#I'm not going to tag it with the pairing I don't ship because that's rude

[cheesybadgers]

I was only going to ramble about this in the tags of another post, but I think it's indicative of a wider issue in being a fic writer these days, so I needed to vent.

Something I've noticed across multiple fandoms/ships on AO3 and Tumblr is people leaving comments that in the process of complimenting the author of the fic in question, they also manage to backhandedly insult every other writer for that particular pairing/character.

These comments are usually along the lines of "No one else but you captures their dynamic properly", or "This is the only fic in the fandom that portrays them accurately like they are in canon", or "I've tried reading other fics for this pairing but they all felt off/wrong, unlike this one which is perfect/correct".

I don't think malice is intended to all other fic writers in the fandom when people say things like this and I assume it's more thoughtlessness and getting carried away in the moment, but personally, when I see these comments in relation to characters/ships I've previously written, my heart sinks and I doubt I'm the only writer to feel this way.

To put it into a slightly different context, if you walked into a room full of people and went up to someone to compliment their outfit, would you really express this, in full earshot of everyone, by saying "You're the only person in this room who knows how to dress properly", or "No one else here has any fashion sense apart from you"? I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest no, because it would be considered rude and bad social etiquette.

It's entirely possible to show your appreciation for someone, to compliment them, to support them, without passing judgement on anyone else at the same time. It doesn't need to be some sort of trade-off. In other words, it's obviously fine to have personal preferences and favourites, but you don't need to be critiquing other writers when commenting on a fic, or pitting writers against each other, in order to big up a writer you admire.

If I'm leaving a comment on someone's fic, it's because I want to engage with the author about that particular story they have chosen to tell. What everyone else may or may not be doing in the fandom doesn't really have any relevance, and I wouldn't feel comfortable if my readers started tearing down other writers in the comments section in order to praise my writing.

Writers' (very valid, it would appear) self doubts, fears and anxieties are allayed with the 'two cakes' principle, that none of it is a competition, that there's room for everyone, that readers will happily lap up multiple versions of the same ideas/tropes etc. But I'm not entirely convinced fandom is having an honest conversation with itself on these issues at this point because words and actions are often not matching up.

[elevatourism]

God okay I don't normally complain about petty fandom problems or whatever but I just got a poll from a tag on my dash on if two characters are dating that literally one of them canonically HATES and is outright extremely rude to the other who did nothing and it overwhelmingly voted they were. This is not a cutesy baby and a tsundere one of them is just fucking awful to them for no reason YOU GUYS HAVE TO STOP CARING ABOUT CHARACTERS JUST BECAUSE YOU DECIDED THEY SHOULD BE SHIPPED TOGETHER

CARE ABOUT CHARACTERS OUTSIDE OF BEING A SHIP THEY ALREADY HAVE THEIR OWN STORY AND EVERYTHING STOP CONTRIBUTING TO THE EXTREMELY REDUCTIVE PRACTICE OF TAKING AWAY ALL CHARACTER DEPTH AND STORY BECAUSE TWO CHARACTERS STAND NEXT TO EACH OTHER

[dcxdpdabbles]

Do you have any rules for requests?

Thank you for asking and respecting my boundaries!

I do have some that I've started over the course of running this and other writing blogs:

1. I will not write overly Gore, Yandere, or Rape. I might have implied it or have it offscreen in a quick one sentence passage, but these themes make me uncomfortable, so I don't make them main topics. If you send in a request, I'll likely post it with a rejection notice so that others who see it might be willing to pick it up. The only time I won't is if the ask is rude/too detailed.

2. As a personal choice, I don't really enjoy writing multiple crossovers. This means I like to stick to the DC or DP universe's for this blog. Occasionally, I might use elements of a third option, but it's really hard for me to make it work since I'm not putting in an honest effort.

3. My blog has blanket permission on all prompts/chats/requests as long as I'm credited for the original. If you want to reblog and add more, you can. If you want to write an extended fic on another website, you can. If you want to draw based on something I wrote, you can. If you want to post it on tick tok with a voice reader, you can. If you would link me so I can geek out about it, please do so.

4. I don't do tag lists because they are too much of a hassel to keep an eye on. I also don't like seeing such a big wall of usernames. I try to keep my master post organized with the latest updated date on there if you would like to follow the Aus and find all the parts. The index will show you where each Au is organized.

5. I'm twenty-seven years old (I have no money, no prospects, I'm a burn to my parents, and im frighten). This means that while I don't mind getting NSFW asks or implied NSFW jokes/writes, I ask that if your underage DO NOT send them in. It's for both your safety and mine that you don't interact with that material until you're older. (I think I'll post the NSFW stuff on Ao3 as suggested)

6. I'm a multi-shipper. Since none of these charaters are real, I am known for moving them around and changing their circumstances to make pairs. My favorite genres in writing is fantasy and romance, so if you don't like a ship, please understand that it won't stop me from writing it. Unless requested for a gen fic in the ask, I will change almost all prompts into romance because I like reading/writing that kind of stuff.

That's all I can think of on the top of my head. If you sent in an ask and haven't seen it yet, it's because I haven't gotten the time to answer it.

Currently, I am behind by a lot in my inbox but that's mostly due to my final for my 16 week course, my work's audit and end of the fiscal year budget, I have five close family graduations, two weddings and one baby shower all crammed into the same month of May.

I'm also suffering from a bit of writer's blog on some aus.

But I swear I will get to your asks as soon as I can. I'll jump around to try to get past the writer's blog, but once things calm down, I'll go back to the order in which I received the asks.

[thisapplepielife]

Written for @corrodedcoffinfest.

Eddeth

Day #30 - Fame & Fortune | Word Count: 1000 | Rating: T | CW: Language | POV: Eddie | Pairing: Fake!Eddeth, Steddie | Tags: Modern AU, Stop Trying to Make Eddeth Happen, It's Not Gonna Happen, Eddie & Gareth Are Best Friends, They Are Also: Idiot², Paparazzi, Social Media, Luddite Eddie, Steve Harrington Has To Clean Up All Their Messes, But What Else Is New?

"Did you know they're shipping us?" 

"Shipping us where? I hope they poke holes first," Eddie says, looking over at Gareth as he's scrolling on his phone. Gareth isn't listening to him, doesn't even laugh, which Eddie thinks is rude. That was a great dad joke.

He's picked up dad jokes from Steve, because Steve's corny as fuck. 

"Not like that," Gareth says, "like, shipping us together. We have a name and everything."

"Speak English," Eddie demands.

"You know, like Bennifer? But we're Eddeth," Gareth says.

