Monika (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
peninhand) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
avalononline2021-08-14 12:34 am
peninhand) wrote in avalononline2021-08-14 12:34 am
video; un: lilmonix3
Hi everyone! Monika here~! I am here with two things today: an announcement regarding my new channel, and a request for all fellow technomages.
First off: I am now a social media influencer! Sort of, ahaha! Being verified doesn't give me more subscribers out of thin air. My channel is The Literature Corner! I will post three videos a week analyzing various literary genres and formats, recommending and reviewing books as well as recording audio books. On top of that, I'll read and comment on the poetry people send me, so please check my channel if you can.
I've put so much effort into it, that'd mean the world to me. I've linked my channel and my website with this video. I'm really looking forward to what will come from this...!
[ Link: The Literature Corner. ]
Now, onto technomancy! I've done some testing and found something amazing: did you know spells can be stored in like, your phone's mailbox? And then you can "open" it anytime. So like say a Technomancer send another Technomancer a fire spell, they'll be able to open the fire spell anytime even though they can't do fire magic on their own! That's like, so neat.
And I thought we could probably help each other by sharing spells. That's only for Technomancer, of course. But that's a great asset. I can send Cognitive spells to put in reserve if any of you need. I'd be happy to receive any sort of spells, but a stock of healing spells would be great.
Contact me if you'd like to share spells through technomancy, okay? Thanks!
First off: I am now a social media influencer! Sort of, ahaha! Being verified doesn't give me more subscribers out of thin air. My channel is The Literature Corner! I will post three videos a week analyzing various literary genres and formats, recommending and reviewing books as well as recording audio books. On top of that, I'll read and comment on the poetry people send me, so please check my channel if you can.
I've put so much effort into it, that'd mean the world to me. I've linked my channel and my website with this video. I'm really looking forward to what will come from this...!
[ Link: The Literature Corner. ]
Now, onto technomancy! I've done some testing and found something amazing: did you know spells can be stored in like, your phone's mailbox? And then you can "open" it anytime. So like say a Technomancer send another Technomancer a fire spell, they'll be able to open the fire spell anytime even though they can't do fire magic on their own! That's like, so neat.
And I thought we could probably help each other by sharing spells. That's only for Technomancer, of course. But that's a great asset. I can send Cognitive spells to put in reserve if any of you need. I'd be happy to receive any sort of spells, but a stock of healing spells would be great.
Contact me if you'd like to share spells through technomancy, okay? Thanks!
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Usually, I just stop thinking too much and write. If you don't, the ink flows down into a dark puddle and you're not getting anywhere. It's better to get something out thank overthink it.
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How do you usually start writing stuff like this? Do you like, just brainstorm everything that comes into your head, or...?
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[ A smile. It reminded her of when she gave writing advice back in the Literature Club. ]
Usually, it's something I have at heart at the moment of writing. It can be an emotion, a question, something I like. It can be multiple things, too. But they have to be personal. If I write, I want it to be a piece of my heart. [A pause.] In your case, you feel uncertain right now, hm? So let's use that as an example. "Uncertainty." [She raised a finger.] I'm sure it brings all sorts of emotions, thoughts and images in mind. Give it a moment, think... If something comes, write it down. And if nothing good comes? Don't get fixated on it, just move your hand and write! You can tidy it up later. If we remain on the "uncertaintity" example, right now that's the only thing I can come up with:
[ Monika sent a text message: ]
I really wanted a happy ending
I decided to fix it
I rewrote the final chapter
When I did it
The rest of the book no longer fit
So rewrote it too
And when I did it
The entire book was gone
Its story had been erased
Happy ending
I had reached it
But at what cost?
See, that's like, very basic ahaha. But I got what "uncertainty" brought to mind down on a paper! Now I can pretty it up. Improve the flow, make it more pleasant to the eyes and to the ear. There are a lot of techniques you can learn. Well, you don't need to learn that much unless poetry is your passion, ahaha! But now, with some more work on it:
There was a girl who wanted a happy ending
The world had denied her an ending
She screamed, she cried, she writhed
But then she stood, courage in her heart
And pen in hand, she wrote her happy ending
But then
the story
broke down
and everything
cried
The girl who wanted a happy ending smiled
The world no longer denied her ending
She laughed, she smiled, she twirled
She looked at the story, pride in her heart
And pen in hand, she rewrote it to fix it
But then
the book
faded away
and everyone
died
The girl who wanted a happy ending had won
The world who had denied her no longer existed
She stared, she crumbled, she broke
She looked at what was left, pain in her heart
And pen in hand, she could do nothing but cry
[ It took a couple minutes for Mukuro to receive the finished poem. And Monika had put a bit too much of herself in it... But she hoped she wouldn't think of it as anything more than an example. ]
See, it's basically just a prettied-up version of what I first wrote. But by first getting something out, it allowed me to then improve on it. First, you reach into your heart. You take the raw materials. Sometimes, it can be ugly... [She marked a pause at that.] But that's where your skills come in to beautify it! In a way, that's really the same as fashion, ahaha!
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...A happy ending. I guess that's always going to be an uncertainty, huh?
[She couldn't help but feel there was something more personal in the words Monika wrote, but wasn't sure how to ask...]
But, right, uncertainty... um... it feels a bit like word association, I think? Let me try.
[She paused, deciding to just write whatever thoughts or words came into her mind. Mukuro was by no means an artist or wordsmith, but she was going to try her best! As she focused on writing, her expression turned uncharacteristically serious, pulling little faces as the words came to her- a little frown, a squint, a fiddle with her hair.]
