Thursday Link Dump, et. al.

[clevermanka]

Guardian/adjacent:
Fanart: I'm sure the rest of this image is very nice, too. Sketch kiss.
Zhu Yilong ELLE photo shoot gif thread.

Untamed/adjacent:
Yiling Laozu I'm The Bad Guy.
The animated kiss that broke everyone's timelines yesterday.

This week's dump on cm.net.

People who post illustrations of their fics on AO3, do you put it in the main body text or in the notes? I might have commissioned a second illustration for Ghost Story from takkyb *cough* and I'm FINALLY posting the first one, too. Better late than never!

Last chapter of Ghost Story posts tomorrow and I'm super sad about it. I understand why I'm sad. It's not surprising or anything. It's just....gah, One more thing to lose, you know? Those chapter comments have been a huge help to keeping me from falling into a pit of despair these past few weeks.

I stayed in bed as late as possible this morning. Woke up at 3am, commented back and forth with naye a bit (thank you, bb). Got back to sleep a bit before 6. Woke up at 7:30 and just ... didn't get up until 10 when I started getting nauseated from hunger. Lying in my beautiful bed (seriously so pretty y'all) I can pretend there's no world outside the curtains. When they're properly closed, I can barely see slivers of my bedroom. It might be a little lonely in there these days, but it's better than what's going on outside.

Comments

[moodsong]

OH! Do you have a canopy bed?? I wanted one of those through my whole childhood. I still have a desire for a huge bed with heavy wooden posts, rich colored drapes, and maybe one of those puzzle shelving units with secret drawers as a headboard.

[clevermanka]

It doesn't have a ceiling, but it does have four rails attached to tall posts that reach about...hmmm...nearly seven feet? All four sides are curtained with fancy fabrics (I made the curtains, so the long sides are trimmed in fringe or gimp braid for Extra Luxury), with various tassels and scarves draped about. With fairy lights too, of course. Could totally use that shelving unit, alas, mine's just a solid piece of wood.

I've tried to get photos of it, but they never come out. I need better lighting/camera for it.

Oh, and I have lanterns hanging from the ceiling, on the inside of the rails. It's very nice in there when they're all lit. I have a very Sexy Bed.

[moodsong]

*sigh* you have a VERY sexy bed. I'm delighted and envious. Let me know if you ever write a fic about your bed.

[clevermanka]

HA! Will do. You can kinda see the curtains and one of the hanging lanterns in this pic.

[winter_blossom]

I'm really sad too! Ghost Story has been one of the highlights of my week these past couple of months, and I haven't found many good fics to follow recently, either, so now I have no idea what to look forward to... *Wishes she were a less picky reader*

[clevermanka]

Your engagement and response has been an enormous comfort. I can't tell you how much your comments have helped me. Even before all... this *waves hand* went down. Your enthusiasm and interest when I was still revising, exchanging messages about spoilers, etc... Seriously, bb, you've been a fuckin' treasure from day one. Thank you. THANK YOU. Hearing that you're a picky reader is incredibly bolstering and gratifying. That makes me feel really good.

Do you have any old fandoms you might wanna revisit? Or are you a monofannish sort?

[winter_blossom]

Aww, I'm so happy my relentless chatter was helpful! I wonder whether I'm a nuisance, sometimes, so it's really good to hear that it's actually been encouraging instead!

Hearing that you're a picky reader is incredibly bolstering and gratifying. That makes me feel really good.

Phew~ I'm glad to hear that, because right after I hit post I was like, "Ugh, that makes me sound like a huge snob, doesn't it?" I'm annoyed at my own pickiness, tbh (monoshipper, stickler for canon-compliant characterisation, plot whore, etc.) Wish I could be different, but I'm almost 29 now, so I doubt I'll change at this point >_<

As for fannishness - I've read/watched ~20 series since I finished Guardian (April last year!) but somehow not a single one of them tempted me into their fandom (despite the quality of the stories being overall very good). I had a whole bunch of fandoms at one point (Sherlock, Merlin, Night Vale, Inception, all hit me at once) but now it's like I've suddenly become monofannish...

[clevermanka]

SO ENCOURAGING!

I shall endeavor to produce more stories for you, bb! =D

[naye]

It was lovely (as always!) talking to you! ♥

...and now I can't figure out if you and Ab7sus4 are trolling me, or if it's just Ab7sus4! XD

[clevermanka]

Any current trolling on my part is purely unintentional but please let me know what I might have inadvertently done so next time I can do it better. XD

Oh oh! I just remembered! When I went back to sleep I had a dream that a small number of DW mutuals (like, five or six?) were hanging out in your and doctorskuld's apartment and it was so nice.

[naye]

Ahhh, at least we can hang out in dreams! ♥

And the trolling. OMG. This is where that link takes you:

[clevermanka]

Okay well that's just MEAN. How Dare????

