#I think it’s the only book fandom I actively indulge in

[floral-hex]

Oooo what's that book about?

Nona the Ninth? I dunno if I can really explain it without spoiling it or giving details that probably don’t make much sense, but it’s book 3 in a series called The Locked Tomb that is usually described as “lesbian necromancers in space,” even though most of the space stuff is in the second book and the first book is more of a haunted castle vibe. Lots of angst, mental illness, mystery, and neat characters. I dig it.

[actual-changeling]

I have tried to find a way to word this that isn't accusatory because that is not my goal here, but after writing and rewriting this a dozen or more times I've given up. I'm just upset about it all but I don't intend this to be taking it out on you specifically. I am truly sending it in good faith!

It's been incredibly difficult to be an ace fan with ace headcanons lately because of constant "Let. Them. Fcuk!" shouts from all corners, as though A/C must have sex on screen for their relationship to count. There are many posts insisting all headcanons are valid followed immediately by more posts insisting they have to be sexual creatures because of this or that reason and any thought to the contrary is just wrong. My "favorites" are the ones arguing that because they love human things so much then of course they must want to have sex because all humans want to have sex!

Needless to say as a human who has never once in my life wanted to have sex I find that incredibly othering. It's not the only argument that's been verging hard into acephobic and exclusionary rhetoric lately either.

Ace people can and do have sex. Ace people can also be sex repulsed or just uninterested. Aziraphale and Crowley could easily be any of those things just as easily as they could be sexual beings. What we see in the show and the book are two beings who canonically have demonstrated nothing about their thoughts on sex and sexuality. There are things some take as hints at a sexual nature but those same things can be read as something entirely nonsexual. As Neil said, sometimes an oxrib is just an oxrib. Canonically and textually all that scene shows is the birth of Aziraphale's hedonistic (in the philosophical sense of the term) desires. And yet, as hedonistic as that scene is, it is still not inherently sexual. It's one possible valid reading of the subtext to be sure but also not the only possible valid reading. You can take that scene to mean Aziraphale's gonna screw Crowley's brains out the second they avert Apocalypse 2.0 or you can take it to mean he's gonna drag him on a whirlwind tour of the dessert trays of every good restaurant in town instead. Both are valid interpretations of what Aziraphale going to town on that rib could be representing and neither is more correct. Both readings fit under the hedonism umbrella but true hedonism does not and has never mandated sexual activity. Aziraphale is a fine example of an ethical hedonist and yet his canonical hedonism is not concrete proof that he must want to have sex, as I have seen argued. Hedonism can include sex but it can also be entirely focused on food and drink or art and music or philosophy. Yes, you can be asexual and a hedonist, they are not contradictions in terms.

As a final note I just want to add my own stance on it. I personally think they may be idly curious about sex, perhaps enough to indulge now and then, but it's not something either feels they need in their relationship to feel valid and loved. I also feel I must say that I don't agree with the faction that says they'd be too pure as non-humans to even consider sex as an option. I find that just as othering, in a different way, as saying they must want sex because all humans do.

And so finally I come to my question at the end of all the rambling. If every headcanon is valid as canon does not show their thoughts on sex one way or the other, then why is it fine to see them as sexual and insist it has to be in the show and yet worthy of mocking to see them as ace and to not want a sex scene?

Good faith recognized and accepted, so no worries on that front.

I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to send the message in the first place, it's one of the reasons I always have anon asks on. I don't mind playing middle man (gn) for fandom discussions.

Edit: I just realised I might not have made it clear enough, but I'm alloaro myself, so same hat and all.

If every headcanon is valid as canon does not show their thoughts on sex one way or the other, then why is it fine to see them as sexual and insist it has to be in the show and yet worthy of mocking to see them as ace and to not want a sex scene?

The short answer is that it is not fine to mock or attack people for their headcanons, and I really wish I could tell you that it's simply a matter of kindness or working through some aphobia, but it's so, SO much more complicated than that.

I will try my best to explain my interpretation of why the above happens, but if I lose anyone at any point, don't hesitate to ask questions! Hopefully my red string will hold though.

The problem you describe is not specific to this fandom, it will pop up in literally every single one at some point or other, and in some corners it turn into queerphobia on all sides just being thrown around.

With Good Omens in particular, the canon Neil gives us is incredibly pliable, everything and nothing can apply, and you are not restricted by gendered subtext or implications. It's great! It really is! BUT it also means that people start projecting heavily on a character, headcanoning their specific labels for them, etc. which by itself isn't a problem.

It becomes one when a headcanon that does not align with theirs suddenly feels like a personal attack—as if headcanoning that character as something you aren't is invalidating your identity through that character. I hope that makes sense, simple version is people project a lot, and it gets very messy very fast.

Queer sexuality has a long and complicated history, and I really recommend to everyone to read up on i at least a little. In the media, you usually get one of two depictions of it: predatory or pornographic. Both suck, both are bad representation, both further already existing stereotypes.

However, that means any depictions of queer people that are not one of the above tend to be non-sexual to a point where the intention behind certain choices is very clear. Queer sexuality is bad and dirty, it should be hidden away, and is only allowed to exist if it can be consumed by cishet people or used for their amusement.

So where does that leave us with Good Omens?

Many people are desperate for good representation, myself included, and with the way Neil is writing the show, everything is possible, and some things even likely. He said himself that one of the reasons for the kiss was the destruction of deniability of their relationship.

We need to have queer sexuality on our screens because otherwise it will always be seen as other, and queer relationships will be denied on the basis of a 'lack of intimacy'. It sucks, it is completely inaccurate, and unfair, but that is where we are.

If we take this information and tie it back to the projection issues I talked about in the beginning, I think it's possible to understand the point I'm trying to make.

Suddenly it is no longer the character's sexuality that is not shown but their own, and that opens Pandora's box for all kinds of difficult emotions.

Everything above also applies to aspec people, just that most of us are usually looking for a lack of something rather than a presence, which is not better or worse than wanting queer sexuality explicitly shown. People end up butting heads—and it gets incredibly personal way too quickly—because you have group A, who want to see a sex scene because of above reasons, and then you have group B, who would prefer for that not to happen.

While that's a perfectly fine headcanon to have (and it SHOULD be respect, every hc should be), some people from A will see a post about them never having sex and interpret it (mostly subconsciously, I presume) as an attempt to repress queer sexuality from being shown.

The 'solution' (easier said than done) to the problem is learning when to step back and how to recognize when one is getting too caught up in their character(s)—or simply how to not be an asshole and scroll past something. Tumblr has great blacklist and blocking features, use them, people.

Bottom line, harassing people for their headcanons or other fandom ideas is rude, inappropriate, and makes you an asshole that needs to log off and go on a fucking walk.

[mitziholder]

I find your thoughts on fandom interesting, and in general, I'm really glad to see more discussion of the bad shit fandom can/is doing to young women in radblr spaces. But I mean this as an honest question: Why do you consider fandom not challenging writers/readers such a problem? These aren't professional writing spaces, and the vast majority of fanfic writers don't intend to go into them. Does an artistic hobby *need* to challenge its participants to be worthwhile? I mean this all really genuinely, especially as someone who *does* work in the arts and *does* actively want work that challenges me, and has traditionally prided herself on it -- are these inherent moral goods? Am I a reasonable standard to expect of other people? Is engaging with boundary-pushing art a requirement of healthy maturity? Why? Is, say, a human rights lawyer who spends her free time watching trashy reality shows blighted, somehow, by that fact? What about a cashier who watches the same stuff because she's genuinely not interested in anything else? And, given the vast majority of readers of actual books basically read the way fanfic-only readers read -- the same genres, which use well-worn tropes -- do we think fandom is actually keeping its participants from more worthwhile experiences? (I suspect you might argue this is dumbing down the publishing industry, which I would really disagree with, as someone in publishing -- I know we can all point to Ali Hazelwood or a million YA books that advertise with tropes, but I really can't emphasize enough that this has been the case since modern publishing began, and I think pinning "so-so prose that's The Same Old Shit" on the current young female writer cohort borders on sexism, tbh.) I've been thinking about these questions a lot lately, and I just don't know the answers. My gut wants to say yes, it's good to present challenging work to people, especially women, because art is a key part of the human experience, and can effect all sorts of societal things. But also ... I know very little about the environment, including my immediate natural environment, and if I'm honest, I'm not really inclined to learn. I'm sure learning about it would effect all sorts of change in my life and concept of self. But I'm probably not going to do it because I have a limited amount of time and I'd rather give it to other things. Is that better or worse than engaging with challenging art? Is it better or worse to be me than the woman reading the same old tropey fanfic in her free time? I think what I WOULD argue is that, specifically, fandom as it is reinforces patriarchy and induces a lot self-destruction and alienation in young women, with particularly vile effects on young lesbians, autistic women, etc. But if it didn't do that....would I still have a problem with it? I don't know. But it's interesting as hell to think about, and I'd love your thoughts on it.

