#I’ll include the aftermath in a different post.

[beemochi-art]

Kilomegs week day 6: Surprise

Siri, show me a picture of someone who is absolutely cooked.

In Kilo’s defense, Prime’s arm was full of mud so he didn’t see the bright red finish. This is Kilotons first time seeing Megatron’s mortal enemy in person. The Prime is more Terrifying than he could have ever imagined.

[prefer-to-be-vilified]

Hi! What are your favorite Wenclair fics?👀

I’m so glad you asked and I’m about to be so extra.

This fandom is beyond talented and I have many favourites. So I might as well make this an official Prefer-to-be-vilified Wenclair Fic Rec Masterlist… post (name could use some work but you get the idea).

I’m going to try to remember/link all my favourites but I’ll probably (definitely) forget some. And also I obviously haven’t read every Wenclair fic out there, my ‘to-read’ list is intimidatingly long and personal preferences are going to play a part in the fics I have included. But if I’ve missed some hidden gems please let me know!

Under the cut because this got long…

One-Shots/Short Chapter Fics:

the Witch & the Wyld by ohHOLYmoves - Long one-shot, Wednesday’s a witch who lives in the woods, Enid’s a werewolf stuck in her wolf form, need I say more?

Reset by Eggplant_Crusader - The OG. Probably the first fic read by a good portion of this fandom. Short, sweet, what the miscommunication trope is supposed to be.

her heart is a bird on a spit in her chest by lensbian_dykely - Long one-shot, Wednesday tells her parents that her and Enid are together without informing Enid.

What does he have that I don’t? by kofeew_milkk - Jealous Enid meets Werewolf instincts.

hello there, it’s me, the bull in the china shop by bogteats - Established Wenclair, 5+1 fic leading up to their first time.

I Think I Love You by tawen - Enid gets dosed with truth serum, Enid’s in love with Wednesday…

I Can Hear Your Heartbeat by LesbihonestGuys - Wednesday is a simp coming to terms with being in love and she’s real mad about it.

sandbox love by hanjisgirlfriend - Childhood friends falling in love.

gifts from a cat by Rennajade - Wednesday being a weirdo.

She’s my mate, Yoko! by lovely_shadow_minx - Enid realises Wednesday’s her mate and freaks out about it.

i tend to handle things usually by myself and i can’t ever seem to try and ask for help by Charlie_Balle - Wednesday’s actually allergic to colour.

The Art of Courting by Athems - Wednesday tries to court Enid but Enid thinks she’s threatening her.

Please (Just This Once) by whitebeltwriter - Wednesday trying to prevent a vision and the very emotional aftermath.

Wednesday Finds a Puppy by whitebeltwriter - Wednesday finds a random puppy in the woods and thinks it’s Enid… it’s not Enid.

Are You Going To Claim Your Prize? by wintersdume - The furs make a bet over who can get Wednesday’s number, Enid gets jealous.

It’s the Uniform, Isn’t it? by wintersdume - Enid plays baseballs, Wednesday gay panics.

Mobile Etiquette by Axinite25 - Wednesday not understanding the nuisances of teenage dating/friendship.

fuel the pyre of your enemies by heliamphoria - Wenclair meet cute while committing crimes.

Scrapped Scenes by MomochiZoey - Enid’s nosy and discovers that Wednesday’s self insert Viper now has a blonde love interest.

Premonition’s Embrace by whitebeltwriter - Wednesday has a vision that forces her to admit her feelings for Enid.

if she grabs for your hand (she might want a kiss) by ipretendtobesane - Short love confession, adorable.

Stormy Weather by SspiltDecision - Wednesday’s scared of thunder, Enid helps her.

don’t talk to me or my scary goth gf ever again by Kybee1497 - Protective (slightly feral) Enid and Xavier not taking a hint.

Complete Long Fics:

Terms of Endearment by Calchexxis - AU future fic/they didn’t meet at Nevermore, Enid goes to the Addams family for help after being kicked out of her pack for not being able to wolf-out but Wednesday’s the only one home, Wednesday has visions every time they touch about different versions of them/their ancestors throughout history, SIMPING, the worlds gayest mystery, I’ve read it several times and it always hits.

Forged in Blood by RiseAboveTheAshes_203 - Post season 1, I don’t know how to describe it other than angsty devotion, if for some insane reason you haven’t read this fic do it now.

The San Francisco Incident by Apeoflight - AU future fic/they don’t meet at Nevermore, Omegaverse, Werewolf mates, falling in love, real smutty, what’s not to love?

the nature of idiosyncrasies by bogteats - One of the fics I managed to catch early on and I was OBSESSED, AU, future fic, they weren’t friends at Nevermore but Enid had a crush, Omegaverse, their dynamic in this is to die for, angsty, smutty, a real and honest portrayal of not only Wenclair but people and love in general, read it, that was a threat, if you already have read it again.

raven in the den, wolf in the nest by Barbara_Lazuli - Canon divergence, fake dating to annoy Esther Sinclair, full honesty I read this awhile ago so I’m not 100% certain what happens but I remember enjoying it, might need to do a re-read.

black marked sun by chasinghours - AU college/university, Wednesday’s Yoko and Bianca’s roommate and Enid becomes infatuated, very cute, a little angsty but nothing crazy, shy Wednesday??? if I remember correctly, gay pining, we love to see it.

Purgatory Would Be Beautiful With You by EmilyWritesStuff - In universe, WEREWOLF MATES (aka the best Wenclair trope), fun and easy read, each chapter is like a slice of their life as mates.

Dance With Wolves by wolfwars - Fake dating BUT Wednesday doesn’t realise that it’s fake (because Enid was vague af), Enid’s pining, Wednesday’s confused, great idea and really well executed.

You Are my Moon by Bee-nut - Fake dating except Wednesday commits to the bit so hard she ends up facing off against Enid’s family aka a pack of werewolves in various dangerous challenges in order to win Enid’s hand, great idea, loved every minute of it.

Old Wounds by Sharpen_your_hatchet - Wenclair reunite years after graduation, less falling in love more realising they were always in love and coming to terms with that, sweet and easy read.

So This Is Love by LoriLoud - Unhinged Murderous Wenclair… no further explanation needed.

La Petite Mort by Apeoflight AND Wednesday’s Pet by Apeoflight - Smut, they’re both smut fics, I cannot remember which was which plot wise, but same author, they’re both really good and with a good helping of falling in love, yearning, denial of feelings, miscommunication, angst… all the good stuff.

Vortex by ALotOfConfusion - Need a refresher but childhood friends to lovers, little Wednesday wants to study werewolves and I remember enjoying it.

Puppy Love by Vaniloqu3nce - Enid’s wolf starts talking to her after recognising Wednesday as their mate, havoc follows, great read.

yours, eurydice by hanjisgirlfriend - AU, future fic, they never met at Nevermore, Wednesday’s a writer, Enid’s an actress, they live across the hall from each other, they write each other love letters and fall in love, cute af, a little angsty but not too heavy, definitely a must read.

It’s hard to espresso my feelings for you by SquishiestRose - Coffee shop AU, Wednesday works at the Weathervane and she has it BAD, the platonic Wyler this world needs, a little angsty but nothing crazy, cute, fun read.

Spell It Out by forgot_my_art - A spell gone wrong leads to both a misunderstanding and an accidental proposal… I mean it’s Wenclair, of course it did, fun read.

A raven’s dream of wolf by tokyocorgi - AU future fic/they never met at Nevermore, Wednesday’s sex dreams are also prophecy’s of her future, we love to see it.

All That’s Best of Dark and Bright by Porcie - Wednesday runs from her feelings post season 1, they reunite years later, Wednesday has a vision that forces her to stay in Enid’s life and by extension forces her to confront her feelings, they’re in love the entire time while pretending they aren’t, almost soulmate-ish, a bit angsty, but a fun read.

On-Going Long Fics:

[friendly reminder to read in-progress fic as a way to encourage and support our talented writers]

I’d Eat the Sun Just to Feel Your Warmth in my Bones by MsMio - AU college/university, I still need to catch up but ANGST, childhood friends, a very interesting take on the Addams family curse, Wednesday suffers from chronic pain, a good sad read but a hopeful one.

our immeasurable ties that bind by bogteats - Fantasy type AU, some very interesting world building, Enid wakes up pregnant with no idea who she is, where she is, or how she got there, super excited to see where this goes.

Blood and Shadows by DarkVisitors - Historical AU, western vibes, angst, horny gay yearning, a vague line in the summary that alludes to them being forced to marry at gun point but it hasn’t happened yet, I am beyond invested.

A Kidnapping By Any Other Name by RavenMoon33 - Wednesday “kidnaps” Enid to spend the break with her at the Addams Estate, I’m still catching up but Wenclair antics meets Addams Family antics, Wednesday’s having visions, there’s a mystery afoot and it’s linked to Wednesday’s ancestors. I might try to squeeze in another chapter later today actually 👀 (I didn’t read the OG so no spoilers!)

Whatever This Is… by CautiouslyPessimistic - A NEW FAKE DATING AU! In universe, takes place at Nevermore, only 2 chapters so far, but well written and I’m excited to see more.

Well… That’s Knew by Chaos_of_the_valkyries - Post season 1, Enid presents as a werewolf alpha and your honour they’re mates, protective Enid, Wednesday going soft, apparently I’ve missed the last two updates??? A crime, I will be rectifying that asap.

The Bite that Binds, the Gift that Gives by TieDyeKing - Historical Fantasy-ish AU, Wenclair arranged marriage, immediate connection but they’re being cautious/don’t trust each other, beautiful imagery/world building, an intriguing plot, Esther Sinclair being Esther Sinclair (aka causing problems), only a few chapters but one of my favourites since forever ago, in love with this fic and you should be too.

Symbiotic Relationship by SquishiestRose - AU future fic/they don’t meet at Nevermore, Enid gets kicked out of her pack and ends up desperate enough that she accepts a job working as the live in servant of a woman she’s pretty sure is going to kill her (hint: it’s just Wednesday being her normal off putting self), I’m a sucker for future fics with a very isolated and lonely Wednesday learning to fall in love and this is that.

