#I’m kinda new to the lotr fandom

[lttl3babybug]

Heyy! Pretty please, wanna fic where Legolas regresses into very small age and some guys from fellowship (you choose) takes care of little elfie 🥺🥺🥺 (just wanna my lil elf boy)

LITTLE LEGOLAS!! I’m going with Gimli taking care of him bc big and small :) tank you for this request! :D I wuv Legolas!!

Hair Braiding

Legolas was quiet. He gripped onto the reins of his horse as he trotted along, a little behind his other friends. He stared down at the daisies in the grass and rested against his head against the horses’s hair. He gently brushed it with his fingers allowing a soft smile to cover his face, he felt so small. So calm. This state was ideal for a long travel, no stress, no worry, just small happiness. As the three men rode along on the two horses Legolas heard a chirp from behind him. “C’mon boy! I’m sure this horse can go faster than this, we’re going to lose sight of Aragorn lad!” Gimli piped up. The new voice and idea of possibly losing track of his way sent panic through the elf.

He sat up from the calming position he was in moments ago, a clear fear in his movements. He’d completely forgotten Gimli was riding along with him, Legolas cleared his throat a little and attempted to keep in his right headspace, “Right, yes- you’re absolutely correct, my apologies” he says awkwardly while signalling for the horse to speed up a little. Gimli merely huffed in response as he watched the prince flatten his hair and the mane of his horse. Legolas kept his horse only a few trails behind Aragorn as he attempted to keep himself from slipping again.

He’d been so concentrated on this he’d not realised that Gimli had been chatting away to him. All Legolas had been replying with was little hums and the odd word, his voice growing smaller and smaller. “Lad what has gotten into you?” Gimli asked looking up at his elf friend, Legolas looked back at him. His blue eyes wide and large with curiosity, he wasn’t entirely sure how to answer that question so he stayed quiet and kept his eyes on the road ahead of him instead. The more he thought of not slipping the further he did and the smaller his mind became. Legolas’s lack of response and general awareness seemed to have piqued the dwarfs interest, he leans in and whispers. “How are you feeling lad?”

Legolas’s replies, in a very quiet voice, “small…”. His response was soft spoken and almost sleepy sounding. His grip on the reins had loosened and eyes became heavy, “Ah…” Gimli says. He wasn’t particularly sure how to deal with…this. Part of him wanted to laugh, watching the high and mighty elf prince fall into a deep state of childlike emotions right before him was something he never thought he’d see. But he didn’t laugh. Instead he reached up and placed a hand against Legolas’s platinum blonde hair, taking it and parting it.

The elf’s initial reaction was panic. His head snapped back and his partially braided hair was pulled out of Gimli’s grasp. Legolas’s hair was very precious to him, so while he was in such a fragile state having someone touch it unexpectedly freaked him out a little. Gimli pulled his hands back before saying, “calm down little one, I was only braiding it” in the calmest tone he could. Legolas’s shoulders dropped as he smiled a little, “braiding” he repeated with a small giggle before facing front again- allowing Gimli to continue.

Moments later Legolas felt a weight on his shoulder. He looked down at what was this newfound weight was, his eyes fell on his beautifully plaited hair. He looked back at Gimli with the largest smile the dwarf had ever seen, his hands ran over the flatly braided hair. The new texture of the loose braid in his otherwise straight hair had him giggling and smiling in joy. He turned back to Gimli once again and, in a very small voice, uttered “Tank you” towards him, his smile never fading away

[olympiansowl]

Look, I don’t know if I’m passing as an anti-shipper or not, everyone kinda knows that I’m obsessed with Miriel and Elendil, but I’m a little bit traumatized when actors say nice things about a shipp, and then they proceed to go to the “might never happen, the character isn’t emotionally available” thing. Anyone who knows me from the Ted Lasso fandom might actually remember what I said on Twitter about that kind of behavior. Specially when they say something nice on interviews and in the next they’re like “not gonna happen” and even more when they switch modes. One says something, the other says another, they switch roles and the first is saying what the second said, but the second changed his mind and now is saying the same as the first one.

Like, everyone knows, at this point, what happens in the books and what doesn’t happen, but the thing is that nobody is 100% sure of what they can and cannot adapt since they use things from Silmarillion, like the names, but they also create things. The producers said that they only have the rights to the four books (lotr trilogy and the hobbit) so we don’t know if they’re going to proceed with her death or whatever. It’s kinda sad having a cold water being thrown in my face in the very end of the season, after such a hopeful episode. And a very romantic one, regarding the shipp. Everyone sees the romance, it’s not just on the fandoms mind, so, in my opinion, it’s kinda sad when people just demise it as a “it is what is, it might never happen, they might never talk about it” specially when we consider that none of those characters had a single moment of peace. Even the characters who most give the “we want but we can’t, it won’t ever happen” vibes (Sauron/Galadriel) kinda have an admission and these two don’t? Like, they’re just letting each other die or go away without even saying it? I’m sorry but I find that sad, a bit cruel and even unbelievable.

I know that a lot of couples simply don’t end up being fine in the Tolkien world, but we’re talking about an adaptation that had the main villain proceed to make the heroine have a crush on him and she admits to that connection like…we have someone who despises him, have a crush on him. They’re opposites, like night and day. And now we probably won’t even have an admission between two people who shared a lot of things and are out there collecting trauma together? That woman was ready to die for him and he won’t say anything to her after?

He also said that Elendil is grieving his wife, and grief just don’t go away, but like…why didn’t they make her appear then? Why did they place another person to be his potential romantic partner? I understand the grief, but it’s actually frustrating to see him, who lost his wife years ago and thinks he lost his youngest son (also doesn’t know where the oldest is) might just commit the same mistake of not saying anything at all to the woman he does feel things for. After the new interviews I actually believe that Earien might be the one who will have to say to Miriel that Elendil loves her.

[sordidmusings]

Now and For Always - One Piece rendition

A/N: Howdyyyyy so there’s certain songs that just fit fandoms or characters for me and sometimes I find it fun to rewrite lyrics to fit them! Just a silly little thing 💀 this is Frodo and Sam’s song in the Lord of the Rings musical and I thought it would be could to have the mythologizing of pirates and then Luffy and Zoro the same way hobbits and Frodo and Sam are in this one! Kinda wanna make verses for more of the Straw Hats cuz I feel like I’m leaving them out but for now this is parallel to the original song. I’m going to have more for headcanons and such on it below the cut but wanted to get straight to it for ya!

Sing me a story of heroes of the sea

Sailing through, brave and true

Stubborn as barnacle and tough as rocky shore

Always so showy and grand

Year after year they persevere

Now and for always

Bold Rocks who pillaged, Roger laughing loud

Born to endure, strong and sure

Nameless D’s will in your veins makes you proud

Sturdy and steady they stand

True to their aim for freedom and fame

Now and for always

Sit in the full moon’s glow

Tell us an old tale we know

Tell of adventures strange and rare

Never to change, ever to share

Stories we tell will cast their spell

Now and for Always

Sing me a story of Luffy, Pirate King

Fearless and bold

Hungry and cold

A drum in his heart

Joy’s fruit made it sing

Crossing formidable seas

Wouldn’t retreat

Fought for all to be freed

Now and for always

Stand by the sea mist’s blow

Tell us an old tale we know

Tell of adventures strange and rare

Never to change, ever to share

Stories we tell will cast their spell

Now and for Always

Sing me a tale of the bravest of them all

Comrade and guide, at my side

Stouthearted Sword who wouldn’t let me fall

Pushing my life down its path

True to the end, no finer friend

Now and for always

Sit under night sky’s show

Tell us an old tale we know

Tell of adventures strange and rare

Never to change, ever to share

Stories we tell will cast their spell

Now and for Always

Headcanons:

As @gingernut1314 pointed out to me, there is some prime bittersweet angst in imagining Brooke singing this long after the Straw Hats have truly turned into myths after the centuries wore their details away. I like to think that it’s a song he would break out the full version of for any new crew he may join or at least spend extended time with as a show that they’ve earned his full comradery.

If it’s a full straw hats version, imagine them pairing off like secret Santa’s or something to trade verses trying to capture how the other would be once they’ve passed into legend. They tried to get Zoro and Sanji to do each other’s to expose that true bond and respect under all the insults and pissing contests but it was a Disaster. After the core all make it, through the time they sail until they have to disband either through diverging paths or the curse of time on the body, a sign you’ve been accepted as an eternal Straw Hat is by getting your own verse.

It’s something that’s not sung too often so that it fully keeps its magic but when everyone is feeling that close connected ease that comes from truly conjoined lives, melded by trust and hardship and love, they always crack it out. Sometimes it comes when one of them is feeling lost. Sometimes when they all need cheering, they try to impersonate each other while singing each other’s sections. All of them find themselves humming it at some point or another, the melody just a part of their life’s ambiance.

