#I am living for all these really creative alternate universes

[sunshipduo-enjoyer]

[lovebvni]

repetition (a pick-a-pile)

in honor of my friends kai ( @klxudykai )and nile (who doesn’t want to be tagged), i want to do a little pap! this will be black white and purple themed for them too (their pfp colours)

i know both of them are going through cycles of repeating their actions over and over, and it is hard for them. i know it’s frustrating — hell i hate repetition. but you find peace in it.

this pick-a-pile is just advice for your manifesting and/or shifting journey. there is no real theme, but i asked spirit to bring up something you need to repeat for each pile.

this pap is intuition and shufflemancy-based. i am not using tarot nor cards at all for this. this is also for entertainment purposes. take my words with a grain of salt AND please do not use this as legal or life advice.

now, inhale and exhale. believe in your intuition, and pick a picture.

[1 ; 2

3 ; 4]

pile 1 the spiral.

hi pile 1! here’s confirmation for your pile : cycles, crying, cynical, the letter c (in your name of in the name of your significant other. casey and clark stand out.), puns, clairaudience, crown, clowns, (a lot of words w the letter c jesus christ..), underwater, drowning, sinking, the sea, oceans, water (s), fix your face, black, sexism, activist, reality shifter, cyclones, spirals, “i feel like im not seeing any signs/progress”

well pile one, you could feel like you are stuck in a cycle. just a torpedo and you’re getting hit with the same things over and over. you’re wondering why things aren’t changing, why this won’t end, but it’s because YOU won’t change. this is the harshest i think i have ever been in a pick a card, but you really need to get over yourself. realize you aren’t the person you should be, throw that person away and reinvent yourself. you want a lot in life, and you aren’t going to get it if you don’t decide to change yourself. the universe chose you for a reason, but if you keep having your own pity party, you aren’t gonna get anywhere. stop getting mad when you’re being told the truth. it isn’t there to hurt you. it’s there to help you. the truth is a tool. and as long as you keep ignoring it, you keep hiding from the monster inside your closet, it’s never gonna leave. it’s gonna haunt you. it’s like a negative spirit. lure it out and keep it coming. it is gonna hurt, but it’s worth it.

your required repetition is “continue to listen and change yourself. transformation.”

the waiting season is one where you need to work, don’t keep sulking.

now to interpreting your song, her by poppy. you have been trying to be someone else that you are not, for someone else. the chorus

“I'm getting to know her And all of her anger You won't recognize her If you encountered I'm getting to know her And all of her anger Picked herself up Put her back together”

you need to change and you know it, and you don’t know how. start with your anger, your sadness, a strong emotion and unravel it. unwrap it like a gift. keep pulling to you get to the root of the cause — hold it.. nurture it… and get the mud off it.

see this as a new start, pile one. i love you. you need to know you’re strong, and you can do this. don’t get annoyed, because i know you’ve been told this before. fix your face.

pile 2 ghouls

hello pile 2! here’s confirmation this is your pile!!: fairies, love, purple, green, heart chakra and third eye chakra, shadows, “on a silver platter”, polite, scars, romance, sacred, girl blogger, skull and bones, doja cat, fear of success, screaming, pink, sexuality, white, sensuality, fire and ice, opposites, blood, self sabotage, royalty, alternative, goth, knight, disability, multilingual, this specific dynamic, vampire

simplicity. simplify everything. that’s all spirit is saying. don’t over complicate things. that’s like all spirit is saying u guys 😭😭

they r literally saying clear your mind, just be the person you are meant to be. listen to your intuition, be creative, have love in your heart, even when times are hard, and let emotions flow.

spirit told me your manifestations are actively coming in 😭😭 idek why you’re reading this pac! like there are no notes, nothing else you need to do. just listen to your intuition and be in tune with yourself. god i love this pile bc yall r js so sweet and light hearted — like there’s so much hidden positivity here that’s waiting to come out.

good job on how far you’ve come, and hav fun where you’re going! love you pile 2!

pile 3 — unclear memory

hi pile 3! here’s your confirmation: “even a worm will turn”, disappointment, ditsy, protector, big eyes, proposal, hobbit core, hermitcraft, minecraft, silence, under another’s control, blush, light colours (pastels), resting, new opportunities, distractions, distant, chapell roan, wlw.

you’re over possessive but you cut out your heart. or someone else cut it out. you need to get your priorities straight. there’s so much going on in your brain. they all lead to the same thing, don’t they? like how a spider web meets in the middle.

you’re sad, i can tell, but you won’t let anyone know. you think you’ve done enough, or even too much, but in reality you’ve been distracted. you’re trying to hide your main in overworking. doing too much.

your repeating advice is “get back on track and focus on your morals”.

but dont become some else. become yourself. stop holding grudges. get yourself back.

pile 4 — kisses

hi pile 4! here’s confirmation this is your pile: shadow work, brooklyn nine-nine, wolf pack, furry, july, suicidal but continuing, height difference, jumbled thoughts, flowers, blue and pink, wash off the makeup, ombré, counting crows poem.

this is my dogs favorite song 😭😭

pile four, you have been looking for outer validation when you don’t need it. you’re searching for signs, for love, for confirmation you’re on the right path when you really jay need yourself. you’re putting yourself down and other people/the universe on a pedestal. YOU ARE THE UNIVERSE!! REALIZE THAT!

what you say goes. what you want will happen. and that’s that.

your advice is as follows ; “you need to just rest.”

and i think that’s great advice. sit down and relax. listen to music, meditate, be at peace. work on yourself. try journaling too!! it will help.

thank yall for reading!! <3 i hope this helps someone. finishing this at 5:55 pm btw!!

[kuromispamton2000]

am gonna go insane again, fr why people not stop to my blog to look into the lore of my Swap AU when they see SMG3 x "MR. PUZZLES" before throw shit at me

i am already crying, i can't do what i see necessary for my script anymore or what?

i thought this world was free to express yourself? do you guys take so SERIOUS what Mr. Puzzles did to the crew!? this is ridiculous

Mr. Puzzles hasn't even kill anyone yet! all he did was traumatized the crew with his actions (not even he had cause any canon scars, the scars SMG4 and Meggy are portrayed by fans, they in canon not have scars) and sink a castle! what Mr. Puzzles did i am so sorry but is less horrible than for example FRANCIS or ZERO did, with even more plot and the fact they TOOK LIVES of Desti and Axol

you really take him so serious!? fr!? how traumatized you are for take what a fictional character did for deny him have friends, get mercy, get to love and only deserve pain and suffering!?

so affected you are to make you think he no deserve human compression too?

and for no deserve human compression you too attack Alternate Universes Mr. Puzzles that hasn't done anything wrong? like in case of SMGP?

