#I THINK THEY WERE TRYING TO BE FRASIER

[baycitystygian]

y’all I am going absolutely feral. I’ve been glued to this one show lately and it’s a 90’s sitcom called Caroline In The City and it’s driving me crazy. I love it. I love the characters (except Charlie but he doesn’t get a super huge amount of screen time so like. whatever) and the main ship is just so fucking GOOD and the writers are dragging this out so bad. literally giving me ship blueballs and I hate thisssssssss just let them be happy already 😭

[justsomeguycore]

i feel like if 911 ends without buddie ever going canon people are going to write dissertation length discourse on how it was queerbaiting and i want you all to know from the bottom of my heart that that’s not true. i have seen queerbaiting. and buddie is not it. it barely qualifies as queerteasing

[scoops-aboy86]

Steve as a late night radio DJ, with Robin as his producer (because my partner has made me watch so much Frasier lol). He's got the sexy voice and Eddie, frontman of successful metal band Corroded Coffin, still remembers him from Hawkins and, ugh.

But, well, his manager set up the interview and it would cause more of a stir to no-show than it would to turn up and bicker with some washed up former high school bully. It's a different city, a different decade; maybe King Steve won't even remember him.

So Eddie turns up, and he actually beats Steve there. To the point of the show starting and it's just him in the booth, chatting awkwardly with Robin to fill the air. It gets less awkward the more they talk, idly catching up on old small town bullshit and what it's like to go from isolated baby queers ("I thought I was totally alone!" "Really? You didn't clock the black bandana hanging out of my pocket for five of my six years in high school?" "Sorry old timer, I was still in middle school for part of that." "Oh fuck off, Ms. 'I went to Sarah Lawrence and all I got was this awesome girlfriend.'" "Sorry Eddie, we can't all be super late bloomers like you.") to Actually Successful And Functioning Adults. (She's kind enough not to mention his single but unfortunately well known brush with rehab, other than to congratulate him on his seven year chip.)

And then Steve bursts in, huffing and puffing and diving for the headphones and mic to apologize to both them and the audience for being late. He doesn't even try to offer an excuse until Robin asks, "Uh, Steve? Want to share with us why your arm's in a sling and one of your eyebrows looks like it got flambéd right off your face?"

Which turns into a very put-upon but entertaining retelling of Dustin Henderson ("Oh damn, Henderson! I fell outta touch with him ages ago. How is that little shit?" "Married. He didn't end up converting to Mormonism, but they still have enough kids to make up half a basketball team." "Is that... a lot?" "Six, Munson. They have six kids." "Which is funny, because he made soooo much fun of Steve for wanting that many back in the day." "Yeah. Showed him." "Fuck, my condolences to his wife if they all inherited his big head. You gotta give me his number after this. Or—DUSTIN, if you're listening to your babysitter's show, come to my next concert and there'll be two backstage passes with your name on it! Or, well, that embarrassing nickname your radio girlfriend used to call you, since I think I've blurted out your full government name by now." "That girlfriend is actually his wife now." "No shit?! Wow, I can't believe one of my little lost sheepies has managed to keep the same girl for over a decade. Is she really hotter than Phoebe Cates?" "Oh, she is smokin." "Robin, don't make it weird." "Oh it's okay, she already knows. I told her.") ... A very put-upon but entertaining retelling of Dustin Henderson coming over to discuss plans for Ma Henderson's birthday, and bringing a cherries jubilee that Suzie had made so he could literally demonstrate the flambé presentation ("Listeners, I swear I did not know, when I asked Steve about his flambéd eyebrow, that it was a literal flambé accident. Eddie, can you confirm?" "I can confirm, Robin. We received no heads-up calls or messages from Steve before or during the show. It was serendipitous irony, 100% pure.") but poured waaaaay too much brandy on, and then Steve tripped in his mad dash for the fire extinguisher ("He was no help at all, just stopped dropped and rolled right there in the middle of the damn kitchen." "How are his eyebrows?" "Ugh, I have more of them than he does right now but at least his match. Don't worry everyone, he's fine. No nerds were injured in the course of this improv slapstick comedy routine that is my life. I swear to god, I need a girlfriend or a boyfriend or someone reasonable to hang out with besides all you weirdos." "Aw, you love us." "Yeah Stevie, what would you do without your loving nerd squad?" "Yeah, yeah... But don't try to leave yourself out of this Munson, as far as I'm concerned you're still the king of all nerds. And if you're reconnecting with Dustin, you're stuck with us too.") and had to stop by urgent care on the way to work.

Throughout all of this, Eddie is not twirling a lock of hair around one finger... but only because it's tied haphazardly back to keep it out of his face for the day. Steve is different from the guy he remembers strutting the halls of Hawkins High. Still all freckles and hair and charismatic grin, but he carries himself differently. More solidly built in his mid-thirties than his late teens, with a layer of softness that suits him. Calmer and settled, with the kind of confidence that comes with growing up. And the girlfriend or boyfriend thing? Holy shit. Holy shit. King Steve? Who knew? But, well, it explains why Steve and Robin are so close, Eddie guesses.

The Steve Harrington that Eddie had known back in the day hadn't exactly been the worst of the bullies, but he'd been friends with them, and they had spouted plenty of homophobic shit. And Steve had been looking right at him as he'd said it, like he's aware that Eddie is terminally single and maybe, just maybe, there was a flicker of a question in his eyes.

Eddie has been publicly out for a while now, and the thing is... Steve is definitely his type. So he leans into it a little, testing the waters. And Steve responds to it like a sunflower greeting the sunrise.

By the end of the show Robin is slapping post-its on the glass partition that read "Get his number dingus" and "Get a room" and Don't make that face at me, yes I do know that he can see these too and I don't care, GET IT or I will recruit Dusty-dun to my cause" and "To clarify, the cause is getting you laid. Eddie, take note, he's allergic to latex."

Permanent tag list (ask to be added, but since I have gotten an influx of new followers lately just know that I write a lot of weight gain kink so like... just be aware): @hotluncheddie @lawrencebshoggoth @sofadofax @tangerinesteve

[hedgiwithapen]

DHD: Stargate, anyone(s) on SG1 gets telepathy. Hammond and/or Janet with telepathy also entirely acceptable.

