#“But you'll never see them deal with those repercussions at all because they have a different writer with their own story in progress.”

[darkstarofchaos]

This is why I reject the idea that fanfiction isn't "real" writing. If you're a writer who's joining an existing project - be it a comic, a TV show, a game series, whatever - you need to have a very specific skillset:

You need to be able to study characters that aren't yours and figure out who they are on a deep level - not just personality and motives, but the way they talk, the way they emote, things they would or wouldn't do and what it would take to make them act differently.

You need to be able to work within the confines of existing history and worldbuilding, and evaluate whether something you want to add makes sense in the context of the world.

If you're going to introduce something that contradicts existing worldbuilding, you need to be able to justify it in-universe.

If you want a character to do something that contradicts their previous behavior, you need to show how the character justifies it to themself, or why they don't recognize it as a contradiction.

I'm not saying every fanfic writer has these skills, by any means - some fic writers don't care about canon compliance, some prefer to create their own versions of the world, and yeah, some just aren't very good writers. But if you're one of those writers who does work within the existing canon, and you get good at it, you're way more qualified to take over an ongoing story than some "real" writer who has never written canon-compliant fanfic in their life and is more interested in telling their story than continuing the characters' stories.

hey its me comic writer who constantly mischaracterizes characters because i turn them into ocs and two-dimensional self-inserts i'm gonna make your favorite character more accessible to new readers by regressing their growth, retconning longstanding canon, and ultimately making the timeline impossible to follow thus discouraging new readers while also inconveniencing dedicated fans by destroying the character they love so much hope you understand

[weirdestcornelius]

I am SO glad that someone mentioned the whole "fictosexual kids" thing because literally my first reaction when I saw it was "what about live-action actors" and seeing no-one talk about it made me feel like I was going insane.

With the caveat that I know this is all fake and that none of this could ever happen in real-life, I think my anger stems from more of a storytelling standpoint. I personally LOVE horror and in a vacuum this seems like SUCH an interesting concept to explore, but of course this is Sparklecare so it's just-- not??? It feels like the only explanation this gets is "Emem recognizes that sexualities are valid so anyone that's a good person can get an egg uwu" without doing ANY actual thinking about the possible repercussions this can have. It's all just hand-waved away as some "ideal world" bullshit that completely ignores the actual implications because if kit did, one person would feed bad about it and we can't have that.

I just-- okay. Here's one situation. You're a live-action actor on Spinch. You're the protagonist in some big movie and maybe even if you weren't popular before, you're sure as hell popular now. Like a lot of actors, you get fans. Well, whatever, everyone has fans! And some people have a crush on you, but everyone gets crushes, and it's only on the fictional character, so it's okay! But then you start seeing photos popping up of CHILDREN that people had with YOUR CHARACTER, and all of the sudden it's not some funny harmless fan thing anymore, those kids look like you and they may have the personality traits of your character but they still fucking look like you. And everyone says that they're the kids of the fictional character, it's not real, but that boundary was crossed the second that egg was created and now you can't even think about starring in another movie in case you have to deal with MORE kids that look like you but aren't.

(You know, for someone who doesn't want people shipping with Ally or Howie at all, you woulda thought that Kneeby would have put a little more thought into this.)

Or like-- imagine it from the kid's POV! You're born and you have a loving parent and you're happy for a short time. But then you realize that you only have one parent, while most other kids your age have at least two, so you wonder if maybe your other parent is dead or maybe you only have one because that happens sometimes. But then one day your parent turns on a movie or TV show and points at someone that kinda looks like you and goes "there you go, that's your parent!" and you're happy for a moment because maybe your other parent is just off doing important adult things! So you ask your first parent when you'll see them, but then they tell you that you can't. Your other parent doesn't exist. There's someone out there that looks just like your parent, but they don't even know you exist, and probably never well.

