving Adaine a Bad Time. Definitely things I would change about it if I had to do it again but overall I can see why it’s still so popular and I’m very proud of it!
14. Rule Number One
The other story to kick things off! Can’t believe the prompt ‘Riz lets Biz think they’re friends just a little longer’ started a whole expanded AU. I still think this one’s great! Sticking in Riz’s point of view so the reader couldn’t even tell Adaine was having a whole episode until she started sobbing mid sentence was wonderful. Riz’s guilt and justifications were so juicy. And! Everyone liked my weird Rule quirk I gave to Adaine which I had fun playing with. This one isn’t higher because I think some of the information about the changes in this AU could have been given out in a smoother way but overall one of my best.
15. Fabian’s Sister and Other Perks of Punching an Ambassador
Firstly, name’s bad. My worst titled fic. But it’d okay we love it anyway. I very much like what I’ve got going on with this story. Exploring Fabian and Adaine’s relationship in a unique light, fleshing out Bill and especially Hallariel, even fleshing out some of Fabian and Adaine’s insecurities! I’m nearing sort of the end of the fic (I’m at least half way through) and I’m excited where it’s going too! There are some things I wish I had spent more time on (the other bad kids, Cathilda, ect) but what I do have is solid and streamlined enough for me not to be too sad about that!
16. The Good Wizard Gorgug
My. Most. Underrated. Fic! This is such a solid story I adore it. Gorgug is my baby boy and it was so much fun exploring Adaine’s character through him. The steady climb of them becoming better and better friends, growing more confident and relaxed around each other, only for it to all come crashing down to be slowly built up once again. I love it! I love Wizard Gorgug! What a good good boy.
17. Babysitting a (High) Elf
This one was also fairly recent but I really liked how it turned out! There were things I wanted to explore with this, Gorthalax’s guilt about not being there for Fig all these years, Adaine’s complicated emotions about being abandoned, and I felt I pulled it off well. I also think I did a good job making it funny and writing high Adaine as silly while still noticeably herself. Until I sucker punched her at the end. I couldn’t resist though.
18. Mastermind Introductions
Everything I set out to do in this fic I did flawlessly. I wanted to rewrite Adaine’s introduction scene and hit a lot of the same ‘beats’ but with the special AU twist. Aelwyn and her fight in the beginning (where Adaine kind of started it and then very much failed to end it), stealing the book and then being embarrassed by Fig and Kristen’s help, stuff like that! I really felt like I pulled it off and introduced the other Bad Kids just as well as I did Adaine. If I would change anything it would just to tweak a few details to fit better in my new vision for the overall AU. But besides that it’s a flawless work!
19. The Young Oracle
Yes! I was really worried about this one because of all of the weird time jumps. But I couldn’t not have weird time jumps. It was a story about a very powerful diviner! It couldn’t have time be linear! And I think it wouldn’t have made sense if everything had been in order, funnily enough. But besides all that I really like the tone I set for the story, the details I put into the world, (how I managed it without ever watching SY), and I have been thinking about the expanded version of this AU excessively. Is it a perfect story? Nah, but I adore it perhaps the most of all my fics.
20. Property Of
In a move that caught even me by surprise, Property Of wins! It’s my first muti-chapter I’ve finished, it’s got a really solid character arc, and I feel like I let the tone slip from silly to wild and unnerving in a very smooth slide. Plus I just… had a lot of fun writing it. I couldn’t seem to put it down for a second and when I blinked I was over 10k words! It was supposed to be a one shot! How naive I was! So yeah, I’m proud of it, it was fun to write, and it’s fun to reread and think about the implications. Nat 20!
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LEGO On A Budget 2024 #8: 60428 Space Construction Mech & 31145 Red Dragon
Peak has been acquired. Although we still got 2 more blogs after this, I think nothing will top what you're about to see right here. Just watch.
