#For once I'm always for more headcanons to explore characters and their motives or not

[randomnameless]

Not to bring irl shit but when you consider that there are people who believe in their own moral superiority, that everything should burn to the ground, people should die for their cause and those they don't like deserve to die for justice, it makes sense why there would be Agarthan stans despite how comically evil they are in the games. Not saying it's good (it's not), but it's the same sort of edgelord doomer nihilist mentality. Or maybe I'm thinking way too hard about this and they just support them because their waifu is working with them and they can't be bad if she's "purely good" despite their actions in game saying otherwise.

Uh...

I guess everyone knows there are people who are pos around, but what became more and more annoying with the years is how some of those beliefs have been romanticed for X and Y reason (marketing purposes because earl grey sells) and if you add to that the performative era - where being a fan of a character means you have to endorse everything this character says or does, we end up with some mess.

And I think while the devoted fans we all know and love have their part of responsability in this - as you say - supporting characters no matter what to the point of swallowing their nauseabond rhetoric because waifu allies with them before backstabbing them offscreen...

I still believe content creators are sort of also to blame with this, see the earlier earl grey marketing reasons.

IIRC, in the Marvel movies the purple guy who erases half of the universe is/was/got a cup bcs sad uwus he's ready to sacrifice his daughter for the greater good?

Cry me a fucking river !

What about the rest of the world who was zapped due to his whims? Why should I care about the feefees of someone who slaughters billions and not the feelings of the ones slaughtered?

Take Kishimoto : trying too hard to make people sympathise with his anti-heroes ultimately means that their victims have no voice to any chapter, Ramen Guy will never be able to express anger (if he wasn't dead when Konoha was flattened) at Nagato turning his daughter in a pancake, or Sakura will never weep for her parents, etc etc... but we get a long FB about Nagato's sad backstory with, what can be summed up as "the world fucked me over so I'll fuck over the world and you can't stop that unless you decide to fuck me over too" without anyone telling him that his reasoning is puerile and quite frankly stupid.

Madara being very sad not being elected big boss so he takes out his salt by launching repeated attacks at the village and its inhabitants? "Who cares, he was very sad (tm) when Hashirama decided to kill him to protect the village, what a hypocrite !!!"

The less is said about AoT, the better we all are lol, but in honor of MHA ending I'll just say that... I fucking loved the panels at the end (or last chapters?) where randoms civilians are shitting on Shigaraki, even if the panel with the old lady who blames herself for not helping him back then or taking his hand was hilarious, considering that in his FB, he said he would have killed her too "oh poor him if only i died for his sake he might not have grown up as a vilain" come on that's too much earl grey i'm out of this.

As for FE Fodlan, given how earl grey was used to sell and advertise the game, I guess you can't talk to Garcias or Nathalies and ask what they're thinking about the war that is razing their homes because someone wants to unify the world and is willing to sacrifice them to do so, or hell, we can't even listen to Merlinus voice his thoughts about the strange plague in Remire and how horrible it is, to Amy wonder why the fuck her parents transformed in demonic beasts and tried to kill her.

So when even content creators believe that their vilains have to get a pass regardless of the amount of shit they pulled off - I can't exclusively blame devoted fans for going very very far with their takes to support the bae.

Special mention to Miura (rip) who never lost an occasion to portray Griffith as manipulative and conniving, and yet some people really believed (and some still do?) he did nothing wrong...

[kjzlstuio]

Hello I saw your post, how about tsp headcanons or maybe anything about your au?

OH SHIT SOMEONE PERCIEVED MY AU

I feel like everyone that gets into tsp has an au for their own interpretation and story, so minee uhhhhh I had a plan to make a whole fic + illustration series for it, but I dont have the time or motivation so I'm cool with infodumping. Actually, getting it all down now would make it easier to release content for it, so win win !!

SUPER LONG INFODUMP INCOMING

My au is mostly a character exploration of Stanley and Narrator after years in isolation before it starts getting meta. From adjustment to their new lives, to the evolution of their relationship through insanity, and finally discovering the truth of their world to break free.

The first few chapters are dedicated to Stanley's adjustment from his real life to the game. Chapter 1 follows his daily routine, his commute, his entrance into the building, and suddenly, the silence of his branch. His job wasn't very interactive in the first place, inputting what he was told into spreadsheets or other, but simply pressing buttons is a gross simplification of it. The oddity of the situation hits him, and the narration begins. Truthfully, the Narrator's words align with his thoughts, so while he is uneasy, he does as told because he'd do the same. The Freedom Ending is full of revelations and emotions as he reflects on his life, corners of the office he hadn't seen. Stanley steps outside, the daylight grows brighter, and he resets. Following this is Stanley's spiral through emotions. He doubts the voice in his mind being his own, looks everywhere for clues about his situation, inputs into the pink screens and tests out the story slowly. From barely diverting to a room or two in anxious desperation, to completely opposing the Narrator in anger and spite, Stanley branches into every ending plus some. While it's true that his life had fallen into monotony, the Narrator mocks and berates him not only through dialogue, but through the contents of the world. The building became nothing but a maze of halls, his capabilities as a human limited to button-pressing, his ability to speak lost completely. It was as if The Stanley Parable was made solely to mock his existence. The Narrator and Stanley battle for control of the situation. Stanley reclaims his pride and autonomy through defiance and causing the Narrator suffering while the Narrator retaliates. However, the Narrator always seems to default to wanting a good ending for them both and fulfilling his goal of greatness and artistry. Stanley soon grows to realize this as their time loops progress, and with time, conflicted feelings for the Narrator give in to gratitude and solace in their isolation. (I remembered I had this RP with myself midway through writing, so this might be the best place to put it. Stanley's going through the wringer with his emotions, and at a point, you can get too exhausted to feel what once enveloped you so intensely. Between his anger and his gratitude, there was definitely points of exhaustion. Additionally, even as he "gave in" to the game, he was still exploring every inch, wondering about the true nature of their existence.)

Stanley never would have regained his ability to feel if not for the Narrator. If anything, he should be grateful that his lonely life was brought to someone's obsessive focus. He wouldn't have overcome his anxiety to adhere to instructions, wouldn't have dared explore outside what he was expressly given permission to. Wouldn't have felt so intensely with fear and wonder and anger and self-actualization. He had them to thank. And only them. For years. They only had each other. They couldn't help it that it naturally evolved into something more. Stanley's fear of the situation evolved to desperation once he realized the pattern. Desperation for an exit to insanity for what his life had suddenly become. Insanity to anger, focused onto the source of it all and the mockery of his life. Anger to understanding as the Narrator's intentions became clear to him. Understanding to gratitude. Gratitude to adoration. Adoration to obsession. So on. And the Narrator notices these changes. The Stanley Parable in their eyes isn't a mockery, but an artistic piece and aid dedicated to Stanley. For some reason, even unknown to them, they're very attached to Stanley from the start. While upset to see their piece ripped to shreds by Stanley's choices, in the end, Stanley grows bolder, more expressive, and the Narrator loves to see it. All of this development is slow and takes place within the decade before the next game installment. The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is introduced to Stanley in the midst of their odd relationship. Not quite a thing, not quite hidden from each other. They've grown into this routine of cycles, and by now, their endings and interactions with each other far outnumber those in the game. When the new content is added, Stanley doesn't know how to feel. The Narrator had been developing it behind the scenes with unknown outside help for a while. Stanley had long given up on interacting with any other sentient beings ever again, so the new content is overwhelming and scary in that sense. The new stimulation is welcome, but new characters? Even hints of an outside presence, seeing the meeting room covered in notes and speculation over collectibles from unseen employees freaks him out. The need for connection leads him to attaching to these inanimate objects, much like his bond with The Adventure Line. The way humans find comfort in one another through touch and interaction is the same way Stanley feels over the Bucket. Stanley eventually comes to realize that the unknown and overexaggerated connection he felt to it was true. The Bucket is a person. In fact, the Adventure Line is a person too. The Wife mannequin is a person. The Settings is a person. That Cardboard Baby was probably a person too. Who knows. Stanley pieces this together from outside reviews of the game, the story of Employee 432, and the Curator. The company he worked for is the same developer of The Stanley Parable and it ran experiments on its workers and environments in plain sight. The Stanley Parable is an interactive recording of the pocket dimension created by these experiments with Stanley's own experiences being put onto store shelves.

There's a whole subplot with the Settings gradually forming a bond with Stanley as well, and it comes to a head when Stanley attempts to escape with the Narrator. Stanley and the Narrator have a heart to heart about everything. The Narrator feigned ignorance to the Escape Pod Ending, but now knowing everything, Stanley wants to escape more than ever. Without him, this fake world can't exist, and all these people will be freed with them. The Narrator gives in with some time, final reviews of their work together, but for some reason, Stanley remains. The Settings wants to make their time endless, but the world rots without the Narrator there, and the Settings eventually has to let go. Stanley wakes up again in his office. He fears that the game isn't over, but stepping foot outside his door, he hears the rustling of objects, the voices of people, and he stumbles through the office, now back to its original form, with all his coworkers within it. It's awkward knowing they've seen so much of him, and over a decade in isolation has destroyed his ability to interact, so Stanley avoids them all in a mad search for the Narrator. When they finally lock eyes, Stanley doesn't know what to feel, but he feels his voice come out for the first time in forever, and he cries. Everyone sets off to reclaim the lives they've lost, wishing Stanley and the Narrator well as the two awkwardly return the gesture. The Narrator, for once, is at a loss for words, and they part ways before exchanging contact information. Stanley stays with his parent for some time, lost and haunted with his experiences, and the Narrator reclaims what he can of his old life, spending many days waiting by the ruins of their company building for anyone who might return. It doesn't take long for Stanley to come back. Living in the real world again is overwhelming, and he took it a day at a time with the help of his family. Coming back to find the Narrator, Stanley shares everything. While it isn't their fault, he can't just forgive them for everything. His feelings are torn all sorts of ways, and they settle with staying friends, there to help each other acclimate to life again with everyone else, but mostly each other. They make it official after some time. Even though it isn't the best decision. They can't let go of everything or each other, so it's a very codependent type of relationship despite how it looks on the outside.

There's a lot of details I left out obviously. There's a whole Curator and Mariella plot, even more details about Stanley and the Setting's dynamic, all of the secrets in the game that Stanley experiences and their corresponding emotional developments, more character exploration for the Narrator and more of how the world worked (The Narrator was actually an invisible floating mass btw), I COMPLETELY FORGOT THEIR IRL RELATIONSHIP BEFORE THE GAME JESUS. But yeah, that's the gist of it. I'll definitely make more content of it soon.

