#I AM WEIRDLY INVESTED IN THIS AU

[juustozzi]

oh my gods i cant believe i didnt think of that plot twist it actually works so well

suzuno nagumo and hiroto are still like the three higher-ups but whenever one of them need help, they go to fubuki. especially hiroto.

also, fubuki(shirou) feels guilty when others end up getting harmed because of aliea's soccer, but he cant really do anything when atsuya takes over and everyone insists that its fine and that nobody's actually getting seriously injured(lies)

atsuya on the other hand well in his eyes their opponents are trying to ruin their soccer and he would probably be distrustful and view their opponents as the villains so he probably wouldnt go easy on them at all

— same aliea!fubuki anon

I'm taking the "Aliea is tearing Fubuki apart (before it gets better) routa here... Shirou and Atsuya keep clashing harder and while Suzuno and Nagumo are trying to help in their own ways (by trying to make their favourite persona win), Hiroto is a neutral force and while relying on Fubuki himself, he tries to keep him together the best he can. for his own sake, or for Fubuki's sake? maybe both, who knows.

[tomiyeee]

Genshin Character Design Notes

wanted to write down some stuff i’ve noticed while studying genshin character designs for my rottmnt au in case anyone could find them useful for their own crossovers/ocs.

these are not hard and fast rules as much as they are simple observations and patterns i’ve seen across characters. i am by no means telling people how to design their characters!! these are just things that i personally try to keep in mind while designing and wanted to share for those who are interested.

sorry it’s long, i’m obnoxiously meticulous and wordy 😔

5-star characters will almost always be using their burst in their wish art and the effects will usually take up half or more of the space. many will either have an almost solid background and/or ground to stand on. an exception to both of these would be klee which could be due to her being made very early in development.

4-star characters can be using either their skill or their burst and their effects will usually be pretty minimal with much more empty space around the character. effects are also much more generic save for some talent-specific visuals like sucrose’s butterfly or xingqiu’s swords. even the 4-stars with more complex art look basic next to 5-stars with similar effects (ex: chongyun/eula, xinyan/dehya, candace/tartaglia).

all of the archons so far have had their nation’s scenery incorporated into their wish art. nahida is possibly an exception as it looks like it’s just her burst, even though the burst itself seems to be based off of sumeru’s architecture, but this could also be due to her being isolated compared to the other three.

i feel like this one’s a given but long loose/draping fabrics and dangling ornaments are basically a requirement. this game has gorgeous cloth physics and they very much like to use that to their advantage in their designs.

also the characters’ movements and combat style often play a part in how they are dressed, especially in regards to the cloth physics. characters with quicker and more active movements, like sword users or those with more energetic personalities, have smaller capes, wear pants/shorter skirts, and overall have fewer loose fabrics to obscure those fast movements; their clothing/silhouette tends to hug closer to the body. meanwhile characters that have less movement and/or are more elegant, like catalysts, will have longer skirts or other long clothing items that accentuate those types of movements better. there are no strict rules for this one, but in general the clothing should complement how the character moves, not work against it.

most characters will have a very unique hair style/coloration (yelan, dehya, xiao) or they will have hats/hair ornaments (shogun, shenhe, childe) and many will have both. either way, their hair and head is an important point to add visual interest.

this one’s kind of specific, it’s just a fun thing i noticed: there are very few characters, if any, without a high collar, choker, or otherwise covered neck. i guess they don’t really like leaving the neck exposed lol.

basically this entire video has a ton of very good observations, but the main thing i keep in mind from it is that characters will “always have an appealing view from behind” since that’s how they are primarily viewed by the player during gameplay. characters in most other series will have a backside of their design that basically gets the job done and not much else. but genshin takes care to have a back view that is just as unique as the front. skirts and capes will have their own unique silhouette and flow. clothing cut, fabric patterns, and accessories will create shapes that are just as eye-catching as those in the front. they are basically almost their own unique character design, completely independent of what’s going on in the front.

the legs tend to act as a sort of “break” for the eyes, especially when viewed from the front. not counting skirts, the legs will usually have less patterning and/or darker, more subdued coloration compared to the torso. many characters will have bare legs or plain colored stockings or pants with large amounts of blank space/simple patterning.

some will have brighter colors or noticeable patterns compared to other characters, but it is almost never the main point of interest in the overall design. ex: yelan, shenhe, and albedo all have very ornate leggings/pants, but at first glance it’s generally drowned out by the brighter colors + higher contrast shapes on their torso.

some characters like razor, noelle, and heizou are exceptions to the pants rule. in these cases, the legs serve to simply balance out the design. razor and heizou’s brighter colors add interest to an otherwise simple and almost monochromatic design and noelle’s armored legs make her feel sturdy and more ornate, fitting for a knight. they are detailed enough to enhance the design, but not enough to take away focus from the upper body.

since the characters spend a lot of time running, climbing, etc, their legs are never completely covered/obscured. skirts, if not split, are knee-length at most. otherwise their animations would probably be a clipping nightmare.

pattern placement is very intentional on every part of the character. fabric patterns will generally follow the cut of the fabric so as not to interrupt the “flow” of the design. repeatable/tileable patterns are almost non-existent, except to add texture to a small area like the scales on zhongli’s coat, dark patterns on sara’s skirt, and glittery star-like textures on parts of several characters’ outfits.

(this one is very iffy and better left to your own judgement, but..) asymmetry is common, but not necessary. in fact, most characters’ silhouettes are pretty symmetrical; the asymmetry is more often in the smaller details like patterns or ornaments/accessories than anything else. more noticeable asymmetry is usually in angled/layered skirts (ningguang, faruzan, barbara) and one-sided capes/sashes (kaeya, alhaitham, wanderer), while the cut of the “base” outfit is otherwise symmetrical. the asymmetry in these designs is noticeable because it is used well, not just often. exceptions to this (namely yoimiya and tighnari) are usually going for a specific look that fits the character’s personal and cultural background and their personality.

aaaand that’s about all i can think of at the moment. i’m sure a lot more research and thought goes into these designs than what is listed here, but i am just one non-professional artist and i am far from knowing all the ins and outs of mihoyo’s design process 😔 these are just a few of the (purely surface-level) visual observations i’ve made while making my turtle au lol.