That melody gets carried down through their children and their children’s children, way down decades and generations until it’s a standard that no one knows the origins of, like most folk melodies. You know the region but not the composer nor the original song nor the original intent. Unless you know Brook. Then you’ll know the Straw Hats, now and for always.

A/N (again): sorry (not sorry??) for the cheesy ass ending 💀💀💀 my LotR loving ass is now wondering how I could shove In Dreams from the movies into the One Piece world too ahdyduwbsjs hope you liked the silly thoughts and the original tune! It’s one of my favs from the musical. One of my other favs, The Cat and The Moon is a Shanks drinking song and I will hear nothing of it, it’s just fact and I have a need that will never be sated to dance like an idiot to it with him and his crew 🥲 may end up posting more of these, unsure how they’ll be taken 🤷🏼‍♀️ same with posting recordings of them with the One Piece lyrics. This song would be much easier than most others I have in mind as the guitar is easy enough for me p much and I can chuck the violin onto flute and say Good Enough lol thanks for making it this far 🤍🤍🤍 many smooches!!

[presidenthades]

Once again, I am doing a series of my behind-the-scenes thoughts for The Golds while I do light edits for formatting, typos, and continuity. Here’s Chapter 9!

For this chapter’s title, I went with the final stanza of “The Song of the Seven” when the lyrics talk about all the gods, because the chapter ends with Jace and Aegon arriving for the anointment ceremony.

I kinda feel sorry for Jace and Aegon discovering the true hardships of parenthood (night feedings! Sleep deficit!), but they also have a castle full of servants to do all the chores. Raising a baby is hard, but at least they don’t have to worry about laundry or cooking. Can’t blame Jace for delegating diaper changes, though.

I have no idea how long a dragon’s gestation period is supposed to be. No reason it can’t be comparable to a human’s? They’re fictional anyway 😛. But I wanted Vermax’s gestation to align with Jace’s pregnancy to highlight that dragon/rider bond, since the show has cuts of Syrax reacting during Rhaenyra’s labor in Episode 10.

There’s a fandom theory that dragons seem to thrive more roaming freely on Dragonstone than chained in the Dragonpit. But one disadvantage of the Dragonmont is the Cannibal, who I imagine is quick to hint down new eggs and hatchlings. So when a claimed dragon is expected to lay eggs, I think the Dragonkeepers are very alert about when it happens. It might be harder to keep tabs on unclaimed dragons like Silverwing, who probably do their own thing without a rider to keep tabs on them. But otherwise the Dragonkeepers are trying their best to save the eggs from getting eaten.

There’s also probably a narrow window after Vermax lays eggs when she goes away to hunt or something, and that’s when humans are able to get the eggs. Otherwise Vermax might not be so happy about them taking her eggs, and Jace is in no shape to go up the mountain and tell her to calm down.

There’s some debate whether Sunfyre was a cradle egg or a dragon that Aegon claimed as a kid. The strong bond makes me want to say cradle egg, but Sunfyre seems a lot larger than most dragons his age if so, and there are lines in F&B which indicate that Aegon, Helaena, and Aemond might not have even received cradle eggs. There might not have been eggs available when the genre born, or maybe Viserys chose not to give them eggs because he was showing favor to Rhaenyra’s line. Daeron is the youngest so he’s a special case because of the timing; there might have been more eggs when he was born, or, in the book (where Daeron and Jacaerys are of similar ages), Viserys may have felt obligated to offer an egg to Daeron since he gave eggs to Rhaenyra’s kids.

I’m leaning toward Aegon claiming Sunfyre (who could have been a young dragon in the Dragonpit). In that case, it’s extra important to Aegon that he gets an egg for his son, especially if you go with the headcanon that Viserys deliberately didn’t give Aegon an egg. By personally choosing an egg and placing it in the cradle, this is another way Aegon can demonstrate his love and approval to his own son, which Viserys didn’t show to Aegon.

In the last chapter’s commentary, I mentioned that I made Aegon minimally affected by the glass candle since he’s not inclined toward magic. But Joff is very interested in magic and has actually used the candle, so it has a much greater effect on her. Kinda like how the One Ring in LOTR affects different people differently.

I think we can all agree that generally, it’s an asshole move to a) purposely create sudden loud noises around a newborn and b) shove a woman who just gave birth. Joff is not entirely herself and she shows remorse, so she gets some sympathy. At the same time, I think it’s clear why Aegon is so angry. From his perspective, Jace is bleeding on the floor and screaming for Joff to stop whatever she’s doing, and he catches Joff with her hands literally in the cradle. He believes he came just in time to stop something terrible from happening, and who knows what would’ve happened if Joff hadn’t snapped out of it? So Aegon is not going to immediately forgive Joff for hurting Jace/almost hurting the baby. And if it were anyone else (not Jace’s sister, not the person who just saved Jace and Cheeseball), he probably wouldn’t have forgiven them at all.

As for Jace, despite her own fear and pain, her first instinct is to try to protect Joff by lying for her, because that’s her sister and Aegon is pretty pissed. As usual, Jace sets her own needs and comfort aside in favor of her loved ones. But now Jace has a helpless baby to think about. She might still put her sisters above herself, but Cheeseball comes before her sisters now.

I allude to the glass candle in the Handbook, first when Daeron blabs about getting Joff something from Oldtown in Chapter 7, then in the final scene of the fic when Daemon catches the two of them examining the candle. The Citadel doesn’t officially acknowledge the existence of the candles (although it seems to be an open secret in Oldtown), so Daeron must’ve been very sneaky and creative to be able to “borrow” it.

“Joff won’t like it” is one of Daeron’s mantras when he decides what to do or not to do. He’s probably going to have to grow out of this eventually 😅.

“Joff is going to have to do a lot of things she doesn’t like. That’s life.” Aegon learned this life lesson a while ago, but he truly absorbs and embodies it in Chapter 10 when he steps into the game.

Vermax laid three eggs. The mysterious wet nurse said Aegon and his wife would have three children 🧐.

Jace dresses Cheeseball in Targaryen red knits for his first day of being paraded around the family!

Baela, Rhaena, and Helaena are basically the fairy godmothers from Sleeping Beauty. They’re even color-coded the same!

It’s revealed in Chapter 10 that Helaena has no interest in pregnancy/childbirth, but that doesn’t mean she’s opposed to children entirely. She just doesn’t want to carry them. Hence her and Rhaena’s little chat about Garmund, who would hypothetically be the medieval equivalent of a sperm donor while Rhaena and Helaena raise any kids. It’s also why they picked Daemion Velaryon as Helaena’s potential husband in the Handbook; Daemion is implied to be gay and he has no holdings to bequeath, so his wife doesn’t need to have kids, compared to, say, Kermit Tully.

It’s OK Baela, your gift to Cheeseball was your midwifery skills.

Aegon hovers a lot over Cheeseball right now because the birth was a very fraught experience, and the Joff incident didn’t help his nerves. Also he’s just in the “newborn dad” phase. When Cheeseball gets older and is a bit less fragile, I think Aegon will let Cheeseball run around and get in age-appropriate trouble.

Cheeseball is literally one day old but I couldn’t resist infusing some personality into him. He enjoys feminine attention, likes boobs, and instinctively thinks Aemond is kinda weird. Definitely Aegon’s son 😂.

Luce was about to say her kids are gonna be named after historical figures, because Aemond’s a history nerd 😢.

Aemond is trying to be cool and pretend he isn’t super interested in the baby, but this man spent a small fortune on that Valyrian steel dagger 😭.

“Aemma” is the magic word when it comes to Viserys. Although he shipped Luce and Aemond at the end of the Handbook, he’s putting on his king hat and doing what he thinks is necessary (but also Elenda invoked Aemma). Viserys wants to be a peacemaker (although he fails miserably in canon), and he wants people to like him (can't remember which episode, but he asks Lyonel or Otto if they think he'll be remembered as a good king). Breaking up Luce and Aemond is a price he's willing to pay. He doesn't care about Aemond's feelings, and while he does care about Luce's feelings, he doesn't think a young girl's romantic affections are worth destabilizing the Crown. And since there isn't any official arrangement between her and Aemond, Viserys thinks there isn't much shame for her in being jilted, since there's no betrothal to be jilted.

Borros Baratheon is gunning hard for power and a royal marriage. In F&B, he seizes every opportunity to advantageously betroth his daughters, and he tells his wife to name their unborn son Aegon after Aegon II. The Baratheons also claim Targ blood through Orys, a more recent infusion of Valyrian blood through Queen Alyssa, and kinship to Rhaenys (and Jace and her sisters by extension). If any great lord thinks he "deserves" a royal marriage, it has to be this guy.

In F&B, Elenda seems like a cunning woman who balances the desires of her daughters with the welfare of House Baratheon as a whole (considering how she dealt with Cassandra's marriage in the book). She is grieving for Floris, but she has three other living daughters to think about, and she's too smart/ambitious to let this opportunity slip by despite her grief.

