Don't know what Imma doing here

A collection of fics I’ve read (/reread) and thoroughly enjoyed in the past week-ish from all kinds of fandoms and genres

ATLA

this love burns so yellow (becoming orange and in its time, exploding) by meliebee                

Ten months after Zuko is crowned at seventeen, he faces his first coup.

A Hundred Golden Suns by aeoleus                

Zuko does not survive that first fateful Agni Kai.

But no matter how much Ozai strives to pretend otherwise, the Old Gods are not dead.

And the Old Gods are angry.

Divergent Bonds by runningwafers                

A chance encounter with a stranger at a low budget play in the Lower Ring kicks off a friendship that changes the course of Zuko’s destiny.

the snakes, and the people that they bite by Serie11

Rai is just a normal guy, really. One of the many guards that patrol the Fire Lord’s palace.

Why did it have to be him who got caught up in this assassination attempt?

Untamed

I’m Going Out (Gonna Make A Name For Me And You) by cosmicmilktea   

The Chief Cultivator’s Herald. Wei Wuxian is not quite sure when they started calling him that, but as he traipses through beleaguered towns and villages, as he finally starts to build the world that he and Lan Zhan have always vowed to build, he finds that he doesn’t mind it so much.

He doesn’t mind being anything at all, as long as he is Lan Zhan’s.

Wei Wuxian goes where the chaos is in Lan Wangji’s stead, and finds a home in the process.

put your heart where your mouth is by protos_metazu_ison                

Having lost a month’s worth of memories might have been fine if Wei Wuxian hadn’t managed to forget the part where he and Lan Wangji got engaged. If that was, actually, what happened. He hasn’t figured out that part yet.

but there were things worse than love by walking_through_autumn                

“I heard that there were three thousand children in that cave. Three thousand!”

Ming Liangque was rather doubtful. Putting aside Xu Zhenyi’s state of inebriation, it was hard to imagine any cave able to fit in three thousand children, their angry guardians, Hanguang-jun, the Yiling Patriarch, the Ghost General, and ten thousand undead corpses.

“No way!” the rogue cultivator who had introduced himself as Wei Yuandao gasped. He shook his husband’s arm. “Hear that, Lan Zhan? Three thousand!”

(Five times the Yiling Patriarch and Hanguang-jun weren’t recognised, and one time they were mobbed by fans.)

Umbrella Academy

traumaversary by WeWalkADifferentPath                

It follows him like an unscratched itch. Under his skin, over his body, around his  energy, like a mosquito that won’t leave him the fuck alone.

April 1st.  April 1st. April 1st.

(A character study of Five, with some inevitable family feels, in honour of March 24th).

The Witcher

A Blessing, A Curse by aileenrose                

“For a while, Jaskier doesn’t know he’s cursed. It feels like free will, going back down that mountain, just as dangerous down as the way up, and alone this time, too. The descent is fast, maybe even reckless, but Jaskier’s feeling numb and out-of-sorts anyways, Geralt’s words simmering in his mind, and at the time it doesn’t feel like he’s being pulled on by anything but his own desire to get away.”

Oh my god, I have so many bookmarks lmao (and yet I still haven’t read every hurt!Sam fic out there so there’s bound to be a lot more delicious fics just waiting to be consumed and I can’t fucking wait to get my hands on them asdfghjkl), but anyway these are some of the fics that stick out in my mind the most right now:

The Secrets You Can’t Keep by embroiderama (AO3) 6k+ words

Dean knew almost everything about Sam, but after Stanford there was one vitally important thing that Sam neglected to tell Dean. Sam was used to keeping secrets, but keeping this one was a bad idea. -- features diabetic!Sam

Burn, Baby, Burn by Adelheide1 (fanfiction.net) 3k+ words

Why gas and fire demons don't mix.

Darkness Shall Follow by Faye Dartmouth (fanfiction.net) 19k+ words

It doesn't matter who it is. It just matters that it's not both of them. That he's going to save one and probably condemn the other. -- pre-series, features being buried alive.

Let It Break by purplehairedwonder (fanfiction.net) 7k+ words

Post-6.21. Sam's hurting and Dean's grieving. But rather than burden his brother, Sam hides the injuries he received at the hands of Crowley's demons and the aftereffects. Needless to say, things don't go well.

Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down by mamapranayama (ff.net) 8k+ words

Exploring the burned-out ruins of Bobby's old house may not have been one of Sam's better ideas. H/C, angst. Set just after 'Death's Door'.

Head Space by ameliacareful (AO3) 15k+ words

A witch curses Sam leaving him blind, deaf, and bedridden. Left with only the inside of his own head and the occasional touch, Sam begins to unravel.