LEGO City - 60428 Space Construction Mech
Okay first of all, how cool is the space theme? Honestly, every time I go to the Kruidvat and see the more expensive Space sets, like the 4+ Spaceship and Asteroid Discovery one or better yet, the Insterstellar Spaceship, I have to pinch myself to ensure I don't throw away another 18 bucks then and there. This one didn't seem as compelling at first, but that's the budget life, baybee.
This is just the Ninjago set but better. I mean. The fact you got a couple extra small builds instead of merely some minifigs definitely adds to the experience to me. You may miss the cool swords, yet you get compensated plenty with how unique many of the pieces are. In terms of the mech itself, I find them to be fairly even, though considering the Space Construction Mech's more formidable amount of pieces, I am giving the edge to this one. It manages to be a bit more stable to stand upright, and it has the cool little gimmick of being able to move the left hand's fingers more or less freely.
Ninjago felt more unique, yet this was ultimately the more fun set to put together. A 'stellar' finale to LEGO City's pretty stacked budget lineup of early 2024. Haaaa.
LEGO Creator - 31145 Red Dragon
Oo hoo hoo. Hoohohohoo. Hohohoho.
Yeah I love Creator 3in1. Such a novel concept, essentially tripling the value of your purchase by giving ya 3 things to build. Of course, the two builds that aren't the focus are gonna be smaller, but all that matters is what design you prefer. You're still getting your money's worth.
Gonna start off with the smallest and my personal least favorite, the fish. And even THEN, this one is still excellent! It feels rather nice and chunky in the hands, like it's definitely a substantial build. Plus, there's plenty of movable parts too, like, everything you expect to move *does*. Certainly left a solid first impression, and this is the bottom.
The bird is certainly a bit less unique as there's plenty of LEGO birds around I feel, and the idea of it flapping it's wings isn't AS compelling to me. The extremely adorable design more than makes up for it though. Look at it. Lil goofy cartoony bird. I really liked having this as a lil decoration for a couple days while I was busy doing birthday things.
But here comes the bingus. The dragon from the cover. He thwarts all with his imposing (not actually imposing) size. Flexible arms and legs that look better than any other one so far. Flexible tail and wings, too. Hell, you can even open and close his mouth as was shown on the box. Extremely impressive and very cute to boot! The only mild concern is that it doesn't stand upright as easily as some earlier sets. Oh well, at least it ain't one of those Friends minifigs.
Current rankings:
The Space Construction Mech would've been number 2 at worst if it wasn't for the absolute delight that is the Red Dragon and co. It's a very cool set, maybe a touch boring for a Space theme, yet still very flexible and solid, with loads of unique pieces. Well worth adding to your extraterrestial collection.
LEGO Creator is quite handily my favorite theme, though. The value for money is rather extreme. For 9 bucks, you get two slightly smaller builds that look goofy and fun, AND a similarly cutesy dragon that can be messed with however you desire. 100% my favorite build by a long shot, it's not even on the same level as all the others. If there's any budget set to buy, it's this one. Same with most other Creator sets, honestly.
Creator - 31145 Red Dragon
Friends - 42608 Tiny Accessories Store
City - 60428 Space Construction Mech
City - 60411 Fire Rescue Helicopter
Marvel - 76275 Motorcycle Chase: Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock
Ninjago - 71805 Jay's Mech Battle Pack
Super Mario - 71428 Yoshi's Egg-cellent Forest
Friends - 42606 Mobile Bakery Food Cart
DREAMZzz - 71471 Mateo's Off-Road Car
Friends - 42607 Autumn's Baby Cow Shed
City - 60401 Construction Steamroller
City 4+ - 60410 Fire Rescue Motorcycle
City - 60400 Go-Karts and Race Drivers
Friends - 42612 Cat Playground Adventure
Minecraft - 21251 Steve's Desert Expedition
City 4+ - 60399 Race Car
Just two more sets left that I could actually review very soon. I'm excited to be done, my retro games have been giving me a stink eye for like 3 months now. The final FINAL post related to LEGO is scheduled for a later time, when i've already resumed the reviews of that OTHER major hyperfixation.