Aegon has a very cynical view of Viserys, but honestly he's pretty close to the truth IMO. I always side-eye the show writers/actors when they say Viserys is a good person just trying his best because…uh…I don't think so 😅. There are already tons of blogs and opinions out there explaining why Viserys is kinda terrible so I won't parrot them. But ultimately, it seems Viserys is driven primarily by the prophecy (his desperation for a son, then him believing the PTWP will come from Rhaenyra's line) and by guilt about Aemma. So that taints my opinion of his love and affection for Rhaenyra, and her children in turn. Rhaenyra's kids are more important than Alicent's kids, but they aren't the most important thing either.

Aegon is also kinda right about hiding the info from Jace during the pregnancy. She probably would have stressed herself even more if she knew the truth, and that wouldn't be good for her health or the baby's. So the temporary information diet was probably the best call Aegon could have made in that situation.

When Rhaenyra arrives, she's frowning at Aegon who's freaking out in the corridor. He stays there like that until Alicent makes him get lunch for Jace.

Joff feels very guilty about last night, so she decides to remove herself from the situation out of fear of a repeat.

Even though Rhaenyra generally has a good relationship with her daughters, no mother-daughter relationship is perfect. Jace and Rhaenyra have pretty different personalities, and arguably different values, but Jace is a people-pleaser and Rhaenyra is on the chill side for a Westerosi mom, so they get along most of the time. But when they clash, they really clash (like that argument in Chapter 6 of the Handbook that Daemon slept through, about Jace's elopement to Aegon).

Jace thinking that she would throw herself off a tower if she'd been presented with her baby torn up is a reference to Helaena and Maelor

I honestly don't think Rhaenyra has really forgiven Viserys for Aemma's death. She just moved on, because what other choice was there? He's her father and the king.

Rhaenyra really didn't like Aegon growing up (for reasons already included in past commentaries), but she was more neutral about Aemond. There isn't the same baggage about Aegon claiming everyone's attention/replacing her, and Aemond was much better behaved. And I think Luce was spoiled more while Jace was the responsible one making sacrifices and doing her duty, so there is different treatment in that regard.

I was going to elaborate more in earlier drafts before I rewrote some subplots, but Alicent had perinatal depression during her pregnancy with Daeron. It got bad enough that even Viserys noticed, and after the maesters advised a respite from court might help, he decided this meant sending Alicent to Oldtown for the rest of the pregnancy—without her three older children 🙃. That’s why Alicent was away in Oldtown, and that’s why she can empathize with Jace’s current mess of emotions. If I ever write that Alicent & Rhaenyra POV fic of the kids’ childhood, this subplot is definitely going in there.

Rhaenyra ultimately resigned herself to Jace/Aegon for the sake of her child’s happiness, and Alicent did the same re: Luce/Aemond. Parallels!

“All your children will be precious to you, but it is your firstborn who changes you the most.” Of course Alicent is thinking about Aegon when she says that. She might not always like him very much, but that doesn’t make it any less true, and she loves him anyway. She just isn’t great at showing it, and she has hurt him physically and emotionally, and that’s left its mark on Aegon.

Just like in Chapter 5, Jace and Aegon reconcile quickly because they don’t like being at odds with each other. Again, Jace is a people-pleaser, and Aegon is a Jace-pleaser, which helps a lot when they need to be honest with each other about their mistakes.

Aegon’s joke about commissioning a giant gold statue for Joff is a reference to Aegon in F&B wanting to commission giant gold statues for his brothers.

Aemond 100% cares what other people think about him. He supposedly wears the eyepatch so his sapphire eye doesn’t scare ladies at court (even though it’s gorgeous??), and he gets triggered by Maris’s purported taunt about his balls in F&B. He has a lot of internal motivation to excel, but I think he wants external validation that he’s good enough (see: his whole “‘tis I who studies” speech). So even though he’s impulsive enough to suggest eloping (the Storm’s End chase was one big impulse in the show, the roast pig triggers him into making the Strong boys toast), he would care a lot about the gossip and his reputation afterward. And TBH Aemond is not a very emotionally stable guy, so I can totally see him lashing out against an easy target who doesn’t deserve it—like Luce. But hey, that’s what a character growth arc is for!

The Faith is supposed to be based on Catholicism, so I figured they have an in-world equivalent of a baptism. The religious lore is different so instead of water, they use oils; we see Aegon being anointed by oils during his coronation in Episode 9. And seven is THE lucky number in the Faith/Westeros, so babies are usually anointed at seven weeks old.

Typical Viserys forgot that Jace might have some trauma related to the Grand Sept 🙃.

At this rate the Dragonpit is going to become a symbol of Jace and Aegon’s marriage. And it’s a nice blend of Targaryen power as well as a nod of respect to the Faith. Jace is very conscious of the importance of the Faith’s support and the need to assimilate into Westerosi culture while retaining icons of Targaryen superiority.

“You’re thinking like a statesman.” Jace is right though, Aegon could be good at it if he tried…

Cheeseball was born on the small side since he came early (and stress during pregnancy can lead to smaller babies too), but he is definitely a chonker now.

A commenter once suggested that Aegon might have a lactation kink and now I can’t get it out of my head

Deep down Jace knows that Baela had feelings for her, but Jace tries not to think about it/pretends she doesn’t know. Jace prefers her sisterly relationship with Baela, and acknowledging non-platonic feelings would affect that. Also, Baela has more or less moved on (most likely?), so Jace thinks there’s no point acknowledging it anyway.

Is Aegon being extra when he uses dracarys on a dirty diaper? Probably yeah, but what else is he going to do with it?

I like to think the Garden girls are part of the crowd waving gold flags when they fly back to KL.

Aegon says he hates playing politics, but he puts on a show without thinking about it. He even gives the crowd a Lion King moment when he holds up the baby.

Chapter 10 commentary here

[ygodmyy20]

Getting to Know You Meme

Tagged by @texasdreamer01 (thankies texas!)

01) Are you currently in a serious relationship? Yep, got married a month ago.

02) What was your dream growing up? Dream of what? My career? My life? My fantasy? I mean I wanted to be an elf in LoTR when I was like, 12. Does that count? hahah

03) What talent do you wish you had? Asking waiters to change my order if they got it wrong.

04) If someone bought you a drink what would it be? Beer (specifically a New England IPA)

05) Favorite vegetable? Hm. I really love good arugula.

06) What was the last book you read? None I just read fanfics haha

07) What zodiac sign are you? Leo

08) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Nope tho I wish to get a tattoo one day.

09) Worst Habit? Probably overthinking myself into a spiral.

10) What is your favorite sport? Dressage

11) Do you have a Pessimistic or Optimistic attitude? Optimistic because lifes too short and I just want to be happy.

12) Tell me one weird fact about you. Uhhhhh.....I am a twin? (always a easy one haha)

13) Do you have any pets? Sadly no BUT I may.....may be trying to. foster a kitty. Maybe. While my husband is out of town for a month-long gig.

14) Do you think clowns are cute or scary? Scary but also eh whatever.

15) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be? I can't answer this or else I'm gonna spiral.

16) What color eyes do you have? Blue

17) Ever been arrested? Nope

18) Bottle or can soda? Bottle

19) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it? Put it in my savings.

20) What's your favorite place to hang out at? Hm. Probably at home or in the woods.

21) Do you believe in ghosts? I dunno

22) Favorite thing to do in your spare time? Writing, drawing fanarts, horseback riding.

23) Do you swear a lot? Yeah

24) Biggest pet peeve? I dunno, I don’t know if I have one? Depends on the person or circumstance or situation:

25) In one word, how would you describe yourself? Hm. Emotional.

26) Do you believe/appreciate romance? I’m a hopeless romantic. And I got married and kinda like this guy a whole dang lot.

27) Favourite and least favourite food? Fav: sushi. Least fav: I’m honestly not a huge fan of potatos….

28) Do you believe in God? I believe in a universe. Wherever god is in it I got no clue.

29) What makes you happy: Sharing my art with friends, having movie nights with husband on Fridays.

30) Currently listening/the last thing you listened to: Ado

31) Favorite place to spend time: Probably at home, or out i the woods.

32) Favorite lyric: Goodbye by Bo Burnham

Am I going crazy? Would I even know? Am I right back where I staretd fourteen years ago?

33) Recommend a film: Akira

34) Recommend a book: haven't read enough

35) Recommend a band, a song, or album: Fire Hell and Holy Water by Gioli & Assia

36) Recommend a TV show: Mob Psycho 100

37) Where are you from, and do you still live there? Where have you lived? I am from the midwest and am still in the midwest

38) Do you have any pets or animals in your life? How did you find/get them? I had cats growing up and I would love to get one. I also ride horses.

39) What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? Uhhhh. Hm. I am not sure.

40) How did you 'find' fandom? I got into Yugioh! when I was 12 and started writing fanfics and them opps here i am.