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables by authoressnebula (ff.net) 2k+ words

Post 6x14: "It starts in Milton, Wisconsin." People begin to disappear, and only Sam seems to notice.

Not Leaving You by authoressnebula (ff.net) 2k+ words

5x10 Abandon All Hope AU. It's Sam who goes back for Dean, not Jo, and Sam who thus suffers the consequences. -- also recommend just anything authoressnebula has posted lol, because they’re awesome

Sensory Deprivation by Refur (ff.net) 18k+ words

When an encounter in the woods goes south, the Winchester brothers lose something important. -- features Sam losing his senses. Also this fic is a fucking classic, I return to it constantly.

And Beats High Mountain Down by The_Bookkeeper (AO3) 11k+ words

Sam is concussed and hallucinating; Dean is crippled and drugged to the gills. It is, in short, about the worst possible moment for sudden, unexpected time travel. -- set in early season 7. Also asdfghjkl boy do I love this.

The Long Way Down by mentholpixie (livejournal) 2k+ words

Sam falls off a cliff and that might not be the worst part. -- also recommend anything by mentholpixie, they’re an amazing writer.

There’s also a ton of fics listed in the Limp Sam community on fanfiction.net which I used to practically live in back in the day lmao, and there’s the ohsam community on livejournal where there are a LOT of tags to look through.

Designing A World

City and Town Name Generator

How To Create a Believable World

Fantasy Religion Design Guide

Fantasy Map-maker

The Language Construction Kit

Fantasy Name Generator

The Pagan Name Generator

Writing Fantasy: Tools & Techniques

Fractal World Generator

Creating a Magic System

The Middle Ages

A Large List Of Articles On The Middle Ages

Middle Ages Weapons

Medieval Clothing

Medieval Clothing Pages

Medieval Name Archive

The Domesday Book

European Nobility Titles

Mythology

General Folklore

Various Folktales

Heroes

Weather Folklore

Trees in Mythology

Animals in Mythology

Birds in Mythology

Flowers in Mythology

Fruit in Mythology

Plants in Mythology

Folktales from Around the World

Egyptian Mythology

African Mythology

More African Mythology

Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

The Gods of Africa

Even More African Mythology

West African Mythology

All About African Mythology

African Mythical Creatures

Gods and Goddesses

Aztec Mythology

Haitian Mythology

Inca Mythology

Maya Mythology

Native American Mythology

More Inca Mythology

More Native American Mythology

South American Mythical Creatures

North American Mythical Creatures

Aztec Gods and Goddesses

Chinese Mythology

Hindu Mythology

Japanese Mythology

Korean Mythology

More Japanese Mythology

Chinese and Japanese Mythical Creatures

Indian Mythical Creatures

Chinese Gods and Goddesses

Hindu Gods and Goddesses

Korean Gods and Goddesses

Basque Mythology

Celtic Mythology

Etruscan Mythology

Greek Mythology

Latvian Mythology

Norse Mythology

Roman Mythology

Arthurian Legends

Bestiary

Celtic Gods and Goddesses

Gods and Goddesses of the Celtic Lands

Finnish Mythology

Celtic Mythical Creatures

Gods and Goddesses

Islamic Mythology

Judaic Mythology

Mesopotamian Mythology

Persian Mythology

Middle Eastern Mythical Creatures

Aboriginal Mythology

Polynesian Mythology

More Polynesian Mythology

Mythology of the Polynesian Islands

Melanesian Mythology

Massive Polynesian Mythology Post

Maori Mythical Creatures

Hawaiian Gods and Goddesses

Hawaiian Goddesses

Gods and Goddesses

List of Gods

Encyclopedia Mythica

Mythical Creatures & Beasts

Questions To Ask When Worldbuilding

The World

Physical and Historical Features

Magic and Magicians

Peoples and Customs

Social Organization

Commerce, Trade, and Public Life

Daily Life

Basics

Alternate Earth

Not Earth at All

Climate and Geography

Natural Resources

World History

Specific Country(s) History

Rules of Magic

Wizards

Magic and Technology

Miscellaneous Magic Questions

Customs

Eating

Greeting and Meeting

Gestures

Visits

Language

Ethics and Values

Religion and the Gods

Population

Government

Politics

Crime and the Legal System

Foreign Relations

Waging War

Weapons

Business and Industry

Transportation and Communication

Science and Technology

Medicine

Arts and Entertainment

Architecture

Urban Factors

Rural Factors

Fashion and Dress

Manners

Diet

Education

Calendar

Magic

The Hypertext List of Spells

Gemstone Properties

Gemstone Meanings

Crystal Healing

Fairy & Other Spirits

It’s no great surprise the OroSasu fanfic community is small. It’s not often a new story comes along. Especially a well-written one.