Headaches came with command, George knew well. Every time he’d been promoted, his wife had cooked a celebratory meal and upsized the bottle of aspirin in the medicine  cabinet. But it was largely metaphorical headaches he had to deal with, or headaches walking around in human bodies, like certain unnamed members of SGs 1, 3, and 5.  Mostly 1. Little frustrations, bigger frustrations, and concerns, and worries that were easier to label as a headache and move on. Being a little tired and overworked was part of the job of running the SGC, and it was worth a headache now and again to keep his family--his country--his planet-- safe. This headache, though, felt like his first ever hangover, back when he’d been young and stupid and unsupervised. “General?” Major Carter asked. He blinked at her, trying to recall what exactly her report had been about. Something about the trees on a planet--no, that wasn’t right. The bees? No…badgers? Badgers sounded right. He glanced at the written report to confirm. Badgers. Not any weirder than  sentient water that had taken out so many Russians a few weeks back. “Yes?” he asked. “You have a question, Major?” “Sir, not to be blunt but are you ok?” she asked, “He doesn’t look well. I guess I wouldn’t either, with all the fuss Senator Kimsey is kicking up, he’s got an awful lot on his plate.” “I would appreciate it, Major, if you didn’t refer to me in the third person,” he grit out, waving a hand at her obvious dismay.  “I’m fine, just a headache. You’re dismissed.” “Sir,” she acknowledged, though George could hear her muttering about oddness and doubting the headache ‘story.’ As if he was lying about the pounding in his head. It wasn’t like Cater, and George let himself wonder for a moment that Colonel O’Neill had rubbed off a little too much on his team. The headache lessened, some, as he read over the report in the quiet of his office. It worsened again when someone tapped at his door. “Come in,” he barked. The sooner he dealt with whatever emergency Dr. Frasier had uncovered, the sooner he could try to take a little catnap. “General Hammond,” Dr. Frasier smiled. “I was just speaking with Sam, and she expressed some concerns. Could you tell me a little about your symptoms? Headache? Migraine? Brain tumor?” “For heaven’s sake,” George said, feeling a little like Jack. “ I do not have a brain tumor.” “I see,” Dr. Frasier frowned. “I think Sam was right. Telepathy.” “Telepathy?” George squinted at her. “Dr. Frasier, I don’t want to question your judgment, but that seems a little far fetched.” “I’d agree with you,” she said. “If I’d said my suspicions out loud.” “Oh,” he said, and really, what else was there to say? Ah, right. “ How on earth did I…” “Could have been something brought back from that planet, something in the mind that resists our decontamination…of course, no one else seems to have come down with it. I’m sure Daniel will be eager to go back and find out. For now, as your doctor, I suggest you get lots of rest, and avoid crowds. He’s here practically around the clock, maybe it’s a good time to see--” “You think I should go home? Like this? Doctor, I have two very sweet granddaughters approaching middle school. The last thing I want to know is what’s in their heads.” She laughed. “Understandable. I’ll tell everyone to leave you be.” “No, wait,” he stopped her. “See if O’Neill and Harriman can be spared.” “Can I ask why?” George pulled out a deck of cards. “I want to see how far I can take this. Since I’m officially off duty per your orders and all.” “Get pictures,” Dr. Frasier laughed again. “We’re all going to want to see the look on Jack’s face. Good luck, sir.” 

[branzinos]

seeing sooooo much debate about unresolved plotlines in abbott s3 but i think people just aren't realising that the show is moving in the direction of self-contained, easily syndicatable episodes, like a Friends or a Frasier, where you can turn on a random episode 6 years later without needing to know what's going on in the overarching season plot. it's abc's most watched show in a million years, and they are going to make sure they get their moneys worth out of it. s1 was the show proving its marketability, s2 was the show stretching its legs and seeing if it can fill a full season order, and it did with (mostly) no filler, but i think most of us can agree it did not handle overaching plotlines (like the legendary schools drama) in a very elegant way, just sorta fizzled out. it seemed like they were struggling with whether to have season long arcs, or resolve in one episode and move forward - and i think s3 is the answer to this question. the comedy itself works best when a episode of the day's tension is handled in the course of one episode, because they're not trying to juggle multiple emotional beats. previous stuff can be mentioned in passing, like it can be clear that a character is still processing things, but for the show to be easily picked up and put down, the plotlines need to be self contained, and the jokes need to still stand on their own.

apart from janine, nobody is going to get the satisfactory season-length arc that will satisfy everyone. it isn't an ensemble in the way Friends is, this is Janine's (+Gregory's) story, and her arc is the thread that ties the show together, with the comedy of the other characters happening in the orbit of it. i think the more people come to realise this the easier it is to relax into what the show is trying to be. it's why Smoking hit so well - it was sharp and the pace was fantastic and laugh-a-minute and could be repeated on tv at any time and you wouldn't need to know which season or episode it is. That's the direction I think they're going to be taking it going forward. I saw @serendipitouscontaminant summarise (here) Willard R. Abbott as "An Episode of Abbott Elementary" and not "An Episode of Season 3 of Abbott Elementary" and i think that's a good way of putting it. like in the future you'll be able to watch any episode from S3 and just go "ok, Janine's working at the school district" and you'll know roughly where you stand without having to orient yourself into the other characters' spaces. In a short season order like this one I think there may be some loss of emotional beats just because there's less episodes to put them in, and I assume there'll be some Very Special Episodes with a Message going forward ala "Mom", but on the whole I think Smoking is a better example of what we can expect from Abbott going forward from S3 into S4, from a purely monetizable perspective. I think this is only more proven by the fact they're throwing a million guest stars at it (as announced the other day), to catch peoples' attention in an 8am repeat in like 2029. Basically, going forward, if something happens to a character other than Janine or Gregory, we'll see it in that episode and the fallout from it is implied offscreen, with maybe a joke here and there that can still stand on its own (ala Melissa going out drinking a lot). Obviously this is pure speculation but I really think this is where we're going. Whether it'll hurt the heart in the show I guess remains to be seen.

[acourtofthought]

how high do you think are the posibilites of sarah fucking us eluciens over in order to write winged freaky smut between elain and azriel? i feel like acaf is a lot less romantic and more “spicy”, idk if it just fits cassians personality or if sarah is trying to appeal and sell more to the booktok girlies obsessed with spicy books (i’m leaning more towards the second one). we know azriel is kinky and a bat boy (he def has more girls thirsting over him that lucien) so… what are the odds in your opinion?

I definitely think SF was tailor-made for Nesta's personality even more so than Cassian.

She was the one who wanted to keep things "just sex" and hid behind her anger.

I don't get the vibe that any of the remaining possible pairings would be in it for "just sex". Not that there would shame in that if there were but that's not the vibe I get for E/riel, Elucien or Gwynriel.

With that said, she's already set up both male love interests to be equally as kinky if that's how she wants to write things.

Yes, in one of her live interviews she mentioned Az being kinky but this is what she said of Autumn Court males in ACOWAR:

"Autumn Court males have fire in their blood - and they fuck like it, too."

And.......

"A gag of fire shoved it's way between my lips." "Equal bands of flame wrapped around my wrists, my ankles. My throat."

The gags of fire were from the Eris / Feyre scene however the information can be applied to Lucien. He might be Helion's true son (and all that goes along with that) but he's 50% Autumn on his mothers side with strong enough fire powers that others considered that Beron's throne could go to him.

SJM loves the bat boys no doubt. But Lucien is someone she said has always been one of her favorite characters, who she wrote "My Love" about on a Tumblr reblog, who she based off Sam Heughan's Jamie Frasier who she was obsessed with.

I think she plans on giving each of these guys their time to shine and the best way for her to do that in a way where everyone ends up truly happy is Elucien and Gwynriel.

With those pairings, nobody is rejecting their mate (possible mate), nobody is forced to feel the pull to another while living a life with someone else. everyone can be happy knowing they were worthy of the gift of a soul mated bond.

[ctrl-alt-tahu]

Star Wars Shows I want to Whisper in Dave Filoni's ear

So, @onvermel and I were video-chatting to compare notes on The Acolyte (short version, we both liked it), but as the conversation ranged wide over all things Star Wars, we ended up having some rather specific ideas of what we'd like (or like to have had) in a Star Wars show.