41) Make a list of 5 things that you see without getting up. My Teru and Mob figures, my Mob cat, my cat lamp, my ipad, my water bottle. I am at my desk there is a lot here

42) How do you style your hair? Down or half ponytail or pony tail. I have long hair.

I got this ask before the other writer one so I know many asks have been going around today haha so VERY much no pressure tags: @russenoire @thousand-winters @toastytoaster22 @emeraldoodles or anyone else who wants to!

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Tuesday, May 7

Riley: “Well, hey! Willow – and Xander, right? Jeez, what are the chances, huh? Yeah, I was just passing by when I thought I heard people inside.” Willow: “Passing by in your GI Joe outfit?” Buffy: “No offence, but you do look wicked conspicuous.” Riley: “I do? But it’s... – Paintball! Yeah, I was playing paintball. And then the aftershocks...” Xander: “So you’re one of the commando guys, huh?” Riley: Oh, no, no, no, no. Commando? No, I mean... (Notices Spike) Don’t I know you?” Spike: “Me? (Affecting a bad Texan accent) No. No, sir. I’m just an old pal of Xander’s here.” Riley: “Oh. That’s nice.”

~~Buffy Episode #67: "Doomed"~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Bright New World (Connor, G) by CoffeeHunt

If Only (Buffy/Spike, T) by Gabby

In Harmony (Buffy/Spike, M) by Desicat

He Brought Flowers (Buffy/Spike, T) by Lilacsandorangeblossoms

[Chaptered Fiction]

In the Company of Witches and Slayers Ch. 26/100 (Willow/Tara, E) by VladimirHarkonnen (TheLightdancer)

From Dancing to Dating Ch. 3/4 (Jenny/Giles, T) by Bobbie23

A Long Time Coming Ch. 11 (Xander/Dawn, E) by wnelson001

I hate the way Ch. 6 (Buffy/Giles, E) by DancingAngel0013

hit rewind Ch. 53 (Buffy/Spike, E) by untiljanuary

Angel Doesn’t Know Ch. 5 (Buffy/Spike, E) by My_Barbaric_Yawp

Lightning in a Bottle, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, T) by violettathepiratequeen

Something Lingers, Chapter 9 (Buffy/Spike, E) by goodbyetoyou

Hand in Flightless Hand, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, E) by tragic

A Ripple In Time, Chapter 22 (Buffy/Spike, E) by CheekyKitten

Maclay Down, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Soulburnt

The Neighbor's Point of View, Chapter 102 (Buffy/Spike, G) by the_big_bad

Because the Night, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, E) by CheekyKitten

Rise of the Wolf Queen, Chapter 1-2 (Buffy/Spike, E) by DaniellaWidget

Bathroom Wall, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, E) by hulettwyo

The Kitten That Killed Slayers, Chapter 1-2 (Buffy/Spike, T) by Desicat

Early One Morning , Chapter 39 (Buffy/Spike, E) by all choseny

Coming Through, Chapter 62 (Buffy/Spike, E) by hulettwyo

Good Girl Gone Bad, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Maxine Eden

Dawn Rising Ch, 62 (Buffy, T, LotR xover) by Luna

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:Riley and Spike by MadeInGold

Artwork:Spike & Dusk by isevery0nehereverystoned

Artwork:Buffy & Spike by https://www.tumblr.com/elysianfieldsarchive/749843730148868096?source=share

Artwork:it’s slay or be slayed out here by goldfish-inhaler

Video: Buffy + Spike - I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Buffy + Spike - I Believe in a Thing Called Love

Video: Faith Lehane x Good Luck, Babe by lesbianboyfriend

[Reviews & Recaps]

I’m So Evil, And Skanky, And I Think I’m Kinda Gay (Bad Girls) by herinsectreflection

PODCAST: HELLMOUTH HOMOS: Goodbye Iowa by Fear Queers

[Fandom Discussions]

Giles asks Buffy if she’s spoken to Dawn about the incident on Halloween by nicnacsnonsense

I think Willow’s suggestion to use a spell to erase Buffy’s memories of Heaven would have actually been a good idea, if she had just first asked Buffy if she wanted that. by nicnacsnonsense

Honestly, I feel so bad for Dawnie. by nicnacsnonsense

What the heck was Giles thinking during the summer between s5 & s6? by nicnacsnonsense

Wait, no, let’s go back to Anya’s Spiderman suggestion, I think she’s onto something with that. by nicnacsnonsense

I ultimately find Ben a very uninteresting character by nicnacsnonsense

On episode 6x3 by nicnacsnonsense

Another thing about watching how good Dawn is with Buffy by nicnacsnonsense

I forgot that Buffy blows Giles off about going over the bills together by nicnacsnonsense

You know, thinking about it, it’s kind of weird that Willow and Tara were the ones to move in by nicnacsnonsense

So what I’ve heard about the Trio by nicnacsnonsense

Buffy is working in the magic shop by nicnacsnonsense

One problem that s6 has by nicnacsnonsense

It’s a good thing the Halloween episode had Buffy foisting the parenting of Dawn off on Giles because otherwise ... by nicnacsnonsense

Something about how right after Buffy was resurrected Dawn & Spike were the only ones who knew how to treat her gently by nicnacsnonsense

Sweet deciding to waive the Queen clause by nicnacsnonsense

I for sure remember being so excited the first time I watch Once More, With Feeling by nicnacsnonsense

The ritual stops when Dawn’s blood stops flowing, right? by nicnacsnonsense

by nicnacsnonsense

by nicnacsnonsense

it always gets me by moistvonlipwig

arent angel and spike btvs canonically like. an 18th century irishman and a 19th century briton. by tauremornalome

Maybe not the worst plot point on Buffy the Vampire Slayer but one that has stuck with me by quasi-normalcy

Made a list of some various ways in which Kendra could have continued to appear in the show after Faith. by coraniaid

just watched AtS 3x01, "Heartthrob" by misskittyspuffy

riley is legit like "buffy isnt giving me enough love and attention bc shes too busy with her sickly mother" by leechjam

spike literally foreshadowing his future relationship with buffy in s5e10 by leechjam

I like how Spike is a source of strange comfort by breezybeej

had the thought "if the slayer lineage started in africa, how did the watchers council in england come to be in charge of everything" by leechjam

Looking for a spuffy fic! by oohlordhealthisbike

why the fuck arent they using Fire magic in fights against Vampires. by abadbadbrujah

One of the things I love about Buffy the Vampire Slayer by isagrimorie

so there’s a scene in Something Blue by tana-draws

wesley and willow were truly wonderful executions of teacher's pets. by justafriendofxanders

Top 5 bangel moments that make you scream cry and throw up. by sulietsexual

I still don’t understand how resurrecting Buffy made her Thee Slayer by theredpharaoah

Buffy and Riley Imploding?? by sftwolfstar

I love that Spike just doesn’t seem to give a shit about sunlight. by breezybeej

I really want to note how much early S3 establishes the issues that are going to drive Buffy’s long breakdown in seasons 6 and 7. by inconsistentlywrittensoul

Drusilla and Oz by thedeathscar

drawing/explanation of buffy and/or dawn summers scars/design? by pzyii

Maybe today I am thinking about Giles by hal-1500

I can’t believe there are humans walking this earth that watch seven seasons of Buffy being crushed under the weight of the literal world by raisedbythetv89

a helpful reminder for any Tara Maclay meta or fanfic by lightdancer1

I will also note re: Tara and her darker side by lightdancer1

That also said: by lightdancer1

I think I would have enjoyed watching the s5 Fred plotline swap Wes and Gunn’s places. by justafriendofxanders

by

Question about vampires! by Moptop

how they dressed by silvermoon72

Wishlist: Pairings on BTVS/AtS We Needed More Of? by Multiple Authors

What If: Wesley arrived earlier? by xxstaindrosesxx

What If: Angelus had bitten Jenny? by xxstaindrosesxx

What are some times Angel was nice to or helped Lorne? by The Whirlwind

Aside from Buffy Giles Riley and Wood, who dusted their first vampire? by Hepcat10

Holtz death scene by Frosty-Inevitable657

Buffy: "I had you to bring me back" by Moonycoves

Which Buffyverse characters fit this? by Monkeys_Racehorse

Buffy connection by Flimsy_Reveal4399

This gets me every time. by ahawk90347

Not a fan of the Slayer origin story by brwitch

What is the best one liner from the show? Go... by Prestigious_Donut905

I just finished watching the show for the first time. I'm so depressed by Ordinary-Gal

Sunnydale residents not acknowledging the supernatural actually fits in the Buffyverse by ginime_

What's going through Spikes mind in this scene? by sushibananawater

Better physicist: Winifred Burkle or Sheldon Cooper? by TeddyKGB1

What if Adam succeeded in changing Riley? by albus_thunderdore

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[thewitchkingiscool-ace]

Hi Robin!! A few months ago you commented on a post of yours that I reblogged. It was a chart of LOTR/The Hobbit characters when playing Kahoot. I said in my tags I thought Bard would be in a different category and you commented explaining your placement of him (which I do agree with, cuz I think Bard can definitely have a silly side like you said).