....i am tired of see people take Mr. Puzzles only as a heartless monster...he isn't...a...true heartless monster and that all he deserves is be abused by everyone, canon and not canon characters...

maybe i am not...full human, or am i a monster when i no had done any crime? or i am SO DEAD INSIDE!? to care about "DA REAL NATURE OF MR. PUZZLES!!! A FUCKING MONSTER THAT NO DESERVES MERCY OR ANY SYMPATHY! BECAUSE HE KILLED 400 PEOPLE, SCARRED MEGGY AND SMG4 AND SINKED PRINCESS PEACH'S CASTLE WITHOUT ANY REMORSE! MWEHEHEHEH!"

....fr i repeat it again...i thought this world was for express your creativity...not for supress it

[morganbritton132]

I see a lot of people sending you their thoughts for your tik tok universe and just out of interest: do you enjoy people sending you their thoughts? Like we’re all creating something together? Or do you sometimes get asks you completely disagree with and just don’t answer them? (Because I don’t think I’ve ever seen an ask you answered with disagreement though I might be wrong with that)

Personally I’m very fascinated whenever someone “opens” an alternate universe idea and a large portion of the fandom comes together to expand on this very new version of reality. So I’m very much enjoying every single one of these posts and I’m really thankful that you “opened” the idea and became the hosting point 🩵

This is a very interesting ask to be sent so thank you!

I really enjoy that people send in their thoughts and ideas for this AU.

I like that the AU is collaborative. It makes it easier to keep it going, because it really is one or more posts a day and I think it’d be a lot harder to keep up creatively without other people contributing their thoughts and ideas. It really opens the door up to possibilities that I wouldn’t have considered before and people ask questions that have implications that I haven’t really thought of.

I think it helps to ground the AU into a very real sense of reality and I love that.

I find it endlessly fascinating that the aftermath of being a hero is real life and that after you save the world, you have to live in it. This AU started out as a one-off post about Eddie being bad at the internet and then morphed into this almost-character study of surviving world-shattering events and then creating a life out of the pieces that is beautiful and soft, and caring.

I don’t think that’s achieved without other people’s input.

And also! I think it is super interesting to explore the consequences of being online and people send in prompts that really help explore both the positives and negatives of online communities, and I am grateful!

I do sometimes get prompts that don’t really align with where the AU is going or that are a bit too fantastical or out of character for the setting, and I typically just leave them alone. It feels mean-spirited to publicly respond to someone and tell them that I don’t like their idea.

It also feels like it’d be really discouraging to those people and I don’t ever want to discourage someone from thinking creatively or like, embarrass them in any way because I don’t think I’ve ever received a bad prompt. It’s just that it doesn’t fit the narrative or that I am not equipped to tackle it.

All and all, I am really grateful for this AU and that it has created this little wholesome community. It’s been very rewarding and very fun.

[greetingfromthedead]

Fic authors self rec!♡ When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love❤

Oh boy! Thank you for thinking of me, but it sure is a big ask! :)

1. Tempest Wind (Vash x F!Reader, COMPLETED)

Gotta get this out of the way first, feeling like I need to bring it up. This is what started my whole presence in the Trigun fandom, it is the first fic and it is by far the longest fic I have ever written. I like to think I have improved since this series and my writing has evolved for the better, but largely I have this fic to thank for my little spot in the community and I learned so much while writing this. I got to explore some quite dark things and I like how the dynamic between Vash and the FMC turned out. I can yap all day about it.

2. Depth of Despair (Vash x GN!Reader, ONGOING)

Another series, but this time with a twist as it takes place in an alternate universe (Mermaid!AU) to explore slightly different concepts and story elements. I am only getting to the parts that really show the world and lore. I am a big fan of myths and dark fantasy so I am channeling all that into this series. I am really proud of this one and I hope I can do justice to the ideas that still only live in my head.

3. Stormy Night (SingleDad!Vash x F!Reader)

Writing angst used to be my thing so getting back to the roots felt great. I think I did a good job ripping everyone's hearts out with this one. Dad!Vash is my beloved and mixing that with gut wrenching agony brought me so much joy. It has a part 2 too, but the first one has a special place in my heart.

4. Shepherd Story 1 (Knives x GN!Reader)

This is the first AU story I wrote for Trigun. I love everything about it tbh, I am so proud of it as it really challenged me. I think I did well with the characterization and I used a slightly different style of writing, more poetic and descriptive than I usually do. I am really happy with how it turned out. There's also Story 2 and Story 3 that continue expanding on the lore and the dynamic of the characters + I have been thinking of another installment for it to explore how we get to this point in the first place, taking place a long long time ago.

5. Green Horror (Wolfwood x GN!Reader)

This is the Wolfwood counterpart to Vash's sickfic A Little Cold and I might love it more than Vash's version. I don't write enough Wolfwood, but boy do I like his character. The banter and nicknames I can use with him make me so happy and I was able to stuff a lot of everything I love into this fic.

Honorary Mention: Draconic Lust (Trigun x Succubus!Reader)

I am having way too much fun writing smut for this Dragon!AU. I do not care if anyone else likes it and it definitely won't be up everyone's alley, but from a creative writing standpoint, I am enjoying myself a great deal. Can't wait to share more of what I've cooked up.

Going to cheekily leave my masterlist here too.

Thanks again, Jelly! Know that I would send this ask to you in a heartbeat, but evidently someone else beat me to it! ❤❤❤

[sugairsstuff]

so i accidentally made an oopsie and posted my response to a request too early and had to delete it, thankfully i screen shotted it because i thought it was very important for myself and everyone who would like to request!

thank you, anonymous, for this! i’d also like to make a point of this post to thank everyone so far who has put in requests- you’re all very creative! 💫 i promise to try my best to do them all as soon as possible.

ok let’s do this

request guidelines

warnings for explicit subjects

🌷

do you do scenarios/headcanons? i do do scenarios/headcanons. i’m actually working on one currently from a request. i’m all for headcanons and scenarios! i’m okay with characters from separate fandoms, the same prompt, different prompts, etc. whatever the request tells me i’ll try to create for them. also, i’d say there really isn’t a limit for how many characters you’d like, but i think any requests above 5 may not have as much content as amounts below it! (i may or may not go off on tangents though, so who really knows).

can we request for male reader, female reader, gender neutral reader, etc? of course! if i’m unsure or it’s unspecified i usually like to revert to gender neutral, so you’ll just have to let me know in requests what you’d like.

are there any characters you won’t do in each fandom? it’s pretty open book, but i do want to say that i will not write for ascended astarion or any other character that can show abusive tendencies. this doesn’t necessarily mean i won’t write for villains, though, it just depends on how the character would act and treat a partner.

are there topics you don’t do like rape, suicide, etc? i can include these topics in fics if it is requested, but i won’t write in detail for anything under these umbrellas. if it’s important to the scenario or character, it will be briefly mentioned or implied, as i feel both uncomfortable writing explicitly for these and i do not want to make others uncomfortable despite the warnings i will put before the main content of any request including these topics.

do you do poly ships x reader? yup, never tried it, but i’m happy to!

would you mind if we request AUs (alternative universes) where the character lives happily? of course, these requests are open book! i’m happy to change things up.

would you mind if the request if suggestive, implied sex, or mentioned sex but no explicit sex? i am willing to write all of these, including explicit sex, but that will be far less as often than what else i write just because i do not enjoy writing it very much (smut gives me writer’s block). suggestive, implied, and mentioned though are all fun and i don’t mind! i don’t stray from some steamy scenarios (and my friend needs their aragorn fics).

would you do nsfw requests? as i mentioned, i will write them but i may pick and choose which ones i write at what times simply because i gotta be in a specific mode to write erotica. don’t be afraid to ask because i say that, though! i also want to add i won’t write nsfw headcanons/smut for astarion as it feels out of character for most of his arc in the game.

for baldur’s gate 3, would you mind if we don’t specify the race/class to leave it ambiguous or if we ask specifics like human/healer? i’m perfectly okay with either, it’s entirely up to you.

what kinks would you accept for requests? most things are on the table. i won’t do dubious consent, CNC, daddy kinks, age play, anything involving bodily fluids (i have some leeway for astarion with blood because… well… iykyk), or knife play. that’s all the specifics i can think of!