[lilianne-tarot]

˙⋆✮ 18+ PAID READINGS BY LILIANNE ✮⋆˙

Hey loves! Welcome to my tarot shop, where I provide insightful, intuitive, and heartfelt tarot reading. I’m so grateful you’re here, and I hope you find exactly what you need. May the universe and your guides always lead you in the right direction! Sending you a lot of love and good luck! ♡♡

If you’re curious about my style, check out my PAC readings! No matter what’s on your mind, I’m here to help you feel heard, empowered, and guided in the right direction. Let’s find the answers together!

⋆˙⟡ How to Book Your Reading?

Super simple! Just follow these steps:

Pick your package from the list below. If you’re unsure which one fits your needs best, feel free to DM me—I’m happy to help you choose! 💌

Submit Your Question – After deciding your pick, send me a DM with your question(s), name, email ID, zodiac and any specific context you’d like me to know.

Please send payment before I start your reading. once done, send me a DM with a screenshot of your payment.

Once I receive your payment, I’ll confirm your booking and let you know when and what to expect for your reading!

If you'd like to read reviews from my previous paid readings, check out THIS POST for paid reading feedbacks!

⋆˙⟡ About Payments

Payments are made via: PayPal, Ko-fi or wise.

For PayPal, wise & Ko-fi payments, a small processing fee $3 for standard readings (up to 50$), $5 for deep-dive readings.

Since tarot readings are a service, no refunds will be issued once the reading has been confirmed. However, I always strive to provide valuable insights and make my reading as personalized for the person as possible and if you have any concerns, let’s discuss them!

⋆˙⟡ Word limit/ Number of pages for various packages

Small packages(upto $25 ones): 1700- 2300 words (8-11 pages)

Mid-tier packages ($30 to $40): 2500-3500 words (11-13 pages)

High teir packages ($50 to $90): 3800- 5000 words (14-17 pages)

Premium packages ($100+): 5500- 7000 words (17- 23 pages)

💌 Each reading is like a personal story just for you, uncovering your emotions, challenges, and the little signs guiding you. I don’t do surface-level—I go deep to give you real answers, covering all the "whys," "ifs," and "buts" so you can truly understand your situation and take control of your future. My goal? To make sure you feel heard, satisfied, and never left with doubts!

✨ No matter the length, the quality stays top-tier—so no worries! 😇

⋆˙⟡For More Reading Packages

The readings listed below are exclusively for individuals 18 and above, designed to provide deep, intimate, and spicy details. Please ensure you meet the age requirement before purchasing.

If you’re interested in exploring my other paid reading packages covering a variety of topics beyond 18+ readings, you can check them out by clicking here.

⋆˙⟡Tarot Reading Packages

⋆˙⟡Love & Future Spouse Packages

Although these packages mention "love and future spouse" you can still book it for your current partner, crush, situationship or even a favourite celebrity.

The Late Night Text – $30

Curious about the text they would send when their guard is down? This reading spills the tea on their late-night cravings, including: Their Drunk Text — Flirty? Confessional? Horny? Let's decode it. Their Lust Level What’s Stopping Them from making a move? What’s the Next Step — Are they about to crack or still playing it cool? What Will Finally Push Them to Confess — The moment they snap and show their cards.

The Afterglow Reading – $35

The quiet moments after passion hits differently—and this reading reveals what’s racing through their mind when the heat dies down: Their Post-Intimacy Emotions — Blissful? Anxious? Deeply in their feelings? Are They a Cuddler, a Ghoster, or Lost in Thought? Will They Crave You More or Pull Away? And much more. Let’s break down their emotional and physical aftermath.

Your Next Intimate Encounter – $35

Curious about your next encounter? This tarot reading reveals: The Energy of the Moment — Passionate? Playful? Explosive? The Vibe of the Person Involved — Mysterious stranger or familiar flame? The Setting — Dark-lit room? Cozy at home? Somewhere spontaneous? How They’ll Leave You Feeling — Weak in the knees or begging for more?

Them Behind Closed Doors – $40

This one’s all about the duality of your person—how they carry themselves in public vs. behind closed doors. Expect details on: Who They Are in and Out of the Bedroom What Turns Them On About You Their Fantasies featuring you—NSFW details. Power Dynamics — Are they dominant, submissive, or somewhere deliciously in-between? The Aftermath — Post-intimacy behavior: cuddly, detached, or sweet-talking you into round two?

Their Wildest Fantasy About You – $40

Their darkest, most secret fantasy about you Do they actually want to act on it, or is it just a daydream? What triggers this fantasy the most? If you gave in, how would it play out? (step-by-step scenario) Would it lead to obsession, guilt, or emotional intimacy?

Their Secret Jealousy – $40

Are they jealous of you? Or of the people who have your attention? This reading exposes their envy & possessiveness by revealing: Do they compare themselves to your other options? What about you makes them feel insecure? If they saw you with someone else, how would they react? Would their jealousy push them to finally claim you?

The Obsession Report – $50

is there any person in your life who makes you think they are obsessed with you? your crush? Ex? partner? situationship? it even future spouse?. if you wanna know who obsessed they are, this is the reading for you: Are they lowkey (or highkey) obsessed with you? This reading dives into their hidden desires and reveals: What Fuels Their Obsession — Is it your charm, your mystery, or that effortless energy you radiate? Do They Fantasize About You in Ways They’d Never Admit? What Would Push Them to Fully Pursue You—The tipping point between fantasy and action.

First Night with Your Future Spouse – $50

The first time with your future spouse? This reading gives you the ultimate details on: The Build-Up: The tension, the eye contact, the moment their walls break. The Mood & Energy: Will they take things slow and sweet or wild and heated? How They’ll Treat You: Will they cherish every second or barely hold back? what will be both of your experience in this? what you both will make each other feel like The Emotional Depth: What will this moment mean to them?

Bedroom Chemistry - $55

How compatible will you and your future spouse be between the sheets? This reading gives you the full chemistry report—exploring your turn-ons, shared kinks, communication styles, and energy exchange in the bedroom. Do you mirror each other’s desires or balance opposites beautifully? We'll dive into your physical rhythms, your push-pull dynamic, and how your bodies find synchronicity through touch. Whether it’s fire, water, air, or earth energy ruling your bedroom life, we’ll uncover how the passion evolves and deepens over time—and how you’ll keep that fire burning through every stage of your relationship.

Kink Compatibility - $60

we’ll explore the erotic dynamics between you and your future spouse—your shared kinks, dominant energies, and how desire naturally flows between you. Their erotic identity: Are they dominant, sensual, primal, or something unexpected? Power play & turn-ons: How they express desire, tease control, and build tension. Where you align: Shared fantasies, preferences, and the unique way your energies fit together. Spiritual sensuality — Whether your physical connection transcends into something deeper. This is about more than kink—it's about chemistry, communication, and the sacred ways your bodies speak to each other This reading could also be done for your crush, SP or even a favourite celebrity.

All Our Firsts - $67

First Kiss: What does it feel like when they finally lean in—soft and reverent or hungry and unplanned? First Time They Touch You in That Way: How do they explore your body for the first time with real desire, learning your reactions, testing boundaries, and deepening trust? First Time You Make Out for Hours: What sparks it? Where are you? What sensations take over and how do they show restraint… or lose it? First Sleepover: What happens when the clothes stay on, but the intimacy grows even deeper? First Time You Talk About Sex Honestly: What’s the vibe of the conversation? Shy confessions? Blunt desires? Surprising kinks? How do they react to your truths?

⋆˙⟡Self - Focused Reading Packages

What Kind of Lover Do People Assume You Are sexually? – $40

The way you carry yourself gives people a certain impression about how you are in love & intimacy—but is it accurate? This reading spills the contrast between the lover people think you are vs. the true fire you bring behind closed doors. Are they expecting a hopeless romantic but getting a powerhouse in bed? Or do they assume you're a heartbreaker when you're actually soft and devoted? Time to expose the truth.

Your Magnetic Allure—What Secretly Draws People to You?” – $45

You’re that person—the one people remember, the one they can’t shake off. But what exactly is it that makes you irresistible? This reading uncovers the subconscious pull you have on others, from the way you move to the energy you radiate. Is it your confidence? Your mystery? Your charm? Let’s reveal what makes you truly unforgettable.

Your Irresistible Dark Feminine / Masculine Energy: A Detailed Guide– $50

There’s a powerful, intoxicating side of you that people feel drawn to—even if they can’t explain why. This reading explores your Dark Feminine/Masculine energy, how it attracts, seduces, and intimidates, and how you can use it to your advantage in love & attraction.

Your Love Potion Formula—How to Make Someone Completely Obsessed with You” – $60

What’s your personal spell that makes people absolutely obsessed with you? This reading reveals your unique attraction blueprint, how you unconsciously pull people in, and the secret ingredients that make your love & presence highly addictive.

⋆˙⟡ Delivery Timeframes

Quick Reads: 24 hours

In-Depth Reads: 1-4 days

Premium Reads: 5-7 days

Urgent Readings: (+$10). this one is only for the detailed readings($30+ ones), the less expensive ones will be done quickly.

⋆˙⟡ Special Requests

If you have a super specific question or want a reading that doesn’t fit into a set category, I offer custom readings based on your needs! Pricing will depend on the depth and length of the reading and number of questions—just message me and we’ll figure it out together.

If you ever want to change, add, or remove any question from any package, it's totally okay!! Just let me know your updated or new questions (or which one you want to remove), and I’ll happily adjust it for you! ✨

⋆˙⟡FAQ (Because I Know You’ve Got Questions!)

When will I receive my reading? I try my best to deliver readings within 48-72 hours depending on my schedule. If I ever need more time, I’ll let you know ASAP! 💕

Can I ask follow-up questions? Yes! I always have a mini session with my clients, after delivering their reading and sort out any extra queries they might have.