"Who's Bennifer?"

"Which version?" Gareth asks, "Nevermind. You don't care. It's the ship name for Ben and Jennifer together. Do you never read the tabloids?"

"No. And I don't like that," Eddie says.

"Well, I knew you wouldn't. But now they're thinking about us. Together. Romantically. Enough that we have a mash-up of our names together."

Eddie barks out a laugh, "Well, alright. Whatever floats their boat."

Gareth sits there quietly for a bit, then says, "Maybe we can use this. Drum up some attention for the band. Get our name out there. Be a trending hashtag."

"I don't know what that means," Eddie says. 

"I know you don't. But we could, like, get in the zeitgeist."

"I hate everything you're choosing to be right now," Eddie says.

"Eddie. This could blow us up."

"Well, sure, in that case I'll tell Steve to just step aside."

"Not for real, dummy. Just for the paparazzi. Get our names talked about more. If they see more of the band, they may like the band more."

Eddie says he'll think about it, but he has no intention of doing any of that. They are exactly the right amount of famous. He can walk down the street without being harassed, but they live comfortably. He isn't about to upset that apple cart.

But it persists. There's buzz, apparently. At least according to Gareth, anyway.

So, at the next show, Eddie hops up on the drum riser and covers Bang Dem Sticks, while flirting with Gareth. It is possible to flirt platonically, and he does it very well. 

The next day, Gareth shows him all the chatter. The tiktoks. The commentary. And, well, maybe they could use this to their advantage. Just for a minute.

So, they walk down a dozen different sidewalks, and no paparazzi cameras pop out to snap pictures. Which is normal. He isn't sure why Gareth suddenly thought they'd make TMZ. 

But Gareth persists, and they even go to the Ivy, and still nothing. 

Even LAX is a fucking bust. 

That night, Eddie crawls into bed next to Steve, and sighs.

"What's the matter with you?" Steve asks, tipping down his iPad to look at Eddie.

"Nobody will take my picture with Gareth."

Steve laughs, "What the hell are you talking about?"

So, Eddie tells him their grand plan, and Steve is laughing his fucking ass off before Eddie can even finish. 

"Eddie. You have to call the paps if you want to do a pap walk. They aren't mind-readers. They don't just show up. Do you think all those pictures of celebs you see are actually candid? They definitely aren't."

Well, Eddie never looks at pap pictures. He has no fucking clue. He likes to fly under the radar.

"Really?" Eddie eventually asks. 

"Really. Do you want me to organize a pap walk for you?" Steve asks, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Well. Kinda," he says, "we're Eddeth."

"I know, honey. I've seen all the videos of you flirting with him on stage."

Eddie laughs, "You know that's not real, right?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm not new here," Steve says, "I'll call it in tomorrow. You can be photographed to your heart's content."

And they are. As if it were magic, a handful of photogs are suddenly very aware of where they'll be on various outings. Eddie holds the door for Gareth. Hugs him on the street corner. They get an inordinate amount of coffees that Eddie doesn't even like.

The pictures run, and not a lot of people care, but they are being discussed in some circles. 

So, they keep doing it. Dinners and movies and trips through the airport where they're not really going anywhere. Only going through security, as if they were.

That's a brand new kind of torture. Who goes through TSA when they don't actually have to? 

More coffee. Coffee, coffee, coffee. Eddie's never bought this many drinks in his life. 

And then the bottom falls out. 

Someone makes a video that goes extremely viral, explaining everyone in their Corroded Coffin circle. 

Including Steve. 

In fact, it's almost mourning the breakup of them. Steddie. They're Steddie, apparently, and now the fans, the real fans, those that actually have followed them, are upset. Pointing fingers, assigning blame. Some to Eddie, some to Gareth.

Fuck.

"Uh, we've got a problem," Eddie tells Steve, and Steve just shakes his head, already aware of the situation.

"Do we have to do a pap walk now?" Eddie asks, worrying his hands together. 

He never did anything romantic with Gareth. It can all be explained away, swept under the rug. 

He thinks.

He hopes.

"I really don't want to," Steve says, and that's that. They won't.

Now, Eddie's either a cheater in the eyes of their actual fans, or they think Steve's gone. 

Instead, Gareth does a couple pap walks with his girlfriend, and she's branded a beard, immediately. They really fucked this up, big time. 

"We'll go to dinner. The four of us," Steve says, "I'll call it in."

And Eddie kisses his cheek, over and over.

Just to be safe, Steve has their publicist send TMZ a copy of their marriage certificate, and some boilerplate that Eddie and Gareth are just best friends, and always have been.

As they settle into the booth at the restaurant, pictures still being taken, Steve asks, "Are we done trying to be tabloid fodder? Have we learned our lesson?"

"Yes, Steve," Eddie and Gareth both say in unison.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @corrodedcoffinfest and follow along with the fun! 🦇

[lemotmo]

I choked on my water 😂😂😂

Q. Sarcasm goes both ways, dumbass. So that line can be read as sarcastic either way. It can be read as sarcastic towards the people who ship them or it can be read as sarcastic towards the people who don't. It depends on your opinion of the topic. So we don't know the author's sarcastic intentions because we don't know what their opinion on Buddie is. Hope that helps. I know intelligence is hard.

A. Why do you all act like you've never human'd before? Sarcasm does go both ways but not in the same line, dumbass. The wording of the line would be different depending on which viewpoint the writer wanted the reader to take as truth. So for instance the line we are talking about was saying, very clearly, that believing their just bestie bros at this point is kind of ridiculous. Now if the writer was making a statement about how ridiculous the idea of anything romantic between them is, they would have written something entirely different. Something more like:

"News of Eddie's potential move came as a surprise to his bestie Buck, weird for a supposed pair of soulmates who can read each other's every thought".

See the difference? That line is clearly mocking the idea of them as romantic partners. You can't read every piece of sarcasm as sarcastic towards both ideas. That's not a thing. Just like believing every scene we see on television is open to the viewer's interpretation to determine what it actually means is not a thing. Intention exists. And it exists obviously within the text of most things. Some things are open to the readers, or the viewers, interpretation, but not most things. Most things have an intended purpose and a particular conclusion the audience is supposed to come to. Hope that helps, jackass. I know intelligence is hard. Seriously there is no way you all are actually this stupid. And if you have to pretend to be this stupid in order for your character/ship to still sound possible then that should tell you something. Nevermind, convincing yourselves that none of this is weird or crazy behavior already tells me everything I need to know about your intelligence.

Thank you Nonny. 🤗

What is it with the rudeness of these people? There is a better, more polite way to ask someone a question or to make a point if you don't agree with someone else's take.