hello nona :-) many interesting points, much to consider

>Does an artistic hobby need to challenge its participants to be worthwhile?

no. I’m sure there are plenty of people who enjoy crochet or knitting or something like that for the sake of it or to de-stress. I’m sure there are also plenty of people who write and draw for the sake of it with little interest in grinding for improvement. that’s fine. the problem is when you have people who replace reading and personal edification with endless fluff + pointless indulgence.

reading... things... that are above your level, that actually make you think, is how you increase your vocabulary, your linguistic competence, your critical thinking skills, your ability to express yourself. difficult and complex texts present you with opportunities to broaden your perspective. they stimulate your mind, present you with new ideas; they can help you grow as a person in ways that the Same Old Shit simply won’t/can’t. it would be like benching the bar every day for 10 years straight and expecting to get stronger... I presume. I don’t lift weights.

as I said previously, I don’t think fanfic is going to destroy your brain, but if you read nothing but fanfic, that is on the same level as (or maybe worse than) reading nothing at all. of course I’m going to be critical of a community of people who humblebrag about how they can’t bring themselves to read 25 pages of literature in an academic (non yaoitastic) context.

ya ya it’s a joke they’re joking very funny, but do you see people of other creative pursuits or hobbies joking about how they can’t bring themselves to focus on a piece of actual literature or nonfiction? how they have zero interest in anything outside of anime boys kissing each other? it’s a sign of intellectual stagnation (and eventual regression imo).

I watch a lot of shitty youtube videos, but I acknowledge that they are basically a waste of my time. meanwhile you have post after post singing the praises of how culturally important and worthy of respect Our Beloved Fic Writers are in spite of the fact that their work is, by and large, completely self-indulgent shit! there’s just so much potential that isn’t being tapped into & so much complacency... it’s very frustrating to me. I find it dishonest. red white and royal blue is not going to change the world... lol

for the record, yes, you are right, lots of Real book-readers also read mostly self-indulgent shit. genre fiction is far more popular than anything else... and I don’t care for booktok either. in fairness, literary fiction isn’t always good, and I’m sure there were many women who read nothing but terrible pulp novels 70 years ago too. that doesn’t make fandom any better! not to say this is all women’s fault - I just have zero frame of reference for how “cultured” men may or may not be, and I don’t really care either way. I focus on fandom girlies because they’re what I know, & I want women to be... better, or at least more interesting. this is, of course, sexist by definition. I hold myself and other women to higher standards. I will admit to that. I’ll also admit to the fact that I do not care about men or what they are writing or reading and would not give a shit if they all became illiterate thoughtless slugs. it is what it is.

truthfully, I have no interest in moralizing any of this. I just find it depressing! it’s resulting in more and more women who cannot relate to and have zero interest in anything outside of the narrowly defined fanfic bubble - so, more and more women who can’t relate to me or what I care about. I’m selfish, and I think it’s unfortunate that there are so many young female writers clearly capable of writing something interesting who nevertheless restrict themselves to lowest common denominator coombrained garbage because it’s what’s easy and popular.

do we have a responsibility to pester random strangers about their amateur fanfic? naw. who has the time? all I know is that conversations I’ve had with my female friends about our original works or other women’s writing have been vastly more substantial and enlightening than any argument about who tops or bottoms in supernatural... imo. in my opinion

re: the environment and social responsibility, I also have no interest in debating what matters are the most important and whether you have a personal, moral obligation to educate yourself about them. I recognize that we all have a limited amount of time and energy to dedicate to something which is admittedly fairly peripheral to most people’s everyday concerns (such as... paying the bills). then again, so is almost everything.

at the end of the day, I just think it is an awful shame that some women would - and they freely admit this - rather turn their brains off and do nothing, think about nothing, read the same shit over and over, watch the same shows over and over, draw and write the same things and dynamics over and over... than do anything else. anything different or thought-provoking or uncomfortable. it is a loss for the breadth and the depth of women’s contributions to culture as well as their empathy and intellectual curiosity.

obligatory food analogy: a little bit of junk food won’t kill you, but if that’s all you’re eating, you are probably not... doing... well

and that’s not even getting into the social contagion present within fandom re:mogai, relationships, and gender identity shit (which I would say probably has a lot to do with the underdeveloped critical thinking skills and worldviews of girls who read nothing but fanfiction). I would love to come back to that at some point, but I think this post is long enough, so I’ll just put a pin in it. there’s honestly an insane amount that I have to say about common talking points regarding the value of yaoi/fanfic (in terms of how they portray Marginalized Identities and Relationships and how it supposedly helps women navigate their own trauma through a proxy or some shit like that) oh god this is a horrible run-on .... that’s all for now! send post!

[starsurface]

Hiiii!!! 1. i love your blog so much, im a really big MK fan and i literally didn’t know MK agere was a thing

2. can i request cg Kitana with a puppy regressor headcannons please?

3. i think ur headcannons are iconic and super accurate

-jack

Hii!!!

I'm so glad you enjoy it!! :D Whenever I enter a fandom, I like searching for any kind of Agere, and I decided I wanted to try and start one. :p

2. And of course you can!! <3 (really hoped you meant MK1 Kitana because that's what I did)

3. Really? 🥺 That means so much, I always get worried that they're out of character (or I'm projecting too much)

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

CG Kitana w/ Puppy Regressor Hcs

💙 She loves puppy regressors!!

💙 She’d give you so many chin or head scratches!!!!

💙 ^ Not even when you do something good, she just likes giving you the attention

💙 If you like outside time, she’s take you out to the royal gardens to run around and play, to a more a private section so you can have more fun

💙 Many outside activities!! Rolling a ball around, tug-a-war, races!!

💙 Kitana’s a pretty good runner, but she’ll slow down, or make sure you always win so you two can go back inside and have some yummy ice cream

💙 Also more mellow activities, like rolling around on the blanket or the grass, taking a small nap outside, or having Kitana read a book to you while you try to grab at any butterfly that comes across your eye 

💙 ^ You have so far been unsuccessful at grabbing any :(

💙 If you like inside time more, that’s okay!! There are many fun activities to do still!!

💙 Kinetic sand, play dough, slime, a lot of fun little things she likes to try out (no, you can’t eat them, and you will get scolded if you try)

💙 Even puppies can serve time out, unfortunately :\

💙 Not long timeouts (and you can coax her to come over and cuddle you during your sentence) but your not leaving that corner

💙 No biting >:(

💙 It’s an absolute no-no, you can hurt someone

💙 In fact, Kitana would absolutely love to buy you some (safe) chew toys!!

💙 Whether it’s baby chew toys, or a chewie, or a stuffie made for chewing

💙 She just likes spoiling you, anything you want is yours

💙 She’d get you a custom made collar or choker!!!

💙 Your favorite color, maybe a cute design, a bell or whatever nickname you want on it!!

💙 If you need any kind of padding, she buys you literally everything you’d ever need

💙 Cute designs, mattress protection, whatever helps you feel comfy to use them

💙 Many treats, they’ve very easy to get form her

💙 Or, until she realizes that perhaps she’s giving you too many sweets and then you’ve gotta rely on your best puppy eyes (which most times don’t work) :(

💙 But if you continue to whine and mope about it . . . She’ll let you have more candy 😮‍💨

💙 But you’re having some apple slices or beef jerk or something after!! (she just wants you to be healthy, but she would never shame you if you were to over indulge or anything!!)

💙 Would joke about puppies not being allowed to have chocolate, but it’s only light teasing, she’d still give you some

💙 Will try to teach you ‘tricks’, like holding a treat on your nose (she’ll attempt to do it too, epic fail unfortunately, she’ll get it eventually)

💙 She’d let you sniff her hand before she pet you, or encourage any kind of ‘dog’ like behavior (as long as it’s not harmful)

💙 She’d make (human safe) kibble for you, or get things like beef jerky or Scooby Snakcs

💙 If you don’t like the ideas or chokers, she’ll make you a beaded necklace!!! Puppy themed too!!

💙 Light or baby blues (or whatever color you like), little paws and some puppy faces, your favorite nickname or your name spelled on it!!

💙 I think she’d just like making bracelets and necklaces and stuff for her friends :3

💙 She'd let you try to make some too!! And will tie the knot at the end so you can wear and show off your pretty bracelet

💙 Would be over joyed it you made her something!! (even if there's absolutely no theme or color coordination, just a bunch of pretty colors smashed together that looked pretty)

💙 I firmly believe she knows how to crochet, she’d totally make you some type of stuffie!!!