[aerkame]

Hey there! I have a bit of an unusual question for you, but I'm curious to know if you have a favorite or least favorite type of Alternate Universes. I'm not referring to any particular fandom, but just in general. Personally, I'm not really into the "Opposite" or "Swap personality" AUs that tends to be one of the most popular and picked in fanbases or other media explore. It's just not my cup of tea, you know? But I'm interested in hearing your thoughts!

Ooo, I like this ask! I will happily answer as this one really got me thinking.

Personally, I am not a fan of swap AUs either, I think the one exception was 2015-2016 Undertale when I was a teen and the fandom was lively. Other than that I have not seen any fandom do this AU well at all. The same can be said about Soulmate AUs. While a lot of fics written for them are sweet, they do get boring and predictable. I guess I'm a reader that prefers unique experiences in fanfictions. I really like it when I see other writers use as much creativity as possible when making an AU or writing a fanfiction. It's even better when I read a fanfiction that not only adds onto the characters, but a writer who does an excellent job at keeping everyone in character.

But there are certain AUs I will actively avoid out of experience, and those AUs are usually horror and NSFW AUs. It's not that they scare or disgust me, it's the issue that they often attract people who are not well.

Every fandom has a sub-group of bad apples, but it's those AUs that really bring them out. I do see that the creators of these AUs are okay and mature enough to be making the serious topics taken seriously, but it's usually certain individuals that ruin things by making fanfics off of it or fanart. Way too many times I've read a fic with no warnings for AUs like that. Or at the very least, they do give warnings, just not proper ones. However, at least once, I think it was in the Overwatch fandom (not Overwatch 2, I mean Overwatch from around 2016-2019), that I came across a very well done monster AU of sorts. It had a healthy community going around it and any horror fics based on it were handled with maturity and taken seriously. Not to mention some of the fanfictions really gave me a good scare. That is what I love to see with writers and AUs.

Now, for my absolute favorites?

I am so in love with aquatic mythology AUs with the exception of mermaid AUs. Many Mermaid AUs tend to be picked a lot much like how you mentioned swap AUs being the same, usually that results in a bunch of fanfictions being similar or the exact same. I love AUs that have unique or exotic mythology for the AU. I guess a good example would be my Finfolk AU. That was inspired after I read an Orkney folklore storybook. It's nothing like mermaids and the folklore surrounding it can be changed to match whatever setting I want.

Some of the most notable ones I've read were semi-horror romance fanficions based on siren AUs. I also notice that people who write these fanfictions also take great care to research their sources or come up with new features to sirens that makes sense for the universe they are in. I could rant on about it, but I'll be here all night if I do. I hope this answer is satisfactory!

[goddessxoflight]

SHIPPING INFO. answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog.

what’s your OTP for your muse(s)?

Considering my Palutena is a canon-divergent version of herself from the Kid Icarus series, I did a lot of creative liberty to her backstory. So to those who are aware, I ship Palutena with Icarus, the son of Daedalus who drowned from getting too close to the sun. It's a tragic tale that left Palutena with a lot of loss trauma. I also ship her with @ikarosxflight's Pit considering his ties to Icarus. But if anyone else can (and is willing to) thaw her icy heart, then you know I'd ship it hard!! lol

what are you willing to RP when it comes to shipping?

I don't have a lot of triggers and those that I do have, I can differentiate between story telling and real life. Basically, what I mean to say is that if there is chemistry, I can make it work!

my partner would need to realize that things could get super dark, if my partner is willing to allow it to be. Palutena is a force to be reckoned with. She is manipulative and doesn't fall for someone easily, and will most likely use them for her own benefit rather than seeking out a romantic partner. It would have to take a resilient person for her to want to open her heart to them.

What I mean to say is, I'd want to ship with someone who understands this and is willing to write a toxic one-sided love story, or is willing to try and save her. (like jfc give me a Tohru Honda!! Palutena would buckle so hard lol)

how large does the age gap have to be to make it uncomfortable?

Anyone Palutena would be interested in would have to be an adult well over the age of 18-- maybe even 25. She's thousands of years old, I promise she will not be looking at a 16 year old, lol. She's too mature to want to dabble with a child.

are you selective when shipping?

I am, but also... I'm not, if that makes sense, lol. So long as someone can show that they can have chemistry with Palutena, I can find a way to make it work! Though the person would have to understand that Pit would always come first, no matter what. It would be a tragic and angsty plot point in their love story, especially if they find out that Palutena is just using them for personal gain.

I'd want to discuss with my partner, but I'd like to write together beforehand, establish a plot, and then see if there is a connection both in writing and ooc.

how far do steamy moments have to go before they’re considered NSFW?

Once hands start to explore and kisses become.... deeper, then I'd ask my partner if we could move the rp to discord or DM's, because it'd be obvious that the plot was about to take a mature turn and I'm a shy bean when I think about other people reading the nasty bits. Unless we both agree that our muses will be interrupted by something, then we can stick to tumblr!

does one have to ask to ship with you?

I wouldn't mind it at all! By all means, come to me and ask! I'd love to discuss something. But also, if it happens naturally too, I'm also okay with that. But given Palutena's nature, I definitely feel like it'd have to be something we discuss beforehand so we're both in an agreeance with how things will go.

how often do you like to ship?

With other muses, I'm a shipping whore! Love a good filthy romance and always looking for an excuse to write fluffy goodness and smut. For Palutena though, it's a little harder. I've only ever written shipping stuff with Dae's Pit, and that's only cause our muses have a lot of history together.

are you multiship?

I am! Palutena has lived for years. I can either make it that their relationship is just a blip in the long timeline of her life so I could make it canon to her story, or can make it an alternate universe that doesn't corelate with another ship I'm having with someone else. It really does depend on who I'm writing with and what we agree on, and if shipping with that person can change the trajectory of her story in an interesting way.

are you ship obsessed or ship more-or-less?

....... I am ship obsessed, I admit. But I'd never force it down someone's throat, even if I thought our muses could work well together!! If my partner says no, I will back off so fast!

what is your favorite ship in your current fandom?

none, tbh;;;

finally, how does one ship with you?