Anyway, Ali already said all that needed to be said in her answer.

It's like these people are willfully ignoring every single thing that is buddie-positive because they are convinced that we are all having some sort of mass-delusion that Buddie is going canon in 8b. At the same time they are convinced that BT are soulmates, which... no. 🤷‍♀️

I'm so tired of dealing with these people. I hope they all just go away during 8b as soon as they see that Buddie is really happening. 🤞🤞🤞

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[vodika-vibes]

I had a thought! You'd said you liked to write for Bacara but he was sorta niche... what if reader needed to learn Bacara - as *he* wants to be known. Let's say that Reader catches his attention (do we want to do medic!Reader?) and whether it's Bacara coming in with a brother or himself as the patient, he develops Feelings for Reader. He wants Reader to know what makes him unique from his brothers, his best qualities... allllllll that stuff, but I'm also trying to utilize this as an intro to Bacara because I don't know a thing about him! *the truth comes out* So like Bacara's Best Sides, According To Him or something? If this isn't hitting, feel free to ignore! Thank you 🌑

Best Of Me

Summary: You're a Doctor attached to the Nova Corps, and Commander Bacara is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Luckily, he wants to be more open with you.

Pairing: Commander Bacara x F!Reader

Word Count: 1821

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni

A/N: I couldn't quite make your request work as written based on Bacara's personality, but I hope that this is okay too!

“How are you holding up?” You look up from where you’re checking your kit, and it takes you a moment to recognize Commander Bacara under all of the muck covering his armor.

“Oh, Commander,” You straighten, “I’m okay. This isn’t really what I was expecting when I was sent to the Nova Corps, though.”

You watch as he removes his helmet and sets it on a chair, and you frown when you see a bruise over his eye, not to mention the dark circles under his eyes. 

You fight the urge to force him to sit down to give him a full exam. Commander Bacara only allows his brothers to give him medical attention. You know this.

“You’re not doing terribly,” Bacara says, high praise coming from him honestly, “I half expected you to complain about being forced to leave the ship.”

You frown at him, slightly hurt, “I wasn’t aware that you had such a low opinion of me, Commander.”

He blinks at you, seemingly surprised by your words, “I…no. That’s not what I meant.”

You squint at him. Commander Bacara is a loner, the other men in the Nova Corps were all very careful about making sure that you knew that. They warned you that he, likely, wasn’t going to talk to you much, and when he did, he was going to insult you.

And, in the year that you’ve been assigned to this battalion, you’ve come to recognize that he is something of a loner. And a perfectionist. But never rude, and in fact, this is the closest he’s ever come to insulting you at all.

“Are you alright, Commander?” You ask, “Did you take a hit to the head?”

He frowns at you, “I don’t have a concussion.”

“I think you should let me be the judge of that, don’t you?” You ask gently, though you don’t move closer to him. If he doesn’t want you to treat him, then you won’t. But if he leaves, then you will shoot a message to Syringe, the CMO of the Nova Corps.

Bacara doesn’t say anything for a moment, and then he sighs, “Fine, but make it quick. I need to get back to General Mundi.”

You smile at him warmly, “Of course, Commander.”

He sinks into one of the chairs, and you walk over to give him a quick exam. You keep your touch gentle, not wanting to give him any reason to now want to come back to you for medical attention, “This is really unnecessary,” he grumbles.

“Better safe than sorry, right Commander?” You ask with a bright smile as you tilt his head back slightly, “Any nausea?”

“None.”

“Headache? Dizziness?”

“No, and no.”

You move your fingers to his jaw to tilt his head a little bit, but his hands come up and wrap around your wrists. Firmly, but not roughly, “I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Worrying is what I do, Commander. It’s part of my job. But you seem fine, so I’ll let you get back to work.”

“I appreciate it.” He releases your wrists and gets to his feet.

Bacara towers over you, but you’ve never been intimidated by him. Instead you smile at him, warm and soft, and then you step away to go back to your project.

Bacara grabs his helmet and he hesitates for a moment, “Hey, Doc-?”

“Hm? Is something wrong, Commander?”

He absently passes his helmet from one hand to the other, “No. Not wrong.” Bacara finally says, before he flashes the smallest smile in your direction, “I’d like to get to know you better, when we have the time.” He admits, “I know what my brothers told you about me…and I’d like you to meet the real me.”

You blink at him, and then you flash a bright smile, “I look forward to it, Commander.”

His small smile widens a little bit, and then he pulls his helmet on and he’s gone. Back to the fighting. Back to the war.

You turn back to your work, a small grin on your lips. 

You’re not unused to the men in the Nova Corps flirting with you. For some of them it comes as easily as breathing. But Bacara has always been a little different.

Honestly, you’re not even sure if he was flirting with you. But hey, a girl can dream, right?

Bacara sighs as he walks through the darkened halls of the ship. It’s late enough that he should be in bed, just like the majority of his brothers, but he can’t seem to settle his mind enough to actually get some rest.

The Nova Corps has been fighting on this planet for four months now, and he’s long since moved past tired and onto full on exhausted.

But, since he can’t sleep, he might as well get some work done…or maybe just work out some of the energy on the training mats.

He pauses as he passes the medbay. The light is still on, which is strange, since he knows that there’s no patients at the moment. Lightly he raps on the door, and then slides the door open.

And the moment he sees her, his breath catches.

To be completely frank, his crush on the pretty doctor is humiliating. Especially since he knows he’s one of over a dozen men who are crushing on her. One of over a dozen identical men, many of whom are more approachable than he is.

She lifts her gaze from her datapad, and her pretty eyes zero in on him, before a brilliant smile crosses her lips.

Bacara feels his heart skip a beat, she really is unfairly pretty. And that smile of hers should be classified as a weapon with how much it affects him. 

“Commander!” Even her voice is unfairly pretty.

He’s so kriffed.

“You’re up late,” Bacara notes as he glances around the room, and sees that all of the beds are empty, “Shouldn’t you be taking a break?”

She laughs, “I laid down and ended up just tossing and turning, so I thought I’d just bore myself to sleep.”

He pauses, “Want some company?”

“I would love some company.” 

He steps into the room and allows the door to slide shut behind him as he crosses the room and sinks into the chair across from her with a sigh. 

She’s still smiling at him, all warm and pretty, “So, why are you awake?”

“Couldn’t sleep.” Bacara admits as he tilts his head back, “I’m so kriffing tired, but I can’t sleep.”

Her smile is sympathetic, “I have something I can give you to help you sleep, if you like.”