💙 Gets a little nervous about you crawling on all fours for too long, she doesn’t want your knees to go bad or for you to scrape them, especially outside :(

💙 She won’t stop you, but she’ll offer to carry you places instead, and will check your legs for no red spots or scrapes

💙 Design band aids!! Only the best for her little pup after all <3

💙 Don’t try running off if she’s not looking, she has a sixth sense that makes it able to know just when your about to move and will snatch you up (because she’s mean)

💙 She’ll give you so much attention and praise, there isn’t a second you ever feel unloved (and she knows when your down, it’s her personal mission to try and make you feel better)

💙 Will call you Puppy, Pup, Sweet Thing, Princess/Prince/Puppy Royal

💙 ^ Buttercup too!! (it feels like a puppy nickname, and it’s really cute)

💙 She’d encourage you to bark, and will try to bark with you

💙 But she’ll also have full on conversations with your barking, or blabbering, and will gasp and awe when you do it

💙 Is also very good at delivering different whines and barks, like the ‘I’m hungry, you’re starving me 🥺’ (she's not, you're being dramatic) and the ‘Ouchie!! Hit my paw against the bed!! . . . Now I must attack it >:(‘

💙 Finds it entertaining when you tell her that such and such was being mean, whether it was the bed or your stuffie

💙 She’ll tell your stuffie off for you, don’t you worry, they learns their lesson <3

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Kitana's cool, I like her. <3 (and I get to use the pretty baby blue banner!! :D)

The Gif I found was also so cute!! (And Sonya's in there <3 <3 <3)

[rainytrashh]

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~MASTERLIST~

Heyyy, welcome to my self-indulgent blog!🇵🇸

Below is: My works, what I won’t write, request rules and the list of fandoms I’ll write for (all in order).

Thanks for at least being here <3

PS: If you wanna read my works on Ao3 (plus stuff I haven’t put on here yet?!) the link is at the end of all my posts.

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⚠️MIND THE GAP⚠️

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~My Works~

Not much but I’ll bulk it out eventually 😆

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🌙Moon-Knight🌙

Steven Grant

Call me something -> NSFW + Drabble

Stupid Steven -> NSFW + Drabble

Marc Spector

Stop fucking worrying so much -> H/C + long drabble

Headcannons -> NSFW + Request

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🕷️ Spiderverse 🕷️

Miguel O’Hara

You and your anger issues… -> NSFW + Drabble

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~Rules ‘n Regulations~

As above, what I won’t write plus rules for requests!

PS: These lists are NOT set in stone, they CAN be added to.

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🖊️What I won’t write📖

NSFW wise

Incest + Step-cest

Zoophillia/ Beastality

Age/ Pet play

Gore in a sexual sense

Feet

Shit + Piss

Daddy kink, where the guy is called it

Inflation, vore, etc

Pedophillia

Not as bad ig (may write these idk)

CBT, chastity cages, pussy torture is that the right term??

Dom guys + Sub women

SFW wise

Can’t think of anything atm 🤷‍♀️

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👾Request Rules💬

Sorry more shit to read

If you request something, there isn’t a guarantee that it will be written

Please don’t ask for full-length fics, I can turn an idea or initial drabble req into one if I’m feeling motivated I’m sorry 😭

If you wanna be tagged in a post just lmk

If you wanna be 🎉 anon or smth go for it pls pls pls it’s so cute <3

If my blog ever does well enough for there to be a tag list, I’ll let you know when there is one

This goes without saying but don’t request smth that I won’t write, you can still request things that aren’t as bad tho dw

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~Fandoms I write for~

What it says on the tin 🤷‍♀️

*If you want me to write a character for a fandom that isn’t listed just tell me and I’ll do some research but you’ll have to tell me relevant stuff abt them in the request 😭

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Active in atm

Moon-Knight (TV show)

Spiderverse

Deadpool (movies)

X-men (movies

Apart of generally

Sanders Sides (my first fandom *sniff*)

Welcome Home

Nimona (movie)

Blue-Eye Samurai

Green Book

Saiki K (series)

Good Omens (book+series)

Third cousins, twice removed (forgotten some things)

Only Murders in the Building

Mitchells vs the Machines

Venom (only watched first movie)

Danganronpa (don’t remind me abt this phase /jk)

Spy x Family

Fandoms at the top of my head I’m willing to write for*

COD

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My AO3

[pricemarshfield]

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. Spread the self-love ❤️

thank you for the ask, neutral!! time to show my deeply multifandom roots and not have any of these share the same fandom 🫡 below the cut because i’m chatty as hell

number one on the list is a recent one but absolutely my all-time favorite thing i’ve ever written: talk, a bg3/raphtav-and-also-haarlep-is-there smut oneshot

i don’t use this tweet here because it’s smut, but because no fic has EVER gripped me by the brain and haunted me for months until i wrote it like this one did and also because the devil’s hot. i laid awake at night in a cold sweat thinking about this even before i’d finished house of hope for the first time. i’m not even being hyperbolic here, this fic GOT me. also this fic converted me from haarlep-neutral to haarlep’s personal cheerleader. they’re so fun

my beloved darling tav already had a very strong characterization to me but i still feel like i Learned her through writing this, and certainly learned a lot about her dynamics with raphael and haarlep. enough that i’m braving actually writing a longfic for them, and feel free to hold me to this because otherwise it’ll languish in my drafts for another six months. but i’m actually formatting the first chapter for ao3, it’s Genuinely almost done !! promise

fun story about this is i cheerfully told my mom i’d finished writing something after i posted this and she asked to read it. i was like haha. well i’ll do that after work! and then i didn’t ♥️

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number two on the list is what i’d have confidently said was the best thing i’ve ever writtennbefore talk, and that’s one of my dimension 20 big bang 2021 fics: plant a garden in the yard, then, a fantasy high/aelwyn & ayda friendship fic where they explore the deeply haunted tunnels beneath aelwyn’s deeply haunted house

it’s hard to overstate how personal this fic ended up being to me, enough that i hold it as close to my heart as my other d21bb fic which i wrote about grief while Actively grieving. both fics for that event ended up being a good deal more melancholic and introspective than i thought they would at the start, but this one Feels more intimate (for lack of a better word)

aelwyn & ayda are both characters that mean a lot to me on their own, and figuring out their friendship—prickly and uncomfortable as it starts—was honestly healing. there’s something really cathartic about writing a character who’s gone through such extraordinary circumstances in their canon finding a path Towards genuine connection and happiness, even if they don’t find it and Especially if things still aren’t perfect.

also the only time i’ve ever actually hit ao3’s comment length limit was on a reply to an absolutely lovely comment my friend shark left on it so :) the response to this fic was also really nice!

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number three on the list is my queen b magnum opus even though i have one that’s like 8 times longer than it: teeth, the book 1 mc/poppy romance i craved/theoretically a smut oneshot that became something more.

this is a remix of another fic i wrote, so it feels weird to prop it up higher than the original, but i’m just so fond of this one. queen b is a very silly game and poppy min-sinclair can be a VERY silly character but my bea for this fic is another oc i grew deeply attached to, and i think the sheer self-indulgence of the fic shines through, in a good way.

also, i think the characterization in this is strong enough that i’ve been able to recommend it to friends with better taste who haven’t played queen b, and they’ve still enjoyed it! which is just IMMENSELY validating as a writer :’)

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number four and five on the list are my niche oneshots which i wrote for a target audience of me, myself, and i, and i think that’s part of why they work as well as they do!

four is a session with dr. martin whitly, a prodigal son fic which focused on ainsley & martin, namely ainsley relying really heavily on her father, despite the fact he’s a serial killer that she Knows he’s manipulative and terrible.

the fact that i wrote this before the season 1 finale is astounding to me. i have never called characterization beats harder than this, and i feel comfortable saying that even though the actual plot points are quite different, and also even though ainsley isn’t canonically gay. that’s okay because i know and perceive the truth <3

prodigal son’s cancellation is something i’m hard-pressed to say i’m Upset about this far out, but i wish every day that the episode where some ainsley issues got addressed had lived to see the light of day.

this fic i Cannot recommend to people who haven’t watched prodigal son because it’s me extrapolating and picking at lines of dialogue that Suggest a lot without confirming much, but that’s also really fun, in its own way. some of the best fics i’ve ever read are enjoyable specifically as transformative media.

-

five is walk with the devil, a the martian/ares3some noir au which was honestly 90% a style experiment but like i fucking nailed it?? there was a stretch of a couple years where some of my best work were from smashing together whatever pairing i wanted to write with a bunch of prompts and seeing what i could make from it (werewolf au caitvi was also one, and a runner-up on this list)

this fic has a lot of hallmarks that i know people aren’t usually a fan of, but i love it. non-linear narrative. major character death but also maybe not, you won’t get closure and neither will the characters. actively avoiding concrete details in favor of a strong, hopeless tone. bringing in a ton of the cast for no reason. LOTS of 1940s slang. and because of that it’s my baby. weirdly i feel like my johanssen characterization is better in this than in either of my two canonverse fics?

i don’t know that i’d write fic for the martian like this again—a lot of what i like about it is really different from the more transformative fandom approach for the things that compel me to write—but i’m glad i did, because this fic is my darling. more people should be experimental in their fics because some of the weirdest stuff will almost always be some of the best !!!

anyway answering this made me so very hyped to write more once i’m off work !!!

