#I'm having a study done to really get to at least 90% canon look

[dukeoftheblackstar]

Prime Series: Castis Vakarian

[ Art by Rouge ]

I'd insert something clever here, but I just needed an excuse to flaunt new art design and artist to feed my Castis x OC/Duchii delulu. And perhaps to inspire me to actually fkn write more of it.

Context:

As much as I love this old man, I'm very into his prime days at C-SEC or a little past his prime with just a few years under his belt before retirement. Yes, that grey area of deliciousness, thank you very much.

I'm equally aware that the armor doesn't seem very close to canon. We're doing our best. T__T.

[stobinesque]

also!! 18 and 26 for the ask game? 🫶

18: Do you enjoy research? Which fic of yours required the most research?

Broadly speaking, yes, but it really really depends on the subject matter and fic! I'm fairly unlikely to ever write an AU that takes an excessive amount of research beyond fact-checking, because the way I tend to approach writing + research means that I can't really start getting ideas down onto the page until the primary bulk of research is done. Most of the research I do for canon-era fics is basic fact/anachronism checking (not that the show itself doesn't have anachronisms, but if I include them I want it to be a choice). In particular I end up having to look up stuff about 80s music pretty frequently. Most of that stuff is surface level enough that I don't quite consider it "research"--it's stuff I can take a pause mid-drafting to look up, or throw a flag into my draft to return to later. I don't necessarily strive for complete 80s verisimilitude, but I also don't want to yank anyone out of the story! That being said, queer bar and cruising culture has been a special interest of mine for ages, so I am happy to go on deeper dives into those subjects. I like being able to situate the characters into a wider queer culture, because I think they all (especially Robin and Will) deserve to find that kind of acceptance even beyond their immediate peer group. I'm working on a whole post-canon/canon divergent series that I want to span through all of the 80s to the present following most of the cast, so I've done a lot of research for that (so far focusing mostly on the 80s/early 90s). phryctoria is the first fic in that series, so that is currently the fic I've done the most research for (I have a whole little research database). A lot of my research focus has been on the AIDS epidemic and Indianapolis' queer culture in the 80s in particular. It's been really interesting focusing on the queer history of a (non-Chicago) midwestern city! A good reminder that we exist everywhere and make spaces for ourselves everywhere. 🏳️‍🌈❤️

26: What’s your least favorite part of the writing process?

Planning, and drafting beginnings and transitions. (endings can also catch me up, but usually when I'm on a roll I just wind up landing on a natural ending point) Weirdly I've been finding it easier to plan than usual for a lot of my ST fics, but I think that's because a lot of my early fic ideas came with an inherent structure (I have a flagging 5 + 1 fic way down the pipeline, but it was one of the first ST fics I had an idea for, and then I built a whole series around it), or because they're rewrites/POV character studies of canon events. But, yeah, starting and a fic or a chapter is often a struggle point, as are writing into a transition of any kind. One of the things the WIP Weekends/Wednesdays (and the fucking stobin meme) have been good for is just pushing me to write something, which has saved me from getting stuck numerous times.

[theinfamousdoctorf]

how did you get here? - I was previously aware of the characters, but I read "Solar Lunacy" and "Twin Anamatronics With Too Much Time on Their Hands" and got excited about all the good fanfics on Ao3. why these characters in particular?

what was the hook for you? - Multiple things. My first year studying Wicca in the mid 90s I got obsessed with collecting pairs of things that were matching Sun and Moon designs. Started dragging out all my old stuff and falling in love with it all over again. I like equal opposite characters who still manage to care about one another. It also scratches the itch I have for werewolves and similar characters who are trying to make peace with an out of control part of themselves.

how long have you been here? - A few months, not too long. have you actually played fnaf sb? - Nope. But I've seen it played through on The Sun and Moon Show. [I love their Let's Plays, they're hilarious. Moon playing Job Simulator had me rolling.]