I’m so sorry I haven’t replied to your comment until now! I started grad school the day before you commented on the post and my first semester was INSANE, so I haven’t been online much since then 😅 But anyways, I absolutely love LOTR and The Hobbit, I think your blog is cool, and I love the other alignment charts you made a few months back! Also, if you’d ever like to chat (or scream over the Internet) about LOTR, The Hobbit, or other fandom stuff then please send me a message! ☺️ I hope you have a great day/night and a happy New Year!

omg hi!! I’m so sorry i didn’t reply to this sooner, i kinda vanished for 4 months 😭😭 u seem really cool, thanks for getting in touch! Thank you for your compliments abt my blog :)

[justagalwhowrites]

What made you decide to write fanfiction or more specifically TLOU and The Mandalorian fanfiction? Have you written it in the past and this was just a new topic? Or were you just as obsessed with the shows and/or Pedro Pascal as the rest of us so you just had to write it? I'm curious.

Hi Bestie! Sorry, this will be long!!!

So I’ve always been a writer (I started writing my first novel at 11 - it was bad) but I never really got into fan fiction even with my obsessions with Star Wars and Harry Potter (fuck JKR) and LOTR from when I was about six. Don’t know why, read some of it and just couldn’t latch on and didn’t feel like I wanted to create any of my own so I just didn’t engage with the fandom in that way.

Then earlier this year I was scrolling TikTok and saw some people talking about different Mando fan fics so I was like “well what can it hurt?” I ended up getting VERY into Stitches (it’s incredible, cannot recommend it enough) and then was heartbroken when it wasn’t finished and hadn’t been updated in a bit. So I kinda started noodling on what I would write in the Mandoverse. Around this same time, I had a bit of a mental health crisis where my CPTSD just went off the rails (8 hours of therapy in a week, lemme tell ya) and I was kind of subconsciously searching for something to latch onto that was safe and that I was in control of. Ended up starting Beskar Doll and getting pretty obsessed!

I also got super into TLOU (I think it’s probably the best TV show I’ve ever seen) and once I had a story idea there, why not, I’ll write that too. And bam, more obsession lol

When it comes to the shows, I was pretty obsessed with both pre-fic writing and Pedro has been in my top 5 celeb crushes since GOT so it’s not all that surprising that when I eventually did write fan fic, it was about his characters. I know what I’m about lol

Anyway, TLDR: new to fan fic but not new to writing fiction, combo of reintroduction to fan fic and personal crisis got me started and Pedro and these shows are a happy place 😊

PS - I do write books and have one that I’m getting ready to query later this year and I have mentally cast either Pedro or Oscar Isaac as the male lead depending on the day lmfao

[arialerendeair]

Okay, was reading your new chapter (showstopping, epic, idk how you're pulling it off but you 1000000% are) and... okay your beginning note about the ROTK scene you were channeling with the calls had the effect of putting my brain in LOTR mode right before I started reading, right? And I've never thought about LOTR and sandman at the same time. So halfway through the chapter I stopped short to have the minor crisis of "Wait, if dream is canonically the master of the dreaming across all universes and worlds DOES THAT MEAN THAT HE IS CANONICALLY IRMO?" Had to fully reset my brain before continuing to read.

I laughed so hard through this comment Nonny, I love it.

First and foremost I’m so glad that you’re loving this fic!! I had so much fun writing it and seeing people love it just makes it all worth it.

SECONDLY - your reaction to ROTK and thinking about Dream’s place in that works - WELCOME TO HOW I ENDED UP WRITING A FIC WITH FIVE FANDOMS.

Canonically, Dream ties them all together. The Endless - such as they are, tie anything and everything together. There is no world in which you couldn’t, in some way, insert the Endless, and Dream.

WHICH, as you have just realized - makes for some BATSHIT pondering and thinking about those crossovers. Other crossovers I’ve considered and kinda poked at in the back of my mind that are just… fun and interesting?

Inception, Umbrella Academy, Marvel, Sherlock, Teen Wolf, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones… and that’s not even including all of the worlds created by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett - the possibilities are, quite literally, heh, Endless.

[sunshine304]

For the fandom asks, 3,4,19, or 20?

Oh I'll just answer all of them. XD

3. a character that fandom has helped you appreciate

Hm, I think Yu Ziyuan gained much more depth for me through reading meta about her/the family dynamics and genre conventions behind it. She’s a divisive character for sure, but I never saw her as extremely negative as some other fans seem to have. She always seemed like a commentary on the tiger mom stereotype to me, and I couldn’t help but also at times think she’s kinda justified in her bitchiness? Because Jiang Fengmian is like that… But yeah, her character definitely became more interesting and tragic to me through fandom.

None of the others needed any help, I think, I could appreciate all of them for what they brought to the story (I mean, except for Jin Guangshan, no-one appreciate shim and he can go die in a ditch).

4. say something nice about a ship you don't ship (it can be another ship in your fandom, a mutual's OTP, etc)

Sparrabeth. I very much refused to engage with this ship back in my PotC days because the shipping wars between Willabeth and Sparrabeth shippers became incredibly obnoxious after the second movie. As I really enjoyed Willabeth and was more of a Jack/Anamaria shipper (if we have to pair him with anyone… that was before I discovered slash XD), I did not like Sparrabeth at all.

I can see the appeal, though! Elizabeth became ever more of a pirate as the movies progressed, showing a side of herself that had mostly been suppressed in her previous sheltered, prim and proper life. She obviously had a taste for adventure and overall seemed actually more suited for and interested in this kind of life than Will, who gets rather reluctantly dragged into it all again and again. To have her as a counterpoint to Jack, as someone who can hold her own against his scheming and word games and teasing, can be intriguing. They’ll banter, he can teach her all kinds of stuff about life on the high seas, and they’ll definitely be a force to be reckoned with.

19. your current fandom(s)

Since 2020, it’s The Untamed/MDZS – still going strong, with no sign of slowing down. I tend to fixate on one main fandom for quite a while and it really takes a lot to make me switch to something else. And still, the old ones never really leave me – I recently reread some Teen Wolf fic, last year had a bit of a Sherlock revival with selected rereads. Now and then, I revisit some old PotC favs etc.

But yeah, now it’s CQL/MDZS with a side of some other cdramas/thai dramas like KinnPorsche or Word of Honor. It feels like the fandom is slowing down a bit as people move on to other dramas, but I’m still very much in love with it.

20. your very first fandom!

That depends a bit on how you’d define this. The first thing I was totally obsessed with was The Animals of Farthing Wood, a truly great animated tv series based on Colin Dann’s book(s). I drew so many fox pictures for that series, had a whole bunch of OC foxes and invented new stories with them (yes, only the foxes! XD). Of course, I was somewhere between 7 – 10 years old at the time and had no idea what “fandom” was!

I think I became aware of fandom as we know it when I looked for content for LotR online. I discovered message boards that were full of fans of the book and recently released movies.

The first fandom I was actually in, with the full awareness of it being a fandom, was Pirates of the Caribbean. That trilogy was incredibly important to me for many years and I’ve met a few friends through it that I’m still in contact with to this day. <3

I actually was asked this for a meme on Dreamwidth, so check out this post for a bit more on this topic.

Fandom question meme

[branwendaughterofllyr]

What's the deal with these BNFs like JoLa and such lmao? Sorry I wasn't chronically online during GOT so I had no idea this was a thing until recently LOL.

Oh man, nonny, you are really taking me back. BNFs or “Big Name Fans” are one of the worst aspects of ASOIAF/GOT fandom in my humble opinion. I think the fact that there has been such large gaps in between books, a lot of fans are really desperate for content and thus BNFs are created to fill that need for new ASOIAF content, their word only being surpassed by George. Most BNFs have one or two good takes/theories that got them big and then are uniformally idiots in everything else they say, but the fandom takes them as gospel because they’ve been around so long or were right about one really important thing. A lot of the biggest of the BNFs originated on the westeros.org forums and actually interacted occasionally with George back when he still did stuff like that, and now are considered authorities on the series. The most successful BNFs are probably Elio and Linda who now actually work with George and co-wrote AWOIAF with him (and they’ve had their own very stupid drama that I cannot be bothered to remember. @starkmaiden probably remembers it though. She’s my go to fandom drama lorist)

A lot of the worst but most widely accepted theories can be traced back to a BNF, and since the books have been so slow in coming, these theories ended up just becoming part of the fabric of the fandom. It also doesn’t help that most BNFs are absolute divas that hate it when they end up being wrong or having pushback. I remember rolling my eyes at BryndenBFish who had particularly influential (but often very dumb) theories who I believe left the fandom in a huff and deleted all his stuff. The worst BNF fans in my opinions are the ones who made super long videos or podcasts about the most inane details (I’m taking specifically about Lucifermeanslightbringer here since I ended up listing to like ten hours of the Bloodstone Compendium trying desperately to understand why he was so popular)

On tumblr during GoT, most of the BNFs here were part of the asoiafuniversity account, (including the lovely JoLa) which branded itself as neutral but was decidedly not lol, and had particular drama with people who asserted the Dark Dany theory, which ended up being true, lol. I think they even straight up banned contributions that supported “Mad Dany” at one point. Most BNFs tend to be pro-jonerys, pro-Tyrion, pro-Dany, intensely into Targaryen history (and weirdly a lot of them were really into Stannis before he bit it. The Stannis the Mannis faction was crazy but also kinda fun lol) I’ve always been pro-Bran, pro-Catelyn, and pro-Sansa, so I never really got too into the BNFs, but I did accept that Tyrion, Jon, and Dany were the three heads of the dragons before I read ADWD because everyone else seemed to think that was the case.