How detailed are your readings? Super detailed! I don’t do quick, vague readings—I give you everything Spirit wants you to know, with clear insights, explanations, and guidance. you can see in my PAC readings the level of depth I go into. You won’t ever feel like I compromised with your reading in any way!

What if I don’t like my reading? Honesty is my priority, so I will always tell you what I see (even if it’s not what you were hoping for). But my readings are meant to empower you, not discourage you! If anything feels unclear, I’m always happy to clarify.

⋆˙⟡ Final Notes & Boundaries

What I DON’T read on: Health, legal matters, Loss of life, Legal matters, Pregnancy-related topics, Anything that could potentially harm another person emotionally or psychologically.

Patience & Delays – Life gets busy sometimes! If your reading is delayed, please know that I might be caught up with something. Feel free to send me a DM and give me a gentle nudge. I truly appreciate your patience!

Once payment is made, no refunds will be issued. I will begin your reading after I receive a screenshot confirming your payment. Thank you for your understanding!

If for any reason the cards don’t provide clarity on your situation, I will always let you know. This can happen due to the phrasing of a question, the timing not being right, or an energy block. If that’s the case, I’ll gently work through it with you in the best way possible.

I pour my heart into every reading, and I kindly ask that my space, time, and energy be respected in return. Foul language or unkindness will not be tolerated. This is a safe and uplifting space for both of us.

Everything we discuss remains completely confidential. Your reading is just for you, and I deeply respect the trust you place in me.

[starqueensthings]

A very Crosshair Character Analysis

I posted a poll the other day looking for some opinions, and the prompt was: does Crosshair ever truly miss a shot? Meaning, of all the shots we’ve seen him aim and fire, how many of the few that didn’t land, were intended not to land? Does Crosshair have the skill and ability to land every shot he takes, and what of the ones that go astray (because there are some!)? The overarching, collective opinion (77% of votes) is that the sniper only misses a shot when he intends to, but let me explain why I was asking— the "methods behind my madness," if you will… (Fasten your seatbelts, and keep all extremities— and pitchforks— inside the ride!)

If Crosshair “doesn’t miss”, then there are some things that demand consideration and possible explanation. Please accept this weird internet essay as a deep dive into Crosshair’s character based solely on how I perceived his actions throught season one and two, and opinions I formed while watching his character develop. And while this could not be a Tech-approved analysis without touching on both his perceived good qualities and “flaws”, please know this is not a hate-on-Crosshair post.

Before I get into specifics, I think it’s imperative that we establish a basic understanding of his personality before the chip’s activation. While there is, sadly, not much “footage” we can use to form a true characterization of him, there are some instances we can touch on. The Skako/Anaxes arc from TCW and the earliest few moments of “Aftermath”, Crosshair is shown to be quite sarcastic, uninterested in trivial conversation, measurably combative toward those with differing opinions to his (seemingly all regs, including but not limited to Kix and Jesse), moderately argumentative toward leadership outside of his own Sergeant (mainly Rex, as Crosshair seems to have no qualms following Anakin’s or Cody’s orders), comforting to those who need it (Echo), and an overall good tactical team player.

So, let’s start this analysis by dialling things way back to their mission on Kaller and the complications that arose once Order-66 had been dropped. More specifically, hunting Caleb down in the forest. One of the things I noticed upon first watching that scene and every re-watch since, is how often Crosshair toggles back and forth between blaster bolt and stun cartridge on his rifle, as if constantly battling the indecision of exactly how he wanted to detain the Jedi. Now, if you remember, Tech com’s in and basically says [paraphrased obviously]: “Shit is starting to his the fan, we better get our butts outta here,” to which Hunter responds: “Can’t. Haven’t found the kid yet.” Crosshair then chimes in with, what I have long-deemed to be his catch phrase: “Wrong,” and proceeds to shoot the branch that Caleb is perched on. Not Caleb, who, in Crosshair's mind, should be the rightful recipient of a kill shot… the branch. Hmmmm.

If every one of Crosshair’s shots is so masterfully aimed that its deemed an automatic hit, and thus every miss is intentional (a notion of which I also believe, less one particular shot which I’ll touch on a little later), then there would’ve had to have been a portion of Crosshair’s cognition overriding that Order-66 command to eradicate all Jedi, even if it was only enough to fleetingly switch his gun to stun.

Not long afterward, we see his beloved Firepuncher saber-whacked from his hands, and Crosshair opts to then continue his attack with his backup DC17. Missed shot, missed shot, missed shot, missed shot. Were these blown shots intentional as well? And if so, why does he continue to assail the Padawan? Is Crosshair only able to fight off the command to kill Caleb while his finger is on the trigger, possibly knowing that’s when the fight against his own mind becomes most crucial? Is he clinging to some autonomy in the moments where he’s not posing an imminent threat to those around him, like during the flight back to Kamino? Or can he only resist the chip’s influence when the urge to do something terrible is paramount?

Let’s skip ahead, shall we, to when the Batch is attempting to flee Kamino with Omega. Crosshair sashays onto the landing platform in his new gothboy armour, fresh out of an undescribed chip “augmentation” procedure (whatever that eludes to), and proceeds to have a small stand off with Hunter— both of whom have their weapons directed pointedly away from each other (interesting). During the succeeding fire fight, we see Crosshair line up several well aimed shots, many of which appear to be only inches away from landing on their “intended target”. He eventually succeeds in shooting Wrecker in the shoulder, and I’d like to point out that this shot lands almost exactly where Wrecker was hit by the training droid some hours/days previously. Was the placement of this shot intentional? Did Crosshair pick that particular target area knowing Wrecker would survive the damage?

The shot I find most intriguing is the one near-perfectly aimed at Hunter’s head (lol— brothers). You know, the one where Omega saves the day by unexpectedly blasting Crosshair’s rifle out of his hands. If the chip's activation was the reason he was now hunting them and claiming their treason, why had that moment seen him hesitate? Perhaps he needed a second to line up his shot, you might argue to which I would say argue: we’ve seen him use the active recoil from that same rifle to line up his next shot many times in quick succession with a zero margin of error (see the Skako/Anaxes arc in TCW and the first few minutes of Kaller), including when each shot was aimed at targets both more dynamic in action and further away than Hunter was.

Crosshair then takes several shots at the ramp of the Marauder as they take off, all of which are well aimed… and simultaneously redundant; the passengers are taking cover in the ship already, the Marauder has begun its take off, the ramp is closing, Crosshair running whilst knowing he can’t reach them. I personally attribute those last few shots as tokens of both anger and resentment for being left behind, not ones made with the intention of killing. I think that he expected his brothers to know him better than to believe these actions were of sound mind— he thought they’d be able to deduce that he was fighting a losing battle inside his own head, yet they were quick to believe he would actually entertain such sudden and aggressive hostilities toward them.

At this point, you might be itching to argue that maybe Crosshair's accuracy is largely diminished when he opts for a pistol instead of his rifle, and while I can't dispell this theory, I can provide some statistics. We see Crosshair use a pistol only four times in the entirety of the show so far: 1. against Caleb on Kaller (objective miss), 2. against the Batch Batch as their leaving Kamino (objective miss), 3. against a soldier while he and his new elite soldier squad infiltrate Saw's camp (direct hit), and 4. against Leiutenant Nolan when that asshole he gets on Crosshair's last nerve at the Outpost (direct hit). I will leave it up to you to decide if the theory of whether his skill level changes based on the weapon he's firing holds any merit, or is worth further discussion.

Moving on— the 99-clan is reunited on Bracca. Let’s turn our attention to the shot Crosshair takes at Tech whilst the latter was emerging from the ion engine, and I’m going to include pics this time to support my assertion.

Crosshair has an undeniably clear shot— his line of sight is not impeded, there are no environmental or atmospheric disturbances to disrupt his composure, he was ready and waiting for them to appear. The shot that he fires lands a good distance in front of Tech. Though the unexpectedness of it was enough to startle the genius into nearly falling out of the engine, I believe it was intentionally aimed this way (see below). A warning shot if you will. A “Hello, I outsmarted you and am waiting at your point of attempted escape. Stop trying, and get down here because I don’t want my new imperial cohorts to take aim for me and kill you” shot.

The next arc (Ryloth) quickly demonstrates that any neurological augmentations he’s been subject to (at this point, I believe we've been shown two, but have been led to believe there were several), have had no effect on Crosshair’s infamous sniper skills. First, he fires a perfectly aimed tracking beacon onto the moving target of Gobi’s ship. Then, upon the ship’s return, uses a single shot to disable one of the engines; a shot taken from, what appears to be, several kilometres away and having the immediate desired affect of disabling the ship. Finally, he makes the astoungingly precise shot (and I’m using astoundingly very heavily here) of blasting Senator Taa in the head. This shot, more than the previously mentioned two, are a sign of his impeccable marksmanship. Let me remind you, he was an undisclosed albeit very far distance away, on the opposite ridge of an enshadowed canyon, and is still able to shoot the senator in a place in which HE WOULD SURVIVE the attack. And not just survive, “make a full recovery” as Rampart claims afterward. This is unrivalled accuracy, and while I do not support the assassination attempt in itself, I can not deny how much skill was required to have achieved it.

My next point is something I have always personally found quite compelling, and it occurs in an off-the-cuff, likely forgotten about piece of dialogue.

Brief context: Crosshair has scooped Hunter off of Daro, they’ve landed on Kamino, and the duo (and a third soldier) are on their way to the Command Center to await the rest of the squads arrival. One of Crosshair’s elite troopers waits until he departs the platform before approaching Rampart and saying: “I question the clone’s motives with his old squad. I don’t trust any of them.” I’m intrigued to know where such a potent mistrust began. Is it simply because he’s a clone? A person born and raised unnaturally in comparison to someone with a traditional gestation and upbringing? Or has this soldier previously identified possible cracks in Crosshair’s imperial facade? Has Crosshair failed to hide his distress in quiet moments where he possibly longs for the life he had with his brothers? What is it that triggers this soldier to suspect Crosshair has an ulterior motive in capturing his old squad, and one that they’re apparently worried would not coincide with Rampart’s ideals?