[importantdestinydefendor]

As writers, we all love to daydream, right? And think about scenarios and how to continue the story, right?

But has anybody felt the emotions you want to convey so hard that you had a physical reaction to it??

I just thought about a way on how Azar and her dad could reunite and dear lord. I nearly made myself cry (it doesn't help that I'm listening to an extremely emotional song).

How am I gonna write this??? How are you guys going to READ this???

[wofworld]

the tension between me and the ridiculously long and unfinished modern au fanfiction i started years ago for a fandom i'm barely even in anymore...like on the one hand it's my baby but on the other hand i really want to shred my laptop in a blender whenever it gets mentioned

[dollya-robinprotector]

Alex making out with Whitney is glorious.

I guess they kinda my subship in this au?

Like, I am weirdly invested in their dynamic.

lol when you are a creator, especially art creator, reality is what you decide it to be.

[webshood]

In the 'Jason is 23 when Talia finds him AU' how does that work in terms of the people around him? Like, people already knew him when he was catatonic on the streets in the previous continuity? How much worse does it make none of the bats finding him? At 23 there's Batman, Batwoman, Oracle, Nightwing, Tim's alias (no Red Robin without Jason, is he Drake or Robin?), Robin, Signal, Spoiler, Batgirl (Cass), ect. all roaming the streets of Gotham and none of them find Jason for years? Oof.

I think Jason would have the right to be even angrier in this AU. Would he be more attached to that little group of Homeless people that he seemed to hang around with? (It would be interesting since he is established as being skilled at stealing food if the other people he stole food for hid him from the bats since they are known to beat up and arrest thieves.)

Sorry, I am weirdly invested in him developing relationships with that little community while dealing with catatonia on the streets.

Realistically speaking, someone who can fight as well as Jason wouldn't be left alone in Gotham, if the bats didn't find him, someone else would, not because he's Robin, but because he's useful.

As someone who's catatonic, surviving off instincts alone, people would find out what makes him tick and a way to explore it, be it in fighting rinks, or some C grade's villain sidekick/goon and Talia would notice from it, because that's not a skill level most people can display so easily.

Batman has a very particular way to move and so do the Robin's, it would get out sooner or later, in this AU in specific it happens way later, she initially thinks it's Richard undercover or some alternate reality version of a Robin , but she's a smart woman and ends up figuring it out.

Tim in this AU goes by Razorbill, because they have cool eyeliner and their nickname is tinkers/thinkers.

About relationships, I think he'd grow protective of these people with him and that would be used by whoever had him as a way to train the "mad dog", like they'd see he's protective of young kids and put their life on the line to get Jason to submit and play nice.

[blocksruinedme]

My big fat 4th wall breaking grian podfic is up! Here's samples to listen to!

My podfic is part of the MCYTBLR AU Fest Summer 2023 collection on ao3, thanks to the wonderful mods at @mcytblraufest!

My podfic has been up for a week, in fact, and it's not really gotten attention, so I'm going to shill for it!

The fic is about Grian, on hermitcraft, trying to figure out why TCG is so weirdly popular. At least it starts that way....

It's meta in a way I really enjoy! Inspired by WTNV!

The podfic is 46 minutes! (You can can just try a bit and stop, just like with regular fic!)

Me and three friends to do voices, every non-POV character has a voice that is not mine!

I did voice changing thingies on some of them!

I spent maybe 30 hours on this! At least 20! I worked very hard on background noise reduction and working together different takes and different readers. It's the best I've done technically on a podfic and I'm just proud of that.

Everything in this story is very intentional and comes together really well, seriously anything you might doubt, it all comes together.

I'm going to be real, I know podfic isn't big in mcyt (it's so good! i've been listening since at least 2010! podfic is so good!), but as I said I've gotten basically nothing on this one. So here come the pitches, in the form of clips! I genuinely think it's good, and I am honest in my opinions of my own work!

This clip is the literal beginning, the prologue and the start of scene 1. It has all 4 readers and my simple little special effects I'm so proud of. (I looked at a LOT of options, I've never done something like this before.)

If you want to check and see if the mild body horror bit (body transformation, no violence) it's too much for you before getting invested in the story, here's some of it! It's some spoilers, but I cut it before it got to big spoilers. I don't generally like body horror and I was fine here!

And my final one... well if the first two tracks got you interested, go listen! If you aren't going to listen, but want to listen to me reading something familiar, check this out

You can check out all my other podfic here.

[teddybeartoji]

mickey i am kissing ur brain so gently i literally just woke up but i saw the bi!toji post ……… 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 REAL & CANON BTW but for some reason the first thought that popped into my head was. uni au….. janitor!toji/professor!reader…………….. hear me out.

toji who just stopped working as an assassin and is trying to get his life together, who just happened to land a job as a janitor at a prestigious university that he takes fairly seriously…. (i just knowww he hates littering students with every fibre of his being. catches them in the act and reaches for his gun out of old habit LMAO) and there’s this nerdy little professor who always arrives at the uni first thing in the morning, without fail, and always gives toji a cheery little greeting when he does. wearing his cozy sweaters and vests and scarves and smiling all bright and sleepy. and for some reason he almost always takes his coffee breaks conveniently close to wherever toji is cleaning… so they can chat a bit….. even though toji usually just listens and grunts every now and then.

and at first toji feels kinda Threatened by this pretty boy bc ???? whyyyy is he interrupting my precious cleaning time. is he trying to supervise me? show off his fancy degrees??? …. reader has the fattest crush on him but toji genuinely doesn’t realize bc he’s wired to always mistrust others :// meanwhile reader is watching him clean internally going what the fuck what the fuckkk why is he wearing a compression shirt it’s literally fucking freezing??? is he teasing me???? does he know?????? they’re both losers actually. big romcom vibes

BUT YEAH i just picture professor!reader being a sleepy but cheery little guy….. who loves loves loves teaching and talking about his subject of choice and toji starts to really enjoy their talks bc reader’s eyes shine soooo brightly when he’s chattering away… all excited and gleaming….. and toji kinda hates teachers but he decides to make an exception this once. maybe starts to initiate conversations of his own every now and then… who knows…………….