[gudvina]

If you’re still taking requests, how about a one shot of Hayffie watching Katniss and Peeta’s kids for the day? I feel like we need more Hayffie fluff, and shenanigans can ensue of course :)

Soft life

Ship: Effie Trinket/Haymitch Abernathy

Fandom: Hunger Games

Genre: tooth-rotting fluff

Can be read on AO3!

It was still early afternoon when Haymitch woke up from his nap. He had fallen asleep on the couch of his living room, lulled by the gentle spring breeze that swirled in from the open window. He opened his eyes to meet a pair of grey orbs with a lemon-zest mane.

The girl was sitting on the floor with a colouring book and pastels in front of her, an amused smile on her face that strongly resembled her mother’s.

“Hi!” she quipped.

“Robin, what are you doing here?” he moved into a sitting position, groaning when he felt the twinge in his neck. It was a stupid question, anyway. He knew the answer already. The Mellark children had inherited from their parents the bad habit of invading his house, almost as if it was another part of their own. And it was mostly Effie’s fault; she never seemed to be able to say no.

“How silly you are! We came to keep you company, of course. Mommy and Daddy worry an awful looot about you and MaMaw being all alone.” the kid explained, agitating her hands in the air.

Robin was just shy of six and had taken almost completely after her father, preferring her colouring book to more adventurous activities. Everyone adored her, and many parents seemed to envy her sweet temperament.

Nothing could have prepared them for what was coming.

Just a few years prior, Robin started emulating Effie. With her thick District Twelve accent, she used words like “refined” and “preposterous”, developing a keen interest in fashion and intricate fabric designs. Surprisingly, Katniss and Peeta didn’t seem to mind having their own District Twelve diva, even going so far as indulging her wishes whenever it was possible.

“Can’t be too lonely, when it’s the two of us” he snorted, stretching just enough to shake away the tiredness.

The kid shrugged and resumed her activity, and from what he could see she was colouring an elaborate outfit. He deduced the book had been shipped from the Capitol; the trends were a lot more subdued now but still ridiculous to him.

He heard footsteps and looked up to see Effie, walking in with a little Arlow babbling in her arms. Two years old and rambunctious, the boy looked more like his mother than Katniss herself.

“Oh, Grandpapa woke up!” Effie cooed as she sat on the rocking chair, sitting Arlow on her lap. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she was wearing a light flowery dress that seemed to be fitting to the current season. Haymitch’s eyes softened as he watched her talk to the boy, making funny baby sounds, and moving her hands to tickle him.

“Grandpapa wonders why we can’t have a nice evening to ourselves, too” he smirked.

“Haymitch, don’t say these things in front of our grandbabies!”

“Babies? That girl will soon manage a clothing line, sweetheart”. He winked at Robin who beamed at his words.

“That she will, that she will!” Effie acquiesced with a proud smile on her face.

“MaMaw, do you think a floral motive would go well with a tartan?”

“A floral and tartan dress? That’s revolutionary darling, I’d wear it!”

“You’d wear a potato sack if pretty enough” he teased, watching as Arlow slowly fell asleep with his head on Effie’s chest. Lucky boy indeed.

“Robin, don’t listen to him, he knows nothing of fashion”.

“Is that why it’s MaMaw who buys your clothes?”

“No, MaMaw buys my clothes because I’m lazy”.

“And because you have no fashion sense”.

“Thank God for that, you’d have a stroke if I was the one setting trends. What would be left for you?”

Her eyes were narrowed into two slits, and he felt an otherworldly urge to kiss her pout away. He would have, sans Arlow and Robin. She seemed to have read his mind and her lips stretched into a smile, one of those only reserved for him.

He would have never thought this could be his life, and he certainly knew she would say the same. Sometimes it still seemed too good to be true. But they had lived together for years, now, and shared a bed every night without fail. Even when their demons screamed. Especially then.

Twelve had been good to them, even to Effie, despite all expectations. At first, it hadn’t been easy. She’d had to adapt to Twelve’s sensibilities and feel comfortable without her wigs and makeup to shield her from the world. And she still never went out without a scarf covering her hair, he and the children were the only ones allowed to see her real hair, the only ones she could be her true self with.

Not everyone had welcomed her with open arms when she’d come, but slowly that worked itself out as well.

If he’d been told this would be his life, a life where he was free, where he and Effie could simply be without problems, he would have probably laughed. Maybe even mocked. It would have been the response of a man who had no hope, it would have been fitting.

Things changed, he mused. Their life now was walks in the meadow, trips to the Hob where they’d bicker about what to buy or not, swims at the lake during warm summer days, and dozing off under the shade of a tree. It was feeding the geese, helping Peeta at the bakery, or accompanying Katniss on her hunting trips.

They had the children, and now Robin and Arlow too. It was a soft life. It was good.

[bookishfeylin]

What do you think about the whole “Tamlin was in love with the idea of Feyre” ?

I don’t really understand it tbh and I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Also here’s a kiss 😽 I hope you’re having a fantastic day.

Thank you love!

So I feel like I have to explain what that means first before fully debunking it. In short, THAT SIDE of the fandom feels that Tamlin loves a version of Feyre that wants to be coddled and taken care of and protected and provided for--aka a version of Feyre who no longer exists in ACOMAF--hence why he cannot stand and adjust to her change post-UTM when she suddenly wants a more adventurous life. Feyre herself thinks this in ACOMAF, mentioning that Tamlin being a provider+protector suited "who she was before" but not who she is now, which according to her is (one of the many reasons) why they were incompatible:

“I’m thinking that I was a lonely, hopeless person, and I might have fallen in love with the first thing that showed me a hint of kindness and safety. And I’m thinking maybe he knew that—maybe not actively, but maybe he wanted to be that person for someone. And maybe that worked for who I was before. Maybe it doesn’t work for who—what I am now.” (ACOMAF Chapter 15)

This idea, that Feyre just wants a soft life essentially where she can relax and not be burdened with being the caregiver and even be taken care of herself, where she can be given kindness and safety, is also alluded to in book one:

Sometimes I would even indulge in envisioning a day when my sisters were married and it was only me and Father, with enough food to go around, enough money to buy some paint, and enough time to put those colors and shapes down on paper or canvas or the cottage walls. (ACOTAR Chapter 1)

[Tamlin] came a step closer, as if forcibly leaving behind the dark, sad stain of what had happened to Lucien, and the starlight danced in his eyes as he said, “What would be enough to make you happy?” I blushed from my neck to the top of my head. “I—I don’t know.” It was true—I’d never given that sort of thing any thought beyond getting my sisters safely married off and having enough food for me and my father, and time to learn to paint. (ACOTAR Chapter 18)

[Tamlin] was quiet as we turned down another sun-drenched marble hallway, and I dared to look at him. I found him carefully studying me, his lips in a thin line. “Has anyone ever taken care of you?” he asked quietly. “No.” I’d long since stopped feeling sorry for myself about it. (ACOTAR Chapter 12)

So Feyre does want a quieter life where she can focus on herself rather than being busy caring for other people, and Tamlin feels pity for her that she can't get that life, indicating there is some basis for the fandom's idea. But there are several problems with this per canon itself, the first being that no, Feyre did not fall in love for the "first creature" who was kind to her. If that were true, then she would've fallen in love with Isaac Hale first, not Tamlin. The second reason is that this is not why Tamlin fell in love with Feyre? Like he explicitly did not fall for her because he saw a dainty feminine object he could protect and provide for. Aside from Feyre spending 90% of their romance wearing pants and plotting, scheming, and running around planting snares, stealing knives and shit... That's not why Tamlin falls for Feyre.

“I wonder if your family realizes it,” he murmured. “That everything you’ve done wasn’t about that promise to your mother, or for your sake, but for theirs.” I said nothing, not trusting my voice to keep my shame hidden. “I know—I know that when I said it earlier, it didn’t come out well, but I could help you write—” “Leave me alone,” I said. I was almost through the door when I ran into someone—into him. I stumbled back a step. I’d forgotten how fast he was. “I’m not insulting you.” His quiet voice made it all the worse. “I don’t need your help.” “Clearly not,” he said with a half smile. But the smile faded. “A human who can take down a faerie in a wolf’s skin, who ensnared the Suriel and killed two naga on her own…” He choked on a laugh, and shook his head. The firelight danced along his mask. “They’re fools. Fools for not seeing it." (ACOTAR Chapter 16)

“I never knew,” Tamlin said from behind me, “that humans were capable of …” He trailed off as I turned, the hand I’d put on my throat sliding down to my chest, where my heart roared with a fierce sort of joy and grief and overwhelming humility—humility before that magnificent art. (ACOTAR Chapter 19)

Tamlin is impressed by her overall badassery and her willingness to self-sacrifice per quote 1 and per quote 2 he loved her artistic soul. And most importantly:

He picked up the small painting of the frozen forest and examined it again. “I’ve had many lovers,” he admitted. “Females of noble birth, warriors, princesses …” Rage hit me, low and deep in the gut at the thought of them—rage at their titles, their undoubtedly good looks, at their closeness to him. “But they never understood. What it was like, what it is like, for me to care for my people, my lands. What scars are still there, what the bad days feel like.” That wrathful jealousy faded away like morning dew as he smiled at my painting. “This reminds me of it.” "Of what?" I breathed. He lowered the painting, looking right at me, right into me. "That I'm not alone." (ACOTAR Chapter 22)

He loves her because she also understands the burden of responsibility in a way few others do, that he's not alone in that feeling.