Ramparts reply, in my opinion, gives us a well disguised clue: “If his plan fails, none of them will be a problem any longer.” If his plan fails. Crosshair’s plan. Crosshair has a plan for mobilizing his old family into one place, and what is it? Is he concealing the hidden objective of a reunion with his brothers under the guise of squad assassination? Was it always his plan to eliminate his new elite squad members, hence the perfectly placed mirror pucks we see him utilize in the training room, to make room for his old squad?

Remember, Hunter asks him some time later: “So this was your grand plan? Bring us here and kill us?” Crosshair answers: “If I wanted you dead, you would be.” And this is a statement which I believe to be incontrovertibly true. He has never wanted his family dead, despite having both the resources and skill to ensure they would be if that’s what he desired, but no. He’s angry that he’d inherently felt more loyalty to them than they had shown to him; frustrated that their choices post-Kaller did not align with his expectations of their choices, disheartened that they hadn't initially recognized to his choices to be ones made outside his character, and Crosshair now eagerly rebuffs their every excuse. Reference the spoken: “They don’t leave their own behind… most of the time.” . . . “You tried to kill us, we didn’t have a choice.” . . . “And I did?”

And follows the: “We’re loyal to each other, not some empire.” . . . “You weren’t loyal to me. I was one of you. You may have forgotten, but I haven’t. And it’s why I’m going to give you what you never gave me: a chance…” conversation. (Just stab me in the heart and twist the knife around, Jennifer!!!! Ouch!!! I'm still not over this!)

Was this his plan? To lure his brothers back to their home, and indirectly beg them to join the empire? To offer them the chance to join the ranks of those who have relentlessly hunted them, in the hopes that there might be some semblance of safety in conformity? To reunite the elite squad that they were in the days of the Republic (the original elite squad of which Rampart is trying to replicate with tactically inferior recruited bodies), simply for the safety that joining the empire could potentially promise? Is this the first demonstration of Crosshair using hostility to shield those he cares about from the callous clutches of the empire that he’d become painfully familiar with?

Regardless of the still-unexplained motive, Crosshair’s plan fails. Hunter has either become, or has always been, as protective of his family as Crosshair is stubborn, and he would never willingly subject his brothers (and now sister) to a life of committing abhorrent war crimes in the name of an Emperor who rose, uninhibited, to extreme and unnatural levels of power whilst abolishing the Republic of which they'd previously served. That’s not what their squad was made to do, despite Crosshair trying to convince Hunter perhaps maybe it was.

Unsurprisingly, Crosshair’s pitch falls on deaf ears, even despite killing his elite squad as an offering of trust. Once the training droids have been taken care of and the fray had subsided, Crosshair stands to find Hunter now has a blaster pointed directly at him, as does Wrecker— (Echo and Tech, curiously, keep their weapons pointed away), and the tables have quickly turned. Hunter begins his own plea to his brother, and it leads to a very ambiguous admission. Hunter: “Crosshair, forget the empire. This isn’t you, it’s your inhibitor chip.” Crosshair: “Wrong. I had my chip removed a long time ago.”

What degree of this admission is true? All of it? Parts of it? None of it? Was Crosshair only told that his chip was removed during one of the apparently many augmentations he’d been subject to? Was it removed and replaced with an alternative? Or was it truly extracted, and his questionable actions have been entirely his own? If so, was it the fall of the Republic that spooked him enough to join the ranks of an unknown empire? Did the thought of disobeying orders bother him enough to sacrifice the family dynamic he’s always known, and replace it with a safe sense of conformity? And if this is the case, was missing all of the shots he’d aimed at his brothers, a veiled display of love?

Atop the water hours later, Tipoca City has fallen. Due to their imminent death, Crosshair and his squad have been forced to work together to survive. Tech makes a lingering comment about Crosshair’s unyielding personality being outside of his control, and it’s still ringing in our ears at this point because it implies that a lot of this misunderstanding may just be because of how strongly Crosshair forms opinions, and how only one of his brothers understands that about him. Omega is mid-drowning trying to save her droid friend, Hunter is .4 seconds away from leaping into Kamino’s frigid and turbulent waters to try and retrieve her… and we see Crosshair grab his rifle. This is a shot, of any, that I would expect him to miss— water both impedes and shifts the trajectory of a projectile and mathmatically accommodating for this would take some serious, well thought out calculation; the only usable light for aiming is from the burning remnants of their home, and the container in which Crosshair is perched heaves and tips with every wave.

But he doesn’t miss. He, again, demonstrates that he can make any and every shot he wants to. He lands his shot on AZI’s chest (not dissimilar to where he shot Wrecker, on an obviously smaller scale), and pulls Omega from the depths of the water. Upon turning to see his brothers poised and ready to shoot him if they deemed the need appropriate, I think Crosshair realizes how monumental the fracturing of their squad was. They have no trust left for him. His actions, powered by an inhibitor chip or not, quickly led them to believe he was not the person they knew him to be. As much as he desperately wanted to them understand how powerful the control of the chip was, they didn’t. And I think this moment robs Crosshair of some of his anger and resentment he harboured toward them, and reaffirms that his only option now is to follow the path he was first influenced to follow, regardless of if it’s what he wants now or not. He then chooses abandonment. He chooses to be left stranded on that platform, likely aware that the potential he’d perish there was high. His separation was now his choice.

Let’s move on to Season Two! Episode 3, appropriately named “the Solitary Clone”, indirectly shows us more about Crosshair than I believe any previous episode ever has. Crosshair’s marksmanship is, once again, on full display as he takes down an old separatist tank with one shot (I’m still reeling over it, ok? That shit made me horny). And I can’t move on from this episode without also mentioning how it ended— we know Crosshair has respect for Commander Cody, that was demonstrated by his willingness to follow Cody’s command while he rebuked others’ in the Skako/Anaxes arc. I think it’s also apparent by the return of his notorious sarcasm, that Crosshair is happy to see a familiar face, one of which he may have previously deemed a friend. Cody, in return, places tidbit of trust in Crosshair (I’m also going to link this post in case anyone is curious about my thoughts on Cody’s initial comments). Not only does the commander inch toward the precarious conversation about “going rogue” and the Order-66 debacle, but Cody lets Crosshair take the lead after their shuttle crashes on Desix. “Trust me,” Crosshair begs, and Cody accedes.

They gain access to the strong hold; Crosshair, Cody and Nova (RIP) struggle only mildly with the droid forces ("Droideka's."). Crosshair demonstrates more inhuman trigonometry abilities and immaculate skill by using those mirror pucks to shoot around corners. Cody saves Crosshair’s tushy when a Commando droid gets a little too close to the sniper. Crosshair lowers his weapon at Cody’s request while they negotiate with Tawny Ames, a motion he had otherwise refused earlier in the episode (the civillians they come across behind a closed door— Cody lowers his gun and reassures them, Crosshair does not.) And when the Empire shows its true colours by demanding that Cody renege on his promise of peace and assassinate the governor, Crosshair does not hesitate to answer the call.

Now superficially, this act would appear as nothing more than a repeat of his crimes on Onderon, or Crosshair simply “following orders” as he had previously developed into a sort of mantra. But I think it’s much more layered than that. I think Crosshair recognized that Cody would be subject punishment did he not comply, a notion reinforced by his extended time at Rampart’s elbow, where it was regularly displayed that clones were of little significane and use to this new military regime. What would happen to Cody as a result of his disobedience? Would he simply be demoted from Commander? Would he be court-martialed and questioned? Detained and imprisoned? Killed? Is this why Crosshair took action into his own hands, and “did what needed to be done”? To protect Cody from the repercussions of disobeying a direct order? Or, more harrowingly and something that I am more inclined to believe, was Crosshair protecting Cody from the poignant shame and self-hatred that he knew the Commander would feel if he DID comply? Was Crosshair unwilling to let the mind of another clone be tainted by the emotionless demands of the empire, so he took the action upon himself? Was his objectively unnecessary and cruel attack, an action of deep seated respect and appreciation? Is this why Cody's comment about living with the consequences of their decisions affects Crosshair so deeply as they separate at the end of the mission?

Let’s dial back to the debated intention of Crosshair’s shots— are his missed shots deliberately missed? Our next stop on this journey is The Outpost (my personal favourite, and not because of the dreamy, sardonic, bearded Commander Mayday), but because of the overt growth that we see Crosshair attain. (Here’s an analysis I posted a while back about some of the messages I think the writers were trying to convey via symbolism throughout Crosshair's episodes to this point). If you've read it and even partially subscribe to my theory, then we can agree Crosshair’s mentality has been shifting little by little since we saw him last, and his attachment to Mayday (and the adjacent benefit that Crosshair rediscovers in companionship and brotherhood) is proof of this. So here’s what happens— raiders make it inside the perimeter of the Outpost thanks to limited man-power and degrading equipment. Crosshair heads directly to where he knows he can play to his strengths: high ground. He’s taking quick and careful aim at the retreating insurgent when the nearby shuttle explodes, and something peculiar happens. Whether it be the blinding flash of the explosion magnified significantly by his riflescope that had caused him such immediate discomfort, or something more (chip alert? Maybe? Or residual effects of having it augmented so many times?), but Crosshair’s subsequent shot is not of his regular quality. He hits his target, so I am not deeming this as a shot missed, but Crosshair has a track record of “one-shots” or “kill shots” of which this is not.

I’m inclined to ramble on for centuries about this episode because there is simply so much development, growth, and symbolism that occurs in those 28 minutes— it’s truly a masterpiece in story telling, but I’ve deviated too far from the intention of this essay (novel) so let’s trek forward.