Just vibe with me. Talk to me, poke at me and bother me, make friends with me! I'm friendly! lol If you keep talking about our muses and the possibilities that can happen between them, I will eat that shit up!

Tagged by: @piousolus!

Tagging: Anyone who wants to participate!

[timemachineyeah]

Hi, I really appreciate your points on Madoka! Thank you for providing that insight that is so desperately needed! Because I am so sick of dudebros acting like it's better than female-empowering Magical Girl works aimed at girls, or how whenever I or somebody else critiques the storytelling and message we just get told "Madoka is perfectly feminist actually and if you don't think so then you're just too stupid to understand how DEEEEEEEP it is go back to your stupid sweet and fluffy anime that's for GUUUUURLS" or alternatively "oh so female characters can't ever suffer ever and have to be happy all the time ever or it's misogynistic trash?!?!?!?! check and mate bitch" like I am just so tired. I'm glad to see your posts even though some of them are quite old. I have to say thank you once again for your genuine critique of Madoka because at this point I feel like I'm being punked whenever I talk about what's wrong with it.

Sorry! I saw this earlier and completely forgot to answer!

My few posts have given me a reputation as a Madoka hater (and, fair enough, because I certainly don't blame anyone who is. Please hate Madoka all you like). The truth is I really do like the original show quite a bit, but YEAH.

YEAH.

I think the thing that gets most exhausting for me, over and over, is bringing up these criticisms and being told, "No! Because Madoka fixed all that!" and even ignoring Rebellion (which I am inclined to do anyway), the girls still die.

They die.

The happy ending is a montage of girls dying. Which is a happy ending only because what they were getting before (specifically as a consequence of choosing to be a magical girl) was a fate worse than death.

And it's worth noting how the incubators are portrayed. They aren't portrayed as malicious. They aren't "evil" in that sense. What they are is practical and indifferent. They are taking advantage of inherent factors in the universe, not creating those factors.

Which means that there's something about PMMM that is saying, this is reality. At least in this fiction, this is the reality of femininity. And it is inherent to femininity! Kyubey even explains - it's weird! But only teen girls are like this! That's why we use them!

I think it's fair to be like, hey, that's fucked up. What kind of gender essentialist fatalism? Bro?

And it's also just denial to pretend it isn't about fanservice or a male audience.

As anyone who's been on my blog recently will know, I'm kinda super into Love Live! right now. It's cute. It scratches an itch.

And there's a lot of plausible deniability built into it, and a lot of pushback from English speaking fandom about it, but, uh, Love Live! is an idol game but it's also a waifu collector.

It's also a catalogue of nonthreateningly sexual anime teenage girls specifically designed to appeal first and foremost to lonely awkward Japanese young working men with disposable income.

And, idk, knowing that doesn't impede my ability to find it cute and wholesome and fun and escapist. The fact that it is that does lead to some of creative decisions that make the series less fun for me (it's not very diverse, for example. The yuri elements are subtext for another. And I either wish the girls were less sexualized or older, personally). But I'm not going to deny what it is.

I'm not even particularly interested in shaming the men its aimed at for liking it, or shaming the creators for making it that way per se (well, okay, sometimes I am interested in shaming the creators a lil bit). But I do think most the things about it that read as feminist to me as an American read that way because I am so far outside the original intended subculture. And I think the same is true about Madoka. You can absolutely read feminist messages in it. I certainly do. But placing these works in their original contexts tells a very different much more... regressive? picture. They were not made for women and girls. They are not made to uplift women and girls. They CAN! And they DO! Both in Japan and elsewhere! But that's anywhere from (at best) a secondary market to (at worst) a complete accident.

It's hard for some people to wrap their heads around because in America at least I think the idea of a "cute" (even if that's subverted in Madoka) media starring a large cast of only girls being for men is pretty alien to how we do stories and marketing. Here we understand playboy magazines and swimsuit editions, but we don't understand men collecting merch of a cute fictional girl they like. It would be seen as emasculating.

We understand the reverse. We get that boy bands and anime like Free! can be aimed squarely at women while being comprised entirely of men or male characters. Which is part of why I'm not shaming the male audiences, because... desiring anime tiddy isn't inherently predatory anymore than a lady desiring anime ass. And that's a crass way of putting it anyway. We don't frame hanging a boy band poster up that way, or playing a game like Mystic Messenger. It becomes more complicated because we live in a complicated patriarchal structure that protects and empowers men and women differently and unequally, but that seems like a poor reason to try to tell individual men they aren't allowed to enjoy things in a way that is obviously natural and parallels how... most humans like to enjoy some things sometimes.

But that also doesn't mean we can't look at those broad cultural patterns and... make observations. And have criticisms. And talk about how it affects people, and the back and forth between media and culture.

But, Madoka is for men first. The girls' suffering is a form of male gaze, and pretty unambiguously a kind of very very softcore torture porn for male gamer types. That's not a judgment against it, that's just its literal intended share of the market. It's a pretty easy read if you understand the context in which it was released and the culture it is coming from and catering to. My Little Pony is a little girls toy franchise. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sells toys to boys. Home & Gardens is for housewives. Top Gear is for car dads. These are true even if other people like them. When an adult fan of children's cartoons (I say, as an adult fan of children's cartoons) tries to say, "But it's not really a kids cartoon!" I feel about the same way I do when a feminist fan of some clearly male-centric media says, "But it's not really!"

And that's - own your shit. Own it. It's fine. It's fine to like it. It's fine to love it. It's fine if it means the world to you. It doesn't mean there's something wrong with you if you like a media that maybe isn't the most mature or progressive masterpiece out there. Just don't pretend there's no validity in obvious criticism. I love some real garbage made by real garbage people. I have survived.

Madoka exists in a fictional universe where the laws of that fictional universe are that 1) girls are uniquely emotional, 2) that emotion and their own aspirations can easily be harnessed against them in such a way that in the best possible universe all it does it kill them. In the normal universe it turns them into evil witches. That's just true. That's the world. I'm allowed to look at that, especially in conversation with magical girl media that came before, and go, "you know what? in that context, that's pretty fucked up" and it doesn't even mean that I stop liking the show, so I don't see why everyone else has to get so defensive about it.

(Y'all have no idea. Those posts are old now, but I got so many asks. I had to block so many people. I'm not trying to take your precious anime away calm down.)

Idk if I completely agree with the tone of my original posts - there's a little bit of offhanded vilifying of "men" as a shorthand for... all the bullshit... and I no longer love that language. I love men. Men are people. Some men can be shitty, but shitty individual men and patriarchy aren't the same. But I do still agree with all my broad points.

Plus, yes, also. The thing of a new (often male) fanbase getting into something you've been into for a long time with some new entry and acting like it both invented and fixed everything about the genre (PMMM and magical girls, Friendship is Magic and girl cartoons, Stardew Valley and farming sims) is frustrating, and to hear many an incurious nerd tell it, magical girls were floundering before Madoka! And I hate that.