if you make content, what's your favorite piece you've contributed? - I'm working on a cosplay but it won't be done for a while so that doesn't count. I'm also picking at this bit of fic I wrote. - https://archiveofourown.org/works/48400969/chapters/122079487

what's your favorite sort of art or fic? what genre/flavor/style? - My favorite fics are the ones that take down Fazbear itself and free or at least fix the anamatronics. Stealing them is fun too. Looking at you "Ventura Highway".

what's your favorite au? - Haven't read enough of those to pick one. do you have any ocs, or have any ocs you're fond of? - I have a LOT Of OCs. But the most related one is a post fire DCA with amnesia. His name is Equinox and his current outfit is like a very dapper goth scarecrow with a more toned down Moon-face. https://theinfamousdoctorf.tumblr.com/post/698939844954603520/wip-complete I'm using him in a massive roleplay and he's got a lot of issues to work through. [Yes I made every part of that doll. It's all hand-sewn too.]

what do you think of the dca's canon appearance? Scary? Cute? Something else? - I think they're cute in a quirky way. I don't mind the 'biblical' version of the DCA. I'd be one of the dumb Y/Ns that's too busy staring at Moon because he's an amazing piece of tech to be seriously scared.

what keeps you in this fandom despite the very small amount of canon content the dca had? - Who cares about canon? Blorbo's aquired. If you need me I'll be in my corner reading fic and marvelling at fanart.

be honest: if you had to pick only one, sun or moon? - That is HARD. Because I vibe with them both on different levels. I'm a high energy crafter with tons of hobbies, but I'm also a night owl who likes to be generally sarcastic, creepy and scare people. If I have to pick... probably Sun just because he wouldn't bug me so much for my terrible sleep schedule.

thoughts on eclipse? - Canon Eclipse is a perfect angel. I want to take him home and fix him. He deserves so much better. Still fond of the four-armed fandom Eclipse that comes out when their Y/N is in mortal peril too though.

thoughts on pre-glitch sun? - Poor baby. He was doing his best.

thoughts on pre-glitch moon? - Tragic. I imagine he was always a bit of a gremlin. But the virus forcing him to be an accomplice to murdering the children he was supposed to protect is heartbreaking.

do you interpret sun and moon as two sides of the same person, or truly two separate beings in one body? does it matter? - Two different personalities. And yes, it matters. It's makes the "Dadcare Attendant" fics a little weird. [They're still really sweet though]

what's something in the fandom you'd like to see more of? - I prefer fics from the DCAs perspectives, and I don't mind if the Y/Ns are actual characters.

what's something in the fandom you'd like to see less of? - Meh. Not sure. I'm mostly avoiding the shipping fics though. Too each their own.

anything you're looking forward to? - Just updates from the fics I'm following.

do you think you'd actually get along with the dca if you met them irl? - [I'm assuming a one on one situation] Yes. I would happily do arts and crafts with Sun. I can be high energy if I'm in a really good mood. I like board and card games too and no one ever wants to play with me. And a de-virused Moon would be wonderful to chill out with. I have a terrible time getting to bed, falling asleep and usually have awful nightmares if I dream at all. I could use a sleep expert. Taken together - What I wouldn't give for a cheerful roommate who actually enjoys cleaning house.

free space! talk about whatevers on your mind! - I'm glad we have this little corner of the fandom to play in. I find the FNAF lore to be convoluted and depressing and Scott Cawthorne is a terrible person. I don't play many games and most of the time I'd rather watch someone else play. I'll take the DCA and maybe the puppet, they can have the rest of that mess.

alright dca fandom, here's some questions bc i'm curious. the funky jesters make our brains go brr, but why? treat it as an ask game or answer in the tags if you feel like it! :)

how did you get here?

why these characters in particular? what was the hook for you?

how long have you been here?

have you actually played fnaf sb?

if you make content, what's your favorite piece you've contributed?

what's your favorite sort of art or fic? what genre/flavor/style?

what's your favorite au?

do you have any ocs, or have any ocs you're fond of?

what do you think of the dca's canon appearance? Scary? Cute? Something else?

what keeps you in this fandom despite the very small amount of canon content the dca had?

be honest: if you had to pick only one, sun or moon?

thoughts on eclipse?

thoughts on pre-glitch sun?

thoughts on pre-glitch moon?

do you interpret sun and moon as two sides of the same person, or truly two separate beings in one body? does it matter?

what's something in the fandom you'd like to see more of?

what's something in the fandom you'd like to see less of?

anything you're looking forward to?

do you think you'd actually get along with the dca if you met them irl?

free space! talk about whatever's on your mind!