Phew

MS Paint Concepts

[rustyvanburace]

nanananan nanashi 4 ask game🥹

favorite thing about them: NANASHI HAS STYLE, and I will die on that hill. People bitch and moan about Nanashi's "ugly" design, but he is PUNK and that fits really well with IVA's themes. I'd rather have a protagonist with a totally unique appearance than yet another bland kid. Maybe that is antithesis to the roots of SMT (they've always favored bland "nobody" characters), but I am nonetheless sticking to my stance. I love that he is dressed for the part as a Hunter, but still embraces his own sense of identity and style -- which frankly is important and natural for teens. I feel the same way about Asahi's own style. I love that Nanashi's design incorporates aspects of the two Akiras from IV. HE. HAS. GOOD. DESIGN.

least favorite thing about them: Once again this is more of an issue I have with IVA's writing and it is not solely about Nanashi, but I do wish that IVA did explore Akira's motivations more (especially with rescuing his sister, which is just absent in IVA) and how his actions and choices would've later impacted his later reincarnated self. There's a lot of stuff that Akira did in the background of IV that only barely gets examined IVA. Akira's "betrayal" toward the Hunters and Nanashi falling into that same fate makes for an interesting foil, but is just another foil that gets resolved way too quickly for my liking. Nanashi saves the day by repelling the Tokugawa Mandela and is immediately forgiven and praised by all with almost hardly any skepticism. Again it's an issue I have with IVA at large, but it still leaves me wanting more out of the characters and their development.

favorite line: Can I even say I have a favorite line from a silent protagonist, lol? I can say that I do like how "extreme" Nanashi is with his answers, either being very openly kind to downright crass and cold. It's much more extreme than some of Flynn's answers in IV. Arguably it makes IVA's alignment choices too obvious, but I like that it gives Nanashi a polarizing personality and it fits with his design too. Plus some of his anarchy answers are downright hilarious.

Additionally, I'm also amazed at Nanashi's "Dagda!" voice clip in the massacre route. For most of the game, he calls for Dagda in such a high-pitched voice. But as soon as you're locked in massacre, his voice suddenly turns really gruff and deep. Lmao??

brOTP: HE IS BROS WITH EVERYONE. But especially with Asahi, Hallelujah, and Navarre! I love his caring sibling relationship with Asahi, I love him being best of buds with Hallelujah, and I love that Navarre is basically like the cool fun uncle to him.

I posted that stupid edit of Morcedai and Rigby earlier, but actually Nanashi and Hallelujah are WAY more like Morcedai and Rigby. That's them for realll.

OTP: Nanashi x Hallelujah NATION LET'S GO. I will absolutely ship them both as bros and as a pair! They have the best ever chemistry.

nOTP: Yeah so, I really do not like Asahi x Nanashi and I hate seeing Nanashi get shipped with adults. Stop it. Enough said.

random headcanon: I like to imagine that, even before the events of IVA, Nanashi has always had dreams of his past life -- just not as frequently or as "unusual" as they later would be, stuff that he'd just brush off and keep to himself. I also like to think that, partly cause of that, he feels a closeness or yearning towards the Sky Tower and Firmanent but cannot put into words as to why.

unpopular opinion: Nanashi's concept design (the one where he's older, has glasses, and the giant robot arm) sucks and I'm tired of people saying it is "superior" than Nanashi's final design. Maybe the older design would have worked better for an earlier story concept, but for the way IVA is now, it fucking sucks. You can't just switch Nanashi's design with that and expect it to seamlessly work with the game's narrative. People complain about Nanashi being a "discount Demi-fiend", but actually Nanashi's design is much more subtle and it HAS to be in order to work with the narrative. A giant robot arm is the very opposite of subtle.

God I'm just, so pissed at people saying Nanashi's design is "bad". I'm pissed I'm pissed!!

song I associate with them: I'm just gonna cross these out with all asks going forward, I am not good at picking songs lmao.

favorite picture of them: Once again, it's Nanashi's precious smile~!

Thank you for the ask!!

[yanderes-galore]

Hello!! I'd like to request for homestuck please! Do you have any headcanons for the type of yandere Dirk Strider would be? And how he may treat or act around his darling?

(If you need a time frame at all in the comic timeline, I can suggest post-game (before the epilogues so no worry to know those or hs^2) - it might work out easier to write for!! Otherwise if you don't, disregard this paragraph hehe)

Sure! Sorry it took so long (It's been MONTHS 😥😭), I needed to shove the entirety of Homestuck in my brain and have coherent thoughts about it. I'm actually not entirely done with Act 6 yet (I wanna say halfway through-ish?) so if he's very OOC my bad.... I can make an updated version at a later date maybe? Take this as an AU of Act 6 just in case, I just wanted to explore his yandere type.

Here's what I got! Now that I think about it I want to write more for Homestuck... it's really good and I'm happy I finally experienced it. Thanks Tumblr 💜 I tried to keep this general as the first concept for a character I write typically is :)

Writers who gave me motivation and inspiration to start this work; @yandere--stuck and @bunnyjam-imagines . Your work is incredible and keep doing what you're doing ^^ 💜Your Dirk fics really helped me with this so I dedicate this to you, too. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE TAGGED LET ME KNOW, THANKS.

Possible Spoilers For Homestuck Act 6

Yandere! Dirk Strider Concept

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Stalking, Manipulation, Overprotective behavior, Hidden cameras, Secret recording, Dirk struggles expressing feelings, Invasion of privacy, Brief violence mention, Swearing, Kidnapping, Dubious relationship, Isolation, Controlling behavior, Implied jealousy, Angst, I like this version of yandere Dirk where he just feels conflicted.

Dirk is a very interesting character and I've noticed there has been a pattern in the way people write him as a yandere.

Dirk seems like a yandere whose lucid in his behavior.

He has tendencies to know what he's doing is wrong, or at least this is a pattern I've seen in the way others write him.

I can agree with this as Dirk seems like he takes on the role as guardian for the other people in his group at times (Jake, Jane, Roxy).

Dirk would be very caring towards his darling despite the emotional baggage he has behind the scenes.

He most likely met you through a chat client like the rest.

Since he was young he's always had an interest in puppets, robots, and horses...

He could've met you through one of these interests or by one of his other friends introducing you.

Either way, Dirk finds himself talking to you more and more when he adds your handle.

Dirk's yandere behavior isn't overly romantic even when his feelings are that way.

He doesn't really like expressing it all that much.

Dirk's behavior comes off as just him looking out for you.

He's like a guardian who's willing to do anything for those he cares about.

Based on the fact Dirk has made robots for Jake and Jane in the past, usually for special occasions or requests, he probably would make one for you eventually.

Dirk is very skilled with robotics and wouldn't mind creating some sort of bot for you no matter the size or purpose.

Dirk does try to keep one goal constant when making you a robot gift...

It has to protect you.

He's responsible and wants nothing more than those he cares about out of harm's way.

If they reciprocate his feelings or not doesn't matter....

When he does make that robot gift he puts a lot of his time into it.

AR has to spend a lot of time responding to his friends as all of his time is spent multi-tasking on a ton of tasks.

Building your gift... talking to you... watching his dreamself...

He's kind of worn thin.

Once it's finished he sends it to you with a brief message.

It's his way of showing his care even if he seems very closed off with feelings.

This robot is the first camera he manages to sneak in your home.

Dirk even has secret folders on his PC of just footage.

Part of him feels guilty for recording you... but he tries to reassure himself this is what a robotic guardian needs.

The robot is the biggest part leading into his obsession.

It can act on its own to protect you or like a drone he can control and see through.

He feels guilty that he's using it to interact with you like he's actually there....

Dirk's feelings could swap over the more he sneaks electronics into your house and the more he cyberstalks you.

There's a certain threshold he passes when he eventually has to admit he's got feelings for you if he has them.

Clearly he doesn't just want to protect you like a friend, right?

Why else would he watch you sleep with that robot you thought of as a cute gift from him?

He can't help but search through files upon files containing pictures and video feed of you being... you.

He feels he could never admit it fully but he does like you.

One way or another....

Dirk's obsession is very... what's the word... quiet?

He seems like the yandere who would just hover in your shadow... just to keep you out of harm.

He isn't a very violent yandere and is more just like a guardian to you due to his fear of revealing his feelings, which makes him work well as a platonic or romantic yandere.

Dirk probably could use violence to protect you but doesn't always tend to.

His robot guardian he made for you is indeed armed, though.

The robot he gave you isn't as merciful and may even get bloody if it has to for you.

He doesn't mind if you feel the same for him or not... he would like you to but you don't have to....

He seems like the yandere who'd sigh and regret saying anything if you rejected his feelings... but respect the decision somewhat.

That doesn't stop his overbearing behavior.

The comic does say when he puts his heart to something he won't give up until he accomplishes it.

Friend or lover, Dirk tends to act controlling.

Be it him talking to you through your robot, in the chat client, or in person if he ever meets you... Dirk seems to act like he knows more than you.

He has a bit of an ego and can come off as obnoxious in conversation at times.

He always acts like he knows what's best for you.

He looks back on the times he has acted like this with regret later... as I said, lucid yandere.

In fact a lot of his obsession makes Dirk regret it at times.

This could be because he harbors self-hatred for himself already and his obsession over you doesn't help.

He doesn't really want to give you up, though.

Dirk would manipulate you like a puppet at times.

For some reason when others are close to you, he hates it.

They could just be close friends, or potential partners...

He just can't handle it... he feels he has to prevent it or he may just lose the chance to have you.

Sometimes the darkness of his obsession kicks in and he... gives in to acts he shouldn't.

Such as using your robot to invade your privacy...

Maybe even manipulating your friends Jane, Roxy, and even Jake away from you...

That and the countless times he's considered kidnapping you to keep you alone with him just to soothe his aching thoughts.

Dirk seems like he'd struggle a lot with his obsession.

He hates the idea of hurting you.

He knows there's a good chance his obsession will hurt you, which hurts him...

All of this just causes him hurt.

Yet the more he speaks to you about interests and learns more and more about you...

He knows he can't let you go.

There's no doubt Dirk vents the frustrations his feelings cause him to Lil Cal his puppet pal.

Who else is he supposed to tell?

It's not like these feelings, regardless of the intention, are normal?

'Yeah, I stalk my friend through a robot and manipulate their life like some sort of puppet stage. What do I do to make them reciprocate?'

It's batshit and he knows it....

Roxy will just use it as gossip later... she may even tell you with some subtle hint or something.

Jane's a very sweet woman but he just feels... uncomfortable admitting he has such dark feelings about you?

You'd think Jake would be a good fit to talk to, being bros and all, but Dirk decides he'd rather just vent his feelings to himself and keep it like that.

Until he eventually acts....

Soon Dirk is going to just wing it.

It seems like a very Strider thing to do.

Your robotic companion he gifted is going to act against you in the end.

While he once used it to make you feel like je was always there with you... soon he's going to use it to abduct you.

Somehow.

Dirk's obsession feels like a constant battle with himself.

Even more so than his fights with AR.

He begins to wonder what is truly right.

Is isolating you beside him the right thing to do?

What will his friends say?

That shouldn't matter, should it?

You can all talk together when you're safely with him... if he hasn't scared them off by then-

Yet, how would YOU feel towards what he's doing?

You'll hate him... and he can't blame you.

He'd hate him too. He probably already does.

But... what he doesn't hate is you.

Surely he can make you understand once he has you.