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Who is Patrick?
I swear I get this a lot, and I should ignore it, but at the same time I'm well aware how he cycles through people he cons so I'm always compelled to answer every time.
The direct answer, and the most honest, is a Try-Hard. He goes by TeamFreeWill2PointO on all platforms.
Even before I got new media contracts or got back into marketing where I am now, from past experience alone you can tell the man is a moron that has no idea what he's looking at professionally. The idiot waves are incredibly loud if you understand how everything works back end.
He tries very, very hard to present the image of being Exclusively In The Know, when generally he just compiles and interprets things like M&G whisperings, often terribly. His few sources are hilarious, like "I have a friend in LA" or "my brother's cousin's ex spouse's girlfriend worked on a project adjacent to Misha once", or better, the "Chaos Machine source" he uses that, while I also have known when they have good info, he is completely oblivious to the many limitations and causes for inconsistency therein with that source.
That's like. A tertiary source of mine, to put it in context. Like sometimes "Oh wow yeah that makes sense, that fits with XYZ" or something but not like. Wow. This Is My Primary Angle To Understand The Situation From source. In fact, I have repeatedly and now permablocked this source, because the drama they perpetually instigate and their overinflated sense of importance since they got the position--something I knew them long before. Like girl you don't even know what the fuck you're talking about thanks for the old tea and all but i'm a dolphin and you're burning earth, so long and thanks for all the fish. Your hot nonsense isn't worth having to play decoder ring if this is info, drama, you over reading things or having your meltdown of the week, none of which Pat is smart enough to pick up on. Herpaderp.
And that's where this dude gets lost. I mean sure, even the best, inside, working, professional, employed at production or marketing agencies or studios even larger than mine leakers still need to forage around for a little bit of information in the wind to make blind spots make sense. The ability to actually collect that information and understand what the fuck it means, however, comes purely from perspective, and Patrick lacks it.
This results in bullheaded wrongness, and arrogance the entire way down. For example, from early season 15 I was talking about the finale, the death order, a roadhouse reunion and all kinds of doohickeys and bells and whistles. Patrick mocked How Wrong I Was When I Was Confident. Then, over time, every member of the creative team slowly came out and confirmed it all piece by piece. But not before he DENIED any omission, BELLOWED he knew better, said it was THE PERFECT ENDING!!!! AND JENSEN LOVED IT!!! and then he paid 5K to but a script just to prove he was a moron, and I was correct, and the finale was heavily omitted.
He repeated this clownery when I leaked the Winchesters pilot script, screaming his CM source knew I was wrong. I know that source. I looked that source in the digital face and told them they were wrong when they told me the same thing, because none of the associated numpties could wrap their heads around why I knew they were wrong. No matter how Pat argued about Jensen's commenting about script leaks on stage went. It didn't matter. Filming and the trailer hit, and even after RESHOOTS the product is still impressively close to the script with a few settings/backdrop changes and fused quotes for time.
This dude is currently desperately baiting hashtag "little birdy", some tumblr anon messaging him, surely being itk, and asking them what kind of production access or which pilot script copy they have and like. Bro. What the fuck. Episode 8 has been batched out already. The pilot is literally from April. How the fuck are your gears still stuck here while you're pretending to be a source of breaking news, genuinely what in god's green earth.
Once in a while he gets uppity, and starts overt lies. I called it in advance this time, knowing exactly which videos he would cut short or misrepresent how, and pre-addressing the argument to disband it before he unironically launched into a fit about That Exact Thing And Claimed We Were All Mad About It.
He loves to insist I run a "cult" simply because I won't hand out all my fucking leaks like candy and wait until someone proves they can moderately hold their shit together in public before giving them direct access. Lest they do some dumb shit like Pat did. Who, when he got my prequel script distro, made a sock to post it to prove me wrong and how fake and bad it was, only to immediately get smacked by a DMCA takedown on all the hundreds of caps of the script. And yet he STILL refused to believe it was real.