Let’s get to Tipping Point, and what I would deem to be his only failed shot (and the implications of what it might mean). Crosshair has been sedated, interrogated, injected, neglected, confused, and abused since arriving on Tantiss. (You guessed it, I also have an analysis of this episode, structured a little differently than my previous but still helps to break down what I deem to be the motives behind his actions). Hemlock first attempts to bribe Crosshair with his freedom in exchange for information on his brothers, and as such, divulges his true need for Omega. Crosshair, who has never really had the chance to bond with her like his brothers have, refuses to provide any information. And why? Having only a surface level relationship with Omega, and having rebuffed her advances for companionship several times, why would he protect her in the face of imminent chemical torture? Because it directly protects them, and they are no longer being hunted by a squad of recruited bodies lead by an angry brother... but by a twisted and cruel doctor who's methods were proven unorthodox and tortuous upon immediate introduction.

Upon awakening from another round of interrogation, Crosshair understands the time to act is diminishing quickly, as is his ability to refuse Hemlock the information he wants. Each interrogation leaves him physically and mentally weaker; the time is act is now. He shoots and kills the pair of troopers, as well as the interrogation droid, with no difficulty. He stuns Emerie the scientist (possibly recognizing her clone accent for what it is, thus opting not to kill her?), steals her access card, and stumbles from the room. His body is no where near recovered from whatever toxin that droid injected him with, and he staggers through the unknown halls. Quickly coming across a pair of troopers guarding a doorway, the next shot is the only one that I believe he truly missed, and understandably so. It lands on the wall between their heads, and Crosshair quickly realizing his failure, shoots them with the following two rounds.

While missing that shot is largely inconsequential to the overall story, I think it’s an important anecdote for his character growth. In that moment, Crosshair is both physically weakened and mentally desperate to get a message to his brothers, and it’s the combination of those that had his aim faulty. He’s found himself nothing more than a man broken… stripped of the celebrated titles he’d once possessed and mentally mined until simply raising and aiming a blaster, a motion he’d once found more innate as breathing, was a motion difficult for him. He's forsaken his family, lost his purpose, been rendered nothing but an experiment and a tool.

So to summarize this egregiously long essay of Crosshair’s character, I’d like to reiterate that he is human. As we all do, he has faults. A lot of his reasoning is arguably flawed. He makes poor decisions, often in haste without considering the ripple effect it may have. He is extremely stubborn, and he does not communicate well. And there are things he’s done and decisions he’s made that I can not personally elucidate and would love to openly discuss with other Crosshair enthusiasts (example, trying to incinerate his brothers in an ion engine— did he assume Hunter would double back again, and this is Crosshair’s attempt at forcing them into the open? Or is this one of the moments when he cannot fight off the chips control?). You don’t have to like him. You don’t have to agree with him or anything he says. You don’t have to like me or agree with anything I say, but as we head into the third and final Act of this remarkable story, it is worth determining which of his actions are superficially misunderstood, and which have a deeper meaning that a casual viewer might simply overlook.

Thank you for attending the Ted Talk that no one asked for.

Holly ♥️

**forewent the taglist as this is not my typical content

[dead-enby-detective]

I love the Dead Boy Detectives show so I decided to watch the Doom Patrol episode: Dead Patrol which includes their version of the DBD Agency because I was curious about the different portrayals.

(This is a long post, I’m sorry, I have a lot of thoughts 💭)

First- gotta say, it’s wild that Ruth Connell plays both versions of the Night Nurse (when I heard her voice in the Doom Patrol episode I was like !!!) when they are SO gosh darn different.

In DBD she still feels like a person. We, as the audience, know she’s in the wrong about the boys but we can also see her point of view. If the show continues I’m excited to see where they take her character.

In Doom Patrol… she’s just creepy AF! I mean she’s a horror movie monster whose face splits apart and turns people into zombies by throwing up on them like WTH? I’m good with not seeing her again, no matter how well Ruth plays her lol.

Anyways props to Ruth fr because dang, she’s got RANGE.

Speaking of the Night Nurse-

It’s interesting to see the different reactions the boys have in the Doom Patrol episode to her compared to in the show.

Firstly, in Doom Patrol they already know her versus in DBD we see them meet her for the first time.

In Doom Patrol they’re kind of chill about it, like this is an enemy they have to deal with now and again, nbd versus in DBD it’s a new threat they don’t know how to handle. It feels like there’s far more weight in DBD to their interaction, in my opinion.

But I think the understanding versus uncertainty of her also impacts their overall reactions to the threat of her.

Both Charles’ react to one) protect Edwin and two) get the Night Nurse to get the heck away from them.

While trying to get the Night Nurse away DP Charles hits her with a bat and DBD Charles with the lullaby machine and then DP Charles throws a grenade and DBD Charles kicks her into a giant fish’s mouth.

Now obviously: different actors, writers, universe, 8 episodes versus 1 but it’s interesting to note that the Doom Patrol boys are much less reactive to their own/each other’s violence.

DP Edwin doesn’t react much to DP Charles hitting the Night Nurse and then throwing an explosive at her, DBD Edwin however is devastated by DBD Charles’s intense reaction to the Night Nurse trying to take them away/separate them:

DP Edwin doesn’t really say anything about it just kind of tells her off and DBD Edwin tells Charles his reaction was extreme.

Then in the aftermath DP Charles just walks (runs) away from the situation, seemingly fine with the whole thing while DBD Charles breaks down after the whole affair

Like DBD Charles is wreck by the whole thing.

Again I’m fully aware that having eight episodes dedicated to these characters stories compared to about half of one dedicated to them allows for very different stories but I think it’s neat how different their reactions to violence, their violence are.

Throughout the DBD show the phrase “a good detective does what they must to solve the case” but really, they have instances where they could have used violence to solve or speed up their case work and they actively chose not to, because they truly don’t want to. Charles does, even before this, have moments of violence but it’s clear it’s something that hurts him and it’s not usually his first reaction. They tend to try to avoid being violent if they can.

Compared to the DP dead boys, it feels almost like a means to an end for them. It doesn’t feel like they of out of their way to be violent but also like they’re less likely to avoid it overall. And it doesn’t impact them the same way.

I just think it’s neat how vastly different two portrayals of the same characters can be especially with such core traits.

They’re the same characters, different fonts and it’s so fun to compare and contrast.

—————

I have more thoughts but this post is getting pretty long so I think I’ll make another post/posts about em later.

[wayfayrr]

I’ll throw hands with anyone not being respectful. Take care of yourself Moss <3

On a different note, I’d love to know what other lil crumbs of lore you came up with for Tarnished <33 I already miss the baby boy <333

On another note, gonna say this here in case you don’t know cause I didn’t my first time around and struggled against Godrick a lot (died like over 40+ times, at least) but you can get to Liurnia before you beat him or even Morgott ✨ have fun exploring around more <3

~🍀 anon

/platonic

I promise you I'm taking care of myself!! <3

as for tarnished headcanons? I've been working on a few as I've been playing more (near 8hours, a corruption scare and I've beaten 3 bosses lmao) and I've even got another name for him now courtesy of a friend <3

✦ from appearance alone, the rest of the chain see him as a very serious and jaded person. however, he is not. he's jaded yes but he's actually an incredibly dorky guy with an awful sense of humour. (you know what the messages are like in that game if not well [here's an example] there are even more in the comments too)

✦ however he's the most aggressive fighter, opting to forgo using a shield and instead prioritizes hyper aggressive attacks and dodging rather than blocking. choosing to die and then reawaken at a sight of grace than being cautious. usually he swaps between dual swords or a fingerseal/staff due to having some level of aptitude in incantations and sorceries

✦ speaking of sites of grace - most of the chain (besides elden and rulie and I want to include wind too) can't see them. they just see tarnished sit down and stare into space, they also aren't aware of the fact that elden can come back from death using them. this isn't something that's fun for them to learn, as he does not tell them until the aftermath

✦ He's one of the 'weirder' links, being the most similar in personality to wild. Always ready to get into trouble and to mess about doing stuff for others.

✦ Surprisingly he's part of the church of dragon communion, having consumed his first heart before defeating margit (not before facing him for the first time though, he died a lot before doing that) and he ended up with glintstone breath!! he's well aware of the risks of becoming a wrym but he's planning a way to mitigate these, he knows he doesn't have to worry till he gets the dragon eyes though.

more mundane stuff? his spell use is mostly centred around healing and glintstone, he's practical above all else when it comes to equipment, he knows basic smithing to upgrade weapons, he's a surprisingly decent cook and he's very friendly to interact with despite his more general demeanor

but that's about it for what he's got right now! I've got the dragon and Margit fight recorded if you'd like <3 well If I can find a way to convert or post webm files that is lmao (why this post got a little delayed)

[words-writ-in-starlight]

Hello, I came across your Kencyrath rec post and I am tentatively intruiged. That said I wanted to ask about a trigger before I dive in. Suicide is pretty strong trigger for me. I can handle it if it's mentioned, but detailed descriptions of the act or a lot of time spent in a suicidal character's head/thoughts dealing with suicidal ideation would not be. Is this an issue in the Chronicles of Kencyrath, and if it is, do you have a different recommendation?

Okay SO.

The Kencyrath exist in a honor/shame society, in which going against the code of honor (lying, breaking your word, etc) is considered a sin that can only be forgiven through an honorable death. Sometimes this takes the form of going into battle without the intention to come back, generally without armor, but it also takes the form of ritualized suicide with a specific kind of knife. I would call it a very specific kind of suicidal ideation, in which it doesn’t come so much from a depressive headspace as it does from a kind of rigidly religious one. There isn’t a ton of time spent in the heads of characters actively pursuing ritual suicide, nor what I would call traditional depressive suicidality, but it IS a very present element of the society, including people freely making choices with the understanding that they will be expected to take their own life afterward, or people being forced to take their own life as an alternative to being dishonored. Think samurai rules or Imperial Chinese rules and you’ll be in the right ballpark. Ultimately I can’t know the inside of your brain, but if onscreen suicide discussion or aftermath is a concern, I might table this series until you feel more ready for it.