[newx-menfan]

I'm asking out of sincere curiosity not cause I'm anti-Emma but why do people love Emma Frost so much? I don't hate her I just think she gets away with things other characters can't (ie being rude, mean, catty, to people who didn't do anything to her or acting stuck up) People will call other characters bxtches for doing that but she's 'brave, bold, interesting, complex' for it & I know her backstory is sad but it's nowhere near sad enough to justify some of her actions as a villain

I love Emma for a lot of reasons.

Very rarely do we get morally complex female characters; there really ISN’T many female ‘Walter White’s’ or 'Don Drapper’s’ in fiction… Most female characters tend to fit in the 'Madonna’ or 'Whore’ mode, even in modern writing.

Emma IS a complex character, in the fact that she does moral and immoral things. She started OUT as a villain…but doesn’t have a lot of remorse for that part of her life. She regularly WAS an X-Men…but didn’t always support Xavier. Her relationship with Scott started out as an affair…but she also very much loves him. She deeply cares about her students…but also at times makes horrible decisions that lead to her students deaths/trauma…

Even her sexualizing doesn’t ALWAYS fit in the 'femme fatale’ role; in the fact that she remains sexualized even as a hero (where usually female’s comfort with their sexuality tends to be a marker of a female villain…) and while she HAS fully said she uses it as a weapon… It’s also the fact that Emma is just comfortable with her own sexuality. Emma likes dressing the way she dresses and just doesn’t really care what others think. The same with the BDSM elements of her character; again it tends to be stereotyped as a 'villain thing’ despite TONS of studies that show people who engage in safe, sane, and consensual BDSM are totally normal, healthy, and not any more likely to be violent than anyone else…(also several studies found people in the kink community tend to be less likely to engage in victim shaming behaviors…). Emma kind of breaks that mold a bit by continuing those elements even as a hero.

Let’s be honest-male characters can get away with snarkiness (see Tony Stark, for example). Much like morally dubious heroines, female characters that essentially do the same thing tend to get marked as 'bitchy’, 'rude’, 'vapid’, 'catty’, ect…

There’s a lot of interesting stories you can do with Emma, because she tends to be a more morally grey character.

What I also like about Emma is she tends to be one of the few X-Men to regularly care about the X-teens, and at the very least does TRY to do right by them. For all Emma’s flaws, she did really enjoy being a teacher and her one weakness always is her students (or…at least since they retconned her a bit in the 90’s…). Even in New Mutants, she often was the one to wake Magneto up to the fact that his students were CLEARLY depressed and not doing well (ALTHOUGH Erik WAS a pretty BOMB teacher himself compared to Xavier…).

I also enjoy Emma for regularly being one to call out the problems with Xavier’s philosophies, and honestly I think during extreme times, like IvX; Emma has been 100% right.

I like that Emma is regularly shown to be very intelligent and business savvy-she has essentially built up her own companies without her father OR Shaw’s help.

I actually really enjoy her character in Claremont’s work as well as a villain-just because she’s still a fun character even being evil…and I think her relationship with Shaw was really interesting (personally, I don’t like the retcon around Emma being coerced into the Hellfire Club, because I think it strips her of a lot of her autonomy). While Claremont DID play the sexualized villain angle straight with Emma, I do think even there she is a pretty interesting and multifaceted character…

Emma’s attitude is also really interesting in the fact that she just doesn’t CARE…or at least wants people to believe she doesn’t. Emma isn’t going to suck up to people or sugar coat things. She’s fine being cold and ruthless if it means getting things done, which is an attitude needed to balance out the more optimistic characters.