And we get this quote:

Faintly, echoing into my world of slumber, he spoke again, his breath caressing my ear. “You’re exactly as I dreamed you’d be, too.” Darkness swallowed everything. (ACOTAR Chapter 23)

I also have a lot of feelings about what that quote means because WE NEVER GET AN EXPLANATION FOR TAMLIN DREAMING ABOUT FEYRE. So apparently Feyre's aforementioned snare planting and knife stealing and scheming to escape and constantly disobeying things he asks her to do to stay safe and whatnot does not manage to dissuade Tamlin from finding her attractive! Not at all, actually, in fact she's ~the girl of his dreams~ And:

“I love you,” he whispered, and kissed my brow. “Thorns and all.” (ACOTAR Chapter 27)

Idk y'all I don't think "I love you thorns and all" means "I only love you if you fulfill my fantasies of being a perfect obedient housewife despite there being 0 evidence of you displaying any remotely housewife-like tendencies, least of all being obedient" but that's just me. That quote is... incredibly significant but I've seen the larger fandom mostly ignore it like they ignore the rest of book one.

I guess what I'm trying to say is: book 1 Feyre is cool and does some wild shit and Tamlin sees her doing wild shit and is like "yep. That's the one for me. My dream gal <3" and ignoring this to push forward a "Tamlin never loved the real Feyre" narrative ignores what Feyre was actually like when Tamlin fell in love with her in the first place and what they actually bonded over.

[thedroneranger]

The Drone Ranger's Be Kind Rewind ⏪ notroosterbradshaw Edition!

A rec reblog series dedicated to the fics that we love so much, we've re-read them!

It's been a minute since I've posted a Rewind! My non-tumblr life has been bumping, so I haven't been quite as active.

However, I'm excited to present a Rewind from one of the first creators I read in this fandom. A few of their fics are on my Rewind. Without further ado: @notroosterbradshaw!

Cass is a tried and true Bradshaw Baddie™, so we have ourselves another all Bradshaw Rewind!

While we continue to churn out amazing new content, let's be kind and rewind to look at some of the OG content we love! And don't forget to reblog when you re-read! Continue to show your comfort fics and favorite creators some love. It helps keep the fresh content coming :)

Let's keep this going throughout the summer, so if you're interested in participating in the Be Kind Rewind, message me. The more, the merrier!

If you want to know when a new Rewind drops, join the tag list, and check out previous Rewinds!

fics below the cut (listed in alphabetical order by title)

Creator's note: I have a tendency to re-read long fics. I can find it difficult to commit to new things (I watch the same tv shows over and over, and the same goes for fics). It’s a terrible personality trait.

Crossfire, @purelyfiction Crossfire was the first TGM fic I read... and I was baptised. There was no way to fight it and it inspired me to come back to writing after I stopped about five years back. I really love it, I highly encourage you to indulge if you've yet to.

Bradley x Smart Aleck universe, @gretagerwigsmuse You don't need to know how much I love SA and her crotchety old man, Bradley. Jordan's world is so immersive, a real relationship with real ups and down. J gets deep in there and doesn't hide or shy from anything. If you have yet to read i don’t know, blame the air force? what are you doing in this life (it was impossible to pick one)?

One For The History Books, @pisupsala Holy jeepers, if you haven’t read Mila's delicate, poignant and truly adoring words, you've missed the point of this fandom. Just so truly special. I read One for The History Books upon completion and binged it like a novel, it feels like home for me.

What's in a Name?, @sometimesanalice Alexa's one of the most talented writers. Her reader and Bradley's world makes you so delirious/high, I just love it so damn much (and Alexa). Please go read What’s in a Name?

Remember You Even When I Don’t, @beyondthesefourwalls Alli's Forgetful Boy in Remember You Even When I Don’t... Oh my God, she knows I go a bit bonkers for it and had to deal with a lot of squee’s and keyboard smashes in both reblogs and messages. Sorry, darling heart.

White Christmas, @bradshawsbitch Alex's work is a constant re-read for me, and I have begged for a follow-up series of potential pilot or airline host reader and Bradley. The first few paragraphs of white christmas is like I'm sitting right there, in between reader and Bradley, the smartass pilot.

Creator's Own

It’s Only My Heart (Save Yourself) I think there is a misconception that I only write one series ha! But this fic is my first love. I adore writing about Bradley Bradshaw in love and the world's most perfect partner, but I also love writing about him with all his faults and spiralling on his wedding day.

Tag list and friends: @petcr3 @desert-fern @Sagittarius-Lovewitch @mygyn @sweetwhispersofchaos @horseshoegirl @the-annoying-fan @dingochef @moon42flight @thecitysgraveyard @ereardon @roosterforme @cherrycola27 @galaxy-of-stories @taytaylala12 @malindacath @violyn20 @awildewit @potato-girl99981 @shanimallina87 @blue-aconite @djs8891 @linkpk88 @furiousladyking @daggerspare-standingby @princess76179 @jstarr86 @hecate-steps-on-me @darkheartcherry @soulmates8 @roosters-girl @dempy @roosterisdaddy36 @hangmanscoming @s-u-t @mavrellover91 @chicomonks @averyhotchner 

A kind reminder, this is a 18+ blog. While not all stories in the recommendation list are 18+, please respect boundaries and do not interact unless you are 18 years of age or older.

[tellywoodtrash]

Hello TT! Hope you are doing well, I lurked in after a really long time so thought would say hello and let you know how much your blog has impacted my life. I started following your blog religiously when I discovered Ishqbaaz, it was almost an obsession how zealously I followed your blog and the show. I was on the cusp of Adulthood, just two years short. All pieces of fiction were merely me trying to escape my horrible home life. I have always indulged in fiction, it has mostly been books tbh but there were times after I had access to a phone when tellywood lured me in. After IB, I just followed you for your wit and boldness. I imagined this is how my elder sister would be if I had one (since I am the elder sibling in the house). You actually hooked me to AryLie as well, and for that I am most grateful since I somehow found a supportive community through AryLie fandom (long story). I know you don't follow tellywood anymore, I too switched to Kdramas and Cdramas over the years. Oh, I also gave Suno Chanda a try; thanks to you and Mais. Absolutely delightful. The thing is I felt my appreciation towards your constant support (even if you weren't aware) should be at least known. You speak for so many girls in this blog of yours, always giving everyone a warm hug to those who need it and a virtual asskicking to who are being jerks. People you follow truly shape you, it's the way I have felt validated by when you spoke what I believed it; it's the way you introduced me to life changing fiction just when I needed it; it's the way you have been present for the last nine years in my life. I have always struggled with suicide ideation but if it has taught me anything; it's to always express the gratitude you are feeling. Life is so unpredictable anyway. I want to be appreciated and appreciate others as well. That's humanity to me. This connection where we truly value each other. Anyway, so sorry for the long ramble. I hope wherever you are, you always stay well, physically healthy and mentally sane. Adieu, my internet sister. I will keep checking in 💌

Oh my heart, I am actually here like........

Just the other day, I'd been thinking wistfully of all the community I felt through this blog, wondering if any of y'all are still even around. This message honestly feels like the universe's answer to that. 🥰🥰🥰

This blog started out as just me shouting into the void about nonsense ITV, but it grew into so much more thanks to you all. I am an only child (and wouldn't have it any other way!) and know nothing of being a sibling, but somehow I felt so fiercely protective of every single person I've talked to through this blog, that idk how, I just became an honorary big sister. It's a badge I wear with utmost honour, even though we don't even know each others' names!