He refused me when I said the whole thing is about letting go and moving on, he refused every single thing that has fallen and landed because at this point, he's really just showing his full anti ass. Despite the username, he's a jared stan that maliciously degrades jensen or others' works and like dramatically overinflates jared's perceived successes, mocks and hates the prequel, then tries to trip into the prequel conversation pretending he has any FUCKING concept of what's actually going on BTS or driving anybody here. He intentionally sews lies and bad accord and just outright suckers people in cycles again and again, on who he is, what he stans, how connected he is. When really, he's a dude that lives online, collects M&Gs, and argues with me when reality is interfering with his incest jerkoffs.
This all just over the final year, of course, disregarding his years of telling me I was delusional for pointing out Berens' very real Destiel intent, which he mocked with totes ITK friends that knew better and Besides, Berens Totes Stanned Wincest, tweeted ITK man that didn't know about the literal USS Destiel sitting on the man's desk. Fucking shit.
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1000 Things to Do with Sulfuric Acid [Oneshot]
GN!builder/Qi; crack
Warnings: None
Also on AO3
Summary: #512: A gift for a special someone~
Qi frowned at the page. What strange advice. A hazardous chemical was generally not considered to be a socially acceptable gift, much less a gift with romantic connotations.
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#512: A gift for a special someone~
Got a special someone in your life? Or maybe you’ve got your eye on someone special…? Whether it’s a spouse, a partner, or a crush, a beaker’s worth of sulfuric acid is sure to capture their heart. A gift that shows how much you care and how deep your trust runs.
CAUTION: Make sure to create a solution with a concentration that you can safely trust them with, and give it in a safe, sealed, and labeled container!!
Qi frowned at the page. What strange advice. A hazardous chemical was generally not considered to be a socially acceptable gift, much less a gift with romantic connotations.
He sighed and shut the book, not even bothering to bookmark it. He’d bought the book because the title intrigued him: 1000 Things to Do with Sulfuric Acid. He thought it would be a thousand experiment ideas or uses in machinery, which, to be fair, the first hundred or so were. But beyond that, the ideas started getting increasingly bizarre. It seemed the only thing this book was good for was amusement.
For whatever reason, instead of picking up another book, Qi felt compelled to stare at the cover for a little longer, with its bold title font and bright color scheme. A familiar sensation slowly crawled its way through his mind. If Qi had to give it a physical analog, he’d describe it as…an itch. An itch, an urge, to experiment, to inquire, to make something.
A hypothesis, a blueprint, a sketch, a problem…
…An idea.
An idea between this book, and…
His eyes trailed up to the wall his desk was against, specifically to its latest addition, a framed photo of him and…
…the builder.
It was their idea to take the photo on a date one time, as the two of them walked hand in hand by the oasis, watching the sun set. They were pressed close together, arms over each other’s shoulders. A bright smile was on the builder’s face, while a much more mild one was on Qi’s.
His mind drifted to their near-endless generosity towards him, even when they first met. They almost always had something for him. A power stone, a data disk, a relic, tea, coffee, a hot plate of food… He hardly gifted them anything in return, though they never seemed to mind. He wanted to reciprocate their generosity somehow, to show that he truly appreciated it. Like the book said, he wanted to show that he cares. Even though his intuition was telling him that sulfuric acid made a terrible gift, he couldn’t help but wonder if the book’s advice had some kind of merit. If they enjoyed it, wonderful! If not, then at least he would have satiated his curiosity and confirmed that this book is, in fact, total nonsense. No harm done. Unless the builder gets harmed from the acid, which would…not be ideal. He would have to ensure that wouldn’t happen, as to maximize the positive effects of this gift.
He got out of his chair and walked over to the fume hood, putting on his protective gear before opening the chemical cabinet. He could make this work.
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The builder opened the door to the research center right as Qi looked over from his shelves.
“How far off am I?” they said with a smile.