Anyway, oops, I went on a little rant. That still makes it look like I don't like Madoka. I actually really do like the original series. I have rewatched it multiple times and probably will again. I even tried to play Magia Record (briefly - I couldn't really get into it). I can't speak to the many many spinoff media - but those have so many different writers and so much different lore that I think it'd probably be hard to try to pin any kind of single ethos to the franchise as a whole any more. But while I couldn't get into Magia Record I'd bet there's a short manga story or something that I'd love at this point. When you make like 200 magical girls or whatever that's bound to happen.

Thanks for the ask. Sorry Madoka fans are still so hyper defensive apparently. I hope you are able to survive them and find some better magical girl series out there. <3

[marlesbian]

for Marauders Christmas Fest by @the-marauders-fest

Prompt Childhood lovers/high school reunion

Pairing: Alice Fortescue/Lily Evans

Tags: Fluff. First love. First Kiss. Alternate Universe- No magic.

Minific

~~~~

Alice met Lily when they were 5, both were young readers and met at the local library in their small town. They became really close ever since that day, meeting at the library to read together, then they started meeting outside, at the park, the local pool. After a month they started going to each other's houses and became absolutely inseparable, because otherwise, they didn't have any other friends, two outcasts extremely smart chubby girls, whose world treated as freaks of nature, but they found home in each other.

The years went by and their friendship only grew and deepened. Lily practically lived at Alice's house and family ice cream shop, it was just a prize, being with her best friend and away from her awful sister. They did everything together, always walking around town holding hands, making friendship bracelets, they loved making each other gifts and just touching, feeling each other's presence. So the years went by, they grew up together, and knew each other better than anyone else.

Christmas 2005, they were both 13, Lily went to spend Christmas at Alice's, after having a fight with her sister. They had spent all afternoon baking cookies, pies and all the food for her dinner with Alice's dad, Steven, the chef. Dinner was awesome, so after that, they stayed in Alice's room, watching a movie cuddling to fight the cold, they did that all the time, but this time felt different, electric. Of course they knew they liked each other as more then just friends, but they were too afraid to do anything about it, since gay people weren't well seen.

- Tulip, i have to tell you something - Alice spoke all of a sudden- We're moving, my mom got a job offer in London, it's a really good job and her salary will increase significantly, so i have to go- her voice was breaking.

-What, now at the middle of the school year?

- I know this is awful but i can't stay.

- But what about me? I'm gonna miss you

- I know, im gonna miss you too, it's breaking my heart... but we can keep in touch, i'll call you every day and i can come visit..

- It's not the same... you can't go i- she desperately pleased but stopped mid sentence, then continued- I love you

- I love you too, tulip

- No... you don't get it. I LOVE you. Like i am in love with you, the way your dad loves your mom and the way people love each other in the movies... -she cried

- Oh Lily...

- You don't have to say anything, of course you don't feel the same way, im a girl and you're not bent. I'm sorry, i'll shut up now, just forget i said anything

- NO! I love you too... like that, that way. I have for a long time.

- Well, then... What now?

-Can i kiss you? I've never kissed anyone before and i dreamed of you being my first.

- YES! i mean, yes, i would love for you to kiss me.

And so they did. It was soft and innocent, the butterflies in their stomachs were bursting. They couldn't believe this was happening, so they kept doing it. They kept kissing and kissing until their lips were all red. It was awkward but it was theirs. Their moment, their first kiss, friends who have loved each other for years.

The two weeks they had together before Alice leaving was full of kisses and longing stares and softly whispered i love yous. Then Alice Left, and Lily was alone.

- 10 years later -

Its 2015, and Alice and Lily haven't spoken in the last 7 years, a lot had happened to the both of them. Alice went to film school and was working as a photographer, with a movie in the making. Lily had moved to the capital to work at a book publisher, after graduating in English literature and creative writing.

Lily Evans had been living in the capital for eight months now. She was sitting at a café, reading a book wondering why she was working during Christmas holidays, when she heard a knock in the glass. It was a short woman, with very short hair, shaved on the sides and SO many ear piercings, but she recognised her immediately, of course she would, how could she forget? It was her first kiss, her first love. The look of realisation on her face betrayed her. Alice immediately saw it, but even then entered the small shop.

- Lily! Oh god it's been ages! How are you? I meant to keep calling all these years ago, im really sorry i didn't. But ugh why am i bringing this up? Tell me about yourself! How's life been treating you? Is that a book? Are you an author now?.. oh god, im talking too much aren't i? im sorry im nervous as shit

Lily laughed, and started talking. They were both uncomfortable at first, but after the first hour, it was like time had never passed. They told each other everything, about how their sixth-terms went, about university, all of their partners and journeys coming to term with being bisexual, alice coming to terms with being gender non conforming, about their new friends and family. After the shop closed, they went on to a pub, to keep talking. When they parted their ways, saying goodbye, it took all of Lily's courage to ask

"Do you wanna spend Christmas with me? I can't go see my family so im spending it all alone. You don't have to say yes, bye the way... i'm sorry if it's too forward.. sorry forget i asked"

"I would love to spend Christmas with you, tulip"

note: i made this super unpretentiously, just a little comfort for me. i did not go 100% with the high school reunion so i cheated hehehe. also pls be kind i wrote it in like an hour

[matchakirby]

hi tumblr! I’m Eve, a queer Scottish poet returning to the motherland that is tumblr.com. I very much was in the tumblr trenches during my teen years (I spent a lottt of time on this platform between 2013-2018) but thought it was about time I returned with a new account, since I’ve been hearing tumblr is a very chill place to be rn?

embarrassingly, I used to run a fandom blog (think superwholock but heavy on the Sherlock, with some HP in there before JK Rowling showed her true terf colours) and a Muse blog (they are still my favourite band and I can now happily say I’ve seen them live 3 times!).

I’m now 23, about to graduate from uni with a English Literature & Spanish degree, where I specialised in creative writing poetry :)! I write weird, queer, eco-horror narrative poetry about transhumanism, bodies, gore, and other fun stuff. I probably won’t be using tumblr for that, but if I’ve peaked your interest you can find me on IG @ devilfruitpoems. I recently wrote a book (!) as my dissertation which I feel like tumblr would really enjoy if it still has the spirit of the site I remember lol.

right now, I’m really into mcr (obviously, I never grew out of that), old patd, other emo-aligned groups, post-punk, alternative 80s/new wave, Midwest emo, shows like the walking dead, aggretsuko, the breaking bad universe (lol), and a lot of film bro movies although I do not share their gatekeepy attitude about what’s good and what isn’t. my favourite movie is literally Lego Batman. I’m really into fashion and self-expression, so probably will document some scenemo outfits here (I am lucky enough to have a job where I can dress how I like!), and of course I’m heavy into literature. I’ve been on a real Ursula K. Le Guin kick this year, and she inspired a lot of my dissertation with her eco-horror feminist science-fiction. soooo before her time. I’m honestly into a lot more stuff, but it’s hard to think of it all compactly to write in one post lol so you can always send me an ask. I’ve recently started playing breath of the wild (I’ve put it off for years) and I’m a big Nintendo head so expect some reblogs related to games as well :)!