Firstly:

Jar Jar Binks After the Prequels

We both agreed that it's probably still a little while before Lucasfilm/Disney is brave enough to dip its toes back in the Jar Jar waters after George Lucas himself backed off royally in Episodes II and III, but we think the time has come. We want a show that follows him after Revenge of the Sith. It could go three ways, and I want to see all three:

The Rise and Fall of the House of Binks: i.e., the dramatic tragedy. After the death of his friend and mentor, Padmé Amidala, Representative Binks is again asked to step in as Acting Senator for Naboo--this time by the Emperor himself. Jar Jar is honoured and humbled to follow in Padmé's steps and takes pride in continuing her legacy. Over the course of the show (at least two seasons), Jar Jar comes to realise what Padmé's legacy really was, and he comes to realise with horror that: a.) he betrayed it with his vote in Attack of the Clones, b.) that his pride in Naboo as the homeworld of the Emperor is profoundly misplaced, and c.) that something is seriously wrong. And once he realises all this and tries to do something about it, the Emperor gets wind of it and sends his fearsome enforcer, Darth Vader, and in his last moments, Jar Jar has a terrifying realisation--this is another man he knows.

Binks: a comedy about Acting Senator-turned-permanent senator Jar Jar Binks. As I put it to Onvermel, a few sad deaths of friends aside, this is the show where Jar Jar is the only person still living in the Republic after the end of the prequels: hesa very good friend of the chancellor, appointed permanent senator by Queen Jamilla in the hopes of leveraging that favour, and Palpatine finds him a useful cog and... the show is just Jar Jar bumbling about in a Frasier-esque existence oblivious to what he's enabling or what has happened. There's some social commentary in this: through Jar Jar's eyes, we see the galaxy as Palpatine wanted people to see it--and as many people (not the rebels or the downtrodden) actually did. It's mostly just laughs until the final episode: Palpatine has died at Endor, the New Republic has taken Coruscant, and Senator Binks as a close collaborator of Palpatine for thirty years is put on trial (after Mas Amedda and right before Sate Pestage) for war crimes. He's taken away guilty at the end--"but meesa knows nothing about the Sith! Meesa knows nothing!" in a Seinfeld-esque downer of an ending.

Meesa Bombad: a full blown, Chuck Lorre-style, sitcom (or maybe Cheers, if Jar Jar takes a Sam-esque role a former minor celebrity opening a bar) complete with laugh-track and three-camera set. Jar Jar doesn't have to be a senator in this one. I'd be happy with one episode as a holiday special proof-of-concept--but I'd also take Three Broke Gungans with five years of 22-episode seasons. Sebulba makes frequent guest appearances as Jar Jar's nemesis.

The other "show" we wanted is less of a show and more of a missed opportunity for The Clone Wars that we'd like to see revisited:

Dexter Jettster's Diner

How did we get 7 seasons of The Clone Wars without seeing Obi-wan's buddy and his diner? Why was there never a scene where Obi-wan went there to relax? It could still happen--so let's manifest that. But imagine what could have been in Season 7:

Ahsoka, just gone from the Jedi order, is trying to make her way in Coruscant's underworld, and finds herself in a diner late at night, eating comfort food. The proprietor, a friendly older Besilisk, lends her a sympathetic ear as she tells him a redacted version of her story: she used to have a home, she used to have family, but she was lied about and betrayed, and no one believed her--they all believed her accuser and no one listened to her. Dexter tells her at the end, when he's trying to give her some comfort:

"Well, it's like I always say, lying only works if you believe it. What your friend told your family might have been true... from a certain point of view."

[The point of this anecdote is the rueful tears of fans--but, more seriously, what is Star Wars without way too many callbacks? If you're going to revisit Dexter Jettster--and they should--shouldn't he be tied to Obi-wan?]

[howlingday]

Can you do the love goggles scene from Frasier please?

Ozpin: Explain to me, then, what the very beginning for you two was.

Oscar: Well, don't you remember? You introduced us.

--------------------------------------------------

Ozpin: Beware, Oscar, for these are the foes we must face now.

Ozpin: You've already met Hazel and Leonardo, though the latter pains me to say.

Ozpin: Cinder Fall, the woman who murdered me.

Ozpin: Raven Branwen, my former ally.

Ozpin: Mercury Black, the assassin.

Ozpin: And lastly, Emerald Sustrai, the thief. Be wary of her illusions.

Oscar: (Gulps) Emerald, huh?.

--------------------------------------------------

Ozpin: Look at you, Oscar. This woman comes to you as an enemy, and yet you were so enamored with her, you would take those blades of her to your heart in an instant.

Oscar: I... might have been a little... distracted. What's your point?

Ozpin: My point is...

Oscar: (Stares dumbly at Emerald)

Ozpin: OSCAR, PAY ATTENTION!

Ozpin: My point is that your interest in Ms. Sustrai has always been clouded by your juvenile infatuations.

Oscar: Okay, so maybe I did have a crush on her when I first saw her, but ever since she joined our side, it's become so much more than that! I learned that she's caring, and compassionate, and, sure, she can be moody, sometimes. She likes strawberry jelly on her biscuits, her laugh is... angelic... Oh, and she can dance so well~! She's... perfect.

Ozpin: Perfect... What a despicable word.

Oscar: What?

Ozpin: You're idealizing her again. I've heard you call her a goddess. There's no higher pedestal than that, and yes, I would know! I've made the same mistake as you.

Oscar: She's not Salem. She's not a witch out to destroy Remnant, Oz.

Ozpin: You're right that she's not Salem, but that doesn't make your fantasies of her no less dangerous. You're only setting yourself up for heartbreak, Oscar. Despite what your thoughts of her may be, she's not perfect.

Oscar: ...Okay, so maybe I do think she's perfect, but maybe that's because she is perfect!

Ozpin: ...I'm done.

Oscar: What?

Ozpin: There's nothing left for me to say to convince you, Mr. Pine.

Ozpin: Oscar... I've grown to love you like a son, and I appreciate all the help that Ms. Sustrai has given us. I just hope you and her can resolve this issue soon.

Oscar: ...W-W-Wait! Oz! Just... Help me understand. Why is everyone acting like I'm the one who's wrong? My only crime here is that I love Emerald, and all I've ever done is try to prove that.

Ozpin: Yes! Yes, and how did you love her? From afar! You were never in love WITH her. You were in love AT her. And now you have the chance to experience her in a real relationship, but for some reason, you're resisting it! Instead of seeing the real her, you're clinging onto this fantasy version of her.

Oscar: ...No. That's... That's not true.

Ozpin: Oscar. The woman was responsible for the deaths of hundreds, and everyone saw it but you! All you ever saw was a perfect woman in a black dress.

Oscar: ...Okay. If you're right, and that's a big if... Then why would I do that?

Ozpin: Perhaps Ms. Su- Emerald isn't the only one who feels like an outcast, trying to measure up. Perhaps you feel that as well. And if you find out that she's not perfect, then there's a chance that this won't work out between you two.

Oscar: ...

Ozpin: Then, not only will you lose Emerald, but you will have wasted the last six years of your life chasing an illusion.

[missielynne]

One thing I actually do appreciate about Nisaac is that the relationship really does do a good job showing that there’s actually a pretty big difference between having a crush on someone and being in a committed relationship with them *and* it can be hard to tell the difference when you’re actually there. Both of them, but especially Isaac, were acting like this wedding was the culmination of a 250-year romance, but realistically it was the culmination of 250 years of pining from a distance, and several months of occasionally rocky dating. In that time, they found out that they don’t really like each other’s friends or hobbies, they don’t agree on how quickly a relationship should progress, and they frequently get offended by each other’s behavior. None of which are necessarily dealbreakers if you’re willing to put some work in, but you can’t just assume that things are going to work themselves out because you’re meant to be.