Dirk has always tried to be caring for you.

Even when your robot companion drags you into his home, you clinging to it with fear, Dirk greets you warmly.

Oh he feels so sick when he locks you in his home.

He feels he doesn't deserve you when you cower... no longer willing to converse with him like you used to.

You don't deserve him, he deserves only to suffer under the weight of his obsession.

He's always beating himself up about it the whole time, yet won't change any of it.

Even if you do somehow forgive him.

Even if you try to say you do care for him?

He isn't sure if he can believe you after he's kidnapped you.

Don't bother lying, he sees through it.

You can hate him... you're allowed to as any other sensible human would.

There's truly nothing he can do to salvage what he once had for you after he goes off the deep end.

He's made you all alone... now there's only him.

He knows he should let you go...

But wouldn't it be cruel to abandon you after he made your life hell?

He continues his behavior with this new form of reassurance.

He'll continue to look after you, he'll prove to you he can give you so much better.

He tries to show affection.

He gives you hugs, he tries to express his obsession in a loving way.

Perhaps even kisses, some on your cheeks or lips depending on his feelings?

Lucid yanderes tend to be self-destructive.

They know this isn't how they should feel.

Dirk knows he should do what's best for you.

His mind has been clouded in darkness, however...

Far as he knows now, HE'S what's best for you.

He promises to care for you like he's always done since you mean so much to him... ironically to help heal the pain he's caused... and is probably still causing.

Dirk still helps you when you cry and comforts you when you act out.

He emphasizes with your pain and feels sick that he knows why you feel this way.

Every touch he feels from you his heaven, while you may think he's hell.

Every apology from his lips doesn't feel truthful... they're empty.

He could always let you go...

He could always try to make things right...

Those options require giving you up.

Deep down... he knows he can't.

He feels he can finally say it,

He loves you too much to let you go.

He may be his own worst enemy but he wants to be selfish when it comes to you.

He's always at a constant war with himself, resulting in him seeming distant with affection.

You quickly become his everything... thoughts of you destroy his psyche...

Soon... he gives up... he surrenders... he begins to accept it.

He loves you...

and this is how he's going to show it.

[allastoredeer]

Every time there's bottom Alastor fic it gets almost zero kudos, comments, bookmarks. But bottom Lucifer and top Alastor? Oooohhhh here comes first thousand of kudos and hundreds of comments in a span of a day! Then people start to make fanart and here comes another wave!

I fucking hate this fandom. I'm deleting my art and fics and I'm out, it's frustrating.

Ah, come on now, I wouldn't take it that far.

Yeah, it can be demoralizing and frustrating when you're stuff doesn't get as much attention as others, especially because of the way you write/draw the characters, but that's still something you put effort and love into. That's not worth deleting.

It's natural to want validation when you share something you created, especially in a fandom space, but if the only thing you're looking for when you post is validation, than you're just setting yourself up for failure.

I'm not saying you can't want validation (everyone does), but when you create art or write fanfics, you should be your primary audience. This should be for you fist and foremost. If you rely too much on what other people think, and whether or not they'll like it as much as you do or as much as a different concept/AU/dynamic, than it is going to hit hard when that doesn't happen,

Which is why I say you should ignore the things you don't like and focus on the things you do, because there will be fans who share your headcanons, concepts, character dynamics etc... It's much more rewarding when you're sharing your stuff with a small group of people than the entire fandom, because your work, especially if you're only just starting to draw/write fic, will typically be overlooked. It sucks, but it's true.

But keep going!! If you're truly no longer having fun in the fandom, I'm not going to try and keep you here. The whole point of fandom is to have fun. But if you do still love the show and you want to explore fan creations and make your own, then do it and block out everything else. You'll find you're people!

I don't want to make it seem like I'm putting myself on a pedestal or coming off as preachy. I've posted drawings/fic for the sake of validation too. I'm human and I want people to looooove my stuuuuff please and thank you, tell me I did good and you love it! And when it works, that IS a good feeling. It's a dopamine high you want to chase.

But when it doesn't happen, that shit hits hard and it can land a serious blow to motivation--at least it does for me. And it's still hard for me, personally, to get out of the mindset of relying on validation to keep creating. It's a lesson I keep relearning, because it's hard not to fall back into it. But it always ends the same: I start relying too much on that validation, and thus feel hurt when my stuff doesn't get a lot of traction, and then I enjoy fandom less and less and it becomes more like a chore than a hobby as I keep running after that validation high.

Fandom should never feel like a chore.

And once again, a post runs away from me. This is all to say, Anon, I know it's frustrating and demoralizing when your art/fics don't get as much attention as someone else's--especially because of your differing preferences--but don't let that take away your enjoyment of fandom, or drive you to deleting everything you worked hard to create. Be proud of what you made and find a community of people who WILL enjoy what you made. Stick with them. Create with them. And I promise you'll have a much better time.

[rriavian]

May Inrequest 2 and 20 from the "Love your Fandom" post? (:

Thank you for your questions! <3

2 a headcanon you weren't sure about at first but have come to like! 

Really had to think about this one! Usually my head canons stick pretty close to the source material, even when they diverge, or fill in extra bits, I always see them as extrapolations. Like flowers sprouting from the same tree.

I think this fits with something @aisalynn and I spoke about the other night though. So I used to have a lot of trouble seeing the Corinthian as in any way submissive, even pre rebellion/dreamer killing (though I have to admit rewatching episode 1 and seeing him instantly dropping to his knees when Dream found him gave me Thoughts). The Corinthian’s motivations in canon seem too bound up in striving for agency, and proving that he has it, doing everything he can to keep it, so I really struggled to see him letting that go in a sexual context. Especially with the one being the Corinthian has tried so hard to gain independence from.

Which I think is clear in Baiting the Trap (though even there it’s still quite complex) because I have a very specific preference for balancing dynamics when I write them.

I'm very much a never say never kind of writer though, and I'm not really a fan of strict binary's in sex/power play anyway. And I did have a lot of fun testing a switch of positions in Sweetening the Deal! That fic came about from me being like ‘ok, if the Corinthian would allow it then how?’ and extrapolating out from there. I really enjoyed what I could explore with the change in angle. Over time I’ve softened towards it a lot more, willing to swing further in that direction, but really it’s all about character voice for me. As I said to aisalynn, I like to see the Corinthian keep his bite ;)

20 your very first fandom!

I think Sandman is the first one that I’d count as a fandom I’ve actively been a part of. Though I’ve been reading fic (and sometimes writing it) for a long time for a lot of different fandoms it’s more been me lurking haha. 

To name a few of them though—over the years I’ve dipped into Merlin, Once Upon a Time, Star Wars, The Legend of Vox Machina, Doctor Who, Star Trek, Stargate (SG1 and Atlantis). As well as Supernatural, but though I read quite a bit of fic in the beginning I have to admit most of my recent interaction with it has been entirely against my will :)

[barclaysangel]

Junior Wheeler finding out he has a younger half-sister headcanons

This just spiraled out of control from a random idea and then it grew more and more so here we are! I just had to write this as a set of headcanons or I would combust. It did take months to write this due to lack of motivation but I finally did it! If you guys like this, please tell me! I just MIGHT make a fic or one-shot series of the adventures of Big Bro Junior™. Besides, comments always make me feel accomplished and it gives me motivation to continue this AU!

Tags: @arthurpendragonlove @streets-in-paradise @rogertaylorismyking @marvelxchucky @the-carlos-cow-eyes

Warnings: Mentions of Logan Wheeler, mentions of kinda inappropriate relationships, some swearing, not proofread because proofreading is for losers

Word count: 3.2K

Summary: After surviving from being stabbed by a killer doll, Junior thought nothing could surprise him. Then they found out that he had a half-sister, a product from Logan Wheeler’s affair. And somehow, Junior’s life changes for the better once they become a big brother.

Notes: Takes place about a year and a half after the events of season 1, no mention of season 2 because I despise 98.5% of the plot of season 2, a shit ton of the ideas were created between me and @arthurpendragonlove , purposefully not saying who takes in Jake and Junior because I haven’t decided yet (maybe Miss Fairchild or Andy Barclay but I’ll admit, I’m leaning WAY MORE towards the latter if I make a fic based on this), Harper’s faceclaim is Victoria Pedretti and Eden’s faceclaim is Violet McGraw, Junior is my own personal interpretation of how his character arc could evolve after everything that’s happened to him, Junior is biromantic asexual and a demiboy who uses he/they pronouns (this has been a headcanon I've had for a year and I'm absolutely implementing Junior being a demiboy for the first time in these headcanons).

~Junior Wheeler was almost 16 years old when he found out about their father’s former mistress and child. 

~After surviving his stab wound, Junior started to get better. They opened himself up more, made amends and became better friends with Jake, Devon, and Lexy, got therapy, and explored their identity and who he truly was. They truly were in a good place. 

~And then Junior happened to meet a woman named Harper Murphy.

~Harper never knew that Logan Wheeler was married and had a teenage son. She had only found that out on the news after his body had been discovered due to the “mysterious” massacre that happened in Hackensack. 

~Harper felt so guilty now knowing that she had been the other woman, even producing a child with a married man, that she tried for over a year to find Junior to explain herself. 

~And that’s exactly what she tried to do when she showed up on his doorstep by herself. 

~It was safe to say that Junior didn’t react well. 

~They were already shaking with rage upon finding out that his father DID in fact cheat on their mom, but hearing that he now had a half-sister made them force her to leave before he could explode. 

~Jake thankfully had been there to be the voice of reason and took the slip of paper that had Harper’s phone number because Junior refused to take it. 

~For a couple weeks, Junior wasn’t themself. 

~He was prone to snapping more and refused to talk about their father’s mistress and child to anyone, including his friends,  girlfriend, caretaker, and therapist. Their anger was starting to get almost out of control because of how much he was now bottling up. 

~It was when Junior got a week’s worth of detention for throwing his textbook at the head of a classmate that was bothering them when Jake finally forced his cousin to sit down and talk it over. 

~There were many things that Junior was angry about. One, their father actually being a cheater and having a whole other family. Two, the fact that the other woman was much younger than his mother. And three, that Chucky was right in a way about their father having an affair. 

~By now, Junior knew about Chucky’s manipulation. He was used as a pawn in his game, manipulated into believing that their mom killed herself and his father cheated on her, leading to her suicide and causing them to kill his father. Junior now knew what really happened to her. 

~But finding out about this affair has led Junior into hating the fact that Chucky was right about something. 

~Jake was able to be there and reassure Junior, somehow even convincing them to call Harper and hear her full side of the story. 

~So after two weeks, Junior gave in and had Jake call her—because he didn’t have it in them to call her herself without losing it again, so he needed the calmer of the two cousins to make the phone call. 

~When Harper came by, once again alone, it was a meeting between her, Junior, Jake, and their caretaker. Junior couldn’t be trusted to be left alone, so they were with him in case their temper decided to strike again. 

~It did happen a few times throughout Harper’s story, leading Junior to get up and “take a lap”, which included storming angrily around the house once or twice until he was calm enough to sit down and listen again. 