“That’s nice of you, but no thanks.” He glances at you, “So, what are you working on?”

“Just making my notes in the files of the men who saw me today,” She rests her chin on the palm of her hand, her gaze locked on his face, “It’s a shame that we’re always jumping from one battle to another. I have some ideas that I wanted to try to work on-” 

“Yeah?”

She shrugs, “I’m a medical doctor, yeah, but I started off as a medical researcher.”

“Researching what?”

“Viruses, bacteria, cancers,” She shrugs one shoulder, “Honestly, I find your enhanced aging fascinating, and with enough time I’m sure I could reverse it.”

Bacara stares at her, “Why would you do that?”

“Because you all deserve a chance at a regular life when the war is over,” And then she laughs softly, “I haven’t actually started doing any research yet though.”

“Why not?”

“I wasn’t sure anyone would agree. And I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up.”

“You should. I’ll let you take blood or whatever from me,” Bacara offers.

“I might just take you up on that offer,” She replies with a small smile, “You know, I think this is the longest conversation we’ve ever had.”

“Yeah, well…” He shrugs, “I know my brothers told stories about me.”

“They did.” Her voice is soft, “I haven’t found any of the stories to be true, though. I think you’re very likable.”

Bacara’s heart flips again, “...how likable?” He can’t stop himself from asking.

She laughs, though there’s nothing cruel about it, “Very likable.”

“Oh, good.”

She pauses and twirls her pen between her fingers, “Actually, Bacara,” She says slowly, and he jolts as she says his name rather than his rank, “I wanted to ask you something.”

“Go ahead.”

“Are you…that is, do you have any interest in dating?” She asks as she doesn’t meet his gaze.

“I suppose,” Bacara says slowly, his mouth slightly dry, “That depends on who the other person is.”

“If it was, say, me?”

“I’d be very interested.” He replies immediately.

A small smile lifts her lips, “In that case, would you like to go on a date with me? There’s not a lot we can do on the ship, but we can still have a movie night or something.”

“Yes!” Bacara blurts, and then his face heats, “Ah…I mean, yes. I would like that.”

She giggles and Bacara’s even more smitten, “Then it’s a plan.” She pauses for a moment and sets her pen on the table, before she gets to her feet and walks over to him.

Slowly she ducks her head and presses her lips against his temple.

Her lips are warm and soft and it takes every ounce of his will power to stop from wrapping his arms around her and pulling her onto his lap and kissing her like how he’s been dreaming of for months.

“Was that okay?” She asks softly.

“Yes.” He replies hoarsely, “It’s more than okay.”

Some of the worry fades from her face, and she smiles at him warmly. And then she gently takes his hand and pulls him to his feet. “Why don’t you lay down on one of the beds here?” She offers.

Bacara frowns, “I’m not sick-”

“No, but you are tired. Maybe you’ll sleep better with me in the room with you?”

The offer is a kind one, and, really, there’s no harm in trying. So he settles on one of the beds. She dims the lights and then returns to his side, and lightly trails her fingers through his hair, “Goodnight, Bacara.”

“Hm…night.” He replies as he drifts off to sleep.

And an hour later, he stirs when he feels a gentle weight on the bed. He blinks, blearily, trying to get his bearings. And then a small smile crosses his face when he sees the Doc with her head resting on her arms, fast asleep while sitting in a chair.

Slowly, he eases her into the bed next to him, and he wraps an arm around her as she tucks her head under his chin, already mostly asleep.

Sure, he’ll have to deal with his brothers’ teasing in the morning, but it’s worth it to have her in his arms.

[always---wrong]

Okay, so I wanted to discuss the situation with Alastor, his canonical sexuality, and fans.

I have seen the two sides alot.

So one side ships Al with numerous characters and sees this as casual fun.

And the other thinks this is disrespectful cause he is ace, or Aroace.

(I believe that he is Aroace. His va said so, his character has shown no interest in romance, and Viv may have confirmed it at some point)

Now, I am sex repulsed ace and I'm aro. And I have strong opinions. Alastor is my favorite character in Hazbin Hotel, he is also the FIRST confirmed ace character I've seen. (This doesn't include subtly implied characters) Because Al is the first and I care for him he is very important to me.

My opinion is really mixed because on one side it's; yeah, it is a fandom, and fandoms ship. It's what they do. Its also kind a rude to judge someone for their favorite pairings and stuff, in my opinion.

On the other side though I'm hurt. I am a queer person with basically no rep. And I hadn't realized how upset I was by this until I saw discourse over this character. I had FORGOTTEN that it was possible to have confirmed canonical ace characters. I had gotten so used to that just being a head cannon. And not only just an ace character but also an Aroace character. And not just that but a seemingly non sex favorable ace character. I would even argue he is sex repulsed.

My real problem with all this is:

Yes, I KNOW ace characters can have sex. But do you know who else can? Literally every single allosexual character. I KNOW aros can date. But you know who else can? Everyone else. The appeal of ACTUALLY having characters with the same sexuality as me is that they would be like me. Cause I and other aces like me never, ever get stories like that. So many times in media I would be enjoying a character who had shown NO interest in sex/romance and would suddenly be partnered up with another just for the heck of it. This has happened SO many times it's not even funny. It's incredibly frustrating.

So, the point I'm trying to make is that; YES, there are aces who have sex. HOWEVER, a large number of us do not. And it's like everyone forgets that. Your not writing Alastor having sex with Angel cause your showing the vast spectrum of asexuality. Your most likely writing it cause it's sex between two hot characters. It's simply maddening.

(One thing I wanted to say was, despite the fact that Al is ace i don't think it's bad to find him attractive. He is very pleasing to look at so I understand allos finding him hot. However I'm not sure where I stand with people sexualizing him. I think I'm leaning towards, 'please don't do it'.)

Now, the worst thing though is when I'm looking for content to enjoy. When I found out Al was canonically ace I was so happy and excited. I'm pretty sure this situation wouldn't make me nearly as frustrated if it weren't for the overwhelming amount of sexual content for Al. Some would be fine. I could just scroll past it if this were the case. But it is not. Content for Al is MOSTLY sexual. That's why I don't believe people when they keep saying they aren't invalidating aces because almost every time I go looking for a fic I have to scroll for HOURS just to find few non ship fics.

I can't even use the Asexual Alastor tag because all that does is bring me to a bunch of fics where the author is like 'he's ace trust me,' then proceeds to write smut.