So you have one parent that you'll never be able to hold or talk to, but it's different then having a parent that's dead, because this one never existed in the first place. Half of your entire being is the result of some show, the result of some one-sided infatuation where you technically have another parent but you also don't. You'll never get to meet them because they don't exist-- not even in death. That other parent is never going to love you, no matter how much your first parent pretends otherwise. Even the closest approximation of them would never even give you a second glance. So you watch that same show or film over, and over, because that's the closest thing you will ever get to having quality time with them, but in the end it's never enough. It's always hollow.

Sorry I was having a moment.

--Faerie Anon

This. This explains my feelings perfectly.

It's different but also kind of the same with objecthries. Sure, you can look at and maybe even hold your other parent because they ARE real; but you'll never be able to have an actual parent-child relationship with them. They'll never be able to comfort you when you're upset, you'll never be able to truly bond with them via conversation, and you'll never be the same as anyone else because your body works completely differently than others.

Think about going to the doctor because you're sick, and the entire time they can't figure out how to help you because you have wires or stuffing (just examples) on the inside instead of organs. You're not sure how your own body works and nobody can give you an actual answer. When biology comes up in school, you always feel awkward because little to nothing is the same for you. Your anthry parent can't explain to you how your own body works and neither can doctors, teachers, or scientists. You're stuck having to live in a body that you will maybe never feel at home in because you'll never fully understand how it all works.

Yeah these kids are gonna be messed up.

[techmomma]

Do you like tf2? Do you think there was untapped comedic potential between the Mann brothers? Have you literally never thought that but like to see old white guys stab each other?

Well have I got the ocs for you!!

My boys, the Poppyfield siblings! The twins Ajax and Cyrus! Their older brother, Tiberius!

Ajax and Cyrus are two old white guys who've gotten everything they've ever wanted handed to them on a silver platter with little to no repercussions ever! The only thing they've never gotten and will never admit to wanting is love! That not even Tiberius will give them!

Bonus facts!

They are functionally the same oc! Because I am unoriginal and I think that's hilarious!

Got beat in a spelling bee by a garden hose!

They're worse versions of Grunkle Stan! Somehow!

Hate each other almost as much as Tiberius hates them!

And worst of all, they're from Yorkshire!

Tiberius is their gay older brother! He's flamboyant! He's sadistic! He's every queer-coded disney villain who's ever served cunt! He will stab as a warning!

Bonus facts!

If you thought their dad hated Ajax and Cyrus wait till you hear about his queer son Tiberius!

Shortest older sibling syndrome!

Guess where he got those scars! That's right, gang violence!

He's also a Yorkie! But you'd never know it!

Knows his great-nephews' and great-nieces' names better than Ajax and Cyrus do!

So if you like to see intergenerational trauma, dysfunctional British families, and toxic sibling shenanigans, then come on down and watch my blog where you'll get an art post with them every century or two! Get it fast while the deals are hot--I will literally always talk about them! To your regret! <3

[rebelrebelwrites]

Fic Friday! ❤️ Rebel's Weekly Fic Recs

This week's recs are...

As always, please mind the tags on any recommended story for your own personal preferences.

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The Classic You’ve Heard Of But Somehow Haven’t Read Yet: That Which Lies Across the Sea by EisforEverything

What you need to know going in:

Mmm, this fic. Part of a larger series called Use Well the Days (also primarily all WIP) that follows Mairon's story from his fall to his days with Galadriel and beyond, this fic is the last in the series, and it sees Sauron following Galadriel to Valinor after the end of LOTR. Humbling himself before the Valar, he seeks something if not true redemption. Meanwhile, the rest of Valinor chafes at his return, and without saying too much, there are repercussions to his—and everyone's—actions in Middle-earth. This ruminative, spellbinding story is rich with lore and just rich in general; a sumptuous feast of a fic you can sink your teeth into. Galadriel and Mairon's moments together are potent, but it's not just them. Prepare for heady altercations with many of your Tolkien favorites here.

WIP, Explicit

Read the story.

Follow the author on AO3.