OK THAT’S ALL PDHJDDHJF 😭😭 this came to me in a vision and ofc i had to share…. imagine me at a board meeting pointing at my little graphs and powerpoints while u sit in a big ceo chair overlooking the city… pondering janitor!toji and the future of this company…... mickey ur posts genuinely make me fully insane i hope u know that. bi!toji is real and loves you specifically btw <333333 I HOPE U HAVE A LOVELY DAY MWAH :3

ARIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I NEED TO KISS U RN!!!

LIKE THIS ISN'T OKAY BY ANY MEANS HOW DID YOU COOK THIS UP AND WHY IS IT LITERALLY PERFECT AND ALSO HOW IS IT SO IN LINE WITH WHAT I HAD IN MY HEAD?????????????? HOW???????

OKAY FIRST OF ALL WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT PROFESSOR!READER KIND OF BEING LIKE TAKEDA FROM HAIKYUUUU??????????????? LIKE THAT'S IMMEDIATELY HOW HE POPPED INTO MY HEAD AND NOW I CAN'T STOP IMAGINING HIM LIKE THAT I ALS OCAN'T TAKE OFF THE CAPS LOCK BC I'M GENUINELY SO INVESTED IN THIS FUCKING AU IT'S INSANE

but yeah he's always wearing the comfiest fits just like u said - sweaters, vests, a button-up shirt and a colorful tie sometimes (he was super nervous about wearing the tie at first bc he thought he'd look stupid but he got over it and now he has a rule of wearing a tie at least once a week)(canon). when it's cold he's wearing an oversized coat and an equally big scarf and toji thinks it's very cute i mean what who said that.

another thing just popped into my head when u called him a sleepy guy..... what if it's already like afternoon and all of the students are gone and the professor was supposed to be grading their papers or smth but when toji happens to walk by his class he's just sleeping on the table............... PLSSSS I THINK IT'S SO CUTEE i can see it so clearly in my head the professor's glasses are really weirdly on his face and his mouth is open with a bit of drool spilling out lmao and at first toji just shakes his head like damn this guy is stupid but then he realizes that he's smiling? that his own lips just curved into a small smile all on their own and he's kinda freaked out about it and leaves really fast hasgahsaghshgagsha HE'S A LITTLE AWKWARD SOMETIMES OKAY even big scary teddy bears have their little love moments yk

my immediate thought was that toji would actually be the one to develop the crush first btw................ and he'd be a little like ???? maybe this is his first real male crush? and the reader is just kind of oblivious to it like he thinks that yk toji seems like the straighest guy on the first glance lmao and he thinks that he doesn't have a chance but hehehehehe he's very wrong IDK WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT i wanna know

DON'T GET ME WRONG THOUGH I DO REALLYREALLY LIKE the reader kind of thirsting over him hihihihihi he's so real for that AND I LOVE THE IDEA OF TOJI EVENTUALLY STARTING MORE CONVOS!!!!!! FUCK OFFF HE'S SOO SWEET AAAAAAAAA i love him so much have i said that already

who do you think would take the step to go further though? IN YOUR SCENARIO I MEAN it would obviously take time. a lot of it. bc toji is well... like he is and the professor is nervous and he's kind of afraid to overstep even though he likes him sooooo much... okay i kinda feel like toji would....... and it almost makes the poor professor have a heart attack bc WHAT? hihihihiihi stoppppppppppppp i can see them both in my head soooo clearly and i'm so fucking in love with them they're so cute aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

also got this idea of the professor breaking smth in his class idk like he sits on the chair and one of the legs breaks or smth lmao and he goes on a lookout for smth to fix it with (??????) and he finds toji!!!! and he comes to his rescue, teasing the professor a little bc how the hell did he break the chair you know. and maybe he professor blushes a little..................... IT'S TOJI C'MON EVERYBODY WOULD BLUSH A LITTTLE and then maybe the professor brings him a pastry or something the next day as a thank you and now it's toji who's..... cheeks are looking a little pink?????? and he's grumbling that it's my job. no need to thank me. but the professor just dismissed that immediately and just presses the pastry into his hands and waves him goodbye with a smile. AAAAAAAAAAAH I CAN'TTTT I'M SMILING SO BIG RN MY CHEEKS HURT WHAT IN THE FUCK THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

ARI. MY SWEETEST LITTLE ANGEL. CAN I USE THIS IN THE DRABBLE I STARTED? LIKE I'M GONNA LINK THIS IN THERE TOO. i just started the drabble based on one of the asks i got - toji just smiling while he's listening to his little bf ramble about his day but i'd love to sprinkle this in there. like maybe he taught a class on smth he really likes so he's just so excited about it. excited that the students were loving the topic or whatever. BUT I DO NEED YOUR PERMISSIONN!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU FOR INDULGING ME YOU ALWAYS DO I'M SOOOO GRATEFUL FOR YOUUUUUUUUUU<33333 i can't believe you just cooked it up are you actually gordon ramsay btw? i know you are don't lie to me ari. BI!TOJI LOVES US BOTH THAT'S WHY HIS TITS ARE SO BIG HE'S STORING HIS LOVE FOR US IN THERE!!!!!!!!!!! I HOPE YOU HAD A REALLY REALLLY GOOD DAY MY LOVE MWAH MWAH MWAH<333333333

[prefixerism]

and here's another day of brie drawing kenny and pablo instead of her already existing ideas for the other kids 😌

(BTW this is gonna be a bit weirdly formatted, thats just how unorganized I am even with blogs HSHAH.. i'm just taking every single doodle I got)

i tried doodling w the broken pen.. (it was hell trying to erase the stray lines cuz it does that when its broken apparently 😭)

this is how I draw pablo sometimes..(when im not sticking to canon much) so atp its my own au i suppose 😭

ah yes.. the classic phrase..