Um...something like that? So then if...yeah, then I just have to pretty it up, right?
[It took her a small age to get the words into something vaguely coherent- but it was with some trepidation that she sent it over, her cheeks going bright red.]
Don't laugh okay I've, like, not really done anything like this since middle school and uhh it's not really my strong suit, at all but. Um.
...I guess...that's what I'm thinking? Crap I think that's probably way too much-
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[ She felt like explaining that much but going into more details would imply confessing to certain things she still struggled to deal with. She smiled as Mukuro went through the process of writing her poem. Hmm... There was a certain... "Military" quality to her poem, for lack of a better word. ]
For someone who's not done anything like this in years, it's pretty good! [She smiled genuinely before raising a finger.] Your style reminds me of a friend's. She likes shorter poems that put a greater emphasis on certain words so they leap at you and have a bigger impact. [And--] It also kinda sounds like a mission debriefing. The way someone would think when writing a report or something? Reading this makes me think of a soldier coming back from battle and trying to understand their own feelings, or that of their superiors.
[ She wasn't too sure. She'd never taken an interest in books dealing with soldiers or war, let alone movies. She figured perhaps it came out that way because Mukuro took the assignment as a mission? Regardless, she tried reassuring her. ]
Often, when people first write a poem, they try too hard to imitate what they've read. They try really hard to make everything rhyme, they use a lot of complicated words, they count the syllables to have an equal number on each lines— Basically, they're trying to be Shakespeare on their very first try. That's a recipe for disaster and it ends up being awful. You've managed to avoid that. This really reads like something you came up with and not like an attempt to be someone you're not.
[ A pause, wait-- She's really talking a lot right now. ]
Gosh, I'm so sorry, I guess I'm rambling a lot, ahaha!
1/2 (These two exchanging poems is the wholesome CR I didn't know I needed)
I- I mean- um-
[Monika's smile made a small, shy smile come into her own cheeks- she definitely wasn't used to being complimented on anything like this. If anything, she was usually insulted when it came to most things academic.]
Thank you, you really think it's okay? ...Ah!
[And as soon as she mentioned it sounding like a mission debrief, that flustered expression came back with a vengeance. It was hard enough to write something from the heart like this and focus on pretending to be Junko at the same time- and as it was, her actual personality came out with a vengeance.]
2/2 Video -> Private
Well. Um. After a somewhat awkward silence, she hesitantly continued.]
A mission briefing huh- yeah, I see what you mean. I guess that's how my mind sorta works when it's trying to figure stuff out? Weird, huh?
[She put on her best fashionista grin.]
But yeah, like, I thought it'd be too complicated if I tried to rhyme or all of that so I just focused on making a pattern...I guess, I guess it was like that. Not a pretence, I mean.
[Unlike...basically everything else about her.]
But- no you're fine! Really!
i'm so sorry for Monika's brain ruining the mood
... More recently, there had been that traumatic episode triggered by the sight of a weapon. And that grin she now gave. She recognized it, too. That was the same smile Sayori gave whenever she tried too hard to hide her emotions. It was the same smile she put on whenever her past in DDLC was mentioned and she tried avoid the topic. In a void, none of these things really revealed anything. But together, they brought something new to light. And Monika was pretty good at connecting things. Ironically, she would never have thought of connecting the dots. It was Mukuro locking their conversation that triggered this.
Still, there was much she didn't know. So the picture forming in her mind was a blurry and incomplete one. And above all, Monika knew she wouldn't want someone to pry into her past just because of her carelessness. So rather than question Mukuro about it—
After a moment of hesitation, Monika forced a smile, too. ]
Ahaha, yeah, I do! It's really neat.
[ It was possible to tell something had gone through her mind, but now she was as normal as ever. ]
Now, keep that poem preciously. Right now? That's your best! But next time you write a poem? Try to make it a little bit better than this one. [She raised her finger again.] By constantly beating your own best, it'll give you a feeling a satisfaction that'll keep you wanting to do more. And after a while? All those tiny steps will turn into a huge leap!
Not at all! I love things like this
...Maybe a reaction to her fumbling?]
Sorry, sorry, I guess I just- I got a bit self-conscious, you know? I know that's totally weird coming from a model but...it's just like that sometimes.
[A nervous laugh- another that seemed a bit too forced.]
But yeah, I'll definitely try writing another one. You don't mind if I send it over, do you? It'd be good to get your feedback. Are you gonna be reading some of the ones you wrote in your videos?
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I understand, don't worry. I was like that too when I first shared my poems.
[ Gosh, it'd been so awkward... Mukuro was doing great in comparison, really. ]
Please do! I'd be happy to see what else you write~! [She smiled.] And yeah! I think it's a good way to motivate people to try. Not that my poems are anything special, ahaha.
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[Well, at least the momentary tension seemed to have dissolved. That was a relief to her.]
Hey if they're anything like the one you wrote earlier then I think they're gonna be great- I'm looking forward to hearing them!
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[ She was among those people, most of the time. She did poorly whenever her past was brought up or when something surprised her. But if someone came and said they were never nervous or afraid of anything? Then they were, in all likelihood, a liar. Or a crazy person. ]
Thank you! And I'm looking forward to yours, too. Anyway, I'll see you later for the fashion show's preparations, alright?
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[Maybe then she wouldn't be such a disappointment, right? Mukuro gave a small, nervous laugh.]
Yeah, see you later- thanks again!