“About 2 minutes. Usually you come in around 8:33.”
“That’s still within 1%, I guess. I’ll shoot for 8:33 on the dot next time.”
“Well don’t do that, you’ll pollute the data. All of my predictions are based on your natural behavior. Trying to skew the data in any direction is bad science.”
“Hm. Wouldn’t want that, would we?” They pecked his cheek as he pulled them into a side-hug. They reached into their bag and pulled out a condensed power stone. “Need one of these?”
Qi’s eyes widened. “I do, as a matter of fact. Thank you.” He graciously took it and put it in his dwindling supply bin. “How do you know precisely when I need more?”
The builder grinned. “Hey, you keep track of my habits, I keep track of yours. Your bin over there always looks kinda empty by the 15th every month. More or less.”
“Quite accurate. I receive a regular shipment of power stones on the 17th of every month. I try to space out my usage of them, but sometimes I really need a few extra towards the middle of the month. So, I do appreciate it.”
The builder pumped their fist. Nailed it. “I’ll keep bringing you more, then. Hell, I’ll give you a whole box full of them. I barely use them with how many dregs I can sweep up.”
Qi waved a hand. “No need. My energy supply is subsidized by the Alliance. Just a few when I really need them is more than enough.”
“Well, if you need any, just ask. I’ve got plenty to go ‘round.”
A tiny smile tugged at Qi’s lips. “I’ll keep that in mind.” His brow raised suddenly. “Oh! That reminds me. I have something for you.” He made his way over another small, locked cabinet.
“What’s the occasion?”
“Nothing in particular. I just…figured I should give you something besides a diagram and tea every once in a while. You’re always giving me things and I hardly ever return the favor.”
The builder flushed. “Aw, you didn’t have to…”
“I insist,” Qi said gently. “I don’t want your goodwill to be met with relative indifference.”
From the cabinet, he produced a simple glass vial with a screw-on lid. Some kind of clear liquid was inside. A label ran across the vial’s middle: “H2SO4”.
“Here you are. I, um…hope it is acceptable.”
The builder gingerly took it and turned it over. “Uh, thanks…! What…what is it?”
Qi raised an eyebrow. “Huh? It’s labeled, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but…what does it mean? Some kind of chemical?”
“Of course. That’s the chemical formula for sulfuric acid. Because the contents are sulfuric acid.”
The builder was suddenly very aware of the sweat and oil on their hands. “Huh–uh…whaa?”
“I struggled a bit with what concentration I should’ve created,” Qi said with a hand on his chin. “99% is the most commonly sold, but it seemed a bit excessive and dangerous to hand out without much thought. Plus, it’s rather expensive. I would have to order some more if I gave you some, and I’m already close to running my budget over this month.”
The builder gripped the vial tighter. Or wait—it was glass. Maybe they shouldn’t be holding it so tight.
“But on the other hand, something between 0-30% seemed, er, for the lack of a better term…lame. You are not a child. You can be trusted to handle hazardous substances to some extent. At least, I do. And as a well-trained lab technician, my judgment overrules any potential nay-sayers to your competence. I cannot say the same for many of my former assistants.”
The builder glanced around nervously. Was there anywhere to set this down? Qi’s shelves were landslide hazards, so not there…
“I remembered to rule out 50% as well. And any other basic, well-known ratio or number. Something like that would seem so thoughtless. Anyone could think up those numbers. And anyone can mix a 50% solution! So no 5s or 10s, no squares or cubes, no thirds, no quarters, no…immaturity…”
The floor was definitely out of the question. They’d 100% kick it over at some point. Ugh, all this talk of percents…
“But after about an hour just staring at my glassware, I had an epiphany. Primes! Fascinating numbers, those. I’m sure you appreciate their beauty as well. A perfect fit for a gift to you.”
Holding the vial out a good bit in front of them, they tiptoed around Qi to gently put it down on a corner of his workbench. Then they pushed it in a little more. And then a little more.