~Some reasons that caused Junior to “take a lap” was when he found out that Harper was 21 years old and still at college when she met their father, when he found out that she was 27 now and that made her only 11 years older than them and he was 11 years older than her daughter, and even when Harper told them about how Logan isolated her from her parents to the point where she only had her daughter and occasionally his father whenever he felt like visiting.

~Knowing just how much of a manipulative piece of shit their father was made Junior want to explode. But he could see how weary and anxious Harper looked so they forced himself to be as calm as they could…which wasn’t a lot but it was the thought that counts. 

~It was much harder when Harper brought up the topic of her daughter, Eden. 

~Junior didn’t want to know about her. Whether it was because she was the product of his father’s affair or another connection that bound them to the man they wanted so desperately to forget, he didn’t know at the moment. They just absolutely didn’t want to know about her or see a picture when Harper offered. 

~Jake took her up on that offer though and looked at the picture of his new five year old cousin on Harper’s phone. Junior kept his back turned as Jake complimented Eden, attempting to persuade Junior to look with each thing she said. 

~He did capture Junior’s attention by one thing only. 

~“She looks nothing like her father.” 

~For some reason, that was enough for Junior to finally peer over Jake’s shoulder and look at the picture of their half-sister. 

~Eden was a carbon copy of her mother, with dark brown hair and vibrant blue eyes. The more Junior stared at her, the more he realized that she truly didn’t look like Logan. 

~Seems that their father had another child that looked exactly like their mother and not him. 

~Maybe the Wheeler genes were a lot weaker than he expected. 

~“…she’s cute, I guess.” 

~But during that meeting, Junior didn’t agree to wanting to see their half-sister. He didn’t know if they had it in him to see her in person. 

~It took more persuasion and another week until Junior was the one to call Harper and set up a meeting. 

~They did emphasize that he most likely wouldn’t want to have a relationship with Eden but he figured that they should meet her, just once. 

~In a way, Junior figured that this was something his mother would want them to do. She was a good woman with a big heart, she would want him to at the very least meet their half-sister, especially if she knew Harper’s story and how she was also a victim in Logan’s manipulation. 

~Junior was absolutely nervous to meet Eden. He hardly slept and ate during the days leading up to the meeting, riddled with so much anxiety that it started to affect them physically. 

~When they finally met, Junior didn’t know how to act. 

~Eden was obviously shy, clinging to her mother’s arm but staring at her half-brother with curiosity. And Junior was trying to function in a way that was considered calm because while he didn’t know if they would like her or not, he still didn’t want to frighten her. 

~After a couple minutes of staring, Junior finally gathered the courage to speak. 

~“Hi.” 

~“Hi.” 

~“I’m Junior.” 

~“I’m Eden.” 

~“Cool.” 

~“Cool.”

~Then Eden smiled at them. 

~Junior couldn’t quite explain it. But something in her smile was so sweet and so genuine, that he melted and fell under her spell.

~Junior began to slowly open themself up more and the more he did, the more they realized that there wasn’t a single trace of their father in her. She wasn’t like Logan at all. Eden was shy, sweet, kind, polite, and so much more, all the complete opposite of Logan. 

~Eventually the two siblings were trusted enough to be left alone and they spent the rest of the day watching a Disney movie together, The Little Mermaid, Eden’s favorite that also happened to be Junior’s favorite. 

~When it was time for them to go, Eden gave them the biggest hug and Junior came to the realization that this couldn’t be the first and last time he’ll ever meet her. They had to see her again, to get to know her more. 

~It was something he made known to Harper and the rest of their family. 

~“I’ve only known Eden for a few hours…but if anything happened to her, I would kill everyone in this room and then myself.” 

~“…I know you’re basically quoting B99 but it actually sounds terrifying when you say it.” 

~After that, Junior and Eden became inseparable. 

~They did just about everything together. They watched movies, listened to music, and went to the park and zoo a lot. 

~Most of the movies were Disney movies, so it involved a lot of singing and dancing from both of them. 

~Eden became fascinated with Junior’s guitar and would beg him to play for her all the time. They always obliged and eventually, he let her hold the guitar. 

~The sight was absolutely adorable because their guitar looked so much bigger than her, but Eden was holding it to her chest with a big smile. 

~Junior lost count over how many times he took her to the park. They always pushed her on the swings and would hold her hand if she was too nervous to go down a steep slide. 

~Junior also spends so much money on Eden whenever they go to the gift shop at the zoo. He just couldn’t say no to her. 

~Over time, they stopped calling her his half-sister. Eden was Junior’s sister. No half of anything. 

~Eden doing their makeup and nails was always a must. 

~Junior sometimes did his own makeup and painted their nails, but always let Eden do whatever she wanted. Her technique was sloppy when it came to the nail polish and he looked like a mess with the amount of eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick she would put on them. 

~But it was always fun and worth it to let Eden doll him up because of the big smile she would get on her face. 

~The amount of photos of Eden and Junior together on Junior, Lexy, Jake, Devon, and Harper’s phones are enough to fill up ten scrapbooks. 

~A month after they met, Junior turned 16. Eden made tons of pictures of the two of them together, all of which are hung up on his wall, and even a friendship bracelet. 

~They never take that bracelet off. 

~Piggy back rides happened hundreds of times. 

~Junior constantly has Eden on his back and she just clings onto them while he’s walking or running. 

~Sometimes they’ll carry her in his arms too, especially when she falls asleep. 

~Or have her thrown over their shoulder like she was a sack of potatoes. 

~All of these actions would leave Junior sore but her big smile and hysterical giggles were always worth it. 

~He’s lost count over how often they’ve played Princess with Eden. 

~Junior would admit, he enjoyed partially wearing a pink dress that certainly didn’t fit with a plastic crown on their head, despite the teasing he would get sometimes. 

~“Oh…my…god.” 

~“Don’t be jealous that I make a prettier princess than you do, Jacob.” 

~Junior has tons of nicknames for Eden. 

~The most popular are Edie, Eeds, Darling, Pumpkin, Sweetness, and Sweetheart. 

~Eden doesn’t have a lot of nicknames for Junior except for just a few, which are all variations of their name. 

~Jun, Junie, JJ, and her absolute favorite, Juna. 

~No one is allowed to call Junior Juna except Eden. 

~Jake made that mistake once and found out what it felt to be stomped on his bare foot by Junior’s strong boot. 

~When Halloween rolls around, they do matching costumes. Eden insisted and as Junior has shown many times, he just can’t say no to her. 

~They also take her to the houses that have the best and biggest candies. 

~It’s no secret how close they are. The others have joked about Eden being Junior’s “mini me” or “shadow.” 

~He’d be lying if they said that he didn’t like it. It was absolutely adorable how much she wanted to be like them. But he still encouraged her to be her own person and how she didn’t need to like everything that they liked. 

~He didn’t want her growing up the way they did, willing to change everything about himself and mold themself into another version of his father. 

~It would just fill her with emptiness and resentment and she sure as hell didn’t deserve that. Eden deserved to be happy and loved for being the way she was. 

~Junior learned how to braid hair for their sister. 

~It took some practice with Lexy and a couple others but eventually, he got it down enough to do all kinds of braids on Eden. 

~Eden would also braid their hair since Junior had been growing it out so the tips of his hair now touched their shoulders. 

~Her technique wasn’t as good, pretty sloppy with quite a bit of hair pulling, but she was five years old after all. 

~And Junior did think he looked quite cute in braids.

~Junior tries their hardest not to swear around Eden…

~…but fails constantly.

~“Ow! Fuck!” 

~“Fuck!” 

~“NONONONONONONONO—!” 

~Music was something that was always playing in Junior’s room. It helped not only to relax him, but also to inspire them to write his own music. 

~It didn’t take long for them to realize that Eden loved rock and heavy metal music. 

It was both cute and disturbing for those watching a child screaming “DISRESPECT YOUR SURROUNDINGS” in a high-pitched voice while aggressively head banging while her teenage brother did the exact same thing. 

~While Junior always had fun with Eden, there was always a sense of fear that never left him. 

~Chucky. 

~They lived in terror that one day Chucky could come back because he just knew that that fucker would never truly die. 

~And it scared them to know what could happen if Chucky came back and found out about the little sister of the teenager he didn’t manage to kill. 

~The most Junior could do without telling Eden the full story about Chucky was to make her promise him that she would not play with that doll and would call them immediately if it ever showed up. 

~“Darling, I need you to promise me something. If a Good Guy doll like that ever comes to your house, you tell your mom to call me and…say you want to play with dolls with me. Okay? That doll isn’t good, it’s bad. So you need to tell me IMMEDIATELY and I’ll make sure it goes away. Pinkie promise?” 

~“Pinkie promise, Juna!” 

~Junior hardly had any regrets about killing his father. 

~What they regretted was how he unknowingly helped with Chucky’s plan, used as a pawn in his game. 

~When they met Eden, he started to feel some more regret because their little sister would grow up never knowing their father. Even now, the memories she has of him are basically blips of a dream because she was only 3 years old when she last saw him. 

~But Junior becomes confident in the decision that he made when Harper confided in them about how Logan would be controlling over how Eden should dress or act. 

~His sister was a pink dress wearing girl that could be rowdy and enjoyed getting dirty. The latter were things that Logan didn’t want a girl to be doing. 

~It was only a matter of time before their father would start controlling and manipulating her as she grew older. 

He’d try to control her just like he controlled Junior.

~So it was better for Eden growing up with little to no memories of an emotionally abusive man. 

~Junior truly is a chaotic soul. There’s no level to their chaos. So it didn’t take long for his chaos to rub off on Eden. 

~They would pull pranks together on everyone. Especially Jake. He was their favorite victim. 

~“Don’t be such a baby, Jake!”

~“Yeah! Don’t be such a baby, Jake!”

~“Hey! Stop corrupting my kid cousin!” 

~Really, their combined chaos cannot be stopped. 

~“I’m begging you two…please just be good.” 

~“We would rather die.” 

~“Die! Die! Die!” 

~Junior knows that one day, they would have to explain almost everything to Eden, such as why they’re half siblings. 

~She wouldn’t understand everything now because she’s too young. So far, Eden’s content just knowing that she has a brother now and doesn’t need to know the details just yet. 

~That’s something he’ll worry about another day. Right now, they would rather enjoy being by her side and being her protector. 

~Speaking of protector, lord help anyone who tries to bully Eden. 

~“Junior, you can’t physically fight a kindergartener.” 

~“Like hell! My hands are rated E for EVERYONE!” 

~Junior did once catch a little boy pushing Eden at the park and he scared the kid so badly by threatening him that the boy peed his pants. 

~Eden thought it was absolutely hilarious and it made her feel a lot better about being pushed. 

~Junior was glad that it made her feel better too, but they still wanted Eden to defend herself. 

~“Eeds, if someone ever pushes you again...push them back. Hit them. Make them regret it. Just don’t tell your mom I said that, okay?” 