Exactly! And I think if you add in the fact that there's a lot of formality between them based on the time they came from and maybe also the fact that they knew each other as military officers first without really moving beyond that, I think that's a problem too: they're frozen as the people they were when they were alive and there's not much of an attempt to see each other on a deeper level beyond the guy in the uniform (maybe that's the kink, I don't know), and when they do see Isaac the person or Nigel the person, that takes the shimmer off the fantasy.

But also, like I am a big fan of Daphne and Niles on Frasier and that relationship was BIG on pining from Niles' side and we go through the part after they get together where they realize image doesn't match reality and they work through it and talk about it, so it ends up working (plus we see them be casual friends first in a way Nisaac could never be.) So pining isn't the worst, like the rest of it, as you say. It just depends if you're willing to work through it and it still feels right to you after and in this case, to Isaac, it didn't because he's been moving forward, and modernizing in his own way and learning new things, whereas Nigel still seems very frozen in time.

I do think a big part of the Nisaac ship for Isaac too was obviously his feelings about his own sexuality and perhaps his fear that it might limit him finding love, so that's what made him jump into things with Nigel and not really try to find a way to meet other gay ghosts or whatever. But now that he's out to the other ghosts and doesn't feel like he has to hide, we see him be able to say "Oh, look, there can be other options, what else do I want? What else is out there for me? What can I do with my new reality?" And I think that's really healthy compared to just living in some safe fantasy just because you're afraid of what will happen if you try and do something else.

[randomfoggytiger]

"Something Approaching a Normal Life"

(Fictober, Day 10)

Prompts from @agent-troi ("Scully invites Mulder to Thanksgiving dinner because it’s close to the anniversary of Samantha’s disappearance and she doesn’t want him to be alone" and "Mulder and Scully try to plan and host a dinner party, inspired mainly by the comedy of errors that is the dinner party episode of frasier...") and one of my sisters ("October in Christmas", "Thanksgiving", and "Signs the movie".)

*****

Mulder had another thing coming if he thought he could squizzle out of a foolhardy trip to the Bermuda Triangle with nothing more than a healthy bruise and a sweet word or two.

Although-- truthfully-- the blame lay more with his loopy bedside confession than any earlier, clear-headed, ill-advised action. 

***** 

“Thanksgiving?” 

Scully shifted her stance, heels rocking as she folded her arms a little tighter. “Yes.” 

“With your family?” 

This time she focused on the bullpen carpet, lisping out a softer, “...Yes.” 

Mulder didn’t know what to say. Everything seemed too polite or too ungrateful. 

“I know we don’t usually….”

There were a lot of things they didn’t usually, but holidays were high on the list. And considering the batch of Thanksgivings they’d experienced, always apart-- last year jumping straight from a botched team building seminar into small town shenanigans, the year before that caught up with Krycek and Congress, the year before that strung tight between secrets and diseases carted around in explosive train cars, and their first ever one nearly spent in volcanic quarantine-- broaching him to celebrate this one was…

Unexpected. 

"Are you... sure, Scully?"

“Mulder….” Scully stepped a little closer, craning her head back further. Utterly baffled. “Are you… shy?” 

Sometimes he forgot that his five-foot-almost-nothin’ partner had his number from day one. “I think a better word would be hesitant. And,” he rushed on, “not without precedent.” 

She was smiling too smugly for him to continue pursuing whatever point he was trying to make. “Christmas in October didn’t count then, Mulder, and it doesn’t now.” 

“‘Well, that’s another opinion--’,” he mush-mouthed. 

“‘And I respect it’, yeah.” Scully leaned even more forward, eyebrow pushing its customary way up. “Are you coming to Mom’s party, or do I have to tell her that you refused a personal invitation to sit at home in the dark?” 

Maggie Scully already knew about his lonely, isolated couch nights-- far more than Scully herself was aware.

Mulder couldn't bring himself to ruin her Thanksgiving, too. 

*****

Twelve hours later he and Scully were setting out dinnerware while studiously trying to ignore the escalating toddler meltdowns howling behind them. 

Her mother's house was packed, sardines of all shapes and sizes amiably chatting, swapping stories, or helpfully guiding the endless schools of Catholic children with admonishments and head pats (though he was amused to notice which cross wearers scowled at each other over unspoken but blatantly different opinions on birth control.) It had been subdued, pleasant even: Bill hadn’t taken the easy Mulder bait, Tara had darted here and there after Matthew, and various faces swam curiously in and out of their bubble to acquaint and chit chat. It had been easy to navigate strange waters-- Mulder kept an aquarium at home, after all. 

The problem started when one little tyke fell backwards against his sister or cousin (or an unholy mix of the two), a loud smack resounding mere seconds before both burst into tears. Then the other children got caught in the emotional tow; and the chaos spilled over until most of the room was either screaming or consoling. 

Scully practically fled the scene, Mulder following in her wake. And now they were setting an already set table together.  

When everyone's emotions began to settle and calm, Scully apologetically sighed. He waited, knowing there was more. 

“‘Christmas in October’.” She ruefully smiled. “How do we do it?”

“It’s part of the job-- the unexplained finds us.” Neither mentioned there wasn’t much unexplained in their current scutwork. “But…” he paused, letting her sweat a bit, “despite a few…”

“‘Unexplained’ things,” she filled in, flatly. 

“--happenings--,” he supplied. She snorted at his exhaustless ability to grab for the last word; and he rewarded it with a soft shoulder tap. “--I’ve been having a whale of a time.” 

*****

The post-turkey tryptophanic haze loosened up Mulder's subconscious mind enough to make a few gnarly connections. 

Tomorrow, November 27, 25 years. Black Friday. 

He looked across the room, locked onto Scully’s eyes and waited until she met his. They immediately confirmed his suspicions-- a good liar his partner was not-- and blinked with indecision, one lash closing faster than the other. But it never took Scully long to recover her footing: she let something like pride (and a sentiment that matched his black and blue cheek) take shape and sparkle at him before ducking away.

Mulder knew her own haunted holiday was coming up soon, ghosts hovering around every corner. He’d have to find a way to return the favor. 

“Who ya gonna call?" he sang under his breath. "Ghostbusters!”

Bill, walking by with three of the messiest children over five Mulder had ever seen, scowled at him. 

Muzzily, he decided relaxing via tryptophan might work if the tv ever went kaput.

*****

Maggie packed her favorite invite two large to-go containers (one filled almost exclusively with sweet potato pie) and waved off his half-hearted volunteers to clean up. “Fox, I wouldn’t dream of having a guest help out. And Dana’s your ride home, so you two better get going.” 

Taking one last look at the aftermath, Mulder understood now why his mother had kept celebratory dinners intimate or large gatherings outside during respectable daylight hours.

He drove on renewed energy from his doze while Scully picked at something she called a cheerio salad and he called a marketing gimmick. 

“You know, Scully…” he mused, waiting for her assenting hum, “I think tonight went well.”

“In what world,” she scowled, digestive funk breath spilling towards him in a huff. 

“Nothing bad happened. No major damage was done. I even have a fan club.”

“Mulder, Uncle Moses taking one look at you, running over, and having the nerve to be naively disappointed that ‘the jury’s still out’ on your ancestry does not even begin to cover tonight.” 

“And then he sat for thirty minutes listening to swamp monster stories."

"He thought you starred in a nonexistent movie called 'Signs', Mulder."

