fic not-writing meme
Jul. 13th, 2020 06:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
waterscroll::glares angrily at pile of drafts that somehow don't write themselves::
Since I seem not to be in a fic-writing headspace right now, let's have a meme: You give me a prompt and I'll tell you about the fic I'm not going to write based on it.
Alternatively, give me a description of a fic you're not going to write and I'll tell you about the squeeful comment I'd have written on it if it existed.
Since I seem not to be in a fic-writing headspace right now, let's have a meme: You give me a prompt and I'll tell you about the fic I'm not going to write based on it.
Alternatively, give me a description of a fic you're not going to write and I'll tell you about the squeeful comment I'd have written on it if it existed.
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Date: 2020-07-14 12:06 am (UTC)But the meme idea is making me giggle.
I give you a choice of two prompts that I'm hoping will work for Guardian! They're both haiku by Masaoka Shiki.
ETA: Also, spoilers are fine!
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Date: 2020-07-14 01:07 am (UTC)The first one is obviously a Hijikata/Chizuru fic sent post-canon. In it Hijikata, who has completely lost all his purpose in life, teaches Chizuru to fight sort of for fun. To her surprise, she manages to find all sorts of useful things to do with the skill. She ends up joining a newly-formed women's police division and becomes the leader of it. Meanwhile Hijikata is mentoring her in leadership and at the same time seeing how her leadership and fighting style is different from his own. The fic is set in Hokkaido and is organized around seasons so it has a lot of imagery around fall coming earlier than expected and winter being harsher but spring being more precious when it comes.
The second one is Guardian, Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei POV. It's a canon divergence set around episode 16, in which Zhao Yunlan figures out at that point that he has the ability to use the Hallows to bring light to Dixing. It includes flashbacks to how the Hallows were made and Fu You's plans in making them that Zhao Yunlan is only now figuring out.
Thank you!
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Date: 2020-07-14 05:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-07-14 03:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-07-14 07:20 pm (UTC)This got a bit long (not-writing fic is so easy and fun), but:
It's SLBP, Hotaru's shadow route, but not about Hotaru. Mostly MC & Kenshin, maybe established relationship Kaede/MC for the ANGST.
MC serves Kenshin and everything is happy -- until he dies. Kagekatsu inherits and makes everything awful, because he's a less competent leader (and also feeling inferior to his brother). Kaede decides to take the Mitsuba away from Echigo because it isn't safe any more. There is a very angsty scene in which MC decides to stay, because even if she doesn't like Kagekatsu or trust him, she wants to help preserve Kenshin's legacy and maybe guide him to become a better leader.
Kageie gets executed for treason, and it's left ambiguous whether he actually tried to overthrow Kagekatsu. Hotaru ends up getting captured by Iga (might as well go full angst?). Something bad happens to everyone.
MC gets to meet other SLBP characters (Yukimura, Mitsunari) as part of the setup for Sekigahara. Ieyasu is awful and terrifying. Finally, MC dies on the battlefield at Sekigahara, and her last thoughts are of her first days in Echigo and how bright the future seemed then.
Fast-forward to the present! Kaede and MC work together in a restaurant in Tokyo and are probably dating. MC has always felt like something is missing in her life though...and finally she meets reincarnated!Kenshin, who sought her out just to make sure she's doing okay (he's checking on everyone in his route).
But she's drawn to him for some reason she can't explain, and so she seeks him out... and then she remembers her past life, and the Echigo gang is together again. They all live happily ever after together (including Kaede, since hanging out with Kenshin is no longer a matter of life or death for their clan) and...do something to make the world a better place, in accordance with Kenshin's ideals.
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Date: 2020-07-14 08:28 pm (UTC)Finally, MC dies on the battlefield at Sekigahara, and her last thoughts are of her first days in Echigo and how bright the future seemed then.
I'm sure this part would make me cry.
and finally she meets reincarnated!Kenshin, who sought her out just to make sure she's doing okay (he's checking on everyone in his route).
::nods:: Kenshin would do that.
and...do something to make the world a better place, in accordance with Kenshin's ideals.
I really like this. A lot of the reincarnation endings are just...they got together, yay. But I think you make a case here for why the reincarnation matters, they have something to do together that they didn't manage to accomplish in their first lives together.
Thank you!
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Date: 2020-07-14 08:56 pm (UTC)Thinking about it some more: the last arc at Sekigahara should definitely draw parallels between Yukimura -> Shingen, Mitsunari -> Hideyoshi, and MC -> Kenshin. And nobody -> Ieyasu, which he's pretty upset about that (though I think he gets the Mitsuba to serve him and MC's father to make Dragon's Tears, which of course means she has to make Dragon's Tears too, and it becomes a big brutal Thing). And probably contrasts with an earlier scene where she makes healing!Dragon's Tears as part of diplomacy for Kenshin.
And Yoshitsugu would clearly be the second of Echigo to die (after Kenshin), which may or may not be the reason Kageie betrays Kagekatsu.
I'm sure this part would make me cry.
:D
A lot of the reincarnation endings are just...they got together, yay. But I think you make a case here for why the reincarnation matters, they have something to do together that they didn't manage to accomplish in their first lives together.
I think this is what appeals to me about reincarnation plots -- that things will work out better the second time around, either because the characters have Learned Something or because they have unfinished business.