I have been fortunate enough to stumble upon a new addition to the community.

“Hide the Sun” (written by magyarova) is a gem. The development is so engaging, you won’t even realize you’ve read multiple chapters at once. The characters are true to Kishimoto’s world. It is a thoroughly convincing story, and emotionally cathartic.

Yes I have~

Hi, thanks for the question!

I have thin hair myself, so I understand the difficulties. Keep in mind that almost all hairstyles shown on this blog involve hairpieces of some kind. Most traditional Chinese hair accessories, in order to be secured, require volume that can only be achieved with long & thick hair - hence why hairpieces are often used. They basically act as pincushions for the accessories:

Assuming that you’re not using hairpieces, I wouldn’t recommend accessories that are secured using the traditional methods: pins, sticks, forks/prongs, and teeth - as these will be difficult to fasten in thin hair (Below - all from 静尘轩):

Instead, I recommend accessories that are fastened using snaps and clips, as in the examples below. While these methods aren’t traditional, they will make it easier for accessories to stay secure in thin hair (Below - all from 寻簪记):

As in the examples below, you can simply gather your hair to the sides and back, and use the resulting volume to secure the accessories (Top - 水墨江湖, Bottom - 落小茶的铺子):

Song: https://soundcloud.com/kavvofficial/rainy-nights

Mulan: I fought in a motherfucking war

Mulan: I saved motherfucking China

There’s a lot of writing advice on the internet, and a lot of writing prompts, but something I see relatively little of is an idea of how to actually practice. 

The thing about learning a skill is that it requires practice – but practicing will only get you so far if you’re just doing the same thing over and over. you might get better at doing that specific thing, but it can seem really difficult to get over a specific hurdle to accomplish some new thing you’ve never tried. I think a really common frustration is wanting to do a thing, and knowing what your end goal looks like, but not knowing actually how to accomplish it. 

So that’s where practicing specific skills can really help you to feel more comfortable with your abilities. 

Here are some skills exercises I recommend experimenting with to gain proficiency and comfort in writing things. 

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Write the Same Scene from Multiple POVs 

Write a scene in 3rd person POV. Then go back and rewrite it from scratch in 1st person. Repeat for a 3rd person omniscient. Go deeper than just swapping out pronouns. Think: How does this scene change if I’m writing through the eyes of a single character vs over their shoulder? How does this scene change if I’m narrating the events through Character B instead of Character A? 

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Write a Scene in Present Tense

Present tense bumps up the immediacy level of whatever you’re writing. I think it also helps to break you from more passive sentence constructions. Try taking a scene you’ve written and rewrite it in present tense. Combine it with the above – try switching a 3rd person past to 1st person present, or even try writing in 2nd person. 

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Try Mimicking Another Writer’s Style 

Sit down with a piece of writing from an author you enjoy, and pay attention to the writing itself. Ignore the plot and characters and story elements – look at just the nuts and bolts of vocabulary choices and sentence construction. Try to pick it apart. Is there a specific way the author tends to use commas? Certain words, or types of words, that they use more often? Longer sentences or shorter ones? Longer paragraphs or short? How is white space handled? 

Study that and make yourself a little cheat sheet if that’s helpful to you. Then try writing a short piece – just a couple paragraphs, even – in their writing style. 

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Describe an Entire Scene Without Using Visual Description 

Imagine you’re writing a blind character, if it helps, or someone who’s been blindfolded. Describe a whole scene built entirely around the way things sound, smell, taste, feel. Try to make it clear what’s happening through description alone. 

—–

Eliminate All Words like “Thought” or “Felt” 

Write in deep-3rd or 1st person without any filter words. Make a character’s opinions and emotions obvious through the way things are being described without explicitly saying what they’re thinking or feeling. If you struggle with this, it might be easier to start in first person – write as a diary entry or even a Tumblr post from that person’s perspective – and then try it in 3rd person after you’ve had a bit of practice. 

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Set Yourself a Specific Goal, and Write a Drabble to Achieve it 

When I wrote “Happy Ending,” my entire goal was to write something that was highly descriptive in the most viscerally gross way possible. When I wrote “Mothman,” it was an exercise in writing something sexualized without explicitly being sexual, in the most disturbing way possible. 

This is an exercise in word choice. It’s an excuse to bust out your thesaurus, not to sound fancy, but to nail a specific meaning. It’s also an exercise in choosing what details to focus on and which to exclude. 

One way to approach this exercise is to describe something common and mundane that you’ve experienced, and write it in several different ways. Let’s say, eating a sandwich. How can you make eating a sandwich sound sexy? How can you make it sound disgusting? Which details do you focus on, and which do you omit? What words do you use to evoke the meaning you’re looking for? 