“So I settled on precisely 43%. No more, no less. I hope that concentration’s alright. If you’d like a different one, I would be more than happy to mix another solution for you.”
The builder’s mouth opened and closed uselessly, trying to put out words while their mind still couldn’t conjure a coherent thought.
Qi frowned. “Are you alright? You seem…ill all of a sudden.”
The builder could only let out a shaky laugh. They took a deep breath, trying to find the best way to say it. “Qi…sweetheart… I can tell you put a lot of thought into this, and it’s super sweet of you…but…”
Qi’s shoulders sagged. “Ah. I was afraid of this.”
The builder quickly shook their head. “I-it’s not like I don’t appreciate it! It’s just…um…I don’t know what I’d do with sulfuric acid…”
“I…have a book that could give you some ideas…”
They raised an eyebrow. “A book?”
“Yes, it’s a book about potential uses for sulfuric acid. Emphasis on potential.”
“…Is that where you got the idea to give some to me?”
Qi was looking anywhere but the builder. The floor, the generator, the shelves, the trash can…
“Qi?”
“…Yes.”
“…Can I see it?”
Qi nodded and pulled it from the back corner of his workbench, hesitating before handing it over to them.
The builder frowned as they skimmed through it, looking at all the weird things the authors apparently thought you could do with a liquid corrosion hazard. When they got to the last several pages, they snorted.
“Qi, the 1000th idea they have is to pour acid all over this book. I don’t think it was meant to be taken too seriously.”
“Oh,” Qi said with a blank stare. “So the authors wrote this book to…lie?”
“I think it’s meant to be humor writing, darling.”
“Well I don’t think it’s funny.”
The builder rolled their eyes with a light smile. “Wonder if anyone does.”
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The next day, another book found its way to Qi’s special bin. A very special bin for very special books, tucked under his bed. Not too many titles found their way there, but now the scant few volumes were joined by a new addition: 1000 Things to Do with Sulfuric Acid. It was sporting a new addition to its cover to match its new neighbors: a stripe of duct tape all around the center, to prevent it from ever being opened again.
And on it, scrawled in bold black marker, a single word: “RUBBISH.”
#shady's fics#my time at sandrock#mtas#mtas fanfic#mtas qi#or: why qi doesn't have gift giving as a friendship benefit
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I am very much looking forward to affairs 2 👀 but since that has already been answered I will ask about the many others that have caught my eye. 6 (R/S traitors) sounds very compelling and I'm quite eager to see what it's referring to (who are they betraying? mmm..). 8 (RWRB) is an AU that is just perfect for r/s and I'm so eager to see your take on it. 9 (dark academia/friends with benefits) sounds utterly perfect. there is so much potential for lovely things there, I'm such a sucker for friends with benefits and there's so much that dark academia could mean. will there be spooky things? creepy things? sexy things. idk!!! but I'm very interested :)
this is three in one I know but I couldn't choose just one! obviously you can pick just one (or none!) to provide more details on... the list was just too good for me to make a single selection 👀
Hi!! I'm so sorry it took me forever to answer this, but I am absolutely thrilled that you asked about the R/S Traitors AU because I really want to talk about it!!
So this one has, technically, already been written, and you can find it here. What this specific mention in my drafts is in reference to however is the much longer version of that same fic. It's canon-divergence and takes place in a universe where Remus and Sirius are both the traitors/spies, and basically follows them from their last two years at Hogwarts and through the war. That little scene I linked is told from Sirius' pov but the longer fic will be dual pov, and I can give you a brief run-down of the plot here, under the cut.
(this is going to seem like i’m spoiling the entire fic but all of this is actually established within, like, the first 3 chapters. it’s just the set-up to the actual fic lol)
basically, Sirius (and the rest of the Black family) were all sent to Durmstrang instead of Hogwarts. When the fic starts at the beginning of sixth year, Voldermort is already a major threat and Sirius has just been disowned by his parents for not siding with them in the war and going against family values etc etc. He moves out and transfers to Hogwarts to get away from his family's influence.
except none of that is actually true because he's secretly still working with his family and being used as a spy to gather information, a really important job that he was chosen for by Voldermort himself.
enter Remus, who Sirius ends up in a sort-of-but-not-really relationship with (there’s a war happening and they both have Issues and things are complicated ok?).