Just know, even if I am not watching Tellywood anymore/super active on this blog, I'm still here on tumblr everyday (it's my safe corner on the internet) and you guys can reach out whenever! Life goes on, interests change, and we grow as people. But this blog and I don't plan on going anywhere, and it'll always be a home for y'all to drop in when you need it. 🏠🏠🏠💖💖💖

PS - I'm proud of you for finding a community of your own, and kicking mental illness's ass on the regular. I'm right there with you (on the suicide ideation) and we're not going down without fighting tooth and nail, sis. There are people out there who we care about, and who care about us, and that's literally alllllll that life is all about, baby!!!!!!!! Go on and live your best life to the fullest, and always remember that this internet big sister of yours is always proud of you. *forehead smoochies*

[crazylittlejester]

I'm still on my Four Swords brainrot detour so you get to hear all about that today. Consider this my vote for you to read the book. I have the legendary copy, it was my big summer purchase last year (it's not that expensive, I'm just a broke college student) and I love it to pieces. I'm usually more into LU due to the fact that the FS fandom is pretty small and I'm not very active in it and my favorite artist is on hiatus. However. When the brainrot circles back around I am stuck in it for a while.

Anyway, it's the only LoZ game I've written anything for (except HW but that was a short bit about gender crises so it hardly counts).

I've taken inspiration from @zarvasace's series Shatterproof, and started working on a disability AU for FS out of pure indulgence.

Have I made basically any progress since I started it? No.

Has it been completely rotting my brain this past week? Yes.

The way I have it planned out is that I'm going to write a chapter for each of the Links, including Shadow, and one for Zelda. Each chapter is going to be a short story about their experiences with being disabled and how they feel about that. I'm supposed to be working on Green's chapter right now and I think it's maybe half done, but I'm contemplating taking it apart and picking at the pieces some more before I actually write the second half out.

The thing about Green is that he's kind of your generic Link. He's as close as you get to the original as far as personality and temperament go, so that's been my main issue thus far. He's just... really, really vanilla. Even his part of the story is kind of vanilla! He gets his death faked twice and he's not even the person doing the faking! He's just there as a driving force and it bugs me sometimes because he's like the FS version of the nameless "prince charming" and I could go off on a whole extra tangent but I should save that for when you've actually read the book.

The point is, he's not a character I easily get vibes from, so I've had to do a bunch of thinking and I came to the conclusion that he's going to be the one to be hit over the head with a work-related injury. Literally. He ends up with a bad head injury that impacts his ability to do a lot of things that knights need to be good at.

I haven't decided if he ends up keeping his job after he recovers or not, but he does have a lot of angst over that because he's a bit of a workaholic and spent most of his time working so that Red, Blue, Vio, and Shadow could focus on taking care of the house and each other. He considers himself to be the main breadwinner and then suddenly can't work because of his injury and has to wait and see if he'll be able to go back to work. There's going to be a whole thing about overcoming internalized ableism, and how even if you aren't ableist towards other people you can still be ableist towards yourself and it's a lot of work to build up the self-esteem necessary to stop that thought process.

I just love his chapter so much even though I'm probably going to use those themes throughout the entire work. There's just something about his part that really scratches the itch in my brain.

I have rough ideas planned out for Vio, Blue, and Red, but I'm not really sure what to do about Shadow and Zelda. Prior to finding out about your Warriors having blood sugar problems I was thinking about giving her diabetes or something similar, but I'm not really sure how much I can fudge in a fantasy setting without accidentally killing her. So I'm still at the drawing board for her.

Thank you for being my FS brainrot victim. :)

I gotta get the four swords legendary edition, I thought I had it but i dont 💔💔💔 I’m also a broke college student so i feel ya

GREEN ISNT EVEN THE ONE WHO FAKES HIS OWN DEATH TWICE ALSKSKDK?

ooooooh work related injury and overcoming internalized ableism, I’m so excited to read that!! (if you share it)

You could totally still give her a blood sugar issue if you wanted, it’d be cool to read about if you do decide to do that, but also anything else you come up with would be cool, all of this sounds awesome

THANK YOU FOR THE DAILY BRAINROT, TODAY WAS EXHAUSTING AND I DONT FEEL GREAT AND THIS LITERALLY CAME AT THE PERFECT TIME >:)

[sunlightfeeling]

TAG TIIIME

thank you so much @orchiddingme!!

Name: Alex

Pronouns: I default to using she/her on myself because those are the ones I only go by IRL but I’m comfortable with they/them and he/him

Star Sign: Gemini …two of them

# of Siblings/Fun Facts About Them (If Any):

2 older brothers; fun facts…they both built working guitars in their woodworking class in high school, and both were part of a band that performed in Battle of the Bands…also in high school (+ different bands)

# of Pets & Their Names: None right now, but I really would like at least one in the future

I’ve had 4 guinea pigs, though, some at different times than others ☺️

Fandoms: I mean SMAP is technically a fandom but it honestly feels more and more like a lifestyle since there’s just SO MUCH

I also orbit around RGG a bit… I’m like Pluto but instead of debating whether I’m a planet, people argue about whether I’m a Yakuza/Judgment blog (…not actually but I can sense the confusion for indulging in the dark side (liking Takuya’s face a normal amount) on at least some of the tags I’ve seen…)

Favorite Color: I’m gonna switch it up and actually make a specific choice

I’m going with Periwinkle 😌

Favorite Song: Changes like the season because I routinely forget songs exist

spinning the roulette wheel of songs in my head (aka scrolling my playlists and picking the first that makes me go “OH THAT ONE’S SO GOOD”)

this one! (I think I broke the question…🥲)

Favorite Author (of anything readable - books, fanfics, zines, webtoons, whatever!): Adrian Tomine, probably. I’ve loved every single one of his stories that I’ve read.

Favorite Fic Type: I don’t really read much fic, but I do love my angst…preferably the love triangle kinds or the like…(I like drama, sue me)

Favorite Holiday: Erm….maybe Memorial Day simply because sometimes it means my birthday is a holiday? lmao

Do you have a partner (romantic, qpr, anything!)?: Nope

Hobbies: Traveling (in that I really want to travel more and make it an active hobby 🥲)… exercising (lifting and running specifically)… collecting pieces of paper with pretty boys printed on them…the usual 🤷🏻‍♀️

Fun Facts About You: I once locked myself out of my own room. I had wanted to make sure no one would go in there while I was gone, which turned out to be extremely effective; who’d have thought!? …..I was five

Tagging (no pressure as always~): @tiny-tokunaga @faunandfloraas @floofz @rosemirmir @woundedheartwithin @bizarreshiz @passthroughtime

[jeschalynn]

for the ask game-- 🍓🍑🍇?

Daisy my beloved! Thank you for the tasty fruits~

🍓 What’s a fic you’ve written you feel is underrated?

I mentioned some fics in a previous ask, but another that comes to mind might be my fluffy Beel fics? I'm thinking of this sickfic specifically. Sometimes the game does his character so dirty. We have great little moments with him but the rest of the time it's oh look, Beel's eating/hungry or he's thinking/talking about food again. It gets SO OLD. Yes, it doesn't escape me that the sickfic involves cooking for him but food can be such a sweet, impactful way of connecting to someone if it's written well. There's a difference between Beel liking food, and Beel liking food because you made it specially for him and every time he eats that food, it reminds him of you and he appreciates you for it. That's the element of Beel's gluttonous nature I like most.

🍑 If you could make a connection between your favorite character and another work you care about (whether a crossover/fusion or a wonderfully “pretentious” literary reference) what would it be? How would it work?

I tend to think about crossover potential with the Obey Me universe as a whole and other fandoms I'm interested in. There are the obvious candidates - Twisted Wonderland, Arcana Twilight, What in Hell is Bad, Helluva Boss/Hazbin Hotel - but my lowkey favourite is Demon Slayer.

How it works is some vague explanation of Devildom/hell power dynamics and their multiple systems of checks and balances where Muzan and the Twelve Kizuki are basically like their own sect of high-ranking demons. Due to their bloodthirsty nature, they probably spend most of their time in the human world gaining pacts with humans so they can collect their souls (and consume them in the process). Maybe some of the demon lords look down on them because of their unrepentant fondness for murder and mayhem (since the demon lords that also engage in those activities do so more discreetly).

When Lucifer and his brothers fall, the balance of power in the Devildom shifts. The demon rulers of the past had to carefully navigate and appease the various sects of demon lords of considerable influence to minimize violence and chaos within the realm. Due to their unique circumstances, the Avatars of Sin are not only given considerable rank and prestige upon arriving in the Devildom, but they're firmly in Diavolo's camp which gives the royal family considerable strength that maybe they were lacking before. This shakes up things for the rest of the nobility and everyone else gets bumped down a peg or two in the hierarchy to make way for Lucifer and his siblings who now sit very close to the top.

By the time the exchange program commences, Muzan is on par with the higher ranking demon lords of the Ars Goetia with the Twelve Kizuki ranked by power level below him. As far as demons go, they're still strong and have powerful reputations and connections within the Devildom, but there might be some lingering bitterness that they were so easily shoved aside for the demon brothers. They spend a lot of time in the human world to avoid interacting with them, although their behaviour is more closely scrutinized by Diavolo in order to prevent aggression or hostility with the Sorcerer's Society or Celestial Realm.

(My very self-indulgent selfship lore with Gyutaro/Daki involves this premise where my MC has a pact with them before entering the exchange program.)