lately ive been investing my time and making up more stuff abt them, especially on how they met and what their overall dynamic is like cuz come on I cant just make up a pairing without making it interesting or make sense at least!! so ill sometimes make like.. little comics of them interacting (n i have an idea for one and its them practicing together and all.,, ill work on that soon..) like to me they have the vibes of a duo from a coming-of-age movie

brie after drawing kenny and pablo even though she had another backyard kid in mind.. (i got smth with lisa and annie later)

lul ipad kid

i know everyones eyes also became a bit bigger and beady but i swear it looks sillier on pablo since im so used to his eyes just being =)

And some extra stuff that i drew a long time ago and forgot to post ova here oopsie!

yk when someone remembers a small thing abt you even though you've mentioned it rarely... its the sweetest thing ever

DANTEE hes so silly im ngl hes starting to become one of my faves

ocs.. ill possibly post about them sooner..

translate:

In the song of the waves

I found a rumour of light

Through a song of seagulls

I knew that you were there

song: Soledad y el Mar

these were supposed to go hard asf but it was unfortunately the same time I randomly got burnt out for no reason💔

[inkdemonapologist]

I'm more curious about the personality of your Sammy!

I'm not too deep into the hole Call of Cthulhu thing and i'm still digging around. Besides personality I am curious about Sammy and the lost ones. What his relationship is like with them and such (if they are around. Or in general for Batim/Dark Revival what you think of it)

As far as personality goes, overall, I read Sammy as a counterphobic type 6, and this applies to basically all of my Sammy interpretations, haha. If you’re not an enneagram nerd, this is the “skeptic” type – I see Sammy as an anxious person deep down who wants (but finds it hard to believe in) something or someone he can trust to be stable. Understanding that little conflict is hugely important for making sense of his actions; Sammy subconsciously wants something to trust in so badly that he aggressively mistrusts to protect himself from that one huge vulnerability, one I don’t think he fully knows that he has. I've seen him described as a follower at heart, and that rings true to me; he comes across as cynical and unimpressed as a human, but when he switches to his blindly devout worship of the Ink Demon, it’s not as much of a personality change as you might think.

TIOL is actually a really good example of this. When Joey introduces himself as the head of JDS and tells Sammy and Jack he’d like to hire them, Sammy’s first serious question is the weirdly revealing “how do I know it’s real.” He doesn’t first ask what the job would entail or what kind of work the man’s theoretically looking for; his very first response is to bluntly assume this man they just met might be scamming them. But then as soon as Sammy sees the place, which is little more than a room with a piano in it, he believes Joey’s claim that they’re planning to expand without question, as if he was TRYING to be skeptical but isn't actually that good at it. Joey is mystified by him for most of the tour, but it’s actually apparent in Sammy’s wording that he’s interested and getting invested – which shouldn’t be a surprise. Sammy’s immediate mistrust and assumption that the offer was too good to be true was just as telling as Jack’s sparkle-eyed excitement: he already wanted the job.

Anyway, I see Sammy as someone who’s serious and cynical to protect a vulnerable heart that wants someone he can safely rely on and doesn’t think he’ll get it. He values stability and survival over happiness (better the devil you know than the devil you don’t) and doesn’t like taking big risks, but he’s also not careful; he’s not good at thinking things through or identifying his own feelings, and often acts impulsively towards whatever makes the most immediate sense to him. A lot of his rudeness isn’t intended to be mean – he just doesn’t see the point of social niceties and isn’t interested in worrying about them – but he is ALSO not always thoughtful, projects his stress and frustration onto others, and is not good at looking at things from someone else’s perspective. Sammy can be volatile, and between the ink and the overstimulation he's obviously experiencing on the job, some of that genuinely isn't his fault... but some of it is his own choice to lash out at everyone around him before ever looking within or trying to improve things.

The Lost Ones aren’t a thing in the Cthulhu AU. In Escape AU, none of them survived the escape, and Sammy’s relationship with them was something that kind of haunts him now – they were his flock, and he cared for them, but he knows he wasn’t a good leader. I’ve talked about this before, but I tend to interpret Sammy as someone who exploited his followers’ desperation and loyalty for his own protection; even if he did look after them and was the closest thing to hope and care they had. That’s a big reason why Escape Sam was convinced he should stay separated from Jack for a long time – it’s not just Sammy refusing to believe he deserves love (though it’s that too), it’s also Sammy recognising that he was a cult leader who destroyed Jack and then took advantage of his confusion and loyalty.

I don’t know if this answers your question but uh, THERES SOME OF MY THOUGHTS

[yakultii]

@alwayschasingrainbows hi hi thank you sm for all the questions <33 I appreciate u sm ik u accidentally asked on my main but I’m gonna answer them here :))) also thank you for sending ur own answers too I loved reading them and learning more about you and found them super interesting!!!!! <3

1. What is your favourite childhood movie and why?

Strangely I’d never been big on movies or tv as a kid or even now (I want to get more into it now but my adhd still says no) my mum even told me that when I was young she could sit my brothers in front of the tv to be entertained but not me, I’d lose interest hella quickly… probs the first time I got into anything tv related was when I was 10-12 and was invested in the drama of the tv series “dance academy” on abc3 Ive actually met the producer! other than that I didn’t mind a reality show as a kid but then most of that wore off after I studied media in school and we went as live audience to “reality” shows and I realised how set up everything was and couldn’t care less afterward -

If I had to pick any movie that I loved and that still strangely brings me some sort of comfort.. it would have to be the 2010 Jaden Smith Version of Karate Kid ahahaha idk why (well I kinda do there’s lots of reasons but then I’d go on another whole tangent so I won’t) I was like 11 when it came out so I think that can count :) I can weirdly watch it over and over whereas most other movies I watch once and never again.