~“Okay! Can we get ice cream now?” 

~“Yeah, sure, let’s go get ice cream.” 

~Their personalities are both very similar yet different. 

~Junior and Eden are both introverted and then chaotic and mischievous to those who get to know them. But Junior prefers to only open himself up to their closest friends and family while Eden opens herself up fairly quickly to anyone who is nice to her. 

~Eden’s kindness makes Junior want to be a better person. She has a heart of gold and sees the good in everyone, the complete opposite of her brother. 

~He could only hope that no one ever tarnishes her light. 

~Christmas was always a hard holiday for Junior without their mother. It was something he didn’t expect would ever change. 

~Until they spent his first Christmas with Eden. 

~Seeing her give them badly wrapped gifts—Harper told him that Eden insisted on wrapping them herself—with the biggest smile on her face made Junior forget about how much the holiday pained them. 

~Sitting with his new family in front of the fireplace, stomach filled to the brim with food, exchanging stories with Eden sleeping peacefully on their lap with her head on his chest put things into perspective for them for the first time in a long time. 

~In the end, he found the peace and happiness they had been looking for so long. 

~Junior finally felt whole.

[loregoddess]

2, 3, 8, and 19 for the fandom game, for any fandom(s) you feel like talking about :)

(for 3, fic and/or meta posts, can't actually remember if you've posted straight up fic before haha)

2. My favorite fic from the fandom that I’ve read

I haven't read a ton of fic sadly (although I haven't read a lot in general the last few years due to college making me read So Many academic papers and books that I got burnt out and haven't quite recovered my love of reading. Yet). Although, my friend @lookerdewitt has written literally some of the best fic I have ever read, so I would probably say one of their fics.

3. My favorite fic from the fandom that I’ve written myself

I have actually sort of written fanfic (both legit fanfic, and also a few "thinly veiled technically fanfic if you changed the names" for a fiction writing class that I had to write several stories for and wanted to see if I could get away with it), but I haven't actually. Shared those fics with anyone? Partly bc I have historically almost never finished any fiction writing project that I have started, ever, and partly bc I'm just shy about sharing my writing in general.

I have been working on a LoZ fancomic idea for the past uhhhh four or five years (technically last decade since I first came up with the idea in late high school and then had it sit in the back of my head for several years bc all I had was a setting and a handful of characters), and I have never in my life stuck with a project this long, so I guess that would be my favorite from my personal works bc it's apparently something I care about enough to not abandon entirely. I've actually made a decent amount of progress on my "detailed outline" recently, so here's hoping I can stick it out and actually get to the script and then to drawing pages one day.

For meta posts I think my favorite is actually my analysis of the Octopath 1 cast and how the major antagonists in each of their stories acts as a mirror and foil to each character. I really enjoy analyzing stories in general, but I so rarely write it out, so I was happy to actually do so for once. Gave me a lot of confidence for all the other meta and headcanon posts that I wrote afterwards.

There's also a Legend of Dragoon meta post sitting partly-finished in my drafts where I analyze themes surrounding each dragoon spirit and its wielders, which I haven't finished bc I only remember to work on it when I'm doing my yearly replay of LoD, and also bc it started looking like it might need to be a series of posts due to uh....length. Like I make a lot of lengthy posts, but each dragoon spirit's analysis was about a short essay's worth of words, and there are eight spirits soooo....hopefully I'll finish that one day, bc it's an analysis I've spent years thinking about.

8. Is there anything I wish people would write more about in fics? (A dynamic, an exploration of an arc, just a character that doesn’t get much screentime, etc)

I'm always a sucker for post-canon healing/recovery/rebuilding arcs. Can't get enough of them honestly (when I have the motivation to read). There's something so fascinating about looking at a character who Went Through Some Stuff, but the main narrative didn't look at the effects of that, and so a dedicated writer took up the challenge of trying to explore what comes after.

Most of my favorite characters are weird side characters who don't get a lot of love from the writers of canon or fans, so I'm always glad to see stuff for them as well.

19. Favorite headcanon

Oh hmmm, there's a lot and it depends on which media we're talking about, so if you're curious about a specific game let me know. Off the top of my head though hmm...

Okay I have this headcanon that Milo TriStrat snorts when she laughs genuinely. Like sure she's got the ladylike proper, cute laugh that's part of her spy job and totally fake, but when she is being fully honest and laughing for real, she snorts.

[banavalope]

Really apropos of nothing - from your perspective, anyway - but I do wish it were. Easier? Less open for exploitation? For artists to be able to explore the concept of shared / collaborative universes more often in the pursuit of creating original art.

(more discussion of topic under cut in the event no one cares lol)

I'll note first that I'm having a different conversation here than the ad nauseam one about an artist's right to own and profit off their intellectual property. We do not disagree on this point, I am staunchly in favor, always, of independent artists staking claim on what is theirs and protecting themselves with ownership and copyright. What I'm against is corporate abuse of this protection, because literally what do they need it for, they are billionaires. Eat my ass, my life has only been made worse learning that Disney tried to fucking copyright the names Thor and Loki. So, let's digress.

I'm coming at this from a background of having grown up on adoptables RPG forums circa Gaiaonline, it was a large portion of my internet community life; the concept of an adoptables RPG is tangentially related to shared universes. They have similar DNA: a collection of people all flocking to a concept and, through communal effort, build the canon together. It's non-commital, it's more than just you and some friends creating a story, it's a little like an open RPG except you get to keep whatever you made up if you decide you're jumping ship from Gaia to Deviantart because let's say you got into a weird internet fight once with a 22 year old over a PNG you paid fake money for, and have decided you really just don't need that kind of drama in your life now that you've turned 17.

Where they differ is in the most important aspect of one being open source by permission, and the other by design.

Collaborative works like Orion's Arm, or SCP for a more mainstream example, are fascinating examples of what I mean. The dedication to building open source fictional backdrops anyone can use for anything, for profit or not, that nobody can solely own. Of course, I feel like these examples exist so perfectly because the sci-fi genre has itself always been this way. D&D is also this way. Those are nice points of inspirational reference, but they're only two genres. Very specific genres, at that.

Because you have to sometimes consider, there exist people who want to write, or want to create, who are likely very good at these things, but struggle to come up with an """""original""""" idea within their topic of interest. Maybe their interest is so niche it's impossible to separate it from the original point of inspiration (see: every time someone calls out typing quirks as homestuck derivative) Alternatively are the people good at coming up with a multitude of ideas based on one topic, but no good at stringing them together into some kind of cohesive idea, or maybe just lack the motivation to do it. Not everything has to be a thing, sometimes you just want to share an idea in a way that matters without it being your magnum opus. Yeah, you could post them into the screaming void of the social media abyss, though it's hardly a satisfying compromise.

Imagine the work that could be created if there were genres upon genres of open source worldbuilding projects, and the safety of knowing the idea you're riffing off of hurts no one to use, as being riffed off of is its intended purpose for existing. Nobody owns it! We all agreed to that at the start! Go nuts! Sell it, if you want to!

"You're just describing fandom AU", yes, dear reader, astute observation. Shared universes are, to me, the natural evolution of a fandom. Instead of only joking about how, after a point, an AU is just an original story, or a certain amount of headcanons creates a whole new character, you take that joke to its logical conclusion. Maybe it goes under recognized as the next step up because we're all so focused on making fun of people for it, but to say so risks sounding spicy.

Anyway, I love collaborative storytelling, I love shared universes and open source material, so much so that I want to bake it into my own art projects. I want there to be more free art created and curated by independent artists, ensuring struggling independent artists who can't afford to be free are able to make their living. I want art to be more accessible beyond just access to products. I have exhausted the SCP wiki, and hunger.

[vartouhix]

𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕔 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕚𝕥 𝕒𝕝𝕝. ✨

I was always a fan of Wonder Girls, and Sunmi had left the group so suddenly, so of course I was curious about her solo debut. "24 Hours (24 Hours is not Enough)."

People always called Sunmi the "4D Alien" of the group, and it immediately set my imagination going.

The "flower-like person" part of the equation came right off the bat--the pink hair made me think of a rose. And with colored hair being so popular in kpop, I knew I had plenty of inspiration to draw from if I needed to write npcs from Balah. It wouldn't be until later that I decided they were both flower- and plant-like, just based on headcanons that I developed about the world and its people.

I looked up some names, wanting something unique, and came across Vartouhi--"rose maiden" in Armenian.

So I had the faceclaim, I had an idea, I had a name. I started thinking of what kind of alien I wanted her to be. I wanted her being stranded on Earth to mean something, to be significant. For there to be consequences for her being away, and a strong motivation for her to want to return home. So I thought: royalty. Make her a princess, make her dedicated to her people, make the planet be in a state of peril when she is lost to them.

I really like the character Starfire from Cartoon Network's Teen Titans, so immediately I was like "She has to be able to fly." And I thought Starfire's awkward syntax and word choice were so adorable, I really wanted that for Vartouhi. So I gave her the same power of language assimilation through lip contact. Why through lip contact? Because I'm a sucker for "innocent/oblivious yet somehow alluring." Plus it's just fun to get a flustered reaction out of the other muse.

And then I was thinking, well what kind of powers should she have? I thought about what makes Starfire fly--a sense of joy--and I wanted to tie emotions to it somehow, but not quite like that. I saved that thought for later. Then I thought of telekinesis, specifically projecting telekinesis on oneself to make oneself fly. And then I was like, "Okay but telekinesis doesn't explain the language assimilation--" but then I realized telepathy would. And I thought of Jean Grey/Phoenix from X-Men, and how when she was overwhelmed or emotionally compromised, her powers could go haywire. Bingo, I had her powers worked out. It wouldn't be until later that I decided only the royal family bloodline had powers, and that hers were affected by a Goddess's spirit residing within her, and that she had the defect of her Balahyan lobe being misshapen.

Well now, what about personality?

There was something about her sitting on that bed, legs bent and arms wrapped around them, that made her seem so vulnerable and small. Innocent. Then she's swaying her hair, extending her slender leg, still innocent enough, but with this allure to her that wasn't there seconds ago. Her shoulder lifts towards her face as if hiding behind it, like she's shy. Even in the concept photos, she wears that top that says "But I'm Shy." So already I had some ideas: innocent/ignorant/naive (about Earth culture and sex), timid and shy and vulnerable, emotional, demure.

Why sex? Because the song is about innocence regarding sex, evolving into experience.

The MV is very intimate and sexual. (JYP--the producer--has said before that he tries to bring more sexuality into his songs because it’s not as openly talked about in Korea as it is in the States.) In the dance break, she starts off in white with fluffy, cute, dry hair. As she brings her face close to the man, her outfit turns black (gradual loss of innocence as she explores more and more with her sexuality) and then when she turns and looks, her hair is slightly damp and tousled. Sex hair.

The dance, too. When she’s on his leg, she’s reaching out as if grasping for something. When she gets too close, she decides against it, shying away from it. But once she’s grounded, she goes to him and with him supporting her and keeping her safe (from falling, from hurting), the transformation happens. When she finds love she can trust, she gives into her desires (and sleeps with him).

