#I've had no energy to respond but if anyone asking for commissions sees this: I'm not opening ever again unless I'm incredibly desperate !

[duckydrawsart]

gonna die if i don't draw !!!

[morathicain]

Hello I consider you an Internet adult (though I am 22 myself) with experience both reading and writing fanfictions so I wanted to ask. What is the appropriate way to respond when an author deletes all their work and account? Like my favourite fan fiction got deleted and I'm legitimately so sad. I don't understand why people just delete everything these days. Authors from 15 years ago leave those works up evenif they'll never update them again so I just don't understand why so many authors delete these days unlike before. I don't mean to say people can't choose what to do with their own work I respect that. But it just happens so often and hurts so much when fics are just deleted. I understand if this isn't something you want to deal with rn, I don't want to pressure you. You're a great blogger.

Hey Anon ;)

Oh, it does sound a bit weird, but I guess it's true and I'm an Internet adult by now C.C Thank you for your confidence <3

Okay, so that topic is ... emotional and difficult. We rarely know why someone would delete all their works and account. And it's never our right to know as well. But of course it's a shock and you're sad because certain fanfictions can be very personal and it hurts a lot if they're gone. Especially since you're left with no answer.

I'm not sure if my answer suits everyone, but I suggest a few things you can do BEFORE an author deletes everything.

1. Comment and engage. From what I've heard from others, it's often a lack of engagement that frustrates them and makes it feel as if they're giving in lots of energy and effort but there's barely any reaction. Even if you read it again, even if it's an old fic, tell them so. It works wonders, believe me.

2. Download and save your favourite fics. As I said, we never know what happened for an account to be deleted and we never know when it might happen. AO3 has it and other websites as well. Use it. Collect all the fics you enjoyed, so you can read them again from time to time and don't have to fear that they won't be there anymore.

3. If an author includes other social media websites in their bio or fics, follow them. They (we) do that for a reason ;) and it might give you answers.

Now, what to do Afterwards? That's more difficult.

1. Don't harrass them. Even if you know their social media and it's still active but they don't give an answer, don't harrass them. I understand the frustration and need for answers, but it's their own issue.

2. You could see if their work is still posted somewhere else. Sometimes authors have other accounts as well. Like on Wattpad.

3. Tell others about your favourite fanfiction. Mourn the loss you've just experienced. It's okay to be sad and frustrated and to wonder why. Keep it in mind, maybe write down the title or what it was about and maybe you'll find it again one day (who knows?). Treat it as a precious memory because you can't really do anything against the disappearance, as sad as it sounds.

I guess that's my advice for now. If anyone has another opinion or another idea, please feel free to add (except for hate).

Luckily I've never had the urge to delete my account and I've only ever deleted one work and regret it till now.

To why it seems to be happening now more than ever, maybe it's the internet culture right now. I've friends who fear to upload a fic because they expect people to police them heavily. I'm quite lucky with the fandoms I'm writing for atm but it can change quickly and interactions can become very toxic and the demands stressful. Expectations to upload only certain tropes and stories and things and be responsible for every little reaction a reader has (despite tags) can be difficult to endure. Older writers might either forget they're still having a certain fic online or are still hanging on to that little spark of hope to continue it one day or may be more relaxed about all the trouble going on. Plus people starting to do commissions (which is forbidden) which turns a fun hobby into work. All of those things can make people want to leave fandoms and cut all connections and might play a big role nowadays.

And that's why my emphasis is once again on my first advice: engage, comment, be nice and if you don't like something, then choose to NOT interact.

This got a bit out of hand and I have no idea if it even helps. Sorry again that you had to experience that so often already. I hope you'll manage and maybe even find your favourite fanfic again <3 Take care and have a wonderful day/night =^^=

[paganinpurple]

They never hurt anyone. That's their only rule. Whatever other tactics they need to use they'll use.