And that to me is the biggest problem with BNFs, that a lot of them still espose theories and takes that they came up with before AFFC/ADWD were published and they refuse to budge even though there’s clearly been a shift. (This was before the show ended, which changed a lot of the fandom landscape)

(I also think that a lot of them couldn’t analyze their way out of a paper bag, but that seems to just be me lol. The POV trap is very real for most of these people.)

I’ve also noticed that a lot of BNFs are also Wheel of Time fans, and sometimes use that series to theorize about the end of ASOIAF, which is uh, a strategy I guess. (I know George likes it and all but I think the series have very different vibes, and George has listed series he was drawing on and I don’t think WoT was on that list. Somebody somewhere compiled it, and I think LoTR and The Dragonbone Chair were on it.)

The greatest hits of the BNFs in my opinion are that Tyrion, Jon and Dany are the three heads of the dragon and are going to save the world, which was widely accepted as the ending to the series, by pretty much everyone who was anyone. Season 8 killed that stone dead though, big lol from me. Some people still believe it though for some reason. Some three heads of the dragon propenents also believed it in conjunction with the “Tyrion is secretly a Targaryen” theory which has like one piece of actual evidence, that Aerys had a thing for Joanna, and the weight of Tyrion is Tywin’s son thematic narrative against it.

My favorite offshoot of the three heads of the dragon theory is the curtain of light one, which is simply *chef’s kiss* Basically the curtain of light that Bran sees at the edge of the world is entirely literally and in no way a metaphor, and Bran will have nothing to do with it. Instead, Jon and Dany are going to fuck in the curtain of light to save the world while Tyrion awkwardly watches, and the baby they conceive will be the messiah. AMAZING stuff right there. And because this brilliant take was thought up by a BNF, it actually gained a fair amount of traction.

Other highlights include screeching about the “Main Five” in which they only grudgingly include Bran in order to exclude Sansa from having any relevance to the big endgame, that Catelyn is an absolute bitch responsible for all evils in the world, that Tywin is the biggest mastermind in Westeros, that f!Aegon is definitely fake with no room to debate, Val will be plot relevant to Jon somehow (as his future Queen for those who aren’t super into Jon and Dany endgame), Stannis will take WF, Jaime is going to be redeemed, and Azhor Ahai is some eleborate metaphor for the nature of the universe.

Say what you will, but BNFs really did fill some of the content void while we all wait for TWOW but a lot of them were absolutely batshit and their insane takes were taken extremely seriously by most of the fandom. Some of them even did rounds at conventions I believe. There are some BNFs still around and kicking but a lot of them left permanently after the show ended, which fair enough. The meltdowns during s8 were spectacular and many. Almost makes up for how shitty the show’s writing was lol.

My pet BNF was JoLa, and I even had some civil interactions with her about non Jonsa metas, related to her one good contribution to the fandom, the Dead Ladies Club. She had some of the wildest takes about Dany despite her constantly claiming she wasn’t that invested in non-Lannister theories and ships.

The BNFs were a fascinating phenomenon that you really had to experience in real time to get the full breadth of insanity. The most crazy takes being taken as basically canon really made me feel like I was losing it, or straight up reading different books.

[fatehbaz]

so today, friend asks me: “favorite non-John-Williams movie music???” and i’m like “well hmm, let’s make a list. obviously Howard Shore’s LotR is too good so it automatically gets mentioned. so my favorite is Bruno Coualis’s score from Coraline. was literally just listening to it today to get into autumnal mood. also really like what he did for wildlife documentaries like Microcosmos and Les Saisons. plenty of horror movie scores on my list, but Coraline is next-level, league of its own, subjectively, to me, of course.” and friend is like “yea?” and i’m like “yea, the movie itself is kinda a comfort movie for me, but the score is just important to me.”

and friend was like: “funny you should mention it. have you seen this news?”

and i know, i know: destroy all fandoms, embarrassing to consume any media, especially embarrassing to celebrate mass/popular media, etc etc etc.

but as Film Score Fanatic, my favorite non-J-Dubs and non-LotR score is the Coraline (2009) score by Bruno Coulais.

so i’m happy to see this news of Coulais returning for more dream-like stop-motion horror.

[stinastar]

MI6 Cafe Creators Tag Game

What work of yours challenged you when you were creating it? Well, I’m new to the fandom & only have one thing I’ve finished and posted in the fandom so far, lol. The first was pretty easy. So, I guess the 5+1 that I’m currently working on. The first four sections of the first draft came pretty easily, but I’ve been stumbling a bit on the fifth.

What is a fanwork you’ve seen which gave you a new headcanon about a character? Hmm... OH. I read a fic where Q loses a bet to Eve and has his nails painted gold, and was a bit obsessed with that visual. I don’t know if it’s exactly a hc, but I think he deserves gold painted fingernails and it would be utterly distracting and tantalizing. I encourage everyone to give him painted nails, as a treat :p

Is there a fanwork that you really want to make, but you haven’t started yet? So the 5+1 is something like 5 times Q unintentionally hurt James by reminding him of Vesper, and one time it was a comfort, but it ended up being from Q’s POV. So, because I’m a little angst gremlin, even though I haven’t finished writing it, I’m already thinking about writing a companion piece that’s from Bond’s POV for 300% more angst lol.

What fanwork of yours surprised you, and how? The first 4 parts of the 5+1 did in how easily they flowed onto the page, and I’m really happy with Q’s voice in it.

What themes/styles/subjects are common across many of your fanworks? Alternatively, what themes/styles/subjects are you most interested in creating? I think if you go all the way back through my fanworks the results are a bit skewed, because I did a lot of prompt writing. But I guess I tend to write pining, getting together, fluff, h/c & angst. I always have happy endings and I do not accept MCD lol. I throw MCD in the trashbin. The things that are born from my brain rather than prompts tend to always centre around angst / h/c. I am generally starving for angst, I really love a good angsty fic with a heap of comfort. I thought you were dying and confessed my love kinda flavour. I thought I lost you/almost lost you and will now never let you go 👌🏻👌🏻

What other fandoms do you create for, if any? I started in Good Omens and still write for it occasionally, I was most prolific in The Witcher and still have a ton of WIP for it that I may or may not ever finish, and I wrote one for Our Flag Means Death, which I have notes for a follow up for, again, if I ever actually write it... I have notes for a LOTR fic that will probably never see the light of day 😅 I also have some original projects, current WIP is MLM with a vampire. I also write poetry.

Is there an artist that you like to listen to while you create? Or one whose work always inspires you? No, I need music without lyrics when I write, or I get too distracted. ADHD, baby! I usually listen to lo-fi music while writing, occasionally something like “peaceful piano.”

Share a fanwork that you’ve found yourself thinking about weeks after reading/seeing it. Ok, again, I’m suuuuper new to the fandom. I read my first 00Q fic maybe a couple weeks ago. Mlle_Heloise’s general universe lives rent-free in my head. I adore their OC Stella. I read most of their fics in a bit of a fugue state, and literally read them back to back over the course of a couple days, so they’re a bit mushed together in my head. So I’ll just go ahead and say all of their works, lol. Then living on the faultline by @thestalwartheart was one of the tastiest angsty fics I’ve read in quite a while!

Finally, share where you post your works! I post all of my fics to both @stinawrites here and on AO3 under stinastar.

Tagging @aprettyspy @boffin1710 @slimysuckers I realize y’all might have done this ages back, but I’m new here, so... apologies, haha.

@spiritofcamelot @mi6-cafe

[itsclydebitches]

"I believe it was in a RWBY Rewind where they stated that silver eyes have those additional notches, a detail also seen in Maria’s flashback." - Ah, yes, another thing that’s important to the lore of RWBY that’s ISN’T EXPLAINED IN THE SHOW ITSELF. GOD DAMN IT! You know what? I’m glad. I’m glad they’re doing this, because I know to never fucking do this when I’m writing a story.