Of course, the dance sequence is just an imaginary manifestation of her desires. It’s a dream of what she wants to come. (Hence the harps. We’ve heard it plenty of times in TV and cartoons signaling the start/end of a dream/flashback.)

So I took all this and decided that part of her story would be exploring sexuality--exploring a new world, a new frontier, a new planet, even. Of course, I didn't want her to be all about sex, because 1) I didn't like writing smut all the time and 2) I wanted her character to be more than that. I thought, in what situations do people explore their sexuality? And I realized on the journey to self-actualization, to self-love, that's where it happens. So her 'story' became about finding that self-love through her trials and tribulations on Earth. Earth is the obstacle course training her mind and heart to be the best version of herself. This is also why I could keep her on Earth indefinitely if I wanted, or find her way back home if I wanted, depending on if she was still growing as a person or she had reached her full potential and was ready to take on the problems at home.

There's a lot of little snippets in the MV that gave me ideas, too. Her dancing in the rain in a men's long-sleeved shirt made me think of her not having adequate resources--wearing what barely constituted as clothing, and literally having no shelter from the rain. I wrote her as homeless and breaking into empty homes and hotel rooms for quite a while!

Weirdly, her crawling on the table towards the guy made me think of her being very clueless as to Earth cultures and customs. Don't ask me why, I truly do not know. They don't climb on tables on Balah, either, so idk what's up with that inspiration. It just made me think of her doing wacky, clumsy stuff in her journey to learn more about Earth and how to pretend to be human.

The images and gifs I chose for this post are the ones that most inspired me when I was creating Vartouhi's character, too. They seemed to all resonate with that innocent-yet-alluring vibe that I wanted to go with. The third one simply made me think of her flying or floating in the air, with the way her hair looked. The fifth one also made me think of floating in the air, and also strange alien attire. It's where I got the headcanon that Balahyans typically show a lot of skin to absorb more sunlight.

[rivendell-poet]

I loved the little sibling headcanons so much! But reading Legolas’s part gave me a small idea for Thranduil because he is such father-coded sometimes.

So what if the same reader always had bandages wound around the entirety of their right eye and some of their right cheek for some secret reason that nobody knows. Thranduil is slightly intrigued by how this human teenager manages to fight so well despite being disadvantaged in sight, and after he grows much closer to them, he asks them about the bandages. And because reader trusts him a lot more than before, they (sort of) hesitantly take off the bandages and reveals how the entire bandaged area was heavily damaged/scarred from dragon fire mostly due to their recklessness a few years back. I think it’d be interesting to see Thranduil’s reaction towards a young human that also suffered from the feared dragon fire. I don’t mind if you write headcanons or a scenario for this :)

Btw sorry if this request was weird 😅 I just think that Thranduil’s character has so much to be explored, especially as we don’t see him interact as much with humans and younglings

Glad you liked the little sibling hcs! I'm always weak for platonic!lotr <3 And please don't worry about your request - I loved it, and I'm only sorry it took me so long to write. Hopefully you enjoy <3

*･༓˚✧ ❝𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧-𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫❞ ‧͙⁺˚༓˚✧ « scenario »

Gender-neutral reader | Wordcount : 1k | TWs : Brief discussion of scaring

✧ When he first meets you, a lone human who has somehow managed to brave Mirkwood, his mind doesn’t pay too much attention to the bandages.

✧ Another human eccentricity.

✧ It’s only after, when the scouts are quick to dole out praise for you - praise that does not come lightly from elves - that he thinks back to them. How you are able to fight remarkably well with something covering your right eye.

✧ Not that it matters to him when he calls for you to be escorted to a room and watched.

✧ Thranduil is a kinder king when not dealing with dwarves and dishonest folk, so has no reason to throw you into the dungeons. He doesn’t fully trust you at first, but that can be left until tomorrow.

✧  Late next morning you are invited to his chambers after eating, and he asks questions of you - why you are in Mirkwood, your age and general motivations. But not your bandages.

✧ Until the very end, when he asks if you would like to see a healer for your injuries.

✧ Your freezing is almost imperceptible to humans, but obvious to an elf. You decline, hands still frozen by your sides, but he lets you go without further issues.

✧ Mirkwood’s palace is a great haven for you - full of scrolls of lore, warriors of the highest skill, and places of respite if it is needed.

✧ When you initially only planned on staying for a day in there, you soon find yourself becoming familiar with your room. And then days turn into weeks, and the rest of Mirkwood becomes more familiar as well.

✧ Once you’ve become more comfortable with the elves you go down to spar, and to your surprise there are some happy to train with you.

✧ Although you are not as skilled as an elf they acknowledge your talent for what it is, impressed.

✧ Whispers spread all the way through Mirkwood, and even the king is reached by them eventually.

✧ Thranduil asks to be kept up to date about you, of course, as you are in his kingdom. Word reaches him that you managed to disarm a guard, and for some reason he feels genuine pride in the news.

✧ As the guard turns to leave, Thranduil asks when you had the bandages removed and by who.

✧ The guard answers that you haven’t.

✧ You’re not blind to the stares at your bandage, but something new has been occurring. There’s even more subtle glances, but less questioning about it. As though your bandage is now something to be observed, and not questioned.

✧ The excitement around it eventually dies down, especially as weeks in Mirkwood become months.

✧ It’s around the first month mark that Thranduil requests to see you again.

✧ Being summoned by the king is nerve-wracking, but once you’ve been around him for a while you become more relaxed.

✧ He doesn’t behave like the rigid, cold but regal king you were expecting. He is still regal, effortlessly so, but there is warmth in his gaze - when he asks you about your day, or compliments your progress.

✧ Some days you don’t even have to tell him about the feat you accomplished, as he already seems to know. But he still listens intently when you explain it, asking questions in just the right places - and always with sincerity.

✧ Over time, you begin to think of him a small bit like a father.

✧ Then one day, he asks you about your bandages. Why you still wear them after so long.

✧ He regrets it when he sees you freeze up, but when he begins to talk you raise a hand to stop.

✧ Hesitantly, you begin to remove the bandages from around you, not looking at him until they’re all of.

✧ As soon as Thranduil can see your face he recognises dragonfire on it. Scars so similar to his own, but on the face of a young human instead of an elven king.

✧ You can see the shock on his face as his eyes seem to sweep every area of the scars and not want to settle back on you. You take a deep breath, beginning to apologise for them.

✧ “There is no need.”

✧ Thranduil interrupts, softly but it stops you instantly. “The wounds you bear show you have survived, that you have faced dragonfire and lived. You… you should not need to be ashamed of them.”

✧ The revelation is surprising, but it makes you smile. You thank him, for being understanding about them - and he responds that he always will be, will always support you.

✧ There’s some deeper meaning to his words, but you cannot quite decipher it.

✧ The rest of your meeting is fairly normal, until the end when he asks questions you did not expect. How it affects you, if you can still see out of that eye - if you are in any pain.

✧ Each question you answer honestly, and any complaint that is raised he instantly tackles - doing his utmost to make sure you are comfortable.

✧ As you leave you turn to bow goodnight, and it looks as if he is about to say something before bidding you goodnight as well.

✧ In the morning you receive a summons to his chambers for later that day.

✧ For the first time you walk to Thranduil’s room without bandages covering your face, but you don’t find yourself afraid of him. Of him judging you.

✧ When you walk in there’s a nervous air. But not from you. From Thranduil.

✧ And he apologises, for not being honest sooner.

✧ You watch as the smooth perfections of his face give way to scars that being to mimic your own.

✧ “I would have told you sooner, if I had known you would understand this pain. I am sorry for not telling you.”

✧ The silence is loud, and then you move closer.

✧ “There is nothing to apologise for.”

A/N : Hopefully you liked it! Sorry if it wasn't as father-coded as you liked, I think I got a bit too deep into lore and setting up the story. But this is the second scenario in a row I've been very interested in expanding, so let me know if there's more interest in this universe!

« masterlist » thank you for reading *･༓˚✧ Taglist : @celestialhole / @starwars2222 / @withasideofmeg / @nilintakan / @ferns-fics / @fleurdemiel-145 / @recordofragnarokfan2 / @stormchaser819 ✧ wish to be tagged?

[stars-after-dark]

i too hate that they keep ending the same way. it feels sort of cheap in my opinion, and i personally think there are smarter ways to tie up such a show. with evilive though, i think that it was ultimately coming to that ending for both of them. the reveal after that though was just boring and uninspired for me. give me a romeo and juliet type death.

i didn't see them as partners at all. i know i'm being really cut and dry now, so just to iterate that this is all my own opinion! but i genuinely did not believe that they could've reached an equal partnership with the trajectory they were on. dong-soo didn't trust doyoung at all due to his growing greed and paranoia, and by the time we see doyoung start to let dong-soo in a little more, and in the final episode when he's telling dong-soo that had he waited, they would've been partners, i think he also knew the nature of dong-soo would be to eventually usurp him. because dong-soo is his parallel, pretty much a carbon copy. so dong-soo would always have been in some sort of shadow, withheld these bits of information, or never let in on doyoung's future plans, thus, i don't think they'd have reached the points of being true partners. that all said, i did wish for them to become partners. i really hoped for it! i can't remember at what episode it was though, but there was a definitive point where i realised that it wasn't going to happen.

i couldn't tell you why i fixated so much on BE tbh. i think it has something to do with the tortured characters, and while other shows like tdj also have tortured souls, i did not enjoy playing 4d chess trying to keep up with yohan and seonah, and the politics just bored me. but, as you know, i keep coming back to tdj because of the characters and the potential i see in it for my own enjoyment. i suppose the same applies for BE except i just generally liked the premise. you know what, that probably applies for most tv shows i watch 😂

i'll explore your ship dynamic in my mind a little more because i do see what you mean! once they reach that point of a civil partnership the toxicity will start to slip away. really interesting!!

and i hear what you mean about sooyeol and k. still not sure if i wholly agree but i definitely get what you mean. and the great thing about headcanons is how different other people's can be from each other!

and forgive me but adamas does not even look remotely interesting to me currently 😭 i love jisung but i haven't had a single point of motivation to watch adamas, again, couldn't tell you why. my taste in shows and media in general maybe just isn't that great 🤷‍♀️

really interesting thoughts brewing up in here!!

have you watched evilive? i finished it a few months ago and need thoughts opinions words stuff

yes i have!!!!!!

i really enjoyed it. wish it ended differently but ugh the potential!!

also, i'm not a fan of hakyun as an actor and watched it for young-kwang so the ship dynamic is hard to get into like it's very there and doyoung is just..... hot as fuck. 😭 but like i still ship it? idk im a weird one.

but also just doyoung as a character, mafia au come to life. i can't help but adore him.

like im in my hc era where kang yohan, seo doyoung, ryu sooyeol and song soohyun live in the same lil bubble, which ik this is not what you asked for but i had to tell someone bc it lives in my mind all the time now.

please tell me your thoughts on the show!!!!!! i want to hear them.