"What I mean, Scully, is that there were good people tonight. Good food, even. Better than my usual fair. It was-- it was nice. Thanks for inviting me over.” 

Mulder suspected she was smiling, widely, relieved and touched. “Any time, Mulder.” 

*****

Over the holiday weekend, he got a call from Area 51. 

Christmas plans would have to wait.

*****

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!

Tagging @today-in-fic and @xffictober2023 and @fictober-event

[becquerel]

this is the most important homestuck discourse ive ever instigated: do you think jake english would have a mullet?

no. i think jake is too wrapped up in trying to perform to societal standards in an attempt to be less lonely and try to connect to the rest of humanity at large. and also looking up to action hero performances from the 2000s-early 2010s when mullets were less in style. he looks up to brendan frasier and whoever that guy in avatar was to have a mullet. he's not a mullet guy. if anything jake might call mullets "gay" and then not think much more about it

the only guys in homestuck who would 100% have a mullet unironically would be equius horuss or caliborn if caliborn had hair.

[theycalledmekay]

This Means War

This is a William Ransom fan fiction work created on Wattpad by me.

Her name was Catherina. Princess of England, daughter of King George.

She was missing.

The posters were up everywhere in England and the 13 colonies. Even in North Carolina, where she was. She was hiding in the woods by a ridge. Frasier's Ridge. The house was beautiful, but she couldn't get close. She stayed in a tree.

Until the fateful night, she saw soldiers. If she were to be caught, they would send her back home, and who knew what was waiting for her there. Cece knew the man who had kidnapped her was dead. Long gone, in fact. Stephen Bonnet had been murdered. She had been glad when she found out.

She laid down on the branch she was on, carefully and quiet. If only the guards hadn't heard the snap. Her eyes widened.

"Who's there!" A not to familiar voice calls. The Frasier's were demanded to investigate. The man, with long red hair, finds her. She begs him to stay quiet with her eyes.

"There is no one here! Just a birds nest." He says the the soldier. "Get down then, Mr. Frasier!" The soldier sighs. "Lord John Grey will visit you in the morrow." The soldier walks off.

"Lass, what are yeh doin' in the tree?" The man asks her finally. "I was trying to nap as I've only stayed in this tree and done no harm." Cece replies. "Got a name, lass?" He asks her. "Uhm..." She couldn't use her real name... could she? No, everyone would know she was Catherina. "Cercei." She responds.

"Come along. Let's get you to the ridge before the soldier comes back." Once bathed and feeling much better, Mr. and Mrs. Fraser fed her, making her feel much better. "I apologize, Mr. and Mrs. Fraser. I didn't realize I was evading." Catherina apologized.

"Oh, it's quite alright, dear. My daughter saw you up there a few days ago. We were wondering why you were hiding." Mrs. Fraser says. "Come now. Let me lead you to your room where you may rest for the night." For the first time in months, Catherina slept well.

Many months later:

"Mistress Fraser -" "Yes, Cece! You can come with! We're sending Briana and Roger off. They are moving!" Claire invites her along. Holding Mandy and helping Jimmy, Cece went along with Bree to grab some items the children and her might need.

"Lord John!" Bree almost bumps into the man. Cece stops and freezes seeing the young British soldier. "Madam." He nods to her. Her breathing almost stops altogether, and she almost faints.

"Cersei!" Jimmy taps her arm. "Are you alright?!" The young boy asks. "Ah yes, Jim. I'm quite fine. Just had a bit of spell." She says softly. The soldier offers her his hand. "I can help you and the children back if you and the other Mistress don't mind."

Shruging his hand off and acting a bit hostile. The words she uttered next made the young soldiers rethink his action as if he had horrified the young woman. "I am fine. Perhaps, if you stayed away-" "Cersei!" Bree shrieked. "We don't speak to soldiers like that!"

"Red Coat!" Cersei hisses. "Rebel!" The soldier hisses under his breath. "She's not too keen on soldiers, I apologize. She claims she was kidnapped from England." The soldier realized who she was. "I understand. No ill intent. I insist on helping though, Miss-" "Cersei." She says softly.

"I do not need your assistance." She bows and hurries off with the children. "Father, how long has it been since the Princess has been missing?" William finally asks before he could be introduced to Bree. "Almost a year now. You don't seriously think that girl could be Catherina, do you?" Lord John Grey asks.

"I'm afraid you're right. See how defensive she got -" "She could be a rebel, Willie." Lord John Grey interupts. "I believe the Princess is long gone, my boy. She'll never be found." Lord John Grey shakes his head. "Some of us still have hope." William disagrees. He introduces himself to Bree and then walks off.

He sees Cersei again. She seemed in a better mood now. She noticed him again and he saw the guilt in her eyes. She approaches him.

"Good morrow." She chimes. "Good morrow." He bids. "I'd like to apologize about my terrible behavior earlier." She stops walking. Seeing as they are in the middle of a road, he gently moves her out of the way of a carriage.

She thanks him, softly. "All has been forgiven, Miss Cersei." He says, holding her arm steady as she slips in the mud. "I didn't quite catch your name, soldier." She says.

"Leftenant (Lieutenant) Lord Ellesmere William Ransom." He introduced himself. "Lady Cersei of York." She lies. He nods and bows. She gulps, taking a long breath. "Care to accompany me?" She asks.

He nods in agreement, and the two walk around the town. They talk for a decent while until dusk. "I'm afraid I must go, Mistress Cersei. It was quite an honor meeting you." He bows. She smiles.

"Rise soldier. I am no queen." She jokes. He smiles. "Until we meet again." He nods. "Until then, Leftenant." The two part ways. "What was that about?" Bree asks as Cece makes her return.

"Oh, nothing. Had to... Apologize to Lord Ellesmere." Cece smiles. "Did you get too overwhelmed?" Claire asks her. "Well... I believe so. Mistress, he seems.... indifferent." Cece says.

"Oh Pa, should we tell her!" Bree exclaims. "Don't trouble yerself lass. We may 'as well tell 'er." Jamie sighs. "Is it about Lord Ellesmere?" Cece asks. "Yes." Claire sighs. "As you know, I disappeared for almost twenty years. Jamie was serving out his parole in Helwater. A young woman by the name of Geneva Dunsany was infatuated with him. She was to wed the Eighth Earl of Ellesmere, Ludovic Ransom, who could not have children." Claire says.

Cece's jaw dropped.

"Don't say anymore. I think I understand. Cockoldry, correct. He's illegitimate. The illegal son of Mister Fraser and Lady Dunsany?" Cece says. "Yes." Jamie says. Cece thought about it.

As a princess, such a crime could have the man hanged for allowing it, however... No one knew she was the princess. "Your secret shall be safe with me." She nods. She thought back to the Lord of Ellesmere.

He did resemble Jamie very little. He even had the highlander fire in his eyes.

The battle of Saratoga:

Hiding in the trees, Cersei aimed her bow straight and true, waiting for the first brit to fire.

She was committing high treason for the Frasers, and she was damn sure going to keep them safe. The British stood in a line, straight and true.

The slight talking of two soldiers made her look over. She was gonna shoot one. She smirked and took her aim.

One of the Colonials fired. "You dumb shit!" Cece cursed.

She shot the other one, but he moved just as she fired. It took his hat clean off, and she gasped, "Lord Ellesmere!"

It seemed like he heard her cry as his gaze swept the area. His eyes seemingly landed on hers. Her look of shock and his of anger. He was speaking, but the rush of her heart was strong in her ears.