it’s lovely to be back, and I hope to find some cool blogs here soon! I love video essays, Internet lore, stories, as well as shitposts, so recommend me some good blogs if you can!

Thanks!

Eve

[imaginarylungfish]

Can I ask your top 10 fav fics ever (from any fandom, if you don't mind)?

Also, just curious, is there a story behind your name "imaginarylungfish "?

yes, you most definitely can! alright, here we go!

The Distance of Differences: this is my all-time favorite fic. it actually got me into todobakudeku for good. before reading this, i really only into tododeku and never bakudeku or todobaku. but damn, the storyline was really interesting, and the characterizations were great. i loved the dynamic between shouto, katsuki, and izuku. plus, i liked seeing how they all interacted with their classmates years later. i go back to this fic when i'm having a bad day cause i know it'll cheer me up!

Don't Say Goodbye: this one sticks out as a favorite of mine for similar reasons to the last one: an interesting storyline and great characterizations. i really liked how respectful and thoughtful sasaki and miyano were of each other (nothing new, but great to see it lasted into adulthood). plus, it was just cool to see them be able be a little family.

Ten Years, One Torch: this is my favorite tododeku fic. probably because i think the characterizations are pretty on point and because if shouto and izuku are together, then i need katsuki and eijirou to be together too lol. i just think the background ships are really spot on which helped me fall in love with this fic.

Look at Me, I Hear You: i normally am not one to find alternate universe fics enjoyable, but this was an exception (probably because the characterizations were still spot on). i really liked how katsuki and eijirou find a way to communicate with each other even with their challenges. i used to be pretty sick/disabled, so i think i have a soft spot for fics that show disabilities in a way that is just a normal part of living.

Your Hand in Mine (In Every Universe): so i'm not a huge bakudeku fan (i'm really only into bakudeku if it's todobakudeku) but this fic was really creative and i really enjoyed it. i think the characterization of katsuki was really spot on, even with the different versions of him.

Falling in Love at the Photo Shop: i think i'm a sucker for some oblivious-in-love fics like this. it's just really cute when two characters already act like a couple, then they realize they love each other. this is the story i wish was canon lol

Love, or Something Like That: kinda similar to the last fic's reasoning. oblivious-in-love and acting like a couple. it was nice to have a fic about kazurei after the christmas party/pre-time skip. this is what i wish happened lol

Bakugo Katsuki's Guide to Ignoring PTSD: ok so i know i said i don't really like alternate universe fics, but i like this one okayyy? probably because i also have ptsd and it was just really relatable. i also love how katsuki's friends are just there for him. plus, todobakudeku!

Of Duckies, Justice, and Life's Other Mysteries: ok so i haven't posted this anywhere before because it's not a finished fic (and i do hope the writer finishes it!!). but i really like this fic--it takes up my brain space lol. it feels like a cross between link click and buddy daddies, so it's up my alley. i love the premise and just wish there was more!

Crash Course on Intoxication: i realize i don't have many satosugu fic favs because there story is just usually depressing. but hey look, here's an alternative universe fic (lol maybe i'm okay with alt uni fics idk). this one also isn't finished but i really like it so far. it i think how gojo acts in this fic is relatable for me (as i was a closeted queer in college) and idk the characterizations are believable to me.

wow, that was fun!

now, imaginarylungfish? well, my favorite animal is a lungfish. why? lungfish live in drought-ridden environments. so, when there is water, they breathe through their gills. but when the water dries up, they secrete mucous that forms a protective cocoon around themselves. they go into torpor (like hibernation) while breathing with their lungs until the water returns. i think that is amazing! they are super resilient and idk i find that cool.

the imaginary part is just cause idk i feel like i have a big imagination sometimes and also, what is real anyway? what if we're all just imagining life... spoopy

[su8arandspite]

Babysitting Wars

Summary: Steve and Beth engage in a friendly competition for the title of best babysitter. Or, alternatively, the one where Steve uses a bet to his advantage.

steve harrington x female!oc

warnings and content: not much, fluff, short

A/N: this was something i wrote in 2018 so pls forgive me. but it's my birthday today so i am celebrating with a bit of stethany

word count: 1k

THE kids’ bikes raced in the direction of the arcade before Beth could even get a word in. With a heavy sigh, she set the cookie dough she’d been mixing down on the counter. Arms crossed over her chest, she whipped around to glare at the other teenager. 

“Steve!”

Steve shuddered under the intensity of her gaze, a sheepish grin working its way across his lips. This side of her, usually reserved for when one of the kids stepped out of line, shocked him. While just last week he’d sniggered at the sight of her chewing out Mike Wheeler for an off-handedly sexist comment, Steve found no humor in the look on her face when directed at him.

“What’re you doing?” she scolded. “You heard what Joyce said; they’re meant to stay here.”

“It’s just for an hour,” he offered.

When her expression remained unchanged, he lifted his palms in surrender.

“I’m a damn good babysitter!”

“You don’t know the first thing about babysitting,” she said, brows cocked. “I bet you probably let them watch whatever movie they want because you believed them when they told you that their ‘mom said it was okay.’” 

A giggled died in her throat at the guilty smile on his lips. 

“Oh, my god!” 

“Tell you what—why don’t we let those little shits—"

“Kids, Steve. They’re kids.”

“Yeah, Okay. Fine. Let the kids decide who’s the better babysitter.”

“Like a competition?”

“Yeah. If I win, you’re spending the entire weekend with me. No questions asked.”

“And if I win?”

“I’ll take you to see that Michael J. Fox movie for the 20th time, and I promise I won’t even tease you for drooling.”

“All right,” she smirked. “I’ll take that bet. Game on, Harrington.”

Beth’s competitive streak brought out a side of her Steve didn’t even know existed. While he figured she brought home all those cheerleading trophies for her team using more than that sweet smile of hers, he had no clue what he was really up against.

In a competition with no rules, Beth chose to get creative. 

As she leaned in closer, reminiscent of the day that had officially marked the start of their friendship, the pad of her thumb wiped at his cheek, erasing an imaginary stain. 

He gaped down at her, using whatever self-restraint he had left to keep from pulling her flush to him. Steve seemed to have trouble thinking of anything other than what her lips might taste like lately.

“Something a matter, Harrington?”

Feigning innocence, she chewed on her lower lip. Steve’s cheeks flushed a scarlet color, suddenly worried she could hear his thoughts.

“I-I, uh,” he cleared his throat. “Beth?”

“Hm?”

“Can I kiss y—“

“Steve,” a voice chastised from the hallway. “C’mon, man! That’s, like, the universal first rule of babysitting. ‘No boys,’ duh—"

“You mean girls, Dustin. I like girls”

“If you say so… Not my fault you’re the only male babysitter in existence. Beth-1, Steve-0.”

“Better luck next time, then?”

He didn’t need to catch the look on her face to see her triumph smirk as she slipped past him and into the living room.