I also think it’s interesting how much Emma’s origin fluctuates…and frankly doesn’t really matter. It doesn’t really matter what is and isn’t the truth with Emma, because in my opinion; Emma will always manipulate the truth to her needs. Emma has essentially cultivated this image of herself that it doesn’t really matter what’s real because ultimately Emma really only shows people what she wants them to see. The truth is arbitrary because in many ways Emma created her identity.

I also think Scott Summers became a more interesting character because of his relationship with Emma. That’s not to say I disliked Jean and Scott; (the affair DID originally upset me when it happened and I still have warm feelings towards the Scott/Jean relationship) but I do think where Jean always encouraged Scott to come out of his shell; Emma accepted Scott for who he was. I also think where Scott and Jean tended to be 'high school sweethearts/fairytale romance’, Emma and Scotts relationship was a little more of a mature depiction; in the fact that it was a relationship with it’s flaws. While I initially disliked Morrison’s choice with the affair, I have actually grown to really appreciate that plot point because I think there is some truth to the fact that sometimes people just grow apart. Scott and Jean grew into different people than who they originally were in the beginning of their relationship, and that’s okay.Both Emma and Scott had to accept that their partners had other partners before them. Emma was pretty accepting in my opinion that Scott did at one time love Jean, still had positive feelings about that relationship, and still cared very much for Jean. Scott, in turn, was accepting of Emma being a sexual person and being comfortable with herself. Scott never shamed her for her lifestyle or the fact that she did have augmentation, for example. Both had to accept their relationship started with an affair and the hurt they caused other people. Both made sure to communicate and be more open with each other, despite that being difficult at times for both of them. Both tended to be more logical, at times ruthless, and emotional distant people; and could understand each other. I think the relationship brought out a different side of Scott, and I liked seeing his downtime with Emma being them making dry jokes, Scott painting her nails, or convincing her to celebrate her birthday in a way she was comfortable with, ect…* I personally like Scott being represented as a flawed person, instead of the perpetual boy-scout. I think Morrison’s story fits within the canon (just look at how his marriage to Madeline went) and the fact that Scott is an emotionally stunted individual from years of Xavier pushing him to be leader of the X-Men. Scott will always self sabotage his relationships, in my opinion, because he can’t let go of being an X-Men. Scott also repressing his wants and needs in his relationship with Jean also makes sense with Scott’s background and emotional issues, along with the fact that he often put Jean on a pedestal… It does in my opinion make sense that he would turn to Emma, a person who is completely comfortable with herself and who Scott can see more as an equal than someone to always strive for…I think Emma liked Scott because like Emma, Scott went through A rough childhood and has worked to come out stronger for it. Scott is an intelligent and tactful leader, but because he’s not as charismatic or really gets the social side of things…tends to get less noticed for his leadership. I think Emma really was the person to notice him and his strengths. Emma I think also saw Scott as someone who had been somewhat manipulated by Xavier and encouraged him to get past his dependence on Xavier for his identity. We really get to see Scott become his own person BECAUSE of his relationship with Emma. Scott also saw the positives in Emma, which I think Emma really needed. Despite what Emma says, I do think there is some insecurities around her thinking that maybe she is as cold and heartless as others say.

In short, I just think the relationship is really interesting and the motivations with each character well thought out.

Emma’s relationships with characters like Kitty, Jean, Banshee, Magneto, Monet, ect… All tend to be just really interesting and she is a great foil to all these characters because she brings out other sides of those characters…in turn, I think characters like Kitty, Banshee, Hellion, ect; also bring out the multifaceted sides of Emma and just help build onto her character…

And finally…the ButterRum jokes just NEVER GET OLD….

So yeah…here’s a few reasons why I just REALLY LOVE Emma!

[adhd-ahamilton]

C F I M S T Y :) (I'm sorry....) ❤️

Never apologise for responding to these memes :P And oh, one of them’s already done, so that’s ONE less... :P

C: What character do you identify with most?