[naye]

From what Google translate can tell people are crying in the comments. XD

[clevermanka]

I hope they post the real version soon!

[umadoshi]

It was SO CRUEL. *weeps*

[wrote_and_writ]

Your bed sounds amazing! That is a goal when I find a place I want to stay for awhile, to do decor like that. Also, the ZYL gif where he makes his zebra hand nibble his boutonnière? Absolutely precious!

[clevermanka]

I loooooooove my bed. I highly recommend sleeping in a sumptuous bed if you can!

You're in the U.S., right? If you have one near, Tuesday Morning stores (for, you know, when we can go shopping again) are great for bed linens. I've gotten some incredible deals there. $250 sheet sets for, like, $60 (woven jacquard cotton, haven't seen anything like them since, I used them until they shredded). I bought my down comforter there, too, for something like 75% off because I bought it off-season.

HE'S SO CUTE AND I JUST WANT HIM TO BE HAPPY

[wrote_and_writ]

The bed sizes are a little bit different in China than the US, but I did buy myself some extra nice pillows for here and have some in my apartment as well, waiting for me. And a nice fluffy duvet. Oh, and back in my apartment, I got two 3D printed moon lanterns. They make the most lovely glow. The mattresses in China are extra hard — like springs with NO cushion. I bought a mattress topper, but I’m treating myself to a memory foam on when I finally get back.

[clevermanka]

Oh RIGHT I didn't even think about the bed sizes being different. DANG. Also I don't know how I spaced your current location what with EARTHQUAKES and all.

[wrote_and_writ]

Ayyye it’s all good. I can’t even keep track of what day it is anymore, not without serious concentration.

[wyomingnot]

King size bed's about the same. I've been using a king size fitted sheet from home here.

:)

(had my mom buy some clearance flannel sheets for next winter. well, maybe the winter after. sheets are too weighty to ship, and I won't be making it home this year, so...)

Also, question! since we're on beds here - is your bed well up off the floor? I used to have a similar set-up with towering posts and basically like an arbor overhead. fairy lights, of course. The bed was high up enough I could actually sit underneath it just a little stooped. Loads of storage space. I had to have a little set of steps for getting in.

[clevermanka]

The bottom of my bed is about eight inches off the floor. Enough for storage, but certainly not for sitting! I used to have a much higher bed that I sorta had to jump into and I loved that. Felt like a princess or something! This one, though, if it were that high I'd need 12' ceilings!

[minoanmiss]

People who post illustrations of their fics on AO3, do you put it in the main body text or in the notes? I might have commissioned a second illustration for Ghost Story from takkyb *cough* and I'm FINALLY posting the first one, too. Better late than never!

I've done both. I prefer tucking them into the may body of the text.

[clevermanka]

Thank you! I've tried it a couple different ways in the draft mode (even tried putting them in the chapter summary) but... it really doesn't make much of a difference from what I can tell? I think I'm gonna stick it in the chapter notes tho because of how it's just sliiiiiiightly indented.

[umadoshi]

Last chapter of Ghost Story posts tomorrow and I'm super sad about it.

I'm definitely going to miss it, and definitely see why you're sad, especially now. *hugs* Thank you for putting this beauty out into the world for us.

[clevermanka]

Thank you for reading it! I'm amazed at how many people came along on the ride, tbh. I've appreciated your comments and support.

[wyomingnot]

I personally put illustrations in the main body, but I've seen loads of people put them in the notes. I think the folks I've seen who put them in the body of the story are those who had the art at the time they were posting and either made them themselves or commissioned them or were collaborating.

If the art is also on tumblr, I'd put a link to it in the notes also.

But that's just me and my experience. Given that you've commissioned stuff for your story, I would put it in there to be enjoyed along with the story, not after. :)

[clevermanka]

I wound up putting them in the notes and linked to the Twitter account and posts!

Also I am In Favor of your icon.

[brandywine28]

Oh, no! My excitement seems crass now, in the face of your sadness! (I *am* excited, though. I don't read WIPs, so I've been waiting and waiting for the final chapter to drop. Now I get to dive on in!)

[clevermanka]

Excitement is NEVER crass! HURRAY FOR ENTHUSIASM! HAPPY READING!

[khellekson]

YES TO THE ANIMATED KISS IT WAS ADORABLE

[clevermanka]

I watched it loop about another 20 times today.

[tinny]

I am not a fan of the neckerchiefs they put on Zhu Yilong in the Elle photoshoots, I don't usually mind them on people, but they're not a good look on him somehow? That white jacked with the lace sweater(?) underneath it though, wowsa. More of that, please.

I am sorry to hear you're not feeling well this week. *HUGS*

I've been saving up the last chapter of Ghost Story, probably for similar reasons, but of course it's always much more of an impact for the author. <3

[clevermanka]

I'm not a fan of that styling for three ELLE shoot, either. Meh.

Hope you enjoy the last chapter when you finally go for it!