[just-a-little-cellist]

Levi Ackerman - NSFW Alphabet

A/N: i'm bored so i'm just writing these nsfw headcanons for all my comfort characters, don't judge me. feel free to request - i posted request rules so go check it out :)

enjoy! nsfw under the cut :P

A - Aftercare (what are they like after sex)

The first time you have sex, Levi needs a lot of comfort. He'd never been that vulnerable with someone before and it took a lot for him to open up like that, so aftercare for him is the priority. Once sex becomes more frequent and he gets used to everything, he's the one to clean you both up but he still needs more emotional reassurance than he'll admit.

B - Body part (fav body part of themselves/their partner)

He isn't a vain person, so he'd probably say his arms just because of how much you love them. He wasn't too fussed at first but because of all the attention you give them he's started growing fonder of them.

His favourite part of you is your neck and collarbones. He didn't even realize he had a thing for that until he met you, and whenever you wear chokers he can't take his eyes off you.

C - Cum (where do they prefer to cum?)

Levi prefers to cum on your stomach, purely because it makes it easier to clean up. (He's always very mindful of any mess.)

D - Dirty secret (self-explanatory)

It obviously couldn't happen because of his status, but it sends a shiver of arousal through him whenever he imagines you humiliating him in public. It's something he wants to try in private, though he's nervous to talk about it with you.

E - Experience (how experienced are they?)

Levi is a virgin, since he doesn't have sex with people he doesn't genuinely, 100% trust. You'll have to guide him through everything at the beginning, however he's a quick learner and picks it up pretty fast.

F - Favourite position (goes without saying)

He likes missionary a lot because it lets him feel close to you, and he'll melt if you wrap your arms around his neck and your legs around his waist. He also gets shy sometimes, so this position is perfect to hide his face in your neck.

G - Goofy (are they goofy or serious in the moment?)

Other than the odd sarcastic comment, he's generally serious. If he's in a vulnerable position then joking around doesn't calm his nerves at all.

H - Hair (opinions on grooming etc.)

Levi keeps his own hair neatly trimmed. He'd prefer if you keep yours vaguely under control but, as long as it's clean, it's up to you how you keep it.

I - Intimacy (how intimate are they during sex?)

It takes him a while to fully open up to you, but sex becomes one of the most intimate moments you ever share with Levi where he truly breaks down all his walls for you, just the two of you.

J - Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

He doesn't tend to masturbate unless he's really desperate. Something about it just makes him uncomfortable, but he also has urges sometimes when you aren't available.

K - Kinks (again, pretty self-explanatory)

When you first started sleeping together, Levi had more of the control because he thought that was the way it was 'supposed' to be. However once you brought up the idea of him being submissive, your dynamic shifted. He was extremely hesitant at the beginning because he wasn't used to being in such a powerless position, though as soon as you managed to get him into a submissive headspace it became a regular occurrence.

Levi is a sub at heart who needs a soft dom more than anything. Some of the kinks you've explored that he likes are bondage, light impact play, praise, orgasm denial and marking (as long as the marks are hidden during the day.)

He also definitely has a bit of a humiliation kink but he's still working up the courage to tell you.

L - Location (favourite place to do the deed)

His favourite place is a tie between the shower and his desk. Sometimes when he's had a long day and doesn't want a full scene, he likes to have sex in the shower (also it makes clean-up easier). Although if he feels like subbing, as long as the door is locked, one of his favourite things is for you to cockwarm him while he's trying to work.

M - Motivation (what gets them going)

Showing skin is a sure-fire way to get him riled up. I personally headcanon Levi as demisexual, so he doesn't care when other people show skin, but if it's you? All you have to do is leave a couple buttons undone, expose your chest a little, and he is done for. Also, slipping casual praise into conversations will sometimes start pushing him into a submissive headspace, especially if you've done a lot of scenes with him recently because he starts responding to that tone of voice.

N - No (something they'd never do)

He doesn't like intense pain play - he's had enough pain the rest of his life so he needs you to be gentle with him. He also wouldn't want a harsh or strict dom, preferring to have you take care of him instead.

O - Oral (preference in giving, receiving etc.)

He enjoys both equally. Before you'd had sex you wanted to ease him into the experience carefully, so you gave him his first blowjob and he almost sobbed from the stimulation. Buuuuuuut alongside that he would also happily spend hours between yours legs - the praise you give him as he pleasures you and the feeling of you clenching around his tongue is almost enough to make him finish without any physical touch.

P - Pace (are they fast, slow, quick, rough?)

If it's just against the wall in the shower then it tends to be a bit faster, and on the odd occasion Levi feels more dominant he can get rougher, but he is usually perfectly content to let you decide the pace entirely.

Q - Quickie (opinion on quickies)

They're good sometimes, especially when you're both very busy with other duties. They're good to relieve basic urges, but Levi would never choose them over a full scene.

R - Risk (how open are they to risk?)

Levi is open to a bit of experimentation, but never anything exhibitionist. He can't risk the possibility of someone catching him in a compromising position, considering his importance in the military, so he insists that you keep all bedroom activities private.

S - Stamina (how long can they go for?)

As expected, at the start Levi had pretty low stamina since it was all so new and overwhelming. It gotten a little better since then but he also has a fairly quick recovery time to make up for it.

T - Toys (opinion on using toys etc.)

He doesn't particularly enjoy using toys on you, but adores when you use toys on him.

U - Unfair (how much do they like to tease?)

He'll only tease you a little when he's in a dominant mood and you've been doing something to piss him off, but the rest of the time it's not something he does at all. (He kind of likes when you tease him though.)

V - Volume (are they loud or quiet?)

Levi is cautious to control his volume so that other people don't hear, but his whimpers of pleasure can get quite loud sometimes.

W - Wild card (random headcanon)

During a scene once, while he was deep into subspace, he accidently called you mommy. When he realized what he said he was mortified, and almost started dropping. You had to quickly assure him that it was perfectly alright, that you weren't upset with him, and that you don't mind it if he wants to keep calling you that. He only uses that name for you when he's really, really submissive, and it's adorable hearing the tiny whimpers of "P-please mommy..."

X - X-ray (what's going on... down there?)

So many people seem to think that this man has a monster cock. He is 5'3 there is no way. He's a little smaller than average, in length and girth, but that just means you can hear him whine when you take his whole length into your mouth.

Y - Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

His sex drive is low most of the time. He has so many other things he has to focus on everyday, so sex doesn't cross his mind that much. Sex is more of a stress relief that he doesn't think too much about until it happens.

Z - Zzzzz... (how quickly do they fall asleep after?)

Being an insomniac, Levi takes a while to settle down to sleep, although it's always a little easier when he's comfortably next to you. (definitely the little spoon)

[danpuff-ao3]

Hi!!! 💙 2, 11, 14 for fanfic asks for “The Yellow Door”, please. 👀

Hello, my dear!!!! 💛 I love The Yellow Door, I'm glad to be asked about this one!!

(If anyone's not read The Yellow Door, you can do so here.)

2: What scene did you first put down?

A fun question! This one will actually be true for all of my stories: the first one! I can't write stories "out of order." I sometimes wish I could, but alas....that is not one of my strengths!

I'm so very particular about things, and the few times I've tried starting in a different place, it's driven me BATTY!

11: What do you like best about this fic?

The AGONY. That was meant to be a joke, but the more I think about it the truer I find it to be. Y'all know I love the angst! I love exploring human emotion, and funneling my own emotions into my stories. I especially love exploring character motivations and flaws (which I'll explore more in the next question!)

Aside from character work, which is always my truest love, I'd say a detail I super liked was how I made the AU-travel work. The concept for this story came to me long before I actually wrote it, but I never could think of how to breathe life into it. It was just the idea that: "Snape is married to Lily in one world and Harry in another and he goes between both worlds" with no thoughts about where to go with it.

Until the night I sat down and wrote it, at which point it hit me and poured out of me.

So traveling between doors and all of these doors being housed in the Department of Mysteries was so fun! The DoM is another cool setting I've not done much with, or even read much of, but would love to. So much potential there!

14: Is there anything you wanted readers to learn from reading this fic?

Here is another question that is generally true across the board: no (but maybe?)

The long answer is, I never feel like I'm trying to "teach" anything (and I don't tend to care for stories where I feel like I'm being "taught" anything), but I guess deep down we're all trying to share something. Even if all we want people to learn from us are our headcanons.

I know you and I have discussed this before, but I'm very passionate about flawed characters. (I have a whole essay coming on that at some point, once work calms down and my brain is functioning properly again 😂), and want to always lean into those flaws and showcase them, rather than sugarcoating them.

We're all flawed. We all make mistakes. And I like to see that in my stories because it's a comfort to see people screwing up and being imperfect. To me, it's a reminder that I don't need to be perfect, because no one is. That it's okay if other people screw up sometimes; that doesn't make them bad, it makes them human.

So what I really love is seeing the main character, seeing the POV character, screw up royally.

Severus has no one to blame but himself for how his life turned out. He hurt the people he loves most in life, and he hurt himself. And I hope everyone can point to what happened and say: "Yeah, that was a bad thing to do. Yeah he screwed up. But I understand why."

It was also important to show that we don't always know ourselves as well as we think we do. That we don't always know what matters most to us until we lose it, or come close to losing it. That sometimes what we think we want, we're so thrilled when we get it, but once the luster wears off we realize: well, maybe this wasn't really what I wanted. Or not what I needed, anyway. We can be confused about our own motivations, our wants and needs, etc. Life is weird and complicated!

Life is weird. People screw up. And we learn as we go.

And that's why I left it at an ambiguous ending. Severus comes to the realization of what it is he really wants and needs, but we don't know if he can get it back or not. We can hope. And he can try. But we don't really know, do we?

ANYWAY, I guess I just want readers to learn...about other people, really. About the characters. (Oh, and maybe I hope everyone learns about my deep and abiding love of ✨ flaws ✨ )

I still am not sure that's a real answer, because I still don't feel like I'm actively wanting people to learn anything, but...maybe! Maybe subconsciously I'm shaking my readers begging them all to appreciate complexity and strangeness of humanity with me 😂

ask game here!

[tiredassmage]

Do you gravitate toward certain characters?

Hey there, thanks for the ask! <3

I think... probably?? I mean, my tendency and still undiagnosed as to its cause preference to write male characters is almost glaringly obvious, especially if you asked me to list off all the characters that live rent-free in my head that I just haven't put out a lot of stuff for on the blog yet - or just as an overall history of characters I've crafted and written in the course of my writing and rping history.

But, running back through a mental list of what I have semi-recently played or enjoyed, I think, as a sort of generalization, I really enjoy the kind of... quiet hero type when I find myself working with characters in those kind of roles.

Obviously, with XIV, that role is the Warrior of Light, and, for most of my characters, feelings about carrying that title have been... relatively restrained, despite the fame that undoubtedly comes with it. Part of that, I will admit, is probably my own memory just kind of glossing over it because while we have many prominent figures pour accolades upon us for all our Good Deeds in saving the world and whatnot, its otherwise not glaringly obvious - left more to player interpretation, I'm sure. And this I tend to appreciate because very few of my characters enjoy basking in the spotlight.