🍇 Is there a particular scene/episode/book/etc that you want to just write a million fics about, over and over? Which one?

There are specific OM story lines for certain characters that I could write about over and over again.

Lucifer - making his pact with MC in S1

Belphie - the aftermath of Lesson 16 (good and bad)

Solomon - rewriting his relationship with MC in S1, the apprenticeship trials in S3

Barbatos - continuing the romantic buildup of S4 and the hypothetical S5 we never got

Michael - his first meeting with MC (what I think would've happened in OG S5)

[finniestoncrane]

🩷 "About the Blogger" Meme 🩷

ah ty for the tag @acapelladitty!!

Star Sign(s): i only know i'm a virgo ;-;

Favorite Holidays: halloween for sure, and then hexxennacht/walpurgisnacht and the classic lupercalia >:)

Last Meal: lmao mine was also a mcdonalds, unless you count the two slices of bread and cheese i had

Current Favorite Musician: fuck favourite is a hard one, nostalgia says creedence clearwater revival or my chemical romance lmao

Last Music Listened To: fly by sugar ray (oh noooo)

Last Movie Watched: currently in the middle of white christmas! lot of dancing... kinda goes on a wee bit eh?

Last TV Show Watched: the x-files!! i'm back on my rewatch!

Last Book/Fic Finished: fuck i have NO idea for either of these, please don't make me think too hard please don't make me embarrass myself lmao

Last Book/Fic: the other night i had a wee scan through a cheeky wee peter vronsky number but just to fact check myself

Currently Reading: nothing, i have a pile of books so high and i asked for more for christmas and i am actively reading NONE of them

Last Thing Researched for Art/Writing/Hyperfixation: needed to find some nice cow gear for a drawing of my oc, and now there's so much in my basket

Favorite Online Fandom Memory: is it the mewlings of a pathetic wet beast to say starting my server with ri? because that's probably it

Favorite Old Fandom You Wish Would Drag You Back In/Have A Resurgence: i left them for a reason, but i could get my ass dragged back by the young ones and bottom actually

Favorite Thing You Enjoy That Never Had an Active or Big "Fandom" but You Wish It Did: it had an ok fandom when i was into it, i just think i missed the boat maybe? somehow? but definitely left 4 dead 2

Tempting Project You're Trying to Rein In/Don't Have Time For: i'm very VERY slowly writing a self-indulgent fallout fic and i have no time for it at all but all of my ideas keep growing and getting bigger and it's making me go crazy!!

I'll tag: @riddle-me-ri @march-harrigan @twinlinds @gethrax @vaporwavebeach @letshaveadepressionparty @just-a-girl-living-in-gotham @lunchbox-for-gays and whoever else sees this and wants to do it i freaked out and overthought the tags it's almost my bedtime lmao

[thirstforsalt]

the good omens meta post

this is not going to be very nice, and it will contain all the spoilers

I am a Good Omens book fan. Moreover, I am a Good Omens fandom fan, a fanfiction reader and writer since before the show ever came out. Also, I love Michael Sheen and David Tennant so much that I watched all three series of "Staged."

So when I say I found the show disappointing, I don't just mean as an adaptation, but as a piece of media that has to stand on its own feet. I know, for any viewer who wasn't invested in the Aziraphale/Crowley beats of the first season, it was basically unwatchable. I know because I tried to get a lot of non-shippers to watch, and the only people who could enjoy it at all cared about the love story at its heart. That's okay. It's nice when things are made for us.

The thing I love about shipping culture, and fan culture, is that it's a corner of the internet where soft-hearted people with big feelings and the desire to indulge in those feelings can be together in community. It's a place where we can intellectualize those feelings, or simply scream together. I've been in fandoms for more than two decades, oh my god. It's one of the only places I feel wholly seen, and totally accepted. (I mean, I've been a victim of online bullying, but who hasn't?) I deeply love my fellow fans. We are so creative, so sensitive, so observant. I really love us: what we make. What we do. How we speak. How we interact with media and transform it into something greater than the sum of its parts.

That's how I feel about Good Omens fandom. I think the works this fandom makes-- the art, the fic, the everything-- are overall of a higher quality than the book and the show. And that's okay. Some fandoms are like that. Not everything is eternal art, perfected to the highest aspiration of the medium. It's still valid. It still counts. It still carries a lot of meaning, for me personally and I know for you, if you're reading this.

I say all of this to contextualize why I felt season two was so genuinely mean-spirited. It felt cruel. I am a major fan of fan service, and I love being a fan who gets serviced. But this fan service reminded me of the book "How To Date Men When You Hate Men," in that it might well have been subtitled "How To Service Fans When You Hate Your Fans." It pointedly retconned moments from season one where people had written the most fill-in fics, e.g. having?????? them go???????? to a nightclub?????? AFTER A BLITZ BOMBING?! You know what people in London did after a Blitz bombing?! They hid in their homes or shelters with the blackout curtains on the windows until daybreak! I couldn't help but feel the zombie Nazis plot (what was that?!) was being used to make sure there was no room for the formerly ambiguous night after Aziraphale fell in love. After season one, fic writers had imagined hundreds of little sexy rendezvous after the Blitz bombing scene, but no more. Now, they can't be canon. In fact, nothing set in the past 6,000 years can be canon, now. So much of this season felt engineered to poison the sweet little ambiguities of season one, and you will never convince me it wasn't intentional.

I think it's important to say what we all know: fan activities like fanfiction and fanart are extremely femme-coded behaviors. Regardless of your personal gender identity, fanfic writers are majority female, and the other activities fans perform (making fanart, cosplaying) tend to be gendered (in the media and by outsiders) as somehow female. It's important that we acknowledge this even if it isn't true-- it's similar to the ways that careers like teaching and nursing are feminized, regardless of who actually teaches and nurses. This is also extremely important to acknowledge because women are PAINFULLY underrepresented behind the scenes of television.

Fewer women than men actually get to make the art that eventually inspires fandom. There were no female writers on Good Omens. There were no female directors. The cishet male creators, by which I mean to include both writers and the director (of Sherlock infamy, by the way), have no cinematic or narrative vocabulary for the androphilic gaze. [That's the gaze that sexualizes and objectifies men, a term on loan to me from a non-binary academic friend. It's the gaze we use when we write m/m slash. This is a larger discussion, but the reason you have predominantly femme writers and consumers of m/m erotica is in part because it is a break from the male gaze-- there is no man objectifying a woman in these stories. You might have a queer identity, too, and that might be part of it, but the fact is that one of the appealing functions of m/m erotica is the absence of a woman being objectified. We, the readers, get to do the objectifying-- in complete and utter contrast to most media. It also bears reiterating that regardless of your gender identity and sexual orientation, you exist in a world where Western media is constantly feeding you film and television from the POV of the male gaze. That is why m/m erotica especially, and to some degree f/f erotica, is transgressive, by the way. It's also transgressive to just find more than one man hot, because we're not supposed to.] Anyway, creators like the men who made Good Omens might really think they speak our language, but it will always be a second language to them, and a lot of nuance gets lost. In my opinion, that's why the kiss scene was so devastating. It was joyless.

I know people will say (and have said) that it was joyless and passionless in service of the angst, but fanfic readers know: having even a second of passion followed by the angst makes the pain that much sweeter. It would have made the conflict, and the cliffhanger, even harsher. The writers and director behind that scene do not understand what every fanfiction writer with a vibrator knows. They fundamentally do not understand us. It breaks my heart to say it, because I don't think it has to be true across the board, but I felt it so strongly with Good Omens, season two. I felt so strongly that they were trying to speak our language without having the humility to speak with us, to understand us. They understand us only as viewers and as consumers. They don't understand us as collaborators, because they don't think they have to collaborate with us. But fans are, in a very real sense, collaborators-- collaborators in making meaning, and collaborators in making other people money. Understanding that symbiosis is what transformative works are about. This season felt like it was intended to remind us that these characters are not ours. We are welcome to play in our own sandbox, but we are not a part of theirs. And if the show had bothered to hire any femme creatives, there may have been someone above the line to bridge the gap between what they thought they were doing and what we took from it.

I also can't help feeling that we're being held emotionally hostage to get the ransom money of a third season. IMO, the second season was genuinely bad television. Like, sincerely appalling storytelling. I'm talking about everything before the kiss, too. (I can't even discuss the kiss right now.) The so-called "mystery" of Gabriel's memory was nonsensical. We had no reason to care and the "clues" we followed were incoherent until the finale. It wasn't a fun mystery we could follow, and let's be honest, we were all just there for the Aziraphale/Crowley moments. Even those moments were wasted, imo.

What was the purpose of the magic show and the miracle blocker? Was it just for all the sexual double-entendres of giving and receiving and shooting guns? Because, I mean, I love a good dirty joke, but what was its utility in the structure of the season? What did we learn? Did anyone change? Did anyone go on a journey? It failed at every screenwriting 101 lesson I've ever been taught.