Why can't I even use a tag made for aces without being drowned in smut. It's so frustrating! Like I'm getting to a point where I wish the authors would stop using the tag and openly admit they made him not ace for the story. Like I know your trying to not throw away his canonical sexuality but I mean at this point I think it'd be better if you did. And if someone is going to write sex favorable ace Al then please leave it to the aces. I trust us to at least weave it into his character instead of stating it and acting like it's there when it's not.

So basically: I don't mind if you ship him, just don't say he's ace or Aroace if your neither of those in ship/smut content. I'm sick of trying to find content that isn't sex/romance in Aroace tags!

I don't want to judge people for liking a ship. But I'm really tired.

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE, I would love to see content with Al and Lucifer. Like them hating each other to like frenemies. It would be so funny.

Anyone have any platonic content with Al and the rest of the cast???

[vinjaryou]

Oh BOY, did I love seeing this at 6:15 AM with a mug of hot coffee in my hand. And don't you go giving yourself a pat on the back for "not commenting on the post," either - I'm right here, you could've said something TO ME, but instead you chose to whine on bsky, knowing I would see it, and probably hoping that I would apologize for some reason.

Nope. No apology. I'm allowed to have my own thoughts and opinions - as you so graciously, sarcastically stated in all caps - because how dare I not bow down to the Be-All, End-All, God of All That is Vincent, apparently. For you, opinions are all fine and dandy, until it's something you don't like. Which is a hell of a lot, honestly. And you make sure that everyone knows it, too.

Like Angeal Hewley. Cid and Vincent together. The women of FFVII - but you really seem to despise Tifa especially, and Yuffie in EC. People who don't agree with your headcanons or opinions. People who ask you to tone down your attitude in your posts - because you have an extremely lofty opinion of your own thoughts, and if people dare to disagree with you, then damn they must really have it out for you, huh?

Girl, you are not the victim you think you are. You are not the God of Final Fantasy VII, and especially not of Vincent Valentine.

Drop the persecution and victim complexes. You're so goddamn high on yourself, and this is why no one wants to talk to you outside of your circle. You screaming about how someone dared to mention Angeal in a fic that they took the time out to write for one of your fandom weeks, or the snotty way you responded to a comment on your Strifentine art rather than just block and move on, is why no one wants to participate in your events. Calling a friend rude for not liking your OTP? Suddenly discovering that a character that you're apparently the expert on has hair and eye colors similar to a 'friendly acquaintance's' female OC because how dare someone ship Vincent with a woman?

Yeah, you're not subtle. But I'm a jerk. Got it.

I wasn't picking on VinVeld in my post. Honestly, I don't give a shit either way about the pair. I was giving my own opinion, on my favorite character's inclusion in a game, that I thought was an unnecessary, fanservicey cameo. But yes, let's make you feel so terrible, because you chose to keep reading my opinion and take it personally rather than just scroll past. You just HAD to run to bsky and cry about how dare I shit on yet another of your precious OTPs, one that's so rare, and I should throw myself before you and apologize for daring to think this way.

No.

This is no different than you talking about how much you dislike Valenw1nd. Or Angeal. Or Tifa. Or how people are just so stupid as to not see the "obvious chemistry" between Cloud and Vincent. Or how woefully misunderstood Genesis is. Not everything is about you, and implying that my post - my opinions - are so OBVIOUSLY, INTENTIONALLY MEAN-SPIRITED, when I wasn't thinking about you at all - is so horrifically manipulative that I just have to sit here and shake my head.

This is why people don't interact with you.

Everything's NOT about you.

I'm too fucking old for this shit. YOU'RE too fucking old for this shit.

Maybe you should take your own advice, from the wall of tags on one of the numerous fandom vents you've written: if you see any criticism of something you like as an attack, that's a problem you need to deal with on your own.

I'm done.

[heartfulselkie]

Look

If you see a post that is clearly for a certain ship and decide to reblog it - it is completely unnecessary for you to add tags along the lines of "I know this is for X ship but..." / "wow you can just tell they don't have chemistry" / "you can totally tell character A is thinking about their true love character Z instead of the one they're with here!"

Why?

Because its just plain rude!

How many times do we need to have this discussion? Someone put their time and effort into making a post/fic/art/whatever for a ship they enjoy! So what if its a rarepair or pairing that deviates from the main ship? If it's not to your taste then don't talk shit in the tags!

Or better yet just don't reblog it if you don't like it that much!

There's plenty of content available for the mainstream/canon ships for you to enjoy. So stop stomping over and making fun of the ships other people like. It's rude to the person who created something for a ship they like only to get someone saying "yeah I know this is about X ship but I'm going to talk about the real ship instead!"

Why does this continue to be a problem?

Some of you need to grow up.

[mycadences]

That side: "Lucien and Vassa will carry book 6, the final ACOTAR book! Vassien FTW! Vassien has so many shippers! It's a major ship!"

^ They're literally called a lesser known ship (I blocked out the accounts of the other two just in case any enraged Elriel tries to identify them... but if you search the Vassien tag you'll find the original posts). Vassien was competing against the other rare pairs (aka no real major ships like Feysand/Nessian/Gwynriel/Elucien and yes even Elriel (I'll admit Elriel is a major ship... BUT VASSIEN ISN'T)).

I know posts like this may seem like I'm mocking Vassien shippers, but I'm actually calling out the Elriels who disguise themselves as Vassien shippers and try to paint some strange narrative where Vassien and Elriels are the top two shipping fandoms like they are not lmao.

It is fine to ship rare pairs. In fact, it's great because it introduces more pairing diversity into the fandom! If you are a true Vassien shipper reading this then I hope you continue doing what you like! What is not fine is pretending to be fans of a rare pair and acting like you're making some 3000 IQ move when you're just clowning yourself.

I've always been of the opinion that it's insulting and beyond rude to act like you're a fan of a ship you're not for your own hidden motive.

Bonus:

Ah yes, the ship you love so much that you don't even know its name... Thanks for shipping Jurian and Vassa! (This was an angry Elriel post ranting about Gwynriel that I stumbled across. I'm not going to share the name of this poster since, again, I don't want anyone to identify them and hunt them down. But I just thought it was kinda funny lol, I've seen so many Vassien "shippers" (cough ELRIELS cough) misspell their own ship name.)

Anyway the whole point of this post is to show that if there are two full-length novels left AND each book will follow one main couple with alternating POVs, then the only way the math adds up is if the next two books are Gwynriel/Elucien in any order.

Because if it's Elriel, who will take the last and presumably most important final book??

I keep seeing them say either Vassien will take it (but they have almost no fans ;-; and at the end of the day I'm here for the romance, I'm not going to read a book about a couple I don't support...) or the final book will be about the three Archeron sisters but... SJM literally said it's going to follow one main couple??? Or are you telling me the Archeron sisters are endgame (yikes)...