Lmao that’s a really good question!! It’s funny... I think many of us went through a similar process here, of liking Hamilton and relating to him, but then also encountering Laurens and really relating to him? But I think that’s because Hamilton is a specific kind of person, that a lot of the time it’s less relating to him outright and more... looking to him as an example? Both good and bad. Being enthralled by him and wanting to learn from him and figure out how to take on those qualities of passion and ambition and hard work without also gaining the many negative qualities. And I think that’s part of what interested John about Alex as well - John had so much tendency to self-doubt, and of course there was the whole issue of what he would study and how his dad basically forced him into law, but then there’s Alex who is so sure of what he’s going to do and how he’s going to do it...

But ramble aside: I identify a lot with Laurens like emotionally? And tend to project my insecurities and worries onto him. And also since I am also a white person from a wealthy family I try to kinda... be aware of that through him, as a way to work through what it’s easy to forget in my position and how I need to do better. So I guess I relate to him morally, as well. But... I first did get into this fandom because I saw something in Hamilton that I almost never saw in any other characters. Like, I almost never really relate to characters? There isn’t any character at all I can point to and say ‘yep, they’re just like me’? And Hamilton spoke to me in a bunch of ways I didn’t think I’d ever find. But like I said, it’s also partially a lesson thing - he taught me that I could be the way I was and still work and achieve things and be useful and do good, but it was also kind of a ‘yeah you can do better in THESE ways though, wow’ kind of thing. So though I don’t write from his POV much for various reasons, I definitely relate to him in some really important ways as well.

And uh, beyond this fandom... I love Leslie Knope but I’m more like Ben Wyatt, and there’s a whole bunch of moe anime girls that I relate way too much to (like Suou from Flowers and Hanamaru from Love Live! and oh god, Tsukimi from Princess Jellyfish for sure...)

F: Care to share a favorite hurt/comfort fic?

Hmmmmm! :O There are a lot of good ones by Madtom and Publius in their whole verse! Also, going through my fic tag... wow this one by ciceroprofacto is SO GOOD (it’s not like overtly hurt/comfort but the overtone is definitely there in the end).

And beyond this fandom... I was into Supernatural right before this and lmao, canon-verse Dean/Castiel is like, inherently hurt/comfort :P And yet my favourite is probably this human AU one where Dean is a paraplegic and Cas is a guy who comes in to hang out and talk with people at the care facility and it’s written so so sensitively and avoids a lot of the gross ableist tropes that are so common in this type of fic because it’s written by someone who actually knows their stuff a lot and it’s REALLY GOOD and great!!

(Also just in general I tend to bookmark fic on AO3 when I like them, and I read for a pretty broad array of fandoms, so if you’re looking for recs you might find some you like there!)

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?

MAN like I really have a thing for like... stuff to do with intimacy? Specifically, kinda mismatched or forced intimacy or whatever. Like the classic ‘there’s only one bed’ thing, where two characters who are just friends (or, like ‘’just friends’’) suddenly have to share a bed together, or the even MORE classic pretend lovers thing, where two friends have to pretend to be a couple and it’s all awkward and uncomfortable and they start feeling it FOR REAL but then it’s like nooo they’re only pretending, we have to act like we’re so close but we’re not but I wish we were...! MAN it’s so great!! Like IDK there’s just something about characters ending up in this position and it’s awkward but they end up learning so much about each other and then falling for each other and that just makes it even worse... Love it :’)

Or like, I looove like sexual tension and friendships that tip just a bit over too much and that steady slow burn as they get closer and closer and they’re SO CLOSE to getting together but NOT QUITE and they’re so much PINING and TOUCHING and ahhhh!!!!

Also just, projecting as much of myself and various identities and stuff onto characters as possible :P

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you'd care to share?

S-so many... orz hmmMMM here’s a couple!