2. Do you have a favourite book or book series and why?

I talked about this in some previous posts on here but my fav book of all time is “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” by Gail Honeyman !!!!! I also am very passionate about “The uncaged sky: my 804 days in an Iranian Prison” by Kylie Moore-Gilbert (the audiobook version narrated by Kylie herself) and fav wholesome series has gotta be the Heartstopper graphic novels!!!! AHAHA again I could go on and on and on about why I love them all individually as they are all VERY DIFFERENT from each other, but I’ll literally be writing like 3 giant essays so I’ll stop myself now!! I will say, while it’s important we consume and love media that we don’t relate to to broaden our perspectives of life, it’s obviously easy to consume and love media that we see a small part of ourselves in and think this has a lot to do with why I love these so much!

3. The colour that makes you happy

Probably a dark green which reminds me of the rainforest:))))

4. Your favourite cereal?

I honestly don’t eat cereal and never really have :,) cereals were kinda demonised in my house as a child (almond mum tings?) but then eventually they weren’t anymore but I never rlly enjoyed their taste - this is such a sad answer but probably Kelloggs sultans bran LMAO. I haven’t had it for years but I rlly don’t mind it … I think it’s probably very different to American cereals cause it’s not sweet … one time I went to an American food store here in Aus and everything I tried taste like pure sugar and hurt my stomach so bad LOL never again I’m hoping and praying that Americans have other food options not featured in this store 😭 cos I understand some of it as a one off dessert but like everyday breakfast omg noooo I hope ur stomachs are ok

5. Your favourite gemstone?

I’m ngl I don’t have a super passionate answer about this one off the top of my head (sorry I’m such a boring person!!) I think they’re all so pretty!!! I gave them a google to try decide which I like most but it’s impossible .. I think I love any of the blue ones!! I’ll tell you one thing I rlly don’t love the yellow topaz cos I’m born in Nov and I see it on everything and I swear it’s the worst one imo like liteeally any other one I love! But I can still appreciate it ig :,)

6. Any activity you liked as a child and do you still like it now?

My biggest pain as a child was athletics!!!! I used to be competitive in 100m, 200m, long jump and triple jump :) sadly I no longer do athletics or compete but my passion for running/competitiveness lived on and by 15 I ran my first half marathon.. but from 17 onwards I got quite sick and was unable to run (minus a few little months of getting back into it over the yrs only to have to stop again) and now I’m 24 and finally getting back into it again.. kinda.. cos my health is still kinda shit but I’ll go for a lot shorter runs a couple times a week and hoping and praying my health gets better so I can proper get back into it.. not to compete anymore just for myself cos it’s one of the only things in this life that brings me joy :) I’ve also always loved taking photos although I’m not professional or anything it’s just been a fun little hobby I guess.. I have a few diff cameras but in currently trying (failing) to save for this new different one.. just waiting for my uni scholarship money this tri bc I’m too unwell to use it to go on a holiday atm I’m gonna use it to buy this camera I’ve been wanting oop :,) I’m a much bigger a fan of film photography over digital but the camera I’m planning on buying is kinda a combo of both eg. It produces images of a similar vibe to film photography but is actually digital so u don’t have to worry about wasting film :) it’s also a point and shoot, super small and can be taken anywhere which is much better than my current digital camera which is bulky and has a million settings idk how to use lol.

7. Have you ever read Lucy Maud Montgomery books?

I was about to say no I’ve never heard of her but then I googled it and saw Anne of Green Gables which I read when I was like literally 8… and as I’ve said in a previous post I never remember what I’ve read even if I read it two minutes ago bc adhd tings but I always remember how it made me feel - and I remember really enjoying it! Maybe I should give it a reread cause I barely remember what it was about :,) as for the rest of her books I don’t think I’ve read any! I love so much that you have a fandom page omgggg I wish I was that passionate about something !!!! PLS PLS give me recommendations if someone were only to read 1 of her books .. okay maybe 2 for now!!!!! I might actually give them a read :)))

Thank you thank you again for all ur kinds words I hope u have the most amazing day/night <33333 I appreciate u a lot!

[snowbellewells]

1-6, 22, 42&43, and finally 50 for the Fanfic Authors Game. Thank you, ma’am!!

Oh Krystal @kmomof4 this took me a minute, but I'm so glad you sent asks - I haven't done any ask games for a while, and I always find them fun. Thanks for your interest (and I'll be sending some back your way! ;p)

1- What was your first fic and could you stand to reread it today?

My first fic was probably a PaceyxJoey revamp/divergence of the Dawson's Creek Season 1 finale. I had only recently even discovered that fanfiction existed, and everyone else I knew was convinced that I was crazy for thinking Pacey and Joey had the romantic chemistry rather than Dawson and Joey. Anyway, the fic was largely a way for me to vent my frustration and play out my vision of things. I'm not even sure there is still an existing copy of it today there, whether I would want to read it or not!

2 - What's your most recent fic and how far do you think you've come?

My most recent fic is my second entry for the @cssns24 event "For All Life and For All Time" (a Dracula AU). I'd really like to think that I've come a fair way in dramatic and atmospheric writing, as well as just writing a cute little love story for smiles. Though there is nothing wrong with fluff, I've been labeled as sweet for quite some time, so trying to add a bit more edge or danger and darkness to my works is a continual growing process, and one that I hope shows in this newest one as I go along.

3 - In your opinion, what's your best fic?

Goodness, I feel like that is a really hard question, K! I don't tend to feel like I really have a "best of" the way some of my favorite writers do. (For some reason it feels presumptuous when speaking of my own work) I do have ones I am more attached to or was more emotionally invested in writing, but I don't know if that makes them the "best" or not. I guess I might say "Tasting Forever" if pressed. It had such an incredible response when I first posted it - so far beyond what I had expected, and I am pretty proud of it when I look back at it.

4 - In your opinion and without looking at any numbers, what's your most popular fic?

Without looking to make sure, I would say probably "Tasting Forever" (see above) is one of the most popular, if not the most. It was at one time, at any rate. Before that one was written/posted, it was probably the two part "Under the Weather" which I wrote around the season three timeframe in the show, and was basically an excuse to have Emma take care of a sick Killian and hurry up and admit her feelings as well. The only other contender would be my first true CS/OuaT MC "I'd Know You Anywhere" which had Emma as a witness to a murder and Killian and Ruby as FBI agent partners assigned to protect her and Henry.