As is often the case, it's a potentially easy fix that would help other aspects of the story along the way. Namely, Ruby's lack of interest in her own super-powered ability. Give us just a single scene where she asks Ozpin about her eyes and, during that conversation, raises the concern that others like Mercury have this ability too. Cue a single line about how, no, they're gray eyes and here's the difference. The thing about writing smart, compelling characters is that they should usually be hitting on the same questions your audience is (minus what the audience knows through their omniscient perspective, or a bias/motivation that's influencing the character, etc. That's why so many fans jumped to, "Ruby never asked because she's traumatized and can't handle being different right now." The creation of these headcanons highlight how much the audience expects explanations to exist for these questionable decisions... but RT doesn't provide them). I don't blame RT for making the mistake in the first place. If I remember the RWBY Rewind correctly, they freely admitted that putting gray eyes in a silver eye story was kinda a bad call and from Volume 2 on (I believe) implemented a new design choice to help distinguish them. Those notches don't appear until later.

So it's an understandable mistake to make when writing as you go and RT definitely took one step to help smooth it over... they just left it purely as a meta explanation, not an in-universe one. Which, on its own is far from the end of the world, but decisions like this became exacerbated over the years, leading to moments like Ironwood's semblance being explained off-screen too (while getting an example of it wrong in the process...) So much of early RWBY is easy to shrug off because sure, they're figuring the show out, haven't thought out every detail yet, that's alright. But instead of working to integrate those ideas once they did know what's happening — have the group ask about silver eyes, about the gods, let Ironwood use his semblance on screen, etc. — RT went hard in the opposite direction of leaving even more outside of the narrative proper. Obviously I can't speak to their actual thought process here, but it feels like a case where they got the wrong message from that original benefit of the doubt. Rather than going "Okay, our fandom was forgiving in the early years, but now that we have a better handle on this tale we'll put in that work" they went, "Oh, everyone is okay with information not being in the main text? Cool. Stick it in a side novel, or a video game, or an interview. If someone really wants to be sure of something they can pay for a Cameo about it. That's all easier than finding ways to naturally integrate it into the main story."

Honestly, as someone getting more into Lord of the Rings atm, it's a fascinating look at the difference between a master craftsman wielding additional information and newer writers wielding it. Tolkien (generally speaking) allows his supplementary material to enrich an already solid world. I have questions while reading the Hobbit/LotR, but they're questions born of additional curiosity, not confusion. RT really struggles to determine what information would simple enrich a world and what's actually necessary for the viewer to follow along, or for the characters to not look like they're completely indifferent to what's going on around them.

[gallavichthings]

This week’s interviewee might be new to the fandom, but she’s not new to fanfiction! Also: have I just found our lucky charm? Hm...

Please send all the love to Heather aka @whaticameherefor​, author of  Hollywood, Lineup, and Dude, where’s my car?, among others. 

GT: What can you tell us about yourself?

H: Hmm, well. I'm a mom to two crazy babies, doing the stay at home thing. But I freelance as a marketing consultant since that was the field I worked in before I had kids. I've been in and out of various fandoms ever since I was a kid, all with different levels of interest, but Gallavich has been the deepest I've ever gotten and I have no regrets about that lol. I'm originally from NJ, but I've bounced up and down the east coast (with a brief stint in London a few times since that's where I met my husband) and I don't think we're quite settled for good just yet.

GT: Do you remember when you started reading fics?

H: It's been years! Back when the internet was new there were these things called zines. Basically like graphics and fics and stuff in a email newsletter. It was I guess what is called bandom now, for as certain boyband, but it was mostly reader insert/Mary Sue kinda stuff which I guess is something all 11 year olds love lol. I read a lot of fic and wrote a little too but that was in the long long ago lol. When I was older I read a lot of Mighty Ducks (the movies), Harry Potter, LoTR, took a break and then rediscovered fic with Bughead/Riverdale, which was the fandom I was in just before Gallavich. TLDR: it's been a while!

GT: I know someone is organizing a Gallavich zine, actually! [@odietamo-gallavichzine]

And is Gallavich the first fandom you write for? What made you decide to write for them?

H: I have seen it! I’m debating participating but I’m super busy and don’t want to overcommit myself. I’m definitely looking forward to it though!

They’re actually the second couple I’ve written for. Like I said, Bughead brought me back to fandom and after reading fic for a while, I wrote a whole bunch of one shots for them. As for Gallavich, I once again read fics solidly for a long time (and watched the show/their scenes a ridiculous amount of times) before I felt comfortable with writing them. They have such distinct voices and characterization and parts of their story are so sensitive and important to so many people, I always want to honor that in whatever I write — whether it’s a silly meet cute or a longer fic or whatever it is. And I decided to write for them because I was craving a different kind of s6/7 fix it/ divergent fic than I was finding. I’ve talked about it before but I just find a lot of them too biased and vengeful and that didn’t feel true to their relationship. It was the longest thing I ever wrote, to this day it still is lol, which I find funny because some people are out here writing chapters the length of fics I write lol. But I wanted to get Ian back to Mickey of his own accord and Mickey out of prison legally so he could be free and they could stand a chance at a life together. And now I can’t stop thinking of story ideas for them!

GT: What pov do you normally use?

H: I think I actually use both of them pretty evenly. For “longer” stuff I have this annoying need to be in both of their heads lol. I can’t not know what they’re thinking! Even in most of my one shots, I tend to go back and forth; only a few of them stick to a single POV, published or not. Boring answer probably lol.

GT: No, not at all, it's all interesting! Do you find one of them easier to write than the other?

H: I wouldn’t say he’s easier, but I think because Ian is a lot harder for people to understand and get right, I think I have something to offer when it comes to his POV that I enjoy writing. Mickey’s fun to write because he’s really external and a character but Ian’s really internal and I love introspection so it’s fun to explore his head lol

GT: What's the best part of writing them?

H: Superficially, I love writing their banter. But I also really love writing about their love. They have such a deep, rich history between them and I love exploring that.

GT: And what's the most difficult thing?

H: Finding the balance between wanting them to just fucking talk and also staying true to the fact that they historically suck at communicating lol

GT: Lol so true

Walk us through your writing process. What do you do when you decide to write something? Where do you get your ideas?

H: I’d say 95% of my ideas are from music lol. Sometimes it’s the story of the song itself or just a lyric or even the vibe of it, just a lot of inspiration from music. When I get an idea, I write everything down in a document — relevant lyrics, dialogue, plot points, etc just so everything is out of my head and on paper, so I don’t forget 😂 If I’m not actively working on something, I go back and add to it when I get ideas until I can focus on it. Bigger fics I outline and break down into chapters, smaller stuff I’ll just word vomit everything out lol. I need music when I write. If it’s inspired by a particular song, I start with that one, and kinda let Spotify do it’s thing. I write and edit sections until they’re where I want them to be before I can move on, I don’t really do a “first draft” at least of a whole chapter. I also don’t really write chronologically. I’ll have the end and sometimes the more exciting bits or the part that inspired the whole fic already done before anything that comes before it, then I add transitions so it makes sense, sometimes whole new scenes will pop up, and then if I must…smut. It’s always last 😂 After I reread/edit/ add on to a one shot or a chapter 50 times it’s off to my beta! Simple!

GT: Simple, she says, as if she's just described something simple lol

What kind of fics do you write most often?

H: I guess a mix. I have some AUs and a few canon compliant fill ins and then the one divergent fic published. I do have a lot more AU/divergent/adjacent ideas in my folder than compliant though so I guess I'd lean that way lol. I don't do anything to the extreme I guess in terms of angst or fluff or smut, although I suppose that's subjective. I'd say my sweet spot is flangst -- fluffy angst. I have some "heavier" stuff planned and I'm working on a WIP that's a bit smuttier than I'd normally do as a challenge to myself. Jack of all trades, master of none or just well-rounded? You decide! lol

GT: Flangst! lol

Tell me a bit about the fics you're working on right now.

H: I’ve got two active WIPs right now — a vampire AU and a Little Mermaid AU that’s sooo close to being done. Other than that, I’m mostly a one shot kinda girl so I have a bunch I’m committed to getting out there. I’m almost done with a bodyguard AU I started for a friend last November and halfway done with a soulmate AU. Other than that, so many one shots outlined and started: s1 missing scene, s3 divergent/amnesia AU, s4 missing scene, s7 divergent getting back together fic, s10 divergent engagement fic, an enemies to lovers F1 driver AU, and a meet in prison AU. I have exactly one multi chapter I have on deck and it’s an accidental roommate fic, but there’s some more to it, kinda fun with some ups and downs. It’ll be tropey, cuz I love those kinds of fics and I write what I want to see in the world 😂

GT: We love a tropey fic. Speaking of, what are your favorite tropes when reading?