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The AU You Need to Immerse Yourself In Because, Well, Wow: A Stressed Tiding by @formerlyir

What you need to know going in:

-fans self- THIS FIC, let me tell you... was one of the first I read in this fandom, and hot damn, what a way to dive into Saurondriel/Haladriel. I've recommended @formerlyir's fics before, and will again because they're stupendously written and well-realized, but this one holds a special place in my heart for its steamy-as-all-hell premise and smut. A one-shot, post-S1 in which Galadriel offers Sauron a tantalizing deal: one night and one day together if they both don't participate in their impending battle—to help her turn the tide of the war, of course. 👀 This is seriously Saurondriel at my absolute favorite: brimming with angst and enemies-to-lovers-but-basically-still-enemies and 🔥🔥🔥 smut? Burning hot.

Complete, Explicit

Read the story.

Follow the author on Twitter, Instagram, and on AO3.

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The Complete But Never Forgotten Masterpiece: Through Peril and Fire by @yletylyf

What you need to know going in:

I struggled between picking between this fic and another I'm reading of @yletylyf's as they're both wonderful, but decided I should start with this completed fic! Post-S1, Galadriel follows Sauron to Mt. Doom, and facing a threat larger than their current conflict with each other, they team up (with help from some of our other Tolkien favorites) to save Middle-earth together. What struck me most about this fic is just how damn delightful it is. Don't get me wrong, it has its moments of angst and inner turmoil for our two lovebirds, but it's also so witty, so winsome in its banter and characterization and fine-tuned plot, you can just gobble it up for hours. A damn delight, indeed.

Complete, Teen & Up

Read the story.

Follow the author on Tumblr and AO3.

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The WIP That Will Wreck You (In the Best Way): The Lesser of Two Evils by @thrillofhope

What you need to know going in:

Another post-S1 masterpiece in the making to share! Can I ever get enough of those? Absolutely not, and I'm sure many of you can't either. In this one from @thrillofhope (another writer you'll see repeatedly on this list, I'm sure), Sauron returns to Eregion to strike an alliance with the elves and our dear Galadriel, for fear of a returned Morgoth. Grudgingly, they concoct a plan to work together against the OG Dark Lord, who's still regaining his full strength. One of my favorite things about this fic is simply how much of a smarmy little shit Sauron is—it feels so achingly in character, and makes for a biting interplay between him and Galadriel that's delicious to consume. Characterization is super strong in this fic, and not just for our favorites, but for all Tolkien characters we have the pleasure of seeing in this story. There's still more to go, but I recommend you get caught up immediately... I have a feeling this one is going to be even more of a doozy than it already is.

WIP, Mature

Read the story.

Follow the author on Tumblr and AO3.

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The Can’t Stop Consuming No Matter What Time It Is Fic: Beasts of the Hill and Serpents of the Den by @demonscantgothere

What you need to know going in:

Another @demonscantgothere classic! I'd be surprised if you haven't read it yet, as I feel like it's very well-known and well-loved (rightly so!), but just in case some of you haven't, the premise sees Galadriel in the First Age, offering herself in place of Finrod when he's trapped in Tol-in-Gaurhoth, BATB-style. This fic evokes feelings of a fairytale, but with a LOT more smut, and it's spicy. All manner of spiciness here, folks. Hot Ones has nothing on Helholden (@demonscantgothere). In addition to the absolutely 🔥🔥🔥 smut, prepare for a very mercurial Mairon—sorry, Halbrand! Couldn't resist the alliteration—a younger, more innocent but no less exacting Galadriel, and other wonderful inclusions from the First Age, including werewolves, Thuringwethil, Morgoth (at least by association, so far), and more. I don't want to spoil anything, so just go read it. 20 chapters in, 80 to go, according to the current count. In other words: hell yes.

WIP, Explicit

Read the story.

Follow the author on Tumblr and on AO3.

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🤩🤩🤩

Me at all these fics:

Don’t see your story on this list yet? Keyword: yet. Please don’t fret! I can only recommend so many each week, but I am always looking for more stuff to read, share, and generally shower with love, so please feel free to reply with your own fics or your personal faves. I have plenty more to recommend… ❤️

Until next week!