SLBP definitely rushes some of the reincarnations! Though I feel like characters like Hideyoshi or Mitsuhide would 100% reincarnate with Goals.
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Date: 2020-07-14 01:46 am (UTC)...ok and now I'm imagining Kaede meeting Saizo while both are in Perfectly Normal Food Worker mode in Kyoto lol. That can be a secondary prompt if you like, but mostly I just wanted to share the mental image :)
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Date: 2020-07-14 03:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-07-14 03:25 am (UTC)That sounds DELIGHTFUL and reading your summary made me smile :)
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Date: 2020-07-14 02:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-07-14 02:56 am (UTC)Anyway, eventually he gets out of the game and goes to track down the woman who wrote it to thank her for helping him out of a bad place. Turns out she doesn't know very much about the Alliance era and was just making stuff up. Ye Zun finds this hilarious and decides not to eat her.
ETA: As the draft of this fic that I'm not writing is not developing, it's getting very meta. Ye Zun is looking at choices he keeps making that keep getting him on the Ma Gui route and thinking about why he thinks they would get him on the Shen Wei route and why they don't. Like, he keeps making choices that value victory over everything, and then ends up smooching Ma Gui and very confused.
Anyway, thank you for the prompt, this is a fun fic to not write.
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Date: 2020-07-14 05:26 pm (UTC)I think I want fanart of this now? Ye Zun's face as he is suddenly kissing Ma Gui but also very, very confused.
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Date: 2020-07-14 05:54 pm (UTC)Ye Zun intentionally and actively avoided the Kunlun route by intentionally not making any choices that emphasized personal loyalty and tolerance. Once he *almost* got on it by smashing buttons at random but got the hell off as soon as he realized where it was going. It's too bad, he'd probably have enjoyed it. Maybe after he figures out what is going on he can play that route for fun.
Ye Zun's face as he is suddenly kissing Ma Gui but also very, very confused.
Oh yes, the unwritten fic would have to come with nonexistent illustrations, especially end of route CGs with Ye Zun confusedly kissing the different love interests.
Thank you for the prompt and the comment!
no subject
Date: 2020-07-14 07:25 pm (UTC)Like, he keeps making choices that value victory over everything, and then ends up smooching Ma Gui and very confused.
I have to know! Is this the sudden out-of-nowhere smooches or is there slowly dawning dread that this long speech is in fact a romantic confession, first?
He keeps ending up with Ma Gui or Da Qing.
...I think I might crackship Da Qing/Ye Zun, now. I mean. "Villain redeemed by love" and "villain redeemed by being covered in kittens" are both perfectly serviceable tropes, so why not both at once?
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Date: 2020-07-14 08:37 pm (UTC)Oh, there's gifts and such, and Ye Zun flirts back for the fun of it, but he doesn't think it's serious until Ma Gui is all I Must Speak My Heart Which Cannot Be Denied. And then Ye Zun lets it play out to see where it will go and finds himself in a smooch.
I think I might crackship Da Qing/Ye Zun
It exists!
https://archiveofourown.org/works/24609232
It's long and unfinished I haven't read it, but it seems to be an AU in which Ye Zun is not evil.
But yes, my unwritten fic definitely includes a CG of Ye Zun with Da Qing in cute kitty form on his lap and a highly bemused expression. It's an interesting piece of nonexistent art with its light/dark imagery, Ye Zun is all in white with a black cat shedding cat hair all over him
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Date: 2020-07-14 08:47 pm (UTC)Awww. I'm glad he gets to do some fun flirting, even if he doesn't get on Shen Wei's route.
It's an interesting piece of nonexistent art with its light/dark imagery, Ye Zun is all in white with a black cat shedding cat hair all over him
This sounds absolutely lovely! I want all the CGs for this imaginary fic now.
I feel like a lot of pieces of otome art would be better with a WTFing MC.
It exists!
https://archiveofourown.org/works/24609232
It's long and unfinished I haven't read it, but it seems to be an AU in which Ye Zun is not evil.
Yes! Marking for later. :D
It seems like there are a couple of other shippers too, though not writing in English.
no subject
Date: 2020-07-15 11:32 pm (UTC)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWjUlIypWKQ&t=31s
Not at all like the one I was imagining, but still.
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Date: 2020-07-16 12:48 am (UTC)I'm a little confused by what's going on! Is SW trying to get onto the true route (ZYL's route)?
(Also, I like Ye Zun's style and his dedication to chains and clothes that must be a PAIN to keep clean!)
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Date: 2020-07-16 02:51 am (UTC)I like Ye Zun's style and his dedication to chains and clothes that must be a PAIN to keep clean!
He likes bright things and to dress all in white. In episode 20 he calls himself a sunflower, and yeah, it fits.
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Date: 2020-07-16 06:48 am (UTC)It is so amazing omg. Also I totally didn't realize on the first watch that all the love interests had ZYL's face, oops!
I felt so bad for SW. And the not!ZYLs. And mostly SW. And a part of me worries he never made it out.
This is so fantastically well-made and clever and funny and creepy! :D
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Date: 2020-07-15 01:58 am (UTC)I have ENORMOUS, OCEAN-DEEP sympathy for this!!
Good luck!!
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Date: 2020-07-15 02:11 pm (UTC)Sigh. I hope things get better. Your stories are good, they should be written.
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Date: 2020-07-15 10:39 pm (UTC)