He drew his sword and charged with his men. His screams on the field made her feel guilty. She accidentally shot one of her own, making the brits yell, "Sniper!"

She rained down her army of arrows until she was out. Jamie saw this, and so did William. He fought with his highlander spirit, she could tell.

Jamie was suddenly knocked out, and the battle subsided. Most of the colonials were dead, many brits as well. She gulped, and she watched as all of them as they searched and searched for her.

She prayed that they wouldn't find her, but they did. "Look 'ey here. I say we use her -" "We bring her back as prisoner. You know the rules." William retorts.

"Come on down, Mistress. We won't hurt you." William tries to coax her. "Go away! I'm hunting!" She lies. "Hunting what? The Royal Army?!" One of the soldiers yelled.

"Please, Lady York! It's dangerous!" William sighs. All the soldiers gasped. "No one touch me except for Leftenant Ellesmere, then!" She promises. "Yes, Mistress." They abliged.

She slowly climbs down, sliding on the last moment and landing almost on her behind if Jamie hadn't caught her.

"Be a shame if the lass fell. Right lads?" He asks. He takes off running, most of the army after him, leaving William and Catherina alone. "Lady York, I apologize, but if you don't run now, you'll be hanged for treason." He says. "I know, Leftenant." She sighs. "My condolences. At least I shot your hat off." She jokes.

"I knew it." He chuckles. "I'll be in the trees, keeping you safe when I run." She smiles. "Go, now!" He gently nudges her. "See you again? On the battlefield?" She laughs, running.

"I hope not, Lady York." He calls after her, watching her run. He runs in the opposite direction, chashing after his father.

Jamie survived, and so did Catherina.

The battle of Saratoga 2:

The early morning signals the cries of war.

Saratoga. Another time.

Catherina shared the strategy. "They will be looking in the trees. They caught me there last time. If I make it past the fence and be on their side, they will assume I am with them." She chuckles. They nod.

"Be careful." Jamie warned. She nods. She runs across and finds a tree. Climbing it, she nestled herself into the hollow part where it almost split off.

The drums start, and the battle slowly commences. Waiting until the right time, she notices them trying to shoot and kill General Fraser. Her aim would be true until she notices. "Not again!" She groans. She shoots Lord Ellesmere this time.

In the hand. His shriek made the Brits panic. It wasn't deep, and he released who it was.

"Damn woman." He mumbles under his breath. He fights, pulling the arrow out. Suddenly, they come face to face with each other.

"Cersei!" He grabs her, pulling her out of the way of another soldier. "Kill me." She begs. "I'd rather you than anyone else." William gulps at those words.

Taking a deep breath, he choked her gently, causing her to pass out. He fights until most men are dead. They retreat, and he looks over at Cersei.

"Aye Leftenant Ellesmere killed the sniper!" The men cheer. William sighed and pretended to be happy until one of his men got shot with her arrow.

He turned swift as did the others. "Heed my warning!" He stares at her in shock at her words. "She's just begging to be killed, isn't she!" General Fraser sighs, but then he collapses.

"General!" William rushes to him immediately. Everyone turns to them.

He sighs, "Damn woman!" William curses, again. Everyone agrees with him. They trugg on, eventually forgetting about her, hoping to save General Fraser in time.

Unfortunately, they didn't. General Fraser died not much after they got back to camp. William grieved him.

Camp:

Leftenant Lord Ellesmere was enjoying being out of battle. He really dreaded it. Until a curly haired woman angrily grabbed him. He stared in shock. Mistress Fraser.

".... basic necessities of care for your prisoners. Sir, are you hearing me?" When she noticed his strange face.

"I-" He stutters. He chuckles. "I beg your pardon, Madam. I do believe I know you?" He questions it. "Your Mistress Fraser, are you not?" He smiles. Her eyes sparkled with recognition.

"I am." "I am Leftenant Lord Ellesmere, William Ransom." He bows. "I visited your home on Fraser's Ridge when I was still a boy." He stopped a moment and noticed a certain look in her eyes. "You saved my father's life." The realization sets in for him at that moment, too. Claire Fraser was a rebel.

"William." She smiles. "You're a rebel?" He asks as he turns back to face her, realizing where she had been. She nods, "Yes."

She feels a bit disappointed. After this exchange, with some bandages and food brought to the prisoners, William was left with his head reeling.

He went to his tent to grab something, and he walked in and saw her.

Immediately, he closed the flap, making sure no one saw her. "Cersei." He glares. "Leftenant-" He covers her mouth.

"Leftenant? Has anyone seen Lord Ellesmere?" He hears someone calling for him. She stares in horror. He silently tells her to be quiet. They sneek out the other side and run to the Forrest not that far at the edge of his camp.

Cersei giggles, "That was fun! Let's do it again!" "I'm afraid not. This is where I leave you." He sighs. "Leftenant!" She grabs his arm.

"Cersei, if you get caught here, you will be captured. I don't want another rebel I know in my prisoner quarters." He sighs. "Leftenant, I- William..." She sighs.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright." She looks down. "You've never been fond of... what do you Yankees call us British.... Red Coats?" He teases. "Aye, we call them Red Coats. Because they have red coats stained with blood." She pretends.

He smiles. "You should go." He warnes her. "I wanna stay." She keeps her hand entangled in his. "Lady York-" He sighs.

"Lord Ellesmere-" "Run!" He pushes her gently. She stares in shock and suddenly runs off. "What was that about?" One of the other men asks him.

"Just a random girl asking about the war. Such a strange girl." He turns to his soldier. "Leftenant, Mistress Fraser got her items." He nods. "Thank you." William says.

The soldier walks off, and William sees Cersei farther ahead, in another clearing, picking some flowers. He smiled.

That poor innocent girl was gonna get herself killed. He walked back to camp. It was slowly getting later and then he saw her.

Dressed as an Native American. "Cece!" Claire pulls on her dress. "Not a worry, Claire. I can-" She turns and freezes. "Lord Ellesmere." She looks at her feet. "Cersei." He sighs.

Suddenly, a fire starts. He glares. "Take her. I saw nothing." He nods. Cersei helps Claire get to the exit, but not before she runs back to William, who had turned to walk away.

"Lord Ellesmere." He turns to face her. She kisses his cheek and runs off. How.... interesting. His gaze lingers on the exit after he watches her disappear. Interesting.

Many months later, after the war:

William walks inside. "Father-" He freezes seeing.... Mac. His head reeled. For a moment, hearing him speak. A voice so familiar.

"William James." His jaw dropped.

Lord John Grey turned to his son. "Willie-" "You will not call me such a name!" Everyone stared at him. "William-" "I know all I need to!" William goes to storm out. "William!" It was Cersei.

He huffs and walks away anyway. "William!" Catherina hurries after him. He doesn't stop. "William, please!" He turns.

"What do you want?!" He snaps. At this point, they were deep in the forest by Fraser Ridge. "Apologize!" She stops him by grabbing his arm. She had decided not to tie up her hair today. Worst mistake of her life.

"I will do no such thing." He pulls away from her. "William!" She yells at him.

"You can't command me! You are not the king of England!" He yells back. "You are so petulant!" She screamed. "At least I'm not a princess!" He growls. "At least I'm not a bastard!" She responds.

His hand connects with her cheek. She gasps, and he looks at her, horror in his eyes. "Catherina!" He grabs her arm as she goes to run off. "I didn't mean to harm you." He pleads with her.