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I’d like to share my favorite fanfics with you as well today. :) They are all from the Final Fantasy XV fandom because ever since the game came out, this is the fandom I have read the best fanfiction in. Those are almost all H/C fics with Noct being the victim haha. I tagged all writers I could find on tumblr, the rest is linked to the stories. Enjoy!

The Seven Percent Solution by Mayoki

Man, I still remember the day I read this. It was a Sunday and this fic killed me, I got so emotional while reading it. It’s a piece of writing that was published in 2015, before the game was even out. Noctis is grieving after Insomnia’s fall. Unintentionally, he is pulled into drugs and then he can’t get out of the spiral on his own… It might sound unrealistic and not like Noctis at all but believe me, it’s all told very logically. As you might have already guessed, this is a very dark and emotional fic. It’s amazing!

Scars by @breakfastteatime​

Breakfasttea has a lot of great stories for fans of Noct whump. 😍 I like this one in particular. During a hunt, Noctis gets hit by a Coeurl and his old Marilith injury is hit, affecting him badly. This is truly wonderful Hurt/Comfort. Check out her other stories too!

The Shadows Growing Tall by caelum (zanarkand)

This story follows the events of the game, highlighting certain moments on the journey through Lucis. It focuses on Noctis who is struggling with the crystal draining his life force. Of course, he doesn’t want his friends to worry or blame themselves so he tries to keep silent… This is written so well and the H/C is perfectly on point. I love this fic.

Not Quite Home in Darkness by @nicolareed​

I have been following this fic from the very beginning and I’m very happy that it got so popular. Because this story deserves it. Summary: Noctis has died to save the world but somehow, he awakens at the beginning of their journey and it apparently, he has to go through everything again. Very well written H/C here and there and a lot of moments that really make you think. Thank you for this!

Warmer by @ivorydice​

Another author of quite a lot of amazing FFXV fanfics. This one in particular got to me. I was at the edge of my seat (or bed??) for the entire 7847 words. It’s the middle of the night and the boys are stuck in the woods surrounded by daemons. And Noctis slowly seems to lose his mind… The suspense curve is 100% perfect, I think I’ve read this like 3 times and it’s still so good.

Breathless by @ivorydice​

I have to add this one as well because it’s truly heartbreaking. Noctis decides  to organize his father’s birthday party in addition to all of his other princely duties. Knowing he will probably never be as good as his father in magic and as a king in general, he desperately wants to prove himself to his father and bring him some joy. But then, he gets sick in the middle of the preparations… Which he naturally tries hard to ignore. 

Touch by CheeseCroquette

I like this one a lot because it’s so well written and very original. Noctis starts to lose his sense of taste. The rest of his senses start to fade as well. And this circumstance gets harder and harder to hide and ignore. Pure H/C goodness!

Good enough by Mayoki

Another Mayoki fic because this one too is truly stunning. The story tells the story of Noctis’ and Prompto’s friendship, but a bit differently. The two boys become friends earlier and end up going to college together. Which is when Prompto starts to develop a serious eating disorder. – I have a weak spot for angsty Prompto fanfics and this is one of the best I know.

Running on empty by @chocolatepecan​

The plot: Prompto and Noctis were supposed to meet in the park but Noctis doesn’t arrive. And then, Prompto goes through some pretty awful stuff. :D This piece really got stuck in my head because it describes a certain feeling very well. It’s the confusion, shame, helplessness and fear you feel whenever something happens to you in public. „Happen“ meaning you get sick, injure yourself or anything similar. I’ve experienced this and I can say this fic describes it very realistically. 

Discomposure by voxanonymi (spasmodicIntrigue)

You have to read this yourself to learn what this fic is really about and to experience the effect it has on you. I was really mind-blown and the writing got me hooked for the entire read. This is angsty, a bit confusing (in a good way) and of course there’s Noctis H/C as well. Very well written!

The company of Wolves by @ivorydice​

Also known as: Trevor gets sick and it’s up to Adrian and Sypha to take care of him

WORD COUNT: 1183

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If there was one thing without dispute in all of Wallachia, it was that Trevor Belmont was the most stubborn person on the Earth. Or at least, that’s what Adrian assumed everyone knew. Because there was no way word hadn’t travelled half way across the country that Trevor was an obnoxious force to be reckoned with, and the fever that was slowly making it way through the hunters’ body was blatant proof. The runny nose, labored breaths, reddened eyes, burning skin, and a hacking cough should have been enough to put even the strongest of human men out of commission for at least a day. But not Trevor Belmont. No, he had insisted upon continuing their quest, hiking through dense trees and up rugged paths, all the while looking a step away from death.

the growth and development of tiny humans!