#flutterbatwrites

[damoselcastel]

Hmm, I just saw you already answered that one ^^; the rule you refuse to break? If someone already asked this, you can pick the question you want to ask most ^^;

What aspect of writing have you had the most growth in?

Definitely in containing my wordiness/purple prose tendencies. I'm rather long winded when I get to writing, so I have to make an effort to, well, not be. Bridging The Sky was actually a really great exercise for this, because I limited myself to 3 scenes per chapter, thus it forced me to just time-skip/move-locations without GOING INTO the details of the characters doing whatever in-between. Forced me to trim a lot of fat and focus on the important/relevant beats.

for the meme

[damoselcastel]

For the meme, T, Y, Z?

T: Any fanfic tropes you can’t stand?

Memes and quotes, when they get inserting into setting that plain shouldn't know/have them, I get knocked out of the reading/world. It's also why I get highkey frustrated when game localization incorporates either, like it doesn't BELONG HERE!

Y: What are your thoughts on your personal satisfaction with something you’ve written vs. the popularity of your stories?  Do you tend to be most satisfied with your most popular stories?

It can really depend, even if I just wait a little while to look back I'll see my writing rather fondly even with the lingering weaknesses. Where while writing it, it's hard to ignore the flaws. Popularity generally means more eyeballs on it, but it's a bit of a double-edged sword. Like I love getting comments/responses- it's so nice... but them on the flipside if I see that hit count's huge and get NOTHING, that's a bit demoralizing.

Z: Is there a story you’ve written that doesn’t seem to get much love?

I mean, I've written for some older games which seems to definitely impact the readerships, aka obscurity. Some of the hit counts are very dang low...but I admit, part of the reason (other than general writer's block) my motivation for updating Into A Walled Garden on a schedule was the shrinking response pool. It was a lot of work for what felt like diminishing returns. So that and  IRL circumstance just sorta ground my progress for that story to a halt. It's weird to say this about what might've one time been my most popular fic, but maybe getting all that attention and losing it was detrimental. Kinda in part why I don’t hold myself to hard deadlines with fic these days, too much stress without enough reward.

for the meme

[damoselcastel]

Character discussion and Three Houses Crimson Flower spoilers under the cut

randomnameless: I'd just say that Linhardt's too bright for his own sake in CF and it can't end well for him. On a side note, I wonder if Marianne paralogue is available in CF...

Lin’s brain is big but he seems extremely... detatched? I genuinely can’t tell if he’s invested in a ANY of the politics surrounding the war, like if he’ll be happy/upset if a certain side wins/loses or if anyone dies. He loves Crests but Edelgard spouting that she wants to do away with them doesn’t garner a reaction from him and in his Byleth Supports he even comes to the conclusion that Crests are rather useless outside of life-threatening battle situations/for contributing to living peacefully (though I feel like this is the writers forgetting exactly what they’ve given us- Dimitri’s Superman strength is hella useful in terms of raw utility, plus the Patient Zero Crest holders living youthfully for hundreds of years...humans would WANT these things). Hell, when all the BE kids reunited in Silver Snow he’d just been being lazy at home for 5 years, so he certainly didn’t take any actions against Edelgard even on the route that gives him an excuse to.

flutterbatwrites: Marianne’s paralogue is available in CF. Also, not sure if this is of interest or not but in CF when you play Linhardt paralogue, Edelgard and Hubert are not playable units. The whole army sneaks off to fight this dragon because they think it will upset Edel if she knows they’re doing it.

That’s actually FASCINATING that on CF the game itself blocks you from bringing Edelgard or Hubert... it means that at least 3 members of the army collude to exclude them while making this trip, and I have to assume it’s cause Linhardt (and maybe Byleth) knows things might get ugly with a Saint involved so just... directly go against their ruler+general’s principals in order to more peaceably contact a third party (aka playfight with Indech and not murdenate him). I assume this was just the game Devs not wanting to lock you out from possibly getting a Holy Weapon (Cf’s already missing gobs of them) BUT the implications... Honestly now I’m even more unsure what to think on what’s going on with Linhardt and what he deems acceptable.

[damoselcastel]

Can’t do emojis but ship you’re curious about and/or ship that pisses you off?

Ship you’re curious about: Hilda/CasparI haven’t read or seen their supports but saw a four-screenshot snippet of what might’ve been A and it seemed both funny and cute (and I might be a little sadistic in thinking a high-energy boyfriend is just what Hilda could use to stop apply the brakes on productivity) but I’ll have to see more before I can decide. Also, together their hair colors are cotton candy.

Ship that pisses you off: Ingrid/GD boysMostly cause... girl, wth, these people are strangers you want to try and mirco manage their lives? Sylvain and Felix at least know her and are used to it, but with these other boys it feels like she really flies out of nowhere just to tell them what they’re doing wrong. Which, is in character as she’s a bossy busybody... but I don’t ship that. Claude/Ingrid especially is bizarre and lacks all semblance of chemistry.

for the meme

[damoselcastel]

Can I ask two? Your top three FE legendary/personal weapons and also Top three platonic supports.

For the first one, FE4 would steal all the slots honestly: Forsetti, Yewfelle, Balmung. Jugdral HWs have such exaggerated punch it always feels satisfying to used them. Buuuuut I suppose I do have a fondness for both Amiti (infa-brave sword for da queen) and Siegfried (1-2 range counters are appreciated with a Wall) even if I find the naming scheme odd for the latter.

Platonic supports:1 - Rolf/Mist, is one of the few times I think FEs shown scared kids as they should be, freaked out by the fact they’re participating in way. Mist and Rolf also read like they really are friends and have been for a long time too (funny though, I think I’d have preferred Rolf as Mist’s canon hubby rather than Boyd)2 - Kent/Sain, I’m probably thinking more on their overall antics through Lyn’s route rather than solely their support but out of all the Green/Red duos I felt like these two really would stick together come what may. I read them as initially reluctant (on Kent’s part) but then sterling best buds, then type who in modern times might try to buy suburban homes next to each other and set their kids up on playdates. (I don’t know why, but Kent being stiff rather than training-obsessed helps the dynamic)3 - Seth/Franz, has a really nice mentor-protege dynamic without hints of UST. It really does feel like wholesome teacher-student (even if teacher’s coming to the realization his life is doomed) and I’m all for that.

for the meme

[damoselcastel]

flutterbatwrites

I'm really enjoying all of your merpeople, they're all so creative!

Thanks, I’ve wanted to do Mermay for a while now and doing merfolk based on different actual aquatic animals has been quite fun (actual references also makes it easier, haha).  Just how detailed I get to be depends on my freetime of that day, but I’ve been pretty pleased with the results so far. :)