Why even have Crowley and Aziraphale setting up the lesbians if the lesbians aren't going to be set up? Why have a monologue about how you can't force two people together just because you want them to be together? That whole storyline felt like subtext (and not particularly subtle subtext) of the author stubbornly wresting narrative control from fans.

And it was FILLED with squandered opportunities. One of my favorite moments was Crowley referencing humans in the rain confessing their love a la Richard Curtis movies. Wow! What a beautiful set-up for his confession later in the-- wait, you're not even going to use that perfect set-up? OK, but you're going to do a set-up, right? Oh, you're not? You're just going to have the lesbians tell Crowley that he and Aziraphale have "never REALLY talked" and think that's a set-up? Girl, I guess!

I don't think on the basis of writing, Good Omens season two earned a third season. I would be very surprised if it got one. And if it doesn't get one, that's frankly justified! No one is going to watch this show who isn't there for Aziraphale/Crowley, which-- again-- are my people. But we are simply not enough, and a good show knows that it has to engage both shippers and casual viewers. My guess is that they don't get a third season, because no one but us hardcore fans will watch that trainwreck again and again, and then Ne*l Ga*man and the actors will do some kind of staged reading of a third season-ish script for charity or something to tie up the loose ends. I'm old-fashioned in that I think you should use the money and time and resources you've been given to tell a story, not just set up a story. I feel like fans are being held emotionally hostage to push Amazon to pay the proverbial ransom of a third season (and it is a ransom, it does line pockets that are not yours or mine). I feel like Ga*man made that explicit in some of his Tumblr posts!

Which is not to say the show might not have been more successful if indeed it had been the pure fan service everyone is saying it is. But also, it wasn't pure fan service. This was not an exercise in giving the people what they want. It was an exercise in asserting narrative control, which to me is the opposite of what fans want, need, and deserve.

[seyaryminamoto]

Little Lu Ten really admired his uncle, itseems 😅 Is there a possibility that Ozai would have orchestrated Lu Ten's death? 😳

... I know that's a relatively popular theory in the fandom, but that's absolutely not the case in Gladiator and, I'd dare say, absolutely unlikely in canon too.

Not only do I enjoy writing a far more complex Ozai than canon's, not only do I very much want him to feel like Zuko's dark counterpart, the kind of person Zuko 100% could have become without the support of the people who guided him down a better path, but...

... did you ever watch LOK? Book 2, in particular?

There are a lot of things in Book 2 of LOK that made me realize I was on a ride I didn't really want to be on anymore, and I stuck it out basically because I was in the fandom, too active and in-too-deep to just stop watching. But I would say the first moment that made me go "... oh shit, this writing is really bad" would be when Unalaq's grand, contrived plan to frame Tonraq for having "unleashed spirits on the Northern Water Tribe with his irresponsible behavior," was revealed. Not only was Korra's behavior disturbing for me in that scene, the explanations were so ridiculous and embarrassing that I wanted to scream. Basically: Unalaq hired a bunch of criminals to cause trouble so that they'd get their asses kicked by Tonraq in a VERY specific spiritual location, all because he 100% knew that would result in a bunch of dark spirits attacking the Northern Water Tribe! And when that happened, he swept in as the hero to save the day through a bending technique that goes 100% against everything we knew about bending in ATLA, while Tonraq looked like the worst person ever, got banished, and Unalaq became heir to the throne!

... Wouldn't it have made perfect sense for Tonraq to ACTUALLY be a flawed hero? Wouldn't it have been a more INTERESTING story if Tonraq learned from his arrogance, while Unalaq, instead, grew INCREASINGLY arrogant? So, you know, parallel character development, in inverse directions? It would've been a far more interesting writing choice :'D even if the whole situation is as weird and wonky as it is, at least this actually means character growth could be had, right?

But no. We had the weirdest con in the history of the Water Tribe instead. How wasn't Unalaq suspicious from the start due to the CONVENIENCE of him revealing this power to purify spirits that nobody's ever heard of before? Why would the criminals take money from one prince to get killed/attacked by another?? Were they criminals, really, or were they the Northern Water Tribe's BDSM club who had the hots for Tonraq and wanted him to beat them up? So much about the "logic" of this scenario was so absolutely ridiculous... add to this that the seemingly random judge happens to know ALL about it, and he's ready to give Korra all the explanations that straightforwardly say "YES. YOUR UNCLE IS A BAD MAN. GO PUNCH HIM." Put it all together, and it's so contrived, so exaggerated, it steals all agency from characters, the plans don't even make sense: why wouldn't Unalaq just... have Tonraq killed? if he wanted the throne?? oldest tale in the book?? there's literally no character-driven reason that justifies him doing all the BS he did just to have Tonraq conveniently banished instead of killed. So, yeah, this whole thing is just one hell of A Writing Choice. :')

... And with all this being said, I suppose you may see where I'm going with this.

Ozai doesn't need to orchestrate the murder of his nephew from halfway across the world for Lu Ten to die. In fact, considering Ozai's track record, be it in Gladiator or in canon? I'd dare say that any attempts of his to get Lu Ten killed would backfire so badly that Azulon would've somehow ended up abdicating, and Iroh too, so that Lu Ten could be Fire Lord, if Ozai had been targeting his nephew deliberately. Yes, I'm making fun of him again, but... think about canon Ozai for a minute, if you may indulge me: he planned to ruin Zuko's life by sending him to hunt down the Avatar, and Zuko ended up not only finding the Avatar but taking Ozai's throne. You know. The throne Ozai connived and plotted to get all his life. And he held it for a grand total of 5 years before losing it to his 16yo son. Damn. A top-tier strategist, isn't he?

My point, boiled down to simplicity is... simplicity, in itself.

Lu Ten is in a war front. An active, violent one. He's in a fierce battle against the best earthbending forces of the Earth Kingdom, who are tasked with defending Ba Sing Se, a city that's supposed to be impenetrable.

These earthbenders do not need dirty money from a Fire Lord's son to decide to kill an enemy soldier. Unless we think that Lu Ten is lazy and cowardly, and that he would not get his hands dirty and would not be involved in the fighting, he would've been in constant danger while serving on the battlefield. The situation, once Ba Sing Se's Outer Wall broke, absolutely REQUIRES for the battle to grow fiercer, as the stakes have never been higher for the Earth Kingdom's defenses. So, with this scenario in mind? Even the most grotesque version of Ozai has no need to hire any murderers to kill Lu Ten. He's in enough danger as it is, and along with Lu Ten, hundreds of other Fire Nation soldiers are bound to have died. He just happened to be one of them.

Ah, and if the working theory is that Lu Ten died because of a firebender? There's no way the show wouldn't have brought this up. If he had been stabbed in the back with a Fire Nation sword/dagger/spear? Same thing. At no point is there any indication that Lu Ten died because he got attacked from behind by his fellow soldiers, it would have been too important an element in his death for the story to not bring it up.

Along with this, I'd wager that any version of Ozai who HAD hired someone to kill Lu Ten would not have been quite so chill, taking over the throne while Iroh just drinks tea and plays the fool. If Lu Ten died by foul play? Provable foul play? (Ozai would leave a pretty damn obvious trail if he was behind this, let's not give Loser Lord more credit than he's due, please) Iroh would not have been so stupid as to not realize it. And, upon going home? The first, most obvious potential culprit for Lu Ten's death is the guy who benefits from it all: Ozai. And I know, yes, Iroh got redeemed and realized violence was not the answer... but Iroh, too, talked about Ozai with a carelessness and a casual demeanor in canon that is completely incompatible with that of a father who at LEAST suspects his son may have been murdered by his piece of shit of a brother :'D

SO!

... in conclusion, no. Ozai didn't have Lu Ten killed. Categorically untrue in Gladiator, and in my opinion, laughable and unlikely in canon as well due to how contrived and unncessary it is, not to mention how badly this reflects on Iroh's inaction and passivity if his son was actually killed by his own brother (imagine being harsher towards your 14yo niece than towards your brother-who-killed-your-son, ffs...). Ozai's bad enough as he is: blaming him for every awful thing that happens in his family feels like an unnecessary way to make him the source of all evil when we all know, already, that he's very, very bad. People die on battlefields. It doesn't have to be because of mercenaries specifically hired to find one specific person amid hundreds or thousands of soldiers and making sure THAT ONE (1) DUDE dies.

I suspect you'll be quite surprised, once we get to the flashbacks that deal with the subject, to discover that Ozai was in fact interpreting Lu Ten as an ally to himself. He thought Lu Ten would wind up actively supporting Ozai's bid as Fire Lord :') he believed he could be helpful for his schemes. And when he dies? It's a blow to Ozai's plans, at first. He tries to work with it later... doesn't go super well, of course. You'll see when we get there :'D