H: I love (best) friends to lovers, roommates, supernatural/fantasy, royalty, fake dating, forbidden love, celebrities, mutual pining!!!, h/c, enemies to lovers… probably easier to list ones I don’t like 😂

GT: Alright, go ahead then. What don't you like?

H: Haha I walked right into that one, didn’t I? So, the only one I’m really not into is pregnancy (yes, including mpreg) just because I hated being pregnant, so that’s the last thing I want to read about lol. There are other ones I’m not a huge fan of but anything in the hands of the right author, I’d take a chance on.

(Also, so embarrassed I forgot two of my favorite tropes in my list above — soulmate and ABO! Shame on me 😔)

GT: Hahah, fair enough!

What are some of your favorite fics and writers?

H: Oh boy, this is such a tough question because I could just sit here all day and rec stuff and I do that all the time already lol My absolute favorite fic is The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Ian Gallagher. I can't tell you how many times I've read it because I've lost track and if I could it would be an embarrassing number of times lol. I'd definitely say @goodkwuestion is one of my favorite writers. Lost in Translation is a fluffy fave and I am loving ORFNSP right now too. Promised Land is one of my favorite fics despite it being a perpetual WIP (we do not say abandoned we do NOT) and anomalously another favorite writer. Ian Gallagher And All of His Mistakes is another favorite fic. Everybody Talks is the perfect best friends to lovers AU. Anything by @damnnmilkovich especially CCC and AWIWP. eighty-four by kissteethstainred, Twenty-One series by jaxington, Erasure by @grumblesandmumbles, Is There Somewhere by andchaos and pretty much anything by them too, Love is A Ballfield by and_i_take_it, literally anything and everything by @palepinkgoat​, Two of Your Earth Minutes and really everything by @the-rat-wins​, It's Not The Waking It's The Rising by dodgerbear... I need to stop at some point I think lol. But I've done some lists before with fave fics here: https://gallavichficfinds.tumblr.com/post/613538604425379840/can-you-recommend-fics-for-people-who-are-new-to and authors here: https://whaticameherefor.tumblr.com/post/653717980123922432/do-you-have-any-favorite-fic-authors-for. I feel really lucky that there were so many beautiful fics waiting for me when I got into Gallavich. I love all the fandom classics and the older authors, but it's so exciting we have amazingly talented authors still here or coming back or discovering them now and contributing. I just love reading fic!

GT: Some wonderful gems in there! Including two of my all time favorites, Lost in Translation and Is there somewhere. ❤️

What about your own fics, which one are you the proudest of?

H: Right? I reread LIT whenever I need a quick angst palette cleanser (along with the alien Ian verse.)

I think I’m going to go with Sideways. It was my first multi chapter attempt and my first Gallavich fic. I usually stick to one shots but I just had to fix canon and the story just kinda kept growing. It was everything I wanted to see in a post s6 divergent fic so I’m really happy it resonates with other people too.

GT: I know we all like getting comments, but what kind of comments get you the most excited?

H: The ones that can lead to a conversation. The comments section of fics is where I’ve met so many lovely people, so anything that starts a dialogue about the fic or the show is really great to get.

GT: Do you leave comments as well?

H: I do! Big proponent of commenting. As I said, many friendships started in the comments section and oftentimes it it’s me leaving essays on other people’s stuff that leads to them lol. I also really like to encourage new authors or if something doesn’t seem to be getting the kudos it deserves, I try to give extra love. I love WIPs too, so I try to keep up and comment so authors stay motivated.

GT: That's so important!

H: I agree, and I always like to engage on Tumblr too if they’re here. Whether that’s DMs or asks or whatever. If everyone tries to keep the community alive, the fandom will stay strong!

GT: How did you start watching Shameless?

H: So, I actually saw prison endgame gifs on tumblr from some of my Bughead mutuals around when it first happened. It’s really funny how many people ship both couples. But anyway, I remember seeing the gifs of 9x06 and there were a few that paralleled the 7x10 reunion too and I was just gone on them from that moment. The way they were looking at each other simply ruined my life. I watched all their scenes (a lot) and went down the fanvid rabbit hole before I started reading some fics that were recommended to me. So, I went in fully shipping them already by the time I started watching the actual show. It was on a hiatus mid season so I was all caught up and watched the back half live. I was totally fine with entering a dead fandom, cuz it kinda was at the time, but then Noel’s announcement happened and suddenly the fandom was alive again lol

GT: I wholeheartedly agree!! The fandom died out a lot after season 5 (I wonder why), and I myself stopped watching the show, but I never stopped reblogging people's works and hosting events because to me fandom is not about the show itself, but the friends you've made. I'm so very thankful for all the friends I've made in this and other fandoms and I wanted to continue helping out.

I first saw them on gifs here on Tumblr as well, but that was season 3 lol. Several years ago.

Wow, talk about timing! Maybe you were our lucky charm lol.

What was your first impression of the fandom, being so new to it?

H: I’ll take that title! 😂 I mean, it was definitely kinda dead lol. I tried to follow all the authors I’d been reading but there wasn’t a lot going on. I was okay with it, because I was in love and there was almost a decade worth of fic to read, which is really what it’s all about for me. But yeah, total turnaround after the social media hack — that was an awesome day btw — and it’s completely different nowadays.

I distinctly remember the very few fics that were being updated at the time and active authors and it’s wild thinking about how many WIPs and authors are writing now.

GT: I lived through that cycle several times lol. The fandom got a lot smaller after season 5, then there was a brief revival after Mickey appeared on season 7, again after episode 9x06, and then finally again after they both got back for season 10. I expect it to get smaller again eventually, of course, as all fandoms do, now that the show is over, but I know there will always be people who are just starting watching it. And there's so much fan content now that it's impossible to keep up, which is far from a bad thing, of course.

Do you have a favorite episode of Shameless?

H: If I have to pick a favorite it would be 7x10 Ride or Die because it was just a perfect little episode. Well, not perfect but as a stand-alone episode it perfectly used their history and chemistry and potential and really proved that they loved each other no matter what happened (and would happen.)

GT: Oh, that's a different one! I don't think I've seen anyone pick this one before. What about a favorite scene?

H: Really?! It feels like it’s a fan favorite, can’t believe no one’s said it before! Well, I’ll go for a scene in a different episode so I’ll say the original dugouts date. It’s just so obvious how head over heels they are for each other. Young love 💜

GT: Hm, not that I remember. I mean, the docks scene, definitely, but the whole episode I don't think so. Or maybe my memory is just failing me.

What's your favorite scene from this episode?

H: Bleachers reunion! Like I said, the way they looked at each other after not seeing each other for over a year… the chemistry is just off the charts! And then Mickey says my favorite line: “You’re under my skin.” Goosebumps, every damn time.

GT: That line was fire!!

If you could go back and change one thing in canon, what would it be?

H: I mean… 3x666 for sure. I don’t think I need to elaborate on that answer lol

GT: Well, that one is definitely a popular answer. It was so terrible.

Fun fact, it was the first episode that I got to watch right after airing. 

H: Omg how are you still here if that was the first impression you got!

GT: Lol right? I mean, I binged all the show up to that point in three days, finished on Sunday afternoon, then on Sunday night watched that one. It was a roller-coaster for sure.

What are you thoughts on the ending?

H: Honestly? I was just happy it was over lol I’m pretty vocal about my distaste for the writing the past few years, so I was ready for the end. I didn’t mind the open ending for Ian and Mickey because it was kinda the end of an era for them, living at the house. It was the start of a brand new chapter that was full of possibilities and they absolutely deserve a soft epilogue now. But for everyone else? Come on, give the characters some closure! Give them a direction! So many open ended storylines and aimless characters is not what you want after 11 seasons.

GT: I couldn't agree more.

How do you headcanon their future?

H: You know, I don’t really have anything solid or fancy I guess for them. I think they stay in their apartment for the rest of their lease, maybe another year cuz moving sucks. Then they find a little house closer to home. Maybe expand the business. Branch off with extra side hustles. In like, 5-10 years once they’re a little more settled and financially comfortable, they work on getting a kid, maybe a second one a few years later. A dog at some point too. But no matter what life throws at them, they stay best friends and lovers and soulmates and make everyone they meet jealous of their love 💜

GT: I love that

Alright, that was it from me. Is there anything you'd like to add?

H: I don’t think so… thanks! This was fun!

GT: Ok, so leave a message for your readers, please.

H: Thank you to everyone who’s ever read anything I’ve written. Thanks for commenting and sharing and putting a smile on my face with every single kudos. I hope you guys love what I’ve got coming up, I can’t wait to share them with you 💜

[ooowyn]

hey guys, long time no see! (again LMAO) i’ve kinda hopped fandoms but i’m always in love with hobbit/lotr :’) i was watching today with a friend and now i have a whole new set of friends to watch with!! I’ll be sharing some unfinished / never released art soon here! thank you guys for continuing to support my art!