After getting close with Remus and convincing him and the rest of the Order that his cover story is actually true, Sirius ends up joining them.
He starts to feel a bit guilty about it because he actually does like Remus, and Remus is, supposedly, as far as Sirius knows, on the side of the Order... except that's not true either.
Remus is actually secretly working with Fenrir and the rest of the werewolves who’ve sided with Voldermort. Like, actually working with them.
He's still 'Dumbledore's spy': Dumbledore and the rest of The Order thinks that he hasn't been in contact with Fenrir since he was bitten at age five, but they also know that he is the perfect person to use as 'bait' because of this relationship with Fenrir.
They don’t know that Remus has actually been working with/for Fenrir for about two years prior to the start of the fic.
so... you asked who they’re betraying? Everyone 😅.
They’re both spies for the respective sides (or in remus' case, both sides), and they’re both trying to keep their sanity in tact because they don’t even know which side they agree with anymore and, tbh, they kind of hate all of them.
cue family drama, betrayal angst, war trauma, everyone having trust issues, and all that good stuff.
I have no idea when this fic will be written or, if i’m being honest with myself, if it even will be. I’m crying rn just thinking about how difficult it will be to do it justice. But hopefully, maybe, one day. Fingers crossed 🤞🏾😅
#this is my final one of these wip asks!! everyone cheer!! it only took me two weeks to get through them 🥲#but really though thank u everyone for putting up with me. i appreciate the patience 😅#and re: this specific fic#more than anything else this is the fic i wish i could just... mentally transfer onto the document without needing to actually write it#it's gonna be a monster of a fic when i eventually get around to it#so i've gotta just. get myself into the mindset of doing it lmao. im not there yet 🤣
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1. Have you pulled inspiration from media sources other than the property your fic is related to (a plot point from a TV show that has nothing to do with the characters/setting of the fic, a line from a book, etc.)? If so, for which story? Why did you find that media source compelling?
When it comes to general trends, I tend to pull from Star Wars and Ace Attorney (mostly the themes for the latter, not so much storylines). Mostly because that’s just the media that sticks with me the most. Even from LOTR sometimes, although it’s been a while since I’ve seen those movies. In terms of specifics:
To write Morgan & Jesse, I pull from Parent Trap, specifically Hallie and Annie’s dynamic! Which is hardly a secret, given that the two sets of twins share a birthday 😅 granted, Morgan & Jesse DO get along at first until the Zoom thing happens, but…honestly, I think they’d rub each other the wrong way regardless. Meeting your doppelgänger from another Earth doesn’t come without ~some~ insecurity…
To write Barry & Morgan, I draw…well aside from my own experiences (with my dad mostly, as I am the oldest sibling), I draw from other brother-sister relationships that I love! Especially from Justin & Alex in WOWP (the movies specifically—I know in the show they tend to have a bunch of ups and downs, and Barry & Morgan are a bit more steady aside from their rough patch in s1…and in s3). Also, as weird as it sounds, from Zuko & Izumi a little bit too 😅 at least regarding the protectiveness aspect, not so much the father-daughter aspect (Barry isn't Morgan's dad, he's her older brother, even if those two positions sometimes overlap in some situations...even if Barry at times feels like he's doing things for Morgan as her brother that Eowells ought to have done as her father).
Also, I haven’t written s3 yet, but I’m gonna draw quite a bit from Star Wars 👀 not gonna say how or why, because that’ll give too much away, but you’ll know it when you read it.
For Lucy & Astra, I pull from female friendships I've seen in multiple places...Astra even has a little Mara Jade in her with her quick wit and sarcasm.