In terms of alternative recommendations, buckle up, I have a list based on what part of the Kencyrath pitch you were into. These recommendations are made with the assumption that all the OTHER content warnings for the Kencyrath are not a problem, but I’ll note any really major ones and include a broad rating according to AO3 rules. Anything with an asterisk by it heavily features the big Chivalric Devotion vibes of the main Kencyrath dynamics. I read a lot of that.

Sprawling politics:

The Unbroken* (drafted soldier impresses daughter of the empress, they try to stop a war, full of double-crossing schemes and gallant ladies, cw colonialism, M for violence, sex, and extremely real colonialism)

The Captive Prince* (dethroned prince is sold into slavery under his mortal enemy, definitional enemies-to-lovers content, cw sexual assault, E for a very sexually relaxed culture in a bad way)

A Taste of Gold and Iron* (unambitious prince gets tangled up in a currency fraud scheme and gets a shiny new bodyguard, E for a very sexually relaxed culture in a good way)

October Daye series (starts out classic urban fantasy, rapidly becomes Blood Magic and Politics The Series, for those committed to a long series, T for violence)

Pulp fantasy adventure vibes:

Hero and the Crown/The Blue Sword* (classic sword and sorcery fantasy, for DnD lovers and people who read Horse Girl Books as kids, General Audiences)

Silver Under Nightfall* (vampire couple teams up with vampire hunter to cure a magical plague, the polyamorous murder romance you need in your life, cw coercive assault and body horror, E for gore and numerous threesomes)

Heaven Official’s Blessing***** (translated Chinese novel, very old fallen god returns to Heaven and Does His Best, for those committed to a LONG book, currently on volume 8, T for violence)

Witch King (body hopping demon tries to solve his own murder with his found family in tow, perfect standalone book, T for violence)

Spicy magic systems:

The City We Became/The World We Made (sentient cities and extra dimensional invaders, for everyone who read a lot of Avengers In NYC fic back in 2012, cw racism and survival sex work, M for sex)

Gideon the Ninth/The Locked Tomb series***** (everyone knows about this series, it’s the one with the lesbian space necromancers, cw for just the craziest flavors of abuse, M for violence and cannibalism I guess, also fits the below category)

The Gilded Ones* (what if all the misogynists who said women were demons were absolutely correct, and it was fucking rad, cw for SO much sexism and also religious indoctrination, T for violence)

A Soul to Keep* et al (okay oKAY LOOK THIS IS MONSTERFUCKER CONTENT BUT I RECOMMEND IT, local cursed woman gets forced to marry a demon, they argue a lot and the sex scenes are REAL bizarre, cw kidnapping and the second book deals with a character coming out of a severe depression, HARD E for monsterfucking, obviously)

Interpersonal relationships that are just SO fucked up:

A Dowry of Blood (a letter from Dracula’s first wife to the man himself, cw domestic abuse, M for adult themes and sex)

Remnants of Filth/Yuwu* (translated Chinese novel, loyal general becomes the jailer for his traitorous ex-lover, cw slavery and discussion of sexual assault, E for sex)

The Salt Grows Heavy (homicidal Little Mermaid and plague doctor wander through an apocalypse together, actually read everything Cassandra Khaw has ever touched, the absolute pinnacle of horror, cw all her stuff for really creative violence and body horror, M for violence and gore)

Anyway if you have any other book recommendation questions and/or you read any of these and enjoy them, hit me up, recommending books to people is genuinely one of my great joys in life.

[ink-and-limbi-specialist]

Hey there everyone, I’m a zoologist studying the behavior and adaptations traits of various domestic species, formerly specializing in a different sort of small creature, and currently highly focused on limbis. I would give you my name, but frankly, I know better than to give that away on the internet, so I’ll be going by a pseudonym of “Mod R.A.”.

I’m not here to directly blog about work, but I like to think I have some decent advice if you have limbi care questions or Especially if you don’t know what species/breed your limbi is. I also know several genetic conditions limbi can suffer if you need a preliminary diagnosis, but please actually try a veterinarian unless you really don’t have the cash to spare a potentially wasted checkup. I don’t judge, I’m just not here to constantly do the same thing I do on the clock. In the meantime, please appreciate my posts about my pets!

Yes yes, you’re gonna say it’s weird I do a whole job centered around limbis then go home to my own beautiful limbi children huh? Surprisingly, I went into this job cause I like the little guys. Also these two sorta just fell into my hands…. With a third potentially on the way. Don’t judge me, ok? Just click below the cut if you want to know about them.

//Hi there, quickly popping in OOC! Despite the IC text you can send me whatever, promise (M!A included btw)! I’ll edit this post and write it down if there needs to be an obvious clarification for what’s not allowed. As a heads up that will very vaguely explain things, this blog’s first two limbis are riffing off these little guys I have that are a few of my sonas combined with limbus company characters. Thus things might be a bit weird about them due to referencing sona stuff. pfp and background drawn by me. Have fun!//

Limbis currently in my care

Adopts:

Inky, very much a mixed breed, partly with something that isn’t even a limbi no less. Primarily presents as a mostly monochrome colored LCB Don Quixote. Clearly also has some electric screaming in her but most of the time you can’t even tell. Got sent her quite literally in a box with zero return address, whoever was responsible clearly knew my work and probably just didn’t wanna do the paperwork or some shit. Unfortunately, I’m less knowledgeable about Don Quixote care than I’d like to be, so I’m researching them and we’re figuring things out as we go. Was originally just going to turn her over to work for care while I do study, but she’s pretty young for a Don Quixote and seems to have bonded to me rapidly, I fear separating her for long periods would cause unnecessary emotional distress….

FauFau, also a mix but much less obvious than Inky. Might be just LCB Faust and Telepole variant mix, but her behavior is a bit strange for a Faust in general. A dear friend of mine picked her up and sent her to me because he really didn’t want to care for any limbis, and she was interesting enough I brought her into work for study. That led to me fostering her off the clock, and well… just recently fully adopted her. She might be a bit stupid but I love her for it. Please be nice to her.

Visitors:

A group of a W. Corp Limbis, led by a Dimension Shredder Yi Sang named Larkspur. Other members include W Corp Yi Sang named Flashy, Faust, Don Quixote, Outis and Hong Lu. Flashy, Outis and Hong Lu were formerly companions of a wayward passenger kept in my workplace, while Larkspur was donated to me and has become a replacement leader. The rest all kind of showed up.

So if you’ve been following the blog you might’ve seen the…. Whitenight incident. Looking over the aftermath, five of my limbis have been turned into partly Apostle Limbis. The lcb yi sang now named Barbatus, the multicrack Heathcliff, a w corp Faust, and the W corp Mersault have all changed pretty significantly in appearance, but a W corp Yi Sang just got a mask over his face? He’s named Alba now. These guys have been isolated for the time being, as I’m unsure exactly how this has affected their habits and stuff. They’re also accompanied by a cinq east Quixote from my friend, who’s like the others. I’m considering keeping Alba and the Quixote…

A singular fell bullet Yi sang named Licorice has been secluded in one room to destress, he’s slowly getting better and we might test his social skills soon with other Yi Sangs.

A multicrack Faust whom I’m trying to teach not to get into literally everything before sending her to a new place to stay.

Someone sent me a Carmen in a box? I figure she’ll leave on her own, eventually.

A little Zwei Gregor got summoned to protect me! He’s rather cute I gotta admit. May keep him idk.

[letstalkwhump]

Welcome to Let’s Talk Whump, a series of interviews that spotlight the amazing people in our whump community! I’m Malice and I’ll be your host today. 

Here today to talk all things whumpy is the brilliant @whumpcereal!

It’s great to have you here! Let’s start with a fact or two about yourself  like your favorite color or favorite animal? 

My name is Kay, and I’m a high school teacher in my 30’s. Besides whumping unsuspecting gentlemen, my hobbies include reading a lot, belting out showtunes, cooking for people I love, hitting up new bars and restaurants with friends, and traveling. And since you asked–and as a teacher, I hate unanswered questions–I’ve recently realized that orange might be my favorite color, and I love gorillas. 

What does whump mean to you?

 It’s the sort of pressing-on-a-bruise feeling that is wrapped up in watching someone suffer and then be comforted. It’s the need for vulnerability and human connection. It’s watching Prince Philip get chained to a wall and not understanding why you find it so magnetic, but you do, haha! 

How did you find the whump community? What made you want to join? 

I was writing for the Newsies fandom (I know) during the pandemic, and one of my favorite authors tagged her epic work with “whump.” I clicked the tag on tumblr, and I found @lonesome--hunter’s Ezra almost immediately; I fell down the rabbit hole and never came out. After Ezra, I spent a good long time with @ashintheairlikesnow’s Danny and then @galaxywhump’s Wren. I realized that a lot of what I was putting in my own writing could be classified as “whump,” but I wasn’t sure how to join in the fun. I lurked for a while and then beta-ed for @darkthingshappen before I got brave enough to post my own stuff. But part of what motivated me to start posting was just how supportive and welcoming the whole community is. On AO3, you can get tons of hits but almost no real engagement; with whump, that’s totally different. It makes my little dopamine receptors ping. 

The whump community is amazingly supportive! Do you think your view on or the way you consume whump changed since you joined? 

 I am definitely a hurt/comfort gal. I can’t do the hurt without the comfort, and I need my whump to be strongly oriented in the characters’ feelings, whether we’re talking whumpers or whumpees. I struggle when a character is just getting the shit kicked out of them endlessly; I want them to have some relief, even if the relief is bittersweet or painful in its own way. I also find it easier to whump an OC than I do a fandom character, just because if they’re mine, I can build the kind of backstory that makes the whump reasonable. 

And your favourite whump trope?