Illusions of blood work more often than not. Blood dripping from the walls, down their faces. The illusions have solid mass so they often feel it before they see it, glancing into the mirror in horror. Pain never accompanies the illusions but they scream anyway.

*

"You can't keep doing this," he says and they make the walls sing in a pleasant purring noise in response to his voice.

"They're still selling. I'll need to bring more people here. Will you at least wait until they close escrow this time?"

They don't respond to that.

"I'll get fired if I can't get this house past the viewing stage and I have bills to pay."

They make the air smell like cotton candy. An apology of sorts. And a promise.

*

They had let the family move in this time. All viewings had been uneventful and they even brought the little one. It doesn't matter. They never hurt anyone anyway.

They wait for them all to fall asleep before they drop the temperature and short out the fuse box.

*

"You're lucky that little boy was too young to understand why his parents were so scared," he tells the perfectly lacquered mahogany staircase. They make the wood warm under his touch.

"At least I earned the commission," he says defeated, "and they've asked us to sell it again."

The temperature drops just a little bit.

*

They continue this way. Always scaring away the intruders, never harming them. Four new families of all shapes and sizes have gone before they find their first real challenge.

She believes. But she is not afraid. She places out crystals and burns pleasant herbs for them.

But she is not him.

They find her fear eventually.

*

"I can't keep doing this," he says, "everyone thinks I'm cursed. That I'm the reason weird things happen here. No one at work believes you're real."

They make a faint smell of burnt popcorn to show their displeasure. He laughs but it is weak and doesn't last long.

"I can't be the one to sell the house anymore."

They make the doors and windows slam closed suddenly and the air holds a stale quality to it.

"If you keep me here against my will, I'll starve," he says matter of factly, " And I know you never let anyone get hurt."

After a time they let the front door swing inwards. The walls seep moisture as he turns and walks through it. The air smells of salt now.

*

A new realtor tries to take over. They terrify her and the couple she brings with her. More realtors try again after that. They bring new families with them but they always frighten them away.

They no longer give anyone a chance to think the house is normal any more. They make shrieking noises of stone on stone when they hear people approaching from the street, they make the downstairs smell of rotting meat and the upstairs holds the heat of fire and flames.

None of it matters any more.

*

People stop coming to view. The house they once loved becomes less grand and starts to fail in places. They do their best but they can only affect the physical plane temporarily or force illusions upon the senses. None of it is enough to stop the disrepair from gaining ground.

The walls become blue instead of purple and remain that way.

*

They hear noises. It's been a a year since anyone came to see the house - since they scared away those teenagers who tried to see how long they could last.

They don't even have the energy to make the shrieking loud enough to discourage them before they get close.

As the door opens they prepare to assault the intruder's senses with the taste of burnt flesh, but they stop.

He is in the doorway. He looks distraught and they immediately make the room warm and cosy to try and cheer him up. His eyes light up a little but he still seems unsure.

"Hi," he says.

They make the broken blinds on the windows by the door sway in a wave.

"Sorry I've been gone so long," he says to the ceiling, "I needed some time to save up some money. I thought it would have been a lot longer but they've dropped the price a long way since I stopped coming by."

They aren't entirely sure what he means but the way he says it makes what they now have instead of a chest swell and the lights come on, a few old bulbs popping and startling him for a moment. He laughs.

"I told you I couldn't be the one to sell the house anymore," he says with a grin, "I'm not allowed to sell to myself."

*

The night is cold and the heating has not been reconnected yet but they keep him warm, first with illusions and then by forcing enough physical presence into the room to envelope him as he sleeps on the mattress he brought with him. Illusions will only make him think he's warm after all and they don't want him to catch cold.

Tomorrow he will need to leave again to collect tools and some of his belongings. He will need to leave again day after day. But this time they know he will always come back.

He will always come back home to them.

Story idea: Ghost haunting an old house is in love with the real estate agent and that’s why they keep scaring off the people who buy the house