[unshackled-if]

I cannot choose so I will just dump those here, please don't feel forced to answer all and pick however many you want I'm just so terrible decisions I will combust

so for SC maybe:

💓 BEATING HEART - what gets their heart racing?

☄️ COMET - what do people assume about them? are they right?

🌠 SHOOTING STAR - if they could make any wish with no repercussions, what wish would they make?

🎁 PRESENT - what types of presents would they be most happy to receive? are they good at gift giving?

🌙 MOON - what is your oc's greatest wish? how far are they willing to go for it?

💥 COLLISON - what emotions do they have trouble dealing with?

man I'm a sucker for characters like them I am taking every crumb of info you give on your blog abot them like a vacuum

I'm not feeling evil today, so I'll answer all questions that aren't too spoilery and won't include any quotes from SC, like I usually do with you guys... (But I'm not promising I won't do it again... hehe 🤭)

Lets do this!

💓 BEATING HEART - what gets their heart racing?

A delicious MC... their soul... THEIR SOUL—

jokes aside (but is it really a joke? 🤪), SC has a cute side to them. They get surprised if MC takes their flirting seriously and dominates the conversation. Oooh. 👀

☄️ COMET - what do people assume about them? are they right?

Let's stick with the MC's perspective on them since anything else would be spoiler territory (🚨). In the beginning, with the knowledge that the MC had as a warrior, they thought they were a demon. However, in reality, no one had ever seen a demon before, other than in old books or in accounts of elderly scholars who had gone crazy after their experiences. As a result, their words could not be trusted. What if they were just hallucinating due to old age? Or could it be that they became insane because of their encounters with something else?

🎁 PRESENT - what types of presents would they be most happy to receive? are they good at gift giving?

I apologize to anyone who will pursue a romantic relationship with them. They try so hard, but they're the worst gift givers ever... 😔 But you know what they say, it's the thought that counts, right? 🥺They've never received gifts from anyone before, so anything they get, they'll adore. I mean, even a pair of socks. You'll see them wearing those socks all year long until they wear out. (They can be quite wholesome behind all that mischief.)

💥 COLLISON - what emotions do they have trouble dealing with?

Empathy towards people other than MC. For instance, if MC helps someone in need without expecting anything in return, SC might see it as a pointless gesture. They just don't understand why MC would go out of their way to be helpful when there's nothing in it for them. It's something that SC struggles with, and even though they might say they get it, deep down, they really don't. But at the same time, they don't want MC to think badly of them, so they'll go along with it, even if they don't really believe it.

[minhyunluvr]

look | vacillation

"I think the best player in that match was Iida." All Might led off as he walked back into the room, Uraraka, Iida, and Bakugou trailing in behind him. "Anyone know why?"

  A tall, busty girl rose her hand. "I do. Iida was able to adapt to the situation the best, and he kept his focus the entire time, contrary to Uraraka. Bakugou and Midoriya were clearly motivated by personal grudges."

  A cackle left your lips at her response. "Bullshit. It took twelve seconds for it to register in Iida's mind that Uraraka, who was likely the second worst in this entire ordeal, was in the room with him. In the case that she had a more offensive quirk, he would have been taken down in that time frame. His attention was on getting into character, which should have been completed before he entered the building. Everyone who was in this room during the trial knows my stance on Uraraka's sub-par performance... I actually believe that Midoriya did the best in this, because he was focused the entire time and held his own after the first blow done by Bakugou. Speaking of Bakugou, you need to chill."

  "Don't tell me what to do!" The blond male took a step forward, eyes gleaming once more.

  "I will literally annihilate your sor-"

  "Hey! That's enough." All Might cut in, resting a hand on your shoulder. You looked up at him and stepped away, a sour look morphing your features as he chose the next groups to participate. "Both of you made good arguments, but we don't have all day, so teams B and I, go out and get ready!"

  As the four students left the room, you slipped back to the far corner of the room to ponder your life choices. What was the point in going to a hero school if the administrators didn't care about the student's well-being? One could argue that no one can improve unless faced with hardship, but the hardship doesn't necessarily need to be a near-death experience...!

