Ghost Story--complete!

[clevermanka]

Guardian/adjacent:
I don't know the meme? or whatever this is referencing, but I am here for the tuxedo!husbands manip.
The way they look at each other even with the crew hanging out in the background.
As if the visuals weren't enough in Bai Yu's latest studio-released video...
Help help what is happening.
Kunlun close up. So close. Close enough you can see the variations of color in the dip of his upper lip and I am now on the verge of tears, possibly death. VIEW THE FULL SIZE ON A COMPUTER MONITOR.

Untamed/adjacent:
New promo photos of my baby boy.
Outsiders AU yes please.

Posted the last chapter of Ghost Story today. It's done, y'all. Done! I'm so proud and so sad. I think I wrote a really good story with strong  characters and a rewarding plot. For my first long fic it is Definitely Not Bad.

Finally letting go of it is a little bittersweet. Especially since I admitted to myself that I gotta take a break on Deconstruction. I'm just not in a space where I can stretch my writing abilities at the moment. It sucks, but I just gotta fall back on what I do well (porn) and not beat myself up over the fact that I'm not (yet) up for writing the /comfort part of hurt/comfort. So Deconstruction is getting put on hold for a little while *sob!* until I'm in a place where I can challenge myself.

The final nail in my psyche's coffin was confirmation that the herbalism apprenticeship program for 2020 is canceled. I already told Herb Boss Lady that I want in for 2021. Please cross your fingers for me that it happens.

In the meantime, I'm gonna direct my focus a little more seriously toward other things (tarot, Spanish, art) and I'll keep writing short pieces. Please send me links to any bunny farms I might have missed. I'll be on the hunt for things that speak to my muse.

Comments

[trobadora]

Congrats on finishing Ghost Story! I'm SO behind on reading longer fics, but I'm putting it on the list. *g*

Also, excellent links as always. OMG the song in that Bai Yu video!!!!!!

[clevermanka]

THAT SONG.

[marycrawford]

Oh man BLESS you for that BTS photo with the crew - the lighting! the faces! MWAH. And that's the first BTS I've seen for that entire episode 8 sequence with the cleanign and the congee, aka Shen Wei proves himself to be Best Husband Material. <3

I'm sorry things are tough for you atm, and I sympathize! I am also looking forward to reading Ghost Story, and I hope you get inspiration for other stories, but you're so right about not beating yourself up about whatever isn't working right now. I need to remind myself of that, too.

[clevermanka]

This is definitely not the time to beat ourselves up over a failure to create exactly what we want! Glad the pic cheered you.

[naye]

CONGRATS ON FINISHING! \o/ *HOLDS*

[clevermanka]

IT'S OVER! *CRIES*

[wrote_and_writ]

Congrats on finishing the long fic! I am confident this will not be a one-off achievement for you, that you will finish what you want when you are able. And until then, well, you’re one of the best smut peddlers in the fandom imo. I have read some stuff lately that was like “this isn’t even satisfying, why did I put this in my eyes?” and your stories are never like that. There is a tricky balance, and you always manage to strike it.

And yay tarot, Spanish and art! Those all seem worthy. I am *this* close to letting the Duolingo owl bully me back into Japanese and Chinese. I’m probably a week away. ❤️

[clevermanka]

you’re one of the best smut peddlers in the fandom imo
😍😍😍 Oh my goodness SERIOUSLY? /o\ What a compliment!!!

My biggest obstacle is actually doing them. I started on a project that I ... ugh, can't really talk about? But it's rewarding and tbh I'm having a difficult time not sinking all my time/energies into that.

[wrote_and_writ]

It is the truth! And also, yeah, Big Mood.

[solo]

Loving the tuxedo husbands and that b/w shot of Xiao Zhan!

Meeeeh, that truly sucks about the herbalism thing. But I'm sure you'll have first dibs for 2021 - and I'm also quite convinced that by this time 2021 we'll have a vaccine.

Where/how are you studying Spanish? Duolingo? Buddies? (I'm doing Mandarin just now but I don't think that matters.)

[clevermanka]

I'm sure she'll let me in for the 2021 group. Schadenfreude moment! In the email, Herbal Boss Lady mentioned twice her own vulnerability (she's 80 for godssake) and the two other high-risk people who live with her. So maybe the person who whined about ISOLATION BEING A PRIVILEGE and HIGH RISK PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN HEALTH will either not enroll or keep her damn trap shut about shit.

I'm gonna start with Duolingo, yes, see how that goes. What I really want to do is order textbooks and work through them but I'm trying not to bring More Stuff into the house right now. If Duolingo doesn't do it for me, I'll give in, though. I'm tired of being monolingual. But yes! Duolingo to start and I'll look into the Buddies thing. I... assume that's some sort of networking thing through Duolingo? But if you meant it as a simple Solidarity Comrade! thing I'm def down for that too. Guess I should download the app today, eh?

[solo]

When you go into the 'friends' tab, select Add Friends, and look for sonja431073, that's me!

I should really get myself a language learning icon.

So maybe the person who whined about ISOLATION BEING A PRIVILEGE and HIGH RISK PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN HEALTH will either not enroll or keep her damn trap shut about shit.

MWUUAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!

[clevermanka]

Done!

[tinny]

The tuxedo manips are giving me life!

That Bai Yu hotel video is O_O, and I concur with the twitter comments that this probably was the only way to one-up the refa videos. We're waaay past subtlety with those two. (*cackles*)

I always thought that close-up was Bo Li, but... it actually is Kunlun, isn't it? O_O Huh.

I made an icon from that a while ago:



I think I wrote a really good story with strong characters and a rewarding plot. For my first long fic it is Definitely Not Bad.
I didn't know that was your *first long fic*! I thought you were a seasoned writer and everything! (Certainly had me fooled. ;DDDDD) Your writing is wonderful! And I am still looking forward to reading that last chapter once I have accomplished my set task for today (=read my whole f-list).

I already told Herb Boss Lady that I want in for 2021. Please cross your fingers for me that it happens.

Yes! You deserve it!

[clevermanka]

I used to write essays here and there, but I lost my essay brain a couple years ago when my health took a dive. Binary System was the first fiction piece I ever wrote! Thank you! 😙