[lavenderprose]

The thing about fandom is like. Okay here's an example. I broadly dislike Calico Jack. I don't ship him with anybody (Aside from Anne&Mary because I enjoy the Problems they would cause) and while I do like nuance for him in fic, I have no wish to read any interpretation of his in-show character that is not 'Dirtbag man from dirtbag land.' But if you're a Calico Jack apologist and want to see him in a different light and ship him with people, I'm glad for you and hope you enjoy your activities. I'll be over here with my Barbie dolls and you'll be over there with your Barbie dolls and we don't HAVE to talk about how I think one of your Barbie dolls is wearing an ugly shirt. Or whatever.

That is literally what 'don't tag your hate' means, and it's been a core fandom tenet FOREVER. It's been a thing since before TAGS were a thing. Back during the Internet heyday of forums, best practice was to not seek out forums that were discussing topics you personally found objectionable. If Our Flag Means Death aired on network television in 2003, I guarantee you that there would be a forum dedicated to Calico Jack and it would be MY job to never go in there because I wouldn't like what I saw. And if I did go in there and make a nuisance of myself, it would be my own damn fault when someone came after me about it.

We don't have forums anymore. What we have are tags. And, generally speaking, people are going to be in the tags of certain topics because they ENJOY them. I don't go in the Homelander tag for The Boys because that's where the people who are horny about him hang out and that's not me. When I was in the Yuuri on Ice fandom, there were certain popular side pairings that I didn't enjoy and I NEVER went in the tags and talked about how I disliked those pairings. Because that would have been rude.

It just reads as. I don't know, childish? To make very vitriolic posts and tag those posts with the tags that you KNOW enjoyers of that thing use and frequent. Like, at a certain point you have to admit to even yourself that that's not the intended function of the tag. And I'm not sure if it's for attention (Like, signal boosting) or if it's just general misbehavior. TBH, it's something that's been happening for a long time. The McKirk tag was regularly inundated with hate (Tho less actual meta and more just straight up trolling) right after Star Trek Into Darkness came out and McKirk exploded weirdly in popularity. So even very old fandoms are engaging in this kind of behavior.

Honestly I'm not sure what the solution is because as we've all seen by now, asking nicely and asking...not so nicely both do not work. I think it starts somewhere from a place of just respecting your fellow fans and understanding that it's okay to dislike or disagree with a person or character or ship or plot without being nasty about it. A little respect and tolerance could go a long way.

[ancientevangelions]

Hello! I'm new here! Just the other day I was going through the AsuShin tag, found your fics, and loved them! I also spent some time reading your thoughts and theories. Which brings me to ask, how do you perceive the changes and (lack of) relationship between Asuka and Shinji from Evangelion, EoE and Rebuild?

Specifically regarding Rebuild, I found it disheartening how they set Shinji and Asuka aside so easily. I'm not talking strictly nor only about shipping. I grew up watching the 90s Evangelion. And a big part of the story and its exploration of psychological themes and characters's psychology and motivation was Shinji's relationship with Asuka. Most of all in EoE, which, to me, is the ending I find most fitting.

It was dreadful to watch the redone beach sequence where Shinji thanks Asuka for admitting she used to like him, then him saying he used to like her back. Only for them to have that "everything is suddenly happy now" ending. This sequence seems to discredit most of the themes and sacrifices made in the original story, and does not satisfactorily brings their story to a close, but instead seem to try to brush it aside or bypass it somehow. Again, I do ship AsuShin but my grievance has much more to do with the way Rebuild handled them, I don't think in a story like Evangelion we could ever have had hopes of them living happily ever after or even be together necessarily

Hello!

Thanks for being here. I wanted to answer this as thoughtfully as I could! Asuka and Shinji are definitely a complicated pair. Regardless of shipping, they require care and attention to understand.

In NGE/EoE, the focus of the series is on their interactions, especially with the End of Evangelion. Episode 9 onward is focused primarily on the interactions between Asuka and Shinji, their highs and lows, the back and forth and their eventual downfalls. I always find it funny how people are highly critical of the interactions between the kids. From my memory of high school/being a teen (2004 to 2009 mostly), it was very much like this. A lot of back-and-forth denial of feelings and messiness trying to avoid pain, not wanting to speak your feelings due to embarrassment, and a lack of knowledge on consent or anything romantic or sexual. It all was a very realistic portrayal of my teen years, primarily because of the depression and mental illness (spoken as an undiagnosed mentally ill teen).

The realism with Asuka and Shinji and the non-linear progression/recovery felt extremely important to me. It was evident that they had a massive attraction to one another. Still, they fell into the trap I had in my youth of being unsure how to communicate my feelings without being rejected or experiencing pain. Even without romantic or sexual feelings, Shinji and Asuka live together, attend school, and work together. They are often abandoned by Misato at home alone, left to their own devices. They are two kids competing to see who can grow up faster. They have a compelling dynamic because they are so messy! In NGE, we see their ups and downs, learning about each other, fighting together and building trust, kindness, rude words, misunderstanding, poor communication, etc.

I love End of Evangelion. I don't need to see what happens after Asuka returns; I know now Yui was telling the truth that anyone can return when they are ready. Of course, it would be Asuka next after Shinji; their destinies are intertwined. She has every right to show him compassion AND to still be angry after all he did to her. The point of the ending scene is that there is love and affection in the world, but it's not forced; it's not a given; it's realistic. No one owes you anything, not love, not compassion, but when we choose to be kind, how amazing is that? Asuka and Shinji can continue to learn, grow and survive together. There is hope; they can be happy, but they must rebuild, work together, and try to find that happiness. 

Rebuild of Evangelion is so Shinji-centric at times it feels like it doesn't care about anyone else's motivations or backstory. Rebuild disappointed me so much with its focus on cinematic fights over substance. Rebuild also falls into the trap of forcing a perfect happy ending, which is unrealistic and annoying. Real change is messy and takes effort, years and years of action, and instead, we find perfection in imperfection. It's okay and expected if everything doesn't go exactly as planned. Rebuild needs more focus. It's evident that there was no overarching plan for the 4 films and that they underwent rewrites and delays for years. Of course, ideas would change. It took years to finish the series. It went from "Evangelion for new fans, a retelling that doesn't require you to watch NGE" to "The action sequences are good; let's make money off of sexualized children."