After that, Steve decided to up his ante. He got his first point by convincing one of the girls on the cheer team to call Beth with some made-up conflict, knowing she would stay on the phone until she had it in her mind that everything was fine with who he’d heard her refer to in the past as ‘her girls.’

Ordinarily, her maternal approach to most things warmed his heart. He often thought she might make the perfect mother—a thought he kept to himself, of course. But he really, really wanted to use this as an excuse to take her out on a real date and he didn’t think he could win against her if he played it fair.

Dustin’s face lit up like Christmas morning at the news of their bet and even more so at the stakes. In hindsight, they should’ve known better than to assume any of those kids would play fairly. While Dustin promised Steve not to meddle in his relationship with Beth anymore, this game was the perfect loophole.

He freely tossed points around for made-up rules. 

Dustin wasn’t entirely sure how many of those points Steve deserved, but he knew Beth. He knew otherwise she would win, and they’d stay in the limbo between friends and lovers. Dustin thought he had it figured out- until the end of the week left them with an even score of 5 to 5, thanks to Will.

While Steve hadn’t been able to stand the sight of the pool in his backyard for the past year, he felt right at home with Beth by his side. Just her feet dangled in the water, which the heater could bring only to a lukewarm temperature in the December weather. 

“So,” she said. “Do we have to do both things now?”

Steve chuckled lightly.

“Maybe. But mine was better.”

“Yeah,” she rolled her eyes, stifling laughter. “If you say so.”

He held his hands up to his right ear in a mock-telephone, smirking:

“Hello, 911? I’d like to report a loser.”

“Steve, what are you even talking about? It was a tie!”

“Nah,” he pulled her closer. “Not really, ‘cuz I still won the girl.”

With one playful shove to the shoulder, she sent him splashing into the pool. Steve smiled through the salty taste of chlorine and dragged her by the ankle down after him.

As she resurfaced, Beth pushed her sopping hair from her eyes with a chuckle.

“For the record, Steve,” she said. “You could just ask me on a date next time.”

“There’s gonna be a next time?”

“Not if you aren’t careful, Harrington.”

Steve imagined he looked ridiculous standing in the shallow end of his pool, fully clothed and stuttering over his words. Beth couldn’t help but think she could get used to the sight.

[delcakoo]

going back to my brother’s bff but w/ Riki/Noa + Dark Moon: Blood Altar lore/theories + red string of fate au (1/?)

WARNING: HAVENT FINISHED READING IT YET ALSO SUPER LONG

One of the theories that I heard before is that the members time traveled to the past and intervened in something that was supposed to happen and therefore destroyed their futures and in the future they suffer the consequences of their actions.

Here comes my idea:

Heesung was always supposed to protect Sooha/Selene but as added protection the Queen made his little sister aka reader one of Sooha’s lady in waiting. Reader is connected to Riki by a red string of fate and was always destined to meet him. In the members’ desperation of finding who and what they are as well as finding the truth of it all they accidentally prevented Riki from meeting reader which caused a major impact/consequence to Riki.

The thing is, Riki was always supposed to meet and fall in love with reader in each and every lifetime. Reader was supposed to be the light in Riki’s darkness, when Riki loses his control over his powers and falls into darkness reader is there to bring him back into the light. Also she’s kind really good w a sword and has healing powers (not official tho still not sure about her powers but def gonna put her 2nd place in most powerful)

Falling into present, by preventing that from happen not only does Riki fall weak mid-battle but also he feels a heavy ache in his heart and feels a tightening on where the string should be. Enemies take advantage of this moment of weaknesses and almost kill him. Heeseung brings a sickly Riki back to the dorm and basically searches what happened, the universe grants him his wish and finds himself seeing fragments of what could’ve and should’ve happened (aka memories of Riki and reader’s lives together and also alternatively memories of what they could’ve been). In the end, Heeseung just goes on a journey to the past and fix everything. When he comes back he finds a no longer sick Riki cuddling w reader in his bed and both are asleep. as it should always be.

PS: I feel like I just wrote a whole series/fic 😮‍💨 it’s so long I’ll just explain in my 2nd ask for some corrections and clarifications hence why I placed the “(1/?) thing -💐

WOAHHHHH this is??? so cool and detailed bouquet nonnie omg,, the red string of fate idea is super creative i am INTRIGUED??! THANK GOd riki dIDNT DIE THO WTF pls dont let him die i beg <\33 AND THEM CUDDLING ST THE END UGH I LOVE THIS SM HOW DID U EVEN THINK PF THISSS?!?!

[joeyjoeylee]

When writing both sides of the law whose POV was more challenging to write through? do you have a favorite POV? You captured Beth and Rios voice so perfectly!! do you have any tips on how to put Brio in a completely different universe but still make it feel like it's them?

Anon, I love you, thank you! Both for the kind words and for the little thrill it always gives me to see the dot on the Tumblr.com Ask Box!!

Putting under a cut b/c, as always, brevity is not ya girl’s strength.

I found both POVs equally challenging for different reasons, and while writing each one, I would longingly think about how much easier the last one was and how much I looked forward to finishing the current one to get back to the other one.

Beth’s was easiest b/c superficially, I’m like Beth. White woman from American suburbia, same general age range, oldest daughter with wacky, irresponsible, beloved younger sibling that I had to parent from the moment of their birth? Check, check, and check. So it wasn’t hard to try to channel that POV, because Beth’s experiences were something I could relate to or imagine her reactions.

By the opposite token, Rio was therefore exponentially more difficult. A man, Latino-American, crime-adjacent, etc. – what do I know about all that other than from pop culture/reading others’ perspectives?

The “man” part being the first hurdle, because yes, I’ve read George R.R. Martin talking about how he as a man writes such disparate women characters (“You know, I’ve always considered women to be people.”) and that’s all well and good (are men people tho? Jury still out. Just kidding. Mostly.), but I also LIVE for the Men Writing Women Badly memes (“Her large gelatinous boobs hung calmly, penitently boobing boobliciously under her boob-framing shirt.”), and I was constantly worried I was doing the same thing in reverse, i.e., “is this actually how a [supposedly] normal hetero cis man thinks/acts? Seems sus….”

And then writing from the perspective of someone a different race/cultural background than my own? I know it’s no surprise that race/culture issues can be so fraught in America and deservedly so (of course elsewhere in the world too, just noting “in America” as that is my personal experience and the experience of the overwhelmingly American media/pop culture I consume), and I was very sure I didn’t have the skill or ability to convey any of that with sensitivity or nuance so tried to avoid it/not get too into it too much for fear of botching it badly or offending or writing something that came off as a straight caricature (example: I cut so much of Rio’s “family” scenes other than the Gretchen ones, etc.).

But then again Beth’s POV was harder for me b/c personality and temperament-wise, she is not me. I am the OG Gen X Slacker Stereotype (the Hufflepuff to Rio’s and Beth’s Slytherins, if you will, which is a good fit as I think about it b/c Hufflepuffs love Slytherins) and sometimes writing all Beth’s lists and research and BETH-ness was so exhausting I wanted to take a stress nap (Insert Fat Amy gif: “ENOUGH [WITH THE DAMN BINDERS, BETH] ENOUGH!”).