 I do like noncon. Whump is a genre where I’ve really been able to explore scary things that have happened to me, and when a whumpee has an honest (and not needlessly gratuitous) nonconsensual experience, I gravitate toward it, especially if they’re allowed to explore the aftermath and how it makes them feel. I also love a mute whumpee–probably because I watched The Little Mermaid too many times growing up. Something about the helplessness of being trapped in your own body and at the mercy of others–hey, whumperflies! Captivity whump too, especially anything in the BBU. The BBU was one of my favorite discoveries when I found the community. It provides such rich opportunities! 

Captivity whump is so good! Would you mind sharing a favourite piece you've written? (the following pieces may contain non-explicit nsfw references)

Ooooh. Well, I guess I’ll choose one from each of my series. For Jack, my first and forever whumpee in Behavior Modification, and his caretaker, my wish-fulfillment fake husband, Joe, it’s this piece with their little girl. It’s something that I wrote in basically a single stretch one afternoon last summer, and I’m proud of it because it shows both how far Jack has come in his recovery and how much everything he’s gone through is still affecting him. It also shows how fierce of a protector Joe is, even though Jack’s got strength of his own. Plus, Hallie, their little girl, was super fun to create. She’s a feisty little thing, and I liked the idea of looking at such a dark, violent system through a child’s eyes. 

For The Kennel, it’s this piece which immediately follows my boy Will after his best friend Tommy is forced to assault him. It’s got the aftermath of noncon, plus it includes a lot of world building for my scary whumper, Doc, and his particular set-up. It really sets up the horror of the situation in which Will and Tommy have found themselves and also emphasizes the stories of other whumpees whose stories I’d love to explore (Justin and Tony, I’m looking at you). Plus, it gives Annie–who’s technically the caretaker in this story, even though she’s been abused herself–a chance to think about how she’s been raised and the way her father treats people. My favorite moment is when Will just breaks down completely, because we haven’t seen him do that yet. It’s a human moment, and he’s feeling so much less than human that it’s almost cathartic. 

And then, honorable mention to this piece where I crossover my two stories and let Jack help Will as his post-rescue counselor. I had so much fun with that reveal! 

Oh wow, I love the Kennel piece! You’ve broken my heart with Justin and Will! Would you like to share your writing routine  with us?

 I’ve actually been riding a bit of a block lately, but typically, I am an evening writer. No drinks or snacks, but usually movie scores that match the mood of what I’m writing. On good nights, it’s big blocks; on others, it’s just a sentence here and there (that’s been where I’m at lately). I try to write a little every day, but again, it’s been rough lately. Being a teacher at the end of the year is just as hard as being a student, haha. 

I can only imagine! Are some things easier for you to write? Anything you struggle with writing?

 I have an easier time writing recovery than I do straight whump, which is sometimes a bummer, because the whump community doesn’t seem to like recovery quite as much. So, I’ll pour myself into a recovery piece I have big feelings about, and then it won’t get quite as much traffic and engagement as when I’m roughing up the boys. I am very careful about how I write noncon. I think I do a decent job, but I try to approach it from a place of sensitivity to the person who is suffering versus engaging through violence alone. That can take a lot of time and thought and big feelings. 

And is there anything you're working on at the moment? 

I do have a fantasy crossover miniseries with Jack, Joe, and Ivan and @oddsconverts’ Josh and Felix that I’ve had a really fun time working on. I need to write a little intro before I post it. I need to go back to Jack and his intimacy consultations at WRU, and AU AU Joe and his reaction to the Drip. Poor Will and Tommy are in desperate need of attention; I need to get Will sold away so all the drama can increase. Maybe during summer vacation? 

Do you have a joke or pun you would like to share to spread some smiles today? I am only funny on accident. Just ask my students. ;-) 

Do you have any writing advice you’d like to share?

I’m great at giving advice to others, but absolute shit at following that advice myself. For instance, write for you. Don’t write for hits, likes, reblogs, etc. Just write what you want to read. Write as often as you can. During the pandemic, what got me back into writing after years of thinking about it was trying to write a little every day. Find you some writing friends who will get excited with you when there’s something you can’t wait to write about. 

Finally, would you like to give a mention to some of the amazing people in the whump community?

I already mentioned some of my favorites, but shout outs to @hold-him-down (whom I was lucky enough to eat very expensive risotto with this spring and whose Leo is one of my very favorite whumpees), @peachy-panic (58 Days is one of my VERY favorites), @whump-for-all-and-all-for-whump (whose Wyatt has my whole heart), and @squishablesunbeam (I mean, Jesse? Come on!). My first friends in the whump community were @darkthingshappen (creator of my Benny baby), @oddsconvert (whose series are all so beautifully written that I can’t choose a favorite–she even made me like vampire whump–and who is my wonder twin forever), and @sparrowsage (go check out his new stuff!). 

Thank you so much for joining us, @whumpcereal ! It was a pleasure to have you here! 

And to all you lovely folks at home, have a whump-derful day!

[dreamstone28737]

For the Fanfiction Work-In-Progress Guessing Game: light.

You’re not going to believe this, but I’m just seeing this Ask for the very first time a whole month later. I’m so sorry I missed it!

(It’s been so long I’m trying to remember what the game was!! I think if you guess a word that’s in my WIP, I post the sentence it’s from??)

So, for you, I’ll dip into that long-untouched Poldark fic! It’s the same one as last time - the one in which Demelza and Ross divorced after his tryst with Elizabeth. (They end up getting back together!) I actually have two sections written that include the word “light.”

(And I never can keep things short, so it’s way more than one sentence each.)

Thank you so much for the ask, friend!

1. The first one is Demelza having a talk with Sam about how she’s doing in the immediate aftermath of the break up. It’s sad, because I was in a very sad place when I wrote it two years ago. (Actually, reading it again now, I don’t even really recognize my own writer’s voice in it!)

Sam had tried preaching to her for a while about the blessings of the Lord, but finally one day she'd blown up at him, told him to stop being a minister and just try being a friend, please.

Surprisingly, he'd gotten the message. They'd had a real talk.

"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror, lately, sister? It's like-" he'd paused. Hesitated - "It's like the light's gone out of you."

"It feels like that," she'd said flatly, not meeting his eyes.

"D'you sing?" He'd persevered. "You always used to sing. D'you dance while you cook or clean? D'you even laugh?" She hadn't responded, and he went on. "I know ye've had your heart broken, sister. But there's still so much good in the world. There's no reason for you to walk around this earth half alive."

And this one is an upsetting bit of foreshadowing, when Ross and Demelza are together. He pulls Demelza close and she notices that he smells different. (Spoiler alert - she’s smelling Elizabeth’s perfume 😬)

"Just bein' silly," Demelza repeated, smiling, though she could feel that her brow was still knitted, as though her subconscious was still trying to work out the riddle. “You smell different, is all."

Ross drew back, meeting her eyes. "I what?"

"Yeah, like...some kind of flower maybe? I can't tell if it's the new laundry soap or something else." She shrugged, and said with a light laugh, "I don't know. I can't place it."

Was his glance suddenly far away? He had gone still against her, and she couldn't think why he'd be as bothered by it as she was. Perhaps, like her, he was just puzzling it out. Something in her wanted to change the mood, and she patted his chest lightly before pulling away.

"I'm thinkin' a roast for dinner. How's that sound to you?"

[outofangband]

@nelyoslegalteam from our conversation! Unsurprisingly I got a bit distracted thinking about medical related world building which I’ll probably have to make a second post to explore in more detail 

I cannot understate how profoundly effecting the sense of unprecedentedness and lack of understanding around Míriel’s death impacts the situation

Valinor is a place without death. It is not that the elves do not know death or loss. The elves of Valinor come from a world where the dark rider and his servants steal away their kin in the night. They were hunted by monsters and shivered in the darkness. Their sisters, fathers, children and friends were taken away and transformed.

Valinor is supposed to be a safe haven from this past. Finwë brought his people here to be safe. To grow and rule and learn and flourish.

Míriel’s death is not unprecedented as death but for its location, circumstances, and aftermath.

Fëanor grows up with the loss of a parent treated as, at best, an academic or philosophical debate about mortality and survival and at worst, a source of cruel rumors with some blaming Míriel or him for her refusal to return.

Even when they mean no cruelty, their frank curiosity is damaging. They ask and they want to know…why would someone choose this? What circumstances or people could make someone choose this?

The medical aspects of this seem poorly understood by the general population of Valinor even if there are those more learned, in Lórien and similar. Míriel’s death and more importantly her choice is treated as a mystery, an anomaly, a marring.

And maybe it is in their eyes! We don’t have records of pregnancy related healthcare and psychological research in Valinor. Perhaps this was truly the first known instance of postpartum depression, exhaustion and similar phenomena.

Perhaps Míriel truly was the first person to choose Mandos instead of returning to life

We do get a sense however that these subjects, especially as they relate to death, might not be completely unspoken (certainly people are speaking about them) but they are taboo. They are the realm of speculation and stigma.

Given the fact that so much of the suffering of the elves is noted to include grief which can be fatal, and the fact that the mind-body-soul connection is so repeatedly stressed, I don’t think the issue is a complete lack of understanding or acknowledgment of mental health.

I think there is absolutely a base understanding of emotional wellbeing and lack thereof. This does not mean that the understanding or mental health in Valinor is not incomplete or flawed.

I imagine that most healthcare would involve at least some aspect of psychological care for the elves given the profound link between their mind, body and soul. Even if it’s just an added emphasis on soothing distress or an increased understanding of how psychological hurt can exacerbate physical injury and the other way around.

And I imagine that absolutely includes care during pregnancy! What little information we do have (and to be fair some of it is from LaCE which is not strictly canon) seems to support both.

But when that isn’t enough? When those feelings of emptiness or exhaustion or despair endure long after the birth?

This I think is where at least some of the issues lie.

I also think about Lórien as a place of healing where it is both a genuine sanctuary and place of rest but also by nature allows many of the issues of health and wellness to be isolated and distant. People go there to heal or recover and then they return, healed and recovered*

Community health models are not successfully being utilized in Tirion (I do actually headcanon that they are utilized by the Teleri but that’s a different post)

*Lórien is not the only place where people go for healing but it is the primary one. I headcanon there are other smaller locations similar to it and then there are just healers who can address trivial and minor accidents and injuries

Fëanor does not properly grieve. How could he grieve? There is not sufficient societal understanding of how to mourn in such a situation.