A lot of the AsuShin content is added on later in canon bonus material later added to 3.0 + 1.0 to clear up misconceptions about the relationships. It's subtle, and it feels tacked on. Shinji spends so little on-screen time with any of the characters that we don't get the same interactions, world-building, or character development and the flatness of the characters bothers me so much. What are their motivations? "Well, he cooked for her, so she likes him." Okay… that seems flimsy since she spends all her time alone, and he spends all his time alone… 

Shikinami might as well be 14, screaming that she is an adult now. For all the ways she has changed between 2.0 and 3.0, stewing in her anger doesn't seem very adult. The children telling us they are adults really doesn't convince me. The time skip accomplished nothing as no one reflected on 14 years passing in a realistic way. Shinji didn't grieve lost time or grapple with being an adult in a child's body. The deus ex machina at the end might have been "And then Shinji woke up, and Wonderland was gone" or "Asuka clicked her red heels and said there's no place like home."

Pixar films are popular because "Life doesn't always go according to plan, but you can still find happiness in the mess of life." The idea is that things are imperfect, and we make the most of what we have. Sometimes, what we want is different from what we need. Rebuild fails to capture this and instead falls into a trap I see in YA novels where the epilogue is much too neat. We see ourselves in the characters, and we identify with the struggle, but then the ending is too tidy. The protagonist gets a hetero-normative end with children and a picket fence and marries one of the love interests introduced early on. The protagonist becomes unrelatable to us because they fall into complacency where they have a 9 to 5 job and do nothing to better anything after the "fall of the tyrant." To quote The Who with their song Won't Get Fooled Again: "Here comes the new boss, same as the old boss." How can we, who are struggling daily for our survival and happiness, find the changing of one problem to be satisfactory in solving all issues? No more Evas, cool, but now he is under capitalism which we all know SUCKS. Sounds perfect, Shinji. Thanks for making your lives miserable in a new way. Trapped in wage labour sounds excellent. 

That's why I'm not a fan of "happy" endings. I only need some of the problems solved. I want to see work to build a new world. In the Rebuild ending, I dream of Asuka and Shinji working side by side to rebuild cities, prevent new child soldiers and be active in a community that fears them. We don't need a dream of paradise. We need hope that WE can make a difference, too. 

[bensonstablers]

I was tagged by @sothischickshe (thank you!!! 🥰) to answer 20 questions for writers:

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

205.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

609,094

3. What fandoms do you write for?

fandoms i've written for include:

Law & Order: SVU / L&O: Organized Crime

Good Girls

Gotham

Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel

Criminal Minds

Graceland

Stranger Things

The Walking Dead

Riverdale

Castlevania

Preacher

Four Brothers

Outer Banks

Gilmore Girls

while no longer available, in the past i've also written for:

Fast and Furious franchise

MCU / Marvel

Boondock Saints

Hocus Pocus

From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series

DC

(plus more i'm probably forgetting about)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Shared History (Good Girls/Brio)

Degree of Separation (Good Girls/Brio)

Milkshakes (Good Girls/Brio)

Deep Sense of Belonging (Good Girls/Brio)

Sacred Art of Kissing (Good Girls/Brio)

5. Do you respond to comments?

i read all of them for sure but i'm terrible sometimes at responding although i do try my best

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

ooft, okay. there's probably more than this but the following have major character death warnings that could very well be classed as angsty lmao:

i wrote this little ficlet: Gone (SVU, bensler/EO) in which a raid goes wrong and it's just pain from start to finish and then there's Until Long After She Takes Her Final Breath which is a Good Girls/brio fic in which their reunion at the beginning of season 3 goes very differently.

Why don't we go to Venus? is another Good Girls/brio fic in which the summary is: Rio killed her and that was supposed to be the end of it but Beth doesn’t seem to be done with him quite yet.

that one is probably my angstiest overall but the ending is probably the least angsty bit about it??? haha

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

honestly? i have no idea and i have no clue how to check 😭😂

8. Do you get hate on fics?

there was someone going around the SVU/OC fandom leaving weird hate comments on people's stuff (anonymously) and i got one but while it felt rude, it didn't feel like hate, but also it felt like it was supposed to be hateful, y'know? pretty sure i just deleted it though (i for sure ignored it) 😂

but generally, no. i'm lucky to say that i tend to avoid hate on social media and that includes fanfiction.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i have done and the variety isn't huge but it's there? i guess?

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you��ve written?

i have done! beyond the obvious (where shows, etc share worlds), i did a boondock saints/the walking dead one (which was also co-written) because norman reedus stars in both 😂

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i'm aware of?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

again, not that i'm aware of

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

yes! the aforemention boondock saints/the walking dead fic was co-written on ff.net and i co-wrote (with the same person), a fast and furious fic.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

i lost myself a ton in writing olivia/elliot from svu/organized crime as well as beth/rio from good girls so they'd probably battle it out for top spot.

BUT

if i'm being brutally honest, my all time favourite ever to write were fast and furious ships 😂 especially the OGs (specifically vince and leon) with my OCs (although there were canon ships i loved to write too!). it was just so fun and freeing and i constantly think about it.

(i also loved when i wrote random marvel/mcu pairings, winterwitch was probably my number one for them and again, i think about it a lot)

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

i think it's unlikely i'll finish a lot but especially a degree of separation. i kind of hate it, i'm so sorry 😭😭😭

16. What are your writing strengths?

the thought of analysing my own writing right now sounds painful but two of the most common nice things people tell me is that: 1) they like how i write dialogue and 2) they like my writing style in general

(but of which i highly appreciate!)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

i don't do it enough?

nah. true but seriously, there's a ton, however, i do tend to waffle on and write something in several sentences that could have been just one 😭

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I don't think i've ever done it? if i have it'll be dialogue or whatever that's already in the show/move/etc

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The Fast and the Furious 🥰

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

still on ao3: it has to be Why don't we go to Venus? but also Knock First which is a Beth/Rio/Original Male Character threesome fic that was SO MUCH fun

no longer posted: a fic for The Fast and the Furious. it was a Vince/OC story. it was so much fun to write and it was one of my most popular back when i was posting on ff.net and i miss this story all the time (even though it's probably awful 😂) and always think about re-writing and posting it again on ao3

Tagging: @conscience-killer @constant-sinner @astarkey @xstrawmari @blainesebastian if ya like! (sorry if you've been tagged before!)

[cvbullshit]

Okay, this will be the last time I talk about this.

I'm not doing the joke war anymore.

People started misunderstanding and getting rude over it.