A modern day AU Hamburrger thing where they dated in college and now they’re both politicians and it comes out and Ham just kinda admits to it because what does he care and now Burr is just *screaming internally* at all times because he actually wanted to keep every tiny bit of his private life out of the public sphere, thanks?

Another Hamburrger thing where Ham is just trying to have a fun sexy time but Burr keeps unintentionally prodding at Ham’s really painful memories and stuff and it all just falls apart

One that I’ll almost certainly never write but: Lams AU assuming Ham dies in 1804 (which I don’t think he would but whatever) and Alex Jr is mourning but it’s difficult at home because he and Eliza never got along that well so he ends up staying over with Laurens instead and somehow they get to talking and finding ways to mourn together and Eliza as well and it’s all awkward and sad but they’re figuring it out eventually somehow

Various other Lams AU things, including: a kind of day in the life thing featuring domesticity and more Ham and Frances interaction, Laurens first moving into the city next to Ham and a LOT of domesticity and also porn?, Ned Stephens showing up and effectively doing the ‘if you hurt him I’ll kill you’ to Laurens, Alex and Eliza talking about the whole ‘Im cheating on you with a man’ thing where they are both irrevocably on different pages and will never agree but at least start to understand each other a little better

John and Francis meeting up during the war. Which sounds like a perfectly simple premise which I totally don’t need to research at all before I start writing it in my head!!!

Also I couldn’t write it myself because I don’t know nearly enough but I’d be really curious to see a Lams fic set in modern times, but like, where they’re both still in the military? Obviously such a fic would have to engage with the whole issue of the American military and all but like, we already have to engage with slavery as a thing, soooo it’s hardly foreign territory (no pun intended).

S: Any fandom tropes you can't resist?

Already covered part of that :P I love those dumb plots that basically revolve around ‘two characters are stuck together! How do they react?’ because there are just so many ways they can go depending on the characters and that’s really interesting!!

I also really love domestic fic including kid fic, historical AUs, interesting formats (like epistolary etc.), Outsider POV, and of course slow burn!

I quite like fandom tropes in general, to the extent that people really do, like... cross-reference the pairing and characters to the trope and write it specifically for them, and not just some Generic Pretend Couple Fic and change the names? I just really like seeing all the subtle differences between different interpretations of the same characters, when it’s done well!

T: Any fandom tropes you can't stand?

Hoo boy :) Well first up, I’m not into D/s, so any kind of A/b/o and slavefic and stuff I just walk right past. And as I implied above, when I get into a pairing, I really like to get into like... what makes that pairing special and unique and different? So I really dislike any stuff which cleaves towards making them more generic, like ‘jock!{character}/nerd!{character}’ type fic, which usually just ends up exactly the same as any other jock/nerd fic. (Also maybe it’s just cause I’m Aussie but we...didn’t ever actually have strict groupings like that in high school? So those fic in particular are just. Bizarre to me.)

Related, I tend not to like high school/college/coffee shop AUs because they’re usually like really overtly ‘hey this is what it is like for people here!! haha doesn’t it reflect your time in college really well? this is just what things are like for me!!’ and they are...usually not relatable to me. At all. Because my experiences are quite weird;;; So I just. don’t enjoy reading them because it makes me feel bad lol.

And uhhhh I really dislike fic where people go hard on the sarcasm and stuff? Like it mostly just ends up making them sound like assholes. I admit I’m particularly sensitive to this but I really, really hate people who mock and insult other people for just being themselves and doing what they want and 90% of snarky seems to be about that, especially when done by inexperienced writers. But even experienced writers do this sometimes when they get this idea that banter is good writing 100% of the time or that it’s too ‘’’simple’’’ just to write a character being like... nice? Or genuine? (Like holy shit I got soooo damn sick of snarky!Castiel like yeah great he is sarcastic OCCASIONALLY in canon, he’s not a grumpy asshole 24/7, where do people get this??? But it’s also something that comes up a lot in Hamilton musical fic and. yeah.)

Aaaand that’s probably enough lmao thanks for asking again!!! :D