He gently gets on his knees in front of her. "Get up!" She whispers. "Get up!" She changes her tone to a yell. He gets up swiftly.

"I could have you and your family hanged, but I won't. It's a privilege knowing a princess, isn't it." She growls.

"Such a high rank and yet as a bastard you feel you don't deserve it and -" "Hush." William whispers softly. "You think that one will know-" "SHUT IT!" William snaps.

"YOUR SUCH AN ADDLE PATE!" She screams. "You can be so awful and-"

He shuts her up by grabbing her arms and throwing her forward. Their lips connect, and she freezes up. He pulls away almost immediately, ashamed by his actions.

She stares at him in shock, eyes pooling with tears. "Catherina, I-" "Catherina is in England... Cersei is in North Carolina." She says softly as a tear slowly slides down her cheek.

She wipes it forcefully. "I deeply apologize, Lord Ellesmere. I shouldn't have called you a bastard and such other foul names."

She turns and runs to away from him. "Cersei!" He calls after her. He sighed and sat on a log. This princess was gonna be the death of him.

Part 2?? And for anyone wondering, an "Addle Pate" is a foolish or dumb witted person

[baronessblixen]

Saw your tags-- I think you're a writer! :DDD

Kafka trends a lot here on Tumblr, and I see diary entry after diary entry of him struggling to write, feeling like a failure for not doing so, questioning not only his abilities but himself... and I think, maybe, that's why he resonates with Tumblr so much.

I can't think of another community-- outside of communities on the internet, of course-- where the mutual misery of trying and not quite starting but not walking away from a skill or passion or calling is not only recognized but deeply felt. And the fact that this misery stretches back hundreds and thousands of years (and likely longer than that) is encouraging, in its way.

And it's like that one writer in Frasier, don't you think? He wrote one book then stopped entirely; but he was still thought of as a writer. And is that just because he was published and gained the public sanctioned title of "writer", or because he sat down to write? Emily Dickinson is considered a writer (more accurately a poet) though none of her works were published until after her death, for instance.

Wrapping all that up XDDD, you're a writer to me; and always will be-- not only because you've put words out there to be read, but because the spirit in which you write is one I recognize from countless other writers that have published their craft and those who have not. It's the drive, the calling, the temptation to write; to come back to it; to take and idea or a phrase or a sentence or another character everywhere you go in your mind-- even if your thumb never hits another cursor bar again.

:DDDD

Thank you so much for this ❤️ maybe you're right but the main thing why I don't know if I should call myself a writer is precisely the reason that I can't sit myself down and write. Why is that? Why do I always find different things to do? Sometimes I want to write but don't and sometimes I probably don't even *want* to write?

And I know I have people who enjoy my writing. I appreciate every single person who does. It has to come from inside me though. Doesn't it? A lot of the time I don't feel good enough. Like how do I dare to tackle an idea and put something out there when there are so many others who are way better than me? It's a very complicated thing in my head 😂

I do love that we're such a community here. Others feel this way all the time and it's good to know I'm not - and no is - alone in this.

If writing in one's mind counts then, yeah, I guess I'm (still) a writer. I had an idea the other day and it bothers me so much that I don't sit down and attempt to write it.

Your ask sure made me think about things again. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself. Easier said than done though. Thank you so much for reaching out!

[gummybugg]

Do you have any advice on switching between perspectives in a story?

How often is too often, how many perspectives is too many, and how to make feel less jarring when you're suddenly following an entirely different character? Any other tips?

Thanks for the ask! I'll slap a large title here to condense things:

How to Swap Between Perspectives: A Mini Writing Guide

Hmm, advice on swapping perspectives... I don't think there's a "jarring" way to swap between perspectives as long as you do it for a Reason.

I would say, "Oh, nah, there's never too many POVs!" But I feel like there can be to some extent. There's no clear Number I can place as a cap, but I just want you to keep in mind Why you have all these perspectives.

It's worth noting that POV swapping occurs in both 1st Person and 3rd (both I am currently writing). I can use my WIP Crater City as an example for the sake of simplicity. Now Onwards we go!

Ok, I want you to ask yourself this: "Is there something I would Gain by swapping characters?" I personally don't use multiple perspectives for the fun if it, I do it because

The character's emotions/experiences are an important storytelling component. For example: Frasier's perspective is the most reliable when it comes to explaining the ins and outs of Crater City when compared to Blair/Elijah. Only Frasier knows how he feels, and he has very important feelings I'd like to highlight. Otherwise, we would never know because he's typically very reserved. It really comes down to weighing whose perspective is the most Significant for that scene. Sometimes, you can even include more than one perspective for a scene, but that can easily become overwhelming/redundant*.

It can offer a crucial character-building moment. Flashbacks, dream sequences, etc. These can be slipped in between scenes/diaogues (but be careful it's relevant and doesn't break the mood) or put in their own chapters. I'm probably not the best person to ask how to write these scenes, but I can tell you to Write with a Purpose!

Speaking of mood, perhaps you think the scene would sound better in another character's POV due to their personality or what have you. There doesn't always need to be a reason, but I try to be intentional in what/how I write. Example: Blair is lackadaisical, and a scene where he's stuck in an elevator would be much funnier than if it were in Elijah's POV, even though they're both in the same scene together. Alternatively, Elijah’s serious perspective could be used to highlight more serious scenes later on, as opposed to Blair. It's kind of like swapping filters on a stage light. Use your characters' traits to your story's advantage!

Or Sometimes, we need to know what's happening behind the scenes. I would swap to Frasier's POV when I need the audience to know something our heroes do not. Perhaps Frasier is on the phone with Darcy, reporting that he's found something incriminating about Blair. And now we understand why bots were sent out to arrest Blair and Elijah! Oh, the magic of dramatic irony!

*My idea of overwhelming would be too many different POVs for the same scene (in 1st person), unless the perspectives each serve a purpose. Or even too much ping-ponging between perspectives in 3rd person [omniscient]. You want to hone your perspectives, not confuse your readers! Perspectives are a very important part of storytelling and definitely have the power to make or break a scene!

As for making the swap less jarring:

I had to Google this one, and there's no shame in that! From what I gathered, some people like to Establish a Pattern to rotate through perspectives so readers know who to anticipate. Well, I've also seen others Not do that, and instead, follow a Linear Storyline, swapping POVs out when they see fit. Another great tip would be to make it abundantly Clear who is speaking in the chapter/scene. Slap their name at the top, or what have you!

At the end of the day, one of the best ways to know if a swap is jarring/confusing is to have someone else Read your work.

And when swapping between perspectives, always ask yourself, "Why am I using this perspective? What will I gain?" But also: "What will I lose?" Very important things to keep in mind!

And of course, I'm sure I missed some things. But we're all here to Learn, so feel free to Add on!

[steddie-island]

20 Questions for writers

I was tagged by @runninriot over 2 months ago Thank you friend 😘🥰

I've done one before but I like answering these types of questions so I'm doing it again.

No pressure tagging @wynnyfryd @stervrucht @wormdebut @mugloversonly @augustjustice

Pressure tagging @v3llichor who saw this over my shoulder and said "I wanna fill one out!" 😂😘😘

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

37, all but 1 of which were posted between October of last year and now. Which I'm really proud of. 🥹 The only other fic I'd written and posted was for Frasier back in 2020.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

63,421!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I write Stranger Things mostly, but I've written Good Omens, Frasier, and Destiel (I haven't written for them in a loooong time though.)