5 - Is there any fic that makes you super happy to reread and remember you wrote that?

I realize that this fic is incredibly niche and not many will ever read it, because it is not strictly CS (though they are supporting characters) and it's not even about a popular side pairing, but my BellexLiam short MC "Looking for a Heart (that's not Walking Away)" is one that I still read and smile about. I had a lot of fun imagining how I should characterize both Belle and Liam more fully and with the storyline itself. I am still really pleased with how it turned out and it's close to my heart, and the ending makes me grin happily whenever I reread it. I love it even more since @hollyethecurious created cover art for it as well.

I also feel that way about "A Year in the Court of Misthaven" (especially the first chapter with the Yule Ball) It just makes me grin imagining it. :)

6 - Is there any fic that makes you super embarrassed to reread and remember you wrote that?

Weirdly, since it's one of my more popular fics with other people, I have some embarrassment over "I'd Know You Anywhere". There are parts of it that I like and feel as though they turned out quite well, but there are also parts that seem rushed to me in hindsight, or plot holes, anomalies, and deadends that don't make sense. Maybe I'm being overly self-critical, but I feel like I could do a better job of it now than I did then.

22- Has there ever been anyone who's made you freak out because they read your work and followed/favorited/reviewed?

Oh yes, for sure! I won't try to list too many specific names, because I feel like I'd be bound to leave someone out, and I wouldn't want anyone to feel like their kind words and love weren't appreciated. Every single reblog, like, or comment is such a boost and huge compliment to me!! I will say though, that whenever someone 2who I regularly read and whose writing I admire takes the time to read something of mine, I am incredibly gratified and flattered.

And I doubt anyone who has received them would deny that your (yes, you, K!) real-time flails as you read are some of the best mood lifters and ego boosters in the world!!

42- How many views has your most popular fic gotten?

I'm going to guess this means on AO3? Are "Hits" the same thing as "Views"? Since that seems the most likely, that's what I'm going with here - Hits on AO3, in which case the one with the most is "A Cottage by the Sea" with 1,767 hits.

43 - Your least popular?

That would be my Ruby-centric OuaT one shot "Always Running" with just 46 hits (or views?)

50 - Has writing fanfic had a significant impact on your life? Would you say it's entirely positive?

Other than the amount of stress I put on myself when I can't update as quickly as I like or fear people may not like my newest post or addition, yes, I would say fanfic has been almost an entirely positive experience.

It's had a huge impact on me: it's kept me writing even as I've become an adult and had to get a "real job" to pay the bills. It's kept alive a show I adored, even though it's been off the air for someone six or seven years. Most of all, it has brought me some of the best friends in fellow fic writers that I have ever had! That last one in itself is one of the most incredible blessings I could imagine!!

[ragnarlothcat]

for the fic writer asks! 1, 14, 19 (but turned on it's head -- what's the most absurd thing you've had to research for a fic?) and 30!

Thank you friend 🥰 And I like your spin on that question! (for this fic writer ask game)

the last sentence you wrote

“Nobody’s resourceful enough to survive a decapitation,” Vader says, matter-of-factly. “Have you tried that?”

14. where do you get your inspiration?

Going outside and engaging with the world really helps. Every winter I hit a rut and wonder why I suddenly can't write anymore and it never occurs to me that it's because I haven't seen anything other than the inside of my apartment in several months.

Once I am allowed outside again I get all kinds of inspiration just by looking at things! Is it always good inspiration? Recently I saw a place with two ferry terminals run by different companies and then I thought about an obikin AU where they work for the rival ferry companies and it's like Romeo and Juliet but with timetables and boats. It would be called something like the face that launched a thousand ships or aboat face and they'd have to have sex in a dinghy owned by neither company.

19. the most absurd topic you’ve researched for a fic

Definitely how to take care of monitor lizards for Here Comes Santa Claus. I got weirdly invested in it and kind of want a monitor lizard of my own. But I don't think they're exactly domestic animals and also I do not have the space to keep a giant lizard in my home. Bad luck!

30. share a fic you’re especially proud of

There's probably some recency bias at play (side note: why doesn't my computer think "recency" is a word?) but I'm quite proud of from a certain point of view. I think it's weird and slightly unsettling but I like what I did with Obi-Wan's character! He's been beaten down by the time stuff and all that's left is his love for Anakin. Good for him!

[whetstonefires]

20 Questions for Fic Writers Tag Game

@kiragecko tagged me in! (17 is missing, gecko, did it come that way or was that you?)

1. how many works do you have on AO3?

167 on my main account, plus the ones posted to my personal anon collection under a pseud so as to archive my ffdotnet juvenilia without spamming my nice subscribers with stuff from 2004. Also I think three E-rated fics on the account I made just for that, for similar reasons? So like. 190ish? idk

2. what’s your total AO3 word count?

1,306,169 + 115,249 + the anon fics like hell am i doing that math

3. what fandoms do you write for?

Actively, right now? Mostly mdzs, little scum villain. Idk I have developed a compulsion. Got open fics I'm still technically working on for Batman and ffvii, too.

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

All the Roofs of Uncertainty Jason-centric Batman fic from almost 10 years ago, complete

in the shadows an unimaginatively titled batman AU where Batman is basically the feral imaginary friend of Bruce Wayne, who died twenty years ago, which I'm still updating occasionally but it's told in standalone vignettes so it's basically a complete fic at any given time

and judgment is just like a cup that we share a Scum Villain identity reveal fic where the main conceit was subjecting Shen Qingqiu to having the plot explained to the other characters by a third party who didn't give a damn. complete.

The Till-Then From the Ever-Since a sort of batfam...mass time travel/deaging premise?? long on hiatus but technically not abandoned.

the tune without the words one of my first fics on a03, i think; jim gordon and jason todd and secret ID related dramatic irony. oneshot.

5. do you respond to comments?