And then Rio was much easier b/c his “humor” for me was fun to channel b/c I see it as more like my own, as is what I viewed his approach to school and studying (get by on talking and reading quickly and retaining only what you need to know? Check!), and how his POV could just be long monologues of observing Beth and making fun of her rigidity (this was often-times just straight “JoeyLee dunking on Beth” and not “Rio the Character dunking on Beth” if that makes sense).

As far as tips for writing an AU, I don’t think I have any really good ones – again, I’m not the creative writer others are as shown by the fact that my “creative” attempt at an alternate universe was literally a universe I had actually personally experienced, aka law school – but for me, I tried to think of what I believed to be the core characteristics of the canon characters (understanding that this was MY read of them, and others’ mileage may and should vary):

· She is: intensely private, a Certified Leslie Knope-Level Steamroller, willful, dogged, often entitled, knows how to weaponize her privilege, blind to the things she doesn’t want to face/acknowledge, desperate for approval from outside sources she values (Rio, teachers/authority figures, Polite Society at Large), pragmatic, goofy sense of humor, and above all, will always prioritize “survival” over personal happiness;

· He is: family and business-oriented, charming, charismatic, ruthless, full of joie de vivre and able to see the humor in life, quick-witted, sarcastic, flashy in dress/accessories/material things, and capable of effortlessly slipping into different faces and masks to fit any situation;

· They both are: stubborn, ambitious, very emotional (her more inwardly, him more outwardly), petty, aware of what they look like physically and their effect on others (but often not their effect on each other), absolutely convinced at all times they are right, quick to lash out and go total NUCLEAR/SCORCHED EARTH when wounded or hurt, competitive, and obsessed with each other at all times, even when they supposedly dislike/hate the other.

So I told myself that even though I was writing an AU, they always had to be in personality like how they are in canon, otherwise I would just be writing original characters with the Beth/Rio names slapped on them (this is fine too, of course, but the whole point of fanfic for me is to read about the characters I love).

Then I tried to always write them acting and reacting like those characteristics above, even as they weren’t reacting as I would have and it made the writing harder (me thinking “FOR GOD’S SAKE, can you just HAVE A CONVERSATION for once and stop with this madness!”)

So my advice would be: for any alternate universe setting you can imagine, just think about what the characters’ core characteristics are for you. Then you have to write them always remaining true to those, no matter what different timeline or life experiences you’ve dreamed up (and that could even be half the fun – what would Beth’s life be like in an AU where she doesn’t have Annie as a younger sibling? Or didn’t meet Trashcan Dean too young? What must have happened that formed/shaped her into the same Canon-Beth Personality without those Canon-Beth Life Experiences?).

And final thought, I gotta say, the AUs I’ve read where that is done well (like I have read so many times in this fandom), well, for me, it’s like seeing the Multiverse – all my fave characters in so many different times and places, but still themselves, still them. Don’t get me wrong, I love a canon or canon-compliant fic super hard, and I understand why some readers just can never relate to an AU. But it makes me happy to find a new AU and pretend I’m Dr. Strange seeing another one of the million different universes where my faves are still existing and interacting in different forms. Possibilities = endless.

What’s your dream AU/head canon, Anon? Write me back so I can daydream about it too and break up this ridic work day!!

[hopefulsapphic]

miscellaneous tag game

tagged by @searchingfortheuniverse! tysm i love these things <3

A band you don’t like that many others do: uhh i'm really not a hater and i genuinely do not have that strong of opinions about music and bands, so i really can't think of any right now

A childhood memory that you remember vividly: god i have so many vivid childhood memories it's hard to pick just one. my most vivid memories are probably the ones i have of playing with my twin when we were pretty little. they all tend to blend together, but i can still picture so clearly the castles we built out of soft blocks and the little lego people and toy cars we moved around them like dolls and the stories and scenarios we made up and acted out and the dragon costume in his closet he always tried to scare me with

Least favorite animal and why: insects probably, but only the really annoying little flying ones that buzz so relentlessly and never take the hint when you shoo them off. also whatever wretched little bug bit me in my sleep the other night

Hot fandom take: idk if this means like for a specific fandom or just fandom in general, but either way i don't really think i have any? then again i didn't think that that "steve harrington wasn't a bad person/boyfriend he was literally just 17" post i made a little while ago was a hot take either but apparently it was a little more reactive than i expected

Do you wear any jewelry, if so, what’s your favorite piece: i'm literally always wearing jewelry; i've got two hands full of rings that i basically never take off like ever, and it's rare to see me without earrings in and necklaces on. my favorite piece at the moment is probably my little silver bat necklace i got at an antique mall about a year ago

A movie others liked but you didn’t: guys i'm really not a hater. also i tend not to watch movies i just don't have the attention span tbh

Three things you love about yourself: my creativity, my perseverance, my sense of self-expression

A place you hope to visit in the future and why: everywhere, there's so much of the world i haven't seen. more realistically though, i hope to visit my twin in washington sometime this year, probably in the summer

An actor that gets on your nerves and why: again i'm. really not a hater. i tend to be utterly indifferent to like 95% of all celebrities, i just can't care about them enough for them to even be able get on my nerves

Things you’re excited for in the nearby future? there are a few alternative music club nights (emo, goth, metal) coming up over this next month and i'm very excited to dress up and go to those with friends!

Least favorite ship in a fandom you’re in: okay now i'm a hater. it's harringrove 😬

What’s the most toxic fandom you’ve been in? all fandoms are toxic if you venture far enough or have the misfortune of landing in the wrong corners of the internet, but i think my worst experiences have been in areas of the percy jackson fandom (in the mid 2010s especially; ik it's probably kicking up again now with a new wave of toxic fans but i am living in blissful ignorance of that discourse) and, in more recent years, the stranger things fandom (i've had to narrow my involvement down to basically only one specific ship fandom within it and even then only seek it out on tumblr; tiktok is rancid)

List three things you find beautiful about life: human connection, the art of words and stories, the joy of flowers in the spring after a particularly desolate winter

Any dreams for the future? just the typical stuff really: graduate university (i have one semester left that's insane), move out (for realsies, not just for school), and find myself a solid job and make myself a solid home and be able to be self-sufficient and successful and happy in this world. ideally i also dream of actually finishing and publishing a novel one day

How are you really feeling today? i have not had even three consecutive hours of sleep a night for the past week and it's making me feel just a little bit insane, and i'm a bit anxious about school and about meeting up with a newish friend tomorrow, but overall i actually feel pretty good. i finally feel like i've got real proper friends here in this city and i've been seeing them a lot lately, so that's been buoying an overarching sense of positivity despite my sleep deprivation and anxiety

tagging @turquoiseorchid and @rainbowteri if you feel like it! and if anyone else wants to do this too, consider yourselves tagged also; live your dreams, overshare on the internet 🫶🏻