(Also ofc for some storylines in my Morgan AU, I’m pulling from the comics, but like. Ofc I am, that’s the source material even beyond the show, and as we get more and more divergent, it's a nice way to validate myself and the changes I'll be making 😅 because some of them are gonna be major)
5. Is there a tiny detail in one of your fics that you feel goes tragically unnoticed?
I’ve answered here, but here’s another:
In Chapter 10 of i still love you (i promise), I incorporated that bit about how when Eowells takes off his glasses, he's speaking with complete honesty, or something close to it (a Tom Cavanagh quote if I'm not mistaken):
“Yes, well…when I was growing up, that is what I was taught.” He sighed, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes. “Sometimes I wonder how much of what I was taught is really true. But…I suppose I can’t help it. Right or wrong…I can’t bring myself to regret anything I do for you.” He lifted his steely gaze to meet hers, and…maybe it was her imagination, but he seemed to be challenging her.
It was almost…almost as though he knew—
No. He couldn’t. He hadn’t come to see Ronnie and Stein off—there was no way he knew—
“Anyway,” he interrupted, “I’ve taken too much of your time, I fear. Remind me when your acceptances are coming in?”
He's speaking with an intense honesty here, essentially saying he doesn't regret what he did (people caught that latter part, but him taking off the glasses is me accentuating that “hey, he really, really means it”)...and also hinting that he knows about something else. Something that Morgan clocks but tries to deny (and continues to deny, otherwise she would've brought it up to Barry and Iris at the end). Hmm but what could that possibly be?
8. Is there a story idea you have that you would love if it could appear fully realized but that you do not think you’ll ever write yourself?
So I’ve read that Iris was apparently supposed to be a criminal psychologist in the original pilot of the Flash? And now I need a fic of that so badly (preferably with Westallen endgame, but Westhawne would be sweet too). Whether she ends up a reporter by the end or not, doesn’t matter—I just wanna see Iris using a loophole (“you said I couldn’t be a cop, you never said I couldn’t be a criminal psychologist”) to work in the CCPD, and her and Barry teaming up for cases.
Could even be a great way to show how she and Barry approach things differently — have them on the same case, and Barry is very logical/clinical while Iris is more empathetic/big-picture.
Ooh and Iris figuring out Barry’s secret because “Barry. What kind of idiot do you take me for. I work right alongside you, we’ve worked cases together—do you honestly think I wouldn’t notice when your habits changed, when you ducked out of work, when you ducked out of meetings with me?”
AND and Iris figuring out Eowells’s secret that way too, because she knows how criminals think and Eowells is fitting that profile very well as time goes on. Barry won’t hear of it. They argue, day in and day out—that’s what their tension throughout the season is about, not Barry and Joe lying to Iris.
Iris & Joe teaming up to investigate Eowells too 👀 as Joe has come to see Iris as a professional equal much earlier and now treats her as such
Like!! The potential!! I don’t know enough about criminal psychology to write this (and I don’t have the brainspace to devote to researching it fully) but I’d be so down to read a fic like this.
15. Is there any genre, trope, or style that you find particularly challenging to write? Do you enjoy the challenge or prefer to avoid it?
Misunderstandings, simply because of how much I usually dislike the trope 😅 it can be useful if done properly…but it’s not always done properly. Sometimes it’s a very basic misunderstanding that has no reason to stretch on for as long as it does, because it would really take one conversation that only plot contrivance is preventing.
To some degree, I felt like I was falling a little into that trap by the end of i still love you (i promise) and that was a challenge (a welcome one, though) 😅 to most, Barry probably appears very stupid, much like the version of the trope I despise. Which is fair! But hopefully when I finish his POV fic, it’ll become a little more clear what he’s thinking. In any case, it’s definitely a learning experience for me as a writer, and that’s always a welcome thing.
fanfic ask game!
#the cut in the middle is just to keep the post from running too long#but all the asked numbers are answered!#fanfic ask game
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