Regularly! Not reliably though. Often I forget, or don't have the spoons, or I notice that I'm not making progress on my fic because I'm writing replies instead and well. Probably the readers would not prefer that, actually.

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't know?? I'm not even a good judge of what an unhappy ending is because I like 'em wide open and a lot of readers disagree. It's been 20 years I've been at this idk idk.

Wait I do know. I didn't post it because I was worried people would be mad at me.

7. what’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Idk this either. I don't really classify them this way? The one I just finished, they keep the phoenix in a bamboo cage, is probably a contender? it ends on a note of laughter, with the canonical main pairing reunited, at home in their house, their relationship probably rather stronger for the trial it just went through, being affectionate, with no particular problems looming on the horizon.

8. do you get hate on fics?

Very rarely? There was memorably a person who went after me for mentioning in an author's note that, according to studies, having a gun present primes people toward violent solutions to problems, even solutions that don't utilize the gun, so having the hospital take Jason's guns away was psychologically important.

Mostly people just get weirdly condescending sometimes lmao.

9. do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Recently, yes! Uhm, kind, I don't know what classification system this is meant to refer to. I guess I write the kind of smut that uh, is invested in how desire intersects other forms to attachment and attraction to other people, and how communication works, or doesn't work???

Idk. I got into it in large part as a writing exercise because it requires describing physical positions in some detail without growing boring, and I've always been complimented on that in fight scenes and hugs and so on, so I wanted to see how far I could go.

10. do you write crossovers?

Occasionally? They're very hard to do to my own satisfaction, because the tonal and stylistic things that are normally easier to manage consistently in fic because you have a pattern to imitate all become freighted with choice.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of?? Uh, I think maybe some of my stuff showed up on one of those weird aggregator sites at one point, which I didn't like but don't qualify as stolen since they did leave my name on it, they just tried to imply I'd voluntarily posted it with them. Which is less stealing the fic to my mind than appropriating my fannish identity.

I did get some nice people telling me I might have an impersonator when I started crossposting fic to AO3 under a different pen name lmao.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have! Two batman fics into Chinese. I don't think they finished Roofs. I think there were a couple others but they're gone or not tagged as related works or something? Hm. Anyway very cool. Big fan.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not really. I have a couple I brainstormed with other people, and me and @husborth kind of worked together on the empress padme AU which was her idea, but we coordinated very badly and kept stepping on one another's plans and gave up.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I...by the wordcount it's gotta be wangxian, right? I don't normally ship at all really. I was very pleased with my Harley/Jokester mirror universe ship though; they were so married.

I guess that's what I like in a ship??? Ludicrous devotion? Yeah if people aren't life partner goals I don't even care.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

Um. The YuYuHakusho/Natsume Yuujinchou crossover. I did most of the brainstorming for that with my sister, who knows the natsume timeline better, and without her it was difficult to make satisfactory progress. I did try watching the anime but I have so much trouble watching that show in order. The continuity is so subtle.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I have a lot of these! Idk what they are right now. Feels awkward to try to isolate them.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Weirdly specific question lmao. Well, it all comes down to narrative distance, doesn't it? The effect you want.

An omniscient narrator is most likely to just report the content of a remark, and then add something about what language it was said in if relevant, but sometimes you want to create a sense of alienation between speaker and reader, and then the omniscient narrator would give a word-for-word report of what specifically was vocalized.

If you're riding a character for their point of view, how they report dialogue they don't understand becomes a characterization issue. Most people who don't speak a language are not going to pick up its syllables very cleanly; a person who does report words in an unknown language precisely is showing a lot about their capacities and attention. A character who attempts to note an approximation of the sounds they're hearing even though their phonetics are shaky and they can't identify the word breaks is different from one who just sums the unknown words up as 'incomprehensible,' unless the latter is a result of the narrative getting on with things because the specifics of the dialogue aren't important. And so forth.

There's probably not really a wrong way to approach this, just the right tool for the job.

Extended blocks of dialogue produced by google translate are probably rarely the right tool though.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Inuyasha lmao. Or maybe there was a spiderman fic before I knew what fic was?

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Dumb question, I refuse.

mmmmm tagging. I always forget everybody's tumblrs at moments like this. already tagged jd, who might not want to do it due to having deleted at least one account before so the numbers will be fake. @omokers @beatrice-otter @curlicuecal @brawltogethernow @audreycritter

[thiefbird]

4, 13, and/or 23 for the fandom ask game (was thinking dragon age, but anything really)? :D

I'll answer all of these for DA and the first two more generally!

4) Is there a popular pairing you don't necessarily dislike but aren't too invested in?

DA: Hm... Most of the DA:I pairings, if I'm entirely honest. Solavellan is the only one that really grabs me, in terms of plot relevance. I love Dorian and the Bull and Josie, but their romances are just not particularly plot important compared to, say, Morrigan or Alistair or Zevran or Leli or Anders or Isabela or Merrill or Fenris or even Sebastian! General: Archie/Hornblower and Granby/Little. I don't dislike them at all! I'm just kinda... meh, I guess. I don't know enough about Little to care much, and I don't know why I don't find Archie/Hornblower compelling(or at least, requited Archie/Hornblower)

13) What's a character or ship you haven't written/drawn yet but would like to some day?

DA: I've yet to write anything Solavellan! Nor have I written my personal rarepair (raretriad?) hell JustSolAnders, despite having many, MANY ideas for an Inky!Anders AU General: Granby/Laurence, Laurence/Tharkay, Sir Edward Pellew/Hornblower, and Bush/Hornblower are all on my list! I also TECHNICALLY haven't written Diana/Stephen yet, just in terms of I haven't written them interacting; Diana is just haunting the narrative at the moment, but she should be in the very next chapter of Thy Heart Torments, and I am SO excited for it.

23) Has your favourite character/ship changed over time?

DA: Yes! I was weirdly attached to Blackwall when I started my first ever Dragon Age (yes I started with Inquisition; it was the first one available in the 5 dollar game bin. I also started with Mass Effect 3 for the same reason, which is a much more perplexing experience). But then I played DAO and Awakening, and mega-bonded to the dorky clown of a mage that is Anders, and the rest is history.

