iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

5 episodes into East of Eden: this is a very me-specific complaint but I've been noticing they removed like, all of the jokes. Which makes sense but I think it contributes to the idea that Steinbeck isn't funny. He's so funny. East of Eden in particular is extremely funny at times. It's fine tho

020

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

And at some points, he has doubts about the information he's been given. That's a feature of his writing in general, I think, particularly with the female characters (see: Curley's wife). The show doesn't have that framing device so it just shows things how they happened, and does a good job of it

000

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

An aspect of Cathy's writing that I think escapes some people is that it's deliberately framed as a kind of secondary account. Steinbeck is writing a chronicle based on information sourced from other people who had their own biases and interpretations. He heard about it. Read about it. Compiled it

100

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I had a feeling it would be the case from the comment about her being sympathetic. People were mad about that but like, in the book she is simultaneously extremely monstrous and deeply sympathetic. Explicitly so. John Steinbeck the narrator brings attention to it multiple times!

100

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I was cautiously optimistic about the East of Eden series and so far I've been proven correct. I just finished episode 2 and I gotta say, I'm really, really enjoying what they're doing with Cathy. She's such a difficult character to get right and I think they may have pulled it off

120

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

archiveofourown.org/works/93088571 archiveofourown.org/works/93197536 Happy labruversary

archiveofourown.org

010

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

For what it's worth I personally haven't had to deal with that which means that I've successfully curated my audience lol

030

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

At least for me, deliberately refusing to entertain this system seriously is in itself a signal that I'm not the kinc of author you'd enjoy reading if you think this shit is in any way important

130

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I know this may be hard to believe but for a lot of people this stuff genuinely doesn't factor into how they write and even if they were to tag it people would complain that it doesn't fit the mold of what they think those things are supposed to say about the characters and their dynamic

130

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I don't think t/b discourse would happen nearly as often if people understood that not tagging t/b is in itself a warning that the author doesn't want people who care about this shit enough for it to shatter their world to interact with their works and it is not for them in the first place

192

Reposted by Maxence Monsoon

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

"Sometimes, in my mind, I will wander into the mountains. They're so familiar to me, even now... But, if I wander far enough... I will find you. I suppose in my imagination, our mountains are connected.” #dungeonmeshi #labru

142

Reposted by Maxence Monsoon

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

I'm lucky to fall asleep and wake up next to you #dungeonmeshi #labru

0162

Reposted by Maxence Monsoon

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

Smoochsmoochsmoochsmooch #dungeonmeshi #labru

0123

Reposted by Maxence Monsoon

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Big boy body studies #dungeonmeshi #laios

283

Reposted by Maxence Monsoon

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Every time I describe Kabru's face in a fic I feel the overwhelming urge to draw him. Beautiful man #dungeonmeshi

021

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

The cool thing about labru is that it gave me a community of fellow gay guys to talk to about how handsome we find Laios

030

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

archiveofourown.org/works/91058081 Throwing Rin a bone

archiveofourown.org

020

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Like I enjoyed writing confessionverse but there's a reason why it's the shortest of my series and probably the messiest. A more skilled writer than I could do way more with that idea but I just don't have the capacity to weave the political aspect into it in a meaningful way. Still proud of it tho

010

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

A lot of people are into labru because of the canon king/advisor narrative foil aspect and I SO get it it's really good and compelling but unfortunately I cannot write it nearly as well. I was born to write these guys hanging out and shooting the shit without any high stakes I'm afraid

110

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

So I got curious and checked how many labru fics there are currently. 917. 349 of those are mine. That's almost 40%. What the hell. I can't keep getting away with this man I truly am Fanfic Georg in every fandom I join lol. My deepest apologies to people who don't like modern au slice of life stuff

110

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

archiveofourown.org/works/90912136 Hello again

archiveofourown.org

000

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Yeah like, it's not *for me*, it would feel so weird and kind of self-obsessed to read my own stuff. Like, I've already done enough of that while I was composing it, thank you very much. I only look at it when like, I need to check something for the next thing I'm writing, but that's pretty rare

010

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

I would think this is pretty normal, generally speaking, at least amongst like, the authors I've studied (John Steinbeck saying that he can't answer fan questions because he forgets what happens in his books as soon as he moves on to the next one made me feel seen), but still

100

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

This may be because the stuff I write really has little to do with what I like to read. I don't read fanfic at all, and I don't particularly like romance. But also, like, I don't get anything out of reading my own words. I want someone else's words and ideas to reach me instead

100

Maxence Monsoon @halfpastmonsoon.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

My thing is, like, I don't need to read my stories, because I already saw them happen in my mind's eye. I'm writing them down so that I can share them with other people. You know, telling stories. Writing is communication and I don't find talking to myself particularly compelling

100