  During your inner monologue, a cold draft slipped into the room, small frost particles soon coating the floor. 'Fucking Shouto...' You thought, a harsh, algid-induced tremor shaking through your body. A look at the front screens confirmed your suspicions about the cause of the temperature drop, and another look around the room showed that you weren't the only one affected by his haphazard quirk usage. Uncomfortable faces and arms wrapped around bodies was a common visual factor around the room as the floor began to mirror the ones in the other building, ice getting thicker by the second.

  The dual-quirked male trudged effortlessly through the building, boots clicking slightly against the hardened water as he stepped into the bomb room. The boy you identified as Ojirou Mashirou stood frozen, feet enclosed in ice, as Shouto stepped past him to touch the faux bomb.

  "Wow... He didn't cause damage to his teammate or the weapon, and adding to that, he weakened his opponent. Truly a model student..."All Might mumbled to himself, shivers racking through his large form as the rest of the class crowded toward him for warmth. Pressing the page button, he announced the winners of the match and called them back up to the classroom.

  "Alright, another match complete... So this time it'll be Teams F and C." Pausing, the large man looked at the opposing students. "Choi, you can join Team F. It seems like they'll need a bit of extra guns to have a chance."

  "Uh, excuse me?" The shorter of the two males in Team F blurted out, clearly offended.

  "Sato literally looks like my foreskin..." Kaminari snorted under his breath.

  You rolled your eyes, starting to make your way out of the room and outside. Sato Rikido and Koda Koji begrudgingly followed, introducing themselves and their quirks along the way.

  "So... what is yours, if you don't mind me asking?" Koda muttered shyly.

  "I usually don't give details on this since it never does any good, but since you seem passive, I suppose I can make an exception. Essentially, I can make any specific person in my visual range see an illusion. If they believe that it's real, it becomes real and I can control it as long as it isn't living." The three of you entered the villain's hideout and started to strategize. Sighing, you walk out of the room and imagine concrete walls coming up to cover every entrance to the bomb's location. Surely enough, they manifest into physical form and you begin to do laps around the floor.

  'They'll just have to stay put, I guess. Maybe I could have informed them first? No, Team C won't be able to break down those walls.' You thought to yourself.

  A few minutes later, a not-so-quiet padding of footsteps sounded behind you, the first sign of the opposing team's presence in the building. Your heartbeat quickened ever-so-slightly at the realization that your quirk would essentially be useless in this setting. 'I should have brought one of them with me... Might as well put my physical training to use.' Turning around, you saw a blob of purple come at your chest. Fortunately for you, it only stuck to your cloak, an easily removable item.

  The small, unattractive boy on the opposing team gawked at your body as your outer layer fell to the floor. 'Great, he's a disgusting pervert. This should be easy.'

  And easy, it was. You kicked him right in the nose, sending him sprawling across the floor, unconscious.

  Yaoyorozu, if you recalled her name correctly, stepped out of the shadowed end of the hallway. A katana was held above her head in a traditional battle stance as she slowly attempted to close the distance between the two of you.

  You chuckled at her cheesy posture, standing calmly as you considered how to handle this. Since you were unarmed and generally unwilling to physically exert yourself, the methods that went through your mind were slightly questionable. Some included walking away from the situation and having her chase you around the building for the remainder of the exercise, others lead to gruesome results including the katana. Deciding to deal with the repercussions later you latched your claws into her mind and began your dirty work.

  A deafening scream tore from Yaoyorozu's throat as a throwing knife went through her arm. The girl collapsed to the ground, blood dripping down the blade. The sight of her impaled appendage was gruesome, to say the least. Tears streamed down her face and sobs racked her body as she held her arm.

  "Stop! The match is over and Recovery Girl is on her way. The villain team won." All Might frantically instructed over the loud speaker. Hurriedly, you picked up your cloak and ran over to help ease the bleeding.

  "Don't pull it out until Recovery Girl gets here. It hurts, but you'll be fine." You gave an awkward smile, knowing that you were probably the last person she wanted to see at the moment. At least you won the match.

[m.list]