Thank you for the ask <3

[builttoserve]

I am weirdly invested in this au and I want to ask what about the rebellion? Do they still have the same goal as canon? How do the rest of the jedi fare? What about luke and leia? I'm assuming obi-wan doesn't know vader is anakin at that period of time so are you going to do some reveal? Oh also what is the empire's like from citizens perspective? Sorry I ask a lot I just like this so much I need to know more detail!!!

*cracks fingers* Okay, so that is quite alot of asks, but lemme try and break them down:

The Rebellion still has the same goals as in-canon; restore the Republic, overthrow Imperial rule. That said, they are having a far harder time of things. For one, the destruction of the first Death Star never occurs, because Vader cut the funding for the superweapon on Thrawn's insistence- which, in turn, severely hampers the Rebellion's overall unity as a faction, since they no longer have that 'great victory' to build them up into a stronger and more-popular faction. Additionally, Thrawn's pro-alien reforms have split the galactic population. In canon, it is mostly condensed down to a largely-humano-centric Empire against basically a largely-alien Rebellion. In 'Built To Serve', however, you are just as likely to find a Twi'lek or a Rodian Stormtrooper as you are to find a Human Stormtrooper. This, naturally, deprives the Rebellion of one of their largest recruitment 'pools from the canon timeline: the oppressed alien masses.

One other change is that Galen and Jyn Erso never sided with the Rebels; the Death Star project was scrapped, and Galen's technology was turned back towards clean renewable energy. This kept him on-side with the new Empire, and never separated him from his wife and daughter. Jyn, now living a new life as the daughter of a high-ranking imperial scientist, got the best education and connections, allowing her to rise rapidly through the ranks of the Imperial Navy. She now serves as one of Tarkin's many government officials.

The Jedi are far worse-off in this timeline. Whilst Palpatine mostly concerned himself with the Empire and left Vader to deal with any Jedi that dares to spring out of hiding, in this AU Emperor Vader leaves the broad-strokes of Imperial policy to Thrawn and Tarkin. This, in turn, leaves Vader with more time to organize and arrange the Imperial Inquisitors under the leadership of Grand Inquisitor Barriss Offee (the only person who hates the Jedi perhaps even-more than Vader himself). This newly invigorated Inquisitorius, in combination with the massive ISB propaganda effort to paint the Jedi as treasonous manipulative b*stards post-Order 66, has alienated the Jedi survivors from much of the support they might have had in-canon. Kanan Jarrus, Cal Kestis, Cere Junda and Ezra Bridger were all killed in this new timeline by the hand of Grand Inquisitor Offee, as was Darth Maul during an ill-planned assassination attempt against Emperor Vader. Ahsoka Tano remains alive as the head of the Rebel spy-network, 'Fulcrum'. Yoda, similarly, remains in hiding on Dagobah.

The exception to this blanket persecution is the planet of Ahch-To. In this new timeline, Ahch-To is used as a demilitarised 'reservation' for maybe 10% of all captured Jedi. The imprisoned Jedi are disarmed, installed with tracking chips, and released onto the planet's surface. There, they can meditate on the Force, practice their beliefs, and live out a relatively peaceful, low-tech, primitive life... on a number of conditions... The reservation of Ahch-To is led by the renowned former Jedi master Luminara Unduli, who preaches nonviolence and pacifism whilst firmly dissuading any talk of escape or insurrection; like it or not, Vader has given them all a second chance after Order 66, to live simple (albeit heavily-monitored) lives. Additionally, any newly-discovered Force-sensitive who fails examination under the Imperial Inquisitorius' exacting standards is dumped in the hands of the Ahch-To Jedi reservation.

Luka and Leia are unchanged from canon - Leia is still the outspoken daughter of Senator Organa (who, coincidentally, has been having a harder time getting supplies off-of Alderaan to the Rebels, now that the 'Death-Star-carcass-turned-Imperial-Navy-starport' is parked right over his planet), and Luke is still a farmboy on Tatooine.

Obi-Wan never had his little adventure from his 'Kenobi' series, and remains in-hiding on Tatooine. He still communed with Qui-Gon Jinn as a Force Ghost, and learnt how to become a Force Ghost himself, but he never had that final fight with Vader. Indeed, Leia herself was never kidnapped as a young girl; instead, her father Bail just told her about Obi-Wan's many adventures. As for if Obi-Wan discovered Vader is Anakin... ehhh, let's just say that Obi-Wan never made that connection. He'd still think that he killed Anakin on Mustafar, and that Vader is some other Sith Lord who stole power 'out from under Palpatine at the final minute. Or, atleast, that is his best-guess. He doesn't exactly have an abundance of intelligence on a backwater like Tatooine.

The Empire, from the prospective of an average citizen, is a marked improvement on the Old Republic. Granted, they are under intense scrutiny and subjected to a near-dizzying amount of Imperial propaganda, but they are *safe*. The Clone Wars are over, the Jedi traitors are gone or in-hiding or on the 'reservation' world of Ahch-To, and the old corruption and greed of the Republic Senate has been expunged (for the most part). The Hutt cartels are far less aggressive and daring, with crime at an all-time galactic 'low. Slavery is still a problem, especially in the Outer Rim, but worlds like Ryloth and Shili are firmly slavery-free, and firmly loyal to the Empire. Alien and otherwise nonhuman citizens are far more satisfied with the new Imperial system, finding it as a source of excellent new career paths with alot of upwards mobility. Indeed, reports and news stories on galactic equality margins are at an all-time-high, firmly outstripping the Old Republic. Basically, if you were born a Sullustan, you would have far-better chances of finding work in government under the Empire than you ever did under the Republic. The prices of much-needed items like medicine and food are also much more affordable, with some of Emperor Vader's key early policies being based around the production and distribution of these two things... partly to cement his own popularity, partly to incentivise postwar economic prosperity, and partly to urge more people to buy-in to the new Empire as a new galactic government.