To those who I unintentionally upset with it, I'm sorry. It was a big joke that I wasn't taking seriously. I do have my own opinions on what I like in a ship name but I don't really care if it gets used or not. I will still be using the ship name MurderVictim though, along with similar ship names such as MassMurder, but from now on in the tags I'll put cv/cv!/ship next to it so it doesn't get confused with actual things.

I started the "war" as a joke because the idea was funny to me. I tried to make it clear that it wasn't serious with tags and very goofy ways of speech. But it's clear no one got that and I do understand to an extent, tone indicators are hard to do online.

I'm keeping MurderVictim as a ship name for my CV pairing of Geno and Dust. You do what you want, I never cared about actually "converting" people to what I like.

But that's it. I'm done with this. I'm just going to move on with what I like and I'm gonna do regular scheduled posts.

[mrsreginagold]

I need to edit my weekly Nikari, but what happened yesterday regarding my accidental stumbling across a hater (either of my ship or just of me "spamming" the category on AO3, who knows but I'm not interacting with them to find out), started this cycle of self-doubt that's plagued me for years in fandom. And I need to ramble to exorcise it from my system.

Generally my experience has been that I get swept under the rug. Whether it's because I ship something rare or from a defunct fandom, I sadly have gotten used to being ignored. But it's also what's always made me hesitant to post my work somewhere more public than I'm comfortable with.

Back in my OUAT days, it took a *lot* to get me to finally start posting Golden Queen over on fanfiction.net. When I eventually got brave enough for AO3, I began with a small Star Wars ship that only mildly took off, and then moved on to my beloved Calibessa from Penny Dreadful.

My public posting hiatus occurred when I finally got fed up -- mostly due to the fallout of canon Golden Queen and an influx of explicit fic gaining more popularity by default than the virtual library I had been creating for years, I think anyone could understand me getting just a smidge bitter. But instead of bemoaning I took my leave. I was starting to suffer from some burn out anyway, so it was a good time to quietly exit.

I was fairly content taking a break and then slowly writing for myself again. I had ships that I enjoyed making private content for, and over the next few years I regained my passion for something that I consider a deep part of who I am: which is creating in general.

Then I got into Nikita, and Nikari came along.

You have to understand that I had not had a ship drive me the way they did since Calibessa. Sure I had some new pairings come along that I loved. I also delved back into beloved older pairs for variety. But Nikari just...sparked something in me that I can't fully explain.

I am incredibly grateful that I met some lovely souls in the Peter Outerbridge tag who coaxed me into sharing my work again. You all know who you are and your opinions are the ones that actually matter to me. The only reason I'm feeling any hurt and anger right now is because people just don't know how to be polite about pairings anymore. Bring back the term squick. It gets the point across without sounding rude.

Full disclosure: Pirahnashipping squicks me. Hell, John Kramer in general squicks me (though kudos to Tobin for his iconic performances in the role). I don't go bemoaning the fact that most of the content for William Easton is that, because I know it's what makes other people happy. I block/mute as appropriate, write my silly self indulgent crack ship for Will, and go on my merry way. It is *incredibly* simple.

The TL:DR of this is that it's very important to recognize that what you may view as a yuck is another person's yum, and that there is a person with feelings at the other end of the screen.

Anyway that's all for now. I've wasted enough time and must go edit now.

Oh and who knows if I'll ever properly archive my other works for other fandoms on AO3. If someone can get all up in a twist over Nikari, I shudder to think what Golden Queen or my tokusatsu based het will do.

[skeptiquewrites]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you for the tag @tackytigerfic (here) and @maesterchill (here). Emerging from my post illness hidey hole.

How many works do you have on ao3?

32, a number that both seems too large and smaller than I thought

2. what's your total ao3 word count?

254,835. Wild.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Mostly HP, although once in a while I peek over at other fandoms. And I have a joint Check Please fic in the works.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

All Drarry. None really surprised me but the final one, I hadn't realized it climbed that far up the kudos. Huh. 1. Yours Truly - my romcom fic about Harry feeling left out when everyone's coupled up, telling a lie that gets out of control, and also how hot magical ecology is 2. Home Truths - my Quidditch fic about the complications of fame, love of the game, Harry finding out who his family was and letting himself fall in love 3. Special Affinity - how quickly one can justify fucking one's coworker given a bonding spell while having no idea if the feelings part is reciprocal 4. Winner Takes It All - Draco feeling caught in impossible circumstances, working too much, caregiving for a parent, and how small kindnesses can mean the world 5. A Little Time - mistaken for a couple, forced proximity, Healer school, and everyone in a small town hating you and all your friends on sight

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I love responding to comments, but it takes me a while. I read every single one, and I try to wait until I have the time and energy to respond with something thoughtful. I'm months behind at this point.

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I'm a fairly happy ending sort of person. I tend to go more for straight angst for drabbles and micros. Maybe Beside Manner? They're formerly bonded and dealing very badly with the dissolution.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Oh, gosh, most of them. I'm most enamoured by the Big Damn Kiss at the end of Home Truths. I love No Distance because Harry and Draco are very much in love and not able to hide it. I am particularly fond of the end of Winner because I was able to leave Draco in a very good place that felt right for the fic.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not really I think. I get the occasional rude bookmark rating. Once, a very unpleasant person who sent lots of hate for months over a fairly inconsequential aspect of a fic. And then there have been a few comments where it's clear the reader wanted me to write a different fic, which I don't really take that personally. Nice comments far outweight the negative.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Not much. Tender, expressive, evocative. Light on details mostly.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I am not a crossover person.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think anyone has ever tried.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes. Two by the wonderful Bluebubbling which I was thrilled by.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I've always wanted to. I'm trying my hand with another fandom, but one day.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Drarry. It just hits different.

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I'm one of those people who has a dozens of ideas. I think I'm unlikely to finish my Veela!Harry fic, I just don't think I have the range. I have yet to successfully write and finish a PWP. Would be thrilled to finish some of my rare pairs.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Hmmm. I think dialogue, efficiency, and atmosphere.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

More complicated or mystery-oriented plots, the mid-level between an ensemble cast and an intimate chamber piece, anything with significant length, spending lots of words on one scene.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

One of my ideas about writing is that not everything has to be maximally accessible to all to be an authentic expression in a fic. If that's what fits or feels right, go for it.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

You know, I found out the answer for sure recently, and I will be keeping that information to myself. Highly embarrassing and yet formative. Let your imagination do the rest.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Winner Takes It All. Exactly what I intended, turned out beautifully. Some of my favourite writing.

tagging @magpiefngrl @lettersbyelise @lqtraintracks @quicksilvermaid @goblinmatriarch @teledild0nix @boxboxlewis and anyone else who is interested