They may be confident of their own abilities (though usually in a humbler sense, rather than an outgoing or even cocky one), but I don't usually write characters who seek a stardom kind of recognition.

Astor, Shay... a good many of my characters, I think, if I sat them down, seek a more... personal kind of recognition. They don't necessarily want to be heroes... They just want to help where they can, or have some other "closer to home" motivation for being in the action.

I'd say even my Inquisitor from Dragon Age probably falls into this category. My beloved Lavellan mage ended up a bit more confident than I expected out of him, but I'd say, at the end of the day, he recognized what he could accomplish with his position as Inquisitor and rose to the responsibility and his perceptions of what he could do to make the world better for it.

As for an example from media I've consumed, my favorite Avenger was always Hawkeye. I have a somewhat strained relationship with the media now due to some choices made in previous movies, but I did always appreciate that Clint's... just a guy. He's relatable. His relationships are personal - his tight-knit friendship with Natasha, his role as a father, his mentorship of Kate.

I like those kind of get in close plots that really allow exploration of interpersonal relationships - particularly in friendships, family (and we love some found/adopted/'my new best friend I found behind a 7/11' what have you in this house), lovers, companions. It's why my favorite characters have always been those I've been able to write or develop with others - like Astor and Shay, who are both blessed with lovely stories shared with @fatewalker-phoenix!

And, on that note, I'm... wildly out of practice in actually roleplaying. It's been... probably a few years since I'd consider myself to have done it consistently, and that was on forums instead of through messengers or whatnot, and I don't necessarily have all the steam to write a whole lot like I may once have, but if you're eyeballing this and you've seen someone or something you like while you've been here, feel free to hit me up! I still really enjoy just... cooking up things and headcanons in dms and, occasionally, turning them into writing pieces, if something strikes me! I'm honestly just admittedly horrible at starting points so I usually have no idea what to say or where to start unless someone pokes me.

~ From a list of mun asks! ^.^

[spnfanficpond]

Pond Diving - Imagineteamfreewill

Welcome to today’s Pond Diving Spotlight! We hope that you enjoy this little insight to our members and perhaps even find some useful tips for your own writing. Happy reading!

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“Don’t Be Koi About It” - All About You

Name: Meg

Age: 20s

Location: United States

URL: @imagineteamfreewill

Why did you choose your URL: I first started out structuring my stories as imagines, and the “Team Free Will” part was pretty obvious.

What inspired you to become a writer: Reading Supernatural fanfiction inspired me to get back into writing, but I’ve always enjoyed it. My mom likes to talk about how when I was in Kindergarten, I drew a picture about how I wanted to be an author and now I write in my free time.

How long have you been writing: According to tumblr, I’ve been writing fanfiction since 2014, but I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember.

What do you do when you are not writing i.e. Job/Hobbies etc? I’m a music teacher, so I sing and play piano, and I’ve played a bit of cello and tenor saxophone as well. I love movies, baking, sleeping, and a few video games.

How long have you been in the SPN Fandom? I joined sometime around Season 8 or 9, I think. I don’t really remember!

Are you in any other fandoms and do you write for them? I really enjoy Marvel and I’ve read a lot of Marvel fics, but I don’t write for them. I like a lot of TV shows (New Girl, Parks and Rec, The Good Place, Outlander, etc), but I wouldn’t consider myself part of the fandom.

Do you do any writing outside of fanfiction? If so, tell us about it? I love to write poetry. I had a poetry blog at truenorth-ink a while ago, but I haven’t updated it recently at all. Most of my poems aren’t published or posted anywhere.

Favorite published author: I love some of the early series by Rick Riordan and I also really enjoy poetry by Nikita Gill and Atticus. Lately, I've really been getting into Leigh Bardugo's books.

Have you ever read a book that made an impact on your life? Which one and why?: I think "East" by Edith Pattou really affected me! I read it when I was in 6th-8th grade and I think about it often. I think it's something that really stuck with me and got me interested in fantasy books so much. I read it at least once a year.

Favorite genre of fanfic (smut, angst, fluff, crack, rpf, etc): I love angsty stuff, and most of the time I prefer it when it has some fluff mixed in. Straight fluff is often hard for me to read because I need something that’s more realistic for my own life and point of view. I also really like whump, but that can be a lot sometimes so it depends on my mood.

Favorite piece of your own writing: I don’t know if I have a favorite, but I loved writing Back to the Start (my mermaid series) and The Switch (a canon-divergent apocalyptic Reader x Sam series). Right now, I'm really enjoying my Consort series (a Goddess!Reader x Dean series). Creating my own rules in my own little universes is one of my favorite things to do, especially since I can’t always do whatever I want in real life.

Most underrated fic you have written: Empire. I loved getting to write Boyking!Sam because it was so different from my normal Sam stories and I did a lot of research for it. I’m pretty proud that the story never got too bloody or gory, too, so if you want some Boyking!Sam that’s not drenched in blood (for lack of a better term), I’m your girl!

Story of yours that you’d most like to see turned into a movie/tv show: Probably Back to the Start or The Switch. I think those two series would be amazing to see with J2, the rest of the cast/characters I included, and special effects! There’s so much I’d want to explore with both of them that I didn’t put into the series.

Favorite Tumblr Writer(s): @luci-in-trenchcoats, @sunlightdances, @supernaturalfreewill, @lipstickandwhiskey, @smol-and-grumpy, @percywinchester27, and @kaz2y5-imagines

Favorite fic from another writer:  I don’t think I could pick just one, but I’ve read all of @sunlightdances Dean fics multiple times. Her works got me through some pretty sucky times in my life and I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of her writing! I’ve also been reading her Bucky fics recently and it’s made me love Marvel fics even more than before!​

Favorite character to write: Sam Winchester

Favorite Pairing to write: Reader x Sam (Reader x Dean is a close second)

Least favorite character to write (and why): I don’t like to write for Crowley or Gabriel. Gadreel is hard for me even though I can do it, but I don’t understand Crowley or Gabriel’s personalities at all because they’re literally so far away from mine.

Do you have anyone you consider a mentor? No, although @lipstickandwhiskey and @kaz2y5-imagines really encouraged me in my writing!​

Do you have any aspirations involving your writing? I would love to write a non-Supernatural work of fiction to publish, but that’s a long way off.

How many work-in-progress stories do you have: Oh Lord, I have so many! I have at least four series and two one shots in the works right now. I've also got over 100 one shots/series plotlines written out in the notes on my phone and various Google Docs.

What are you currently working on? I’m currently working on a Cinderella series, my Underworld series, my Puer Rex series, my Consort series, an Author!Sam fic, and an Author!Dean fic. I also write stories for my Words series now and again.

“Pond Diving” - All About The Writing

What/who has had the biggest influence on your writing? Reading other people’s work. The intense storylines of @luci-in-trenchcoats ’s fics have gotten me to be more bold with my writing and the emotions and description in @supernaturalfreewill’s works have inspired me to let my work have more feeling.

Best writing advice you've been given: Not necessarily writing advice, but I was once told that anything worth doing is worth doing at least a little bit every day. Think about it—if you wrote even just five minutes a day, how much better will you get over the course of a month? A year?

Biggest obstacle you’ve faced in your writing: Repetition of words and commas. So many commas and so many uses of the same word over and over again. It’s a hard balance between using the word and using synonyms without sounding like I’m sitting there googling synonyms for “said”. I also tend to spend a lot of time on things that I think are super important but aren’t really important in the long run. I’m wordy as hell and my writing would be dull if I didn’t edit it as thoroughly as I do.

What aspects of writing do you find difficult when you write fanfiction? A lot of times I have these ideas that I think would make a great series but I don’t think through them, so planning out the plot of a series (or even a standalone fic) beforehand is something I struggle with.

Is there anything you want to write but are afraid to (and why): I would love to write more fics that have the characters dealing with severe mental disorders or that take place in a mental hospital, but I’m afraid that I’ll portray something wrong and solidify harmful stereotypes about what it’s like to deal with those things.

What inspires/motivates you to write: Honestly, just wanting to write things that I enjoy. Sometimes I get sick of reading other peoples’ stuff since it’s not exactly what I want, so I just write my own!

How do you deal with self doubt: Understand that sometimes it happens. You’ll doubt yourself—everybody does. If I’m doubting myself or my writing, I’ll take a break until I remember why I write. Then I’ll remember that yeah, writing for an audience is fun, but I write because I have cool ideas I want to explore, not because I need the attention or love of strangers. Lastly, I’ll reread my old fics, especially the ones I love, and then I’ll go back and edit old fics that I haven’t looked at in a while. That way I can see how I’ve improved and I don’t feel so terrible anymore! Reading my own fics is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, and I’ll read through my masterlists every once a while just to remind myself of the things I’ve loved, where I’ve been, and where I’m going.

How do you deal with writer's block: Like I said, I reread old fics and edit old fics that I haven’t looked at in a while. Seeing the things I’ve done before always helps to focus me. I’ll also read other people’s stuff or talk about headcanons with some friends to try and find some inspiration.

Do you plan/outline your story before you start: Lately I have been, but only because my periods of intense inspiration and productivity are getting farther and farther apart because of my job. I’ve found planning it out to be more and more helpful, especially for my series. A lot of times if I get a great idea, I’ll outline the whole plot or any significant details I want to put in that one shot/series so that I can come back to it whenever I have the time or I’m inspired for it again.

Do you have any weird writing habits: I write best in places that are unfamiliar to me or in places/times where I shouldn’t be writing. Class? Writing. Airport terminal? Writing. 4am when I have to be up at 6? Writing.

Have you ever received hateful comments on your fic and how do you deal with it? Not that I remember! I feel like there’s probably been one or two over the years, but I probably just got upset about it with my friends for a while and then got over it.

Conversely: what’s been some of your favorite feedback on your fanfic? A long time ago, when I was writing Back to the Start, I had one person who sent me asks for every single series update. I screenshotted them and saved them on my laptop. There’s one particular one where they say that they’re happier because of my writing and honestly, isn’t that what we all strive for? That people’s lives are better because of our stories? I’ve also had some pretty great friends recently who’ve made it a point to reblog and send asks/messages on all my works, which has been so meaningful that I never replied to the asks. They’re sitting in my inbox and I go through and reread them sometimes when I’m feeling down.

If you could give one piece of advice to a new and/or struggling writer, what would it be?  ​Write down everything. If you come up with an amazing piece of dialogue, even if it’s just one sentence or one person talking, or if you come up with something you’d think would be a great title… WRITE IT DOWN. It doesn’t matter if it fits into whatever you’re currently writing or not, it’ll come in handy! I don’t know how many times I’ve gone through my idea list and found really obscure lines/titles/inspiration that didn’t make sense when I wrote them down, but are now exactly what I need to finish a fic. Even if you don’t end up using it, jotting down your ideas is still writing, and that’s good practice!