As I said, there has been loss so there have been practices of mourning but when the expectation is that Míriel will recover or return, these practices, largely created to cope with sudden disappearances with no closure or violent deaths that took place before Valinor, do not bring Fëanor much comfort.

As he grows older, his thoughts about what he wants for Míriel and what he thinks he should want, become more complicated. His understanding of some of the discussions regarding her death and his birth do as well.

Morgoth corrupts all that he touches repeats again and again to him

(Medical stuff is one of my favorite areas to write about and I want to make more world building about healing and medicine!)

[bunny-the-bunny]

Quick update on the introduction post. I have completed the details for the main characters last night. And by last night I mean at 4 am today. Now all I have to do to make the art for them. Well actually I made art of Jaden already and another character. I’ve also drawn Haou too and I need to draw Jesse now.

Then the goal is to draw art of all of them together in color so a friend can help me with my vision for the introduction post.

The introduction post for Yu-Gi-Oh GX: the aftermath will include the following:

-A title card

-Plot info

-Theme song possibly

-Art of the main characters

-Differences between certain characters from Yu-Gi-Oh GX in character sheets maybe

-Relationships between each character

These are plans for the introduction post that I have but know that it might change. I don't want to spoil anything before I release the first chapter so it might just be the first four things in the intro post.

Bear with me here cause this might take me awhile to release. But I estimate that I’ll be done with the introduction post by the end of summer or maybe mid-summer.

I hope y’all can be more patient with me. I’m really passionate about this AU so I’m doing my best to get this ready while I’m balancing my first year of college.

Anyways I’ll be on the sidelines for now and I’ll take a back seat from talking about Yu-Gi-Oh GX: the aftermath until I put out the intro post.

I’ll still reblog stuff but just a heads up this is what’s to come. Keep an eye out for updates on the Yu-Gi-Oh GX: the aftermath hashtag.

Cya.

[heartfeltletters-written]

Hi !! I'm abi (she/her) and welcome to the chaos, we're deranged around here. My interests include The Beatles, Harry Potter, and The Empyrean series, alongside some other pop culture moments.

I currently write fics for The Empyrean, you can find me on ao3.

If your interest includes reading, I have a side blog where I post my reviews.

Below you can find my masterlist of fics. My inbox is always open if you have any type of question or you just want to ramble. I always love to hear your thoughts.

🌺Masterlist🌺

we never knew peace (M)

Violet/Xaden, A retelling of Iron Flame. > 50 000, currently posting

Revolution is happening, shaking the foundations of the world they know. As Xaden assumes his place as Fen Riorson's son, being the front man of the revolution, working to deceive Navarre's Command, the cadets return to Basgiath. With dragons poised for battle and Violet struggling to maintain control amidst the chaos, the stakes couldn't be higher. There are eyes everywhere, watching their every move. The continent teeters on the brink of falling into the hands of the dark wielders, threatening to reshape the very fabric of society. An Iron Flame retelling where the politics make sense, Brennan is not so easily forgiven and Xaden and Violet talk.

when the flames burned green the dragons danced (E)

Violet/Xaden, 1/3 chapters, > 10 000

“I want them dead,” Violet whispers, “I want whoever did this, I’ll burn them all myself, I want their heads decorating our walls.” She demands, her voice rising higher as the words spill from her mouth. Her husband nods, as she knew he would, she can sense the anger emanating from him. “I will avenge our boy my Queen.” he promises, “A son for a son,"

Xaden and Violet had finally found solace in Aretia, a happiness none of them had felt before with a family of their own, until a devastating tragedy fell over their lives

devotion (E)

Violet/Xaden, 2/5 chapters, > 20 000 currently posting

Riorsons only married those who proved themselves worthy in their Gods' eyes. For that, one must go through four trials – one for the Queen, one for the King, two for them both.

She would surrender herself to pleasure, wholly, completely. Be as powerful as Amari. Surrender to her. Embrace the path of utter devotion. And rise high as she, at last, reached completion.

[or: the path to becoming Queen is through ritualistic sex]

here at your doorway (E)

Violet/Xaden, one shot, > 6 000

After returning from Basgiath, Xaden and Violet finally have time to talk.

--------------------------------------🌺-----------------------------------

the ghost scar (E)

Harry/Ginny, Harry after Sirius' death. > 50 000, on hiatus

In the aftermath of Sirius's death, Harry finds himself burdened by grief and overwhelmed by the numerous expectations placed upon him by people who were supposed to protect him. Feeling isolated and unable to properly mourn, he becomes tired of the constant pressure and suffocated by the weight of his own life. Determined to regain control, Harry takes matters into his own hands, seeking to break free from the constraints of others and find his own path while batling the ever constant present of Voldemort in his life. A different take on Harry's story where politics play a significant role and the lines between good and evil are blurred as morals are questioned.

[shippingfangirl013]

WIP Game

(Because I want to and no one has tagged me in one so, I’ve took it upon myself to do anyways ☺️)

Rules:

Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

I’m probably going to tag a few people but I have a ton of WIPs. . .

I’ll keep chaptered fics, I might include a few one shots, but be warned, there’s like 5 different fandoms (including a few finished fics that have a series continuation)

Here they are:

Finished:

Heartbeat

Chaptered:

Traitors of Gold ✨

Breathe

Letters From Home

The Aftermath of Falling

Fare Thee Well

A Thousand Lies Whispered in Vain

Reverse Falls (I haven’t worked on it in a long time)

Chaptered Oneshots:

That one with Peter, Iron Dad, and a sketchy villain that isn’t mentioned much in the comics

What Could Have Been

WWII Byler

It’s Just Coffee ☕️

Bridgerton… But Avengers (kinda) 

Tagging:

@downbytheriversside @erikiara80 @chirpsythismorning @rebellius @house-of-chant @daydreams-in-the-moonlight @lilitblaukatz

No pressure to do this, just figured it’d be fun! <3

[builder051]

A note about mature ratings

I guess this content rating thing is new on my tumblr app (or I haven’t noticed it till now). Since a lot of my stories are dark and could be triggering, I think I’ll use the mature option for some fics that might be especially offensive.

First off, read the tags and refer to the Author’s notes at the top of fic posts. I try to spell out the TWs before the actual story text.

Now, regarding the mature rating:

I do post sexually explicit stuff on occasion, but it’s usually framed as an act that has happened or will happen. Very few intimate details are given. Most of it is vague with hefty implications. Non-con, prostitution, and child abuse are written in the same way, and they pretty much always take the form as a flashback. ABSOLUTELY NONE of my work is porn or kink, and I DO NOT condone immoral and illegal sexual activity. (Prostitution is a different area entirely, and let’s leave it at that.) I consider my stuff to be art that’s meant to engage with my audience both intellectually and through the provocation of visceral human emotion. I largely follow the wise words of Ira Glass, “This story mentions the existence of sex.” I will not use the mature ratings for passing racy thoughts. I will use it for non-con and abuse.

Way more of my stories contain substance use/abuse (usually in regards to self-medicating, partying and its aftermath, and underage drinking) and extreme violence/gore (mostly in war/combat situations including torture and graphic descriptions of death), mental health crises (including suicidal ideations and eating disorders), dark angst/flashbacks/night terrors, and graphic descriptions medical emergencies (some of which include hospitals/first responders, grave injuries/illnesses, and bodily fluids like blood/vomit. I will not use the mature ratings for everyday/canonical mental health struggles, non-critical injuries/illnesses, or descriptions of vomiting. I will use it for graphic violence and torture, suicidal ideation, and eating disorders.

I did not intend for this post to be so long, but what can I say? I’m verbose, and I find it important for everyone to be on the same page.

Thanks for indulging me. I hope this change will be beneficial to all.

[andrecasal]

Product Hunt aftermath 🔥

If you're new here, I'm André, a tech entrepreneur and founder of LaunchFast, a stack designed to help web developers significantly speed up their project development time. I post daily updates on my journey and progress.

Ok, so today is the day after launching LaunchFast on Product Hunt.

I don’t have anything to compare this launch against, to know how successful it was, so I’m taking it as my baseline and figuring out what I can improve for the next one.

Let’s get into it. Here are the metrics for this launch:

271 different people visited the landing page

Made a few sales

Ended in 11th place for the day

Things I will do better for the next launch

Getting votes on Product Hunt is much like a political campaign. You have to get in front of people and give them good reasons to vote for you.

Exposing your product doesn’t matter much if the people you expose it to aren’t Product Hunt users with accounts that are at least 2 weeks old, because new accounts can’t upvote products.

So, on my next launch, I will engage much more and much earlier with people who are active on Product Hunt.

This is also my target audience for LaunchFast, so win-win.

Missed opportunities

The other thing I feel was a missed opportunity was not having a newsletter component on the landing page to capture emails from users who might be on the fence about buying LaunchFast before it has payments or AI integrations.

The other one was that I could have pushed it a little further to get 2 more votes and ended in the top 10. The benefit of ending in the top 10 is that LaunchFast would have been featured on Product Hunt’s Daily Digest, which is read by millions? (I forget of exact value) of readers.

Moving forward

Now that the product has officially been launched, it’s time to look forward.

Here’s the plan:

Engage more with Product Hunters ahead of the next launch (after payment and AI integrations potentially)

Create the documentation for LaunchFast, which includes video format that will also serve as content for social media

Integrate payments and AI into LaunchFast

Allow customers to suggest and prioritize items in the roadmap

Engage with current customers to assess their experience and potentially fix pain points

Add a newsletter component to the landing page to allow users to get notified of updates to the stack

And that’s it folks. Overall, I’m feeling very positive about this experience and I think I’ll do a considerably better job on the next launch.

That’s it for today folks. Have a great rest of your week 🙌😄