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Just Because We Get Around (Part 1 of my Fuck his dad series. Steve is Dustin's dad, Eddie is Dustin's college friend, they fuck nasty and then there are feelings. It's silly and cheesy and I still love it even if I think about renaming it at least once a week. 😂)

Mutually Beneficial (Written for this art by @2jihiir0 😌 There may be a part 2 coming if I can ever get Inspired to work on it again WE'LL SEE!)

With Extra Nuts (Eddie sees Steve in his Scoops uniform, they fuck nasty in the back room about it.)

Dustin's Dad (Has Got Me Down Bad (Part 2 of Fuck his dad, wherein Dustin finds out. 😌)

Vixen (Steve wears lingerie to a Christmas party. He and Eddie fuck nasty about it when they get home. There's a pattern here. 😂)

5. Do you respond to comments?

It definitely takes me some time sometimes but I try to! Even the ones that are just like, hearts or a laugh emoji. They took their time to not only read my fic but to leave a comment and I want them to know that I appreciate it. 🥹

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

I had an answer here but I had completely forgotten about A rush kinda like the old times (I still cross your mind). It's Stommy, with Tommy reaching out to (fem) Steve after he gets engaged. There's lots of reminiscing but it's bittersweet because Tommy's clearly not happy, and Stevie isn't going to give him what he wants.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I have a transfem Steve series (Wallpaper, Long Haul, Candles) that gave me so much joy to write. I don't really write unhappy endings (IDK maybe that'll change but I kind of doubt it. to quote T Swift, "I'm just too soft for all of it.") but these three just. I'm really proud of them. Part one is Stevie coming out to Robin, part 2 is Eddie, and then part 3 is Stevie getting dicked down a happy ending to her birthday. I was nervous to write these, because I'm not trans. None of it is from Stevie's POV, it's from the POV of the people who love her. And that's what I wanted to show. A beautiful trans woman who had been through so much hell before life decided to throw gender stuff at her, getting to come out, getting to be herself, and getting so much love and support from the people around her. 🥹🥹🥹🥹

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Thankfully no (knock on wood)!

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

All kinds? We have monster fucking and some good ol' sapphic steddie semi-hate fucking and some Steve playing Billy Loomis (with the softest fucking aftercare in the world, tbh). 15 of the fics I've posted are explicit (it feels like there should be more but I think that just means they're all in WIP purgatory, who knows when/ if they'll see the light of day).

10. Do you write crossovers?

I have one I've been working on for months that's a Marmalade/ Baron x Eddie fic but I also haven't touched it in months. 😅

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of (knock on wood again).

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don't think so but that'd be cool!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Not one that's been posted yet but I actually have two written with my spouse that we're going to upload eventually!

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

I love Steddie, I've found so much community here, but I would be remiss to not acknowledge the fact that Destiel had such a strong hold on me for years. I've made so many friends because of it, I literally met my spouse writing it.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I honestly don't know. I'm intending on finishing the ones I have started but my WIP folder is kind of daunting so. Who knows?

16. What are your writing strengths?

Even though I don't write it often I think my angst is pretty good. I've also been told that I make things feel very alive, and that's something I try hard to do, too (and am glad that I can do, I've only been writing for over half of my life even if I'm only just now posting it! 😅)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Action scenes. I struggle SO HARD with action scenes. It's something I'm working on, something I've been working on for a while, but I feel like my pacing is way off and needs a lot of work.

I also can't write slow burn to save my fucking life. I just want them to get to smoochin' already!

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

I would do it but I would want to be so careful and not have a scenario where I translate it as one thing and someone comes along and says "she said he smells like dirty socks and liver" or something. 😂

19. First fandom you wrote for?

That I posted, Frasier. First fandom that I started writing for in general was Spn!

20. Favorite fic you've written?

This is the same answer I gave last time but I think it has to be Don't go where I can't follow, which was I think my 2nd Steddie fic? It's under 1,000 words but it's the one I've reread the most. There's lots of hurt/comfort packed into those 990 words. It was written as a kinktober prompt, written in an hour and posted in the middle of the night and IDK. I just really love it.

[clare-with-no-i]

20 questions for fic writers

Thank youuu @isahorcrux for the tag! it's been so long since I did one of these omigoddddd

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

37!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

392k. a bit crazy that the next chapter of theogony will put it over 400k. wauw!!!!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

publicly? Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. privately? I have an entire folder on my laptop called 'other shit' which is just one-shots for about fifteen different fandoms which I will never publish <3

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

god. this is really making me look at my statistics page which I actively try not to do lol. but it's one long day, I will carry you, color theory, foreigner's god, and growing pains. what can I say, the ppl love the they lived AUs!

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to but I'm terrible about it which is a personal failing. I am so sorry. a new strategy that helps with this is that with my WIPs I try to respond right after the next chapter is posted so the person gets a nice lil notif and they have something else to read!

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

oh hmmm. I guess the derelict art of letting go ending was angsty, but the whole thing was angsty. the end was bittersweet. maybe Invictus? ok new problem is I can't remember what I've written

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

foreigner's god! it's always clare why did you write all of that sad stuff into foreigner's god clare why did you write their deaths in such brutal detail clare I made my roommate read this and now she won't stop crying blah blah and it's never hey clare thanks for that nice ending scene where they're just married and lying in bed and vibing!!!!!!!!!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

yeah I do and I think under viking law I'm legally permitted to fistfight the commenters!!!!!!!!!!!! step up cowards!!!!!!!!!!!!

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

god. lmao. yes I do! not often, though, I'm afraid. I tend to write an extremely narrow niche which is just exorcising trauma through sex and personal intimacy. I have no chill :)

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

no I actually usually dislike crossovers lol. like theogony is a fusion of the outlander premise but I can assure you that James Alexander Malcom MacKenzie Frasier will not make an appearance. crossovers stress me out and I like to keep my little fictional words separate, if I can. ok edit: on further review I've concluded that I enjoy premise swaps (these are just AUs lol), but I can't deal with characters from multiple pieces of media interacting. it's too much. stay in your lanes, my god. this isn't super smash bros.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not a whole fic but someone basically copy and pasted a bunch of lines from NAR into their story and then a bunch of drama ensued. it sucked and I don't like looking at NAR because it reminds me of it. I still think about the anon who told me about it, though. they were so lovely and so caring and kind to me. I hope they're doing well.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes! both with my permission and without. ha ha.

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

babes I can't even finish the stories that I'm writing by myself

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

percabeth or zelink! or any doomed/short-lived/five seconds of screen time couple in a tv show or book. seriously idk why but I always fixate on the less important characters

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I renounce this question in the name of christ. amen.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I exist not with writing strengths or weaknesses but instead a secret third thing (stupidly recognizable style)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

see above

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

I actually have a WIP where James lives in Spain to play quidditch and he speak Spanish in it :) eso me asusta mucho pq no he practicado mi español hace muchos años pero…sea lo que sea

19. First Fandom you wrote for?

percabeth! my ffnet account is still out there somewhere with ~four percabeth stories that are terrible :) just very bad :) no good :) horriblé :)

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

theogony or foreigner's god! or suze's bday fic but that's because I have never tailor-made something for someone quite like that fic and she was so sweet about it eye can't deal

tagging my internet wife @thequibblah bestie...knocking at ur door...standing outside with an edible arrangement...